THE Marcos administration’s food stamp program will require an annual funding of about P40 billion, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) said Saturday.
AT LEAST 288 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a three-train collision in India, officials said Saturday, the country’s deadliest rail accident in more than 20 years.
Wreckage debris was piled high at the crash site near Balasore, in the eastern state of Odisha, where some carriages had been tossed far from the tracks and others flipped over entirely.
Smashed train compartments were torn open in the impact late on Friday, leaving blood-stained holes in their sides.
Survivor Arjun Das told a Bengali television channel he heard a thundering sound, then saw people falling from upper berths.
He jumped out of the train. “People were screaming, shouting for help,” he said.
“There were injured lying everywhere, inside coaches and along the tracks. I want to forget the scenes.”
The disaster began when an express train running north from India’s tech hub Bengaluru to Kolkata derailed, falling onto the adjacent southbound track.
Minutes later, the Coromandal Express heading from Kolkata to Chennai smashed into the wreckage, some of its coaches also colliding with a goods train parked nearby.
Researcher Anubhav Das was in the last carriage of the second train when he heard “screeching, horrifying sounds coming from a distance.” AFP
THE Philippines is open to expanding the annual Balikatan exercises with the United States to include other allies, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said during the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore.
“We really explore possibly expanding the bilateral Balikatan exercises into a multilateral exercise,” Galvez said.
“In the future, we might be expanding it with other allied nations,” he added.
In previous Balitan exercises, small contingents from Australia have joined the military training, while Japan has sent
personnel as observers.
In late April, close to 18,000 Filipino and American troops, along with over 100 Australian soldiers, concluded the largestever Balikatan exercises.
During President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s visit to Washington last month, the US and the Philippines released their new defense cooperation guidelines that include moves toward real-time sharing of military information and greater coordination “within the framework of the alliance to face regional and global security challenges.”
pilot program covering about 300,000 families starting next month until December, Punay said.
The nationwide “Walang Gutom 2027: Food Stamp Program” aims to give targeted households P3,000 food credit per month to address involuntary hunger in the country.
“We still have discussion with the economic team on how to source this (funding) because of the limited
resources that we have,” Punay said.
An estimated 3 million Filipino families experienced hunger at least once in the last three months of 2022 – or leading into the Christmas holidays -- a survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released in January showed.
The national survey of 1,200 adults found that 11.8 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger, which means being hungry and not
having anything to eat, in the fourth quarter of last year.
The number of families facing hunger from October to December was highest in Mindanao at 12.7 percent, followed by the Visayas at 12 percent, Metro Manila at 11.7 percent, and Balance Luzon at 11.3 percent.
“It has been highest in Mindanao in 38 out of 100 surveys since July 1998,” the SWS noted.
n By MARICEL V. CRUZ
HOUSE Ways and Means chairperson
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda on Saturday called on the government to ensure contingencies are in place to prepare the country for the “rapidly evolving” bird flu virus that is now affecting mammals and migratory birds in South America. “The nature of these things is that they come. It will come to the Philippines, no
doubt,” said Salceda, vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food.
Since first emerging in 1996, the H5N1 avian influenza virus had previously been confined to mostly seasonal outbreaks. But “something happened” in mid-2021 that made the group of viruses much more infectious, according to Richard Webby, the head of a World Health Organization collaborating center studying influenza in animals.
Salceda said Vietnam, Egypt, and China are already undertaking massive poultry vaccination programs, and that France is doing it in the last quarter of the year.
“There are high risk areas – areas where both wildlife avian migration and poultry raising are heavily concentrated. The hotspots will really be Batangas and Cebu since both are heavy on avian migration and heavy on poultry raising – number 1 and number 3 for top producing provinces,” Salceda said.
colleagues in the entertainment industry.
DSWD Usec. Edu Punay said at least 1 million poor families will be covered by the program.
The Asian Development Bank has provided a $3-million grant for the technical assistance of the food stamp’s
VETERAN actor John Regala – John Paul Scherrer in real life – passed away early Saturday morning at 55 years old after battling liver and kidney complications. His wife, Victoria Scherrer, said the actor had been under critical care for three weeks at the New Era General Hospital in Quezon City until he died.
THE government intends to narrow down further the so-called digital divide in the country as it focuses on implementing connectivity projects in geographically-isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), the Department of Information Communications Technology (DICT) said on Saturday.
tivity programs ng DICT ay hindi po sa urban areas because dito po, nandito na iyong commercial players. So iyong inuuna po natin are really the GIDA areas,” the DICT official said in a news forum in Quezon City.
To further underscore the importance of the digital inclusivity push of the Marcos
FROM LADY TO OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN.
Maj. Rene Torzaar Balmaceda, chief of the Quezon City
Women and Children Concern Section, in an interview in Camp Karingal, openly admits being a transgender as the local LGBTQIA+ chapter kicks off “Pride
Month.”
Joan Bondoc
n By VITO BARCELO
THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) has assured the more than 7,000 Filipino Muslims who will attend the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia next month of speedy and hassle-free immigration processing during their departure from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said he has issued an operations circular streamlining the BI’s procedures in processing the departing Hajj pilgrims.
Tansingco said more than 7,000 Filipino Muslims are expected to join this year’s Haj pilgrimage, thus the need for the BI to adopt measures that will facilitate their speedy and unhampered departure.
“This is our way of extending support and courtesy to our Muslim brothers who are embarking on this pilgrimage which is considered as one of Islam’s most sacred and important religious events,” Tansingco said.
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said
administration in line with the National ICT Month, Sigue noted that the closing ceremonies of the celebration on June 30 will be at Sacol Island in Zamboanga City, one of the far-flung locations in the country.
“Napakalayong island pero maraming bata, maraming pamilya. Last year, first time in their lives, nakapag-send po, nakapag-post sa Facebook kasi nilagyan ng internet ng DICT. Doon po magtatapos iyong ating National ICT Month sa Sacol Island and I’m proud to announce that Sacol Island has been named by the International Telecommunications Union as a potential location to be as a smart village of the world,” Sigue said. “Hindi po namin iiwan itong mga isla na ito. Hahanap-hanapin namin hanggang ang
bawat bata sa mga isla na ito ay makapag-Facebook o makapanood ng vlog or kung ano pa sa internet,” she added.
On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led the kick-off of the eGov PH Super App in Malacañang to underline the importance of digital transformation in governance and economic development.
To date, Sigue said internet connectivity coverage in the Philippines is around 73 percent.
“So, para sa amin, kahit malaki itong numero na ito, maliit pa rin kasi sabi mo nga napuputol iyong signal mo. So, it’s not only a question of coverage; it’s also about the question of speed, of latency, of affordability, of access to the internet,” she pointed out.
THE Makati City government has launched its Mobile Library, an upgraded version of the “Dyipni Maki” program, to provide accessible learning materials and library services to all students in the communities.
“The Makati Mobile Library is a testament to our commitment to providing quality education in the city. By making books and educational materials easily accessible, we hope to inspire a love for reading and
KIDS PLAY.
Children frolic at the Poctoy Beach in Torrijos, Marinduque known for its kilometer-long stretch of white sand facing the deep blue waters of the Sibuyan Sea and offers amazing seaside rock formations and a view of the inland lush green vegetation with the majestic Mount Malindig as the backdrop.
Danny Pata
learning,” said Mayor Abigail Binay during the launch ceremony at the Makati Elementary School on Friday. Binay said the Mobile Library was part of the efforts of her administration to hit the targets in proficiency levels for basic reading, writing, and arithmetic, which fell behind during the pandemic.
“We want to make sure that all our students are equipped with the right basic knowledge before proceeding to the next grade level,” she added.
THE Philippine Coast Guard on Saturday said all 10 navigational buoys installed in the West Philippine Sea are accounted for, contrary to claims of a Chinese online news site that these have been removed.
“The PCG’s 10 buoys, which were dropped in the West Philippines Sea, remain in their designated locations,” PCG’s
spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said in a text message to ABS-CBN.
A Chinese online news site earlier reported that the buoys were “fished out” by Chinese fishermen who were guarded by their Coast Guards.
The navigational buoys serve as the country’s sovereign markers in the West
Philippine Sea.
As this developed, the PCG, the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), the US Coast Guard (USCG) agreed to “conduct periodical exercises to ensure the stability and security of the Indo-Pacific region.”
The statement was issued ahead of the trilateral maritime exercises from June 5 to 7.
n By RIO N. ARAJA
PRIVATE employees who are members of the Social Security System are entitled to another mandatory benefits upon retirement, apart from the cash benefit paid either in monthly pension or as lump sum.
In an interview, Maria Lourdes
Pastor, concurrent acting head of the Middle East and Europe Operations Division, reminded SSS members of the newest retirement savings scheme in addition to their regular social security benefits.
mandatory (under Republic Act 11199). There is this other voluntary provident fund for self-employed under the WISP Plus,” Pastor told the Manila Standard. Employers must comply with the law to settle the monthly contributions for WISP of their regular employers from their wages.
The mayor reported that each Mobile Library has reading materials, smart TVs, laptops, and various learning materials in English, Filipino, Social Studies, and Literature.
She added there are also teachers and volunteers stationed in the Mobile Library to provide assistance to the learners. The Mobile Library will alternately visit different barangays in the city to ensure that everyone will be accommodated.
he wants to be remembered as a leader who helped ordinary Filipinos.
In his latest vlog shortly after launching the Malacañang Heritage Tour that features the current and past presidents, Mr. Marcos was asked about the legacy he wants to leave after his term.
“I have not given that much thought because we still have a lot of work to do. I suppose if we are doing well, that will be my legacy. It is not something I should think about or something I should do so that they will remember me (after my term ends). We do this because we want to help the Filipino people,” he said.
“That will be my legacy -- that when I am no longer around (as President), I will be remembered ay someone who really helped ordinary Filipinos,” he added.
The President, who will deliver his second State of the Nation Address next month to mark his first year in office, recalled how his supporters were behind him all the way during the campaign leading to last year’s elections.
He said the memorabilia collection featured at Bahay Ugnayan made him reflect on his journey to the Palace.
De Leon said state-owned banks such as Landbank and Development Bank of the Philippines are “stable.”
“Let’s say Ladbank invests P50 billion in Maharlika, that is less than 3 percent of its P1.3 trillion investible funds. That is such a small investment,” she said.
“It will not affect prudential rations imposed by the Central Bank,” De Leon added.
She said the MIF is “vital in accelerating the implementation of infrastructure projects of the national government.”
Meanwhile, Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the MIF could provide the government more funds for its flagship projects.
He said the MIF's approval opened the gateway to an alternative, potentially huge source of investment funds that would let the national government spend bigger on its big-ticket programs to shore up President Marcos’s agenda for peace and prosperity.
The final version of the MIF bill, which the House of Representatives and the Senate ratified on the eve of the Congress’s sine die adjournment, sought to provide a new source for investments other than the traditional sources of funds, namely, the General Appropriations Act (GAA) or national budget, official development assistance (ODA) from the country's overseas partners and the business sector through public-private partnership (PPP) projects, Villafuerte said.
“As another potentially massive funding source for priority investments of the national government, the MIF has the makings of a prime source of fresh capital for accelerated infrastructure development, agricultural modernization and food security, climate action, energy development and other big-ticket projects that the Marcos administration needs to carry out,” he added.
Biking enthusiasts roll
FIRE DANCE.
Two
THE United States, Japan and South Korea aim to share North Korean missile warning data before the end of 2023, the three countries said in a statement following a Saturday meeting of their defense chiefs in Singapore.
The three sides “recognized trilateral efforts to activate a data sharing mechanism to exchange real-time missile warning data before the end of the year in order to improve each country’s ability to detect and assess missiles launched” by North Korea, the statement said.
The announcement followed a failed North Korean attempt to launch a spy satellite on Wednesday, which crashed into the sea after a rocket failure.
South Korea’s military said it had managed to locate and salvage a portion of the suspected debris.
Seoul, Tokyo and Washington all slammed the launch, which they said violated a raft of UN resolutions barring Pyongyang from any tests using ballistic missile technology.
THE virus causing record cases of avian influenza in birds across the world is changing rapidly, experts have warned, as calls increase for countries to vaccinate their poultry.
While emphasising that the risk to humans remains low, the experts who spoke to AFP said that the surging number of bird flu cases in mammals was a cause for concern.
Since first emerging in 1996, the H5N1 avian influenza virus had previously been confined to mostly seasonal outbreaks.
But “something happened” in mid-2021 that made the group of viruses much more infectious, according to Richard Webby, the head of a World Health Organization collaborating centre studying influenza in animals.
Since then, outbreaks have lasted all
year round, spreading to new areas and leading to mass deaths among wild birds and tens of millions of poultry being culled.
Webby, who is a researcher at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the US city of Memphis, told AFP it was “absolutely” the largest outbreak of avian influenza the world had seen.
He led research, published this week in the journal Nature Communications, showing how the virus rapidly evolved as it spread from Europe into North America.
The study said the virus increased in virulence, which means it causes more
dangerous disease, when in arrived in North America.
The researchers also infected a ferret with one of the new strains of bird flu.
The found an unexpectedly “huge” amount of the virus in its brain, Webby said, indicating it had caused more serious disease than previous strains.
Emphasising that the risk in humans was still low, he said that “this virus is not being static, it’s changing”.
“That does increase the potential that even just by chance” the virus could “pick up genetic traits that allow it to be more of a human virus,” he said.
In rare cases, humans have contracted the sometimes deadly virus, usually after coming in close contact with infected birds.
The virus has also been detected in a soaring number of mammals, which Webby described as a “really, really
troubling sign.”
Last week Chile said that nearly 9,000 sea lions, penguins, otters, porpoises and dolphins have died from bird flu along its north coast since the start of the year.
Most mammals are believed to have contracted the virus by eating an infected bird.
But Webby said that what “scares us the most” are indications from a Spanish mink farm, or among sea lions off South America, that the virus could be transmitting between mammals.
Ian Brown, virology head at the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency, said there has not yet been “clear evidence that this virus is easily sustaining in mammals.”
While the virus is changing to become “more efficient and more effective in birds,” it remains “unadapted to humans,” Brown told AFP. AFP
DIALOGUE between the United States and China is “essential” to avoid miscalculations that could lead to conflict, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Saturday, after Beijing rejected a formal meeting between him and his Chinese counterpart.
Austin and Li Shangfu shook hands and spoke briefly for the first time at the opening dinner of the Shangri-La Dialogue defence summit in Singapore on Friday, but the interaction fell short of the Pentagon’s hopes for a more substantive exchange.
Tensions between Washington and Beijing have soared this year over issues including Taiwan and an alleged Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US warplane after traversing the country.
The US defence chief is on a tour of Asia that previously took him to Japan and will also include a visit to India – part of a push by top American officials to shore up alliances and partnerships in the region to help counter Beijing.
“The United States believes that open lines of communication with the People’s Republic of China are essential – especially between our defense and military leaders,” Austin told the summit.
“The more that we talk, the more that we can avoid the misunderstandings and miscalculations that could lead to crisis or conflict.”
The United States had invited Li to meet on the sidelines of the summit but Beijing
CHINESE dissidents who took part in the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests unveiled a museum in New York on Friday dedicated to remembering the “democratic dreams of the Chinese people,” two days ahead of the 34th anniversary of the uprising’s “brutal suppression.”
“The events of 1989 had an impact on China but also on the entire world,” said Wang Dan, founder of the tiny museum and a leading figure in the Tiananmen Square student movement.
“Today, as we begin to wake up to the threat to human civilization posed by the Xi Jinping regime, we should remember back to 1989,” he said, referring to China’s current leader who cemented his grip late last year by assuming a historic third consecutive term.
In a tiny office space in midtown Manhattan, Wang had put on a display of photos, videos, press clippings, posters, letters and banners about the democratic uprising that Beijing crushed, killing at least 1,000 demonstrators.
“We should commemorate those who sacrificed their lives and remember the democratic dreams of the Chinese people at that time,” said Wang, who served years in prison in China before being exiled in 1998
to the United States, where he later earned a doctorate in history at Harvard.
“Even in the United States, we still can feel the pressure and threats from the Chinese government,” he told AFP.
“The 1989 events connect not only with the past but also with today and the future,” Wang said, demanding that the world should “also remember the true face of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Several leading Chinese critics and American politicians spoke at the inauguration of the museum – the only permanent exhibition in the world on Tiananmen after the closure of a museum in Hong Kong in 2021.
The artistic flourishing that accompanied the Tiananmen commemoration in Hong Kong each year has almost disappeared under Beijing’s tightening grip on the territory.
For more than 30 years, tens of thousands of people gathered every June 4 in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park for a candlelight vigil.
But since China imposed a national security law in 2020, local authorities have shut down such gatherings, while criminalizing most public displays of dissent. AFP
declined, with a spokeswoman saying “the US knows clearly why there are currently difficulties in military communication.”
The Chinese delegation swiftly responded to Austin’s speech, with Senior Colonel Tang Hefei, spokesperson for China’s defense ministry, saying that the Pentagon chief “made several false accusations” in his remarks.
“We oppose that,” Tang told reporters in Singapore.
Another Chinese delegation member, Senior Colonel Zhao Xiaozhuo, said Washington had no business telling China what to do.
“What we do in the Chinese military is based on maintaining the core interests of
China’s security, which is fundamental,” he told reporters.
Defence minister Li, who will address the meeting on Sunday, was sanctioned by the US government in 2018 for buying Russian weapons, but the Pentagon says that does not prevent Austin from conducting official business with him.
Zhao said removing the sanctions is “one of the pre-conditions for substantial talks” with Austin.
Austin said he was “deeply concerned that (China) has been unwilling to engage more seriously on better mechanisms for crisis management between our two militaries,” expressing hope that would soon change. AFP
Pyongyang has doubled down on military development since diplomatic efforts collapsed in 2019, conducting a string of banned weapons tests, including test-firing multiple intercontinental ballistic missiles.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last year declared his country an “irreversible” nuclear power and called for an “exponential” increase in weapons production, including tactical nuclear weapons. AFP
TWITTER’S head of trust and safety confirmed she had quit the company, her departure coming after owner Elon Musk endorsed an anti-transgender video shared on the platform.
“I know there’s been a lot of speculation regarding what happened,” read a post on Ella Irwin’s Twitter account late Friday, a day after her resignation was reported in US media.
“I did resign but this has been a once in a lifetime experience,” she added, without revealing any reason for suddenly leaving her job at Twitter.
Irwin is the second head of trust and safety to quit Twitter since eccentric billionaire Musk bought the platform and reduced content moderation to essentially permit anything allowed by law.
Since taking over Twitter in late October, Musk has repeatedly courted controversy, sacking most of its staff, readmitting banned accounts to the platform, suspending journalists and charging for previously free services.
Musk said during a CNBC interview in May that he will continue to tweet his unfiltered thoughts even if it hurts his businesses.
“I don’t care,” the billionaire said when asked what he thought of his controversial tweets making it harder to sell ads on Twitter or hurting the share price of Tesla, his electric vehicle manufacturing business.
“I’ll say what I want to say and if the consequence of that is losing money, so be it.”
Irwin’s departure came as Twitter was under pressure by backers of an anti-transgender video called “What Is A Woman” who claimed Twitter went back on a deal to distribute the content free on the platform.
Backers of the video contended the video was being suppressed at Twitter for not using people’s chosen pronouns when it came to gender identification.
Musk said in a Twitter exchange with the conservative outlet behind the video that people had made a mistake and the video, while possibly “rude,” was not against the law. AFP
fire breathers perform the PepePepe Baine (a woman playing with fire) dance to the tunes of traditional Makassar music at the Berua Rammang-Rammang village in Maros, Indonesia on June 3, 2023. AFP
FATALITY. This image grab taken from an AFPTV video footage shows the body of a young child, thought to have drowned at sea when two vessels carrying migrants sank in the Mediterranean, discovered during a patrol off the coast of Sfax. The child was likely from Cameroon, as more than 200 Cameroonians had been rescued in the last twodays, the coastguard undertaking the operation said. The child’s mother was believed to have been one of the people missing after the sinking of two boats earlier in the week, they added. AFP
BUSINESS
Community nurse-turned-entrepreneur Trexie Marie Tan
Community nurse-turned-entrepreneur Trexie Marie Tan shares the same awareness of entrepreneurial empowerment since starting her business at a young age.
While her story started from a rather amusing narrative, her passage as a full-pledged entrepreneur was neither hilarious nor comical. She actively juggled business and academic pursuits, which left her spent throughout the week.
“It’s a funny story to begin with.
There was this one time when I really craved for banana chips and my Mom found three pieces of unripe saba [plantain] which she tried to cook into banana chips for me. We thought then, that, probably the remaining bananas that took time to get ripened were really meant to be banana chips,” she said.
That episode convinced her to set up a home-based enterprise for banana chips production. Incidentally, banana chips is one of her comfort snacks. She had just started her college education but still managed to stretch her time to help her parents operate their small sari-sari store in General Santos City.
Starting out a nano enterprise might seem a walk in the park to many, but for Tan, who was in the midst of her nursing degree, the extra effort to maintain the business could have placed her in a stressful predicament, if not for the encouragement of her supportive parents, who continue to assist her up to now.
The Philippines as a banana chip republic may have the most number of small enterprises that produce banana chips. This encouraged Tan to be a bit inventive and come up with a distinct product. A common trait of banana chips is its sweetness and crispness which is what Trexie’s Banana Chips is like, but what sets it apart is its smooth, almost flawless-like texture.
Unlike regular banana chips, Trexie’s Banana Chips removes the portion of bananas embellished with black, pin-prick seeds during the production process.
“So we take out the part with seeds. We slice the banana by sections, leaving the part with seeds. The end product looks more like a potato chip, which is the look we want to achieve for our banana chips,” Tan said, adding that the product, after a few innovations, is now available in different flavors—original, no sugar, barbecue, cheese and sour cream.
Sustainability
Tan said discarding the banana core is such a waste of good food considering it is also edible. Instead of throwing away the part with seeds, she instead, tried her hand at innovating by drying the “waste part” to create what she calls “green banana flour”.
“As our business matures, we have also bookmarked several observations from our decade long of producing this product. This is why we have a new mantra on zero waste production. We want to be a sustainable and responsible manufacturer of quality, yet healthy products,” she said.
Next to almond flour, banana is another healthy alternative to regular flour. While a kilogram of banana flour may cost about P400, it is way more affordable than almond flour which retails at P1,000/kg. However, compared to regular or wheat flour, banana flour is a bit pricey.
During the 2023 International Food Exhibition Philippines on May 26 to 28, Tan said several manufacturers expressed interest to try using banana flour. There were even proposals for some bakers to try using banana flour as supplement to regular flour.
The IFEX stint informally connected Trexie’s with a major polvoron manufacturer. There is also a proposal from the government to engage Trexie’s in a product development to use banana flour for a trial production of nutribun—a proposed feeding program for grade-school children in public schools.
Trexie’s packaging has evolved with time. From the traditional clear plastic pouch packaging, it is now using standup resealable pouches which are more sustainable as it also extends the shelf life of the product up to 18 months.
Accolades
Starting her banana chips business when she was about 16 years old, Tan was chosen as one of the recipients of the Most Promising Young Entrepreneur award in Region 12. This boosted her confidence to continue her business despite the challenges.
Her green banana flour experiment added another notable citation as she won the Young Farmers Challenge in 2022—a program of the Department of
Agriculture that seeks to engage young people to invest time and talent into agri-related pursuits. She said the awards she received opened another window for her as an inspirational speaker.
“I never imagined myself as a resource speaker. However, I get invited to events where I am encouraged to tell my story, hoping that more young people will be enlightened to also try entrepreneurship,” she said.
Toll operations
In 2020, a start-up manufacturing company approached Tan to offer toll packing opportunities. The contract calls for Trexie’s to manufacture banana chips for the company under a different brand name. The product is mostly for export to the US and Australia.
“Our partner has a lot of things they want us to engage in. There are products in the pipeline we are still sorting out with them on top of being their source of banana chips,” Tan said.
Trexie’s was able to fulfill its first container van of toll-packed banana chips with the help of seven full-time workers. On days when demand is dull, or when production is to satisfy local demand, Tan said they can only hire four workers.
“I thought that after that first container van, we will be in a better position, financially. It was then that I realized it takes more than just a container van of banana chips to realize our dream to be a major supplier and producer of banana chips. We still need to trek that long road to get to where we want us to be,” Tan said.
Trexie’s produces about 40,000 packs of banana chips a month, which is just about the capacity of a nano enterprise. The product is marketed in a 60-gram ziplock stand-up pouch, smaller in terms of volume compared to the toll-packed units which is 100 grams per pack.
She said production constraints limited its distribution channels within the boundaries of General Santos City. Although there is a separate facility for production, packaging and storage, lack of financial resources kept operations at the minimum. Othel V. Campos
Tower builder and telecom firm connect for greater digital connectivity
EDOTCO Philippines and Globe Telecom’s partnership has helped boost reliable and affordable 4G and 5G connectivity in communities, businesses and government agencies, particularly in Cebu.
aggravate climate change.
manpower, expertise, equipment, and supplies - excluding seedlings and fertilizers - for replanting and for taking care of the seedlings. Straddling portions of Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya and Aurora provinces, the PCWFR serves as sanctuary for various plant and animal life in Central Luzon. Aside from rivers and forests, the 84,000-hectare watershed area also hosts the Pantabangan Dam, considered one of Southeast Asia’s biggest dams and the source of crucial irrigation water for thousands of hectares of farms in Central Luzon. OTHEL V. CAMPOS, Issue Editor email: extrastory2000@gmail.com A4 JUNE 4, 2023
CLEAN energy provider First Gen Corporation and 4 farmers’ organizations in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija, embarked on a reforestation project involving a 1,209-hectare portion of the Pantabangan-Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve (PCWFR) as part of a program to protect and enhance the vital watershed area and provide income for the farmers. Under the agreement, FG Hydro will provide the program design, as well as technical supervision in implementing the reforestation activities.
“As a source of irrigation water for thou-
sands of hectares of farmlands in Central Luzon, PCWFR helps assure the country’s food security; and as source of water for power generation, it supports likewise our government’s drive not only for energy security but for more clean and renewable energy,” said First Gen senior vice president Dennis P. Gonzales. The reforestation agreement, finalized recently by the parties, supports government efforts to fight climate change by creating a forest capable of absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide, one of the heat-trapping greenhouse gases that
UNION Galvasteel Corporation (UGC), a PHINMA subsidiary under its Construction Materials Group, supported GMA Kapuso Foundation in its project to construct a school building in disaster-stricken Binibitinan Elementary School in Polillo, Quezon. As part of PHINMA’s making lives better mission and in support to rehabilitation efforts for areas damaged by Typhoon Karding (Noru) last September, UGC donated high-quality roofing materials such as Durarib prepainted roofing, pre-painted end flashing, and pre-painted gutter for the construction of a 2-classroom Kapuso type school building. Key stakeholders attended the groundbreaking ceremony held on May 5, 2023. The classrooms to be built by GMA Kapuso Foundation will be able to withstand typhoon winds of up to 300 kph. With the high quality roofing provided by UGC, the classrooms will not only ensure the safety of students and teachers during times of extreme weather, but will also mitigate potential damage and the need for frequent repairs. By providing a resilient and secure learning environment, UGC and GMA Kapuso Foundation improve the well-being and educational continuity of the students. The PHINMA Group, which includes UGC, is committed to making lives better, especially after calamities hit. With a wide and longstanding presence in
EDOTCO’s role is to make next-generation connectivity universally accessible in order to help nations and societies transform digitally, economically and socially,” said EDOTCO Philippines’ country managing director Suraj Narayanan, With more than 54,000 towers in nine markets, EDOTCO strongly advocates for its customers, primarily mobile network operators (MNOs), on the concept of tower sharing, offering them efficient capital allocation for faster network rollout.
A study conducted by EDOTCO Group and Roland Berger in 2022 revealed that MNOs can save up to $10 billion through infrastructure sharing, which translates to a cumulative savings of up to $67 billion for consumers. Tower sharing also encourages sustainable digital connectivity by reducing carbon footprint by up to 17 million metric tonnes.
MORE millennials and Gen Zs aim to be the captain of their own ship as they see the value of entrepreneurship.
PATRICIA TACULAO, Issue Editor
email: lifeandshow.manilastandard.gmail.com
By Patricia Taculao
IN this time and age, society has begun learning to love the skins they live in and respect others’ decisions on how they want to live their lives. When it comes to using beauty products, the public has embraced the benefits of makeup and similar products in boosting their confidence and enhancing their natural beauty. After all, there’s nothing wrong with looking one’s best.
Over the years, beauty trends came and went. Some of the recently defining fads is having well-groomed, thick eyebrows. Nowadays, lush lashes that accentuate one’s features have become a favorite among beauty enthusiasts. Whether for an event or running everyday errands, wearing false lashes or eyelash extensions has become common.
Faboulash’s lightweight products are ideal for Rols Serrano as he accomplishes his tasks as a student
in mind, we create the best lashes for everyone! From the novice makeup user to the professional makeup artist on set, our lashes enhance the lives of makeup users everywhere,” she said.
However, Marcaid recognizes that beauty is no longer limited to magazines or celebrities. Last Tuesday, May 30, Faboulash celebrated another milestone by re-establishing itself as a brand that celebrates people in all their diversities through its “Amplify You” campaign.
Besides
Yet with all the available products in the market, choosing the right product to match one’s preferences can be difficult. Some are heavy on the eyes, too thick and unnatural, or expensive. Most importantly, some lash brands don’t cater to the Asian eye shape, making it more difficult for consumers
to find one that enhances their natural features.
These factors prompted celebrity makeup artist Mikka Marcaida to establish her own lash brand, Faboulash. Launched in 2015, Faboulash boasts an inclusive lash collection and tools that can help simplify makeup routines.
Marcaida found her calling in the beauty industry as a celebrity makeup artist. But, like many others, she struggled to find affordable false lashes that cater to different eyelid types, especially monolids, which are dominant among Asians. Instead of giving up or pouring numerous hours searching for accessible and inclusive false lashes in the market, Marcaida chose to start Faboulash.
“When we design with all people
“Amplify You” features five models from different backgrounds, including a lawyer and a student, to showcase Faboulash’s versatile products. It opens ups opportunities for enthusiasts to embrace their passion for makeup and add a little confidence booster in whatever they do.
During the Faboulash Party in Vestido Manila, Marcaida also dropped some tips on how everyday individuals can apply their Faboulash products easily. First, she recommends using tweezers to keep the lashes clean and have a firmer grip on the product. Then, apply only a thin layer of glue on the lash band and wait 30 seconds to keep it from slipping and sliding on the natural lashes. Lastly, take a mirror and look down on it while putting the false lashes on natural ones to allow more space between the eyelid and the lash line, making the application easier.
“There’s a learning curve to applying lashes, so be patient,” Marcaida said, encouraging beauty enthusiasts to keep trying until they find the ideal routine that works for them.
Faboulash products are available on Shopee and Lazada.
HOW many drinks are too many, and where do you draw the line and stop?
Drinking too much alcohol can have long-term effects on health, and that’s why it’s necessary to be mindful about setting limits for yourself and to keep an eye on how many drinks you’re having so you don’t go overboard. If you’re having trouble finding out how to pace yourself, here are five ways from social media superstar and entrepreneur Nico Bolzico to stick to your limit.
1. Establish how much alcohol you should be having. Sticking to your limit starts with identifying the limit. A standard unit of alcohol contains about 10 grams of alcohol, the amount the body can process in an hour. That’s why you must stick to the recommended amount your body can process. Going beyond this amount will increase your risk of accidents, hangovers, and even permanent health problems.
2. Always eat food before and even when consuming alcohol. Food slows the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream by keeping it in the stomach longer.
“When your stomach is empty, you feel the effects of your drinks faster,” Nico explains. “I always make sure I eat something before I start drinking! You can also eat something while you’re drinking to counter the effects of the alcohol.”
3. Skip a drink and replace it with a glass of water. Alcohol causes the body to lose fluid, which can lead to dehydration. One practical tip to drink responsibly and ensure you’re sticking to your limit is to alternate between drinks. Drink a full glass of water after an alcoholic beverage to ensure you aren’t dehydrated.
4. Don’t drink and drive.
“Driving may seem like a simple, everyday activity that you’re used to, but driving while under the influence of alcohol is one of the biggest no-nos of drinking,” reminds Nico.
Drinking and driving can have dire consequences for you. It impairs your coordination and vision. It also impacts your ability to make sound judgments or choices. If you intend to drink, even just a moderate amount, secure your trip home through a friend or family member.
5. Avoid drinking if you struggle with any anxiety or negative emotions.
Alcohol is a depressant, increasing the risk of worsening any feelings of depression, anger, or anxiety. If you are experiencing any of these feelings before drinking, you are more likely to consume alcohol beyond the safe limits.
Reminding everyone not to go overboard with their alcohol consumption, Diageo Philippines has launched an allnew responsible drinking campaign called “Stick To Your Limit.”
Launched during Alcohol Awareness month in April with campaign ambassadors Nico and Erwan Heussaff , Stick To Your Limit aims to raise the importance of understanding one’s drinking limits when drinking the same way they shouldn’t overdo their
everyday activities.
“We’re thrilled that Nico and Erwan will be working with us in spreading our message of Stick To Your Limit as we encourage everyone to increase their DrinkIQ,” shares Rajesh Joshi , General Manager of Diageo Philippines. “Nico and Erwan have a very close relationship with Diageo, with Erwan serving as a collaborator on our brand activations and with Nico serving as an ambassador for Diageo brands in the past, and we value their partnership for this campaign.”
Diageo also invites everyone of legal drinking age to learn more about alcohol facts on DrinkIQ.com, their dedicated online responsible drinking platform that provides information about the effects of excessive alcohol consumption on the body and mind.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—The Philippines settled for the silver medal after bowing to Thailand, 7-15, in the men’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball final of the 12th ASEAN Para Games at the Morodok Techo National Stadium’s Elephant Hall 2 here.
Malaysia outclassed Cambodia, 178, for the bronze medal.
The Filipino Warriors lost to Thailand (6-18) but scored victories over Indonesia (11-5), Cambodia (14-5), and Malaysia (8-7) in the elimination round to arrange a title showdown with unbeaten Thailand.
“We started slow. We just started hitting the mark at the half, unfortunately, it was too late. 3x3 is a fast-phased game so whoever blinks would be in deep trouble and unfortunately, it was us. In the later part, we played according to our game plan and executed well but it was too late,” explained head coach Vernon Perea after the game.
The men’s squad duplicated its 2022 performance, the same as the women’s team which finished fourth.
The Lady Warriors suffered a 5-8 setback from Laos in the battle for third place. Cambodia retained the title after beating Thailand 11-9.
“For the women’s team, our performance in the battle for bronze was way much better than yesterday (Friday). We lost to Laos by 2 points. Almost the same story with the men’s team, our first few minutes on the court was not that good but we gained control of ourselves as the game progresses so the girls managed to keep the game very close till the end.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—The powerlifting competition of the 12th Asean Para Games will begin on Sunday with five Filipinos setting their sights on the gold medals when they see action at the National Paralympic Committee of Cambodia (NPCC) Hall here.
Veterans Achelle Guion (women’s up to 45kg), Marydol Pamati-an (up to 41kg), and Romeo Tayawa (men’s up to 54kg) are seeking to improve their medal performances at the 2022 edition while Rose Ann Lita (women’s up to 50kg) and Jules Empizo (men’s up to 49kg) are hoping to make an impressive debut.
Guion delivered two silver medals last year. She also won a silver at the 2018 Asian Games (Indonesia) and competed at the 2012 London Paralympics.
Pamati-an and Tayawa, on the other hand, bagged two bronze medals each in the 2022 edition.
The national para powerlifting team’s coaching staff is composed of Rico Canlas (head), Allan Paje, and Daisy Lipasana.
Lipasana, 23, joined the coaching staff team only this year. She is a national powerlifter and played for the varsity judo team of the University of Santo Tomas where she earned a sports management degree (cum laude).
“We have been asking for a female coach for so long. Finally, our request was granted,” said five-time Paralym pian Adeline Dumapong-Ancheta in an interview on Saturday.
“It’s an achievement for the powerlifting team to have a female coach. There are certain needs of athletes that only a female coach can assist with,” shared the 49-year-old native of Kiangan, Ifugao province.
female in
Dumapong-Ancheta, the first Filipino Paralympics medalist after winning the bronze in Sydney, Australia (2000), has won nine gold medals at the Asean Para Games since her debut in 2001 (Malaysia).
Last year, she settled for two silver medals in the +86kg category, losing to Indonesia’s Sriyanti, the 2021 World Para Powerlifting World Cup gold medalist.
“I beat her for the gold medal at the 2017 Asean Para Games. She’s younger and has become stronger,” said Dumapong-Ancheta, who is scheduled to compete on June 7.
A bit late but still, the girls have played their hearts out in that game. I hope we carry the good vibes into the 5 on 5 matches,” commented the 52-year-old Perea, the former member of the Ato Badolato-mentored San Beda College Red Cubs.
Over in chess, Sander Severino, the most be-medalled Filipino with a quadruple gold haul in Surakarta, Indonesia last year, led the country’s strong start as he paced the rapid event of the men’s PI division along with two others including countryman Jasper Rom with
perfect two points at the Royal University.
Darry Bernardo and Menandro Redor likewise shared the lead in the men’s B2B3 class as well as Cheyzer Mendoza in the women’s PI section.
The final four rounds of the rapid
event are slated today (Sunday). The standard event is scheduled from Monday to Wednesday while the blitz is on Thursday.
The James Infiesto-mentored squad is out to surpass, if not match, its 10gold harvest in Surakarta.
DIPOLOG City bets made a big splash in the recent fourth and final leg of the Zamboanga Peninsula Open Water Swim by dominating most of the categories in the race held at the famous cove of Dakak Park and Beach Resort in Dapitan City.
Gako Sky of Negros Occidental topped the premier 5KM swim in the men’s division while Summer Clarise Pacatang of Dipolog City topped the women’s side.
Pacatang ruled the women’s 5KM contest in 1 hour, 21 minutes, and 37 seconds edging out rivals Shulammite Bantay and Nicholai Jaafar who times 1:24:35 and 1:39:49 respectively. Among the men, Gaco won by a slim margin over his nearest competitor Austin John Hampac timing 1:12:12 and 1:12:18. At 3rd was John Abdul with 1:15:44.
In addition to the honors achieved, the 5KM swim champion will get to participate in an international event of the TriFactor Triathlon Festival slated for July 30 in Singapore. Other champions in the event supported by the Department of Tourism Region 9 initiative, the Zamboanga Open Water Swim Club and Atrive,
were Kiara Ramiella Eroy (Women’s 3Km), Jesus Duque Vil (Men’s 3Km), Milliza Syla Tanginan (Women’s 1km) and Kent Jade Pareja (Men’s 1.5Km). Jesus Duque and Kiara Eroy, both from Dipolog City, won top honors in the men’s and women’s 3KM races,
respectively.
Jade Pareja of Dipolog City and Milliza Tanginan of Zamboanga City dominated the men’s 1.5KM and women’s 1KM races, respectively. The Zamboanga Open Water Swim’s fourth and final leg at Dakak
in Zamboanga del Norte was more than a showcase of bright prospects in long-distance swimming but also the beauty of the seascape of the southern part of the Philippines.
More than 200 swimmers, including the youngest participant at six years of age as well as celebrity mixed martial arts champion Mark Striegl, participated in the circuit that aims to promote Zamboanga Peninsula as a sports tourism destination.
The first three legs of the open swim circuit took place in Zamboanga City’s seaport, at Buluan Island in Zamboanga Sibugay, and at the scenic and heart-shaped Lake Magarang in Zamboanga del Sur.
With the success of the Zampen Open Water Swim Circuit 2023, the DOT is convinced that more sports tourism activities should be activated in Mindanao, especially in the Zamboanga Peninsula. Lana Jalosjos of Dakak Park and Beach Resorts agreed that sports tourism is one of the best ways to attract tourists because passionate athletes---local and international-will go out of their way to try the best things Mindanao could offer.
THE Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) will host the Hangzhou Asian Games Fun Run on Monday (June 5) in Tagaytay City as part of the Olympic Council of Asia’s (OCA) campaign to engage the whole continent in the buildup to the 19th edition of the games in September.
The fun run is part of the OCA’s “Asian Games for All” and will be staged starting
at 6 a.m. along Bacolod-De los Reyes Street with the Tagaytay City BMX and Skateboard Park as a staging area. POC President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino said the country’s top athletes
and sports officials are joining the fun run which is being staged 109 days ahead of the Hangzhou games set from September 23 to October 8.
“As part of the OCA Family, the POC together with the national sports associations are one in celebrating and promoting the forthcoming Asian Games,” Tolentino said.
The OCA’s “Asian Games for All” campaign started in April and is three-pronged—the National Olympic Committees: Hangzhou Asian Games Fun Run, Asian Games Youth Reporter Project and Hangzhou Asian Games Children’s Art Competition.
Project and Hangzhou Asian Games Com Septem Stadium.
campaign,” OCA Director General Husain Al Musallam said.
“We want all National Olympic Committees to get into the spirit of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou this September and participate in our promotional
“The ‘Asian Games for All’ campaign will engage Asian society all over the continent and give everyone the chance to be involved in Hangzhou Asian Games,”
Musallam said. “Through this project, the OCA will help develop sport, culture, and education among the youth of Asia and help to promote the values of respect, friendship, goodwill, peace, and a clean environment.”
City, Agusan del Norte, with Hungarian coach Dora Vass by her side, stood up on the side and bravely waved back to the appreciative crowd in the event backed by Philippine Sports Commission.
Uzbek sensation Takhmina Ikromova, who had led her country to retain the team gold and successfully defended her allaround crown, added two more mints in the meet backed by Taisan, Pastorelli, and Qatar Insurance Corp.
while China’s Wang Zilu (32.5) settled for the bronze in the tournament also backed by Sofitel, Hotel 101 and Milo.
Later, the hometown athlete received a huge hug from his father, Capt. Arnold Labadan, the head of the tournament’s organizing committee, for comfort.
“We practiced this routine in practice and were able to do it, sadly we missed it today,” said Labadan,” and this is going to be a learning experience to be better next time.”
“All of us came here prepared. We are determined to win, we will do our best,” added the five-time Asian Para Games silver medalist.
The other members of the team are Denesia Esnara (2022 Asean Para Games bronze medalist), Cherrylyn Sugue, Jeffrey Jaramillo, Carlo John Nuyda and Gregorio Payat Jr.
“All of us came here prepared. We Nuyda and Gregorio Payat Jr.
With her face down on the mat, the Pinay
BREANNA Labadan capped her campaign on Saturday on a downbeat note, winding up eighth and last in the ball event finals with a score of 28.75 points at the close of the 14th Senior Rhythmic Gymnastics Asian Championships at the Ninoy Aquino Eyeing a high finish with a superior routine she made several times in practice, Labadan was virtually picture-perfect until she committed a costly error at the end of her stint in the competition organized by the Gymnastics Association of the Philippine With her face down on the mat, the Pinay sprite was unable to catch the falling ball with her legs, hitting one of her thighs and trickling away, much to the dismay of the hometown crowd who came to see her play. Despite the mistake, the pride of Butuan
Ikromova bagged the ball event gold with a top score of 34.55 points while compatriots Evelina Atalyants (34.05) and Elzhana Taniyeva (32.70) took the silver and bronze, respectively.
In a closely-fought contest, she also took the hoop gold (34.35) at the expense of Kazakhstan’s Taniyeva Alzhana (32.50)
But she won’t go empty-handed from the meet also supported by the Harbor Pilots Association of the Phils., Pocari Sweat and Summit Water. after qualifying for the world championships in Valencia, Spain in August after finishing ninth overall in the individual all-around last Friday.
Misha de Leon’s ‘Damdamin’ explores the challenges of a platonic relationship that’sunexpectedly transitioning into a romantic one
MISHA de Leon, a former contestant from Idol Philippines season 2, showcases her beautiful and soulful voice in her debut single titled “Damdamin.” The single is released under the Star Pop label.
“Damdamin” explores the challenges of a platonic relationship unexpectedly transitioning into a romantic one. The song was composed and produced by Jungee Marcelo
Misha shared her thoughts on the song, stating that it resonates deeply with her. She describes it as a groovy track that portrays someone who isn’t ready for a romantic relationship and the emotions they experience when rejecting someone’s confession of feelings.
Having personally faced a similar situation, Misha believes in the importance of timing and feels that the track will connect with many people, particularly young adults or individuals who are not yet ready for a relationship.
Excited to venture into recording after her Idol PH experience, Misha describes herself as a melting pot of inspiration when it comes to musical influences.
She draws inspiration from a range of artists, including the soulful sounds of Amy Winehouse and KZ Tandingan the electrifying beats of BTS and Arctic Monkeys, and the timeless classics of Adele and Rihanna. This diverse musical taste allows her to explore different styles and vibes to discover her own unique style and genre.
Listeners can now enjoy Misha’s debut single “Damdamin” on various music platforms.
n By NICKIE WANGBETTER Days is undergoing a significant transformation in 2023 while retaining its name. The musical group, which has been active for a few years and has already released several singles under Universal Records, now has a completely revamped lineup.
Nigel Aboy (vocals and guitars), Nim Garcia (keys and back-up vocals), Jian Ballesteros (bass), and Raphael Resurreccion (drums) form the new quartet.
Although the process is somewhat pressuring and overwhelming, the band is enjoying the journey. While technically a new band, the group has decided to keep the name. As part of its return, the band has released a fresh EP consisting of six tracks, which reimagine previous songs from its repertoire.
The EP features acoustic versions of songs from the Nararamdaman EP (2018), creating a sincere, homely, and intimate atmosphere. Additionally, it includes Better Days’ latest original single “Hilom,” which now has an official music video and a performance on the Wish Bus.
One of the EP’s key tracks is their rendition of the popular song “Paano” by Apo Hiking Society. Through this release, listeners can discover the band’s signature sound.
“Paano” has already gained recognition, currently holding the fourth spot on Spotify’s Pinoy Covers playlist.
To further support their impressive release, the quartet unveiled a music video at the launch of Hilom on May 26 at The 70’s Bistro bar in Quezon City.
MAY is not only known for its scorching temperatures, but it also signifies the start of the rainy season. However, amidst these weather changes, Netflix has curated an impressive selection of shows ready to provide the perfect distraction.
If you’re a subscriber of Smart Signature with Netflix on Us, you’re in for a treat with uninterrupted streaming of unlimited Netflix content, including the latest titles released each week. Powered by Smart 5G, Smart Signature enables you to enjoy your favorite Netflix shows at your convenience, wherever and whenever you please.
With a wide range of options available, Netflix has something to cater to everyone’s tastes this month. From gripping K-dramas to captivating spinoffs of global hits and the latest seasons of beloved shows, there’s a show waiting for you to dive into.
So, take a look at the list of the hottest shows on Netflix and embark on an exciting streaming marathon. Choose your favorite and let the binge-watching begin.
The Good Bad Mother
Netflix’s latest K-drama combines comedy, legal drama, murder mystery, and social commentary. It explores the love of a mother and her willingness to protect her son. The show follows an ambitious prosecutor who regresses to the mind of a child after an accident, leading him back to his mother’s care. With intriguing plot twists and excellent acting, The Good Bad Mother will captivate you.
This steamy spinoff of the popular Bridgerton franchise. This prequel follows the journey of Queen Charlotte from her teenage years to becoming the beloved queen viewers know. With its captivating storyline and opulent setting, it’s a must-watch for fans.
This is the kilig spinoff of the teen romcom franchise To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Kitty, the matchmaker from the previous movies, moves to Korea to pursue her own love story. The series explores the challenges of love and personal happiness. It’s a delightful watch with engaging characters and heart-melting moments.
pressures, she learns the importance of self-acceptance. With a charming cast and relatable themes, it’s a delightful series that will leave you smiling.
Sweet Tooth
This fantasy/sci-fi series is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Follow Gus, a young boy who is part-human and part-deer, as he embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth about his origins. With adventure and heartfelt storytelling, it’s a captivating tale for the whole family.
Dr. Cha
The heartwarming medical K-drama explores self-discovery. Dr. Cha, a former doctor turned housewife, returns to the medical profession after 20 years. The series follows her journey as a first-year resident and her interactions with her cheating husband. It’s a feel-good drama that will warm your heart.
Selling Sunset
It is a popular reality show that combines real estate and drama. Follow a group of elite real estate agents in Los Angeles as they navigate the competitive world of luxury property sales. With stunning homes and entertaining storylines, it’s a guilty pleasure for fans of glamor and real-life drama.
Dr. Romantic
A compelling medical K-drama, it explores the true essence of the medical profession. Dr. Kim Sa Bu leaves his prestigious career to mentor younger doctors in a rural hospital. With intriguing medical cases, it’s a drama that will keep you hooked.
captivating series brings Jose Rizal’s iconic characters to life with a modern twist. Follow Klay (Barbie Forteza) as she journeys into the world of Maria Clara (Julie Anne San Jose) and Ibarra (Dennis Trillo), experiencing their story in real-time. This show explores love, patriotism, and resistance against the backdrop of the Philippines’ colonial era.
One Piece This beloved Japanese anime series has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Follow Monkey D. Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates, on their thrilling adventure in search of the ultimate treasure. With action, humor, and unforgettable characters, it’s a journey you won’t want to miss.
True Beauty
This is a K-drama that follows a high school student who uses makeup to hide her insecurities. As she navigates relationships and societal
Netflix offers a diverse range of captivating shows for all ages and interests. Enjoy uninterrupted streaming with Smart Signature’s Netflix on Us and indulge in hours of entertainment. –
Maria Clara at Ibarra This Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story XO, Kitty Nickie WangTHE liver is the biggest internal organ of any mammal. It is a multifunctional organ that is involved in the metabolism and production of vital chemicals. Because it is the first organ after the stomach to receive ingested drugs and plays a role in metabolism, it is particularly vulnerable to harm from ingested toxins and their toxic metabolites.
Veterinarians Tammy Hunter and Robin Downing said in their article "Nutrition for Dogs with Liver Disease," the liver is the second biggest organ in the body and conducts roughly 1500 vital biomechanical activities. The liver metabolizes drugs, eliminates toxins from the body, and produces vital chemicals such as albumin and blood clotting factors. The liver plays an active role in nutrition by acting as an intermediate between protein, carbohydrate, and fat digestion.”
The My Pet Nutritionist (MPN) team refers to the liver as the "powerhouse internal organ" in their article "Ultimate Natural Guide for Pets: Liver Disease" because it regulates, processes, and filters pretty much everything in the body.
It is said to be a very intelligent and perceptive organ that can regenerate liver cells even if a piece of the liver is removed during surgery. It is a magnificent organ, and your pet's health is dependent on it working properly.
What causes liver problems?
Many liver-damaging environmental contaminants are routinely found in our food, air, and water. Furthermore, because many pet food firms use tainted ingredients from other countries, a significant amount of dog food is polluted with aflatoxins, heavy metals, fluoride, pesticides, and other environmental contaminants. Many of these items have been "condemned for human use," including meat from rendering facilities that are unfit for human consumption.
Veterinarians are also prescribing more monthly flea and tick preventative chemicals than ever before (owing in part to the increasing prevalence of Lyme and other tick-borne infections), as well as heartworm drugs, NSAIDS, phenobarbital, steroids, and antibiotics. The liver is responsible for detoxifying all of these substances.
MPN provides us with some of the elements that may induce liver problems in our canine friends:
The most important factor is poor nutrition/diet. It can cause genetic damage and place a significant burden on the liver. Diet may not be exclusively to blame for the genesis of this illness, but it does play a part in therapy and support.
Most narrow-minded people dismiss this aspect, but stress is an important role in the pathogenesis of liver disease. In every illness, trying to control the stress response is usually beneficial.
Poisoning can cause liver damage through a variety of routes. Hepatotoxic substances or compounds that are metabolized to hepatotoxic chemicals are present in several substances. The mechanism of liver toxicosis is uncertain in some situations.
A clear example is copper toxicity. Copper-associated hepatitis is a condition in which copper accumulates inside hepatocytes and becomes toxic, resulting in liver damage. This might be due to a poor zinc diet or genetics that interfere with copper detoxification and zinc assimilation and absorption.
Pharmaceuticals can be a source of liver problems. Overuse or poor tolerance of phenobarbital, NSAIDs, paracetamol, and other medicines may be linked to liver damage.
According to Nicola Bates' article "Poisons
Affecting the Liver" on the UK-Vet the Veterinary Nurse website, Xylitol has been identified as a cause of liver failure, although the mechanism of
liver damage remains unexplained. It might be due to prolonged adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion from xylitol metabolism, resulting in cellular necrosis or the generation of reactive oxygen species that damage cell membranes and macromolecules (as he referenced Dunayer and Gwaltney-Brant's 2006 scholarly work). In addition to liver damage, xylitol induces hypoglycemia in dogs because it is a significant activator of insulin release, which results in a reduction in blood glucose.
Supportive fluid treatment may be necessary, especially if the dog is not eating or drinking or requires rehydration after vomiting. Electrolyte supplementation may be necessary, which can be either orally or intravenously, depending on the clinical status of the dog and the degree of biochemical abnormalities. If feeding is not working or the dog is symptomatic, the hypoglycemia should be addressed with an intravenous dextrose infusion.
Paracetamol (also known as acetaminophen or APAP in some countries) is a non-narcotic painkiller that is widely accessible. It is used to treat humans but NOT dogs, cats or ferrets. But it may still cause liver problems with an overdose (even in humans).
In the liver, paracetamol is metabolized by three pathways: glucuronidation, sulphation, and oxidation. The glucuronide and sulphate routes produce harmless chemicals that are eliminated in bile and urine. The oxidation process is modest in most species, while glucuronidation is the main mechanism of paracetamol metabolism. Due to low quantities of glucuronyl transferase, the enzyme that catalyzes the last stage of the glucuronidation pathway, cats and ferrets have a limited ability to conjugate with glucuronic acid (as Bates cites Court’s scholarly article in 2001). As a result, these species have a restricted capacity to convert paracetamol to nontoxic metabolites and are considered poisonous.
Endocrine problems are a difficult challenge to overcome, says MPN. Diabetes mellitus, hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing's disease), and hyperthyroidism are all disorders that can cause compromised liver function. Infectious agents (leptospirosis or viral) pro-
vide an equal challenge. Sometimes veterinarians will remark that the origin of liver illness is unknown, although testing for a viral infection can sometimes imply liver damage. Working with the immune system and maintaining liver function is critical for veterinarians working with MPN in these circumstances. Infections that affect the liver include bacterial, fungal, and parasitic disorders.
Your dog may have been engaged in a horrific accident involving the liver. Because severe trauma may be harmful, according to MPN. It is critical to understand the trauma when treating such cases.
veterinarians diagnose and treat liver problems?
According to MPN, a number of blood tests may be performed to identify and diagnose liver disease. If something is wrong, blood testing of liver enzymes may usually detect it. X-rays and ultrasonography can assist your veterinarian in identifying liver size, abnormalities, damage, gallstones, and gallbladder illnesses.
Abdominal surgery is the standard therapy for extrahepatic portosystemic shunts (PSS).
Regardless of the kind of liver illness, a low-fat, low-protein diet is frequently suggested. Some differ in salt level, while others may contain additional zinc to combat copper toxicity, but they are all designed to avoid overburdening the liver with fat or protein metabolism.
Based on their expertise, MPN suggested using a correctly prepared fresh feed to lengthen survival periods and improve quality of life in dogs with liver illness. They do not advocate dry food for anyone with liver illness. In individuals with liver diseases, fats are typically the most important factor. They preferably base their formulae on lean proteins, healthy veggies, superfoods, and the like.
About the Author: Mariana Burgos is a freelance artist. She has been a solo parent for 16 years now because she is wife to a desaparecido. She and her daughter are animal lovers and are active in advocating not only human rights but the rights of animals as well.
WE HAVE been encountering posts on dogs, cats, and other animals on Facebook that are eye-openers, or inspiring, or enlightening, or educational, or can make one feel good during a stressful day, or make one encouraged to help the poor souls among us.
Sunday Pets would like to share these notable posts of netizens and groups through this space called Pawsbook.
Old and alone, I thought that a dog was going to fulfill my existence.
I found him stray, dirty, hungry, I caressed him, he followed me without fear.
Now he is my dog, I am his owner.
I talk to him, he answers me by licking my hands.
"Fido tomorrow we will not have to eat, retirement is over, we will have to wait!".
That blessed day arrives, in line, with the other retirees, the script shattered by time, clasped in my hands, I wait my turn. Fido wiggles happily.
He knows that today we will eat more and a little better.
It's already winter. My house is cold without fire. He is close and warms me up. The beginning of spring finds us united thanking the sun, while from my heart, a prayer is born: "Thank you, Lord, for having created the dog."
From Diya Saha:
“Dear Mom and Dad,
I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the Rainbow Bridge .
Would I still be at home if I hadn't chewed your shoe? I didn't know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys.
Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. There are books and obedience teachers that would have taught you how to teach me to go to the door.
Would I still be at home if I hadn't brought fleas into the house? Without anti-flea medicine, I couldn't get them off of me after you left me in the yard for days.
Would I still be at home if I hadn't barked?
I was only saying, "I'm scared, I'm lonely, I'm here, I'm here! I want to be your best friend."
Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn't make me learn how.
Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to care for me and to teach manners to me? You didn't pay attention to me after the first week or so, but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me.
I died today.
Love, Your Puppy #adoptdontshop”
From Dog Lover group, posted by “Ğasparek István Zoltán pderotsoSnP19 0m6626f37564y1amatm5: 6M1la0mf 0l3g2umt 9gh7M5 ·