Sylvia Okinlay Paraguya is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Confederation of Cooperatives, or NATCCO. NATCCO is a federation of 888 cooperatives with individual members of 6.4 Millions. She has been working with the cooperative movement since 1993. She was appointed as CEO of NATCCO in 2009 and the CEO of the Mindanao federation of cooperatives, MASS-SPECC from 2000 to 2009.

Sylvia has the privilege to have been exposed to various cooperative movements around the world. She has been a resource speaker in various international conferences including as plenary panelist of the 1st International Summit of Cooperatives, break-out panelist in World Council of Credit Unions, and Asian Confederation of Credit Unions. She was the Chair of Proxfin, an association of organizations in 25 countries assisted by the Developpement Internationale Desjardins.

She was the Chairperson of CODE-NGO, the biggest coalition of NGO Networks in the country; She chaired the Network Consolidated Cooperative Bank (NCCB) from 2014-2022; Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc. from 1996 to 2022. She had the chance to be the Chair of the National Cooperative Development Council, Philippine Cooperative Center and Foundation for a Sustainable Society Inc. She is a member of the Philippine Coop Sector Council of the National Anti-Poverty Commission. She has once been appointed as the Co-Chair of the Regional DevElopment Council X; former member of the Government Panel negotiating with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for the years 2004-2008. She is also the Vice-Chairperson of the Sectoral Apex Organization for Finance Cluster and the Treasurer of the National Alliance of Cooperatives, the coordinative and consultative body of the Cooperative Development Authority.

A chemical Engineer, member of the Higaunon tribe of Bukidnon, Sylvia is a graduate of Master in Business Management of Asian Institute of Management, Makati City.