SINGAPORE INVESTMENT TO PHL: Singaporeans are keen on investing in information technology, renewable energy and infrastructure in the Philippines, the city-state’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam told President Duterte

“Both our countries believe in trade and development to improve the lives of our peoples. Singapore companies are keen to invest in the Philippines – one of Asia’s fastest growing economies,” Tan said before proposing a toast with Duterte during a state banquet for the Philippine leader.

Tan also sees expansion of Singapore businesses beyond Metro Manila to other major urban centers such as Cebu and Duterte’s home province of Davao.

Tan cited Singapore companies such as SIA Engineering and Singtel as contributors to the development of quality infrastructure, urban planning and ICT services.

Singapore is the Philippines’ fourth largest trading partner and a top ASEAN investor.

“Both Singapore and the Philippines are doing more to enhance economic and business cooperation,” he said, noting that International Enterprise Singapore (IE Singapore) has assisted a number of Singapore companies from the renewable energy and consumerism sector to secure their first projects in the Philippines.

“I am pleased to note that IE Singapore is devoting more resources to step up its presence in the Philippines in 2017, to better serve the growing interest of Singapore companies in the Philippine market,” he added.

“The strong economic ties between the Philippines and Singapore are complemented by warm people-to-people relations. Singapore is a familiar place to many Filipinos,” Tan said.

President Duterte’s two-day state visit was capped yesterday with the naming of an orchid Dendrobium Rodrigo Roa Duterte in his honor at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Naming orchids to visiting heads of state and VIPs is a practice – and a show of courtesy – of the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

Duterte also met with some 7,000 Filipinos at the Singapore Expo pavilions.

Each year, Tan said Singapore welcomes about 700,000 visitors from the Philippines who usually visit the Universal Studios and Gardens by the Bay, as well enjoy the city-state’s delectable cuisine.

“Many Singaporeans enjoy visiting the beautiful beaches in the Visayas and the majestic mountains of the Cordillera region,” he added.

The Singaporean leader also paid tribute to the Philippine national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, whose first port call on his way to Europe was Singapore.

Rizal also played a role in documenting some of Singapore’s history during his visits here in the 19th century.

“The links between Singapore and the Philippines go back a long way,” Tan said.

“Between 1882 and 1896, Dr. Jose Rizal visited Singapore four times, where he recorded detailed observations of the sights and sounds of pre-independence Singapore,” he noted.

Rizal’s notes and insights provided a valuable account of 19th century Singapore. A memorial to Dr. Rizal that now stands on the grounds of the Asian Civilizations Museum.

“Since those days, the exchanges between the Philippines and Singapore have blossomed, especially after diplomatic relations were established in 1969,” Tan said.

“Today, our two countries enjoy a robust friendship anchored in a shared vision of peace, harmony, and prosperity for our countries and the region,” he added.

Free trade pushed

Duterte, for his part, cited anew the need for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to speed up negotiations for a regional free trade agreement next year.

Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez relayed Duterte’s message here at a press briefing.

“We’ve had very good discussions with respect to really enhancing trade and investment cooperation, especially here in Singapore,” Lopez said.

– With Richmond Mercurio

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-bullish-investing-phl-tech-000000276.html

New Study: Autism Linked to Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy

The study, which was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, discovered that pregnant women who had low vitamin D levels when they were 20 weeks pregnant were more likely to have a child who displayed autistic traits by the age of 6. For the study, researchers analyzed approximately 4,200 blood samples from pregnant women and their children in the Netherlands.

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones, and people often get it from being exposed to the sun. However, it’s also possible to get doses of the vitamin from some foods and vitamin supplements.

Autism and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are terms for a group of disorders of brain development, according to the autism awareness organization Autism Speaks. The disorders are characterized by “difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors.” ASD may be linked to “intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention, and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal issues,” the organization says.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 68 children has the disorder, and it’s 4.5 times more common in boys than girls.

Unfortunately, vitamin D deficiency is fairly common in pregnant women, women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, tells Yahoo Beauty. According to data from the American Pregnancy Association, between 40 and 60 percent of the entire U.S. population is vitamin D deficient, and those numbers include pregnant women.

While prenatal vitamins include vitamin D, Wider notes that average versions contain about 400 IU of the vitamin, which may not be enough. “After this study and others like it, doctors will likely recommend supplementation,” she says.

Other research has shown that vitamin D plays a role in the development of the brain and nervous system, Wider notes, adding that it “makes sense” that low vitamin D may be linked with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. (In fact, previous research by John McGrath, MD, PhD, who led this study, found a link between low vitamin D levels in newborns and an increased risk of schizophrenia.)

Some foods, such as eggs, salmon, and sardines, contain vitamin D, New York-based dietitian and nutritionist Jessica Cording, tells Yahoo Beauty. “Mushrooms are one of the few plant sources, but they don’t provide a lot,” she adds. Most vitamin D is consumed through vitamin D-fortified foods, such as milk.

Wider expects that more doctors will start recommending vitamin D supplements to pregnant women as a result of these findings. However, if you’re pregnant and concerned about how your vitamin D level may impact your baby, talk to your doctor.

https://sg.style.yahoo.com/autism-linked-to-vitamin-d-deficiency-during-pregnancy-192403676.html

WHO | Update on Zika Virus. Read Article to Know How to Protect Yourself

Mosquitoes infect humans and people can infect each other through sexual transmission. Zika has been detected in blood, saliva, semen, spinal and other body fluids. Mother to child transmission in early pregnancy has also been reported. Aedes bites mostly during the day.

Symptoms:

Sympoms are usually mild and can include mild fever, skin rash, inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), muscle and joint pain, malaise or headache. Symptoms normally last for 2 - 7 days. Zika infection during pregnancy causes microcephaly, babies born with small heads, and other fetal brain malformations. Zika is also a cause of Guillain-Barré Syndrome - a neurological condition that can lead to paralysis and death.

Protect your health:

The best form of prevention is protection against mosquito bites. Personal protection with repellents, clothing that covers exposed skin and use of nets when resting during the day; window screens and destruction of breeding sites are recommended. There is no specific treatment or vaccine currently available.

To reduce the risk of sexual transmission and potential pregnancy complications related to Zika virus infection people living in/travelling to/or returning from affected areas should practice safer sex, including wearing condoms.

Areas at risk: Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Female Aedes aegypti, and Aedes albopictus are found in over 130 countries. There has been a steep rise in local Zika transmission in the Americas; since 2015, 62 countries and territories reported mosquito transmitted Zika virus. WHO announced a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 1 February 2016.

WHO Updates on Mosquito-borne diseases

Mosquitoes are one of the deadliest animals in the world. Their ability to carry and spread disease to humans causes millions of deaths every year. In 2015 malaria alone caused 438 000 deaths. The worldwide incidence of dengue has risen 30-fold in the past 30 years, and more countries are reporting their first outbreaks of the disease. Zika, dengue, chikungunya, and yellow fever are all transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. More than half of the world’s population live in areas where this mosquito species is present. Sustained mosquito control efforts are important to prevent outbreaks from these diseases. There are several different types of mosquitoes and some have the ability to carry many different diseases. Click below to see which diseases are transmitted by the Aedes, Culex, and Anopheles mosquitoes.

Key facts

Vector-borne diseases account for more than 17% of all infectious diseases, causing more than 1 million deaths annually.
More than 2.5 billion people in over 100 countries are at risk of contracting dengue alone.
Malaria causes more than 400 000 deaths every year globally, most of them children under 5 years of age.
Other diseases such as Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide.
Many of these diseases are preventable through informed protective measures.
Main vectors and diseases they transmit

Vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases between humans or from animals to humans. Many of these vectors are bloodsucking insects, which ingest disease-producing microorganisms during a blood meal from an infected host (human or animal) and later inject it into a new host during their subsequent blood meal.

Mosquitoes are the best known disease vector. Others include ticks, flies, sandflies, fleas, triatomine bugs and some freshwater aquatic snails.

Mosquitoes
Aedes
Chikungunya
Dengue fever
Rift Valley fever
Yellow fever
Zika
Anopheles
Malaria
Culex
Japanese encephalitis
Lymphatic filariasis
West Nile fever
Sandflies
Leishmaniasis
Sandfly fever (phelebotomus fever)
Ticks
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever
Lyme disease
Relapsing fever (borreliosis)
Rickettsial diseases (spotted fever and Q fever)
Tick-borne encephalitis
Tularaemia
Triatomine bugs
Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis)
Tsetse flies
Sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis)
Fleas
Plague (transmitted by fleas from rats to humans)
Rickettsiosis
Black flies
Onchocerciasis (river blindness)
Aquatic snails
Schistosomiasis (bilharziasis)
Vector-borne diseases

Vector-borne diseases are illnesses caused by pathogens and parasites in human populations. Every year there are more than 1 billion cases and over 1 million deaths from vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, schistosomiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and onchocerciasis, globally.

Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases.

Distribution of these diseases is determined by a complex dynamic of environmental and social factors.

Globalization of travel and trade, unplanned urbanization and environmental challenges such as climate change are having a significant impact on disease transmission in recent years. Some diseases, such as dengue, chikungunya and West Nile virus, are emerging in countries where they were previously unknown.

Changes in agricultural practices due to variation in temperature and rainfall can affect the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Climate information can be used to monitor and predict distribution and longer-term trends in malaria and other climate-sensitive diseases.

WHO response

WHO responds to vector-borne diseases by:

providing the best evidence for controlling vectors and protecting people against infection;
providing technical support and guidance to countries so that they can effectively manage cases and outbreaks;
supporting countries to improve their reporting systems and capture the true burden of the disease;
providing training on clinical management, diagnosis and vector control with some of its collaborating centres throughout the world; and
developing new tools to combat the vectors and deal with the disease, for example insecticide products and spraying technologies.
A crucial element in vector-borne diseases is behavioural change. WHO works with partners to provide education and improve awareness so that people know how to protect themselves and their communities from mosquitoes, ticks, bugs, flies and other vectors.

For many diseases such as Chagas disease, malaria, schistosomiasis and leishmaniasis, WHO has initiated control programmes using donated or subsidized medicines.

Access to water and sanitation is a very important factor in disease control and elimination. WHO works together with many different government sectors to control these diseases.

http://www.who.int/neglected_diseases/vector_ecology/mosquito-borne-diseases/en/?utm_source=WHO+List&utm_campaign=bb5ad4cdc7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_823e9e35c1-bb5ad4cdc7-266698981

WHO | Malaria control improves for vulnerable in Africa, but global progress off-track

GENEVA - WHO’s World Malaria Report 2016 reveals that children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa have greater access to effective malaria control. Across the region, a steep increase in diagnostic testing for children and preventive treatment for pregnant women has been reported over the last 5 years. Among all populations at risk of malaria, the use of insecticide-treated nets has expanded rapidly.

But in many countries in the region, substantial gaps in programme coverage remain. Funding shortfalls and fragile health systems are undermining overall progress, jeopardizing the attainment of global targets.

Scale-up in malaria control

Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionately high share of the global malaria burden. In 2015, the region was home to 90% of malaria cases and 92% of malaria deaths. Children under five years of age are particularly vulnerable, accounting for an estimated 70% of all malaria deaths.

Diagnostic testing enables health providers to rapidly detect malaria and prescribe life-saving treatment. New findings presented in the report show that, in 2015, approximately half (51%) of children with a fever seeking care at a public health facility in 22 African countries received a diagnostic test for malaria, compared to 29% in 2010.

To protect women in areas of moderate and high malaria transmission in Africa, WHO recommends "intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy" (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine. The treatment, administered at each scheduled antenatal care visit after the first trimester, can prevent maternal and infant mortality, anaemia, and the other adverse effects of malaria in pregnancy.

According to available data, there was a five-fold increase in the percentage of women receiving the recommended 3 or more doses of this preventive treatment in 20 African countries. Coverage reached 31% in 2015, up from 6% in 2010.

Insecticide-treated nets are the cornerstone of malaria prevention efforts in Africa. The report found that more than half (53%) of the population at risk in sub-Saharan Africa slept under a treated net in 2015, compared to 30% in 2010.

Last month, WHO released the findings of a major 5-year evaluation in 5 countries. The study showed that people who slept under long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) had significantly lower rates of malaria infection than those who did not use a net, even though mosquitoes showed resistance to pyrethroids (the only insecticide class used in LLINs) in all of these areas.

An unfinished agenda

Malaria remains an acute public health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the report, there were 212 million new cases of malaria and 429 000 deaths worldwide in 2015.

There are still substantial gaps in the coverage of core malaria control tools. In 2015, an estimated 43% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa was not protected by treated nets or indoor spraying with insecticides, the primary methods of malaria vector control.

In many countries, health systems are under-resourced and poorly accessible to those most at risk of malaria. In 2015, a large proportion (36%) of children with a fever were not taken to a health facility for care in 23 African countries.

"We are definitely seeing progress," notes Dr Pedro Alonso, Director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme. "But the world is still struggling to achieve the high levels of programme coverage that are needed to beat this disease."

Global targets

At the 2015 World Health Assembly, Member States adopted the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030. The Strategy set ambitious targets for 2030 with milestones every 5 years to track progress.

Eliminating malaria in at least 10 countries is a milestone for 2020. The report shows that prospects for reaching this target are bright: In 2015, 10 countries and territories reported fewer than 150 indigenous cases of malaria, and a further 9 countries reported between 150 and 1000 cases.

Countries that have achieved at least 3 consecutive years of zero indigenous cases of malaria are eligible to apply for the WHO certification of malaria elimination. In recent months, the WHO Director-General certified that Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka had eliminated malaria.

But progress towards other key targets must be accelerated. The Strategy calls for a 40% reduction in malaria case incidence by the year 2020, compared to a 2015 baseline. According to the report, less than half (40) of the 91 countries and territories with malaria are on track to achieve this milestone. Progress has been particularly slow in countries with a high malaria burden.

An urgent need for more funding

Sustained and sufficient funding for malaria control is a serious challenge. Despite a steep increase in global investment for malaria between 2000 and 2010, funding has since flat-lined. In 2015, malaria funding totalled US$ 2.9 billion, representing only 45% of the funding milestone for 2020 (US$ 6.4 billion).

Governments of malaria-endemic countries provided about 31% of total malaria funding in 2015. The United States of America is the largest international malaria funder, accounting for about 35% of total funding in 2015, followed by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (16%).

If global targets are to be met, funding from both domestic and international sources must increase substantially.

Note to editors

RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine
Last month, WHO announced that the world’s first malaria vaccine would be rolled out through pilot projects in 3 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Vaccinations will begin 2018. The vaccine, known as RTS,S, acts against P. falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally, and the most prevalent in Africa. Advanced clinical trials have shown RTS,S to provide partial protection against malaria in young children.

More about the RTS,S vaccine
WHO multi-country evaluation on LLINs
On 16 November 2016, WHO released the findings of a 5-year evaluation conducted in 340 locations across 5 countries: Benin, Cameroon, India, Kenya and Sudan. The findings of this study reaffirm the WHO recommendation of universal LLIN coverage for all populations at risk of malaria.

More on the evaluation of LLINs
For more information, please contact:

Saira Stewart
Technical officer, WHO
Mobile: +41 79 500 6538
Email: stewarts@who.int

Gregory HÄRTL
Coordinator, News, Social Media and Monitoring
Telephone: +41 22 791 4458
Mobile: +41 79 203 6715
Email: hartlg@who.int

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2016/malaria-control-africa/en/?utm_source=WHO+List&utm_campaign=bb5ad4cdc7-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_12_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_823e9e35c1-bb5ad4cdc7-266698981

OB Montessori Center celebrates 50 golden years

OB Montessori Center, the pioneer of Montessori education in the Philippines, celebrated 50 golden years of the Montessori experience with a grand show at the plenary hall of the PICC yesterday.

“Young and Ready for the World” was directed by well-known playwright and Palanca awardee for literature Floy Quintos. It featured the school’s distinguished alumni Lea Salonga, Shiela Valderrama-Martinez and theater actors Karla Gutierrez of the Philippine Opera Company, Janine Santos, Arman Ferrer and Spanky Enriquez with 400 students from all OBMC campuses – Greenhills, Sta. Ana, Angeles, Las Piñas and Fairview.

OB Montessori Center’s 50th anniversary is an important milestone for a great institution that has become a key pillar and bold innovator in the field of education. The show is a fitting tribute to the school’s founder Preciosa Soliven, wife of The Philippine STAR’s founding publisher, the late Maximo V. Soliven.

“Young and Ready for the World” also recognized OBMC’s distinguished alumni who have become productive citizens and contributing forces to the country and to the world: Lea and Gerard Salonga, Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, Vicky Rose Pacheco, Miko Aspiras, Dino Jalandoni, Paulo Paulino,  Michael Deakin, Rafael Jocson, Happy Andrada, Jayvie Agojo, Rico Blanco and Aiza Seguerra among others.

GLOBAL PINOY: Filipina lawyer tops UK school

"LONDON —Lawyer Rhio Fuentes-Nuylan walked up the stage of the esteemed Queen Mary University of London Tuesday afternoon after a year of postgraduate studies under the equally prestigious Chevening Scholarship, which is under the auspices of the British government.

 Graduating with distinction, she bested other students in her class and was awarded the Top Performing Student for the Master of Science in Law and Finance, which she chose to support her work at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as a senior bank officer.

She and 26 other Filipinos finished their post-graduate studies in prestigious universities here in the United Kingdom.

 The Chevening Scholarship was supported by Megaworld Foundation, its partner in the Philippines in funding the students.

In an interview with The STAR, Nuylan said her experience in the United Kingdom has inspired her to contribute to the development of policies that would help create a strong financial structure for the Philippines.

This same motivation made her decide to work for the BSP since 2007.

“In government, there is an opportunity for people to become catalysts of change. At the BSP, our work involves providing the technical input for important financial legislation,” she said, citing the recent passing of the Islamic Banking Bill in the House of Representatives.

But studying abroad does not come without its challenges, according to Nuylan, who is married to an army special forces officer.

“Family will always be the primary consideration. They are priority. But, you just have to believe that it is worth the sacrifice,” she said.

“Despite the challenges, you have a goal set in your mind. When these obstacles appear in front of you, you need to re-orient yourself and focus on the objective. Those challenges should never make you give up however difficult they may be,” she said.

Her brother, who is now based here, provided her support and the company to help her overcome the homesickness.

The mother of two, who hails from San Fernando town in Masbate province, was a consistent honor student.   — James Mananghaya"

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/filipina-lawyer-tops-uk-school-000000309.html

INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE 12:00 PRAYER FOR PEACE TO END TERRORISM

Join us in praying worldwide wherever you are in your time zone Prayer for Peace today 12:00 noon of Sept 21, 2016 United Nations International Day of Peace until tom Sept 22, 2016 :-) :-)

Wherever you are, let's pray the

PRAYER FOR PEACE TO END TERRORISM

(hold hands & say to each other)

"God bless your day whatever your mood maybe

May the angels guide you and protect you from harm

If you are traveling, may you find the road

and arrive at your destination safely

If trouble comes along the way,

may it turn into blessings favorable to all

May you meet new friends and may the old ones stay

May the love of our Divine Creator fill your emptiness...

...and may you feel it in the vastness of the universe

If u get so tired today,

may you find time to look up at the sky,

feel the air, recharge and rejuvenate.

And in all the things you did today, may your faith increase

May you be inspired by the diversity of people's personalities,

and be grateful that you were granted the chance to lead them.

And at the end of the day tonight as you rest,

may you be thankful for all the blessings that this day had.

and pray to forgive those who offended you. Amen."

Thanks for sharing prayers :-) love :-) and peace :-)

God bless you! :-) :-)

#Pray4peace #prayforpeacetoendterrorism #endterrorism #peaceday #Sept21 #WorldPeaceDay #spiritualwellness #climatechange #PeaceLeadership #PeaceLeaders

"LET’S PRAY FOR PEACE TO END TERRORISM

& START BUILDING BLOCKS FOR PEACE

TO ACHIEVE JUSTICE WORLDWIDE!"

-Ambasador Zara Jane Juan

Convenor, Climate Change & Peace Building

2016 PEACE VIGIL IS PEACE INNOVATION: BUILDING BLOCKS FOR PEACE FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208609327782417&set=a.1047915569910.2008892.1586313473&type=3&theater

#YAPe! Search is on from June 21, 2016 to December 31, 2016

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10208275947368115&set=a.2686226406657.2129533.1586313473&type=3&theater

OPEN TO KIDS, TWEENS & TEENS 4yrs old to 18yrs old

2016 Young Ambassadors of Peace for the Environment (YAPe!)

How to join:

First, make a ‘selfie’ & write your idea on how you can work for peace in your home, or in your schools, or in your neighborhood;

Second, draw a logo of your idea in a short bond paper ;

Third, make a video presentation of yourself elaborating your idea;

Fourth, upload your complete Video Idea entry to Wellness Pilipinas @ www.facebook.com/wellnesspilipinas

After submitting your complete entry, wait
for few days and you will receive your
Certificate of Recognition as YAPe! (PHL)

Not only that, if your entry is an
excellent idea, you will receive
gifts from sponsors! So, join now!

Peace :-)

Kindly share this announcement to all the kids you know.

Thanks :-)

Peace, Love and Joy be with you always!

God bless you!

Amb Juan (AJ)
Convenor, Climate Change & Peace Building 2016-2020
Climate Change & Wellness for Peace

WELLNESS IN BUSINESS: Philippines capable of double-digit growth – IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Philippines to post double-digit economic growth amid a steady improvement in public investment efficiency over the next 15 years.

In a report, IMF economist Takuji Komatsuzaki said the improvement in public investment efficiency generates substantial additional benefits particularly through higher gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“Assuming half of the inefficiency is eliminated in five years, the increase in real GDP after 15 years is nine percent to 11 percent,” Komatsuzaki said.

The IMF considered two scenarios in the working paper including a permanent increase in public investment by two percent of GDP financed by borrowing as well as the same increase in public investment financed by higher taxes.

“All scenarios exhibited sustained gains in output because improving public infrastructure leads to gains in productivity, which crowds in private investment,” Komatsuzaki said.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/business/2016/03/02/1558449/philippines-capable-double-digit-growth-imf

WELLNESS IN ENVIRONMENT: Smallest of giant flowers ‘accidentally’ discovered in the Philippines

Luzon Island in the Phillipines, a team of scientists have discovered the smallest of these giant flowers.

When fully expanded, this newly discovered flower has an average diameter of 9.73 cm, making it a “dwarf” among all known Rafflesia species, researchers write in a new study published in the journal PhytoKeys. And unlike its larger cousins, this small flower smells like coconut, the New York Times reports.

The discovery was serendipitous, researchers say. Lead researcher Prof Perry S. Ong’s colleague was walking in a forest on Luzon Island when he accidentally tripped over a pile of forest litter, exposing a small decaying flower. This flower, the researchers found, belonged to a new Rafflesia species.

Ong, and his team, have named the new species Rafflesia consueloae in honor of Consuelo ‘Connie’ Rufino Lopez, lifelong partner of Filipino industrialist Oscar M. Lopez.

Rafflesia consueloae may have set a new world record, but this dwarf is on the verge of extinction, researchers say.

Only two populations of R. consueloae are known from two mountain sites, Mt Balukbok and Mt Pantaburon. These mountain are about two kilometers (1.24 miles) apart, and occur within the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed. Severely threatened by deforestation, these mountain sites now have only remnants of tropical lowland evergreen rainforests, the authors write.

“Following the IUCN Categories and Criteria, we regard this species as Critically Endangered,” they add. “Continued protection of the R. consueloae populations and other biodiversity in the area needs to be ensured as some local people still hunt wildlife there and forest fires are likely in the dry season.”

R. consueloae is the sixth species of Rafflesia to be discovered from Luzon Island, and the thirteenth from the entire Philippine archipelago. Like its giant cousins,R. consueloae has no distinct roots, stems or leaves of its own, and is a parasite. It depends on its host plants for water and nutrients.

Source: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/02/smallest-of-giant-flowers-accidentally-discovered-in-the-philippines

WELLNESS IN ARTS: Photo series on Philippine politics at international photo competition

Lawrence Sumulong, a Filipino-American photographer based in New York City and Manila, is shortlisted for the "Professional Conceptual" category of one of the world’s biggest photography competition, the Sony World Photography Awards. Sumulong's shortlisted series "Trapo," an ongoing project focusing on politics in the Philippines, was selected from 230,103 images from 186 countries. This year has the highest number of entries in the awards’ nine-year history, with 33 percent increase from 2015. has received great recognition for his original photographic projects challenging the medium. Talking about his success, he adds: "I am extremely grateful to be shortlisted at this prestigious competition considering my project’s obscure subject matter and approach."

Speaking about all the photographers who have been shortlisted this year, Scott Gray, CEO of the World Photography Organisation and organiser of the awards said: "We are extremely pleased with our jurors’ choices this year. Despite the increase in the number of photographers, and the amount of imagery that required judging, this year above all others we have witnessed a wealth of powerful imagery in the traditionally strong social documentary categories as well as the art and conceptual work. It is wonderful for the medium that it can offer such rich diversity."

Source: http://www.philstar.com/arts-and-culture/2016/02/24/1556358/photo-series-philippine-politics-international-photo-competition