By Jerome Alangui-Muguet Polonio, Ph.D. 
Across the rugged Cordillera highlands and the thriving valleys of Baguio & Benguet, cooperatives continue to serve as the beating heart of community resilience and solidarity. They embody the timeless Filipino value of bayanihan — transforming shared struggles into shared progress. Beyond their economic purpose, cooperatives represent a social movement anchored on fairness, equality, and people-centered development.
Cooperatives have long been recognized as engines of social justice — empowering individuals and communities to take charge of their economic destinies. By ensuring democratic ownership and equitable participation, cooperatives open doors for small farmers, women entrepreneurs, youth, and indigenous peoples who have often been excluded from mainstream financial and business systems. Through these inclusive mechanisms, cooperatives do not merely distribute wealth; they redistribute power, giving each member a voice in shaping their own future.
Yet, despite their potential and proven impact, scaling cooperative growth remains a global challenge. The International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), through its Legal Framework Analysis, underscores that in many countries, existing policy and legal environments are not fully supportive of cooperative development. Outdated laws, limited regulatory recognition, and restrictive financial policies often constrain cooperatives from accessing funding or competing fairly with conventional enterprises. These barriers limit their ability to expand services, reach marginalized populations, and contribute more substantially to national development goals.
For many cooperatives — particularly those led by women, youth, and indigenous peoples — securing capital remains a persistent struggle. Without sufficient credit or collateral, many potential cooperative enterprises are unable to scale their operations, even when they demonstrate strong social value. The challenge is not only financial but also institutional. Cooperatives require stronger governance systems, leadership development programs, and financial literacy initiatives to sustain their growth and ensure accountability.
Moreover, as economies rapidly evolve in the digital age, cooperatives must also embrace technological innovation — from digital recordkeeping to e-commerce platforms and mobile banking systems — to remain competitive, efficient, and accessible to a wider market. Digital transformation offers cooperatives a powerful tool for transparency, inclusion, and global collaboration, but it also demands investment, training, and supportive infrastructure.
Encouragingly, global movements are now recognizing the strategic role of cooperatives in advancing social inclusion and sustainable development. The Global Coalition for Social Justice (GCSJ), spearheaded by the International Labour Organization (ILO), provides a multi-stakeholder platform where cooperatives collaborate with governments, civil society, and the private sector to reduce inequalities and promote fair economies. Similarly, international gatherings such as the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) and the World Social Summit for Sustainable Development have begun to highlight cooperative-led initiatives as key solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges — from poverty and unemployment to climate resilience and gender equality.
In the local context, this global momentum calls for renewed policy support and public recognition of cooperatives as vital partners in inclusive growth. Strengthening enabling environments — through legislation, cooperative education, and access to finance — will allow coops to multiply their impact. When local government units, national agencies, and private institutions invest in the cooperative model, they are investing in the people who sustain their communities.
Ultimately, cooperatives are more than economic entities; they are social laboratories of democracy and solidarity. They demonstrate that business can be both profitable and humane, and that progress is strongest when it is shared. Through cooperation, communities rebuild trust, foster unity, and create systems where no one is left behind.
In these times of uncertainty, the cooperative movement reminds us of a simple yet powerful truth: social justice thrives when people come together — not to compete, but to cooperate. By scaling their impact and strengthening their foundations, cooperatives can continue to be the engines of inclusion, cohesion, and equitable growth — not just in the Cordillera, but across the world.**
