Filipino farmers’ group asks additional flatbed dryers

ILOILO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 16, 2010) - A group of rice farmers in the town of Pavia are requesting for additional flatbed dryers to accommodate their drying needs during harvest season.

Eduardo Alcazarem, president of Palacat-tian Irrigators Association, said their lone dryer is insufficient to dry all the harvests of their members.

He said association has more than 800 hectare service area.

“We cannot dry all the produce of our members simultaneously, this is why we would like to ask for additional units of flatbed dryer. It is really a big help to us,” he said.

According to Alcazarem, the FBD gave work to the community since it started its operation in August 2008. Out-of-school youth were hired as laborers to earn additional income.

He said the quality of the grains dried using the FBD is much better compared to solar drying. The National Food Authority offers higher price to FBD-dried grains because of the quality and moisture content of the grains.

Likewise, the traders in the area also prefer to buy and mill FBD-dried grains because of good milling recovery, he added. “With the flatbed dryer, we can dry our harvest even at night and store it the following day,” he said.

Before the association acquired the dryer, the farmers were forced to sell their harvest at a lower price to avoid rotting, he said.

“Now, the members just bring their harvest here and they can get it the next day. The 30 pesos drying fee includes the fuel and the payment for the laborers and operator,” Alcazarem said, adding, members of the association who avail of the drying services are charged 30 pesos per sack.

According to Sharon Rose Jucaban, senior institutional development officer of the National Irrigation Administration in Region 6, the dryer operates 24 hours to serve the members of the association.

To continuously use the dryer, the association makes sure the damaged parts of the dryer are replaced immediately. Some of the improvements made by the association include the replacement of the flooring from perforated screen to bamboo slat and the extension of the shed.

The distribution of the flatbed dryers to irrigators association is part of the mechanical drying program to farm cluster of the Department of Agriculture. (Erwin S. Embuscado)

NUJP denounces death threats against 4 Capiz journalists: GMANews.TV

MANILA, Philippines (GMANews.TV / September 01, 2008) — Four journalists based in the central province of Capiz received a cruel death threat last weekend, with the "threat" coming in the form of text messages sent to their friends and relatives.

The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) said Tuesday the text message circulated Sunday night, claiming three of the journalists died and the fourth was in critical condition.

"If it was not a joke, was it meant to silence not only the four of us but also the whole media community in Capiz on issues affecting public interest? Was it meant to divert the media on the more pressing issues and eventually silence them?" the four asked in a statement posted Tuesday evening on the NUJP website (www.nujp.org).

"We call on our colleagues in media not to be intimated by this latest attack on press freedom. With God's help, we shall triumph," they added.

The NUJP said the text messages, which claimed the four had figured in a vehicular accident, were sent to even the Capiz governor.

Named as "dead" in the text messages were John Heredia, Gerry Pagharion and Edward Basilonia. The three were supposedly declared dead on arrival at the Capiz Emmanuel Hospital.
The fourth journalist, Philippine Daily Inquirer correspondent Felipe Celino, was supposedly in critical condition.

Heredia chairs the Capiz chapter of the NUJP, while Pagharion is the editor of Capiz Times. Basilonia is publisher of the Capiz Chronicle and head of the Provincial Capitol Media Bureau.
At the time the text message was sent, all four were in their homes sleeping.

On Monday, the four issued a statement on Monday denouncing the text message as "uncalled for and malicious," especially in the wake of the killing of Capiz broadcaster Martin Roxas.
The four had been active in reporting the killing of Roxas, who was shot dead by one of two motorcycle-riding men along Bayot Drive in Roxas City, last Aug. 7.

Cyril Simpas, station manager of dyOW Bombo in Roxas City, said he was among those who received the text message from an unknown sender using the number 09085664485.

After he received the text at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, Simpas said he tried calling the number but it could not be reached.

The unidentified sender also sent similar messages to provincial administrator Zoe Herrera, Roxas City administrator Ronald Amigo, IBC-dyJJ station manager Rexam Laguda and RMN-dyVR reporter Ebe Ballos.

Ballos forwarded the message to station manager Eliezer Abarra of RMN-dyVR.