Press Release

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.

Most awaited by irrigators and farmers associations, the next round of Cloud Seeding Operations(CSOs) will be conducted on Wednesday to save the vegetative and reproductive stages of standing crops, livestock and other agricultural products in Bohol.
This surfaced after Leon Parac, Jr. from the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) and Engr. Corazon Ditarro from the Water Resources Division, Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) conducted the Pre-Cloud Seeding Assessment last Tuesday and Wednesday at the four major dams and other agricultural areas in Bohol affected by the dry season.
Parac, who is the cloud seeding focal person reported that the water levels of all dams are near critical levels: Malinao Dam in Pilar – actual level at 147.90 meters (ms.), critical level is 146.4ms., full level is 152ms.; Bayongan Dam in San Miguel-actual 42.11 ms., critical 41 ms., full 52 ms.; Capayas Dam in Ubay- actual 33.03 ms., critical 30 ms., full 36.50 ms.; Talibon Dam in Zamora, Talibon-actual 22.38 ms., critical 21 ms., full 30 ms..
He said that the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) considered the water level of Talibon Dam as “dead” because it can no longer deliver water to the service areas in the town of Talibon.
During last Thursday’s assessment meeting together with Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugasat the Bohol Capitol, Parac bared that they recommended the conduct of CSOs the soonest possible time.
Catherine Cristales from Royhle Airways, the winning bidder of the 43 hours of seeding operations said that their RP-C1120 aircraft to be used in the operations will arrive at the Bohol Panglao International Airport on Tuesday just in time the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) grants the permit for the operations.
Edna N. Yu, Officer- in- Charge, RAED chief-DA-RFO 7 said that for their part as implementer, it is all systems go for the 43 hours of CSOs in Bohol confirming that the P2.5 million fund from BSWM was downloaded to their office.
Parac said there will be a pre-cloud seeding meeting tomorrow at the OPA office together with the personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) who will serve as the cloud spotters targeting the watershed areas.
Other being utilized as cloud spotters are the trained rice technicians who will give signals to the command center based at the airport to be manned by the BSWM personnel and PAF if there are seedable clouds over the said areas. (AtoyCosap)

CAPTION:
DAMS WATER LEVELS.The four major dams in Bohol: Malinao in Pilar, Bayongan in San Miguel, Capayas in Ubay and Zamora in Talibon at almost critical level. The RP-C1120 aircraft (top-most photo) to be used for the Cloud Seeding Operations. The aircraft is fromRoyhle Airways based in Dumaguete City, the winning bidder for the 43-hour cloud seeding operation in Bohol. Foto LEON PARAC, JR.

Aims to make the Yuletide season a truly festive as early as October, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and other line agencies have launched the activities dubbed as “Pasko Sa CPG Park” at the CPG Park, New Capitol Site, Cogon, Tagbilaran City.
The activities have been divided into three seasons: Agri Food Fair & Exhibit which will be held on October 8-16, 2019, a setting for OCTOBERFEST; November 4-12, 2019 – BOHOL’S FIRST; and December 6-15, 2019 – PASKO NA JUD.
The “Pasko Sa CPG Park” is highlighted with the Agri Food Fair to be spearheaded by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) with the Bohol Associations of Farmers and Fisherfolks(BAFF), Food Fusion to be handled by Bohol Investment and Promotion Center (BIPC) with the Bohol Association of Hotel Resort and Restaurants (BAHRR), the Belen and Dayegon contests to be spearheaded by Center for Culture and Arts Development (CCAD), and Product Exhibit for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
In the opening program to be held on October 8, 2019 at the CPG Park, Governor Arthur C. Yap will lead to give the messages and the ribbon cutting and opening of exhibits.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that he will send the letters to some municipal agricultural officers to join the Agri Food Fair and Exhibits to start on October 8, 2019.
Pamugas explained that this is a marketing promotional activity that will be highlighted with the display of fresh fish; organic, agricultural and processed products. Crops and farm products from different farming communities will be showcased.
He said the ingress for the “Octoberfest” activities will be on October 6, 2019, and the egress is on October 17, 2019.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Chief-Agribusiness Division, OPA during the preparatory meeting last Friday held at the Gov. Lino Chatto Hall, 2nd Floor, Bohol Capitol Building said the activities also aim to sustain the employment and income augmentation goals of the provincial government by linking the farmers and exhibitors to the traders, exporters and other local buyers.
Belen and Dayegon Contests
Based on the calendar of activities, the deadline for the submission of registration/entries will be on October 8, 2019. The pre-judging of Belen will be done at the Local Government Units (LGUs) level while all Dayegon contestants shall undergo on audition process at the Bohol Cultural Center from November 11-29, 2019 to pick out the eight finalists to be announced on December 2, 2019.
The final judging will be on December 4, 2019, 6:30pm at the Bohol Cultural Center and the awarding of prizes to the winners will be on the evening of December 15, 2019 during the Pasko sa CPG Park program at the CPG Park.
Big prizes at stake awaits to each of the winners of Belen and Daygon contests: First Prize – P200,000; Second Prize – P150,000.00; and Third Prize – P100,000 and consolation prizes of P30,000 each to the non-winning entry.
The whole event will be managed by the 2019 Christmas Committee of the PGBh comprises of the different offices in the provincial government and the private sector.

PREPARATORY MEETING. Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Chief-Agribusiness Division, Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) presides the preparatory meeting with the exhibitors in the Agri Food Fair & Exhibit for the “PASKO SA CPG PARK” last Friday held at the Gov. Lino Chatto Hall, Bohol Capitol Building. Lamdagan says the meeting has called to ensure the smooth implementation of the activities. Foto: RHEZA GUTIERREZ, OPA STAFF

The Bohol nominees for the different categories of the Regional Gawad Saka Search 2019 sponsored by the Department of Agriculture _ Regional Field Office 7 (DA-RFO7) had shined again in this year’s tilt.
This developed after Bohol bagged 18 out of 34 categories of the regional search bested other nominees from the provinces of Cebu, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental in Region 7.
The regional awardees from Bohol who received their awards and recognition last Tuesday during the awarding ceremony held at the Bayfront Hotel (across SM City), north reclamation area, Cebu City were: Melchor P. Yaras – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka Rice Farmer and Aida T. Salingay of Pilar, Bohol – Rice Farmer Assisting Technician; Karl Norman P. Endres – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka Small Animal Raiser and Maximo H. Bojo of Batuan, Bohol – Small Animal Raiser Assisting Technician; Danilo S. Garcia – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka Large Animal Raiser and Aida T. Salingay, Pilar, Bohol – Large Animal Raiser Assisting Technician;
Prudencio D. Polinar, Jr. – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka High Value Farmer and Conception E. Tumanda, Batuan Bohol – High Value Crops Farmer Assisting Technician; Manga National High School 4H Club – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka Young Farmer Organization and and Pablita Cabarles, Tagbilaran City – Young Farmer Organization 4H Assisting Technician; Mr. and Mrs. Victor B. Ramos and Family – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka Farm Family and Cornelia B. Sipsip, Sagbayan Bohol – Farm Family Assisting Technician;
Jagna Calamay Producers Cooperative of Jagna – Outstanding Gawad Saka Agri-Entrepreneur and Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Tagbilaran City – Agri Entrepreneur Assisting Technician; Municipal Agricultural Fishery Council (MAFC) Ubay – Regional Outstanding Gawad Saka MAFC and Fe A. Caballero, Ubay, Bohol – Ubay MAFC Assisting Technician; Marjoe Rey A. Labonite, Tagbilaran City – Outstanding Organic Provincial Focal Person; Chito S. Pilas, Jr., Tanday, Corella, Bohol – Outstanding Organic Small Farmer Individual; Livelihood for Upland Agricultural Management and Development Multi-Purpose Cooperative (LUMAD MPC), Taytay, Duero, Bohol – Outstanding Organic Small Farmer Group;
Reynaldo U. Quilicot and Family, La Paz, Carmen, Bohol – Outstanding Organic Farming Family; Angelito Oroyan, Talibon, Bohol -Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker; Angeles Opiala, Talibon, Bohol – Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker; Aida T. Salingay, Pilar, Bohol -Outstanding Agricultural Extension Worker; Ricardo Damalerio, Pilar, Bohol- Outstanding Local Farmer Technician; Municipality of Talibon – Outstanding Municipality: and Helen Q. Igot adjudged as Most Outstanding Gawad Saka Coordinator.
It maybe recalled that last year Bohol nominees were also top in the same regional search where they bagged 17 out of 34 categories.
Most of the regional nominees and became the awardees were among the winners of the different categories of the Suhid sa Malampusong Mag-uumang Bol-anon in the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh).
The SUHID is the annual search of the PGBh which aims to award and recognize the Boholano farmers who have excelled in the field of agriculture wherein the winners would automatically be the nominees for Regional Gawad Saka Search. (By Atoy Cosap)

Caption:
ANOTHER MILESTONE: The regional awardees of the Regional Gawad Saka Search 2019 from Bohol are wearing the smiles when they received their awards and recognition during the awarding ceremony last Tuesday at the Bayfront Hotel (across SM City), North Reclamation Area, Cebu, City. Bohol has bested other provinces in Region 7 after the province got 18 out of 34 categories of the regional search.DA-7 Regional Director Atty. Salvador D. Diputado, poses with the Boholano regional awardees. (Foto: APRIL REGINE INOCIAN/ OPA STAFF )