IN MEMORIAM:
JUN CASTILLO JR.
“THE COCONUT MAN”
First and foremost, this page wishes to express its condolences to the family and friends of the late Coconut enthusiast Jose Constantino "Jun" Castillo.
"Jun," as his colleagues called him, is known for his humility, simplicity, intelligence, sense of humor, and patriotism, as well as his advocacy for the cultivation, production, and utilization of coconuts and their byproducts.
Jun, a firm believer in the benefits of coconut, advocated for the use of Virgin Coconut Oil rather than Copra, describing its production as a "sickly old man" who "poisons" both farmers and consumers. He even promoted coconut byproducts like flour, sugar, tea, coffee, and even cheese.
He also promoted alternatives to copra production, such as the "Frescahan" system (which uses fresh coconut), the community-based "Farmers Coconut Mill" (FARCOM), and the multicropping system in coconut fields (with crops such as coffee or cacao, as well as peanuts, planted alongside coconut), all of which aim to empower coconut farmers by breaking away from the "sickly old man" whose sackful costs fifteen pesos.
For a fellow patriot would say how tragic his death was. To communicate with his fellow cocopartners and friends, he prefers to use his trusty analog phone, text and call, and meet in person rather than using his smartphone and social media. Jun would approach, introduce, and talk about "all things coconut" aside from other topics when this writer visited "Coconut House"- all over a cup of coconut coffee, "Kapayapaan float" (cold coffee with coconut ice cram on top), or any other coconut based dishes.
Even his coconut ice cream, which is made entirely of coconut byproducts (milk, sugar, and virgin coconut oil), is heavily promoted in his shop, alongside other ice cream products produced by his other company, Eastern Blends Corporation. Jun even invited this writer for a tour of his small ice cream factory near his house in Quezon City- where he also participated in its production, as well as urging his workers to promote and sell his products in their communities- that somehow made latter managed to stay afloat in those pandemic-marred times. And the machines, no matter how simple they were, churned a lot of ice cream in all of its various flavors.
And, because his ice cream was so intriguing and irresistible, yours truly brought tubs. One of which was given to the owner of a coffeeshop in Escolta, whose specialty is an iced brewed coffee with coconut milk and muscovado sugar syrup- and which is similar to Jun’s own coconut coffee or "Kapayapaan float." The difference is that his is made entirely of coconut, including milk, roasted "grounds" out of grated coconut, and a syrup made from sap.
But his support for coconuts isn't limited to the cocopalm. His advocacy also includes the nipa palm, which he refers to as "water coconut." And the sap cannot be limited to wine or vinegar; it can also become syrup or sugar, and thus should be included in the FARCOM if possible. He even encouraged multrcopping in coconut farms, planting bananas, peanuts, or even coffee to augment coconut farmers’ income and to utilise the abundance of the soil.
Need this note say more? His devotion to all things coconut is an act of patriotism in and of itself, and this writer believes Jun will be remembered, if not revered, or even reaffirmed, for it.