Be Again On Guard Against Dengue

The Philippines' weather bureau predicts the onset of the rainy season now. The usually rainy season is six months in the Philippines - from June to November each year. With rains comes flooding, along with threat of illnesses such as dengue fever.

We are all advised here to be vigilant against dengue, a perennial health problem, prevalent in tropical countries such the Philippines. Anyone can fall ill with dengue fever any time during the year but the number of patients increases during the raining season. The dengue-carrying mosquito  called AEDES AEGYPTI, which is black with white spots, lays eggs in clear waters found in flower vases, cans, bamboo husks, empty soft drink bottles, rain barrels, and old rubber tires. Left undetected and treated, dengue could lead to a number of complications.

An expert warned against a "secondary mosquito species - the AEDES ALBOPICTUS - as a possible dengue risk. The forest area at Mount Makiling in Laguna is said to be the natural habitat of this specie. The Department of Health is conducting further studies to validate the threat from this "secondary mosquito species".

The first quarter of 2012 registered a 28.96 percent drop in dengue cases, mostly in Metro Manila - from 23.241 cases in the same period last year, to 16.511 cases this year.

BUT, be on guard as there is no treatment, cure, or vaccine for dengue. A way to prevent it is to maintain clean surroundings to eliminate breeding sites. Prevention involves regular clean up, fogging, spraying of insecticides and larviciding. Clothing, mosquito repellent, and netting can held reduce exposure.

Struggles Abroad

From the first moment I have been involved with Filipinos I thought that there must be a reason why they detached themselves from their loved ones... only to be enslaved in a foreign country.

Look through a migrant worker's life and agree with me: being an overseas worker is not easy. But for innumerable Philippine families, it seems the only way to survive financially.

Oversea workers have to deprive themselves of many things they used to enjoy at home - physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and even spiritually. Some of them go to the extent of sacrificing one's cherished profession in order to reach that proverbial greener pasture, to cross the poverty line and have a fraction of taste of the "God's' comfortable living.

When one goes abroad, his toughness as a person is put to a test. both, an older timer and a neophyte suffer the same illness every now and then: homesickness, especially when one doesn't receive any news from home any more. Moods become utterly dull and dispositions are greatly affected.

Of course, sometimes unexpected news from home "go abroad": death of a family member, the husband is womanizing or the wife having a paramour; the child is being hospitalized, the house robbed of products of sweat and tears, natural calamities, and many others. And, as I know from many Filipinos abroad, added to these is the knowledge that sometimes hard-earned money is just spent wastefully by the recipients, despite repeated reminders that working abroad is not lifetime.

With these uncalled for events, sometimes you can do nothing but close your eyes, secretly shed tears, have deep sighs and call for someone "up there" for make you stronger and ask for hope. My good friend Arvie, who experienced her first weeks as a nurse in Vancouver in Canada sent me the following lines:

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you're trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile but you have to sigh, when care is pressing and you lay down a little bit, rest if you must, but never quit!"

How very true, because in working abroad, one is confronted with equally exhilarating daily crosses, deal with hard-to-spell employers, perform boring, routinary, round-the-clock-chores, overcome fatigue, but always doing the very best to adapt to the culture of the new place.

After these sufferings, it is every migrant worker's wish, that his crosses overseas will be rewarded after several years - rewards happily shared by the whole family, the community and by the nation as a whole.

+++

 

(Republished from MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR, Friday May 11, 2012: my regular column IN MY OPINION).

 

Corona debunks charges in Impeachment Court

 Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona was admitted to the intensive care of a Manila hospital today, interrupting his impeachment trial yesterday.

He was advised to stay in the Medical City Hospital for 48 hours over fears that he could suffer a heart attack, DZHR Radio reported, citing a cardiologist at the hospital. 

Corona had walked out of his Senate trial yesterday after declaring that the charges against him, including an allegation that he stashed away $ 12 million in 82 bank accounts were pure lies forwarded by President Benigno Aquino.

Here is more:

Corona debunks charges in Impeachment Court | BusinessWorld Online Edition

Missing Blindfish of Mayayahay Cave

Compostela Valley - Ever heard or seen a blind fish? Chances are you will not see again in Mahayahay cave in the village of Taboran, unless you are fortune.

The cave is less then a ten minutes walk from the military camp of the 72nd Infantry battalion at camp Manuel T. yan, Sr., headquarters of the 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army - 12 km 

away from Tagum City in Davao del Norte.

Efren Tagorda, representative from the Regional Office of the Department of Environment and National Resources - Protected Area Wildlife Division confirmed the "very slim" chance inside the cave of seeing this species of fish.

The unchecked and unregulated caving activities in the past have contributed to the disappearance of the blindfish.

(My grateful thanks to Christine T. Dompor, MPA, Provincial Tourism Officer for sharing this!)

 

Paul Abraham - Hungarian Classics

Paul Abraham...

Check out more here:

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com 

Music With Ease: Claudio Monteverdi

Music with ease: really... .

Claudio Monteverdi is really one of the greatest Italian composers.

Check out more here:
http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

Or tune in to my Sunday's radio program "Classics with Klaus Doring" from 2 to 4 PM (Philippine Standard Time) on 104.3 FM "The Edge Radio Davao" or via live stream 

http://www.livestream.com/theedgeradiodavao

Jessica Could Go Home on "American Idol"

On Wednesday's night's American Idol (in the Philippines last night!) the finalists perormed three songs each, fighting for their spot in the final two.

Joshua Ledet, 20, was the first performer, and he got all three judges up on their feet following his strong rendition of Etta James' "I'd Rather be Blind".

Though the evening seemed like ti was Ledet's, Phillip Phillips' final performance gave Ledet a run for his money.

Jessica Sanchez, 16, was by no means lost in the crowd. Sad to say! She made herself prominent by boldly performing Aero Smith's "I don't want to miss a thing". Steven Tyler gave her a standing ovation, though he was the only one of the judges to do so.

Her other songs were both powerful and memorable.

But, who goes home? And who made the difference? We will see tonight.

Sulu As a Tourist Spot?

 

I was really surprised, when I received the press release through "MindaNews"...

Sula as a tourist spot?

Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan said has approved the formulation of a Provincial Tourism Plan to establish a clear direction and provide the necessary information and strategies to develop a viable tourism industry in the province.

In this press statement, Tan said Sulu's natural beauty, unique environment structure and refined white sand beach fronts are a come-on to local and foreign travellers.

A tourism multi-stakeholders forum was held several days ago at the provincial capitol to gather insights into the development and identification of potential tourist destinations in the province.

"The people of Sulu are losing so much for years of neglect of these untapped resources. The development of tourism in Sulu can be the biggest source of income and revenue for the province and its people," Tan stressed.

But in his interviews with the Zamboanga media, Tan would usually say, he doesn't want to talk about the security situation. I guess, that's the main problem and biggest of all questions.

Of course, one could enjoy wonderful places, such as the one-kilometer long white sand Maubo Beach in Patikul, the town next to Jolo, the capital of the province, or the 33,200 hectare Tubbataha Reef... .

Sulu, still one of my dream destinations... .

 

SMART Gains International Recognition for Green Initiatives

SMART Telecommunications Philippines recently received two prestigious awards in 2011 for programs that support the preservation of the environment - one from the Asia Communication Awards and other from the World Communications Awards.

The Asia Communications Awards bestowed upon SMART the Green Technology Award while the World Communications Awards gave the Philippine company the Green Award, both for its "Alternative Power for Cell Sites" program. This brings to five, SMART's awards for the said program which enforces the use of renewable engery to power cell-sites in off-grid areas nationwide.

SMART's mangroves continue to flourish along the shoreline of Cagsao in Camarines Sur (see photo above).

"We are proud and fulfilled that our environmental initiatives are being recognized as one of the world's best practices when it comes to protecting the environment", said Darwin Flores, SMART Public Affairs' Senior Manager for Community Partnerships.

I strongly agree with you, Sir. Kudos!

Two More Classical Music Masters: Respighi and Rachmaninoff

Here is more about them:

www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com 

Or tune in to my Sunday's radio program "Classics with Klaus Doring" from 2 to 4 PM (Philippine Standard Time) on 104.3 FM "The Edge Radio Davao" or via live stream:

www.livestream.com/theedgeradiodavao