Vol. XXVI No. 7 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture July 2011

P-Noy lauds DA gains at SONA“Hindi tayo aangkat ng hindi

kailangan...“Ayaw na nating umasa sa

pag-angkat. Ang isasaing niJuan dela Cruz, dito ipupunla,dito aanihin, dito bibilhin.”

Thus said President BenignoS. Aquino III in his second Stateof the Nation Address (SONA),July 25, 2011, at the joint ses-sion of the Senate and Houseof Representatives.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (inset, left) enjoins mem-bers of Irrigators’ Associations (inset, right) and local officials inIlocos Sur to support President Aquino’s efforts to attain rice self-sufficiency by 2013, during a visit of the P2.5-billion BanaoangPump Irrigation System, in Bgy. San Mariano, Bantay, Ilocos Sur.When fully operational, the system can irrigate more than 5,230hectares, benefiting 4,220 farm families. The project was jointlyfunded by the Philippine government and a loan from the ChinaNational Constructional and Agricultural Machinery Import andExport Corporation. During the visit, Sec. Alcala was accompa-nied by NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel, Ilocos Sur Vice Gov-ernor Deogracias Victor Savelllano and Rep. Ryan Singson.

He cited the efforts and gainsof the Department of Agriculture,under the leadership of SecretaryProceso J. Alcala, to reduce riceimports by intensifying productionof palay (paddy rice) and otherstaples, and subsequentlyachieve selfsufficiency by 2013.

President Aquino said:“Ang gusto nating mangyari:

una, hindi tayo aangkat ng hindikailangan, para lang punan ang

bulsa ng mga gustongmagsariling-diskarte ng kita saagrikultura, Ikalawa: ayaw nanating umasa sa pag-angkat;ang isasaing ni Juan dela Cruz,dito ipupunla, dito aanihin, ditobibilhin.”

The President said the agricul-ture sector is not exempt fromabusive practices in the past, butthis has been corrected and realprogress is gaining ground in thefirst year of his administration.

He said: “Bago tayo mauponoong 2010, nag-angkat angbansa ng 2.3 million metric tonsng bigas. 1.3 million metric tons President Aquino delivers his

2nd SONA, July 25, 2011.

(Pls turn to p11)

(Pls turn to p10)

Farm machine roadshow on

The Department of Agricultureis joining hands with Ilocos regionfarmers and local officials to re-vive the country’s garlic industrythat has slumped in recent yearsdue to the influx of cheap imports.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the DA will spear-head a consultative meeting inAugust involving farmers, localchief executives and other stake-holders to flesh out strategies torevive the industry.

The garlic industry roadmap willform part of the proposed me-dium-term Ilocos Norte agricultureand fishery master developmentplan, which the DA will also helpcraft in partnership with concernedprovincial and municipal officials,farmers, fishers, and the privatesector.

Sec. Alcala issued the call dur-ing a farmers’ forum, July 20, atMariano Marcos State University(MMSU), in Batac, Ilocos Norte,attended by 2,000 farmers, fish-ers, rural entrepreneurs, studentsand local officials, led by IlocosNorte Governor Imee R. Marcos,Ilocos Norte RepresentativeRodolfo Fariñas, and Batac CityMayor Jeffrey Nalupta.

Also present were MMSUpresident Dr. Miriam Pascua, DAnational rice program coordinator

DA to revive Ilocandia’s garlic industry;allots P25-M projects in Ilocos Norte

Dante Delima, DA-National To-bacco Administrator EdgardoZaragoza, and DA-Bureau ofPlant Industry director ClaritoBarron.

During the three-hour forumand ‘town hall’ meeting at the

(Pls turn to p2)

FAO cites Phl rice sufficiency effortsThe Food and Agriculture Or-

ganization of the United Nations(FAO) cited the efforts of theAquino administration to boostpalay (unmilled rice) productionand achieve rice self-sufficiencyby 2013 in its 8-page leaflet topromote this year’s celebrationof World Food Day, with thetheme, ‘Food Prices: From Cri-sis to Stability,’ the FAO said:

“… The Government of the Phil-ippines, which used to be theworld’s largest rice importer, isseeking to achieve rice self-suf-ficiency by 2013 … cut importsfrom more than two million tonneslast year to less than one millionthis year, following the launch ofan intensified productionprogramme … and achieve self-

(Pls turn to p10)

The Department of Agricul-ture will conduct a series of‘Agricultural Farm Machineryand Equipment Roadshow’involving manufacturers, sup-pliers, importers and dealersof agricultural machinery andequipment, who will show-case their respective prod-ucts to farmers’ groups andlocal government units.

The roadshow starts Au-gust 23-24, 2011, at the DA’sPhilippine Center forPostharvest Dev’t. andMechanization (PhilMech), inMuñoz, Nueva Ecija.

The second leg is set onSeptember 20-21, in Iloilo, forthe Visayas cluster; and onSeptember 20-21, in GeneralSantos City, for theMindanao leg.

2

Editorial

Maging agresibo, makibahagi!

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Jo Anne Grace B. Pera, Arlhene S. Carro, Bethzaida Bustamante, Mc. Bien Saint Garcia, Jay Ilagan, Catherine NantaContributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers and Staff of DA

is published monthly by the Department of AgricultureInformation Service, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City. Tel. nos. 9288762loc 2148, 2150, 2155, 2156 or 2184; 9204080 or tel/fax 9280588. Thisissue is available in PDF file. For copies, please send requests via email:da_afis@yahoo.com.

Editor-In-Chief : Noel O. ReyesAssociate Editors: Karenina Salazar, Cheryl C. Suarez & Adam Borja

Bureaus, Attached Agencies & Corporations, Foreign-Assisted ProjectsPhotographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan, & Kathrino ResurreccionLay-out Artist: Bethzaida BustamantePrinting & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

DA to revive ... (from p1)

MMSU theater and auditorium,Sec. Alcala approved an initialP25 million as DA’s counterpartto undertake agricultural and fish-ery projects in Ilocos Norte.

He said reviving Ilocandia’s gar-lic industry could be done throughstrong and sustained cooperationamong major industry players, asshown by the recent success ofonion farmers particularly inNueva Ecija, where the DA pro-vided quality onion seed pieces,technical assistance andpostharvest facilities worth P15million to help prop up local pro-duction particularly in Bongabonand several onion-producingtowns in Nueva Ecija.

Sec. Alcala said such assis-tance was coupled with the non-issuance of permits allowing im-ports of onion that would undulycompete with local produce.

Sec. Alcala said the P15-Massistance to Nueva Ecija onion

farmers was worth the invest-ment as it generated more thanP2 billion in gross income, ben-efiting hundreds of farmers lastdry season.

Similarly, he said the DA willallot funds and technical assis-tance to prop up the decliningproduction of garlic, consideredas ‘white gold’ by farmers.

Total garlic production duringthe last three years has de-creased from 11,300 metric tons(MT) in 2008, to 10,500 MT in2009 and 9,600 MT last year,according to the DA-Bureau ofAgricultural Statistics (BAS).

The decline was due to lessarea planted to the crop, dwin-dling from 3,800 hectares (has)in 2008, 3,600 has in 2009 and3,000 has last year.

As part of the P25-M commit-ment for Ilocos Norte, the DA isallotting P10M for two small

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (inset, left) urges Ilocos Norte farmers and localofficials, led by Gov. Imee R. Marcos (inset, 2nd from right) to part-ner with the DA to revive the country’s garlic industry, during afarmers’ forum at MMSU, in Batac, Ilocos Norte. Also shown (inset,from left) are DA-National Tobacco Administrator EdgardoZaragoza, Batac City Mayor Jeffrey Nalupta, Ilocos Norte Repre-sentative Rodolfo Fariñas, and MMSU President Dr. Miriam Pascua.

(Pls turn to p11)

Inilahad ni PangulongBenigno S. Aquino III sakanyang State of the NationAddress (SONA) ang pag-arangkada ng pambansangsakahan at pangisdaan mulang siya’y nanungkulan noongHulyo 2010.

Lumaki aniya ng 4.2 por-siyento (%) ang sektor ngagrikultura sa unang semes-tre ng taon, kumpara noong2010.

Nakapagpatayo ng mahigit2,500 kilometro ng mga kal-sada sa kanayunan (farm-to-market roads); mga bagongirigasyon na nagpatubig sa11,611 ektarya ng palayan; atnaisaayos ang mga sirangirigasyon, na nagpatubignaman sa 212,000 ektaryangsakahan.

Lumiit din ng hamak anginangkat na bigas ngayongtaon. Sabi ni PangulongAquino: “Ngayon, ang dating1.3 million metric tons nakakulangan natin sa bigas,halos nangalahati na;660,000 metric tons na langpo ang kailangan natingangkatin.”

Ngunit sa kabila ng mganagawang ito, mayroon paring mga nagsasabi: “Kulangang lahat ng ito.”

Malinaw na ang pagbabagona ating nakakamtam aykatiting lamang at pansaman-tala, lalo na kung hindi itosusundan ng ibayongpagsisikap at pagkilos.

Totoo nga na para sa isangbansang ilang taon nanguhaw sa mabuting balita atpag-angat ng kalidad ngpamumuhay, anumangtagumpay, lalo pa nga’tnaabot lamang sa loob ngisang taon, ay hindi sapat.

Kaya naman, minamadalini Sec. Procy Alcala angpagsasa-ayos ng mgairigasyon, upang ang mga itoay pakinabangan kaagad ngmga magsasaka.

Gayundin ang pagsasa-gawa ng trading posts atprocessing centers, maricul-ture parks, at post-harvestfacilities.

Kasama na rito ang pagtu-turo at pagpapalaganap ngmakabuluhan at makabagongkaalaman at teknolohiya samga maliliit na magsasaka atmangingisda.

Ngunit kung magpapatuloyang antas ng ating pagpupur-sigi sa mga susunod pangilang taon, hindi malayo namararating natin ang ating

inaasam na pag-unlad atpag-angat sa kabuhayan ngating mga kababayan, lalona sa kanayunan.

At makatutulong ngmalaki ang karagdagangpondo ng Kagawaran ngAgrikultura sa susunod nataon, na iminumungkahingP52.9 bilyon. Ito’y mahigit53% kumpara sakasalukuyang pondo naP35.2 bilyon.

Umpisa sa buwan ngAgosto, babalangkasin atsusuriin ng Kongreso atSenado ang buong pro-posed 2012 budget ngPamahalaang Aquino, nanagkakahalaga ng P1.8trillion.

Habang pinag-uusapanang pondo sa susunod nataon, hangad namin namaging agresibo ang mgamagsasaka, mangingisda atiba pang katuwang sasakahan, pangisdaan atagribusiness na kausapin,sulatan at kumbisehin angating mga Kongresista atSenador na suportahan angproposed 2012 budget ngDA, at pati na rin ng ibangahensya ng pamahalaan.

Ito’y upang maisaka-tuparan ang mga balakin atproyekyo ng pamahalaan,at maramdaman ng atingmga mamamayan ang mgapagbabago at pangarap naating matagal nangninanais.

Sabi nga ni PangulongAquino: “Lumikha po kayong gobyernong tunay nanagtatrabaho para sa inyo.”

Ibig sabihin nito, kaisatayong lahat sa anumanghakbanging nais tahakin ngating pamahalaan.

Matapos ang isang taonng administrasyong Aquino,nararapat lang na tayo’ymagbalik-tanaw — hindilamang upang iwagaywayang mga nagawa na, kundiupang itakda pa ang mgasusunod na hakbang ngpamahalaan patungo sakaunlaran ng ating bayan.

Maaaring kulang pa parasa iba, ngunit kalakip ngSONA ni Pangulong Aquinoang hangarin niya para samas matatag na polisiya atmga mapapakinabangan naproyekto para sa kapa-kanan ng sambayanan.

Kaya naman, dapatlamang na lahat tayo’ymaging agresibo atmakibahagi!

July 2011 3

Alcala eyes higher Pangasinan rice yield, quality

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (inset, left) and Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino (inset, 3rd from left) inspectmilled rice at the P242.8-million rice processing center (RPC), at Barangay Tebag, Sta, Barbara,Pangasinan. The facility can dry up to 50 tons of palay and mill up to 2.5 tons of rice per day. When fullyoperational, it is expected to benefit 200,000 farm families in Sta. Barbara and 10 adjoining towns andcities in Pangasinan. The Sta. Barbara RPC is jointly funded by the Korea International CooperationAgency (KOICA) through a grant of P162.2M, and the Philippine government, with the DA and Provin-cial government of Pangasinan, counterparting P68.6 M and P12M, respectively. Also shown are DA-Ilocos regional director Renato Maguigad (right) and assistant director Edgardo Gonzales.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoAlcala expects more palay pro-duction and higher quality of ricein Pangasinan with the full op-eration of a new rice processingcenter (RPC) in the town of Sta.Barbara.

The facility, worth P242.8 mil-lion, is funded by a grant fromthe Korea International Coopera-tion Agency (KOICA), with coun-terparts from the Department ofAgriculture and Provincial Gov-ernment of Pangasinan.

Sec. Alcala expressed hisoptimism during a test-run of thefacility, as part of his three-dayvisit in Pangasinan and otherpriovinces in Ilocos region, July19 to 21, 2011.

He was accompanied byPangasinan Governor Amado T.Espino, Jr., who also witnessedthe dry-run of the facility, whichis located at the provincialgovernment’s 10-hectare nurseryin Barangay Tebag, Sta. Barbara.

Alcala said the RPC is a wel-come development in theprovince’s agricultural thrust anda big boost to the country’s goalto be self-sufficient in rice andother staples by 2013.

The RPC has five drying cham-bers, each with a capacity of pro-cessing 200 bags every 12

ACEF to resumelending operations

The Department of Agricul-ture will resume providingcredit assistance to qualifiedorganized groups of farmers,fisherfolk, and agri entrepre-neurs through the AgriculturalCompetitiveness Enhance-ment Fund (ACEF).

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala said the DAhas completed the draft of thenew implementing guidelinesfor ACEF, with the concur-rence of Senator FrancisPangilinan and CongressmanMark LLandro Mendoza, re-spective chairman of the com-mittee of agriculture and foodat the Senate and House ofRepresentatives.

Under the new ACEF guide-lines, the approval of loans isno longer under the exclusiveauthority of the DA secretarybut will include the chairmanof the agriculture committeesat both houses of Congress.

“This reflects transparencyand good governance,” Alcalasaid.

Created in 1996 under Re-public Act No. 8178, ACEF isfunded by the duties collectedfrom the importation of agriproducts, except rice, underthe minimum access volumemechanism.

It is a funding mechanismwhich supports projects--offarmers and f isherfolk,agribusiness entrepreneurs,organizations and coopera-tives--to make them globallycompetitive.

Its scope includes lendingto farmers and agricultural or-ganizations for such projectsas irrigation facilities, farm-to-market roads, post-harvestequipment and facilities, re-search and development, mar-keting infrastructure, provisionof market information, retrain-ing, extension services, andother agri-fishery food supplychain enterprises.

Early this year, the DA sus-pended ACEF, pending a re-view of its policies after alle-gations of its misuse sur-faced.

The implementation ofACEF is until 2015.

DA-NFA to buy 200,000 MT yellow, white corn

hours. It can mill up to 2.5 metrictons of rice per day.

Pangasinan provincial rice di-rector and RPC manager NestorBatalla said the facility can pro-cess palay harvest from 2,000hectares per cropping season.

At an average yield of 96 cavansof palay per hectare, the process-ing plant is expected to process

192,000 cavans of palay into124,800 50-kilo bags of rice perseason.

Pangasinan is Ilocos region’srice granary, where over 245,500hectares were planted last year,producing 940,000 metric tons,which represents 60 percent ofthe Ilocos region’s total palay

(Pls turn to p12)

Starting this cropping season,the Department of Agriculturethrough the National Food Author-ity will buy 100,000 metric tons(MT) each of yellow and whitecorn to encourage more farmersto plant the crop, and further propup the country’s corn industry.

In particular, said corn procure-ment program is aimed at stabi-lizing farmgate prices of yellowcorn, which is mainly used asfeed, and encourage the in-creased production and con-sumption of white corn as astaple, according to agricultureassistant secretary for field opera-tions Edilberto De Luna, and con-current national corn program co-ordinator.

The NFA buys yellow corn at amaximum price of P13 per kiloand P13.50 per kilo for white corn.

De Luna requested the NFA torevise its procurement plan forwhite corn to focus on major pro-ducing provinces to benefit morefarmers who have been tradition-ally planting the crop, and encour-age others to engage in white cornproduction.

He issued the directive as partof his message during the ‘Agri-Pinoy’ corn program 1st semes-ter 2011 performance review andstrategic planning workshop for2012, held July 18-21, 2011, inBoracay, Malay, Aklan.

The workshop was attended byabout DA regional directors andcorn coordinators, other DA fam-ily officials who are members ofthe national corn program tech-nical working group (TWG), andofficers of corn industry groups,

(Pls turn to p12)

4

‘Focus, deliver results!’Thus is the instruction of Agri-

culture Secretary Proceso J.Alcala to DA officials during anational management committeemeeting, July 6, 2011, at theBSWM convention hall.

“Kahit isang taon na angnakalipas, kailangan pa rin natinang unang panawagan ng Agri-Pinoy na: ‘Bridging gaps, Touch-ing hearts.’

“Pero dahil isang taon na potayo, kailangan na nating idagdagang bagong panawagan: Focus-ing minds to deliver results,’’ Sec.Alcala said.

“Every quarter, I will convene aregular ‘ManCom’ meeting tocheck up on our work and adjustour plans. And every month, I willmeet with the undersecretariesand assistant secretaries to en-sure closer teamwork and sharedresponsibility in supervising thevarious DA units, programs, andagencies,” he added.

The July 6 national ManComwas attended by about 90undersecretaries, assistant sec-retaries, regional executive direc-tors, bureau directors, heads ofattached agencies and corpora-tions, DA-OSEC service direc-tors, Agri-Pinoy national com-modity program coordinators,heads of foreign-assisted and spe-cial projects.

He said promoting Agri-Pinoyneeds to move beyond a taskforce, and should be taken up bythe whole DA leadership.

“Nananawagan ako sa mgaundersecretaries at assistantsecretaries na maging katuwangko sa pagsulong atpagpapalaganap ng Agri-Pinoy,”said Sec. Alcala.

Likewise, he enjoined all DAregional directors and heads ofagencies: “… na ilapat ang mgaprinsipyo ng Agri-Pinoy sa inyongmga programa at gawain sainyong rehiyon. Ito rin angpanawagan ko sa lahat ng mgayunit at ahensiya ng DA.”

Further, he urged them to fullysupport and implement thegovernment’s ‘Food Staples SelfSufficiency Program, includingcurrent program on fisheries, live-stock, fruits, vegetables and highvalue crops.

Above all these, he remindedDA officials when crafting pro-grams and projects to alwaysconsider the factors of climatechange and global competition.

“Huwag nating kaligtaan angating pag-unawa at pag-angkopsa climate change, pati na samga pagbabago sa global mar-ket.

He said the bottomline of allDA’s efforts should increase theproductivity and incomes ofsmall farmers, f ishers andruralfolk.

“Sa pagharap natin sa mgapagbabago, huwag natingtingnan lamang ang problema.Tingnan rin natin ang

pagkakataon para kumita,” SecAlcala said.

Initiatives, Tasks, GuidelinesIn his opening message, Sec.

Alcala highlighted three majorinitiatives in his first year:

• Promoted Agri-Pinoy as thestrategic framework for all DA pro-grams and services;

• Delivered quick results in keysectors; and

• Exercised hands-on manage-ment of key programs.

Secondly, he discussed threemajor tasks that need to be done:

• Fix organizational matters;• Review and refine national

commodity road maps; and• Account and deliver perfor-

mance targets.He also issued three adminis-

trative and operational guidelines,namely:

• Make all DA stations andproperties productive and self-sustaining;

• Establish partnerships withorganized groups; and

• Use government resources toachieve targets, and deliver thefunds on time.

He urged all DA officials to ex-ert efforts to achieve targets andprovide the best, and fastest ser-

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (3rd from left, top) issues initial tasks and guide-lines to DA top officials (foreground) at the national managementcommittee (ManCom) meeting, July 6, 2011, at the BSWM conven-tional hall in Quezon City. Flanking him (from left) are DAundersecretaries: Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (special concerns), JoelRudinas (regional operations), Segfredo Serrano (policy and plan-ning), Antonio Fleta (administrative and finance) and ClaronAlcantara (chief of staff).

vice possible to clienteles, par-ticularly small farmers andfisherfolk, saying:

“Tulad ng malimit ko nangsabihin: “Pag gusto, mayparaan. Pag ayaw, may dahilan.”

He also urged off icials tocleanse the tarnished image ofthe agency.

“Bantayan natin at linisin angating hanay.

“It is difficult to stop corrup-tion when people continue toprotect the wrongdoers or con-tinue to benefit from corruption.

“I believe that we all prefer tolive up to a good name.

“We want to be part of a De-partment of Agriculture that isnot on the top list of corruptagencies.

“I am disturbed by reports,coming from the inside and out-side, that some syndicates con-tinue to operate.

“We will not tolerate corrup-tion in our department – that isa clear policy.

“None of us is perfect, but letit be part of our mission to helpclean up the DA,” Sec. Alcalasaid.

In closing, he declared:“Sama-sama nating patunayanang ating pahayag: “Sa Agri-Pinoy, asenso’y tuloy-tuloy!”

5July 2011

Rice sufficiency in 2013 is attainable

President Benigno S. AquinoIII has appointed Dr. Eufemio T.Rasco, Jr, a plant breeder andacademician, as the new ex-ecutive director of the Depart-

tinuously provide farmers highquality rice seeds, and developappropriate upland rice farmingtechnologies, among other re-lated rice sector initiatives.

Before his appointment, Dr.Rasco served as professor anddean of the College of Scienceand Mathematics at the Univer-sity of the Philippines inMindanao.

He also previously served asdirector of the Institute of PlantBreeding, at UPLB; founding di-rector and board member ofEast-West Seed Company; andcoordinating scientist at the In-ternational Potato Center.

Dr. Rasco finished BS agricul-ture (magna cum laude) atUPLB, and has a doctorate de-gree in plant breeding fromCornell University in Ithaca, NewYork, USA. (DA-PhilRice)

Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala expressedoptimism that the Philippineswill be self-sufficient in rice byend of 2013.

He shared it with televiewersnationwide, during the telecastof the third forum on the Philip-pine Development Plan at NBN-4’s Pilipinas Natin.

He said “the only factor thatmay impede the country to hitthe target is when we cast doubton our capabilities.”

Alcala and other guests urgedthe people to support the re-forms and policies being insti-tuted by the Aquino govern-ment.

He said despite the pessi-mism of some sectors, govern-ment is bent on pursuing its vi-sion, and achieve the develop-ment targets that it has set.

He said government is al-ready laying the ground worksuch as infrastructure, farmerstraining, improved quality ofseedling, and post-harvest facili-ties.

“With all these, at tayo’y hindipa naniwala sa sarili natin, ehwag na po tayong mangarap (ifwe don’t believe in ourselves,let’s not dream for a better lifeanymore),” he said.

He noted the improved riceharvest during the second quar-ter. The official report will be re-leased by August.

He said that next year, thecountry will not be importingmore than 500,000 metric tonsof rice.

“This early, we are already

P-Noy appoints new PhilRice chief

looking at how we can go aboutexporting rice, and what kind ofgraina could possibly be boughtby the foreign market,” he said inFilipino.

To adapt to climate change, hesaid the DA has introduced a ricevariety that can withstand harshconditions, such as being sub-merged in water for two weeks.

He also said the DA has a pro-gram called ‘pamalit-tanim’ thatwill immediately provide seeds tofarmers whenever their crops aredestroyed by natural disasters.

“Everytime magkaroon ngflashflood, may order na po akosa DA Regional Directors na lahat

ng apektadong magsasaka aybibigyan ng binhing palay bilangpamalit-tanim. Wala po silangbabayaran. (I already issued anorder to Regional Directors thatall rice plantations affected byflashfloods will be given newseeds for free), he said.

Alcala reiterated that the DA,together with the Department ofAgrarian Reform and the Depart-ment of Environment and NaturalResources, and the public’s sup-port can realize the envisionedrice self-sufficient Philippinescome 2013, and onward. (PIA)

ment of Agriculture-PhilippineRice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), on July 4, 2011, viceAtty. Ronilo A. Beronio.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala sworeDr. Rasco intooffice, July 13,2011, and in-structed him toe n s u r eP h i l R i c e ’ sstrong and fullsupport to at-taining theA q u i n oAdministration’sgoal of rice self-suff iciency by2013. In response,Dr. Rasco saidPhilRice will con-

DA allots P20Mfor rainfed program

(Pls turn to p11)

Sec. Alcala (inset, bottom left) replies to an inquiry of Palawan Governor Abraham Mitra (right) duringthe telecast of ‘Pilipinas Natin’ aired nationwide over NBN 4, July 13, 2011.

Sec. Alcala (left) swears into office Dr. EufemioT. Rasco, Jr. as PhilRice executive director.

The Department of Agricultureis allloting an initial P20 millionto increase the productivity thou-sands of farmers tilling one mil-lion hectares of rainfed farms na-tionwide.

The amount serves as seedfund to implement the ‘Philip-pine Rainfed Agriculture Re-search and Development andExtension Program’(PhiRARDEP), that will be co-ordinated by the DA-Bureau ofAgriculturl Research (BAR).

The program will be under-taken in partnership with the In-ternational Crops Research In-stitute for the Semi-Arid Trop-ics (ICRISAT), DA Regional FieldUnits, particularly the RegionalIntegrated Agricultural ResearchCenters (RIARCS), AgriculturalTraining Institute Regional Train-ing Centers (ATI-RTC), otherconcerned DA agencies, andselected State Universities andColleges (SUCs).

BAR Director Nicomedes P.Eleazar said the program’scomponents include rainfedfarming innovation, community-based watershed managementand soil conservation, policy for-mation, and capacity building.

“We will train technicians whowill help marginal rainfed farm-

July 2011

6

Some years back, whenfishers come out to sea, theirwives stay behind and eagerlyawait the day’s catch. Sadly,when Mother Nature preventsthem to catch ample volume offishes and other marine spe-cies, they come home to theirwives and children, almost fish-less.

Thanks to today’s modern-ized agriculture, fishing commu-nities are spared from thispitiful plight.

The Department of Agriculture(DA) and the Bureau of Fisher-ies and Aquatic Resources(BFAR) launched on August 10,2001 the Philippines’ very firstmariculture park or MP in theIsland Garden City of Samal toaddress not only the irregularityof fish catch but the long-termissues of overfishing, destruc-tive fishing methods, pollutionand loss of marine habitat.

Eventually, it started the shiftfrom fish hunting to fish farmingand has directed the industrytowards a more inclusive andsustainable sector.

The project, which aims togenerate employment andalleviate poverty, has alsoenhanced the promotion of

From hunting to farming, modernizing the fishing industrymarine fish culture as analternative source of livelihoodfor the marginalized fisherfolk.

Rose Alicaba, a housewifecum entrepreneur is amongthe beneficiaries of the DA-BFAR Mariculture Park built inPanabo City, Davao del Nortefive years ago.

Considered as one of themost successful MPs nation-wide, the Panabo fish park hasprovided Rose and the eigh-teen other members of theCagangohan Women’s Asso-ciation (CWA) extra income toaugment what their husbandsearn from fishing.

“Kumikita po kami ng P20bawat kilo ng isda na nade-debone at ito po’y malakingtulong ito sa amingpamilya,”Aling Rose claims.(We earn P20 for every kilo offish deboned and that help’sour families a lot.)

She adds that aside fromdeboning, other livelihood havebeen created with the estab-lishment of the Panabo MP asmen and women alike occupythemselves with variousincome-generating activities.

“Yung iba po abala sapaggawa ng cages, pagbobote

ng isda, paglilinis ng lambatat iba pa,” Aling Rosenarrates. (Some are en-gaged in cage frame mak-ing, fish bottling, and fishnet cleaning among others.)

To date more than 60 MPshave been establishednationwide providing steadyand adequate supply of fishproducts and alternative jobopportunities to coastaldwellers.

Each park covers an areaof 100-400 hectares or more,and utilizes floating fishcages designed to withstand2-3 meters waves and willlast at least five years withminimal maintenance.

The MPs will soon imple-ment a new design devisedby Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala whoduring his recent visit toPanabo disclosed futuremodifications.

“Bangus and sea cucum-bers will be raised at thesame time adopting thebibingka principle,” Alcalasaid.

Thru this method both theupper and lower portions ofthe cages will be utilized forfish production.

“Bangus will be raised on thetop of the cages while the seacucumbers, which will serve asbiofilters, will be at the bottom,”he added.

“This scheme will enable thefishers to double their earnings,”Alcala added.

The design, aptly called“Alcala fish cage model”seeks tomaximize fish cages as multiplespecies will be produced in asingle cage.

“Thru this, the fishers earnmore and water pollution isminimized,” Alcala boasts.

Under its present thrust and inline with the Aquinoadministration’s goal of providinglivelihood to the marginalizedFilipinos, DA through BFAR willmaintain, operate and expandexisting mariculture parks.

Together, the agencies willoptimize productivity by promot-ing polyculture or the productionof different species of fish andshell fish, seaweeds and seacucumbers in one cage.

Today, whenever fishers comeout to sea, they rarely comehome empty handed. Rather,they return with abundantharvest, happiness and theassurance of a prosperoustomorrow.

By Adora Dolores Rodriguez

7July 2011

Admin. Service

OSEC

DA officials and staff entertain Sec. ‘Procy’Alcala and guests via their respective pre-sentations to celebrate his birthday. Above,he joins AMAS Dir. Gazmin and staff for a70’s dance number.

Budget Division

ITCAF

Guest performers 92AD

Dance time!

8

Some 7,000 Citizen ArmedForce Geographical Unit(CAFGU) Active Auxiliaries orCAAs are now engaged in an-other war – ‘war against hunger,malnutrition and poverty’ – inpartnership with the Departmentof Agriculture in Davao region.

DA region 11 director OscarParawan said the CAAs are now‘armed’ or trained on basic veg-etable production as they carryout the ‘Gulayan sa 72nd Infan-try Battalion,’ launched duringthe Battalion’s recent 23rd anni-versary at its headquarters inSitio Mahayahay, Bgy. Tuburan,Mawab, Davao del Norte.

Dir. Parawan said the projectwill also be replicated in thebattalion’s 228 camps and patrolbases in five Davao provinces andtwo provinces in Region 12.

For his part Battalion Com-mander Lt. Col. Lyndon V.Paniza said: “With the 7,000

DA, CAFGUs launch Gulayan sa KampoDA Region 11 DirectorOscar O. Parawan (2nd fromleft) hands over to 72IBCommander Lt. Col. LyndonV. Paniza (4th from right)cans of vegetable seeds tolaunch the ‘Gulayan saKampo,’ involving 7,000CAFGUs in Davao region.Inset, he and Col. Panizasign a memorandum ofagreement to ensure theproject’s sustainability andsuccess. Looking on is Col.Dictarino M. Sugon, of the10th Infantry Div., Philip-pine Army. (DA-RAFID 11)

An irrigation technologyjointly promoted by two DAagencies--National IrrigationAuthority (NIA) and PhilippineRice Research Institute(PhilRice)--is proving to be anefficient means of managingwater supply and increasingrice yield in CentralMindanao.

Called “controlled irrigation”(CI), the technique controlsthe amount and timing ofwater being distributed to thesoil surface through the useof ‘observation wells’ sub-merged 15 to 20 centimetersbelow the ground.

“Farmers are no longerafraid of delayed water supplyreaching six days afteradopting CI,” said Engr. EdnaBantala, NIA superintendentfor the Lubuagan RiverIrrigation System in NorthCotabato.

Demonstration farms usingCI, also called ‘alternatewetting and drying,’ haveregistered an average yield of4.5 tons per hectare, whilethose not using the technol-ogy yielded less than one-half, at an average of 2.1 tonsper hectare.

Bantala said combining CIwith the use quality rice varieties, plastic drum seeders,and nutrient managers have

‘Controlled Irrigation’ succeeds in Mindanao

The Department of Agricultureand City Government ofZamboanga are counterpating tocontruct infrastructure projects,worth P31.6 million, funded un-der the Zamboanga IntegratedAgricultural Development Project(ZIADP), from 2011 to 2016.

The projects covering two con-gressional districts include farm-to-market roads (FMRs), repairof irrigation systems, andpostharvest facilities, said RaulRamon Bucoy, agriculture pro-gram coordinator (APCO) forZamboanga City and newly-ap-pointed ZIADP coordinator.

He said the projects will com-mence 3rd quarter of 2011, asthese have been approved withcorresponding budget.

For the 1st District underCongresswoman Ma. IsabelleClimaco-Salazar, the projects in-clude FMRs, and rehabilitation ofirrigation systems and seaweedstilt dryers, all located inbarangays, west coast of the city.

P31.6M projects set in Zamboanga

further increased farmers’yield.

Johnny Palomero, a farmercooperator in Pigcawayan,North Cotabato, attests thathe harvested 5.5 tons perhectare using CI, whilefellow farmers who have notused the technique onlymanaged to harvest 4.5 tonsper hectare.

A group of 23 farmers inM’lang, Cotabato signifiedtheir interest in trying out CIin their farms. M’lang hasabout 7,000 hectares, beingserviced by the M’lang-Malasila River IrrigationSystem (MMRIS).

“This is a good indicationthat farmers appreciate thetechnology we are sharingwith them. This is also ananswer to our prayers inaddressing the water short-age in our service area,” saidMMRIS superintendent engr.May Respicio.

The CI technology, alongwith other alternative cost-reducing techniques, is beingevaluated by the IntegratedRice Research Consortium-Country Outreach Program ofthe International RiceResearch Institute, incollaboration with PhilRice.(PhilRice - NIA)

CAAs as initial beneficiaries whoare encouraged to maintain veg-etable gardens in their respec-tive households, we are hopingthat we could increase theirmeager incomes, help mitigatehunger and decrease malnutri-tion incidence in their respective

areas.”The project was formalized with

the forging of a memorandum ofagreement (MOA) between theDA Region 11 and the 72IB,signed by Dir. Parawan and Col.Paniza, to sustain and ensure itssuccess.

Under the project, DA will pro-vide the CAAs vegetable produc-tion starter kits, consisting of as-sorted vegetable seeds, seedlingtrays and tunneling film.

For their part, the local gov-ernments of Mawab, Davao delNorte, Tagum City and the Prov-ince of Davao del Norte will pro-vide additional technical assis-

tance and project monitoring ser-vices.

Other officials who graced the‘Gulayan sa Kampo’ launch, MOAsigning and 72IB anniversary cel-ebration include: Col. DictarinoM. Sugon, ass’t. div. com-mander for administrative ser-vices, 10th Infantry Div., Philip-pine Army, who represented theguest of honor and speaker,Major General Jorge V. Segovia,AFP Commander of the 10thID;Tagum City Vice Mayor Allan L.Rellon; and Rev. Father Christo-pher Segura, parish priest of St.Peter’s Parish, Mawab, Davaodel Norte. (Socorro R. Supino, DA11 Info Div)

For the 2nd District under Con-gressman Erbie A. Fabian, theprojects include concreting ofFMRs in barangays Mercedes,Sangali and Cabaluay.

Bucoy said the projects wereevaluated by a team composedof engineers, city local officials,representatives from nationalagencies and NGOs.

He said more agricultural-re-lated projects are in the pipelinefor implementation in ZamboangaCity.

He said the infrastructureprojects will have significant ben-efits as these will link the farmand fishing grounds to the mar-kets, and more importantlystimulate economic activities inrespective communities.

Altogether, the projects will en-hance agricultural and fisheryproductivity and increase the in-comes of small farmers andfisherfolk. (WPeñaflor/DA9)

9July 2011

The Department of Agriculturewill conduct two workshops onPublic-Private Partnership (PPP)program for its key officials andstaff to orient and enable themto craft proposed projects.

The first leg is set on August31 to September 2, 2011, at thePhilippine Center for PostharvestDevelopment and Mechanization(PhilMech), in Muñoz, NuevaEcija; and the second leg on Sep-tember 13-16, 2011, in Cebu.

The activity aims to familiarizeDA family officials and staff--par-ticularly planning and project de-velopment officers of regional fieldunits, bureaus and attachedagencies--on the concept andworkings of PPP program.

Among the workshop topicsare: PPP overview, legal frame-work, approval and procurementprocess, role of PPP Center, BOT-

The Department of Agriculturethrough the Philippine Centerfor Postharvest Developmentand Mechanization (DA-PHilMech) will establish onionstorage facilities in four prov-inces to reduce postharvestlosses and enable farmers toearn more profit.

The facilities, worth P1.5 mil-lion each, will be set up in NuevaEcija, Mindoro, Ilocos Norte andIlocos Sur, as instructed by Ag-riculture Secretrary ProcesoAlcala, according to DA-PHilMech director Ricardo L.Cachuela.

He said the facilities isfunded by the DA through theHigh Value Crops DevelopmentProgram (HVCDP).

The facility is a two-storey

open ‘hanger-type’ that canstore up to 3,000 bags of on-ions. It is a cheaper, yet reli-able alternative to cold storagefacilities.

Cachuela said PHilMech willtrain benef iciary-farmers’groups or cooperatives on howto operate and manage the fa-cilities in partnership with thehost local government units.

With the facility, farmerscould reduce postharvestlosses to a minimum of 5%.

Cachuela said under properstorage conditions, with theright temperature, onions canbe stored up eight months.

PHilMech will also identifyother provinces that couldhost similar facilities. (DA-PHilMech)

Various supermarket and farm-ers associations vow support tothe Department of Agriculture’scampaign to strengthen the lo-cal onion and agri-fishery indus-tries in the country.

Top officers of the PhilippineAssociation of Supermarkets Inc.(PASI), Philippine AmalgamatedSupermarkets Association, Inc.(PAG-ASA), Hotel and Restau-rant Association of the Philip-pines (HRAP), Rustan’s Super-market, and the Katipunan ngmga Samahang Magsisi-buyasng Nueva Ecija (KASAMNE) saidthey are behind Agriculture Sec-retary Proceso J. Alcala’s thruststo “nationalize” the onion andagri-fishery industries, during ameeting on July 18 at the DAcentral office in Quezon City.

The meeting was facilitated bythe DA’s Agribusiness and Mar-keting Assistance Service(AMAS) under Director LeandroH. Gazmin, and attended byother DA attached agencies.

During the meeting, Steven Cuaof PAGASA suggested the DAshould establish a central depotor distribution hub where smallsupermarkets can get their sup-ply of local onions and other agri-fishery products.

Ms. Lolet Fernandez of PASIsaid they prefer selling organicagricultural products, althoughthey presently sell both local andimported produce. She was re-quested to provide data or listdown organic products she ispresently selling to help her

Supermarkets support DA’s local onion campaign

touch-base with suppliers.Eugene Yap of HRAP has

committed to provide the DAwith the list of ingredients itsmembers are commonly usingin their menu, to give the depart-ment an idea of what their mem-bers need.

He also suggested the DAproduce informational materialslike videos detailing farmers’planting and harvesting prac-tices for people to appreciatewhat goes into each agriculturalproduct.

For their part, members ofKASAMNE committed to en-sure sustainable supply of on-ions and agri-fishery products,saying Nueva Ecija farmers are

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (center) points to smuggled onions confiscatedby the DA-Bureau of Plant Industry, Bureau of Customs (BOC) andonion farmers’ groups during a meeting with onion industry stake-holders, July 7, at the DA national office in Quezon City. Also inphoto are (from left) DA-Agribusiness and Marketing AssistanceService Dir. Leandro Gazmin, DA Undersecretary for policy andplanning Segfredo Serrano, BPI Director Clarito Barron, NuevaEcija Rep. Josefina M. Joson, BOC intelligence dir. FilomenoVillavicencio, and BOC lawyer Eliseo Martinez.

P6-M onion storage facilitiesto rise in 4 provinces

presently training to produce yel-low granex onions during the off-season.

Secretary Alcala said the DAis capacitating farmers to pro-duce off-season yellow onionsbeginning August, which is ex-pected for harvest between Oc-tober and November, to meet theexpected increase in demand forthe Christmas season.

He said AMAS is presentlydesigning a project for the estab-lishment of a central depot to re-spond to buyers’ small volume re-quirements, and match buyers’requirements with suppliers un-der a direct market linkage pro-gram.

Sec. Alcala said the DA will also

promote the production of local‘Pekin’ duck.

Meanwhile, he commendedBOC Commissioner AngelitoAlvarez on their successful sei-zure of 4,000 bags of importedred onions worth P3.5 million,under its Customs Oplan Sagip-Agri (COSA) project.

The COSA project is meantto ensure that imported productspreviously cleared by the BOCunder anomalous circum-stances are recovered and theguilty parties penalized.

Alcala said he will support theimplementation of the COSAproject nationwide to protect Fili-pino farmers and fisherfolk, in-cluding the general public.

DA to conduct PPP workshopsIRR update, PPP models, casestudies on BOT variants, govern-ment-private counterparting, andDA PPP Initiatives, among oth-ers.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoAlcala said “the DA alone can-not achieve the Aquinogovernment’s goal of food secu-rity and sufficiency. That’s whywe are ready and willing to part-ner with the private sector andother interested investorsthrough the PPP, and take usto that goal.”

Under the PPP, the privatesector is encouraged to investin the construction, operationand maintenance of infrastruc-ture and development projectsnormally undertaken by govern-ment. Subsequently, they will beafforded adequate incentives andtax perks.

10

lamang ang kailangan natingangkatin, ngunit pinasobrahan panila ito ng isang milyongtonelada. Dahil nga sobra-sobraang inangkat, kinailangan panating gumastos muli sa mgabodegang pagtatambakan langnaman ng barko-barkong bigas.

“Ilang taon bang walang saysayna pinasobrahan ang bigas nainaangkat? Dahil dito, umiral angpag-iisip na habambuhay natayong aangkat ng bigas. Angakala ng marami, wala na talagatayong magagawa,” the Presidentadded.

But in one year’s time, thePresident said government hasproved its detractors and scep-tics wrong.

“Ngayon, ang dating 1.3 millionmetric tons na kakulangan natinsa bigas, halos nangalahati na;660,000 metric tons na lang poang kailangan nating angkatin.Kahit dagdagan pa natin iyan ngpanangga laban sa sakuna atgawing 860,000 metric tons—naginagawa na nga po natin—masmababa pa rin ito sa tinatayangtaunang kakulangan na 1.3 mil-lion metric tons,” he said.

The President cited the effortsof the DA in increasing rice pro-ductivity:

“At hindi po buwenas lang angnangyaring pag-angat ng atingrice productivity. Bunga po ito ngmatinong pamamalakad.”

He attributed the gains to theuse of the most effective typesof seedlings, and careful and ef-ficient spending on irrigation.

He said the DA through theNational Irrigation Administration(NIA) has irrigated an additionalnew areas, totaling 11,611 hect-ares; and repaired non-functionalirrigation systems that made212,000 hectares productiveagain.

SONA Agri Tech’l ReportBelow are some of the major

achievements of the DA, as partof the SONA technical report:

• The agriculture, fishing, andforestry sector grew by 4.2% inthe first quarter of 2011--from anegative growth of 1.08% in thefirst quarter of 2010.

• Palay production increasedto 4.04 million metric tons (MT)in the 1st Quarter 2011, 15.6%higher than the 3.49 million MTin the same period in 2010.

• Average harvest per hectareis estimated to reach 3.8 MT ofpalay, for the 1st semester of2011, 4.3% more than the 3.64MT per hectare in 2010.

• Farmer’s profit per hectareincreased by 4% to P14,782 forthe 1st semester 2011, fromP14,159 last year.

• Palay output increased dueto: expansion in harvested ar-eas; availability of irrigation wa-ter and services; and aggressiveimplementation of the DA’sRapid Seed Supply FinancingProject, which distributes highquality seeds to qualified palayfarmers.

• Rice imports dropped by80%, from 2.02 million MT (July2009 to June 2010) to 386,243MT (July 2010 to June 2011).

For entire 2010, imports to-taled 2.38 million MT versus thisyear’s 860,000 (200,000 MT bygovernment, and 660,000 MT bythe private sector).

Rice imports next year areprojected to decline further de-cline to 500,000 MT (100,000 MTby government and 400,000 MTby the private sector).

• NFA has bought P7.64-bil-lion worth of palay from Januaryto June 2011. It buys palay at amaximum of P17 per kilo.Other Projects • A total of 2,501 kilometers offarm-to-market roads (FMRs)

P-Noy lauds DA ... (from p1)

FAO cites Phl ... (from p1)

sufficiency in two to three yearstime.

“… Successful implementa-tion of irrigation system repairs,establishment of more post-har-vest facilities, and constructionof farm-to-market roads … arepart of an intensificationprogramme planned to take thePhilippines’ rice productionto17.46 mill ion tonnes thisyear…”

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala informed PresidentAquino of said favorableacknowledgement, and thankedFAO director-general JoseGraziano da Silva and FAO Rep-resentative in the Philippines,Kazuyuki Tsurumi.

He said: “On behalf of the Fili-pino people, particularly farmersand fisherfolk, and PresidentBenigno S. Aquino III, we at theDepartment of Agriculture ex-tend our sincerest gratitude tothe Food and Agriculture Orga-nization for recognizing our ef-forts to boost palay (unmilledrice) production and achieve self-

Several countries, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, thePhilippines, Malawi, Nigeria and Senegal, are now boosting do-mestic food production as their strategic response to high foodprices. For example, the Government of the Philippines, whichused to be the world’s largest rice importer, is seeking to achieverice self-sufficiency by 2013. The government is intending to cutimports from more than two million tonnes last year to less thanone million this year following the launch of an intensified pro-duction programme that is expected to result in a 15 percentincrease in the summer harvest and achieve self-sufficiency intwo to three years’ time.

Local palay rice production for the first half of the year is set toreach more than 7.6 million tonnes due to the expansion in har-vested area and an increase in average yields from 3.6 tonnesper hectare last year to 3.8 tonnes per hectare in 2011. Suc-cessful implementation of irrigation system repairs, establish-ment of more post-harvest facilities, and construction of farm-to-market roads particularly in Mindanao, southern Philippines, arepart of an intensification programme planned to take the Philip-pines’ rice production to 17.46 million tonnes this year.

The Philippines played a major role in the Green Revolution. In1960 IR8, the hybrid rice variety that was to end recurrent fam-ines in many parts of Asia, was developed at the InternationalRice Research Institute, established by the Philippines govern-ment and the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations in Los Baños.With the new, high-yielding variety, rice production quicklydoubled in the country and it became a net exporter. But subse-quent production increases failed to keep pace with demandfrom a fast-growing population. By 1990, the country was im-porting 600,000 tonnes, of which by 2008 had grown to 2.5 mil-lion tonnes. -- FAO 2011 World Food Day leaflet

BOOSTING DOMESTIC PRODUCTION:THE CASE OF THE PHILIPPINES

were completed from July 2010to May 2011. Of these, 1,814 kmswere funded by DA, and 687 kmsunder locally-funded and foreign-assisted projects. • The DA through PhilMech hascompleted 65 agriculturaltramlines from July 2010 to June2011, and 42 more will be com-pleted by December 2011.Tramlines cut transport cost offarm products by half and reducehauling time from several hoursto just a few minutes.

• The DA has also put up thefollowing postharvest and market-ing facilities:

- 13 corn post harvest tradingcenters;

- 187 food terminals from July2010 to April 2011, benefiting1,155 small farmers and fishers,and providing affordable basicfood commodities to 457,859households;

- 1,342 organic fertilizercomposting facilities;

- 56 flatbed dryers;- 4 cold chain facilities; and- 10 village-type corn post-har-

vest facilities; 31 units are to becompleted by end of 2011.

Above is the cover of the 8-pageFAO leaflet to promote the cel-ebration of World Food Day(WFD) on October 16, 2011.At right is the section (page 7 ofleaflet) citing the country’s effortsto boost palay production andachieve rice sufficiency by 2013.The leaflet is distributed world-wide and dowloadable at FAOwebsite: www.fao.org.

(Pls turn to p12)

11July 2011

Sec. ‘Procy’ Alcala (3rd from left) inspects the scale model of theBenguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) during a consul-tation with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP),July 18, 2011, in Quezon City. The facility features modern pro-cessing plant and cold storage, commercial areas, warehousesand post harvest facilities. It is expected to benefit thousands offarmers in Benguet and nearby provinces. With Sec. Alcala (fromleft) are: APTC Director Ariel Mañalac, DAP VP Arnel Abanto,DA Undersecretary Claron Alcantara, DA-Agribusiness and Mar-keting Assistance Service Dir. Leandro Gazmin, and DAP Pres.Antonio Kalaw Jr.

Farm machineroadshow ... (from p1)

scale irrigation projects that en-tails construction of a small wa-ter impounding project (SWIP),worth P5M, in Burgos; and repairof an irrigation system in Paoay,worth P5M.

The DA will also establish five‘hanger-type’ storage facilitiesfor garlic, onions, as well as to-bacco, in Badoc, and four othertowns in Ilocos Norte, totallingP6.5 million, at P1.3M each.

A P4-M worth municipal foodterminal will be constructed in thetown of Bacarra.

Other farm equipment andprojects distributed and commit-ted by the DA include the follow-ing:

• Fifteen pump and engine sets,totalling P1.17M;

•Cold storage facility for LaoagCity, P825,000;

• Various farm equipment(reaper, hand tractor, thresher)and registered rice seeds to vari-ous Irrigators Associations, total-ling P410,000;

• Livestock raising projects tofour 4-H Clubs, P330,000;

• College stipend and book al-lowance for13 agriculture student-scholars at MMSU, at P19,500each, totalling P253,500; and

• Scholarship grants (includingbook allowance and monthly sti-pend) to an additional batch of 20MMSU students, at leastP100,000 per student for a four-year course.

DA to revive ... (from p2)

The roadshow is spearheadedjointly by the DA-PhilMech, DArice, corn and high value cropsprogram directorates, and re-spective host DA regional offices(3, 6 and 12).

Members of the AgriculturalMachinery Manufacturers andDistributors Association, Inc.(AMMDA), and other farm ma-chinery and equipment manu-facturers and dealers, are in-vited to showcase their respec-tive products to prospective cli-enteles that irrigators’ and farm-ers’ associations (IAs andFAs), local government units,and other interested groups.

The roadshow aims to en-courage farmers to mechanizetheir operations — from landpreparation, production, har-vesting, processing to market-ing — to increase their produc-tivity and incomes.

The DA through its rice, cornand high value crops programprovides support to qualifiedfarmers’ groups and local gov-ernment units so they can ac-quire needed farm machinery orequipment throughcounterparting scheme.

For inquiries, please coordi-nate with PhilMech Ass’t. Dir.Arnel Apaga (09175660816) orAldrin Padua (09165350401); orat DA rice program secretariat,925-2152 or 920-0527 or 928-8762 loc 2418 or 2415.

ers in raising their income,” saiddirector Eleazar.

For his part, ICRISAT direct-tor-general and former DA secre-tary William Dar said “almost halfof our food supply comes fromrainfed areas. If these were de-veloped, they could contributemore, by up to 60 to 70 percent.”

The Philippines is predomi-nantly rainfed, where an esti-mated 20 million Filipino farmersreside, who are considered re-source-poor, said DirectorEleazar.

Farmers depend on rainfall fortheir water supply, hence theycould only plant rice once a year,limiting their farm productivity andincome.

“What we will do is to introduceto them other drought-resistantcrops or those that require lesswater,” added Eleazar.

These include root crops suchas sweet potato and cassava,and legumes like peanut,pigeonpea, chickpea, and sweetsorghum.

Sec. Alcala also supports theplanting of white corn and adlai(Job’s tears), a rice-like cropknown to be a staple of indig-enous peoples in Mindanao.

The importance of a rainfed ag-riculture program is expected tointensify due to the manifestationof climate change which poses athreat of reduction of water sup-

DA allots P20M ... (from p5)

Sec. Alcala (inset, top left ) addresses more than 300 graduates ofvarious agriculture-related courses at the 82nd commencementexercises of the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture(CBSUA), in Pili, Camarines Sur. He said the Aquino governmentthrough the DA will implement sustainable agriculture and fisheryprograms to increase the productivity and incomes of small farm-ers and fisherfolk. At top right, he is joined at the processional, byCamarines Sur 3rd district representative Luis R. Villafuerte (left)and CBSUA president Att y. Marito T. Bernales. (DA-RAFID 5)

Erratum/Editor’s Note: We apologize for miscaptioning thephoto below that appeared in our April 2011 issue. The correctcaption should read:

ply for agriculture along with in-creasing temperature or hotterclimate.

Eleazar said PhiRARDEP willalso include organic and sus-tainable agriculture technologieslike composting, biogas tech-nology, and liquid fertilizer pro-duction.

He said PhiRARDEP aims toreplicate a watershed programof ICRISAT that is successfullyimplemented in a 464-hectareAdarsha Watershed, Kothapallyin India.

Despite absence of water orsurface water sources like riv-ers, Kothapally has become aproductive farming village.

Through a watershed ap-proach that harnesses rainwa-ter in check dams, sunken pits,and mini percolating tanks, farm-ers in Adarsha Watershed areable to plant various crops likecorn, sorghum, and pigeonpea.

As Adarsha’s dams rechargethe groundwater, the dams be-come sources of water that irri-gate a total of 160 hectares.

Eleazar said the DA-BAR isalso funding Community BasedWatershed Management(CBWM), a rainwater harvestingtechnique, in Tarlac, Bulacan,Ilocos Sur and Bohol.

CBWM is a strategy to im-prove livelihood of upland farm-ers and prevent erosion. (DA-BAR)

P11.5-M Swine Breeding Facility to Rise in Quezon. To serve assource of quality swine breeders and piglets, the DA will construct aP11.5-million 100-sow level breeding and farrowing facility at theDA-Region 4A research station inTiaong, Quezon. It is one of theinitiatives under the Aquino government’s Agri-Pinoy livestock pro-gram, coordinated and funded by the DA-Livestock DevelopmentCouncil (LDC). Above, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala (4th

from left) leads the cornerstone-laying ceremony at the swine breed-ing farm site. Joining him (from left) are: DA-Region 4A DirectorAbelardo Bragas, Quezon Governor David Suarez, Quezon 2nd Dis-trict Representative Irvin Alcala, LDC Director Manuel Jarmin, andBureau of Animal Industry Dir. Efren Nuestro.

Major supermarkets, hotelsand restaurants recently commit-ted to support government’s callto patronize, sell and use localagriculture and fishery products,and thus support Filipino farmersand their families.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the private sector’scommitment will provide themuch-needed boost to promotelocal farm products versus im-ported ones, and subsequentlyencourage Filipino farmers to pro-duce more and earn sustainableincomes.

The commitment was a resultof a DA-initiated meeting heldJuly 18, called and chaired bySec. Alcala, to arrest the influxof imported farm products, par-ticularly onions in public marketsand supermarkets.

The meeting was attended byofficials and representatives ofthe Philippine Association of Su-permarkets Inc. (PASI), Philip-pine Amalgamated Supermar-kets Association, Inc. (PAG-ASA), Hotel and Restaurant As-sociation of the Philippines(HRAP), Rustan’s Supermarket,and a farmers’ group, Katipunanng mga SamahangMagsisibuyas ng Nueva Ecija(KASAMNE).

They said they are behind Sec-retary Alcala’s thrust to promote,sell and use Filipino farm and fish-ery products.

Sec. Alcala said the DA-AMASwill establish a central depot ordistribution hub where small su-permarkets could buy their regu-lar stocks of various agri-fisheryproducts, including onions.

He made the commitment inresponse to the suggestion ofSteven Cua of PAGASA.

For her part, Ms. LoletFernandez of PASI said they pre-fer selling organic agriculturalproducts.

She was requested her to pro-vide a list of organic products

Supermarkets, restaurants support DAto sell, use local agri products

which the DA will refer to inter-ested suppliers, farmers’ groupsand producers.

Also, Eugene Yap of HRAPcommitted to provide the DAwith the list of farm and fisheryproducts and ingredients thathotels and restaurants requireand consume, which farmers’groups could supply on a regu-larly basis.

For its part, KASAMNE com-mitted to ensure a sustainablesupply of onions. Its memberswill soon produce off-season yel-low granex onions.

These will be planted begin-ning August, and could be har-vested by October through No-vember to meet the demandduring the Christmas season.

Sec. Alcala said the DA willspearhead a program to revivethe country’s garlic industry.

He said the agency will alsopromote the production of local‘pekin duck’ to supply the re-quirements of Chinese restau-rants.

Sec. Alcala commended Cus-toms Commissioner AngelitoAlvarez on their successful sei-zure of 4,000 bags of importedred onions worth P3.5 million.

The initiative was part of the

Farmer’s Contact Center“Ang Inyong Kaagapay sa Usaping Agrikultura”

Call: 1800-10-982AGRI (or 1800-10-9822474)-for provincial toll-free calls 02-982-AGRI (or 982-2474)-for Metro Manila 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for mobile callsText: 391DA (or 391-32) for Smart and Talk ‘N Text subscribers 0920-946AGRI (0920-9462474) for Globe, TM and Sun Cellular subscribersEmail: info@e-extension.gov.ph

For the Nutrient Manager for Rice (NMRiceMobile): Call 2378 for Globe SubscribersFor Market Information: www.afmis.da.gov.phOfficial Website: www.da.gov.ph, www.e-extension.gov.ph

production of 1.559 million tons.Governor Espino said

Pangasinan will be of great helpto the national government’srice-sufficiency program, espe-cially if the national leadershipincludes Pangasinan’s irrigationprogram among its priority infra-structure projects.

For his part, Batalla said theprovincial government is encour-aging farmers’ cooperatives topool their resources to be ableto put up similar facilities in theirrespective areas.

A cluster of at least three orfour cooperatives can generate

Alcala eyes higher ... (from p3)

particularly PhilMaize and Na-tional Corn Board.

During the workshop, Dr. ArtSalazar of the UPLB Institute ofPlant Breeding reported that histeam will propose a white cornfeeding program for possible DAfunding.

He said the IPB has previ-ously piloted a successful whitecorn feeding program, involvingdozens of public elementaryschool children in Los Baños,Laguna.

He would like the DA to adoptand replicate said initiative inpartnership with the Departmentof Education, as schoolchildrenfed with 30 percent white corngrits and 70 percent rice be-came healthier and weighedheavier after a 100-day feedingprogram.

For his part, Butch Umenganof the National Corn Board saidthey will also propose a relatedproject for DA funding, wherewhite corn flour will be mixedwith wheat at 25:75 ratio to pro-duce ‘corn de sal.’ He said theyintend to undertake this pioneer-ing paroject in partnership withthe IPB and Julie’s bakeshop.

Salazar and Umengan saidtheir respective proposedprojects are in tandem with theDA’s campaign to promote theincreased production and con-sumption of white corn, whichis a component of thegovernment’s food staple suffi-ciency program.

Other than rice, the DA in-tends to convince the consum-ing public nationwide to serveand eat more traditional and nu-tritious staples like white corngrits, cardaba (saba), cassava(kamoteng kahoy), sweet potato(kamote), taro (gabi), and job’stears (adlai).

DA-NFA to buy ... (from p3)

sufficiency by 2013.”Sec. Alcala said such initia-

tives form part of “our contribu-tions to stabilize global food sup-ply and prices this year and be-yond.”

He also thanked the FAO forits valuable assistance throughthe years on implementing vari-ous joint projects and programsto improve the productivity andincomes of small Filipino farm-ers, fishers, ruralfolk and theirrespective families, and ulti-mately reduce hunger and mal-nutrition.

“Allow us therefore to continu-ously count on the FAO as oneof our strong partners as we striveto make the Philippines sufficientin rice, staples, and other majorfarm and fishery products,” Sec.Alcala said.

Customs Oplan Sagip-Agri(COSA) project to confiscate pre-viously ‘cleared’ imported prod-ucts and penalize erring import-ers.

Sec. Alcala enjoined the BOCto vigorously implement COSAnationwide.

a substantial fund that could beaugmented by the provincial gov-ernment through its public-privatepartnership program to put up amodern rice-processing plant,Batalla said. (Business Mirror /DA)

FAO cites Phl ... (from p10)