P/COL. RICARDO BAUTISTA MACALA (Ret.)
HOME ADDRESS : Riverside Subdivision
Lipa City, Batangas
Tel. No. (043) 756-2543
Cel. No. 0917-5014335
BUSINESS AFFILIATION:
President : UGNAYAN SECURITY AGENCY, INC.
3rd Flr., Gozos Bldg., F. Manalo St. Lipa City, Batangas
Chief of Police :
Tiaong Police Station
Sariaya Police station
Lucban Police Station
Lipa City Police Station
Batangas City Police Station
Lucena City Police Station
GOVERNMENT SERVICE
Director : Bureau of Corrections (Dept. of Justice)
Dept. Police Superintendent : Admin. Batangas PC/INP
Admin. Officer : Batangas PC/INP Command
Chief Inspectorate : Batangas PC/INP Commnad
Chief : Chief Detective Bureau, Lucena City
Chief : Investigation Division, Lipa City
Acting Provincial Warden : Provincial Jail, Batangas City
City Vice-Mayor : Lipa City (1995-1998)
City Administrator : Lucena City (Aug. ’99 to May 2000)
TRAINING AND SCHOOLING:
Officer Senior Executive Course (Directorial Staff Course)
INP Staff Officer’s Course
Advance Police Management Course
Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Investigation Course
Basic Management Course
Basic Traffic Course
CIVIL SERVICE AND POLICE ELIGIBILITIES:
Title of Examination Year Rating by Exam Remarks
1. Police Colonel 1975 74.95% Passed
2. Police Major 1974 75.46% Passed
3. Police Captain 1968 Passed Passed
4. Chief of Police (MN) 1965 70.87% Passed
5. Patrolman CC 1967 83.80% Passed
6. Patrolman City of Manila 1962 79.00% Passed
7. First Grade Qualifying 1975 82.26% Passed
8. Career Service (Sub-Prof) 1967 Passed Passed
9. General Clerical 1956 Passed Passed
AWARDS, COMMENDATIONS, MEDALS, ETC. RECEIVED
Nature Awarded by
1. Outstanding Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines
(1973 – Philippine Jaycee)
2. Police Efficiency Medal Philippine National Police
3. Medalya ng Kasanayan Philippine National Police
4. Award of Recognition Lucena City Barangay Association
5. Award of Recognition Fil. Chinese Chamber of Commerce,
Lucena City
6. Award of Recognition Kabataang Barangay, Lucena City
7. Award of Merit Rotary Club of Lipa City
8. Award of Merit Knight of Rizal, Lipa City
9. Award of Merit Lucena City Kiwanis Club
10. Award of Recognition Lucena City Bankers Assn.
11. Award of Merit Lucena City Midtown Lions Club
12. Stanley Cup Award Lipa City Market Vendors Assn.
13. Bayanihan Governor’s Award Kiwanis International
14. Letter of Commendation Kiwanis International Phil. Luzon Dist.
15. Letter of Commendation Major General Fidel V. Ramos
16. Letter of Commendation Lipa City Council (two times)
17. Golden Rose Award Lucena City Council (two times)
18. Plaque of Appreciation Malarayat Lions Club, Lipa City
19. Certificate of Appreciation IV RE/INP Training Command
20. Plaque of Appreciation Lucena City
21. Letter of Commendation P/Col. Tomas B. Karingal
22. Letter of Commendation Sanguniang Bayan of Sariaya, Quezon
23. Letter of Commendation Col. Soliman G. Mendoza PC
24. Plaque of Merit Police Station
(URBAN) of the year 1980-1981 Brig Gen. Andres B. Ramos
25. Letter of Commendation Sanguniang Panglungsod, Lipa City
26. Certificate of Appreciation Rotary Club of Lipa South
27. Plaque of Appreciation Rotary International, 1st Regional Institute
Region III
28. Plaque of Appreciation Brig Gen. Jaime B. Mayargas
29. Club Service Award Rotary Club of Lipa South
30. Plaque of Appreciation Apocalypse Group Inc.
31. Plaque of Appreciation Mayor Carlos S. Solis, Lipa City
32. Plaque of Appreciation Malarayat Lions Club, Lipa City
33. Plaque of Appreciation Batangas Varsitarian Fraternity
Sorority Lipa City Chapter
34. Plaque of Appreciation Pugad Lawin sa Lunsod ng Lipa City
35. Leadership Award Malarayat Lions Club, Lipa City
36. Leadership Award P/Col. Vicente G. Vinarao, Supt. PNPA
37. Police Station of the Year Recom 4 PC/INP (1980-1991)
38. Police Station of the Year Recom 4 PNP Command (1990-1991)
39. Certificate of Appreciation NAPOLCOM (Region IV)
40. Certificate of Appreciation Fourth Regional Training Command
41. Awardee Merit Award and Adopted Son of Sariaya
Municipal Council (Sariaya, Quezon)
42. Awardee Merit Award And Adopted Son of Tiaong
Municipal Council (Tiaong , Quezon)
Rotary International District 3820(1996-
1997)
P/Lt. Colonel Lipa City INP Stn. Station Commander 1984-1985
P/Lt. Colonel PHQ, Bats. C/INP Comd. Chief Inspectorate 1985-1986
P/Lt. Colonel PHQ, Bats. C/INP Comd. Acting DPSA 1986-1987
P/Lt. Colonel Batangas City INP. Stn. Station Commander 05-08-87 / 06-30-88
P/Lt. Colonel PNPA Schooling ODEC 07-01-88 / 12-31-88
P/Lt. Colonel Lipa City INP Stn. Station Commander 01-01-89 / 03-23-90
P/ Colonel Lucena City Police Stn. Station Commander 02-15-90 / 03-23-92
(Optional Retirement)
MEMBERSHIP IN CIVIC AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS:
President : Rotary Club of Lipa South (1995-1996)
: Malarayat Lions Club, Lipa City (1985-1986)
: Batangas PC/INP Officers Club (1988-1990)
Chairman : Lipa City Fiesta Committee
Lipa City (1990)
: Citizens Crime Watch
Lipa City Chapter
Organizer & Adviser : Lipa City Market Vendor
: Kilusan sa Kinabukasan ng Kabataan ng Lipa City
: Kiwanis Club of Tiaong
: Brgy. Community Against Drug
: Abuse (BARCADA) Lucena City
: Educate and Save the People Against Drug Abuse
(ESPADA) Sariaya, Quezon
: Bulacnin Multi-Purpose Coop.
Regional Chief : Citizens Crime Watch
Advocate : Knights of Columbus 6122 Lipa City
Rolyelista : Cursillo in Christianity Movement
District Chairman : Crime & Violence Control Rotary District 3820
Executive Director- : Federation of NGO – Lipa City
District Governor Group Representative (DGGR) – 1996-1997
Past President : – Malarayat Lion’s Club- Lipa City
President – : Batangas PC/INP Officer’s Club 1988-1989
Chairman – : Lipa City Fiesta Committee – 1990
Chairman – : Citizens Crime Watch, Lipa City Chapter
Organizer and Adviser:
Lipa City Market Vendor’s Association
Kilusan sa Kinabukasan ng Kabataan, Lipa City
Panday Kabataan, Bayan ng Lucban
Kiwanis Club of Tiaong – Tiaong, Quezon
Barangay Community Against Drug Abuse
(BARCADA) – Lucena City
Educate & Save the People Against Drug Abuse
(ESPADA) – Lipa City
Bulacnin Multi-Purpose Cooperative
Advocate – Knights of Columbus, Lipa City Chapter
Member – Curcillo Movement
Catholic Charismatic Movement
I hereby certify that the statements/ entries in this form are true and correct based on actual records. July, 2009.
Col. RICARDO B. MACALA PNP (Ret.)
Signature
Address:
Riverside Subdivision, Brgy. Balintawak
Lipa City, Batangas
Tel. No. (043) 756 2543 Res.
(043) 757 0324 (Office)
Cell. No. 0917 5014335
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
MACALA'S LEGACY
MACALA’S LEGACY IN PHILIPPINE CORRECTIONS
By. Supt. Venjo Tesoro
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King
Any government agency achieves so much if there is less controversy hounding its performance. An agency is even blessed if there is nothing mentioned about it. It can go about its normal routine. Literally, in serving the people, the officers are never at the mercy of intrigue and always at peace in carrying out the mandate of its institution. This is not the case for the Philippine corrections.
Prison administration is always at the tail end of controversy. Its appointed leaders are at the masthead of anything but strife. Nothing great is usually mentioned about imprisonment and those formulating humane approaches except tales of horrendous proportions and derangement. A good program is suspect and at times seen as profligate and ostentatious. A bad program is always the banner of human rights activists. A good administrator is seen so tolerant, a bad one as cruel. There is no middle ground in prison service. It is either one is suspect while the other is fearsome.
A long list of prison administrators have come and gone. They assume and flirt around with history. Some are competent in their respective fields only to find themselves incapable in dealing with the incarcerated humanity. Some are seasoned administrators in their chosen profession only to find themselves emotionally drained and administratively disarmed in the highly deceptive atmosphere of the prison community. Majority felt that assault and danger defines corrections and any attempt in understanding, in playing a strict role, usually ends gaping up to be understood. Almost every prison administrator never attempted to be different, never played with tradition, never courted controversy the prison community wished them to be.
An exemption however was to be noted. A local government practitioner, honed in the viscicitudes of power, trained in the art of police work and politics, religious in outlook and pragmatic, came into view. Former police colonel, Lipa City vice mayor, Lucena City administrator and once a jail warden, Ricardo Macala was appointed Director of Corrections and the dawn of a new school of thought in corrections became a reality. His two year term is considered a fruitful attempt in redefining penology. He declared that the incarcerated humanity has a voice to be heard. He never talked about prisoners, he talked with them. He spent a great deal of time studying the prison society, taking down notes and with characteristics audacity, relayed his observation to all prison officers.
Macala tried promoting education for all prisoners not content with giving them token skills. He espoused the language of therapeutic treatment as if the program was his pioneering thought. His fastidious interest in meeting regularly prisoners gave a human face to prison administration. He loved prison service as if he was trained to embrace it from birth. Such admirable character never escape skeptics. All appointees to administer prison must only share the character of duplicity. There is no such thing as commitment to prison, considered the most dangerous sector of society. Honesty is a quality never revered even if shown in its crystal form.
WHEN the Career Executive Service Board (CESB), an agency mandated to assess the fitness of all government executives, gave a rating of Outstanding in the category of Innovativeness to Bureau of Corrections Director Ricardo B. Macala, it was a rating well-deserved. The assessment is conducted regularly on all Presidential appointees to check their overall performance based on the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES). Macala got an overall rating of Very Satisfactory. The period covered was from March 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 and released last July 2, 2002.
In less then two years the Macala administration has achieved many “first” and set a record of reforms and accomplishments that is unmatched in the bureau’s history.
Consider the following:
COMPUTERIZATION: Director Macala considers this as a major accomplishment of his administration. The document Section, upon orders of Macala completed the computerization of all prison records of national prisoners. Prisoners were made aware of the time when they may become eligible for the grant of executive clemency (commutation of sentence or conditional pardon) or parole, and more importantly of the expiration of their maximum sentence. Copies of their record were given to the inmates.
The computerization of all prison records has led in the quick reconciliation of prison documents, which resulted in the hitherto unheard of phenomenon of releases exceeding admissions in 2001.
Computerization of prisoners’ visitors list has made it easy for prison security to easily identify authorized visitors.
IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY: The installation of monitoring devices on major points of entry to the nine hectare maximum security compound as well as the maintenance of trained sniffing dogs to detect the presence of contrabands such as alcohol and drugs has greatly improved security arrangements and minimized the smuggling of prohibited items.
The improvement of security has also resulted in the decrease of escape incidents in Year 2002 despite an increase in prison population.
REHABILIATATION OF WATER SYSTEM: A 10 million pesos allocation from the President’s Contingency fund was made available to the Bureau of Corrections thru the representation of DOJ Secretary Hernando B. Perez and Executive Secretary Renato de Villa. This project solved the perennial problems on health and sanitation. Now, potable drinking water free of dust and sediments is available both to the inmates and employees of NBP.
IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD: To improve both the quality and quantity of food served to inmates, Director Macala created a Food Monitoring Committee headed by NBP Chaplain Fr. Roberto Olaguer with Msgr. Helley Barrido of the Philippine Independent Church as vice-chairman and with an inmate representative to check on the food served to inmates. Religious organizations like Caritas of Manila represented by Sister Zeny and even the International Committee of the Red Cross were pleased to note that the living condition and treatment offered to inmates were acceptable and adequate. They attest to the fact that foods being served to inmates are of the right quality and quantity since the menu are prepared by a dietician.
PRISON AGRO-INDUSTRY PROGRAM: The Bureau Work and Livelihood Programs is primarily aimed at the development of necessary skills and attitudes of prisoners toward labor and to provide inmates with meaningful and relevant work opportunities. At the NBP, the said program is open to more then 4,000 inmates employed in various agricultural and industrial projects. The existing projects under this program include: rice production, horticulture, forestry, nursery (ornamentals, fruit trees, forest of agro, dam and reforestation of idle land), piggery, cattle, goat, carabao, fishery (Tilapia culture), and beautification of NBP reservation.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY CENTERS: A modern approach in dealing with drug offenders is the Therapeutic Community modules. Employees, mostly psychologist are trained in this concept to assist in managing behavioral dysfunction in drug offenders.
FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: The rehabilitation function of the Bureau is concretized through the implementation of various programs geared toward the development of man’s physical, intellectual and spiritual being. To achieve this end, BuCor provides the educational, religious, spiritual, sports/recreation and agro-industrial program for the inmates. Foremost among these endeavors is the Educational program, which is considered as the “bedrock of the rehabilitation efforts.”
The Non-Formal Education School is supervised by the Bureau of Non-Formal School of the Department of Education. Since 60% to 70% of the inmates in the bureau are either illiterates, Bucor made it compulsory for all illiterates to undergo non-formal schooling.
The formal education is offered from elementary to college level. The elementary course is given at the NBP Medium Security Compound thru the Itaas Elementary School Annex. The secondary (high school) course is offered thru the extension of the Muntinlupa National High School and the college level thru the University of Perpetual Help Extension School which was established in 1984 and it offers B.S. Commerce major in Small Entrepreneurship or Small Business Management.
HOLDING OF PRISONERS DAY: Every Friday immediately after lunch, Director Macala holds a dialogue with inmates to listen to their problems and establish a feed back mechanism. This motivation of Director Macala has proved to be very helpful in decision making especially in the area of improving the flight of inmates.
HOLDING OF THE MINI CONCERT OUTSIDE THE PRISON COMPOUND: This was a risky venture, never tried before, but Director Macala did not get an outstanding rating in innovativeness for nothing. He took a big risk to bring “Tanghalang Munti” composed of 33 inmates to the De La Salle Sentrum in Lipa City last December 14, 2002 where they staged a Musical Concert to a big and appreciative audience who gave the group a standing ovation.
Macala is the first BuCor director to enter the dormitory of affirmed death inmates-those whose execution dates have been set by the courts. Asked if he was not afraid that he might be held hostage, Director Macala answered “You know, these death convicts do not cease to be human beings just because they have been sentenced to die. Therre is more reason to reach out to them, to empathize with their plight. No, they will not harm a fellow human being trying to reach out to them.”
What started as a crusade in spirit, Macala went even further. He knew that the prison community is not founded merely as a dependent appendage of government service. It can provide national development with its raw manpower and vast resources. It can generate revenues like any other economic approaches. The prison community can surpass the view of self sufficiency to the level of economic contributor on a national scale. Prisoners will regain its place among the productive elements of society. He is starting to fashion out his concept when politics intervened. The relief of Macala from the prison service is not his loss but that of corrections. Such loss could not be felt had his program became the spring board for his successors but an understanding on the psychology of government service, such a fleeting moment of correctional advancement, became just that, a fleeting memory.
Suffice it to say that in the long struggle of Philippine corrections to achieve it place in the sun, there was a certain Macala who strove to be different and in the process, outlined the perfect path towards advancement in Philippine corrections. The thought is enough to project that in a way there is still hope in our criminal justice administration.
By. Supt. Venjo Tesoro
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Martin Luther King
Any government agency achieves so much if there is less controversy hounding its performance. An agency is even blessed if there is nothing mentioned about it. It can go about its normal routine. Literally, in serving the people, the officers are never at the mercy of intrigue and always at peace in carrying out the mandate of its institution. This is not the case for the Philippine corrections.
Prison administration is always at the tail end of controversy. Its appointed leaders are at the masthead of anything but strife. Nothing great is usually mentioned about imprisonment and those formulating humane approaches except tales of horrendous proportions and derangement. A good program is suspect and at times seen as profligate and ostentatious. A bad program is always the banner of human rights activists. A good administrator is seen so tolerant, a bad one as cruel. There is no middle ground in prison service. It is either one is suspect while the other is fearsome.
A long list of prison administrators have come and gone. They assume and flirt around with history. Some are competent in their respective fields only to find themselves incapable in dealing with the incarcerated humanity. Some are seasoned administrators in their chosen profession only to find themselves emotionally drained and administratively disarmed in the highly deceptive atmosphere of the prison community. Majority felt that assault and danger defines corrections and any attempt in understanding, in playing a strict role, usually ends gaping up to be understood. Almost every prison administrator never attempted to be different, never played with tradition, never courted controversy the prison community wished them to be.
An exemption however was to be noted. A local government practitioner, honed in the viscicitudes of power, trained in the art of police work and politics, religious in outlook and pragmatic, came into view. Former police colonel, Lipa City vice mayor, Lucena City administrator and once a jail warden, Ricardo Macala was appointed Director of Corrections and the dawn of a new school of thought in corrections became a reality. His two year term is considered a fruitful attempt in redefining penology. He declared that the incarcerated humanity has a voice to be heard. He never talked about prisoners, he talked with them. He spent a great deal of time studying the prison society, taking down notes and with characteristics audacity, relayed his observation to all prison officers.
Macala tried promoting education for all prisoners not content with giving them token skills. He espoused the language of therapeutic treatment as if the program was his pioneering thought. His fastidious interest in meeting regularly prisoners gave a human face to prison administration. He loved prison service as if he was trained to embrace it from birth. Such admirable character never escape skeptics. All appointees to administer prison must only share the character of duplicity. There is no such thing as commitment to prison, considered the most dangerous sector of society. Honesty is a quality never revered even if shown in its crystal form.
WHEN the Career Executive Service Board (CESB), an agency mandated to assess the fitness of all government executives, gave a rating of Outstanding in the category of Innovativeness to Bureau of Corrections Director Ricardo B. Macala, it was a rating well-deserved. The assessment is conducted regularly on all Presidential appointees to check their overall performance based on the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES). Macala got an overall rating of Very Satisfactory. The period covered was from March 1, 2001 to December 31, 2001 and released last July 2, 2002.
In less then two years the Macala administration has achieved many “first” and set a record of reforms and accomplishments that is unmatched in the bureau’s history.
Consider the following:
COMPUTERIZATION: Director Macala considers this as a major accomplishment of his administration. The document Section, upon orders of Macala completed the computerization of all prison records of national prisoners. Prisoners were made aware of the time when they may become eligible for the grant of executive clemency (commutation of sentence or conditional pardon) or parole, and more importantly of the expiration of their maximum sentence. Copies of their record were given to the inmates.
The computerization of all prison records has led in the quick reconciliation of prison documents, which resulted in the hitherto unheard of phenomenon of releases exceeding admissions in 2001.
Computerization of prisoners’ visitors list has made it easy for prison security to easily identify authorized visitors.
IMPROVEMENT OF SECURITY: The installation of monitoring devices on major points of entry to the nine hectare maximum security compound as well as the maintenance of trained sniffing dogs to detect the presence of contrabands such as alcohol and drugs has greatly improved security arrangements and minimized the smuggling of prohibited items.
The improvement of security has also resulted in the decrease of escape incidents in Year 2002 despite an increase in prison population.
REHABILIATATION OF WATER SYSTEM: A 10 million pesos allocation from the President’s Contingency fund was made available to the Bureau of Corrections thru the representation of DOJ Secretary Hernando B. Perez and Executive Secretary Renato de Villa. This project solved the perennial problems on health and sanitation. Now, potable drinking water free of dust and sediments is available both to the inmates and employees of NBP.
IMPROVEMENT OF FOOD: To improve both the quality and quantity of food served to inmates, Director Macala created a Food Monitoring Committee headed by NBP Chaplain Fr. Roberto Olaguer with Msgr. Helley Barrido of the Philippine Independent Church as vice-chairman and with an inmate representative to check on the food served to inmates. Religious organizations like Caritas of Manila represented by Sister Zeny and even the International Committee of the Red Cross were pleased to note that the living condition and treatment offered to inmates were acceptable and adequate. They attest to the fact that foods being served to inmates are of the right quality and quantity since the menu are prepared by a dietician.
PRISON AGRO-INDUSTRY PROGRAM: The Bureau Work and Livelihood Programs is primarily aimed at the development of necessary skills and attitudes of prisoners toward labor and to provide inmates with meaningful and relevant work opportunities. At the NBP, the said program is open to more then 4,000 inmates employed in various agricultural and industrial projects. The existing projects under this program include: rice production, horticulture, forestry, nursery (ornamentals, fruit trees, forest of agro, dam and reforestation of idle land), piggery, cattle, goat, carabao, fishery (Tilapia culture), and beautification of NBP reservation.
THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY CENTERS: A modern approach in dealing with drug offenders is the Therapeutic Community modules. Employees, mostly psychologist are trained in this concept to assist in managing behavioral dysfunction in drug offenders.
FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM: The rehabilitation function of the Bureau is concretized through the implementation of various programs geared toward the development of man’s physical, intellectual and spiritual being. To achieve this end, BuCor provides the educational, religious, spiritual, sports/recreation and agro-industrial program for the inmates. Foremost among these endeavors is the Educational program, which is considered as the “bedrock of the rehabilitation efforts.”
The Non-Formal Education School is supervised by the Bureau of Non-Formal School of the Department of Education. Since 60% to 70% of the inmates in the bureau are either illiterates, Bucor made it compulsory for all illiterates to undergo non-formal schooling.
The formal education is offered from elementary to college level. The elementary course is given at the NBP Medium Security Compound thru the Itaas Elementary School Annex. The secondary (high school) course is offered thru the extension of the Muntinlupa National High School and the college level thru the University of Perpetual Help Extension School which was established in 1984 and it offers B.S. Commerce major in Small Entrepreneurship or Small Business Management.
HOLDING OF PRISONERS DAY: Every Friday immediately after lunch, Director Macala holds a dialogue with inmates to listen to their problems and establish a feed back mechanism. This motivation of Director Macala has proved to be very helpful in decision making especially in the area of improving the flight of inmates.
HOLDING OF THE MINI CONCERT OUTSIDE THE PRISON COMPOUND: This was a risky venture, never tried before, but Director Macala did not get an outstanding rating in innovativeness for nothing. He took a big risk to bring “Tanghalang Munti” composed of 33 inmates to the De La Salle Sentrum in Lipa City last December 14, 2002 where they staged a Musical Concert to a big and appreciative audience who gave the group a standing ovation.
Macala is the first BuCor director to enter the dormitory of affirmed death inmates-those whose execution dates have been set by the courts. Asked if he was not afraid that he might be held hostage, Director Macala answered “You know, these death convicts do not cease to be human beings just because they have been sentenced to die. Therre is more reason to reach out to them, to empathize with their plight. No, they will not harm a fellow human being trying to reach out to them.”
What started as a crusade in spirit, Macala went even further. He knew that the prison community is not founded merely as a dependent appendage of government service. It can provide national development with its raw manpower and vast resources. It can generate revenues like any other economic approaches. The prison community can surpass the view of self sufficiency to the level of economic contributor on a national scale. Prisoners will regain its place among the productive elements of society. He is starting to fashion out his concept when politics intervened. The relief of Macala from the prison service is not his loss but that of corrections. Such loss could not be felt had his program became the spring board for his successors but an understanding on the psychology of government service, such a fleeting moment of correctional advancement, became just that, a fleeting memory.
Suffice it to say that in the long struggle of Philippine corrections to achieve it place in the sun, there was a certain Macala who strove to be different and in the process, outlined the perfect path towards advancement in Philippine corrections. The thought is enough to project that in a way there is still hope in our criminal justice administration.
PHILRICE
Title: GOVERNMENT AS DIRECT PRODUCER OF GMA SUPER
(GMA F1) RICE SEEDS
(A POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROJECT)
By: Col. Ricardo B. Macala (Ret.)
General Objectives:
To attain self-sufficiency in rice production and eventually to become a net rice exporter.
To lower the price of rice to a level affordable to the lowest income groups.
To reinvigorate rice farming in the country by making the activity profitable to ordinary farmers.
To support the government’s poverty alleviation program through the creation of jobs in the agricultural sector.
Specific Objectives:
To identify suitable agricultural lands for hybrid rice and seed production.
To provide irrigation and operating facilities to make the identified area a viable seed production and processing facility to be operated by the government.
To distribute the hybrid certified of seed in coordination with PHILRICE and other research organizations for production and distribution to farmers for maximum harvest.
To provide adequate and continuous technical and skills training to employees and workers of the seed facility not only for effective operation but also as information source to farmers.
RATIONAL BEHIND THE PROJECT
What s the GMA Super Rice?
It is a hybrid rice variety that can produce up to 250 cavans per hectare of good commercial rice. The national average is only about 80 cavans per hectare.
This hybrid rice is produced by plating F1 certified seeds that was developed by PHILRICE by pollination of two parent seeds, the A line and R line.
How can farmers get the F1 seeds?
Philrice produce the seeds indirectly by convincing selected farmers to become F1 hybrid seed producers then buying the harvest for sale and distribution to other farmers.
At present there is not enough stock or production of the F1 because very few farmers are producing the seed due to high cost and high risk of production that requires capital, facility and technical know how.
F1 seeds are bought by Philrice from producers at a price of P120 per kilo and sold to farmers at a subsidized price of 60 per kilo.
Is it profitable to be a producer of F1?
Yes and No.
Yes because one hectare can produce up to 1 ton of F1 seed, which Philrice buys at P 120 per kilo for a gross of P 120,000 per hectare. The average cost is about P 70,000 per hectare for a net of P 50,000.
No because the operation is so delicate that success depends on many factors such as weather, irrigation, capital for fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs, technical supervision from seeding, planting and harvest, etc. such that, an expected profit can easily turn to bankruptcy if something goes wrong and you are just a small farmer.
What are the inherent problems of private production of F1 seeds?
Philrice supervises these private producers scattered throughout the country because of the technical delicacy of production. They have to convince farmers and landowners to become producers. The social engineering and supervision cost is high.
Standard quality of production cannot be assured because different farmers from different areas have varying circumstances.
Private producers are businessmen in a way and they would readily sacrifice seed quality for volume, which results to bigger profit. The end user-farmer who gets a seed of low quality becomes the loser and discouraged by the result.
Has the government ever attempted to directly produce the F1 seeds?
Yes. In 2003, Philrice and Bucor entered into a loint venture to produce F1 seeds, in Iwahig Penal Farm in Palawan. Iwahig has the land and prisoner manpower while Philrice provides the capital and technical know how.
With the support of the Director Ricardo Macala and Philrice technicians and experts led by Dr. Raul Lara, an initial 50 hectares was used for the experiment with the hope of developing 3,000 hectares more of idle Iwahig land as a seed production complex.
What is the result of the Iwahig Project?
The Iwahig Project proved two things. First, that a government operated hybrid seed production facility can be successful. Second, that F1 seed production with all its capital requirement, technical needs and unexpected problems should be handled by the government as a social service to our farmers who may not have the capability yet of withstanding and surviving the inherent problems and birth pains.
After the initial 50 hectare experiment, the Iwahig Project died a natural death because of the relief Director Macala, its principal sponsor, proving that a specialized government program for this purpose that will assure its continuity and sustainability must be pursued. If it will be handled by a government agency as a side project, the relief of its sponsor will not guarantee continuity if replaced by another who decides to pursue the agency’s principal mission.
What are the problems and lessons learned from Iwahig in operational terms?
1. The seeds planted in Iwahig came from private producers supervised by Philrice. After two months, the GMA Super Rice was in full bloom until some straws grew taller than the other. This means that the parent seeds are of low quality because it is contaminated by foreign variety. If Iwahig is a private producer, the growth will be left as is because the procedure to produce pure seeds is to cut this foreign variety from the roots thereby lessening the harvest aside from the manpower expense required. Because Iwahig is not profit oriented but desire to produce the purest high quality seeds, the laborious and meticulous cutting was undergone, at the expense of volume and profit, which we can seldom expect from an ordinary private producer who had his hard earned money on the line, a chain of event which will be to the detriment of the end user-farmer who would eventually buy the seeds.
2. A lot of process, meticulous process had to be undergone from land preparation to harvest and seed processing. Procedures such as seeding and seedling management, planting and transplanting, spot weeding, rouging, supplementary pollination, remedial fertilization and input application, threshing, etc. It is a job for professionals and financially burdensome that our farmers may not yet be ready. But we need the F1 seeds if we hope to help our farmers and lift our rice production from the doldrums. Government should therefore undertake this job as a social service and very necessary poverty alleviation program which is not a dole out but a pump-priming policy for increased production.
PROPOSED MECHANICS
As water, electricity, railroads and communication are basic utilities for commercial and industrial production, hybrid seeds can belong to that category as far as rice production is concerned. As governments operate important utilities to assure economic activity, the Philippine government must establish a hybrid rice seedling corporation as a service activity to the farming sector.
Philrice, which is a research facility shall be relieved of this operational burden to concentrate on its mandate and shall help the corporation in the technical and skills requirement.
Identification of suitable agricultural lands for hybrid rice seed production initially in selected rice producing regions where there are vast idle lands and poverty abounds due to lack of government service like Samar and Mindoro, and the establishment of seed production facility in these areas.
Private producers of seeds in developed areas like Central Luzon shall be left with their initiative to supply their established recipients.
Maximum coordination shall be made with concerned government agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare and Development particularly with the employment of people in the are of operation.
Seminars shall be conducted to farmers who will be the seed recipient with the help of Philrice and other agencies, emphasizing the benefits and vision of the project in order the cooperation, help and support of the farming community.
The seeds, after covering operational and necessary expenses, shall be sold to the farmers at cost.
Attachments:
BUCOR – Philrice joint venture agreement.
Projected expenditure per hectare of F1 seed production.
(GMA F1) RICE SEEDS
(A POVERTY ALLEVIATION PROJECT)
By: Col. Ricardo B. Macala (Ret.)
General Objectives:
To attain self-sufficiency in rice production and eventually to become a net rice exporter.
To lower the price of rice to a level affordable to the lowest income groups.
To reinvigorate rice farming in the country by making the activity profitable to ordinary farmers.
To support the government’s poverty alleviation program through the creation of jobs in the agricultural sector.
Specific Objectives:
To identify suitable agricultural lands for hybrid rice and seed production.
To provide irrigation and operating facilities to make the identified area a viable seed production and processing facility to be operated by the government.
To distribute the hybrid certified of seed in coordination with PHILRICE and other research organizations for production and distribution to farmers for maximum harvest.
To provide adequate and continuous technical and skills training to employees and workers of the seed facility not only for effective operation but also as information source to farmers.
RATIONAL BEHIND THE PROJECT
What s the GMA Super Rice?
It is a hybrid rice variety that can produce up to 250 cavans per hectare of good commercial rice. The national average is only about 80 cavans per hectare.
This hybrid rice is produced by plating F1 certified seeds that was developed by PHILRICE by pollination of two parent seeds, the A line and R line.
How can farmers get the F1 seeds?
Philrice produce the seeds indirectly by convincing selected farmers to become F1 hybrid seed producers then buying the harvest for sale and distribution to other farmers.
At present there is not enough stock or production of the F1 because very few farmers are producing the seed due to high cost and high risk of production that requires capital, facility and technical know how.
F1 seeds are bought by Philrice from producers at a price of P120 per kilo and sold to farmers at a subsidized price of 60 per kilo.
Is it profitable to be a producer of F1?
Yes and No.
Yes because one hectare can produce up to 1 ton of F1 seed, which Philrice buys at P 120 per kilo for a gross of P 120,000 per hectare. The average cost is about P 70,000 per hectare for a net of P 50,000.
No because the operation is so delicate that success depends on many factors such as weather, irrigation, capital for fertilizers, chemicals and other inputs, technical supervision from seeding, planting and harvest, etc. such that, an expected profit can easily turn to bankruptcy if something goes wrong and you are just a small farmer.
What are the inherent problems of private production of F1 seeds?
Philrice supervises these private producers scattered throughout the country because of the technical delicacy of production. They have to convince farmers and landowners to become producers. The social engineering and supervision cost is high.
Standard quality of production cannot be assured because different farmers from different areas have varying circumstances.
Private producers are businessmen in a way and they would readily sacrifice seed quality for volume, which results to bigger profit. The end user-farmer who gets a seed of low quality becomes the loser and discouraged by the result.
Has the government ever attempted to directly produce the F1 seeds?
Yes. In 2003, Philrice and Bucor entered into a loint venture to produce F1 seeds, in Iwahig Penal Farm in Palawan. Iwahig has the land and prisoner manpower while Philrice provides the capital and technical know how.
With the support of the Director Ricardo Macala and Philrice technicians and experts led by Dr. Raul Lara, an initial 50 hectares was used for the experiment with the hope of developing 3,000 hectares more of idle Iwahig land as a seed production complex.
What is the result of the Iwahig Project?
The Iwahig Project proved two things. First, that a government operated hybrid seed production facility can be successful. Second, that F1 seed production with all its capital requirement, technical needs and unexpected problems should be handled by the government as a social service to our farmers who may not have the capability yet of withstanding and surviving the inherent problems and birth pains.
After the initial 50 hectare experiment, the Iwahig Project died a natural death because of the relief Director Macala, its principal sponsor, proving that a specialized government program for this purpose that will assure its continuity and sustainability must be pursued. If it will be handled by a government agency as a side project, the relief of its sponsor will not guarantee continuity if replaced by another who decides to pursue the agency’s principal mission.
What are the problems and lessons learned from Iwahig in operational terms?
1. The seeds planted in Iwahig came from private producers supervised by Philrice. After two months, the GMA Super Rice was in full bloom until some straws grew taller than the other. This means that the parent seeds are of low quality because it is contaminated by foreign variety. If Iwahig is a private producer, the growth will be left as is because the procedure to produce pure seeds is to cut this foreign variety from the roots thereby lessening the harvest aside from the manpower expense required. Because Iwahig is not profit oriented but desire to produce the purest high quality seeds, the laborious and meticulous cutting was undergone, at the expense of volume and profit, which we can seldom expect from an ordinary private producer who had his hard earned money on the line, a chain of event which will be to the detriment of the end user-farmer who would eventually buy the seeds.
2. A lot of process, meticulous process had to be undergone from land preparation to harvest and seed processing. Procedures such as seeding and seedling management, planting and transplanting, spot weeding, rouging, supplementary pollination, remedial fertilization and input application, threshing, etc. It is a job for professionals and financially burdensome that our farmers may not yet be ready. But we need the F1 seeds if we hope to help our farmers and lift our rice production from the doldrums. Government should therefore undertake this job as a social service and very necessary poverty alleviation program which is not a dole out but a pump-priming policy for increased production.
PROPOSED MECHANICS
As water, electricity, railroads and communication are basic utilities for commercial and industrial production, hybrid seeds can belong to that category as far as rice production is concerned. As governments operate important utilities to assure economic activity, the Philippine government must establish a hybrid rice seedling corporation as a service activity to the farming sector.
Philrice, which is a research facility shall be relieved of this operational burden to concentrate on its mandate and shall help the corporation in the technical and skills requirement.
Identification of suitable agricultural lands for hybrid rice seed production initially in selected rice producing regions where there are vast idle lands and poverty abounds due to lack of government service like Samar and Mindoro, and the establishment of seed production facility in these areas.
Private producers of seeds in developed areas like Central Luzon shall be left with their initiative to supply their established recipients.
Maximum coordination shall be made with concerned government agencies like the Department of Agriculture and Department of Social Welfare and Development particularly with the employment of people in the are of operation.
Seminars shall be conducted to farmers who will be the seed recipient with the help of Philrice and other agencies, emphasizing the benefits and vision of the project in order the cooperation, help and support of the farming community.
The seeds, after covering operational and necessary expenses, shall be sold to the farmers at cost.
Attachments:
BUCOR – Philrice joint venture agreement.
Projected expenditure per hectare of F1 seed production.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
GMA Super Rice
The Philippine Rice Institute (Philrice) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) recently announced the development of a hybrid rice variety which these two institutions expect to propogate throughout teh country. Called "GMA Super Rice," this new variety of rice possesses a number of traits superior to the present high-yielding varieties our farmers cultivate. Among others, "GMA Super Rice" can produce up to 240 cavans (one cavan = 50 kilos) of rice per hectare, three times the present average yield of 85 cavans per hectare. It is also typhoon and pest-resistant.
This means that our farmers may be able to triple their income every harvest time. Tripling our palay producers income will generate a series of benefits that will surely help promote the socio-economic condition of our people in the country where the bulk of our population lives.
Tripling our country's rice production, will promote self-sufficiency in rice for our people and reducing or even ending our dependence on rice imports, besides saving our scarce dollar reserves. Self-sufficiency means food security. The new rice variety is expected to boost our government anti-poverty campaign. Considering that there are some 30 miilion poor Filipinos, meeting their food needs will materially contribute to their daily food and nutritional needs requirements.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has reported that the Philippine population grows at the rate of 2.3 percent a year while our rice production increases by only 1.9 percent. The problem of feeding our ever-increasing population will thus be offset by this "GMA Super Rice".
We congratulate the Philippine Rice Institute and the Bureau of Corrections for this "GMA Super Rice." We hope our other research institute will produce similar outputs.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
ANGKAT NA BIGAS SA VIETNAM MALAKI ANG PATONG.
Laman na naman ng mga pahayagan ang balitang pinatungan ng 45% ang halaga ng 1.5 milyong toneladang bigas na inangkat natin sa Vietnam sa taong ito. Ang halaga ng inangkat na bigas ay $550 bawat isang tonelada. Ang 45% nito ay $247.50 at sa ating kuwarta ito ay P 11,137.50. Ang nagging patong sa 1.5 milyong tonelada ay P 1,670,625.00.
Ang ganitong uri ng kawalang-hiyaan kung may katotohanan ang ulat na ito sa mga pahayagan (Philippine Star – Philippine Daily Inquirer/July 6, 2009) ay tunay na nakakapagpaalsa ng ating sikmura na magiging sanhi ng paglabas ng ating kinain; lalo na kung ang kanin ay galing sa bigas na inangkat sa Vietnam.
Sino ang mga ninuno nating maniniwala na tayo ay aangkat ng bigas lalong-lalo sa Vietnam dahil sa tayo ay nagkukulang sa ani ng palay na pinaka-una at pinaka-mahalaga nating pagkain. Ang ating bansa, ang Pilipinas ang bansa nangunguna (no.1) sa buong daigdig sa pang-angkat ng bigas sa ngayon.
Ang minamahal nating bayan ay biniyayaan ng malapad at matabang lupang sinisibulan ng lahat ng uri ng halaman sa lahat ng oras at araw ng buong taon.
Ang panahon natin ay tag-init at tag-ulan lamang. Wala tayong yelo na nagiging dahilan upang hindi tayo makapagtanim o mamatay ang ating halaman.
Likas ang kaalaman at kasipagan ng ating mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim, pag-aalaga at pag-aani ng ating mga halaman.
Angkin natin ang pinakabantog at kinikilalang pinakamamagaling na paaralan sa paghahalaman, pagsasakahan at paghahayupan.
Ang mga bansang Thailand, Vietnam, at maging Combodia ay naging matagumpay sa pagsasakahan dahilan sa mga kababayan nilang nag-aral at nagtapos sa ating mga pamantasan ng pagsasakahan.
Ang bantog sa buong daigdig na IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) ay narito sa atin sa Los Banos, Laguna. Mayroon din tayong bantog na PHILRICE (Philippine Rice Institute) sa Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Ito ay mga Institusyon na nag-aaral kung papaano mapapadami ang butil sa uhay ng palay at nagpapaunlad sa lahat ng larangan ng Agrikultura.
At higit sa lahat; mayroon tayong malalapad pang mga nakatiwangwang na matatabang mga lupain; na kung gagawing sakahan at halamanan ay mag-aani ng higit sa sapat nating pangangailangan; at, makapagluluwas pa tayo sa ibang bansa ng bigas at iba’t-ibang uri ng prutas na ang lasa at sarap ay hindi mapantayan.
Ang mga tiwangwang na matatabang lupa sa ating mga pambansang bilangguan ay matagal ng naghihintay upang bungkalin at sakahin ng mga kaawa-awang bilanggo naghihintay ng pagkakataon na ang lakas ng kanilang katawan at likas na kaalaman at pagmamahal sa gawaing pagsasakahan ay mapakinabangan. At di ko sasawaang ulit-ulitin na ito ang pinakamagandang programa para sa mga bilanggo upang magbalik ang kanilang pagkatao at karangalan naglaho dahilan sa pagkakapiit sa bilangguan.
Ang pagwawalang-bahala at kawalang malasakit ng mga nanunungkulan at namamahala ng mga tanggapan at kawanihan sa larangan ng pagsasaka, paghahalaman at paghahayupan ay bunga ng mga makasariling mithiing ito ay maging kasangkapan ng pagpapa-unlad sa sarili nilang buhay at kabuhayan.
Sa oras na tayo ay magkaroon ng sapat na ani para sa bigas na kailangan ng ating mamamayan ay mawawala, ang malaking kinikita sa pag-aangkat ng bigas at sa pagpupuslit nito ng mga tiwaling mangangalakal na kasabwat ng mga tauhan ng pamahalaan.
Ito rin ang mangyayari kung mayroon tayong sapat na dami ng mga hayop katulad ng manok at baboy at sa iba pang mga pagkaing kailangan ng ating mamamayan.
Ang lunas sa ating mga suliraning ito ay ang tamang pagpili ng mga pinunong ihahalal natin sa 2010 na siyang mangunguna at magtatalaga ng mga manunungkulan at mamamahala sa mga sangay ng ating pamahalaang may kaugnayan sa pagsasakahan, paghahalaman at paghahayupan.
Ang ganitong uri ng kawalang-hiyaan kung may katotohanan ang ulat na ito sa mga pahayagan (Philippine Star – Philippine Daily Inquirer/July 6, 2009) ay tunay na nakakapagpaalsa ng ating sikmura na magiging sanhi ng paglabas ng ating kinain; lalo na kung ang kanin ay galing sa bigas na inangkat sa Vietnam.
Sino ang mga ninuno nating maniniwala na tayo ay aangkat ng bigas lalong-lalo sa Vietnam dahil sa tayo ay nagkukulang sa ani ng palay na pinaka-una at pinaka-mahalaga nating pagkain. Ang ating bansa, ang Pilipinas ang bansa nangunguna (no.1) sa buong daigdig sa pang-angkat ng bigas sa ngayon.
Ang minamahal nating bayan ay biniyayaan ng malapad at matabang lupang sinisibulan ng lahat ng uri ng halaman sa lahat ng oras at araw ng buong taon.
Ang panahon natin ay tag-init at tag-ulan lamang. Wala tayong yelo na nagiging dahilan upang hindi tayo makapagtanim o mamatay ang ating halaman.
Likas ang kaalaman at kasipagan ng ating mga magsasaka sa pagtatanim, pag-aalaga at pag-aani ng ating mga halaman.
Angkin natin ang pinakabantog at kinikilalang pinakamamagaling na paaralan sa paghahalaman, pagsasakahan at paghahayupan.
Ang mga bansang Thailand, Vietnam, at maging Combodia ay naging matagumpay sa pagsasakahan dahilan sa mga kababayan nilang nag-aral at nagtapos sa ating mga pamantasan ng pagsasakahan.
Ang bantog sa buong daigdig na IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) ay narito sa atin sa Los Banos, Laguna. Mayroon din tayong bantog na PHILRICE (Philippine Rice Institute) sa Guimba, Nueva Ecija. Ito ay mga Institusyon na nag-aaral kung papaano mapapadami ang butil sa uhay ng palay at nagpapaunlad sa lahat ng larangan ng Agrikultura.
At higit sa lahat; mayroon tayong malalapad pang mga nakatiwangwang na matatabang mga lupain; na kung gagawing sakahan at halamanan ay mag-aani ng higit sa sapat nating pangangailangan; at, makapagluluwas pa tayo sa ibang bansa ng bigas at iba’t-ibang uri ng prutas na ang lasa at sarap ay hindi mapantayan.
Ang mga tiwangwang na matatabang lupa sa ating mga pambansang bilangguan ay matagal ng naghihintay upang bungkalin at sakahin ng mga kaawa-awang bilanggo naghihintay ng pagkakataon na ang lakas ng kanilang katawan at likas na kaalaman at pagmamahal sa gawaing pagsasakahan ay mapakinabangan. At di ko sasawaang ulit-ulitin na ito ang pinakamagandang programa para sa mga bilanggo upang magbalik ang kanilang pagkatao at karangalan naglaho dahilan sa pagkakapiit sa bilangguan.
Ang pagwawalang-bahala at kawalang malasakit ng mga nanunungkulan at namamahala ng mga tanggapan at kawanihan sa larangan ng pagsasaka, paghahalaman at paghahayupan ay bunga ng mga makasariling mithiing ito ay maging kasangkapan ng pagpapa-unlad sa sarili nilang buhay at kabuhayan.
Sa oras na tayo ay magkaroon ng sapat na ani para sa bigas na kailangan ng ating mamamayan ay mawawala, ang malaking kinikita sa pag-aangkat ng bigas at sa pagpupuslit nito ng mga tiwaling mangangalakal na kasabwat ng mga tauhan ng pamahalaan.
Ito rin ang mangyayari kung mayroon tayong sapat na dami ng mga hayop katulad ng manok at baboy at sa iba pang mga pagkaing kailangan ng ating mamamayan.
Ang lunas sa ating mga suliraning ito ay ang tamang pagpili ng mga pinunong ihahalal natin sa 2010 na siyang mangunguna at magtatalaga ng mga manunungkulan at mamamahala sa mga sangay ng ating pamahalaang may kaugnayan sa pagsasakahan, paghahalaman at paghahayupan.
IPC: Key to success of GMA Super Rice
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) developed the “GMA Super Rice” which can produce 240 cavans of palay per hectare, three times the present average yield of 85 cavns per hectare.
Philrice needs a homogeneous area where it can produce, at low cost, the super seeds that the more than 2 million Filipino farmers tilling 330,000 hectares of irrigated rice land and must have to make our country self sufficient in rice and to enable us to export rice once again.
The Iwahig Penal Colony has an area of 28,000 hectares. Of this, 10,000 hectares to 12,000 hectares can be irrigated and would be an ideal site for the government’s Rice and Plant Experimentation Station. A study conducted by the UP Engineering School of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna with cooperation of the Bureau of Corrections, Philrice and the Department of Agriculture, confirmed the viability of the project.
The Iwahig Penal Colony has nine big rivers and a rain forest for its source of water. A study shows that even a two-year draught will not affect the water supply needed for the irrigation project.
Moreover, Palawan, where the Iwahig Penal Colony is located, is typhoon free. It has an abundant supply of cheap prison labor. Inmates coming from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao can be tapped to develop and till the irrigated farm. The super seeds that will be produced in Iwahig will be very cheap and will make rice farming profitable to the farmers. He project, on the other hand, will boost tremendously the rehabilitation and reformation mission of the Bureau of Corrections: gainful employment will give back to the prisoners the sense of dignity and honor they lost because of their incarceration.
The Iwahig Penal Colony is the key to the success of the GMA Super Rice. The Iwahig Penal Colony will help realize President Macapagal-Arroyo’s dream of providing food for the poorest Filipinos.
Col. RICARDO B. MACALA (Ret.)
ricardomacala@yahoo.com
Philippine Daily Inquirer Issue
October 18, 2008
Philrice needs a homogeneous area where it can produce, at low cost, the super seeds that the more than 2 million Filipino farmers tilling 330,000 hectares of irrigated rice land and must have to make our country self sufficient in rice and to enable us to export rice once again.
The Iwahig Penal Colony has an area of 28,000 hectares. Of this, 10,000 hectares to 12,000 hectares can be irrigated and would be an ideal site for the government’s Rice and Plant Experimentation Station. A study conducted by the UP Engineering School of Agriculture in Los Banos, Laguna with cooperation of the Bureau of Corrections, Philrice and the Department of Agriculture, confirmed the viability of the project.
The Iwahig Penal Colony has nine big rivers and a rain forest for its source of water. A study shows that even a two-year draught will not affect the water supply needed for the irrigation project.
Moreover, Palawan, where the Iwahig Penal Colony is located, is typhoon free. It has an abundant supply of cheap prison labor. Inmates coming from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao can be tapped to develop and till the irrigated farm. The super seeds that will be produced in Iwahig will be very cheap and will make rice farming profitable to the farmers. He project, on the other hand, will boost tremendously the rehabilitation and reformation mission of the Bureau of Corrections: gainful employment will give back to the prisoners the sense of dignity and honor they lost because of their incarceration.
The Iwahig Penal Colony is the key to the success of the GMA Super Rice. The Iwahig Penal Colony will help realize President Macapagal-Arroyo’s dream of providing food for the poorest Filipinos.
Col. RICARDO B. MACALA (Ret.)
ricardomacala@yahoo.com
Philippine Daily Inquirer Issue
October 18, 2008
RICE SECURITY THRU THE PENAL COLONIES
GMA declared that her last three years in office will be the “legacy phase” of her administration, which shall focus on human and physical infrastructure. Businessmen and economists would interpret this as the strengthening of macroeconomic foundation for a sustained economic development even beyond her term.
A former Bureau of Corrections director, Ricardo Macala whose own legacy can still be viewed at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and every penal colony throughout the country, a legacy which says “Bilangguan man ay Paraiso sa Patakarang Maka-Diyos at Maka-Tao”, was thinking beyond economics. Reading the President’s declaration, hw was thinking of his own dream. For him, human and physical infrastructure rings a more personal bell.
In 2002, he attempted to lay the foundation of that dream by embarking on a very ambitious project which would transform the prison community from a mere penal institution to a food production complex. The immediate objective was to attain self-sufficiency for the food requirement of prisoners, but the vision was to extend the benefit to our country’s struggling agricultural sector. The project was the GMA Super Rice in Iwahig Penal Colony through a joint venture with the Philippine Rice Institute (PHILRICE), supported by the Department of Agriculture and UP Los Banos Agriculture Engineering Department.
Physical infrastructure for Karding Macala was the development of vast, idle and fertile land of different penal colonies in Iwahig, Sablayan, Abuyog, Davao and Zamboanga. His initial experiment with the GMA Super Rice in Iwahig has proven that the government must undertake the production of certified seeds so that farmers all over the country can reap the benefits of increased output without going through complex, highly technical, and risky process of certified seeds production. This certified seeds, if could not be subsidized, must be distributed and sold to farmers at cost. The land hectarage of the penal colonies if fully developed and supported with irrigation and other infrastructure, will be sufficient to supply the whole country’s hybrid seed requirement.
Human infrastructure for Macala has a very personal meaning. He thinks of national prisoners who had lost not only their freedom, but in their idleness, has also lost their dignity for productive work. He had initiated an educational program where he transformed the traditional token skills training for prisoners into a full blown college diploma program inside the prison walls. But for him, it was not enough. He wanted the inmates to redeem their dignity and worth as human beings while serving time, by doing productive work not just for their own sustenance but for the benefit of the society he had wronged. What could be a better concrete and symbolic gesture of penance than being able to produce the seeds that would feel the community they hope to eventually rejoin?
Yes, it was a dream. A dream not shared by all because not all believed that prisoners never cease to be human beings. Ka Karding believes that human infrastructure development must not exclude the prison community because whatever economic gains the free world could achieve, our treatment of our prisoners will define the kind of people and society that we have. Macala was given a rating of “outstanding” for innovation by the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES), but his two years stint in office as BUCOR Director was not enough to pursue a radical vision if not shared by succeeding leaderships.
Economically speaking, the project to make the penal colonies as a Seed production Complex will not only result in efficient production with PHILRICE, acting as technical conduit, but will radically reduce the cost of production. The land is free and available, while the labor is abundant twenty four hours a day. There will be birth pains as proven by the Macala Experiment in Iwahig, and there will be oppositions and saboteurs both within and outside the bureau, since old systems however unproductive, will always have their traditional beneficiaries. It ultimately comes down to political will and a call for personal sacrifice to abandon shortsighted benefits for long term but lasting goals.
The writer of this article is a personal witness to Macala’s sincere effort to transform the Bureau of Corrections from a government dependent agency to a self-sustaining institution. Almost 100% of its appropriation goes to employee salary and foodstuff for prisoners. Nothing is left for infrastructure and other human development programs. Ironically, the bureau has vast and untapped natural resources in its colonies. The absence of a concrete utilization and development program for these resources had resulted in years of institutional corruption. The Bureau of Corrections is a classic example of what GMA called a long overdue need for physical and human infrastructure reform. Without active support and a defined policy from above, the kinds of Macala would be a lonely voice in the wilderness. But this is not the time for pessimism. If we really intend to move forward, we must forget the failings of the fast, continue to speak up and believe.
Andrew B. Blanca
Former Chief Accountant / Superintendent – BUCOR
College Faculty - FAITH
A former Bureau of Corrections director, Ricardo Macala whose own legacy can still be viewed at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa and every penal colony throughout the country, a legacy which says “Bilangguan man ay Paraiso sa Patakarang Maka-Diyos at Maka-Tao”, was thinking beyond economics. Reading the President’s declaration, hw was thinking of his own dream. For him, human and physical infrastructure rings a more personal bell.
In 2002, he attempted to lay the foundation of that dream by embarking on a very ambitious project which would transform the prison community from a mere penal institution to a food production complex. The immediate objective was to attain self-sufficiency for the food requirement of prisoners, but the vision was to extend the benefit to our country’s struggling agricultural sector. The project was the GMA Super Rice in Iwahig Penal Colony through a joint venture with the Philippine Rice Institute (PHILRICE), supported by the Department of Agriculture and UP Los Banos Agriculture Engineering Department.
Physical infrastructure for Karding Macala was the development of vast, idle and fertile land of different penal colonies in Iwahig, Sablayan, Abuyog, Davao and Zamboanga. His initial experiment with the GMA Super Rice in Iwahig has proven that the government must undertake the production of certified seeds so that farmers all over the country can reap the benefits of increased output without going through complex, highly technical, and risky process of certified seeds production. This certified seeds, if could not be subsidized, must be distributed and sold to farmers at cost. The land hectarage of the penal colonies if fully developed and supported with irrigation and other infrastructure, will be sufficient to supply the whole country’s hybrid seed requirement.
Human infrastructure for Macala has a very personal meaning. He thinks of national prisoners who had lost not only their freedom, but in their idleness, has also lost their dignity for productive work. He had initiated an educational program where he transformed the traditional token skills training for prisoners into a full blown college diploma program inside the prison walls. But for him, it was not enough. He wanted the inmates to redeem their dignity and worth as human beings while serving time, by doing productive work not just for their own sustenance but for the benefit of the society he had wronged. What could be a better concrete and symbolic gesture of penance than being able to produce the seeds that would feel the community they hope to eventually rejoin?
Yes, it was a dream. A dream not shared by all because not all believed that prisoners never cease to be human beings. Ka Karding believes that human infrastructure development must not exclude the prison community because whatever economic gains the free world could achieve, our treatment of our prisoners will define the kind of people and society that we have. Macala was given a rating of “outstanding” for innovation by the Career Executive Service Performance Evaluation System (CESPES), but his two years stint in office as BUCOR Director was not enough to pursue a radical vision if not shared by succeeding leaderships.
Economically speaking, the project to make the penal colonies as a Seed production Complex will not only result in efficient production with PHILRICE, acting as technical conduit, but will radically reduce the cost of production. The land is free and available, while the labor is abundant twenty four hours a day. There will be birth pains as proven by the Macala Experiment in Iwahig, and there will be oppositions and saboteurs both within and outside the bureau, since old systems however unproductive, will always have their traditional beneficiaries. It ultimately comes down to political will and a call for personal sacrifice to abandon shortsighted benefits for long term but lasting goals.
The writer of this article is a personal witness to Macala’s sincere effort to transform the Bureau of Corrections from a government dependent agency to a self-sustaining institution. Almost 100% of its appropriation goes to employee salary and foodstuff for prisoners. Nothing is left for infrastructure and other human development programs. Ironically, the bureau has vast and untapped natural resources in its colonies. The absence of a concrete utilization and development program for these resources had resulted in years of institutional corruption. The Bureau of Corrections is a classic example of what GMA called a long overdue need for physical and human infrastructure reform. Without active support and a defined policy from above, the kinds of Macala would be a lonely voice in the wilderness. But this is not the time for pessimism. If we really intend to move forward, we must forget the failings of the fast, continue to speak up and believe.
Andrew B. Blanca
Former Chief Accountant / Superintendent – BUCOR
College Faculty - FAITH
GMA Super Rice
The Philippine Rice Institute (PHILRICE) and the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) recently announced the development of a hybrid rice variety which these two institutions expect to propogate throughout the country. Called “GMA Super Rice”, this new variety rice possesses a number of traits superior to the present high-yielding varieties our farmers cultivate. Among others, “GMA Super Rice” can produce up to 240 cavans (one cavan = 50 kilos) of rice per hectare, three times the present average yield of 85 cavans per hectare. It is also typhoon and pest-resistant.
This means that our farmers may be able to triple their income every harvest time. Tripling our palay producers’ income will generate a series of benefits that will surely help promote the socio-economic condition of our people in the countryside where the bulk of our population lives.
Tripling our country’s rice production, will promote self-sufficiency in rice for our people and reducing or even ending our dependence on rice imports, besides saving our scare dollar reserves. Self-sufficiency means food security. The new rice variety is expected to boost our government’s anti-poverty campaign. Considering that there are some 30 million poor Filipinos, meeting their food needs will materially contribute to their daily food and nutritional requirements.
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has reported that the Philippine population grows at the rate of 2.3 percent a year while our rice production increases by only 1.9 percent. The problem of feeding our ever-increasing population will thus be offset by this “GMA Super Rice”.
We congratulate the Philippine Rice Institute and the Bureau of Corrections for this “GMA Super Rice”. We hope our other research institute will produce similar outputs.
Manila Bulletin Issue
February 8, 2003
Grain Sufficiency through hybrid rice farming at Iwahig Penal Colony
This situation of agriculture in the country has been the principal concern of government specifically so in the area of food security. For years, the country has been plagued with technical as well as occurrences which reduced its capacity to sustain its grain supply, the staple food which every Filipino must have on his table. There is no end in sight in resolving the problem of rice sufficiency. The only way by which the country could deal with this perennial challenge is either through importation or simply fall prey to smuggling syndicates. Lurking behind every novel effort to lick the el nino phenomenon is one project after another leading nowhere near the resolution of the grain supply problem. Government has to brace itself more for the coming climate changes and political challenges ahead.
An inroad toward addressing the problem of food security came in the light of Philippine Rice Institue (Philrice) research on the gene alteration of the grain. Accordingly. A new variety referred to as the GMA F1 has all the makings of a responsive crop fort he farmer. The variety is pest resistant, hence would not require much pesticide, a costly factor. It could withstand draught since the variety does not require sophisticated irrigation and its held is more than double the national average per hectare, from 85 to 240 cavans.
Agricultural specialists eyed rice fields on all sides of the country specifically to introduce the variety to produce more and gain self-sufficiency. As in all government-sponsored policy, the width and breath of the program would encompass a big stretch and funding and this is one area where government has to find the wherewithal to support its applied research.
A breakthrough was noted. This came after the present BuCor administration declared that all penal farms must as a matter of policy produce for economic sufficiency. Efforts should be geared towards developing joint venture programs for economic livelihood and foremost for the rehabilitation and training of national prisoners. Iwahig having completed a comprehensive land use study became the perfect site for a food security program. Iwahig Penal Colony is a vast tract of agricultural field, maintained by inmates and waiting for development.
It has nine major river ways and almost a hundred tributes. The Bureau is coordinating with the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Banos Agricultural Engineering Department to create an irrigation network design which can provide water supply for thousands of hectares. Since it is only in Iwahig where water shades are abundant, irrigation is continuous even in the most unlikely incident of draught. Even if it does not rain for more than a year farmlands continue to support its rice paddies requirements, and the island of Palawan where the Iwahig Colony is, is typhoon free. What’s more, there will be no shortage of manpower, for there is an abundance of inmate labor available.
After a series of conferences, a program was sealed. Iwahig has an aggregate size of 28,000 hectares and has a potential farm size of 10,000 hectares Philrice needs for its rice seedling production. It has been estimated that once the entire area of 8,000 hectares is planted to the said variety, it could easily supply all the 330,000 hectares of rice land in the country and eventually regain the rice sufficiency which has eluded the country for more than a decade. With the said plan the country stands to gain its self sufficiency status on food security after five years.Iwahig land is already being prepared for the initial planting of the hybrid variety.
An inroad toward addressing the problem of food security came in the light of Philippine Rice Institue (Philrice) research on the gene alteration of the grain. Accordingly. A new variety referred to as the GMA F1 has all the makings of a responsive crop fort he farmer. The variety is pest resistant, hence would not require much pesticide, a costly factor. It could withstand draught since the variety does not require sophisticated irrigation and its held is more than double the national average per hectare, from 85 to 240 cavans.
Agricultural specialists eyed rice fields on all sides of the country specifically to introduce the variety to produce more and gain self-sufficiency. As in all government-sponsored policy, the width and breath of the program would encompass a big stretch and funding and this is one area where government has to find the wherewithal to support its applied research.
A breakthrough was noted. This came after the present BuCor administration declared that all penal farms must as a matter of policy produce for economic sufficiency. Efforts should be geared towards developing joint venture programs for economic livelihood and foremost for the rehabilitation and training of national prisoners. Iwahig having completed a comprehensive land use study became the perfect site for a food security program. Iwahig Penal Colony is a vast tract of agricultural field, maintained by inmates and waiting for development.
It has nine major river ways and almost a hundred tributes. The Bureau is coordinating with the University of the Philippines (UP) Los Banos Agricultural Engineering Department to create an irrigation network design which can provide water supply for thousands of hectares. Since it is only in Iwahig where water shades are abundant, irrigation is continuous even in the most unlikely incident of draught. Even if it does not rain for more than a year farmlands continue to support its rice paddies requirements, and the island of Palawan where the Iwahig Colony is, is typhoon free. What’s more, there will be no shortage of manpower, for there is an abundance of inmate labor available.
After a series of conferences, a program was sealed. Iwahig has an aggregate size of 28,000 hectares and has a potential farm size of 10,000 hectares Philrice needs for its rice seedling production. It has been estimated that once the entire area of 8,000 hectares is planted to the said variety, it could easily supply all the 330,000 hectares of rice land in the country and eventually regain the rice sufficiency which has eluded the country for more than a decade. With the said plan the country stands to gain its self sufficiency status on food security after five years.Iwahig land is already being prepared for the initial planting of the hybrid variety.
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