VOLUME XXXV

Issue 11

Serving Los Baos and nearby communities

www.lbtimes.ph

Libre!

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2015

52 pares, dumalo sa taunang kasalang bayan

ni Ma Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Ang taunang kasalang bayan ay

ginanap noong ika-11 ng Disyembre
2015 sa activity center ng bagong gusali
ng munisipyo ng Los Baos. Ito ay
pinangunahan ng pamahalaang bayan
ng Los Baos sa tulong ng Gender and
Development (GAD) Office.
Ayon sa tala ng GAD Office, 52 na
pares ang naging kwalipikadong mabilang
sa libreng kasalan nitong Disyembre kung
saan pinasinayahan ni Mayor Caesar
Perez ang mga seremonya. Para sa 2015,
nakagayak ang mga magkapareha ng
bulaklaking kasuotan alinsunod sa temang
luau at Hawaiian wedding.

Ilang minuto bago magsimula ang programa, muling sinisiyasat ng mga tauhan ng munisipyo ang
lugar na pagdadausan ng kasalang bayan. (Larawan mula sa GAD Office)

Bukod sa libreng seremonya, ang mga

parehang naging bahagi ng kasalang bayan
ay hindi na gumastos para sa application
fee, license fee, solemnization fee, family
planning/counselling fee, certificate of no
marriage, at notaryo.

Itutuloy sa pahina 2

Talag, muling naihalal na pangulo ng LBFPWD

ni Lorelie Liwanag, miyembro ng Los Baos Federation of Persons with Disabilities, at Ma Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Naganap ang halalan ng bagong

mamumuno ng Los Baos Federation of
Persons with Disabilities (LBFPWD), Inc. sa
activity center ng bagong munisipyo noong
ika-30 ng Disyembre.

yunit na kumakatawan sa 10 barangay.

Kabilang dito ang Anos, Bambang, Batong
Malake, Lalakay, Maahas, Malinta,
Putho-Tuntungin, Tadlac, Timugan, at San
Antonio.

Muling naihalal bilang pangulo ng

LBFPWD si Jeanette Talag. Nahirang naman
bilang pangalawang pangulo si Roderick
Abad, kalihim sina Leoniza Macaldo at Joana
Solatorio, project manager si Javier Elec,
ingat-yaman si Arthur Chinte, auditor si Mario
Pagulayan, at public relations officer (PRO)
ang bawat pangulo ng Barangay Association
of Persons with Disabilities ng Los Baos
(BAPWD).

Mayroong 14 na barangay sa bayan

ng Los Baos at hindi lahat ng barangay
ay may representasyon sa BAPWD.
Ayon kay Lorelie Liwanag, miyembro
ng LBFPWD, masaya [ang mga
miyembro ng LBFPWD] kasi first time
na halos lahat ng barangay ay mayroong
[kumakatawan].

Dumalo ang higit sa 130 miyembro ng

BAPWD sa naturang aktibidad. Sa pamumuno
ng LBFPWD, ang BAPWD ay binubuo ng 10

Bukod sa eleksyon ng mga bagong

opisyal ng LBFPWD, isang salu-salo at
programa rin ang inihandog ng LBFPWD
sa kanilang mga kasamahan. Ibinahagi rin
si Talag ng end of term report kung saan

nabanggit niya ang mga naging aktibidad ng

asosasyon sa loob ng tatlong taon. Bahagi na
dito ang kanilang taunang pagdaos ng national
disability week, international day of persons
with disabilities, ilang gawain sa komunidad
o community service, at pamimigay ng
prosthetics sa mga amputees.
Bago ang eleksyon noong ika-30 ng
Disyembre ay lumibot rin ang LBFPWD sa
mga barangay sa Los Baos upang kamustahin
ang kanilang mga kasama. Ilan sa mga
barangay na kanilang binisita ay ang Brgy.
Batong Malake (Disyembre 5), Brgy. Anos
(Disyembre 12), Brgy. Maahas (Disyembre 15),
Brgy. Bambang (Disyembre 18), Brgy. PuthoTuntungin (Disyembre 19), Brgy. Malinta,
Brgy. Tadlac, at Brgy. Maahas (Disyembre 23),
at Brgy. San Antonio (Disyembre 27).
Itutuloy sa pahina 2

NEWS

LOS BAOS TIMES

Bautista, tinanghal na Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International

ni Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

si Miss India, Miss Tourism Cosmopolitan

International si Miss Iceland, Miss Tourism
Global International si Miss Lithuania, at Miss
Tourism Metropolitan International si Miss
Uganda.
Umuwi sa Pilipinas si Bautista noong
ika-2 ng Enero kung saan siya ay malugod na
sinalubong ng kaniyang mga kababayan sa
munisipyo ng Los Baos.

Mainit ang pagtanggap ng mga taga-Los Baos sa muling pagbalik ng bagong kinoronahang Miss
Tourism Queen of the Year International 2015/16. (Larawan mula kay Richard Sagabay)
Matagumpay na inuwi ni Leren Mae
Spa Grand Ballroom sa Kuala Lumpur,
Bautista ang korona bilang Miss Tourism
Malaysia.
Queen of the Year International 2015/16 noong
Nagtunggali ang 52 kandidata para
ika-31 ng Disyembre 2015. Ginanap ang
sa korona. Bukod kay Bautista, nanalo rin
patimpalak sa Putrajaya Marriott Hotel and
ng Dream Girl of the Year International

Sa isang pampublikong mensahe sa

kaniyang opisyal na Facebook Page, ibinahagi
ni Leren ang kaniyang pasasalamat sa Diyos
at sa kaniyang mga taga-suporta. Thank you
Lord! YOU never left me, YOU were always
there for me all throughout. Thank you for
always blessing me and my family. Thank you!
I want to tell everyone, that when you believe
Itutuloy sa pahina 3

Mula sa pahina 1

52 pares...

Nasa halagang halagang PhP 22.00 lamang

ang kanilang ginastos. Ang PhP 2.00 ay para sa
selyo o stamp na inilalagay sa notary samantala
ang PhP 20.00 ay para sa marriage license.
Upang maging bahagi ng kasalang bayan,
kinailangan lamang magsumite sa GAD
Office ng barangay certificate at certificate of
indigency mula sa MSWD Office.
Ang taunang kasalang bayan ay bahagi
ng Kautusang Bayan Bilang 2013-1240 o ang
Kasalang Bayan tuwing buwan ng Disyembre
at Pebrero kada taon. Ang susunod na kasalang
bayan ay magaganap sa Pebrero 2016.
Mula sa pahina 1

Talag, muling naihalal...

Nakagayak ang mga ikakasal na pares ang mga garland at bulaklak para sa Hawaiian wedding na
tema ng kasalang bayan ngayong taon. (Larawan mula sa GAD Office)

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

Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Associate Editor

Ricarda Villar
Layout Artist

Rosa Pilipinas Francisco

Adviser

METFlor LLiwanag JANisperos

MRFRolle RMValencia
Writers

Para sa ibang impormasyon tungkol sa

samahan ng PWDs sa Los Baos, maaaring
makipag-uganayan sa Office of Persons with
Disabilities o sa Municipal Social Welfare and
Development (MSWD) Office sa (049) 5302981.

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
College, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 536-2511 local 401 or 410
Email: lbtimes@devcom.edu.ph
Website: http://lbtimes.ph

NEWS

LOS BAOS TIMES

2k Pakil locals receive free healthcare services, meds

by Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Around 2,000 residents of Pakil, Laguna received

free medical, dental, and healthcare services, including
minor surgical procedures, last November 14. Dubbed as
Upsilon Cares, the healthcare mission was held at Brgy.
Kabulusan in Pakil, Laguna.

One of the alumni doctors attends to one of the Pakil residents who benefitted from the
healthcare mission.

Indigent residents of six barangays in Pakil

attended the activity. These were barangays Banilan,
Dorado, Casa Real, Matikiw, Casinsin, and Kabulusan.
The event was spearheaded by Upsilon Sigma Phi
(UPSILON), a University of the Philippines (UP)-based
student organization, in partnership with the provincial
government of Laguna.
Among the free services that the participants availed
of were medical consultation, dental (tooth extraction),
minor surgical procedure (warts removal, cysts
[sebaceous, lymphoma], boils, and circumcision), optical
(eye screening) and pap smear. The healthcare mission
also included free ECG and laboratory tests such as FBS/
RBS, urinalysis, cholesterol test, and uric acid test. Free
medicines and eyeglasses were also distributed as needed.
Doctors and staff from the provincial government
medical team together with volunteer medical
professionals attended the mission. These include five

doctors who are UPSILON alumni and 20 UP Manila medical students from
UP Manila. Event coordinator and UPSILON member, Clark Banaag, hopes for
more activities like this that serve communities and develop camaraderie and
civic consciousness.
The activity is part of Upsilons 97th anniversary which was founded in 1918
and is considered as the oldest fraternity in Asia.

LB couples join family planning seminar

by Jann Adriel Nisperos

A family planning seminar was organized by the Los

Baos Gender and Development (GAD) Office at the Los
Baos municipal hall on November 10 for couples who
will be participating in the upcoming December mass
wedding.
According to GAD Officer Karen Mercado, the
seminar aimed to equip future husbands and wives with
the knowledge on family planning before they join the
annual mass wedding celebration, dubbed Kasalang Bayan
2015, on December 11.
Different aspects of family planning were discussed
such as the dynamics of fertility, pregnancy, how to
properly care for the baby, and breastfeeding were
discussed during the seminar.
Aside from family planning, the seminar also tackled
population control, household management and budgeting,
as well as different sources of livelihood like organic
farming.
Speakers from different government agencies were
invited in the seminar namely Hannah Ericka Lavina
from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development
Office, Leticia Acedillo from the Municipal Health
Office, Genevieve Casabuena from Public Partnership
and Outreach, and Fe Banasihan from the Municipal
Agriculture Office.
minsan hindi equipped yung ating mga kababayan
[sa family planning] lalo na may mga ikakasal na 18 years
old pataas. Hindi pala nila alam yung konsepto ng family
planning, Mercado explained. She furthered that there
are more younger couples applying for marriage license

this year compared to the previous kasalang bayan. According to municipal

records, the youngest couple is 18 years old while the oldest is 45 years old.
One of the participants, Alexandria Gulfo, 21 years old, said that she and her
fiance learned a lot from the activity. Maraming naitulong [ang family planning
seminar]. Yung mga hindi namin nalaman noon sa pagpapamilya, nalaman namin
ngayon tsaka ma-apply namin sa buhay namin, Gulfo said.
Attending the family planning seminar is one of the requirements for taking
part in the mass wedding along with attending a pre-marriage counselling session
and seminars on population control and livelihood.
Mula sa pahina 2

Baustista, itinanghal...
and trust HIM, all of your dreams will definitely come true. Learn how to believe
in yourself, learn how to trust your instincts, never stop dreaming and always
pray!
Si Bautista ay tubong Brgy. Anos sa Los Baos. Itinanghal siya bilang
Mutya ng Pilipinas 2015 noong Agosto 2015 at Miss Los Baos noong 2013. Sa
pagdiriwang ng ika-400 taon ng bayan noong Setyembre 2015, pinarangalan rin
si Bautista bilang Natatanging Mamayan ng Los Baos sa larangan ng Sining at
Ganda (Beauty and Arts).

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

NEWS

LBG hosts gift-sharing activity for indigent kids

by Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

As part of their Christmas celebration, the

Los Baos Group (LBG), Inc. hosted a giftsharing activity on December 13 at the Brgy.
Mayondon Covered Court.
Entitled Paskohan sa mga Batang LB, this
activity was attended by 350 indigent children
ages 5 to 12 years old. Apart from gift-giving,
food, games, and performances also enlivened
the activity.
This year, the children also received
one pair of slippers each. According to Ato
Catipon, secretary of LBG, they noticed that
some kids from LBGs other food-sharing
activities and school visits ran around
barefooted. This is why their group decided to
give slippers this Christmas.
Catipon further shared that Paskohan
sa mga Batang LB has been their annual
activity for four years since LBG was formally
registered under the Securities and Exchange
Commission. LBG has also been doing
food-sharing and gift-giving activities every
Christmas season prior to their registration.
LBG Inc. is a volunteer organization
focused on doing community service, cleaning

Three hundred and fifty pairs of slippers served as early Christmas gifts for the indigent children in
Brgy. Mayondon. (Photo by Randolph Tolentino)

programs, relief operations, medical

missions, among others. The organization
was registered at the Securities and

Exchange Commission in January 2013. LBG is

a recognized civil society organization as well
as a member of the Municipal Development
Board.

PHSA students serenade senior citizens

by Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

The Philippine High School for the Arts

(PHSA) hosted a gift-giving event for Los
Baos senior citizens through the Office for
Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) on December
16 at the National Arts Center.
Around 20 senior citizens attended the
event together with four members of LilaPilipina, an organization of Filipino comfort
women, victims, and survivors of rape during
World War II. OSCA Head Dr. Federico Cruz
and PHSA Director Dr. Victor Emmanuel
Nadera also graced the event.
Students performed Christmas songs and
popular songs in choirs, some even had violin
as an accompaniment. Food and gifts further
enlivened the activity.
According to Baby Zenaida of OSCA,
the senior citizens were happy and honored to
attend as guests, especially that the National
Art Center is a charming venue. Napakaganda
ng lugar, shared Zenaida.
One of the PHSA students performs a violin piece for the elderly audience. (Photo courtesy of the
Maahas Senior Citizens Association)

NEWS

LOS BAOS TIMES

Mula sa pahina 8

Lingkod Maralita...
Corporation (SHFC). Tinutulungan nila ang
mga samahan ng mahihirap na residente
na makabili ng lupa ayon sa prinsipyo ng
community ownership.
Isa sa mga samahan na tinutulungan
ng LCMP ay ang Better Land Homeowners
Association, Inc. (BLHAI). Ito ay base
sa Resolution No. 2015-131 ng Opisina
ng Sangguniang Bayan ng Los Baos na
nilagdaan noong ika-7 ng Setyembre 2015.
Mayroong 225 na saleable lots o lupa na ang
maaaring ipamahagi sa mga miyembro ng
BLHAI Phase 2. Matatagpuan ang lupa na
may kabuuang sukat na 15,394 square meters
sa Purok 6 ng Brgy. San Antonio.

pagkakataon na hiniling niya na

mapayapang umalis ang isang pamilya
ng informal settlers. Bilang kapalit, sa
pamilyang iyon na lamang ibibigay ng
may-ari ng lupa ang pera sanang ibabayad
ng may-ari sa mga taong magbabaklas,
demolition truck, at honorarium ng mga
pulis na magbabantay ng aktibidad.
Dagdag pa ni Dimaano, nagbibigay rin
ang munisipyo ng Los Baos ng tulong
pinansyal upang makapagsimulang muli
ang mga napalipat ng bahay. Nilalagay
rin nila ang mga pamilyang iyon sa
prayoridad na makakuha ng lupa sa mga
housing project ng munisipyo.

Makataong demolisyon

Bahagdan ng pagpili

Bukod sa mga proyektong pagpapabahay,

ibinahagi ni Dimaano na namamagitan rin
ang MUDHO sa mga demolisyon sa bayan.
Binabantayan nila ang parehong partido ang
nagpapalikas at ang papalipatin na madalas
ay mga informal settlers o mga nakikitira sa
lupang hindi nila pag-aari. Sinisigurado ng
MUDHP na payapa, makatao, at sistematiko
ang proseso ng demolisyon.
Bago ang araw ng demolisyon,
nagpapasinaya muna ng isang pagpupulong
ang MUDHO. Ito ay tinatawag na predemolition conference. Dito nag-uusap ang
may-ari ng lupa at ang mga papalikasin.
Kwento ni Dimaano, may isang

Mayroong limang batayan sa pagpili

ang PCUP. Ito ay ang mga sumusunod:
(1) ang ahensiya dapat ay sumusuporta
sa pagpapatupad ng mga mandato ng
PCUP; (2) dapat sumusunod sa Urban
Development Housing Act (UDHA); (3)
mayroong Urban Poor Affairs Office; (4)
may mga aktibong proyektong pabahay;
at (5) may pondong nakalaan para sa
maralitang taga-lungsod o urban poor.

Tinatanaw sa 2016

ay may sariling bahay na, ito ay malayo pa

sa katotohanan. Sa Los Baos, ayon sa datos
noong 2007, mayroong 3,495 na informal
settlers na naninirahan sa kahabaan ng riles ng
tren mula Brgy. Tadlac hanggang Brgy. PuthoTuntungin. Kinalap ito ng PCUP, MUDHO,
Philippine National Railways, National
Housing Authority, at ng munisipyo ng Los
Baos.
Sa kasalukuyan, wala pang bagong datos.
Subalit sambit ni Dimaano, maaaring mas
lumaki pa itong bilang na ito. Lalo na kung
idadagdag pa ang bilang nga mga informal
settlers sa ilang lugar pa sa bayan tulad ng mga
katabing lupa sa mga sementeryo at iba pa.
Kaya naman puspusan ang pagpapatupad
ng mga proyektong pabahay ng MUDHO sa
tulong ng DSWD at iba pang mga ahensiya
ngayong 2016. Para sa BLHAI, inaasahan may
241 na mga pamilya ang makatanggap ng lupa
sa BLHAI Phase 1 habang may 224 naman sa
BLHAI Phase 2.
Maaaring malayo pa ang bilang ng
mga naipapatayong bahay sa bilang ng mga
nangangailangan. Subalit sa suporta ng
mga programa at kooperasyon ng mga nais
magkabahay, hindi posible ang pangarap ni
Dimaano at ng bayan ng Los Baos pabahay
para sa lahat.

Ayon kay Dimaano, bagaman at

masarap isipin na sa kinabukasan ay lahat

Larawang kuha ni Ato Catipon

LOS BAOS TIMES

FEATURE

For every home,

A toilet of their own

through the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) Loan Program

of Tulay sa Pag-unlad, Incorporated
by Rica Mae Valencia

We are one extended family, with my

siblings living in a compound. We use one
CR however, I want to have my own CR,
not outside the house,said Tatay Tom,
one of the residents of Brgy. Kabulusan in
Pakil Laguna who still usesharedtoilets.
Brgy. Kabulusan is the largest and
most populated of the 13 barangays of
Pakil, Laguna. According to the data from
the Barangay Environmental Health and
Sanitation for 2014 of the Field Health
Services Information System (FHSIS),
only 737 out of the 832 households of
the barangay have sanitary toilet facility.
Approximately 100families have yet
tohave their own toilet facility and are
most likely sharing toilets.
In Libis, the part of the Brgy.
Kabulusan near Laguna de Bay and where
most households do not have their own
toilet facility,the barangay built a shared
public toilet near the shore. Thistoilet is
primarily used by residentsaround the
area. During fiestas and other barangay
events, the public toilet is also used by
visitors. Considered a public toilet, it can
be used by everyone for their toilet and
sanitary needs.
However, despite the availability of
a public toilet, open defecation is still
prevalent in the barangay. According
to Eulalia Duran or Nanay Lali, several
residents still practice open defection,
especially people living in the Libis area.

Problems in using shared toilets

Tatay Tom explained that if there is
someone using the toilet, you will have
to wait. Kapag may nakaupo, mag-antay
ka. Tapos, may salaula gumamit, yung
mismong bowl ay tinutungtungan. Pwede
namang pasalampak eh, he added.

Other problems included petty

fights among those that share the toilet.
Nanay Lali and Amelita Gonzales or
Nanay Amelita, described some of the
experiences of their fellow residents
whoshare a toilet. Minsan halimbawa,
sa dami nilang gumagamit, yung [ibang
nahuhuling gumamit], nagagalit kasi
madumi yung CR. Tapos minsan pagka
yung isa gustong gumamit, may tao
ganun. Minsan nag aaway-away sila.

advantage of the Water, Sanitation, Hygiene

(WASH) loan program of TSPI.

Another problem is the improper

toilet construction due to limited
space. Shared toilets are usually found
outside houses becauseat least three
familiesusually useit. Some of the shared
toilets are located only a few meters from
the water source. For instance, the toilet
shared by the family of Marina Christe or
Nanay Marinais located onlya few yards
outside of their house and a few meters
beside their artesian wellorposo.

Other common diseases associated

withunsanitary toilet facilities and
contaminated waterisamoebiasis, which
manifests through stomach aches, vomiting,
and loose bowel movement (LBM).
Amoebiasis isthe most prevalentwater-borne
disease in the barangay.

Ideally, a households toilet septic

tank should have a minimum of 25-meter
distance from the water source, such as
deep wells and artesian wells. According
toJulieta Botin, a sanitation inspector
atthe Pakil Office of Health Services,
atoilets septic tank should be located
deeper and lower than the water source to
avoid contamination. Thus, toilets should
not bepositioned very near or above the
water source. However, in most cases,
shared toilets found in the barangay are
located 5-10 meters from the residents
water source.
When families use shared toilets,
maintaining the structure becomes
problematic.Hindi maayos,hindi siya
napapaganda, Nanay Amelita shared.
Nanay Marina and Tatay Tom aim
to improve their owntoilet facilities and
so both of them have decided to take

Health problems and poor sanitation

Aside from the above-mentioned problems
of the residents, sharing toilets also imposes
risks to health. The most common causes of
diseases are intestinal worms that can enter
the body through ones use of dirty toilets, as
confirmed by Santitation Inspector Botin.

According to Santitation Inspector Botin,

educating residents aboutrisks in using shared
toilet facilities can be done through short talks
duringhome visits conducted by health and
sanitation staff of the government. Frequent
reminders on sanitation are also passed on to
residents whenever the Office of Rural Health
Services visits people in their homes.
The local government aims to address
the gap in household sanitary toilet facilities
bygiving toilet bowls to residents. Botin
said that the Provincial Health Office (PHO)
suppliesthe toilet bowls that are in turn
distributed among municipalities. The supply
of toilet bowls, however, is limited and cannot
accommodate everyone in the PHO lists of
beneficiaries.In addition, financial constraints
also prevent people from constructing their
own toilets.

The problem with that is even though we

give them [toilet] bowls, if they are financially
lacking, then it is senseless, said Sanitation
Inspector Botin. If the cost of building a toilet
facility is higher than buying a toilet bowl,
residents think twice of building their own
toilet even though toilet bowls are already
available.

Continued on page 7

FEATURE

LOS BAOS TIMES

Waste management and sanitation

in Mabitac
by Maria Erika Therese Flor

Typically, people would wake up to

the smell of fresh coffee or breakfast in the
morning. For Sitio Binakuran residents of
Brgy. Lambac in Mabitac, Laguna, it is the
stench of burning garbage that greets them in
the morning.

Nanay Carmela Ragindin, 34, mother

of four, does not burn her households
garbage but instead keeps itin a drum,
which her husband empties whenever he
goes to a barangay nearby Sinagtala,
roughly five kilometers from Mabitac.

Aside from being a health risk for the

residents, the practice of burning garbage or
pagsisigaalso damages the environment. An
alternative to this method have been discussed
with community members of Sitio Binakuran
yet the strong smell of burning plastic and
other garbage remains.

The problem with garbage collection

has been brought up with the municipal
government, according to Nanay Sionila,
a folk healer (albularyo). So far, nothing
has been done about it. Shesays she is
exhausted to raise thisconcern some
more to the government. (Due to time
constraint, government officials of
Mabitac were not asked about the waste
management issue of Sitio Binakuran.)

During a panel discussion about

community cleanliness and sanitation
practices, severalmothers of Sitio Binakuran
said theyburn their garbage nagsisiga,
both biodegradable and non-biodegradable,
because no one comes to collect
them.According to Nanay Shirly Babor,
Dapat nga kasi meron [garbage collector],
kahitevery Wednesday, Friday,[sana] may
kumukuha. Wala kasing pumapasok
No garbage trucks come to collect trash
in their area because Sitio Binakuran is
deemedtoo far.
There are times when garbage would
accumulate, according to Nanay Shirly. It
happens during rainy days wet garbage
would not burn and when neighbors sunor air-dry their laundry.

Nanay Shirly isaware of the

consequences of garbage burning. Hindi
bat masisira ng masisira yung ozone layer
natin?she asked.
They asked Dennis Millan, an
account officerof Tawid Sa Pag-unlad,
Inc. (TSPI) if the organization offers
programs or projects that relate to solid
waste management. He explained that
thecurrent programs that can help address
their concerns arelimited to water,
sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) program.
According to theHealth and
Environment: The Vital Link published
by the Department of Health, uncollected

solid waste will eventually decay and

will become a conducive environment
for bacteria and parasite to thrive.
Furthermore, it may become a breeding
ground for disease carriers such as flies
and rodents and will put the health of the
people, especially the scavengers, at risk.
In addition, the toxic waste that may
come from the garbage may seep into
the soil, surface water, and ground water,
which will contaminate the source for
drinking water in most areas.
In the article, Global Emissions
of Trace Gases, Particulate Matter, and
Hazardous Air Pollutants from Open
Burning of Domestic Waste from the
journalEnvironmental Science and
Technology,possible health risks that
may come from burning garbage include
decreased lung function, neurological
disorders, cancer, and heart attack.
So far, the mothers have not told
about catching illnesses related to burning
trash. What they have said, during one
of the interviews, is that the children
may sometimes have parasitic infections
orbulate. Nanay Shirly has mentioned
that this might be happening because the
children spend plenty of time playing in
the soil.

Continued from page 6

For every home...

Lack of funds to build a complete toilet
facility is the primary reason identified by
the residents behind the existing practice of
sharing toilets. In addition, they alsolack
direct access to water, such aswater from the
Pakil Water District.

Possiblesolutions
In apanel discussion attended by
the residents who are also members of
TSPI, several ideas emerged based on
their own experiences on how to solve

problems associated with using shared

toilets.Onepossible solution is, according
to Nanay Lali, is for every household
having its own toilet.
Nanay Amelita, on the other hand,
sees the need to urge people to invest in
their own toilet facilities. Ikumbinsi mo
ang mga tao na magpagawa ng [sariling
toilet]. Tapos, sasabihin naman nila sayo
yung problema. Siyempre, sasabihin nila
sayo yung pampagawa, saan sila kukuha
ng pampagawa, mga ganoong bagay.

Tatay Tom and Nanay Marina decided

that they would apply for the WASH loan
program to build and improve their toilet
facilities.

Mga natatanging kwento ng Los Baos

Lingkod-Maralita Award,
tinanggap ng Los Baos
ni Ma. Roxanne Fatima Rolle

Noong ika-8 ng Disyembre, ipinagdiwang

ng poblacion o bayan ng Los Baos ang
kapistahan ni Nuestra Seora del Aguas Santas
o ni Mary Immaculate Concepcion. Subalit
hindi lamang pista ang magandang balita sa
araw na iyon.
Pinarangalan ng Presidential Commission
for the Urban Poor (PCUP) sa ilalim ng
Tanggapan ng Pangulo ng Pilipinas ang
pamunuan ng bayan ng Los Baos noong ika-8
ng Disyembre sa Quezon City.
Tinanggap ni Annie Dimaano ng
Municipal Urban Development and Housing
Office (MUDHO) ang Natatanging LingkodMaralita 2015 para sa Los Baos. Ginawad
ito nina PCUP Chairman Hernani Panganiban,
PCUP Commissioner Rico Domingo, at PCUP
Director Rodel Francisco.
Ayon sa PCUP, ito ay para sa suporta at
dedikasyon ng pamahalaan na pabutihin ang
antas ng buhay ng mga maralita sa lungsod
(for its exemplary support and dedication in
improving the quality of life of the urban poor
sector.)

Pabahay para sa lahat

Sambit ni Dimaano sa kaniyang mensahe
ng pasasalamat, kami ay umaasa na darating

ang panahon na ang mga maralitang tagalungsod ay hindi na tatawagin maralitang

taga lungsod. Sila ay tatawagin na
homeowners. Mga may-ari ng lupa. Wala
na tayong pag-iisipan pa na mga programa
dahil sila ay nakakuha na ng sariling mga
bahay.
CSAP: Proyektong pabahay
Mula noong 2009, nagbabahagi
na ng mga programa at proyektong
pagpapabahay ang Department of Social
Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Noong 2013, nagtulungan ang DSWD at
MUDHO sa proyekto. Sa ilalim ng Core
Shelter Assistance Program (CSAP),
mayroong 184 na pamilya na nabahagian
ng maayos na tirahan sa ligtas na
pamayanan.
Ayon kay Dimaano, binibigyan nila
ng prayoridad ang mga nakatira sa lugar
na lapitin ng sakuna o disaster-prone
areas. Binibigyan rin ng prayoridad ang
mga nasalanta ng bagyo.
Sa Los Baos, madalas na tinatamaan
ng sakuna ang mga sumusunod na lugar:

Brgy. Bagong Silang, Upper Dampalit,

Kabilang Daigdig sa Brgy. Bambang, Brgy.
Lalakay, at ang mga pook sa Brgy. Batong
Malake na Riverside at Sitio Villegas.
Batay sa dokumento ng Provincial Social
Welfare and Development Office ng Laguna,
ang layon ng CSAP ay makapaglaan ng
mga bahay na matibay at hindi masisira sa
pagharap ng hangin na may lakas na 180kph,
lindol na may katamtamang lakas, at iba pang
mga sakuna sa kalikasan.
Ang mga maaaring makinabang sa
proyekto ay mga biktima ng sakuna na may
sumusunod na kalagayan: ang buwanang kita
ng pamilya na binubuo ng anim na miyembro
ay kulang para makakain ng tatlong beses
sa isang araw; ganap na pagkawasak ng
tahanan; at nakatira na sa mga bahay likasan o
evacuation centers o nakikitira sa mga kamaganak dulot ng sakuna.

Localized Community Mortgage Program

Isa rin sa mga proyekto ng MUDHO
ay ang Localized Community Mortgage
Program (LCMP). Ito ay isang mortgage
financing program ng Social Housing Finance
Itutuloy sa pahina 5

Larawang kuha ni MRFRolle