Uswag-GK villagers to be trained on vegetable production
Manila (25 August) — Aside from giving them decent homes at the Uswag-Gawad Kalinga Designer Village in Kinuban, Maco, Kapitbahayan families will also enjoy brighter hope for the future with a food security cum livelihood training on vegetable production.
The provincial government of Compostela Valley through its Agriculturist Office (PAGRO) launched its Farmers Field School (FFS) Season Long Training on Vegetables on August 15 at the village.
During the ceremonial seed sowing, Gov. Arturo Uy encouraged the family members of the importance of growing their own vegetables either as a means of healthy sustenance or as a means for income-generation.
With each household allotted 2 family members, more than a hundred individuals will undergo training every Friday for the next 3 months which will commence on August 22. The morning activity will spend on a lecture to be done at the multi-purpose hall located inside the village and the afternoon for the hands-on or on-field session.
The training also encourages the families to engage in organic farming to provide for their daily meals. According to Minda Agarano, Agri-technician of PAGRO, they will espouse the natural way of farming which makes use of farmer-produced organic materials. “Aside from food safety, we also offer them a lasting solution to most of the farmers’ problems and that is the skyrocketing cost of chemical fertilizer,” she said. Instead, the families will be taught on the production of organic fertilizers and pesticides during the course of the training.
Each household will be given a 1×10 plot and another communal garden for commercial planting where they can sell their products such as tomatoes, ampalaya (bittergourd), eggplant, and other common veggies. By the time they graduate, a good harvest will then be expected provided they will apply what they have learned.
Farmers Field School (FFS) for high value commercial crops aims to make farmers an expert in their own fields and eventually empower them through added knowledge and technology, making their own decisions in growing their own fruits and vegetables. The FFS have so far trained beneficiaries province-wide including not just farmers but also in schools where parents of students also benefitted. (fe maestre/ids comval)
Backride
Not minding the speed and danger of incoming vehicles, a young boy bravely plays his drums for alms at the back of a public utility jeep as it travels along South Super Highway. (Gigie Cruz/AKP Images)
Hybrid or High Risk
This is not a hybrid motorcycle, but it does spell danger as a man takes a firm grip on a used car door as they travel along E. Rodriguez Avenue. (Photo by Gigie Cruz/AKP Images)
Nueva Vizcaya now 95% energized
Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya (18 August) — The province is now on its way towards full energization as 95% of its targeted villages are now enjoying electric power in their communities.
“Out of the 275 barangays of Nueva Vizcaya, we now only have to work with and complete the requirements needed for the remaining 25 barangays,” said Lloyd Valdez, board chair of the Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative(NUVELCO) here.
He said Representative Carlos Padilla has appealed to the Department of Energy(DOE) for their reconsideration in view of the issuance of an administrative order requiring electric cooperatives in the country to provide 20 percent counterpart for the full energization of the remaining barangays and sitios in the province this year.
For 2009, he said the cooperative has identified Barangay Unib in Sta. Fe town; Sitio Opocan in Manamtam, Bambang town; and Sitio Kion in Bitnung and Sitio Puto in Binuangan, all of Dupax del Norte town.
“We hope that our congressman’s appeal will be considered by the DOE so that we can source out other funds to push through with the remaining unenergized barangays,” Valdez said. (PIA NVizcaya)
Sorsogon MSMEs to venture on pili food products
by BA Recebido
Eleanor A. Eco, DBP branch manager here, said the pili industry offers a very good opportunity for the locals, wherein they can avail of the credit facility under the One Town One Product (OTOP) supported by DBP that provides capitalization for the business.
Eco, however, recommended that it would be something original and of better value if business ventures will not focus on pili sweet products alone, rather develop products such as pili jelly roll, bread with pili spread or pili inspired filling, pudding, cake, pastries and even ice cream, among others.
“I observed in Sorsogon, that seldom such pili food products are made. In most cases, pili products are limited only to candies or other simple confectioneries”, she said.
Eco said DBP specifically promotes pili because it is one among the many indigenous product of Sorsogon with high nutritive value.
“Pili food products will surely be a’click’ to many especially that nowadays people tend to become more health conscious,” she stressed.
Pili is rich in magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, ascorbic acid, zinc, copper, iron, sodium and even in Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3 and Vitamin E.
“With the perseverance and proper management of MSMEs, the venture can significantly contribute to employment and quality life among Sorsoganons particularly that the Department of Tourism (DOT) is also promoting the “Kulinarya Tour” program as part of cultural tourism,” she added.
“Kulinarya Tour” introduces the Philippine flavors to domestic and international scene and promotes the country as a culinary destination by bringing in local and foreign tourist to areas where the cuisine or food product is most indigenous.
Sorsogon was included in the itineraries of “Kulinarya Bicol Tour” which will introduce the province as prime producer of high-quality pili nuts.
Eco also said that this program is a good step towards bringing food security and poverty alleviation among locals, adding that DBP is their partner in growing their business.
“DBP likewise assured its continuing support to small and medium enterprises through its retail and wholesale lending program, she added.
At present, DBP has P35 billion in capitalization and 80 percent of its borrowers are into MSMEs. In Sorsogon, four MSMEs has already been benefiting from the said program.
For those who want to avail of MSME loans and other DBP programs, they can visit their nearest DBP Branch nationwide.
“We also have five Super Region Management Offices and 16 Regional Marketing Centers, ready to assist the MSME sector across the nation,” said Eco.
Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture Bicol has recorded some 256 entrepreneurs in the region involved in pili industry. (PIA Sorsogon)
Farmers prefer to sell produce to private traders despite NFA’s higher buying price
Based on the accomplishment report of NFA, (a copy of which was obtained by PIA), farmers still prefer to sell their stocks to private traders with an average ex-farm prices ranging from P15-P16/kg of clean and dry palay of ordinary variety despite the better price of P18.25 being offered by NFA.
The report further stated that majority of farmers could not sell their produce to NFA due to the absence of mechanical dryers which could be used for drying the palay during rainy seasons.
NFA has four (4) existing mechanical dryers with a total capacity of 335 bags per day. These dryers are located at Maddela FLGC, Diffun FLGC and GID 2 warehouse at Cabarroguis, Quirino.
Private traders are taking advantage of procuring wet stocks at low prices because they have their own mechanical dryers which could be used to process their procured wet stocks.
The report also said that farmers have no choice except to deliver their produce to the private traders whom they owed much for their farm inputs and other family expenses.
It further stated that this has been a long practice of small farmers in the province thus living standards of these farmers could hardly be uplifted. (PIA 2)
11th August 2009 – No embargo
The EMRIP was created by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to provide the Council with thematic expertise, and provide it with studies and research based advice. The EMRIP consists of five independent, indigenous experts. One of the current experts is a Filipino Igorot, Mr. José Mencio Molintas.
The second session of the EMRIP is meeting August 10-14, 2009 to discuss lessons learned and challenges to achieve the implementation of the right of indigenous peoples to education, as well as the implementation of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. There are over 400 indigenous delegates, and their supporters, registered from all over the world, who are participating together with the official representatives of governments.
PIPLinks is a non-profit organization, which aims to uphold and promote the collective and individual human rights of Indigenous Peoples (see http://www.piplinks.org). This press release and succeeding statements is done in behalf of a 15 organisation consortium of Philippine based indigenous peoples organizations and support groups.
To give the opening blessing to the meeting is an honour bestowed on leaders from different parts of the world. Timouy Jose Anoy said a Subanon prayer that all participants be blessed with wisdom and clarity in deliberating issues. He also prayed that all indigenous peoples from all over the world, who came a long way to the EMRIP get respect, recognition and redress for violations against their rights. Timouy Jose Anoy sprinkled water on the venue to symbolize clarity of thought and coolness of minds.
Timouy José “Boy” Anoy, together with another Subanon Leader Timouy Noval Lambo and Ifugao representative Peter Duyapat will participate in this five-day session to share their experience and propose ideas in addressing violation of rights to land, and rights to self determination by large scale mining companies and the lack of government support for redress.
The three leaders are also attending the 75th Session of the UN Committee on the Elimination of all forms of racial discrimination (UNCERD) to present a report about the discrimination of Indigenous Peoples in the Philippines to the committee as well as to press for a resolution to a Subanon Submission made at a previous meeting of the Committee.
Feature: Large-scale coconut biodiesel production in Ilocos Norte, first in the world
By Carlo P. Canares
Laoag City, Ilocos Norte (10 August) — North Luzon, particularly the province of Ilocos Norte boasts of not just the country’s but the world’s first large scale coconut plantation intended solely for the production of coconut bio-fuel as an alternative energy resource.
The Arroyo administration is promoting indigenous energy exploration to protect the country from shocks brought about by volatile imported fuel prices and help solve the global problem on climate change.
Some 400,000 hectares of land in North Luzon, majority of which will be in the villages of Balaoi, Caparispisan and Caunayan in the town of Pagudpud, will be developed and planted with coconut trees to secure the supply of coconut oil for domestic market demand and sustain exports.
Not only will there be development of alternative fuels but also reforestation that promotes cleaner, fresher air; protect and restore the environment and absorb carbon dioxide.
A Coconut Bio-fuel energy plant, covering 9 hectares of land, will rise in the coastal town of Pasuqin in the province of Ilocos Norte. The coconut oil mill and biodiesel plant will produce at least 2,000 tons of coconut oil per month with provisions of up to 25,000 tons; and 300,000 tons of coconut biodiesel annually.
The first phase of the project is for the construction of the Coconut Oil Mill plant. Covering an estimated 4.5 hectares, it will consist of a copra warehouse, copra milling section, coconut oil refinery section, copra cake section, storage tanks, administration offices and port facility. The second phase is the construction of the Coconut biodiesel plant and Coconut shell charcoal processing plant and will cover another 4.5 hectares of land.
The bio-fuel power project is one way of solving the problem of climate change because the use of coconut bio-diesel will contribute to the reduction of green house gas emissions in the atmosphere.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has repeatedly stressed that climate change is already adversely affecting the world and will have catastrophic effects if immediate and sufficient actions to curb fossil fuel emission and forest loss are not taken.
Bio-fuel is any fuel derived from organic matter. It is a renewable source of energy unlike other resources such as petroleum, coal and nuclear fuels. One advantage of biofuel in comparison with most fuel types is its biodegradability, thus its handling and use is relatively harmless to the environment.
The bio-fuel coconut oil project will secure the region’s – and the country’s – own source of alternative fuel and lessen dependence on imported fossil fuels. It will also mean job creation and economic upturn for various related industries.
The bio-fuel/coconut oil project will cost P3.5 billion of which P500 million will be for land and infrastructure while the remaining P3 billion will be for plantation of coconut trees, including provisions for livelihood and employment, farm supplies, fertilizers, seedlings, etc. (PIA Ilocos Norte)
NVizcaya-NEcija road now passable
Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya (10 August) — Local commuters can now continue to travel coming and going to Cagayan Valley with ease as the Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH) and local government units have restored the national highway after it was blocked by a series of landslides since Thursday (August 6) afternoon.
The reported landslides blocked hundreds of commuters along the national highway in barangay Pungkan in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija as it was triggered by strong rains due to typhoon ‘Kiko’.
“It is now over and our commuters can now travel safely and comfortably,” said Police Supt. Pedro Danguilan, provincial director here.
Danguilan said the clearing operations became fast since the two provinces jointly undertook earth moving operations within the landslide areas.
The national highway was opened at 4 P..M. Friday(August 7), bringing relief to stranded commuters which filled the national highway. Some of the stranded commuters since Friday have opted to walk, braving the intermittent rains while other waited for more than 24 hours, relying on bread and biscuits as food, according to disaster coordinating council officials here.
Danguilan said the closure of the national highway in Carranglan, Nueva Ecija was due to a huge vehicle that was hit by a major landslide including minor landslides in other areas which totally blocked the road. (PIA NVizcaya)
Gov’t vehicles not spared from LTO’s “No Plate, No Travel” policy
by Maritess Benas
Bangued, Abra (8 August) — The chief of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in the province stood firm on the position of their office regarding the enforcement of the “No Plate, No Travel” Policy.
Despite clamor from representatives of various government agencies in Abra to the LTO to give special consideration to red plate vehicles of government offices in order not to cause delay in the delivery of basic services of the government, . Eusebio R. Bidalen Bidalen said that the government should be role models in abiding by the laws of the country and therefore should be the first to comply with the rules and regulations to avoid negative comments from the general public who are obliged to register their vehicles.
The request was raised because of the failure of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to facilitate the issuance of the insurance of their vehicles which is one of the requirements in the registration of their vehicles with the LTO.
Another issue on transportation discussed during the monthly meeting of the Provincial Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (PLECC) was the “out-of-line” transport of passengers by tricycle drivers. There are complaints by some jeepney drivers and operators whose passengers are being ferried by some tricycles which deprive them of their supposed passengers.
Meanwhile, Decimia D. Cabang of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) reported that the livelihood assistance given to former rebels in Abra who have not availed of the said fund assistance from the government at the time of their surrender, are still being processed.
The funds, in the amount of P20,000, is provided by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPPAP).
Since May of this year, the OPPAP has been collaborating with members of the Abra Social Integration Committee (ASIC) chaired by Governor Eustaquio P. Bersamin for the awarding of the Social Integration Program (SIP) funds and projects to the former rebels (FRs). Three batches of FRs have been awarded their benefits. The fourth batch will be awarded after the ASIC has verified their records.
The FRs who availed of the SIP funds have invested their cash benefits for their micro-livelihood projects. Most of those in the upland communities particularly in Lacub and Malibcong municipalities are into small scale mining since this is the activity that they know. Others availed of the trainings conducted by the Technical Education Skills Authority (TESDA) for them to be able to start their own livelihood. (PIA-Abra)
