MALAY, Aklan – A veterinarian who works as a consultant of the livelihood program on swine dispersal of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) introduced a new urban piggery concept.
Dr. Gomer Canoy said he was able to come up with the said innovation after several years of experience in swine dispersal.
He claimed the program is new to Philippine setting as the pig pen has a comfort room for pigs.

He said the project is environment friendly because it uses biogas technology to eliminate the foul odor from the pigs’ manure, a major concern of swine dispersal.
He explained that methane gas produced from the excrements of the pigs can be used as fuel for heating purposes, thereby reducing the cutting of trees to be used as firewood.
“The sludge produced by the biogas also serves as organic fertilizers in farms,” Canoy said.
Under Canoy’s innovation, he said the new urban pig pen has the following advantages:
• reduces the use of water in swine production for 90 percent
• 90 percent faster growth rate – meaning a pig can be sold for 100 days instead of the usual 115 days
• lessens the foul odor for 98 percent; and
• gives a 98 percent success rate.
“The remaining two percent success rate will depend on the determination of the hog raisers,” Canoy said.
“With my concept, pigs will definitely have no access to bacteria. The probability is very high that a hog could reach 100 kilos in 100 days and is definitely suitable as food supply to five star hotels,” he added.
Canoy is now the quality control consultant of CARP’s livelihood assistant to their agrarian reform beneficiaries.
According to Dea Pelayo, who is in-charge of the livelihood program of CARP, DAR will allocate P1 million for the members of the Kalipunan ng Maliliit Na Magniniyog ng Napa-an.
The cooperative has around 105 active members, many of whom are women.
“The allocation is a loan for the cooperative members as they are also ARBs. We have seen the potential in swine dispersal in them. Through our program, if successful, they would be able to supply the needed meat requirements for Boracay Island,” Pelayo said.
Boracay Island, a premier beach destination in the country, is under the geographical area of Malay town./

Related posts

• No related posts.

Published by the Central Luzon Business Week/Dino Balabo

A number of candidates in the national and local elections lamented the fact that the country is lagging behind its neighbours in Southeast Asia.

Many of them said that the country was second to Japan in the 50s. In the 50s until the 60s, international organizations like the Asian Development Bank has tried to outdo its other by establishing their regional headquarters in the country.

Today, the country is still in second place in terms of development. But it’s the second place not from top, but from the bottom. And many corporations and manufacturing companies are trying to move north to China, skipping or leaving the Philippines, as if they are boarding a train’s last trip.

Clearly, the country’s development, whether in economy, politics, and technology has stagnated, if not, slid into the down ward spiral.

Senator Richard Gordon, a presidential candidate has made a point when he blamed in on the lack or poor leadership.

However, a group of researchers and scientists who grouped themselves and called their group as Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan (Agham) in 2003 has pointed something specific.

It’s the poor development of the culture of science and technology (S&T) in the country.

In a recent interview, Vicky Bartilet, a retired employee of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and current corporate secretary of Agham party-list said the country is only devoting less than one percent of its annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) revenues worth $188-Billion to S&T development.

This is very low compared to countries like the United States, Japan and Singapore which has larger annual GDPs, and they are allocating two to three percent of that GDP to S&T development.

Bartilet noted that Japan’s telecommunications commission alone has larger budget to our DOST.

“Science and technology is the backbone of development, unless we give musch attention to it, we will be lagging behind with our neighbours,” Bartilet said.

Its true. Studies showed that S&T contributed over 70 percent to US economic development, while in the Philippines, a measly 40 percent is being contributed by S&T.

Low interest on S&T is one of the keys. In other countries, they have more manpower involved in S&T.

Again, comparing the Philippines with other countries, we are lagging behind. In other countries, ratio of researchers and engineers to population is 390 for everyone million population. In the Philippines, we have only 140 engineers and researchers for every one million population.

This means that we have less engineers and researchers that will be useful to our everyday life. Look at those cellular phones and other technological advances in communication technology. Have you realized that our more than 80-million population has become mere users and consumers of new technologies produced by other countries, rather than become producers themselves.

For this reasons, Agham party-list should be voted into office and become member of our Congress to push projects and ;programs that will enhance our S&T capability, and therefore, push our country forward into better development through S&T.

Agham party-list plans to push for the establishment science high school in every region of the country. At present, only nine of 16 regions in the country have a science high school. Central Luzon is not one of them.

Establishing science high schools in all regions is a clear commendable plan as it will help produce a new generation of Filipinos which are scientifically and technologically adept and inclined. Perhaps, it will produce a new generation of Dado Banatao, the Filipino Bill Gates; if no produce the first Filipino Nobel Peace Prize on S&T.

Beyond the honor that S&T might bring to our country, it will also bring technologies to us that will help us further adapt to challenges brought by climate change to our communities.

Agham party list vowed to provide us proper and timely information and technology for our climate change adaption including in agriculture and fisheries.

But that will depend if we will help Agham party list to be part of our next Congress to voice out real change through S&T.

Let’s vote for our future. Let’s vote for our children on May 10.

Let’s vote # 49 AGHAM for party list.

Related posts

• No related posts.

KALIBO, Aklan – Several researches have been undertaken to cushion the impact of the El Nino phenomenon, one of the effects of global warming, especially on the agriculture sector.

This was bared during the recent 20th anniversary celebration of the Philippine Association of Research Managers (PHILARM) held at the Aklan State University (ASU) which gathered hundred of researchers nationwide.

The celebration has for its theme “Advancing Research Management for Science and Technology Productivity and Sustainable Development.”

Dr. Patricio Faylon, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Research and Development (PCCARD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), said the current El Nino phenomenon was damaging the country’s agricultural resources and the research managers must do something about it.

“We could not deny that global warming threatens human existence. We cannot stop climate change,” he said in a message read by a representative during the recent convention here.

For two decades, the PHILARM has worked on productivity and sustainable development and is currently working to address food shortage and global warming.

And to do this, researchers have been encouraged to develop pest resistant food products.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said that the El Nino phenomenon had destroyed millions of agricultural crops in the country.

Meanwhile, Dr. Fernando Bernardo, consultant of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), said that the researchers could explore the environment since it was one of the most under researched in the country today.

“In Boracay Island alone, researchers could dwell on the hybrid production of agricultural products and coming up with crafts as souvenirs for tourists coming to the resort island. The country is rich with environmental resources that is unexplored and could tapped to sustain food security in the country,” he said.

The gathering was also highlighted by various papers and poster presentations on Research and Development.

PHILARM, founded on Sept. 9, 1989, is a private, non-stock, non-profit, professional organization dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the role of research managers in improving and sustaining productivity in research.

To date the association has more than 1, 200 members from various government agencies, local government units, higher education institutions, private agencies, non-government organizations and international institutions based in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Nepal. (with reports from Sally Villasis)

Related posts

• Car-bus collision kills four businessmen in Aklan (0)

Vicky Bartilet

The Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan  (AGHAM) is one of the 34 party-list groups which won one seat in the survey conducted by Pulse Asia last January 22-26, 2010.  The survey covered 150 of party-list groups vying for at least one seat in the lower house.  For the May 2010 elections,  43 partly-list groups will have the chance to make it in the Lower House. Organized in 2005,  AGHAM or Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan  is a non-stock, non-profit association of science professionals,  science journalists, advocates and supporters that seeks to push science and technology as effective tools for economic development, advance science and math education in the country and  help in the development of  the culture of science of  the Filipinos.

AGHAM nominees are Angelo B. Palmones,  Station Manager, DZMM-ABS-CBN,  Anselmo G. Adriano,  former BIR Regional turned farmer,   and  Florentino O. Tesoro, former Science Undersecretary. (PSciJourn News Service)

Related posts

• No related posts.

The Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya (AGHAM) backs-up the call of Senator Edgardo O. Angara for more educational television programs on government-run television networks.
Angara pushed for a bigger budget for the Philippine-owned PTV 4
for 2010. With P100 million budget for next year, he said the television network can reach more children, not only in the urban but also in the rural areas, and provide quality educational and cultural programs.
“AGHAM strongly supports the call because we also promote education, particularly science and technology and the development of the culture of science among Filipino youth,” says Angelo B. Palmones, President of AGHAM.
Organized in 2005, AGHAM is a non-stock, non-profit association of science professionals, science journalists, science advocates and enthusiasts registered with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). Other priorities of AGHAM include advocacy of national policies and programs that will advance science and technology for sustainable development and well-being of the Filipino; provide assistance and support for Filipino science workers engaged in research and development, in invention and popularization of technologies and products; and 4) promotion of the welfare and well-being of Filipino science and technology workers and the sustainability of science-based institutions, organization and enterprises.
“We commend the initiative and commitment of Senator Angara to provide quality education for our people not only through formal school institutions. We all know the power of media in influencing the mindset of the public, particularly among the young people. We support the move and hope other groups and institutions will do the same, ” Palmones added. (Vicky B. Bartilet, PSciJourn News Service)

Related posts

• No related posts.

The 2010 elections will be historically significant for Filipinos.  This will be the first time that the country will experience the automated election system (AES)
          The AES  has been authorized under Republic Act  9369, or  “An Act  Amending  Republic  Act  No. 8436, Entitled  “An Act Authorizing  The Commission  on Elections to Use an  Automated  Election  System . . . in the   National  or Local Elections  and in  Subsequent  National  and Local Electoral  Exercises, to Encourage Transparency, Credibility, Fairness  and  Accuracy  of  Elections . . .”
          AGHAM  President  Angelo B. Palmones said that he and his group commend the COMELEC for  achieving  its goal of  having an automated election system in 2010.
“However,  while million of voters are excited with the new voting system, they are also a bit apprehensive  because most of  them may not have even used a computer,” says Palmones. 
He said that to help voters with the new election system and secure their  votes,  both government and private organizations can join hands to educate the voting public.  Section 31 of R.A 9369 has specific provision for the education and training of voters  “not later than six months before the actual automated election exercise, undertake a widespread stakeholders education and training program”  through mass media channels,  seminars and fora.
. “AGHAM is willing to support the dissemination of information and conduct of education seminars.”  Palmones volunteered.  “The voters education we conducted yesterday (December 14) is just the first of the series of seminars we will organize for better understanding and appreciation of the automated election system starting in 2010,”  Palmones added.
AGHAM, or Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan,  is a non-stock, non profit  association of science professionals,  science journalists,  advocates and enthusiasts working together to push science and technology as effective tools of economic development.  Organized in 2005, it   aims to  1) promote  science education and a culture  of science  among our people;  2) advocate national policies and programs that will advance science and technology for sustainable development and well-being of the Filipino;  3) assist and support Filipino science workers engaged in research and development,  in invention and popularization of technologies and products;  and 4) promote the welfare and well-being of Filipino science and technology workers and the sustainability of science-based institutions, organizations  and enterprises.   (Vicky B. Bartilet, PSciJourn News Service)
 

Related posts

• No related posts.

KALIBO, Aklan – The Population Commission (POPCOM) in Western Visayas said they are strengthening their advocacy on natural family planning (NFP) as part of its mandate to manage the concerns of the increasing population in the region.
Harold Marshall, planning development officer of POPCOM-WV, said part of the planned strengthened advocacy is to hold linkages with the media to inform the public about their program.
Marshall, however, said that their promotion of the NFP is slow because of pressure from the Catholic Church.
“We must understand that our NFP, although we call it as natural, is not the traditional practice of family planning. In fact, in our campaign, we are discouraging the use of the calendar system and withdrawal method because we found it unreliable. What we are campaigning for is the scientific natural family planning,” he said.
Some scientific family planning methods are the lactational amenorrhea, cervical mucus (billings ovulation or ovulation method), two-day method, basal body temperature, sympto-thermal method and the standard days method.
Marshall said the scientific NFP methods are highly effective, natural, simple to learn, inexpensive, reversible and life-long use./

Related posts

• No related posts.

KALIBO, Aklan – Health workers in the province have urged politicians, especially those who are seeking elective positions in the 2010 elections, to have a clear stand on the proposed Reproductive Health (RH) Bill pending in Congress so they would know who to support.

Engr. Lou Sta. Maria of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) stressed that health workers are supportive of the RH Bill since it will benefit them.

“Health workers will be properly armed by the law to fully serve the public,” Sta. Maria, who is also the vice president of the Men Opposed to Violence Everywhere (MOVE), said.

The bill is still pending in Congress due to the many issues and concerns raised by the Catholic Church and pro-life groups.

On December 5, MOVE-Aklan and the PHO in cooperation with the Aklan Press Club and the Aklan Media Forum will gather political candidates for a forum during the Kapehan sa Kalibo. The participants will be urged to give their respective stand on the RH Bills and issues on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC).

MOVE, the PHO and other organizations deem it necessary to have the candidates’ forum since both the VAWC and RH Bill are important issues in the province, especially in Boracay Island.

Related posts

• No related posts.

bills.html&style=normal

The Visayas Media Advocates for Responsible Parenthood (VIMAR) said that they strongly condemn “irresponsible parenthood” as it is the root of population crisis.
Just recently, VIMAR issued a statement of support to House Bill No. 5043, known as the “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2008” an Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health, Responsible Parenthood and Population Development and for other purposes and to Senate Bill No. 3122, known as the “Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2009” and Act Providing for a National Policy on Reproductive Health and for other Purposes.
Responding to the emerging challenges of sustainable development, as well as the intergenerational equity and empowerment of men and women, reproductive health addresses men’s and women’s health issues in its entirety, VIMAR said.
The International Conference on Population and Development marks 2009 as its 15th Year of providing opportunity for the Philippines to take stock of where the country stands in terms of Program of Action, VIMAR cited, adding that with the Program of Action, ICPD is targeting to reduce infant, child, and maternal mortality and improve access to reproductive and sexual health services including family planning, and reproductive health.
ICPD hopes to reduce reproductive health care issues by 50% in 2015 especially on cutting the number of people living in absolute poverty by 2015 which VIMAR said that due to population crisis, this would result to extreme poverty, unemployment, human rights abuses especially on women and children, peace and order, environment related problem such as Climate Change, and generally health problems obviously as an aftermath.
Population management and development is an urgent call, VIMAR said, adding that population crisis is the root evil of insurgency, poverty, and human rights abuses in the country for already four decades.
The Philippines cannot afford to be complacent in the current situation, VIMAR said,t stressing that the country face serious problems of unemployment, political unrest and poverty, which burdens the country’s social and health systems.
VIMAR together with other reproductive health advocates join and support the authors of the bills in the Senate and Congress.
VIMAR also pushes for the 2010 political candidates to include reproductive health in their platform of government.
Further, VIMAR said that the country with its close to 90 million population already lag behind from among her neighbors in the Asia region as to economic condition.
With the nearing of 2010 national elections, VIMAR sees the need for a heightened advocacy that would really push political candidates to also advocate in their campaign reproductive health issues.
The country which is celebrating November 24-29 as the National Population Week, VIMAR said the occasion is once again timely for the Filipinos to forge efforts by intensifying reproductive health advocacy.
Being the fourth member of the estate, VIMAR highly support and commit to work as partners of the government, together with the stakeholders, NGOs, POs, private organizations, academe, and the existing civil citizens; “for reproductive health is everybody’s rights, it’s everybody’s fight, and its everybody’s call” said George M. De La Cruz, convenor.
VIMAR was organized by the Philippine NGO Council on Population and Reproductive Health through the Commission on Population last Oct. 2, 2009 and is composed of media practitioners from the tri-media in regions VI and VII.*

Related posts

• No related posts.

by PSciJourn News Service

It makes one proud to know that in the early 60’s, the Philippines ranked second to Japan in terms of development. While Japan and other Asian countries push forward its economic development, it is sad that the country lags behind.

Literatures indicate that economic development of these countries is affected by resource allocation to and utilization of science and technology. Similarly, records show that the Philippine investment for science and technology is 0.21% of the Gross National Product (GNP). This is much lower compared with other Asian countries with 2% or more.

Government efforts to make science and technology (S&T) work for the country is inadequate. Hence, initiatives from non-government organizations to push S & T is a welcome development.

One such organization is AGHAM, or Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan. Organized in 2005, AGHAM is a non-stock, non-profit association of science professionals, science journalists, advocates and enthusiasts which aims to 1) promote science education and a culture of science among our people; 2) advocate national policies and programs that will advance science and technology for sustainable development and well-being of the Filipino; 3) assist and support Filipino science workers engaged in research and development, in invention and popularization of technologies and products; and 4) promote the welfare and well-being of Filipino science and technology workers and the sustainability of science-based institutions, organizations and enterprises.

“In a modern economy, science and technology plays a vital role,” says Mr. Angelo B. Palmones, President of AGHAM. “ Unless, we focus our attention and prioritize its development and advancement , the Philippines will lag much behind its neighboring countries,” he added.

Mr. Angelo Palmones is the director of ABS-CBN’s AM Radio Network, and program host of the longest running and multi-awarded science program, “Bago ‘Yan Ah!”. He is also a senior lecturer at the College of Mass Communication, UP-Diliman.

Mr. Palmones initiated and supported many environment protection and science education programs. He conceptualized Bantay Kalikasan Hotline, a media watch against raiders of the environment. He has organized “Invent Clubs” in several provinces to encourage creativity among students and out-of-school youth.

He is also co-founder and current president of the Philippine Science Journalists Association, Inc. and regular member of the National Press Club and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas.

With Mr. Palmones leading AGHAM are Dir. Anselmo G. Adriano, AGHAM Vice-President for Central Luzon and Dr. Florentino O. Tesoro, AGHAM Treasurer. Dr. Tesoro is a planning and management specialist of forestry development projects, which include among others, forest products research and development, marketing of forest products and environmental impact assessment. Dr. Tesoro was formerly the Undersecretary for Regional Operations of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Director, Forest Products Research and Development (FPRDI). He is a registered forester and a Ph.. D. holder in Forestry.

On the other hand, Dir. Anselmo G. Adriano was formerly regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue for Region 3. Since then, Dir AGA, as he is fondly called by friends and close associates, has turned into farming.

According to Dr. Ruby Ephraim Rubiano, AGHAM Secretary-General, the organization envisions a society that adheres to the importance of science and technology. “AGHAM mission is to be the premiere organization to advocate and push programs and projects that will bring science and technology in the mainstream of development in the country,” he added

Priority thrusts of AGHAM include, among others, the following:

1. promotion of a culture of science among our people through establishment of science centers and

museums nationwide, support for youth science clubs, educational TV and radio programs and other

science promotion activities that will enhance public understanding, appreciation and possibly

application of science and technology in productive endeavor.

2. scholarships for young, bright, deserving Filipinos for careers in science and mathematics, in

engineering and in the technical and teaching professions;

3. realistic budgets for science, mathematics and technical education in the public schools and state

colleges and universities; and

4. support for the research agencies of the executive department responsible for agriculture, health,

energy, industry, transportation and communication, natural resources and environment.

Presently, AGHAM is engaged in increasing its membership and capability building activities and services e.g. seminar on climate change, disaster management and medical mission.

For more information, interested parties may call 747-0288 or access AGHAM website : www.agham. org.ph. (PSciJourn News Service)

Related posts

• No related posts.