22 November 2011

A love lost that was found

Seventy-three year old Aurelia Matias has been roaming around the city for almost two weeks to find her 78-year-old husband, Luis Matias.

She pinned posters on the front and back of her dress containing her contact details. "'Yun ang paraan ko para mapakita sa tao na nawawala ang asawa ko... Malayo na ang nararating ko, lakad ako nang lakad, dala ko ang mga larawan niya," Aurelia was reported saying to dzMM, the flagship AM station of the ABS–CBN Corporation in the Philippines.

"Hindi ko po namalayan na bumaba sa bahay nung umaga na 'yun. Pinag-almusal ko siya. Pagkatapos kumain, pinunasan ko at binihisan. Tapos pababa ako ng bahay, bumili ako ng pagkain kong kamoteng kahoy na nilaga sa kabilang pasilyo. Eh pagbalik ko, di muna ako kumain, naglaba muna ako ng mga damit ko, damit niya.”

"Pagkatapos kong maglaba, umakyat ako, kumuha ng hanger, nalaman ko wala na pala siya dun. Tumakbo ako, nagtanong ako sa mga anak ko kung napansin ba nila ang Papa nila na bumaba, hindi raw. Sabi noong manang, kanina pa dumaan dito 'yung asawa mo palabas. Sabi ko, 'Hay nako, bakit di niyo man lang pinigilan? Alam niyo namang sinusundan ko 'yun 'pag nalabas."

"Pagkatapos sumakay na ako ng jeep. Kalsa-kalsada pinupuntahan ko. Pero wala talaga. Lumabas na kami hanggang Rotonda, sa EDSA, San Juan, Baclaran. Wala talaga."

Fortunately, Jerome Sajise, a freelance photographer, had noticed the old woman and took a photo of her sitting at a corner of Buendia and Roxas Boulevard. He posted it on Facebook where several subscribers learned of the situation.

Luis Matias was eventually found at the Quirino LRT station in Taft Avenue, Manila the same day his wife’s search for him was aired at an evening newscast.

A testament

What Aurelia Matias did for her husband is worthy to be a lead story for an international publication.

Several authorities had agreed that love is unlikely to last forever. Emotions evolve and human beings lack reciprocity. Only unless the partner ‘has evolved in the same direction’ and the parties involved still ‘have the same feelings of appreciation and value’ towards each other would love have a chance to last.

Science, though, believed otherwise. Love can last forever. The proof is an experiment of a team from Stony Brook University who scanned the brains of couples that have been together for 20 years. About one in 10 couples exhibited the same chemical reactions new lovers have, making them conclude that one’s cognitive and emotional state of intense romantic desire for another person could mature, enabling couples to love even after some time.

References

21 November 2011

The network wars

With more than 4,000 delegates brushing elbows within the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex, the 22nd Philippine Advertising Congress convened the top executives of the television networks in the Philippines to speak about its theme, “Changing the Game.”

According to Eugenio Lopez III, ‘technology only follows where the human spirit wants to go.’ There could be a ‘media revolution caused by technologies that are not even viable today’ but the ABS-CBN would remain true to its pact: in the service of the Filipino.

“The future of media may appear to be technological, but at its core, it will remain emotional. Technology will change everything, except the human nature to crave for recognition, affirmation, connection and inspiration to be the best that they can be for self-fulfillment, for family and for community,” he said.

In lieu of this, the ABS-CBN will have more digital offerings. The GMA Network, on its part, also noted how ‘digital technology has given consumers more opportunity to control their lives.’

“Content made for television can now be seen in at least three streaming—the television itself, the computer and the mobile devices. It has also broken new ground in social networking, so that digital citizens of the world can traverse all media seamlessly… The viewers now have a say when and where to watch the shows that matter to them,” observed Atty. Felipe L. Gozon, the chairman and chief executive officer of the company.

The TV5 will also be a ‘dynamic digital leader,’ focusing on the ‘market today and of the future.’

"Indeed the Internet has become a true medium for the masses, an important tool for democratizing because of its openness, its publicness, and ease and speed of communication. Sometimes it tests and stretches the limits of such concepts as free speech and strikes fear amongst the ruling elite, just as Egypt's Hosni,” he said.

Pilipina Ako hopes that everything the three men had said would take shape.

References

20 November 2011

Saudi's plan to cap remittances

About 1.2 million overseas Filipino workers in Saudi could be disillusioned once the plan of that kingdom to cap remittances of its overseas workers pushes through.

About the same number of Filipinos, too, could be affected since those OFWs since were able to send $1.5 billion back home last year.

About nine out of 10 workers in that kingdom are foreigners—6 million of which are employed in the private sector. “This has led to millions of riyals being transferred back to their home countries, harming the local economy," Adel Fakih, the Saudi Arabian labour minister was reported saying.

That’s not just the problem. About 150,000 OFWs could be displaced there also, Rep. Arnel Ty of the LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) found out, due to the the Saudization scheme or the Nitaqat program.

Under the new labor law, companies have to allot job positions to Saudi citizens. “In phase 3 of Nitaqat, employees of companies in noncompliant or those in the so-called 'red' category would have to transfer to ‘green’ or compliant companies,” Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, related.

This isn’t the first time the KSA had the Philippines worried. It had refused, too, to pay a minimum of $400 monthly wage for Filipino domestic workers.

But Carlos Cao Jr., chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA), is confident that the Saudi labor will not be implemented “drastically" and “on a full scale." Nevertheless, he suggested OFWs to look for jobs in Guam, Australia, and Canada instead.

Also, ‘Saudis prefer handling positions in office environments,’ Ernesto Herrera, former senator and secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) divulged. The OFWs usually take on skilled jobs "that Saudi citizens themselves do not want, or could not provide."

Last year, Saudi Arabia hired 8,513 professional nurses and 258 nursing personnel—a very far figure from the hiring done by the United States, which employed only 83 Pinoy nurses.

Ang nurses ay kailangan sa Saudi kaya hindi puwede nilang basta bastang sabihing matatanggal 'yan because of Saudization. Sila din ang tatamaan no'n,” Josefino Torres, deputy administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), said.

"Because of OFWs, 10 million Filipinos have jobs. Because of OFWs, malls are enjoying brisk sales and banks are posting double-digit revenue and profit growth. Because of OFWs, and together with the business process outsourcing industry, the Philippines is experiencing what may be its longest real estate boom.” ~ Senator Manny B. Villar

References

13 November 2011

Rep. GMA's 'flight'

Both the legal community and the religious sector in Cebu say it’s her constitutional right. That even though her reason is not based on a medical condition, she is facing no legal case so she can travel whenever and wherever to this day.

What about the Filipinos’ right for justice then? And why is PNoy anywhere else?

Rep. GMA in the name of health

At least 500 orthopedic surgeons and 100 specialists on metabolic diseases can treat Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA) governor and an orthopedic surgeon Dr. Leo Olarte maintained.

She herself attested to this. She penned an executive order in October 2004 creating a private-public initiative—the Philippine Medical Tourism (PMTP) program—to promote health tourism and provide $2 billion to the country’s coffers annually.

She was right. The year after, about 1.26% of the total GDP (P68.5 billion) came from the PMTP program. Medical tourism had generated about .73% jobs in the Philippines.

But how else could it succeed if the former president insists to be treated abroad? How else would people believe that the Philippines has improved its healthcare competence and clinical labor force?

During the opening of the St. Luke's Medical Center Global City at The Fort in Taguig City, Rep. Macapagal-Arroyo complimented its ‘quantum leap in medical care.’ The P6.95-billion hospital built on 1.6-hectares with 629 patients' rooms and 400 doctors' clinics is three times bigger than its branch in Quezon City.

“If St. Luke's QC was ‘better than 95 percent of hospitals in America,’ the new facility is ‘better than 99 percent of the hospitals,’ then-President GMA was quoted saying. She had also claimed that ‘patients like her and her husband could now look forward to a treatment that is at par with, if not better than, the best hospitals in the world.’

Was that just a praise release?

Last year, worldwide medical tourism reaped $40 billion. This brought about Dennis Arroyo, the director of the National Economic Development Authority during GMA’s tenure, to conclude that ‘even the next administration will continue to gain from the growing medical tourism industry, which is expected to become a $3-billion industry by 2015.’

The central region of the country has 44 accredited hospitals by the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Tourism (DOT). Three of these were also approved by the Joint Commission International (JCI), an international organization providing accreditation for hospitals and other healthcare facilities worldwide.

The American Medical Association (AMA) has also been sending practicing physicians in their country to train here. Unsurprisingly, for the Philippines ranked 60th in delivering healthcare.

Still, the Pampanga representative believes ‘foreign specialists are the only ones who can treat her’ till today. The world-class hospital had admitted that the bone biopsy procedure she needed can only be done abroad.

(Read the other side of my argument.)

References

REFERENCE LIST

22 November 2011
A love lost that was found
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/11/22/11/old-woman-goes-great-lengths-find-husband
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-campaign-reunites-elderly-couple-20111125-1ny8m.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Does-True-Love-Last-Forever?&id=587753. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475905,00.html, http://www.enotalone.com/article/19423.html
http://www.helium.com/users/63465
http://www.stonybrook.edu/

21 November 2011
The network wars
http://www.pep.ph/news/32006/ABS-CBNs-Eugenio-Lopez-III:-For-me,-and-for-the-people-at-our-network,-working-at-ABS-CBN-is-not-a-job,-it-is-a-calling
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/238836/business/gma-network-chairman-ceo-felipe-gozon-to-speak-at-ad-congress
http://entertainment.inquirer.net/21405/ad-congress-told-tvs-big-3-not-a-crowd
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/238932/business/atty-gozon-gma-network-stays-in-tune-with-the-beat-of-technology-drum
http://www.pep.ph/news/31987/manny-pangilinan-sees-tv5-at-the-helm-of-digital-media-revolution-in-the-philippines
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Economy&title=Broadcasters-need-to-keep-up-with-the-changing-times&id=41879

20 November 2011
Saudi’s plan to cap remittances
http://www.thenational.ae/business/economy/saudi-cap-on-remittances-a-deterrent-for-expats
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/16723/clear-up-remittance-cap-issue-with-saudis-gov%E2%80%99t-urged
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNation.htm?f=2011/november/2/nation1.isx&d=2011/november/2
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/228166/pinoyabroad/solon-phl-could-lose-1-5-b-ofw-remittances-over-saudization
http://www.ofwguide.com/article_item-1566/POEA--Saudization-Will-Be-Implemented-Gradually--No-Impact-Yet-on-OFWs.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ofw-guide-ofw-news+%28OFW+News+from+OFWGuide.com%29
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/11/02/11/ph-urged-bolster-ties-saudi
http://www.filipinosabroad.com/ofw-news/ofw-remittances-total-1-715-july-2nd-highest-2011-%E2%80%93-bsp.html
http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/342245/the-50million-ofw-community
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/05/21/11/saudi-ph-impass%C3%A9-over-maids-pay-hike
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/233620/pinoyabroad/saudi-arabia-most-aggressive-recruiter-of-pinoy-nurses-tucp

13 November 2011
Rep. GMA in the name of health
http://www.medicaltourexperts.com/news/show/medical-tourism-economic-report
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20100116-247682/Arroyo-hails-new-hospital
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:4CUWfMgVIC0J:www.healthcore.com.ph/pdf/Philippine%2520Medical%2520Tourism%2520Compedium%25202011.pdf+medical+tourism+philippines+gloria+macapagal-arroyo&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&client=firefox-a
http://www.tourismandaviation.com/709-the-philippines-medical-tourism-a-3b-industry-by-2015.html
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=747086&publicationSubCategoryId=63
http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/top-stories/11061-pma-we-have-many-doctors-to-treat-her
http://www.rxpinoy.com/medicaltourismphilippines/v2/show-stage.php?ac=none
http://www.rxpinoy.com/medicaltourismphilippines/v2/show-stage.php?pti=2&ac=none
http://www.rxpinoy.com/medicaltourismphilippines/v2/show-stage.php?ac=none
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/international-medical-graduates/imgs-in-united-states/imgs-country-origin.page
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
http://www.keywordspeak.com/2011/11/gloria-arroyo-travel-ban.html
http://cdn.ph/news_details.php?id=11721

12 November 2011
Agriculture vs. Modernity
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/component/content/article/53-agri-commodities/19313-agricultures-share-to-total-employment-declining