Philippine Coconut Palm Tree

Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera)

The coconut is a not a nut but a fruit. The expression coconut refers to the fruit, while the tree is called a coconut palm. It belongs to the Arecaceae palm family and can grow to six meters in height. Its called the “tree of life” in the Philippines, all parts of the coconut tree have many uses, nothing is wasted even at the end of its fruit bearing years.

The following is the fundamental parts and their uses:

Coconut Husk & Shell

- This part of the coconut is soaked in water for up to 10 months, pounded, dried and de-bundle (now through the machine). The shell, called “coco” can be used to make rope. The coconut husk is also used for making mats, ropes, seat cushioning material for furniture and filling for ornamental plants like orchids. In manufacturing, coconut shell is used in the manufacture of wallboard, filtration pads, carpet underlay, insulation and other products. While dry skin can be used to make handicrafts such as piggy banks, vases, decorations and even musical instruments such as the Vietnamese and Chinese Gao Dan and Banhu Yehu.

Coco lumber

- The trunk of the coconut trees of age and not as productive as before is being cut down. The trunk brought to the sawmill and made into coconut lumber. The softwood lumber is much cheaper than the standard “tangile” wood that is available in the lumber and the poor people can afford to build their houses at a much lower cost.

Coconut Fruit

- The delicious meat of the coconut fruit has many uses, can be eaten as is, turned into sandwiches or candy or used for cooking (grated juice and coconut milk). While the coconut water is a health drink that not only quenches your thirst but also cleanses the kidneys. Coconut water contains: antioxidants, sugars, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The meat also becomes copra. Copra is exported or processed in the country to become a cooking oil. Recent results also show that coconut oil can be used as a substitute for diesel. Already, the coconut mixed with petroleum diesel is being used, but new evidence shows that the coconut biodiesel can be used only in diesel engines without modification.

Coconut leaves

- Even the leaves are not allowed to go to waste. The backbone of the leaves is often used as fuel for cooking, while the leaf itself is removed and became brooms or walis ting-ting.”

Coconut Roots

- Are used as toothbrushes in the old days. When you press the juice from the roots is used as a medicine for dysentery. The coloration of the roots can also be used as a dye.

Coconut Industry of the Philippines (1970-1980)

During martial law in 1973, then President Marcos created the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA). The PCA was established to stabilize the price of coconut products in the interest of the farmers. To finance PCA, was authorized to charge a fee P 0.55 per 100 kilos of copra produced. This tax was increased to P20.00. In 1974 to finance a new governmental agency called the Coconut Industry Development Fund (CIDF). It was established to finance the development of a hybrid coconut palm tree.

For the 1980s, the coconut levy fund already huge and practically the whole coconut industry was monopolized by the PCA, its bank, the United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB), United Coconut Oil Mills and the Coconut Producers Federation (COCOFed), all headed by Eduardo Cojuangco (a close ally of Marcos) and the then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile, who was president of UCPB, the United Coconut Oil Mills and honorary chairman of COCOFed.

The prices of coconut products dropped in the early 80s and at the insistence of the International Monitoring Fund (IMF), United Coconut Oil Mills was dismantled. After the 1986 EDSA revolution, the new government of President Cory Aquino, sequestered the coconut levy fund and all other companies associated with the fund. The following years saw a succession of lawsuits between the Cojuanco group and the government. The funds remain frozen and unresolved cases. In total, coconut farmers befitted little from the coconut levy.

Philippine Coconut Industry (Today)

The Philippines is second only to Indonesia as the world’s largest producer of coconut products. However, the Philippines is the largest exporter of coconut products-about 64% of the world copra and coconut oil comes from the Philippines. 25% of the 12 million hectares of land of agricultural land is planted with coconuts. There are 3.5 million coconut farmers and about 25 million people benefit from the coconut industry (directly and indirectly) and, not surprisingly, exports of coconut products is one of the top $5 earners for the Country (760 M U.S. $ per annum). The coconut industry contributes about 1.14% of gross national product (GNP).

So, coconut is not only the “tree of life”, it is one of the income sources of most Filipinos. In the course of summer under the heat of the sun, you will be refreshed by drinking fresh coconut water. You can be relaxed by setting under the shadow of the coconut tree. That’s why you usually see a coconut tree beside or inside most beaches throughout the world.