February 2013 - Federation of Free Farmers
Transcription
February 2013 - Federation of Free Farmers
FEDERATION OF FREE FARMERS 41 Highland Drive, Blue Ridge, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines Tel.: (02) 647 1093 | Fax: (02) 647 1451 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.freefarm.org Taon 4, Sipi Blg. 2 FFF BioFarming Network February 2013 10 Delicious Vegetable Recipes How to preserve freshness of Vegetables and Fruits? p.63-64 Pictorials from Recent Activities of FFF Biofarming Clusters p.83 FEDERATION OF FREE FARMERS 41 Highland Drive, Blue Ridge, 1109 Quezon City, Philippines Tel: (02) 647 1093 | Fax: (02) 647 1451 | E-mail: [email protected] | Web: www.freefarm.org Organic Egg Production At Costales Nature Farms www.agrizaccess.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 Ronald Costales and his layers. The Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna is also exclusively producing organic eggs for a client that also buys his culinary herbs, leafy greens and sweet corn. The chickens are very tame, and they lay big eggs that fetch as much as P15 apiece. The chickens are fed with their own feed formulation consisting of corn grits, fine rice bran, copra meal, soybean meal, livestock lime and fermented hog feed. To prevent disease, EM or effective microorganisms is added to their drinking water. They are also given an immune booster consisting of a concoction of garlic, ginger and molasses. Ronald says this is anti-bacterial. 1 Flat-Leaf Parsley Is P500 Per Kilo www.agrizaccess.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 THE FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY is one of the money-makers at the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna. It is being sold at P500 per kilo to specialty restaurants and other customers, especially in Metro Manila. It is useful as a flavoring for soups, salads, stews and more. Photo shows Eddie Gamalando of Costales Nature Farms showing a bunch of flat-leaf parsley grown in a greenhouse. Eddie Gamalando with a bunch of flat-leaf parsley that sells at P500 a kilo . With a greenhouse, production is year-round. Ronald Costales, the farm owner, says that the flat-leaf parsley is good for the health of the kidney. There is another variety, the curly parsley which is less flavorful than the flat-leaf. It is, however, more decorative and it has its own use in culinary preparations. 2 Vermi Tea Brewer At AANI Urban Farm www.agrizaccess.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2013 ONE WAY to apply vermicast in an economical way is to convert it into a tea. This can be done with the use of a vermi tea brewer shown here in photo. Vermicast, the feces of the African nightcrawler earthworm, is placed in the brewer together with molasses. By means of an aerator, the beneficial organisms in the vermicast multiply. The liquid is then used as organic foliar fertilizer, sprayed on the leaves or drenched in the planting soil. This brewer is available at the AANI Urban Farm in Antipolo City. Contact Pol Rubia for more details at 0917-847-5071. 3 New Salad Tomato From East-West Seed www.agrizaccess.com SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2013 It was shown to the public for the first time during the International Field Day held on Feb. 4, 2013 at the Simon N. Groot Research Center in Sansai, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Karina van Leeuwen is Crop Breeding manager of the East-West Seed Group. The latest salad tomato variety to be released by East-West Seed International for commercial planting is the Millennium variety developed by the team headed by Karina van Leeuwen, the crop breeding manager for the East-West Group. The Millennium is the first output of the company under its new beef or salad tomato program, according to Karina. The variety is intended for growing under greenhouse. It is indeterminate and can grow up to three meters high. Each plant can produce 10 to 12 clusters of fruits, each cluster weighing about one Karina van Leeuwen is Crop Breeding manager of the East-West Seed Group. 4 kilo. The salad tomato is very expensive. In the Philippines, according to Dr. Mary Ann P. Sayoc, general manager of East-West Seed Philippines, one fruit can cost as much as P70 in an upscale supermarket. Karina has been breeding tomatoes for East-West Seed for several years now. For a number of years, she was posted in the Philippines and developed the very high-yielding D-Max variety that is good for year-round production. This variety has made many farmers in the Philippines very rich. 5 Pandan For Floral Arrangement, Not For Cooking www.agrizaccess.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 ONE WAY to apply vermicast in an economical way is to convert it into a tea. This can be done with the use of a vermi tea brewer shown here in photo. Vermicast, the feces of the African nightcrawler earthworm, is placd in the brewer together with molasses. By means of an aerator, the beneficial organisms in the vermicast multiply. The liquid is then used as organic foliar fertilizer, sprayed on the leaves or drenched in the planting soil. This brewer is available at the AANI Urban Farm in Antipolo City. Contact Pol Rubia for more details at 0917-847-5071. 6 A Plant Lover's Lament www.agrizaccess.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 A Filipino National Scientist who is very much involved in the horticulture industry has a very valid lament. He is Dr. Benito S. Vergara, a retired scientist of the InThese are different varieties of Pothos, including Golden Ray, Silver ternational Rice ReRay, Old Gold, Silver and Old Silver. search Institute who is now very much involved in the plant business. He usually makes a trip to Thailand where he has a lot of former students who usually guide him during his visits there. In Thailand, he says: "You want 10,000 uniform seedlings for export or for supplying a landscaper for a semi-shaded area? Easy, ask a Thai nursery person and give him 6 months to produce as many plants as you want of pothos, syngonium and scindapsus. These plants are now tissue-cultured in Thailand and available at very reasonable price." Now, he asks: "When will the local nursery grower benefit from such technologies? Technicians are available but no adequate laboratory and supply of chemicals at reasonable price. I have often received answers from the government that we already have sufficient labs. Where are they? What are the rates?" 7 KUNDOL: A Neglected Crop In The Philippines www.agrizaccess.com THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2013 Kundol or wax gourd is an old fruit vegetable in the Philippines but it remains a very minor and neglected crop. There is need to promote the growing of this vegetable both in backyards as well as in commercial scale. TOM BRILLO of East-West Seed Philippines holding a 7-kilo wax gourd at the Talad Thai Market north of Bangkok. Note the big pile of wax gourd in the wholesale market. Kundol growing and consumption should be promoted for a number of good reasons. Simple dishes could be prepared with very little expense, yet delicious and tasty. One old dish we remember in the Ilocos which is not common now is to cook thinly sliced kundol with pieces of native chicken and sotanghon with just enough broth. For variation kundol could be prepared into a soupy dish. Of course there are some other ways of preparing. The kundol is also used for making sweets. The good thing about kundol is that the fruits are big and a lot of sweets could be produced with just one fruit. Kundol is easy to grow. They are high-yielding, too. We have seen some at the International Field Day at the Simon N. Groot Research Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand recently. And the good thing is that improved varieties are being developed by seed companies like EastWest Seed. 8 We met Ing-Orn Srikubua at the International Field Day where she attended to visitors in the wax gourd section of the demo farm. She said that they have developed a cylindrical variety for the Thai market whereas another type with round fruits was developed for the Indian market. Both are highyielding and resistant to diseases. The good thing about kundol is that the fruits can be stored for months under ordinary conditions. That is why it is Ing-Orn Srikubua posing with East-West's wax gourd variety for the Thai market. Each also a favorite in Taiwan where they fruit is relatively small, cylindrical and weighing 3-4 kilos each. have winter. They call the kundol winter gourd because that’s what is most available during the winter months. 9 How To Produce Big Makopa Fruits www.agrizaccess.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013 The green wax apple or Makopa being sold at the Talad Thai Market in Thailand are really big compared to fruits that are produced by growers in the Philippines. These are big fruits of green makopa at the Talad Thai Market in Thailand. Only one fruit is retained per cluster so that the mature fruits are big. In the Philippines, the same variety comes in much smaller sizes. The main reason is that the growers don't thin their fruits. It is very common that clusters of as many as 7 fruits are produced on the tree. Because many growers don't remove the excess fruits, the mature fruits are necessarily small. In Thailand, growers just leave one fruit to develop and mature per cluster. That's the main reason why the fruits sold in the markets are big. Another secret in producing fruits that are sweet and crisp is to include trace elements in the fertilizer applied when the fruits are developing. When the fruits are half mature, a high-potash formulation will make the fruits sweeter. The fruits have to be bagged to protect them from fruitfly damage. The bag could be made of cloth or sheets of paper. At the Teresa Orchard & Nursery in Teresa, Rizal, we use cloth bags. By the way, we visited the Talad Thai Market on February 7, 2013 to10 gether with visitors from Iran, Sri Lanka and South American countries who attended the International Field Day at the Simon N. Groot Research Center in Sansai, Chiang Mai, Thailand. This is a typical cluster of green makopa in the Philippines. Because the cluster is not thinned, the fruits will be small. The recommendation is to leave just one fruit per cluster. 11 Profusely New Prolific Finger Peppers www.agrizaccess.com TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013 The new hybrids of hot finger peppers were showcased at the International Field Day at the Simon N. Groot Research Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand, on February 4, 2013. These included new varieties being intended Nongluck Milerue, a pepper breeder at the East-West in Thailand, for different markets poses with a promising pepper hybrid. such as the Philippines, India, China, Vietnam, Aftica, Sri Lanka and to the Latin American countries in South America. The pepper plants are trained to grow upright. They are pruned at the bottom so that there is free flow of air above ground. The fruits are visible and are easier to harvest. 12 The one intended for the Philippines is tentatively named Batur which may take the place of Django, the front-running "Pangsigang" variety in the Philippines. Batur is said to be more prolific than Django, the fruits are a bit bigger, and the plant is more resistant to bacterial wilt disease. What a prolific finger pepper! This is Batur, a new finger pepper variety for the Philippines. 13 What's Up In Hot Pepper www.agrizaccess.com FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2013 Prolific finger pepper with yellow fruits. At the breeding station of EastWest Seed International at the Lanchang Farms in Chiang Mai, Thailand, a lot of interesting developments are happening. We visited the place last February 5, 2013. One hot pepper that stood out is a variety that produces slender fruits that are a foot long or longer. Henk Pascha, head plant breeder, said that it is being developed for the China market. Henk Pascha also showed us the very hot Jalapeño pepper that produces small fruits. They have started crossing the small-fruited pepper with varieties that bear big fruits. This is the hot pepper with foot-long fruits. 14 The objective is to transfer the superhot trait to a hybrid with much bigger fruits. We also saw a very prolific finger pepper that produces a lot of yellow fruits. It is something novel. Henk Pascha with fruitful Jalapeño pepper which is being crossed with plants that produce bigger fruits. 15 Mulch Your Fruit Trees With Rice Husk www.agrizaccess.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013 As the dry season is just around the corner, you can conserve moisture content in your fruit tree plantation by mulching the trees with two inches of rice husk about a meter around the base. The mulch will not only prevent fast drying of the soil, it will also prevent the growth of weeds. Photo shows a pummelo tree mulched with rice husk at the Teresa Orchard & Nursery in Teresa, Rizal. Rice husk could also be used for mulching other trees, including young forest trees. Of course, you should regularly check the soil under the mulch to see if the tree needs watering. 16 Slanting Trellis www.agrizaccess.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013 In many instances, trellises for viny vegetables are constructed standing erect. This one used for French beans Ayoka at the Simon Groot Research Center (SGRC) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, is slanting. It has its own advantages. The leaves have a wider exposure to sunlight, and the fruits hang for easy harvesting at the underside of the trellis. Ayoka is a particularly prolific variety developed by East-West Seed company. It was showcased during the International Field Day at the SGRC on February 4, 2013. 17 Super Pechay? www.agrizaccess.com TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2013 In No, it is not a special variety of pechay. It is one of those ordinarily available in seed stores. It just happens that it was sprayed with the special fertilizer formulation of Mr. Alfonso G. Puyat, the Power Grower Combo. This is from the garden of Mr. and Mrs. Rodrigo España in General Santos City. The plant was sprayed with Power Grower Combo four days after it was transplanted. Fifteen days later, it was sprayed with the special fertilizer for the second and last time. The plant became very robust and tender at harvest time less than one month from transplanting. Power Grower Combo also works wonders for other crops, including fruit trees, rice and corn, sugarcane, tobacco and practically every crop. Text your full name and address to 0917-841-5477 so you will know how to order Power Grower Combo even if you are in the province. If you wish, you may also visit Teresa Orchard & Nursery in Teresa, Rizal, where you can pick up the same yourself. Another formulation called Heavy Weight Tandem that promotes fruiting is also available. 18 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2012 Outstanding Stringbeans From Allied Botanical www.agrizaccess.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 In No, it is not a special variety of pechay. It is one of those ordinarily available in seed stores. It just happens that it was sprayed with the special fertilizer formulation of Mr. Alfonso G. Puyat, the Power Grower Combo. The plant was sprayed with Power Grower Combo four days after it was transplanted. Fifteen days later, it was sprayed with the special fertilizer for the second and last time. The plant became very robust and tender at harvest time less than one month from transplanting. Sheila Rojo with long pods of stringbeans during the field day at the ABC experimental farm. Power Grower Combo also works wonders for other crops, including fruit trees, rice and corn, sugarcane, tobacco and practically every crop. Text your full name and address to 0917-841-5477 so you will know how to order Power Grower Combo even if you are in the province. If you wish, you may also visit Teresa Orchard & Nursery in Teresa, Rizal, where you can pick up the same yourself. Another formulation called Heavy Weight Tandem that promotes fruiting is also available. 19 Power Grower Combo Works Wonders On Tobacco www.agrizaccess.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2013 A special fertilizer that has been proven to more than double the yield of sugarcane and fruit trees also does wonders on Burley tobacco. This is the Power Grower Combo, a plant growth promotant formulated by Alfonso G. Puyat. Frederick Pinpinio showing a big leaf of his Burley tobacco sprayed with Power Grower Combo. Earlier, the special fertilizer formulation doubled the yield of sugarcane in the farm of Mauro Merculio in Victoria, Tarlac. This time, the trial in a farmer’s farm in Balungao, Pangasinan, shows the yield of Burley tobacco could be more than doubled with the Power Grower Combo. Frederick Pinpinio of San Miguel, Balungao, Pangasinan has a standing crop of Burley tobacco on one hectare from which he has harvested two times as of this writing. His tobacco plants that were sprayed just two times with the Puyat growth enhancer have grown to about six feet tall whereas the plants of the unsprayed adjacent field were mostly four feet or less in height. The sprayed plants produced much bigger and more numerous leaves. The leaves of the sprayed plants were two feet long and one foot wide. On the other hand, leaves of the unsprayed plants measured only 17 inches long and seven inches wide. When the leaves were dried in the sun, as is the usual practice in Burley tobacco, the dried leaf of the sprayed plant weighed 12 grams whereas the one of the unsprayed plant was 5.1 grams. 20 As per the estimate of Frederick, one plant could yield as much as one kilo of dried leaves. He has planted 15,000 plants in the one hectare that he rented for P5,000 per planting cycle. That means, he could possibly harvest about 15 tons from one hectare. At the usual price last year of P70 per kilo, the 15 tons could be worth more than one million pesos. Even if the yield is only ten tons, that would still give the grower P700,000. Frederick Pinpinio is dwarfed by tobacco plants sprayed with Power Grower Combo Compared to corn, which is also a major crop in Pangasinan, tobacco requires more labor to produce. The cost of production includes the cost of seedlings which is supplied by the buyer of the cured leaves at 70 centavos per seedling. The other costs are land preparation, fertilizer, daily attention to the plants while they are growing to prevent insect infestation, irrigation, cost of harvesting, sticking and drying. At any rate, Burley tobacco is still profitable to grow. Frederick Pinpinio is dwarfed by tobacco plants sprayed with Power Grower Combo According to the National Tobacco Administration, Burley tobacco is being produced largely in Pangasinan which accounts for 51 percent of local Burley production. The other provinces growing Burley tobacco are Tarlac (16%), Nueva Ecija and Mindoro. 21 The NTA adds that there are about 11,376 farmers involved in planting Burley tobacco on 7,198 hectares. The good thing about Burley tobacco is that unlike Virginia tobacco, it is not cured in fluecuring barns. Burley is dried in the sun like the native tobacco. Zac B. Sarian (left) with Frederick Pinpinio in his farm in San Miguel, Balungao, Pangasinan on February 24, 2013. Burley is a light colored aromatic tobacco that is used in making cigarettes. About 75 percent of local production is used by local cigarette manufacturers. The rest is exported to countries like the United States, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia and Japan. 22 More investments needed to boost Mindanao’s vegetable, fruit industries By Rudy A. Fernandez (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 24, 2013 - 12:00am LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, Philippines – The government should invest more in roads and port infrastructure in Mindanao to facilitate the movement of vegetables and fruits produced on the island, a just-concluded study has recommended. Better roll-on roll-off shipping services for greater connectivity of markets and port operation where there is scope for privatization should also be provided. Moreover, time and accurate market information, especially to farmers, should be generated, asserted the study titled “Strengthening Markets of High-Value Fruits and Vegetables in Mindanao: The Case of Transport and Shipping Service Improvement.” The report is the final output of a two-year Research project titled “Transport Policy Study: promoting Efficiency and Productivity of Flow of Goods – A Focus on the Transportation Needs of Mindanao Region.” Funded by the Australian Research Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the study was implemented by the Philippine government-hosted Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization-Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEAMEO SEARCA). 23 SEARCA, headed by director Gil C. Saguiguit Jr., is one of the 20 regional centers of SEAMEO, an inter-government treaty organization founded in 1965 to promote cooperation among Southeast Asian nations through activities in education, science, and culture. The research team was composed of Dr. Gilberto Llanto, project leader and senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS); Francis Mark Quimba, PIDS research specialist; Dr. Mercedita Sombilla, former SEARCA research and development manager and new agriculture staff director of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA); and Karen Quilloy of SEARCA. Two publications are being prepared to disseminate the results of the study. The study noted that Mindanao, as the country’s major source of agricultural commodities, produced 1.54 million tons of food and live animals in 2009 of which 1.43 million tons were shipped to Luzon (49 percent) and to the Visayas (44 percent). Particularly, about 70 percent of the total volume of the country’s major fruits and vegetables are produced in Mindanao. Of these, more than 90 percent is transported to major urban centers in Luzon and the Visayas. “However, in an island archipelago like the Philippines, the movement of highly perishable crops such as fruits and vegetables from key production areas in Mindanao to intermediate and terminal markets within the outside the island-region is hampered by the inadequacy of efficient and effective transport systems and port and shipping services,” the ACIAR-supported SEARCA study stressed. It added: “This limits the potential gains that supply chain participants 24 may realize from their produce, given the increasing demand for high quality and safe fruits and vegetables in the Philippines and abroad.” The study analyzes the impact of road and port network on supply chain players of key fruits and vegetables in Mindanao, with a view to recommending policy directions and development approaches to meet the demand for transportation infrastructure in relation to need, attainment of growth potentials, and competitiveness in the region. It examined the inter-regional trade of major fruits and vegetables in the Philippines for the period 1999-2009 and identified the factors that influence the trade flows and how the same factors apply to Mindanao’s trade patterns. “Specifically, fruits such as papaya, and vegetables such as tomato and lettuce coming from Mindanao were covered in the study to focus on the importance of improving the transport infrastructure in Mindanao,” said Dr. Bessie M. Burgos, SEARCA acting program head for R&D. Following are the key findings of the study: A percentage increase in the gross regional domestic product of the destination region leads to two to three percent increase in the total trade of the selected groups. Distance has negative effect on the inter-regional trade of agricultural commodities while length of paved road in the reporting region was positively related to the value of trade of fruits and vegetables. A percentage increase in the number of markets in the destination region boosts the total agricultural, vegetable, and fruit trade between regions by eight to nine percent. Based on the findings, the research team recommended that more in- 25 vestments should be poured into roads, port infrastructure, and rollon-roll-off shipping services; timely and accurate market information should be generated; monitoring and coordination of markets should be improved; and regulatory institutions should be strengthened and regulations affecting the supply chain should be effectively ensured. 26 State-of-the-art facilities of Philippine Carabao Center to boost buffalo industry (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 17, 2013 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines - The newly built state-of-the-art facilities of the Philippine Carabao Center’s (PCC) national bull farm, semen processing center, and cryobanking, which was inaugurated just this February 8, are expected to encourage a more aggressive propagation of superior animals in the country and an enlivened buffalo-based industry. Through the $3-million grant-aid project provided by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to PCC, the state-of-the-art facilities have finally been put in place and are ready to cater to half a million more Filipino farmers every year. The grant was made possible under the project, “Enhancing Livestock Sector Performance in the Philippines through an Institutionalized and Sustained Genetic Improvement Program” forged in 2010. 27 Specifically, the projects are aimed at improving the institutionalized data capture system, genetic data analysis and evaluation system, and unified web-based genetic information system; intensification of the organized use of reproductive biotechniques such as artificial insemination (AI), and embryo technologies in concert with DNA-based technologies towards enhanced propagation of superior animals; improvement of the current animal genetic resources cryobanking to ensure sustained support for long-term GIP program; and capacitation of technical personnel in animal breeding genomics, bioinformatics, biotechnology, and other related fields. “The enhanced bull farm is a major support to the semen processing and AI activities of PCC that ensure sustainability and quality production of frozen buffalo semen for the national upgrading program,” said director Edwin Atabay of the PCC at Central Luzon State University. The cryobank repositories, which consist of six huge cryotanks and liquid nitrogen depot, on the other hand, are utilized as storage for frozen animal genetic materials. “After barely two years of construction and involvement of the local communities, I join the PCC in thanking the KOICA for these wonderful, high-tech facilities for genetic improvement and conservation of livestock animals,” Agriculture Undersecretary Berna Romulo-Puyat said during the inauguration. She said that with the state-of-the-art facilities for semen processing and cryobanking, the PCC would be able to double its semen production for wider artificial insemination services all over the country. Korean Ambassador Lee Hyuk, in his address, said the partnership between KOICA and PCC aims to strengthen and sustain PCC’s existing 28 genetic improvement program for livestock animals in the Philippines. PCC executive director Dr. Libertado Cruz, for his part, said that with the newly constructed facilities coupled with trained PCC staff members, the PCC would now be able to address not only buffalo-related concerns but also those of the whole livestock industry. “These facilities allow us to cover three to four folds more than the usual number of farmers we service a year. Now we are confident that we can cater to half a million more farmers in the country every year,” he added. Dr. Cruz said further that more than the facilities and human capacities is the solid friendship and partnership between the Korean and the Filipino people toward a common goal of uplifting the lives of Filipino farmers and enhancement of the competitiveness of the domestic livestock sector. Those who attended inauguration ceremony in Barangay Joson, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija were Korean Ambassador Lee, KOICA representative Kim Jinoh, Department of Agriculture Usec for Special Affairs Romulo-Puyat, PCC executive director Dr. Cruz, some PCC staff members and hundreds of farmers in Nueva Ecija. 29 Farmers welcome SSS coverage (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 17, 2013 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines - Hundreds of farmers (bottom photo) who are members of irrigators associations (IAs) across Central Luzon applaud upon hearing the value of Social Security System (SSS) membership during the IA’s general assembly in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija. The event’s highlight was the signing of an agreement between SSS and Deep Well Sumulong Irrigators Association (DWSIA), which accredits the DWSIA to facilitate its members’ SSS registration and applications for loans and funeral benefits. DWSIA will also provide a counterpart subsidy to double its members’ SSS savings and enable them to get bigger SSS benefits, as part of the agreement. The tie up is a major step towards boosting SSS coverage of about 69,000 farmers in Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Pampanga and Bulacan provinces, in line with the pension fund’s thrust to extend protection to self-employed and informal sector workers. Commissioner Ibarra Malonzo (top photo, left), Social Security Com30 mission (SSC) labor representative and chair of the SSC Committee on Coverage and Collection, urged the attendees to save for their future through the SSS. Looking on are (top photo, from left) Cristino Castillo, acting division 3 manager of the National Irrigation AuthorityUpper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System (NIA-UPRIIS); Jose Bautista, SSS senior vice president for NCR and Luzon Operations; Vilma Agapito, SSS assistant vice president for Central Luzon; and Maximo Hernal, the DWSIA president who signed the agreement on behalf of the association. 31 No more rice imports by 2014, says Alcala By Cet Dematera (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 3, 2013 - 12:00am LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – The Philippines intends to export special varieties of rice this quarter and stop rice importation by 2014 after domestic rice production has exceeded yield target by at least two-million metric tons during the 2011 to 2012 cropping season. Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who was here Wednesday and Thursday for the Department of Agriculture’s two-day 2013 first quarter management conference (Mancom), announced that the government would start the exportation of fancy rice varieties as early as this quarter after the country’s rice production reached 18.3 million metric tons in 2012, surpassing the target production of 18 million metric tons for that year. Alcala said some countries have already signified intention to buy the locally produced fancy rice. 32 “For example, Hongkong and Singapore are interested in our colored rice, the Middle East in long grain aromatic rice, and the United Arab Emirates and United States in heirloom rice,” he told The STAR. Alcala said the 18.3-million metric tons rice production in 2012 is higher by two-million metric tons compared to the 2011 actual production of 16 million metric tons. He said that the country would start rice exportation even of its regular rice once it achieves its target 20 million metric tons production target in 2014. Alcala said that even the importation of NFA rice would be totally stopped once rice sufficiency is attained and fully sustained beyond 2014. “Once our rice production will continue to increase in every cropping season, and we finally hit the 20-million metric tons target in 2014, there is no reason for us not to export our produce and totally stop rice importation,” Alcala said. Alcala attributes the improved yield to the government-initiated massive irrigation repair and rehabilitation, use of good quality seeds, more post-harvest facilities, and more assistance to farmers, among others. Alcala said that sufficient supply of rice would kill rice hoarding and even rice cartels in the country. Similarly, totally stopping importation would eradicate rice smuggling. “All these problems in hoarding, cartel and smuggling of rice are expected to just die a natural death once our market is flooded with locally produced rice,” he added. Alcala said that even the country’s corn production has improved from 6.97 million metric tons in 2011 to 7.4 million metric tons in 2012, 33 though slightly short of the 7.8 million metric tons set target. He attributed the production growth to the expansion of corn plantations by about 50,000 hectares, use of good quality seeds, and more efficient post-harvest facilities that dropped harvest losses to 11 percent from the previous 15 percent. Alcala said that sufficient supply of corn would also help stabilize rice sufficiency since corn is a substitute staple food in the Visayas and Mindanao provinces. He also said that the fisheries growth rate has improved from negative in the past years to 0.4 last year. Alcala said that this could be the result of the seasonal closure for fishing of the waters of Zamboanga Peninsula and the Visayan seas from December to February last year, which was the spawning period for the fish species used in canning or manufacturing sardines. 34 PhilRice uses biotech to improve rice yield By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine Star) | Updated February 3, 2013 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) has included the use of biotechnology breeding technologies in its research and development (R&D) program to create higher yielding rice varieties and lower the cost of palay (unpolished rice husk) production. The agency is currently working on rice varieties with yield potential of more than 10 metric tons (MT) per hectare that also can withstand a wide range of stresses caused by diseases, insect infestation, and other envrionmental stresses. The current yield per hectare is placed at 3.88 MT. “With the rapid growth of our population, the rate of rice consumption also increases. As one of the lead agencies concerned, PhilRice continues to develop varieties that respond well to varied rice ecosystems and attacks of pest and diseases,” said Dr. Dindo Tabanao, program lead for irrigated lowland rice of Philrice’s Plant Breeding and Biotechnology Division. Some biotechnology-aided breeding techniques currently being used by PhilRice include tissue culture, mutagenesis, molecular markers and DNA sequencing. PhilRice is also undertaking long-term studies on organic and inorganic use of fertilizers and evaluation of organic nutrient source and indigenous soil nutrient supply to improve soil condition. The Department of Agriculture (DA) expects palay production to reach 35 7.90 million metric tons (MT) in the first six months of the year, a flat production growth rate from the 7.89 million MT recorded in the same period last year. In a report, the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) said the total harvest area may increase by 0.1 percent to 2.038 million hectares in the January to June period from 2.036 million hectares in 2012. Yield per hectare, however, may remain the same as in 2012 at 3.88 MT. Based on standing crop, palay production in the first quarter of the year is forecast to reach 4.27 million MT, up by 7.1 percent from the output of 3.99 million MT in 2012. Based on farmers’ planting intentions, April to June forecasts indicate reductions in production, harvest area and yield by 6.9 percent, 4.1 percent and three percent, respectively. This was because most farmers opted to concentrate the bulk of palay production in the early part of the year. In 2011, PhilRice successfully developed eight new early-maturing varieties for irrigated and rainfed lowland, and saline prone areas. This is expected to help farmers in adverse ecosystems to achieve higher yield and lower expenses on fertilizers, irrigation and fuel. Tabanao said it takes about 10 years to develop new rice varieties after which, it would still have to go through commercial testing. 36 Investing in Philippine Organic Farming http://www.agriculture-ph.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2013 Foreign investors, particularly OFWs or overseas Filipino workers, are getting interested in partnering with Ronald Costales of the Costales Nature Farms in Majayjay, Laguna. Perhaps, after reading about his successful operation of his organic farm, people with money to invest are only too eager to be a part of his organic farm business. Ronald has come up with a scheme that is attractive enough because the investor can expect to receive a dividend in just a matter of weeks or a few months. First to make an investment in Ronald’s project is an engineer who is working in Africa, Jayson Javier. We first heard from Javier when he 37 sent us a message saying that he is the first investor to put his money in the Costales Nature Farms after reading about him in our blog. At first we didn’t bother to inquire about the scheme. But last month, we inquired from Ronald just how the partnership with the investor works. And this is what we have gathered. The investor finances the building of a greenhouse where the high-value crops that Costales produces are grown. These include all the vegetables, culinary herbs and other high-value crops that can be grown in the greenhouse. Costales had really wanted to have partners because it costs a lot of money to build a greenhouse. Having greenhouses has a lot of advantages. He can grow his favorite crops throughout the year, assuring his customers year-round availability of his produce. In the case of Javier, he invested P420,000 for the construction of a 300 -sq.m. greenhouse in February 2012. By March, it was ready for planting. Ronald planted 480 hills of Japanese cucumber which produced fruits in 30 days after transplanting the seedlings. The 480 plants gave an average of 1.5 kilos per hill so the crop yielded 720 kilos that sold for P100 per kilo or P72,000 for the whole harvest. The cost of production was about P25,000. This was deducted from the gross sales and the remaining amount of P47,000 was shared equally between Javier and Costales. After resting the planting beds for a few weeks, the next crop of French beans was planted on May 17 while the last harvest was on July 15. The price of the beans was quite good at P250 per kilo. In this second crop, they netted about P17,000 each. The succeeding crops which were harvested in just a few weeks were similarly profitable. The third crop was lettuce which was harvested 30 38 days after transplanting. Javier and Costales had also a share of P17,000 each. In the fourth cropping, Costales went back to French beans which is a legume that could enrich the soil. Again, the partners made about the usual dividend each. As of January 27, 2013, the fifth cropping is in progress. The crop is Japanese cucumber and Costales is expecting it to be profitable also. It did not take long for other investors from abroad to notice the investment scheme offered by Costales. A medical doctor from Sacramento, California, Dr. Aloy Llaguno, has invested P2.8 million for the construction of two greenhouses of 1,000 sq.m. each. The greenhouses are currently used for growing different high-value crops, including sweet corn. Of course, there are also local investors who have joined in constructing their own greenhouses at the Costales farm. One of them is Jojo Chua, an owner of a hardware store. He invested P500,000 for a greenhouse covering 400 square meters. After Jojo received his first dividend, his son also invested his own money in another greenhouse. Today, investors have built a total of 18 greenhouses. There is no more space for additional greenhouses in the 5-hectare property. Because there is no more room for greenhouses, three investors have invested their money in what Ronald calls “Villas.” These are actually lodging facilities where visitors who want to stay overnight can stay. Some interested investors have been asking him what would be next that they could invest in. Maybe, Ronald says, they could invest in a training school devoted to organic farming. There seems to be endless ideas that are brewing in Costales’ head. And we will not be surprised if 39 that training institute in organic farming will become a reality sooner than we think. The customers are also very happy that Costales now has the facilities to produce all the supplies they need. One big distributor of organic foods has provided him P2.8 million to build a modern packing house that will further assure the quality of his produce. This client has priority to buy all that he needs from him. Meantime, clients from Visayas and Mindanao have also been ordering some of his products. Of course, Ronald is very happy about the developments he has been reaping. By Manila Bulletin 40 Eastern Visayas Rice Production Report http://www.agriculture-ph.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2013 Rice Produced in Eastern Visayas was up 1.1% Last Year Rice production in Eastern Visayas increased by 1.1 percent in 2012, it was learned over the weekend. The region’s total rice production in 2012 reached 994,972 metric tons (MT), 10,955 MT more than the 984,017 MT recorded the year before, said Rufino Ayaso III, focal person of the Department of Agriculture-Region 8’s rice program and operations division head. According to him, the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Southern Leyte contributed significantly to last year’s improved production. Eastern Samar posted a 10.78-percent production growth (59,412 MT) and a yield growth of 7.20-percent (2.82 MT/hectares), followed by Northern Samar with a 4.86-percent increase (111,207 MT) and a yield growth of 4.65 percent (2.80 MT/hectares), Southern Leyte with 3.79 percent (96,166 MT), and Samar with 1.60 percent (140,529 MT). Leyte is still the region’s biggest rice producer with a total harvest of 521,115 MT, while Biliran province was the highest yielder with an average yield per hectare of 4.49 MT, despite attaining negative 1.07-percent 41 and 0.09-percent growth levels, respectively. Ayaso said irrigation support plays a major role in the growth of rice production, contributing at least 25 percent. Adoption of seed technology and a favorable environment each contributed 10 percent, organic inputs and postharvest-related interventions contributed 5 percent, and other support services contributed 15 percent. “Revitalized extension, training and research services contributed the highest percentage in the region’s yield growth with 30-percent rate,” he added. By Business Mirror 42 Returning OFWs urged to pursue agribusiness By Tina G. Santos Philippine Daily Inquirer 7:46 am | Wednesday, February 20th, 2013 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz on Tuesday urged overseas Filipino workers, who left behind their agricultural lands when they decided to pursue “greener pastures” abroad, to come back home after finishing their contracts and pursue agriculture and related enterprises as an alternative source of income. “Returning OFWs, OFWs who had been displaced, or OFWs who had become victims of abuse should not be afraid to come home to the Philippines, particularly if they have idle farmlands. Their lands are a source of income security,” said Baldoz in a statement. “You should not be worried. You can develop your farms through organic farming, or start your own agribusiness and expand it with the assistance of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs through loan from the P2billion national reintegration loan fund,” Baldoz said. Baldoz issued the challenge after Philippine Labor Attaché to Hong Kong Manuel Roldan reported about the recent visit of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala. According to Roldan, Alcala met with the Filipino community in Hong Kong and attended a seminar on organic farming and chicken-and-rabbitraising conducted by one Dr. Rey Itchon of the Spread Organic in the Philippines for Hong Kong OFWs. The seminar, attended by 100 OFWs, is part of the regular agricultural 43 livelihood training conducted every Sunday at the Filipino Workers Resource Center. In his report, Roldan said Alcala committed to support efforts in building the capacities of Hong Kong OFWs to engage in agricultural enterprises after they have shown interest and enthusiasm in tilling and developing their lands using the knowledge and skills they acquired from the seminar. “Secretary Alcala is also looking at the possibility of introducing the same seminar in other OFW destinations,” Roldan said. Baldoz expressed interest in this development, saying that OFWs who come home to the Philippines with skills and knowledge acquired from the seminar and who wish to engage in agriculture and related ventures can avail a financial grant from the NRCO. “Those who want to come back and cultivate that land they left behind will never have to lose sleep on how they can support the needs of their families again. Aside from the financial assistance, they will also receive business counseling, technical and marketing assistance, and skills training to ensure the success of their business. We will even provide them with other support, such as productivity improvement, after they have started their business,” Baldoz said. “We all know how hard it is to work far from your loved ones and we are very much aware of the social costs of migration. The government, through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs, does not stop in thinking of ways on how we can provide decent jobs and livelihood for every Filipino so that working abroad will just be an option,” Baldoz added. 44 Baganga farmers ask to be allowed to sell fallen coco trees for lumber By Germelina Lacorte Inquirer Mindanao 3:18 pm | Thursday, February 14th, 2013 DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Coconut farmers in the town of Baganga in Davao Oriental are asking the Philippine Coconut Authority to help them recover from the devastation left by Typhoon Pablo last December by allowing them to sell fallen coconut trees outside the province without having to pay any fees. Jose Tinio, whose 10-hectare coconut farm was among those severely damaged by the typhoon, said the sale of the fallen logs in the form of coco-lumber would help alleviate the suffering of people in Baganga by giving them a chance to earn some cash. Another landowner, lawyer Leo Caubang of the Caubang Law Office in Davao City, wrote a letter to the PCA administrator, asking if coconut farmers devastated by the typhoon could be allowed to sell their fallen coconut trees to buy food and medicine for their families. “Several farmers wanted to sell their coco lumber but they were admonished by PCA provincial officials in Davao Oriental that they should secure a permit or else they will be apprehended,” Caubang wrote in a January 13 letter to PCA administrator Euclides Forbes. “Farm owners wanted to turn the uprooted coconut trees into coco lumber to buy food and medicine for our people,” he said. Forbes had earlier issued a memorandum exempting people in typhoonravaged areas of Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Agusan del Sur and 45 six other provinces from the payment of fees for cutting down coconut trees so they could use fallen coconut trees to rebuild their houses. But the exemption covered only trees that the farmers were going to use to rebuild their houses and not for trees that were to be taken out of the province or sold to lumberyards. “We appeal to our PCA officials to understand the plight of coconut farmers badly devastated by the typhoon,” said Tinio. “Other countries have the heart to help Baganga, why is it that the PCA is making it hard for the coco farmers to sell?” He said that without the PCA exemption, he has to pay a fee of P75 per tree, which is quite high for most people whose livelihoods were wiped out by the typhoon. “We want to sell our coco lumber even in areas outside Baganga where there are buyers,” Tinio said, adding that the number of trees uprooted by the typhoon were more than enough to rebuild all the houses destroyed by the typhoon in Cateel and Baganga. “Even the governor knew that the fallen trees are more than enough to rebuild all houses. A large number of those fallen trees will only rot if they’re not put to use,” he said, referring to Davao Oriental Gov. Cora Malanyaon, who had earlier lifted the ban on the transport of coco lumber out of the province. “That’s why we want to sell them before they go to waste.” 46 The Vegetable Farmers Of Mantalongon http://www.jacobimages.com/2011/05/the-vegetable-farmers-of-mantalongon I have heard numerous times now of a mountain town here in Cebu where the weather is cooler and vegetable farmers carry large baskets of produce on their heads. I have always had a small interest in going to see what this was all about, but a part of me never thought it would be too interesting – vegetables are really not that exciting. Again, I was reminded of this place last week when my brother-in-law went on a day hike in the area and showed me some pictures of the farmers carrying these large baskets. I decided I should go and visit the small town of Mantalongon and explore how vegetables are harvested. 47 Most vegetables in Mantalongon are harvested every day depending on the time of year and the type of crop. We saw cabbage, pechay, carrots, syote, eggplant, carrots, corn, onions and others during our time there. It seems like the majority of the fields are small plots of land managed by individual households. During harvest time community members help each other out, by picking, packing and getting the vegetables to the market about 3-5km away in town. The vegetables are packed into large baskets which are then either placed on a carriers head or back. Its seems somewhat painful carrying over 100 kilos of vegetables on your head, but I’m not sure how else they would get the baskets off of the mountain. There are only muddy foot paths in the fields and getting a motorized vehicle up there is probably out of the question. I must say that walking barefoot on these trails is much easier than using slippers (which most Filipinos wear). My slippers broke up on the mountain and I ended up waking barefoot for most of the day. I still ended up with mud all over me because it seems like my balance is not what it used to be with a heavy bag on my back. I can’t imagine carrying 100 kilos on my head and walking these muddy trails. 48 I was amazed while walking back into town from the vegetable fields, seeing these large baskets being used to transport all types of stuff. I saw concrete blocks in them, grass to feed livestock, and the man above was transporting bread for his store. The surrounding area of Mantalongon is beautiful and on top of the mountain range is the highest peak in Cebu, Osmena Peak. From the top you can get a feel for the unique landscape of the area, jagged peaks and limestone cliffs. You also get a nice view of Cebu’s surrounding islands. Once the produce arrives to Mantalongon market the baskets are weighed and sorted. From here they are repackaged for transport to Cebu City where they will be sold in Carbon Market. A lot of labor goes into getting vegetables on our tables. I’m heading back to Mindanao this week to see what kind of stories I can find. I’m hoping I will be able to connect with some of the Aeta indigenous people there, as I have heard they may still do some kind of 49 traditional hunting. I also have some interest in doing a story on the NPA (New Peoples Army), a communist rebel party here, but concerns of safety and finding a contact may be an issue. I try to find and gather has much information as possible before going somewhere, but in reality you just never know what it will be like until you get there. I’m sure something interesting is laying ahead. More to come from the road. 50 10 Delicious Vegetable Recipes 51 Alugbati at Talong Sa Bagoong Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes Servings: 4-6 Ingredients 2 tbsp cooking oil 2 tbsp crushed garlic 1 medium onion, sliced 2 pieces tomatoes sliced ½ cup fried and flaked meat of tinapang galunggong 2 tbsp bagoong alamang 4 pieces talong, grilled, skinned and cubed ¼ cup vinegar 4 cups alugbati tops 1 8g. MAGGI MAGIC SARAP Procedure 1. Heat cooking oil. Sauté garlic, onion and tomatoes until limp. 2. Stir in flaked tinapa and bagoong. Cook for 1 minute. 3. Add talong and cook for 20 seconds. Put alugbati tops and stir for another 20 seconds without covering. 4. Season with MAGGI MAGIC SARAP. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:125 Carbohydrates (g):4 Protein (g):13 Fats (g):6 Good to Know: Alugbati is a vegetable that is a natural source of fiber, iron, calcium, and vitamins A, B and C. Good to Remember: MAGGI MAGIC SARAP provides the umami, or the “malinamnam” taste we are all looking for! 52 Chopsuey Con Casuy Freshness of vegetables sauteed with casuy gives this chopsuey dish an interesting twist in flavor and texture Preparation Time: 00:20 Cooking Time: 00:10 Servings: 6-8 Ingredients 2 tbsp. cooking oil 2 tbsp. sliced carrots 1/2 cup sinkamas sliced 1 cup sliced baguio beans 2 cups cabbage shredded 1 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/4 cup toasted cashew Procedure 1. Heat oil, sauté carrots, singkamas and baguio beans, cook for 3 minutes. 2. Add cabbage, cook for another 2 minutes then stir-in MAGGI Flavor-It Super Ginisa Mix. 3. Pour in water, simmer for 3 minutes more. Toss in celery and casuy before serving. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:70 Carbohydrates (g):3 Protein (g):1 Fats (g):6 Good to Remember: Beans are good sources of fiber, which promotes digestive health and relieves constipation. 53 Ginataang Pinakbet Mixed native vegetables flavored with MAGGI MAGIC SARAP and coconut milk Preparation Time: 00:20 Cooking Time: 00:15 Servings: 6-8 Ingredients 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 cup sliced squash 1/2 cup sliced ampalaya 1 cup sliced okra 1 cup sitaw cut 1 and 1/2 inch long 1 cup sliced talong 1 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup kangkong leaves Procedure 1. Heat oil, sauté kalabasa, ampalaya and okra for 5 minutes or until vegetables turned light in color. 2. Stir in sitaw and talong, add MAGGI MAGIC SARAP and cook for another minute. 3. Pour in coconut milk and bring to boil. Cook for 5 minutes more or until vegetables are crisp tender. Add kangkong leaves and simmer for another minute. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:155 Carbohydrates (g):3 Protein (g):2 Fats (g):15 54 Guilt Guilt--free Mashed Potatoes Preparation Time: 40 minutes Cooking Time: Servings: 8-10 Ingredients 1 kg. potatoes. Boiled, skinned and mashed ¼ cup butter 1 cup NESVITA Pro-weight Management dissolved in ½ cup water 1 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP Salt and pepper to taste Procedure 1. Combine mashed potatoes, butter and NESVITA. Mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated. 2. Season with MAGGI MAGIC SARAP, salt and pepper to taste. 3. Serve with favorite fried or grilled dishes. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:137 Carbohydrates (g):21 Protein (g):6 Fats (g):3 Good to Know: Just 2 glasses of NESVITA Pro-weight Management gives you about a third of the protein you need in a day, and 100% of an adult's calcium daily requirement. Good to Remember: Milk is a source of easily absorbed calcium which is needed to maintain strength of bones. Calcium is also essential in other body functions such as muscles contraction and blood clotting. 55 Sinigang na Arosep Traditionally used as a salad, this edible seaweed, makes an interesting and healthy sinigang Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 10 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 4 cups water 1/2 cup quartered tomatoes 1/2 cup quartered onions 1 25g sachet MAGGI Sinigang sa Sampalok with Gabi 1/4 kg arosep 1 pc long green chili Procedure 1. Combine first 3 ingredients and boiled until tomatoes and onions are limp. 2. Add in MAGGI Sinigang sa Sampalok with Gabi 3. Add arosep and chill just before serving. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:47 Carbohydrates (g):4 Protein (g):1 Fats (g):3 Good to Remember: Beginning meals with a cup of clear soup that is low in sodium and not more than 150 calories is a smart way to portion control. Cook's Notes: For a heartier soup you may add in 300 g. fish fillet of any of your favorite fish before pouring in sinigang powder. 56 Spicy Kangkong With Chicharon Fiber and vitamin-rich vegetable dish perfect for lunch or dinner Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 5 minutes Servings: 6 Ingredients 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 tbsp chopped ginger 2 pcs or to taste sili haba, chopped 2 pcs tomatoes, chopped 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 sachet 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 1 tbsp sugar 1 cup evaporated milk 3 bunches kangkong trimmed about 6 cups patis to taste 2 cups crushed chicharon Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4. Sauté the garlic, ginger, siling haba and tomatoes in the oil. Add MAGGI MAGIC SARAP and sugar. Cook for 1 minute. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the kangkong and stir to mix well. Cover and bring to a quick boil. Season with patis and remove from heat. Do not overcook the kangkong. 5. ransfer to a serving platter and top with chopped chicharon or bagnet. Serve hot. Recipe courtesy of Chef Fern Aracama NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:197 Carbohydrates (g):7 Protein (g):13 Fats (g):13 Good to Know: This dish is rich in fiber. Health experts recommend eating 25 - 35 grams of fiber daily for adults. 57 Turnip Casserole Crunchy and cheesy turnip side dish Preparation Time: 00:10 Cooking Time: 00:20 Servings: 6-8 Ingredients 3 cups singkamas (jicama), grated 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/4 tsp thyme 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup water 1 tbsp MAGGI Chili Sauce 1/4 tsp thyme 2 sachets 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 1 cup grated quickmelting cheese Procedure 1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. 2. Combine first 6 ingredients on a medium size baking dish and bake at 350 F until butter is melted or about 10 minutes. 3. Take dish out of the oven and add MAGGI Chilli Sauce, blend well. 4. Sprinkle with thyme, MAGGI MAGIC SARAPand quick meltiing cheese before returning to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes and serve with Easy Roast Chicken. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Calories:179 Carbohydrates (g):7 Protein (g):4 Fats (g):15 58 Vietnamese Spring Rolls Crisp rolls of vegetable, pork, and noodles dipped in our own version of Nuoc Cham Vietnamese's traditional dipping sauce for spring rolls Preparation Time: 00:20 Cooking Time: 00:15 Servings: 6-8 Ingredients 2 eggs beaten with 1 tbsp MAGGI Savor Classic 3 tbsp cooking oil 100 g ground pork 1 8g MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 2 pcs dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked & cut to strips 1 cup soaked sotanghon 1 small cucumber, peeled seeded & cut to strips 1 small carrot, cut to strips 20 pcs lumpia wrapper cooking oil, for deep-frying Good to Know: Dipping Sauce: Combine Antioxidants come from plant sources. 1/3 cup vinegar or lime juice The more colorful the food is, the more 1/2 cup water antioxidants it has to protect the body. 3 tbsp sugar 3 tbsp MAGGI Savor Classic pepper to taste 1/4 cup ground peanuts Good to Remember: Eating these spring rolls with lettuce and fresh herbs will increase the fiber content of the dish. Adults need 25 - 35 grams of fiber daily. 59 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 small cucumber, cubed Procedure 1. Cook eggs in 1 tbsp cooking oil until set. Invert to a plate and cut into strips. Set aside. 2. Heat remaining oil and stir-fry ground pork until cooked. Season with Magic Sarap. Add the mushrooms and the sotanghon noodles and cook for about 5 min. 3. Remove mixture from heat and stir in the egg, cucumber, and carrot. Cool thoroughly and wrap in lumpia wrapper, sealing edges properly to prevent spills. 4. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden. Drain in paper towels and serve with dipping sauce. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Cook's Notes: Calories:200 Carbohydrates (g):11 Protein (g):7 Fats (g):15 Traditionally, Vietnamese Spring Rolls are eaten wrapped in lettuce with condiments like fresh herbs (mint, basil, cilantro)and peanuts 60 Togue Gisado MAGGI MAGIC SARAP perks up the taste of this vegetable dish Preparation Time: 00:05 Cooking Time: 00:10 Servings: 6 Ingredients 2 tbsp cooking oil 1/2 kg long-stem togue 3/4 cup water 1 8g sachet MAGGI MAGIC SARAP Procedure 1. Heat cooking oil and stir in togue. 2. Pour water and add MAGGI MAGIC SARAP 3. Stir and let simmer until done. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Cook's Notes: Calories:70 Carbohydrates (g):8 Protein (g):5 Fats (g):2 Serve vegetables as soon as they are cooked. 61 Ginisang Ampalaya This ampalaya dish has never been full-flavored without MAGGI Magic Sarap. Preparation Time: 00:05 Cooking Time: 00:10 Servings: 6 Ingredients 2 tbsps. cooking oil 1/2 kg. ampalaya sliced diagonally 3/4 cup water 1 8g MAGGI Magic Sarap 2 pieces eggs beaten Procedure 1. Heat cooking oil and stir in ampalaya and cook until tender. 2. Pour water and bring to boil. 3. Add MAGGI Magic Sarap and beaten eggs; stir well to blend. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT: Cook's Notes: Calories:64 Carbohydrates (g):4 Protein (g):3 Fats (g):4 As much as possible, do not squeeze amapalaya so as to retain its nutritive value. 62 How to preserve freshness.. Vegetables Freshness There are different ways to determine the freshness depending on the type of vegetable. Try to buy the vegetables as close to the day you’re going to consume it. STORING VEGETABLES 1. With vegetables, proper ventilation is the key. Try not to fill your shelf to the brim so as not to squash the vegetables. 2. Bulbs like onions and garlic should be stored in room temperature. The roots grow faster when you put them in the ref. Keep onions away from potatoes. 3. Keep the leafy vegetables in the refrigerator. Wrap in paper to keep the moisture. 4. The vegetable fruits, so-called because they’re actually fruits that are cooked as vegetables, should also be stored in the ref. The same rule applies with tubers. 5. In the vegetable rack, try to organize your vegetables with the hard tubers at the bottom and the leafy vegetables and tomatoes stored always on top. 63 How to preserve freshness.. Fruit Freshness IS IT FRESH? What usually stops us from buying fruits is we’re not sure if what we’re buying is fresh. Here’s how to test the freshness of fruits: STORING FRUITS 1. When the fruits are ripe, most fruits are best stored in the refrigerator. Refrigerated whole fruits should be kept in perforated plastic bags. 2. When a strong-smelling fruit is cut open, store them in a covered container. Fruits like langka or jackfruit, citruses and melon varieties need to be sealed or covered so as not to contaminate the aroma and flavor of other food items in the ref. 3. Apples, pears and bananas would have to be eaten right away or kept in an airtight container or plastic food wrap, if they’ve already been cut open to lessen the unsightly browning. These are fruits that tend to brown immediately once opened. 4. Bananas are stored in room temperature. Remove the rotting bananas to avoid spoiling the other bananas. Other fruits stored in room temp are lanzones and whole watermelons. 64 Iba’t ibang kaalaman para sa mga magsasaka 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 PHILHEALTH ‘Z BENEFIT PACKAGE’ PARA SA KANSER AT GRABENG SAKIT Noong Hulyo 2012, ang PhilHealth ay naglunsad ng programa na tinawag na ‘Z Benefit Package’ para matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino na apektado ng mga malalang sakit. Kasama sa Z-benefit package ang mga sumusunod, kasama ang kaukulang pondo na nakalahad sa bawat pagkakasakit: Breast cancer o kanser sa suso – 100,000 Acute leukemia – 210,000 Prostate cancer – 100,000 Inanunsyo rin noong Oktubre 2012 na ang ‘kidney transplant’ ay kasama narin – 600,000 Ang mga benepisyo ng Z Benefit Package ay ang mga bayad sa ospital, kama, gamot, laboratoryo, operasyon, at bayad sa mga doktor. Ang mga sumusunod ay ang mga ospital na akreditado ng PhilHealth sa pag-gamot ng breast cancer kabilang nito Z benefit packaeg: Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center East Avenue Medical Center Philippine General Hospital Rizal Medical Center Quirino Memorial Medical Center Baguio General Hospital Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center Cagayan Valley Medical Center Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital Batangas Regional Hospital Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital Bicol Medical Center Western Visayas Medical Center Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Hospital Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center Northern Mindanao Medical Center Southern Philippines Medical Center Davao Regional Hospital. Ayon sa hepe ng PhilHealth na si Dr. Eduardo Banzon, papalawakin pa ang programang ito, sa dami ng ospital na pwede itong tanggapin, at sa dami ng sakit na isasailalim ng programang ito. 78 MGA KAALAMAN TUNGKOL SA MIDDLE EAST RESPIRATORY SYNDROME CORONAVIRUS (MERS-COV) SAAN NAGMULA ANG MIDDLE EAST CORONAVIRUS O MERS? Gaya ng SARS at bird flu noon, may panibagong virus na kumakalat sa mundo ngayon at may potensyal na lumaganap at maging sanhi ng pagkamatay. Ang virus na ito ay ang Middle East coronavirus o MERS, na pinaghihinalaang nagmula sa Gitang Silangan (Middle East) at ngayo’y may mga ilang kaso narin na naiulat sa ibang mga bansa gaya ng Italy, France, at England. Pinakamarami parin ang mga kasong mula sa bansang Saudi Arabia, na may higit sa kalhati ng mga kaso. Bagamat wala pa sa 100 ang lahat ng kaso ng MERS sa buong mundo, ang mga eksperto sa kalusugang pandaigdig na naaalarma sapagkat higit pa sa kalhati ng mga nakakakuha ng sakit na ito ay namamatay, at wala pang natutuklasang lunas dito. PAANO NAHAHAWA NG MIDDLE EAST CORONAVIRUS O MERS? Ayon sa WHO, lahat ng kaso ng MERS-CoV ay naganap sa isang ospital o klinika, o di kaya dahil sa mga kapamilya o iba pang malapit na tao. Wala pang napag-alamang kaso na nakakuha ng sakit na ito ng wala sa ganitong konteksto. Subalit, hindi na natitiyak ang paraan ng pagkakahawa o mode of transmission. ANONG DAPAT GAWIN UPANG MAKA-IWAS SA MIDDLE EAST CORONAVIRUS O MERS? Sa ngayon, wala pa namang mahalagang aksyon na dapat gawin ngunit dapat maging alerto sa mga panawagan ng inyong gobyerno patungkol sa virus na ito. Kung ikaw ay nagtatrabaho sa ospital, o kailangang magpunta sa opsital sa isang lugar kung saan may mga kompirmadong kaso ng Middle East coronavirus, sundin ang mga panukala ng mga ospital na ito, gaya ng pagsusuot ng mask, pag-iwas sa pagpunta sa ospital kung hindi naman kailangan, at iba pa. PAANO KO MALALAMAN NA AKO AY MAY MIDDLE EAST CORONAVIRUS? Ang mga sintomas ng sakit na ito ay parang pulmonya at trangkaso: may ubo, sipon, lagnat, at maaari ring magkaron ng sakit ng tiyan, sakit ng ulo, pagtatae. Ang mga sintomas na ito ay maaaring sanhi ng napakaraming sakit at dahil dito, hindi mo basta basta malalaman na may ganito ka. Sa ngayon, napakaliit ng probabilidad. Subalit kung ikaw ay nagbyahe sa Middle East o alin man sa mga bansang may kompirmadong kaso, magpatingin kaagad sa doktor upang masuri ang iyong kalalagayan. ANO-ANONG BANSA ANG MAY KOMPIRMADONG KASO NG MERS–COV? Ayon sa WHO, ang mga sumusunod ay may kompirmadong kaso ng MERS subalit ay mayoridad ay nasa Saudi Arabia: Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE),France, Germany, Italy, Tunisia at United Kingdom (England). DAPAT KO BANG IKANSELA O IPAGPALIBAN ANG PLANO KONG MAGPUNTA SA MIDDLE EAST? Hindi naman. Dahil nga konting kaso pa lamang ang naiulat at mukhang hindi naman mabilis kumalat ang virus (limitado lamang sa mga kalapit na tao o sa ilang mga ospital) ay walang rekomendasyon na baguhin ang mga plano. Muli, sa ngayon, ang ating rekomendasyon ay maging alerto lamang sa mga balita tungkol sa virus na ito. 79 AMOEBA SA UTAK, PUMINSALA SA 10 KATAO SA PAKISTAN Ayon sa World Health Organization, sa bansang Pakistan ay may sampung tao na namatay dahil sa isang ‘amoeba’ na umaatake sa utak, tinatawag na Naegleria fowleri. Ang mga kasong ito ay nangyari sa nakaraang mga buwan. Ang mga ‘amoeba’ ay isang uri ng ‘parasite’. Sila rin ang responsable sa mas pamilyar na sakit na ‘amoebiasis’, na siya namang nakakaapekto sa tiyan, bagamat ibang uri naman ito. Ang Naegleria fowleri ay nakukuha sa pag-inom ng kontaminadong tubig. Dahil dito, sa kasalukuhan ay tinitiyak na ng mga awtoridad sa Pakistan na malinis ang inuming tubig sa mga residente sa syudad kung saan ang mga kaso ay naitala, sa Karachi. Bihira lamang maka-apekto ang amoeba na ito sa utak o sa nervous system ng tao, ngungit kung ito’y mangyari, nakakamatay ito at mahirap gamutin. Ang mga sintomas ay lagnat, pagsusuka, pagkaliyo, stiff neck, at sakit ng ulo. Marami sa mga biktima ang namamatay ng 5-7 araw pagkatapos naramdaman ang mga sintomas. Sa Pilipinas, ang mga kasong gaya nito ay bihirang-bihira. Ngunit dapat parin tayong maging maingat sa tubig na iniinom, sapagkat hindi lamang amoeba ang maaaring makuha dito, pati ibang mga sakit. 80 MATAAS NA BLOOD SUGAR: MGA KAALAMAN ANO ANG BLOOD SUGAR? Ang blood sugar ay ang sukat ng dami ng glucose sa dugo. Ang glucose ang bumubuo sa mga asukal at ito ang nagbibigay enerhiya sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng katawan. Normal itong natatagpuan sa katawan, ngunit kung mataas ang antas nito sa dugo (hyperglycemia), ito ay maaaring makasira sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng katawan at magdulot sa diabetes at ang mga komplikasyon nito. ANONG LABORATORY TEST ANG GINAGAMIT UPANG MALAMAN ANG ANTAS NG BLOOD SUGAR SA KATAWAN? Isang bahagi ng ‘blood chemistry’ ang pagsusuri ng blood sugar, subalit mas malimit, lalo na kung gusto madetermina kung ang isang pasyente ay maaaring may diabetes, na sa umaga kinunan ng dugo ang pasyente, pagkatapos ng 12 na oras na hindi kumakain o umiinom ng kahit ano maliban sa tubig. Mahalagang masunod itong 12 na oras na hindi kumakain sapagkat kung ikaw ay kumain ng kahit ano, normal na tataas ang antas ng dugo at hindi magiging makatotohanan ang resulta. Karaniwan, kinukunan ang pasyente ng 2-5 mL ng dugo sa harap ng siko. Ilang oras lamang ay maaari nang makakuha ng resulta nito. ANO ANG NORMAL NA RESULTA NG ‘FASTING BLOOD SUGAR’ SA KATAWAN? Kung ang pagsusuri ng dugo ay ginawa makalipas ang 12 na oras na hindi kumain ang pasyente, tinuturing na normal ang resulta na 3.9 hanggang 5.5 mmol/l (70.2 hanggang 100 mg/dl). Kung ang resulta ay 5.5 hanggang 7 mmol/l (101–125 mg/dl), hindi pa naman ito diabetes ngunit medyo nakakabahala narin ang resulta kaya maaaring may ibigay na gamot ang doktor o payuhan na ang pasyente na umiwas sa pagkain ng mga pagkain na mataas ang glycemic index (Basahin: Mga Pagkaing Dapat Iwasan sa Diabetes). Kung ang resulta ang higit sa 7 mmol/l (126 mg/dl), ito ay mataas at maaring maging batayan sa pag-diagnose ng diabetes ngunit kailangan paring iugnay ito sa ibang findings ng doktor. PAANO MAKAKAIWAS SA MATAAS NA BLOOD SUGAR? Ang mga sumusunod ay mabisang paraan upang mapababa ang blood sugar: Pag-iwas sa mga matatamis na pagkain Pag-iwas sa mga pagkain na mataas ang glycemic index Pag-iwas sa pagkain ng maramihan; mas maganda ang pa-unti-unti Pagkain ng ampalaya na natural na nakakapagpababa ng blood sugar 81 MAS DELIKADO ANG ALAK KAYSA SA BAWAL NG GAMOT? Ayon sa isang pagsusuri na nailahad sa journal na The Lancet at sinuportahan ng British Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, ang alak daw ay mas delikado pa sa mga bawal na gamot tulad ng heroin at crack cocaine. Gumawa ang mga dalubhasa ng bagong systema na kung tawagin ay “Multicriteria Decision Analysis” kung saan nilalagyan ng “score” (0 yung walang masamang epekto at 100 yung pinakamasama) kung gaano kadelikado ang bawal na gamot base sa epekto nito sa kalusugan ng taong gumagamit, epekto sa kanyang kasamahan, karagdagang gastos dahil sa masamang epekto, atbp. ANG DELIKADO, HINDI NANGANGAHULUGANG NAKAMAMATAY LAMANG Bagamat ang alak ang pinakadelikado sa sarili at sa kapwa tao, ang heroin, crack cocaine, and metamphetamine (shabu) ang pinakanakamamatay sa taong gumagamit. Dahil sa laganap ang pag-inom alak, mas madalas ito nagiging kasabwat o sanhi ng mga kaguluhan. Ang pag-inom ng napakaraming alak araw-araw, tulad ng mga ginagawa ng mga lasengo ay nakasisira sa halos lahat ng parte ng katawan, lalo na ang atay. RANGKO NG MASAMANG EPEKTO 1. Alak (Alcohol) – 72 2. Heroin – 55 3. Crack – 54 4. Shabu (Crystal Meth) – 33 5. Cocaine – 27 6. Sigarilyo / Tabako – 26 7. Shabu (Amphetamine) – 23 8. Juts / Marijuana – 20 9. GHB – 18 10. Benzodiazepines – 15 11. Ketamine – 15 12. Methadone – 14 13. Mephedrone – 13 14. Butane – 10 15. Khat – 9 16. Ecstacy – 9 17. Anabolic Steroids – 9 18. LSD – 7 19. Buprenorphine – 5 20. Mushrooms – 5 KUNG GANUN, BAKIT HINDI IPAGBAWAL ANG ALAK? Ayon kay Dr. Leslie King, na isa sa mga dalubhasang nagsagawa ng pagsusuri, hindi praktikal na ipagbawal ang alak. Masyado na kasi ito naging malaking bahagi ng ating kultura. Ang tamang pamamaraan ay sikaping mabawasan ang mga taong may problema sa pagiging lasengo sa halip na ipagbawal ito sa lahat. Kung gayon, dapat ay gawin natin ang ating tungkulin na mas ipaalam ang tunay na peligro ng pag-inom ng alak lalo na sa nagiging alipin dito. Reference: David J Nutt, Leslie A King, Lawrence D Phillips. Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis. The Lancet, 2010; DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61462-6 82 FFF BIOFARMING RECENT ACTIVITIES CALAPE 83 CANLAON 84 CARLES 85 GINGOOG 86 IMELDA 87 NAVAL 88 SIBAGAT 89 STA. FE 90
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