Alert Level 1 maintained in most parts of PH

MANILA. A man, wearing a mask to protect against the coronavirus, carries rugs in Quezon City, Philippines as restrictions continue to ease due to a decline in Covid-19 cases in the country on December 3, 2021. (AP)

By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar

April 29, 2022

AMID discussions on the possible resurgence of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) after the May 9, 2022 elections, the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has maintained the Alert Level 1, the lowest quarantine classification so far in the country, in most of the regions, including Metro Manila.

From May 1 to 15, 2022, the following areas will be under Alert Level 1:

Luzon

* Cordillera Administrative Region: Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Baguio City

* Region 1 (Ilocos): Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, and Dagupan City

* Region 2 (Cagayan Valley): Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino, and City of Santiago

* Region 3 (Central Luzon): Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales, Angeles City, and Olongapo City

* Region 4-A (Calabarzon): Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Lucena City

* Region 4-B (Mimaropa): Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Romblon, and Puerto Princesa City

* Region 5 (Bicol): Albay, Catanduanes, and Naga City

Visayas

* Region 6 (Western Visayas): Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo Province, Bacolod City, and Iloilo City

* Region 7 (Central Visayas): Siquijor, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City

* Region 8 (Eastern Visayas): Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Ormoc City, and Tacloban City

Mindanao

* Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula): Zamboanga City

Can I eat rice if I have high cholesterol?

 

Lucia Garcia

My name is Lucia Garcia, 36 years old. I was graduated from the Pritzker School of Medicine at University of Chicago, my major is clinical medicine. I have been working at Hospitals. I am fully committed to helping people take control of their health and realize their potential as human beings. As a doctor, my motto is “Knowledge not shared is wasted”.

Eating rice is not a healthy choice if you have high cholesterol.

Although rice is cholesterol-free, but rice is a whopping 70% carbohydrates.

Carbohydrates are one of the three major nutrients, which can provide heat for the body. 1 gram of carbohydrates provides 4 calories.

For decades, many health experts have recommended that people with high cholesterol should reduce their intake of saturated fat.

However, many new studies prove that people with high cholesterol need to reduce their carbohydrate intake, not saturated fat.

Excess carbohydrates are converted into glucose in the body and absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar, high blood lipids and high cholesterol.

Clinical studies have proven that a more healthy diet is a low-carb diet rather than a low-saturated fat diet.

Therefore, people with high cholesterol need to limit the intake of high carbohydrate foods, such as: rice, wheat, steamed bread, noodles, bread, biscuits, corn, oats, sweet potatoes, potatoes, bananas, etc.

Never doubt God’s love for us

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“JESUS said to Philip, ‘Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?’ He said this to test Philip, because he himself knew what he was going to do.” (Jn 6,5-6)

With these words, we should realize that we should never doubt God’s constant love for us, especially when we encounter difficulties and severe trials in our life. God allows these things to happen if only to test us, that is, to see if we also truly love him in return, a love that is expressed in complete trust in God’s will and ways.

Yes, we have to be clear that there is nothing in our life, no moment or situation where God does not test us. We have to explode the myth that consists in the thinking that there are times when we are freed from this test. Even in our moments of rest and recreation, we are being tested.

And that’s simply because the only purpose of these tests is to see if we keep ourselves always with God as we should. In this regard, let’s remember these relevant words of Christ. “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.” (Mt 12,30) There is no neutral ground in our relationship with God. We are either for him or against him.

And being created in the image and likeness of God, we are meant to be always with God, much like what Christ himself said about the vine and branches. (cfr. Jn 15,5) Otherwise, we die in the sense of living a life that is not proper to us, like the branches that are separated from the vine.

So, we cannot overemphasize our need to do everything to always be with God. We know very well how easily we can think and live as if we can simply be by ourselves. Especially when life seems to be going well for us, we easily tend to take God for granted. We usually go to him only when we find ourselves with difficulties.

Yes, we have to understand that God tests us not only in our difficulties, but also in our good and easy moments of our life. In fact, the latter tests can be more difficult to tackle. 

It’s always good to frequently meditate on what God has done for us, if only to enjoy the confidence he has put in us. This is to help us repay his love with our love. Thus, Christ told us, “Without cost you have received. Without cost you are to give.” (Mt 10,8) 

For sure, with these words of Christ, we are strongly reminded to be generous, to give ourselves completely to God and to others, sparing and keeping nothing for ourselves, because God has been generous with us. He gave nothing less than himself to us. And he wants to share what we have with everybody else.

Thus, in Christ’s commissioning of his disciples that should include all of us, his believers and followers, he encourages us not to worry so much about what to have or what to bring. “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep.” We need to develop a keen sense of generosity and self-giving that is also a result of detachment. 

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐨𝐩𝐭-𝐀-𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦

 

Rhealyn, a 4-year-old little girl sat beside her mother. Her eyes in awe wandered around, puzzled by what was happening around her. Excitement was evident as she looked at her mom, all she wanted that day were the colorful balloon decorations on stage, not knowing her life will change after 120 days.

Rhealyn is among the thirty-three (33) children identified by the Provincial Health Office (PHO) of Davao de Oro as the beneficiary of the Adopt-A-Child Program of the provincial government. Anchored on the “People Agenda” of Governor Tyron Uy’s 4Ps Plus blueprint in governance, the program is among the people-centered, end hunger chain programs which focus on the welfare of the people, especially children.

The Adopt-A-Child Program officially launched way back in 2008, during the time of former governor, now Senior Board Member Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy and continues in the present. The program targets children beneficiaries, who are wasted, severely wasted, and severely underweight who will undergo rehabilitation for a period of one-hundred twenty (120) days.

For the whole duration of the program, employees of the provincial government will sponsor the need of every child beneficiary through the provision of goods, services, and other nutrition interventions. Through the program, the existing nutrition programs of the government will be amplified, ending hunger and malnutrition one step at a time.

This year, the municipality of Laak is the chosen beneficiary of the program after having a great impact in Mabini, Montevista, Mawab, and Maco in the past few years.

On April 27, 2022, employees of PLGU-Davao de Oro converged at Laak Central Elementary school to officially start the quest to bring significant changes in the life of Rhealyn and the other thirty-two (32) children. A free-medical check-up is also conducted on the same day.

Hunger and malnutrition are silent killers, it impairs children, and lessen their school productivity, grabbing their future away from them. Plenty of ways exist to counter this great, yet solvable problem, but in Davao de Oro, it's innovative governance and Bayanihan ways will make the job done.

  (JA PAO-IPRD, photos by G. Mativo)