(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Earlier, the Lower Chamber approved House Bill 8136 on second reading to assure the coconut industry, especially farm workers, vast improvement in terms of modernization and better livelihood opportunities.
HB 8136 is a consolidation of 16 different legilsatrive proposals filed by Deputy Speaker Michael Romero (1Pacman Partylist) and Rufus Rodriguez (CDI, Cagayan de Oro City), together with Reps. Jericho Jonas Nograles (PBA, Partylist); Jayjay Suarez (Lakas-CMD, Quezon); Aleta Suarez (NPC, Quezon); Wilfredo Mark Enverga (NPC, Quezon); Romeo Jalosjos Jr. (PDP-Laban, Zamboanga del Sur) and Ian Pau Dy (NPC, Isabela), among other lawmakers.
The bill proposes to unite all assets and benefits coming from the coconut levy which will be held in a Trust Fund to be used to rehabilitate and modernize the coconut industry and ultimately benefit coconut farmers and their family.