THE SENATE on Monday passed on third and final reading a bill increasing the representation of coconut farmers in the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) board.
Senate Bill No. 1976 or the proposed Strengthened Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) law was approved with 18 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and no abstention. It was authored and sponsored by Senator Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture.
The proposed measure seeks to amend Presidential Decree 1468 or the Revised Coconut Industry Code of 1987 that will reconstitute the PCA board.
“Farmers were not adequately represented in the body that will manage the coconut levy trust fund. With six farmer-representatives in the 11-member board, it is guaranteed that the interest of the coconut farmers will be protected,” Ms. Villar said in a statement.
Under the bill, the PCA Board will be composed of six farmer-representatives from each of the island groups (Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao), four government representatives, and one representative from the coconut industry.
The four government representatives are the Agriculture Secretary as chairperson of the PCA board, the Finance Secretary as vice chairperson, the Budget Secretary, and the PCA Administrator, to appointed by the President.
The farmer-representatives must be Filipino citizens, be listed in the Coconut Farmers Registry, should have a track record of promoting the interests of coconut farmers, and be nominated by coconut farmer organizations active in the past three years.
The proposed measure was also the accompanying bill of Senate Bill No. 1233 or the proposed Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act, which hurdled the bicameral conference committee in August, and is awaiting the President’s signature.
Senate Bill No. 1233 created the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, which was sourced from the P100 billion coconut levy funds collected under President Ferdinand E. Marcos. The bill mandates the reconstituted PCA to manage and utilize such funds.
The fund will be used exclusively for the benefit of coconut farmers and the development of the coconut industry. It will be released to the PCA at P5 billion annually until it runs out, which is estimated to be within 25 years. — Camille A. Aguinaldo
