Scope of the Guidelines
- Applicable to all federations and unions applying for registration.
- Excludes those covered by specific chapters (XII, XIII, XVI, XVII) of Republic Act 9520.
Membership Requirements
- Federation minimum members:
- Secondary federation: at least 3 primary cooperatives.
- Tertiary federation: at least 3 secondary cooperatives.
- Union minimum members:
- Secondary union: at least 15 primary cooperatives.
- Tertiary union: at least 15 secondary cooperatives.
Paid-up Capital Requirements
- Federation minimum paid-up capital:
- Secondary: Php 500,000.
- Tertiary: Php 5,000,000 or per feasibility study, whichever is higher.
- Unions have no minimum paid-up capital requirement.
- Feasibility study capital requirements may be followed but not below stated minimums.
Area of Coverage
- Federations/unions can be organized at municipal/city, district, provincial, regional, or national levels.
- Members must engage in the same line of business activity.
Business Activity of Federations
- Can engage in cooperative enterprises authorized under RA 9520 Article 6.
- Enterprises must complement or supplement, not compete with or supplant members' business activities.
Bonding Requirement
- Officers accountable for federation funds must be covered by surety bonds.
- Bond amount depends on the officers' accountability determined by the Board of Directors.
Registration Fee
- One-tenth (1/10) of one percent (1%) of the authorized share capital or as prescribed in CDA fee schedule, whichever is higher.
- Fee payment upon or before issuance of the Certificate of Registration.
Feasibility Study and Development Plan
- Federations must submit four copies of a feasibility study including:
- Organizational structure
- Purposes/objectives
- Area of operation
- Membership numbers and potential members
- Technical, management, financial aspects with 3-year projection
- Inclusion of cooperative education and training programs
- Unions may substitute feasibility study with a three-year development plan.
Articles of Cooperation and By-laws
- Four copies of both must be submitted.
Treasurer’s Affidavit
- Notarized document attached to Articles of Cooperation showing total received funds from share capital, fees, donations, or subsidies.
General Assembly Resolution
- Notarized resolution showing approval of membership and exact share capital or dues contributed to proposed federation/union.
Other Documentary Requirements
- Board of Directors resolution on authorized representative.
- Certification by chairpersons of member primaries stating line of business and adherence to accounting/auditing standards.
- Other documents as may be required by the CDA.
Place of Registration
- Registration handled by CDA Extension Offices.
- Federations/unions with interregional coverage registered where principal office is located.
- Tertiary cooperatives with national coverage registered by CDA Central Office.
Federations and Unions Policies
- Federations engage in economic activities.
- Unions advocate benefits/welfare and implement member advancement programs.
- Compliance with minimum membership is mandatory for registration.
- Prohibited from conducting audit services for members.
Registration Procedures
- Registration follows the same procedures as primary cooperatives as approved by the Board of Administrators.
Effectivity
- Guidelines effective 15 days after Board approval and registration with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR).