35 Vegetable Farmers Hailed as ‘Heroes’

Wazzup Pilipinas!

East-West Seed Philippines co-founder Benito Domingo (center, bottom row) and
other company officials pose with the 35 Farmer Heroes

Thirty-five vegetable farmers were hailed as “farmer heroes” by leading tropical vegetable seeds company East-West Seed recently to commemorate their 35th Anniversary.

The awarding capped East-West Seed’s three-month nationwide search for 35 “farmer heroes” who have achieved success, made significant contributions to their communities, demonstrated innovativeness in adopting new technologies, and could serve as role models of other farmers on how vegetable farming can enrich lives.

The search spanned 18 regions with over 800 farmers recognized as “Regional Champs”. From the pool of “Regional Champs”, the 35 Farmer Heroes were selected.

The winning farmers are: Lino Kitongan (Mountain Province); Jose Madriaga (Ilocos Sur), Eduardo dela Cruz, Jr., Gabby Retuya and Bonifacio Bautista (Pangasinan); Rodolfo Corpuz (Cagayan); Ambrocio Dela Rosa Juan, Jr. (Isabela); Jessie Santiago (Quirino); Janet Arbuleda (Nueva Vizcaya); Sotero Gapac, Rodolfo Abeleda and Victorino David (Nueva Ecija); Johnny Gatuz and Danny Mateo (Bulacan); Joselito Tibayan (Cavite); Gerry Mandac (Oriental Mindoro); Jesus Carlos (Occidental Mindoro); Monte Manalo (Batangas); Florencio Sera and Angelito Mendoza (Quezon); Henry Rafael (Albay); Felizardo Ramos, Jr. (Camarines Sur); Helen Cullo (Aklan); Leonila Sugarol (Cebu); Romeo Mazo (Leyte); Temoteo Ardiente (Misamis Occidental); Larry Lomosad (Zamboanga del Norte); Jonard Octat and Rubisper Udal (Bukidnon); Rolly Bagona, Sr. (Davao Oriental); Julie Tirando (Davao del Sur); Johnny Tolentino (South Cotabato); Dominic Paclibar (North Cotabato); Larissa Barlisan (Agusan del Sur); and Ruben Ragas (Agusan del Norte).

In her speech during the event, Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate’s Committee on Agriculture and Food and the event’s guest of honor, emphasized the role of smallholder farmers in food security: “They may be called smallholder farmers but they truly play a big role in ensuring food security for all Filipinos. They comprise 85% of the entire farm structure of the world.”

Calling on farmers, Senator Villar added: “Kaya sa mga nanditong smallholder farmers, pati na rin sa mga bago at nagsisimulang farmers, do not underestimate yourselves. Napaka-importante ng inyong kontribusyon na ginagampanan at gagampanan sa ating bansa, pagdating ng panahon hindi ang mga corporate farms ang aasahan nating magpakain sating lahat kundi ang maliliit na magsasaka.”


Celebrating the success of farmers

“We want to express our gratitude to the Filipino farmers who have supported us all these years by celebrating their success, innovativeness, entrepreneurial spirit, and hard work. Their remarkable qualities uplift not just the lives of their families but also the whole local vegetable industry,” said Henk Hermans, general manager of East-West Seed Philippines.

Through their stories, we also want to inspire others, especially the youth, to engage in farming and become successful vegetable farmers” Hermans added.

During the event, East-West Seed also recognized 35 outstanding distributors for being East-West Seed’s loyal partners in improving the lives of Filipino farmers.

Infinix Zero 5 Launched in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In a marketplace where the selfie is king and Instagram reigns supreme,  high-end cameras of smartphones has been among the very first features that users look for when purchasing a smartphone. We are always anticipating the next development and availability of high-end built-in cameras that could replicate the quality of DSLR.

The Portrait Master Infinix Zero 5, was recently launched in the Philippines on November 28, 2017 at Brick and Mortar Local Kitchen + Bar located at the Fort Strop of Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

Their flagship device, the most high-end and technologically-advanced product of Infix Mobility,  will be available at a special introductory price of Php13999, will exclusively be sold at Lazada.com.ph on December 12, 2017.

Infinix is very proud of the smartphone's dual camera that uses both a 12 MP wide-angle lens and a 13 MP telephoto, while the front-facing camera has a massive 16 mp selfie camera. It has 2x optical zoom and a 5x digital zoom, and an f/2.0 aperture.

There is also a special Portrait Master Mode that uses an RGBW sensor and multi-frame noise reduction technology to assist users in capturing the perfect shot.

Infinix Zero 5 Specification:
Network: 4G
OS: Android 7
Display: 5.98" FHD LTPS (2.5D)
Dimensions: 166.38*82.38*7.95mm
Processor: ARM Mali-T880 MP2 900 MHz
Battery: 4350mAh
Screen: CORNING gorilla Glass 3
Memory: 64 GB ROM + 6 GB RAM
Rear fingerprint scanner for unlocking & confirming access
Front selfie camera: 16mp four-in-one
Rear dual camera: 12mp wide-angle lens + 13mp telephoto lens
2x optical zoom + 10x digital zoom
F/2.0 aperture
Portrait Master Mode
RGBW sensor
Video: 3G/MP4/AVI

DOE Builds Smart Grid Coalition

Wazzup Pilipinas!

E-SMART GRID MO: Participants strike the “E-Power Mo” pose during the Smart Grid Forum 2017 held last November 27-29 at Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks in Clark Pampanga. A comprehensive road map for the implementation of smart grid in the country was drafted to pave the way for policy creation towards more consumer empowerment. 

The Department of Energy (DOE) is accelerating efforts to synchronize the adoption of smart grid technologies in the country, which kicked off through a forum held in Clark, Pampanga on November 27-29.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, through DOE Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella, stated in his opening remarks that “Smart technologies give energy users more power to control energy ‘through their fingertips.’ It is a very dynamic sector so the DOE will need a broader coalition in moving towards the smart grid era.”

“For us to guide the consumers, the service providers and the regulators, we should not lose sight of the basic concept that smart grid is simply a tool for the consumers and energy users to be more active and more efficient in the utilization of energy,” Fuentebella said.

Fuentebella also emphasized that despite their complexity and technical diversity, the smart grid policy should place the consumers first in driving its design and implementation.

The three-day event enabled the DOE to formulate a road map covering the short-term (2018), medium term ‎(2019-2022) and long term ‎(2030-2014) towards achieving the smart grid vision of the Philippines for 2040.

Day 1 of the forum covered the presentation of the smart grid global landscape and best practices. Thereafter, representatives from the transmission, distribution and generation sectors shared their on-going smart grid initiatives.

Day 2 organized technical working groups (TWGs) and break-out sessions covering (1) Consumer Empowerment, (2) Power System Operation, (3) Sustainable & Renewable Energy, (4) Standardization, (5) ICT & Cybersecurity, and (6) Regulatory Support. This enabled the DOE to solicit more inputs from the participants.

The output of the TWGs became the bases for the holistic and comprehensive formulation of the Philippine smart grid roadmap which was presented to the E-Power Mo Conference on Day 3.

Around 150 participants attended the 3-day event. It included the DOE officials, technical staff and high ranking officers and personnel from the stakeholders of the power sector. The USAID B-LEADERS facilitated the exchanges of ideas of the participants.

The Smart Grid Forum is part of the DOE’s “E-Power Mo” campaign which educates stakeholders and consumers on their options towards a safer, wiser and more intelligent utilization of resources through the combination of energy and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).