3rd Regional Coconut Summit unfolds Sept 2 at Hotel Alejandro

By CHITO DELA TORRE
September 2, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala will keynote the September 2-3 third Regional Coconut Summit at Hotel Alejandro here which will dwell on the them “enhanced technologies: a key to sustain the coconut industry in Eastern Visayas”.

Sec. Alcala, who will be introduced by Department of Agriculture regional director Leo P. Cañeda, is expected to convey to summit participants and local coco industry players the priority programs of his department alongside those of President Benigno Aquino III’s administration.

Executive manager Mae Ann D. Reyes of the Department of Science and Technology will  manage the open forum which will follow after the DA secretary’s speech that will set the tone of the two-day summit.

In opening the program for Sept. 2, An Waray Party-List representative Florencio “Bem” G. Noel will welcome the guests and participants.  After his part, summit director Joel O. Pilapil will give the rationale and introduce the participants.

Leyte governor Jericho L. Petilla will next give a message.  Next, Philippine Coconut Authority administrator Oscar G. Garin will present and discuss the national coconut industry roadmap.  This will be followed by the presentation of the Eastern Visayas regional coconut industry development plan by Edilberto A. Hinay, ROCS chairman. Towards noontime, Dr. Severino S. Magat, PCA’s department manager for ARMD, will discuss production and sustainable coconut farming ecosystem in climate-change minimization.

By afternoon, there will be plenary presentations.  In the area of production, the integrated coco-based farming comes to the forefront as the first subject matter. Leonito B. Uy, project manager of PASFCO at Palo, Leyte, will present the “PPP: Baybay Tall Nursery”.

Manny A. Licup, chief operations officer of SC Global Coco Products Inc. which is based in Baybay, Leyte, will come in next with his presentation on “Production Marketing Links”, to be followed by Luis Caro Jr., chairman of the Uson SCFMPC in barrio Uson, Caibiran, Biliran.

The last presentation for the day concerns extension which will bring to focus the Farmers Field School, to be rendered by Ed Done, EVPRD (Catarman, Northern Samar) executive director.

Rep. Noel and fellow An Waray Party-List Neil Benedict A. Montejo will unveil the Northern Samar Stakeholders’ Coco House by seven o’clock in the evening. The first day’s schedule winds up with a dinner and fellowship.

On the last day (Sept. 3), DOST Sec. Mario G. Montejo will give a message.  He will be introduced by professor Viola C. Siozon of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Tacloban College.

From 9 to 10 o’clock in the morning, there will demonstrations on technological processes, to wit: coconut sap sugar production – by Erlene Manohar, division chief of PCA’s MEDD, and coco-based food processing – by the ITDI of DOST, both on the food processing aspect. Meanwhile, the non-food demonstration will be as follows: coco ethanol – by EVPRD’s Engr. Jaime Gilbuela, integrated coconut processing – by Allan Ambil of Agri-Fuel Inc. which operates in Eastern Samar, and Palwood: wood from coconut fronds – by Engr. Noel B. Beira of PTS (Cagayan de Oro City).

Another forum, focusing on these topics, will follow.