LOOK: Iconic Victoria Plaza Christmas Tree

I know its not Christmas but let me have this Flashback Friday.

I wish to share with you the this Iconic Christmas Tree of Victoria Plaza Mall along JP Laurel Ave.
It has stood the test of time.

Photo on the left shows the recent capture of the tree by SunStar Davao while on the right I lifted from the FB page of Davao of the Past (circa 90s). (Photo Credits to the Owners :)

When this 60-foot tree is dressed up, we Davaoenos know that Christmas is just around the corner.
Happy weekend.

I'll be in Victoria Plaza on Saturday. See yah!

Davao is Alive!

President-Elect Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in his alternate favorite polo (denim) attends an event in SMX Convention Center (circa 2013). And of course the Pambansang photobomber is behind him, as always. 

Following the landslide victory of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte as the next President of the Republic of the Philippines, the city is more alive than ever.

I now understand the line: All roads lead to Davao!

The "elite" and "decent" peoples have to travel to the 'remote and dusty' southern city to meet and greet the tough-talking Mayor.  Diplomats and VIPs have made their appointments already bringing most of the hotels to full occupancy. Great for Davao's Tourism industry.

With Duterte's victory which put Davao in the grandest limelight, it is a good time to be back at writing here.

Please subscribe. I hope to hear from you.

PS: Shout out to the volunteers of Duterte Campaign. 'Grats to you guys!

Rural Stories, Real Stories: the success of Mindanao rural development

DA-PRDP national deputy director Arnel De Mesa (3rd from left) presents to WB PRDP Task team leader Frauke Jungbluth (4th from left) a copy of the book. With them are (left to right) authors Noel T. Provido and Jay Rosas and program director Lealyn A. Ramos

A book is a legacy of lifetime.

Coming up with a compendium of success stories of rural development is a feat in itself, as it is hardly heard of, which the Department of Agriculture (DA) dared to take as it documented the impacts of its flagship anti-poverty program in southern Philippines, the Mindanao Rural Development Program (MRDP).

Recently the book ‘Rural Stories, Real Stories’ a collection of success stories of the second phase of MRDP  was launched at the Marco Polo Hotel in Davao City. 

“Rural Stories, Real Stories' documents the triumphs, lessons learned and wonderful memories we together weaved in the past years as we combatted poverty across Mindanao,” Agriculture secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in his video message. 

Veteran rural development writers Noel T. Provido and Jay M. Rosas were the head writers of the book.

Improving Lives

True to its tagline: Improving lives, MRDP over the past 6 years of implementation made its mark in ruralcommunities.

For infrastructure development, farmers share how critical projects like farm-to-market roads

(FMRs) and irrigation system largely contributed in increasing their yield and income. For instance, farmers in Balindong, Lanao del Sur and Carmen, North Cotabato described how the FMRs in theirvillages reduced transportation cost and postharvest losses.

Farmers in Bansalan, Davao del Sur share how their improved irrigation restored hopes of farmers to go back to rice production while in San Luis, Agusan del Norte, rice and corn farmers are grateful for the construction of the single-lane bridge that finally connected their far-flung village to the town market.

I have a copy of the book and the stories are well-written. Kudos guys.