The total irrigated area in Negros Occidental has increased by almost 13 percent from 2001 to 2006 after the implementation of 57 irrigation projects and installation of 426 pump set during the period, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist said in a report released by the Capitol.

In the last five years, the total irrigated area went up from 42,000 hectares to 47,400 hectares or an increase of 12.85 percent. OPA said that from 2001 to 2006, more than P85 million of provincial and national funds were spent to open 6,829 hectares in Negros Occidental to irrigation while P34 million worth of irrigation projects are also ongoing.

Register with PhilJobnet,
graduates urged

The Department of Labor and Employment is encouraging new graduates to register with the PhilJobnet, DOLE's online computerized jobs and skills matching system, to gain access to thousands of vacancies and prospective employers.

About half a million students from 1,647 colleges and universities in the country are graduating this year. DOLE said in a press release that it entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Commission on Higher Education last month for the registration of Batch 2007 with the PhilJobnet before the CHED issues the Special Order to the graduates.

The CHED has already asked its regional offices and covered higher education institutions to implement the agreement with the DOLE.

Almost P497M in CDIFs
released to Filipino FOs

The National Food Authority has provided almost P497 million in Cooperative Development Incentive Fees to Filipino farmers organizations in the last 10 years for the acquisition of farm facilities.

The NFA said in a report the CDIF has been used by beneficiary FOs for the construction of warehouse and the purchase of mechanical grain driers and other post harvest facilities. Qualified FOs are also granted soft loans for farm level grains centers. The FLGCs, with a storage capacity ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 bags, cost from P1.7 to P2.4 million. Each contains ancillary facilities like mechanical and solar grain driers and rice mills for grains processing.

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