WESVARRDEC leads FITS-IS training

By RACG Staff Niño Manaog
Photo by RMISG Staff Bill Gange
30 September 2009

Under the auspices of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) hosted some 27 managers, information service specialists (ISS) from various Farmers Information and Technological Services (FITS) centers and representatives of the Regional Management Information System Group (RMISG) across Western Visayas in the FITS Information System (IS) Training on September 17-18, 2009 at the Computer Laboratory of the Polytechnic State College of Antique (PSCA) in Sibalom, Antique.

Led by RMISG Coordinator Nilo Araneta of UP Visayas, the training covered a two-day hands-on and discussion on FITS-IS, an online database which contains farmer’s and expert’s profile that can be accessed by the farmers seeking information and technology services from FITS.

Developed as a Web-based system, FITS-IS is composed of six major databases namely: technology, experts’ profile, farmers’ profile, contact firms, publication, and technology video materials.

Training participants were made to understand the importance and new features of the enhanced FITS-IS and learn to use the enhanced FITS-IS with ease. They were also made to understand their role with regards to FITS-IS maintenance and content development so they could also help develop a mechanism for sustaining its content buildup.

By and large, added knowledge for the participants was directed to ease and speed up the dissemination of information for the consortium.

The training reaped a number of feedbacks from across the range of participants. ISS Janet Argamaso of FITS Kabankalan said she learned so much from the training because it taught them “how to look for our fits center records.”

Similarly, ISS Kathylyn Esperida of FITS Igbaras considered it well-organized, citing the expertise of knowledgeable speakers. Esperida also deemed well that every participant had a computer for a hands-on workshop and that almost everything was covered.

ISS Joey Oncio of FITS Lemery echoed Esperida, saying he has gained additional knowledge while also being given additional workload, while ISS Danlee Mangao of FITS Moises Padilla considers the training successful because it was “interactive.”

FITS center launched in Altavas

By Salvacion Villasis
RACG Representative

The Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) opened its 37th Farmers Information and Technology Service (FITS) Center on Sept. 18, 2009 at the Poblacion Barangay Hall, Altavas, Aklan.

Altavas Mayor Kathryne Refol and WESVARRDEC Director Joseph Edward Idemne led the cutting of ribbon to formally open to the public the farmers’ center.


Techno Gabay Team Leader Dr. Clyde G. Abayon headed the Aklan State University team, the partner member agency; Assistant Provincial Agriculturist Salome P. David represented Aklan provincial government while Mr. Mesitlie A. Teruel represented Agricultural Training Institute.

The launching was witnessed by employees from the Municipal Agriculture Office; captains from the 14 barangays of Altavas; Libertad, Antique FITS Manager; FITS Banga representatives; and Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Association Regional President Margarito Andrade; and members of farmers’ and women’s organizations.

Regional Techno Gabay Staff Nicolas Banquero presented the Techno Gabay Program, followed by the signing of Memorandum of Agreement.

The president of Aklan State University was represented by Dr. Lelisa J. Teodosio, the Regional Management Information System Group (RMISG) Representative.

Teodosio stressed role of the university as partner member agency and its commitment to support the LGU Altavas through the farmers’ center.

Mayor Refol expressed her appreciation to WESVARRDEC and its partner member institutions for initiating the project.

The new FITS Center is expected to supply information and technology services to farmers in the countryside.

19th RSRDH reaps 20 papers; Iloilo SCUs top researches

By RACG Staff Niño S. Manaog
Photo by RMIS Staff Bill Willard Gange

"Well-organized, efficient and productive"—WESVARRDEC Director Joseph Edward Idemne was quoted as saying, as he described the 19th Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights (RSRDH) held Aug. 26, 2009 at the Rehearsal Room of the West Visayas State University (WVSU) in Lapaz, Iloilo City.

Hosted by the WVSU, one of WESVARRDEC’s partner member agencies (PMA), this year’s symposium featured 16 papers in research and 4 in development shortlisted from the in-house review selections submitted until August this year.

Awarded the top prize for research was the “Faunal Survey of Two Low-Elevation Forests in Panay Island, Philippines” by Lucia Lastimoza and John Rey Callado of WVSU. Ranking second and third, respectively were “Identifying Inherent Characteristics of Tall Coconut Cultivars As Indices for Economic and Industrial Uses” by Geronimo Gregorio, Federito Launio, Ludovico Olmo, Freddie Baranda and Dhodie Laubeña of Capiz State University (CapSU); and “Effect of Vermicompost and Vermitea on Plant and Ratoon Yield of Sugarcane under Conventional Tillage” by Rosario Bombio, George Talam, Solena Tahum and Rodrigo Tapay of Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).

For the development category, Central Philippine University (CPU)’s entry, “Design and Evaluation of CPUCARES Pellet Mill for Animal Feed Production” authored by Aries Roda Romallosa and Jaime Cabarles, Jr. topped the list. FITS Kabankalan Manager Nemesio Cañete representing Negros State College of Agriculture (NSCA) placed second for “Biomass Charcoal Briquette from Sugarcane Trash,” while Conrado Marquez and Neil Gigare’s paper titled “S&T-based Model Farm for Bamboo in Maasin, Iloilo” Marquez and Gigare represented the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Ecosystems Research and Development Service (DENR - ERDS).

The team that scrutinized both research and development papers consisted of PCARRD Livestock Research Division Chief Edwin Villar; BPI La Granja National Crop Research and Development Center Chief Milagros Abaquita; NSCA Graduate School Dean Aldwin Teves, CPU Faculty Hope G. Patricio and UP Visayas Graduate Program Office Director Ma. Luisa Mabunay.

From the 22 poster entries which included 2 papers from BPI La Granja National Crop Research and Development Center (no researches), CapSU’s “Seedling Characteristics, Germination and Growth of Selected Dwarf Coconut Cultivars with Husk Removal Treatments” authored by Geronimo Gregorio and Federito Launio topped the list. Placing second was “Determination of the Carrying Capacity of Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park” by DENR ERDS team led by Emelyn Peñaranda. Aklan State University’s paper “Growth and Dye of Malatayum as Affected By Distance of Planting and Harvesting Stages” by Jenita Prado, Edito Agustin, Melba Ragaas, Julius Leano and Liezel Latonero ranked third. Judges for the poster tilt were DA RAFID 6 Agricultural Communications Officer-in Charge Juvy Gaton, Romeo Caturao, aquaculture project manager of Polytechnic State College of Antique (PSCA) and WESVARRDEC Director Idemne.

According to Idemne, PCARRD’s Villar cited the winning papers as an improvement from last year’s output, singling out Lastimosa’s paper as noteworthy and claiming that CPU’s winning paper on animal pellet mill has to be fine-tuned so it can be well suited under development category.

Villar stressed that proper classification of papers is key to the consortium’s success. Also, PCARRD requires that winning papers be already concluded projects so they qualify to its national selection.

Prior to RSRDH this year, participants attended a training course on technical writing for a refereed journal sponsored by WESVARRDEC.

Sibalom field day promotes composting

By Arlene Edna V. La Vega
RACG Representative
FITS OPA Antique

To help increase production and income of rice farmers through the use of chemical fertilizers in combination with organic fertilizers and compost from farm and home wastes, the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) of the Department of Agriculture (DA) with the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) recently held the Field Day for Modified Rapid Composting (MRC) Technology in Odiong, Sibalom in Antique.

Led by Sibalom LGU and the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist, the field day Themed “Rice Composting and Nutrient Recycling: Balik-Pataba sa Bukirin” highlighted the importance of adopting the Modified Rapid Composting Technology Production Farms (MRCTPF).

The field day also sought to showcase the results of the technology demo farms adopting modified rapid composting (MRC) and to promote to farmers how this technology can help increase their production. Some 200 farmers from Odiong and neighboring barangays in Sibalom attended. Apolinario Tagle, a farmer cooperator, shared that practicing the MRC not only decreases fertilizer usage but ensures increased sustainability of farm nutrients thus increased in production.

Present in the event’s opening rites were Antique Governor Salvacion Perez, provincial board members Dante Beriong and Fernando Corvera, Provincial Agriculturist Nicolasito Calawag, DA Soils Laboratory Chief Helen Maquiling, Sibalom ABC President Eric Lotilla, Regional Soils & Water Coordinator Leo Retamar.

Governor Perez urged the farmers to go organic farming because it is good for the health. DA Soils Laboratory Chief Helen Maquiling stressed that the program must be sustained thru the support of the BSWM and OPA. Maquiling said the zero fertilizer must be achieved to preserve the farm nutrients, which are the basic needs of plants.