Coconut farmers in three municipalities in Central Visayas will soon benefit from the establishment of three processing facilities for copra and virgin coconut oil production, according to an official from the Philippine Coconut Authority in Central Visayas (PCA-7).
Engineer Rhea Ocay, the project development officer of PCA-7, shared that the facilities will be constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the towns of Corella and Mabini in Bohol province, and in Zamboanguita in Negros Oriental province. These facilities aim to support the processing needs of local coconut farmers.
The primary beneficiaries of this project include the Bohol Prime Movers Cooperative in Corella, the Aguipo Coconut Farmers Cooperative in Mabini, and the Zamboanguita Small Coconut Farmers Cooperative in Zamboanguita. Ocay, who is also the focal person of the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), expressed optimism about the program, highlighting that it will not only provide resources to these coconut-based cooperatives but also help them grow as sustainable enterprises through shared processing facilities.
Each processing facility will be funded with PHP26 million, sourced from the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund under the CFIDP. Ocay emphasized that the project aims to enhance the productivity of coconut farmers not just in Central Visayas but across the entire country. The facility in Bohol will be dedicated to processing coconut virgin oil, while the one in Negros Oriental will be used for white copra production.