Family gets support from BFAR XI, thrives on seaweed business

The family of Vilma Albarico, a fisherfolk from Punta Biao in Davao del Sur, received seaweed propaguls from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) XI in 2004 allowing them to expand our seaweed farm.

Albarico the only livelihood she and her family knew was related to the bounties of the sea. Having been raised by a family who did not only lived near the sea but who also relied on fishing for their livelihood, she has learned to embrace the waters and passed this on to her children.

"While my family fished these waters, we started seaweed farming a long time ago as an alternate livelihood to add to the family income," Albarico said in an interview. At that time, she had little capital which she used to buy seaweed propagules to start with seaweed farming.

Albarico and the other seaweed farmers in the area, consider the sea is a blessing because it allows them to engage in fishing and seaweed farming for free, for as long as they took care of the waters by keeping it clean and debris-free.

Seaweed farming for these folks means making use of a thick twine rope that can withstand the wear and tear of the water and changing weather conditions, which is then tied in the middle of the sea using a makeshift stand that can float at a depth of 15 fathoms. The seaweed propagules are then cut into a standard length depending on their target harvest period and then secured on the rope.

"Very early in the morning the whole family (including her four children) is a work day for us because once the seaweeds are set on the rope then we also need to check on them after planting," she said.

Albarico said seaweed propagules cut in the regular size of at least three inches could be harvested within 20-25 days. If there is an order we have to meet at a set date then we just cut the seaweeds longer and they will be ready for harvest in two weeks, she added.

"One line of rope could yield two to three sacks of seaweeds with up to 60 kilos per sack," she said. The seaweeds, which is commonly known in the market as "guso" sells at P7 per kilo.

She said seaweeds can thrive once planted but they are wary of thieves in the community who steal the seaweeds especially when prices in the market are high.  They also have to contend with seaweed diseases such as "ice ice" which is a condition caused by changes in the water's salinity and temperature. This disease produces a moist substances that induces whitening of the seaweeds and attracts bacteria in the water. When taken for granted, she said, this will lead to the detachment of the seaweed from the rope which means losses for the farmers.

"When our seaweed farms are attacked by the ice ice disease then this is when we need the support of government especially in terms of the seaweed propagules," she said.

Albarico is a member of the Punta Biao Fisherfolk Association consisting of 45 groups with at least five members per group. While most of them are into seaweed farming, she said there is a plan under the Department of Trade and Industry's Bottom Up Budgeting to invest P700,000 for a seaweed processing plant in the area.

"Demand for guso is always high in the market not only for food but also for industries that process the seaweeds into candies and even chips," she said. Nothing goes to waste, she added, since she dries the damaged guso which she sells at P50 per kilo.

P2.5M Padre Pio Chapel to rise in Davao del Sur

Padre Pio devotees bent on raising chapel funds 

Devotees of the miraculous Padre Pio are set to build a P2.5 million green chapel in barangay Lago in Sta. Cruz, Davao del Sur to serve as a source of enlightenment for everyone and not just for Catholics.

Padre Pio, who has become popular worldwide for his many miracles, got the gift of stigmata while kneeling in front of as crucifix in 1918.

“This is not only a chapel but is set to become a religious landmark in Davao del Sur,” devotee and Padre Pio Movement in Davao member Edgar Canda said during ISpeak last Thursday at City Hall.

Canda’s family, who hails from Davao del Sur, has donated 2,000 square meters of land where the chapel will be built. An elevated portion of the land will be allocated for the Padre Pio Chapel while the lower level will be for the Bagobo Museum, he said.

“By building the Padre Pio Chapel here we want to promote culture and faith as one,” Canda said. But what sets the Chapel apart, he added, is that it will be based on green architecture as designed by Architect Daniel Plenos.

He said the Sta. Cruz Chapel, which will hold its groundbreaking on July 22 this year, will be patterned after the San Giovanni Rotondo Shrine of Padre Pio in Italy.

“Since the Chapel will be built in a hilly location that overlooks Davao del Sur, the architecture will blend in with the environment and not destroy it,” he said.  The location is a virgin forest, he said, so it is a priority to maintain the beauty of the terrain.

To help raise funds for Padre Pio Chapel, the devotees will sponsor a Piano Concert at the Grand Ballroom of the Marco Polo Hotel on July 21 at 7 PM. The devotees will bring in pianists from Thailand, Guam, California and HongKong to perform during the concert.

Dengue scare in Davao Region

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has passed a resolution declaring the Province of Davao del Sur in a state of calamity due to the continued rise in dengue cases in the Province.

“A total of 600 dengue cases have been noted in the province with Digos City on top of the list,” Davao del Sur provincial information officer Nilda Aniñon said during a press conference held at the Philippine Information Agency two weeks ago.

Aniñon said this is followed by Bansalan with 95 dengue cases, Sta. Cruz with 52 dengue cases and Malalag with 26 dengue cases. Dengue has also claimed the lives of 14 people from the Province, majority are from Digos City.

Expected to follow said declaration last Friday is Digos City, with 10 lives in the city already claimed by dengue. Digos City Mayor Joseph Peñas said the dengue cases in the city have reached an alarming level and the local government has to act now to prevent further deaths.

Davao City has not been spared from dengue cases, with 14 deaths due to dengue registered in the city for the first half of the year. While reports from the City Health Office shows a decrease in the number of dengue cases in the city from 1,690 in January to June 2009 to 1,130 dengue cases for the same period this year.

Davao City has the most number of dengue cases in Southern Mindanao, followed by Davao del Norte with only 220 dengue cases. Health officials here however said the higher number of dengue cases in the city can be attributed to the larger population of the city and the accessibility of health institutions in the city which makes it easy for the public to report an infection.

Dengue

While the term dengue used to have an evil connotation no thanks to the word itself which was based on the phrase “Ki denga pepo” from Swahili which means an evil spirit cased cramp-like seizure, there is really nothing un-spiritual about dengue.

The culprit has been identified as the Aedes aegypti mosquito which usually bites during the early part of the day. While it is not contagious, a person infected by the dengue virus can also become a source once bitten by a mosquito.

A person bitten by the carrier mosquito can develop a fever within 6 days after the transmission of the virus. Among the symptoms are headaches, nausea and vomiting, high-grade fever,, rashes on the skin and even nose or gum bleeding. However, it is important to have the patient diagnosed for dengue through a blood test the soonest possible time.

Preventing Dengue

One of the best ways to prevent dengue is to clean the surroundings, ridding your environment of plants , old bottles and rubber tires that can serve as habitats for mosquitoes.

However, those who want to be assured of more protection opt for mosquito repellents with DEET or Diethymetatoluamide. While it does not kill mosquitos and other insects per se, DEET can prevent mosquito bites.

DEET works by masking the smell of carbon dioxide usually given off by the human skin. And since insects hunt for their meal by following the scent of carbon dioxide, DEET fools the mosquitos into getting their bite elsewhere.
Insect repellents like OFF Lotion can however be highly priced at about P30 for the smallest tube and P120 for the largest repellent.

Enterprising companies (like Johnson & Sons, Inc—the company behind OFF Lotion) have also started selling anti-mosquito candles like the Citronella Bucket to give people more options when it comes to protecting themselves from mosquitos and in effect from dengue.

The anti-mosquito candle is not only protective, but it can also provide a more relaxing atmosphere. The wax can burn for up to 50 hours. You can also get the traditional anti-mosquito coil for a cheaper option.

You can also go for the natural way of preventing mosquito bite sand that is through the use of the oil of lemon eucalyptus, which is derived from plants.
But if you want the age-old method of protecting yourself from mosquitos, the use of mosquito net which is very affordable at P100 to P300 depending on its size, is perhaps the best option for the bedroom