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.