by Stephanie Pearl Orendain

The Los Baños Gender and Development (GAD) Office, in partnership with the Autism Society Philippines (ASP) – Laguna, held a seminar on responsible parenting for parents of children with autism last March 26 at the new Los Baños municipal hall.

Participated in by 31 parents, the seminar focused on general management strategies in dealing with special children, self-care and independent living, and diet intervention. Held as part of the celebration of women’s month, the seminar targeted mothers as they are the ones mainly caring for special children, according to Lian del Valle, director of Autism Resource Center in Los Baños, and a member of ASP Laguna.

Lian del Valle, director of Autism Resource Center, gives out pointers and guidelines for parents in dealing with special children (Photo by SPOrendain).

Here are some tips on dealing with special children:

1. Set clear rules. Parents were advised not to use the words “No”, “Stop”, and “Don’t” to avoid triggering aggressive behavior. ASP encouraged parents to use positive words.
2. Use language that the child understands. Visual cues are also helpful.
3. Be firm but do not resort to physical violence.
4. Follow a regular routine. For example, if the child insists on playing computer games, set a specific time when the child can play.
5. Praise positive behavior.

ASP helps parents with special children through the organization’s various programs. Angeli Orense, whose child suffers from developmental delay and young stroke, is one of the beneficiaries of ASP. Through the activities of ASP, Angeli was able to learn how to handle the special needs of her child.

Aside from Angeli, Germalyn Ignacio is another participant and supporter of ASP’s activities. ASP helps Germalyn coordinate with the municipality regarding transportation assistance for her child’s therapy every Monday in Ortigas.

For more details, the GAD Office may be contacted through (049) 536-2818.

by Arbil Bucatcat and Ana Catalina Paje

The Los Baños Gender and Development (GAD) Office conducted a series of seminars on violence against women and their children (VAWC) and gender sensitivity for barangay officials and GAD focal persons last March 11, 15, and 25 at Brgy. Lalakay, Brgy. Batong Malake, and Brgy. Baybayin, respectively.

Marivic Ramos, vice president of ASP-Laguna, discusses the special needs of children with autism to the delegates of the responsible parenting seminar (Photo courtesy of the Public Information Office).

The GAD Office identified VAWC as one of the major issues in the barangays despite having no increase in the reported VAWC cases. One of the reasons identified by the GAD Office was the lack of skills of the so- called “frontliners” such as barangay officials and focal persons to handle VAWC cases. To address such concern, the GAD Office organized the series of seminars on VAWC and gender sensitivity in the barangay level.
Karen Lagat Mercado, designated municipal GAD officer, said that the seminar equipped the participants with knowledge on legalities and procedures on VAWC cases. She added that through the seminar, the GAD office would be able to build capacities at the grassroots level.

She mentioned that based on their data, majority of barangay officials and GAD focal persons are not knowledgeable on how to properly handle VAWC-related cases. She explained that they tend to follow old practices because they are unaware that there are procedures.

For instance, Mercado, also a former barangay councilor, added that when victims of violence go to the barangay to report the incident, the common response of the officials is to reconcile the partners.

Mercado said that frontliners are not aware that the incident should be immediately reported to the police. However, Ellen Ramos, GAD office staff, pointed out that an important aspect of VAWC that needs to be addressed is maintaining economic stability in the family in instances when the abuser is sent to prison.

Furthermore, Eleonor P. Jimenez, the newly designated GAD desk officer in Brgy. Baybayin, said that members of the community are not aware of VAWC. She explained that some couples consider verbal, physical, or economic abuses as normal part of married life. She added that husbands do not know that physical battery is a crime.

On the other hand, Romeo Oro, a barangay councilor in Brgy. Baybayin, said that men and women should be represented in VAWC equally. He added that hunsbands should also be informed about the consequences of their actions.

Aside from the seminar, Mercado shared that the next step that their office would like to focus on is to make a comprehensive list of all VAWC-related cases. She said that the Philippine National Police – Los Baños has only three to four recorded cases but statistics may be higher based on feedback from barangays.

Meanwhile, in celebration of the women’s month, the GAD Office also conducted a seminar themed Juana, ang Tatag Mo ay Tatag Natin sa Pagbangon at Pagsulong, last March 19 at the GAD municipal office.

Mercado said that the activity aims to empower women by educating them about their rights. Dr. Helen Dayo, director of the UP Los Baños (UPLB) Gender Center and one of the resource persons, stressed that women should know their rights so that they would be able to exercise their rights and assert themselves. She added that most wives suffer from physical violence because they tolerate their husbands’ behavior, thinking it is how it should be.

Another speaker, Prof. Amelia L. Bello, coordinator for the UPLB Gender and Rural Development Office (GRDO), talked about some of the laws related to violence against women such as:

• Republic Act (RA) 3815 or the Revised Penal Code, which defines and provide penalties for VAWC cases;
• RA 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, which declares all forms of sexual harassment in the employment, education and training environment as unlawful;
• RA 8353 or the Anti-Rape Law of 1997, which reclassifies rape as a crime against persons, defining it as a public rather than private crime;
• RA 8551 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, which mandates the creation of Women’s Desk in all police stations throughout the country;
• RA 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 which defines prostitution and penalizes people engaging in services such as sexual trafficking; and
• RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 which defines VAWC and penalizes the commission of such acts and provides for the security and protection of the complainant/victim, and her family through barangay, temporary, or permanent protection orders.

Sairah Saipudin, university research associate at the UPLB Gender Center, said that the GAD Office’s seminar will hopefully make a significant change in the field of gender education since their audience are from the grassroots. She added that aside from informing women about their rights, it is also their advocacy to make men aware that any form of violence against women is not only disrespectful but is also punishable by law.

by Maria Celina Bernardo and Dominique Marrielle Lapinid

“A good teacher and a good researcher.” Dr. Maribel L. Dionisio-Sese answered when asked what she wants people to know about her first.

Photo courtesy of MLDSese

Dr. Dionisio-Sese, a botany professor from the Institute of Biological Sciences (IBS) – College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) – University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), knew early on what profession she wanted to pursue. Inspired by her elementary teacher, Dr. Dionisio-Sese dreamed of becoming a teacher someday.

She got into botany simply because she excelled in it and did not want to go with the commonly chosen fields such as accountancy, finance, and banking. She wanted to stand out and be unique, which she was able to accomplish. A cum laude graduate of Bachelor of Science in Botany from UPLB, Dr. Dionisio-Sese also finished her master’s degree in botany in the same university.  In 1990, she specialized in plant physiology for her doctorate degree at the University of Tokyo.

She has been a recipient of fellowship grants, for instance as post-doctoral fellow at the Marine Biotechnology Institute of Japan, as visiting research fellow at the Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences, and as Alexander von Humboldt research fellow in Germany.

Some of her students say that her exams are difficult. Nevertheless, she still receives very good evaluation from students. She was given the Outstanding Teacher Award in Biological Sciences by UPLB and the Distinguished Alumna Award for Instruction by UPLB-CAS Alumni Association in 2010. Though she prefers not to change her way of constructing exams, she always tries to teach her subjects better. She expects her students to know more and be updated as they already have access to new learning  technologies and information sources.

She has also been an adviser, committee member, dissertation reader, and an external examiner. A junior and senior author of books and monographs, she has written wholly, or in part, more than 12 lecture syllabi or laboratory manuals on introductory botany and plant physiology.

Aside from being a teacher, Dr. Dionisio-Sese is also an administrator. In February 2004, she served as the officer-in-charge at the College Secretary’s Office of CAS and was appointed as the College Secretary from March 1, 2004 to November 30, 2006. She also served as head of the Plant Biology Division of IBS from June 1, 2010  to May 31, 2012. Since June 1, 2012, she has served as Director of the UPLB Interactive Learning Center.

A multi-awarded scientist

Dr. Dionisio-Sese has done many researches about plant/microalgal physio-biochemical responses to abiotic stress, algal physiology and biochemistry, regulation of photosynthetic enzyme induction and characterization of plant photoreceptors.

For the important contributions of her research, the then 34-year-old Assistant Professor III was recognized in 1995 as Outstanding Young Scientist in Plant Physiology by the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST). In 2003, she was named the Distinguished Alumna Awardee in Basic Research by the UPLB-CAS Alumni Association and Outstanding Researcher by IBS-UPLB in 2008. Recently, Dr. Dionisio-Sese has also been given the title UP Scientist I.

In addition, she was the recipient of various professorial chair awards such as the Jose R. Velasco Professorial Chair in Botany (2002), the SEARCA Professorial Chair (2008), the UPLB Centennial Professorial Chair (2010), and the UPLB Diamond Jubilee Professorial Chair (2012).She is also a prolific author, having published more than 20 articles in international refereed journals, which made her a recipient of the International Publication Awards from the University of the Philippines System since 1999.

For her professional achievement, she was awarded Distinguished Alumna of CAS, UPLB in 2012. She was also given the Outstanding Botanist Award during the 2010 Botany Centennial Celebration of IBS.

As a role model

“Do the best that you can. In everything you do, try to do the very best,” advises Dr. Dionisio-Sese. She inspires her students and young professionals in the way she handles and carries herself in and outside the classroom. She makes sure that she teaches to the best of her abilities.

Indeed, Dr. Dionisio-Sese’s work in the last 31 years has been a testament to her being a good teacher and a good researcher, and even more.

by Sarah Bautista

In 2009, Marvielyn I. Cortez traded her nurse’s cap with a firefighter’s helmet, after earning the necessary qualifications. She then joined the Bureau of Fire Protection Office (BFPO) in Biñan, Laguna. She was a licensed nurse but she eventually chose to follow the family tradition of working in the fire bureau. Four years after, Fire Officer (FO)1 Cortez became a part of Los Baños BFPO as the administrative and field operational firefighter.

In her line of work, being a female is not an excuse for a special treatment. She explained that having gone through the same rigorous training, she is treated like other firefighetrs. FO1 Cortez believes that females can break the image of being less capable in male-dominated fields such as firefighting. She emphasized that a person’s limits depend on the strength of her will and determination – not her gender.

FO1 Cortez finds fulfillment in being able to save lives and protect properties which families have worker hard for. Being a firefighter has become a source of pride, not only for herself, but also for her family.

A native of Cabanatuan City, FO1 Cortez settled in Calamba City when she married her husband and fellow firefighter Stephen in August 2010. Being in the same profession has helped the couple understand the demands of their work and allowed them to spend time with their three-year-old daughter.

by Monica Mirjana Cruz

These days, Mommy Mayette frequents the Physical Sciences Building (PhySci) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB). Wearing denim jeans, t-shirt, and a backpack, she may even be mistaken as a student. But Mommy Mayette is in UPLB not to earn another degree, but to help his son Carl Adrian earn his BS Computer Science degree and live his dream.

Photo by MMCruz

Since 2011, Mommy Mayette has accompanied Carl Adrian in his classes. As students scurry for their next class, Mommy Mayette pushes his son’s wheelchair out of the crowd and on to his next class. In between classes, she spends most of her time in building corridors outside her son’s classrooms. She passes time by catching up on her reading and making calls to her family to keep in touch. When she is allowed to sit in classes, she encounters familiar concepts and is able to answer some of Carl Adrian’s  questions about his lessons.

Carl Adrian has been diagnosed with duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare disease occurring primarily in males and is characterized by rapid and progressive weakening and wasting of the muscles.

Carl Adrian dreams of becoming a computer scientist someday. His family is committed in helping him pursue his dreams. Their day starts at around 5 AM in their Brgy. Batong Malake apartment to prepare for his 7 a.m. class. Mommy Mayette and Carl Adrian spend the weekdays in Los Baños and the weekends in Batangas City. Mommy Mayette is a mother of three. She is blessed with a daughter and two sons. A former market research analyst in a big corporation, she stopped working and has since dedicated her time nurturing her family.

Carl Adrian was seven years old when Mommy Mayette noticed that he was often tiptoeing and wobbling. At first, the family thought that his condition only needed corrective shoes.  But a doctor told them that Carl Adrian has DMD.

It was a family decision to help Carl Adrian live a normnal life despite his condition. The family knew that it would be far from easy. When Carl Adrian was in grade school, Mommy Mayette accompanied him to school and fetched him at the end of the school day. It was only when Carl Adrian reached sixth grade that he needed to use a wheelchair. It was also the time when she already hired someone to assist her son in school.

Mommy Mayette admitted that it was difficult for her to accept that there is no cure for her son’s condition. She is worried about the difficulties that Carl Adrian would encounter in the future. “I just had to keep in mind that he needs assistance [and] that I should always be there for him to not lose hope or drive,” Mommy Mayette said.

Although there are times when worries seem to overcome her, she just remembers Carl Adrian’s determination to reach his dreams. For Mommy Mayette, this is enough for her to face another day. Mommy Mayette said it was Carl Adrian’s decision to study in UPLB where his older sister is also studying to become an electrical engineer.

Mommy Mayette also sees her son’s determination to become a professional. There are also times, however, when he is panic-sticken with the requirements that he has to complete, especially during “hellweek”.  Being a UP alumna, Mommy Mayette is familiar with the demands of a UP education. She said that  it is during these times that she should be there for him. She explained that their relationship is give and take– her son draws courage from her but she also draws courage, inspiration, and drive from her son and her whole family. “Very caring, responsible, and willing to sacrifice for us,” this is how Carl Adrian describes Mommy Mayette.

Although the buildings in UPLB are not suited for people with physical disabilities, Mommy Mayette shared that the faculty members and staff make up for this. She said that there were instances when they were able to negotiate for the transfer of a class in a room located in the first floor. She added that faculty members have been understanding and considerate.

For group meetings, Mommy Mayette would volunteer their apartment to be the meeting place if they could accommodate the group. She added that she makes it a point that there is someone to assist Carl Adrian when he goes to activities like film showing at the D.L. Umali Auditorium as there was an incident when he almost fell.

The family’s dedication has paid off. Carl Adrian has consistently been in the list of honor students in the University. In the first semester of academic year 2013-2014, he garnered the ninth highest general weighted average (GWA) among BS Computer Science students. For his internship this summer, Carl Adrian was accepted in a company based in Taguig City.

Mommy Mayette shared what has kept her going through the years: “…He [God] will not give me something that I cannot handle; support and understanding extended by family and friends; and the great courage that my son has.”

Inspiring other mothers,  Mommy Mayette said that, “Lahat naman tayo may pinagdadaanan at kanya-kanya din tayo ng faith. Kung nakikita mo na yung sinusuportahan mo positive naman siya, so dapat positive ka din para mag-tuloy tuloy din siya (All of us face challenges and rely on our faith. If we see that the person we are supporting remains positive, we should also remain positive so they would go on).”

Just like other mothers, Mommy Mayette would like to see his son reach his goals in life. No matter how difficult the future might be, Mommy Mayette will always be a constant source of inspiration for Carl Adrian and her family.

by Monica Mirjana S. Cruz

“Isulong ang kaunlaran, sunog ay pwedeng iwasan, kaalaman at pag-iingat ang kailangan.” This is the theme for this year’s National Fire Prevention Month.

According to Chief Inspector Eric G. Tioco, fire marshal of the Los Baños Bureau of Fire Protection Office (BFPO), reported fire cases in the municipality increased from 24 in 2012 to 30 in 2013. As of March this year, there have been six reported cases of fire-related incidents in Los Baños.

Based on the BFPO reports, the most common cause of fire in Los Baños, especially in 2013 was grass fire. Other cases were structural fires, which were mainly traced back to children playing with matches, unmonitored cooking, faulty wiring, and arson. Fire Marshall Tioco, however, emphasized that cases of arson are rare.

BFPO assured the Los Baños residents that their office will be providing intensified service in their programs and campaigns for the fire prevention month celebration.

Tioco explained that there are four main programs under this month’s celebration, namely: interschool fire safety awareness and education for elementary and high school students, house-to-house fire safety inspection, ugnayan sa barangay, and fire drill in all government and private buildings.

These programs aim to increase the awareness of Los Baños residents and educate them about fire safety in order to avoid fire cases and casualties.

BFPO coordinates with various schools in Los Baños to schedule seminars on fire safety and field trips to the Los Baños fire station where students meet with fire fighters and get oriented on the parts and functions of fire trucks.

Fire Marshal Tioco explained that BFPO conducts house and office visits not only to disseminate information on fire safety but also to check for fire hazards in the households. The fire inspector examines if houses/offices have appropriate firefighting equipment such as fire extinguisher and a fire exit. The inspector also inspects the buildings’ electrical wirings.

In the event of fire code violations, building/office owner is given a week to comply with the requirements. Tioco explained that building inspections in different barangays are conducted all year round to ensure that these structures are safe for occupancy.

Under the Ugnayan sa Barangay, BFPO coordinates with the barangays to conduct seminars about fire safety. According to Tioco, BFPO distributes information, education, and communication (IEC) materials from the national office to the seminar participants from the barangays.

BFPO also conducts fire drills in different Los Baños institutions, both in the government and private sector. Fire fighters provide live demonstrations on what to do in case of fire in their workplace. The evacuation plan is also being presented and/or reviewed among building occupants to prepare them  in case of fire and other emergency situations.

Tioco emphasized the importance of parents allotting time to discuss the fire escape plan in their respective residences with the family members to avoid and/or minimize injuries and damages during emergency situations.

Fire Marshal Tioco advises Los Baños residents to familiarize themselves with the BFPO hotline (049) 536-7965.