by Aira Kissa Edduba and  Arron Lucius B. Herbon

Residents of Brgy. Mayondon, Los Baños, Laguna, together with other volunteers, participated in the barangay-wide clean-up drive from 6am up to 9am on October 13.

Members of the Eldridge Army Reserve Corps, and volunteers sweep the canal and its surroundings during the clean-up drive in Brgy. Mayondon.

According to Barangay Secretary Rizalina Sapin, the clean-up drive was part of the Barangay Assembly Day every March and October which is mandated by the Department of Interior and Local Government.  The activity encourages the residents to clean their surroundings in support of the “Tapat Mo, Linis Mo” program of the government.

“Napapanahon (itong clean-up) kasi nakikita mo naman, napakamadumi nitong kabuuang barangay,’” explained Sapin.  She also added that the clean-up drive is part of the barangay’s preventive measure against dengue and chikungunya.

Barangay Councilor Emil Lontoc said that barangay officials are already doing regular clean-up drives even before.

“Yung aming paglilinis, pangkaraniwan na naming ginagawa yan.  Noong mga nakaraang araw, tuwing Saturday, naglilinis talaga kami dito, yung mga taga-Sanggunian (barangay) lamang,” shared Lontoc.

Greg Flores, a resident of Mayondon, sees the clean-up drive as also beneficial in initiating unity among volunteers for the cleanliness of the barangay.

“Sa paglilinis at pagkakaisa, gumaganda (ang barangay),” Flores said.

Residents, and volunteers from different local organizations also join the clean up drive.

On the other hand, Sgt. Angelo Dumo of the Eldridge Reserve Army Corps explained that their participation in clean-up drives focuses on cleanliness awareness and disaster prevention.

The Sangguniang Barangay of Mayodon facilitated the activity, in cooperation with 1-GANAP Partylist, Philippine Guardians Brotherhood, Inc. (PGBI), Patrol Assistance Rescue and Community Services (PARACS) Los Baños Chapter, Eldridge Reserve Army Corps, Philippine National Police (PNP) Los Baños, and Community Health Team-Los Baños.

by Christian Rieza and Aira Edduba

In celebration and recognition of the achievements of outstanding and notable alumni, the University of the Philippines Los Baños celebrated its 95^th Loyalty Day on October 9-10 with the theme “UPLB Alumni for Sustainable Community Transformation.”  Among its activities was the parade at the Freedom Park on October 10.

Prof. Naomi Enriquez (right) from the College of Arts and Sciences and Prof. Mark Lester Chico from the College of Development Communication host the 95th UPLB Loyalty Day parade.

The parade started with the recognition and awarding of medals to alumni who attended the program. It was followed by the presentations of various offices and units inside the University to represent their respective offices.  Schools and colleges inside the University, student organizations as well as research extension agencies also joined the parade.  Some prepared skits, dance or jingles for their performances.

Los Baños Mayor, Cesar Perez, emphasized that the Loyalty Day is a great venue for alumni to give back and rekindle ties. “Maganda yan, kasi alam mo, marami ring nakatapos, marami ring naging maayos ang buhay. At least once in a while, nakakabalik sila,” he added.

Dr. Nena R. Bustrillos (right), Class ’48, joins the parade as escorted by Dr. Oscar B. Zamora, Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs on a pedicab.

The parade was held following the alumni fellowship and awards night at the EB Copeland Gymnasium the night before the parade. The following Outstanding alumni who were awarded during the event included: Henry Burgos for Film making; Cesar M. Drilon for Good Governance; Benito O. De Lumen for Biotechnology Research Development; Dr. Joel L. Cuello for Global Biosystems Engineering Education and Research; Dr. William S. Gruezo for Natural Resources Conservation; Jesus V. Melgar for Food Technology and Manufacturing; John Augustus C. Mendoza for Public Service; Elma M. Neyra for Peace and Development; Annie Oro-Ty for Community Service; Dr. Gil C. Saguiguit for Regional Institutional Development; and Dr. Surapong Sarkarung for Rice Plant Breeding.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Rex Victor O. Cruz noted the difference of celebrating Loyalty Day today as compared before. “Nagumpisa ito as a tribute para sa mga lumaban ng giyera with the Americans. Parang it’s a loyalty to the American Government kasi under Commonwealth pa tayo nun. But naging tradition na at ngayon of course hindi na ito loyalty to the Americans. It’s now pledging the loyalty of UP, alumni, students and staff to the country,” he shared.

“Difference from last year and this year? The main difference is hapon na ngayon ang Loyalty Day, usually umaga yan at parang mas maganda nga pag hapon eh” the Chancellor added.

by Arron Lucius B. Herbon

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) through its Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) held a special seminar titled “Biotech Tools for Smarter Agriculture” last September 27, 2013 at the SEARCA Drilon Hall.

Dr. Wayne Parrott, Professor of Crop Science at the University of Georgia, USA, served as the speaker for the seminar.

Dr. Parrott discussed about Genetic Engineering through sharing of his field work experience in the North, South, and Central American, and African areas.

According to him, Genetic Engineering, also known as Genetic Modification, is a product of Biotechnology which involves crossing in desirable traits in the genes of a certain crop so it could gain special properties such as insecticidal, and many others.

He said that it is the fastest adapted technology in the world having been used by over 17 million farmers in about 30 countries around the world over the last 17 years.

“When people ask questions or express concerns about GMO’s, we can actually answer based on real-world experience. We don’t need to be guessing and we need to be speculating about it,” he told.

He compared the growth of the GMO industry to the Organic industry, the second fastest growing sector of agriculture, through which he showed that the latter lags behind the former.

To address the problem of having a large section of the world population having no access to GMO’s, he took commercialized GMO’s and divided them into two categories of origin: the private, and the public sector.

Some of the GMO’s from the private sector include ornamental novel-colored flowers in Australia; virus-resistant squash and herbicide-tolerant rice & soybean from America; Insecticide-resistant Bt crops like cotton & corn; and worm-resistant maize in America and Africa.

While some of the GMO’s from the public sector include the Papaya through University of Hawaii, Cornell University, and US Department of Agriculture (USDA); Brazilian Bean through the Brazilian government; and other crops funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) which are to be made available soon which includes the moth-resistant potato, pod-borer resistant cowpea, and many others.

The benefits of GMO’s as tackled by Parrott include decrease in yield losses from insects and diseases, which leads to an increase of income on farmers and their respective countries; decrease in environmental risks brought about by chemical pesticides, and the prevention of food spoilage.

Some issues in terms of safety of GMO’s on environment and food were also tackled. For the environmental safety issue, he focused on the prevention of damages brought about by pesticide abuse to humans and animals. While on the food safety issue, he centered on the safety of GMO’s where he told that it is as safe, but not completely, as their conventional counterparts with emphasis on the regional differences in consumption.

“If it’s been tested in the European Union, or in China, or wherever, and then they haven’t found problems, it’s gonna be safe around the world,” Parrott said.

When it comes to the Philippines, he mentioned that the country is now being a global spotlight for GMO’s through the Golden Rice which could address Vitamin A deficiencies of millions of children worldwide through highlighting its publicity from a petition, up to being an editorial topic in the New York Times.

Prior to Parrott’s talk, Philippine-based Agricultural Counselor of United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dr. Philip Schull said that the seminar is part of the celebration of the relationship between the Unites States and the Philippines in terms of agriculture .

“We are the number one supplier of food and agricultural products in the Philippines, but we are also the Philippines’ number one market for its exports in our food and agricultural products. In fact, in 2012, the United states took about 30% of Philippine food and agricultural exports,” Schull mentioned.

According to Dr. Arnold Estrada of Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds, the seminar was informative and he saw that the audience benefited from the information shared during the seminar.

Prescila Pudiquet, SEARCA Biotechnology Trainee from the local government unit of Pupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya said that the seminar made her see the benefit of the combination of Genetic Engineering and Organic Agriculture.

“Kung maisusulong natin sa rural communities, it will benefit the rural farm families kasi gaganda yung well-being ng farmers, at the same time, gaganda yung nutritional level ng school at pre-school children,” Pudiquet told.

The seminar was co-organized by SEARCA Biotechnology Center (BIC), Plough Shares Incorporated, US Mission, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), and Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSPII)

by John Vincent Manglicmot

The University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) Babaylan conducted a seminar titled “Closing our Ranks: What’s Next for the Gender Rights Movement” on September 26 at the UPLB new College of Arts and Sciences Auditorium.  It featured five speakers namely Dr. Gerrighanim Dungan from Kapatid organization, William Villacampa from ProGay, Alek Weber from Pinoy FTM, Kakay Pamaran from Metropolitan Community Churches of Quezon City, and Yvann Zuniga from UPLB Babaylan.

The first speaker, Dungan, discussed their organization’s advocacy to seek for gender equality among all genders. Weber, on the other hand, differentiated transgenders from transsexuals. He also discussed various terminologies about gender and sexuality such as cisgender, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

The third speaker, Zuniga, talked about the goals and activities of UPLB Babaylan as an organization that aims to promote gender diversity and equality among UPLB students. He was followed by Villacampa who discussed the history of LGBT and what LGBT is. According to him, there is nothing wrong with being gay.

Lastly, Pamaran explained how it is to be a part of the LGBT community and at the same time, be a Christian pastor. According to her, being a member of the LGBT community is not a sin, discrimination is.

The seminar aimed to educate its audience about the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community and the status of gender equality in the Philippines.   It was attended mainly by students from the Los Baños National High School.

By Kezia Grace Jungco

Ms. Leren Mae Bautista from Barangay Anos took home the crown as Miss Los Baños 2013 last night at the New Municipal Hall, Los Baños, Laguna.

Miss Bautista, the tallest among the 14 candidates, was also the first one to answer during the interview portion. The interview portion challenged the candidates to endorse the tourist attractions in Los Baños. Bautista, was able to impress the judges when she tried to convince the audience to visit the National Arts Center.

She also bagged several special awards such as “Best in Casual Wear,” “McDonald’s Customers’ Choice Award,” “Miss Metrohair,” “Best in Evening Gown” and “Best in Swimsuit.”

The first and second runner-up titles were bagged by Nim Hazel Eusebio of Brgy. Batong Malake and Susaine Caylan of Brgy. Maahas, respectively. Miss Eusebio also won the “Miss Congeniality Award,” ”Miss Talent,” “Miss Photographer’s Choice” and “McSmile Award.”

A TOWN'S VERY OWN. This year, Miss Los Banos is exclusive for ladies who hail from Los Banos only. (From left to right: Susaine Caylan (Brgy. Maahas) 2nd-Runner Up; Leren Mae Bautista (Brgy. Anos) - Miss Los Banos 2013; Nim Hazel Eusebio (Brgy. Batong Malake) 1st-Runner Up) | Photo by Kezia Jungco

Miss Bautista said that she prepared enough for the competition. She even trained at John Robert Powers before. She also said that her parents were her motivation to win the pageant.

“Sobrang saya ng experience. Hindi ko po inakala na makakasali ako dito. Sobrang napakasaya. Hindi ako makapaniwala,” said Miss Bautista.

“Pagkatapos nito siguro ay magpapasalamat muna ako sa lahat ng tumulong sa akin. Saka ang una kong tutulungan ay ang mga kabataan. Yan ang una kong gagawin,” she added.

Ms. Philippines Eco-Tourism 2012 Mary Candice Ramos, who was one of the judges, said that the winners have the potential to make it to Miss Philippines next year. “The candidates, of course, always have the potential. They just have to always keep in mind that there is room for improvement. They have many months to prepare for the pageant [Miss Philippines], so they’re good,” she said.

STAR-STUDDED. Miss Philippines-Air 2012 Glennifer Perido (3rd from left) and Miss Philippines Eco Tourism 2012 Mary Candice Ramos drove all the way to Los Banos to grace this year's pageant together with other notable personalities. | Photo by Kezia Jungco

This year, the pageant was exclusive for ladies from Los Baños only. “Lahat ay galing sa Los Baños. Hindi ito open para sa lahat this year. Dahil ang mga ganitong pagkakataon ay para sa mga taga-Los Baños lang,” said Mayor Caesar Perez in his speech.

Despite the rain, hundreds still flocked to watch this year’s pageant and supported their candidates. According to Twila Torres, the Events Chair for Miss Los Baños 2013, the event was made successful through the efforts of everyone.

“We had less than a month for the preparation. Everyday, the girls are working hard and doing their best. The Miss Los Baños 2013 was a success with the support of all the committee members and the municipal government,” said Torres.

Miss Los Baños is part of the weeklong celebration of the 12^th Bañamos Festival and the town’s 398^th Foundation Anniversary.

By Kezia Grace Jungco

Strong winds and a chance of rain did not stop hundreds of people of Los Baños to watch the 12^th  Himigsikan: Battle of the Bands last September 21 at the Paciano Rizal Park.

The band “New Veins” won over the eight bands from different parts of Los Baños, Laguna which competed this year. “Dark Brown Tribe” placed second and “Nikita” placed third.

A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC. A chance of downpour did not stop the 12th Himigsikan: Battle of the Bands to celebrate the music and talent of Los Banos' folks. | Photo by Kezia Jungco

The bands played different song genres such as Pop, RnB, Rock, and Reggae.

According to Cheryl Laviña-Gonzales, events chair, the Himigsikan this year was exclusive for Los Baños residents only. Yet, many still auditioned for the competition.

“Isa nga sa mga challenges na hinarap namin ay ang dami ng mga gustong sumali. Tapos na kami ng screening, marami pang gustong sumali,” said Gonzales.

“Siyempre, gusto naman naming mas maraming makapag-participate kaya ginawa namin ang aming makakaya para ma-accomodate lahat,” she added.

The winners received trophies, certificates, cash, and scholarship from sponsors. They were also the highlight of Grand Revelry, the culminating activity of Bañamos Festival 2013 held at the New Municipal Hall, Barangay Timugan on September 22.

“Succesful ang event dahil nagtulong-tulong lahat. Saka suportado ni Mayor [Perez] lahat ng request,” mentioned Gonzales.

Himigsikan, which was established alongside with the Bañamos Festival 12 years ago, continues its tradition to celebrate music and talents of the people of Los Baños.