BAPC Manager, Eng’r. Eugene C. Cahiles together with the LGU recipients of the carabao dispersal program

The carabao or water buffalo is often considered as the Filipino farmers’ partner in life. It plays an important role in their farms, from planting until harvest time by plowing the land and hauling their produce.  Aside from its usefulness in the field, it is also used as means of transportation in rural areas.

In order to support the Technical and Livelihood Assistance Projects of the Province of Bohol, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 7, dispersed one carabao each to the Local Government Units of Pilar, Calape, Garcia Hernandez and Sikatuna last February 1, 2012 at the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, Tagbilaran City.  The Center’s Manager, Eng’r. Eugene C. Cahiles was on hand to personally hand over the draft animals, including the provision of farm implements such as the plow, harrow and rope.  The animals were procured from Catigbian, Bohol at Php 28,000 each, wherein the DA paid 90% (Php 25,200) of its value and the LGU beneficiary shouldered the rest.

Being one of the recipient LGUs, Mayor Wilson L. Pajo, proudly received the draft animal and corresponding farm implements for the town of Pilar.  The project aims to aid the marginal farmers in their struggle against poverty, by augmenting labor for those who cannot afford to purchase farm machinery equipment and to help in attaining food security.  The dispersed carabaos were all females, with the hopes that it will produce several offsprings during its average lifespan of 18 to 20 years.  It takes 11 months for a carabao to conceive and a three-year spacing to breed anew.

Under the FSSP, Alcala said that the DA will be frontloading investments, particularly on infrastructure like irrigation, farm-to-market roads and post-harvest facilities.  “We hope to regain momentum in irrigation, especially on cheaper and shorter gestating small-scale irrigation systems,” he added.

For post harvest and other infrastructure, the DA has allocated Php 11.28 billion.  This will be spent to construct drying, storage and processing facilities, including dairy equipment and machineries.

For banner or commodity programs, the DA will spend a total of Php 11.35 billion, broken down as: Php 6.2 billion for rice; Php 951 million for corn; Php 1.3 billion for high-value crops; Php 1 billion for livestock; and Php 1.9 billion for fisheries.

To hasten the transport of farm and fishery products from production areas, the DA in partnership with local government units will construct and rehabilitate more than Php 5 billion worth of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) totaling 1,284 kilometers, under foreign-assisted and locally-funded projects.

In Bohol, interested parties can apply for the various assistance mentioned, and upon completion of requirements, will be served starting CY 2013, on a first come, first served basis.  The following are needed:

1. Letter of Intent / Resolution
2. Endorsement (MAO / Mayor)
3. 15% cash equity of the total unit cost (for farm machinery assistance)
4. In the case of IAs and Pos, they must be registered with COA/DOLE or SEC.

For more details, visit your Municipal Agriculture Office, or the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, at Dao District, Tagbilaran City. TL Cañas.

The PALAYAMANAN Group of Sta. Cruz did their Annual Project Planning Workshop last January 20, 2012.  It was attended by four (4) staffs from the LGUs, MAO’s office and five (5) staff from the Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center (BAPC).  The Barangay council of Sta. Cruz was duly represented by the Barangay Captain and most of the kagawads who are also PALAYAMANAN members.  Then most of the 31 farmer-partners of the Palayamanan Group attended the planning workshop, showing their desire in making their plans realistic and achievable, hence the project sustainability.

During the workshop, the farmers identified their problems and its corresponding solutions.  This procedure encourages farmer participation and decision making.  They also agreed on a schedule of activities to achieve their goals for the year.

The Project is promoting diversified and integrated rice-based farming system to improve the agricultural productivity of the community.  The “Real Learning for Real Farming Approach” is an effective technology promotion system which enable the Department of Agriculture, together with their local LGU counterparts to work together in addressing the food sufficiency program of the government.

Bohol Governor, Hon. Edgar M. Chatto, brought together as one, different political personalities to survey the proposed site, including the party of 2^nd District Congressman Erico B. Aumentado, who originally conceived the project.  Also present, was the group of Hon. Rene L. Relampagos, congressman for the first district, and the heads of offices for both the province and the national agencies.  A non-government organization was also represented to ensure that the environment and its people will not be at loss when the project is implemented.

It aims to provide irrigation services to an estimated 21,000 farmers cultivating 19,000 hectares of ricelands – 1,350 hectares in Danao; 3,520 hectares in San Miguel; 5,940 hectares in Trinindad; 1770 hectares in Dagohoy, 1890 hectares in Bien Unido and 4,530 hectares in Ubay.

Its main reservoir will be at Wahig River with four supplementary reservoirs.  These reservoirs will be capable of storing 78.5 million cubic meters (MCM), backed up with a 52.5 square kilometers of watershed.  It will be a zone earth-fill dam, and the main dam will be at 100 meters above sea level and 1,200 meters in length of earthfill.  The four supplementary dams will be 60 meters in height and 400 meters in width.  Their conduits will be a reinforced concrete barrel, and will have an Ungated Side Channel type of spillway.  The irrigation canals and structures includes 37.85 kilometers main canal, 185 kilometers of laterals, 15.6 kilometers of drainage canals, 350 units of canal structures, and 8.95 kilometers of tunnel.

The proposed project will also be an opportunity for the municipality of Danao to fulfill her dreams of adding another tourism destination in its great Eco-Tourism potential.  At its peak of 219 meters above the sea level in Barangay Concepcion, Danao, the panoramic view of the neighboring municipalities stuns one’s vision.  Although, the dam will be built at an elevation of 100 meters, a view deck following a winding road is a must for tourists to go there.

The project will also energize many homes with its hydro electric component.  It is estimated that 10-20 megawatts of hydroelectric power will be produced during its operation.  Most importantly, it will serve as a flood control structure of the flood prone plains thus mitigating the effects of climate change.  An ambitious dream, about to become a reality, kudos to our provincial and national officials.  TL Cañas.

Of the total volume, he said government will allow the private sector and farmers’ groups to import 250,000 MT each.  He said the NFA will concentrate on local palay procurement, as it has yet adequate rice and palay stocks in its warehouses.  He said government has enough funds to buy more palay this current dry season and main harvest season next year.

In fact, the DA expects a good harvest this dry season due to the ‘Quick-turn-around’ (QTA) and ratooning initiatives. These were undertaken by the DA in partnership with farmers’ groups and local government units to offset palay losses totaling 700,000 MT due to typhoons ‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel’ last September.

This year, the country imported a total of 860,000 MT, which is one-third of the 2.4 million MT imported in 2010.  Of this year’s total volume, 600,000 MT was imported by the private sector, 200,000 MT by the NFA, and 60,000 MT by farmers’ groups.

He said the DA will ensure that the country has enough buffer stock next year, particularly having a 90-day buffer stock by June 30, 2012, going into the traditional lean months of July to September. # # # (DA Information Service)

In fitting fashion, Bohol rings in the year right in the limelight through Jose Rizal Model Student of the Philippines Kenneth Regene Blasco.

Blasco, a graduating BSEd Math student of Mater Dei College in Tubigon along with Dean of the College of Education Maria Nymfa Reserva met with Gov. Edgar Chatto on Thursday at the People’s Mansion.

One of ten awardees in the entire country, Blasco relates he was chosen from among one thousand nominees narrowed down to twenty and finally to ten who were evaluated and rated based on academic excellence, student leadership in the school and in the community and in the regional, national and global arena.

The Jose Rizal Model Student search, begun in 1988, honors the best of the Filipino youth who epitomize Rizal’s qualities of academic excellence and leadership in campus and community activities. It also credits the virtues of love of country and people, serving as living models to young Filipinos.

The awarding rites was held at the Knights of Rizal Headquarters in Manila on the occasion of the 100th founding anniversary of the Order of the Knights of Rizal and the 115th death anniversary of the National Hero in whose honor the fraternal organization was named.

Gov. Chatto congratulated Blasco on bringing pride and honor to the province, serving as a role model for the Boholano youth, and the Filipino youth as a whole.

In his message during the province’s commemorative program on Rizal Day, Chatto himself highlighted successes in the provision of quality education for the Boholanos.

One of the present administration’s banner programs, the area of education saw for 2011 the implementation of the Dynamic Learning Program (DLP) in all public secondary schools, a pilot in the country. The DLP seeks to raise the quality of education through the learning by doing approach, an innovation of 2010 Ramon Magsaysay awardees and scientists/physicists Drs. Christopher and Ma. Victoria Bernido.

A total of 21 two-classroom buildings were built under the Long Term Partnership for Education Program of the Provincial Government and the Armed Forces of the Philippines National Development Support Command (AFP-NADESCOM).

The program has not only earned recognition for the province as best stakeholder in the Gawad Bayanihan Award from the AFP, but has also gained for the 53rd Engineering Support Battalion the title as most outstanding battalion from CENTCOM.

In addition, it has brought DepEd Bohol the distinction as best implementer of the school building program in the entire country.

These partnerships Chatto hopes to sustain and expand as he revealed 2012 priorities in the same program.

Chatto also shared to Blasco Top Forester Examinee Lebert Omac of Bohol Island State University. Omac, bested all other graduates of top forestry schools such as the University of the Philippines Los Banos at the July 2011 National Forester Licensure Examination, and now works with Sec. Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

On different occasions, the governor has encouraged students to excel in school as this opens opportunities for better lives in the future.

Chatto, a multi-faceted public servant and the recipient of several local and national awards, “could not sleep on his back” thinking that there are women and children out there who need, not only a caring hand, but also a humane, compassionate and understanding human being who would be more than willing to see them through their horrid experiences.

Sitting as Chair for the Bohol Crisis Intervention Center Management Board (BCIC-MB), Chatto is keen on setting up a more comfortable atmosphere and loving home for women and children who have gone through unspeakable horror, some even in the hands of their own families.

A strong advocate against Violence Against Women and Children (or VAWC), the governor of Bohol convened the BCIC-MB Friday at the People’s Mansion with the specific purpose of putting into action a more complete and effective mechanism to effectively handle crisis situations involving the maltreatment and abuse of women and children, be it physical, verbal, sexual or otherwise.

“I want to put across the message that people, especially loved ones, who abuse and maltreat the fairer sex and innocent children have no place in our province,” Chatto stressed.

“I just could not fathom how these people could physically, mentally and verbally abuse those who love them, especially innocent children,” Chatto added with bewilderment.

The Provincial Government is now looking into the need of putting up permanent house mothers for the facility and in-house psychologists who have the capacity to care for the women and children and the ample knowledge and expertise to conduct psychological evaluations and debriefing of traumatized victims.

The PNP Provincial Command under Col. Constantino Barot Jr., who was represented during the meeting by Deputy Director for Administration Julius Cesar Gornez, assured the board that they will take care of the safety and security of facility residents, especially students, who need to commute to and from their learning institutions who are being harassed by their abusers whose cases are still going on in court.