- Senator Grace Poe will prioritize the coconut industry if she’s elected as president
- Under her administration, the coco levy funds will be co-managed by the farmers themselves
- She also plans to increase the budget allocation for the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA)
MANILA, Philippines – Senator Grace Poe gave an assurance through her spokesperson Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian that the controversial coco levy funds will be used for and by the coconut industry if she’s elected as president in the coming election.
GMA News Online quoted Gatchalian as saying: “Under a Poe administration, the coconut industry will be given priority attention. Coco levy funds, or interest income from the trust fund, will be co-managed by the farmers themselves and augmented by regular appropriations.”
He disclosed that the lady senator plans to increase the budget allocation for the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to boost the agency’s ability and help coconut farmers.
“We will also fund the establishment of processing centers that will add value to coconut products and by-products,” he added.
Sen. Poe emphasized during the second round of televised presidential debates which was held in Cebu City on March 20, that the support of businessman and chairman emeritus of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) Eduardo Murphy ‘Danding’ Cojuangco Jr. on her presidential candidacy won’t stop her from helping the coconut farmers if she’s elected.
According to an article published by ABS-CBN News, Poe once again reiterated that Cojuangco shouldn’t be blamed for the delayed disbursement of the P70-billion coco levy funds for 3.5 million farmers; pointing out that all the shares bought using the funds are now with the government.
Poe said Cojuangco no longer has control over the coco levy funds.
She also denied she is a puppet of Cojuangco and her other political supporters.
Cojuangco, who is also a former Philippine ambassador, is among those who are accused of using the farmers’ funds to buy businesses.
The militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) expressed that the farmers were appalled by the lady senator’s ‘Danding connection’.
According to a March 4 article posted on the group’s website, KMP secretary general Antonio Flores said they have all the reasons to fear Sen. Poe’s ‘Danding connection’.
He said: “For sure, the NPC endorsement of Poe enjoys the blessings of the country’s biggest landlord and plunderer of the multi-billion coconut levy fund.”
We would like to remind Poe that small coconut farmers are still going after the 20 percent coconut levy fund shares in SMC controlled by Cojuangco. In addition, big ticket Public-Private Partnership contracts like the Metro Rail Transit-7 project bagged by Cojuangco’s SMC spells land-grabbing to farmers of San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan.”
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