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Imported Rice
Laborers unload bags of imported rice at a retailer's store along Monteverde St, Davao City on Friday, January 5, 2024. The Department of Agriculture recently announced that about 500,000 metric tons of rice are expected to arrive until February as buffer stocks in response to the El Nino phenomenon that is expected to intensify in the coming months. MindaNews photo.....»»
LGU Baras, Bags the Seal of Good Local Governance 2023
Baras, Catanduanes – Only the local government of Baras in the province of Catanduanes has achieved the prestigious Seal of Local Governance 2023. The Local Government Unit of Baras received the recognition from the Department of Interior and Local Government. This is the Seal of Good Local Governance 2023 awarded during the National Awarding Ceremony […] The post LGU Baras, Bags the Seal of Good Local Governance 2023 appeared first on Bicol Peryodiko......»»
Thousands of rice farmers treated to PhilRice field day
Thousands of farmers across the country had been feted in the traditional Lakbay Palay field festival, where all eight stations of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) opened their doors for farmers to personally view the progress and benefits of the latest palay seeds technologies done in the premier rice research institute of the country. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Leocadio Sebastian said the dry season Lakbay Palay is held every March or April and the wet season every September or October. Sebastian said the participants toured the 140 hectares of PhilRice field in Science City, Nueva Ecija. The farmers also had the chance to look into the available seeds and soil nutrients of the private sector exhibitors during the two-day festival from 27 to 28 September. Farmers learn PhilRice-developed technologies which include Palayamanan system, a rice-based farming system they can adopt to lessen the economic effects of El Nino, high yielding varieties and farm machinery, according to DA official. He added that about 10 public and private agencies and cooperatives also pledged their support to the “BIDA RiceBIS, Be the rice’s best” movement, which aims to increase farmers’ market opportunities. The regular Lakbay Palay, which started in 1992 as Farmers’ Field Day, was changed into Lakbay Palay in 2012 under the administration of PhilRice Executive Director Eufemio T. Rasco Jr. It held before October each year or the start of the planting season for the dry season crop. The 2023 Lakbay Palay wet season festival was simultaneously held in all eight stations of PhilRice with the biggest festival held at the PhilRice Central Experiment Station in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. The other stations that held simultaneous Lakbay Palay were Batac, Isabela, Los Banos, Bicol, Negros, Agusan and Midsayap. The farmers that attended on both days of the Lakbay Palay in Nueva Ecija were from Zambales, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Tarlac and Aurora provinces. The farmers were divided into 500 persons a day but the number was exceeded on the second day as many walk-ins showed up. PhilRice Executive Director Dr. John de Leon said farmers are welcome to visit the 140-hectare research and development farm and the new Crop Protection Division for any of their inquiries and concerns. PhilRice Deputy Executive Director for Development Dr. Karen Barroga urged the farmers to work in clusters so they could meet the required rice volumes of potential private sector partners for their produce. She cited the case of Negros Occidental farmer-cooperative who is now selling 500 bags a week to Merzci, a famous palalubong and fastfood chain in the region for its business and corporate social responsibility activities. This was made possible through the Rice BIS (Business Innovation System) of PhilRice, which links farmers to private sector buyers so they can enjoy better market prices for their produce. Another partnership was forged by PhilRice between the farmers of Zambales and Bicol who are now supplying the Kiwanis International for their feeding programs for poor communities, she said. Dr. Val Perdido, who represented Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian for Rice Industry Development, exhorted the farmers to improve their yields using both new technologies and better farming practices so the country can meet its food sufficiency and nutritional goals and improve the farmers’ incomes. He said Nueva Ecija farmers have proven yields of six tons a hectare but most other areas produce four tons or less. He mentioned that the Department of Agriculture is giving production assistance to farmers (in fertilizers and biofertilizers) in addition to the certified seeds, training and machineries provided under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program. A farmer cooperative officer, Vincent Gonzales of St. Vincent Parish Multupurpose Cooperative in Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya narrated to the participants that their coop was founded in 1979 by a Belgian priest to help farmers– who borrow from loan sharks for their daily subsistence with a capital from 400 members of P4,000 has now grown to 5,600 members with a total material asset of P424 million. The coop is now able to support members through loans and social development activity, scholarship grants, medical assistance and food packs (for the disabled and the aged). It had received numerous awards including the Most Outstanding SIPAG award in 2022 from Senator Cynthia Villar. The post Thousands of rice farmers treated to PhilRice field day appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solons hail benefits of new agrarian law
The newly enacted Republic Act 11953 or New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which was signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 7 July, will not only liberate thousands of farmers from long-standing debts but is also expected to boost rice production in the country. Thus said Speaker Martin Romualdez, one of the principal authors of the House version of the legislation, who has high hopes the new law will significantly contribute to the country’s rice sufficiency. “Now that our farmers will soon be free of debt, I hope they will be able to increase their production to at least 100 50-kilo bags per hectare, from the present 60 to 70 cavans. But, of course, the government will have to help along the way,” Romualdez said yesterday. The enactment of the law, he said, also grants farmers additional resources to spend on essential needs such as food, education, shelter, wellness, and other family expenses that they would have had to skip otherwise due to the high cost of living that coincided with their unpaid debt. RA 11953 wrote off “all principal loans, unpaid amortization, and interest” of 610,054 agrarian reform beneficiaries totaling P57 billion from the time of the President’s father, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. Farmers who were granted land under Presidential Decree 27, signed by Marcos Sr. in October 1972, were the beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Marcos Jr. earlier thanked the 19th Congress for expediting the legislation’s passage, which several administrations had failed to accomplish. With the enactment of the law freeing farmers from debt, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, among the principal authors of the law, believes that it would likewise pave the way for the estate tax amnesty exemption for agrarian reform beneficiaries who transferred agrarian land to their heirs. “Good policy does not only seek to correct the mistakes of the past,” Salceda said, citing “the imposition of heavy debts and the tying up of agrarian land” as the key issues addressed by the newly enacted law. He added: “One of the reasons productivity from agrarian lands has stagnated is because they cannot be transferred to the younger generation of farmers, because of debts and attached liens, and the estate tax.” Agri boost Echoing Romualdez, Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez said the law would help improve the plight of the farmers, give a needed boost to the agriculture industry and ensure food security for the country. Gomez was also a proponent of the law. He said: “This gives hope to our farmers that soon, they will be the rightful owners of the land they have been tilling for decades, and that they would no longer be bound to serve and kowtow to the demands of wealthy landowners.” Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co also believes the New Agrarian Emancipation Act would give farmers a fresh start and the opportunity to improve their livelihood. “It is a positive move from the government to support and uplift our agricultural sector,” the chairman of the House appropriations panel added. The New Agrarian Emancipation Act is among the 33 measures the House has approved out of the 42 priority measures of the Marcos administration identified through the Legislative-Executive Advisory Council or LEDAC. The post Solons hail benefits of new agrarian law appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
HIV antiretroviral drugs supply dwindling
The supply of HIV antiretroviral or ARV drugs in the country is dwindling, a non-government organization that helps people living with the human immunodeficiency virus, or PLHIV, said Tuesday. In a statement, Network Plus Philippines, along with its 40 member organizations, urged the Department of Health and the Philippine National AIDS Council to act on the matter immediately. According to the group, they received reports that PLHIV community members in various regions of the country have been receiving only “one bottle of ARV or even less” when refilling their ARV medication at HIV treatment facilities. “These concerns had been reported to the network since 25 May, and in response, the Network urgently emailed the offices concerned such as the Disease Prevention and Control Bureau of the Department of Health,” Network Plus Philippines said. The reply from the Health department, according to the group, confirmed that there were several regions in the country with low stocks of tenofovir disoproxil, lamivudine, and dolutegravir or TLD, a fixed-dose combination of ARV medications used to treat HIV/AIDS. The low stock levels were confirmed in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Bicol, and Central Visayas. The DoH reply stated that “they have facilitated realignments early in May 2023 and have ongoing deliveries for Lamivudine 300 mg + Tenofovir 300 mg (3TC+TDF) to be dispensed with Dolutegravir 50 mg to complete the TLD regimen. The TLD procurement is expected to arrive in the country between the last week of June and early July 2023.” Network Plus Philippines noted that their concern has been elevated to the PNAC. The group noted that both agencies must exert efforts to provide a solution to the problem that is endangering the lives of PLHIVs in the country. “(We) demand a concrete response from the PNAC and DoH on how they will address this issue with immediate and long-term solutions,” the organization said. “Network Plus Philippines demands that they address their accountabilities as directed by the HIV Policy Act of 2018, or Republic Act No. 11166, and not be remiss in their duties to ensure that PLHIV are given equitable access to quality ARV treatment.” Daily Tribune sought comment from the Department of Health regarding the issue but it has yet to respond as of press time. The post HIV antiretroviral drugs supply dwindling appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Restive Mayon now affects over 9.5K families in Albay
The number of families affected by the restive Mayon volcano in Albay province has significantly climbed to 9,571 families or 37, 231 individuals, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on Wednesday. The latest figure is higher than the reported 3,876 families displaced on Tuesday. NDRRMC said 4,417 families equating to 15,502 persons are currently staying within 22 activated evacuation centers while the rest are either sheltered by their relatives or aided by friends. Some 41 search and rescue teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Bureau of Fire Protection are on-standby with 148 SRR mobility assets including 17 air, 103 land, and 28 water vehicles are ready to deploy if needed. The national government has already extended P33.64 million worth of assistance to the Bicol Region consisting of dinner, hot meals, distilled water in six-liter bottles, family food packs, hygiene kits, family and modular tents, sleeping bags, and other necessary items. The government has also pre-positioned a relief stockpile amounting to P2.57 billion from the Office of the Civil Defense and Department of Social Welfare and Development. The post Restive Mayon now affects over 9.5K families in Albay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Salceda appeals for more equity in vaccine distribution in Bicol, Bangsamoro regions
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda has called for more equity in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines as more supplies continue to arrive in the country, saying the process has been "grossly unequal," leaving behind regions like Bicol and the Bangsamoro "far behind.".....»»
12.4K more doses of Covid-19 vax arrive in Bicol
LEGAZPI CITY – Some 2,400 doses of Sputnik V and 10,000 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived on Tuesday at the Legazpi City Domestic Airport, the Department of Health (DOH) in Bicol said. In a report posted on social media, DOH-Bicol said the vaccines were packed in nine boxes and arrived on board a Philippine Air Lines […].....»»
Sagip Kapamilya treks to provinces to help typhoon ‘Rolly’ survivors
ABS-CBN Foundation’s Sagip Kapamilya has gone to different provinces hit by Typhoon Rolly to bring comfort to families through food and relief packs. Through the support of donors and partners, 1,000 food packs have been brought to Brgy. Puro and Penaranda in Legazpi, Albay while 533 families received relief bags in Brgy. Gapo in Camalig, Albay. Sagip Kapamilya has also visited Brgy. Travesia in Guinobatan, Albay to distribute food packs to 265 families that evacuated at Travesia Elementary School and to turnover medicine to the Barangay Health Center. One of the survivors in Guinobatan, farmer Solomon Octavo, shared the difficulties they are facing as floodwater and lahar from the Mayon Volcano buried his entire house and farmland. “Magmula noong lumaki ako, ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng ganitong nangyari. Ang sinalba lang namin, buhay namin,” he shared in an interview with ABS-CBN News. (Growing up, I have never experienced anything like this. The only thing we could save was our own lives.) Aside from areas in the Bicol Region including Catanduanes, Sagip Kapamilya has also conducted relief operations in Southern Tagalog, which also suffered tremendous damage due to the typhoon. In Aurora, 494 families were given food packs while 1,990 individuals received hot meals to nourish them while they remained at Dingalan National High School and Mega evacuation centers. Even before the landfall of Rolly, Sagip Kapamilya was already there to provide food to evacuees. It is also bound for Batangas and Oriental Mindoro. As families are expected to stay longer in evacuation centers while they rebuild their homes, more donations are needed to support them. Jen Santos, ABS-CBN Foundation’s director for operations told ABS-CBN News that so far, many have shown interest to help and donate. “Marami talaga ang nagpapaabot (ng donasyon)… marami talaga ang nagpapaabot [at nagsabi] na ‘kami rin, gusto naming tumulong, paano kami makakatulong?” (So many have donated and many said they want to help, asking us how they could provide assistance.) Meanwhile, she said they are also missing the presence of ABS-CBN Regional, which had its last day last August 31 due to the nonrenewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise to broadcast. Santos said that it is usually the staff from the regional stations that are first to respond to affected areas to distribute relief goods......»»
Tothapi may bagong single, ka-join na sa Sony Music family
LEVEL up ang breakthrough Bicol-based band na Tothapi! Sila kasi ang pinakabagong pamilya ng Sony Music Entertainment na kinabibilangan ng ilan sa mga biggest OPM acts ng bansa, katulad ng Ben&Ben, SB19, Denise Julia, Clara Benin, Ace Banzuelo, The Itchyworms, Sponge Cola, at marami pang iba. “It has been an amazing ride with Sony Music.....»»
Quizon second in Hanoi Grandmaster tourney
Olympiad-bound International Master Daniel Quizon continued his strong showing as he finished second in the second group of the two-bracket Hanoi Grandmaster Closed Tournament in Vietnam recently......»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN, arrives im Phillipines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN nations, arrives in Philippines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Rice imports as of mid-March 886,963 MT
The country’s rice imports as of mid-March have surpassed the total volume recorded in the entire first quarter of last year by a double-digit rate, to over 880,000 metric tons, government data showed......»»
In-form Quizon finishes 2nd in group at Hanoi Grandmaster chess tilt
Olympiad-bound International Master Daniel Quizon continued his strong showing after he finished second in the second group of the two-bracket Hanoi Grandmaster Closed Tournament in Vietnam recently......»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN, arrives im Phillipines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar on overseas deployment to ASEAN nations, arrives in Philippines
Manila [Philippines], March 25 (ANI): India Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized Pollution Control Vessel, reached Manila, Philippines on Monday, marking the commencement of its (overseas deployment) OSD mission to Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. ASEAN countries includes Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, " acc.....»»
Remove the chaff from the grains
Other than the questioned selling of the buffer stock of rice to traders, what’s happening at the National Food Authority (NFA)? With 132 of around 2,000 NFA officials and employees all around the country suspended for six months without pay, this agency attached to the Department of Agriculture (DA) is struggling to stay relevant in the over-all schemes of the government on food security......»»
Recipe: Bringhe, the yellow rice dish of Pampanga
Bringhe is a yellow rice dish of Pampanga often referred to as the local version of the Spanish paella......»»
Mikey Belmonte bags Water Warrior Award
Quezon City Councilor Belmonte was conferred the “Water Warrior Award for Advocacy Leadership” during the 2024 World Water Day Awards in recognition of his contributions as an active partner of Maynilad in championing access to safe water, reliable sanitation and environmental responsibility......»»