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Country Profiles

COUNTRY PROFILE: PHILIPPINES

HERE ARE SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

FROM THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Capital: Manila (13.923 million, 2020)

Offficial Language: Filipino & English

Population: 109,180,815 (July 2020 est.)

Urban Population: 47.4% of total population (2020)

Climate:

Tropical marine; northeast monsoon (November to April); southwest monsoon (May to October)

Philippines is one of the countries along the Ring of Fire, a belt of active volcanoes and earthquake epicenters bordering the Pacific Ocean; up to 90% of the world's earthquakes and some 75% of the world's volcanoes occur within the Ring of Fire.

It also sits astride the Pacific typhoon belt and an average of 9 typhoons make landfall on the islands each year. The country is the most exposed in the world to tropical storms

Health - Current Issues

Life expectancy at birth: 70 years
Fertility rate: 2.92 children born/woman
Maternal mortality rate: 121 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 20 deaths/1,000 live births
21% of children under 5 are underweight
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: 0.1% (2018 est.), ranked 132nd globally
Classified as having high risk for infectious diseases
- food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
- water contact diseases: leptospirosis

Economics

Labor force by occupation:
- agriculture: 25.4%
- industry: 18.3%
- services: 56.3% (2017 est.)
Agriculture products: rice, fish, livestock, poultry, bananas, coconut/copra, corn, sugarcane, mangoes, pineapple, cassava
Unemployment rate: 5.7% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line: 21.6% (2017 est.)

Environment - Current Issues

Uncontrolled deforestation especially in watershed areas; illegal mining and logging; soil erosion; air and water pollution in major urban centers; coral reef degradation; increasing pollution of coastal mangrove swamps that are important fish breeding grounds; coastal erosion; dynamite fishing; wildlife extinction

Vulnerable

VULNERABLE

POPULATIONS

“Vulnerability is the degree to which a population, individual or organization is unable to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impacts of disasters."

WHO, 2002

COUNTRY PROFILE:
NEPAL

HERE ARE SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT NEPAL

FROM THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK

Capital: Kathmandu, 1.442 million (2020)

Offficial Language: Nepali

Population: 30,666,598 (2022 est.)

Urban Population: 21.5% of total population (2022)

Climate:

varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south

Health - Current Issues

Life expectancy at birth: 72.4 years
Fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality rate: 186 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 25.13 deaths/1,000 live births
24.4% of children under the age of 4 are underweight (2019)
HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: 0.1% (2020 est.), ranked 129th globally
Classified as having high risk for infectious diseases
- food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases: Japanese encephalitis, malaria, and dengue fever

Economics

Labor force by occupation:
- agriculture: 69%
- industry: 12%
- services: 19% (2015 est.)
Agriculture products: rice, vegetables, sugar cane, potatoes, maize, wheat, buffalo milk, milk, fruit, mangoes/guavas
Unemployment rate: 3% (2017 est.)
Population below poverty line: 25.2% (2011 est.)

Environment - Current Issues

deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); forest degradation; soil erosion; contaminated water (with human and animal wastes, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluents); unmanaged solid-waste; wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions

Health

HEALTH

PROJECT PROPEL WORKS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITIES WE WORK WITH BY PROMOTING HEALTHY HABITS IN THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER NUTRITION!

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and lung diseases are the leading drivers of morbidity, mortality and disability globally; 80% of deaths to NCDs occur in low- and middle-income countries[1].

The main types of NCDs are cardiovascular diseases (like heart attacks and stroke), cancers, chronic respiratory diseases (such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma) and diabetes [2].

RISK FACTORS OF NCDS

SMOKING [from ncdalliance.org]
- Tobacco use is the single greatest preventable cause of
  NCDs.
- Tobacco use kills more than 15,000 people a day and
  accounts for one in six of all NCD deaths.
- Tobacco causes at least 16 different types of cancer.
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the
  world. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease and
  stroke by two to four times.
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY
- Strong evidence shows that physical inactivity increases the risk of many adverse health conditions, including the world's major non-communicable diseases (NCDs) of coronary heart disease (CHD), type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers, and shortens life expectancy. [3]
- Nearly 2/3 of the world’s population are not sufficiently physically active [4]
- WHO recommendations on physical activity [5]
  - Children and adolescents aged 5-17 years should do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity physical activity daily.
  - Adults aged 18 and up should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity throughout the week
HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL
- Globally, alcohol consumption is estimated to cause more than 10% of the burden of noncommunicable diseases, including cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, cancers (oral and pharynx, larynx, esophagus, liver, colorectal), haemorrhagic stroke and hypertension. [6]
- The harmful use of alcohol leads to 3.3 million preventable deaths throughout the world annually [7].
- Alcohol is a toxic and psychoactive substance with dependence producing properties. It is the leading risk factor for premature mortality and disability among those aged 15 to 49 years, accounting for 10 percent of all deaths in this age group [8]
- CDC Factsheet on Alcohol Use
  - Binge drinking, the most common form of excessive drinking, is defined as consuming
    - For women, 4 or more drinks during a single occasion.
    - For men, 5 or more drinks during a single occasion.
  - Heavy drinking is defined as consuming
    - For women, 8 or more drinks per week.
    - For men, 15 or more drinks per week
  - However, there are some people who should not drink any alcohol, including those who are:
    - Younger than age 21.
    - Pregnant or may be pregnant.
    - Driving, planning to drive, or participating in other activities requiring skill, coordination, and alertness.
    - Taking certain prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol.
    - Suffering from certain medical conditions.
    - Recovering from alcoholism or are unable to control the amount they drink.
UNHEALTHY DIETS
- Unhealthy diets (especially those which have a high content in fats, free sugars and salt) and physical inactivity are among some of the leading causes of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. 2.7 million deaths are attributable to diets low in fruits and vegetables [9].
- WHO Factsheet on Healthy Diets
  - A healthy diet includes the following:
  - Fruit, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils and beans), nuts and whole grains (e.g. unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat and brown rice).
  - At least 400 g (i.e. five portions) of fruit and vegetables per day, excluding potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and other starchy roots.
  - Less than 10% of total energy intake from free sugars.
  - Less than 30% of total energy intake from fats.
  - Less than 5 g of salt (equivalent to about one teaspoon) per day.

PROJECT PROPEL'S SLOGAN IS 'EAT GULAY FOR BUHAY!' or 'EAT VEGETABLES FOR LIFE!' WE PROMOTE A SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY DIET THAT IS PLANT-BASED (WHERE POSSIBLE & CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE)

SUSTAINABLE HEALTHY DIET (from FAO)

"Sustainable Healthy Diets are dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and wellbeing; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe and equitable; and are culturally acceptable. The aims of Sustainable Healthy Diets are to achieve optimal growth and development of all individuals and support functioning and physical, mental, and social wellbeing at all life stages for present and future generations; contribute to preventing all forms of malnutrition (i.e. undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, overweight and obesity); reduce the risk of diet-related NCDs; and support the preservation of biodiversity and planetary health. Sustainable healthy diets must combine all the dimensions of sustainability to avoid unintended consequences."

Sustainable Healthy Diets...

Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and until the age of two and beyond combined with appropriate combined feeding.
Are based on a variety of minimally processed foods, balanced across food groups
Include whole grains, legumes, nuts, and an abundance of fruits and vegetables
May include a moderate amount of animal-based products
Include safe, drinking water as the fluid of choice
Are adequate in energy and nutrients for growth and development, and to meet the needs for an active and healthy life across the lifecycle
Are consistent with WHO guidelines to reduce the risk of diet-related NCDs, and ensure health and wellbeing for the general population.
Contain minimal levels, or none if possible, of pathogens, toxins and other agents that can cause foodborne disease.
Maintain greenhouse gas emissions, water and land use, nitrogen and phosphorus application and chemical pollution within set targets.
Preserve biodiversity and avoid overfishing and overhunting
Minimize the use of antibiotics and hormones in food production
Minimize the use of plastics and derivatives in food packaging
Reduce food loss and waste
Are built on and respect local culture, culinary practices, knowledge and consumption patterns, and values on the way food is sourced, produced and consumed
Are accessible and desirable
Avoid adverse gender-related impacts, especially with regard to time allocation (e.g. for buying and preparing food, water and fuel acquisition).

WHOLE FOOD PLANT-BASED DIET

The Whole-foods Plant-based (WFPB) diet is a way of eating that focuses on consuming foods in their most natural form. This means that heavily processed foods are excluded. When purchasing groceries, focus on fresh foods and, when purchasing foods with a label, aim for items with the fewest possible ingredients [10]

From Forks Over Knives

Whole food describes natural foods that are not heavily processed. That means whole, unrefined, or minimally refined ingredients.
Plant-based means food that comes from plants and doesn’t include animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey.
People who eat a plant-based diet tend to be leaner than those who don’t, and the diet makes it easy to lose weight and keep it off—without counting calories.
Disease prevention: Whole-food, plant-based eating can prevent, halt, or even reverse chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes.
A lighter environmental footprint: A plant-based diet places much less stress on the environment.

SUSTAINABLE DIET

Agriculture

AGRICULTURE

FROM OUR URBAN GARDENS TO OUR LIVELIHOOD FARMS, PROJECT PROPEL IS A STRONG PROPONENT OF GROWING YOUR OWN FOOD! HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR MOST TRUSTED RESOURCES!

Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture is a food-based approach to agricultural development that puts nutritionally rich foods, dietary diversity, and food fortification at the heart of overcoming malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies. This approach stresses the multiple benefits derived from enjoying a variety of foods, recognizing the nutritional value of food for good nutrition, and the importance and social significance of the food and agricultural sector for supporting rural livelihoods. The overall objective of nutrition-sensitive agriculture is to make the global food system better equipped to produce good nutritional outcomes [11].

ECHOcommunity.org is the online collaborative membership community of ECHO, an international nonprofit organization. ECHO exists to reduce hunger and improve lives through agricultural training and resources. Working through regional impact centers around the world ECHO connects small-scale farmers, and those working to eliminate world hunger, with essential resources, and each other. These resources include a vast knowledgebase of practical information, experienced technical support and an extensive seed bank focused on highly beneficial underutilized plants.

Urban Gardening

Permaculture

Organic Agriculture

Plastic Pollution

PLASTIC POLLUTION

“A staggering 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the world’s oceans every year."

UN Environment