TRENDS (25 May 2010)

Laguindingan airport on its way to completion

The construction of the US$167.09 Million (PhP7.853 Billion) Laguindingan Airport Development Project (LADP) in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, particularly the civil works and buildings, is already 65% completed as of May 14, 2010.

Access road to the airport was completed in January 2010. Land acquisition for the main airport area is 99.24% accomplished with 390.95 hectares already acquired of the 393.94-hectare requirement.

Some 370 families have been relocated: 134 families at Phase 1 resettlement site in Barangay San Isidro, Laguindingan and 236 families at Phase 2 resettlement site in Barangay Tubajon, also in Laguindingan.

The air navigation facilities/equipment component of the project will be financed by the Korean Export-Import (KEXIM) Bank loan facility.

On 18 May 2010, a 5-person team of the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) appraisal mission on LADP-Air Navigation Aid System Supply Project visited region 10 for a site survey and to conduct fact-finding activities for the sub-project.

Accompanied by Engr. Felicisimo C. Pangilinan, Jr. of the Air Transport Planning Division of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the members of the EDCF Appraisal Mission Team were: 1) CHANG Young-hoon, Mission Leader and Director, EDCF Dept., KEXIM Bank; 2) YI Ji-Eon, Deputy Director, EDCF Dept., KEXIM Bank; 3) WOO Binnah, Manager, EDCF Dept., KEXIM Bank; 4) CHAI Seung-su, Technical Consultant, Inha University; and 5) A specialist of Air Navigation Aid System from MLTM (Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs).

The team also visited the Lumbia Airport Control Tower to see the air navigation system equipment.

The LADP is one of the SONA commitments of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for Northern Mindanao.

Civil works are expected to be 72.07% completed when President Arroyo’s term ends in June 30, 2010. The project will terminate and will be made operational in January 2012. (NEDA-CAP-TF)


CHR strengthens its witness protection program (WPP)

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has the constitutional mandate to investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights; and adopt its operational guidelines and rules of procedure.

For the Commission to successfully prosecute human rights violation cases, it should encourage witnesses to testify by offering them protection and assistance before, during and even after the judicial and / or administrative proceedings.

With the increasing incidence of extra-legal killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other violations of human rights, the CHR sees the necessity to strengthen its Witness Protection Program (WPP) to assist willing witnesses and help prosecute human rights violators / offenders.

The CHR WPP is a line program of the Commission vital to the effective performance of its constitutional mandate.

To successfully implement it, witnesses need to be afforded utmost protection and assistance inasmuch as their security to life could be endangered and or threatened resulting for having testified in the investigation and or prosecution of human rights violation cases.

Besides their inherent right to life, these witnesses must be protected by law from any form of force, violence, torture, threat, intimidation or other means which vitiate their free will.

Through strengthening the CHR WPP, the Commission seeks to provide protection and assistance to any witness whose testimony and possession of documents are of vital importance to the investigation and / or prosecution of human rights violation cases.

Specifically, to instill in the witness the necessary confidence and exercise of free will in his / her role as witness; and to provide different types of assistance desired under varying status and conditions of witnesses. (Commission on Human Rights)


The search is over Fil Yburan is Cagayan de Oro’s Balak Idol 2010 winner

The Search for Balak Idol Cagayan de Oro Edition 2010 is over with veteran radio personality Fil Yburan romping away with P15,000 and a trophy, and the distinction of being the city’s Balak Idol.

Yburan, with his winning piece “Gugma ug Kapakyasan,” bested 14 poet performers who made it to the finals round held on May 23 at the City Tourism Hall which was filled with spectators and enthusiasts of balak as well as supporters of the finalists. There were 23 participants who initially joined the contest.

The second place winner of the contest is Christopher Nalitan from brgy. Puntod with his piece “Pinalangga kong Dakbayan.” He received a P10, 000 cash prize and a trophy.

The third place went to Eddie Garcia of brgy. Kauswagan with his piece “Gugma sa Kinaiyahan.” He received a cash prize of P5, 000 and a trophy.

The judges for the elimination round were writers Raul Moldez and Uriel Quilingqing and educator-writer Estrella Borja. For the finals round, the board of judges was composed of Adrian Pabayo, Monsignor Elmer Abacahin and Rev. Prudencio Plaza, Jr.

The Search for the Balak Idol Cagayan de Oro City 2010 edition was one of the city’s contributions to the national celebration of Filipino Heritage Festival Month this May.

It was also aimed to instill pride and confidence on one’s roots and preserve the art of “balak” which is slowly becoming extinct because of external influence. (Khria Carmela R. Noble, XU Devcom Intern of City Tourism and Cultural Affairs Office)


Volunteerism makes ‘Brigada Eskwela’ successful, DepEd says

Malaybalay City, Bukidnon (25 May) – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Mona Valisno, in a statement said that the community spirit of volunteerism is very strong as thousands of parents, teachers, community members and government personnel volunteered to do repair works and clean up in all public elementary and secondary schools across the country as the Department of Education (DepEd) launched the May 24 synchronized “Brigada Eskwela.”

In an interview, Bukidnon Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Ingrid Racoma said the Brigada Eskwela is an annual activity also known as National Schools Maintenance Week that involves local businesses, alumni, students, government, non-government organizations and other volunteers who share their precious time and skills to do minor repair works such as repainting of the roof and walls, repair of leaking water pipes, ceiling panels, shattered windows and upkeep of other school assets for impressive classrooms and campuses.

“Some corporations also offered materials, goods, and some donations, aside from the efforts / labor they poured in. I salute the volunteers whose selfishness and willingness to help prepare our schools for the June opening made this project successful,” she said.

She also emphasized that all donations were recorded in quantifiable unit subject for audit and review.

Brigada Eskwela is an initiative of DepEd where community works together in mobilizing resources to make schools an excellent place for learning.

“This project runs from May 24-28, but in Bukidnon, we mean to continue this before the schools’ classes start this June,” Racoma said. (Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy / PIA Bukidnon)


Feature: Sprouting enthusiasm for pursuing education

After a long summer break, attending classes does not sound so striking to most children especially those who are afraid that their parents might not be able to pay for their school needs. According to Randall Flanery, a pediatric psychologist, parents should try to relate to the child and understand his or her concerns in order to persuade him or her to go to school.

School refusal is often associated with anxiety disorder or social phobia. For most children in Talakag, Bukidnon, going to school would mean another expense from their parents who are commonly working as farmers or laborers. Thus, they often have this social insecurity that they might not be able to cope up with their classmates.

Carfie Ann R. Balili, 12, who just graduated from elementary, said that education is her only passport to become a competitive nurse someday and thinking of her other seven siblings and her parents’ occupations as street sweeper and tailor who are earning around P100-150 a day, she became more eager to finish her studies. But sometimes, she finds it hard to go to school not because of temper tantrums like other school children feel but because of the fact that her parents are having a difficult time stretching out their meager earnings for their daily needs. Currently, Carfie resides at Purok 3, San Isidro, Talakag, Bukidnon.

“Daku akong pasalamat nga naluwas-luwas mi sa among problema sukad adtong naapil mi sa 4Ps (I am very grateful that we were aided with our problems ever since we became part of 4Ps),” Carfie happily shared. Just like a parent relating to the needs and concerns of his or her children the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, which aims to reduce poverty by providing conditional cash grants to the poorest households that will be used to improve their health, nutrition and education particularly the children aged 0-14, provided Carfie’s family with P1,400 per month since May 2009.

The beneficiaries will continue on receiving the grant for five years as long as they can comply with the program’s conditions. Since certain human development goals can be met through improving health and education, 4Ps has set conditions that will focus on these key aspects. As of May 17, 2010, Carfie was able to enroll herself to first year high school and is very excited for the upcoming school year given that her mother could now afford to pay for the school fees and purchase necessary educational supplies.

“Karon, dili na ko maulaw nga musulod sa klase kay mapalitan na man mi sa akong mama ug mga gamit ug matagaan na sad mi’g balon kada adlaw dili pareha sauna (Now, I am no longer ashamed to go to school because my mother could afford to buy our school items and she could now consistently give us allowance unlike before),” the hopeful student said.

At a very young age, Carfie believes that life is never easy to deal with especially when poverty hinders a person to reach for his or her dream but being intimidated by these fears and thoughts all the time, she knows that she will never surpass anything at all. (Recthie B. Tolinero / DSWD)


Feature: Technology intervention adds value to Bukidnon coop’s rubber products

Members’ commitment…good management…support systems…technology intervention…all these contribute to the sustainability and success of one cooperative in Talakag, Bukidnon.

The First Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative (FARBECO) is to date, the only existing cooperative in Talakag, Bukidnon. How the cooperative tide over the challenges is something other cooperatives can learn from.

FARBECO was born in 1989, shortly after Menzi Development Corporation, due to the severe economic crises, gave up part of its 753-hectare rubber plantation in Talakag, Bukidnon. Thus, what was once a sprawling, privately-owned rubber plantation is now managed and owned by former workers and employees.

When it started its operation, FARBECO used to produce three forms of raw rubber; concentrated latex, cup lumps and field coagulum.

Latex is the milky-white liquid which flows from the rubber tree, hevea brasiliences, when it is tapped. Using a sharp knife with a curved blade, the tapper cuts a narrow groove in the tree’s bark about five feet from the ground. The groove slants down and goes about half-way around the tree. The tapper sticks a V-shaped metal spout in the lower end of the cut and hangs a small cup under the spout.

Once the groove has been cut, the latex begins to ooze out. Drop by drops it is caught by the spout which leads into the cup. The tapper goes on to the next tree and does the same again.

In one day, a worker taps about 500 trees. When all these trees are tapped, the tapper makes a second round. At each tree, he gathers about a cupful of latex. The collected latex is then brought to the rubber mill station situated at the center of the rubber plantation. The residual latex that coagulates on the collection cups is known as cup lumps.

Latex allowed to coagulate in soaking tanks of which acid is added becomes coagulum—the paper-white, spongy, one-cubic foot blocks, that look like giant tokwa.

During its early years of operations, FARBECO used to sell cup lumps and coagulum but these rubber products were bought at low price.

When FARBECO assumed ownership of the rubber plantation, some of the rubber trees were already old. They then sought the assistance of Department of Science and Technology on how to go about converting those cut old trees into another business venture. Two cooperative members were trained at the DOST’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) in Los Banos, Laguna, to operate a lumber kiln dryer. The kiln dryer, however, did not last long, due to problems in the wood industry. The members then decided to try processing the raw rubber latex and cup lumps into crepe rubber sheets.

At that time, crepe rubber sheets were sold at P35-P37/kg, while raw latex was sold at P9-11/kg. Seeing the potential of going into crepe rubber processing for higher price, FARBECO again sought the assistance of DOST in region 10. Thus, training and seminars on rubber processing were conducted. In 1997, DOST 10 extended to FARBECO assistance for the construction of the crepe rubber smoke house (tunnel-type dryers).

The construction of the smoke house was followed by another assistance from DOST, this time, from the Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI). Through its Venture Financing Program, TAPI extended assistance to FARBECO for the purchase and installation of three units macerator machines (rollers/creepers). On November 6, 1998, FARBECO’s crepe rubber processing facility was formally inaugurated.

Today, the cooperative is into full commercial scale crepe rubber production. Its 133-hectare production area produces an average of 1,300 kg. latex/day, which when dried, results to about 500-600 kg. good-quality pale crepe. The crepe rubber sheets are sold direct to its contract buyer in Bulacan at P75/kg.

The rubber plant produces a monthly average of 17,000 kg. which is below the capacity of the processing plant. The demand is about 25,000 kg. dried rubber sheets per month. The management, though, has a solution to address this by planning to buy raw rubber (cum lumps) from other rubber planters in the neighboring places.

FARBECO employs 60 coop members of which nine (9) are assigned at the rubber plant and 51 are working in the operations area/office.

The 209-member FARBECO is a close cooperative, meaning, membership cannot be transferred and new ones are not accepted except when a member dies and the spouse or an heir is taken in (which is why the formerly all-male coop now has female members).

FARBECO members look forward to the time when their financial responsibilities with Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) are fully paid, and that would be five years from now. They would then have wider freedom to venture into other business opportunities. This early, the cooperative is being offered by LBP with a P2 million loan which the cooperative can use for the planned micro-financing venture. They are also expanding their rubber tree plantation.

FARBECO continues to be positive in its ventures. After 20 years of existence, it stays solid. In fact, come December 2010, all members expect another yearly dividend.

The cooperative officers and members also acknowledge the support given by the DOST and its member-agencies like TAPI and FPRDI. The technology assistance from DOST made a difference in making their dreams and aspirations a reality.

FARBECO members are set to move ahead and to prove that FARBECO is one cooperative worth-emulating. They won’t stop dreaming… as there are more dreams to fulfill. And with the solid commitment from its members, and the sincere leadership of its Board of Directors, there is no reason why they could not fulfill their dreams.

And DOST is ready to extend more technology intervention that FARBECO needs… and that assistance is in the pipeline. (Tess Superioridad Baluyos / DOST)