City tourism office identifies Kadayawan sa Davao events

The City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) has already laid out the planned activities for this year’s Kadayawan sa Davao festival, according to an official.

Jennifer Romero, officer-in-charge of the CTOO, said on Tuesday that the holding of Kadayawan sa Davao is among the priorities now of the city government of

Davao and in fact, the Kadayawan execom has already conducted two meetings in preparation for the said festival in August this year.

“We are preparing right now for Kadayawan sa Davao and our thrust right now is we will be able to prepare our events ahead of time to promote it properly. In fact, we already did two Kadayawan execom meetings ug in place na siya and we already identified the schedule of activities,” she said over Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Tuesday.

The calendar of events for this year’s Kadayawan sa Davao that will be laid out by the CTOO soon includes “Pag Abli sa Kadayawan” FCITY, P6

My niece was only five years old when she was bitten by a mosquito. Two days later, she had a fever. But the following day, it was gone. Then on the fourth day, it returned and she was not getting better.

We brought her to the hospital. The doctor thought it was just an ordinary fever. But the following day, her condition got worse. It was then the doctor conducted a blood test.

If there’s a deadly disease these days that needs no introduction, it’s dengue fever and its lethal form, dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF).

So much that June is declared as National Dengue Awareness Month as per Proclamation No. 1204, s. 1998.

From January 1 to March 25 this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) Dengue Situation Update has recorded 29,855 dengue cases in the country.

The Disease Surveillance Report of the Department of Health identified Davao Region third place with the highest number of dengue cases – after the National Capital Region and Central Luzon. In terms of case increases, Davao Region still ranked third.

Dengue fever is characterized by high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and muscle

HENRYLITO D. TACIO THINK ON THESE!

and joint aches. Many people, including doctors, mistake dengue for influenza and flu-like diseases, so it often goes untreated until symptoms become severe and the patient goes into shock.

It happens when DHF strikes in. “There’s often a rash in dengue while there’s none in flu,” explained Dr. Allan Schapira, an epidemiologist who was then with the regional office of the World Health Organization (WHO) when interviewed by this author. “Fever caused by dengue tends to last almost a week, while that of flu disappears after three to five days.”

After a dengue patient goes into shock, it’s usually a matter of time before multi-organ failure occurs and death becomes inevitable. This terrifying scenario is characterized by high continuous fever (40-41 degrees) lasting up to seven days that may be accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and bleeding from the skin, nose or gums.

In the worst cases, the patients’ condition may suddenly deteriorate after a few days of fever, and they may die within 24 hours. “Death often results from bleeding in the brain, intestines or other organs,” said Dr. Lulu Bravo, a professor at the Univer-

Deadly Dengue

sity of the Philippines College of Medicine.

Dr. Bruno Guy, an immunologist from France, said that dengue’s mortality rate is quite low: only 2.5% of severe dengue can lead to death. It’s even lower in the Philippines: the case fatality rate, according to the health department, is 0.44%.

But dengue is dengue. The mere mention of it makes parents terrified.

Dengue strikes mostly children although adults are not spared. As such, parents whose children are infected with the dengue virus resort to using unproven means to raise the blood platelets.

Among the reported medications used are “tawa-tawa” (Euphorbia hirta), balut, papaya leaves, camote tops, and magic balls. These are “effective,” according to some of those who have tried them.

A study conducted by students of the University of Sto. Tomas showed that administering “tawa-tawa” decoction to animal models helps improve their healing mechanisms. “Tawa-tawa was able to promote cell production, and prevent platelet destruction,” the study found out. “Likewise, the improvement in the cell bleeding time and clotting

FRED C. LUMBA SPECKS OF LIFE

“It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.” - WOODY ALLEN.

*******

Political pundits and armchair observers are quick on the draw.

The not too recent (but not too old) resignation of Vice-President Sara Duterte from the Lakas-CMD party was too impactful not to be noticed.

It stemmed immediately after former President and now Pampanga 3rd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was “demoted” from her congressional perch as senior deputy speaker to deputy speaker.

What pains some sectors is that her replacement was from Pampanga itself, Rep. Aurelio “Dong: Gonzales who is a much, much junior solon compared to GMA.

Unfounded rumors circulating around were that the daughter of the late former Chief Executive Diosdado Macapagal was time provided evidence that the indigenous plant can preserve and promote the hemostatic function of platelets.”

Actually, it’s not about low platelets that counts when it comes to dengue. “Low platelet is not the main problem during dengue infection,” clarifies Dr. Anna Nina Natalia L. Tayo, an internist, neurologist and psychiatrist. “It is just one of the warning signs of a possible transition of a mild dengue fever to its severe form but not the hallmark of dengue hemorrhagic fever.”

Based on available studies, “there is a mild to moderate decrease in platelets of dengue patients between the third to the seventh day and significant decrease on day 4. However, it starts to go up on its own on the eighth or ninth day of the disease. With or without herbal medications, platelets will naturally increase during the recovery phase.”

The problem actually lies on plasma leakage. “This phenomenon is the hallmark of severe dengue and at the same time a life-threatening complication that results in dehydration and low blood volume that may progress into circulatory collapse (shock) if not treated adequately,” Dr. Tayo explained.

“Once shock has set in, the patient is now classified as having dengue shock syndrome,” Dr. Tayo went on. “If shock is not reversed, it leads to disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, multiple organ failure, and/or death.”

Plasma, medical science tells us, makes up more than half (55%) of the total blood volume and 20% of the total body water. “In the event of continued leakage,” Dr. Tayo said, “this results in dehydration and low blood volume.”

Dr. Richard T. Mata, a WHO consultant on dengue, says dehydration occurs when a person loses more fluid and his body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions.

Dehydration causes intestinal ulcers that cause bleeding. “And because the platelets are low, the bleeding becomes severe. But if there was no dehydration, there would be no ulcer and thus no bleeding – even if the platelets are low,” he explains. “So, it still boils down to dehydration.”

Dehydration also causes kidney failure, which results from the decrease in urine output. “This causes the water to be retained in the lungs thereby creating congestion that can kill the patients,” he says.

Ambition Should Be Ruled By Reason

allegedly fomenting a coup to replace current Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, something that did not sit well with the current HOR leadrship.

The ex-President denied the allegation, saying some people are causing disunity within the establishment because she does not harbor any ambition to take over as Houser Speaker.

As if in a knee-jerk reaction VP Sara, with a thunderous reaction, shook the political terrain that left everybody astounded.

Quite naturally, nosey political analysts would connect the dots and quiz the X’s and the O’s to piece the jigsaw puzzle.

Yes, why would VP Sara, they ask in unison, resign from Lakas just because GMA was replaced as House senior deputy speaker?

After two post-Noynoy presidential elections, the prevailing political thought is that GMA did something mercurially material in the results of the 2016 balloting and the 2022 polls.

Various political fora, coffeeshop talks and barbershop chats are oozing non-stop confirming with profound persuasion and clarity that GMA contributed immensely in catapulting to the presidency Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte - and elevating to a large extent, her extensive “magical” influence as a “kingmaker.”

GMA did it again when she was able to unite the much-maligned Marcos family (starring Imee Marcos and BBM) and initially, the hesitant presidential candidate Inday Sara to join together and form the UNITEAM.

Now, what this brohaha all point to is a nonchalant, even ignorant reference to the 2028 presidential elections where analaysts are inclined to believe that it is going to be a battle between VP Sara and Speaker Romualdez.

There.

Never mind if there had been quite a metaphorical exchange in the media between the two camps.

The simple mathematical explanation might follow one plus one equals two. LOL.

Tell me.

Every Pinoy today is already educated, if not properly equipped with political marturity that he/she can read the body language of any politician.

An early survey (premature?) that came out recently purported to show that of the 1,200 respondents, 49% favored Duterte to be their preferred presidential bet for the 2028 elections.

Although it’s still five years away, watch out for the upcoming building up and strengthening of various political groups and parties that will mushroom anew.

They will be exposed when they begin inching their way towards alliances, either with the Lakas or with Hugpong.

These two political blocs are expected to become formidable in the next couple of years when the mid-term referendum comes around.

They might even slug it out by putting up their respective candidates in the local level (governors/city and municipal mayors) and even in the congressional districts and senatorial derby.

How the 2025 balloting will shape up will tell who may be the presidential candidate to beat in 2028.

The early bird catches the worm, as it is often said.

But the cracks in the unity wall are slowly but surely showing.

Is this political reading adequately tells us that our Woody Allen quote above is applicable and true?

Should a Duterte versus Romualdez presidential battle happen in the horizon, who will PBBM side with?

The latter is a blood relative, a first cousin, while the entire Pinoy nation knows the incumbent Malacanang tenant gave his word to support the former when her time comes around. (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com). GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!

PBBM...

FROM 2 and labor costs incurred by farmers, which could increase their income aside from the proceeds of an improved yield.

If the Philippines will have to compete with Thailand and Vietnam in rice production, Marcos stressed that mechanization “is the answer.”

The President said that the two neighboring rice-exporting nations have been able to maximize their production because of mechanization.

For the Philippines, mechanization will work for the rice sector if small farmers adopt the concept of consolidating their farms, he added.

South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said they conceptualized the CRPMP to increase rice production, ensure food production in the area, and improve farmers’ income while making rice affordable to consumers.

“So far, 100 hectares of consolidated farms have already been planted with palay,” Tamayo said, adding that the provincial government is targeting to consolidate at least 1,400 hectares in the different parts of the province under the CRPMP program.

RIGO... FROM 3

taliwala sa kalisud sa kinabuhi, kita mangita gayud ug paagi para musukol ug maningkamot para sa atong pamilya,” he said.

He also lauded the Department of Labor and Employment 11 (DOLE 11) for organizing the said event.

“Ang DOLE maghatag ug tabang kaninyu isip mga child laborers para makuha kuhaan inyung kalisod. Kini nga mga programa,gina consider gayud namu ni congressman pulong duterte nga priority concern labi na kung para sa kabatan-unan.

Busa kami manghinaut nga mamahimung mabungahun unta ang programa karon,” Rigo said.

During the said activity, Rigo also led a raffle of 10 laptops for the children.

The activity highlighted with a profiling of the child laborers and their parents for possible livelihood interventions or skills training and enrolment to the alternative learning systems.

The participants were also treated with DOLEkula short film shows, clown entertainment, games, raffles, gift giving, hair grooming, pedicure and manicure, and massage.

CITY... FROM 3

at Magsaysay Park, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on August 10; “Tabuan sa Kadayawan” at Rizal Park on Aug. 10 to 13; “Agong ug Kulintangan sa Kadayawan” Competition at Bantawan Ampitheatre Magsaysay Park on Aug. 11; Habi Kadayawan at Abreeza Mall on Aug. 12; Hiyas sa Kadayawan Cultural Presentation at SM City Davao on Aug.13; Bantawan Cultural Presentation at the Bantawan Ampitheatre at Magsaysay Park on Aug. 14 to 16; Dula Kadayawan at People’s Park and Hiyas sa Kadayawan Coronation Night at RMC Gym on Aug. 17; Kasikas sa Kadayawan at San Pedro Square on Aug. 18; Indak Indak sa Kadayawan at San Pedro Square on Aug. 19; Pamulak ug Hudyaka sa Kadayawan from Roxas to San Pedro and Konsierto Kadayawan at San Pedro Square on Aug. 20.

Romero also said it is the thrust of CTOO to elevate the event in the city since everything is back to normal since the pandemic.

“Our thrust is we really wanted to elevate the events so there is no going back and moving forward gyud ta in terms of events sa cities,” she said. By Maya M. Padillo

PERSONAL... FROM 2

Task Force Davao (TF Davao) commander Colonel Darren Comia told media that they are closely coordinating with their counterparts in Region 12 for additional leads.

Because of the incident, Lupaz said security forces in the city will have an adjustment in its security measures.

“Mag adjust ta sa security sa city basta naay ingon ani nga panghitabo although work related ni kay dako ang possibility nga nakaya nila buhaton in broad daylight,” Lupaz said.

He also urged Dabawenyos to be alert and report suspected individuals to the police.

“Ug maabtikon pirmi kung naay makita na mga tao nga kahinahinala i-report dayon sa kapulisan. Base sa among initial investigation personal ni ug dili terrorism,” he said.

He advised the public to refrain posting unverified reports on social media.

“Ang mensahe para sa Dabawenyo dili lang ta pataka ug post sa social media para dili mahadlok ang mga katawhan,” he said.

DAVAO... FROM 2

training with the youth as one of the flagship projects that helped the SK Federation vie as one of the Most Outstanding in the whole Philippines.

“Gina-train nato ang kabatan-onan nga mahimong responders so the very reason we conducted that… kinahanglan gyud nato ug mas paspas nga pagresponde pud sa mga accident nga mahitabo sa atoang barangay so we tapped the youth sector in the barangay para sila pud mismo ang force responder sa mga accidents nga mahitabo (We are training the youth to become responders. So, the very reason we conducted this is because we need a fast response during accidents that happen in our barangay so we tapped our youth sector so that they themselves become force responders in the event of accidents),” Marohomsalic said.

He said that the award is a testament to the hard work, effort, and dedication of the SK Federation.

“We are very happy because ang Davao City SK Federation, daghan naga benchmark sa atoa pud we wanted nga ma-recognize gyud ang atoang mga efforts sa atoang kabatan-onan this is not just an accomplishment sa amoang opisina but the accomplishment of the entire federation when you say the entire federation together with the 182 barangays—SK Chairpersons, SK Kagawads, and other SK members (We are very happy because the Davao City SK Federation, many have conducted benchmarking activities involving us and we wanted that the efforts of our youth will be recognized because this is not just an accomplishment of our office but the accomplishment of the entire Federation. When you say Federation, it is the entire federation together with the 182 barangays, chairpersons, SK Kagawads and other SK members),” he said.

He also said that SK Councils in Barangay Mintal and Barangay Cabantian are really the ones performing in the city and these barangays already received various recognitions.

He said that for years the SK Federation did not join any national awards and the award means they gave their best to deliver the services and programs to the Davao youth.

FPRRD... FROM 3

he added.

Two weeks ago, Duterte also castigated the city’s police force on the rape-slay case that victimized 28-year-old architect Vlanche Marie L. Bragas.

He told the police to “hang yourselves in shame” if they cannot solve the case.

Bragas was first reported missing on May 17, and police announced the name of the suspects on June 5, or almost three weeks later. Complaints for rape with homicide were filed against Dennis Roy P. Panzan, Kent Laurence Metegreto Espinosa, Renato Ali Bayansao, and one John Doe.

Panzan and Espinosa were declared missing on May 27, apparently abducted by still unidentified people. Panzan was found two days later already severely injured and died in the hospital, while Espinosa is still missing.

Bayansao, on the other hand, was apprehended by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency during a buy-bust operation on May 28. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)

“It boosts our confidence also mas maningkamot pa sa pagbuhat ug programa para sa kabatan-onan para sa siyudad sa Davao (It boosts our confidence to do more and implement programs for the youth for the whole Davao City),” he said, adding that they are hoping that their 3 year-Local Youth Development Plan will be continued by the next SK Federation.

Among the programs and services of the SK are the community emergency response team trainings and the reproductive health educators for Davao youth or RHEDY which is a group of youth peer educators composed of technical people from different agencies that give the right information on reproductive health and mental health to the grassroots.

They also have a scholarship program for the youth, in partnership with the Educational Benefit System Unit (EBSU), called the DabawenYouth ISKolar Educational Assistance Program, which entitles each scholar to Php 5,000 per semester.

Marohomasalic invites Dabawenyo youth to enlist and avail of the program as many slots are still available. More details of this program can be found on SK -Pederasyon Davao Facebook Page. CIO

A million rounds of applause for the Denver Nuggets!

They waited 47 long seasons - with incredulous enduring patience - till a young hulking Serbian tyro came ambling along to gift them the much-coveted NBA crown.

Nikola Jokic fired 28 points, collared 16 rebounds to bail out coach Mike Malone and his title-hungry crew to beat the Miami Heat 94-89 for a 4-1 winloss tally in the best-of-seven Finals series.

Jolic, called the Joker, actually bailed the Mile High City ballclub out because the hosts were trailing ominously by at least seven