...the Pinay farmer turned UN Nutrition Ambassador

This Pinay farmer Is Now A UN Nutrition 

Ambassador

Cheeky Albay
Cosmopolitan Philippines
03 November 2019

We first featured Cherrie D. Atilano earlier this year for her mission of “Making Farming Sexy”—encouraging young Filipinos, women especially, to go into farming like she has. But it wasn’t just that catchy slogan that got us hooked.

Cherrie’s inspiring story makes her life peg material: She grew up working on a sugarcane farm in Negros Occidental, graduated magna cum laude with a degree in agriculture from the Visayas State University, gave up a Fulbright scholarship in the US so she could stay in the Philippines and help local farmers, and founded AGREA, an award-winning Marinduque-based social enterprise which aims to help eradicate poverty for farming and fishing families, alleviate the effects of climate change, and help establish food security in the Philippines.

Impressed yet? There’s more. The 33-year-old Pinay has just been appointed by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres as a Lead Group member of the UN’s Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, the goal of which is to ensure a world free from malnutrition by 2030.

As a SUN Lead Group member - one of only 27 from around the world and only Southeast Asian on the list! - Cherrie is now a high-level ambassador for the UN , a role she will hold until 2021.

Below, Cherrie tells us how her trip to the UN Headquarters in New York went, how she'll serve as a newly-minted UN Nutrition ambassador, and how YOU can make your own mark like she has.

What she’s been up to since her last Cosmo interview:

"We launched AGREA programs in Siargao—both More Love for Women Farmers, which makes the island the first women-led agriculture island in the Philippines; and The Garden Classroom Program for public elementary schools, which will allow pupils to learn how to grow their own food, harvest organic vegetables for their feeding program, and love nature at the same time. We will be replicating the AGREA Farm School and Farm Business in the island by next year. 

I grew much wisdom, I must say. So many beautiful things have happened and most of them had me overcoming challenges and waking up every morning with so much hope."

How she and AGREA got the attention of the UN:

"AGREA received the UN Global Compact Agriculture Business Excellence Award in 2017. I also met some people in the UN when I spoke at the World Economic Forum’s New Vision for Agriculture event in Switzerland in 2014. I’ve also been invited several times to UN events in New York and Rome, and also to sustainability conferences around the world.

However, the main reason they chose me is my 21-year advocacy in agriculture, one I’ve had since I was young. As the SUN secretariat said to me, my movement of “Making Farming Sexy” should reach every corner of the world.

I also embody what it’s like to be a female leader in a male-dominated industry, I’m young, and I’m from the ASEAN, which has been called the next frontier."

About the SUN Movement:

"The principle of the SUN Movement is that everyone has the right to food and nutrition, and these two should go hand in hand. The movement addresses the problem of 149 million children who are suffering from malnutrition—which has devastating consequences for health, learning, future earning potential, economic development, resilience, and security. The mission is to work towards a world
free from malnutrition, in all forms, by 2030, nourishing people and planet together."

Her responsibilities as a SUN Movement Lead Group member:

"I support the 60 member countries and five Indian States as they pursue their goals to scale up nutrition. I will also provide strategic oversight on the movement, encouraging coherence and collective accountability for results. With this, I can influence in strengthening both policy and action in terms of solving malnutrition across the globe, while focusing and giving emphasis on our policy and efforts here in the Philippines and the ASEAN region."

What she’s excited to contribute to the SUN Movement:

"I made my commitment to secure nutrition by securing food sufficiency and security. I always make farming sexy by mentoring a lot of young people to venture into agriculture, empower women in agriculture to make sure proper nutrition starts from home, work on multi-stakeholder partnerships in making sure nutrition will be a serious business to lower stunted growth and boost our human capital productivity, and invest in impactful agri-foods."

How it feels to be one of 27 global leaders in the SUN Movement:

"It’s humbling. At the same time, I am so grateful for the privilege to be among them as they are amazing leaders whom I look up to. They created bold changes in their sphere of influence and inspired the world by their great accomplishments. They bring a wealth of experiences that I can learn from, and I am so fortunate to have that network of people I can collaborate with to expand my advocacy and work in the future. It is so good to brainstorm in a room full of intellectuals who are humble enough to solicit your ideas and open-minded enough to collaborate."

How her time at the UN Headquarters in New York went:

"It was the experience of a lifetime. For me, it was not about the special treatment, which was a bonus, but more of recognizing the fact that you are with a group of people who are so hardworking and passionate about creating positive changes in the world. New York during the UN General Assembly was a bustle of brains, hearts, and hands working together to make the world a better place to live in. You come out exhausted from all the events, but with a heart full of inspiration and a lot of concrete steps for taking action."

What she wishes more young Filipinos knew about nutrition and agriculture:

"Every day, 95 children in the Philippines die from malnutrition. 27 out of 1,000 Filipino children do not get past their fifth birthday. A third of Filipino children are stunted, or short for their age. Stunting after two years of age can be permanent, irreversible, and even fatal, according to UNICEF.

Additionally, the right food is not easily accessible, especially to our poor fellow men. We have 12 million hectares of underproductive lands, farmers are getting old, there is a declining interest among young people to go into agriculture, and our population is exponentially growing.

With all these, I think we have enough reasons to knock on the hearts of our young Filipinos and encourage them to help in boosting our agriculture sector. It will greatly help in establishing food sufficiency and security in the country, which could help in solving our malnutrition problem."

Her advice for other women who want to make a mark in their advocacies:

"Focus! I have been in this advocacy for 21 years, never disturbed by all other great opportunities. I was lucky to find my passion and purpose in agriculture.

Practice excellence and be authentic in what you choose to advocate. Immerse yourself in the community and have the humility to realize that at the end of the day, we are not superheroes who can solve all their problems; we are mere facilitators who can open opportunities for them or guide them in unleashing their potential so they can be the solutions to their own problems.

And at the end of every good job, the sweetest thing to do is pamper yourself. Self-love is a necessity."

...the world's first public immunization program

Philippines launches world's first public immunization program against dengue

By Nicole Gray

Biopharma

April 6, 2016

Dive Brief:

• The Philippines this week launched the world's first large-scale vaccination effort against dengue, aiming to administer Sanofi Pasteur's dengvaxia to 1 million students from 6,000 public schools this year. Dengvaxia was first approved in Mexico in December 2015, followed by the Philippines, Brazil, and El Salvador

• Dengue is particularly endemic in the Philippines, having one of the highest incidences of confirmed dengue among countries participating in clinical efficacy studies for dengvaxia. 

• Dengvaxia is approved for use against all four serotypes of dengue fever, but only in individuals aged 9 to 45. 

Dive Insight:

Sanofi Pastuer invested over 20 years of R&D into developing dengvaxia, recruiting over 40,000 volunteers across 25 clinical studies. Now, it is finally reaching countries desperately in need for a treatment to counteract the spread of dengue.

In clinical studies, Dengvaxia prevented 8 out of 10 dengue hospitalizations and up to 93% of severe dengue.

Sanofi lauded the Philippines as a "global frontrunner" in the fight against dengue. In addition to the markets where dengvaxia is already approved, the company expects further regulatory decisions in 16 other countries.

Dr. Cecilia Montalban, President of The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, said: “This first dengue vaccine has been developed and proven effective in countries like the Philippines where dengue is a major public health priority. As a physician and a mother, I am proud that my country plays a historic role in dengue prevention.”

...the California Wellness Foundation BOD

Fil-Am named to board of top California health grant-maker
Inquirer.net/US Bureau
02 December 2014



WOODLAND HILLS, California – Filipino-American investment executive Joe Lumarda has been appointed to the board of directors of The California Wellness Foundation (Cal Wellness), the foundation recently announced.

Joe Lumarda

Lumarda, senior vice president and investment counselor of Capital Group Private Client Services — a leading investment management firm in Los Angeles — was appointed to the board along with Debra Nakatomi, president of Nakatomi & Associates in Santa Monica.



Nakatomi and Lumarda were elected at the foundation’s September 2014 board meeting; they will commence their service on January 1, 2015.



“We are thrilled to expand our Board by welcoming Joe and Debra,” said Barbara C. Staggers, M.D., M.P.H., Cal Wellness’ Board chair. “They will both bring a wealth of knowledge from their vast experiences in the nonprofit, philanthropic and corporate sectors.”



Lumarda is a seasoned philanthropic business leader; he spent 16 years at the California Community Foundation in the roles of vice president for development, executive vice president and chief operating officer.



He is the board chair of the Center for Nonprofit Management, and a board member of Saint Joseph Healthcare Foundation, Pasadena Child Health Foundation and Southern California Grantmakers. (Lumarda’s full biography here.)



Lumarda said joining Cal Wellness’ Board feels like a natural fit.



“What I love about Wellness is its holistic focus,” Lumarda said. “I was raised to believe that wellness is not just about health care in terms of hospitals and clinics. It’s also about the health and safety of the community as a whole. With the Foundation’s new leadership, renewed strategies and a focus built upon its legacy, it’s an excellent time to be joining the Board.”



Nakatomi is president of Nakatomi & Associates, a Santa Monica-based communications firm dedicated to advancing social change, promoting equity and designing awareness initiatives for nonprofit, public and private organizations committed to social good.

Debra Nakatomi

She has served regional, national and global organizations committed to expanding philanthropy for women and girls, promoting health equity and advancing wellness for underserved communities.



Nakatomi is former board secretary and international commissioner for Girl Scouts of the USA and chair-elect of the Little Tokyo Service Center Community Development Corporation. (Nakatomi’s full biography here.)



Nakatomi says she has admired the Foundation’s steadfast commitment to funding key health issues.



“Over the years, I’ve been a partner and an observer of the Foundation and have witnessed the impact of its sustained attention on such issues as violence prevention and increasing diversity in the health professions,” Nakatomi said. “I believe the role of a funder is to support community voices through policy advocacy, public education and being responsive to the needs of all communities.”



“I am so pleased to welcome Joe and Debra to our distinguished group of trustees,” said Judy Belk, Cal Wellness’ president and CEO. “They are both passionate about addressing disparities in our state and using expertise in their respective fields to advance health and wellness in California.”



To view videos of Lumarda and Nakatomi commenting on their appointments, please visit the Sound Bites page on CalWellness.org.



The California Wellness Foundation is a private independent foundation created in 1992 with a mission to improve the health of the people of California by making grants for health promotion, wellness education and disease prevention.



Since its founding in 1992, Cal Wellness has awarded 7,523 grants totaling more than $899 million.

 

...the TIME's most influential people 2013

Sense and Science: The unsung Filipina who cured HIV

Michael L. Tan

GMA News

April 28, 2013

Pinay doctor part of US team that found cure for HIV. Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, a Filipino-American pediatric immunologist, led a team that cured HIV in an infant in Mississippi, USA. She has cautiously pointed out that while this cure is unprecedented, it is only one case. It does, however, suggest that early and aggressive treatment of pediatric AIDS could result in a cure, without children having to take the drugs for the rest of their life. She and her colleagues were subsequently listed among Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2013. University of Massachusetts Med School

Time Magazine’s 2013 listing of the 100 most influential people in the world included two Filipinos: President Benigno Aquino and Dr. Katherine Luzuriaga, a pediatric immunologist from the University of Massachusetts.

And yet, despite the groundbreaking impact of her work, she remains largely unacknowledged in her own country.

Luzuriaga —whose father is Filipino and who still does, in fact, speak Filipino— was part of an all-woman medical team acknowledged for the first cure of a baby with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the cause of AIDS.

The cured baby was born in Mississippi more than two years ago to a mother who had HIV but was not diagnosed until she had gone into labor. The mother apparently did not have prenatal care because if she did, she would have been diagnosed early and given three drugs to prevent the fetus from being infected.

In this case, the child was first given the drugs 30 hours after she was born. Right before being given the medicines, the baby was tested for HIV, the results of which came back positive. Within the first month of therapy, tests could no longer find the virus. However, doctors kept the child on the drugs, standard practice in the United States and developed countries because of the possibility of reservoirs or “hideouts” for the virus that allow it to continue to replicate.

With time though, the mother began to become irregular with her hospital visits for her child. When the child was brought in for a check-up around the age of two, the mother admitted that the child had missing out on the drugs. Yet when tests were conducted, the child’s HIV levels still remained undetectable, which means a “functional cure”.

Luzuriaga herself explains the breakthrough in a brief interview:




The other two members of the team, Dr. Hannah Gay of the University of Mississippi and Dr. Deborah Persaud, a virologist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, were also included in Time’s 100.

A more detailed technical discussion with all three women physicians can be found here:



The child’s cure brings hopes into the rather bleak AIDS research front. HIV is a retrovirus and several anti-retroviral drugs have been developed over the last few years but these only slow down the replication of the virus. It does not cure AIDS and the expensive treatment has to be maintained for a lifetime. Efforts to develop a vaccine have been unsuccessful, the latest trial just halted this week after researchers reported the vaccine did not seem to be making a difference, and might even have led to an increase in the risk of infection.

Luzuriaga and her colleagues presented their case report at a conference last March, cautiously pointing out that while this cure is unprecedented, it is only one case. It does, however, suggest that early and aggressive treatment of pediatric AIDS could result in a cure, without children having to take the drugs for the rest of their life. Pediatric AIDS is still a major problem, with some 300,000 new infections each year in the world.

What struck me was that the local press initially only picked up on the president’s making it to the list. After the Time awards ceremony on April 23, there has been some, but, I feel, not enough, mention of Luzuriaga, who is acknowledged as one of the experts in the field of pediatric AIDS. She is also professor of pediatrics and molecular medicine at the University of Massachusetts, and directs the university’s Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine. (If you’re wondering, translational medicine involves linking research to actual applications in clinical practice.)

Even more importantly, the work of Luzuriaga and her two colleagues once again emphasize the contributions of women scientists, and how they remain all too invisible. — TJD, GMA News 

 

 

...the water that changes life

The Celebrity Obsession With Coconut Water Is Changing Life In The Philippines

 

Cecil Morella

Agence France Presse

(Published in Business Insider)

Feb. 5, 2013

 

 

The Philippines is already the world's biggest exporter of coconut products.

 

 

Rihanna for VitaCoco

 

 

Philippine farmer Liezl Balmaceda has never heard of Madonna, but the US pop star's endorsement of coconut water may help change her impoverished life for the better.

After centuries of replenishing Filipinos, the mineral-rich liquid has become a must-have health drink thanks to aggressive marketing by a beverage industry looking to offset soda sales that have lost their fizz.

 

Balmaceda, 33, and her husband process truckloads of coconuts at their backyard each week to get the meat that is turned into vegetable oil. The arduous labour earns the family of five about $9 a day, barely enough to get by.

 

"We just throw the water away when we extract the copra (coconut meat). But if you tell me people actually pay money to drink it, we could use the extra cash," she told AFP in rural Mulanay town, four hours' drive south of Manila.

 

In his most recent state of the nation address, President Benigno Aquino hailed coconut water as one of the country's most promising new export opportunities.

 

He cited industry figures showing exports jumping more than nine-fold to 16.76 million litres (4.4 million gallons) in 2011.

 

Manila-based Fruits of Life is one local business to have started profiting from the growing appreciation in the West for coconut water as an alternative to sugar-laden carbonated drinks.

 

"People have become more health-conscious in general," said Phoebe de la Cruz, sales manager for Fruits of Life.

 

"Athletic types have taken to coco water for its natural electrolytes."

 

Fruits of Life, which began exporting its own branded product in 2006, now exports about 240 tonnes in cans and tetra packs a year directly to supermarket chains in the United States and Canada.

 

The biggest players in the global beverage industry, including Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have also jumped into the coconut water health drink craze in recent years.

 

ZICO, a US coco water brand majority owned by Coca-Cola, has supermodel Gisele Bundchen and basketball star Kevin Garnett as its endorsers.

 

Meanwhile, pop stars such as Madonna and Rihanna, as well as baseball player Alex Rodriguez, are among celebrity shareholders in Vita Coco, one of the other major brands.

 

Its 0.33-litre (11-ounce), $3 drink is touted as a healthier alternative to energy drinks for athletes and the company boasts an office in New York's Flatiron District.

 

The Philippines is already the world's biggest exporter of coconut products.

 

Big Philippine mills have for years processed desiccated coconut meat and turned it into powder for baking biscuits, snack bars, cakes and pastries.

 

Coconut flesh is also turned into vegetable oil used for cooking and in a range of common household products, including bath soap.

 

Supply is not a problem in the Philippines with 350 million coconut trees growing from the beaches up to its hills and yielding 15 billion fruits a year, according to industry regulator the Philippine Coconut Authority.

 

In the Philippines, coconut water remains a popular, cheap drink, with stalls selling it straight from the fruit—a common site throughout the big cities as well as the countryside.

 

However, because of a lack of demand as well as the costs required to process and preserve it, the water had never been profitable enough to sell overseas, Philippine Coconut Authority chief Euclides Forbes told AFP.

 

"From mere waste it's being turned into gold," Forbes said.

 

Nevertheless, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that while coconut water holds the potential of improving the lot of impoverished Filipino coconut farmers, logistical issues held the industry back.

 

"The demand is huge. The only problem is how to bring the liquid to the processing centres before it spoils, since most coconut farms are in hilly areas without good roads," Alcala said.

 

Meanwhile, some farmers remain sceptical that they will cash in on the Western craze, citing the fact they have remained poor for decades while big business has profited from other coconut exports.

Among them is Rodolfo Aquino, 68, who is paid by traders to haul coconuts by ox-drawn cart about two hours' drive from Manila.

 

"Whether they want the meat and water or just the meat, we get paid the same," Aquino told AFP.

 

...the Heart of Asia

What Makes Philippines the Heart of Asia

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, January 26th, 2013

The country’s medical tourism industry is hoping to get another boost from the soon-to-be-released “Philippines: The Heart of Asia” travel guide.

The Philippines established its Medical Tourism Program back in 2006—and now, a little over six years later, we can say that while results have not been as quick as first envisioned, the country’s efforts to become a regional healthcare hub are slowly but surely bearing fruit.

A few years ago, the country was re-launched as a medical tourism destination under the brand “Philippines: The Heart of Asia” and the tag remains as true today as it was before. The Philippines really is The Heart of Asia in more ways than one.

As the Department of Tourism meets with success in presenting the country as one of the most desirable destinations in the region, especially through its “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign—it will be recalled that the Philippines was included in several international “best destinations” lists in 2012—it can be reasonably expected that this will also help highlight the Philippines’ strong points as a medical tourism, healthcare, and wellness destination.

Hearts in the right place

Various research studies show that patients’ recover faster and feel happier when they receive compassionate care. Compassionate care, unfortunately, is often overlooked as more and more hospitals overseas struggle to save on costs and increase efficiency—this is the reason why Filipino nurses are in such demand the world over: Filipino nurses are not simply competent but also friendly, cheerful, caring, and compassionate.

Friendliness, compassion, caring, and cheerfulness are aspects of Filipino culture that every Filipino grows up with and imbibes. He or she learns it from parents, siblings, relatives and friends. This is because most Filipinos value relationships more than material possessions. Whether rich or poor, strong family bonds and smooth, mutually beneficial relationships among relatives and friends define the Filipino way of life.

Foreigners who visit the country as tourists, work here as expats, or choose it as their second home after retirement, all discover the warmth and hospitality that are unique to the Filipinos. These are attributes that medical tourism travelers discover when they receive treatment in the country’s hospitals and clinics.

English fluency

English is widely spoken in the Philippines as one of its official languages. English is the language used in education and business, and Filipinos in government agencies and the service industry are fluent in it. There are many English-language publications in the Philippines, including the major newspapers and magazines. There are also many English-language programs on television and Hollywood movies are regularly shown in theaters. Foreigners who speak English will have no difficulty relating to and transacting with Filipinos.

Top-notch healthcare facilities

Filipino doctors are expertly trained in the Western medical tradition and are up-to-date with the latest advances in medical science. Many of them have trained overseas, including the United States and Europe, and are affiliated with medical organizations in those countries.

The country’s top public and private hospitals are equipped with the latest in medical tools, machines, and technologies—the same equipment, if not better, as those found in the U.S. and Europe. The high standards of their facilities assure medical tourists that they are getting the same quality care, or better, as they would receive from their home countries.

This same high quality of care is found in the Philippines’ top specialty clinics that offer dental and aesthetic procedures.

Tropical paradise

With more than 7,000 islands in its archipelago, the Philippines is home to beaches and seaside resorts that provide relaxing, refreshing tropical paradise settings. There are natural landscapes of breathtaking beauty in the highland regions. Medical travelers will discover many picturesque places where they can enjoy their recovery.

Together with these various natural settings, the Philippines also offers all the modern conveniences needed for 21^st century living. From high-tech telecoms networks to cable TV, to Internet service, and highly urbanized, cosmopolitan areas with malls retail complexes offering local products and international brands.

World cuisine

Filipino food is a blend of Western and Eastern influences that include Spanish, American, Chinese, and Indian cuisines. With such a sophisticated palate, Filipinos easily welcomed the entry of Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian and Continental food in the culinary scene. As a result, there are now so many different dining establishments that offer a gamut of authentic, gourmet fare.

More work ahead

As more of the country’s top hospitals make considerable investments in their personnel and facilities, the benefits to Filipino and foreign patients will also increase. There really is no other way to help the Philippines become a regional medical tourism hub except to make sure that its healthcare facilities are world-class.

One very important area that more Philippine hospitals need to get into is international accreditation. This accreditation is the most credible certification of a hospital’s, clinic’s, or wellness facility’s world-class quality standards.

When we talk about world-class healthcare certification or accreditation for hospitals and other healthcare facilities, we usually refer to accrediting bodies like JCI, NABH International, Accreditation Canada and others that are affiliated with the International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). The ISQua is the world body that accredits these accrediting bodies.

One ISQua-accredited body that has been giving generous support to Philippine hospitals is NABH International. Through its local affiliate, HealthCORE, the NABH International has been giving workshops to Filipino hospital administrators to help them learn how to meet ISQua standards, and assist them in the actual process of accreditation.

The success of the Department of Tourism’s campaign plus the increasing number of foreign patients being treated in the Philippines top hospitals prove that the country still has a bright future and great potential to be a medical, health, and wellness hub in the region.

To fulfill that potential, all stakeholders in the healthcare and travel sectors must get their acts together. Only then will the world truly realize that the Philippines is the Heart of Asia—a heart that gives care, compassion, life, love, and healing to those in need. – Ramil Digal Gulle, contributor

...the top Virginia health post

Fil-Am named to top Virginia health post

 

ABS-CBNnews.com

01/15/2013

 

 

RICHMOND, Virginia - First generation Filipino American physician Cynthia Romero, named to be Virginia’s new State Health Commissioner, is facing tough challenges that could help define the future of health care – especially for women – in the Commonwealth.

 

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s announcement elated Tidewater Fil-Ams, especially the large Filipino medical community in the Virginia Beach-Norfolk area where Dr. Romero was very active.

She is the daughter of Dr. Aleli Romero, a well-known and respected physician in the region and former president of the Tidewater Academy of Family Physicians.

“We are very proud of your achievements and support your endeavors,” assured Dr. Juan Montero of Virginia Beach.

“Baby Doc” as the new State Health Commissioner is sometimes called in the area (to distinguish her from “Mommy Doc” as her mother is also sometimes called), was the first ever female chief medical officer at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and former president of the Medical Society of Virginia (2010-2011) and the Norfolk Academy of Medicine.

Dr. Romero, 45, helps run a flourishing private practice together with her mother (her father Chris works as the clinic’s administrator) – and together they have demonstrated a passion for public service, leading medical missions for indigent migrant workers in Maryland’s Eastern Shore and other places.

But she takes over the top health post at a very challenging time. She replaced Dr. Karen Remley who resigned last October in the wake of new abortion clinic regulations that she believed jeopardized her ability to fulfill her duties.

Those regulations are currently undergoing a 60-day public comment period; the results will be returned to the Board of Health in spring.

The Board voted last Sept. 14 to adopt regulations that require 20 abortion clinics in Virginia to be regulated like new hospitals. In taking that action, the Board reversed a decision in June when officers voted to exempt existing clinics.

The panel reversed itself after Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli refused to certify that version of the new rules, saying the board did not have the authority to provide the exemption.

The move was hailed by anti-abortion advocates. On the other hand, abortion rights advocates said the new rules were a thinly veiled attempt to curtail access to abortion services by imposing construction costs on clinics that would force many to close.

“I want to continue the good work the agency has been achieving during the past years under the leadership of Dr. Remley and take the opportunity to promote the health of all Virginians,” Dr. Romero said.

She will delve into the topic of the controversial abortion clinic regulations, she assured, including the board's previous exemption. “There’s detail there that I need to get a better handle on. I want to study all sides, that’s part of the due diligence that I need to do,” she told the Virginian-Pilot.

Cianti Stewart-Reid, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said in a statement that “we are hopeful Dr. Romero will follow Dr. Remley’s lead by putting women’s health above politics in her new role as health commissioner. We look forward to working with her.”

“It’s good to have someone who has both hospital experience as well as private practice to maintain bridges between the two,” chimed Dr. Nancy Welch, public health director in Chesapeake.

Dr, Romero received her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Virginia, and her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she is an assistant professor of family and community medicine.

...the PH nurses in Dubai

PH nurses to the rescue

By Eunice Barbara C. Novio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Sunday, January 13th, 2013

 

DIAL 999 Geoffery Panganiban in front of one of the smaller ambulances of the Dubai Corporation of Ambulance Services, where he works as a prehospital emergency nurse.

DUBAI, UAE—A man dials 999. Hazel Margarita Parado takes the call. Geoffrey Panganiban, part of a three-man ambulance team, prepares for dispatch. It is an emergency hotline in Dubai.

Hazel Margarita and Geoffrey are Filipino nurses, a growing presence in the government-backed Dubai Corporation for Ambulances (DCAS), one of the most modern ambulance services in the world.

“As an ambulance nurse, I have to attend to different kinds of emergencies. Most patients are those involved in road accidents and work or house emergencies. Most common cases are trauma, cardiac case, and diabetic emergencies,” explains Geoffrey.

Technically, they are pre-hospital ambulance nurses or paramedics. They are the first to respond and bring the victim to the hospital for further treatment.

Another overseas Filipino, Robert Fortinez of North Cotabato, has been working for 14 years as an emergency medical technician.

“We often work with the police and firefighters, since some emergency cases are accidents,” he says.

In the early ’80s, ambulance service in Dubai was under the police and the department of health services. In 2006 the government merged and unified all the ambulance services. In 2010, the Ruler of Dubai

established the Dubai Corporation for Ambulances (DCAS), which now has more than 60 ambulance stations working 24/7.

BADGE OF SERVICE From left: Robert, a staffer of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office with Hazel Margarita Parado and Geoffrey during ceremonies last October recognizing outstanding OFWs

Aside from giving first aid and transporting victims to hospitals, DCAS also has big mobile intensive care ambulances.

What they call “Mama units” are ambulances exclusively for emergencies involving a female patients, mostly obstetric or childbirth emergencies.

World’s biggest ambulance

Dubai, by the way, holds the Guinness record for having the largest ambulance in the world. The rich kingdom acquired in 2009 three Mercedes Benz Citaro bus-clinics comprising an operating theater, three intensive care units and eight immediate care units. Two of the clinic-

buses have a length of 12 meters while another is 18 meters long. They are available for rapid medical assistance, particularly in the event of major emergencies with a large number of injury victims. The DCAS has also licensed private air ambulances, also equipped with intensive care units.

Joining DCAS

Geoffrey, from Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, has been working with the ambulance service for five years now. In the Philippines, he had gained experience in rescue operations as a Red Cross nurse and a member of the UP Mountaineering Society.

“My work is very similar to paramedics in the TV series 911. I am under the ambulance operation department of DCAS. My office is my ambulance rig. An ambulance in Dubai is manned by two nurses and a driver,” explains Geoffrey.

He says weather conditions in the Middle East also make their work challenging.

“Can you imagine responding to a car accident under direct sun of almost 50 degrees Celsius? I have to carry a 20-kilo kit, kneel on concrete hot pavements and lift patients that are sometimes double my weight,” says Geoffrey.

Challenges at work

Hazel Margarita, who takes the calls, has been working six years as an emergency medical dispatcher. She immediately guides callers on first aid steps while locating and dispatching the nearest available ambulance.

Margarita’s job requires her to have knowledge of the Arabic language as well as familiarity with the streets and landmarks in Dubai to be able to guide the ambulances to the caller’s location.

A nurse needs to be able to imagine or picture the situation and guide the caller through initial first aid steps while he or she waits for the ambulance.

Confidence, patience and better judgment are needed in this kind of work, sums up Hazel Margarita.

Staying cool

The Filipino sense of humor and natural adaptation to any environment make them stand out among others, believes Hazel Margarita.

“We are hard working. In spite of the difficulties of any emergency situations, we show coolness and manage to smile and laugh,” she asserts.

Geoffrey, for one, is more than just an ambulance nurse. He has organized a mission for distressed OFWs housed at the Philippine labor office in Dubai. The project is implemented in coordination with Migrante Dubai, a private organization for the protection of Filipino migrants.

Geoffrey has also initiated humanitarian activities like the packing of goods for relief in troubled areas in Gaza and Pakistan. He was endorsed by the operations manager of DCAS to the Dubai Red Crescent where he has become one of its few Filipino volunteers.

“Wherever we are, we love what we are doing. We are always motivated, not only by financial gain, but even more by our commitment to service to others,” adds Robert.

...the Crystal Clear

Philippine water brand hits Africa

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, January 12th, 2013

 

 

While water is scarce in many regions around the world, it is refreshing to note that Filipino purified water brand Crystal Clear, one of the more popular bottled drinking water brands in the Philippines, is now serving the water-challenged African region, starting with a thriving market such as Sierra Leone.

The brand now operates a water station there, thanks to a joint venture between local firm Peninsular Innovative Group and Solerex Water Technologies Inc., the company that operates Crystal Clear.

 

Together, they created Solerex Peninsular Ventures (SPV), and the first Crystal Clear water station in the West African region, located at Kissy Road along the eastern end of Freetown, was born.

The company will provide water supply, treatment, desalination, and storage solutions for both commercial and industrial projects in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital city, acknowledged as the country’s urban, economic, financial, cultural, educational and political hub.

Jose Antonio “Che” Soler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solerex Water Technologies Inc., says it succinctly: “We are proud to be in Sierra Leone, a first for a Filipino company, and a water firm at that. We all know that many African countries lack potable drinking water, which is really bad since they have a very hot climate and also contributes to the prevalence of many ailments. With this new venture, we hope to be able to provide Africans, at least in Sierra Leone, access to safe and quality drinking water.”

Soler says they are here to help the people of Sierra Leone in terms of providing them water that is safe for their families to protect them from water scarcity-related diseases.

Peninsular Innovative Group CEO Yakama Jones expresses delight that now, more Sierra Leonians will have readily available water that is not only pure and safe to drink but also affordable. “We are happy that Solerex partnered with us in our objective of eradicating water-borne diseases and bring to our country cleaner water and thus save more lives.”

She adds that Solerex’s advanced water treatment technology enables them to treat water collected from rain, wells, streams and other potential water sources and make it more potable and safe to drink. This comprehensive and world-class water filtration process includes mechanical pre-filtration, multimedia filtration, activate carbon, water softener, 5-, 10- and 20-micro cartridge depth filtration, reverse osmosis membrane hyper-filtration, ozonation and post-carbon activated filtration.

Solerex is no stranger to the water purification business, having been involved in it for more than 25 years already and an established presence in major countries in Asia, including Indonesia and Malaysia and of course, the Philippines.

Their leading brand of purified drinking water, Crystal Clear, which surpasses US-Grade Quality standards of water with their state-of-the-art Reverse Osmosis SLX Systems that eliminate inorganic minerals and chemicals, is now found in most homes and offices nationwide.

...the best PH hospital

St. Luke’s hospital bags int’l accreditation anew

By Niña Calleja
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, December 1st, 2012

 

 

MANILA, Philippines—St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City (SLMC-QC) on Friday announced the renewal of its international accreditation with the Joint Commission International (JCI), the world’s most prestigious accrediting body of healthcare organizations.

In a press conference, JCI lead surveyor Dr. Enrico Baldantoni reported that St. Luke’s-Quezon City had passed the international standards assessment for patient care and safety among others, and recently received notification of its accreditation—its fourth— from the JCI central office in Chicago, Illinois.

In 2003, SLMC-QC earned the distinction of being the first hospital in the Philippines and the second in Asia to be awarded JCI accreditation. It now claims to be the first to receive the award for a fourth time.

The JCI survey is conducted every three years to ensure that every hospital organization’s policies, procedures and evaluation methods are up-to-date and compliant with worldwide standards.

The accreditation means the healthcare that the hospital offers is benchmarked with the highest standards of care and safety practiced by renowned hospitals around the world, as set by the JCI.

“Earning accreditation from JCI is another step towards excellence in patient care,” St. Luke’s president and CEO, Dr. Edgardo R. Cortez, said in an e-mailed statement.

A team of three JCI surveyors—a physician, a nurse and an administrator—visited the SLMC-QC from Nov. 19 to 23. The team scrutinized various aspects of the hospital including facility management, infection control, patient safety, documentation of patient records, staff qualifications and disaster preparedness, and compared these to over 1500 international standards in continuous healthcare improvement.

In the global healthcare community, JCI is considered the authority in patient safety and quality improvement with a presence in more than 90 countries to date.

...the cost-efficient program

ADB cites PHL conditional cash transfer program as cost-efficent

 

November 27, 2012

GMA News

 

 

A new study by the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Independent Evaluation department cited the Philippines’ conditional cash transfer program as an exemption to most social protection systems in Asia which “fall far short of meeting the needs of the poor and vulnerable even though better safety nets can be affordable for poorer countries.”

 

 

According to the bank’s Social Protection Strategy study, “In the Philippines… the government’s conditional cash transfer program to uproot extreme poverty costs less than 0.5 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, yet reaches 15 million people.”

 

 

It described the Philippine process as “regular cash payments to mothers conditional on their children attending school and public health clinics.
 

“After just three years of implementation, evaluation findings show positive results on elementary education school enrollment and beneficiary households spending more on the health and education of their children,” the Manila-based multilateral lender noted in a statement Tuesday.
 

“Governments around the world tend to scramble to adopt social protection programs in times of crisis,” said Independent Evaluation director general Vinod Thomas. “But comprehensive systems built in stable years are much more effective in coping with the human impact of future economic or political crises or natural disasters,” Thomas added.
 

The banks said that “despite high economic growth in much of the region, public spending on social protection in Asia and the Pacific is lower than in any part of the world except for sub-Saharan Africa.”

 

 

This was because of “recent economic and financial crises, food and fuel emergencies, and the rapidly increasing frequency of natural disasters [which] have starkly exposed the inadequacy of the region’s national social protection systems to guarantee a minimum level of subsistence and meet people’s basic needs.”

 

 

The ADB study found convincing evidence that social protection programs, especially well designed safety nets that transfer resources to the poor, can reduce the depth and severity of poverty and inequality.

 

 

Widening wealth gaps are also drawing attention to the need for greater social protection in Asia, where income disparities over the past two decades have widened in 11 countries that account for more than four-fifths of the region’s population, the bank said.

 

 

However, in India, the government distributes food, fuel, and fertilizer instead of cash, and these subsidies are vulnerable to misuse and leakage, the bank noted. In addition, such subsidies generally cost more, benefit the better off than the poor, and are politically difficult to unwind.

 

 

Rapid social and demographic changes are highlighting the need for affordable pensions, health insurance, and childcare. As such, social protection needs to be higher on their development agenda, according to the study.

 

 

Its main author Joanne Asquith said that “social protection systems are not best built by providing a one-off response to a crisis, but that’s when political support for social protection is usually highest.

 

 

“Development partners need to step up their engagement with governments to sustain political support for social protection in stable years,” she added. — EST/VS, GMA News

...the Orchid Awardee

Philippines bags ‘Orchid Award’ from WHO for cutting ties to tobacco lobby

By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

 

MANILA, Philippines—Talk about “quitting cold turkey.”

Two years after getting the dubious “Dirty Ashtray Award,” the Philippines was recognized on Tuesday, at a World Health Organization (WHO) conference in Seoul, South Korea, for excluding representatives of the tobacco industry from its official delegation.

The country was given the “Orchid Award” for excluding the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) from its delegation to the 5th Conference of Parties (COP5) of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC), the group HealthJustice said on Tuesday.

The award was given by the Framework Convention Alliance, which groups 350 civil society organizations from 100 countries that work for the development, ratification, and implementation of the international convention against tobacco.

“This is a remarkable moment in the history of public health. We salute the President, the Department of Health and Civil Service Commission for upholding our obligations to WHO FCTC,” said lawyer Irene Reyes, HealthJustice managing director.

Reyes noted that the Philippines was bestowed the “shameful” Dirty Ashtray Award in 2010 when its delegation “mouthed pro-tobacco industry interests at the COP4 in Uruguay.”

Earlier this year, Corporate Accountability International also gave the country’s Inter-agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-T) its infamous “Marlboro Man Award” for giving the Philippine Tobacco Institute a seat in the committee, Reyes said.

Corporate Accountability International said this compromised the committee’s “obligation” to protect the public against the harmful effects of tobacco, she added.

Reyes noted that the Conference of Parties was firm in ensuring that tobacco industry representatives “are kept at a safe distance.”

She noted that Interpol, the world’s largest police organization, was refused observer status at this year’s conference due to reports that it received US$15 million from Philip Morris International.

“These are necessary steps to ensure that the Illicit Trade Protocol which has just been adopted is safeguarded against tobacco industry interference,” Reyes said.

HealthJustice said the Bureau of Customs had also refused to renew its partnership agreement with Philip Morris in accordance with a 2010 joint memorandum circular issued by the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Health “to protect the bureaucracy from (tobacco) industry interference.”

“We are hopeful to see the Philippines making great strides towards advancing public health as a priority. This is a true win for the Filipino people and for civil society who can look to a government that now recognizes that the preservation of health far outweighs any profit that the tobacco industry could provide,” says John Stewart, Challenge Big Tobacco Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability International.

While congratulating the Philippine delegation for ensuring a tobacco industry-free team to the Seoul conference, Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance director Bungon Ritthipakdee stressed that this should serve as a good practice for other Philippine officials and policymakers to emulate.

“Government officials and policymakers have the power to stop tobacco industry interference in their hands,” Ritthipakdee said.

“As long as government consistently rejects the tobacco industry in activities and events such as attendance to the COP, this sends a a very strong signal that we are serious in halting their interference and manipulative tactics,” Ritthipakdee added. With a report from Dechen Tshering

...the center for medicine tests

PH now a center of trials for new meds, docs say

By Philip C. Tubeza
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Saturday, November 3rd, 2012

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines has become one of the centers for clinical trials for new medicines in the Asia-Pacific region, providing indigent patients with access to cutting-edge medical treatment, according to members of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO).

Doctor Ellie May Villegas, PSMO vice-president, said drug companies said more and more clinical trials were being conducted in the country “because of the credibility of tests” conducted here and because some medicines have turned out to be effective only on Asians.

She said the new drugs that have been clinically tested in the country include those intended for lung cancer, breast cancer, and colon cancer, with drug companies spending at least P2 million on the medication of each patient who participates in a trial that can last for two years.

“They’re very happy with the results because our results are not bogus. We really do the trials well,” Villegas said in an interview.

Besides drug companies, the European Medicines Agency and the National Institutes of Health of the United States also sponsor these clinical trials.

Such trials have become more common in the last five years, she said.

Villegas dismissed suggestions that these clinical trials were taking advantage of indigent patients who have no money for medicines.

“No, being poor is not a factor here. I have many patients who are millionaires and I also offer these to them. A patient is admitted to the clinical trial only if or she meets the criteria for that particular trial,” Villegas said.

Doctor Annielyn Ong-Cornel, a PSMO fellow, said the clinical trials do help patients who cannot afford medication.

Access to good meds

“There are many patients who are willing to be included because it gives you access to good medication and cutting edge science,” said Cornel, who has participated in 25 clinical trials since 2007.

“They started coming in 2005 because we are now seeing that people in different countries respond differently to the same medicine. The lung cancer of an Asian is different from that of a Caucasian,” Cornel said.

She said Asians are more responsive to some medications compared to Caucasians “or there are more side effects.”

“It’s all boils down to genetics. For example, treatment for lung cancer used to be uniform but nowadays, you have to do genetic testing for specific protein abnormalities in the cancer. And you have certain medications which target that abnormality,” Cornel said.

“We have a tablet that targets one specific genetic abnormality. If you have lung cancer, and you are positive for that (genetic mutation), then there is a bigger chance that you would respond (positively) to the tablet. If you don’t have that mutation, there is no response,” she added.

Cornel said patients who want to join a clinical trial are also thoroughly briefed before they are admitted.

“They are informed about the side effects, that they can quit any time, and that the data obtained would be used for scientific purposes. They usually discuss this with their families before they say yes or no,” Cornel added.