(Photo courtesy of PTV) LEGAZPI CITY - Coastal areas in Masbate province remain positive for red tide toxin, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Bicol (BFAR-5) said Monday. Citing the latest laboratory results of the collected shellfish samples, Nonie Enolva, BFAR-5 spokesperson, said the presence of toxic red tide in shellfish meat is still beyond the regulatory limit. "Based on the laboratory examination conducted by the BFAR-National Fisheries Laboratory last Feb. 10, 2023, shellfish meat samples collected from the coastal water of Milagros town in Masbate among others are still positive with paralytic shellfish poison (PSP)," she said in an interview. Enolva said that from Oct. 7, 2022 to date, Milagros waters are being monitored to guard public health and protect the shellfish industry. BFAR also warned the public to refrain from gathering, transporting, selling, buying, and eating all types of shellfish and alamang (small shrimp) from the affected coastal wate
CAPABILITY BUILDING. The first batch of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 5 (Bicol) employees from Catanduanes, Masbate, Sorsogon, and Albay attends a six-day training course on enterprise-based agrarian reform community development starting January 16. DAR-5 Assistant Regional Director for Operations Romulo Britanico said Tuesday (Jan. 17, 2023) the development facilitators are responsible for improving the quality of life of agrarian reform beneficiaries. (Photo courtesy of Gerard Buensalida/DAR-5) LEGAZPI CITY - To become more competent community organizers and enterprise development facilitators, at least 109 employees of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) 5 (Bicol) are undergoing a six-day training course on enterprise-based agrarian reform community development (E-ARCOD). In an interview on Tuesday, Gerard Buensalida, DAR-5 spokesperson, said the training is part of the government's active implementation of the agrarian reform program, enabling them to engage in the de
LEGAZPI CITY - The Department of Agrarian Reform in Bicol (DAR-5) will soon distribute 60 motorcycles to its provincial offices to speed up the field validation operations for the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project. In an interview on Monday, Gerard Buensalida, DAR-5 spokesperson, said the 60 motorbikes that arrived last Friday are among the 820 units bought by the DAR central office for a total of PHP123 million. "Each unit costs PHP150,000 or PHP9 million for the 60 units. The SPLIT Project is a World Bank-funded project of the Department of Agrarian Reform. We are still waiting for the needed documents to be completed as required by the DAR Central office before we will distribute them to provincial offices but it will be as soon as possible," he said. He said in Bicol, field officers will need to work on 116,663 hectares and about 1.38 million hectares of collective land titles known as Collective Certificate of Land Ownership Awards
OCEAN CLEANUP. Nonie Enolva, BFAR-Bicol spokesperson (left), is shown with other participants in the underwater and coastal cleanup in Legazpi City on Sept. 16, 2022. Some 180 kilograms of non-biodegradable and 35 kgs of biodegradable waste were collected during the event, compared to last year's 150 kgs., Enolva said. (Photo courtesy of BFAR-Bicol) LEGAZPI CITY- The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Bicol (BFAR-5), together with the Women in Maritime Philippines (WIMA Phils.), has renewed its call to local government units (LGUs) to continuously implement the ecological solid waste management plan after collecting 180 kilograms or at least 30 sacks of garbage in the recently conducted underwater and coastal cleanup in this city. Nonie Enolva, BFAR-5 spokesperson, on Tuesday noted of an increased volume of collected wastes compared to last year. "During the activity last Saturday, we collected 180 kilograms of waste 145 kgs. non-biodegradable and 35 kgs. biodegrad
FISH PRODUCTS. One of the actual products produced during a fish processing training conducted by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Bicol (BFAR-5) from Sept. 6-7, 2022. The others were seaweed pickles, fish patties, and fish "polvoron". (Photo from BFAR-5's Facebook page) LEGAZPI CITY - The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Bicol (BFAR-5) has conducted technical assistance training on fish processing in Barcelona town, Sorsogon province. In a message to the local media on Monday, Nonie Enolva, BFAR-5 spokesperson, said a total of 20 members of the Poblacion Fisherfolk Association actively participated in the two-day technology seminar. "The two-day (Sept. 6-7) activity was part of the target training of the Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination to let the participants produce quality, value-added products," Enolva said. She said lectures and an actual demonstration were conducted during the training. The participants w