Coco farmers protest ‘exclusion’ from UCPB board

Coconut farmers’ groups were dismayed by Malacañang’s reportedly unprecedented exclusion of farmer-representatives in the list of United Coconut Planters Bank’s (UCPB) board nominees that the Palace has released. The Philippine Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) has announced that the Palace has nominated mostly new faces to the UCPB Board – including Menardo Jimenez as chair, former Senator Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Higinio Macadaeg Jr., Angela Ignacio, Danilo Pulido, Nilo Divina, Jose Poblete, Raul del Mar, Juan Andres Bautista, Richard Amurao, Arthur Bautista, and John Young. From the outgoing board, the Palace nominated Ramon Sy, Cristina Orbeta, and Karlo Estavillo for re-election. “With this development, the administration appears to be insensitive to the feelings of the coconut farmers," said Oscar Solidor, secretary-general of Lakas ng Magsasakang Pilipino. Efren Villaseñor, president of the Pambansang Koalisyon ng mga Magsasaka at Manggagawa sa Niyugan, noted that the Sandiganbayan had ruled in 2005 that coconut levy funds and all assets acquired through these are government property “in trust for the coconut farmers." “Since the coconut farmers are the beneficial owners of the UCPB, it is but proper that our representatives sit on the UCPB board," he said. A representative of UCPB told GMA News Online that the bank will soon grant an interview on the issue. — PE/VS, GMA News