The Ilocos Times

  Laoag City —As one of the five pilot provinces in the Philippines to lead the Department of Agriculture’s synergized agriculture and fisheries extension services, Ilocos Norte has started building its three-story research and extension center to boost local farming practices. On September 10, 2020, Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc led the groundbreaking ceremony of the construction of the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (INAFES) at the Provincial Agriculture Compound in Laoag City. "After devolution, naging fragmented na ang agriculture extension services natin. Kaya naisipan naming i -collate lahat ng efforts, skills, at resources upang mabigyan ng mas mabisang solusyon ang mga problema ng mga magsasaka at mangingisda ," provincial agriculturist Norma Lagmay shared during the press briefing at Sangguniang Panlalawigan Hall, on September 24, 2020. Accordingly, the provincial government will apply a participatory rapid appra

T raining programs for farmers covered by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) under the Rice Tariffication Law will continue while ensuring healthy and safety practices in its activities to minimize COVID-19 risk. “There will be modifications in learning approach and delivery to optimize learning under the new normal. It is going to be different and difficult for the implementing agencies and the trainees but we need to fulfill our mission,” said Dr. Rosana Mula, chair of RCEF-Rice Extension Services Program (RESP) Technical Working Group (TWG) and Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI). Dr. Mula said the Farmers’ Field School (FFS) on the production of high-quality inbred rice and seeds, and farm mechanization conducted by farm schools was redesigned to minimize number of contact days while ensuring that rice production principles and practices at critical growth stages are taught, including financial literacy. She

  Laoag City —The Provincial Veterinary Office, together with the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO), inspected four animal shelters to examine the facilities' level of disaster preparedness in case a strong typhoon hits Ilocos Norte. “ Kasama namin ang PEO sa pag -inspect ng mga animal shelters. Sinuri namin ang mga ito bago i -turnover sa mga local government units (LGU). Ayon sa memorandum of agreement, ang mga LGU ang bahala sa management ng mga animal shelters pagkatapos itong i -turnover sa kanila ," provincial veterinarian Dr. Loida M. Valenzuela said. The provincial government constructed animal shelters in four towns: Badoc, Currimao, Dingras, and Solsona. " Sa Dingras, due for turnover na. Sa Solsona naman, ang counterpart ng LGU ay ang pagpapalitada ng daan papunta sa shelter. Habang sa Badoc, may kaunting repair pa na kailangan gaya ng mga rain gutter sa building. At sa Currimao, ongoing pa ang construction ng animal shelter,"

  Laoag City —The provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) continues its animal dispersal program to sustain income-generating opportunities for livestock raisers, especially at this time of the pandemic. On July 21, 2020, the Provincial Veterinary Office spearheaded the dispersal of 33 native piglets to three women organizations: Rural Improvement Clubs of Brgy. Sto. Tomas and Brgy. San Jose in Vintar, and Brgy. Bato in Badoc. Each organization received one male and ten female piglets, along with electrolytes, deworming medications, and vitamins. " Ito ay tulong sa mga kababaihan. Ipapahiram natin ang mga baboy sa loob ng dalawang taon. Pagkatapos nito, ibabalik nila sa provincial government ang dalawang anak ng mga baboy. Ito ang ipamimigay natin ulit sa mga ibang organisasyon ," animal dispersal coordinator Mark Patrick Cortez explained the rationale of the program. Since 2010, PGIN has dispersed around 28,700 farm animals to almost 11,000 recipients. Also,

  Laoag City —Continuing its mandate to assist local farmers, the Sustainable Development Center (SDC) of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) distributed several agricultural inputs and equipment to mango, rice, vegetable, and other high value crops growers in the province on July 10, 2020 at Brgy. San Andres this city. The SDC distributed 2,500 bags of organic fertilizers, 2,000 bags of calcium sulfate, 700 bags of calcium nitrate, and 930 liters of insecticide to mango growers, through their respective local government units and organizations. “ Ang mga ibabahagi natin ngayon ay para sa rehabilitation ng mahigit 8,300 na puno ng mangga dito sa probinsiya. Ibibigay na natin ang mga agri inputs para magamit na nila ito bilang paghahanda sa pamumulaklak ng mga puno, higit na dalawa hanggang tatlong buwan mula ngayon ,” SDC officer Edwin Cariño explained. Aside from mango growers, rice, vegetable, and other high value crops growers also received a total of 25 unit

  (Photo by: Jayson C. Berto) Rogel Comesario’s farm in Manaoag, Pangasinan was the center of attention on March 5, 2020 as the first Rice Competitiveness Enhancement (RCEF) produce was ceremonially harvested. High-ranking national and regional government personalities graced the ceremony, engendering a virtual barrio-fiesta mood. The roaring combine harvester blended well with the output of the drum-and-lyre corps, and the loud speakers further intensified the noisy but pleasing rendition. It was musical democracy at its best. It will be recalled that the first-ever RCEF seed distribution was done in late October 2019 in Pangasinan. The big province turned out to be the epicenter of the novel Seed Program, which, as of March 15, 2020, has distributed over 1.36 million bags of seeds to more than half million farmers nationwide. The appreciative Comesario, 38, tells us how he treated his RCEF seeds and how these helped him limit his production cost to the minimum.   NSIC Rc 2

Laoag City —In the time for the Environment Month Celebration, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte's (PGIN) Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) held the groundbreaking of paminta (black pepper) and moringa Plantation at Brgy. Davila, Pasuquin on June 18, 2020. Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc led the groundbreaking ceremony, saying: “We are all healing this calamity in many different ways but I am heart-warm that on this sunny day under many trees, we come together and celebrate our Environment Month.” Nineteen hectares of public land at Brgy. Davila is being used for the planting of paminta seedlings and moringa stem cuttings. Through a memorandum of agreement, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources allowed the Provincial Government to develop the area. “We commit and revitalize our dedication to our environment. Kilala tayo bilang ‘Renewable Energy Capital’ [of Southeast Asia]. We are known as the very ‘Green Province’ and I k

  Laoag City —In efforts to safeguard the hog industry from economic loss, the Provincial Veterinary Office (PVet) is pleased to inform that Ilocos Norte remains free from the African Swine Fever (ASF) disease.   “Half of the provinces in Northern Luzon are ASF-affected. Ilocos Norte is one of the few provinces that are still safe from ASF including Ilocos Sur, Apayao, and four other provinces,” provincial government veterinarian Dr. Loida Valenzuela remarked.   On March 2, 2020, the Bureau of Animal Industry reported that the provinces of Cagayan, Kalinga, Benguet, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, and Isabela in Northern Luzon have been hit with the highly contagious and deadly swine disease.   Since the occurrence of ASF in the country, the Ilocos Norte provincial government has imposed temporary restrictions on the entry of live hogs, frozen hog semen, and pork products from ASF-hit provinces.   Moreover, PVet is constantly coordinating with the city or municipal

  Vintar Vice Mayor Amado Victor Rasimo assists provincial veterinary officer Dr. Loida Valenzuela in the distribution of 321 goats to Vintar farmers. The recipients are those farmers whose crops were destroyed by typhoon “Ompong” two years ago. (Doms dela Cruz) By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Vintar , Ilocos Norte—The Department of Agriculture (DA) thru the Provincial Veterinary (PVet) Office distributed 321 goats to farmers here. The farmer-beneficiaries were affected by the typhoon “Ompong” two years ago. PVet head Dr. Loida Valenzuela led the distribution of the said goats assisted by Vintar Vice Mayor Amado Victor Rasimo and several members of the Sangguniang Bayan. Dr. Valenzuela said the beneficiaries are farmers whose crops and animals were affected by “Ompong”. The Ilocos Times learned that former Ilocos Norte Governor, now Senator Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos has requested this rehabilitation for farmers not only in Vintar but in t

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Over 52,000 rice farmers in the province are entitled to receive PHP5,000 each as financial assistance due to the flood of imported rice in the market. From the initial number of 19,927 rice farmer-beneficiaries in Ilocos Norte, provincial agriculturist Norma Lagmay said the number of eligible beneficiaries of the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) program has almost tripled. Under the program, farmers may receive the payment through a LandBank-issued cash card, or over-the-counter withdrawal from Landbank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines conduits and accredited payout outlets. RFFA forms part of the immediate interventions set up to cushion rice farmers from the birth pains of the RA 11203 or the so-called Rice Tariffication Law. The law provides for financial assistance for rice farmers to be sourced from the tariff collection of the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fun

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter Pinili , Ilocos Norte—The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is throwing its support to cotton farmers of Barangay Lumbaan, this town with a PHP20 million worth irrigation project to boost their productivity. In a stakeholders’ forum attended by irrigators’ associations, loom weavers and cotton producers held at the Pinili Amphitheatre, NIA Administrator Ricardo R. Visaya said there is much potential in the cotton industry which farmers may consider as an alternative crop next to rice and other high value crops in the region. “We are extending PHP20-million support for cotton development in Pinili,” Mr. Visaya said in support of the government’s effort to revitalize cotton industry in the country. Cotton farmers in Lumbaan is adopting insect-resistant varieties of cotton to sustain raw materials needed in inabel weaving, the town is known for. “We are lucky as the pilot site of the project. As long as there i

  MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis (seated, right) and Ilocos Norte BFAR chief Arthur Valente (seated in red shirt) inspect the tilapia fingerlings as initial stocks for the newly-established Biodiversity Park Pond. (Photo by Perry B. Dafun Jr) By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor CITY OF Batac—The Mariano Marcos State University-College of Arts and Sciences (MMSU-CAS) in this city launched on January 8, 2020 the Biodiversity Park Pond as one of the components of the MMSU’s Coordinated Agribusiness, Research, and Extension Strategies (CARES) program. CARES is a newly established program of the University that involves technology promotions, utilization, and transfer of modern farm technologies to farmers and various stakeholders for increased productivity. The launching began with the stocking of 1,000 GET-EXCEL tilapia fingerlings provided by the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPAG). G

Laoag City —Ilocos Norte is now officially one of five tactical pilot provinces in the country to lead collaborative extension services in agriculture and fisheries after component institutions signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the Ilocos Norte Centennial Arena, Laoag City on February 28, 2020. Officially known as the Ilocos Norte Agriculture and Fisheries Extension System (INAFES), it will strengthen and synergize the provincial and municipal extension systems of the province by engaging a pool of professionals who will provide technical and business advisory services to farming and fishing communities and related sectors. Department of Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar and Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew J. Marcos-Manotoc led the MOA signing. Other signatories include Mariano Marcos State University President Shirley C. Agrupis, DA-Regional Field Unit I Regional Director Lucrecio R. Alviar, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources- Regional Field Office I Re

Tapno mapasayaat pay dagiti agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations ti pannakamaneher dagiti gungloda, nangiwayat ti DAR Ilocos Norte ti training maipanggep ti strategic planning ken management. (Photo courtesy of Ms. Gina Ruiz) Nangiwayat ti Department of Agrarian Reform-Ilocos Norte ti maysa a training maipanggep ti Strategic Planning and Management idiay Barangay Nagrebcan, Badoc, Ilocos Norte. Dagiti timmabuno iti daytoy a panagsanay ket dagiti opisyal ti Nagrebcan-Paruyan Rural Waterworks and Sanitation Association (RWSA). Ti Nagrebcan-Paruyan RWSA ket maysa kadagiti agrarian reform beneficiaries organizations wenno ARBOs nga adda iti aywan ti DAR Ilocos Norte. Dagiti dadduma pay nga ARBOs a dimmalan iti nasao a training ket ti Tribal Agrarian Reform Cooperative ti Nueva Era, SWISA ti Nagsurot iti Burgos ken Camguidan Multipurpose Cooperative iti Batac City. Kuna ni Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Vic M. Ines, babaen iti nasao a trainin

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Massive use inorganic fertilizer has deteriorated soil fertility in the province. With this, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Sustainable Development Center (SDC) is urging farmers to “heal” their lands to boost their productivity. Edwin Cariño, SDC office head said they have completed soil restoration in at least 18 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte. “Right now, we are eyeing other towns of the province such as in Adams, Dumalneg, and Carasi to have their soil rehabilitated because of too much use of inorganic fertilizer,” said Mr. Cariño. Early on, experts conducted soil testing in various parts of the province to help farmers identify the crops suitable to be planted in a certain parcel of agricultural land. In fact, they are now popularizing a color-coded soil fertility map among farmers in the province to informed then about the level of soil fertility and what to do about i

  MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis (second from right, foreground), shows some of the apparatus inside the newly-inaugurated NBERIC building. ( Reynaldo E. Andres) By Reynaldo E. Andres Contributor CITY OF BATAC—First, it was an ambitious dream to put up a modern facility to produce high grade bioethanol to fill up the shortage of bioenergy in the country and to tap other potential energy sources to reduce the dependence on fossil fuel gas and oil reserves in the region. That dream has become a reality on January 23, 2020 with the formal inauguration and start of operation of the first National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC) based in the main campus of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in this city. The construction of the building started in January last year after a groundbreaking ceremony led by Rep. Dennis Laogan [Ang Kabuhayan Party List], who expressed support to this project. The inauguration of the building was led by MMS