CSC 3 continues to accept nominations for the 2015 Search for Outstanding Public Officials and Employees

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga -- Civil Service Commission (CSC) in Central Luzon continues to accept nominations for the 2015 Search for Outstanding Public Officials and Employees.

 

State workers may be nominated in any of the three categories namely the Presidential Lingkod Bayan, Pag-asa and Dangal ng Bayan awards.

 

“Presidential Lingkod Bayan is conferred to an individual or group for their extraordinary contributions resulting from an idea or performance which had nationwide impact on public interest, security and patrimony. The contribution may be a suggestion, innovation, invention or superior accomplishment,” CSC Regional Director Myrna Macatangay said.

 

“Pag-asa prize is given to an individual or group for outstanding contributions resulting from an idea or performance which directly benefitted more than one department of government while the Dangal ng Bayan accolade is bestowed to a person in recognition of his/her performance of extraordinary act or public service and consistent demonstration of exemplary ethical behavior on the basis of his/her observance of the eight norms of behavior under Republic Act 6713 otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees,” Macatangay added.

 

Nominees must be in government service at the time of the nomination.

 

Posthumous nominations are allowed provided that the person/s to be nominated died while still actively working for the state.

 

The nomination should be filed within a year from the death of the official/s or employee/s.

 

They should also have obtained at least a “Very Satisfactory” rating or its equivalent in the last two performance evaluation periods and have never been found guilty to an administrative or criminal offense involving moral turpitude.

 

A group may be nominated even if there are members who fail to meet squarely the mentioned qualifications but these members, however, shall be excluded from the grant of award should the team be chosen as a recipient.

 

Nomination forms and the requirements may be downloaded in the commission’s official website – www.csc.gov.ph.

 

For more inquiries, please call the CSC Regional Office in the following numbers: (045) 455-3241 and 455-3242 or visit their provincial field offices in Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.

 

Deadline for the submission of nominations will be on March 31.

 

The annual search for public service exemplars is managed by CSC’s Honor Awards Program secretariat. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)

Recto : Creating DICT will allow Transport dep't to focus on transport mess

MANILA-One “good side effect” of creating a Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is that the present Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will be streamlined into a Department of Transportation whose sole focus is fixing the nation’s transportation woes.

In his speech sponsoring the bill creating the DITC, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto explained that units of the DOTC with functions and responsibilities dealing with communications will be folded into the new department.

The rest of the DOTC offices will comprise the new Department of Transportation, Recto said. 

“The downsized Transportation department can then concentrate in solving our many transportation problems,” he said.

“It will now have the undivided attention and the narrowed mandate to ensure that trains run on time, run on new tracks, and not run off them; that the shipping industry is buoyant and ships afloat, literally; that jeeps don't cut trips, buses don't cut lives short, and transport officials don't take a cut,” Recto said in urging his colleagues to approve Senate Bill 2686.

“It will have its hands full in regulating our almost 8 million motor vehicles and 1 million registered for-hire vehicles, in attending to the needs of our 55 million air passengers and the 54 million who ride ships,” Recto said.

The DICT will be established by merging the Information and Communications Technology Office, National Computer Center, National Computer Institute, Telecommunications Office and National Telecommunications Training Institute.

To be attached to it, for policy and program coordination purposes only, are National Telecommunications Commission, National Privacy Commission and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center.

All work related to cybersecurity, including the formulation of the National Cybersecurity Plan and the formation of a National Computer Emergency Response Team, which Recto described as “our I.T. Special Action Forces”, will be transferred to the new department. 

One of the reasons why a DICT must be formed is the need  “to have a digital sentinel,” Recto said.  

“We live in an era when terrorists don't have to blast bank doors to do mayhem but simply unleash a virus that could shred or suck out financial data. An enemy with a missile is as dangerous as one with malware,” the senator stressed in his speech.

Forming the new Department of Transportation are the Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board for motor vehicles;

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Manila International Airport Authority, Clark International Airport Corporation, Civil Aeronautics Board, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation for the air sector;

Rail agencies like Philippine National Railways, Light Rail Transit Authority, North Luzon Railways Corporation and Metro Rail Transit;

Maritime offices like Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, Cebu Ports Authority and Philippine Merchant Marine Academy.

They will be joined by Office for Transportation Security, Toll Regulatory Board, Office of Transportation Cooperatives in the new department. 

Downplaying concerns that the DICT will create red tape and expenses, Recto said “it will not birth a huge bureaucracy, nor burn a deep hole in the taxpayer's pocket.” 

“It will have the same, if not smaller, budgetary footprint, as what the affected agencies together have. Not a single new centavo will be appropriated in starting up DICT. It will just use the budget of offices to be abolished,” he said.

“The idea is to create a small but smart workforce. We’re limiting the number of undersecretaries and top officials. The creation of regional offices is not mandatory, but optional,” Recto explained.

Recto cited the growing role of ICT (information and communications technology) in society in pushing for the creation of an agency dedicated to its growth and development.

“There are more cellphone subscriptions than Filipinos today -114 million accounts versus 105 million souls. Overall, 4 in 10 have access to the Internet,” he said.

“But more than these, ICT is putting people to work, taxes in government coffers, money in the economy, and hope in our country's future,” he said.

Income from outsourcing - the BPOs, the call centers, the back offices, medical transcription, game development, creative process outsourcing, to name a few – by Recto’s projection, will reach $25 billion or 8 percent of GDP next year.

The sector employs a million Filipinos, more if ancillary services are included. “One in four jobs today are occupied by knowledge workers,” Recto said. 

It is the third largest source of dollars - after electronics and OFW remittances -and “is a proven growth driver.” 

“Every 10 percentage points increase in broadband penetration is said to boost the GDP by 1 percent,” Recto stressed.

“But to respond to the above challenges, we need a main server, so to speak, to spur ICT development, institutionalize e-government, and manage the country's ICT environment and direction -- and that is the DICT.”

Previous bills creating the DICT had hurdled crucial phases of legislation in the past, like being passed by the House and the Senate, “only to flounder in the last minute for lack of time,” Recto noted. 

“This time, let us give it the final push. If we can bring this to the President's table by June, then we are time-on-target,” he said.

“Hashtag L-O-L. Let's Okay this Law, “ was Recto’s closing line in his speech.

DOST to roll out hotspots in 967 towns, NCR, 14 cities Free public Wi-Fi must help farmers, not Farmville

MANILA-As government rolls out free Wi-Fi hotspots in 967 towns, Metro Manila and 14 key cities this July, the senator who sponsored the project’s P1.4 billion funding in the 2015 national budget urged its implementor to ensure that the project will get “more bytes and benefits out of the buck.” 

Sen. Ralph Recto who sponsored the amendment to the national budget bill that the Free Internet Connectivity in Public Places Project’s budget be raised by P1 billion, said the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) must choose installation areas which will yield the greatest public benefit.

Recto said “hospitals, schools, transport hubs and libraries must be prioritized.”  

“We would like these Wi-Fi areas to create value, promote education, help trade and travel, and be a lifeline to those who are in distress,” he said.

“That’s why I have told the DOST to pilot it in some public hospitals so that those who are sick or those who are taking care of the sick, be they doctors or relatives, will be able to communicate  with  family members and medical staff,” Recto said.

“If you’re a son of an OFW and you would like to Skype with your father who is in the Middle East because your mom has been stricken ill, then you can do it within the hospital premises,” he said.

Recto said the rationale behind the program is to tap it for social good. 

“So it’s the reason why it will be set up in libraries so it can aid in research and instruction, and promote reading,” the senator explained. 

Other priority areas should be frontline government offices which draw the longest queues and the largest crowds.  

“Pwede siguro lagyan ang Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) para  doon sa mga OFW na kumukuha ng papeles doon. Malaki ang ambag nila sa ating ekonomiya,” the senator said.

“It will also be set up in town halls and town plazas.  Kaya kung, halimbawa, ang isa ay malapit sa Municipal Agriculture Office, pwedeng gamitin ito upang alamin ang presyo ng gulay sa Maynila. Ito naman ang layunin talaga : to help real farms and not just Farmville players,” he said.

“Or kung nasa Civil Registrar’s office ka at may problema ka sa birth certificate mo, doon mismo pwede kang tumawag sa sino mang makakatulong sa ‘yo.”

Recto said he welcomed DOST’s plan to set up free Wi-Fi in airports and seaports “as these would be a big help to tourists and travelers.”

“2015 is Visit Philippines Year. It is also the year we’ll be hosting 15,000 delegates to the APEC Leaders’ Summit and runup activities. As part of our preparations, we’re sprucing up NAIA, building flyovers, and repairing our roads.  Wi-Fi in gateways should be a parcel of this,” Recto said.

“Despite these, gusto rin natin na huwag maabuso ang free Wi-Fi. Ayaw naman nating maging corporate headquarters ang mga iyan ng Facebook generation or tambayan ng mahilig lang sa selfie. There should be users’ rules,” he said. 

According to the DOST, access points in 967 3^rd to 6^th class towns and Metro Manila will be set up based on the P1.4 billion budget. It will also have “points of presence” in 6 Luzon, 4 Visayas, and 4 Mindanao cities.

In all, there will be 9,706 rural links in unserved and underserved areas.

The agency said it will partner with the country's telecommunication companies in this project.

DOST has announced that it is now studying the available packages and will start bidding for the project in April. 

In his sponsorship speech creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology last Monday, Recto said “many problems we confront today have ICT solutions which can ease the pain they cause or make them totally go away. 

“If roads are clogged with traffic, then the information highway provides a detour. That way, energy is saved, pollution reduced, and mass sanity is preserved,” he said. 

“We are now living in the electronic republic, where views of the sovereign are advocated online, and services must be rendered to them on the same platform,” he said.

Focus on reports' other findings like dud grenades, defective radio, deceptive MILF ceasefire

MANILA-There are many “non-controversial, unchallenged” recommendations in both the Board of Inquiry (BOI) and the Senate reports on the Mamasapano fiasco which government can act on immediately, Sen. Ralph Recto said today.

“There are many prescriptions which can be acted upon motu propio. Reports are meant to be acted upon, not archived.  

He cited the BOI recommendation to grant the Fallen 44 posthumous promotion and one-rank promotion to the surviving members of the 84th Seaborne and Police Officer 2 Christopher Lalan, “the lone survivor” of the 55th Special Action Force Company.

“I think there is universal agreement on this, so the ball on their promotion should have started rolling a long time ago,” Recto said.

The 38-man 84th Searborne was the “main effort” which killed Malaysian bombmaker Zhulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan in early dawn of Jan. 25 in Barangay Tukanalipao but encountered Moro rebels on their way back.

It suffered 9 dead and 14 wounded.    

The 36-man 55th SAC was the main support unit but on their way to rendezvous with the withdrawing 84th, it got encircled by Moro rebels which it fought in a 10-hour gunbattle, from a flat cornfield which offered no protection.   

Lalan is the lone survivor of this group.

Recto said the BOI findings on dud ammunition and faulty radio devices must merit an official probe on the Philippine National Police (PNP) procurement process and status of equipment.

Page 89 of the BOI report noted that “several rounds of ammunition of M203 grenade launchers were defective” and “some radios of the SAF Commandos were unreliable (and) were not designed for military-type tactical operations.”

Other logistical deficiencies bared by the Mamasapano operations “is our lack of air assets, to provide fire support and medical evacuation.”

“Pati air ambulance, mga Amerikano pa nagbigay. I think after buying Polish helicopters, South Korean fighter jets, and these two Airbus transport plane from France, ayusin natin ang ating helicopter fleet which is needed during disaster rescue.”

Recto said the PNP should also revisit its policies on funding large-scale mission operations as the BOI noted that Oplan Exodus, the plan to arrest Marwan and two other terrorists, reportedly had a measly P100,000 budget.

Recto also endorsed the BOI recommendation that several manuals and protocols be reviewed and strengthened as their weaknesses were exposed by the Mamasapano tragedy.

Among these is the Joint AFP-PNP Operational Guidelines for Ad Hoc Joint Action Group, particularly sections dealing with law enforcement operations.

Recto said one finding in the BOI report which should merit further investigation or clarification is how the PNP and AFP were lulled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) into believing that it had already imposed a ceasefire.

“The embattled SAF Commandos even observed a ceasefire after they’ve been ordered to.  If you read the report, there were several text messages relaying to our troops the order and the assurance of the MILF leadership that it has called for a ceasefire,” Recto said.

“Dahil dito, hindi bumuhos ng todo or nadelay ang reinforcement ng Army kasi meron na ngang  pasabi ang MILF na ceasefire na sila. Eh drawing lang naman pala. D’yan tayo nabola. Ang nangyari, it was the government side which obeyed the ceasefire. It became a unilateral ceasefire – by us,” Recto said.

Recto noted that several recommendations of the BOI report are being acted upon by the concerned agencies.

He cited the case of the rifle handed over by a surviving Seaborne member to Army soldiers but ended up as among those surrendered by the MILF. The claim has been ordered investigated by AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Catapang.

The BOI said the Ferfrans special operations assault rifle of PO2 Rommel Magno was handed to one of the members of the Army’s Division Reconnaissance Company but was among the firearms returned by the MILF.

Recto said he was also told that the PNP has officially begun determining who among the dead, wounded, or surviving commandos deserve the PNP’s highest award, the Medalya ng Kagitingan.

“Marami doon sa BOI and Senate report na hindi na dapat pagdebatihan at pwede ng aksyunan,” Recto said.

Recto said the “reports’ findings on the President’s role in the operations is but one of many.”

“There is too much hair-splitting on what the President should have or could have done, or should be doing, but if you read the two reports, there are far more important actionable recommendations there which are undisputed,” Recto said. 

Legarda: Localize DRR to be Effective

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today reiterated the importance of localizing disaster risk reduction (DRR), stressing that only with resilient communities are we able to build a resilient nation.

Legarda, United Nations Champion for DRR and Climate Change Adaptation for Asia-Pacific, said that one of the important aspects of the new Sendai Framework for DRR, which was adopted during the recently concluded 3rd UN World Conference for DRR in Sendai, Japan, is “to localize DRR”.

“Our laws on climate change and DRR are considered among the best in the world, but the challenge is ensuring that these laws work. Good policies are useless if we do not bring them to the local level. Our local government units (LGUs) must embrace these policies and translate them into action,” said Legarda, who sponsored the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 and authored the Climate Change Act of 2009.

The Senator explained various ways to implement DRR at the local level, including operationalizing geohazard and multi-hazard maps, which specify the risks present in every community.

“We must invest in DRR by following our geohazard maps to determine the no-build zones, opposite the safe areas to build housing and infrastructure. When building homes, schools, hospital buildings and other structures, we must follow building codes to ensure structural integrity. Along the coast, we must plant more mangroves because these are the best buffer against any storm surge and tsunami,” she added.

Legarda also said that multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) must be established to ensure that LGUs and the people themselves would know how to prepare for the various risks that a natural hazard brings.

“Our early warnings should not be just on a single hazard, it should be multi-hazard because when a typhoon comes, it may also bring with it a storm surge, flooding or landslide. So it is important that we establish multi-hazard early warning systems,” she explained.

She added that MHEWS should inform the people of the potential impacts of impending natural hazards, the risks on their lives and livelihoods, and the action they should take.

“This approach promotes public awareness and understanding of impacts and risks from natural hazards, and guides the people and sectors at risk in making decisions and taking early action. Everyone in the community must understand the risks and be part of the solution,” Legarda concluded.

64 Bataan geniuses pass DOST scholarship

BALANGA CITY, Bataan -- Bound to be the next think tank force of the country, 64 high school students in Bataan passed in the highly coveted college scholarship program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

 

In the recently released results of the DOST scholarship examinations, 55 students qualified under RA 7687 which is for gifted students who belong to economically disadvantaged families, and nine succeeded under the Merit Program.

 

These 64 made it among the 413 4^th year high school examinees in Bataan who took the DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) Undergraduate Scholarship Competitive Examinations conducted nationwide last September 21, 2014.

 

Taking tougher science courses with agreement of working in the country after graduation, incoming and current DOST-SEI scholars will receive bigger stipends and other allowances starting school year 2015-2016.

 

Scholars who will enroll in Physics/Applied Physics, Geology, Mining Engineering, Agriculture and Fisheries courses will receive P6,000 monthly stipend from the previous P5,000.

 

Those who will enroll under DOST-SEI priority courses will receive P5,000 monthly stipend (from P4,000); book allowance of P10,000 per academic year (from P5,000); tuition fee subsidy of P10,000 (from P8,000); and MS/PE clothing allowance of P1,000 (from P500).

 

Orientation and contract signing of the RA 7687 qualifiers with DOST is scheduled on April 7 at the Audio-Visual Room of Bataan Peninsula State University-Main Campus, City of Balanga, Bataan.

 

According to DOST, the number of qualifiers this year reached an all-time high as 5,303 high school students clinched a slot in the country’s premier science scholarship program, up from last year’s 3,982.

 

DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said the scholarships will hugely help students to pursue their desired fields in science and mathematics in leading universities and colleges, setting the stage for them as key players in the country’s advance once they practice their professions four or five years from now.

 

“We are optimistic that these qualifiers will soon help us in creating S&T-based solutions for our many national concerns,” Montejo said. (Jose Mari M. Garcia)

DTI eyes 71 SSF projects in Central Luzon for 2015

ANGELES CITY -- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) looks forward for the implementation of 71 Shared Service Facilities (SSF) projects this 2015 worth P52.46 million.

“SSF is a strategy adopted to achieve the goal of the National Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project which is to set up common production centers in order for Small and Medium Enterprises in priority industry clusters gain access to better technology and more sophisticated equipment thereby increasing their competitiveness, consequently affecting their contribution to the national economy,” DTI OIC-Regional Director Judith Angeles said.

To ensure continuity of the program, each SSF has a counterpart cooperator from the private sector who shall supervise the use and ensure maintenance of the given equipment.

“Last year, we have provided P40.8 million worth of equipment that benefitted 7,899 entrepreneurs. These were used for food processing, organic fertilizer, metalcraft making, and bag production among others,” Angeles added.

Nueva Ecija received the biggest chunk of this at P6.84 million for 8 cooperators followed by Pampanga with P6.78 million for 15 cooperators, and Bataan with P5.92 million for 7 cooperators.

Legarda, Fellow DRR Champions to Help UN Raise Awareness on Resilience

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda and fellow United Nations champions for disaster risk reduction (DRR) will lead a global campaign to raise awareness on DRR and climate change adaptation (CCA) following a special meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and UN Office for DRR (UNISDR) head Margareta Wahlstrom on Sunday, 15 March 2015.

Legarda, UNISDR Champion for DRR and CCA for Asia-Pacific, said that UNSG Ban Ki-moon has encouraged the UN DRR Champions to lead DRR-CCA awareness campaigns in their respective regions, especially in vulnerable communities.

“As DRR Champions, we all agree that it is our duty to undertake initiatives to make our regions, nations, communities, and the whole world safer and resilient. With all of us working together, we can urge our respective governments to strengthen DRR policies and programs; we can urge the private sector, civil society and all relevant stakeholders to be part of DRR activities; and we can help make people understand the relevance of making communities resilient,” said Legarda.

The Senator also said that the special meeting with UNSG Ban Ki-moon could actually lead to an annual meeting of DRR champions.

“An annual meeting of DRR champions would be a good venue to discuss developments and challenges on our advocacy work. We can help one another become more effective DRR champions in our respective regions. Raising awareness about DRR and CCA is not an easy task, but with us DRR advocates working together, I am optimistic we can make a big difference and we can even encourage more citizens to be DRR champions as well,” Legarda said.

DRR champions present in the special meeting include the former President of Finland, Ms. Tarja Halonen; President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and Bangladesh Parliamentarian, Mr. Saber Hossain Chowdhury; former speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly Mr. Abdirahin Haithar Haji Abdi; Mauritanian Mayor Ms. Fatimetou Abdel Malick; Irish Member of the European Parliament, Mr. Gay Mitchell; and Ugandan Parliamentarian, Mr. Alex Bakunda Byarugaba.

Also in the meeting were Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, wife of UNSG Ban; Ms. Emiko Okuyama, Mayor of Sendai; and Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, European Commissioner for Budget and Human Resources.

Kaugnay Media Defense Corps to establish local chapters at the 7th ID’s areas of assignment

BALER, Aurora -- The 7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division (ID) of the Philippine Army based in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija is now on the move to organize local chapters of the Kaugnay Media Defense Corps Inc. (KMDCI) in their area of responsibility to serve as the conscience of the community focusing on the local needs and the windows of the world through information dissemination of the soldiers’ activities.

Army Capt. Mark Anthony B. Ruelos, 7th ID spokesperson, said the first target of this move is the local media in the province of Aurora wherein officers of the KMDCI have already made a courtesy call on the 56th Infantry “Tatag” Battalion, Philippine Army Chief Lt. Col. Joey A. Escanillas, to set up officers of the KMDCI Aurora Chapter on March 27 and Baler Mayor Nelianto C. Bihasa.

It is expected that during the gatherings, the local media will also discuss acceptance of writers from cyber media and members of campus journalism.

Escanillas expressed full support for the plan and lauded the KMDCI, informing that he has already a plan to put up the 56th IB, Philippine Army media press corps before and will now come into reality with the support of the 7th ID personnel and media.

Ruelos said that the KMDCI was established purposely to strengthen the relationship between the military and media.

“We have seen in the past that the military was not able to fully utilize the power of media, especially in informing the public. The current thrust of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is winning the peace, and the media play vital role in informing the general public about the plans, activities and significant accomplishments of the AFP,” Ruelos said.

With the establishment of KMDCI within the area of operation of 7th ID, he said that informing the public is now easier and the relationship between the media and the military is now strengthened through constant dialogue and sharing of information to the public.

He, however, stressed that the 7th ID will continue to perform its mandate in securing the land and serving the people.

“This will be the direct line of communication for news and information about our soldiers in every battalion and it is important for us for having an access to current events and up-to-date information has value in giving the truest information to the public in general circulations. With the help of the media, people will be aware of the various events of the soldiers where I belong,” Ruelos said.

After the election of the KMDCI–Aurora Chapter, the group will conduct an executive board meeting to discuss projects and programs to be implemented for the whole year.

KMDCI was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dated Nov. 30, 2014 signed by lawyer Richard R. Laus, acting director.

The KMDCI will cover the 7th Infantry Division’s 702nd brigade area of responsibility (AOR) in La Union, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, 1st to 5th districts of Pangasinan, Cordillera Administration Region (CAR) -- Tubo, Abra and Municipalities of 6th district of Pangasinan – San Miguel, Santa Maria, Asingan, Rosales, Tayug and Balungao) and the 703rd Brigade AOR in Aurora, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, municipalities of Dinapigue, Isabela and municipalities under 6th district of Pangasinan (San Nicolas, San Quintin, Natividad and Umingan), whole of Region 1 and parts of Region 2.

The Kaugnay Infantry Division’s area of responsibility represents varied cultures and geographical make-up covering 15 provinces, 23 cities, 253 municipalities composed of 6,797 barangays and inhabited by 14,890,738 people.

The first president of KMDCI is Ronald Madrid Leander of GMA 7 from San Luis town and the incumbent president is Joy Franklin Gonzales of Tarlac province. (Jason de Asis, Philippines News Agency)

Rice production in Papua New Guinea is now possible with SL-8 rice varieties

LA PAZ, Tarlac--Rice production in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is now possible with the introduction of SL-8 hybrid rice varieties.

According to Henry Lim Bon Liong, chairman of SL Agritech Corp. (SLAC), it was proven that SL-8 hybrid rice varieties could be well grown in PNG, in contrast to local producers’ belief that rice could not be produced in big volume in that country due to the soil condition that is not suited to rice.

Before the introduction of the SL-8 hybrid rice varieties, the PNG government imports an average of 150,000 tons yearly which costs them K700 or approximately Php12.5 billion as attested by statistician Stephen Mombi, Independent State of Papua New Guinea (ISPNG) Deputy Secretary for Agriculture.

Decades ago, efforts were exerted by various government and private sectors to upgrade rice production in PNG but did not succeed.

Liong said that PNG government officials were first hesitant to try hybrid rice varieties because of their beliefs that it is more practical to import rice rather than to produce locally.

The SLAC introduced first the SL-8H, SL-12H and SL-18H varieties in Village Garden Ltd. based in PNG and recorded good performance in Gabadi, the district in the capital of Port Moresby.

The first variety planted was SL-18H in November 2014 then SL-12H in January this year and SL-8H last February. It was the first known commercial rice production in that country.

Before the shipment of the seeds, SLAC technical consultant, Dr. Frisco Malabanan made an ocular inspection of the soil and the climatic conditions of Gabadi and reached a conclusion that the soil and climatic conditions were suited well and appropriate for rice production.

In the pilot site, dry land preparation without harrowing was introduced by Village Garden executive director Philip Davies. The practice is not common in the Philippines.

Instead of pre-germinated seeds which are directly sown, spreader was used instead of transplanting.

In the Philippines this is locally known as “sabog-tanim”, an approach similar to rain-fed rice system, Liong said.

In the absence of reservoirs such as dams or small water impounding projects (SWIPs), water pumps were installed in the nearby river banks and sprinklers where used to address the lack of irrigation water.

The practice save 74.5% of freshwater compared to paddy rice.

Noteworthy, was even without using any organic or inorganic fertilizers and pesticides throughout the cropping period, reducing further production cost and making rice farming more profitable.

At present, the PNG government is eyeing at least 160,000 hectares in arable land for massive rice production.

Joseph Yopiyopi, a parliament member from the East Sepik has offered 60,000 hectares of land in his district while another 100,000 hectares in the Belmeru area in the Gulf Province are being considered.


An initial 1,000-hectare area has been eyed and considered by business conglomerate in PNG to plant SL-8 hybrid varieties. (PNA)

15 'Aspins' on rigid training as tracking dogs

BALER, Aurora - Fifteen “Aspins” short for Asong Pinoy or stray dog, sometimes known as “Askal” or Asong Kalye in this capital town of Aurora are now undergoing rigid training to become working dogs, according to top military official.

Lt. Col. Joey A. Escanillas, battalion commander of 56^th Infantry “Tatag” Battalion, Philippine Army, said the military is now on their way in giving the best training to their local dogs to become productive professional dogs working in many scent-related jobs, from tracking to search and rescue if possible.

“These dogs will be honed by their combat tracking skills and long exposure to military activities,” Escanillas said, adding that the “askal/aspin” are being trained by their army handlers for tracking and finding lost humans or other animals, as well as demonstrating the extremely high level of scent capability that dogs possess.

“Six to eight months old of our dogs are on their way in training to further demonstrate their natural abilities and to recognize and follow human scent. Tracking has always been an essential skill for dogs to survive in the wild, through hunting and tracking down potential prey,” he said.

Escanillas said that through the training of dogs, the soldiers will become passionate for the love and care of their own pets and develop their own tactics to work together in the military activities.

The dogs are distributed to the individual soldiers serving as the pet’s handlers and will generally give the proper trainings.

Patience is the most important part of the training, to tolerate waiting, delay, or frustration without becoming agitated or upset, to be able to control emotions or impulses and proceed calmly when faced with difficulties with dogs.

“Knowing the different kinds of breeds may help in some way but recognizing the exact breed of dog is not really important. No matter what size or type of dog the individual owns or utilized in military operation, it is necessary to give the dog plenty of clear rules and leadership in its daily life,” he explained.

Aside from the "aspins/askals,", Escanillas admitted they have well-trained imported “Labrador Retriever” and “Belgian Malinois” that also work in the battalion as explosive detector dogs.

The tasks are tracking down alive/dead individuals, recovering evidence from a crime scene and finding explosives.

Escanillas has been assigned at the Philippine Army (PA) supervising the training of canines (K9s) for two years and three months as commanding officer of the K9 Battalion before his post as the battalion commander of the 56th Infantry “Tatag” Battalion, Philippine Army covering the provinces of Aurora and Quirino, the towns of Bongabon in Nueva Ecija and Dinapigue in Isabela and portions of Alfonso Castaneda in Nueva Vizcaya.

The 56th IB’s area of responsibility is an ardous task in which the areas represent varied cultures and geographical make-up covering 17 municipalities composed of 320 barangays and inhabited by almost half a million people – 450,274 to be exact. (Jason de Asis, Philippines News Agency)