PCA, Leyte town to ink coco coir processing deal

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines, Oct. 23 -- The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the local government unit of Javier, Leyte will sign a deal on the establishment of tufting facility that will process coco coir to high value products.

The signing scheduled this Oct. 26, will be led by PCA Administrator Euclides G. Forbes, and Javier Mayor Leonardo Javier. Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala is expected to attend the ceremony.

Alcala and Forbes will inspect the site of the future tufting facility that will be established in Javier within this year, said PCA regional manager Edilberto Nierva.

The PCA is in the process of procuring P60 million tufting facility from an Indian firm for Javier town.

The tufting facility will weave raw material to high quality mats, geotextiles and rugs. The technology is expected to replace decorticating machines.

“The project will adopt the concept of shared service facilities (SSF) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The initiative will also espouse the Public Private Partnership scheme by way of convergence of resources among collaborating parties -- local government unit, farmers group, DTI and PCA,” Nierva said.

Under the agreement, PCA will provide the facility; the LGU will mobilize coconut farmers organization, and put up counterpart funds to enhance the facility.

Forbes announced that the PCA will deploy some 500 units of manually−operated twinning machines to interested coconut farmer cooperatives in Javier town.

These machines will process coco coir fibers into ropes, twines and other exportable products. Trading price of raw coco coir fibers is only P11.50 per kilograms. Twine fibers can be sold to as much as P22 per kilogram, with an added value of P10.50 kilogram.

“The recipient cooperative will use the manually−operated twinning machine as a common service facility for its members in producing coco twines and in marketing the same to a project−cooperator of the tufting facility,” the PCA said in a statement.

Nierva said that once coco coir processing project becomes fully operational, it can help about 500 families and can generate as much as 2,500 jobs solely for twine making.

Located 68 kilometers away from Tacloban City, Javier is a 4th class municipality with nearly half of the 26,826 population are poor, according to a 2010 survey.

Last month, the DTI deployed 80 twining machines and 18 handloom weaving machines to shared service facility (SSF) in Javier town for the use of Javier Integrated Producers Association.

DTI Regional Director Cynthia R. Nierras said that coco coir processing is their main thrust in the implementation of SSF project in Eastern Visayas.

“Considering that we are one of the top coconut producing regions in the country and high demand for coco coir here and abroad, we envisioned to make the region number one producer and supplier of geo-nets,” she said adding that there is a great demand for the product.

Eastern Visayas has 649,000 hectares planted with coconut trees representing some 31 percent of the total agricultural land area in the region. Region 8 produces an average of two billion nuts each year. (PNA) 

NEDA 8 welcomes business chamber's plea

PALO, Leyte, Philippines, Oct 22 -- The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has welcomed the resolution of the region’s business leaders, asking the Office of the President to send more economic experts to uplift the “ailing” local economy.

Lawyer Bonifacio G. Uy, NEDA regional director said that any help to “arrest” economic slowdown in Eastern Visayas is welcome.

“The intention of the business sector is good and we look forward for the positive response from our central office to this request,” Uy added.

The business group, in a motion, approved last week, asked Malacañang to back the NEDA regional office here and the Regional Development Council (RDC) in coming up with plans that would enhance economic performance until 2016.

“The negative growth rate of 6.2 percent is indeed very alarming, as it is only Region 8 that falls behind even far from the ailing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (1.2 percent) and Cordillera Autonomous Region (1 percent, with the country under the (Aquino) administration enjoying from 6.8 percent Gross Domestic Product growth rate in 2012,” the group stated.

The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) reported that the gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth rate nosedived to a negative 6.2 percent in 2012 from a positive 2.1 percent in 2011.

The poor economic performance was largely affected by a six-month shutdown of Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR), the only copper smelting and refining plant in the Philippines. Its plant is located in Isabel, Leyte.

Although the NEDA regional chief acknowledged the business sector’s resolution, he maintained that the roster of economic experts at the NEDA regional office is competent, given the various economic analysis trainings they have participated.

The NEDA regional office is also on hiring mode of new personnel. Some of their existing staffs have been encouraged to pursue master’s study on economics, according to Uy.

Currently, NEDA Region 8 has 34 staff with 19 of them are economic experts assigned in six divisions – regional director’s office, planning, development research, project monitoring and evaluation, project development and investment, and budgeting.

Records of NEDA regional human resource management office show that not all technical staffs are economics graduates. Most of them got bachelor’s degree in communication, accountancy, biology, community development, civil engineering and mathematics.

Some of them had obtained master’s degree in management, rural development and business administration. Uy said he’s been encouraging regional staff to pursue related graduate studies in Manila and abroad.

Three NEDA Region 8 staffs were nominated by the central office as recipient of Japanese scholarship grant. NEDA’s economic experts receive a monthly salary ranging from P21,436 to P49,750. (PNA)  

BFAR to deploy 70 fish aggregating devices along Samar Sea this month

By Perla Lena

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines, Oct 11 -- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) will deploy 70 fish aggregating devices (FADs) or payaos along Samar Sea bordering the island municipalities of Sto. Nino, Almagro, Tag-apulan, Daram and Sta. Margarita of Western Samar and Maripipi of Biliran starting Oct 26.

BFAR regional director for Eastern Visayas Juan Albaladejo said that the initiative is in response to clamors raised by fisherfolks during the launching of the municipal fisherfolk registration here in July if how their bureau could help their sector.

“With payaos, small fisherfolks don’t have to go far away to do fishing,” he said adding that it would also be easier for authorities to rescue fishermen should they get stranded while out in the sea.

Albaladejo said that the host areas are expected to manage the payaos even as they mulled for the creation of an alliance to come up with the Payao Management Plan.

“Payaos have to be fully managed,” he undercsored adding that fishermen are prohibited from using active gears. Only hook and line will be utilized to preserve the catch in the area.

To fast track the deployment, BFAR will also provide anchors and weights, he said.

The FAD will occupy a fixed location attached to the bottom of the sea using a weight, he explained. A rope made of floating synthetics is attach to the mooring which in turn is connected to the buoy.

BFAR director, Atty. Asis Perez will lead the installation of the payaos.Prior, all recipients will undergo a training on their proper utilization.

The FADs are now board M/V DA-BFAR vessel that is currently in Iloilo. It will leave for Catbalogan City, Samar in Oct 14.

Meanwhile, Albaladejo disclosed that some 70 to 100 commercial payaos will be deployed to cover the economic exclusive zone (EEZ) between Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Southern Leyte facing Palau and Papua New Guinea where tuna is abundant.

Fishing in coastal waters is currently not allowed because study showed that the tuna fishes in these areas are juveniles, he said. (PNA)