Cogon now an erosion stopper and lifesaver

Time was when the ordinary cogon grass was famed as roofing material for Filipino houses. Recently, I discovered that it has become an erosion arrester, too. Not only that, it has also provided livelihood to members of the Murcia (Negros Occidental) Landingan Farmers’ Association (LAGFA).

The author of that dramatic turnaround was Reinerio Medrano, corporate social responsibility manager of the Energy Development Corp. (EDC). The firm has been digging into the geothermal resources of Mt. Kanlaon, outside the buffer zone of the Northern Negros Geothermal Production Field (NNGPF).

Mediamen who visited the buffer zone recently were surprised to discover cogon matting on steep slopes of exposed areas of the zone. Several of them already had grasses sprouting from cogon mats, adding a visual appeal to the area.

The woven cogon matting actually won for Medrano an award from the Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Inc. (PCAPI) in 2006 as a success story.

And now the woven cogon matting is being used extensively in the geothermal digging at the buffer zone in the Murcia area of Mt. Kanlaon.

The use of cogon effectively controls siltation and soil erosion, promotes income, and provides easier maintenance of reforestation areas.

But it also provides a viable source of income to the LAGFA members of Murcia.

“We buy them at P145 for every six-meter roll. So far, we have already purchased 7,000 rolls from the farmers. We have used this innovation in our entire Northern Negros Geothermal Production. Field, and we intend to buy more for our entire buffer zone operation,” said Erwin Magallanes, EDC’s environment management chief.

He added that EDC manages to maintain its reforestation projects since the LAGFA farmers are the ones who remove the cogon in these areas instead of letting them decay after every strip brushing activity.

EDC said it would adopt the woven cogon mat soon in other geothermal sites, as it is convenient to use and very effective. “Cogon mats are easy to install, lightweight and locally available as well as biodegradable.”

In the face of the global financial crisis, cogon now provides an alternative source of livelihood to many as well as a material for a lot of alternative uses. All it takes is just imagination and creativity.

200 Iloilo employees lose jobs

Last week, I wrote about how the Department of Budget and Management had ruled as inoperative the Iloilo provincial budget.

That time, Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. pilloried his estranged nephew, Vice Gov. Rex Suplico, for enacting a budget that again found itself rejected by the DBM.

The result: Tupas had to temporarily lay off 200 casual employees of the provincial government.

Of course, the global financial crisis is not the culprit. It is just the members of the Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan who are responsible for the debacle.

The DBM ruling covered Section 2 of the Appropriations Act of 2008-2009 or the province’s 2009 budget of P1,180,153,562.

The DBM specifically disapproved three times the following: P55 million for the Magna Carta for Health Workers (hazard pay); increased lump sum of P1,178,628 for casuals; and P848,409 for the creation of non-mandatory positions exceeding the 45 percent personal services limitation.

Iloilo legal officer Salvador Cabaluna said the governor would comply with the DBM ruling.

Tupas was to issue an executive order to the effect yesterday but would also request for a supplemental budget to pay for the salaries of the displaced casual employees.

So this now creates another problem than those caused by the global financial crisis: the feud between the governor and his estranged nephew.

While the big guns are feuding, the small employees are caught in the middle and suffering temporary dislocation while things are being patched up.