Author Archives: rbvillar

Putho-Tuntungin, Bagong Silang showcase organic produce at SyenSaya 2014

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by Charlene Ruth Espenilla

Organic farmer collaborators from Barangays Putho-Tuntungin and Bagong Silang grossed about PhP 14,000 during the three-day SyenSaya 2014 Wonderama held at the EB Copeland Museum from September 10-12.

The organic produce sold during SyenSaya included gabi (yam), kangkong (swamp cabbage), luya (ginger), okra (lady fingers), sitaw (string beans), and talbos ng kamote (camote tops) from farmers who partnered with the Local Government of Los Baños through the Gender and Development (GAD) Office and the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

Barangays Bagong Silang and Putho-Tuntungin were two among the six barangays involved in the organic farming project, which is part of the PhP 4.6 million project entitled “Enhancing Gender-Sensitive Sustainable Agriculture and Aquatic Science and Technology (S&T)-based Livelihood Enterprises in Los Baños” between PCAARRD and Los Baños that was formalized in March earlier this year.

Six months after the partnership was inked, the organic farming project has now established farmer collaborators in the six targeted barangays. The Los Baños LGU plans to organize an organic market in the new municipal hall as well as partner with local restaurants and food establishments to form an initial market for the barangays’ organic produce.

SyenSaya. The sales were turned over to the organic farmers of Barangays Bagong Silang and Putho-Tuntungin at the end of the three-day mini organic market. (Photo by CREspenilla)

ASP-Laguna, LB LGU open community center for therapy, support services

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by Camille Anne Mendizabal, Emmanuelle Dominique Mendoza, and Neil Arwin Mercado

On September 17, the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) – Laguna Chapter and the local government of Los Baños inaugurated the Los Baños Community Center for Therapy Intervention and Support Services (LBCC-TISS) in Brgy. Timugan as part of the activities for Banamos Festival.

Georgia Lovell, the executive director of the Direct Aid program (DAP) and Los Baños Mayor Caesar Perez during the ceremonial turnover of the community center to the local government during the inauguration.

The construction of the LBCC-TISS was funded by the Direct Aid Program (DAP) of the Australian government after the approval of ASP’s proposal for putting up a community center for therapy and intervention programs for their scholars. ASP coordinated with the local government unit of Los Baños in the refurbishment of the old Department old Social Welfare and Development and Sangguniang Bayan offices to be used as a community center.

LBCC-TISS will provide services such as medical and occupational therapy and other medical intervention for children with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, down syndrome, multiple disabilities especially those diagnosed with autism, and the like. This not only serves as an intervention center, but also as a training ground for parents of these children to help them be their child’s own teachers at home.

According to Ma. Ana Del Valle of ASP, the center will serve as the hub and therapy center for family members and children dealing with disabilities. The LBCC-TISS is the fifth center built by ASP in Laguna. Other centers are located in includes the Paete, Liliw, and Calamba.

Before the LBCC-TISS was established, the programs conducted by ASP, such as the Sensory Motor Activities (SMA) for children ages 6-12 every Saturday, were held at the Los Baños Central Elementary School covered court. On the other hand, ASP’s early stimulation programs for children with ages five and below were formerly conducted in the play area of the Municipal Health Office. With the opening of the LBCC-TISS, the ASP activities can now be held in the LBTC-TISS, which is tailored to address their scholars’ needs.

Putho-Tuntungin naglunsad ng proyektong vegetable container gardening para sa 4Ps

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ni Ricarda Villar

Namahagi ng mga binhi ng pipino, sitaw, at kalabasa sa kanilang barangay covered court ang Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin sa mga miyembro ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) noong ika-13 ng Setyembre.

Pinangunahan ni Kapitan Ronaldo Oñate at Konsehal Rhodora Lagman ang pamamahagi ng binhi ng gulay sa mga miyembro ng 4Ps sa kanilang baranga y. Isang linggo matapos ang pamamahagi ng binhi, bibisitahin ng barangay ang mga kabahayan upang masigurong patuloy na nakikibahagi sa proyekto ang mga miyembro ng 4Ps.

Ang pamamahagi ng binhi ng gulay ay panimula ng proyektong vegetable container gardening na pinangungunahan ni Kapitan Ronaldo Oñate at Konsehal Rhodora Lagman ng komite ng agrikultura ng Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin.

Ang mga binhing ipinamahagi ay mula sa PAMANA Center at sa Institute of Plant Breeding ng UP Los Baños. Paliwanag ni Konsehal Lagman, ang pamamahagi ng binhi or seed dispersal ay matagal at regular nang isinasagawa ng Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin upang matulungan ang mga residenteng magkaroon ng karagdagang mapagkukuhanan ng pagkain.

Ani Kapitan Oñate, ang proyektong vegetable container gardening ay nabuo matapos maobserbahan na walang mapagkuhanan ng supply ng gulay ang mga residente matapos masira ng Bagyong Glenda ang mga taniman ng gulay sa bahay-bahay. Sa vegetable container gardening, maitatago pansamantala ang mga pananim upang hindi ito maapektuhan ng sama ng panahon at maaring mailabas muli pagkalipas ng bagyo. Maliban dito, makakatulong ang vegetable container gardening na magkaroon ng regular na mapagkukunan ng pagkain ang kanilang mga kabarangay. Kasali sa proyekto ang lahat ng miyembro ng 4Ps sa Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin.

Para sa mga nais makipagtulungan sa proyektong vegetable container gardening sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng mga binhi o mga plastik na botelya o lalagyan (1, 1.5, at 2 litro), maaaring makipag-ugnayan sa Tanggapan ng Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin sa numerong (049) 536-4546.

FEED Inc, UPLB join hands in planting native trees in Quezon

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by Rosmelia Raymundo

[PRESS RELEASE] On August 30, a group of multi-stakeholder eco warriors planted indigenous Philippine wood species trees at the Laguna Quezon Land Grant (LQLG) area between Sinoloan and Real in Quezon Province. The UP Los Baños Land Grant Management Office, the Philippine Army and the non-profit organization Fostering Education and Environment for Development (FEED), Inc. carried out the sixth leg of their environmental program LIVING LEGACY: Plant A Tree, FEED Our Future.

The planting of 1000 indigenous Philippine wood species at the Sierra Madre mountains will support the goal of the LIVING LEGACY: Plant A Tree, FEED Our Future program of environmental protection, community development, and reduction of carbon footprints.

Most of the tree-planting volunteers came from the Philippine Army’s “Jungle Fighters” from the 1st Infantry Division, 2nd Infantry Battalion. Notably, it was also attended by three of FEED’s UP Los Baños thesis scholars; Ben Arizala, manager at the UPLB Land Grant Management Office; Professor Emeritus Asuncion K. Raymundo; Cpl. Arnold DT. Dela Cruz under Lt. Col Edgar Mangabay; together with the FEED, Inc. President Ofelia Bakker and Vice-President Anne-Marie Bakker.

It was the first time for BS Agriculture students and FEED scholars Jamie Ann Tumolva, Jomari delos Reyes and Renerio Gentallan Jr. to join the tree planting activity. Tumolva shared that that the event gave them not only the experience to plant trees and trek also allowed the participants to bond and get to know one another. She added that the event “serves as an eye opener on the resources that we have and its beauty to uphold and protect. It also serves as an opportunity for us to give back to Mother Earth in our own little way”.

The green organization FEED,Inc. has been actively engaging with academia such as UPLB to conduct research into the sustainable and feasible restoration of the country’s forests and natural woodlands, specifically indigenous woods.

And anyone from student organizations to top UPLB officials can extend their support. By giving a contribution of PHP500, this will enable FEED to purchase seedlings from sustainable seedling banks, will get a tree planted in one’s name which will also support social and media campaigns to help spread awareness and raise support from the community.

Dr. Raymundo summarized the importance of the tree planting aptly, “We need to think decades ahead. By planting a tree, we can restore our forest and nature will respond and give us a better environment.”

Interested to join their next tree planting event? Learn more about FEED by visiting http://feed.org.ph/ or follow FEED on Twitter @FEEDInc.

LBFPWDs ipinagdiwang ang NDPR Week

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Nina Jeanette Ilagan-Talag at Lenie Bonapos

Ipinagdiwang ng Los Baños Federation of Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWD), Inc. ang National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation (NDPR) Week na may temang “Talento at Paninindigan, Pasaporte sa Kaunlaran” mula ika-4 hanggang ika-8 ng Agosto.

Layunin ng isang linggong pagdiriwang na maipamalas ang kapasidad at kakayanan ng mga mamamayan ng Los Baños na may kapansanan sa pamamagitan ng iba’t-ibang gawain. Ito ay upang maipakita din na sila ay mahalagang parte ng lipunan at may pantay na karapatan. Gayundin, ang gawain ay upang maitaas ang morale ng mga may kapansanan.

Ilan sa isinagawang aktibidades bilang paggunita sa NDPR week ang mga sumusunod:

  • Agosto 4 – Talakayan kasama si Arthur Letim (Region IV-A Head AKAP PINOY) tungkol sa ugnayan ng mga may kapansanan, mga kapitan ng barangay at ng iba’t-ibang social service committees gayundin ang tungkol sa tamang paggamit ng Internal Revenue Allotment.
  • Agosto 5 – Pagdadala sa mga amputee patients sa University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center kung saan pito sa mga pasyente ang nasukatan para sa kanilang prosthetics.
  • Agosto 6 – Pagdaraos ng “Talentadong PWDs” kung saan nagpamalas ng angking talento ng mga may kapansanan sa larangan ng pagkanta at pagsayaw.
  • Agosto 8 – Pagdaraos ng Sports fest kung saan iba’t-ibang palaro ang sinalihan gaya ng wheelchair race, marathon at swimming.

Ang pagsasagawa ng livelihood training partikular sa paggawa ng antibacterial soap na dapat ay isinagawa noong Agosto 7 ay nalipat sa ika-30 ng Agosto, 2014.

Para sa impormasyon at katanungan patungkol sa LBFPWD, maaaring makipag-ugnayan kay Jeanette Ilagan-Talag, kasalukuyang pangulo, sa numeronga 0936-347-1973.  Maaari ding bumisita sa kanilang tanggapan sa PWD Office, Office of Senior Citizen Affairs (OSCA) na nasa lumang munisipyo ng Los Baños at hanapin si Lorelie Liwanag (0915-584-8844).

 

Nu Wave Farmer: Timi James Manching

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by Jabez Flores

Don’t let your degree define what you have to do in life. Defying all odds and going against conventional wisdom, traditional learning, and standard collegiate expectations; Timi James Manching “transplanted” his introverted computer science skills to the liberating fields of the organic farm – where the birds sing joyfully and the smell of sweet basil becomes one with the wind.

I met Timi in 2011 during the height of Cafe Antonio Sessions. At that time, we were both involved in this tight-knit community of indie musicians based in Los Banos. He was playing violin and singing back-up vocals for the band, Pathway.

A BS Computer Science student at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, 23-year-old Timi revealed to me his interest in organic agriculture while I was enrolled in the first offering of the Organic Agriculture course at the UP Open University. Prior to that conversation, I had no idea that he was interested in growing vegetables and living a sustainable and simple life.

At times we would sit in my porch, have lemongrass tea and talk about his dreams of becoming an urban gardener. In response, I would share my learnings from organic agriculture and permaculture. His eagerness to learn gave me hope for the younger generation. I could sense that he would be a good example to his peers in the campus.

“It’s about systems thinking. That’s what attracted me to farming, specifically permaculture design. Because that’s what we study in computer science, it’s all about systems,” Timi told me while we were making seedling flats out of used pallets and listening to music at Kainos Farm.

At present, Timi actively participates in farming chores with Tara Farms in Bay on Tuesdays; a couple of organic gardens in Los Baños on Wednesdays; and in Kainos Farm on Thursdays and Fridays. He also joined me last June for a Bamboo Training Workshop conducted by Cabiokid Foundation in Laur, Nueva Ecija together with our friends from Transition Community Initiative Philippines and Good Food Community. After that, our group of Nu Wave Farmers, also called The Mulching Matsing, was invited for the Luntiang Lunes segment of Oras na Pilipinas at 702 DZAS.

“Though I’m delayed [in college], at least I discovered during my long stay here what I really want to do with my life. When I graduate, I will work in the farm.”

Now that’s a dream worth pursuing!

#NuWaveFarmers

Jabez Flores is an organic farmer and permaculture designer for Kainos Farm in Calamba, Laguna. He maintains his own garden in Los Baños called Daang Kalabaw Community Garden. He finished BA Sociology at UP Los Baños in 2007; Certificate in Organic Agriculture at UPOU in 2012; Basic Permaculture Design at Cabiokid Foundation, Nueva Ecija in 2014; and is currently taking up his masters degree in Environment and Natural Resources Management specializing in Upland Resources Management at UPOU. He also teaches Personal Entrepreneurial Development at UPOU. To know more about what Jabez, visit his blog and The Mulching Matsing Facebook Page.

 

The Mulching Matsing is a column dedicated to encouraging the community members, especially the youth, to engage in organic farming.