The Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) National Sectoral Committee (NSC) on Coconut successfully concluded its 4th Quarter Meeting on November 26, 2025, held through a hybrid session. Chaired by Mr. Charles R. Avila, the meeting finalized several high-impact policy resolutions aimed at securing farmer welfare, enhancing product competitiveness, and integrating the sector into national climate finance initiatives.

A major focus of the meeting was the review and refinement of programs under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), particularly those addressing social benefits. One of the main resolutions was the Committee’s urgent call for a ₱12-billion scholarship fund. The Committee gave its final push for a resolution appealing to the Office of the President to earmark five percent (5%) of the FY 2026 unprogrammed CFIDP Fund for the Coconut Scholarship Program (COScho), a move intended to help ensure that at least one member of every coconut-farming family earns a college degree.

The Committee also discussed efforts to further professionalize the sector. This includes aligning Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) programs with TESDA National Certification Level II Competency Standards and establishing uniform training guidelines. Another significant agenda item was the proposed amendment to Republic Act No. 10176, or the “Arbor Day Act of 2012.” The amendment seeks to raise the minimum mandatory age for tree planting from twelve (12) to not less than eighteen (18) years old to align with legal labor standards, and to establish a contractual compliance system enabling non-farmer residents—including those in the NCR—to contract rural farmer organizations to plant trees on their behalf.

Updates were also presented on the continued issuance of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The Committee emphasized the importance of organizing farmers into cooperatives to maximize the impact of support and assistance programs. In addition, the Committee requested the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (DA-BAFS) to prioritize the review of the Philippine National Standard (PNS) on MOSH/MOAH by FY 2026 to ensure compliance with export requirements for the EU and US markets.

Finally, recognizing the sector’s crucial role in climate action, the Committee scheduled a Special Meeting in early FY 2026 with key agencies, such as: the Climate Resilient Agriculture Office (CRAO). This meeting will outline the way forward for capacity building and technology adoption, including the use of AI for monitoring, as well as the verification process required for carbon trading. | Text by Joy Camille Luza, Photos by Jane Briña, with report from PDCD-SPDS