ROTARY UPDATE: Disaster Aid director shares mission with Rotary Club. Larry Agee, the executive director of Disaster Aid USA, gave a presentation to members of the Leesville Rotary Club that detailed his organization’s mission and outlined some of their successes. Agee described DAI as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity staffed with volunteers from around the world. He has, himself, only just returned from the Philippines where he and a group of volunteers offered aid to those most terribly affected by Typhoon Haiyan. Recently, he said, Disaster Aid has launched a domestic assistance program, providing help during the aftermath Moore, Oklahoma’s devastating tornados, logistics assistance during Hurricane Sandy, and, closer to home, aid with water filtration during Hurricane Isaac in Houma and Thibodaux. Agee explained that the Disaster Aid Response Teams, called DARTs, contained volunteers possessing a wide array of skill sets who were assigned to groups specializing in areas such as chainsaw operation and debris removal, rescue divers, fire and rescue personnel, water filtration, emergency medical personnel, operational logistics, and other important duties critical to handling the aftermath of a variety of different disasters. - News - Leesville Daily Leader - Leesville, LA - Leesville, LA

Disaster Aid director shares mission with Rotary Club - News - Leesville Daily Leader - Leesville, LA - Leesville, LA: "gee added that DAUSA was planning to host a volunteer training session in coming months in the Lake Charles area, the details of which are still being hammered out.
To learn more about this remarkable organization of volunteers and its many affiliates worldwide, visit www.disasteraidusa.com and www.disasteraidinternational.com."



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WELLNESS IN SCIENCE & TECH: “Science for Safer Communities” launched nationwide so that more lives are saved through better early warning and understanding of disaster risk. The Secretary of the Government’s Department of Science and Technology, Mario Montejo, said the initiative would ensure that “there are more disasters that do not happen. ‘’The role of science in reducing disaster risk is the good news story that is rarely told. We want such stories to occupy a greater amount of public space. We tend to hear only the bad news about what does not work,’’ Mr Montejo said. The “Science for Safer Communities” campaign has four priorities: first, increase local knowledge of risk; second, strengthen the capacity of local government units to act; third, test and improve early warning systems; and fourth, build response capability based on hazard scenarios. The Head of the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Margareta Wahlström, who is visiting the Philippines to promote consultations on a post-2015 international framework for disaster risk reduction, said the successor to the current Hyogo Framework for Action should include a much stronger role for science. ‘’Forty or so years ago science and technology opened the door on initial efforts to reduce disaster risk. Now, science can help us understand where we will be in another 40 years by providing evidence of the economic, social and environmental consequences if current trends continue,’’ Ms Wahlström said. ‘’Science can help provide practical and systematic evidence and only when we understand that disasters change people’s lives over years, and sometimes forever, will planning improve.’’ Assistant Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology, Mr Raymund Liboro, said the Philippines is shifting to an approach to disaster risk management based on predictive rather than historical data. ‘’It will make us smarter, for instance, in prioritising the protection and rapid restoration of critical services,’’ Mr Liboro said.- Philippines: Science to save more lives - News - Professional Resources - PreventionWeb.net

Philippines: Science to save more lives - News - Professional Resources - PreventionWeb.net: "UNISDR’s Head of Advocacy and Outreach, Jerry Velasquez said the Philippines is at the “cutting edge” of using science and related tools to reduce disaster risk.

‘’We were saying ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful if evidence-based and systematic information was used to save lives’ and here it is. We need to build on this achievement and begin applying such tools to save property and protect economic assets,’’ Mr Velasquez said."



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UPDATE: WOMEN'S CAUSES: 6th Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit at the World Trade Center awarded Go Negosyo's 10 Filipina Starpreneurs who moved up in life through their passion and hardwork in doing business, and most especially their inspiring success story. They are: Mary Joy Abaquin founded Multiple intelligence International School (MIIS) in Quezon City for she believes that education is the key to empower and enable people. As a Go Negosyo Angelpreneur, she generously shares her time and expertise in teaching aspiring and young entrepreneurs. The Multiple Intelligence System aims to bring out the best in every child, by searching for one’s strengths and harnessing it to be the foundation in fulfilling the child’s dream. Using her own money, she put up a progressive school in 1996. Today, her school has over 700 students and over a hundred teaching staff. For her, education is the key to empower and enable people. Mary Joy Abaquin holds a degree in Ed. M in Early Childhood Education, Boston University (Summa Cum Laude) and A.B. Psychology minor in Education, U.P. Diliman (Magna Cum Laude). Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Edith Dacuycuy of REFMAD farm owns the largest dragon fruit farm in the country located in Ilocos Norte. Her dragon fruit farm was a result of her search for a cure for her daughter’s illness. The Dragon Lady, as she is known to many, was able to grow her business through process innovation and research, and her farm is very notable for its zero-waste farming practices. With the expansion of her business, Edith realized the need to register her agribusiness and encourage other local farmers to engage in dragon fruit production. Together with her fellow farmers, they established the Rare Eagle Forest Marine in Agricultural Development (REFMAD) as a legitimate organization. Her dragon fruit is also distributed here in the country and abroad. Dr. Milagors Ong – How, executive vice president of Universal Harvester Inc. (UHI), learned and mastered the intricacies of the fertilizer industry through experience and further education. Her experience and education in handling chemicals and seeing the opportunity of business growth eventually lead her in fertilizer manufacturing. She started as a valuable ally of farmers in their search to increase their yield and improve production. She realized that agriculture is where her heart is because of her getting involved in the fertilizer business. Today, UHI is known as a Filipino company engaged in large-scale manufacturing, distribution, and exportation of world class fertilizers. Maria Ressa, founder and CEO of Rappler.com, wanted to inspire smart conversations and encourage greater awareness among Filipinos. Her being a renowned journalist in Asia paved way for founding a social news media giving people easy access to information at a speed of a mouse click. Ressa’s vision is to stir community engagement and discussions with the help of new technology. Ressa has been very active in forwarding the utilization of new technology in coursing information in a fast and effective manner. Maria is a graduate of Princeton University with a degree in molecular biology and theatre. Cathy Turvill, president of Nurture Spa, started her spa as a search for a place where she can find tranquillity and peace of mind. She then saw the opportunity of establishing her own spa pioneering and eventually becoming the leader in the Philippine spa and wellness industry. It soon evolved into a venue offering international standard spa with a touch of Filipino ambience. Nurture spa was named one of 28 Most Relaxing Spas of Asia. Turvill also founded the first internationally accredited spa school in the country. Cathy has been a Human Resources consultant and marketing professional for the past 20 years and is the founding President of the Spa Association of the Philippines. She is a graduate of the Executive Spa Development Course conducted by Cornell University in Singapore.

Go Negosyo’s Inspiring Filipina Starpreneurs 2014 | Business, News, The Philippine Star | philstar.com: "It is very evident that women are becoming more empowered in this age. They have conquered the realm where men dominate like politics and government, academe, private sectors, entertainment, and other industries known to men. It is very timely that Go Negosyo recognize women who stepped up and achieved greater heights in life."



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WELLNESS IN BUSINESS: Philippines tops regional sentiment. Optimism on the prospects of the Philippine economy is at its highest level in recent history, thus giving the country arguably the best investment climate in Asia, according to a study made recently by London-based Economist Corporate Network. Christopher Fossick, managing director of international property consulting firm JLL, which commissioned the report, said 49 percent of multinational corporations surveyed in the region ranked the Philippines at the top of the 14 major Asian nations in the pile. “When it comes to the investment climate, as far as these multinationals are concerned, the Philippines is effectively number one in the region,” he said. “And this climate is definitely improving.” The study actually ranked Myanmar ahead of the Philippines, with 77 percent of polled multinational firms saying things were improving, but Fossick pointed out that the country represents a special case. “Myanmar’s doors are just opening [to foreign investors] so the Philippines is effectively number one in the rankings,” he said. The study made by a unit of The Economist noted that 44 percent of all survey respondents believed that the Philippines’ investment climate is “staying the same,” while only 6 percent said that it was “worsening.” “And those that had a negative view on the Philippines were probably industry-specific,” he said. The respondents covered 334 large multinational corporations operating in Asia from a wide array of sectors like pharmaceuticals, banks and retail. Seventy percent of respondents had global revenues of at least $1 billion, and 80 percent of them were headed by non-Asian multinationals. The country was ranked by these executives ahead of China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan. They were most bearish on India where 32 percent of respondents said the investment climate was deteriorating, followed by 22 percent in China who believed prospects were turning south. As such, the JLL official predicted that the local real estate market—especially the office, commercial and residential sectors—would be a direct beneficiary of the bullish sentiment. “We expect the capital value of the Philippine [property] market to reach $300 billion by 2031,” Fossick said, saying that this represented an increase of over 50 percent from the projected $134 billion value by 2021.- Inquirer Business -

Philippines tops regional sentiment | Inquirer Business: "More significantly, this would represent a sharp rise over the aggregate capital value of the local real estate market of only $48 billion recorded in 2011.
For this year, JLL expects capital values of office real estate in Metro Manila to rise by between 10 and 20 percent, while rental values would increase by between 5 and 10 percent, due mainly to the continuing strong demand from the business process outsourcing sector."



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WELLNESS IN ENVIRONMENT: Philippines hosted 5th World Ecotourism Conference in Cebu which brought together officials and other policymakers in island and coastal regions to network effectively and to find common solutions for the development of coastal regions and contribute to the sustainability of these areas. With the theme “Marine and Coastal Ecotourism: Oceans of Uncertainties, Waves of Opportunities,” the 5th World Ecotourism Conference discussed the impacts of ecotourism activities linked to the seas such as whale and shark watching, snorkeling, scuba diving, and recreational fishing. The conference also tackled the socio-economic aspects of the industry such as development of destinations, management of marine ecotourism spots, marketing, and the elimination of poverty through sustainability. Participated in by tourism and environment officials from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to reinforce the region’s common resolve to cooperate on ecotourism development in Southeast Asia, the annual World Ecotourism Conference was endorsed by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and co-organized by the DOT and Discoverymice of Malaysia. Representatives from the government, industry, civil society, and the academe from all over the world attended the conference. Part of the country’s National Tourism Development Plan (NTDP) is to develop competitive and sustainable products and destinations which will provide economic opportunities and protect the environment. Conference participants were toured around the nearby tourism attractions including whale shark sites in Oslob, Cebu, and the Puerto Princesa Underground River in Palawan. In 2012, the Philippines was also host to the ASEAN Ecotourism Conference where the national ecotourism strategy was discussed, calling for sustainable management of destinations, education and awareness, participation of local communities, and development of tourism products. - Philippine tourism and the environment | Tempo - News in a Flash

Philippine tourism and the environment | Tempo - News in a Flash: "The Manila Bulletin, led by its Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Emilio T. Yap, President and Publisher Atty. Hermogenes P. Pobre, Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Cris J. Icban Jr., Business Editor Loreto D. Cabañes, Directors, Officers, and Employees congratulate the Department of Environment and Natural Resources headed by Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje and the Department of Tourism headed by Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., in their efforts in conserving and developing the country’s destinations, management of marine ecotourism spots, and marketing for our Filipino people in our Republic of the Philippines. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!"



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WELLNESS IN EDUCATION: Philippines-Australia’s partnership for education. The Department of Education (DepEd) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) have partnered to boost the Philippine education agenda through the Basic Education Sector Transformation (BEST) Program, a six-year (2013-2019) Aus$150-million (P6 billion) program to assist the Philippines improve learning quality and access to education in the context of the K-to-12 program, as well as strengthen the public education system. Australian Foreign Minister Julie I. Bishop signed in Manila on February 21, 2014, the Memorandum of Subsidiary Agreement for the BEST initiative, a commitment by Australia government to assist the Philippines promote prosperity, and enhance stability. DepEd and AusAID have been educational partners for 15 years, and Australia is the biggest bilateral grant donor to Philippine education. Among its programs being implemented in the country are Basic Education Assistance in Mindanao, the Technical Vocational Educational Project, and School Building Projects for Basic Education. The BEST program supports the Philippine education reform program to benefit more than eight million students in 19,000 public elementary and high schools nationwide. Australia helps the Philippines build new classrooms and train teachers. It supports the K-to-12 program. Under the BEST Program, there will be 1,000 more classrooms, 40 science and computer laboratories, and two Indigenous Peoples’ Learning Centers. Scholarships and training for teachers will be provided. A technology and research center will be established. The BEST program will initially focus on six regions: National Capital Region, Bicol, Northern Mindanao, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.- | Tempo - News in a Flash

Philippines-Australia’s partnership for education | Tempo - News in a Flash: "The Manila Bulletin, led by its Chairman of the Board of Directors Dr. Emilio T. Yap, President and Publisher Atty. Hermogenes P. Pobre, Executive Vice President Dr. Emilio C. Yap III, Editor-in-Chief Dr. Cris J. Icban Jr., Business Editor Loreto D. Cabañes, Directors, Officers, and Employees congratulate the Department of Foreign Affairs headed by Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, Department of Education Secretary Bro. Armin A. Luistro, Commission on Higher Education Chairperson Dr. Patricia B. Licuanan, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Julie I. Bishop, and Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell, for their partnership in providing quality, relevant education to young Filipinos and prepare for competitiveness the Filipino people in the global arena and in our Republic of the Philippines. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!"



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