REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ASSISTANT

FOR FOOD SECURITY AND AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION
PHILIPPINE COCONUT AUTHORITY
ZAMBOANGA RESEARCH CENTER
San Ramon, Zamboanga City 7000 Tel. /Fax No. (062) 982-0302
P.O. Box 356 TIN: 000724616
E-mail: pca_zrc@yahoo.com

NON-FOOD PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT DIVISION

QUARTERLY ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORT
FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2015


1. AR/TU 11/01. Utilization of coconutbased biomass for bioethanol production, N.J.
Melencion, L.J. Peamora, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya (2011
2016)

1.1 First Generation Ethanol Production from Coconut Sap and Saps of other palms. (N.J.
Melencion, L.J. Peamora, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya (20112016).

A total of 1,463.0 liters of coconut sap were harvested from ten palms from
January to March. From these, only 945.0 liters were distilled in a NFPDDdeveloped
simple pot distiller producing a total of 60.51 liters of ethanol. Recovery rate was at
6.41%. The average ethanol purity was at 74%.

2. AR/TU 10/29. Development of lowemission charcoal kiln for the production of
coconut biomass charcoal and briquettes, L.J. Peamora and N.J.
Melencion, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya (20112015)

The Divisions lowemission charcoal kiln is now fully operational. Fire bricks are
now used as insulation to minimize heat loss from the combustion chamber thereby
effectively increasing the carbonization temperature. The use of high temperature during
carbonization produces better quality charcoal.












Photo 1. The fully reconstructed lowemission
charcoal kiln

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3. AR/TU 05/20. Piloting and Commercialization of Coconut Husk Decorticating
Machine, Baling Machine and Twining Machine, L.J. Peamora, N.J.
Melencion, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya (20052015)

The fabrication of various coconut husk and coir processing equipment for various
PCA Regional Offices were continued.

During this quarter, the following units were delivered: the first 6 units (of 12)
decorticating machines with Kubota diesel engine for PCA Region XIII (CARAGA); 3 units
decorticating machines for PCA Region VII (Negros Oriental), and 1 unit decorticating
machine for The Rotary International Group thru the Livelihood Development Division of
the National Housing Authority. Likewise, the delivery, installation, and demonstration of 4
units mobile decorticating machines, 100 units twining machines, and 25 units of looming
machines were completed for the various KEDP sites of PCA Region XI.
























Photo 2. These fully fabricated machines were shipped during this quarter. First row: units of

decorticating machine for PCA Region XIII (left) and for The Rotary International (right).
Second row: units of twining machines for PCA Region XI's KEDP sites; placed in crates for
shipment (left) and units of looming machine in disassembled and grouped in bundles for
shipment (right).

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Photo 3. Decorticating machines were loaded for shipment. Left: A total of six units for delivery to PCA Region
XIII in Butuan City. Right: 1 unit for Tanay, Rizal c/o The Rotary International thru NHA for delivery to
Zamboanga Sea Port.


Fabrication works for various coconut husk and fiber processing equipment for 4
PCA Regional Offices are currently under being undertaken. These includes 2 units
decorticating machine, 1 unit baling machine, and 10 units twining machine for PCA Region
IIVB, 4 units decorticating machine, 35 units twining machine, 5 units looming machine and
1 set of briquetting equipment for PCA Region VIII, 7 units briquette processor, 12 units
briquetting machine, 3 units charcoal kiln with smoke trap, 4 units decorticating machine, 5
units looming machine, 25 units manual briquettor, 3 units smoke trap, 5 units mechanical
twining machine, 6 units pedaltype twining machine and 2 units wood chipper for PCA
Region IX, and 1 unit decorticating machine and 15 units twining machine for PCA Region
XIV.

Photo 4. Equipment requested by various PCA Regional Offices for procurement under their KAANIB
funds.

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Photo 5. 100 units of twining machine (left) and spools for looming machines (right) for delivery to PCA
Region XI for their KAANIB sites














Photo 6. Proper techniques in the operation and maintenance of the singlepass decorticating machine
were demonstrated to endusers in Rodriquez, Rizal.


5. AR/TU 06/25. Pilot Scale Production and Marketing of Handicrafts, Novelty Items
and Wares from Coconut Wood, Fruit Residues, Husks and other Parts
of Coconut, L.J. Peamora, N.J. Melencion, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and
L.Baya (20062015)

Orders were made by various clients for the fabrication of handicrafts and furniture
from coconut biomass. Thirty seven (37) items were produced during this quarter, giving a
total of available number of novelties to 441. A total of 26 items were sold to the clients
while 20 items were given as souvenir to WMSU OnTheJob Training (OJT) students and
ADZU EXCHANGE Program students.

Photo 7. Various novelty items from coconut shell and other biomass produced by NFPDD.

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6. AR/TU 10/26. Production, Utilization and Marketing of CocowoodAcacia Wood
Composite Furniture products (RevenueGenerating Project). L.J
Peamora, N.J Melencion, R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya. (2010
2020).

Various furniture from coconut wood and other wood species provided by clients
(PCA employees and outsiders) were fabricated at NFPDD and sold as revenue generating
measure. Proceeds of this project are still being used to partially cover the daily wages of
furniture makers and help improve/repair of existing wood working facilities of the
Division.
























Photo 8. Various furniture being fabricated for clients.

7. AR/TU 13/01. CoirAcrylic Product Development. (N.J. Melencion, L.J. Peamora,

R.L.Lumata, C.Tagactac, and L.Baya (20132015)

Fabrication of various acrylic and coconut biomass combinations is temporarily put
on hold.

8. Conferences/Seminars Attended/Other Activities

a. Dr. Neil J. Melencion and Mr. Ronald Yozores trained various carpenters and women in
Libertad, Palo, Leyte during the Technology Training on Cocowoodbased Furniture and
Handicrafts Making last January 1923, 2015. This training was conducted upon the
request of OXFAMs Typhoon Yolanda Response & Recovery Programme in Tacloban
and Eastern Leyte.

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Photo 9. Technology Training on Cocowoodbased Furniture and Handicrafts Making was
conducted at Libertad, Palo, Leyte with the participation of OXFAM and the local
residents of the area, the carpenters and their family members.

b. Mr. Clifford M. Tagactac, SRS II, conducted technical appraisal on the cost of treating
cocowood with Timbor preservative. Twenty percent (20%) solution of wood
preservative (Timbor, generic: disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) was used during the
pretreatment of lumber for housing purposes. With the current commercial price of
Timbor of about PhP 170.00 /Kg, the cost of treatment per board foot of lumber is
calculated to be PhP7.65.
c. Mr. Richard L. Lumata continued the preliminary testing on mushroom culture using
coconutwaste substrates. Mycelia culture was made using oyster mushroom sample in
potato dextrose agar medium. Moreover, grain spawns (oyster and milky mushroom)
procured from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department
of Agriculture Region IX were tested for adaptability on rice grains and some coconut
cellulosic materials. It appeared that mycelia culture in some coconut cellulosic parts
such as stalk of male flower (in pellet form) and pollen shell (residues from
hybridization project) gave comparable results as that on the rice grains, which is an
index that these cellulosic materials can be potential substitute for grain spawns. Based
on the results obtained, mycelia growth was faster in male flower stalk than that of rice
grain. It was observed that when these matured stalks were soaked in water, they
emitted a smell similar to that of a newly harvested. Meanwhile, the cultured mycelia

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 also gave positive result. Below are the pictures of the results obtained from the initial
experiment.








Photo 10. Left: Mushroom grown in a nut (recovered from the copra processing
area). Right: Mycelia culture in potato dextrose agar


















Photo 11. Grain spawn setup using different samples

A possible title for the project proposal would be Development of VillageLevel
Mushroom Cultivation using coconut waste substrates from coconut plantations, copra
processing area, and naturallydegraded coconut waste from Typhoon Yolandaaffected
areas. Other activities of Mr. Lumata also include the continuous collection of different
coconut waste materials to be used for mushroom substrates and the development of
coconutbased culture medium. Another possible proposal being contemplated is the
Isolation of germinated shoot and transplantation into coir dust for utilization of the
nut for various food and nonfood products. Initial experiments are ongoing. Below
are the pictures for the second proposal.










Photo 12. Isolation of Germinated shoot and transplantation into fertilized and sterilized coir

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d. Late January, five (5) Bachelor of Agricultural Technology (BAT) students from Western
Mindanao State University (WMSU) San Ramon Campus were accepted by the Center
for an OnTheJob Training at the Division. They were trained on the processing of
novelty items and furniture at the WoodWorking Shop.
e. The Division is now undertaking a reconstruction of the woodwool machineries to
replace the set of CFB machineries loaned to the Province of Davao Oriental.















Photo 13. Construction of a biomass shredder for the coir cement fiber board (CFB) production.

f. Drying sheds are now being rehabilitated to increase the functional drying area for sawn
coconut lumber.









Photo 14. These are the repairs made to the drying shed. Left top: Building of a support column. Left
bottom: Support column with installed trusses. Right: Fully accomplished drying shed
extension.

g. Dr. Neil J. Melencion visited Dr. Menandro Acda of the University of the Philippines Los
Baos on February 14, 2015 to inquire on wood pelletizer machines for the Cocobiomass
Bioenergy Project of the Division.

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h. The Community Achievers Association (COMMACH) of the University of Santo Thomas
College of Commerce invited Messrs. Richard L. Lumata and Pilardo R. Manlangit as resource
persons on the conduct of short training on coconut handicraft and other coconut products to
the Aeta Indigenous Tribe at Banban, Brgy. Hermosa, Bataan last February 1416, 2015.

Photo 15. Messrs. Lumata and Manlangit conducted novelty and handicrafts training in Banban,
Bataan. The team was spearheaded by the COMMACH Group (pictured below left with
resident members of the Aeta Indigenous Tribe).

i. Messrs. Clifford M. Tagactac, and Leo Jess G. Baya, along with PGRCUD Division Chief
Ramon L. Rivera, attended and represented the Center at the Farmers and Fisher folks
Congress at the Zamboanga Sibugay Provincial Capitol last February 23, 2015. They
participated the plenary session on Coconut Byproducts and Utilization, in line with
other sessions from other government corporations (DA, DENR, DTI, etc.) aimed to
provide farmers and fisher folks an update on new technologies and status on farming
industry (coconut, rubber, root crops, etc.), fishing industry, marketing, etc. The event
was part of the celebration of the 14th Araw ng Sibugay.

j. The Division participated in the Centers celebration of the PCAZRC 42nd Anniversary
and its activities like the rehabilitation of the Herbal and Medicinal Plants Garden (GAD
Project), coconut planting, and various games.

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Photo 16. Planting activities of herbal and medicinal plants at GAD project site.

k. Dr. Patrick Geel of the Van Kessel Energy Group (Phils), Inc., consultants of the Performance
Solutions Advocates Inc., together with Ms. Hanna Nuo, Chief of Staff of Cong. Lilia Nuo
visited the Division on March 6, 2015 to discuss the possibility of using coconut sap as one of
their feedstocks (cassava, sweet sorghum, and nipa palm inflorescence sap) for their planned
ethanol/cogeneration project (projected daily capacity of 1M Liters). The said project
requires the use of 50,000 hectares of land planted with their preferred feedstocks to attain
sustainable operations.









Photo 17. Dr. Melencion discussed with with Dr. Geel about fermented coconut palm sap as feedstock for
ethanol production. Also present were consultants from the Performance Solution Advocates
(PSA) (left photo). PSA consultants taking photo of coconut ethanolgasoline mix samples at
the Biomass and Biofuels Laboratory.

l. Messrs. Clifford M. Tagactac, Jaymart R. Adriano, Kristian Neil Andaya, and Garry Nodado
travelled to PCA Region XIII (CARAGA) to deliver and install coconut husk coir fiber
processing equipment to KAANIB sites in the CARAGA region.










Photo 18. Delivery and installation of coconut husks processing equipment in Region XIII.

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m. Messrs. Leo Jess G. Baya, Roger Caguimbal, and Renato Marabiles travelled to PCA Region XI
to deliver and install coconut husk coir fiber processing equipment to four (4) KAANIB sites
in the Davao region.









Photo 19. Demonstration of coconut husks processing at Region XI.


Submitted by:


NEIL J. MELENCION, PhD.
OfficerInCharge, NFPDD and
Senior Science Research Specialist

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