VILLAR WELCOMES COCO FARMERS: Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, welcomes members of the Kilusan Para sa Ugnayan ng mga Samahang Magniniyog (KILUS Magniniyog) led by (second from left) Adelmo Arandela of the Nagkakaisang Ugnayan ng mga Maliliit na Magsasaka at Manggagawa sa Niugan-Quezon (NIUGAN), Oscar Santos of the Coconut Industry Reform (COIR) Movement and Marilou Cueto-Tapia of the Kilusan para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (KATARUNGAN). The farmers presented a petition calling for the passage of the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund Act, which seeks to use the recovered coco levy funds to develop the country’s coconut industry and benefit small-time coconut farmers. (PRIB Photo by Cesar Tomambo/19 May 2014)