by VANESSA GOEH In November, policymakers, non-governmental organisations, and private sector participants convened for the Multi-sectoral Symposium on Early Childhood Development (ECD), as part of National Children’s Month in the Philippines. Organised by the Philippine Early Childhood Care and Development Council in collaboration with the Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) and its members in the Philippines, the symposium enabled participants to learn about best-in-class models and interventions in ECD and how they promote mental health for children, as well as how multi-sectoral partnerships can mobilise community resources in implementing sustainable ECD programmes within the community. Keynote Speaker Risa Hontiveros, who heads…

by Vanessa Goeh The LEGO Foundation, in collaboration with Lever for Change, recently announced its five winners for the Build a World of Play Challenge, an open call grant competition for DKK 900 million (USD 117 million) seeking bold solutions promoting the well-being of children, their caregivers, and their communities, using culturally relevant and sustainable approaches. The social challenge seeks to address the early childhood crises aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to create a global movement to prioritise early childhood development (ECD). Ten finalists were earlier chosen from a pool of 627 applicants from 86 countries. Their…

by Stacey Choe APC finally returned to Manila and caught up with our Filipino members and friends in November 2022. The last trip APC made before the pandemic brought about a global lockdown was actually to Manila in March 2020. How the world has changed since then! We can still recall flying out of the city just as the borders closed. In hindsight, going back this time round was somewhat of a bittersweet affair. Our last trip in 2020 was supposed to be in witness of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Social Work…