Negros Oriental to host 9th National Vegetable Congress
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 29 (PIA) --- Around 500 key players from the vegetable industry in the Philippines are expected to join the 9th National Vegetable Congress at the Negros Oriental Convention Center in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental from August 3 to 5, 2011.
The three-day congress will gather organic vegetable producers, farmer leaders, vegetable inputs and service suppliers, and government officials from Regions 1 to 13, National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao(ARMM), according to Nitz Bangay, Provincial Agriculturist Office (PAO) Information Officer.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is expected to attend the event as the keynote speaker during the opening program.
The congress will kick off with a field tour from 2:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon of August 3 in selected organic vegetable farms in Valencia town.
An exhibit of vegetable products displayed by exhibitors will open on August 4 at the convention center, which the public has been invited to witness.
Technical sessions focused on the theme: “Quality and Sage Vegetables: Key to Economic Growth” will be held from August 4 to 5. Experts in various fields related to the vegetable industry will share tips and know-how while various exhibitors will give presentations on the products they put on display at the exhibit.
The congress organized by the Philippine Vegetable Industry Development Board in coordination with the Cebu-Negros Oriental Integrated Upland Vegetable Development Council, Regional Agriculture and Fishery Council 7, Department of Agriculture-RFU7 and the provincial government of Negros Oriental. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental with reports from PAO)
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Nursing mothers vie for breastfeeding contest prize
by Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 28 (PIA) -- Several mother-and-baby pairs from the different towns and cities in Negros Oriental are expected to show up at Robinsons Place, Dumaguete City on Friday, July 29, 2011, as the provincial celebration of Nutrition Month draws to a close.
The Provincial Nutrition Council (PNC) has earlier invited all 25 local government units (LGUs) in the province to send a breastfeeding mother and her baby aged four to six months to join in the Breastfeeding Contest, the first of its kind held by the council to culminate the local observance of Nurition Month this July.
The contest will start at 10:00 a.m. and will end at 3:00 p.m.
Eligible to join are mothers who went through a facility-based delivery, is exclusively breastfeeding their baby from birth with at least two post-partum visits.
During the contest, the participating mothers will demonstrate how they breastfeed their baby. They will be judged according to the correct positioning of mother and baby and signs of good attachment of the suckling baby.
After the demonstration, mothers will be asked breastfeeding-related questions.
The winning mother-and-baby pairs will receive P5,000 for first prize, P4,000 for second prize and P3,000 for third prize.
Non-winning pairs will each receive P1,500.
The contest is being held in line with this year's theme which zeroes in on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding among nursing mothers: “Isulong ang BREASTFEEDING -Tama, Sapat at Eksklusibo!".
The council led by Assistant Provincial Health Officer and Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Edgardo Barredo earlier alloted P40,000 for the conduct of Nutrition Month activities and P75,000 for the prizes during said contest. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)
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Dumaguete City holds Food Fair
by Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, July 28 (PIA) Twenty-five barangays in Dumaguete City participated in the Food Fair yesterday in celebration of Nutrition Month at Quezon Park, this city.
The City Nutrition Council and the agriculture office initiated the activity as part of the information drive on breastfeeding, wherein root crops and vegetables were displayed at food fair, Community Affairs Officer, Syril Repe said.
With this year’s observance theme, “Isulong ang Breastfeeding-Tama, Sapat at EKsklusibo (TSEK), ” City Nutrition Officer, Lourdes Taburaza said activities lined-up includes well baby and cooking contest competitions, day care child selection, Day Care nutrition corner and school garden contests, quiz bowl and inter barangay booth contests.
The awarding ceremony of the winners of school bulletin board contest, search for Outstanding Integrated Health and Nutrition Implementer, and inter High school oratorical contest were also part of the culmination activity.
City Administrator William Ablong in his messaged emphasized the importance of eating nutritious food and vegetables for breastfeeding mothers to supply for the milk for their babies.
Meanwhile, Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria for his part said the city government of Dumaguetewill continue the programs initiated by the City Nutrition Office to see to it that every individual in the city should have proper nutrition.
The mayor added, the administration is now supporting a program of agriculture office for the farmers called ‘Plow Now Pay’ later to make the city sufficient in food production. (PIA NegOr/JCT)