Learn more about Dr. Gerry's Coco Nectar both as a superfood and a social enterprise.

Learn more about Dr. Gerry's Coco Nectar both as a superfood and a social enterprise.

Did you know that the coconut tree is called the tree of life? This is because every part – from the smooth leaves down to the sturdy roots – can be used one way or another, and the Philippines is blessed with the perfect warm climate to grow these high-value trees. Get to know Frank Regis, a social entrepreneur with the big mission of making all stakeholders in the coconut industry, farmers, landowners, plantation workers, thrive and have a better quality of life through Dr. Gerry’s Coco Nectar.

 

Sowing seeds of sweet hope

Growing up in a small farm in Southern Leyte, Frank knew first-hand the different uses and benefits of coconuts and even after college, this knowledge, paired with his passion to share this natural miracle to as many people as possible, persevered. "I've been in the coconut industry since the late 1960's. I spent half of my management career working with coconut products."

In the 70's, the Philippines witnessed a steep dive for the coconut industry. Farmers found it difficult to reach their daily cash requirements and landowners saw more benefit in selling the trees than sustaining their plantations. As a result, thousands of trees were being cut for lumber for quick income. It was during this time of struggle that Frank found his battle cry, "I have made it a mission to rehabilitate and revive the coconut industry in such a way that all stakeholders – tenants, landowners and workers who depend on the coconuts for their livelihood –  earn what’s due them from these coconuts."

 

Being the man with the plan

Like all great, dynamic businesses, Frank steered away from traditional practices and the usual coconut products. He instead searched for a new, particular solution to this sweeping problem – and he finally saw it in coco nectar.

"It was an accidental discovery made by nuclear physicist and my Technical Consultant, Dr. Gerry Macias, who was also very much into the research of new coconut products," says Frank, explaining the namesake of his product.

Coco nectar is a concentrated form of the coconut sap (or cocosap for short), a sweet liquid that comes from the coconut flower. It is self-preserving, not needing any chemical preservatives, and packs more amino acids than animal protein, vegetables, or even bee honey.

And unlike bee honey where there isn’t much long-term and ample supply, producing coco nectar lessens the risk for coconut farmers as explained by Frank, “Getting cocosap takes only twenty-four hours at the most, and the volume depends on how many trees are being tapped every day. Bee honey can take a long time to produce as it is dependent on the bees and the flowers they feed on. Cocosap flows from the coconut twenty-four seven.”

 

From superfood to social enterprise

Though this “rehab mission” as he calls it is still in its infancy, Frank is already seeing small yet significant fruits of this labor of love, especially in his partner farming community, GK Liwayway in Mauban, Quezon.

“I have hired mostly Gawad Kalinga residents in all our construction activities and upon the completion of the bigger coco nectar processing plant, we can hire more people from GK Liwayway.” And the next years hold more overflowing goodness for all, especially the farmers.

The national average income of a coconut plantation producing copra and whole nuts is only Php900 per hectare per month. But by producing cocosap for coco nectar production, farmers get Php7,500 per hectare per month – that’s almost 8 times more what they can earn from copra and there's a big potential to increase it to 10 times more!

“Coconut farmers can now enjoy Jollibee, take their family to malls, and not worry as to where the next tuition is going to come from,” says a happy Frank. “And now, since cocosap production gives more money, farmers will be motivated to replant new trees in the place of those old trees cut for coco lumber. It’s a win-win-win-win all the way for everybody and the economy.”

 

Though Frank is still far from the target reach he aims for Dr. Gerry’s Coco Nectar, he continues to march on, feet strong, eyes forward, and heart ablaze. Thank you, Tito Frank, for your labor of love and for your continuous efforts so we can toast to both our good health and to a better life for Filipino coconut farmers. Cheers!

Get your own bottle of health and drink up! Every bottle you buy brings a better life for the coconut farmer and hope for the coconut industry.