Germany now!
In some parts of the country, hundreds of firefighters and police officers were kept busy due to thunderstorms and heavy rains. Thousands of passengers have been affected by disruptions at Frankfurt Airport.
Floods, flooded basements, flight cancellations: heavy rain has affected parts of Germany. Due to rain over Frankfurt, dozens of flights were canceled at the airport there: on Wednesday evening, a large amount of water accumulated on the platform, among other things.
Many flights were canceled, flights could not depart on time or had to be redirected to other airports.
Frankfurt Airport's initial estimate was that a four-figure number of passengers were affected.
There were storms in other parts of Germany, but they did not seem to have serious consequences. In Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia, cellars flooded at night. Manhole covers were also lifted due to the massive amount of rain.
Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
Friday, August 18, 2023
Tuning into nature: Meet the Bukidnon couple pioneering syntropic farming in the country
BY JAMES TABABA
Marvi Rafael Montecillo and Rogen Montecillo, a husband and wife team, are the driving force behind the remarkable Anitu Food Forest. This passionate pair is on a mission to redefine sustainable farming and leave a positive impact on their community and environment.
Marvi ‘s great-grandparents were among the early pioneers who established a farm in a small town within Kibawe, Bukidnon during the 1950s. At that time, the area was an untouched vastness of virgin forest with old towering trees, some possibly exceeding a millennium in age, and incredibly fertile soil that inherently possessed richness without needing any further inputs. During that time, Marvi ‘s great-grandparents effortlessly cultivated and harvested coffee and cacao.
However, “That is no longer the case now, as our farming methods—although created material abundance that we are all so grateful for—was a method that is one of exploitation or extracting,” Marvi said. “…majority of native trees, coffee and cacao today have been cut down as pest and diseases infest the farms in Kibawe.”
Transition to syntropic farming
Marvi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Xavier University—Ateneo de Cagayan. His academic pursuit ignited a deep interest upon encountering the concept of syntropic or regenerative farming. According to Marvi, “Syntropic or regenerative farming is a type of farming method that takes the advice of mother nature which has created abundance all over the planet.”
Marvi further explained that “Syntropy refers to the tendency of systems to become more organized, complex, or integrated over time. In this sense, syntropy would represent the process of systems moving towards a state of greater order and organization.”
In essence, Marvi said that this can be illustrated as the transition from basic grasslands to intricate forests. By introducing human intervention, which involves actions like meticulously pruning or trimming biomass grass and densely planting numerous plants and trees, it can accelerate the pace at which growth, complexity, and abundance develop. This acceleration effectively condenses what nature might naturally accomplish in 200 years into a mere 10 to 20 years.
This innovative agricultural methodology emulates the way of nature, which has nurtured abundance throughout the planet's history. “For millions of years, life evolved from the simple one-celled microorganism and spread all over the planet into very complex ecosystems consisting of various plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, jungles, forests and even human civilizations etc.,” Marvi said.
Founding Anitu Forest
In the year 2020, Marvi entered the bonds of matrimony with his beloved partner. In collaboration with his spouse, Roge Montecillo, a recipient of the Young Farmers Challenge Program Award in the enterprise category. The Young Farmers Challenge (YFC) Start-Up is a competitive financial grant assistance program aimed at supporting young individuals or groups interested in starting new agri-fishery enterprises by providing start-up capital for profitable ventures.
Their mutual entrepreneurial spirit sparked a realization that as entrepreneurs, they are responsible for identifying solutions to various challenges. This gave birth to Anitu Forest, an endeavor driven by a mission to tackle critical issues such as deforestation, excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, insufficient cacao production in the Philippines, and the scarcity of viable employment opportunities.
Through a series of small experiments, they are determined to address these challenges by creating cacao forest farms and eventually launching a tree-to-bar chocolate company. Currently, they are crafting their chocolates at home.
Marvi and Rogen take care of various crops like coconuts, bananas, ginger, and cassava. As the tall native forest trees grow, they also plant cacao underneath. The main aim is to make yummy chocolate, so Marvi is working to bring back the trees that have always been around in this area.
Pioneering syntropic farming
Marvi and Rogen are pioneers of syntropic farming in the Philippines. While permaculture is practiced by many in the country, they are embracing syntropic farming as a way to achieve larger-scale natural agriculture that generates surplus produce, aiming to compete with conventional farming in terms of both production and cost-efficiency. According to their perspective, any method of natural farming should not only ensure the well-being of the community and the environment but also prove financially sustainable, with the ultimate goal being abundance. Given the expert assessment that much of the soil in the Philippines is severely degraded, Marvi and Rogen view syntropic farming as a potential solution to address this concern.
The couple believe that there's a disconnection between big financial institutions and their origins. They think there should be a return to the idea of "sound money" and a focus on supporting producers. They point out that in the past, things like cocoa beans and gold were used as money.
Looking at history, they've noticed that societies like Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece, Rome, and the Maya, which harmed their soil's fertility, saw their farming suffer. This often led to problems in society and the economy, eventually causing their downfall.
They consider themselves fortunate to engage in natural farming, understanding that as humans, they are an integral part of nature rather than separate from it. “With this in mind, we feel we are doing a very important job. And despite the difficulties, the feeling that we are doing something important pushes us to work harder and, hopefully, smarter,” Marvi said.
Learning syntropic farming proved to be a challenging and costly journey for Marvi and Rogen. They are grateful for the internet, which granted them access to a range of resources, including books like "Agricultura Syntropica" by Rebello and Sakamoto, written in Portuguese and translated into English. They also engaged in Facebook discussions with fellow syntropic farmers from Brazil, Australia, and Mexico. Through these avenues, they managed to amalgamate their learning and put it into practice.
While it's tempting to attribute their challenges to limited finances and lack of machinery, Marvi and Rogen recognize a more fundamental gap: the absence of knowledge and a culture that values continuous learning and knowledge accumulation.
Marvi and Rogen acknowledge the words of Ernst Gotsch, the visionary behind the synthesis of syntropic farming, and emphasize the significance of knowledge by stating, "Knowledge is the best fertilizer."
Teaching syntropic farming to the community's workers posed a significant challenge. “There are terminologies, scientific terms and phenomena that are not easily translatable to Bisaya.,” Marvi said. “But simply by doing and practicing syntropic farming, all of us, not only our workers, have slowly learned along the way.”
Although Marvi and Rogen were primarily engaged in conventional farming across most of their land, they initiated small experimental plots to practice syntropic farming. “The covid pandemic pushed us to risk a lot which actually helped us to improve faster,” Marvi said. “It was a pain to see our failed experiments die together with our false notions, but there is no way around it. We must fail in some things in order to learn and improve."
Success amidst skepticism
Despite the skepticism of nearby farmers who claim that "zero-chemical" or natural farming is unattainable due to the depleted and highly acidic soil in the area, Marvi and Rogen's farm yield presents a contrasting story. They successfully cultivate ginger, cassava, vegetables, bananas, and cacao without relying on chemical inputs.
“We believe, as time goes on, the soil fertility and biodiversity increase and our farm produce as well,” Marvi said.
Marvi and Rogen’s vision revolves around establishing a sustainable business through reforestation farming. “By making the consumers part of the reforestation process, we create a virtuous cycle where money flows from the city towards reforestation projects, and at the same time the forest provides high-quality food to people in the cities,” Marvi said.
Marvi and Rogen plan to expand their cacao forest farms, collaborating with and instructing fellow farms in the ways of syntropic farming, facilitating the growth of a craft chocolate market, and ultimately establishing a chocolate factory.
In the initial phase of their farming venture, Marvi and Rogen's aim is to demonstrate that syntropic farming is a superior method compared to conventional practices.
“This is a thesis, and only time will tell if we can show that indeed it is,” Marvi said. “Once we are able to prove it, we hope to partner with our neighbors to not only reforest our small barangay but create job opportunities and even spark a few minds who wish to engage in agri entrepreneurship.”
Within their farm, they provide consistent employment for around 10 to 15 people throughout the year. As entrepreneurs, their task involves selling their chocolates to consumers all across the Philippines, especially in urban areas. This way, they want to encourage consumers to actively participate in the reforestation process.
Vision for a sustainable future
In their perspective, the era of regenerative farming has arrived. With access to technology, machinery, equipment, and a wealth of knowledge, they recognize the potential for more effective farming practices.
Marvi and Rogen consider themselves entrepreneurs, tasked with finding solutions to challenges. They value the idea that in society, the success of one translates to success for all. This notion extends to farming, where prosperity is accessible to all farmers, and the benefits of high-quality produce are shared.
In their optimistic view, the multiplication of wealth, knowledge, and love occurs naturally as civilization progresses. They firmly hold that optimism and problem-solving can pave the way to addressing all challenges.
Life, for Marvi and Rogen, is an expedition they've chosen to embrace. “Despite a lot of unknowns and risks, this is what makes life worth living. Being a reforester and a regenerative farmer and creating a business around that is truly satisfying work.” Marvin said. “We believe in value creation, contribution to the community, and raising a family. These things make us happy.”
The next article will discuss syntropic farming, its benefits, principles, and its potential for better and more sustainable food production.
READ: Syntropic farming: A nature-inspired method of regenerative agriculture
Photo courtesy of Anitu Food Forest
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Aug 18, 2023 09:43 AM
AT A GLANCE
Poverty-stricken communities in the country should have input on how the government should pursue their development, says House Bill (HB) No.500 filed by Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte.
Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN)
Poverty-stricken communities in the country should have input on how the government pursues their development.
This was the wisdom behind House Bill (HB) No.500, which was principally filed by Davao City 1st district Rep. Paolo Duterte at the beginning of the current 19th Congress.
Duterte said this globally recognized strategy, called the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach, should be institutionalized and provided sufficient funding to ensure that underserved and remote communities are able to decide which programs and projects should be implemented to suit their needs.
“Poor and farflung communities should get a say on what should be done to alleviate poverty in their areas since they know what’s happening on the ground and what problems need urgent action. This is the true spirit of inclusive growth,” Duterte said.
“Allowing them to identify, plan, budget and implement small development projects will not only give them a sense of empowerment, but would also ensure that they maintain and sustain these projects well. Since they are involved in all the aspects of the project implementation, they would make sure that their hard work would not go to waste,” he added.
Such projects, among others, are the construction of water systems, schools, street lighting, community health centers and farm-to-market roads.
The institutionalization of the CDD strategy is provided for under HB No. 500, which the Davao solon and former deputy speaker filed with Benguet lone district Rep. Eric Yap, and ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Edvic Yap.
The bill is derived from the Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan--Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (KALAHI-CIDSS) program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), which has pioneered and sustained this World Bank-assisted initiative in selected poor municipalities in the country.
"With local government units (LGUs) expected to receive over P827 billion in 2024 as their National Tax Allotment or their share in the collection of national taxes, many cities and municipalities can well allocate a portion of this windfall to help fund CDD projects in their localities, especially once the bill becomes a law,” Duterte said.
Duterte said that to institutionalize the CDD strategy, the bill mandates that not only the DSWD, but other national government agencies and the local government units (LGUs) adopt this approach in their community-based programs.
Accredited civil society organizations and academic institutions are also encouraged to participate in facilitating technology transfers, and assisting communities in securing collaboration or funding from other institutions.
The amount needed to implement the measure shall be charged to the annual appropriations of the DSWD. To help sustain the CDD projects, the bill provides for the establishment of an endowment fund consisting of voluntary contributions, donations, grants, or loans from domestic and foreign sources, government subsidies and other income.
Jobs, jobs, and more jobs: A roadmap to end unemployment and underemployment
Aug 17, 2023 01:40 AM
Securing a job is the aspiration of the majority following years of formal education. A stable job not only sustains one’s family but instills dignity and pride to the employed. In a general picture, a country where its citizens are mostly employed is one where economic growth and communal peace can thrive.
However, not just any job will suffice. It must be stable, decent, and aligned with an individual's skills. It must also compensate the worker adequately commensurate with industry standards. The consequences of failing to meet these criteria are dire — the shadows of unemployment and underemployment loom large.
Unemployment spawns social problems, and worse, unrest among the population; while underemployment stifles progress and innovation, forcing citizens into underpaid or low-skill positions. People have no choice but risk leaving their families behind for a sliver of a chance for a financially rewarding job in strange lands.
To address this situation, the President has given his approval to the proposed Labor and Employment Plan (LEP) 2023-2028. This strategy generally is designed to create quality employment, alleviate unemployment, and combat underemployment. Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma confirmed this development after a sectoral meeting at Malacañang on Aug. 15, 2023.
The LEP has three priorities: maximizing productive, remunerative, freely chosen, quality, and sustainable job opportunities; ensuring respect for all rights at work, international commitments, and human rights; and, lastly, building an inclusive social protection for all. Laguesma noted that this plan is in line with the Eight-Point Socio-Economic Agenda of the President and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.
One of the immediate outcomes of the LEP is the plan to produce at least three million jobs for skilled and technical workers, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). These jobs are projected to be generated in the infrastructure sector for the administration’s “Build Better More” program.
“Under the LEP, there will be a review to address the benefits and the compensation of the workers,” said Laguesma.
Meanwhile, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan affirmed there are a number of big-ticket projects slated until 2028, and these are expected to produce more substantial jobs.
“Right now, we are implementing a total capital outlay budget of about ₱800 billion, and we are implementing 70,000 big and small contracts all over the country,” Bonoan said. “You can imagine the labor force that we need in terms of skilled and technical people. We are now generating over three million employment opportunities.”
With this plan, the government is urging Filipinos to consider the domestic job market before venturing abroad. Laguesma said that the LEP’s implementation is currently set for September this year, which will be formally unveiled during a national tripartite conference with an employment summit.
Having a roadmap, plan, or strategy is definitely a welcome move. But, how do we convince all the stakeholders to move in one direction? How do we truly break the chains of unemployment and underemployment that have shackled generations of Filipino workers? The hard part — and hard work — starts now.
Davao Aurora Music Festival 2023:
A spectacular fusion of finest OPM acts and Hot Air Balloon Extravaganza
Aug 17, 2023 10:59 PM
AT A GLANCE
Brace yourselves for an unprecedented extravaganza that is set to make history as the first-ever Davao Aurora Music Festival and Hot Air Balloon Display takes flight this comingOct. 28.
Davaoeños and everyone residing down south, we’re bringing you the magic of the Philippines’ largest music festival!
Brace yourselves for an unprecedented extravaganza that is set to make history as the first-ever Davao Aurora Music Festival and Hot Air Balloon Display takes flight this coming Oct. 28.
This groundbreaking event promises to captivate audiences of all ages with a mesmerizing fusion of live music from the country’s top acts, artistry, and a stunning hot-air balloon display that will leave you in awe.
Dubbed a monumental celebration of music, culture, and artistic expression, the Davao Aurora Music Festival will bring all the fun while highlighting Davao City's vibrant cultural landscape. Organized by EPIC EVENTS in collaboration with Eggstop and Mr. Machiatto, this festival is the culmination of a vision to create an experience like no other, embracing the finest local talents of today.
Prepare for electrifying performances from some of the Philippines' most beloved musical acts as the Davao Aurora Music Festival brings together an enchanting lineup headlined by Ben&Ben, Zack Tabudlo, and Adie. Music aficionados of all ages will groove to the heartwarming melodies and soulful tunes that have captivated the nation.
Furthermore, The Davao Aurora Music Festival is a family-friendly affair, open to music enthusiasts of all ages, with the condition that an adult accompanies children under three years old on a 1:1 ratio. This ensures that everyone can revel in the joy of music and creativity, fostering an atmosphere of inclusivity and togetherness.
That’s not all. The festival will proudly bring impressive hot-air balloon displays for everyone! The festival is expected to transcend the auditory senses, extending to the visual realm with a breathtaking hot air balloon display.
Embark on an adventure in the sky as majestic balloons adorned with special characters for AURORA Mode transform the atmosphere into a magical wonderland, making this event unforgettable.
Mark your calendars for Oct. 28, 2023, at Crocodile Park Concert Grounds Davao Riverfront, providing the perfect backdrop for a day of musical euphoria and awe-inspiring visuals.
Festival ticket prices are P1,000 for Gold & P3,000 for SVIP.
Tickets are expected to sell out fast! First come, first serve basis!
Tickets go on sale starting Aug. 16, 2023.
Alex Eala, Polish partner book Aldershot quarters
Aug 17, 2023 11:31 AM
AT A GLANCE
The 18-year-old seemed to be hardly feeling the fatigue after tirelessly flexing her might in the singles and doubles events for twin victories on the same day.
Fresh from winning her fourth pro title, Filipina tennis star Alex Eala scored twin victories in singles and doubles for a smashing start in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W25 Aldershot GB Pro Series on Wednesday night, Aug. 16 (Manila time), at the Aldershot Tennis Centre in Great Britain.
The 18-year-old seemed to be hardly feeling the fatigue after tirelessly flexing her might in the singles and doubles events for twin victories on the same day.
Eala advanced to the Round of 16 at the expense of hometown bet Ranah Akua Stoiber, 6-2, 6-4, then teamed up with Urzula Radwanska of Poland to beat Andre Lukosiute of Lithuania and Eliz Maloney of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-4, and secure a quarterfinals berth.
"Two good wins today! Had a lot of fun in both matches, going through to the next round in singles and semifinals in doubles tomorrow," said Eala on a Facebook post.
The Filipina-Polish duo encountered a slight hiccup in their chemistry after dropping serve four times along with four doubles faults before eventually finding rhythm en route to the victory that took an hour and a half.
However, the 2022 US Open girls champion and 32-year-old veteran Radwanska will need to play with more cohesion as they take on Japanese duo Erina Hayashi and Saki Imamura in the quarterfinals.
The Filipina bet is also on a quest for back-to-back singles titles after clinching the W25 Roehampton crown on Sunday, Aug. 13 (Manila time).
Similarly, Eala also barged into the quarterfinals of the event's doubles competition with Australian partner Destanee Aiava, where they succumbed to Aussie pair Petra Hule and Talia Gibson, 1-6, 5-7.
Interestingly, Eala is no stranger to her upcoming opponent in the singles event of the W25 Aldershot as she arranged another meeting with Gibson also on Thursday, Aug. 17 (Manila time) for a quarterfinals seat.
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