PCA updates coconut farmers’ registry

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has updated around 84 percent of its old National Coconut Farmers Registry System (NCFRS), according to the head of the agency.

In a virtual presser yesterday, PCA administrator Benjamin Madrigal Jr. said there are about three million coconut farmers listed in the NCFRS.

The total includes new registrants and those listed in the previous registry.

Of the total registrants, more than 550,000 are new registrants, while the 2.5 million were farmers who registered from the 2018 registry.

Madrigal said the PCA has already updated 84 percent or 2.1 million farmers from the 2.5 million registrants in the old registry.

Under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (CFITFA), the PCA will only be given 90 days to complete the updating of the registry, which lapsed on June 11.

However, in a Senate hearing in June, senators suggested that the registration should continue beyond the deadline.

Madrigal said the PCA would continue efforts in updating the registry until Sept. 9 and will make a report to the Senate regarding this initiative.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said a working deadline should be given for the registration to be able to get as many farmers listed as soon as possible.

Madrigal earlier said the PCA continues to conduct intensified farmers registration through different modalities such as mass registration at the barangay level; house to house registration; walk in registration at the PCA offices, partnerships with local government units and other governments agencies as well as online registration

He added that the agency has also conducted a massive information campaign to urge more farmers to have themselves listed in the system.

The CFITFA was signed by President Duterte in February.

The law creates the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund which will receive P10 billion from the Bureau of Treasury upon enactment of the law, and then P10 billion in the second year, P15 billion in the third year, P15 billion in the fourth year, and P25 billion in the fifth year, for a total of P75 billion, plus any amount accruing, including interest of the coconut levy, in the special account in the general fund.

Apart from the updating of the coconut farmer’s registry, the PCA is also tasked to craft the coconut farmers and industry development plan.