Philippines behind 3 development targets By : Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter | Manila Times 17 December 2008 | 12:10 AM
Much needs to be done in order for the Philippines to meet the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set by the United Nations, a UN official in Manila said Tuesday.
Suneeta Mukherjee, chairman of the UN Advocacy Group and country representative of UN Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Manila, said the Philippines is not on track in meeting three of the eight goals—the ones on maternal health, on combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and on achieving universal primary education. The other millennium development goals are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.
The advocacy group is comprised of UN officials posted in Manila, who launched on Tuesday a search for an MDG youth champion, a project with the Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi.
Mukherjee said 11 mothers die during childbirth everyday in the Philippines. Ten of these mothers could be saved, she added. “Women, just like the unborn child, have the right to live,” said Mukherjee, who first visited the Philippines in 1977. She called for a concentrated effort from the Department of Health, stressing that it needs to educate parents about a proper family planning program to stop the maternal-death cases, saying that mothers who usually die in giving birth bear six children during their lifetime. “This situation forgets how special parents are,” Mukherjee said. “Mothers are crucial in teaching the children the values that they need to improve not only themselves but moreover their country.”
Abortions on the rise
Worse, Mukherjee added that one-third of mothers are committing abortion, with increasing cases involving mothers age 25 years and younger. “This is a clear violation of women and children’s rights. Abortion should not be done under all circumstances,” she said. She also hit the reversal of trend with regard to HIV positive or AIDS victims, saying that of 23 million young Filipinos, four million have already engaged in sex at a young age. That may explain why HIV cases involving the youth went up 29 percent, she added, citing also that a third of young women gave birth before their 21st birthday.
The UN official also reported that the carefree lifestyle of young people today that includes drinking and smoking is not doing any good. Around nine million young Filipinos smoke and 11 million drink alcoholic beverages, she said, adding that five out of six youth either smoke or drink. “We cannot afford to be complacent because the future of the country depends on these young ones,” Mukherjee said. And to help them become the hope of the country, she said young people receive quality education to provide them with knowledge and information needed to make better life decisions.
Today, only 58 percent of Filipino children have access to primary education, far short of the 100-percent target, the UN official added, “There is just seven years to go” until the deadline in 2015. But Mukherjee said she believed the Philippines and the other countries that committed to the development goals are capable of overcoming the challenges, even amid the global financial crisis.
Youth champion
The advocacy group and the Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi will select eight MDG champions, who will be announced in March 2009. Winners will receive an Orlina or Abueva glass sculpture, scholarship grant, study tour to the UN general headquarters in New York City, a slot in the third Asia and the Pacific Model UN Conference and a grant to travel around the Philippines as UN goodwill ambassadors. Faustino Almendral, president of Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi, said, “We are happy to be a part of this project, because the Rotary Club’s goals’ are almost the same as those of the MDGs.”
Brief Background: Search for MDGs Youth Champion
In the Millenium Summit held in 2000, 189 world leaders adopted the UN Millenium Declaration promoting the 8 goals to help developing countries improve their socioeconomic conditions. ThePhilippines
An individual duly nominated by an institution or association with the following qualifications:
Any institution or non-state association may nominate at most three youth champions.
Who are the Partners in this Search?
The UN agencies, UNAP Institutional Members, NGA's, LGU's, NSA's (Corporations with CSR), CSO's, GOCC's, the Government, Media, World Bank, AD, Religious and Academic Institutions.
Role of each Partner
A MOA signed amongst partners will outline the role of each partner.
What will the Champion Gain?
Nomination form: www.unicmanila.org/downloads/MDGNOMFORM.doc
Suneeta Mukherjee, chairman of the UN Advocacy Group and country representative of UN Population Fund (UNFPA) office in Manila, said the Philippines is not on track in meeting three of the eight goals—the ones on maternal health, on combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases and on achieving universal primary education. The other millennium development goals are eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development.
The advocacy group is comprised of UN officials posted in Manila, who launched on Tuesday a search for an MDG youth champion, a project with the Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi.
Mukherjee said 11 mothers die during childbirth everyday in the Philippines. Ten of these mothers could be saved, she added. “Women, just like the unborn child, have the right to live,” said Mukherjee, who first visited the Philippines in 1977. She called for a concentrated effort from the Department of Health, stressing that it needs to educate parents about a proper family planning program to stop the maternal-death cases, saying that mothers who usually die in giving birth bear six children during their lifetime. “This situation forgets how special parents are,” Mukherjee said. “Mothers are crucial in teaching the children the values that they need to improve not only themselves but moreover their country.”
Abortions on the rise
Worse, Mukherjee added that one-third of mothers are committing abortion, with increasing cases involving mothers age 25 years and younger. “This is a clear violation of women and children’s rights. Abortion should not be done under all circumstances,” she said. She also hit the reversal of trend with regard to HIV positive or AIDS victims, saying that of 23 million young Filipinos, four million have already engaged in sex at a young age. That may explain why HIV cases involving the youth went up 29 percent, she added, citing also that a third of young women gave birth before their 21st birthday.
The UN official also reported that the carefree lifestyle of young people today that includes drinking and smoking is not doing any good. Around nine million young Filipinos smoke and 11 million drink alcoholic beverages, she said, adding that five out of six youth either smoke or drink. “We cannot afford to be complacent because the future of the country depends on these young ones,” Mukherjee said. And to help them become the hope of the country, she said young people receive quality education to provide them with knowledge and information needed to make better life decisions.
Today, only 58 percent of Filipino children have access to primary education, far short of the 100-percent target, the UN official added, “There is just seven years to go” until the deadline in 2015. But Mukherjee said she believed the Philippines and the other countries that committed to the development goals are capable of overcoming the challenges, even amid the global financial crisis.
Youth champion
The advocacy group and the Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi will select eight MDG champions, who will be announced in March 2009. Winners will receive an Orlina or Abueva glass sculpture, scholarship grant, study tour to the UN general headquarters in New York City, a slot in the third Asia and the Pacific Model UN Conference and a grant to travel around the Philippines as UN goodwill ambassadors. Faustino Almendral, president of Rotary Club of Makati Legaspi, said, “We are happy to be a part of this project, because the Rotary Club’s goals’ are almost the same as those of the MDGs.”
Brief Background: Search for MDGs Youth Champion
In the Millenium Summit held in 2000, 189 world leaders adopted the UN Millenium Declaration promoting the 8 goals to help developing countries improve their socioeconomic conditions. The
- To select 8 youth champions for each of the MDGs. Each shall embody the respective MDG that he/she will promote and advocate.
- To be able to reach the grassroots through the MDG Youth Champions who will actively collaborate with the LGU's to mobilize and create change in the lives of the Filipinos and realize the MDGs by 2015.
- To work with all sectors of society - the Government, NGA's, NSA's, CSO's, GOCC, Religious and the Academe in the realization of the MDGs.
- To measure the quantifiable statistics accomplished through the influence of the MDG Youth Champions.
An individual duly nominated by an institution or association with the following qualifications:
- Must be a Filipino Citizen
- 18 to 35 years old
- An emdodiment of a community role model who can positively promote the MDG.
- He/She must be articulate, in written or oral communication.
- He/She must be willing to travel around the
- He/She must be able to inspire people to take action and create positive change in their lives and communities.
- He/She must be well-versed about the MDGs and the mandate of the UN.
Any institution or non-state association may nominate at most three youth champions.
Who are the Partners in this Search?
The UN agencies, UNAP Institutional Members, NGA's, LGU's, NSA's (Corporations with CSR), CSO's, GOCC's, the Government, Media, World Bank, AD, Religious and Academic Institutions.
Role of each Partner
A MOA signed amongst partners will outline the role of each partner.
What will the Champion Gain?
- An Orlina Glass Sculpture or an Abueva Sculpture
- Scholarship Grant
- Study Tour to UNHQ
- Automatic Delegate to the Asia-Pacific Model UN Assembly
- Free Travel around the
Length of the Champions' tour of Duty
The Champions selected will serve until October 2010.
Who will be the Judges in the Search?
They will be selected from multi-disciplinary fields.
Manner of Judging
- Preliminary Screening based on all submitted documents
- Nationwide extemporaneous speaking contest on the MDGs as the first elimination round for all the nominees to select the 3 semi-finalists for each MDG.
- Semi-Finalists will undergo final selection through a panel interview by the Final Judges.
Calendar of Search Activities
December 16, 2008 - Soft Launch
December 16-July 24, 2009 – Information Dissemination/Campaign and Search
July 24, 2009 - Last day of submission of Nominations
July 24-27, 2009 - Collation of all Nominations
July 28-August 5, 2009 - Preliminary Screening
August 6-8, 2009 – Notification of Selected Semi-Finalists
August 9 – Announcement of Semi-Finalists
at the Closing Ceremonies of the International Youth Day Convention
August 20-September 10, 2009 Nationwide Extemporaneous Speaking Contest of All Semi-Finalist
September 17, 2009 – Announcement of Finalists
September 18, 2009 – Notification of Finalists for Panel Interview
September 23-October 6, 2009 – Final Judging
October 7-8, 2009 – Notification of Champions
October 20, 2009 or any day during the UN week celebration –
Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat
Announcement of Champions
Start of the Youth Champions Tour of Duty until October 2013
MDG Projects
Sustainable projects that will result from the information dissemination campaign of the MDG Youth Champions will be done as separate activities to fast-track the realization of the MDGs by 2015.
Submission of Nomination
Institutions or associations may send in their nominations for an MDG Youth Champion to represent any of the eight Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) on or before MArch 4, 2009 by completing the nomination form. Each institution or organization may nominate a maximum of three.
For more info, contact;
United Nations Association of the Philippines
2nd Floor, 11 West Building, West Capitol Drive , Pasig
Tel. No.: 634-2950
Website: www.unap1947.org
Multiply Site: mdgyouthchampion.multiply.com
Email: mdgyouthchampion@yahoo.com
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