Coco Levy Issue (2)

In last week’s Shalom of May 2, I wrote one comment from the National Federation of Coconut Farmers Organizations (NFCFO). They believe that the new law establishing a National Trust Fund Committee (NTFC), composed of Government Officials and Coco Farmers Reps, to manage the 90B+ funds for the benefit of coconut farmers and the Coconut Industry as decided by the Supreme Court, will not be truly carried out because the legislators may have a different interpretation of PUBLIC FUNDS ENTRUSTED TO GOVERNMENT FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.

Two possibilities like the National Elections and Covid-19 pandemic can be reasons for a different interpretation even with involvement of coco farmers. How?

With the senators’ and congressmen’s/women’s live imagination, our seminary philosophy class would smile a Latin response, “Possibilia sunt infinita!” (Possibilities are infinite!).

There are also other comments, not from coco farmers, but from concerned sectors in the NCR and Quezon Province. They question the process of selecting representatives from the coco farmers sector as well as those from the Government sector.

We find more coconut trees in Mindanao’s Davao Provinces than in other areas. And yet, sadly, these areas are not well and properly represented in the National Trust Fund Committee. Let’s hope and pray that something can be done in the next Administration.