Press Release
May 28, 2021

Pangilinan, Hontiveros: Are all coco farmers already registered to benefit from P100B levy fund?

WITH two weeks left for coconut farmers to register, Senators Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros want to know the status of the Coconut Farmers' Registry that will determine who will benefit from the 100-billion-peso coco levy funds and assets.

In Senate Resolution 736, Pangilinan and Hontiveros call for a Senate committee hearing on the status of the registration of the estimated 3.5 million coconut farmers in the country who are supposed to benefit from Republic Act 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, which took effect March 13 this year.

The law, a product of almost half a century of struggle by coconut farmers and their advocates, establishes a trust fund worth over 100 billion pesos from unjustly imposed and usurped levies during martial law.

"Dapat rehistrado ang ating mga magniniyog sa Coconut Farmers Registry. Dito nakasalalay kung mapapasama ba sila sa mga programa sa ilalim ng batas. Kung hindi sila nakapagparehistro ay wala silang access sa mga benepisyo. Kaya gusto nating malaman kung kumusta na ba, makukumpleto na ba ang registry?" Pangilinan and Hontiveros said.

The coco levy trust fund will be utilized according to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan focusing on increasing the income and improving the quality of life of coconut farmers.

Bulk of its programs rely on the Coconut Farmers Registry, which the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is mandated to complete within 90 days from the effectivity of the law, which is June 11 this year.

"Nag-aalala kami na hindi sapat ang 90 days para maabot ang lahat ng ating mga magniniyog lalo pa ngayong panahon ng pandemya. Kailangan ba ng extension? Paano mas mapapabilis ang pag-abot sa ating mga magniniyog? Pera nila ito kaya dapat siguradong sila ang magbebenepisyo," Pangilinan, principal author of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, said.

According to the PCA website, as of January 7, 2019, there is a total of 2,439,295 coconut farmers and farm workers registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), however, said that there are of 3.5 million coconut farmers and workers nationwide.

Pangilinan and Hontiveros said that over a million coconut farmers are potentially not registered and might be facing other barriers that prevents them from registering.

Various groups also raised concerns over the imposition of additional requirements such as various barangay certifications, with landowners allegedly barring the farmers from acquiring the needed documentation.

"Kasama rin daw dito na English daw ang registration forms, kulang sa information dissemination sa mga liblib na parte ng bansa, at ang maikling registration period. Nakaalarma. Ilang dekada na nila itong hinintay, at ilang taon na ring may oras ang PCA para sana ayusin iyong registration," Pangilinan and Hontiveros said.

"In the meantime, inuudyok po natin ang ating mga magniniyog na magparegister sa lalong madaling panahon upang makatangaap ng benepisyo sa ilalim ng Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act," said Pangilinan.

On May 11 this year, Pangilinan wrote PCA administrator Benjamin Madrigal Jr. asking him for an update on the status of the registry, the gaps and issues in the registration process, and actions being taken by the PCA to address these concerns.

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