Press Release October 6, 2020 Senate passes coco levy trust fund bill on Third and Final Reading The Senate on Monday passed on Third and final reading a bill that seeks to create a trust fund for coconut farmers in the country through the selling of assets procured through the coco levy fund. Under Senate Bill No. 1396 or the "Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act," the government is mandated to turn over P75 billion cash of the coconut levy assets in the next five years to create a trust fund for coconut farmers in the country. Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform and principal sponsor of the bill, said the passage of the measure would benefit the approximately 3.5 million coconut farmers from 68 coconut producing provinces owning not more than five hectares who belong to the poorest sector in the country. "The coconut farmers are the poorest in the country. They earn only about P1,500 a month. This fund which rightfully belongs to the coconut farmers, should be plowed back to them for their own direct benefit," she said. The Senate will just wait for the House of Represenwtives (HOR) version of the coconut levy bill prior to bicameral conference to reconcile conflicting provisions. Villar also expressed confidence that the enactment of the law will be swift as concerns that caused the veto of the former version of the bill were all addressed. Villar said that immediately after the enactment of the bill, the Bureau of Treasury shall transfer P10 billion to the trust fund; P10 billion in the second year; P15 billion, third year; P15 billion, fourth year; and P25 billion, fifth year. P5B of the trust fund will be used upon enactment of the law for the ff. programs. In addition to the programs of the PCA which will be given a separate budget.
Under the measure, the Philippine Coconut Authority Board has been reconstituted to compose the Secretaries of the Departments of Trade and Industry, Budget and Management Finance, and DOST and PCA, and three farmer-representatives from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. |
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