On 24 January 2017, the National Nutrition Council was among the 22 agencies that witnessed the launching of the Philippines' Chairmanship of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Pillar at the Marquee Mall in Angeles City, Pampanga. Led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as chair and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as co-chair, the launching was participated by the following agencies (in alphabetical order): ASEAN Center for Biodiversity (ACB), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA), National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC),National Nutrition Council (NNC), National Youth Commission (NYC), Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), Philippine Information Agency, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The ASEAN envisions a community that encompasses all faces of life, as reflected by its political-security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars which seeks to build a caring and sharing society that is inclusive and sensitive to the needs of the community, particularly the marginalized and vulnerable sector of the Philippines’ society.
With the theme, “Malasakit at Paglingap”, DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo mentioned that the Province of Pampanga was chosen as venue for the launching activity of the ASCC to bring the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Pillar closer to the people.
In order to achieve a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN, the following are the list of priorities that the country intends to do:
- Ensure promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers by pushing for policies that will protect them across ASEAN nations.
- Ensure protection and promotion of the rights of vulnerable sectors, the women, children, persons with disability, older persons, internally displaced persons, indigenous peoples, among others.
- Further promote appreciation of cultural heritage and strengthening of the ASEAN cultural identity.
- Intensify access to health care and improve nutrition
- Promote the role of the civil service as catalyst in achieving the vision ASEAN 2025.
- Strengthen ASEAN’s resilience against natural calamities and human-induced disasters.
Rose Anne M. Cuyco
Nutrition Officer II
NNC-Region III
