Press Release

After the successful launch of the “KADIWA on Wheels” last Tuesday and a full run up to Thursday in Poblacion, Dauis, Bohol, the next mobile market will be conducted in Poblacion, Albur on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The KADIWA on Wheels initiated by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO7) aims to assist farmer-entrepreneurs here to market their products and bring these directly to the consumers to avail farm gate prices which are cheaper than those in the wet markets and malls. This could also contribute to governments’ effort in controlling the spread of coronavirus by way of minimizing convergence in markets and malls.
In the three-day operations of the KADIWA on Wheels, the different products have been sold such as rice, corn grits, vegetables, root crops, fruits, fish and other fishery products.
At the KADIWA on Wheels in Dauis, the well-milled and regular milled rice were displayed by Grains Star from Baang, Catigbian owned by Miguel Missiona; vegetables from SOJIYUAN in Cantaob, Sierra-Bullones, and Balilihan Vegetable Growers; root crops from Dimiao; eggs and cooking oil from Palayamanan Project partners;
The product sources of fruits were from the mango grower of Lila, tundan banana of Balilihan, Water Melon Growers of Dimiao and Lila; while the fish and other fishery products came from Bohol United Fish Traders Group in Talibon, and the dressed chicken from Magnolia.
Some P390,913 were the total sales of the exhibitors in the three-day operations in Dauis.
During the product display an assigned staff from the Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) and DA-RFO7 shall facilitate the operation of the mobile market, document the activity and closely retrieve sales reports; while the barangay officials, Philippine National Police personnel, and the barangay tanods are assigned to manage the flow of the consumers to strictly observe social distancing.
Mayor Miriam Sumaylo of Dauis is grateful to Governor Art C. Yap and Roman Dabalos of DA-Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Center (PATCO) for choosing her town as the pilot area of the mobile market in the province as Mayor Don Ritchie Buates of Albur would be also glad that his town would be the next venue for the “KADIWA on Wheels.”
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas explained that the criteria for target Municipalities/ barangays for the Mobile market are based on the Bohol Provincial Price Coordinating Council (BPPCC) data with high prevalence of agri-fishery products; and have positive support of Municipal Local Government Unit (MLGU) in disseminating/coordination of the event. (Atoy Cosap)

KADIWA ON WHEELS. Gov. Art C. Yap (3rd from left above photo) with Mayor Miriam Sumaylo of Dauis on his right side when he leads the launching of the “KADIWA on Wheels” last Tuesday in Poblacion, Dauis. Consumers can buy basic commodities at the cheaper prices compared than those at the wet markets and malls. The KADIWA on Wheels which will also be conducted in Albur on Tuesday and Wednesday next week is initiated by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7. Foto: ALFREDO AMORA, JR.-OPA staff

Amidst the extension in the implementation of the “Intensified Community Quarantine” in the province of Bohol, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) will launch the “KADIWA on Wheels” (Mobile Market) on Tuesday in Poblacion, Dauis, Bohol.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Larry M. Pamugas and Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Head-Agribusiness Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) said that Gov. Art C. Yap wantsthe KADIWA on Wheels, like in other areas, be launched in the province to assist farmer-entrepreneurs hereto markettheir products and bring these direct to the consumers to avail farm gate prices which are cheaper than those in wet markets and malls. This could also contribute to governments’ effort in controlling the spread of corona virus by way of minimizing convergence in markets and malls.
They said that the products to be sold are rice, vegetables, rootcrops, fruits, fish and other fishery products.
The well-milled and regular milled rice are from Rice Processing Center (RPC) inPilar, Carmen SamahangNayon, and San Isidro Pilar Cooperative; vegetables from SOJIYUAN in Cantaob, Sierra-Bullones, and Balilihan Vegetable Growers; rootcrops from Palayamanan Project partners;
The product sources of fruits are from the mango grower of Lila, lakatan banana of Balilihan, Water Melon Growers of Dimiao and Lila, pineapple growers of Carmen; while the fish and other fishery products are from fish traders inTalibon.
In the preparatory meeting last Wednesday at the Capitol office of Dr. Pamugas together with the DA-Regional Field Office 7 and OPA staff it was agreed that producers shall display and sell products 10-20% lesser than the prevailing market prices. It was also emphasized that sellers shall bring their respective tables, chairs, weighing scales and biodegradable containers (supot and bags).
During the product display, an assigned staff from OPA and DA shall facilitate the operation of the mobile market, document the activity and closely retrieve sales reports and gather comments and suggestions from both buyers and suppliers/farmers.
Dr. Pamugas said that the criteria for target municipalities/ barangays are based on the Bohol Provincial Price Coordinating Council (BPPCC) data with high prevalence of agri-fishery products; and have positive support of MLGU in disseminating/coordination of the event.
Pamugas emphasized that at the KADIWA on Wheels, the services of the barangay officials, Philippine National Police Personnel, and the barangay tanods are needed to manage the flow of the consumers to strictly observe the social distancing. (Atoy Cosap)

BASIC COMMODITIES. These basic commodities have been sold at the “KADIWA on Wheels” to be formally launched on Tuesday in Poblacion, Dauis, Bohol which aims to bring agricultural products direct to the consumers for them to avail farm gate prices. Top photo shows the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 staff during the preparatory meeting for the formal launching.

The province of Bohol has enough supplies of vegetables amid this time of crisis due to the implementation of
“Intensified Community Quarantine” because of COVID-19.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Dr. Larry M. Pamugas said that based on the daily monitoring conducted by the
OPA staff there are no signs that the supplies are dwindling and the prices are still on the range of the ceiling retail
prices set by the Department of Agriculture except the vegetable growing municipalities like Balilihan and
Catigbian, the retail prices are lower ranging from P20 to P40.
Dr. Pamugas said that the shipment of vegetable supplies and other agricultural products from Cebu and Cagayan
has been normal aside from the vegetables coming from Cantaob, Sierra Bullones; Jagna, Duero, Guindulman,
Catigbian, Carmen, Sagbayan, and Balilihan.
Meanwhile, he urged the Boholanos including those spending their “quarantine” time to engage in backyard
gardening in order to have more vegetable production and not only depending on the supplies at the markets.
Rufa Ugay, High Value Commercial Crop Development Program coordinator said that as of now, the available
seeds of pechay, eggplant, kangkong, squash, okra, beans, and ampalaya at the OPA are good only for backyard
gardening.
The seeds were purchased from the supplemental budget for this year worth P1 million while waiting for the
emergency purchase worth P1.5 million of which the bidding has not yet conducted aside from the P500,000 worth
of vegetable seeds appropriation intended for this year.
Ugay disclosed that based on the OPA record, the numbers of beneficiaries of the seeds distribution who have
come personally at the office have been increased which means that more Boholanos now are engaging in planting
vegetables in any other ways such as backyard or containerized gardenings.
Gov. Art C. Yap while underscoring the efforts of our vegetable growers who have been engaging the backyard or
containerized gardenings, strongly urged the Boholanos to plant vegetables in a big areas for additional production
to cater our needs and not only depending on the supplies from other provinces. (Atoy Cosap)
Caption:
VEGETABLE SUPPLIES. Enough vegetable supplies have been regularly displayed at any wet market in the
province of Bohol. These photos are
taken in the public market in Sagbayan, Bohol. Photo by April Regine Inocian, OPA staff

The Bohol Provincial Price Coordinating Council (BPPCC) has been investigating the reported
increase on prices of some basic commodities amid the implementation of price freeze while Bohol is
under in the implementation of the “Community Quarantine.”
The BPPCC headed by Governor Art C. Yap received the results of price monitoring in selected
public markets in the municipalities and in the city for the period March 26 to April 1, 2020 conducted by
the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), one of the members of the BPPCC showed that retail
prices of both well milled and regular milled rice increased by P2.00-P7.00 per kilo; corn grits of which
the retail prices still increased from P1.00-P2.00; ginger with a remarkable increase between P70.00-
P100.00; calamansi increased by P10.00 to P52.00; lakatan banana a remarkable increase ranges from
P30.00-P50.00; cooking oil, an increase ranges from P3.00 to P5.00/ pack in wet markets in the city and
in the municipalities; and dried fish, retail of potpot increase by P50-100 starting March 25, 2020;
The governor said that daily price monitoring has been closely conducted to ensure that the
implementation of the price freeze of all basic commodities would not be violated by the erring owners of
establishments who would take advantage in the situation while the consumers are bracing on the impact
in the implementation of the “Community Quarantine” of Bohol.
Earlier, Boholano DTI Assistant Secretary Aster Caberte said those who will violate the price freeze
will face penalties of at least P1 million, imprisonment or both.
SUGGESTED PRICE CEILINGS
Regional Executive Director Atty. Salvador D. Diputado, Department of Agriculture-Regional Field
Office (DA-RFO) 7 last March 23, 2020 respectfully endorsed to Gov. Yap the Suggested Price Ceilings
(SPC) of the following agricultural and fishery commodities for the province of Bohol.
Agricultural/Fishery Commodity: Price Ceiling Range (in PhP/kilogram) low – high: Cereals – Well
Milled Rice – 34.00-43.00, Regular Milled Rice – P36.00-38.00, Corn grits (white) – 26.00-35.00;
Pork: Belly – 225.00-240.00, Ham – 210.00-240.00, Lean Pork – 225-230.00;
Beef: Brisket – 190.00-220.00, Sirloin Steak – 300.00-450.00;
Chicken: Whole Chicken – 150.00-160.00;
Eggs (Chicken): Small – 5.00-7.50, Medium – 5.25-8.00, Large – 6.00-8.50;
Vegetables, Roots & Tubers: Ampalaya – 50.00-110.00, Eggplant – 50.00-100.00, Squash – 20.00-
35.00, Chayote – 20.00-35.00, Cabbage – 60.00-90.00, Pechay, Native – 60.00-90.00, Kangkong (per
bundle) – 10.00-20.00, Stringbeans – 40.00-75.00, Carrots – 50.00-90.00, Gabi – 55.00-70.00, Gabi –
55.00-70.00, Camote – 20.00-35.00, Ginger – 110.00-150.00, Garlic Bulbs – 170.00-230.00, Onion
Bermuda Red -110.00-200.00;
Fruits & Other Upland Crops: Lakatan – 60.00-70.00, Latundan – 35.00-45.00, Mango 85.00-120.00,
Watermelon – 35.00-40.00, Calamansi – 50.00-70.00, Papaya – 30.00-40.00;
Fresh Fish: Bangus/ Milkfish – 160.00-200.00, Salimbagon/ Skipjack Tuna – 180-280, Tulingan/
Frigate Tuna – 180.00-220.00, Tamban Tuloy/ Goldstripe Sardinella – 60.00-100.00, Galunggong/ Borot-
borot/ Round Scad – 150.00-220.00, Tamarong/ Big-eyed scad – 180.00-280.00, Molmol/ Parrot Fish –
200.00-280.00, Danggit/ Rabbit Fish – 200.00-280.00, Hasa-hasa/ Short-bodied Mackerel – 220.00-
250.00, Tilapia – 160.00;
Dried Fish: Mangsi – 160.00-250.00, Potpot – 240.00-280.00, Bolinao – 300.00-350.00;
Other Products: Refined Sugar – 47.00-60.00, Brown Sugar – 37.00-46.00, Cooking Oil – 20.00-
22.00.
Atty. Diputado pointed out that pursuant to Republic Act No. 7581, otherwise known as the Price Act,
which provides protection to consumers by stabilizing the prices of basic necessities and prime
commodities and recommending measures against undue price increase during the emergency situations
and like occasion, and after consultation with government agency partners, thus DA-RFO7 endorsed the
SPC. (Atoy Cosap)

BASIC COMMODITIES. Prices of some basic commodities in the province of Bohol to include well milled and
regular milled rice, ginger, calamansi, lakatan banana, cooking oil, have been monitored to have a
remarkable increase amid the implementation of price freeze due to COVID-19. Photo by April Regine Inocian

Some hectares of rice lands in the province of Bohol have been infested with rice black bug that would eventually affect bigger areas if not to be controlled or eradicated.
Lorebien Lagapa and Alquin Boncales from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) said the rice black bug has started to damage the 3 hectares (has.) rice lands of Golden Estoy, 1.5 has. of Jonel Potot and the half has. of Diosdado Paguray booth in Purok 1, Calanggaman, Ubay, Bohol.
Estoy standing crop is at the panicle initiation stage; while hard dough to ripening stage for Potot and Paguray.
Potot confirmed that the black bug infestation has started at his farm and affected the adjacent farms of Estoy and Paguray.
He said that they already conducted spraying using pesticides but the infestation doesn’t control and instead it has spread.
Lagapa said that they have known the incidence through the verbal report from Municipal Agriculturist Marianito Doydora.
She said the OPA sent immediately Boncales to the areas to give technical assistance.
She said that the OPA had already requested verbally the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 to send Metarhizium-Biological Control agent to control the affected areas whose standing crop is at the panicle or booting stage, however, not applicable to the hand dough to ripening stage.
Lagapa explained that they could not make a formal request because the protocol being followed is that the formal letter request from the Municipal Agriculture Office must be attached to the official letter request from OPA to DA-RFO7.
She said that they scheduled to conduct a light-trapping operation to kill the rice black bug on the first week of April which is full moon.
Lagapa said that after harvesting the affected areas of black bug infestation including the rice hays would be burned out to kill all the pests.
The province of Bohol has 47,378 has. of rice production areas of which 26,311 has. are rainfed and 21,014 are irrigated being tilled by 60,063 rice farmers with an average age of 57. (Atoy Cosap)

BLACK BUG INFESTATION.Diosdado Paguray of Purok 1, Calanggaman, Ubay, Bohol shows his rice farm infested with rice black bug of which per hill there are more than 10 bugs to attack the rice plant.
photoLAGAPA / BONCALES, OPA

In the expanded mangrove planting program in the Province of Bohol targeting 1.5 million propagules for planting, about 30,000 mangrove propagules were planted in the towns of Getafe and Talibon, Bohol.
Remedios Regacho, chief, Fisheries Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) said that there were 5,000 propagules planted in Nasingin Island, Getafe last Feb. 7, 2020; 5,000 were planted in Campao, Getafe last March 6, 2020; while 20,000 were planted in San Francisco, Talibon last March 13, 2020 and last Friday.
Regacho admitted the shortage of planting materials considering that the seasons of propagules to be matured will be in the months of May and June.
However, she said that the employees of the Fishery Section, OPA, have been bagging wildlings of various species of mangrove (Bakhaw, Pagatpat and Lapis-Lapis) at the mangrove nurseries in Sta. Fe, Albur and Canigaan, Loon.
She said that they prefer planting materials from the nurseries because the survival rate is 98% compared to direct planting of propagules which has 50%-60% only.
Regacho emphasized the importance of planting mangrove at the seashores because it serves as a nursery ground to nurture small fishes through planktons which come from the decayed leaves of mangrove; haven of sea shells, crabs and shrimps; provides protection against strong winds and waves, and provides livelihood through fuel or charcoal making.
She said that Bohol has been known as the biggest mangrove plantation in Southeast Asia of which the Banacon Island Mangrove Forest in Banacon Island, Getafe has an area of 425 hectares (has.).
The mangrove plantations in Getafe, Calape, and Loon are covered by National Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act while the plantations in Albur, Loay and Loboc are areas covered by NIPAS act and Protected Seascape and Landscapeboth managed by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) chaired by the DENR, co-chaired by the mayor and the barangay captain as member of the concerned locality.
Aside from the mangrove plantation, the PGBh aims to plant millions of trees and fruit trees.
It may be recalled that late last year thousands of fruit trees and endemic or native trees were planted in Ubay Water Service Cooperative (UWASCO) water shed areas. (Atoy Cosap)

MANGROVE PLANTING. Remedios Regacho (standing, 7thfrom left, top photo), chief, Fisheries Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) leads the planting of mangrove propagules on March 6, 2020 in Campao Occidental, Getafe, Bohol which part of the Mangrove Planting Program of the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) aims at protecting our environment. (Anthony Pastorfide)

The Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has 15 nominees for the different categories of the GawadSaka Search at the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 for this year.
Dr. Larry M. Pamugas, Officer-in-Charge, OPA said that last Monday the provincial agriculture had respectfully endorsed to Atty. Salvador D. Diputado, Ph.D. LLM, Regional Executive Director DA-RFO7 the list of the provincial nominees of Bohol for the regional level search who are the following: NunelitoVen C. Garrote of Purok 3, Dela Paz, Cortes (Outstanding Small Animal Raiser); Vicente Rosales, Jr., Purok 2, Casate, Ubay (Outstanding Large Animal Raiser); Eulogio C. Galler, Omjon, Valencia (Outstanding Corn Farmer Adoption Integrated Farming System); Canlusong Women’s Association, Canlusong Valencia (Outstanding Rural Improvement Club (RIC); Ubojan Young Dreamers 4-H Club, Sagbayan (Outstanding Young Farmer Association Club);
PoncianoSumampong, Batuan (Outstanding Farmer-Fish Culture); Rodrigo Evardo, Talibon (Outstanding Fish Capture); Ubay Fish Vendor Association, Ubay (Outstanding Fishermen’s Association), Efrenia Holt, Cabayugan, Calape (Outstanding Rural Woman); Canjulao League of Women (CLOW), Canjulao, Jagna (Outstanding Agri-Enterprise for Crop); Cornelio Galamiton, Matin-ao, Sierra Bullones (High-Value Commercial Development Program (HVCDP) Farmer); Jorge M. Pamugas, Dangay, Albur (Coconut Farmer); Vicente and MarcianaLuminarias, Trinidad (Farm Family); AquileoColumnas, Carmen (Rice Farmer Adopting Integrated Farming); and Emerson Añasco, Carmen (Young Farmer category).
Dr. Pamugas explained that the PGBh has abled to summit the nominees for GawadSaka Search at the regional level after the evaluators had completed evaluating all the nominees for the SuhidsaMalampusong Mag-uumang Bola-non 2020 and come-up the winners of the different categories which would automatically be the nominees of the search.
It may be recalled that since February 3, 2020, the SUHID evaluators from National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Bureau of Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Bureau of Fisheries & Aquatic Resources (BFAR); Provincial Field Office, Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office-Department of Agriculture (PATCO-DA), Office of the Provincial Veterinarian (OPV) and OPA had done the evaluations to the 108 nominees for the 27 categories of the provincial search after they were being asked by Pamugas to fast track the evaluations to come up with the winners for the GawadSaka Search nominees.
The GawadSaka Search is one of three activities of the DA-RFO7 tripled with the Regional Achievers Award (RAA) and Regional Organic Award (ROA) of which the awarding ceremony will be simultaneously conducted.
Helen Igot, section head-Institutional Division Section, Agribusiness Division, OPA said that there are other nominees from Bohol for ROA and RAA. However, their endorsements have not come from OPA but through the Municipal Agricultural Officers (MAOs) or Municipal Agriculturists (MAs).
Last year GawadSaka Search, RAA and ROA, the nominees from Bohol bagged 18 of the close to 30 categories.
Pamugas is expecting that more categories would still be garnered by Boholano nominees besting other provinces in Central Visayas; Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor. (Atoy Cosap)

Even though that the prices of copra are low, the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in the province of Bohol has strongly urged the Boholanos to plant coconut for future income, four to five years to go if properly grown.
PCA Provincial Manager Emiliano Romero and PCA Senior Agriculturist Primo Galendez have made the call amid the continued re-planting program of coconut spearheaded by their office.
Romero and Galendez said that the two coconut nurseries in Bohol namely: Central Visayas Coconut Seed Production Center (CVCSPC) in Calanggaman, Ubay and the Loay Code Farmer (LCF) in La Salinas, Loay have produced the hybrid and dwarf varieties of coconut seedlings and are ready to be planted in the re-planting program to include the participatory coconut planting, coconut seedling dispersal, and accelerated coconut planting and rehabilitation programs.
They said that the CVCSPC has produced the hybrid PCA 15-9, Hybrid PCA 15-4, MRDX Tagnanan and green dwarf varieties (Katigan and Takunan) while the LCF has only produced the green dwarf varieties.
The hybrid varieties will bear fruits within five years after planting while the dwarf varieties have four years if properly grown by the farmers to include the proper application of fertilizer.
Earlier, Romero disclosed that in the coconut seedling dispersal program, the farmers were given coconut seedlings by PCA for them to plant while the participatory coconut planting program, requires the farmers to plant utilizing their own seedlings and they would be paid by the PCA at P45 per stabilized coconut seedling.
On the other hand, the accelerated coconut planting and rehabilitation program is another of which the farmers were given the coconut coir-based organic fertilizer.
Romero and Galendez said that the two nurseries are not only supplying the needed coconut seedlings in Central Visayas but also in Tacloban and Leyte areas or in Region 8.
They said that the drive against illegal cutting of coconut trees has no letting up considering that there are still violators of which some of them were already penalized and convicted.
As of now, Bohol has 104,000 hectares (has.) of planted coconut and the area is still increasing due to the re-planting program. (AtoyCosap)

CAPTION:

VARIETIES OF COCONUT TREES. The hybrid variety (left photo) and the green dwarf variety (right photo) of coconut trees are both recommended by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for plantingthrough the re-planting program in the province of Bohol. These varieties are produced at the Central Visayas Seed Production Center in Calanggaman, Ubay, Bohol and Loay Code Farmer in La Salinas, Loay, Bohol.