Diorama made of medical scraps

CABANATUAN CITY - Nativity scenes, tall Christmas trees, lights, a community of faithfuls -- all made of hospitals scrap materials.

Medical professionals and employees of the Nueva Ecija Doctors' Hospital proved their ingenuity as they created expensive-looking Cahristmas decorations and dioramas out of wastes such as used X-ray film, empty vials and rubber caps, dextrose, nasal hosts, among others.

The dioramas, numbering 16, are presently placed in different department areas in the four-storey hospital.

Dr. Fulgencio Ruiz, medical director, said the project which bring joy to patients and visitors alike, also showed the creativity of their personnel.

"You see, you can no longer say these things are made of scraps," Ruiz said, saying hospital officials had to pass the hat to "make them (employees) happier."

Other than electricty to lighten up the scenes, the employees were not allowed to use non-scrap material. The costings shall also not exceed P750, Ruiz said

RP tech in milk production, practice in "great magniture" in China -- official

CABANATUAN CITY – The technology being used in China in mass producing carabao milk was acquired from the Philipppines, particularly in Nueva Ecija , ranking officials revealed on Tuesday.

Thus Dr. Libertado Cruz, executive director of the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) based in Science City of Munoz said the country can produce cattle milk as much as the China does if only the money being spent in importation be used to help local farmers.

Cruz placed at $450-million the estimated expenses in milk importation per year. That is roughly equivalent to P25 billion a year, he stressed.

Cruz said Chinse officials have surprised his team once in a visit.

“Akala namin ay may seminar kaming dadaluhan,” he said. But to their surprised, they were toured in several villages where milk production technologies from Nueva Ecija were being applied.

“Mas agresibo nga lang,” said Cruz, adding the Chinese government has intensified the use of Philippine-earned technologi
Cruz disclosed the demand for carabao milk surged in the last few weeks. The supply, however, was not enough to satisfy need of the market that includes producers of pastries and other milk-based products.

The PCC, he said, is looking for milk popwedering machines so that losses of milk during periods of high production can be prevented and preserved for periods of high demand.

This is to answer the problem where the peak of carabao milk supply happens when the deman is in its lowest while the demand surges when the production decreaseses. "our technology is applied only in great magnitute," Cruz said. -30-

DA distributes 1,000 bags of fertilizer; party list solon, multicabs

JAEN, Nueva Ecija - The Department of Agriculture (DA) distributed 1,000 bags of granular fertilizers to farmers in this town even as the Buhay Party list released multi-cabs to 18 barangays here over the weekend.

Mayor Santy Austria said the fertilizers that were coursed through the DA was the realization of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's promise during her visit in this town last September.

Nueva Ecija Rep. Rodolfo Antonino, 4th district, said the distribution has no connection with the controversial P728-million liquid fertilizer program that was reported to be scam. "nakasako ito," Antonino said.

Antonino and Austria, along with other local government officials, led the distribution. They also assisted Buhay Party List Rep. Carissa Concoslluela in the distribution of the multi-cabs to 18 barangays here.

The party list solon, according to Antonino, also handed down to Austria another piece of grant worth P1.5 million. -30-

Rice farmers told: Make it 40

Sowing the right amount of seeds results in strong and healthy seedlings. Hence, rice experts recommend the use of 40 kg certified seeds of an inbred variety or 20 kg hybrid for one hectare.

This 40-kg technology disproves the common belief that more seeds planted per hectare ensure enough and healthy seedlings.

According to experts, 1 kg of palay seeds is equivalent to approximately 40,000 seeds, thus, for 40 kg seeds, there are approximately 1,600,000 seeds. If two seedlings (20 to 25-day old) per hill are transplanted at a distance of 20cm x 20cm, a hectare would require some 500,000 seedlings.

Field trials show that even if 50% of the seeds from the 40 kg seeds do not germinate or get eaten by birds or golden apple snails, the remaining 50%, which is equivalent to 800,000 seeds, would still be more than enough to transplant a hectare of ricefield.Experts explained that 40 kg seeds should be sown in a 400m2 seedbed to produce enough healthy seedlings. At this density, the seedlings will not compete with each other for nutrients and sunlight.

However, sowing seeds greater than 40 kg or using less than 400m2 seedbed can result in too close spacing between seedlings. This will make the seedlings tall and thin. Such seedlings may not survive or have a hard time recovering when transplanted in the field.

Healthy seedlings, on the other hand, can produce a good canopy and compete better against weeds. These seedlings are green, with good growth, free from pests and diseases, and can produce sufficient productive tillers and panicles.

The 40-kg technology also stresses the importance of certified seeds which have high germination rate and high seedling vigor, thus, better survival and growth. These seeds will produce uniform plants, and have a 5 to10 percent yield advantage over farmers’ home-saved seeds.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is a government-owned and –controlled corporation attached to the Department of Agriculture that aims at developing high-yielding and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.