30,500 bags of NFA rice delivered to Samar

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 17, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  As President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo witnessed in Batangas City Monday, the unloading of seven truckloads of commercial rice from Oriental Mindoro bound for markets in Calamba, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (CALABARZON) and Metro Manila, poor Samareños also witnessed the unloading of some 30,500 bags of NFA rice from Cebu.

Rosario Cadiz tipped off PIA that the delivery from Cebu was a little delayed because of typhoon Ambo.

Tuesday, in the morning, the unloading was done at Pier Uno, Catbalogan City.

Long lines of NFA rice buyers have been always observed in Catbalogan City.

Aside from the four PGMA Tindahan Natin outlets in the public market, a new outlet in the Catbalogan City Hall was made available.

NFA Samar Manager Francisca Mercado said that upon request, NFA could install Tindahan Natin outlets in government offices.

At the Samar Capitol Site where NFA is located, Imelda Park fronting the office is always swarmed with buyers even those who are better off, said the security guard who issues priority numbers for order.

Meanwhile, commercial rice in the public market costs P31, P32 or P33 per kilo.

With the close to 50% difference, buyers prefer the NFA well milled rice, said a stall owner.

There is supply though from farmers who have just completed the harvest but it has been affected by the floods that plagued the region in February when most palay were in their fruiting stage, agriculturists offered.

The office of Rep Sharee Ann Tan has started distributing certified seeds to farmers for the next cropping season.

Farmers from Pinabacdao are hopeful that natural calamities would for the meantime shy away from Samar so better yield would be achieved the next harvest.

Samar has been classified as Priority 2 province in PGMA’s Hunger Mitigation Program and has been receiving productivity programs including livestock, crops, marine regeneration, mangrove and coastal fishery development.

Pintados is giving way to the new Tacloban City festival

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
April 17, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  In a board meeting Tuesday night of the officers and members of the Board of the Pintados Foundation Incorporated, the consensus is for the Pintados Festival to give way to the new festival, the Pasangyaw Festival as announced by the Tacloban City government. This means that the public will not see the Pintados Festival this coming fiesta of Tacloban.

The Pintados Board pointed out that the Pintados Festival was created in 1986, among others, to enliven the Feast of Señor Sto. Niño with or without hermano mayor, after a lull was experienced in the City Fiesta socio civic activities because of the non appearance of the then Hermano Mayor who had to scape the country because of the EDSA Revolution.

For twenty-one years, irregardless of who the Hermano Mayor is, the Pintados Foundation continued to stage the Pintados Festival which has already become a byword locally and internationally when the City of Tacloban is mentioned.

Now that the City of Tacloban under the leadership of Mayor Alfred Romualdez has decided to come up with a new festival, the Pintados Foundation deem it proper to give way to the new Pasangyaw Festival which will be participated in reportedly by various festivals coming from the various cities of the country who were personally invited by the Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and his wife, City Councilor Cristina Romualdez.

The Board Officers, however, is willing to continue managing the annual Ms. Pintados Beauty Search, if there is sufficient fund.

The Pintados Foundation will also continue its community project which is the Street Children Program. It was learned that a handful of children are now enrolled in elementary and High School after the Foundation provided the street kids with the payment of school fees, supplies, uniforms and other needs including the regular feeding program. In fact, one child who was a beneficiary of the program of the Foundation started in the elementary level and is now enrolled in college.

Aside from the Festival, the Search for Miss Pintados and the Street Children project, the Foundation has also been sponsoring and intends to continue to sponsor the School Band Competition, Cheer Dance, Rayhak Banda and many others.

The meeting was presided over by the Chairman of the Board Agustin Uykim, and attended by President Eugene Tan, founding President Roque Tiu, Past Chairman Butch Veloso, Past President Wilson Uy, Treasurer Junie Andrade, past Treasurer Henry Gosyco, and board secretary Evelina Acevedo.

According to the Foundation Officers, the Pintados Festival survived all the obstacles in its 21 years of continued and sustained staging of the Annual event during the vespers of the Fiesta of Tacloban. It has received acceptance and recognition in fact the City Government of Tacloban through its Legislative Body which passed and approved a Resolution declaring Pintados Festival as the Tacloban City Festival every June 29.

Bigasan sa Parokya outlets in Region 8 makes rice more accessible to parishioners

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
April 17, 2008

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte  –  There are already 18 Bigasan sa Parokya outlets which are operational in the different parts of the Region, Mr. Alfeo Selpa, National Food Authority Region 8 Regional Operations Officer informed.

The Bigasan sa Parokya program which was launched by NFA in May of 2006, involves parishes as cooperators and serve as NFA accredited and dedicated rice retailers with stores located inside the compound of churches, and/or religious groups or organizations, Mr. Selpa informed.

At least nine Bigasan sa Parokya outlets in the various parishes in the province of Leyte, have been accredited by the National Food Authority. In the province of Southern Leyte, about four Bigasan sa Parokya outlets are already operational. In Samar province, about five Bigasan ng Parokya outlets are already serving the poor constituents and parishioners.

The nine church-based rice outlets make 488, the total number of NFA accredited Tindahan Natin, Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke and Barangay Bagsakan in the province of Leyte, Mr. Agerico T. Blancaflor of NFA Leyte informed the officers and members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines Leyte Chapter during its April 15 meeting.

The Bigasan sa Parokya outlets in the province of Leyte are located at Nuestra Señora de Salvacion Mission Station in Barangay Limon, Capoocan town; Agustinian Farmers - Help Consumers Cooperative at Matlang, Isabel town; Holy Infant Jesus Parish at Poblacion, Isabel town; Sts. Peter and Paul Parish at San Pablo, Ormoc City; St. Francis Xavier Parish at Poblacion in Palompon town; Mother of Perpetual Help Parish at Redemptorist Compound in Tacloban and St. Jose Maria Escriva Mission at Barangay Apitong, also in Tacloban City.

In the province of Southern Leyte, the Bigasan sa Parokya outlets are located at San Roque parish in Macrohon town; Holy Cross Magallanes at Limasawa; Guadalupe Parish in Maasin City and San Ricardo Poblacion.

In Samar, the Bigasan ng Bayan outlets are situated at the Holy Infant Parish at Daram town; St. James Parish at Talolora; Immaculate Conception Parish at Motiong; Sacred Heart Parish at Almagro and St. Anthony de Padua Parish at Tagapul-an.

Solon tries to beef up food production; distributes certified palay seeds, tilapia fingerlings

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 15, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The Office of Samar’s Second District representative to congress, Rep. Sharee Ann Tan distributed some 135 bags of certified seeds to the municipalities of Motiong with 10 bags, Jiabong 15, Hinabangan 10, Pinabacdao 20, Villareal 25, Sta. Rita 40, Marabut 15 and San Sebastian 20 bags.

This was disclosed by Eulogio Casiño agricultural technician (AT) of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).

Casiño said that the certified seeds classified as RC144 will be used this cropping season by farmer-beneficiaries. The LGUs were given the authority to distribute them to deserving beneficiaries.

Aside from the certified seeds, vegetable seeds like eggplants, squash and tomatoes were also distributed but to a few towns as the seed-supplies were limited.

On April 11, 2008 the team of Casiño started giving out the bags of palay to the mentioned towns. The following day, April 12, the group then proceeded to the Babatngon Tilapia Hatchery to procure some 300,000 tilapia fingerlings earlier booked by The Provincial Fishery Chief Rolando Ay-ay.

After collecting the tilapia fingerlings, the group retraced its path to drop the tilapia fingerlings to Sta. Rita, Pinabacdao, Calbiga, Motiong, Paranas and Catbalogan City.

Pinabacdao Mayor Dr. Mario Quijano confirmed the distribution report through a text message to this writer.

In an informal talk with fellow media, Roger Soria, who was with the group to document the event, PIA learned that the program aims to beef up food sufficiency in the province and to provide additional livelihood to farmers in the second district of Samar.

The young representative of Samar has started fulfilling her promises to her constituents. Just last week, Rep. Tan sponsored the training of some Botika ng Bayan operators in her district. She and mom, Governor Mila Tan has also sponsored cataract operations at the Samar Provincial Hospital.

Mother and daughter vowed to focus on livelihood, health and education during their inaugural speeches as they were sworn into office in July 2007.

Food Summit due in Eastern Samar

By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern Samar)
April 15, 2008

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  Sharing the same concern with Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in providing food on the table  for every Filipino family, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone is set to hold a Food Summit soon.

In the latest Provincial Development Coordinating Council meeting, Evardone received reports about the looming scarcity in Palay, vegetables and root crops as a result of the massive flooding that hit the province recently which according to him must be addressed proactively.

“We must inculcate massive food production in the minds of our people”, Evardone urged the mayors in attendance, the municipal agriculturists and planning officers. “Maybe, a food summit has to be held so that we can plan out what best tasks we can do for our farmers and for ourselves.” he said.

He then requested Provincial Planning Officer, Henry Afable to draft a design for the Summit as he wants it done soonest.

Early on, Evardone has already ordered the Provincial Agriculturist, Jessie Agda to release the hand tractors and pump boats to the most affected farmers.  Originally, the equipment were subjected to loan agreements with farmers’ cooperatives. However with the heavy flooding which brought severe damages to agricultural lands and products, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan issued a Provincial Resolution which subsidized the 50% cost of the equipment.

Evardone however stressed that the food crisis is true worldwide.

“The problem in food supply is not only happening in Eastern Samar, it is everywhere in the world, but we cannot afford to just sit down and wait for national leadership to spoon-feed us; we must utilize every available lot to plants.  Cassava, Camote, Pechay and other common vegetables must be made available here in our province because we have plenty of open fields,” he stressed.

Desiring for a rice sufficient province and for a start, the most that he can  is to make do whatever resources is available.  He then ordered Agda to already release the certified seeds to the farmers.  Agda reported that there are available 991 bags of certified seeds that if planted, can bear the same certified seeds for replanting.  These certified seeds are then expected to bear Palay in double in just a matter of three months.

The Eastern Samar Food Summit is tentatively set for May.

South Leyte tops rice production in Region 8, third nationwide

By BONG PEDALINO (PIA Southern Leyte)
April 13, 2008

SOGOD, Southern Leyte  –  There is no rice problem in the province of Southern Leyte, according to the Provincial Agriculturist.

In fact, Daniel Mayorca, the top man at the provincial Agriculture office, revealed that the province’s rice production yielded 4.79 tons per hectare, making it number one in the list at the Regional level, and number three all throughout the country.

And in addition to that, there is a surplus of 46,000 bags of rice in the latest inventory undertaken by the provincial agriculture office that is now being kept by the farmers, representing the cumulative excesses of the 2007 cropping season up to the month of April, 2008.

“Bentaha ang atong harvest karong 2008 like in Libagon, Bontoc, and Saint Bernard, bisan tuod dunay mga munisipyo nga luya (We have a better harvest in 2008 like in Libagon, Bontoc, and Saint Bernard towns, although other municipalities have weak harvests),” Mayorca told PIA by phone.

Mayorca was in Villa Catalina, a newly-opened resort in this municipality Thursday, April 10, for a target-setting activity for the next planting season from the upcoming months of May up to October.

The whole-day activity, dubbed “Grains Masaganang Ani (GMA) Target-Planning and Preparations for Cropping Season May-October”, seeks to plant more than 1,000 hectares of rice fields with the hybrid variety – this is open to all variety – and another over a thousand hectares covered with certified seeds, Mayorca said.

A more bountiful and productive harvest in October and succeeding months has been expected as a result of the extensive Thursday planning session and its eventual implementation, Mayorca disclosed.

There are a total of 9,000 hectares of land devoted to rice in the province, he added.

Among those attending the target-setting meeting were personnel from the Department of Agriculture (DA) Regional Office, the Municipal/City Agriculture Officers, and a farmer-guest from Davao City who shared some best practices in dealing with the staple food.

Asked how and why the price of rice has risen when there was abundance in the province, Mayorca cannot be categorical, even as he stressed that for Maasin and outlying areas traders from Hilongos are supplying the rice outlets, while the bountiful harvest from the Pacific and other towns, traders from Surigao would come buying the crops.

Mayorca also cited the conversion of farm lands into non-agricultural uses as one of the contributing factors, as well as the reliance of rice in the changing lifestyle of most people as pure food serving every 3-meal day, unlike before where rootcrops like camote and bananas can be had as rice substitutes.

Others attributed the rising population that consequently made a rising demand which the rice supply cannot cope up as reason for the current skyrocketing raise in tag prices.

Southern Leyte province has a population of 360,160 as of the year 2000 census, with an expected annual rate of increase of about 2%.

Garantisadong Pambata program ushers 8 essential survival interventions

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 13, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  Garantisadong Pambata 2008 will usher eight essential survival interventions, this was the contention made clear by Ms. Felecita Borata, OIC Chief of the Samar Provincial Health Office Technical Services as she briefed health workers from Basey, Sta. Rita and Marabut.

Rural Health Unit (RHU) personnel from the three municipalities met at the Basey district hospital on April 11, 2008.

According to Borata, mothers should be encouraged to deliver with in a health facility and discouraged being attended to by hilots because a study conducted revealed that most maternal deaths took place with only hilots attending to births.

“Every pregnancy is a risk-pregnancy,” Borata explained.

Similarly, care of the newborn must be given utmost consideration, she added.

Other interventions include; breastfeeding and complementary feeding, micronutrient supplementation and deworming, Immunization of both child and mother, integrated management of the sick child, child injury and prevention and birth spacing.

Borata also stressed the need to deworm. She reported that Region 08 ranks three in the prevalence of parasitic infection. Deworming she emphasized, should be done twice a year, without fail. Infection may return if the second dose is neglected, the health worker added.

The group also recalled their accomplishment in the past year which revealed that most were unable to meet the target. This time, they vowed to hit it!

Garantisadong Pambata is a classic health project done twice a year, in April and in October where children 0-5 years old are treated to a wide array of health packages for free.

The Department of Health through the Local Government Units extends the health program implementation.

This year, the theme is “GP ’08 8 essential Survival Interventions - kids can’t wait!”

Evardone tells his constituents: Plant, plant and plant

By ALICE NICART (PIA Eastern Samar)
April 11, 2008

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  In his desire to alleviate the problem of an impending food shortage, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone urges his constituents to plant, plant and plant root crops and vegetables.

This he said in the recent joint Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) meeting. He stressed that it is high time for every family to be most serious in producing agricultural crops, that what is observed worldwide in scarcity of rice supply is but a wake up call to one and all.

“Every vacant lot must now be filled with plantations of all things edible,” was his apparent motivation for the public as the conference was covered live on air over Radyo ng Bayan DYES. “I urge every able bodied citizen to stretch his muscle and do away with the old traditional habit of being sluggish which has enslaved most hard-up families.

“I hope we will now realize the urgent need for all of us to keep moving and bring our bolos to the farm and plant cassava, camote and other vegetables” he said.  On this note he instructed Provincial Agriculturist Jess Agda to buy cassava cuttings and camote seedlings for farmers’ use, but Agda assured the Governor that the former are available in the locality while camote seedlings can be bought at Visayas College of Agriculture (VisCA).

He also mentioned of several parcels of lands even along the highways which for several decades have been left untouched and untapped for food production, thus he told the Municipal Agricultural Officer to help their coverage areas.

But the biggest and expected to realize significant results for food production plans and strategies is the forthcoming “Food Summit” which Evardone set for early month May. Here, all concerned officials will convene including the municipal mayors to plan out what could be the best approaches to alleviate hunger through massive food production. For Evardone, there are only three things in order to alleviate the lack of food in every family’s table: first is plant, second is plant and third is plant.

St. Bernard shares disaster preparedness program in Cambodia

By REBECCA CADAVOS (PIA Southern Leyte)
April 11, 2008

PROVINCIAL CAPITOL, Southern Leyte  –  St. Bernard town shared its disaster preparedness program in the Asia Pacific Regional Disaster Risk Management Practitioners' Conference held in Cambodia, April 2-4, 2008, Gladys A. Montales, CARE-ACCORD Project Manager reported to PIA.

Mayor Rico Rentuza of Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte and Mayet Alcid, ACCORD Project Co-Manager were among the presentors during the conference of disaster risk management practitioners in Asia and the Pacific in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia.

Montales disclosed in her report that over a hundred representatives from some 10 countries in Asia and the Pacific gathered in Cambodia to share the best practices and lessons learned in the process of doing risk reduction projects in their respective areas.

“Among countries, preparing communities through capability building and contingency planning proved not only helpful but necessary,” Montales said.  Adding that, “there are victories and successes but the challenges are sustainability and scale or coverage of operations.”

CARE-ACCORD Project, a pilot project on disaster preparedness and mitigation, covers only 5 out of the 30 barangays, to address concerns at disaster hazard areas in St. Bernard, Montales revealed.

Moreover, the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council (MDCC) in St. Bernard will replicate the CARE-ACCORD Project in three other high risk areas starting this year.  The project will render mentoring support to the MDCC.

Montales said that sustainability is the other main concern in the Cambodia conference. “This was raised repeatedly because successes will go to waste if these are not maintained.”  To ensure sustainability of the municipal's disaster preparedness and mitigation program, Mayor Rentuza led its integration of the municipal's Executive and Legislative Agenda or ELA, she pointed out.

The European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) is supporting the CARE-ACCORD Project and the practitioner's conference in Cambodia.