Agri chief backs research on transboundary crop pests, diseases
By Rita
dela Cruz
BUTUAN
CITY, May 20 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) will continue to support
research for development (R4D) efforts to effectively control and manage
transboundary crop pests and diseases that adversely impact Philippine
agriculture.
“We
believe it is the opportune time to reshape the country’s crop pest management
program, led by the University of the Philippines Los BaΓ±os’ National Crop
Protection Center (UPLB-NCPC),” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar in his
virtual message during the agency’s 45th founding anniversary on May 17, 2021.
He said
the NCPC is considered as the country’s transboundary center in crop pests and
diseases management, and thus the Department of Agriculture will continue to
support it in whatever way it can.
“We are
here not only to catalyze your growth in research but also to support this new
thinking that we need to put in place today for the future. With more than four
decades of existence, the NCPC has become the country’s beacon of hope and vast
wellspring of development-oriented research and concrete innovative outputs,”
Sec. Dar said.
According
to the DA chief, most of your research outputs have been utilized in a big way,
and it would be good for the NCPC leadership to conduct an impact assessment of
your top 10 research outputs.
“This
will give the center the opportunity to really say ‘Yes, the NCPC continues to
be relevant!’ Hence, it deserves additional financial support to do more
development-oriented research today and in the future,” Sec. Dar said.
He also
urged the agency to continue training and capacitating researchers, noting that
many have seen that even the non-important pests are now becoming important due
to climate change, and today more virulent pests are affecting our crop
industry.
“Clearly,
the mandate of NCPC in tandem with the DA’s Regional Crop Protection Centers
are more than relevant. We hope you will have the capacity to look not only at
present concerns on pest management, but also on foresight analysis or future
thinking,” he said.
Sec.
Dar said the agriculture sector faced major challenges last year, but it proved
as the most resilient among the country’s economic sectors. This simply means
agriculture can be one of the pillars to fuel the country’s economic recovery.
“We
need to enhance higher levels of food sufficiency and security, because of the
global distortion that is happening due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We believe
that the academic and science sector, like the UPLB and NCPC, need to be
continuously relevant in helping transform Philippine agriculture, in general,”
he said.
The
spread of transboundary plant pests and diseases has increased dramatically in
recent years due to globalization, trade, climate change, and reduced
resilience in production systems, according to the Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
Transboundary
plant pests and diseases can easily spread to several countries and reach
epidemic proportions. Outbreaks and upsurges can cause huge losses to crops and
pastures, threatening the livelihoods of vulnerable farmers and the food and
nutrition security of millions.
Locusts,
armyworm, fruit flies, banana diseases, cassava diseases, and wheat rusts are
among the most destructive transboundary plant pests and diseases, the FAO
said. (DA Stratcomms/PIA-Caraga)
Senior citizens sa Cabadbaran City nag-edad 86 makadawat og milestone award
By SVDeligero
DAKBAYAN
SA BUTUAN, Mayo 20 -- Adunay pagbag-o sa ordinansang gilusad sa syudad sa
Cabadbaran mahitungod sa pagpahinungod og milestone award alang atong mga
katigulangang niabot sa edad nga 86 pataas human gikauyonan sa Sangguniang
Panlalawigan sa Agusan del Norte nga balido ang City Ordinance No. 2021-003 nga
nagtugot paghatag sa milestone award.
Ang
nahisgutan nga ordinansa sa syudad nagtinguha nga ma-institutionalize ang
paghatag og milestone award aron mas daghan ang mahatagan nga mga kwalipikadong
mga Senior citizen nga angayang makadawat sa pasidungog ug ma revise ang
City Ordinances No. 2013-014 ug City Ordinance No. 2019-008 “Granting Milestone
Award to 90 years old and above Senior Citizens in the City of Cabadbaran.”
Ubos sa
section 2 sa maong ordinansa, ang mga kwalipikadong makadawat mao ang mga
mosunod:
a. Octogenarian - mga nag edad 86th paduong 89th makadawat og Baynte
mil (P20,000.00) ka pesos.
b.
Nonagenarian - 90th paduong 99 nga edad makadawat pag usab og Traynta mil
(P30,000.00) ka pesos.
c.
Centenarian – mao ang mga niabot sa edad nga 100, makadawat og Singkwenta mil
(P50,000.00) ka pesos.
Kini
usa ka pahinungod sa lokal nga panggamhanan isip pagpakita og pagdayeg sa mga
katigulangan nga nahimong kaabag sa pag-uswag sa syudad.
Ang
monetary award usab magsilbing dakong tabang sa mga hingtundan alang sa matag adlaw
niini nga panginahanglan.
Ang
awardee kinahanglan rehistrado ug active member sa pagbayad sa membership dues
sulod sa lima (5) ka tuig sa Barangay Senior Citizens Association of the
Philippines kun BSCAP ug sa Federation of Senior Citizens Association of the
Philippines.
Sa pagpanguna ni Provincial Board Member Elizabeth Marie R. Calo, tsirman sa Committee on Social Welfare Population Development, gi-aprobahan ang maong ordinance pinaagi sa Sanggunian Resolution No. 221-2021 atol sa ika 89th regular session sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan. (LGU Agusan del Norte/PIA Agusan del Norte)
