DA: No extensive crop damage from frost

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY: The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) is yet to receive significant damage reports on crops amid the presence of frost starting this week, particularly in the higher elevations of the provinces of Benguet and Mountain Province as shared on social media.

Frost, locally known as "andap," was seen in Benguet, specifically in the grassland of Mt. Pulag in Kabayan on January 24, followed by the vegetation in Paoay, Atok, Madaymen and Kibungan starting January 26.

The occurrence of frost was also reported in Balicanao, Sadsadan, Mt. Data, Pactil and Monamon Sur in Bauko, Mt. Province.

Local government units (LGUs), through the municipal agriculture offices (MAOs), are closely monitoring the frost situations in their area. According to the MAO in Atok, there was no reported vegetable damage to date, but close monitoring and surveillance on the sites affected are being undertaken.

Similarly, in Bauko, the MAO reported that based on their initial monitoring in the frost-affected communities, crops that are likely to be affected are cabbages and potatoes in their vegetative stage.

While minimal damages are recorded in the ongoing monitoring of the LGUs, these are not evident and do not affect the supply of vegetables in the trading centers, hence, the vegetable supply remains stable.

The DA-CAR, through its High Value Crops and Development Program (HVCDP), is also closely monitoring with partner LGUs the frost situation. Frost is a yearly phenomenon that occurs in isolated communities at higher elevations when the temperature drops to a single digit.

Historical data of DA-CAR shows that frost presence in the region is particularly experienced in the higher parts of Atok, Buguias, Kibungan and Mankayan municipalities in Benguet and Bauko in Mountain Province, usually during the months of December, January and February.

In previous interviews with farmers in frost-prone areas, they said frost has been there even when they were not yet born and they have learned to adapt to it.

The farmer's practice relative to the situation is to sprinkle frost-affected crops with water using either rain burst or power sprayers to get rid of the icy water before sunlight reaches the crops.

P150 banknote is fake – BSP

by Lee C. Chipongian

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Thursday, Feb. 2, that they have not issued a new banknote in the denomination of P150 and warned the public of reports about the fictitious bill circulating in social media.

In an advisory, the BSP denied such reports of a new banknote and is encouraging the public to report persons involved in the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit currency to the BSP Payments and Currency Investigation Group at email address pcig@bsp.gov.ph or through telephone numbers +63-2-8988-4833 and +63-2-8926-5092.

“(BSP) has not released a 150-Piso denomination banknote featuring Dr. Jose Rizal. Images of the said banknote circulating on social media are fictitious,” the BSP said. 

Fictitious P150 banknote (BSP photo)

“The public is advised to always check the legitimacy of information found on social media and other channels regarding Philippine banknotes and coins. To verify, visit the Notes and Coins section of the BSP’s official website www.bsp.gov.ph,” it added.

There are only five banknotes in circulation. These are the P50, P100, P200, P500 and P1,000. Since April 2022, the polymer version of the P1,000 is also in circulation.

The BSP since 2020 — when amid the height of the pandemic, counterfeit money became more rampant – has been aggressively going after perpetrators of fake banknotes production. With law enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation, the BSP has been actively conducting joint anti-counterfeiting operations. 

Under Republic Act No. 10951, those convicted as counterfeiters are slapped with a maximum P2 million in fines and imprisonment of up to 20 years.

The BSP has been working with both the Lower House and the Senate to impose a more rigid package of penalties and sanctions against currency counterfeiting and to criminalize the stockpiling of large amounts of coins.

The BSP is hoping that their proposed measures will further strengthen its currency operations such as production, distribution, deposit-taking from banks, authenticity verification, anti-counterfeiting operations, and retirement.

From 2010 to 2021, the BSP has conducted 110 law enforcement operations and arrested 179 suspects. It has seized 12,400 pieces of counterfeit banknotes worth P7.8 million and more than 14,300 pieces of counterfeit US dollar banknotes worth more than $92.5 million.

 

PHL declares Siargao town's mangrove forest 'wetland of international importance'

Xave Gregorio - Philstar.com

PHL declares Siargao town's mangrove forest 'wetland of international importance'

In a bid to get global recognition The Philippines recognized the mangrove forest of Del Carmen in the island of Siargao as a “wetland of international importance” on February 2023.

Philstar.com / Martin Ramos

DEL CARMEN, Surigao del Norte — The Philippines recognized Thursday the mangrove forest of Del Carmen in the island of Siargao as a “wetland of international importance” in a bid to get global recognition under a 52-year-old treaty on the conservation and use of these areas.

Environment officials expect Manila’s recognition of Del Carmen’s mangrove forest on World Wetlands Day to be a “precursor” to its formal listing as the country’s ninth wetland of international importance under the 1971 Ramsar Convention.

“We’re going to put Siargao Island into the global map of wetland conservation,” said Anson Tagtag, officer-in-charge of the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s Caves, Wetlands and Other Ecosystems Division.

“Our declaration today serves as a shoutout to all of us and all of you,” Del Carmen Mayor Alfredo Coro II said. “Even the simplest actions can make the loudest noise.”

The local government of Del Carmen has long been working on the recognition of its mangrove forest — one of the largest in the country spanning over 4,800 hectares — as Ramsar site.

The declaration of Ramsar sites is provided under the Ramsar Convention, an inter-governmental environmental treaty established in 1971 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands.

In 2021, biological sciences experts from the National Research Council of the Philippines strongly suggested there is a “high potential” for Del Carmen’s mangrove forest to become a Ramsar site owing to its biodiversity.

Beyond biodiversity, Del Carmen’s mangroves also proved to be life-saving when super typhoon Odette (Rai) hit Siargao in December 2021. Locals here credited the mangroves for having protected them from large waves brought by the strong storm.

World Wetlands Day

“Wetlands provide us with immense benefits that are crucial for survival. Aside from its role as natural water reservoirs, wetlands serve as barriers against strong winds, heavy rain and rising sea levels,” said Theresa Mundita Lim, executive director of the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, in a statement.

But the Global Wetland Outlook found that the world is losing wetlands “three times faster than forests” as it lost approximately 35% since the 1970s.

The Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape – Protected Area Management Office said super typhoon Odette destroyed 16% of their mangrove forest.

But with help from private organizations, Del Carmen’s mangrove forests are slowly recovering, with the local government targeting to replant 163 hectares of mangroves this year.

Disclosure: This story was made possible through the support of USAID's Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL), which arranged transportation and accommodations for the Philstar.com reporting team. This article was produced following editorial guidelines and SIBOL did not have input on how the story would be written.

Peso back at P53:$1; profit-taking hits PSEi

By Ed Paolo Salting  and Niña Myka Pauline Arceo

The currency gained 63 centavos to close at P53.845 vs the dollar, its best finish in nearly eight months or since June 17, 2022's P53.75:$1.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange (PSEi), however, lost 49.57 points, or 0.70 percent, to end the day at 6,986.19. The broader All Shares shed 3.39 points, or 0.09 percent, to hit 3,683.78.

"Investors booked gains from the market's steep rally yesterday (Wednesday) as trading remained strong with net value turnover posting P8.23 billion, higher than the year-to-date average of P6.50 billion," said Japhet Tantiangco, senior research analyst at Philstocks Financial Inc.

Regina Capital Development Corp. Managing Director Luis Limlingan, meanwhile, said "Philippine shares reverted to selling on news after the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate hike adjustment."

"Without deviating from the script, the central bank bumped the interest rate by 25 basis points, bolstering investor optimism that inflation is cooling enough. However, the Fed gave no indication of an upcoming pause in rate hikes," he added.

Meanwhile, Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., said news that the country's debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio had improved at the end of last year could have contributed to the peso's rise.

The Treasury bureau on Thursday reported that the national government's outstanding debt had hit P13.42 trillion as of end-December, 14.4 percent up from the previous year.

The amount, however, was lower than the P13.64 billion at the end of November due to the strengthening of the peso and as the government paid off some of its debt.

Stronger-than-expected economic growth, meanwhile, limited the full-year debt-to-GDP ratio to 60.9 percent, below the medium-term cap of 61.8 percent and improving from 63.7 percent at the end of the third quarter.

The peso opened trading at the day's high of P54.2 and traded as low as P53.835. Volume reached $1.62 trillion, higher than the $958.9 million in the previous session.

At the stock market, sectoral results ended mostly in the green with the exception of holding firms and property, which respectively fell by 1.59 percent and 1.65 percent. Mining and oil led gainers with a 3.04-percent rise.

Just under 1.29 billion shares worth P8.93 billion changed hands.

Advancers again outperformed decliners, 114 to 67, while 56 remained unchanged.