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DA readies pathways, tramlines for rice terraces
The Department of Agriculture and the local government of Mountain Province will be building pathways and tramlines toward the province’s rice terraces, a United Nations’ world heritage site, to boost sustainable tourism in the area. Engineer Winston Beyden, officer-in-charge of the DA-Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering, said the national government recently created in Mountain Province the Office of the Provincial Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer to provide local officials technical assistance on the construction of pathways and tramlines toward the rice terraces. “In a strategic move to boost local tourism, farm pathways along rice terraces will be developed instead of traditional farm-to-market roads. This approach aims to ensure the safety of tourists visiting the province,” Beyden said. The rice terraces in The Cordillera region consist of five clusters, cover four municipalities, and were built 2,000 years ago by the ethnic group Ifugao to plant rice upland. Separate OPABE Within the region, only Mountain Province has a separate office for agricultural and biosystems engineering or OPABE so far. This was made possible also through Provincial Ordinance 465 which complies with Republic Act 10915 or the Philippine Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Act of 2016. “Mountain Province’s OPABE serves as a template showcasing to other offices in The Cordillera region what the office is capable of accomplishing. This collaboration between Mountain Province and the DA is expected to bring significant improvements in agricultural infrastructure and tourism in the region,” Beyden said. Due to the effects of climate change and migration of farmers to urban areas, the rice terraces started degenerating and were included in the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2001. The DA said the pathways and tramlines will cause minimal soil erosion to the rice terraces and encourage more Filipinos to visit the heritage site to appreciate its beauty and social significance, and help protect it. Geo-Agri mapping Through Geo-Agri mapping, a web-based application, Beyden said engineers will be able to determine the appropriate areas for the pathways and tramlines project, along with irrigation and post-harvest facilities of the mountainous rice farmers. Beyden added the DA will also build diversion dams and canals, and farms for sugarcane, coffee, chickens and goats in Mountain Province. The post DA readies pathways, tramlines for rice terraces appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marcos certifies as urgent bill imposing tougher penalties vs agri economic sabotage
Senate Bill 2432 seeks to repeal Republic Act 10845, also known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. .....»»
BOC to donate seized P42-m smuggled rice for gov’t programs
The Bureau of Customs is considering donating the confiscated 42,180 bags of imported rice to some departments implementing government assistance programs. In a news forum, BOC-Port of Zamboanga chief Benito Lontok said the plan to donate the smuggled rice for the implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s assistance programs is still “subject to approval” of BOC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno. “Idu-donate po yata sa (It might be donated for the implementation of a) government program, I don’t know po kung Kadiwa or sa DSWD (if it would be donated for Kadiwa or DSWD’s programs). Pero ‘yun po ay pinag-uusapan pa (It is still being discussed),” Lontok said. The smuggled rice, amounting to P42 million, was seized during a raid at a warehouse in Barangay San Jose Gusu in Zamboanga City. The local bureau inspected the warehouse on 19 May after receiving information that smuggled rice was being stored in the area. Lontok said authorities found irregularities, although the warehouse owner, BLY Agri-Venture Trading, was able to submit import documents. There were disparities between the actual seized goods and the descriptions provided in the submitted documents, he added. “The payment records submitted referred to a shipment of White Rice 15 percent Broken, while the physical examination confirmed that the confiscated rice was Jasmine Fragrant Rice,” he said. Lontok added the warehouse also lacked the necessary Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry. “That’s why we issued a warrant of seizure and detention, and eventually na-forfeit po iyong goods (the goods were forfeited) in favor of the government,” he said. On 1 September, the BOC-POZ issued an Order of Forfeiture for violating the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, Rice Tariffication Law, and Republic Act No. 10845, otherwise known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. The BOC said they will conduct more inspections of warehouses following a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. “to address hoarding and illegal rice importation” in the country. In late August, the BOC raided three warehouses in Bulacan allegedly storing smuggled rice reportedly worth over P500 million. The post BOC to donate seized P42-m smuggled rice for gov’t programs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tobacco on list of agri products in proposed economic sabotage law, says Villar
Senator Cynthia Villar assured that tobacco is included in the list of agricultural products covered by her proposed Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act of 2023. She said the proposed measure would amend the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act to include hoarding, profiteering, and a cartel of agricultural products as "economic sabotage." “Tobacco will be included in the agricultural products covered by this law,” Villar, who is chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, made the assurance during the International Tobacco Agricultural Summit held at Shangri-La Hotel in Taguig City on Thursday, where she was the guest speaker. Citing a report from the National Tobacco Administration, Villar noted that the tobacco industry contributes to employment and revenue generation in the country, supporting around 2.2 million Filipinos directly or indirectly. The lawmaker added that tobacco has contributed nearly P16 billion to the country's gross domestic product in 2021. The Oxford Business Group's Economic Impact Report showed that tobacco cultivation was present in 23 provinces across 12 regions in the Philippines, with the Ilocos Region being the top producer at 69 percent, followed by Cagayan Valley at 23 percent, and Northern Mindanao ranking third, as of April 2022. Villar underscored the industry's significance to rural economies is highlighted by a 47.8 percent increase in the area planted for tobacco between 2019 and 2022. Since 2013, she said the implementation of sin taxes for tobacco and alcohol, resulted in additional funds for the national health budget, including Universal Health Care. The sin tax revenue, primarily from tobacco collections (mainly cigarettes), accounted for 58 percent of all sin tax collections and comprised 54 percent of the health budget in 2020. "Tobacco-producing provinces receive shares from tax collected to be used in funding livelihood programs, infrastructure projects, and promote economically viable alternative agricultural products for the farmers," she said. However, Villar noted that tobacco—like any other agricultural product— is not spared from criminal activities like smuggling and tax evasion. Such crimes, she said, undermine the livelihood of farmers by "saturating the market with cheap, adulterated, and untaxed products.” The Bureau of Customs earlier reported an estimated P3 billion loss in excise taxes from illicit cigarette operations between 2019 and 2022. As reported by Euromonitor, the incidence of illicit cigarette trade is projected to increase from 12.2 percent in 2020 to 18.5 percent in 2023. “This illicit competition leads to reduced prices and demand for locally grown tobacco, resulting in income loss among our farmers,” she lamented. Villar recalled the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act was passed in 2016, unfortunately, not a single smuggler has been imprisoned since then. Thus, seeking to amend the law will further strengthen policies and punishments against smuggling acts. The post Tobacco on list of agri products in proposed economic sabotage law, says Villar appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Extra rice, anyone?
The rice supply in the country has stabilized, enough to provide for the daily food requirements of Filipinos for the next six months, the Department of Agriculture said Thursday. According to DA Undersecretary Leo Sebastian, the supply of the staple grain for the rest of the year has been assured, so much so that the government is already preparing for next summer’s 2024 supply. Sebastian said they are now moving to mitigate the possible “cyclical” effects of the El Niño phenomenon on rice harvests next year. “As the country experienced it (El Niño) in 2016 and 2019, we will now help farmers in areas affected by the phenomenon to plant other crops that do not need much water like mongo and corn.” Sebastian, who heads the DA’s Masagana Rice Industry Program, earlier said that a bountiful harvest from the January-June rice planting season has increased production by around six percent. “This is based on PhilRice PRISM data of 8.153-million metric tons palay production in 2022 to 8.605-MMT of palay or 5.6-MMT of milled rice in 2023,” he explained. Sebastian said the volume, plus the carryover stock of 1.8-MMT milled rice, as augmented by import arrivals of 1.8-MMT, is enough to fill the demand/consumption of 7-MMT from January to June next year. “By the end of June, the available stock will be good for more than two months, in addition to the incoming supply from the new harvest and import arrivals in the coming months,” the DA official said. Imports easing Sebastian pointed out that the high cost of rice production locally and globally has pushed up the price of palay or unmilled rice, as well as milled rice. The vagaries of the global pricing of rice have eased private importation, allowing local farmers to enjoy “good prices” for their produce, he explained. “Global prices of rice are such that private importers are not engaging in importation. Our government (through the National Food Authority), on the other hand, is prohibited by law from importing,” he said. At the same time, the DA, concurrently headed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said it is in constant communication with rice farmers to lower their prices so that most Filipinos would be able to afford it. “You can buy P25 per kilo of rice in our Kadiwa outlets. And we are also asking some cooperatives that have enough rice supplies to sell their harvest at a lower price,” he said. Well-milled rice is selling in Metro Manila at P40 to P42 a kilo, with some agri-cooperatives selling at P38 per kilo. “This gives us enough rice supply for the next six months,” Sebastian said. The post Extra rice, anyone? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Hurry up
Looking back to the first year of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration leads us to believe that he has pivoted out of his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s tight embrace of China and rebuilt friendships with old allies, particularly the US and Europe. In his official trips abroad to meet with leaders of other Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he never failed to be emphatic about the need to comply with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Explicit appeals had also been made to European nations to support the enforcement of UNCLOS and the historic decision of the Arbitral Tribunal in the South China Arbitration (Philippines v. People’s Republic of China) of 12 July 2016 that unanimously favored our beloved Philippines in its dispute against Chinese claims on Philippine territorial waters. In rebuilding ties with the US, four more US bases were added to the existing five sites under the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement or EDCA that was signed to bolster the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries. While we leave the wisdom of more EDCA sites to the security sector, which should prioritize the national interest above anything else, there is another equally important sector confronted by challenges. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration raised the El Niño alert, saying it may declare the start of the phenomenon this week as it expects it in the next two months with a probability of 70 percent. Defined as a climate phenomenon characterized by the abnormal warming of the surface waters of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, El Niño could have significant effects on global weather patterns, including on agriculture. Given that farmers, policymakers, and agricultural communities must monitor weather forecasts and adapt their practices to mitigate potential impacts, the President continues to take the lead in handling agriculture — a stand that has been met with askance by many, even among those in the government. Eyebrows were raised at the seeming inability to effectively address what bedeviled agriculture in the past year, including the ginormous prices of essential commodities like sugar, eggs, and onions, which at one point rocketed to as high as P700 a kilo. Behind the critical headaches in the agri sector are the already suffering Filipinos whose pockets are badly frayed by inflation rates, and farmers losing their only source of livelihood. A lingering controversy is the government’s addressing of the soaring rise in sugar prices through importation. In 2022, Sugar Order No. 4 was issued by the Sugar Regulatory Administration, giving the nod to import 300,000 metric tons of sugar. Who would forget that the denial resulted in the firing of SRA and DA officials, along with then-Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez? Likewise puzzling is the recent selection of just three entities to import 440,000 metric tons of sugar. It remains unclear who handpicked sugar traders All Asian Countertrade, Sucden Philippines Inc., and Edison Lee Marketing Corporation. Either way, it doesn’t look good and bears clarification. Everyone, including many of the President’s supporters, is clueless as to why, despite the myriad issues and problems that he has to attend to in all other sectors, a full-time secretary is yet to be appointed — someone who could give the department and the sector his/her full-time attention. Faced with the imminent threats of El Nîno, time is of the essence. Lowly Filipinos cannot afford to wait unprepared for the dry spell with shifts in rainfall patterns. Whatever it takes, it is crucial to act quickly, efficiently, and without delay. In the words of Albert Einstein, “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” To solve agricultural problems, we need to think beyond the existing mindset or approach that might have contributed to those problems in the first place. The post Hurry up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Prosecute gov’t execs coddling agri smugglers
A senator has filed a proposed measure seeking to amend certain provisions of Republic Act 10845, also known as the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act, to criminalize government officials found conniving with large-scale agricultural smugglers. In her Senate Bill 2205, Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented about the non-prosecution of individuals, groups or corporations, despite reports of seizure of smuggled products since the enactment of the law in 2016. “There has been no prosecution of government officials for facilitating and abetting acts of agricultural smuggling that amount to large-scale economic sabotage. As a result, smuggling activities continue with impunity,” she said. Under the proposed measure, any act by a public employee or officer that allows the importation into the country without the needed import permit shall be declared as economic sabotage. “In the sugar fiasco that is still unfolding, for example, documented accounts show that tens of thousands of metric tons of sugar — a regulated commodity — were allowed into the country without a sugar order,” she added. Likewise, the approval or issuance by a public employee or officer of any license, declaration, clearance, or permit, knowing that it is manifestly unlawful, inequitable, or irregular, will also be considered economic sabotage. Any person who violates the measure will face life imprisonment and a fine of twice the fair value of the smuggled agricultural product, including the taxes, duties, and other charges avoided plus interest at the legal rate. The prescription period or the time within which charges can be filed is 20 years. In her explanatory note, Hontiveros noted that agricultural smuggling is “costing the government billions of pesos a year in lost revenues.” “The smuggling of regulated agricultural commodities has also led to high prices for consumers, the violation of our competition laws, and most importantly, the further decline of our domestic agricultural sector,” she said. “It is time to hold to account government officials who allow smuggling to persist unfettered,” she added. The post Prosecute gov’t execs coddling agri smugglers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Consumer group favors Ejercito s version of agri-smuggling bill
A consumer group on Sunday called for the immediate passage of Senate Bill 1688, filed by Sen. JV Ejercito, which expands the coverage of RA 10845 or the “Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016” to include hoarding, profiteering, cartel and "other market abuses"......»»
Hoarding, profiteering isama sa anti-agri smuggling law
MANILA, Philippines – Sa gitna ng pagsirit sa presyo ng sibuyas at iba pang produktong pansakahan, nagpanukala si Senate Deputy Majority Leader Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito ng mga pagbabago sa Republic Act No. (RA) 10845 o ang Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 upang paigtingin pa ito laban sa smuggling. “Nais talaga nating bantayan at […] The post Hoarding, profiteering isama sa anti-agri smuggling law appeared first on REMATE ONLINE......»»
Baltimore Bridge collapse: Police had about 90 seconds to stop traffic before bridge fell
BALTIMORE — It was the middle of the night when a dispatcher’s warning crackled over the radio: A massive cargo ship had lost its steering capabilities and was heading toward the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Within about 90 seconds, police officers who happened to be nearby responded that they managed to stop vehicle traffic over.....»»
EDITORIAL — An endangered lake
In January this year, President Marcos directed the Department of Agriculture to increase fish production to meet the national demand......»»
Tech advancements in agri sans job threats in Date 2024
Despite the pivotal role of technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things (IoT) in agricultural development, farmers and laborers in Davao Region face no immediate threat......»»
Aktres pinanggigilan ng mga kasamahan sa pagiging late, ‘di nagbago?
LUKANG-LUKA ang co-actors at buong production people ng isang movie outfit sa aktres dahil 6AM ang call time at dumating sa set ng 6PM. Humingi naman daw ng dispensa ang aktres dahil na-overlook niya ang oras bukod pa sa gumimik siya kinagabihan kaya hindi siya nagising at hindi rin siya ginising ng kanyang kasama sa.....»»
Stewart Cink, 50, part of five-way tie for Valspar lead
(Photo credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) Fifty-year-old Stewart Cink shot a 4-under 67 to join a five-way tie for the lead at the Valspar Championship before play was suspended Friday in Palm Harbor, Fla. As the field endured rainy conditions at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course, 20 golfers did not complete their rounds before darkness fell. They will resume their second rounds Saturday at 9 a.m. The five co-lea.....»»
EcoWaste Coalition: True Radiance Comes from Within, Not from Skin Lightening Products with Mercury
23 March 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition, which has been tracking mercury in skin-lightening cosmetics in the Philippines since 2011, reiterated its support for the global effort to put an end to the persistent production, trade, and consumption of racist beauty products with mercury content that claim to whiten the skin and deal with other.....»»
EcoWaste Coalition: True Radiance Comes from Within, Not from Skin Lightening Products with Mercury
23 March 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition, which has been tracking mercury in skin-lightening cosmetics in the Philippines since 2011, reiterated its support for the global effort to put an end to the persistent production, trade, and consumption of racist beauty products with mercury content that claim to whiten the skin and deal with other.....»»
Stewart Cink, 50, part of five-way tie for Valspar lead
(Photo credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports) Fifty-year-old Stewart Cink shot a 4-under 67 to join a five-way tie for the lead at the Valspar Championship before play was suspended Friday in Palm Harbor, Fla. As the field endured rainy conditions at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course, 20 golfers did not complete their rounds before darkness fell. They will resume their second rounds Saturday at 9 a.m. The five co-lea.....»»
Investors take profits ahead of Holy Week break
The stock market fell below the 6,900 level once more to end the week in the red as investors cashed in on their profits......»»
Villanueva returns to US for fight vs Pierce
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Veteran ring warrior Arthur Villanueva returned to the United States after eight years as he takes on Elijah Pierce on March 29 in Atlantic City, Georgia. Villanueva, an ex-ALA Boxing Gym stalwart, will return to the United States for the first time since 2016. The 35-year-old Villanueva of Bago City, Negros.....»»
Ex K-pop star Jung Joon Young released after 5-year rape, spycam sentence
Jung was found guilty of rape on two occasions in 2016 and of filming himself having intercourse with other women without their knowledge and sharing the footage without their consent......»»