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Rural health centers tasked to serve as hydration units in dengue outbreak response

RURAL HEALTH Units (RHUs) in Western Visayas have been directed to serve as hydration centers for possible dengue-afflicted patients but do not exhibit such warning signs as abdominal pain and persistent vomiting. “With this, we can lessen the number of those admitted in the crowded hospitals, especially in Iloilo and hospitals can now focus on those that exhibit warning signs,” said Regional Director Marlyn W. Convocar of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development. Ms. Convocar said various agencies and institutions are also stepping in to help with the dengue outbreak response. These include the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Philippine Coast Guard. “We are set to meet again this Friday because we will localize the measures of the central office in their recent cluster meeting,” Ms. Convocar said. From January to July 13, Western Visayas recorded the highest number of dengue cases in the country at 18,834 with 94 deaths. — Emme Rose S. Santiagudo

In Marawi: A step closer to going home

HOMEOWNERS representing some 700 displaced families from two barangays in Marawi City’s most affected area were allowed to visit their homes earlier this week to assess themselves whether these can still be repaired or be included in the demolition that authorities will undertake as part of the rehabilitation program. “Soldiers provided support, manpower, and security assistance to displaced families who were allowed to enter affected areas and inspect their homes,” Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr., 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, said in a statement released by the Western Mindanao Command. The Kambisita (visit/inspection) is in preparation for the eventual Kambalingan (return) of residents who have been displaced since May 2017, when local terror groups laid siege on the city, which led to five months of intense battle with government forces that left parts of the city in ruins.

Osmeña offers to restore gutted mayor’s office; city lawyers say no way with cases now filed

AFTER ALMOST a month since the issue about the destruction of the mayor’s office broke, former Cebu City mayor Tomas R. Osmeña asked that his contractor be allowed to restore the office “to its 2016 condition.” In a letter to his successor, Mayor Edgardo C. Labella, Mr. Osmeña said his original order was to remove his personal belongings and restore the office to its condition before he renovated it in 2016, but work was disrupted when Mr. Labella’s lawyers intervened. “The work was supposed to continue the next day. However, your lawyers Rey Gealon and Floro Casas, Jr. interfered on June 28 this year. They also brought in elements of the Philippine National Police to the office. This caused the unfinished work was brought to the attention of the media, and the media frenzy immediately followed,” Mr. Osmeña said. Mr. Labella said he will let the city’s lawyers handle the matter. Messrs. Gealon and Casas said the former mayor’s request can be considered a “mere afterthought to evade criminal and administrative responsibility,” considering the cases the city filed against him for “malicious demolition” of the mayor’s office. “It must be recalled that on June 28, 2019, as soon as news erupted on your demolition of the Office of the Mayor, you gave the following statement in a DZMM interview: ‘I decided to remove everything so that he (Mr. Labella) will know what I feels (sic) like…Wala, basta nabuwisit na rin ako (Nothing, I was very annoyed). What can I do?,’” Mr. Gealon said. — The Freeman

Nationwide round-up

DoLE recommends SSS contribution collection from OFWs after 3 months of service

LABOR SECRETARY Silvestre H. Bello III on Wednesday said he will be recommending that the collection of Social Security System (SSS) contributions from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) be made three months after the start of their job abroad. In an interview with reporters, Mr. Bello said apart from lessening the burden on OFWs, this system is more legally sound. Under the government’s new policy, OFWs, before leaving the country, must pay their mandatory SSS contribution as part of the requirements for getting an Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC). This policy is contained under the new SSS law. Mr. Bello explained that OFWs without an OEC cannot be legally considered as OFWs. The OEC, issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), is a document that will allow the OFW to exit the Philippines for the overseas job. “I have already relayed this position to the president of SSS, where I am also one of the commissioners. I already informed them of the legal contemplation, a worker, who has not been issued an OEC is not yet an OFW, and therefore cannot be covered by the compulsory (SSS) coverage law,” he said. The Labor chief said initial discussions on this have already been undertaken. “(W)e will communicate to SSS that pursuant to our personal conversation, we will issue the OEC to the worker and collect the contribution three months after workers has rendered service and has collected his or her salary,” he said.

The implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act No. (RA) 11199, the Social Security Act of 2018, provides that SSS contribution is compulsory for OFWs. — Gillian M. Cortez

New IBP president says group will be ‘non-political’ but will be vocal


THE NEW president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said the organization will be vocal on political issues if the matter at hand is contrary to law. IBP President Domingo Egon Q. Cayosa said speaking out is aligned with the role of lawyers as the “sentinel of the rule of law.” “So of course, if there is a shortcut or a derogation or an attack to the rule of law, it is our duty regardless of who the president, who the chief justice is,” he told reporters after the oath taking of the 24th Board of Governors of the IBP on Tuesday at the Supreme Court. Mr. Cayosa clarified, however, that they are not political in their statements, as the IBP’s by-laws provide that the group be “non-political.” “(W)e will not play politics, we will just stick to facts and to law,” he said. “We would rather that we stick to law rather than playing politics, mahirap (it’s difficult), we would lose our independence we would lose our credibility if IBP dabbles into politics,” he added. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

Nation at a Glance — (07/25/19)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Nation at a Glance — (07/25/19)

Producing the best teachers

Business groups came together early this month to discuss what they perceived to be the immediate needs of the economy to sustain long-term growth. And among these, they said through the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was the need to refine the K-12 basic education program by improving the skills of instructors and teaching in-demand skills.

I cannot agree more. I also see the need for more support for educators and schools because of what I believe to be the urgent need to make our children better people than who or what we are now, in every way possible. Our future, and their future, depends on giving them the best possible education that is attuned with the times.

But fine-tuning an education program to address the present and future need for broadening knowledge and learning necessary skills relies heavily on also getting the best possible teachers or trainers. Whether public or private, even the best-equipped and heavily funded schools can fail unless they have good teachers, and by this I refer to competent and upright people who willingly take on the task of effectively molding our young intellectually, morally, and socially.

Teacher development should be a priority. We need more and better teachers. The government and the private sector must devote more time and resources to producing quality teachers who then produce quality students. Society must value not only its engineers and its scientists, but also those who promote literature and the arts, and more so those who teach and educate.

Sadly, even the most advanced societies or wealthiest economies appear to neglect this important point. A report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) made public on July 17 noted that there has been a large, growing teacher shortage in the United States, and “when indicators of teacher quality (certification, relevant training, experience, etc.) are taken into account, the shortage is even more acute than currently estimated, with high-poverty schools suffering the most from the shortage of credentialed teachers.”

EPI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank created in 1986 to include the needs of low- and middle-income workers in economic policy discussions. It proposes public policies that protect and improve the economic conditions of these workers and assesses policies with respect to how they affect them. From 2013 through 2016, the largest portion of its funding was in the form of foundation grants, while another large portion came from labor unions. EPI also receives support from individuals, corporations, and other organizations.

The July 17 report, by authors Emma Garcia and Elaine Weiss, is the fifth in a series examining the magnitude of the US teacher shortage and the working conditions and other factors that contribute to that shortage. It noted a “clear room to improve the system of professional supports that play a role in teacher retention and expand the knowledge base of the teaching workforce” in the US.

“On the positive side, the set of supports already broadly offered in the schools is a strong foundation to build upon. Large shares of first-year teachers work with a mentor (79.9%) or participate in teacher induction programs (72.7%). And large shares of teachers generally are accessing certain types of professional development, including workshops or training sessions (91.9%), activities focused on the subjects that teachers teach (85.1%), regularly scheduled collaboration with other teachers on issues of instruction (80.8%), and opportunities to observe or be observed by other teachers in their classrooms (67%),” the report said.

But it also noted that there was “limited access to some of the types of professional development that are highly valued and more effective,” with only a small percentage of teachers attending university courses related to teaching (26.6%), present at workshops (23.1%), or making observational visits to other schools (21.6%).

Moreover, “novice and veteran teachers largely don’t get the time and resources they need to study, reflect, and prepare their practice.” Only a few young teachers get time out to join “support activities”; not many have teacher aides; only half have time for professional development; and less than a third are reimbursed for conferences or workshop fees or receive a stipend for professional development accessed outside of regular work hours.

“We [also] find that more than two-thirds of teachers report that they have less than a great deal of influence over what they teach in the classroom (71.3%) or what instructional materials they use (74.5%), which suggests low consideration for their knowledge and judgment. Just 11.1% of teachers report having a great deal of influence in determining the content of professional development programs,” the report noted.

Also, the study found that “key resources and professional development opportunities are particularly lacking in high-poverty schools, where, if anything, stronger supports for teachers are needed.” And this, to me, is the unkindest cut. I sincerely believe that poor schools or schools in poor communities should be given more resources than usual to implement an education program that will equip their students with knowledge and skills to overcome poverty.

“By failing to provide teachers with broad access to effective training and professional development, as well as to learning communities where their professional judgment is considered, we hurt teachers’ effectiveness, sense of purpose, and career advancement opportunities,” the report concluded.

“We must improve both the types and the usefulness of the professional supports offered and ensure that teachers have the resources needed to access those opportunities. Strengthening the system of supports includes increasing teachers’ influence over their day-to-day work and developing cultures of learning. High-poverty schools and their teachers, in particular, require additional funding to close gaps in these resources and supports,” it added.

I am not aware of recent local studies to measure or gauge the K-12 basic education program with respect to the correlation, if any, of teachers’ competency with students’ academic performance. Some older studies — prior to K-12 — seem to indicate a low correlation between the two — or that students can still have good grades even without good teachers.

But I am still inclined to believe the strong link between the two factors. But beyond grades, the gauge should be skills acquired. Greater access to schools, particularly in poor communities, is the priority. After this, however, beyond infrastructure is the need for more and better teachers to teach necessary skills. And only in producing the best teachers can we even expect to produce good students, and better citizens.

 

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippines Press Council.

matort@yahoo.com

Leaders of Tomorrow: Siklab Awards 2019

The awarding ceremonies of the first Ramon V. Del Rosario Siklab Awards will be held today, July 25. This program is a national search for the youth leaders of tomorrow, sponsored by PHINMA in cooperation with the De La Salle University Ramon V. Del Rosario College of Business (RVRCOB) and the Junior Chamber International Manila. It recognizes youth leaders who have had positive impacts on the community or nation by their work and service.

This award for young leaders was launched in commemoration of the 100th birth anniversary of the late Ambassador Ramon V. Del Rosario (RVR) in 2018. It was also inspired by the annual Ramon V. Del Rosario Award for Nation Building that recognizes the best and brightest leaders who embody Mr. Del Rosario’s ideals with regards to Nation Building. Past awardees include Dr. George K. Ty, Henry Sy, Sr., Manuel V. Pangilinan, Jamie Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Vicente T. Paterno, Washington Sycip, Oscar Lopez, Ambassador Jose Tambunting, and, most recently, Diosdado Banatao.

While there are already a number of leadership awards being given out, the awardees of Siklab have been chosen because they embody the leaders of tomorrow. These young people, who are creating innovations for the benefit of their communities, will be mentored by previous winners of the RVR Award for Nation Building. These luminaries will make sure that the Siklab awardees will one day become our nation builders.

The awardees will be recognized because they embody the entrepreneurial and patriotic spirit of RVR who was one of the Philippine’s most iconic entrepreneurial forces. He was the first Filipino General Manager of IBM Philippines, the first Filipino Executive Vice-President of Philam Life, the first president of the Manila Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the first Junior Chamber International World President from Asia.

These young leaders are the spark that will change our world. Among the criteria used for selecting the first batch of awardees is that they demonstrated exceptional leadership through initiatives in organizing and managing sustainable business or social enterprises or programs. They exhibit an entrepreneurial spirit, the ability to clearly identify problems and present sustainable solutions. They also embody a passion to make lives better. Ultimately, these leaders of tomorrow should have a commitment to nation-building. Their business or social enterprise should help establish a strong national identity with shared societal values.

It was an exciting yet exhilarating journey for the nominees and judges. As part of the initial screening panel, I definitely had a difficult time choosing from the shortlist for the final judging. We were honored to have such an enthusiastic group of young leaders (in this case, our upper limit is 35 years old) who were nominated by their peers, colleagues, and communities. We definitely had a difficult time choosing the qualifiers because the achievements of the nominees were simply outstanding. Indeed, the youth is the future and the future belong to the youth.

 

Brian Gozun is dean of the RVRCOB and co-wrote this article with Carlo Miguel Saavedra of the Marketing and Advertising Department of RVRCOB.

brian.gozun@dlsu.edu.ph

SONA 2019: what was said and not said

SEOUL-INCHEON AIRPORT — An impressive new terminal greeted me here and it will definitely make many Filipinos wish that we have a similar airport soon. This is huge, spacious, and modern, with Wi-Fi that is fast and free. I am here waiting for my connecting flight to the US.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday did not mention the new airports that are being proposed and developed around Metro Manila. That SONA was notable because of many things that he said and did not say. Foremost of what he said are the following:

• That corruption in government is pervasive, is everywhere. He is grossly disappointed with corruption and asked, “When will corruption end?” Special mention was made of PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation), the Customs bureau, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Social Security System, Land Transportation Office, PAG-IBIG, Land Registration Authority.

• That he wants to create three new departments: Departments of Disaster Resilience, Water Resources, and Overseas Filipinos.

• That he wants more Malasakit Centers, higher salaries for teachers and nurses, a new National Academy of Sports for High School students. Which means he wants to expand welfare spending on top of existing agencies.

• That local governments should hasten the issuance of business permits to a maximum of three days, reclaim public roads, and enforce the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

• That the West Philippine Sea (WPS) is ours but we should not provoke China, otherwise there will be a confrontation and our Marines will die. Meanwhile, most or many Cabinet members are ex-military men.

• He pointed out that the Build, Build, Build programs are gaining ground, and the entry of the third telco player that will provide fast and reliable telecom service.

The creation of three new departments — how much would this cost taxpayers?

They could cost somewhere near the budget of the agencies in the Table on this page. Huge departments with budgets of at least P100 billion a year like the departments of Education, Social Welfare and Development, Health, Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Government, and National Defence are not included here.

Where to get the money for these new departments, agencies, and subsidies?

One is from new tax reform measures like the TRABAHO (Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher-quality Opportunities) bill. Second, from remittances by government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). The President noted that GOCCs, infamous for high salaries, are shaping up and, as of July 2019, have remitted over P61 billion.

The TRABAHO bill is among the “dampeners” of more investments, local and foreign. The proposed removal of certain incentives like the 5% gross income earned (GIE) as substitute for corporate income tax (CIT) and local taxes, to be replaced by lowering the CIT from 30% to 20% after 10 years, or reducing to 25% immediately, is not favorable to many investors and job creators.

WHAT’S NOT SAID.
There are things that should not be said or issued and indeed were not said by the President — good. Like new drug price controls, or further demonizing tax coal and fossil fuels “to save the planet,” or creating five or more new Departments and not just three, etc.

There was a good tweet by Senator Panfilo Lacson hours after the speech:

“SONA 2019: I like most the part when the president said, ‘I have come face to face with the enemy. The enemy is us. We are our own tormentors… for every transaction, commission; for every action, extortion.’ Then the camera panned out on the audience right in front of him.”

Overall, SONA 2019 has issued more alarm bells to businesses and taxpayers. Corruption remains high, as admitted by the President, and yet they will further expand the size and burden of government, taxpayers will pay for the extra financial baggage, waste, and evaporated money. The saving grace is that businesses can expect easier business permits from LGUs, and things could have been worse if some ugly and unsaid things were instead announced.

 

Bienvenido S. Oplas, Jr. is the president of Minimal Government Thinkers.

minimalgovernment@gmail.com

Good intentions and unexpected results

By Tony Samson

GOOD intentions, especially when backed up by political will, can have unexpected results, not all of them beneficial to those they intend to benefit. The “Law of Unintended Consequences” in economics states that a policy intended to promote the common good can have the opposite effect when implemented.

A favorite example for unintended consequences deals with British India. With the proliferation of deadly cobras in the rural areas, the government decided to stamp out the pestilence once and for all by announcing a bounty system, exchanging cobra skins for cash.

This good intention of offering a cash reward to eradicate a blight did not go as planned. The bounty system became an easy way for the snake hunters to make money. Instead of hunting down the cobras, why not raise them instead? When the government discovered that the snakes had become a cash crop, they discontinued the bounty system, forcing the erstwhile raisers to abandon their snake farms and letting loose the now worthless livestock. The effort to curb the snake population with cash rewards had the unintended effect of even increasing its numbers.

Populist measures meant to favor the poor end up unintentionally harming them. Legislated price controls for such necessities as rice end up in artificial shortages, the rise of a black market, hoarding, and all sorts of disruptions that upend the economic law of supply and demand. What unintended effects will the recent rice tarrification to increase the supply of rice bring about? Will imports replace rice production and heighten the risk of food security?

Legislated wage increases and the addition of workers’ benefits like a 14th month pay are intended to improve the lot of the working class. But the higher labor costs are sure to bring up the prices of goods. Also, as the cost per employee rises, headcount reductions or hiring freezes become more common, bringing unemployment rates even higher, eventually harming the working class.

Lowering the price of tuition for a school may not really increase enrollment. It may instead signal the erosion of the quality of education being offered.

Is it possible to anticipate the impact of a prospective policy using a real-life modeling approach?

Astronauts use simulation techniques to mimic zero gravity that results in floating and more restrained movement. This artificial experience allows the trainee to adjust to weightlessness and feel its effects on his body as well as his ability to cope with it.

In the corporate setting, this real-life modeling takes the form of a pilot project. Sometimes, companies upgrade the software for their customer delivery system, and in the first few days, there’s chaos from disrupted services such as lost ATM balances for banks and billings to e-commerce users. Rolling out a software upgrade in stages can anticipate problems and fix the bugs.

Sudden wealth too can also bring unintended social consequences, like the discovery of new relatives and the expansion of their needs to include tuition requests and vacations at the beach. This is why the names of big lotto winners are not disclosed. This, in turn, raises the unintended suspicion that there are in fact no real winners.

Norman Mailer in his book on astronauts, A Fire on the Moon (1970), muses that dreams are a form of simulation. They allow us to imagine possibilities we don’t routinely think about. When we dream of the deaths of still living loved ones, we feel the pain of the loss as we sleep, even leaving real tears on the pillow. Thus is the unexpected event somehow prepared for, even if the real pain when it comes will still be a shock.

The economic law of unintended consequences is more of an observation rather than a prescriptive tool. It cautions even the careful policy maker to appreciate that there may be factors he did not include in his laboratory model. The behavioral side of policy implementation can be quirky.

Is the bully better behaved when unchallenged and greeted with obsequious courtesy? Is he likely to reciprocate grace and kindness, or does passivity only embolden him to be even more abusive? Good intentions do not always invite good behavior.

It is good to remember the proverb: “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” …and well-meaning policies.

 

Tony Samson is Chairman and CEO, TOUCH xda.

ar.samson@yahoo.com

Boris Johnson needs to get serious for the UK

By Bloomberg Editorial Board

AND that’s that. With 92,153 votes from Conservative Party members, Boris Johnson — the mononymous former mayor, foreign secretary and Brexit impresario — has become the new Tory leader and hence the UK’s prime minister.

It will no doubt be an eventful ride. As Mr. Johnson takes office, his party is fracturing and his majority is shrinking. A crisis is simmering in the Strait of Hormuz, where Iran has seized a British tanker. Public services are flagging, the economy is stalling, and the pound is sliding. In just 99 days, the country is set to depart the European Union — potentially precipitating its biggest crisis since the war.

Is Mr. Johnson the man for these challenges?

His public record gives reason for pause. As mayor of London, he revealed an aptitude for showmanship but not one for prudence. His stint as foreign secretary was punctuated by reckless speech and mortifying gaffes. Even his allies in government concede that he’s often heedless, unreliable, detail-averse, and unmindful of the truth — hardly a promising combination for the intricate negotiations that lie ahead.

REUTERS

Much of Mr. Johnson’s stated agenda, meanwhile, manages to be both vague and irresponsible. A centerpiece of his campaign was a package of regressive and unnecessary tax cuts that could cost nearly $25 billion a year. These were paired with extravagant commitments to boost spending on schools, social care, police, broadband expansion, “great projects” and more. Where the money will come from is anyone’s guess.

Inevitably, though, it is Brexit that will define Mr. Johnson’s term in office. And here his plans are alarming. He hopes to convince the EU (against its will) to completely renegotiate the deal the two sides have hashed out, yet he hasn’t specified what he thinks should take its place. He proposes to replace the deal’s “backstop” — intended to avoid a hard border with Ireland — with technological arrangements that few experts think are feasible. And he has vowed to withhold Britain’s $48 billion divorce settlement unless the EU meets his terms.

If this strategy fails, as seems likely, Mr. Johnson has vowed to leave on Oct. 31 without a deal, “do or die.” This is in all probability a bluff: Such a chaotic exit would grievously wound Britain’s economy, clobber its public finances, split Mr. Johnson’s own party and likely lead to electoral disaster. Cabinet ministers have been preemptively quitting in protest.

If he is indeed bluffing, though, Mr. Johnson has played a weak hand badly. By asserting that the odds of a no-deal exit were “a million to one,” he has discouraged businesses from making the kinds of preparations — such as stockpiling inputs or revamping supply chains — that would convince the EU to take the threat seriously. By proposing to divert funds from the government’s no-deal reserve to pay for his tax cuts, he has implied that he himself doesn’t take the possibility all that seriously.

There is not much that he does seem to take seriously, in fact, which is perhaps the most worrisome thing about the months to come. Nearly any decision Mr. Johnson makes on Brexit is likely to have momentous consequences — for his party, for the economy, even for the union itself. If he senses the gravity of the moment, he’s given few signs of it.

 

BLOOMBERG

National Nutrition Month 2019: State of the nation’s nutrition

Nutrition is an indispensable aspect of one’s health. It is an important indicator of a nation’s development, especially that globally, malnutrition is a big problem that needs to be solved.

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) is mandated to assess the nutritional status of the country through the National Nutrition Survey (NNS), which is conducted every five years. The latest survey, the 8th NNS, was conducted in 2013.

In 2018, an Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS) updated the recent data from FNRI’s previous surveys. Just before the National Nutrition Month this July, the results of the ENNS were presented during the 2019 National Nutrition Summit at Dusit Thani Manila last June 25.

Compiled and published on FNRI’s Web site, results were classified into infants and young children (0-23 months), preschool children (2-5 years old), school children (6-10 years), adolescents (10-19 years), women of reproductive age (15-49 years), adults (20-59 years), and elderly (60 and above).

Among infants and young children, stunting, or impaired height for age, remains highly prevalent, especially among 12-23 months old who recorded 36.6% prevalence.

Anemia, or the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells, also have high prevalence, specifically among six to 11-month-old infants. Compared to infants aged 12-23 months (35.4%), infants aged 6-11 months got 48.2%.

In a span of seven years, “exclusive breast-feeding among 0-5 months old significantly improved.” From 48.8% in 2015, the number was raised to 54.9%. However, “the rate of breast-feeding exclusively until 5.9 months duration remains low.”

“Young children meeting the minimum acceptable diet is very low, particularly among infants 6-11 months,” FNRI added. From a rate of 18.6% in 2015, the rate of young children meeting minimum acceptable diet went down to 13.4% in 2018.

Among preschool children, the research stated that stunting “remains to be of high magnitude.” It decreased from 33.4% to 30.3%.

Overweight is becoming a problem as the child grows older. Prevalence of 2.9% was recorded among 2-year-olds. Five percent was recorded among 3-year-olds, 4.8% among 4-year-olds, and 9.2% among 5-year-olds.

“A decreasing trend in anemia prevalence was observed with a slight increase from 2013 to 2018,” FNRI added.

Among school children, the prevalence of stunting and underweight decreased from figures in 2015. Stunting went down from 31.1% to 24.5%. Underweight decreased from 31.2% to 25%. However, FNRI still regards them as public health problems “of high severity”.

Overweight among this group is “a growing problem.” From 8.4% in 2015, it was raised to 11.7% in 2018.

An increase in anemia prevalence was also seen, “affecting most of the six years old with moderate severity.” Prevalence of 23.5% was recorded for 6-year-olds, while lower than 20% was recorded for succeeding ages within this group.

Among adolescents, stunting recorded a significant decrease from 31.9% to 26.3%. Wasting, or low weight for height, slightly decreased from 12.5% to 11.3%. Overweight and obese adolescents, meanwhile, grew from 9.2% to 11.6%.

“Anemia remains a problem of mild public health significance especially among females, 13-19 years old,” FNRI added.

In addition, FNRI found 10 to 12-year-olds having pockets of Iodine Deficiency Disorder (IDD), or lack of iodine.

Notably, most adolescents were deemed insufficient in physical activity particularly among 10 to 17-year-old females. Current smokers decreased from 5.5% to 4%.

Among non-pregnant and lactating women as well as lactating mothers of reproductive age, chronic energy deficiency (CED), defined as “intake of energy less than the requirement, for a period of several months or years,” has decreased significantly.

Significant decreases in IDD were also tallied. From 21.7% in 2013, IDD prevalence decreased to 11.3% for non-pregnant and lactating women in 2018. The same is also found among lactating women, from 33.1% to 21.2%.

Overweight, obesity, and anemia are growing problems among this subgroup, albeit anemia has decreased.

The number of nutritionally-at-risk pregnant women have decreased, although not significantly. From 27.% in 2015, it decreased to 20.1%.

Anemia “remains a problem of moderate public health significance” among pregnant women, since prevalence increased from 24.6% in 2013 to 26.1% in 2018.

Among adults, CED significantly declined from 9% in 2015 to 6.9% in 2018. However, overweight prevalence increased from 24.7% to 28.8% and obesity increased from 7.2% to 9.6%.

Anemia is of “mild public health significance,” with a prevalence of 8.3%.

“Elevated blood pressure significantly declined, while high fasting blood sugar increased,” FNRI added.

While there was a decline in smoking, there are more than half of current drinkers engaged in binge drinking. It was also noted that physical inactivity did not change, with 40.6% prevalence.

Among the elderly, the prevalence of CED significantly declined, from 17.2% in 2015 to 13.4% in 2018. Overweight increased from 21.3% to 24.7%. Anemia is “of ‘moderate’ public health significance, with 20.2% prevalence.

“Elevated blood pressure significantly declined but high fasting blood sugar increased,” FNRI added.

While there was also a decline in smoking among elders, four in every 10 are engaged in binge drinking. Half of them are found to be physically inactive.

As reflected in this survey, while problems in nutrition are being addressed, more needs to be done in improving the nutritional state of Filipinos. FNRI suggests that creative or innovative strategies must be formed to further address these problems, from stunting among children to physical inactivity among adults. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

Scorecard bares mixed dev’t gains

A GOVERNMENT SCORECARD that tracks the Philippines’ progress in meeting economic development targets showed the government making strides in curbing anti-competitive practices and promoting ecological integrity, but performing poorly in agriculture, governance and culture.

According to the Statistical Indicators on Philippine Development (StatDev) 2018, 138 out of the 307 indicators show “high likelihood” of hitting targets by 2022, when President Rodrigo R. Duterte ends his six-year term.

The report, released on Tuesday by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), also showed 42 indicators had “medium likelihood” while 127 showed “low likelihood” of meeting targets.

“A great majority (59%) of the indicators covered in StatDev 2018 posted either high or medium likelihood of achieving the target early at the first two years of the medium term,” the report read.

StatDev monitors the progress of meeting economic and social development goals set under the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022.

Among the 14 PDP sectors, 11 “had at least half of their respective indicators exhibiting high or medium likelihood of achieving the target in 2022,” the PSA said.

Having a “high likelihood” means a target is likely to be achieved by 2022 while “medium likelihood” means a target may or not be achieved.

“Low likelihood” means that a target is “not likely” to be met.

“It is great to see some of the progress we’ve made so far in terms of achieving the PDP 2017-2022 but… there are some sectors that appear to be lagging in terms of timelines,” said ING Bank N.V. Manila senior economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa.

The StatDev report noted, in particular, the progress made in the competitiveness and environment sectors.

Under competitiveness, the report noted the proportion of studies on competition law and economics of major academic and research institutions completed at 7.9% in 2018, which was “almost twice greater” than the four percent target in 2022. It also mentioned the country’s high rankings in the Global Competitiveness Index in 2018, particularly in the index pillars of business dynamism (Top 28%) and product market efficiency (Top 43%) that had already attained their respective targets.

In the environment sector, the PSA cited passing marks in terms of total area of planted mangroves, saying that the 1,916 hectares of newly planted mangroves in 2018 alone nearly reached the 2022 target of 1,974 additional hectares.

“Also, the number of issued Certificates of Ancestral Domain Title from 2017 to 2018 have gone beyond the target of 26 for the whole six-year medium term. Likewise, the coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas had exceeded its target in 2022,” the PSA added.

On the other hand, the report cited low likelihood of meeting targets in agriculture, governance, and culture and values.

“The yield of 11 out of 12 major commodities posted low likelihood of achieving the 2022 target. More so, the number of fisherfolk provided with production support as of 2018 was still far from the end-of-plan target of 1.4 million,” the report noted of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

The targets set under cultures and values would also not likely be met: “Despite having development plans with culture components for all 17 regions, the number of documentations conducted on indigenous knowledge systems and practices; and the percentage of provinces, cities and municipalities with Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representation, both in 2018, showed low likelihood of achieving the target in 2022,” the PSA said.

For governance, the PSA noted the decrease in the percentage of provinces, cities and municipalities with the required nongovernment organization representation in the Local Development Council.

“Also, only three of four national government agencies were fully compliant with the Transparency Seal as of 2018,” PSA added.

Among silver linings in governance was a high Open Budget Index score, which denotes budget transparency. The latest figure was in 2017 when the Philippines had a transparency score of 67, which is on track in meeting the target score of 71 by 2022.

Despite the government’s aggressive push for infrastructure spending, goals set in the infrastructure category are mixed.

“[T]he infrastructure drive of the government looks to help bridge the gap between target and completion, and we’ve seen early gains so far such as headway in power, low-cost housing and transport infrastructure,” ING Bank’s Mr. Mapa said.

“Gaps, however, have surfaced in areas that may be linked to soft infrastructure (associated with higher value added creation) and on the other side of the spectrum: in basic services.”

In terms of physical infrastructure, the PSA said the end-of-plan target power requirements in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao had been achieved in 2018.

The number of round-trip international flights for Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Mactan-Cebu International Airport, and Clark International Airport would also likely be met.

“However, for social infrastructure, classroom-to-pupil ratio in primary schools in School Year 2017-2018 had low likelihood of achieving the target in 2022. Also, for infrastructure on information and communications technology, the proportion of public schools with computer packages posted low likelihood.”

Positives in the area of the macroeconomy include the annual value of microfinance services delivery, which was “more than twice greater than the target of P10 billion and above,” and the value of export goods wherein the 2018 value of $67.5 billion had already surpassed the end-of-plan target of $61-62.2 billion.

On the flip side, the export of services for 2018 amounted to just $37.5 billion, below the $61-68.6 billion target.

OUTLOOK
“From the performance across the sectors, we’ve seen several themes emerge which may trace their roots to the fact that we may be short of achieving critical mass through our reform agenda,” ING Bank’s Mr. Mapa said.

Moving forward, the economist hopes to see the government “chase these goals with more zeal” in the remaining three years of the Duterte administration.

“In order to truly uplift the economy and chase [AmBisyon Natin 2040], we’ll need to see the government deliver across the full range of the spectrum — strengthening basic services, but at the same time, chase a higher growth path by championing higher value creation with investments in science and technology,” Mr. Mapa said. — Marissa Mae M. Ramos

Summary of statistical indicators on Philippine development

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