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Mindanao Daily NEWS
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Producing quality corn remains as a challenge for the town, but the LGU-Claveria has carried on in implementing projects to support the municipality’s corn sector and has even surfaced as one of this year’s Corn Quality Awardees.
LGU Claveria named as one of the 2013 Corn Quality Awardees The Department of Agriculture (DA) lauds the outstanding contribution of the Local Government Unit of Claveria (LGU-Claveria) to the corn industry as they have been recently named as one of the 2013 Corn Quality Awardees under the municipal category throughout the nation. According to Municipal Considering that apAgriculturist (MA) Pat F. proximately 15-20% of the Dumaloan, the town has total volume of production allocated P2.8 million for accounted to post-harvest the 2010-2012 period as losses, especially during counterpart for different rainy seasons, MA Dumcorn-related projects imple- aloan explained that the mented by the DA and other LGU-Claveria under the helm of Mayor Redentor agencies. This amount, he add- N. Salvaleon has pursued ed, has assisted more than initiatives in materializing 10,000 farmers with a service projects to address such area of 10,000 hectares; re- challenge. sulting to an average yield of Major projects that were 8.63 metric tons per hectare. implemented to minimize
post-harvest losses among corn farmers, he detailed, include the establishment of a 40 tonners capacity Village Type Post-Harvest Processing Center and a 10 tonners capacity Corn Grains Center, both situated at Brgy. Patrocenio; and the 100 tonners capacity Corn Processing Complex at Brgy. Malagana. Other than the big projects, he further reported, that their office has also extended basic services to corn farmers such as the routinary conduct of soil analysis to help farmers in determining the right amount of fertilizers to apply
in their respective farms; the conduct of Farmers’ Field School and a Training on Trainors to properly equip corn farmers and technicians in any corn-related endeavors; the establishment of a demonstration farm for corn; the distribution of Open Pollinated Variety (OPV) and hybrid corn seeds, among others. The town will be formally awarded with their P500,000 worth of agriprojects during the 9th Philippine National Corn Congress on October 23-25, 2013 at Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City. # (Joanne L. Olson, DA-10)
In support to the corn industry, the implemented big projects, including Post-Harvest Processing Center (1st) Center (3rd) at Brgy. Patrocenio and Complex at Brgy. Malagana.
municipality has the Village Type and Corn Grains Corn Processing
City celebrates Yes to SK poll postponement, Iligan Diyandi Festival 2013 no to abolition -- NYC By LORRY V. GABULE
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By CHENG ORDOÑEZ
he National Youth Commission (NYC) in Mindanao strongly supports the institutionalization of reforms within the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), through the postponement of the election, but opposes any move to abolish or dissolve the institution.
The NYC, in a statement, s ai d t hat t he y supp or t t he postponement of the SK elections to give Congress ample time to decide on the reforms needed by the institution. It said: “It is unconscionable to allow another batch of 15-17 years old to be subjected to a system and process that is in dire need of massive structural and organizational reforms.” It claims that as early as the registration, there were reports of adults and parents who have coerced their children to register for SK election against their will. “Some went even to the point of asking some youth to register in a barangay where they do not reside. We will witness
the same familiar challenges, like corruption, ineffectiveness, vote-buying, exploitation, among others, that will hound the SK if we are to push through with the SK polls this year,” the statement says. The NYC said it is fully grateful and supportive of the Senate version, which defers t he el e c t i ons to 2 0 1 4 w it h the incumbent SK officers on hold-over capacity. Viewed as the least disruptive modality, by NYC, the postponement allows continuity of programs on the ground while Congress discusses the needed reforms, it said. Quoting Usec. Leon Flores III, NYC chairman, the statement said: “While there are concerns about the incumbents being over-age, the setting of the age and the policy decision on hold over is, at the end of the day, purely a Congressional prerogative. We have full faith in both chamb ers of C ongress t hat before the end of 2014, a truly responsive, empowered and empowering youth Council at various levels shall have been put in place.” The NYC is uncomfortable with the version offered by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the House of Representative Committee on
Suffrage and Electoral Reforms where there is no provision for hold-over and the seats for SKs are vacated until 2016. This version of the postponement is de facto abolition of the SK, according to the NYC, and the measure strips the youth of due representation and is a blatant violation of the Constitutional provision, which encourages youth involvement in public and civic affairs. NYC asks the government not to deny the 30 million Filipino youth of their representation and voice at the barangay and Sanggunian levels. For them, it is a great disservice to the Filipino youth if this version will prevail. Another proposal is to have the SKs appointed in the meantime. But, the NYC said it will just subject those appointees to an intensely political and partisan process and is therefore untenable. “We are still hopeful that they Lower House will eventually decide in favor of youth representation by approving the hold-over of incumbent SK officials. After all, the incumbents derived their electoral mandate from the youth themselves – a veritable litmus test of meaningful youth participation,” Flores was quoted as having said.
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte — The city of Iligan will once again feature Diyandi Festival sa Iligan, a month-long cultural celebration in honor of its patrol, St. Michael the Archangel this September. In a press conference, Jose Maria L. Boza, over-all chairperson, Executive Management Board, Diyandi Festival sa Iligan 2013, said the city hopes to attract more visitors—domestic and foreign alike, to witness the feast. The "Pagpakanaug" on September 20 signals the start of the nine-day novena for the patron saint at the St. Michael Cathedral wherein the ritual transfer of the image is officially transferred from its niche in the main altar toward a pedestal on the lower altar where it will stay for nine days until the 29th. It will then be brought out of the church for "Procession." Señor San Miguel" the armor-clad patron saint of Iligan is revered as its defender and protector against all threats. Respected by all ethnic groups, Saint Michael brings together Iliganons—Christians, Muslims, Higaonons and Lumads as one family in faithful homage to him. Thus, his feast is a grand celebration in Iligan. As what Diyandi depicts, it is a ritual performed by an all-female group outside the Cathedral during the Pagpakanaug of the city's patron saint from his pedestal, before every novena and before the start of the Komedya, or Co-
media de San Miguel, a folk stage play depicting the celestial battle. The ritual depicts the courtship between a Maranao male and Higaonon female, and culminating into an offering symbolic of their union and bountiful harvest to St. Michael. The ritual aptly describes the peaceful co-existence of Iligan's tri-people. Every year, thousands of devotees flock to the cathedral to witness the ceremonies and for a chance to don the helmet of St. Michael, believed to impart powers of the warrior—archangel to the wearer. The siren call is irresistible. It beckons all to come home and join the chorus of "Viva Señor San Miguel! Festive, colorful, and full of life, the fiesta celebration with about 67 events, enveloped with the city's security group, continues to live up to the expectations and ideals of the city's over 300,000 residents, said Chairman Boza. Other highlights of the celebration are: "Pamukaw" or the early dawn parade of the city's band to rouse the residents for the nineday novenas; The "Kasadya" Street Dancing and Merry-Making for the first time will now be performed on the 20th after the Pagpakanaug, instead of September 27. The Kasadya contingents solely come from the city’s 15 barangays, the contestants of ‘Taming’ ni Sr. San Miguel (Shield Making Contest).