PAGASA expects nine more storms until the close of 2011

At least six more tropical storms are expected to affect the country until the last month of the year, according to Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Undersecretary Graciano Yumul.

In an interview during the Broadcasters’ Forum held at the Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City and organized by the Liga ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas, Yumul said that the entry of the so-called “ber” months is also the foreboding of strong typhoons.

He said that the September-October transit is an actual shift from the southwest monsoon to the northeast monsoon.

The southwest monsoon, also known in local terminology as “hanging habagat”, takes place during the summer months and brings with it warm winds in the country.

On the other hand, the northeast monsoon, more popularly known in its Filipino term “hanging amihan”, draws “cold, dry air which comes from Russia and Japan,” Yumul explained.

He further explained that the “ber” months are when the high pressure reach falls westward which brings about lower temperature.

The PAGASA warns that the country may experience three to four typhoons in September alone, around two each for October and November, and one in December.

Central Luzon and the National Capital Region are most likely to be hit by the coming typhoons, according to Yumul.

Yumul, however, clarified that all the reports by the PAGASA are based on available data which “could change”. He is reminding everyone to constantly check for updates from their office as movement and direction of a typhoon can change in a few hours. 

Mahigit sa anim na bagyo, inaasahan bago mag-2012—PAGASA

Hindi bababa sa anim na bagyo ang inaasahang dumating sa bansa sa pagtatapos ng 2011, ayon kay Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Undersecretary Graciano Yumul.

Sa isang panayam kaninang umaga sa Broadcasters’ Forum na ginanap sa Hotel Rembrandt sa Lungsod ng Quezon, sinabi ni Yumul na inaasahan ang malalakas na bagyo sa pagpasok ng mga tinaguriang “-ber months”.

Ang mga buwan ng Setyembre ay Oktubre ay ang pagpapalit ng hanging habagat sa hanging amihan.

Paliwanag ni Yumul, ang hanging habagat na karaniwang dumadating tuwing panahon ng tag-init (“summer”) ang nagdadala ng maalinsangang hangin sa bansa.

Ang hanging amihan naman, sa kabilang banda, any nagdudulot ng malamig na hangin na madalas ay higit na nararamdaman sa buwan ng Nobyembre hanggang Pebrero. Nanggagaling ang hanging amihan sa mga Bansang Russia at Hapon.

Nagbabala naman ang PAGASA na mayroong siyam na bagyo ang inaasahang tumama sa bansa hanggang sa katapusan ng taon: apat dito ay inaasahan sa Setyembre, isa hanggang dalawa sa mga buwan ng Oktubre at Nobyembre, at isa sa Desyembre.

Malaki ang posibilidad na sa Gitnang Luzon at Kamaynilaan tumama ang mga bagyo, gaya ng mga nagdaang bagyo ng nakaraan mga taon, dagdag ni Yumul.

Ipinagbigay-alam din ni Yumul na nakasalalay sa kanilang mga datos ang kanilang ulat at ang mga ito ay maaring magbago depende sa galaw ng bagyo kaya’t dapat ay laging nakatutok ang mga mamamayan sa bagong ulat ng PAGASA.

UNESCO pays tribute to UST's 400 years

The Philippines goes international once again as one of its premier universities gets the spotlight in a cultural exhibit at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) House in Paris, France.

The UNESCO House, through its Special Events Section, has organized an exhibition that will showcase the University of Santo Tomas and its 400th year anniversary. 

The exhibit, entitled "University of Santo Tomás: Four Centuries of Promoting Understanding, Peace and Culture" will be held on September 21-23, 2011. The exhibition will illustrate, through photographs, texts, and films, the foundation and history of the University; its major stages marked by historical events and papal visits; the cultural heritage of the University to the FIlipino people; and its vast contribution to the Philippines and the world. Also included in the exhibit are the future development programs of the university.

Also on September 21, the world-renowned University of Santo Tomás Singers will have a musical show, performing a repertoire of sacred songs, works from the classical and contemporary repertoire, and folk songs from the Philippines. 

The UST Singers made an indelible mark in the history of the country when it was twice named Choir of the World in the prestigious Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod (Wales) – the oldest choral singing competition in the world. The UST Singers are the only Asian choral group to have achieved such a feat. 

The University of Santo Tomas, founded in 1611 by former Manila Archbishop Miguel de Benavides of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), is Asia's oldest university and the world's largest, in terms of student population located in a single campus. 

The UNESCO exhibit is a fitting tribute to an institution that has contributed so much in the development of the Filipino people and the nation through its multidisciplinary, Catholic education which has trained heroes, saints, martyrs, and presidents among others. 

UST is currently celebrating its quadricentennial this year.

PIA organizes bloodletting activity, registers 60 blood donors

Bayanihan might not be so common in an-already globalized Philippines, but bayanihan is still very much alive in the Filipino psyche.

On August 26, that tiny, quiet corner in Visayas Avenue was turned into a hotspot of sort for government employees from different agencies in Metro Manila. That day, the headquarters of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) was indeed the most happening place in the Diliman area as civil servants from NCR flocked the PIA lobby with one intent in mind: to donate blood.

The ocassion for the blood letting was to respond to the growing need for blood of dengue victims.

Dengue is known to be endemic in a tropical country like the Philippines. World Health Organization officials warned about climate change and how it is increasing the incidence of dengue fever and other infectious diseases in the country. And this year, dengue has made its presence strongly felt especially in the National Capital Region (NCR) where the number of cases has nearly doubled, according to the Department of Health - from 5,416 cases to 10,487 recorded cases during the first seven months of 2011.

The increase is overwhelming especially since the bulk of the cases came from low-income residents, putting a strain on public health facilities and forcing hospitals to make use of available spaces like hallways and covered courts to accommodate patients.

The growing number of dengue cases saw a growing demand for other commodities, and aside from facilities, hospitals saw a high demand for blood supply for those who will undergo blood transfusion. At the forefront of all this activity was the Philippine Red Cross — the institution in the forefront in providing humanitarian services-- blood donations included-- called for more blood donors.

In response to the call and to the dengue inflation itself, the Philippine Information Agency collaborated with the Department of Health and the Philippine Red Cross-Quezon City in conducting a mass blood donation drive last August 26 at the PIA central office.

The bloodletting activity entitled “Dugong Alay, Dugtong Buhay” is a means of addressing the dwindling supply of blood which much sought after not only by dengue patients but by those with other serious illnesses.

The whole-day bloodletting activity registered a total of 60 blood donors, mostly civil servants coming from different agencies such as the PIA, MMDA, AFP, PNP, NBN-4, and PBS.

Meanwhile, Department of Health Secretary Enrique Ona, in a forum held at the PIA Conference Room last week, called for the cooperation of everyone in the community in the war against dengue.

He urged families, barangay leaders, school officials, and teachers to spearhead and sustain community clean-up activities in their respective surroundings. He also reminded the public to immediately seek medical help in case they have the symptoms of dengue which include high fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and skin rashes.

Biktima ng dengue, libre na ang pagpapagamot sa mga ospital

Wala nang dapat alalahanin pa ang mga mahihirap nating kababayan na tatamaan ng dengue kung gastusin lang naman sa ospital ang pag-uusapan.

Ito ang pahayag ni Kalihim Enrique Ona ng Department of Health (DOH) sa panayam sa kanya kamakailan lang sa Communication and News Exchange Forum (CNEX) ng Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

Ngunit nilinaw ni Ona na ito ay para lamang sa mga iniisponsoran ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) sa programa nitong Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) o ang tinatawag na 4Ps o Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Ipinaliwanag ni Ona na dahil sa lumalaking bilang ng kaso ng dengue sa bansa, lalo na sa mga maralitang lugar, sinusugan ng DOH ang pagbibigay ng libreng pagpapa-ospital sa mga tinaguriang “poorest of the poor” na matatamaan ng dengue at ng iba pang nakakahawang sakit.

Nilinaw din nya na ang “no billing policy” o libreng pagpapagamot ay para lang sa mga pampublikong ospital o pagamutan. Kailangan din na miyembro ng Philhealth ang mga natukoy na benepisyaryo ng CCT.

“Kailangan pa ring i-file ng mga miyembro sa ospital ang kanilang claim para maipadala sa PhilHealth at maiproseso,” dagdag ng Kalihim. Mababayaran naman ito ng PhilHealeth sa loob ng 90 araw.

Sa kasalukuyan, mayroong 5.3 milyong pamilyang 4Ps ang naka-enrol sa Philhealth at inaasahang makikinabang ng malaki ang mga pamilyang ito lalo na sa aspektong pangkalusugan.

Magsisimula ang libreng pagpapa-ospital sa susunod na buwan (Setyembre).

Samantala, mariing pinaalalahanan ni Ona na panatilihing malinis ang kapaligiran at siguraduhing walang tubig na hindi nagagalaw na maaaring pugaran ng mga lamok. Ito ay upang mapigilan ang pagdami ng lamok.

Pinaalalahanan din ng Kalihim na iulat sa kinauukulan ang mga basurang hindi naitatapon ng maayos at iwasan paggamit ng “fumigation” dahil hindi na ito epektibong pamuksa ng lamok at nakasasama pa ito sa kalusugan ng tao.

Dengue patients will soon receive free hospitalization

Dengue patients need not worry anymore about hospital expenses as they will be exempt from hospital fees starting next month (September).

This is what the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona said during an interview in the Philippine Information Agency’s (PIA) Communication and News Exchange Program (CNEX) held earlier today.

He, however, clarified that only those who are beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) also known as the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would benefit from the free hospitalization program.

Ona explained that they saw the need for free hospital sevice after they had observed the increasing number of cases of dengue among the poorest communities.

He added that the free service, also called the “no billing policy” is applicable only in government hospitals. 4Ps beneficiaries should also be a Philhealth member to avail of the free service.

“hey also need to file their claim for sending and processing by the PhilHealth,” Ona said. PhilHealth will pay the fees within 90 days.

There are around five million identified CCT beneficiaries all throughout the country who are already enrolled in PhilHealth. They are expected to benefit immensely as far as health is concerned.

Meanwhile, Ona is reminding everyone to keep his or her surroundings clean and to be sure that there is no stagnant water within his or her area. This is to prevent mosquitoes and dengue-carrying mosqitoes from spreading.

The Secretary is also advising household members to report to the authorities undisposed garbage in the area. He also stressed that people should avoid indiscrimate fogging especially in public areas as aside from not being effective mosquito-busters, fumigation also poses health risks to people.

DOH undertakes measures to control dengue spread

The Department of Health (DOH) continuously puts the country’s dengue situation under surveillance as this is key to putting a stop to the increasing number of dengue cases in the country.

DOH Secretary Enrique Ona, during the Broadcasters’ Forum held earlier today at Hotel Rembrandt, said that surveillance and sanitation of dengue fever patients are the means to curb the increasing number of patients, most of whom are children.  

Dr. Rose Capending of the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) said that the Philippines, most especially, needs to be vigilant in its monitoring of dengue cases since “dengue is endemic in the country” with all the four types—types 1, 2, 3, and 4—existing in the Philippines and in most tropical countries.

Capending said that the most common dengue type in the Philippines is the type 3 virus. However, the type 1 dengue is already increasing in number, sending an early signal of a dengue outbreak.

Capending said that since children are the ones highly susceptible to the disease, it is advisable to have children vaccinated by the tetravalent dengue vaccine which has been proven to be effective against all dengue types.

However, the DOH is still advising the public to seek hospital help in case of signs of dengue infection rather than rely on emerging herbal cures, like the Tawa-tawa leaves, which do not have the approval of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Meanwhile, due to the outbreak of dengue, hospitals especially government hospitals have been experiencing shortage of doctors, nurses, blood, etc. In this regard, Agham Patrylist Representative Popoy Pagayon calls for a mandatory Philhealth enrolment amongst all Filipinos which will help in solving the healthcare woes of the country.

The “universal” health program would provide solution to the dwindling number of health services and service provider in the country.