Rehabilitate coco industry with P71-billion coconut levy funds

This is a reaction to the letter of Joey Faustino, executive director of the Coconut Industry Reform (COIR) Movement Inc., titled “SC decision on coco levy: still unimplemented” (Inquirer, 5/14/13).

As a small coconut farmer, I strongly suggest that the coco levy funds amounting to P71 billion in cash, as pointed out by Faustino in the letter, be used to rehabilitate the dying coconut industry. Precisely, the funds must be harnessed for large-scale replanting of coconut trees in all the coconut producing regions of our country, fertilization of old coconut trees, not to mention the control of the pests attacking the coconut trees particularly in Batangas.

Finally, large-scale intercropping as well as livestock production must be pursued to augment the income of the coconut farmers especially the marginal ones. Then and only then can the plight of the coco farmers be alleviated.

—CRISOSTOMO B. VILAR, vice mayor, Pagsanjan, Laguna, and chair, Cocofed, Pagsanjan Chapter