AS THE present administration comes closer to its end, we look back on the things it has done for the past six years. And we still have a few more expectations before its finality.
Before the President ends his last month in office, he issued Executive Order (E.O.) No. 172, or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
I looked for information about this because personally, I find this controversial since it involves the long-disputed coco levy fund. The executive order will be the basis for the use of the P75-billion coco levy fund for various programs and projects.
The coco levy fund refers to various funds generated from levies, taxes, charges, and other fees exacted or imposed pursuant to or in connection with the sale of copra rececada or its equivalent in other coconut products, and collected for the most part from coconut farmers, planters, millers, refiners, processors, exporters, desiccators, and other end-users of copra rececada or its equivalent in other coconut products.
Questions are: Is it going to revive and modernize the coconut industry? Will it benefit small farmers? Are they going to get adequate representation in the government?
The executive order recognizes “the policy of the State to consolidate the benefits due to coconut farmers, especially the poor and marginalized, under various statutes and to expedite the delivery thereof to attain increased incomes for coconut farmers, alleviate poverty, and achieve social equality.” This is also the declared policy under Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11524, otherwise known as the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act.”
Under the said law, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is directed to develop the CFIDP which shall provide national programs. There is a need to approve the plan to increase the overall productivity and income of coconut farmers. Alleviate poverty and achieve the twin objectives of rehabilitating and modernizing the coconut industry to attain social equity.
The funding for the said programs will be taken from the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund (CFITF) under R.A. No. 11524, and from the regular appropriations of implementing agencies.
The executive order further provides that the CFITF is separate and distinct from the regular funds appropriated to the PCA. Thus, the latter can continue their mandates of implementing programs and projects for the development of the coconut industry.
Nevertheless, the PCA and other implementing agencies may issue guidelines and advisory opinions or adopt specific policy recommendations and actions relative to full implementation of the CFIDP without the need for further approval of the President.
With this development, we hope to accelerate the growth of the coconut industry and improve the lives of small farmers. While we are battling the pandemic, the fund is the most practical source to boost the coconut industry. And we hope that the new administration will adjust and make allowances to provide for the needs of this sector./PN
