Philippine agricultural officials and private sector-partners evaluated Middle East market opportunities for local coconut products under Project Coco Bridge during the special meeting of the National Sectoral Committee on Coconut on September 29, 2026 in Quezon City.
“Its goal is to move Philippine coconut products from export potential to actual commercial and retail presence in the UAE,” said Michael Sollera, Philippine Agriculture Attaché for the Middle East, Africa, and India.
Sollera explained that Project Coco Bridge is a United Arab Emirates (UAE) market-entry initiative led by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center-Dubai, in partnership with The Hub Trading and Logistic Services (The Hub) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) Office of the Agricultural Attaché Dubai post.
A proposal was raised to utilize the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) under the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to fund the Project. In response, PCA said that the government accounting regulations and CFIDP fund limitations must be reviewed before allocating funds for the Project Coco Bridge.
The initiative evaluates products for export readiness while addressing key market barriers, including buyer access, production capacity, packaging, labeling, and regulatory compliance, to assess demand for coconut food, beverages, health, wellness, and personal care items across the Gulf Cooperation Council region.
Project Coco Bridge follows a three-phase structure: Phase 1 (market readiness diagnostic), Phase 2 (business matching), and Phase 3 (retail activation and consumer engagement).
Under Phase 1, 37 Philippine coconut manufacturers were contacted, and 24 underwent assessment. Of those evaluated, nine were identified as export-ready, while five demonstrated strong potential pending further technical support.
Notably, several participating enterprises have already received CFIDP assistance. The assessment highlighted the need for PCA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to align and clarify the specific support they can extend to the Project.
Representing importer and distributor The Hub, Managing Director Lito German detailed the company’s role in assessing distribution channels across UAE modern trade, traditional retail outlets, food service, and e-commerce platforms like Amazon. German noted that the initiative prioritizes small and medium enterprises to help assess and build their capacity to meet international standards.
He identified the initial range of products under consideration, which includes coconut sugar, jam, oil, milk, cream, juices, snacks, nata de coco, desiccated coconut, vinegar, and protein bars.
“The project’s succeeding phase will explore additional products based on UAE market demand and assess whether our Filipino producers can supply them,” German added.
Grassroots concerns and government response
On the other hand, private sector representatives raised concerns regarding grassroots participation and institutional support.
Danilo Carranza of KATARUNGAN pointed out that many smallholder farmers remain limited to low-value copra production due to technical and regulatory hurdles.
He noted that accessing capital through financial institutions like Landbank remains extremely difficult for farmers, describing the process as even harder than passing “through the eye of a needle,” and urged the government to scale up extension services to align with potential market opportunities.
Similarly, Ireneo Cerilla, Policy Advocacy Officer of PAKISAMA, stressed that coconut farmers have relied on copra for a century and urgently need access to higher-value product interventions to improve farmgate prices and rural livelihoods.
In response, government agencies committed to establishing tighter coordination mechanisms to support smallholders. Representatives from the PCA and DTI agreed to meet on October 5, 2026, to align support under the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).
Administered by the PCA using the coconut levy trust fund, the CFIDP aims to increase the income and productivity of Filipino coconut farmers while modernizing, rehabilitating, and industrializing the industry.
The agencies plan to review gap analyses generated by Project Coco Bridge to target specific interventions, such as credit support, packaging refinement, and facility development, to ensure small farmers can participate in international export demand. | Jezebel Campaniel
