By Charmaine A. Tadalan
Reporter
MALACAÑANG and Congress are expected to be “more aggressive” in reforming the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the management of coconut levy funds even after President Rodrigo R. Duterte wielded his veto power on previous legislation this month, analysts said.
“I think the matter of reforming the PCA (Philippine Coconut Authority) will still be a top priority for both Malacañang and the next Congress. I do not expect advocates for reforming the PCA to just hit the brakes because of the presidential veto,” Ateneo Policy Center research fellow Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco said in an e-mail interview with BusinessWorld on Sunday.
“On the contrary, I expect them to be more aggressive in pursuing the correct reforms so that the Coco Levy Fund is managed properly.”
University of the Philippines political science professor Maria Ela L. Atienza said there is a good chance the vetoed measure, which outlined the composition of the PCA board, will be refiled in the following Congress, noting that the bill’s sponsors will still be in Congress after the election.
“There is a high (probability) that the bill will be refiled or revised in some form and pushed in the next Congress. Farmers’ groups will continue to push for it and lobby supportive Senators and members of the House,” Ms. Atienza said via e-mail on Sunday.
“Senator (Francis N.) Pangilinan, who authored a stronger version of the bill originally (which was the one backed by farmers’ groups but watered down in the current bill vetoed by the President), will still be in the Senate. Senator Cynthia (A.) Villar will likely be re-elected.”
The President vetoed bills that will establish the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund and reconstitute the Philippine Coconut Authority to include more farmer representation.
The Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund Act is among those identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) as among the priority measures of the 17th Congress.
“I applaud the administration’s effort to prioritize the agriculture sector. For a country with a population of almost 110 million, food security is extremely important. It is laudable that President Duterte’s team recognizes this reality. But their approach lacks coherence. It does seem they are instituting reforms piece-meal and not pursuant to a coordinated and planned strategy,” Mr. Yusingco said.
Ms. Atienza said: “There is no clear indication that the administration has a coherent policy on agriculture vis-a-vis its whole economic policy. Agriculture does not seem to be a priority given that the administration’s emphasis is more on the ‘Build, Build, Build’ projects and no coherent agricultural strategy to strengthen our agricultural production and develop alternative or new agricultural products.”
She added that while the President prioritized other agricultural measures, such as the signing of the Free Irrigation Act, the signing of the Rice Tariffication Bill also sends “mixed signals” to the industry.
“The rice tariffication law states that the tax proceeds for imported rice will go to programs that will help farmers such as mass irrigation, rice shortage and research initiatives. These are actually good on paper but it is important to combine these with accountability mechanisms in terms of how these programs will be carried out,” she said.
