City of the Jeepneys

Philippines

Now off to the "city of the jeepneys". Jeepneys are a public form of transportation in Manila (really the only form). When the U.S. left their army base in Manila, they left behind jeeps that had been used throughout the Pacific. The Filipinos took the jeeps, extended the frames, customized them to be a bit more flashy, and made them the vehicle of Manila's mass transit system.

We have traveled to Manila to visit the Nutrition Center of the Philippines (NCP) and the Food and Nutrition Research Institute Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST). Both institutions are located in Taguig City, a district of Manila which is located approximately 6 miles southeast of the city's center.

The World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) has collaborated with us in a project to provide soy flour through a Quality Samples Program (QSP) in Manila. NCP will see that the biscuit developed for the program will be implemented in local school nutrition programs in the Philippines.

NCP is an excellent partner with great experience in product development and implementation of these products. Their director, Dr. John Solon, is an excellent leader with a very talented and passionate staff. NCP is nationally recognized and respected as an institution that will help solve nutrition challenges in the Philippines for many years to come.

As we entered the campus where NCP is located, a banner was strung across the gate that announced August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month and this week (August 1-7) as Breastfeeding Awareness Week. The National Nutrition Council of the Philippines sponsors and promotes this in Manila. Although the Nutrition Council shares a building with NCP, these are two separate entities. The Nutrition Council is a branch of the government that oversees nutrition legislation on the national level.

The friendly staff welcomed us to NCP as we entered. We were delighted with the visit we had made, which was highlighted with a very successful and encouraging meeting with the staff as well as a tour of their processing and packaging facility. This is a great project for U.S. Soy!

Regards,

Nick Scates