MALOU GATHERCOLE

• 34 years old
• Resident of Brgy. Bambang Los Baños, Laguna
• Last seen February 23 wearing an orange top and pink pants

Malou is under maintenance medication for stress. Two weeks without medication may have resulted to severe anxiety. Malou Gathercole has been reported and declared as missing at the Los Baños PNP.

If you have seen Malou, kindly escort her to the nearest office of the barangay or the police station and contact Maria Fe Nedia (09179517066).

In the past two weeks, the family and relatives have received reports of possible sightings in Cabuyao, Sta. Rosa, Alabang, and different barangays of Los Baños.

by Gretzel Lantican, Mary Joie Cruz, Kamille Anne Anarna, Kathleen Mae Idnani, Kezia Grace Jungco, and Gumamela Celes Bejarin

PO1 Ronaldo Magbitang of the Los  Baños PNP confirmed that the body of 11-year-old Marry Grace Esguerra was found at around 5:30 pm by a pedicab driver at Villa Carangal in Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin of Los Baños, Laguna.

Fredalyn Esguerra, mother of Marry Grace, identified the decomposing body through the clothes, bag, and wallet that was found with it. Monica Esguerra, the victim’s elder sister, is convinced that Marry Grace was raped. The victim was found with her jogging pants and underwear pulled down.

LB PNP has yet to determine if the victim was raped and the cause of death after the autopsy.

The victim has been reported missing since March 1. Marry Grace is the youngest among the Esguerra’s 11 children.

by Levi Joshua Verora

The Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME) has re-opened the Mt. Makiling Trail in UP Los Baños last March 1, three months after the mountain trail has been closed temporarily for visitors.

Dr. Nathaniel Pantuan, director of MCME, said that the trail has been refurbished with a help from private companies. He also clarified that the Flatrocks case last December was not necessarily a trigger for the trail to be closed as the MCME already had plans to temporarily close the site as early as October for rehabilitation of some areas along the site. However, the incident did have an effect on the Makiling Trail. “The [Flat Rocks] incident has affected the Makiling Trail and it is a must to respond accordingly.” Said Dr. Pantuan. “It is time to be more responsible.”

To have a more responsible management of the Makiling Trail, the MCME coordinated with various stakeholders of Mt. Makiling. Dr. Pantuan said that the MCME has already devised a communication system with the municipality of Sto. Tomas, Batangas. “We have devised accredited entry points so that whenever visitors who entered from Sto. Tomas exits here [in the UPLB entry point], we can still confirm they registered.” Said Dr. Pantuan.

The Makiling Trail now boosts of a 24/7 security, according to the MCME director. MCME personnel shall be assigned during office hours (8 am to 5 pm) while Community Service Brigade (CSB) officials shall monitor the site for the rest of the night. Since the Makiling Trail is under the jurisdiction of UPLB by law, offices like the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs (OVCCA) and University Police Force (UPF) have also pledged help to make the management of the site better.

When asked about expectations, Dr. Pantuan confidently said that people can expect a better natural experience, less untoward incidents, and greater visibility of authorities/personnel along the trail.

MCME re-opens the Makiling Trail, assuring better security and a more responsible management of the site. [Photo: Levi Verora]

by Kay Althea F. Ordillo and Vhernadette A. Oracion            

March 5 marked the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)’s First Payout Pantawid Pamilya – Los Baños in Brgy. Baybayin covered court as part of the country’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P).

More than a thousand 4P beneficiaries attended the First Payout Pantawid Pamilya - Los Baños at Baybayin covered court. (Photo taken by Janela Raflores)

From 7 am to 2:30 pm, DSWD 4A recorded 1,322 4P beneficiaries from different Los Baños barangays. Started in October 2013, this is the third activity in the First Payout Pantawid Pamilya-Los Baños. The event is held every two months and is managed by the regional offices of the DSWD. The 4P is a national program that aims to provide assistance to families who are below the poverty threshold.

Janela Raflores, muncipal link of the DSWD Region 4A (CALABARZON), explained that the goal of the program is to help families in Los Baños who have qualified for the basic requirements. Raflores elaborated that the project focuses on pregnant women and children aged 0-14 years.

To become 4P beneficiaries, families go through interviews and are listed down as potential candidates for the program. They are further screened and reassessed. Beneficiaries are constantly monitored and can have their grants taken away if they commit offenses like gambling.

Raflores explained that there are no limits set for the number of beneficiaries in each barangay. For Los Baños, the barangay with the highest number of beneficiaries that received grants was Brgy. Mayondon with 157 families and the barangay with the smallest number of beneficiaries was Baybayin with 23 recorded beneficiaries.

Members of the Los Baños SK Federation study the lecture handouts distributed during the LBTimes workshop on communication materials development at the CDC LR1 at UP Los Baños.

Eleven members of the Los Baños Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation attended the Los Baños Times Training on Communication Materials Development On March 3, 2013 at the UP Los Baños College of Development Communication (CDC).

Los Baños SK Federation Chair Dona F. Alborida said that the training will help the members of the SK Federation realize their plans for a magazine and other publication materials communicating the SK projects.

The training was organized by the DEVC 123 (Management and Production of a Community Newspaper) and DEVC 124 (Advanced Development Writing) classes of the CDC Department of the Development Journalism. The junior development communication students shared their experiences on planning, pretesting, producing, and editing communication materials with the members of the SK Federation.

Kezia Grace R. Jungco, the training activity head, explained that the activity aimed to help the participants produce quality communication materials applying the principles of development communication.

Gumamela Celes C. Bejarin, Los Baños Times Editor in Chief, said that the training would encourage the members of the SK Federation to become active participants for community development. Bejarin further explained that the training will be the start of the partnership with different stakeholders like the SK since they are usually the ones exposed to the needs of the community especially the youth.

The morning sessions included brief discussions on the review of basic concepts in communication materials development. In the afternoon, the participants, assisted by the Los Banõs Times staff, conceptualized and produced prototypes of their communication materials.

The training designed for the Los Baños SK Federation is the first among the series of workshops as part of the collaborative efforts between the Los Baños SK Federation and the Los Baños Times.

The SK Federation members who participated in the event is also the first set of 2013 community correspondents that underwent training. As part of the efforts to develop community correspondents in Los Baños and nearby communities, the Los Baños Times will be conducting a series of development journalism training in partnership with the College of Development Communication and the Department of development Journalism.

On March 11, student representatives from different parts of Laguna will meet at the UP Los Baños College of Development Communication for the 2013 Los Baños Times Development Journalism Congress. Aside from the Laguna-wide student congress, March 11 also marks the initial meeting of the members of the Los Baños Times Network of Stakeholders represending different offices, agencies, and/or organizations in the Los Baños community.

by Levi Verora, Miggy Inciong, and Gumamela Celes Bejarin with reports from Regine Caguioa

Inaresto ng Los Baños Police ang isang lalaki kahapon matapos itong manutok ng baril sa mga tricycle driver sa Agapita, Brgy. Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna.

Nakilala ang lalaki bilang si Antonio Lopez, isang residente ng Lopez Village sa may Agapita. Ayon sa mga nagreklamo, bandang alas-8 ng umaga ay nanutok ng baril ang suspek sa mga tricycle driver at mga sakay nitong pasahero sa isang kalye sa may Agapita. Ayon sa mga nakasaksi, sinabi ni Lopez na bawal raw dumaan doon. Kinumpiska pa daw niya ang mga lisensya ng mga driver at pinagbayad ang mga ito ng 500 piso.

Agad namang rumespunde ang pulisya at nakipag-usap sa lalaki. Nakuha pang magtago ng lalaki sa isang car wash shop. Sumuko din ang lalaki matapos ang higit sa isang oras na negosasyon.  Nakumpiska ang Kalibre 45 na dala ni Lopez.

Sa ngayon ay nasa kustodiya na ng Los Baños PNP ang suspek habang kasalukuyan pang ginagawa ang progress report. Ayon kay PO2 Arturo Ramirez, kahit sa mga nakalipas na taon ay may mga naging kaso narin si Lopez. Napag-aalam rin na siya ay may schizophrenia, dahilan upang mangyari ang insidente. Posibleng kaharapin ng suspek ang patong-patong na kaso, kabilang na ang paglabag sa gun ban alinsunod sa Omnibus Election Code, paglabag sa Republic Act 8294 o Illegal Possession of Firearms, at grave threat.

Aalamin rin ng otoridad kung kailangang ipasok sa ospital ang suspek.

Napuno ng tensyon ang kalyeng ito sa Agapita matapos ang nangyaring insidente kahapon (Larawang kuha ni Miggy Inciong)