Kasanggayahan Fest captures Sorsogon’s agricultural bounty

By Benilda A. Recebido

SORSOGON CITY, Oct 6 (PIA) -- The province of Sorsogon will celebrate the yearly Kasanggayahan Festival to hightlight the contributions of the agricultural industry in the development of Sorsogon.

Kasanggayahan Festival 2012, which will run from October 8 to 17, will manifest the agricultural productivity and the natural beauty and distinctiveness of the 14 municipalities and one city of Sorsogon.

This year’s Kasanggayahan Festival will be jointly run by the provincial government of Sorsogon, under the auspices of Governor Raul R. Lee and the Kasanggayahan Foundation Inc. headed by its president, Francisco P. Monje.

Lee said he wanted this year’s celebration to be simple yet memorable to every Sorsoganon specifically that it will highlight the local farmer’s and fisher folks who contribute to the economic progress of the province and labored for the food that Sorsoganon and even residents outside the province share in their table during meal time.

The province of Sorsogon has a lot of untapped potentials in culture and arts, tourism, agriculture and natural resources, Sorsogon Provincial Management Office (SPMO) Executive Director Sally Ante Lee said.

To highlight and give recognition to these potentials, there must be a thorough planning and that a five-year development plan of the Kasanggayahan Festival must be crafted considering this year’s agro-industrial focus as the initial step the province took to carry out this plan, she said.

“Now is the best time to show what have,” she said, urging the media and the provincial department heads, government agencies and other stakeholders to support the festival and promote Sorsogon to other people outside of the province.

The following activities make up this year’s festivities: October 1 to 31, Arts Exhibit and Kasanggayahan Lessons; October 8 to 12, “Linanggang sa Kasanggayahan” (food processing lecture and demo); October 8 to 16, “K Diskuwento Caravan”; October 8 to 17, “Bisita Sa Museo”; Kasanggayahan Trade Fair, October 9 to 15, “K Techno Demo” (demo and video showing on various livelihood projects); October 9 to 16, “Pasyaran Sa Kapitolyo” (parade of carabaos, carabao ride around the Capitol grounds on a decorated carabao); October 10 to 12, B2B Market Encounter (institutional buyers, exporters and merchandisers from Manila and neighboring provinces are invited for a market encounter); October 11 and 12, “Bisita Agrikultura” (agri-tour); October 11 to 14, Girl Scouts of the Philippines Kasanggayahan Festival Camp in Magallanes, Sorsogon; October 12 to 14, “Pintahan Sa Kasanggayahan” (mural painting featuring top 20 tourist spots of the province); and from October 13 to 14, Youth Eco-Summit.

The opening day set on October 8 will be highlighted by a Holy Mass at 7 a.m. and the Ceremonial Pili Nut Cracking, as champion product of the province; military civic parade; blessing and opening of “K” Trade Fair; ribbon cutting of arts exhibit; provincial/city/municipal officials get-together and business forum.

Philippine National Red Cross Chairman Dick Gordon and Department of Tourism Bicol Regional Director Maria O. Ravanilla are expected to attend the opening day.

Selected farmers will also be given special participation during the opening program.

“The opening activity and the bests of Sorsogon will be covered by the Living Asia, an international television network that will give the province the chance to show its potential globally,” said SPMO Executive Director Lee.

Other activities to be anticipated by the public are as follows: October 9, Senator Chiz Escudero Shooting Competition; “Talentadong Paraoma Nan Parasira” Rawit-Dawit Contest; October 10 – “Pag-ani: Si Tootsie Jamoralin Nan Saiyang Mga Gibo”; October 13 – “Padyakan Kasanggayahan” (108 km cross-province mountain bike ride); “Patiribayan sa Kasanggayahan” (skills competition); “Pag-Orgolyo Ki Tatay” (a tribute to Congressman Sonny H. Escudero as former Secretary of Agriculture); October 14 – “Daralagan sa Kabulodan” (agri-run, 10k Bulusan Eco-Trail Running Cup ‘12); October 15 – Agricultural Quiz Bee; and October 16 – Young Farmers’ Congress.

There will also be nightly shows at the Capitol Park at 7 p.m. where the public can enjoy cultural presentations in a form of songs, dances and literature.

Monje, meanwhile, enjoins the public to the annual Pilgrimage Mass on October 13 at 8 a.m. at Gibalon in Magallanes town. The activity commemorates the First Holy Mass in Luzon in 1569, a historical importance marking the beginning of Christianization in Southern Bicol.

“Festivals must not only be centered on food, entertainment or parties but more so in giving thanks to the Almighty for his bountiful blessings,” Monje said.

He particularly sought the help of the media to tell the public of the significance of the Eucharistic Celebrations and Worship where he said three Holy Masses all throughout the festivities must be participated into and celebrated by the people of Sorsogon.

The Provincial Thanksgiving Day is set on October 17 with religious worships, “Pantomina sa Tinampo” and the “Kaogmahan sa Kasanggayahan” (street party and awarding of winners in Pantomina).

“Pantomina sa Tinampo” is the finale or the highlight of Kasanggayahan Festival. This year, the old “Pantomina” step will be used to give chance to a more participation of the public during the street dance.

At night, outstanding local achievers will be given awards and recognition during the “Gab-I san Kasanggayahan” (Orgolyo san Sorsogon Awards and Closing Program) which will bring to light the Outstanding Young Rice Farmer Organization; Best LGU Managed Fish Sanctuary; Outstanding Punong Barangay; Outstanding Barangay Kagawad; Outstanding Policemen; Outstanding Teachers (14+1) and Outstanding Barangay Health Worker.

The word “Kasanggayahan” captures the provincial picture of Sorsogon, a bountiful green land with golden grains, environmentally vibrant with a fun loving people and rich both in agricultural and marine products. (MAL/BAR-PIA5 Sorsogon)


Tabaco City is 2nd in 2012 National Literacy Awards

By Marlon A. Loterte

TABACO CITY, Oct 6 (PIA) -- Tabaco city notched the second place for the 2012 National Literacy Awards (NLA) - Outstanding Local Government Unit Component City Category, during the conference and awarding ceremonies at Benitez Hall, Teacher’s Camp Baguio City last September 18.

The Literacy Coordinating Council, an inter-agency council created under Republic Act 7165, is composed of eight member agencies – the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Philippine Normal College, National Economic and Development Authority, the Senate Committee on Education, the House of Representatives Committee on Education, and non-government organizations that are involved in literacy education.

This council serves as the overall advisory and coordinating body, which provides policy and program directions for all literacy endeavors in the country.

The Outstanding Local Government Unit (LGU) Award is given every two years to local government units, which promote literacy development and have successfully made an impact on their communities and their people’s quality of life.

The complete list of winners in the said category includes the city government of Balanga, Bataan, Region 3 for first place; city government of Tabaco, Albay, Region 5 for second place; city government of Tuguegarao, Cagayan, Region II for third place); city government of Alaminos, Pangasinan, Region 1 for fourth place and city government of Malaybalay, Bukidnon for fifth place.

Emelyn Libunao of the PIA and chairman of the NLA evaluators lauded Tabaco City government’s teamwork with DepEd in coming up with one of the best literacy programs in the country.

With the comprehensive data from the Community-Based Monitoring System and DepEd’s Family Mapping Project, LGU-Tabaco and the DepEd Tabaco City Division fought side by side in its crusade against illiteracy.

Libunao described LGU-Tabaco’s administration as a “bottom’s-up management” wherein the local government programs are anchored on the people’s needs and not on the local leader’s perception of what is best for them. (MAL-LGU Tabaco City, PIA5)

Albay allots P36-M fund for higher education scholarship

By Sally A. Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 5 (PIA) -- This province is taking into heart that education may free one from poverty hence, the province of Albay has allocated P36 million for its Albay Higher Education Contractual Scheme (AHECS) scholarship program benefiting around 34,000 scholars in the province.

Albay Governor Jose Salceda said 14,000 of these scholars are expected to graduate this year from their four-year course.

Salceda noted that the AHECS program has produced around 144,000 to 186,000 scholars from 53 colleges and universities in the province since its implementation in 2010.

Scholars under the said program are supported until they graduate through a deferred payment scheme. Part of their school fees are paid by the provincial government through the P5, 000 enrollment assistance given per semester of study.

Committee on Education chairman and Albay board member Arnold Embestro, however, said that they temporarily stopped accepting AHECS scholars this year due to the unexpected budget cut from the internal revenue allotment of the province.

Acceptance of new AHECS scholars is expected to resume next year.

Meanwhile, Salceda clarified that the provincial government has ongoing education assistance programs for deserving college students aside from the AHECS such as the Emergency Financial Assistance to Students in Tertiary Education.

The AHECS program is part of the Education Quality for Albayanos (Equal) project of Salceda which aims to produce a college graduate in every Albayano home. (MAL/SAA-PIA5, ALbay)


Skyjet to start operation this month

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Oct 5 (PIA) -- Skyjet Airlines will start operations in the province this October.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has issued a temporary operating permit for SkyJet Airlines to run commercial operations in the Philippines which will allow SkyJet to fly to “unserved or underserved” destinations.

Representative Cesar V. Sarmiento of the lone district of Catanduanes said Skyjet can start operating as early as next week as soon as concerned agencies approve necessary permits to fly, including the approval of Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) for airport slot.

Magnum Air (Skyjet) Inc. is owned by Dr. Joel Mendoza, its chief executive officer. SkyJet will initially fly to four destinations, namely Basco in Batanes, Virac in Catanduanes, Catarman in Northern Samar, and Surigao.

To date, only Cebu Pacific Airlines is operating in the province after Zest Airways pulled out, causing inconvenience to travelers and other passengers.

The airline plans to operate “to underserved and unserved destinations” in the country with great tourism potential. (MAL/EAB-PIA5, Catanduanes)

Classroom chairs, desks seen from seized hot lumber

By Ernesto A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, Oct. 4 (PIA) -- The 5,229 board feet of lumber seized in Baleno town and this city in recent months would be used to make classroom armchairs and desks to help address the shortage of school equipment.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Tito R. Migo said in a radio interview Thursday that instead of just letting them rot, the timber products, which were seized during separate anti-logging operations by police, would be turned over to the administration of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Migo said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would forge an agreement with DepEd which would bind the latter to craft the seized lumber into much-needed classroom furniture for use in public schools.

He said the strict enforcement of the log ban ordered by President Aquino is on top of the priorities of the newly installed DENR Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales.

Aside from hot logs, wood flitches and lumber, wood charcoals which have been blamed for the massive felling of trees in Ticao and southern part of Masbate mainland, would be confiscated by DENR personnel, he added. (MAL/EAD-PIA5 Masbate)


Peace group seeks bloodless polls in Masbate

By Ernesto A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, Oct 4 (PIA) — Masbate Advocates for Peace (MAP) kicked off the second wave of its peacemaking campaign last week in Mobo town.

Like what it did in 2010 elections, MAP is taking its campaign from town to town, to gather the people for a community-based discussion on how to deal with the partisan armed groups that may be reactivated by politicians who handle them.

MAP banded with a special task force of the Philippine National Police Armed Forces and Philippine National Police in 2010 to stand between feuding candidates from political clans in Masbate.

The 2010 balloting went on with fewer election-related violent incidents after rival political camps laid down the weapons of their supporters to the task force and MAP. (MAL/EAD-PIA5/Masbate)


Ban in the catching of ‘lawlaw’ eyed for Bicol

By Ernesto A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, Oct 4 (PIA) -- Fishermen will be prohibited from catching sardines in Burias Strait for three months beginning December to allow the favorite fish species to reproduce and ensure supply for the coming year, a plan of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said.

BFAR Provincial Officer Jesus Badillo said the fishing moratorium from November to January next year will allow mature sardines (known to local fisher folks as law-law) to breed freely during their spawning season.

Burias Strait—the fishing ground between the island of Burias and the western coasts of Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon—is a major source of sardines, which are canned for domestic and exports markets.

Badillo said the bureau is talking with several stakeholders to ensure the success of the temporary closure, noting that discussions held with sardine processors and fishermen in Zamboanga where a similar moratorium successfully replenished sardine stocks made it possible to win compliance.

Taking note also of the steady increase in catch of sardines in the seas off the Zamboanga Peninsula since the ban was lifted in March, Badillo said it would be to the lasting advantage of fishermen to agree to such a temporary closure.

A BFAR study obtained by Publiko indicated that for every ton of fish left to spawn, a three-fold increase in the quantity of the fish is expected.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics’ data for 2010 show that sardines represents about 26 percent of the 1.24 million metric ton (MMT) catch from commercial fisheries and 11 percent of the 1.18 MMT municipal fish catch.

In 2011, however, the total catch went down by 24 percent to 109,000 MMT. (MAL/EAD-PIA5 Masbate)

Keynote Speaker PIA-5 Officer-in-Charge  Aida A. Naz delivers her message during the Opening Ceremony of  the Public Speaking Seminar held at Headquarters 2^nd Infantry (Second to None) Battalion, 9^th ID, PA at Brgy. Tula-Tula Grande, Ligao, Albay, today Oct. 4, 2012. (Alex Cal/PIA)