Gov’t IOs to share commitment with PIA on CCA
Advocacy Summit
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 14 (PIA) – The Information
Officers from different government agencies and local government units will be
participating in the summit on Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Mitigation
advocacy initiated by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Caraga in
partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on
July 16-17, 2014 at Dottie’s Place Hotel, this city.
"This summit seeks to showcase the laudable
and multi-various efforts of the different line agencies, and non-government
organizations on climate change adaptation and mitigation specifically and
environment in general," bared PIA-Caraga regional director Abner Caga.
Caga said participants to this high-level
conference play a pivotal role as immediate multipliers by cascading the
information to the communities and keeping them informed about climate change
that propels them to take efforts to slow its progress.
One of the highlights of the activity is the
oath-taking and pledge of commitment of all the participants with Butuan
Auxiliary Bishop Most Rev. Zacarias Jimenez, who will also give an
inspirational message as well as lead the environmental prayer. And to give
meaning to this momentous event, participants will be lighting candles while
offering their personal prayers.
Caga further revealed that during the forum, all
the participating information officers will also be able to express their
issues and concerns, as well as insights and their suggestions on how they can
further contribute as multipliers in their respective community.
“We are very optimistic that with this activity,
our information officers will really take the lead in advocating climate change
adaptation and mitigation in their respective areas of responsibility. With our
collective efforts, we can ensure that our contributions will create real
relevance in making a more adaptive community,” stressed Caga.
Said summit is anchored on the theme
“Strengthening Partnership Among Communities for Climate Change Adaptation and
Mitigation.” (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Butuanons to celebrate Charter Day; to plant
more trees
By Jennifer P. Gaitano
BUTUAN CITY, July 14 (PIA) – As pre-activity of
this year’s 64th Adlaw Hong Butuan (charter day) celebration on August 2,
employees from government agencies and partner stakeholders will be
participating in the Tree Planting activity of the city government in the City
Piggery of Barangay Taguibo on July 29, 6:00 a.m.
“It’s a weeklong affair filled with exciting
festivities starting from July 27 until August 2, 2014, which includes among
others, city-led activities and exhibits which highlights Butuan’s best, a
float competition, artistic mass dancing parade, photo competition and the
launching of the Butuan Forest Festival,” relayed Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr.
Amante added that the Tree Planting activity is
to launch the Agro-Forest Educational Center, a showcase for the Butuan Vision
2020 Farm and Grow Initiatives where it will be the center for indigenous and
endemic species.
Adlaw Hong Butuan is the Charter Day celebration
of Butuan. On August 2, 1950, Butuan became a city by virtue of Republic Act
No. 523.
Said celebration is anchored on the theme,
“Rooting for Butuan 20/20.” (JPG/PIA-Caraga)
Price and poor use of fertilizers threaten PH
agri sector
MANILA, July 14 (PIA) - Large discrepancies in
the commercial price of fertilizers and the sub-optimal application of
fertilizer of farmers are major challenges that threaten the Philippine
agricultural sector.
Study author Dr. Roehlano Briones, senior
research fellow of state think tank Philippine Institute for Development
Studies, identified two significant challenges facing the sector agriculture in
regards to fertilizer sector---inefficient fertilizer marketing (as seen in the
large discrepancies in pricing across adjacent regions) and sub-optimal amounts
of fertilizer applied by farmers.
“Across the country, there is a wide dispersion
in retail prices of fertilizer,” Briones said. “The cheapest fertilizers are
found in Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Davao region,” he said.
Moreover, the most expensive fertilizers are
ironically sold in the poorest regions in the country such as the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao and Eastern Visayas, Briones said.
Future research is needed to resolve the pricing
disparities in fertilizer, Briones noted.
It would help to identify if disparities may be attributed to
transaction cost differences or area-specific gaps in infrastructure and
logistics, he said.
“The diminishing importance of domestic
production of fertilizer is also noticeable,” Briones said. Domestic production
of fertilizer was accounted for at least 70 percent of consumption from 1994 to
1996, but now the share is down to 30 percent or lower, he said.
Locally produced fertilizers are sourced from
five firms, four of which are based in Luzon. These are mostly producers of
smaller quantities of various common and specialty fertilizers, Briones said.
Soiltech Agricultural Products has a capacity to
produce 1 million tons of fertilizers in a year and considered as the market
leader in domestically produced fertilizer in Luzon, Briones said. Meanwhile,
PHILPHOS, located in the Visayas, has the capacity to produce 1.17 million ton
of fertilizer that distributes all over the country, he said.
“Clearly there are large scale economies at
work, limiting the number of domestic manufacturers, but the market as a whole
need not be an oligopoly if there is strong competition from imports,” Briones
said. “Statistical analysis shows that ups and downs in the world price are
efficiently transmitted to domestic markets. There is no evidence to support
the hypothesis of excess profit from buying low abroad and selling high
locally.”
“Imports are mostly sourced from ASEAN and other
free trade partners where the import duty is zero. There is in effect free
trade in fertilizers.” Briones said. “China is by far the largest source of
imports of the Philippines,” he said. Moreover, domestic production depends
mainly on imported raw materials such as rock phosphate, anhydrous ammonia,
sulfuric acid, and other finished fertilizer grades, he added.
Briones also found that farmers continue to
apply sub-optimal amounts of fertilizer both for the main nutrients (nitrogen,
phosphorus, potassium) and for micronutrients.
Although fertilizers positively contribute to
profitability of rice farming, fertilizer is being underutilized in Philippine
farms compared to other ASEAN countries, Briones said. Based on the FAO FertiSTAT
data (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fertilizer Use
Statistics) for 2001, fertilizer application in the country’s paddy rice areas
was only 51 kilograms per hectare against Indonesia’s application at 105
kilograms per hectare.
Access to credit and risk aversion are not
strong factors on the issue of sub-optimal amounts of fertilizer used in
Philippine farms, Briones said.Lack of information and aversion to loss are
other possible reasons. Pinning down the explanation will require
evidenced-based analysis at the level of the market and the farmer,to arrive at
a comprehensive understanding of the farmer’s goals, opportunities, and
constraints, he said.
If you want to read the full study, you may
download this link:http://dirp3.pids.gov.ph/webportal/CDN/PUBLICATIONS/pidsdps1414.pdf.
(PIDS/PIA-Caraga)
Surigao Norte town enterprise devt projects
receives GPB funding from DTI
By Ma. Theresa Z. Calang
SURIGAO CITY, July 14 (PIA) - Three enterprise
development projects of the municipality of Bacuag in Surigao del Norte
received funding amounting to P650,000.00 from the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) through the Grassroots Participatory Budgeting (GPB) process.
The check was turned over to Bacuag mayor Sheila
Mae O. Cebedo by DTI-Caraga Regional Director Brielgo O. Pagaran and
DTI-Surigao del Norte (DTI-SDN) Provincial Director Celestino L. Negapatan last
June 26, 2014 on the occasion of the Regional Development Council (RDC) meeting
at the Provincial Convention Center, this city.
The projects include the Shared Service Facility
for Nipa Sugar Production of the Cabugao First Farmers Consumers Cooperative
and the Shared Service Facility for Banana Processing of PayapagWomens
Organization for the purchase and installation of common service equipment
worth Php 250,000.00 and Php 200,000.00, respectively.
The third project Online Business Registration
Hub, with project cost of Php 200,000.00, will be implemented by the municipal
government in coordination with DTI-SDN to enable online business name
registration right at the Business Permit Licensing Office of Bacuag. The project aims to help local entrepreneurs
save costs by no longer travelling to Surigao City just to register their
business names at the DTI-SDN Provincial Office.
Mayor Cebedo expressed her heartfelt thanks to
the DTI officials for the financial support which is intended to help her
constituents in the municipality. She is
hopeful that with the funds released, the micro-enterprise projects beneficiaries
will be able to augment their household income thereby achieving the goal on
poverty reduction through the GPB process. (DTI/PIA-Caraga)
Bamboo devt project funding boost from DTI
By Ma. Theresa Z. Calang
SURIGAO DEL NORTE, July 14 (PIA) - The local
government unit (LGU) of Alegria received recently P900,000.00 for a bamboo
development project in the municipality under the Grassroots Participatory
Budgeting (GPB) funding of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
The project will be implemented in partnership
with the United Farmers Association of Camp Edward (UFACE) at Barangay
Budlingin.
The project is one of two projects in
LGU-Alegria’s 2014 Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP) identified for
funding by the DTI.
Considering that GPB is intended for poverty
alleviation, Director Negapatan recommended to the beneficiaries that they
improve the project implementation mechanism to generate significant returns in
a short period of time. He said this
could be done by establishing their own bamboo nurseries where they can grow
and sell planting materials to other interested bamboo growers aside from using
some for their own plantation needs.
Mayor Esma is hopeful that the financial
assistance extended to the farmers by the government can improve the economic
condition of the farmer-beneficiaries and their families. (DTI/PIA-Caraga)
DAR bares 2014 mid-year feat in SurSur
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, July 14 (PIA) – Provincial Agrarian
Reform Officer (PARO) Benjamin Mataksil bared the 2014 mid-year accomplishment
report of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Provincial Office in Surigao
del Sur.
It covers three operational areas: Land Tenure Services (LTS), Agrarian Legal
Services (ALS), and Technical Advisory Support Services (TASS).
Mataksil, as usual, has put premium on Land
Acquisition and Distribution (LAD) under the LTS, which aims to achieve 3,338
hectares until the end of the year.
Under the LAD, he said that as yet only 24
percent or equivalent to 807 hectares was hit, breaking down this as
follows: 749 hectares of new lands for
acquisition and distribution during the current year or just equivalent to 40
percent of the 1,860-hectare target; and 58 hectares or equivalent to just four
percent of the set goal of 1,478 hectares which was said to be already in the
pipeline for distribution next year.
But, early this year, Mataksil assured that the
target can be hit.
Meanwhile, the DAR here has posted 85 percent
overall on the achievement on ALS especially on Adjudication of Agrarian Reform
Cases (AARC) which refers to the execution/implementation of the no. of
resolutions, decisions, and orders.
ALS involves planning and programming of legal
information for effective delivery of legal services and assistance to agrarian
reform beneficiaries and landowners and adjudication of agrarian reform cases.
On the other hand, the said office has also made
a significant leap on particular targets for the TASS, although the data shows
a lot more has still to be done.
TASS concerns with the programming and
development of agrarian reform program beneficiaries, agrarian reform
beneficiaries organization, and agrarian reform communities. (NGBT/Radyo ng
Bayan/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Tagalog News: Malakanyang kinilala ang
resolusyon ng senado ng America na itaguyod ang mapayapang kasunduan ng
pandagat na pagtatalo
Ni David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, Hulyo 14 (PIA) - Kinilala ng
Malakanyang noong Linggo ang resolusyon ng Senado ng Amerika No. 412 na
nagtataguyod ng mapayapang kasunduan ng pandaigdigang teritoryo at pandagat na
pagtatalo sa Rehiyon ng Asia-Pacific.
Sinabi ni Presidential Communication Operations
Office Secretary Hermino Coloma, Jr. sa mga mamamahayag na ikinalulugod ng
Palasyo ang resolusyong ito ng Senado ng Amerika.
Ang resolusyon ng Senado ng Amerika ay
pinamagatang “Reaffirming the strong support of the United States Government
for the Freedom of Navigation and other internationally lawful uses of sea and
airspace in the Asia-Pacific region and for the peaceful diplomatic resolution
of outstanding rerritorial and maritime claims and disputes.”
Sinabi ni Coloma na itinala ng Palasyo ang
Resolusyon ng Senado ng Amerika na lumilala sa apgsisikap ng Pilipinas na
resolbahin ang hidwaan sa dagat na nasa West Philippine Sea sa mapayapang
paraan.
Ang resolusyon ng Senado ng Amerika ay
nagsasabing “ang Republika ng Pilipinas ay nasa wastong pagganap ng kanilang
karapatan sa mapayapang paraan sa kanilang pagpaghain ng arbitration case sa
ilalim ng Artikulo 287 at Artikulo VII ng Convention of the Law of the Sea para
makamit ang mapayapa at matatag na solusyon sa hidwaan.”
Ang Manila at Beijing ay may matagal ng hidwaang
dagat dahil sa mga isla, shoals, reefs, na nasa West Philippine Sea.
Noong Marso, ang Pilipinas ay nagsampa ng
memorial sa International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) laban sa
China.
“Ang resolusyong ito ay nagpapatunay ng matagal
ng stratehikong alyansa sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at Estados Unidos sa
ipinakitang paglagda ng dalawang bansa ng Enhanced Defense Cooperation
Agreement kamakailan,” sabi ni Coloma. (DMS/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
Cebuano News: City Agriculture Office
miturn-over sa bag-ong irrigation system didto sa Barangay Nabago
SURIGAO CITY, Hulyo 14 (PIA) – Ang buhatan sa
City Agriculture mi turn-over sa bag-ong irrigation system didto sa Barangay
Nabago ning syudad.
Ang maong irrigation giturn-over atol sa
selebrasyon sa Bangus gipasiugdahan sa gobyerno sa syudad pinaagi na sa buhatan
sa City Agriculture sa pagpangulo ni City Agriculturist Isaias Elumba, Kapitana
Esmeralda Abaa, mga opisyales ug mga residente sa maong barangay.
Atol sa maong kalihokan, mipaabot sa dakong
kalipay ug dakong pasalamat ang mga residente ilabi na ang mga mag-uuma sa
nasampit nga barangay ngadto sa lokal nga pagamhanan sa syudad, diin dako gayod
ang matabang niini sa maong irigasyon sa tubig sa ilang pag-uma sa maong
nasampit nga barangay. (SDR/MICO-Surigao City/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Cebuano News: Pres. Aquino mupagawas ug
pamahayag Lunes sa gabie kabahin sa kasamtangang isyu sa nasud
SURIGAO DEL SUR, Hulyo 14 (PIA) - Si Presidente
Benigno S. Aquino III mopagawas og pamahayag kabahin sa kasamtangan nga nag-una
nga mga isyu og hisgutan sa tibuok nasud sa telebisyon karong Lunes sa gabii.
“Nangayo ug higayon ang Presidente nga maestorya
ang iyahang mga boss, diin mao kini ang mga katawhang Pilipino, aron mohatag og
katin awan sa mga isyu nga kasamtangan nga giatubang sa atoang nasud,"
kini ang gisulti ni Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary
Herminio Coloma Jr. sa usa ka press briefing nga gipalanog sa sibyahan sa Radyo
ng Bayan.
Sumala pa ni Coloma, lakip na niini ang isyu sa
Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) nga dili pa lang dugay nga gidesisyonan
sa Korte Suprema .
Kalabot niini, si Coloma midugang nga ang
Malakanyang mihangyo sa Kapisanan nga mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas alang sa
Presidente sa pagpa-ere sa pamahayag nga ipagawas karong Lunes, Hulyo 14 sa
alas 6:00 ang takna sa sayong gabie.
Sumala pa taho, nga si Presidente Aquino
mamulong sa nasud gikan sa Malakanyang.
“Tumong sa Presidente nga makighisgot sa mga
katawhan, (Layunin po ng Pangulo na makipagtalakayan sa ating mga mamamayan),”
sumala pa ni Coloma aron mahatagan og katin-awan ang nahisgutang isyu.
(NGBT/PND/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
