DoH launches smoke-free beaches campaign

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd. File Photo

By Red Mendoza, Manila Times

IN celebration of World No Tobacco Day, the Department of Health (DoH) has launched a campaign that promotes smoke-free beaches, parks, and tourist destinations across the country, starting in Boracay Island and in Aklan province.

The campaign, which is in collaboration with Viral Strategies and Smoke Free Philippines, aims to showcase tourist destinations as pilot areas for smoke-free beaches.

The Smoke-Free Beaches campaign will begin at Station 2 in Boracay, before moving to other premiere beach destinations and beaches such as in Caramoan and in Palawan.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque 3rd said the initiative was developed to protect beaches, parks and tourist destinations from the environmental ill-effects of tobacco.

"With this, we hope to further raise awareness and create new areas of impact in our overall effort to ensure the health of the Filipino people," Duque added.

He hopes that the campaign will unify the goal of the DoH in providing universal health care, which also includes "giving families an environment that lets them enjoy healthily without exposure to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke."

Around 4.5 trillion cigarettes become waste and 4.2 million cigarette butts end up in beaches and waterways. Moreover, according to global tobacco industry watchdog Stopping Tobacco Organizations and Products (STOP), plastic and chemical contents in cigarette filters have been shown to destroy marine life and water quality.

In a related story, 321 pairs of shoes and slippers were displayed at the main lobby of the Lung Center of the Philippines to commemorate 321 Filipinos who die every day due to tobacco-related diseases.

The art installation signified the call to have stronger tobacco control legislation in order to save more lives.

Dr. Jessica Catalan-Legarda, chairman for advocacy of the Lung Center of the Philippines, said there should be an ecosystem of policies that would make it easier for Filipinos to quit the "deadly habit of smoking."

"Raising taxes on tobacco products and banning their advertising, promotions, and sponsorships are just some of the policies needed to create a healthier environment for Filipinos," she added.

Dr. Glynna Ong-Cabrera, project director of the DoH Quitline program, said that quitting smoking is not just a matter of personal responsibility, noting that tobacco companies continue to sell and market these products.

She added that tobacco products are designed to make it difficult for smokers to quit, which could put them at risk in developing tobacco-related diseases that could lead to death.

Guidelines out on discounts for online purchases by seniors, PWDs

By Moises Cruz

SENIOR citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) may now avail of their 20 percent discount on essential products and commodities purchased online.

This is contained in Joint Circular Memorandum 1, which the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Commission of Senior Citizens, National Council on Disability Affairs, Department of Health, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) signed on May 6 but which was released on Tuesday.

Some of the discounted items, according to the circular, are rice, bread, milk, water, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

According to the guidelines, the elderly and PWDs have a maximum purchase amount of P1,300 a week for both online and offline transactions, with no rollover of the unused amount.

To receive the discount, one must declare to the merchant prior to placing orders that he or she is a senior citizen or a person with a disability and submit supporting documents, such as a scanned copy or screenshot of ID, as well as the front and last pages of the purchase booklet.

By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

During the delivery of goods and orders, the same proof of discount entitlement should be shown.

"All business establishments are urged to honor the privileges granted to senior citizens and persons with disabilities by adopting the appropriate system or improving their existing system that ensures the 20 percent is given to them whenever they purchase goods or services, whether in online, telephone or mobile transactions," DSWD said.

THAT TELLS ME ALL... ... I need to know!

Know-it-alls, who prefer an oppressing or suppressing crab mentality should be really out of place. They poison us and our dignity and our feelings of our own worth. Unfortunately we can find these people at any corner.

I stayed in many places worldwide - places with people belonging to different kinds of religion. I really don't care which belief people are in. Most importantly, they believe in God or Allah and they live a Christian life. I am always very happy when I find churches or prayer places - always open and filled up with praying and worshipping people.

Yesterday I was invited to a Moslem wedding.

I am always very happy, when I meet hopeful and promising Christians: priests, pastors, lay people, friends, family members, who know how to share and inspire, and also know how to be patient while starting with a -maybe - "new beginning".

I am also very happy, because I still observe infinite and endless good things every day coming into my life. Slowly but surely, I started to pay attention to such things. I observe several people, who don't! I really try to do preliminary exercises for instance, for amazing things or just for a simple gratitude. With these attitudes I'll be winning each battle a thousand times against those people who live believing that God's creation goes to the dogs and kicks the bucket.

I am really happy if I meet people who understand the real meaning of responsibility. Responsibility to a child, to the family, to a company and its employees, to a public service, an association or a registered society, or anything that supports, sponsors and promotes my surroundings without being egoistic, indifferent or listless. "I don't give a damn!"

I am always happy to notice people around me, who mean and act "YES" if they say "YES"!

I am always happy to notice something that is taken for granted: parents have time for their children and patience with the youth (really a difficult task sometimes!); someone who takes time to visit a sick neighbour or friend; someone who asks the address of a possible lonely fellow...

Every time period is in God's hands. Let's fulfill these periods and let's also allow our loved-ones at our side to live the same way. 

A most recommended prayer

Fr. Roy Cimagala *

THE Feast of the Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin Elizabeth, celebrated on May 31, brings us to that wonderful prayer of the “Magnificat,” the response of our Lady after her cousin praised her to high heavens, describing her as the most blessed among women. (cfr. Lk 1,39-56)

It’s a prayer that we should try our best to also make as our own, for it expresses what our heart and soul should regard us the most important in our life. It’s the most ideal condition for us to be in. It shows what and who should attract us the most.

We should repeat the words of the Magnificat daily, and, in fact, often during the day. We should repeat them from the heart, especially when we encounter difficulties and failures in life, because they remind us that God never fails to bless us. Yes, we should always feel blessed even amidst our problems and mistakes.

Feeling blessed is important and indispensable to us. Without it, we would be putting ourselves in great danger as we would simply stand on an unstable ground, totally dependent on the shifting world of chance, luck and fortune.

When these latter mundane and temporal values are missing, we cannot help but feel doomed, our life losing meaning and purpose, and our activities would simply become means to pass the time. Nothing more and beyond!

To be able to assume the spirit of the Magnificat, we should try our best to adapt the attitude of Mary. She was most humble and most docile. She asked for a clarification when she was told that she was going to become the Mother of the Son of God, but it was not out of doubt and lack of faith. It was simply to make her cooperation with God’s will and ways most complete.

When we are truly humble like Our Lady, we would know who should attract us most. Definitely, it should be God and none other. Better said, if we make God the source and cause of all our attraction, of all our joy and pleasures, of what ultimately gives us perfect satisfaction and ultimate fulfillment, all the other things can attract us and give us joy in the proper way, always respecting our true dignity as persons and as children of God.

Otherwise, there is no other way but for us to merely have a fake kind of joy, pleasure and satisfaction that can only lead us to bigger dangers. We really have to train ourselves to make God and to make following his will and ways the constant source and cause of our attraction and joy.

For this, we first of all should ask for God’s grace which is actually given to us in abundance. And from there, let’s go through some systematic plan of life that will nourish and strengthen our constant and intimate relationship with God, a relationship that should involve our entire self—body and soul, feelings, emotions and passions down to our very instincts, as well as our mind and heart.

It should be a plan that should obviously include prayer in all its forms—vocal, liturgical, ejaculatory, mental, contemplative, etc. Our life of prayer should be such that even when we are immersed in the things of the world due to our work and our temporal duties, we would still be aware of God’s presence, and it is doing God’s will that should always motivate us.

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Over 34,000 schools nominated for face-to-face classes — DepEd

(Photo courtesy of DepEd)

by Merlina Hernando-Malipot, Manila Bulletin

More than 34,000 schools have been nominated to implement face-to-face classes, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday, May 30, announced.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones, during the Laging Handa public briefing, said that as of May 26, 34,238 schools have been nominated for face-to-face classes nationwide.

“Out of these 34,238 schools, 33,000 are public schools and 1,174 are private schools,” Briones said.

 

Briones noted that to date, 73.28 percent of the total number of public schools across the country have been nominated to hold face-to-face classes amid the pandemic.

“Basta may clearance galing sa Department of Health, at saka sa tingin namin ay pumapayag naman ang mga local governments at saka may consent ng mga parents ay talagang tinutuloy na natin ang face-to-face classes (As long as there is clearance from the Department of Health, and if we think that the local governments agree and then with the consent of the parents, we will continue the face-to-face classes),” Briones said.

Meanwhile, Briones noted that DepEd is expecting all schools to fully implement the conduct of face-to-face by the next academic year.

However, Briones clarified that the implementation of face-to-face classes would still depend on the overall readiness of the schools.

Briones said that schools may have various formats when it comes to implementing face-to-face classes. Some, she said, are ready in terms of teachers and other resources while others may need “catching up to do.”

Given this, Briones said DepEd officials at the regional level “have to decide what approach to use” when it comes to face-to-face classes since “they know the situation best.”

Briones also emphasized that DepEd’s approach when it comes to the implementation of face-to-face classes would greatly depend on the schools, the LGUs, the state of health in the area, and on assessment of DOH.

“Pero sa ngayon, ine-encourage din ng DOH na talagang tulyan na nating gawin ang face-to-face classes (But for now, the DOH is also encouraging us to really continue doing face-to-face classes),” Briones, said, noting that DepEd is also encouraging private schools to go back to in-person learning.

EU sees deeper ties with PH under Marcos

European Union Ambassador to Manila Luc Véron and President-elect Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. PHOTO BY BBM MEDIA BUREAU

By Bernadette E. Tamayo, Manila 

EUROPEAN Union Ambassador to Manila Luc Véron is confident that the EU-Philippines relations "will deepen" under the Marcos administration.

Véron on Monday paid President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. a visit.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to meet President-elect Marcos ahead of his inauguration. I do not doubt that the EU-Philippines cooperation based on shared values and objectives will deepen under the Marcos administration," Véron said in a statement.

The envoy said he and Marcos "had an excellent conversation about the state of the world and his ambitions for the Philippines in the coming years."

"I am also heartened to hear that the incoming President is willing to work with the EU and its member states," Véron said.

He said that Marcos will be invited to attend the 45th anniversary of EU-Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) relations commemorative summit in Brussels, Belgium on December 14, 2022.

The ambassador conveyed the wish of all EU member states ambassadors to meet Marcos at the earliest opportunity.

He welcomed the importance that Marcos "attached to the enhanced partnership" between the Philippines and the EU and its member states.

Véron said he agreed with Marcos on the need to respect international law in the South China Sea, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and its dispute settlement mechanisms.

He presented the scope of the bilateral relationship between the EU and the Philippines ranging from trade and investments to the extensive cooperation on justice system, socio-economic development, sustainable energy, governance, peace in Mindanao and vaccination against Covid-19.

The EU Mission in the Philippines said both sides agreed that addressing climate change and the green economic recovery from the pandemic must be at the forefront of the bilateral agenda.

The EU conveyed its readiness "to stay engaged, at the [Philippine] government's wishes, to further consolidate the peace process in the Bangsamoro region."

Another problem, another chance to grow

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“I HAVE told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world, you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (Jn 16,33)

What very reassuring words of Christ for us! That’s why no matter what happens in our life, even if we are drowning with all sorts of problems and troubles, we should remain at peace and confident, since Christ has taken care of everything.

Instead, we should sport that have-a-go attitude that would lead us to even take advantage of these situations, to derive something good from them, in order to grow in our humanity and our Christian life, etc.

Remember St. Paul’s words to the Romans: “God works all things together for the good of those who love Him.” (8,28) Yes, even our limitations, our mistakes, our defeats in life, if referred to God, can lead us to something good. These actually are great opportunities to learn new things, to grow and strengthen our virtues, etc.

Yes, if we have faith in God, in his wisdom and mercy, in his unfailing love for us, we know that everything will always work out for the good. If we are with God, we can always dominate whatever suffering can come our way in the same manner that Christ absorbed all his passion and death on the cross.

Let’s always remember that God, in his ineffable ways, can also talk to us through these crosses. In fact, he can convey precious messages and lessons through them. It would be good that we have a theological attitude toward them, and be wary of our tendency to react to them in a purely human way, based only on our senses and feelings and on worldly trends.

In all our affairs and situations in life, we should always go to God to ask for his help and guidance, and to trust his ways and his providence, even if the outcome of our prayers and petitions appears unanswered, if not, contradicted.

We need to trust in God’s providence and mercy. We have to learn to live a spirit of abandonment in the hands of God. If we truly have a deep faith in God, in his wisdom and mercy, in his unfailing love for us, everything will be taken care of and some good can always be derived even from our mistakes and failures.  God always has the last word. He always wins. We just have to make sure we are with him in all situations of our life.

When we are faced with our limitations, let’s just be game and sport about them, and try our best—with the help of God’s grace, of course—to try to go beyond our limits. There is always that possibility since we are not purely a material and natural being, but also a spiritual being capable of entering the supernatural order. With God’s grace, we can go beyond what our nature can only give.

As an old love song would put, let’s have that attitude that whenever we are faced with difficulties, we should be convinced that we can overcome them. And when it is something impossible for us to do, let us also convince ourselves that it may just need a little more time to get it.

The fact is, Christ is always around. He allows some negative things to happen in our life to derive a greater good for us!

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

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Filipino scientist receives UN Sasakawa award for disaster risk reduction

A Filipino scientist received the United Nations’ Sasakawa Award for his initiatives in disaster risk reduction on May 26.

PHOTO FROM UNRRD/ MANILA BULLETIN

by Jaleen Ramos, Manila Bulletin

Glenn S. Banaguas, founder of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute (ECCRI), leads the Climate Smart Philippines program which tackles disaster risks reduction and prevention of damage and losses from climate change.

“I extend my thanks and gratitude to the organizers of the UN Sasakawa Award for recognizing Climate Smart Philippines’ efforts to empower people from all walks of life to develop evidence-based, humane, and gender-responsive solutions,” he said during the awarding ceremony in Bali, Indonesia.

Banaguas bested over 200 nominations worldwide.

Banaguas is a scientist, a diplomat, and an expert in the areas of environment, climate change and disaster risks, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNNRD) said in its website.

“He has created a “Climate Smart” program to support vulnerable communities in the ASEAN region in building resilience and adapting to the climate change through sustainable practices,” it added.

Save the Children – Philippines also won the award in the Organization category.

Yassi is ready for ‘Rolling In It Philippines’ Season 2

by Annalyn S. Jusay, Manila Bulletin

Yassi Pressman is on a roll. Her movie “More Than Blue” is consistently No. 1 most streamed on Netflix for weeks now. She’s kept very busy with her various entrepreneurial ventures, and she also confirmed that she’s happily in a relationship with a mystery non-showbiz guy.

Most of all, she reprised her role as the only solo female game show host in the Philippines with the launch of “Rolling In It Philippines Season 2” on TV5 last Saturday, May 28.

As “Rolling In It Philippines” enters its second year, viewers should prepare for more family-friendly action and high-stakes excitement with their favorite stars as playing partners. Award-winning young actress Nadine Lustre will make a special appearance in the first episode, alongside Youtuber Chad Kinis and theater-star Jerald Napoles.

“We’re launching the second season with Nadine who hasn’t been on TV for four or five years, so I was really surprised to hear that she agreed to guest in the show. We’ll also have Zeinab (Harake), Diego Loyzaga,  Marco Gumabao. We will have a lot of the big gamers and a lot of TikTok superstars. I won’t spill the beans completely so people have something to look forward to, but it’s nice to have them all on the show,”  the 27-year-old Yassi announced in a media conference at the TV5 studios in Quezon City. 

Asked about what advice she can give to contestants in the show, Yassi said focus is key. “I would advise players to focus, especially when they reach the last round. If they really don’t know the answer, they should pass and come back later,” she said.

Under the “Rolling In It” mechanics, the regular player and the celebrity partner will each take their turn as they try to collect as many points to win up to P2 million. By rolling the Power Coin on the giant arcade, the players can choose between PLAY to improve their chances of winning or PASS the opportunity to a different pair. Based on the performance of previous winners, it takes teamwork, skill and luck to ace the game and win the prize.

The show’s good ratings during its first season proved that viewers loved taking a look into the off-screen and playful side of the many celebrities and talents that graced the show. This gave them many bonding moments and look forward to weekend nights at home.

Aside from the regular telecast on TV5, catch-up episodes of “Rolling In It Philippines” will be available on Cignal TV CH. 3 and SatLite CH. 30. It can also be watched Live and On-demand via the Cignal Play App, which is FREE to download for Android and iOS users.  

No FDA approval yet for monkeypox antivirals — DOH

This undated electron microscopic (EM) handout image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts a monkeypox virion, obtained from a clinical sample associated with the 2003 prairie dog outbreak. It was a thin section image from a human skin sample. On the left were mature, oval-shaped virus particles, and on the right were the crescents, and spherical particles of immature virions.

Cynthia S. Goldsmith / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / AFP

By Angelica Y. Yang - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said Saturday that the country's Food and Drug Administration has not yet given approval or authorization for the use of monkeypox antivirals.

Several cases of monkeypox, endemic to Africa, were detected in North American and European countries in early May. To date, the Philippines has no confirmed monkeypox case, although the Health department has said it is intensifying border control measures and actively monitoring the developments. 

"Wala pang approval ng FDA natin. Wala pang emergency use authorization (EUA). Ito 'yung mga legal na batayan para makapagpasok ng mga antivirals against monkeypox," Duque said in an interview with Dobol B TV on Saturday. 

("The FDA has not given its approval. There is also no emergency use authorization yet. These are the legal basis which will allow for the import of antivirals against monkeypox.")

On Friday, DOH said it is participating in talks on the possible acquisition of antivirals in case the country experiences an outbreak or if there are severe cases. 

There is already a monkeypox vaccine which has been developed, but the World Health Organization said it is not yet widely available, DOH said in an earlier statement. 

"The DOH is exploring all possible available sources and expedient legal methods for the procurement of Monkeypox vaccines," the agency told reporters.

Monkeypox vaccination is not yet part of the country's national immunization program. 

Monkeypox can be transmitted to humans after experiencing close contact with an infected individual or animal, or with contaminated materials. Symptoms of the disease include fever, rashes and swollen lymph nodes.