Villar sponsors bill giving farmers more powers
in the management of coco levy funds

Sen. Cynthia Villar today submitted for Senate approval the bill giving greater representation to coconut farmers in the body tasked to manage the P105-billion coconut levy funds.

Villar, chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, authored Senate Bill 1976 or the Strengthened Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Law under Committee Report No. 433. This repeals Presidential Decree 1468 otherwise known as the Revised Coconut Industry Code of 1978 and puts six representatives from the coconut farmer sector in the 11-member PCA Board.

"An increased farmer representation in the PCA Board guarantees that the interest of the coconut farmers will be protected particularly in the management of the P105-billion Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund," Villar said.

Last week, the Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act. The bill puts the responsibility to manage and safeguard the coconut levy funds for the benefit of 3.5 million coconut farmers to a reconstituted PCA Board.

Villar also added that the reconstituted PCA Board will be be tasked to strictly implement the programs for the development of the coconut industry as earmarked in the bill.

Under Senate Bill 1913, the corporate powers and duties of PCA shall be vested in and exercised by a board of 11 members as follows:

a. Four representatives of the government, the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture as Chairperson; the Secretary of the Department of Finance as the Vice Chairperson; and as members, the Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management, and the Administrator of the PCA who will be appointed by the President;

b. One representative from the coconut industry; and

c. Six representatives from the coconut farmers sector, divided into two representatives each for the island groups of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao as members.

The farmer representatives must be Filipino citizens, registered with the Coconut Farmers Registry, have considerable experience and reputable track record in promoting coconut farmer's interest and welfare, and nominated by coconut farmers organizations or cooperatives that are active for the past three years in the farmers organizations and development or community enterprise development.

"Mas maganda ang reconstituted PCA para isang overhead na lang. Kasi mahirap iyong maraming committee, maraming gastos. So sini-simplify namin iyong management, para less ang operation cost at mas maraming pera ang mapupunta for the benefit of the coconut farmers," Villar said.