Solon explains why coconut farmers' registry should always be up-to-date
Coconuts (Unsplash)
The key to ensuring the proper implementation of Republic Act (RA) No.11524, otherwise known as the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act", is to keep the farmers' registry updated. House Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairman and Quezon 1st district Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga emphasized this during a virtual briefing by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) with the panel on Tuesday, April 18. Enverga tasked the PCA to always keep its registry of farmers up-to-date. “’Pag may problema ‘yong registry natin, may problema ‘yong implementation ng batas (If there's a problem with our registry, then the law's implementation will encounter problems too),” he pointed out. The briefing was specifically called to check on the status of the implementation of RA No.11524, which was signed into law by former president Rodrigo Duterte on Feb. 26, 2021. PCA Administrator Bernie Ferrer Cruz reported that 1.7 million farmers have already been validated. He said 1.4 million of them are qualified beneficiaries of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP). He added that funds were released to the 15 implementing government agencies as early as January 2023. Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprises Development (DIT-BSMED) Director Susan Mae Salonga informed the panel about the marketing research and marketing assistance programs that the agency provides coconut farmers. Meanwhile, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro highlighted the need to encourage the families of coconut farmers to continue being engaged in the coconut industry. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI) Director Remelyn Recoter noted that the agency has been providing coconut farmers and their family members with trainings, such as the Coconut Specialist Course. The DA-ATI is also certifying learning sites for agricultural/farm schools. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Scholarship Management Division Director Maria Gracia Dela Rama told lawmakers about its Coconut Farmers Scholarship Program, which seeks to provide farmers and their relatives free skills training, free assessment and certification, and free entrepreneurship training, among others.