PCA urges coconut farmersin CamSur to renew registration

By Paulo DS. Papa

NAGA CITY--- The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Camarines Sur has urged coconut farmers in the province to renew and update their registration in order to receive direct assistances from the government under the National Coconut Farmers Registry System (NCFRS).

John Villareal, PCA Camarines Sur Office II chief, said that the updated registration will soon become the basis in availing aid and grants from the government.

He said that registration with the NCFRS is very important because President Rodrigo Duterte will possibly sign the Coconut Levy Trust Fund Bill before this year ends.

To recall, last Oct.5, this year, the Senate already passed the bill during its final hearing. The proposed law enables a board to manage funds and craft plans in using levy collected from coconut farmers, which was estimated to have grown to about P100 billion.

Villareal said they have started to conduct the updating of the registry last month with the help and support of local government agriculturists.

He said that farmers shall update their registration at their town agriculturists’ offices. He added they can renew their registrations directly at the PCA offices.

He clarified that coconut plantation owners, tillers, coconut growers, and workers are required to register under the NCFRS.

Meanwhile, some P215-million worth of damages in the coconut industry of the province were reported in the aftermath of Typhoons “Rolly” and “Ulysses.”

Some 19,125 coconut trees were damaged in Districts I, II and III of province by “Rolly”, while 29,000 coconut trees suffered the same fate under “Ulysses.”

The rest of coconut farmers in Partido and Rinconada areas also suffered millions of damages as recorded by the PCA provincial office I in Iriga City.

“Once the bud of a coconut tree is damaged by strong winds, there is no chance for the tree to survive as coconut bud rot infection will follow” he said.