Wednesday, February 18, 2009

DA-RFU 13 Supports PNRC Blood Donation Drive


by: Aurell P. Arais



Butuan City – Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 13 (DA-RFU 13) strongly supports the drive of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) for blood donation campaign.

The support was manifested by allowing personnel from PNRC Butuan City/Agusan del Norte Chapter to utilize the DA lobby as venue for blood donation drive last February 9, 2009.

A dozen of DA personnel responded on the campaign by donating their blood for about 450 cc each.

Other personnel also availed the services of PNRC such as free taking of blood pressure (BP) and blood type.

Seven (7) staff from PNRC Butuan City/Agusan del Norte Chapter composed the team headed by Soljin M. Robles, Registered Medical Technologist (RMT).

In an interview, Robles explained that a person who donates blood will received a card and may use it anytime to avail free blood from their office on an emergency situation.

Donating blood is a healthy practice to keep healthy blood cells in the body produced by bone marrow. (Aurell P. Arais/rafid da caraga)



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Seed Producers Training/Seminar Conducted at Trento


By: Aurell P. Arais


Trento, Agusan del Sur – A seminar/training for seed producers in the province of Agusan del Sur was successfully conducted last week..

The said activity was held last July 28 to August 1, 2008 at Sasepco Warehouse., Trento, Agusan del Sur.

It was learned from Rose Marzo, municipal agriculture officer of Trento that the said seminar were participated by old and new applicant for seed producer.

Participants were coming from Veruela, Sta. Josefa, Bunawan, Loreto, San Francisco and Trento, all of Agusan del Sur.

Marzo emphasized that the seminar served as retooling for old producers while the new applicant will acquire knowledge on proper way of seed production and the law related to this kind of undertaking.

Resource persons during the training were Abner Montecalvo, GMA Rice Program Coordinator for Mindanao who talked about status of the rice seed industry in Mindanao/ Region and Varietal Selection and Characteristics; Henry Carpiso, chief of National Seed Quality Control Services (NSQCS) Central Office in Quezon City, who delievered about the policies and guidelines on seed certification for inbred rice seed production; Jane Rasco- Wagas, officer in charge of RSQCS Caraga; Johnny Ramos of Provincial Agriculture Office, Agusan del Sur; Jojo Dagum, delivered the overview of the training course and other speakers from Philrice namely Frenciso Varquez, Jisell Rendon and Richard Tabudlong.

For the past few years, the province of Agusan del Sur rice seed growers had difficulties in providing sufficient supply to the farmers which would affect the government efforts geared towards rice sufficiency, thus the seminar was conducted to train more seed growers.

It is not only the province of Agusan del Sur who suffered such shortage of seed supply but on the entire province of Caraga thus the same training will be conducted on other parts of the region soon.(Aurell P. Arais/rafid da caraga)


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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

DA-LGU Holds Plan Integration Workshop for CY 2009



Butuan City – To ensure a unified program implementation approach for the year 2009 between the agriculture department and the local government units (LGUs) in Caraga Region on FIELDS program, the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Unit 13 (DA RFU 13) conducted a two day DA-LGU Plan Integration Workshop.

The activity was held at Goat2Geder Hotel and Restaurant, this city last January 29-30, 2009 and was participated by City and Provincial Agriculturists and Veterinarians in the region.

Regional Technical Director (RTD) Edgardo E. Dahino warmly welcomes all the participants during his opening remarks and lauded the planning division headed by Josephine Alban for spearheading the workshop.

Meanwhile, Regional Executive Director Ricardo C. Regis extends his appreciation to all the LGU-DA participants and urged to work closely for a common direction towards agricultural development.

Each veterinary and agriculture officers presented their LGU Plans and Programs for calendar year CY 2009.

Regional Agriculture Statistics Officer Melchor Bautista of BAS also presented the agricultural trends in the region that may serve as basis for effective program planning.

Highlight of the gathering was the workshop by sector or component such as Ginintuang Masagang Ani (GMA) Rice, Corn, High Value Commercial Crops (HVCC), and Livestock.

Regional Technical Director Eliseo T. Tila answered one by one all the issues and concerns surfaced during the open forum such as on DA-LGU project counterparting schemes, incentives and other matters.

Financial matters were also ably addressed by Finance Division Chief Jessica Daan. (Aurell P. Arais/rafid da caraga)


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DA-AMAS Director Francisco Ramos III Spearheads BB Launching in SDS

Surigao del Sur – To personally oversee the start of the operation, Director Francisco “Bong” Ramos III of the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness, Marketing and Assistance Services (DA-AMAS) spearheaded the launching of its flagship project Barangay Bagsakan in Surigao del Sur.

For the whole month of November 2008, the Agribusiness, Marketing and Assistance Division (AMAD) headed by OIC Servilla Balaan, a regional counterpart of AMAS in central office conducted a series of Barangay Bagsakan launching in several location within the province.

Last November 18, Barangay Bagsakan in Diatagon, Lianga was successfully launched and on November 20 another BB was launched in Poblacion Barobo, Surigao del Sur.

It was followed on November 26 at Gamut, Tago; November 27 at Bungtod, Tandag City and a day after in Agsam, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur.

Prior to the formal launching, an information caravan was conducted with the staff of Regional Agriculture and Fishery Information Division (RAFID) on the neighboring areas of the BB sites to let the public know about the big event.

Director Ramos was the keynote speaker in Bungtod, Tandag City and in Agsam, Lanuza wherein he emphasized the value of cooperation among operators for smooth implementation of the project.

He also said before the agriculture department bombarded the farmers through its interventions to have more produced but without offering an option where to market the harvest, but nowadays marketing aspects is given priority through the Barangay Bagsakan and Bagsakan Center projects.

Barangay Bagsakan in Surigao del Sur was strongly supported by Governor Vicente Pimentel through Provincial Agriculturist Mark Quico and the whole officialdom on respective local government units where the BB site is located.

Notably in Lanuza, Mayor Algerico Irizari even vowed to replicate the project in another barangay within his town if the BB project in Agsam will succeed.

BB/BC is a barangay-based food depot and distribution system offering affordable, safe and quality food products like meat, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruits, directly links farmers and fisherfolk producers to the consumers and community participated retail food distribution system.

This project is jointly undertaken by the local government unit (LGU) who will provide the space/land, building and operating capital and designate a recipient to operate the BB/BC and DA who will provide the technical assistance during the pre-operation and actual operation, links suppliers and provides Cold Storage Facility, Plastic Crates and other facilities needed for the project.

Barangay Bagsakan and Bagsakan Center formerly known as Barangay Food Terminal (BFT) started its implementation since 2006 in Metro Manila but in 2007 it has expanded its scope of operation on the provinces to support the hunger mitigation program of the president Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

As of press time, a total of 13 BB sites had been launched all over Caraga Region but Balaan revealed that they are targeting around 14 BB and three (3) Bagsakan Centers before the year ends.

Due to be launched this month is the BB site in Mainit, Surigao del Norte and Barangay Centers in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur; Cancohoy, Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte and Aras-asan, Cagwait, Surigao del Sur.

According to Director Ramos the DA-AMAS is targeting around 160 BB/BC sites all over the country but as of now they have already launched close to 200 sites.(Aurell P. Arais/rafid da caraga)

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