Surigao Sur Agriculture office keen on knowing cause for lean harvest
by Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 26 (PIA) -- The Office of the Provincial Agriculturists (OPAG) in Surigao del Sur is keen on knowing the cause of drop in rice and corn production here last year.
According to Quico, the comparative data on major agricultural performance for 2011 revealed that rice production had gone down to 114,030 metric tons from 139,001 metric tons in 2010.
However, he stressed that the area planted and harvested have also been reduced to 33,859 hectares from the previous 35,272 hectares.
Quico said that the same has happened with corn production.
Thus, for calendar year 2011, the province has only produced 6,860 metric tons of corn from a previous harvest of 14,081 metric tons or a 48.70 percent change.
In 2011, only 5,226 hectares had been planted with corn as compared to the previous year with 6,122 hectares. (Radyo Ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
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Economic boom in Caraga seen
SURIGAO CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) -- Full economic activity is seen beginning this year in the Northeastern Mindanao as both foreign and domestic investors in agricultural, industrial, mining and tourism industries are already in place in the region’s five provinces and six cities.
After signing a memorandum of understanding, a Japanese business group is already in close coordination with a local construction company in Butuan City for the establishment of multi-million-peso run-to-river mini-hydro power plants. City officials, led by Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., have already given the green light for the project.
Some Koreans and Chinese business groups including domestic businessmen have already started operating their agricultural plantation in the city of Butuan and the province of Agusan del Norte with close to 50,000 hectares open for co-management with the local government unit and business group or individual.
One of the country’s three top companies also inked their memorandum of understanding with a mining company at Nonoc here for a major nickel mining operation. The company investment of some $2.5 billion is expected to generate 8,000 new jobs. The city government of Surigao led by Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas is already extending assistance for the commencement of the mining operation.
by Greg Tataro, Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Jan. 26 (PIA) -- The Office of the Provincial Agriculturists (OPAG) in Surigao del Sur is keen on knowing the cause of drop in rice and corn production here last year.
According to Quico, the comparative data on major agricultural performance for 2011 revealed that rice production had gone down to 114,030 metric tons from 139,001 metric tons in 2010.
However, he stressed that the area planted and harvested have also been reduced to 33,859 hectares from the previous 35,272 hectares.
Quico said that the same has happened with corn production.
Thus, for calendar year 2011, the province has only produced 6,860 metric tons of corn from a previous harvest of 14,081 metric tons or a 48.70 percent change.
In 2011, only 5,226 hectares had been planted with corn as compared to the previous year with 6,122 hectares. (Radyo Ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
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Economic boom in Caraga seen
SURIGAO CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) -- Full economic activity is seen beginning this year in the Northeastern Mindanao as both foreign and domestic investors in agricultural, industrial, mining and tourism industries are already in place in the region’s five provinces and six cities.
After signing a memorandum of understanding, a Japanese business group is already in close coordination with a local construction company in Butuan City for the establishment of multi-million-peso run-to-river mini-hydro power plants. City officials, led by Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr., have already given the green light for the project.
Some Koreans and Chinese business groups including domestic businessmen have already started operating their agricultural plantation in the city of Butuan and the province of Agusan del Norte with close to 50,000 hectares open for co-management with the local government unit and business group or individual.
One of the country’s three top companies also inked their memorandum of understanding with a mining company at Nonoc here for a major nickel mining operation. The company investment of some $2.5 billion is expected to generate 8,000 new jobs. The city government of Surigao led by Mayor Ernesto T. Matugas is already extending assistance for the commencement of the mining operation.
The city government of Surigao also started their P500 million Surigao City “Agri-Fisheries and Agro-Industrial Development Program” for 2012-2016 where an estimated 10,000 farmers will be benefited. This program is also open to different business groups, both foreign and domestic.
Multi-billion dollars’ worth of mining investments of foreign and domestic business groups in Claver and other towns in Surigao del Norte and also in Surigao del Sur are in full swing this year, generating at least 20,000 new jobs and additional revenues for the local government units.
Just recently, officials and technical men from the Korean government, assisted by Region XIII Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Leonardo R. Sibbaluca, per instruction of Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje, started surveying in Agusan del Sur for the establishment of a multi-million-peso wood pellets plant in the economic zone area of that province.
Aside from generating local employment and revenues, the establishment of this environment-friendly wood pellets plant is expected to bolster the solid waste management program and global warming and climate change mitigation programs of the government. The Koreans also intend to plant millions of agricultural tree seedlings in the wide areas in Agusan del Sur and neighboring areas. (MUC/PIA-Caraga)
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Electrification program for remote communities
BUTUAN CITY, Jan. 26 (PIA) -- More households in far-flung communities are expected to benefit under the government’s Sitio Electrification Project (SEP) this year.
In the remote villages of Agusan del Norte and Butuan City alone, at least 1,466 household beneficiaries are being targeted to benefit under the SEP program in 2012.
The identified 36 sitios and puroks as household (connection) beneficiaries in Agusan del Norte and Butuan City as part of the P589.32 million SEP projects that will be part of the 833 sitios and puroks nationwide this year.
“We have already submitted these identified sitio and puroks to the National Electrification Administration (NEA) for approval and implementation for the year 2012 up to 2015,” said Agusan del Norte Electric Cooperative (Aneco) general manager Archetic Horacio T. Santos.
It was learned that the government had set aside P1.108 billion to hasten the implementation of two major electrification programs – the SEP and Barangay Line Enhancement Program (BLEP).
President Benigno Aquino III has ordered Budget Secretary Florencio Abad for the release of the funds to the NEA to provide reliable electricity in the identified far-flung villages.
From the P1.1 billion fund, P518.92 million will be spent for the BLEP to improve electric services in 202 barangays (villages) nationwide, while P589.32 million will go to the SEP to connect 833 sitios to the nation’s power grid.
In Mindanao alone, NEA Engineering Division Director Jose Seguban Jr. said that in Mindanao alone, at least P250,181,104.61 are set to be released before the end of this month or early next month for the BLEP project.
Agusan del Sur has targeted 12 villages with funds amounting to P30,489,355.95 for the BLEP project.
For the SEP project, at least P87,210,400.76 is being allocated in Northeastern Mindanao or the Caraga Region.
The SEP and BLEP programs will allow the NEA to provide electricity to off-grid sitios and other un-electrified communities, as well as improve the delivery of basic services in the countryside so that power disruptions and other connection-related problems are prevented.
The government seeks to provide electricity to 2,341 villages, and to light up 32,441 sitios by 2015.
In the last quarter of 2011, upon supervision of NEA, various electric cooperatives energized at least 1, 154 sitios and puroks in Mindanao, and it is targeting another 376 sitios and puroks in 2012 in the southern island.
Meanwhile, massive reforestation activities are in the offing in the five component provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) committed a partial financial package amounting to P49.6 million for the purpose.
DENR Secretary Ramon Paje signed an agreement with ARMM newly-installed caretaker governor Mujiv Hataman last January 9 concerning the implementation of national government-bankrolled reforestation project in the autonomous region.
Hataman on Saturday said the P49.6 million fund will be used to reforest “2,500 hectares of denuded and open forestland” in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, and Basilan.
The DENR said the ARMM-shared sum is part a multi-billion-peso package for large-scale reforestation under the Aquino administration’s National Greening Program (NGP), which seeks to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of forestlands across the country by 2016.
As this developed, former ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo lauded Paje for pursuing the earlier initiatives of the administration of ARMM acting Governor Ansaruddin Adiong that “gave impetus to greening campaign” in the region.
Sinarimbo said the Adiong government had put up last year a 300-hectare agro-reforestation project in Upi, Maguindanao, using a local fund and tapping the free services of Army soldiers and food-for-work rice assis-tance from the United Nations’ World Food Programme. (MUC with a report from Ali G. Macabalang)
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Cebuano news: Aquino gipangulohan ang inagurasyon sa mga pabalay alang sa mga biktima sa bagyo sa Cagayan de Oro City
ni Susil D. Ragas
SURIGAO CITY, Enero 26 (PIA) -– Gipadayag ni Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III ang iyang matinud-anong personal nga pasalig aron pagtuman sa iyang mga saad ngadto sa katawhan labi na kadtong apektado sa bagyong “Sendong” nga miigo sa Aminahang bahin sa Mindanao ulahing bahin niaging tuig sa dihang iyang gipangulohan ang inagurasyon sa mga housing units alang sa liboan ka apektadong mga residente.
Sa iyang mensahe atol sa “Shelter Build Activities” diin iyang gilusad ang Calaanan Relocation site didto sa Barangay Canito-an, Cagayan de Oro City, gipalaom ni Pangulong Aquino sa mga katawhan nga ang libreng mga pabalay nga ipanghatag ngadto sa mga biktima sa bagyo usa lang ka parte sa walay puas nga mga paningkamot sa administrasyong Aquino aron mapabalik ngadto sa normal ang mga kinabuhi sa katawhan nga nanimuyo didtong dapita.
“Gaya po ng ipinangako ng inyong gobyerno, matapos humagupit ang bagyong “Sendong” hindi natin hahayaang tuluyan kayong malugmok sa pagdurusa at kagipitan…. Mahigit isang buwan po ang nakalipas, nagtitipon tayo ngayon upang saksihan ang konkretong hakbang ng inyong pamahalaan upang tulungan ang mga nasalanta ng bagyo bIlang pagpapahalaga sa inyong tiwala at pagiging totoo sa aming mga binitawang salita,” ang Pangulo miingon.
“Titiyakin natin sa relokasyong ito, hindi mapapatid ang suporta ng inyong pamahalaan sa pagkakaloob ng mga kabuhayan at paghubog sa inyong magandang kinabukasan…talaga naman pong nakakamit natin ang tagumpay sa pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan at ng pribadong sector,”siya midugang.
Ang Pangulo miingon usab nga ang gobyernong nasyunal, pinaagi sa Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), uban ang kooperasyon sa National Housing Authority ug mga pribadong sektor, maoy mialokar sa mokabat 200 milyones ka pesos alang sa pagtukod og mga balay alang sa mga biktima sa bagyo.
“Gamit ang DSWD Quick Response Fund… agad tayong naglaan ng mahigit dalawandaang milyong piso sa pagpapatayo ng permanenteng bahay sa Calaanan, nariyan din ang pag-agapay ng National Housing Authority at Habitat for Humanity upang tulungan ang mahigit walong libong pamilya na makapagtayo ng mga tahanan sa Lumbia, Balulang, Gusa, Idahag at Villanueva Misamis Oriental,” ang Pangulo mitumbok.
Siya namahayag og dugang nga ang pagtukod balik ug pagpaayo sa nagubang mga kalsada ug mga tulay gisugdan na. Lain pang mga imprastruktura ang gikonsiderar usab nga pagatukoron aron pagpakgang nga masubli pa ang maong makadaot nga mga panghitabo.
“Bukod pa rito, tinututukan na rin natin ang pagsasaayos ng mga inprastrakturang winasak ng bagyong Sendong, tuloy-tuloy din po ang paghahatid natin sa inyo ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan para maibalik sa normal ang inyong komunidad,” ang Pangulo miingon.
“Umpisa pa lamang po ito, iyong mga problema sa mga ilog po natin na talagang mabababaw na, nakaplano na po at gagawin na po ang mga imprastraktura tulad ng tinatawag na Sabo dam para talagang mabawasan yung dalubsok ng mga baha sa mga darating na panahon,” he added.
Giawhag sa Pangulo ang katawhan sa kanunay nga maigmaton ug sundon ang mga tambag sa ilang tagsa-tagsa ka mga opisyales sa local nga pangagamhanan labi na panahon sa natural nga mga kalamidad.
“Paalala ko lang po, matuto na sana tayo sa ating mga kamalian at mga pagkukulang… huwag na sana tayong maging pasaway sabi nga ng iba… sumunod tayo sa ating mga kinauukulan sa panahon ng kalamidad at agarang lumikas sa banta ng sakuna,” ang Pangulo miingon.
“Inaasahan ko din sa mga pinuno na huwag nating kunsintihin ang mga katigasan ng ulo ng iilan ng kanilang sinasakupan,” sa iyang pagdugang.
Mitambong usab atol sa maong kalihukan ang dagkong mga opisyales sa gobyerno nga gipangulohan ni Vice President Jejomar C. Binay ug Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Public Woks and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro ug Presidential Communications ug Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr.
Sila giubanan usab sa mga opisyales sa lokal nga pangagamhanan lakip ni Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Y. “Dongkoy” Enano, Representative Rufus Rodriguez ug Charlito Ayco, ang Managing Director ug CEO sa Habitat for Humanity Philippines. (PIA-Surigao del Norte)
