COCONUT

A couple of years ago, the Provincial Agriculturist’s office had a problem on where to plant thousand of Synthetic Zamboanga and Dwarft coconuts from the Philippine Coconut Center in Zamboanga, requiring a minimum land of 20 hectares of compact land. All surveyed lands were lass than the required area.

One evening, on a regular meeting of the Rotary Club, the matter was brought out and discussed by its officials and members. It so happened that former San Juan Mayor Ruben Valero was present. The generous and charitable mayor immediately offered their vast land in Brgy. Almeida, in Bacnotan town. The good news was immediately relayed to the grateful Ma’am Amelia Q. Sotelo, the industrious Provincial Agriculturist of La Union and immediately relayed to the Philippine Coconut Authority.

Work immediately started. Everyone did their share to plant the coconuts on the 50 hectares land of the Valero clan, much higher than the required minimum land area.  Officials and employees of the Provincial Government of La Union, Municipal Government of Bacnotan, officials and residents of Brgy. Almeida and volunteers from civic organizations all joined hands in planting the coconuts under the hot scorching sun.

The coconut plantation which has a romantic view of the China Sea is now the biggest coconut plantation in the whole Northern Luzon. It no sells high quality coconut seedlings at 250 Pesos a piece. As to date only 30 hectares of the plantation were developed and planted. Other fruit bearing trees will soon be planted in the remaining area of 20 hectares.

Today, with the supervision of the able men and women of the OPAG, the plantation is promising the people of our province a much greener environment for much better La Union to live in.