Aquino can still help coconut farmers

Columnist Amando Doronila, in his Oct. 30 column, said it right: “Sending crooks to jail is not the only function of governance,” and that we “cannot wait for the benefits from economic projects until the crooks are sent to jail.”

Time is running out, but President Aquino still has time to do justice and help uplift the lives of easily the biggest sector of our poor. I refer to the coconut farmers, their families and dependents who:

• to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), live marginalized in our 21,000 coconut barangays nationwide;

• to the National Anti-Poverty Commission, are “the poorest of the poor and the most socially insecure sector of society”;

• were unjustly levied an average of P60 per 100 kilos of their copra produce for almost 10 years during the martial law years;

• were named, at least 82 times, as the “beneficiaries” of the Marcos presidential decrees that imposed the levy, but were unjustly eased out and taken advantage of by the cronies;

• after more than 30 years, have been unable to benefit from the funds unjustly taken from their toil and sweat;

• have been continuing victims of elusive justice and have been voiceless for so long;

• whose marginalized lives, consistent with the policy of inclusive growth, would be uplifted if the money exacted from them could now and in the years to come be meaningfully used for their benefit.

P-Noy has two-and-a-half years more to speak out and give clear, marching orders to all agencies concerned to do what is just, concrete and economically significant in order to allow the utilization of the 24-percent share of SMC stock, worth P57 billion, won by the farmers—and thus help uplift the lives of the coconut farmers, their families and dependents who constitute one-fourth of our people.

Benefits to the coconut farmers may not be felt overnight, but they must now be made to feel that this government cares and is truly decisive in doing them justice and in uplifting their lives.

Mahalagang  manindigan  na  ang  Pangulo  pagkat  walang  kasiguruhang  maaasahan  ang  hahalili  sa  kanya.

He must not miss the boat. Time is of the essence—especially in the face of the current negative developments disheartening to the people, especially the marginalized.

—OSCAR F. SANTOS,

Coconut Industry

Reform Movement,

64 Masikap St., Diliman, QC