(PAGASA 24-HOUR PUBLIC WEATHER FORECAST as of Wednesday, 27 March 2024) Easterlies affecting the eastern section of the country. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur will experience Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms due to Easterlies / Localized Thunderstorms. Possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms.


Wednesday, May 20 , 2020

Hydroponics, a good way to be productive during community quarantine

 

By Vanessa P. Sanchez

 

BUTUAN CITY, May 20 -- In the midst of a global pandemic, a man turns a negative situation into a positive one.

 

With the city of Butuan placed under community quarantine, forcing people to stay at home to prevent the spread of the COVID 19, Bryan Tingas turned into backyard vegetable gardening to put his time to good use.

 

Tingas said that when the community quarantine was implemented last March, their office also implemented a work from home policy. It was then that he decided to utilize the vacant space in their yard to have a vegetable garden.

 

Since the space is limited, he also used some empty containers and planted them with vegetables. In addition, he put up his own hydroponics, a method of gardening that uses no soil, but instead grows plants in a solution of water and nutrients.

 

Tingas said that he thought of having the hydroponics since this planting method is less laborious and does not require a lot of time for management which he said would be good once work resumes and he would have less time to tend to his garden. “With hydroponics, there is no need to water the plants daily so you save time as well as water,” Tingas shared.

 

He said that he researched on the internet on how to establish hydroponics. He then prepared the needed materials such as the styrofoam boxes, paper cups, the nutrient solution, seeds, and the nets he used for shading. Tingas said that the roofing or shade is necessary if you are planting leafy vegetables to protect them from too much heat. He also said that he did not spend much on the materials since he just asked for the Styrofoam boxes from fruit vendors. 


“Although the space is limited, I was still able to plant various vegetables, you just need to be resourceful in doing things,” Tingas said.

Tingas said that their garden has served as their own food source. “We have since been harvesting vegetables from our garden and I am glad that I am able to support the food security advocacy of the Department of Agriculture,” he said.

Moreover, Tingas said that he hopes to inspire other people to also have their own backyard vegetable gardens so that they too can provide nutritious and chemical-free foods for their families. (DA Caraga-RAFIS/PIA Caraga)

Coop gives food aid to ‘Pakyawan’ workers, janitors at Surigao port 

By Noli C. Nusog

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 20 (PIA) -- Continuing the ‘Bayanihan sa Pantalan’ spirit, dockworkers hired on ‘pakyawan’ basis and janitors serving the port of Surigao and the Lipata Ferry Terminal get food packs from the Philippine Ports Authority Surigao Employees Service Cooperative (PPA SESC).

As operations of motor launches plying the island routes are transferred from the city boulevard to the port of Surigao for the safety and security of island-bound cargo and passengers in the light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) crisis, additional dockworkers were hired on ‘pakyawan’ basis to augment existing cargo handling manpower.

PPA SESC Business Manager Roed Pomoy said that this undertaking is in line with the cooperative’s social responsibility program and sourced from its community development fund.

“Extending the cooperative’s help to co-workers particularly to our janitors and ‘pakyawan’ workers is unanimously agreed by all of our members in support of the ‘Bayanihan sa Pantalan,'" Pomoy said. (PPA-PMO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)

PMO Surigao turns idle areas to vegetable gardens

By Noli C. Nusog

SURIGAO CITY, Surigao del Norte, May 20 -- To somehow ease concerns over food security amidst the threat of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), idle areas at the Port of Surigao were turned into vegetable gardens to produce healthy food and vegetable products.

Launched over the weekend, the pilot site at the Surigao Baseport is just the first of the many vegetable gardens planned to be establish at idle areas in ports under the Philippine Ports Authority - Port Managment Office (PPA-PMO) Surigao.

With no less than PMO Surigao Acting Port Manager Froilan Caturla as lead ‘farmer,’ the Surigao Baseport garden is initially planted with eggplants, string beans, spring onions and lemon grass.

He added that putting up gardens is good for the environment too, aside from the benefit of having a ready supply of nutritious food.

“This greening project is also a great help for us in attaining safe and healthy environment since plants lessen carbon dioxide and produce more oxygen. More oxygen means cleaner air,” Manager Caturla said. (PPA-PMO/PIA-Surigao del Norte)