Philippine Hybrid Rice Planting

Hybrid Rice in the Philippines

By JUNE S. BLANCO 

Rep. Erico Aumentado (2nd District, Bohol) has urged the provincial government to embrace rice hybridization in order to sustain the 113% rice self sufficiency harvest in 2008 when the hybrid variety was earnestly propagated.

The solon made the appeal after receiving the report of the Department of Agriculture Region 7 (DA 7) that Bohol registered a rice self sufficiency of 76.17% only in 2011.

In a text message to Gov. Edgar Chatto, the legislator said, " Pare, I am sad per DA report during my meeting with the regional directors last week in Cebu, Bohol's rice self sufficiency was 76.17% due we concentrate more on inbred rice seeds instead of hybrid. I wish we can work together to sustain our 113% rice self sufficiency in 2008. I am pushing SL8 AND SL11 in the 2nd district. Please call me when you are in Manila so we can discuss collaborative effort for the good of Bohol."

He followed up with another text message saying: "Do not believe in canard I am running for governor. My interest now is to help the Aquino mantra against corruption, and good governance thru the righteous path and your administration attain rice self sufficiency and success for the good of Bohol."

Chatto was reported to have responded by way of thanking the congressman and that he is validating data with agencies who provided him the 2011 figures earlier of Bohol's rice self sufficiency.

To note, Administrator Antonio Nangel of the National Irrigation Administration is also pushing for the rice hybridization program Aumentado's district through the "plant hybrid rice and fertilize now, pay later and the rice ratooning" program initiated by the solon to boost the country's rice production.

In 2008, the rice self sufficiency in Bohol reached a high of 113%. It dropped to 108% in 2009 due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Since the 2nd district is the main beneficiary of the Bohol Irrigation Project Stages 1 and 2, the Capayas and the Ilaya Small Reservoir Irrigation Facilities, the solon launched the two rice production boosting projects involving the private sector and government agencies in a collaborative effort.

Aumentado started the ratooning program with a subsidy from his Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF) in 540 hectares of rice land in 2011 and increased the area to 1,100 of rice land being subsidized with urea fertilizer.

The target in 2013 is about 3,000 hectares of rice land to be ratooned with an outlay of P3 million from his PDAF.

Meanwhile, it was learned that Rep. Arthur Yap (3rd district, Bohol) has also pushed for the hybridization of rice production in his district. In fact, he piloted the high yielding SL8 and SL11 hybrid rice in Lila town where he sponsored a rice festival during the last harvest season.

Prepare 2013 Election in Bohol, Philippines

A three-cornered race for City Hall is almost certain in the May 2013 elections.

Political observers see the race for the city mayorship could turn out more exciting, with each of the three contenders matching each other peso-for-peso to woe the majority of Tagbilaran's 45,000 voters.

The slates are almost complete with two groups confident of getting the official nomination of the country's leading political parties – the Aquino administration's Liberal Party (LP) and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) of Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay.

The early favorite in city mayoralty surveys, City Councilor John Geesnell "Baba" Yap, is teaming up with City Councilor Anne Mariquit Oppus, to form the "third force" as the group appear to be the unlikely pick of the LP hierarchy based on recent pronouncements of local party stalwarts who are heavily favoring the tandem of former city councilor and lawyer Agustinus "Dodong" Gonzaga and former vice mayor Jose Antonio Veloso as official bets for mayor and vice mayor.

City Mayor Dan Lim, who is ineligible to seek another term, is endorsing his elder brother Dr. Abraham Lim, which comes with the incumbent mayor's political organization that he has held and fortified since his ascendance to office in 2004.

Lim pairs with reelectionist City Vice Mayor Nuevas Tirol-Montes whose ticket includes majority of incumbent city councilors who are seeking another term.

The Lim-Montes slate is sure to get the nomination of UNA while the LP will endorse the Gonzaga-Veloso ticket.

With or without the support of any major political party, the Yap-Oppus group seems to be making headway in the grassroots level. Baba Yap has been seen feverishly building his own political base after he was kicked out from the political party led by his own uncle (Mayor Lim).

All three groups however are reputed to be equipped with the needed logistical war chest which will most likely prove decisive in the coming mayoralty derby.

Yap is perceived by many city electors as the most popular among the three contenders and with his financial capability – he is also expected to saddle most of his slate up to the finish line.

The Gonzaga-Veloso ticket said it is in the process of "shortlisting" some 16 aspirants for city councilor. However, the lineup will include incumbent City Councilor Alberta Torralba.

Meanwhile, incumbent city lawmakers Nerio Zamora II, Genesyl Balbin, Lucille Lagunay, Doni Piquero and Philipp Besas (ABC) will be running under the Lim-Montes slate.

Team Yap-Oppus, on the other hand, confirmed several of its bets for city councilor which includes, incumbent City Councilor Bebiano Inting, former congressman Adam Relson Jala, Joseph Bompat (son of City Councilor Edgar Bompat), Barangay Cogon Kagawad Jerry Pabe, Poblacion 2 Barangay Kagawad Dr. Allan Ricardo Real, Poblacion 3 Kagawad Salome Vitorillo, former Cogon kagawad Charles Cabalit, Tim Butalid and Eliezer Borja (brother of Councilor Edi Borja).