MIGHTYAURELL WORLD: NEWS UPDATE: 2013

Monday, November 4, 2013

550 Farmers Graduate from University on the Air on White Corn Production in Caraga

“Translate what you had learned on radio into more production in the field.”

Agusan del Sur Provincial Governor Adolph Edward G. Plaza

(right side) urged farmers to apply their learning from the University

on the Air on White Corn Production to their respective corn fields

during the mass graduation held at Government Center, Patin-ay,

Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.

This was one of the challenges mentioned by Governor Adolph Edward Plaza to the farmer- students who graduated on the three month- University on the Air on White Corn Production during the graduation rites held recently in the province of Agusan del Sur .

Plaza said that given the right technology and no matter how expert the resource person was-still , it would be futile if the participants will not apply their learning in their respective field.

“Hinaut unta nga pinaagi sa inyong nadungog sa radyo mosaka ang inyong abot” (I hope that your learning’s while listening to the radio would boost up your production), he said.

Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) indicated that Agusan del Sur for the past four years posted a 1.8 metric tons annual average yield of white corn. This figure, however, is expected to increase considering government interventions for the farmers.

Outstanding Graduates of Agusan del Sur

Series of graduation ceremonies for participating LGUs where being held in the region namely, Agusan del Norte , Surigao del Norte , Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur , a total of 550 farmer-students successfully completed the course , noteworthy to mention were the outstanding farmer - students who received plaques of recognition and some prizes.

The UOA on White Corn Production was aired over DXBC RMN for Butuan City and Agusan del Norte, DXSP One FM for Surigao del Norte and Surigao City , DXVP Sure FM for Surigao del Sur and DXDA Radyo Agusan for Agusan del Sur farmer-students anchored by LGU farmcasters together with their respective corn coordinators and other resource persons who have expertise on corn production.

The UOA on White Corn Production was jointly undertaken by the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office Caraga thru the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division (RAFID), Caraga AgriPinoy Corn Program and the respective local government units.

The program is in support to the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP) of the present administration aiming to promote white corn for health and as one of the food staples aside from rice.

Other identified food staples are banana (saba), adlai and various rootcrops. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Thursday, August 29, 2013

Asec De Luna Graces National Corn Performance Review: Urges Stakeholders to Reduce Farming Costs thru Organic Agriculture

Surigao City- Amidst high cost of synthetic farm inputs, Department of Agriculture Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Edilberto De Luna urged corn stakeholders to practice organic farming.

DA Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Edilberto De Luna answered queries
from local media in a news conference during the National Corn Performance
Review held in Surigao City. Also with him were Asec Salvador Salacup (right),
DA Caraga OIC Regional Executive Director Edna Mabeza (left) and Caraga
Regional Corn Coordinator Abel Wagas.

He said that under the organic agriculture program, DA through the local government units will train agricultural extension workers (AEWs) and farmers as well on how to produce organic fertilizers and other natural inputs.

“You have at least to reduce your cost, don’t rely solely on inorganic inputs”, he said in a news conference in Surigao City during the National Corn Program Performance Review last August 7, 2013 held in Surigao City.

He said through organic agriculture farmers could reduce the high cost of farm inputs thus helping them to ease their financial burden.

Promotion and adoption of the organic agriculture is stipulated on Republic Act 10068 otherwise known as Organic Agriculture Act of 2010.

DA Assistant Secretary Edilberto De Luna is at the same time the Agri-Pinoy Corn Program National Coordinator.

Meanwhile he said that aside from reducing the cost of production inputs, DA will also help farmers by providing quality corn seeds under the seeds exchange program implemented by the Department through the local government units.

DA will also equip farmers the necessary technology through various training packages apt to their needs. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Monday, August 12, 2013

DA-ACPC Turns-over P 6M Credit Assistance to Butuan Farmers’ Cooperative

AAMPC Chair Gerardo Mag-isa (center) received the facsimite check

during the turn-over ceremony on the credit assistance from DA-ACPC

Handing over the credit assistance to the recipients were DA-ACPC

Executive Director Jovita Corpuz (2nd from left), DA RFU-13 OIC

Regional Executive Director Edna M. Mabeza, Ph. D. (right), DA-ACPC

Monitoring and Evaluatiion Director Ma. Cristina Lopez (2nd from left)

and Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr. (left).

Photo by: Roselle Gultiano

Butuan City- Two (2) farmers cooperative in Butuan City received credit assistance amounting to more than 6 million pesos from the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) during the turn-over ceremony at Almont Hotel’s Inland Resort , Butuan City last July 23, 2013.

ACPC Executive Director Jovita Corpuz together with DA-RFU-13 OIC Regional Director Edna M. Mabeza and Butuan City Mayor, Hon. Ferdinand M. Amante , Jr. turned-over the two checks to Antongalon Farmers Association Caraga Incorporated (AFACI) with the amount of 1.05 million pesos and to Antongalon-Agusan Multi-Purpose Cooperative (AAMPC) amounting to 5 million pesos.

AFACI President Epifania Antoquia said that the credit assistance they had received from ACPC is a big help in the operation of their packing house for vegetables that soon to open in Langihan Public Market in Butuan while Gerardo Mag-isa of AAMPC said that the P 5 million pesos they had received will be utilized for rice production projects.

OIC RED Mabeza in her speech reminded the recipients of the ACPC credit assistance to use the money efficiently and be counted as among the new breed of farmers reflecting the virtues of self reliance, responsibility and care for the community .

As a response to the Director’s message, Mayor Ferdinand Amante signified the LGU’s commitment to help in nurturing the said recipients to use the money efficiently and to give them necessary assistance to ensure sustainability of the projects.

The said credit assistance will be paid back by the two recipients in a very minimal interest.

ACPC is the government’s primary institution in rural finance policy and programs to address the need for access to sustainable credit of small farmers and fisherfolks.

Meanwhile, Caraga Region Agricultural Credit Desk Officer Marilou M. Gruyal urged other farmer cooperatives who would like to access lending assistance to finance various agricultural projects to coordinate with DA RFU 13 thru the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division (AMAD). (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Monday, July 29, 2013

FFS on Corn Production Culminates with 150 Graduates

Municipal Agriculturist Jose Zaldy Manug of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur

congratulated Mrs. Enrica Miramonte, 78 year old farmer during the joint

mass graduation on the season- long TOT on IPM for corn production and

Farmers Field School . Also in the photo (center) is

Caraga AgriPinoy Corn Coordinator Abel F. Wagas

beside him is SB Cesar Ambray.

Age doesn’t matter in education.

This was proven by Enrica Miramonte, a 78 year old corn farmer of Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

Nanay Enrica is one of the 150 farmers who received their certificates during the mass graduation of the Farmers Field School (FFS) on Corn Production last July 18, 2013 held in the municipal gymnasium of the said town.

She said that she has to walk more than two kilometers early morning every Friday for four months to reach the venue of their class.

Nanay Enrica said that from the training, she learned lot of new technologies such as the proper way of land preparation, selection of high yielding seeds, seeding rate and the proper way of applying fertilizer.

Aside from the FFS mass graduation, simultaneously held is the culmination of the season-long Training of Trainers (TOT) on Integrated Pest Management for Corn Production attended by 30 agricultural extension workers (AEWs) including the five barangay extension workers (BAWs). The event was graced by Esperanza Municipal Mayor Deo Manpatilan Jr. and other local officials.

Also attending were OIC Provincial Agriculturist Jessica Unson of Agusan del Sur, Agri-Pinoy Corn Coordinator Abel F. Wagas of DA RFU 13, and Dr. Nenita Sumile, Center Director of the Agricultural Training Institute .

The conduct of season – long TOT on IPM and the FFS on Corn Production are geared towards capacitating both LGU extension workers and farmers to increase their knowledge and learn new approaches in corn production.

It is a joint effort of the DA-RFU-13, ATI and LGUs in responding to the goals of the present administration to attain food sufficiency and security. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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MY DESTINY

by: Aurell P. Arais

Hi, it's me Aurelius Parido Arais a.k.a MightyAurell.

I believe in destiny. And I do believe that I am destined to become a media man. My stamina in broadcasting started when I was still in high school days. Driven by too much passion, it came to a point that I projected myself and lied to my classmates that I am connected with a certain radio station in Davao City.

When somebody asked me the particular station where am I connected, I choose and replied the least popular radio station for them not to bother to check whether I’m telling the truth or not and of course I’m just playing safe to avoid being caught that I am indeed lying.

Upon reaching the fourth year level in secondary, I applied to an AM Station still in Davao City named DXRR as a radio reporter. Unfortunately, I was rejected. However, instead of losing hope I considered it as a challenge to push more on my dream to become a broadcaster.

When I enrolled in college in the University of Mindanao in Davao City, I applied to its AM station DXUM-UMBN.Fortunately, at last, my talent and passion were given a break. The station manager then Mr. Ely Luciano accepted me as a newswriter/reporter and became a working scholar of the station under the Student Assistance Program (STAP).

I was taking up Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (ABMassComm). Admittedly, I gave more priority to my career that is why I’d got low grades in my studies. (he he palusot)

However, due to my interest to learn almost, if not all of the aspects in media works, I keep on transferring or hopping from one company to another, just to gain more knowledge and actual experiences.

I explored in writing and fortunately, I became a freelance writer for Peoples Daily Forum, a local paper and I was assigned to Camp Catitipan Davao PNP headquarters. Then I explored disc jockeying, at DXSS FM 97.9 Mhz and at the same time a TV Newscaster on SBN TV 7 and commentator on its AM Station DXIP.

From Davao City, I transferred to DXSF FM in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur as a newscaster. I worked there for a little while then I went back to DXUM in Davao as one of the pioneering of Radyo Ukay Drama Production. I became a drama writer and director and a radio talent actor as well. I was able to produce various radio soap drama, some of them were Ang Karaang Villa (An Old Villa), a horror story; Tres Marias (action), Dino (sci-fi) and more.

Then I transferred to DXGL FM Real Radio in Butuan City as program director/disc jockey and at the same time newscaster/director on TV 13 and eventually became the station manager of DXGL AM Radyo Kaalyado. Then I was transferred to Real Radio Tandag, Surigao del Sur as station manager.

Wheww… what a long list. Maybe, my dear reader, you are now asking, currently, where am I connected with? Well, currently I am the program/ production director of DXDB AM Radyo Bandilyo in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. Thanks to the former station manager Fr. Rey Raluto (who is now in Belgium) who trusted my talent.

Now, if you are going to ask me what is my unforgettable experience? The most nerved cracking and heart-pounding part of my career were when I was in Tandag, Surigao del Sur. There I experience a libel case filed by a certain fiscal, sorry I forgot his name. He filed a libel case against one of our radio block-timer whom he said maligned his name and reputation on the air and I was implicated accordingly in my capacity as the head of the station.

Due to this case not only me who suffered numerous sleepless nights but also my beloved family.

Fortunately, thanks to GOD, the said case was dismissed by the Prosecutors Office due to lack of merit and of course to the divine intervention. Wow, what a big relief.

I really love broadcasting. In fact, I found love in this field of endeavor. I'd met my wife Annie also a broadcaster when I was working with Real Radio in Butuan City. She was one of my colleague disc jockeys before. As the saying goes "the same feather flocks together". And now we are blessed with two beautiful daughters Reginah Reign and Kaycee Laureign.

The world of media is full of trials, hardships, challenges and surmountable obstacles but if you have the burning passion, you will still found happiness out of it. If you are planning to be a media practitioner, well it’s up to you. Who knows you and I have the same destiny.

Well, my story does not end here yet...February 2008 I was one of the staff affected by the downsizing of DXDB due to accordingly financial constraint...and who am I to insist so I heartily accepted the so-called offer to depart from the station.

Since then, I went back to my house in Doongan, Butuan City together with my family. For a few months, I was struggling to look for another job. Almost all vacancy that came across my eyes I applied for it.

Until one day my sister Ligaya working with DA Davao urged me to try to apply DA Caraga. Without hesitation, I tried and with GODs' divine intervention I was accepted. I started working with DA last July 23, 2008, and I was assigned to the Regional Agriculture and Fishery Information Division (RAFID). My job is to host the radio program of DA RFU 13 over DXMK Magik FM, write news, features, do documentation... in other words still related to media works...

Every Saturday I have board time (disc jockeying) on MAGIK FM 7-9 in the evening...

At present, I am now anchoring DA radio program entitled "Bahandi Sa Kaumahan" simultaneously aired over DXHR 1323 KHz on AM Band and DXIM 93.5 MHz on FM Band both known as Hope Radio. Its studio is located at Baan, Butuan City.