Specials NEWS

Due to the geographical location of the Philippines, we experience extreme weather conditions that on a yearly basis leaves significant impacts on the livelihood of both farming and fishing communities.

Editha Dacuycuy is the owner and manager of the REFMAD Farm in Paayas, Burgos, Ilocos Norte. She started the farm as a way to ease the condition of her special needs daughter, Kaye, but eventually, she promoted dragon fruit farming to the whole town of Burgos as well as other areas in Ilocos Norte.

As a parent, seeing your child in discomfort is one of the hardest things to bear. Parental instincts would kick in and emphasize the need to find a solution to ease the child’s condition, no matter what the cost. 

Three provinces in Western Visayas posted more than 100 percent growth in the third quarter production of palay this year versus the recorded production in the same period in 2019.

Organic agriculture is a rising trend nowadays, and farmers already utilized more than 13,000-hectares in various places in Northeastern Mindanao or Caraga region.

The pandemic does not only emphasize the importance of health and safety, but it has also underlined the value of nutrition and accessibility to nutritious and affordable food. In our fight against food insecurity, youths from over the world are gradually taking part in bringing forth ways to promote sustainability and to act upon alleviating worldwide hunger.

Various studies have noted the benefits of mangroves as a natural defense for coastal areas against natural calamities because its roots help keep soil in place, thus preventing flooding and soil erosion. Plus, mangroves also serve as a home for different kinds of marine life, including the endangered sea turtles, more commonly known as “pawikan” in the Philippines. 

The recent typhoons, aside from the yet unbeaten COVID-19, have brought a heavy weight to the lives of many Filipinos. Amidst all this, others continue to bring joy and positivity to lighten the situation.

Ranil Gabo Guarino, 40, is a plant hobbyist, government employee, and a recent graduate of law school. Guarino resides in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. His home measures about 80 square meters, including his lush tropical garden that he further enhanced during the quarantine period. 

A fisher’s group in Surigao del Sur started to reap fruits of their labor despite the threat brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. As the saying goes, “what you sow is what you reap”.

More people are beginning to realize the benefits of naturally-grown food. Aside from improving one’s well-being, it also lessens the use of chemical farm inputs, thus promoting healthy consumption and environmental-friendly farming. 

Bleeding Heart Rum Co., the maker of the award-winning Don Papa Rum, recently unveiled its latest expression, Don Papa Rye Aged Rum.

Syngenta once again rose above the competition, continuing its winning streak among regional corn derbies. Previously victorious in the Cordillera and Cagayan Valley regional derbies, Syngenta now conquers in the South Cotabato Provincial Corn Derby, with NK6410 Bt/GT and NK306 Bt/GT clinching the top two spots.

Bohol governor Arthur Yap wants to develop Sagbayan town as the livestock and poultry capital of the province as he has observed the abundance of livestock and poultry in this landlocked agricultural municipality.

With a vision to nurture the Filipino farmers, a group of young changemakers created a social enterprise known as The Amigo Coffee to advocate both homegrown coffee and Philippine heritage. 

From November 18 to 30, the Aroids Festival 2020 will showcase over 1000 plants from Arid and Aroids Nurseries at the Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila.

Two of their latest innovations include nanosensors that, as per Dr. Min Hao Wong, deputy scientific director of DiSTAP, “can intercept distress signals within plants to reveal how they respond to different types of stress, such as injury, infection, and heat and light damage,” and a handheld Raman spectroscopy system that refers to “a portable laser-based device that can provide chemical fingerprints of the material under investigation.”

According to a recent study by the United States Dairy Export Council (USDEC), a non-profit, independent membership organization that represents the global trade interests of U.S. dairy producers, proprietary processors and cooperatives, ingredient suppliers and export traders, about 98 percent of the respondents in Thailand and Singapore are aiming for healthy aging, but only half are prepared for the process.