Kudos to House for OK of coco fund measure

As a small coconut farmer, I read with great interest the news report about the approval by our House of Representatives of the proposed Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act (House Bill No. 6135) last Oct. 9, on third and final reading (“House OKs bill creating trust for coco levy funds,” News, 10/24/15).

The bill envisions the creation of an agency to manage the P70-billion coconut levy for the benefit of small coconut farmers, and the coconut industry in general.

To quote no less than House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., “The coco levy fund is a beautiful fund (which) will lay to rest something that has been bothering us for so many years.”

Congratulations and many thanks to the members of the House of Representatives who voted in favor of the bill!

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