LGU-San Juan adopts ordinance 
on seaweeds culture farms establishment

SIQUIJOR, June 21 (PIA) ---The municipality of San Juan recently adopted Ordinance No. 2011-008, “An ordinance regulating the establishment, management and maintenance of seaweeds (ambalang) culture farms within the marine waters of this municipality, imposing mayor’s permit fee of P500.00 per farm on individuals and entities engaged therein, and providing penalties for the violations thereof”.

Under the new ordinance, a seaweed farm or similar aqua farm shall not be more than 500 square meters each. As required for fish coral in the locality, a distance of 100 meters from one farm to another shall also be observed. 

The three options of dimensions, the ordinance states, are 20mx25m (500 square meters). 

For purposes of giving opportunity to as many individuals and entities as possible, each seaweed farmer or entity should only be allowed a maximum of one 500 square meters seaweeds farm or aqua farm.

Securing of pertinent clearances is a pre-requisite for farm a availment, and these include a Barangay Clearance (from the barangay where the proposed seaweeds farm is to be located) and police clearance.

Among the prohibitions of the ordinance are the use of a strip of 40 meters adjoining the beaches in the whole length of the municipality’s coastline adjoining the foreshore shall not be used for seaweeds farm as these are for the public’s use for swimming, bathing, seashells gathering/gleaning and other allowable and appropriate recreational and livelihood purposes; the farmers’ use bamboo poles, tree branches, tree twigs and any other sharp instruments or pointed objects or materials to complement the would- be installed farm boundary buoys, as a way of ensuring the public’s safety.

Violation of any provision of this ordinance shall subject the offender to a fine of not less than P1,000.00 but not more than P2, 500.00, or an imprisonment of not less than 15 days, but more than 1 month, or both such fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court, the Ordinance also states. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor/J. Maata/MPIO, San Juan)

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SB  warns public on
ctching of aquatic life

SIQUIJOR, June 21 (PIA) ---Determined to push achieving its goal to permanently claim as the Tourism Capital of Siquijor Province and having a competitive edge in terms of beautiful beaches, marine waters, pristine environment, abundance of water, beautiful sceneries and other natural resources, San Juan municipality is reminding and warning the public on its ordinance prohibiting the catching of aquatic life.

Through Sangguniang Bayan regular session last February 11, 2011, has adopted Ordinance No. 3, s. 1988, strictly prohibiting the catching, taking, gathering or harvesting of fish of any specie and all aquatic life found and existing in the natural spring, natural swimming pool, blind canal and embankment at Poblacion, San Juan, Siquijor, and Imposing penalties for the violations thereof”.

It declared that it is also its policy to promote tourism for which purpose it endeavors to preserve, safeguard and improve tourist attractions found within its territorial jurisdiction. 

Any person or group of persons found or caught catching, taking, gathering, harvesting, hauling, loading, transporting or in any manner moving or transferring from these facilities any fish and other aquatic life for whatever purpose or motive shall be imposed a fine of P2,500.00 per person or imprisonment at the discretion of the court, the Ordinance states.

Presently though, according to Information Officer Jacinto V. Maata, most of the users still refused to pay the imposed fee and make full use of the newly-constructed standard–size swimming pool located just across the national highway traversing the town plaza.

The natural swimming pool and even the natural lake are still availed of for swimming and bathing purposes, he said. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor/J. Maata/MPIO, San Juan)

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Feature: Working together, right technology leads to higher yield, says DA-7 chief

Lauding Siquijor farmers who are shifting into use of quality seeds, Regional Executive Director of the Department of Agriculture, Region 7 (DA-7), Leo P. Cañeda said those who use hybrid rice seeds to at least 20% of its total land area cultivated will have a definite increase in yield. 

This he said during his recent visit to Siquijor Island where he encouraged farmers to use quality seeds even as he assured them that the DA is not tired of pursuing its advocacy and of equipping farmers to rice productivity. 

“I’m not giving up on our fight for rice self-sufficiency in region 7,” he said citing their efforts to  be able to increase the rice yield particularly in the provinces of Bohol, Negros Oriental and Siquijor where more areas are planted with palay than Cebu.

The country’s per capita consumption is 120 kilograms per person per year, he said citing the latest data that there are only five major rice producing countries in the world - Vietnam, China, India, Cambodia, and the United States of America. 

He said, the total excess production of these countries is only five to seven percent that they can offer to the world and this represents the total rice production traded globally.
The Philippines, he said, is the second largest rice importing nation in the world which gets a big share of rice production excess from the five major producing countries.
Excess production of 5 to 7 percent will possibly decrease which means that there is a possibility that we can no longer buy rice from other countries, he said.

A five-year survey shows that there is a mass problem of little rice supply available in the market. “This is the time that we must intensify our rice production. Our country today has a target to produce 21.2 billion metric tons by 2013,” he said.

“The only avenue that we can explore to be able to bring up our sufficiency for rice is by expanding the area to increase our rice productivity, but If we cannot expand anymore because some are converted to industrial areas, the best alternative is to encourage more farmers to give bigger percentage of their land area for planting of quality seeds, said Cañeda.

The DA is now promoting the use of quality seeds called certified seeds. If we increase our area planted for quality seeds, we will be able to meet the target, he said as he calls local chief executives to help promote the use of quality seeds.

“The DA remains as the forefront in providing different and additional interventions which are vital for you to be able to increase our productivity,” he said.

Promotion of quality seeds, provision of postharvest facilities, infrastructure support, research and development, extension, among others, he said, are some of their interventions.

But we always say that without you, the farmers, there is no DA to speak off because you run the show, he also said.

“For as long as we work together, for as long as we apply the recommended package of technology, and for as long as we continue to strive, there is no reason we cannot achieve our desired yield,” he finally said. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor/Renan L. Ansing)

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2,156 Siquijor farmers, fisherfolks benefit PNoy’s 'Rice for Work' program
By Rizalie Anding Calibo

SIQUIJOR, June 21 (PIA) --- Within this month, at least 2,156 small-scale  farmers and fisherfolks  province wide benefit from the “Rice for Work” Program of the Aquino administration, says Enrique Villanueva Municipal Agricultural Officer Cecille G. Hora from the information she ned from the program briefing recently.

 
Hora said, 136 poor farmers and fisherfolks from her town of Enrique Villanueva were identified as beneficiaries. Maria has 434; Larena, 70; Lazi, 824; San Juan, 400; and Siqujor town, 291.

Rice Subsidy Program for small-scale farmers and fisherfoks is given through cash for training with work project to augment their incomes during the lean months following a harvest season.

The subsidy will be used to pay the farmers’ and fisher folks’ wages equivalent to 14 days work in a month. 

Per briefing, Hora said, beneficiaries have to undergo a four-day training on Food production, planting, climate change and environment protection, and fishing methods, among others, and ten-day community works to include, but not limited to, the preparation and cleaning of the farms to be used during the next planting season, de de-clogging, dredging of canals, and tree planting, among others.

In a press release from the DSWD earlier, it was learned that beneficiaries, will be given either vouchers, cash or bags of rice by the DSWD in exchange for their services, which can be redeemed at their nearest local government unit.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said this subsidy forms part of government’s efforts to address the ever increasing prices of fuel and food as well as to provide gainful employment for the disadvantaged members of society, it was learned. 

To ensure that the beneficiaries really belonged to those that needed the assistance the most, she said the list has been guaranteed by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction, theDepartment of Agriculture, and Department of Agrarian Reform. 

Likewise, she said, the beneficiaries are validated by the provincial and local social welfare office in the area. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor)

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DOST Siquijor calls inventors, researchers to join RICE

SIQUIJOR, June 21 (PIA) --- The Provincial Science and Techology Center (PSTC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) here, encourages inventors, makers, designers, and creative researchers to submit entries for the Regional Invention Contest and Exhibits (RICE).

PSTC Provincial Director Mario E. de la Pena said the selection will be based on six categories namely: Invention Category (Tuklas Award);Utility Model; Industrial Design; Creative Research (Likha Award); Student Creative Research for High School; and Student Creative Research for College.

Invention refers to those covered by invention patent still in force granted by the Intellectual Property Office – Philippines (IPOPHIL); Utility Model, by utility model patent /registration still in force granted by the Intellectual Property Office – Philippines (IPOPHIL); Industrial Design, by industrial design patent/registration still in force granted by the Intellectual Property Office – Philippines (IPOPHIL); and Creative Research refers to patent pending inventions, registration pending utility models and industrial designs and research results yet applied for patent, utility model and industrial design registration.

Eligible under this category are new and useful machines/ devices/ gadgets, products or processes or an improvement of any of the foregoing; and non-biological/microbiological processes not contrary to public order, morals, public health and welfare, he said. 

Student Creative Research for High School and College also refers to new and innovative projects/works made by college and high school students. Eligible projects/ works under this category are new and useful machines/ gadgets, products or processes or an improvement of any of the foregoing; and non-biological/microbiological processes not contrary to public order, morals, public health and welfare, he said. 

Entry forms are available at the Department of Science and Technology Siquijor Provincial S&T Center located in the Capitol Area, Siquijor, Siquijor or you may download it at www.ro7.dost.gov.ph
Deadline of submission of entries is on July 29, 2011.

The DOST Regional Office will pre-screen entries based on compliance of the requirements. There shall be only one (1) qualifier per category for each regional invention contest. The regional qualifiers, subject to submission of additional documents, shall be the Finalists for the National Invention Contest (NICE) on July 2012. Each regional qualifiers shall receive cash incentives, and certificate of recognition during the Awarding and Closing Ceremonies of the regional invention contest. 

For further inquiries about the contest and exhibits, please call Tel. Nos. (035) 480-9018 and look for Engr. Mario dela Peña or Engr. Roland Padayhag. (Rizalie A. Calibo/PIA-Siquijor/M. de la Peña/PSTC)