Evaluating our worth [editorial]

Media

Part of The Coconut Journal

Title: Evaluating our worth [editorial]
extracted text: THE COCONUT JOURNAl.. Published monthly by the NATIONAL COCONUT CORPORATION VOL. I Benjamin Salvosa, Editor Pedro M. Gimenez, Business Manager Godofredo Zandueta, Associate Editor Manila, Philippines C O NTENTS No.8 Evaluating Our Worth (Editorial) . 4 By Pedro .11. Gimenez President Quezon and the Coconut Industry 5 By Sol Gn·ekol! Board of Directors . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CONRADO BENITEZ, Executive 9 The Role of the 'Philippine Coconut Industry in Developing a Self-sufficient National Economy . . . I I By V. G. Lara Copra Price Fluctuation in Two Decades ( 1921-1940) 13 Fiber Cocotex from Coconut Husk . . . • . . . . . 15 By Angel B. Abad The Need of Cooperation in the Coconut Industry . 1 6 By Felipe Jose DECENTRALIZATION: Key to Economic Defense 18 By Hilarion Henares Unlocking the Treasure in Coconut Shell 20 By W. Orland Producer Gas Fundamentals . . . . . . . 22 Babassu • • • . • • . . . • . . . . . . . . . . 25 By Pe dro A. Dat'id Coconut Statistics . • • • . • • . . . . . • . . . 32 By Ricardo Bonilla A Survey of Legislation Affecting the Coconut Industry in the Philippines • . . . . . • . • . . . 34 By ,lraria Abalajon Marketing Copra and other Coconut Products . 36 By R. Bonilla Location Factors in the Commercial Coconut Industry . . • • . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 By George F. D�:asy SECCION CASTELLANA Los Primeros Logros de Ia Corporaci6n Nacional del Coco . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Por Juan M. de Castro Los Prestamos Sobre Cosecha Una Bendici6n 54 Una Resecadora Portatil Domestica . 60 Por Pedro A. DfPt:id A T raves de las Hojas . . • . . . . . . • . . . 62 The picture on our cover is the latest photograph of His Excellency, President Manuel L. Quezon furnished to us by Malacaiian for this issue. Address articles and COII1111Unications to tbc Editor, Coconut Journal, P. 0. Box 290, :Manila. Subscription rates, Jl2.00 a year. $2.00 in 11. 5. $3.00 'Joreign. 11.20 tbe copy. August 1941 Manila Page4 Evaluating Our Worth By PEDRO M. GIMENEZ Comptroller :Vational Coconut Corporation IN evaluating the net worth or accomplishments of an institution just born, like the National Coconut Corporation, or any other corporation, private or gov ernment-owned, monetary profits or loss should not be used as the only yard-stick to gauge its future. For as a matter of fact, the National Coconut Corpo ration is a new and pioneering enterprise designed to exploit a vast field hitherto unexplored and yet with so many obstacles placed by the law in its path. If to accuiY''..llate profit should be its only mission, thP. Nacoco .Board could have simply allocated the whole capital of the Corporation to money lendiPg which it is authorized to do under the ch:>!'ter, thereby en abling it to proclaim to the four winds that it has in its ten months of operatioP. realized gains instead of loss as is common i.o · any new business enter prise. But mone!' making is not its principai mission. The �.J'ational Coconut Corporation is by the mandat::: of the law, required to resuscitate a "dying man," to undertake a difficult operation yet with some vital instruments held up from its use. It is not authorized to buy and sell copra nor to give subsidy or loans to those engaged in the processing of copra or oil. The implication o" all these prohibitions which are contained in its c h a r t er simply mean that this corporation is powerless from stabilizing the price of copra in the Philippines, hence, the price of this vital com modity is dictated not always by the usual factor of supply and demand, but by the wishes of certain elements. Under the circumstances, the National Co conut £orporation has to look for entirely new fields and, thanks to the genius of its Board of Directors, it has found new uses for the different by-products of the coconuts. As may be recalled, the National Coconut Corpo ration was created under Commonwealth Act No. 518 with the principal aim of rehabilitating the coco nut industry and placing it in a position independent of the trade preferences with the United States. It has an authorized capitalization of P20,000,000.00 of which only P2,000,000.00 is paid up and P2,500,000.00 already appropriated but not released. Of the paid up capital, the National Coconut Corporation has ex pended from the time of its organization on August 20, 1940, for capital assets ¥547,245.55, for re searches P10,351.60, for loans P7,905.00, for copra driers constructed on installment basis Pl,320.51, for the spinning wheels and hand looms for making sand bags as part of the National Defense program P75,957.65; P98,016.89 for organization expenses, and (Pl�a.�� turn to pauc li.j) The COCONU'r EVALUATING OUR WORTH ... (ContinuPd frmn pagr .U P26,369.75 for educational campaign to propagate the home industry, or a total expenditure of P899,247.65, including all other miscellaneous items as of June 30, 1941. During the same ' Prospect of the Industry The Bureau of Science, the National Develop ment Company, and the Nacoco have under r.xperiments for sometime new phase;; of period, it has made a total sales of the by-products of the coconut in the amount of P30,698.13, consist ing mostly as follows: charcoal, hats, shells, copra, fiber, footwears, novelties, furniture, edible pro ducts, sacks, doormats, filters, handbags, wood preservatives, soap, lye, and various kinds of fiber pro ducts. At this writing, there are in operation schools in the follow ing provinces: Tayabas (Sariaya and Atimonan) and Laguna. Others are being constructed in Capiz, Mindanao, Samar, Leyte (under construction), Cebu and Bicol pro vinces. In all these centers, coconut by-products are being utilized for useful home articles such as doorComptroller P. M. Gimenez the industry such as the manufac· ture of roof tiles, insulating boards, plaster boards, all from the coir fibres; activated carbon for� gas masks and decolorizing ./'11'. poses, and electrodes for dry \ teries and flashlights, all from \. coconut shell charcoal. Given mo� time to complete these diff .ent experiments and with the. oo!Jcy of our Board to produce .. em com mercially at a minimum cost. I venture to state in all earnestness that the coconut industry will soon have a new lease in life, vigoro•1s and independent of our trade rel� tions with the United States. o� course, as we have previously mats, kitchen brushes, floor mops, hats, ladies hand bags and fans, etc., coir fibers for ropes, sand bags, oil filters, and coconut shell charcoal. stated, the efforts of the corpora tion toward this end will be futile unless the public cooperates by patronizing the products of our indus tries. ·Page 64 GREETINGS to His Excellency-front INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING CO., INC. Manufacturers of the well-known BAYAN LOOM, SPINDLES, and other industrial and household devices. 100% Filipino Enterprise Dedicated to the development and intensification of the country's house hold industries. Address communications to P. 0. Box 1913, Manila
Date: 1941
Rights