NAST PHL holds Science Legislative Forum on Water Supply and Administration Issues
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The Science Legislative Forum (SLF) on Water Scarcity Amidst Plenty: Trans-boundary Issues was held last November 27, 2014 at the Ramon V. Mitra Building, House of Representatives. The SLF was organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) through its Social Sciences Division (SSD) and University of the Philippines, in partnership with the House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology.
National Scientist Mercedes B. Concepcion, Vice President of NAST and chair of the SSD, delivered the welcome remarks on behalf of NAST President Academician William G. Padolina. Academician Agnes C. Rola, focal person of the SLF and member of the SSD, gave the objectives of the SLF, which are to present the water governance issues ranging for the need for a science-based water-allocation process, institutional arrangements for market-based mechanisms for trading of water permits, and platform for conflict resolutions.
Dr. Rosalie A. Hall, professor of Political Science at the University of the Philippines Visayas, discussed water trans-boundary issues and the need for law to govern it. Dr. Hall mentioned that water is technically owned by the state and that people have legal rights to utilize and develop the resource through permits or concessions. Dr. Hall stated that “Water is not a free good”. She also discussed the Philippine Legal Framework of Water and the challenges to the implementation of the framework. Gaps in the law to support water transfers conflict cases caused by water and the recommendation to review the water code were discussed. Her recommendations include the establishment of water data, requirement of public consultation prior to issuance of water permits or conclusion of contracts for water transfers, a platform to tackle water-transfer cases, and education of local level water actors on the rules regarding bulk water sale and market trade of water permits.
Science Information Forum on Rice Sufficiency Organized by NAST PHL
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The National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines, organized the Science Information Forum (SIF) on Rice Sufficiency: Price Rise and Importation Issues on November 26, 2014 at the La Breza Hotel, Quezon City. The SIF aims to inform the media on the causes of rice price increases in the Philippines and the possible effects of importation and/or trade policies.
Invited experts were Dr. Isabelita M. Pabuayon, dean of the College of Economics and Management (CEM) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Dr. Agham C. Cuevas, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, CEM, UPLB, Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey, Senior Science Research Specialist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, and Mr. Joseph Y. dela Cruz, Assistant Administrator for Marketing Operations of the National Food Authority (NFA).
Dir. Luningning E. Samarita-Domingo welcomed the participants on behalf of Academician William G. Padolina, president of NAST PHL.
Dr. Pabuayon and her co-author, Dr. Cuevas, presented their study on the analysis of the rice price trends in the country. She discussed the overview of the rice market of the Philippines as compared with the world figures, rice price trends, as well as marketing-related concerns. She said that issues concerning rice self-sufficiency, food security, and price stability were interrelated. She reported that the comparative rice per capita consumption in selected Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries showed that the Philippines ranked below most of its ASEAN neighbors, and conversely, significantly higher than the global average. According to her, supply and demand lead to price formation, where price affects consumer’s willingness to buy. Further, she stated that food security is the bottom line, that is, food should be available, accessible, and affordable at all times. On the marketing-related issue, it was ruled out that no evidence of collusion was found among farm to wholesale and at the retail levels.
Invited experts were Dr. Isabelita M. Pabuayon, dean of the College of Economics and Management (CEM) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Dr. Agham C. Cuevas, Associate Professor of the Department of Economics, CEM, UPLB, Dr. Flordeliza H. Bordey, Senior Science Research Specialist of the Philippine Rice Research Institute, and Mr. Joseph Y. dela Cruz, Assistant Administrator for Marketing Operations of the National Food Authority (NFA).
Dir. Luningning E. Samarita-Domingo welcomed the participants on behalf of Academician William G. Padolina, president of NAST PHL.
Dr. Pabuayon and her co-author, Dr. Cuevas, presented their study on the analysis of the rice price trends in the country. She discussed the overview of the rice market of the Philippines as compared with the world figures, rice price trends, as well as marketing-related concerns. She said that issues concerning rice self-sufficiency, food security, and price stability were interrelated. She reported that the comparative rice per capita consumption in selected Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries showed that the Philippines ranked below most of its ASEAN neighbors, and conversely, significantly higher than the global average. According to her, supply and demand lead to price formation, where price affects consumer’s willingness to buy. Further, she stated that food security is the bottom line, that is, food should be available, accessible, and affordable at all times. On the marketing-related issue, it was ruled out that no evidence of collusion was found among farm to wholesale and at the retail levels.
NAST PHL Holds RTD on Role of Social Sciences in Health Care
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The Roundtable Discussion (RTD) on Health Beyond Health Care: Role of Social Science was held last November 25, 2014 at Hotel Jen, Manila. The RTD was organized by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines through its Social Sciences Division (SSD).
This RTD was conducted in preparation for the upcoming Annual Scientific meeting (ASM) in July next year, which will focus on non-communicable diseases. Academician Michael L. Tan, focal person of the RTD and chancellor of the University of the Philippines Diliman, explained the involvement of Social Sciences in health care and the topic of the RTD, which is on behavior change theories in relation to women’s health and with focus on tobacco use.
Dr. Clarissa C. David, assistant professor at the Department of Communications Research, College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines Diliman, discussed Behavior Change Theories in Relation to Women’s Health. According to her, when it comes to behavior change, beliefs matter more than knowledge, specifically beliefs about the behavior and about normative pressures. Women in particular, are affected by normative constraints in a culture or society. Self-efficacy is also an important factor in changing behavior, and women serve as conduits to children’s health because they take charge of their family, specifically their children. Further, she added that data collection is a significant step to get the messages on health across their audiences.