CARAGA REGION – Through Republic Act 11524, signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) was created. This plan seeks to increase the productivity and income of coconut farmers, address issues on poverty, education, social equity, and rehabilitation and modernization of the coconut industry toward farm productivity.

The CFIDP has seven (7) components namely: Social Protection, Farmers Organization and Development, Hybridization, Community-based Farm Enterprise Development, Integrated Coconut Processing and Downstream Products, Innovative Research and Practical Application, and Support Services.

Under these components are several programs that will benefit coconut farmers. These include health and medical programs, crop insurance, scholarships, training programs, facilities, marketing support, credit support, infrastructure, research, and cooperative development, among others.

Expected outcomes and impacts of the CFIDP will not be realized if farmers are not well-informed on its programs, services, and policies. Hence, an information drive needs to be conducted to promote and disseminate CFIDP and provide the necessary avenue where issues, concerns, and questions of farmers can be addressed. One effective means of dissemination is via information caravan as it is a dynamic interpersonal communication designed to facilitate knowledge sharing and learning.

For this reason, the Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center 13 will conduct an information caravan in nine sites throughout Caraga region through an inter-agency approach where there is an inter-agency collaboration. Among the CFIDP implementing agencies that will take part in the information caravan are the Department of Agriculture (DA), Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), Technical and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD), National Dairy Authority (NDA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Prior to the information caravan in September, PCA-13 and other agencies had already made their initiatives to promote CFIDP such as during PCA’s Regional Coco Day and CFIDP Grand Launching in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte last August 24, 2022 and DTI-Surigao del Norte’s Coconut Industry Cluster Development Council Meeting in Surigao City last August 26, 2022.