Five months after typhoon, Layte Provinces coconut industry in ruins

Slug: Philippines Coconut Farms

Reporter: Jason Strother
Date: 26/3/2014

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Parts o$ the Philippines are still reco%ering& more than 4'months a$ter (eing )e%astate) (*
"*phoon +ai*an,
+ar) hit -ere $armers -hose crops -ere )estro*e) (* the 300 .ilometers an hour -in) gusts,
Coconut plantations are amongst those $arms le$t in ruins,
/n) all that can (e )one no- is to clear the lan) to ma.e room $or ne- trees,
Jason Strother reports $rom 0e*te pro%ince on ho- that e$$ort is going,

"12"

//SF21 Farm/soun) o$ 3arcero cutting -ee)s//

/rnul$lo 3arcero is hac.ing a-a* -ith a machete at -ee)s gro-ing at the (ase o$ a coconut tree,
"he 42 *ear ol) ta.es care o$ this plantation in the countr*si)e to-n o$ Pastrana,
"he )rie) meat o$ the coconut& or copra& is use) to ma.e oil,
3ut "*phoon +ai*an& .no-n here as 5olan)a& has put the $uture o$ this $arm an) man* others in
the region in 6uestion,

3arcero clip 1 78ale& 9are*'-are*:: ;3e$ore the t*phoon -e ha) <00 trees an) no- there are
onl* =0 trees still stan)ing, t>s a pro(lem $or the communit* (ecause -e rel* on the copras to
earn a li%ing,?

//SF21 /continue)//
/roun) 40 percent o$ $armers in 0e*te pro%ince -or. in the coconut in)ustr*,
"he )o-ne) trees mean the* ha%e nothing to sell an) the help the* emplo* ha%e no -or.,
3ut $or some others& the )e%astation is creating income,

//SF22 Chainsa-/soun) o$ chainsa- starting up//

Francisco /l%erca is a chainsa- operator -ho>s (een calle) in to help cut up the $allen an)
)amage) trees here,
/l%erca clip 1 78ale& "agalog:: ;"his is a (ig help $or me, 1%en m* neigh(ors are as.ing me to
cut up all the $allen trees, "he mone* >m no- ma.ing reall* helps me get (*,?

//SF22 continue)//

#n a%erage& /l%erca an) the other chainsa- operators at this $arm earn 400 pesos& or a(out 10
)ollars a )a*,
/n) /l%erca sa*s he estimates that this @o( -ill .eep him (us* $or man* months to come,

/l%erca clip 2 78ale& "agalog:: ;"his -ill ta.e se%eral months to complete all the -or. here& it>s
a (ig propert*,?

//SF23 /m(i//
For no-& their emplo*er is #2F/8& one o$ the han)$ul o$ international ai) groups sponsoring
sa-mill pro@ects li.e this, "he* pa* the salaries an) pro%i)e the e6uipment,

Caroline Aluc. is a spo.es-oman $or #2F/8,

Aluc. clip 1 7Female& 1nglish:: ;#2F/8 operates siB sa-mill pro@ects across this pro%ince,
"he .e* issue -as the num(er o$ $allen coconut trees& millions across the t*phoon'hit area,
"here is an urgent nee) to clear the trees that ha%e $allen, 3ecause a lot o$ the trees -ere
(loc.ing roa)s& cree.s an) -ater-a*s an) pro)ucti%e agricultural lan), So the $armers nee) to
clear the lan) (e$ore the* can start replanting an) the* can>t )o that until the trees are mo%e),?

//SF23 continue)//

Aluc. sa*s #2F/8 is also training out o$ -or. $armers to use sa-s so that the* can start
earning a li%ing again,
She a))s coconut lum(er is no- in high )eman),

"he -oo) is transporte) $rom the ruine) $arms to the cit* o$ "aclo(an to (uil) shelters $or those
)isplace) (* "*phoon +ai*an,

/n) aroun) 100 $amilies in the to-n o$ Palo are re(uil)ing their o-n homes -ith the $reshl* cut
lum(er,

//SF24 Palamos am(i/sound of man talking , showing house//

<4'*ear'ol) rice $armer Ru)ol$o PalamosCs entire house -as rippe) apart (* +ai*an>s strong
-in)s,
+e sho-s me aroun) his ne- t-o store* home that he re(uilt -ith the -oo) $rom near(*
coconut $arms,

Palamos clip 1 78ale& 9are*'-are*:: ;"his area has a lot o$ coconut trees, "he -oo) isn>t so
eBpensi%e an) it>s eas* to (uil) -ith, //cut// 8ost o$ m* house -as re(uilt -ith the coconut tree
lum(er& inclu)ing the -alls& the corner posts,?

///SF23//
3ut there are still plent* more $allen trees (ac. in the plantations,
/n) #2F/8>s Caroline Aluc. sa*s time is running out to get them all o$$ the groun) (e$ore a
ne- pro(lem arises,

Aluc. clip 2 7Female& 1nglish:: ;n three months the li.elihoo) is that man* o$ these trees -ill
rot an) (ecome in$este) -ith pests, /n) those pests can eat some o$ the still stan)ing an)
pro)ucti%e trees,?

//SF22 Chainsa-///

#nce the )o-ne) trees are cleare)& ai) groups can start helping coconut $armers replant on their
lan),

3ut it coul) ta.e se%eral more *ears (e$ore ne- trees are rea)* $or har%est,

For /sia Calling& >m Jason Strother in 0a*te Pro%ince& the Philippines,