PCA, DTI hold stakeholders’ dialog, strengthen coconut industry's huge potentials

 TUBURAN, Cebu – The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Governing Board with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Cebu held a coconut stakeholders’ dialog and orientation and signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with other government agencies involved in the implementation of a coordinated program under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) or RA 11524 to ensure the proper utilization of the allocations and submission of periodic accomplishment of these agencies to the PCA project management officer.

The Market Orientation and Stakeholders’ Dialog on November 14 was hosted by the local government unit of Tuburan led by its municipal agriculture officer Kent Marcial Catubis and its mayor Aljun Diamante and these local officials thank the organizers for bringing the coconut-related buyers into this dialog/orientation.

Catubis, in behalf of mayor Diamante challenge the coconut farmers in Tuburan on how sustainable they are and how they can cope up with the buyer’s demands/requirements as the organizers informed the coconut farmers/stakeholders of the huge potential to make the coconut industry sustainable.

The event also saw the dialog and business matching between coconut producers and buyers and a lot of discussions on the roles of PCIC, CHED, ATI, TESDA, CDA, PCAARD-DOST, DA, NDA, BAI, PHILMEC, DBP, LBP and DPWH that were presented by PCA Manager of Cebu Provincial Office Johndom Domagtoy, stressing on the inter-agency program collaboration in helping the coconut industry to flourish and become one of the country’s agricultural driver.

According to DTI-Cebu SME Development Chief Marivic Aguilar that the role of DTI in the CFIDP is market research, marketing assistance and market promotion.  Some of DTI’s marketing assistance and promotional activities are the One Town, One Product (OTOP) Hub, the Kalibutan Project and the conduct of trade fairs where many of the coconut and its buy products are sold.

The interested and participating buyers present during the program included the Lamac Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Kimes Foods International Inc, and Profood International Corporation. They were also given the chance to present their company backgrounds, needs and expectations.

DTI Cebu Director Rose Mae Quiñanola expressed her gratitude to the participants, the farmers, buyers and all the agencies present during the one-day activity and said, the farmers should remain steadfast and resilient and suggested they should consider to register as a cooperative or affiliate with big brother cooperatives. 

Quiñanola also advised the coconut people’s organizations to discuss with members what has been achieved and to work for their dreams.  This is not first and last, she added and promised that DTI will continue to identify more priority products and find its market. 

DTI said that the coconut priority products in Cebu include cooking oil from coconut meat, vinegar from coconut water, coco sweetener (sugar) from coconut sap, charcoal briquettes from coconut shell and coco fiber/ coco coir from coconut husk. (Photos:DTI-Cebu)