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Friday, September 23, 2005
Micame: Demand for carrageenan seen to increase
By Rel P. Micame
ZERO TARIFFS? Seaweed farmers must prepare for a brisk demand for carrageenan.
This possibility will soon be realized if the United States approves the inclusion of carrageenan in the Generalized System of Preference (GSP).
Inclusion of carrageenan in the GSP will mean the entry of the Philippine carrageenan in the United States market, at zero tariffs, according to the Seaweeds Industry Association of the Philippines (Siap) president Benson Dakay, who is also chief executive officer of Shemberg Marketing Corp.
Zero tariffs will also mean an increase in the demand for carrageenan because the Philippines can already offer carrageenan at a competitive price.
At present, exporters of Philippine carrageenan pay 3.2 percent tariff.
Carrageenan is a jelly-like substance obtained from red seaweeds.
It is used in commercial applications, such as gelling, thickening and stabilizing agents, especially in chocolate milk, cottage cheese, frozen desserts, yogurt, pet food and sauces.
It is also used in pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics and industrial applications.
CHEAPER WATER. If Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, through the assistance of General Electric (GE), can produce cheap purified water through desalination, why get water from Carmen in northern Cebu at P27 per cubic meter? Getting water from Carmen will be more expensive because the additional cost will be passed on to consumers.
The city mayor is getting GE to operate a desalination plant at the South Reclamation Project (SRP), to supply the locators there.
If the planned SRP desalination plant can produce 10,000 cubic meters of water a day, Osmeña should install a bigger desalination equipment.
This way, the City can generate more supply and sell water to Metropolitan Cebu Water District which, in turn, will distribute the commodity to consumers in Metro Cebu.
BRANCH OUT. Locators at the Mactan Economic Zone also need water badly.
Cebu City can branch out to Mactan and produce purified water from the Hilutungan Channel.
The water district can cancel its negotiation with the consortium of Ayala Corp. and Stateland Venture, which earlier planned to develop the Carmen water supply project.
MUDFLOW. The Talisay City Government should look into the root cause of the mudflow in Barangay Lagtang.
Officials of Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Inc. (SLRDI), a real estate developer of a subdivision in the Bulacao hilltop, said it should not be blamed entirely for the recurring mudflows.
The developer said the farmers who cut and burn trees in the hilltop should also be blamed for the soil erosion.
Talisay City has temporarily revoked SLRDI’s development permit.
However, SLRDI’s project engineer, Albert Plazos, said they have already completed the development of phase I of their subdivision.
City Hall should restore the development permit so that the developer can proceed with the installation of drainage culverts.
WHO WILL ORDER? Who will order the cell phone companies to stop their practice of setting expiry dates for loads? Why are the users not given the freedom to economize on their cell phone loads?
There are now thousands of cell phone users.
I can just imagine the volume of unused loads that have been canceled because of the expiry dates.
Our legislators in Congress should enact a law that will prohibit cell phone companies from setting deadlines for users to consume their loads.
SCRIPTURE READING. Suggested reading of the Holy Bible for today is found in the Gospel according to St. Luke 9:18-22 “Peter’s profession of faith,” and for Sept. 24-St. Luke 9:43-45 “Prediction of passion.”
(e-mail: relmicame@yahoo.com; tel. (6332) 423-9956.)
(September 23, 2005 issue)
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