Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines–Despite significant advancements in recent years, many countries in Southeast Asia still face the triple burden of malnutrition—undernourishment, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. To address malnutrition, the Philippines’ National Nutrition Council will host the 2nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Nutrition Surveillance Workshop-Conference to pursue the establishment of the Asean Nutrition Surveillance System, where delegates from the 10 Asean member-states will meet on Feb. 24 to 28, in Makati City. The project under the program, “Asean Collaborative Project on Nutrition,” aims to promote the sharing of information on challenges and good practices in improving nutrition, measuring progress using key indicators, and harmonized methodology toward attainment of regional and global goals through an Asean Nutrition Surveillance System Strategic Plan. Its key activities from 2015-2020 include capacity-building on data analysis, interpretation and dissemination, data standardization and nutrition data dictionary, resource generation, among other things. This process of nutritional surveillance can facilitate decision-making in relation to current and future policies, and direct targeting for health, nutrition and general development programs. Surveillance information can be utilized to promote actions that will alleviate or prevent malnutrition in the Asean region. Participants include delegates from the Asean member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma (Myanmar), Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards. To subscribe to the Philippine Read More …

Bill Hayton. SCREENGRAB from YouTube video/BBC MANILA, Philippines–A British journalist and author of a book on the South China Sea territorial disputes gave an official of the Chinese Embassy in Manila a dressing down at a forum organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday. “These countries (in Southeast Asia) are petrified of what you are doing. Stop doing it and make some friends,” Bill Hayton, a reporter of the British Broadcasting Corp., told Shan Ao, secretary to the ambassador of China to the Philippines. Hayton’s statement drew applause from the audience, composed mostly of diplomats and government officers, at the DFA headquarters. Shan earlier approached the microphone during the open forum to point out that China has no intention of waging a war to defend its nine-dash-line claim in the South China Sea. “China is not going to start a war. It is not true. [What it aims] is peace and stability in the region,” Shan said shortly after Hayton gave his lecture on “The South China Sea and China’s Geopolitical Interests.” China, Philippines, sea row, territorial dispute, BBC journalist, South China Sea, Bill Hayton, diplomacy, Shan Ao ‘Collective hallucination’ Hayton and former National Security Adviser and West Philippine Sea coconvenor Roilo Golez were speakers in the conference, which is part of the Foreign Service Institute Mangrove Forum on International Relations. Hayton is the author of the book “The South China Sea: The Struggle for Power in Asia,” published last year by the Yale University Press. Hayton Read More …