04/02/2012 (PIA) – Department Agriculture (DA) Secretary Alcala is pushing for the upgrading of research centers and laboratories of Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to meet international standards.

This is according to PCA administrator Euclides Forbes during Thursday’s episode of the Talking Points radio program aired simultaneously over Radyo ng Bayan and People’s Television-4.

Forbes said PCA is continuously conducting researches to support the coconut and palm oil industry.

He said President Benigno Aquino III’s administration has augmented the research fund, supporting the lead of Sec. Alcala to make globally competitive research centers and laboratories for the country’s internationally recognized “quality coconuts.”

Further, Forbes said PCA is focusing researches on the sluggish coconut products like the virgin coconut oil (VCO).

He said PCA is just waiting for the result of the research on the VCO’s potential capacity to fight the low-density lipoprotein or the bad cholesterol, which could pose danger to coronary health.

“In a month’s time, Sec. Alcala will announce the result of the research on the virgin coconut oil,” said Forbes, reassuring that the announcement would be ‘something very positive.’

Sec. Alcala also directed PCA to research on VCO’s preventive aid against the Alzheimer’s disease. (PCCC/PIA-GHQ).