by Martin Imatong, Los Baños Times Collaborator and Los Baños Local Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program (LCCAMP) consultant

The Los Baños Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council (MAFC), headed by Rolflen Atienza, hosted the Provincial Agriculture and Fishery Council (PAFC) meeting last February 9 at the Los Baños New Municipal Building.

The Laguna PAFC is composed of 30 members represented by 6 cities and 24 municipalities. The meeting focused on the compliance of AFCs on all projects to be endorsed for possible assistance if the AFCs pass through proper coordination and screening. The meeting also moved to create a Climate Change Committee on all levels of the AFCs in Region IV-A.

The highlight of the forum is the Climate Change Science presentation from the Los Baños Local Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program (LCCAMP) secretariat facilitated by Joan Rolusta.

Lorelie M. Liwanag, Los Baños Times Collaborator at Focal Person ng Los Baños Persons with Disabilities Office

Noong Pebrero 2, opisyal na inaprubahan ang Municipal Ordinance 2016-1510. Sa ilalim ng ordinansa, magtatalaga ng Barangay Persons with Disabilities Coordinator (BPWDC) sa bawat barangay ng Los Baños. Ang mga BPWDC ang tutulong sa Office for Persons with Disabilities na magpatupad ng mga programa at proyekto sa bawat barangay.

Ang mga pangulo ng Barangay Persons with Disabilities Association ang tatayong BPWDCs. Mayroong 13 samahan ng Barangay Persons with Disabilities Association sa bayan ng Los Baños: Anos, Bambang, Batong Malake, Baybayin, Lalakay, Maahas, Malinta, Mayondon, Putho-Tuntungin, San Antonio, Tadlac, at Timugan. Layon ng samahan na mas paigtingin ang partisipasyon ng mga PWDs sa komunidad at palawigin ang kanilang oportunidad sa trabaho, edukasyon, paglinang ng kakayahan, at iba pang aspeto.

Bahagi din ng ordinansa ang tungkulin ng bawat BPWDC at ang pagbibigay ng isang opisina sa bawat barangay para sa kanila. Magkakaroon rin ng travel allowance ang mga BPWDC na nagkakahalaga ng limang daang piso (PhP 500.00) kada buwan. Ang pondo ay paghahatian ng internal revenue allotment (IRA) ng Los Baños Office of Persons with Disabilities mula sa munisipyo at ng bawat barangay.

Ang ordinansa ay sang-ayon sa Republic Act 9442 o ang Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities, kung saan isinasaad ang tulong ng gobyerno sa mga may kapansanan.

Noong Enero 25, sa Sangguniang Bayan Conference Room ng munisipyo ng Los Baños, nagkaroon ng pagpupulong ang mga konsehal ng bayan na sina Antonio Kalaw, Cesar Cabrera, Julius Moliñawe, Benedicto Alborida, Ricardo Bagnes, at John Emmanuel Oliva, kasama ang mga opisyales ng Los Baños Federation of Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWDs) Inc. at ng Municipal Budget Officer Genoveva Poyaoan. Sa konseho ay tinalakay ang mga probisyon ng Municipal Ordinance 2016-1510.

Ang 13 Barangay Persons with Disabilities Association ay pinamumunuan ng LBFPWD at sinusuportahan ng Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO).

by Martin Q. Imatong, Los Baños Times Collaborator and Los Baños Local Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program (LCCAMP) consultant

The Los Baños Local Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program (LCCAMP) secretariat conducted a lecture-seminar entitled “Si Juana, Si Juan, at ang Paaralan: Climate Change Action Plan in the 21stCentury”  for Colegio De Los Baños (CDLB) last January 28.

Martin Q. Imatong, LCCAMP consultant, served as the resource speaker. The four-hour lecture-seminar covered the following topics: What is Climate Change; How is Climate Change affecting the Philippines; How is Climate Change affecting Laguna; How is Climate Change affecting Los Baños; What can a person /student do to help combat Climate Change; Caring for the environment; and Community Programs and Interventions.

The program aimed to “help CDLB in promoting its educational institution mission to make students aware of important issues that directly impact their development and lives.” This is according to Aleli Teresa San Agustin-Nolido, school director and student affairs head of CDLB.

A total of 55 college students attended together with CDLB faculty and staff. LCCAMP administrative officer, Joan R. Magdaong, assisted in the program.

ni Jeanette Talag, Los Baños Times Collaborator at Presidente ng Los Baños Federation of Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWD) Inc.

Isang pagpupulong ng mga may kapansanan noong Enero 9 ang tumalakay sa partisipasyon ng mga Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) sa darating na halalan.

Pinamagatang Region 4A PWD Leaders Meeting, ang aktibidad ay inorganisa ng Ang May Kapansanang Bayani Movement (MABINI Movement-CALABARZON) at ginanap sa Andrea’s Hidden Villas Resort sa Tagaytay City.

Dumalo ang mga miyembro ng mga organisasyong pang-PWD sa mga bayan ng Rehiyon 4A. Kabilang dito ang tatlong miyembro ng Los Baños Federation of Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWD), Inc. na sina Jeanette Talag, presidente ng samahan, Lorelie Liwanag, focal person, at Lenie Bonapos.

Tinalakay sa pagpupulong ang pakikiisa sa eleksyon ng mga PWD sang-ayon sa Republic Act 10366 na kumikilala sa pangangailangan ng mga may kapansanan ng angkop na kagamitan at suporta sa pagboto. Mas kilala ang batas bilang Act Authorizing the Commission on Elections to Establish Precincts Assigned to Accessible Polling Places Exclusively for Persons with Disabilities and Senior Citizens.

Isa sa mga tagapagsalita ay si Dr. Jeana Manalaysay, isang dentista. Ayon kay Dr. Manalaysay, mahalaga rin ang magkaroon ng party list ang mga may kapansanan. Makakatulong itong palakasin ang boses ng mga PWDs sa Kapulungan ng mga Kintawan sa pamamagitan ng paglikha ng mga batas na nagsusulong sa mga karapatan at oportunidad ng mga PWDs.

Dumalo rin bilang tagapagsalita si Ronnel del Rio, isang tagapagsulong ng karapatan ng PWDs ng United Nations-Economic and Social Commission in the Asia Pacific. Katuwang niya sa diskusyon si Edwin de Villa, presidente ng Spinal Cord Injury Foundation. Tinalakay nila ang tamang pagtrato sa mga may kapansanan bilang parte ng lipunan. Pinag-usapan rin ang mga posibleng pagkukunan ng alternatibong pondo para sa mga programang makakatulong sa mga PWD.

Nagkaroon rin ng pagsasanay sa paggamit ng braille at software na nagbabasa ng mga salita sa computer screen para sa mga bulag. Napapadali nito ang komunikasyon ng mga visually impaired at tumutulong itong makasabay ang mga bulag sa lipunan sa pamamagitan ng makabagong tekbolohiya. Ito ay pinangunahan ni Arthur Letim, bise president sa Luzon ng Philippine Blind Union, Inc.

Hangad ng LBFPWD ang mas mataas na pagkilala sa mga PWDs sa bayan. Para sa mga katanungan at impormasyon, makipag-ugnayan lamang kay Jeanette Talag sa 0936-3471973.

Tagumpay na inuwi ni Bb. Leren Mae Bautista ang korona bilang Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International 2015/16 noong Disyembre 31, 2015. Ginanap ang kompetisyon sa Putrajaya Marriott Hotel and Spa Grand Ballroom sa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Mayroong 52 kandidatang nagtunggali sa korona. Bukod kay Bb. Bautista, panalo rin ng Dream Girl of the Year International si Miss India, Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan International si Miss Iceland, Miss Tourism Global International si Miss Lithuania, at Miss Tourism Metropolitan International si Miss Uganda.

Noong Enero 2, sa kanyang pagbalik sa Pilipinas, ay malugod na sinalubong si Bautista ng kaniyang mga kababayan sa munisipyo ng bayan ng Los Baños.

Si Bautista ay tubong Brgy. Anos sa Los Baños. Tinanghal siya bilang Mutya ng Pilipinas 2015 ng Agosto 2015 at Miss Los Baños noong 2013. Sa pagdiriwang ng ika-400 taon ng bayan noong Setyember 2015, pinarangalan rin si Bautista bilang Natatanging Mamayan ng Los Baños sa larangan ng Sining at Ganda (Beauty and Arts). [Ma. Roxanne Fatima S. Rolle]

By Joshua Mae M. Hormigos

In celebration of the National Newborn Screening Week, the Volunteer Youth Leaders for Health-UPLB (VYLH-UPLB) in partnership with the Municipal Health Office (MHO) of Los Baños, held a seminar for pregnant women at the municipal health unit of Brgy. Batong Malake, Los Baños, Laguna on October 6.

Ten mothers from nearby barangays attended the seminar which tackled topics on Newborn screening, Folic Acid Awareness, and Importance of Breastfeeding.

According to John Patrick Cuenca, coordinator of VYLH-UPLB, newborn screening is a simple procedure or assessment in detecting congenital metabolic disorders for infants who were delivered at the first 24 hours. It is necessary to conduct newborn screening at the first 24 hours of childbirth due to the symptoms detected cannot fully express a specific disorder. The method is done by heel prick method, a procedure collecting a drop of blood from pricking the heel of the infant, and the samples are passed on to the Newborn Screening Reference Centers.

There are five operational Newborn Screening Reference Centers (NSRC) distributed nationwide. These centers are found in UP Manila; Angeles City, Pampanga; Tanauan City, Batangas; West Visayas State University Medical Center; and Southern Philippine Medical Center. NSRCs are involved in detecting disorders by processing test results from hospitals and health centers nationwide. They notify the corresponding hospitals or wards about their patients whose test results are positive on certain disorders.

National Newborn Screening Week is celebrated every first week of October. It aims to spread awareness on the importance of newborn screening procedures. This is in accordance with Republic Act No. 9288 or the Newborn Screening Act of 2004. The act ensures “that every baby born in the Philippines is offered the opportunity to undergo newborn screening.” It develops awareness to parents to promote the right of their children to health and full development.

Apart from the seminar, VYLH-UPLB also launched activities in support of the National Newborn Screening Week. The volunteers shared infographs, brochures, and photos to UPLB constituents. Tee shirts bearing the motto, “Better Health, Better Future” were also given to students interested in sharing the advocacy.

Volunteers changed their display pictures and cover photo on Facebook in support of the campaign. VYLH-UPLB is a network of organizations within UPLB. The volunteers involved were the UPLB Genetics Society, Philippine Association of Nutrition Alpha Omega Chapter, UP Community Broadcasters’ Society Inc., UP OIKOS, and the UPLB Microbiological Society.