NEWS

‘ART Tabo sa Bohol’ a mobile activity

Aside from series of operations every Monday at the CPG Park infront of Bohol Wisdom School, CPG North Avenue, Cogon, Tagbilaran City, the “Agricultural Rural Transformation (ART) Tabo sa Bohol” can be also conducted to an identified municipalities by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA).
The ART Tabo sa Bohol was launched last Monday at the CPG Park, aimedat assistingfarmers market farm products and link with institutional buyers, cater to employees in buying farm products at lower prices than those in wet markets and malls and to minimize consumers to buy products from other public shopping areas amid community quarantine.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Chief-Agribusiness Division OPA explained that the ART Tabo sa Bohol is the PGBh’s version of the KADIWA on Wheels of the Department of Agriculture (DA) which has been conducting the mobile market to the identified municipalities.
She said the ART Tabo sa Bohol/KADIWA on Wheels (Mobile Market)is regularly scheduled in Dauis every Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday, while in Albur every Tuesday.
Lamdagan said the next mobile market will be in the new Public Market of Loboc and Loay on May 29, 2020 and June 4, 2020 respectively.
She said that the provincial government through the OPA has already established the link with the Boholano farmer entrepreneurs to sell their agricultural products at the mobile market which they considered as a sure market for their products.
Lamdagan bared that the program also encourages Boholano farmer entrepreneurs and all Boholanos to engage in farming,aimed at making Bohol less dependent if not independent on supplies from Bukidnon and Cagayan especially vegetables.
In the meantime, during the launching of the “ART Tabo Sa Bohol” last Monday at the CPG Park the total sales reached P166,955 of which the highest sales on agri-commodities were mostly vegetables.
Mary Ann Bayod from the Agribusiness Division, OPA disclosed that the vegetables from Bilar Stem Vegetable Farm had a total sales of P69,237 very much higher than the sales of rice from Misiona Rice Mill which had only P27,475.
It was noted that there were only few consumers who bought rice which probably was caused by the recent distribution of one sack of rice from the city government to every household in Tagbilaran City.
The PNB KGB Multi-Purpose Cooperative/Carmen Farmers Bagsakan Center who displayed pineapple and watermelon had sales of P21,325; meat of Stephen Boncales (P10,267), eggs and cooking oil from 3C Enterprises (P9,715); Magnolia dressed chicken from Agape R&R Foods (P6,451); fish from the United Fish Traders Group (P5,000); and other four exhibitors had P3,000 sales each.

LAUNCHING.The Agricultural Rural Transformation (ART) Tabosa Bohol, a Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) version of the KADIWA on Wheels of the Department of Agriculture (DA) is officially launched last Monday at the CPG Park infront of Bohol Wisdom School, CPG North Avenue, Cogon, Tagbilaran City which aims to assist farmers market their farm products and link with institutional buyers.

Vegetable seeds distribution continues

In a bid to encourage the Boholanos to plant and have additional supply of vegetables in the province, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has continued the distribution of vegetable seeds for backyard gardening production.
Gertrudes Fuentes, head, Crops and Productivity Division, OPA said that everyday at the OPA with the strict implementation of the wearing of face mask and observing the social distancing many walk-in clients have trooped to the office and ask for veggie seeds.
Fuentes said that this has been recorded since the start of Community Quarantine.Capitol employees have dropped at the OPA to askfor seeds.
She explained that the seeds being distributed were purchased from the 2019 budget worth P235,386, 2019 Bahay Kubo budget (P390,496) and the 2019 supplemental budget in the amount of P1,045,927 while waiting for the approval of this year’s purchase order of seeds worth P625,882.
Fuentes disclosed that the provincial government is expecting more vegetable products from backyard gardening considering the volume of seeds that have been distributed through the OPA.
Meanwhile, she disclosed that the OPA has been providing technical assistance and monitoring to the temporarily displaced employees of the Alturas Group of Companies (AGCs) who are beneficiaries of the Bayanihan Livelihood Assistance Program in partnership with AGCs and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Earlier, Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas urged Boholanos to make use of time while under community quarantine to engage in backyard gardening to augment the veggie supply in the province.
Dr. Pamugas said “let us make our idle lands in Bohol productive to be less dependent on vegetable supplies from Bukidnon and Cagayan”.
He emphasized that “PGBh through the OPA has an annual budget for the purchase of vegetables seeds and what we need now are the hands that know how to grow vegetables”. (Atoy Cosap)

VEGIES SEEDS DISTRIBUTION, REPACKING.Gertrudes Fuentes (extreme right photo) supervises in the repacking and distribution of vegetable seeds at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), 3rd Floor, New Capitol Building, New Capitol Site, Cogon, Tagbilaran City.

‘ART Tabosa Bohol’ launches tomorrow

In an effort to assist our farmers in marketing their farm products and link with institutional buyers, the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) will launch the “Agricultural Rural Transformation (ART) Tabo sa Bohol” at the CPG Park fronting Bohol Wisdom School (BWS), New Capitol Site, Cogon, Tagbilaran City, tomorrow at 8:00 o’clock in the morning.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that Gov. Art Yap will lead the launching of the activity, a series that will happen every Monday.
Dr. Pamugas explained that this program is similar in last year’s OPA regular program, the “Tabo Sa Plaza,” which was temporarily stopped due to the on-going renovation of the Plaza infront of the old capitol building.
He said the ART Tabo sa Bohol will also cater to employees buying farm products at lower pricesthan those in markets and malls.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Head-Agribusiness, OPA said the products or basic commodities to be sold are fish from Bohol United Fish Traders Group, rice (Rice Processing Center (RPC) and Misiona Rice Mill), Chocobao (Bohol Dairy Cooperative), vegetables (Bilar Stem Vegetable Farm and LGU Jagna), fruits (LGU Dimiao and LGU Jagna), meat (Stephen Boncales), pineapple and melon (PNB KGB Multi-Purpose Cooperative/ Carmen Farmers Bagsakan Center), eggs and cooking oil (3C Enterprises), Magnolia dressed chicken (Agape R&R Foods), Boholano delicacies like suman, budbod, bingka (A.I.M. for Progress in Balilihan and refreshments from P&P Enterprises.
Lamdagan bared that the ART Tabo sa Bohol is in tandem with the “KADIWA on Wheels (Mobile Market) initiated by the PGBh and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to be conducted to the identified municipalities which also sales basic necessities at the cheaper prices as an alternative so as the consumers would not go to the markets or malls to buy basic needs.
KADIWA on Wheels has been conducted in the towns ofDauis, Albur, Cortes, and Loon with total sales of more than P2 million.
The next mobile market is scheduled on Tuesday at barangay Calituban inTalibon. (Atoy Cosap)

DA-RFO7 endorses new price ceilings on rice

The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 had endorsed to the Bohol Provincial Price Coordinating Council (BPPCC) the new price ceilings of Regular-Milled Rice (RMR) and Well-Milled Rice (WMR) at P42 and P45 per kilogram (kg.) respectively, starting last Tuesday amid the implementation of price freeze order to basic commodities in this time of crisis.
DA-RFO7 Regional Executive Director Atty. Salvador D. Diputado said the released new price ceilings of RMR and WMR was in response to the formal request of the BPPCC during their meeting held last April 28, 2020, to come up with the new pricings of rice considering the recent high farm gate price of palay in Bohol that reached up to P25 per kilogram.
Atty. Diputado said that it was noted recently by the Price Monitoring Joint Task Force that the prices of RMR and WMR in markets had gone beyond the price ceilings set under the “Price Ceilings, Suggested Retail Price and Price Freeze of Basic Commodities in the Province of Bohol” as enforced by Executive Order No. 20, Series of 2020 signed by Governor Arthur C. Yap on March 25, 2020.
The DA-RFO7 Executive Regional Director said that the price of RMR increased from its price ceiling at P38 to P43/kg., while WMR increased from its price ceiling at P43 to P45/kg.
He said the new price ceilings on rice are based on the following: existing stock of rice among traders is good for 19 days (OPA data as of April 15, 2020), hence it would last until May 4, 2020, new stocks are expected to be out starting last Tuesday; the new price agreed by rice traders during the meeting conducted last April 24, 2020, is P2,000 per bag for RMR and P2,100 per bag for WMR;
Retailers usually add P100 per bag as profit margin; hence the resulting price will be P42/kg. for RMR and P45/kg. for WMR; and as per request from rice traders, DA recommended that the buying price of palay (farm gate price) should not exceed P21 to P22/kg. in order that the price of milled rice will be within the set price ceilings during this time of crisis brought about by COVID-19.
Last week, the BPPCC warned traders not to violate the price freeze order by the government.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said the BPPCC chaired by Gov. Yap would not hesitate to apprehend the violators to protect the rights of the consumers who have been bracing the impact in implementation of the community quarantine. (Atoy Cosap)

KADIWA on Wheels hits more than P2M in sales

The sum of P2,237,908 was the total sales as of May 5, 2020, in the operations of the “KADIWA on Wheels” conducted in the four towns in the Province of Bohol namely Dauis, Alburquerque, Cortes and Loon.
Based on the records obtained at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA), Dauis got the highest sales amounting to P1,366,021, followed by Albur who had P653,476 while Loon had P178,341 and Cortes got the lowest at P40,070.
The KADIWA on Wheels initiated by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) was launched in Poblacion, Dauis last April 14-16, 2020 and since then the operation continues every Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays.
After the successful launch, the next mobile market was conducted in Albur last April 21-22, 2020 and continues to run every Tuesdays; Cortes last April 28, 2020 and in Loon last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas said that to date some municipal mayors requested to bring the “KADIWA on Wheels” to their respective municipalities so that their constituents could buy basic commodities at cheaper prices compared to the wet markets and malls in Bohol.
The basic necessities can be bought at the mobile market are rice, corn grits, vegetables, root crops, dressed chicken, cooking oil, eggs, fruits, fish, spices and other fishery products.
Rosanna G. Lamdagan, Head-Agribusiness Division-OPA said that as of now at the KADIWA on Wheels there are still enough supplies of basic commodities from the Boholano farmers/producers from Calape, Bilar, Carmen, Dimiao, Catigbian, Dagohoy, and Balilihan.
Gov. Art C. Yap has called on the Boholanos to continue patronizing the mobile market so that farmer entrepreneurs could earn through their products and it is also a way of minimizing the people who would buy at the wet markets and malls while we are under community quarantine. (Atoy Cosap)

Boholanos patronize ‘KADIWA on Wheels’

The Boholano consumers have patronized buying basic commodities at the “KADIWA on Wheels” at strategic locations in identified municipalities. Prices are cheaper compared to the wet markets and malls.
The KADIWA on Wheels initiated by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and the Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7 was launched in Poblacion, Dauis last April 13-15, 2020 led Gov. Art C. Yap.
Last Tuesday and Wednesday, the mobile market was conducted in Eastern Poblacion, Albur wherein the consumers trooped to buy rice, corn grits, vegetables, fruits, root crops, condiments/spices, eggs, cooking oil, dressed chicken, fish and banana chip.
Based on the total sales, the two-day operations of the “KADIWA on Wheels” in Albur would reach to P421, 714.25 higher than the sales of the three-day operations in Dauis that reached P390, 913.
Mayor Miriam Sumaylo of Dauis after the 3-day operations requested the governor to continue conducting the mobile market every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday; while Mayor Don Ritchie Buates in Albur has granted to continue the mobile market every Tuesday of the week in his town.
Assistant Provincial Agriculture Larry M. Pamugas bared that next municipality for the KADIWA on Wheels will be in Cortes this coming Tuesday and Wednesday.
Dr. Pamugas said that Gov. Yap has wanted that through the KADIWA on Wheels, the basic commodities can be brought to the consumers giving them an opportunity to buy products at the designated areas in the municipalities and no longer at the wet markets and malls as a way of decongesting the public places.
He thanked the vendors/ exhibitors of the KADIWA on Wheels for their unstinted cooperation in the program by allowing their products to be sold at cheaper prices.
At the KADIWA on Wheels, the wearing of facemasks and physical distancing have always been strictly observed. (Atoy Cosap)

CONSUMING PUBLIC troops to the KADIWA on Wheels in Eastern Poblacion, Alburquerque last Tuesday and Wednesday to buy basic commodities at cheaper prices compared to the wet markets and malls. The KADIWA on Wheels is initiated by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) and Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Office (DA-RFO) 7. Foto MARY ANN BAYOD

PGBh issues measures to sustain food security

The provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) has issued measures to ensure food sustainability in the province.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas reminded the Boholanos to observe the “Rice Pledge” of the Department of Agriculture (DA) of which each Filipino must vow to conserve rice.
Dr. Pamugas said that based on the 1995 PhilRice data each Filipino wasted an average of 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked rice daily. That was 12% of the country’s annual imports costing 7.2 billion pesos.
Pamugas has promoted the alternative way of reducing the use of rice like porridge, and cooking rice and corn mixed with chopped sweet potato and banana or “Sabakong/Saksak.”
He also strongly urged the Boholanos to plant early maturing vegetables such as pechay, lettuce, kangkong among others.
Along with this, Pamugas encouraged to eat more veggies than cereals. Vegetables can be produced easier than rice, he remarked.
According to Pamugas, based on the consumption of rice data in Bohol, the per capita of rice for every Boholano is 105 kilograms (kgs.) per year while in veggies is only 2.2 kgs. per year.
He instructed the OPA employees who are assigned in prices monitoring to monitor and study the fast moving products in the markets at this time of crisis so the province can prepare programs for the purchase of seeds for the producers.
Pamugas also asked the Fisheries Division, OPA to have the list of ponds inland for Tilapia and Bangus, and for fish cages for the seeding of fingerlings to expect more harvest.
The Assistant Provincial Agriculturist said let’s cooperate to lessen the impact of the current crisis for food security in the province. (Atoy Cosap)

“KADIWA on Wheels” in Albur next week

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

Bohol to buy rice as buffer stocks?

The province of Bohol together with Cebu and Saranggani has expressed interests to buy rice as part of the precautionary measures amid the fight against COVID-19 disease.
Governor Art C. Yap during the press briefing last Thursday at the Capitol said that right now the governors are discussing on how to buy from rice producing provinces.
Gov. Yap said that he is now waiting for the submission of price quotations from Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Cagayan.
The governor explained that if the prices are good, Bohol will buy from them. But if the prices are too high it will not stop us from buying ourselves and if maybe we will buy our own rice to support our farmers, he clarified.
Gov. Yap issued the statement after he said that he was briefed by the National Food Authority (NFA) regarding the food security stock of NFA rice in Bohol.
He said that in reality if we just consume based on our regular consumption then we will actually not run out of supply. The problem is everybody is rushing to buy more stock which resulted to unduly depleting our rice stocks and with this we are pushing the price of rice goes up.
The governor said that this is the reason why he cautioned the Municipal Local Government Units (MLGUs) and barangays of indiscriminate buying of rice and instead advised them to buy rice regularly because it is now the harvest period.
Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Larry M. Pamugas reported the consolidated food situation in Bohol based on the data source from DA-Provincial Agricultural Technology Coordinating Office, NFA and Rice Tech, the number of days to consume the rice stocks as of April 15, 2020 are 69 days/ 2.3 months or will last up to June 23, 2020.
Pamugas added that based on the rice inventory as of April 15, 2020, NFA has 68,000 bags at 50 kilograms (kgs.), Marcela Farms (80,000), Bohol Quality (22,000) and other small traders (15,000) that would last for about 18 days while the expected rice yield of the remaining harvestable rice farm are 513,138.8 bags that will be consumed by the Boholanos for about 51.73 days.
He said the 1.3 million Boholanos would consume 9,920 sacks of rice per day.
With regards on the stocks of corn in the province, last March during the harvesting period Bohol had produced 2,723.57 sacks of corn grits that would only last for 7.96 days as the daily consumption of Boholanos of corn is 342 sacks, he said.
Pamugas said that as of now based on the daily monitoring Bohol has enough supply of vegetables and fish.
The Boholano fishermen have sold their fish catch at the different markets and malls in Bohol because they could not sell their products to other provinces due to the implementation of the community quarantine. (Atoy Cosap)

‘KADIWA on Wheels’ launch in Dauis, Tues.

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.