Davao Food Safety Team Inc. Formed

The Davao Food Safety Team Incorporated (DFST, Inc.), previously Davao Food Safety Team (DFST) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) of Region XI (Mindanao), where I am presently working as consultant, was created to support the food processing projects in Southern Mindanao under the Small Enterprises Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP). an umbrella program which rationalizes and links all DOST services to address the technological needs of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with the concerted efforts of DOST regional offices, Research and Development Institutes, Council and other institutes of the Department.

The DFST Inc. is composed of equally competitive and knowledgeable professionals and service providers both from the government and private sector. The team is expected to play an important role in imparting and disseminating information on food safety regulations and requirements to food handlers for the continuing improvement production of safe, healthy and unadulterated foods for both local and export markets.

The DFST Inc. has been actively participating in food safety advocacy since its inception. It has been busy catering to requests for speaking engagements on awareness, full course training for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for LTO application ore renewal as well as plant layout and other pertinent food safety programs. 

Parallel to servicing the needs of the local food industry, are the numerous capability building up seminars and workshops participated by various food safety members. 

Existing for 5 years now, the group is composed of food safety practitioners who are experts on their respective fields, represented by specialists from the various public and private agencies. These include the Food and Drugs Administration, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Bureau of Plant Industry - Davao National Crop Research and Development Center, Davao City Water District, Department of Health, just to mention some among many others.

At current, the team has 25 food safety experts. It offers 25 Different Food Safety Modules. For more information, visit the group at the DOST 11 Regional Office, Corner Friendship-Dumanlas Roads, Bajada, Davao City, or you may call their staff, Ms. Loi Tolentino at numbers 082 - 227-1313 or 0932-4422221. 

Take A Breath - with ORLANDO DI LASSO and LEO BLECH

 

I relax, with them...!

 Here is more about them:

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com 

Be Part of Davao's Evolution!

I was very happy being invited by the FTC Group of Companies to the Investors Night and Soft Launching of AEON Towers last Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Together with Mr. Gabby Conception as special guest, sumptuous cocktails and a lots of surprises came along my way.

I was one of almost 1,000 guests to witness the unveiling of the new and state-of-the-art showroom furnished with the most modern, stylish and top of the line interior brands. (Third photo includes also the AEON President - second from right!).

It's indeed one of the first condominiums in the Philippines to provide SMART Home technology (Fiber Optics) in every unit.

It's indeed a pioneering project at J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City... .

Blaze at Catholic Radio Station ‘ARSON’

I started being a radio host in DXGN, "The Good News Radio" 89.9 FM, a member of the Catholic Media Network, sometime in 2000. Meanwhile I am back in a "religious radio station", "The Edge Radio Davao", 104.3 FM.

News like this horrify me.

Check out more here:

Blaze at Catholic radio station ‘arson’

5000 policemen for All Saints’, Souls’ Day

At least 5,000 policemen will be deployed in Metro Manila alone for security in observance of All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day according to the National Capital Region Police Office.

Here are more details:

5000 policemen for All Saints’, Souls’

Generalizations (regarding Mindanao)

One of the unfortunate side effects of the killing of Italian priest Father Fausto Tentorio is the inevitable painting of Mindanao as a "lawless" land. Media reports on the murder have invariably included such adjectives on the island, calling it "conflict-ridden", "war-torn", "troubled", and man others. The foreign wire services have also taken pains to give a background of Mindanao, saying this is where Islamist militants operate, where kidnap-for-ransom gangs abound, and where the Al Qaeda has a presence through the Abu Sayyaf. All this despite the fact that the killing occurred in a small town in Arakan Valley, North Cotabato, and despite that it was perpetrated not by terrorists but by either the military or business interests in the mining sector.

We understand the negative generalization o Mindanao, of course. Being far away from the national capital, not many people around the world know where the island even is, much less what the actual condition in it is. But these generalizations are what kills the island and scares away visitors and investors whose presence would enrich Mindanao culturally, socially, and economically. Prior to Father Tentorio's death three countries had already issued travel advisories on Mindanao, telling their respective nationals to avoid traveling to the island: Britain, the U.S., and Australia. Now we add also Italy, the good priest's home country, and we are the poorer of it.

Again the reaction of the Italian government is understandable, but it would have been better if it - and the three other countries - give specific areas for their travel advisories instead of lumping all of Mindanao togeter. As we Mindanaoans say, the island is not the war-torn, conflict-ridden, troubled place that the media paint it to be. Mindanao is beautiful and its people peace-loving, we say, we are sure that Father Tentorio, as an adopted Mindanoan, would say the same exact thing.

(Reposted "Editorial" from Mindanao Daily Mirror with friendly permission of my publisher and Editor-in-Chief Marietta F. Siongco as well as Society Editor, Health Journalist and General Manager Ana F. Basilio).

Floods, Floods, Floods - in The Philippines (and everywhere...)

My last Manila trips have been cancelled twice due bad weather condition. Right now I am waiting again ... As we all know: also Manila and its people suffered very much during the last weeks. 

Retarding basins will be built now in low lying areas  of Metro Manila, including Espana Boulevard, as part of national government's approach to flooding problem that has cost already billions of Pesos annually.

In a media briefing I learned from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, who said, that he has high hopes on the construction of water retarding or detention basins as most viable solution to reduce downstream flooding during rainy season.

Such basins are constructed to temporarily store some, if not all, of the rain water run-off, to absorb and contain flooding in periods of high rain and pump it out later at regulated rate of flow to a level that can be safely carried by nearby rivers or esteros.

Secretary Singson cited the construction of a detention tank underneath Padre Burgos Circle during the development stage of the present Fort Bonifacio Global City that has now been helping saved the area, including that of Kalayaan Avenue (where I usually like to stay in a Hotel during my Manila visits!) and Efipanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) from flooding. 

Secretary Singson said that inasmuch as flood management in Metro Manila is under the Metropolitian Manila Development Authority, this is proposed engineering solutions will be discussed wuth MMDA officials. 

Philippine US Ambassador Apologizes

United States Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. has extended his apology to department of justice Secretary Leila de Lima for his recent declaration that 40 percent or four out of every 10 foreign male tourists visiting the Philippines come here for 'sex-tourism'.

In a one-page letter to De Lima dated October 11, 2011, Thomas said he regrets issuing the statement without any factual basis during his speech at a recent roundtable discussion on "Combating Human Trafficking in the Philippines" with the Philippine Judicial Academy, Court of Appeals, and the U.S. DOJ Crimina Division.

"I deeply regret that my comments regarding human trafficking and sexual tourism in the Philippines have caused angst and misunderstanding. Clearly it was not my intent to insult Filipinos, a people who I have to come to admire and respect. I should not have said 'that 40 percent of American (?) males come to the Philippines for sexual tourism' without ability to confirm those statistics. I want to assure you that the U.S. Embassy Manila will continue to work with your government to combat this modern day form of slavery... . Working together with honest and dedicated officials, our two governments can end this global scourge... ." Thomas said.

Weekend With More Beautiful Classical Music

It's weekend again - and, time for relaxing after a very stressful week... I can relax very well with Classical music. Before I disappear, I still like to share some more stories about three classical composers with you...

And, don't forget to tune in to 104.3 FM "The Edge Radio Davao" and enjoy listening my show "Classics with Klaus Doring" on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. or via live stream http://davao.theedge.ph

 CHRISTIAN SINDING

GAETANO DONEZETTI

 WILHELM FURTWAENGLER

Check out  more here:

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

Produce Enough Rice in The Philippines!

Dr. Gelia T. Castillo, national scientist and member o the Philippine Rice Search Institute (PhilRice) Board of Trustees, challenged Mindanao farmers to improve their yield during the recent Farmer's Field Day and Forum in PhilRice Agusan in Basilsia, Remedios T. Romualdez, Agusan del Norte.

Close to 1,000 farmers, students, representatives of local government units, and members of the press from Regions 10, 11, and 13, attented the activity,

Recognizing the issues on food production, Castillo said "farmers have a huge role to play" in producing more rice to feed the ballooning population. "The Caraga region has slightly higher per capita rice availability average (129 kg) than the national average (119 kg)... .The challenge now is how to increase rice productivity so the region can contribute to Philippine rice self-sufficiency," Castillo said. 

For more information you may visit their website http://www.philrice.gov.ph or text your questions to 0920-911-1398.