PCA trains coco levy farmer directors

Thirty one coconut farmer leaders recently appointed by President Arroyo as members of the Coconut Industry Investment Fund (CIIF) companies are undergoing advancement reorientation at the Philippine Coconut Authority Coconut Extension Training Center (PCA-CETC) Complex in Davao City.

According to PCA Administrator Danilo M. Coronacion, the three-day seminar conducted by the PCA with the CHF Group of Companies aims to enhance the capability of farmer-directors to assume their new roles. It also aims to forge an advocacy agenda in the boardrooms of UCPB and CHF companies.

The CHF Group of companies is composed of nine corporations funded by the coconut levy funds, some of these groups are in turn composed of several subsidiaries like the five CHF oil milling companies and 14 holding companies managing the levy investments in San Miguel Corp. and copra trading companies.

Speakers and their topics include Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Commissioner Reuben Carranza on rights, responsibilities/expectations of BOD and the mandate of PCGG; Jose A. Barcelona on the corporate set-up and parliamentary procedure; Eduardo Go on financial structure of the coconut levy and the role of UCPB as a coconut farmers bank; Oscar Torralba on translating people centered agenda advocacy into operational plan; Solomon dela Pena on dynamics of farm to global trading in the coconut industry; and Eduardo D. Santos on trading and marker policies and strategies in the operations of CHF oil mills.

A presentation of PCA safety net and corporate programs was given by Coronacion Eduardo Amistad provided a briefing on CHF finance and UCPB development and Alfredo Tumacder on Cocolife Insurance Operations and upgraded Coconut Farmers Insurance program.

In a related development, Coronacion is holding parallel meetings with PCA regional managers for refining the implemention of mechanics of CHF Safety net Program (CSNP) for small coconut farmers and farm workers said programs are aimed at improving the lot of Coconut farmers and their families through micro finance and credit and direct copra marketing, among others.