Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Philippine Center for Postharvest
Development and Mechanization
CLSU Compound, Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

NEWS STORIES

PHilMech joins the CFIDP Regional Launching in Cagayan
by Vanessa D. Pallar (September 6, 2022)
“Paano po ba mag-apply rito (shared processing facilities)?,” a common question of coconut farmers as they visited the exhibit booth of Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) during the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Regional Launching in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan on August 26, 2022.

Around 200 farmers from Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, and Isabela came to join the launching and the celebration of the 36th National Coconut Week with a theme, “Masaganang Niyugan: Katuwang Tungo sa Maunlad na Kinabukasan.”

For this launching, PHilMech joined other CFIDP implementers in promoting the key elements of the program. It presented the shared processing facilities subcomponents focusing on developing value chains that enhance coconut products' quality and cultivating the coconut farmers’ skills to be a viable business enterprise.

The shared facilities are a component of Integrated Coconut Processing and Downstream Products to be implemented by PHilMech, from the Trust Funds created under Republic Act No. 11524 or Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act (CFITFA).

Dr. Dionisio G. Alvindia, Director IV of PHilMech, in a video message enumerated the main objectives of shared processing facilities program to the Filipino coconut farmers. “Ito ay may layunin na pataasin ang kita ng mga magsasaka ng niyog, mai-angat sila sa kahirapan, at mas maging produktibo sa pagsasaka.”

The shared processing facilities will be established as community-based enterprises according to the beneficiary’s proposal/preference. It will include the building, processing machines, equipment, hauling and transportation, and other facilities or equipment.

Sanchez Mira Mayor Abraham Bagasin expressed his gratitude to the government agencies and other partners for aiding the coconut farmers and the industry. He vowed that the local government would fully extend its hands to the CFIDP implementation.

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Regional Manager Dennis Andres stressed that CFIDP programs are created to benefit coconut farmers and to develop the coconut industry.

PHilMech also joined other CFIDP Regional Launching organized by PCA including Lucena City, Quezon, Palo, Leyte, Baler, Aurora, and Davao City.