#WhenInBatanes

BASCO, Batanes October 24 -- The local committee for Batanes World Heritage, the office of the Congressman and the Batanes Heritage Foundation Inc. conducted a seminar workshop on the management and conservation of world heritage sites last October 21 to 23.

The seminar workshop aimed to teach the stakeholders how to manage and conserve their cultural heritage. It was a three-day seminar-workshop which was attended by stakeholders, namely, national government agencies, non-government organizations, local government units and the academe.

Speaker-lecturer Dr. Florentino Hornedo said not all stakeholders understand their heritage and its significance, making it incompatible for some stakeholders to manage and conserve their heritage.

Hornedo, the only Ivatan commissioner to the UNESCO, said the workshop leads to the island-province’s pursuit of World Heritage sites nomination.

Hornedo said UNESCO appreciates universal values but, recognizes only the outstanding universal values for enlistment to the heritage Sites.

Hornedo also taught the participants how to preserve their museum. He said it should contain the best cared, preserved, properly arranged and labeled artifacts or masterpieces of the Ivatan culture. He also challenged all schools to keep an organized museum.

“The living treasure system is recognizing, appreciating and encouraging Ivatan master artists such the best tataya maker, the master craftsman, the laji (folk lore singer) the best vakul weaver and basket weavers,” Hornedo told the participants.

“The skills manifested in the product is a representative of the living treasure or artisan who is the maker/producer and the promotion and support by making the stakeholders aware of the cultural tradition are very important to be able to pass it on to the younger generation," Hornedo said.

The 4 C’s in heritage namely culture, community commerce and creative arts were comprehensively discussed. The stakeholders are likewise challenged to reach the people and to orient the younger generation to be more creative using the indigenous materials into marketable products.

The best vakul maker of the province, Isleta Fuego of Sabtang, was also recognized. Vakul is a native woman’s farming headgear used as a protection from heat and rain.(Batanes Islands)

BASCO, Batanes, October 21 -- The Department of Agrarian Reform here has committed 1.5 hectares of public domain land for the Billion Trees and National Greening Program of the environment department.

According to Agrarian Officer Flordeliz Come, the said lot will be planted with trees for the period of six years, starting this year up to 2016.

Come said under the leadership of Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Felix Alvarez, DAR has been extensively carrying out significant activities to support the NGP such as establishment of a nursery for seedling production and a tree farm at Rakuh a Payaman in Mahatao.

She also said that John Gato, DAR-Community Agrarian Reform program oficer has volunteered his lot in Sitio Malayo, Barangay San Antonio, Basco to be utilized as nursery for seedling production.

“DAR Batanes saw the need to establish a nursery for seedling production and preliminary activities
were done such as cleaning the area, potting and planting of seedlings of Arius, Mabolo and Palo-maria,” the agrarian official added.

A total of 1,600 seedlings were potted in June 2011 and 1,400 of it were planted the following month.
For the tree farm, MARO Agnes Viñas coordinated with Mayor Pedro F. Poncio of Mahatao, for a 1.8 hectare portion of the communal pastureland to be designated as permanent area for DAR and the Mahatao Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries association.

Kick off activity was the planting of two mango seedlings per employee and after a month, the fencing of the area was also done. Each employee also gave three posts and contributed an amount for the purchase of two rolls of barb wire to secure the area from astray animals.

Last month, the indigenous trees propagated at the nursery in Malayo Basco were traded with grafted carabao mango seedlings from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. These, along with langka and guayabano seedlings were planted at the tree farm.

To date, an initial 1,400 seedlings have been planted at the tree farm and the DAR officials said through their regular schedule of tree planting, the completion of their target number of trees for the NGP will be fast tracked.

The DAR personnel are also continuously protecting and monitoring the status of the planted seedlings as well as continuous propagation of fruit-bearing seedlings, ornamental trees, local trees and hardwood trees. (Batanes Islands)

BASCO, Batanes, October 15 -– National Food Authority (NFA) Chief Francisco Escalona announced that the I-rice is now available in all outlets of NFA here for P27 per kilo during the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting recently.

Escalona said their warehouse has a stock of 4,000 bags of rice which is expected to last for two months and has been available in NFA outlets province-wide since the middle of September.

He further said that that another 4,000 bags of i-rice and ordinary NFA rice arrived in Basco through a cooperative cargo vessel.

NFA dealers were already rationed with their weekly 10 sacks supply; five sacks of ordinary rice
and five sacks of i-rice at 50 kg per sack.

Escalona said both varieties of rice are sold at P27 per kg.

Meantime, Editha Balles Surban of Barangay San Antonio here said she prefers i-rice for her family because aside from its low price at P27 per kg., which is much lower than the P45 per kg. of commercial rice, it is more nutritious than the ordinary variety. (Batanes Islands)