Comparison of Models Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Comparison of Models Paper - Essay Example According to researchers, a psychological model like etiology is becoming common regardless of the fact that it increases mental complications among individuals. As such, a need arises to provide superior health care and preventive services like psychological therapies to ensure the development a healthy nation (Harvi, 2005). The complications of the model demand effective adherence to nursing care policies and adoption of relevant precautionary measures. Medical practitioners asserts that clear methods of ensuring absolute eradication of the disorder among individuals is based on integration of quality medical systems that ensure provision of the psychological therapies. Therefore, Individuals should be acquainted with the causes of the complication and its mitigation measures to avert losses. The biological model highlights mental disorders that influence an individual’s response behavior and perception on diverse issues. The model affects the brain capacity by destroying vital cells just like psychosocial model; however, the effects differ. This means that psychological complications affect an individual’s etiological system and conceptualization while biological model delimits the response capacity. According to researchers, the complications of biological model pose severe response challenges to individuals; thus, hampering their cognitive thinking. Response to diverse elements in the society is critical in ensuring rational execution of activities. Harvi (2005) who is a renowned researcher and health expert gives credible information on the effects of the psychological model disorders since it leads mental complications. The disorders influence an individual’s ability to perform exemplarily since it destroys mental cells that help in conceptualization. He asserts that mitigation measures should be adopted since the prevalence of the disorder is increasing. This

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Case Study Example The government wanted to establish a knowledge-based economy and technology-oriented, efficient and well-equipped libraries were one of the main pre-requisites for building such an economy. The advance in information search technologies was rendering the old libraries defunct, thus the call to upgrade them to meet the present and emerging needs of library users. The change was massive in that there was an overhaul of the entire management style from hierarchical to team-based approach. The culture of the library was also changed. From strategic standpoint, the change was aimed at increasing the competitiveness of public libraries by making it customer-centric, which would be equated to profit maximization in for-profit organization. The Singapore library system’s â€Å"customer† is the general public, which includes students, people with small business enterprises and individuals of various ethnic backgrounds. The â€Å"product† offered by the library include books and other collections that facilitate learning and promote cultural heritage. Initially, service delivery was through queuing for services and there was a lot of inefficiency. In order to reduce the lines for services, a self-service system was implemented in which self-checkout machines were used. Unlike the traditional libraries, the change ensure that Singaporeans accessed the libraries anytime and from anywhere by making available electronic information to users, which they could remotely access. The traditional service delivery remained unchanged. This is because the aim was to use technology to improve rather than replace traditional service delivery system. The retention of the traditional service delivery system was not a change failure, but an intentional move by the NLB. The major components of the change effort included the government, the community, the management and the entire staff of public libraries. The government provided financial support required for the

The book A Christmas Carol Essay Example for Free

The book A Christmas Carol Essay The three ghosts add to the popularity of the novel. First of all they take Scrooge on a journey. This is popular because it gives a sense of adventure and adventure themes are very popular for example Charlotte Bronti s Jane Eyre and Emily Bronti s Wuthering heights. The reason these adventures were so popular is because it is a journey through time. This is a new thing for the Victorians which creates shock nowadays. We relate to this through television like doctor who. Also this makes scrooge change; this makes it popular as its not all about visiting place, its about he reacts and changes. At the end of the novel scrooge has completely changed. He has changed from being old, miserable and mean; to being kind and exhilarated (quote). In the first paragraph Dickens cleverly used scrooges voice to describe the room (quote). This makes us empathise with him and feel his excitement. Dickens also uses repetition to emphasise scrooges laugh (quote). He does this to make sure that the audience has noticed that he is laughing. Scrooge also sends for a giant turkey for Bob cratchitt and gives the boy money for getting it. He also pays for a cab so the delivery person doesnt have to carry it. This part of the novel shows how much scrooge has changed. He has become generous, kind and considerate. Next scrooge walks around the street greeting people. He also bumps into the charity collectors who he gave a huge contribution too. You begin to see that Dickens has cleverly repeated the events from stave 1, but made them chances for scrooge to be generous, for example the boy, the charity men, his nephew This has a huge effect on people and most of them are surprised and happy for example the charity men. Cried the old gentleman. This is repeated to show his pleasure. Again this emphasises the point and makes us relate and feel the enthusiasm and joy.

Impact of Bisphenol A in Bottles on Children’s health

Impact of Bisphenol A in Bottles on Children’s health INTRODUCTION The history of Bisphenol-A is a long story, and the development of this substance has  gathered benefits and drawbacks. In fact, BPA brings several benefits for life’s people. It is  used in the production of epoxy resins and polycarbonate plastics. The polycarbonate plastics may be encountered in many products including dental equipment, eyewear, especially baby bottles, while epoxy resins are frequently used as inner liner of metal food and drink containers to prevent corrosion. However, historical development of Bisphenol A demonstrates that the drawbacks have a much negative impact than benefits. Bisphenol A was discovered in 1891 by Russian chemist Aleksandr Dianin. In the 1930s, scientists discovered that BPA is an artificial estrogen and it has been used widely over the world since 1950 (The Washington Post, â€Å"117 Years of BPA,† April 27, 2008). Recently, the number and diversity in the study of the effects of bisphenol A has grown significantly over the past few years. In 2009, Health Canada studies showed that the majority of canned soft drinks contain bisphenol A (Survey of Bisphenol A in Canned Drink Products,13 March2009). Moreover, in 2010, the University of Texas in USA showed that almost plastic packaging and canned milk usually contain high the percentage of BPA[Journalists Resource.org]. In addition, study in the US showed that consumption of soda, school lunches, and meals prepared outside the home make a significant contribution t o the increasing BPA in the urine [Lakind JS, Naiman DQ (2010)]. Therefore, the wide use of BPA in plastic fabrication and epoxy resins has a negative impact on health people, which interferes with the endocrine system in animals and humans and contribute to adversely affect children’s health. Furthermore, plastic containers, especially baby bottles, become more popular with consumers and retailers as they are cheap, functional and hygienic way to transport products. This leads to the fact that many children will be easily caught disease as well as influence the development of children. This essay will discuss about concentrations of BPA in urine which can cause danger for children ages from 6 to 17 as well as the impact of Bisphenol A in bottles on children, such as early puberty, obesity and lower IQ (Csaba Leranth, 2013), and the positive solutions to minimize problems such as a ban, use plastic bottles as less as possible. SITUATION The discovery of Bisphenol A in the 20 century was just an accident. Although Aleksandr Dianin, Russian chemist, discovered Biisphenol A in 1891, until the year 1900, Dr. Feldman made some important discoveries of this. In 1990, Dr. Feldman and his colleagues have carried out a research into estrogen, and they found out strange substance that looked like an estrogen. In 1992, strange substance was found in experimentation related to plastic flask and was not present in glass flask. Dr. Feldman identified this substance as Bisphenol A. According to International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Nomenclature (IUPAC), Bisphenol A (BPA) or 4,4-dihydroxy-2,2-diphenylpropane is a carbon-based synthetic compound with the chemical formula C15H16O2 and molecular weight 228.28634 g/mol (Bisphenol A, 2005). This substance was used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastic, which typically present in bottles. Furthermore Dr. Feldman said that Bisphenol A is a major health risk. Nevertheless, the negative effect of Bisphenol A that Dr. Feldman research do not help inhibit the increasing manufacture of bottles, which contain high-level BPA, and the provided pie chart below illustrates the figure for baby bottles purchase worldwide. Sources: Icon Group â€Å"The 2009-2014 World Outlook for Baby Bottles†- Philip M. Parker, PhD/SGD At first glance, the manufacture of bottles in North America experienced the highest portion while Indian gained the least attention in this field. It is noticeable that 24 was the percentage that mass-produce bottles in North America, compared to 22% of Europe and 14% of Russia, Africa and Middle East. However India and Latin America just put the modest manufacture of bottles, which was 5% and 8% respectively. In 2008, there were 22 billion food cans and 100 billion cans for soft drinks, which were produced with BPA. (Hemi Weingarten, 2009). With the innumerable bottles produced each year, people, and children in particularly, are easily expose to Bisphenol a contained in bottles. The number of children whose exposure to BPA had increased significantly since BPA was used widely from 1950. Furthermore, Karin B. Michels, associate professor of epidemiology at HSPH and Harvard Medical School said that drinking water from polycarbonate bottles in just one week went up urinary BPA levels more than two third, and if people heat those bottles, the levels would be higher (Karin B, 2015). The line graph below demonstrates the concentrations in urine samples in children. (Source: http://www.epa.gov/ace/biomonitoring/bpa.html) To find out whether or not children expose to Bisphenol A, many scientists research in urine samples from all age groups, including children and adults. This data which show concentrations in urine samples are obtained from individual survey participants conducted by National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Environmental Health, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The figure for the Median and 95th percentile concentrations in urine decreased significantly. Between 2003 and 2004, the number of the median concentration of BPA in urine of children ages 6 to 17 years is 4  µg/L in comparison with 16  µg/L of 95th percentile concentration in urine. It is noticeable that the figure for 95th percentile concentrations in urine reached a peak at 17  µg/L in 2005-2006 while 2009 was the year that the Median experience the lowest percentage, about 2  µg/L. These changes are extremely important in reducing the rate children whose exposure to Bisphenol A. PROBLEMS Although the current trend in using Bisphebol A had declined significantly, BPA pose risk to human health. Bishenol A was researched in several scientific reports of the independent research group over the world. According to a scenario analysis of 12 experts in the National Toxicology Program NTP, BPA makes the reproductive system and the brain of newborn animals develop abnormally. A small dose of BPA can cause negative effects on young children. Some studies even suggest that young children are easily affected by Bisphenol A because the young body is still developing. Therefore, the immune system cannot protect and remove the dangerous chemical, especially Bisphenol A. Generally, although eating too much or lack of exercise are the important factors that lead to obese in teenager, said Dr. De-Kun Li, Bisphenol A might also contribute to the increasing in the obesity rate. Li and his colleagues studied 1326 children aging from 9 to 12, and measured BPA levels in their urine. (Corvese, 2013). The girls who have higher BPA levels were associated with the double risk of obesity. Researchers explained that Bisphenol A is referred to as endocrine disrupting chemicals, which interfere with elimination of natural hormones in the body. These natural hormones are responsible for reproductive development, fertility and maintenance of homeostasis. Therefore, when the concentration of BPA are high in girl, Bisphenol A which acts like estrogen make a significant contribution to the early puberty and cause weight gain. With the weakened immune system and the consequences of obesity caused by Bisphenol A, young people are more likely suffer diseases such as: high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes (Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM, 2011). People who become obese as early as age are more likely suffer cancer in adults including cancer of the breast, colon, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, and prostate. (A Cancer Journal for Clinicians2006). In 2010, a report from The President’s cancer Panel identified more than 130 studies that have linked BPA to obesity, breast cancer and other disorder problems (World-wire.com, 2010). Besides, there are many serious consequences of BPA that are proved by many scientists, such as: brain and behavior problems, heart problems and low IQ (Empen, 2013). If these diseases are not treated effectively, they have a negative impact on the development of children in the future. Therefore, eliminating Bisphenol A from the body can help young children h ave an excellent health without affecting by prevalence diseases in modern life SOLUTIONS Recognizing the harmful effects of Bisphenol A and considering it as a national issue, scientists and governments take this problem in serious concern. From a scientific perspective, developing alternative to Bisphenol A is a major breakthrough in eliminating BPA from the body as well as in cancer research. Furthermore, under the pressure of people who worry about the BPA’s adverse affect on human health, researchers over the world put more effort in finding the substitute for Bisphenol A. In fact, many manufactures in United States show that it is possible to replace BPA not only in baby bottles, but also in food cans and drinking bottles. They developed a chemical which originate in sugar, and this substance allow us to create a family of isosorbide-based epoxy resins that is capable of standing in for Bisphenol A, said Professor Michael Jaffe (Harrington, 2010). Besides, there are many possible substitutes to bottles and containers containing BPA, such as stainless steel, Tritan Copolyester, Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyamide , Polyethersulfone (PES) and oleoresin [Oregon Environmental Council, 2013; Det Økologiske Rà ¥d, 2013], all of which are environmentally friendly alternatives. In 2008, Nalgene said that they produce baby bottles with these substitutes, and it is obvious that these materials do not contain Bisphenol A. Apart from practical concerns mentioned above, it would be unfair without considering the contributing factor of government in wiping off Bisphenol A from baby bottles. Canada becomes the first government in the world to carry out the negative effects of Bisphenol A. In October 2010, they imposed limitations on using bottles which contain BPA. Apparently, these ban helped decrease the rate of using bottles. Not only does Canada’s government ban using Bisphenol A, but also other countries legislate on the reduction of baby bottles. Washington is a good illustration for campaigning to act against BPA. â€Å"Bans BPA from children’s food and beverage containers (other than metal cans) and all reusable water bottles.(Adopted in 2010)† according to Washington State Legislature. Besides, governments force manufactures to label each baby bottles with the contents and statistics of Bisphenol A. Hence government can manage the concentration of BPA in bottles. In addition, thanks to attaching label, individual can easily check the bottles whether or not contain BPA. If the products say â€Å"phthalate free† or â€Å"BPA-free†, consumers can purchase these products without worrying the harmful effect of Bisphenol A (Niehs.nih.gov, 2015). EVALUATION As we know, nothing interesting is ever completely one-sided, these solutions that wipe Bisphenol A of baby bottles also have the pros and cons. It seems to me that the potential consequences of rules and regulations are significant than the possible dangers. On the one hand, imposing constraints have a negative effect on the quality of products. Bisphenol A is a suitable chemical for hardening polycarbonate plastics. If government ban using Bisphenol A in baby bottles, the quality of these bottles will degrade. Furthermore, the substitute is not as good as Bisphenol A. For instance, acrylics, which stand in for Bisphenol A, are used in producing bottles. However, this substance is more brittle than Bisphenol A, and it is obvious that the bottles are easily broken. On the other hand, I would argue that these drawbacks are outweighed by the benefits. Removing Bisphenol A will be of benefit to economy. In 2008, there were 12,404 cases of childhood obesity and 33,863 cases of coronary heart diseases that associated with Bisphenol A. By eliminating this substance from the body, we can reduce child health care expenditure, which was about $2.98billion. Specifically, the cost of BPA- attributable childhood obesity and coronary heart were approximately 1.5 billion and 935 million respectively (Trasande, 2014). . Furthermore, if we use the substitute for Bisphenol A, it costs a fortune. Some report suggest that oleoresin, which stand in for Bisphenol A, can cost 2.2 cent more than BPA in the lining of aluminum cans. With 100 billion these cans produced each year, the cost of substitute for BPA would be 2.2 billions [LaytonL, 2010]. CONCLUSION The development of Bisphenol A has gathered advantages and disadvantages. Although BPA is the crucial factor in manufacturing baby bottles, it was inevitable that there would be impact of Bisphenol A in baby bottles on children health. The negative effects associate with prevalent diseases in modern life such as early puberty and obesity. Hence, governments and scientists take into action as soon as possible to preclude child health expenditures, which are closely related to large economic burden. In the future, it is necessary to test potential substitutes in order to prevent the use of replacement Bisphenol A that may lead the same or worse health consequences. REFERENCES Calafat A.M., Ye X., Wong L.Y., Reidy J.A., and Needham L.L., â€Å"Exposure of the U.S. Population to Bisphenol A and 4-tertiary-octylphenol: 2003-2004,† Environ Health Perspect, 2008 Jan;116(1):39-44 Bisphenol A. (2005). [online] Available at: http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Bisphenol_A [Accessed 2 Apr. 2015]. Hc-sc.gc.ca, (2015). ARCHIVED Survey of Bisphenol A in Canned Drink Products [Health Canada, 2009]. [online] Available at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/packag-emball/bpa/bpa_survey-enquete-can-eng.php [Accessed 7 Apr. 2015]. Karin B, M. (2015). BPA, chemical used to make plastics, found to leach from polycarbonate drinking bottles Into humans | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. [online] Hsph.harvard.edu. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/bpa-chemical-plastics-leach-polycarbonate-drinking-bottles-humans/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Corvese, G. (2013). BPA linked to obesity in young girls. [online] Thechart.blogs.cnn.com. Available at: http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2013/06/12/bpa-linked-to-obesity-in-young-girls/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012.Journal of the American Medical Association2014;311(8):806-814. Harrington, R. (2010). Sugar-derived epoxy lining could replace bisphenol A. [online] FoodProductionDaily.com. Available at: http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Packaging/Sugar-derived-epoxy-lining-could-replace-bisphenol-A [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Empen, K. (2013). The Facts About Bisphenol A, BPA. [online] Webmd.com. Available at: http://www.webmd.com/children/environmental-exposure-head2toe/bpa [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Niehs.nih.gov, (2015). Bisphenol A (BPA). [online] Available at: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/sya-bpa/ [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Trasande, L. (2014). Further Limiting Bisphenol A In Food Uses Could Provide Health And Economic Benefits. Health Affairs, 33(2), pp.316-323. Fda.gov, (2010). Bisphenol A (BPA): Use in Food Contact Application. [online] Available at: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/PublicHealthFocus/ucm064437.htm [Accessed 11 Apr. 2015]. Vom Saal et al., â€Å"Chapel Hill Bisphenol A Expert Panel Consensus Statement: Integration of Mechanisms, Effects in Animals and Potential to Impact Human Health at Current Levels of Exposure,† Reproductive Toxicology, 2008 August-September, pp. 131-138. 1 Title: Impact of Bisphenol A in Bottles on Children’s health

The Incas :: Pre-Columbian History Culture

The Incas The Inca were South American Indian people who ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the America's. The Inca Empire began to expand about 1438 and occupied a vast region that centered on the capital, Cusco, in southern Peru. The Empire extended more than 2,500 miles (4,020 kilometers) along the western coast of South America. It included parts of Present - Day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Inca Empire was conquered by Spanish Forces soon after their arrival in 1532. Inca emperors ruled their far - reaching territory through a complex political system. The Inca took over many areas by military force. Their political system kept a balance between the central authority of the emperor and local rulers. The name Inca was originally the title of the emperor. The peoples he governed had many names. But after the Spanish conquest, all people under the emperor's rule were called the Inca. Inca is a group name which covers a large numbers of tribes. The original Incas were Quechua speakers who lived in South - Eastern Peruvian highlands. Tribes later conquered by the Incas tended to assimulate Inca culture, to the exclusion of their own. In the 15century, led by Pachacuti Inca Yupaqui and his son Topa Inca, the Inca Empire exploded over the Andes. Both leaders claimed to be descendents of the sun, the most important symbol in Inca religious life. When Topa Inca died in 1493 Pachacuti's Andean domain ran nearly 2,500 miles from North Ecuador into Chile and covered some 350,000 square miles. The Incas are famous for their intricate gold work and elaborate weaving. For subsistence they relied on terraced and irrigated cultivation, and very little on hunting and fishing. In the mountain areas the main crop was quinoa, and in lower areas maize, beans, peanuts, and squash. They kept llamas, alpacas, dogs, guinea pigs, and dogs. Men worked copper and gold and women made fabrics and pots. Inca towns had massive public buildings. Most of their technological achievements were grand - scale copies of ideas from earlier civilizations. The skilful farmers who preceded the Inca, harnessing the melting snows of the Andes, dug irrigation ditches across the desert; they also deflected rivers for the same purpose. Nothing which the Minoans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did, agriculturally, equalled this achievement. They also demesticated animals. From the Native American camal the guanaco, they bred the llama and the alpaca for their wool, and guinea - pigs for food.

Comparing the Film Black Orpheus and the Original Greek Myth Essay

Comparing the Film Black Orpheus and the Original Greek Myth The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is one that has been retold countless times over the years. It started as a Greek myth, later being made into a movie titled Black Orpheus. After reading the myth and watching the movie, it is easy to see that there are far more differences in the two works than similarities. These differences are not only in the way the story is told, but also in the organization of the events that take place and in the description of the characters. The main differences in these two versions of the myth are the role of the characters, the main plot scheme, and the journey into the underworld. The characters in the movie, Black Orpheus, are significantly altered from the Greek myth. In the myth, Orpheus and Eurydice are together from the beginning and are completely in love. Everyone is happy for their love and the only thing that stands in their way is death. In the movie, however, this is notably changed. Orpheus begins as a streetcar conductor that was engaged to Mira, giving the idea that Orpheus was in love with another woman. We quickly see that this is not the case as Orpheus is always very curt and rude with his fiancà ©e. They are slated to get married, but there is an eerie feeling in the air that something is about to go wrong. The main difference with these characters is that in the movie, Orpheus cheats on his fiancà ©e. We soon see that Eurydice is the wildcard when it comes to Orpheus. It does not matter whether or not he is with another woman, she will do what it takes to win Orpheus’s love. This is where one of the main differences occurs. Contrary to the myth, Orpheus cheats on his fiancà ©e and gives his love and affection to Eurydic... ... Orpheus thinks that a trick is being played on him and turns around, causing Eurydice to be lost forever. This leads the viewer to believe that Orpheus was not really in the underworld and that this was just a fake journey into a nonexistent underworld. It seems quite odd that anyone can walk down a spiral staircase and be placed at the gates of Hades. This is the main reason the journey into the underworld appears to be a false one. Overall, the two versions of the story convey the same message, but in very different ways. From the differences in the characters to the plot variances, we can see that the similar messages can be portrayed in a variety of ways. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is an ancient one that will forever be retold and altered. A prime example of this was shown in the differences between the original myth and that movie of Black Orpheus.

The Situation of Filipino Children and Young People

Almost half of the population in the Philippines are children. With a fast population growth a year, the government has a difficult task in providing children with enough resources to ensure their rights. For many adults and children, a 15-year-old who bears a child willingly or unwillingly ceases to be a girl-child but a young mother. An 11-year-old who takes on the task of tilling the ?elds ceases to be a boy but a labouring farmhand. A 16-year-old who spends most of his time at a wage-factory ceases to be a young adolescent but a breadwinner. A 9-year-old girl made to peddle her body on the streets becomes a commodity. An 8-year-old boy on the street stealing someone’s money for food is a criminal. Boys and girls loitering in the streets sniffing rugby are considered dregs of society. Seldom are their situations seen in the context of poverty and lack of parental guidance and societal responsibility. As dictated by social practice, a child may be considered an adult when he or she becomes part of social production and reproduction, or when the child performs responsibilities such as making a living or having his or her own family. While children are not distinguished simply by chronological age, physical and psychological development identifies an age range that sets a general definition of who are children, that is, (also as de?ned by law) individuals below 18 years old. On the other hand, different socio-cultural contexts characterize children and their childhoods. Children have become more vulnerable as they give in to their families’ insecurities, society’s inadequacies and social exclusion as the marginalisation of the poor heightens. Despite the circumstances they find themselves in, children, youth, and young people are still developing individuals who have particular needs and rights. They have both vulnerabilities and competencies. They are not simply â€Å"adults-to-be† who need to be moulded or â€Å"just children† who are to be taken for granted. Children are social actors and can be active participants in social change. The Philippines is making significant progress in the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Still, poverty coupled with political violence pose serious challenges to children. The total number of poor Filipino families is estimated at 4. 7 million. The fast-growing population and the failure of household incomes to rise as fast as commodity prices have resulted in more poor Filipino families. Poor refers to those whose incomes fall below the threshold determined by the government, or those who cannot afford to provide in a sustained manner for their minimum basic needs for food, health, education, housing and other social amenities in life. In the Philippines, children who are victims of violence are categorized as children needing special protection (CNSP). CNSP includes child labour; children-victims of sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation; abandoned and neglected or children without primary caregivers; children of indigenous cultural groups; child-victims of disasters; children in situations of armed conflict; street children; and, children in conflict with the law. Violence against Filipino children are committed through physical and psychological abuse/deprivation that manifest in the worst forms of child labour, child prostitution, begging in the streets, abandonment, trafficking and /or recruitment as soldiers or couriers in areas of armed conflict. Most instances or forms of violence against Filipino children are attributed to poverty. The increasing reported cases of violence against children are the social manifestations of a long history of poverty, characterized by a chronic or cyclical condition of deprivation of basic services that include basic education, health and nutrition services, livelihood or employment opportunities, durable housing and clothing. Poverty has affected several generations of a lot of Filipino families that has resulted in inadequate parental capabilities, strained family relationship and corrupted values. Children are products of their environments. Their situation mirrors the realities of their families, community and society. While the Filipino family puts much premium on the welfare of its children, families are increasingly breaking down in the midst of the struggle for survival. In the process, children are inadvertently sacrificed. The paragraphs on the next pages are studies of the situation of Filipino children and young people. Poverty and Luck of Education If you have an education, you won’t go hungry and you live with comforts of a house. You are living a good life. There is Michelle 16 year olds. She lives in Payatas. Life is hard in a garbage town. At such young age children collect and sell garbage. Despite the danger they are forced to work. Many have had accidents and died. When typhoon Ketsana came, her house was destroyed. Her mom lost her job. With no house and no money for food, Michelle and her siblings could not go to school anymore. Twelve-year-old Marian is one of the millions of Filipino children whose education has taken a backseat due to poverty. The fifth of eight children, she fled her home when she was 10 because she said her jobless parents hurt her. Marian is supposed to be in the sixth grade this year, but she’s currently enrolled as a Grade 1 pupil, learning basic language lessons and math skills in a public elementary school in Cainta, Rizal. A certain â€Å"Ate Rowena† took her in and convinced her to go back to school. Marian has to face challenges in school. â€Å"Other children tease me because I’m still in Grade 1†¦but I don’t mind them because this is my chance to continue and finish my studies†, she said. Despite the challenges, Marian is lucky compare to thousands of other Filipino children. Education is a right, however today; 121 million people cannot go to school because of poverty. The poor would choose to feed the body instead of feeding the mind. They would choose to work in jobs before working for a better future in school. Poverty has deprived them from their right to education. Billions of children are experiencing the nightmare of poverty. What does the future hold for them, and for the whole world? Poverty, hungers prevent Filipino kids from getting basic education. Despite the annual increase in the budget for basic education, fewer children are enrolling in schools. Poverty is one of the main causes of the country’s poor education record and has affected participation in education in more ways than one. Lack of personal interest came in second at 22 percent, while the high cost of education came in a close third at 19. 9 percent. Other reasons include, among others, housekeeping, illness or disability, failure to cope with school work, and distance from school. The lack of interest among school children indicates a weakness on the part of the school system to make education interesting for the students. This may be due to poor teaching quality, inadequate facilities and supplies and poor infrastructure. Poverty, social exclusion, school distance and poor health care, are factors that weigh heavily on children and dampen their interest to pursue schooling. The challenge, therefore, is how to make the school interesting and encouraging rather than intimidating; how to make it inclusive, non-discriminatory and poor-sensitive rather than exclusive and elite-oriented; and how to make it accommodating rather than restricting. Finally, the education content, process and experience should be made more meaningful to the children’s life experiences by ensuring appropriate, culture-sensitive and values-based interventions. The Education department said hunger and malnutrition are also barriers to participation in education. DepEd started implementing the Food for School Program under the Accelerated Hunger Mitigation Plan. It was done with the Health, Social Welfare departments, the National Food Authority and local government units. As a motivation to go to school, it sends the wrong message to poor children: go to school to get one kilo of rice instead of the value of learning; it is also an added burden for children as poor parents encourage their children to attend classes to be able to avail of the daily ration†. Street Children There is an estimated 1. 5 million street children in the Philippines. They survive each day by begging, selling or by taking drugs. Would you care to give them a fut ure? The country has a high number of street children. Street children are susceptible to malnutrition, vehicular accidents, injuries illnesses, drug or substance abuse, sexual exploitation, gambling and harassment by police or other extortionists. They also tend to join gangs as a form of protection. A lot of children are also involved in drug trading in their communities by serving as runners, lookouts, barkers or by doing repacking and cleaning up of paraphernalia. Drug pushers prefer to hire children, because they are obedient and not easily detected. Cebu City is a booming centre of trade and tourism in the Visayan region of the Philippines. In Cebu City alone, it was estimated that about 1,300 children were engaged in such activities. Respondents in the said study entitled â€Å"Children’s Involvement in the Production, Sales and Trafficking of Drugs in Cebu City† reported that their environment was conducive for their involvement in drug trading particularly since their barangay officials were also involved in said illegal activities. The need for money was the major reason that drove them to work in drug trading. Most of the children-respondents were drug users themselves and about one-third of them had parents also involved in drug trading. Some children got physically or verbally abused both by the drug leader and law. Street children are generally thin, untidy, undernourished, and hardly equipped to survive the hazards of everyday living and working on the streets. Some of the hazards they face include sickness, physical injuries from motor accidents, street fights, harassment from extortionists and police, sexual exploitation by pedophiles and pimps, exposure to substance abuse and sexually transmitted diseases. The most common substances street children used are inhalants, such as solvents, rugby and cough syrups, followed by marijuana and shabu. Marijuana and shabu in particular are shared with friends whenever one of the groups has enough money to buy them. Some street children take drugs as often as once a day. Malnourishment More than half million Pinoy kids suffer from severe malnutrition. The next generation of Filipinos will probably be shorter and lighter if the incidence of malnutrition in the country remains unchecked. According to the latest study by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, three in every 10 Filipino children aged 5 and below are stunted or too short for their age while two in every 10 children also in the same age range are underweight. Four million Filipino children are malnourished and the number is expected to grow. FNRI revealed that the prevalence of malnutrition is highest in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Southern Tagalog, Southern Mindanao, and Eastern Visayas regions, where up to one-third of children under the age of 10 are either underweight or short for their age. But malnutrition is not just prevalent in rural regions, FNRI said. In Metro Manila, 4 out of every 100 children are underweight and two out of every 100 preschoolers are overweight. Increasing food prices would only worsen the malnutrition in the country. UNICEF demonstrates that the underlying causes of malnutrition are multifaceted, including economic, social, and political factors. Poverty is recognized as both a cause and consequence of malnutrition. Child Trafficking Human trafficking is a serious problem in the Philippines. Aside from being a source country for human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, it is also a transit and destination country. Between 60 000 and 100 000 children are trafficked annually, most of them girls. Children are recruited by agents from poor families in rural areas, who send their daughters to the city to earn money. The Philippines has a serious trafficking problem of children illegally recruited into the tourist industry for sexual exploitation. Destinations within the country are Metro Manila, Angeles City, Olongapo City, towns in Bulacan, Batangas, Cebu City, Davao and Cagayan de Oro City and other sex tourist resorts such as Puerto Galera, which is notorious, Pagsanjan, Laguna, San Fernando Pampanga, and many beach resorts throughout the country. The promise of recruiters offers the parents and children attractive jobs in the country or abroad, and instead they are persuade and forced and controlled into the sex industry for tourists. Child Abuse Over 200,000 Filipino children have experienced abuse. The DSWD classifies child abuse cases as abandoned, neglected, sexually abused, sexually exploited, physically abused/maltreated, victims of child labor, victims of illegal recruitment, victims of child trafficking, victims of armed conflict, and others (emotionally abused, etc. ). The regions with the most number of child abuse cases served are NCR, Central Visayas, Central Luzon, Cagayan Valley, and Zamboanga Peninsula. The reduction in the number of cases served came mainly from Zamboanga Peninsula. More than half of the child abuse victims are aged 10 to below 18 years old. Revolting is the fact that about one out of four victims is aged below five years old. By category, more than one-half of abused children served by the DSWD have either been abandoned or neglected, comprising the most common cases. Why are they abandoned and/or neglected? Are these innocent children victims of unwanted pregnancies, or of abject poverty? After abandoned/neglected children, sexually abused children are the second most common cases. And despite the Anti-Rape Law of 1997 (Republic Act (RA) No. 353), the most common sexual abuse is rape, followed by incest and acts of lasciviousness. Rape victims are predominantly female. One wonders whether the prohibition under RA 9346 in 2006 of the death penalty originally possible for convicted rape offenders under certain conditions has contributed to this social problem. And quite worrisome is the relatively large number of incest cases, calling attention to the breakdown of the family as a social institution. Does the CWC have a program to address this sensitive social issue? Some victims of child labor are only 5 to below 10 years old. While child labour—de?ned by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as the â€Å"employment of children below 15 years of age and the employment of those below 18 years in hazardous or deleterious work†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ is declared illegal, the government di?erentiate it from child work, which is considered an â€Å"acceptable vocation for children. † In reality though, the distinction is not clear. Even the exemption provided for when parents give consent for their child’s engaging in labour validates the reality that a family’s economic status decides whether or not a child is forced to work. Victims of paedophilia have been reported in Eastern Visayas, NCR, and MIMAROPA. Most of the sexually-exploited children are either victim of prostitution or of cyber pornography. The child prostitution cases went up slightly. Cyber pornography victims are served in NCR, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Ilocos Region. And while the absolute number of cyber pornography cases may be small, there could possibly be many more, as is probably the case with child prostitution, who have not sought help from the DSWD. This should serve as a stern warning about the danger of allowing children unguided access to the Internet. Situation of Education in the Philippines In spite of a constitutional mandate, the budget allocation on education is far lower than required in the Philippines. The impact of economic crisis and the pressures of increasing population are forcing parents to send their wards to overcrowded and ill-equipped public schools. And the school itself is not unusual in a country whose population of 92 million is exploding so fast, and whose education budget is so small, that it cannot find space to teach its children. More children are also coming into the public schools as the economy tightens and families cannot afford the haven of private schools, with their smaller classes. Many children, lesser classrooms – This school year opened with a nationwide enrolment of millions of students from elementary through high school, almost exactly a million more than in the previous year. Although the government began a classroom-building program, the schools are still classrooms short, according to Juan Miguel Luz, a former under secretary of education who works with the National Institute of Policy Study, which advocates better education policies. To squeeze in all the students, many classrooms have been divided into two by partitions. Stairwells and corridors have been converted into miniature classrooms. In the capital, Manila, Education Department figures show an average of one toilet for every 143 high school students and one for every 114 elementary school students. At Munoz-Palma High School, some lavatories have been converted into claustrophobic faculty lounges, while the lounges have been put to use as classrooms. â€Å"I have 106 students in my class and 90 seats,† said Rico Encinares, 34, a chemistry teacher. Everybody has seats if some of them are absent. But if they all come, there are not enough seats. They have to share seats. † –Teacher- Missing on quality education – Only about 10% of his students – the truly motivated ones – get a quality education, he said. Individual attention is almost impossible. â€Å"I don’t know the names of all my students, even at the end of the school year,† he said. â€Å"You only remember the ones who are very noisy or very good. But the silent ones who just sit there listening, you can’t recall their names. -Teacher- Children in conflict The political violence continues to affect children in the country. Local authorities have been involved in death-squad operations targeting children. There are also reports of children being used by government linked paramilitaries and armed opposition. Children, sometimes as young as 11 years old, have been recruited by armed rebel movements, such as the New People’s Army, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Abu Sayyaf Group, to serve as combatants, spies, guards, cooks or medics. According to 2005 estimates, up to 13 per cent of the armed group MILF’s 10,000 members were children. According to existing studies, usually males between the ages of 11 and 17 who have low educational attainment, mostly reaching only the elementary level. They are usually middle or in-between children in very large low-income families. Various studies have established that many of these children are either on the streets or of the streets when they were apprehended. While a signi?cant number still live with parents or a relative, they are usually out on the streets to eke out a living or are involved in peer groups or gangs, which are usually associated with vices and illegal activities. Justice The age of criminal responsibility is 9 years. Despite legislative and procedural safeguards put in place in 2006 with the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, children in detention are imprisoned together with adults in poor detention conditions, increasing the risk of physical or sexual abuse. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child is alarmed over the increasing reports of cases of child abuse and neglect and the notable deficiencies in domestic legislation as regards penalizing all forms of abuse, neglect and mistreatment, including sexual abuse. This includes alleged cases of sexual abuse of children in the framework of religious institutions. There are also a number of reported cases of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of children, particularly of children in detention. Many children below the age of 18 are placed with adults in detention. References: * http://resourcecentre.savethechildren.se/start/countries/philippines * http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/111257/news/specialreports/poverty-hunger-prevent-filipino-kids-from-getting-basic-education * http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20080705-146662/4M-malnourished-Filipino-children *   http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/232299/more-filipino-children-stunted-due-to-malnutrition#ixzz2YSsYkc6e   * http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/topstories/topstories/view/20100204-251263/Over-200000-Filipino-children-are-victims-of-abuse-says-group * http://www.nscb.gov.ph/headlines/StatsSpeak/2011/101011_rav.asp * http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/publications/violence.pdf * http://southasia.oneworld.net/archive/globalheadlines/school-education-faces-worst-ever-crisis-in-philippines