Inclusion of 2 more tourism areas in Region 8 pushed

published November 09, 2010 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- The regional office here of the Department of Tourism (DoT) is pushing for two more tourism development areas (TDAs) in Eastern Visayas.

Karina Rosa S. Tiopes, DoT regional director, said the second district of Leyte and first district of Samar host tourist destinations such as natural parks, rivers, waterfalls, and war memorial sites.

"We saw the need to create these TDAs and there’s also a clamor from the local government and other tourism stakeholders to include these (areas). It is just unfortunate that when the central office made the plan, these two areas were not included," Ms. Tiopes said in a phone interview yesterday.

The Central Philippines Tourism Super Region Management Plan adopted by the Regional Development Council last year identified TDAs in the region as the Samar-Leyte Interface (Tacloban-Basey), Northwestern Leyte (Ormoc), Northern Leyte (Biliran), Southeastern Samar Island (Guiuan), Southern Leyte (Sogod Bay Area), and Northwestern Samar (Catarman).

A workshop scheduled for the new tourism areas early next year will identify constraints to development and parties that will address specific concerns.

The Tourism department said development of these areas should bring nearly half a million tourists to Eastern Visayas by 2016.

Among the sites considered for development in Leyte’s second district are Mahagnao Volcano and Natural Park, rivers and World War II battle sites.

Samar’s first district, on the other hand, is known for waterfalls, especially in Calbayog City, caves and water sport areas in coastal towns.

"Many of these destinations have no access roads. Infrastructure development is a top priority. With the development of new areas, tourists will have a different experience in each cluster," Ms. Tiopes said.

In a separate telephone interview, Department of Trade and Industry regional director Cynthia R. Nierras, who heads the regional tourism coordination committee, also cited problems like disorganized airport services, insufficient land transport facilities, dishonest and opportunistic service providers, substandard accommodations, lack of interpreters, lack of restrooms and substandard waste management, as well as absence of an established tourist feedback scheme. -- Sarwell Q. Meniano

Agriculture dep't braces for removal of subsidy

published October 21, 2010 in BusinessWorld

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Agriculture department has drafted measures to ensure that farmers continue to use high-yielding rice varieties despite the planned removal of seed subsidy in 2012.

Leo P. Cañeda, regional executive director of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Eastern Visayas, said these measures include the promotion of credit access especially among small farmers’ cooperatives, massive public investment in pre-production and post-harvest facilities, strengthened delivery of extension support through local government units, and development of infrastructure support like irrigation and farm-to-market roads.

"We must prepare ourselves for that eventuality. That will entail a lot of advocacy effort," Mr. Cañeda told BusinessWorld.

He said many farmers are currently dependent on government subsidies in order for them to plant certified and hybrid seeds.

"We will see how much the farmers have responded to the new technologies because if indeed it has been proven that there’s a lot to be gained in terms of productivity by shifting to the use of quality seeds then even without the subsidy, the farmers will continue to adopt the technology," Mr. Cañeda said.

Higher yields

Traditional seeds yield only 3.4 metric tons (MT) of palay per hectare while hybrid seeds and certified seeds produce 6.5 MT and 3.4 MT of palay in a hectare, respectively.

Under the national government’s subsidy program, a farmer pays P3,000 per bag of hybrid rice seeds while the government shoulders the balance of P1,000. The DA also provides free fertilizer during some planting seasons and subsidizes crop insurance premium contributions.

In the case of certified seeds, the price per bag is P1,200. The government pays half of the cost. In some areas in Eastern Visayas, local government units also provide counterpart subsidies.

"There are some local government units providing counterpart subsidy, meaning they further split the [amount to be paid by] the farmer. The farmer will have to shell out only P300 for a bag of certified seeds," Mr. Cañeda added.

The national government has already taken out seed subsidies in six regions that are not covered by the Rapid Seed Supply Financing Program. This program will expire in November 2011.

"That will be the final reckoning point. Would they still continue using quality seeds even without the subsidy? That’s a question to be asked by 2012," Mr. Cañeda said.

"If indeed the technology works in their favor [when it comes to] increasing output and farmers’ income, there will be no further need for the seed subsidy. We are moving in that direction," he added.

He said they have observed that some farmers have been buying high-yielding seeds on their own, especially when the supply from the Agriculture office is delayed.

"That would explain why despite the relatively low certified seeds distribution, our productivity still went up because some farmers opted to buy on their own," Mr. Cañeda said.

For the May to October 2010 planting period, the government targets 8,500 farmers planting hybrid seeds, or 17% of the total number of farmers cultivating irrigated rice farms in the region.

The target for certified seeds planting is 50,000 hectares. This is expected to increase to 84,000 hectares in the next planting season. (Sarwell Q. Meniano)

BFAR plans more floating fish cages in mariculture parks

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

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)

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)