ISSN 01165343

VISIT US AT: http://www.journalistmarinduque.multiply.com

VOL. 9 NO.39 JULY 24-30, 2012

Formerly Pacific MONITOR

NEWSMAGAZINE

Bringing the

PHILIPPINES To Every Home...

MARINDUQUE:

“WE ARE NOW FIVE (5)YEARS ON

PUBLIC SERVICE”

By: Eli J. Obligacion

A PRIME TOURIST DESTINATION

see page 2

page 4

Romblon:

By Dinnes Manzo

Courtesy of:

Nasa larawan sina

AGHAM Partylist

Representative and

PAPI Awardee Hon.

Angelo B. Palmones

(kanan) at G. Noel V.

Magturo (kaliwa)

pangulo ng Philippine

Science Journalists

Association ( PSci-

Journ) Inc.

Marinduque Chapter

Kuha ni Gerry

PaladDOST

By Lanie B. Ronquillo

Page 4

Mindoro:

Palawan:

page 4

By Victoria Ascuncion S. Mendoza

By: Vicky Bartillet see page 5

By: PNO Marinduque —see page 5

Held at Marinduque State College (MSC) By: Curtiss Lim

see page 6

MARINDUQUE Products

2 JULY 24-30, 2012

By: Eli Obligacion

Congressman Lord Allan Velasco leads a throng of students, teachers and offi-cials of Marinduque State College (MSC) and Torrijos Pobla-cion School of Arts and Trades (TPSAT) in a coconut tree-planting project on the hills of Malibago, Torrijos.

The activity is part of a project being implemented by the

Marinduque Diocesan Development Cooperative in connection with Marin-

duque's coco sugar industry. From the dwindling production of tuba, coco-

nut toddy for income, farmers are now slowly shifting to coco sugar pro-

duction using the same toddy. The growing demand for coco sugar has

been identified as a better community enterprise for coconut farmers. Many

coconut farmers from a few towns (Buenavista, Sta. Cruz), who have

shifted to coco sugar production are now earning three times more than

what they used to earn from the age-old practice of tuba gathering.

The destructive 2006 super-typhoon Reming, however, wiped out

many coconut trees and the remaining coconut trees standing, a huge num-

ber of which is more than 50 years old, have failed to recover. Those that

have recovered continue to yield lesser and lesser copra, the price per kilo

of which has plummeted compared to pre-Reming prices.

Speeding up rehabili-tation of the coconut

industry could only be addressed by

replanting trees, a vital concern where

efforts exerted by farmers, however,

had been lukewarm so far in general. Cong. Velasco is

shown here trans-planting a coconut seedling. Malindig Volcano is seen in

the background.

LAV scholar quietly plants his coconut palm seedling (Left); Throng of students, teachers, MSC and TPSAT officials troop to the Malibago Hills for the transplanting of coconut seedlings. (Right)

...turn to page 5

3

Ay...Marinduque

Ni: NOEL V. MAGTURO

JULY 24-30, 2012 JULY 24-30, 2012

Boac Municipality holds Planning and Budgeting Workshop July 19-20, 2012 @ A & A Beach Resort & Catering Services

Laylay, Boac, Marinduque

Hon. Roberto M. Madla, Municipal Mayor Engr. Eulogio Luna-Manrique

The participants, guests, and presenters of the Planning and Budgeting Workshop.

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan, (PIA) -- The Puerto Princesa

Underground River (PPUR) has been listed as a Wetland of Interna-

tional Importance by the Ramsar Convention of Wetlands. The declaration was made during the Ramsar Convention held in

Bucharest, Romania and witnessed by Department of Environment and

Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio.

The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the DENR nominated

the inclusion of the PPUR in the list. It was nominated for its importance as

a biodiversity conservation covering entire mountain-to-sea ecosystem and

it’s a habitat to eight types of forests; inland wetlands; karst ecosystem; and

coastal wetlands like tidal flats and sea grass beds.

Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward S. Hagedorn thanked DENR

for the nomination which eventually led to the declaration of PPUR as a

Wetland of International Importance.

The Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that seeks to con-

serve and sustainably utilize wetlands and protect them from progressive

encroachment, was adopted in the Iranian City of Ramsar in 1971. It covers

all geographic regions of the world, with the Philippines as the 119th signa-

tory to the convention. (LBR/VSM/PIA-Palawan)

4 JULY 24-30, 2012

By Lanie B. Ronquillo

SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro, (PIA) -- The pro-

vincial government of Occidental Mindoro has

adopted the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project

of Lubang Mayor Juan Sanchez.

The project aims to introduce the digital world

to children in remote areas of the province. OLPC is a

program created to help developing countries have ac-

cess to affordable educational devices, thus the creation

of the XO laptop and its successors.

This laptop is a subnotebook, about the size of a

textbook and contains applications that are user-friendly

to children in enhancing their abilities on subjects like

Math, English, Science and Hekasi.

E-Kindling Education Director Tessa Yuvienco

made a brief demonstration of the laptop among the

Philippine Information Agency (PIA) staff, who af-

firmed that indeed learning is fun when these gadgets

are used.

Considered as first of its kind in the Philippines,

a second batch of 1,100 XO laptops are bound to arrive

by the middle of October this year. These will be dis-

tributed to grade four pupils of the central schools in the

11 municipalities of the province. (LBR/VD-

PIA4BOccMin)

Expanded Government

Internship Program

suportado ng DTI Romblon

ODIONGAN, Romblon, (PIA) -- Pitong katao ang ti-

nanggap ng Department of Trade of Industy (DTI)

Romblon na magtrabaho sa kanilang tanggapan bilang

pagsuporta sa programa ng pamahalaan na Expanded

Government Internship Program upang makapagbigay

ng trabaho sa mga Romblomanon. Sinabi ng DTI Romblon na dalawang buwang

magtatrabaho sa kanilang ahensiya ang pitong indibidwal

simula Hunyo 18 hanggang Agosto 16, 2012 at tatanggap

ng arawang sahod na P252. Ang mga ito umano ay naka-

pagtapos na ng pag-aaral subalit wala pang mga trabaho

kaya isang magandang oportunidad sa mga kabataang ito

na sila’y natanggap upang magamit ang kanilang napag-

aralan.

Pinangalanan ng DTI - Romblon ang mga ito at

kung saang bayan sila itinalaga upang magsagawa ng price

monitoring at ilan pang gawain: Raymond T. Falogme, San

Agustin, Romblon; Shela F. Fortaleza at Marian U.

Mercado, Odiongan, Romblon; Krizzia G. Gallos, Looc at

Alcantara, Romblon; Ron Mark P. Madrona at Silver M.

Montojo, Romblon, Romblon; John Francis M. Ornum,

San Andres at Calatrava, Romblon.

Ikinatuwa ito ng mga napagkalooban ng trabaho

dahil nabigyan sila ng pagkakataon upang makapagtrabaho

para kumita at kahit papaano ay makatulong sa mga magu-

lang nila sa gastusin sa kanilang tahanan.(LBR/DM/PIA-

IVB/Romblon)

Happy 5th Anniversary!

SENEN M. LIVELO, JR.

Municipal Mayor

5 JULY 24-30, 2012 JULY 24-30, 2012

AGHAM Party-List Rep. Angelo B. Palmones is one of the recipients of the award for Ten Out-standing Congressmen of the Philippines (TOCP) for 2011 given by the Publishers Association of

the Philippines, Inc. (PAPI) in a recognition ceremony last 20 July 2012 at the Makati Sports Club.

PAPI media members have been ac-tively covering projects and activities in differ-ent congressional dis-tricts of the country. “The Publishers Association of the Phil-

ippines, the largest and oldest association of publishers and media-men in the provinces and urban communi-ties, has kept a close watch of the perform-ance of the members of the House of Represen-tatives,” PAPI President Juan P. Dayang said. Dayang added the community press has been documenting accomplishments of the members of Congress, and media should in-form the public, par-ticularly those in the countrysides, of the performance and out-standing performers in the House of Represen-tatives. As member of the 15th Congress, Rep. Palmones has au-thored 169 legislative measures (58 house bills with four passed on third reading, 108 house resolutions- six adopted by the House of Reps and 53 adopted by the house commit-tees) and delivered

three privilege speeches. He has also co-authored 228 bills and resolu-tions, of which three has been passed into law. Palmones has strengthened his advo-cacy for the protection of public health and the environment thru ob-servance and imple-mentation of enabling laws (e.g. petition for writ of kalikasan for Taal Lake in January 2012 which was re-solved in July 2012; writ for Zambales mountain, and inquiry on health impact of im-ported frozen meat and fish sold in wet mar-kets, and stockpiled coal in Manila North Harbour). Another priority project of Palmones is the implementation of Project COMET (Consortium for Meteor-ology Education and Training) with the offer-ing of B.S. Meteorology

Rep.Angelo Palmones

in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Sci-ence Education Insti-tute, PAGASA, Commis-sion on Higher Educa-tion, Bicol University, Central Luzon State

University, Mariano Marcos State Univer-sity, and Visayas State University. There are now 16 DOST meteorol-ogy scholars. He has supported upgrading of science laboratories in public schools through the provisions of science equipment, magnifying lens, computers and science learning mod-ules. Criteria for judg-ing the TOCP for 2011 include legislative lead-ership; significant bills and resolutions au-thored, co-authored and passed by Congress; programs and projects initiated and completed; contribution to sound,

enlightened and con-structive public dis-course on cogent is-sues; advocacy leader-ship in promoting seri-ous economic, socio-political development concepts and policies;

and the ability to relate and sustain their rap-port with media. The other honor-ees are Congressmen Teodoro A. Casino, Ma. Georgina P. De Ve-necia, Rodolfo C. Fa-rinas, Roilo S. Golez, Edcel C. Lagman, Her-milando I. Man-danas, Emil L. Ong, Rufus B. Rodriguez, Lorenzo R. Tanada III, and Rodolfo G. Va-lencia. House Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte, Jr conferred the Spe-cial Leadership Award, while Cong Manny Pac-quiao received the Na-tional Pride Award. (AGHAM/Vicky B. Bar-

tilet)

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY !!!

The MIMAROPA SUNRISE

WEEKLY NEWSMAGAZINE

Greetings From:

Marinduque Province

JULY 24-30, 2012 6

By: Curtiss Lim

Marinduque State College con-

ducted a Seminar-Training on

Product Packaging and Labeling

on July 23, 2012 at the College

AVR.

This event, contributed so

much to the product development

primed by the College, such as the

oyster mushroom production, Rimas products and confectionery

and the Bagoong production and had Director Bernard T. Caringal

of Department of Science and Technology-Provincial Director as

their speaker by which he have shared and discussed important

trades and ways of product empowerment through proper packag-

ing and labeling vis-à-vis maximizing its potential to the market

and consumer public.

Taking genuine initiative towards the implementation of a

real Quality Management System (QMS) leading to ISO Certifica-

tion, the Marinduque State College of its many programs takes a

worthy stride to envisage a standardized packaging and labeling of

the College products.

For entrepreneurs and would be, attributing their product

to high quality and fair price are deemed to be perpetually impor-

tant. However, there is still so much that right product packaging

can do for any business. Appropriate packaging and labeling will

afford the College merchandises the needed advertisement and

information for the consumer. It plays as strong medium in the

marketing mix, in pricing criterion, promotional advertisement,

assessing the strength of our new product, as a setter of market

course and an instrument to design brand style and shelf impact

in all other and future College product cluster.

Students of B.S. Tourism Management, B.S. Entrepre-

neurship and B.S. Industrial Technology Food Majors were called

to participate in the said seminar. For more inquiries, contact the

Quality Assurance Office at 332-2863 or email

mscovpre@yahoo.com. This Product Packaging and Labeling

Seminar-Training was initiated and endorsed by the Office of the

College President and in cooperation with the Quality Assurance

Office, School of Business Management, School of Industrial

Technology and the Production Services Unit of the College.

TIBURCIO L. CANLAS RODOLFO S. DAVID

OIC-District Engineer OIC-Asst. District Engineer

RAMEL J. NARANJO JESUS M. MALUBAG

Chief, Planning and Design Section Chief, Maintenance Section

SALOME M. SARTILLO ARISTEO L. LINGA

Chief, Materials Quality Control Section Chief, Construction Section

EDITA S. SEVILLA ZENAIDA B. MARCELO

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS Marinduque District Engineering Office

Bangbangalon, Boac, Marinduque

Telefax: (042) 311-1503

JULY 24-30, 2012

7 JULY 24-30, 2012

A 50-hectare rubber plantation expansion is eyed in a prom-

ising Oriental Mindoro community that now earns P65,000 per

month from latex that can potentially be processed into higher-

valued products.

While it is not a traditional rubber area, Oriental Mindoro imme-

diately has 50 hectares that can expand further to 400 hectares for

rubber as its livelihood promise is seen by farmer leaders.

Farmer leader-entrepreneur Mitch Miciano just started planting

rubber on an almost two-hectare land of his brother in 2005, and

subsequently planted on three hectares in his own farm in Sitio Ma-

habang Parang, Brgy. Malaya, Pinamalayan town.

Now the almost two-hectare area has 700 trees that gives consis-

tent yield and a stable income source of P65,000 per month.

“Except for one to two months of rest, all the months of the year,

rubber will give a regular income specially for people here who

don’t have a stable source of income,” he said. “The one who taps

earns 30 percent of the selling price right away,” said Miciano.

Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-

BAR) Director Nicomedes P. Eleazar said BAR is reviewing its

program for rubber which is a top industrial crop under govern-

ment’s program with its vast potential to give livelihood.

Dr. Eleazar said DA-BAR is organizing the International Rubber

Agroforestry Conference in partnership with the International Rub-

ber Research and Development Board (IRRDB) on September 4-6,

2012 in H2O Hotel in Manila.

“We are continuing to assess on how to reach out to farmers and

entrepreneurs in the rubber sector which can create many jobs con-

sidering the huge growing market for rubber in China and other

economically advanced countries,” said Eleazar.

He said BAR is currently funding the implementation of a Re-

search, Development, and Extension project in rubber in Mindoro

with the DA-MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Pala-

wan) Research Division.

The investment climate for rubber has steadily become attrac-

tive. Price doubled from cup lump’s only P30 per kilo when Mi-

ciano started planting rubber in 2005 to the present price reaching to

P70 per kilo in Mindanao.

“Many people here are encouraged to plant rubber. One investor

STATEMENT

SEC. MARIO G. MONTEJO DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

We at the Department of Science and Technology

have taken note of the issues and grievances raised

by DOST-PAGASA employees with respect to the

availment of Magna Carta benefits as provided

under Republic Act 8439.

Hence, we are now working toward a proper reso-

lution to this in conjunction with other government

institutions.

Rest assured that the Department is prioritizing

this matter and stands in full support for the long-

term financial security and well-being of its most

precious resource—its people.

Naka-online mandin kami, tigna

pa sa aming website:

www.journalistmarinduque.multiply.com

Buksi na baya! :)

SAY NO TO … Illegal Drugs !!!

planted on 8,000 seedlings on seven hectares In due time, we

can become like Mindanao,” he said.

But while the potential to create livelihood appears vast in

this non-traditional rubber area, its success will largely depend

on financing availability. Production cost is at P100,000 in a

place where capital is in dearth.

This includes cost for seeds, fertilization, labor for clearing

lands, and planting. But this cost excludes the cash needs of

farm families for their daily sustenance while waiting for the

tree to produce latex.

It takes five years for a budded seedling—a seedling that re-

ceives its top stem from a mature, short-gestating, good quality

rubber tree—to become ready for latex tapping.

The budded seedling costs P60 per piece, and this price will

still increase as it has to be transported from Zamboanga. The

investor that brought in 8,000 seedlings to the town spent

P170,000 just for transportation, Miciano said.

Government’s assistance should also be in the provision of

budded seedlings which has the advantage of yielding latex in

just five years, instead of the long 10 years for non-budded

seedlings.

Rudy Galang, BAR rubber specialist, said Land Bank has a

window specially for rubber production.

Rubber is also one of the industries now being given assis-

tance by the DA through the Agricultural Competitiveness En-

hancement Fund, Galang said .

An important input to rubber planting that must also be fi-

nanced in the long term is farmers’ acquisition of a processing

more on page 8...

8 JULY 24-30, 2012

“These traders are earning because they invested in buying

rubber a long time ago. You don’t need government interven-

tion anymore in the sale of rubber in Mindanao. It’s a well

established rubber trading system.”

Even traders in Malaysia are reported to be the ones coming

into Mindanao to buy the rubber. Although there are negative

reports of rubber smuggling out of Mindanao, that is because

other nationals see the value of the product.

“Malaysia has become rich because of rubber because they

planted it on all their mountains even in slopes, said Miciano, a

former bank finance officer who turned to planting rubber.

“It’s good that DA has a thrust to plant rubber. You just

shouldn’t be impatient. I myself haven’t been able to notice the

five years waiting time before we began harvesting.”

Aside from being an industrial crop, rubber is considered an

environment protection crop.

“Its roots grow laterally or sideways. It’s not deep rooted,

and its benefit is the top soil is maintained. It is an erosion

control tool,” said Miciano.

Rubber’s foliage is also expansive, so it absorbs carbon diox-

ide significantly, contributing to a reversal in the effects of

global warming..

With this prospect, the Agricutural Training Institute (ATI)

already has a plan to put up a large-scale technology demon-

stration farm in Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, said Galang.

There is currently an estimated 150,000 hec-

tares of rubber land in the country.

“Rubber is now very popular in Oriental Mindoro. They’re

attracted because of what they saw in Pinamalayan. There are

many agrarian reform lands that are planned to be planted with

rubber because right now people there just plant kamote (sweet

potato), vegetables. Cooperatives will be given planting mate-

rials for a total of 40 hectares in Bansud,” said Galang.

Expansion of rubber plantations should enable Philippines to

expand its market as the world demand for natural rubber was

previously estimated to reach to 12.4 million metric tons (MT)

by 2020.

For any inquiries, please call Mr. Mitch Miciano, 0927-7785-

426; Mr. Rudy Galang, 0916-200-7331; or 0917-979-1629 for

interview arrangements.

facility that can produce higher-priced semi-finished products.

“Researchers of the University of Southern Mindanao in Kaba-

can, Cotabato led by Dr. Romulo L. Sena has already developed a

village-type processing facility costing P50,000 to P70,000 per

unit,” Galang said.

The immediate output of a processing machine, according to

Miciano, is in the form of towel-like rubber sheets which are

priced almost double that of the cup-lumps.

Miciano said he has also acquired a locally-fabricated device

costing only P20,000 to produce such rubber sheets. The machine

looks like a roller and is attached to a central power unit in a trac-

tor. However, he has temporarily stopped use of the equipment as

it also requires other accompanying devices, dryers in particular,

to work with.

“If government can give this to us, it will be a big help, al-

though we haven’t been expecting assistance from the government

since we started planting,” he said.

The rubber sheets need air-drying but should not be exposed to

sunlight, or these will melt.

Eventually, another need is to ensure that farmers will receive a

good price for their produce.

“In Mindanao, traders compete on offering a good price to

farmers. Once our volume of production increases, traders will

just come readily,” said Miciano.

From the plantation area alone, potential job to be created is one

for every hectare. That excludes potential jobs for tappers or the

one that extracts rubber latex from the trees, transporters, process-

ing skilled labor, and marketers.

“At the P65 price per kilo now, that means P65,000 peso per

month gross income. You cannot earn that from coconut or any

other trees,” Galang said.

Rubber price is foreseen to continue to rise in the world market.

“There’s a shortage of supply in the world market because

China is getting rich, and car sales is increasing tremendously, and

the rubber tires that go with these cars. Even if you plant rubber in

all farmlands of the Philippines, it will not be enough to supply

the present demand,” said Miciano.

Many foreigners are apparently the ones profiting from trading

of rubber in Mindanao.

“These traders are earning because they invested in buying rub-

50 hectre rubber expansion….From page 7

HAPPY 5TH ANNIVERSARY and

more power to the

MIMAROPA SUNRISE WEEKLY

NEWS MAGAZINE!!!

Greetings From:

Atty. Domingo “Benjo” Buenviaje

Sta. Cruz, Marinduque

Greetings from:

Dr. Roby Montellano

Cosmetic/Orthodentists/Oral Surgeon