05/24/2009 | 11:46 AM

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines on Sunday reported its second confirmed case of Influenza A(H1N1) virus infection.

The Department of Health (DOH) announced this a day after a 30-year-old Taiwanese woman and her five-year-old daughter who traveled in the Philippines for five days have tested positive for H1N1 virus in Taiwan.

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the second A(H1N1) patient was a 50-year-old woman who arrived in the country from Chicago in the United States last May 20.

“We are stepping up our preparedness and response plan more intensely. We have been working round the clock especially now that we are officially announcing the second confirmed case of H1N1 in the country," Duque said in a press briefing at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City.

He assured the public that the government remains on top of the situation.

He said the patient, whose identity was withheld, sought a doctor after noticing mild symptoms of the dreaded flu, including coughs and fever, the day after her arrival.

Duque said the patient is currently under observation at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Manila. The government is now tracing those who made contacts with her.

“She only has mild symptoms which include fever and cough. At present, she does not have symptoms. She was immediately started on medications and is currently being monitored," he said.

Last Thursday, the DOH reported that a 10-year-old girl who also came from US was the country's first case of the dreaded flu virus, which has caused more than 80 deaths worldwide, most of them in Mexico.

Duque said the child “is now almost fully recovered with only mild sore throat."

“She is completing her antiviral medications and will be discharged as soon as repeat PCR for Influenza A (H1N1) is negative. Contact tracing has also been done and all household contacts were given antiviral prophylaxis," he said.

Hygiene

In Malacañang, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is set to spearhead a campaign for hygiene and sanitation in schools, in time for the opening of classes on June 1, in the wake of the A(H1N1) threat.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Mrs. Arroyo would meet with parents and teachers on Monday to dialogue on the issue and discuss it inTuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

“Ngayong Monday mangunguna si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal Arroyo together with Secretary Duque sa isang paaralan sa San Miguel sa Manila kung saan ang Pangulo makikipag-dayalogo sa parents at teachers sa isang elementary school," Remonde said on government-run dzRB radio.

[On Monday, Mrs. Arroyo and Secretary Duque III will hold a dialogue with parents and teachers at a school in San Miguel in Manila.]

He said the dialogue is part of “promoting awareness" especially on hygiene and sanitation, to prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) virus.

Meanwhile, the A(H1N1) problem has prompted several Catholic churches in the country to distribute communion by hand during Sunday mass.

In several churches in Metro Manila, an announcement was made before the Holy Communion that the hosts were to be distributed only by hand. The Church however did not advise families against holding hands during the "Ama Namin (Our Father)."

The policy was reminiscent of the policy adopted by the Church to distribute hosts by hand in 2003, as a precaution against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

On Saturday, the CBCP threw its full support behind the DOH in preventing the spread of A(H1N1).

CBCP President Angel Lagdameo exhorted the faithful to follow the advisories of the DOH in preventing the spread of A(H1N1).

“Komo hindi tayo duktor o nurse kinakailangan tayo maging observant at susundin ang payo ng duktor sa ating maysakit [We are not doctors or nurses. We need to be observant and follow the advice of doctors]," Lagdameo said in an interview on dzXL radio.

He also pointed out the CBCP already issued a pastoral exhortation as early as May 2, urging people to heed advisories from the DOH. - GMANews.TV


SOURCE: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/162657/RP-confirms-second-case-of-A(H1N1)-infection

May 21, 2009

The Department of Health is officially announcing this evening the first confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) in the Philippines.

A female traveler arrived in the Philippines on May 18, Monday, from the United States and Canada. A throat specimen was collected, and was tested at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) on May 20, Wednesday, after she developed fever, sore throat and cough.

Today, RITM confirmed that the specimen tested positive for the novel Influenza A (H1N1) on PCR using the primers sent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

She was immediately started on an antiviral, Oseltamivir, and given supportive care. At this time, the patient is continuously being monitored. She no longer has fever or cough, but still has sore throat.

The DOH would like to emphasize that there is no community level outbreak in the country and measures are being done by the government to prevent transmission, starting with the quarantine of household close contacts.

The family of the patient has been informed and advised about the situation. We would like to thank them for their cooperation and willingness to comply with the recommendations of the DOH. They were advised to observe self-monitoring, home quarantine, social distancing, proper hygiene and respiratory etiquette procedures.

We appeal to our media partners and the rest of the nation to respect the privacy and anonymity of the patient and her family. Rest assured that any information vital to protect public health and safety will be appropriately shared to those concerned.

The DOH also stresses that the discovery of this first case of Influenza A(H1N1) in the Philippines is something we have been preparing for and is a result of the collective efforts of both public and private sectors as well as the effective surveillance system which we have put in place.

Read more at this site--
SOURCE:
http://www.doh.gov.ph/h1n1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=84:update-no-18-rps-1st-h1n1-case&catid=35:daily-influenza-a-h1n1-updates&Itemid=61

UNDP blames falling enrolment shortages...
Thursday, May 21, 2009


The Philippines may face an “education crisis” because of falling enrolment as well as shortages in classrooms, books and teachers amid the government’s tight fiscal situation, experts warned Wednesday during the launching of a UN report.

To make matters worse, the UN report also said the Philippines was wasting millions of pesos on salaries for “excess” government.

In a forum on Wednesday, Solita Monsod, founding president of Human Development Network and economics professor at the University of the Philippines, said the weak basic education enrolment was an indication of an “education crisis.” The network wrote the report that was commissioned by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Based on the Philippine Human Development Report 2008/2009, public elementary students enrolment dropped to 12.03 million between 2007 and 2008, from 12.08 million between 2006 and 2007.

For private elementary schools, enrolment stood at 1.09 million between 2007 and 2008, slightly higher from 1.03 million between 2006 and 2007.

For high school students, enrolment moved up slightly to 5.12 million in public schools and 1.33 million in private institutions.

Winfred Villamil, president of Economists Society of the Philippines, said the basic education enrolment hardly improved, staying steady at 91 percent between 2002 and 2004.

He added that the worrisome declines were observed in North Cotobato, Kalinga, Zamboanga del Norte, Tawi-Tawi and Davao Oriental—where enrolment dropped 10 percentage points or more.

more at this site ---->>> SOURCE: http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2009/may/21/yehey/top_stories/20090521top1.html

KRIS ALLEN Winner of American Idol 2009 | Kris Allen Wins American Idol Season 8,
came as a big, big surprise for me since Adam Lambert had been seemingly the favorite of the judges particularly during last night’s 2009 American Idol Season 8 Pre-Finals Night where they had a sing-off.

SOURCE: http://www.chartherct.com/2009/05/21/kris-allen-winner-of-american-idol-2009-kris-allen-wins-american-idol-season-8/

Mar 17, 2009 18:47
Filipinos are gearing up for the Philippine presidential elections in May 2010, and the Commission on Elections here is looking at poll automation to discourage, if not totally eliminate, electoral fraud.

Known in local parlance as dagdag-bawas, vote padding and shaving are unfortunately fixtures in Philippine elections, with rival parties routinely accusing each other of cheating. As the joke goes, nobody loses in Philippine elections because everyone claims to have been cheated.

While this election official probably wasn't joking, I found it amusing to read in this INQUIRER.net breaking news article that he's daring hackers to crack the poll automation software that Comelec will be deploying. Somebody should tell the good Comelec official that based on experience the world over, it's usually not a good idea to dare hackers or to claim your system is hack-proof.

Here's an excerpt:
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is challenging computer
hackers to take a crack at the software that will be used in the 2010
elections to prove that the system is secure from fraud and tampering.

"By the time a hacker gets into our system, the election is over,"
Comelec executive director Jose Tolentino boldly declared Monday in a
press briefing.

Tolentino said the Comelec would welcome cyber-security experts who wish to check the system for weaknesses.

Programmers and the general public can also scrutinize the source
code of the company that will bag the 11.3 billion-peso automation contract
for the 2010 national elections.

Well, guess it's good to know that, rightly or wrongly, the Comelec feels very confident about poll automation.

Now, if only we Filipinos can be confident there won't be cheating at the polls...

SOURCE: http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/babelmachine/post.htm?id=63009597

Tuesday, 19 May 2009, 1:31 pm
Press Release: Ministry of Health

Media Release
12:30pm, Tuesday 19 May 2009
Update 43 - Influenza A (H1N1) Swine Flu

While the case numbers in New Zealand remain stable, the National Health Coordination Centre (NHCC) is taking the opportunity to support the health sector and wider government agencies to prepare well in case the situation worsens.

The Ministry of Health has written to all District Health Board Chief Executives and heads of government agencies, telling them why we need to remain vigilant and advising them to be well-prepared.

What happens here – and our level of response – is assessed regularly taking into account cases in other countries, the picture in New Zealand and changes to the virus. We are keeping a close eye on the situation overseas, where the number of cases being notified continues to increase.

New Zealand situation
There are no new cases of Influenza A (H1N1) infections in New Zealand. The cumulative total of known past infections remains at nine, with all cases fully recovered. The cumulative total of
past probable cases remains at 10, with all cases fully recovered.
There are currently 38 suspected cases –(up from 37 yesterday)

The numbers of suspected cases fluctuate as more people with symptoms arriving from affected areas are assessed (treated and isolated), and as laboratory testing rules out some suspected cases.

As of Monday 18 May, the exact number of people in isolation or quarantine and being treated with Tamiflu is six. (As of Friday, 15 May 2009, there were nine.) The numbers of people in isolation vary according to when they complete 72 hours of the five-day course of Tamiflu.

International Update from the World Health Organisation
As of 06:00 GMT, 18 May 2009, 40 countries have officially reported 8829 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. ]

Mexico has reported 3103 laboratory confirmed human cases of infection, including 68 deaths. The United States has reported 4714 laboratory confirmed human cases, including four deaths. Japan has 125 laboratory confirmed cases, 118 of them confirmed since May 17. The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths - Argentina (1), Australia (1), Austria (1), Belgium (5), Brazil (8), Canada (496), Chile (1), China (6), Colombia (11), Costa Rica (9 ), Cuba (3), Denmark (1), Ecuador (1), El Salvador (4), Finland (2), France (14), Germany (14), Guatemala (3), India (1), Ireland (1), Israel (7), Italy (9), Japan (125), Malaysia (2), Netherlands (3), New Zealand (9), Norway (2), Panama (54), Peru (1), Poland (1), Portugal (1), Republic of Korea (3), Spain (103), Sweden (3), Switzerland (1), Thailand (2), Turkey (2), and the United Kingdom (101).
The WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A (H1N1) virus.

The WHO recommends that individuals who are ill should delay travel plans and returning travellers who fall ill should seek appropriate medical care. These recommendations are prudent measures which can limit the spread of many communicable diseases, including influenza.

Regular updates on the Influenza A(H1N1) outbreak are available on the WHO website on a regular basis (www.who.int).

This information can be attributed to Dr Fran McGrath, Deputy Director of Public Health.


SOURCE: http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0905/S00147.htm

05/14/2009 | 11:31 AM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | ShareThisLOS ANGELES – Danny Gokey is dancing off "American Idol," leaving showy Adam Lambert and twangy Kris Allen to duke it out in the finale of the popular Fox singing competition next week.

Gokey, the bespectacled 29-year-old church music director and recent widower from Milwaukee, was revealed to have received the fewest viewer votes on Wednesday.

Gokey had continually impressed the judges with his husky voice — but not his hip shaking — throughout the contest. "Idol" judge Simon Cowell called his cover of Joe Cocker's version of "You Are So Beautiful" on Tuesday a "vocal master class" but said his dancing during Terence Trent D'Arby's "Dance Little Sister" was "desperate."

Along with Lambert, Gokey had long been considered to be a front-runner of the eighth season, never appearing as one of the show's bottom vote-getters. "Idol" host Ryan Seacrest said more than 88 million votes were received with 1 million votes separating the top two singers, meaning next week's Lambert-Allen showdown may be closer than anticipated.

"Look, none of us would have predicted this, guys," Cowell at the end of the show.

The episode kicked off with "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" stars Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Bill Hader and Jonah Hill starring in a plug masquerading as a skit about the "Idol" judges' desk being inducted into the Smithsonian. It wasn't a joke. The perch will be on display at the Smithsonian Institution Building in the coming weeks.

Before the results viewers saw Alicia Keys urging fans to support her charity, a 15-year-old Rwandan rapper named Noah, sixth-season champ Jordin Sparks, videos of the final three singers' trips to their hometowns and an over-the-top performance by Katy Perry.

Gokey just wanted to cut to the chase.

"I think we've had enough suspense, enough commercials, just enough playing around," he said. "Let's just get to it."

"I want to see Katy Perry!" Lambert exclaimed in response.

The feeling was apparently mutual. Perry made her love for Lambert no secret. The "I Kissed a Girl" singer crooned her latest single, "Waking Up in Vegas," with a troupe of glittery showgirls while wearing a scantily clad Elvis-inspired ensemble that was initially covered in a cape emblazoned with Lambert's name.

Either Lambert, a 27-year-old theater actor from San Diego, or Allen, a 23-year-old college student from Conway, Ark., will be crowned "Idol" next Wednesday. Cowell said Allen's totally stripped-down version of Kanye West's "Heartless" on Tuesday made him a contender for the finale. - AP

SOURCE: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/161213/Final-2-American-Idol-singers-selected

Posted by ed on Apr 2nd, 2009

It was late part of 2008 when David Cook announced that he will possibly come to Manila on the first quarter of 2009. Everybody got so excited then, yet, he was not able to show up maybe due to other priorities and constraints.

And then just few weeks ago, not sure if the announcement came directly from Jomari Yllana, but there were hearsays that he’ll be the one producing David Cook’s concert and this time, he’ll be with David Archuleta.

With the recent happenings and updates, I think the long wait is over as David Cook and David Archuleta made a confirmation through their video blog entry (which can also be found on youtube).

David Cook, winner of season 7 of American Idol, is coming to Manila soon, together with his runner-up David Archuleta. The upcoming concert will be on May 16 at the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds.

Tickets are now available at all Ticketnet and Ticketworld outlets.

Titanium - 12425
Platinum - 6215
VIP - 3625
Gold - 2075
Silver - 625
Bronze - 315

For inquiries or reservations, you can call Ticketnet at 911-5555, or TicketWorld at 891-9999.

SOURCE:
http://blog.edarevalo.net/david-cook-and-david-archuleta-live-in-manila-2009-rumor-on-ticket-prices/

By MURRAY EVANS, Associated Press Writer 8 hours, 41 minutes ago

Wherever Wayman Tisdale went, whatever he was doing, chances were he was smiling.
Tisdale was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma in the mid-1980s before playing a dozen years in the NBA and later becoming an accomplished jazz musician.

But those who knew Tisdale, who died Friday at a hospital in his hometown of Tulsa, Okla., recalled not only his professional gifts but a perpetually sunny outlook, even in the face of a two-year battle with cancer that took his life at 44.

“I don’t know of any athlete at Oklahoma or any place else who was more loved by the fans who knew him than Wayman Tisdale,” said Billy Tubbs, who coached Tisdale with the Sooners. “He was obviously, a great, great player, but Wayman as a person overshadowed that. He just lit up a room and was so positive.”

Jeff Capel, the current Oklahoma coach, noted Tisdale’s “incredible gift of making the people who came in contact with him feel incredibly special.”

After three years at Oklahoma, Tisdale played in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns. The 6-foot-9 forward, with a soft left-handed touch on the court, averaged 15.3 points for his career. He was on the U.S. team that won the gold medal in the 1984 Olympics.

Gov. Brad Henry attended Oklahoma at the same time Tisdale did and later appointed him to the state’s Tourism Commission.

“Oklahoma has lost one of its most beloved sons,” Henry said. “Wayman Tisdale was a hero both on and off the basketball court. … Even in the most challenging of times, he had a smile for people, and he had the rare ability to make everyone around him smile. He was one of the most inspirational people I have ever known.”

State senators paused and prayed Friday morning after learning of his death.
Tisdale learned he had cancerous cyst below his right knee after breaking his leg in a fall at his home in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2007. He said then he was fortunate to have discovered the cancer early.

“Nothing can change me,” Tisdale told The Associated Press last June. “You go through things. You don’t change because things come in your life. You get better because things come in your life.”

His leg was amputated last August and a prosthetic leg that he wore was crimson, one of Oklahoma’s colors. He attended an Oklahoma City Thunder game April 7 and later that month was honored at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa. During the ceremony, he spoke about his cancer, saying “In my mind, I’ve beaten it.”

He recently told Tulsa television station KTUL he had acute esophagitis, which prevented him from eating for about five weeks and led to significant weight loss. Among the causes of that condition are infections, medications, radiation therapy and systemic disease.

Last month, Tisdale was chosen for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

He was the first freshman to be a first-team All-American since freshmen were allowed to play again in the 1971-72 season. He was also one of 10 three-time All-Americans. Patrick Ewing and Tisdale were the last to accomplish the feat, from 1983-85.

“On the court, he was an offensive machine that could score with the best of them,” said Dallas Mavericks president Donnie Nelson, an assistant on Tisdale’s Suns teams. “Off the court, he was grounded in faith and family.”
Tisdale played on an Olympic team that sailed to the gold medal in Los Angeles. The squad was coached by Bob Knight and featured the likes of Ewing, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Chris Mullin.

“Wayman was kind of a catalyst for people accepting roles,” said C.M. Newton, the manager of the ’84 team and now chairman of the NIT selection committee. “Michael was the leader of the team but Wayman was special in that way.”
Perkins and Tisdale shared a love of music and became friends during the Olympics. Perkins later was the best man at Tisdale’s wedding.
“That’s a real friend who’s got your back and would do just about anything for you,” Perkins said. “That smile just gets you.”

As a musician, Tisdale recorded eight albums. A bass guitarist who often wrote his own material, his most recent album, “Rebound,” was inspired by his fight with cancer and included guest appearances by several artists, including saxophonist Dave Koz and country star and fellow Oklahoma native Toby Keith.
His “Way Up!” release debuted in July 2006 and spent four weeks as the No. 1 contemporary jazz album. His hits included “Ain’t No Stopping Us Now,” “Can’t Hide Love” and “Don’t Take Your Love Away.”

“He was truly an inspiration to me, paving the way for an athlete like myself to pursue a passion for writing and performing music,” said Bernie Williams, the former New York Yankees star turned jazz musician. “I had the honor and privilege of having Wayman perform on the title track of my new album, and was looking forward to collaborating with him again.”

Tisdale averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds during his three seasons with the Sooners, earning Big Eight Conference player of the year each season.
He still holds Oklahoma’s career records for points and rebounds. Tisdale also owns the school’s single-game scoring mark—61 points against Texas-San Antonio as a sophomore—and career marks for points per game, field goals and free throws made and attempts.

In 1997, Tisdale became the first Oklahoma player in any sport to have his jersey number retired. Two years ago, then-freshman Blake Griffin asked Tisdale for permission to wear No. 23, which Tisdale granted. Griffin went on to become the consensus national player of the year this past season as a sophomore.
“I spoke with him pretty frequently this past season and he helped me in ways he probably doesn’t even know,” Griffin said.

Tisdale is survived by his wife, Regina, and four children.

Associated Press Writer Ron Jenkins in Oklahoma City and AP Sports Writers Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City, Larry Lage in Detroit, Jim O’Connell in New York, Doug Tucker in Kansas City, Mo., Cliff Brunt in Indianapolis and Jaime Aron in Dallas contributed to this report.

SOURCE: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-obit-tisdale&prov=ap&type=lgns

AFP - May 11, 2009

COLOMBO (AFP) - – Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels on Sunday accused the government of killing more than 2,000 civilians in 24 hours of artillery attacks, but the military denied the allegations.

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) said in a statement posted on the Tamilnet website that the army had unleashed a devastating offensive on the small coastal patch of land that the rebels still control.

"More than 2,000 innocent civilians have been killed in the last 24 hours," Tamilnet quoted S. Pathmanathan, the rebels' chief arms smuggler, as saying.

The website said 257 bodies had been brought to a makeshift hospital that was overwhelmed with hundreds of injured casualties.

Many of the dead were "found in bunkers and inside the tarpaulin tents," it said.

The military dismissed the claims as propaganda, and said the guerrillas themselves had carried out the attack using mortars "to tarnish the image of the security forces in the eyes of the public nationally and internationally."

Sunday's conflicting claims were characteristic of the war, in which independent reporting is impossible as journalists are banned from travelling freely in the area.

A British television news team was expelled from Sri Lanka on Sunday after it broadcast allegations of poor treatment of the 200,000 Tamils who are being held in state-run camps after fleeing the fighting.

The report, shown on Channel 4, contained allegations of sexual abuse and claims of dead bodies being left where they fell, as well as water and food shortfalls -- all of which Colombo has denied.

Sri Lanka's leaders believe the military is on the verge of defeating the Tamil rebels, who are holed up on the northeastern coast of the island, after 37 years of conflict.

At the height of their power in 2006, the Tigers -- who want an independent Tamil homeland in the Sinhalese-majority island -- controlled roughly a third of the island.

The Sri Lankan government has refused all international calls for a ceasefire despite reports from the United Nations last month saying up to 6,500 civilians may have been killed and 14,000 wounded in fighting since January.

It has also turned down requests by the UN to send humanitarian officials into the rebel territory, where the UN estimates about 50,000 civilians are trapped.

The government says the number of civilians being held by the Tigers as "human shields" is less than 20,000.

Defence officials reported on Sunday that troops had advanced further despite fierce rebel resistance.

The Sri Lankan army also said it had uncovered a bizarre contraption that could have been intended as an underwater bunker for the elusive leader of the rebels.

The 360-foot (110-metre) long railway carriage-like construction may have been designed to be wheeled under the sea as a hiding place for Velupillai Prabhakaran, the army said.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told parliament last week that Prabhakaran, 54, was still leading his men.

Prabhakaran has not been seen for more than 18 months, and speculation has been rife that he may have been killed or already fled the island.

SOUCE: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/afp/20090510/twl-srilanka-unrest-4bdc673.html