By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippine Coconut Authority is pushing for major changes to the law governing the coconut levy trust fund, saying rigid funding rules and overlapping agency responsibilities are slowing the delivery of programs to millions of coconut farmers.
PCA Administrator Dexter R. Buted said the proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 11524, or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan Act, were developed after five years of implementing the law and identifying structural problems that cannot be solved simply by speeding up government spending.
PCA Department Manager Aldrin A. Darilag told the House Committee on Agriculture and Food that some implementation delays stem from the law itself, particularly its fixed allocations and designation of specific agencies to carry out certain programs.
“Many implementation problems cannot be resolved simply by asking agencies to spend faster,” Darilag said. “Some constraints are structural and require policy reform.”
The PCA is seeking greater flexibility in programming coconut levy funds so resources can be directed according to actual farmer needs, project readiness and the capacity of implementing agencies.
Under the proposed changes, fixed allocations would be removed, allowing government to adjust funding priorities as conditions on the ground change.
The PCA said the reform would also address fragmented programs and overlapping responsibilities among government agencies.
Particular problems have emerged in health and medical services and shared processing facilities, where overlapping mandates have contributed to implementation difficulties.
“There were also instances of mandate misalignment and overlapping responsibilities,” Darilag said.
The proposed amendments would likewise give government greater flexibility to respond to emerging priorities in the coconut industry, including expanded coconut planting, fertilization and irrigation programs.
For coconut farmers, the proposed overhaul could determine whether billions of pesos in trust-fund resources are delivered more efficiently to the communities they are intended to benefit.
The PCA also wants stronger provisions on farmer participation, governance, transparency and oversight of the coconut levy trust fund.
Buted said the objective is ultimately to ensure that the fund produces greater and more measurable benefits for coconut farmers.
The proposed changes, he said, would allow government to respond more effectively to changing farmer needs, accelerate the delivery of programs and maximize the development impact of every peso invested from the trust fund.
The coconut levy fund remains one of the country’s most closely watched pools of public resources because of its history and its direct connection to millions of coconut farmers.
The PCA’s push for amendments therefore goes beyond administrative restructuring.
It raises a fundamental question about how the government should manage a fund intended specifically to improve the productivity, income and quality of life of coconut farmers.
The agency’s position is that the current framework has become too rigid to respond effectively to changing conditions in the industry.
The proposed reforms would give implementing agencies greater room to move resources where they are most needed while strengthening mechanisms intended to prevent waste, duplication and weak oversight.
The measure will still have to undergo congressional scrutiny, where lawmakers are expected to examine the proposed changes and their implications for coconut farmers and the management of the trust fund.
For the PCA, however, the direction is clear:
The coconut levy fund must become more flexible, better coordinated and more responsive—or the farmers it was created to serve will continue waiting for benefits trapped in a system designed for yesterday’s needs.
ia/xf
