SUREAid

Ms.Filipina Monje(inset photo), Landbank’s Northern and Central Luzon Lending Group Head and senior vice president, addresses the more than 1,400 farmers during the launching of the Survival and Recovery Assistance(SURE Aid) Program of the Department of Agriculture(DA) with the said banking institution last October 30 at the Sison Auditorium in Lingayen. The farmers each received P15,000 as financial loan assistance.CESAR RAMIREZ

Rosales ‘plugs’ roads against ASF-affected pigs

ROSALES– This eastern Pangasinan town “plugged” village roads which could be used by unscrupulous traders who may try to bring in hogs from other provinces where African Swine Fever has infected the animals.

Rosendo So, chair of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, said the local government’s veterinary office put up check points along the roads in Bakit-Bakit, Salvacion, San Bartolome and Guiling-Coliling villages.

The barangays could be used as access roads from Nueva Ecija where ASF cases were reported by the government veterinarians, and putting up checkpoints in the area would thwart the entry of affected hogs to the province.

ASF cases have been reported in two Pangasinan towns –Bayambang and Mapandan – with traders being blamed for bringing the dreaded hog disease from other provinces.

In Mapandan, a court case was filed against the trader who brought hogs from Bulacan that were tested positive for ASF. The trader transported the hogs passing through municipal roads to escape checkpoints along the national highway.

 In Bayambang, two traders were also being blamed for infecting some pigs being raised in a backyard piggery.

Bayambang Mayor Cesar Quiambao said testing of pigs for ASF is still on-going within the seven kilometer radius of Apalen village where the affected piggery is located.

So said while ASF is highly contagious among the pigs, only .13 percent (0r 20,000 heads) were actually infected with ASF.

But .4 percent of total hog population in the country were culled because they were in the one kilometer radius of affected farms, he said.

The ASF did not spread wildly because of quick action of local government unit officials which immediately cordoned off villages where the disease is present, and culled all pigs within the one kilometer radius area, So explained.

So said 99.6 percent of swine is not affected, but while the number of pigs affected is negligible, the “ASF scare” resulted in P10 billion losses to the swine industry.

“Consumers are afraid to buy pork so the prices of pigs nose-dived, dipping to P80 per kilo of live weight,” he said.  The break-even price for live weight is P110 per kilo, he said.

Eight Pangasinan towns have ordered temporary total ban on the entry of all live pigs, fresh or frozen  pork and related products sourced from outside Pangasinan.  The order also prohibits the feeding of saw swill (food wastes known as binugbog or kaning baboy) to pigs raised in the towns.

The towns that issued the order are Bayambang, Alcala, Sto. Tomas, Rosales, Villasis, Binalonan, Asingan, San Quintin, Pozorrubio and Sison.

Meantime, Baguio City has partially opened its doors to pigs from Pangasinan, still banning the entry of the animals from  towns within the 10 kilometer radius of the villages in Mapandan and Bayambang where ASF was detected.

Red Tide hits Pangasinan, Pampanga

DAGUPAN CITY–Paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) or red tide toxins were detected in the waters off Pangasinan and Pampanga towns, prompting the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to impose a shellfish ban in the affected areas.

Nestor Domenden, BFAR Ilocos region director, said the PSP found in the shellfish samples from the villages of Baybay Norte and Cabalitian in Sual, Pangasinan exceeded the regulatory limit

In an advisory, Domenden warned against eating, gathering or harvesting, transporting and marketing shellfish and “alamang” (acetes shrimp) from the affected areas until the toxicity level has gone below the regulatory limit.

But he said fish, crab, squid, and shrimps harvested from the said areas remain safe for human consumption if these are washed and cooked properly.

“Regular monitoring of the affected areas is being conducted by [BFAR Ilocos] in collaboration with the local government unit to safeguard public health and protect the fishery industry,” he said.

This is the second time that red tide has hit the Pangasinan coastal waters this year. In April 27, the waters off Anda and Bolinao towns experienced red tide but. were cleared of the toxins after three weeks. Anda, Bolinao and Sual, which face the Lingayen Gulf, are three main aquaculture areas of Pangasinan.

In Pampanga, BFRA Central Luzon director Wilfredo Cruz also imposed a shellfish ban in the province’s coastal waters after shellfish samples from these ares tested positive for red tide toxins.

Cruz, however, did not specify in his advisory on Thursday the areas affected by red tide.

On Monday, Cruz had also issued a red tide alert in Bataan towns of Orani, Hermosa, Mariveles, Limay, Orion, Pilar, Samal, Abucay and Balanga City after these areas had traces of microorganism that causes the PSP.

ORTIGOZA: Congresswoman to resign after naked photos, 3-Somes exposed

A contractor in my province reacted on my news article’s Bidding of Projects in DPWH’s Districts Are Fixed.

When I mentioned there the S.O.P. or bribe given by a contractor who won the bid at the Department of Public Works & Highway on the multi-million pesos’ construction of government infrastructure to a congressman and the DPWH’s district engineer, he said the bribe given to a solon, National Irrigation Administration’s Provincial Manager, and others in Central and Eastern Pangasinan vary.

“Pare, don’t quote me. Ang bigayan sa Eastern Pangasinan sa construction ng school building ay 12%; Roads and Flood Construction Project 20%; Irrigation 10%”.

In Central Pangasinan, he said the S.O.P. is lower.

“Geez, the greed of politicians and public officials in that part of the province is moderate,” I told myself.

The source said the bribe for the school project is 8%; Road and Flood Control 10%, NIA 3 % to 5% .

PMAAA dialogues with PMA brass, cadets

                                                          TO FOIL HAZING

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

BAGUIO CITY – Members of the Philippine Military Alumni Association, Inc. (PMAAA) conducted recently a dialogue with the members of the “Long Gray Line” at Fort del Pilar, here after the brutal death of Cadet Fourth Class Darwin Dormitorio at the hands of his upper classmen.

Members of the PMAAA or Triple A called each other “Cavalier”.

PMAAA VS HAZING. Members of the Philippine Military Academy Alumni Association (front row) posed for posterity with the military and medical officials of the Philippine Military Academy at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City. The PMAAA dialogue with them and the Cadet Corps Armed Forces of the Philippines how to eradicate hazing that brutally killed Fourth Class Cadet Darwin Dormitorio at the hands of his upper classmen.

The two day meetings, primordially aimed to foil the evil of hazing and maltreatment, was held last Friday and Saturday in the PMA compound where the PMAAA met separately the military and medical officials of the PMA, the upperclassmen composed of the yearlings (second year), cows (third year), and firsties (fourth year), and the brunt of the maltreatment -the vulnerable plebes (first year).

EDITORIAL: Huwag matakot sa Africa Swine Fever

Bumagsak na ang presyo ng karneng baboy sa mga pamilihang bayan dahil sa African Swine Fever (ASF). Ito’y nagbibigay ng takot sa mga mamamayan Filipino na baka sa pagkain ng karneng baboy ay mahawa sila sa sakit na ito.

Bagamat nakapasok na nga ang ASF sa ating bansa dahil sa importasyon ng mga karneng baboy at mga de-latang produkto, ginagawa naman lahat ng kanyang makakaya ang pamahalaan lalo na ang Department of Agriculture (DA). Sa mga lalawigan naman ay nagbigay na ng kautusan ang mga lokal na pamahalaan ng pansamantalang pagpigil ng pagpasok ng mga buhay na baboy at mga karne nito sa kanilang hurisdiksyon.  Naglagay na rin sila ng mga checkpoints upang maberipika ang mga papeles ng mga pumapasok na karneng baboy. Katuwang dito ang Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) upang lalong mapaigting ang mga kaukulang hakbangin sa pagpigil ng pagpasok ng mga karneng baboy sa mga lokal na pamahalaan.

MAGANES: Is Dagupan bangus industry dying?

Dagupan bangus (milkfish) is known in the country and even in other countries as the tastiest among all other bangus species in the country. It is known for its rounded body and a belly with thick fish fats and could be cooked as relyeno, grilled, fried and kilawen. The deboned bangus is so much popular that it is a common sight during breakfast at home or even in restaurants.

But Dagupan bangus production is dwindling. Blame it to land conversion particularly in the Bonuan areas of the city where fishponds were backfilled and converted into industrial or commercial places. Because of this, the bangus industry has moved to the other parts of Pangasinan notably in Binmaley, Sual, San Fabian and Bani. Outside Dagupan City, the bangus produce from those towns mentioned are called Pangasinan Bangus. While these bangus are products of Pangasinan, they are not that palatable compared to those produced in Dagupan City.

Mayor Parayno bares city fiesta activities

By Virgilio Sar. Maganes

URDANETA CITY- Mayor Julio “Rammy” Parayno III said that this city will be celebrating its annual fiesta on December 1 to 8 in honor of the Patron Saint Immaculate Conception.

Dubbed as “Mayat Tattan Urdaneta” (It’s Better Now Urdaneta), Parayno said that the activities will be a far cry from the previous fiesta celebrations as it focuses on the unity and cooperation of the different sectors of the city.

On the December 1, the fiesta celebration will be opened by a motorcade in the morning with ecumenical /Thanksgiving service at night. There will be also a Drone Show at the SM Central Urdaneta.

December 2 will be highlighted by the Search of Binibining Urdaneta 2019 to be held at the city’s Cultural and Sports Center.