THE Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is leading the twin celebrations of the 26th National Coconut Week and the 11th Coconut Festival, at the PCA Compound in Quezon City on August 30-31, 2012. With the theme “Masaganang Kinabukasan Mula Sa Niyugang Inalagaan,” the celebration focuses on the coconut and its potentials, benefits, and uses as the “tree of life.” It is being held in three focal coconut hubs: the PCA Central Office in Luzon; Tacloban, Leyte, for the Visayas Cluster; and Zamboanga City for Mindanao. Coconut traders from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will display and sell coconut-based products in the culmination of the celebration at the PCA main office.
The Philippines is a top exporter of coconut products to 62 countries, earning $2 billion in 2011. It produces coconut sugar, virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut, coco shell charcoal, coconut water, and activated carbon, among others. Of the country’s 12 million hectares of farmland, 3.1 million hectares are devoted to coconut, planted by 2.5 million coconut farmers. Out of 79 provinces, 68 are coconut-growing areas. Coconut farms are widely distributed nationwide, largely in Southern Luzon and in Mindanao. There are 324 million coconut trees in the country, about 85 percent of which are productive.
The 26th National Coconut Week, a partnership of the private sector, national and local agencies, and PCA, is providing a venue for information-sharing, trading, and market-matching activities to promote business opportunities from coconut. There will be lectures on latest technology and food safety, blessing of coco-showroom and village, trade fairs and exhibits showcasing coconut products and by-products, book launching, photo contest, fun run, cooking contest and demonstration.
Created by Presidential Decree 232 on June 30, 1973, the PCA became an independent public corporation on July 14, 1976, pursuant to Presidential Decree 961, to coordinate and monitor policies and programs of various sectors in agriculture. It was officially-made an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture pursuant to Executive Order 116 issued on January 30, 1987.
We wish Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio R. de los Reyes, Philippine Coconut Authority Administrator Euclides G. Forbes, Tacloban, Leyte Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, and Zamboanga City Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, all the best and success in their collective efforts to further develop the Philippine coconut industry. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!
source: mb.com.ph
