WELLNESS IN BUSINESS: 41st Philippine Business Conference set Oct. 26-27, 2015

This year’s theme is “One. Global. Filipino: Synergies in Partnership for Global Competitiveness.” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s largest business organization, will focus its 41st Philippine Business Conference on how the government and business can intensify their strategic synergies and alliances that would build and strengthen competitiveness in an integrated global marketplace, PCCI president Alfredo M. Yao said. The PBC to be held from October 26 to 27 at the Marriot Hotel in Parañaque City will touch on investment opportunities in the local, regional and global settings. Yao said that the gathering will highlight success stories and global and regional trends on business competitiveness, including strategies for business and economic growth, developing a world-class infrastructure and advancing international trade partnerships. Conference chairman is Benedicto V. Yujuico, PCCI board director and former president of the Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI).  This 41st PBC has seven plenary sessions: (1) chambers of commerce and trade facilitation: Securing the future of international trade (2) agenda for competitiveness – the infrastructure sector; (3) agenda for competitiveness – doing business in the Philippines; (4) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; (5) instituting partnerships, sustaining the growth of small and medium enterprises; (6) developing competitive human resources; and (7) role of business in nation-building. Awards will be presented for the Business IDEA and Development, ABC Host Chambers, Alfredo M. Yao Intellectual Property Awards, Media Scholarship Awards, and testimonial for the 40th PBC chairman, Asean Business Awards, Excellence in Ecology and Environment Awards, Most Business-Friendly LGU Awards, Young Entrepreneur Award and Most Outstanding Chamber Awards. PBC provides business matching and networking sessions and eight breakout sessions for small groups wanting to hold separate discussions. The breakout sessions are (1) listing in the Philippine Stock Exchange -SME Board; (2) costs and benefits of dual training the Philippines; (3) doing business with Russia; (4) doing business in the Silicon Valley; (5) branding and IP commercialization; (6) involving business chambers, associations and enterprises in dual training: Case studies of pilot sectors in tourism and metal working; (7) opportunities in the Middle east; and (8) new business concepts in franchising. Conference chairman of the conference is Ambassador Benedicto V. Yujuico, PCCI board director and former president of CACCI. A fellowship dinner will end the first day; a gala dinner and awards night follows the PBC on its last night. The PBC is the annual gathering and dialogue of policymakers in the Executive and Legislative branches of government and of decision makers in Philippine business.Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/41st-philippine-business-conference-set-oct-26-27/

WELLNESS IN ARTS: Philippine Art Trek in Singapore officially launched

Apart from the launch,  Asserting/Transforming by Rene Robles open at Momentous Arts. Following this is the opening of “Diamond in the Distance” by Rodel Tapaya at the Arndt Gallery in Gillman Barracks. The third exhibition, “Opulent Surfaces” by Randy Solon open at Utterly Art. The 2015 Art Trek concluded with “Becoming,” a group exhibition by artist-students from selected art schools in the Philippines at Di Legno Gallery. The Philippine Embassy intends to sustain the Art Trek as a unique platform which provides Filipino artists with an opportunity to continue contributing to the vibrant art scene in Singapore and the region. “Filipiniana/Pinoy Collective” is the first of five solo and group exhibitions that comprise this year’s Art Trek. The group exhibition showcased the works of Filipino artists Prof. Ed Defensor, Pierre Patricio, Harry Mark Gonzales, Melvin Guerhim and Larry Calderon.http://www.philstar.com/arts-and-culture/2015/09/10/1498210/filipiniana/pinoy-collective-launches-philippine-art-trek

WELLNESS IN ENVIRONMENT: Filipinos to join “climate pilgrimage” in Vatican

Philippine “climate pilgrims” are set to participate on a 60-day “people’s pilgrimage” from St. Peter’s Square to Paris. They will bring a copy of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ as they embark on the journey.
Vatican Radio reported that thousands of environmental activists are expected to participate in the said event.
Organized by pro-environment and faith organizations, participants are expected to arrive in Paris two days ahead the opening of the UN climate summit in December.
The pilgrim, which will be backed by major environmental groups like Nobel laureate Al Gore’s The Climate Reality Project, aims to forge a new treaty to limit global warming and to eventually prevent catastrophic consequence. The Vatican to Paris pilgrimage is the height of the six-month journey around the world. It includes places which were heavily affected by climate change. The report added that the highest-profile event would be the 1,000-kilometre walk of pilgrims from Rome to Paris. The goal is to achieve a legal binding and universal agreement on climate. The 2015 UN climate change conference will be held in Paris this year. The said event will start on Nov. 30 and end on Dec. 11. 
by Paulo Cuento
October 2, 2015 (updated)
http://www.mb.com.ph/filipinos-to-join-climate-pilgrimage-in-vatican/

World Bank Program in the Philippines: CCT Proven to Keep Poor Children Healthy and in School

“The CCT grants, on average, only account for about 11 percent of the income of the poorest recipient households,” said World Bank Country Director Motoo Konishi. “Yet, for poor and vulnerable households the grants are very important. Two rounds of rigorous impact evaluation show that they use the money to buy food, school uniforms and school supplies for their children.”
The impact evaluation studies, according to Konishi, also show that CCT is delivering on its objectives: keeping poor children in school and healthy:

• Enrollment among poor elementary school children increased by 5 percentage points, while secondary education enrollment increased by 7percentage points.
• The program increased prenatal and postnatal care by 10 percentage points and increased the delivery of babies in health facilities by skilled health professionals by 20 percentage points.
• Children benefited by receiving higher intake of vitamin A and iron supplementation by around 12 percentage points and by increased weight monitoring visits to health facilities by 18 percentage points.

According to Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman, the government is currently updating the Listahanan, the program’s poverty targeting database, to ensure that CCT continues to respond to the needs of the country’s poor and vulnerable.
“As we speak, DSWD is conducting the second round of household assessment, which is needed to update the database,” said Secretary Soliman. “As of September 22, 2015, we have collected data from almost 14.4 million households. The target is 15.3 million, or 75 percent of all households in the Philippines. This updated database of poor and vulnerable households across the country will be the basis to select the succeeding sets of CCT beneficiaries.”

“What is good about this program is that many sectors are watching: media, local government, civil society groups, local leaders, and policy makers,” Secretary Soliman added. “Their continuing feedback helps ensure continuing improvements in the implementation of the program."
 http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/09/23/philippines-cct-proven-to-keep-poor-children-healthy-and-in-school