MikeLigalig.com

by pna.gov.ph

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in Region 4-A and Quezon provincial government have stepped up efforts to upgrade coconut production in Calabarzon to meet the increasing demand of foreign countries for organic coconut water, saturated coco oil, and coco sap sugar.

Calabarzon comprises the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

Part of the joint effort involves improving marketing strategies in various foreign countries, particularly the United States, as well as those in Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

Efforts are in coordination with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and other concerned agencies, said Joselito Alcantara, PCA Calabarzon regional manager.

PCA officials said that organic coconut water drink, coconut oil and coco sap sugar, all produced in the Philippines, are in great demand in foreign countries, and accepted worldwide for their health and medicinal values.

PCA noted that the Health Magazine has named organic coco water as “America’s Healthiest Beverage”, for providing enhanced hydration, essential nutrition and all five essential electrolytes such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and sodium. On the other hand, saturated flat coconut oil has been proved by science experts here and abroad as the “Best Antidote to Alzheimer’s disease,” it added.

Likewise, coconut sap sugar has been cited as a possible holistic approach in preventing and treating patients with Alzheimer’s disease because coco sap has a low glycemic index of 35 and is regarded by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) as good for people with diabetes.

The PCA said these coco products -- organic coco water drink, saturated flat coconut oil and coco sap sugar – have been praised as examples of how the Philippines’ coconut product exports can be packaged in attractive ways for the overseas export markets.

PCA cited “One Natural Experience (O.N.E.)”, an all natural beverage company in Los Angeles, California founded by Brazilian businessman Rodrigo Veloso, which said that organic coconut water is made with coconuts from the Philippines and packaged in shiny blue Tetra Pak cartons. The stylish but eco-friendly Tetra Pak packaging allows the coconut water to remain fresh and can be stored for months without refrigeration, the US-based firm added.

PCA said that Veloso launched the company in Los Angeles, and introduced O. N. E. organic coconut water at the Whole Food Markets in 2006, and the drink quickly became the number one alternative beverage sold in the supermarket chain’s outlets in southern California.

President Benigno Aquino III and some members of his Cabinet, while here recently to award the “Seal of Good Housekeeping” to outstanding towns and barangays, noted with interest Quezon province’s being the country’s “coconut capital” and reported the increasing demand by the overseas market for coconut water.

President Aquino told over 2,000 well wishers here that during his official visits abroad, he talked to foreign investors who informed him that exports of coconut water from the Philippines dramatically increased from over 483,000 liters in 2008 to 4.8 million liters in 2011 and continued to surge to 15 million liters this year.

According to PCA, a clinical study made by scientists of Dela Monte Hospital based in the United States said that “consuming more saturated fats like coconut oil helps reduce the inflammation in the brain that promotes the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study, published recently in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease, demonstrated that coconut also increases the absorption of cholesterol in the brain, which in turn helps promote the functions of neurons, according to PCA.

Dr. Suzanne de la Monte of Rhode Island Hospital said that saturated fats like coconut oil are vital for maintaining health, noting that there is a growing consensus that Alzheimer’s disease is actually a type of diabetes marked by brain insulin resistance and corresponding inflammation.

Dr. Euclides G. Forbes, PCA administrator, said De la Monte’s study noted that the findings that Alzheimer’s disease progresses as a result of the brain developing resistance to insulin prevents proper lipid or fat metabolism, thus building up these lipids and deters absorption.

The result is increased stress and inflammation and other symptoms commonly associated with dementia, Dr. Forbes said, pointing out that this condition is now referred to by medical researchers as Type–3 diabetes.

According to Forbes, “If Alzheimer’s disease is a type of diabetes, thus, aside from offering coconut oil, the Philippines can at the same time offer coconut sap sugar as a possible holistic approach in preventing and treating patients with Alzheimer’s disease because coconut sap has a low glycenic index of 35 and is regarded by the Department of Science and Technology as good for people with diabetes.

Dr. De la Monte disclosed he also found out that the prevalent use of statin drugs for the treatment of dementia will only make the problem worse as this kind of drugs have been shown to cause, and even exacerbate Alzheimer’s disease just as they can also cause diabetes.

Forbes said he was fully convinced by the study that Alzheimer’s disease is primarily a lifestyle issue that can be controlled or even prevented by dietary choices and avoiding too many drugs.

He said the primary step in preventing Alzheimer’s disease must also include a shift to healthy saturated fats like coconut oil and low glycemic index sugar like coco sap sugar.

The PCA official welcomed the result of the study as giving another market opportunity for the coconut industry, thus, vowed to intensify PCA’s planting and replanting programs to ensure reliable and sustainable supply of coconut oil, coconut sap sugar and many other healthy byproducts to meet the rapidly growing global demand for various coconut products from the Philippines.

PCA 4-A regional manager Alcantara said that at its regional nursery in Barangay Isabang here, 52,000 seed nuts of dwarf coconuts have been sown, 32,000 of which have germinated for distribution to the provinces Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.

Alcantara said the improved varieties of dwarf coconuts, measuring about 15 to 20 ft., take three to four years for their initial fruit bearing and are more resistant against cadang-cadang, an infestation that usually plague coconuts.

The seed nuts of the dwarf coconut at the PCA regional nursery here include catigan green dwarf, orgullo, tacunan, magtuod, kapatagan, talisay, among others, Alcantara said.

He also said that a four-hectare seed farm in Alaminos, Laguna contains 30,000 seed nuts of the improved coconut varieties, adding that the new varieties produce about four to five tons of copra per hectare per year or about 15,000 to 20,000 nuts per hectare annually.

“The dwarf coconut is aromatic, with sweetish taste, has thick meat and has big oil recovery,” he noted.

On marketing, Alcantara and Quezon provincial agriculturist Roberto D. Gajo said that currently their offices have set up special units to coordinate with DFA departments with linkages here and abroad in the hope of helping enlarge markets abroad for our coconut products.

These special units are also mandated to formulate marketing strategies, including spelling out procedures and guidelines toward easy access to both local and foreign markets for various coco products.

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