IRRI donates office furniture to local public school library

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—IRRI, through the Society of IRRI Non-research Professionals (SINOP), has donated cabinets, tables, and chairs for the Eva Corazon Library of the Bagong Silang Elementary School (BSES). Ms. Corazon is SINoP’s late former president.

“After our back-to-school activity to bring books and inaugurate the library in June, we noticed that the furniture and fixtures at the library were already dilapidated,” said Miriam Telosa, SINOP president. “They needed new ones to secure and safeguard the books and materials that were given to them.

SINOP endorsed the donation to Dr. Bruce Tolentino, IRRI's deputy director general for Communication and Partnerships, who supported and approved request.

“These donations will also help the students enjoy using their library and enhance their learning experience,” Telosa added. 

Ms. Romelda de Jose, BSES principal, received the donations from Mr. Lito Platon, IRRI’s Community Project officer, during a turnover ceremony on 28 July.  

“On behalf of BSES teachers, parents, and pupils, please accept our sincerest thanks,” de Jose said.  “Your donations will allow us to complete the facilities of our library and they will be of great help to the students and teachers as well. We are so lucky to have your organization as a partner.” 

Members of the organization attended the turnover ceremony (photo)..  

BSES is an adopted school of SINoP and some of its deserving students are supported by its scholarship program. 

(This article was written by Gina Zarsadias, IRRI.)

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SINoP mission goes up the mountain and down to the plain

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna—The Society of Non-research Professionals (SINoP) at the international Rice Research Institute (IRRI) held two succeeding activities within a week to help respond to the needs of a community on the slopes of Mt. Makiling and provide its members with financial literacy training. Mt. Makiling is a dormant volcano near IRRI's headquarters in Laguna province on Luzon island in the Philippines.

On 2 July, SINoP members and alumni (photo), together with members of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (IRRI-UPLB Chapter) trekked to Bagong Silang Elementary School—the organization’s adopted school—at the foot of Mt. Makiling to donate books and school supplies.The items were purchased using proceeds from its Back-to-School fundraising sale held in May and donations from SINoP members and friends. The event was also the dedication of the Eva Corazon P. Reyes Library, in memory of SINoP’s former president.

While SINoP is proud to reach out to the people in IRRI’s host communities, it also recognizes the needs of its members and provides seminars at the institute’s headquarters. On 7 July, SINoP held Investment 101: Personal Finance, a seminar on the basics of investing and the available options that suit their respective investment personalities. The seminar was facilitated by Ms. Janine Kyra Rivera, an associate investment counselor from the BPI Asset Management and Trust Group. Investment 101: Personal Finance was the first in a series of seminars lined up for SINoP members for the year.

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SINoP celebrates Philippine National Heritage Month with a trip down memory lane

MANILA, Philippines—As part of its objective to promote continuing education and foster camaraderie among its members, the Society of IRRI Non-Research Professionals (SINoP) organized a heritage tour in celebration of Philippine National Heritage Month on 22 May.

The one-day activity started with a tour of the Intramuros Light and Sound Museum  in the city of Intramuros, the oldest district and historic core of Manila. Through the museum's visual display, sound effects, and animatronics, SINOP members were transported back in time from the precolonial period to the Spanish era and the martyrdom of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal.  Afterwards, the group walked the streets of Intramuros and visited Casa Manila for a glimpse of how the residents of the walled city lived during Spanish times.

The group then proceeded to the nearby Binondo District, the world’s oldest Chinatown. Binondo was established by the Spaniards in the 1594 for Chinese Catholics. Apart from its historical significance, Binondo is a thriving commercial and cultural center that SINOP members experienced through the countless food stalls and restaurants offering classic Chinese cuisine and the busy street market scene.

From Chinatown, the historical tour headed to the Fine Arts Gallery of the Philippine National Museum where SINOP members learned more about history through the artworks of the masters. Of course, a trip to the museum will not be complete without visiting the IRRI Hall that features the institute’s Manansala murals and studies, The murals, on loan to the museum, were declared as National Cultural Treasures, the highest recognition for works of art that play a significant role in defining the identity of the Filipino people.

The final destination of the heritage tour was Rizal Park and the memorial of the Philippine national hero. Formerly called the Luneta National Park, Rizal Park is one of the largest urban parks in Asia. It is the site of Dr. Rizal’s execution in 1986, the declaration of the Philippine Independence from the United States in 1946, and the Quirino Grandstand where Philippine presidents take their oath of office.

Overall, the heritage tour gave SINoP members a better understanding of the present because of the new things they learned about the country’s past.

(This news item was written by Betty Sarah Carreon, IRRI.)

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IRRI Duets Season 5: a night of songs and fundraising success

IRRI Director General Matthew Morell (left) with Thor Roxas and Jovhel Ruiz, first place winners
 in the IRRI Duets competition, and SINoP President Miriam Teloso. (Photo by Jing Carlos, IRRI) 

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines—IRRI Duets, a singing competition and fundraising event all in one, has proven once again that the institute is not only home to outstanding scientists but also to talented individuals who can make beautiful music.

The sold-out, standing-room-only event held on 21 April is one of the projects of the Society of IRRI Non-research Professionals (SINoP). The talent competition raised donations and ticket sales that will go to SINoP’s scholarship program.

Now on its fifth season, nine duos from various IRRI units showed off their harmony, singing prowess, and artistry to win the coveted title.

Victor Francis “Thor” Roxas and Jovhel Ruiz (photo above) from the Finance Unit bagged first place with their impressive rendition of Islands in the Stream popularized by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. (View video.)

Larise Gallardo and Gio Karlo Evanglista, representing the Plant Breeding and Crop and Environmental Sciences Divisions, came in second. (View video.) Placing third was Maria Ymber “Mayee” Reveche, from Plant Breeding, and Rudi Trijatmiko, from the GSL-Genotyping Services Laboratory. Rveche and Trijatmiko also won the People’s Choice Award. (View video.) All the winning duos received cash prizes and  trophies. 

Gracing the event were celebrity judges Mackie Cao, a semi-finalist of The Voice Philippines Season 2 and Eat Bulaga’s Just Duet, and Tony Lambino, former member of the Smokey Mountain singing group and former head of IRRI Communication. Ms. Marife Rebutar-Maquera, from UP Rural High School and winner of 2012’s UPLB Outstanding Artist in Music, chaired the board of judges.

Special performances were given by Cao and Lambino while IRRI Duets’ Season 4 champions Jenny Wassmann and Cydhar Racho showed the audience why they topped the competition in 2013. Wassmann and Racho were accompanied by the IRRI Choir including Elizabeth "Libby" Pulsford, wife of IRRI Director General Matthew Morell.  

Also on hand were Geisha Shaina Lyn Sanchez, 2014 Dancing with the IRRI Stars winner, Maila Melodillar (Training Center) and Khelan Parojinog (Security Office) who regaled the crowd with their terpsichorean number.

All winners and contestants of IRRI Duets Season 5 take center stage with IRRI DG Matthew Morell and SINoP officers.
(Photo by Jing Carlos, IRRI)

SINoP thanks all the donors, supporters, and the team who made the fund-raising activity a huge success.

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The man they called Tom C (1956-2015)

 Tom Clemeno, fondly called Tom C, has served IRRI for more than 34 years.

Tom Clemeno, agriculturist and former manager (1998-2010) of the Experiment Station (ES) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), passed away at age 59 on 27 October 2015.

Tom served at IRRI for more than 34 years in different capacities starting as a research aide in 1984. He worked his way up to senior manager of ES, where he served for almost twelve years. Finally, he served as senior consultant at the Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Biotechnology Division in late 2013. 

              

Known as a man with a big heart, Tom supported various projects and was very active in employees' welfare. He led former IRRI employees’ associations, and groups such as the IRRI Filipino Scientists Association (IFSA) and the Society of IRRI Non-research Professionals (SINOP).

Tom, during the last days of his life, wrote a 14-page memoir The man they call Mr. Tom C, which was shared with family and friends during a funeral service held in his honor on 29 October 2015. He is survived by his wife Jovita, children Joanne Christianne, Timothy John, and Tom Justin, daughter-in-law May Lanuang, and granddaughter Louise Ysabelle. Tom's body was laid to rest on 30 October at Heaven’s Garden, Los Baños, Laguna.

Tom was considered a fine leader and a dear friend to many in the institute, and will be greatly missed. Friends and former colleagues who would like to extend help and contribute financially to Tom’s family may do so through IRRI’s sectoral organizations. 

                              "It's been all rice through my life (until today)." -Tom Clemeno

in a memoir titled The man they call Mr. Tom C.

 Full memoir, shared with permission from the Clemeno family.

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Philippines: SINOP reaches out to students and evacuees

Members of The Society of IRRI Non-research Professionals (SINOP) distributed umbrellas to students of Bagong Silang Elementary School in Los Baños on 16 August. SINOP members also took the opportunity to bond with the school children over snacks that it provided.