(MANILA BULLETIN)

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte has lauded the renewed commitment of President Marcos to adequately fund the “ambitious” program of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028.

The PCA’s proposed coconut planting and replanting project (CPRP) seeks to reverse the lackluster productivity of coconuts while simultaneously lifting farmers out of poverty.

“Spending big on the proposed CPRP of the PCA, which aims to plant 100 million coconut trees by the time the President leaves office in 2028, is pivotal to the goal of the Marcos administration to finally energize this once robust agriculture subsector, lift at least 2.5 million farmers out of poverty, and return our country to its erstwhile glory as the world’s No. 1 coconut exporter,” Villafuerte said in a statement on Sunday, May 12.

The lawmaker says accelerating this program is a “surefire way” to help the ailing industry back on its feet.

With it, Villafuerte expects the Philippines can overtake Southeast Asian neighbor Indonesia as the world’s top coconut producer. In 2022, Indonesia ranked first with 17.19 million metric tons (MT) of coconut produced, while the former produced a total output of 14.93 million MT.

“In line with Mr. Marcos’ vow to leave nobody behind in his government’s quest for a peaceful and prosperous Bagong Pilipinas (New Philippines), putting the CPRP on the fast track will go a long way in attacking poverty and promoting inclusive growth in this industry that accounts for a sizable part of our agriculture sector,” the Bicolano noted.

In a meeting with the Private Sector Advisory Council-Agriculture Sector Group (PSAC-ASG) on Wednesday, the President assured funding for the CPRP to enable the PCA to replace standing trees—millions of which are already senile and below the prime of their productivity.

According to PSAC-ASG member Christopher Po—chairman of both Century Pacific Food Inc. and Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc.—the group advised Marcos to direct the PCA to enter into contract farming with local salt farmers to supply salt as fertilizer in coconut lands.

The PSAC-ASG said a P2.5-billion budget will let the PCA fertilize 55 million coconut trees and double local salt production, resulting in a projected 25% increase in nut productivity and extra profits for farmers.

Under a previously signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with coconut-producing provinces and municipalities, the PCA encouraged local government units (LGUs) to implement their own projects on coconut planting and replanting, coconut fertilization, and seed farm development.

However, budgetary constraints only enabled the agency to plant or replant a maximum of three million coconut trees.

Under its 2023 to 2028 replanting initiative, the PCA aims to plant 20 million to 25 million trees annually over the five-year period, or a total of 100 million trees by 2028.

For 2024, the PCA seeks to replant 8.5 million coconut seedlings in 59,744 hectares (ha) and to fertilize 2.8 million trees in 28,341 ha.

Villafuerte, president of the National Unity Party (NUP), is also pushing for better promotion and marketing programs for coconut exports.

He said this will vastly improve earnings from the coconut sector, which averaged P1.4 billion annually over 2014 to 2018, mainly from virgin coconut oil and desiccated coconut—which represent a fourth of the country’s total agricultural exports.