...

Official Publication of the Philippine Information Agency Bicol Regional Office, in cooperation with the RIAC-REDIRAS - RDC Bicol



Friday, June 7, 2013

SRI Pilipinas launches search for outstanding organic rice farmer

By Analiza S. Macatangay

PILI, Camarines Sur, June 7 (PIA) -- The search is on for the outstanding agricultural farmers practicing organic system of rice intensification (SRI).

The Search for Outstanding rice farmer was recently launched by SRI Pilipinas, network promoting SRI trials among farmers from different parts of the country.

The competition endeavors to promote the method of planting that reduces costs of production but increases yields and profits of the land-tiller. It is open to all rice farmers, either farmer-tenant or farmer-owner. If the contender is an absentee-owner, his tenant can take his slot. He just need to see to it that he will supervise the trial plot or field where the rice seedlings will be planted during the entire duration of the contest.

Aside from individuals, contestants can also be a duo, family, groups of farmer, associations or any farmer organizations. Only one entry is allowed per contender.

One of the pre-requisite for the contest is the willingness of the contestant to set aside a 100 to 500 square meter plot which will be judged during the elimination round. If it will pass the juror’s criteria, the contender will be considered for the next round which will require him to elevate his demo farm plot to 4,000 square meters.

Prizes at stake is P20,000 for the 1st Prize; 10,000 for the 2nd prize; 5,000 for the 3rd peize; 2,000 for the 4th prize and 1,000.00 for the 5th placer.

In a lecture series on system of rice intensification held at the Alvaro Rabina Hall at CBSUA, National Coordinator of SRI Pilipinas Roberto Versola said that they are one with the government in helping uplift the condition of farmers in the countryside.

“We are promoting this method called System of Rice Intensification or SRI which is a technique of growing rice which lesser the financial spending of the farmers, gives them more produce, and avoids the use of agro-chemicals. It has been successfully tested in more than 40 countries, and almost all regions of the Philippines,” Versola said in his lecture.

Versola made it clear also that they are not introducing a new variety of rice but reiterates the use of the simple methods which seemed to have been ignored by farmers like the proper spacing. They also inject the idea that rice plants should be planted singly and spaced strategically enough to allow more growth of roots.

Under the same method, its proponent wishes to encourage farmers to transplant their rice seedlings while it is young and less than 15 days old. It should be transplanted quickly, shallow and carefully to avoid trauma to roots and to minimize transplant shock.

These are only few of the practices that should be employed by contenders who wish to join the SRI Competition.

Interested parties may txt their name , complete address, size of demo plot and its location at SRI Pilipinas Hotlines 0939-117-8999 or 0917-811-7747. (MAL/LSM/PIA5-Camarines Sur)


Guinness World Records accepts Albay’s attempt for largest human no-smoking sign

LEGAZPI CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The Guinness World Records (GWR) has officially accepted Albay’s application to attempt the “largest human no-smoking sign.”

In an electronic mail (e-mail) sent by Alex Angert of GWR to board member and Smoke-Free Albay Network (SFAN) chairman Herbert Borja, GWR welcomed Albay’s attempt to set the record for the most number of people arranged in formation to create a no-smoking sign at a single venue.

“This is a new category being given to Albay since our prior application for the biggest smoke-free human logo was changed due to non-existence of a world-accepted smoke-free logo,” Borja said.

GWR required that the internationally recognized symbol for no-smoking must be used. The GWR further specified this as the symbol that depicts a smoking cigarette within a circle-backslash symbol.

According to Angert, the current record to date on this category is 250 persons, but records are being attempted and achieved every day. If the current record is broken GWR will not send information on the new record but it is now the responsibility of the organizers to check with GWR to confirm the current record to beat prior to the attempt, Angert wrote Borja.

Albay is aiming to gather at least 13,000 participants to converge at the Bicol University football field on June 28, Governor Jose "Joey" Salceda said in an earlier interview with PIA.

In same communication, GWR informed SFAN through Borja on the guidelines to follow and documentations required for the record attempt. Notable is the required time of execution which was lengthened to 10 minutes, adding five minutes to the previous requirement.

The standard verification process on the attempt takes 6 weeks and if successful, GWR will provide a certificate commemorating Albay’s record-breaking achievement, Angert wrote.

More than 7,000 participants coming from different government agencies and schools already signified to join the event, Borja told PIA. “The figures is already more than half our 13,000 target that’s why we still need 6,000 morewe are appealing for more volunteers,” Borja said. Letters were sent out last month to target institutions inviting them to join the record-breaking event. “Walk-ins are also allowed during the day,” Borja said.

Borja said that they welcome interested participants for the event. They can contact him at his office at telephone number (052)822-3175, or 0922-8398437 or at his email address hsborja8@yahoo.com. They can also coordinate through Governor Salceda’s office at telefax number (052) 481-2555 or 0908-8660824 or email address albaygovoffice@yahoo.com.

Another option is through Add+vantage Community Team Services, Incorporated with telephone numbers (052)435-3003 or 0929-377-2442 or email them at smokefree.magayon@gmail.com or like them at www.facebook.com/SmokeFreeAlbay. (MAL/JJJP/PIA5-Albay)


‘Basura-Free Election’ drive in force until June 12

By Ernesto A. Delgado

MASBATE CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- The election fever in Masbate may have already subsided, but the province has yet to fully restore its clean look as posters and other scraps of campaign paraphernalia with pictures of candidates are still displayed in sidewalks, buildings and private walls in many villages.

The country has laws that hold candidates and their supporters accountable for the post-election cleanup of propaganda materials.

As early as April, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) joined forces with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to ensure that all participants in the just-concluded national and local elections abide by RA 9003, or the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000.

The three agencies came up with joint memorandum circular (JMC) 2013-01 and launched a campaign dubbed “Basura-Free Election 2013: Kalat Ko Sisinupin Ko” in a bid to minimize and cope with the volume of trash from campaign materials after the election.

Penalties await those who will violate the JMC and its guidelines, which not unlike the Comelec’s ban on carrying of firearms, are enforced from Jan. 13 to June 12, 2013.

So far, the headquarters here of the Philippine National Police has mobilized a cleanup drive to get rid of the propaganda materials that had accumulated during the campaign period.

Last Thursday, at least 30 members of a police task group that hunted hired guns in hot spots of Masbate during the campaign period took down colorful streamers, tarpaulins and posters in this city, particularly those posted in Comelec-designated areas and along main streets.

They were supported by personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, 9th Infantry Battalion, National Police Commission, Comelec and DILG, and volunteers from Masbate Advocates for Peace, charity group Caritas Masbate and National Movement for Free Elections.

The group was able to collect a truckload of trash, mostly tarpaulins and posters, according to Supt. Jeffrey Fernandez, the deputy police provincial director who led the cleanup.

The volume was a far cry from the quantity of campaign garbage in bigger, major cities like Cebu and Naga. Just the same, they were an eyesore to a city that puts premium to cleanliness.

The garbage was brought to the waste segregation facilities in the city before the unrecyclable materials ended up in the city’s dump.

In other localities of Masbate, garbage collectors of local government units are reportedly taking over the cleanup drive. (MAL/EAD-PIA5/Masbate)


DSWD to complete 215 community projects in Bicol

By Sally A. Atento

LEGAZPI CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- Some 2,051 communities in the Bicol region will benefit from the 215 poverty reduction projects to be completed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here.

These projects are under the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-CIDSS), a multi-funded project of the DSWD.

Kalahi-CIDSS aims to address the needs of communities from the poorest areas in the region.

It is a community-driven development (CDD) project which strongly advocates the involvement of local communities in the design and implementation of development projects to address the issue of poverty in their respective areas.

“It aims to improve local governance by employing the participation of the people in the communities in the development process,” said
DSWD V information officer Jesseshan Marbella.

Under the Kalahi-CIDSS, community residents decide on the type of poverty-reduction projects to be prioritized for funding based from the collective analysis of their needs.

Marbella added community proposals can vary from public goods/access projects, enterprise or livelihood projects or human development projects.

Such project include the concreting of the 508-meter pathway at barangay Sta. Isabel of Bula Camarines Sur completed last May with a total funding of P809,211.00.

"We are very thankful because despite all the difficulties, we are able to complete our project,” said Emma Capistrano, one of the community volunteers in said barangay.

Kalahi-CIDSS will be expanding its CDD operations on a national scale to be renamed National Community-Driven Development Program (NCDDP). It has been approved January 18 this year and will be implemented in 105 municipalities in this region. (MAL/SAA/PIA5-Albay)


Ateneo de Naga celebrates 75 years of excellent education

NAGA CITY, June 7 (PIA) -- “Celebrating 75 years of Magis, Living the Spirit and Forging towards New Frontiers,” will be the theme for the celebration of Ateneo de Naga’s 75th year in providing quality education in the region.

Highlighting the historic celebration is the groundbreaking of the new Grade School Complex at Pacol, this city in response to the K to 12 education reforms being pushed by the Aquino administration.

In a press conference yesterday, ADNU President Fr. Primitivo “Jun” Viray said that they have lined up several activities in line with the opening of a three-year celebration to commemorate the diamond years of the said academic institution, anchored on the 3-fold function of the university, namely: academic instruction, research and social involvement.

“These functions of a Jesuit university are anchored in a formation rooted in Ignatian spirituality. Thus, any directions the university pursues draws inspiration from a spirituality that continually discerns the call of Christ for the times,” Viray added.

In April 2013, Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria-Tirona, Archbishop of Caceres gave his blessing for the opening of ADNU’s Grade School.

Viray also divulged to the members of the local press ADNU’s directions and concrete plans, particularly the building of a 3-floor edifice of two Grade School buildings or the construction of two (2) new additional buildings amounting to approximately P20M to house 24 new classrooms, laboratories, library, faculty, workrooms and canteen.

“We are looking at 2015 when all of these facilities at the Pacol Campus will be ready for occupancy. This 2013, we will start the construction of a new facility for Kindergarten- the Ateneo Child Learning Center in Pacol Campus. We expect that by next year, the facility will also be ready,” Viray stated.

To realize this vision, ADNU will start their year-long fundraising this June, targeting at least P25M from alumni and friends to support the construction of the P85M Grade School facility.

“As we pursue the new frontier of building the Ateneo De Naga University Grade School, we are mindful that we wish to serve the Bicol youth by providing excellent elementary education that prepares them to be competent, to be imbued with a conscience and compassionate commitment to change and to be centered on Christ.”

Dr. Alfredo Fabay, ADNU Academic Vice President and the Chairman of Ateneo at 75, answering the media’s query on the path that ADNU will be taking for the coming years, also said that the university will continue its steadfast commitment to pursue excellence alongside with their continuing desire to lead a spiritual life. (MAL/LSM/PIA5-Camarines Sur)


DTI holds BPLS Assessment and Planning Workshop

SORSOGON CITY, June 7 (PIA) – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office here conducted a one-day provincial assessment and planning workshop on the implementation of the streamlining of the Business Permits and Licensing System (BPLS) yesterday ahere.

DTI Sorsogon public information officer Senen Malaya said the activity aimed at providing a proper and effective venue to discuss different issues and concerns affecting the implementation of the BPLS reforms in the Province of Sorsogon.

In attendance to the activity were the Municipal/City Treasurers, Business Permits & Licensing Officers (BPLOs) and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers (MLGOO) from the 14 municipalities and the lone city of the Province of Sorsogon.

“Specifically, it aimed to assess and evaluate the implementation of the BPLS in the 15 LGUs of the province; recognize best practices and check on LGU bottom lines; and identify issues and concerns among LGUs on the extent of BPLS implementation and look for possible solutions and actions based on the experiences and best practices of other LGUs,” said Mr. Malaya.

The BPLS is a nationwide streamlining program which is a simplified business registration process that will reduce the number of steps, application form and the number of signatories in business permit applications.

The program is a priority of President Benigno S. Aquino III as mentioned in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2010.

“In response, to the President’s directive, the DTI and DILG launched the nationwide streamlining of BPLS on August 2010 with the RA 9485 and the Joint DILG – DTI Department Administrative Order No. 10 – 07 as the legal bases,” Mr. Malaya also said.

RA 9485 or the Anti Red Tape Act mandates government agencies to simplify frontline services procedures, formulate service standards to be observed in every transaction and make known these to the public.

The Joint DILG – DTI Department Administrative Order No. 10 – 07 meanwhile, spells out the Guidelines in Implementing the Nationwide Upscaling of Reforms in Processing Business Permits and Licenses in all Cities and Municipalities in the Philippines. (BARecebido, PIA Sorsogon/MEDoluntap,Jr, DTI) 

No comments:

Post a Comment