President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is pushing for the swift passage of the proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Act to strengthen the coconut sector, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“Ang isa po sa binigyang-tutok ng Pangulo ay iyong tungkol sa pagpapaganda ng coconut industry (One of the areas the President is focusing on is the improvement of the coconut industry),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters.

Castro said the proposed amendments would ensure a more responsive approach to the evolving needs of coconut farmers.

“So, binigyang-diin po iyan ng Pangulo na dapat matulungan po natin ang mga coconut farmers natin dahil tayo raw po ang nag-e-export. Second tayo sa pinakamalaki nag-e-export sa buong bansa. So, pinatutukan din po ito ng Pangulo (The President emphasized that we need to help our coconut farmers because, apparently, we are the second-largest exporter in the world. So, this is also a priority for the President),” she said.

Signed into law in February 2021, Republic Act (RA) 11524 or the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act introduced reforms to the coconut industry aimed at ensuring the efficient utilization of the trust fund in line with the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).

RA 11524 provides for the maintenance of the Trust Fund for 50 years under the CFIDP, which outlines strategies for implementing national development programs on social protection, capacity building, farmer organization empowerment, infrastructure, and other support programs to improve the socio-economic status of Filipino coconut farmers and revitalize the coconut industry.

The proposed amendments seek to further modernize the sector by introducing measures to improve productivity, facilitate access to credit and technology, and strengthen farmer cooperatives.

The measure was seen to help the Philippines maintain its position as a leading global coconut exporter while ensuring farmers directly benefit from the country’s coconut wealth. (PNA)