by Klarissa Camille Halili The Laguna Lake dredging was cancelled last year. And while discussion for reconsideration was underway, the monsoon rains began to flood the town of Sta. Cruz, especially lake-side barangays. The floods made the roads connecting the market … Continue reading
Tag Archives: SDG11
LB honors volunteers, raises 200K worth of aid for flood victims during foundation day celebration
Reply
By Gelen Emil B. Turano
More than thirty individual and group volunteers of the August Habagat was recognized by the municipal government of Los Baños for the assistance they provided for the flood victims during the Habagat early this August. The awarding ceremony was held during the 397th founding anniversary of the municipality on September 17, 2012 at the municipal plaza.
The “Walk for a cause” signaled the start of the day’s celebration at 7am. The activity brought together members of the academe, business establishments, government and non governments agencies, among other members of the community.
This year’s foundation day, themed “Mga nasalantang kababayan, ating damayan”, focused on providing aid to the Los Baños communities that are still flooded such as Barangays Mayondon and Malinta and in acknowledging the organizations/agencies that selflessly devoted their time and resources to extend help to affected communities in Los Baños.
The organizations/agencies awarded with certificates of recognition include:
- Philippine Red Cross,
- Philippine Reserve Command,
- Liga ng mga Barangay Los Baños Chapter,
- Juan Los Baños volunteers,
- UPLB Gabay Volunteer Corps,
- Kairos Band,
- UPLB Students of Human Ecology, and
- UPLB Credit and Development Cooperatives.
Liga ng mga Barangay Los Baños Chapter turns over their P20,000 donation for the flood victims to the municipal government.
According to Mayor Anthony “Ton” Genuino, the traditional Bañamos Festival has not been pursued to help gather donations for still flooded barangays like Brgy. Mayondon and Brgy. Malinta. He added that the Bañamos Festival will be held on December instead, to make sure that all Los Baños barangays can take part in the celebration.
The foundation day celebration closed with a 6pm mass and the release of sky lanterns by the Los Baños residents.
A total of P190,000 in financial assistance and P10,000 worth of goods were donated during the foundation day. The donations will be used for the rehabilitation of affected barangays from the August Habagat.
Acceptance of aid for the Los Baños flood victims is still ongoing. Visit the Bagong Los Baños Facebook page for more details or call (049) 536-7860 for inquiries.
Mga paaralan sa Siniloan, Laguna lubog pa rin sa baha
ni Earl Gio N. Manuel
Tatlong linggo matapos salantahin ng hanging habagat na sinundan ng bagyong Helen ang maraming lugar sa Luzon, bakas pa rin ang iniwan nitong pinsala sa mga paaralan sa bayan ng Siniloan sa Laguna. Ayon sa ulat ng PAGASA, nakapagtala ng halos 472 mm ng tubig ulan ang Habagat sa loob lamang 22 oras na mas mataas kumpara sa bagyong Ondoy noong 2009.
Tinatayang dalawang linggo pa ang itatagal ng baha bago ito humupa sa mga paaralan.
Kabilang ang Siniloan Elementary School (SES), Siniloan Technical and Vocational National High School (STVNHS) at ang Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) sa mga lugar na hanggang ngayon ay lubog pa rin sa baha. Kasama sa mga lugar sa Siniloan na mayroon pa ring baha ay ang mga barangay ng Acevida, Halayhayin, at ang J. Rizal Wawa.
Sa halagang dalawang piso (P2), nakakapunta ang mga estudyante ng LSPU sa kanilang mga silid aralan sa pamamagitan ng bangka.
Ayon sa kapitan ng J. Rizal Wawa na si Brgy. Chairman Epong Em, ang matagal na paghupa ng baha ay nang dahil sa pag-apaw ng ilog Putol at dahil na rin sa pagpapakalawa ng tubig galing sa lawa ng Caliraya sa bayan ng Kalayaan noong ika-8 ng Agosto.
Patuloy pa ring pumapasok ang mga estudyante sa kabila ng di pa humuhupang baha.
Ayon pa sa kaniya, maaaring tumagal pa ng dalawang linggo bago humupa ang baha. “Nagkaroon na rin ng matagalang pagbaha sa mga paaralan dito sa Wawa noong bagyong Ondoy at tumagal ito ng isang buwan,” dagdag pa ni Kap. Em.
Sa kasalukuyan, lubhang naapektuhan ang pag-aaral ng mga estudyante sa nabanggit na mga paaralan dahil sa hanggang binting tubig baha na dulot ng pangatlong linggong di paghupa ng baha.
Sa LSPU, halos lahat ng mga klase ay ginawa na lamang “half-day” at nagkaroon na rin ng pasok tuwing araw ng Sabado dahil ang ginagamit na mga silid-aralan ay nasa second at third floor na lamang. Dahil sa tubig baha, napipilitang sumakay ang mga kolehiyo na sumakay ng bangka sa halagang dalawang piso.
Ayon kay Mirra Jane Principe, isang sophomore BS Psychology sa LSPU, nagiging mahirap ang paraan ng pagpasok dahil sa baha ngunit marami pa ring estudyante ang pumapasok at patuloy na nag-aaral sa kabila ng kanilang sitwasyon.
Samanatala, sa STVNHS naman ay nabago ang araw ng pagpasok kung saan tatlong araw na lamang ang kailangang ipasok ng mga estudyante, ang nasa una at ikalawang antas ay tuwing araw ng Lunes hanggang Miyerkules samantalang tuwing Huwebes at Sabado naman ang nasa ikatlo at ikaapat na antas.
Sa kabilang dako, ginawa namang evacuation center ang ilan sa mga silid aralan ng SES at ang mga estudyante ay pumapasok na lamang ng kalahating araw.
Sa pamamagitan ng pinagkabit-kabit na mga kahoy, nagsisilbi na itong mga tulay sa mga paaralan ng LSPU, STVNHS at SES upang makatawid patungo sa lugar na nais puntahan ng estudyante.
Kasalukuyan namang nasa evacuation center sa SES ang mga residente ng mga apektadong baranggay.
Ayon kay Trisha Anareta, isang residente ng Brgy. Acevida, mas mabuti ay mas maging handa sila sa susunod upang mas maiwasan ang pinsalang dulot ng mga susunod pang mga sakuna.
2 bagong gusali, itinatayo sa Galvez
BAY, LAGUNA – Dalawang bagong gusali ang magagamit ng mga mag-aaral at guro ng Nicholas L. Galvez Memorial National High School (Galvez) sa Brgy. San Antonio ng Bay, Laguna sa mga susunod na pasukan. Continue reading
LB Offers Free Housing Project
For the victims of natural calamities in Los Banos, there’s good news.
The Municipal Office of Los Baños, under the supervision of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), is offering a free housing project: the Core Shelter Assistance Program.
Priority beneficiaries, to be selected by LGUs, are people living in areas near danger zones (such as shores and uplands).
The Municipal Office and DSWD aim to build 500 houses by the end of 2013. As of now, 48 houses have been constructed in Lalakay and 66 in Maahas. A total of 70 more houses are expected to be built this year.
by Mizzi Alihan
Bañamos Festival to celebrate ‘healing’ hot springs of Los Baños
[PRESS RELEASE] The Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines will celebrate Bañamos—a unique healing waters festival—beginning September 14 that will highlight the town’s colorful history capped by various fun-filled events.
This year marks one decade of the Bañamos Festival in honor of the town’s patroness Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas (Virgin of the Holy Waters). Bañamos, meaning ‘to bathe,’ carries the theme “Papuri’t Pasasalamat Nuestra Señora de Aguas Santas: Viva Bañamos sa Bagong Los Baños” and which also coincides with the town’s 396th founding year as a municipality.
Mayor Anthony Genuino said “Bañamos is a way to thank God for the blessings in Los Baños and for keeping our collective spirits alive in our efforts to promote science, environmental preservation and economic progress.”
For almost four centuries, it is believed that people who dip in water that emanates from the hot springs near the mystical Mt. Makiling of Los Baños are cured from ailments.
(Photo courtesy of the Los Baños Public Information Unit)
The tenth Bañamos Festival officially kicks-off on September 14 with a showcase of assorted local products such as the world-famous buko pie and other delicacies, handicrafts, organic health products, and construction materials made from recycled plastic. Los Baños is a pioneering local government unit in the country that bans the use of plastic bags in public markets and grocery stores.
The Immaculate Conception Parish Church in Los Baños will hold the the Takbo Para Kay Maria, a 2K and 5K fund-raising fun run, which starts dawn on September 10 at the Baker Hall of the University of the Philippines Los Baños and at the Olivarez Plaza. Proceeds of the event will go to various church projects of the parish.
The Dia Aguas Santas (Day of the Holy Waters) is set on September 17 where a symbolic public bathing will be held in a hot spring pool blessed with holy water near the Immaculate Conception Parish Church.
A procession called elejer, highlighted by spiritual street-dancing, will also be held where some 5,000 devotees are expected to join. Once gathered near the lakeshore of Baybayin, the devotees will accompany the statue of the patroness as it is mounted to join a fleet of balsa or wide motorized fishermen’s boat in a fluvial parade that will traverse a portion of the lakeshore of Los Baños.
In the early 17th century the town was referred to as Los Baños or ‘public baths’ by a Franciscan priest named Pedro Bautista because of the locality’s abundant hot springs. Public baths were then built by Spaniards after discovering the healing powers of the hot springs.
The Franciscan friars also constructed the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de las Aguas Santas de Mainit in honor of the patroness who is considered, even in modern times, as the spiritual icon of Roman Catholics in this town. Los Baños became an independent municipality in the year 1615.
Mayor Genuino added that Bañamos also aims to further boost the town’s tourism potential with other attractions such as Mt. Makiling, Dampalit Falls, Old Pantalan, Tadlac (Alligator) Lake, Mud Spring, Magnetic Hill, along with prominent institutions like the Boy Scouts Jamboree Camp, the International Rice Research Institute, and the UP Los Baños.
Other highlights of the Bañamos Festival include the national dance competition called Bailamos along with street dancing showdown, waterball adventure at the lakeshore, battle of pop and traditional bands, bikathon-for-a-cause, hot spring spa and wellness showcase, town sale or cedera, a beauty pageant, and fireworks display by the lake near the expansive Paciano Rizal Park.
Aside from its prominence in academics, science and research, Los Baños is a well-known tourist weekend or summer getaway because of the town’s proximity to Metro Manila and its hot spring resorts and assorted native delicacies.
On August 7, 2000, Los Baños was declared as a “Special Science and Nature City of the Philippines” through Presidential Proclamation No. 349 in recognition as a center for science and technology in the development of agriculture and preservation of the environment.
A press release from the Los Baños Public Information Unit. For inquiries, contact [email protected].