News Release

From Marching Activists to organic farming advocates

By: Irma Alindogan-Guhit

PIA-Sorsogon City : February 25 : "The mark of Edsa in 1986 is like some watermark etched in my consiousness. I was there marching as a member of a very strong well-known women organization calling for reforms in government.It was one of my best memories kept, but now shared in a different light." Pat Guevarra Executive Officer of Sorsogon Go Organic Farming Paaralang Para Sa Masa smiled while hosting the Training on Rapid Composting for Organic Fertilizer Production here at the Korean International Cooperation Agency Abuyog Demo Farm yesterday.

  

'Today I have found my niche to really implement changes in government by first changing my outlook and reinventing myself. 'The Nanay Watch" which I and Mila Ragos have organized are marching mothers in the grassroots communities  who are inspired and practicing organic farming here in the province.of Sorsogon. They are now home backyard producers of organic food and organic herbals for alternative medicine."Pat declared.

  

A total of 102 participants comprising of organic farming practitioners and enthusiasts were in attendance here yesterday during  the training on rapid composting for massive organic fertilizer production, a joint effort of the provincial government through governor Raul R. Lee  and the Department of Agriculture Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (DA-FPA)

"The price of commercial fetilizers is so expensive aside from being harmful to the soil and to our health.My family are farmers and in Magallanes my father was known to be a farmer during his days and I am too." Atty Gavino I. Barlin Deputy Executive Director, FPA told the attendees in his message.

"Now in my senior year much as I want to live a longer healthy life, as deputy director of the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority and being a Sorsoganon I want to share the benefits of advocating organic farming here in the province which governor Raul R. Lee is spearheading and as he always told me that this is one of his projects to combat global warming and as a mitigation and adaptation initiative to climate change and to articulate the implementation of the solid waste management program of the province"

Mila Ragos president of the National Nanay Watch Organization of the Philippines and a former college professor of the University of the Philippines Diliman Campus has been a staunch organizer of women to advocate organic farming as one of Nanay Watch rural development agenda.

"I have 10 active  core women members here in Sorsogon. All of them are here now attending this training so that they will be leaders in their communities.I hope they will gain the proper knowledge now being shared to us by Dr. Wilma M. Obcemea on the rapid composting techique using tricodemia so that proper management of household wastes by  turning them into compost can be a very handy fertilizer for home backyard gardening" Mila Ragos shared.

"Augmentng their income without leaving home, managing their household wastes by pursuing for a clean environment and seeing them being served by government too by the programs initiated like these are the changes we have had marched for at Edsa."

"Pat and I were together in our Edsa days as marching social activists calling for changes in government.Now, as I have retired from my teaching post I have to channel my energy in another way." Mila quipped with a smile.

"I have reinvented myself too, from initiating radical movements we have reformulated our stategies that of partnering with government implementing development agenda  through agriculture. We have also reinvented our outlook but without changing our principles and our desire for change"

"Celebrating Edsa here in Sorsogon through Nanay Watch is our way of celebrating the gains of the Edsa in 1986 were Pat and I marched for and where our  governor thinks the same.Some of our friends who know us well often say we are of the same streak"

"I believe in the PNoy administration's style of simplifying ways in governance where every Filipino can access the benefits of Edsa and one of these is his 4Ps program.This activity today spearheaded by the provincial government is one of the ways where local participation can be achieved, where rural development can be implemented and where government can be felt'.

"Pat and I believe that the true march we have had in Edsa is now still a march we are continuing in the province through Nanay Watch.I would like also to say that the former governor Sally Lee linked this march by networking with the Korean government in the realization of this KOICA Demo farm for organic farming here in our province specially for our women." (PIA-Sorsogon)

Tagalog News Release

TESDA Sorsogon, magbubukas ng mga short term courses para sa OSY at mga walang trabaho

By: Francisco Tumalad Jr.

       

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Nakatakdang magbukas ang Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Sorsogon ng mga kursong masonry, construction, painting, driving at non-food processing.

Sa programang Sararo Sarabay ng Sorsogon City, sinabi ni program anchor Agnes Caballero na naisakatuparan ang nasabing TESDA training course sa ilalim ng Learning Resource Development Program ni Sorsogon City mayor Leovic Dioneda bilang tulong sa mga kabataang walang trabaho at mga out-of-school youth nang sa gayon ay matulungan silang makapag-hanapbuhay matapos matuto sa mga gagawing pagsasanay.

Sinabi pa ni Caballero na magandang oportunidad ito sa mga Sorsoganon na nais magkahanap agad ng trabaho subalit walang gaanong kakayahang tustusan ang ilang taong kurso sa kolehiyo.

Maaari diumanong makipag-ugnayan ang mga interesadong aplikante sa City Planning and Development Office mula alas otso ng umaga hanggang alas singko ng hapon.

Kinakailangan lamang aniyang magdala ang mga ito ng kaukulang mga rekisitos tulad ng kopya ng birth certificate, brgy. certification, sedula, apat na kopya ng 1x1 o passport size ID picture na may puting background at may kuwelyong damit.

Ang skills training ay bukas lamang sa mga residente ng lungsod.

Samantala, pinag-aaralan na rin ng lungsod kung magbubukas din ng kahalintulad na skills training para sa mga empleyadong nais matuto ng iba pang mga kasanayan. (PIA Sorsogon)

Tagalog News

Alert Level ng Bulkang Bulusan, di pa kailangang itaas ayon sa Phivolcs

Ni: Bennie A. Recebido

         

Sorsogon City, February 25, (PIA) – Inihayag ng Phivolcs na hindi pa napapanahong itaas sa alert level 2 ang alarma ng Bulkang Bulusan sa kabila ng mas matinding pag-alburuto nito noong nakaraang Lunes.

Sa ipinalabas na press release ng Sorsogon Provincial Disaster Risk Management Office, wala pa umanong nasisilip ang Phivolcs na anumang palatandaan na maaaring maging dahilan upang itaas ang alert level sa paligid ng bulkan.

Gayunpaman ay patuloy ang paalala nito sa publiko na maging handa sa lahat ng oras lalo pa’t mahigit pitong-daang libong metro kubiko ang ibinugang abo ng Mt. Bulusan nitong nakaraang pag-alburuto nito, higit na marami kumpara sa mga nakalipas na aktibidad nito.

Kahapon at kagabi ay nagkaroon ng mga pag-uulan ngunit hindi gaanong sapat upang maalarma ang mga residente, subalit, patuloy pa ring pinag-iingat ng mga awtoridad ang mga residenteng malapit sa paligid ng bulkan lalo yaong malapit sa mga ilog at daluyan ng lahar sakaling umulan ng malakas. Sa ngayon ay maaliwalas ang panahon sa Sorsogon at walang palatandaang uulan.

Sa nakalipas na dalawampu’t apat na oras, dalawang volcanic quakes lamang ang naitala ng Phivolcs at simula nang magbuga ito ng abo noong Lunes ay nananatiling natatabunan ng makapal na ulap ang bunganga ng Mt. Bulusan.

Samantala, kinatigan ng Office of the Civil Defense Bicol (OCD 5) ang paglilinaw ng Provincial Disaster Risk Management Office (PDRMO) kaugnay sa dahilan ng pagkamatay ng batang si Michael Celso ng Zone 5, Bulan, Sorsogon.

Ayon kay OCD Bicol Regional Director Raffy Alejandro, matagal na aniyang iniinda ng bata ang kanyang sakit at nagkataon lamang na namatay ito sa kasagsagan ng pag-aalburuto ng Bulkang Bulusan kung kaya’t hindi ito maiuugnay sa naganap na huling aktibidad nito.

Ayon sa PDRMO at OCD, nananatiling zero casualty pa rin ang Sorsogon kasunod ng February 21 Mt. Bulusan ash explosion. (PIA Sorsogon)

PNoy leads El Verde, NGP in Bicol

            Legazpi City - With President Aquino's Kamagong seedling firmly rooted to the ground in the El Verde ceremonial tree planting, the Bicol leg of National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources kicked-off yesterday at a 17-hectare clearing area in Sto. Niño, Pili, Camarines sur.

Thronged by three thousand volunteers who hiked to the foot hills of Mt. Isarog before day break, the president showed every Bicolano that through leadership by example by way of the NGP, the country could keep at bay global warming and climate change.

Pnoy lauded the massive tree planting effort of El Verde Movement spearheaded by Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Jr., which intends to carve a niche globally, as well as raising public awareness on the important of trees to fight off global warming and climate change.

“Through this concerted effort by our citizens, socio-civic groups, government agencies our triumph will be insurmountable”. He underscored that to arrest the impact of global warming and climate change the contribution of every Filipino is needed.

“Five hundred thousand seedlings could signify five hundred thousand opportunities for our people. Not just in terms of saving the environment, but in terms of a meaningful future as well,” Aquino added.

The El Verde Movement is aiming to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most trees planted in one hour. In yesterday’s activity alone, an estimated 35,000 seedlings were planted.

Meanwhile, DENR Sec. Ramon Paje said the environment department strongly supports the EL Verde Movement and its noble goal of planting 12 million trees in 2012.

Paje reiterated yesterday in the DENR executive committee conference that the NGP is all systems go. With a marching order for all the regional offices which are expected to accomplish the national target of 125 million trees planted in 1.5 million hectares. (DENRV)

News Release

Philippine Information Agency

DOST, NCMF setting up bigger laboratory for Halal businesses

Manila, 24 February 2011 - Government is determined to help Pinoy companies seize a wider chunk of the US$3 trillion global Halal market.

DOST - Region 12 Director Dr. Haja Sittie Shayma P. HR Laidan confirmed the construction of a Halal facility in South Central Mindanao bigger than the laboratory now operating in Cotabato City.

Once completed, the new laboratory shall be named the Philippine National Halal Laboratory whose purposes are to protect the integrity of locally-made Halal products and reinforce the credibility of certifying bodies and local Halal-product manufacturers and producers.

“We cannot assure that a particular product is halal using only eyes or senses,” Director Laidan said. “Only through testing and analyses in our halal laboratory can we guarantee that products claimed as halal are what they claim to be without contamination or adulteration,” she added.

The global halal market is worth trillions in US dollars: Halal food alone amounts to US$680 billion annually or 76 percent of the world’s food trade.

For now, the laboratory based at the DOST Compound in Cotabato City will cater to corporations or cooperatives seeking Halal certification such as food and beverage manufacturers and producers, food service outlets, caterers, food distributors and suppliers, food importers and exporters, pharmaceutical manufacturers and medical device manufacturers. 

"This is the only existing halal laboratory in the country devoted to serving local and international clients,” said Director Laidan, “Its range of services spans the entire supply chain of halal food and selected non-food.”

While DOST handles the technical aspect of validating compliance of products and services to halal requirements, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) will take care of the religious aspect of validation.

The laboratory offers profiling of fatty acids of animals and plants as well as DNA analysis of foods and other processed products; gelatin content analysis of milk and other dairy products; 

It likewise tests genetically modified organisms (GMOs), analyse alcohol content of beverages and other related products and conduct qualitative detection of haram in meat products, lard in bakery products and in edible oils. (Ref: LYNDON PLANTILLA, 0921-6153276)

News Release

Lake Bulusan spared from ashfalls, says AGAP Bulusan

By: Bennie A. Recebido

Sorsogon City, (PIA) – Philip Bartilet, president of the Aggrupation of Advocates for Environment Protection (AGAP) Bulusan, Inc., the officially designated organization to manage tourism activities inside the Bulusan Volcano Natural Park (BVNP) and its surrounding environment, says business goes on in Bulusan Lake and other tourism destinations in Bulusan town and was not affected by the recent restiveness of Mt. Bulusan.

Bartilet said the announcement, following spread of some issues that foreign and local tourists are now afraid to visit the town particularly Bulusan Lake as it was affected by ashfalls.

Nestled high on the slope of Bulusan, with its surface waters 2,084 feet above sea level, Bulusan Lake is a place frequently visited by nature lovers and visitors seeking an escape from the bustle of modern life. It has also an eco-park that is perfect for kayaking, hiking, sailing and aqua biking.

“We did not suspend any tourism activity in Bulusan because the lake and the rest of the tourism destinations here are already outside the 4-km radius Permanent Danger Zone declared by Phivolcs,” he said.

“And since the wind moves in the southwest direction, it has not affected any part of the municipality of Bulusan,” Bartilet said.

It can be noted that Mt. Bulusan after barely three months of being quiet emitted ashes anew on Monday, February 21, reaching as high as 3-km from the summit’s crater affecting the towns of Irosin, Bulan and parts of Casiguran, Juban and Masbate City.

Town mayor Michael Guysayko, meanwhile, shows optimism that Sorsoganon will continue to support the tourism activities in Bulusan.  “In fact we kept developing more potential tourism destinations here like Dancalan Beach Resort, Miliga-biga Beach, Bayugin Falls, Crystal Spring and Palogtok and Masacrot Mineral Springs, among others,” he added. (PIA Sorsogon)

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