LGU-Ligao, DAR sign MOA on CPWASH

Signed and approved: Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer I Estreluna G. Ante, Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Atty. Leo Miguel A. Ramos, Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua with City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Maria Soledad T. Preña signed the MOA on CPWASH at CDRRM Hall on 14 March 2016. The MOA signing was witnessed by DAR staff, local engineers, barangay officials, and LGU implementers.

To provide communities with low-cost potable water supply and promote ecological sanitation, the City Government of Ligao represented by Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua with City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Maria Soledad T. Preña, and the Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office Albay represented by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Atty. Leo Miguel A. Ramos signed the Memorandum of Agreement on Community-Managed Potable Water Supply, Sanitation, and Hygiene Project (CPWASH) on 14 March 2016 at the CDRRM Hall, Ligao City.

CPWASH was “conceptualized to install low-cost water supply technology and sanitation systems that address on safe/clean potable water and sanitation in Agrarian Reform Communities,” as discussed by Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer I Estreluna G. Ante during the launching of the project.

CPWASH project sites in Ligao City include Oma-oma, Tiongson, and Pandan with the following facilities:

• Oma-Oma : Bio-Gas Reactor (1 unit), Mould for Bio-Gas (1 unit), Iron Removal Filter (IRF) (1 unit), Mould for IRF (1 unit), Bio Sand Filter (2 units)
• Tiongson: Rain Water Collector (1 unit), Iron Removal Filter (IRF) (1 unit), Bio Sand Filter (2 units)
• Pandan: Iron Removal Filter (IRF) (1 unit), Bio Sand Filter (2 units)

An estimated total of 168 households can benefit from the 13 facilities that would only cost Php 112,800.

The project also aims to “enhance the competencies of LGU field implementers in implementing a localized and sustainable CPWASH intervention[1].” Therefore, the MOA emphasized the role of DAR in providing technical, financial, and logistics counterparts for capability building, spearheading CPWASH project implementation, mobilize end-users’ participation, and conduct monitoring and prepare reports.

LGU-Ligao, on the other hand, shall provide labor and materials, assign CPWASH point person, ensure schedule for the construction and installation of facilities, create a Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) Sub-committee, and ensure sustainable management of the CPWASH facilities. Lala Peñafiel/albay3d.blogspot.com

[1] Department of Agrarian Reform

Ligao Community College students among the TOSB awardees

Four students from Ligao Community College (LCC) were among the Ten Outstanding Students of Bicol (TOSB) for this year’s search. Bachelor of Secondary Education students Norman P. Manlangit, Angel DL.Parado, Jiesel Ll. Pesito, and Darwin Racadag were recognized during the awarding ceremony on March 4, 2016 at the Social Hall, University of Nueva Caceres, Naga City, Camarines Sur.

Photo credit: Ako Bicol Partylist

Also from LCC are TOSB finalists, Chenel O. Rosopa and Judy Mae C. Navera. Parado received the Top Initiative on Bicolano Advocacies by the Youth (TIBAY-TOSB 2016) award for her proposal, School Based Waste Segregation and Management. Rosopa, on the other hand, received the Most Promising Youth-Led Proposal award.

Photo credit: Ako Bicol Partylist

To complete the list, the following are the Ten Outstanding Students of Bicol :

Joshua Arsenio Espiritu III (University of Nueva Caceres)
Froilan Celetaria (University on Northeastern Philippines)
Norman Manlangit (Ligao Community College)
Francis Orasa (University of Nueva Caceres)
John Jorge Rances (University on Northeastern Philippines)
Aggie Zephaniah Gonowon (University on Northeastern Philippines)
Angel Parado (Ligao Community College)
Jiesel Pesito (Ligao Community College)
Darwin Racadag (Ligao Community College)
Ron Ephraim Roluna (Ateneo De Naga University)

Organized by the Ako Bicol Partylist in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education, TOSB was organized to recognize Bicol students with exemplary academic performance. College students aged 18-25 years old ,has a General Weighted average of 1.75, and good leadership, service, and scholarship performance are qualified for the search. The TOSB are identified based on the documents presented by the applicants and results of the on-the-spot essay writing and panel interview, according to Ako Bicol Partylist Representative Rodel Batocabe. albay3d.blogspot.com

Reference/Sources: akobicolpartylist.com , facebook.com/akobicolpartylist

DepEd Ligao teacher is one of 2016 Most Inspiring Teachers in the Philippines

Ms. Delia V. Mendoza (left) was awarded as one of the 2016 Most Inspiring Teachers of the Philippines

DepEd-Ligao’s Education Program Supervisor Ms. Delia V. Mendoza is one of the 12 winners of the Saceda Youth Lead (SYL) 2016 Most Inspiring Teachers of the Philippines during the awarding ceremony on February 24, 2016 at SYL Center, Candau-ay, Dumaguete City.

Among the 28 nominated teachers in the country, Ms. Mendoza is one of the 12 finalists who were invited to attend a workshop at Dumaguete City. She was awarded with a plaque of recognition, Presidential Medal from Hon. JP Penol of the NYC, Insurance worth Php 100,000 from Sunlife of Canada, full scholarship, and an award travel to Brunei Darussalam in April and Spain in July.

Winners of the 2016 SYL Search for Most Inspiring Teachers of the Philippines

With the theme, “Through Our Teachers, We See the Future of Our Country, and Through Their Deeds, We Prosper as a Nation,” the Search aimed at recognizing dedicated and committed teachers who inspire and guide learners in order to build better communities and develop good values among Filipinos.albay3d.blogspot,com

Braving the path to innovative rice farming

In our search for success stories of local farmers, we were brought to a field of climate change-ready rice varieties of Mr. Edgar A. Pesebre, a Local Farmer Technician and a partner of the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Bicol Station. Mr. Pesebre is one of the local farmers who benefit from using modern farming technologies introduced by PhilRice. The Bicol station of PhilRice is a priority project of Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez aimed at establishing an institution where local farmers can easily access and learn new farming technologies that would improve their farming system.

Mr. Edgar Pesebre grew up in Balangibang where residents refer to as the "Tungro capital" due to frequent flooding in the area. Aside from flooding, Balangibang also experiences drought which makes rice farming difficult in the area.

Mr. Pesebre grew up in a rice farm at Barangay Balangibang of Polangui, Albay. Local residents refer to their land as "Tungro capital" due to the frequent flooding. They also experience drought in the field which makes it difficult for them to produce high crop yield. Because of these unfavorable weather conditions, heavy work, and minimal returns in rice farming, Mr. Pesebre was hesitant to follow the footsteps of his parents, no matter how his mother tried to persuade him.

After graduating a degree in Business Administration, Mr. Pesebre worked at Toyota Motors Corporation in Quezon City. As a hardworking and dedicated employee, Mr. Pesebre received awards and was later promoted as Senior Service Marketing Supervisor. However, due to his desire to manage his own business, he left the company and went back to his hometown.

Braving the path to rice farming: Mr. Pesebre left his job as marketing supervisor to become a farmer.

Mr. Pesebre engaged in rice production. Because of his active participation in agricultural training programs and activities, he was designated by the Municipal Agriculture Office of Polangui as Farmer-Led Extension in 2003-2008.

To further practice his technical knowledge in rice production, Mr. Pesebre became a Palay seed grower in 2009. He identified rice varieties that will suit the environmental condition of his farm area. He also made varietal trials in submerged farms to test the adaptability of different rice varieties in flooded areas.

Scientific farming

The minimal use of pesticides is one of the benefits of proper crop management. Mr. Pesebre said that due to technology, farmers no longer have to extensively use pesticides.

According to him, the traditional rice farming method evolved into scientific farming. Interventions and innovations were introduced to achieve high yielding crops, resilient rice varieties, and minimize the production loss.

Mr. Pesebre is currently working on a submerged farm technology wherein vegetables are planted in an elevated bed soil surrounded by a fish pond and rice farm.

Research conducted and technologies developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), and Department of Agriculture also played significant roles in the improvement of rice farming.

One of the technologies that Mr. Pesebre applies in his farm is the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). According to IRRI Knowledgebank,

“AWD is a water-saving technology that farmers can apply to reduce their irrigation water use in rice fields without decreasing yield. In AWD, irrigation water is applied a few days after the disappearance of the water. Hence, the field is alternately flooded and non-flooded.”

After attending several trainings on rice production, conducting varietal tests, and partnering with different agricultural agencies Mr. Pesebre knew how to make adjustments in his farm by applying the technologies and technical knowledge he learned.

As of now, Mr. Pesebre manages 16 varieties of rice in 8 hectares of farm land. Of the 16 varieties of rice, eight of them are what he calls the “Next Generation” series. These varieties are climate change-ready which are resilient and adaptable to extreme environmental conditions such as flooding and drought.

The NSIC Rc342 and Rc360 is one of the recent varieties released by PhilRice and one of the so-called “Next Generation” varieties. Local farmers favor this variety because of its aromatic smell and good yield. Based on PhilRice-Bicol data, this variety yields 7.9 tons per hectare.

Mr. Pesebre plants vegetables to maximize the use of available land areas in his farm. He plants okra and chili pepper along the irrigation canal.

According to Mr. Pesebre, in the previous years when rice farming was difficult in Balangibang due to extreme weather conditions, production output was very minimal. Crop yield only reaches to three tons per hectare (3 tons/ha). At present, crop yield reaches to 5-7 tons/ha.

A champion in rice farming

Due to his efforts and innovations in rice farming, the Department of Agriculture hailed him as Regional and National Winner under the Outstanding Local Farmer Technician (LFT) Category during the 2014 Agri Pinoy Rice Achievers' Award.

Mr. Pesebre now manages wide areas of rice farm for the Climate Field School which demonstrate climate change-adaptable rice varieties. PhilRice partners with him and features his rice farm as demo sites for rice production training.

Agricultural agencies such as IRRI and farmers from other parts of the country visit his farm to learn about his techniques and methods on how to properly manage a rice farm.

"Rice self-sufficiency is possible"

The answer to better rice farming, according to Mr. Pesebre, is a good irrigation system. Such infrastructure help farmers transform idle lands to productive farms and provide a sustainable water source for the crops during dry season.

Congressman Fernando V. Gonzalez is prioritizing the establishment of irrigation systems in areas where agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for residents. He also aims to help communities maximize the use of idle and unproductive lands to improve and modernize farming activities.

In Polangui, 90% of farm lands are now irrigated, according to Mr. Pesebre. This was due to the combined efforts of local farmers, farmers and irrigators association, and financial support from the government, non-government organizations, and agricultural agencies.

With the technologies that have been developed to innovate rice farming, Mr. Pesebre believes that Philippines can be rice self-sufficient. But in order to completely achieve rice self-sufficiency, the country needs to minimize importation of rice and prioritize the marketing of local products, according to him. Local farmers need the support of the government in patronizing local products in the market. In such way, the demand in local production of rice will increase and farmers will be encouraged to increase the production which in turn improves their income generation. albay3d.blogspot.com

DOST-ICTO launches Tech4Ed Centers at Ligao City

The Department of Science and Technology Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO), in partnership with the City Government of Ligao, launched the Tech4Ed at Nasisi Barangay Hall, Ligao City on 15 February 2016.

Tech4Ed coordinator Engr. Antonio B. Bonganay demonstrate Tech4Ed features to Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua and participants of the event. Photo courtesy of City Government of Ligao

Tech4Ed is a project designed to “give communities access to information, communication, technology, government services, non-formal education, skills training, telehealth, job markets, and business portals [1].”

Source: facebook.com/Tech4EDCenters

Two Tech4Ed Centers are established in Ligao City: one in Nasisi servicing Mayon unit and one in Paulba for the upland communities. Each center has three computer units and one IT specialist assigned by the City Government to assist the users. Nasisi Barangay Captain Jurlan N. Buello was thankful to have a Tech4Ed Center in his barangay as this will enhance the learning experience of his constituents and experience online access to government services.

DOST-ICTO Luzon Cluster III Director Reynaldo T. Sy said that Tech4Ed caters to all sectors. Unlike in the previous years, ICT aimed to educate the people, especially students, but with Tech4Ed, ICT now aims to educate various sectors (i.e. indigenous people, government employees, entrepreneurs,students, educators/teachers, OFWs, PWDs, senior citizens, andout of school youths and adults) and give easy access to government services through the internet.

Tech4Ed focal person Engr. Antonio B. Bonganay demonstrated during the launching the features and usage of the technology. Among the features of Tech4Ed are:

• e-EduSkills which include PDF modules for Alternative Learning System learners, the Learning English Applications for Pinoys (LEAP) training software, eSkwela learning modules, Online TESDA courses, and e-Library 
• e-Assist which provides learning materials for entrepreneurs and job seekers including ICT for Financial Literacy, ICT for Entrepreneurs, ICT for Digital Literacy, and ICT for Career Development
• e-Govserve which provides various users access to government services. Among these services include:
• BaLinkBayan for OFWs
• BIR online information
• DTI Registration
• GSIS information
• Application for Birth Certificate and NBI Clearance

With the assistance of a Tech4Ed Center manager, the services can be accessed through tech4ed.com.ph.

Ligao City Mayor Patricia Gonzalez-Alsua encouraged the participants to use all opportunities for personal growth and career development as these will help them rise from poverty. The advancements in technology make for greater opportunities to disseminate information and deliver services efficiently. The City Government has assigned an IT specialist to facilitate the learning experience of Tech4Ed users in the centers and maximize the usage of these services. Lala Peñafiel/albay3d.blogspot.com


[1] e-Filipino Tech4Ed. Accessed 15 February 2016 at http://icto.dost.gov.ph/major-programs-and-projects/e-filipino/e-filipino-technology-for-the-economic-development-tech4ed/