71-day march for P71B

Last Sept. 21, on the 42nd anniversary of martial law, 71 farmers started a 71-day march in Davao to claim the P71 billion coconut levy for coconut farmers. Their request is simple but urgent: the government must exercise political will so that the coconut levy which coconut farmers have contributed to is finally given for their benefit. After all, these coconut farmers constitute both the largest and the poorest land-based sector in our country today.

The P71 billion must not be used for other purposes, for this would be the continuation of an exploitative pattern that has befallen these farmers. This is the plea of the Kilusan Para sa Ugnayan ng Mga Samahang Magniniyog (Kilus Magniniyog).

The group is composed of nine farmer federations and is supported by the Coconut Industry Reform Movement (COIR), and the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) under Joey Faustino and Gani Serrano, respectively.

Specifically, Kilus Magniniyog wants the P71 billion put into a trust fund, with interest earnings to be used for the benefit of coconut farmers. This way, the benefits of the coconut farmers will continue for as long as the trust fund remains untouched.

While this march gives emphasis to the need for the government to take quick action to help the sad plight of coconut farmers, it should be complemented with five resolutions unanimously passed during the National Coco-cacao Summit on Sept. 18-19.

The summit was convened by Romeo Royandoyan, Josephine Ramos and David Santos. It involved 150 participants representing coconut and cacao farmer leaders including many from Alyansa Agrikultura, coco-cacao business industry practitioners, government agencies and non-government organizations.

These five resolutions support:

1) A Coconut Farmers Trust Fund Coordinating Council, with coconut farmer leaders as members to help ensure that the funds are used to actually benefit coconut farmers.

2) The PCGG action opposing any attempt by the UCPB and Cocolife to dissipate the government farmers’ equity or ownership of 24 percent of SMC shares.

3) A framework spearheaded by Dr. Emil Javier with key strategies that include a coconut farm development program involving coconut tree productivity, multiple canopy coconut farming (intercropping), converting coconut fruits and vegetative parts into various products, and downstream integration with oleo-chemicals production.

4) The establishment of an Agricultural Insurance Trust Fund for the insurance coverage of relevant items such as the coconut trees, the intercrops and personal accidents.

5) The review and revalidation of the Registry System for Basic Sector in Agriculture (RSBS) to ensure the accurate coverage of coconut farmers and others in the agriculture sector who are now left out.

Next steps

When the 71-day march ends on Nov. 26, the government should respond not only by granting the basic plea of the 71 marchers that P71 billion be given to the coconut farmers. It should also implement the five recommendations unanimously agreed upon to make the granting of this plea meaningful.

In the next three weeks, Kilus Magniniyog leaders who did not join the march should discuss with government decision makers what obstacles should be addressed so that the marchers’ plea could be met. It is unfortunate that the marchers had to resort to a long difficult march so that their claim to the coconut levy would be given the proper attention. Their sacrifice will be worth it if the necessary discussions and negotiations take place before they arrive on Nov. 6 so that concrete results can be announced.

All too often, we see demonstrations such as this march staged because the normal channels of communications have been rendered ineffective due to indifference or a clash of opposing interests. The coconut levy case has been the subject of strong opposing interests. Thankfully, the Supreme Court has decided that 24 percent of SMC’s shares should go to the coconut farmers.

The devil is in the detail

The devil is likewise in the botched implementation of a Supreme Court decision. The impasse and lack of action which necessitated this march needed political will to overcome both the strong opposing interest and indifference that characterized the coconut farmers’ fight for the fund they contributed to during the martial law years.

A commitment to inclusive growth requires a commitment to support the 71 coconut farmers on their 71-day march to rightfully claim the P71-billion coconut levy. It is time that this political will is clearly demonstrated.

(The author is chair of Agriwatch, former Secretary for Presidential Flagship Programs and Projects, and former Undersecretary for Agriculture, and Trade and Industry. For inquiries, e-mail [email protected] or telefax (02) 8522112).