SONA 2026: Government aims to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028

The government is targeting to plant 100 million coconut trees by 2028 to boost the country's coconut industry, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.

Marcos reported that 18 million coconut trees have been planted so far under his administration.

"Ang mga taniman naman ng niyog ay dumadami at lumalawak din, dala ng ating programa ng malawakang pagtatanim sa buong bansa. Nakapagtanim na tayo ng labingwalong milyong puno, at patuloy pa rin ang pagtatanim," he said.

(As for coconut farms, they are also multiplying and expanding, driven by our nationwide mass-planting program. We have already planted 18 million trees, and planting continues.)

"Layunin natin na sa pagtatapos ng administrasyon, makakapagtanim tayo ng isandaang milyong puno ng niyog. Gagarantiyahin nito ang tatag ng ating industriya ng niyog hanggang sa mga susunod na dekada."

(Our goal is that by the end of the Administration, we will have planted 100 million coconut trees. This will guarantee the stability of our coconut industry for decades to come.)

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority as of the end of 2025 showed coconut production reached 14.506 million metric tons, slightly higher than 14.5 million MT in 2024.

Marcos vowed in his SONA last year to ask Congress to amend the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act to make it more responsive to farmers' needs and to boost exports.

But proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act are still pending in both chambers of Congress at the committee level.

Moreover, Marcos highlighted that agricultural production rose in 2023 due to various programs such as capital, farm inputs, equipment, training, and insurance that have benefitted farmers and fisherfolk.

"Dala ito ng malakas na buhos ng suporta sa sektor, ang gumaganda at lumalawak na sakop ng imprastraktura at sistema ng irigasyon, at tumataas na antas ng mekanisasyon," he said.

(This is brought about by a strong outpouring of support for the sector, the improving and expanding coverage of infrastructure and irrigation systems, and an increasing level of mechanization.)

"Nagbubuklod na rin ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda, at nabibiyayaan ng makabagong teknolohiya, binhi, at mga pasilidad at kagamitan. Ilan sa mga ito ay ang isandaan at apatnapu’t limang rice processing systems, tatlong malalaking cold storage facilities, at halos apatnapung libong makinarya," Marcos added.

(Farmers and fisherfolk are also coming together, benefiting from modern technology, seeds, facilities, and equipment. Some of these include 145 rice processing systems, three large cold storage facilities, and nearly 40,000 pieces of machinery.)

The president also noted that the Department of Agriculture will train farmers on modern methods to prevent pests on crops and diseases like Avian Flu and African Swine Fever. —LDF, GMA News