Progress Report: SEARCA Summer School 2014 Day 1-5

The first 5 days of the training was fun! I met new friends, visited new places and gained new knowledge which I believed will be very helpful for my profession as a food scientist and also as an individual consumer.

Title of the Training: Food and Nutrition Security for Sustainable Development in South East Asia

Duration: October 6-31, 2014

Location: SEARCA, College, Los Banos Laguna Philippines
Here is a link to the news from the SEARCA website: SEARCA and UC pilot post graduate course on food and nutrition security

1. Participants

I am one of the lucky participants for this said training by the SEARCA and we are the first batch. We are 10 in all from 7 different countries. I thought I will be the youngest among the group but when I met my coursemates, we are of the same age.

2. Lectures

We have 2 modules for this week: 

Module 1 : Sustainable Development in SEA: Opportunities and Challenges

Module 2: Food and Nutrition Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in South East Asia

3. Activities

I the first two days, we have been fed with lot of information of the subjects that I have never heard before. Yes, sustainable development is really an old term but it does not ring a bell to me.. and so, I listened intently and learned that sustainable development is really one of the key in attaining not only food and nutrition security but also developing the capacities that promotes community participation and gender equality, health and education, environmental protection and sustainable economic growth.  

This is really new to me and as I learned, the social, ecological and economic sector of a community is important in attaining a sustainable development. A framework was presented to us but until now, I can not really understand well but I believe that to attain sustainable development, the pillars (social, ecological, economic) as well as the enabling environment and appropriate processes. 

Sustainable development in Southeast Asia present challenges because of the highest percentage of poor and hungry Asians and the booming population that will also incur very high food and resources consumption.

Food availability is needed but there is decreasing production due to the fragmented (land conversion to residential), ageing farmers and the decreasing quality of the soil. Lesser people are also engaging to farming which is not a very good news. This means, lesser labor force that will help in the food production of the world.  People's various activity also caused the increased of green house gases that triggers the climate change and can greatly affect food production and the quality of living here on earth. Whew! Is that economic big bang?!!... anyway,., let us move on..

And another topic I learned which is really a very interesting one is the climate-smart agriculture in the form of the BIG or the Bio Intensive Gardening methods in which the principles are so easy to follow and materialize. The principles are: (if my memory serves me right)

1. Deep dug and raised plots -for deeper roots and enhanced hardiness of the plants

2. Diversification - at least 12 different plant spp; multi-cropping for food and nutrition security

3. use of indigenous varieties - they can withstand the climate change better than other plant varieties

4. Planting of green manure trees

5. Organic mulching

6. Cover cropping in summer

This technology was introduced to the Philippines few years ago but the intensification is still on going specially on the school gardens. This was initiated by the IIRR or the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. We visited 3 school gardens and so far the project is successful. Only the question of sustainability is at hand. Can they sustain the garden? They also introduced to us the integrated nutrition approach in which the school gardens, nutrition education and the school feeding program can work hand on hand on the  improvement of school children ages 6-8 (grade 1 to 3).

We also visited the model farms for BIG inside the IIRR and I was so delighted. I learned a lot. I will post many pictures regarding this. I am going to practice this climate smart agriculture method.

So far, the week was so exciting and i have not yet covered many things but hope I shared the necessary information :) I am so happy! :)

Where to go? Just around Laguna, Philippines

I've been living in Los Banos Laguna for more than 2 years now. And friends come to visit me sometimes. They requested me to just go around and visit some places. Laguna is a beautiful place. Actually, I admitted that I am so much comfortable to this place that I wanted to stay and settle down here. But there is such no place like home. Anyway, going back to places around here, I can suggest few places that I visited once or twice or those I really wanted to visit in the future...

1. University of the Philippines Grounds - this is where we go when we want to enjoy nature and just relax around big green tress and sit by the grasses. One word? Biodiversity.

2. Calamba, Laguna - Shopping and may visit the house of the national hero, Jose P. Rizal
3. Sampalok Lake, San Pablo City - Lakes, lakes, more lakes, actually there are seven, biking around a lake and eating blue berry cheesecake.
4. Pandin Lake, San Pablo City - I think of green waters, delicious shrimps, and ube and also, Palawan! yes, palawan -like sceneries. Also kind and empowered women.
4. Sta. Cruz, Laguna - went to take pictures and dine at the famous but expensive "ISDAAN" restaurants
5. Pagsanjan Laguna - Water falls and adventure!
6. Pansol Laguna -  Hot spring!
7. Cavinti Cave - Adventure in the underground cave... exciting!

I will tell you about each of the places, just follow the link above.

Hope you enjoy your trip too^^,

Len

From Sagada with LOVE

I saw this, as i wake up to the bright and breezy morning in the sleepy town of SAGADA, Mt. PROVINCE last 2012... Wishing of coming back to this lovely place.

As simple as me :)

Why I love climbing mountains

My father asked me why I love climbing mountains. He said it was very exhausting, not a very  safe activity for a lady like me and consumes my savings. 

I laughed as an answer. It is because, he was actually the reason. He influenced me to explore mountains! Back then when I was little, He shared to me his adventures as a hunter back in his earlier days hunting for wild boars in the virgin forest of Isabela and Cagayan Valley. As I listened to him, my fondness for nature grows and I long to be on these places. Now that I had the chance to go, then I decided to set sail and of course come home safely to share my experiences with my family. Here are the mountains so far I have gone through:

Mt. Maculot 03.17.12

Mt. Batulao 08.17.13

Mt. Makiling 04.05.13

Mt. Timbac 12.22.13

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy 06.29.13

I just climb mountains for the surreal bliss I felt everytime I am at the summit. I love the idea that climbing mountains is just like making love, slowly and exhausting but will take you to the peak of the summit. Uh-oh... I encourage you also to climb :) Just try it, especially when you have the time and the resources. Bring your friends with you or your love ones. It will be surely fun!

Count your Blessings :)

With my adviser after my defense. Hurray!

With my happy family :D wacky shot!

My motto in life is : "Do your best, God will take care of the rest."

I learned the importance of prayers especially when we pray about our plans. It is truly important that God acknowledge about it and through His loving grace, He will turn these plans into blessings.

I hope and prayed for blessings and believe with all my heart that God listened and already gave it to me: 

happy and loving family, a man who truly loves me, a job that can influence others (teaching), a graduate studies (I am now on the completion of my Ms degree), healthy life and a lot more blessings He provided. 

Another blessing came today: an scholarship for a month-long training. I have been excited to join the training especially very much happy for the field trips (yes, for free!) but thinking I will be away from home on my birthday made me sad again. Anyway, it is a very good opportunity for me to explore food and Nutrition Security and I am very grateful.

Another blessing!

I am really thankful in every way possible for all these blessings coming my way. I cannot ask for more. I am very much contented and I really enjoyed everything that I have right now. Yes, challenges come but they only make me stronger and left me with so much lesson to learn. For example, right now I am very tight with my budget but yes, I am learning to spend on the most important things and practice good financial management that I can also follow once I am earning my own money again. What is more important are the blessings that keep on coming and counting them only replicates the happiness they bring. Thank you dear Lord. I am done with my MS thesis defense, now I need to focus and keep doing the important things.

I will be posting my progress and activities regarding this training. I want to share my experience and discoveries here in my blog. Life is a continuous process of learning and such given opportunity to learn is rare. I will do my best and I really do appreciate this birthday treat from God.