Vol. XXVII No. 7 A monthly publication of the Department of Agriculture July 2012

(Pls turn to p2)

President Benigno S. AquinoIII, in his 3rd State of the NationAddress (SONA), has cited theachievements of the agriculturesector and the Department of Ag-riculture, under the leadership ofSecretary Proceso J. Alcala.

“Kung paglago po ang usapan,nasa tuktok ng listahan angagrikultura. Kayod-kalabaw po siSecretary Alcala upangmakapaghatid ng mabubutingbalita (When it comes to growthand development, agriculture isat the top of our priorities. Sec-retary Alcala has been workingnon-stop to deliver us goodnews),” President Aquino said.

He also noted the DA chief hasvisited all the provinces of thecountry, 80 in all, to deliver vari-ous projects and initiatives of theagriculture department for thebenefit of small farmers, fishersand ruralfolk.

”All of these hardwork and per-severance have resulted to a de-crease in rice imports, from a to-

P-Noy cites DA chief,good agri performance

tal of 2.47 million metric tons(MT) in 2010 to only 500,000million MT this year, which trans-lates to a P24.7-billion decreasein debt incurred by the NationalFood Authority,” the Presidentadded.

The current rice inventory in-cludes a buffer stock, which canbe used during calamities.

Also, the ongoing participationof private entities in rice tradehas gained for the governmenta total of P4.2B in additional rev-enues.

The President also remainspositive that the rice self-suffi-ciency target will be achievedbefore the end of 2013.

Aquino gov’t proposes P2-T 2013 budget,DA gets P74.1-B allotment

“After rice, our next focus is toachieve self-sufficiency in veg-etables.”

Thus, declared AgricultureSecretary Proceso J. Alcala dur-ing the 10th National VegetableCongress in Butuan City, at-tended by 1,000 farmers, localgovernment officials and veg-etable industry stakeholders andexhibitors.

He said the DA through itsHigh Value Crops DevelopmentProgram (HVCDP) aims to in-crease the country’s current suf-ficiency level in vegetables, from65 percent (%) to 100% and be-yond, within the medium-term or2016.

He said the country’s veg-etable per capita consumption isestimated at 40 kilograms (kg),which is equivalent to an annualrequirement of 3.8 million metrictons of vegetables of roughly 95million Filipinos. Such consump-tion level is just one-fourth of therecommended dietary require-ment of 146 kg per year, accord-ing to the World Health Organi-zation.

Further, the DA chief urged thevegetable congress participantsto forge marketing agreementswith institutional buyers and con-sumers, and thereafter plan theirrespective production and har-vest schedules for each com-modity. This should be done toobtain reasonable prof it andmore importantly avoid oversup-ply and sudden drop in prices.

In this regard, he cited initialefforts of the DA to meet withmajor vegetable traders fromDivisoria wholesale market inMetro Manila to determine theirvegetable supply and demandrequirements, which will be re-layed to farmers’ cooperativesand groups for them to scheduletheir production, harvest anddelivery operations.

The consultation will be con-ducted regularly and forms partof the intensified program of theDA through its Agribusiness andMarketing Assistance Service(AMAS) and HVCDP to matchand directly link farmers’ groupswith wholesale market tradersand institutional buyers, with theaim of providing producers andsellers comfortable profit, as wellas consumers with regular sup-ply of reasonably-priced, safeand quality vegetables.

Further, he said the DA is iden-tifying other alternative or expan-sion areas that are less vulner-able to flooding and drought thatcould produce vegetables year-round or during off-season in tra-

DA aims for veggie sufficiency

Secretary Alcala (2nd from right) leads the ribbon-cutting ceremonyto open the 10th National Vegetable Congress in Butuan City, July24, 2012, attended by 1,000 farmers, local government officialsand vegetable industry stakeholders and exhibitors. Joining him(from left) are Agusan del Norte 2nd District Rep. Ma. AngelicaRosedell Amante-Matba, DA-CARAGA Dir. Edna Mabeza, PhlVegetable Industry Dev’t Board chair Marcelino Remotigue,Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., and RAFC Ass’n ofthe Phl President Edgardo Codilla.

The Department of Agricul-ture is finalizing a medium-term nationwide rural develop-ment program, called the Phil-ippine Rural DevelopmentProgram (PRDP), which it willsubmit for funding to theWorld Bank within the year.

Secretary Alcala said thePRDP will initially cover six re-gions (4A, 4B, 5, 6, 7 and 8)in Luzon and Visayas, and allprovinces covered under the

The Department of Agriculture,along with the departments of for-eign affairs (DFA), and trade andindustry (DTI), and the privatesector recently teamed up andformed a trade mission early thismonth to explore new export mar-kets for fresh Philippine bananas.

The group conducted severalbusiness matching meetings withprospective buyers and importersin the Middle East and Europe,spanning one week in early July.

The trade mission was com-posed of officers of the Pilipino Ba-nana Growers and Exporters’ As-sociation (PBGEA) and MindanaoBanana Farmers’ and Exporters’Association (MBFEA) which metwith potential buyers in Dubai,United Arab Emirates, Iraq; and

Gov’t, industry players team up to open new banana export martsin Rome, Italy, and Brussels, Bel-gium.

As a result of the trade mission,DA-AMAS Director LeandroGazmin said Kuwait and Iraqhave made initial orders.

For his part, DTI-BETP Direc-tor Senen Peralta said that inDubai the mission has rekindledbusiness relationships with po-tential Middle East buyers.

In Rome, matching sessionswith potential buyers also re-sulted in a trial shipment of Phil-ippine bananas to Italy, Peraltasaid.

Business matching meetingswere also conducted with officialsof Euro Gijbels NV and UnivegNV (in Belgium), and De GrootInt’l. BV and Fyffes BV (in the (Pls turn to p11) (Pls turn to p11)

A day after his 3 rd SONA,President Aquino submitted toCongress a proposed P2.006-

trillion budget for 2013, which hedubbed as an ‘empowermentbudget,’ to further drive up stron-ger economic growth in the nextfiscal year.

“The expenditure program isconsistent with our macroeco-nomic and fiscal aspiration forthe next fiscal year and in themedium-term. Above that, thisbudget is a crucial step in our

DA proposes $627-MPhl rural dev’t program

(Pls turn to p4)

continuing pursuit of good gov-ernance — governance that willgive our impoverished country-men the opportunity to lift them-selves out of their situations;governance that will ensure thatthis country moves forward to-gether,” President Aquino said inhis ‘Budget Message’.

“This is why we have crafted abudget of empowerment,” thePresident added.

Budget and Management Sec-retary Florencio B. Abad said the2013 budget intends to sustainthe fiscal momentum set in 2011and 2012 to ensure long-termand sustainable growth in thecountry.

Of the total P2-T proposedbudget, the Department of Agri-culture is allotted P74.1 billion(B), 20.6% more than this year’sbudget of P61.4B. It ranks 5th

among the top 10 governmentagencies with large allocations.

The bulk of the DA budget willgo to irrigation, with P27.3B, asthe National Irrigation Adminis-

ditional farming areas likeBenguet, Nueva Ecija andBulacan.

This year, the DA through theHVCDP has allotted P643 mil-lion, or about one-half of theprogram’s total P1.3-billion bud-get, to undertake several initia-tives to sustain and hasten thedevelopment of the country’svegetable industry. A similar bud-get is proposed next year.

During the vegetable congress— spearheaded by the Philip-pine Vegetable Industry Devel-opment Board (PVIDB) andCaraga High Value VegetableCluster, Inc. — Secretary Alcalaresponded favorably to 10 reso-lutions presented by PVIDB chairMarcelino Remotigue.

Among these are: implemen-tation or enforcement of phyto-sanitary quarantine procedureson imported vegetables; crafingof a vegetable credit program, inconsultation with the PVIDB, pat-terned after the pilot ‘Sikat-Saka’for rice implemented in four prov-inces by the DA in partnershipwith the Land Bank of the Philip-pines; and implementation of acomprehensive vegetable pro-duction and marketing trainingprogram in partnership with thePVIDB, University of the Philip-pines at Los Banos, and DA Re-gional Field Units, AgriculturalTraining Institute, HVCDP andAMAS.

In line with the resolution to es-tablish technology demonstra-tion farms that will produce or-ganic vegetables in strategic ar-eas nationwide, the DA chief in-stead urged the PVIDB and in-terested farmers’ groups to en-gage in commercial scale pro-

duction. Thereafter, he said theDA will provide appropriate tech-nical and marketing support.

Secretary Alcala also askedthe PVIDB to discuss with theDA-AMAS on the group’s pro-posal to establish vegetable trad-ing centers in the country. Hesaid one major vegetable trad-ing center will soon rise inBenguet. Other farm trading cen-ters will be established by the DAin Luzon, Visayas andMindanao.

The DA will also consider theproposal to conduct a regularproduction and marketing surveyof major and high value crops atthe regional level, in partnershipwith the PVIDB, DA-RFUs andthe Bureau of Agricultural Statis-tics.

Finally, the DA will continu-ously support the yearly conductof the national vegetable con-gress, allotting at least P500,000for the purpose, and the conductof PVIDB quarterly meetings.

Netherlands), who signified inter-est to buy Philippine bananas,and plan to visit the country’sbanana plantations in Septemberthis year.

Another prospective new buyerof Philippine banana is Kurdistan— an oil- and gas-rich autono-mous region in Iraq — said DAAgricultural Attache Gil Hericoand DTI Commercial AttacheJojie Dinsay.

The members of the trade mis-sion held a post-event meeting,July 16, in Davao City, and dis-cussed strategies to firm up andsustain the export expansioncampaign. It was attended by DTIAssistant Secretary RomuloManlapic, PBGEA executive di-

President Benigo S. Aquino III receives from Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala a copy of the government’s Food Staples SufficiencyProgram policy document, at the ‘Makina-Saka 2012,’ World TradeCenter, in Pasay City, attended by 2,000 farmers, local governmentofficials, and farm machinery manufacturers and distributors.

Secretary Alcala (middle, top photo) announces that the Depart-ment of Agriculture will propose to the World Bank (WB) a $627-M Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP), during a July31 press briefing, at the DA-BSWM, in Quezon City, as part of the8th WB review mission, attended by DA and WB officials, Mindanaolocal officials, and project beneficiaries (below). Also shown (fromleft) are MRDP Director Lealyn Ramos, WB officials FelizardoVirtucio and Carolina Figueroa-Geron, and AusAID Philippinesgovernance adviser Sam Chittick.

2 11July 2012

Editorial

Writers: Adora D. Rodriguez, Arlhene S. Carro, Bethzaida N. Bustamante,Catherine N. Nanta

Contributors: DA-RFU Info Officers, Public Info Officers of DA Bureaus,Attached Agencies & Corporations, MRDP & other Foreign-Assisted Projects

Photographers: Jose Lucas, Alan Jay Jacalan & Kathrino ResurreccionLay-out Artist: Bethzaida Bustamante and Almi Adeli Q. ErlanoPrinting & Circulation: Teresita Abejar & PCES Staff

Editor-In-Chief : Noel O. ReyesAssociate Editors: Cheryl C. Suarez & Adora D. Rodriguez

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.

P-Noy cites DA chief ... (from p1)

Nitong buwan ng Hulyo, sa dalawang pagkakataon, pinuri niPangulong ‘Noynoy’ Aquino ang Kagawaran ng Pagsasaka atsi Kalihim Procy Alcala.

Una, noong ika-5 ng Hulyo, sa kanyang pagdalo sa 2012Makina-Saka at paglunsad ng Food Staples Sufficiency Pro-gram (FSSP), sa World Trade Center, Pasay City, sabi niya:

“Kung may isa pong sektor na talagang sumasalamin kunggaano kaepektibo ang ating krusada sa tuwid na daan, ito ayating sektor ng agrikultura, sa pangunguna ng Kagawaran ngPagsasaka.”

“Talaga naman pong sa pamumuno ng ating Kalihim ProcesoAlcala, ngayon ang DA ay bukal ng mabubuting balita.”

“Taos puso po tayong nagpapasalamat sa mga magsasaka,mangingisda, at lahat ng kawani ng Department of Agriculturesa kanilang hindi matatawarang dedikasyon upangpagyamanin ang pambansang agrikultura.”

Pangalawa, noong ika-23 ng Hulyo sa kanyang State of theNation o SONA, aniya:

“Kung paglago po ang usapan, nasa tuktok ng listahan angagrikultura. Kayod-kalabaw po si Secretary Alcala upangmakapaghatid ng mabubuting balita.”

“Binisita po niya ang lahat ng probinsya, hindi paramangampanya sa sarili pero, para ikampanya ang programang Department of Agriculture.”

“Hindi po ba’t noon, pinaniwala tayo na 1.3 million metrictons ang kakulangan sa bigas, at para tugunan ito, ‘di bababasa two million metric tons ang kanilang inangkat noong 2010…nang unang taon pa lang, napababa na natin sa 860,000 met-ric tons.”

“Ngayong taon, 500,000 na lang, kasama pa ang buffersakaling abutin tayo ng bagyo.”

“Huwag lang po tayong pagsungitan ng panahon, harinawa,sa susunod na taon ay puwede na tayong mag-export ngbigas.”

Sa mga pagkakataong pinuri ni P-Noy si Sec, marami angnagsasabi na ‘mabangong-mabango at malapit’ ang kalihimsa Pangulo. Payo pa nga sa kanya ni Cong. Salvador H.Escudero III, na dati na ring nagsilbing kalihim ng DA, gamitinang kanyang ‘lakas’ at ‘lambing’ kay Pangulong Aquino upanghigit na maisulong ang pambansang sektor ng sakahan atpangisdaan.

At ‘yon nga mismo ang ginagawa ni Sec Procy.Sa katunayan, buong-buo ang suporta ni P-Noy sa ating

proposed 2013 budget na nagkakahalagang P74.1 bilyon -mas mataas ng 20 porsiyento sa ating kasalukuyang budgetna P61.4B.

Nawa’y ang naturang budget ay buong-buo ring suportahanng ating mga Senador at Kongresista upang ating tuluyangmaabot ang kasapatan sa bigas at pangunahing pagkain sasusunod na mga taon.

Mahal na Pangulong Noynoy, maraming-maraming salamatpo!

”Huwag lang po tayongpagsungitan ng panahon,harinawa, sa susunod na taon aypwede na tayong mag-export ngbigas,” he said.

The President said, as perSecretary Alcala, the key to thesuccess of government’s na-tional rice program is a feasibleirrigation program and the as-siduous implementation of thecertified seeds program.

Aside from the notable accom-plishment in the rice sector,President Aquino emphasizedthat the local coconut industryhas been contributing consis-tently to the government’s cof-fers.

For instance, he said coconutwater, once considered as awaste product, is now a promis-ing enterprise for the Filipino co-

conut farmers. Exports of cocowater have increased to a stag-gering 16.7 million liters worth$15M in 2011, from a measly483,800 liters in 2009.

President Aquino also men-tioned coco coir, another coco-nut by-product, which is pro-cessed into geo-textiles and ex-ported to other countries as anerosion-control material. DAthrough the Philippine CoconutAuthority will allot funds to buycoco coir processing machines.

The said government has al-located P1.75 billion to invest in,and develop, the country’s coco-nut sector. In addition, the DA-PCA has earmarked more thanP500 million for its massive co-conut planting and replantingprogram, and an additional P336million for fertilization program.

Maraming salamat po!

Secretary Alcala and DA top officials during the National Man-agement Committee meeting, at Siargao Islands, Surigao del Norte,July 11 to 13, 2012.

To usher in his third year in of-f ice, Agriculture SecretaryProceso J. Alcala urged top DAofficials to continue exerting ef-forts to attain rice sufficiency byend of 2013, and other goalsunder the Aquinoadministration’s Food StaplesSufficiency Program (FSSP).

With the rice sufficiency goalalready in sight, Alcala asked DAofficials to work harder and de-liver more results, during the 3rd

quarterly DA national manage-

SPJA urges DA officials to sustain effortsto attain rice, food sufficiency

ment committee (ManCom)meeting, July 11 to 13, 2012, inSiargao Islands, Surigao delNorte.

“May isa at kalahating taon nalamang tayo para kamtin angating minimithing kasapatan sapagkain. Abot-tanaw na natinang ating nais marating. Kayahigit nating kailangan angpuspusan at sama-samangpagkilos,” said Secretary Alcala.

During the ManCom meeting,he also took stock of other DA

(Pls turn to p11)DA, DOST collaboration. Secretary Alcala (inset) assures participants and guests at the recent2012 National Science and Technology Week that the DA and Department of Science and Technology(DOST) are working closely together so that the discoveries and inventions of Filipino scientists areeffectively used to increase the productivity and incomes of farmers and fisherfolk, and other ruraland agribusiness entrepreneurs, and contribute to attain food sufficiency and security. Held on July10, at SMX Mall of Asia, Pasay City, the event was keynoted by Senator Loren Legarda (left, frontrow), who lauded Secretary Alcala and DOST Secretary Mario Montejo (beside her) for their renewedcollaborative and convergence efforts to enhance the country’s agriculture, fisheries, and sciencesectors. Also shown is Agham Party List Rep. Angelo Palmones.

Gov’t ... (from p 12)

rector Stephen Antig, MBFEA of-ficers, and DA Region VII Direc-tor Constancio Maghanoy, Jr.

During the meeting, thePBGEA and MBFEA sought theassistance of the DA to help themcontrol the raging Sigatoka dis-ease in several small bananaplantations.

Sigatoka, also known as blackleaf streak, is a fungal diseasethat causes drying of leaves andpremature ripening of fruits, thusreducing fruit harvest by 50 % ormore.

Regional Director Maghanoysaid the DA will provide neededassistance to contain the dis-ease.

The two industry groups alsoproposed to include banana ingovernment’s school feeding pro-gram, as it provides nutrition toschoolchildren.

The PGEA and MBFEA, alongwith the DA and DTI officials alsoagreed to meet with officials ofmajor shipping lines to discussthe possibility of lowering ship-ping and freight costs to makePhilippine bananas competitivein export markets. (Socorro R.Supiño, DA-Region VII Info Div)

farmers’ groups so they couldproperly synchronize their pro-duction, harvest and deliveryschedules.

For instance, the traders saidthere is currently an oversupplyof tomatoes, which is unusual, asJuly and August are traditionallylean months, being rainy months.Off-season tomatoes mainlycome from Cagayan de Oro inMindanao. However, this year,farmers in Laguna, Batangasand Nueva Ecija planted toma-toes and are now supplyingDivisoria.

Aside from tomatoes, Divisoriatraders said there is also an ex-cess supply of garlic, and a tightsupply of onions.

Delima said there is a need tostrengthen the coordination andcommunication between farmersand traders, to synchronize pro-duction and harvest schedulesand maintain a stable supply andreasonable prices.

He said the DA will help linkfarmers’ groups directly with trad-ers, and they should decide whattype and volume of vegetablesto plant year-round, and sched-ule their harvest and delivery tothe markets. (Catherine Nanta)

DA, traders ... (from p3)

DA proposes ... (from p1)For his part WB team leader

Felizardo Virtucio said theMRDP2 has successfullypartnered with the LGUs inMindanao in establishingneeded rural infrastructure andother community livelihoodprojects, which has encouragedthe DA under Secretary Alcala topropose a similar program tocover other poor farming andfishing communities in Luzonand Visayas.

“We will apply in PRDP every-thing that was good about theMRDP, and will fill in the inad-equacies of the MRDP,” saidSecretary Alcala.

Among other accomplish-ments, the MRDP was able toincrease the average incomes ofproject beneficiaries to 16.7 per-cent (%), which is about 10 per-centage points more than thetargeted increase of only 7%, theDA chief added.

An ‘upscale’ version of theMRDP, the proposed PRDP aimsto increase the agricultural andfishery productivity and incomesof small farmers and fisherfolk

accomplishments during the firsttwo years under the Aquino ad-ministration.

He thanked President Aquinofor his full support, particularly inendorsing a bigger budget thisyear and in 2013 to achievegovernment’s rice and food suf-ficiency targets and other goalsunder the FSSP.

This year, the DA has an ap-proved budget of P61.4 billion,including attached agencies andcorporations. Next year, it pro-poses a P72-B budget.

A feat in itself, the DA chief hasvisited all of the country’s 80provinces in a span of 24 monthssince July 2010, endearing him-self with tens of thousands ofsmall farmers, fisherfolk, otherruralfolk, indigenous peoples,and local officials, from Batanesto Tawi-Tawi.

During the ManCom meeting,he also urged DA officials to re-main trustful and upright in de-livering needed assistance andservices to farmers, fishers andother stakeholders, so they couldfully benefit from and activelyparticipate in DA initiatives andprograms, and together moregoals could beachieved.

“Ang naipundar natingpagtitiwala nila sa Kagawaran aygawin nating puhunan paralalong pasiglahin ang kanilangpaglahok sa ating mga

SPJA urges ... (from p2)

through the establishment ofneeded infrastructure that in-clude farm-to-market roads(FMRs), bridges, communal irri-gation systems (CIS), and po-table water systems, amongother rural infrastructure.

Secretary Alcala said when thePRDP program documents arefinalized these will be submittedto the National Economic Devel-opment Authority (NEDA) Board,chaired by President Aquino, forapproval. Thereafter, the Philip-pine government will submit it tothe WB for a program loan.

Secretary Alcala said theywish to start implementing theproject by August next year. Theprogram will run for six years.

During the WB mission meet-ing and press briefing, SecretaryAlcala also thanked the Austra-lian Agency for International De-velopment (AusAID) for provid-ing a $3-M grant to the MRDP2to enhance the capabilities ofMindanao LGUs to package andimplement agri-fishery, infra-structure and livelihood projects.

To date, the MRDP seeks atwo-year extension, as its imple-mentation was delayed. Its ex-tension is yet to be approved andendorsed by the NEDA Board tothe WB.

programa. Siguraduhin natingang ating mga pinangako ayating ipinatupad. Sa gayon,lalong hihigit pa ang sama-samanating kayang abutin,” the DAchief said.

Secretary Alcala also issuedthe following orders:

• Obligate all remaining fundsunder the 2012 budget on or be-

fore September 2012, and there-after prepare planned projectsand activities to be funded in2013;

• Exert efforts to fully imple-ment the respective regional andagency ‘catch-up’ plans; and

• Determine specific targetsand commitments for each re-gion, agency and national com-

modity programs. These will bepresented and discussed in suc-ceeding meetings that will beconvened in the next threemonths, in preparation for therespective presentation and de-fense of the proposed DA bud-get at the House of Representa-tives and Senate of the Philip-pines.

July 201210 3

(Pls turn to p11)

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala has called on the con-tinued support of farmers’groups, local government offi-cials and the private sector toattain the major goals under theFood Staples Sufficiency Pro-gram (FSSP).

He made the call at the launchof the FSSP policy document,July 5, 2012, during the Makina-Saka 2012 or 2nd Agri MachineryRoadshow, attended by about2,000 members of Irrigators’ As-sociations (IAs), Small Water Im-pounding System Associations(SWISAs), Agricultural and Fish-ery Councils (AFCs), and localgovernment officials, at theWorld Trade Center, in PasayCity.

In particular, Secretary Alcalaurged the IAs and SWISAs tojoin efforts with the Departmentof Agriculture and the National Ir-rigation Administration (NIA) toensure that funds for irrigationprojects are efficiently spent tohelp attain the rice sufficiencytargets under the FSSP.

The FSSP is the Aquinogovernment’s banner programaimed at attaining sufficiency inrice and major staples, increas-ing the productivity and incomesof small farmers and fisherfolk,empowering farming and fishingcommunities, and making thecountry’s agricultural and fisherysector globally competitive.

Secretary Alcala presented acopy of the FSSP document toPresident Aquino on July 5,which served as one of the high-lights of Makina-Saka 2012.

Secretary Alcala (left) leads the groundbreaking of a P200-mil-lion DA Fisheries Building Complex, July 6, as part of the 65th

anniversary celebration of the Bureau of Fisheries and AquaticResources (BFAR), at the Bureau of Plant Industry compound,Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. The complex will feature three four-storey buildings — one each for the DA-BFAR, Philippine Fisher-ies Development Authority (PFDA), and National Fisheries Re-search and Development Institute (NFRDI) — and a two-storeyfishery laboratory building. Also shown (from left) are NFRDI di-rector Melchor Tayamen, PFDA general manager Eduardo Chu,and BFAR director Asis Perez.

SPJA seeks farmers’ supportto attain rice, food sufficiency

In his keynote speech, thePresident commended the DAand Secretary Alcala for suc-cessfully reducing rice importsfrom a high of 2.4 million metrictons in 2010 to only 500,000 MTthis year, and sustaining produc-tion efforts to attain sufficiencyby end of 2013.

Secretary Alcala said barringadverse weather disturbances inthe succeeding months of 2012,the country may attain its produc-tion target of 18.46 million MT,which would be a record harvest.Subsequently, the country wouldimport less next year, at 100,000MT or lower.

He said the DA is also prepar-ing to start exporting rice, particu-larly upland, fancy and aromaticvarieties, next year to othercountries.

During the four-day Makina-Saka 2012 the farmer-leaders ofIAs, SWISAs and AFCs pre-sented respective major issuesand concerns to SecretaryAlcala, Assistant Secretary andnational rice program coordina-tor Dante Delima, and DA-NIAAdministrator Antonio Nangel.

One consensus is that the DAand NIA will fully support the cre-ation of a national federation ofIAs that will represent tens ofthousands of farmer-members.

With a national IA federation,Assistant Secretary Delima saidthe DA and NIA will be able tofacilitate the provision of neededlogistics and equipment needs,including institutional and capac-ity-building assistance, to thou-sands of IAs nationwide.

DA, DENR chiefs lead nationwide tree planting. Aslead convenors of the National Greening Program (NGP), Secre-tary Alcala (left) and Environment and Natural Resources Secre-tary Ramon Paje plant a yakal tree seedling, July 14, 2012, at theUniversity of the Philippines, Diliman campus. The activity, dubbedas “Alay ng Kapatiran sa Inang Kalikasan,” serves as one of thehighlights of the 66th anniversary celebration of the Beta SigmaFraternity, of which both are alumni members. On that day, otherBeta Sigmans in other parts of the country planted 170,000 treesnationwide.

The Department of Agriculturewill meet regularly with vegetabletraders as part of the agency’scontinuing efforts to stabilize thesupply and prices of vegetablesand other food commodities forthe benefit of both farmers andconsumers.

Assistant Secretary DanteDelima, who represented DASecretary Proceso J. Alcala, saidthe regular consultation withtraders would prevent both thetight and oversupply of veg-etables, and subsequent spikesor sudden drop in prices, at theexpense of consumers and pro-ducers.

Delima and other DA officialsmet with the officers and mem-bers of the Vegetable Importers,

DA assistant secretary Dante Delima (left) inspects some vegetablesduring a meeting with Divisoria-based Vegetable Importers, Ex-porters and Vendors Association of the Philippines (VIEVAP), July17, at the DA central office in Quezon City. DA will meet regularlywith the VIEVAP to help stabilize the supply and prices of veg-etables and other food commodities. Also shown (from left) areVIEVAP president Leah Cruz, DA technical adviser Teresa Saniano,and Land Bank of the Philippines board director Victor GerardoBulatao.

The national IA federation isset to convene and elect their na-tional officers in October.

During the main Makina-Sakaceremony on July 5, SecretaryAlcala and Science and Technol-ogy Secretary Mario Montejoforged a memorandum of under-standing to expand technical co-operation between the DA andDOST on research and develop-ment particularly on farm, fish-ery production, postharvest andmechanization initiatives.

The areas of cooperation in-clude agricultural engineering,post-harvest pest and diseasemanagement, mycotoxin preven-tion and food safety, food pro-cessing, agricultural economics,

agribusiness management, andbiotechnology.

The event also marked thelaunch of the Matuwid naD.A.A.N. or DA AccountabilityNetwork, a website within theexisting DA website(www.da.gov.ph), aimed to pro-mote transparency as it featuresrelevant information on the DA’svarious ongoing and completedagri-fishery infrastructure andprojects all over the country.

Also on July 5, a fashion showwas held to promote variousclothing apparel made of Philip-pine silk, piña fiber, and abaca,which was spearheaded by theDA’s Fiber Industry DevelopmentAuthority (FIDA).

DA, traders to meet regularlyto stabilize vegetable supply, prices

Exporters and Vendors Associa-tion of the Philippines (VIEVAP),led by Leah Cruz, on July 17, atthe DA central office in QuezonCity. The traders are based inDivisoria, Metro Manila’s largestdiversified wholesale market.

During the meeting, the twogroups discussed the currentsupply and prices of major veg-etables traded in Divisoria, andinitially agreed on strategies onhow to stabilize the supply andproduction of major vegetables.

With regular updates fromtraders on what vegetables areabundant or lacking, Delima saidthey would then relay the infor-mation to the respective DA re-gional offices and vegetable

World Trade Center-Manila.Cormel has since launched

another product -– duhat con-centrate, but its “sukang Iloko” isthe top money-maker.

Aside from local sales, it hasbeen exporting its vinegar to Ha-waii and Guam – where thou-sands of Ilocanos hack out a liv-ing – and has been shipping3,600 liters of vinegar to Hawaiiannually.

The company has been helpedby government agencies, par-ticularly the Department of Sci-ence and Technology and thestate-run Mariano Marcos StateUniversity in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

The company initially faced theuse of recycled rum and ginbottles which was not good interms of its product reputation.

With the help of DOST re-gional office in Ilocos Norte andMMSU, the firm was able to im-prove its operations, quality con

Sukang Iloko ... (from p5)

Aquino govt ... (from p1)tration (NIA) targets to build newsystems that will irrigate new ar-eas totalling 61,215 hectares(has), and repair existing sys-tems that will restore 42,219 hasand rehabilitate 112,699 has.

About P15B is earmarked fornational commodity programs,broken down as: P7.45B, forrice; P1.52B, corn; high valuecrops, P1.35B; livestock, P1B;and fisheries, P3.65B.

The DA’s organic agricultureprogram will get P927 million (M),while the establishment of trad-ing centers is allotted P885M.

The DA in partnership with lo-cal government units will con-struct P7-B worth of 750 kilome-ters of farm-to-market roads thatwill link production communitieswith trading posts for faster tradeand speedier investment returnsto farmers and fisherfolk.

On a per bureau/agency basis,aside from the NIA, the Bureau

creases for DA—together withthe Administration’s focus on ourgrain and crop programs—should help the agency meet thetargets set for it next year, as wellas enable the Administration tocombat hunger and poverty inthe long-term,” Abad said.

The other top agencies withtheir respective budget are: De-partment of Education(P292.7B), DPWH (P152.9B),

• agri-fisheries production data, demand & supply and price trends• alternative markets for your agricultural products• technologies that could improve your agricultural products and be competitive in the local and foreign markets• directory of buyers/sellers of agri products• better investment opportunities• market outlets/trading centers for agri-fishery products• market assistance and advisory services• farmers’ and fishers’ success stories

Visit AFMIS Website @ http://afmis.da.gov.phto get updated information on .....

The MDC is composed of Information Technology Center for Agriculture andFisheries (ITCAF); Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), Ag-riculture and Fisheries Information Service (AFIS), Bureau of Agricultural Sta-tistics (BAS); and National Agricultural and Fishery Council (NAFC).

Agriculture and Fisheries Market Information System (AFMIS) is a web-basedsystem that integrates various information resources of the Market Develop-ment Cluster (MDC) agencies into a single data base and application system. Itcaters to the needs of farmers/fisherfolk, traders, and other users of marketinformation.

trol and product image.This has resulted in the acqui-

sition of more presentable pack-aging materials in the form ofnew bottles, plastic jugs and la-bels.

This was followed by totaloverhaul of the company’s facili-ties with the installation of stain-less steel tanks, earthen jars,plastic barrels and crates, and fil-tration agents.

The company also receivedmarketing assistance throughparticipation in regional tradefairs.

Meanwhile, the DA’s SugarRegulatory Administration haspackaged a fast, easy-to-followand cost effective technology onmaking vinegar.

This technology producesnaturally fermented sugarcanevinegar from sugarcane juice injust two weeks. (PNA)

DND (P121.6B), DILG(P121.1B), DOH (P56.8 B),DSWD (P56.2B), DOTC(P37.1B), DOF (P33.2B), andDENR (P23.7B).

The proposed 2013 budget is10.5% or P190 billion more thanthe current year’s budget, andrepresents 16.8% of thecountry’s projected gross do-mestic product (GDP). The pro-posed budget targets a highereconomic growth of 6 to7%.(DBM, DA)

of Fisheries and Aquatic Re-sources (BFAR) will receiveP4.65B, followed by NationalFood Authority with P4.25B, Phil-ippine Coconut Authority(P1.75B), and Philippine CropInsurance Corporation (P1.18B),and Agricultural Credit PolicyCouncil (P1B).

“With heftier budgetary sup-port, the DA is better-positionedto bridge the domestic supplywith the growing demand forfood, especially for rice, corn,f ish, and coconut. Thedepartment’s increased budgetwill also go towards fixing irriga-tion systems, providing access tocredit and safety nets, and in-vesting in farm-to-market roadsand post-harvest technologies,”Abad said.

“We’re planting the seeds offood self-sufficiency so that wewon’t have to rely on imports bythe end of 2013. The budget in-

DA5 hosts nat’l BAC meetingcum training on geo-tagging

The Department of AgricultureNational Bids and Awards Com-mittee Association (DA-NBACA)recently held its 2nd quartermeeting cum training on Geo-Tagging of DA sub-projects atVilla Caceres Hotel in Naga City,with more than 30 participantsfrom all over the country.

DA-NBACA National PresidentJoyce S. Wendam said, asidefrom sharing new developmentsin the agency’s BAC policies, theparticipants were briefed on howgeo-tagging works, and moreimportantly how it is used to pre-

vent 'ghost' projects, or avoidoverlapping or duplicatingprojects.

They also learned from Engr.Samuel Belamide, consultant ofMRDP2, that geo-tagging canmake monitoring and evaluationof projects easier and more effi-cient.

For his part, Regional Execu-tive Director Jose V. Dayao saidthe training on geo-tagging willenhance the capability of DA staffin evaluating proposals, monitor-ing projects and in obtaining fastand accurate data. (DA-RAFID5)

9July 20124

The Department ofAgriculture’s Mindanao RuralDevelopment Program 2 (DA-MRDP2) is confident that it couldgarner another positive ratingfrom the World Bank (WB) interms of meeting targets and ac-complishments.

“We are confident that we canmaintain our satisfactory rating,because we have achieved alittle over our targets set for thereview mission,” said MRDP2and concurrent DA-Region X di-rector Lealyn A. Ramos.

DA-MRDP seeks to maintain WB’s positive ratingThe Vegetable Industry Coun-

cil of Southern Mindanao(VICSMIN) will host the 8thMindanao Vegetable Congresson August 13-14 at Grand MenSeng Hotel, in Davao City.

The event is supported by theDepartment of Agriculture, alongwith the USAID’s Growth withEquity in Mindanao Program(GEM3), Davao CityAgriculturist’s Office, and theUniversity of the PhilippinesMindanao.

Expected to attend are hun-dreds of small farmers, veg-etable producers, vegetable sup-ply chain players, and govern-ment and other support organi-zations, not only from Mindanao,but also from other parts of thecountry.

With the theme “ImprovedMarket Accessibility: Key to Pov-erty Alleviation,” the congressaims to encourage farmers to im-prove their production of qualityvegetables, schedule their plant-ing and harvest schedules, andforge direct marketing agree-ments.

It will also serve as a venue toshare the best practices in veg-etable production and marketing,and agri-entrepreneurship; de-termine market opportunities out-side Mindanao; link directly withthe markets and institutionalbuyers in viable markets; en-hance existing partnerships

VICSMIN hosts veggie congress

Given the right quality seedsand technology, farmers candouble their harvest of uplandrice to four tons per hectare.

This was relayed by expertsfrom the DA’s Philippine RiceResearch Institute, who servedas resource persons during therecent regional stakeholdersUpland Rice DevelopmentProgram (URDP) in Ipil,Zamboanga Sibugay, attendedby 40 farmers and otherparticipants.

Ruben B. Miranda of PhilRice,and concurrent National URDPleader, said given quality seeds,proper technology andassistance, marginal upland ricefarms can increase their averageyield to 4 to 4.5 metric tons perhectare (MT/ha), from the currentmeasly yield of 1.5 to 2.0 MT/ha.

Farmers canproduce 4MT/haof upland rice

among stakeholders of the veg-etable industry in Mindanao;generate funds to support the in-stitutional strengthening andmarket development activities ofVICSMIN; and discuss major is-sues like food safety, and con-solidate other support organiza-tions, and fragmented farmers’groups.

The WB is currently conduct-ing its 8th review and implemen-tation support mission, July 31to August 10, 2012, at the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Man-agement, in Quezon City.

Ramos said that with the fullsupport of Secretary Alcala, theMRDP2 has increased its perfor-mance in terms of disbursementto 42%, as of July 27, 2012,which is 17 percentage pointsmore than five months ago.

The implementation of MRDP2projects picked up when Secre-

tary Alcala favorably intervened,with the DA shouldering 40% ofthe LGU’s counterpart for everyrural infrastructure project fromthe previous 50%. Hence, theLGUs now share only 10% of thecost of every infrastructureproject such as FMR or CIS as acounterpart or equity, said Direc-tor Ramos.

“We are aiming to achieve atleast 60% disbursement thisyear, and it would not be diffi-cult to reach that target providedwe are able to sustain our imple-mentation momentum,” sheadded.

MRDP deputy director Arnel deMesa said they have success-fully implemented variousprojects and initiatives under theprogram’s three major compo-nents, namely: Rural Infrastruc-ture (RI), Community Fund forAgricultural Development(CFAD), and Natural ResourcesManagement (NRM).

To date, the MRDP2 has com-pleted P887.4-M worth of ruralinfrastructure. These include365.96 kilometers of FMRs,128.6 linear meters of bridges;dozens of communal irrigationsystems, servicing a total of 508hectares, 24 potable waters sys-tems, and 10 units of other in-frastructure facilities.

Under CFAD, MRDP2 hasfunded 2,046 projects, worthP539.55M, benefitting 133,227individuals. The projects includeproduction of crops, poultry andlivestock, high value crops, or-ganic farm products, marine fishand aquaculture, food process-ing and marketing, and smallsupport infrastructure like provi-sion of hanging bridges, foot-paths, water pumps, pumpboats, and fish landing, amongothers.

Under the NRM, the programhas completed 25 projects(P40.42M), with 40 on-going(P86.6M), and 25 projects(P40.9M) ready for implementa-tion. NRM projects include agro-forestry, river stabilization, man-grove rehabilitation, and fishsanctuary establishment.

Ramos said that in its previousreview mission in February thisyear, the WB gave the MRDP2a satisfactory rating due to ahigher disbursement rate andimplementation of sub-projects.

The DA-MRDP2 is imple-mented in 225 towns in all prov-inces in Mindanao. It has a totalfunding of US$123.9M, of which$83.75M is a loan from the WB,and the balance as counterpartfunds from the Philippine govern-

ment and partner or ‘enrolled’ lo-cal government units (LGUs) inMindanao.

During the WB mission’s July31 meeting, MRDP officials ledby Secretary Alcala thanked theAustralian Agency for Interna-tional Development (AusAID) forproviding a grant of $3M, whichwill fund the program’s variousgovernance reform initiatives.

A briefing on the proposedUS$627-M Philippine Rural De-velopment Program (PRDP) wasalso conducted to present itsmajor features, issues and con-cerns, and identify and agree onpreparatory actions to be under-taken to ensure the smooth andseamless transition from MRDP2to PRDP.

The WB team is composed oftask team leader Felizardo K.Virtucio; lead rural developmentspecialist Ms. Carolina Figueroa-Geron; institutional developmentspecialist Beula Maria Carmende La Pena; Rural Infra Engi-neer Mr. Crisanto Afable; socialdevelopment specialistLuningning Bondoc; NRM spe-cialist Gilbert Braganza; seniorprocurement specialist Noel Sta.Ines; and f inance specialistTomas Sta. Maria. (Sherwin B.Manual, DA-MRDP & CatherineNanta, DA-AFIS)

DA Chief urges concerted effort vs. coco pest. Secretary Alcala(inset, right) urges Batangas farmers and local government offi-cials (inset, left) to join hands with the Department of Agricultureand the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to effectively controlscale insects which have been infesting coconut trees in the prov-ince and adjoining areas, during a public consultation, on July 16,in Barangay Balele, Tanauan. He said the DA and the PCA willassist farmers to prune affected trees, treat them with recommendedchemicals, and implement preventive measures to avert the spreadof the pest. Further, the DA will provide affected farm families withlivelihood projects, while the PCA will give them coconut seedlingsto replace affected trees. Also shown at right is PCA AdministratorEuclides Forbes.

DA Chief opens P4.5-M Butuan City Irrigation Project.Secretary Alcala (3rd from left) leads the inauguration of a supple-mentary dam of a P4.5-million Tagulahi Communal Irrigation Sys-tem, in Sitio Doque, Barangay Taguibo, Butuan City, July 24, 2012.The Tagulahi CIS, undertaken by the DA’s National Irrigation Ad-ministration (NIA), will irrigate 100 hectares of rice farm, benefit-ing 130 farmer-members of the Taguibo Irrigators’ Association(IA). Joining him (from left) are NIA CARAGA Division ManagerMadante Ganotisi, NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel, Butuan CityMayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., DA-CARAGA Regional ExecutiveDirector Edna Mabeza, and Taguibo IA President Romy Lasco.

Miranda said some farmers inupland areas in NorthernMindanao or Region 10 haveshown that with improvedmanagement technologies, theywere able to increase the yieldof traditional varieties from 4.16to 6.5 MT/ha, and those ofmodern varieties from 3.13 to 6.7MT/ha.

Miranda said harvests aresignificant and would greatlycomplement the production inthe country’s lowland andirrigated areas.

He said the establishment ofCommunity-based Seed Banks(CSB) in strategic upland areaswill help solve the lack of seedproblem, utilization of qualityseeds, and accessibility ofseeds.

The DA through PhilRice andAgri-Pinoy National RiceProgram is undertaking theURDP to promote sustainablefarming systems and practices inupland farming communities,and help farmers increase theiryields and income. Also, it aimsto develop sustainable models oflocally organized and a viableseed production system.

He said the DA has organizedregional Agripinoy URDP teamsheaded by the DA RegionalDirector and representativesfrom concerned DA agencies,and other institutions like IRRI,DENR, DAR, DSWD, Landbank,SUCs, NGOs, NCIP, PLGUs,MLGUs, CLGUs and UplandFarmers’ Organizations (UFOs).(DA9 RAFID)

The Department of Agriculture(DA) family headed by SecretaryProceso J. Alcala expresses itsdeepest sympathy to the familyand loved ones of former Agri-

culture Secretary Roberto‘Bobot’ S. Sebastian for his un-timely demise.

”The Department is saddenedfor his loss and we wish that hisfamily, relatives, and friends willfind solace and strength in hismemories. We do share theirgrief , and our thoughts andprayers continue to be with themas they gradually overcome thismoment of grief,” SecretaryAlcala said.

Secretary Sebastian died onJuly 23, at the age of 69. Surviv-ing him are wife, Melba ErumRegis; and children, RommelPatton, June Genevieve andRobert Charles.

He was once a staunch figurein the Philippine banana indus-try, which opened him the oppor-tunity to serve in the government.

In 1992, President Fidel V.Ramos appointed Sebastian asDA chief, who introduced the KeyProduction Approach (KPA) thatbecame the basis in the formu-lation of the Medium-Term Agri-

Sec ‘Bobot’ bids adieucultural Development Plan(MTADP). The MTADP laid downthe foundation for the ascensionof the Philippine agriculture tomeet the challenge of compet-ing globally.

Sebastian served the DA from1992 to 1996. Thereafter, heserved as the country’s SpecialEnvoy for agriculture to theWorld Trade Organization.

Before his stint in the DA,Sebastian served as the presi-dent and chief executive officerof Verdant Ventures as well aspresident and chief operatingofficer of Marsman Estate Plan-tation, Inc., Nova Vista Manage-ment and Development Corp.and Tagnanan Estate.

He started out with the Philip-pine Packing Corp. (PPC), andmoved to manage the Marsmanbanana plantations from 1976 to1983 and later became its presi-dent.

He also served as president ofindustry groups like the PilipinoBanana Growers and ExportersAssociation (PBGEA), Confed-eration of Philippine ExportersFoundation, Inc. in Region 11,and Samahang Magsasaging ngDavao, Inc.

His remains were interred inDavao.

The late DA chief Roberto‘Bobot’ Sebastian (right) withformer President Fidel V. Ramos. current Mindanao Rural Devel-

opment Program Phase 2(MRDP2).

Secretary Alcala said thePRDP will be funded through a$500-M loan from the WorldBank (WB), which has alsobankrolled the MRDP2, a $120-M counterpart from the Philippinegovernment and beneficiary lo-cal government units (LGUs),and a $7-M grant from the Glo-bal Environment Facility (GEF).

He made the announcementduring a July 31 press briefing,at the DA-Bureau of Soils andWater Management, in QuezonCity, as part of the 8th WB reviewmission, from July 31 to August10.

He said the PRDP will be pat-terned after the f ive-yearMRDP2, which was also fundedby a $83.75-M WB loan, andabout $40-M worth of counter-part from the Philippine govern-ment, particularly from the DAand beneficiary-LGUs. MRDP isimplemented by the DA in part-nership with the ‘enrolled’ LGUsand project beneficiaries.

DA proposes ... (from p1)

(Pls turn to p11)

Modern ... (from p8)General Santos-Davao highway,as a possible tourist atttaction.

“We discussed this matter withthe Sarangani Governor MiguelRene Dominguez, and we madeinitial plans to turn the place intoa possible tourism destination,”Mayor Constantino said.

Dominguez said the provincialgovernment will continue to sup-port the project, especially on itsplanned expansion to other ar-eas.

He said they will help ensurethat it will become a model com-munity venture, not only for theprovince but for the entireMindanao.

In support of the project, theprovincial government and otherlocal stakeholders pledged topatronize the plant’s productsand services.

They also vowed to supportthe related initiatives aimed atmaking the dairy enterprise vi-able and sustainable, therebyproviding income for the farmersand proper nutrition for the chil-dren in the area.

Constantino, who heads theprovince’s League of Municipali-ties, said they are planning to en-list the area’s six other munici-palities to help promote theproject by sourcing their nutritionprogram’s milk requirementsfrom the dairy facility. (PNA)

5July 20128

Secretary Alcala leads the turnover of the P5.26-M worth of agri-fishery projects, machinery and equipment, as well as other farminputs to farmers’ and fisherfolk’s groups in Butuan City, on July24, 2012. The P4-M agricultural machinery and equipment grantincludes: a combine harvester, tractor, shredder and compostingequipment, vermin tea brewers, and P1.2-M worth of small irri-gation projects and equipment. Looking (from left) are: TaguiboIPM Irrigators’ Assxociation Inc. President Romy Lasco, ButuanCity Mayor Ferdinand Amante, Jr., and DA-NIA AdministratorAntonio Nangel.

Secretary Alcala (top photo) assures farmers, fisherfolk (bottom)and local government officials in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, thatthe Aquino administration through the DA will continue to provideneeded assistance to make the island sufficient in rice, white cornand other staples in two to three years’ time, during a farmers’ andfisherfolk’s forum, in the town of General Luna. Among thoseshown at the head table (from left) are General Luna Mayor JaimeRusillon, DA-CARAGA regional director Edna Mabeza, Surigaodel Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas, Governor SolMatugas, and DA-NIA Administrator Antonio Nangel.

The Department of Agriculture(DA) is allotting an initial P67million (M) to bankroll several ag-ricultural and fishery infrastruc-ture projects in Siargao Island,Surigao del Norte, to transformit into a sufficient producer ofrice, white corn, other staplecrops, vegetables and aquama-rine products.

Agriculture Secretary ProcesoJ. Alcala said the Aquino admin-istration through the DA will con-tinue to provide needed supportand assistance to empowerfarming and fishing communitiesin Siargao, and enable smallfarmers and fisherfolk increasetheir productivity, earn decentincomes, and subsequently up-lift their standard of living.

He said the DA will initially helpSiargao produce 100 percent (%)of its rice requirements in two tothree years’ time, during a July12 forum at General Luna town,attended by more than 1,000farmers, fisherfolk and local gov-ernment officials. To date, the is-land produces more than one-third or 37% of its rice require-ments.

To achieve the rice sufficiencytarget, Secretary Alcala said theDA through the National Irriga-tion Administration (NIA) will fundthis year the construction and re-habilitation of irrigation systems,amounting to P30-M. To comple-ment it, the DA through the na-tional rice program will also con-struct a P2-M community seedbank in Del Carmen town, pro-vide P1.5-M worth of various

DA allots P67-M assistancefor Siargao farmers, fisherfolk

farm machinery and equipmentand farm inputs, particularly reg-istered rice seeds for propaga-tion into certified seeds, and putup an organic fertilizer or vermin-composting facility, worthP540,000.

During the farmers’ andfisherfolk’s forum in GeneralLuna, the DA chief also commit-ted to validate prospective areaswhere small water impoundingsystems (SWIPs) or mini-damscould be constructed by the NIAor the Bureau of Soils and Wa-ter Management (BSWM).

He said the DA will also under-take five farm-to-market roads(FMR) projects in three towns(San Isidro, Del Carmen andDapa), worth P20-M, and estab-lish a 50-hectare coconut seednursery in Del Carmen, worthP9-M, through the Philippine Co-conut Authority (PCA).

For fisheries, the DA throughthe Bureau of Fisheries andAquatic Resources (BFAR) hasprovided fisherfolk groups withone motorized banca, 10 units of16-HP boat engines, and 20 gillnets, totaling P1-M.

The DA-BFAR will also iden-tify other potential marine sanc-tuaries, explore expansion areasfor seaweed production, andconduct training for fisherfolk-leaders and barangay officialsand deputize them as ‘fish war-dens’ who will apprehend illegalfishermen and poachers.

Siargao has a 5,000-hectaremangrove area, considered asthe largest in the country. Hence,

it is a rich fishing ground and amajor source of tuna, shrimps,lobsters, crabs, lobsters, andseaweeds, among other fish andmarine species.

The DA through the MindanaoRural Development Programalso provided P2-M worth of in-frastructure and livelihoodprojects for the town of Socorro.

A P1.5-M farmers’ trading cen-ter will also rise up in the town ofDel Carmen.

The DA chief also committedto establish a mini corn mill and

warehouse each in three towns(Pilar, Del Carmen and Socorro)to enhance the production andconsumption of white corn grits(or bigas-mais) as main staple.

Popularly known as the ‘surf-ing capital of the Philippines,’Siargao is composed of nine mu-nicipalities, namely: Burgos,Dapa, Del Carmen, GeneralLuna, San Benito, Pilar, SanIsidro, Santa Monica andSocorro. The province of Surigaodel Norte has 20 municipalitiesand one city.

The municipality of Malungon,in Sarangani province, is aimingto be the next dairy capital ofMindanao, with the opening of itsfirst modern milk processing fa-cility.

Malungon Mayor ReynaldoConstantino said they plan totransform the town’s dairy pro-duction program into a flagshipindustry, as a major source oflivelihood for ruralfolk, andsource of revenue for the localgovernment.

The facility commenced com-mercial operations this month, ayear after the project launch inJune 2011,with the dispersal of150 imported and four island-bred cows to 64 local farmers.

The facility is a component ofthe Sarangani Province Dairy

Modern milk facility rises in Sarangani

(Pls turn to p9)

Zone Project, initiated by LandO‘ Lakes Foundation Phils., Inc.(LOLPI), in partnership with theDA’s National Dairy Authority(NDA), provincial government ofSarangani, municipal govern-ment of Malungon, and theUnited States Department of Ag-riculture.

Constantino said the benefi-ciaries, mostly members of theB’laan tribe, were trained on ba-sic dairy skills and managementthrough a program conducted ata LOLPI field station.

The Saranggani governmentthen provided P2 million for theconstruction of the building as itscounterpart.

Project proponents also look atthe facility, located along the

“Ang gusto nating mangyari: Una, hindi na tayo aangkat ng hindikailangan. Ikalawa, ayaw na nating umasa sa pag-angkat.Ang isasaing ni Juan de la Cruz, dito ipupunla,dito aanihin, dito bibilhin.”

-His Excellency President Benigno S. Aquino IIIState of the Nation Address, July 25, 2011A year after, the DA has made

big strides that paved the way toreducing the country’s rice im-ports from a high of 2.4 millionmetric tons (MT) in 2010 to onlyone-fifth or 500,000 MT this year.

Had it not been for the strongtyphoons (‘Pedring’ and ‘Quiel’)that hit the country’s major riceproducing provinces in NorthernLuzon and Cagayan Valley dur-ing the 4th quarter last year, farm-ers could have harvested an ad-ditional one million MT of palay.

“Kung hindi tayo tinamaan ngmalalakas na bagyo noongnakaraang taon, maliit lamangsiguro ang ating inangkatngayon taon (if we were not hitby strong typhoons last year, wecould have imported less thisyear),” Sec. Proceso J. Alcalasaid.

Nevertheless, last year’s palayoutput totaled 16.68 million MT,which is still a record harvest.

This year, the DA is targetingto produce 18.46 million MT, andabout 20 million MT in 2013,which would make the country100 percent self-sufficient, saidSecretary Alcala.

The targets are contained inthe Aquino administration’s me-dium-term (2011-2016) FoodStaples Suff iciency Program(FSSP), which also promotes theincreased production and con-sumption of other traditionalstaples like white corn (bigas-mais), balinghoy (cassava),kamote(sweet potato) andsaba (cardava banana).

The FSSP also ad-v o c a t e sfor in-c r e a s e d

consumption of unpolished orbrown rice, which is more nutri-tious than white polished rice.

T h e program alsoencourages

the generalpublic to re-duce ricewastage, ass t u d i e s

show that each Filipino wastesan average of two tablespoonsof cooked rice daily. This isequivalent to nine grams ofmilled rice, or 300,000 MT of riceannually for a population of 94million. This wastage could feedan additional 2.6 million Filipinosin one year.

To bankroll theFSSP andother agricul-ture and fish-ery programs,the DA isprivileged toreceive an in-creased bud-get this yearof P61.4B.

T h eamount is be-ing spent andinvested judi-ciously inhigh-impactinterventionsthat includethe construc-tion, restora-tion and reha-

President Benigno S. Aquino III, accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, views theexhibits during the Makina Saka 2012 Agri-Machinery Roadshow at the Exhibit Hall, World TradeCenter, Pasay City on July 5, 2012. (Malacañang Photo Bureau / PCOO)

bilitation of irrigation systems;establishment of needed farmand f ishery production,postharvest and marketing facili-ties; provision of quality farm in-puts, machinery and equipment,planting materials and livestockand fishery species; and continu-ous conduct of research and ex-tension activities to encouragefarmers and fisherfolk adopt sus-tainable, modern production,postharvest, processing andmarketing technologies.

Another milestone that the DAhas achieved during the first twoyears under the Aquino admin-istration is that “we have restoredthe trust of the Filipino people aswe continuously reach out tosmall Filipino farmers andfisherfolk, including local govern-ment officials nationwide.”

In a span of 24 months, the DAchief has already visited all thecountry’s 80 provinces, a self-im-posed mission which has en-deared himself to tens of thou-sands of small, marginal farm-ers, fisherfolk and their familiesin far-flung areas.Photo by Sherwin Manual/MRDP

7 July 20126

Administrative Service

Information Service

Office of the Secretary Agri-Beat reporters

Sec Procy turned fifty-something lastJuly. To celebrate his birthday, the entireDA family kicked-off their shoes andpartied!

The Office of the President prepared a 51-page technical report,which served as basis for the SONA of President Aquino.

It features six sections, namely:1. Good Governance: Building a Culture of Accountable, Trans-

parent, and Participatory Governance2. Economic Development: Good Governance is Good Econom-

ics3. Human Development and Poverty Reduction for Inclusive

Growth4. Security, Justice and Peace: Building a Lasting Peace, a Just

Society, and a Secure Nation5. Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation6. Legislative-Executive Partnership

Highlights of the agriculture sector’s achievements were includedin section 2, pages 18-19, entitled ‘Pursuing Inclusive Growth An-chored on Job Creation,” which is herein reprinted:

2.2 Pursuing Inclusive Growth Anchored on Job CreationTo generate more jobs for the most number, the Administration

is promoting agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure.• Inclusive Agricultural Growth. The Administration has increased

investments in agriculture to achieve food sufficiency, raise farm-ers’ income, and make food accessible to all Filipinos. In 2012, thebudget for agriculture was increased by 51.3 percent to P53.3 bil-lion, the largest incremental budget increase.13 Following are thestrategies to achieve the goals in agriculture:

• Construction and rehabilitation of 2,142.47 km of farm-to-mar-ket roads (FMRs) as of 30 June 2012 out of the targeted 2,134.26km, which were funded under the CY 2010 Program. The con-struction and rehabilitation of all the projects under the CY 2011(661.79 km) and 699.29 km or about 70 percent out of the targeted1,000 km of FMRs for CY 2012 are ongoing.

• Building and rehabilitation of irrigation systems:

• NIA was able to carry out additional rehabilitation works be-yond the targeted areas without requiring additional budget. Res-toration works for the remaining damaged irrigation facilities aswell as the generation of the remaining balance for new areas to

be irrigated are currently ongoing.• In addition, the Department of Agriculture (DA) targets to con-

struct seven (7) Agri-Pinoy Trading Centers (APTCs) that shallconnect farmers and fisherfolk directly to the consumers to ad-dress unfavorable prices for small farmers and high prices of ag-ricultural products. These are in La Trinidad, Benguet; CabanatuanCity, Nueva Ecija; Urdaneta City, Pangasinan; Sagay City, NegrosOccidental; Sagbayan, Bohol; Kabacan, North Cotabato; andSariaya, Quezon.

• Investments in agriculture and other agricultural services andfarm inputs contributed to the following:

- 5.78 percent increase in palay production from 15,772,319metric tons (MT) in 2010 to 16,684,062 MT in 2011 and a 3.45percent increase from 7,577,209 MT in the first semester of 2011to 7,838,455 MT this 2012.

- Sixty-five (65) percent decline in rice importation in 2011, whichresulted in US$1.32 billion in foreign exchange savings as of May2012. It also contributed to a P25.8 billion decrease in NationalFood Authority’s (NFA) debt from P176.8 billion in June 2010 toP151.1 billion in June 2012. Increased participation of the privatesector in rice trade resulted in a P4.2 billion revenue to the gov-ernment.

- For 2012, government plans to further decrease rice importa-tion by 42 percent to 500,000 MT (380,000 MT for the privatesector and 120,000 for NFA).

• Government efforts to facilitate and promote coco water andcoco coir exports resulted in the following:

- 823 percent increase in the volume of coco water exports from1.81 million liters worth US$1.84 million in 2010 to 16.75 millionliters worth US$15.11 million in 2011.

- 39.15 percent increase in the quantity of coco coir exportsfrom 4.43 million kilograms (net) worth US$974,586 in 2010 to6.16 million kilograms (net) worth US$2.01 million in 2011.

- For 2013, government aims to invest a total of P1.75 billion tofurther develop the coconut industry.

‘Sukang Iloko’ now an exportitem to Guam and Hawaii

‘The 2012 SONA Technical Report’(Agri Accomplishments)

(Pls turn to p10)

A recent returnee to the me-tropolis was upbeat with a sou-venir item he was told he shouldbring home from the north of thecountry: Ilocos vinegar or betterknown as “sukang Iloko.”

It is a popular condiment inmany Ilocano kitchen. A mildbrown-colored acid, ‘sukangIloko’ has a wide range of indus-trial, medical, and domesticuses.

Vivencio, the Manila returnee,had been familiar with the other

vinegar varieties commerciallyavailable, but the souvenir giftwas something that gave him asense of wonder and pride inthings indigenous to his country.

He gathered that a Laoag City-based food firm, Cormel Foods,is producing high-quality ‘sukangIloko’ from sugarcane.

It is owned by AnthonyAbadilla, who has exhibited hisproducts at the InternationalFood Exhibition (IFEX), at the

Secretary Alcala (3rd from right) leads the capsule laying of the ‘Agri-Pinoy Seed Bank’ at a six-hectare Provincial Integrated Demonstra-tion Farm and Training Center, in Brgy. Canchoy, Del Carmen,Surigao del Norte. Joining him (from left) are Surigao del Norte Gov-ernor Sol Matugas, 1st District Rep. Francisco Matugas and DA-CARAGA regional director Edna Mabeza.

Planning Service FOS with Usec. Rudinas Office of the Asec. for Admin

with other DA bosses