Batanes News November 2011

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Batanes Province

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.
Oldest House in Ivana.jpg
Oldest house in Ivana, Batanes

Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Batanes solon initiates health symposium to Ivatan youth

BASCO, Batanes- Hundreds of Ivatan youth composed of student leaders, scholars and Sangguniang Kabataan officers and members recently participated in the recently conducted symposium on health related issues with the theme, “Dagdag Kaalaman, Dagdag Kakayahan Laban sa Bawal na Droga."

Initiated by lone district congresswoman Henedina R. Abad, the said activity aimed to prevent the occurrence of drug- and sexually-transmitted diseases related problems among youths in the island-province.

In her message, she said that there are rising drug and STD concerns among the youth because of the effects of media primarily of television.

To prevent the occurrence of such problems in the province, Abad encouraged the students to seize the opportunities to study as she challenged them to come up with activities in support to government programs.

Abad also urged the youth to cooperate with government officials in their programs for the youth.

Meantime, police senior superintendent Fernando Cristobal, provincial director of the Philippine National Police here, underscored the efforts of the government to control and prevent the further proliferation of illegal drugs as well as the transmission of STD.

Alhough Batanes registers zero crime rate, Cristobal said that the police are on alert to maintain peace and order, and the healthy environment of the province.

Further, Cristobal said this is to provide the youth with vital information on drugs and STD which they can use as weapon to combat the said problems.

Other topics discussed were: Effects of Substances and illegal drugs by Provincial Health Officer Roel Nicolas; Prohibited acts and penalties by Atty. Rudyard Anthony M. Trinidad of Provincial Attorney’s Office and Sexually transmitted disease (STD) by Hegenio Querubin of the Department of Education.

Geosciences bureau urges provinces to reconstitute mining boards

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has urged the local officials to reconstitute their Provincial Mining Regulatory Boards (PMRBs) as soon as possible to attend to all small scale mining related concerns within their level.

Based on the report of MGB region 2, there are provinces which have not organized their PMRBs, while others have not been active since the change of administration.

The board should be reconstituted immediately to ensure the smooth and strict implementation of the mining law and entertain issues and concerns on small scale mining within their area of jurisdiction, Billedo added.

Region 2 Director Mario Ancheta said the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela and Quirino have already reconstituted their board and have been active in studying the issues and concerns related to mining within their area. The province of Nueva Vizcaya has newly created its board while Batanes has no board yet.

Ancheta said they will try their best to encourage Batanes to create their board as soon as possible and to make the Nueva Vizcaya board activated to resolve urgent issues and controversies on small scale mining.

Director Billedo also encouraged the region to establish mining cooperatives duly registered under the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which will be partners to uphold legal and responsible mining, and to control the proliferation of small scale mining.

Ivatan traditional veggie planting calendar brings year-round supplies

BASCO, Batanes- Ivatan vegetable growers have proven once again that the traditional September to October planting calendar as prescribed by their elders who have tried it in the past is more effective than in November which is the recommended planting season of vegetables, as shown by the year round supplies of vegetable in the island-province.

Penny Ventolero, a farmer and vegetable vendor said she was able to plant cabbage, tomatoes, eggplant, pepino, squash and pechay from September to October this year before the rainy season started and she is now harvesting some of them.

Vegetables planted in November are usually affected by the rainy season, added Ventolero.

Ventolero said the local planting calendar of specific vegetable has been adapted by their ancestors through the years due to the peculiarity of weather condition in their province.

The peculiarity of Batanes’ climate and weather seems not compatible with planting season of some vegetables that are adaptable and working out for plentiful harvest in some parts of the country, said Ventolero.

Cabbage, eggplant, pechay, squash, cucumber ,for instance, are generally planted in November to December in most parts of the country. However some Ivatan farmers say that these vegetables yield better harvest when they were planted in September. By November to December vegetable farmers sell their harvest of cabbage, eggplant, pechay, squash, cucumber.

By November, Ventolero said farmers are already selling their harvest.

Barangay health and nutrition worker's proposal for IPs' health care needs gets NCIP's nod

BASCO, Batanes- Barangay Health Worker (BHW) municipal federation president for Basco Jayne A. Calucag has confirmed the positive response of the National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP) regarding her project proposal for the provision of medical and health care services to indigenous people (IPs) in Batanes.

Calucag who is also the Barangay Nutrition Scholar (BNS) federation vice president and BNS of Barangay Kayhuvukan said she complied with National Commission for Indigenous People's (NCIP) requirement to submit a project proposal for medical health care intended for indigenous people (IPs) in Batanes.

The proposal was accompanied with a list of the basic needs for indigenous people prioritizing those in remote areas.

Calucag said she made prior informal proposal to NCIP community development officer (CDO) Eduardo Delfin in 2007 but that time Delfin said NCIP has no funds for medical health care program.

Calucag said she explored sources of assistance for her constituents as BHW president in this municipality and her efforts paid off when Delfin early this year finally advised her to submit her project proposal and listed the following as priority needs for IPs' health: weighing scale detecto for all groups including the pregnant and senior citizens; salter weighing scale for babies up to six years old; three nebulizer for asthmatic patients; first aid and medical kit for each BHW and BNS.

At presstime calucag added, these gadgets and equipment have not been awarded to the BNS and BHWs and the supporting documents of their requests are still in process.

DILG to implement mandatory IP representation in policy making body

BASCO, Batanes- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall implement memo circular no. 2010-119 re-mandatory representation of indigenous peoples (IP) cultural communities in policy-making bodies and other local legislative councils per interview this morning with DILG-MLGOO Eunicia Gato.

In another interview with NCIP community development officer Eduardo Delfin, the mandatory inclusion of IP representative to legislative body at all levels is covered in Section 5 of NCIP administrative order no. 001 series 2011.

The process states that an IP representative will be elected by the IPs themselves in each municipality. The administrative order explains the qualifications and disqualifications, term of office, selection process, powers, duties and functions, and lastly the compensation.

MLGOO Gato said that there are plans to elect IP representative to the national level and eventually to congress. However, Gato said further that DILG - Batanes sees it not necessary to have IP representative beyond the prov'l level because Batanes is peopled by homogenous tribe. There is only one tribe (Ivatan) here in this province.

Per interview with Gato, the compensation of IP representative to the SB allegedly equal to the elective sangguniang bayan position for a 3-years per term, is still unimplemented in some provinces which have uinstalled their IP representatives.

In the case of those installed, the IP are still qualified to seek re-election after 3 years should they wish to serve more.

Shortage of sea vessels this Christmas season feared

BASCO, Batanes- With only Saver I and II cargo vessels owned by the Batanes Multi-purpose Cooperative (BMPC) operating in this island-province since September of this year, shippers fear that that loading of commodities especially before Christmas might be affected.

BMPC vessels saver I and II are inadequate to transport commodities including construction materials from Manila to Basco, as well as aggregates from Sual, Pangasinan as confirmed by BMPC chairman Charles Ibañes, saying that the two other cooperative cargo vessels Wakay and Transcend are on dry dock.

Ibañes said shippers requested that loading of commodities especially before Christmas should be prioritized over aggregates for infrastructure projects.

But the cooperative manager said that the solution is balanced transporting through alternate loading of commodities, construction materials, appliances and vehicles.

He said further that BMPC has made a contract with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the transport of the needed aggregates for the infra projects so the cooperative management must comply with contract within the specified period.

Ibañes, however, assured the clamor of regular shippers to load varied goods before Christmas will be responded by BMPC through chartering other vessels for the critical period from mid November to mid December.

Ibanes further said the cooperative is bracing for the critical period especially so that in the absence of government boat for regular transportation to Batanes, the different sectors in the province depend solely on local cooperatives engaged in shipping services for the shipment of their products and commodities.

Continuous rains delay farmers’ garlic production

BASCO, Batanes- The continuous rains which started in late October to early November has caused delay in the garlic planting activities in all the six municipalities in this island-province, according to the provincial agriculture office.

In an interview with provincial agriculturist Priscilla Nanud, she said the garlic planting season is between October to November but due to the continuous rains, the farmers have not yet started their planting activities rainy conditions usually do not give favorable yield to farmers.

Farmers of barangay San Antonio said that delaying garlic planting at this time will save seeds to be swept away by rain waters.

Rucela A. Balles, another farmer said that garlic planted in early October are harvested in late February to March and those planted in mid November may be harvested in April to early May.

However Balles and other farmers experience that when they plant in late November or early December, they only harvest leafy but smaller garlic bulbs.

Batanes turmeric falls short of production

BASCO, Batanes- The Ivatan turmeric (yellow ginger locally called hama) powder in this island-province which bannered in some agricultural magazines and several leaflets has become popular that big time clients now want to order by tons.

Officials of the Department of Trade Industry here headed by Jonathan Gato, provincial caretaker, said the well-advertised turmeric powder caught the interest of hotel and restaurant operators and other contacts of the DTI central office in Manila.

However, Gato said that Batanes farmland is inadequate for turmeric production to meet the demands of the growing number of clients. The Ivatans, Gato admitted, cannot produce sufficient supply of yellow ginger with the limited agricultural area of Batanes and that they will not turn to other products that are secondary to staple food.

Gato believes that Ivatans will not sacrifice root crops, corn, vegetables and garlic for turmeric production. “The variety of traditional crop production has helped Ivatans survive through the years and turmeric is only one of these varieties that the Ivatans are producing,” Gato explained.

Gato explained that if there are 20 full-time farmers producing 45 kilos each of turmeric powder, in six months the finished product is only 900 kilos and it may double to 1,800 kilos but it is far below 100 tons desired by one client.

A farmer from Mahatao town, Amalia C. Pableo, native of Davao and married to an Ivatan said she has been planting yellow ginger in an 800 sq meter land and has been harvesting 15 sacks or 450 kilograms every six months.

Pableo said a kilo of turmeric powder is generated from 10 kilos of raw material (peeled raw yellow ginger). One kilo of raw materials costs P10.00 while a kilo of powdered turmeric costs P1,000.00.

Turmeric powder can be used as organic medicine and as flavor and food coloring in cooking.

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