DOH campaign credited for low number of firecracker injuries in Camarines

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, Jan.2 (PIA) -- Health authorities attributed the minimal number of cases of firecracker-related injuries during the holidays to the Department of Health's campaign dubbed APIR or “AKSYON: Paputok Injury Reduction" program.

Dr. Filip Pio, spokesperson of the Bicol Medical Center, said Camarines residents heeded government's call for a zero casualty incident for firecracker-related injuries. He said only 4 minor cases were recorded by the office for out-patients treated for minor burns.

One firecracker related injury was also reported in Rinconada Medical Center in Iriga City involving Michael Anthony Robusa, 9, who suffered blast burns from the prohibited piccolo firecrackers.

Another injury was reported at Lourdes Hospital, also in Iriga City, bringing to seven (7) the total reported firecracker-related injuries in the province.

Four blasting victims were also admitted at the Naga City Hospital here, with the first injured patient recorded last December 25. Most of the victims were children whose age range from 13 years old and younger.

Chad Ryan, 13 year old from Naga City was treated for a blast injury on his fingers when the Piccolo he was holding suddenly fired out while in his hands. Another victim, 11 year old Haneel San Juan from Zone 7 in Calauag, Naga City was accidentally hit by a kwitis and 2 other firecracker victims were also noted.

All of them were also treated on an out-patient basis.

This number is still lower contrary to the 2011 firecracker related injuries recorded in the province last year. The Provincial Health Office (PHO) recorded a total of 1,021 firecracker-related injuries, 987 of which were result of fireworks blasts, 5 from firecrackers, 39 from stray bullets and 11 persons who have ingested firecrackers.

“We started our online national electronic injury surveillance system last December 21 and BMC has only recorded one victim related to firecracker injury which was last December 25. The patient was treated on out patient basis which means that he did not incur serious blast injury. DOH continues its campaign on APIR until January 3 and hopefully there will be no more addition to the numbers that we have reported earlier,” Pio said in an interview. (MAL/LSM-PIA5/Camarines Sur)


Albay to regulate mountaineering activities in Mt Mayon

By Marlon A. Loterte

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Albay is mulling to regulate mountaineering activities in Mayon Volcano that will make climbing in the renowned natural wonder a sponsored and tourism activity.

Albay Gov.Joey Salceda has already directed Provincial Tourism and Cultural Office (PTCAO) chief Dorothy Colle to inventory accredited mountain climbing guides in the province and to review the basic mountaineering standard procedures for climbers to comply with when trekking mountains within the provincial areas.

This, said Salceda, is the first order of business for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to deliberate on, " I hope it would be enacted the soonest possible time.”

The governor's directive came after two members of University of the Philippines (UP) mountaineers were lost after they were left behind by their group, despite the presence of a local mountain guide, when trekking the 2,462-meter high Mount Mayon at the volcano’s border in Barangay Bonga in Bacacay town.

It can be recalled that personnel of the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO), Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and other local search and rescue groups rescued Rosanne Aldeguer and Ramon Vizmanos, members of a 16-man UP mountaineers who climbed the summit of Mayon Volcano last Thursday.

The Mayon Volcano climb tour was recently allowed after the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lowered the alert level status to zero.

Salceda already asked Colle to confer with the Department of Tourism (DOT) in crafting possible provincial ordinance that will regulate or provide stronger platform for the safety of tourists and mountain climbers trekking Mount Mayon.

“We need here long-term regulations that would boost the promotion of Mount Mayon tourism, with more tourists safely trekking the mountains and scenic mountainscape of Mount Mayon,” He added.

Salceda noted that the mountain climbing activities in Mount Mayon and even other place for trekking have essentially been a free-for-all which is becoming a free-to-fall despite our efforts to regulate it.”

Salceda furthered that the provincial government is planning to send a team from PTCAO, PPDO, APSEMO, Department of Tourism (DOT) and tourism industry stakeholders to Japan to familiarize with regulations for safe mountain climbing in Mount Fuji that can also be replicated to further promote Mount Mayon as mountaineering haven. (MAL-PIA5, Albay)


Bicol upland farming to boost nat’l rice production

By Sally A. Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 2 (PIA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) has targeted P6 million organic rice upland farming project in the Bicol Region to boost its contribution to national rice production.

Dr. Jose V. Dayao, DA 5 regional director, said that the project will capitalize on drought-tolerant rice varieties and will be initially implemented in the river basin towns of Baao and Nabua in Camarines Sur.

Bicol’s upland rice varieties have the potential for higher grain production and tolerance to drought needed to survive the prevailing climate change threats.

“Our development of upland rice is very timely as these varieties have the potential to withstand higher temperature and fewer water supplies which is what we really need amid the threatening climate change,” said DA Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) director Nicomedes P. Eleazar.

Eleazar added that upland rice varies in the region has higher market potential than traditional upland rice strains since it can exceed the general average yield of one to two metric tons (MT) per hectare.

A comparative study conducted by the Bicolandia Greenfields Development Organization Inc (Bigfis), one of the project partners, also shows that some of Bicol’s upland rice varieties have the advantage over DA’s check varieties.

“Some upland rice cultivars in Bicol such as Palawan, Gayang-gang white, Kinarabao, and Magdami were found to have higher grain yield than PSB Rc9 variety,” Bigfis reported.

In the 1960s, an upland area of 63,699 hectares in the region were used for complete rice production according to the International Rice Research Institute.

However based on DA report, the coverage area dropped to 3,281 hectares in 2008 due to unpredictable weather conditions in the region and a shift in the planting of other crops such as corn and legumes.

Moreover through a proper climate change program such as this project, Eleazar noted that the said upland areas can be revived for rice production in the region which formerly contributed 20 percent of the total rice output in the country. (MAL/SAA-PIA5, Albay)



Daet takes pride as site of world's first monument of Rizal

By Rosalita B. Manlangit

DAET, Camarines Norte, Jan. 2 (PIA) -- Daet takes pride being the site where the first Rizal monument was built that occupies a distinct place in the annals of nationalistic struggle not only in Camarines Norte, or in Bicol Region but even in the entire country.

A forum on "Why the world’s first Rizal Monument was built in Daet?" was conducted here for the 116th anniversary celebration of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal and the 114th anniversary of the establishment of the first Rizal Monument, held Dec. 30, 2012 at the Heritage Center here.

Mayor Tito S. Sarion, also a member of the Knights of Rizal, said that they have already sponsored a book entitled “The First Rizal Monument, Nationalism and the 1898 Daet Uprising” written by Prof. Danilo Gerona, a renown Bicolano historian.

He also said that the the municipal government here is planning to put a building nearby the monument to showcase Rizal and will serve as office of the Knights of Rizal.

Gerona, on the other hand, said that the first Rizal monument was built in Daet because the first uprising against the Spaniards was started in this town by the Masonic movement, a group of intellectuals here who studied at the Ateneo de Manila and the University of Sto.Tomas.

He said that the uprising in Daet in April 18, 1898 was in sympathy for Dr. Rizal, because some of the intellectuals like Eldifonso Moreno, Vicente Lukban and other local heroes were believed to be classmates of Rizal.

He said that the book “The First Rizal Monument” explains the details of the monument and will be published within this year. (MAL/RBM-PIA5, Camarines Norte)