2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

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Director Silvino Q. Tejada, Philippine Focal Point to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), headed the Philippine delegation to the ninth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) held on Sep- tember 19-October 02, 2009 at the Hilton Buenos Aires in Argentina. The conference agenda fo- cused on key issues related to the Convention’s 10-year Strategic Plan and Framework 2008-2018, also called “The Strategy.” The need to strengthen strategic partnerships with the other UN Conventions and the convergence of actions of relevant organizations and specialized agen- cies to prevent desertification and land degradation was emphasized. This was the first COP since the adoption of “The Strategy” in 2007. BSWM UPDATE THE SOIL IS THE FOUNDATION OF AGRICULTURE Volume 2, Issue 4 October-December 2009 BUREAU OF SOILS AND WATER MANAGEMENT Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City BSWM Celebrates World Food Day The Philippine contingent to the UNCCD COP 9 together with Embassy Officials in Argentina (left to right): Consul Arvin R. De Leon, Mr. Isagani R. Serrano, Dr. William D. Dar, Ambassador Rey A. Carandang, Dir. Silvino Q. Tejada, Dr. Lauro G. Hernandez, and Engr. Samuel M. Contreras. Tejada Heads Philippine Contingent to UNCCD COP9 In conjunction with the COP 9, the Committee on Science and Techno- logy (CST), chaired by Dr. William D. Dar, former DA Secretary and current ICRISAT Director General, also con- vened the first Scientific Conference. The conference discussed the biophysi- cal and socio-economic indicators for assessment and monitoring of desertifi- cation and land degradation, to support decision-making in land and water ma- nagement. (Continued on page 11) Holds tree planting activity The Bureau of Soils and Water Man- agement (BSWM) paid tribute to the environ- ment as it celebrated World Food Day 2009 with a tree planting activity last October 22, 2009 at Bgy. Maasin, Talugtug, Nueva Ecija. Embarking on its theme “ACHIEVING FOOD SECURITY IN TIME OF CRISIS,” the BSWM headed by Director Silvino Q. Tejada, is mounting efforts to be part of the fight against global warming by embracing the “Tree Planting Program” as a regular activity of the bureau. Be- fore the Talugtug tree planting activity, BSWM has done several tree planting sorties in the prov- ince of Pangasinan (Dasol), Bataan (Limay), Rizal (Tanay) and Bulacan (San Ildefonso). During the activity, the local govern- ment of Talugtog, Nueva Ecija headed by Honor- able Mayor Pacifico B. Monta and Vice Mayor Reynaldo C. Cachuela provided a strong collabo- ration and partnership with the BSWM contribut- ing to the success of the activity. The Bureau of Plant Industry and RFU III provided the seedlings. The BSWM’s decision to widen its tree planting activity into a nationwide and year-long program shows going green has become an indis- pensable element in its “Caring for the Environ- The tree planting site in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija. ment Program” and support the BSWM advocacy that planting trees will surely contribute to its efforts to guarantee food sustenance, proper nutrition and to support the Department of Agriculture’s crusade for environmental and ecosystem restoration at the same time address the issue of Climate Change and Global Warming. With the BSWM move to make the tree planting as a year-round activity of the bureau, Dir. Tejada thinks that it will be key advocacy efforts to get Filipinos to plant trees. Quoting from his mes- sage; "We are hoping that the BSWM green advocacy will be contagious and that the other government in- stitutions as well as private corporations will do the same." (Continued on page 12)

Transcript of 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 1: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Director Silvino Q. Tejada, Philippine Focal Point to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), headed the Philippine delegation to the ninth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) held on Sep-tember 19-October 02, 2009 at the Hilton Buenos Aires in Argentina.

The conference agenda fo-cused on key issues related to the Convention’s 10-year Strategic Plan and Framework 2008-2018, also called “The Strategy.” The need to strengthen strategic partnerships with the other UN Conventions and the convergence of actions of relevant organizations and specialized agen-cies to prevent desertification and land degradation was emphasized. This was the first COP since the adoption of “The Strategy” in 2007.

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BSWM Celebrates World Food Day

The  Philippine  contingent  to  the  UNCCD  COP  9  together  with   Embassy Officials  in  Argentina  (left  to  right):  Consul  Arvin  R.  De Leon, Mr.  Isagani R. Serrano, Dr. William D. Dar, Ambassador Rey A. Carandang, Dir. Silvino Q. Tejada, Dr. Lauro G. Hernandez, and Engr. Samuel M. Contreras.  

Tejada Heads Philippine Contingent to

UNCCD COP9

In conjunction with the COP 9, the Committee on Science and Techno- logy (CST), chaired by Dr. William D. Dar, former DA Secretary and current ICRISAT Director General, also con-vened the first Scientific Conference. The conference discussed the biophysi-cal and socio-economic indicators for assessment and monitoring of desertifi-cation and land degradation, to support decision-making in land and water ma- nagement.

(Continued on page 11)

Holds tree planting activity The Bureau of Soils and Water Man-

agement (BSWM) paid tribute to the environ-ment as it celebrated World Food Day 2009 with a tree planting activity last October 22, 2009 at Bgy. Maasin, Talugtug, Nueva Ecija.

Embarking on its theme “ACHIEVING

FOOD SECURITY IN TIME OF CRISIS,” the BSWM headed by Director Silvino Q. Tejada, is mounting efforts to be part of the fight against global warming by embracing the “Tree Planting Program” as a regular activity of the bureau. Be-fore the Talugtug tree planting activity, BSWM has done several tree planting sorties in the prov-ince of Pangasinan (Dasol), Bataan (Limay), Rizal (Tanay) and Bulacan (San Ildefonso).

During the activity, the local govern-

ment of Talugtog, Nueva Ecija headed by Honor-able Mayor Pacifico B. Monta and Vice Mayor Reynaldo C. Cachuela provided a strong collabo-ration and partnership with the BSWM contribut-ing to the success of the activity. The Bureau of Plant Industry and RFU III provided the seedlings.

The BSWM’s decision to widen its tree

planting activity into a nationwide and year-long program shows going green has become an indis-pensable element in its “Caring for the Environ-

The tree planting site in Talugtug, Nueva Ecija. 

ment Program” and support the BSWM advocacy that planting trees will surely contribute to its efforts to guarantee food sustenance, proper nutrition and to support the Department of Agriculture’s crusade for environmental and ecosystem restoration at the same time address the issue of Climate Change and Global Warming.

With the BSWM move to make the tree

planting as a year-round activity of the bureau, Dir. Tejada thinks that it will be key advocacy efforts to get Filipinos to plant trees. Quoting from his mes-sage; "We are hoping that the BSWM green advocacy will be contagious and that the other government in-stitutions as well as private corporations will do the same."

(Continued on page 12)

Page 2: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 2 BSWM Update

Mr. Rodelio B. Carating, Senior Science Research Specialist at ISRIS and Technical As-sistant to the Director, presented The Philippine Soil Information System (PHILSIS): GIS-Assisted Agricultural Productivity Monitoring and Disaster Risk Assessment during the Symposia-2 (Asia-Centric Soil Informatics), on the occasion of the 9th International Conference, East and Southeast Asia Federation of Soil Science Societies (ESAFS9) held at Olympic Parktel, Seoul, Korea, October 28, 2009. Mr. Carating traced PHILSIS historical development beginning with the time of Dr. Shoichi Tokudome in the early 90’s as part of the first 5-year tech-nical cooperation with Japan Interna-tional Cooperation Agency (JICA) when SIS was still mainframe-based until the third 5-year technical cooperation that ended in 2005 during the time of Dr. Toshiaki Ohkura and later on Dr. Hiro-shi Obara when BSWM has migrated from mainframe to desktop and local area networking when the SIS was merged with Agricultural Land Re-sources Information System (ARIS) and the Water Resources Information Sys-

Angelita C. Marcia of the Soil and Water Resources Research Division presented her paper entitled “Production of

Vermicompost from Various Biodegradable Waste Materials and Its Utilization for Selected Vegetables” in the 2nd Interna-tional Symposium on Vermi Technologies held at University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV), Iloilo, last November 24-26, 2009.

With the growing interest on vermicomposting and vermiculture and with the increasing numbers of local practices, experi-ences and results of studies, the UPV initiated this activity to bring together stakeholders and advocates to discuss and share their vermi-related stories. It was attended by 130 foreign and local participants, from SCUs, LGUs, DA regional and national offices, private companies from the Philippines and Canada. The symposium provided updates on the practices, researches, experiences and impacts of vermi technologies. About 21 papers were presented during the two-day symposium.

The evening session on the first day, was highlighted by a tribute to Dr. Rafael Guerrero III for his contributions to the

vemi technologies in the Philippines as Vermi Guru. He gave his inspirational message and stressed that the vermiculture industry with a clear direction and definite purpose will continue to grow and increase in value. The third day of the symposium was a field trip to Bacolod City. The Henarez’ Farm in Tali-say, Bacolod City was visited. The farm showcases the or-ganic farming technologies they are practicing that included vermicomposting and the preparation of different concoctions. There was also an exhibit of organically grown products in the Provincial Capitol of Bacolod City, where the participants of the ISVT were able to buy their “pasalubongs.” The symposium was hosted by the University of the Philippines Visayas with Prof. Malou J. Ang Lopez, as the Lead Convenor.

Angelita G. Marcia

Carating Presents PHILSIS at ESAFS9 tem (WARIS) into what is now known as the Agricultural Re-sources Informa-tion Systems (ARIS). He then toured his audi-ence on the ma-jor features of ARIS with spe-cial emphasis on the soil morpho-logical, physical, and chemical data and the inter-face with the spa-tial data. ARIS has three sub-systems – Data, Model, and Query. Finally, he discussed future directions and projects relevant to the advancement of soil in-formatics in the Philippines. Dr. Danilo Mendoza of UPLB-Biotech represented the Philippine Soci-ety of Soil Science and Technology (PSSST). There were five other Filipi-nos who attended the ESAFS9 including the Aggangan couple from PCARRD

and UPLB-Biotech, respectively and three graduate students (two from Seoul, Korea and one from Hokkaido, Japan). The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) and the Philip-pine Society of Soil Science and Tech-nology (PSSST) hosted ESAFS7 in 2005 while the Sri Lankan Soil Science Society will host ESAFS10 in 2011.

Rodel B. Carating

Souvenir group photo at Pit number 3‐Bongnam Series during the second day of the field tour.  

Vermi Confab Includes Marcia’s Paper

Angelita Marcia poses with the Philippines’ Vermi Guru, Dr. Rafael Guerrero and the country’s Vermi Queen,  Prof. Malou Ang Lopez.  

Page 3: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

October - December 2009 Page 3

Bureau of Soils and

Water Management Director Silvino Q. Tejada inaugurated various Small-Scale Irrigation Projects (SSIPs) within the 2nd Congressional District of the province of Quezon on Novem-ber 18, 2009 in support to the hunger mitigation and food security program of the gov-ernment.

The Small Water Im-

pounding Projects (SWIPs) were located in Sta. Catalina Norte, Municipality of Candelaria, Aquino in Tiaong, Talaan-Pantoc, Sariaya and Callejon, Municipality of San Antonio. The affair was attended by Director Tejada, Representative Proceso Alcala of the 2nd district of Quezon, lo-cal executives headed by Mayors Ferdi-nand R. Maliwanag of Candelaria, Raul S. Umali of Tiaong, Rosario V. Masi-lang of Sariaya and Ariel M. Wangan Jr. of San Antonio. Also present in the oc-casion are members of the Sanguniang Bayan, municipal employees, barangay leaders and local farmers who are direct beneficiaries of the project.

Director Tejada emphasized the importance of good partnership of the national and local government units in the implementation of development pro-jects in addressing poverty and ensure food security thereby uplifting the eco-nomic well being of the people in the rural areas. “We should work together harmoniously and let us make use of our available resources to confront these concerns to make life better for our

Tejada inaugurates SSIPs in Quezon OFPP Update

As part of the continuing implementation of the Organic Fertilizer Production Project (OFPP), the Bureau handed out Community-based Composting Facilities (CBCF) and conducted trainings to different parts of the country.

CARAGA REGION

Eighty six (86) units were delivered in five (5) sites, namely: Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, Tan-dag, Surigao del Sur and Surigao City, Surigao del Norte. Hands on Training on Organic Fertilizer Pro-duction (Vermi Production Technol-ogy) were conducted on four (4) oc-casions: Cortez, Surigao del Norte, Trento, Agusan del Sur and two (2) in Northern Mindanao State Institute of Science and Technology in Am-payon, Butuan City. Speakers were Fr. Glenn Melo, an advocate of Or-ganic Fertilizer specifically Vermi-composting, Dr. Escolastico A. Ca-gatin of CARAGA Integrated Agricultural Research Center (CARIARC), Dr. Boyles, NORMISIST and Mrs. Clarita D. Bacatio, SWAC, CARAGA Region. CALABARZON

The awarding and turn-over ceremony of CBCF which included four unit shredder machine and two compost tea brewers was done in STIARC, Lipa City, Batangas last December 4, 2009. Quezon Prov-ince, on the other hand, received 20 packages of CBCF last November 11, 2009, at the Quezon Agricultural Experiment Station in Tiaong, Que-zon. About 21 packages were given to the Province of Laguna during the awarding ceremony held last No-vember 20, 2009 at DA-RFU IV-A Provincial Office, Callos, Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

Ariel Almeda Clarita D. Bacatio

Director Tejada together with Rep. Proceso Alcala inau‐gurates Sta. Catalina Norte SWIP in Candelaria, Quezon. 

countrymen,” Tejada added. On the other hand, Congress-

man Alcala extended his gratitude to Director Tejada and to the Department of Agriculture as a whole for supporting the 2nd District of Quezon by providing the necessary funds that triggered the realization of these projects. He also mentioned that this type of project should be given priority by the national government as it provides direct and immediate positive economic impact in the rural communities.

The projects were implemented

thru a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Local Government Units (LGUs) thru the initiative of Con-gressman Alcala. The LGUs, barangay officials and farmer-beneficiaries also expressed their gratefulness as the pro-ject will improve the management and operation of their irrigation systems.

Diosdado M. Manalus

Manguerra attends ITC alumni conference Juliet Manguerra of the Inte-grated Soil Resources Information Ser-vice (ISRIS) Group attended the Holland Alumni Conference held last November 5-6, 2009 at the Bel Air Hotel at The Hague in Holland. Organized by the Netherlands Organization for International Coopera-tion in Higher Education (Nuffic), the two-day conference gathered alumni from over 70 countries and got them reconnected with each other and their institute and share the knowledge on current themes in seven different areas of expertise. Sessions and a workshops entitled “Capacity Development Needs in Geosciences; trends, gaps and

scenarios for improvement” were held.

Manguerra was a former Nuffic scholar at the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC).

LJ Alcantara

Juliet Manguerra with the participants of the Geosciences session at The Hague. 

Page 4: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 4 BSWM Update

A regional as-sessment on the estab-lishment of Commu-nity Based Composting Facilities (CBCF) and training on organic farming and vermicul-ture/composting were held last November 30 to December 1 at Sitio Aning Brgy. Pahano-coy, Bacolod City. The Bureau’s Soil and Water Ac-tion Coordinators (SWACs) and other personnel involved in the CBCF project attended the said training.

Accomplishment reports by the SWACs on the composting facilities distributed, Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) launched and trainings conducted were fin-ished on the first day. The second day was devoted to lectures/trainings and field tours which enhanced the capacity of the SWACs in the establishment of the CBCF in their respective re-gions. Vermiculture and Natural Farming System (NFS) were also

Salandanan, SWRRD conduct echo seminar on organic farming A seminar on “Laying the Grounds for Organic Agriculture Re-search at BSWM’s Soil and Water R & D Centers” was conducted by Ms. Karen Salandanan last October 26, 2009 at the BSWM Lecture Room 2. It was partici-pated in by researchers and division chiefs of the Bureau headed by Assistant Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon. Ms. Salandanan conducted the activity through the initiative of Dr. Edna Samar, Division Chief of SWRRD, as an echo seminar of her previously attended train-ing on “Organic Inspection for Crop Production“ at Benguet State University, Baguio City last September 1 – 4, 2009. Ms. Salandanan acquired the training that was conducted by the Or-ganic Certification Center of the Philip-pines (OCCP), an independent, private membership-based organic standard setting and organic certification body in the Philippines. Basically, the training aims to equip the participants with knowledge and skills on inspecting or-ganic farms. At the end of the training session, given that the participant passed the examination, only then he/she can become a certified inspector of organic farms. The BSWM’s very own Karen Salandanan ranked 2nd on the said quali-fying exam. During the echo seminar, Ms. Salandanan proposed for the preparation of the Bureau’s own organic farm on each of the BSWM Research Station. She also added that having a certified organic farm on the said stations com-plements to the Bureau’s mandate like-wise to the advocacy of the Department of Agriculture on organic farming. Moreover, this is considered as a long-term monitoring and evaluation activity for the Bureau as its commitment on land preparation requires approximately 10 years and beyond in addition to con-formity of standards of the OCCP prior to the issuance of certification. The SWRRD will spearhead the follow up activity of the seminar which includes the initial assessment of land on Center Stations and planning with Center Chiefs regarding proper allocation of the area for a participatory approach in the implementation of the activity.

Karen Salandanan

BSWM holds assessment on CBCF establishment,

training on organic farming

discussed during the lectures. NFS included the preparation of fermented extracts from local ma-terials which can be used by farmers as material inputs in or-ganic agriculture. These were In-digenous Microorganisms (IMO), Fermented Plant Juice (FPJ), Fer-mented Fruit Juice (FFJ), Fish Amino Acid (FAA), Kuhol Amino Acid (KAA) and Oriental Herbal Nutrient (OHN). The group visited different organic farms like the Biogas System in Brgy. Tabunan, Bago City, and the GK Demo Farm and vermi-composting farm in Brgy. Sum-ag, Bacolod City. The field tour also included the organic fertil-izer production farm in Hacienda

Maquina in Silay City. The operation and proper maintenance of the other components of the composting fa-cility package like the shredders and the Vermi Tea Brewer were demonstrated. Uses and effects of vermi tea to crops were also discussed.

Feriola Serrano

Soil  and Water  Action  Coordinators  (SWACs)  in  one  of  the trainings held  in Bacolod (top photo) and  in the field (above) for the community based composting facility establishment. 

Page 5: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

October - December 2009 Page 5

Engr. Imelida C. Genson is back after joining a one-year Visiting Research Fellowship Program of the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS) from October 2008 – September 2009 in Oki-nawa, Japan.

Together with Dr Yoshiko Ii-zumi, they conducted a research on wa-tershed evaluation using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to estimate the impact of land manage-ment on water sediment and nutrient transport from agricultural watersheds. The research aimed to identify the input requirements to the model and to test the

applicability of the model to two watersheds in Japan and in the Philippines. During her stay, Engr Genson calibrated the model in the Todoroki Wa-tershed of Ishigaki Island wherein the major land use was sugarcane. For this watershed, the model was used to assess different nutrient management scenarios in sugar-cane production and their adverse im-pact on groundwater sources. The Ina-banga Watershed in Bohol Island was used as the experimental site for water-shed in the Philippines. For this applica-tion, Genson used the SWAT model in Upper Inabanga Watershed so as to ex-amine the possible impact of land use changes and the availability of water to the existing irrigation systems of Mali-nao Dam and Bayungan Dam in Bohol Island. Results of the model run showed importance on the water allocation pro-grams of the two systems.

Research training at JIRCAS has increased the technical capability of the Water Resources Management Divi-sion in watershed management aspect which is very vital in irrigation projects. According to Engr. Genson, “such tools as GIS and watershed models are pro-gressively useful in resource manage-ment and therefore should be harnessed for a proper watershed management.”

Meanwhile, Arnaldo B. Alva-rez finished his Japan stint that ran from October 5 to November 15, 2009 upon the invitation of JIRCAS to make a re-search study on the “Evaluation of Yield

Mr. Alvarez doing soil sampling within the lysimeters . 

Engr Genson posed with her poster presentation during  the  Japan Geographers Association Con‐ference in Tokyo.  

Genson, Alvarez back after research study in Japan

Increasing Effect on Nitrogen Leaching Reduction.”

Together with his counterparts

Shinkichi Goto and Dr.Kiyoshi Ozawa, they were able to finish the study on the influence of cropping system against the water application and effect of pigeon pea on nitrogen leaching by collecting soil samples using the lysimeters. As explained by Alvarez, their study showed that there is significant differ-ence on the amount of nitrogen content between mix dry (corn+ pigeon pea) and single dry (corn only) treatments and the result of NO3 N in percolated water and the total N in soil for mix and single cropping. Therefore, intercropping corn with pigeon pea had a positive effect on the amount of nitrogen level in the soil resulting to low yield for corn. Water application tends to influence nitrate leaching, the higher the water applica-tion the higher nitrate leaching. High yield and low nitrate leaching can be achieved by appropriate water applica-tion, fertilizer management and appropri-ate cropping system.

Leilani G. Naga

The Association of Government Internal Audi-tors (AGIA) conducted its Annual National Convention cum Seminar with this year’s theme: “Sustaining Good Governance through Internal Auditing,” held at Marco Polo Hotel, Davao City last Oct. 5 to 9, 2009. Mrs. Janet Operario and Mrs. Zenybel V. Santos of BSWM partici-pated in the said event.

Topics discussed were Best Practices in Local Governance; The New Pag-ibig Law; Presidential Anti-Graft Commission’s (PAGC’s) Role in Good Govern-ance; The CSC’s Role on the Professionalism of Govern-ment Internal Auditors; COA Pre-Audit: Its Impact on Good Governance; Management of IT Auditing; Good Governance and National Security; and Quality Manage-ment System. Technical sessions, discourses and plenary sessions on current issues in governance and internal au-diting dominated the three day affair. Election was also held as all members of the AGIA were eligible to nomi-nate and cast their votes.

Janet Operario

AGIA convenes in Davao

BSWM’s Janet Operario and Zenybel Santos, together with the AGIA members, flank Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City. 

Page 6: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 6 BSWM Update

Honoring October celebrants, the

SWRRD way

“It was very extraordinary. It was fun.” This was all Josefina Creencia could utter as she was treated, along with other October celebrants, in a Rooftop Vege-table Garden Harvest Festival. The event was held last October 6, 2009 to kick off a month-long SWRRD celebration. The well-attended event with the theme “BSWM Rooftop Integrated Urban Gar-den: Organikong Paghahalaman sa Syu-dad sa Gamit na Materyal para sa Ka-busugan, Kalusugan, Kagalingan at Ka-buhayan,” was aimed to showcase how anyone can easily grow healthy vegeta-bles in pots and other recyclable materi-als in the city, especially if growing space is limited. The BSWM rooftop garden featured different kinds of vegetables as well as medicinal and culinary herbs grown organically using spent mushroom sub-strates, vermicompost and chicken ma-

Rooftop Vegetable Garden Harvest Festival

It's a mad dash as the participants proceed to harvest the freshest,  healthiest organically‐grown vegetables in the rooftop garden (above and bottom right). 

nure as organic fertilizers. The October celebrants along with Asst. Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon, BSWM Division Chiefs and Unit Heads graced the said event.

Participants were given a grand time harvesting organic vegetables such as radish, upland kangkong, lettuce, jute and alugbati. Fresh oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) grown on different agricultural wastes were also available on hand for harvest-ing. They enjoyed sipping organic pandan and lemon grass-flavored Moringa tea served two ways - hot and cold. They were also presented giveaways of fresh mushrooms, Moringa and green tea bags, fresh lettuce from Tanay Station, Moringa

and green tea seedlings,

vermicompost, and assorted vegetable seeds requested from BPI. As part of the festivities, the SWRRD has also conducted a seminar series on urban gardening for interested BSWM personnel featuring the technologies being promoted by the division in sup-port to Organic Agriculture and Vegeta-ble Gardening (Section 12 of E.O. 774). These included Indigenous and High-Value Commercial Vegetable Produc-tion by Apolinario Carandang (Oct. 5); Mushroom Cultivation by Jacqueline Rojales (Oct. 12); Medicinal and Culi-nary Herbs Production by Nora de Leon (Oct. 19) and Vermicomposting by An-gelita Marcia (Oct. 26).

Jacqueline Rojales Dr. Edna Samar

Asst. Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon (top) enjoys his pandan and lemon grass‐flavored Moringa tea while Dr. Edna Samar (above) welcomes visitors and October celebrants during the Harvest Festival at the BSWM Rooftop Garden. 

Page 7: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

October - December 2009 Page 7

Altogether, maintain-ing an urban garden provides organic and fresh vegetables for the family while pro-moting health and wellness, providing livelihood and con-tributing to solid waste management.

Making the most out of limited space

Mushroom culture of Pleurotus spp (oyster type) and the use of spent mushroom substrates as organic ma-terial for high value vegetables such as radish, mus-tard, green tea, eggplant, sunflower, ginger and up-land kangkong.

Organic production of indigenous and high value commercial vegetables using chicken manure and vermicompost. The indige-nous vegetables include alugbati, moringa and katuray. On the other hand, the high- value vegetables include lettuce, ginger and mustard.

Production of vermicompost and its utilization to selected vegetables. Using African night crawler for composting of grass trimmings and animal manures, the vermicompost are tested in okra and lettuce.

Culinary herbs and medicinal plant gardening using various recyclable con-tainers such as crates, plastic bottles and used pails. The culinary herbs in-clude basil, garlic, rosemary, stevia and tarragon, among others. They add flavor and spice to organic vegetables produced from the garden. On the other hand, the medicinal plants include lagundi, niog-niogan, sambong, tsaang-gubat, serpentina and ulasimang bato. Known for various medicinal use, maintaining them in the garden is similar to having a “ botika sa ba-kuran.”

Hydroponics of lettuce in conventional and inclined layout as alternative space-saving technology designed for limited urban spaces.

Drip irrigation as soil and water saving technologies in rooftop urban gardening.

Features of the urban garden

Page 8: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 8 BSWM Update

The Department of Agricul-ture has signified its support to the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. in its Ba-yan ni Juan sa Calauan and Kapit Bisig sa Ilog Pasig Projects through the provision of agreed interventions for livelihood. With its primary concern fo-cused on the sourcing of support for the livelihood of every family, ABS-CBN Foundation stepped in and coordinated with the Department of Agriculture through DA-HVCC Director Rene Rafael C. Espino. After several consulta-tive meetings with the BFAR, RFU IV-A, BSWM, and the foundation, the final

DA agencies strengthen Bayan ni Juan livelihood programs

interventions were the provision of inputs on fruits, vegetables and herbs production, fish culture, ver-micomposting and organic farming. This joint undertaking was highlighted by the MOA signing between the De-

partment of Agriculture and the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. held last Decem-ber 15, 2009 at the Southville Bayan ni Juan in Brgy. Dayap, in Calauan, La-guna. Secretary Arthur C. Yap repre-sented the DA and Ms. Gina L. Lopez for the ABS-CBN Foundation. This was witnessed by Region IV-A Director, Assistant Secretary Dennis Araullo and BSWM Director Silvino Q.Tejada. Dis-tribution of seeds and seedlings from RFU IV-A and the handing out of fin-gerlings from BFAR capped off the day’s event. The com-

posting facility was provided by the Bu-reau of Soils and Water Management which includes a package of one shred-der, two compost tea brewer, three vermi beds, and 15 kilos of African night crawler (ANC) or the vermicom-posting worms. The facility was for-mally turned-over by Director Silvino Q. Tejada. This facility was integrated in the community’s material recovery facil-ity (MRF). The vermicompost as prod-uct of this CBCF will be used in their vegetable gardens. Ms. Gina L. Lopez extended her heartfelt appreciation and thanked the DA family for their support and gave assurance that these interventions will help every family improve their lives. The cooperators laid their hands together to symbolize cooperation and success and shouted “sa Bayan ni Juan lahat ay sama-sama, magkakapit-bisig, walang iwanan.”

Angelita C. Marcia

The Bayan ni Juan sa Calauan is a relocation area for households along the Pasig River and its tributaries in Paco and Makati. The area was formerly an NHA housing project during the time of former President Joseph Estrada and was abandoned for many years. Now, it is the home of the relocated people from the metropolis and is being rehabilitated by the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.

Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap tests the shredder from BSWM (top) while Ms. Gina Lopez (above) talks to Secretary Yap and Director Tejada about Vermiculture. 

Page 9: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

October - December 2009 Page 9

Vermicomposting 101 The practice of vermiculture is at least a century old and it is now being re-vived worldwide with diverse ecological objectives such as waste management, soil detoxification and regeneration for sustainable agriculture. The Soil and Water Resources Research Division took the initiative in 2006 to conduct research on vermicomposting in compliance with RA 9003, an act of pro-viding for an ecological solid waste management program. There was a surplus of bio-degradable wastes in the mushroom production during that year and was used as initial substrates for vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is the process of producing organic fertilizer (vermicompost) from bio-degradable materials with earthworms. It is the combined activity of microorganisms and earthworms. Vermiculture is the culture of worms. The goal is to continually increase the number of worms in order to obtain a sustainable harvest. A population density of 1 kg/m2 may be followed to provide earthworms to reproduce. There are essential requirements for vermicomposting that should be consid-ered. These are the bedding, worm food, moisture, aeration and the temperature. The bedding should have the characteristics of high absorbency, good bulking potential and degradation should be slow. These bedding materials will also be eaten by earth-worms and should be combined with other materials rich in nitrogen. The ideal moisture content is 70-80% so that earthworms will have enough air in the bedding. Less than 50% of the moisture may be critical for earthworms be-cause some of the materials may adhere and cause bruises to the skin of the earth-worms. Worms will not survive in an anaerobic condition and above 35°C they will leave the area or die.

Some of the pests that should be observed in the bed are ants and centipedes. Agricultural chemicals are deadly to earthworms. Too much protein in the bedding may increase acidity in the bedding and further result to poisoning.

The BSWM used the recycled fruit crates as bed for vermicomposting. The African Night Crawler (ANC), Eudrilus eugeniae (Kin) species was used as the vermicomposting worms. It is located in the shaded area of the greenhouse. The following are the steps followed, (photos of the procedure are seen from top to bottom): 1. Gathering of biodegradable wastes

materials (spent mushroom sub-strates, garden trimmings, market wastes, kitchen left overs)

2. Partially decomposition for 10-15 days or until such time that the tem-perature of the material subsided. Recycled crates can accommodate three kilos of chopped dried materi-als. For a 1 sq. meter vermi bed, 30 kilos of wastes for one kilo earth-worm may be followed.

3. Worms are introduced to partially decomposed materials. 50 pieces of earthworms were used for each crate.

4. Vermicomposting last for 30-45

days depending on the materials used.

5. The vermicompost is ready for har-vest when small black granules all over the pile appear and that chopped grasses are no longer visible.

There are several ways to harvest vermi-compost. These are the manual method, self harvesting/migration method and the mechanical method. The BSWM used the manual method of harvesting since counting of earthworms was done. Those collected worms were transferred to newly prepared crates with partially decomposed materials. The manner of harvesting depends on the size of opera-tion. The usual method used is the mi-gration method to minimize mortality on the earthworms like in the mechanical method. The collected vermicomposts were used in the vegetable production. Initial crops were lettuce and okra planted in pots and field condition.

The BSWM Experiment

by Angelita C. Marcia

Page 10: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 10 BSWM Update

2009 was a busy year for the Soil Survey Division (SSD). Aside from its regular soil survey, classification and mapping activities, the division has added up another workload under its roof: Soil Fertility Mapping (SFM).

SFM, a support activity to the

National Agri-Kalikasan Program, pri-marily aims to assist the Local Govern-ment Unit (LGU) in coming up with a soil-based data in the formulation of a sound fertilization program. Secondly, the assessment of the current level of macro-elements (OM, P, K) including pH and micro-elements like zinc, iron and manganese and determination of soil texture were done thru SFM. Every SFM activity produces its corresponding Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Guide Maps and report. For this year, two municipalities: Nasugbu in Batangas and Batac in Ilocos Norte, had been completed. Out-

Soil fertility sampling from rice growing 

areas in Iloilo Province. 

It was a momentous event when the Soil Survey Division and the BSWM Family paid tribute to one of its colleagues, Mr. Virgilio E. Castañeda.

A hard-working employee of

the BSWM’s Soil Survey Division, Mang Ver celebrated his retirement with a tribute for him on November 27, 2009 at the upper dining area of the BSWM canteen. The occasion was well attended by friends and colleagues with whom Mang Ver has closely worked with over the years. The program started with a prayer led by Ms. Tess Aviso. The open-ing remarks was given by Ms. Claire Bacatio, Soil Survey OIC, followed by a video presentation of Mang Ver’s life at the BSWM. A special message was de-livered by Asst. Director Willie Cabezon in lieu of Director Tejada. Testimonials were given by the division chiefs, Mr. Boyet Ramos and Engr. Arnulfo Gesite and staff of the Soil Survey Division particularly, Ms. Gene Briones and Ms. Lita Incillo. Mang Ver’s family was also present during the occasion. Soil Survey staff handed him a rocking chair which symbolizes a relaxed life after retire-ment.

Mang Ver started his career at BSWM as a member of the Soils and Water Research Division handling the Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Philippine Soils Project on August 12, 1970. On August 1, 1978, he briefly

SSD ends 2009 on a high note

puts in the form of Soil Fertility and Fertilizer Guide Maps and report were submitted to the client/Local Government Units (LGUs). Soil Fertility Map shows the spatial distribution of the fertility level of a given area while Fertilizer Guide map shows the right time, kind and amount of fertilizer to be applied. Rice and corn areas in Sultan Kudarat Prov-ince, Region 12, Maguindanao, ARMM and Iloilo Province in Region 6 have been started and to be carried out in early 2010.

Meanwhile, the Division con-

ducted Soil Survey Classification and Mapping in Gigaquit, Surigao Del Norte and Linamon, Lanao Del Norte. This is in connection with the BSWM, acting as partner agency of the Mindanao Rural Development Project2 (MRDP2), spe-

cifically the Natural Resources Manage-ment (NRM) component.

SSD also projects 2010 to be a

busy year again. Updating of the Strate-gic Agriculture and Fishery Develop-ment Zone (SAFDZ) will demand ample time while the division continues the Soil Fertility Mapping activities.

Clarita D. Bacatio

Soil Survey pays tribute to Mang Ver joined the ALMED Division before transferring to the Soil Survey Division from March 3, 1981 up to the time of his retirement to which he dedicated his whole life in contributing to the endeav-ors of the Bureau in promoting a sustain-able agriculture based on organic farm-ing practices. He was very active in the collaborative projects to which he was conferred awards in recognition of his exemplary work and contributions to the activities of the bureau. He was also one of the contributors to the collection and curation of the soil monoliths displayed in the BSWM Soil Museum.

Mang Ver is a person of great knowledge and brilliant ideas when it comes to topics relating to soil fertility improvement. Utilizing the latest tech-nology in soil analysis and fertility rec-ommendations, he spent his remaining years at the Bureau working on field locations from the remotest areas in Mindanao to the blistering heat of rice areas of Ilocos, gathering field data and soil samples. Despite the hazards of fieldwork such as exposure to extreme weather conditions and the dangers of being abducted by criminal elements in remote areas, he braved them all in order to come up with soil reports that are valuable to researchers from the aca-deme or to a common farmer who needs recommendations for his farm. The life of a field man is compared to a soldier going into battle. He is selfless but pas-sionate about his work. He saves nothing

for himself and is not selfish in sharing the knowledge he possesses. This only shows how ordinary people like Mang Ver, insignificant as he may seem com-pared to the problems facing the agricul-ture sector, could contribute to the up-liftment of its tarnished image. In his own little way, he was able to provide inspiration to his peers who will remain to continue the work and the legacy he left behind.

Soil Survey Staff

Page 11: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

October - December 2009 Page 11

Evaluators laud SWRRD

studies Two of the Soil and Water Resources Research Division (SWRRD) R & D studies solicited im-mediate response from the technical evaluators prior to its scheduled im-plementation on last quarter of 2009 during the 1st Review Meeting of the Research and Development Studies committee, headed by Asst. Director Wilfredo E. Cabezon, last September 16, 2009 at the BSWM Lecture Room 2. “Organic-based Fertilization of Green Corn Varieties under Different Major Soil Types in the Philippines” of Mr. Leonardo De Leon and “Field Screening and Selection of High-Yielding Mung-bean Mutants Tolerant to Acid Soil Con-ditions” of Dr. Edna Samar got the nod of evaluators while Ms. Angelita Marcia’s “Production of Vermicompost from Various Biodegradable Waste Ma-terials and Its Utilization for Vegetable Production” was qualified for presenta-tion on the 21st NRS Symposium by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR). SWRRD Head Dr. Samar encouraged the submission of more R & D papers. According to her, this is the 1st step for more research events and activities that will be participated in by the Bureau.

Jenny Anne Perlado

The United Nations Frame-work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) introduces the Colorado State University Agricul-tural Land Use (ALU) software as part of the Regional Capacity Build-ing Project for Sustainable National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Manage-ment System in Southeast Asia or the SEA GHG Project last October 20-23, 2009 at the Astoria Plaza Ho-tel in Ortigas, Pasig City.

Part of the three-day training was a workshop aimed at conducting hands on training in the use of the United States Environmental Protec-tion Agency (USEPA) - ALU soft-

UNFCCC introduces ALU software ware intended to enhance compiling, archiving, updating, and managing greenhouse gas inventories of the Philippines in agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sectors. The workshop also reviewed other USEPA tools that can be used to improve GHG inventory in the Philippines.

The SEA GHG Project aims

to strengthen the capacity of SEA Countries to improve the quality of their national GHG inventory for the development of sustainable inven-tory management systems. The UNFCCC Secretariat and the Colo-rado State University committed

their full support to this project with the cooperation of the US Environ-mental Protection Agency (US EPA) and Forest Service-United States Department of Agriculture.

Jovette Tenorio

Ms. Jovette Tenorio with the participants of the SEA GHG Project at the Astoria Plaza. 

The Philippine contingent includes Engr. Samuel M. Contreras and Dr. Lauro G. Her-nandez of BSWM, Dr. Rodolfo O. Ilao of DOST-Philippine Council for Agriculture and Natu-ral Resource Research and Devel-opment (PCARRD), and Mr. Isa-gani R. Serrano of the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). More than 200 partici-pants from all over the world at-tended the said scientific confer-ence.

Sharon de Vera

Tejada Heads... (Continued from page 1) BSWM

revitalizes Maasin SWIP

A tree planting activity was car-

ried out last October 22, 2009 in the watershed of Maasin Small Water Small Impounding Project (SWIP) participated by 50 staff from BSWM and 150 people from the Local Gov-ernment of Talugtug, Nueva Ecija headed by Mayor Pacifico Monta, Vice Mayor Reynaldo Cachuela and Municipal Agriculturist Dennis de Gracia, barangay officials and farmer-irrigator’s association. Around 350 fruit tree seedlings of various kinds were planted in the water-shed while 30, 000 thou-sand tilapia fingerlings were seeded in the water reservoir. The said activity is expected to contribute to the restoration of lush fo- rest in the watershed of the water impounding dam, mitigate food shortage problem and address issues on global warming. Prior to the tree planting activity, the technical staff of BSWM taught the upland farmers on the fabrication and the use of A-Frame using locally available indigenous materials. The A-Frame is used to establish contour

Mr. Paul Carandang of the Soil and Water Resources     Research Division demonstrates the use of A‐frame to the farmers.  

line for the proper planting methods of trees in the slope land.

Diosdado Manalus

Page 12: 2009 Fourth Quarter Issue

Page 12 BSWM Update

BSWM UPDATE BUREAU OF SOILS AND WATER MANAGEMENT

Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City Articles and other contributions should be sent to editorial

office located at ISRIS, c/o the BSWM Update Editor

CORRESPONDENTS THIS ISSUE Disodado Manalus, Gavino Isagani Urriza,

Rodel Carating, Angelita Marcia, Sharon de Vera, Jenny Anne Perlado, Karen Salandanan, Ariel Almeda,

Feriola Serrano, Clarita Bacatio, Leilani Naga, Janet Operario, Jacqueline Rojales, Jovette Tenorio , Edna Samar , Maria Angelita Esguerra, LJ Alcantara

Soil Survey Staff

Aurora M. Manalang

Editor-in-Chief

Rodelio B. Carating Asst. Dir. Wilfredo E. Cabezon

Director Silvino Q. Tejada Editorial Advisers

CLIENT CENTER IN FULL BLAST

Since its establishment last June 17, 2009, the BSWM Client Center

is now in full blast on its operations. For more than six months, the BSWMCC has served an average of 140 clients per month. Key products and services required by them include laboratory analysis, maps, mush-room, technical publications and Soil Test Kit, gaining an accumulated in-come of about PhP 75,000.00 per month. A total of 3,780 print and publi-cation materials were provided. The Bureau also aims to extend its goods and services in the provinces of Bulacan and Rizal, thus the establishment of satellite client center. Last November, trainings were conducted at the Bulacan and Tanay National Soil and Water Resources Research Centers, attended by the staff, academe and stakeholders.

Meanwhile, the BSWM Client Center has also been establishing its

operational system to provide effective and efficient delivery of public goods and services. It also coordinated with the Integrated Soil Resources

Information Service (ISRIS) for the establishment of a database system that will allow clients’ ac-cess to soil and water information, even those cli-ents from other countries. The increasing number of clients led to the increasing demand for tele-phone calls and queries at the Client Center. A separate landline with provision for internet facil-ity was acquired specifically for the Client Center, to provide convenience for the Frontline Informa-tion Desk Officers (FIDOs) and clients as well in communicating and inquiring with the technical divisions and other units. Ms. Sharon Marie Elvi Cachopero was assigned as regular client center manager to oversee and supervise its overall op-eration and concerns and to provide continuity as FIDO’s are assigned on daily basis.

Maria Angelita Esguerra

Beforehand, to ensure success in a

continuing program, Dir. Tejada tasked the Soil Conservation Management Division, headed by Engr. Samuel M. Contreras, to be the Focal Division for the tree planting pro-gram. In return, Engr. Contreras formed a committee comprised of focal persons com-ing from the different technical divisions to oversee the implementation of the year round activity.

With this continuing activity,

BSWM hopes to reduce carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, help recycle and recharge ground water, slow down runoff and prevent soil loss, lower micro-temperature and cre-ate shade, give shelter, increase bio-diversity, lessen poverty, provide food for humans and wildlife and provide an interest-ing, soothing, learning environment for chil-dren and the community.

Dr. Gavino Isagani Urriza

BSWM Celebrates... (Continued from page 1)