Presidente Duterte shows off the certificate of a law to aid farmers handed to him by Villar

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shows the Certificate of Republic Act 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act handed to him by Sen. Cynthia A. Villar at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City, Quezon province.

The President was in Lucena City for the joint National Task Force-Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict IV-A (NTF-ELAC) meeting.

The copy of the law handed by Villar was then passed by the President to Philippine Coconut Administrator (PCA) Benjamin Madrigal Jr.

Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on Agriculture and Food, has remained thankful to the President for the passage of the law that would be a big push to reach our goal of uplifting the lives of 3.5 million Filipino coconut farmers from 68 coconut-producing provinces.

"The coconut trust fund belongs to our coconut farmers and their families. With provision of scholarship for our coconut farmers and their children, an annual allocation of 8% and 10% for health and medical programs on top of Philhealth coverage, I am confident this will improve the quality of lives of our coconut farmers," said Villar.

The continuous education and improving one's knowledge on new technology on production and post-production of coconut, Villar said, is also supported under the law, with an allocation of 8% of the budget that would be implemented by government agencies for training.

With the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act, Villar she also hopes to resolve the many issues blocking the full growth of the coconut industry.

"Aside from alleviation of poverty, the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act, along with the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, can provide the direction for the government to achieve increased incomes, and social equality for our farmer," noted Villar.

Under the law, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan will be crafted by the PCA. It stated that the plan will "set the directions and policies for the development and rehabilitation of the coconut industry within 50 years."

The law mandates the Bureau of Treasury to infuse P10 billion to the trust fund in the first year, P10 billion in the second year, P15 billion in the third year, P15 billion in the fourth year; and P25 billion during the fifth year.

Some P5 billion from the trust fund will be used upon enactment of the law for programs such as:

1.Planting and replanting of hybrid coconut seedlings to increase harvest by PCA and DOST.

2.Intercropping with cacao (20%),coffee and diary under coconut tree to increase income by DA (10%).

3.Processing equipment for value adding by Philmech (10%).

4.Organized of coconut farmers into cooperatives for economies of scale by CDA (5%).

5.Marketing by DTi (5%)

6.Infrastructure in coconut producing LGUS by DPWH (10%).

7.Cheap credit by Landbank and DBP (10%).

8.Crop Income (4%) in addition to previously mentioned health (10%),college scholarship (8%) and training (8%).

The government started collecting the coco levy funds from coconut farmers in 1971 through levies, taxes, charges and other fees imposed with the sale of copra rececada. Aside from coconut farmers, the funds were collected from millers, refiners, processors, exporters and copra end-users.

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the coco levy funds were publicly-owned, prompting the government to craft ways on how to develop the coconut industry using the multi-billion assets.

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Presidente Duterte, ipinakita ang iniabot sa kanya ni Villar na "certificate of a law" para tulungan ang mga magsasaka

IPINAKITA ni President Rodrigo Roa Duterte ang Certificate of Republic Act 11524 o ang Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act na iniabot sa kanya ni Sen. Cynthia A. Villar sa Quezon Convention Center sa Lucena City, Quezon province.

Nasa Lucena City ang Pangulo para sa pagpupulong ng joint National Task Force-Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict IV-A (NTF-ELAC).

Ipinasa ng Pangulo kay Philippine Coconut Administrator (PCA) Benjamin Madrigal Jr.

ang kopya ng batas na ibinigay sa kanya ni Villar.

Patuloy ang pasasalamat ni Villar, chairperson ng committee on Agriculture and Food, sa Pangulo dahil sa pagsasabatas nito na malaking tulong upang makamit ang adhikaing mapabuti ang buhay ng may

3.5 million Filipino coconut farmers mula sa 68 coconut-producing provinces.

"The coconut trust fund belongs to our coconut farmers and their families. With provision of scholarship for our coconut farmers and their children, an annual allocation of 8% and 10% for health and medical programs on top of Philhealth coverage, I am confident this will improve the quality of lives of our coconut farmers," sani Villar.

"The continuous education and improving one's knowledge on new technology on production and post-production of coconut, Villar said, is also supported under the law, with an allocation of 8% of the budget that would be implemented by government agencies for training," dagdag pa niya.

Dahil sa Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act, umaasa si Villar na mareresolba ang maraming isyu na hadlang sa lubusang paglago ng industriya ng niyog.

"Aside from alleviation of poverty, the Coconut Industry Trust Fund Act, along with the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan, can provide the direction for the government to achieve increased incomes, and social equality for our farmer," giit pa ni Villar.

Sa ilalim ng batas, ang PCA ang babalangkas ng Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan. Ang plano ang maglalatag ng direksyon at polisiya sa pag-unlad at rehabilitasyon ng industriya ng niyog sa loob ng 50 taon.

Itinakda sa batas na maglalagay ang Bureau of Treasury P10 billion sa trust fund sa unang taon, P10 billion sa pangalawang taon, P15 billion sa pangatlong taon, P15 billion sa pang-apat na taon at and P25 billion sa panglimang taon.

May P5 billion mula sa trust fund ang gagamitin sa mga sumusunod na programa:

1.Planting at replanting ng hybrid coconut seedlings upang tumaas ang ani na pangangasiwaan nf PCA at DOST (20%).

2.Intercropping ng cacao, coffee at diary sa ilalim ng mga puno ng niyog upang madagdagam ang kita ng DA (10%).

3.Processing equipment para sa value adding ng Philmech (10%).

4.Pagbuo ng kooperetiba ng coconut farmers para sa economies of scale ng CDA (5%).

5.Marketing ng DTI (5%)

6.Infrastructure sa coconut- producing LGUS ng DPWH (10%).

7.Cheap credit sa Landbank at DBP (10%).

8.Crop Insurance bukod sa health concerns (10%), college scholarship (8%) at training (8%).

Nagsimulang kolektahan ng pamahalaan ng coco levy funds ang coconut farmers noong 1971 sa pamamagitan ng levies, taxes, charges at iba pang bayaran kasabay ng pagbebenta ng copra. Kinolektahan din ang millers, refiners, processors, exporters at copra end-users.

Noong 2012, idineklara ng Supreme Court na pag-aari ng publiko ang coco levy funds kaya gumawa ng paraan ang pmahalaan para gamitin ang multi-billion assets upang pagyamanin ang industriya ng niyog.