SEN. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has pushed for the inclusion of copra farmers in the government’s conditional cash transfer program (CCT).

Escudero asked the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to intervene for the inclusion of copra farmers affected by the declining prices of copra in the market as beneficiaries of CCT.

“If they have the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) for the poor, they should also have financial aid for the copra farmers and workers who are affected by the very low price of copra in the market,” Escudero said.

The senator added that copra farmers who are affected are not only from Eastern Visayas but also from the Bicol Region, where he hails from.

He also questioned the accuracy of the National Household Targeting System of the DSWD in distributing the conditional cash transfer.

“Kasi kung accurate lang talaga ang [If the] national household targeting system ng [of the] DSWD [is only accurate], eh di ang [then the] copra farmers and workers, dapat sa ngayon [should be] beneficiaries na sila ng [of the] Pantawid program. Ang tanong ko, lahat ba sila [my question is, are all of them] beneficiary niyan?” he said.

Escudero said that the Social welfare department should ensure that all affected copra farmer households are given their 4Ps.

For those who are not yet included in the program, the Agriculture department, for its part, should provide subsidy and alternative livelihood while copra’s price in the market is still low, he said.