published September 23, 2010 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will expand marine agriculture (mariculture) zones in Eastern Visayas by setting up floating fish cages in Leyte’s open seas.
The Fisheries bureau will also redevelop and upgrade the Calbayog Mariculture Park, the first aquaculture project in Samar.
BFAR staff have been inspecting some possible project sites in Leyte, BFAR Regional Director Juan D. Albaladejo said. Among these are Carigara Bay, Leyte Gulf and Biliran Strait. The bureau has yet to determine the number of cages that will be set up in each area.
The cages have to be strong enough to withstand waves of up to three meters and last several years without maintenance.
Mr. Albaladejo said the project will be implemented at the village level. The local government will be asked to declare at least 100 hectares of municipal waters near the coast as a mariculture reserve.
The region has 14 existing mariculture zones with 346 cages, owned by different investors. Early this year, BFAR introduced rent-to-own cages for subsistence fisherfolk. An initial 56 beneficiaries availed of the scheme.
Under the rent-to-own scheme, the cages are constructed by the beneficiaries themselves using materials provided by BFAR. Fingerlings are then provided by the government for the first cropping.
Other support facilities at a mariculture park are a floating sea base composed of landing ports and a multipurpose workboat. Establishment of major support services and facilities such as cold storage, transport and market access, feed processors and hatcheries are other components of the project.
Mariculture parks have been established in cities of Tacloban and Ormoc; Babatngon and Merida towns in Leyte; Basey, Sta. Rita, and Calbayog City in Samar; Biliran and Naval towns in Biliran; Laoang and San Jose in Northern Samar; Liloan in Southern Leyte; and Quinapondan in Eastern Samar.
The parks contribute about 20% of the marine products output in the Eastern Visayas region. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Agriculture dep’t investigates mining impact on Leyte farms
published September 06, 2010 in BusinessWorld
MACARTHUR, LEYTE -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) will investigate the impact of magnetite sand mining exploration on rice farms in this town.
Leo P. Cañeda, DA regional executive director, said he has received reports that some of the rice farms in this town have been affected.
"If there are reports of possible effect of mining to agriculture, we should look into this, make an assessment and take appropriate actions," Mr. Cañeda said.
Officials of Nicua Mining Corp., which is conducting exploration activities in the area, could not be reached for immediate comment. In a statement issued earlier, the company assured that four-meter deep mining activities will not destroy soil quality.
A staff of the municipal agriculture office, who declined to be named, said the agency tried to verify reports of adverse impact on farms in Barangay Pongon but were allegedly prevented from entering the area.
Some 20 hectares, about 20% of farms in Pongon, have allegedly been affected. There are over 2,000 hectares of irrigated rice farms in Javier.
Mining exploration has been concentrated in Pongon, but Mr. Cañeda said his office received reports that farms in Barangays Maya, Liwayway and Batug have also been affected.
Pongon is known as one of the top rice-producing villages in this town. Maya and Liwayway are the other top producers, with 75 hectares and 100 hectares, respectively, of rice farms.
Anesia S. Babante, whose family owns a seven-hectare rice farms in Pongon village, said in an interview that she was persuaded several times by Nicua to sell the family property at P160,000 per hectare.
Another option presented to her was a lease at P80,000 per hectare. The property will be reverted to the owner after the exploration activities.
"Farm owners in adjacent areas have sold their land to Nicua. A big chunk of soil has been excavated and that has clogged our waterways," Ms. Babante said.
Irrigation water could not reach some farms and neighboring villages. The farms in the area are fed by the Balire-Ibawon-Gibuga river irrigation system.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has said that the central office gave Nicua authority to add soil samples for final testing.
Around 23,000 metric tons of iron sand concentrate will be tested at the smelting plant set up by the company in the area.
The company started exploration activities in December 2009 and temporarily ceased early this year after the mines bureau found out that there was no prior public consultation. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
MACARTHUR, LEYTE -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) will investigate the impact of magnetite sand mining exploration on rice farms in this town.
Leo P. Cañeda, DA regional executive director, said he has received reports that some of the rice farms in this town have been affected.
"If there are reports of possible effect of mining to agriculture, we should look into this, make an assessment and take appropriate actions," Mr. Cañeda said.
Officials of Nicua Mining Corp., which is conducting exploration activities in the area, could not be reached for immediate comment. In a statement issued earlier, the company assured that four-meter deep mining activities will not destroy soil quality.
A staff of the municipal agriculture office, who declined to be named, said the agency tried to verify reports of adverse impact on farms in Barangay Pongon but were allegedly prevented from entering the area.
Some 20 hectares, about 20% of farms in Pongon, have allegedly been affected. There are over 2,000 hectares of irrigated rice farms in Javier.
Mining exploration has been concentrated in Pongon, but Mr. Cañeda said his office received reports that farms in Barangays Maya, Liwayway and Batug have also been affected.
Pongon is known as one of the top rice-producing villages in this town. Maya and Liwayway are the other top producers, with 75 hectares and 100 hectares, respectively, of rice farms.
Anesia S. Babante, whose family owns a seven-hectare rice farms in Pongon village, said in an interview that she was persuaded several times by Nicua to sell the family property at P160,000 per hectare.
Another option presented to her was a lease at P80,000 per hectare. The property will be reverted to the owner after the exploration activities.
"Farm owners in adjacent areas have sold their land to Nicua. A big chunk of soil has been excavated and that has clogged our waterways," Ms. Babante said.
Irrigation water could not reach some farms and neighboring villages. The farms in the area are fed by the Balire-Ibawon-Gibuga river irrigation system.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has said that the central office gave Nicua authority to add soil samples for final testing.
Around 23,000 metric tons of iron sand concentrate will be tested at the smelting plant set up by the company in the area.
The company started exploration activities in December 2009 and temporarily ceased early this year after the mines bureau found out that there was no prior public consultation. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Red tide spreads to another bay in Eastern Visayas
published August 31, 2010 in BusinessWorld
TACLOBAN CITY -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has confirmed the presence of red tide toxins in Carigara Bay, bringing to two the affected areas in Eastern Visayas.
Juan D. Albaladejo, BFAR Eastern Visayas director, said Carigara was listed among the six areas in the country with confirmed red tide toxins.
A shellfish ban has been imposed in these areas based on a bulletin issued by BFAR central office last Aug. 20.
"Our monitoring team augmented by teams from local government units has been getting samples twice a week and it will be more frequent depending on the situation," Mr. Albaladejo said in a mobile phone interview.
Red tide has been previously confirmed in Matarinao Bay in Eastern Samar, where the toxicity level that reached 4,000 cells per milliliter in April this year had been described as "alarming."
Other affected areas are Honda Bay in Puerto Princesa, Dumanquillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, Murcielagos Bay in Zamboanga del Norte and Misamis Oriental and Sorsogon Bay in Sorsogon.
The Fisheries bureau has issued the red tide alert for Carigara Bay following the submission of laboratory results by the Leyte Marine Biotoxins Testing Center in Palo, Leyte.
Mr. Albaladejo clarified that there is no cause for alarm since Carigara is not known as a major source of shellfish in the region.
An oyster culture site is operating in nearby Capoocan town but its production is mainly intended for ornamental purposes, he added.
He expressed concern, however, that toxins could spread to nearby areas such as Leyte-Leyte where mussel is being cultured.
"We are hoping that the southwest monsoon winds will wash the toxins away to deeper seas," Mr. Albaladejo said.
Mr. Albaladejo said that based on official analysis per 100 grams of shellfish meat from Carigara, red tide is present in 124 micrograms. The figure is beyond the tolerance level of 80 micrograms.
"We’ve been observing the bay for the past two weeks before our central office issued the shellfish ban," he added.
Meanwhile, the bureau has maintained the red tide alert in Eastern Samar’s Matarinao Bay, where red tide toxins have been detected since last summer.
Mr. Albaladejo said the prolonged existence of red tide toxins in the area may be attributed to the absence of movement of inland water due to absence of weather disturbances in the past months.
"Big waves brought by typhoons can drive these toxins to deeper seas, where these won’t survive," he said.
A shellfish ban has been imposed in Matarinao since March 16 this year.
The harvest, sale and consumption of shellfish are prohibited along the coastal towns of Salcedo, Quinapondan, McArthur and Hernani in Eastern Samar.
Red tide refers to the phenomenon wherein water is discolored by high algal biomass or concentration of algae.
The discoloration may not necessarily be red in color but it may also appear yellow, brown, green, blue or milky, depending on the organisms involved. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
Cruising down Samar’s longest river
published August 27, 2010 in BusinessWorld
PARANAS, SAMAR -- With just a slight move from anyone on board, it seemed the small boat could capsize. Two skilled boatmen, however, deftly maneuvered the four-meter-long boat through the waters of Ulot River.
The 520-kilometer river, Samar’s longest, was the main link between Samar and Eastern Samar provinces before roads were constructed on the island. Now, it’s one of the ecotourism attractions within the Samar Island Natural Park.
Tourists, however, may navigate only about 10 kilometers of the river, said Eric A. Bontuyan of Asia Pacific Adventure based in Hong Kong.
"The river is perfect for boating. Going downstream is exciting but going back upstream is more thrilling," he said.
It takes an hour to navigate the river downstream from the jump-off point in Barangay Tenani. The return trip takes an additional 15 minutes.
Tourists can enjoy the extreme ride while taking in the lush vegetation that’s part of the 87,000-hectare Ulot Watershed. In calmer waters, tourists can see the colorful marine life that still abound in the river.
"I’ve never seen this kind of boat ride anywhere in the world," Mr. Bontuyan said.
"Our main recommendation is to promote a guided boat ride instead of rafting, kayaking and tubing. Boatmen are already trained to do this," he added.
The forests on either side of the river are still intact. Only a few structures used by villagers to process copra can be seen from the boat. Otherwise, the forests remain undisturbed.
The area is a designated center for plant diversity with 885 flowering plant species of which 406 are endemic.
Jason Garrido, a certified trainer accredited by the Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc., said that navigating the river is safe. Apparently, the safety of passengers was highly considered when the boatmen underwent training.
"Since the activity is extreme, tour guides were briefed on emergency techniques and procedures as one of the most important aspects of handling tourists," Mr. Garrido said.
Angelito B. Villanueva, ecotourism section head at the park, said the river cruise is part of the Ulot Watershed Ecotourism Loop.
Other recreation sites nearby include the Taft Philippine Eagle Sanctuary, Pangpang Falls, Can-maanghit Falls, Lusungan Falls, Yabon Falls, Liaw Cave, Silay Cave, Catingcoy Cave, Pugtak Spring, Duloy Spring, Sulfan Spring and Nasarang Spring.
The tour package includes entrance fee, tour guiding fee, community development fee, motorized banca rental, kayak, rental, use of buoyancy aids, tubes and helmet.
Menus featuring local dishes are being prepared by villager-members of the Ulot Watershed Model Forest Stakeholders Federation. The park recently opened its eco-lodge built at the SINP office rooftop. The overnight rate is P100 to P150 per person.
In Barangay Patag, just a few minutes’ drive from the river is a privately owned resort which was built at the foot of a hill. Villa Escober offers rooms with two beds and free breakfast the next day for P2,000. Guests who book a room at the compound can look forward to kicking back in a cold natural spring.
The ecotourism site in Paranas is accessible by land and air. From Manila, the flight takes a little over an hour to Tacloban City or Calbayog City. From these anchor destinations, buses, vans and jeepneys ply the routes that will bring tourists to the site. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Dengue alert up in E. Visayas; cases rising
published August 5, 2010 in BusinessWorld
PALO, Leyte-Eleven patients afflicted with dengue fever have died in the past three weeks, raising the toll in Eastern Visayas and prompting local Health officials to step up efforts to prevent an outbreak.
Confirmed cases have reached 5,226 as of this week compared with 4,030 three weeks ago. Each of the six provinces in the region has at least one fatality, said Roderick Boyd S. Cerro, Department of Health (DoH) regional sentinel nurse.
Eastern Visayas ranks second next to the Cotabato area with the most number of dengue victims in the country.
Mr. Cerro said they have stepped up the 4S campaign, which stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
"In our recent command conference, we were instructed by our regional director to step up activities. We will see the results after three weeks," Mr. Cerro said.
Hospitals have been encouraged to set up dengue wards.
Leyte has 1,049 confirmed cases with 13 deaths; Eastern Samar, 769 patients, seven fatalities; Samar, 535 victims with 12 deaths; Biliran, 213 cases with a single death; and Southern Leyte, 65 victims with two deaths.
Of all cities in the region, Tacloban has the highest number of patients at 1,279 with 13 deaths; and Calbayog, 403 with five deaths. Other cities have 40 to 145 cases.
Jaime Opinion, Tacloban health officer, said the rising number of cases might prompt the city government to declare a state of calamity and an outbreak. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
PALO, Leyte-Eleven patients afflicted with dengue fever have died in the past three weeks, raising the toll in Eastern Visayas and prompting local Health officials to step up efforts to prevent an outbreak.
Confirmed cases have reached 5,226 as of this week compared with 4,030 three weeks ago. Each of the six provinces in the region has at least one fatality, said Roderick Boyd S. Cerro, Department of Health (DoH) regional sentinel nurse.
Eastern Visayas ranks second next to the Cotabato area with the most number of dengue victims in the country.
Mr. Cerro said they have stepped up the 4S campaign, which stands for search and destroy, self-protection measures, seek early consultation, and say no to indiscriminate fogging.
"In our recent command conference, we were instructed by our regional director to step up activities. We will see the results after three weeks," Mr. Cerro said.
Hospitals have been encouraged to set up dengue wards.
Leyte has 1,049 confirmed cases with 13 deaths; Eastern Samar, 769 patients, seven fatalities; Samar, 535 victims with 12 deaths; Biliran, 213 cases with a single death; and Southern Leyte, 65 victims with two deaths.
Of all cities in the region, Tacloban has the highest number of patients at 1,279 with 13 deaths; and Calbayog, 403 with five deaths. Other cities have 40 to 145 cases.
Jaime Opinion, Tacloban health officer, said the rising number of cases might prompt the city government to declare a state of calamity and an outbreak. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)
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