Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan sharply criticized the continued underutilization of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, saying it is unacceptable that many coconut farmers are still earning as little as P200 a day.
During the Senate panel hearing on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, Pangilinan pointed out that billions of pesos intended for the coconut industry remain unused while coconut farmers continue to struggle with poverty, saying, “What’s the point of all these billions being spent if their incomes do not improve and they are still earning P200 a day? Kalokohan, ‘di ba?”
The fund, established under Republic Act No. 11524, was meant to finance programs such as hybrid coconut planting, technical training and support for coconut farmer cooperatives. However, agencies tasked with managing the fund, including LandBank, the Agricultural Training Institute and the Department of Agriculture, have reported low utilization rates. LandBank, for instance, has used only 1% of the funds, assisting just 38,000 out of 2.5 million registered coconut farmers.
Pangilinan also called on the PCA to submit a comprehensive plan to improve the implementation of Republic Act No. 11524, which created the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, and to increase the incomes of coconut farmers.
He stressed that the priority should be improving farmers’ earnings, not merely planting trees or launching programs. “All these interventions are necessary so that you will not just increase productivity, but you will increase income,” he said.
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) reported that farmers’ incomes still largely depend on farm size. Pangilinan urged the PCA to submit a report explaining how current measures under the law could help raise farmers’ earnings.
Pangilinan also pushed for a review of the law’s implementation and possible amendments to ensure the trust fund directly benefits coconut farmers. He recalled a previous model in which government support could have enabled farmers to earn as much as P120,000 a month. Pangilinan emphasized that improving farmers’ incomes should remain the trust fund’s primary objective.
