DTI 7 backs coconut businesses with market, enterprise support

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 7 is stepping up efforts to help coconut farmers and businesses gain better access to markets, improve their products and create more value from coconut-based goods.

The agency joined the opening of the 2026 Coco Negosyo–Cebu Coconut Market Expo on August 20 at the Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center. The four-day event was part of the celebration of the 40th National Coconut Week, carrying the theme, “Lubi, Bahandi sa Kinaiyahan, Kusog sa Panginabuhian.”

The expo brings together coconut farmers, coconut-based businesses, cooperatives, government agencies, business groups, consumers and other industry stakeholders.

In a report posted at DTI.gov.ph, it said the event features a Coco Bazaar with 25 exhibitor booths where participating enterprises can showcase and sell their products, meet consumers and explore possible business partnerships and market linkages.

The expo is also part of the continuing implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), the government’s comprehensive program for developing the coconut industry.

For DTI, the program supports its role in research, marketing and market promotion for the sector. The agency aims to help coconut farmers and enterprises move beyond selling raw materials by giving them better opportunities to develop products and reach wider markets.

During the opening ceremony, DTI 7 Acting Assistant Regional Director Epifania Suralta stressed that the potential of the coconut industry goes beyond producing raw materials.

She urged farmers and entrepreneurs to focus not only on increasing sales but also on improving their products, building brands, developing new ideas and finding new markets.

“We need to help our coconut farmers and entrepreneurs move from being producers of raw materials to becoming coco entrepreneurs—creating higher-value products, building brands, developing innovative products, and accessing markets where they can earn more from their hard work,” Suralta said.

She also emphasized that the industry’s future will depend not only on the volume of coconuts produced, but on the value that farmers and businesses can create from them.

The exhibitors at the Cebu expo are CFIDP-vetted micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and coconut farmers registered under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System. The expo gives them a platform to gain exposure and showcase the potential of locally produced coconut products.

DTI has also been supporting coconut enterprises through trade fairs, market promotion activities, business linkages and other programs that bring coconut-based products closer to buyers and consumers.

SUPPORT BEYOND THE MARKET

DTI’s assistance goes beyond providing selling opportunities. Through its Negosyo Centers, entrepreneurs can receive business advice, information and referrals to government programs.

The One Town, One Product (OTOP) Philippines Program** helps MSMEs improve and develop products, including their quality, design, packaging, standards and marketability. Coconut and coconut-based products are among the agricultural and community-based products covered by the program.

Meanwhile, Shared Service Facilities (SSF) give MSMEs and organized groups access to equipment and technology that can improve production, productivity and product quality.

DTI’s entrepreneurship and mentoring programs also help strengthen the business skills of entrepreneurs so they can better respond to new market opportunities.

“Market access must be accompanied by capability,” Suralta said, encouraging coconut enterprises to understand their target markets, improve pricing, packaging and branding, make use of digital platforms and meet the requirements of a competitive market.

Aside from the product exhibition, the four-day Coco Negosyo Expo features a Techno Forum, training on costing and marketing, online marketing sessions, cooperative business development activities, a Women Farmers Forum and coconut painting activities.

These activities are designed to strengthen the skills of coconut stakeholders while promoting innovation, value-adding, business development and market opportunities.

Suralta said developing the coconut industry requires cooperation among farmers, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, government agencies, business groups, development partners and consumers.

“The growth of the coconut industry cannot rest on one agency or one sector alone. It requires the collective efforts of our farmers, cooperatives, entrepreneurs, government agencies, business organizations, development partners, and consumers,” she said.

The 2026 Coco Negosyo–Cebu Coconut Market Expo closed yesterday at the Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center.

For DTI 7, the expo serves as more than a venue for selling coconut products. It brings together production, business development, skills training, innovation and market access in an effort to help coconut farmers and enterprises build stronger and more sustainable businesses.