UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Sinophobia is a fear or dislike of China, Chinese people and/or culture. It is frequently directed at ethnic Chinese living elsewhere and involves issues of immigration, nationalism, ideology, wealth disparity and even past history and racism. The recent spate of news...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The recent Senate committee report on the legalization of cannabis as medicine was signed by 13 senators which moves the bill closer to being passed by the Senate. Alongside this significant event is the American Congress passing a bill decriminalizing marijuana possession and...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Philippine Horticulture and Urban Agriculture Summit 2024 was held May 3-6, 2024 at the A Mall, Makati City. As an avid gardener and orchid hybridizer, I eagerly attended what was promised as a meeting of minds among stakeholders in the industry and government officials...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE It’s summer, and we are going to see outbreaks of food – and water-borne diseases, one of which is cholera. Cholera is an acute gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio cholerae, which causes profuse watery diarrhea. Without adequate fluid replacement, acute and severe dehydration...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Travelling is a great way to seek new sights, tastes, experiences and insights. Thus, the itch is always there, tugging at your heartstrings to look for the novel, strange, fascinating and beautiful. Hence, along with two veteran travelers, I tagged along hoping for such. It...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Recently, a friend sent me a news item in which a doctor was referred to as a “public health expert,” which sent him into a paroxysm of anger. He pointed out that the guy was not one, and he was right. Indeed, some local media practitioners are guilty of lack of...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Last Monday, March 25, 2024, was the launching of the PeerLinc Knowledge Hub, (Peer-to-peer Learning for Innovative Cures for TB), a project of the TB Alliance which has identified the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF) to host the project in the Philippines. Attending as...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE As of today, there are reports of multiple outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in different areas of the country. In Pasig City, two of 17 children with pertussis (known as whooping cough because of the sound produced by coughing in affected persons) died of the...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE The Senate just approved a bill that will finally (if enacted into law) allow absolute divorce in the Philippines. Known as Senate Bill No. 2443, or “Dissolution of Marriage Act,” it was signed by no less than nine senators and provides grounds for divorce....
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE As a heath professional, I recognize the importance of face masks in health care, which was most evident during the pandemic. But the pandemic is over. Presently, Covid-19 is treated as an endemic disease, with low rates of hospitalization and death similar to the flu. The...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Genetic genealogy is the use of DNA tests in combination with traditional genealogical methods to infer genetic relationships between individuals. Being in the DNA testing field for many years, I’ve been asked many times about the tests for ancestry offered online by the...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Finally, I took the plunge. I’ve been waiting for a while for more pure electric vehicles (EVs) to come into the Philippine market and felt it was time to make a decision. We all have a responsibility to make a difference in combating climate change. Each of us has choices to...
