Feb. 27,2010
Be Cautious: Slide Is Very Dangerous
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Feature story
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A slide is something associated with accident and every person is a potential victim of slide. If a person is careful in his steps in shiny or polished tiles inside a building or a restaurant, chances are he/she is away from accidental slides. However, this is not always the case. In most instances, particularly during a heavy rain, most decorative, smooth and glossy tiles that are part of an edifice’s floorings would become slippery from wet shoes and wet raincoats.
If you are wearing a rubber or plastic sandal that’s also wet, it is likely that you are subject to a slippage
if you walk hurriedly as if you’re pacing on a rough edge floor. In some occasions also, even if you’re cautious
with your steps on slippery tiles, there’s a possibility that you’ll slide, outbalancing yourself hitting the tiles flooring. Lucky enough if you don’t injure your body seriously.
In good weather condition I have been observing as anybody do, that shiny or glossy tiles are good as decorative floorings in many residential, commercial and business establishments. But if the weather is bad and these tiles are getting wet, it becomes a very dangerous thing to walk or step onto.
I myself is not a stranger to an accidental slides. I was a victim to this wild lurk. Last year I have an involuntary slide at the public market and near an artesian well in my place. The first I was walking under
rains wearing a used rubber sandal. As I walked forward my left foot happened to take step of a slippery concrete edge. Right there outbalancing myself and my buttock hit on the concrete flooring. It was so painful!. But I took control of it. Instead of screaming out, I grinded my teeth, and at the same time I massaged my painful hip. Every evening I massaged it with oil. I did it regularly for several nights and the pain had gradually disappeared.
The second was I went to brgy. Tagnipa where I fetched water for drinking, bringing with me 2 empty wine bottles now turn into as water depository. This potable artesian well is far from my place, but I prefer it for my drinking because of its clearness in quality and appearance. The artesian well near the place where I’ve lived remain unrepaired after it got damaged from constant use.
How did I meet that accidental slide? After a middle aged woman had pumped the well for washing clothes, I paced forward along the concrete pavement unmindful of the presence of sparse green algae sticking to it.
And all of the sudden I skidded! My head almost hit the concrete floor were it not for my elbow that I instinctively braced to protect it. It pained and swell into redness!. My hip was also painful and I sustained some bruises on my arms and legs. But at least I have done something to save myself from serious injuries. To prevent further swelling of my painful elbow, I massaged it for several days with“miraculous oil” I bought at the public market. By regular massaging, the painful swell gradually subsided. The painful sensation I have felt every time I touched my elbow had disappeared.
Other Victims
A former 20-year Governor of Southern Leyte,the late Salvacion Oppus Yñiguez, a soprano singer
In her younger years and a UST music teacher, was also a victim of accidental slide while she was inside their bathroom. I’ve learned this upon my inquiry why she was always on a wheelchair during the duration of her twilight years. Like most well-known personalities however, she doesn’t emotionally show her frustration or depression on what had happened to her to the people whom she met and talked to. She was the beloved mother of Southern Leyte province’s former third termer Governor Rosette Yñiguez-Lerias.
The wife of my mother’s first cousin in her 70s had also become a victim of accidental slide inside her residence. Her leftside balljoint was seen in x-ray results to have fractured which necessitate for a stainless replacement. How did she slide? She said she was just walking in sandal and suddenly slid and forcing herself to abruptly sat on the floor. It was so painful, she said, that she could no longer walk normally. Luckily her daughter in Cebu had a good job. She was brought there where she undergone an operation that took hours to finish..
Although she could walk now, her inborn normalcy to walk without a support is no longer possible. She said she always fails the pain of the surgery particularly during cold weather. Of course she is taking vitamins and nonfat milk to strengthen her bones courtesy of her kind and thoughtful daughter. Nevertheless, if the recurring pain would be tolerable for her to bear, she stops taking any pain reliever. Every time she wanted to visit her son or a relative in the vicinity and even inside the house, she walked with a stainless walker.
Just recently a foreigner who got drunk from a drinking binge with a Filipino friend in a restaurant had accidentally skidded on a slippery tiles while he went to the nearby CR.Akin to my sliding experiences, he outbalanced himself and hit his head on the tiles now turned slippery after a heavy rain. Blood oozed out from his head as he remained laying. His drinking buddy who was informed of his friend’s accidental slide was shock and had a mixed feeling.
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He w as angry and at the same time felt sad about such an unexpected incident. He stooped down, embraced him and calling his name, but no response! His angry surmounted and cried loudly, somewhat blaming himself for what had happened.
Nonetheless, no person around is to be blamed. It’s his own act of the risk. His drunkenness had triggered something worst to the condition of the slippery tiles. If a non-intoxicating person can be a potential victim of accidental slides, how much more for a drunken man!.
That sliding victim foreigner was whisked off by some of the restaurant’s employees to the provincial hospital on board a pick-up truck. His Filipino friend followed suit. A nurse on-duty at the emergency room told the following day that the slide victim was discharged after his head wound was treated.
The gaping wound she said was closed by several stitches. And that he was conscious inside the emergency room during the treatment.
Colorful Tiles
Employees of government and private offices whose floorings are attractive because of shiny, glossy and colorful decorative tiles should be careful on their steps in going in and coming out of their respective offices.
This is particularly in a situation during rainy days when shoes and sandals are always drenched with rainwater.
The management of a well-known fastfood establishment here had also realized the potential danger lurking on its decorative black-colored tiles at the entrance gate. Two female customers had skidded in two separate occasions during rainy days. The first one who was about to enter the main door, while the second
after taking her meal and had went out. But none of the two victims had suffered serious injuries. Only bearable pain. That accident has served as a warning to the owner. The front tiles flooring was dug out and replaced it with a concrete rough flooring devoid of slippery even on rainy days. How many victims are there already with this kind of accidental, but very dangerous slides?
With this kind of dreadfully unexpected incidents happening to some people including me, it would be wise to suggest for the safety of commuters and customers that food establishments,stores,commercial buildings
and all offices nationwide should have its floorings at the main entrance made of rough concrete pavements.
Even how worst is the weather maybe, concrete rough floorings will retain its roughness despite heavy rains. Thus protecting and preventing the patrons/customers/clients from accidental slides that may cause fatality or untimely death to someone. It would be good also to place skid-proof mats to all CRs in all kinds of buildings, including residentials.Remember, prevention is better than cure.
The roughness of appearance of the front ground flooring of any building or its main entrance should not bother its owner because it is negligibly insignificant compared to the overwhelming attraction of beauty achieve by the decorative multicolor paints of the whole edifice both inside and outside.
And the main reason why customers are attracted to patronize a restaurant, bakery or store and have the enthusiasm to go there uninvited is because of the kind of accommodating services they’ve received, good food being served, inside cleanliness and generous treatment from waiters/waitresses, salesgirls and salesclerks.(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Completion Of A New Legislative Bldg. Is A Dream Come True-Maamo
Feb. 27,2010
The Completion Of A New Legislative Bldg. Is A Dream Come True-Maamo
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The completion of this new legislative building where we are standing now “is a realization of a dream come true”.
This was the statement of Vice-Governor MiguelMaamo,11 in his speech during the blessing and inauguration ceremony on the eve of the 49th Founding Day anniversary of the province of Southern Leyte.The blessing was officiated by Rev. Celso Paller.Governor Damian Mercado cut the ceremonial ribbon with the presence of Congressman Roger Mercado, SP members and Gilberto Teodoro,Jr, the Defense Secretary. He had just arrived from Manila via 2 Army choppers that landed at the Maasin Pier at 3:30p.m. He was invited by the 2 Mercado brothers as the guest of honor and speaker of the Southern Leyte Beauty Pageant. It was participated in by 19 young ladies from 18 municipalities and one city.
Maamo disclosed that the plan to have a new legislative building was at first just “a wistful thinking”, because we don’t have the necessary budget. So we did the construction phase by phase whenever we have the money, he said. With the support of the Governor Mercado and Congressman Mercado, he said, we were able to go on with the construction of the building until its completion. He expressed his profuse thanks to both of them for their financial support. The Congressman has given a total of P6M, the Governor P5M in behalf of the provincial government, while the office of the Vice-Governor has shelled out P5M.
SP Albert Esclamado however clarified that P3, 234,000.00 was added to complete the project. That the total amount of the building’s construction has reached P19, 234,000.00 instead of P18M as earlier stated by Eng, Fernando Moralde of the Provincial Engineers Office who supervised its construction.
The new building nestled in 800 square meters lot is located just a few meters away from the Provincial Capitol Building. It is very near to the Capitol gymnasium where part of it is occupied by the DILG office.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro,Jr, whose arrival coincided in time for the blessing and inauguration of the new legislative building in the afternoon, claimed in his short speech that the construction of the new building is a visible sign of development of the province and that the investment on public structure is part of its modernization.
He also confirmed the incumbent Governor’s slogan that putting the slogan of unity, solidarity and teamwork (UST) into action, any tangible project can be accomplished. He further urged officials of the province to coordinate with the office of the Civil Defense, particularly that the month of July is declared as a National Disaster Consciousness Month.
The Defense Secretary was accompanied here by PA Major General Arthur Tobaquero, Navy Commodore Boboy Balanon and Col. Facada. Recently the DefSec has donated P100M in behalf of the office of the Civil Defense for a river control project in Sogod town as a disaster mitigating measure.
The affair was attended also by some provincial capitol employees,SP members,Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco,City Councilors led by Vice-Mayor Effie Abiera-Sabandal,some barangay officials, the press and some PNP and Army officers.
On the other hand, winner of the Southern Leyte Beauty Pageant contest held in the evening at the Capitol Playground was Earlene K. Lancour of Macrohon.First runner-up was Safa Nesmarie U. Rodas of Maasin City. Second runner-up was Daine Marie G. Gloria of San Juan. One of the functions of Ms. Lancour is to promote the province’s tourist spots and its products. She will also make representations in any cultural or civil activities involving the province whenever it calls for.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
The Completion Of A New Legislative Bldg. Is A Dream Come True-Maamo
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The completion of this new legislative building where we are standing now “is a realization of a dream come true”.
This was the statement of Vice-Governor MiguelMaamo,11 in his speech during the blessing and inauguration ceremony on the eve of the 49th Founding Day anniversary of the province of Southern Leyte.The blessing was officiated by Rev. Celso Paller.Governor Damian Mercado cut the ceremonial ribbon with the presence of Congressman Roger Mercado, SP members and Gilberto Teodoro,Jr, the Defense Secretary. He had just arrived from Manila via 2 Army choppers that landed at the Maasin Pier at 3:30p.m. He was invited by the 2 Mercado brothers as the guest of honor and speaker of the Southern Leyte Beauty Pageant. It was participated in by 19 young ladies from 18 municipalities and one city.
Maamo disclosed that the plan to have a new legislative building was at first just “a wistful thinking”, because we don’t have the necessary budget. So we did the construction phase by phase whenever we have the money, he said. With the support of the Governor Mercado and Congressman Mercado, he said, we were able to go on with the construction of the building until its completion. He expressed his profuse thanks to both of them for their financial support. The Congressman has given a total of P6M, the Governor P5M in behalf of the provincial government, while the office of the Vice-Governor has shelled out P5M.
SP Albert Esclamado however clarified that P3, 234,000.00 was added to complete the project. That the total amount of the building’s construction has reached P19, 234,000.00 instead of P18M as earlier stated by Eng, Fernando Moralde of the Provincial Engineers Office who supervised its construction.
The new building nestled in 800 square meters lot is located just a few meters away from the Provincial Capitol Building. It is very near to the Capitol gymnasium where part of it is occupied by the DILG office.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro,Jr, whose arrival coincided in time for the blessing and inauguration of the new legislative building in the afternoon, claimed in his short speech that the construction of the new building is a visible sign of development of the province and that the investment on public structure is part of its modernization.
He also confirmed the incumbent Governor’s slogan that putting the slogan of unity, solidarity and teamwork (UST) into action, any tangible project can be accomplished. He further urged officials of the province to coordinate with the office of the Civil Defense, particularly that the month of July is declared as a National Disaster Consciousness Month.
The Defense Secretary was accompanied here by PA Major General Arthur Tobaquero, Navy Commodore Boboy Balanon and Col. Facada. Recently the DefSec has donated P100M in behalf of the office of the Civil Defense for a river control project in Sogod town as a disaster mitigating measure.
The affair was attended also by some provincial capitol employees,SP members,Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco,City Councilors led by Vice-Mayor Effie Abiera-Sabandal,some barangay officials, the press and some PNP and Army officers.
On the other hand, winner of the Southern Leyte Beauty Pageant contest held in the evening at the Capitol Playground was Earlene K. Lancour of Macrohon.First runner-up was Safa Nesmarie U. Rodas of Maasin City. Second runner-up was Daine Marie G. Gloria of San Juan. One of the functions of Ms. Lancour is to promote the province’s tourist spots and its products. She will also make representations in any cultural or civil activities involving the province whenever it calls for.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Unhealed Bone Fractures Cause Double Pain To Young Woman
Feb. 27,2010
Unhealed Bone Fractures Cause Double Pain To Young Woman
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A young woman who was a victim of near-collision accident at the curved-crossing road in brgy.Malangsa near St.Peter Funeral Homes in Bontoc town, has suffered from double pain when her “cemented” fractured left leg did not get healed after almost two months time.
The victim was identified as Analyn Dilalamon Painagan, 18 years old, a dropout third year student of San Ramon High School. She was a resident of brgy. Esperanza, about three kilometers away from Bontoc.
She said she was brought to Sogod District Hospital where her x-ray result showed her left leg below the knee had two fractured bones. Because her parents have no money, she said, they allowed a doctor who is not an orthopedic surgeon to fix her injury.
However, when her injured left leg wrapped in cast was x-rayed after almost two months, she said, the fractured bones did not “re-connect” to its main base. With the findings she was brought by her parents to the provincial hospital here where she was again examined by Dr. Jaime Carbonilla, an Orthopedic Surgeon.
During an interview at the Salvacion Oppus Yñiguez Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH) she was on her scheduled check up to see if her “:re-cemented” fractured left leg has shown some improvement.”Nadubli na hinoon ang kasakit sa akong wala nga tiil”, she said in Cebuano,”sa dihang guibira pag-usab pinaagi sa pagbutang ug bug-at nga bato nga guitonton aron inanayng ang bali nga duha ka bukog matarong ayha pa gui-seminto pag-usab”.(The pain that I’ve felt have doubled when my fractured left leg was gradually pulled down again by means of a rope attached to a huge weight for the purpose of realignment before it was “re-cemented”.).
The driver of the motorcycle was identified as Marvin D. Painagan, 19 years old, jobless. He was a resident of the same aforesaid barangay.The victim said her driver-brother was already drunk when he drove the motorcycle in going home to brgy. Esperanza.
Another backrider was identified as Gil Tirante Sulla, 25 years old, jobless, a relative of the victim who was also a resident of brgy.Esperanza.
Analyn narrated that the three of them were having some enjoyment with friends at Dorias Beach Resort and left the place at about 4:00p.m. Her brother she disclosed was driving without license and was under the influence of liquor.
When the motorcycle they were riding reached the curved-crossing road in brgy.Malangsa,she said, a speeding motorcab with 2 passengers suddenly emerged. It was going towards the proper town and almost sideswiped the three of them, she said.
Nevertheless, it was only she that was hit with the motorcab’s front steel, she said, while her brother and a relative have only slight bruises.
She divulged that because of the motorcab’s high speed in maneuvering along the curved road, it turned turtle after hitting her. The two passengers were injured, but were not in critical condition, she said.
She further confided that the unidentified suspect motorcab driver was unhurt. Nonetheless, he did not provide her with financial assistance because the suspect had learned that her brother was driving without license.
Moreover, she said that on her case Dr.Carbonilla had informed her earlier that stainless steel as supportive base for the reconnection of fractured bones is not necessary anymore.
She added to say that if x-ray result would show that the fractured bones were already reconnected, thus healed, the cast would be removed. Then she would be using crutches to help lessen the impact of heaviness of her legs when walking.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Unhealed Bone Fractures Cause Double Pain To Young Woman
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-A young woman who was a victim of near-collision accident at the curved-crossing road in brgy.Malangsa near St.Peter Funeral Homes in Bontoc town, has suffered from double pain when her “cemented” fractured left leg did not get healed after almost two months time.
The victim was identified as Analyn Dilalamon Painagan, 18 years old, a dropout third year student of San Ramon High School. She was a resident of brgy. Esperanza, about three kilometers away from Bontoc.
She said she was brought to Sogod District Hospital where her x-ray result showed her left leg below the knee had two fractured bones. Because her parents have no money, she said, they allowed a doctor who is not an orthopedic surgeon to fix her injury.
However, when her injured left leg wrapped in cast was x-rayed after almost two months, she said, the fractured bones did not “re-connect” to its main base. With the findings she was brought by her parents to the provincial hospital here where she was again examined by Dr. Jaime Carbonilla, an Orthopedic Surgeon.
During an interview at the Salvacion Oppus Yñiguez Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH) she was on her scheduled check up to see if her “:re-cemented” fractured left leg has shown some improvement.”Nadubli na hinoon ang kasakit sa akong wala nga tiil”, she said in Cebuano,”sa dihang guibira pag-usab pinaagi sa pagbutang ug bug-at nga bato nga guitonton aron inanayng ang bali nga duha ka bukog matarong ayha pa gui-seminto pag-usab”.(The pain that I’ve felt have doubled when my fractured left leg was gradually pulled down again by means of a rope attached to a huge weight for the purpose of realignment before it was “re-cemented”.).
The driver of the motorcycle was identified as Marvin D. Painagan, 19 years old, jobless. He was a resident of the same aforesaid barangay.The victim said her driver-brother was already drunk when he drove the motorcycle in going home to brgy. Esperanza.
Another backrider was identified as Gil Tirante Sulla, 25 years old, jobless, a relative of the victim who was also a resident of brgy.Esperanza.
Analyn narrated that the three of them were having some enjoyment with friends at Dorias Beach Resort and left the place at about 4:00p.m. Her brother she disclosed was driving without license and was under the influence of liquor.
When the motorcycle they were riding reached the curved-crossing road in brgy.Malangsa,she said, a speeding motorcab with 2 passengers suddenly emerged. It was going towards the proper town and almost sideswiped the three of them, she said.
Nevertheless, it was only she that was hit with the motorcab’s front steel, she said, while her brother and a relative have only slight bruises.
She divulged that because of the motorcab’s high speed in maneuvering along the curved road, it turned turtle after hitting her. The two passengers were injured, but were not in critical condition, she said.
She further confided that the unidentified suspect motorcab driver was unhurt. Nonetheless, he did not provide her with financial assistance because the suspect had learned that her brother was driving without license.
Moreover, she said that on her case Dr.Carbonilla had informed her earlier that stainless steel as supportive base for the reconnection of fractured bones is not necessary anymore.
She added to say that if x-ray result would show that the fractured bones were already reconnected, thus healed, the cast would be removed. Then she would be using crutches to help lessen the impact of heaviness of her legs when walking.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
A True Story About A Promising Young Singer
Feb. 27,2010
Feature Story
A True Story About Young Singer Who Gets Sick
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Bad rumors silently spread like wild fire when a local promising young singer gets afflicted with a paralyzing disease that deeply grieved her parents, who also have to bear the pitiful condition of their child. At first the singer’s mother wants to retaliate and confront those badmouths, but the spirit of humility pervades in her heart and lulls down her plans to file charges in court against those backbiters. Instead she keeps her composure and is hopeful though, that when the time ripens, the truth of her child’s affliction will vindicate their malicious gossips.
Here is the real thing, a true story of Josephine Batistil Ramos that becomes a household byword by many in some communities of the province during her popularity as a promising young singer. By her behaviors and choices of activities and inclinations, one can say that she’s has the in-born talent for singing. Unlike other children her age, by common observation they could hardly attune their voices to a song’s particular melody even with a musical accompaniment. But for Josephine, adjusting her voice’s flexibility to a song’s tune is as normal as any other child’s activities she’s engaged in and gradually attaining mastery of her chosen pieces.
What really happens to her, who in her days of popularity has unimaginable falls into the pit of utter desperation after savoring her crown of glory reap from her winning stints in major singing competitions? Josephine starts singing in public at the age of 5 at St. Joseph College. Always passing the first auditions in many amateur singing contests sponsors by different barangays of Tagnipa, Badiang, Lanao, Manhilo, Guadalupe, and Ibarra, she usually emerges as either a champion or a grand champion. She also marks her winning prowess in the neighboring town of Macrohon’s 2 barangays of Ilihan and Laray
Singing Competitions.
In 1993 at 10 years old, she was the grand champion in DYDM’s “Battle of Champion” and Tacloban’s DYVL station, maintaining a winning streak in a weekly, monthly and grand final during that year. At eleven and12 years old, she won a consecutive Grand Champion titles after defeating all those winners who participated in that 2 events. Josephine seems so insatiable with all her successes in the provincial and regional competitions. In all of the singing competitions she has participated in different places of the province and in region 8(Leyte and Samar), it is always her father Segundino F. Ramos, now 65, who is her personal chaperon.
At the age of 14 in Sept 1998, she decided to transfer to Sauyo National High School in Novaliches, Quezon City where her aunt resides with her family. Knowing the talent of her niece, she accompanies her for an audition at ABS-CBN’s KTV or Katunog Ng Voice. She passes. During the competition, she was asked by the host about her place. While other well-known personalities in this province who gain a niche in the field of music and in sports are somewhat reluctant to tell of their respective places, Ms.Ramos shamelessly told the audience that she is from brgy. Tagnipa, Maasin, Southern Leyte.(Equally proud of her roots, actress Jennylyn Mercado speaks with candor that she hails from Southern Leyte when asks about her reaction of a great catastrophe that hits brgy Guinsaugon, a farming village). In that particular contest, she became the Grand Champion with her rendition of Celin Dion’s song “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. She competes in this program relentlessly maintaining her position for 4 months from August up to the grand finals in November 1998.
At the age of 15 she became as representative of Sauyo National High School to the Marian Movement Singing Contest at the National Capital Region and emerged as the champion. Not long after that event, she joins the Red Cross Youth Super Camp Philippines held at Macario Peralta Janingdan in Capiz. As if lady Luck is always on her side, she becomes the champion in a vocal solo contest sponsored by the Red Cross sub-camp category. Later on she decided to transfer to another school at St. Francis Divine College where beauty titlist and actress Miriam Quiambao studies in the elementary. Still it is located within the vicinity of Novaliches, Q.C.There she graduated in high school in 2000.
Staying in Metro Manila for too long a period and away from her parents, she feels homesick. On her return to Maasin, she joins the Offbeat /band until the end of 2001.Another local popular singer who is her classmate, Hazel Año, now a licensed Civil Engineer, also joins.
In 2003 at the age of 19, she passed the audition in Search for the Star at GMA Channel 7 hosted by Regine Velasquez. While her singer-predecessor Sarah Geronimo, who is currently one of the popular singers in the country, was able to join the Search For The Star competition only after her third audition. But the Maasinhon Josephine has made it in just the first audition.
A Twist Of Fate
Unexpectedly however, not even a premonition or anticipation of some kind that her gradual rise to popularity of stardom would be snapped from a friend’s persuasion, whom she is not yet so familiar with, being new to her list of friends. How come? Josephine is friendly and can easily win friends, and in turn can easily be convinced
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from a friend’s persuasion. One day, her mother, Genita Batistil Ramos, 49, a former stenographer at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Southern Leyte.who resigned to take care of her daughter, says that according to Josephine, a Tagalog friend has given her Bangkok slimming pills. She says she accepts it without hesitation after her audition at GMA 7.She then starts taking the slimming pills but discontinue after 4 days because she feels bad like fast heartbeat and later a fever. Instead of reporting to GMA 7 studio on schedule for the contest, she goes to the hospital consulting a doctor. When the host of the Search for The Star knows about her condition thru a telephone call, she informs her that she can still join the next session. However, Josephine fails to make it.
Her parents brought her to Makati Medical Center where the doctor subjected her to MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan in the laboratory. But the result of the MRI examination could not give the MMC doctor an exact diagnose of her sickness. The doctor refers her to Dr. Leonardo Fugoso of St. Luke Hospital where she undergoes Positron Emission Tomography (PET) examination. After reading the result, Dr. Fugoso could not also make a diagnosis. He refers the patient’s case to Dr. Jonas Francisco Santiago, Diplomat, American Board of Medicine who sends the PET result to an American Hospital connected with St. Luke Hospital. But still the American doctor could not arrive for an exact diagnose and therefore could not also prescribe medicine for Josephine.
MOA Signing
Dr. Fugoso suggests to Josephine and her parents that a Memorandum of Agreement will be signed by them giving him their consent that he be allowed to study Josephine’s disease. After signing the MOA for their affirmation, Dr. Fugoso starts giving her medicines for Parkinson’s disease for a period of 5 months. But before taking her medications, the patient would already twitch, says her mother. However, there’s no sign of improvement for her health despite the treatment. Instead her disease gets worst.
Her attending physician talks to her parents and reveals that their daughter has only 6 months to live.
The revelation strikes like a thunderbolt upon her mother’s ears. Grief and sorrow grips her heart and starts imploring fervently to the Almighty Creator to give her daughter a chance to live and heal her sickness. Then they decided to go home to Maasin. After a lapse of 4 months, they bring their daughter to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City. There they have met Dr.Florenz Eubil C. Bilocura, adult neurologist, who utilizes EEG (Electroencephalograph), a device that detects and records the electrical activity of the brain.(Electroencephalogram is the pattern traced by an Electroencephalograph).
They stay at the hospital for 12 days.
Refer To Manila Metropolitan Hospital
Dr. Bilocura, who now discovers the patient’s sickness, refers Josephine to Dr. Martha C.T. Lu-Bolañoso,a pediatric neurologist. The doctor informs her parents that Dr. Lu-Bolañoso is his senior and that Josephine’s disease is a child’s disease, so his senior is fit to handle their daughter’s case. How come that Josephine, the young singer has a child’s disease when in 2004 she is already 20 years old?
AT the Manila Metropolitan Hospital where Dr.Lu-Bolañoso is a resident physician, the patent undergoes another examination and stays there for 19 days. She was brought to the Philippine General Hospital where her new doctor subjected her to lumbar tap (spinal tap) which extracts brain fluid from a patient. The result of the laboratory exam conforms to that of Dr.Bilocura’s findings. The singer’s disease is diagnosed as Sub Acute Schlerosing Penencephalitis (SSPE).
Dr. LU-Bolañoso prescribes for Josephine 8 1V globuline vials for one dose (500mg) for 5 days. After the5-day regular vial injections her eyelids starts moving, can laugh, can smile, hear, but cannot speak. “Before her eyes would just stare, her eyelids motionless, after the 5- day injections the first voice I ever heard from her is a cry. When she strives to talk she could not form a word”, her mother says. When I was ushered by her mother Genita after the interview at their residence in brgy. Tagnipa,I called her.She seems to response, but I could not hear a sound of words. During the previous years when she was still active and in the pink of health, in some occasions I advised her to finish a four-year college course. I explained to her that it would be much better for her to finish a 4-year college course before she would concentrate on her carrier as a singer and that the right place for her exposure is Cebu and Manila.
The doctor also prescribes for her patient the following maintenance for lifetime medicines and multi-vitamins:1)Immunosin(500mg) 6 tablets a day;2)Iveret-500 with folic acid-once a day;3)Neurobion(500mg)once a day;4)Duphalac 120 ml.-2 tablespoon
2 x a day. Dr. Lu-Bolañoso further informs Genita that her daughter still has the sense of hearing, seeing, smelling and feeling. 3
Exhausted Financial Resource
The Ramoses have already exhausted all their financial resources. In some occasions, if Josephine can be left alone with her father Segundino F. Ramos, 65 years old, a former DPWH worker, or her aunt as watcher, her mother Genita would be selling okay-okay on credit for Josephine’s needed medicines. One day when Ron Woods, an American married to a Filipina here in Leyte, was at Lina Hermosilla’s okay-okay store, when Genita coincidentally was also there, the former was introduced by Lina to the latter. Ms .Hermosilla reveals to Mr. Woods that she (Genita) has a daughter who is a singer but is sick and needs help. She even adds to tell him that occasionally Genita would lend her some money for Josephine’s medicines.
Woods touched by the plight of the Ramos family contacted Mr. Mark Coombs, another American friend who is also married to a Filipina here. Coombs is a musician and a FM disc jockey in Texas, USA. They visited the Ramos residence in brgy, Tagnipa to see for themselves the pitiful condition of the sick singer. A recorded 10 songs of Ms. Ramos is played for the American visitors to listen to. This is courtesy of Cebu’s FM radio station where Josephine won in a singing competition. It is in that occasion that they conceived the idea of holding a ‘concert for a cause’. Local bands in Maasin were then informed about the plan. They have responded with willingness to participate in the upcoming concert knowing fully well that the affair will greatly help Josephine’s medications and further treatment.
Concert Time
The ‘concert for a cause’ was held recently at the city gymnasium. The recorded songs of Josephine were repeatedly played while sponsors and concertgoers were entering the gate. It was a night full of songs and music. Viper Music Production with its modern equipments has provided for the sounds. In contrast to the past concerts by local bands and other bands from Cebu sans the state-of-the–art equipments, Viper Music has delivered a balance volume of vocals and musical accompaniment to the pleasure and delight of the entire audience. Left and right bleachers were full of people composed of children, youngsters, adults and the old. Fourteen bands were scheduled to perform but only 6 have made it to a live performance at the stage.
Two child singers render one song each beautifully “Broken Vow” and “Habang May Buhay” at the start of the show.Joani Cristi Cepada with SJC kids did a song rendition and dance number. Another 2 local popular singers Brian Gilles and Hazel Año beautifully render a match duet “Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon”.Año, now a licensed Civil Engineer, reminisces her days with Ramos when they were both members-vocalists of the Offbeat band (2000-2001). She dedicates one of Josephine’s favorite songs by Celin Dion entitled “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. She claims that only her friend can sing it, but Año did it well with her inherent high pitch voice on a par with Josephine’s.
Janice B. Ramos, younger sister of the sick singer, also dedicates a song coming from her sister’s favorite singer Celin Dion.Wheelchaired Josephine was brought by several men upstage where the former sings infront of the latter. Emotions start throbbing when Janice kisses her sister as tears runs down her checks. Touching moment intrudes the air for awhile and the audience gives applause.
Sixtenz band composed of SJC students covers some of Alanis Moresette hits, while the Trendsonic belts out some of Asin’s and Aegis hits. The songs renditions were a type of rock, love songs, ballads, rapping and reggae. Other bands doing live performances were the Recykool, Hybrid Monkees, Yawtakis and Tribu Latagaw who does a comic acts to the laughter of the crowd.
However, the night of music was unexpectedly disrupted when a drunken man throws a chair towards the youngsters’ side and shouts to stop the show, according to a witness. Instead of negatively reacting, he says, the youngsters and young men around just kept their cool in deference to him who is well-known in the religious circle. One of the witnesses, an Engineer, says that he accosts and pacifies the man, advises him to go home and he did. During that time at past 1:00 a.m., he says, there’s no policeman around. The American host Mark Coombs gets hungry and decides to stop the show.
Nevertheless, the trouble does not affect the purpose of the concert for a cause: The proceeds will be used for the further treatment of Josephine in Manila to see if she can still be cured of her debilitating disease, proclaims Mr. Coombs.
Weakens The Immune System
Earlier in Manila, the pediatric neurologist explains to Josephine’s mother that the Bangkok slimming pills given by a Tagalog friend to her daughter in Manila, which the latter has taken it for 4 days, have weakened her immune system. “It triggers in the reawakening of the measles’ viruses that remain inactive when Josephine’s immune system sustains a strong resistance”, Genita quoted the doctor as saying.
With this new information which the doctor has revealed, it would be better now for everybody, particularly those figure-conscious women to be meticulously cautious if a new friend or any new acquaintance would introduce them and sweet-talk them to take any kind of sliming pills or slimming tea. Is it not a common
4
knowledge from the late Julie de Vega’s fans that she was reportedly taking slimming pills during her popularity days as a showbiz actress? Taking medically safe slimming pills might be proper for de Vega’s body size because she was really fat. But, is the kind of slimming pills that she was taken, a safe one? Is it herbs produced into pills or tablets? However, before taking it too long of her slimming pills, she got sick. It was diagnosed by a doctor as pneumonia which caused her early death. Is there not a probability that her taking of slimming pills has also weakened her immune system so that her body could no longer resist death-causing viruses? I also have a relative who was a figure-conscious woman and was taking slimming tea. It did not take too long for her that she also got sick. The manifestation of her symptoms under my personal observation and analysis is that her taking of that slimming tea has caused a disruption of the normal function of her immune system.
Be Cautious With Slimming Pills
If either a fat woman or a woman with normal body size is dead serious in reducing her body size she should choose and adapt the natural way. For instance, if she eats 2 cups of rice in every meal and consume 2 pieces of common sliced meat everyday, she should reduce it to half. But she should regularly eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and have a daily exercise. If her body will not reduce in size after three months, cut the consumption into half of the volume. If still this kind of body size reduction will not work, reduce your eating once more. If despite of these 3 practical reduction procedure your body still will not respond, forget about body reduction regimen. Really if you are determine to reduce your not-so-fat body into a cola-cola body, try what my friend was doing. Her approach in reducing her not-so-fat body size is done in a natural way, sans taking any kind of slimming pill or slimming tea. She reduced a third part of her daily food consumption and sleep at 9:00p.m. Waking up at 5:00 a.m. she started to jog for 2 kilometers and climbed up the long stairs at the Virgin Mary Shrine located atop the provincial hospital of Maasin City. She did this kind of exercise 5 days a week regularly. After two months her body has started to reduce until she has achieved her target.
Furthermore, never be duped into believing from anyone who is not a health professional in convincing you to take any kind of slimming pills. Remember what happens to Josephine B. Ramos, a young promising singer who has the great chance of becoming a professional singer. Yet her destiny and fortune was snapped from taking a misguided advice from a new friend, who probably lacks the proper knowledge about the slimming pills that she has introduced to her friend. Or is she a deceiver, out to deceive and mislead the gullible and vulnerable people? Since the time she has given Josephine the Bangkok slimming pills, that Tagalog friend of hers did not show up anymore, her mother says.
In spite of all these things that happens to her, Josephine and her parents are still hopeful that by the mercy of the Almighty Father, the Great Physician, thru the instrumentality of a specialist, she will miraculously be healed in the days to come.. With the realization of Josephine’s dream as a local popular singer in the past years, she can still starts anew to reach for the Stars.(This feature story was written during the fourth quarter of 2008.Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
Feature Story
A True Story About Young Singer Who Gets Sick
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Bad rumors silently spread like wild fire when a local promising young singer gets afflicted with a paralyzing disease that deeply grieved her parents, who also have to bear the pitiful condition of their child. At first the singer’s mother wants to retaliate and confront those badmouths, but the spirit of humility pervades in her heart and lulls down her plans to file charges in court against those backbiters. Instead she keeps her composure and is hopeful though, that when the time ripens, the truth of her child’s affliction will vindicate their malicious gossips.
Here is the real thing, a true story of Josephine Batistil Ramos that becomes a household byword by many in some communities of the province during her popularity as a promising young singer. By her behaviors and choices of activities and inclinations, one can say that she’s has the in-born talent for singing. Unlike other children her age, by common observation they could hardly attune their voices to a song’s particular melody even with a musical accompaniment. But for Josephine, adjusting her voice’s flexibility to a song’s tune is as normal as any other child’s activities she’s engaged in and gradually attaining mastery of her chosen pieces.
What really happens to her, who in her days of popularity has unimaginable falls into the pit of utter desperation after savoring her crown of glory reap from her winning stints in major singing competitions? Josephine starts singing in public at the age of 5 at St. Joseph College. Always passing the first auditions in many amateur singing contests sponsors by different barangays of Tagnipa, Badiang, Lanao, Manhilo, Guadalupe, and Ibarra, she usually emerges as either a champion or a grand champion. She also marks her winning prowess in the neighboring town of Macrohon’s 2 barangays of Ilihan and Laray
Singing Competitions.
In 1993 at 10 years old, she was the grand champion in DYDM’s “Battle of Champion” and Tacloban’s DYVL station, maintaining a winning streak in a weekly, monthly and grand final during that year. At eleven and12 years old, she won a consecutive Grand Champion titles after defeating all those winners who participated in that 2 events. Josephine seems so insatiable with all her successes in the provincial and regional competitions. In all of the singing competitions she has participated in different places of the province and in region 8(Leyte and Samar), it is always her father Segundino F. Ramos, now 65, who is her personal chaperon.
At the age of 14 in Sept 1998, she decided to transfer to Sauyo National High School in Novaliches, Quezon City where her aunt resides with her family. Knowing the talent of her niece, she accompanies her for an audition at ABS-CBN’s KTV or Katunog Ng Voice. She passes. During the competition, she was asked by the host about her place. While other well-known personalities in this province who gain a niche in the field of music and in sports are somewhat reluctant to tell of their respective places, Ms.Ramos shamelessly told the audience that she is from brgy. Tagnipa, Maasin, Southern Leyte.(Equally proud of her roots, actress Jennylyn Mercado speaks with candor that she hails from Southern Leyte when asks about her reaction of a great catastrophe that hits brgy Guinsaugon, a farming village). In that particular contest, she became the Grand Champion with her rendition of Celin Dion’s song “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. She competes in this program relentlessly maintaining her position for 4 months from August up to the grand finals in November 1998.
At the age of 15 she became as representative of Sauyo National High School to the Marian Movement Singing Contest at the National Capital Region and emerged as the champion. Not long after that event, she joins the Red Cross Youth Super Camp Philippines held at Macario Peralta Janingdan in Capiz. As if lady Luck is always on her side, she becomes the champion in a vocal solo contest sponsored by the Red Cross sub-camp category. Later on she decided to transfer to another school at St. Francis Divine College where beauty titlist and actress Miriam Quiambao studies in the elementary. Still it is located within the vicinity of Novaliches, Q.C.There she graduated in high school in 2000.
Staying in Metro Manila for too long a period and away from her parents, she feels homesick. On her return to Maasin, she joins the Offbeat /band until the end of 2001.Another local popular singer who is her classmate, Hazel Año, now a licensed Civil Engineer, also joins.
In 2003 at the age of 19, she passed the audition in Search for the Star at GMA Channel 7 hosted by Regine Velasquez. While her singer-predecessor Sarah Geronimo, who is currently one of the popular singers in the country, was able to join the Search For The Star competition only after her third audition. But the Maasinhon Josephine has made it in just the first audition.
A Twist Of Fate
Unexpectedly however, not even a premonition or anticipation of some kind that her gradual rise to popularity of stardom would be snapped from a friend’s persuasion, whom she is not yet so familiar with, being new to her list of friends. How come? Josephine is friendly and can easily win friends, and in turn can easily be convinced
2
from a friend’s persuasion. One day, her mother, Genita Batistil Ramos, 49, a former stenographer at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Southern Leyte.who resigned to take care of her daughter, says that according to Josephine, a Tagalog friend has given her Bangkok slimming pills. She says she accepts it without hesitation after her audition at GMA 7.She then starts taking the slimming pills but discontinue after 4 days because she feels bad like fast heartbeat and later a fever. Instead of reporting to GMA 7 studio on schedule for the contest, she goes to the hospital consulting a doctor. When the host of the Search for The Star knows about her condition thru a telephone call, she informs her that she can still join the next session. However, Josephine fails to make it.
Her parents brought her to Makati Medical Center where the doctor subjected her to MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan in the laboratory. But the result of the MRI examination could not give the MMC doctor an exact diagnose of her sickness. The doctor refers her to Dr. Leonardo Fugoso of St. Luke Hospital where she undergoes Positron Emission Tomography (PET) examination. After reading the result, Dr. Fugoso could not also make a diagnosis. He refers the patient’s case to Dr. Jonas Francisco Santiago, Diplomat, American Board of Medicine who sends the PET result to an American Hospital connected with St. Luke Hospital. But still the American doctor could not arrive for an exact diagnose and therefore could not also prescribe medicine for Josephine.
MOA Signing
Dr. Fugoso suggests to Josephine and her parents that a Memorandum of Agreement will be signed by them giving him their consent that he be allowed to study Josephine’s disease. After signing the MOA for their affirmation, Dr. Fugoso starts giving her medicines for Parkinson’s disease for a period of 5 months. But before taking her medications, the patient would already twitch, says her mother. However, there’s no sign of improvement for her health despite the treatment. Instead her disease gets worst.
Her attending physician talks to her parents and reveals that their daughter has only 6 months to live.
The revelation strikes like a thunderbolt upon her mother’s ears. Grief and sorrow grips her heart and starts imploring fervently to the Almighty Creator to give her daughter a chance to live and heal her sickness. Then they decided to go home to Maasin. After a lapse of 4 months, they bring their daughter to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City. There they have met Dr.Florenz Eubil C. Bilocura, adult neurologist, who utilizes EEG (Electroencephalograph), a device that detects and records the electrical activity of the brain.(Electroencephalogram is the pattern traced by an Electroencephalograph).
They stay at the hospital for 12 days.
Refer To Manila Metropolitan Hospital
Dr. Bilocura, who now discovers the patient’s sickness, refers Josephine to Dr. Martha C.T. Lu-Bolañoso,a pediatric neurologist. The doctor informs her parents that Dr. Lu-Bolañoso is his senior and that Josephine’s disease is a child’s disease, so his senior is fit to handle their daughter’s case. How come that Josephine, the young singer has a child’s disease when in 2004 she is already 20 years old?
AT the Manila Metropolitan Hospital where Dr.Lu-Bolañoso is a resident physician, the patent undergoes another examination and stays there for 19 days. She was brought to the Philippine General Hospital where her new doctor subjected her to lumbar tap (spinal tap) which extracts brain fluid from a patient. The result of the laboratory exam conforms to that of Dr.Bilocura’s findings. The singer’s disease is diagnosed as Sub Acute Schlerosing Penencephalitis (SSPE).
Dr. LU-Bolañoso prescribes for Josephine 8 1V globuline vials for one dose (500mg) for 5 days. After the5-day regular vial injections her eyelids starts moving, can laugh, can smile, hear, but cannot speak. “Before her eyes would just stare, her eyelids motionless, after the 5- day injections the first voice I ever heard from her is a cry. When she strives to talk she could not form a word”, her mother says. When I was ushered by her mother Genita after the interview at their residence in brgy. Tagnipa,I called her.She seems to response, but I could not hear a sound of words. During the previous years when she was still active and in the pink of health, in some occasions I advised her to finish a four-year college course. I explained to her that it would be much better for her to finish a 4-year college course before she would concentrate on her carrier as a singer and that the right place for her exposure is Cebu and Manila.
The doctor also prescribes for her patient the following maintenance for lifetime medicines and multi-vitamins:1)Immunosin(500mg) 6 tablets a day;2)Iveret-500 with folic acid-once a day;3)Neurobion(500mg)once a day;4)Duphalac 120 ml.-2 tablespoon
2 x a day. Dr. Lu-Bolañoso further informs Genita that her daughter still has the sense of hearing, seeing, smelling and feeling. 3
Exhausted Financial Resource
The Ramoses have already exhausted all their financial resources. In some occasions, if Josephine can be left alone with her father Segundino F. Ramos, 65 years old, a former DPWH worker, or her aunt as watcher, her mother Genita would be selling okay-okay on credit for Josephine’s needed medicines. One day when Ron Woods, an American married to a Filipina here in Leyte, was at Lina Hermosilla’s okay-okay store, when Genita coincidentally was also there, the former was introduced by Lina to the latter. Ms .Hermosilla reveals to Mr. Woods that she (Genita) has a daughter who is a singer but is sick and needs help. She even adds to tell him that occasionally Genita would lend her some money for Josephine’s medicines.
Woods touched by the plight of the Ramos family contacted Mr. Mark Coombs, another American friend who is also married to a Filipina here. Coombs is a musician and a FM disc jockey in Texas, USA. They visited the Ramos residence in brgy, Tagnipa to see for themselves the pitiful condition of the sick singer. A recorded 10 songs of Ms. Ramos is played for the American visitors to listen to. This is courtesy of Cebu’s FM radio station where Josephine won in a singing competition. It is in that occasion that they conceived the idea of holding a ‘concert for a cause’. Local bands in Maasin were then informed about the plan. They have responded with willingness to participate in the upcoming concert knowing fully well that the affair will greatly help Josephine’s medications and further treatment.
Concert Time
The ‘concert for a cause’ was held recently at the city gymnasium. The recorded songs of Josephine were repeatedly played while sponsors and concertgoers were entering the gate. It was a night full of songs and music. Viper Music Production with its modern equipments has provided for the sounds. In contrast to the past concerts by local bands and other bands from Cebu sans the state-of-the–art equipments, Viper Music has delivered a balance volume of vocals and musical accompaniment to the pleasure and delight of the entire audience. Left and right bleachers were full of people composed of children, youngsters, adults and the old. Fourteen bands were scheduled to perform but only 6 have made it to a live performance at the stage.
Two child singers render one song each beautifully “Broken Vow” and “Habang May Buhay” at the start of the show.Joani Cristi Cepada with SJC kids did a song rendition and dance number. Another 2 local popular singers Brian Gilles and Hazel Año beautifully render a match duet “Ikaw Lamang Hanggang Ngayon”.Año, now a licensed Civil Engineer, reminisces her days with Ramos when they were both members-vocalists of the Offbeat band (2000-2001). She dedicates one of Josephine’s favorite songs by Celin Dion entitled “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now”. She claims that only her friend can sing it, but Año did it well with her inherent high pitch voice on a par with Josephine’s.
Janice B. Ramos, younger sister of the sick singer, also dedicates a song coming from her sister’s favorite singer Celin Dion.Wheelchaired Josephine was brought by several men upstage where the former sings infront of the latter. Emotions start throbbing when Janice kisses her sister as tears runs down her checks. Touching moment intrudes the air for awhile and the audience gives applause.
Sixtenz band composed of SJC students covers some of Alanis Moresette hits, while the Trendsonic belts out some of Asin’s and Aegis hits. The songs renditions were a type of rock, love songs, ballads, rapping and reggae. Other bands doing live performances were the Recykool, Hybrid Monkees, Yawtakis and Tribu Latagaw who does a comic acts to the laughter of the crowd.
However, the night of music was unexpectedly disrupted when a drunken man throws a chair towards the youngsters’ side and shouts to stop the show, according to a witness. Instead of negatively reacting, he says, the youngsters and young men around just kept their cool in deference to him who is well-known in the religious circle. One of the witnesses, an Engineer, says that he accosts and pacifies the man, advises him to go home and he did. During that time at past 1:00 a.m., he says, there’s no policeman around. The American host Mark Coombs gets hungry and decides to stop the show.
Nevertheless, the trouble does not affect the purpose of the concert for a cause: The proceeds will be used for the further treatment of Josephine in Manila to see if she can still be cured of her debilitating disease, proclaims Mr. Coombs.
Weakens The Immune System
Earlier in Manila, the pediatric neurologist explains to Josephine’s mother that the Bangkok slimming pills given by a Tagalog friend to her daughter in Manila, which the latter has taken it for 4 days, have weakened her immune system. “It triggers in the reawakening of the measles’ viruses that remain inactive when Josephine’s immune system sustains a strong resistance”, Genita quoted the doctor as saying.
With this new information which the doctor has revealed, it would be better now for everybody, particularly those figure-conscious women to be meticulously cautious if a new friend or any new acquaintance would introduce them and sweet-talk them to take any kind of sliming pills or slimming tea. Is it not a common
4
knowledge from the late Julie de Vega’s fans that she was reportedly taking slimming pills during her popularity days as a showbiz actress? Taking medically safe slimming pills might be proper for de Vega’s body size because she was really fat. But, is the kind of slimming pills that she was taken, a safe one? Is it herbs produced into pills or tablets? However, before taking it too long of her slimming pills, she got sick. It was diagnosed by a doctor as pneumonia which caused her early death. Is there not a probability that her taking of slimming pills has also weakened her immune system so that her body could no longer resist death-causing viruses? I also have a relative who was a figure-conscious woman and was taking slimming tea. It did not take too long for her that she also got sick. The manifestation of her symptoms under my personal observation and analysis is that her taking of that slimming tea has caused a disruption of the normal function of her immune system.
Be Cautious With Slimming Pills
If either a fat woman or a woman with normal body size is dead serious in reducing her body size she should choose and adapt the natural way. For instance, if she eats 2 cups of rice in every meal and consume 2 pieces of common sliced meat everyday, she should reduce it to half. But she should regularly eat plenty of vegetables and fruits and have a daily exercise. If her body will not reduce in size after three months, cut the consumption into half of the volume. If still this kind of body size reduction will not work, reduce your eating once more. If despite of these 3 practical reduction procedure your body still will not respond, forget about body reduction regimen. Really if you are determine to reduce your not-so-fat body into a cola-cola body, try what my friend was doing. Her approach in reducing her not-so-fat body size is done in a natural way, sans taking any kind of slimming pill or slimming tea. She reduced a third part of her daily food consumption and sleep at 9:00p.m. Waking up at 5:00 a.m. she started to jog for 2 kilometers and climbed up the long stairs at the Virgin Mary Shrine located atop the provincial hospital of Maasin City. She did this kind of exercise 5 days a week regularly. After two months her body has started to reduce until she has achieved her target.
Furthermore, never be duped into believing from anyone who is not a health professional in convincing you to take any kind of slimming pills. Remember what happens to Josephine B. Ramos, a young promising singer who has the great chance of becoming a professional singer. Yet her destiny and fortune was snapped from taking a misguided advice from a new friend, who probably lacks the proper knowledge about the slimming pills that she has introduced to her friend. Or is she a deceiver, out to deceive and mislead the gullible and vulnerable people? Since the time she has given Josephine the Bangkok slimming pills, that Tagalog friend of hers did not show up anymore, her mother says.
In spite of all these things that happens to her, Josephine and her parents are still hopeful that by the mercy of the Almighty Father, the Great Physician, thru the instrumentality of a specialist, she will miraculously be healed in the days to come.. With the realization of Josephine’s dream as a local popular singer in the past years, she can still starts anew to reach for the Stars.(This feature story was written during the fourth quarter of 2008.Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Mandatory Implementation Of Alternative Fuels Will Gradually Reverse Climate Change
Feb. 24,2010
Mandatory Implementation Of Alternative Fuels Will Gradually Reverse Climate Change
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr
The unabated rising prices of crude oil and other petroleum products in the international market is now unbearable to the millions of Filipinos, rich and poor. Its influential power of creating a chain reaction of prices in all prime commodities and manufactured goods in the market and stores are irresistible to businessmen who do not want to be left behind by their counterparts in business and escalate as well the prices of all their products. With the spiraling increase in prices of all kinds of consumable goods, the poor and the rich alike are feeling the bitterness of coping with their daily needs. Those who have very low income Filipinos have forced themselves to refrain from buying other household needs, which decades ago were also affordable to them. They reduced their consumption of some goods so that they can still buy something they need for the next two or three days. That’s why the entire Filipinos are suffering because of our overdependence on gasoline and crude oil. The Philippine government is spending millions and millions of pesos yearly on gasoline and other oil products for vehicles and factories.
Because of our current hardships and economic miseries our government must not remain callous and insensitive to act. Members of both the Lower and the Upper House must muster their political will to hasten the approval of a House Bill aim at making mandatory for all operators and drivers nationwide to use the Compressed Natural Gas(CNG)to run the vehicles and factories. The aforesaid HB was co-authored by House energy committee chairman Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga and Parañaque City Representative Eduardo Zialcita. With the immediate implementation of this economic measure, our country can do away with being overdependence on imported fossil fuels, which greatly contribute to the heavy pollution in our big cities and the environment. When this goal would be realized, the Philippines can have a huge reduction on fuel expenditures and its unabated heavy pollution in big metropolis where all types of utilities and factories abound would be greatly reduced.
Since we have no vehicles and cars suitable for the utilization of Compressed Natural Gas, big financing institutions should come to rescue and help the government to buy the needed vehicles in places like the USA,Canada,India,China and in other countries where vehicles design for compressed natural gas fuel are being manufactured. The Malampaya-Palawan oil and gas fields in the country must be mined now and tap other potential oil and gas fields in various places of our nation to sustain our fuel needs. On the other hand, our big capitalists who choose to be consignees in this kind of business should not be tempted in the near future to mix compressed natural gas with crude oil like we have in all gasoline stations throughout the country, called kerosene by other name.
The mixture of two elements, we’ve just mentioned, like we are buying at gas station, especially if there is a blackout, will surely result to additional pollution in all our areas. The additional pollution due to crude oil mixture with the natural gas is very evident by the soots gathered inside our noses the night before when we resort to kerosene use as temporary substitute for the absence of electric power. Have you not observe that in your home, especially in the households of poor Filipinos? In contrast, unadulterated natural gas, if there’s a detection of any soot, is so insignificantly negligible to consider as pollution. Some of emission of kerosene (a mixture of natural gas and crude oil) put inside the lamps would also pollute our rooms the following day, if you have observed that as well. This means that if in the near future some tricky and hoarding businessmen would be tempted to do this deplorable thing, the pollution in our environment would re-emerged. Hence, there’s an urgent necessity to screen the attitude of businessmen/capitalists who would like to participate in the Government’s venture in this kind of undertaking where the issue on environment-friendly fuel is at stake.
Considering this probable prediction of the money-oriented rather than service-oriented attitude of some businessmen to rake huge profit in the name of mixture elements, the House Bill must include as one of its provisions prohibiting any capitalist/consignee to mix CNG with crude oil. A monitoring task force must be created that would include as members the Energy Committee Chairman, energy official and some honest and prudent NGO environmentalists for the purpose of monitoring and regular checking of CNG’s natural content before dispensing the fuel for private and public use. Those businessmen who would violate the law must be slapped with huge fine and imprisonment. We seriously need honest and prudent investors/capitalists in the strict application of such law in order to achieve our goal to greatly reduced our environmental pollution which make adults and children in this country suffer from illness and eventual death to countless of lives. According to reports pollution also causes chronic coughing in millions of children across the globe.
Other alternative fuel or energy that has been tapped to provide electricity and run vehicles is the solar energy. It has already been experimented and found to be feasibly usable and suitably applicable in running vehicles and providing electricity in numerous households in the country. It’s a free source of limitless energy and is non-pollutant: one of the greatest gifts from Mother Nature that remain untapped for centuries by man. The emergence of Great Minds in the field of Science and Technology are responsible for a huge leap in inventions and discoveries that have provided man his amenities including some of his needs in life more obtainable than before. We can also use electricity to run jeepneys and buses, which is also pollution-free. Makati’s current use of electric jeepneys plying in various areas of the city, which is much lesser in fuel expenses for the drivers and operators compared to gasoline and crude oil, is very encouraging and worthy of emulation for other cities and provinces. The experiments that our scientists, technical men and the experts have been doing are enough proof that the Philippine Government has the capability and the capacity to relentlessly pursue on these projects. A huge budget proportionate enough for its continual implementation must be made now for its effective realization.
The two alternative sources of fuel and energy that we are discussing are sure ways that will eventually release us from our overdependence on gasoline and crude oil which is now very prohibitive to obtain.
Global warming (the root cause of climate change) caused by unregulated heavy environmental pollution, which also damaged the ozone layer according to the scientists, is not only a Philippine concern and problem. It is also a concern and a problem of every country, every nation throughout the world, whether the industrialized or the developing because we breathe the same air and we live in the same planet. Therefore, it is of urgent necessity that all the nations and other countries of the world, including the United States of America, China, England, Australia, India, Russia, Japan, European countries, UK and Germany should also shift to alternative fuel like Compressed Natural Gas, solar energy to run their vehicles, cars and factories, biofuel or biomass, deuterium in order to achieve the highest degree of pollution reduction in our Planet Earth.
To those countries whose climate condition is similar to the Philippines, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Hartmut Michel during his recent visit to Manila has also advised its respective governments to tap wind power and hydro power that are environment-friendly to generate electricity
Series Of Rollback
Although nowadays the prices of crude oil and gasoline have greatly reduced after a series of rollback, but this ups and downs in pricing activities of the fossil fuels cannot be relied upon by the users and consumers. These kind of dirty fuels have no permanently sustainable pricing movement. It is dependently influence by the law of supply and demand in the international market. The preoccupation of self-interest capitalists/investors who mostly want to rake huge profit in this kind of business undertaking is also something to be considered as contributory factor in the unpredictable and volatile pricing scheme hike.
Hence, our businessmen and the government must not be callously complacent if there are days when crude oil, gasoline and other oil products will have decreased prices. The government must start implementing now the laws on Biofuel act of 2006 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to tap and develop nature’s renewable energy resources that are readily available in our very own environment and are ecology-friendly.
The plan of the government to recommission or revive the 30-year-old Bataan Nuclear Power Plant must be debunked. It was found out by a team of Scientists and Engineers that it has numerous defects in its construction, among other defects, which pose as health hazard detrimental and harmful to the health and welfare of the people and equally destructive to the immediate environment.
Our high government officials, like Congressmen ,Senators,Scientists,Engineers,Technical men,The Experts, Educators and other concerned leaders should take heed seriously to what UP Professor Roland G. Simbulan was saying in his commentary article entitled “Is The BNPP Safe?”(PDI, Feb. 5, 2009 issue)
And that of Rina Jimenez-David’s “Anti-Nuclear and Pro-Life” (PDI, Feb. 24, 2009 issue) on the danger of reopening the defective BNPP as energy source. Who has initiated this plan? Why do we have to disrupt our thinking with such kind of energy which produces radioactive wastes harmful to humanity and our already heavily polluted environment? Another kind of potential and unprecedented radioactive disaster will only add to the worsening of our already worst environmental condition.
Common sense of wisdom and political will, unblemished with a sinister and wily scheme of acquiring more wealth thru greediness and self-centeredness, are the only 2 important things that our leaders really need to push thru in the realization, acquisition and the sustainable utilization of nature’s renewable energy resources that abound and are readily available in our environment. Like solar energy, hydropower (waterfalls), wind energy, biofuel from jatropha oil, coconut oil, corn, ethanol from sugar cane, biomass and reportedly a vast limitless deposits of deuterium lying in hibernation under the Surigao Deep also known as the Philippine Deep is waiting to be tapped.( Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Mandatory Implementation Of Alternative Fuels Will Gradually Reverse Climate Change
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr
The unabated rising prices of crude oil and other petroleum products in the international market is now unbearable to the millions of Filipinos, rich and poor. Its influential power of creating a chain reaction of prices in all prime commodities and manufactured goods in the market and stores are irresistible to businessmen who do not want to be left behind by their counterparts in business and escalate as well the prices of all their products. With the spiraling increase in prices of all kinds of consumable goods, the poor and the rich alike are feeling the bitterness of coping with their daily needs. Those who have very low income Filipinos have forced themselves to refrain from buying other household needs, which decades ago were also affordable to them. They reduced their consumption of some goods so that they can still buy something they need for the next two or three days. That’s why the entire Filipinos are suffering because of our overdependence on gasoline and crude oil. The Philippine government is spending millions and millions of pesos yearly on gasoline and other oil products for vehicles and factories.
Because of our current hardships and economic miseries our government must not remain callous and insensitive to act. Members of both the Lower and the Upper House must muster their political will to hasten the approval of a House Bill aim at making mandatory for all operators and drivers nationwide to use the Compressed Natural Gas(CNG)to run the vehicles and factories. The aforesaid HB was co-authored by House energy committee chairman Mikey Arroyo of Pampanga and Parañaque City Representative Eduardo Zialcita. With the immediate implementation of this economic measure, our country can do away with being overdependence on imported fossil fuels, which greatly contribute to the heavy pollution in our big cities and the environment. When this goal would be realized, the Philippines can have a huge reduction on fuel expenditures and its unabated heavy pollution in big metropolis where all types of utilities and factories abound would be greatly reduced.
Since we have no vehicles and cars suitable for the utilization of Compressed Natural Gas, big financing institutions should come to rescue and help the government to buy the needed vehicles in places like the USA,Canada,India,China and in other countries where vehicles design for compressed natural gas fuel are being manufactured. The Malampaya-Palawan oil and gas fields in the country must be mined now and tap other potential oil and gas fields in various places of our nation to sustain our fuel needs. On the other hand, our big capitalists who choose to be consignees in this kind of business should not be tempted in the near future to mix compressed natural gas with crude oil like we have in all gasoline stations throughout the country, called kerosene by other name.
The mixture of two elements, we’ve just mentioned, like we are buying at gas station, especially if there is a blackout, will surely result to additional pollution in all our areas. The additional pollution due to crude oil mixture with the natural gas is very evident by the soots gathered inside our noses the night before when we resort to kerosene use as temporary substitute for the absence of electric power. Have you not observe that in your home, especially in the households of poor Filipinos? In contrast, unadulterated natural gas, if there’s a detection of any soot, is so insignificantly negligible to consider as pollution. Some of emission of kerosene (a mixture of natural gas and crude oil) put inside the lamps would also pollute our rooms the following day, if you have observed that as well. This means that if in the near future some tricky and hoarding businessmen would be tempted to do this deplorable thing, the pollution in our environment would re-emerged. Hence, there’s an urgent necessity to screen the attitude of businessmen/capitalists who would like to participate in the Government’s venture in this kind of undertaking where the issue on environment-friendly fuel is at stake.
Considering this probable prediction of the money-oriented rather than service-oriented attitude of some businessmen to rake huge profit in the name of mixture elements, the House Bill must include as one of its provisions prohibiting any capitalist/consignee to mix CNG with crude oil. A monitoring task force must be created that would include as members the Energy Committee Chairman, energy official and some honest and prudent NGO environmentalists for the purpose of monitoring and regular checking of CNG’s natural content before dispensing the fuel for private and public use. Those businessmen who would violate the law must be slapped with huge fine and imprisonment. We seriously need honest and prudent investors/capitalists in the strict application of such law in order to achieve our goal to greatly reduced our environmental pollution which make adults and children in this country suffer from illness and eventual death to countless of lives. According to reports pollution also causes chronic coughing in millions of children across the globe.
Other alternative fuel or energy that has been tapped to provide electricity and run vehicles is the solar energy. It has already been experimented and found to be feasibly usable and suitably applicable in running vehicles and providing electricity in numerous households in the country. It’s a free source of limitless energy and is non-pollutant: one of the greatest gifts from Mother Nature that remain untapped for centuries by man. The emergence of Great Minds in the field of Science and Technology are responsible for a huge leap in inventions and discoveries that have provided man his amenities including some of his needs in life more obtainable than before. We can also use electricity to run jeepneys and buses, which is also pollution-free. Makati’s current use of electric jeepneys plying in various areas of the city, which is much lesser in fuel expenses for the drivers and operators compared to gasoline and crude oil, is very encouraging and worthy of emulation for other cities and provinces. The experiments that our scientists, technical men and the experts have been doing are enough proof that the Philippine Government has the capability and the capacity to relentlessly pursue on these projects. A huge budget proportionate enough for its continual implementation must be made now for its effective realization.
The two alternative sources of fuel and energy that we are discussing are sure ways that will eventually release us from our overdependence on gasoline and crude oil which is now very prohibitive to obtain.
Global warming (the root cause of climate change) caused by unregulated heavy environmental pollution, which also damaged the ozone layer according to the scientists, is not only a Philippine concern and problem. It is also a concern and a problem of every country, every nation throughout the world, whether the industrialized or the developing because we breathe the same air and we live in the same planet. Therefore, it is of urgent necessity that all the nations and other countries of the world, including the United States of America, China, England, Australia, India, Russia, Japan, European countries, UK and Germany should also shift to alternative fuel like Compressed Natural Gas, solar energy to run their vehicles, cars and factories, biofuel or biomass, deuterium in order to achieve the highest degree of pollution reduction in our Planet Earth.
To those countries whose climate condition is similar to the Philippines, Nobel Prize winner Dr. Hartmut Michel during his recent visit to Manila has also advised its respective governments to tap wind power and hydro power that are environment-friendly to generate electricity
Series Of Rollback
Although nowadays the prices of crude oil and gasoline have greatly reduced after a series of rollback, but this ups and downs in pricing activities of the fossil fuels cannot be relied upon by the users and consumers. These kind of dirty fuels have no permanently sustainable pricing movement. It is dependently influence by the law of supply and demand in the international market. The preoccupation of self-interest capitalists/investors who mostly want to rake huge profit in this kind of business undertaking is also something to be considered as contributory factor in the unpredictable and volatile pricing scheme hike.
Hence, our businessmen and the government must not be callously complacent if there are days when crude oil, gasoline and other oil products will have decreased prices. The government must start implementing now the laws on Biofuel act of 2006 and the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 to tap and develop nature’s renewable energy resources that are readily available in our very own environment and are ecology-friendly.
The plan of the government to recommission or revive the 30-year-old Bataan Nuclear Power Plant must be debunked. It was found out by a team of Scientists and Engineers that it has numerous defects in its construction, among other defects, which pose as health hazard detrimental and harmful to the health and welfare of the people and equally destructive to the immediate environment.
Our high government officials, like Congressmen ,Senators,Scientists,Engineers,Technical men,The Experts, Educators and other concerned leaders should take heed seriously to what UP Professor Roland G. Simbulan was saying in his commentary article entitled “Is The BNPP Safe?”(PDI, Feb. 5, 2009 issue)
And that of Rina Jimenez-David’s “Anti-Nuclear and Pro-Life” (PDI, Feb. 24, 2009 issue) on the danger of reopening the defective BNPP as energy source. Who has initiated this plan? Why do we have to disrupt our thinking with such kind of energy which produces radioactive wastes harmful to humanity and our already heavily polluted environment? Another kind of potential and unprecedented radioactive disaster will only add to the worsening of our already worst environmental condition.
Common sense of wisdom and political will, unblemished with a sinister and wily scheme of acquiring more wealth thru greediness and self-centeredness, are the only 2 important things that our leaders really need to push thru in the realization, acquisition and the sustainable utilization of nature’s renewable energy resources that abound and are readily available in our environment. Like solar energy, hydropower (waterfalls), wind energy, biofuel from jatropha oil, coconut oil, corn, ethanol from sugar cane, biomass and reportedly a vast limitless deposits of deuterium lying in hibernation under the Surigao Deep also known as the Philippine Deep is waiting to be tapped.( Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Why The Right To Reply Bills Is Unnecessary
Feb. 24,2010
Why The Right To Reply Bills Is Unnecessary
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The right of reply bills, if you would look on its surface level is like a duplication of what every newspaper/magazine has provided for the readers and those for aggrieved parties that want to voice out their sides. Any public official or individual can write a letter-to- the-editor piece if he/she feels that he was treated unfairly by a reporter or a columnist. On this regard the editor of a newspaper or magazine should consider his/her views and should publish the official’s side or any individual involved in a controversy. With the opinion section available in majority of community and national newspaper, any disgruntled public official can always send his views of controversial story involving him in case a reporter has failed to contact him to get his side. In this case the right to reply bills has become absolutely unnecessary. The intention of the bills has already been performed and done by almost all the legitimate newspapers and magazines in various areas of the country.
Nevertheless, if we look deeper into the provisions of the bills, it’s something different and totally connotes with a dictatorial implications. On the other hand, there are some public officials who do not want to give t heir sides of the stories. I do not know why. But mostly, they would like that their sides be taken also by responsible reporter as a form of defense in case the controversy has tainted their names.
One time I was instructed by the editor of a local weekly, in which I was a contributor to get the side of a public official involved in a controversial issue. Instead of giving his side for the next issue of the papers, he said he will not give anymore his side because he was already hit first. But I insisted that it’s better if he would give his side in fairness to him. He reasoned that the giving of his side would just be useless and would amount to nothing.
There was also an instance in the past of a controversial news report when a well-known personality in one of the municipalities here in this province was involved. On that first published story his side was not taken. A colleague who now works as a secretary to a well-known public figure, went to that town to get his side. Akin to my experience, that guy had refused to give his side. He has had similar reason to that of my subject. He said he was already hit and the unbalanced report has already tainted his name. These two men seemed not to the mind at all about the reports involving them. They just want to close their ears from all the intrigues that might be circulating around in the neighborhood. And this is not the fault of the newspaper alone but also of a reporter who seemed to forget his responsibility to balance his story, particularly a controversial story.
The main reason why the persons involved have refused to give their sides after the stories’ publications was because they really wanted that their sides be taken also by the reporter prior to its publicatons.Not after or later on. They wanted that their sides be published also side by side with that of the complainants’ statements who revealed such controversies. But in the national newspaper it’s different: an official or individual who was involved in a controversy would always give his sides the next day or even later. The important thing is that their sides would also be published despite being delayed.
In contrast, the right of reply bills authored by Rep. Monico Puentevella of Negros Occidental and co-authored by Senator Nene Pimentel, Jr., pending approval for both the Lower and the Upper House, is a wake up call to all irresponsible reporters who have the itching penchant to write one-sided reports to make it appear as sensational stories. Newspaper and magazine editors should also be sensitive enough not to publish one-sided news stories. Editors also have the responsibility to instruct his reporters to always get the sides of those who were involved in any controversial issue before publishing their stories. This should be the standing policy of all the newspaper and magazine editors nationwide, including all the journalists themselves.
Most probably, the authors of the right of reply bills were once the victims of one-sided news reports involving their names where their sides were not taken by the reporters. The incidents might have prompted the 2 officials “to retaliate to get even”. Their actions are a form of sweeping punishment to all media organizations because of the mistakes of a few, which is unjustifiably an improper way to do so.
The provisions of the the abovementioned bills have the subtle way of dictating and demanding the editors/publishers on how they should run their respective newspapers or magazines, including the TV, radio and websites. This kind of “right to reply bills” encroach the independent editorial policies of various trimedia outfits. With the passing of the right of reply bills, the editors’ prudence and personal discernment on how the newspapers or magazines should be presented to the reading public seems to become unimportant anymore. Public officials, irrespective of the kind of positions/jobs that they have occupied in the government, should not breach the democratic role on the newspapers’ operations and the kind of management’s format that they want to implement to make newspapers more attractive and readable to the readers.
With the “dangerous” imposition of the right of reply bills(God forbade!),the space for more meaty news stories that the editors would prefer to publish for the reading public and its advertisers would then be sacrificed for reply letters from several officials/individuals demanding equal prominence and length. This kind of new intrusion would gradually decreased the newspapers’ or magazine’s readership. Readers, who are critical and wise, don’t have the interest and the comfort to read all the public officials/individuals reply letters. If this new
kind of editorial encroachment on the newspapers’ and magazines’ leading styles would not be stop the earliest before it would flaunt its ugly heads, both publications would eventually lost its advertisements which is the bloodlife of any kind of publications anywhere in the world. It will also cause for a great reduction in its readership follow-ups throughout the country and the world.
Is the right of reply bills serve in the fulfillment of the objective or a vision of a newspaper or magazine? Certainly not. The proposed bills run in contrast that becomes an obstacle in the realization of the publications’ mission. Newspapers and magazines publications including TV, radio and the websites must be given a free-wheeling functions guided by its respective editors/publishers’ distinct editorial polices and management styles unique in themselves. This is coupled with common sense, intuitve judgment and the wisdom of experiences in handling the publications including the broadcast media.
Again, if any public official or individual who feels that he/she is unfairly treated in a news report, he/she should not hesitate to write his/her side and send it to the opinion section/letter-to-the –editor section for consideration. The concerned editor should in turn publish the aggrieved party’s side for fairness, which may either deny or refute a report implicating his name, by presenting some proofs. This should also remind all reporters not forget to balance their stories by getting the sides of all those who were involved in the controversies.
In case the concerned public official or an individual was not satisfied, he can still go to court to file a libel suit against the editor, the publisher or the reporter. All these things can be done freely in a democratic country like ours. But passing some kind of bills like the “right to reply bills” which dictates the editors and publishers on how their respective publications be formed or layout is equal to the curtailment of their independency and their prerogative rights of newspapering.The bills which are going to be the “journalists’ both distraction and destruction” on their jobs or calling, are also an utter violation of the freedom of speech and of the freedom of expression as enshrine in our 1987 Constitution.
Who will benefit from these proposed bills? Columnist Joaquin G. Bernas, SJ Catholic priest declares in his column, “Freedom Not To Speak”PDI March 2, 2009: “There is another element of free speech jurisprudence which makes me think that these bills (the right of reply bills) are now protective of public officials, and especially of lawmakers than anybody else…The proposed bills practically negate this reason for treating public officials differently in libel suit. With these proposed bills, maligned public officials will have a cheap way of defending their honor by using officially hijacked space or time at the expense of printed or broadcast media”.
On the other hand, on March 7, 2009 issue of the Peoples Journal, Pimentel claimed that in other countries there is peace because of the existence of the right of reply bills. His statement seems to imply that the right of reply does not exist in the Philippines. Does Senator Pimentel, one of our brilliant lawyers in the country, fails to notice that the right of reply does exist in our country? He should have known it as one of our legislators. Does not the opinion section of every community, national newspapers or magazines nationwide accept letter--to-the-editor pieces? It would be much better if, aside from the opinion sections, all community and national newspapers/magazines must have also a specifically letter-to-the-editor sections where a public official or any individual can speak out their minds/views or their sides of anything involving them or their names for justice and fairness. In other words, all existing kind of newspapers and magazines must have 2 opinion sections: the first section is for the columnists’ articles and the other section is for the letter-to-the-editor pieces. Whenever space would allow, opinion editors must accommodate more as many letter-to-the-editor pieces as possible after font size diminution, without abridging a single piece’s length. This is actually what the Philippine Daily Inquirer is doing, but its editors would tend to cut some portions of submitted letter-to-the-editor pieces. Now to satisfy the letter-writers, PDI editors should change their style of editing by just correcting grammatical errors, words usage and straighten some sentences that are found awkward and redundant.
Furthemore, the right of reply bills is a mental shackle that dulls the creativity of a person’s gift of writing which in turn would constrain the articulateness and expressiveness of any writer’s train of thoughts and ideas express in words. In other words, the right of reply bills destructs and destroys the writers’ way of wholesome creativities that need to be expressed in uncontrolled fashion. The Journalists’ Code Of Ethics as guide to all journalists/writers of their public functions is enough and sufficient.
We hope that Congress, composed of the Upper and the Lower House lead by speaker Prospero Nograles, whose official occupants have possessed prudent minds and judicious discernment of things appropriate and proper, coupled with the liberality of the hearts, should consider the welfare and general wellbeing of our trimedia outfits in the country. They must listen to the Voice of the Press. Again, as representatives of the people they have the duty and the responsibility to defend our individual freedom of speech and freedom of expression as one of our Bill Of Rights provided by and enshrine in our existing Constitution. They must have the wisdom and the political will to disapprove or even veto these constrainedly dictative bills.( Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
Why The Right To Reply Bills Is Unnecessary
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The right of reply bills, if you would look on its surface level is like a duplication of what every newspaper/magazine has provided for the readers and those for aggrieved parties that want to voice out their sides. Any public official or individual can write a letter-to- the-editor piece if he/she feels that he was treated unfairly by a reporter or a columnist. On this regard the editor of a newspaper or magazine should consider his/her views and should publish the official’s side or any individual involved in a controversy. With the opinion section available in majority of community and national newspaper, any disgruntled public official can always send his views of controversial story involving him in case a reporter has failed to contact him to get his side. In this case the right to reply bills has become absolutely unnecessary. The intention of the bills has already been performed and done by almost all the legitimate newspapers and magazines in various areas of the country.
Nevertheless, if we look deeper into the provisions of the bills, it’s something different and totally connotes with a dictatorial implications. On the other hand, there are some public officials who do not want to give t heir sides of the stories. I do not know why. But mostly, they would like that their sides be taken also by responsible reporter as a form of defense in case the controversy has tainted their names.
One time I was instructed by the editor of a local weekly, in which I was a contributor to get the side of a public official involved in a controversial issue. Instead of giving his side for the next issue of the papers, he said he will not give anymore his side because he was already hit first. But I insisted that it’s better if he would give his side in fairness to him. He reasoned that the giving of his side would just be useless and would amount to nothing.
There was also an instance in the past of a controversial news report when a well-known personality in one of the municipalities here in this province was involved. On that first published story his side was not taken. A colleague who now works as a secretary to a well-known public figure, went to that town to get his side. Akin to my experience, that guy had refused to give his side. He has had similar reason to that of my subject. He said he was already hit and the unbalanced report has already tainted his name. These two men seemed not to the mind at all about the reports involving them. They just want to close their ears from all the intrigues that might be circulating around in the neighborhood. And this is not the fault of the newspaper alone but also of a reporter who seemed to forget his responsibility to balance his story, particularly a controversial story.
The main reason why the persons involved have refused to give their sides after the stories’ publications was because they really wanted that their sides be taken also by the reporter prior to its publicatons.Not after or later on. They wanted that their sides be published also side by side with that of the complainants’ statements who revealed such controversies. But in the national newspaper it’s different: an official or individual who was involved in a controversy would always give his sides the next day or even later. The important thing is that their sides would also be published despite being delayed.
In contrast, the right of reply bills authored by Rep. Monico Puentevella of Negros Occidental and co-authored by Senator Nene Pimentel, Jr., pending approval for both the Lower and the Upper House, is a wake up call to all irresponsible reporters who have the itching penchant to write one-sided reports to make it appear as sensational stories. Newspaper and magazine editors should also be sensitive enough not to publish one-sided news stories. Editors also have the responsibility to instruct his reporters to always get the sides of those who were involved in any controversial issue before publishing their stories. This should be the standing policy of all the newspaper and magazine editors nationwide, including all the journalists themselves.
Most probably, the authors of the right of reply bills were once the victims of one-sided news reports involving their names where their sides were not taken by the reporters. The incidents might have prompted the 2 officials “to retaliate to get even”. Their actions are a form of sweeping punishment to all media organizations because of the mistakes of a few, which is unjustifiably an improper way to do so.
The provisions of the the abovementioned bills have the subtle way of dictating and demanding the editors/publishers on how they should run their respective newspapers or magazines, including the TV, radio and websites. This kind of “right to reply bills” encroach the independent editorial policies of various trimedia outfits. With the passing of the right of reply bills, the editors’ prudence and personal discernment on how the newspapers or magazines should be presented to the reading public seems to become unimportant anymore. Public officials, irrespective of the kind of positions/jobs that they have occupied in the government, should not breach the democratic role on the newspapers’ operations and the kind of management’s format that they want to implement to make newspapers more attractive and readable to the readers.
With the “dangerous” imposition of the right of reply bills(God forbade!),the space for more meaty news stories that the editors would prefer to publish for the reading public and its advertisers would then be sacrificed for reply letters from several officials/individuals demanding equal prominence and length. This kind of new intrusion would gradually decreased the newspapers’ or magazine’s readership. Readers, who are critical and wise, don’t have the interest and the comfort to read all the public officials/individuals reply letters. If this new
kind of editorial encroachment on the newspapers’ and magazines’ leading styles would not be stop the earliest before it would flaunt its ugly heads, both publications would eventually lost its advertisements which is the bloodlife of any kind of publications anywhere in the world. It will also cause for a great reduction in its readership follow-ups throughout the country and the world.
Is the right of reply bills serve in the fulfillment of the objective or a vision of a newspaper or magazine? Certainly not. The proposed bills run in contrast that becomes an obstacle in the realization of the publications’ mission. Newspapers and magazines publications including TV, radio and the websites must be given a free-wheeling functions guided by its respective editors/publishers’ distinct editorial polices and management styles unique in themselves. This is coupled with common sense, intuitve judgment and the wisdom of experiences in handling the publications including the broadcast media.
Again, if any public official or individual who feels that he/she is unfairly treated in a news report, he/she should not hesitate to write his/her side and send it to the opinion section/letter-to-the –editor section for consideration. The concerned editor should in turn publish the aggrieved party’s side for fairness, which may either deny or refute a report implicating his name, by presenting some proofs. This should also remind all reporters not forget to balance their stories by getting the sides of all those who were involved in the controversies.
In case the concerned public official or an individual was not satisfied, he can still go to court to file a libel suit against the editor, the publisher or the reporter. All these things can be done freely in a democratic country like ours. But passing some kind of bills like the “right to reply bills” which dictates the editors and publishers on how their respective publications be formed or layout is equal to the curtailment of their independency and their prerogative rights of newspapering.The bills which are going to be the “journalists’ both distraction and destruction” on their jobs or calling, are also an utter violation of the freedom of speech and of the freedom of expression as enshrine in our 1987 Constitution.
Who will benefit from these proposed bills? Columnist Joaquin G. Bernas, SJ Catholic priest declares in his column, “Freedom Not To Speak”PDI March 2, 2009: “There is another element of free speech jurisprudence which makes me think that these bills (the right of reply bills) are now protective of public officials, and especially of lawmakers than anybody else…The proposed bills practically negate this reason for treating public officials differently in libel suit. With these proposed bills, maligned public officials will have a cheap way of defending their honor by using officially hijacked space or time at the expense of printed or broadcast media”.
On the other hand, on March 7, 2009 issue of the Peoples Journal, Pimentel claimed that in other countries there is peace because of the existence of the right of reply bills. His statement seems to imply that the right of reply does not exist in the Philippines. Does Senator Pimentel, one of our brilliant lawyers in the country, fails to notice that the right of reply does exist in our country? He should have known it as one of our legislators. Does not the opinion section of every community, national newspapers or magazines nationwide accept letter--to-the-editor pieces? It would be much better if, aside from the opinion sections, all community and national newspapers/magazines must have also a specifically letter-to-the-editor sections where a public official or any individual can speak out their minds/views or their sides of anything involving them or their names for justice and fairness. In other words, all existing kind of newspapers and magazines must have 2 opinion sections: the first section is for the columnists’ articles and the other section is for the letter-to-the-editor pieces. Whenever space would allow, opinion editors must accommodate more as many letter-to-the-editor pieces as possible after font size diminution, without abridging a single piece’s length. This is actually what the Philippine Daily Inquirer is doing, but its editors would tend to cut some portions of submitted letter-to-the-editor pieces. Now to satisfy the letter-writers, PDI editors should change their style of editing by just correcting grammatical errors, words usage and straighten some sentences that are found awkward and redundant.
Furthemore, the right of reply bills is a mental shackle that dulls the creativity of a person’s gift of writing which in turn would constrain the articulateness and expressiveness of any writer’s train of thoughts and ideas express in words. In other words, the right of reply bills destructs and destroys the writers’ way of wholesome creativities that need to be expressed in uncontrolled fashion. The Journalists’ Code Of Ethics as guide to all journalists/writers of their public functions is enough and sufficient.
We hope that Congress, composed of the Upper and the Lower House lead by speaker Prospero Nograles, whose official occupants have possessed prudent minds and judicious discernment of things appropriate and proper, coupled with the liberality of the hearts, should consider the welfare and general wellbeing of our trimedia outfits in the country. They must listen to the Voice of the Press. Again, as representatives of the people they have the duty and the responsibility to defend our individual freedom of speech and freedom of expression as one of our Bill Of Rights provided by and enshrine in our existing Constitution. They must have the wisdom and the political will to disapprove or even veto these constrainedly dictative bills.( Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
Provl Govt.,Congressman Mercado Allocate P3.7M For Indigents' PHILHEALTH Cards
Feb. 24,2010
Provl Govt., Congressman Mercado Allocate P3.7M For
The Indigents’PhilHealth Cards
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The provincial government and Congressman Roger Mercado have allocated a total amount of P3.7M for PhilHealth cards to indigent beneficiaries in the entire province of Southern Leyte and one city.
This was the disclosure of Nelita Gonzales-Gomez, DSWD provincial office head and that of Aida Morsen, Secretary of the District Office of the Congressman, in an interview in their respective separate offices.
Gomez informed that the applicants for the indigency program in 18 municipalities and one city have been screened by the respective municipal DSWD office heads. The lists were then submitted to the DSWD provincial office for consideration.
The distribution of PhilHealtlh cards in every municipality spearheaded by Governor Damian Mercado, she said, were done with the assistance of DSWD personnel and the Chief Executive of every LGU province-wide. It was learned that a total of 10,175 qualified indigents who were on the lists were scheduled to receive their respective PhilHealth cards before the end of February.
Several weeks prior to the distribution of the aforesaid cards for the indigents, the DSWD provincial head said,DSWD personnel with the help of barangay officials have conducted information dissemination drive to different barangays in all the municipalities comprising the province of Southern Leyte.
Sometime in 2008, the idea of providing PhilHealth cards to indigents has cropped during discussions with the incumbent Governor together with the Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo,11 and some SP members.
The Governor then submitted a resolution to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Presiding Officer Maamo during their session held at the newly-finished SP session hall located at the first floor of the newly-renovated provincial capitol building.
The Governor’s resolution has proposed a certain amount of budget for approval to the august body. After deliberations among the SP members, it was unanimously approved by everybody. At the time the needed funds were made available, the office of the Governor then contacted the PhilHealth office here about the plan. When the needed number of PhilHealth cards was completed, it was delivered to the provincial government thru the DSWD provincial office for its distribution.
The provincial DSWD head further revealed that the subsidizing of PhilHealth cards for the indigents by the provincial government thru the joint efforts of the Mercado brothers is now on its third year, which is annually renewable.
Moreover, it was learned that applicants for the PhilHealth cards indigency program are increasing every year, making it incumbent upon the provincial government and Congressman Mercado to likewise increase the funds for the project.
Unlike in the past distribution of PhilHealth cards for indigents, the recent one was done much earlier. “Atong guisayo ang pagpanghatag sa PhilHealth cards para sa mga indigents sa nagkalainlaing lungsod
sa probinsiya”, the Governor said in Cebuano,”kay kung adunay masakit karong bulana (February 2010), o kaha sunod bulan (Marso 2010) dili na problema ang pagpahospital kung guikinahanglan”.(We have distributed the PhilHealth cards for indigents to the different municipalities of the province much earlier so that if somebody would get sick during this month(February 2010) or in the following month, there would be no problem if a poor folk would need hospitalization.) (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Provl Govt., Congressman Mercado Allocate P3.7M For
The Indigents’PhilHealth Cards
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.
Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The provincial government and Congressman Roger Mercado have allocated a total amount of P3.7M for PhilHealth cards to indigent beneficiaries in the entire province of Southern Leyte and one city.
This was the disclosure of Nelita Gonzales-Gomez, DSWD provincial office head and that of Aida Morsen, Secretary of the District Office of the Congressman, in an interview in their respective separate offices.
Gomez informed that the applicants for the indigency program in 18 municipalities and one city have been screened by the respective municipal DSWD office heads. The lists were then submitted to the DSWD provincial office for consideration.
The distribution of PhilHealtlh cards in every municipality spearheaded by Governor Damian Mercado, she said, were done with the assistance of DSWD personnel and the Chief Executive of every LGU province-wide. It was learned that a total of 10,175 qualified indigents who were on the lists were scheduled to receive their respective PhilHealth cards before the end of February.
Several weeks prior to the distribution of the aforesaid cards for the indigents, the DSWD provincial head said,DSWD personnel with the help of barangay officials have conducted information dissemination drive to different barangays in all the municipalities comprising the province of Southern Leyte.
Sometime in 2008, the idea of providing PhilHealth cards to indigents has cropped during discussions with the incumbent Governor together with the Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo,11 and some SP members.
The Governor then submitted a resolution to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Presiding Officer Maamo during their session held at the newly-finished SP session hall located at the first floor of the newly-renovated provincial capitol building.
The Governor’s resolution has proposed a certain amount of budget for approval to the august body. After deliberations among the SP members, it was unanimously approved by everybody. At the time the needed funds were made available, the office of the Governor then contacted the PhilHealth office here about the plan. When the needed number of PhilHealth cards was completed, it was delivered to the provincial government thru the DSWD provincial office for its distribution.
The provincial DSWD head further revealed that the subsidizing of PhilHealth cards for the indigents by the provincial government thru the joint efforts of the Mercado brothers is now on its third year, which is annually renewable.
Moreover, it was learned that applicants for the PhilHealth cards indigency program are increasing every year, making it incumbent upon the provincial government and Congressman Mercado to likewise increase the funds for the project.
Unlike in the past distribution of PhilHealth cards for indigents, the recent one was done much earlier. “Atong guisayo ang pagpanghatag sa PhilHealth cards para sa mga indigents sa nagkalainlaing lungsod
sa probinsiya”, the Governor said in Cebuano,”kay kung adunay masakit karong bulana (February 2010), o kaha sunod bulan (Marso 2010) dili na problema ang pagpahospital kung guikinahanglan”.(We have distributed the PhilHealth cards for indigents to the different municipalities of the province much earlier so that if somebody would get sick during this month(February 2010) or in the following month, there would be no problem if a poor folk would need hospitalization.) (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
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