The Philippine Coconut Authority-Davao (PCA-11) launched its Mobile Health Service and Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) Information Caravan here Wednesday, aiming to make essential government services more accessible to coconut farmers and their families.

PCA-11 Regional Manager Juvy Alayon said a total of 500 coconut farmers and their families will receive free services. These include various medical services such as dental care, laboratory testing, ultrasound, X-ray imaging, and kidney screening, provided by PCA and its partner agencies.

For beneficiaries requiring immediate medical attention, Alayon said the PCA has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City and the Davao Regional Medical Center in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, to provide further assistance.

“I want to clarify that we will not be providing cash assistance. However, we will extend medical aid of up to PHP40,000 per patient to cover hospital bills,” she explained.

Across the region, PCA-11 plans to offer free medical and dental care to 2,000 coconut farmers through this program, which is funded by the coco levy fund.

“We deemed this program necessary because most of our farmers and their families have not previously availed of any form of medical assistance,” Alayon noted.

The PCA caravan’s next stop is Jose Abad Santos in Davao Occidental, where an additional 500 coconut farmers and their families are expected to benefit.

Beyond the mobile health services, coconut farmer Isabelo Ortega Jr. from Bansalan town expressed gratitude for the new technologies introduced by various agencies through the CFIDP information caravan.

He believes the program is highly beneficial for improving both agricultural yield and household income.

“I believe this program will be sustainable, as it offers great support. We are learning a lot from the technologies and products that are being shared with us,” Ortega said in a separate interview. (PNA)