Return coco levy fund to farmers — Pagdanganan

The long-disputed P38 billion Marcos wealth and the Coconut Levy fund, which were declared as a public asset recently by local courts, should primarily benefit the country’s impoverished farmers, Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan said yesterday in Subic, Olongapo City.

"Since these two issues (Marcos wealth and the Coco Levy) are now ruled to be both public funds, then it is just proper to return these to the rightful beneficiaries — the poor farmers," Pagdanganan said during the opening of the First Provincial Convention of the Liga ng mga Barangay-Cavite Province Chapter at the George Dewey Convention Center in Subic.

Pagdanganan said his vision to fully implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) would be realized once the Supreme Court ruling on the Marcos loot becomes final and executory.

He explained that under Republic Act 6657, particularly Chapter 14, Section 63, additional funding for the implementation of the CARP may be appropriated from the proceeds of the sales of the Assets Privatization Trust and from the sales of ill-gotten wealth recovered through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).

Pagdanganan, being a cooperative advocate, likewise urged the barangay officials to encourage their constituents to participate in the formation of cooperatives in their respective areas. — Pamela Samia