Special Feature On Nuclear Medicine

Jan. 27,2011

Special Feature

Shedding Light On Nuclear Medicine

By Alice H. Reyes

For over three decades since meeting my long-time physician, Federico B. Cruz,(a bachelor of arts graduate of Ateneo de Manila Univesity,Doctor of Medicine, University of the Philippines, and master’s of science, University of London),I had only a vague notion of the medical subspecialty called nuclear medicine.

Recently, I took the opportunity to seek enlightenment on the subject, noting that Dr. Cruz chairs the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Medical Center Manila.

“Why”, I ask him, “did you chose nuclear medicine as a specialty and what is nuclear medicine?”.

“AT a time when I finished my residency in internal medicine”, he replies,” nuclear medicine was a young specialty with very few experts in the field. I found it very convenient to train in endocrinology and nuclear medicine simultaneously under the earliest specialty in the field.”

His trainors then at the Philippine General Hospital included the Father of Nuclear Medicine in the Philippines Dr. Paulo C.Campos, and pioneers like Dr. Leland Villadolid, Dr.Flora Pascasio,and Dr. Norman Gaffud.

Because nuclear medicine was a new specialty,Dr, Cruz pursuit graduate studies at the University of London where he got his master’s of science degree in nuclear medicine.

“Nuclear Medicine”, Dr Cruz says, “is a subspecialty of medicine which uses radioactive materials in the form of chemical or biochemical substances which are labeled with radioactive isotopes of certain elements. Minute amounts of these radioactive substances are used by injection into a patient’s vein or taken orally in order to study the images that represent the function of an organ of interest such as the heart or the thyroid gland.”

When a radioactive substance is concentrated on an organ of interest such as the heart, the image produced by the detection of gamma rays(using a detector instrument usually the gamma camera),represents a functional image of the heart. A cardiac scan using 99m Technessium M1B1 or 201 Thallium can therefore demonstrate both the adequacy of blood flow and pumping ability of various areas of the heart.

Nuclear medicine according to Dr. Cruz, offers treatment for various illnesses including goiter, thyroid cancer, and certain blood dyscrasias (when the constituents of the blood are abnormal as in leukemia).

At present, the most common nuclear imaging procedures requested are: imaging of the heart muscles for blood flow and functions, study of the kidneys’ functional anatomy; study of the function and localization of the endocrine organs, and functioning tumors(including the function of the thyroid, overactive or not, or nodules in it); examination of bones for fracture,infection,,arthritis, tumor or spread of cancer; lung imaging for respiratory and blood flow problems, determining if the gallbladder is inflamed; studying the density of bone in cases prone to fractures(osteoporosis),etc.

The equipment use in nuclear medicine for imaging is the gamma camera, a steel and lead encased detector head that measures radiation and, with the help of the computer, is capable of mapping out the functional anatomy of various body organs. Most detector heads can rotate around the patient and produce three-dimensional images. Radioimmunoassays use a small machine called a gamma counter, capable of counting accurately very small amounts of radiation. Most of these machines are automated and coupled also with computers to enhance their speed and accuracy.

The advantages of nuclear medicine procedures, notes, Dr. Cruz, lie in their unique information, the functional data from the imaging studies, and the very precise results, both of which provide data which can facilitate diagnosis and plan of treatment for the patient.

“Imaging gives much more benefit for diagnostic results compared to more invasive procedures. In fact the benefit of non-invasive imaging over surgical exploration is not only in the lower cost but in practically no morbidity for the patient”, he elaborates.

“The use of these procedures for more than 50 years shows there are no adverse effects associated with the use of very low doses of radiation, at times even lower than routine x-ray procedures”, he adds.

Dr. Cruz, whose patients flock to his clinic at the Medical Center Manila from over the country, a clinical professor at the UP College of Medicine,Manila,must know whereof he speaks.

Nuclear medicine, at last, is no longer a mystery to us.(Alice H. Reyes, guest writer, Philippine Star)

Postcript: Rainbow appearances are natural occurrence in the eastern sky, particularly when there is widespread drizzles or light rains, as skygazers have observed.However, not all of us were luckily able to see two rainbows simultaneously appearing in the eastern horizon.Fortunately,I have already seen in two separate instances two rainbows simultaneously forming in their habitual place. I have witnessed all these two memorable events here in this ten-year-old city of Maasin.In Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental where my older siblings and I were growing up and living for long years, seeing two rainbows appearing at the same time is yet to be seen. Some people say that seeing two rainbows appearing in the sky is a sign of good luck. If the gift of good luck can be chosen, I like to have a house-and-lot luck where the inhabitants of the place love peace and order.

Natasha Service Center and Ever Bilena

A.Bantug St.,brgy.Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,

Near Vidamariz Marketing and a few meters from

Supercha Restaurant.Tel. no.(053)570-8144; 381-0430.

Panny’s Bakeshop, City Proper, Infront of Mercury drug,

Maasin City, So.Leyte.Panny’s Homebakeshop Products,

Tacloban Branch,125 Gomez St.,Tacloban City. Telephone

number(053)321-5353.Accept Orders.

Please Help Me If You Can

Jan. 27,2011

Please, Help Me If You Can

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

I am calling on my relatives, both father and mother sides, particularly those who have the means and the capacity to help a poor relative. If only I have my own dwelling, I could have refrained myself from asking some sort of assistance from my kith and kin. However, I have been renting a house for the past 20 years now since I started to live independently away from any siblings’ reliance. Our parents have already passed away many years ago. Because of poverty, some of my siblings were not even able to finish high school education. We have separated from each other earlier than most instances that happened to a poor family. It was only thru my initiative efforts that I was able to study in high school as a working student in ICC (now De La Salle University) in Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental where my siblings and I grew up.

I was able to take up journalism when I decided to go to Metro Manila where I worked in the past and stayed there for several years. But when I lost my job I was forced to stop my study. My experiences of acquiring some commonly manual works including two private companies where I happened to work did not make me well enough to live a much better life than when I was still young. The little progress in my life did not serve well to materialize my desire to own a house until now.

If only there would be an existing housing projects initiated by the Government exclusively for the poor Filipinos who are houseless that could be owned thru affordably low monetary monthly payment for the period of ten years, I could have my own house and lot now. But there is none that exist here and I’m still renting and always moving from one house to another like a migratory bird.

It would be taxing to always be renting. My little savings would usually be used mainly for a monthly rental. It seems that houseless people are always struggling everyday to be able to pay one’s monthly obligations to their landlords/landladies. If you happen to live in a boarding house owned by a non-compassionate landlord or landlady, chances are you will be ordered to leave the house and look for another boarding house. But how can you look for another lodging house, when in the first place you were not able to pay your preceding rental obligation? You see! This is the common fate that would happen in some occasions to some boarders who have no immediate funds to pay for their house rents. It would be hard indeed and hurtful for those who have undergone such experiences.

The housing projects that I know available are only for those government workers who have contributed to PAGIBIG fund. How about those who are not government workers and have no money to contribute regularly for 20 years at least as requirement for possible acquisition of PAG-IBG-sponsored housing units? The poor have none of this kind.

We are calling on the present Administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino,111 and to the succeeding Presidency to please consider for the establishing of another kind of government-sponsored housing projects exclusively constructed for houseless poor Filipinos who have no house of their own, but continue to live under the dictation and mercy of their respective landladies or landlords who imposed monthly rentals according to their satisfying wishes.

I’m not talking about the housing projects under the supervision of the so-called Urban Poor. It seems that these so-called Urban Poor dwellings -approach did not really cater to those who are indeed poor. I heard stories that most of these so-called “Urban Poor” are not really poor people. Unofficial reports have it that they were the first to gain an acquisition of housing units, because they have the means to pay much quickly than the poor ones. How true is this?

Indeed, there’s really the need to construct in every province of the country housing units, exclusively for the genuine poor. Genuine poor refers those who have only a little income, but did not own houses of their own and continue paying their monthly rentals for many years already. Another Chairman of this kind of housing projects is needed for him to focus on the task of surveying the genuine poor anchor on the premise that these poor Filipinos are houseless and continue to pay monthly renting for their respective dwellings.

Vie-President Jejomar Binay’s Chairmanship of Pag-ibig –sponsored housing projects should be his focus so that this kind of projects he’s tasked to do would be effectively implemented, with similar expectations to that of the Chairmanship’s in the housing units for the genuine poor Filipinos in all provinces of the archipelago.

I hope that officials appointed by the new President to the housing committee will be able to read this article in the internet and will be moved with altruistic concern. That a compassionate concern would drive the Chairman Committee on Housing projects and its members in Congress for the millions of poor Filipinos to act with dispatch. And that plans for the approach of truly helping the millions of poor Filipinos will be realized in the near future.

Nevertheless, on my personal side, it’s too long years for me to wait. But my abovementioned idea is worth implementing for the Aquino Administration to start the planning now for the welfare and benefit of millions of poor houseless Filipinos who I am specifying categorically here in this piece. We, the millions of us poor Filipinos are hoping the government will bail us out soon from our predicament and plight.

On my part, I have been struggling for more than 20 years now of monthly renting from different boarding houses that I happened to live in different places. And I think that this duration is quite long enough for my endurance to suffer from such kind of struggle. I hope that a well-off relatives or relative who has owned a big lot would be kind enough to share a part of his/her land for constructing a house that could accommodate 6 to 7 persons. It would be good if there would be a portion of his lot also which I could plant some vegetables for family consumption and could also plant some fruit trees so that I would not be buying always vegetables and fruits in the public market.

Here are the marks to show to which I am related by blood on both sides of my father and my mother. My maternal grandmother is Marcela Almendras (deceased) whose roots are from Ilocos Norte. My maternal great grandfather is Pastor Almendras (deceased) who hails from Laoag, Ilocos Norte. My mother Lourdes Almendras Monte de Ramos (deceased) was born in Southern Leyte province. My maternal grandfather is Tomas C. Monte de Ramos (deceased) of Southern Leyte. All I know about my grandfather’s lineage is that the Monte de Ramos clan originally settled in barangay Nasaug, Maasin City, Southern Leyte. Some of them have migrated to other places in the province and even some have moved to settle in Mindanao. I have also three or four first cousins who are now living in various areas in Mindanao to look for a greener pasture.

Nonetheless, our great greatgrandfather who bears the family name of Monte de Ramos hails from the province of Negros Oriental. He migrated to Southern Leyte and got married here. Some of his siblings chose to settle in Mindanao. His progeny got married and their children have multiplied. That’s why there are so many Monte de Ramoses in Southern Leyte.

On the other hand, my paternal grandfather is Agapito Gorpido (deceased) of Pambujan, Northern Samar. My paternal grandmother is Eugenio Siervo (deceased) also of Pambujan, Northern Samar. My father is Quirico Siervo Gorpido, Sr.(deceased). I also know that there are some Siervos living in the province of Negros Oriental .With this information that I’ve got somewhere, I have the perception that these Siervos have the highest possibility that they belong to only one tree that the Siervos in Northern Samar have progenically belonged.

With my aforementioned family backgrounds my kith and kin who happen to read this article can now easily identify themselves definitely with me who needs their compassionate help. I hope that some of my distinguished relatives or relative who has the capacity to offer help will have the great interest to extend his/her generous help in sharing part of his/her large lot that I can own. And where a proposed house can be constructed and that I can plant also some vegetable and some fruit trees for family consumption. In this way I will not be buying always at the public market for such things. Similarly, I can have my own permanent residence and that no one will be driving me out anymore because I have no available money to pay for my monthly rent.

I hope that a kindhearted and generous relative who have the means to help me will be able to read my piece in the internet and will readily contact me thru my email address here in my blog (click About Me piece above the template’s interface).I’ll be waiting for your help.

I’ll reiterate, I hope that some of my relatives, both mother side and father side, who are internet users will be able to read this piece in the internet and are or is interested to extend a compassionate generosity of sharing his/her portion of his/her big lot for a house construction where I could permanently live, and can also plant some vegetables and fruit trees for family consumption. I also hope that such kind of a relative or relatives with golden hearts can read this article in the internet. I hope. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Motorcycles Collision Leads To Serious Injuries

Jan. 27,2011

Motorcycle Collision Leads To Serious Injuries

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Two motorcycles running in opposite directions have collided along the unlighted road in brgy.Bolodbolod, St.Bernard, this province, at dawn during the recent Saturday resulting to serious injuries to the two drivers.

The victims were identified as Jaymar Telen Decenilla, 25 years old, single, a resident of brgy.Maria Asuncion also of St.Bernard; and Alejandro Esma Carayo,14 years old, grade six pupil of Bolodbolod Elementary School also of the same barangay.The former works as a security guard in San Fernando,Pampanga.He was here in the province for a vacation and has planned to return to his work this January. But with the unexpected vehicular accident, his travel would be postponed.

In an interview with LSDE the older victim disclosed he was assisting his older brother Marcial,42 years old,married,who was managing a ballroom dancing in Maria Asuncion(formerly Kabagawan).

He claimed he was requested by a certain man living in the barrio to bring them together with his wife and two children for an important ride to Sogod town where the latter’s parents were living to attend a family special event.

He said he was offered much bigger money to convince him to bring them to Sogod, which is about two hours drive from his resident barangay.

He said he finally gave in to their urgent request. He drove the four passengers until they have reached brgy. Bolodbolod, where in a dark portion of the road, he saw sudden appearance of another motorcycle and they collided, he said.

He divulged his passengers were thrown away.However, not one has suffered serious injuries. He said the mother of the two children felt a pain on her buttock as she hit on the ground. While her husband felt a pain on his right shoulder. Luckily, he said, their children were not hurt.

He said he held on firmly to the drive wheel, but was seriously injured, while the other young driver-victim felt unconscious as he was also thrown away.

The victim’s older brother revealed he received a cellphone call from his second cousin SPO4 Minardo Noblejas.He happened to pass by the accident scene, and informing him he saw the victim on the Bolodbolod roadside on his way home after his duty.

Marcial said upon learning about the incident he immediately rode on his motorcycle towards the aforesaid barangay to help his younger brother.”However, he was no longer there”, he said,” and I proceeded to Anahawan District Hospital, but he was not there”.

He said, he was informed instead by a hospital staff that an ambulance has brought a patient awhile ago who was declared dead on arrival. He confided that the dead patient was a barkada of the younger-victim driver who backridden on him. It was believed he was thrown way and hit his head somewhere on the road causing serious injuries on his head and other parts of the body.

He then proceeded to Sogod District Hospital but his younger brother still was not there, he said. Finallly, he decided to proceed to Maasin’s provincial hospital here, and saw the two victims and his policeman cousin.

In an interview with Carayo, he confessed he and his barkada were going to a billiard hall where some of their barkadas have converged to have some good time. When they reached the dark road on their way to the billiard hall, he met another motorcycle and they collided. He admitted he did not know what happened next after the collision. He said he lost his consciousness and regain it later at the hospital’s emergency room.

Decenilla’s x-ray results showed his left leg has two fractures. The first was between the hip and the ankle. The second was between the knee and the foot.

He also has a fracture on his left shoulder, while his right thigh sustained a burn caused by a exploding cellphone.

The victim’s older brother explained the cellphone explosion was probably triggered by the oozing blood from his younger brother’s injuries which soaked the cellphone causing a short circuit.

The much younger victim-driver also sustained a fracture on his left leg-between the hip and the knee. His swollen right hand wrist was slightly dislocated.

Both victims claimed that their bone operations will be conducted by their attending physician, Dr. Elpidio Sibud, the hospital’s resident Orthopedic Surgeon. As of this writing, the two collision victims were receiving their daily dosage of medications and have just undergone their respective bone operations.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Postcript: For walkers/hitchhikers prefer to walk on the left side of the road where various kind of vehicles are passing by. Why? The left side of a road is the safer place. You can see the approaching vehicles. Walking on the right side of the road has its potential risk. You cannot see the approaching vehicles at your back. The right side of the road is the right place for the passing vehicles. The driver will only turn to the left if he wants to overtake, which is bad, and is one of the many causes of vehicular accidents. Try to avoid it.

Insights & Travels (Qatar Airlines Appointed

Travel Agency) by Esperanza L.Samaco,Tel no.

(053)381-2527.Services Offer: Boat Tickets,

Airline Tickets, Package Tour. Located between

Abiera Museum of Arts and Natasha Service Center.

A.Bantug St., Tunga-Tunga, Maasin City, So.Leyte

Aqua Health Alkaline Ionized Water

No. 043 R K. Kangleon St., Mantahan,

Maasin City, So.Leyte.Contact no.(053)381-5555;

0999-5815555; 0915-8762555.

Continual Rains Now Affect 19 St.Bernard Barangays;1,239 families;4,979 individualss;

Jan. 27,2011

Continual Rains Now Affect 19 St.Bernard barangays; 1,239 families; 4,979 Individuals

By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Continual rains occurring in St.Bernard town, about 124 kilometers away from this city, has now affected, as of the second week of January 2011, 19 barangays, a total of 1,239 families and 4,979 individuals. They were housed in evacuation centers situated in different areas and in school buildings, barangay halls, Day Care Centers and some in churches and to their relatives in safer areas.

This was the disclosure of MDRRMC (Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council) Public Information Committee Chair Rosalinda A. Araneta in her report to the Provincial Disaster Management Center office located at the Capitol Site here. The PDMC has also sent three of its staff-Joey Bernales, Adolfo Costillas and Emmanuel Cadavos to St.Bernard to help in the retrieval and relief operations.

Araneta revealed damage to Agricultural areas, mainly rice, in 25 out of 30 barangays has now reached an estimated amount of P11, 599,200.00. Partial initial assessment of damage to Infrastructures is estimated at P100, 000.00.

Earlier, it was reported that in brgy.Bolodbolod 3 children have died due to flooding. Namely, 5-year-old Maria Fatima Discareal, one-year-old Rod Discareal and three-year-old Jordan Lakipon, who was missing but was later, recovered.

Lately, two other children were drowned: ten-year-old Ricabelle Sabino Monte de Ramos of brgy. Maanyag, Tomas Oppus; and eleven-year-old Roderick Pelaez of brgy.Pancho Villa, Sogod.

The aforementioned 19 barangays were either affected by flashflood, flood or minor landslides. Except for Bolodbolod where a landslide and flood occurred, totally damaging 3 houses and partially damaging 2 houses. Another one is brgy.Mahayahay where a flashflood has occurred, washing away one house and considered as totally damaged.

Currently, some government agencies, private companies,NGOs and some private individuals have provided assistance and pledges, among others, in the form of relief goods, various foods,water,medicines,sacks of rice, canned goods,clothes,water containers, kitchen utensils, soap for washing and bathing, bed sheets,mats,slippers,mosquito nets,M/F underwears,footwears,water purifier,toiletry,umbrellas,cash.

The Southern Leyte provincial government has provided heavy equipments, dump trucks, aside from relief goods, food items and water. Cebu Pacific Air has pledged to provide free freight of GMA Kapuso relief goods.

Smart and Globe provide free communications, while the 7^th Day Adventist make Pledges.GTZ Disaster Risk Management has also provided trauma kit, public address system and emergency kit.

NFA-Maasin, Radnet 5-Tacloban and League of Municipalities of the Philippines, sent sacks of rice, while the Plan International, Inc. donated cash of P1M.Reggie Mercado of GTEK also gave unmentioned amount of cash.

On the other hand, Guinsaugon survivors who were re-located in brgy.Magbagakay are now the host of brgy.Tambis 1 which has the highest number of evacuees due to flashflood, but no casualty.

During the discussions with Mayor Rico Rentuza among organizations like the ABNS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya and others, there were plans for permanent relocation options and mitigation measures. The Chief Executive also wants to construct a mega-dike at Lawigan River, but due to limited funds requests to other agencies were made to realize the project.

For the moment soft mitigation measures were implemented, among others, like dredging, re-channeling, installations of gabions, installations of coconets for possible landslide on rainy days.

Araneta further informed that the LGU continues to capacitate its constituents, not only for landslides and floods, but also for tsunamis and earthquakes.

She divulged Gawad Kalinga also continues to support in coordination with the local government for the construction of additional housing units in identified safer areas.

For his part, Mayor Rentuza likewise admitted his administration needs a long term financial and technical assistance for the acquisition of lots for development of additional relocations sites and construction of housing units. Also mitigation measures, he said, for the construction of river control dikes, especially the Lawigan River, riprapping, dredging of canals, rehabilitation of drainage facilities, rehabilitation of waterworks system and rehabilitation of access roads.

Other Agencies,Groups,Individuals who have provided assistance and pledges to the evacuees: LGU St.Bernard,DSWD-Maasin City, Philippine National Red Cross-Maasin,PNP St.Bernard,BFP St.Bernard,DSWD-8,DPWH-8,Office of Civil Defense, Absolute Water,Inc.,Gawad Kalinga, Ormoc City Government and Mayor Eric Codilla,An Waray Tacloban,Philippine Air Force,Cyril Nathan Eamiguel,Leyte Metropolian Water District,Sogod Water District,Baybay Water District,Tacloban Delta Volunteer Fire Brigade,Cellcom World Tacloban,Coca Cola Bottlers,Ivanhoe Philippines,Simbahang Lingkod Ng Bayan,Edwina Resabal of San Juan,Rosalia Bonpin of brgy.Malibago,St.Bernard; Operation Blessing; Grachelle and Graeola Ladaga,Roderick Epogon,Frances Ann Arbiol and Vhicar dela Ysla all of Baybay City;ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya, Philippine Asphalt Smelting and Refinery Corp., PRO-POOR Pharmaceuticals and LGU-San Francisco,Camotes Island, Cebu.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Lemar’s Electronics

R.K. Kangleon St, Tunga-Tunga, Maasin City, So.Leyte

Dealer of electronics and electrical parts, videoke parts,

Musical instruments, CCTV, Surveillance System.tel.

Nos.(053)381-2482; (053)570-8588; Lemar’s General

Merchandise,tel. Nos.(053)381-2087;(053)570-9658,

Tomas Oppus St., Maasin City, So.Leyte

Panny’s Bakeshop, Maasin City, So.Leyte,

Infront of Mercury Drug.Tel. No.(053)381-2041;

Panny’s Homebakeshop Products, Tacloban City Branch,

125 Gomez St. corner Paterno St.Tel. no.(053)321-5353.

Accept Orders.

Speeding Motorcycles Hit Two Cousins

Jan. 26,2011

Speeding Motorcycles Hit Two Cousins

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Two cousins were hit by speeding motorcycles in two separate occasions recently with only a day’s gap.

The victims were identified as Eddie Libres Bandibas, 41 years old, single, a resident of sitio Divisoria, brgy. Ibarra; and Orly Tabia Bandibas, 16 years old, an out-of-school youth .He is a resident of hinterland brgy. Sta. Rosa, less than 4 kilometers away from Ibarra, both in this city.

In an interview with LSDE,the older Bandibas confessed he was drunk after having a drinking spree with his friends in the niegborhood.He said he crossed the street at dawn to go home but was hit by a speeding motorcycle driven by a police officer.

He said the police pulled up his motorcycle, while a relative Ely Bandibas and a neighbor Rogin Duroy rushed to the scene to help him.

The victim said that the police was on his way to Padre Burgos where he was assigned. He said the suspect promised to visit him at the provincial hospital where his friends brought him for emergency treatment.

X-ray result showed his right leg below the knee was fractured. He said a heavy weight was attached to his fractured leg. This was done, he said, to gradually pull it down for realignment before a hard cast was fitted on it.

He said his attending physician, Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr.Elpidio Sibud told him that the cast will be taken out after a month. This is to examine if the fractured bone show signs of healing.

He said the police officer, identified as Adonis Kaindoy,a resident of San Rafael(Bantig), has shouldered his hospital expenses.

On the other hand, the victim’s much younger cousin Orly Bandibas confided he was hit by a single motorcycle, while he and his girlfriend were engaged early evening in a playful run-and-catch game at the reclamation area. The driver was identified as Tito Rojas, legal age, a City Hall employee.

He said he was told by the suspect to wait, while the latter with a male companion would get a jeepney which brought him to the hospital.

X-ray examination showed that he has a fractured ankle. Resident physician Dr. Sibud after “cementing” the young victim’s knee instructed him to rest.

However, the victim admitted he got bored inside the hospital. He said he will be going out together with his accompanying mother as he does not need medications, according to his doctor. Unlike his older cousin who need to stay for several days at the hospital for his regular dose of medicines.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Postcript: For walkers/hitchhikers prefer to walk on the left side of the road where various kind of vehicles are passing by.Why? The left side of a road is the safer place. You can see the approaching vehicles. Walking on the right side of the road has its potential risk. You cannot see the approaching vehicles at your back. The right side of the road is the right place for the passing vehicles. The driver will only turn to the left if he wants to overtake, which is bad, and is one of the many causes of vehicular accidents. Try to avoid it.

Kinamot Sa Abgao Restaurant & Villa Romana Hotel

Tomas Oppus St.,Brgy. Abgao, Maasin City,

So.Leyte.tel nos.(053)381-3878; (053)381-0639.

Located Close To The Sea Facing Sogod Bay,

One Of The Famous Divesites In Southern Leyte.

Aqua Health Alkaline Ionized Water

No. 043 R K. Kangleon St., Mantahan,

Maasin City, So.Leyte.Contact no.(053)381-5555;

0999-5815555; 0915-8762555.

Rep. Mercado Claims Panan-awan Airport To Be Fully Developed In 2013

Jan. 26,2011

Rep. Mercado Claims Panan-awan Airport To Be Fully Developed In 2013

By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The Panan-awan Airport or the Maasin Airport located at brgy.Panan-awan,about 15 kilometers away from the city proper, shall be fully-developed by the Dept. of Transportation and Commission(DOTC) sometime in 2013 with additional budget of P200M.

This was the revelation of Southern Leyte lone District Representative Roger G. Mercado during his weekend stay in his hometown here.

He implied that high official of DOTC in Manila has divulged to him about the intended budget allocation for the aforesaid project’s implementation.

During the recent media visit to the airport, works on the concreting of the required 8-lane standard expand pavement was on-going.

The solon told mediamen that the additional 1,200 meters extension for the 2,000 meters runway was already completed, including construction of tarmac where an estimated three to four Fokker planes or smaller passenger airlines can be accommodated as the standby area.

Mercado informed that at a time when the implementation of the airport’s full development would start,a terminal building will be constructed, including radar installation and observation tower.

Series of lights will also be installed on either side of the runway, he said, to guide the pilots on night flights.

However, there were both negative and positive reactions from some constituents on the airport project, due to the fact that the plan to develop it has always been delayed for the past several years.

It was only last year that its improvement has started with more or less P90M budget.

When the airport would become operational in the near future, airborne travelers from Maasin and the neighboring towns, Mercado said, would no longer be going to faraway Tacloban to take the plane bound for Cebu or Manila.”Potential travelers would no longer be spending for transportation fare in going to Tacloban”he said.

Nonetheless, knowledgeable people on the nature of airline operations explained that the availability of a passenger plane to include a Maasin destination would greatly depend on the number of passengers who would come to the airport either for a flight in Cebu, Manila or Mindanao.

The Congressman also intimated he will file a Bill in Congress which will promote rural air transport to the regions with high tourism potentials.

Furthermore, he urged his constituents, particularly the people of Maasin to visit the Panan-awan Airport to see for themselves its current improvement.

On the other hand, a website created by a Samareño had picked up my previously published news article in the LSDE concerning the abovementioned airport’s first phase of improvement.

A unanimous internet user who was able to read that piece posted a negative comment saying that “nothing would happen to this airport”.

Nevertheless, his pessimistic prediction may not find fulfillment due to the changes of perceptions nowadays. Since the 10-year-old city of Maasin has now gradually progressing.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Postcript: This is a kind of phenomenon where nature is adjusting to nature. At Congressman Roger G.Mercado’s properties in brgy.Bugo,Maasin City ,which is about two kilometers away from the highway in brgy.Mambajao,four mahogany trees planted along the edge of a lot on a hill, have expanded its roots to form into walls apparently to prevent the soil from sliding down(soil erosion).Looking it on the side of human aspect of things, an individual who possesses an altruistic concern towards his fellowman would extend a compassionate hand to prevent him from falling down into a dangerous trap.

Insights & Travels (Qatar Airlines Appointed

Travel Agency) by Esperanza L.Samaco,Tel no.

(053)381-2527.Services Offer: Boat Tickets,

Airline Tickets, Package Tour. Located between

Abiera Museum of Arts and Natasha Service Center.

A.Bantug St., Tunga-Tunga, Maasin City, So.Leyte

Systems Technology Institute(STI)-Maasin,

4th Floor, Zialcita-Oppus Bldg.,

Above Mercury Drug, Maasin City, Southern Leyte.

.Courses Offer: Information Technology, Computer and

Electronic Technology, Hotel and Restaurant Services,

Travel and Tourism. For more information call telephone

Number (053) 381-3744.

Shedding Lght On Nuclear Medicine

Jan. 11,2011

Shedding Light On Nuclear Medicine

By Alice H. Reyes

For over three decades since meeting my long-time physician, Federico B. Cruz,(a bachelor of arts graduate of Ateneo de Manila Univesity,Doctor of Medicine, University of the Philippines, and master’s of science, University of London),I had only a vague notion of the medical subspecialty called nuclear medicine.

Recently, I took the opportunity to seek enlightenment on the subject, noting that Dr. Cruz chairs the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Medical Center Manila.

“Why”, I ask him, “did you chose nuclear medicine as a specialty and what is nuclear medicine?”.

“AT a time when I finished my residency in internal medicine”, he replies,” nuclear medicine was a young specialty with very few experts in the field. I found it very convenient to train in endocrinology and nuclear medicine simultaneously under the earliest specialty in the field.”

His trainors then at the Philippine General Hospital included the Father of Nuclear Medicine in the Philippines Dr. Paulo C.Campos, and pioneers like Dr. Leland Villadolid, Dr.Flora Pascasio,and Dr. Norman Gaffud.

Because nuclear medicine was a new specialty,Dr, Cruz pursuit graduate studies at the University of London where he got his master’s of science degree in nuclear medicine.

“Nuclear Medicine”, Dr Cruz says, “is a subspecialty of medicine which uses radioactive materials in the form of chemical or biochemical substances which are labeled with radioactive isotopes of certain elements. Minute amounts of these radioactive substances are used by injection into a patient’s vein or taken orally in order to study the images that represent the function of an organ of interest such as the heart or the thyroid gland.”

When a radioactive substance is concentrated on an organ of interest such as the heart, the image produced by the detection of gamma rays(using a detector instrument usually the gamma camera),represents a functional image of the heart. A cardiac scan using 99m Technessium M1B1 or 201 Thallium can therefore demonstrate both the adequacy of blood flow and pumping ability of various areas of the heart.

Nuclear medicine according to Dr. Cruz, offers treatment for various illnesses including goiter, thyroid cancer, and certain blood dyscrasias (when the constituents of the blood are abnormal as in leukemia).

At present, the most common nuclear imaging procedures requested are: imaging of the heart muscles for blood flow and functions, study of the kidneys’ functional anatomy; study of the function and localization of the endocrine organs, and functioning tumors(including the function of the thyroid, overactive or not, or nodules in it); examination of bones for fracture,infection,,arthritis, tumor or spread of cancer; lung imaging for respiratory and blood flow problems, determining if the gallbladder is inflamed; studying the density of bone in cases prone to fractures(osteoporosis),etc.

The equipment use in nuclear medicine for imaging is the gamma camera, a steel and lead encased detector head that measures radiation and, with the help of the computer, is capable of mapping out the functional anatomy of various body organs. Most detector heads can rotate around the patient and produce three-dimensional images. Radioimmunoassays use a small machine called a gamma counter, capable of counting accurately very small amounts of radiation. Most of these machines are automated and coupled also with computers to enhance their speed and accuracy.

The advantages of nuclear medicine procedures, notes, Dr. Cruz, lie in their unique information, the functional data from the imaging studies, and the very precise results, both of which provide data which can facilitate diagnosis and plan of treatment for the patient.

“Imaging gives much more benefit for diagnostic results compared to more invasive procedures. In fact the benefit of non-invasive imaging over surgical exploration is not only in the lower cost but in practically no morbidity for the patient”, he elaborates.

“The use of these procedures for more than 50 years shows there are no adverse effects associated with the use of very low doses of radiation, at times even lower than routine x-ray procedures”, he adds.

Dr. Cruz, whose patients flock to his clinic at the Medical Center Manila from over the country, a clinical professor at the UP College of Medicine,Manila,must know whereof he speaks.

Nuclear medicine, at last, is no longer a mystery to us.(Alice H. Reyes, guest writer, Philippine Star)

Postcript: Rainbow appearances are natural occurrence in the eastern sky, particularly when there is widespread drizzles or light rains, as skygazers have observed.However, not all of us were luckily able to see two rainbows simultaneously appearing in the eastern horizon.Fortunately,I have already seen in two separate instances two rainbows simultaneously forming in their habitual place. I have witnessed all these two memorable events here in this ten-year-old city of Maasin.In Ozamis City, Misamis Occidental where my older siblings and I were growing up and living for long years, seeing two rainbows appearing at the same time is still yet to be seen. Some people say that seeing two rainbows appearing in the sky is a sign of good luck. If the gift of good luck can be chosen, I like to have a house-and-lot luck where the inhabitants of the place love peace and order.

Natasha Service Center and Ever Bilena

A.Bantug St.,brgy.Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,So.Leyte

Near Vidamariz Marketing and a few meters from

Supercha Restaurant.Tel. no.(053)570-8144; 381-0430.

Panny’s Bakeshop, City Proper, Infront of Mercury Drug,

Maasin City, So.Leyte.Panny’s Homebakeshop Products,

Tacloban Branch,125 Gomez St.,Tacloban City. Telephone

number(053)321-5353.Accept Orders.

I'll Be Going Back To The Media-Samaco

Jan. 6,2011

I’LL Be Going Back To The Media-Samaco

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Incumbent Maasin Mayor Maloney L.Samaco,a Civil Engineer, who is also a Sportswriter and columnist shall be going back to the media after he could served series of terms as public official when he finally decides to retire in the Government Service sometime in the future.

This was his revelation in his speech as guest speaker during a recent media gathering attended by both the government and the private media practitioners in the city.

AT a time when another local weekly newspaper the Southern Leyte Times was established sometime in 1998, the younger and once private individual was its sportswriter for several years. But the specter of temptational politics had beckoned on him to enter its arena and he complied with.

Despite his duties and responsibilities as a Mayor, his passion to write especially sports stories, still has a place in his heart, prodding him either in the dead of night or at dawn, and submits it to www.philboxing.com.

Samaco was also one of the founding members when the Associated Media of Southern Leyte was organized sometime in year 2000.Its members were composed of both the government and the private media practitioners, not only in Maasin but its scope is within the province of Southern Leyte. The formation of the AMSL was held at the second floor of the concrete building in the proper city where the Philippine Information agency (PIA) had once held its office. It was also attended by the broadcast media from the Sogod town like the DYSL staff.

Jani Carbonilla Arnaiz, AMSL President and a PDI Correspondent, welcomed his colleagues and some guests. He expressed his elation that before the year ends the media people have gathered.

PIA Information Manager Erna Sy-Gorne for her part disclosed that somebody has encouraged her to gather the press people. She also expressed her thankfulness to those who have always supported the PIA in its function as public information office.

Vilma Fuentes, once holding a high position at GSIS while assigned in Maasin, intimated that she found Maasin as a peaceful place. She admitted this is the reason why she decided to build her house in brgy.Maria Clara here which is about 5 kilometers away from the city proper.

Fuentes, President of the Association of Public Information Officers in Southern Leyte, has begged that she be replaced with somebody. Since as the current GSIS Regional Director of Region 8(Leyte and Samar) she has now bigger responsibilities. She said it would be difficult for her now to conduct activities related to their organization’s works and objectives.

“Even though I might be assigned in other parts of the country or region”, she told the audience,” I’ll still be connected with you. I can send any kind of help to you whenever it’s necessary”.

She confessed she considered herself a “Maasinhon” having living here for several years and going home on weekends in Maria Clara despite being assigned now in Tacloban City’s regional office.”Wherever I’ll be assigned in any part of the country, I’ll always be grounded in Maasin”, she said.

SLT Editor Antonio Mendoza Reyes said that at a time the AMSL was organized, he did not join because he saw that a big percentage of its members were government media and only few were private practitioners.

Reyes, considered by some mediamen and others as a “controversial figure” due to the several cases filed against him in court, confided that later he regretted his past decision. He said he now decides to join the with group, to the applause of his colleagues.

He likewise divulged that 6 of his court cases were dismissed for lack of merit and that one is pending, still awaiting for the court’s decision.

Additionally, PNP Provincial Director Pepito M.Pacada for his part, expressed his good wishes during this Yuletide season to the attendees. He said that the PNP and the media have some common goal that is to serve the community.

After all the speaking and speeches, EMCEE Marcelo “Bong” Pedalino of PIA urged the audience to sing and dance to their hearts’ content.

Nevertheless, majority of them have opted to remain setting to converse and discuss about issues and other things; while those who love to sing rendered songs.

Mayor Samaco rendered four dance songs, as well as his beautiful wife in equal number. She could also danced while singing to the delight of the audience. The social gathering lasted until past midnight.

Also present were Velma Kangleon of POPCOM, Obstetrician/Gynecologist Dr. Santiago-Ruflo and GSIS-Maasin legal officer Atty.Maderazo.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Postcript: Young and old writers should and must continue to write to fulfill their calling, for not all who are professionals, would love to write. The guiding motto: "Force yourself to write. Do not wait for inspiration. Inspiration follows." was originally conceptualized by ICS(International Correspondence Schools)journalism instructors for their ICS home study journalism students,which is also universally applicable and adaptable/adoptable to all budding and professional writers worldwide.To repeat:"Force yourself to write.Do not wait for inspiration.Inspiration follows".Mark it.

Natasha Service Center and Ever Bilena

A.Bantug St., Tunga-Tunga, Maasin City, So.Leyte,

Corner VIDAMARIZ MERCHANDISING, a few meters

From Supercha Restaurant.

ABBY DYANNE’S ENTERPRISES AND PRINTING PRESS

169 E.Rosales St., Tagnipa.Maasin City, So. Leyte

Telefax no.(053)570-9759/381-0619,Mobile N0.09278609437;

09176323264; 09155555875; Services Offer: photocopy,

Risograph, Lamination, Calendars, Button Pins, PVC IDs,

Business Receipts, Photo Printing, ETC.