One newly hired and one promoted employee of DA-10 takes their oath of office on February 7, with RED Collado as the administering officer.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – In addition to the second batch of 2022, one newly hired and one promoted employee of the agriculture department in Region 10 (DA-10) took their oath of office, earlier today, February 7, 2022 at the agency compound, here in this city.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado administered the oath-taking ceremony of the following personnel with their corresponding positions and assignments:

Newly hired

         Ferdinand F. Caraballe – Supervising Agriculturist, Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division

Promoted

          Viralou L. Tuquib, DVM – Veterinarian IV, Integrated Laboratories Division

Witnessing the ceremony is Regional Technical Director for Operations and Placement and Selection Board chair Carlota S. Madriaga, Regional Technical Director for Research and Regulations Carmelita T. Bajarla together with other division chiefs. # (RDMElloren)

Agri NorMin turns over agri assistance to 58^th IB, PA, which forms part of the P1.84-M commitment for the IP orgs in San Luis, Malitbog, Bukidnon.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao (DA-RFO 10) delivered agri assistance to the 58th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army as part of its P1.84 million commitment for the Indigenous Peoples organization in San Luis, Malitbog, Bukidnon.

Of the said amount, P579,750 initial assistance comprising 15k pieces abaca seedlings, 15 rolls trapal, 15 sacks of chicken grower feeds, 500 sacks of organic fertilizer, 110 heads of free-range chicken were transported on Tuesday, February 2 funded under the agency’s Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4Ks).

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said the agency’s efforts are part of empowering the IPs to enable them to rise from poverty and in support of Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) or EO No. 70 in fight against local insurgency.

Six IPO Higaonon tribe will benefit the assistance composed of Tagmaray Empowered Women’s Association; Tagmaray, Kalipay, San Luis, Mabuhay Tribal Association, Inc.; Sitio Uyunan Higaonon Farmers Association; Sitio Logdeck Higaonon FA; Sitio Victory Higaonon FA; and Bayawa Uyunan Kagahuman Longdeck Impahanong Kalanawan 1 and 2 Cooperative.

The activity was in coordination with the local government of Malitbog, Bukidnon, and DA-10’s Provincial Operations Center in Bukidnon.# (ATC)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture through its Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund – Rice Farmers Financial Assistant (RCEF-RFFA) program has allocated a total amount of P44.52 million to 8,783 rice farmers in the province of Lanao del Norte.

Of the said amount, P29.76 million was distributed to 5,952 rice farmers from the 11 municipalities of the province which includes Sapad, Lala, Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Pantar, Tangcal, Salvador, Bacolod, Kauswagan, Baroy, Tubod, and Kolambugan as of February 4, 2022.

DA-10 is set to complete its distribution in other towns of Lanao del Norte on February 10, 2022.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado emphasized that rice farmers with landholdings of two hectares and below received P5k each and Interventions Monitoring Card (IMC) which can be used as an identification card in partnership with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), Universal Storefront Services Corp.

Lala OIC Municipal Agriculturist Felina M. Cuaresma said, “We are grateful that our rice farmers were provided with this assistance that can help with their farming needs.”#(RDMElloren)

Agri NorMin facilitates the Korean investors for a field visit to the different potential Buk’non and MisOr FCA cassava tuber suppliers.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 facilitated the representatives of a Korean company for a farm and office visits of the different farmers’ cooperatives, associations (FCAs) in Region 10.

With an aim to augment the potential market linkages of cassava farmers, the Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Investments (DTI-BOI) also assisted the group on February 3-4, 2022, to the FCAs in the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon who have committed to supply fresh cassava tubers.

During the visit, the Korean team tackled the terms and conditions offered by the company to the FCAs’ leaders, which includes their buying price, volume of deliveries, quality parameters, delivery period, payment terms, among others, which altogether will be factored in to seal the deal.

According to DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, the additional engagement of the FCAs will be an opportune time for them to become more competitive, while ensuring profitability and sustainability among cassava growers in the locality.

Said undertaking was facilitated by DA-10’s Cassava program and Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Division, and DTI-BOI. # (RDMElloren)

DA-NorMin extends a training on adlai production and marketing as well as agri-inputs to expand the production areas of adlai in Lanao Norte province.  

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Set on diversifying the alternative staple crops to be planted in the province, about 24 participants, comprising of officials from the two congressional districts of Lanao del Norte (LDN), including technical staff from its research teams and agriculture’s office underwent a Training on Adlai Production and Marketing.

On February 3, 2022, at the Provincial Farmers’ Learning Center, Pigcaran, Tubod of the said province, the capabuild tackled the crop, its uses, nutritional value and health benefits, cultural management practices, including postharvest handling, economic analysis, and market opportunities.

This, after 1st district congressman of LDN, Mohamad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, requested the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) headed by Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, to be introduced to Adlai, as they eye to utilize and commercialize the crop thru value-adding products in the province.

Also known as Job’s tears, it is a tropical plant producing tear-shaped grains which usually takes about five to six months depending on elevation.

It is cooked similar to that of rice and corn, and is popular among health enthusiasts, as it contains a low glycemic index, while it can also be used as an ingredient for bread, porridge, delicacies, and wine, at the same time, fodder for livestock.

“It is an opportune time [conduct of training] in order to strengthen the adoption of farmers to the commodity [adlai] in the province. This will also give a boost in our campaign to introduce adlai as a healthy staple substitute, expanding Region 10’s production areas in Lanao del Norte,” DA-10 Adlai focal person, Lorena V. Duna remarked.

As means to rollout adlai production, DA-10 has further provided 20 kilograms of Kibuwa variety of Adlai seeds and 20 bags of fertilizers, intended for the two-hectare trial demonstration farm for the province.

Also serving as Duna’s co-resource speaker is Nilo Panugaling, research assistant, with the training attendees, including officials:1st district Congressman Dimaporo, 2nd district Congressman Abdullah D. Dimaporo, and former 2nd district Congresswoman Fatima Aliah Q. Dimaporo; PAO headed by Letecia G. Ditucalan; and other staff.# (JLO/Photos supplied)

DA SAAD-10 prepares for its five-year extension and expansion to continue providing agri-livelihood assistance to the marginal farmers in NorMin.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program of the Department of Agriculture convened its Regional Program Management Support Office (RPMSO) and Provincial Program Management Support Office (PPMSO) on Friday, February 4, 2022, to set down 5-year priority plans and activities as SAAD’s phase 2 implementation is underway.

Once approved, the SAAD extension and expansion will be implemented in the region for another 5-year period from 2023-2028, providing agri-livelihood assistance to more underprivileged farmers in all five provinces of Northern Mindanao – Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental, and Camiguin.

Under the headship of Carlene C.  Collado, DA-RFO 10 Regional Executive Director, the first phase of the SAAD was implemented in Northern Mindanao in 2017 until now, covering a total of 30 towns in the provinces of Bukidnon, Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte, and 22 towns in Lanao del Sur in its first-year implementation in 2017.

The SAAD program is being pushed for extension and expansion by the Department of Agriculture, underscoring the program’s contribution in easing poverty incidence in poverty-stricken rural areas in the country in the last five years.

Initially debuted as a locally-funded program aimed at ensuring food availability in poor Filipino farmers’ homes, the SAAD program hopes to assist smallholding farmer groups in Northern Mindanao to establish a community-based enterprise in its phase 2 implementation.

The SAAD program will complement the effort of the DA’s banner programs to augment food production for household and commercial purposes in attaining such an objective.

Social preparation, food production and livelihood, marketing assistance and enterprise development, and program management are the key components of the SAAD in its anticipated extension and expansion.

Specific municipalities to be assisted were identified based on the prevailing poverty incidence per PSA 2018 poverty incidence data, and Income Classification of Municipalities, consistent with Department of Finance Order 23-08.

Poorest municipalities in the 5 provinces of the region are favored for inclusion in the SAAD Program in the next five years.

According to Lana May S. Racines, SAAD – 10 focal person, planning- workshop with the prospect SAAD-assisted LGUs is slated on February 16-18, 2022 to streamline SAAD Phase 2 programs and projects.# (ATalib)

Members of a Higaonon-Maranao tribe in sitio Kibulag, Lantud, Talakag, Bukidnon attend a training on mushroom production and tilapia culture as part of the OneDA’s approach initiative in support of EO 70.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Around 50 members of the Igpanutadug sa Abaga Ta Bayug Agriculture Cooperative, a Higaonon-Maranao tribe of sitio Kibulag, Lantud, Talakag, Bukidnon were trained on Mushroom Production and Tilapia Culture in Pond on Thursday, February 3.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado said, the training is part of the commitment of the Department of Agriculture in Northern Mindanao to the Poverty Reduction, Livelihood and Employment Cluster (PRLEC) of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in fight against local insurgency.

Through DA-10’s Research Division, the mushroom training was extended to provide opportunities at the farm and local community level to increase the income of the members, especially the women.

They were taught on how to prepare mushroom fruiting bags using sawdust, aside from the lecture on basic knowledge in mushroom production.

Importantly, it can help in providing livelihood with a fast-yielding and nutritious source of food and a reliable source of income.

Director Collado, added that the interventions are in response to the needs of the IP community based on the validation and assessment conducted by OneDA in providing assistance to boost their livelihood and improve their productivity.

Developing the OneDA approach, the DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-10 (DA-BFAR-10) capacitated the members on tilapia culture in the pond, covering from pond preparation, management, harvesting and marketing.

DA-BFAR 10 Provincial Fishery Officer of Bukidnon, Marlou Fernandez shared, the project is livelihood support to the IPs, where DA-BFAR 10 will provide tilapia fingerlings to the group.

Initially, the stocking of tilapia fingerlings is set for February 18, 2022, in a 300 square meter pond.

Tribal Leader Sultan Abdul Amoran expressed his gratitude to the government for all the assistance provided to their community especially with the implementation of EO 70.

The intervention was funded under the agency’s Kabuhayan at Kaunlaran ng Kababayang Katutubo (4Ks).

As explained by 4Ks focal person, April Grace M. Racines, the 4Ks is a comprehensive program targeted for the improvement of tribal communities aiming to capacitate and empower IPs through community organizing, agricultural skills training, and workshops to intensify knowledge and productivity.

The 4Ks is a three-year special project of DA where it provides assistance to the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in the form of agricultural and fisheries-related livelihood opportunities.

The activity was supported by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Region 10 (NICA 10) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through TESDA Technical Specialist, Wilma Tomada Bathan.# (ATC)

A Korean company convenes with DA-DTI-BOI to further discuss the different FCAs in Bukidnon and MisOr’s engagement to supply fresh cassava tubers.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Representatives from a Korean company eyeing to put up a tapioca starch manufacturing plant in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, convened with the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao and Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Investments on February 2, 2022, to settle its engagement with the different farmer groups, who have committed to supply fresh cassava tubers.

DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado bared, to date, verified commitments from farmers cooperatives, associations (FCAs) from Bukidnon province and the eastern part of Misamis Oriental, have totaled to about 2,493 hectares.

Among salient concerns tackled include revisiting the pricing mechanics, the volume of deliveries committed, delivery period, quality parameters, price monitoring, tapping of more suppliers, and FCAs’ development through assistance from the national and local government agencies. # (JLO)

DA-10 RED Collado administers the oathtaking of 15 newly promoted and appointed personnel of the agency for the year 2022.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Fifteen newly promoted and appointed employees of the Department of Agriculture – Northern Mindanao (DA-10) took their oath of office on February 2, 2022 at the agency compound, this city.

Administering the oathtaking ceremony is DA-10 Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado, with the following personnel:

Promoted

1. Ablanque, Junel – Engineer IV, Regional Agricultural Engineering Division (RAED)
2. Pasilan, Ronald – Senior Science Research Specialist, Research Division
3. Lacanaria, Richan – Senior Agriculturist, Field Operations Division (FOD)
4. Oberes, Renante – Science Research Specialist I, Research Division
5. Cagas, Maria Teresa – Warehouseman I, Research Division
6. Galicia, Ana Marie – Agriculturist II, FOD
7. Calacar, Sherafin – Agriculturist I, Integrated Laboratories Division (ILD)
8. Desoyo, Xyra Jane – Administrative Assistant II, Administrative and Finance Division (AFD)

Newly appointed

1. Chatto, Van Angelo – Veterinarian II, ILD
2. Arazo, John Paul – Engineer I, RAED
3. Yañez, Maria Laarni – Engineer I, RAED
4. Co, Jess Erick – Accountant I, AFD
5. Apare, Richard – Agriculturist I, FOD
6. Suarez, Marnie – Agricultural Technician, FOD
7. Carreon, Dafni – Administrative Assistant I, Research Division

To date, there are 21 newly promoted and appointed employees for the year 2022, bringing the total to 214 employees appointed, promoted and re-employed since 2017 when RED Collado assumed office in the region.

Also witnessing the oathtaking rite are DA-10 Regional Technical Director for Operations and the Placement and Selection Board Chair Carlota S. Madriaga, and concerned division chiefs. # (JCAnito)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office 10 (DA – RFO 10) through Regional Executive Director Carlene C. Collado continues to intensify its effort to promote food production and security amidst the COVID-19 pandemic through the Urban Agriculture Program.

DA-10’s High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) focal person Kersten S. Pagalan and Senior Agriculturist Wilson V. Lagdamin, handed over 20 packets of assorted vegetable seeds to CPT Jonell R Vecino (MI), PA of the 1005th Community Defense Center Reserve Command Philippine Army (PA).

With the provisions, CPT Vecino lauded the agency in advocating food security amidst the global pandemic and allowing them to be one with the government’s implementation thru DA of its Plant, Plant, Plant Program dubbed as the “Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat Kontra COVID-19 (ALPAS COVID-19) program.

“Ito po ay itatanim po namin at ng aming army reservists sa loob ng kampo bilang parte na rin ng aming programa para sa komunidad na aming nasasakupan. Lubos po kaming nagpapasalamat sa ibinigay ng DA,” he added.

Meanwhile, Nylvyn T. Tagunao of the Don Victoriano Chiongbian Municipal Agriculture Office received 20 packets of assorted vegetable seeds and 5 boxes of liquid fertilizer.

Tagunao remarked, that the farmers in their locality are grateful for the continued efforts of the department in extending service or assistance to them despite the pandemic.

Eyed for the establishment of veggie production in the different urban communities, the 36 gram-, 5-in-1 pinakbet packet, in particular, consisting of eggplant, okra, ampalaya, pole sitao, and squash can be planted in a 1,000-square meter area.

Since 2020, the agency has launched its revitalized urban agriculture and gulayan project under the ALPAS COVID-10 program to escalate the country’s food adequacy levels amidst the ongoing novel coronavirus health crisis. # (JCAnito)