MANILA, Philippines – All eyes are on the coconut, as the Philippines’ tree of life proves that it can do far more than fuel buko juice stands!

This versatility was on full display at the 2025 Coconut Philippines Trade Fair, where 220 exhibitors from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao showed how the coconut continues to evolve: chips and plant-based alternatives, woven bags and artisanal crafts, wellness goods and sustainable innovations.

The trade fair from August 28 to September 2 was held at SM Megamall, hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry, in partnership with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and supported by the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan program.

Beyond other traditional staples such as buko pie and coconut water, every part of the tree — from husk to flower — was reimagined into food, skincare, furniture, fibers, and even eco-friendly packaging during the trade fair. The fair wasn’t just to sustain the coconut as a top global export; it was a reminder that the coconut is not only in the Filipino diet and household, but also in entrepreneurship, creativity, and sustainability.

“From the virgin coconut oil and coconut water, to skincare and wellness products, the coconut has already found its place in the homes, diets, and lifestyles of consumers all over the world,” said DTI Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, highlighting how the Filipino coconut can stand proudly, both in native and foreign soil.

PCA Administrator Dr. Dexter Buted echoed this, stressing the need to strengthen the local market. “We need to increase our domestic utilization,” he said. “Hindi katulad sa Thailand, Indonesia, ang taas ng kanilang domestic returns. Sa atin, medyo mababa.”

(Not like in Thailand or Indonesia, their domestic returns are high. For us, it is a bit low.)

Still, reflected at the heart of every product on display is the work of farmers. Their labor and commitment, combined with the ingenuity of entrepreneurs, show how raw harvests — and even discarded byproducts — can be transformed into something new. And how, having long been hailed as the tree of life, the coconut is also a tree of innovation.

Sustainabilty and waste innovations

Not all coconut products begin with oil or water. For some entrepreneurs, innovation starts with what others throw away.

Among the exhibitors is Rolyolikha at iba pa Handicrafts, a Laguna-based enterprise that started in 2008, producing raw materials before pivoting to eco-friendly innovations.

After Typhoon Ondoy devastated the province in 2009, Renel Batralo began transforming different parts of the coconut — from the shell and stalk, to the flower and even coco peat (typically used for soil/planting) — into bags, baskets, and home décor.

“We are surrounded by different raw materials, especially coconut products,” Batralo told Rappler. “Yung mga raw materials namin galing sa mga palengke. At yung mga bagaybay naman, siya yung kinukuha naman namin, sa mga farm na kung saan tinatapon lang nila, o sinusunog nila ang mga raw materials. On our part, we convert it into a product through product development and innovation,” Batralo told Rappler.

(Our raw materials come from the markets. As for the coconut stalks, we collect them from farms where they would otherwise just be thrown away or burned.)

For Batralo, the fair’s impact goes beyond just how much you earn in one day.

“The most important [thing] is to showcase your product in the right market, in the right venue, and to meet the right people,” said Batralo in a mix of English and Filipino. “Not only you, but also your community, can grow at the same time. The more our enterprise grows, the more we can give our people a more sustainable livelihood.”

While Batralo’s work highlights the coconut’s role in reducing waste, other enterprises reveal how its fibers and husks can be woven into heritage crafts that keep both family and community livelihoods alive across generations.

Fiber and tradition

The coconut’s versatility extends beyond food and fuel — its fibers and husks have long been woven into crafts that carry both livelihood and heritage.

Another stall, Pulilan Handicraft, has been transforming abaca, coco fiber, and rice husk (ipa) intricate animal figures, nativity sets, and decorative pieces among others, for over two decades. Now led by the matriarch Norma Castro after her husband’s passing in 2019, the family enterprise uplifts its community not just through craft but also through sustainability. By buying rice husks directly from farmers in Bulacan, they prevent agricultural waste from being burned while providing growers with a steady source of income.

“Dati kasi yung gawa namin, twice a year lang. Then nung nakasali na kami sa mga fair, nagkaroon po kami ng more buyers then dire-diretso na po yung orders. Kaya po, buong taon po may orders na po kami,” Ma Cristina Castro, the owner’s daughter, told Rappler.

(Before, we only had work twice a year. Then when we started joining fairs, we gained more buyers and the orders became continuous. So now we receive orders all year round.)

For enterprises like theirs, consistent demand means more than just profit. It secures reliable work for artisans, creates a market for farm byproducts, and shows how the coconut’s fibers continue to support both tradition and livelihood.

From family enterprises to nationwide industries, what ties these stories together is the coconut itself — a resource that carries innovation on one hand, and, on the other, the communities and practices it has supported for generations.

Sustaining the tree of life

The coconut has been called the Philippines’ “tree of life,” providing livelihood for over 2.8 million farmers and workers. Today, its role is expanding: from being seen as a commodity or a simply a top global export to becoming a source for innovation, sustainability, and value-added products that reach far beyond food and drink.

And the Coconut Philippines Trade Fair fittingly showed how every husk, fiber, and flower can be transformed into something new.

– Rappler.com