Filipino coconut farmers may soon avail of the free mobile medical service and hospitalization coverage, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) announced Wednesday.

In an interview, PCA Health and Medical Division Chief King Arvy Gaspar said they are targeting to benefit 15,000 coconut farmers across the country, in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to support farmers.

He said the mobile medical service will be launched first in Davao, considering the farmers’ population, under the Revised Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP).

“Ang target nila sa (Their target in) Davao is around 1,000 coconut farmers ng (in) July second week,” he told the Philippine News Agency, citing a simultaneous rollout nationwide within 2025.

Among the mobile medical services are free medical and eye check-ups with eyeglasses, free medicine, free consultation, free assistance devices, and dental missions.

PCA Administrator Dexter Buted said eligible farmers would also benefit from hospitalization coverage.

“So, over or on top of your Malasakit (care), your PCSO [Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office], your PhilHealth [Philippine Health Insurance Corporation], ang PCA ay magbibigay ng PHP40,000 sa bawat magkakasakit o naospital na magsasaka ng niyog. So, malaking bagay iyon (The PCA will give PHP40,000 to every sick or hospitalized coconut farmer. So, that will help a lot),” he said in a separate press conference.

Buted said they would also provide PHP5,000 out-of-the-pocket expense or outpatient care support coverage, as well as PHP5,000 worth of post-confinement and medical laboratory support.

Overall, the PCA has allocated a PHP800 million fund for the said medical services to support local farmers.

To date, the country has over 2.4 million registered coconut farmers.

Fertilization program

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and PCA, meanwhile, assured a continuous fertilization program to further boost the country’s coconut industry.

“And priority, isa sa mga priority ngayon ng ating (one of the priorities of) Secretary (Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr), and Presidente ang (the president is the) coconut. Especially, nananatili na number one pa rin na export commodity natin ang (as it remains our number one export commodity, the) coconut and its by-products,” DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said.

The Marcos administration increased the PCA’s fertilization budget to PHP1.8 billion from the previous PHP153 million.

This will be sufficient to fertilize 44 million coconut nuts, which is considered the country’s baseline yield in 3.6 million hectares, Buted said.

Under the program, the PCA aims to fertilize 45.5 million palms in 2025, 45.5 million in 2026, and 53 million in 2027. (PNA)