'For this fund that will finance economic and social programs for desperately poor coconut farmers, will genuine public hearings and consultations on its proper administration be undertaken?'
The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) will be needing additional personnel to fulfill its role in the newly passed Republic Act (RA) 11524, also known as the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act or Coco Levy Act.
In an interview with reporters last week, PHilMech Director Dr. Baldwin G. Jallorina assured that the agency, even if it currently has a lot on its plate, can perform its duty under RA 11524 as well as properly manage its annual allocation from the P100-billion Coco Levy Fund.
(https://www.facebook.com/philmech)
However, he said the agency will have to request again from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for an additional budget which will be used specifically to hire additional personnel.
Press Release
March 1, 2021
Bong Go commends PRRD for signing coco levy trust fund law; cites crucial role of coconut industry in economic growth and recovery
Senator Christopher Lawrence Bong Go commended President Rodrigo Duterte for signing into law a measure he co-authored which provides for the utilization of the Coco Levy Fund to benefit the country s coconut farmers. I commend the President for signing this law that would benefit and promote the welfare of our less fortunate coconut farmers, Go said. Bilang isa sa mga malalaking producers ng coconut sa mundo, napakahalaga po ng coconut industry sa ating bansa. Napakarami sa ating mga magsasaka ang nakikinabang at nakasalalay ang pamumuhay sa industriyang ito. Kaya naman po nagagalak tayo na sa wakas ay may batas na na magsusulong ng kanilang mga karapatan at kapakanan, he added.
Atty. Joey Lina
I would like to share the insights of former Agriculture Secretary Leonardo Montemayor, chairman of the Federation of Free Farmers, about the predicament of the nation’s coconut farmers who remain poor despite the Coco Levy Fund worth billions of pesos that’s supposed to help them.
In an article titled “Can UCPB, Land Bank and Coco Levy Fund meet credit needs of Coconut Farmers?” which Montemayor co-wrote with Edgardo C. Amistad, former president of the UCPB-CIIF Finance and Development Corporation, answers can be found to questions troubling the coconut industry.
Foremost among them are: How come coco farmers hardly benefitted from the fund established for them four decades ago? What ought to be done now to improve their plight and boost the coconut industry?