Published February 19, 2021, 3:07 PM Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros on Friday said she strongly believes that the appointment of permanent and local cooperative development officers (LCDOs) would e a ‘’major instrument’’ towards strengthening cooperatives especially at a time when the country is facing the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Sen. Risa Hontiveros (Senate of the Philippines / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Hontiveros is one of the authors of the Cooperative Development Officer Bill, which seeks to create a mandatory position for cooperatives development officer (CDO) in all local government units (LGUs). “Ang pagsasabatas ng pagkakaroon ng Local Coops Development Officers ay panibagong instrumento ng cooperatives movement tungo sa pagtutulungan at bayanihan para sa kaunlaran, lalo na sa panahon ng ating sama-samang pagharap at pagbangon laban sa pandemya ng Covid-19 (The enactment of a law creating the position of LCDOs is a new instrument in the cooperatives movement towards community development in facing the COVID-19 pandemic).’’ Hontiveros said during the adoption of the bicameral conference committee report on the said bill.