PH Coconut Roadshow Visits San Francisco and Colorado

From left:  Consul Rachel Oronce, DTI Assistant Director Agnes Perpetua Legaspi, Trade Commissioner Celynne Layug, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr., PCA Deputy Administrator Roel M. Rosales, DTI Product Officer Ma. Melvin Jones, Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines, Inc. founding member Mr. Marco Reyes, and Deputy Consul General Jaime Ramon T. Ascalon.

29 September 2017 SAN FRANCISCO - A delegation of Philippine coconut manufacturers and exporters, accompanied by officials from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Export Marketing Bureau, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines, Inc. (VCOP), visited Denver, Colorado Springs, and San Francisco from September 18 to 24 to promote coconut-based products in the U.S., as well as conduct market and product research.                   

Highlights of the tour include a meeting with Dr. Bruce Fife of the Coconut Research Center in Colorado Springs, site visits to numerous supermarkets and organic stores across Colorado and the Bay Area, as well as business meetings with local importers, distributors, and wholesalers. 

At the Philippine Center, Consul General Henry S. Bensurto, Jr. received the visiting delegation for a courtesy call and a discussion on the state of the Philippine’s coconut industry, opportunities and challenges, and export prospects to the U.S. market. The business mission ended with a debriefing session to discuss the learnings from the activities, and to discuss short- and mid-term plans to follow through on the gains of this year’s business mission. END

For more information, visit www.sanfranciscopcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.philippinessanfrancisco.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHinSF/