Manila: The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is on track to meet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive of planting 100 million coconut palms nationwide under its Twin Program. This initiative combines massive planting and replanting and strategic fertilization to boost the country's coconut production and global competitiveness.
According to Philippines News Agency, in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon interview on Wednesday, PCA Administrator Dexter Buted reported that the agency has already planted 10.3 million palms between 2023 and 2024. He said this output exceeded the 2024 target with the agency aiming to plant an additional 15.3 million this year.
The program, which began in 2022 and runs through 2034, supports Marcos's vision of overtaking Indonesia as the world's top coconut producer. Buted stated, "You can truly see that we have flourished and taken the lead in the global market when it comes to coconut industry."
The initiative impacts 2.8 million farmers and directly involves around 20 million people dependent on the coconut industry. Apart from production targets, the government is also addressing long-standing challenges in the sector.
According to the PCA, fertilization efforts were underfunded, covering less than 1 percent of the nation's 345 million coconut trees. This year, the agency received a PHP1.8 billion boost for fertilization and an additional PHP1 billion for planting efforts. These funds aim to significantly expand its capacity to enhance yield and raw material supply for value-added coconut products like biofuel, aviation fuel, and coconut methyl ester.
Buted highlighted that the revised Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) complements the Twin Program, focusing on social protection, enterprise development, and cooperative empowerment. Under the CFIDP, coconut farmers are eligible for medical support, scholarships, and other benefits. Scholarships for farmers' children are being rolled out, with over 10,000 beneficiaries receiving financial assistance.
Additionally, Buted announced a nationwide simultaneous coconut planting activity on Aug. 8, calling on local government units, state universities, and the general public to take part.
