Kiamba, Sarangani Province

Come Visit the captivating Sarangani Province!!

Today is International Day of Rural Women

This article pays tribute to the vital contribution of Rural Women.

Rural women essential to agri growth, development

Rural women in Mindanao are as multitasked as their urban counterparts.

In the accomplishment report to the World Bank in the currently conducted 5th review mission, Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) noted that rural women are getting more involved in economic activities particularly in agriculture far from the old notion that they are supposed to be home-based.

“Rural women nowadays are not just homebound, they are crucial to the growth, expansion and development of agriculture,” said program director Lealyn A. Ramos.

Ramos said women account 41.67 percent or 15,949 of the 38,266 total beneficiaries of the program’s agri-based livelihood projects.

“Women are involved in various levels of agricultural economy. Aside from their participation in planting and caring of crops and marine produce, they are also involved in processing and marketing, ensuring that indeed their products result to income, “ said Ramos, who is also the region executive director of DA-10 (Northern Mindanao).

Implemented under the Community Fund for Agricultural Development (CFAD) component, food security projects and community managed livelihoods included production of banana, vegetable, abaca and rubber; dispersal of carabao and horse for land preparation, product hauling and other farm activities; procurement of vehicles for marketing; processing of crops and marine products; and small infrastructures like footbridge, mechanical dryer, solar dryer and warehouses.

CFAD has spent a total of P161 million for the total of 681 projects. A total of P121.94 million worth of projects have been completed and the rest is on-going.


“To date, the program has surpassed our target of women beneficiaries and we are expecting more women to be actively involved in agri-based enterprise.” Ramos said.

MRDP aimed to benefit at least 30 percent of women and indigenous peoples by end of program implementation in 2012.

“On top of their household chores of preparing the children to school and ensuring proper food and nutrition at home, by engaging in productive activities rural women take part increasing income of their family,” Ramos said.

Melani Rosauro, a beneficiary from Sta. Josefa Agusan del Sur said their family income increased when both she and her husband involved in the vegetable production of the Awao High-value vegetable Growers’ Association.

“Our association consolidates theharvest but each member works on individually owned farms. I work hand in hand with my husband who does the hard labor of land preparation. I help in the planting and caring of the plants... and we (women members) are the ones assigned in marketing (our produce) to nearby towns,” Rosauro said.

Meanwhile, Letecia Ampong of Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur said her income from their women cooperative that processes camote (sweet potato) to candy bars has augmented her family’s income.

“Women today share in the providing for the needs of the family. And this will ensure that there is food in their tables,” Ramos said.

Gov. Generoso (Sigaboy), Davao Oriental

August 1, 1948. Two years after the restoration of the Republic of the Philippines in 1946 after the Japanese occupation, President Elpidio Quirino issued Executive Order No. 156 creating the Municipality of Governor Generoso (Sigaboy) in honor of the late Governor Sebastian Generoso who died in 1937.

Gov. Gen is Sigaboy, Sigaboy is Gov. Gen.
Common tradition attests to the legend on how Sigaboy got its name. Accordingly, the word Sigaboy comes from two words “Siga” and “(ba) boy”. Legend has it that one day there was an apparition seen by the settlers in the little islet of Sigaboy with Saint’ Elmo’s fire called by the natives as “siga” with the presence of the pig called “baboy”. The first settlers then asked as to where this first apparition occurred, pointed fingers to that small islet (at present, fronting Barrio Tibanban) coupled with mumbled words like “Sigaboy!” since then on, the whole area (latter, also renamed into Governor Generoso) was called to both settlers and passers-by.


It was said that Sigaboy was aboriginally settled by the Manobo and Tagacaulo tribes. But the Tagacaulo settlers later on immigrated to the southern side of the archipelago just adjacent to the Malita, Davao del Sur, as they are presently found in the hinterlands of Malita area. The early Manobo settlers had traces to the nearby Asian cultures like Malaysia, Indonesia and China as shown by some artifacts excavated in the area. Intermarriages between foreigners and the natives resulted in the many mestizas and mestizos in Sigaboy. Up to the present times, local immigration still thrives in the area due to the promising fishing industry and other agri-business ventures.

Going airborne

Manila aerial snapshots

Going airborne

Some aerial snapshots of Davao City

DA program to help conserve Davao's "pygmy forest"

San Isidro , Davao Oriental — Mt. Hamiguitan , known for its bonsai forest and the coastal areas here get P7 million environmental boost from the antipoverty program of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

This, as the town becomes one of the six town-beneficiaries of the year-2 implementation of the DA- Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP) under its Natural Resources Management (NRM) component.

With focus on Mt. Hamiguitan watershed, the ridge-to-reef landscape here is expected to nurture more diverse flora and fauna as the local government and MRPD implement a 136-hectare watershed rehabilitation with rubber-based farming on hilly lands amounting to close to P5 million. While, P2 million were earmarked on the coastal areas projects which include 7.5 hectare mangrove rehabilitation and setting up of 5 hectare fish sanctuary and marine reserves.

The Mt.. Hamiguitan mountain range and wild life sanctuary was declared protected area under RA 9303 of 2002. It is home to Mandaya tribe, the Philippine Eagle, important raw materials and some highly prized natural bonsai forming the popular “pygmy forest.”

Mayor Edgar Flor V. Saulon said the presence of MRDP in their town strengthens the local government’s continuing efforts in preserving their natural resources.

“We have waged campaign to protect our natural resources but we are still faced with problems of kaingin (salsh and burn) and illegal fishing. Hopefully with MRDP we can strengthen more our efforts,” he said.

San Isidro municipality is the second town in Davao region to have benefited from MRDP. Year-1 site was Don Marcelino in Davao del Sur.

“The program is more than happy to contribute to the conservation and protection efforts here because not only we help combat poverty, we also help protect Mt. Hamiguitan , Mindanao ’s proud bonsai natural park,” said NRM head Dennis Pauil Mijares.

NRM activities will also provide resource-based alternative livelihood to the people’s organization implementing projects under the Program.

During the launching activity recently, local officials, representatives from the provincial government and the people’s organization signed a manifesto declaring their commitment to support the environmental protection project through proper legislations and information and advocacy activities.

Mijares said NRM component implements protection and conservation of the uplands, lowlands, and coastal areas noting that the activities in the uplands have downstream impact in the coastal areas. It is implemented with close coordination with the Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Commission of the Indigenous Peoples and the Bureau of Soil and Water Management.

By the end of the MRDP in 2012, NRM component will have established environmental projects in 24 towns with upland to coastal connectivity landscapes across Mindanao.

Durian Delight

World Bank acting country director Mark Woodward enjoys the meaty smelly Durian!


A group of Azerbaijans found Durian tasty!

Kadawayan 2010 saw a splurge of fruits in Davao City. Of course, the whole court of the tropical fruits was present: the King of Fruits Durian, the princess of fruits Mangosteen, Lanzones and Rambutan.

www.president.gov.ph

This is the refurbished website of the Office of the Philippine President.

Quite interesting. Aside from the news, recent photos and selected videos, it has the section called Panata sa Pagbabago where we can put there our panata or pledge to create a make happen transformation of our society.

It also has the section: tito noy. This portion will feature graphic designs that will bear messages of traditional Filipino values. Even children are encouraged to share their ideas in this section.

The President's images are very "pamasa", homely, amiable. He seems very down-to-earth. He is very much among us.

I like the website. It's simple, clean and very user-friendly.

Kudos to the communications group of the President.

Gleek Charice

Unadulterated Charice. Photo from Pinoy Paparazzi, shows the girl's profile before her Botulimun toxin procedure.

I aptly named this blog My Mindanao and Me. Intended to tell the whole world about this second largest island among the 7,107 islands of the Philippine archipelago.

But if you have bothered to scan around this site, I just did not talk about or show you Mindanao. I think being a Mindanaoan, I just couldn’t help but also talk about the county I love to live in and the issues engulfing it: be it environment, politics, TV shows, reality talent search, show business and a whole lot more.

Recently I watched the entire season one episode of the American TV hit Glee. Honestly, I was engrossedly entertained just as everyone else was hooked to its regular showing on cable TV.

Undoubtedly the show gave us a glimpse of the American youth culture. And it doesn’t take a genius to understand that it doesn’t quite fit our culture ‘our Filipino culture.’ Well, not the whole of it. The singing part, the whole heart and soul of it all, is very much in our veins, “we” love to sing.

You know what I mean. The movie broadcast in the entire universe but it was entirely to cater American audience. And they can surely relate to that.

Now, thinking of Charice being a in the season 2 cast.

I just couldn’t fear enough if the scriptwriters would rather let be herself or project herself as being one of who migrated and eventually becoming one them (“Americanized”) and erase the point of her being a Filipino.

We as Filipinos are proud that Charice has been cast in this world wide popular TV series. But the apprehension that her being a Filipino can be lost “as a character” and as a person can be eliminated, hangs on air.

This piece might be as lopsided as my views in this world and as highly debatable but I guess the opinion cannot just be left unsaid.

This opinion it doesn’t matter. Bu as a Filipino as a Mindanaoan, I would love more Charice’s appearance on Glee would tell who we are as Filipinos and great this third world nation is.

The world might have its standards regarding nations as first, second, third, developing, poor, whatever. But people ‘individuals’ who has a dignity that should be upheld cannot be part of this so-called ranking.

No one needs another excruciating pain of discrimination.

I rest here. I hope to continue this and present much better arguments. Thanks for reading. I love you.

Hit the Road (part 2)

Date: February 2009
Location: Lantapan, Bukidnon

where i've been lately

Kibawe, Bukidnon


Kibawe is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bukidnon, Philippines.

Kibawe has a larger percentage of rolling than plain areas. A rough estimate is 80% rolling hills and 20% plainlands. The important landmarks of the municipality are several mountain peaks, clustered over most of the barangays. Pulangi and Muleta Rivers serve as the major fishing grounds of the people residing near the bank, as do the beautiful and magnificent Paragupac Cave in Barangay Spring and the Rogobrob spring at Barangay New Kidapawan.

The seven division world boxing champion and now Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao was born in Kibawe.

Hit the Road 2010 (part 1)

I'll have here series of pics that will give you glimpse on our experiences on the field that we don't include in our travel reports or Program accomplishments. :-)

Mati City

Arch the Mati!

Mati Baywalk


SEASIDE




A must-try when you visit Mati City in Davao Oriental is the empanada and lumpia at Seaside. "Seaside" is easy to find. Its within the bay walk area near the fastcraft quay and around 200 east of city hall.

POSTCARDS

Learning Life skills on Sunday

KRISTINE Neiza received her diploma, proceeded to the center stage, and took a bow. However, that simple bow didn't quite reflect whatsoever the story behind that piece of paper in her hand, for a diploma on a Sunday College is in fact not a walk in the park.

"Naglisod jud ko oy, dili lalim (I really had a hard time, it's not easy)," Kristine said.

And not only Kristine can attest to that, but there are at least 170 graduates of the Assumption College of Davao (ACD) -- Sunday College Program in Davao City. Each has a dream to fulfill, a determination to succeed and heart-warming stories to tell.

Brave Kristine

After a semester as working student, Kristine got sick and decided to go back to their town in Kapalong, Davao del Norte. Determined to finish her two-year computer programming course, she did not abandon her Sunday college with her parents supporting her financial needs.

Kapalong town is about three-hour ride from Davao City where jeepneys and buses are particularly scarce in early morning. To promptly attend to Sunday's school time which commence at 7 a.m., Kristine has to face the ordeal of her travel.

She has to wake up 1 a.m. (on Sundays) while everyone else is sound asleep, prepares herself for school to catch the first trip of jeepney around 2:30 a.m. bound for Tagum City.

In this trip, she rides along with the baskets of farm produce and the bunch of empty fish buckets. Kristine is left with no choice but to take this trip since the next trip is scheduled at 5 a.m.., which surely make her tardy in school.

By 4 a.m. she's already in Tagum and usually arrives at school by 6 a.m.

By 9 p.m., the class ends and by then hopes to catch a bus going back to Tagum. Since there is no jeepney plying the route to Kapalong on late night, she has to wait up until 4:30 a.m. (by this time its Monday already) for the first trip back to her town.

Kristine has braved through this ordeal for almost two years.

"What made it more difficult was the fact that I have to bring everything that I need -- books, P.E. uniform, rubber shoes, school requirement, some extra clothes," showing her two packs of paper bags.

"Mura ko'g molayas, (I seem to stow away)" she quipped.

Sunday College Program

"Indeed the Sunday College Program has helped a lot of students to finish at least two-year college tech-voc education," said ACD president Sr. Marieta Banayo of the Missionaries of the Assumption (MA).

Banayo said when they opened the Sunday school for college, her sisters in the congregation were not as optimistic as she was. But her confidence with her faculty along with Dr. Rinante Genuba, the tech-voc program director, she took the risk.

"It was one of the risks I took as President of the school. We did not know what will happen, my sisters where a little skeptic. But I had faith," Banayo added.

"We had the idea of opening the Sunday college when some employers of our Sunday high school graduates approached us and asked whether there won't be a Sunday college for their 'kasambahay' to enroll and continue their education," she said.

"As president, I know it will entail big financial responsibility but it also made me think bitaw no, after they graduate in high school, unsa naman sunod. So I decided to heed the call," giving a nod as she said.

She disclosed that they had been outlining their plans since 2004 but it was only in 2006 when ACD opened the Sunday College Program for two-year courses of Hotel and Restaurant Management, Computer technology, programming and secretarial.

The Sunday college program had around 200 students for their first batch, "not bad for a start," Banayo said.

"But the following school year was a big shock for us. A wave of enrollees we did not expect came to the school, even if we did not really campaign for the program," Banayo blurt out.

"At certain point, we even closed enrolment since our classrooms and laboratories cannot accommodate yet the number of students," she said.

Option for the poor

"Through this Sunday college program, we continue our preferential option for the poor," Banayo said, stressing that the congregation (Missionaries of the Assumption) stamp their mark to favor the deprived sectors in the community.

She said the program is intended to help poor but persevering students get a college diploma with the best quality education and training they can use for gainful employment.

"Around 80 percent of our students are full-time working individuals like 'kasambahay', food crew, and others, and Sunday is there only time to go to school," she said.

A number of them are graduates from the school's Sunday high school program who wanted and are determined to continue their studies.

Transformative education

"We continue to provide the same quality and brand of transformative education for our youth, which is to create socially aware individuals in a just and humane society," she said.

With the aim to provide topnotch training, ACD availed of a loan through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) provided by Asian Development Bank (ADM) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM). They used the fund to establish air-conditioned classrooms and state-of-the-art laboratories.

"Part of providing life transforming education is to provide, affordable and superior skills training through modern facilities and competent instructors," she said.

"Our instructors, who are both Tesda and Ched certified, share our vision of providing transformative education that the Assumption (College of Davao) is known for," said Banayo.

On the issue of affordability, Banayo said that even if today's prices of energy, water and other services are hitting high, the school maintains very affordable fees "and we will not have tuition fee increase next school year."

Click Link: http://www.mb.com.ph/node/203846

Featuring: Tawi-Tawi

Camouflage

With all the courage i can muster, i faced my greatest fear and took this shot. LOL!!
this was in San Vicente, Makilala, North Cotabato

BUDA in Transit

It was 6:00 o'clock in the evening. I was on a pick-up running slightly over 90kph and thought sunset view was great. tried to be stable as i took the shot but only got this best.