Malolos warehouse raided, feeds component mixed with imported rice

Sec. Mar Roxas at Purefeeds warehouse.

MALOLOS CITY—A rice trader here will soon face multiple charges for mixing old rice stocks which is said to be unfit for human consumption with imported ones.

However, the rice trader said he did nothing wrong and noted that he was even are cooperating with the National Food Authority (NFA) inspections as directed by President Aquino last week.

As this developed, NFA and police officials said more rice warehouses suspected of rice hoarding and profiteering have been identified and will soon be raided.

This came as the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) cordoned off a rice warehouse at the First Bulacan Industrial City (FBIC) in Barangay Tikay here on Friday and was opened to the media on morning, July 7.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told journalists that Purefeeds Corp. will be facing multiple charges for violation of laws implemented by the NFA, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the Bureau of Customs (BoC) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Roxas said that Purefeeds Corp., owned by one Jojo Soliman, has been mixing old stocks rice which are deemed unfi t for human consumption with imported rice from Vietnam. “They are selling adulterated rice,” Roxas said noting that old stock rice served as “extender” to imported rice.

Roxas and the NFA represented by its Administrator Arthur Juan reported that a total of 32,000 bags of rice were seized at the Purefeeds warehouse here. However, sources said the total inventory at the said warehouse is about 60,000 bags.

Roxas clarified that the 32,000 bags he mentioned earlier is a result of initial inventory. Roxas also said that there is a possibility that rice mixed and repacked by Purefeeds have been distributed to the market. He said that NFA will soon file charges against Purefeeds, and if found guilty, their license to trade rice might be terminated.

 

Jojo Soliman, Purefeeds owner

For his part, Soliman told PromdiNEWS that his family has been trading rice for over 50 years. He said that he himself has been in the business for 25 years and started rice importation 15 years ago. “We have done nothing wrong, there is nothing illegal in our operation,” Soliman said. He added that they have been cooperating with the NFA in the implementation of its “visitorial function.”

He expressed disappointment over the seeming trial by publicity against them. “This is supposed to be a regular inspection,” he said. The same was affirmed by NFA Administrator Arthur Juan who also said that he respects the comments of Soliman.

Juan noted that once the case is filed in court, they will follow what the law requires. Dino Balabo

Mobile passport service in Malolos

CITY OF MALOLOS- In a continuous bid to bring services closer to the people, the Provincial Government of Bulacan in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs will once again conduct a Mobile Passport Service to help Bulakenyos acquire passports in a more convenient and easy way.

Gov. Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado said this project offers convenience to Bulakenyos allowing them to save time and money.

“Maraming magagandang serbisyo ang dapat malaman ng mga Bulakenyo at isa na ‘to. Dito hindi na nila kailangang gumising ng sobrang aga at mamasahe ng malaki para lumuwas kasi nandito na sa malapit sa atin,” Alvarado said.

Provincial Youth, Sports, Employment, Arts, Culture & Tourism Office (PYSEACTO) head Elizabeth Alonzo said that passport applications and submission of the duly accomplished forms and all other requirements will run from August 1-15, 2014 and to be submitted at PYSEACTO while the appearance and final evaluation by the representatives of DFA will be on September 13, 2014 at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium.

The release of passports will be announced at a later date.

Alonzo also said that the project will be served in a first come, first serve basis.

“Yung mga aplikanteng aabot doon sa limit na 600 ay magbabayad ng P1, 200 para sa mobile passport fee kapag nagpunta na sila for personal appearance,” Alonzo explained.

According to the DFA, new applicants need to submit Birth Certificate (BC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by National Statistics Office (NSO), two valid Identification Cards (photocopy) and NSO Authenticated Marriage Contract for married women as requirements.

Moreover, applicants for renewal of passport are required to submit old passport, photocopy of the first, last & all pages with marks in the passport, and Marriage Contract (MC) in Security Paper (SECPA) issued by National Statistics Office (NSO) for newly married women.

PYSEACTO is located at Capitol Compound, Gat Blas Ople Building, City of Malolos, Bulacan

Fellowships open for 18th Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop on Reporting Corruption in October

The University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) will hold the 18th Graciano Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop from October 3 to 8 at the UP College of Mass Communication, Diliman, Quezon City.

Fellowship slots are available for this workshop. Applications are open to full-time print, broadcast and online journalists, as well as selected journalism educators and students.

This year’s workshop theme is “Huwag Kumorap: Investigating Corruption in Media and Government.”

Resource persons from the academe, government and non-government organizations will speak on issues like investigative reporting, corruption-related laws, ethics and freedom of information.

Since its first workshop in 1985, the Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop has trained hundreds of community journalists. Among the past fellows are Cong Corrales, Raymund Villanueva, Dino Balabo, Froilan Gallardo, Frank Cimatu, Ilang-ilang Quijano, Jo Clemente, Diosa Labiste, Danny Calleja, Flor Abanto and Maurice Malanes.

Applicants should be currently engaged in the journalism profession with at least two years’ working experience. They should also be below 45 years old. They must submit an application letter; resume; two published/broadcast news reports; a story plan for an investigative report on corruption in media or government; and an endorsement from their editor, local press club president or a Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop alumnus.

Limited slots may be given to senior journalism students. Student applicants are required to submit an application letter, resume, sample works and an endorsement from their professor, department chair or dean.

The fellowship will cover board and lodging. Participants will be billeted inside the UP Diliman campus.

Interested journalists, journalism educators and students may send their application papers to The Project Director, 18th Lopez Jaena Community Journalism Workshop on Reporting Corruption, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, Quezon City.

The deadline for applications is on August 1.

For more details, please call the Office of Extension and External Relations (OEER) at 920-6864 or 981-8500 local 2668 or email at lopezjaenaworkshop@gmail.com.

Inspect warehouses, NFA told

MALOLOS CITY—Bulacan farmers demanded inspection and inventory of rice warehouses in Central Luzon as price spiked again while supply is low.

For his part, Director Rex Estoperez, the spokesperson of the National Food Authority (NFA) said they might conduct inspection but did not disclose where and when.

Melencio Domingo, chair of the Malolos City Agriculture and Fisheries Council (MCAFC) said there is no problem with rice supply.

Instead, he stressed that the problem lies in the price due to perceive hoarding of some commercial traders.

“Dapat simulan ng NFA ang inspection sa mga warehouses ng bigas sa Central Luzon, Domingo said.

He noted high volume of harvest by Bulacan farmers last cropping season.

“Saan napunta yung magandang ani namin, malamang diyan ay iniipit lang sa mga warehouse,” he said and noted reports by the Department of Agriculture which said that the country achieved 97 percent rice sufficiency last year.

Domingo added that low supply of rice in the market is artificial due to hoarding, thus, the need for NFA inspection monitoring of rice inventories in warehouses.

For his part, Estoperez said the NFA might impose its visitorial powers soon.

However, he said that there is no need yet for NFA to conduct inspection.

Estoperez noted that in the past the NFA conducted inspection on warehouses when supply of rice went down.

In a live interview over Radyo Bulacan, he said, “sapat pa ang supply ng bigas natin.”

He also advised the public not to go on panic buying and to avoid wasting rice.

With rice price hike, Estoperez said that it is normal at this time of year which he described as lean months.

But Bulacan farmers said rice process today is anything but normal.

They noted that palay price climbed to P25.60 last week, the highest buying price in history.

 

Farmers said that it is a clear indication of the low supply of rice due to allege hoarding.  (Dino Balabo)

DPWH virtually clear contractor of collapsed bridge

MALOLOS CITY—The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) virtually cleared the contractor of the bridge in Calumpit town that collapsed on Friday.

However, local officials are looking at the possibilities of filing charges that may lead the revocation of contract of the Wing-An Construction Development Corporation.

Engineer Jesse Obordo of DPWH regional office in Central Luzon said that they see no reason to file sanctions against Wing-An which is owned by a certain Engineer Shelwyn Lao based in San Juan City in Metro Manila.

“Wala namang violation, kaya walang sanction na ipapataw sa contractor,”Obordo said as he defended the contractor of the P166-Million bridge rehabilitation project.

He said that the collapse was an accident and only two workers suffered minor injuries.

Obordo said that while the project is originally expected to be completed last April 23, it remain on schedule as the implementation was suspended at least twice.

He said that first suspension on the project was first implemented when a temporary hanging bridge was constructed last year.

Angat Dam to hit critical level today

Angat Dam file photo by Dino Balabo

MALOLOS CITY-- Water elevation at the giant Angat Dam continue to drop and it is expected to hit critical 180 meters above sea level today, May 11, 2014.

This came as water elevation at the dam further drop to 180.12 masl as of 6AM today based on monitoring of the state weather bureau.

It dropped by .35 meters since yesterday when the state weather bureau recorded 180.47 meters.

Engineer Rodolfo German, general manager of the Angat River Hydroelectric Power Plant (Arhepp) based in Hilltop, Norzagaray earlier said that they will cut allocation for farmers irrigation when level at the dam hit critical 180 masl.

Here's record for water elevation at the Angat Dam in the past seven days. All are recorded by Pagasa at 6AM.

May 5--182.20 masl
May 6--181.92 masl
May 7--181.65 mals
May 8--181.31 masl
May 9--180.85 masl
May 10--180.47 masl
May 11--180.12 masl

CL on alert for rice black bug

Rice black bug.  Photo by Bulacan PAO

MALOLOS CITY—Ever heard of herding ducks in the rice field soon after crop gets established?

Well, that’s one of the solutions offered by the experts in further controlling possible rice black bug infestation in Central Luzon where ricelands are also being threatened by irrigation shortage due to possible long dry spell.

Aside from the above, experts also suggested intensive implementation of integrated pest management  (IPM), spraying of pathogenic microorganism called metarhizium, and raising water level on ricelands.

Based on records from the Central Luzon office of the Department of Agriculture (DA), rice black bug (Scotinophara coarctata) infestation has affected  2,820 hectares of farmlands in the region.

They said it remains under control but local agriculturist in Bulacan are not taking it easy noting that hot temperatures leads rice black bug to further burrow itself on rice stems.

Citing experts’ explanation,Gloria Carillo, head of the Bulacan Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) said that the bug used to suck sap on the rice stem and lay eggs on it.

“It’s an invasive pest species that attacks all growth stages of the rice plant,” she said in describing the bug.

At present, Carillo said that there have been sightings of the bug in the towns of Bulakan, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael and Baliwag, all in the province of Bulacan.

Other provinces in Central Luzon showed greater impacts of infestation caused by the bug.

Records from the DA-III office showed that a total of 570 hectares of ricelands in the province of  Aurora were affected by the bug.

Also in Nueva Ecija (550 has), Pampanga (220 has), and Tarlac with 1,500 hectares.

Records also showed impacts on rice yields in affected areas ranged from 3-5 percent in Nueva Ecija, 10-20 percent in Tarlac, 20 percent in Aurora, and 20 to 40 percent in Pampanga.

Felicito Espiritu, head of the DA-III information office said that while affected areas in the region climbed over 2,000 hectares, the infestation remained under control.

Trapping rice black bug in Bulakan town. Photo by Bulacan PAO

He said that local farmers has been trained to conduct regular monitoring through surveillance using light trapping equipment.

He explained that light trapping equipment which utilizes bright lights attracts black bugs.

Records showed that rice black bug infestation in the country is not new.

It is first monitored in 1979 in Southern Palawan where an outbreak was recorded in 1982 covering 4,500 hectares.

In the years that followed, incidents were recorded in 1996 in Zamboanga City damaging about 2,000 hectares; in 1995 it became a serious pest in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); and in 1996, it moved to the provinces of Cotabato, Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat.

In 1998, rice black bug infestations were recorded in Davao Del Sur and Negros Occidental; then in Siquijor and Bohol provinces the following year.

From the year 2000 onwards, infestations were further recorded northwards.

Records showed that in 2000, infestation was recorded in Caraga Region, followed by Leyte in 2001; Samar in 2003; Sorsogon in 2005;  and Catanduanes, Albay and Camarines Sur provinces in the Bicol region in 2006.

By 2007, first infestation was recorded in the province of Aurora, then in Isabela and Laguna the following year; and in other parts of Luzon in 2010.   Dino Balabo