THE REGIONAL offices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) across Mindanao pushed to expand market linkages and encourage more coconut farmers to become “cocopreneurs.”
In line with this, the Coconut Philippines Mindanao Trade Fair showcased a wide range of coconut-based products and by-products, officially opening on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Ayala Malla Abreeza.
At a press briefing, Engr. Maria Victoria Placer, focal person of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan of DTI XI, said the event was designed to do more than generate direct sales but to expand exposure of value-adding products from the coconut.
She said the trade fair aims to highlight that the coconut industry goes beyond traditional coconut products and farmers can also be entrepreneurs through product enhancement.
Business-to-business matching sessions on the sidelines of the fair, she said, could lead to future orders, investment partnerships, and market testing opportunities for new products.
“The reason why we really run Coconut Philippines is to create awareness among our co-Filipinos to patronize local coconut products,” Placer said.
She cited that while Mindanao is a producer of coconut products, 70% are being exported, with only 30% being utilized domestically.
The fair is particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) still working to meet buyer requirements such as Food and Drug Administration certification, halal certification, and organic certification.
DTI, one of 15 agencies implementing the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), is mandated to support research, marketing, and promotion to help farmers move into higher-value processing.
Representatives from Regions X, XI, XIII, and Caraga presented their respective product lines during the briefing.
Flora Politud-Gabunales, DTI XII regional director, highlighted palapa, a spiced Muslim delicacy, alongside coco sugar and virgin coconut oil.
She also flagged activated carbon, a coconut-derived product in high export demand that currently has few local buyers, as an underutilized opportunity for the region.
Other Soccsksargen products on display included Coco Mama coconut milk, produced by Asiabest under Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures Incorporated in General Santos City, fresh and processed buko, and handicrafts such as lampshades made from coconut husk.
Angelo Devero, DTI Camiguin and OIC provincial director for Region X, cited coconut-based hygiene products including hair serum, conditioner bar, shampoo bar, and body and face soap manufactured by La Regina Coco Products Manufacturing.
He noted the products have performed well at past national trade fairs.
The region also brought coconut sugar, coconut oil, coco meat, and handicrafts produced by cooperatives from the region.
For the Caraga region, Elmer Natad, DTI Dinagat provincial director, described a coconut farm in Surigao del Sur, the Amparita’s Farm, which he said produces 21 different products from the coconut husk, nut, shell, and sap.
Natad said the farm has achieved a per-nut value of ₱84, compared with an unprocessed nut’s typical farmgate price.
A Caraga coconut charcoal briquette producer was also cited as the top seller at a recent trade fair in Manila, generating ₱15 million in sales.
Officials said the trade fair also serves as a venue to gather feedback from Davao consumers to guide product improvement and to assess demand for future coconut trade fairs in the city.
The Coconut Philippines Mindanao Trade Fair 2026 is organized by the Mindanao Trade and Export Foundation Inc. in partnership with DTI and the Ministry of Trade, Investments, and Tourism-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The trade fair, gathering 67 MSME entrepreneurs from all over Mindanao, will run until September 13 at Ayala Malls Abreeza.
