English News
BASCO, BATANES — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Batanes and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Basco highlighted the importance of healthy and active aging through the culmination of the Golden Age, Golden Health Activity on October 1, 2026.
The culminating activity coincided with the opening of Elderly Filipino Week, observed from October 1 to 7, and recognized the participation and achievements of senior citizens who took part in the nearly two-month health and wellness initiative.
The program was jointly implemented by the DOST Provincial Science and Technology Office (PSTO) Batanes and LGU Basco through the Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA) and the Municipal Health Office. Conducted from July 16 to August 21, the initiative promoted evidence-based health practices, physical activity, proper nutrition and social engagement among senior citizens.
Activities during the program included health assessments, nutritional feeding, physical exercises and friendly competitions designed to support physical fitness, mental agility and social interaction.
The October 1 culmination featured a final health assessment, tournament games, cognitive-motor agility activities and a Zumba session, allowing participants to demonstrate the progress and skills developed throughout the program.
Batanes Governor Ronald P. Aguto, Jr. graced the activity and delivered a message to the senior citizens. He also presented awards to the winners and outstanding participants in recognition of their active participation in the program.
Representing Basco Municipal Mayor German A. Caccam, Sangguniang Bayan Member Carla Corder also joined the celebration on behalf of the municipal government.
OSCA Head Elda B. Lechuga and Senior Citizens President Rosemarie V. Delatado shared inspirational messages and testimonials, while DOST Batanes Provincial Director Nora T. Garcia emphasized the role of science, health awareness and community partnerships in promoting the well-being of senior citizens.
Participants were also recognized through various awards, including the Golden Vitality Award, Mental Agility Award and Tournament Grand Champion.
The activity concluded with a message from Dr. Jeniffer Robillos, Municipal Health Officer of Basco.
The Golden Age, Golden Health Activity demonstrated how science-based health practices and collaboration among government agencies, health workers and the community can help senior citizens maintain active, healthy and socially engaged lives.
Through the initiative, DOST Batanes and its partners reaffirmed the importance of creating opportunities for senior citizens to remain active participants in their families and communities. (Nelson Santos)
BASCO, BATANES — The ISLA Mavulis Project, a ₱9-million initiative aimed at strengthening weather monitoring, water security, health services, communications, and emergency support on Mavulis Island, was soft-launched during the 2026 Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Caravan in Basco, Batanes.
ISLA Mavulis, which stands for Island Support and Life Saving Assistance to Mavulis, is being implemented by the Provincial Local Government of Batanes, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Batanes serving as the monitoring agency.
During the soft launch, Engr. Mark Ventolero presented the project and discussed how science and technology can provide practical and life-saving solutions for personnel and fishermen operating in the remote waters surrounding Mavulis Island in Itbayat, Batanes.
The project includes an Automated Weather Station (AWS), satellite-fed internet, digital lighthouse, solar power system, solar-powered water desalination system, RxBox telemedicine device, communication equipment, and solar-powered lights and pumps.
The AWS is designed to serve as an early-warning node that will monitor wind gust speed, barometric pressure, rainfall intensity, and humidity. Through satellite telemetry, weather data can be transmitted every 10 minutes to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and disaster management nodes to support weather monitoring and early-warning operations.
The project also addresses the island’s limited access to freshwater through a portable desalination system designed to convert seawater into potable water. The unit can produce up to 200 liters of purified water daily, providing an additional water source for personnel and fishermen in the area.
For health services, the project includes an RxBox Telemedicine Suite equipped with an electrocardiogram (ECG), pulse oximeter, blood pressure monitor, and temperature sensors. Through satellite connectivity, the system is designed to facilitate remote consultations with medical specialists and support the electronic recording of medical information even when the island is operating off-grid.
The initiative further integrates renewable energy and communications systems to support its operations. Solar power will provide electricity for the various facilities and equipment, while satellite connectivity will facilitate the transmission of weather, health, and other critical information to concerned agencies.
During the event, Dr. Marcelino Q. Villafuerte II, Deputy Administrator for Research and Development of PAGASA, presented the agency’s ₱9-million funding support for the ISLA Mavulis Project.
As presented during the event, the project had reached 36 percent accomplishment. The desalination machine and RxBox had already been procured and delivered, while negotiated procurement for the Automated Weather Station was ongoing.
The integrated system is expected to strengthen disaster resilience and humanitarian support in Mavulis Island by providing access to weather information, potable water, medical assistance, communications, and renewable energy.
The project also seeks to support Filipino fishermen operating in the country’s northernmost waters by providing critical facilities and services they may need during emergencies and severe weather conditions.
Through the ISLA Mavulis Project, government agencies aim to establish a more sustainable off-grid support system in the remote island while strengthening science- and technology-based services in one of the country’s most geographically isolated areas. (Nelson Santos)
DOST’s Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST-SETUP) has helped Tawsen Agri Ventures improve its products, expand its operations, and navigate major setbacks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic and a fire that disrupted its planned expansion.
For owner Dennis I. Lim, the program’s support went beyond the provision of equipment, extending to continued assistance as the business worked through financial and operational difficulties.
Established in 2005, Tawsen Agri Ventures initially operated as a printing and packaging enterprise before expanding into food processing and developing products using locally sourced resources from Batanes.
In 2014, Tawsen availed itself of its first DOST-SETUP assistance, acquiring printing equipment that allowed the business to produce tarpaulins, product labels, and packaging materials for its processed food products.
Lim said the intervention improved the presentation and marketability of Tawsen’s products, contributing to an estimated 200 to 300 percent increase in sales as the improved packaging coincided with the growth of tourism in Batanes.
The business also increased its workforce from three to five employees and eventually expanded into other ventures, including a hotel and restaurant.
Tawsen’s product line grew to include locally produced wine, turmeric and ginger products, and wakay or sweet potato chips, creating additional market opportunities for agricultural products sourced from the province.
Building on the gains from its first intervention, Tawsen availed itself of DOST-SETUP Phase 2 in 2019 to pursue a larger expansion.
Lim envisioned a two-storey facility that would integrate food production and tourism. The ground floor was planned as a production area where visitors could observe the processing of Tawsen products, while the second floor was intended as a museum and showcase for locally produced goods from Batanes.
The expansion, however, was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought tourism to a standstill. Tawsen later faced another setback when a fire damaged the business.
The successive challenges prevented the enterprise from fully realizing its Phase 2 plans, while its recovery in the tourism market has remained a continuing challenge.
Despite these setbacks, Lim said DOST continued to support the enterprise instead of leaving it to deal with the difficulties on its own. Assistance included flexibility in payment arrangements, giving Tawsen additional time to address its obligations while working toward recovery.
“All-out pa rin ang support nila. Nagbibigay sila ng extension of payment. Hindi sila nagpabaya sa mga clients nila,” Lim said.
For Lim, the experience highlighted another important aspect of DOST-SETUP: its role as a continuing partner of enterprises, particularly when businesses encounter circumstances beyond their control.
Tawsen Agri Ventures’ experience illustrates the challenges faced by small enterprises in island communities, where tourism, market access, and other external conditions can significantly affect business operations. At the same time, its journey shows how technology upgrading and sustained institutional support can help enterprises build capacity and pursue recovery after major disruptions.
Despite the setbacks, Lim remains appreciative of the assistance that helped Tawsen improve its operations and develop new products using Batanes’ local resources.
“SETUP has opened more opportunities for product development for us,” he said.
For Tawsen Agri Ventures, the journey continues, with DOST-SETUP remaining a partner not only in business growth but also in rebuilding and moving forward after adversity.
Tagalog News
NAHULI ng mga tauhan ng General Trias Component City Police Station ang isang wanted kamakailan sa naturang lungsod sa Cavite.
Ang akusadong si alyas Mamar, residente ng General Trias City, ay isang City Level Most Wanted Person, Rank No. 9 ng Olongapo City Police Office.
Siya ay nahuli dakong alas-8:45 ng gabi sa Barangay Pasong Kawayan 2, General Trias City, nitong Oktubre 5 sa bisa ng warrant of arrest.
Ang matagumpay na operasyon ay pinangunahan ng warrant personnel ng General Trias CCPS katuwang ang mga tauhan ng Sector 4, City Investigation and Detection Management Unit at Police Station 5 ng Olongapo CPO.
Ang warrant ay may kaugnayan sa paglabag sa Section 28(a) in relation to Section 28(e)(1) ng Republic Act No. 10591, Section 11, Article II, at Section 12, Article II ng Republic Act No. 9165.
Ang mga warrant ay inisyu ng Regional Trial Court, Third Judicial Region, Branch 97, Olongapo City, na may itinakdang piyansa na ₱120,000 para sa paglabag sa RA 10591; ₱200,000 para sa paglabag sa Section 11, Article II ng RA 9165; at ₱40,000 para sa paglabag sa Section 12, Article II ng RA 9165.
Sinabi ni Prof. Jay Jazul, RH, MSc., CP, Assistant Professor mula sa UST Faculty of Pharmacy, na ang sampol ng mga artikulo ay mula sa mga kasalukuyan o dating naninigarilyo na lumipat sa mga alternatibong malaya sa usok na may 22 kalahok.
Napansin ni Dr. Jazul na karamihan sa 22 kalahok ay nagtagumpay sa pagtigil sa paninigarilyo nang lumipat sila sa mga alternatibong malaya sa usok.
“Ang pangunahing alalahanin ng ilang mga siyentipiko ay kung ang mga alternatibong produktong malaya sa usok ay e-cigarette o mga produktong vape,” aniya.
“Kahit papaano, ang ilang mga kalahok sa pag-aaral ay nakalipat sa mga alternatibong malaya sa usok mula sa mga produktong tabako,” dagdag niya. Binanggit ni Dr. Jazul ang artikulo tungkol sa mga tagapagtaguyod ng koalisyon at mga boses ng medikal kung ano ang ginagawang posible ng access.
“Sa ilang mga bansa, binabanggit nila ang tungkol sa ilang mga reseta. Kumukuha muna sila ng mga reseta bago hingin ang electronic cigarette,” aniya.
“Ayon sa pinagkasunduan ng mga eksperto sa kalusugan, dapat mayroong tamang impormasyon para sa kanila. At iyon ang agenda pagdating sa harm reduction,” wika ni Dr. Jazul.
“Ang Estados Unidos tulad ng alam natin, ay may tamang regulasyon pagdating sa electronic cigarette. Ngunit sa ibang mga bansa, nandiyan ang FDA (Food and Drug Administration),” dagdag pa niya.
Napansin ni Dr. Jazul na 1,000 tagagawa sa Tsina ang sumusunod sa mga patakaran, regulasyon, at kinakailangan ng FDA pagdating sa electronic cigarette.
Sinabi naman ni Anton Israel, Pangulo ng Nicotine Consumers Union of the Philippines (NCUP), na ang mga naninigarilyo ay nakabuo ng “smoker’s policy” na hindi na sila tumitigil sa paninigarilyo dahil mamamatay din naman sila.
Gayunpaman, ayon kay Israel, “magandang may mga alternatibo sa paninigarilyo (tabako) tulad ng vape at e-cigarette na parehong may iba’t ibang paraan ng paghahatid.”
Ayon kay Israel, ang mga produktong vape ay mas mababa ang pinsala, dapat mas mababa ang buwis sa mga naturang produkto, at hindi konklusibo na nagsisimula ito sa mga produktong vape at nagtatapos sa e-cigarette.
Hinimok ni Israel ang mga gumagawa ng patakaran na sukatin ang mga parameter sa pagpapataw ng buwis pagdating sa mga produktong pinasingaw na sigarilyo. “Generally, positive ang gumamit ng vape (products).
Sigarilyo na mapaminsala o vape na nabawasan ang pinsala. Kung mas mataas ang tax sa vape products, baka bumalik sila sa sigarilyo,” ani Israel.
Ipinahayag ni Israel ang suporta sa mga mambabatas sa pagpapataw ng buwis sa mga produktong vape o e-cigarette ngunit hindi sa napakataas na halaga na maghihikayat sa mga naninigarilyo na huwag nang lumipat sa mga produktong sigarilyong malaya sa usok.
Tinalakay naman ni Atty. Jason C. Torres, eksperto sa Excise Tax, ang mga estratehiya para sa pagpapalaki ng kita mula sa mga sumusunod na produktong nikotina.
Binanggit ni Atty. Torres ang koordinasyon ng BIR-BOC (Bureau of Internal Revenue-Bureau of Customs) laban sa smuggling at tax evasion kung saan ang BOC, NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), BIR, at PCG (Philippine Coast Guard) ay nakasamsam ng P1.7-Bilyong halaga ng puslit na sigarilyo sa malalaking operasyon laban sa smuggling.
“Kapag nahuli mo ang illicit trader, yung tauhan lang nila ang nahuhuli mo. It runs into billions of pesos,” ani Torres. “Pag cigarette, it starts with P60 starting January this year. Pag vape products, it starts with P50. There’s a move there to make it unitary or unified,” dagdag niya.
Binanggit din ni Atty. Torres na ang Pilipinas ay lumagda sa “Framework on the Conventional Tobacco Control”.
Nagniningning ang Quantum Skyview sa Gateway Mall 2, Araneta City sa pagbubukas ng Gateway Art Fair 2026. Pinangunahan ng J. Amado Araneta Foundation (JAAF) at Gateway Gallery ang engrandeng selebrasyong ito na dinaluhan ng mga kultural na tagapagtaguyod at ng publiko. Mas pinatingkad pa ang programa sa kagandahan ng Binibining Pilipinas International 2025 na si Katrina Anne Johnson bilang host ng okasyon.
Dumalo rin si Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte upang ipakita ang matinding suporta ng lokal na pamahalaan sa sining at kultura ng lungsod. Sa kanyang talumpati, binigyang-diin ni Mayor Belmonte na napakahalaga ng mga ganitong aktibidad upang mas mapalapit ang sining sa mga ordinaryong mamamayan. “Lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa Araneta City sa patuloy na pagbibigay ng espasyo kung saan ang ating mga QCitizen at Pinoy artists ay nagkakaroon ng pagkakataong sumikat,” ani Belmonte.
Ayon naman kay JAAF President Rowell Recinto, ang taunang art fair na ito ay patunay ng kanilang patuloy na pagpapahalaga sa pamanang Pilipino. Aniya, patuloy na magbibigay ng entablado ang “City of Firsts” para sa malayang pagpapahayag ng mga lokal na malikhain. “Ang Gateway Art Fair ay hindi lamang isang simpleng exhibit; ito ay isang kilusan na naglalayong dalhin ang sining direkta sa puso ng komunidad,” pahayag ni Recinto.
Para sa beteranong pintor na si Gerardo Jimenez, ang pagtitipong ito ang nagsisilbing tulay para magkalapit ang mga artista at ang mga mahilig sa sining pati na ang mga namamasyal lamang sa mall.
Masaya niyang ibinahagi na nakatutuwang makita ang interes ng madla sa mga obrang sumasalamin sa totoong buhay ng mga Pilipino. “Napaka-fulfilling makitang humihinto ang mga tao para namnamin at sadyang pahalagahan ang ating kultura sa pamamagitan ng aming mga likha,” ani Jimenez.
Tampok sa multi-day cultural showcase na ito ang daan-daang kahanga-hangang obra, mula sa mga tradisyonal na pinta hanggang sa mga modernong iskultura na gawa ng mga baguhan at batikang alagad ng sining mula sa iba’t ibang panig ng bansa.
Bukod sa mga exhibit, naghanda rin ang mga organizer ng mga interactive workshop at talakayan upang masubaybayan at mahubog ang susunod na henerasyon ng mga artist.
Libreng napanood at nabisita ang Gateway Art Fair 2026 kamakailan sa mga pasilidad ng Gateway Malls 1 at 2. (REY NILLAMA)