VCO Plant to Rise in Agusan Norte Town

A PHP17 million virgin coconut oil (VCO) processing plant that is set to rise in Jabonga town in Agusan del Norte is expected to boost the province’s coconut industry. “The processing plant is a big help for us. It will provide us market for our coconuts and the opportunity to venture into other livelihood activities,” Rebecca Felix, chairperson of the Libas Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LFMPC), told the Philippine News Agency (PNA). The LFMPC, the project’s partner-beneficiary in the area, has 37 members, 70 percent of whom are coconut farmers, in Jabonga and the neighboring towns of Santiago and Kitcharao, she said.

Last week’s groundbreaking ceremony signaled the start of the construction of the plant, with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) 13 (Caraga) handing over the funds to Jabonga’s municipal government. “The coconut farmers of Agusan del Norte are thankful to the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte for this opportunity given to us. We are also grateful to the PCA and our local leaders in the province and the municipality,” Felix said.