By Mike dela Rama
LEGAZPI CITY -- Bicol Regional Development Council (RDC) chief and Albay Governor Joey S. Salceda reiterated his call on government to adopt a "slow burn" rather than a big jolt spending strategy.
This means that the P330-billion stimulus package should be stretched to a span of three years to allow government to keep on stimulating the economy.
"The global economy crisis will be deeper, broader and longer that could last for three years," Salceda told local media here.
He said there are no cures, only cushions that should tide the country through the end of the cycle.
He also urged members of the Bicol RDC to immediately implement projects under the Medium Term and Public Investment Program (MTPIP) and the Comprehensive and Integrated Infrastructure Program (CIIP).
Governor Salceda identified social protection measures to cushion the impact of the ongoing crisis, such as keeping schoolchildren in school, granting universal PhilHealth benefits, and sustaining the conditional cash transfers (CCT) program.
He added that most of the unemployed persons belong to the 15-21 age group who should be in school. By putting them back to school and keeping them in school, unemployment is reduced and human capital is developed.
Finally, he advised government to forego tax cuts, which do not increase money supply and thus have less impact as an economic stimulus.
The RDC chief also urged all local government units and other government agencies in Bicol to immediately observe belt tightening mechanisms specially this coming summer vacation in order to provide emergency employment for students and out school youths.
Salceda's call was based on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's directive for government agencies to reserve 1.5 percent of their maintenance, operating and other expenses (MOOE) for emergency employment, saying that the combined P7 billion plus in savings would be enough to hire some 150,000 Filipinos.
"In the province of Albay we have certain allocations from our local fund to accommodate students and out of school youths this vacation," Salceda said.
"The President's measure is laudable to help the poor in cope up with the present economic challenges brought by the global crisis," the governor added.
A father and his daughter at the F.V. Pagkamoot Gawad Kalinga Village in Cadlan, Pili Cam. Sur plant the seedling of hope to ensure a hungry-free future for their family during the launching of Bayan-Anihan project , the food sufficiency program being implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Gawad Kalinga and other partners to eradicate hunger among food deficient families.
Farmers see hope in climate change adaptation
By Mike dela Rama
LEGAZPI CITY --Modeling studies undertaken by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) on the potential impact of climate change on dryland crops show that the drop in yields can be minimized through the use of adapted and improved crop varieties plus soil and water management innovations.
The interventions can be further strengthened through developing improved varieties and hybrids that are better targeted for climate change adaptation including enhancing capacities of the farming communities.
Nhong Rangasa, executive director, Center for Initiative on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA), said that studies conducted by ICRISAT show that climate change will modify the length of the growing period across the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but this can be dealt with by re-targeting and re-deploying the existing crop varieties.
The impact of climate change on dryland crops is expected to be two-fold - there would be an increase in temperature, and there would be increased frequency of droughts and floods.
"The studies show that predicted temperature increases have greater negative impacts on crop production than relatively small (plus or minus 10 percent) changes in rainfall," Rangasa said.
According to him, in the Philippines specially in Bicol region, climate proofing is one of the initiative to protect the agriculture sector from Climate Change.
The adoption of currently recommended improved crop, soil and water management practices, even under climate change, will result in substantially higher yields than farmers are currently obtaining in their low input systems.
The adaptation of better "temperature-adapted" varieties could result in the almost complete mitigation of climate change effects that result from temperature increases.
On the other hand, Dr. William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, said in a statement said that better formulated and targeted policies that facilitate and support the conduct and adoption of agricultural innovation today assume even greater urgency. "Not only will they improve the welfare of rural population today but will do a great deal to cope with the impacts of future climate change."
Allocation of improved financial resources and policy support to agricultural research to enable dryland crops to overcome the adverse impacts of climate change will help the poor farmers of the semi-arid tropics to sustain their productivity and their incomes in the medium and long term, Dar said.
ICRISAT studies have generated a "hypothesis of hope", which states: The impact of climate change on the yields under low input agriculture is likely to be minimal as other factors will continue to provide the overriding constraints to crop growth and yield.
ICRISAT's Operational Research Plan (ORP) to deal with climate change adaptation in the semi-arid tropics is based on a two-fold objective:
Unless risk averse and vulnerable farming communities in the semi-arid tropics are empowered to cope better with current season-to-season rainfall variability through improved climate risk management, adapting to future climate change will be a daunting challenge for most and perhaps impossible for many.
Since a lead time of many years is required to produce 'finished products' of adapted germplasm, ICRISAT's research is combining ex ante (before the event) assessments of the impacts from climate change scenarios on the performance of the Institute's mandate crops. These assessments will project what are the required crop characteristics that will reduce the negative and exploit the positive impacts of climate change.
The crops on which ICRISAT works - pearl millet, sorghum, chickpea, groundnut and pigeonpea - are by themselves hardy and drought tolerant. By strengthening these crops to be resilient to withstand the negative impacts of climate change, ICRISAT is ensuring that the poor dryland farmer copes with it and sustains his/her agricultural productivity and income.
Chinese journalists are Albay's trainees
By Marlon Loterte, PIA-Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY -- SEVEN Chinese media practitioners from Shanghai, China visited this province for a briefing on climate and disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation through the Centre for Initiatives and Research on Climate Adaptation (CIRCA).
Manuel Nong C. Rangasa, executive director of the CIRCA, said that the foreign guests who came from different media networks in Shanghai, China had viewed several video footages of the worst places hit by the super typhoon Reming last 2006.
The Chinese nationals were Xu Jin Gen, Chen Q, Qui Fangfang, Qian Zheng, Dajian Zhu, Wang Haiyan and and Yiqi Yang who came from CBN, British Consulate, General Shanghai, Tongji University, Jiangsu Modern Express and Wenhui Daily, respectively.
They also toured the areas of Maipon, Guinobatan and Padang, Legazpi City, which were worst hit by the typhoon claiming the most number of casualties in the province.
Rangasa added that the CIRCA shared with the Chinese journalists the recent studies and findings on climate-related risks in the province and other areas in the Philippines, introducing concrete disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation options for the most vulnerable communities in the Philippines.
Albay province, under the leadership of Gov. Joey S. Salceda, is the first province in the country to launch and initiate program on climate change adaptation dubbed "Albay in Action on Climate Change (A2C2)," being one of the most vulnerable province to extreme weather impacts and climate change in the country.
13 new barrio-based projects up in Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY -- Thirteen out of 59 additional projects of the Kalayaan Barangay Program (KBP) of the Arroyo Administration are set to be implemented in the Bicol region this year.
Presidential Assistant for Bicol Assistant Secretary Tomasito B. Monzon said in a statement that the additional number of KBP projects in the region will be carried out mostly in Albay province, where nine barangays from Guinobatan such as Lomacao, Upper Binogsacan, Malipo, Mauraro, Mapaco, Maguiron, Quibongbongan, Ongo and Sinungtan; another two in Jovellar - Sinagaran and Estrella, Rawis in Pio Duran; and Talisay in Oas.
To date, 79 barangays in the three provinces of Bicol benefited from the KBP.
Sorsogon got 54, the biggest chunk of all the component of the KBP projects, Albay, 43 and Camarines Sur, 16.
The first batch of KBP projects were reportedly near completion this year with 113 or 87.90 percent of the 129 total projects completed as reported by 565th Engineering Construction Battalion, 51st Engineering Brigade of the Philippine Army, the implementer of the project.
Monzon, who is also the Regional Kalahi Convergence Group (RKCG) chairman, said that the additional KBP projects are derived from the original 200 barangays earlier identified to be financed by P1 billion government funds.
The chosen barangays, Monzon said will be allotted P4.5 million worth of projects like farm-to-market road (FMR), water system, school building, electricity and health facilities.
At this early, he revealed that a seven-day survey inspection for Rapid Needs Appraisal (RNA) of the 13 barangays included in the next batch of KBP beneficiaries had been conducted last March 10-13 and 16-19 by a team composed of inter-agency focal persons.
RNA aimed to re-validate the original list of needs identified by barangay officials few years ago. "We want to ensure that right projects will be given priority," Monzon explained.
Monzon said KBP is one of government mechanisms for a focused, accelerated, convergent, expanded and strategic effort to reduce poverty particularly in remote barangays in the country. It also aimed to pursue improved governance and empowered communities.
Scientists find way to improve peanut industry
SORSOGON CITY -- EXPERTS are developing a technology that would eliminate aflatoxin contamination plaguing the Philippine peanuts to stimulate industry growth by way of producing high quality products for market expansions.
Aflatoxin is a toxic compound produced by a mold fungus in agricultural crops, especially peanuts and in animal feeds that have not been carefully stored. It can cause hepatitis and liver cancer, studies show.
The contamination has been the major problem of the peanut industry and its products are usually subjected to rigid testing and inspection at the ports of countries where they are shipped to prevent entry of highly contaminated products.
In the U.S. and U.K., the enforced maximum levels of aflatoxin in foods are 20 parts per billion (ppb) and four (ppb), respectively, while consumers demand and the world export commodities susceptible to the contamination however are pushing towards zero tolerance.
In the Philippines, there is no other method that peanut product manufacturers can use to reduce aflatoxin levels except for manual sorting of raw peanuts to separate kernels that are not fit for processing.
A study had already been undertaken for manual sorting of peanut kernerls and it yielded favorable results.
Department of Agriculture (DA) regional executive director for Bicol Jose Dayao said the study was undertaken to develop a technology for manual sorting of peanut kernels to eliminate aflatoxin contamination.
The process was recently developed at the Food Development Center using a prototype roaster to test the applicability of the blanching procedure.
Results from the laboratory and pilot-scale tests and verification trials showed that the manual sorting of raw peanuts was efficient in separating contaminated kernels whether contamination in raw materials is high or low, Dayao said.
Sorting should be performed regardless of a negative test foraflatoxin, to ensure that aflatoxin contaminated kernels are removed, the study showed according to Dayao.
These results provided support in the transfer of the sorting technology to peanut product manufacturers and companies that use peanuts as an ingredient especially were environmental conditions are favorable for mold growth, he explained.
If the sorting technology is implemented by the food industry, it will protect consumers from the potential public health threats of aflatoxin, the DA regional chief executive said.
The project is a collaborative effort of the University of Georgia (UGA), GA, USA, the Department of Food Science and Nutrition of the College of Home Economics, UP in Diliman, Quezon City, and the Food Development Center of the National Food Authority, Taguig, Metro Manila.
The Peanut-Collaborative Research Support Program (P-CRSP) of the UGA, the management entity under the provision of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supported the undertaking, Dayao added.(DOC)
Training on disaster reduction set for Albay vice mayors, dads
LEGAZPI CITY -- THE Center for Initiative and Research on Climate Change (CIRCA) of Albay is set to conduct a three-day comprehensive training for all vice mayors and councilors on mainstreaming of climate change development planning.
Manuel Rangasa, CIRCA executive director, said the training aims to review the protocol of Comprehensive Land Use Plan with climate change hazards and to ensure the new approaches to mainstream climate risk management, information and developing into national budgeting process.
Rangasa said all local elected officials are encouraged to implement climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction measures. "The role of the local legislators is so important in creating necessary measures specially on Comprehensive Land Use Plan," he said.
"Since the city and municipal councils are the legislative bodies of LGUs, their awareness on climate change issues and concern is important in formulating policies," Rangasa said.
Participants in this training are expected to come up with aggressive policies with focus on disaster proofing, sustainable soil management, education and information.
According to Rangasa, failure of the land use plan will definitely affect the entire development plan of a certain local government unit.
"There is also a pressing need to prioritize community-based approach to disaster risk management that focuses on preventing or reducing disaster risk, mitigating socio-economic and environmental impacts of disaster," Rangasa added. (Mike dela Rama)
C’Sur hosts ‘09 WWA wake park world champs
PILI, CamSur - Camarines Sur will once again take center stage in the extreme sports limelight when Governor L-Ray Villafuerte partners with the World Wakeboard Association (WWA) to stage the five-day WWA Wake Park World Championships at the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) on March 25 to 29 this year.
This will be the second consecutive year Camarines Sur hosts the competitions, unprecedented in the history of the WWA World Championships which have never been played anywhere else outside the United States except last year.
Camarines Sur's successive selection as venue of this year's world wakeboard games all the more confirms the reputation of CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC) as the best cable wakeboard park in the world.
No less than a total contingent of foreigners, 300 to 500 of the top riders from all over the world will attend the competitions, the event actually a triple-contest and dubbed by the WWA as the "largest collective wakeboarding event to date".
Alongside with the 2009 WWA Wake Park World Championship pulled behind the cable, Governor Villafuerte will again open host the first stop of the WWA Wakeboard World Series during the week and the Cam Sur Riders' Cup will kick off the World Series behind the boat, with all the world's top riders expected from some 25 countries competing for a chance to become the WWA Wakeboard World Series champion at the end of the season.
With the added Rail Park at the CWC, the five-day event will also include one of the most highly anticipated contests behind the revolutionary Sesitec System 2.0 with three professional and three amateur divisions.
Professional Men Wakeboarders will be collecting points to determine an overall winner of the entire event. The divisions that will be included for the Pro Men Wakeboard category will be the Pro Men Wakeboard division during the Cam Sur Riders' Cup (boat), the Pro Men division in the WWA Wake Park World Championships (cable), the Obstacles Only division during the WWA WakePark World Championships (cable) and the Pro Men Wakeboard division of the CWC Rail Park Contest (System 2.0).
The rider with the most cumulative points in these four divisions at the end of the event stands to collect US$8,000.
There will also be a similar cumulative race during the week for Professional Wakeskaters as well. They will compete in three divisions to crown an overall winner in the wakeskate category including the Pro Wakeskate division during the CamSur Riders' Cup (boat), the WWA Wake Park World Championships (cable), and the CWC Rail Park Contest (System 2.0). The Wakeskate Champion will receive US$4,000.
Further inquiries may be entertained directly by the World Wakeboard Association (407) 362-7841 or EventOrganizer@thewwa.com and registration filed via internet at www.thewwa.com/WPWorlds09Pre2.shtml. (GBClaveria, MMEC/PIA)
Outstanding Daet youth group hailed
DAET, Camarines Norte - Seven youth organizations in this municipality have been cited by the municipal government here under the Annual Search for Outstanding Youth Organizations of Daet awards program.
The Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity and Sorority of Camarines Norte State College notched the top place, followed by the Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Camambugan and the Scouts Royale Brotherhood scoring the third spot.
Other youth organization-awardees were the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Youth Association, Sigma Lambda Phi Fraternity and Sorority Camarines Norte Chapter, Sangguniang Kabataan of Barangay Magang and Young Christian Workers of Camarines Norte State College.
The awards program for the youth intends to recognize the exemplary contributions and services of the youth organizations of Daet to the community building and development of the society.
"The municipal government is giving due recognition to these outstanding youth organizations in Daet for their vital role as pillars and future leaders of the community," stated Sangguniang Bayan member Hon. Joan Kristine Tabernilla, who authored the Municipal Ordinance 153 adopting the Annual Search for Outstanding Youth Organizations of Daet awards program.
It can be recalled the Tabernilla was one of the awardees of the Search for Kampeon ng Kabataan as Young Legislator, cited for her SB Resolution No. 078 and Municipal Ordinance 153.
"The winners also received incentives and will represent Daet in the regional and national competitions for outstanding youth organizations which can give our town honor and recognition," she added.
Present during the awarding ceremony were Daet Mayor Tito Sarte Sarion, Camarines Norte Board Member Romeo Marmol, Usec. Edgar C. Galvante of Dangerous Drug Board, Commisioner Precilla Marie Abante of National Youth Commission and DILG MGOO V Estela E. Dames.
The awards program, an annual event every youth organization in this town look forward to, has been organized by the municipal government' Local Youth Affairs Office. (PIA-5 News Service)
DSWD puts up P90M Healthy Start Program in Masbate
LEGAZPI CITY -- THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Bicol is set to implement next month the Healthy Start Program in the island province of Masbate.
Delia Bernal DSWD regional social worker said that the government has allocated an amount of P90 million to cover the 200 days of supplemental feeding for all day care children in the province of Masbate.
She explained that Masbate is the only province in Bicol region identified as food poor area.
The food supplementation will cater to 821 Day Care Centers in this province or more than 26,000 day care children.
Bernal said that each child has an allocation of P12.00 worth of food per day.
Aside from food supplementation among day care children, the DSWD will also implement the mitigation food supplies for elementary school children. "In this program each pupil is entitled to receive one kilo of iron fortified rice per day."
The provision of fortified rice will be implemented in all elementary schools in Masbate for 120 days.
Bernal also added that the P90-million budget for food poor area is part of the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Program of the government which was started in 2006. "But in Bicol region, the province of Masbate is included in the top 20 food poor areas throughout the Philippines."
In the province of Albay, only selected towns have been identified by the Department of Health (DOH) to benefit from the food for school program. The food for school program is being provided to all grade schoolers as long as they go to school regularly.
A contingent from the province of Masbate in last year’s Magayon Festival parades its float to showcase their fishing industry.
