Statement of Support for Kilus Magniniyog and the KM71 March From Davao City to Malacanang Calling on President Aquino to Create the Coconut Farmers Trust Fund from the Recovered Coco Levy Funds

  October 17, 2014

The Caucus of Development NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) is in solidarity with the Kilusan para sa Ugnayan ng mga Samahang Magniniyog (KILUS Magniniyog) in its call for justice and an end to the suffering of small coconut farmers and farm-workers, who are among the poorest Filipinos.  After more than two years, they continue to receive no benefit from the P71 billion in coconut levy funds recovered by the Philippine government in September 2012 from San Miguel Corporation.

With them, we urge President Benigno S. Aquino III to issue an Executive Order creating a Perpetual Coconut Farmer’s Trust Fund from the recovered P71 billion to ensure its exclusive and sustainable use for the direct benefit of impoverished small coconut farmers and their communities, and to prevent the use of the fund for other purposes. The trust fund should be managed judiciously, with the meaningful involvement and representation of small coconut farmers and farm workers, and with only its annual interest earnings being used to fund the implementation of programs that directly assist coconut farmers, increasing productivity of the coconut industry and developing coconut-based enterprises and poverty-alleviating measures, meant to improve the lives of the millions of impoverished coconut farmer communities.

We support the active and empowered action of KILUS Magniniyog and its 71 coconut farmers marching for 71 days from Davao City to Malacanang to claim their right to benefit from the coconut levy funds. We support the call for the President to dialogue with the 71 marchers upon their expected arrival in Malacanang on November 26, 2014.

We support the filing of KILUS Magniniyog of a people’s initiative in both the House of Representatives and the Senate for the enactment of a law creating the Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund. We call for the speedy passage of this law, and call on President Aquino to include this bill in his priority legislative measures.

We call on the various sectors of society, civil society organizations, members and partners of CODE-NGO, students, the Church and media, to support KILUS Magniniyog in its 71-day march, and to support their call for the creation of the Perpetual Coconut Farmers’ Trust Fund.

Photo credit: KM71 Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/KilusMagniniyog/photos/pb.1469612809978284.-2207520000.1413791743./1483738458565719/?type=3&theater) 

Related video: #KM71 Pangarap – Jon Sarmiento (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1CYXKWpn1Y)

Online signature campaign: http://www.change.org/p/president-benigno-simeon-c-aquino-iii-sign-an-executive-order-creating-a-coconut-farmers-trust-fund-and-certify-as-urgent-the-initiative-bill-version-filed-in-both-houses-of-congress