MIGHTYAURELL WORLD: NEWS UPDATE: January 2013

Monday, January 21, 2013

DA Caraga Turns-over Corn Postharvest Processing Center to Farmer’s Cooperative

Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., received the certificate of turn-over from DA Engineering Division Chief Engr. Rene Morales during the turn-over of the village type corn postharvest processing center. Also in the photo (from left:City Agriculturist Engr. Alberto Buca, SGMPC President Dewey Tabelon, Brgy. Captain Demetrio Tabelon, IA Regional President Samuel Carampatana and Butuan CAFC Chair Antonio Cabrera. Photo by: Wilfred Abrea

Butuan City - In an effort to boost corn industry in Caraga region, the Department of Agriculture turned-over another village type corn postharvest processing center in Brgy. Tiniwisan, Butuan City last January 15, 2013.

Gracing the occasion was Regional Technical Director for Operations Edgardo Dahino of DA Regional Field Unit 13, Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., Tiniwisan Brgy. Captain Demetrio Tabelon, members and officers of Saint Gabriel Multi-purpose Cooperative (SGMPC) as recipient and other officials and barangay residents.

Mayor Amante said that the project is a big help towards realization on their vision to make Butuan a sustainable city particularly in terms of agriculture.

“Kini nga proyekto dakong tabang aron matuman ang among mga tinguha nga ang Butuan mahimong sentro sa agrikultura sa Mindanao (This project is a big help in realizing our dream to make Butuan the center of agriculture in Mindanao), Amante added.

The said village type corn postharvest processing center is the second project turned-over by DA Caraga as grant to the recipient worth almost three million pesos.

First was turned-over last year in Brgy. Malicato, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte. The counterpart of the recipient is the lot and building where the project is situated.

DA 13 Engineering Division Chief Engr. Rene Morales said that the village type corn postharvest processing center with ten metric tons capacity has two stages namely; on cob drying and corn grain drying.

Aside from drying facilities also included in the grant package are corn mill and its related accessories.

Brgy. Captain Tabelon said that with the equipments, farmers on his area and its neighboring areas could have quality corn and could demand higher price from would be buyers.

Soon the same project is in the pipe line for implementation and to be situated in Bunawan and Talacogon in Agusan del Sur and another one in Brgy. Pinanaan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

DA- Caraga Extends Help to Typhoon Pablo Victims

DA Caraga RTD for Research and Regulatory Teodora P. Fiel, DVM turned-over

the relief goods to SB Isagani Onsing of Lingig, Surigao del Sur for typhoon

Pablo victims.

Lingig, Surigao del Sur – The local government unit of Lingig, Surigao del Sur expressed gratitude to the Department of Agriculture of the relief goods they had received for typhoon Pablo victims.

Regional Technical Director (RTD) for Research and Regulatory Teodora P. Fiel personally led the delivery of the goods and was received by LGU Lingig thru Sangguniang Bayan member Isagani Onsing who in turn expressed his deepest thanks to DA Caraga.

Aside from Lingig, the Municipality of Veruela and San Luis of Agusan del Sur also received the relief goods from DA Regional Field Unit 13 in a total of 55 sacks of white corn grits, 52 sacks of rice, assorted bundles of clothing and canned goods.

As sympathy to the victims, OIC- Regional Executive Director Edna Mabeza opted to cancel the usual Christmas exchange gift giving and instead urged DA employees to use the intended money for Pablo victims.

Aside from relief goods, some LGUs received initial seeds for replanting for the damaged crops and DA will also support for rehab and or repair of damaged agricultural infrastructures.

DA Caraga also extended support for the heavily affected areas in Davao Oriental thru sending off two tractors and various seeds. (Aurell P. Arais/RAFID DA CARAGA)

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Community-based Seed Bank (CSB): A Farmer’s Partner

Every planting season, usual problem of a farmer where to obtain quality seeds and the amount needed for accessing it.

This is also the usual dilemma experienced by Gregio Basan or fondly called by his friends as Nong Gregorio, a rice farmer of Rosario, Agusan del Sur.

However, the said situation he said slowly fades away as he is now a recipient of the Community Seed Banking (CSB) of the Department of Agriculture.

Nong Gregorio said that CSB program greatly helps him in cutting input expenses of his farm in purchasing seeds which costs P1,200.00 per bag of 40 kilos.

“Palasamat gyud ko sa CSB sa DA kay nakuhaan ang akong gasto sa binhi, maayo na lang ang akong savings ipalit nako sa ubang panginahanglan” (I am so thankful of the CSB of DA because it helps me in cutting my expenses in buying seeds, therefore I can use my savings to other needs) , Nong Gregorio happily said.

Nong Gregorio said that he received 3.5 kilos of starter seeds on the first cropping season of 2012 and he planted it on his farm yielding 8 bags at 40 kilos per bag.

Out of his yield, he repaid 5 kilos to his association and the remaining he planted it back to his farm this last cropping season.

He said that seeds from CSB program really help him and his fellow farmers in his place.

Agripinoy Caraga Regional Seeds Coordinator June Anthony Ouano said that CSB program was introduced in the region since 2011 and it was mainstreamed through identified CSB managers from various farmer groups.

In Caraga there were 561 Irrigators Associations who received registered seeds which served as their starter seeds.

The distribution scheme was initially free for 20 kilos for each qualified IA with a repayment of 40 kilos after harvest which will be distributed to the next in line beneficiaries. This has a good multiplier effect for quality seeds in the region.

For the upland traditional rice seeds there were 86 FA members who availed. They may opt to pay in kind (palay) or pay in seeds at the rate of 1: 1.5 to 2 kilos repayment scheme.

CSB is aiming to increase and promote farmers access to quality seeds through a sustainable community-based seed bank that is organized, developed and managed by farmers, Irrigators Association (IAs), Farmers Association (FAs), Upland Farmers Organization (UFOs), Peoples Organization (POs) and Non – Government Organization (NGOs). (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.