VOLUME XXXV

Issue 6

Serving Los Baos and nearby communities

Libre!

JUNE 2015

www.lbtimes.ph

Housing program completes 154 units

by Toni Krizia Vivares

Mayor Ceasar Perez inspects the construction site in Brgy. Maahas to check the status of the beneficiaries. (Photo posted in the Los Baos Group Facebook Page.)

As of June 2015, 154 houses were

constructed for the Core Shelter Assistance
Program of the Department of Social Welfare
and Development (DSWD) in partnership with
the Municipal Urban Development Housing
office (MUDHO).
Forty eight of these houses are in Brgy.
Lalakay, while 106 are located in Brgy.
Maahas. Certificates of Lot Awards (CELA)
were given to the families living in danger
areas such as shores and uplands in Brgy.
Bambang and Brgy. Batong Malake. This will
entitle the families the right of occupancy.
The project aims to help victims of
calamities build their houses. Ang layunin ng
programa ay maibalik sa normal yung buhay
ng mga nasalanta na nasiraan ng bahay.Pero
dahil nakatira sila sa danger zone, nire-relocate
natin sila sa mas safe na lugar, said Annie
Dimaano, MUDHO Housing Coordinator.
Beneficiaries are low income families
residing in damaged areas. They were assessed
Continued on page 2

Women in Agriculture:
Boosting participation through postharvest activities
by Reynelle Cario

Seeing each day as another chance

for great opportunities, Benedicta Badillo
always wakes up early in the morning,
prepares her familys breakfast and tends
to her garden. This has been her routine
in the past two years since deciding to
become a self-employed organic farmer.

Natural Resources Research and Development

(PCAARRD) and the Postharvest Horticulture
and Research Center (PHTRC). It focused on
empowering female farmers to unleash their
entrepreneurial spirit especially about marketing
aspect.

Benedicta is one of the women

benefiting from local services of the local
government specially designed for women
engaged in agriculture and business.

According to Reymuel Salongkong, a GAD

staff in charge of the event, the post harvest
workshop is part of the 15-month primary project
with PCAARRD which is Enhancing GenderSensitive Organic Vegetable Production, a
livelihood of organic farming practices for low
income communities of Los Baos. The project
has started way back last March 2014 and about
to end this June 2015.

The Los Baos Gender and

Development (GAD) office conducted a
workshop entitled Women in Agriculture:
Boosting Participation through PostHarvest Activities on March 11 in the new
municipal building. The activity was made
possible in partnership with the Philippine
Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and

Agribusiness on board

According to Salongkong, people behind

it are already planning the expansion of the said
Continued on page 2

NEWS

LOS BAOS TIMES

Madre de Amor Hospice holds Day Care Workshop

by Jarred Santos

The Madre de Amor Hospice Foundation, Inc. conducted a day

care workshop on June 3 at its center in Brgy. Batong Malake from 9
am to 12 nn. The day care is a part of the hospices array of services
that offers care for a wide range of diseases.
The day care workshop was conducted with the help of Cirila
Perez, a retired teacher from Calamba, Laguna. One of the activities
included bracelet-making where the participants made their own
crafts. These bracelets are then sold by the hospice as an additional
source of income to be used for the centers operation. Gina Cabrera,

an administrative staff at the hospice, attributed the positive

outcome of the workshop to Perezs cheerful disposition. Talagang
napakamasayahin niya, Cabrera said.
The Madre de Amor Hospice is also conducting volunteer
orientations. For parties interested, the hospice can be reached via
email at hospicelb@gmail.com.

PESO-LB conducts Job Fair

by Kimberly Salamatin

The Public Employment Service Office (PESO) held the Second

Quarter Job Fair on June 25 from 8am to 2pm at the New Municipal
Building, Brgy. Timugan.
According to Gliceria Trinidad, PESO-LB Manager, around 75
overseas and local recruiters participated in the job fair.

Continued from page 1

Aside from the Second Quarter Job Fair, PESO also conducted
Mini Job Fairs for 150 applicants. Gusto naming umikot sa buong
Los Baos para makapagbigay trabaho sa mga mamamayan,
Trinidad stated. Other Mini Job Fairs held within the quarter were
in Brgy. Lalakay (June 11), Brgy. Maahas (July 15). Brgy. Tadlac
(July 31), Brgy. San Antonio (August 18), and at the PESO Gabaldon
Bldg. (August 28).
Continued from page 1

Housing program...

Women in agriculture...

based from the records of local governments National Disaster Risk

Reduction and Management Council (NDDRRMC).

project since it is a [continuous and sustainable agriculture activity]

which promotes the advocacy in empowering local female farmers
for them to have a stable source of income that can support their
family.

Aside from providing shelter materials, the project aims to

organize citizens and capacitate them to build their own houses.
Beneficiaries are expected to form homeowners association and make
their own Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).
Jenylyn Landoy, 24 years old, lived in Brgy, Bambang before she
was relocated in Brgy. Maahas in 2010. She said new residents have
better housing conditions now compared with what they had before.

Nung 2010, wala pa kaming kuryente nung lumipat. Ngayon sila

meron na. Meron na rin silang nakukunan ng pantambak sa bahay,
kami dati wala. Bumibili pa kami, she said
Landoy said that their only problem now is the source of water.
Sa dampalit kasi nun, galing sa ilog kaya maraming tubig. Dito
mahirap, kasi poso ang ginagamit namin. Kaya yung iba nagpapakabit
ng gripo.
The program is still under DSWD but MUDHO helps in
identifying and monitoring the implementation of the project. Their
goal is to finish the construction by the end of June. Thirty more
houses are being reconstructed in Brgy. Maahas.

Benedicta, 42 years old, attests to this. She has been an organic

farmer, a vendor of her own vegetables and fruits, and a participant
of several seminars and workshops about marketing for almost two
years.

Dahil sa workshop na ito, nalaman ko yung paggamit ng

sili para maging fertilizer ng aking mga gulay kaysa sa kemikal na
ginagamit namin noon at yung packaging na tinatawag sa marketing
para maging presentable pa rin yung mga organic na gulay ko kahit
binabiyahe sila, she said.
Through the workshop, Benedicta learned several ways on how
to preserve her organic vegetables and fruits through proper handling
and storing; to package them properly which makes her products
presentable that gives an additional edge aside from the fact that her
products are organic; and to improve her business talk.

E D I TO R I A L S TA F F
Ricarda Villar
Editor-in-Chief

Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Associate Editor

Ricarda Villar
Layout Artist

Lily Tallafer
Rosa Pilipinas Francisco
Advisers

KTBritannico RCario LAEncisa

ALHerbon MImatong MKALapitan
KSalamatin JSantos ATapiador
TKVivares EGZaragoza
Writers

Continued on page 3

The Los Baos Times is produced by the

students and staff of the Department of
Development Journalism at the UP Los Baos
College of Development Communication in
collaboration with Los Baos 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 Baos Times is located at Rm. 201B,
Department of Development Journalism,
College of Development Communication,
University of the Philippines Los Baos
in Los Baos, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 536-2511 local 401 or 410
Email: lbtimes@devcom.edu.ph
Website: http://lbtimes.ph

FEATURE

LOS BAOS TIMES

Salvaging the coconut industry

by Ma. Karen Aira Lapitan

After months of battling the coconut scale insect (CSI), more

commonly known as cocolisap, the Los Baos coconut industry
is slowly recovering through the combined efforts of the coconut
farmers, government agencies, and several partner institutions.
In February 2015, the Integrated Pest Management Protocol of
the Task Force SAGIP helped reduce the number of CSI cases. This
task force is composed of representatives from the Department of
Science and Technology (DOST), University of the Philippines Los
Baos (UPLB), and the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).
The task force conducted scientific research about cocolisap in
November and December 2014. The study found that chemical and
organic pesticides enabled coconut trees to survive the infestation of
cocolisap. According to the PCA article entitled Facts on the Coconut
Scale Insect Infestation and Emergency Protocol, the chemical
pesticide has a 30-day active effect on eradicating the CSI and the
organic pesticide being able to flush out the remaining CSI on the
surfaces of fronds.
Effects on local buko pie stores
In Los Baos, the good news brought relief to buko pie
establishment owners who have stores along the Anos-Malinta
national highway.
Previously, the cocolisap infestation has caused the Department
of Agriculture (DA) to issue a transport restriction of farm products
in the CALABARZON region, which is the area greatly affected by
the cocolisap. The decrease in the supply of raw material, mainly
young coconut meat, forced business owners to resort to increase in
price or completely stopping the production of buko pie.
Lina Pelda of Letys Buko Pie said that the establishment
experienced a period when there was no delivery of coconut meat
from their supplier in Quezon. Limited na lang yung nabebenta

namin kasi walang supply. Gawa non, kaya from PhP 180 naging PhP
190 na yung presyo ng buko pie namin, she said.
She also added that despite the price increase, their profit
decreased. The establishment earned more when the coconut industry
was still safe from the infestation and when the buko pie was sold for
a lower price.
The Original Buko Pie, also located in Brgy. Anos, resorted to
offering more of their pineapple pies in addition to increasing the
price of one buko pie from PhP 170 to PhP 190, according to Patrick
Paz, an employee.
Efforts paying off
The government initiatives lowered the number of affected areas
from 58 to 9, with 625,000 affected trees remaining. The affected
areas include: Balayan and Calaca in Batangas; Bay and San Pablo in
Laguna; Candelaria, Mauban, Sampaloc, and Polilio in Quezon; and
Isabela in Basilan. Current efforts are now focused on improving the
trees situation from severe to moderate, as reported. Meanwhile,
the buko pie businesses in Los Banos have slowly been coping with
the losses in the previous months, as confirmed by Pelda and Paz.
Keeping a close eye
Despite the decrease, the government continues to ask farmers
to be vigilant on possible recurrence of the cocolisap infestation. The
importance of the farmers early detection of cocolisap infestation
is highly emphasized especially in light of the discovery that the
cocolisap tends to spread faster during dry season.
With its regained strength, the coconut industry can, hopefully
someday, be completely become cocolisap-free.

Continued from page 2

Women in agriculture...
Furthermore, since the said workshop is part of a
developmental agricultural project as described by Salongkong
with the planned expansion, the number of new farmer-beneficiaries
will increase until June. The first set of female farmers would
continue to be trained. Another, the search of potential customers
and partners who can help the local farmers to increase their target
audiencethe Los Baos constituentshas been considered.
The Demand is Right
Dr. Perlita Nuevo, one of the guest speakers from PHTRC,
said that farmers who engage in entrepreneurship should let the
market demand for what they should produce. New farmers are
joining the bandwagon of dealing more with what is popular than
what is needed in the market. This leads to a surplus of the same
commodities, thereby, leading to income losses.

Communication, and Postharvest Extension. She showed her

marketing model: production, post production, and marketing. The
objective of the workshop is to educate farmers that their role does
not only stop in the production phase; they should know that they
are also significant in marketing. Through proper packaging and
handling, the quality of the product is maintained.
Nuevo supports maintaining the quality of fruits and vegetable
through packaging. Selling organic products provides an edge to
farmers because of the known bad effects of chemically fertilized
commodities. However, packaging is still the basis to attract
customers. As such, the workshop tackled topics on how farmers can
carefully produce, preserve, store, and transport organic produce to
maintain the quality from farm to table.
Farmers to Firms

Moreover, if surplus will occur due to the excessive production

of a certain commodity, shortage to other supply of other products
may possibly happen. So as a response, Nuevo taught farmers and
made them realized that there are lots of potential and in demand
organic vegetables and fruits that farmers can use rather than going
with what is popular in the market, this will help increase their
income.

Napapag-aral ko nga ang lima kong anak dahil dito, e,

Benedicta stated. This project helps her and her husband, who is also
a farmer, in providing the needs of her five children. She can afford
to put her children in school due to her hardwork in organic market.
In fact, Benedicta shares that having a weekly income of not less than
PhP 1, 500 per week is not bad for local organic farmer who chooses
to be self-employed.

Overlooked yet Significant: Packaging

The training is free and open to any local farmers here in Los
Baos. The municipalitys Gender and Development office is located
on the second floor of the municipal office building for inquiries.

Another guest speaker from PHTRC is Dr. Matilde Maunahan.

Dr. Maunahan specializes in Agricultural Marketing, Development

FEATURE

LOS BAOS TIMES

For the love of fish and the passion for teaching

by Aessen Tapiador and Eirene Grace Zaragoza

In celebration of the World Oceans Day (June 8), lets take a peek into the success of a woman
who built a career in fisheries, marine zoology, and aquaculture.

bagged the Elvira O. Tan Award for Most Outstanding Aquaculture

Research in 1990.

As we share
what we learn
to others,
we make them
a part of our lives.

Through these mishaps and triumph, Querijero learned that it

(success) really takes time; you cannot control what can happen. The
making of a person is what is important.

She also took another MS Degree in Public Management major

in Technology-based Management in Ateneo School of Governance
where she graduated summa cum laude. Until now, she gets invited
in Ateneo to be a consultant for students presenting their research.

This is one of Dr. Blesshe Querijeros principles in life. Its no

surprise that after a decades worth of research, she found herself in
the academe teaching zoology in the Institute of Biological Sciences
(IBS) at the University of the Philippines Los Baos (UPLB).

Ganbatte Years

As an enthusiast for marine life, Dr. Querijero has published

researches internationally. Her field of specialty is fisheries, focusing
on marine and aquaculture. She has also been granted with the
prestigious Elvira O. Tan Award for most outstanding aquaculture
research.
With much success in her field, its interesting to know how she
developed her interest in the sciences and discovered her passion in
sharing knowledge to others.
Starting Point
The field of fisheries has always been very close to Dr.
Querijeros heart. She grew up in the island municipality of Quezon
in Quezon Province located in the southern tip of Alabat Island, an
island rich with marine life.

Upon returning to the Philippines, Querijero was hired as

dean in Marinduque State College (MSC) where she taught for
10 months. Though less than a year, for her, the months she spent
teaching in MSC were the most rewarding and fruitful days of her
career. That was when she realized that teaching has a great impact
on her.
After serving as dean in MSC, she was hired as an assistant
scientist in DOST and worked there for 13 years. In 2013, she
decided to pursue teaching again. I love teachingin three
words, Querijero has summed it all.

This childhood love for the sea inspired her to study more
about acquatic organisms. She took up BS Zoology major in Marine
Zoology in UPLB back in 1976. Her interest in fisheries became the
beginning of her life-long adventure in this field.

Querijero decided to change her research topic. She focused

on how food passes through the digestive system of tilapia. With
that study, she did not just graduate with a masters degree, she also

She shares that teaching gives her greater happiness and

satisfaction as she shares her knowledge, and inevitably, herself.

While many students labor through finishing their research in

the shortest time possible, the young Querijero went through creating
and re-creating her thesis three times. But alas, the third times a
charm.
Querijero pursued her masters degree in Fisheries major
in Aquaculture in UP Visayas. On her first attempt to finish her
thesis, her research samples were stolen just a week before the final
collection of data. She repeated her study from scratch. This time, a
storm ravaged her samples.

Sometimes, she would sleep in the laboratory to finish her

research. She motivated herself with the Japanese word, ganbatte,
which means cheer up, bear up, keep your chin up, be courageous,
and do your best. When she finished her PhD in Japan, her
professors offered her a job as a faculty. She refused the offer; she
preferred to go home and be with her family. Had she taken the job,
though, she would have been the only female faculty and a second
foreigner to teach in the Faculty of Fisheries in her university in
Japan at that time.
Teaching as a Passion

Back when she was little, her favorite pasttime was swimming
and diving. Shes enthralled with exploring the corals and various
fishes inhabiting the sea. Her father also brought her picture books
from Readers Digest about fisheries and marine life. She enjoyed
looking at the pictures of corals, fishes, marine mammals, and
invertebrates.

Third Times a Charm

After finishing two post-graduate degrees in the Philippines,

Querijero found herself in Japan taking up her PhD in Fisheries. For
four years, in the course of her study, she published three Institute
for Scientific Information (ISI) journals refereed by scientists from
all over the world.

Teaching is a passion;
an intense desire to positively
influence students not only in
the subject matter but also in
their eager pursuit to discover
and harness their potential;
that they may become better
persons and citizens.

FEATURE

LOS BAOS TIMES

Pabili po, isang bote, isang stick

nina Lance Albert Encisa, Arron Lucius Herbon, at Kathryn Therrissh Britannico
June is No Smoking Month!

Ayon sa survey ng World Health Organization (WHO) noong

2010, 7.25 milyon na Pilipino edad 15 pataas ang palagiang umiinom
ng alak. Samantalang ayon sa 2009 Global Adult Tobacco Survey,
17.5 milyon na Pilipino na edad 15 pataas naman ang naninigarilyo.
Isa sa mga isyu na kailangang bigyan ng pansin ay ang
patuloy na pagtaas ng bilang ng mga kabataan na bumibili ng alak
at gumagamit ng sigarilyo. Anu-ano nga ba ang mga hakbang na
ginagawa ng ating lokal na pamahalaan upang matugunan ang
tumataas na bilang na ito?

Ang instruction, very recently lang ni Mayor ay aming strictly

iiimplement na kapag ala una na dapat sarado na. Or pwede
ka mag operate, basta hindi ka na pwede mag serve ng alcoholic
beverages.
Implikasyon sa kalusugan ng kabataan

Republic Act 1224: Ang nagtatakda ng distansya

Ayon kay Dr. Dennis Francis Madilid ng Orillo Family Health

Clinic, ang sobrang paggamit ng alak ay maaaring magdulot ng
pinsala sa kanilang utak, kidney, at atay; habang ang paninigarilyo
naman ay nakakaapekto sa daloy ng hangin, na nagdudulot sa hirap
ng paghinga ng isang tao.

Ang Republic Act (RA) 1224 ay nagbibigay sa Sangguniang

Bayan ng kapangyarihan upang magtakda ng kaukulang distansya sa
mga nagtitinda ng alak at sigarilyo na malapit sa mga pampublikong
lugar katulad na lamang ng eskwelahan, simbahan, ospital, at iba pa.

[The kids] already know [the effects of vices], siguro hindi na

katulad ng dati na dahil sa use ng multimedia, and then Facebook
and everything, hindi na kami kailangan mag-lecture on what can
happen to you, ani Dr. Madilid

Maliban sa distansya, nakasaad din sa batas na dapat ay bigyan

ang mga negosyong ito ng curfew hours upang hindi sumabay ang
oras ng kanilang operasyon sa oras ng pasok ng mga kabataan sa
paaralan o sa oras ng pagsimba ng mga tao.

Banggit pa nito, ang pagkakayayaan ng barkada, ang pagiging

mature sa edad, at ang ideya ng pagsubok sa mga bagong bagay
ay ilan lamang sa mga posibleng dahilan kaya marami sa ating mga
kabataan ang nagnanais na sumubok o magpatuloy sa paggamit ng
mga bisyong ito.

Ayon kay Konsehal Cesar Cabrera, sapat na ang 200 metrong

layo na itinakda ng Sangguniang Bayan para sa mga negosyong ito.
Para sa kanya, karapat-dapat din na maipatupad nang maayos ang
nasabing batas upang maiwasan ang mga kabataan na matukso sa
pagpunta sa mga ganitong lugar.

Payo ni Dr. Madilid, ang mga menor de edad ay dapat maging

responsable pagdating sa mga desisyon ukol sa paggamit ngmga
bisyong ito. Dahil sa bandang huli, nakasalalay pa rin sa kanila ang
pag-aalaga sa kanilang kalusugan.

Madalas na nag-iinspeksyon ang Brgy. Batong Malake sa

kanilang mga nasasakupan ukol sa pagsunod sa batas na ito. Ayon
kay Kapitan Janos Lapiz, madalas naman ay alam ng mga negosyong
kanilang nakakausap ang nasabing batas dahil kapag sila ay nahuling
lumabag ay may mga karampatang parusa.

Lahat naman choice yan eh, wala naman tumuturo sayo na

you have to smoke, you have to drink. The call ng barkada to drink
is going to be there, but use your common sense, wika ni Dr.
Madilid.

Kapag nagtayo sila ng business nila at may inspeksyon

[at lumabag sila dito], kinakansela namin ang kanilang business
clearance at Mayors permit, ani Kapitan Lapiz.

Disiplina: Tungo sa pagsunod sa mga regulasyon

Sa pananaw ni Kap. Lapiz, ang pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon

kaugnay sa nasabing batas ang sagot upang mas maging epektibo ang
pagpapatupad nito.

Kailangan sa tingin ko is to disseminate the information. Kasi

napatunayan ko yan sa panahon ng panunungkulan ko bilang kapitan,
once you inform them, sumusunod [yung mga tao], banggit niya.
Ordinance 2012 - 1150: Ang tagatakda ng oras
Alinsunod sa alituntunin sa distansya ay ang pagtatakda ng
oras sa pagbenta at pagdispensa ng alak ng mga establisyemento.
Itinatakda ng Ordinance 2012-1150 na ang simula ng pagtitinda ng
mga alak ay ika-8 ng umaga hanggang ika-12 ng madaling araw.
Bukod dito, kinakailangan din magkabit ng Sorry Were Closed
sign ang lahat ng mga establisyimentong ito.
Ngunit, kahit mahigpit nang ipinapatupad ang ordinansang ito,
marami pa rin talaga ang hindi sumusunod. Wika ni Kapitan Lapiz,
may mga naghahain pa rin ng alak kahit lagpas na sa itinakdang oras.

Ang mga batas at ordinansa ay itinakda para sa regulasyon

sa pagtitinda at pagkonsumo ng alak at sigarilyo, partikular na sa
pagkonsumo ng mga menor de edad.
Ayon kay Konsehal Cabrera, mahalaga ang pagtutulungan ng
mga taga-Los Baos sa lokal pamahalaan tungo sa pagsunod sa
mga regulasyong ito. Dagdag pa nya, importante ang disiplina para
masigurong masusunod ang mga regulasyong ito.

Sa akin naman, kaming lahat dito [ay] gusto maging peaceful

ang Los Baos [kaya] tulong-tulong [tayo]. Binibigyan lang tayo
ng isip ng Diyos. Pero do it [at] magiging successful ka, banggit ni
Konsehal Cabrera.

ERRATUM:
In the April 2015 issue of the Los Baos Times Libre, the
community newspaper inadvertently identified african
night crawlers as endemic in the Philippines instead of
West Africa.

LOS BAOS TIMES

In Focus:The Municipal Public

by Kimberly Salamatin

The word peso rings a bell, perhaps, to many Filipinos. It

represents the countrys currency and the necessities that money can
buy: food, shelter, utilities, bills.
In this case, however, PESO does not just represent that paper
bill used to purchase a commodity. Rather, it can embody the means
to maintain a meaningful source of income; a livelihood that does
not just put food on the table but harnesses ones skills, interest, and
passion.
The Philippine Employment and Services Office or PESO can
provide just that and so much more.
PESO-Los Baos
PESO is a non-fee charging multi-employment service facility
accredited by DOLE. It aims to carry out full employment and
equality of employment opportunities for its citizens. Its purpose is
to strengthen and expand the existing employment facilitation service
machinery.
According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), the percentage
of jobless in the total population of Region IV-A (CALABARZON)
is 8.6%, as of January 2015. In Los Baos, unemployed citizens
account for more or less 20,000 people, based on the Barangay
Management Information System (BMIS). This is a problem that the
Municipal Public Employment Service Office of Los Baos (PESOLB) aims to solve.
According to Municipal PESO Manager Gliceria Trinidad, there
are a lot of marginalized and jobless people who are trying to find
ways to free themselves from the chains of poverty. Some of them
are forced to do hard labor that neither pay well nor compensate their
hard work while some of them resort to doing illegal activities in
order to sustain their living. Thus, the main objective of PESOLB is
to give the citizens of Los Baos a quality life through employment.
Trinidad believes that they can help eradicate problems such as
crimes that are rooted from poverty because they offer skills that can
be obtained by skills training which will eventually land them a job.
Strategies that PESO used to achieve their goals are giving free
education to the citizens of Los Baos, partnering with organizations
to conduct job fairs, giving free seminars, and even joining programs
like Womens month celebration to empower people.
The list of available courses that can be enrolled in PESO are
as follows: Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Basic Computer Literacy,
Computer System Servicing, Cosmetology/Beauty Care, Electrical
Installation and Maintenance, Massage Therapy, Motorcycle
Technician, Basic Plumbing, Dress Making, Electronics, Carpentry,
Ref and air conditioning technology, and Automotive Servicing.
These courses run for three months and available all year
round. Interested applicants from Los Baos just need to submit the
following requirements: Copy of birth certificate, High School or
College Diploma, Certified True Copy of Form 137/138 or Classcard,
Resume/CV or Biodata, 1x1 and 2x2 pictures, Folders with your
name and plastic envelope, and 5 pcs index cards, Barangay
Endorsement, and Barangay Clearance.
For other town residents, the following would have to be
secured: Mayors endorsement and Police Clearance.
High School or Elementary undergraduates are requested to take
an exam or evaluation and matching initiated by PESO-LB.

PESO-LBs strategies, indeed, makes their vision

Hanapbuhay para sa lahat tungo sa maunlad, masagana, at
masayang Los Baos achievable and sustainable.
A Chance to a Better Life
One of PESO-LBs beneficiaries is Vergilio S. Detesyo, 38
years old. He was once considered living under extreme poverty.
A few years ago, Vergilio and his brother moved from Bacolod
to Los Banos. While his brother was working in a resort in
Bambang, he sells ice candy, smoked fish, and/or peanuts on the
streets.
Detesyo said that he wandered the streets all day selling
products that he had for that day. Fortunately, through roaming
the streets, he gained consistent buyers and made friends with
them. One day, one of his suki, Thelma Villamor a trainer
at PESOLB and a PESO graduate invited him to PESO for
massage therapy class because she saw how hard working
Detesyo is.
After Detesyo finished the three months of training in PESO,
he took an assessment exam at Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA). He passed the exam and
started working at the local spa where Thelma Villamor is the spa
manager.
Villamor as a graduate and trainer at PESO-LB encourages
people to enroll at PESO. She personally believes that
unemployed citizens, whatever their ages are, should have the
chance for a better life. She said that it makes her happy to see
that the people she helped through PESO are now successful
because she was in their place before.
Compared to her life before as an Overseas Filipino Worker
wherein she was away from her family, her life now is very much
what she wants it to be. She can now be with her husband and
children and has a good paying job. And this is why she promotes
PESO as much as she can.
Detesyo compared his life before having his current job as
a massage therapist. He explained that a lot has changed and
described his past as hirap na hirap sabuhay. Now, he can help
his brother financially because of his salary. He also moved to a
larger apartment and he happily said that he can eat the food that
was deprived of him before. He could also buy the things that he
wants to and he is very much satisfied to where he is now. This is
just one of the stories of PESOLB graduates.
Success by the numbers
Aside from Villamor and Detesyo, a lot of PESO graduates
have now improved their life. Every year, there are more or less
1,200 graduates coming from PESO-LB. Below are the statistics
of graduates that were employed locally and abroad.
Forty percent of them were deployed in the Middle East,
United Arab Emirates, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United
Kingdom, some in Japan and in Africa through the partnership
with overseas recruitment agencies.
Forty percent were employed locally with our partners
companies such as IRRI, UPLB, Laguna water district, Filipinas
Hino, Yazaki Torres, Toyota, Ionics, Hanjin, Living Life Well,
Gardenia, Avon, Ag & P, Sta. Clara International, EEI AND
DMCI.

LOS BAOS TIMES

Employment Service Office (PESO)

Ten percent were hired by the local government unit of Los
Baos, Laguna while ten percent have their own shops and selfemployed.
Partner-Beneficiary Perspective
The primary focus of PESOLB are the people and not the
issues, it employs partner beneficiary perspective wherein
both of the stakeholders benefit from one another. People are
given jobs while companies are given manpower.
It has established a collaborative partnership with
government organizations, non-government organization/peoples
organizations, the private sector and the communities. In the
process, it has implemented collaborative projects whereby
PESO-LB acts as the primary facilitator benefiting its clientele as
well as the community.
Livelihood enhancement is a collaborative project that
focuses on the different programs of DTI, DOLE, Los Baos
Science Community Foundation, Inc., TESDA, DBP, LBP, and
TLRC, it includes the following:

Micro-enterprise Development Program (MEDP),

Investment Promotion Program (IPP),
Self-employment Assistance Program (SEAP), and
Special Credit Assistance Program (SCAP), and
Program for Countryside Economic Empowerment &
Development (PROCEED).

PESO also conducts skills training, it encourages the

participants to undertake a project on a group management
scheme. In the process, the participants learn commitment, how
to establish individuals responsibilities, and how to remain
activity oriented. This encourages the community and other
government or private entities foster mutual understanding and
appreciation among them.

Manpower upgrading focuses on the different programs

of TESDA, and DECS, it includes Manpower Skills Training
Program (MSTP) and Non-formal Education Program (NEP).
In addition, it provides all services of the CAESAR Los Baos
Training Center program.
Sustainability for the next generations
The Municipality created ordinance and resolutions that
promote and ensure the sustainability and transferability of the
programs of PESOLB:
Ordinance No. 2008-726: An ordinance institutionalizing
the municipalitys citizens access for employment and skills
advancement resources program of the municipality of Los
Banos and providing/allocating funds year after year to ensure its
continuous fruitful operation.
Resolution No. 2009-38: Resolution authorizing the
Honorable Mayor Caesar Perez to enter and sign into a
Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) with Technical Education
Skills And Development Authority (TESDA) for providing
technical assistance in the development and implementation of
competency-based training programs.
Resolution No.2001-17: A resolution endorsing the Public
Employment Service Office (PESO) of Los Banos, Laguna and
its designate PESO Manager Gliceria Trinidad to the Department
of Labor and Employment for accreditation by said government
agency.
Resolution No. 2009-92: Resolution authorizing the
Honorable Mayor Caesar Perez to enter and sign into a
Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of
Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region IV-A, Calamba city thru
its Kabuhayan Starter Kit and Nego-Kart (KSKNK) program.
Trinidad said that these ordinances make sure that the
benefits that the citizens are experiencing now can be experienced
by the generations to come.

Be a community correspondent.
Share stories from your barangay, school, and/or organization.

lbtimes@devcom.edu.ph
https://www.facebook.com/LbTimes
LB_Times

LOS BAOS TIMES

In-Depth Violence Against

Story
Living in constant fear

by Jarred Santos and Kimberly Salamatin

One out of five women,

aged 15-49,
has experienced
physical violence
in the Philippines.
This is according to the 2008 National Demographic and Health
Survey (NDHS).

From the times when slapping a woman was considered

normal, or giving a child tough love was welcomed as a sign
of good parenting, our time has indeed come a long way. Our
times have brought to light why slapping a woman in public or
inflicting corporal punishment on children is wrong.

Britney, not her real name, grew up in a family with a history

of violence. Naalala ko nung sinampal ako ng Tatay ko sa tapat
ng kaibigan niyang bumisita sa bahay para lang kumuha ng
blueprints, she began.
Her father, a civil engineer by profession, was also a
drunkard with a high temper. Na-shellshock lang yung kaibigan
niya. Britney, who was about 9 years old at the time and in her
fourth grade at her elementary school, asked her father for help
on a school project. Her father, however, grew irate at the sudden
request of her daughter, and got irritated. Sinabi ko naman sa
kanya yun a week before, kahit nanay ko natatandaan pa noong
sinabihan ko siya.
With five other siblings, Britneys family lived in constant
fear of their fathers temper. Even her mother did not escape her
husbands wrath. Umabot pa sa point na nagkatutukan ng baril,
she says. Her father would frequently get angry at her mother for
supposedly being unfaithful.

Violence against women and children (VAWC) is an issue that

One night, two gunshots rang out.
has been in existence for as long as there has been the issue about
the equality of genders. In the Philippines, violence on women
Britney feared for the worst. Luckily, her father caused no
and children, especially when done in private confines, is seen as
injuries from the shots fired when he went out to release his anger
a matter that is out of the public sphere. The kanya-kanya habit in a nearby lot they also owned. He fired off two rounds.
kicks in, leaving the victims vulnerable to their abusers.
Mark, also not his real name, also went through abuse as a
The annual comparative statistics on violence against women child. Struggling to maintain his composure when recounting his
is alarming. The number of reported cases of violence has also
experiences, Mark tells of how both his parents used to beat him
been increasing. In 2004, the total number of cases on violence
over trivial things. Being the eldest, Mark faced the brunt of his
against women was 6,271. By 2013, the figure has hiked to a total parents abusive tendencies. Standing at a tall 510, Mark stands
of 23,865. These include cases on rape, acts of lasciviousness,
hunched in on himself despite of his large built.
sexual harassment, physical injuries, threats, seduction, abduction,
concubinage, and the like. These data are reported by the Philippine
Effect of VAWC
National Police - Women and Children Protection Center and
published by the Philippine Commission on Womens (PCW)
According to Department of Healths briefer on violence
official website.
against women (VAW), abusing women and children does not
only affect the physical health of a person. It also affects the
The statistics, however, do not include unreported cases.
mental and emotional state of the victim. It causes low selfAccording to Emily Azarcon, police officer at the Los Baos
Philippine National Police, there are some cases where the victim esteem and threatens personal security.
agrees to settle with the abuser.
VAWC decrease the victims capacity for development,
According to an undergraduate research by Alexis Matel Dela participation in social activities, and work productivity. It also
negatively affects womens reproductive health.
Torre, while there are women [when abused] who will report and
file cases against the abuser without hesitation, there are those who
It is not just a personal battle and the effects are not on
would keep quiet.
the individual but also on the national level. VAWC costs the
The fear of women and children to their abuser causes them to country financial resources. According to PCW, to treat VAWC
not report what is happening to them. Therefore, we should not just survivors, an estimated PhP 6 billion was used in 2002 for VAWC
injuries, psychological therapies and programs for survivors,
fight against abuse but also we should be helping abused women
maintenance of shelters, cost of legal and court proceedings to
and children to stand and fight against abuse.
prosecute perpetrators, training cost for service providers, and

LOS BAOS TIMES

Women and Children (VAWC)

other indirect social costs to family members of VAWC survivors
and perpetrators.
This means that it is not just an issue of abuser and abused.
It is also an issue of governance. When the government makes
available effective remedies to eradicate VAWC in homes,
communities, and the state, thats when a state promotes good
governance.
Fighting against VAWC
The Philippines has laws on violence against women
and children. Since the 1990s, laws such as the Anti-Sexual
Harassment Act, the Anti-Rape Act of 1997, the Rape Victims
Assistance Act, and RA 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against
Women and Children Act of 2004 have been put into place to
protect the rights of women and children in the country.
RA 9262 defines violence as any act that is against
someones partner (whether dating or strictly sexual) or child that
has detrimental effects on the offended party.

Contrary to popular belief,

violence against women and
children is not confined to
physical violence.
It also covers psychological,
emotional, and even
economic abuse.
An act of violence is characterized by attempting or placing a
woman and/or child in the threat of harm, and/or putting women
and/or children in a position where they are unable to say or
do otherwise. It may also be in the form of denying a woman
access to her child, or purposely withholding financial support to
exercise control.
Protection orders are in place to serve as mechanisms to
prevent further abuse on the part of the offended. The RA offers
three kinds of protection orders: a Barangay Protection Order
lasts for 15 days and is not extendible; a Temporary Protection
Order has a 30 day duration and is renewable by court; and
a Permanent Protection Order. These protection orders also
nullify ownership of property in cases where the offender is the
legal owner of a residence as long as no other property rights
are violated. Otherwise, the Department of Social Welfare and
Development is mandated to provide shelter and other social
services.

People who may file for protection orders include the

immediate relatives (up to the 4th degree), social workers, police
officers, barangay head, lawyers, counselors, and healthcare
providers. At least two people from the town or locality of the
offended party may also file for protection orders.
RA 9629 also provides for legal and financial support for
the offended party, as well as the privacy of the circumstances
surrounding the suit filed.
What can we do now?
The fight against VAWC does not end on implementing laws.
Each and everyone of us should take the responsibility to help
women and children in need. We can be their voice to report the
abuses that are happening to them; we can be the helping hand
that would guide them; and we can be the friend that they need to
go on.
We can also be part of information dissemination campaigns.
Educating women and children on what they can do to fight
against abuses is a very important role that a person can do.
Women and children empowerment can be achieved through
awareness and systematic cooperation.

Sa tingin ko mas naging strong ako, says Britney. Natuto

akong maging mas matatag in the sense na di ako madaling
nadidishearten, kasi nga nasanay ako, she adds. Britney, also
an MS student, says that when she has a family, she plans to be
nothing like her father was. Of course, pag kailangan, magagalit
ako, pero hindi katulad ng sa tatay ko. The relationship between
her father and mother has also been affected, says Britney.
According to her, the pair has not spoken to each other in two
years. On asking why, Britney replies, same issues.
Masaya ako na di nila ginagawa yun sa mga mas bata kong
kapatid, says Mark. According to him, his younger siblings are
spared from the treatment he was given during his childhood. Di
bale na, he says, wag lang sila.

10

LOS BAOS TIMES

OPINYON

M A K I N I G

S A

KALIKASAN

Bilang paggunita sa Philippine Environment Month ngayong Hunyo, aming ibinabahagi ang bagong column na Makinig sa Kalikasan.
Tatalakayin ni Martin Imatong, ang Municipal Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Program consultant, ang ibat ibang isyung
may kinalaman sa pangangalaga sa kalikasan at kapaligiran.
Ano ang tinatawag na Climate Change?
Ang Climate Change ay ang naobserbahan na
pagpapalit ng asal ng klima sa loob ng 30
taon o higit pa.
Ano ang mga asal at katangian nito?
Ang pagtaas o pag-init ng temperatura.
Kapuna-punang pag-dami ng maiinit
na araw na higit na mas mainit ang
temperatura.
Kapuna-punang pag-unti ng malalamig
na gabi.
Kapuna-punang madalang na pag-ulan
subalit higit na mas marami ang dala at
ibinabagsak na tubig-ulan nito.
Kapuna-punang malimit na pagulan subalit higit na mas maiksi ang
itinatagal nito.
Kapuna-punang nababago ang mga
lugar na dinadalaw nito.
Ang pagdami ng araw na ang labis na
init o temperature ay higit pa sa 35
centigrado. Ito ang sanhi ng tinatawag
na Heat Wave.
Ang pagdami ng araw na ang labis na
tubig-ulan ay katumbas o higit pa sa 300
milimetro.
Ito ang sanhi ng tinatawag na
mapaminsalang rumaragasang baha.
Ang pagdami ng araw na ang dami ng
tubig-ulan ay lubos na kapos at ito ay
may katumbas o mas mababa pa sa 2.5
milimetro.
Ito ang sanhi ng tinatawag na masidhing
pagkatuyot.
Ang kapuna-punang pagdami ng
malalakas na hangin ng bagyo na
humigit sa namimir-mihang bilis na 150
kilometro kada oras na may kasamang
tubig-ulan sa mga taon na may El Nio.
Ang panahon ng kakulangan ng tubig o
ng tagtuyot ay tinatawag na El Nio.

Anu-ano ang mga karagdagang asal at

katangiang ng Climate Change sa ibang
lugar o ibayong bansa?
Ang kapuna-punang dahan-dahang
pagtutunaw ng (ice-cap) yelo o
niebe pababa ng mga bulubundukin
sa hilagang sulok ng mundo.
Ito ay sanhi ng kapuna-punang
pagtaas o karagdagang init ng
temperatura sa mga lugaring iyon.
Ang kapuna-punang pag-angat o
pagsulong ng tubig-dagat papasok
sa mga dalampasigan ng kalupaan.
Ang noon ay baybaying katihan,
ngayon ay baybaying tubig naman.
Ito ay sanhi ng pagkalat at/o paglaki
ng molecule ng tubig ng dahil sa
karagdagang init ng ibabaw ng
tubig sa karagatan.
May Climate Change na ba sa Pilipinas?
Kung tayo dito sa Pilipinas ay may
naitala, naipon at naingatan na
mga datos ng araw-araw na taya ng
panahon sa nasasakupan ng hindi
kukulangin sa 30 taon
Na ang mga datos na ito ay
nagpapahayag ng kapuna-punang
kakaibahan sa lamig o init, dalas o
dalang ng pag-ulan, dami o unti ng
buhos ng tubig-ulan, mas lumakas
o mas huimina na hangin ng bagyo,
mas mahaba o maikling tag-araw
at/o tag-ulan, at iba pa,
Na napag-usapan, napag-aralan,
napag-isipan at napag-kasunduan
ang usaaping ito,
At nagkaganoon na nga, ang
Pilipinas ay may Climate Change
na!

Ano naman ang ating ginagamit na batayan

sa Climate Change dito sa Pilipinas?
Ang ginagamit nating batayan ng
Climate Change dito sa Pilipinas ay ang
mga obserbasyon at ang mga datos ng
klima na naitala, naipon, at naingatan ng
mga nanunungkulan simula noong taong
1951 hanggang sa taong 2009.
Ang mga datos at ulat na ito ay
pinagsama-sama, hinati-hati, kinuha ang
kalagitnaan (average) at ginamit ang
panahon na nasasakupan ang taong 1971
hanggang taong 2000.
Kabuuan ng 30 taon na hinihingi ng
pangangailangan upang masabing
angkop sa Climate Change.
Pinag-usapan, pinag-aralan at bumuo
ng kaisipan na bumabalangkas sa
natuklasan.
Kung ganoon, ano ang mga natuklasang epekto
ng Climate Change sa Pilipinas base sa mga
obserbasyon at mga datos na pinag-aralan?
Abangan ang mga nakakagulat na mga ulat sa
susunod na talata.

LOS BAOS TIMES

11

Ano ang phytoremediation system

at paano ito makaktulong maibsan
ang problema sa polusyon?
Ating alamin mula sa panayam ng programang
Dito sa Laguna kay Dr. Macrina Tamayo
Zafaralla, isang professor emeritus ng
botany at environmental science. Siya ay
nagturo sa Institute of Biological Sciences ng
UPLB, UP Open University, at UP School of
Environmental Science and Management sa
loob ng halos apat na dekada.
Sa panahon ngayon, polusyon ang isa sa
pinakamalaking hamong hinaharap ng ating
lipunan: polusyon sa hangin, tubig at lupa.
Ibat-ibang problema ang hatid ng polusyon
tulad ng sakit, kawalan ng pagkukunan ng
pagkain, at marami pang iba.
Maraming institusyon ang gumagawa
ng mga hakbang upang matulungang
masulusyunan ang mga suliraning hatid ng
polusyon. Tulad na lamang ng proyekto ni Dr.
Zafaralla na gumagamit ng phytoremediation
system.
Ano ang phytoremediation system?
Ang phytoremediation system ay isang
sistema para solusyonan ang ating mga
problema sa polusyon sa tubig, sa lupa o kaya
sa hangin. Ito ay gumagamit ng halaman. Ang
mga halaman ay maaring algae, ferns at aquatic
macrophytes [tulad ng water hyacinth] o mga
halaman na nakatira sa tubig o kaya yun ding
mga halaman na tumutubo sa lupa.
Ano ang aquatic macrophyte bioabsorption
system (AMBS)?
Isa itong uri ng phytoremediation system
na gumagamit ng halaman sa tubig, tulad na
lamang ng water hyacinth, upang remedyuhan
ang polusyon. Tinawag na aquatic kasi sa tubig
ito naka-base. Macrophyte dahil ang halaman
ay malaki. Biosorption dahil yung halaman ay
humihigop ng dumi. System dahil hindi lamang
halaman ang nandoon kundi may kawayan din.

Ang Dito sa Laguna ay isang programang

ipinalalabas tuwing Sabado sa Community
Cable Channel 8 sa ganap na ika-10 ng
umaga. Laman nito ang mga magagandang
kwento, masasayang karanasan, at
makabuluhang mga usapan patungkol sa
Laguna. Ang replay ay tuwing Lunes (2PM),
Miyerkules (4PM), at Biyernes (10PM) sa
parehong istasyon

Ano ang hinihigop ng water hyacinth?

Sinisipsip ng water hyacinth ang
mga sustansiya o nutrients, nitrogen,
phosphorus, at ilang kemikal na lumalason
sa katawang tubig.
Paano nagsimula ang teknolohiyang ito?
Mayroon tayong water pump
malapit sa Molawin Creek at lumalabas
na kontaminado ng dumi ang tubig muli
doon. Natuklasan namin na mayroong
mga nakatira malapit sa ilog at ginagamit
nila ang tubig araw-araw. Nang aming
bisitahin ang lugar, mayroon kaming
nakitang batang naglalaro sa may
ilog. Nalulunok niya ang tubig habang
nagtatampisaw. Sabi ko sa sarili ko,
mayroong paraan para linisin ang tubig
nang sa gayon ay hindi mailagay sa
alanganin ang kalusugan ng mga bata.
Doon nagbunga ang ideya ng aquatic
macrophyte biosorption system. Nagtayo
kami ng AMBS sa tabi ng mga tirahan.
Bukod sa pagpapalinaw ng tubig, ano
pa po ang bentahe ng paggamit ng AMBS
o kahit anong uri ng phytoremediation?
Noong itinayo namin ang AMBS,
matapos ang ilang linggo, dumami ang
mga isda. Dahil pinalinaw ng AMBS ang
tubig, gumanda ang kapaligiran ng mga
isda kaya nagsipagdami sila. Yung mga
nanay na isda ay nangitlog. Ang itlog ay
hindi kinain ng mga predators. Dahil dito,
lumaki at dumami ang mga isda.

Sino po ang mga katulong ninyo sa gawaing

ito?
Dahil hindi mahal ang mga kagamitan
sa proyektong ito at marami rin ang bentahe,
nagkaroon kami ng mga kasama o partners
na tumutulong sa amin. Ilan sa kanila ay ang
IRRI, St. Therese of the Child Jesus Parish,
Brgy. Putho-Tuntungin, at ilang mga kolehiyo
sa UPLB tulad ng College of Human Ecology
at College of Development Communication.
Malugod silang tumtulong sa proyekto
sapagkat alam nila na hindi lamang paglilinis
ang naihahandog ng AMBS. Napaparami
pa ang mga isda na pinagkukuhanan nila ng
pagkain at kaunting pagkakakitaan.
Paano po natin mapapalakas itong
proyekto na phytoremediation system? Paano
po siya maibabahagi sa buong UPLB at
probinsiya ng Laguna?
Mayroon tayong Molawin Bio Park.
Kailangan lamang natin pangalagaan ang
Molawin Bio Park at ipakita na bagamat
nadumihan na ang ilog o isang katawang tubig,
maaari pa rin itong ibalik sa dating linis at
sigla gamit ang AMBS. Matapos malinis ang
Molawin Bio Park, nagkaroon ng mga isda. Ito
ngayon ay maaring pagkuhanan ng pagkain at
pagkakakitaan ng mga nakatira sa paligid ng
ilog. [As] numerous as the raindrops from the
sky... ang dami ng mga isda na nagsibalikan!

Ang bahaging ito ay sa produksyon ng mga sumusunod:

Project Coordinator - Trina Mendoza; Hosts - Elaine Llarena and Romel Daya; Production;
Head - Charlie Cagampang and Hannah Buela; Talents - Gian Camacho, Precious Payuan,
Charlene Espenilla, Quennie Rizal, and Jeremy Manalang; Segment Writer/Song Writer
- Miko Ofalsa; Researchers - Charlene Espenilla, Shyla Abutan, Jeric Agorilla, Camille
Alfonso, and Precious Payuan; Tech Director - Louie Amongo; Sound Engineer - Geronimo
Canonio; Videographers - Louie Amongo, Hannah Aquino, Camille Abiog, Gian Camacho,
James Gutierrez, and Quennie Rizal; Video Encoding and Capturing - Antoni Kristofer Lim;
Creative Consultant - Ma Teresita Osalla; Production Assitant - Chola Pacada.

Bingo Bash para sa Senior Citizens

[PHOTONEWS] Nagsagawa ng Bingo Bash for Senior Citizens

ang Office for Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) at ng Los Banos
Federation of Senior Citizens, Inc. (LBFSCI) noong ika-20
Hunyo. Ang pa-bingo ay dinaluhan ng 198 na senior citizens
mula sa 14 na barangay ng Los Baos. Ang programa ay ginanap
sa bagong gusali ng pamahalaang bayan ng Los Baos. (Mga
larawan mula sa Office for Senior Citizens Affairs.)