Press Release
June 13, 2010

DEVELOP RP COCO TRADE, PROMOTE COCO-BIODIESEL TECH--ANGARA

Senator Edgardo J. Angara renews call for the enactment of the Coconut Emergency Measure Act to immediately address dropping prices in the coconut industry sector and to bolster efforts in coco-biodiesel development.

"As coconut products are still among the top agricultural earners of the country, with over 20 million Filipinos depending on the coconut industry for their living, we must adapt measures to save the industry," stressed Angara, Chair of the Congressional Commission on Science and Technology and Engineering (COMSTE).

There has been an excess in the global supply of coconut and its by-products, and the domestic market is aggravated by the entry of cheap synthetic materials, other sources of oils and fuels and alternative products sourced from other countries. Angara warned that "if our coconut industry collapses, millions of Filipino farmers and their families will suffer."

Angara has pushed for the enactment of the Bio-industry Development Act to stir the growth of the bio-technology in the country and tap the benefits of our diverse natural resources, in which the coconut farm industry is among the biggest.

"There is no better time to maximize our resources and keep up with the global trade of bio-technology and alternative fuel sources than now. We have enough resources; we just have to set the standards and best practices to see the best results," Angara concluded.

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