Prices of vegetables in Cebu’s major wet market relatively cheap
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, August 17 (PIA) -- Despite the rainy season when costs of vegetables are often high, prices of veggies today in Cebu’s main wet Carbon Market remain relatively cheap which is a good time for consumers to buy.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) here said the Carbon market in Cebu City is the major dumping site for vegetables and fruits from other provinces as well as goods from Mantalungon, Barili dubbed as the province’s agri-basket center.
Broccoli which used to cost over P100/kilo is now priced at P40/kilo while cauliflower is priced at P60/kilo which at its highest command almost double the current cost. Onions can be bought at P20/kilo and eggplants at P25/kilo while prices of carrots and potatoes can be fetched between P28-35 which sometimes is at a high between P50-60 per kilo, this is reported.
“Tinu-od jud na. Barato kaayo ang pamaliton karon kay daghan man dunggo mga prutas og otanon gikan sa Mindanao og uban pang mga dapit,” (That is true. Prices of vegetables and fruits are quite cheap now because there is a lot of supply coming from Mindanao and other areas), according to market vendor Ursula Limbaga.
Limbaga said they do not think of the losses anymore because vegetables and fruits should be disposed of immediately and if they do not sell more or less based on the prevailing market prices, then more losses is at stake for them.
Vegetable wholesaler Lydia Sialana on the other hand, claimed that prices of veggies and fruits vary depending on the time. “Ang presyo molahi na sa kadlawon, buntag hapon og gabii. Naay oras nga mas barato depende unsa ka orasa mangarbon. Pero kun naay dunggo o abot gikan sa Mantalungon, mas barato jud na ang presyo,” (Prices differ from dawn, morning, afternoon and evening depending on what time you go to the wet market. But it is true that if there are stocks arriving from other provinces and also from Mantalungon, then prices really go down), admitted Sialana.
Sialana said vegetables coming from Mantalungon cannot command a high price if there are agri-produce arriving in bulk from neighboring provinces.
National Nutrition Council (NNC) 7 head Parolita Mission on the other hand, welcomed the cheap prices of vegetables and urged consumers to eat more vegetables for a healthy diet. “More Filipinos today develop cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure due to unhealthy eating habits like eating more pork and oily foods. Its high time we educate our children to stay healthy by eating healthy which means more consumption of vegetables and fruits,” Mission said.
The DA-7 however, said that market prices is always determined by the law of supply and demand and that even with greater demand but even more abundant supply, then competition exists which forces traders to lower the costs. (PIA 7-Cebu)
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Cebuanos urged to dispose wastes properly, prevent flooding
By Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU CITY, August 17 (PIA) -- “Please do not throw your garbage indiscriminately,” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama made this appeal again amid the deep flooding that occurred in some parts of the city yesterday stalling motorists and pedestrians when intense heavy rains pounded Cebu.
Cebu’s oldest street Colon in the downtown area and nearby main streets dotted with several commercial establishments was a picture of distress as flooding, a perennial woe, reached even the sidewalks.
Trisykad drivers were in demand in the downtown area as pedestrians were forced to ride as the flooding now reached some of the sidewalks while the main streets suffered from deep-knee flooding running the risk of developing leptospiros, a bacterial disease caused by exposure to fresh water contaminated by animal urine such as rats.
Rama admitted that there is a drainage problem and promised to look into it but said the flooding along main streets is also compounded by the ill-disposal of garbage that blocked the drainage system.
“I will ask the Cebu Ports Authority where there is a main drainage system to check whether this canal is open to help lessen the problem of flooding,” Rama said. The Cebu Ports Authority is located in the port vicinity just near the downtown section and drainage along this area goes off into the sea.
The mayor however, stressed the problem of flooding can be greatly addressed if there is proper waste disposal as a look into the city’s riverbanks, canals and creeks are trenched with garbage blocking the flow of water resulting to floods.
Rama said clearing operations to remove pile of wastes clogging the drainage system along creeks, canals and other waterways are regularly done especially with the rainy season but that the most effective way is to instill discipline among ourselves not to just throw our garbage anywhere.
“Let us help each other prevent floods in our place. Your government cannot do it alone and we need your help to address this problem,” Rama stressed.
Since April this year, the Cebu City Government has already strictly implemented garbage segregation down to the barangay level and failure to comply per household would result to no collection of their garbage while corresponding sanctions face homeowners against no compliance despite warnings. (PIA 7-Cebu)
by: Hazel F. Gloria
These lands are located in barangays Binongkalan, Tabili, Ginabukan, Basak, Anapog, Bactas, Catadman, Flores, Cabunga-an, Agsuwao, Duyan, Tinabyonan, Corazon, and Catmon Daan all in the municipality of Catmon, Yee added.
This program was turned over to DAR in compliance of the Executive Order 407, as amended to accelerate the distribution of the public domain suitable for agriculture, DAR stated.
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MGB-7 recommends “no habitation zones” in flood areas in Cebu City
CEBU CITY, August 17 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) has recommended a “no habitation zones” in areas that had been affected recently by flooding and to enforce the three meters easement zone along river banks in Sitio Common, Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City.
It also recommended the immediate evacuation of more than 30 houses along the river embankment within Sitio Common and construction of river bank protection like dikes, riprap and other structural mitigating measures to stabilize the slope.
This came after a team of senior geologists Maria Elena Lupo and Josephine Aleta conducted a field investigation, following a flooding incident where four houses were swept away and damaged four along the 5-meter scoured river bank in barangay Bacayan, Cebu City.
MGB-7 regional director Loreto Alburo urged the local government units particularly the barangay captains to make use of the geohazard threat advisories that MGB geohazard assessment team distributed to them to avoid loss of lives and properties especially at these critical times when precipitation is heavy and abnormal.
Alburo likewise appealed to communities to listen to their barangay officials on the high-risk areas to minimize the adverse impact of geological hazards on them.
“We cannot afford to compromise the safety of the residents living near river banks and it is important that they should know the underlying risks that accompany their continued stay in those areas,” Alburo added.
The team of geologists also reiterates the recommendations as contained in the August 17, 2007 geohazard threat advisory issued to Barangay Bacayan where it recommended the "de-silting" and cleaning of river channels; proper disposal of garbage; relocation of residents along river banks; and provision of river bank protection like dikes.
MGB-7 noted that Bacayan Barangay Captain Zenaida Colina received the geohazards threat advisory on August 17, 2007 and in 2010, MGB-7 also issued another geohazard threat advisory on September 27, 2010.
According to the geologists, the river embankment is prone to scouring because its rocks are characterized as highly weathered rocks. These easily reach its saturation level given the amount or intensity of rainfall. (PIA-7/mbcn/hfg & DENR-MGB-7/Ed Llamedo)
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DAR–Cebu to distribute 3T hectares of lands in CatmonBy: Gay Visitacion
CEBU CITY, August 17 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Provincial Agrarian Reform Office (PARO) in Cebu is now preparing for the titling and distribution of some 3,000 hectares of public agricultural lands situated in 14 barangays in Catmon, Cebu.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer (PARO) Isagani Yee said that these lands were previously under the control and administration of the National Livelihood and Support Fund (NLSF) under Presidential Proclamation 2282.
DAR and DENR jointly informed the potential applicants and the barangay officials during the “pulong-pulong” on August 12-13 for the guidelines and procedures in the conduct of land surveys and titling of these agrarian areas.
DENR-Chief of Aggregate Survey Section of the Land Management Sector (LMS) in Central Visayas, Engr. Cynthia Ibañez joined the “pulong-pulong” to enlighten the prospective land owners on the procedures in the approval of the survey.
According to PARO Yee, the 'pulong-pulong' was in coordination with DENR; in partnership with the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Catmon; the municipal and barangay officials; and the community to accomplish the land distribution of the NLSF areas.
Yee cited that the lands covered are classified as alienable and disposable agricultural lands and were approved for agrarian distributionin 1986.
Ibañez on the other hand said that sometime in the 1980’s, DENR conducted the land survey in Catmon and there were problems encountered with the contracted survey.
DAR Cebu Survey Team will continue the survey needed for the issuance of the title while DENR shall facilitate the approval of the DAR survey results and the needed actions to complete the survey undertaking, Ybanez added.
PARO Yee however, urged the participation and cooperation of the actual occupants or claimants to identify the boundaries and also encouraged them to be present during the survey schedules in their respective barangays.
Yee said the DAR survey Team's first survey schedule will be on August 22-26 in Barangay Tinabyonan.
Present during the pulong-pulong” on August 12 in Barangay Tinabyonan and August 13 in Barangay Binongkalan were DAR Regional Chief for Operations Flor Tampus; DAR Regional Survey Section Chief Engr. Edward Gamayon; DARPO Cebu Chief Survey Section Engr. Elmer Grengia; Asst. Survey Section Chief Engr. Teresita Narciso; Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer (MARO) Norma Quiros; Agrarian Reform Program Technologist (ARPT) Edna Ramirez; and PIO Rosanna Gay Visitacion.(PIA-7/mbcn/Hazel F. Gloria & DAR-PARO/rgv)