TRIVIA
TOURIST ARRIVALS IN THE PHILIPPINES
NUMBER OF TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 2009 IN PH: 2.7M.
WE ARE BEHIND HONGKONG, MALAYSIA,
THAILAND AND SINGAPORE
SOURCE: MANILA STANDARD TODAY, 17 DEC 2007.
PROFITS OF OIL COMPANIES
NET INCOME OF PETRON CORP FROM JAN
TO SEPT 2010: P5.35B.
THIS IS 59% ABOVE THE P3.37B NET
INCOME FROM JAN TO SEPT 2009.
NET PROFIT OF PETRON CORP IN 3RD
QUARTER OF 2010: P1.81B.
THIS IS 16% ABOVE THE P1.56B NET PROFIT
IN 3RD QUARTER OF 2009.
SOURCE: MANILA STANDARD TODAY, 17 DEC 2007.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COCONUT INDUSTRY IN PH
COCONUT IS OUR BIGGEST CROP, NOT RICE.
BASED ON 2002 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE
THERE WERE 1.4M COCONUT FARMS IN THE
COUNTRY. THIS IS 29% OF ALL FARMS.
WHILE THERE ARE ONLY 1.35M RICE FARMS
WHICH IS 28% OF TOTAL FARMS.
TOTAL LAND AREA PLANTED TO COCONUT WAS
3.3M HAS. OR 34%. WHILE RICE ONLY ACCOUNTED
FOR 2.5M HAS. OR 25%.
THERE ARE 3.4M COCONUT FARM WORKERS AND
FARMERS IN 70 OUT OF 81 FARMERS.
COCONUT IS OUR TOP FARM EXPORT
BRINGING IN UP TO US$900M PER YEAR.
80% OF COCONUT’S OUTPUT ARE EXPORTED
TO 114 COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO PCA.
BUT INCOME FOR FARMERS WAS QUITE LOW.
AVERAGE INCOME SOME YEARS BACK
PER HECTARE WAS ONLY P10,660 PER
HECTARE BUT AVERAGE FOR ALL CROPS
WAS P31,580.
COCONUT FARMERS ARE AMONG THE POOREST.
90% OF COCONUT FARMERS AND WORKERS ARE
BELOW THE POVERTY LINE. WHILE INCIDENCE
OF POVERTY AMONG RICE FARMERS WAS ONLY
AROUND 35%.
91% OF COCONUT OUTPUT IS COPRA FOR
COCONUT OIL. BUT THERE ARE MUCH MORE
POTENTIAL PRODUCTS: ACTIVATED CARBON,
VARIOUS COCO-BASED CHEMICALS, COCO DIESEL,
VIRGIN COCO OIL, COCONUT SUGAR, GEOTEXTILES,
NUTRICEUTICALS, COIR FIBRE, COCO LUMBER
AND COCO HANDICRAFTS.
BUT BULK OF GOVT MONEY IS INTO RICE:
AROUND 70%. BUT RICE CONTRIBUTES
ONLY 16% OF THE VALUE OF TOTAL AGRICULTURAL
OUTPUT.
SOURCE: NO FREE LUNCH, CIELITO F. HABITO, PDI, 14 DECEMBER 2010.
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