What to do when parents are caught between tradition and medicine

By Jane Kingsu-Cheng 

When it comes to baby care, many Filipino parents are caught between respecting age-old beliefs and modern medical advice grounded in science. From avoiding baths to ward off “pasma”—a common belief that sudden exposure to cold can cause illness—to applying herbal oils for colds, these folk practices have been passed down through generations.

These beliefs have evolved into a cultural ritual that involves sharing wisdom from elders. But are these truly helpful or could they be doing more harm than good?

A wakeup call

Dr. Jayeanne M. Bihag-Lomibao, a 32-year-old board-certified general pediatrician, has encountered various challenges in her practice. “We had a patient where the grandmother refused to bathe the newborn to avoid ‘pasma.' After a few days, the baby was brought to the emergency room due to lethargy and decreased feeding, only to find a brewing umbilical infection.”

The baby was diagnosed with sepsis, admitted to the hospital, given IV antibiotics, and had to undergo multiple tests and procedures—all because of a well-meaning but harmful belief.

Open communication

Dr. Jayeanne emphasizes the importance of respectful communication with her patients. “I strive to communicate effectively with them,” she shares. “By actively listening to their perspectives, I often see a reciprocal engagement. When I present factual information, I make sure to clear up any misunderstandings and back up my advice with scientific evidence to protect the child’s health.”

There are dangers in delaying medical treatment in favor of folk remedies. “Our children, especially newborns, are not just small adults. Infections can progress quickly, vital organs may be affected, and specialized pediatric treatments aren’t always available locally. Prompt medical care is essential.”

But not all traditional remedies can cause harm. “Some practices, like using coconut oil to massage the baby or herbal teas for breastfeeding moms, can provide comfort—so long as they don’t replace necessary medical treatment.”

Strike a balance

Balancing respect for Filipino culture with evidence-based medicine requires sensitivity and an open mind. “It’s important to show parents that everyone involved wants the same thing—the child’s well-being,” Dr. Jayeanne explains. “Recognizing the significance of traditional practices, particularly regarding psychological comfort or minor symptom relief, is an important consideration. At the same time, we work to educate families about the scientific basis of evidence-based medicine in a culturally sensitive manner.”

Many parents find themselves caught between their pediatrician's advice and an elder’s well-meaning insights. “But this worked for your siblings,” is a phrase first-time parents often hear from grandparents, leaving them unsure of whom to follow.

How to handle

Her advice? “It’s understandable to feel torn between honoring tradition and following modern medicine,” Dr. Jayeanne reassures. “It is often helpful to express gratitude to your in-laws for their concern, share your doctor's recommendations, and prioritize the safety and well-being of your child. Ultimately, it is the parents' love that will shape the child's development.”

For parents who are unsure about the safety of certain practices, Dr. Jayeanne recommends discussing these openly with a healthcare provider. Caring for a child doesn't have to be a choice between culture and science. When approached with openness and empathy, it can be both.

To learn more about newborn care myths, click here. For recommendations on health-related baby care myths, click here.

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 A small forest in your own yard means you're making a bigger impact on the environment. It's not just about trees; it's about creating a space where life can thrive and reconnecting with the Earth in your very own backyard.

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24 DFA officials, 20 AFP officers get CA nod

By Hannah L. Torregoza

Published Sep 3, 2025 05:13 pm

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, September 3 confirmed the nominations and ad interim appointments of 24 foreign service officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and 20 officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday, September 3 confirmed the nominations and ad interim appointments of 24 foreign service officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and 20 officers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). 

This, after the CA committees on foreign affairs and national defense endorsed the confirmation of the nominations and ad interim appointments of the DFA and AFP officials to the plenary.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, in turn, approved the motions of the committees.

Former DFA secretary Enrique Manalo, whom President Marcos has named permanent representative of the Philippines to the United Nations (UN) in New York, was among those who were confirmed.

In his sponsorship speech, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, chairman of the foreign affairs panel, described Manalo as a “pillar of Philippine diplomacy.” 

“And as a former Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Manalo brings unparalleled expertise in multilateral negotiations and a lifetime of service dedicated to protecting and advancing our national interests on the global stage,” Estrada said. 

The other DFA officials whose nominations were confirmed by the CA were: 

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Francisco Noel Rio Fernandez- Chief of Mission, Class I as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Patrick John Uytiepo Hilado- Chief of Mission, Class I as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Federative Republic of Brazil, with concurrent jurisdiction over the Co-Operative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Suriname

Jaime Ramon Torre Ascalon Jr.- Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Turkiye, with concurrent jurisdiction over Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan

Gines Jaime Ricardo Dacanay Gallaga- Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Bahrain

Pablito Austria Mendoza- Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Kingdom of Denmark

Marlowe Aguilar Miranda- Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Lebanese Republic

Noel Mangaoang Novicio- Chief of Mission, Class II as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Fiji

Raymond Reyes Balatbat- Chief of Mission, Class I

Gerardo Padilla Abiog- Chief of Mission, Class II

Felipe Fabian Carino Ill- Chief of Mission, Class II

Maria Anna Lilia De Vera-Schinazi- Chief of Mission, Class II

Gonaranao Bantuas Sangcopan Musor- Chief of Mission, Class II

Dinno Marquez Oblena- Chief of Mission, Class II

Jay Francis Galino Alcantara- Career Minister

Shirley Flores-Imperial- Career Minister

Rommel Ariman Romato- Career Minister

Flaureen Damasen Dacanay- Foreign Service Officer, Class I

LV Ignacio De Guzman- Foreign Service Officer, Class I

Von Ryan Gasmena Pangwi- Foreign Service Officer, Class I

Mary Grace Luza Perpetua- Foreign Service Officer, Class I

Majella Cristy Pua-Diezmos- Foreign Service Officer, Class I

Vida Soraya Salih Verzosa- Foreign Service Officer, Class II

Ralph Jacob Viloria- Foreign Service Officer, Class II

Meanwhile, the 20 AFP generals, flag officers, and senior officers who were confirmed were:

Oliver Maquiling to the rank of Major General

Arnold Panaligan to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army

Antonio Yago to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Army

Aldwine Almase to the rank of Major General

Joel Tamayo to the rank of Commodore

Enriqueto Deocadez Jr. to the rank of Brigadier General

Luisito Angeles Jr. to the rank of Brigadier General

Pedro Agapito to the rank of Brigadier General

Apollo Jun Lamaton to the rank of Brigadier General

Vicente Mark Anthony Blanco Ill to the rank of Major General

Joel Sobrera to the rank of Brigadier General

Ricnon Carolasan to the rank of Brigadier General

Rhoderick Parallag to the rank of Brigadier General

Rhenante Salvador to the rank of Brigadier General

Cerilo Balaoro Jr. to the rank of Lieutenant General

Gerold Gagan to the rank of Major General

Ronald Jess Alcudia to the rank of Major General

Roy Philip Aguhob to the rank of Colonel, Philippine Air Force

Efren Morados to the rank of Major General

Medardo Deacosta Jr. to the rank of Captain, Philippine Navy

National Teachers' Month 2025

 

National Teachers' Month 2025: Teachers demand salary hike, higher education budget

Filipino teachers kick off National Teachers’ Month 2025 with a protest at the House of Representatives, demanding salary hikes and a bigger education budget. (Photo courtesy of ACT)

Filipino teachers kicked off National Teachers’ Month 2025 on September 3 with a powerful protest at the House of Representatives. Members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines urged lawmakers to approve substantial salary increases and a higher education budget as Congress deliberates the Department of Education (DepEd) 2026 allocation. Read more

GOSSIP GIRL: Rufa Mae Quinto says she is still shocked after losing her husband

By Giselle Sanchez

Published Sep 2, 2025 12:38 pm

Actress-comedienne Rufa Mae Quinto is navigating one of the most heartbreaking moments of her life following the sudden death of her husband, former San Francisco police officer Trevor Magallanes. It was painful for me to interview her. Rufa Mae'scomments were short and brief but contained so much grief. “I am still in shock up to now.  I am very, very sad. 

"Kasi maayos family ko until one day di ko na alam biglang di ko na alam…(My family was okay until one day… I really do not know what happened up to now…) But as his wife, I have to do this viewing celebration for Trevor to pay tribute to him. He was a good man. He deserved this tribute," Rufa Mae tells Gossip Girl.   

On Aug. 15, family, friends, and colleagues gathered in California to celebrate Trevor’s life, a man remembered for his dedication to serving his country and his family. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Rufa expressed gratitude to the many friends who traveled from across the United States to stand with her. 

“Inihanda namin ang hall at courtyard para sa celebration of life. Maraming family, friends, at workmates ang dumating para magbigay-pugay sa kanya,” she wrote.

A special playroom was even prepared for children to honor Trevor as “the gamer,” reflecting his lighter side beyond the police uniform. 

According to a statement from the San Francisco Police Department, TrevorMagallanes joined the force in September 2018 as part of the 263rd Recruit Academy Class. He served in the Mission, Tenderloin, Central, and Taraval Districts before concluding his service in February 2023.

“Trevor served the communities with dedication and commitment,” Interim Police Chief Paul Yep wrote in his condolence message. He noted that Trevor is survived by his beloved daughter Athena, who was described as “the light of his life.”

For Rufa Mae, the loss of her husband is not only a personal tragedy but also a devastating blow to their young daughter. 

“I’m deeply saddened by this development. Hope u give us time to mourn his loss especially my daughter,” she said. “Just pray for us that we will get thru this by the help of God.”

Alongside the outpouring of support came a flood of rumors and unverified claims about Trevor’s death. This has deeply upset Rufa Mae, who appealed to the public to stop spreading fake news. “We are still gathering factual information about his death. Even we or his immediate family are still verifying what happened,” she stressed. “So we kindly ask his friends or anyone to stop spreading fake news or mere speculations.”

Despite the pain, Rufa Mae continues to hold on to her faith. “Hanggang sa huli… hanggang sa muli, mahal kita Trev,” she wrote in one of her tributes.

For now, her focus remains on protecting her daughter and honoring the memory of her late husband. Amid grief, gossip, and public scrutiny, Rufa Mae shows resilience as she carries on with love and strength.

'Pasko Na!' Jose Mari Chan and Mariah Carey's Christmas songs to dominate PH airwaves as 'ber' months set in

By Robert Requintina 

As the calendar turns to September, a delightful transformation sweeps across the Philippines, heralding the enchanting arrival of the "ber" months. The air is filled with anticipation as the beloved holiday anthems of Jose Mari Chan and Mariah Carey start to echo through homes and bustling streets.

Though Christmas is still three months away, Filipinos have already embraced the festive spirit, eagerly tuning in to the magical melodies that usher in the season.

Joy radiates from every corner as Chan’s heartwarming "Christmas In Our Hearts" and Carey's iconic "All I Want For Christmas (Is You)" become the soundtrack of joyful gatherings, family reunions, and cozy nights.

It’s a time when the warmth of nostalgia intertwines with the shimmering promise of the holidays, igniting the hearts of many in a joyful celebration of love and togetherness.

'Christmas In Our Hearts'

"I'm neither at home nor at work in my business," said Jose Mari, when asked what keeps him busy before the "ber" months, during an interview on "Fast Talk With Boy Abunda" on GMA Network in 2023.

Chan, 80, is known as "The Father of Philippine Christmas Music" following the release of his blockbuster album, "Christmas In Our Hearts," in 1990. He recalled the origins of "Christmas In Our Hearts."

"The melody itself was composed in 1988 to a poem by my friend Chari Cruz Zarate, "Ang Tubig Ay Buhay," which she used as a high school jubilee song," said Chan.

Chan continued, "So I wrote the melody, and I never thought that two years later, I would use that melody for a Christmas song. Universal Records approached me and said it's time we make a Christmas album, given the success of "Please Be Careful With My Heart," "Beautiful Girl," and others.

"So I thought of that melody, and I got a friend of mine, Rina Caniza, to come to the house, and I gave her the melody. Together, we worked on the lyrics.

"At that time, Lea Salonga was a hit because of Miss Saigon. So I approached her and asked if she could do a duet with me. Sabi niya, 'Yes, I'll be glad, too!' She heard the song and liked the melody, except that her recording company would not allow her to record for a competing label.

"So my next choice was Monique Wilson, an understudy of Miss Saigon. I like her. She's a nice person with a beautiful voice. Unfortunately, she went to Tagaytay and lost her voice. She called me.

"I think the Holy Spirit was leading me towards my daughter, Liza. Since Universal Records was rushing, 'Joe, it's October, we need to come up with an album!' I went to my daughter's bedroom and said, 'What are you doing?' She said, 'I was cramming for my exams.' I said, 'Can you learn the song quickly? I want to record this with you. Okay. When? This Wednesday. To make a long story short, she and I went to the recording studio, and the rest is history."

All I Want for Christmas (Is You)

In September 2024, Carey joined Filipino fans in welcoming the holiday season early.

Carey shared a link to her hit song and encouraged her Filipino fans to start playing the Christmas song at the beginning of the "ber" months.

Filipinos start to celebrate the holidays in the Philippines as early as September.

"Philippines, it's time (only for you!!)," Mariah wrote. "I hope you're all safe and well. Let’s celebrate together."

In 2023, Mariah reposted a tweet from a fan page indicating that her song "All I Want for Christmas Is You" was streamed 75 percent more in the Philippines than in any other country.

Mariah Carey (Instagram)

On Dec. 30, 2024, Billboard reported that Carey's “All I Want for Christmas Is You” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for an 18th total week.

"The carol, which leads for a fourth consecutive week this holiday season, moves to within one week of the longest domination in the chart’s 66-year history, after only the 19-week rules of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” this year and Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus, in 2019.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” was initially released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in November 1994 and, as streaming has grown. Holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ playlists; it hit the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time in December 2017 and the top five for the first time in the 2018 holiday season.

"It led at last, before the past four weeks, over the holidays in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), 2021 (three), 2022 (four), and 2023 (two)." 

No more safe spaces for journalists in Gaza

By Fr. Shay Cullen

A hospital is supposed to be one of the safest places to go to amid armed conflict, like the war Israel is waging against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, there is strong evidence that Israeli forces are deliberately killing civilians, including women, children and journalists, in and around hospitals.

On Aug. 25, Israeli forces twice attacked Nasser Hospital in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis, killing at least 20 people. They include five Palestinian journalists, including an Al Jazeera reporter, who were sheltering in and reporting from the hospital. The attack triggered widespread condemnation, with Al Jazeera saying Israel was systematically “assassinating journalists as part of a systematic campaign to silence the truth.” The five killed are now among the over 240 journalists slain in Gaza since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel called the deadly attack a “tragic mishap,” and they would investigate. Israeli officials say they take all “feasible” precautions to avoid civilian casualties, and accuse Hamas of using civilians as human shields. This is not just about the brutal murder of those reporters, but part of the ongoing crimes against humanity that Israel has been accused of committing.

Besides relentless bombings, shooting starving civilians as they try to get much-needed food supplies is another weapon of war used by Israel. As of last Tuesday, the number of dead from the famine in Gaza rose to over 300, of which 117 were children; the toll should have risen as of this writing. This famine is manmade, United Nations officials have said. Now, the Israeli military has launched a new offensive against Gaza City in the territory’s north, forcing thousands to flee south and evacuate the Ad Daraj and Ash Sheikh Radwan areas.

Since Israel’s new military incursion into Gaza City, as many as 36,200 Palestinians were forced again to flee to save themselves and their children. The delivery of food and aid into Gaza has been mostly blocked, causing acute shortages not only of food but also of medicines. Blood supply is lacking, and the number of wounded is increasing, and hospitals need more than 350 units of it every day. But there are fewer blood donors, as the UN-declared famine is increasingly weakening Gaza’s 2.2 million Palestinian population.

The UN reported that only six out of its 12 missions were allowed into Gaza as of last week. Thousands of aid trucks are being blocked by Israel from entering Gaza. The UN is demanding an immediate ceasefire and “full, unhindered humanitarian access.” The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that the consequences of “ongoing hostilities, displacement and aid obstruction are even more devastating.”

‘Reasonable figure’

Also last week, a report in the Guardian newspaper said that as many as 62,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. A classified Israeli military intelligence database showed that as many as five out of six Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza were civilians, and more than half were women and children. These numbers have been considered “a reasonable figure” by a United Kingdom government source, the Guardian said. As many as 150,000 have suffered injuries, said Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders. Almost 60 percent of lower-limb wounds were related to explosive weapons, often with open injuries to bone, muscle, or skin, the MSF added.

“Most immediate fatalities occur at the scene of impact and thus are not captured. Under-reporting of both injuries and deaths could be prevalent in our data in vulnerable populations who are often not able to move away from sites of impact, such as infants, children, people with disabilities, and older adults,” the report said.

Compare this with Hamas’ war-sparking attacks on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which left 1,200 people dead, mostly civilians, and more than 240 others taken hostage by the Palestinian militants and brought to Gaza.

Israeli forces continue to strike Khan Younis and Rafah, where the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) estimates that 1.2 million people are now living in makeshift shelters and over 100 UNRWA schools have been directly or indirectly hit, with some severely damaged. Many have been used as shelters for displaced families since the war began, reports say.

The UNRWA recently posted on social media: “No place is safe in #GazaStrip. This is a war on children. On their childhood and their future. Ceasefire now.”

The war will continue, as Israel’s right-wing government plans to continue destroying most of Gaza’s infrastructure to make it uninhabitable and has ignored UN calls for an immediate ceasefire.

In October 2023, the UN General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. In December 2024, it demanded, with 158 votes in favor, an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire. These have been ignored by Israel and last week, the US vetoed a demand for a Gaza truce in the UN Security Council.

There is no interest by Israel to agree to a ceasefire despite the fact there are still hostages held by Hamas in Gaza and a growing movement in the country clamoring for the war’s end and the captives’ release.

Israel’s plan is to occupy as much of the West Bank with settlers and to occupy Gaza as long as possible so as to make a two-state solution impossible. Its long-term plan is to expel all Palestinians and expand the country. Such goals are illegal in international law and more nations are planning to recognize Palestine as a state, one illegally occupied by Israel.

Davao City Council to probe Agdao cooperative conflict

 ALEJANDRE (FB)

By Ivy Tejano

Published Sep 2, 2025 11:04 pm

DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Council will hold a committee hearing to address the management dispute within the Agdao Multi-Purpose Cooperative here, which has put the savings of more than 58,000 members at risk.

Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chairman of the Committee on Cooperative Development and People's Participation, raised the concern in a privilege speech before the council's regular session on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Alejandre said one of the biggest cooperatives in Mindanao is in the midst of a management conflict.

He said that the hearing will tackle the conflict "in aid of legislation and oversight."

"This is not to interfere with the jurisdiction of the courts but to clarify the issues and protect the cooperative's members' welfare," he said, stressing the need for accountability and transparency in AMPC operations.

Alejandre said the move was prompted by a letter he received on Aug. 13 from Josephine Pasilang, who identified herself as the new AMPC chairperson elected during a Special Representative Assembly in 2024.

Pasilang alleged negligence and bad faith by the previous board of directors and general manager, accusing them of refusing to relinquish control of the cooperative.

A video last March depicting members forcibly entering the main branch of the cooperative in Obrero was widely circulated, an incident directly tied to the concerns raised in the letter.

Alejandre said he is not siding with any faction, noting that cases related to the leadership row are already pending in court. He said he is bringing this forward to serve the best interests of the people of Davao.

He stressed that the conflict is an internal issue affecting thousands of Davaoeños who entrusted their money to AMPC. "As councilors, we have to see to it that their hard-earned investments are not put to waste."

Alejandre added that the committee will formally hear both parties' concerns to protect members' investments and uphold confidence in the cooperative sector.

Facing the HIV crisis in the Philippines

 A story of advocacy, molecular detective work, and resilience

By Dr. Edsel Salvana

Published Sep 1, 2025 11:17 am

At A Glance

I started to see an increasing number of HIV patients with opportunistic infections. These were mostly young men in their 20s, and they were dying from AIDS-related illnesses.

Last week, I was asked to present our work on HIV at the Paul Galkin Global Health Grand Rounds at the William Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University. Brown University, located in Providence, Rhode Island, is one of the eight storied Ivy League universities, which includes Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania, that are some of the most exclusive schools in the world. Getting invited to a named lecture at any reputable university is a prestigious honor. Getting invited to a named lecture at an Ivy League school is career-defining.

I was invited to give the talk because of the impact my work on HIV has had in the Philippines. The person who nominated me for the talk was Dr. Susan Cu-Uvin, a world-renowned HIV researcher and infectious diseases physician at Brown University. Dr. Cu-Uvin was originally from the Philippines, but she was recruited as a Brown faculty member after training at Brown as a fellow in the 1990s. She has had a long history of collaborative work with the University of the Philippines (UP). When I returned to the Philippines in 2008 after specialty and subspecialty training in the US, Dr. Cu-Uvin was already engaged in different training programs for UP Manila faculty, even as she did high-level cutting-edge work on HIV in women. Our work frequently intersected, and I have participated in some of the training grants she received, including the Brown International Advanced Research Institutes in 2012, where I came to Brown for a two-week intensive training program in HIV. This experience helped me design the research projects I eventually undertook. I ended up looking at the molecular epidemiology of HIV in the Philippines, which we eventually found played a major role in the increase in cases. The Paul J. Galkin Global Health Grand Rounds is an endowed lecture series that highlights collaborations between Brown faculty and their international collaborators, and Dr. Cu-Uvin thought the work we were doing was worthy of being presented.

This was my third time visiting Brown University. It is located in the city of Providence in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, and was founded in 1636 as a haven for religious freedom. It has a long history of tolerance and was one of the 13 founding states. Famous Brown University alumni and professors include 11 Nobel Prize winners, as well as philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr. and actress Emma Watson. Aside from Brown University, another notable educational institution is the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), which is one of the top design schools in the world. Among their Filipino alumni is the late Carlos Celdran, who was a multidimensional artist and did innovative and thought-provoking tours of Manila.

The lecture started with a sumptuous Filipino dinner. Dr. Cu-Uvin spoke first, tracing her journey from the Philippines to Brown and showing the many collaborations that she enabled and fostered during her tenure. I was then asked to speak about my HIV work.

My talk was entitled “HIV Crisis in the Philippines: A Story of Advocacy, Molecular Detective Work, and Resilience.” In the early 2000s, there was not much HIV in the Philippines. It was described as “low and slow,” and it was a mystery why this was the case when our other sexually transmitted infection rates were similar to those of different countries around the region. While I was doing my infectious diseases fellowship at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, I was trained to treat HIV, but I did not think it was important since we (my wife and I) planned to return home after we completed our training. I instead decided to focus on tropical medicine, which I thought was more relevant to our country. Unfortunately, when we returned home and joined the Philippine General Hospital, I started to see an increasing number of HIV patients with opportunistic infections. These were mostly young men in their 20s, and they were dying from AIDS-related illnesses like cryptococcus meningitis, pneumocystis pneumonia, and disseminated tuberculosis. I immediately changed my focus from tropical medicine to HIV, and we started a media campaign to increase awareness.

We were able to raise money to purchase a CD4 machine for our HIV clinic, and we ramped up publicity on the surge of cases. In the meantime, I was wracking my brains as to what had changed such that cases would suddenly start rising just like that. When I was at Brown in 2011, I heard a lecture from Dr. Rami Kantor on how some HIV subtypes behaved differently from the usual HIV subtype B that is seen in developed countries. This caught my attention, and I found there was very limited data on HIV subtypes in the Philippines. Using our own laboratory funds and later on with grants from the Department of Science and Technology, we showed that the rise in cases was being fueled by a more aggressive and transmissible HIV subtype CRF01_AE that is more commonly seen in Thailand. Our work showed that the predominant Philippine subtype had changed from subtype B to CRF01_AE at the time the cases were rising, and this significantly drove transmission. We also did seminal work on HIV drug resistance, which influenced government policy in procuring more effective antiretroviral agents for Filipinos living with HIV.

Finally, we developed a portable HIV drug resistance test that is half the cost of conventional HIV drug resistance testing with much fewer technological requirements. This won the Innovation of the Year award from the Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation in 2023 during IDWeek in Boston, US, and the test is slated for clinical validation in 2026 with funding from the Philippine Government. This test has the potential to transform the treatment of HIV globally and will better inform treatment decisions, as well as being useful in surveillance for emerging resistance. I ended the lecture by going back to one of my patients who is still alive today because of life-saving antiretroviral treatment. I emphasized the fact that at the end of the day, our successes and failures shouldn’t just translate to academic achievements and published papers but should have a real impact on the lives of our patients.

PHLPost suspends all mail to US

 By Manila Bulletin Newsroom

Published Sep 2, 2025 05:02 pm

The Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) has temporarily suspended all mail and parcel services from the Philippines to the United States (US), effective Aug. 28, 2025.

The state-run postal company announced the suspension in an advisory, citing the US decision to halt its de minimis exemption for duty-free imports and implement new customs requirements.

PHLPost said the measure is intended to prevent potential service delays and inconvenience for customers.

The suspension covers all postal items to the US accepted as of Aug. 22, 2025. For customers with items already lodged, PHLPost stated they may request a retrieval and refund by submitting the necessary documents.

The corporation did not provide a timeline for when services would resume, noting that updates will be issued as they become available.