PCA rejoinder to De Guzman’s columns

This is in response to the June 17 and May 27, 2013 columns of Ms. Sara Soliven de Guzman.

1. Even if we go by the figures cited by Ms. Soliven that about 1,500,000 coconut trees in the CALABARZON area are unproductive because of the virulent infestation, that constitute only .04% or less than 1% of the 340 million trees, which according to her is the number of coconut trees in the country.

But, per our documentation, only 931,139 trees are infected in the CALABARZON area as of June 17, 2013. Of said number 903,977 trees were pruned, 257,896 were sprayed with cochin oil using dishwashing soap (Joy) as emulsifier. And 257,943 trees were fertilized. These were done by Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the LGUs.

Her allegation that “no product procedure or system had been found by technical teams of the PCA” is not true as scale insects can be eradicated by spraying water with a little mixture of cochin oil and dishwashing solution.

We only need to use power sprayers and to repeat the procedure every month for at least three times for every tree. The problem is on tall trees and those planted on steep slopes.

We have report on substantial recoveries of which we are now documenting.

In the past, the coconut industry suffered more severe infestations but our trees have survived. Before 2011, coconut trees infested with cadang-cadang were estimated to be 30 million. Now, the number of these infested trees is less than a million. There are also brontispas. But with effective and sustainable bio-control, they are no longer a problem. We also remedy the problem on senile trees through replanting and fertilization program. This year our target based on our budget is to replant 17 million trees and to fertilize 20 million. This is higher than the 13 million trees that we planted and the 20 million that we fertilized in 2012.

In Ms. Soliven’s column of May 27 she also mentioned that a Taiwanese selling pesticide to us described me as arrogant. Ms. Soliven also mentioned that one Mr. Jose Osias is a good friend of her. Apparently, the incident between me and the Taiwanese happened in the presence of Mr. Osias.

On May 27, 2013 Mr. Jose Osias also wrote a letter to the editor of the Inquirer relating the incident that happened between Mr. Wu, the PCA and me, photocopy of the clipping is attached as Annex “A”. He never mentioned that I was arrogant.

What he said was that I was the one who scheduled the testing of their product and added —

“Forbes admitted to Wu that PCA was desperate and willing to try anything“ since the team assigned to work on this had come up with nothing despite having spent P20 million and was now asking for additional budget of P50 million.

“Graciously, Wu accepted the Forbes invitation and worked with PCA technical team to get MPS tested in April given the urgency of the problem.

To Mr. Osias version, I even invited Mr. Wu for the MPS testing which Mr. Wu graciously accepted.”

The above narration of Mr. Osias does not show any arrogance on my side. Also, it is contrary to human nature to be arrogant while one is inviting somebody to help him solve the problem in which according to Mr. Osias the “PCA is desperate and willing to try anything.” And it is also contrary to human nature that Mr. Wu would have graciously accepted my invitation if I arrogated myself in dealing with him.

I hope that Ms. Soliven publish my letter to her (copy attached as Annex “B”) and show my arrogance in it. We are only forced to state in said letter what we had done, only to defend against her accusation of an “ossified bureaucracy deeply mired in greed and tenure, of which the PCA under President Noynoy and Secretary Alcala is not.” — EUCLIDES G. FORBES, Administrator, Philippine Coconut Authority