Using coco coir or coconut fiber in civil works such as road constructions and other projects will help spur local economic growth and boost farmers’ incomes, Senator Kiko Pangilinan said.
“Pwedeng kumita ng dagdag na P500 hanggang P1,000 kada linggo ang ating mga nagniniyog sa coco coir at coco net production. Sa probinsya, malaking bagay ‘yang dagdag na P4,000 na kita kada buwan sa bulsa ng ating mga magniniyog,” said Pangilinan, a champion of Filipino farmers and fisher folk.
As Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization in 2014, Pangilinan facilitated the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the National Irrigation Administration, and the Philippine Coconut Authority on the use of these coconut products in the construction of irrigation systems as well as embankment projects and slope stabilization.
“We were able to bring down the cost of said infrastructure projects from P10.6 billion to P2.7 billion because of the use of coco coir. It also provided jobs for our coconut industry farm workers and provided added income,” the veteran legislator said.
“The use of coco coir or coconut bio-engineering solutions in controlling soil erosion is encouraged in a measure recently passed by the Senate, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act.”
The seasoned lawmaker said the use of coco coir or coconut bio-engineering solutions in controlling soil erosion is encouraged in a measure recently passed by the Senate, the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Act (Senate Bill 1396).
The senator is principal author of the measure.
At Senate hearing of the DPWH’s P667B budget, he mentioned that a provision was included in the 2018 General Appropriations Act on the use of coco coir and coco net but was discontinued the following year.
“May we know if the good Secretary will continue to mandate the use of coco coir in road construction and other applicable projects?” Pangilinan asked.
“The use of coco coir in road construction is part of DPWH’s construction guidelines.”
In response, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar said that the use of coco coir in road construction is part of the department’s construction guidelines; it is used when applicable to the project.
Coco coir is material from the coconut husk usually made into coco nets, which is used in civil engineering to hold soil in place and prevent erosion.