DILIMAN, Quezon City – The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) conducted a coordination meeting with the fifteen (15) implementing agencies of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFDIP) on January 27, 2023 at the La Breza Hotel, Quezon City.

Direction Setting. PCA Administrator Cruz welcomes the attendees of the meeting and set the direction of the implementation plans and activities of CFIDP this year.

Among the attending implementing agencies of the coordination meeting were ATI, BAI, CDA, CHED, DTI, HVCDP, LBP, DBP, NDA, PCIC, PHILMECH, TESDA, and DOST-PCAARRD, represented by the Heads of the Agencies and Technical Officers. Representatives from DBM, COA, and BTr were also invited to join the coordination meeting to provide guidance on the utilization of the trust fund.

Attended by more than 100 representatives from the said implementing agencies, the coordination meeting was set to address first year implementation challenges and calibrate the CFIDP programs, projects, and services lined up for second year.

“Nagpatawag po kami [ng coordination meeting] para mapag-usapan natin [kung] paano tayo magiging isang team sa pagpapatupad ng mga programa ng CFIDP. Matagal nang inaasahan ng ating farmers [ang CFIDP]. [Pag-usapan natin] kung paano natin mapagtutulung-tulungan at mare-revive ang industry. I-encourage [natin] ang farmers na magtanim muli at maisaayos ang industry, [dahil] tuluyan po itong babagsak. Tingin ko ay napakalaki ng ambag [nito] sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas”, said by PCA Administrator Bernie F. Cruz in his welcome message to the agencies.

Accomplishments of the agencies were presented during the morning session while a technical discussion on formulating strategies and harmonizing the Year 2 programs, projects, and activities was conducted in the afternoon.

According to Deputy Administrator for Administrative and Finance, Atty. Jun-Jun Lucius G. Malsi, the Authority shall call for further coordination meetings to ensure that the programs under CFIDP implemented by the agencies are harmonized and inter-dependencies are realized towards the improvement of the well-being of Filipino coconut farmers and their families.

The CFIDP was approved by the President in June 2022 through Executive Order No. 172 which presents programs, projects, and services to be implemented under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund (CFITF) Act. The Act aims to increase the income of the coconut farmers, alleviate poverty, and achieve social equality within the 50-year implementation of CFIDP programs, projects, and services with 75 billion pesos worth of funding from the Coco Levy Fund. ####

Levelling-Off. The PCA Program Management Office led a technical discussion during the afternoon session to identify interdependencies and to align the programs to be implemented relative to the components of the CFIDP.

Convergence. Technical discussions proceeded among three clusters: (1) Social Protection; (2) Hybridization and Farm Improvement; and (3) Infrastructure Development and Support Services to harmonize points of convergence and formulate ways forward among involved implementing agencies.