New dengue strain can cause outbreak

By: Tara Yap

THE ILOILO Provincial Health Office (IPHO) is worried that a new strain of dengue fever may cause another outbreak again.

“We know that the new strain emerges within a span of three years,” said PHO chief Patricia Grace Trabado.

The Serotype 4 dengue strain became prevalent in 2010, the same year when a dengue outbreak occurred in Iloilo province.

Approximately 6,500 dengue cases with 32 deaths were recorded in 42 towns and one component city of Iloilo during the outbreak.

From January 1 to June 8 of this year, a total of 1,290 cases were recorded including 10 deaths.

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Massive blackout hits Panay, Negros Islands

By: Maricyn delos Santos

PANAY and Negros Island suffered from a massive blackout Tuesday afternoon due to the tripping of the 138 kilovolt (KV) Kabankalan-Bacolod transmission lines 1 and 2.

The massive blackout started 2:39pm which froze operations of government and private offices in franchise area of five power distributors in Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

The blackout affected the consumers of Panay Electric Cooperative, Iloilo Electric Cooperative 1, VMC Electric Cooperative, Central Negros Electric Cooperative, and portions of Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative.

In Iloilo City, the 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant at Brgy. Ingore, La Paz tripped due to the fault in the grid, according to Nicelee V. Morales, external affairs officer of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC).

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LTO to study habal-habal proposal

By: Tara Yap

WHILE habal-habal is illegal, the hierarchy of Land Transportation Office (LTO) can look into proposals to regulate this mode of transportation.

LTO-6 assistant regional director Anuel Bonite said habal-habal or motorcycles used as passenger units are prohibited by the Land Transportation Code.

“If we follow existing rules, it is illegal.  However, it is prevalent in far-flung areas,” Bonite noted.

Bonite apprehending habal-habal operators is very difficult.

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A matter of trust

June 20,2013 12:54 AM

By: Henrylito D. Tacio

A LITTLE girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter: “Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.”

The little girl said: “No, Dad. You hold my hand.”  The puzzled father asked, “What’s the difference?” Read more...

Truthfulness is relational

June 20,2013 12:52 AM

By: Fr. Roy Cimagala

THAT’S obvious, but since we always take it for granted and often forget our duties and responsibilities toward it, we need to be reminded, if only to achieve more appreciation, both theoretical and practical, for it.

Truthfulness is relational since it always involves the proper engagement between us and the others, be they persons, things, Read more...

Hunger

June 20,2013 12:50 AM

By: Modesto P. Sa-onoy

LAST Saturday I looked at the exhibit on the life of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta at the west portico of the San Sebastian Cathedral. The Sisters of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa shared with us her life and her thoughts on her mission for the poor, the very poor of India and from there the poor of the world.

It was a moving exhibit, with photographs of her journey from being a young girl in Kosovo to the world’s stage and into holiness. Read more...

P500 pension at 77, a blessing?

June 20,2013 12:48 AM

By: Wenceslao E. Mateo Jr.

I REMEMBER the complaint of a widowed senior citizen, or older adult as known in other countries, some time last year.

She had just arrived from the United States when we met. She told me that she had been living for quite some time in a home for the aged in that country of Uncle Sam, which she deeply disliked. Read more...