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Tawi-Tawi Province, Philippines (view source)

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==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
==[[Tawi-Tawi News]]==
'''Govt on track in zero-rice import goal'''
'''2 wildlife photographers kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi'''
*Source: http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/top-news/22627-govt-on-track-in-zero-rice-import-goal
*Source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/regions/02/01/12/2-wildlife-photographers-kidnapped-tawi-tawi
*MONDAY, 30 JANUARY 2012 23:00
*02/01/2012 8:14 PM | Updated as of 02/01/2012 8:53 PM
:by  Cai U. Ordinario
:by  ABS-CBNnews.com




THE government remains on track on its  “zero rice importation” goal by 2013, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said on Monday.
MANILA, Philippines – Two foreigners and their Filipino guide were kidnapped in Panglima Sugala town in Tawi-Tawi Tuesday afternoon, a military official said.


In a radio interview, he said achieving rice self-sufficiency remained a top priority of the Aquino administration. To achieve this, he said his department was exerting efforts to not only increase palay production but also become self-sufficient in food staples.
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Philippine National Police (ARMM-PNP) regional director Chief Superintendent Bienvenido Latag identified the kidnapped victims as Elwold Horn from Holland, Lorenzo Vinciguerra from Switzerland and Ivan Sarenas from Davao City.


These new staples include white corn and root crops such as cassava and kamote, which can be consumed together with rice. It is widely known that in the Visayas, locals consume rice with corn grits; in Mindanao, many consume rice with cassava.
Latag said 5 suspects armed with M-203, two M-16 rifles and two .45 caliber pistols aboard a pump boat abducted the victims at Sitio Luuk, Barangay Parangan, Panglima Sugala town.


“In order that we will no longer import rice from other countries in 2013, we have intensified our efforts to shift our focus on food staple sufficiency. This includes the promotion and use of the right volume of rice or palay together with other staples like root crops,” Alcala said in the vernacular.
Tawi-Tawi Vice Governor Ruby Sahali said the municipal councilor of Panglima Sugala, Nestor Cabaluas, was also kidnapped but was able to escape.


Alcala noted that there are already 14 million Filipinos eating corn grits with their rice while residents of Zamboanga Peninsula, Jolo, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are used to consuming rice with cassava. In Batanes, the known regional food staple is kamote, he said.
Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City, said soldiers have already been dispatched to rescue the kidnapped victims.


Alcala said that to encourage the consumption of these staples, the agency is pushing for the increase in the production of good varieties to be distributed to other places in the country where there is low production and encourage consumption of these staples and reduction of the demand for rice.
“Accordingly, the foreign nationals, together with Nestor Cabaluas, went at said place when the group, armed with M-16 rifles and caliber .45 pistols, grabbed the victims and dragged them to the shorelines where the watercraft was waiting while Cabaluas escaped,” said Cabangbang.


“We hope that after 2013 our rice importation will hit zero. We want to spend taxpayer’s money which used to buy farmer’s products from other countries for products produced by Filipino farmers,” Alcala said.
“After said abduction, the abductors fled towards Barangay Lambog, Panglima Sugala, same province. So far, this is the only information we received,” added Cabangbang.


Efforts to attain the government’s rice self-sufficiency goal by 2013 include the restoration, rehabilitation and maintenance of irrigation systems; increasing farmers’ access to inbred and hybrid seeds; and reduction of postharvest losses through mechanization.
Sahali said the foreigners are wildlife photographers and have been in the island province for about two weeks.


Alcala said the government is also looking at reducing rice wastage that was estimated three tablespoons or 14 grams in raw form per person. This would add up to at least 480,000 metric tons (MT) annually, the DA noted.
"They are here for bird watching." Sahali said. "They are amazed by the vast bird species that we have in the island."
 
Sahali said the visitors spent their time in the province searching for birds in the jungles and were set to return to Poblacion Bato-Bato in the afternoon.
 
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating the possible affiliation of the armed men with the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
 
A rescue operation is ongoing.
 
“We have a Marine battalion there, the 4th Marine Battalion Landing Team. We have dispatched troops from the battalion to rescue the kidnapped foreigners,” said Cabangbang. -- With a report from Queenie Casimiro, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga


Assistant Agriculture Secretary and Bureau of Agriculture Statistics (BAS) Director Romeo Recide said the farm sector benefited from the good weather, particularly the first half of 2011. This was able to boost palay production to around 16.68MMT in 2011. --Cai U. Ordinario


==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
==[[:Category:Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery|Tawi-Tawi, Philippines Photo Gallery]]==
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