Author: Venus Ladaga

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)

The Cloud Seeding Operations (CSOs) team has cited the strict implementation of the new policy to enter at the Bohol Panglao International Airport, absence of the seedable clouds and engine mechanical trouble of the aircraft have caused delays in the operations to the agricultural and watershed areas in Bohol.
According to Leon Parac, Jr., cloud seeding focal person that every time that the CSOs team and vehicle loaded with vacuum salt to be used in the operation would enter at the airport they would undergo the thorough inspections by the members of the Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) with K-9 dog which can cause delay in the aircraft to fly and sometimes the flights were aborted because the spotted seedable clouds were already dissipated.
Parac said the airport authority must understand the situation because aside from being this is a government project, the time element is very important so as the vacuum salt could be discharge to the seedable clouds in order to produce the artificial rain.
He also disclosed that there were days that no operations had been conducted because due to the absence of the seedable clouds.
Parac further disclosed that also last Thursday, the operations had aborted when the left engine of the RP-C1120 aircraft being used in the operations from the Royhle Airways Chartered Inc., the winning bidder of the 43 hours (hrs.) CSOs had met a mechanical trouble and perhaps today it will be repaired and possibly either tomorrow or on Tuesday the cloud seeding will be resumed.
The cloud seeding focal person bared that since the start of the operation last October 19, 2019 up to last Wednesday there were only 20 sorties had been conducted or only 31 hrs. and 40 minutes were consumed of the 43 hrs. contract.
At start Parac said that the Royhle Airways Chartered Inc. estimated that the operations would be completed on November 30, 2019.
The CSOs worth P2.3M was funded by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) coursed through for the implementation at the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO)7 and the Provincial Government of Bohol through the Office of the Agriculturist (OPA) aim to add the water elevations of the four major Dams: Malinao Dam in Pilar, Bayongan in San Miguel, Capayas Dam in Ubay and Zamora Dam in Talibon to save the vegetative and reproductive stages of standing crops as requested by the irrigators and farmers associations in Bohol.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that the artificial rain produced from the CSOs would not only save the planting rice but also other crops and pasture areas for livestock. (Atoy Cosap)

Caption:
STRICT IMPLEMENTATION CAUSES DELAY. Above photos show how the members of the Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) at the Bohol Panglao International Airport strictly implement the new policy to undergo inspection to the Cloud Seeding Operation (CSO) team members every time when they enter at the airport to facilitate and conduct the operations which is one of the causes for the delay in the quest to produce artificial rain to the watershed and agricultural areas in Bohol. Photo by LEON PARAC, JR.

The government agricultural line agencies have urged the Boholanos to buy and eat local rice amidst the influx of imported cheap rice to the markets following the passage of the Rice Tariffication Law.
In fact, the 2019 National Rice Awareness Month (NRAM) celebration this month carries the theme “Buy Local, Eat Local Support Filipino Rice Farmers” which generally aims to promote the consumption of locally produced rice.
RATIONALE EXPLAINED
Reynadez Lim-Curayag, Project Officer-Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) 7 who gave the rationale and objectives during the kick-off and launching program of the celebration last Nov. 7, 2019 held at the Ceremonial Hall, Bohol Capitol Building said specifically the activity aims to encourage consumers to patronize local rice and support local rice farmers; motivate farmers to continue producing quality rice for consumers; promote awareness of the value of locally produced rice; and engage public influencers and opinion leaders with activities in promoting the consumption of local rice and responsible consumption.
Curayag said the theme imparts the importance and advantage of eating safe and nutritious rice to consumers, instilling the value of patriotism in supporting the local rice farmers as well as focuses on how rice farmers, consumers and policy-makers support the consumption of locally produced rice amidst influx of imported cheap rice and keeping local producers in business.
VARIOUS COMMUNICATION PLATFORMS
She said as an advocacy campaign, the 2019 NRAM will employ various communications modalities to ensure that the objectives of this year’s celebration will be met such as: securing support from funding/ mother agency; mobilizing partner agencies/ organizations both in the public and private sectors; regional and provincial initiatives through Department of Agriculture (DA) field offices; conduct of knowledge sharing and learning activities among the target audiences and partners; engagement of the multimedia; and hosting of a kick-off activity (opening program) and a culminating (closing program) to orchestrate a national celebration.
Cheryl Dela Victoria, chief-Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS) DA7 during the symposium who talked about the importance of rice and no wastage emphasized that local rice has good taste and quality and being Filipinos we should patronize our own local product.
She said that in this NRAM celebration it is behooves that every Filipino must carry on the “Be RICEponsible Campaign” that encourages our rice farmers to continue to produce quality rice in response to the competition with imported rice while reaching out consumers to support locally produced rice, and be wise on their rice preferences for consumption.
RICEPONSIBILITY
Dela Victoria added that the Be RICEponsible campaign also aims to promote the RICEponsibility of every Filipino to their bodies and to our country, to help the farmers improve themselves on their families while aiding in the betterment of the rice industry in the Philippines.
Continuous campaign on BE RICEponsible to lessen rice wastage and promote the consumption of healthier rice (ex. Brown rice) that will help the farmers increase their income, she added.
She reminded the Boholanos to conserve rice and to combat waste, promote non-wastage on rice for them to be mindful of the amount of rice they get only what they can consume.
Dela Victoria informed that in 2013, according to Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), an average Filipino wasted around 14 grams or 3 tablespoons of cooked rice a day, and that was equivalent to 42% of the total rice imports for that year and could have fed around 4.6M Filipinos.
SUPPLY SUFFICIENCY
PRODUCTION COST
Lorebien N. Lagapa, head-Rice Unit, Provincial Seed Coordinator, OPA who discussed about rice situationer in Bohol disclosed that based on record that year, the province had not reached the goal to be rice self-sufficiency by getting only 83%.
Lagapa bared that rice self-sufficiency pattern in Bohol to wit: 2008 has registered 117%, 2009 (66%); 2010 (64%), 2011 (78%), 2012 (79%), 2013 (104%), 2014 (103%), 2015 (101%), 2016 (63%), 2017 (93%), and the 83% of 2018.
Lagapa said Bohol has facing the challenges of the rice industry such as lacking of labor force, impacts of climate change, limited land resources, and rice area conversion, increasing population and rice trade liberalization.
She said that the province has 184,874 hectares (has.) agricultural area of which 47,378 has. are rice production to be titled with 60,063 rice farmers who have in the average age of 57 years old.
Lagapa said to offset the increased production cost owing to higher fuel prices, farmers have to use the yield-enhancing technologies, mechanize to reduce harvest and post harvest losses, and adopt water-saving technologies like AWD, fuel wonders of rice hull, wind pump-drip irrigation system and digital farming.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Kathyrin Fe D. Pioquinto in her welcome message said we considered agriculture as the backbone of our economy.
Atty. Pioquinto said almost all of the foods we eat every day are the by-products of agriculture itself such as vegetable, fruits, meat, fish and more importantly, rice products.
She bared that rice is one of the most important agricultural products we have and we are proud that our Province of Bohol is consistently named as the “Rice Granary of Central Visayas” after we surpassed other provinces in the region in terms of rice output.
The lady administrator urged the Boholanos to conserve rice because every grain counts. One grain forms part of the entire cooked rice we regularly eat.
She likewise urged to appreciate the hard works of our farmers who dedicated their lives in providing us the quality rice we need as expressed in the folk song “Magtanim ay Di Biro”, which is familiar to all of us for sure.
Board Member Ricky Masamayor said that as chairman of the Committee on Agriculture of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan he would be very grateful to Boholano agriculture sectors that they have been continued to produce quality rice for consumers, contribute in achieving rice security, promote the value of responsible rice consumption, and to inspire public influencers in advocating this cause.
Board Member Masamayor said that rice farming is also the primary livelihood of most Filipino farmers as he encouraged the Boholanos to undertake the different activities that will promote eating the right proportion of rice, especially its healthy form like brown rice and rice mixes and be one of the advocates of RICEponsible Filipinos for food security and sustainability. (with reports From Atoy Cosap)

NATIONAL RICE AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATION. The national and provincial agricultural line agencies join the kick-off and launching of the National Rice Awareness Month last November 7, 2019 hold at the Ceremonila Hall, Bohol Capitol Building, New Capitol Site, Cogon, Tagbilaran City of which they urge every Filipino to buy local, eat local, support Filipino rice farmers. While, photo below shows the students from the different schools in Tagbilaran City intently listen the discussions during the symposium.