Is it possible to predict earthquakes?

EDITORIAL

Immediately after the destruction and deaths caused by the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck the province of Abra and was felt in other parts of Luzon on Wednesday, July 27, Filipinos started to look for tips on how to properly prepare for an earthquake and mitigate its effects.
    Following the queries about preparation, another common question that resurfaces whenever a major earthquake occurs is this: Can earthquakes be predicted?
    Pinpoint prediction is impossible, according to an article by Lorenz Pasion.
    The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) always reminds the public that the exact time and place where earthquakes would occur cannot be predicted.
    “At present, no one has the capacity to determine when an earthquake will strike, at what precise magnitude, and where the strong one will hit,” he quoted Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum in an earlier Rappler report.
    The Phivolcs reiterated this in 2019 when a rumor of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake was predicted to strike in Metro Manila.
    On its frequently asked questions page, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) also said that neither USGS scientists nor any other scientists know “how to predict” major earthquakes and they do not expect “to know how anytime in the foreseeable future.”
    Earthquake prediction is impossible.
    In a BBC interview with USGS scientist emeritus Ross Stein, he explained that “the mass, elasticity, and friction of the plates vary in different areas.”
    The plates that Stein was referring to are the Earth’s tectonic plates. According to the USGS, these plates get stuck at their edges due to friction that causes stress to build up. 
    Eventually, the stress overcomes the friction that keeps the plates together, causing an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel in the Earth’s crust.
    Stein said that mass, elasticity, and friction can vary even in different parts of a fault. These small variations influence where and when an earthquake happens and how strong it will be.  
Limitations of modern science
    What the USGS and other earthquake-monitoring agencies such as the Phivolcs can only do is calculate the probability of a major earthquake happening in a specific area within a certain number of years. This is shown in the hazard mapping of the said agencies.
    However, hazard mapping cannot predict the exact time an earthquake would occur.
Solidum said in an interview with Rappler that the Phivolcs could tell “what magnitude and its effects” could be in an area where they have identified a fault.
    Earthquake hazard maps of the Philippines can be downloaded at the Phivolcs’ website. 
    The public can also request the following hazard maps from the Phivolcs’ Seismological Observation and Earthquake Prediction Division: 

• Probabilistic Ground Shaking Hazard Map

• Deterministic Ground Shaking Hazard Map 

• Seismicity Map 

    These hazard maps can provide details about the level of seismic activity of a certain area as well as how the ground of a specific area moves during earthquakes.
    Due to exact earthquake prediction being impossible in the current and foreseeable future, scientists are using other technology and probabilistic prediction methods to help the public prepare for earthquakes.
One example of such technology is the earthquake early warning system. According to the USGS, an early warning is a notification issued after an earthquake starts to alert the public when the shaking waves of a temblor will arrive at a specific location. 
    The early warning system gives people a few seconds of advanced warning that can give them time to protect themselves. An example of this is Japan’s Earthquake Early Warning System managed by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which issues prompt alerts.
    However, according to JMA, there are limitations to the early warning system, such as timing from when a warning is issued to the actual arrival of the main tremors. JMA said that the warning may not be transmitted to areas close to the earthquake’s focus.
    In the Philippines, the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council sends free mobile alerts during disasters such as an earthquake, although there are still discrepancies in the speed with which the alerts are sent, ranging from minutes to even hours.
    Earthquake forecasts are used by scientists to predict aftershocks, as most of them have the same pattern. Earthquake probabilities, meanwhile, are used to describe the long-term chances that an earthquake of a certain magnitude will happen during a particular time window.
    Due to the current limits of science, both scientists and government officials advise the public to prepare for earthquakes and encourage them to participate in earthquake drills such as the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill, a quarterly event last conducted in June 2022.

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‘Triangle of life’

BEHIND THE SCENES

Alfred P. Dizon

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Folks are incredulous when I tell them I never felt tremors or aftershocks of the killer July 27 earthquake which struck North Luzon reaching as far south of the main island.    
    I was driving along Buyagan Road here when Mother Nature unleashed its wrath. Little did I know that I was just a few meters up the road where the building collapsed pinning a construction worker to death below.
    Later while on the road to Baguio, I saw lots of people beside the road. I thought a public transport strike was on, only to know later this was not the case. What happened during and after the quake is all over the news.
            ***
Now, if you live in an area that experiences earthquakes, here is an article below you can share it with your children, friends and family – the “Triangle of life,” to protect yourself during a major earthquake. In light of the earthquake in NCR, Zambales, Samar, Davao Oriental and Occidental and recently North Luzon, it pays to be aware of the escape route when earthquake happens.
    Where should we go during an earthquake?
    Remember that stuff about hiding under a table, ducking or standing in a doorway during earthquake drills? Here is an eye opener.
            ***
Excerpt from Doug Copp’s article on the “Triangle of life:”
    My name is Doug Copp. I am the Rescue Chief and Disaster Manager of the American Rescue Team International (ARTI ), the world’s most experienced rescue team. The information in this article will save lives in an earthquake.
    I have crawled inside 875 collapsed buildings, worked with rescue teams from 60 countries, founded rescue teams in several countries, and I am a member of many rescue teams from many countries. I was the United Nations expert in Disaster Mitigation for two years, and have worked at every major disaster in the world since 1985, except for simultaneous disasters.
    The first building I ever crawled inside of was a school in Mexico City during the 1985 earthquake. Every child was under its desk. Every child was crushed to the thickness of their bones. They could have survived by lying down next to their desks in the aisles. It was obscene — unnecessary.
    Simply stated, when buildings collapse, the weight of the ceilings falling upon the objects or furniture inside crushes these objects, leaving a space or void next to them – NOT under them. This space is what I call the ‘triangle of life’. The larger the object, the stronger, the less it will compact. The less the object compacts, the larger the void, the greater the probability that the person who is using this void for safety will not be injured. The next time you watch collapsed buildings, on television, count the ‘triangles’ you see formed. They are everywhere. It is the most common shape, you will see, in a collapsed building.
    If you are inside a vehicle, come out and sit or lie down next to it. If something falls on the vehicle, it will leave an empty space along the sides. See below:
Tips for earthquake safety
Mostly everyone who simply ‘ducks and covers’ when building collapse are crushed to death. People who get under objects, like desks or cars, are crushed.
    Cats, dogs and babies often naturally curl up in the fetal position. You should too in an earthquake. It is a natural safety/survival instinct. You can survive in a smaller void. Get next to an object, next to a sofa, next to a bed, next to a large bulky object that will compress slightly but leave a void next to it.
    Wooden buildings are the safest type of construction to be in during an earthquake. Wood is flexible and moves with the force of the earthquake. If the wooden building does collapse, large survival voids are created. Also, the wooden building has less concentrated, crushing weight. Brick buildings will break into individual bricks. Bricks will cause many injuries but less squashed bodies than concrete slabs.
    If you are in bed during the night and an earthquake occurs, simply roll off the bed. A safe void will exist around the bed. Hotels can achieve a much greater survival rate in earthquakes, simply by posting a sign on the back of the door of every room telling occupants to lie down on the floor, next to the bottom of the bed during an earthquake.
    If an earthquake happens and you cannot easily escape by getting out the door or window, then lie down and curl up in the fetal position next to a sofa, or large chair.
    Most everyone who gets under a doorway when buildings collapse is killed. How? If you stand under a doorway and the doorjamb falls forward or backward you will be crushed by the ceiling above. If the door jam falls sideways you will be cut in half by the doorway. In either case, you will be killed!
    Never go to the stairs.
    The stairs have a different ‘moment of frequency’ (they swing separately from the main part of the building). The stairs and remainder of the building continuously bump into each other until structural failure of the stairs takes place. The people who get on stairs before they fail are chopped up by the stair treads – horribly mutilated.
Even if the building doesn’t collapse, stay away from the stairs. The stairs are a likely part of the building to be damaged. Even if the stairs are not collapsed by the earthquake, they may collapse later when overloaded by fleeing people. They should always be checked for safety, even when the rest of the building is not damaged.
Get near the outer walls of buildings or outside of them if possible – It is much better to be near the outside of the building rather than the interior. The farther inside you are from the outside perimeter of the building the greater the probability that your escape route will be blocked.
    People inside of their vehicles are crushed when the road above falls in an earthquake and crushes their vehicles; which is exactly what happened with the slabs between the decks of the Nimitz Freeway.
    The victims of the San Francisco earthquake all stayed inside of their vehicles. They were all killed. They could have easily survived by getting out and sitting or lying next to their vehicles. Everyone killed would have survived if they had been able to get out of their cars and sit or lie next to them.
    All the crushed cars had voids three feet high next to them, except for the cars that had columns fall directly across them.
    I discovered, while crawling inside of collapsed newspaper offices and other offices with a lot of paper, that paper does not compact. Large voids are found surrounding stacks of paper.
    Spread the word and save someone’s life…
    The entire world is experiencing natural calamities so be prepared! ‘We are but angels with one wing, it takes two to fly.’
    In 1996 we made a film, which proved my survival methodology to be correct.
    The Turkish Federal Government, City of Istanbul, University of Istanbul Case Productions and ARTI cooperated to film this practical, scientific test. We collapsed a school and a home with 20 mannequins inside.
Ten mannequins did ‘duck and cover,’ and ten mannequins I used in my ‘triangle of life’ survival method. After the simulated earthquake collapse we crawled through the rubble and entered the building to film and document the results. The film, in which I practiced my survival techniques under directly observable, scientific conditions, relevant to building collapse, showed there would have been zero percent survival for those doing duck and cover.
    There would likely have been 100 percent survivability for people using my method of the ‘triangle of life.’
    This film has been seen by millions of viewers on television in Turkey and the rest of Europe, and it was seen in the USA, Canada and Latin America on the TV program Real TV.

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Why did Bongbong abolish PACC?

PERRYSCOPE

Perry Diaz

ON DAY ONE of his presidency, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) No. 1, which was to abolish the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) as well as the Office of Secretary.  Marcos’ reason for the abolition was to achieve “simplicity, economy, and efficiency.”
    In his EO, Marcos stated that to achieve “simplicity, economy, and efficiency” in bureaucracy without affecting disruptions in internal management and general governance, “the administration shall streamline official processes and procedures.”
    Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said there was no need to retain the PACC, saying that its powers and functions are “not in line with streamlining.”
    “First of all, its nature is investigative, which can also be conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman. So, usually, what they do is they gather evidence on presidential appointees and file the case with the Ombudsman,” she said.
    Also, lawyer Tony La Viña, former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said Marcos’ decision to deactivate the PACC was needed, saying that its work “can be done by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES).”
Weaken fight against corruption
But Greco Belgica, PACC head in 2021, disagreed with La Viña’s assessment.  He warned that the move could weaken the fight against corruption.  He said that PACC played a key role especially when the Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) has its hands full of cases to investigate.  “Without PACC,” Belgica said, “no one would know what is happening, most especially on corruption issues.”
    He reasoned that when people are not aware of corruption in the government because cases are not resolved, “corruption will proliferate because no one gets penalized.”
    Indeed, without the PACC, “DESLA shall make recommendations on matters requiring its action, to the executive secretary for approval, adoption or modification by the President,” Marcos’ EO No. 1 said, which doesn’t really streamline the process.  On the contrary, it adds extra steps to the process.  It adds another level of administration by including the DESLA to the equation.   EO No. 1 shall promulgate rules of procedure in administrative cases under its jurisdiction, provided that those promulgated by the PACC “shall remain in force.”  But while DESLA works against corruption, it is also handling the “external and internal legal issues of the President.  It then becomes a question of priority.  The DESLA has to prioritize its workload – corruption investigation versus legal issues.   Ultimately, the President would have to intervene, whether to put more effort in fighting corruption or handling external and internal issues. 
Justification
In an attempt to justify the abolition of PACC, Cruz-Angeles said in a press briefing:  “Basically the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission… is not in line with streamlining. First of all, its nature is investigative, which can also be conducted by the Office of the Ombudsman.”
    Cruz-Angeles said that the PACC gathers evidence on presidential appointees and then files a case with the Ombudsman. However, she pointed out that a complaint could directly be filed with the Ombudsman even without the PACC.
    However, according to former PACC Commissioner Manuelito Luna, the PACC is not a mere duplicate of the Office of the Ombudsman because they have differing jurisdictions.  He said there is coordination between them and the Ombudsman regarding the handling of cases.
    “If a presidential appointee with a salary grade 26 or up, the case is usually referred to the Ombudsman; otherwise, PACC handles the case,” Luna said. “However, the president retains the power to administratively deal with his own appointee.  When it comes to presidential appointees, the president has the power to appoint as well as to remove or discipline.”  And that’s where it becomes political.
PACC workload
Belgica said that from October 2017 to June 2022, the PACC addressed 13,000 complaints and that 154 criminal and administrative cases had been filed, 24 individuals were sent to prison and 800 government employees were removed from office.  That’s a lot of workload and the results were impressive, which begs the question: Can the DESLA handle the workload without assigning additional personnel to handle them? I doubt it.  And this could lead to further delays and backlog in investigating corruption case.  It could then lead to a repeat of the old system before PACC was created: cases piled up from three administrations before President Duterte took over. It was only when Duterte created PACC on October 4, 2017 that the backlog eased and corruption cases were investigated.
    The PACC, which was created by Duterte’s EO No. 43 in 2017, had the mandate to “directly assist the President in investigating and/or hearing administrative cases primarily involving graft and corruption against all presidential appointees.”
    The EO stated, “there is a need to create a separate commission […] solely dedicated to providing assistance to the President in the investigation and hearing of administrative cases and complaints.”
    It likewise had the mandate to conduct lifestyle checks or fact-finding investigations concerning presidential appointees and other public officers allegedly involved in graft and corrupt practices.
Going back to old problem
Belgica stressed that he respects the decision of Marcos, he said he is hoping that the government will strengthen the fight against corruption: “If DESLA will not get a boost, like enough staff, we will go back to the old problem.”
    “If the government will strengthen the Ombudsman, it’s better. Whatever it is that the government will boost, resources should be increased, jurisdiction should be widened, and there should be enough staff,” he said.
Duterte’s EO provided that the PACC shall “have the power, on complaint or motu proprio (on its own), and concurrently with the Office of the Ombudsman, to hear, investigate, receive, gather, and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports, and information.”
    It’s sad that Marcos had to abolish PACC, which had done a terrific job in pursuing corruption cases against presidential appointees.  In effect, what Marcos did was to go back to the days when corrupt presidential appointees would remain untouchable only because of a slow system of investigating corruption cases, which makes one wonder:  Why did Bongbong abolish PACC?  I can only surmise that he probably wanted his friends to know that happy days are here again.
(PerryDiaz@gmail.com)

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Shake, rattle and roll

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

Wednesday morning, I was watching the news when the TV started dancing. It was 8:40 a.m. on my clock. The shaking became more violent so I had to hold the TV set. As the earthquake struck, people along Magsaysay Avenue were screaming and scampering in all directions.
    I could not see anybody doing the “drop, cover, and hold on” drill that has been continuously taught to school children, teachers, and government office staff. The earthquake drill was supposed to be done when the ground shakes.
    Truth is, humans forget about what has been practiced several times when the real temblor strikes. I admit, I did not drop, cover and hold when the house and everything in it was shaking. Instead, I obeyed my natural reaction and just held on to the TV to stop it from falling.
    That’s it. The earthquake shook us, we were rattled and confused, and then we rolled. Nobody dropped, covered and held on as instructed during drill school. Maybe we wasted time trying hard to implant discipline into our brains.   
    Then the shaking subsided. I ran down outside the house to find my little boys huddled with their parents at the garage entrance. Thank God, no one was hurt. Inside the rooms, boxes and books were on the floor.
    In the kitchen, a collection of rare whiskey and wine bottles and ceramic figurines that were fixed on top of the ref fell. As I picked up the broken pieces, I thought to myself that if the shaking took longer than 30 seconds just like the 1990 killer earthquake, surely buildings toppled and a number of deaths could have been reported.    
    Later that morning, the US Geological Survey (USGS) came up with the first report saying the earthquake struck northern Luzon at magnitude 7.1 at 8:43 a.m. local time. The epicenter was about 13 kilometers southeast of the small town of Dolores, Abra province and had a depth of 10 kilometers, according to USGS.
    The magnitude 7.1 tremor was later downgraded to magnitude 7.0 but still it was so strong that it was felt in other parts of Luzon, including the Malacanang office of President Marcos who admitted seeing the chandelier swinging. If so, that means the earthquake shook Manila as well.
    Earlier, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported its death toll at only four, while some 131 persons sustained injuries. All four deaths happened in the Cordillera. Careless netizens confused the public saying a fifth death occurred in Cagayan, but upon verification, the NDRRMC found out that the news was fake.
    The NDRRMC reported that damages for 34 infrastructure in the Cordillera and Ilocos Region reached more than P30 million. Meanwhile, 11 houses were reported completely destroyed out of a total of 868 houses that were initially damaged.
    I heard President Marcos say in a press briefing that they will try to help defray repair expenses of destroyed private houses after government assessment. That is good news and a first of its kind for destroyed houses getting refunded.
    Although, privately-owned real properties are repaid if these are encroached by public roads. The NDRRMC reported that a total of 23 roads and five bridges were destroyed or closed to traffic by the earthquake. Five of these are access roads to Benguet, Baguio and the Cordillera.
    These are Kennon and Palispis-Aspiras highways, Beckel-Andres Cosalan highway, Bua-Itogon road, and Halsema highway that was totally blocked by a rockslide at the Bauko section.
    The initial situational report by the NDRRMC said at least 12,945 individuals were affected. I do not exactly get what that means. Maybe the agency is talking about people who were physically affected which can be treated as time passes.
    What is not easy to heal is the psychological effect and the mental trauma that the incident has brought to many individuals. The fear and experience brought by the 1990 killer earthquake comes back every time a temblor strikes.
    Imagine the torture one gets with every aftershock. Dr. Renato U. Solidum, Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said they have recorded around 800 aftershocks since Wednesday. Imagine the shake, the rattle, the roll and torture.

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Mobile anti-Covid-19 boosters set in Baguio

CITY HALL BEAT

Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Health Services Office (CHSO) is prepared to conduct mobile vaccination operations in workplaces, communities, places of convergence and even in events.
    This is in line with the directive of
    Mayor Benjamin Magalong to ramp up booster rollout in the city in compliance with the call President Bongbong Marcos for leveling up of booster accomplishment nationwide.

    Companies, barangays, organizers and residents wishing to avail of vaccination services may contact the nearest district health centers for scheduling and coordination.

    City Health Services Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo said this is among the CHSO's strategies to beef up booster dispensation in the city.

    The city has overshot the national target for primary dosage but has yet to improve on the accomplishment of targets on first and second boosters.

    The Dept. of Health has just expanded the coverage of booster dosage to those aged 50 years old and up and to 18-49 with comorbidities.

    Last July 29, the office set up mobile vaccination center for city government employees and willing clients.        ***

    City Hall plans to level up interior design of its offices to make them more functional and suitable to the needs of both the employees and the transacting public.

    “As with other projects like the parks and barangay halls, we should have upgraded standards for our offices not only for aesthetical purposes but also for functionality,” Mayor Magalong said.

    The City Administrator's Office refurbished in 2021 now serves as a model for office renovation and fit-outing (finishing) for other City Hall offices. 

    It features modernized interior design that mirrors that of a corporate setting.  The layout also suits the new normal requirements for a safe workplace.

    City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña said the materials used were stylish but economical including the cost-effective lighting fixtures. 

    The design included small details like the provision of a built-in box to secure cables and wires for neatness and organization. 

    Dela Peña said renovations of offices are done based on prioritization due to limited budget.

    After the City Administrator’s Office, other offices urgently needing upgrading will follow based on available finances.

    Renovation however will be confined to the interior and will not cover the facade since City Hall building is a structure of historical significance mandated to be preserved, Dela Peña said.

 ***

    The Baguio City Police Office under Col. Glenn Lonogan proved that crime fighters can also be champions of the environment by initiating the recent July Junk Couture Contest as part of the Baguio Fashion Week celebration.

     The BCPO partnered with Old Baguio Café, OTOP Philippines Hub Cordillera powered by Wilvy Shows Entertainment Productions and with the special participation of KALIPI Women’s Organization led by president Lolit Castro and different barangays.

    The activity was more than a simple competition as the participants expressed their creativity and resourcefulness through the use of recycled materials in their fashion creations.

    The show promoted environmental sustainability hoping to inspire other fashion designers and other professionals in the field to develop, create and display high-end couture made from rubbish and discarded objects.

    Lt. Col. Judy Jasmin Palicos, BCPO Community Affairs and Development chief, P Maj. Maila Alog, Police Station 6 commander and Mr. Ricmar Agas, featured designer of Ibadum from La Union, served as the contest's on-site judges.

    Marissa Bomogao, featured designer of MB Collections and Julie Vergara, featured designer of Julies Creation were also present.

    The event is a part of the Aurora Hill Police Station's 27th PCR Month Celebration.

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Types of anemia

WELLNEWS

Victor Romulo Gallardo Dumaguing, MD

A person does not have to race or run a mile to have easy fatigability; or she does not have to see a ghost or be surprised by her mother-in-law for her face to turn paper-white, if the person is anemic.
    As strongly emphasized in the previous article, a person with low blood pressure-lower than 90/60 mmHg-is NOT anemic. From a clinical perspective, the symptoms or complaints of the anemic patient- he/she gets tired easily, dizziness, palpitations, chest pains; and the signs or the findings of the examining physician- pallor or paleness of the conjunctiva of the eyes, lips, nail beds, little or no creases on the palms, tachycardia/fast heart rate, tachypnea/fast shallow breathing; are due to LOW HEMOGLOBIN which is the pigment which imparts the red color to erythrocytes or red blood cells. 
    Hemoglobin is the carrier of Oxygen to the different cells of the body; a variant, myoglobin transports O2 to the muscles , particularly skeletal muscles-muscles attached to bones- Hemoglobin is composed of a protein globin and a heme, which is mostly iron and with some copper elements.
    IRON-DEFICIENCY ANEMIA is the most common type of anemia; primary if there is a nutritional deficiency of its rich-sources; examples are leaves and fruits of bitter gourd/ampalaya and livers especially chickens’ Secondary iron-deficiency occurs in persons with bleeding issues like peptic ulcer, hemorrhoids, profuse and excessive frequent menstrual  flow-metrorrhagia/menorrhagia; cancers especially of the colon. In children and adolescents, helminthiasis or parasitic infestation is a common cause of iron-deficiency particularly Hookworms. Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale are two species of worms which suck blood in the small intestines of patients.
    Recommended daily allowance for elemental iron for adults is 55-65 mg per day, with a higher dose for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Popular iron supplements are ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate, which could be potentially irritating to the stomach, thus the tablets/capsules should be taken after meals.
MEGALOBLASTIC ANEMIA is due to a structural abnormality of the red blood cells, which in its normal adult configuration should look like a dumbbell or biconcave disc with 7.2 microns in size. Like all cellular components of the blood- platelets/thrombocytes, white blood cells/leukocytes, red blood cells/erythrocytes start their growth process within the bone marrow of flat bones-pelvis, ribs, breast bone/strernum
    The fundamental defect in megaloblastic anemia is “ an arrest in the growth, maturation of red blood cell” so that big round red blood cells called NORMOBLASTare released into the blood stream, which in fairness, can carry already oxygen because it has already hemoglobin in its cell membrane. However, because of its huge humongous size, as the blood passes through the sinuses of the spleen-so-called the graveyard of red blood cells- the frictional forces exerted on its outer membranes lead to is easy hemolysis/breakage earlier than the usual 120 days normal life span of healthy adult red blood cells.
    Folic acid or vitamin B9 deficiency is a cause of megaloblastic anemia. Folic acid, together with iodine and iron, is one of the important nutrients, strictly and highly recommended in the diet of pregnant women in their first trimester to prevent neurologic structural abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord of the baby. Also called pteroyl glutamic acid, folic acid or folinic acid richest sources are related to its name-foliage- yes indeed, green leafy veggies, which we have in abundance in the Cordilleras.
    PERNICIOUS ANEMIA is similar to megaloblastic anemia in terms of the release of large round red cells called NORMOBLAST info the peripheral circulation or bloodstream, in other words, there is an arrest in the maturation of red blood cell into its adult form, which is also due to deficiency of vitamin B12. Cobalamin which comes in hydroxy,nitrito, cyano forms is the biggest vitamin which is derived only from animal sources, an important fact emphasized among strict vegans-those whose source of proteins are just vegetables or plant-based nutrients. Pernicious anemia is more serious than megaloblastic anemia because of neurologic signs and symptoms traced to abnormalities of spinal cord functions especially in the transmission of sensory impulses to the brain.
    Other forms of anemia are sickle cell anemia common among folks of subSaharan Africans and hemolytic anemia seen among patients belonging to the yellow race, a form of hypersensitivity to some medicines like anti-malarials and sulfonamides.
    It is the modest and sincere hope of the columnist that when our readers have their blood pressure taken, they now know how different anemia is from low blood pressure.
Next Week: What Foods Women Should Eat for Healthy Heart
 
 
           
 

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Olowan reports Baguio City SP’s performance

Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan, during the executive-legislative agenda on July 11, presented the performance of the Baguio City Council for the term 2019-2022 in attainment of the city government’s 16-point agenda.
    According to Olowan, 394 ordinances and 1,981 resolutions were passed and approved by the city council for the period July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022 with a total of 2,375 legislations.
    Of the 2,375, more or less 329 enacted resolutions and ordinances were linked to the 16-point agenda.
    Among the 16 points, expanding health and social services was the most legislated.
    “Many of these legislations were enacted at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic where the local government exhausted its resources and manpower and worked with the private sector to send relief and deliver basic services to the constituents, especially to the most impacted sectors,” Olowan said.
    Ranked second as the most legislated was aggressive traffic management. Olowan said the city council showed “strong commitment” in complementing the executive department’s effort to come up with strategic interventions to solve traffic congestion in the city and to combat the phenomenon called ‘carmageddon’ during the peak season.
    Coming third in the ranking is Innovating Peace and Order. The vice mayor said the legislative department had done well in legislating laws for the attainment of peace and order to sustain the city’s identity as a worthy place to study, work, live, and do business.
    “The city council will continue to do so in order to sustain what the city has been able to establish in terms of maintaining peace and order in our communities,” Olowan declared.
    Fourth in the ranking is Strengthened Livelihood and Entrepreneurial Service. Tied in the fifth rank are Responsive Education Program and Resolution of IP Land Issues and other Land Issues in the City.
    Coming behind are Revitalizing the Environment; Poverty Reduction; and Enlivened Culture, Arts, Crafts and Heritage as placed in the seventh, eighth, and ninth ranks respectively.
    Ranked tenth is Efficient Disaster Preparedness.
    Market Modernization and Empowering the Youth are tied in the eleventh rank; Empowered and Accountable Barangay Governance is ranked thirteenth; and Speeding up Government Action is ranked fourteenth.
    Placed at the bottom of the ranking is Responsible Tourism.
    Olowan said the sixteenth point agenda which is “Happiness” was not included in the ranking because, according to him, “it is an abstract concept which can only be attained through tangible and concrete goals.     When all our plans and goals are realized, only then can we achieve happiness.”
    He further claimed that the realization of the 15-point agenda of the City Government of Baguio “will lead to the contentment, well-being, and happiness of the people of Baguio.”
    Nevertheless, Mayor Benjamin Magalong explained later that Happiness will remain as part of the city government’s agenda for the next three years or so. According to him, it would be wise to measure or assess the happiness, satisfaction, wellbeing, and level of resilience of the people of Baguio using a survey called Happiness Index.
    Happiness Index focuses on 10 areas of a person’s or people’s life/lives. These are Satisfaction with life; Psychological Well Being; Physical Health; Time Balance; Lifelong Learning, Arts and Culture; Community; Social Support; Environment; Government; Standard of Living; and Work.

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Warrior Adiwang: Collective strength needed after quake

SPORTS

Carlo Quinto

Team Lakay star Lito Adiwang is positive that survivors of the recent earthquake in Northern Luzon are capable of getting back up, no matter how difficult it could be.
    Adiwang said that his house in Baguio City got minor damages after a Magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which had its epicenter in the town of Tayum, Abra, devastated Northern Luzon this past Wednesday.
    While he and his family are safe from the tremors, the same couldn’t be said for the others in the region.
    The emerging ONE Championship star said that the recovery process from the ordeal will be difficult, but he knows that his fellow Filipinos will eventually get back on their feet sooner rather than later.
    “I’m doing great and recovering well. I’m safe and so is my family from the earthquake. There are a few cracks outside the house, while our house also had some minor cracks. Unfortunately, some of the houses and buildings in Baguio totally collapsed,” said Adiwang.
    “I know that it’s hard, we all do, especially now that there’s still the global COVID-19 pandemic and this earthquake happened. But we have to face the reality and get back up once more. We can do this, we can get back on our feet. We’ve been through stronger earthquakes before and we were able to recover. Our local officials are reaching out and helping, so we also have to do our part to help each other the best we can.”
    Adiwang admitted that he was shocked when the earthquake hit, and one of the first things he did once the tremors stopped was to check on his family and his house.
    The strawweight contender, however, couldn’t take the thought of his fellow Filipinos potentially suffering from the earthquake out of his mind.
    “All I can do at this moment is to offer my words of inspiration that we can recover. I know it’s going to be difficult, but we have to help each other the best we can.”
    Adiwang, who’s still recovering from his torn anterior cruciate ligament, doesn’t have a match lined up in the next ONE Championship events, but he’s still excited for the coming ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on August 27, Singapore time, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
    Fans can catch the event live by grabbing ahold of the hottest ticket in town in this link
https://bit.ly/ONEFN1
 

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Baguio honors Ibaloy artist Roland Bay-an

Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY – The city government of this summer capital led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong presented a Certificate of Lifelong Recognition and Appreciation to Baguio-born Ibaloy artist Roland Bay-an during the flag-raising rites at City Hall on Monday, July 25.
    The certificate states: "For his enduring and unparalleled dedication to Cordilleran visual art with his signature 'slash and dash' style that continuously inspires and rejuvenates individuals who come face-to-face with his masterpieces. And so with his commitment in helping the city government in his personal capacity as well as his leadership in organizing other artists to share their God-given talents, thereby immensely contributing to the city's efforts in sustaining its status as a Creative City."
    In her introduction, Assistant City Health Officer Dr. Celia Brillantes said Bay-an was born and spent most of his youth in Barangay Trancoville, where he discovered his talent for drawing in Grade 3.
    When he was a third year high school student at Saint Louis University, his teacher asked him to join an art contest, something which he did not enjoy since he believes that an artwork has its own unique beauty and value that should not be pitted against other artworks.
    "His loving mamang (mother) instilled in him and his siblings the values of humility, respect, doing good and being good at all times and most of all, being content with what they have. These are the values that he still practices up to this day," Brillantes said..
    She said Bay-an is the second of four children of poor parents. His manang (sister) Teresita, 12 years his senior, worked at an early age to help make ends meet. He and his younger siblings, Robert and Peter, also learned to work at a young age.
    Bay-an worked his way through secondary school as a waiter at the then Dainty Restaurant, where he spent his free time drawing and painting when there were few customers.
    The absence of art materials at the restaurant taught him to experiment and be resourceful — important traits that he shares to his young students up to now.
    "If a material is capable of producing color, go on. Don't be afraid to experiment and discover the various aspects of the material in your canvas," he advised his students.
    Except for his father who was musically inclined, Bay-an does not remember anyone else in the family with any artistic inclinations. He remembers seeing his mamang beaming with pride whenever she would hear praises for his work and his manang Teresita crying whenever his paintings were sold.
    Not being able to go to formal art school, Bay-an honed his craft under the tutelage of local artists Bayard Aquitania, Santi Bose, Darnay Demetillo and other pioneers of "Tahong Bundok," one of the city's original art groups.
    He is currently with the Pasakalye Group of Artists formed by bookseller and art patron Maricar Docyogen, who gives him a venue to share to others what he knows and allows him to continue honing his craft as an artist, Brillantes said.
    "At 69 and many sold artworks later, he is still the same person: a man with a quiet, unassuming presence but with an endless passion for what he loves most — painting.
    He is still a shy mangu Ibaloy who prefers to be on the sidelines and reluctant to speak in front of a crowd like this. He has turned down so many offers, including a stint in Paris, because he wanted to avoid the limelight," Brillantes said.

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