Filipina Soul

I have a very bad houseguest that overstayed it’s welcome but won’t leave just yet. Mr. Cough and Mrs. Colds decided to play tricks on my family and now we’re hacking, snorting and sneezing.
Since my kids can’t take cold medicines yet, I’m trying the Filipino approach to cold remedies that I remember my mom doing when I got sick as a child. Vicks vapor rub always soothes at night, and a gurgle of salt and warm water does wonder for the sore throat. Chicken arroz caldo (rice soup recipe) is loved as much as the chicken sopas (noodle soup). …read more

1 Comment

The Philippine Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) has banned milk and products containing milk from China after the reports of melamine contamination that has sickened thousands of Chinese children. The ban has been imposed indefinitely until such time that the products are deemed safe for human consumption.

Melamine is an industrial-grade non-food additive that is used mainly in plastics. It has been found to have caused kidney problems in the sick children.

1 Comment

A Filipina Soul reader drove my attention to this new opportunity for our nursing grads.
Job opportunities could await you at the 3rd PHILIPPINE NURSING OPPORTUNITIES CONFERENCE, EXPO and JOB FAIR, on Sept 19-21, 2008 at the Gateway Mall Trade Hall, Araneta Center.
The expo is an avenue where nursing board passers can discuss opportunities and challenges in practicing the nursing profession. There are training, seminars and interviews that can help the board passer map out a plan for local or global employment.
This is a great job opportunity, so go now. Only 500 slots are available.

1 Comment

I just want to get this word out from the National Bureau of Investigation about the smuggling of human organs in the Philippines.
The NBI issued an alert that smugglers are now kidnapping children for the purpose of selling their organs to foreign nationals. Through ABS-CBN –
Lawyer Ferdinand Lavin of the NBI’s Human Trafficking Division said the victims are provided with vitamin supplements to keep their internal organs healthy. He said the victims will then be transported outside the country to undergo surgery for organ transplants.

The Philippines is alarmingly becoming a hotbed of illegal organ harvesting and trafficking. The …read more

Comments Off

The list of successful examinees who passed the Philippines’ Physician Licensure Examination for August 2008 has been released. Here are some highlights:
* 2,506 aspiring doctors took the exam
* 1,513 passed
* The top examinee was Marlon Diaz Garcia of the Far Eastern University-Nicanor Reyes Medical Foundation. His score was 88.75%.
* University of the Philippines-Manila (98%) had the highest passing rate among schools with 100 or more examinees.
You can find the complete list of successful examinees here.
Congratulations to the new doctors!

2 Comments

Master Rapper Francis “Kiko” Magalona has let his leukemia diagnosis be known to his fans and colleagues in the Philippine movie industry. He is on an indefinite leave from his commitments as he focuses on his treatment and recovery.
The announcement was made through text message to Kiko’s Eat Bulaga co-hosts. Vic Sotto was audibly emotional as he read the message in which Francis tells his fans to “watch out for my return”.

6 Comments

Gary V himself called her “the inspirational diva“.
Jamie Rivera is dedicating her new album to cancer victims and their families. Her album is “H.O.P.E.” (Healing of Pain and Enlightenment) under Star Records. The actress says having hope is close to her heart, because of friends and families who were stricken with cancer before. Proceeds from the album went to two organizations helping women deal with breast cancer – Bosom Buddies, a support group for breast cancer survivors and I Can Serve, an advocacy group that empowers women with breast cancer.
Jamie sang a moving tribute at “A.S.A.P”, and the audience …read more

1 Comment

It was with great sadness that we received the news of the passing of a friend’s husband yesterday. Gina, whose adobo and chocolate dish we once featured, has had to experience what every wife fears to know. Her husband, Ali, has gone on from this world, leaving her and their 2 young children behind. The cause of death, bangungot.
Bangungot is a well-documented yet unexplained medical condition that causes the sudden death of young men in their sleep. It is rarely seen in Western countries, but is well-known in Southeast Asia. It was suspected in the death of popular young …read more

62 Comments

I’ve heard rumors of this from my friends who warned me to be careful when traveling to the Philippines. I read it tonight from Girlie Linao at India eNews, and it is depressing.
In recent years, the Philippines has become a global source of organs such as kidneys. Illegal and/or unhealthy practices of organ harvesting is on the rise. Most donors come from the poor, who give up a kidney for a few thousand dollars of “gratuity package” and livelihood assistance. It’s difficult to blame someone whose only desire is to give his children a better future. But the vulnerable …read more

1 Comment

The Philippines is one of many third world countries where expectant mothers die with childbirth. Everyday, ten to twelve women die due to pregnancy-related issues, often caused by unhygienic and improper birth delivery practices.
Not so in one of the smallest town of the country. Carmen (Pop: 41,519), Bohol has had only one maternal death since 2002. The town secret? Civil servants who have the compassion and determination to make a difference.
Dr. Josephine Jabonillo, Carmen’s municipal health officer realized how high the death toll of mothers are in Carmen and around the country, she lobbied to have a birthing …read more

2 Comments