by Brian Zagala July 27, 2019 Farmers groups, travelled all the way from Quezon province to join other small coconut farmers in a se...
by Brian Zagala
July 27, 2019
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| Farmers groups, travelled all the way from Quezon province to join other small coconut farmers in a series of protest actions against Duterte. |
LUCENA CITY - The farmers groups, PIGLAS-Quezon (Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas), and AMIHAN-Quezon (Samahan ng Kababaihang Magsasaka) joined President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address rally on Monday, July 22 to protest for the return of the coco levy fund.
“Ang mga taga-Quezon kasama ng buong sambayanan ay labis na dismayado sa SONA ni Duterte. Sawang-sawa na kami sa mga buladas at kasinungalingan niya,” Anakbayan-Quezon Spokesperson Romeo Jara said in an interview.
In Duterte’s SONA speech, “I once again urge both Houses of Congress to pass a more responsive version of the bill establishing the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund to ensure the accelerated utilization of coco levy funds for the well-being and empowerment of the coconut farmers.”
The president affirmed that he has not forgotten his commitment to uplift the lives of coconut farmers and further develop the coconut industry through the urgent utilization of the coconut levy fund.
The Quezon farmers, against with Duterte’s coco levy bill, said that there was no assurance that the bill will be legislated and that it will not guarantee the return of the P100 billion estimated coco levy funds to small coconut farmers.
“Dala-dala namin ang panawagan patungkol sa tumitinding krisis sa ekonomiya na nagdulot ng pagsadsad ng presyo ng kopra at niyog,” Jara added.
A kilo of copra is pegged at only P12 to P15 as compared to last year’s P40 per kilo.
In 2016, Duterte made a promise in his campaign trail at Catanauan, Quezon to return the coco levy funds to farmers within 100 days in office. But in February 2019, he vetoed the twin bills that would have allowed the return of the money.
Under Duterte’s coco levy bill, the fund will proceed to the improvement of the coconut industry’s productivity, development of coconut-based enterprises, increase the income of coconut farmers, and will strengthen farmers’ organizations.
The coco levy came from taxes imposed on coconut farmers during Marcos’ martial law years with the promise of sharing investments and development of the coconut industry.
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