The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in CALABARZON, in collaboration with the Local Government of Alabat and the Philippine Coconut Research and Development Foundation (PCRDF), recently organized a Planning Workshop for the development of a Feasibility Study for the Makapuno Industry in Los Baños, Laguna.

The workshop was part of the Makapuno Island Project to revitalize the Makapuno Industry in CALABARZON and the DTI CALABARZON and DTI Foreign Trade Service Corps’ (FTSC) project of Transforming Overseas Filipinos (OFs) to Overseas Filipino Investors (OFIs): Philippine Makapuno Industry and Agribusiness Investment Promotion Program which will be piloted in the Alabat Island, Quezon Province.

“We should double our efforts to develop a brand for ‘Philippine Makapuno’ as this will encourage more investments and exports and benefit our overseas Filipinos as well as those at the grassroots level such as farmers and micro, small, and medium enterprises. It is also important to apply the 7Ms strategy for entrepreneurship (mindset change, mastery, mentoring, money, machine, market access, and models of business) in developing and promoting our makapuno,” DTI CALABARZON Director Marilou Q. Toledo said.

Key industry players in the academe, government, and private sector such as the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Albay Research Center, PCA Region 4-A, Department of Agriculture – Lipa Agricultural Research and Experiment Station (DA-LARES), Bureau of Investments, Landbank of the Philippines, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) 4-A, Pasciolco Agriventures, Southern Luzon State University, and Batangas State University were gathered to map out the Makapuno Value Chain, resulting to the identification of value chain actors and review of constraints in the value chain and products and markets. Inputs to the Makapuno Feasibility Study and next steps/concrete action plans were also determined.

“Several agencies have been continuously working hard for the development of Makapuno. Hence, products like Makapuno powder, Makapuno flakes, and Makgum or Galactomannan were developed. We hope to commercialize these products along with the Embryo Cultured Makapuno technology, and we would like CALABARZON to be the first region to do that,” emphasized DOST CALABARZON Director Alexander R. Madrigal on his hopes to revive the industry.♦