THE Sangguniang Panlalawigan urged the local government units (LGUs) to help the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to literally save the uprooted coco trees at the height of super typhoon ‘Odette.’
“I call on LGUs to lend a hand in PCA’s Debris Management Program,” provincial Board Member Lucille Lagunay stressed in her privilege speech during the regular SP session on September 21, 2022.
She said that PCA’s program is funded for cost of chainsaw operators, farmers in clearing operations and pest management. PCA also is dire need “to help them (PCA) identify the affected coco farmers and their farms and to secure the necessary documents requisite to the issuance of special permit to cut or letter of consent from the owners to clear the totally damaged trees.”
Lagunay said that PCA’s call for help is imperative but minimal if compared to the economic loss in the event of pest outbreak that may affect some 111,000 coco farmers in the province, who are mostly dependent on the tree of life.
The said request came as the PCA cleared only 139,473 (16%) of the total 841,500 coco trees damaged by the typhoon.
Lagunay said that she’s very concerned of rhino beetles or “bakukang” invading the fallen trees. “There is a looming threat of an impending rhino beetles outbreak. Coco logs those standing and those lying on the ground are now starting to decay.”
She said that per information PCA documented the rhino larvae presence on the rotting coco logs. The rhino beetle, considered a pest, assaults coco palms by boring the crowns or tops of the tree where it destroys growing tissue an feeds on the sap. “Outbreaks of this pest can give a production loss ranging from 40% to 92%.”
Bohol coconut industry is worth Php2.8 billion computed at Php10.00 per fruit by 280 million nuts produced yearly from an estimated 6.7 million trees.
After ‘Odette” ravaged Bohol on December 16, 2021 a 47% decline in coconut population., Lagunay said. (rvo)
