Children's Cause: World Bank said CCT program improved Pinoy kids’ nutritional status. The government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program, popularly known as the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps), has significantly improved the nutritional status of poor Filipino children, according to a recent World Bank (WB) study. WB social protection specialist Junko Onishi said the 4Ps program has reduced severe stunting among poor children aged six to 36 months. Onishi said severe stunting, a measure of long term malnutrition, was 24 percent among children aged 6-36 months from non-Pantawid barangays to 14.7 percent in the villages not covered by the program. “Severe stunting can cause irreversible damage later in life, including lower educational attainment, reduced adult income and decreased offspring birth weight,” Onishi said. “This reduction in severe stunting indicates that CCT is enabling families to better care for their children. More parents in Pantawid barangays are feeding their children with high-protein food including eggs and fish, leading to improved nutritional status,” she said. Onishi said the CCT has helped improved the long-term nutritional status of younger children, which is a positive impact not seen in other CCTs at such an early stage.

WB: CCT program improved Pinoy kids’ nutritional status | Headlines, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com: "The study, entitled “Philippines Conditional Cash Transfer Program, Impact Evaluation 2012,” also found that poor households under the program spend 38 percent more in education per capita and 34 percent more on medical expenses per capita than their non-Pantawid counterparts.

“This trend indicates a shift in the spending pattern among CCT beneficiaries towards greater investments in health and education of their children,” said Nazmul Chaudhury, WB country sector coordinator for human development and a co-author of the report.

The study, conducted by the Social Weather Stations in October 2011, covered 3,742 households in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Mountain Province, Negros Occidental, and Occidental Mindoro."
read more: http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2013/03/03/915198/wb-cct-program-improved-pinoy-kids-nutritional-status
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Women's Causes: March, 2013 is National Women’s Month. With the theme “Kababaihan: Gabay sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan,” the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) leads the Celebration of National Women’s Month (NWM) on March 1-31, 2013. The theme, which supports H.E., President Benigno S. Aquino III’s vision of “tuwid na daan,” is also aligned with the Magna Carta of Women (Republic Act 9710). It underscores the need to accelerate women’s participation in governance and enhance gender perspective in upholding good governance. The celebration of NWM is pursuant to Proclamation No. 224 s. 1988 declaring the first week of March each year as Women’s Week and March 8 as Women’s Rights and International Peace Day; Proclamation No. 227 s. 1988 providing for the observance of the Month of March as Women’s Role in History Month; and Republic Act (RA) 6949 s. 1990 declaring March 8 of every year as National Women’s Day.

The 2013 National Women’s Month | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online: "Various events and activities have been lined up to mark NWM 2013. There will be a media launch of the Gender Equality Committee for Media (MGEC) policy documents on March 8, 2013, in coordination with the Presidential Communications Operations Office. A Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System (GFPS) Assembly will be held on March 13-14, 2013 to gather GFPS members from various agencies and Local Government Units to assess how gender mainstreaming has impacted the lives of both women and men.

Women leaders from various government instrumentalities will be honored in a program “Pagpupugay sa mga Kababaihang Namumuno sa Pagtahak sa Tuwid na Daan” on March 22, 2013. To create a network of empowered young women capable of sustaining what the Philippines has so far gained in addressing women and gender issues, a Young Women Leaders’ Forum is being planned.
read: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/396078/the-2013-national-women-s-month#.UTP-H7LN9tg
We congratulate the Philippine Commission on Women led by Chairperson Remedios Ignacio-Rikken, Executive Director Emmeline L. Verzosa, other Officers and Members, and all the Filipino women of the Republic of the Philippines on the occasion of this year’s National Women’s Month. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!"

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Wellness in Science and Technology: 1st Philippine International Science Fair: More than five dozen researches and innovations from eight Asia-Pacific countries were showcased at the recent First Philippine International Science Fair in Antipolo City. Student scientists from Bangladesh, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan-Republic of China, Thailand and the Philippines attended the three-day event with the theme “Building a Culture of Science.” The Philippine Science High School (PSHS) System and the First Pacific Leadership Academy, with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Education (DepEd), organized the fair “to nurture excellence in science and technology among students, to recognize and affirm the science and technology endeavors of students and to contribute to the development of a culture of science among the youth.”

1st Philippine International Science Fair | Inquirer News: "Education Secretary Armin Luistro  said, “What we need are scientists who understand deeply our scientific concepts …  and are able to translate these joyfully and simply for the rest of the world, most especially their peers.”
He expressed the hope that the Philippines would be able to build this culture of science in every elementary school, adding it was worthwhile to “reflect on the relevance of science in everyday life.”"
read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/356611/1st-philippine-international-science-fair
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Wellness in Education: DepEd has earmarked an additional P250,000 grant to each private Muslim school (madaris) to upgrade their physical facilities and improve operational capabilities. DepEd said the one-time financial support forms part of the Sajahatra program which seeks to deliver public services to Bangsamoro communities as a result of the peace agreement signed on Oct. 15, 2012 between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the financial aid to private madaris is aimed at realizing the vision of bringing socio-economic progress and genuine human development to the Bangsamoro people through education. “When we invest in education, we also address a host of other socio-economic challenges that trigger conflict. With education, we spread the light of understanding and solidarity among people,” Luistro said. He said DepEd will extend the additional support to private madaris in coordination with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. Based on DepEd Order No. 6, one of the main objectives of the grant is to enable the private madaris to improve their operational capabilities and allow them to undertake necessary curriculum adjustments in order to deliver quality education to students.

 "The end-goal is for them to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills while developing themselves as good Muslim Filipinos.

To qualify for the grant, private madaris must submit a letter of application for the fund mobilization complete with the name, address, contact details and the name of the head/principal of the school.

There must also be the endorsement of the OPAPP which should be prepared in coordination with OPAPP’s counterpart in the peace negotiation.

Another requirement is for the private madaris wishing to apply for the grant to have a minimum of 50 students.

President Aquino has included Madrasah education for Muslim learners as one of his priority concerns in his 10-point education agenda.

In 2011, he approved the allocation of P300 million -- from P200 million in 2010 – to fund various initiatives to ensure that the education the Muslims get is responsive to their specific learning needs. - Dennis Carcamo"

'via Blog this' read: http://www.philstar.com/nation/2013/02/25/913030/deped-gives-more-financial-aid-muslim-schools
Deped gives more financial aid to Muslim schools | Nation, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com:

Wellness in Environment: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has created a one-stop web page that contains all data on the state of the country’s environment and natural resources in one place. A statement from the DENR said the site is called the Environment and Natural Resources Statistics Information Systems (ENRSIS), – http://enrsis.denr.gov.ph/ – . It is a centralized database online destination that provides an integrated information bank on current environmental and natural resources (ENR) facts and figures. DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said the ENRSIS is a useful tool for the public and organizations and institutions pushing for sustainable development through effective environmental planning. “By creating this centralized resource, the ENRSIS allows the public to use with greater efficiency the power of reliable information as a tool to empower themselves,” Paje said. Paje said that apart from serving as a repository of the government’s ENR data, the ENRSIS also facilitates easy collation and valid comparison of data across ENR sectors contained in a single format.

“With the ENRSIS, it is now easier to track the progress we are making over a wide variety of concerns or to compare and analyze varying ENR policies being implemented,” Paje pointed out.

Two web portals were built to support ENRSIS users – one for Land/Soil Resources Statistics (LSRS) and one for Water Resource Statistics (WRS). These portals contain data generated initially by some 13 agencies under a single format and will be updated regularly.

The agencies under the WRS portal are the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), Local Water Utilities Administration, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), and Cooperative Development Authority (CDA). "
read more: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1781361762506
'via Blog this'PIA | Philippine Information Agency | DENR unveils all-in-one site for environment data: "