CPU TG team visits FITS Dumangas, Leganes MAO

By Hope G. Patricio

RACG Representative

Central Philippine University

The Central Philippine University’s (CPU) Techno Gabay Team composed of Team Leader Dr. Reynaldo Dusaran, Prof. Hope Patricio (RACG Rep) and Engr. Aries Roda Romallosa (RMISG Rep), along with eight students of CPU’s College of Agriculture, Resources and Environmental Sciences (CPUCARES) visited the Farmers’ Information and Technical Services (FITS) Center of Dumangas, Iloilo on July 16, 2010.

During the visit, the team turned over printed IEC materials on carbonized rice hull published by WESVARRDEC and PCARRD. Said materials were received by Mr. Ricky Dador, FITS Center Dumangas’ Information Service Specialist (ISS). The visit also sought to monitor the availability and status of equipment given to the Center by PCARRD and to update on the completeness of farmers encoded to the FITS IS database.

CPU students, meanwhile, visited the FITS Center for its Agromet Station. Besides being the FITS ISS, Dador is also the Chief Hydrologist of the Station. Dador oriented the students on the operation of the Agromet Station including the functions of the hydro-meteorological instruments in the same facility.

FITS Dumangas in turn provided the students with IEC materials on darag native chicken production, rice and vegetable production.

The Techno Gabay Team also checked on the possibility of launching a FITS Center in the municipality of Leganes after its Municipal Agriculture Office (MAO) has allotted a prospective area for a prospective FITS Center.

CPU’s “AgriTalk” features Organic Agriculture Act of 2010

By Hope G. Patricio

RACG Representative

Central Philippine University

The newly signed Republic Act 10068, also known as the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010, was featured on the July 14, 2010 episode of “AgriTalk,” a weekly TV program produced by the Central Philippine University’s College of Agriculture, Resources and Environmental Sciences (CPU-CARES). On the said date, the program was broadcast over Channel 8 of SkyCable.

Approved by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on April 16, 2010, R.A. 10068 seeks to provide for the development and promotion of organic agriculture in the country that will cumulatively condition and enrich the fertility of the soil, increase farm productivity, reduce pollution and destruction of the environment, prevent the depletion of natural resources.

"AgriTalk" hosts (from left to right) Dr. Rey Dusaran, Engr. Romallosa and Dr. Peñaranda discuss the provisions in the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 that seeks, among others, to protect the health of farmers, consumers and the general public and save on imported farm input.

To implement provisions in the Act, a National Organic Agricultural Board (NOAB) was created to be the policymaking body that shall provide direction and general guidelines for the implementation of the National Organic Agricultural Program. NOAB will be headed by the Department of Agriculture.

One of the series of episodes piloted by AgriTalk, the said airing leads the way in order to promote and disseminate information on the implementation of this new law.

The weekly cable program is hosted by Dr. Reynaldo Dusaran and Engr. Aries Roda Romallosa, both of CPUCARES. Dusaran serves as Techno Gabay Team Leader and Romallosa functions as Regional Management Information System Group of the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC). The host team includes Dr. Hector Peñaranda of the Department of Agriculture - Regional Field Unit 6.

MS Tubongbanua hosts mango field day

By Niño S. Manaog

Regional Applied Communications

WESVARRDEC

July 6, 2010 was the big day for Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Rebecca Tubongbanua.

On this day, the farmer scientist based at the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center in the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) in Guimaras hosted the Science & Technology-based Farm (STBF) Field Day featuring her mango processing technology in her newly constructed McNester Food Products site in barangay San Isidro, Buenavista, Guimaras.

The owner proprietor of McNester Food Products presented the highlights of her mango processing technology to some 200 guests including barangay folk, local government officials, and partners from PCARRD, the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) and the Bureau of Plant Industry - National Mango Research and Development Center (BPI-NMRDC) and the media.

After a Holy Mass celebration and blessing of the new process site, WESVARRDEC Director Joseph Edward Idemne opened the program proper by highlighting the need for MS Tubongbanua to pursue further steps to level-up her processing technology. Idemne expressed optimism in the MS’s technology even as it continues to reap success in business and networking locally and internationally.

MS Tubongbanua served the guests her signature spaghetti featuring her mango sauce, and also mango calamansi juice, one of the bestsellers in the McNester Food Products product line. The host also distributed dried mango sample treats for everyone who came for the farmer scientist’s big day.

A video presentation developed by FITS OPA Guimaras and WESVARRDEC RACG was also screened in the venue featuring Tubongbanua’s practicable mango recipes and process procedures. The said IEC material can be purchased from the WESVARRDEC One Stop Information Shop (OSIS) for 100 pesos a copy.

Then, in her speech, MS Tubongbanua stressed on the word “substance,” her mnemonics that spells her own success. Using her own raw material in processing—SUBSTANCE—Tubongbanua attributes her success and continuous growth some nine elements or ingredients, namely: S for self confidence; U for untiring; B for boldness; S for skills; T for tolerance; A for attitude; N for networking; C for Christ-Centered Commitment; and E for essence.

For Tubongbanua, self-confidence and boldness are what propels her to pursue her technology despite the numerous setbacks, saying she took risks in a rather unexplored terrain. While Tolerance is an equally important factor for success, the MS requires that the business person should be Christ-centered, saying she is only an instrument used by God. For essence, Tubongbanua realizes that she has to make sense, if only to prove herself relevant to the community.

Tubongbanua’s efforts at McNester Food Products she seeks to provide income for a few members of the marginalized sectors in her small community in Barangay San Isidro in Buenavista, Guimaras. Tubongbanua also thanked PCARRD, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Region 6, who assisted her through the SETUP, the regional offices of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Department of Agriculture, who believe in her capacity to produce quality commodities even as she is able to provide livelihood to marginalized sectors in her community.

According to RACG Coordinator Cora Navarra, these government support entities continually extend institutional, financial and logistics backup to promote her technology because Tubongbanua carries a high sense of social responsibility always noteworthy for advocacy.

Highlighting all other activities in the Field Day was the awarding of certificates to some 30 prospective and concurrent adaptors including housewives and out-of-school youth in San Isidro, and neighboring barangays of Buenavista town.

Among other speakers supporting the farmer scientist, Judy Bulquiren, manager of FITS OPA Guimaras, expressed due gratitude to all supporters who contributed much to MS Tubongbanua’s successful project.

Promoted by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD) in all its 14 consortia across the country, Tubongbanua’s Field Day was the farmer scientist’s chance to showcase her one-of-a-kind innovation, one that continues to expand and can now be replicated or adopted by other people.

In full support of the Field Day were MS Tubongbanua’s family whom she deeply thanked, the PCARRD as represented by Technology Outreach Promotion Division (TOPD)’s Yolanda Tanyag; two members of the local clergy; the barangay and provincial officials of barangay San Isidro, Buenavista town and the province of Guimaras; the FITS OPA Guimaras; the BPI-NMRDC headed by Yondre Yonder; and the WESVARRDEC family.

WESVARRDEC 2010 brochure, CRH primer off the press

By Niño S. Manaog

RACG Staff

Two pieces of information, education and communication (IEC) materials developed by the WESVARRDEC’s Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG) were recently published and released for dissemination this quarter.

The WESVARRDEC 2010 brochure, a four-piece state-of-the-art brochure detailing the consortium’s mission and vision and its three components, namely—the Techno Gabay, Applied Communications and Management Information Systems.

Besides the list of the partner member agencies and its 40 Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) centers, the brochure also features the consortium’s various activities and programs implemented since the start of the term of current Director Joseph Edward Idemne in 2008.

Then, through the help of PCARRD’s Applied Communication Division (ACD), RACG facilitated the publication of a ten-page primer on agriculture titled “Ang Pag-Obra kag Mga Gamit sang Uling nga Ugabhang (Carbonized Rice Hull)” authored by RACG Coordinator Cora Navarra of the Capiz State University (CapSU) and FITS CapSU Mambusao Technology Services Specialist (TSS) Eduardo Navarra.

In April 2010, PCARRD shipped 1,000 copies of the CRH primer, while RACG published 1,000 copies of the consortium’s brochure also within the same quarter. Some 20 copies of the materials were also issued to the representatives and the official representatives of the partner member agencies during the Second RRDCC Meeting held at the University of Antique in Sibalom, Antique in June 2010.

Copies of the two IEC materials were given out to the 16 RACG representatives—new and old—during the Second Quarter Meeting at McNester Food Products in San Isidro, Buenavista, Guimaras. Other copies were also given to walk-in visitors of the One Stop Information Shop located at UP Visayas’s Main Building in General Luna Street, Iloilo City.

Farmers’ vigilance vs rice pest, disease urged

By James Earl E. Ogatis
Forwarded by Edna Garde, Manager, FITS OPA Negros Occidental

Iloilo City–The Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) 6 urged farmers to be vigilant and intensify their pest and diseases monitoring activities in their respective rice cluster areas.

With the onset of the wet cropping season RCPC 6 formed the Bantay Peste Volunteer Brigade (BPVB) to prevent rice pest outbreaks. BPVB is a community-based pest monitoring and management team wherein farmers themselves are the pest and diseases scouts in the fields. The team will also be the one to make decisions on how to manage pest and diseases affecting their production cluster areas.

Members of the brigade comprise rice cluster farmers who have undergone training on integrated pest management farmers field school (IPM-FFS) and hands-on training on pests monitoring and disease identification.

To date, RCPC has already organized six BPVB teams situated at the municipalities of Barotac Nuevo, Dingle and Sta. Barbara in Iloilo; Barbaza and Culasi in Antique; Ibajay, Numancia and Kalibo in Aklan. These groups constantly update data on pest surveillance through the established communication network.

WESVARRDEC Activities and Advocacies

Established in May 1988, the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) consists of 26 partner member agencies pooling their technical expertise to work toward research and development in Western Visayas.

One of the fourteen consortia working under the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), WESVARRDEC maximizes management of resources to advance research and development in the region.

By harnessing the individual talents, assets and resources of its member agencies WESVARRDEC envisions a modern, highly productive and sustainable agriculture and natural resources sectors supported by a responsible and integrated regional research and development organization.

Capability Building

Members of the Techno Gabay Team examine a certain plant specimen offered by a Magsasaka Siyentista during their Cross Visit Tour to Negros Oriental in June 2009.

RACG Representative Vishia Mae Tolcidas of FITS OPA Negros Occidental learns from a mentor the rudiments of video editing at the Non-Linear Video Production at the Visayas State University in Baybay, Leyte in October 2008.

Participants in the refereed journal workshop get some pointers from resource speaker Judith Sablan of the Philippine Journal of Science in August 2009 in Iloilo City.

Community Outreach Program

FITS CapSU Mambusao Technology Services Specialist Eduardo Navarra briefs booth visitors on the uses of the rice husk gas stove during the Panaad Fair in Bacolod in April 2009. The technology is pioneered by CPU CARES in Iloilo City.

Regional Techno Gabay RTG Focal Person Nick Banquero promotes to a buyer the dried mango of MS Rebecca Tubongbanua of FITS OPA Guimaras at the S&T Fair in August 2009 in Bacolod City.

In October 2009, WESVARRDEC Regional Applied Communications Group (RACG) led by Coordinator Cora Navarra of the Capiz State University promoted the organic farming technology of MS Ramon Peñalosa (first from left) of FITS OPA Negros Occidental through ABS-CBN Iloilo's “Sikat Ka, Iloilo.”

Regional Symposium on Research
and Development Highlights (RSRDH)

Panel evaluators throw questions at the presenters during the 19th Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights (RSRDH) at the West Visayas State University.

A development research on pellet mill authored by the Central Philippine University clinched the top prize in the 20th RSRDH in August 2009.

WESVARRRDEC’s winning research on animal pellet mill clinched the second prize at the National Symposium on Agriculture Research and Resources Development (NSARRD) in Los Baños, Laguna in November 2009.

Partnership and Networking

During the launch of the FITS Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) Iloilo at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol in July 2009, PCARRD Management Information Systems (MIS) Director Luz Firmalino calls on all members to take active part in strengthening the consortium.

The WESVARRDEC Techno Gabay Team evaluates the mango technology of prospective Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Jose Maria Eclavia (second from left) of FITS Igbaras in barangay Barasan, Igbaras, Iloilo. UP Visayas is the partner member agency directly in charge of FITS Igbaras.

WESVARRDEC partnered with Central Philippine University’s “Agri-Talk,” a cable TV program that featured Magsasaka Siyentista (MS) Baltazar Gumana (seated first from left) of FITS Pavia and his cutflower technology.

OPA Negros Occidental builds tramlines for fast transport of agri products

By Vishia Mae Tolcidas

RACG Representative
FITS OPA Negros Occidental

The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in Negros Occidental is speeding up the construction of agricultural tramlines in seven sites in the province to make transport of farmers’ products easy, fast and cheap.

“Tramlines, or what locals call ‘cable car’, are constructed in valleys or low-lying areas were road construction is almost impossible. These are important vehicles for farmers in the mountains to bring produce to the nearest roads,” said Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan.

These structures, worth almost P14 million, are being funded by the Philippine Center for Post-Harvest Development and Mechanization (PhMech), formerly Bureau of Post-Harvest Research and Extension (BPRE) of the Department of Agriculture.

The tramlines in Barangay Cabatangan, Talisay City (370 meters) and Sitio Tabadiang, Barangay Minoyan, Murcia (470 meters) will be completed by end of July, said Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo of the OPA Agricultural Engineering Division. Construction of tramlines in Sitio Kapaklan, Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City (880 meters) and Barangay Tagukon, Kabankalan City (340 meters) is ongoing.

More structures will be constructed in three sites this year. These will be in Sitio Bais, Barangay Yubo (650 meters) and Sitio Nailab, Barangay Ara-al (900 meters), both in La Carlota City. The structure that will connect Codcod and Kinabong in Don Salvador Benedicto has the longest distance of 1.76 kilometers.

“With tramlines in the Negros countryside, we will see a more developed highland farming. It will serve 2,000 to 8,000 farmers planting high-value commercial crops in 2,000 to 4,000 hectares of production areas,” said Tabianan. It will also increase farmers’ income by 8 to 15 percent due to less hauling cost of farm input and harvest output. Product quality will improve and post-harvest losses will decrease by 2 to 5 percent.

The tramline has an engine assembly, engine house, towers and anchorage, cables and accessories, a waiting shed, and a carrier measuring 1.5 meters long, 0.8 meters wide and 0.7 meters tall with an allowable capacity of 350 kilograms.

“Tramlines will be turned over to the barangays for operation and maintenance after OPA organizes farmers in the sites and after PhMech transfers the technology,” Barrogo said.

Waste management, coco oil researches top CHMSC’s in-house review

By Jethro B. Dagunan

RACG Representative

Carlos Hilado Memorial State College

A paper on waste management and another on coconut oil were recently cited best researches during the annual in-house review of the Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) held on July 9, 2010 at the Fortune Towne campus in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

Topping some 15 research papers this year was the “Developmental Handbook: An Output of the Analysis of Solid Waste Practices in Bacolod City” a research study by Dr. Ma. Teresita Ballados followed by “Coco Oil as Cutting Fluid for General Machining,” a research study by Dr. Andres Yoro.

Some eight completed researches included the “Fingerprint Timekeeping and Payroll System for Small and Medium Enterprises” a research study of Engr. Manuel Uy and “Copra as an Alternative Fuel for Domestic Cooking: Technology Option” authored by Prof. Mary Ann Dolor.

Mr. Andrew Odonio presented three papers, namely: “Sensory Evaluation of Shrimp-Enriched Pandesal;” “Factors Affecting Volunteerism in the Bantay Dagat Program in Negros Occidental;” and “Management of Crown of Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster Planci).”

Other studies relevant to AFNR included Mr. Ronie Iwaya’s Biomass Shredder Machine,” an ongoing study and “Sustainable Organic and Natural Food Production and Livelihood Technology Implementation at Barangay Patag” presented by Prof. Jethro Dagunan and Mr. Conrad Abela III.

The winning papers will be presented in the 20th Regional Symposium on Research and Development Highlights (RSRDH) to be held on August 13, 2010 at the University of Negros Occidental Recoletos (UNO-R) in Bacolod City.

Hosted by Mr. Conrad Abela, CHMSC research chairperson, the review was energized by the presence of the evaluators including Provincial Agriculturist Igmedio Tabianan, Dr. Mae Flor Posadas of Negros State College of Agriculture (NSCA) and CHMSC’s very own—Dr. Renato Salmingo, Vice President for Research and Extension Services and Prof. Victoria Cango, Research Director.