VOLUME XXXVIssue 4

APRIL 2015Serving Los Baños and nearby communitieswww.lbtimes.ph

Buwan ng PWD, ginunita

Unang anibersaryo ng Friday Organic Market, idinaos

ni Jan Pauline Albat at Aya Iglopas

ni Irene Rose Fatalla at Joan Marie Nepomuceno

Itutuloy sa pahina 4

Itutuloy sa pahina 3

Itutuloy sa pahina 4

Kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng Buwan ng Kababaihan nitong Marso ay ang selebrasyon para sa unang anibersaryo ng Los Baños Friday Organic Market. Ito ay isang proyekto na naglalayong magbigay ng kabuhayan sa mga kababaihang magsasaka. Bahagi ng

Tuwing Abril ay ipinagdiriwang ang buwan ng mga may kapansanan o persons with disabilities (PWDs). Isa sa kanila si Jeanette Talag. Mayroon siyang retinal detachment. Ito ay namana niya mula sa kanyang mga magulang. Bilang PWD, si Jeanette ay nakakaranas ng diskriminasyon ngunit kailanman ay hindi ito naging hadlang para isulong niya ang angking talino at kahusayan. Ito ang naging dahilan para ipaglaban niya ang karapatan ng mga PWDs.

Si Talag ang pangulo ng Los Baños Federation of Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWD), isang pederasyon na isinusulong ang mga karapatan at naglalayon na palakasin ang pundasyon ng mga PWDs. Isa sa mga layon ng samahan ay mabuksan ang mga mata ng mga PWDs at maging ng lipunan sa angking galing at kakayahan sa kabila ng kapansanan.

“I want to empower [the PWDs] para makita nila ang kanilang kahalagahan sa lipunan; that they are capable despite their situation,” ani Talag.

Kaya naman, patuloy ang paglunsad nila ng mga programa upang matanto ng lipunan ang kahalagahan ng mga PWDs. “Kahit gaano kahirap ang proseso ng preparasyon sa mga programa na aming inilulunsad, ang importante para sa akin ay matapos ito at ma-realize ng mga PWDs pati na rin ng lipunan ang aming kahalagahan,” dagdag ni Talag.

Libre!

Tuwing Biyernes ay makikita ang mga miyembro ng Samahan ng mga Magtatanim na Kababaihan ng Los Baños habang nagtitinda ng kanilang organikong gulay at prutas sa harap ng munisipyo ng Los Baños. (Kuha ni JNepomuceno)

nasabing proyekto ang Samahan ng mga Magtatanim na Kababaihan ng Los Baños sa Laguna.

Bilang parte ng pagdiriwang, noong Marso 30 ay nagsagawa ang

Sinusuri ni Dr. Josephine Bundoc (kaliwa) mula sa University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center (UERM) ang isang miyembro ng LBFPWD.

Pagbisita sa Mt. Makiling, hinigpitan noong Mahal na Arawni Abygail Donguines at Mussaenda Sabarias

Dahil sa naging banta ng Bagyong Chedeng, pansamantalang nilimitahan ng lokal na pamahalaan ng Los Baños at ng Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang Mount Makiling Forest Reserve sa mga turista na umaakyat ng bundok simula noong ika-3 ng Abril.

Kaugnay nito, muling inilunsad ang Make it Makiling! Lenten Season Visitor Management Project na pinangungunahan ng UPLB Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems (MCME).

Layon ng nasabing proyekto na tulungan ang mga hikers na balak umakyat sa bundok at pangalagaan ang kalikasan. Noong panahon ng Mahal na Araw, ipinagbawal na ng MCME ang pag-akyat sa Mt. Makiling mula alas-diyes ng umaga. Kailangan naman mapababa lahat ng hikers pagsapit ng alas-tres ng hapon at lahat ng mga volunteers ng alas-singko. Bukod dito, ipinagbawal na din ang camping at magdamag na pananatili sa bundok.

2 LOS BAÑOS TIMES

E D I T O R I A L S T A F FJPAlbat ■ PSBacani ■ AFCatanghal ■ JdelosReyes ■ ADonguines ■ JMDrece ■ BEscobin ■ IRFatalla ■ ALFernandez ■ AIglopas ■ MImatong ■ KMLopez ■ JMarano ■ JMNepomuceno ■ SDRamos ■ CRieza ■ NJRomasanta ■ MSabarias ■ JMSantos ■ MCTambunting ■ AMUyWriters

Ricarda VillarEditor-in-ChiefZarrel Gel NozaArmund ArguellesMa. Roxanne Fatima RolleAssociate EditorsRicarda VillarLayout ArtistLisa CabreraRosa Pilipinas FranciscoMildred MoscosoAdvisers

The Los Baños Times is produced by the students and staff of the Department of

Development Journalism at the UP Los Baños College of Development Communication in

collaboration with Los Baños local government agencies, barangays, schools, and civil society

organizations. No part of this paper may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means stored in a database or retrieval system

without prior consent. All rights reserved.

The Los Baños Times is located at Rm. 201B, Department of Development Journalism,

College of Development Communication, University of the Philippines Los Baños

in Los Baños, Laguna

Tel. No.: (049) 536-2511 local 401 or 410Email: lbtimes@devcom.edu.ph

Website: http://lbtimes.ph

NEWSProgramang pangkabuhayan para sa magbubukid, inilunsad

Mga iskolar ng LB, nagsagawa ng community clean-up

ni Angela Floralyn Catanghal at Salvia Dominique Ramos

ni Angela Louise Fernandez

Idinaos ang Comserve 2015: Kabuhayan 101, isang programang pangkabuhayan para sa mga magsasaka ng Los Baños noong ika-28 ng Marso sa Barangay Hall ng Brgy. Batong Malake. Ang programa na may temang “Cultural Sustainable Livelihood through Agripreneurship,” ay inorganisa ng UP Agribusines Society (UP ABS), isang grupo ng mga mag-aaral mula sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas Los Baños (UPLB).

Ayon kay Dean Mark Bolima, ang kasalukuyang socio-cultural committee chair ng UP ABS, nagsasagawa sila ng mga programa tulad ng ComServe 2015 bilang parte ng kanilang pagbabalik-tanaw at pagbibigay ng kanilang utang na loob sa pamayanan ng Los Baños.

“Yun ang objective namin, ang ma-impart sa mga tao, hindi lang sa atin, sa mga UPLB students, kundi maging sa communities yung tamang pamamaraan kung paano ba mag-alaga ng negosyo, kung paano ba kumita ng mas malaki,” sinabi ni Bolima.

Mula sa iba’t-ibang barangay ng Los Baños ang mga magsasakang dumalo sa

NEWS

Itutuloy sa pahina 4

Tinalakay ni Kristoffer Aquino, South Luzon sales manager of East-West Seed Philippines, ang off-season vegetable farming para sa karagdagang pagkukuhanan ng kita ng mga magsasaka sa ginanap na ComServe noong ika-28 ng Marso sa Brgy. Batong Malake.

Nagsagawa ng iskolar ng Los Baños (LB) Community Clean-Up ang Brgy. San Antonio, Los Baños noong Abril 18 sa pangunguna ni Brgy. Chairman Cecilio Magsino ng Brgy. San Antonio. Nakilahok ang 10 mag-aaral na iskolar ng munisipyo ng Los Baños.

Ang mga mag-aaral na dumalo sa naganap na community clean-up ay tinuruan na magtanim ng halaman. Isinagawa ito sa hardin ng Brgy. San Antonio na nagsimula ng ika-7 ng umaga.

Lumahok din sa nasabing clean-up ang mga opisyales ng Brgy. San Antonio.

Ayon kay Brgy. Chairman Magsino, ang community service ng mga iskolar ay nagsisilbing daan upang masuklian nila ng paglilingkod ang kanilang mga natatanggap na tulong pampinansyal mula sa munisipyo ng Los Baños. Layon ng clean-up sa barangay na mapagtibay ang ugnayan ng mga kabataan sa kanilang barangay.

Ayon sa kalihim ng barangay na si Jona Vento, ang naganap na gawain ay isang paraan para mamulat ang mga kabataan sa mga sakripisyong nagaganap para mapangalagaan ang

kapaligiran. Sinabi din niya na ang mga natutunan ng mga iskolar sa paghahalaman ay maari nilang gawin at ibahagi sa kani-kanilang mga tahanan.

Ang community service na ito ng mga iskolar ng munisipyo ay bahagi ng kanilang requirements bilang mga iskolar. Ito ay ginaganap taun-taon at madalas na isinasagawa tuwing bakasyon, o sa mga buwan ng Abril hanggang Mayo. Ang community clean-up ay ang unang gawain na inihanda ng munisipyo para sa mga iskolar bilang bahagi ng kanilang community service.

3LOS BAÑOS TIMES

Brgy. Tadlac launches Eco-Tourism Park by Mary Cris Tambunting and Jastine Marano

NEWS

Mayor Caesar Perez addresses the crowd during the opening ceremonies of Tadlac Lake Nature Park.

Ilan sa mga prokyeto na kanilang inilunsad ay medical missions, rehabilitation aids, at trainings. Isa na rito ang seminar kung saan tinalakay ang mga batas para sa mga karapatan ng mga PWDs.

Taun-taon rin ay ipinagdiriwang ng LBFPWD ang National Disability Prevention and Rehabilition Week (NDPR) kung saan nagsasagawa ng community service, livelihood training, sportsfest, at talent show kung saan naipapakita ang husay at galing ng mga PWDs.Pagtanggap sa lipunan, tila ay isang butas ng karayom

Hinaharap ng mga PWD ang hamon na maipakita ang kakayahang lumaban sa mga pagsubok sa buhay. Kaakibat nito pagiging matatag sa kabila ng mga panlalait at pagdidiskrimina sa kanila. Ngunit, hindi dito natatapos ang laban.

Ayon kay Talag, ang isa pang hamon ay ang pagtanggap sa kanila ng lipunan. “Sa kabila kasi ng efforts namin, hindi pa rin kami nakikita,” ani Talag. Ang kahalagahan na mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na mapatunayan ang kanilang husay at talino ay tila isinasawalang bahala. “Ito ang malungkot na sitwasyon naming mga PWDs, pero we won’t stop there,” dagdag niya.

Ipinaliwanang din ni Talag na marami sa PWDs ang nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral kaya marami sa kanila ang may kakayahan na kumita. Ang problema lamang ay hindi sila binibigyan ng pagkakataon dahil sa diskriminasyon sa kanila kagaya ng hindi pagtanggap sa kanila sa trabaho. “Pangbahay lang daw kami, hindi daw dapat kami nagtatrabaho dahil hindi daw namin kaya,” dagdag niya.

Ang nais ng mga PWDs ay ang mabigyan sila ng pagkakataon na maipakita ang kanilang husay at galing, ang tuluyang pagtanggap sa kanila ng lipunan at pagkakataon na mamuhay ng normal.

Buwan ng PWD...Mula sa pahina 1

On April 29, Brgy. Tadlac launched the Tadlac Lake Nature Park, the new ecotourism spot situated at the heart of Brgy. Tadlac. The project was in cooperation with the Department of Tourism and Task Force Kalikasan.

According to Tadlac Brgy. Chairman Avin Bautista, the launch marked a new beginning for the Tadlac Lake after the Department of Tourism granted the PhP 5M fund under the Bottom-up Budgeting (BUB) Program. The fund is intended for lake seeding and sanctuary with the help of the local government of Los Baños.

The proposal for the project was finalized in 2007 hoping to provide new livelihood opportunities for the residents of Tadlac. The idea for the project came after the cases of massive fish kill in 1997 after the lake was opened for commercialization. The project however, was not able to proceed due to lack of financial support until the launch of the Tadlac Lake Nature Park.

Brgy. Chairman Bautista explained that they envision Tadlac Lake to be clean and a center of tourism by 2018, providing livelihood to the residents and paving the way to their community’s progress.

Brgy. Tadlac residents also looked forward to the opening of the nature park. The community members have been consulted about the project and the underlying effects to their community has also been discussed.“Okay lang basta kikita ang barangay, basta hindi mapipinsala ‘yong lake,” Fernan Apacionado, a tricycle driver and resident of Brgy. Tadlac, said.

The lake was previously called Alligator Lake and Enchanted Lake. It is a captivating sight because of its slightly elevated crater rim at the eastern part of the lake. It served as the source of livelihood for the local fishermen in until the massive fish kills took place.

Given the past experiences with the lake, the barangay officials will continue to keep track of the environmental condition of the lake. They will also enforce double monitoring aside from its utilization for tourism and livelihood.

Brgy. Councilor Bobet Meneses explained that the barangay council will closely monitor the lake condition to avoid having the area spoiled by tourism establishments. Meneses also serves as the chairman of the Committee for Environment in Tadlac.

He added that Task Force Kalikasan, a non-government organization advocating for the protection of the environment which he helped establish, will help monitor and preserve the lake.

Continued on page 5

4 LOS BAÑOS TIMES

Mula sa pahina 1

Mula sa pahina 1

Unang anibersaryo...

Pagbisita sa Mt. Makiling...

samahan ng programa sa Bulwagang Panday Karunungan sa munisipyo ng Los Baños.

Ayon kay Benny Badillo, pangulo ng nasabing samahan, malaki ang naitulong ng organic market sa kanilang pangkabuhayan. Ayon kay Badillo, naranasan na rin umano nilang magtinda sa palengke ngunit mas maganda daw ang puwesto nila ngayon sa munisipyo at mas malaki ang kita.

“Kung ano yung presyo sa palengke ay ganun din yung sa amin. Pero minsan din naman, kami yung mas mababa,” ani Badillo.

Sariling mga pananim nila ang mga produktong ibinebenta. Matapos anihin, dinadala nila ito sa munisipyo tuwing Biyernes mula alas-nuwebe ng umaga hanggang alas-tres ng hapon upang ibenta.

Ayon kay Valerie Barredo, ang overall coordinator ng Make it Makiling!, magiging limitado ang pagbisita sa bundok hangga’t hindi lumalabas ang bagyo sa Philippine Area of Responsibility. Dahil dito, kapansin-pansin ang pagbaba ng bilang ng mga turista sa nasabing bundok ngayong Mahal na Araw kumpara noong mga nakaraang taon. Samantala, hati naman ang opinyon ng mga bisita sa bagong polisiya. Ayon kay Darlene Ciena, isang student volunteer, hindi ikinatuwa ng ilang turista o hikers ang biglaang anunsyo na unang inilathala sa social networking sites. Gayunpaman, mayroon ring ilan na umintindi at sumunod na lamang.

“Kung ano man yung mga magiging instructions dito, susundin namin para

sa kaligtasan ng lahat, kaya walang problema,” pagsang-ayon ni Christopher Mantillas, isang hiker na pitong taon nang umaakyat sa bundok tuwing Mahal na Araw.

Sa kabila nito, ipinagpatuloy pa din ang taunang Make it Makiling! Lenten Season Visitor Management project na nagsimula noong 2002. Katulong sa pagpapatupad ng nasabing proyekto ang iba’t-ibang organisasyon at barangay na naglalayong bigyang kaalaman ang mga turista na balak umakyat sa Mt. Makiling tuwing Mahal na Araw.

Ilan sa mga ito ay ang Philippine Red Cross, Rural Health Unit (RHU),

Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO), UROCOM, COPS, PARACS, KAB- ALIKAT, Philippine National Police, at ang mga konseho ng barangay ng Lalakay, Timugan, at Maahas.

“Ang pinangangalagaan natin dito ay hindi lang tao, dito din sa taas ay ang kalikasan,” pagbabahagi ni Cynthia Quintas, designate mula sa Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO).

Mayroong tatlumpung istasyon na nakakalat mula sa paanan ng bundok hanggang Peak II. Kabilang sa mga serbisyong ibinibigay nito ay pagbibigay ng first aid, tulong sa direksyon at impormasyon, komunikasyon, seguridad, pagkain, at tubig.

Ilan sa mga produktong kanilang ibinebenta ay mga gulay tulad ng luya, sayote, gabi, kamote, at pechay. Mayroon ding mga prutas gaya ng saging, papaya, at marami pang iba.

Ayon kay Badillo, ang mga miyembro ng samahan nila ay nagsanay tungkol sa mga patabang gagamitin. Hindi sila gumagamit ng kemikal. Mga gulay na nabubulok na mismo at nagiging kompost ang ginagamit na pataba sa pananim.

Paliwanag pa ni Badillo, “Binibigyan nila kami [ng buto] kung halimbawang kailangan namin ng mga gagamitin sa lupa, pang bungkal ganun, binibigyan kami.”

Ang mga impormasyon, kailangang mga buto, at kagamitan ay ibinibigay sa pangulo ng samahan na siya namang nagbabahagi nito sa mga miyembro. Ang pwestong kanilang pinagbebentahan sa munisipyo ay libre at ang mga buto na ginagamit nila sa pagtatanim ay galing na rin sa Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD).

Ang Samahan ng mga Magtatanim na Kababaihan ng Los Baños ay binubuo ng halos 32 miyembro mula sa 14 na iba’t-ibang barangay ng Los Baños. Nabuo ang samahan sa tulong ng Gender and Development (GAD) Office at pakikipagtulungan ng PCAARRD.

Programang pangkabuhayan...Mula sa pahina 2

nasabing programa. Tatlong panauhing pandangal ang naimbitahan upang ibahagi ang kanilang mga kaalaman at karanasan tungkol sa iba’t-ibang mga pamamaraan sa pagtatanim. Kabilang dito ang general manager ng Ato Belen’s Farm at isang alumnus ng UP ABS na si Brian Belen.

Ibinahagi ni Belen ang kanyang kaalaman tungkol sa paggamit ng plant food supplements, pataba sa lupa, indigenous microorganisms (IMO), at effective microorganisms (EMO). Ang IMO at EMO ay ginagamit upang mas mapabilis pa ang proseso ng composting at pagpapanatili ng magandang kalusugan ng mga pananim.

“Maganda kasi sa Laguna, una maganda yung quality ng soil. Magandang dito tayo magtanim ng mga prutas at gulay. Bukod pa diyan, ang lapit natin sa Maynila, so we can produce food para sa ating citizens at para sa demand ng Maynila,” ani ni Belen.

Bukod kay Belen, nagbahagi rin ng kanyang kaalaman ang CALABARZON Demand Creation Leader na si Joey Gamboa ng Syngenta Philippines, Inc.

Tinalakay ni Gamboa ang iba’t-ibang mga pamamaraan sa pamamahala sa pagtatanim ng sweet corn.

Namahagi ang Syngenta Philippines, Inc. ng pananim na sweet corn sa mga lumahok sa seminar na nagbahagi ng kanilang mga karanasan sa pagtatanim ng mais. Ang Syngenta ay isa sa mga nagungunang kabuhayang pang-agrikultural o agri-business sa buong mundo na naglalayong gumawa ng mga bagong teknolohiya na mas lalong magpapabuti sa kalagayan ng mga sektor ng agrikultura.

Huling nagbahagi ng kaalaman tungkol sa pagsasaka si Kristoffer Aquino,

ang East-West Philippines regional sales manager ng South Luzon. Tinalakay ni Aquino ang “off season vegetable farming” o ang pag-ani ng iba’t-ibang uri ng gulay na mabebenta pa kahit na wala sa panahon.

Para sa mga nakilahok, mahalaga ang pagdaos ng mga seminar tulad ng ComServe 2015 lalo na sa kanilang mga magsasaka upang madagdagan pa ang kanilang kaalaman tungkol dito.

“Para magkaroon pa ako ng bagong kaalaman para sa aming pagbubukid,” sabi ni Josephine Resurreccion, 53 anyos, at isa sa mga magsasaka na dumalo sa seminar.

Bilang parte ng kanilang mga plano para sa hinaharap, nais ng UP ABS na i-monitor ang pag-unlad ng mga sumali sa seminar at makipag-ugnayan sa mga establisyimento na makakatulong upang mapagtibay pa ang kabuhayang pang-agrikultural ng mga mamamayan ng Los Baños.

5LOS BAÑOS TIMES

The Tadlac Lake Nature Park will soon be one of be the ecotourism spots in Los Baños.

FEATURE

LB fights...

Brgy. Tadlac launches...

‘Farmers’ to...

Continued from page 6

Continued from page 3

Continued from page 7

on organic seed production with the urban poor in Manila as beneficiaries. After a year, their funding was continued by the Department of Agriculture for a three-year project on varietal development under organic conditions. PAMANA uses alternative, natural methods instead of chemicals and pesticides. They manually remove the insects or pests from the plants. They also use natural repellants, planting them around the crop. When the pests start to build up, they use water with soap as a repellant.

These methods of pest control are safe both to the farmers and to the consumers. Most of the materials they use in organic farming can be found in the household. This is one of the reasons why production in organic farming is relatively cheaper.

The members of PAMANA attend conferences on organic farming, like the World Organic Congress, for additional knowledge and exposure to new practices on organic farming. Currently, PAMANA employs strategies and technologies patterned after South Korea’s natural farming.Go organic

The farmers and researchers in PAMANA advise farmers to engage in organic farming, and consumers to patronize organic products. The first step is to shift from the traditional or conventional way of farming to the organic way. It may take time and effort but in the long run will be beneficial for its cheaper production cost.

PAMANA introduces new technologies and projects as well as offers free seeds, technical assistance, and consultations to individuals interested to become cooperators. Presently, PAMANA has nine cooperators in Quezon situated in Sariaya, Tayabas, and Lucban as well as five more cooperators based in Cavite. PAMANA conducts weekly farm visits among their cooperators to monitor their progress in the application of technologies and practices that they have learned.

To be part of PAMANA’s network of cooperators, individuals should have interest in organic farming, and the willingness to shift to organic farming. Interested parties may drop by the PAMANA organic garden nestled along Pili Drive and sign up as a cooperatorOther initiatives

Other organic farming initiatives are also taking place in Los Baños. One example is the Los Baños Friday Organic Market, an organic market managed by women farmers, which was established with the help of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) and the Gender and Development Office of Los Baños.

Every Friday, members of the Samahan ng mga Magtatanim na Kababaihan ng Los Baños sells organic fruits and vegetables that they harvest in front of the Los Baños municipal hall. Some of the products they sell are ginger, pechay, sayote, gabi, as well as fruits like banana, and papaya. The Friday market serves as an additional livelihood for women farmers.

Another known organic farming initiative in the Los Baños community is Nu Wave Farmers. The Nu Wave Farmers is composed of young, tech-savvy farmers who went out of the “dreaded, tedious corporate setting” to engage in organic agriculture. The Nu Wave Farmers are taking on the role of planting and harvesting organic produce for their communities.

Continued from page 12

Unleasing the potential...

True enough, GAD and PCAARRD have given a renewed sense of hope to several small-scale farmers. These farmers have learned the new methods of organic farming and were able to make use of what they have learned.

With the end of the 15-month program fast approaching, what the farmers need to look out for is how the project will continue to empower them in order to provide healthy organic vegetables to more members of the community.

Mang Nestor and Nanay Adeling are hopeful – and they have every reason to be.

rabies vaccinations. The LGUs buy a number of vaccines for one year and in the following year, the national government would sustain whatever number of vaccines the local government purchased. This year, however, the national government was not able to provide enough vaccines. Therefore, MAO gave vaccinations to half of the barangays last quarter, and the other barangays had the vaccinations this April. “Hindi pa po nag-lapse yung effect ng vaccine because the vaccine lasts for a year,” explains Fabella.

Despite this, the local government makes sure that each barangay has the chance to vaccinate their pets. Fabella said that they find ways to purchase vaccines whenever there are excess budget. They believe that these vaccines are needed and should be prioritized.

Some of the activities that are expected to be the highlight of the Tadlac Lake Nature Park are boating, birdwatching, nature tripping, ecological studies, game fishing, swimming, kayaking, ziplining, and camping.

Sec. Neric Acosta, the general manager of Laguna Lake Development Authority; Laguna Vice-Governor Karen Agapay; Mayor Caesar Perez; and Los Baños councilors Jay Rolusta and Jonjie Oliva were present in the event together with the Tadlac Barangay Council.

6 LOS BAÑOS TIMES NEWSNEWS

The Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), in coordination with PhilHealth-Calamba Office as the Local Health Insurance Office (LHIO), held a seminar on April 29 about the mandatory PhilHealth coverage of all senior citizens pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 10645, an act providing for the mandatory Philhealth coverage for all senior citizens.

Financially poor senior citizens from Los Baños received their quarterly pension on May 26 as part of the Social Pension Payout program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD). The payout was spearheaded by Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) at the activity center of the new municipal building.

The special disbursing officer, Mary Ann Pines of DWSD Region IV-A, facilitated the payout. A total of 173 out of the listed 246 beneficiaries received PhP 1,500 for the

For a climate change risk-resilient and self-reliant Los Baños, the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program (LCCAMP) Secretariat held a meeting to form committees on their seven strategic priorities on May 6 at the Los Baños Municipal Office.

LCCAMP will draft the Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) for Los Baños. The said plan should contain strategies and policies enabling Los Baños to adapt to climate change. Elmo Dimaano, operations

A free anti-rabies vaccination in Brgy. Anos was held on April 22. The vaccination was initiated by the Municipal Agricultural Office (MAO). Volunteers from the office of the Provincial Veterinarians made the rounds in Brgy. Anos.

Around 350 dogs received vaccinations in Brgy. Anos. Each purok has a station base where members of the community can bring their pets for vaccination.

MAO holds the anti-rabies vaccination twice a year. Anti-rabies vaccinations are given to cats and dogs, although most of the reported cases of rabies involve dogs. The main goal of the program is to eliminate rabies in the municipality of Los Baños.

According to Andrei Fabella, municipal agricultural technologist, the information

OSCA, PhilHealth hold forum on health coverage

Indigent senior citizens receive pension

LGU forms climate change committees

LB fights against rabies

by Baby Escobin, Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA)

by Baby Escobin, Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA)

by Martin Imatong, Municipal Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program Consultant

by Josephine Marie Santos and Ariane Mae Uy

A total of 133 senior citizens from the town’s 14 barangays attended the activity held at the new municipal building’s activity center.

During the open forum, attendees asked the resource person Joven Bio, Social Insurance Officer II, about their PhilHealth concerns. The forum was facilitated by Baby Escobin and Ma. Cecchina Escultor.

quarter. The social pension allocation is PhP 500 a month.

Social pensioners who could not personally claim their allowance were allowed to receive their pension through an authorized representative. The documents were processed by Baby Escobin and Cecchina Escultor of OSCA. Angeline Sila of the Persons with Disabilities Office was in-charge of the registration and venue preparation. Mayor Caesar Perez graced the occasion.

officer of the Department of Interior and Local Government-Local Government Academy, served as the resource speaker. Dimaano explained LCCAP’s purpose, legal basis, formulation process, funding, and implementation.

The seven strategic priorities are: food security, water insufficiency, ecological and environmental stability, human security, climate-smart industries and services, knowledge and capacity development, and sustainable energy.

and educational communication (IEC) materials aim to explain to the children the proper way to manage their own pets and how to be responsible pet owners.

MAO educates the students to keep their pets on leashes or cages and keep them vaccinated. This is to prevent their dogs from interacting with other unvaccinated dogs, thus exposing them to rabies. Fabella believes that their IEC materials work well. Through the videos, he noticed that the students are eager to learn more about the effect of rabies on people.

The MAO has partner organizations assisting them in conducting the dog vaccinations throughout the 14 barangays

Dr. Federico Cruz, the OSCA head, handed a plaque of appreciation to Bio as a token of gratitude. Leoncio Dechitan and Angeline Silva of the Persons with Disabilities Office assisted in the registration and in the program.

For further inquiries, you may contact PhilHealth Calamba at (049) 545 9356 or OSCA at (049) 530 9143.

Los Baños senior citizens who are qualified to receive support are those who are 77 years old and above; sickly or disabled; with no regular source of income or support from relatives; and are not entitled to other pension such as SSS, GSIS, Veteran’s Pension, and the like.

For social pension concerns, senior citizens can contact the DSWD Field Office IV-A, Alabang at (02) 807 4142 or email address rspu_dswd4a@yahoo.com.

One committee with an assigned focal person per strategic priority was formed. A total of 30 members from different public and private sectors comprised the groups.

The meeting held on May 6 was the first of several assemblies to be conducted in drafting the LCCAP. Upcoming meeting topics will be on finalizing LCCAMP’s vision, mission, and sectoral objectives, integrating statistical data and profile on LCCAP, qualitative vulnerability and adaptation assessment per sector, as well as qualitative and quantitative description of impact measures on each committee.

of Los Baños. Society of Emergency Relief and Voluntary Enthusiasts (SERVE), for instance, led the dog vaccinations for three barangays: Bayog, Maahas, and Mayondon last March. MAO also partners with other organizations such as Rabies Rangers, Lady Vets, and the UPLB Housing Office

In accordance to the Anti-Rabies Act of 2007, there are penalties for not complying with the law such as a PhP 2,000 fine for pet owners who do not register and vaccinate their pets. The highest fine, PhP 500,000, is charged to pet owners who leave their pets wandering outside their personal vicinities and into the roads.

According to Fabella, in the past, the barangays used to hold simultaneous anti-

Continued on page 5

7LOS BAÑOS TIMESFEATURE

“Nakakalungkot. Talagang nalulungkot kami kapag ganitong [bumabaha],”said Brgy. Councilor Jopi Baes from Baybayin.

On April 2, 2015, the once clean and clear shoreline in Purok Tres, just beyond the edge of the barangay was found filled with plastic bags, cans, and tree debris. Strong rainfall in the area flushed all these from the barangay canals into the lake, turning a once clear body of water into one that is dark and murky.

This misfortune brought together the residents and officials to act on the concern as a community by conducting a community cleanup. Councilor Baes shared, “Maliit lamang ang aming barangay. Pero lahat nakikisama, lahat napapasunod namin.”

According to the Barangay Management Information System (BMIS), Baybayin is known to be one of the most compliant among the 14 barangays in Los Baños, especially in implementing the Solid Waste Management Act 9003.

July 1, 2014 marked the first day of the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Act 9003. According to Baybayin officials, Mayor Caesar Perez wanted strict implementation of the act. In Brgy. Baybayin, steps were done little by little, until these small steps became a habit, and later on developed into a routine.

According to Councilor Baes, the implementation in their barangay started with the daily collection of trash accumulated per household. Every morning, at exactly 8am, the households would bring out their segregated garbage. Then Councilor Baes with Environment Committee Chairman and Councilor Jun Carpio, collected the household wastes themselves around Baybayin in their barangay dump truck.

From Monday to Friday, they collected biodegradable wastes and during Saturdays, the non-biodegradable waste were collected. According to Councilor Baes, this is a process done differently in Baybayin compared to some barangays in Los Baños. In other barangays, the residents put their segregated wastes in a common dumping site. Their garbage are collected from the site 2-3 times a week. In Baybayin, collection is done daily with households expected to have already segregated their own wastes.

According to Councilor Baes, this process may seem tedious however, they are assured that the community members know proper waste segregation.

Going Green: Baybayin’s Journey to be an Environment-Friendly Communityby Pauline Stephanie Bacani

Collected wastes were then transported into the processing centers in Bay and San Pedro, where they are inspected for proper segregation. Upon inspection, improperly segregated wastes are rejected and are then returned to the source barangays for proper segregation. Whoever is found to have not segregated is fined by the barangay officials PhP 500 to PhP 1,000, depending on the offense.

Aside from the strict collection and segregation of wastes, daily announcements are conducted in the community. During the house-to-house garbage collection, a pre-recorded announcement regarding proper segregation of garbage is played. Leaflets were also distributed to households discussing the different types of wastes and how they should properly dispose them.

To motivate each household to participate in segregating their wastes and cleaning their front lawns, the barangay officials ensure that they reaffirm their constituents’ efforts. Every now and then, they give praises to those whose front lawns are clean, and whose wastes are properly segregated. In doing this, the officials observed that the other households are challenged to comply so their efforts may be recognized.

Aside from this inter-household competition, an annual Linggo ng Kalikasan is held every September. This is a week-long celebration for the environment, where various contests on gardening and segregating are held among different barangays.Coordination and Evaluation

Twice a year, a general assembly is held in the barangay where different sectors of their community, such as households, youth, committee chairs and members, meet to discuss on barangay issues, highlighting Solid Waste Management.

According to Councilor Baes, meetings like these provide an avenue where community members can voice out their thoughts and ideas, especially the youth, a sector seen to be very participative in community affairs.

Also, the barangay evaluated the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Act by preparing a report. Included in this report is the ratio of the compliant households over the total number of households in the barangay. This way, they are able to monitor their progress quarterly. Reports like these are submitted quarterly to the municipal office.

After months of hard work, Brgy. Baybayin residents are now reaping the fruits of their labor. Last January 27, 2015, they

Continued on page 9

A Brgy. Baybayin resident takes initiative to clear the garbage and debris from the barangay canals to avoid blockage and to ensure the continous flow of water brought by the heavy rains. (Photo from Brgy. Baybayin Updates Facebook Page)

8 LOS BAÑOS TIMES FEATURE

Taong 1992 nang mamulat sa gawaing pagsasaka si Bernardito Regis, kilala bilang si Mang Bernard, sa lalawigan ng Tacloban sa Visayas. Magmula noon ay pagsasaka na ang nagsilbing kabuhayan ni Mang Bernard na siya ding kanyang sinandalan upang maitaguyod ang pamilya sa araw-araw.

Sa pagpasok ng Bagyong Yolanda sa bansa noong 2013, isa ang pamilya ni Mang Bernard sa mga libu-libong labis na naapektuhan at napinsala sa buong Kabisayaan.

Matapos ang bagyo na maituturing na isa sa pinakamalakas at pinakamapaminsalang naranasan sa buong mundo, pinili ni Mang Bernard na lisanin ang kinalakihang Tacloban upang magsimula ng bagong buhay sa Laguna. Ipinagpatuloy niya ang kinagawiang pagsasaka sa Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin sa Los Baños.

Sa kasalukuyan, si Mang Bernard ang tumatayong pangulo ng Putho-Tuntungin Farmers Association at kasalukuyang isa sa mga magsasaka na nagsasagawa ng vermicomposting sa Los Baños.

Itutuloy sa pahina 9

Vermicomposting sa Los Bañosnina Jonah Romasanta at Kathryna Marie Lopez

Ano ang vermicomposting?Sa isang panayam kay Ginoong Jose

Honrado, may ari ng J.A. Grasslands Farm sa Los Baños, ang vermicomposting ay ang paggagamit ng bulate upang makapaggawa ng masustansiyang pataba na maaaring magamit na lupa ng isang sakahan.

Nagsisimula ang lahat sa paghahalo ng dumi ng hayop kagaya ng kalabaw. Ito ay ihinahalo sa dayami at balat ng mga prutas at gulay. Ang J.A. Grasslands Farm ay isa sa mga kumpanya na ngayon ay nagbebenta na ng bulateng ginagamit para sa vermicomposting na tinatawag na African night crawler at ng produkto mismo na nagagawa ng mga bulateng ito sa pamamagitan ng vermicomposting.

Ayon kay Honrado, ang African night crawler noon ay endemiko sa Pilipinas ngunit simula noong pumatok ang pagbe-vermicompost dito, ang mga magsasakang nandito ay nagsimula nang magparami nito sa pamamagitan ng vermiculture.

Paggamit ng vermicompostSi Mang Bernard ay nagtatanim at

nagpapatubo ng iba’t-ibang halaman at gulay tulad ng sitaw, kamatis, pipino, at iba pang mga gulay sa maliit na bahagi ng lupang pag-aari ng isa niyang kamag-anak. Ginagamit niya dito ang mga kaalamang natutunan tungkol sa proseso ng vermicomposting.

Nangongolekta siya ng dumi ng baka at kambing na ginagamit niya bilang substrate na ipapakain sa mga bulateng African night crawler. Gumagamit din siya ng mga damong nabubulok, dahon ng ipil-ipil, acacia, o kaya’y dahon ng kahit anong halaman na sinasabing mayaman sa nitrogen.

Payo niya sa ibang magsasaka na mas mabuting nahaharangan o kaya’y nakalagay sa nakasabit na lalagyan ang mga bulate upang hindi mawala ang mga ito. Inirerekomenda din niya na maglaan lamang ng sapat na dami ng substrate na kayang

9LOS BAÑOS TIMESNEWS

were able to meet their target ratio of compliant residents over the total barangay residents.

Based from the BMIS, 360 out of 409 households or 8 out of 10 barangay residents practiced waste segregation and participated actively in the regular cleaning of the community.

Also, the volume of trash being collected from the barangay has been reduced by more than half. Upon the first months of the implementation of the Solid Waste Management Act, the collection of household waste from the entire barangay can fill up two small dump trucks. Now, it can hardly fill up the half of one truck. This can be attributed to the absence of styrofoam, cartons, papers, cans, and other materials separated by the residents for recycling.

The barangay aims to push things further by excelling not only in segregation and cleaning but also in gardening. According to Councilor Baes, the barangay plans to plant lemon grass, sili, and other herbs and vegetables.

In accordance with the Solid Waste Management Act, hydrophonics, a technology where plants are grown in water, is also being considered by the barangay.

From the simple segregation of garbage, to the regular cleanups held in the community, Brgy. Baybayin has turned from an indifferent community, to one that actively participates in community affairs. This shows that education, strict implementation, and community effort go a long way.

Going Green...Vermicomposting...Continued from page 7Mula sa pahina 8

ubusin ng mga bulate, depende sa naunang obserbasyon sa dami ng kinain ng mga ito.

Ayon kay Mang Bernard, umaabot ng halos isang buwan bago makapaglabas ng sapat na dami ng dumi o vermicast ang mga bulate na maaari nang gamitin bilang organikong pataba sa lupa matapos palamigin sa loob ng maikling panahon.

Sa kasalukuyan, ang iba sa mga magsasakang miyembro ng Farmers Association sa Putho ay magsasagawa din ng vermicomposting sa pagtatanim sa kanya-kanyang bakuran o likod-bahay. Mayo 2014 nang opisyal na naiparehistro bilang samahan para sa maliliit na magsasaka ang Putho-Tuntungin Farmers Association sa pamamagitan ng Municipal Agricultural and Fishery Council (MAFC).

Sa taon ding iyon ay naturuan ang mga magsasaka ng mga pamamaraan ng organic farming pati na din ng vermicomposting, sa tulong ng Gender and Development (GAD) Office at ng Department of Agriculture.

Ayon kay Mang Bernard, patuloy silang nakatatanggap ng mga buto na ipinamamahagi ng GAD. Kaugnay nito ay nagbubukas ang GAD ng organic market tuwing Biyernes sa harapan ng munisipyo ng Los Baños upang maibenta ang mga organic na produkto ng mga magsasaka at kung saan ang mga perang kinita ay ibinabalik sa kanila. Benepisyo ng pagbe-vermicompost

Mula sa mga karanasan ni Mang Bernard sa pagbe-vermicompost, masasabi niyang madaming magandang naidulot ang prosesong ito para sa mga magsasaka. Ayon sa kanya, nakatutulong ang paggamit ng vermicast sa pagpapasigla ng lupang taniman kung kaya’t nakatitipid silang mga magsasaka mula sa pagbili ng kemikal na pataba. Sa paggamit ng vermicast ay naiiwasan ang pagkalason na maaaring idulot ng mga kemikal na pataba at nababawasan din ang mga pesteng lumalapit sa mga pananim. Higit sa lahat ay makatitiyak na ligtas para sa mga tao na kainin ang gulay na pinatubo sa lupang ginamitan ng vermicast.

Para kay Mang Bernard, bukod sa pagsasaka ay higit na malaki ang naitulong ng pagsubok at pagpapatuloy niya ng vermicomposting sa pagsisimula ng bagong buhay matapos ang Bagyong Yolanda.

Mula sa kinita niya sa paggamit ng vermicompost sa pagtatanim ay nakaipon si Mang Bernard ng sapat na pera upang makapagtayo ng simpleng bahay para sa kanyang pamilya at upang makabili ng pamasadang pedicab na kanya rin ngayong ginagamit sa paglalako ng mga inani niyang gulay.

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Sinasabi ni Honrado na ang pagbe-vermicompost ay isang pamamaraan na talagang makakatulong sa mga maliliit na magsasaka tulad ni Mang Bernard dahil kaya nilang magparami ng mga bulate gamit ng vermiculture upang mayoong magagamit pa para sa susunod na pagsasagawa nila ng vermicomposting.

Ang kagandahan din ng gawaing ito ay maaari nilang ibenta ang parehong vermicast at ang bulateng African night crawler. Maaari din naman nilang gamitin ang vermicast bilang pataba sa mga pananim na pinapatubo sa mga organic farms dahil ito ay walang karagdagang kemikal na ginagamit dahil lahat ng mga ginamit sa paggawa nito ay mula sa mga organikong kagamitan.

Ang isa pang kagandahan ng paggamit ng vermicast ay ito ay nakakapagpasigla ng lupa at kayang pasiglahin muli ang mga lupang nataniman ng mga halamang ginamitan ng mararaming kemikal.

Ang pagbe-vermicompost ay isang magandang gawain dahil ito ay pangmatagalan dahil pwedeng paramihin ang mga bulate upang magamit pa muli. Ito rin ay pwedeng mapagkunan ng karagdagang hanapbuhay ng mga magsasaka dahil pwede silang magbenta ng bulate at ng vermicast.

Kita nyo? Ang kagandahan sa likod ng vermicomposting!

10 LOS BAÑOS TIMES‘Farmers’ to ‘Farmer-Entrepreneurs’: PCAARRD-LGU collaborate to teach farmers about marketing

“Napakamura na nga ng benta mo tapos babaratin ka pa,” the frustrated farmer Mang Nestor.

Just like any other small-scale farmer in Los Baños, 65-year old Nestor Pamulaklakin of Brgy. Maahas wants to earn the appropriate amount of money that he thinks he deserves for growing and tending the organic vegetables, however, he is powerless when it comes to the demands for cheaper price of his customers.

For example, he wants to sell his organic pechay for five pesos per bundle; each bundle has three average-sized petchay. However, he never seems to sell them that way because customers push him to sell his vegetables for an unreasonable price of two to three pesos per bundle.

“Sa kagustuhang magkapera ng mahirap na magsasaka, kahit mura ibinibigay,” he said.

The problem, he pointed out, was the lack of standard protocol for the prices of organic produce in the community. He said that this is not just his struggle, but also of most small-scale organic farmers in Los Baños. Adelaida Calizo, Mang Nestor’s 85-year old co-farmer from Sitio Ibaba, affirms his stand in a separate interview.

Nanay Adeling agreed that most of the time, the price that the consumers demand is far below the real worth of the organic vegetables. She knows she could earn more than what she is earning now if only there is a more accessible market where their organic vegetables can be sold at a strictly prescribed uniform price.

To answer this problem, a mini-market has been set up beside the front steps of the municipal building. Dubbed as the Los Baños Friday Organic Market (LBFOM), this venue has been set up in November 2014 as a market place for the vegetable products of the farmer participants of a project about organic vegetables farming implemented by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) in partnership with Gender and Development Office Los Baños-Local Government Unit (GAD LB-LGU).

The LBFOM is very strategic for those who want to buy organic vegetables because of its place in the municipal building. The problem here, according to the farmers, is their incapability to access the market to sell their goods in the LBFOM because most of them live far from the municipal building.

For Nanay Adeling whose farm is situated in the far-flung community of Sitio Ibaba, delivering the vegetables to the LBFOM is very challenging.

“Sa edad kong ito, kaya ko pang magsibak ng kahoy at mag-farm. Pero magpasan ng kilu-kilong upo, ampalaya, sitaw, talong, at iba pa kada Biyernes papunta sa munisipyo? Nahihirapan na ako,” she said.

She says that delivering organic vegetables to the municipal building is difficult because she does not have a vehicle to directly deliver her vegetables from her farm to the LBFOM. She has to manually carry all of her goods from her farm to the highway which has a distance of more than one kilometer; and she cannot afford to pay a very pricey tricycle fare from the highway of Sitio Ibaba to the municipal office.LB-LGU and PCAARRD’s solution

To address this problem, the GAD LB-LGU in partnership with PCAARRD, has drafted a new program on March 23, 2014 anchored to its current project regarding organic vegetables farming. The program is comprised of newly introduced seminar that is geared to focus on marketing.

This new program is in line with the future expansion of their current 15-month project entitled “Enhancing Gender Sensitive Agriculture and Aquatic Science-and-Technology-Based Livelihood Enterprises in Los Baños: PCAARRD-LGU Collaboration”. This project was first implemented in March 2014 with initially 25 farmer participants from each of Barangays Maahas, Timugan, Bagong Silang, and Putho-Tuntungin.

As of March 5, a total of 113 vegetable farmers are identified as the participants of the project. Thirty-two of which are from Bagong Silang, 16 from Maahas, 25 from Timugan, and 40 from Tuntungin-Putho. With the set expansion of the project, more people from the different barangays will be granted the opportunity to learn how to farm organically and to build their own small-scale farming business.

The project implementation of the said expansion is targeted to be done in August 2015 after the project ends in June in the same year. Karen Mercado, Officer-in-Charge of GAD LB-LGU, said that the project will have a two-month hiatus to give the officers rest after the first wave of successful implementation.Free Organic Certification

According to Mercado, Ecoland Executive Director Rafael Barroso has voluntarily pledged to grant the organic farmers with free organic certification before 2015 ends.

Usually, it will take PhP 30,000-PhP40,000 for just one crop to be certified as “organic” because of the cost of the tests each crop needs to undergo to see if it passes the strict scientific standards of the Organic Certification Board.

This free organic certification is important because it is needed to strengthen the credibility of the farmers in terms of their competency in producing organic vegetables.

The farmers are currently producing more than 10 kinds of vegetables, the most popular ones being ampalaya, upo, sitaw, eggplant, onion, tomato, among others. Reymuel Salongkong, a licensed agriculturist from PCAARRD, said that it would be very costly for PCAARRD and GAD to accomplish the certification themselves.

Through the generosity of Dr. Barroso, the organic vegetables farming will be saving a large amount of money. The funds can now be channeled to other programs that will build up the farming businesses of the farmers such as that of Mang Nestor and Nanay Adeling, among others.The Marketing Program

“Marketing? Malaking maitutulong niyan sa farmer!” Mang Nestor agreed.

Through the benefits of free organic certification, the marketing program has acquired a fixed place under the expansion of the ongoing project.

The marketing program has been planned to focus on the strategies that are suitable to the knowledge, skills, and practice of the farmers.

The project implementers say that this is not enough for the farmers to only consider the price of vegetables in the public market in deciding the price they will impose on their own goods. In the marketing program the GAD staff is formulating, farmers will be oriented with the actual worth of their produce.

They will be taught to compute for the selling price of their own vegetables relative to 1) the money that they are spending for the production of their home-made organic farm inputs, 2) transportation fee from their farms to the market where they sell their organic vegetables, 3) competition with other sellers in the public market, and finally 4) the congruency of the quality of their produce to their desired price.

According to Mang Nestor, the marketing program will help farmers such as himself to gain a better insight about the value of their products and how they can use this to improve their profit in their own small-scale businesses.

Another benefit, he says, is price control. He said that even the consumers who were so used to demanding for very cheap prices might even change their behaviour once they are confronted with the new set of marketing skills that they

by Johanna Marie Drece

11LOS BAÑOS TIMES‘Farmers’ to ‘Farmer-Entrepreneurs’: PCAARRD-LGU collaborate to teach farmers about marketing

Nanay Adelaida Calizo, an 85-year-old organic farmer, recalls her experiences while selling her organic produce to the people in their barangay and in the nearby communities. (Photo taken by JMFDrece)

Nestor Pamulaklakin, a 65-year-old organic farmer of Brgy. Maahas, Los Baños, discusses his experiences in his small-scale organic farming business. (Photo taken by JMFDrece)

will learn from the marketing program.‘Farmers’ to ‘Farmer-Entrepreneurs’

Before, Mang Nestor only knew about using chemicals as the means to grow plants and vegetables effectively. However, when he found the opportunity to adapt an organic method of farming, he said that he went ahead and was very enthusiastic to learn.

Mang Nestor presently experiences a lot of great benefits from organic farming. He said that even if the profit is not much, he is still thankful because of the numerous benefits that he is enjoying out of working as an organic farmer.

“Unang-una dyan ay yung exercise ko kasi senior citizen na ako,” he said.

As the previous president of the community of senior citizens of Brgy. Maahas, Mang Nestor said that inactivity is the main cause of speedy health degradation among the senior citizens in their community today, and he wants to help them overcome it.

Secondly, he said that he is enjoying his life very much because he has found something that he is passionate in doing.

“Natutuwa akong nakikita ko yung halaman kong unti-unti siyang lumalaki hanggang sa magbunga siya. Naliligayahan akong makita silang masigla at malusog sa pag-aalaga ko,” he said cheerily as he gestured towards his vegetables.

Mang Nestor also said because of his small organic farm, his family’s everyday expenditure is reduced. More than profiting from his organic products, he said that the needs of his family is his number one priority in terms of vegetable supply.

“Kahit bumagyo, meron at meron talaga kaming nakakain dahil sa farm ni asawa. Hindi kami nawawalan. Malaki ang pasalamat ko sa Diyos dahil kahit malaki ang pamilya namin,

lahat kami ay nakakakain,” Primitiva Pamulaklakin, Mang Nestor’s wife, said.

Most of all, Mang Nestor pointed out that his business is something that he treasures because of the health benefits that he is able to enjoy from his organic produce. He pointed out that it brings him priceless peace when he knows that what he shares to his family is chemical-free and healthy.

“Masarap talaga sa pakiramdam kapag nailalayo mo ang mga mahal mo sa buhay sa kapahamakan. Panatag ako na ang kinakain ng mga mahal ko sa buhay ay masustansya at ligtas sa masasamang kemikal,” he said while looking towards his grandchildren who were playing energetically in the farm.

Mang Nestor is just one of the country’s farmers whose lives have been changed through the shared information about how to farm organically and how it could be a source of livelihood. The inspiring change happening in their lives serves as an encouragement for their partner institutions to improve their services and expand the project.LGU-PCAARRD’s Pride

According to Mercado, the scientists of PCAARD and the staff of GAD are thrilled to see the remarkable change that occurs in the lives of their current farmer participants ever since the project started.

Salongkong said that a large portion of their participants today are senior citizens who first doubted if they can still be effective in participating in the program. However, as the project progressed, they found out that running an organic farming business does not require efforts that are as tedious as the activities in the conventional

method of farming. For example, they do not need to spray harmful pesticides to their vegetables which cause adverse effect on their deteriorating health as seniors. This encouraged them to continue on the path of organic farming.

This, according to Mercado, is their team’s motivation in improving the project and reaching out to more people in Los Baños – the positive development that the program brings to the lives of the farmers in Los Baños who were previously neglected, unappreciated, and ignored by majority of the society.

“Sino ba sila para sa lipunan?” she asked, implying that the people know very little about these farmers who give us our daily supply of vegetables.

At first, the farmers were very difficult to persuade to participate in the project because of their previous experiences regarding previous government livelihood projects.

“Sirang-sira na ang tingin nila sa gorbyerno. Kinailangan talaga naming magbahay-bahay para kausapin sila ng personal at para makuha yung loob nila,” she said.

Today, the project implementers are careful not to do the same mistakes as before. GAD, together with PCAARRD, is going to push through the project expansion to involve more farmers in organic farming and to sustain the current growing demand for organic vegetables. They are working hard to device new strategies to improve their project – one way is by adding seminars and trainings about marketing to the set of new topics to be taught to the farmers.

“As long as nai-transfer namin yung technology at nagagamit nila iyon para sa ikabubuti ng sarili nilang buhay, masaya na kami. Yun naman talaga yung trabaho namin dito,” she said.

Continued on page 5

Unleashing the Potentialof Organic Farming in Los Baños

Local organic farming initiatives abound in Los Baños. One of these is the Pagkaing Alay sa Mag-anak na Nagsisikap (PAMANA), an organic vegetable garden, which focuses on organic seedling production and participatory crop breeding.

According to Alvin Sabanal and Gloria Rodulfo from PAMANA, there are four advantages in engaging in organic farming. First, Rudolfo and Sabanal explained that organic farming gives additional workforce to the members of the community as it is easier to establish. Resources needed come from households and nearby communities.

Rodulfo also noted that organic farming provides mothers from Brgy. Malinta with a fun and income-generating activity.

Another advantage is that organic crops are environmentally safe. Rodulfo said that organic crops are ecologically and medically safe to both the farmers and consumers unlike conventional farming practices.

“Yang paggamit kasi ng chemicals, may effect yan sa health ng workers. Kapag confined kayo sa isang area, siyempre affected kayong lahat. Tapos siyempre, ‘yung chemicals na taglay niya, nananatili dun sa mga crops for at most 45 days, so eventually masama epekto nito sa mga kumakain,” Rodulfo said.

In addition, the cost of production is lower in organic farming compared to traditional farming. This is mainly because organic farming relies less on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other additives which can be costly.

“Other than mas mataas ‘yung nutrients, lower production costs ‘pag organic farming. Kasi, usually kapag conventional farming, aabot ng PhP 500,000 to PhP 800,000 ‘yung [per] annual production cost di tulad pag organic farming, mga PhP 120,000 lang aabutin,” Rodulfo explained.

With regard to the social advantages of organic farming in the community, Sabanal said, “Basically, nakaka-enrich siya ng community. Kasi merong farmer-to-farmer interaction, [tapos] minsan gumagawa sila ng coop. Nakakadagdag din siya sa knowledge ng mga farmers.”

Other than the benefits mentioned above, there are also other benefits in terms of the ecological and biological aspects of organic farming.

According to the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development

(PCAARRD)’s Farm Primer, these include the following: (1) soil conservation and maintenance of soil fertility; (2) less pollution of water (groundwater, rivers, lakes); (3) less pesticide residues on food; (4) less utilization of non-renewable external inputs and energy; and (5) better product quality (in terms of taste and storage properties).

Shifting from a conventional farm to an organic farm usually takes at most three year according to Rodulfo, PAMANA’s farm manager. It could take less timeif fast-growing crops are planted. This is because the crops will absorb the chemicals from the former fertilizers that have been used in the farm. It takes time but it is assured that the shift is worth it, and PAMANA is willing to provide technical assistance to interested groups or individual farmers.

PAMANA was established in 2008 as a PAGCOR-funded, one-year project focusing

by Jovy de los Reyes and Christian Rieza

Continued on page 5