Photos from Metro Manila Shake Drill

Published on Inquirer Libre July 31, 2015

Philhealth makagagaan sa pagharap sa kanser

AHMC Presidente at CEO Andres Licaros Jr. proud na pinapakita ang logo ng bagong ACI

DIEGO MARIANO, INQUIRER

SANA maraming Pilipino ang mag-Philhealth,” sinabi ni Dr. Joven Tanchuco, Asian Cancer Institute (ACI) Chief Medical Officer, sa araw ng pagtatag sa kauna-unahang Asian Cancer Institute (ACI) ng Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) sa Pilipinas.

Hinihikayat ng ACI ang mga Pilipino na magpa-insure sa Philhealth bilang paghahanda sa anumang hindi inaasahang problemang pangkalusugan, lalong lalo na sa sakit na kanser, o “Big C.” Hindi lingid sa kaalaman ng pamunuan ng AHMC ang hirap at gastos ng pagpapagamot mula sa sakit na Kanser.

“Dalawa lang ang pinangangambahan ng mga tao sa tuwing malalaman nilang mayroon silang kanser, una, gagaling ba ako diyan? At pangalawa, baka naman maubos ang kabuhayan ko diyan,” ani AHMC Presidente at CEO Andres Licaros Jr. Dahil sa dalawang rason na binanggit ni Licaros, nag-isip ang AHMC kung paano matutugunan ang pangangailangang pang-medikal lalong lalo na sa kanser ng mga Pilipino, at ito nga ang pagtatag ng ACI upang tugunan ang mga problemang ito sa mabilis at makabagong pamamaraan.

Ang makabago at mabilis na pamamaraan na ito ay ang pagpapakilala ng “multi-disciplinary care” o ang paggamit ng iba’t ibang disiplina ng medisina sa paglunas ng sakit at ang pagbili ng mga makabagong kagamitang pang-medikal mula sa ibang bansa, mga kagamitang wala pa sa Pilipinas sa ngayon. Ayon kay Dr. Enrico Tangco, special projects coordinator ng ACI, “We hope to increase the cure rate, the quality of care for the patient, and the quality of life of the patient.”

Sa multidisciplinary care na ito, hindi lamang iisang doktor ang susuri sa pasyente kundi isang grupo na nagmumula sa iba’t ibang disiplina ng medisina para sa mas wastong pagsusuri ng sakit. Sa bagong tatag na ACI matatagpuan ang pinakabagong kagamitan pangmedisina mula sa ibang bansa tulad ng TomoTherapy HAD-H at ng Brachytheraphy.

Ang iba sa ospital na ito ay ang kanilang uri ng pag-aaruga, na kung saan ipadarama nila na hindi nag-iisa ang pasyente na kailangan ng isang “team” upang labanan ang sakit na kanser, kasama na rito ang mga aktibidad na kasama ang pamilya ng may sakit tulad ng yoga, laughter at aroma therapy, at alagang ispiritwal, pati na rin ang pagkain ng mga pagkaing herbal at masustansya.

Sa mga serbisyo ng ACI, maaring masabing hindi mura ang mga gamutang ito, bagama’t ayon kay Licaros “kailangan din naman naming i-maintain ang mga kagamitan… at iexpect nila na may babayaran talaga. Ang presyo ng mga serbisyo namin ay sapat lang.” Mayroon ding foundation ang AHMC upang tulungan ang mga kapus-palad na gustong magpagamot pero hindi sapat ang kabuhayan upang maipagpatuloy ang na mahal gamutan.

Bagama’t may foundation ang AHMC, hindi ito sapat upang tugunan ang lahat ng kapus-palad na may sakit na kanser. Kaya hinihikayat nila ang mga Pilipino na mag-avail ng Philhealth, malaking tulong na rin sa mahal na gamutan ng sakit na kanser.


Published on Inquirer Libre July 29, 2015

6 Pinoys Advance to GT Asian Leg

Pasay City, Philippines - Plaques of Success.The photo shows the top 6 racers that will compete in the Asian leg of the GT Academy in Silverstone, U.K. From L-R Jof Cox ( Driving Specialist and GT Academy Specialist ) , Nicki Hewson ( events manager ) Raphael Miru Lesaguis ,Luis Cachero ,Terrence Aldrich Lallave, Jose Gerald Policarpio, Daryl Brady, Joel Agojo, Marlon Stockinger ( Filipino-Swiss -Louts F1 Junior Team race car driver and mentor) Antonio Zara ( Nissan Philippines In. President and Managing Director) SJ Huh (NPI General Manager for Marketing )

DIEGO MARIANO, INQUIRER

SIX lucky racers were qualified to compete in the Asian leg of the GT (Gran Turismo) Academy and reach the checkered flag in Silverstone, United Kingdom, in August 2015.

From the 15,000 virtual racers from Metro Manila, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan De Oro, and from the 30,000 virtual race trials in 25 live events during the three month run of the event, only 20 lucky racers outraced the thousands of virtual racers and only six racers made it to fly to U.K.

Since the launch of the Nissan GT Academy last March 25, the six finalists—Raphael Miru Lesaguis, Luis Cachero, Terrence Aldrich Lallave, Jose Gerald Policarpio, Daryl Brady and Joel Agojo—have also been through “different challenges, not only driving challenges but also physical, mental, and personality challenges,” Nissan Philippines Inc. (NPI) President Antonio Zara explained.

The physical challenges tests the fitness level of the finalists include push ups, planking, and sergeant jump. Driving challenges, which include drifting, tested the driving skills of the finalists, while personality tests included a panel interview with selected members of the media. Simulator pods where it all started was also included in the challenges.

After all these challenges, some drivers thought there was still much to improve in their transition from virtual to reality. “More on training, on driving, more on physical aspect, more on driving kailangan paulit-ulit lang ’yon. Kailangang gumaling, ma-improve ang kailangang maimprove. Sa ngayon, ang kailangang ma-improve ’yong physical ko. ’Yong driving nai-improve naman ’yan, pero ’yong physical… kailangan talagang maimprove,” said Daryl Brady, a freelance I.T. race driver developer, and one of the six finalists.

These challenges prepared the six finalists who will race against each other, together with other Asian representatives from Thailand, India, Japan and Indonesia, but this time using a real race car. “The final top six candidates who successfully hurdle all these challenges can look forward to flying to the Silverstone Race Circuit in U.K. and compete in the GT Academy Asia Leg,” said NPI General Manager for Marketing Huh.

Swiss-Filipino Marlon Stockinger, Lotus F1 Junior Team driver, said, “while I am happy to share my knowledge and experience in racing, nothing beats the contestant’s determination and drive to succeed in this demanding sport.” He will also serve as the coach and mentor of the six finalists.

“We’re happy to be giving aspiring racers and gamers the opportunity to turn their dreams into reality,” Zara said.

Nissan Philippines helps fasttrack the dreams of more potential Filipino racers to race in the international racing arena.


Published on Inquirer Libre July 17, 2015

Walang Forever, All Things Have Come To An End

Everything has its beginning and an end. Whether these beginnings and ends are known or not.  The principle of Life and Death is a cycle where we can clearly see an example of a beginning and an end, and an example of nonexistence of the material meaning of "forever".

In which these phenomena impossible for people to escape. Death, the end of the cycle is the most hardly acceptable occurrences in the life of every living being here on earth, because we can't accept the fact that we can no longer experience everything that we have while we are still living. We also can't accept the fact that we have still unfinished business here on earth. Even though our business here on earth is done, we still force ourselves, unknowingly "to create business" here in the world of the living. However, we may never know if our business here on Earth is done or not.

But between life and death of a human, people are dying to work for a living. The ironic contrast where most of the people are currently living in. In the course of our stay here on earth, we live to attain the Maslow 's hierarchy of needs, before even we meet the end of the cycle. Unfortunately, many of us can't even attain the second level of the hierarchy, and many are even dying just to attain the primary level.

As a rational being, it is in our instinct and in our thinking that we must work to live, in order to put something inside of our rumbling stomach. Yet it does not all end in working to have food, there are still other physiological needs to be filled in order for us to live normally such as shelter, water, and electricity.

These basic factors of the Maslow's Hierarchy primary level, people are dying to work in order to attain these and survive. What more if they work in education, transportation, and communication needs?

We as a human being has our own goals and aspirations in life. We experience all kinds of emotions such as stress, sorrow and hopelessness in order just to reach those goals and aspirations, aside from experiencing the same stress in order for us to provide our personal needs.

Why do we work hard? Get stressed in life and endure all kinds of negative emotions, if we will die anyway?

Why do we need to suffer in surviving life and in attaining our wants, if we will all end as a corpse lying six feet below the ground.

We will all end as a fertilizer or a dust enclosed in the jar.

We may end as a corpse lying in a mansion, or we may end as a corpse weighted under the river.

Last all souls day, I visited our ancestral cemetery in the La Loma Cemetery, one of the oldest Catholic cemetery in the Philippines. Some of the remains in that cemetery have been buried since the time of the Spanish occupation dated since 1800's. Up to this date some of them are intact, and some of them, unfortunately, have been buried by time and dirt seeing no trace of remains being buried underneath. Knowing that these cadavers in the past, are prominent and powerful people during their time, since the La Loma Cemetery is a resting place for the rich and powerful during that time. But, what happened after years have passed? There are no signs that the remains underneath this tomb is a rich and powerful man, it seems that their caretakers and relatives have passed away and there is no one for it to take care of their graves.

We can see here that no matter how rich and powerful you are, no matter how famous you are, in the end you will die and will be forgotten by time.

However, if you live your life happy and doing what your heart wants, even if you die today you will not regret and you will not worry.

Some of us may have a good and high paying job, that can support and provide our material needs and wants. Yet, they are not happy since they have not done what they really want and love. They've done their job for the sake of living comfortably and luxuriously.

Lastly, if you have done what you really want and love, furthermore, if you shared these good things that you love others. You will die happily, worry free and you will live forever in the hearts and minds of the love ones you left here on Earth.

Canon Photomarathon 2014

Photos from the largest on the spot photo contest in the country the Canon Photomarathon 2014 University Leg, held at De La Salle University Manila last October 18, 2014.

DLSU Henry Sy Sr. Hall  where the main event was held

Participants as they wait for the start of the program

Participants as they wait for the start of the program

Exhibit of the photos by the Crusaders of Light

The DLSU Pep Squad performed to start the event lively and with energy

Oops, that's a bad move

The DLSU Pep Squad performed to start the event lively and with energy

The Crusaders of Light together with the Canon Philippines Executives

Patricia Fernandez as the emcee of the event

The Participants raised the cameras for the shoot of the "group hug"

The Canon Executives and with their CEO waves hi to the FlyCam above

The Canon President pulled the trigger as a signal that the Photomarathon had formally started

Here are some of my shots, some of them are my entry just find it out which of them :)

For the winners of the Canon Photomarathon 2014 University Leg, please refer to the official website of the Canon Philippines.