Yearly Archives: 2011

Bañamos Festival to celebrate ‘healing’ hot springs of Los Baños

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[PRESS RELEASE] The Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines will celebrate Bañamos—a unique healing waters festival—beginning September 14 that will highlight the town’s colorful history capped by various fun-filled events.

This year marks one decade of the Bañamos Festival in honor of the town’s patroness Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas (Virgin of the Holy Waters). Bañamos, meaning ‘to bathe,’ carries the theme “Papuri’t Pasasalamat Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas: Viva Bañamos sa Bagong Los Baños” and which also coincides with the town’s 396th founding year as a municipality.

Mayor Anthony Genuino said “Bañamos is a way to thank God for the blessings in Los Baños and for keeping our collective spirits alive in our efforts to promote science, environmental preservation and economic progress.”

For almost four centuries, it is believed that people who dip in water that emanates from the hot springs near the mystical Mt. Makiling of Los Baños are cured from ailments.

(Photo courtesy of the Los Baños Public Information Unit)

The tenth Bañamos Festival officially kicks-off on September 14 with a showcase of assorted local products such as the world-famous buko pie and other delicacies, handicrafts, organic health products, and construction materials made from recycled plastic.  Los Baños is a pioneering local government unit in the country that bans the use of plastic bags in public markets and grocery stores.

The Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Los Baños will hold the the Takbo Para Kay Maria, a 2K and 5K fund-raising fun run, which starts dawn on September 10 at the Baker Hall of the University of the Philippines Los Baños and at the Olivarez Plaza.  Proceeds of the event will go to various church projects of the parish.

The Dia Aguas Santas (Day of the Holy Waters) is set on September 17 where a symbolic public bathing will be held in a hot spring pool blessed with holy water near the Immaculate Conception Parish Church.

A procession called elejer, highlighted by spiritual street-dancing, will also be held where some 5,000 devotees are expected to join.  Once gathered near the lakeshore of Baybayin, the devotees will accompany the statue of the patroness as it is mounted to join a fleet of balsa or wide motorized fishermen’s boat in a fluvial parade that will traverse a portion of the lakeshore of Los Baños.

In the early 17th century the town was referred to as Los Baños or ‘public baths’ by a Franciscan priest named Pedro Bautista because of the locality’s abundant hot springs.  Public baths were then built by Spaniards after discovering the healing powers of the hot springs.

The Franciscan friars also constructed the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de las Aguas Santas de Mainit in honor of the patroness who is considered, even in modern times, as the spiritual icon of Roman Catholics in this town.  Los Baños became an independent municipality in the year 1615.

Mayor Genuino added that Bañamos also aims to further boost the town’s tourism potential with other attractions such as Mt. Makiling, Dampalit Falls, Old Pantalan, Tadlac (Alligator) Lake, Mud Spring, Magnetic Hill, along with prominent institutions like the Boy Scouts Jamboree Camp, the International Rice Research Institute, and the UP Los Baños.

Other highlights of the Bañamos Festival include the national dance competition called Bailamos along with street dancing showdown, waterball adventure at the lakeshore, battle of pop and traditional bands, bikathon-for-a-cause, hot spring spa and wellness showcase, town sale or cedera, a beauty pageant, and fireworks display by the lake near the expansive Paciano Rizal Park.

Aside from its prominence in academics, science and research, Los Baños is a well-known tourist weekend or summer getaway because of the town’s proximity to Metro Manila and its hot spring resorts and assorted native delicacies.

On August 7, 2000, Los Baños was declared as a “Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines” through Presidential Proclamation No. 349 in recognition as a center for science and technology in the development of agriculture and preservation of the environment.

A press release from the Los Baños Public Information Unit. For inquiries, contact [email protected].

10th Banamos Festival mas pinalaki, mas pinasaya

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[PRESS RELEASE] SAYAWAN.  MUSIKA, Kantahan at Katatawanan.  Paligsahan, Salu-Salo, Kasayahan at Pasyalan. Kagandahan ng Los Baños. Higit sa lahat, pasasalamat at papuri sa Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas.

Ito ang mga inaabangan ng libu-libong mamamayan ng Los Baños at mga lokal at dayuhang turista sa pagdiriwang ng Ika-396 Taong Pagkakatatag ng Bayan at Ika-Sampung taon ng Bañamos Festival mula Setyembre 14 hanggang 18.

Ang tema sa taong ito ay “Papuri’t Pasasalamat Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas: Viva Bañamos sa Bagong Los Baños.”

Parada, Paligsahan at Pagdiriwang

Bubuksan ang isang linggong pagdiriwang sa pamamagitan ng live TV coverage ng programang Unang Hirit ng GMA 7 sa ika-14 ng Setyembre, Miyerkules, sa Paciano Rizal Park.  Isang programa rin ang idaraos sa ika-16 ng Setyembre, Biyernes, sa nasabing plaza.  May parada din ng mga karosa na magmumula sa Trace College hanggang sa Paciano Rizal Park na lalahukan ng iba’t ibang drum and lyre bands.

Sa Sabado naman, ika-17 ng Setyembre, isang misang pasasalamat ang gaganapin sa Immaculate Conception Church bilang alay sa Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas na susundan ng isang elejer papunta sa Paciano Rizal Park.

Buong linggong masasaksihan ang Spa and Wellness Fair at ang Bañamos Town Sale sa Paciano Rizal Park.  Ang WTF!! What The Fun!! Water Ball Adventure ay gaganapin naman sa Tadlac Lake at sa nasabing plaza.  Ang mga tiket sa Tadlac Lake ay nagkakahalaga ng Php60.00 habang ang sa Paciano Rizal Park ay Php75.00.  Ang Lakbay Lawa ay gaganapin naman sa daungan ng Baybayin.

Ang mga sumusunod ang iba’t ibang tagisan ng talento na magaganap:

  • Bailamos (Setyembre 14, Miyerkules) – National Dance Competiton
  • Himigsikan: Battle of the Bands (Setyembre 15, Huwebes) – Pop/R&B Band Competition
  • Musikohan (Setyembre 16, Biyernes) – Drum and Lyre Band Competition
  • Palarong Pinoy (Setyembre 17, Sabado) Traditional Street Games
  • Search for Miss Los Baños (Setyembre 17, Sabado)
  • Padyak LB (Setyembre 18, Linggo) – LB Bikathon-for-a-Cause
  • Bayle sa Kalye (Setyembre 18, Linggo) – Inter-Barangay Street Dancing Competition

Bilang pagwawakas, isang programa at fireworks display ang gaganapin sa ika-18 ng Setyembre sa may baybayin ng Paciano Rizal Park.

Viva Bañamos sa Bagong Los Baños 

Ayon kay Mayor Anthony ‘Ton’ Genuino, “Ang pagdiriwang ng Bañamos ay pasasalamat sa Poong Maykapal sa mga biyaya ng ating bayan.  Pagdiriwang din ito sa pagkakaisa ng mamamayan.”  Aniya, pagkakataon ang okasyong ito upang mas lalo pang pasiglahin ang kooperasyon ng iba’t-ibang sektor sa pamayanan tungo sa “ibayong pag-unlad ng Bagong Los Baños.”

Dagdag pa ng punongbayan na layon din ng Bañamos Festival na ipamalas sa buong bansa ang Special Science and Nature City of Los Baños na may angking kagandahan at kaaya-ayang kapaligiran at tourist spots, at kakaibang galing sa larangan ng syensya, akademiya, at sa sining at kultura.

“Layunin nating maging bukambibig ng mga turista sa loob at labas ng bansa ang Bañamos nang sa gayon ay mas lalong sumigla ang turismo sa ating bayan,” pahayag ng alkalde.

Ayon naman sa Festival Committee, ang disenyong logo (nasa larawan) ng 10th Bañamos Festival ay simbolo ng “kolektibong hangarin ng mamamayan ng Los Baños upang makamit ang mas maunlad at mas mapayapang komunidad sa ilalim ng pamahalaang lokal na tumatalima sa mabuting pamamahala ng nagkakaisang taumbayan na ginagabayan naman ng mapagkalingang kamay ng Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas.”

A press release from the Los Baños Public Information Unit. For inquiries, contact Oji Sanchez through [email protected].

Bay BHW conducts TB awareness seminars in San Agustin households

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by Andrea Katrina M. Marchadesch

Barangay San Agustin in Bay, Laguna conducted a Tuberculosis (TB) Awareness Seminar earlier this month, as part of the Department of Health (DOH) TB Awareness month.

The program is part the TB Directly Observed Treatment Short course (DOTS) adopted from the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the WHO website, the DOTS is the recommended treatment for TB because it is efficient and cost-effective.   It includes the diagnosis of TB through sputum-smear microscopy, anti-TB treatment under direct and supportive observation, supplying of anti-TB drugs and thorough monitoring of the results of the patient’s treatment. The patient is able to avail these through the financial assistance of the government.

DOH held a seminar for the Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) of Bay in December 2011, which aimed to help them educate their communities about Tuberculosis. Anamarie Bacsafra, a BHW, personally conducts house-to-house visits in the barangay.  Bacsafara is the only BHW assigned to Brgy. San Agustin to facilitate the seminars, since their barangay has a very small population. Bacsafra said that this program has been in implementation for a long time but a lot BHWs have forgotten teaching their communities about TB. This was one of the reasons why DOH held the seminar in December.

BHW Anamarie Bacsafra  giving a seminar in one of the households in Brgy. San Agustin

According to Bacsafra, several people are still unaware or have the wrong impression about TB.  People know that TB is a lung disease and that anyone get TB. They also believe that TB can spread by sharing eating utensils with someone who has TB or even sexual contact with someone who has TB, which are misconceptions. TB is airborne, which means that it can be spread through the air such as by sneezing or coughing.

Even though most people know that anyone can be a victim of TB, some still think that only thin people are the ones prone to the disease.  Another misconception about TB is that it is hereditary. If the parent had TB, then the child is bound to have TB as well. This is also not true.  People also think that TB is caused by stress, tiredness or by not drying off sweat on a person’s back after a physical activity.

These misconceptions about this disease cause shame to those who have TB. They deny that they have the disease and fail to get the treatment and medication that they need, which is unfortunate because TB is curable, says Bacsafra.  That is why the main purpose of this awareness seminar is to inform the households about TB, how to know when someone has TB, what causes TB, what common misconceptions people have about TB, how TB spreads, and how to treat TB.

Hon. Manolito Mendres, the barangay chairman of San Agustin supports this program fully and is actually pleased by Bacsafra’s efforts.  He wants this seminar to help the barangay be more aware of TB because it is important.  He hopes this program will continue to grow beyond the door-to-door seminars.

People who get treatment for TB, however, sometimes doubt the medication given to them by the BHWs or by the health center because of the side effects that they experience.  Side effects that people usually experience when taking the medication are fatigue, hyperventilation, red urine, etc.  But according to Bacsafra, all the side effects that they experience are temporary and only happen because the person’s body is getting used to the medication.

It is the community’s responsibility to spread the correct information about TB to its members so that if one gets TB, it can easily be treated.  It is also the responsibility of the community to not judge, but rather help the person with this disease because it is common and again, it is treatable.

Individuals can be volunteer “treatment partners” to, for example, their family member who has TB.  They have the responsibility to monitor the medication of the patient until the treatment ends.  They also have to report to the health center if the patient experiences side effects and to help the patients with the monthly check-ups.

One of the participants of this door-to-door seminar is Luisito  Paran, a local councilor, said that people can learn from this because even he learned that the using the eating utensils of a person with TB will automatically gives you TB. He added other people who have TB shouldn’t disgust us. Distancing ourselves from them isn’t necessary; instead, we should approach and help them get better.  People with TB are ashamed and deny they have TB because we are disgusted and because we do the best we can for them not to transmit their disease to us, like with separating their food from ours.

Even though TB isn’t a big issue in the barangay, Paran thinks that most people don’t have enough information about TB, so this seminar is really needed.  When asked about this seminar’s impact to the community’s awarteness about the disease, he said, “makakatulong ‘to lalo na sa aming barangay, kung mapupuntahan ‘nya ang bawat bahay at ipaliwanag, kasi ang tao nga kapag hindi mo maipaliwanag ng maayos, malaking bagay ang maitutulong ‘nun.”

Bacsafra said that every month, their target “participants” are 23 people. So every month, until the whole community is covered, the seminar will go on.  She adds that once people are aware of TB, “makakatulong na ang bawat isa sa pag sugpo ng sakit na TB.”  This is a big issue in any community she says, because some people have the wrong ideas about TB and are afraid of it. But, people need to remember that it is preventable and treatable.

She stresses that people don’t have to be ashamed of having TB since it’s a common disease.  She hopes that these seminars that she gives will help her community become more aware about TB because it’s about time since a lot of people don’t get the treatment that they need.  If anyone needs treatment for TB in San Agustin, Bacsafra recommends them to approach her or the Barangay Health Office for consultation of DOTS.

People should learn three simple things about Tuberculosis.  One, is that TB is contagious. Two, is that TB can be treated. And lastly, three, is that you shouldn’t be ashamed of it.