by admin | Nov 17, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
The influx of business establishments, and the continuing progressive developments introduced by owners of existing business entities in Tagbilaran City and nearby municipalities, are viewed as products of good business climate brought about by better infrastructures such as water and power services.
This was the categorical statement issued by Atty. Jose Samonte who led the legal preparations for the consummation of the Joint Venture Agreement between the Province of Bohol and Salcon Industries in operating the former’s water and light utilities.
Samonte, who worked with the Gold Project of the USAID in 2000 revealed that the USAID took pride of the Provincial Government of Bohol’s Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with Salcon Industries because it became a model in the country.
Samonte said because of the JVA, many local government units have sought their help for the same purpose in their respective localities.
The agreement was very advantageous to the Provincial government of Bohol because, aside from receiving a windful amount of more than P150 million, the payment of the PPUD outstanding debt of P21 million by Salcon to Land bank, the province remains a part owner with 30 per cent interest of the two utilities.
The agreement liberated the province from the annual subsidy of around P20 million for the operation of the two public utilities Samonte stressed.
Also, the Province has received dividends of more than P50 million and it keeps coming considering that the JVA is now a progressive going concern.
The dividends and the amount supposedly allotted to subsidize the two utilities are now being used for other basic services, such as the construction and repairs of roads , ,medicines and health care services, and agriculture farm implements, among others.
The JVA which became a model, became the subject of research by the Ateneo Graduate School of Economics. (F. Dagohoy III )
by admin | Nov 10, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol November 9, (PIA)—The option for organic agriculture could be hard and tedious but, when done right, will produce the same harvest as that of the farms with chemical fertilizers, but puts premium on the environment.
Marissa Tuazon, of the Pambansang Kilusan nga mga Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) pointed out that in farms, the experience of lessening the use of chemical inputs in the farms to save a little on will always have ill effects on the harvest, so they would have to bombard inputs to produce.
This ultimately produces that vicious cycle that would be endlessly binding the farmers to inputs and fertilizers to be able to produce, of a failure in cropping happens, she explained.
We are into local developments in the towns, using the old ways, considering that we have proven it; an organic farmer is now able to harvest 150 cavans per hectare, which, according to Tuazon is equal to the harvest of a farm using chemical fertilizer.
Themselves striving to effect asset reforms in the farms, PAKISAMA starts from issues in social justice to social enterprises, are now into building agri-based social enterprises in Carmen Bohol.
The plan is to help farmers wane themselves from the shackles of inorganic farm inputs so that the investments can be saved for the family.
PAKISAMA as well as other organic agriculture advocates in Bohol, relentlessly push for the return to the adoption of the more environment friendly fertilizers and pesticides or herbicides to make a statement on helping the campaign for climate change mitigation.
It is always survival of the fittest, so when farmers use synthetic herbicides to weed the farm and pesticides to rid the farms of pests, much of the chemicals are retained in the food, which is eaten, or are being washed out during rains, contaminating other farms and the water systems.
Zen Darunday, member of the Bohol Nature Conservation Society (BONACONSO) and a key officer of the Bohol Initiators of Sustainable Agricultural Development (BISAD) shared research that showed that of the 60% of the greenhouse gasses come from agriculture.
These gasses include methane from rotten leaves and animal wastes, nitrous oxides from chemical fertilizers and other soil demineralizers.
She said nitrogen-based fertilizers are 300 times more potent in racking heat, contributing to the climate change.
With chemical fertilizers clearly contributing to climate change despite the fact that it also leads to serious pollution issues which compound environmental destruction, groups like BISAD, PAKISAMA, Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL) and BONACONSO push therefore, for a serious organic farming adoption in Bohol.
We need to make true to our adopted green-development agenda, this time, it should not just be a mouthed promise but translated to reality, they urged.
In the advent of ASEAN integration, Tuazon picks on the edge for organic products which would be highly competitive when products from other countries start to flood the local markets.
Organic agriculture is our economic edge, and this helps the environment, so this must be seriously implemented by Bohol, who professes to be a province whose development is guided by the considerations of a sustainable environment, the groups said. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Nov 10, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol November 9, (PIA)—Either Bohol goes for organic agriculture or it does not.
Organic agriculture advocates in Bohol slam the local implementation of the organic farming here noting that officials are doing a chacha.
Bohol Island State University’s (BISU) Professor Jose Travero, a revered organic farming initiator and known pillar of the Bohol Initiators of Sustainable Agricultural Development (BISAD) bemoaned the current state of the local implementation of the organic farming and agriculture.
Himself into keeping an organic farm and mentoring one that produces Bohol’s only organic papaya from a farm in Sagbayan, Travero picks on Bohol’s forward and backward as to its stand on organic agriculture, thus chacha.
Travero and the members of BISAD, also said they are wondering why Bohol promotes sustainable agriculture through the use of organic agriculture and yet be blunt in promoting hybrid rice.
Moreover, former BISAD executive director Zenaida Darunday, who is a staunch supporter of the move to really make Bohol genetically modified organism free (GMO-free) also added that the introduction of hybrid rice necessitates inorganic fertilizer inputs.
Salvio Makinano, another organic agriculture promoter, pointed out that he was hopeful Bohol would be true to the promise of organic farming promotion after the provincial government put up an annual organic agriculture budget of P1 million under Gov. Erico Aumentado.
By the following years, Bohol allocated under Governor Edgar Chatto some P3 million annual organic agriculture budget, Makinano added.
But, what have we got to show on organic farming? he asked.
He said much of the budget allocated for organic farming is going to research, which he claimed is never a production accomplishment.
“We already have an organic farming technology, so there is no need to do much more research,” professor Travero noted.
“In fact, what is needed is not research but implementation of the technology,” Travero, who teaches and models sustainable agriculture at the province’s only state university divulged.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel, he said even as he, along with BISAD hopes Bohol leadership could finally decide what to do with the move that can slowly wean Bohol farm from the burdens of environmentally destructive chemical fertilizers. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Nov 7, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
MARIBOJOC, Bohol – Several residents from the different barangays in this municipality heartily welcomed the community outreach program conducted by the Countryside Development Program-Purok Power Movement (CDP-PPM) of the provincial government of Bohol recently.
Some key local officials and people’s organizations from barangays Guiwanon, Punta Cruz and Bayacabac came as one and expressed their gratitude to Gov. Edgar M. Chatto and the movers of the CDP-PPM for coming to their barangays.
The CDP-PPM team conducted an orientation on the registration and accreditation of non-government organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in barangay Bayacabac last October 24. This accreditation is mandated by the Local Government Code of 1991 and is also supported and found in the provincial Ordinance C-001 and Ordinance 2012-032. The CDP-PPM team was joined in this activity by the 47th Infantry Battalion which is based in Tubigon as part of their orientation as a new partner of the program.
Emilia Roslinda, executive director of the Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations (BANGON) also supported the move of the provincial government of Bohol in its continued conduct of orientation on accreditation of CSOs in all municipalities in the province. This is to ensure the coordination between and among the CSOs and the government sector and must be aligned with the government programs for a unified and cohesive action for development.
After the orientation, employees from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office distributed items for feeding, fresh milk and solar lamps to several people’s organizations.
The whole day activity earned the respect and gratitude from the officials, residents-beneficiaries in the Barangay.
Guiwanon’s barangay secretary Genara Sanoy said that “gikalipay sa mga lumolopyo ang pagbisita sa taga-province ug pagtuman sa ilang saad nga manghatag ug solar lamps.” (the residents are very thankful of the visit made by the staff of the provincial government and fulfilled its promise of giving solar lamps.)
Ricardo Bagnoran, president of a fishermen people’s organization, also expressed his thanks to the CDP-PPM team. He said that “gikalipay namong tanang mananagat ang among nadawat.”(all the fishermen are happy of what we have received.) Bagnoran was even thankful that they were able to stay away from the “actions and deceptions of the leftist groups. We, the fishermen are happy that we have not joined them,” he added.
In behalf of his people, Lourdes Concepcion Tan-Endo, barangay captain of Punta Cruz also expressed her gratitude and gave assurance that the people of Punta Cruz will always support and always will be with the government.
Despite of this development, the Community Empowerment Resource Network (CERNET), an NGO which is based in Cebu City made a statement published earlier that it is not happy over what the provincial government is doing for its own Boholano constituents.
Liza Quirog, chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the CDP-PPM just laughed off the pronouncement made by this outsider NGO. According to a staff assigned to the Desk of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) they could not find CERNET as among the legitimate NGOs of the country. Under the law, SEC registration gives legal personality to a non government organization. This registration and accreditation requirements are also mandated in the Local Government Code and Provincial Ordinances. Efforts are being directed to get the official statement of SEC on the legality of CERNET’s operations. This NGO is also not accredited with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Bohol. The Provincial Ordinance also requires that any NGO based outside of the province must get accreditation first before it can conduct any activity in the province to safeguard the interests and security of the Boholano people.
Quirog said that the manifestation and verbal expression of the people of the barangays in Maribojoc, as mentioned earlier in this report, are proof enough that the people welcomes and supports the programs of the provincial government, especially the CDP-PPM since this is specifically implemented to address the socio-economic problems faced by all sectors of the community. She emphasized, however, that the governor is more than happy with the support and complementation extended by the registered and accredited NGOs and CSOs of the province for the achievement of its development goals.
As to the orientation of CSOs accreditation, Quirog emphasized that this is not just the provincial government’s decree but a national law. The accreditation process is given much emphasis now to avoid another Napoles scam scenario where bogus NGOs were allocated billions of pesos for ghost projects.
Medical missions and distribution of items to the farmers and fishermen might also be used as a pattern for bogus NGOs going to the communities so that they could “implement” projects for liquidation purposes of funds given by their donor agencies from abroad. (tltb)
by admin | Oct 31, 2015 | Headlines
Telstra, an Australian telco, plans to invest US$1B in a possible joint venture with conglomerate San Miguel Corporation. Telstra chief Andy Penn was quoted by The Australian that the telco giant may spend up to $US1 billion if it closes the deal with SMC. Foreign companies may own up to 40% equity in Philippine corporations.
Penn expects a great opportunity for Telstra in the Philippines because there are only two incumbents with services that could be improved. Telstra could provide a strong alternative to subscribers in the Philippines who have been clamoring for data services that are at par with western countries.
San Miguel Corporation will roll out its mobile data network through its telecommunications unit Bell Telecommunications.
Telstra has been present in the Philippines for more than six years through its call center operations. In 2013, the company launched its own directly operate call center in Makati.
EBITDA (Earnings before income tax, deprecation and amortizations) is relative strong for the incumbent players. Telstra is bullish on the prospects of the joint venture with SMC.
Penn was also quoted as saying that the services of the current players are “lousy“.
by admin | Oct 21, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
MANILA, October 20, (PIA)—Agriculture secretary Proceso Alcala reveals government plan to put up a good and strategic trading post in Bohol.
This is in line with the bid to elevate the agro-industry production here and create a local source for the demand for vegetables here.
The plan could also maximize high value commercial production in Bohol, especially that the highlands in Jagna, Duero and Sierra Bullones have proven to be good for vegetable farming.
But, with vegetables as easily damaging crops unsuitable for long storage and uncertain market connection, most farmers would rather not pant than waste these in the process of getting to the markets.
Alcala, who came to Bohol as guest of honor and speaker during the World Food day celebration in Bohol October 14, told Boholanos that about 50-60% of vegetables consumed here come from outside Bohol.
Many believe such is so because Boholanos do not see vegetable production as profitable without the proper market assistance and infrastructure set up.
“It is high time that we put up a good strategic trading post in Bohol,” Alcala announced during the jampacked crowd gathered at the Bohol Cultural Center.
Already a set up infrastructure technology during the previous administration, the trading post concept is a resurrection of the “bagsakan centers,” which then Agriculture secretary Artur Yap implemented in his term.
“We refuse to call it bagsakan anymore,” Alcala said, “because even before it could soar, it has already fallen,” he quipped, unmindful of the presence of the former aggie chief in the stage.
The Quezon born former congressman and now agriculture czar asserted that a trading post still uses the middlemen but regulates them so it levels the prices and facilitates the marketability of vegetables.
Here, with a trading post strategically located, a farmer owning 2-3 hectares can easily move up his economic status by sending their produce to the trading hub.
In his home in Sariaya Quezon, a farmer of 2-3 hectare farm have sent their produce to trading posts and are now silent millionaires.
“We will continue to help in making Bohol people’s lives better, the secretary” said. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
