Children's Causes Update: Central Visayas: NGOs forged partnership w/ DSWD to provide hot meals & supplementary feeding

PPP forged for supplemental feeding | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "The supplemental feeding will be in a form of hot meals for malnourished children outside the government’s day care centers in identified and adopted villages of the NGO beneficiaries. More than 1,300 children will be served by the DSWD and Akap Bata-Cebu, Rotary Club of Metro Bogo, Zenith Foods Corporation, La Consolacion College in this City, Sto. Tomas College in Danao City, and La Consolacion College in Lilo-an, Cebu. Meanwhile, the DSWD will provide 20,000 kilos of Iron-fortified rice while the NGO partners will share the other requirements needed by the program. The feeding program, to run from 120 to 200 days, will be given to malnourished children ages 2-12 years old outside day care centers in the identified barangays. Others entities in the national level partnering in the program are Jollibee Foundation, Augustinian Sisters of our Lady of Consolacion, Operation Blessing Foundation, Phils., Inc., and Hapag-Asa Integrated Nutrition Program. (Phoebe Jen Indino)"

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Wellness in Culture: DOH launches world's safest firecracker

Department of Health launches world's safest firecracker | Sun.Star: "The music CD also has a "Fireworks Symphony" preceded by a countdown, as commonly practiced around the world during moments before midnight of January 1. After being mass produced, the CD will then be distributed to local government officials, which will be tasked to reproduce them and distribute to constituents. Metro Manila will be given priority since it is where most firecracker-related injuries come from, Tayag said. The CD, a brainchild of Six Cycle Mind’s guitarist Herbert Hernandez, may soon be available for download, Tayag said."

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Wellness in Governance: DSWD & DND to build bunkhouses for families displaced by floods from tropical storm “Sendong”

DSWD eyes bunkhouses in CDO - The Philippine Star » News » Headlines: "Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said 10 bunkhouses are expected to be constructed by the end of the year. The DSWD initially turned over P7.3 million to the National Development Support Command (NADESCOM), an infrastructure and development arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), to fund the construction of bunkhouses. Malacañang, on the other hand, authorized the release of P241 million, which Soliman turned over to Iligan Mayor Lawrence Cruz, for the construction of “core shelters.” “This money will go to the construction of the core shelters, by core shelter we mean four walls, one toilet and one room,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. Department of Health (DOH) Assistant Secretary Romulo Busuego said a 10-hectare lot in Baranggay Kalaanan in Cagayan de Oro has already been identified as the relocation site for the victims during an inter-agency meeting last Friday."

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Peace Update: AFP vowed to continue working with people to promote peace & development in conflict areas thru: "Bayanihan, Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran”

AFP celebrates 76th anniversary - The Philippine Star » News » Headlines: "AFP donates to flood victims: The President thanked the AFP for the donations it made to victims of flashfloods in Mindanao, “which shows the soldiers’ spirit of bayanihan in times of disasters.” The military hierarchy’s decision to forego the annual AFP Ball, the voluntary donation of soldiers’ P90 daily subsistence allowance to “Sendong” victims, and its refusal to use the flyby during yesterday’s 76th anniversary rites were among the AFP’s contributions"

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Wellness in Environment: DENR pursues clean air program | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online

DENR pursues clean air program | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has installed its second fully automatic air quality monitoring station in Valenzuela City Wednesday for the collection of real-time pollution data in northern Metro Manila.

Leading the launch at the grounds of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Valenzuela (PLV) at Mayson Road in Malinta, Valenzuela were Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Juan Miguel Cuna, representing DENR Secretary Ramon Paje; Valenzuela City Administrator Teresita Capacillo, representing Valenzuela City Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian; and PLV President Nedeña Torralba.

Paje earlier said the station would be part of the agency’s continuing efforts to improve air quality especially in Metro Manila, where vehicles contribute about 80 percent of pollutants.

“As part of our clean air program, the data that this station will collect will be used as reference for crafting air quality management programs and policies especially by the local government unit,” he said."

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Peace Update: Philippines approves holiday cease-fire with communist rebels in traditional good will gesture - The Washington Post

Philippines approves holiday cease-fire with communist rebels in traditional good will gesture - The Washington Post:

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Wellness in Science & Technology: Region XII approved Resolution endorsing Institutionalization of Philippine Halal Laboratory & Halal Science

"DOST XII director Zenaida Hadji Raof-Laidan said the PNHLSC is the first of its kind in the country which shall serve as the country's clearing house of all Halal products manufactured and processed for domestic and international consumption for the protection of the Philippine Halal market. She further said the PNHLSC shall also serve as the center for Research, Development and Extension (RD&E), Halal Education and Training for Halal Science Incubation. It shall be recognized as the competent authority in Halal Science and shall be an accrediting body for Halal laboratories and certifying body for Halal products, Laidan pointed out. The DOST XII director disclosed that as far as the technical aspect is concerned, DOST XII has capabilities referring to the advanced Halal laboratory equipment and competent Muslim scientists." 'via Blog this'[PIA News] DOST seeks Presidential approval in institutionalizing Philippine National Halal Industry:

Wellness in Governance: Worker's Welfare: DoLE's Alternative Employment Program for Workers Affected by Closed Season of Commercial Fishing

DoLE launches alternative employment program | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: Zamboanga City: "The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) in coordination with all the concerned stakeholders launched an alternative employment program for the thousands of workers in the sardines, fishing and canning industries affected by the closed season for commercial fishing in the region. Dubbed as Sustained Availability through Genuine and Intensified Preservation of TAMBAN (SAGIP-TAMBAN), it is a special program that provides alternative employment to the workers affected by the closed season for commercial fishing. Aside from the affected workers, the program will also provide temporary or alternative employment to their dependents through the availment of either skills trainings, livelihood or emergency employment from the government and other concerned stakeholders while their employers in the sardines, fishing and canning industries are still observing the closed fishing season. The implementation of the program shall adopt the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme."

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Women Cause Update: Women Negotiators Hold Positions in the GPH-MILF Peace Talks

"First there was only one: Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, University of the Philippines professor of political science, the lone woman in the Philippine Government (GPH)-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace negotiations, representing GPH. This week, there were three of them across the negotiating table at the Executive Boardroom of the Royale Chulan Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, with the introduction of two consultants – Bai Yasmin Busran-Lao for the GPH peace panel and lawyer Raissa Jajurie for the MILF peace panel. It was the first time since the peace negotiations started in 1997 that the all-male MILF peace panel had a woman on their side across the negotiating table, albeit not as regular member as yet but as consultant."

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'via Blog this'MindaNews » The women in the GPH-MILF peace talks:

Peace Update: Marawi City sharing the common concern for reconciliation and understanding

"Peace stakeholders in Lanao del Sur vowed to support all peace and development initiatives in Mindanao. They made a commitment to suppress all and every negative actions that hinder the attainment of peace in Mindanao, at the same time conveyed appreciation to individuals, organizations, and international institutions in their various efforts towards the realization of lasting peace in this part of the country. The signing of the unified declaration of commitment for peace highlighted the provincial culmination program of the Mindanao Week of Peace 2011

'via Blog this'Peace advocacy | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online:

Wellness in Environment: Energy Development Corp (EDC) to establish Seed Bank & Arboretum using 96 endangered Philippine tree species

"The EDC, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the municipality of Valencia recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to set up a 9.35 hectare arboretum where a collection of different rare and endemic prime trees will be propagated, according to Toni Nieva, EDC public relations supervisor. DENR Region 7 Executive Director Maxino Dichoso and EDC Senior Vice-President Agnes de Jesus endorsed the MOA to pave the way for the establishment of the arboretum. Nieva said the arboretum serves as learning and training facility for students, faculty, plant enthusiasts, ecotourists and people from various walks of life. It will also serve as a research laboratory for biological and environmental scientists. The EDC Arboretum will host the 96 species of Dipterocarp and non-Dipterocarp families. These species are categorized into threatened, vulnerable, rare and endangered status based on the rules of DENR and the International Union of Conservation of Nature."

'via Blog this'[PIA News] EDC, DENR to establish Philippines’ 1st arboretum in NegOr:

Wellness in Science & Technology: Working on Effective Integration of Genomics to concrete steps to improve quality of life & advance socio-economics

"With its universal use, the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) has six other programs aside from agriculture—Biodiversity for Drug Diversity and Bioenergy, DNA Sequencing and Genotyping Facility, Bioinformatics Core Facility, Health, and Forensics and Ethnicity. “This is an ambitious but much-needed research venture designed to create an environment and culture to encourage new discoveries and innovations in a variety of fields,” said Dr. Carmen David-Padilla, PGC executive director. Projects under drug discovery includes production of drug for pain, epilepsy and neurological disorders from venomous marine snails; development of neuroactive, antimicrobial, and anticancer drugs from microorganisms found in marine snails and sponges; and development of medicinal plants and nutraceuticals containing antioxidants, anticancer, antinfective, antidiabetic, and antihypertensive agents."

'via Blog this'Genome Center to develop superior plants, animal breeds much faster | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: