MIGHTYAURELL WORLD: NEWS UPDATE

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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Monday, June 24, 2013

DA’s Barangay Food Terminal Boosts Cooperativism

As strong as the tree named Bayug, where Bayugan City got its name, the JCA Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-purpose Cooperative (JARBEMCO) thru test of times still stands strong.

JARBEMCO was organized on April 5, 1999 by virtue of CARP Law initiated by CARP beneficiaries of farm land comprising 303 hectares situated at Sta. Teresita, Osmeña, Hamogaway and Marcelina in Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur.

From its 51 original cooperators, current membership totals to 145 beneficiaries composed of the former workers-employees of the former JCA Rubber Development Corporation.

At first its operation focused on production-based economic operations consisting of rubber, durian, mangosteen and coconut plantations and now it has expanded its plantation coverage with the opening of around 120 hectares of oil-palm, 60 hectares rubber and 6 hectares falcata.

To cater the needs of its workers, JARBEMCO ventured into store operations and it has expanded even more when they availed the Barangay Food Terminal (BFT), a Project of the Department of Agriculture launched last February 9, 2011.

Noralyn Gonzaga, BFT Incharge said that thru Barangay Food Terminal Project, DA provided them various equipments such as 2 cold storage facilities, plastic crates, 3 weighing scales, push cart, plastic tray, styro foam boxes, electronic cash register and cash amount of P100,000.00 as support fund for additional capitalization.

The proponent also raised the said amount of P100T as their counterpart and was used mainly for the procurement of food products such as meat, poultry products, fish, fruits and vegetables.

JARBEMCO’s BFT open up a sure market for local farmers as well as swine raisers around their community where they can sell their produce.

BFT has generated employment having 3 regular employees and 2 on call employees during peak season of the month receiving minimum daily wage.

Gonzaga said that BFT helps a lot for them as workers and employees of the cooperative since they can avail its services including credit where payment will be automatically deducted from their salary while those non-members is bounded with duly signed customer agreement.

Aside from enjoying lower price on goods as compared to Bayugan City market, its customers can enjoy patronage refund and dividends every end of the year, thus an additional benefit for the customers family and cheer up the spirit of cooperativism.

For almost two years in operation, JARBEMCO BFT has manifested a net income of 179,940.53. Henceforth, from these figures, financial indicators are quite promising for JARBEMCO BFT as it faces another challenge in the years to come. (Aurell P. Arais/DA CARAGA)

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Thursday, May 9, 2013

University on the Air Program for Corn Production Soon to be heard in Caraga Region

Agusan del Norte Provincial Corn Coordinator Oscar Tuyor (left) urged farmers to make use of the radio as a means of learning the right technology on corn production during the mass enrolment in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte.

Recognizing the power of radio, the AgriPinoy Corn Program of the Department of Agriculture Caraga taps its potential thru the conduct of the University on the Air (UOA) on White Corn Production.

The University on the Air on White Corn Production radio course will be carried out thru the expertise of the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division (RAFID) with the support of its farmcasters from the local government units.

Last April 16-18, 2013 series of the mass briefing and enrolment was conducted in the provinces of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Sur, Agusan del Norte and in Butuan City.

Around 500 farmer-students were officially enrolled in the program in the whole region.

The University on the Air on White Corn Production will be aired one hour per week to start this coming June to August 2013.

Farmers who were officially enrolled will just tune-in the radio program and learn the lesson based on the course module to be discussed on the air.

The program will be anchored with the respective farm casters with the support of the LGU based corn coordinators.

Outstanding farmer-students will be selected based on their class performance and result of examinations and will be recognized during the mass graduation tentatively set this coming September 2013.

RAFID OIC Rebecca Atega said during the enrolment that radio is the cheapest means of communication and a powerful tool in disseminating the right technology thru reaching the target audiences even in the remotest place.

Meanwhile Caraga AgriPinoy Corn Program Coordinator Abel Wagas expressed optimism that the University on the Air on White Corn Production could help improve the farming practices.

White corn is being advocated nowadays for human consumption as identified under the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP). (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.