The Canadian government is extending P240 million worth of development assistance for health-related projects for Filipino women and children.
“Canada remains committed to taking a leadership role in addressing the challenges faced by women, children and newborns, and further achieving the Millennium Development Goals,” Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder said.
The lion’s share of the amount, or P163 million, will be allocated to ADRA Canada’s efforts in the Philippines, particularly in Camarines Sur.
ADRA Canada, along with the Hincks-Dellcrest Institute and Youth Challenge International, aims to improve the state of health and nutrition of children and mothers in Camarines Sur.
The organization aims to increase the consumption of nutritious food and supplements by mothers, pregnant women and children under the age of 5.
This will be done through raising awareness of nutrition issues and providing supplies and training on how to grow healthy and diverse foods in household gardens.
ADRA Canada will also train midwives, nurses, traditional birth attendants and community health volunteers on safe birthing practices.
The remainder of the assistance, approximately P78 million, will be allocated to Interpares that aims to introduce innovations that can reduce maternal mortality in urban areas.
The assistance will be focused on impoverished urban communities in Malabon, Manila and San Jose del Monte, as well as in typhoon-ravaged communities in Eastern Samar.
“It will help improve the delivery of basic health services, such as family planning, skilled birth attendants, emergency obstetric care and newborn care,” the Canadian government said.
The initiative will also establish an integrated network of four trusted, nonprofit maternal and child health clinics to deliver essential health services and outreach to benefit mothers, pregnant women/girls, newborns and children.
Funding for these two projects is part of the government of Canada’s June 2015 announcement of C$ 421 million worth of assistance to humanitarian organizations’ initiatives that focus on strengthening maternal, newborn and child health in 40 eligible countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Philippines is among the eligible countries and one of Canada’s focus countries in terms of development assistance.
The Canadian government has been criticized recently by groups in the Philippines for dumping more than 1,300 tons of garbage in the country.
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Thursday filed smuggling charges before the Department of Justice against the importer of the controversial solid wastes from Canada that were misdeclared as importable plastic scraps contained in 48 45-footer container vans.
Charged for unlawfully importing municipal solid wastes was Nelson Manio, owner and proprietor of Live Green Enterprises, with address at IE 5 M.A. Roxas Highway, Clark Free Port Zone, Clarkfield, Pampanga.
Under the law, only homogeneous plastic scrap materials are considered as regulated imports. But these should have necessary pre-shipment importation clearance from Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
In particular, Live Green Enterprise is charged for violating Sections 3601 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended, in relation to DENR Administrative Order 1994-28 titled “Interim Guidelines in the Importation of Recyclable Material Containing Hazardous Substances.”
(With Joel R. San Juan)