Developing a Sustainable Food Security Program for an Urban Coastal City

Local urban coastal cities are most vulnerable to the impacts brought about by climate change. Very little attention, however, had been given to the role of coastal cities, including Navotas City, to the achievement of food security in urban centers like Metro Manila. A unified plan of action and a sustainable food security program are imperative given the unpredictability of climate change and the growing urban populations, which result in an increasing demand for a sustainable source of nutritious and affordable food. This study looked into developing a sustainable food security program designed to mitigate the impacts brought about by climate change on food availability, access, utilization, and stability; and how these affect Navotas City’s food security. Data from literature reviews and agency reports were validated by key informant interviews and focus group discussions to achieve the aforementioned objective

Climate Risk Analysis on the Food Security in Saguday, Quirino Province

Saguday is a 5th-class municipality of Quirino Province. The nine barangays of Saguday namely – La Paz, Cardenas, Salvacion, Santo Tomas, Rizal, Tres Reyes, Dibul, Cardenas and Gamis – are all vulnerable to climate change and calamities, not only because of the scarce resources of the municipality, but also due to the geographical and climatological condition of the area. Rainfall rates are projected to increase due to climate change and there will also be some likely increase in mean maximum tropical cyclone wind speed due to the projected 21st century warming (Knutson et al., 2010). Its location in Quirino Province places Saguday within the biggest watershed area in the region. Both observational data and modelling projections show that with climate change, wet regions will generally (but not universally) become wetter. Crop production in Saguday may also be affected biophysically by meteorological variables including rising temperatures, changing precipitation regimes, and increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. As socio-economic factors influence responses to changes in crop productivity with price changes and shifts in comparative advantage, a 5th class municipality with scarce resources can be very vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This present study identifi es the climatological problems and difficulties confronting the municipality

Urban Hydroponics for Diversified Agriculture: Part II

Achieving food security in urban communities proves to be a challenging task. The inability of cities to produce its food requirement means that food has to be imported from faraway places. Traffic congestion, rising fuel prices, and poor road infrastructure have caused problems in transporting food from farms to markets. The increase in rates of spoilage of perishable vegetables and in transportation costs is a food security issue that needs to be addressed

Urban Organic Farming for Diversified Agriculture

Urban organic farming had been shown in previous projects as well as the present one to have the potential of addressing the fundamental requirements of food security by addressing issues of availability since production is just in the vicinity, which also addresses the carbon footprint of food production because food need not be transported to far distances. The use of organic methods also contributed to increased food safety. More importantly, the practice of urban agriculture empowers local residents in the stewardship, specifically of their barangay’s green spaces and more broadly the whole urban environment (see Mogk, Kwiatkowski, &Weindorf, 2010). However, to make full use of the potentials of urban agriculture, the local government should integrate these initiatives in urban planning and framing of policies and regulations (see Mougeot, 2006 and Mukherji& Morales 2010)

Some effects of gamma radiation on the cigarette beetle, Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Col. Anobiidae)

The lethal and sterilizing effects of gamma radiation on the different metamorphic stages of L. serricorne were investigated. The test organisms were irradiated using a Co-60 gamma cell 220 irradiator with dose rates ranging from 173.4 to 194.2 kr/hr. The doses used were from 40 to 500 kr. Death was recorded if there was complete lack of response to tactile stimuli. Unhatched eggs were also considered dead. Mild etherization was used to induce the adults to extrude their genitalia so that their sex could be identified. Complete mortality within 24 hours was observed in the adults and pupae exposed to 400 kr, the larvae at 350 kr while no eggs hatched following exposure to 90 kr. No viable progeny was produced by adults exposed to 10 kr. The females were found to be more radiosensitive than the males. Although the great majority of the papers on L. serricorne concern infestation of tobacco, this species has probably the most varied taste in food of all stored product pests. Howe (1) reported about 40 infestations of plant materials ranging from dried crops to upholstery and books. It has also been noted as a herbarium pest (2). Otanes (3) and Metcalf et al. (4) wrote that it is the most important pest of tobacco in factories and cigar stores and causes considerable damage to other products as well

Developing a sustainable food security program for an urban coastal city, Navotas City, Metro Manila

Urban coastal cities are most vulnerable to the impacts brought about by climate change. However, very little attention had been given to the role of coastal cities to the achievement of food security in urban centers in the vicinity of the sea coast. The proposed project looked into developing a sustainable food security program for urban coastal cities designed to mitigate the impacts brought about by climate change to food availability, access, utilization and stability and how these affects food security. Data from literature reviews and agency reports were validated by key informant interviews and focus group discussions

Heavy metal contamination of commercially important fish and shrimp species collected from Calumpang River at Batangas City

Samples from three commercially important species of fish, Therapon jurba (bagaong), Mugil macrolepsis (banakan) and Scatopangus argus (kitang) and a shrimp (Penaeus sp.), water and sediment, were collected in September 2002 (wet season) and April 2003 (dry season) from 3 sites (N13o44.727\u27 E 121o13.178\u27, N13o45.179\u27 E 121o03.754, N 13o46.130\u27 E 121o04.545) in Calumpang River at Batangas City. Collected samples (fish and shrimp muscles, water and sediment) were analyzed for heavy metal ( Pb, Cd and Cu) contamination. Results confirm previous suspicion that the river is polluted. The mean levels of tested heavy metal in river water (Cd=1.23 ppm, Pb=0.41 ppm and Cu = 0.13 ppm) is at least 10x higher than the USEPA and DENR standards for natural waters while the amount of accumulated heavy metal in the river sediment (Cd = 9/7 ppm, Pb = 4.9 ppm and Cu = 5.6 ppm) already suggests a heavily polluted state, The trend is the same with the tissue samples. The muscle Cd levels (T. jurba = 67 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 61 ppm, S. argus = 52.9 ppm and Penaus sp = 61.6 ppm) are already at least 10x higher than the suggested acceptable levels for unlimited consumption even if the Cu (t.jurba = 14.2 ppm, M. macrolepsis - 11.2 ppm, S. argus = 9.1 ppm and Penaus sp. = 54.6 ppm) and Pb levels (T. jurba = 5.9 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 6.7 ppm, S. argus = 18.1 ppm and Penaeus sp. 6.6 ppm) are still within the high limits

Chlorophyll content, productivities and biomass allocations of seagrasses in Talim Bay, Lian, Batangas, Philippines

This study determined the chlorophyll content, productivities and biomass allocations of three abundant species of seagrasses in Talim Bay, Lian, Batangas. Philippines: Enhalus acoroides, Cymodocea rotundata, and Thalassia hemprichii. Four seagrass meadows in the bay were selected based on their terrestrial sources of nutrient loads. Results reveal that seagrasses at South Matuod (a site which receives nutrient load drained mostly from corn- and cane-fields), yields the highest GPP (Gross Primary Productivity), but R (Respiration) is higher than GPP, and therefore NPP (Net Primary Productivity) was negative. The same pattern of productivity values were observed in the other sites implying that seagrasses were not making enough oxygen for their life processes at the time of the study (October to November 2010). Although the NPP of seagrasses was negative in Talim Point, (a site which does not receive nutrient load from terrestrial area serving as the control site), they had the highest chlorophyll a and b content with the other sites. R in this site is the lowest despite its low GPP, suggesting a more efficient primary production. Seagrasses in Kayreyna (which receives nutrient load from primarily from sewerage as well as farmland, i.e., near one creek that drains houses) had the highest total average Wet weight (WW), Dry Weight (DW) and Ash-Free Dry Weight (AFDW) while those seagrasses collected in South Matuod had the lowest biomass. The low biomass of seagrasses in Matuod could be related to their very low productivity and low chlorophyll content needed for such production. Kayreyna is characterized by seagrasses with second highest chlorophyll content after Talim point, and in terms of productivity, two of seagrass species in this site E. acoroides and T. hemprichii are among those with the lowest R. Evidently, seagrasses in Talim Point, Shields Marine Station (the site which receives primarily agriculture run-off, i.e., near a creek that drains mostly the hillside), and South Matuod, allocated the more biomass in their leaves than their roots. Based on the results, implications for further studies particularly on ascertaining the impact of nutrient loads to the seagrass meadows were highlighted

Invasion stages of Pterygoplichthys spp. (Pisces: Loricariidae) in the Luzon Island, Philippines

Species invasion was identified as one of the main factors in biodiversity loss and it has been the subject of multilateral agreements among countries under the Convention of Biological Diversity to protect the natural environment. One of the more cryptic but potentially devastating invasion events of recent times in the Philippines is the one caused by species of Pterygoplichthys or locally known as janitor fish. In this paper, we provide an appraisal of this invasion event in several areas we surveyed were Pterygoplichthys spp. has been introduced. We performed: 1) a taxonomic survey of collected Ptmygoplichthys specimens in localities in the Luzon Island; 2) an ecological survey of waterways in the localities; and 3) field interviews of peopl e during the visits. Our results show that the eight sites visited have been invaded by Pterygoplichthys spp. Invasion stages range from Stage II to Stage V. The invasion situation at each site is discussed. In this paper, we also offer insights on a multiple founding event for Pterygoplichthys spp., as well as its implications to local policies on management and mitigation on species invasions

Heavy metal contamination of commercially important fish and shrimp species collected from Calumpang River at Batangas City

Samples from three commercially important species of fish, Therapon jurba (bagaong), Mugil macrolepsis (banakan) and Scatopangus argus (kitang) and a shrimp (Penaeus sp.), water and sediment, were collected in September 2002 (wet season) and April 2003 (dry season) from 3 sites (N13o44.727\u27 E 121o13.178\u27, N13o45.179\u27 E 121o03.754, N 13o46.130\u27 E 121o04.545) in Calumpang River at Batangas City. Collected samples (fish and shrimp muscles, water and sediment) were analyzed for heavy metal ( Pb, Cd and Cu) contamination. Results confirm previous suspicion that the river is polluted. The mean levels of tested heavy metal in river water (Cd=1.23 ppm, Pb=0.41 ppm and Cu = 0.13 ppm) is at least 10x higher than the USEPA and DENR standards for natural waters while the amount of accumulated heavy metal in the river sediment (Cd = 9/7 ppm, Pb = 4.9 ppm and Cu = 5.6 ppm) already suggests a heavily polluted state, The trend is the same with the tissue samples. The muscle Cd levels (T. jurba = 67 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 61 ppm, S. argus = 52.9 ppm and Penaus sp = 61.6 ppm) are already at least 10x higher than the suggested acceptable levels for unlimited consumption even if the Cu (t.jurba = 14.2 ppm, M. macrolepsis - 11.2 ppm, S. argus = 9.1 ppm and Penaus sp. = 54.6 ppm) and Pb levels (T. jurba = 5.9 ppm, M. macrolepsis = 6.7 ppm, S. argus = 18.1 ppm and Penaeus sp. 6.6 ppm) are still within the high limits