Bernie Ferrer Cruz officially took the reins of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), an attached corporation of the Department of Agriculture (DA), as its Administrator and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) on December 12, 2022.

Cruz was formally sworn into office by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban in the presence of other members of the PCA Board.

As PCA Administrator and CEO, Cruz automatically becomes a member of the PCA Board, which is currently chaired by President and Agriculture Secretary Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and vice-chaired by Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno.

The Board is mandated “a) To direct and manage the affairs of the PCA; b) To prepare and adopt an annual budget; c) To disburse the proceeds of the levies for the purposes herein authorized; and d) To establish the internal organization of the Authority and fix the salaries and other compensation of its officers and employees” as per Presidential Decree No. 1468, series of 1978 or the Revised Coconut Industry Code.

Cruz was also granted authority to approve and sign agreements and partnerships with national government agencies, local government units, civil society organizations, and members of the private sector in order to not hamper PCA projects that are being implemented for the benefit of the country’s coconut farmers.

Other PCA Board-approved appointments include Board Secretary Atty. Luz J. Perez and Deputy Administrator for the Administrative and Finance Branch Atty. Lucius Jun-Jun G. Malsi. ### (Krystelle Ymari A. Vergara, DA-AFID)