Hanoi: The rates of stunting and underweight among children aged under five in ethnic groups in Vietnam remain at 31.4% and 21% respectively, according to the National Institute of Nutrition.

Speaking at a conference held on December 26 to call for investment and cooperation for national nutrition strategy in the 2024-2030 period with a vision towards 2045, deputy director of the institute Truong Tuyet Mai said that the stunting rate among children aged under five in Vietnam was falling from 29.3% in 2010 to under 18.9% in 2022. Meanwhile, that among school children aged from 5-19 remained at 14.8%.

Vietnam still faces difficulties and challenges, as the rate of malnutrition and stunting in children under 5 varies widely between regions, she said.

Moreover, the rate of overweight and obesity in children increased from 8.5% in 2010 to 19% in 2020.

The rate of overweight and obesity among adults was 19% by 2020.

Micronutrient deficiency, especially zinc deficiency and anaemia, among pregnant women, childre
n under 5 and women of childbearing age remains high.

Participants said to implement the national strategy on nutrition, it’s necessary to mobilise resources from agencies, organisations, communities, and people.

Nutrition-related regulations are suggested to be part of the disease prevention law, and relevant health problems should be covered by health insurance./.
Source: Vietnam News Agency

MALASIQUI: Authorities have reiterated their call to avoid unauthorized storage and use of firecrackers in welcoming the New Year as the Ilocos Region has recorded 11 firecracker-related incidents from Dec. 21 to 26 this year.

The latest incident occurred on the night of Christmas Day in barangay Malued in Dagupan City where unauthorized storage of firecrackers led to an explosion, injuring five individuals and causing damage to 21 houses in the area, according to Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) public relations officer Capt. Renante dela Cruz.

‘Kahit personal use hindi pupwede dahil according to Executive Order (EO) 28 signed in 2017 na authorized lamang na tao at kung saang lugar lamang pwede mag-imbak (Even if it is just for personal use, it is not allowed to store firecrackers because according to EO 28 signed in 2017, only authorized persons and areas would be allowed for storage),’ he said in an interview on Wednesday.

The firecrackers stored at a house under construction in Barangay Malue
d exploded when one of the victims lit a cigarette during a drinking session, he said.

Based on the initial investigation of the police and the Bureau of Fire Protection Dagupan City, the impact of the explosion has affected 21 houses with their window glasses and other parts of their houses broken.

They are now investigating who was responsible for illegally storing those firecrackers.

Meanwhile, Department of Health Center for Health Development Ilocos Region medical officer Dr. Rheuel Bobis, in a separate interview, said seven more firecracker-related incidents were reported in Pangasinan, three from La Union and one from Ilocos Sur.

The 11 victims suffered burns and eye injuries, said Bobis.

Bobis and Dela Cruz have called on parents and guardians to look after their children amid the busyness of the holiday revelry.

‘Dapat hindi binibigyan anumang uri ng paputok ang mga kabataan or mga matatanda. Ang nirerecommend nga po natin ay yong mga alternatibong pampaingay or pagsama sa community fireworks d
isplay (We should not be giving any kind of firecrackers to the young people or children or even the elderly. What we recommend are the alternative noisemakers or joining community fireworks, instead),’ Bobis said.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MALASIQUI: The Philippine Army 702nd Infantry Brigade and the Career Builders Skills Training and Assessment Center Inc. have partnered to provide training and employment to military personnel, their dependents, and individuals in geographically isolated and conflict-affected areas in Pangasinan, Tarlac, Bataan, and Zambales.

In an interview on Wednesday, Philippine Army 702nd Infantry Brigade commander, Brig. Gen. Gulliver Señires said the project is a training-to-work program aimed at alleviating poverty and ensuring peace and security.

“They train people and place them for employment until such time that they can support themselves,” he said.

Participants will undergo a 15-day training. At least 100 participants are the initial target who will be trained in masonry, welding, and carpentry. Free accommodation and allowance would be provided to them while they look for jobs, he said.

“The military prioritizes the well-being of soldiers and their dependents. We believe that a financially stable military f
amily results in strong and dedicated soldiers, ensuring integrity in performing duties,” Señires said.

He said this development opportunity will be extended to constituents who are willing to participate.

“Kung sino may gusto magtrabaho at maemploy after matrain sila ipafacilitate para maalleviate ang poverty and ensure peace and security (Whoever wants to work and be employed after training, they will be facilitated to alleviate poverty and ensure peace and security),” he said.

He said the program is in support of the anti-insurgency campaign of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“One of the major problems that cause insurgency is poverty. We hope this will prevent residents in geographically isolated and conflict-affected areas from being deceived,” Señires added.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. on Wednesday joined Filipinos in looking forward to having a more fruitful and productive 2024.

Revilla cited a Pulse Asia survey result indicating that 92 percent of the population remains optimistic, saying that they will face the new year with hope.

The senator believes that Filipinos would have better opportunities in 2024 considering that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. did a good job in providing opportunities and investment generation.

“Nasa tamang direksiyon ang tinatahak nating landas tungo sa maayos at maunlad na bansa dahil sa walang humpay na pagsisikap ng ating pamahalaan para mag-angkat ng karagdagang negosyo at trabaho na kailangang-kailangan ng ating bansa (We are in the right direction going towards an orderly and developed country because of the efforts of our government in attracting investments and jobs that our country needs),” the lawmaker said.

Apart from investment pledges, the President was also able to secure from his official foreign trips mor
e than 200,000 job opportunities for Filipinos.

“Mataas ang kumpiyansa ko na magiging maganda ang pasok ng taon para sa bawat Pilipino lalong-lalo na dahil sa pagsusumikap ng ating Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na paigtingin pa ang pagdami ng mga trabaho dito sa ating bansa sa pamamagitan ng pag-secure ng mga oportunidad galing sa ibang bansa (I am confident that every Filipino will have a good start of the year especially that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. tries so hard in providing more jobs here in our country by securing opportunities abroad),” Revilla added.

Presidential Adviser on Investment and Economic Affairs Frederick Go said the investment pledges worth PHP169 billion from Marcos’ state visit to Japan have already been actualized, thereby providing jobs to many Filipinos.
Source: Philippines News Agency

CEBU CITY: Public schools, barangay halls, public markets and sports gymnasiums in all 80 villages here are now Wi-Fi hotspots, the city government information technology office said on Wednesday.

Conrado Ordesta III, assistant head of the Management Information and Computer Services (MICS), said learners can now use free internet connection in public places of their respective villages.

This developed as the city government allocated PHP8 million to fund the interconnectivity that benefits the public.

Ordesta said the MICS office has just completed this month the installation of the Wi-Fi gadgets in the 22 rural barangays to complete the full hotspot coverage of all 80 villages here.

The program started last year with 50 barangays, he added.

Last year, urban barangays were given access to public Wi-Fi. Those who are citizens of Cebu City can directly connect to the internet for free. Right now, mountain barangays have their connections too, he said.

When they are in school, learners could have an hour
of free internet connectivity using public hotspots without the use of a password.

As per MICS monitoring report, the uptown village of Lorega-San Miguel registered the highest free internet connection utilization rate.

MICS monitors hotspot utilization in all the barangays using a dashboard provided by the service provider, PLDT.

In 2018, Cebu City South District Rep. Eduardo Rama Jr., who was then a member of the Cebu City Council, authored the Wireless Internet Access for Educational Institution Ordinance that seeks free Internet connectivity in schools and public places here.
Source: Philippines News Agency

MANILA: Thousands of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) based in Taiwan and Hong Kong are expected to benefit from the new wage hike which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

‘We thank Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Labor Department respectively for enacting wage legislation that recognizes the work of our OFWs and their contribution to the economic development of their host countries,’ Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) officer-in-charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac said in a news release Wednesday.

Cacdac said the new wage order issued by Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor (MOL) mandates a 4.05 percent increase in the monthly minimum salary of factory workers from NT$ (New Taiwan Dollar) 26,400 or equivalent to PHP46,378.70, to NT$27,470 or PHP48,223.43.

The same wage order also increases the minimum hourly wage by NT$7, or from NT$176 equivalent to about PHP312.80, to NT$183 or PHP321.48.

Data from the MOL shows that as of October, about 151,562 Filipinos are working in T
aiwan, with 123,768 working in the manufacturing sector.

The DMW projects another 17,721 workers in this category to be hired by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, a similar wage legislation approved by the Hong Kong Labor Department will also benefit OFWs working as foreign domestic helpers (FDH) or household service workers (HSWs).

The Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong (MWO-HK) reported that as of August this year, there are 196,364 OFWs working as HSWs or FDHs in the Chinese special administrative region and some 40,000 HSWs representing new hires and those with renewed contracts.

Additionally, an estimated 205,000 Filipino HSWs in Hong Kong are expected by January 2024.

Under the new wage measure, OFWs working as FDHs will receive a minimum allowable wage of (Hong Kong Dollar) HK$4,870 or PHP38,010.35, which is equivalent to a HK$140 increase from the previous rate of HK$4,730 or PHP36,917.65.

The same wage order also raised the allowable food allowance for FDHs to HK$1,236 or PHP9,649.98 from the pr
evious rate of HK$1,196 or PHP9,334.78.

The wage increase in Hong Kong shall apply only to FDH contracts signed on or after Sept. 30 this year.
Source: Philippines News Agency