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

Posted on September 10, 2014 by rbvillar

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.

UPOU showcases organic agriculture in SyenSaya 2014

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Kabzeel Sheba Catapang

by Mary Edrielle Valiente

The University of the Phillippines Open University (UPOU) participates once more in the annual SyenSaya by showcasing different organic products in its booth themed “supporting sustainable agriculture and natural resources management through open and distance e-learning.”

Aside from promoting e-learning as one of the most prestigious online education platforms in the country, the UPOU also wants to promote sustainable and environment-friendly farming.

OJ Gomez, a student of organic agriculture in the UPOU, displayed his very own products from integrated diversified organic farming, which he learned from the university. The UPOU booth featured Gomez’ native chickens, pigs, organic feeds, and plants.

Students man the UPOU booth themed “Supporting sustainable agriculture and natural resources management through open and distance e-learning.”

A chef by profession, Gomez said he wants to promote organic agriculture because of the health benefits. He also wants to develop a breed of native pigs that will be best for cooking lechon.

According to Gomez, he wants to promote organic farming for the sake of fair practice.

“Do you know what conventional farmers do? They mass produce plants grown with chemicals and sell it to the public. But they plant a small amount of vegetables organically, and that’s what they eat because they know it’s the healthier option. That’s not fair practice,” he said.

“With the traditional way of growing pigs, you depend on the income you earn to buy more and more feeds. But with organic farming, you can feed your pigs anytime because it requires you to plant the vegetables that your pigs will eat. These plants are self-sustaining,” he added.

Another good point of organic agriculture is that it does not destroy the environment unlike the chemicals that conventional farmers use. Gomez said that “organic farming enriches the soil because you use natural produce as fertilizers. Even the animal excretions become beneficial.”

He added that less than one percent of the farmers in the Philippines practice organic agriculture. That is why he is trying to promote it by continuing to participate in every science fair he can, SyenSaya being one of them.

When farms and machines fuse: AMDP exhibits innovations for agricultural mechanization

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Kabzeel Sheba Catapang

by John Paul M. Omac

There is a common conception that agriculture banks purely on manual labor, and that machinery would be odd in such a setting. However, for an institute envisioning productive and sustainable agriculture, that notion should be challenged.

This is what the Agricultural Mechanization Development Program (AMDP) has continuously tried to do, as shown in their exhibit in the annual Los Banos Science Fair, SyenSaya, being held from September 10-12 at the Copeland Gymnasium, University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB).

As the research development and extension arm of the College of Engineering and Agro-Industrial Technology, AMDP has already developed various technologies and machinery to help farmers improve their production and practices. Among these machines featured in their exhibit were the UPLB hand tractor, a simple hand tractor that can operate at lower power engines than those used by other tractors; the animal-drawn plow-mounted corn seeder, which aids farmers to plant their corn seeds mechanically with even spacing; and the UPLB two-drum corn sheller, which automatically separates corn kernels from its core and husk.

According to Mario C. Bueno, university extension specialist, AMDP is committed to serve the Philippine agri-fisheries sector through mechanization. “We envision the Philippines to be responsive to the challenges of food security, energy sustainability, and environmental protection,” he said.

In 2012, AMDP was institutionalized through Republic Act 10601 or the Agricultural and Fisheries Mechanization Law to lead and coordinate the agricultural and fishery mechanization RDE program of all academic institutions in the country. The law mandates AMDP to assist other State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) with their research and extension programs.

“We also serve as a ‘clearing house’ of mechanization researches in other SUCs,” Bueno added.

Bueno also explained that they try to be as hands on as they can with their work, which includes community visits, mechanization needs assessments and analysis, and even trainings for the farmers and fishermen. Their beneficiaries have even extended to as far as Bohol and Mindanao.

Even young students who went to the fair showed appreciation for the program.

Albert Pena, a grade six student from Tadlac Elementary School, said that he is glad that there are efforts to help the farmers. “Dapat po kasing tulungan rin ang mga magsasaka dahil sila ang nagbibigay ng pagkain sa mga tao,” Pena said.

For their contribution to research and extension in agricultural mechanization, AMDP has been recognized as the Outstanding Research Program during the UPLB’s 104th foundation anniversary.

However, for people in the AMDP, the contribution they have done is more than the award itself. “It’s more like of a bonus,” Bueno said.

LBFPWDs ipinagdiwang ang NDPR Week

Posted on August 30, 2014 by rbvillar

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

Posted on August 16, 2014 by rbvillar

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.

Los Baños Times

Serving Los Baños and Nearby Communities since 1983

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

Nu Wave Farmer: Timi James Manching

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