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Lessons Learned By Ireneo Cerilla, President, PAKISAM. FACT. The plan. WE WANTED TO GET THE COCO LEVY FUND WORTH PhP 71 BILLION OR 1.2 BILLION EUROS BACK TO BE MANAGED AND USED PRIMARILY BY AND FOR SMALL COCONUT FARMERS.
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Lessons Learned By Ireneo Cerilla, President, PAKISAM FACT
The plan • WE WANTED TO GET THE COCO LEVY FUND WORTH PhP 71 BILLION OR 1.2 BILLION EUROS BACK TO BE MANAGED AND USED PRIMARILY BY AND FOR SMALL COCONUT FARMERS
FACT - Facilitator’s Guide 2, Christian Gouët, Agriterra Solutions Series: Farmers Advocacy Consultation Tool WE PLANNED TO DO IT USING FACT TOOLS. WE WILL CONSULT OUR MEMBERS, DO PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH, WRITE SMART PROPOSALS, LOBBY MAP USING STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS, AND MOBILIZE TO EFFECTIVELY NEGOTIATE.
WE INITIALLY PLANNED TO DO THE CAMPAIGN FROM SEPT 2013-JUNE 2014. THE PLAN WAS COMMENTED BY CHRISTIAN AND EVENTUALLY REVISED BY DECEMBER 2013 MAKING THE PLAN MORE REALISTIC GIVEN AVAILABLE RESOURCES.
What was carried out • We did not do much in 2013 except attending to fund raising for the campaign and attending to Typhoon Haiyan emergency.
PAKISAMA got small funding for the International Year of Family Farming towards the latter part of 2013 and decided to focus the project more to the coconut levy recovery issue which affects 3.6 millions small family farmers.
By January this year, the NAPC coconut farmers cluster met, a national conference of coconut farmers was held and ten provincial coconut farmers coalitions committed to join the campaign
2 Catalyzed by PAKISAMA, a major breakthrough was the coming together of farmer federations, the NGOs, legislators, and representatives of the government National Anti Poverty Commission to come out with unity documents and lobbying and advocacy plan.
Two committees were formed, one to produce the unity documents and the other to come out with lobbying and advocacy activities
In the succeeding two months May-July we will do a validation/consultation workshops in 22 provinces of PAKISAMA members, and a Unity Conference among various federations of coconut farmers and support groups to finalize the proposal and approve the lobbying and advocacy plan
In August-December 2014, lobbying in Congress and Senate and with allies in the Cabinet will be conducted and a 2000-km march by the coalition of coconut farmers are contemplated to broaden the dialogue and involve the public and to generate positive public opinion behind the proposal of the Coalition.
PAKISAMA Leaders and staff are already well- oriented on the issues after attending conferences and meetings and are ready to undertake provincial consultations/validation workshops.
Conclusion 1. The initial plan and expectations were beyond capacity which led to the revision and the trimming down to a more realistic set of expectations
2 • Resources for broader farmers consultations, participation and ownership are needed to make sure the plans are implemented until the end of the year.
3 • PAKISAMA improved more in becoming more conscious in carrying out more systematic research, membership consultations, and deepening of stakholders analysis.
4 • FACT is definitely a tool that can help further systematize lobbying and advocacy work. It can be best utilized, however, if its set of activities have assured funding.