Coco body targets 13M seedlings to replace trees lost to Yolanda

PALO, LEYTE, Philippines — The Philippine Coconut Authority is now planning to buy a total of 13 million coconut seedlings, over a three-year period, that will replace the coconut trees toppled and damaged in Eastern Visayas during the typhoon Yolanda devastation on November 2013.

Joel Pilapil, PCA provincial development manager, told The FREEMAN in an exclusive interview his office recently requested for an additional 1.2 coconut seedlings after it received 2 million seedlings, which were initially distributed to at least 15,000 farmers affected by Yolanda.

This has been part of PCA’s rehabilitation and recovery program of the coconut industry in Eastern Visayas, which was known as the third largest coconut-producing region in the country, said Pilapil.

Early last year, a total of  228,045 totally damaged trees had been processed in Tacloban City and in the towns of Palo, Tanauan and Tolosa in Leyte, he said.

Pilapil said a public bidding was held at the PCA central office for the purchase of seed nuts to meet the needs for seedlings in the entire region. At least 10,000 seed nuts from Davao already arrived at the PCA-Region 8 nursery, and 20,000 more for the nursery in Alang-Alang town in Leyte.

As of now, the sources of of seed nuts comes from Davao, Zamboanga, Cotabato and Bohol, he said, adding that these would help meet the big demand for the recovery of damaged trees in Eastern Visayas.

"Of course, this is a three-year recovery and rehabilitation program considering the extent of damage of the coconut trees, which ruined the coconut industry in Region 8. After we replace and plant 13 million coconut trees, we will need another five to 10 years before we can harvest the production. Hoping there will be no more major calamity to strike our place,” said Pilapil.

Months after the Yolanda devastation in Leyte, the PCA distributed for free more than 700,000 coconut seedlings to about 3,400 affected farmer-beneficiaries, he said.

Pilapil also said the debris-clearing in the affected areas was completed, followed by the implementation of the inter-cropping program, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the local government units, to address the food needs of coconut farmers who lost their trees to the typhoon.

"What is important is for them to have food in their table, while the government is still in the process of rehabilitation and recovery of the coconut industry in the region," Pilapil added.

In a related development, a team of the National Economic Development Authority-8 the other day inspected the Yolanda-affected areas in the region for the purpose of helping the affected coconut farmers.  (FREEMAN)