Fruits of labor

The Philippine coconut industry and the Aquino administration has all reasons to be thrilled with the big time companies in the United States recently expressing their willingness to invest in the Philippines.
In a statement, head of the Presidential Communications and Strategic Planning Office, Ricky Carandang, told the press that President Aquino was “excited” that  major US beverage companies, Vita Coco, and its local partner in the Philippines, Fiesta Coco Equity, has pledged to invest $15 million in the country’s coconut industry.  The interest for coconut exports was attributed to the growing number of consumers who are preferring healthier options such as drinking coconut water as a means of hydration.
Likewise, another influential beverage company, Pepsi Corporation, also expressed interest in investing in the country’s coconut industry.  The Press Secretary, however, said that although PepsiCo did not divulged yet how much it plans to invest, the administration is certain about the company’s interest in doing business with the country especially now that more health-conscious consumers are opting for coconut water for its healthy benefits and medicinal wonders.
Carandang said that the multimillion investment, which is seen to run in four years,  is good news not only to the administration, but mainly to the coconut industry and its farmers because of the sighted boost in the demands for coconuts.
Meanwhile, heaps of investment may be a cause for celebration but one important question remains:  are there enough coconuts left to export?
In a recent report  posted on Inquirer.net last September 5, 2011, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) stated that millions of coconut trees are already considered old and dying.  Citing that the ideal fruit-bearing years of a coconut tree is within 7 to 25 years, the PCA said that the country unfortunately has lots of coconut trees that have gone past its peak and are now in need to be cut down.
Aside from old age, PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes said in the same report that the El Niño phenomenon back in 2009 and 2010 had a lot to do with the deterioration of coconut trees and major crops.
In an effort to save the dying and senile coconut trees, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) called on the Aquino administration to recover the P130-B coconut levy fund from private groups.  According to Pamalakaya national vice chairperson, Pedro Gonzales, the said funds will be able to “uplift” the lives of poor coconut farmers and save the lives of 44.8 million dying and old coconut trees by planting anew.
In one with Pamalakaya’s view,  Vita Coco CEO, Michael Kirben, and Fiesta Coco president, Romeo Chan, issued separate statements that part of $15 million investment include the planting of new coconut trees to replace the senile coconut trees in the country.
The fact that these international firms are expressing enough interest to take part in the development of one of the major agricultural assets of the Philippines should not only be a cause for celebration.  It should also be a hint that not enough help is being given by the local government to act on the agricultural woes of the country.  Now that the global  market is finally recognizing and trusting the country’s potential as a key player in the exports sector, it is only right for the local government to concentrate on earning the trust of their “bosses” first by helping them prosper before they try to earn the trust and be of service to other nationalities.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(NYNJ Sept 23-29, 2011 Sec A pg. 6)