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INFOBYTES THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY-7 | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH VOL. 2 | NO. 14 July 12, 2013
Call center workers
TOPSTORIES
not eating enough healthy food, survey shows By Rachelle M. Nessia CEBU CITY (PIA) -- Local nutrition officials raised the alarm over the results of a local study that showed call center workers eating less and less nutritious food. A survey conducted here last year reveals that call center agents in Cebu City are reaching for more junk foods instead of healthy foods due to lack of time and accessibility to healthy food. The survey done on 1,200 call center workers in Cebu City was conducted by the Population Commission (Popcom) and the University of San Carlos (USC). Said survey results also point to a higher incidence of smoking and drinking of alcohol among call center employees, said Popcom-7 Planning Officer Michael Pacios. Reasons cited by call center employees were lack of time to cook nutritious food and non-availability of healthy food in their working place, said Pacios. Susan Orpilla of the National Nutrition Council-7 (NNC) said the survey’s results are alarming as the high-fat and novegetables diet put the health of call center agents at risk. “They are future parents. What if these young adults are already anemic and when they get married and their anemia is not treated, they will also produce underweight children,” said Orpilla. Lack of proper nutrition also affects their productivity, she warned. Orpilla appealed to call center employers to make sure there is healthy food available for their workers in their canteens. The Regional Nutrition Council has earlier passed a resolution requiring all school canteens in the region to make sure the food they serve adhere to NNC’s 10 Nutritional Guidelines for Filipinos. Orpilla said BPO companies can also choose to adopt the guidelines when stocking food in their companies. Meanwhile, Orpilla noted a low vegetable consumption in Central Visayas. She quoted a survey that shows vegetable intake in Central Visayas is only at 37.23 kg per year per person. The required vegetable consumption for each Filipino is at 69 kg per year. Orpilla urged Cebuano consumers to increase their intake of vegetables by eating more home-cooked meals or growing their own vegetables in their backyards. (RMN/PIA Cebu)
EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE EVACUATION DRILL: Employees assemble at the designated evacuation area while medical and emergency personnel stand by during the Earthquake and Fire evacuation drill at the I. T. Park, Cebu City. (VVV/PIA Cebu)
DENR-7 strictly monitors traders of wildlife species By Hazel F. Gloria CEBU CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) strictly monitors establishments that are selling wildlife species without permits. DENR-7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo in a press statement said, “I have issued instructions to our field officials and the newly deputized wildlife enforcement officers to conduct a thorough intelligence gathering so that we would be able to know if there are certain establishments, pet shops or other similar places that are selling or trading wildlife species without permits from the DENR.” Under RA-9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, illegal trade of endangered species is penalized by a fine of P200,000 and a jail term of two years while the killing of endangered animals carries the penalty of imprisonment of six years and a fine of P500,000. “ We w i l l n o t h e s i t a t e t o implement the full force of the law against those who engage in illegal trading, collection and possession of wildlife species,” Montejo added. He warned against poachers who try to smuggle wildlife species as the wildlife monitoring units in airports
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and seaports are now being alerted 24 hours a day. In a related development, Montejo urged the public not to remove or take away wildlife species from their natural habitat or else it would threaten their ability to survive in a new environment. The instructions of DENR-7 came after authorities seized a large number of protected animals during a raid in a home in Tondo, Manila last June 3. During the raid, the team found dead animals apparently dumped outside the house, emitting a strong foul odor. The raiding team, headed by DENR Undersecretary and Philippine Operations Group on Ivory and Illegal Wildlife Trade (POGI) head Ernesto Adobo Jr., recovered 78 Palawan hill mynas, 12 blue-naped parrots and five juvenile Indo-Pacific or saltwater crocodiles which were all dead. Only 14 Philippine forest and pond turtles were retrieved alive. It can be recalled that on June 21, the DENR destroyed five tons of smuggled elephant tusks using a road roller, making the Philippines the first country in Asia to conduct physical destruction of massive ivory stockpiles in support of global efforts to stamp out illegal wildlife trade. (mbcn/HFG/PIA-7 & DENR-7)