by: Jane Klariz M. Sadie Could water bug be the answer to the country’s rising dengue cases? Dr. Pio A. Javier of the College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Banos is looking into the potential of water bug as … Continue reading
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Pink, white teams vie for lead in LB basketball games
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A player from Brgy. Timugan (White) shoots the ball while players from Brgy. Lalakay (Pink) tries to do a rebound.
by Gumamela Celes Bejarin
At 3:30 pm today, the Timugan Basketball Court echoed of good humored laughter and screams as the crowd cheered for the basketball players in pink and white.
The Gay Basketball was organized by the Los Baños Group (LBG) and the BIG Basketball as a pre-fiesta event for Barangays Bambang, Baybayin, Lalakay, and Timugan.
“Ginawa ito para sa kasiyahan ng mga tao,” said Randolph Tolentino, LBG CEO and Vice President. Although this is their first time to organize the event, Tolentino said they may organize it yearly because of its success.
“We consider them as part of our community dahil tao din naman sila na nakakapagbigay ng saya sa lipunan,” Tolentino said when asked why they considered gays as the participants. “We respect their personality,” he added.
According to Mark Joseph Marti, one of the audience, he wanted to watch the event because it is not usual for gays to play basketball. He said that he enjoyed watching the game.
“I joined the game just for fun,” said Mike Nico Paner a player of Brgy. Timugan. He also said that the game was both tiring and fun.
Em-Em Mendoza, a player of Brgy. Lalakay said, “Masaya kami dahil as a gay, di namin naeexperience magbasketball talaga. Napatunayan namin na hindi lang mga lalaki ang nakakapagbasketball.”
For today’s game, Brgy. Lalakay won against Brgy. Timugan with the score of 16-12.
Tomorrow at 3:30 pm, gays from Brgy. Bambang and Brgy. Baybayin will also play at the Timugan Basketball Court.
According to Tolentino, the championship game for the gay basketball is not yet scheduled.
IRRI develops Super Bag
by Iana Mariene A. Silapan
The “Super Bag” developed by IRRI can reduce postharvest losses by prolonging germination time. Photo by irri.org
The “Super Bag” can also be used for other crops such as corn and coffee. It is now available at Pacifica Agrivet stores nationwide for PhP120. Photo by irri.org
Filipino farmers can now store their rice grains for a longer time with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Super Bag, also known as SuperGrainbag™.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has developed a ‘super bag’ that can extend the shelf life of rice but it can also be used for other dry crops such as corn, coffee and others. With the use of the IRRI Super Bag, the germination or the sprouting of rice grains can be extended from six months up to 12 months.
As stated in IRRI’s website, the use of the super bag can reduce postharvest losses up to 15 percent by maintaining grain quality for a longer period. Relative to the normal storage system which involves the use of sacks, the super bag can control the infestation of rats and insects into the grain without the use of pesticides.
The science behind the Super Bag
According to Engr. Christopher Cabardo, assistant scientist at the Crop and Environmental Sciences Division (CESD), Postharvest Unit of IRRI, the Super Bag uses the hermetic storage system. This means that once the bag is sealed, the flow of water, moisture and oxygen into the grains can be controlled. When properly sealed, farmers can store their grains for up to 12 months without lessening the germination rate of the grains.
Engr. Cabardo said that IRRI came up with the idea of creating the Super Bag in 2004. Originally, the hermetic storage system was for bulk storage from 5 tons up to 300 tons. But with the small farmers in mind, IRRI transformed the technology to fit their needs. IRRI’s postharvest experts collaborated with GrainPro Inc. in developing a super bag with a 50-kilogram capacity for small farmers. GrainPro Inc. is a company involved in agricultural technologies, especially in pre- and post-harvest technologies.
The IRRI Super Bag is made of multi-layer polyethylene plastic material. The bag is also incorporated with a gas barrier layer which controls oxygen and water vapor movement inside. “The sealing of the bag is critical,” said Engr. Cabardo. Retailers of the bag should teach the farmers and customers the proper way of sealing the super bag.
The future for the Super bag
In the Philippines, the IRRI Super Bag or SuperGrainbag™ is now available at Pacifica Agrivet stores nationwide and can be bought for 120 pesos.
Implementing the smoking ban in LB
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by: Margie Calilap, Jan Amiel de Leon, Kaizzey Marjorie Javier, Ysabel Anne Lee, Nicole Lorraine Prieto, Mary Josene Uriel Villar Smoking not only affects the human body but also pollutes the environment. It is in recognition of this need to … Continue reading
Why we need folic acid
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By: Myrnelle Cinco Most of us don’t really give attention to our everyday food intake. Nor do we care much if we’re getting enough of a certain vitamin or not. However, you might want to check if you’ve been putting … Continue reading
Parents attend LB Nutri Council, BIDANI nutrition class
by Earl Gio N. Manuel
“Proper food is the key to a healthy family which is one of the most important foundation of the country,” this is according to University Research Associate Belinda A. Lalap Barangay Integrated Development Approach for Nutrition Improvement (BIDANI), which is based in UP Los Baños during her lecture about proper nutrition at the Los Baños Central Elementary School Canteen last July 27.
“Susi sa kaunlaran ang kalusugan at nutrisyon.” Buong pusong tinuturuan ni Belinda Lalap ang mga dumalo sa Lecture on Proper Nutrition For School Children.
The said event was entitled “Lecture on Proper Nutrition for School Children” which is part of the celebration of the Nutrition Month and a program of the Municipal Nutrition Council (MNC) partnered by the Department of Education, Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS), and BIDANI to teach parents on proper nutrition for their children.
The participants were composed of about thirteen (13) Los Baños residents, 12 mothers and one father from Barangays Malinta, Baybayin, Timugan, Anos, and Bambang.
The lecture aims to teach the parents on proper way of feeding their children and the right foods to set on the table.
It was started through an opening message lead by Edith Lozano, BNS form Brgy. Anos followed by the discussion that was made by the University Research Assosciate of BIDANI-UPLB and they were Lalap who talked about Guidelines on proper Health and Nutrition and Pamela A. Gonzales who discussed about Effects of Malnutrition.
BIDANI is a program which aids the nutritional needs of the people in the community and this was funded by Netherlands to be established on different States Universities and Colleges in the country on 1978. The Netherlands supported BIDANI financially for almost ten years that is why 46 SUC’s had BIDANI including UPLB.
After ten years of funding, only few from the 46 SUC’s continued the BIDANI program. One of the universities who still has BIDANI is the UPLB which is still serving the people of the community in terms of health and nutrition.
At present, BIDANI-UPLB is now an extension project of Institute of Human Nutrition and Food in the College of Human Ecology which gives service to people from different areas about proper nutrition.
BIDANI-UPLB has spearheaded many programs like counseling program for mothers, training/ workshop for BNS and lectures about health and nutrition.
“We are bringing the innovations of UPLB about health and nutrition in the communities at we believe that the true indicator of development is a healthy nutrition”, said by Gonzales.
The event became effective through the participatory discussion lead by the lecturers and through the active participation of the citizens who participated to the program.
“I knew that it is really important that we are feeding the right foods to our children in breakfast, lunch and dinner and it is good also to maintain the cleanliness in serving the foods”,said Mylene Paco, 30 year old mother from Brgy. Malinta.
In relation with this news, there will be a Culminating Activity that will be spearheaded by the Municipal Health Council of Los Baños as an ending of the Nutrition Month which will be held on the Municipal Covered Court on July 31.