EO 765: Good for bakers, bad for corn farmers

First published in MindaNews.com. President Arroyo signed Executive Order 765 in December 2008  claiming that  ”reduction on tariff on food wheat would help stabilize the price of bread and other baked food products.” Unfortunately, former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor said in a report that the order did not only include the lifting of tariff on importation of food wheat or milling wheat, the ingredient used to produce bread, but also on feed wheat, which like corn, is used as animal feed.

Excess feed wheat supply brought by the zero tariff has competed with local corn supply, Roderico Bioco founding chair of the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. told MindaNews.

The implementation of EO 765 has led to an estimated P6-billion losses in income for corn farmers and at least P1-billion loss in revenues for government, Montemayor, now a member of the House representing of the ABA-AKO party list, said.

The lowest price for yellow corn was P6.50 per kilo or P6, 500 per MT, lower than the production cost of P10.

The  Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported  last week that the price of corn had dropped from P 9 per kilo to P7.50 during a five-week period.

The executive order was effective until June 2009 but favoring sectors, including the livestock feed millers lobbied for the extension. The corn industry stakeholders such as the Philippine Maize Federation Inc. and ABA AKO party list lobbied against the extension.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines

Time to harvest?

The Bukidnon Forest Incorporated has initiated its clearance process to cut down trees in its industrial forest plantation project in Bukidnon. Read news report here.

This must be subject to scrutiny especially viewing it from the firm’s reported dismal record of reforestation since it started operating in 1989.

The firm might be good in cutting but are they as good in planting? This should be considered in the approval of its application for Environmental Compliance Certificate.

Its Industrial Forest Plantation Management Agreement (IFMA, yes silent “P”), which will expire in 2016, should be reviewed if they have cut more than they planted.

Communities near those areas subject for reforestation and cutting should be empowered to monitor this endeavor.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Business, Economy, Environment, Governance, Indifgenous Peoples, Life in the Plateau, Local Governance, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, People Power, Philippines

Released Philippine eagle killed in Mt. Kitanglad

Three-year-old Philippine Eagle “Kagsabua” was killed by a local airgun shooter near the village where
he was released just four months ago inside the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park, an environment official said.

Felix Mirasol, community environment and natural resource officer, confirmed to MindaNews Wednesday that witnesses have identified the culprit described as a young man who failed to attend information
drive on the Philippine Eagle (pithecophaga jefferyi).

Mirasol is the Mt. Kitanglad Protected Area superintendent.

Kagsabua was last sighted on July 7 and was known to be missing between July 8 and 10, Mirasol said. He said a search operation was immediately launched.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Crime, Environment, Every Day Mindanao, Governance, Indifgenous Peoples, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines, Reporting Mindanao, Safety, Tourism

Kalilang in a hotel under renovation, and identity in Mindanao

It was a bit awkward for me and Omar, a reserved Maguindanaoan who tried to be informative, as we took a peek at the wedding of a couple from two big Maguindanaoan families in Cotabato City.

We were looking through the window from our side of the conference hall— we looked like kids wanting to gate crash or something. Everybody in the training was doing just that as we waited for our morning session to start.

We were holding grassroots documentation and reporting training next door and the arrival of wedding guests drew our attention —especially when traditional wedding songs and hymns began to play.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Agriculture, Art and Culture in Mindanao, Entertainment, Every Day Mindanao, Feasts in Mindanao, Food in Mindanao, Freedom, Indifgenous Peoples, Jobs in Mindanao, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Philippines

No rice shortage in Bukidnon?

Measuring my rice has been the tease at home — something that has caused me ‘hunger’. When you are carrying heavier load than you should, you know what I mean.

I did try to eat less of it every time I remember; most of the time I failed.

So when the rice shortage news was carried in broadsheets the tease hit me even more. There was a friend who said I was to be blamed. I was also blamed for the protests in Tibet.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Investments in Mindanao, Mindanao

Surviving in the Mindanao “island village”

I couldn’t help but be depressed listening to stories of conflict that continue to afflict our people.  The images and sounds are chilling.

Sometimes I shut my senses out in order to avoid the hassle. But, normally that isn’t possible.

Maybe its the same surge of terror that pushed me to post this piece even if I had been plagued with a mysterious strain of “blog silence”. Mute, but not muted.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Jobs in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Peace Process, Philippines, Reflections, Reporting Mindanao

Rehab sought on Bukidnon’s Mt. Kitanglad

 The provincial board of Bukidnon has approved a resolution seeking more funds for the rehabilitation and reforestation of the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park. Read full report here.

In a resolution approved on January 30, the provincial board “significantly and zealously” requested Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, Gov. Jose Ma. R. Zubiri Jr., Second district Rep. Teofisto Guingona III and First district Rep. Candido Pancrudo, Jr. for additional funding for the park.
The four officials were asked to allocate at least P1 million each for reforestation and rehabilitation of the mountain, which was declared a protected area in 2000 by Republic Act 8978.

The resolution did not specify, however, how the allocation would be allocated.

As a protected area, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was supposed to get annual budget from the national government to maintain, conserve and rehabilitate the mountain, a source from a non-government agency working in the area, said.

This was confirmed by an environment official. “Very minimal allocation is downloaded to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) from the General Appropriations Act every year so we rely on the local government,” said Agustin Lilangan, a desk officer at the Protected Area Superintendent office.

This should be a priority indeed as the whole of Bukidnon is considered a watershed.

I used this as an update this month considering the concern’s urgency. Please come back for more entries.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Governance, Indifgenous Peoples, Local Governance, Lumads and Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Mindanao, Mindanao's communities, Nature and Environment in Bukidnon, Philippines

Upward legal battle

From the office of councilor Nenita Orcullo in 2004, when it was first proposed, Davao City’s ordinance banning aerial spraying seems bound for the Supreme Court.

The Court of Appeals granted the plea of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association for a 60-day temporary restraining order — stopping the city government’s ban for two months.

The city government might want to appeal the TRO, but is likely to focus on PBGEA’s major petition, which questions the Regional Trial Court decision on the ordinance’s constitutionality and validity.

Read the latest on the issue at Mindanews.com.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Business, Davao, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Local Governance, Mindanao, Philippines

Mindanao biz speak up on government’s anti-graft focus

Mindanao traders are keen on seeing government putting up systems to prevent corruption rather than seeing suspects charged and convicted, an official of the Mindanao Business Council (MinBC) said.

Vicente Lao, MinBC chair, told a press conference for the road show here Friday of the multi-sectoral National Anti-Corruption Program for Action (NACPA), that businessmen have simpler wishes: that procedures were implemented to prevent graft and corrupt practices to prosper.

“We don’t like to see a lot of people being convicted. Instead, we would like to see systems institutionalized to prevent corruption,” he told the press conference presided by TanodBayan Maria Merceditas Gutierrez.

 Read the rest of the report at MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:ARMM, Agriculture, Business, Davao, Economy, Governance, Mindanao, News, Peace Process, Philippines

BizTalk: Shaping up to cut cost

I haven’t covered the Mindanao Shippers’ Conference in June but in the sidelines I heard one of the organizers talk about the high cost of freight as among the bigger concerns there.

I was reminded of this when I interviewed Maritine Industry Authority officer in charge Virgillio Armonia last week.

He said small shippers should pool their cargo to minimize freight cost as shipping lines charge by container van.

Armonia stressed that the practice for now is costly because most of the shippers are not organized, as this report on MindaNews.com presents.

What’s the significance of this? The small shippers referred to are mostly growers and marketers of fruits and vegetableproducts. Many of them consolidate ouput from small to medium scale farmers in countryside communities.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Business, Davao, Economy, Food in Mindanao, Governance, Jobs in Mindanao, Malaybalay City, Philippines, Technology, Travel and Transportation

Spray planes grounded

Airplanes used by banana firms to spray chemicals over plantations were grounded following the Davao City Regional Trial Court’s decision to uphold the constitutionality of the city’s aerial spray ban ordinance.

The judicial clearance left no more blocks to execute the ordinance passed since six months ago.

Banana growers have alerted the media of an appeal at the Court of Appeals citing they have prepared for the worst.

Earlier, they have warned that the implementation of the ban would cause serious implications to the banana export industry.

Read the report on MindaNews.com.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Business, Davao, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Jobs in Mindanao, Local Governance, Mindanao, Philippines

Legal battle over spray ban goes to higher court

The verdict is out: the court has upheld as valid and constitutional the city ordinance banning aerial spraying in plantations. In a decision dated September 22, Judge Renato Fuentes of Regional Trial Court Branch-17 junked the petition of the Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) questioning the constitutionality of the ordinance, the Interface for Development Initiatives Inc. said. Read the rest of the story on MindaNews.com.

But the banana growers, standing in a legal defeat after being favored with a preliminary injuntion three months ago, will appeal the case in the Court of Appeals Branch in Cagayan de Oro City, insisting the ordinance is unreasonable and invalid.

PBGEA said they have prepared for the worst and have rallyied lawyers to prepare for the appeal as soon as possible. Read the rest of the story on MindaNews.com.

Other sectors hailed the decision, read reaction here.

Inihanay sa:Agriculture, Bukidnon, Davao, Economy, Environment, Food in Mindanao, Food/Health Related, Governance, Health, Investments in Mindanao, Jobs in Mindanao, Justice, Local Governance, Mindanao, Mindanao Sports, Mindanao's communities, News, Safety