PCG sets VINTA, ICARE sailing 

On 51st founding anniversary 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, November 10, (PIA)—A lone fast boat has been spotted by equipment watching the coasts of Central Visayas, the only one unidentified among a fleet of commercial fishers, passenger ships and fastcrafts in the area. 

A tiny blip in the vast seas occupied by a screen full of codes for each blip except one, moving from to the north. 

Scramble in the Philippine Coast Guard (MRRV) Multi-role and rescue vessel to hail the suspect. 

One more potential threat off the water, but thanks mostly to a technology that the law enforcement and the PCG have at their disposal. 

Enter the Vessel Identification Network Tracking Application (VINTA) and Intensified Community Assistance Awareness Response and Enforcement (I-CARE), two web-based application and webpage that helps the PCG better serve the sea-faring public. 

According to PGC District for Central Visayas Commander, Captain Ronnie Gil Gavan, “VINTA and I CARE were developed by the PCG to use the tech-savvy young generation of coast guards the facility of online tracking departing and arriving vessels digitally.” 

VINTA and ICARE also allows the PCG to gain electronic records of all sea-going vessels, track them wherever they may be in high seas and send in help if they happen to be in distress. 

An enhancement of the usual pre-departure and clearing operations by the coast guard elements, instead of just visual checking of the ships logs and voyage documents, coast guard elements take digital snaps of these documents, and send them to the nearest station. 

In the station, an office personnel who keeps logs on violations, boat conditions, papers and documents compares these digitally snapped documents and fits them according to the checklist for a legal voyage. If the boat’s papers are in order, the station then sends the clearing message to release the boat for the trip. 

A previous violation or a non-compliance to sea-worthiness tests, franchise infarctions which has remained unsettled, can easily be seen and holds the boat to anchorage. 

These digital files are then kept, and a copy of such is passed to the port of destination where a similar coast guard personnel keeps logs. 

The clearing official sends to the corresponding personnel at the port of call the boat’s departure time, estimated time of travel, estimated time of arrival and trip details like ship captain, crew, passengers and cargo. 

Any delay in the trip can raise a red flag in the ICARE system, which allows the coast guard at port of destination to immediately dispatch rescue boats and the blinking image only stops as soon as the responding PCG team spots the boat, and leads it to port. 

Captain Gavan, however sees something more to this facilitated safety measure. 

“This allows us to have the big data which would help us in the dynamic analysis of all available information in our maritime domain,” the commander who came in after a decorated coast guard service in Zamboanga, his previous assignment. 

The launching of the VINTA and ICARE were just among the highlights of the 51st founding anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard, November 7, 2018. 

Also opened to the public especially for their stakeholders was the Lapulapu Hall in the third floor of the District Headquarters at Pier 3 in Arellano Street, Cebu City. 

From sea rescue in their areas of responsibility in Central Visayas, the PCG has also been instrumental in keeping coastline security and maritime patrol operations, vessel fire rescue to search for survivors in the Naga landslide. 

True to its mandates, the PCG has led in the enforcing of laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security operations, safeguarding life and property at sea, and protecting marine environment. 

The coast guard also had Deputy Commandant Rear Admiral Rolando Legaspi as keynote speaker leading the guests that included agency partners and maritime stakeholders and its most active coast guard auxiliary units across the region. 

A formal awarding ceremony for pinning of bronze cross medals to exemplary personnel who saved and rescued sea mishap victims also happened during the day. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

 PCG Captain Gavan briefs everyone of the new apps called VINTA and web page called ICARE during the 51st founding anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard, inside the newly opened Hawanan ni Lapulapu at the District Office in Cebu. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

PCG Deputy Commandant Rear Admiral Rolando Legazpi and PCSupt Debold Sinas lead the guests in cutting the ceremonial ribbon opening Hawanan ni Lapulapu, to provide the venue for stakeholder interaction among maritime clients. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Bohol hosts 3rd 

Shark Summit 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, November 10 (PIA)—Thanks and no thanks to the movies that depict the sharks as diabolical creatures of the sea, the enmity between sharks and men is almost shown in the gory death of a shark, almost all the time. 

Evil as they are depicted, sharks are indeed apex predators, but like storms, they bring new life and balance the ecosystem, that is what movies do not show. 

Bohol Boholanos to better understand sharks and the vital roles they play in the ecosystem, Save Sharks Network Philippines is bringing to Bohol the country’s 3rd Shark Summit in time for the Shark Conservation Week, November 12-16. 

Bohol is considered as one of the marine key biodiversity in the country because its marine water is rich in flora and fauna, shark species among them. 

Considered the center of the center of biodiversity and with temperate waters that are home to a whole lot of species, Bohol waters have also attracted sharks, which are either hunted or chased off. 

Home to several reef sharks, threshers, from the gentle giants which have become million-peso tourism industry in nearby Oslob to the cookie cutter sharks that also help control the population of dolphins, Bohol waters and its tourism potential has brought the celebration of 2018 Shark Conservation Week here. 

Ecotourism activities around sharks are starting to affect the economy. 

In Pamilacan then a whale shark could fetch about P200,00 when caught by a fisherman. But with dive tourism or whale shark interaction, a single whale shark could bring in over a million through the years. 

And a live shark today would mean a much better checked marine ecosystem, an invaluable resource that would feed communities. 

Here, organizers think Boholanos could be very strong partners in conserving sharks. 

Selected to host this year’s 3rd Shark Summit that will run from November 12-16, 2018, Bohol also becomes the hub of various activities Save Sharks Network Philippines (SSNP) have lined-up for this activity. 

And to get the widest possible participation, organizers have opened the activities for all. 

In fact, by November 12, Save Sharks Network Philippines (SSNP) is inviting everyone to join them and beat the record for most number of Baby Shark Dancers on site. This would be at 4:00 PM at the Carlos P. Garcia Sports Complex in Tagbilaran City. Participants may come in costume, organizers said. 

The first Shark Summit happened in Cebu in August 2014, where there was a historical gathering of policymakers, government officials, conservationists, divers, scientists, advocates, and students to identify challenges and solutions in shark conservation. 

The two-day event sprung two years of shark campaigns and projects, a policy to protect all shark species in Cebu. 

The 2nd Shark Summit happened in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental in November 2016. The 2nd Shark Summit led to a nationwide campaign to list shark and ray species in Appendix II of CITES, the creation of the 2020 Shark and Ray Conservation Roadmap of the Philippines, stakeholder consultations which involved listening and dancing to “Baby Shark” on loop, and advocating for shark conservation bills in the Senate and House of Representatives. 

So, why would there be a need to conserve sharks? 

Sharks are apex predators, and as such, they play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain and serving as an indicator for ocean health, according to eu.oceana.org. 

They help remove the weak and the sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors helping to ensure species diversity. 

“As predators, sharks shift their prey’s habitat, which alters the feeding strategy and diets of other species. Through the spatial controls and abundance, sharks indirectly maintain the seagrass and corals reef habitats.” 

The loss of sharks has led to the decline in coral reefs, seagrass beds and the loss of commercial fisheries. By taking sharks out of the coral reef ecosystem, the larger predatory fish, such as groupers, increase in abundance and feed on the herbivores. With less herbivores, macroalgae expands and coral can no longer compete, shifting the ecosystem to one of algae dominance, affecting the survival of the reef system. 

On the same dates, mural artists and eco-lifestyle advocate Anina Rubio with the Bohol Baji Arts Collective will lead a community painting mural in Tagbilaran City from November 13-15. 

For law makers, the activities also include Shark Conservation Legislation Toolkit launch. The Legislation Toolkit is a template for local government units intending to craft shark conservation laws in their own contexts. 

Another group, Large Marine Vertebrates (LaMaVe) Research Institute Philippines is hosting the Shark Science Session on November 14, 8:00AM-12:30PM in Holy Name University, where 30 students, government officials, and interested early career researchers, and shark enthusiasts are invited for lectures on sharks and rays ecology, biology, anatomy and field research, as well as a chance to practice hands-on on anatomy and necropsy techniques on real sharks. 

A Youth Forum on Oceans and Sharks: Anak ng Pating, also brings students and youth organizations members for an interactive learning experience at 1:00-5:30PM on November 14 at the University of Bohol. 

Save Philippine Seas will also lead a multi-stakeholder meeting role-play of a Senate hearing on shark policies, and session on writing local and national legislators to support the shark bill. Email savesharksnetworkph@gmail.com your school, course, and age to confirm. Deadline for registration is Monday, Nov. 12. 

The week also will see the first public screening of The Atom Araullo Specials: Shark Land, which originally aired on GMA7 in May 2018. 

In this film, award-winning documentarist Atom Araullo traveled to different parts of the country to take a close look at how the sharks industry has been shaping and thriving: Donsol, Oslob, Mercedes, and Daanbantayan. 

Altogether, the weeklong events attempt to boost shark conservation and management for the years to come under the framework of the 2020 Roadmap, organizers said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

The largest marine animal, the whale shark and its interaction has become a million peso ecotourism industry, the same as the thresher sharks of Malapascua Cebu and the hammerhead sharks of Cabilao are potential income generators, when these are conserved. (PIABohol) 

DOST RSTW 2018 brings STI 

Interactive exhibits to Bohol 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol November 10 (PIA)—The Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bohol brings in an interactive exhibit of science and technology innovations, technical fora to present to students and the science and community a chance to see how science concepts work and how these are applied to bring in technological development, at the Island City Mall, Tagbilaran City November 14-16, 2018. 

The events also coincide with the 2018 Central Visayas Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) celebration carrying the theme: “Science and technology for the People: Innovation for Collective Prosperity,” according to Bohol PSTC Provincial Director Vina Antopina. 

The celebration also brings to Bohol DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Peña, who together with DOST undersecretary for research and development Rowena Cristina Guevara, DOST 7 Regional Director Edilberto Paradela and local officials led by Governor Edgar Chatto, House Committee for Science and Technology Representative Erico Aristotle Aumentado, and Congressmen Rene Relampagos, Arthur Yap and City Mayor John Geesnell Yap II to witness the proclamation of DOST 7 Science and Technology Ambassadors, launching of newly approved SET-UP Bohol Projects and the opening of science and technology exhibits. 

DOST RD Paradela said this year’s “RSTW highlights how science, technology and innovations (STI) play a major role in achieving national development.” 

PD Antopina, in an interview earlier said they haggled to bring the exhibits in Bohol, considering that other regions are also pulling for the exhibits in their areas. 

The exhibit in Bohol for this year will simulate an ecosystem of how STI work together for the progress of a community, Paradela added. 

“Here, technologies developed by the DOST and its attached agencies, as well as its partners, will be displayed for the first time via interactive displays in four clusters namely: STI at Home, STI in School, STI in the Workplace and STI in the Marketplace,” Antopina revealed. 

Aside from the STI main exhibits, DOST also brings in corollary technical for a set at the Atrium of the Island City Mall, from November 15 to 16. 

The DOST technical forum is also grouped in a thematic presentation of harnessing STI for Education and STI for Enterprise Development. 

For the academe, included in the technical fora is Boholano educator Dr. Christopher Bernido and President of the Central Visayan Institute in Jagna as well as academician of the National Academy of Science and Technology, who will speak about “Harnessing STI in the Academe Sector. 

Science Education Institute’s Director, Dr. Josette Biyo would talk about Building the Science Culture and reintroduce the DOST Scholarship Program. 

For Value Creation from S and T Innovations, is Office of the Director Advance Science and Technology Institute Acting Director, Dr. Joel Joseph Mariano Jr., while Dr. Joseph Malalu-an, Graduate Officer of the Mindanao State University will talk about Academe Based Innovations for Enterprise Development. 

As to harnessing STI for Enterprise Development, DOST’s Philippine Textile Research Institute’s director Dr. Cecilia Elumba would talk about Promoting Inclusive Innovation and Circular Economy through DOST’s PTRI’s TELA program. 

Also in is a topic on Innovations in Food Product Development with DOST Cebu PSTC Science Research Specialist Dr. Bryan Ybañez. 

Taking the center stage are documentaries of Bohol Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) in the Bohol Experience of Harnessing STI in Enterprise Development. 

Finally, the chief of the Packaging Technology Division of the Industrial Technology and Development Institute Daily Tañafranca would talk about Creating Competitive Advantage through packaging Innovations. 

The day-long for a would also feature open forum where resource persons and the general audience can interact. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

OFF FOREVER. Imagine your kids being spared from mosquito bites, not because they had a perpetual supply of insect repellant lotion, but because they are wearing an innovative technology of mosquito-repellant baby clothes developed by the Philippine Textile Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology. Dr Cecile Elumba is expected to share this technology this week at the RSTW STI exhibits at the ICM. (PIABohol)

Feature 

Dengue-proof your family 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, November 9 (PIA)—Now with the dengue alarm which has reached outbreak proportions, there has never been any better tip in preventing the disease and dengue proofing the family than starting with the self. 

Now, parents who are protective of their kids go extreme lengths to keep their kids, especially when away from home, safe from mosquito bites. Enter, the leggings and mosquito repellants. 

But, did you know that all those who protect themselves from dengue mosquito bites by wearing leggings are still not dengue-safe? 

NOT JUST LEGGINGS 

Dengue mosquitoes, or aedes aegyti which causes the transfer of dengue virus to humans use sight, smell, and heat to find a blood meal, and gravitate around human and animal heat, that even with leggings, mosquitoes can still go for exposed parts of the body. 

More-over. leggings, or at least those kinds that pupils are now wearing in schools are those thin types, ones that mosquitoes can still, easily bite through. 

“What we want to avoid is the mosquito bites, and leggings, or at least those that a mosquito can bite through, are still a concern,” shared a pediatrician who politely declined to be named. 

And then there is the color. 

“There have been circulated tips that mosquitoes are more attracted to that dark colored clothing, the color for most of the leggings that kids use, and these could be attracting more the mosquitoes that we want these insects to move away from our kids,” the pediatrician continued. 

Over this, wearing of bright colored long-sleeved clothes and trousers that mosquitoes could not bite through, something that lower the chances of getting bitten by dengue-carrying mosquitoes, is still the best. 

“Ensure that your kids wear clothes that cover as much skin as possible especially when they are going outside to play,” the children’s doctor said. 

On the exposed skin, mosquito-repellants could be of huge help, she stressed. 

NOT JUST ANY REPELLANT 

Dengue mosquitoes accordingly bite early mornings and evening before dusk so these times are perfect time for mosquito repellants. 

Also, observers said keeping bug repellent machines could keep the mosquitoes away. Some electronic machine repellents uses ultraviolet light that attracts mosquitoes to some zapping mechanism in that contraction that kills mosquitoes, bugs and even moths. 

But, as to mosquito repellants, think of this: Not all kinds are set for just anybody. 

Experts in skin care recommend those that are effective, safe and have skin-friendly ingredients, especially for pregnant and breastfeeding women. 

Generally, ingredients like DEET and IR 3535 are safe to use even for pregnant and breastfeeding women, research showed. 

DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) is effective for exposed body parts and has been declared as safe for infants older than two months and children, just make sure to keep children from ingesting these repellent. 

But, one should always apply the repellent as advised in the instructions and adults must apply repellants on children ensuring to avoid their hands, eyes and mouth as this can cause mild irritation, itching, skin eruptions, and rashes manifest. 

On the other hand, insect repellent 3535 or IR3535 is a synthetic product. Its ethyl N-acetyl-N-butyl-ß-alaninate which is powerful in repelling biting flies, mosquitoes, and deer ticks and still gives one a good feeling on the skin. 

And when most think repellents are okay for anyone, babies younger than 2 months must not be applied with these. 

Also, repellants containing ingredients like lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD), these should be avoided for children under 3 years. 

SEARCH AND DESTROY 

Apart from anything, ridding the house of stagnant water already effectively keeps mosquitoes away. 

Household items like bird baths, bowls, flower vases and other utensils that contain water should be changed regularly so mosquitoes would have no place to breed. 

To get rid of mosquitoes, remove their entire breeding habitat which includes stagnant water, or cover all water containers and remove sources which can even remotely be related to breeding habits of pests. 

Check for damp areas in your home. Check refrigerator drains, coolers, dish basin, racks for mosquito breeding sites and always keep the toilet bowls, trash bin covered and never let wet waste accumulate near your home. 

For containers, keep them to avoid water accumulation. 

That is not enough though. 

People must ensure that these items are cleaned and scrubbed to remove any eggs that may have been laid out by the mosquitoes. 

Covering open water tanks and buckets is still a sound dengue prevention tip as it reduces the risk by eliminating any possible breeding grounds. 

For rooms and houses, doors must be closed and window screens installed, to prevent the entry of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. 

Moreover, mosquito nets are still effective, especially if these are applied with long lasting insecticides. 

In the dark corners of the house, spray pesticides especially in the potential resting places for mosquitoes. 

BUZZ YOUR WAY TO MEDICAL HELP 

And in cases when a family member gets a fever that has been recurring for over a day and paracetamols seem to be ineffective, hurry to the nearest medical facility. 

Or if you happen to be far from the hospital, keep the patient hydrated. 

Let him take in a lot of fluids, oral rehydration salts, something to temporarily keep him up and about while on the way to the hospital. 

In times when the scare can pre-occupy everyone, it is but just right for you to keep yourself, your family and your home dengue-proofed. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Dengue carrying mosquitoes can still bite through thin leggings, a rather better measure is for kids to wear thicker trousers or pants and protect the body’s uncovered parts with insect repellants. (PIABohol) 

Bohol to hatch giant clams 

For seeding in sea-waters 

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, November 9, (PIA)—Bohol could be leading all other provinces in the country for coming up with a new hatchery for giant clams. 

Socio Economic and Environment Management Cluster Liza Quirog, who also sits as the Provincial Agriculturist claimed this in front of the gathering of fish wardens, police environmental officers, coastal law enforcement council (CLEC) members and local officials gathered for the 2018 Annual CLEC General Assembly inside the Pavillion of the Panda Tea Gardens and Suites, Dao, Tagbilaran City. 

Quirog, who took over in presiding the gathering in lieu of CLEC provincial chairman Governor Edgar Chatto, added it would not however be something new, as Bohol has consistently led the pack in innovations among local governments. 

CLEC has been Bohol’s response to coastal law enforcement as it remains one of the most daunting challenges of resource management for local government units (LGUs) depleting valuable resources and making campaigners lose steam. 

Decades back however, the campaign against illegal fishing in Bohol is made more efficient at lass costs with LGUs sharing resources and information through an inter-LGU, multi-agency, multi-sectoral CLEC. 

After the national government empowered LGUs to manage their own resources, illegal fishers here have always evaded apprehension simply by moving from one town to another. 

As their activities hold enormous negative impacts on the coastal environment including lessening fish catch, destruction of marine habitats, loss of income of small-scale fishers, expensive fish prices and fewer marine products, the Provincial Government of Bohol, supported by CRMP, called all fishery stakeholders to a Coastal Law Enforcement Summit in 2000. 

This was to discuss and identify solutions to the illegal fishing problem. 

The common conclusion: illegal fishing can be more effectively addressed through coordination and an integrated approach to coastal law enforcement. 

This pushed for the creation of CLEC in each of Bohol’s three congressional districts, a move which now expanded to cluster of contiguous coastal towns. 

And just as the collaboration between municipal governments improved in terms of resource sharing, the annual training and sharing of information allowed law enforcers and prosecutors and judges to be more technically equipped to handle cases involving violations of coastal laws. 

This year, the CLECs, summoned by Executive Order No. 1, series of 2015 which strengthened and sustained monitoring and protection of Bohol coastal resources by institutionalizing CLEC, as part of its sustaining mechanisms for effective implementation, members gather to discuss accomplishments and challenges. 

CLEC members also shared initiatives and best practices, especially in enriching coastal ecosystems and increasing fish stocks. 

Just as local communities adopted marine protected areas assess their fishing areas in a bid to fast track rehabilitation of the depleted resources, the idea of seeding the MPAs with giant clams came naturally. 

Giant clams or the Hippopus and Tridacna gigas species are believed to play a wide range of ecological roles in coral reef ecosystems, according to then Bohol CRM coordinator Adelfa Salutan. 

Marine biologists have seen how giant clams’ tissues become food for a wide array of predators and scavengers, while their discharges of live zooxanthellae and gametes are eaten by opportunistic feeders. 

Their shells provide substrate for colonization by organisms that live on its surface while other organisms and ectoparasitic organisms thrive within their mantle cavities, increasing the topographic heterogeneity of the reefs, as they act as reservoirs of zooxanthellae (Symbiodinium spp.), and those that potentially counteract eutrophication via water filtering. 

Scientists also stress that dense populations of giant clams produce large quantities of calcium carbonate shell material that are eventually incorporated into the reef framework. 

Found to be endemic to Bohol waters as proven by the presence of giant clam shells, these clams were over harvested to extinction in these waters, Salutan added. 

First seeded in five marine sanctuaries: Bingag in Dauis, Basdio in Guinduman, Badiang in Anda, Sinandigan in Ubay and Lipata in Carlos P. Garcia, the giant clams sourced out from a facility in Bolinao Pangasinan, is now being hatched at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Multi-speciaes Hatchery in Sinandigan. 

Quirog told CLEC members that the Provincial Government has sourced out a giant clam hatchery spawning tank and larval rearing, phycology laboratory for algal feed to the clams, and water pumps with aeration and filtration systems. 

Said to be operational soon at the multi-species hatchery that also hatches grouper, pompano, siganids, prawn, mussels, abalones and blue swimming crabs, the giant clams to be produced here would be seeded in well managed marine protected areas all over Bohol. 

Bohol aims to provide incentives and livelihood to communities managing their MPAs well by giving them earning potentials from the export of these exotic meat and novelty shells, Bohol Environment Management Officer Jovencia Ganub said. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol) 

Tridacna gigas or giant clams used to be common in Bohol seas but overharvesting has made these marine resource extinct. With the help of science and a boost from research, Bohol now sets up a hatchery for giant clams, for future seeding in Bohol waters to hasten the restoration of the ruined and overfished marine ecosystem. (PIABOhol) 

CLEC members gathered last week to share experiences and discuss common issues and concerns in keeping Bohol’s coastal resources at its peak to be able to feed its people. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)