President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo embarks on a mission of peace and search for new business and investment opportunities for the country during her scheduled state visit to Syria on May 3 and 4.
Syria is among the newest strategic partners of the Philippines in the Middles East. The Philippine Embassy in Damascus was officially inaugurated only last April 13 this year, following its upgrade from its former consular office status.
It now serves the estimated 17,000 Filipinos working in Syria.
The former Philippine consulate in Damascus used to serve as transit point for Filipinos in times of crisis in the Middle East. It served as an exit point for thousands of Filipino workers fleeing the war in Lebanon in 2006.
Aside from being one of the supporters of the country’s peace and development initiatives, Syria is a crucial player in the Middle East on account of its energy resources and fertile lands. It is a key player and a major participant in the struggle for peace and security in the region.
Before going to Syria, President Arroyo will first have a working visit in Egypt on May 2-3. She will leave Cairo on May 3 and proceed to Damascus for her state visit upon the invitation of the Syrian government.
The President is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting and sign partnership and cooperation agreements with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who will tender a state dinner in her honor.
The Chief Executive is also scheduled to address the People’s Assembly of Syria and hold meetings with leading Syrian business leaders and prospective investors.
President Arroyo will likewise visit one of the biggest container terminals in the Middle East operated by the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) before heading back to Manila on May 5.
RP will pursue Chess supremacy in Asia, Olympiad
The Department of Education is leading a campaign to renew public interest in Chess.
DepEd Secretary Jesli Lapus signed Thursday an agreement with the National Chess Federation of the Philippines led by former Congressman Prospero Pitchay to improve Chess training in the Philippines.
The signing was witnessed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Grandmasters Eugene Torre and Wesley So.
The agreement gives birth to the National Chess Academy (NCA) which will supervise the training and organize age-group tournaments nationwide to produce more grandmasters and catch the Asian Chess Supremacy.
Lapus ordered the teaching of chess in the Edukasyon sa Pagpalakas ng Katawan subject of Grades 3 to 6 students, and in the Physical Education (PE) classes in high school.
Based on studies, he said children exposed to chess learn faster and get better grades.
From May 7 up to May 16, the DepEd has scheduled chess trainings in Regions I to VIII, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the National Capital Region (NCR).
The next target of chess trainings will be in Regions IX, XII, the CARAGA and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Pinoy pork is safe to eat, says DOH
Grilled or stewed, nothing could go wrong with a well-done pork.
“We reiterate that pork is safe to eat and that the Mexican Swine Flu is not transmitted via consumption of pork. As a precaution however, the national government through the Department of Agriculture has already issued a temporary suspension of all hog and pork imports from afflicted zones’ while placing under heightened alert at all airports and seaports to prevent illegal imports,” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in a statement.
“Wala namang Classical swine flu affecting pig population,” Duque said in an interview with ABS-CBN.
To avoid diseases from eating pork, Duque advised consumers to make sure that their liempo, porkchop, pigue and lomo are cooked inside out.
“Wag kumain ng baboy na may pink o hilaw na bahagi,” said Duque…”Yung sabaw dapat clear, hindi dugo-dugo (Don’t eat pork that has pink or raw parts…the soup must be clear, not bloody).
Duque said diners eating pork meals that are incompletely cooked will expose themselves to other diseases like the Ebola Reston Virus.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) this week has adopted the term Mexican Swine Flu to put emphasis on the origin of the mutant influenza virus.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap assured that government is working closely with hog raisers to prevent any disease outbreak in the industry.
Last Monday, National Hog Federation of the Philippines President Albert Lim assured consumers that the country’s pork is in good shape.
“Hog producers are not strangers to this (Swine Flu) which is a common disease na tumatama sa baboy pero magagamot na naman. After a few days, mawawala ito. (Hog producers are not strangers to Swine Flu which is common disease among pigs. This will go away in few days once treated), “said Lim told Radyo ng Bayan.
DOH: basic hygiene to ward off Mexican Swine Flu
Health authorities are calling on the public to return to basic hygiene practices and prevent Mexican Swine Flu infection.
Such practices include washing hands and covering mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
“Yung beso-beso tigilan muna natin yan. bahagi ng ating personal preventive measures. Proper handwashing: kumanta kayo ng Happy Birthday, pag natapos na kayong kumanta ng Happy Birthday, malinis na ang kamay ninyo (In the meantime, avoid social kissing as part of our personal preventive measures. Proper handwashing: sing Happy Birthday. At the end of the birthday song, the hands are already cleaned),” said Health Secretary Francisco Duque III in TV interview, “proper coughing and sneezing manner: kailangan may tissue paper, may panyo (proper coughing and sneezing manner: there must be tissue paper, hankerchief).”
The new influenza virus is a product of mixed influenza viruses inside affected pigs: the low pathogenic Avian strain, the Human influenza strain, the North American Swine Flu and the Eurasian Swine Flu viruses.
Thursday morning, Duque convened a command conference with all the directors of the Centers for Health Development and the DOH-retained Hospitals including all regional epidemiologists to firm up details of the National Pandemic Preparedness and Response Plan after the World Health Organized raised the Pandemic Alert from Phase 4 to Phase 5.
The DOH is coordinating with private hospitals to work out systems of dealing with the Mexican Swine Flu cases and also with the business sector particularly with pharmaceuticals.
Duque said they are “tapping the local pharmaceutical industry to help ensure the availability of Oseltamivir when the need arises”.
He advised those who have gone to Mexico and other afflicted areas as well as those who are exhibiting the symptoms of Mexican Swine Flu infection to undergo voluntary quarantine and seek medical attention.
The symptoms of Mexican Swine Flu infection are fever, lethargy, lacking appetite, coughing, runny nose and sore throats, nausea or vomiting and diarrhea.
BFAR sustains shellfish ban in some areas in Luzon, Mindanao
Seafood fans, beware: red tide is still hot in some provinces.
As of April 30, 2009, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) maintained the shell fish ban on Dumanguillas Bay in Zamboanga del Sur, Juag Lagoon in Matnog and Sorsogon Bay, Sorsogon; coastal waters of Milagros, Masbate and Bislig Bay in Bisilig City, Surigao del Sur.
BFAR said “all types of shellfish and Acetes species (Alamang) gathered from the banned areas are not safe for consumption.
However, fish, squids and crabs in these areas are safe for consumption as long as they are fresh and washed thoroughly and the gills, intestines and other internal organs are removed before cooking.
Areas listed by BFAR as free from toxic red tides are: the coastal waters of Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, Bulacan and Bataan in Manila Bay; the coastal waters of Alaminos, Anda, Bolinao and Wawa, Bani in Pangasinan; Masinloc Bay, Zambales; the coastal waters of Mandaon in Masbate; Honda Bay in Puerto Prinsesa City; Inner Malapaya Sound in Taytay and El Nido, Palawan; the coastal waters of Pilar, President Roxas, Pontevedra, Panay, Roxas City, Ivisan and Sapian in Capiz; the coastal waters of Pontevedra in Negros Occidental; Irong-irong, Maqueda and Villareal Bays in Samar; Ormoc, San Pedro, Cancabato and Carigara Bays in Leyte; Biliran Waters in Biliran Province; Hinatuan and Lianga Bays in Surigao del Sur; Taguines Lagoon in Camiguin Island; Balite Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental; and coastal waters of Kabasalan in Sibuguey Bay, Zamboanga Sibugay.
Philippines hosting international disaster relief demo
Around 20 countries will participate in the Voluntary Demonstration of Response on Disaster Relief starting Monday (May 4).
The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said the mammoth exercise involving Mega Manila and Pampanga aims to test the abilities of the member nations of the ASEAN Regional Forum to respond to a country’ s call for international assistance after being devastated by super typhoons or killer earthquakes.
Each country will send a small team of engineers, medical responders, search and rescue experts and other humanitarian assistance and disaster relief personnel.
Aside from table top discussions, there will be exciting simulations such as the Air Demo and Land Static Display to be held on Wednesday (May 6) at the Air Force City, Clark Air Base and the demonstration of a rescue operation for a sinking ship at the Manila Bay near the Mall of Asia complex.
Organizers said role players will be using a scenario wherein a category 4 typhoon “Milenya” battered Luzon and Metro Manila with strong winds and heavy rains causing storm surges, floodings and landslides that affected 15 provinces, displaced 24,340 families and killed 856.
NDCC said the exercises will demonstrate how the NDCC disaster response management will work, practice protocols in international humanitarian assistance and test the cluster coordination mechanism following a disaster.
The council has hosted similar exercises last year: these are the Bird Flu/Pandemic Exercise with the World Health Organization in March and the United Nation International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Earthquake Simulation Exercises where professional retrieval workers from various countries participated.
The AFR-VDR will end on May 8.
