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Republic Act No. 9520 February 17, 2009




"ARTICLE 1. Title. - This Act shall be known as the "Philippine Cooperative Code of

"ART. 2. Declaration of Policy.- It is the declared policy of the State to foster the creation and
growth of cooperatives as a practical vehicle for promoting self-reliance and harnessing
people power towards the attainment of economic development and social justice. The State
shall encourage the private sector to undertake the actual formation and organization of
cooperatives and shall create an atmosphere that is conducive to the growth and
development of these cooperatives.

"ART. 3. General Concepts. - A cooperative is an autonomous and duly registered

accepted cooperative principles.

"Toward this end, the Government and all its branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities and
agencies shall ensure the provision of technical guidance, financial assistance and other
services to enable said cooperatives to develop into viable and responsive economic
enterprises and thereby bring about a strong cooperative movement that is free from any
conditions that might infringe upon the autonomy or organizational integrity of cooperatives.

"ART. 4. Cooperative Principles. - Every cooperative shall conduct its affairs in accordance
with Filipino culture, good values and experience and the universally accepted principles of
cooperation which include, but are not limited to, the following:

"(1) Voluntary and Open Membership - Cooperatives are voluntary organizations,

of membership, without gender, social, racial, cultural, political or religious

"(2) Democrative Member Control - Cooperatives are democratic organizations that

are controlled by their members who actively participate in setting their policies and
making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives, directors or
officers are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have
equal voting rights of one-member, one-vote. Cooperatives at other levels are
organized in the same democratic manner.
"(3) Member Economic Participation - Members contribute equitably to, and
democratically control, the capital of their cooperatives. At least part of that capital is
the common property of the cooperative. They shall receive limited compensation or
limited interest, if any, on capital subscribed and paid as a condition of membership.
cooperative by setting up reserves, part of which should at least be indivisible;
benefitting members in proportion to their partonage of the cooperative's bubsiness;
and, supporting other activities approved by the membership.

"(4) Autonomy and Independence - Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help

organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into aggreements with other
organizations, including government, or raise capital from external sources, they
shall do so on terms that ensure democratic control of their members and maintain
their cooperative autonomy.

"(5) Education, Training and Information - Cooperatives shall provide education and
training for their members, elected and appointed representatives, managers, and
employees, so that they can contribute effectively and efficiently to the development
of their cooperatives.

"(6) Cooperation Among Cooperatives - Cooperatives serve their members most

effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through
local, national, regional and international structures.

(7) Concern for Community - Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of
their communities through policies approved by their members.


"ART. 62. Privileges of Cooperatives. – Cooperatives registered under this Code,

notwithstanding the provisions of any law to the contrary, be also accorded the following

"(1) Cooperatives shall enjoy the privilege of depositing their sealed cash boxes or
containers, documents or any valuable papers in the safes of the municipal or city
treasurers and other government offices free of charge, and the custodian of such
articles shall issue a receipt acknowledging the articles received duly witnessed by
another person;

"(2) Cooperatives organized among government employees, notwithstanding any law

or regulation to the contrary, shall enjoy the free use of any available space in their
agency, whether owned or rented by the Government;

"(3) Cooperatives rendering special types of services and facilities such as cold
storage, ice plant, electricity, transportation, and similar services and facilities shall
secure a franchise therefore, and such cooperatives shall open their membership to
all persons qualified in their areas of operation;
"(4) In areas where appropriate cooperatives exist, the preferential right to supply
government institutions and agencies rice, corn and other grains, fish and other
marine products, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, tobacco and other agricultural
commodities produced by their members shall be granted to the cooperatives

"(5) Preferential treatment in the allocation of fertilizers, including seeds and other
agricultural inputs and implements, and in rice distribution shall be granted to
cooperatives by the appropriate government agencies;

"(6) Preferential and equitable treatment in the allocation or control of bottomries of

commercial shipping vessels in connection with the shipment of goods and products
of cooperatives;

"(7) Cooperatives and their federations, such as farm and fishery producers and
suppliers, market vendors and such other cooperatives, which have for their primary
purpose the production and/or the marketing of products from agriculture, fisheries
and small entrepreneurial industries and federations thereof, shall have preferential
rights in the management of public markets and/or lease of public market facilities,
stalls or spaces: Provided, That these rights shall only be utilized exclusively by
cooperatives: Provided, further, That no cooperative forming a joint venture,
partnership or any other similar arrangement with a non-cooperative entity can utilize
these rights;

"(8) Cooperatives engaged in credit services and/or federations shall be entitled to

loans credit lines, rediscounting of their loan notes, and other eligible papers with the
Development Bank of the Philippines, the Land Bank of the Philippines and other
financial institutions except the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP);

"The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) and other government

agencies, government-owned and controlled corporations and government financial
institutions shall provide technical assistance to registered national federations and
unions of cooperatives which have significant engagement in savings and credit
operations in order for these federations and unions to establish and/or strengthen
their own autonomous cooperative deposit insurance systems;

"(9) A public transport service cooperative may be entitled to financing support for the
acquisition and/or maintenance of land and sea transport equipment, facilities and
parts through the program of the government financial institutions. It shall have the
preferential right to the management and operation of public terminals and ports
whether land or sea transport where the cooperative operates and on securing a
franchise for active or potential routes for the public transport;

"(10) Cooperatives transacting business with the Government of the Philippines or

any of its political subdivisions or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, including
government-owned and controlled corporations shall be exempt from prequalification
bidding requirements notwithstanding the provisions of Republic Act No.9184,
otherwise known as, the Government Procurement Act;

"(11) Cooperative shall enjoy the privilege of being represented by the provincial or
city fiscal or the Office of the Solicitor General, free of charge, except when the
adverse party is the Republic of the Philippines;
"(12) Cooperatives organized by faculty members and employees of educational
institutions shall have the preferential right in the management of the canteen and
other services related to the operation of the educational institution where they are
employed: Provided, That such services are operated within the premises of the said
educational institution; and

"(13) The appropriate housing agencies and government financial institutions shall
create a special window for financing housing projects undertaken by cooperatives,
with interest rates and terms equal to, or better than those given for socialized
housing projects. This financing shall be in the form of blanket loans or long-term
wholesale loans to qualified cooperatives, without need for individual processing.

"The Authority, in consultation with the appropriate government agencies and concerned
cooperative sector, shall issue rules and regulations on all matters concerning housing


"ART. 88. Definition and Purpose. – An agrarian reform cooperative is one organized by
marginal farmers, majority of which are agrarian reform beneficiaries, for the purpose of
developing an appropriate system of land tenure, land development, land consolidation or
land management in areas covered by agrarian reform.

"An agrarian reform cooperative as defined shall be organized for any or all of the following

"(1) To develop an appropriate system of land tenure, land development, land

consolidation or land management in areas covered by agrarian reform;

"(2) To coordinate and facilitate the dissemination of scientific methods of production,

and provide assistance in the storage, transport, and marketing of farm products for
agrarian reform beneficiaries and their immediate family, hereinafter referred to as

"(3) To provide financial facilities to beneficiaries for provident or productive purposes

at reasonable costs;

"(4) To arrange and facilitate the expeditious transfer of appropriate and suitable
technology to beneficiaries and marginal farmers at the lowest possible cost;

"(5) To provide social security benefits, health, medical and social insurance benefits
and other social and economic benefits that promote the general welfare of the
agrarian reform beneficiaries and marginal farmers;

"(6) To provide non-formal education, vocational/technical training, and livelihood

programs to beneficiaries and marginal farmers;
"(7) To act as conduits for external assistance and services to the beneficiaries and
marginal farmers;

"(8) To undertake a comprehensive and integrated development program in agrarian

reform and resettlement areas with special concern for the development of agro-
based, marine-based, and cottage-based industries;

"(9) To represent the beneficiaries on any or all matters that affect their interest; and

"(10) To undertake such other economic or social activities as may be necessary or

incidental in the pursuit of the foregoing purposes.


"ART. 105. Cooperative Insurance Societies. – Existing cooperatives may organize

themselves into a cooperative insurance entity for the purpose of engaging in the business of
insuring life and property of cooperatives and their members.

"ART. 106. Types of Insurance Provided. – Under the cooperative insurance program
established and formed by the virtue of the provisions of this Code, the cooperative
insurance societies shall provide its constituting members different types of insurance
coverage consisting of, but not limited to, life insurance with special group coverage, loan
protection, retirement plans, endowment, motor vehicle coverage, bonding, crop and
livestock protection and equipment insurance.


"ART. 109. Definition and Coverage. – A public service cooperative, within the meaning of
this Code, is one organized to render public services as authorized under a franchise or
certificate of public convenience and necessity duly issued by the appropriate government
agency. Such services may include the following:

"(1) Power generation, transmission, and/or distribution;

"(2) Ice plants and cold storage services;

"(3) Communication services including telephone, telegraph, and communications:

"(4) Land and sea transportation cooperatives for passenger and/or cargo. Transport
cooperatives organized under the provisions of Executive Order No. 898, Series of
1983, shall be governed by this Chapter.

"(5) Public markets, slaughterhouses and other similar services; and

"(6) Such other types of public services as may be engaged in by any cooperative.
Such cooperative shall be primarily governed by this Chapter and the general
provisions of this Code insofar as they may be applicable unless they are
inconsistent herewith.

"ART. 115. Definition and Objectives. – A credit cooperative is a financial organization

owned and operated by its members with the following objectives:

"(1) To encourage savings among its members;

"(2) To create a pool of such savings for which loans for productive or provident
purpose may be granted to its members; and

"(3) To provide related services to enable its members to maximize the benefit from
such loans.


"ART. 119. Definition and Functions of Financial Services Cooperatives. – A financial service
cooperative is a financial organization owned and operated by its members and authorized to
provide the following service, exclusively to its members:

"(a) The functions of credit cooperatives and other cooperatives, including multipurpose
cooperatives, that provide savings and credit to their members, and

"(b) Other financial services subject to regulation by the BSP.

"The articles of cooperation and bylaws of any financial service cooperative, or any
amendment thereto, shall be registered with the Authority only if accompanied by a
certificate of authority issued by the BSP, under its official seal.

"The authority granted this provision may be revoked by the BSP if any of the grounds for
receivership mentioned under Section 53 and 56 of Republic Act No. 8791 is present or if the
financial service cooperative has willfully violated this Code of any of the related rules and

"The BSP shall issue a cease and desist order to cooperatives exercising the function of a
financial service cooperative without authority from the BSP.

"The BSP may charge equitable rates or fees, as may be prescribed by the Monetary Board
for licensing, examination and other services which it renders under this Code.

"Upon the favorable certification of the BSP and the prior approval of the Authority, a
cooperative, the main purpose of which is to perform savings and credit functions, may
convert to financial service cooperative subject to the required qualifications and procedures
provided under this Code and in the implementing rules and regulations.

Republic Act No. 6938 March 10, 1990



Section 100. Definition, Classification and Functions. - A cooperative bank is one

organized by the majority shares of which is owned and controlled by cooperatives primarily
to provide financial and credit services to cooperatives. The term "cooperative bank" shall
include cooperative rural banks.

A cooperative bank may perform the following functions:

(1) To carry on banking and credit services for the cooperatives;

(2) To receive financial aid or loans from the Government and the Central Bank of
and their federations engaged in business and to supervise the lending and
collection of loans;

(3) To mobilize savings of its members for the benefit of the cooperative movement;


(5) To discount bills and promissory notes issued and drawn by cooperatives;

(6) To issue negotiable instruments to facilitate the activities of cooperatives;

guarantees to be prescribed by the Government;

(8) To borrow money from banks and other financial institutions within the limit to be
prescribed by the Central Bank; and

(9) To carry out all other functions as may be prescribed by the Authority: Provided,
the Central Bank of the Philippines.