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[av_heading heading=’Establishing PH’s first Makapuno Island’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY JULIO P. YAP JR.
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Friday, March 16, 2018
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DIFFERENT government agencies converged and collaborated to establish the first Makapuno Island in the Philippines.
The Makapuno Island project was recently launched on Alabat Island, Quezon.
Department of Science and Technology-CALABARZON director Alexander Madrigal says the project is not just a government project, but a project of the people.
Since 2009, DOST-CALABARZON and the Southern Tagalog Consortium for Industry and Energy Research and Development started collaborating for the revitalization of Makapuno industry in CALABARZON.
After numerous planning and workshop, the idea of a Makapuno Island was formed.
Through the efforts of the DOST-CALABARZON, Philippine Coconut Authority, Department of Agriculture, Southern Luzon State University, and the local government units of Alabat, Perez, and Quezon, with support from the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Labor and Employment, National Irrigation Association, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist-Quezon, and the Office of Representative Angelina Tan, the Makapuno Island project kick-started.
The launching was made more exceptional by the presence of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce-Toronto, and the Trade Mission Delegates from Canada who assessed the investment opportunities on Alabat Island.
The Makapuno Island Project aims to establish a Makapuno Island on Alabat Island by initially setting a 110-hectare Makapuno plantation that would address poverty on the island by giving the farmers additional income, and significantly contributing to the island’s economy.
The different government agencies will continuously join hands to support the island with Embryo Cultured Makapuno (ECM) seedlings and processing technologies.
Also included in their plans is working on the island’s branding to be known not only as a main source of Makapuno but also Coco Sugar.
To optimize the resources of the island, they are also looking on the potentials of integrated farming.
The efforts of the government agencies and the potential of Alabat Island were seen by the Trade Mission Delegates.
The initiative is also eyed as a model investment project for the overseas Filipino workers.
A project dubbed “Transforming Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs): The Philippine Makapuno Industry and Agribusiness Investment Promotion Program in Alabat Island, Quezon” aims to launch a well-coordinated, harmonized and sufficiently funded export and investment campaign targeting the Filipinos living abroad.
By August 2018, the project will be launched in Toronto, Canada.
Vermelyn O. Evangelista, Technical Supervisor of PCRDF, assured the beneficiaries that the PCRDF will continuously extend their Research and Development of ECM.
She also discussed about the processing technologies that the island can later use for their Makapuno products.
On the other hand, the PCA declared its support by assuring the beneficiaries that “from production, processing, up to marketing, PCA will provide the help Alabat Island will be needing.”
Alabat Mayor Fernando Mesa delivered the island’s positive response by thanking all the agencies that made the Makapuno Island possible, assuring that they will work hand-in-hand for the progress of the Island.
The program concluded with a MOA signing of the partner government agencies, a commitment board signing of the Adopt-a-Makapuno Tree project, and declaration of support from the different participating agencies. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
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