DA, PCA work hand in hand for Typhoon Pablo victims The Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Coconut Authority launched a two week training entitled “Training of Farmers and Technicians for the Production and Utilization of Biological Control Agents and Organic Fertilizer.” These trainings were conducted in three typhoon stricken municipalities of Davao Oriental particularly Cateel, Boston and Baganga. DA officers stressed the need to practice organic farming under the Organic Act of 2010 to address chemical spraying, which significantly harms people’s health and the environment. “This act is not for the President, not for Secretary Alcala but for all of us,” said Percy Basil Prosiano, DA officer. The agency also reminded the participants to stop burning trees as this also harms the environment and worsens the effect of typhoons. In addition, the Department called for the establishment of a local governing board to monitor and facilitate the proper compliance to the act. Likewise, PCA-XI, CETC and DRC trained the coconut farmers on Rhinoceros Beetle control, including such measures as production and use of
Participants from Cateel carefully observe the steps on how to mass produce the Green Muscardine Fungus (GMF)
Green Muscardine Fungus (GMF) and Pheromone trap installation. The participants visited damaged coconut areas to see the possible breeding sites of Rhino beetles. As the coconut debris rot after six months, the trainers stressed the importance of acting early to prevent infestation.
DavOr Gov. Malanyaon grateful to PCA Davao Oriental Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon visited the PCA Southern Mindanao Region XI office to personally thank Administrator Euclides G. Forbes and PCA Governing Board members Cesar C. Villariba Jr., Marcos M. Dumandaan and Rafael P. Sarucam, for the agency’s immediate response to the needs of her province. Despite the damage caused by typhoon Pablo to their coconut areas, Governor Malanyaon still wants Davao Oriental to be a leading coconut producing province. She also revealed her plan to maximize the spaces not hit by Typhoon Pablo in the province by planting oil palm. Oil palm is an attractive industry due to the growing number of investors in the Philippines. Governor Malanyaon cited the Indonesian food unit of First Pacific Co. Ltd. as a possible investor. The company plans to establish a 30,000-hectare oil palm plantation in Mindanao, eyeing Davao Oriental as a potential site. “It’s not about doing away with coconuts. The oil palm’s short gestation period will compensate for the yet unproductive years of our newly-planted and rehabilitated coconut farms,” Governor Malanyaon said. To strengthen the rehabilitation efforts of the province, Admin Forbes signed the MOA to transfer
“It’s not about doing away with coconuts. The oil palm’s short gestation period will compensate for the yet unproductive years of our newly-planted and rehabilitated coconut farms,” and ship the Coir/Coconut Fiberboard Facility from the PCA-Zamboanga Research Center to the Provincial Government of Davao Oriental. Furthermore, OIC Rex Buac revealed that PCA Region XI will establish “Bantay-Dangan” teams in Typhoon Pablo devastated areas of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. The “Bantay-Dangan” is a community-based management of pests where farmers themselves are the pest scouts in their respective areas. To further mobilize the community, a bounty system will also be launched. For every adult beetle collected, P1.00 will be paid and for the larva, P0.50. The orientation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) trainers and the launching of the bounty system are scheduled on July 16-19, 2013 in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley and Baganga, Davao Oriental.
CocoScope Apr-Jun 2013
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