By Danny Estacio
ALABAT, Quezon — The island of Alquerez (for Alabat, Quezon, and Perez) is being built up as Makapuno Island, the center of the country’s macapuno-making industry.
(Google Maps / MANILA BULLETIN)
The renaming of the island followed the launching of Adopt-A-Makapuno Tree program led by Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez held at the Alabat Island National High School Gymnasium, Barangay Camagong, here.
Suarez also signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA), with the mayors of Alabat, Fernando Mesa, Ma. Caridad Clacio of Quezon, Quezon and Pepito Reyes of Perez, and the representative of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, Canada, (PCCT) who donated an initial $4,000 for the project.
A pledge of support and commitment was also signed by national and local government officials and agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation (PCRDF), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Office of the Provincial Agriculturist-(PLGU-OPA), Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) and the head of Makapuno Growers Association.
Mesa said the amount from PCCT, collected from Filipinos residing and working in Canada, will be invested in the project.
Mesa said he put up the project because coconut farmers should be given a chance to develop products from macapuno, the thick, tender and gelatinous meat from coconut for the local and international markets.
Suarez said he admired Mesa for initiating the project, and he urged the local leaders of the towns in the island to work with the provincial government for a much more productive outcome.
For their part, the national officials and heads of concerned agencies led by Suarez committed to supporting the Makapuno Industry and Agribusiness Investment promotion program, guided by the objectives of developing the potential of Embryo-Cultured Makapuno (ECM).
Suarez said they will work together in establishing the Makapuno model farm, laboratory, and processing plant in Alabat island.
The project envisions the macapuno as a high-value crop and viable export product that will boost the island’s economy and benefit communities by establishing a Philippine Makapuno brand.
(Google Maps / MANILA BULLETIN)
The renaming of the island followed the launching of Adopt-A-Makapuno Tree program led by Quezon Gov. Danilo Suarez held at the Alabat Island National High School Gymnasium, Barangay Camagong, here.
Suarez also signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA), with the mayors of Alabat, Fernando Mesa, Ma. Caridad Clacio of Quezon, Quezon and Pepito Reyes of Perez, and the representative of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, Canada, (PCCT) who donated an initial $4,000 for the project.
A pledge of support and commitment was also signed by national and local government officials and agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Agriculture (DA), National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation (PCRDF), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Office of the Provincial Agriculturist-(PLGU-OPA), Southern Luzon State University (SLSU) and the head of Makapuno Growers Association.
Mesa said the amount from PCCT, collected from Filipinos residing and working in Canada, will be invested in the project.
Mesa said he put up the project because coconut farmers should be given a chance to develop products from macapuno, the thick, tender and gelatinous meat from coconut for the local and international markets.
Suarez said he admired Mesa for initiating the project, and he urged the local leaders of the towns in the island to work with the provincial government for a much more productive outcome.
For their part, the national officials and heads of concerned agencies led by Suarez committed to supporting the Makapuno Industry and Agribusiness Investment promotion program, guided by the objectives of developing the potential of Embryo-Cultured Makapuno (ECM).
Suarez said they will work together in establishing the Makapuno model farm, laboratory, and processing plant in Alabat island.
The project envisions the macapuno as a high-value crop and viable export product that will boost the island’s economy and benefit communities by establishing a Philippine Makapuno brand.