PCA CALABARZON distributed a total of ₱1.13M monetary incentives to 118 coconut farmers from Region IV-A on December 23, 2019, who participated in PCPP implementation in 2018.

The 118 coconut farmer-participants were from Candelaria, Sariaya, and Tayabas, Quezon, who in total successfully planted 28,150 coconut seedlings. These will be an addition to the existing 74.9 M coconut stands in CALABARZON, and would contribute to the long term availability of supply of coconuts in the region.

The municipality of Candelaria with 28 total farmer-participants, was awarded with a total of PhP 208,000.00, Sariaya with 40 farmer-participants received PhP 628,000.00, and Tayabas City with 50 farmer-participants was paid a total of PhP 290,000.00.

The awarding and distribution of checks to farmer-participants was held at the Nazareth Hall of St. Francis de Assisi Parish in Sariaya, Quezon. It was attended and witnessed by representatives from the Municipal/Local Government of Quezon, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, PCA IV-A officers and staff, headed by Acting PDO IV -Engr. Edilberto D. Escobar, Provincial Coconut Development Manager Joselito R. Alcantara and OIC- Regional Manager Atty. Andrew Ian P. Edrada. Likewise, the activity was graced by the presence of OIC- Administrator Roel M. Rosales and PCA-RDB OIC-Deputy Administrator, Ms. Erlene C. Manohar.

In his message, OIC-Administrator Rosales expressed his gratitude to the coconut farmers for supporting the PCA programs and projects, and encouraged them to sustain the planting and maintenance of coconut trees and go “beyond copra,” by processing other products to thereby increase the value of coconut, and the farmers’ income. He further assured the coconut farmers that PCA will be true and loyal to its mandate of promoting rapid integrated development and growth of the coconut industry; and support the “Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita” twin objective-thrusts of DA Secretary William D. Dar. This could be realized through an efficient implementation of sustainable, marketable, attainable, realistic and timely (SMART) programs and projects whilst ensuring that the coconut farmers become the direct participants in, and beneficiaries of, such development and growth.

Prior to the said event, another distribution of checks was also done last December 21, 2019 in the areas (San Andres and San Francisco, Quezon) damaged by Typhoon Tisoy. This was facilitated by PCA Regional Office led by OIC- Regional Manager, Atty. Edrada. A total of 500,000 pesos in checks were distributed to 37 coconut farmers who field-planted and stabilized a total of 12,500 coconut seedlings. The monetary incentives from PCPP may somehow compensate the lost income of the typhoon-affected farmers in the said areas.

The Authority’s Participatory Coconut Planting Project (PCPP) continues to gain the active participation of coconut farmers throughout the country. It is an incentive-based participatory approach of planting/replanting coconut trees, which involves providing monetary incentives of PhP 40.00 to qualified farmer-participants who have successfully produced (PhP 18.00-Phase I), transplanted and stabilized good coconut seedlings (PhP 22.00-Phase II) on the ground.

By: PCA CALABARZON