US interest in Philippine coco industry excites Pres. Aquino

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III expressed excitement over the countryside development that the interest the US has in the country’s coconut industry.

He said the trend nowadays in the US is the use of coco water, or the country’s buko juice, as a health drink.

“Dahil nga naman masustansya, natural, at maka-kalikasan ito, para pong nagiging bagong natural sports drink ito sa Amerika, na ngayon pa lang po ay daang-milyong industriya na [Because it is nutritious and natural, it seems that coco water is becoming a new natural sports drink in America, which is by now a multi-million industry already],” President Aquino said in his arrival speech at the Naia.

“Di po ba’t sa atin, kung minsan natatapon na lang iyan. Akalain po ninyong puwede pala nating mapagkakitaan, at gamitin sa ikaaangat ng buhay ng maraming Pilipino sa mga lalawigan [Here in our country, coco water just goes to waste sometimes. Who would think that we could actually make a living out of it and use it in alleviating the lives of many Filipinos in the provinces],” he added.

Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, who went with the President on his US trip, said the country’s coco farmers need to plant more coconut trees to keep up with the demand.