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.

Testing Blogger mobile via an iPad

The user interface seems to be simple. Which is why at first glance, I am beginning to like this app I came across in the App Store. I haven't got to explore much as of this writing but then hopefully this app would not be too simple that it lacks the basic functions needed to write an article for my blog on the go. 

This App which is authored by Google itself seems to be old and the latest update was in 2013. Nevertheless, it is something new for me and I guess for those who are yet starting to take on the challenge to blog and write articles on the go. Here is a quick screen capture of what its interface looked like.

eBay is asking all its members to change their passwords following a cyberattack. By Dale G. Israel

In a message to all its registered users, the online shopping site has discovered a cyberattack "on our corporate information network." "This attack compromised a database containing eBay user passwords," the eBay statement read via email. "To help ensure customers' trust and security on eBay, I am asking all eBay users to change their passwords," said Devin Wenig, President of eBay Marketplaces. However, Wenig said that they are yet to determine if any financial information from all users have been compromised especially that the passwords were left encrypted during the attack. As a safety measure however, eBay still calls on their users to change their passwords. "If you changed your password on May 21 or later, we do not need you to take any additional action at this time" "Changing your password may be inconvenient. I realize that. We are doing everything we can to protect your data and changing your password is an extra precautionary step, in addition to the other security measures we have in place," explained Wenig in the same statement. Wenig also said that it may be necessary to change passwords of other sites used within eBay like Paypal especially if they are the same. 

by Dale G. Israel



May 27, 2014 at 08:55PM

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JUST IN: Microsoft bids goodbye to SkyDrive, welcomes OneDrive

Just got email from Microsoft a few hours ago that  there will be major changes in the SkyDrive---its own cloud storage system that allows users of Microsoft accounts to avail of a free 8G space to keep your personal files which you can access anywhere as long as there is Internet access. (There are others that have more storage spaces if they have the paid subscriptions). 

For those who are new to the concept, the cloud storage simply lets you own a virtual hard drive  except that there really is no hardware component. All the files are just stored in the Internet (referred here as the "cloud") The advantage is that you can technically bring along all your files anywhere you go and read, edit, delete anything. You can even view all your files from any smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop computers.

Skydrive of course has tough competitiors like Google Drive which offers higher storage space at 16G, the highly popular Dropbox, and iCloud for Apple products.

One thing for sure is that the Skydrive's name will be changed into the OneDrive. Interesting. Can't wait to see what its features would be like since the email I got from Microsoft are just some sort of a teaser. 

I'm sharing you a snip of the email I got below. For now, let's all wait and see

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.


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