Swine Fever in the palace,, where is the missing p900 million

MANILA, Philippines - A lawyer who sounded off irregularities on the government's swine program on Thursday said the buck on the missing funds stops at President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's doorstep.

Lawyer Harry Roque Jr noted that the Quedan Rural Credit and Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor) was attached to the Office of the President when a multibillion-

peso swine scam took place in 2004.

This, as Roque said those behind the scam may have skimmed off more than P300 million in "arranger's fees" for facilitating the loans for the swine program.

"Ang Quedancor galing sa DA. Hulaan ninyo saan na ang Quedancor since 2004? Nasa Office of the President (Quedancor was originally with the DA but guess where it was transferred in 2004? To the Office of the President)," Roque said in an interview on dwIZ radio.

"(So) the buck stops with the president," Roque said.

Roque was referring to Executive Order 322 dated July 2004, which ordered the transfer of Quedancor to the Office of the President. Quedancor was the agency involved in the swine scam.

Last Wednesday, Roque said government may have spent some P900 million out of its P2.46-billion swine program to fund the 2004 election campaign.

Roque also said the Commission on Audit (COA) confirmed some P700 million in unrecorded receivables in 2004, and a bigger amount in unrecorded receivables – P1.6 billion – in 2005.

On the other hand, Roque said another anomaly involving the swine program involved up to P300 million in questionable "arranger's fees" for the loans in the program.

He said this was unusual because the loan was between the Land Bank of the Philippines, a government bank, and Quedancor, a government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC).

Roque said documents from the Land Bank indicated P300 million in arranger's fees and P2 million in attorney's fees.

"Umabot hanggang P300 million ang arranger's fee dito. Bakit may arranger's fee? Ang arranger's fee kapag private bank ang nag-utang at packaged ng investment banker (The arranger's fee reached P300 million. But in the first place why have the arranger's fee? That is
only for loans between private banks, where investment bankers or arrangers package the loan)," Roque said.

In the interview, Roque twitted Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap for trying to wash his hands off the mess. He said Yap cannot escape liability because he was already a member of the firm's board of directors at the time of the swine scam.

"Di sapat na sinabi niyang pina-imbestiga niya. Katawa-tawa yan kasi kasama siya sa dapat imbestigahan (It is not enough that he ordered the irregularity investigated. For him to wash his hands on that basis is laughable. He should be among the ones being investigated),"
Roque said.

"Si Sec. Yap di pwede maghugas-kamay. Ang Quedancor under the Office of the President, lahat na kabulastugan inaprubahan ng Board... Kung nag-appoint siya ng representative, kasalanan niya yan (Yap cannot wash his hands off this mess. Quedancor is under the Office of the President and he is a member of its board. Even if he sent a representative to the board when it approved the swine scam, that's already his fault)," Roque added.

In a separate interview, Yap said he can no longer do anything if Roque insists that he was involved in the mess. Yap said he had done his part, bringing the case to the Ombudsman and to the National Bureau of Investigation.

"Kung ayaw niyang maniwala how can we go against clear evidence?... Di natin pwede pilitin maniwala (If he still does not want to believe, how can he refute the evidence that I had the case brought to the Ombudsman and NBI? But then again, I cannot force him to believe me)," Yap said in a separate interview on dwIZ.

Tarsier:- On the television it is stated that the money was put into another fund by error, wow, anyone actually believe that...as someone else said, and i quote

Our Pinoy trapos, are they in any remote way useful to Philippine society? Well, a Martian observer would i think consider them as a virulent assembly of viruses and cancer cells

Tabon-Tabon.. mayor Rusty Baderian..answer to the rice shortage

Mayor Rusty Balderian


On my part as the local chief executive of our town, in order to cushion the oncoming rice shortage, I have issued an executive order to the residents to plant vegetables in their front and backyards. All vacant lots will be turned into a community garden. Initially we have given the seeds for free but on the second cycle they will be buying the seeds from our Municipal Agriculture Office. The organic fertilizer will be coming from our Municipal Zero Garbage Plant on credit. Except for the initial seeds, everything will be on credit. No dole outs to our people to cut off the mendicant psyche in our community.

To ensure the success of my program, I have organized a summer school-work program for our incoming first year and second year college scholars (215 students) from TabonTabon. Each one of them will be assigned to a home to supervise and monitor the community in their vegetable garden activities. They will be graded and will earn credit towards their college education. Since I am giving them scholarship in my school, ( www.csllfi.org ) they can not refuse to work.

I have assigned 2 barangays per department head in the Local Government Unit to oversee the work of the volunteer students. Parallel monitoring will be done by the Barangay Captains and their "Kagawads" (Barangay Councilors) to assure a 100% compliance.

Rusty Balderian is like a breath of fresh air, creating hope out of hopelessness, pride where there was none or very little and a determination to provide for every member of his town with enough food to eat......is it not great to see a mayor going 100% for his electorate. He is showing his love for the Filipino and the Philippines.. Tarsier


Archbishop of Palo, His Eminence Jose Palma. He was just our visitor last Sunday in TabonTabon between 7:30 am to 12 noon. He inducted our Parish Pastoral Council and celebrated his birthday with us. I was talking to him regarding our food production program and I showed him our model house made of cem-fiber board that we are producing for our low cost housing. He was amazed to know that we can construct a fire resistant, breathable but durable small house (10'X10') made of indigenous materials at a cost of 20 thousand pesos only.

From Scavanger to Organic Agriculture

Dear Colleagues

Last year and the year before, we trained some of
the garbage scavengers in Payatas how to grow
organic vegetables. And we succeeded in getting them
to practice what they learned on a piece of land far
from the garbage dump site lent to them by a
foundation. One grandmother, Manang Remy, became so
expert at organic gardening that, in addition, she
also turned her 3-4 sq. meter yard at the dump site
into a garden covered by a "mosquito net" made from
"tagpi-tagping" netting which her grandchildren got
at the dump. The mosquito net was to keep flies
away.

But most in Payatas do not have so much as a sitting
or standing space in front of their homes. The
nearest neighbor is separated only by a footpath. If
they happen to have some small space for a pot or
two, the cloud of flies will destroy their plants.
So they could practice their organic skills only on
that borrowed piece of land. But that land has
recently been turned over to a school also serving the Payatas poor.
Economics militates against organic gardening in
Payatas. Transportation cost to/from Payatas to/from
Manila Seedling Bank totals PhP46. One packet of
Okra, among the cheapest seeds, costs at least
P49/packet containing 20-30 seeds. A good-sized
plastic planting bag costs about P4-5/piece. So,
assuming that the Payatas gardener has enough space
for 4 earth-filled plastic, the small "garden" will
cost a total of at least P111. Under normal
condition, okra starts giving harvest only after 40
days, while the P111 will buy 6 kilos of NFA rice
immediately. What will a Payatas garbage scavenger
do when face with such a choice?

Anyway, Manang Remy was undaunted because she earned
from her "mosquito-netted" garden. So she went to
Montalban to do gardening there. When I pressed her
why Montalban, she responded that there is a dumping
site there where she can scavenge to earn extra,
which she can then use to invest in her garden.

BAKIT GANITO ANG PILIPINAS? PUPUNTA KA SA BASURAHAN
TO GO INTO ORGANIC AGRICULTURE? Sa Thailand,
Farmers' Bank ang pupuntahan mo para tumulong sa yo
maghanap ng lupa, magpahiram ng kapital para sa
produksyon, at maghanap ng market kasama na ang
diplomatic and consular offices nila abroad.

BAKIT GANITO ANG PILIPINAS, IIWANAN ANG RURAL AREA
SA SAMAR, LEYTE, BICOL, ATBP. DAHIL WALANG PAG-ASA,
PARA PUPUNTA LAMANG SA BASURAHAN NG PAYATAS AT
MONTALBAN? GALING SAKAHAN PAPUNTANG BASURAHAN?
GALING BASURAHAN PAPUNTANG BASURAHAN?

Is this our idea of the dignity of the human person?
Is this our idea of a sovereign citizen?

In the height of the US Depression, more than 1/4 of
the total labor force was out of work and hitching
on trains to look for work. Is this different from
the exodus of people from the rural areas to the
urban centers here and abroad? Ten million are
working abroad supporting how many here? Our present
situation may even be worse than the US Depression.

Don't we need drastic new departures? Don't we need
to raise new issues? For example, how do we utilize
and maximize the OFW remittances? Korea rebuilt and
prospered from the remittances of their Korean
Overseas Workers. How do we utilize and maximize the
skills and knowledge of our OFWs who have been
exposed to some of the best technologies,
techniques, processes, and management systems all
over the world? Japan's modernized on the advice of
teams sent to study technologies and techniques
current at that time. Our OFWs can do better than
them because they are earning while learning. Their
own earnings can be invested in their own business.

What blocks our development? Our Trapos? Partly,
yes. The Trapos' Graft & Corruption that melt down
our resources? Also partly true.

Another reason is that the opposition to the Trapos
- that means us - have really no alternative, no
systematic program. We are in a Depression-like
situation needing a "New Deal" type of program that
captures the imagination, speak for new interests,
raise new issues, and create a new coalition of all
patriotic Filipinos here and abroad. In other words,
we need drastic new departures and new programs of
scope, diversity and number as those implemented in
the first 100 days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Think about it, especially those in the PPP, since
you intend to run for positions in the country. Do
PPP and all of its potential candidates have a
platform of government?

Roger Bantiles

"Jump" Philippines prisoner style

This is a great way to rehabilitate prisoners in the Philippines...maybe they will come out as useful members of society.. and it looks like there having fun.

New Philippines passports useless as an I.D.

THE PHILIPPINE MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT IS USELESS AS AN ID AT THE LAND BANK branch located in the Sugar Regulatory Commission compound in Quezon City.

It was only this morning that The Land Bank refused to recognize a passport as an ID BECAUSE IT DID NOT DISPLAY THE OWNERS SIGNATURE. True enough, when he scrutinized it, it did not display his signature.

What irony! A passport acceptable to other countries and issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs is not recognized by another branch of that same government, the Land Bank, which is under the Department of Finance, for lack of the holder's signature.

Calling the attention of the Senators who are in any of these loops! I hope the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations shall look into this and advise the Department of Foreign Affairs to re-issue and replace, at no cost to passport holders, new passports that display the passport holders' signatures.

FILIPINO ORIGINS OF LIFE

Filipino Folk Tales

THE ORIGINS OF LIFE Bagobo (Mindanao) In the beginning there lived one man and one woman, Toglai and Toglibon. Their first children were a boy and a girl. When they were old enough, the boy and the girl went far away across the waters seeking a good place to live in. Nothing more was heard of them until their children, the Spaniards and Americans, came back. After the first boy and girl left, other children were born to the couple; but they all remained at Cibolan on Mount Apo with their parents, until Toglai and Toglibon died and became spirits. Soon after that there came a great drought which lasted for three years. All the waters dried up, so that there were no rivers, and no plants could live. "Surely," said the people, "Manama is punishing us, and we must go elsewhere to find food and a place to dwell in." So they started out. Two went in the direction of the sunset, carrying with them stones from Cibolan River. After a long journey they reached a place where were broad fields of cogon grass and an abundance of water, and there they made their home. Their children still live in that place and are called Magindanau, because of the stones which the couple carried when they left Cibolan. Two children of Toglai and Toglibon went to the south, seeking a home, and they carried with them women's baskets (baraan). When they found a good spot, they settled down. Their descendants, still dwelling at that place, are called Baraan or Bilaan, because of the women's baskets. So two by two the children of the first couple left the land of their birth. In the place where each settled a new people developed, and thus it came about that all the tribes in the world received their names from things that the people carried out of Cibolan, or from the places where they settled. All the children left Mount Apo save two (a boy and a girl), whom hunger and thirst had made too weak to travel. One day when they were about to die the boy crawled out to the field to see if there was one living thing, and to his surprise he found a stalk of sugarcane growing lustily. He eagerly cut it, and enough water came out to refresh him and his sister until the rains came. Because of this, their children are called Bagobo.

This story is from a long time ago....from a people with great imagination and a great perpensity for life....interesting

The picture is a Philippines eagle.. the largest eagle in the world

PAL to buy 9 Bombardier planes for inter island travel

A statement released by the Philippine Airlines (PAL) said that it will buy up to nine turbo-propeller aircraft from Canada's Bombardier Aerospace to revive its inter island operations, Reuters reported.

PAL, the country's largest carrier by fleet size, said it is buying three Q300s and six Q400s for $150 million. Deliveries are expected within the next six months. The Q300s will be configured with 50 seats, while the Q400s will seat 76 passengers.

PAL said the low seat-mile costs offered by the turboprop fleet will reduce fares for inter island travel.

Walang makakatulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino rin.

Why Gawad Kalinga May Not Be Enough
By: Harvey S. Keh


In one of my interviews with ABS-CBN, the news reporter asked me, despite all the scandals and corruption (Hello Garci, 1 Billion Peso Fertilizer Scam, Irrigation Scam and 6 Billion Peso NBN-ZTE Broadband Scam) that have hounded this present administration, why do you think do majority of young Filipinos choose not to do anything about it. She further added that there seems to be no uproar from the Filipino youth and young professionals from all over the country, does that mean that we are okay with all these scandals that are mushrooming almost on a weekly basis? I asked these same questions to my students and friends and here are their answers (summarized already):



Student A: Sir Harvey, Naiinis naman talaga kami sa nangyayari pero wala naman kaming magagawa eh, estudyante lang kami at kahit sino namang ilagay sa gobyerno natin, pareho pa rin silang lahat na magnanakaw. They will only protect their own self-interests.



Student B: Sir, I'm not happy with how our country is being led by our government leaders but I think the best way I can contribute to this country is by becoming a good student, study hard, find a good job and be a good citizen in our country.



Yuppie A: I don't want to get involved in politics masyadong magulo yan kaya I'd rather just stick to doing my job well and helping my own family besides I'm already helping this country by helping send my younger siblings to school.



Yuppie B: I was part of EDSA II and actually took helped organize the concerts at the EDSA Shrine but as much as I'm very frustrated with how this government is being run, I am no longer convinced that political engagement is the way to go for our country. I would rather focus my energies and resources to helping NGOs and Foundations like Gawad Kalinga and Pathways.



Reflecting upon these answers which I also often receive from the emails Filipinos here and abroad send me, I believe that their answers are all valid and I respect them although I don't totally agree with all of them. Allow me to share with you what I think on each of these answers:



Student A's answer is typical of a person who is disgruntled with what is happening to our country but who apparently feels helpless about the situation. When I receive this kind of an answer from people and my students, I tell them about what they can do and organizations they can join like Team RP but when they are invited to take part in activities that aim to promote good governance and greater transparency in our government, they fail to join and act. Sad but true, many Filipinos just love to criticize and point out what is wrong with our leaders but when they are given an opportunity to act about these pressing issues, they refuse to make time and move out of their comfort zone.



Student B's answer is for me a selfish answer, yes, I believe that a student's main and foremost responsibility is to study hard and finish education but what about our own responsibility as citizens of this country? In a utopian society, this answer would have been okay but in our present situation as a country in crisis where the gap between the rich and the poor continue to grow and where more than 20 Million Filipino Families grow hungry each day, this is no longer acceptable especially for students and young professionals who study at the top universities and who come from the middle to upper class of our society. This answer is an easy cop out and it's selfish because at the end of the day, just by confining yourself to you own life won't help our country as much as it will help you.



Yuppie A and B's answer is all well and good since I admire them for continuing to work hard to provide for their families while at the same time continue to get involved with volunteer work for Gawad Kalinga and Pathways to Higher Education. I admit that I was like Yuppie A and B who just confined myself to working towards helping poor but deserving students go to college and finish their education but I realized that this isn't enough. I realized that if we are able to reform our government institutions and leadership then there won't be a need for organizations like Gawad Kalinga and Pathways. We need to realize that in order for us to help uplift the lives of the poor we need to attack the problem at its roots and that is the inability of our government systems to provide these basic services to them. Isn't the National Housing Authority supposed to be the one to help provide adequate shelter to every Filipino family? Isn't it the Department of Education's job to assist every Filipino child gain access to quality education? A recent study by the World Bank has said that more than 30 Billion Pesos goes to Corruption every year. Imagine if we are able to work together and pressure government into being more transparent and accountable towards curbing corruption then we would have more resources to provide housing for every poor family, irrigation and fertilizers to farmers (which would help alleviate our growing food crisis), higher salaries for our public school teachers, enough textbooks for our students and access to quality healthcare for every Filipino. Working for and helping Gawad Kalinga, Pathways and other non-profit organizations are very much needed in our society today but let us also not forget that unless we work hard towards fighting for and institutionalizing credible and lasting reforms in our government and its leaders, then we will always have to do the fire-fighting because we have failed to solve the cause of the fire.



In summary, what I would like to share with all of you are the following:



a.) We deserve the country that we have. If we want a prosperous and just country, then we should all work hard towards it. If you look at the history of South Korea and Singapore, they were able to turn their country around in less than 30 years, I believe we can do it in less time and do it even better if every Filipino will just care enough to go out of his or her way to help push for reforms in our government. As the saying goes, Walang makakatulong sa Pilipino kundi kapwa Pilipino rin.



b.) Genuine Hope of this country does not lie on our government and church leaders and especially not in the ruling elite and oligarchs, it rests in each one of us. As I have always said, every Filipino whether you live here or abroad can complain about the rampant corruption and problems that is present in our government but after the complaining have you asked yourself, what will you do about it? Are you willing to sacrifice some of your time and resources to making yourself heard by our government leaders? If we want change in our country, we need to change ourselves, change starts with each one of us. We need to stop making excuses about why we cannot act and why we cannot take part in actions that will reform our present government systems.



c.) If our government and its leaders were doing their job effectively then there wouldn't be a need for a Gawad Kalinga or a Pathways. I support and firmly believe in Gawad Kalinga, Pathways and other non-profit organizations that are working hard to deliver basic services to the poorest of the poor in our country but don't you think it's also time that we start holding government accountable to these basic services that they have failed to provide our people? Of course it will be harder to do this and it may take a longer period of time but if we are able to institutionalize these reforms then we will be able to make our government more efficient and effective and in the end we will be able to help not just seven thousand but seven million Filipino families.



I am not calling for another People Power Revolution nor am I asking for our President's outright resignation. I'm not also saying that people should quit supporting and volunteering for Gawad Kalinga and Pathways, in fact, I believe that we should continue to support these very laudable and inspiring initiatives. All I'm saying is that these efforts can only yield lasting benefits for the poor and the powerless if all of us would be more involved in activities and movements that would push for greater Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government because in these times of crisis, despair and growing hopelessness in our country, the poor can't wait and Gawad Kalinga may not be enough.


If by some chance you were moved to act by this email and want to join us in pushing for genuine and lasting reforms in our government, please let me know by sending an email to harveykeh@gmail.com

Harvey S. Keh is Director for Youth Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila University-School of Government. Harvey as a Filipino social entrepreneur has co-founded Pathways to Higher Education-Philippines and AHON Foundation, both these organizations help in promoting access to quality education for every Filipino child. Aside from this, he is also Chairman of Team RP, a youth-led organization which is part of the BUSINA movement that promotes Truth, Accountability and Reform in our government.

Tarsiers comment:- Last year i had two polls running on another blog, one was JPEPA, and the other about child sex sites on the internet, and all we wanted was people to light a candle...which they did over 2,600,000..which goes to show the strength of feeling towards child sex sites on the internet.. However the Philippines one, well all of 1,250 people bothered to sign it, great display folks...both the Philippines and Japan signed the basle-ban treaty, neither has ratified it.. if toxic waste enters the Philippines it will be in the form of dioxins, which are 10,000 times more deadly than cyanide, in fact they are the most dangerous substances known to man.
You cant see them taste them, but they will be in the air you breath...why the apathy in the Philippines, your childrens, childrens children will live here, do you want them to die here also before they have lived.. get up of your backsides, become a little more walang hiya

How to stay together

A committed relationship is not about trying to find the person you like the most, then closing your eyes and hoping the feeling lasts for the rest of your life, You can do that if you like, but you are setting yourself up for a fall, as its an impractical expectation.Sadly, its this it will be alright attitude that many of us seem to have that leads our relationships into choopy waters.

• Be loyal to one another:- There is a whole world out there with the potential to be unkind. In your heart and your home you need to feel safe... so create a sanctuary for each other


• Know each others likes and dislikes:-This will enable you to provide the positives and avoid the negatives when feasible.


• Treat each other with respect:- Treat your partner with respect, Do unto others as you would have done to you. Once the habit of treating each other without respect sets in, it is very, very difficult to stop.


• Dont willingly do things that you know will harm the relationship:- If you know that taking a certain action will damage your relationship, then dont do it, self sabotage is not a pretty sight.

Whenever you talk to couples who have been together for ever, the one thing they all say is that it takes work, but the end results are worth it. You do have to make an effort, if you do theres a good chance youll reap the rewards.

If you just sit there and think it will happen, then dont be surprised at the result. That would be like planting a seedling and never watering it, then complaining when it does not grow into a tree.

Trying to feel the way you felt in the first few months for the rest of your lifes is inpractical. That sense of euphoria is a primeval mating instinct we are born with, so we would be attracted to each other, procreate and move on. The next stage will have less fireworks but it should provide you with that incomparable feeling of being loved for what you are. Creating and maintaining attachment is the secret to a healthy relationship. And that deep sense of attachment often cause someone to stop and consider before playing away. They might get thrills and exitement with someone new- but that deep sense of attachment they only get from you.

When you talk to women about the state of their relationship, they will often cite the change in their partners behaviour as a cause for concern. With men, its often the state of their partners appearance, YES sometimes the behaviour or the appearance has changed, but quiet often, we have just stopped making the effort.

Women who just pull on a pair of tracksuit bottoms to do the school run, or when you come home from a hard day at the office, and us guys, leaving the loo seat up or commenting loudly on bodily functions.. well should that not be one of the benifits of settlement?... No really. there is no need for her to look like bagpuss s granny or for us men to act like Rab C Nesbitt on a bender.....make some effort, both partners need to do this.. you really will feel the better for it.

• Give each other the freedom and time in which to maintain your individuality:-Two wholes make a better unit. The best couples are the ones that walk through life freely yet next to each other, not tied together at the ankle.


• Know whatever makes each other happy or sad:-Know when your partner needs a shoulder to lean on and how to brighten their day when they are having a tough time.

Simple ways to keep your relationship strong

1. Touching.. touch your partner frequently, and not necessarily in a sexual way.. everyone needs and appreciates a good cuddle.


2. Listen to each other..people feel valued when they are listened to.


3. Make eye contact with each other..this sounds so simple. but you would be surprise with how often we have conversations while reading the paper, ironing , or just watching the telly.


4. Stop whatever your doing.. and great each other at the end of the day.


5. Hold hands..when your sleeping. This will create a sense of security and closeness


6. Get into the habit.. of doing new things together. New things lead to discoveries about each other.


7. Date each other..once a month.. more if the budget allows,go on a proper date, that means no kids, nice clothes and away from the house.


8. Have dreams and goals.. work towards them , even if its a very small dream, saving £50 for something you wish to do together...something that you dream together, plan together and work on together.


9. Compliment each other..nothing beats a compliment from someone you love.


10. Surprise each other..with little things. Tuck away her favourite chocolate bar into her handbag.. Book a test drive for him in his dream car...

"OR JUST SAY I LOVE YOU"

With you , I know quiet joy, I know what it is to feel safe, to be able to share the secret of my heart.With you, i can reveal my hurts, my fears, and my shortcomings.

With you, i can tell of my successes and know they will be received with joy

With you, i know i can disagree,and you will respect my point of view and i can be silly or serious, happy or sad, for i know i am accepted, totally for who i am.

I know commitment i can count on, comfort that soothes, and passion that celebrates a tender and caring relationship.

With you i know the beauty of LOVE

Posted by Cecille Anne Lobregas
of
Cecille Anne Lobregas Cosmetics

FOOD FOR THOUGHT.. Healthy eating

THE NEW "F" WORD

At the height of the F-Plan diet craze , we all knew that "f" stood for fibre... well now that has changed to flavonoids(supernutrients found in many everyday foods).. theses are now set to take over.

According to a study in the U.S.A. the more we consume each day, the longer we are likely to live. The research found that regular eating of strawberries,grapefruit,onions,apples,pears and even things like a little tea, chocolate (oh! great my favourite) and red wine all help to prolong life, mostly by protecting against cardiovascular disease and coronary heart disease.

SHED POUNDS, PREVENT CANCER

A study of 1.2 million British women by experts from the University of Oxford has shown that around 5% of all cancers in women could be attributed to their being overweight or obese. This means that 6,000 cases of cancer in the U.K. each year could be prevented by just shedding a few pounds.

CHICORY

WHAT IS IT

A member of the lettuce family and a distant relative of the dandelion, it has a crunchy texture and a slightly bitter taste, Grown extensively in Europe, it dates back 4,000 years

WHY IS IT GOOD FOR ME

A natural source of inulin, a prebiotic that nourishes the good bacteria in your digestive system. Studies show that inulin rich foods can help boost the immune system and may help lower the risk of bowel cancer.

WILL IT MAKE ME BIG AND STRONG

Chicory gives you vitamins c and k, calcium, phosphorus and potassium, Studies show that inulin may help boost calcium absorption and increase bone mineral density, so chicorys combination of inulin and calcium is good news for bones.

WHAT DO I DO WITH IT

Add leaves to salads or try braising halved chicory, The leaves also go well with mustard dressings and citrus fruit such as lemon or orange