LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—Employees, chiefs of offices, chiefs of hospitals, and department heads of the Provincial Government joined hands in planting 200 coconut tree seedlings in the sprawling Eco-Tourism Park located at Brgy. Estanza here on Wednesday, August 28.
The activity is in support of the national government’s call to revitalize the country’s coconut industry by planting around 20 to 25 million seedlings throughout the country within a year under the flagship program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called “BAYANIYUgan.”
Bonlizardo E. Cabrera, Senior Agriculturist of Philippine Coconut Authority-Pangasinan said the national government is keen on planting 100 million coconut seedlings on 700,000 hectares of land nationwide by the year 2028.
Under the program, the PCA aims to increase coconut production by 4.7 billion nuts, which will be valued at P33.1 billion by 2034.
The province is targeting about 39,325 seedlings to be planted in the 275-hectare eco-tourism park.
Provincial Administrator (PA) Melicio F. Patague II commended the program of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as he vowed to support, on behalf of Governor Ramon V. Guico III, all greening projects of the government.
“Malaking bagay po ito dahil unang-una noong pinalakas niyo po ang programa ng pagtatanim, hindi lamang po ang binubuhay niyo dito ay ang coconut industry ng buong Pilipinas, kundi binibigyan niyo rin po ng pagkakataon na maging masigla ang kalakaran ng asin sa buong Pilipinas, lalong-lalo na po dito sa probinsya ng Pangasinan dahil ito ang pinakamalaking commodity na binibigay po ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan sa buong Pilipinas,” the provincial administrator said.
The revitalization of the salt industry in Pangasinan started after the provincial government, under the leadership of Gov. Guico, took over the management of the Pangasinan Salt Center located in Brgy. Zaragoza, Bolinao town.
PCA Administrator Dexter R. Buted said that Pres. Marcos initially approved a budget of P2.4 billion for the salt industry.
Buted disclosed that the PCA is currently in need of 106,000 metric tons of salt. Hence, Pangasinan needs to double its effort in producing tons of salt as its share to the requirement to revitalize the industry.
Agricultural Grade Salt Fertilizer (AGSF) is being used for the country’s coconut fertilization program.
In attendance during the tree planting were Mr. Albert Estrella, son of Dept. of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado M. Estrella III; PCA Regional Manager Mark Roy Q. Macanlalay; Dept. of the Interior and Local Government Provincial Director Virgilio P. Sison, Estanza Brgy. Captain Renato S. Ocampo, former Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Angel Baniqued, Jr.; PCA staff and volunteers.
(Ruby F. Rayat with a report from Marilyn Marcial, Ron Edrian Bince, and PMRO)
