As Filipinos, we naturally have an emotional connection to food. We love to celebrate occasions and have a feast. Even during difficult times, for instance, at a wake, food has never been absent. We share food during joyful times, as well as sorrowful moments. These instances, however, do not...
I recently sat through a case study on Moderna—yes, that Moderna, the Covid-19 vaccine—and walked away thinking less about mRNA and more about how we look after our own bodies. Stay with me here. Moderna’s CEO once described his company this way: “We’re a technology company that happens...
“Spot sa baga, mahina ang lungs.” These are just two of the euphemisms Filipinos use to refer to tuberculosis (TB), the disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Historically, a lot of shame and stigma have been associated with a diagnosis of tuberculosis. It is still seen as a disease of...
By Dr. Ernest Roberto H. Manas Consultant, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck SurgeryAsian ENT CenterAsian Hospital and Medical Center When whispers become harder to hear, noise becomes too difficult to tolerate, and you weirdly feel “off,” these are often signals that there may be something wrong...
There’s a particular kind of exhaustion that only happens in medicine. Not the physical kind, though that’s real too, but the kind that sets in when you know exactly what a patient needs and you also know that the science simply isn’t there yet. I’ve felt it in the clinic. I felt it during...
Almost everyone has probably experienced getting a fever at least once in their lives, right? Have you tried having a sponge bath to help bring the body temperature down? It must have helped a lot, even if you had to take medications. Have you ever suffered from constipation, and it was resolved...
A good friend recently asked me if I had problems reconciling giving vaccines with my Catholic beliefs. I told him that there was absolutely no conflict, and I mentioned that Pope Francis, during the Covid-19 pandemic, strongly advocated for vaccination . Pope Francis specifically mentioned that...
Majority of people may have experienced loose bowel movement at least once in their lifetime. Acute diarrhea may last for a day or two as a result of consuming contaminated food or food poisoning. It can also be caused by viruses, such as in gastroenteritis (commonly referred to as the stomach...
The attack on Iran by the US and Israel and the resulting retaliation had the unfortunate consequence of closing the airspace above the Middle East and stranding thousands of travelers. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Qatar are major global airline hubs, and any disruption in their operations has massive...
Let me be honest with you: I didn’t fully understand self-regulation until I sat in Teacher Ana Quijano’s self-regulation workshop and experienced Kaizen in Leadership Excellence Achievement Program (LEAP) innov8 this weekend. I thought I did. I’m a physician. I know the science. But knowing...
March is dedicated to all the women as the country celebrates National Women’s Month. Dedicating an entire month to advocating for women did not stem from a whim. There are at least three legal bases for National Women’s Month. Proclamation No. 224 s. 1988, signed by the late President Corazon...
A substantial portion of the cases I see in the clinic are prospective overseas workers who test positive on screening for infectious diseases during their pre-employment screening. While being diagnosed with an infectious disease you didn’t know about is stressful enough, this is further...
