From the air, the Philippines looks like a country filled with coconut trees. After all, about 347 million coconut trees are planted throughout the country. Coconut is planted in 69 out of 82 provinces. Today, the Philippines is the world’s second leading coconut producer – after Indonesia.
“The coconut has been a fundamental pillar of the Philippine agricultural landscape for centuries,” says Brian James J. Lu, an entrepreneur, business adviser and government consultant. It sustains livelihoods, provides versatile products, and contributes significantly to the country’s economy.”
In Davao region, some farmers are also rediscovering the health benefits of coconut – plus knowing these can be a good source of income for them. In the town of Bansalan, about 85 kilometers away from Davao City, there is a farmer who makes money out of his coconuts.
Benjamin R. Lao, founder and president emeritus of the Lao Integrated Farms, Inc., uses coconut to produce coconut sugar and coconut syrup. He does not only sell his coconut products in his hometown and nearby areas but also export them to other countries.
In his study, he found that the profit of using a coconut tree for coconut sugar is almost three times more than when the same tree is used for making copra.
“It is not enough that we plant the most number of coconut trees or produce the highest number of nuts,” commented Dr. Patricio S. Faylon, former PCAARRD executive director. “It is getting the highest value and benefits from this crop that matters most. The best way to do this is to transform the nuts and other coconut parts into high-value products.”
Coconut sugar is considered a safe and healthy sweetener due to its low glycemic index (GI) of 35. It is rich in phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and chlorine. As an “invert sugar,” it can be a valuable sweetener in food and pharmaceutical preparations and can be used as a substitute for honey and sweetener for infant foods.
“Its health benefits have been recognized by a highly discriminating and health-conscious market,” PCAARRD said. “Demand for the product is continuously increasing and is expected to further increase due to the number of health-conscious individuals within and outside the country.”
“Coconut sugar is not only sweet but even more nutritious than cane sugar,” pointed out Lao, whose product lines also include coconut sap honey, coconut syrup, and coconut aminos. His coconut sugar is also being sold in other countries. Coconut sugar also comes in various flavors: turmeric, ginger, lemon grass and moringa (malunggay).
On value adding, Lao shared these words: “(It) is an important component in a farming system. For instance, if you have goats, you must know how to produce fresh milk and have other saleable products from the animals. In the case of coconut, don’t think only of copra because when it is cheaper, you can always have another product to sell.”
Lao used to work as a government employee in Davao. But the stress from work and the constant travel from the city to his hometown was too much. He decided to quit his job and do farming. “Farming is really my first love,” he said.
In 1998, Lao started to develop the land he inherited from his parents. To transform the barren land into an agricultural haven, he started reading agricultural magazines and other related publications. He also attended training and seminars conducted by government agencies.
The 5-hectare farm he inherited had already grown coconut trees. Every three months, he harvested only 400-600 nuts. Since commercial fertilizer was very expensive, he planted different nitrogen fixing species.
The leaves from the nitrogen fixing species that fell below the ground become instant organic fertilizer for the coconut trees. Several months later, the coconut yield markedly increased to 15,000 nuts per quarter. “Some of my neighbors told me it was a miracle,” he said.
Since Lao wanted to practice the principle of organic farming, he thought of adding goats. He used the hedgerows as additional feed for his goats. “Legumes contain as high as 16% crude protein and therefore provide good nourishment for my goats,” he said.
After attending a seminar conducted by the Philippine Coconut Authority in Davao City, he thought of producing coconut sugar from the coconut sap or toddy (locally known as tuba) as it contains 12%-18% sugar in its natural form.
The flowers of the coconut tree provide the sap that is made into sugar. Each tree in a good stand can yield an average of two liters of sap daily. At least four coconut trees are needed to produce one kilo of sugar per day.
In the beginning, he only sells the locally-produced coconut sugar inside his farm. Believing there was an untapped market for such products, he hired people and started producing other alternative sweeteners. He then registered these products with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) under the moniker Donnabelle – a combination of the names of his two daughters.
Lao said to have availed the Start Up program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) for the capitalization. The Peace and Equity Foundation also provided him with some assistance.
In his farm, the production of coconut sugar and other products are done carefully so these are not contaminated and clean. The collected sap are brought to the receiving area of the facility. The staff in-charge of the quality control makes sure the containers are well-cleaned.
A rigid inspection is done by sensory evaluation. This is the point where the coconut sap can be processed or rejected. The pH meter, Brix count, viscosity and taste are being evaluated.
Once the coconut sap has passed the sensory evaluation, it has to go through the microfiltration machine to further eliminate whatever impurities present in the toddy.
After a series of quality checks, the coconut sap is ready for cooking. The production of coco sugar is very simple. It is just a natural process of heat evaporation to convert liquid sap into a solid form of sugar granules.
Coconut sugar is easy to sell as it is healthy. In fact, it is good for those with diabetes. Compared with refined cane sugar, coconut sugar has a glycemic index (GI) at 35. This is much lower than the 54 GI, the level which nutritionists consider safe for people who have to watch out for their glucose level.
“Coconut sugar is not only sweet but even more nutritious than cane sugar,” said Lao, who was named by the Department of Agriculture as an outstanding farmer in the field of coconut farming in 2007 and an outstanding organic farmer in 2011.
Another outstanding product is the coconut syrup, an organically-grown natural sweetener. It is a good substitute for honey. It can be used as topping for pancakes, pastries, and filling for breads and chocolate, among others.
Coconut aminos, a dark brown sauce made by fermenting coconut sap with sea salt and spices. It has a flavor profile akin to that of soy sauce, albeit with a hint of sweetness. Contrary to what its name might suggest, it does not possess a coconut flavor; instead, it contributes an umami or savory taste to various dishes.
Coconut aminos are free from soy, wheat, and gluten, making it an excellent alternative to soy sauce for individuals with food allergies or intolerances. “Our coconut aminos can be used as a marinade and dip for meat and fish,” Lao said. “It can even add a delightful kick to your favorite salad.”
According to Lao, the farm is certified by TUV SuD AG – a German multinational service company that specializes in technical certification testing – as “hazard analysis and critical control point.”
As an organic farm, it is certified by Ecocert, a France-based organic certification which conducts inspections in over 80 countries, Negros Island Certification Services, Inc. and Organic Crop Center of the Philippines. It is also a member of IFOAM Organics International, a European umbrella organization for organic food and farming.
The farm – called Lao Integrated Farms, Inc. (LIFI) – is located in barangay Eman, about four kilometers away from the Davao to Cotabato national highway. It is a two-hour ride from Davao City. Every month, about one thousand farmers from all over the country visit the farm.
“We are fully aware of our social responsibilities and look into the sustainability of our business for the future,” said Donna Lao-Padre, the farm’s chief executive officer. “Our coconut project does not only introduce coconut sap-based sweetener as a healthy sweetener alternative to consumers but also helps elevate the standard of living of the people in the provinces through our various corporate social responsibility activities.”
Aside from coconut, the Lao Integrated Farm is also teeming with various fruits like lanzones, durian, mangosteen, rambutan, and dragon fruit. “I bought them one at a time from my salary as a government employee,” Lao said.
In his farm, you won’t see his farm workers using chemical pesticides. “I had a tragic experience with chemical pesticides when I was still a teenager while cultivating rice in our farm located at the neighboring barangay,” he revealed.
Instead, he recommends using Eman, which stands for “epektibo, mura, at natural” (effective, cheap, and natural). “This is a concoction composed of fresh goats’ manure, kakawate, makabuhay, and hot pepper,” he informed. “These are soaked together for 48 hours and after that the concoction is ready for application.”
Lao said Eman is effective in repelling plant pests and diseases. In addition, it is also a good course of foliar fertilizer. “We are committed to help preserve our environment. We want to teach Filipino farmers the right way of farming through natural methods and that is by not using commercial fertilizer or pesticides,” he said.
Instead of using commercial fertilizer, LIFI uses animals’ waste and African nightcrawler worms. The waste from the earthworms produces vermicompost – a natural fertilizer – and it goes back to the land. “This organic fertilizer produces high-quality harvest from our farm,” Donna said.
The farm also uses maya extract (used to strengthen the immune system of livestock and as disinfectants for their beddings), oriental herb nutrient (as natural pest repellent), calphos (to help in flower- and fruit-setting and as soil conditioner), fermented fruit juice (to help growth development of crops), and carrageenan (as foliar fertilizer).
People who have been to his farm described it as a haven. You don’t see only livestock and crops but ornamentals as well. “It’s nice to see beautiful flowers underneath the trees,” he explained. “Also, the flowers serve as breeding areas for beneficial insects like spiders and dragonflies.”
