Breathing Life into the Fruit of Life!
The 19th and 20th of November 2025 left a mark as the CDA Regional Office III, led by Regional Director Marieta P. Hwang, conducted the 2025 Central Luzon Regional Coconut Farmers Cooperative Summit with the theme “Coconnect: Linking Coconut Farmer Cooperatives, Government and Business Towards Sustainable Growth and Development of Coconut Industry”.
This summit is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the CDA in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). Tasked to be the CDA-R3’s main muscle in this partnership, the Cooperative Project Development and Assistance Section (CPDAS), led by Senior CDS Celso S. Villaluz, gathered about a hundred coconut farmers from twenty (20) cooperatives at the Royce Hotel, Clark Freeport, Angeles City.
The guests were welcomed by RD Hwang, who highlighted the unified strength of coconut farmers, cooperatives, the private sector, and the government as a driving force in establishing a clear direction and concrete steps toward a stable and sustainable coconut industry.
Delegates from the coconut farmer-coop’s partners in the industry, government, and private sectors alike, including leaders from the CDA Central Office, also graced the event.
CDA Assistant Secretary Virgilio R. Lazaga, Head of the Agricultural Cluster, emphasized the dream of seeing coconut farmers achieve greater heights, enumerating the goals of the programs being implemented for this industry, to wit: poverty alleviation; improving the lives of the farmers; modernizing the coconut industry; revitalizing the coconut sectors through initiatives like social protection, capacity building, infrastructure development and research; and youth empowerment.
Mr. Dennis D. Andres, Regional Manager of the PCA for Regions III and IVA, stated that the coconut farmers are the backbone of the coconut industry and excitedly shared the PCA’s heightened efforts to expand the industry in the region, enumerating new areas/locations where coconut farming is being developed. He further mentioned the importance of collective action towards accessing the needed markets and achieving economic prosperity.
Engr. Lulu S. Alingcastre, Department Head of the Provincial Cooperative and Entrepreneurial Development Office (PCEDO) of Pampanga, mentioned that coconut serves as a symbol of resilience, diligence, and perseverance. She further stated that the Coconnect Summit links hearts that beat for one advocacy: building a stronger and more sustainable coconut industry.
In light of empowering the coconut farmer cooperatives in the region through capacity building, representatives from the industry’s partners in the government sector delivered brief but meaningful lectures.
Mr. Ray R. Elevazo, OIC Administrator of CDA, gave a presentation on the Philippine Agricultural Cooperative Ecosystem. This, he said, is a product of the Presidential Directive to strengthen agricultural cooperatives and enable them to contribute to food security. It aims to synchronize the plans and programs for the industry, so that the end beneficiaries may have a clearer picture of every aspect affecting their livelihood, including regulatory factors.
Ms. Diana Chris T. Roque, Supervising Labor and Employment Officer of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), gave an overview of the “Adjustment Measures Program for Workers and Enterprises (AMP)”. The DOLE-AMP is a program that stands as a measure to reduce or mitigate the vulnerability of workers and enterprises, cooperatives included, from economic disruptions.
Mr. Cesar A. Torres, Department Manager of the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP), gave a brief orientation on the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development (CFID) Lending Program. This program makes use of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund, which was created under the Republic Act No. 11524, to provide individual coconut farmers and their organizations with easy access to affordable credit. It aims to increase productivity and economic activities in the countryside, especially in coconut-producing communities.
Mr. Bryan Omar D. Sardea, Senior Trade Development Specialist of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), presented the Coconut Farmers & Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Region 3’s Accomplishments for Year 2025 and its Plans and Initiatives for Year 2026. He shared CFIDP’s aspiration to instill among coconut farmer cooperatives a level-up mindset and eagerness to open their products and services to a wider array of markets.
Ms. Hannah Rivera, Science Research Specialist I of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), gave an overview of the National Program for Integrated Coconut Processing and Downstream Products (Shared Facilities for Processing). These shared facilities are a community-based social enterprise, applying practical solutions to coconut processing, production, and distribution towards developing the local coconut industry.
Aside from them, a selection of esteemed guests from the private sector were also present to share some valuable knowledge and insights.
Mr. Jeffrey B. Salazar, Program Manager on Niche and Special Markets in the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), discussed RCBC’s “Kabalikat Cooperatives Program,” a program that is recognized globally for its financial inclusivity. Mr. Salazar provided fresh insights on how RCBC can assist the coconut farmers to further improve their cooperative operations.
Mr. Miguel Vasquez, Operations Lead for Distribution and Logistics of the Federation of People’s Sustainable Development Cooperative (FPSDC), introduced their federation and talked about linking coconut farmers’ cooperatives, government, and private sector towards sustainable growth and development of the coconut industry. He mentioned that as a secondary cooperative, they are not exempt from facing challenges; hence, they put emphasis on creating alternative structures to create a more inclusive society for their members and the cooperative sector.
A team of talents from the Tropical Agriculture Cooperative, led by Chairperson Julius L. Garcia, shared their cooperative’s vision-mission, current challenges, and solution matrix. They also presented products and services that they can share with other coconut farmer cooperatives, so that they may also utilize them to improve the quality of their own enterprise. They emphasized technological innovation as a means to elevate the brand of the coconut industry.
Following the discussions on both days, the participants were encouraged to raise their queries/clarifications during the open forum. It was a productive exchange of ideas. Participants were given the opportunity to communicate the issues they faced in their cooperatives, and the resource persons did their best to address their concerns.
The participants showed interest for the programs presented to them; some sought clarifications on the nitty-gritty aspects. Some participants also showed interest in federating, as they saw the benefits of building communities and linking within the industry.
Being the ones who feel the impact of the CFIDP, the participants also gave their suggestions/opinions for further improvement of the programs tied to this initiative. They also wanted to know how they can better take part in the programs in support of the government’s desire to enrich the coconut industry.
This is in agreement with the Philippine Cooperative Development Plan (2025-2028), which was presented by RD Hwang on Day 2. The PCDP is in line with the “Ambisyon 2040”, the government’s dream of leaving no Filipino poor by the said year, which puts great emphasis on food security.
She reiterated how fortunate and blessed the coconut farmers are for all the love and support that the government showers them. She encouraged everyone to make the most of these blessings to achieve the ultimate goal of boosting the coconut industry. She also showed the participants how being in the cooperative sector can be instrumental in lifting people out of poverty.
This was also in sync with USEC Alexander B. Raquepo’s message for the coconut farmers. He recounted how he himself bore witness as their own cooperative grew from a little seaside cooperative into the billionaire enterprise it is today. He pointed out that it is the tiniest of things that propel a cooperative towards success: the combined contributions of the members, their unity, the transparency of records, and the diligence in fulfilling obligations.
He reminded everyone that cooperatives are organized to help each other, urging the crowd to continue working hand-in-hand with their own leadership and membership, their agency partners, and the rest of the cooperative community.
With the combined enthusiasm of everyone in the Coconnect Summit, it was evident that a brighter future for the coconut cooperative industry awaits.
Writer | Dianne Marie Balleza | CDS II
