SEAWATER DESALINATION EYED FOR COCO FARMERS

This is part of their search for a sustainable source of water for coconut plantations.

“As an option lagi sa amoang pagpangita ug sustainable source of water, we are now thinking of dagat as the source of water-desalination (As an option in our search for sustainable source of water, we are now thinking of seawater as the source through desalination).” EDNAR DAYANGHIRANG, chief of staff of Davao Oriental governor Nelson Dayanghirang

The provincial government of Davao Oriental is eyeing seawater desalination to help coconut farmers in Davao Oriental, a government official said.

Ednar Dayanghirang, chief of staff of Davao Oriental governor Nelson Dayanghirang, said this initiative is inspired from the geographical setting of the province, which faces the Pacific Ocean.

“As an option lagi sa amoang pagpangita ug sustainable source of water, we are now thinking of dagat as the source of water-desalination (As an option in our search for sustainable source of water, we are now thinking of seawater as the source through desalination),” Dayanghirang said on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 in a media forum at Habi at Kape, Abreeza Mall, Davao City.

He added the province experiences extreme hot weather condition that affected coconut plantations.

“That’s why we want to think outside the box, In fact, gikan ko og Taiwan. I was asked by the government to go there to study ang desalination plant dadto sa Penghu province (In fact, I just came from Taiwan. I was asked by the government to go there to study the desalination plant in Penghu province),” Dayanghirang said.

He also said the waste of the proposed desalination plant is salt which is a vital component for coconut growth as a fertilizer.

“The asin (salt) which will be produced from desalination will be given to the farmers,” Dayanghirang added.

In terms of financing the plant, Dayanghirang said, he recently attended a meeting with small-scale desalination plant owners and learned that it would only cost P2 million to start-up the plant which can accommodate 12,000 liters of water.

Dayanghirang said if the national government supports the establishment of the desalination plant, then this will result in less importation of salt for the province’s coconut farmers.