Aquino boasts of increase coco water export

President Aquino and Quezon Rep. Irvin Alcala hand the “Seal of Good Housekeeping for Barangay Governance” award to a barangay chairman in a ceremony held in Lucena City. DTMJ

LUCENA CITY—The growing export of “coco water”, formerly a plant production waste, is no longer a business matter to sneeze at, President Benigno Aquino told Quezon residents and officials in a visit here Monday.

In a speech, Aquino recalled that his critics sneered at him when he broke the news on the bright prospect of exporting coco water or buko juice after his US trip on September last year.

“They laughed at me because of my pride in coco water (as an export item),” Aquino told his audience during the awarding of the “Seal of Good Housekeeping for Barangay Governance” and the oath taking of new Liberal Party members in Quezon province held at a university gym here.

Quezon is one of the country’s major coconut producing province.

Citing data, Aquino said that in 2009, the country exported 483 thousand liters of coco water which rose to 1.8 million liters the following year.

But that’s not the end of it because according to Mr. Aquino, the country had exported 16 million liters of buko juice last year.

“The water that was used to be discarded has now turned beneficial. I believe that soon, I will be hearing the shortage of coco water as an export item,” the President said which was received with wild applause.

Coconut water is now a multi-million dollar industry in the United States where it is being promoted as an alternative natural sports drink because it contains the essential electrolytes and minerals needed for rehydration.

Quezon Governor David Suarez recently launched a massive coconut tree planting program in the province to help address the aging coconut trees. He also initiated a campaign against widespread illegal coconut cutting and underground coco lumber trade.

Candelaria Mayor Ferdinand Maliwanag said the coco water was formerly a plant production waste that caused river pollution.

“But with the brisk buko juice export business, that’s another environmental problem solved,” Maliwanag said in a previous interview.

Maliwanag recalled that when the news of the buko juice hit the media after President Aquino’s US visit, he boasted that his town had long been manufacturing the same product.

“That packed buko juice is no longer news to us,” Maliwanag said.

Earlier, Aquino joined Quezon 2nd District Rep. Irvin Alcala in giving awards to several barangay as district winners for good house-keeping and governance.

The President arrived here with the new Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas. They were welcomed by Quezon representative and House Deputy Speaker Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III, Rep. Mark Enverga, Quezon Vice Governor Vicente Alcala, former Senator Wigberto Tañada and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office director Betty Nantes, widow of former Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes.

The “seal of good housekeeping” reflects the kind of leadership and quality of public service that local government units possess when dealing with their official transactions.

The late Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo launched the initiative to improve the way LGUs govern and conduct their businesses.

The good housekeeping project was a project of Alcala, son of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala; Rotary Club and Department of Interior and Local Government.