OMA's Campaign Against Illegal Fishing Intensified

The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) has intensified its campaign against illegal fishing at the onset of this year of the water dragon. It is really the dream of the OMA personnel that this problem will be totally eradicated this year, hence, the conduct of sea-borne patrol operation was more frequent even at the start of the new year. with the full support given by the Local Chief Executive Hon. Doroteo N. Palconit and the Chief of Police of the Municipality, several apprehended fishing paraphernalias were already burned just to discouraged illegal fishing perpetrators to sustain their illegal activities.

This year, OMA will be setting up a demarcation line utilizing styrofoam buoys from Calubian proper to Brgy Jubay at least more or less 150 meters from the seashore with demarcated area serving as Municipalwide fish Sanctuary where fishing is strictly regulated. This newly conceptualized project which was strongly endorsed by Mayor Palconit is to initially rehab the overfished sea waters of Calubian. Mayor Palconit has come up with this project to replicate the same project which he had implemented while he was still the Police Chief in the City of Ormoc. This project was successfully implemented in Ormoc bay.

As of this writing, trawl fishing has already stopped its operation especially those fishermen who are residing in Calubian. Although, there are still few bira-bira operators who are still sometimes take advantage while there are no OMA personnel in the area. However, all coastal barangay officials and fishermen associations were already activated to serve as the bay watch team to conduct daily surveillance of the municipality's sea water and they were urged to report whatever observations they can get from their respective areas in order to make this campaign much more effective. If illegal fishing will be totally eradicated, it is expected that fishermen's catch will improve thereby improving their livelihood and increasing their income.

NEW VEGETABLE TECHNO-DEMO CONDUCTED

The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist has recently launches its new batch for the Vegetable Technology Demonstration training/seminar which started last September 7, 2011. Brgy Villanueva has been chosen as the site of the techno-demo which would cater participants coming from the neighboring barangays who had not attended yet the said seminar particularly Brgy Matagok, Pangpang, Tabla and even farmers coming from Brgy Bunacan, Labtic, Tuburan and Kawayan Bugtong. Other request for similar training are being scheduled in Brgy Casiongan and Villahermosa.

BARANGAYAN - Serbisyo sa Barangay

The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) had been an active participant in every Barangayan, an activity which is a pet project by the new Municipal Mayor Hon. Doroteo N. Palconit. Services of the different Municipal Offices were being brought to the barangays such as consultation and distribution of different medicines by the Municipal Health Office and other services. The main services delivered OMA were the distribution of different seeds and vaccination of Hemosept for carabao and cattle.

The first Barangayan was held at the farthest barangay which is Brgy Jubay with other barangays included in the cluster such as Brgys K. Romualdez, Dalumpines, Casiongan, Caruyucan, Laray and host barangay Jubay. It was held last Junuary 20, 2011. The second venue was at Brgy Petrolio which was held last February 25 simultaneous with the celebration of the EDSA Revolution. This second cluster include Brgy Tuburan, Dulao, Malobago, the host brgy Petrolio, Tagharigue especially Sitio Kalunasan. Even residents of Brgy Linao of the Municipality of San Isidro had toke advantage of the services given by Calubian.



The third Barangayan venue was held again in the northern baragay of Brgy Inalad during the occasion of Mayor Palconit's 57th birthday which was on March 9, 2011. The cluster include brgys Railes, Caneja, Limite, Anislagan, Hda Enage and the host brgy Inalad. Residents were very thankful with the project since they cost them much savings espcially in paying their real property taxes and other probable expenses if they will be paying in the Municipal Hall.

SIMULTANEOUS TECHNO-DEMO ON RICE AND VEGETABLE CONDUCTED

<The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) has conducted a simultaneous training and technological demonstration (techno-demo)on Rice Production with emphasis on Palay Check System which started last September 9, 2010 while the other techno-demo which is for Vegetable Production/Commercialization which started last October 6 of the same year. Both techno-demos were conducted at Brgy Villalon, a barangay situated at the central part of Calubian and both will soon culminate on January 12, 2011.

For rice, the training is quite a challenge since the area which serves as the site of the demo is considered rainfed where no existing irrigation is available. The conduct of the said techno-demo, however, was fortunate since water has been available during the training period due to availability of rainfall. Participants has seen the difference for the crops which has been provided with the needed care and management compared to being left alone. They started learning the importance of studying the rice environment before applying control measures whenever presence of insect pests are visible in the area. They also learned to identify useful and harmful insects in their farm and learned the right decisions to make in as far as pest management is concern.



For vegetable production, the techno-demo was already on the second batch since the first batch was conducted last year. Some farmers who had missed the first training has seen the significant effect of the vegetable production to the graduates. Since the area within the Villalon and Labtic had focused on Vegetable Production, non-graduates had requested to conduct the said training for the second time. A total of 20 new participants had joined religiously the training which showed also a very promising result.

DOLE REGION VIII PROVIDED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO TWO ASSOCIATIONS IN CALUBIAN

Last November 4 a team from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of Region VIII headed by no other than its Regional Director Puguon had turned over two checks worth Php420,000.00 to the Local Governmnet Unit of Calubian which was received by the new mayor Hon. Doroteo N. Palconit.

The said amount were further awarded to two associations, the Caneja Fishermen Association of Brgy Caneja who received Php 220,000.00 financial assistance to support for their Small Scale Purse Seine fabrication and the Villalon Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association of Brgy Villalon who received Php200,000.00 for their rice production support such as the procurement of land masters and rice thresher.

The turn-over ceremony was held at the Mayor's office with this writer and Honorable Lucita Palconit, the designated PESO Manager of Calubian as witnesses togetner with Assistant Regional Director Cyril Ticao and his staff.




The two new associations who received the financial assistance were some of the farmers and fishermen association assisted by the office of the Municipal Agriculturist for their proposal preparation. Last year, two other organizations also received similar assistance from DOLE such as the Jubay Womens Association of Brgy Jubay and The Calubian Agri-Products Producers Assn/Coop of Brgy Tagharigue were both conducted similar livelihood Project which was Vegetable Production.

OMA-CALUBIAN PERSONNEL STRENGTHENED

After the winning of the New Local Chief Executive in the person of Honorable Doroteo N. Palconit, one of the important changes he has made was the strengthening of the Office of the Municipal Agriculturist by providing considerable number of Job Order Personnel to support the office field activities. Mr. Agustin L. Dignos, Municipal Agriculturist has taken moves to prepare the new personnel by teaching them the necessary inputs and training them the technologies to equip them to varied field work activities. Recently, the new personnel were under the two season-long trainings which are for rice production using the palay check system and the vegetable commercialization program of the office. The training sessions were scheduled every Wednesday which started last September and October, respectively while the said trainings are expected to end on January 2011.

The old and regular/permanent staff had also briefed the new personnel with their expertise on the different commodities handled by them such as Livestock, Crops, Fisheries, High Valued Commercial Crops and other related fields.

Another training attended by the new personnel was the simplified bookkeeping and accounting which is so essential in organizing and managing a cooperative or association which has been a priority task of the office.

Year of the Ox; Magmalamboon ba?