Transcript of interview with Sen. Cynthia Villar on the Philippine Coconut Authority budget

Q: Parang napagalitan ninyo ang PCA kanina dahil konti ang binibigay nilang budget?

Villar: We are asking them to give more to the coconut farmers kasi the coconut farmers are the poorest in this country. On the average, they earn only P1,500 a month and ang solution sa problem nila is processing. So processing, better seedlings-- yung hybrid seedlings ng coconut. Kasi ang unang solution is to increase the harvest of each coconut tree. Ang ating bagong hybrid seedlings will produce 150 nuts a year per tree. While iyong existing will produce only 40 nuts per year per tree. They will establish more seed farms para mag-replanting tayo ng hybrid. At the same time, we will do processing kasi ang processing, craze na craze ngayon ang coco sugar at coco water in the world. So they will increase their coco hub. They will build additional doon sa existing budget nila, P100 million. Then they agreed to build 10 dairy projects worth P10 million each. Iyong 10 dairy projects i-implement ng PCA they will give away carabao dispersal to farmers. They will build a processing of milk and then they will build a store. Kasi I've seen a model of this in Ubay, Bohol. Napakaganda, on the average bibigyan nila ng milking carabao will earn mga P600 a day, which is P18,000 a month.

Q: Iyong PCA, magkano po dapat ang binibigay nila sa coconut farmers?

Villar: Halimbawa, diba may budget ang bawat agency, katulad nila P1.8 billion, minimum ibibigay nila ang P900 million in terms of projects to the farmers. Iyon ang nire-require ko sa kanila. Minsan mas malaki pa ang overhead kaysa doon sa project. Dapat at least equal. Now they have changed their budget. They will be giving 68% of their budget sa kanilang developmental work and 31% for their overhead, 1 % for their capital expenditure so it's better. That's why we are going now to plenary. We can be proud of the budget. 69% will be given as projects for farmers.

Q: Kasama na diyan ang mga seedlings?

Villar: Yes, kasama lahat ng projects.