PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform moved to go back to the drawing board on May 7, as lawmakers sought to overhaul Republic Act No. 11524. 

Led by Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, the committee deliberated on critical amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act, which has been flagged as a priority measure by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). 

“We take this opportunity to go back to the drawing board and see which amendments should we put in place to strengthen what we believed to be a critical, landmark piece of legislation,” Senator Pangilinan said.

Pangilinan vowed to restore the law’s original mandate, arguing that current implementation has veered away from its goal of uplifting the lives of the nation’s struggling coconut farmers.

“Ano ba ang nilalalayong resulta ng batas na ito? Hindi ba ang pag-unlad ng industriya ng niyog, at ang pag-angat ng buhay ng mga magniniyog?” Senator Pangilinan argued.

During the hearing, Senator Risa Hontiveros challenged government agencies over persistent failures that have allowed neighboring Asian countries to outpace the Philippines in farm yields and competitiveness. 

Hontiveros emphasized that the policy requires a total redesign to close major gaps and ensure that financial benefits reach the families of farmers directly rather than getting stalled in bureaucracy. 

“We need to revisit and redesign this policy to close a number of major gaps and ensure that benefits are directly felt by coconut farmers, their families, and the coconut industry as a whole,” Hontiveros argued.

The committee’s consensus centered on the urgent need for accountability and transparency to address the decades-long issues plaguing the local sector.

To ensure farmers maintain a seat at the table, Senator Erwin Tulfo pushed for Senate Bill No. 1457, which proposes a Coconut Farmers Advisory Board. 

This board, composed of representatives from farmer organizations, would be tasked with reviewing program priorities and monitoring fund management to prevent political interference. 

Tulfo stressed that the multibillion-peso fund belongs to the farmers, not to officials or politicians, marking a decisive shift toward grassroots oversight in the management of the industry’s resources.

“Ang pondong ito ay hindi para sa iilang opisyal. Hindi para sa mga pulitiko. At lalong hindi para maulit ang mga pagkakamali ng nakaraan. Ang pondong ito ay para sa mga magniniyog,” Senator Tulfo emphasized.