HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 1ST REGIONAL COCONUT SUMMIT “Towards a United and Sustained Coconut Industry in Eastern Visayas” Day 1, August 29, 2008 Opening of the Coconut Summit Production Exhibit Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez and his wife, Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez together with Vice Governor Mimietta Bagulaya cut the ribbon to formally open the Summit Exhibit. Five exhibitors from the region displayed a variety of products such as coco coir, coco wine and vinegar, virgin coconut oil, handicrafts and fashion accessories. The exhibit was coordinated by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 8. Welcome Message by Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez Mayor Romualdez welcomed in advance Secretary Arthur C. Yap of the Department of Agriculture (DA), who was still on his way to the venue. He also welcomed the other dignitaries - Congressman Noel, Governor Petilla, Vice Governor Bagulaya, PCA Deputy Administrator Carpio and Regional Manager Nierva. Mayor Romualdez also acknowledged his wife, Councilor Romualdez, Regional Executive Director of the DA, Caneda and other Directors, Mr. Henry Yaokasin – a prominent copra trader, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) officials, Summit organizers and the participants. The Mayor proudly announced that by the end of the year, the new Gaisano shopping mall will open and early next year will be the Robinson’s mall and these malls will be a market for the coconut products as well as other products in the region. Mayor Romualdez said that the City is growing fast and welcomed everyone to avail of the City’s facilities and encouraged everyone to form groups or cooperatives to help promote the products here and abroad. As a parting word, he said that his office is open anytime to help in promoting the region. 1 Welcome Message by Governor Carlos Jericho “Icot” Petilla Governor Petilla also greeted the dignitaries and made special mention to the An Waray Partylist for being the major sponsor of the Summit and acknowledged the energetic Mayor and his wife, Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez. Governor Petilla expressed excitement for the holding of the 1st Coconut Summit and emphasized that the objective is clear: to have a collective design to unite the local coconut industry and ensure its sustainability. He underscored the importance of the coconut industry in the Province and its crucial role in the local economy. The governor said that although he is pushing the province to be the information technology hub, the local economy is still hinged on the coconut industry. He reported that there are now 5 oil mills in the Province. He related how copra prices affected education because it has a direct correlation to the enrollment of students. Governor Petilla proposed to put more disposable income in the hands of the farmers and challenged everyone to show that there is money in farming. He lamented the fact that farmers are old because the younger generation does not want to go into farming. The Governor also mentioned his talks with VSU on the need to speed up research related to bio-fuels in view of the on-going oil crisis. He talked about an engine that runs solely on coco diesel. He joked that with plenty of coco oil produced here, Leyteños can become the Arabs of the Philippines. In the end, he expressed hope that everyone will all work together for the benefit of the people in the region. Inspirational Message Deputy Administrator Carlos B. Carpio PCA Deputy Administrator Carpio read the Inspirational Message of Administrator Garin who could not make it to the Summit. Mr. Carpio said that he was glad that the coconut stakeholders have gathered together in the first ever regional Summit and this is already a good indication towards a united coconut industry. He mentioned that the thrust at the national level is on increasing productivity. In this connection, he reported that the PCA will be turning over tens of thousands of coconut seedlings for Eastern Visayas. 2 Introduction of Summit Participants The master of ceremonies, Ms. May Anne D. Reyes of DOST R8, introduced the summit participants per sub-sector grouping. First to be introduced were the Farmers, then the Processors, the Manufacturers (oil and coconut coir) and the Enablers (government agencies) and then further supporting agencies such as the NGOs and advisors from the German Technical Cooperation/ GTZ). The media representatives were also recognized. Introduction of the Keynote Speaker by DA RED Leo Caneda DA Regional Executive Director Cañeda introduced the keynote speaker. According to him, Secretary Arthur Yap has a formidable personality and is continuously investing time and effort in making the agriculture sector progress so that there is food in every table. Without further ado, RED Caneda called on the Secretary. Keynote Speech of Secretary Arthur Yap DA Secretary Arthur C. Yap acknowledged the key officials at the Presidential table starting with Governor Petilla and Vice-Governor Bagulaya, Congressman Noel who is a friend and classmate and mainly responsible for bringing him to Tacloban for the Summit. He also recognized the presence of Mayor Romualdez and his wife Councilor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez. He greeted the rest of the dignitaries and Deputy Administrator Carpio from whom he has learned a lot about the coconut and the industry. He also expressed his wish that the Summit will be a success and encouraged the participants to work closely together. He said he wanted to discuss issues and hear from the people because we are in an unprecedented situation in the global environment. The global population is increasing and yet countries are not investing enough for agricultural needs. In the past, food was not a very serious problem, but countries have become lax and with the price increases of oil, some people are converting their land for fuel production instead of raising crops for food. He summoned everyone on the need to put greater attention to agriculture because we are an agricultural country and there is a golden opportunity for us. 3 Secretary Yap talked about the difficulty of striking a balance between increasing the incomes of farmers with higher prices of farm products and the burden to the majority of the consumers. He gave the example of rice: technically, we shouldn’t mind the prices and let the market dictate which at the moment is at an all-time high so farmers will make money, but then the burden of high prices is passed on to the consumers. Finding solutions is a tough job which the President has ordered him to do. Going back to the coconut, Secretary Yap implored that our country cannot lose its advantage in this commodity. The proposed Coconut Industry Development Act authored by Congressman Noel is a good initiative, because we cannot afford to displace the 3 million farmers dependent on the industry. He said that before, about 80% of the world coconut oil supply was coming from the Philippines, but palm oil has inched its way and gained inroads. But he is optimistic that the coconut industry will continue its rebound and that the Department will exert more effort in its replanting and fertilization programs, and the anti-disease campaign. Secretary Yap challenged the private sector. He said that the government must steadily get out of the business and lease out to the private sector. In closing, he appealed for everyone’s support and reiterated that the Department remains committed to the coconut industry. He encouraged the participants to a dialogue so that he can hear their urgent concerns. Open forum: Roberto Capon, faculty from UP Tacloban gave a letter to Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap. He stressed that it had nothing to do with the coconut industry rather it dealt with the problems on seed production. Mr. Giray asked if they can substitute husk fiber to sustain the industry in the production of abaca mosaic. DA Secretary Yap answered ‘yes’ to his question adding that there is a CIIF and FIELDS programs (Fertilizer Irrigation and Other Infrastructure, Extension, Education Loans and Insurances Driers and other Post-harvest/Post- production facility activities, Seeds and other genetic materials) that could help him with his needs and commodities. Secretary Yap also urged him and the others who are involved in the industry to voice their concerns so they can be addressed. 4 The last question was raised by Mayor Nida Gabornes of Lauan, Eastern Samar whose municipality is frequently visited by typhoons. She pointed out that the main source of income of her municipality is fishing and coconut. She said that before, coconut seedlings were distributed after every typhoon, but lately no assistance of coco seedlings was given. Any form of assistance would be very much helpful and appreciated. Overview Presentation , Rationale of the 1st Regional Coconut Summit and Eastern Visayas’ Coconut Industry Situation, by Joel O. Pilapil (PCA Assistant Regional Manager Region 8) Mr. Joel O. Pilapil, PCA Assistant Regional Manager for Eastern Visayas started his presentation by highlighting the comparative advantage of Region 8. The first slide showed the map of the Philippines depicting coconut zones and production suitability. Based on the map, Eastern Visayas is highly suitable and has an edge over most of the Regions. In fact, almost 650,000 hectares (31% of total land area of the Region) are planted with 71.7 million coconut trees, making it the third largest coconut producing area in the country. Mr. Pilapil reported that in 2007, the 1.99 billion nuts produced in the Region contributed US$ 60 million to the country’s export earnings. According to PCA estimates, there are still close to 150,000 hectares in the region which are highly suitable areas for expansion.