December 4, 2014

The Provincial Program Management and Implementation Unit (PPMIU) of the Province of Masbate and the Regional Program Coordination Office V conducted the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan (PCIP) Stakeholders’ Consultation at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Hall in Masbate Capitol Complex on December 2, 2014.

The activity is the next step in the PCIP preparation process flow following the stakeholders’ consultation on the value chain analysis (VCA) of coconut shell charcoal held on October 17, 2014 in the said province. Members of the PPMIU and representatives from other line agencies like the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) attended the PCIP stakeholders’ consultation.

The participants discussed the issues and concerns affecting the coconut shell charcoal industry including low price value of charcoal, high transport cost due to unpassable roads, and limited access to new technology on charcoal processing. They also agreed about the need to reorganize and strengthen existing small coconut farmers’ organization (SCFOs), conduct trainings and provide equipment for charcoal processing as well as promote the advantages of value adding than selling whole nuts in the province.

Meanwhile, Vice Governor Vicente Homer B. Revil urged the PPMIU to pursue coconut shell activated carbon processing instead of coconut shell charcoal.

“Masbate is an importing province, aside from charcoal and mango, we have no product for value addition. With coconut shell charcoal activated carbon, Masbate will have an international level, value-added provincial commodity,” Revil said. He mentions that Filmenera Resources Corp., a mining and quarrying company in Aroroy, Masbate has 31 gold plants that demand tons of activated carbon for gold recovery. Coconut shell charcoal activated carbon has high adsorptive capacity that adsorbs gold. The gold bearing carbon undergoes electromining and pressure stripping processes to recover the gold. He added that the said company is already a prospective local market.

Meanwhile, Ramon B. Marcaida III, Provincial Planning Development Coordinator (PPDC) of the Province of Masbate, said that with the PPMIU’s limited time to revise the PCIP, they will focus on coconut shell charcoal as their provincial commodity on the first year of Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) implementation in Masbate. “Positive yung sinabi ni Vice Governor but pwede naman i-upgrade yung plan yearly so stick muna kami sa coconut shell charcoal, upgrading na lang into activated carbon next year, along with cassava,” he added.

PPMIU Investments in Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Program (AFMP) Planning at the Local and National Levels (I-PLAN) Head, Dr. Adonis C. Dilao agreed saying “We’ll take the suggestion slowly but surely. We will conduct a thorough study on activated carbon first,” he said.

RPCO V Program Development Associate (PDA) Edgardo B. Dela Torre said that pursuing activated carbon requires another VCA documentation, high funding support and currently, the provincial local government unit (PLGU) of Masbate and the small coconut farmers are not ready yet to take it as a sub-project primarily because there is no existing enterprise such as activated carbon in the rural areas of the province. “What the PPMIU-Masbate should do at this point in time is to submit the needed documents to RPCO V within the due date and allow the RPCO V technical working group and the Program Support Office (PSO) to comment and decide on the best possible option for Masbate. It would be good if PPMIU-Masbate, Dr. Dilao, and Sir Marcaida will refresh the PLGU SP about the intentions of PRDP for common understanding and directions and best decision for their small coco farmers and coco industry,” he added. (Annielyn L. Baleza, I-SUPPORT InfoACE Unit, DA-RAFID 5)

I-PLAN planning analyst Mary Ann R. Cuya presents the VCA for coconut shell charcoal during the PCIP Stakeholders’ Consultation held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) Hall in Masbate Capitol Complex on December 2, 2014.

Masbate Vice Governor Vicente Homer B. Revil shares his opinion why it is better to invest in coconut shell activated carbon rather than coconut shell charcoal with Program Development Associate Edgardo Dela Torre and Planning Analyst Mary Ann R. Cuya of RPCO V.