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?

VEGETABLE COMMERCIALIZATION TECHNO-DEMO CONDUCTED

The Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMA) in collaboration with Calubian Livelihood Assistance for Development, Inc. (CLAD, Inc.) has conducted a vegetable commercialization techno-demo which was launched last April 2, 2008. The techno-demo farm was located at Sitio Kalunasan of Brgy Tagharigue with Mr. Norberto Dillo, who is one of the active member of the newly organized Calubian Agri-products Producers Cooperative serving as the farmer-cooperator. (Photo above; Mr. Antonio Nierras, AT/in-charge of the seminar, demonstrated to the participants the proper way of handling vegetable seedlings during transplanting) The said seminar is expected to end in mid-July with weekly sessions held every Wednesday. Most of the participants are members of the producers cooperative earlier mentioned and some vegetable farmers from the neighboring barangays.

OMA CALUBIAN STAFF

AGUSTIN L. DIGNOS - Municipal Agriculturist- Master in Public Administration (CAR) at Western Leyte College of Ormoc City, Leyte, BS Agricultural Engineering-VSU, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte

JACINTO S. EBERO - Agricultural Technologist/Municipal Fisheries Coordinator- Bachelor of Animal Science, VSU, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte

FE PATRICIA A. MAPULA - Agricultural Technologist/Municipal Corn Co-coordinator - BS in Agricultural Education with major in Agronomy from the University of Eastern Philippines. Municipal corn specialist, Cooperative development specialist/trainer,community organizer.

MINANDRO J. NAPOLES - Agricultural Technologist/Meat Inspector/Municipal Livestock Co-coordinator - BSA with major in Animal Husbandry - graduated from BNAC, Biliran, Biliran.

ANTONIO G. NIERRAS - Agricultural Technologist/Municipal Rice Coordinator-Bachelor in Agricultural Technologist (BAT)-BNAC, Biliran, Biliran - Vegetable production specialist, Cooperative development specialist/trainor, community organizer.

DAYLINDA V. LABATA - Agricultural Technologist/Municipal Corn Co-coordinator-BSA major in Agronomy with education units. Municipal corn specialist.

DANTE Z. DAGOTDOT - Agricultural Technologist/Municipal Livestock Co-coordinator - Bachelor of Animal Science major in Animal Health - VSU, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Gregorio Araneta University Foundation.

ELVIRA V. ROLDAN - Municipal Livestock Coordinator - BSA with major in Agronomy.