The 48th Gawad Saka Outstanding Coconut Farmer awardee is Mr. Narciso A. Moresca, a 52-year-old from Brgy. San Jose, Barobo, Surigao del Sur, Region XIII-CARAGA.

Mr. Moresca (wearing a medal, holding the check), on his left is Sec. William Dar of Department of Agriculture, on his left is Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. Other people in the photo include PCA Region XIII Regional Manager Joel B. Oclarit (holding the framed certificate of recognition), and other DA officials present in the awarding.

Mr. Moresca has been farming for 35 years, and so far, has planted a total of 389 coconut trees throughout his lifetime. He has gained considerable knowledge and skills in coconut farming through his involvement in the coconut industry as a farmer, leader, and as an entrepreneur.

Mr. Moresca, 48th Gawad Saka Outstanding Coconut Farmer Awardee, wearing his Gawad Saka medal.

The total area of Mr. Moresca’s coconut farm is 4.75 hectares, which he developed by implementing an integrated coconut-based farming (crop livestock-aquaculture production) and practicing Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT), in order to maximize utilization of the farm.

Mr. Moresca standing next to the signage of his coconut farm.

SALT involves contour farming and usage of the natural vegetative strip and fruit trees for soil conservation and erosion control measures along with the use of coco coir net in highly erodible areas.

Application of Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) for the coconut-American lemon tree intercrops.

Some of the outstanding features of his coconut farm include intercropping, where he intercrops coconut with trees with American lemon trees and banana trees. He also processes his coconut produce into food products such as coco sugar, coco honey and coconut vinegar; and non-food products such as coco coir, coir dust, and coco nets.

Intercropping coconut trees with American lemon trees

Some of the coconut food products being produced in Mr. Moresca’s farm (from the left): coco honey, coco sugar, and coco vinegar.

Coconut husks from his own farm and neighboring farms are decorticated into coco coir, which supplies his raw material for coco coir net weaving.  This supplies a portion of the coco coir net of the province of Surigao del Sur for soil conservation and erosion control purposes. Moreover, this provides livelihood opportunity to the youth and other members of the community.

Processing of non-food coconut products such as coco coir dust, coco coir, and coco nets in his farm.

Other vegetables and fruits being grown in his farm are pechay, onion leaves, ampalaya, eggplant, tomato, squash, marang, dragon fruit, okra, and bell pepper. In addition to these, he also raises and maintains livestock, poultry, and aquaculture – such as pigs, carabaos, chicken, ducks, turkeys, tilapia, cattles, goats, and sheep. Animal wastes from swine are also being used to produce biogas as fuel to his farm.

Livestock, poultry and aquaculture in Mr. Moresca’s farm (from top to bottom, left to right): pigs, carabaos, ducks, turkeys, tilapia, cattles, goats, and sheep.

As for fertilization, he uses salt fertilizer, and organic soil media which is a mixture of the droppings of Pateros ducks, chicken dung, goat manure, sawdust, and rice hulls for his intercrops. Mr. Moresca’s farm also practices mulching with rice hulls, rice straw residues, and coconut husks to conserve moisture and to serve as a soil conditioner.

Left: Organic soil media used as fertilizer, which is a mixture of the droppings of Pateros ducks, chicken dung, goat manure, sawdust, and rice hulls. Right: Mulching using coconut husks to conserve moisture and to serve as a soil conditioner.

Other sustainable practices being implemented in Mr. Moresca’s farm include Integrated Pest Management (IPM) where molasses is being used as insect repellent; and growing grasses as forage in non-productive sloping areas for livestock. Furthermore, the river that cuts across Mr. Moresca’s farm is not only being used as irrigation water, but also for tilapia production and duck raising.

Grasses as forage in non-productive sloping areas for livestock.

Aside from being known for sustainable and efficient practices in coconut farming, Mr. Moresca is also known for his social contributions relating to his being a coconut farmer. This include his coconut farm being an immersion area for organic farming of senior high school students from Javier National High School, and his sharing of farming knowledge and skills to other farmers. He also generated jobs in the neighborhood, and has employed five permanent farmworkers and on-call workers during the peak season, who have both SSS and PhilHealth contributions and benefits.

The Gawad Saka Awarding Ceremony for CY 2018 awardees was held in the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on October 22, 2019. Mr. Moresca is not new to Gawad Saka recognitions as in the previous years, he was recognized as Region XIII Outstanding Coconut Farmer (2018) and Outstanding Small Animal Raiser (2017).
National Gawad Saka is an annual awarding and recognition of twenty (20) outstanding individuals and organizations with exemplary performances and outstanding contributions in the advancement and promotion of the country’s agricultural sector, led and hosted by the Department of Agriculture.