‘Bloated’ PCA has failed to accomplish mission

Allow me to thank Ceres P. Doyo for her very enlightening write-up on the current state of the coconut industry (Opinion, 6/12/14). I hope it does not reach sunset due to the negligence of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), which was created to oversee the total development of the industry. Along the way though, from the time it took over previous coconut government bodies, the PCA failed to perform its mandate particularly in product research and development.

The PCA has become a destination for political appointees who have zero knowledge of the industry—whether it is on product research, development, marketing and sales, or domestic and international trade. It has become a bloated organization with many personnel reporting 15/30 and, if ever they report, merely to pass the time away.

The PCA did not do anything to counter the anticoconut oil campaign of western producers of corn oil and other cooking oil products, claiming that coconut oil has bad cholesterol.  It turned out the claim had no scientific basis, but the PCA (Philcoa at that time) slept.

The recent popularity of cocowater is not the product of PCA’s conscious initiatives; it has been whipped up by demand in other countries.

I am happy President Aquino saw something wrong with the PCA and has assigned a new administrator. I hope the President’s new PCA appointee removes all the incompetent and useless personnel, and focuses on the total development of the industry as mandated. We can still avoid the sunset of the coconut industry.

—CORNELIO B. REFORMINA JR.,

Cubao, Quezon City