Awardee farmer has no land to till, soon

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Fifty-five year old Erenia Nacion is among the top outstanding farmers here. But she fears she may be tilling the soil for the last time soon.

Even though an awardee, Nacion is not immune from the perennial problem besetting the rest of her fellow farmers who remain tenants of the land they till.

Since 1975, Nacion and her family is farming a land not their own. And as a tenant, she dreams that one day, the land where her home and farm is located will become a piece of property that they can call their own.

Uncertainty however started when she heard that the heirs or children of the original land owner will sell the lot to a city-based businessman. She fears that her family can be booted out anytime since the agreement she has with the landowner is just by “word of mouth” and without any written document.

Nacion said she heard some wealthy people from the city interested in buying the lot from her land owner. “Ako gyud na akong pangandoy nga naa gyud mi yuta...mao pud na nga nagbuhi pud mi ug mga kahayupan kay inkaso ug ibaligya ang yuta, naa mi lain panginabuhian, (It is actually my dream to have own a land of our own for our livelihood. Because of uncertainty, me and my children have started to also raise farm animals in case the property will be sold by the owner),” said Nacion.

Aside from coconuts and corn, the family is also raising chickens and crabs as an additional livelihood for them.

She said that the heirs have plans already to sell the one hectare they are occupying. She also requested the heirs that they be allowed to buy the lot instead of selling it to other people.

Nacion family is not paying monthly rent to the landlord but give instead a percentage of the income they get from harvests. For example, she said that if the harvest yields them P4,000, the landlord gets P1,000 and her family gets P3,000.

With talks that the land may be sold soon, Erenia said she and her children had to work double time so that they can save money in case the owner will sell the land.

"If they would sell it, we will ask them to sell it to us instead," Nacion said in Cebuano.

Nacion's husband died in 1996 which left her and her children to continue with the farming activities in the upland barangay Mangga, Alcantara town--the only way she knows to feed her family.

The town is located 85 kilometers Southwest of Cebu City. It is also among the poorest towns in Cebu Province in terms of income.

The lady farmer, who is also a leader in their neighborhood being a barangay councilor, is recognized last Tuesday, August 12, as in the roll of the Top 10 Cebu's "Outstanding Farmers of the Year." They are judged through the methods of farming and application of scientific techniques in yielding high grade crops that resulted to better harvest and more income for their family.

For her part, Nacion implemented alternative fertilizers in enriching the soil for the crops. She uses coconut husks grass ash which she applies to the land. This in turn yielded better quality of the corn produce.

Nacion is joined in the top ten list by Ernesto Alivio of Consolacion, Lito Delima of Naga City, Danilo Cangmaong of Tuburan, Vidal Burburan of Santander, Diogracias Ventic Jr. of Oslob, Mario Himaya of Barili, Hermocilla Echavez of Alegria, Marcos Baricuatro of Argao, and, Virgilio Cortez of Bogo City.

Cebu provincial government has a Farmer Scientist Program where scientific methods are applied in the growing of the crops. The program is being organized by Magsaysay Awardee Dr. Romulo Davide, a one-peso per year Capitol consultant.

Rapoo Wireless Keyboard and Mouse: A REVIEW

I didn't have any interest with wireless keyboards before until my new laptop got stolen. Now I need to revive my old laptop from the dead. Its LCD is busted so I had to attached my old desktop PC monitor so I can use it. The problem: I cannot move the old laptop anywhere I want it because of the cable wire attached to the PC monitor. It has to be stationary and its cable doesn't let you take the laptop far where you can sit back and relax on your bed or you would have to bring the monitor near your pillows.

I have been using wireless optical mouse for the longest time so it's not something new to me. It is way better than the touch pad especially if you play a lot of PC games. While looking for a new wireless mouse, for my “cyborg” laptop, I bumped into a set of mouse and keyboard from Rapoo. Why not try it? I said to myself. It cost me around P980 with a raffle stub—yes there was a raffle stub, part of their promo at a computer shop in Northwing. After about two weeks of using the new gadgets, here's what I think about what's inside the Rapoo box I bought.

The Look and features

The black colors for both the mouse and keyboard is a favorite for most gadgets because it does not easily catch stains or scratches tend to be invisible. Its color also makes the gadgets look slick and appealing to most (young) users.

The shape of the mouse rests comfortably to your palm. Although it will appear a bit larger than the regular desktop mouse. Maybe because of its shape. It also has a roller for easy scroll over pages like other optical mouse in the market.

One observable feature is that its mouse does not have the usual red lazer light found in most optical mouse that I had used before. At first you would think it is not functioning when you

r used to seeing the tiny red light.

Both the mouse and the keyboard are lightweight you can practically carry them everywhere. Although the keyboard size would need a bigger backpack unlike the folding keyboard—which I have not tried using it. A friend of mine says folding keyboards malfunctions a lot.

There is only one USB socket for both

Mouse and Keyboard so you can free other USB slots on your PC for other devices you want to connect to your computer like a joystick for games, or a usb memory card. The socket is also small (and black) that you wouldn't notice it attached to your PC or laptop.

I haven't really tested how far can the wireless signal go. My room is not huge so typical bedroom sizes do not really need to know how far can the Rapoo signal reach. Only Mr. Bean does such experiment, I think.

The mouse has ON-OFF switch button in order to save battery life. The Rapoo package includes two AA batteries: one for the mouse and the other for the keyboard. Rapoo guarantees it should last about 9 months. Let's just wait and see.

The battery on the keyboard is neatly designed and perfectly hidden. You wouldn't expect that there's a battery slot on the upper right portion of the keyboard. It just looked like one of the keys.

Usage

The mouse is about the same weight as an ordinary Desktop mouse. The keyboard is very lightweight and the keys are a bit cramped. You just need to get used to typing through it for a few days until you notice your fingers sprinting through the keys because of deadlines.

The problem however with “too” lightweight of a keyboard is its stability when your typing fast. Your hand can easily push it or drag it to the edge of the table. Maybe it needs a rubber stopper on its bottom to keep it in one place.

The buttons on the keyboard requires you to push a little deeper compared to how you type using a laptop. But if you are used to standard keyboard on a desktop, then you wouldn't complain.

The mouse is a bit large for those who are used to using smaller ones. (Take note: people with hands smaller than the average.)

I often use smaller mouse when I am covering a story on field. At first, using it is somewhat uncomfortable because of the size and the weird shoe-like shape. When you get to be used to it, you will however find out that its shape sits comfortably to your palm. All you need to know is how to grab or hold it correctly by changing the positions of your hand.

One good thing: the mouse runs on all surfaces in a normal bedroom: wood, concrete, and tiles, except for rugged and carpeted ones. For obvious reasons, you don't want your mouse scratching on those rugged surfaces anyway.

TIP FOR THE MOUSE: you need to avoid black-colored surfaces. I had a bed sheet with stripes of yellow and black. I noticed that when the mouse passes through the black color on the sheet, the cursor response slows down or would not respond at all. I haven't really researched how that happened. My old optical mouse has a black-colored mousepad.

conclusion

Basically, the two Rapoo wireless gadgets have been serving its purpose at least to an average computer user like me. It's price is affordable. It is very usefull for those who still are saving up to buy a new laptop and had to settle for “back-from-the-dead” and “cyborg” laptop units. The keyboard and mouse set is a pretty decent replacement for those laptops with busted keyboards and touch pad. 

(Note: I wrote this review sometime in May 2013. After about 9 months of using the Rapoo wireless; the only problem I have is the often malfunctioning power switch in the Mouse-- located under the unit along with the optical lense. Maybe Rapoo can change this design since the switch often gets dragged and worn out when your using the Mouse. It may be best to put the switch on the top portion of the Mouse. On the other hand, I would have to give it to the keyboard. It is simply the best keyboard I have ever owned. The battery has not been changed since May and the keys are perfectly okay and still as sensitive since the day I bought it. It fell down my table for several times and it is still functioning a-ok. )

Easy Taxi app services available soon in Cebu

Just read from one of the threads at their Facebook Page that "Easy Taxi", the mobile phone application which let users book a taxi without the hassles, may soon be available in Cebu. In one of their posts, the makers of Easy Taxi announced: 

"Easy Taxi, the world's largest and fastest taxi app, is coming to Cebu city! Now you can book a taxi with a tap of a button and enjoy a safe and hassle-free ride like never before! "

Now that would be something new especially for gadget and tech savvy passengers. The challenge however is how the app can get access to hundreds of taxi operators in Cebu City. One of the features I have read about Easy Taxi isn't just about getting the ride but also getting to your destination safe. 

"We thoroughly screen and train each driver to ensure that only those with clear history and best skills become our partners. Our cab app allows you to see driver's identity and car. Lost an item? Track your taxi on the fingerprints and never worry about safety anymore!" said the application's description texts at the iTunes download site.

The application may also pave the way for Cebu City's upgrade in the payment systems for Taxicabs. In areas serviced by Easy Taxi, the passengers can pay through their credit cards or paypal through mobile phone access. 

In the Philippines, the Easy Taxi is available in Metro Manila area only. Their expansion to Cebu should be highly anticipated. No dates have been mentioned yet as to when their services will be available at the Philippines' Queen City of the South. 

lone Pinoy winter games athlete gets the spotlight from US media-giant NBC

Being the lone athlete from the Philippines, Michael Christian Martinez gets the attention of the Olympics' US media-partner NBC. The article described Martinez as making history partly because it will be the first time the Philippines (a tropical country) will be sending a contender in figure skating. It's interesting to note also that the story on the NBC website mentioned how the mall ice skating rinks are a key factor for developing figure skating here.

  "olympic dreams started from an air-conditioned mall in humid manila"

Here's the story as published at NBCOlympics.Com:

SOCHI, RUSSIA – Taped to a red training coat with a not-be-seen logo underneath it, a small laminated plastic flag of the Philippines is placed squarely on the chest of figure skater Michael Christian Martinez, the country’s first Winter Olympian in two decades.

The 17-year-old Filipino who trains in Los Angeles and has a Russian coach is also the Philippines lone representative here, making his Olympic debut and becoming the first-ever figure skater to represent any Southeast Asian country.

RELATED: Understanding the team event

“It feels great that I'm here representing the Philippines at the Olympics,” Martinez told NBCOlympics.com in an interview Wednesday. “There is a lot of pressure on me because not only am I skating for my country, but for all the hard work I've put in the last four years.”

Olympic dreams start all over the world each and every day. For Martinez, it was in an air-conditioned shopping mall in humid Manila at the age of nine.

“I saw skaters doing jumps and spins on the rink at the mall,” the teenager remembered. “After the first time I tried it I loved the sport already.”

- See more at: http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/michael-christian-martinez-figure-skater-philippines-makes-olympic-history#sthash.vt4faDJv.dpuf

Waka Waka brings lights to Northern Cebu

What in the world is a Waka-Waka solar lamp? Catchy name. But more than what's in a name, these solar lamps have definitely helped those that were rebuilding their lives from the destruction brought about by the Super Typhoon Yolanda. Here's an article shared through email by our friends from the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation about the "waka-waka" LED lights.

"In partnership with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) distributed 2,500 WakaWaka solar lamps in northern Cebu to temporarily light the homes of survivors who still have no access to electricity last Jan. 28.

Nearly three months after super typhoon Yolanda ravaged northern Cebu, many survivors are living with fuel-powered lamps or candles at home. The typhoon toppled most of the electrical posts.

That is why the beneficiaries in the towns of Tabogon, Medellin, Madridejos, and Daanbantayan were grateful, as they can now light up their homes, especially during night time. They found the lamps useful, as the solar-powered lamps can be used up 16 to 100 hours or good for five days.

Because the lamps have solar panels, they can be charged during the day by exposure to sunlight and can then be used at night. With its multi-purpose cables, the WakaWaka lamps also serves as universal charger of cellular phones, ensuring that people could still have power to make emergency calls even when electricity is down.

IRC, an organization created upon the request of Albert Einstein, also gave blankets, jerry cans, and mats, which RAFI used to complement the shelter kits that funded by funded by Caritas Germany.

Since its founding in 1933, the IRC has responded to nearly every major global humanitarian crisis, helping millions of people.  Its main office is in New York, but it also has offices in Washington DC, London, Brussels, Geneva, Bangkok, and Nairobi.

It chose RAFI as partner when it came to the Philippines to help in humanitarian efforts for supertyphoon Yolanda survivors. 

The WakaWaka lamp has solar panels on one side that stores heat energy from the sun that later on powers its LED lamp. Its multi-purpose cables, the lamp also serves as universal cellular phone charger."

Nokia Lumia 820: A Review of Sorts

Just acquired my free Nokia Lumia 820 from my postpaid account from Globe Telecom. It was actually a choice between a Samsung Ativ and Nokia Lumia back in October 2013. Considering it was a 4G/LTE phone, my choice was then the Lumia. Was it a better choice? 

Below are just bits and pieces of what I can share about the Lumia 820 and probably its other middle-end counterparts in the Lumia family. This is not a technical description but a simple experience from an ordinary consumer like me---in my case, working at a highly fast-paced environment setting: the newsroom.

The Nokia Lumia 820 "Cyan (Blue)" version 

sits on its wireless charger (not provided in the box).

 Elegantly looking with its live Tiles 

(Photo: Nokia Conversations Website)

After more than three months of using the Lumia, it was a bit of mixed feeling since there are instances that I would have chosen another phone or even waited for the iPhone 5 offering from the telecom provider. 

First of all, the Lumia 820 is a Windows-powered phone. Something new for me being a long-time user of Android and iOS operating systems. Definitely the interface was a bit strange. Later on however, I am beginning to love the "Tiles" and it definitely "comes alive" compared to the static icons you get from the other operating systems.

The processor speed is impressive as it rarely hangs when opening several apps at a time. Yes, it does have the feature to switch between applications just like Android and Apple units. Let's say you open its free Microsoft Office to write about something and later on got bored so you switch to a game application just by long pressing the "start menu" on the phone. Then you can flip through all opened apps and switch to whichever you want to use. 

What's disappointing however is the lack of apps you can trust and  oftentimes, these available apps do not really do anything. They just merely waste your time in waiting for the download to come. Well, I guess it is because Windows Market is still starting their mobile journey so to speak compared to the more veteran and app-loaded Android Market of Google and iTunes Store of Apple.

Another downside about the Lumia is its inability to choose the network signal you want to connect through if your using the phone for Internet connection. Of course, a smartphone without Internet connection is just like a gun without bullets...useless. In the case of the Lumia you can set your phone to use 4G/LTE as its highest connection only. You cannot set your phone to use only 4G/LTE.

This means that when you get weak signals from your telecom or ISP on 4G, LTE or even 3G, you will be left with a crawling internet as it switches automatically to 2G. Unlike in Android where you can set a "4G only" connection, the Lumnia has none. I have read somewhere in the Internet that there are secret codes where you can set to 4G. Three months after, there ain't no working code found :( NONE.

I would have wanted this version of the
Lumia 820 had it not been out of stock last October from the
Globe Online Store. (Photo: Nokia Conversations) 

There are some blogs that says it was done so that networks on 4G will not be clogged or that it will help in keeping you connected with voice and texts even if the signals are not 4G or else you will be cut off while in a voice call. There is some logic there. 

The only hope there is, I guess, if Globe (my postpaid provider) will improve their 4G signals all across the country. I believe in the Cebu setting, there are only a few areas that are covered by 4G. That's in IT Park, Cebu Business Park, Capitol Site, UP Cebu and Lahug, and some stretches in Gorordo Avenue. I didnt get any 4G signal while on field to gather some news in Colon or any other downtown area. 

I will be talking more about my Lumia in the coming posts. Especially that I have just downloaded last week the update in its operating system. (From Lumia Amber to now Lumia Black.) Still testing on the new BLACK update and will tell you more about it as soon as I can in about a months use, I suppose.

(NOTE: For a more technical specs and description of the Nokia Lumia. Just Google "Windows Phone Insider" and wpcentral. You can also download Windows Phone Insider from the Windows Market. )

First Post (but not new to blogging though) :)

I will be posting here several news stories that I got from my various news coverages, accounts of people I encounter daily and the gadgets and apps I use in the course of my work at work in the Newsroom.


I have several blogs before like the one on wordpress and the now-defunct multiply. Now, I am trying to consolidate these accounts as well as with my Facebook page, Twitter account and other social networking sites.

That's it for now and you will be hearing more from me in awhile. Feel free to roam around my site.Hopefully, I can make this site informative for everyone.

This is Dale G. Israel, Senior Reporter of Cebu Daily News and this is my personal blog.


Check me out also
on Facebook Page: Dale G. Israel
On Twitter: @dalegisrael

contact me