Marieta “Mayet” Panaglima Hwang is a revered community organizer, organizational development practitioner, resource speaker, training director, event organizer, manager and mentor.

Education has been core to Mayet’s success. Initially she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Business from the University of the Philippines Los Banos as a  Philippine Coconut Farmers Federation (COCOFED) Scholar. Mayet earned her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the Philippine School of Business Administration, Manila. Later, she earned units in Doctor in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman, QC. She holds a diploma of Development Management as scholar of the Development Academy of the Philippines and has attended numerous seminars and short courses locally and internationally.

Before joining Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), she worked as a Municipal Trade and Industry Officer at the Department of Trade and Industry in Laguna Province in the early nineties. She later worked with the CDA – Calamba Extension Office as Cooperative Development Specialist II, and that was the beginning of her journey at CDA. With her perseverance to serve the Cooperative Sector, she climbed the ladder of success to Regional Director, a role she has served in for more than 10 years.

As the Philippines CDA Region III Extension Office Director, she has a dedicated role supporting the cooperative movement.  She is a strong leader within the CDA, which includes over 3,000 cooperatives within Region 3, ensuring a significant scope and scale of her impact.  The CDA community recognizes her leadership and her innovation in the Philippines cooperative ecosystem.

Mayet is an active participant in councils for the advancement of cooperatives at the regional and national levels and her networking includes international collaboration. Her actions demonstrate her success in going above and beyond her responsibilities to support cooperatives. She worked to advance innovation through technology as well as revised approaches to training and policies regarding cooperative member engagement. These changes she originally led were both courageous and forward-thinking at the time. One example was the digitalization of certain parts of the cooperative registration system which had an enormous impact.  The innovative thinking she brought to her work has been adopted and integrated into CDA operations. 

CAR Cooperatives Network (CAR CoopNet)

CAR CoopNet is enhancing cooperative operations through technological advancements. The CAR CoopNet was created and initiated by Mayet. It introduced the use of technology to micro and small cooperatives operations.  System developers were linked and provided services free of charge along with the distribution of laptops to some selected cooperative recipients. 

Coop Trade Fair/Market Encounter

Mayet established the annual “Coop Trade Fair” or Market Encounter, an undertaking that gives cooperatives the opportunity to sell and showcase their products to a wider market. It was institutionalized and adapted by the city of Baguio and is held every year on a major street in Baguio during the cooperative month celebration in October.

Donation for Earthquake Victims

In 2022, an earthquake hit the province of Abra, one of the provinces in Cordillera Administrative Region. Mayet organized a campaign to amass in-kind and financial donations for the victims of the earthquake. The cash donations generated were over PhP 608,800 (USD $11,000) while over PhP 322,000 (USD $5,760) worth of in-kind donations were generated. These donations came from cooperatives of Cordillera and Region 3.

Enabling Markets

Mayet pilot tested and created a linkage between the National Market Vendors Service Cooperatives (NAMVESCO) and the Federation of Benguet Farmers’ Cooperative that allowed the trading of vegetables and increased market access for agriculture cooperatives in her former area of assignment in Cordillera.

Spearheading Kooplympics

In October 2023 Mayet led her region in celebrating the 10th Kooplympics as part of the Cooperative Month celebration in the Philippines.  Mayet in partnership with Central Luzon Regional Cooperative Development Council (CLRCDC) spearheaded the conduct of Kooplympics annually. This Kooplympics is a one-day activity that aims to acquaint Cooperatives in Region 3. It also aims to build camaraderie among stakeholders and give them a one-day fun-filled activity that they truly cherish. This celebration was 1st conducted at Subic Bay, Zambales last October 7, 2014 and has been celebrated yearly during October in Region 3. Even during the COVID pandemic, it was pivoted to an online celebration.

 Spearheading Global Money Week

Global Money Week (GMW) is an annual global awareness-raising campaign for youth to achieve financial well-being and resilience. Mayet took the initiative to engage with this international event. Running for six years, through the leadership of Mayet, laboratory cooperatives from the Region were engaged in financial literacy programs and educational activities to promote the importance of savings among youth.

In March 2024, institutionalizing the week was announced by the CDA Chairman, Usec. Joseph Encabo during the National opening of the GMW.

Tuberculosis Screening

In partnership with the Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation Inc., Mayet led the CDA Region 3 to organize free TB screening for the vulnerable sector of selected cooperative members in the region. This free Tuberculosis screening program was jointly undertaken in a partnership and with the Department of Health. Necessary medications were provided to those identified patients.

For more details on Mayet, view the video of her accepting the OCDC International Cooperative Innovator award below: