Awareness on Cooperatives Concepts Among Community Stakeholders in Lingayen, Pangasinan: Basis for the Creation of Cooperative Organization Training Extension Manual

Abstract

Cooperatives have a significant impact on the economy, particularly in rural areas, by creating livelihood opportunities and promoting economic growth. However, many people lack awareness of cooperative concepts and their benefits, which can hinder cooperative development and community progress. The focus of the research was to assess the level of awareness on community stakeholders among community stakeholders in Pangasinan, Philippines. Descriptive survey design was used and a survey questionnaire was developed as the primary research instrument for this study to the study. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select 105 community stakeholders as respondents. The collected data were analyzed using statistical tools such as frequency, percentage, average weighted mean, and Likert-scale. The study found that most community stakeholders in Pangasinan were female, middle-aged, married, high school graduates, employed, and had a low average monthly household income. A small percentage of the respondents are currently members of cooperatives and significant number of community stakeholders expressed their willingness to organize a cooperative. The level of awareness among stakeholders on cooperatives, such as historical development of cooperatives, principles and values, organizational structure and financial organization, procedures for setting up a cooperative, cooperative practices, rights, duties, and responsibilities of cooperative members, and cooperative laws is relatively low. These findings suggest the need for educational initiatives and awareness campaigns to enhance the respondents' understanding of various aspects of cooperatives.  The study recommends developing comprehensive training manual that contains in-depth knowledge about cooperatives, including their principles, benefits, and operational mechanisms. There is also a need to strengthen outreach and awareness campaigns to reach a wider audience and disseminate information effectively about cooperatives. Lastly, it is recommended to forge strategic alliances and partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, and civil society organizations to jointly promote cooperative awareness. It is hoped that policymakers, the academia and communities would benefit from the study.