Published on: February 20, 2023
By Marcelo Pedalino
MAASIN CITY (PIA) -- Representative Christopherson Yap of the province’s second legislative district is planning to call for a convergence meeting of all 15 national line agencies that have share of funds each under the Coconut Farmers Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
A day before the planned convergence meeting, tentatively set in March, there will be signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the establishment of a seed nut farm in Hinunangan, Yap said in hastily set-up interview with local media last week.
“We will initiate a convergence meeting in March, regional level, in Tacloban, of the 15 agencies involved in CFIDP as mentioned by Sen. Cynthia Villar,” Yap said, referring to an earlier interview on the same day with the lady senator at Kinamot restaurant shortly prior to attending the Barangay Kagawad Congress.
Villar enlightened those around the press conference to study details of the CFIDP for it contains all the assistance the coconut farmers needed, including medical, educational assistance, among others, even as she challenged everyone to learn the entitlements already provided, financed from the coco levy fund.
The convergence meeting Yap had in mind was a direct response to Villar’s call, tapping the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) as the lead agency along with the 14 other agencies, with the ultimate objective of laying down a fast recovery roadmap for the coconut plantation in the province.
Along with a seed nut farm for hybrid coconuts will be the putting up of a laboratory for tissue culture in Hinunangan, Yap said, hoping that at least one of the 15 agencies will stand up to support for this vision.
Eventually, all the LGUs in the province should have their own seed nut farms, the lot either owned by a private entity or the government, in order to fast track replenishment of 3.5 million coconut trees lost due to Typhoon Odette in 2021, Yap said. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)
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