VILLAR HEARS BUDGET OF PHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITY: Sen. Cynthia A. Villar presides over a virtual hearing of Finance Subcommittee B on the P1.109 billion proposed budget of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Thursday, October 14, 2021. Screen grab/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Cynthia Villar has scolded officials of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) over its confusing proposed budget, saying that the budget should be fixed and reorganized so that no duplication of projects would happen.
During the Senate鈥檚 deliberation of PCA鈥檚 budget on Thursday, Villar reminded PCA officials that the P613 million from PCA鈥檚 proposed budget of P1.097 billion 鈥� or those outside the agency鈥檚 personnel services 鈥� should be used to complement, and not duplicate the projects that would tap the coco levy funds.
The coco levy funds, which were sourced from taxes imposed on coconut products to develop the industry since the time of former president Ferdinand Marcos, is estimated to be around P100 billion to P150 billion.聽 It was seized by the government after Marcos鈥� dictatorship collapsed, and has been ruled to be part of public funds.
鈥淧CA should complement the law from its regular program of planting and replanting [鈥 鈥榶on ang sinasabi ko, dapat tinignan niyo kung ano 鈥榶ong nasa coco levy fund at 鈥榶ong kulang do鈥檔, 鈥榶on ang paggagamitan ng pera,鈥� Villar said.
鈥溾�榊on 鈥榶ong sinasabi ko, kung hindi nasama 鈥榶on sa coco levy (funds), 鈥榶on ang ilagay niyo ang budget niyo hindi 鈥榶ong duplication sa coco levy.聽 Tapos 鈥榶ong sinasabi mo na hindi kayo binigyan ng budget sa project managment ng coco levy, 鈥榶on, ilagay mo dyan,鈥� she stressed towards the end of the hearing.
READ: WHAT WENT BEFORE: Coconut levy imposed by Marcos
Villar asked PCA officials to present the differences of the programs that would be initiated by the PCA and the Department of Trade and Industry.聽 Along with this, the Senator also asked for the specification of the projects that PCA is proposing.
鈥淧akita niyo sa akin, anong difference ng gagawin ng DTI at gagawin niyo, kasi (overlapping) 鈥榶an, so i-explain niyo sa akin 鈥榶an.聽 Tapos itong mga farm, i-explain niyo sa akin kung saan niyo ilulugar 鈥榶an, gusto ko makita saan ang lugar n鈥檡an,鈥� she said.
But aside from questions regarding their budget, Villar also asked why the PCA has not been trying to maximize the potential of coconut products, saying that when she was at a world fair in Germany, the country did not showcase any product from coconuts considering it is a top producer worldwide.
Villar raised the question after PCA Administrator Benjamin Madrigal said that they are looking to raise income if coconut suppliers process coconut husks into other products.
According to Villar, the coconut husk is already a by-product 鈥� while other countries are already selling and investing in coconut water and coconut sugar.
鈥淗indi lang naman 鈥榶on ang gagawin nila sa processing, alam mo no鈥檔g pumunta ako sa abroad, ang pinaka-sikat na product do鈥檔 is coco water and coco sugar, nagpunta ako sa Germany, do鈥檔 sa world trade fair [鈥 mabiling-mabili do鈥檔 ang coco water and coco sugar.聽 And nothing came from the Philippines,鈥� she explained.
鈥淧arang naawa ako sa sarili ko na tayo eh one of the biggest coconut producing country in the world, wala tayong coco water and coco sugar eh 鈥榶on ang click na click sa mundo eh.聽 Hindi naman 鈥榶ang 鈥� waste coconut husk 鈥榶an eh,鈥� she added.
Before the hearing ended, Villar told PCA officials to set-up another meeting with her so that they can thresh out issues in the budget, before it goes into the plenary hearings.
鈥溾�楶ag nakalagay na sa coco levy, 鈥榳ag niyo nang idu-duplicate, do鈥檔 na 鈥榶on.聽 Ayusin niyo itong P600 million na 鈥榯o.聽 And then bago tayo mag-hearing sa floor, mag-Zoom na tayo at ayusin na natin 鈥榶ong aayusin pati 鈥榶ong mga hinihinging report,鈥� she noted.