Month: September 2020

Even though that the rice standings in the province of Bohol are in the dough and ripening to maturing stages, the
seeds for the Advanced Rice Technology (ART) 160 (hybrid rice) and ART 120 (inbred rice)  programs are now
ready for the cropping season next month.
Gertrudes Fuentes, Head – Crops and Productivity Division – Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and
Lorebien Lagapa, Provincial Rice Coordinator bared that the Department of Agriculture (DA) under its Rice
Resiliency Project (RRP) has allocated hybrid seeds good for 21,500 hectares (has.) of irrigated areas and PhilRice
under its Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program (RCEP) has allocated inbred seeds to be planted for 18,500
has..
According to Fuentes and Lagapa that aside from the hybrid and inbred rice seeds allocation, the DA and PhilRice
are likewise provided the fertilizer subsidy of which for every buy of two bags of Muriate of Potash Fertilizer the
farmer would be given three bags of Urea Fertilizer for hybrid rice and for every buy of two bags of Muriate of
Potash Fertilizer the farmer would be given also two bags of Urea Fertilizer for inbred rice.
The farmers would only present the receipts as proof that they could buy the fertilizer for them to avail the
fertilizer subsidy.
They said that the farmers need not worry regarding the rice seeds in the next cropping seasons because the
allocation of the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh), DA and PhilRice would increase next year.
During the Rice Technicians Coordination Meeting last Wednesday and Thursday at the 3rd Floor, Capitol
Building and at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (BAPC) Dormitory Hall, Dao, Tagbilaran City
respectively, Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas and Roman Dabalos, Head-Provincial
Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office (PATCO) stressed the strong determination of the PGBh with the
collaboration of DA and PhilRice to boost rice production in the province of Bohol to retain its title as “Rice
Basket” in Central Visayas.
They underscored the importance of the Municipal Agriculturists/ Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAs/MAOs),
rice technicians and local officials as frontliners in agriculture in guiding and giving technical assistance to the
Boholano farmers.
Cecile Opada, DA-Regional Focal Person on rice program presented the updates on the rice programs in the
region amidst the COVID-19 pandemic of which Bohol has given the big allocation.
Dr. Pamugas bared that Bohol has 47,378 has. of potential rice areas and through the ART 160 and ART 120,
Governor Art C. Yap has a high hope that rice production here would be boosted.
Gov. Yap has strongly urged the Boholano farmers to plant hybrid rice on their tilled irrigated areas because it
produces high yield that would reach up to 160 sacks per has. and also to plant inbred rice for areas who have
reliable sources of water and rainfed which also shows good yield performance. (Atoy Cosap)

PREPARING THE RICE SECOND CROPPING. Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas
(2 nd from right) and Roman Dabalos (extreme right), Head-Provincial Agricultural Coordinating Office
(PATCO) have setting the tone for the next rice cropping season by October through assuring the Boholano
farmers for free hybrid and inbred rice seeds and fertilizers subsidy during the Rice Technicians
Coordinating meeting last Wednesday at the 3 rd Floor, New Capitol Building, New Capitol Site, Cogon,
Tagbilaran City.

In an effort to achieve the target this year, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the
Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is fast tracking to plant mangroves in the coastal municipalities in Bohol.
Remedios Regacho, Chief-Fishery Division-OPA accounted that of the one million mangroves target to be
planted this year, some 347,600 pieces of propagules and seedlings had been planted as of Wednesday since January
this year.
Regachobared that of these number of pieces, 93,000 were planted in Cabul-an, Buenavista; 60,000 Nasingin
Island, Getafe; 50,000 (San Francisco, Talibon); 43,000 (Macaas, Tubigon); 23,000 (Valencia); 22,000 (Calape);
21,000 (Loon); 13,000 (Loay); Taguihon, Baclayon and Canigaan, Sandingan Island, Loon at 1,300 pieces each, and
other coastal municipalities in Bohol.
She disclosed that the PGBh has appreciated much the chief executives of the Municipal Local Government
Units (MLGUs) who have been helping this endeavor like Mayor Dave Duallo of Buenavista who draws from his
own pocket just to hire workers to help the LGU employees, Cabul-an East Fishermen’s Association, and OPA staff
to plant thousand pieces of propagules and seedlings in Cabul-an Island.
However, she admitted that the one million target could hardly be achieved because of so many factors such as;
non-acceptance of some LGUs because the program actually has no labor components, and the difficulty in the
procurement of planting materials considering also that the mangrove propagules could only be available in the
months of June, July and August and not all year round.
In fact, Regacho said that she maximizes the services of her staff to plant the mangrove propagules and seedlings
and so with the bagging of mangrove seedlings and as such she appreciated most the LGUs whose employees would
lead and help in the planting activities.
This significant stride of the PGBh is very useful to our environment because according to Barner and other
known environmentalists and researchers the mangrove valuations are estimated as follows: raw materials and food,
coastal protection, erosion control, maintenance of fisheries or nursery ground of fish, carbon sequestration and
filters sediments from upland.

GREEN ADVOCACY

It may be recalled that in the green advocacy of Gov. Art C. Yap he launched the “Tree Growing Activity” of the
PGBh in Barangay Calanggaman, Ubay, Bohol last September 1, 2019 which aims to plant and grow 3 million trees
including fruit trees and 4 million mangroves in three years.
At that time, Gov. Yap together with the employees of the OPA, Bohol Environment Management Office
(BEMO), Education Development Center (EDCenter) and President Carlos P. Garcia Scholars planted the varieties
of fruit-bearing trees and trees in an area owned by Ubay Waterworks Service Cooperative (UWASCO) in
Calanggaman which is an adopted “Tree Growing Park” for CPG Scholars as part of their social responsibility.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that Gov. Yap is very determined to make Bohol green
by growing 7 million trees within his first term as governor.
Pamugas, however, emphasized that in this program, the PGBh has the guidelines to be followed so that our
efforts would not go into waste or couldn’t be called as “plant and forget activity.” (Atoy Cosap)
HITTING TARGET.The staff of the Fishery Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) lead in the
planting of mangroves in the different coastal municipalities in the province of Bohol in an effort to achieve
the targeted one million mangroves propagules and seedlings to be planted this year.

The Provincial Coconut Authority (PCA) has been instrumental to the coconut farmers in this time of
crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic by launching the programs that give incentives to them.
Bohol PCA Provincial Manager Emiliano Romero and PCA Senior Agriculturist Primo Galendez said
that they just met this year’s target of planting 398,000 coconut seedlings of the “Incentivized Coconut
Planting/ Replanting Project” formerly “Participatory Coconut Planting Project”.
They said the project would give incentives to coconut farmers that would reach the total amount of
P85 per coconut already planted and stabilized using his own good seedlings.
Under this program, a coco farmer is entitled to plant a maximum of 1 hectare (ha.) and a minimum
of ½ ha.
They said that they are now also preparing for the implementation of this program next year of the
same number of coconut seedlings to be targeted.
Romero and Galendez explained that even if they already completed the program for this year, the
coco farmers could still avail of the same incentives using another source of funds as granted under
Republic Act 8048.
They said that RA 8048 allowsto utilize funds coming from the collection of coconut cutting fees of
which under this they targeted to plant about 7,000 coconut seedlings or to be planted to 50 has. of coco
farm areas.
Romero and Galendez said that aside from this, there is another program of PCA that would also help
the coconut farmers in this time of crisis which is the “Banana Intercropping Project.”
They bared that this project promotes the planting of carnava variety of banana to intercropat the
coconut farm wherein a coconut farmer is entitled to plant a maximum of one ha. (200 banana plants) and
a minimum of ½ ha. (100 banana plants) at P25 incentive per banana planted.
They said that the listing to avail the program is now on going and what the farmers would like to do
is to contact the PCA agriculturists assigned in their areas or to visit to their Municipal Agriculture Office
in their respective towns to be listed.
This project has targeted 700 has. of coco farm to be planted with carnava variety of banana
throughout Bohol and this will be started within this year.
According to them, the province of Bohol has 104,000 has. of coconut farm wherein the bigger areas
have planted are located in Balilihan, Inabanga, Carmen, Catigbian, Loay, Lila, Valencia and other
coastal municipalities. (Atoy Cosap)
INCENTIVISED PROGRAM. Bohol PCA Manager Emiliano “Emil” Romero (extreme right) and PCA
Senior Agriculturist Primo Galendez disclose programs of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) giving
incentives to coconut farmers through “Incentivized Coconut Planting/ Replanting” and “Banana
Intercropping Under Coconut Farm” projects to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic.

The agricultural province of Bohol is free from Avian Influenza, otherwise known as “Bird Flu”.
Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie D. Lapiz during the “Tingog sa Mga Bol-anon Program” of the
provincial government last Friday said that even there  are no cases of Bird Flu in the province, measures to prevent
the entry of the virus have been strengthened.
“Tingog sa Mga Bol-anon Program” is aired every Friday, 8 a.m. to 9a.m.over DYRD.
Dr. Lapiz said that Bird Flu is caused by a virus, specifically coming from the highly pathogenic A (H5N6),
usually infecting bird and poultry and in rare occasion, it can cross contaminate from birds to humans.
She said that in an effort to prevent the possible entry of the virus to our province that could occur via exposure of
poultry to infected migratory birds, water fowl and sea bird or through direct contract with the importation of
infected or contaminated poultry, poultry products or fomites,  Governor Art C. Yap issued an Executive Order No.
40 “Adopting the National Protocol on Avian Influenza, otherwise known as “Bird Flu,” Protection Program and
creating a Provincial Task Force in the Province of Bohol that would take effect on August 5, 2020.
Dr. Lapiz stressed that the action of the governor came when there are sightings of migratory birds in barangays
Pantodlan, Cabacongan and Cabilao in Loon; Panggangan in Calape; Cogtong and Panas in Candijay; Buwangan,
Clarin; Dipatlong and Lincod in Maribojoc; Danao, Panglao; Malinao Dam in Poblacion, Pilar and in Talibon.
She said that based on regular surveillance the migratory birds had started to enter the mentioned towns in April
and this month they have also started to move going outside the province.
During their stay, the body secretions or dungs from infected migratory birds could contaminate the poultry farms.

PROGRAMS CREATED

The provincial government has adopted the 2016 National Avian Influenza Protection Program specifically the
pertinent provisions applicable to LGUs in the implementation of the protection program by creating the Provincial
Avian Influenza Task Force (PAITF) that composed the Provincial Executive Committee, the Committee on Animal
Protection, the Committee on Human Protection, and the Committee on Information, Education and Communication
(IEC).
The Executive Committee is tasked to provide policy direction and oversight function of the Bird Flu Task Force;
review and recommend preparedness and response plan; and identify and recommend sources of fund for the plan
while the committee on IEC shall ensure adequate awareness of the general public on matters and updates pertaining
to Avian Influenza.
The Committee on Animal Health Protection has the following components, viz: Surveillance Team which shall
conduct the regular surveillance and profiling of poultry disease in the identified priority areas in the province
specifically in places where sighting of migratory bird reported; wet market and poultry farms; Rapid Action Team
which shall carry out the immediate diagnosis of suspect premises and the initiation and implementation of the
stamping out procedure;
Quarantine Team shall ensure the implementation of the prescribed minimum bio-security measures in ports,
airports and poultry farms, the regulation and/or prohibition of animal movement, and document of in-coming and
out-going shipment of poultry, poultry products and birds;
And Census Team which shall conduct periodic identification and consolidation of data on poultry population,
kinds and location in the province.
Dr. Lapiz said that they strictly implemented the precautionary measures for the entry ofpoultry, poultry products
or fomites from other provinces to include the banning of entry of all poultry and poultry products coming from
Pampanga and Nueva Ecija who have been badly hit by the disease and also additional requirements to be required
such certificate from the Bureau of Animal Industry certifying that the poultry, poultry products have come from the
poultry farms that are Bird Flu free.
Lapiz disclosed that the other week, Gov. Yap had met the presidents of the Barangay Livestock Aide (BALA)
strengthening the measures against Bird Flu such disease poses imminent threat to the country’s poultry industry, to
the livelihood of the people and to food security of consuming public.
The provincial veterinarian said that like the COVID-19, the Bird Flu has no vaccine yet being produced/
discovered, thus following the protocols is a must. (Atoy Cosap)

STRENTHENING MEASURES.Provincial Veterinarian Dr. Stella Marie D. Lapiz during the
“TingogsaMgaBol-anon Program” of the provincial government last Friday says that the Bohol continues to
strengthen its measures against the disease of poultry, poultry products or fomites even that the province is
free from “Bird Flu.”“TingogsaMgaBol-anon Program” is aired every Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. over DYRD.