LaSallians study in Japan

An Accounting student of the University of St. La Salle is in Kongju National University in South Korea, for a four-month study program.

Joanne Marie Aloba will attend Korean Language, and Economics and Trade classes starting yesterday until Dec. 16, a press release from USLS said.

Two Operations Management students are in Osaka, in Japan for the 57th International Student Conference on the theme “Mutual Acceptance – The Student Conference 2011.”

April Rose Mayo and Lawrence John Tumbagahan are among the 25 students all over the world invited by the International Student Association of Japan to join Japanese students in the conference, the press release said.*

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NOMS officers
inducted into office

The new officers of the Negros Occidental Medical Society are headed by Pediatrician Fellows of the Philippine Pediatric Society Inc., Dr. Inocentes Lauvena Jr., president, and Dr. Robert Puerta, vice president, a press release from the group said.

Dr. Teresa Villaruz-Jochico and Dr. Anna Elizabeth Gonzaga-Ramos were elected as secretary-treasurer and assistant secretary-treasurer, respectively, with Dr. Evelyn Guan Hing-Geraldoy, auditor, and Dr. Judith Gasataya-Bionat, public information officer.

The councilors are Dr. Salome Binas – Bacolod City Health Officer, Dr. Luisa Efren – retired Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Dyan Valerie Bionat-Chua, Dr. Grace Calago-Tan, Dr. Mary Jean Guiritan-Rodriguez, Dr. Carmela Gensoli, Dr. Esel Jalandoni-Bermejo, Dr. Jane Capistrano, Dr. Franelin Paylado, Dr. Jose David, Dr. Rosalie David, Dr. Jessica Fama, and Dr. Jesette Granada.

The induction was solemnized and witnessed by immediate past president, Dr. Sebastian Tabuga, and other past presidents, Dr. Benito Bionat Jr., chief of clinics of Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Dr. Francisco Paylado and Dr. Edgardo Estrella Sr., retired Bacolod City Health Officer. Also present was the widow of Dr. Augustus Ceasar Tan and present Auxiliary Negros Occidental Medical Society president, Suzette Tan, the press release added.*

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Use eco-bags,
shoppers urged

As part of its response to government solid waste management legislation, various plastics ordinances, and the internal direction for our business to operate sustainably, the 3rd SM Eco Bag was launched simultaneously in all 41 SM malls nationwide, a press release from the mall said.

The Eco Bag and the Sando Bag, priced P35 and P10, respectively, are recyclable hard-wearing non-woven fabric bags that may last up to two years of weekly use. They are made of 100-percent polypropylene, which is non-toxic, allergy free and non-reactive to human skin.

To encourage shoppers to advocate re-usable shopping bags for all shopping purposes, the Eco Bag booth is stationed at the Northwing near Toy Kingdom and Global Pinoy Center of SM City Bacolod.

Proceeds of the bag sales will go to the various tree-planting projects of SM Supermalls in partnership with the United Nations and the University of the Philippines Los Baños College of Forestry.

SM Advantage and Prestige Card holders will be given two extra reward points every time they use the Eco Bag and Sando Bag for groceries at SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket and Savemore, the press release added.*

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Inmates join
mask-making competition

To keep the focus on the mask as one of the iconic symbols of the MassKara Festival, organizers are partnering this year with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for a mask-lantern competition, a press release from organizers said.

Dubbed the “1st BJMP Priso MassKara-Making Contest,” 18 district jails will showcase the best of their inmates’ skills and ingenuity in producing giant masks that will double up as lanterns to be lighted up at the Bacolod public plaza.

The giant masks are meant to depict Bacolod’s dynamism and energy as a people.

The 18 mask-entries, measuring 3x3 feet each, will be hung in the trees around the public plaza starting October 1, the first day of the MassKara Festival, and will be lighted up at nighttime, festival director Eli F.J. Tajanlangit said.

“This is going to be one of the new and major attractions in the Bacolod public plaza,” Tajanlangit said, adding that more innovations at the plaza will be announced during the festival launch this Friday (September 2).

He said Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia had given special instructions to the Silver MassKara Festival Organization in 2004 to bring the focus back to the masks since, around that time, the festival was slowly veering away from the masks as a symbol of the MassKara Festival.

The mask-lantern project is organized by Chona Gosiaco.

BJMP provincial administrator Superintendent Rizaldy Navarro, for his part, said their wardens, personnel, and inmates are very excited about the mask-making contest.

“This project will surely be a big opportunity to promote the image of BJMP and for our inmates to showcase their skills and creativity in producing beautiful masks using indigenous materials,” Navarro said during a meeting with the organizers and jail wardens at the BJMP office last August 15.

“This will also help in the social transformation of our inmates, since they will be able to use their idle time in productive endeavors, develop their creativity, and will hopefully improve their personality when they have finished serving their terms and go out of the facility,” he added.

Prizes for the mask-making contests are: champion – P15,000; first runner-up – P10,000; second runner-up – P7,000, and 16 consolation prizes at 1,500 each.*    

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