The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos assured rice farmers of P6.9 billion in additional aid by this month, in the form of palay purchases or cash, using undisbursed funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Ms. Marcos allayed worries that a memorandum of agreement among the DSWD, Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority to purchase palay from local farmers “was held in abeyance” following a Supreme Court decision in October preventing budget allocations for items not specified in the national budget through a mere resolution in Congress. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives earlier approved joint resolutions to convert cash aid from the DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) into rice, to be bought from local farmers unable to compete with cheap rice imports. However, the high court ruling in the case of Ang Nars party list vs. the Executive Secretary et

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Over 2,000 rice farmers from Ilocos Norte received cash assistance worth PHP5,000 each on Monday courtesy of the Department of Agriculture. The farmer-beneficiaries include those who were affected by low price of palay or un-milled rice due to the government’s Rice Tariffication Law. The first batch of Ilocano farmers came from Laoag, Bacarra, Badoc and Solsona. In Ilocos Norte, the DA through the concerned local government units had identified a total of 19,000 beneficiaries of the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance Program. During the distribution program held at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, DA Regional Director Lucrecio Alviar Jr. said the cash assistance is unconditional. “ Hindi po ito pautang. Ito ay dagdag ayudang pinansyal para sa mga Ilokanong magsasaka ,” Mr. Alviar told farmers. Under the directive of the Duterte administration, the DA, the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), and the Develo

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Ilocos Norte provincial government is beefing up rice stocks in the province to ensure steady supply even in extreme emergency situations or during strong typhoon. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan unanimously approved Draft Provincial Resolution No. 2019-11-060 authorizing Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc to execute and sign a memorandum of agreement with the National Food Authority for the rice sales in preparation for the occurrence of natural calamities. As the harvest season is nearing to an end in the province, SP member Domingo Ambrocio, chair of the committee on agriculture said in an interview that there is a need to maintain a stable price of major crops in the province. Last year, the Ilocos Norte board has allocated around PHP35 million for the purchase of palay and rice in the province to qualified rice traders and farmers. Qualified traders refer to groups and individuals who are engage

  Ginasgasut a sako ti fertilizer ti inbunong ti Department of Agrarian Reform– Ilocos Norte kadagiti agrarian reform beneficiaries iti Marcos, Dingras, Piddig, Nueva Era ken Solsona. Ginasgasut a sako ti organic ken commercial fertilizer ti inbunong ti Department of Agrarian Reform–Ilocos Norte kadagiti agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) iti probinsya. Dagiti naikkan ti sinaksako a fertilizer ket dagiti mannalon a kameng ti Pacifico ARB Multipurpose Cooperative (Marcos), Baldias AR Cooperative (Dingras), Namnama ARB Multipurpose Cooperative (Piddig), Garnaden Multipurpose Cooperative (Nueva Era) ken Catangraran AR Cooperative (Solsona).   Nabunungan pay ti seeds ken insecticide dagiti ARB manipud iti Baldias AR Cooperative, Pacifico ARB MPC, Namnama ARB MPC ken Garnaden MPC. Inbatad ni provincial agrarian reform program officer II Vic M. Ines a ti fertilizer distribution ket naipatungpal babaen ti Convergence on Livelihood Assistance for Agrarian Reform Benef

The Department of Agriculture accelerates the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) by releasing the P10 billion allotment to implementing agencies. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said 32 percent, or PHP3.2 billion, is being used for RCEF program activities such as procurement of high-quality inbred seeds, bidding of farm machines, granting of loans, and training of rice specialists. “[RCEF activities] are timely as [it’s generally the start of rice cropping season]. Now, the program is rolling out and [recently launched] in Roxas, Isabela. [We’re starting to make] the farmers productive, competitive, and progressive through the program,” Dar said in a press conference, Tuesday, at the Agricultural Training Institute in Quezon City. Under seed component, Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, deputy executive director for special concerns of Philippine Rice Research Institute, said about 2 million bags of seeds are procured as of Oct. 18 while more than 2,000 bags of certified

The Department of Agriculture accelerates the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) by releasing the P10 billion allotment to implementing agencies. Agriculture Secretary William Dar said 32 percent, or PHP3.2 billion, is being used for RCEF program activities such as procurement of high-quality inbred seeds, bidding of farm machines, granting of loans, and training of rice specialists. “[RCEF activities] are timely as [it’s generally the start of rice cropping season]. Now, the program is rolling out and [recently launched] in Roxas, Isabela. [We’re starting to make] the farmers productive, competitive, and progressive through the program,” Dar said in a press conference, Tuesday, at the Agricultural Training Institute in Quezon City. Under seed component, Dr. Flordeliza Bordey, deputy executive director for special concerns of Philippine Rice Research Institute, said about 2 million bags of seeds are procured as of Oct. 18 while more than 2,000 bags of certified

In time for the planting season, farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) program had started receiving certified rice seeds during the program’s first distribution in Balungao, Pangasinan, October 28, 2019. About 1,500 bags of certified seeds are given to 600 farmers in the 4th class municipality bordering Nueva Ecija to the south. “You’re lucky to be the first beneficiaries of this program. The government gives this support for you to be more competitive so I urge you to do your part for you to gain more from farming amidst challenges,” Maria Theresa Peralta, town mayor said. Ms. Peralta encouraged farmers to plant the certified seeds as this can increase yield by 10 percent. “Please do not sell what you have received. The grain from this bag might lead you to prosperity,” she said. Under the program, farmers who are listed in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) of the Department of Agriculture can receive 20-80kg

Awardees from the Laoag City Agriculture Office pose after Gawad Saka Awarding Ceremony held November 11, 2019 in Baguio City. They bagged the highest number of major awards. This awarding ceremony is the brainchild of the Department of Agriculture as it aims to acknowledge distinguished organizations and individuals who have excelled and made significant contributions in the development of the agriculture and fishery sectors in the country. The regional awardees are: Mr. Edgardo S. Guerrero as Outstanding Rice Farmer; Mr. Geoffrey Pascual as Outstanding Corn Farmer; Mr. and Mrs. Dominador Ignacio and family as the Outstanding Farm Family; Ms. Velma D. Joaquin as Outstanding Sugarcane Farmer; Mr. Policarpio P. Pascua as Outstanding Agri-Entrepreneur and City Agricultural and Fishery Council as the Outstanding AFC. The awardees received plaques of recognition and cash prizes and became representatives of the region in the national search. (Doms dela Cruz)

  BABAEN  ti FBSti Department of Agrarian Reform–Ilocos Norte, adu ti nasursuro dagiti mannalon ti San Nicolas ken Batac City maipanggep ti bookkeeping, cash flows, market surveys, labor, product selling, product costing ken packaging .  Inrakurak ni provincial agrarian reform program officer II (PARPO II) Vic M. Ines a limapulo ket innem a mannalon ti nagturpos itay kallabes iti Farm Business School (FBS) ti Department of Agrarian Reform–Ilocos Norte. Duaapulo ket siyam kadagiti nagturpos ket agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) manipud iti Capacuan Multipurpose Cooperative (MPC) ti Batac City. Dagiti dadduma pay a nagturpos ket ARBs a kamkameng ti Bugnay Development Cooperative ti ili ti San Nicolas. Kuna ni Mr. Ines, babaen iti FBS, nasursuruan dagiti mannalon nga agbalin nga entrepreneurs tapno lalo pay a dumakkel dagiti mapastrekda. Iti uneg ti duaapulo ket lima a session , naisuro kadagiti ARBs dagiti nasisita nga aspeto ti bookkeeping, cash flows, market s

Visitors take a photo at the rice paddy art in front of the administration building of the Mariano Marcos State University in Batac Campus. It features an image of former first lady Imelda Marcos.  (Contributed photo)       By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Batac CITY—Around 150 local farmers, students, researchers, and extension workers among others joined a cross-farm visit the state-run Mariano Marcos State University-Batac Campus hosted on November 12, 2019. Showcasing the best agricultural practices being advocated by research experts of the university, the cross-farm visit features the MMSU-CARES farm at Brgy. Quiling Sur in this city, the President’s Farm and Seed Production Project in front of the College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development (CAFSD), and the rice paddy art at the university’s administration building. Every year, MMSU is conducting this activity to inspire more farmers to plant high yielding and resilient varieties of rice

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Provincial Veterinary Office (PVO) and the Bureau of Animal Industry continues to monitor commercial establishments selling pork and other processed meat products following the African swine fever (ASF) scare. Ilocos Norte provincial veterinary officer Dr. Loida Valenzuela said she is glad that mall owners and giant food chains here are “self-regulating” the entry of pork and its by-products here. On November 13, 2019, at least 169 packs of Chinese sausage, special pork longganisa , tocino , tapa and pork siomai were returned to manufacturers as a result of an executive order from Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc stating that “pork ban” is still in place in the province. Giant food chains and grocery stores in the province have also cut orders on their pork-based menu while there is temporary ban on the entry of pork products in the province to protect local piggeries here from being contam

Experts from the plant industry are intensifying quarantine and pest-risk analysis (PRA) procedures to protect consumers and farmers from the entry of unsafe imported rice and palay. “PRA is a very important part of the pre-border quarantine to identify risks associated from commodities imported to our country like palay. This is to avoid the threats of pests and seed-borne diseases from other countries,” said Gerald Glen F. Panganiban, Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)’s Assistant Director for Regulation. Mr. Panganiban explained that as pre-offloading quarantine measure, experts examine the conditions of imported commodity, its performance, and risks attached to its importation. Study published in the book, “Competitiveness of Philippine Rice in Asia,” found that farmers from neighboring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, “intensively apply” pesticides throughout the rice growing season. With the lifting of the quantitative restriction, a larger volume of imported ri

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The National Food Authority based in Ilocos Norte assured rice farmers in the province it is ready to buy more rice stocks in the province. NFA provincial manager Eleonor Andres announced that they have leased three private warehouses in various parts of the province to ensure they can serve more farmers in the province. These are the Johnny B. Lao’s Warehouse in Barangay 5, Callaguip, Batac City; Wil-lys Cereal Trading Corp. Warehouse in Barangay Sta. Cecilia, San Nicolas; and the Calsada Rice mill and Palay Trading Warehouse in Barangay Libtong, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte. “We enjoin our rice farmers to sell their produce to these buying stations near them,” said Ms. Andres as she reiterated those who will sell more than 50 bags must coordinate first with the assigned team leaders in the identified buying stations to facilitate smooth transaction or contact directly the NFA office located in the city. Due to

Dr. William Dollente Dar, acting secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), bares “new thinking” as strategy to achieve four-fold agriculture growth and double farmers’ income. In his acceptance speech early this week, Mr. Dar, who have served as the DA secretary from 1998 to 1999, noted that Philippine agriculture, for the past decade, only grew 1.1% annually, while population has been increasing at 1.8% yearly. “We are faced with the painful and stark reality that Philippine agriculture has barely grown this past decade. Today we can only produce 93% of our rice requirements, and import the balance…. President Duterte himself has acknowledged that the agriculture sector is the weakest link in our economy,” he said. With “new thinking,” the department targets growth for at least 2% from August 2019 to July 2020, 2.5-3% in 2021, and 3-4% in 2022. As the revised DA vision and mission, “new thinking” is composed of eight paradigms, in which the department’s strat

While pharmaceutical drugs are taken in when common illnesses strike, indigenous knowledge in three provinces comprised traditional rice varieties (TVRs) as home remedies. In the “Ethnoguided Survey and Collection of Philippine Medicinal Traditional Rice Varieties,” 18 rice varieties were identified as medicinal in Palawan, North Cotabato, and Zamboanga del Norte. Across three sites, TRVs are used to treat fever, cough, measles, stomach ache, and diarrhea. Floper Gershwin Manuel, research lead, said that in Rizal, Palawan, the community herbalist who is regularly consulted for various illnesses, identified munahan , minandiris , and pindinga as medicinal. “The roots of Munahan is used to treat urinary tract infection; the grains and leaves of Minandiris or Binaritos are believed to regain men’s virility and treat herpes; while the roots, leaves, and grains of Pindinga are supposed to cure allergy, itchiness, and bloating,” Mr. Manuel explained. Mr. Manuel, an an

Green chili and pechay for sinigang , eggplant for torta , and lettuce for your samgyupsal are just some of the vegetables you can literally grow even in a small living space. Yes, space and resources are not limitations in having your own harvest. How? Reuse plastic containers  Try container gardening! Reuse empty plastic bottles, baskets, tetra juice packs, cans, and basins as containers in cultivating edible plants, instead of growing directly on the ground. Apply waste as organic fertilizer For starters, commercial mixtures of garden soil and organic materials are usually the first option. However, this will cost you more especially when you are planning to expand your garden. You don’t have to buy soil all the time. It is wiser to convert your waste into organic fertilizer. Wastes from kitchen such as vegetable and fruit peels are fast decaying matters. Other sources may just be around your neighborhood. Rice hulls from ice stores, coco peat or coco coir dust,

Laoag City —With an aim to increase tobacco growers’ productivity and income, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) with the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) spearheaded a multisectoral collaboration through a meeting-workshop on “Tobacco Contract Growing System” at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall on September 4, 2019. With officials from the NTA national and provincial offices facilitating, participants included mayors, agriculture officers, representatives from buyer firms, and other stakeholders of the agriculture sector. According to NTA’s data last year, the province’s farmers planted tobacco in more than 2,000 hectares of land and yielded 2.89 million kilograms. “I would like to encourage everyone to push our farmers to plant more tobaccos. If they [farmers] move to [planting] tobacco, we can support them better through the RA7171,” Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc emphasized. Among Ilocos Norte’s front liners in

The Department of Agriculture (DA) urges individual farmers to enlist in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) and join organizations to access agriculture-related programs and services including the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF). Under the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203), eligible RCEF beneficiaries include farmers, farmworkers, and their dependents who are listed in the RSBSA—an electronic database containing basic information of farmers and fisherfolks, and members of DA-accredited farmer organizations (FOs) such as multipurpose cooperatives, irrigators’ associations, and people’s organizations. Farmers who are already enlisted in the DA-updated RSBSA will be prioritized this 2019 dry season. Meanwhile, those who have just registered will be included in the seed distribution in the succeeding planting season. “The program does not only aim to reduce the cost of production and increase farmers’ yields, but it also intends to strength

Multi-sectoral meeting to revitalized tobacco industry in Ilocos Norte. (Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Bright prospects looms ahead for tobacco-producing municipalities in the province as a multi-national tobacco company assured local government units and farmers to give their all-out support from beginning to end should they decide to closely work with them in revitalizing the tobacco industry here. In a multi-sectoral meeting attended by mayors, policy makers, farmers, private tobacco buyers and personnel of the National Tobacco Administration and other concerned national government agencies at the Capitol session hall, Winston Uy, president of the Universal Leaf Philippines, Inc. expressed commitment to give their all-out support to tobacco growers in the Ilocos region. “We are committed to work with you. So, we are asking your help to reintroduce tobacco growing as a livelihood. We will be there until the end,” said Mr. Uy cit