PCA to plant more tuba-tuba for fuel

The Philippine Coconut Authority-7 targets to plant and intercrop 50,000 hectares of jathropa, commonly known as "tuba-tuba" in the next five months.

PCA regional manager Diodero Ravelo said that since the agency spearheaded earlier this year the inter-cropping of jathropa in Ubay, Bohol, it will continue to do so in the rest of the PCA owned coconut plantations.

Aside from that coconut cooperatives under PCA also pledged to massively plant jathropa in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

PCA administrator Oscar Garin, who is also the presidential adviser on alternative fuel, had given a directive to all coconut development officers to pursue targets of jathropa planting.

Jathropa is now regarded as the answer to the ballooning cost of fuel in the world market.

Precautionary measures are however to be taken in securing the area as tuba tuba fruit is already proven to have afflicted poison to children who had eaten it's fruits.

A hectare of tuba-tuba is expected to produce 500 liters of biofuel. - Ferliza C. Contratista