Organic farming takes roots

Organic farming seems to have become popular among Negrenses. So with organic food products. This is a welcome development. And, thanks to the efforts by former Negros Occidental Governor Joseph Marañon, his advocacy of organic farming appears to have infected his provincemates.

The latest introduction of the Negros Island Rainforest Coffee by the Negros Island Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Foundation is the latest in the effort to popularize organically grown and chemically-free coffee.

Frankly, I have been focused on buying organically-grown vegetables. I usually get them from the NEDF. But, again, I should like to point out that lately I have seen the retail of these products by the Negros Economic Development Foundation have become rare. It seems that major eateries and wholesalers buy their entire harvest.

So, every time I go to the NEDF to buy harvested vegetables, I often find myself greeted with – “They have all been bought by wholesalers or major restaurants.”

But I’d like also to point out that I often buy organic fertilizers by the kilo from NEDF. The alternative source is the provincial agriculture organic farm outlet behind the provincial capitol.

I’d like to point out that most of my ornamental plants are usually in bloom because of organic fertilizer. No, I don’t use chemical fertilizers anymore. I had my lessons in the past about these chemicals.

In short, we can now see for ourselves that, while these are slow acting, organic fertilizers are more dependable in the long run than the chemical fertilizers.

Here’s a toast to the organic agriculture movement launched originally by the late Gov. Marañon and former Governor and now Congressman George Arnaiz of Negros Oriental.

Boy Infante, the Negrense planter who also claims to be an inventor and organic advocate, has been telling me lately about his formulations and how they can help sugar farmers, reduce production cost.

Unfortunately, until now he has yet to give me a copy of his studies, and how he had arrived at his conclusions. I do agree that verbally I am convinced about his claim. But I, like any other journalist, prefer to have something to work on.

Anyway, one thing sure. Negros is fast becoming what Marañon had envisioned it to be – the center for organic food products.

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Most Negrense journalists may be glad to hear that the hearing on the murder case of Radyo Agong Rolando Ureta has been set for May 9 by the Cebu Regional Trial Court.

Task Force 211 said the suspects – Amador Ras and Jessie Ticar – will be called by the Cebu RTC Branch 16 following the transfer by the Supreme Court of the trial of two murder cases of Aklan journalists to Cebu on the petition of the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists, a coalition of six media organizations.

The other case involved the gunning down of Bombo Radyo Station manager Herson Hinolan on November 13, 2004.

The principal suspect is Lezo Mayor Fred Arsenio who surrendered on March 5, 2008. This post the affidavit by eyewitness Peter Melgar that he had mistakenly identified Arsenio as the gunman in the Hinolan case.

The arraignment of Arsenio is set on May 26.

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The big news for Filipinos is the announced impending revamp of the Cabinet. A lot of attention has been focused on the speculations that among the first casualties of the region are Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro who is reportedly slated to take over the DOJ post currently held by Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

And then, there is the report that Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita will be named Ambassador to the United States and Teodoro to take over the post of DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno. The later is reportedly slated to take over the post that may be vacated by Ermita.

But there are more talks about the possibility that former Senator Ralph Recto may take over the post of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves should the latter fail again to hurdle the Commission on Appointments. But there have also been persistent rumors that the revamp will include the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Customs bureau.

The latter is one that has elicited my close attention because of reports that something big is behind Customs Commissioner Morales. The latter, incidentally, had been recommended for prosecution to the Ombudsman. But, instead of the anti-graft body investigating him for alleged shenanigans in Batangas port, Morales was instead appointed as head of the customs bureau.

Lately, however, the PSG had been intercepting a lot of smuggled items allowed by the customs bureau to get through the Manila Port and other parts of entry in the country.*

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