House panel approves bill revitalizing the coconut industry

The House Committee on Agriculture and Food has approved a substitute bill
promoting the steady, accelerated, and orderly development of the coconut industry
consistent with the agrarian reform policy of the government.
The substitute bill aims to revitalize the coconut industry primarily by equipping the
hilippine Coconut Authority !CA" with solid and multifaceted mandate, which focuses
on developmental, governmental, regulatory, research and development, and corporate
powers and functions.
#y approving the substitute bill, the committee chaired by $ep. %ar& 'landro
%endoza !(
th
)istrict, #atangas" removes the corporate restriction of CA to ma&e the
agency profitable, sustainable and development*oriented.
The still unnumbered measure substituted House #ill +,,- authored by $ep, .haron
/arin !arty*list, AA%#0. 12A" and House #ill +345 by $ep. 6ictoria 7oel !arty*list,
An*2aray", both see&ing to revitalize the coconut industry.
/arin said the reorganization of CA also allows for more representation from the
farmers, processors, traders, researches, scientists and academe comprising seven board
seats out of the ++ board seats.
%oreover, since coconut is a long*gestating crop, it is also prudent to fi8 the term of
the administrator of CA to ensure the full implementation of the policies and programs of
the agency. Hence, this measure fi8es the term of the administrator to si8 years.
To implement the policy and ob9ectives of this Act, /arin said the measure creates
and establishes a non*stoc&, government corporate entity &nown as the hilippine Coconut
0ndustry )evelopment Authority !H0'C0)A", hereinafter referred to as the Authority.
/arin said the H0'C0)A is mandated to formulate and adopt a general program of
development geared towards increased farm productivity, through planting or replanting
of suitable seedling varieties, rehabilitation and fertilization of coconut, integrated
coconut*based farming systems and product processing, and whenever necessary, the
construction of related support and infrastructure facilities.
H0'C0)A shall adopt a special program to ma8imize the yield of small coconut
farmers and their farm families particularly those farms covered by the agrarian reform
program of the government:
NR # 3458
MAY 6, 2014
The bill also includes potent provisions on research and development to cultivate a
culture of scientific e8cellence and professionalism in its agricultural and industrial
research and establish credence to the initiatives, findings, and innovations of CA.
/arin said the e8panded powers allow the development and propagation of new
discoveries and technologies which the government can capitalize on. This would also
allow the government to ma&e the most out of evolving opportunities especially with the
underdeveloped niches of the industry.
Another &ey feature of the bill is the inclusion of palm*based products and by*
products, particularly palm oil, seeing the need to provide policy direction and support to
the industry. Although it is ac&nowledged that oil palm and other palm trees and its
products;by*products are under the CA<s supervision, it is not e8plicitly stated and
detailed in the e8isting CA charter, inadvertently putting it on the sidelines of policy
ma&ing.
=A competitive mar&et and a plethora of socio*economic issues affecting the
coconut industry call for lasting, substantial, and comprehensive action. The band aid
approaches have done more damage than good the past decades, and as changes in the
industry and the environment in which it operates are becoming even more competitive
and dynamic, it is high time that we respond 9udiciously and assiduously,> /arin stressed.
A counterpart bill, .enate #ill ?++@ was filed by .enator Chiz Ascudero on
February ++, ?4+(. !B4" lvc