GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) donated two units of saw mills to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) here in the region.
The sawmills donated by the UNDP will be a great help to their effort to rehabilitate and recover the coconut industry, said PCA’s officer-in-charge Joel Pilapil. The simple turn-over rites was held on June 10 at the PCA-8 office here witnessed by top officials of both agencies. Present were UNDP senior recovery coordinator, Dennis Curry, Eden Garde, Yolanda response project manager, Dario Cubelo, northwestern Leyte hub coordinator and senior technical adviser Adam Marlatt.
Long-time PCA-8 regional manager, Edilberto Nierva and other personnel of the said government agency, witnessed the turn-over of the two sawmill units. Pilapil, in his welcome message, narrated how the PCA and the UNDP started their collaboration. According to him, he was still the provincial coconut manager for western Leyte when he met Cubelo just a month after Yolanda hit Leyte.
Their meeting led to their effort to conduct clearing operations in the area of debris with the UNDP providing the needed funds. The PCA provided the chainsaws while a non-government organization, AFFIRE, assumed the logistical and personnel requirements. The success of this initial collaboration for the UNDP to donate sawmills to the PCA.
Curry expressed his hope that their donation of the sawmills will help hasten the campaign of the PCA to rehabilitate and recover the coconut industry which was among the most seriously affected sectors due to Yolanda.(JAM CASTANEDA/PR)
