Philippines: Not ready for any disasters

Located on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," like the badly-hit Japan, it is not far that the Philippines may be the next country to suffer the wrath of Nature.

How prepared are we in the Philippines?

Mga Suliranin sa Puso

Available at: Jeepney Press

Dahil ang nakaraang buwan ay dinaraos ang Valentine’s Day, narito ang ilan sa may mga suliraning pampuso.

Tanong (T): Dr. itatanong ko po sana if pwde png magamot ang butas sa puso? kasi ang babaeng pinakamamahal ko mayroon na skit na ganun :( gusto ko po siyang tulungan na mapagaling ung skit nya khit magkano po gagastos ako gumaling lang po siya help nmn po doc... please ...

Doc Gino (DG): Ang paggagamot ng butas sa puso ay depende kung ano ang sintomas ng tao at kung wala namang sintomas kahit na may butas, sa tingin ko ay hindi naman dapat galawin. Upang makatiyak, mas mainam kung siya ay magpapakonsulta sa isang "cardiologist" upang masuri nang mabuti at mabigyang-payo.

T: Dr, itatanong ko lang po kung anu ang sanhi ng pagkakaroon ng butas ng puso ang isang sangol. kc po ang anak kong babae ay 8 months na ngaun. nung 6 months po siya nalaman ko pong may butas ang puso niya. pinatingin ko po siya sa pediatric cardiologist at napaultrasound ko na ang puso nya. sabi ng doctor 2 ang butas ng puso nya, di ko po alam kung bakit siya nagkaroon ng butas sa puso, saka di naman po siya nangingitim pag umiiyak.

DG: Ang pangingitim ng sanggol sa tuwing iiyak ay isa lamang sa mga sintomas ng pagkakaroon ng butas sa puso. Mas mainam kung ikaw ay bumalik sa iyong "pediatric cargiologist" upang malaman kung ano ang naging sanhi nito para sa iyong anak.

T: ano po ang kailangan gawin pag may butas ang puso? operation po ba talaga? wala na po bang ibang way para gumaling ang bata? tanong lang po ;) salamat po.

DG: Hindi naman lahat ng butas sa puso ay nangangailangan ng operasyon. Mayroong mga kaso na kusang nagsasara. Ilan sa mga dahilan ay ang laki ng butas, lokasyon nito, at edad ng sanggol. Ipasuri ang sanggol sa isang "pediatric cardiologist" upang malaman ng mabuti ang kondisyon ng bata, at kung ano ang mga posibleng mangyari.

Guatemala to file charges vs. US on syphilis experiments

Guatemala threatens to file a class action lawsuit against the US government for intentionally infecting 700 patients with mental health illness and prisoners with two sexually-transmitted infections as part of medical experiments conducted between 1946 and 1948.

US authorities have until Friday to resolve the issue outside the court or face legal action, according to the BBC.

China rejects harmful US-made health products

Over the recent years, China has been the target of controversies with regard exporting a wide array of products deemed toxic for consumption--from melamine-tainted milk, to toys with toxic levels of lead and to medicines or pet foods containing unsafe chemicals.

WikiLeaks cables showed that in 2007, a Chinese official was privately criticized by two US Congressmen--Rep. Rick Larsen (D, Washington) and Rep. Mark Kirk (R, Illinois)--for exporting to several countries potentially poisonous products, Reuters said.

Prince William to visit disaster victims in Australia, NZ

Christchurch quake victims will be visited by Prince William of Wales on 17 and 18 March as announced by the St. James Palace today.

The 28-year-old heir to the throne is set to attend the National Memorial Service for the victims of the 6.3 magnitude temblor that killed over a hundred people according to the NZ Herald.

Manila woman miraculously survives 11-floor drop

A police official told the media that a woman survived falling from the 18th floor and landing on the swimming pool on the seventh floor of the Paseo Parkview Condominium in the financial capital Makati City on Wednesday in a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The drunk 20-year-old Ildelyn Montono went with her Korean national boyfriend, Sae Um Lee's condominium who left her alone inside the unit on Tuesday, a security guard was quoted by the investigators.

11 Filipinos still missing in NZ, body count 166

The body count in the devastated Christchurch city remained at 166 overnight after the 6.3 magnitude quake struck on 22 February. With nothing more they can do, the New Zealand authorities ended yesterday the search and recovery missions in the ruined Canterbury Television building.

In a telephone interview by dzMM, the family of one of the missing Filipinos who went to the damaged city accepted the fate of their loved one. The relatives are hoping for a miracle to happen although the possibility of being alive is slim.

Death toll in NZ reaches 159

Last Tuesday’s deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch city death toll has now climbed to 159 and is expected to hit 240 after all buried bodies will have been retrieved, police superintendent Dave Cliff said in a report by the New Zealand Herald.

Of the fatalities, 11 had been officially named.

Goodbye Macky

I never owned a dog. I learned to like dogs only in the past few years when I lived in Japan. I seldom like dogs in my home country because many of them are stray and bark a lot.

A few minutes ago, I received news from my apartment manager that his dog, Macky--a seven-year-old female canine--passed away. I like Macky the moment she was introduced to me exactly a year ago.

Death toll in NZ quake climbs to 148

Six days after Christchurch city was struck by 6.3 magnitude earthquake, the death toll now rose to 148, NZ authorities said in a report by the New Zealand Herald.

Two more people had died according to Superintendent Dave Cliff: 38-year-old Natasha Sarah Hadfield from Kaiapoi and 40-year-old Owen Morris Wright from Lyttelton.