BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte - “We are here to inform you that there is a fund, there is a program for you, and we will tell you what you can do to avail it,” said Fil Victor Babanto, OIC Training Center Superintendent II of ATI-RTC 13 during the information caravan held at the Barangay Macalang Gym, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte on September 9, 2022.

OIC Babanto was referring to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) which is geared toward rehabilitating, modernizing, and industrializing the coconut industry and improving the lives of some 2.5 million coconut farmers.

To achieve this, the government is carrying out a whole of whole-of-government approach involving various relevant government agencies. In Buenavista, among the government agencies present were DA, PCA, ATI, LBP, DTI, CDA, PCIC, PhilMech, NDA, and PhilHealth.

Each of these agencies will have a role in giving support to the coconut farmers and their families along social protection, organization and development, community-based enterprises, and integrated processing of coconut and downstream products, to name a few.

During the open forum, most of the farmers asked about the requirements for availing of credit, scholarship, and dairy programs. Concern about the ineligibility of individual creditors as compared to SEC-registered organizations was also raised.