NEWS BITS

Student IDs, journal found in Ifugao NPA camp 

KIANGAN, Ifugao -- The commanding officer of the  54th Infantry Battalion here urged students, parents and teachers to be partners for peace and development.

Lt. Col. Nicolas Quemado, Jr. told students to focus on their studies and avoid the influence of anti-government groups and other related organizations as they may be fronts for recruitment.

He said during an encounter at in Abaka, Danggo, Tinoc town, army soldiers recovered war materials and personal belongings including school IDs of two female students of a government university and a journal of one of the students detailing her experiences as member of the armed revolution.

“I would like to encourage the parents to closely monitor and guide their children in becoming productive citizens of the nation. The same way goes to the school teachers for they stand as secondary parents of these students,” Quemado said.

The army official said this was needed as children are the hope of the nation.  -- PIA Ifugao

 La Trinidad Trading Post bizmen promote veggie trade

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Stakeholders of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Post (LTVTP) are finding ways to boost their produce and be competitive with the entry of imported vegetable.

Recently, they   came up with a 1.3-ton giant vegetable salad that fed around 3,000 people during the trading post’s founding anniversary celebration.

Nora Ganase, president of the League of Associations of the La Trinidad Vegetable Trading Area, said their group conceptualized and initiated the holding of the Giant Vegetable Salad event primarily to promote the highland vegetable industry   which is affected by imported vegetables. This is also to strengthen its hold as one of tourist destinations in the valley.

Augusta ‘Agot’ Balanoy, Benguet Farmers Cooperative marketing manager, said the vegetable salad was one way of showcasing the vegetable industry of the province to its end market who may not be aware of the difference between locally grown and imported varieties.

Highland vegetables have comparatively better taste than the imported ones and we want to let it be known that ours are   crunchier and   juicier, Ganase said.

About two months ago, there were imported vegetables again coming from China affecting especially carrots, said Balanoy.  

The issue on vegetable importation is a problem besetting the local industry for years now. But there is nothing producers can do but to become competitive, said Ganase.

‘We advise farmers to be competitive in their production and come up with bigger quality and better packaging’, she said. The farmers are now more conscious and segregate the big from the small ones unlike where these were mixed together.  

Mayor Romeo Salda said the LTVTP contributes to the coffers of the local government P30 million yearly. -- PIA Benguet

 Cordillera forest cover increasing

BAGUIO CITY --  The continuing government reforestation activities have resulted to increased forest cover in the Cordillera Administrative  Region.

Baguio City Mayor and Cordillera Regional Development Council chair Mauricio G. Domogan, in his recent State of the Region report, highlighted the increase in forest cover in the region for the 6-year period from 2011 to 2016  totaling to 101,687 hectares.

Domogan also  noted the 86 percent average survival rate of trees planted which exceeded the 85% survival rate prescribed by Department of Environment and Natural Resources central office. 

To date, a total of 174,056 hectares  have been  reforested in the region according to Environmental Management Bureau-Cordillera Administrative Region Regional Director Reynaldo S. Digamo.

The DENR is implementing this year the expanded National Greening Program in 2017 which aims to cover unproductive and denuded forest lands to be utilized for production and protection purposes  and  to enhance private sector, local government  unit and community participation in  sustainable forest management and  protection.  This is   in accordance with the updated Philippine Master Plan for Forestry Development (2016-2028). -- PIA CAR

 Abra IP elders meet to forge peace pact

BANGUED, Abra – Tribal elders of this province recently met here to discuss cultural barriers, conflicts and promote peace.

During the week-long celebration of “Rambak ti Kappia 2017” with the theme: “Taginayunen ti Kappia, #JOYn na”,  IP elders convened at the Abra Provincial Capitol Social Hall for the IP Elders Summit.

Here, the IP Elders sat together to come up with a Pagta (peace pact) that could facilitate resolution of conflicts not only among tribal communities but also those that affect political relations of the political rivals that is believed to have been one of the major causes of criminality particularly political killings in the province.

Main resource speaker, Dr. Paulina D. Sawadan, expounded on the different active cultural practices in Abra and on how these can be utilized to advance human society to the point where states and classes will be reduced or eventually eradicated. -- PIA Abra

 DOST assists 8 Mt Province entreps

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- The Department of Science and Technology is assisting this year eight micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the province under its Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP).

DOST provincial office’s data showed the agency allotted these MSMEs loan of P6,732,000 as technological assistance. This   is provided in terms of technology acquisition or production machineries depending on the needs of the applicants per assessment of the DOST.

The acquired equipment are under supervision of the DOST until such time that the loan would have been paid then it will be turned over to the owner of the business firm.

Last year, DOST released the total amount of P20, 976,951 as technological assistance to 21 MSMEs in the province.

The SETUP is a nationwide strategy encouraging MSMEs to adopt technology innovations to improve their existing products, services, and operations; increase productivity and competitiveness; and more importantly to enable MSMEs to develop new products and establish or sustain market niches.

The program focuses assistance to priority sectors such as food processing; furniture; gifts, handicrafts, decors; marine/aquaculture/agriculture; metals and engineering; health and wellness products, pharmaceuticals; and information and communication technology.

The SETUP provides a no-interest, no collateral loan to individuals or groups who have maintained their business for at least three consecutive years to assure the capability of the entrepreneur to sustain their business and pay back the loan which is payable within a maximum of three years. --  PIA Mt. Province

Kalinga dad to LGUs: Invest in health programs

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Acting Gov. James S. Edduba urged local government units in the province to invest in health and nutrition program as a fundamental need of the people.

Health and nutrition are the true wealth of the people and the community. When there is high malnutrition rate and poor wellness, people are less productive and this would affect the entire performance of government, Edduba said during National Nutrition Month culmination. He told local officials to give priority to the program in the local budget.

‘               As local officials this is our look-out for I believe good politics supports people’s wellness and nutrition’, Edduba said.

Afterall, what we want to achieve is the well-being of our community and people, he added.

Meanwhile, Provincial Nutritionist Frances Sebastian said nutrition is a ‘womb-to-tomb’ must. Proper nutrition starts from the time of conception and across lifespan. While still young we must make healthy foods as our medicines for if not, when we get old medicines would be our food, she said.

The province’s Nutrition Month culmination program opened with a motorcade followed by a program that was scintillated by competition in cheer dance, slogan making, draw and tell, well-baby, cooking, nutrition quiz, and  revival dance and ‘hataw’ for senior citizens.  -- PIA Kalinga 

 

 Baguio sets bid for Palaro hosting

BAGUIO CITY – Dept. of Education officials headed by regional director May Eclar and city schools superintendent Federico Martin , representatives from Baguio, La Trinidad and Benguet led by provincial administrator Noel Ngolob, the Baguio City Police Office and other agencies met recently to start finalizing the presentation of Baguio and Benguet in their bid to co-host the 2018 Palarong Pambansa.

Also discussed were the delegations’ billeting arrangements, venues for the games, security, budgetary requirements, traffic scheme and more. More than 12,000 participants from the country’s 18 regions are expected to join the annual sports extravaganza.

 With the theme, “Coolest Palaro,” the presentation will highlight Baguio and Benguet’s year-round temperate climate, unique culture, vibrant arts and sports scene, tourist sites, peace and order situation, adequate facilities, world-class accommodations, and others.

 Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Ngolob and Eclar met earlier with representatives of local universities and colleges to confirm their commitments in allowing their facilities and equipment to be used if ever Baguio and Benguet are chosen as hosts of the country’s largest sports event.  It will be the first time that the Cordillera region will be the Palaro’s venue should this happen.      

                Last month, the city sports office under Gaudencio Gonzales conducted a facility and equipment evaluation to assess the city’s capability in housing the sports spectacle including those privately owned that can be tapped for the activity.

 He said they are confident that Baguio and Benguet can present enough number of venues, facilities and equipment both for the events and accommodation of thousands of participants from the other regions to satisfy the organizers’ requirements.- Gaby Keith

Students urged: Apply for  NCE scholarships

BANGUED, Abra -- The Philippine Science High School  popularly called Phisi has urged  Grade 6 students to   apply for  the National Competitive Examination (NCE) to avail of scholarships.

Applicants must  have a final grade of 85 percent or better in science and mathematics, born  on or after August 1, 2003 and  have at least a satisfactory rating or its equivalent in   character rating in his or her report card  for SY 2016 – 2017.

Deadline of filing of application is on Sept. 1 while exam is set Oct. 21. 

Application form is available at Phisi campuses, regional and field offices of the Department of Science and Technology and it is also downloadable at www.pshs.edu.ph. 

Phisi personnel went around  elementary schools in Abra to campaign for more applicants.

In an interview with Jessril Tayag, dorm master, and Penelyn Banawa, faculty of the Phisi–Irisan Campus in Baguio City over Hot PIA Infolink Program of Abra Infocen, they urged Grade 6 pupils and Grade 5 pupils to maintain their average grade of 85 in mathematics and science in order for them to qualify for the NCE.

They discussed the benefits of being a Skolar ng Bayan through the Phisi. The benefits come in the form of free school fees, free books and all learning materials, monthly stipend, uniform allowance and even transportation. Under the system, students are well-attended to by the teachers because of the special and highly specialized system of teaching the students because each class is limited to only 30 students.

The examination fee for the pupils of the private schools is P100 while those in the public schools are free from payment of the examination fee.

Aileen Malangen of the DOST-Abra  announced that the usual college scholarship is again open to college students because the suspension is now lifted because the first batch of the K-12 curriculum is now graduating.  -- PIA Abra

Ifugao ventures in ube yam production

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- This province is embarking in purple ube yam production to boost livelihood of local folks. This, after about  100 root crops farmers of the province attended an investment forum  conducted by the Dept. of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region at the Bahawit Nursery here.

The forum aimed to encourage farmers to increase their ube and other roots crops production by presenting the investment opportunities of these commodities and to scout for places in the different municipalities where ube can possibly be grown for local and commercial purposes.

The farmers said were convinced with the business and economic promises of ube and other root productions in the province especially with the identified markets and business opportunities for these products that they were challenged to organize and embark in this enterprise so that they can improve their methods of production for a higher yield and output. -- PIA Ifugao

 DSWD releases P18M pension in Kalinga

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The Dept. of Social Welfare and Development recently released more than P18 million in socialized pension to some 12,591 elderly in the province.

Lorna Lumiwan of DSWD-Kalinga reported the assistance covered the first quarter of the year with P1,500 per pensioner.

Based on DSWD-Kalinga distribution report, the top recipients are Tabuk City with P5 million,  Pinukpuk  with  P3.5M and Balbalan  with P2M.

DSWD-Kalinga closely coordinates with the Provincial Federation of Senior Citizens for the updated master list of members. The sector is included in the priority targets of the office. 

Under Republic Act  994, the government through DSWD extends monthly socialized pension of P500 to senior citizens, who have no other financial support. It is released per quarter.

In related report, some municipalities in the province extend additional benefits to the sector that include livelihood assistance and mortuary cash aid.

In Tabuk City, the city government provides mortuary benefits of P5,000 to qualified members of the City Senior Citizen Federation and P2,000 to non-federation members.  -- PIA Kalinga

DOST upgrades baking skills of Ifugao small entrepreneurs

LAMUT, Ifugao -- The Department of Science and Technology trained 30 young and old small entrepreneurs of the province to upgrade their skills and knowledge in making bakery products.

The DOST tapped expert chefs and bakers from the ACHIEVERS Food and Bakery Ingredients Corporation based in Quezon City as resource persons. The company offers wide range of locally manufactured and selected imported quality food ingredients to produce a wide variety of breads, cakes, pastries, dimsum and other confectionaries and also supply bakery equipment and tools.

Provincial Science and Technology Director Genna Jallorina said that the training  under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Project or SETUP  aims to enable the bakery operators in the province improve the quality and quantity of their bakery products by learning and using new and better ingredients, technology, equipment and facilities thereby making their business more profitable and  competitive.

Among the equipment introduced and demonstrated hands-on by the chefs and bakers from the ACHIEVERS Corporation to the trainees are the deck ovens, cake mixers, rack ovens, spiral mixers, chillers, proofers, dough machines, roasters, fondue machines, ice machines, bread slicer, bread racks and other machine products.

The participants learned proper processing and cooking of bakery foods like pastel rolls, pandesal with malunggay leaves, donut variety, hopia, chiffon cake and choco chiffon cake. -- PIA Ifugao

Baguio sets Sept. 22 clean-up day

BAGUIO CITY- Mayor Mauricio Domogan through Administrative Order 86, series of 2017 has declared Sept. 22, 2017as Balili river massive clean-up drive, enjoining the working force from the city government officials, employees and residents from adjacent barangays.

The mayor said the activity contributes to environmental cleanliness and would heighten the people’s awareness of their role and responsibilities as stakeholder of an effective and efficient solid and waste water management.

Unabated dumping of litter, sewage and domestic and human refuse along Balili river has been observed, which results in floating or islands of garbage in the said river located in Trancoville barangay, along with tributary creeks from Pacdal, Cabinet hill, New Lucban, Honeymoon, Guisad and Sto. Nino (Slaughter) barangays, the AO stated.

Garbage also causes flooding during heavy rains, with the neighborhood reporting an acrid or nauseating odor along the waterways.              

To bring back the river’s cleanliness, city officials and employees take the lead for “effective solid and wastewater management” through a massive community clean-up, the AO further stated. -- Julie G. Fianza

Kalinga 4Ps get rice aid

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – More than11, 000 Pantawid Pamilya program beneficiaries in the province started receiving  rice subsidy from the program.

Under the Duterte Administration, Pantawid beneficiaries are extended additional P600 monthly rice aid.

Lorna Lumiwan, 4Ps Provincial Link, disclosed the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development released the rice assistance for January because the period was covered under the “suspension of evaluation on compliance” due to super typhoon ‘Lawin’.       

But starting February until end of the year, release of rice aid will be back as compliance-based, Lumiwan said.

Under the 4Ps program, indigent beneficiaries receive monthly cash benefits provided they comply with conditions set on health, education and attendance to family development sessions.

Pantawid families are required to have regular health monitoring at rural health units, qualified children should be in school and undergo regular family development sessions.  -- PIA Kalinga

Int’l English teachers confab set in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY - Hundreds of English language educators and policy makers from the Philippines and Southeast Asia are expected to attend the International English Teachers Conference (INETCON 2017) slated on Aug. 18-20 at the Teachers Camp here.

Organized by the Baguio-based Vivixx Technical Academy, the international event is also expected to draw the participation of delegates from the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) as well as the English as the Second Language (ESL) and Business Process Management (BPM) sectors.

Vivixx Academy president Ace Estrada II said the event is significant because it will serve as venue for the said three government agencies responsible for education to discuss problems and intervention measures and solutions in Filipino English oral proficiency with the input of  the ESL and BPM industry.

Moreover, the event will coincide with the launching of the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) test in the Philippines and the direct hiring of the first OPI raters outside of the U.S. by the American Council  on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), according to Estrada.

Keynote speakers during the event will be Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture; Deputy Director General Diosdado Padilla of TESDA; Undersecretary Benito Bengson Jr. of the Department of Tourism and Executive Director Penny Bongato of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).

Conference highlights include an exhibit, job fair, ESL school tour, dinner concert, plenary and workshops and ACTFL training. – Aileen P. Refuerzo

Tabuk City ups drive against minor drivers

TABUK CITY, Kalinga --  The City Public Order and Safety Office has intensified its campaign against  minor drivers amid reports of high violations.

POSO Dionisio P. Falgui III reported their office had recorded 1,911 traffic violators in the city from January-June, mostly minor drivers and driving without license.

This explains why road accident is the top cause in cases of physical injuries in the city police report, Falgui said.

In line with the campaign, mobile check points along the city’s main thoroughfares has  been intensified. Because of strict traffic regulation enforcement, the POSO had collected P574,350 in penalty fees for the period.

But Falgui said collection of penalty fees is just secondary to their mandate of assuring public order and safety.   

We impose penalty because we want drivers to follow proper traffic rules to avoid accidents, he said.   

He appealed to parents to cooperate with the authorities by preventing their minor-children from just going on fun-driving  without the assistance of licensed drivers.  -- PIA Kalinga  

Ban on sale of tickets mulled in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY – The local legislature has passed on first reading a proposed “anti-scalping ordinance” in the Summer Capital.

Authored by councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr., the measure is applicable to all local residents and individuals operating with or without ticket offices or official booths within the city’s territorial jurisdiction.

Scalping is the mass purchase and resell of tickets at more expensive prices while a scalper is one who sells airline, bus, theater, concert tickets and similar undertakings with or without profit outside the ticket office or official booth or place designated for the purpose.

The proposed ordinance makes it unlawful for any scalper to sell airline, bus, theater, concert tickets and similar undertakings with or without profit outside the ticket office or official booth or place designated for the purpose.

It also prohibits any person to finance, manage or operate scalping which is pernicious or inimical to public interest.

Violators of the measure’s provisions shall be meted a fine of not more than P5,000 or by imprisonment of not more than three months or both, upon the discretion of the Courts. – Gaby Keith

 Kalinga farmers learn ratooning technology

CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga --  The Provincial Agriculturist Office educates farmers on the ratooning technology to increase rice production.

Joe Casibang, Kalinga rice program coordinator, said ratooning could add at least 40 percent of the average yield per hectare to farmers.

Under the technology, farmers are taught to apply some interventions to palay plants left out during harvest and could still get additional yield. Farmers just apply additional two bags of urea per hectare compared to the usual 8-10 bags of fertilizer per hectare in the regular cropping.

Casibang said the ratooning period runs for about 60 days, which is actually the regular cropping interval, before the ratooned palay is ready for harvest.

The technology is applicable to both hybrid and inbred rice. Rice farmers get an average of 120 bags of palay per hectare.

A 50-hectare demo-farm is being used for the technology in this City, the province's major rice producing area.  -- PIA Kalinga  

DSWD sets 30,000 family food packs for rainy months

BAGUIO CITY – Dept. of Social Welfare and Development in the Cordillera Administrative Region has set family food packs for disaster augmentation this rainy season particularly for  landslide-prone areas in the region.

 DSWD-CAR regional director Janet Armas said 30,000 food packs have already been brought to provinces for distribution in case of disasters.

She said 6,200 food packs are in Mountain Province; 5,000 in Ifugao; 2,642 in Abra; 1,500 in Apayao; and 15,601 at their warehouse in Puguis, La Trinidad town in Benguet.

A food pack contains 6 kilograms of rice, half dozen 3-in-1 instant coffee, 8 canned goods, brown rice bar (energy bar) and infant dry-cereals.

Armas said the goods will augment food supplies in cases of disasters in Cordillera as landslides frequently occur due to the terrain.

DSWD-CAR, she said, spent about P13 million for the family packs. About P21 million was also spent for non-food items like blankets and tents.

Cordillera the past days has been experiencing strong rains and thunderstorms brought by the southwest monsoon. A number of roads were closed to vehicular traffic due to landslides. -- PNA

 

 PVET teaches farmers organic feed formulation

HUNGDUAN, Ifugao --The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVET) here recently conducted skills training on organic swine and poultry raising and feed formulation to 83 farmer- recipients of native pig raising project of the provincial government.

The training was to enable pig raisers gain more profit in their backyard livestock endeavor by formulating their own organic feeds using ingredients and materials that are abundant and indigenous in their places rather than relying on commercial feeds which are very expensive, said PVET training coordinator Ferdinand Dunuan.

By adopting organic farming  that  includes feed formulation to reduce feed cost,  they can produce not only animal meat products which are safe and fit for human consumption but also earn more profit because organically produced farm products nowadays are in great demand.

Dunuan   lectured to participants on animal husbandry, issues on bio-organic inputs and good agricultural practices.

Gilbert Caclini, also of PVET, demonstrated the preparation of the feeds using the indigenous materials with the hands on participation of the farmers  so that they can learn and experience on the spot organic feed formulation.

The ingredients and materials used during the actual preparation of  50 kilograms (kgs) of organic feed include 20 kilos rice bran, 5 corn grits, 5 corn bran, 3 chopped banana stalk, 3 chopped camote trunk and leaves, 3 ofipil leaves, 10 ofazola, a kilo of brown sugar, another kilo of indigenous micro-organism (for fermentation) and two liters of rice wash.

The farmers said were happy with what they learned and promised that they will immediately start preparing their own feed supply. -- Daniel B. Codamon