A municipality in Mindoro island has signed a government partnership to plant thousands of coconut trees, joining a national drive to revitalize an industry battered by decades of decline but now buoyed by soaring global demand.

Sablayan, Occidental Mayor Walter Marquez signed the Massive Coconut Planting Program agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) and Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), securing P2.7 million in initial funding to plant diverse coconut varieties.

“This is our way to strengthen the coconut industry and fight poverty,” Marquez said after the signing ceremony in Quezon City.

Sablayan is the only town on Mindoro island to join the program, officials said.

As this develops, the country seeks to rebuild its coconut sector after years of neglect, aging trees and minimal replanting left millions of farmers impoverished.

The Philippine coconut industry has experienced a remarkable turnaround since 2023, driven by surging global vegetable oil prices and international demand for coconut-based products.

Coconut oil export revenues reached $2.2 billion in 2024 and are projected to exceed that figure in 2025, according to the PCA.

In April 2025 alone, the country shipped over 110,000 metric tons of coconut oil and copra meal.

The Philippines supplies 2-3 percent of the global vegetable oil market and remains the world’s second-largest coconut producer after Indonesia, with coconuts grown on approximately 3.5 million hectares nationwide.

However, the industry faces persistent woes.

More than 60 percent of coconut trees are over 60 years old and produce low yields.

Typhoons regularly destroy plantations, particularly in Luzon and Visayas.

In Mindoro, aging trees and limited access to high-yielding varieties have constrained production growth.

The government launched the Massive Coconut Planting Program in 2023 to address these constraints, targeting the planting of 100 million trees over several years to replace senile palms and expand productive areas.

Mayor Marquez said Sablayan also plans to support a global reforestation campaign led by Filipino-American musician Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas who targets to plant 100 million coconut trees for climate mitigation.

photos courtesy of Sablayan LGU