Our "Somewhat summer"
The Philippine atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) explained recently that the summer that we know of is actually a dry season from March to May as it announced its start.
Read more: No ‘summer’ in PH, call it ‘dry season’ – PAGASA
It has always been the case that in these parts, rainfall is more or less ditributed throughout the year based on technical classifications such as the Coronas system.
Time was when we would have barely enough rain to irrigate plants at around this time, making southern mindanao a bit dryer than at other times of the year, though.
As i write this, parts of the Davao region in Southern Mindanao experienced flash flood inducing thunderstoms Saturday evening.
When it is too wet in March, flowering affects the fruit trees, delaying their fruiting normally scheduled in late summer until July or August.
This is why i call it the "somewhat summer". Since it is a rather wet dry season. I can feel the climate changing and i have been observing it over the last 10 years.
For those of you like me whose livelihoods and businesses are dependent on the weather, a deeper understanding of climate is necessary as we all face the reality of major changes in its patterns from the usual.
Its time to visit the local PAGASA station, normally near the airport to see the recent climate reports and ask about climate trends covering the area. There may also be an AGROMET station near farm areas. The DOST PAGASA website is also a good resource.
Encouraging local entrepreneurs
Let us all continue buying local to support local businesses and their employees.
As i have written before, patronizing local products stimulates local economic activity. We need to strenngthen our local economies, which are a vital cog in our recovery efforts.
Recent economic reforms such as the newly signed CREATE law will lower taxes for businesses. It is time to encourage business development, expansion and innovation.
That said, i would like to encourage my fellow local entreprenurs to explore new avenues for business growth, like reaching out to new markets via online platforms. This will bring local products to a much larger market especially outside your area. Some entrepreneurs have successfully done so and i will feature sone of them in the future.
Another good suggestion is to explore ways to brand your product. You can give it a unique flair by focusing on its origin and giving it a back story that people are interested to read about. You can focus on its usefulness or flavor. Brnading makes your product or service stand out in a market that may now see heightened competition.
Home based bakeries are an example. Browse through social medianto search for cupcake amd see how many hits you get in a certain area.
Given the various similar products on offer, what will make yours stand out? What will it take to achieve that differentiation? Thats a challenge worth facing, as jt bears an opportunity worth discovering.
VCO Developments
In the latest update of the Department of Science and Technology on the clinical trials of virgin coconut oil as an adjunct therapy for Covid 19, the agency revealed that it may complete clinical trials on this by June. Read more about it here: (https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/10/vco-clinical-trials-still-ongoing-dost/)
We look forward to these developments as this will be our indigenous contribution to global research against thr pandemic. Already i know many who have begun taking virgin coconut oil regularly.
Continue to stay safe and follow protocols!