APRIL 2016
Ang lathalang nagdadala ng mapagpalayang balita
MANDARAGAT Festival – Team Refreshing with their colorful costume and props performed during the street dance competition to celebrate Mandaragat Festival last April 25, 2016 at the Tadlac barangay covered court. Photo taken by Maureen Lacuesta.
Tadlac celebrates Mandaragat Festival
by Maureen Anthea Lacuesta and Dana Louise Bersamin Residents of Brgy. Tadlac, Los Baños participated in a street dance competition to celebrate Mandaragat Festival last April 25, 2016 at the barangay covered court. The Tadlac barangay officers organized a street dance competition in the covered court as one of the activities for the three-day Mandaragat Festival. Prior to this day, a Bingo caravan and a singing contest were also held. Three groups showcased performances that represented their own families and purok in the barangay. The participants were composed of youth aged 10 to 25 years old whose costumes and props were made out of recyclable materials. MJ Tuazon, a resident of Brgy. Tadlac, said that the street dance competition were mainly for the children who have so much talent hidden within them. “Masaya ako kasi yung mga pinsan ko sumali. Siyempre kasi bakasyon naman so wala naman sila masyadong ginagawa,” he added. The celebration started at four in the afternoon with a marching band that went across the barangay. The street dance groups, together with the locals of the community, followed the marching band, filling the streets with music, laughter, and dances. After the marching band, participants and the residents headed to the barangay covered court where the competition proper was held. The judges were Mr. Jason Verecio, a dance choreographer for Bañamos and a weekly finalist from Showtime, and Ms. Joanne Rey Concerman, a freelance dancer and model who won first runner-up in a beauty pageant in Colegio de Los Baños. The overall champion was Team Refreshing, winning a P5,000 cash prize and a three-foot trophy. The first runner-up was Tadlac Kids, followed by Charing Keme as the second runner-up, which took home P3,500 and P2,000, respectively. Continued on page 3
BPI- LBNCRDPSC nagdaos ng Conventional and Organic Farming Training Seminar nina Cheska Guzman, Shamae Arañez, at JM Drece
BPI at PCARRD, Organic Farming Training Seminar Hatid ng Bureau of Plant Industry Los Baños National Crop Research Development and Production Support Center (BPI-LBNCRDPSC) at Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) ang training seminar series na “Lowland Vegetable Production for Organic and Conventional Farming” para sa lahat ng interesado sa mga pamamaraan ng organic at conventional farming. Ang bawat training seminar ay binubuo ng mga lecture, Q & A session, field tour, technology showcase, demonstration, at hands-on exercise. Ang programang ito ay bahagi ng isa pang mas malaking proyekto, ang Technology Demonstration and Capacity Building for Lowland Vegetable Production Project. “Basically, the program will be for 3 years. So bukod doon sa pagestablish, maintenance, actually, showcasing technologies such as the use of the National Seed Industry Council approved varieties for lowland vegetables and field legumes. We are also showcasing the use of plastic mulch, the utilization of botanical pesticides, and then, crop rotation, companion cropping, so, those are the technologies that we are [using]. Aside from that, we are also conducting trainings, that is component of the program wherein we trained farmers, students,” ani Dr. Herminigilda A. Gabertan, Agricultural Center Chief IV ng BPI na siyang nagsilbi rin bilang project leader. Training Seminar Sessions Noong Abril 4-8, idinaos ang ikalawang 5-day training seminar ng nasabing programa kung saan ang mga lumahok ay mga magsasaka, farming enthusiasts, military men, estudyante, at out-of-school youth. Ilan sa mga lecture na naganap ay tungkol sa grafting technology na pinangunahan ni Ms. Niña Rosales, BPI Agriculturist III; at vermiculture and vermicomposting ni Dr. Joel L. Adorada, BPI Senior Agriculturist. Itutuloy sa pahina 3