COCO-BASED PRODUCTS. The Philippine Coconut Authority 13 (Caraga), led by its manager Joel B. Oclarit (standing, 3rd from right), opens a Kadiwa store that will sell various products made from coconut, at the ground floor of its office in Butuan City on Thursday (May 28, 2020). The store will also serve as an additional market for the products of coconut farmers in the region. (Photo courtesy of PCA-13)
BUTUAN CITY – The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) 13 (Caraga) launched on Thursday the Kadiwa store that will sell coconut-based products made by local farmers.
The coconut-based products store was set up at the ground floor of the PCA-13 office in Montilla Boulevard here.
“This is part of the call of Agriculture Secretary William Dar to provide affordable products to the people, especially during this time of the pandemic,” said PCA-13 manager Joel B. Oclarit, who led the opening of the Kadiwa store.
“While the Department of Agriculture (DA) runs rolling stores for vegetables, meat, and fishes, we at PCA will concentrate on products made from coconut,” Oclarit added.
Available at the store – dubbed “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita" – are coconut cooking oil, virgin coconut oil (VCO), coco sugar, processed foods, coconut-based beauty products, vinegar, and coconut flour.
Supplies for the store will be provided by coconut farmer groups in the region who make various coconut-based products.
“This will also mean additional income (for) the coconut farmers in the area. This will become an additional market for their products,” Oclarit said.
Among the groups that have already supplied the store with VCO, coco sugar, and coconut flour are farmers from Rosario in Agusan del Sur and the towns of Hinatuan and Madrid in Surigao del Sur.
He said they were expecting the arrival of more coconut-based products next week from other farmers in the region.
Oclarit also reminded the public to observe the protocols when visiting the store by wearing a face mask and maintaining physical distancing.
PCA-13 personnel will also provide customers with sanitizers and measure their body temperature using a thermal scanner, he said. (PNA)
