Month: December 2019

The “Giving Tree Project” of the Sta. Cruz Parish, Dao, Tagbilaran City has continued to bear fruits every 24th day of December since 2005 as the donors have continued to pour in cash and in kind for the identified recipients.
Marietta “Neneng” L. Corales, the founder of the project bared that there were 311 beneficiaries received the Christmas gifts for the nochebuena during the simple but fitting program held last Tuesday afternoon inside the Dao Sta. Cruz Parish Church.

The giving of the Christmas gifts was done after the Holy Mass officiated by Rev. Fr. Areston V. Limocon, the parish priest, at 1 o’clock in the afternoon.

Corales expressed elation that the project has been sustained for 15 Christmases already which was started only with 25 recipients during the conceptualization of the project on 2005.

The founder thanked the donors who have been increasing every year to pour in cash or in kind for the deserving recipients in the parish.

Corales has a high hope that this program would be sustained because of the noble intention which is to share the blessing to others.

Dianne Sarsale for and in behalf of the recipients expressed thanked and gratitude to the founder, donors and to Rev. Fr. Limocon of what they received.

Sarsale said that she always pray to the Lord that on the next year of the project she will no longer be a beneficiary but already one of the donors.

Fr. Limocon in his inspirational message thanked the God Almighty and to all who have been instrumental for the success of the project which gives the real meaning of Christmas which is love, giving, and sharing.

He underscored the underscored the importance of the project as he asked the recipients to continue praying to God so as more blessings.

Fr. Limocon has been serving the Sta. Cruz Parish in Dao for about four years already.

Eufronia Bernados, chair, 15thGiving Tree Project Committee in his welcome message also thanked the donors for the blessings they shared to the beneficiaries.

Bernados warmly welcome the recipients as she emphasized that they are the inspirations of the donors to give more in another years to come of the project and hope that somehow some of the recipients would become the donors someday.

The Giving Tree Committee is composed by the following: chairperson – Bernados, Secretary Erlinda Puagang, Treasurer Evelyn Leyble; Jeremia Lagunda, Aurelio Luzon, Sr., Imelda Danila, Rose Maghinay, Lucia Gondong, Elsa Superales, Nerisa Simbit, Paz Amore, George Trinidad, Robin Cajes, Anecito Gultia, Cora Lumbres, and Susa Ayeng as members who represented for every zone.

Puagang who was the master of ceremony formally closed the program. (Atoy Cosap)

15TH GIVING TREE PROJECT. Rev. Fr. Areston V. Limocon (standing at the ambo), Parish Priest of Sta. Cruz Parish, Dao, Tagbilaran City in his inspirational message during the 15th Giving Tree Project distribution of the Christmas gifts to the 311 recipients last Tuesday inside the Dao Church thanks the Almighty Father, the sponsors, and to the founder of the project for the another success. Fr. Limocon has been serving the Sta. Cruz Parish in Dao, Tagbilaran City for about four years already.

Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas has reminded anew all employees of the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) the mandates of the office to ensure food security in the province of Bohol.

During the OPA Christmas party last Wednesday held at the Panda Tea, Dao, Tagbilaran City, Dr. Pamugas said that as the year about to end, the OPA employees must ready to face the challenges in agriculture that hang on their shoulders in the coming year under the new brand of governance in Gov. Arthur C. Yap and Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos.

The creation of the OPA has a legal basis as provided for by the Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as Local Government Code of 1991, Article 12, Section 1 that mandates the following: formulate measures for approval of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and provide technical assistance and support to the governor; develop plans and strategies on agricultural programs and projects and implement them upon approval by the governor; ensure that maximum assistance and access to resources in the production, processing and marketing of agricultural and aquacultural and marine products are extended to farmers, fishermen and local entrepreneurs; Conduct or cause to be conducted location-specific agricultural researches and assist in making available the appropriate technology arising out of and disseminate information on basic research on crops, prevention and control of plant diseases, and other agricultural matters which will maximize productivity; assist the governor in the establishment and extension services of demonstration farms or aquaculture and marine products; coordinate with NGAs and NGOs which promote agricultural productivity through appropriate technology compatible with environmental integrity;

Be in the frontline of delivery    of basic agricultural    services particularly those needed for the survival of the inhabitants during and in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters; recommend to the Sangguniang and advise the governor, as the case may be, on all other matters related to agriculture and aquaculture which will improve the    livelihood and living conditions of the inhabitants; exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as may be prescribed by law or ordinance.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

Dr. Pamugas during the OPA year-end assessment and 2020 operational plan last December 5, 2019 held at the Panda Tea and Garden, Dao, Tagbilaran City introduced the so called “Pag-atiman sa mga Kabus/Makalolooy Program”.

Under the program, the OPA is tasked to identify the poorest and most medically ignored barangays, establish the Bohol Soils and Water Center, update farmers registry divided into crops and animals groups concentration, list consolidated rice and corn areas with legitimate and dependable farm coops, identify the rice and corn areas that will be given mini service facilities, identify the High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) areas that will be given mini service facilities, establish a Bohol Farm Mechanization and Processing Center which will be a rental center for farm equipment and select processing machines, building a vigorous nursery program for Bohol’s agricultural crops including nurseries for indigenous medicinal plants;

Integrate the microfinance and a buyback program for all our commodity programs, integrate the culinary experience with agri producers, integrate the public markets with the culinary experience of Bohol, trees and fruit trees planting programs, and palengke program.

The six divisions of the OPA such as Agribusiness, Research and Agri-Support Services (RASS), Planning, Crops and Productivity, Fisheries, and Administration have tasked to carry on the new program that would be integrated to the existing programs of the OPA.

Usually, before the year ends, the provincial agriculture office would hold a Christmas party and conduct a year-end assessment to determine how far the office has gone through with its targets for this year and to formulate operational plan for the next year. (Atoy Cosap)

The Royhle Airways Chartered Inc., the winning bidder of the 43-hour Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) in the province of Bohol has suspended operations.

Leon Parac, Jr., cloud seeding focal person bared that last Monday the Royhle Airways sent a letter to the Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 informing the suspension of operations due to non-availability of airplane.

It may be recalled that on November 21, 2019, the left engine of the aircraft incurred mechanical trouble and since then the plane remains unfixed.

Meanwhile, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and the DA-RFO7 have no knowledge on the resumption of operations.

Parac said 30.38 hrs. of seeding operations has been utilized since the contract for CSO started on October 19,2019. The remaining 12.22 hours of the total 43 hours is yet to be completed

Beforehand, the Royhle Airways set the timeline for completion of operations on November 30, 2019.

Delay of operations as earlier cited by Parac includes strict implementation of the new policy at the Bohol Panglao International Airport. It was highly noted that members of the cloud seeding team would undergo a thorough inspection at the airport. Factors causing the delay of CSO also include absence of seedable clouds and engine trouble of the plane used.

The conduct of the operations has been asked by the irrigators associations and other Boholano farmers to save the standing crops and the land preparations for the next cropping season.

The National Irrigation Administration had reported that the water elevations of the four dams: Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bayongan Dam in San Miguel, Capayas Dam in Ubay and Zamora Dam in Talibon have increased due to the CSOs and the occurrence of rain in other areas of the province.

The P2.5 million CSO is funded by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) coursed through for the implementation of the DA-RFO7 and the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the OPA. (AtoyCosap) 

With the aims at givingBoholanos especially the farmers and fisherfolks more services from the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), additional programs have been formulated and will be implemented next year.

Dr. Larry M. Pamugas, officer-in-charge, OPA introduced the so called “Pag-atimansamgaKabus/ Makalolooy Program” during the OPA year-end assessment and 2020 operational plan last Thursday held at the Panda Tea and Garden, Dao, Tagbilaran City.

Under the program, the OPA is tasked to identify the poorest and most medically ignored barangays, establish the Bohol Soils and Water Center, update farmers registry divided into crops and animals groups concentration, list consolidated rice and corn areas with legitimate and dependable farm coops, identify the rice and corn areas that will be given mini service facilities, identify the High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC) areas that will be given mini service facilities, establish a Bohol Farm Mechanization and Processing Center which will be a rental center for farm equipment and select processing machines, building a vigorous nursery program for Bohol’s agricultural crops including nurseries for indigenous medicinal plants;

Integratethe microfinance and a buyback program for all our commodity programs, integrate the culinary experience with agri producers, integrate the public markets with the culinary experience of Bohol, trees and fruit trees planting programs, and palengke program.

The six divisions of the OPA such as Agribusiness, Research and Agri-Support Services (RASS), Planning, Crops and Productivity, Fisheries, and Administration have tasked to carry on the programs.

Pamugas explained that the new program would be integrated to the existing programs of the OPA to be implemented in the new blend of governance under the administration of Gov. Arthur C. Yap and Vice Gov. Rene Relampagos.

Usually, before the year ends, the provincial agriculture office would conduct a year-end assessment to determine how far the office has gone through with its targets for this year and to formulate operational plan for next year.

In achieving the plans and programs of the OPA, Dr. Pamugas said the office has adopted a monthly general assembly every last Monday of the month to be attended by all the employees of which all the divisions would make the reportson the output or monthly accomplishments of its assigned plans and programs and as such if there are problems encountered in the implementation would be given solutions and if there are gaps would be immediately connected or filled up. (AtoyCosap)

The visit of Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William D. Dar to Bohol has been postponed.

In his deferred visit tomorrow, Sec. Dar is supposed to keynote the Farmers’ Big Day as well as lead the ceremonial handover of farm machineries, SURE Aid, SAAD Program at the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)7 Covered Court, Dao, Tagbilaran City and the launching of the Soils and Water Laboratory in Poblacion, Carmen.

Dr. Larry M. Pamugas, Officer-In-Charge, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) said that Sec. Dar would attend the urgent meeting tomorrow called by President Rodrigo RoaDuterte in Malacañang.

Pamugasbared that there is no definite date yet on when to push through the Farmers’ Big Day waiting the available time of the secretary.

According to Regional Executive Director Atty. Salvador D. Diputado, DA-Regional Field Office (RFO)7 during the opening program of the 5^thPamaskongTabosa DA last Tuesday held at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (BAPC) Ground, Dao, Tagbilaran City said that part of the secretary’s itineraries is to lead the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) of the Agricultural Extension Service Program with the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) official as the province serves as the pilot area in the Visayas.

Atty. Diputado said the program aims to strengthen the cooperation of the DA and the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) to help the farmers who are affected in the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law.

He explained that in the implementation of the law, the farmer entrepreneurs have been affected, however, the consumers have been benefited because of the good quality and cheap prices of imported rice that flooded at the markets.

The DA-RFO7 Regional Executive Director emphasized that under the program, the DA and the provincial government have committed to look for the markets of palay so as the farmers have no problems to sell their products.

SOILS AND WATER LABORATORY LAUNCHING

The Soils and Water Laboratory to be launched by Sec. Dar in Carmen is very imported considering that the soil and water are the most important ingredients in agriculture.

He said that through laboratory testing the composition of the soil would be determined and that would be the basis on what kind of plants suitable to be planted in the area.

Diputado said the DA will provide personnel to manage the laboratory.

PARADIGMS TO LEVEL UP AGRICULTURE

Atty. Diputado disclosed the 8 paradigms to level up agriculture under the new secretary which are the following: modernization must continue, industrialization of agriculture is the key, promotion of export is necessity, consolidation of small-and-medium size firms, infrastructure development should also be critical, higher budget and investment for Philippine agriculture, legislative support is needed, and roadmap development is paramount.

He said these are the new programs of DA to ensure that the country has a strong food security and the farmers and fisherfolks have uplifted their way of living.

Meanwhile, in the campaign against Asian Swine Fever (ASF), Atty. Diputado admitted that the DA-RFO7 and even the PGBh through the Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) are not ready to prevent the spread of the disease in the province.

He said the biosecurity programs or the precautionary measures that have been drawn or undertaken are not enough to ensure that Bohol becomes an ASF free. (AtoyCosap)