Community Participation through Cooperatives in Addressing Basic Services: The Philippine Experience

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of cooperatives in helping the poor to access services at the community level. In the formation of strong cooperatives, there are critical cultural factors that predicate key relationships between social capital, the building of a critical mass and the role of women.

To understand why cooperatives matter, it is instructive to review the bottom-up approach embedded in cooperatives in the delivery of 􀏔inancial services, education, health, housing, water, electric power, transport and insurance, among others.

This paper highlights a number of best practices of cooperatives in providing social services in different sectors.