The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) anticipates a boost to Romblon's coconut industry with the establishment of the first-ever coconut oil refinery in the province located in the town of Sta. Maria.
DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. recently visited the refinery in Barangay Concepcion Sur together with DOST Mimaropa officials and members of the National Academy of Science and Technology. He said that the refinery is a DOST-assisted project in collaboration with the local government unit of Sta. Maria.
Solidum emphasized the importance of promoting projects like this to the public especially since this can benefit the residents of Santa Maria and the entire Romblon province.
German Villostas, a farmer and general manager of Sta. Maria Coconut Farmer Agriculture Cooperative, said that once the refinery reaches full operational capacity, it will meet Romblon's demand for refined coconut cooking oil. This means that there will be no need to import cooking oil from Manila or other provinces.
Villostas highlighted the cooperative's commitment to supporting local coconut farmers by offering competitive prices for copra.
“This will benefit our coconut farmers in terms of a better price for our copra, lower transport cost, savings in time travel, and convenience in delivery,” according to Villostas.
The cooperative is also committed to ensuring that no part of the copra goes to waste. Villostas said that the cooperative has found additional revenue by utilizing copra by-products, such as vinegar production and pig feed. These by-products are processed and sold, further contributing to a circular economy, and reducing environmental waste.
According to Villostas, they are selling cooking oil for only P120 per 1.5 litter, much lower than other commercial cooking oils.
Based on the Department of Agriculture's Philippine Rural Development Project, Romblon province's primary commodity is coconut, with over 15 municipalities engaged in copra production and over 35,000 registered coconut farmers. The province has over 50 hectares of coconut plantations, yielding an annual production of over 200,000 metric tons of coconut.
