READY. Fisherfolk in Binmaley town, Pangasinan ready their boat to set sail in this undated photo. The PDRRMO has discouraged setting sail amid Typhoon Henry. (Photo by Hilda Austria) MALASIQUI, Pangasinan - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) is imposing a "no swimming" policy in the coastal areas of Pangasinan until Typhoon Henry exits the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR). In a phone interview Friday, PDRRMO operations officer Patrick Aquino said they are also strongly discouraging fishermen from setting sail amid the absence of a gale warning. "We urged the local government units (LGUs) to strictly implement this to prevent any untoward incident with the presence of the weather disturbance in PAR," Aquino said. Although the province experiences light to moderate rain, about 19 LGUs in Pangasinan and six in La Union declared class suspension on Friday due to "Henry". According to the PDRRMO, the towns of Agno, And
FARMER ENTREPRENEURS. Farmer recipients of a farm business school give a thumbs up after graduating from the program on Friday (Aug 12, 2022). The FBS is one of the programs of the Department of Agrarian Reform to help empower rural communities and uplift their living conditions. (Photo courtesy of DAR Ilocos Norte) LAOAG CITY - At least 30 farmers in Nagsurot village, Burgos, Ilocos Norte are ready to become better entrepreneurs after graduating from a farm business school (FBS) on Friday, courtesy of the Department of Agrarian Reform. The 25-session course, which began on March 21, features hands-on tutoring on basic farm recording, bookkeeping, and accounting while undergoing scientific farming. It starts from land preparation, and planting, until harvest and marketing. Through the FBS, farmers said they were able to record their inputs versus outputs and expenses versus gross sales, making them realize that farming is a business too. Aprilla Aleta, village chief of Nagsurot, said t
PEST-INFESTED. A dragon fruit is infected by a pest in Ilocos Norte in this undated photo. Dragon fruit growers in the province are seeking help from the government to mitigate the problem. (Photo courtesy of Mildred Dacuycuy) LAOAG CITY - Several dragon fruit growers in Ilocos Norte on Friday expressed concern about a growing pest infestation in their plantations this harvest season. Mildred Dacuycuy, operations manager of REFMAD dragon fruit farms in Barangay Paayas, Burgos, Ilocos Norte, said fruit diseases like anthracnose and canker are threatening their harvest. Anthracnose, caused by a number of Colletotrichum species, is one of the major diseases affecting dragon fruit plants by damaging their stems, flowers, and fruits. Meanwhile, dragon fruit canker, caused by the fungus Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, kills the plant's branches and weakens the plant until the infected area breaks off. "These pests are causing severe blemishes to our dragon fruits and it is greatly affect
Archaeologists in Spain said on Friday they had dug up an ancient jawbone that could help them look into the face of some of the earliest human ancestors in Europe.