UNDER THE MICROSCOPE A recent Reuters story reported that the United States military launched a secret operation to discredit China-made Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine in spring 2020 and lasting until mid-2021. It was in response to China’s perceived growing influence around the world,...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Artificial Intelligence (AI) hugged the headlines recently with Pope Francis warning: “Yet at the same time, it (AI) could bring with it greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes.” He further insists...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE Senate Bill 2675 has been filed by Senator Lito Lapid which will mandate food service establishments to disclose caloric and nutritional information in their menus. According to the explanatory notes, “Nutrient content information provided at the time of food selection in...
UNDER THE MICROSCOPE “Medice, curate ipsum” comes from the Bible, Luke 4:23: “Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, ‘Physician heal thyself’; whatsoever we have done in Capernaum, do also in thy country.” This column will not be very popular among my fellow doctors. But please...
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...
