CARAT Expo 2016 set to boost market opportunities
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Sept 19 (PIA) – Caraga region is set
to reach new heights, starting off with its first Caraga Agricultural Trade and
Marketing Exposition or the CARAT Expo 2016, a multi-stakeholder trade and
marketing initiative focused on showcasing Caraga’s rich agricultural and
fishery products on November 9-13, 2016, this city.
The CARAT Expo helps local trade associations,
producers, agro-entrepreneurs in creating new markets and in improving
buyer-seller relationships; launch and institutionalize a media technology-use
plan for the promotion of a signature brand for Caraga; and help improve
productivity and strengthen food supply chain in the region by educating
producer groups and trade associations on new technologies and innovations in
agriculture from several national and international resource persons.
“Caraga has marked a significant growth in its
agricultural products. A substantial number of farmers and marine producers
have increased in their productivity. Hence, the challenge to sustain the
momentum of the region’s agricultural development has been reached and must be
brought to the next level. One step is to begin promoting Caraga local
products, establish market links and networks and open new avenues for
agricultural trade and commerce,” underscored Butuan City Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (BCCI) president Roger Ramirez.
The CARAT Expo, a regional event that brings
together the producers, buyers and sellers will be featuring products daily
during the weeklong activity: Day 1 - Lobster Day; Day 2 – Mango Day; Day 3 –
Aquamarine Day; Day 4 – Coconut; Day 5 – Livestock Day; Day 6 – Veggies Day;
Day 7 – Palay/Banana/Tubers Day.
Meanwhile, National Economic and Development
Authority (NEDA) Caraga regional director Mylah Faye Aurora Carino said that
CARAT Expo is very important for many reasons. “First, it promotes the region’s
many agri-fishery products. Second, it features presentations on the latest
technologies and innovations on agri and fishery. Third, it will allow the
various producers in Caraga to determine which product should be considered as
the region’s signature product. Thus, I am enjoining all the stakeholders to
support this very worthwhile endeavor,” stressed CariΓ±o.
Among also of the many activities set by the
organizers of the CARAT Expo are products display, trading, business
encounters, skills competition, cooking demos, live band party, and contests on
essay writing, poster making, dancing, singing, bartending, fruits garnishing,
table setting, cooking and eating.
CARAT Expo welcomes all the leading agricultural
retailers and wholesalers, food producers, agronomics, agriculturists,
engineers, technicians, farmers, manufacturers, food traders and exporters,
researchers, agriculture students, educators, and consumers.
The event is envisioned to be an annual gathering
of producers, suppliers, marketers, investors and buyers that will serve as
strategic venue for market-matching, linkages and agri-investment.
Driven by its objectives, the organizers - the
Caraga Chamber of Commerce, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and
Department of Agriculture (DA), supported by the Department of Science and
Technology (DOST), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Winrock International and various
stakeholders are coming together to promote a signature brand for the region.
For interested sponsors and exhibitors, you may
contact the secretariat at (085) 342-8859, (085) 342-9404, +639157969861,
+639995761855, or email them at caratexpo@gmail.com. (VLG/PIA-Caraga)
News Feature: Butuan biz group promotes 'Caraga
Lobster' as regional signature brand
By Venus L. Garcia
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 19 (PIA) - For a region that
envisions of becoming the fishery, agri-forestry, mineral and eco-tourism
center of the country, the upcoming Caraga Agricultural Trade and marketing
Exposition (CARAT Expo 2016) slated to open here on November 9-13, 2016 is seen
to bolster a signature brand for the region – the ‘Caraga Lobster.’
As the lead chamber in organizing the CARAT Expo,
Butuan City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (BCCFI) tagged it
as the premiere agri-fishery-related event in Mindanao that targets to identify
a local product that will significantly stand out as the chief and distinctive
product of Caraga region.
This 2016 CARAT Expo is also conceptualized to
supplement the Philippine Cold Chain Project’s (PCCP) thrust of providing more
focused marketing and trading initiatives to help increase productivity and
create trade opportunities for small producers in Caraga.
Dan Gudhal, chief of party of the Winrock
International, underlined that the Philippine Cold Chain Project (PCCP) is a
four-year United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded program
implemented by the Winrock International in Caraga region. He added that it has
two primary objectives. One is to increase the production of perishable
high-valued commodities, and the other is to improve marketing of those same
commodities.
“We are working with things like lobster,
vegetables, fisheries and the other products here in Caraga region. We are very
excited to have lobster as the signature brand for Caraga region because
lobster is a high-valued product and it’s something unique to the Caraga
region. It really exemplifies the wonderful opportunities that are available
here in Caraga,” said Gudhal.
The abundant local products of Caraga provinces
Caraga region as an administrative region in the
country occupying the northeastern section of the island of Mindanao is known
to be rich and abundant in agricultural and aquamarine products.
BCCFI president Roger Ramirez said that “what makes
the Agusan Norte mangos extraordinary palatable is because of the sea breeze
and ideal amount of moisture that gives the right sweetness and healthy
fiber."
Abundant in Agusan del Sur province is the palm
fruit called ‘kaong’. It is a main ingredient for the famous Pinoy ‘halo-halo’
and some other dessert salads, declared Freddie Mero, Agusan de Sur chamber
president.
Boosting also the Surigao del Norte’s product,
Surigao City chamber president Conception Paqueo said that swordfish, locally
called ‘liplipan,’ is superb for kinilaw, grill, or paksiw. “It is also top
notch for the International Game Fishing Competition in Siargao,” she added.
While king crabs in Bislig City is considered to be
the biggest type in the country with its distinct taste, ‘vannamie,’ also known
as white shrimps, a variety of prawn which is abundant in the municipality of
Tagum, Surigao del Sur which is seven kilometers away from Tandag City is the
most popular in dishes and recipes. They are also perfect for cocktail or
events in a boodle feast, said Tandag chamber president Emma Guerra.
In Dinagat Islands, ‘lapu-lapu’ or groupers come in
different colors and sizes yet has the same delectable taste. It is perfect for
‘escabeche’ dish.
On top of the provincial products, Caraga brings to
the country and to the world its regional product brand - the ‘CARAGA Lobster.’
“Among the many products which Caraga is planning
to showcase is the lobster because the people of Dinagat Islands have
successfully cultured lobsters and a lot of them are already earning a
livelihood from raising lobster in captivity. So lobster is a very prominent
product to be displayed during the CARAT Expo, including other aquamarine
products such as milkfish, grouper, lapu-lapu and seven other species which
have been declared by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources as technically
feasible to be raised in captivity. Watch out for CARAT Expo coming very soon,”
said Department of Trade and Industry Caraga regional director Brielgo Pagaran.
Caraga Lobster will banner Caraga region as it
projects the largest and fastest growing economic hub in Mindanao.
(VLG/PIA-Caraga)
SDSSU to host 2016 Mindanao universities &
colleges sports, cultural competition
By Nida Grace P. Barcena
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Sept. 19 (PIA) – The
Surigao del Sur State University (SDSSU) is set to host this year’s Mindanao
State Universities and Colleges Sports and Cultural competition scheduled on
November.
According to SDSSU president Dr. Baceledes Estal,
some 6,000 delegates from 29 state universities and colleges in Mindanao are
expected to join the event.
Estal also said that Governor Vicente Pimentel Jr.,
and Tandag City Mayor Alexander Pimentel have pledged to support the
spectacular event.
Meanwhile, Provincial Administrator Efren Rivas
confirmed that the rehabilitation of the Surigao del Sur Sports Center is
already on-going as part of the preparation for the forthcoming activities.
Estal, further said that other events such as the
cultural competition activities and basketball games will also take place in
Cantilan town considering that they have the standard basketball court aside
from Tandag City. (FEA/PIA-Surigao del Sur)
Caraga army receives new military vehicles
By 1LT Karl Jan S Devaras
BUTUAN CITY, Sept. 19 (PIA) - A ceremonial blessing
of the 34 newly-issued military trucks of the 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division,
Philippine Army was conducted on Monday at the Division Advance Command Post
(DACP) in Barangay Bancasi, this city.
Rev. Fr. Joshue Cadorna, OAD, rector of Order of
Discalced Agustinians (OAD) seminary led the blessing of the 27 units of KM 450
and seven units of KM 451 before their deployment to the 4ID units in Caraga
region.
The KM 450 truck is a light 4x4 multi-purpose
all-terrain military truck with a payload capacity of 530 kilogram on hard
surface roads and 330 kg on cross-country terrain. It can tow light trailers or
artillery pieces and can accommodate 14 fully-armed troops to include the
driver. Its windshield and body walls may be folded down for added combat
versatility.
This versatile 1 ¼ ton troop carrier light KM450
truck is most used in transportation, humanitarian assistance and disaster
relief operations of the 4ID.
On the other hand, the KM 451 ambulance vehicle
truck is mounted with an integrated shelter that is equipped with emergency
rescue medical devices on a 1 ¼ ton standard chassis thereby improving the
operation convenience of medical staffs and patients. It can accommodate eight
walk-in patients or four patients on stretchers. It is mainly used to extricate
wounded troops in combat since the truck is furnished with emergency medical
treatment equipment and drugs. Also, the truck ambulance is most useful in
providing humanitarian assistance during disasters.
The issuance of said vehicles to the army units in
the region is part of the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP). (4ID, PA/PIA-Caraga)
News Feature: Surigao Norte launches eye care
program
By Fema D. Bayana
SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, Sept. 19 (PIA) –
Truly a lucky year for the province of Surigao del Norte to be a recipient of
the Fred Hollows Foundation, a global non-profit aid organization inspired by
the work of an Australian eye surgeon named Fred Hollows, which focuses on
treating and preventing blindness and other visual problems in almost 22
countries worldwide.
The foundation had recently began its work in the
Philippines, where Tarlac as its first beneficiary and Surigao del Norte as the
second with focus on developing sustainable Community Eye Care services through
a thorough advocacy and influencing policy makers to include community eye care
among its health services.
Series of project briefings/presentations to all
stakeholders and partners such as local ophthalmologists, optometrists, city
health office, provincial and city DepEd health division personnel and
provincial/city DSWD were conducted as well as role clarification for each
level signaled the beginning of this journey.
Capacity building for the Municipal Health
Officers, selected hospital and school nurses, and barangay health workers who
will be instrumental in the case-finding and screening of clients will be the
next step.
The Philippine Blindness Prevention Program envisions
that all Filipinos specifically Surigaonons shall enjoy the right to sight by
year 2020. With this premise, for the next two and a half years, the province’s
eye care program shall be affordable and accessible to many especially the
marginalized individuals with an effort to sustain and integrate the program in
the health services of the province. (PHO-SDN/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
