MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) is targeting the planting of 25.3 million coconut trees in 2026 as the government accelerates a nationwide campaign to reach 100 million coconut trees by 2028.
PCA Administrator and CEO Dexter Buted confirmed the 25.3-million target in an interview with reporters on August 26, saying the agency’s planting program remains on track toward the government’s long-term goal.
The campaign is part of the government’s broader effort to rehabilitate the Philippine coconut industry, particularly farms with aging, damaged or less productive trees.
From millions planted to a much bigger target
According to the PCA, the program recorded a target of 8.6 million coconut seedlings in 2024, followed by 15.3 million in 2025, with another 25.3 million planned for 2026.
Buted said those three annual figures would amount to roughly 50 million trees, although the agency is also accounting for seedlings that may not survive after planting.
That survival issue is a critical part of the program.
The PCA said it is maintaining a 15% survival buffer, equivalent to roughly 15 million to 20 million additional trees, to replace palms that die and ensure that the eventual number of productive, fruit-bearing trees can reach the government’s 100-million objective.
Funding remains a major challenge
The ambitious planting schedule, however, faces a significant financial hurdle.
The Department of Agriculture said the PCA’s 2026 program requires funding for 25.4 million seedlings, but existing funds were sufficient for only about 16.85 million, leaving a gap covering more than 8.5 million seedlings. The DA reported that the PCA was seeking additional funding to keep the nationwide program on schedule.
The Philippine Star separately reported that the PCA was seeking about ₱1.26 billion in additional funding to close the gap and meet its 2026 planting target.
This means the success of the 100-million-tree campaign will depend not only on producing and distributing seedlings but also on securing enough money for planting, farm rehabilitation and the replacement of trees that fail to survive.
Why the government is pushing replanting
The Philippines remains one of the world’s major coconut producers, but the industry faces a structural problem: many coconut trees are old and becoming less productive.
The government’s strategy therefore goes beyond simply adding new trees. The Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan combines replanting with fertilization, farm rehabilitation, intercropping, financing, research, processing and market-development initiatives.
The Department of Agriculture has also promoted intercropping with commodities such as coffee, cacao and bananas while newly planted coconut trees mature, allowing farmers to generate income during the years before the young palms become productive.
The Philippine coconut industry is economically significant. CNA reported that coconut-derived products generate around US$2 billion in annual exports and provide livelihoods for about 3 million Filipino farmers. The country is currently the world’s second-largest coconut producer, behind Indonesia.
The clock is ticking toward 2028
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated the 100-million-tree goal during his Fifth State of the Nation Address in July 2026, saying around 18 million coconut trees had already been planted under his administration and that the government intends to reach 100 million before his term ends in 2028.
The figures show why the coming planting cycles are crucial.
The government’s earlier program called for about 25.4 million trees annually from 2026 through 2028.
At the same time, the PCA is planning for losses and replacement planting, meaning the number of seedlings placed in the ground will not necessarily equal the number of mature, productive palms eventually contributing to coconut production.
That distinction could become one of the biggest tests of the program.
What happens next?
The PCA is strengthening partnerships with local governments, state universities, farmer organizations and civil society groups to expand nurseries, provide technical assistance and improve the delivery of quality seedlings to coconut-growing communities. The agency is also looking at hybridization and high-yielding, climate-resilient varieties to improve future productivity.
Regional efforts are already underway. In Palawan, for example, the PCA reported 1,600 hectares planted with coconut trees as of June 2026, while local authorities continue working with farmers’ groups and other institutions to accelerate planting.
The larger question is no longer simply how many coconut seedlings can be planted.
It is whether the Philippines can fund the program, keep enough trees alive, replace aging palms and ultimately turn the massive planting campaign into higher yields and better incomes for coconut farmers.
With 2028 approaching, the next planting cycles could determine whether the country’s 100-million-tree promise becomes a lasting revival of the coconut industry—or another target that proves harder to reach than expected.
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