Vol. 1, No. 4
What’s Inside
Truth and Fortitude, for God and Country A Laboratory community paper in Print Production New ambulatory clinics in Los Baños
Active Vista Film Fest held in LPL
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STRAIGHT
CAMPUS
As vibrant as a flower
p14 FEATURE
June-October 2012
Greener Lipa
Lipa hosts 2 marathons
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p18 ENVIRONMENT
SPORTS
Talisay celebrates Marian Regatta Feast Day John Lester Pura
Brillante Mendoza showing the people how he works as a director
Image from: Batangas City PIO
T al i sa y, B ata n g as celebrated the feast day called Marian Regatta, a first ever fluvial procession last September 8 around Taal Lake. The procession is an international event attended by many Filipinos and even foreigners from different countries. Local and foreign tourists participates the event. “Lahat ng bayan sa paligid ng Taal Lake pati yung mga ibang parokya ay makikisama sa procession, since first time nga mangyayari ito, inaasahan talaga namin na maraming tao ang dadating,” [The entire town around Taal Lake and even other parish church will join the procession and because it’s the first time, we expect that there are lots of people who will join the
parade] said the OIC of Tourism Department in Talisay. The parade takes two hours to walk around the volcano island. This event marked in many Filipinos who joined the procession and became part of it. According to the OIC of Tourism Department, this procession is not all about prayer, they also have message to bring to people. The message is on how to keep the Lake clean and safe for us, because they do not want the fish kill happen again. The Fluvial procession is for peace, family and life. According to the municipality of Talisay, taking care of Taal Lake is part of life especially to those who live near it. The municipality of Talisay and their citizens are helping each other to take care of the lake.
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Brillante Mendoza film festival launched Gizelle Lachica
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M City Batangas launched the Brillante Mendoza Film festival last August 28, featuring the renowned director himself and his four award-winning short films. According to SM City Assistant Manager Mina Buenaflor, it does not happen everyday that the first-ever Asian Best Director in Cannes Film Festival visits their place so it is a great honor for them to hosts
the Film Festival and share to the public his films. Synopsis Reading The four short films that were shown were Foster Child, Manoro, Kaledo and Lola which garnered praises not only in the Philippines but also in other countries. According to Marie V. Lualhati, PIO Batangas City, the films were about social realities; stories
of ordinary people who lives in extraordinary circumstances. She also added that Director Mendoza used the reality of life to the problems and issues of the country. Before the showing of the film, there was a synopsis reading for the four featured films. Executive Secretary, Atty. RD Dimacuha, Local Economics and Investment Promotions Officer Erik Sanohan, City
Cultural Affairs Committee Vice Chairman Ed Borbon and Batangas State University representative Melanie Arguelles led the synopsis reading. Right after the synopsis reading, the film trailers were shown to the viewers. The event was also attended by SM City Batangas official, Vice President for Communication and Marketing Millie Dizon.
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2012 Bañamos holds Walk-for-a-Cause Rizza Jasareno
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n the previous years, the Bañamos festival was celebrated through street dances and loud fiestas, but this year as the city of Los Baños celebrated their 397th Foundation day, a walk-fora-cause took place to help the flood victims in the community, with the main objective of volunteerism and civicmindedness. The purpose of the celebration of Bañamos is to gather more volunteers including donations for flood victims of the monsoon rain and heavy flooding in August. Thousands of Los Baños victims are requiring to ‘chip in’ donations. About 4,000 families were affected by the
floods and around 950 families are still temporarily sheltered in evacuation center and “tent cities” as of September 17. The program started at exactly seven o’clock in the morning for the mass together with the speech of Mayor Anthony Flores Genuino, and other municipality’s officer of Los Baños in Trace College in El Danda Street and will traverse Lopez Avenue and the National Highway going to the Municipal Covered Court. After the program, the office of the Mayor together with the Walk-for-a-Cause participants, that are from different sectors including the NGOs, high schools and
Walk-for-a-cause participants colleges, organizations, and institutions in Los Baños gathered at the Municipal Covered Court for some announcements and programs for that day. Since there was no registration fee, during the walk participants are required to bring something like rice, canned goods, used clothes, bottled water, medicines and
Source: Bagong Los Baños FB so on or any amount of cash donations. “We’ll do away with the traditional festivities and colorful street dancing this month to give way to an austere but meaningful event. Instead, we’ll instill the spirit of bayanihan to gather more donations for flood victims,” said Mayor Anthony Genuino. cont. p8
San Pablo City to approve ecotourism budget plan Fiel Esguerra
San Pablo City’s Tourism Affairs Office is a new office in the city of San Pablo and it was created on the last quarter of 2011. Ms. Donalyn Eseo, the head of the Tourism Affairs department of San Pablo City mentioned that everything under their department is still on a planning stage. Last September 21, they had their Budget Plan Hearing with the city government officials. The presentation was led by Eseo and the staff of the Tourism Affairs Office. Eco-tourism planning The Eco-tourism projects for the city of San Pablo and of course for the seven lakes. It also includes their budget proposals for their projects and Eseo mentioned “Hopefully ‘pagna-approve ‘yung budget proposal naming, magkakaroonng seminar with the tourism stakeholders especially ‘yungmganasa tourism business.” The focus of their budget plan is to give good services for the tourists and they are planning to have “Seven Lakes Tour.” This “Seven Lakes Tour” plans to have the permanent right of way, foot trails, and facilities like waiting sheds, picnic area and public toilets for the tourists. Eseo stated that they are aiming for all seven lakes to have
Eco-Tourism community like what they have in Pandin. They will also improve the security and promote this community based Eco-Tourism for the other lakes so they will maintain and operate it properly. Included in the plan is about the zoning of fish cages on the lakes and it aims that these cages should be properly organized. According to Eseo that they are still waiting for the approval from the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) and they are discussing this with them for about three years now. Hand in hand action If ever the budget plan will be approved, San Pablo Tourism Affairs Office will hire a consultant for further planning and will also how these plans will work in the future. Eseo added, “Kapag nag-hire kami ng consultant, mag-conduct silangstudiesparamakitakung applicabletalagas’ya for that certain activity for the lake.” San Pablo Tourism Affairs office works hand in hand with Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) when they are planning something for the Seven Lakes. Eseo said that everything we plan about the Seven Lakes needs an approval for LLDA, because LLDA is the one who maintain the Seven cont. p8 Lakes.