Last June, President Marcos issued a directive to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to uplift coconut farmers, a sector that has long been marginalized. On the 50th anniversary of the PCA, the President expressed his ambition for the Philippines to become the leading exporter of coconut products. He stated, “There is no reason why the Philippines should not be the biggest producer of coconut products for export.”
Historically, every administration has pledged to revive the coconut industry and improve the lives of farmers. However, despite the allocation of billions of pesos for the industry, coconut farmers and their families continue to be among the poorest in the country. The root of this problem lies in the controversial coconut levy funds collected by the government from farmers during the reign of Ferdinand Marcos from 1971 to 1982. It was later discovered that the funds were misappropriated by cronies of the Marcos administration. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the coconut levy fund should be used for the benefit of the farmers. The lack of modernization has caused the Philippines to drop to the third spot in coconut product exports, behind Indonesia and India.
However, there is renewed hope for farmers in the current efforts to revive the coconut industry. Unlike previous attempts, there is now a comprehensive plan in place and funding readily available. The Department of Finance (DOF) estimated the value of coconut levy assets at P111.3 billion based on a Commission on Audit report. The President kickstarted the revitalization by instructing the PCA to plant 100 million coconut trees by the end of his term in 2028. Additionally, a House panel proposed amendments to the 2024 budget bill, including a P2 billion allocation to the PCA for massive replanting and the planting of coconut seedlings.
The President has also urged the PCA to invest in new technologies and initiatives to ensure the long-term resilience of the coconut industry. He emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) to modernize the sector and improve the lives of coconut farmers and their families. The CFIDP serves as a detailed roadmap for the revival of the coconut industry, signed into effect by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022. The plan encompasses social protection, coconut farmers’ organization and development, integrated coconut processing and downstream products, innovative research projects, and support services.
While the CFIDP holds promise on paper, the key lies in its execution. Unfortunately, the pace of implementation has been slow, according to a report from the Commission on Audit. Only 8.78% of the P755-million fund allocated for the CFIDP and the Coconut Hybridization Project was utilized in 2022. The PCA attributed the delayed progress to adjustments under the new administration, which required the reconstitution of the PCA board. Projects were put on hold until the new board was established, which occurred on October 5, 2022. As a result, targets were not met, with only a fraction of the specified hectares covered for precision farming fertilization, palms fertilized, and personnel trained.
With the challenges faced by the PCA now resolved, it is imperative that they work diligently to implement the President’s directives. By the end of the current administration’s term, it is hoped that President Marcos will have fulfilled his promise to uplift the lives of coconut farmers and empower them to break free from poverty and dream big for themselves and their loved ones.
The burden of reviving the sector primarily rests on the Chief Executive’s shoulders. Fate has given the Marcos family, through the President, a second chance to rectify the injustices suffered by the impoverished coconut farmers.
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
