Suam na Mais at Gulay Recipe (Corn and Vegetable Soup)

     

 

Suam na Mais- Corn is the main ingredient and vegetable which includes squash blossoms. Also some add spinach, bittermelon leaves, malunggay leaves,

This tasty soup is good for our body to give strength to our immune system .This is my recipe version of  Suam na Mais.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo minced pork

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 gloves garlic crushed

1 medium onion sliced

1/4 kilo Shrimp peeled

1 cup sweet corn

1 cup squash blossoms

3 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

 

Procedure:

1. Heat the pan and put oil.Add garlic and sautee until light brown color.

2.Add onion and stir until soften, put meat ,sautee and cook for about 10 minutes.

3. Add corn,squash blossoms ,shrimps and chicken broth and simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

4.Season with salt and pepper.

5.Serve while hot.Enjoy!

For more details and recipe please visit us our Facebook page: Pinoy Karinderia sa Greece/ Sandee's Kusina 

Or Join us Our Facebook group : Pinoy Karinderia atbp sa Greece

You may contact us thru email: sandee.2326@gmail.com

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Ginataang Kalabasa at Malunggay Recipe (Squash and Malunggay with Coconut Milk Stew)

   

   

Kalabasa(Squash) -is a vegetable which has good source of vitamin A, as well as significant amounts of vitamins C, E, B6, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, and folate.

Malunggay (Horseradish/Moringa)- is a popular plant as known for nutritional food and medicinal herbal plant.This herbal medicine used for many illness and other practical uses. Good source of folic acid which is good for lactating or breastfeeding mothers. 

Coconut milk(Gata ng Niyog)- is a highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous. Unlike cow's milk, coconut milk is lactose free so can be used as a milk substitute by those with lactose intolerance.Can use for cooking, body cleansing, and drinking.

 

These Three Main ingredients can combine in one package meal.Here's my recipe;

 

Ginataang Kalabasa at Malunggay Recipe

Ingredients:  

 1/4 kilo pork cut into cubes

1 tbsp cooking oil

2 gloves garlic crushed

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 kilo squash seedless,cut into cubes

2 cups malunggay leaves

1/2 cup chicken broth 

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 cup coconut milk

2 long spicy green chilli

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Sautee garlic in oil until lightly brown color.Add onions stir until soften the put meat and cook for about 10 minutes.

2.Add squash,chicken broth,fish sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes or until its done.

3.Pour coconut milk and stir ,simmer for another 5 minutes.

4.Add malunggay leaves and green chilli and wait for 2 minutes .season with salt and pepper.

5.Serve with steamed rice.Enjoy!

For more details and recipes please visit us on Facebookpage: Pinoy Karinderia sa Greece/Sandee's Kusina

Or Join us on our Facebookgroup: Pinoy Karinderia atbp sa Greece

You may contact us on email: sandee.2326@gmail.com

Learn-Cook-Enjoy!

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Thank You!

2

 

Red Alert in Greece and Europe Over Flu Virus

The rapid spread of the flu virus in Greece is due to the fact that this year’s vaccine is not effective against the A(H3N2) strain, scientists say.
Five people have already lost their lives to the flu virus. As of Friday night, nine more people have been reported to be severely ill from the influenza virus and are being hospitalized in intensive care units.
The Hellenic Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KEELPNO) in its weekly report says that 12 percent of patients who visit doctors show flu symptoms. Of those who show such symptoms, 45.2 percent show positive to the influenza virus, with 89.5 percent of them subject to type A. However, on the rest of the patients the A(H3N2) strain was detected, a strain that the current vaccine cannot fully kill. Greek scientists estimate that in Greece the phenomenon will culminate next month and will last through March. The vaccine remains the best preventive measure against A strains (H1N1) pdm09, the influenza B strains and possibly protects against severe disease and complications and the differentiated strain A (H3N2), KEELPNO says. It recommends the continuation of vaccination for those belonging to vulnerable groups: people over 60 years old, children and adults with chronic diseases, pregnant and nursing mothers, people with obesity. Also it is recommended to all institutions such as prisons, institutes, schools and special schools. At the same time, KEELPNO gives great importance to the early use of antiviral drugs against influenza in the early stages (within 48 hours), even without laboratory confirmation of influenza. The influenza virus is also spreading throughout Europe. As indicated by the latest figures from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the strain A (H3N2) is dominant in most countries and the main culprit for the admissions to intensive care units. However, mortality rates of influenza patients have not increased.

Dept. of Health Says: Injuries Due to Fireworks 39% Lower

The Department of Health (DOH) announced that the number of fireworks-related injuries declined this New Year, noting a decrease of at least 39 percent compared with last year’s numbers.

“The number of fireworks-related injuries this year was lower compared with that of last year. In total, this year’s fireworks-related injuries is 39-percent lower than in the previous year. It’s even lower compared to that of the previous five year (2009 to 2013) average number of injuries,” Acting Health Secretary Janette Loreto-Garin said.

A total of 351 fireworks-related injuries were recorded as of 6 a.m. of January 1. The figure is 227 cases lower than in the same period last year.

Of the 351 cases of fireworks injuries, 84 percent involved male patients.

It was also revealed that 234 got injured because they handled the firecrackers; while 112 were bystanders.

The National Capital Region recorded the highest number of injuries with 48 percent of the total.

The figures, however, may still change because the agency will still collect and verify cases of injuries in the 50 sentinel hospitals. 

              

From heavy Malaria suffers the Filipino seaman in Greece-NOT from Ebola virus, the analyzes of the University of Athens came out negative

From Malaria  suffering, according information of www.tsismosaonline.com website, the Filipino worker in the the cargo ship "MAGDA P", which was considered infected by the deadly Ebola virus and  mobilizing the Greek Ministry of Health to manage probable case.
Expired and typically from KEELPNO(Greece health department)  the health alarm at 3 am Tuesday for the Filipino seaman in Greece, who underwent the necessary tests and eventually eliminated any possibility that he is infected by Ebola virus. The Filipino sailor who sailed  from Conakry Guinea and arrived Monday afternoon in the port of Piraeus, got the necessary examinations and eventually eliminated any possibility that he is infected by Ebola virus. According to information from KEELPNO, the analyzes were performed in the laboratories of the University of Athens came out negative for hemorrhagic fever. The Filipino was for four days high fever and hematuria, hence the concerns of the master. However, the blood sample taken by the team of doctors who went to ship- Monday night, confirmed that there is no reason for concern. Because of the seriousness of his condition, was hospitalized in a private clinic affiliated with the safety of the shipping company and following medication. As stated on yesterday KEELPNO, according to a statement by the captain or the shipping company not listed contact the crew with people of the area may have been sick, if nobody disembarked from the ship. Moreover, the few individuals of local seamen taken on board the ship had been very strict dual input selection control on board both by the doctor of the insurance company of the ship and the port authorities of Guinea.

Phil. National Police, Malacanang Palce and Dept. of Health Urge Revelers to Celebrate the New Year Safely

Malacañang has an advice to parents: Do not allow your children to get hold of firecrackers.

And to revelers, the Palace suggests the use of indigenous materials in welcoming the New Year to prevent irreversible injuries caused by exploding firecrackers.

As of December 26, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has recorded six firecracker-related fires across the country and at least 19 firecracker-related injuries from December 16 to December 26.

“This only shows the danger of using firecrackers and other pyrotechnic materials,” said PNP spokesperson, Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor.

Based on PNP records, two fire-cracker-related incidents were reported in Central Visayas while each was reported in Ilocos Region, Western Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region and Metro Manila.

For its part, the Department of Health (DOH) has listed a total of 113 firework-related injuries as of 6 a.m. yesterday.

Health Assistant Secretary Gerardo Bayugo said the figures show a decrease of 86 cases as compared with the same period last year or a decrease of at least 43 percent this year.

The DOH, however “still finds the trend unacceptable, especially on cases where injuries resulted to permanent consequences.”

Most of the cases were reported in the National Capital Region with 39 percent.

In a statement read by Bayugo, Acting health secretary Janette Garin said, “Every life is precious. The lower number of cases only encourages DOH to intensify its campaign to stop the use of firecrackers in merry-making to welcome the New Year.”

Most of the firecracker injuries were caused by piccolo (75 cases), eight cases were caused by an unknown firecracker, six were caused by 5-star, five were caused by Camara; and four were caused by “boga,” an explosive devise made from PVC pipes.

“Piccolo is a banned firecracker. We appeal to parents, they are the ones who have control over their children. They must not allow their children to use firecrackers, especially that users of Piccolo are mostly children,” Bayugo told reporters.

Luckily, there is no reported injury caused by a stray bullet. 

Of the 113 cases, at least 39 cases involve children less than 10 years old.

“There is a child who is a victim of firecracker explosion. The child did not die, but his right hand will be amputated. The firecracker that caused the accident is not yet identified. It happened during Christmas,” Bayugo told reporters. The child is only five years old.

Another child from Manila, aged nine, will likely lose his left hand to Piccolo, disclosed Director Cirilo Galindez of DOH. The child, as of press time, is at the Ospital ng Maynila.

“There were six who need amputation, but the others will only have portion of their fingers amputated. The two are so far the worst,” Bayugo noted.

Garin also mentioned a five-year-old boy from San Mateo, Rizal, who accidentally ingested “luces” (sparklers) after the boy apparently mistook the fireworks as candy. This is the first case of fireworks ingestion reported this year.

In asking parents to keep their children away from firecrackers, the DOH painted a grim future as a result of exploding firecrackers: “Imagine the rest of a child’s life without hands, arms, legs, or injured body parts after losing them to fireworks. Not only is self-esteem drastically diminished, productivity at school will also be greatly affected.”  

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said parents should not remain complacent. “To parents, let’s take care of our children, especially this coming New Year’s Eve. Let’s make sure they will not get hold of firecrackers or better yet, do not buy them at all.”

“Let’s just use alternative noisemakers so we can welcome the New Year peacefully and not celebrate it inside the hospital emergency room,” she added.

The Palace official likewise reminded the public to take care of their health this holiday season.

“During this time of reunions and parties, let’s also watch our health. As one doctor I have talked to said: The holidays are not a license to eat everything that you want, especially if you have conditions,” Valte said.

The PNP has joined forces with the Department of Health in regulating the manufacture, sale, distribution and use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.

Specifically prohibited are firecrackers with net explosives content of more than 0.2 grams or approximately 1/3 teaspoon.

“These prohibited firecrackers are very dangerous and are known to cause serious injury or even death,” said Mayor.

“We discourage our citizens from buying these dangerous firecrackers. We have laws that prohibit these and the full force of the law will be applied to violators,” he added.

Also specifically prohibited is the manufacture and sale of “Watusi”.

Although its explosive content is not potentially dangerous, Mayor said Watusi contains yellow phosphorous that is poisonous when ingested.

For his part, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, PNP Officer-in-Charge urged the public to cooperate with the police by reporting any incident of indiscriminate firing of guns or use of prohibited firecrackers.

He said the report can be coursed through PNP Hotline 09178475757 (for text message) or at PNP Twitter account @PNPhotline for social media reports.

          

How to Avoid Food Poisoning this Holiday Season

Quezon City officials are asking the public to examine the expiry dates of food products sold in the supermarkets and wet markets to avoid food poisoning and other ailments.

In a meeting, Councilors Ranulfo Ludovica, Victor Ferrer Jr., Allan Benedict Reyes, Eufemio Lagumbay and Jaime Borres made the call as stalls, kiosks and other retail and wholesale stores in the city have started selling Holiday Season food items to the public.

Here are a few tips to avoid getting sick during this season of merry-making:

·         Avoid buying expired canned goods, processed meat products and similar items served during the holidays as this would put the health of their families and guests at great risk.

·         Obtain grocery items and food products at reputable supermarkets, groceries and wet markets to ensure these are safe for consumption.

·         Check the expiry dates of the food items.

·         Be suspicious of processed meat like sausages, hams, bacons, hotdogs, longganisa, tocino, tapa and the like which are being sold at highly discounted prices.

·         Do not purchase from obscure and remote groceries and markets selling unlabeled products.

          

Catapang Gets Assurance from WHO on Ebola

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio P. Catapang, Jr. “was relieved ” after getting a briefing from World Health Organization (WHO) representatives in the Philippines about the Ebola virus.

A statement from the AFP said Catapang visited the WHO Philippines office in Manila days after he and Health acting Secretary Janette Garin came under fire for allegedly violating WHO protocols on the Ebola virus disease when they mingled with quarantined peacekeepers at Caballo Island in Cavite.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, the AFP public affairs office (PAO) chief, said Catapang had a 30-minute meeting with senior representatives of WHO-Philippines.

During the meeting, he was briefed by Dr. Megan Counahan, WHO Philippines’ Ebola expert, about the Ebola disease.

“Learning that Ebola is not an ‘efficient virus’ and could only infect people who get in contact with bodily fluids of sick persons who got the disease, Catapang was relieved of worries,” according to the AFP statement.

“Indeed, like the peacekeepers, I am Ebola-free,” Catapang was quoted in the statement.

He also vowed to collaborate with both WHO and the Department of Health (DoH) in disseminating correct information about the dreaded disease. 

In the same meeting, Catapang handed over a thank letter to the organization for issuing a press statement that “supports the Department of Health (DOH) and AFP’s action” to visit the UN peacekeepers in Caballo island, without any personal protection equipment (PPE).

Cabunoc noted that on the same (Friday), news articles in national dailies carried the statement issued by WHO regarding the correct use PPE, which critics said the officials should have worn when they visited and mingled with the peacekeepers. The WHO, however, said the PPE is needed only when dealing with persons who have symptoms of the Ebola disease.

The lone UN Filipino peacekeeper who developed high fever following their return from Liberia was diagnosed with malaria and was promptly evacuated Nov. 14 to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Muntinlupa City.

        

Peacekeepers Back Home, Start 21 Day Quarantine

The 133-strong Philippine contingent who served in the United Nations mission in the Ebola-stricken Liberia are home.

The 108 all-Air Force members of the 18th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent to Liberia arrived at the Villamor Air Base around 5 p.m. aboard a UN-chartered UTair Aviation from Monrovia, Liberia.

Also in the same flight are 24 Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel who served as UN Police and a member of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) who served as UN staff officer.

The troops, who arrived in their Battle Dress Attire (BDA), went through thermal scanning after they disembarked from the aircraft.

A brief arrival ceremony was held at the Villamor grandstand before the troops were led to three waiting buses that transported them to Sangley Point in Cavite. From there, a Philippine Navy vessel brought them to Caballo Island for their 21-day quarantine.

The troops all passed an Ebola screening test conducted by UN doctors prior to their repatriation.

But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they have to be placed under isolation for 21 days as part of protocol before they can be reunited with their families. This is also in keeping with the government’s drive to keep the country Ebola-free.

The arrival of the troops was beamed live to the reception center on the second floor of the PAF museum where their respective families and media were waiting.

The families said they understood the protocol and were happy to see the troops on screen.

The AFP said the peacekeepers will be given a hero’s welcome after their 21-day quarantine period is lifted.

The troops all passed an Ebola screening test conducted by UN doctors prior to their repatriation.

But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they have to be placed under isolation for 21 days as part of protocol before they can be reunited with their families. This is also in keeping with the government’s drive to keep the country Ebola-free.

The arrival of the troops was beamed live to the reception center on the second floor of the PAF museum where their respective families and media were waiting.

The families said they understood the protocol and were happy to see the troops on screen.

The AFP said the peacekeepers will be given a hero’s welcome after their 21-day quarantine period is lifted.

The peacekeepers were deployed to Liberia in December last year for a six-month tour of duty but their stay was extended by UN officials.

In August, the government announced the repatriation of the peacekeepers from Liberia due to the threat of Ebola virus.

Peacekeepers serving in the Golan Heights were repatriated last September because of the increasing violence between Syrian government and rebel forces.

Navy spokesman Col. Edgard Arevalo said a Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is imposing a “no-fly zone” at the Caballo Island.

The Navy, on the other hand, will also ensure security in the waters around the island.

“The navy will be the one to ensure water security 1,000 yards before reaching the Caballo Island,” said Arevalo.

During the troops’ 21-day stay at the island they will have access to internet.

AFP Peacekeeping Operation Center (PKOC) head Col. Roberto Ancan said two 250 KV generators have been installed to ensure electricity in Caballo Island.

          

PNoy Hints at Problem with Secretary of Health Ona

The return of Health Secretary Enrique Ona in the Cabinet now hangs in a balance.

President Aquino yesterday kept mum on whether he is satisfied with the performance of Ona, but revealed certain problems with the health chief who recently went on a month-long leave.

The President admitted that he allowed Ona to go on leave so he could prepare his answers to questions about the government’s immunization program.

“Whether or not I am satisfied will come after the results of these answers to the questions that were propounded to him,” Aquino said in a media interview after the inauguration of a softdrink plant expansion project in Laguna.

Aquino said he had some questions for Ona about the government’s immunization program, particularly on “the balance between preventive and curative aspects of public health.”

“So, hindi niya mahanda lahat itong mga sagot sa katanungang umiiral kung tinatrabaho pa rin niya ‘yung kanyang day-to-day functions as Secretary of Health. So humingi muna ng leave para maihanda iyong lahat ng mga sagot dito sa mga tanong na ito (He could not provide all the answers to my questions if he was serving his day-to-day functions as Secretary of Health. He asked to go on leave to prepare all the answers to these questions),” Aquino said.

Last week, Ona sought a month-long leave supposedly to attend to personal matters, including his health. Health Undersecretary Janette Garin has been assigned to temporarily lead the DOH.

The President’s spokesmen later clarified that Ona was not fired from the Cabinet but would return to his post after his leave of absence.

Rumors, however, circulated that Ona was forced to go on leave after earning the President’s ire for his proposed higher budget for certain hospitals.

The President, in the same media interview in Laguna, went to explain his dilemma with Ona.

Aquino said he told Ona about the government’s “mission” to prevent people from getting sick, so they won’t have to be confined in a hospital. Ona, on the other hand, cited the need to upgrade hospitals which have fallen behind, Aquino said.

“So, ano ba ang balanse dapat diyan (So what should the balance be)?,” Aquino asked. “Anyway, there are questions on the immunization program for the children and he asked for time to prepare his explanation on what the assumptions are, the target population, when vaccination programs are scheduled, what the results of the delivery are, etcetera,” he said in Filipino.

          

Dept. of Justice Recommends Approval of Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage for All Senior Citizens

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is recommending the approval of a consolidated enrolled Bill of the Senate and the House of Representatives providing for mandatory PhilHealth coverage for all senior citizens nationwide. In her two-page legal opinion dated Oct. 21, 2014, Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima said it is imperative upon the government to “give full support to the improvement of the total well-being of the elderly and their full participation in society, considering that senior citizens are an integral part of Philippine society.”

De Lima issued her legal opinion upon the request of Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Michael G. Aguinaldo, which received the same on Oct. 28, 2014.

The consolidated enrolled Bill is Senate Bill No. 712 and House Bill No. 4593 entitled “An Act providing for the mandatory PhilHealth coverage for all senior citizens, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 7432, as amended by Republic Act No. 9994, otherwise known as the ‘Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010’”.

The DOJ recommended the approval of the enrolled bill based on the following constitutional and legal justifications: Article II, Section 9 provides that: “The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all.” Article XIII, Section 11 provides that: “The State shall adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to health development which shall endeavor to make essential goods, health and other social services available to all people at affordable cost. There shall be priority for the needs of the underprivileged, sick, elderly, disabled, women and children.” Article XV, Section 4 provides that: “The family has the duty to care for its elderly members but the State may also do so through just programs of social security.”

De Lima said the funds for the implementation of the bill if the same is enacted into law shall be sourced from R.A. No. 10351, or “An Act restructuring the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco”.

She added it is one of the intentions of R.A. No. 10351 “to generate government’s revenues to fund the Universal Health Care.”

The DOJ Chief noted the “Vienna International Plan of Ageing is the first international instrument on ageing. It aims to strengthen the capabilities of government and civil society to deal effectively with the ageing populations and to address the developmental potential and dependency needs of older persons. It marked for the first time an international consensus agreement on ageing that was reached by all governments.”

        

Ex Senator Flavier's Sterling Senate, Public Health Legacies Cited

Senators yesterday relived and remembered with fondness and admiration the life and legacy of former Sen. Juan M. Flavier, one of the most respected lawmakers in the Senate whom they came to know as a humble and funny man. Senate President Franklin Drilon said the country has lost a great statesman, while he lost a “dear friend.”
“I join the entire nation in mourning the passing of Senator Juan M. Flavier. While the country has lost a statesman who achieved greatness in dedicating his entire life to public service, I have lost a dear friend,” Drilon said in a statement.
Drilon said what defined Flavier as a public servant is his “humility and simplicity.”  Flavier first served as a young rural physician in several barangays in Nueva Ecija, under the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, rather than taking on a  more lucrative training and residency program overseas.
“He was a doctor who shunned the lure of a financially rewarding private practice to be a ‘doctor to the barrios’,” Drilon said.
“He continued his selfless ways by joining public service as a Secretary of Health who bravely campaigned for his advocacies, and as a senator who placed the interest of our people above all else,” the Senate leader also said.
“That was JMF or Johnny, who I came to know—a man whose integrity and devotion to duty only a few can match,” added Drilon.
Drilon, who was Senate President at the time Flavier joined the 10th Congress, said he is fortunate to have had an opportunity to work with him.
During his Senate stint, Flavier chaired the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, having been known as a health advocate and public health care servant.
“I am fortunate for having had the opportunity to work with Senator Flavier both in the cabinet and in the Senate. I am personally thankful for his dedication and hard work as my Senate President Pro-Tempore, and his loyalty to the institution,” Drilon said.
“On behalf of the Senate, I extend our condolences to the family of Johnny,” the Senate chief stressed. 

Former Sen. Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. likewise, hailed Flavier as a heroic icon in the struggle to inform the public of the deadly menace of cigarette smoking through the  catchy ‘Yosi Kadiri’ campaign.

“Against all odds, he succeeded in requiring cigarette packets to carry the warning of the toxic effects of smoking,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel was Senate President when Flavier got re-elected in 12th Congress.

Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson, for his part, said Flavier “was the best friend of people whose lives he touched.”

“Sen. Flavier was a rare breed of public servant and politician that I’ve ever known and worked with. We will miss his with and humor,” Lacson said in a text message.

“I hope he gets to meet my parents in heaven because they were his fans here on earth. May he rest in peace,”added Lacson, who was named post Yolanda rehabilitation czar Assistance from non-party mate.

Neophyte Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara, for his part, recalled Flavier’s generosity even when he was still at the House of Representatives.

“When I was in my first term as Aurora congressman, we wrote all senators for help with PDAF (priority development assistance funds) projects for the province. Sen. Flavier, a non-partymate, promptly gave one and that I will always remember and cherish,” Angara said.

Flavier was known for pushing landmark legislation such as the Traditional Medicine Law, the Poverty Alleviation Law, Clean Air Act and the Indigenous People’s Rights Act.

He also authored and sponsored Republic Act No. 9160  or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001; R.A. 9177, Declaring Eid’ul Fit’r as a National Holiday; R.A. 9178, the Barangay Micro-Business Enterprises;  R.A. 9163 or the National Service Training Program for Tertiary Students of 2002; R.A. 9165, the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002;  R.A. 9168 Plant Variety Protection Act; R.A. 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002; and R.A. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act.

 

      

Senator Guingona Seeks Legal Opinion on Donation of Lot to Hospital

 Sen. Teofisto L Guingona III, chairman of the Senate health and demography committee, will ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to render a legal opinion on whether the National Housing Authority (NHA) could donate 3.7 hectares of its land on Agham Road in Quezon City to the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) which it currently occupies. While he expects to sit down with DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima on the issue and hopes that a legal opinion might be issued before the year ends, Guingona said he would also study whether a proclamation by President Aquino might be feasible to resolve the land titling issue.
“What is important is that before Christmas, there is a clear opinion. We will talk with Secretary de Lima so we can have a sense on how fast they can issue an opinion,’’ he said.
He also assured that the PCMC would not be evicted by the NHA.
Guingona gave his support for the upgrading of the PCVMC facilities by stating that “there is a P13 billion budget under the Health Facilities and Enhancement Program for infrastructure and equipment for hospitals throughout the country and hope we can budget some for PCMC.’’
“But the goal is for PCMC to get the lot (30,700 square meters),’’ he added.
During the committee hearing presided by Guingona, Sen. Loren Legarda urged the NHA to donate to the PCMC the land that the hospital currently occupies.
Legarda said she hopes that the matter would be resolved before the year ends so that the PCMC can focus on expanding its services to benefit more indigent Filipino patients.
“There is nothing in the NHA charter that would prevent it from donating the title of the lot on which PCMC facilities now stand. If not on the NHA’s own accord, there are precedent cases of Presidential Proclamations issued to effect lot donations to and from government agencies,” she said.


The PCMC is mandated to provide pediatric care, offer training programs for medical and allied health care providers, and be a center in clinical research. It treats over 70,000 patients annually, most of who come from poor families.
Since its creation in 1979, the PCMC has been asking the national government to either donate or finance the transfer of the title to the original 63,656-square meter property the hospital is built on to its name. The title is currently with the NHA.
After the NHA has made use of most of the 6.3 hectares, the total area left for PCMC is now down to 3.7 hectares.
Meanwhile, Legarda expressed support for the expansion of PCMC’s current facilities and urged the hospital’s officials to submit their “wishlist” to the Senate finance committee.
She also expressed hopes that PCMC would soon have a facility in Visayas and Mindanao.
“We want to ensure that the PCMC is given adequate budget for expansion, purchase of equipment and upgrading of facilities so that it can provide the best medical care to our indigent Filipino children,” she said.

      

Nearly a Year After Slower Support for Yolanda Struck Victims Scored

A huge majority of survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda that hit the country almost a year ago continue to wallow in “poor and vulnerable conditions” despite considerable resources already at hand, a local research organization said yesterday.

According to Ibon Foundation, government efforts for the recovery and rehabilitation of Yolanda-affected areas have been moving slowly, underscoring criticisms of “poor emergency response and relief work” immediately after the disaster struck on November 8, 2013.

Ibon executive director Sonny Africa said slow government efforts to re-build the lives of thousands of Filipinos continue even if considerable resources from international, national, and local sources are already available.

“Millions of victims who were already in very poor and vulnerable conditions even before the typhoon Yolanda continue to endure barely survivable conditions,” he added.

The research group said reports from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR), itself, show that repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction work revealed that “Yolanda victims are still in the relief phase and barely starting to recover almost a year after the typhoon struck.”

Based on the OPARR data, typhoon Yolanda affected 1.5 million families, 918,261 of which were outright displaced. Casualties included 6,300 deaths and 1,061 missing aside from 28,689 injured.

“The government subsequently drew up targets for repair, rehabilitation and construction which, according to OPARR data available as of end-September 2014, are still far from being met,” Ibon noted.

The group also pointed out that the largest number of Yolanda victims remains in uncertain and unstable conditions with abnormal and uncertain livelihoods.

“Although 1.5 families were affected, only 215,471 families are reported to have benefited from Cash for Building Livelihood Assets projects. Only 44,870 fisherfolk were provided fishing gears and 32,081 fisherfolk had their bancas replaced or repaired; only 4,507 seaweed farmers were assisted,” it said.

“Only 9,149 farmers were provided farm implements, 2,482 farmers given seeds and 160 farmers helped with animal restocking. Just 27 public markets out of the target 132 have been repaired or rehabilitated. Just 58 kilometers of farm-to-market roads out of the target 315 kilometers have been rehabilitated or constructed,” it added.

Likewise, Ibon reported that victims remain largely in temporary and transitional shelters, and children are still unable to return to school buildings and classrooms, as well.

Some 1.2 million houses were damaged or destroyed, of which some 500,000 were completely destroyed.

“The OPARR however only reports 364 housing units completed in Tacloban and Tanauan, Leyte,” Ibon said.

      

I am a Liberian, not a virus.Voices are helpers of a campaign against the generalization of Ebola virus

Because Ebola virus. "I am a Liberian, not a virus." The Soana Solomon is the main character of the campaign launched in the last hours in social media, against the stigmatization of people from West Africa affected by Ebola Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea. At her side, and other voices are helpers of a campaign against the generalization of the last time: Africans, not necessarily the carrier of Ebola virus. The video has gone on social networking sites, are other women from countries that have accepted the invasion of the virus. Young Africans appear in the video holding placards.

Senate Hearing on Ebola Virus

The Senate Committee on Health and Demography will conduct a hearing tomorrow to assess the country’s preparedness against the Ebola virus.

Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, head of the committee, said the hearing primarily aims to check whether the country’s front-line agencies are prepared to deal with the virus in the event it enters the country.

“We will conduct these hearings, not to sow panic, but rather to gather everyone involved and ensure that all concerned government agencies are synchronized in their efforts and are prepared in dealing with this disease,” Guingona said.

“This is a multi-faceted issue, and we should be able to work together as a cohesive unit in order for us to effectively control this pandemic,” he added.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials said there are nearly 3,500 Filipino workers in West African countries that are hardest hit by Ebola.

The Ebola virus has already hit the United States as its authorities now struggle to contain the spread of the disease after some of its doctors contracted the disease.  Liberia and Sierra Leone are the two African countries worst hit by the Ebola virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged all countries to be vigilant and strengthen preparations against Ebola.

The Senate committee has invited officials from the Department of Health (DOH), DFA, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), Bureau of Quarantine, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Research Institute for Tropical Medicine San Lazaro Hospital, National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), World Health Organization (WHO) country representatives, Philippine Medical Association (PMA), Philippine Nurses Association, Inc.(PNA), and Philippine Hospital Association (PHA).