Another weather disturbance is threatening the country after Typhoon Egay (international name: Doksuri) battered parts of Luzon before leaving the Philippine area of responsibility on Thursday morning.
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Thursday, July 27, 2023
Water levels in major Luzon dams rise; 3 dams to release water
Jul 27, 2023 10:32 AM
The rains from typhoon Egay and the enhanced southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” caused the water levels in eight major dams in Luzon to rise, based on the 24-hour rainfall monitoring of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
PAGASA said the water levels at Ipo Dam, Ambuklao Dam, and Binga Dam increased on Thursday morning, July 27 to 101.2 meters, 751 meters, and 574.63 meters, respectively.
These were significantly higher than the previous day’s record of 99.5 meters, 746.43 meters, and 568.52 meters, respectively.
PAGASA warned of possible flooding as the three dams were expected to release water on Thursday.
“The water level of Ipo Dam as of 8 a.m. is 101.2 meters and continuously rising due to the expected rains caused by the current weather system. With this development, Ipo Dam will conduct spilling operation, with one spilling gate to open at 11 a.m., with an initial discharge of 61 cms (cubic meters per second),” PAGASA said in a flood advisory.
It advised the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices, as well as residents living in low-lying areas and near the river banks of the Angat River in Norzagaray, Angat, San Rafael, Bustos, Baliuag, Pulilan, Plaridel, Calumpit, Paombong, and Hagonoy in Bulacan, to be on alert for a possible rise in the river’s level.
Ipo Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan (Photo courtesy of MWSS)
In a separate advisory, PAGASA warned that water discharge from Ambuklao Dam and Binga Dam, both in Benguet, may affect Barangay Ambuklao in Bokod town, as well as Barangays Dalupirip and Tinongdan in Itogon town.
Ambuklao Dam will have eight gates opened at 5 meters each, while Binga Dam will have six gates opened at 5.5 meters each.
The water discharge will be caught by the San Roque Dam in Pangasinan, which is part of a series of cascading dams that include the upstream Ambuklao and Binga Dams.
As the Pangasinan dam is still at a low water level, it may benefit from the water released by the Ambuklao and Binga dams.
As of Thursday, the water level at San Roque Dam was 247.13 meters, much lower than the 280-meter normal water level. Its previous day’s record was 238.25 meters.
Other dams
PAGASA said four other major dams also benefitted from the light to heavy rains brought on by Egay and the enhanced habagat.
Angat Dam’s water level slightly increased from 181.64 meters on Wednesday to 182.98 meters on Thursday.
Although it is already above the 180-meter minimum dam operating level, it is still much lower than the 210-meter normal high water level during the rainy season.
The Angat and Ipo dams are in Norzagaray, Bulacan.
La Mesa Dam in Quezon City and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija also saw a slight rise in water levels from 79.14 meters to 79.23 meters, and from 183.63 meters to 184.11 meters, respectively.
Meanwhile, Isabela’s Magat Dam saw a notable rise in water level, from 165.39 meters to 169.32 meters.
Pantabangan and Magat dams remain significantly below their normal levels at 216 meters and 190 meters, respectively, while La Mesa Dam is near its spilling level of 80.15 meters.
Food lessons for life
As was the practice at the time, all kids had to know how to cook.
AT A GLANCE
Like many of my contemporaries, I was raised in a home shared by three generations. We had no maids. Relatives came to help and were in turn raised like members of the family. They were sent to school along with the children of the household.
Such was the case with distant cousin Gloria, who was taken in when her parents died. Raised in the interior barrio Salinas in Bacoor, Cavite, she was a real probinsyana, which I now realize was her best asset.
As was the practice at the time, all kids had to know how to cook. For starters, Gloria took me and my brothers to the market in Zapote on weekend mornings when we had no school. Zapote was—and still is—popular in the area for fresh fish from Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, and Laguna. Lowland vegetables were also brought in by farmers who sold to vendors from other markets.
From Gloria, I learned the names of fish from ponds, from oceans, and from the fresh waters of Laguna de Bay. She pointed out the stripes that distinguish malabansi from ayungin, the scales that identify cheap kapak from classy banak. We also became familiar with dozens of shellfish.
Pinakbet
Apart from knowing the names of all the fish in the market, I learned how much they cost and how best to cook each kind. I was patienty guided through the delicate process of killing hito (catfish) by sprinkling salt over its gills, then removing the slime from its body using ash from our wood-fired stove.
Because Lola made bagoong every week, we had to regularly clean the fresh alamang (small shrimp) one handful at a time. The same method was used to remove foreign objects from tiny dulong, which always ended up as pinangat or in omelets.
Hito (catfish)
Tips and secrets
The secret of smooth dinuguan with no lumps, Gloria showed us, was to mash the fresh blood with torn banana leaf minutes before pouring the blood into the seasoned cooked meat. But first, she made sure the fresh blood was unsalted. Salted blood would make dinuguan watery, she explained. Whenever possible, she cooked dinuguan one day before it was to be served to allow the flavors to penetrate the meat. More vinegar was added to achieve the right degree of sourness.
Thanks to her, our stuffed inihaw na bangus was never fishy. She sautéed the salted sliced onions and tomatoes before stuffing them into the raw fish, which had been slit along the back fin. Wrapped in banana leaf and grilled until the wrapping was almost scorched, the dish was savory and cooked through out, with no trace of fishiness. I use the same technique today with other fish as well.
Dinuguan
Seasons and reasons
During the rainy season when no fresh fish were available, we had to rely on dried salted fish. Most often it was dried dilis (anchovy) of various sizes. They were cheap, easy to store, and versatile. Gloria had the small ones either fried or toasted in a pan with no oil. The large dilis were rinsed well to reduce saltiness, their bellies and heads pinched off for better flavor and presentation as meat substitute in apritada, pinakbet, and ginataan. I still prepare these dishes today even when I have fresh fish on hand.
Dishes that last
We went to the market every morning and were taught ways to keep food for the next meals from spoiling. Meat and fish were often seasoned and dried in the sun or hung from the ceiling above the stove where smoke flavored and preserved them. Sometimes we had paksiw. The fish was cooked in vinegar, ginger, garlic, and chili pepper. Cooked properly, the paksiw could keep a few days. The same recipe, without vinegar, is pinangat, which Gloria cooked almost dry but kept moist with a few tablespoons of cooking oil or rendered pork fat.
Cooked viands that were good to eat for a couple of days were a must-learn from Gloria: kilawing puso ng saging, dinuguan, adobo, and bopis. She was very strict about clean spoons or laddles used in spooning food from the pot.
Future foodies
During summer vacations, Gloria helped us set up a small halo-halo stall by teaching us to make preserved fruits and leche flan. Thus, we sold the best halo-halo in our barrio by using the biggest number and most colorful ingredients: ube halaya, sweet beans, red mongo, bananas in syrup, kaong, gulaman, sweetened kamote, white beans, sago. The experience instilled in us a passion for food entrepreneurship.
I was in high school when Gloria did not come home from joining a Good Friday procession. She came home after a week with her boyfriend and his parents. They were married a few days later. Their three daughters all went into the food business, catering for birthdays, weddings, and special events in Las Piñas.
My brothers and I, her first students, used the skills we learned both at home and in our professional lives. Cris had a popular eatery at the town’s cockpit. Tony migrated to Japan and ran a bar/restaurant in Sakai City. I write about food.
DepEd eyes August 29 as the start of classes for School Year 2023-2024
The Department of Education (DepEd) is eyeing Aug. 29 as the school opening date for public schools this incoming School Year (SY) 2023-2024.
(DepEd / MB Visual Content Group)
“We are finalizing the DO [Department Order] now and we are looking at, probably, towards the end of August,” DepEd Undersecretary and Spokesperson Michael Poa told the Manila Bulletin in an interview on the sidelines of the post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussions at the Hilton Hotel in Pasay City on Wednesday, July 26.
“We’re looking at August 29 (Tuesday) but everything is tentative until the Department Order is signed,” Poa said. Originally, DepEd is considering Aug. 28 as the start of classes but the date falls on a holiday in observance of the National Heroes’ Day.
Poa said that the set of guidelines that DepEd is currently working on will be “omnibus” which will include the “Brigada Eskwela” and the school calendar for the new school year.
In the guidelines, Poa said that adjustments have been made particularly on the participation of teachers in activities such as the end-of-school-year rites.
DepEd, Poa said, has received concerns that some teachers were being asked to report to school before the graduation rites even if these are not included in the school calendar.
Classes for SY 2022-2023 opened on Aug. 22, 2022. DepEd data showed that over 28 million children went back to school two years after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the first three months, public schools were allowed adopted distance / blended learning aside from the five-day in-person classes.
On Nov. 2, 2023, DepEd implemented 100 percent face-to-face classes in all public schools.
Due to the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face classes were not allowed in SY 2020-2021 and SY 2021-2022.
Instead, DepEd shifted to distance learning --- where students learned their lessons at home through multiple learning delivery modalities such as printed/offline modular; online; radio and television-based instruction; and blended learning or a combination of two delivery modes.
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Botanical pest control: Using hot pepper and lemongrass extracts for pest management
BY JAMES TABABA
The detrimental effects of chemical pesticides are becoming increasingly apparent, so it is essential to explore alternative methods of pest control. Chemical pesticides can contaminate water sources, harm beneficial insects, and have detrimental effects on human health. Botanical pesticides, on the other hand, offer a safer alternative. They are derived from natural sources, pose minimal risk to humans and the environment, and can effectively control a wide range of pests. In this article, we will guide you through the process of making a botanical pesticide using hot pepper and lemon grass extracts.
Hot pepper and lemon grass extracts are highly effective in controlling aphids, thrips, and other sucking insects. These extracts have properties that disrupt the pests' feeding behavior and damage their digestive systems, making them an excellent natural deterrent. When applied as a botanical pesticide, the extracts target not only adult insects but also the larvae and caterpillars.
Materials needed
To create a botanical pesticide using hot pepper and lemon grass extract, you will need 1 kilogram of hot pepper, preferably the variety known as siling labuyo, and 1 kilogram of lemongrass. Additionally, you will require 3 liters of tap water to serve as the base for the pesticide solution. To process the ingredients, you'll need a blender or a mortar and pestle, depending on your preference and availability. Finally, prepare a coco-cloth or flour cloth to strain and separate the liquid extract from any solid particles.
Hot pepper extract preparation
To prepare the hot pepper extract, begin by finely crushing the hot pepper either by pounding or blending it. Once crushed, add 1 liter of tap water to the hot pepper and thoroughly mix the ingredients. Strain the mixture through a coco-cloth or a flour cloth to extract the juice while separating any solid particles. It's important not to discard the pounded hot pepper at this stage. Instead, place it back into a container and add another liter of tap water. Repeat the extraction process by straining the mixture once more, and then combine this second extract with the first one obtained earlier.
Hot pepper (Steve Johnson/Unsplash)
Lemon grass extract preparation
To create lemongrass extract for your botanical pesticide, start by taking 1 kilogram of lemon grass stems and finely chop them into pieces approximately 0.2 to 0.5 inches long, ensuring uniformity in size. Next, place the chopped lemongrass in a blender and add 1 liter of water to it. Blend the mixture thoroughly until it reaches a smooth consistency, allowing the beneficial properties of the lemongrass to be extracted. Finally, extract the juice by straining the mixture through a coco-cloth or a flour cloth. This straining process will effectively separate any solid particles, resulting in a clean and pure lemon grass extract.
Lemongrass (CHUTTERSNAP/Unsplash)
Mixing the extracts
Combine the hot pepper extract and lemon grass extract in a container. Ensure that both extracts are present in the desired proportions. Thoroughly mix the two extracts together, making sure they are well blended to create a uniform solution. The resulting mixture is now ready for use and can be applied as a pesticide. However, keep in mind that its effectiveness may diminish over time. To maximize its shelf life, it is recommended to refrigerate the mixture. This will help preserve its potency and ensure its usability for a period of 15 to 30 days.
Dosage and application
To prepare the botanical pesticide solution, add 0.5 liter of the hot pepper and lemon grass mixture to a larger container containing 16-20 liters of water. This dilution ensures proper dispersion and effectiveness of the botanical extracts. For improved adhesion and efficacy, you may consider adding 20 ml of a dishwashing solution to enhance its sticking power. Thoroughly mix the solution to ensure an even distribution of the botanical extracts throughout. Now, equipped with a sprayer, apply the pesticide on both the leaves and soil of the affected plants, ensuring comprehensive coverage. Depending on the severity of the infestation, repeat the application every 3-7 days, maintaining a consistent treatment schedule. For optimal results, it is recommended to apply the pesticide during cooler hours of the day, such as early morning or late afternoon.
Botanical pesticides offer an effective and safe solution for pest control. By utilizing natural extracts from hot pepper and lemon grass, you can protect your plants from harmful insects with minimal risk. The process of making your own botanical pesticide is simple and cost-effective, and the resulting mixture can be stored and used for an extended period. Botanical pesticides contribute to a healthier and more sustainable approach to gardening and agriculture.
For more information and resources related to organic pest control, including this guide, visit the Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Training Institute website.
Philippines stuns New Zealand for first-ever World Cup win
Jul 25, 2023 04:52 PM
AT A GLANCE
The Philippines held its breath as forward Sarina Bolden fired the country’s first-ever goal against New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Tuesday, July 25, ultimately giving the debutant its maiden win before the 32,357 roaring fans at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
The Philippines held its breath as forward Sarina Bolden fired the country’s first-ever goal against New Zealand in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup on Tuesday, July 25, ultimately giving the debutant its maiden win before the 32,357 roaring fans at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
It came from an Angela Beard free kick into the box before Sara Eggesvik safely crossed the ball to Bolden, who then managed to get past through a crowd of players with a header for the Philippines’ historic first goal in the 24th minute of the match that wasn’t looking in favor of them in the beginning.
Before the Filipinas completed the lone goal of the match, the Ferns were dominating the possession with much aggression for the ball in the first 20 minutes of the game.
And it was Bolden's defining moment that made the sudden difference, and from then on weathered the relentless attacks from the host nation especially in the second half.
Interestingly, like it was always meant to be, Bolden was the one who previously gave the Philippines a 1-nil halftime lead over New Zealand from a similar Eggesvik cross in their first encounter in a friendly match in September last year.
The Ferns, though, came through with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory.
This time, New Zealand's tireless attempts to find the back of the net and past Olivia McDaniel completely went for naught.
In the 57th minute, Hannah Wilkinson, New Zealand's hero in its stunning win over Group A top seed Norway, headed the ball barely over the bar.
The Ferns continued to come around with near chances including a Jacqui Hand attempt in the 64th minute that just went wide to the left.
Three minutes later, Hand found an equalizer off Wilkinson's pass, but the goal was disallowed after a quick review from the referees and was ruled offside.
McDaniel through and through kept a clean sheet until the final whistle.
Popular Filipino impersonator and satirist Willie Nepomuceno passes away, 75
Jul 26, 2023 08:51 AM
AT A GLANCE
'We ask for your continued prayers. Thank you very much.'
Willie Nepomuceno as former President Joseph Estrada (Images courtesy of Facebook)
Willie Nepomuceno, a popular celebrity known for his impersonations of personalities such as former presidents Ferdinand E. Marcos, Joseph Estrada, Comedy King Dolphy, and others, passed away today, July 26. He was 75.
Willie Nepomuceno as Juan Ponce Enrile
Nepomuceno's demise was announced by his family on social media. The full post:
"To our family, loved ones, and friends,
"It is with deep sadness and heavy heart to announce the passing of our beloved father, WILLIE NEPOMUCENO on July 26, 2023, at the age of 75. He has peacefully joined our creator.
Willie Nepomuceno as Dolphy
"Details of his wake will be announced soon.
"We ask for your continued prayers. Thank you very much."
His family did not say the cause of his death.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
5 dead, 2 hurt as steel bridge collapses in Davao City
Jul 25, 2023 01:48 PM
DAVAO CITY – At least five workers died and two others were injured after a steel bridge under construction collapsed in Sitio Kibakak, Barangay Malamba, Marilog District, Davao City at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, July 24, an official of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) said on Tuesday, July 25.
Police Capt. Hazel Tuazon, DCPO spokesperson, identified the casualties as Cris Napao, 44, a mason; Jimboy Liga, 28, a boom truck operator; Elmer Sayson, 44, a foreman; Jay Bangonan, 22, a mason; and Rolando Abing, 40, married, a laborer.
Injured were identified as Meljay Bero, 29, a laborer, and Jonathan Dispo, 38, a mason.
They were taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) here for treatment.
Tuazon said that based on initial investigation, the bridge suddenly collapsed for “unknown reason” and plunged 60 feet into the river.
Seven workers of the contractor, Bojus Sun Builders and Supply Corp., were trapped under a pile of debris.
Tuazon said they were working on the side panel using a boom truck directly below the bridge when it gave in.
Personnel of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office were dispatched to retrieve the bodies.
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