by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Announcements, Headlines, National News
THE Department of Health (DoH) warned Wednesday against the occurrence of heatstroke as warm weather continues due to El Niño phenomenon.
DoH chief epidemiologist Dr. Eric Tayag said that heatstroke cases are not usually recorded by the health department and statistics are confined only in hospitals.
But Dr. Tayag stressed that it is a heat-related illness that the public should be concerned about. He also warned senior citizens to be wary about the temperature because they are more prone to heatstroke.
The country’s chief epidemiologist said that as much as possible, public should avoid the sun between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when it is hottest. He also emphasized the importance of drinking a lot of fluids and to constantly cool one’s self using fans to lower the heat.
Medical expert Dr. Gary Sy enumerated the symptoms of heatstroke that includes the following: Headache, dizziness, disorientation, agitation or confusion, seizure, a hot dry skin that is flushed out but not sweaty and fatigue among others.
Dr. Sy said heatstroke is ‘life-threatening’ that is why it is important to stay indoors when the weather is really hot. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Headlines, National News, Sports
JOSHUA Clottey a far more dangerous arsenal than his gloved hands, and it seems Manny Pacquiao will have put up against an unpredictability dirty fighter.
The Filipino boxer and his team however have been forewarned, reports indicate.
Clottey has been in trouble in his fights with low blows, head-butting, holding and lacing and for Pacquiao who had difficulty handling rule-breakers in the past, Clottey may be a major concern papers reported recently.
Clottey has been noted to use his head to bang his way to a win
Liasted under Clottey’s dirty fights are Argentina’s Carlos Baldomer in 1999, Steve Martinez in 2005 and Shamone Alvarez in 2007.
Miguel Cotto earned a cut that took 200 stitches to close from Clottey in 2009, courtesy of a headbutt, says Ring Magazine.
It also added, “The most dangerous weapon in Clottey’s arsenal and what Pacquiao will have to be Mosat aware of, is undoubtedly Clottey’s haed,” wrote Don Stradley of Ring Magazine.
by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PHILIPPINES has been elected to head a special committee of the United Nations.
The Philippines Mission to the UN in New York reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that the country was elected to chair the Special Committee on the Charter of tohe United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization.
The Special Committee for the 2010 Session is headed by Ambassador Carlos Sorreta, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Philippine Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN and former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. said the Philippine’ chairmanship to the 2010 Session of the Special committee is significant as it is one of the lasting legacies of the former UN Secretary General.
“The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations is a lasting legacy that the Philippines and General Romulo has given to the United Nation,” Davide said.
by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Headlines, National News
A worsening drought is exacting a terrible toll on the world-famous mountain rice terraces of the northern Philippines, local officials said Tuesday.
A state of calamity was this week declared for the Banaue area that is home to many of the ancient stone-walled paddies and one of the Southeast Asian nation’s most popular tourist destinations, the officials said.
The rice terraces, a United Nations World Heritage site and known locally as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”, were built between 2,000 and 6,000 years ago using huge rocks for each step and a complex trickle-down irrigation system.
Banaue tourist information bureau officer Juliet Mateo said the rice paddies most frequented by tourists at Batad and Bangaan had dried up completely as much of the country suffered from an El Nino-induced drought.
Mateo said the rice harvest, which takes six months in the mountains compared with three months on the flats, was in danger of being ruined completely by the drought.
Since a state of calamity has been declared for Banaue on Monday, officials hope that this would allow the local authorities to look into emergency funds to aid farmers.
Lack of rain added to the continuous drying of the land. This was the worst dry spell since 1998, wherein El Nino also hovered the land. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Announcements, National News, World
THE Department of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday advised Filipinos against traveling to Thailand on Friday, March 12, in view of the protest rallies being planned in key areas of Bangkok that day.
Thus, “Filipinos are advised to postpone all non-essential travel to Thailand, specifically Bangkok,” the DFA said in its advisory.
“Filipinos who are already in Thailand are advised to avoid areas that have been identified as meeting areas and staging areas for the rallyists,” it added.
Thousands of travelers, including Filipinos, were stranded in late 2008 when Bangkok’s international airport Suvarnabhumi was shut down by protesters trying to topple the government. All flights were cancelled stranding thousands of passengers in the airport for a couple of weeks. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 12, 2010 | Announcements, Headlines, National News
STARTING March 8, all applications for electronic passports (ePassports) will only be accepted and processed via the appointment system at the new consular building on Macapagal Boulevard, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Applicants may set an appointment by going online through its dedicated website (http://www.passport.com.ph/) or by calling 737-1000. Travel agents can secure an appointment at the DFA website (http://dfa.gov.ph/main/) or email at scheduler@dfa-appointment.net. They may also call 834-4961, 834-4855, and 834-3707 for other details.
The new 7,000-square meter, four-story Office of the Consular Affairs (OCA) building is located at the corner of Macapagal Avenue and Bradco Street, Aseana Business Park.
OCA Assistant Secretary Renato Villapando said that the appointment system will be strictly implemented to enable DFA to pre-process information submitted in advance by an applicant, thus avoiding long queues, as experienced by walk-in applicants at the DFA-OCA main office in Roxas Boulevard. (PIA-Bohol)
