The youthful AN WARAY
congressman who is serving his third term as party-list
representative, was the summit’s closing program speaker at
yesterday’s end of the convergence technology sharing and dialogue of
coconut farmers, officials of Philippine Coconut Authority, Department
of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Science
and Technology, and other important industry players, such as the GTZ,
Kaisampalad Inc., and Department of Industry.
For Congressman Noel,
even as they had discussed for two days “how pivotal the role of
technology is” in the development of the entire coconut industry, “we
must not forget that there are solutions that can be achieved only by
working together”.
“Our coconut farmers
cannot do it alone, nor can traders or processors do it by
themselves. Not even PCA, AN WARAY, GTZ or any of our partners can do
by their own efforts.”
Noting that the
Eastern Visayas region’s common journey towards revitalizing its local
coconut industry is now on its third year, Rep. Noel took note of the
fact that while the task of development the industry’s potentials did
not turn out to be as easy as first thought out to be, many of the
current summit participants, including the industry’s partners, have
“continued to patiently and relentlessly do their share in crafting
lasting solutions to the decade-old problems that confront the coconut
industry”.
He said that on
September 2, he was told that among the 17 regions in the country,
only Eastern Visayas and the Davao region have an annual gathering of
the different stakeholders, but “only the coconut industry players of
Eastern Visayas have reached the level of drafting the Regional
Coconut Industry Development plan – a clear blueprint of what we want
to achieve and what we will do to make it happen”.
“Without a plan in
mind, even our best efforts can lead us nowhere. But with this
roadmap at hand, then I am pretty sure that together we can meet our
goals. Thanks to you, we have this coconut development plan, which I
would consider to be the most significant output of our yearly Coconut
Summits. Congratulations to all of you!”
He said it is
important to underscore that whatever gains achieved in the summit is
not simply because there are industry enablers like PCA, GTZ, DA, DAR,
Kaisampalad, DTI and DOST by whose efforts, gathering like this
happen. “Whatever progress the annual Coconut Summit has attained is
not even simply because there is AN WARAY Party-List in Eastern
Visayas to sponsor it. Our best efforts and good intentions alone
would not amount to the success that we have altogether achieved.”
He pointed out: “The
truth of the matter is that whatever we have accomplished together –
including the growing awareness and stronger advocacy for the
betterment of the coconut industry – is because the local coconut
industry in Eastern Visayas has players like you – farmers who would
want to break away from mediocrity and aspire for higher productivity;
traders who do not only content themselves with simply doing business
but actually help empower our rural communities; and, millers and
processors who pay it forward and are always ready to give back to
building of better and more progressive communities as a form of
social responsibility. The success of the coconut industry is
primarily your achievement.”
Rep. Noel was joined
at the executive table yesterday by An Waray second party-list
representative Neil Benedict Montejo who gave the welcome remarks at
the summit’s opening on Sept. 2.
An Waray staff and
personnel provided the secretariat to the summit that was also able to
open the eyes of the participants to the vast opportunities of
increasing the coco farmers’ income via technologies that were
introduced, presented and demonstrated during the two days forum.
