CLIMATE change and other key issues on biodiversity will take center stage in the upcoming Asean Conference on Biodiversity (ACB 2009) to be hosted by the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) and the National Parks Board (NParks) of Singapore from October 21 to 23 at the Republic Polytechnic in Singapore.

Dubbed “Biodiversity in Focus: 2010 and Beyond,” ACB 2009 will be held back-to-back with the Asean Ministerial Meeting on the Environment.

“Preparations are ongoing for this year’s largest gathering of major biodiversity stakeholders and players in Southeast Asia. We are receiving a lot of inquiries from interested parties. Already, a good number of individuals and organizations have registered their participation,” Rodrigo Fuentes, executive director of the European Union-funded ACB, said.

Key partners for the conference include the Economy and Environment Program for Southeast Asia, the United Nations University, the World Agroforestry Centre, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research, Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Asia-Europe Foundation, East and Southeast Asia Biodiversity Inventory Initiative, and the Japan Ministry of Environment.

Over 200 experts, policy and decision-makers are expected to participate in ACB2009, which will provide a forum for exchanging perspectives in addressing biodiversity threats and issues in the region.  Participants will map out the steps forward in advancing the Asean biodiversity agenda within the context of meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target and beyond.

Senior-citizen population is growing at 3.6 percent a year—much faster than the total population

Retirement is a fact of life that every individual needs to address to ensure the person will have a stable life after the person’s working years. However, a recent survey conducted by a major bank indicated that many Filipinos are not optimistic when they approach their retirement.

“Eight out of 10 working, middle-class Filipinos believe they face a bleak retirement, and more than half expect to be supported by their children in their old age,” the report said.

Further, the report pointed out only 36 percent of working, middle-class Filipinos save regularly every month, while 51 percent “save when they can.”

“Nine out of 10 attempt to follow a budget, but only 33 percent stick to it.… Only one out of 10 Filipinos is consciously saving up for retirement. The rest have some savings but don’t know if it will be enough, others have no idea at all on how much they need or have not started planning,” added the report.

In his paper presented in the recent Annual Scientific Meeting led by the National Academy of Science and Technology, Dr. William Torres said programs and measures must be established to ensure the stability of the senior citizens during the postworking years. He added this problem should be acted upon because of the growing population of the elderly in the country.

AT an early age, children are already engrossed with science. They are curious about the world around them, asking about the whats, whys and hows of things.

This is why parents must help their children have a better understanding of their environment.

“Parents must be active in exposing their kids to their surroundings, discovering different places and things, and allowing them to experience various activities so they can make sense of what they see and observe,” says Family Life and Child Development specialist Dr. Lillian Leynes-Juadiong. 

To support the children’s quest in discovering the world around them, here are 10 ways in which parents can make science more fun for them:

1. Explore science at home. Science activities can easily be incorporated to familiar routines at home. When you water the plants in the garden, for example, you can start discussing how plants and trees grow.

You can also teach the children to be observant by instructing them to examine and touch materials. As they study these things, they can explore their characteristics and classify them as living things or nonliving things.

2. Ask questions.  Children usually ask you a lot of questions because they are naturally curious and interested about the things they observe. To encourage your kids to think, switch roles by asking them questions instead of just letting them ask you. This way, they can formulate their own explanations and be encouraged to find out the answer by reading books or conducting an experiment.