CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – With frustration over scams in projects that were supposed to benefit farmers, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) dared yesterday Presidential Assistant on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan to ensure that the P750 million fund allocated to fight “cocolisap” infestation would all be spent for its purpose.
The KMP issued the statement after Pres. Aquino issued Executive Order 169 to effectively control, manage, and eventually eradicate the coconut scale insect pest. Reports also said the government would mobilize at least P750 million to address coconut scale infestation.
“We challenge Pangilinan to ensure that the P750 million ‘cocolisap’ funds would directly benefit small coconut farmers. He must ensure that the money would not be coursed through bogus non-government organizations and corrupt government agencies,” said KMP Secretary General Antonio Flores.
“Small coconut farmers are the backbone of the coconut industry. The scale infestation directly impacts on their livelihood,” Flores said, noting that “the so-called emergency measures merely focused on control and containment and the methodologies in the treatment of infested coconut trees.”
Flores said that “Aquino’s EO 169 is reflective of his landlord class. There’s nothing in the EO that would address the scale infestation’s impact on the lives and livelihood of small coconut farmers.”
“Without any program addressing the enormous impact of the scale infestation on small coconut farmers, the P750-million will only turn out as another ‘pork’ and a subsidy for big landlords in vast coconut plantations that are the real and day-to-day pests to the lives of small coconut farmers,” Flores also said.
