Linking Small Farmers to Market project 1st Agro-Enterprise Training Course

LGU-Umingan's representatives from the Municipal Agriculture Office attended the CRS Clustering Approach to Agroenterprise Development for Small Farmers facilitated by DAR-CRS (Department of Agrarian Reform and Catholic Relief Services)held at the City Light Hotel,Baguio City last September 7-11, 2015. The group composed of Four (4) Regions namely; Region I ,(Bani,Bautista,Bayambang,Sta Barbara,Umingan,Pangasinan)Region III (Pampanga,Nueva Ecija) Region IV-A&B (Quezon Province,Occ. Mindoro) Region V (Legaspi)  .

The purpose of this Training Course is to help farmers to work more effectively together and build their marketing skills against poverty problem .It also aims for improvement of rural livelihoods, establishment of marketing links between farmers , buyers ,businesses and identification of new sources of consistent supply.

The DAR-CRS agroenterprise Clustering approach is being employed  in  Barangays Luna Este and Luna Weste. The program started in 2013 , with Squash as the selected product and the OTOP (one town one product) of Umingan .

Now, the program is expected to target squash farmers in Barangays Concepcion,Diaz,San Juan and Ricos to meet the target requirement : 600 farmers per Municipality.The selected barangay for expansion will be getting services which will focus on  farm management improvements,market preparation and market engagement through collective marketing strategies.

Contributed by:

Alex C. Abalos    

POPULATION CENSUS 2015 “Magpabilang,Magpacensus!”

The Philippine Statistic Authority will be conducting the 2015 Census of Population all over the country pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1031 declaring “August 2015 as the National Census Month”.

The team  composed of three (3) Census Area Supervisor, sixty four (64) Enumerators and seventeen (17) Team supervisors. he team was divided into two who attended 4^th level of training held at the Municipal Gymnasium from July 27-31 and August 3-8, 2015. 

Census of Population 2015 is a complete enumeration of households in the country. It is designed to take an inventory of the population of the entire Philippines. It  will be the 14^th  census of population to be undertaken in the country since the first census in 1903.

POPCEN 2015 aims to provide government executives, policy and decision makers, and planners with population data, especially updated population counts of all barangays in the country, on which to base their social and economic development plans, policies, and programs. (Lifted from the Philippine Statistics Authority Documents).

Every respondent is expected to cooperate and give truthful data to the enumerators. Any individual who refuses or fails to give truthful and complete answers to statistical inquiries shall be imposed a penalty of one (1) year imprisonment and a fine of one hundred thousand pesos (100,000.000).

  

Vilma Lapuz-Abalos

Mun. Population officer-Designate

Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning

LGU-Umingan conducted monthly Family Development Session for  Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program ( 4P's ) in fifty eight (58) Barangays of Umingan ,Pangasinan. The session was conducted from July 1-31 ,2015 in 58  Barangays of Umingan, Pangasinan.

Responsible Parenting and Family Planning  are the topics discussed during the sessions. It is very important for Filipino Families to know the importance of planning the family for a better future of their children. The Pantawid beneficiaries gamely participated in  the discussion of  Natural and Artificial family planning methods.

There are still a lot of  couples who are engaged in the traditional family planning method like withdrawal and calendar methods, the reasons may be attributed to lack of awareness on the available modern artificial and natural family planning methods. They can even get the services for free at the designated government clinics and hospitals. For more information on Family Planning just visit the Municipal Health Center or the midwife assigned to your barangay.

Vilma Lapuz-Abalos

Mun. Population officer-Designate

Municipal Livelihood Training on Veggie Bread (Moringa Pandesal)

The Local Government Unit of Umingan through the Farmers Information and Technology Services Center (FITS) conducted livelihood training on veggie pandesal  fortified with malunggay powder. The said training is in coordination with DOST and DTI. It was  held at the Municipal Gymnasium last August 6-7, 2015. The participants came from the  4H Club  , (BNS) Barangay Nutrition Scholar, (UFAWA) Umingan Farmers and Women Association ,PANTAWID Parent Leader, MASAGANA FARMERS ASSOCIATION. The  training aims  to reduce unemployment ,promote entrepreneurial skills, fight malnutrition and provide additional source of income.

The participants produced malunggay pandesal during training and sold to LGU employees. The participants learned how to compute the (ROI) Return of Investment, a very important aspect  when engaging in a business. The FITS staff also demonstrated to the group the simple process on how to come up with a malunggay powder.

This training is a product of the FITS Center's Malunggay  seedlings propagation and distribution in fifty eight (58) barangays. To maximize the potential of the malunggay , we just need to be creative in coming up with different recipes using malunggay leaves.

The baking equipment was awarded  by  DTI last 2013 and DOST provided resource person for the training. 

Contibuted by :

Alex C. Abalos

FITS -TSS

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES (DENR) RECOGNIZES LGU- UMINGAN’S SUPPORT TO REFORESTATION PROJECTS OF ITS BARANGAYS

Last June 18, 2015, a special message put into writing was received by the Municipality of Umingan, addressed to its local chief executive, the Hon. Eldred P. Tumbocon, thanking him for the town’s huge effort in giving due attention to its various reforestation projects under his administration. Specifically mentioned in the letter were CBFM People’s Organization of Annam Reforestation Association in Pangasinan, Greener Environment for Maseil- seil, Inc. and Waeg Pamayor Calitlitan Irrigators Association, Inc.

As we all know, issues concerning our environment are as pressing as ever, searching for all types of conceivable solution to timely escape its harsh, and sometimes, even unimaginable retaliation toward those who abuse it in all ways possible. Thus, it is relieving to know that here in Umingan it is the LGU itself that is spearheading such recovery process and protection to serve as a reminder to all Uminganians that ultimately we will depend on our milieu, hence, nourishing it and acknowledging the many blessings it generously bestow upon us can definitely save us one day, perhaps in times when we least expect it.

Sen. Teofisto “TG” D. Guingona III Inaugurated New Water Pumping Station

On June 17, 2015 Senator Teofisto “TG” D. Guingona III returned to Umingan, Pangasinan for the blessing and inauguration of the new Umingan Water Pumping Station at Barangay Cabaruan which was funded by the good senator himself. Together with the father of the town, Mayor Eldred P. Tumbocon, they cut the ribbon followed by the blessing of the new water pumping station by Rev. Fr. Jess S. Prado. Also present at the event were Mr. Simplicio C. Belisario, the Chairman of Umingan Water District, Ms. Malou Ortiz of DILG Pangasinan, who represented the Provincial Director, Ms. Eduviges Villanueva, our MLGOO, Mr. Gil M. Infantado, the Administrator of Quezon Memorial Academy, Brgy. Capt. Cresencio Y. Vergara, and other barangay officials. The newly- completed water project covers San Leon, San Andres, Cabaruan and Gonzales.

            After the activity at Brgy.Cabaruan, they headed to Quezon Memorial Academy for the senator’s meeting with his scholars and then proceeded to Municipal Auditorium where the well- reputed lawmaker was warmly welcomed by more than a thousand Uminganians. The turn over of the new water pump from LGU- Umingan to Umingan Water District which was the highlight of that momentous event transpired there, an extraordinary day which every single individual present thereat could remember and cherish, especially the beneficiaries who were fortunate enough to be granted such valuable piece of equipment, all because of the massive efforts and ineffable concern of the retiring but tireless, as aptly described by Sen. TG Guingona in his own words, Local Chief Executive of this town. The good senator committed also to initiate the possible funding of another water distribution project for five (5) waterless communities: Papallasen, Cabalitian, Sinabaan, Flores and Buenavista.

URBAN VERMICOMPOSTING

Vermi composting is now popular  in Umingan ,Pangasinan. But producing  at the heart of Poblacion East  is no joke because of limited space and resources.Those are some of the challenges that  Mr. Emiliano Robles has gone through.He  learned to convert trash into cash by enganging in vermi composting.There is a great demand for organic fertilizer because farmers are now engaging  into organic farming to minimize using commercial or synthetic fertilizer since vermi cast is cheaper than commercial and have a positive effect to the environment.

Some Barangays in Umingan have prohobited the gathering of animal  manure in the rice fields so Mr Robles buys animal manure from Balungao ,Pangasinan at 13 pesos per sack pick-up price.

He  started his vermi composting last February 2015 with twenty eight (28) kilos of African Night Crawler Eartworm (EUDRILUS EUGENIAE)and after a month he harvested forty five (45) bags of vermicast sold at PhP 180 per bag wholesale price.

To date there are several organizations and individuals that are into vermi composting. They can be found in Don Montano,Calitlitan,Prado, Caurdanetaan and Annam to name a few.

Contributed by:

Vilma Lapuz-Abalos

FITS-ISS