MikeLigalig.com

by pna

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation (PDIC) on Tuesday started servicing the deposit insurance claims of depositors of the closed Banco Batangan, a rural bank in Batangas.

Depositors who have aggregate account balances of P10,000 and below do not need to file their deposit insurance claims if their bank records are complete and updated; and they have no outstanding obligations with the closed bank.

Depositors whose account balances are above P10,000 are required to file their claims on their respective appointment dates.

PDIC has started issuing Priority Numbers to depositors at their respective branches on August 13. To receive a Priority Number, depositors are required to present their evidences of deposit, such as Savings Passbook or Certificate of Time Deposit. The Priority Number corresponds to the appointment date when PDIC representatives will service the claims of depositors. These appointment dates are posted at the designated payout sites and the PDIC website, www.pdic.gov.ph.

PDIC will conduct the onsite claims settlement operations from August 14 until August 21, 2012 for the bank’s Head Office and Lipa City Branch. Depositors who maintained accounts with the Head Office are advised to file their claims at the Head Office located at J.P. Rizal St., Poblacion, Taysan, Batangas.

Depositors of the Lipa City Branch should file their claims at the branch’s premises located along C.M. Recto Avenue in Lipa City, Batangas.

Depositors who are issued Priority Numbers beyond the schedule of appointment dates may also file their claims with the PDIC representatives from August 14-21, 2012. However, their claims will be processed at the PDIC Home Office in Makati City and payment of their insured deposits will be sent through mail.

Depositors who will not be able to file their claims during the claims settlement period may submit their claims personally at PDIC, 4th Floor, SSS Bldg., Ayala Avenue corner V.A. Rufino Street, Makati City, starting on September 3, 2012. Claims may also be filed through mail.

When filing deposit insurance claims, depositors are advised to present the duly accomplished Claim Form and Claim Status Sheet (CSS), original and photocopy of evidence of deposit, and original and photocopy of two (2) valid photo-bearing IDs with signature of the depositor.

As an additional requirement, depositors who are below 18 years old are required to submit a photocopy of their Birth Certificate issued by the National Statistics Office (NSO) or a duly certified copy issued by the Local Civil Registrar; and valid IDs of any of their parents.

Claimants who are not the signatory in the bank records are required to bring an original copy of a notarized Special Power of Attorney (SPA) of the depositor or parent of a minor depositor. The Claim Form, CSS, and format of the SPA may be downloaded from the PDIC website at www.pdic.gov.ph.

By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.

A member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Monday confirmed that the name of Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila M. De Lima was excluded from the shortlist of nominees for the post of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (SC).

Atty. Jose Mejia, ex-officio member of the JBC representing the academe, said that the DOJ Secretary was disqualified from the position vacated by impeached former Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

Earlier, JBC said that there was a need for a "unanimous vote" of the eight members of the JBC in order to dismiss the "privileged motion" questioning the integrity of some of the 20 nominees for the post of Chief Justice.

Iloilo City (5th District) Rep. Niel Tupas, Jr., ex-officio member of the JBC representing the House of Representatives, said that one of their colleagues in the JBC filed the "killer move" against De Lima, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairperson Teresita Herbosa.

De Lima, Jardeleza and Herbosa have pending criminal and administrative cases.

De Lima is facing disbarment case before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) in connection with her alleged defiance of the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the SC on the watchlist order (WLO) against former President and now Pampanga (2nd District) Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Under the JBC's Rule 4, Section 5, any nominee with pending criminal or regular administrative cases, pending criminal cases in foreign courts, convicted on any criminal case or administrative case with a fine of not less than P10,000 is disqualified for appointment in any post in the Judiciary, Ombudsman or the Deputy Ombudsmen.

By Honor Blanco Cabie

Tata Tito Abriol, Tata Liberato Benavidez and Manong Paquito Urbano are all rice and tobacco farmers in northern Philippines.

But they also share, apart from their being tillers of the soil, bias for medicinal plants which are abundant in their barangay in the wooded hill town of Pinili in far Ilocos Norte province.

They are unlicensed men of medicine or quack doctors â€" men to whom villagers of barangay Upon run when they feel below the weather in summer or in the monsoon, any time of the day.

They are called “erbolario” â€" from the English herbs â€" while others in their league elsewhere in the country are called “albularyo.”

For 150 years total among them, they have individually become all too familiar with herbal medicinal plants like their familiarity with their fingernails and won the confidence of villagers â€" men and women who do not have the time nor enough cash for a quick visit to the puericulture center or to the town’s health center.

Through their questions and answers by kin of the sick or those feeling sick, they would prescribe herbs they themselves would pick from the hills surrounding their furrowed fields for particular diseases, sickness and â€" unbelievably in the advance of medical science â€" cure to dog, cat and even snake bites.

In recent years, native plants started becoming popular among Filipinos, who have been shocked no end by expensive Western medicines, particularly after the government, through the Department of Health, approved at least 10 medicinal plants which have been found to be effective in providing basic medical care.

The government has also implemented the Cheaper Medicines Act and created the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care, a government-owned and controlled-corporation attached to the DOH to answer the needs of Filipinos on health care.

This ushered in a new chapter in health care in the Philippines, where majority of the rural population had to rely for scores on quack doctors for their primary health care.

The DOH, through its Traditional Health Program, has said the 10 herbal medicinal plants it has endorsed have been thoroughly tested and have been clinically proven to have medicinal value in the relief and treatment of various ailments.

The 10, which have also been in the quack doctors’ reliable mortar, are:

1. Akapulko (Cassia alata), also known as “bayabas-bayabasan” and “ringworm bush” in English, is used to treat ringworms and skin fungal infections.

2. Ampalaya or paria (Momordica charantia), known as “bitter gourd” or “bitter melon” in English, is popular as a treatment of diabetes (diabetes mellitus), for the non-insulin dependent patients.

3. Bawang (Allium sativum), or “garlic” in English, mainly reduces cholesterol in the blood and thus helps control blood pressure.

4. Bayabas or bayawas (Psidium guajava), “guava” in English, is primarily used as an antiseptic to disinfect wounds. Also, it can be used as a mouth wash to treat tooth decay and gum infection.

Among some northerners getting circumcised, the juice from the chewed leaves is an effective halter for blood.

5. Lagundi or dangla (Vitex negundo), known in English as the “5-leaved chaste tree,” is used for the relief of coughs and asthma.

6. Niyog-niyogan (Quisqualis indica L.), a vine known as “Chinese honey suckle,” is effective in eliminating intestinal worms, particularly the Ascaris and Trichina.

Only the dried matured seeds are medicinal -- crack and ingest the dried seeds two hours after eating (5 to 7 seeds for children and 8 to 10 seeds for adults).

If one dose does not eliminate the worms, wait a week before repeating the dose, according to medical sources.

7. Sambong (Blumea balsamifera), called in English as Blumea camphora, is a diuretic that helps in the excretion of urinary stones.

8. Tsaang Gubat or Tsaang bakir (Ehretia microphylla Lam.), when prepared like tea, is effective in treating intestinal motility and also used as a mouth wash since the leaves of this shrub have high fluoride content.

9. Ulasimang Bato or the Pansit-Pansitan (Peperomia pellucida), is effective in fighting arthritis and gout. The leaves can be eaten fresh (about a cupful) as salad or like tea.

For the decoction, boil a cup of clean chopped leaves in 2 cups of water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain, let cool and drink a cup after meals (3 times a day).

10. Yerba Buena or erba (Clinopodium douglasii), commonly known as Peppermint, is used as an analgesic to relieve body aches and pain.

This can be taken internally as a decoction or externally by pounding the leaves and applied directly on the afflicted area, according to medical sources.

With the prices of prescribed medicines getting higher, observers of primary health care in this Southeast Asian archipelago say the herbal medicinal plants are slowly marching in through the doorsteps of many Filipinos.

Ayaw ug Kompyansa

Yes, vineyard, Padz

Wall Flower

Place to Reflect

Swimming - More Fun in the Philippines

Pamahaw Na

sakto pud kay pareha man sila pig

Genius Computer Expert

Place to Meditate

Dying Stone

Visible Nerves

Dry River

fossilized sea urchin

Skin Tree

Sunless Sunflower

daghan ni sa tabuan sa cebu city

Entrance

Rolling Hills

Egyptian Artifacts

Alone with Oneself

Disability Can't Stop You From Working

Julia Montes - Cover Girl

Plumbing

Lavatory

Flawless Bathroom

Morning Fresh

Pasalubong

The Beginning Is Near

ba-yot man ni.

wala may picture nigawas.

freestyle wrestling? russia was the champion.

"Foldable" Bike

Chickboy Kono

inig kadako aning bataa, tingali hilig manguot ug mokumot

Tiger Hug

Help Find Ernesto Dela Paz

Mahilig Ba Ka ug Bahaw ug Dukot?

Dog as Construction Worker

gapapiyong-piyong uroy ang mata. naa seguroy gi-imagine.

Don't Complain About Manila Flooding

Same Sad Fate with Guindulman, Bohol Acacia Trees

Motor Team Racing

Self-imposed Fear

hubs, didto nalang ta magpaibot ug ngipon sa china kay murag painless man ang resulta ani.

Start Smiling

alkanse ang gaan ug timbang

car balancing

bahalag maak-ak ang dili angay nga maak-ak

bamboo balancing

in the same way, past is past...

Model Tree House

Wrong is Wrong

Dili Tanan Nga Moambak Madakdak

dis-a kaha namisita gabii ning iringa nga espeso man ug tulog.

by pna

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the UN Security Council to support a continued UN presence in Syria as it would facilitate a peaceful resolution to the political crisis in the violence-torn country.

“A continued United Nations presence in Syria that goes beyond our important humanitarian work would allow systematic and meaningful engagement with the Syrian stakeholders, inside the country…,” Ban said in a letter to the UN Security Council on Friday.

“Furthermore, a flexible United Nations presence in Syria would provide the United Nations impartial means to assess the situation on the ground, which would provide the basis for the United nations to address the situation more effectively,” he wrote in the document obtained by RIA Novosti.

The 15-member Security Council approved in April the establishment of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) with 300 unarmed military observers, to oversee a ceasefire in Syria and monitor the implementation of UN-Arab League Joint Special Envoy Kofi Annan's six-point peace plan.

The mandate of the mission has been extended until August 19 despite the fact that most of the mission's activities have been suspended since June 16 due to escalating violence in the country.

The Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives since March 2011, according to estimates by various opposition groups and the UN.

The UN refugee agency has registered almost 150,000 refugees in four countries bordering Syria.

Ban reiterated on Friday his concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Syria “as fighting in and around urban centers increases.”

“The United Nations cannot discontinue its support and assistance in helping the Syrian people find an end to this crisis,” the UN chief said.

By Tomoyuki Tachikawa

Contentious legislation to double the sales tax rate was enacted by parliament on Friday, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's most cherished policy goal since taking office last September, firing a starter's gun for a general election.

Passage came at a heavy cost to Noda, however. Opposition parties look set to intensify their offensive against Noda's Cabinet, whose approval ratings are already low, as the premier has vowed to dissolve the House of Representatives "sometime soon."

Noda could be beset with forces against him not only in the opposition camp but in the ruling party, with some lawmakers of his Democratic Party of Japan trying to replace the unpopular leader ahead of a possible general election that may end the DPJ's three-year hold on power. (PNA/Kyodo)

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Friday expressed his displeasure over South Korean President Lee Myung Bak's trip to disputed islands in the Sea of Japan, calling it "totally unacceptable."

Noda said in a news conference several hours after Lee made his unprecedented visit that it was "extremely regrettable" and reiterated Japan's claim on the islands as being an integral part of the country historically and under international law.

In a sign of protest, Japan had its Ambassador to South Korea Masatoshi Muto return home temporarily from Friday. Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba said he will meet with Muto on Saturday morning. - pna

by pna

China's coal giants have been seeking ways to rid themselves of incessant price falls and aggressively stockpiling since April, although experts believe the industry's "golden years" are already gone.

With 13 weeks of continuous price drops, coal prices reached 626 yuan per tonne in August, down 20.5 percent from that of early May, while storage climbed to a historical high of more than 18 million tonnes at China's major coal ports, according to statistics from osc.org.cn and cqcoal.com.

Coal prices will remain low in the long term and the structure of China's power supply is expected change, as the coal industry will enter an adjustment period featuring high costs and low profits, according to an analysis from the Shandong Provincial Coal Transporting and Maketing Association.

Experts believe high profits and rapid development are over for the coal industry, heralding the start of a new round of reforms.

Many small- and mid-sized coal mines have been suspended or closed, while bigger companies have started to reduce output to control the deficit in leading coal-producing provinces, including Shanxi, Shaanxi, Guizhou and Shandong. Another 625 small mines will be closed by the end of this year, said Yang Dongliang, diretor of the State Administration of Work Safety.

The problems facing China's coal industry revealed when the profits of coal entrepreneurs and transporters started to shrink, said Guan Dali, analyst at chem365.net.

Severe overcapacity in many coal-producing provinces has led to overstorage amid sharp decreases in power-generating capacity among thermal power comapnies, analysts said. Considered to be most famous coal-producing province, north China's Shanxi Province produced 860 million tonnes in 2011, compared with the government-set target of 780 to 800 million tonnes.

A lack of monitoring regarding domestic and overseas demand and supply has also been blamed. Increasing import volumes have impacted the domestic market, as the international coal price is 100 yuan lower than China's price.

Rising costs during middle trades have had an effect as well. Production costs end up accounting for just half of the final price, while the other half is created during circulation, said Wang Hongying, dean of the Macroeconomic Research Institute under the Shanxi Provincial Development and Reform Commision.

Coal merchants are working with power companies to find a way out. The combination of the two industries, referred to as the "coal-power pool project," is expected to save both sectors, said Ji Mingde, deputy of the Shanxi Economy and Information Committee

The Xishan Coal and Electricity Group (XCEG), the largest coking coal production base in Shanxi, has purchased shares of another two electricity companies, the Wuxiang Hexin and Xingneng power companies.

Li Shian, vice manager of a power plant owned by Wuxiang Hexin said the purchase has benefited the plant.

"The coal company and power plant can jointly withstand crises concerning supply and demand or technogical issues," said Li.

Analyst say these purchases will expand Xishan's ability to generate power at a lower cost.

XCEG is not an isolated case, as more coal companies are working to develop their downstream business.

The Shanxi provincial government issued an official statement on July 13 encouraging the joint operation of coal mining and power enterprises.

The statement calls for the incorporation of the two sectors through capital investment and share exchanges, as well as encourages reciprocal holdings and restructuring.

But such measures have been tried before with limited degrees of success.

In March 1989, the nation's energy authority introduced a scheme that encouraged coal firm and power plants to collaborate in several ways in in order to solve discrepancies between the coal and power pricing systems, Ji said.

Coal prices are sensitive to the market in China, while power prices are decided by the state, creating discrepancies between the two.

Rising coal prices in the past decade have been a headache for China's power companies, which have incurred sharp losses due to the rises.

The country's top five state-owned power generating companies -- China Huaneng Group, China Datang Corp., China Huadian Corp., China Guodian Corp. and China Power Investment Corp. -- have all accelerated their development of coal mine projects since 2002.

Coal production by the five companies totaled 226 million tonnes as of the end of 2011, according to statistics published by the five companies.

"It represents the dilemma of steadying the price of electricity against the market-driven coal price," said Sha Yiqiang, an analyst from the China Electricity Council.

Pan Yun, deputy of the Shanxi provincial Academy of Social Science, said the joint operation will aid both sides by easing the stockpiling burden among coal enterprises amid falling coal prices while shouldering the fluctuation of coal prices for power plants.

However, cooperation between the two sectors has not been without its critics.

"Survival is not enough. We need further development," said Li Shian.

Li said the strategy could even lead to new monopolies among coal and power companies.

The government's role has also triggered concerns about whether the influence of the market will be diminished.

"Coal and power are two independent industries that should be decided by the market," said Li.

Nevertheless, Ji stressed that the strategy is aimed at creating a long-term win-win situation for both sides.

"The government will fully respect the two differentiated marketplaces. By setting up a service platform to help them seek cooperative opportunities, the government will act more like a cheerleader than a conductor," Ji said.

by pna

Russian wrestler Dzhamal Otarsultanov scored the final point against Vladimer Khinchegashvili of Georgia to grab the gold medal at 55kg in the first men's freestyle wrestling final at the London Olympic Games at Excel on Friday.

"I feel immense happiness. I feel so proud, for myself, for my family and for my nation. I'm really proud to be part of the Russian Federation team," said Otarsultanov.

Otarsultanov, 25, a three-time European champion, was wrestling in his first world-level competition as a senior wrestler. He fashioned a 2-0 (1-0, 4-3) victory over Khinchegashvili in a close bout. It was only the second gold medal for a Russian wrestler at this weight category in the Olympic Games.

"It was tough, it was difficult but it all depends on your attitude in the end and mine was really positive. I wanted to win so much. The gold medal is really important to me," he added.

American player Jordan Burroughs cruised past Sadegh Goudarzi from Iran to win the gold medal at 74kg, while China's rookie Zhang Chongyao suffered a quick loss against Hungary's Hatos in his Olympic debut.

"It feels awesome. I've prepared all my life for this, and it was well executed. I've been working hard and I've had big matches in my career, but this is the best." Burroughs said, "It's unreal and it's a dream."

by pna

Russia’s freestyle wrestler Dzhamal Otarsultanov on Friday won the Olympic title in the under 55 kilograms weight category.

In the final he outperformed Georgia’s Vladimir Khinchegashvili by three points to one. At a certain moment the outcome of the fight was in question. The rival’s side argued that the referees had wrongly refused to award points for the Georgian wrestler's last move.

However, the video footage left no doubts that the Russian’s victory was well-deserved.

“At the very last moment, when the bout was to end in ten seconds, I thought I would be able to hold the Georgian,” Dzhamal said after the medal ceremony. “Yet, he managed to escape and to attack. True, I got a little bit nervous after bout. The referee alone sees what is happening on the mat. I had the impression that the victory was mine. Now I am exhausted. Yet, I would like to see the video from beginning to end.”

Dzhamal Otarsultanov was born on April 14, 1987. He joined a wrestling club at the age of nine in 1996, and his debut for Russia’s national team was at the 2006 European championships. He won the European golds in 2008 and 2012.

“In my village we had only two sports â€" boxing and wrestling. I was more wrestling-minded, and now I can say with certainty that this is my cup of tea,” the athlete said.

“Am I aware I am an Olympic champion?” Dzhamal paused for a while. “On the one hand, I do understand what has happened to me. But it is hard for me to imagine the tide of emotion and joy I shall see at home. Still, I am prepared for this,” he added with a smile.

He confessed that staying psychologically firm was the most difficult task.

“I did my best to forget about the responsibility I was bearing just to keep the drive. I tried not to think about it, but still I remained aware of it deep down in my heart. After all, I was fighting for the highest award that an athlete can win in one’s lifetime.”

Getting to the Olympic Games was not easy.

“At Russia’s national championships I confronted Viktor Lebedev. He had won the previous two world championships. I managed to win, but still it was very hard. And not only when I was on the mat. I had suffered an injury and for that reason I was denied permission to go for some time. But we managed to get through. Everything should be fair.”

by pna

Thailand has missed its London Olympics medals target set earlier, and there should be a review of the performance of the Thai national athletes in the London Olympics to ensure better preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, according to a senior government sports official.

Permanent Secretary for Tourism and Sports Suwat Sidthilaw said Thailand targeted gaining at least two gold medals from the Olympics but missed the goal due to various factors.

A meeting to review the performance of the athletes is needed as in many sports, Thai squads narrowly missed gaining gold and bronze medals in taekwando, weightlifting and boxing, he said.

He said sports Science is now playing important role in sports. Minister of Tourism and Sports Chumpol Silapa-archa and Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra agreed to apply more sports sciences in building up the performance of athletes.

Thailand won one silver medal from 58kg weightlifter Pimsiri Sirikaew and a bronze medal from Chanatip Sonkham in the women's taekwondo under-49kg category.

Thai boxer Kaeo Pongprayoon secured at least a bronze medal and was to fight David Ayrapetyan from Russia in semifinal round of the light-flyweight category Friday night.

Suwat said it was proposed that higher financial allocations for programs to prepare Thai Olympians would be more effective to drive performance of Thai athletes rather than giving rewards after they won the medals.

by pna

The number of deaths caused by floods and heavy rains spawned by the southwest monsoon (Habagat) rose to 66 on Saturday morning from the previous 62, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said.

Latest reports from the disaster management agency's field units showed that the four latest fatalities who died from drowning were identified as Jaime Lopez,42 and Dan David Mangarin, 12, both residents of NBBS in Navotas City; Gerry Bugagon 21, of Brgy. Bedania, Mangatarem, Pangasinan and Archie Ybanez of Barangay Tinajeros in Malabon City.

NDRRMC said that as of Saturday, a total of 66 persons were reported dead; 11 were victims of landslide; 47 died due to drowning; four due to electrocution; two due to heart attack/ cardiac arrest; one due to fallen trees and including one unidentified person.

The NDRRMC also said that six persons were injured and 10 others missing while nine were rescued.

The NDRRMC report showed that the heavy rains and floods affected 598,622 families or 2,684,843 persons in 2,035 barangays in 156 municipalities and 34 cities in 16 provinces in Region 1 (Ilocos), Region 3 (Central Luzon), Region 4-A (CALABARZON), Region 4-B (MIMAROPA), Region 6 (Western Visayas) and the National Capital Region or Metro Manila.

The agency said 158,221 families or 757,771 persons were served inside and outside evacuation centers.

As of 11 p.m. Friday, a total of 19 roads and three bridges were still not passable to all types of vehicles in Regions I, III, IV-A, CAR and NCR due to flooding. The NDRRMC added that all roads in Muntinlupa City, Tarlac City, Province of Laguna, Region VI and some roads in the City of Manila are already passable to all types of vehicles.

Meanwhile, the flooding in the cities of Mandaluyong, Parañaque, Quezon, Caloocan, Pasay, Las Piñas and San Juan have already subsided. The flooding in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and Sta Maria, Laguna has subsided as well but there are new flooding reports in areas in Rizal: Antipolo City, Binangonan, Jalajala, Baras, San Mateo, Tanay and Taytay and also in in Kalayaan and Sta Rosa in Laguna.

The heavy rains since Monday damaged a total of 8,242 houses in then Ilocos, Central Luzon, CALABARZON, MIMAROPA and Western Visayas, while a significant increase in the total number of damaged houses is noted in the province of Batangas.

As of Saturday, the total cost of damages to infrastructure (â,±138,020,230) and agriculture (â,±19,561,381) in Regions I, IV-A and IV-B is â,± 157,581,611.50.

Most of the damages are from roads, bridges, other structures and flood control in Region IV-A.

The NDRRMC said that relief aids worth P 45,351,268 were already provided to the affected families while the local government units provided P 25,478,422; non-government organizations, P 1,352,100; Department of Health, P 6,281,513; and Department of Social Welfare and Development, P 12,239,232.

The NDRRMC said a total of 24,906 personnel, 424 vehicles and 388 sea crafts from search and operation units of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine Coast Guard were mobilized for search and rescue operations in various areas in Metro Manila.

The NDRRMC added that they had rescued a total of 12, 309 families or 57,150 persons.

this place deserves relentless tourism promotion. it has a huge potential.

Do You Fight With Your Lover?

no hair fall after all.

Pwede pud ni taytolan ug "Dili Tanan nga Madakdak Mapusdak"

Is kindness now a rarity in Manila?

kini consultation lang, free

wa man seguroy busganan ning bataa.

mura man ug si chicogon nang nutella man sa picture above.

that's what we call "flexibility", being willing to embrace all sorts of situations and changes without freaking out.

bantog ra nga niburot ang tiyan.

Royal Olympic River Pageant

by PNA and Xinhua

Global food giant Nestle is conducting tests on one of its new baby formula products after receiving complaints from parents that it was making their children sick with diarrhea and vomit, local media reported on Thursday.

Parents posted their complaints and concerns on the review website about Nestle's NAN H.A. 1 Gold baby formula, which is made in Germany, saying their babies were suffering vomiting, wind, green runny poo after being on the new formula.

Nestle has not found any "safety issues" during its first round of testing on the formula but says further results are expected in the coming week, according to the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reports.

Nestle says it has implemented strict quality controls throughout the production process.

"We have strict quality control procedures in place throughout the manufacturing process to ensure our products meet the highest standards of quality and safety," the company said in a statement on Thursday.

A Nestle spokeswoman told AAP that there was nothing in the formula that should cause a problem.

"Babies starting on the formula from scratch seem to be fine. Babies swapped from one formula to another - that's the problem," the spokeswoman said.

budweiser can make you beautiful?

A new farming technique--the "[d]dynamic rice crop management system[/b]," could help the Philippines regain its lofty status as a rice exporting country.

The technique,which was recently introduced by the Department of Agrarian Reform in partnership with the Department of Agriculture,follows the balance treatment-- from selection and preparation of seeds for a particular season; amounts of fertilizer, pesticide and water; proper spacing of seedlings; and, right timing for harvesting.

The new farming technique is deemed as one of the best farm technology and management practices.

DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes and DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala complementing their alliance, forged with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje, have worked together for the benefit of the farmer-beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Alcala promising them some ways to facilitate farming procedures.

DAR in partnership with DA recently conducted a training program dubbed, “Rice Productivity Enhancement Training on Palay Check System” in Cabucgayan, Biliran in which Biliran Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Ismael Aya-ay in coordination with DA farm coordinators and technicians taught them this new farming technique.

Rice farmers here got the biggest surprise of their lives when a hectare demo farm yielded 178 sacks of palay with no extraordinary efforts but by merely following the technique.

Roger Ayuste, chairman of Balaquid (in Biliran) Agrarian Reform Cooperative (BARECO), said he and his fellow farmers were all upbeat after the initial success of the farm demonstration.

Ayuste said he expects the new-found formula to help the country attain self-sufficiency in rice if it is replicated all over the country. And he has all reasons to be that confident, considering that he and his fellow farmers were already content to harvest 80 sacks of palay per hectare before the formula was introduced to them early this year.

Ayuste and his 15 fellow farmer-trainees thanked Aya-ay and the agriculture department for sharing to them the new farming technique.

Aya-ay said he found the new formula encouraging so that he convinced the DA to include it among the activities that were introduced to the farmer-beneficiaries.

“I’m glad it pays of,” said Aya-ay, who was the provincial agrarian reform support services officer at the time the technique was introduced to interested farmers.

Agriculture development facilitator Thelma Alba, agriculture and agribusiness development coordinator Joy Sandigan and agriculture technician Elizabeth Gayrama, who together supervised the whole operations, said they were only expecting an increase of up to 120 sacks of palay.

“The result was far beyond our imagination,” Alba said.

The training serves BARECO well as it has been tapped as a community seed banking for certified seeds.

Ayuste said the new formula was a big departure from the old practices they were accustomed to â€" using the same seeds over and over again during planting season, applying fertilizers and pesticides indiscriminately and letting water flow freely in the ricefield.

Before the training, Ayuste said he used to apply 40 kilos of seeds in half a hectare farm and plant the seedlings too close to one another thinking that the more seedlings he planted the more yield he would get.

Ayuste found out after the training that half-a-hectare of ricefield needs only 20 kilos of seeds and that proper spacing should be observed when planting the seedlings to enable them to produce more.

He added that he used to apply 12 bags of commercial fertilizer each amounting P1,300, in a hectare farm and sprayed pesticides indiscriminately, where what he actually needs are five bags of fertilizer, mixed with six bags of the less expensive organic fertilizer that is pegged at P420 a bag. The amount of pesticide used was also reduced significantly. - pna

The Department of Agriculture-Regional Field Unit 6 (DA-RFU 6) will hasten its implementation of the Farm Mechanization Program next year, disclosed regional executive director Larry P. Nacionales.

This region is allotted more than half a billion pesos for the program, making it one of the three regions slated to receive the biggest share in the Agriculture department’s budget next year. The other regions are Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley.

Nacionales said they might embark in advance procurement as already requests from various farmers group have been submitted to their office.

The regional director explained that the use of machines is found to reduce losses by more than five percent. This is against the 15-percent losses that farmers usually due to lack of appropriate farm machines.

The program also supports the move of the national government to stop its importation of rice by 2013 because the national demand could now be supported as a result of higher production.

The Farm Mechanization Program is implemented through a counterparting scheme where the government through the DA shoulders 85 percent of the acquisition cost of the machines while the recipients pay for the remaining 15 percent.

However, it is open only to organized sectors such as the irrigators associations or farmers cooperative. - pna

By Lilybeth G. Ison

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday placed at P152.13 million initial damage to agriculture affecting some 25,958 hectares of farm lands in 20 provinces in Luzon and the Visayas -- Regions 1, 2, 3, 6, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

This was attributed to typhoon "Gener" and the southwest monsoon.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Joel Rudinas, in a report submitted to DA Secretary Proceso Alcala, said the rice sector incurred the biggest loss valued at P131.49 million planted to 24,780 hectares in 18 provinces.

Rudina, however, said most of the affected crops were in the seedling/vegetative stage and with chance to recover.

Deemed lost were placed at 3,355 metric tons (MT) of palay from the 3,902 hectares in reproductive/maturity stage.

"Only 1,904 hectares were completely damaged while 22,876 hectares have chance to recover," said Rudinas.

Cagayan Province suffered the biggest loss valued at P36 million, followed by Pampanga at P32 million, Bulacan at P26 million, and Bataan at P14 million.

For the corn sector, initial damage was valued at P7.74 million affecting some 1,035 hectares in six provinces, which are mostly with chances of recovery.

Deemed lost were some 666 MT corn from the 574 hectares in reproductive stage.

Rudinas said most affected were the provinces of Cagayan and Kalinga. Around 20 hectares were reported completely damaged.

On the other hand, damage to high value crops was placed at P10.62 million and fisheries at P2.28 million.

Rudinas said high value crops damage were reported in Benguet, La Union and Pangasinan provinces with total volume at 733 MT planted to 143 hectares.

However, he said of the total areas affected for the high value crops, only one hectare was "with no chance to recover."

Meanwhile, Rudinas said effects to fisheries were reported in the provinces of Pangasinan and Cagayan due to damaged fishponds and fish cages. - pna

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday said that, according to reports it has received, Syria is experiencing critical shortages in medicines and pharmaceutical products.

“The recent escalation of clashes had resulted in substantial damages to the pharmaceutical plants located in rural Aleppo, Homs and Rural Damascus, where 90 per cent of the country’s plants were located,” a WHO spokesperson, Tarik Jasarevic, told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday. “Many of these plants had now closed down, thus resulting in a critical shortage of medicines.”

According to a press release issued by the UN Information Center (UNIC) here on Wednesday, prior to the violence which has wracked the Middle Eastern country, Syria produced 90 per cent of its medicines and drugs locally.

However, this production has slowed down due to insecurity, the decreased availability of raw materials, sanctions and increased fuel costs stemming from the violence that has killed an estimated 17,000 people, mostly civilians, since some 17 months ago.

Among the most urgently needed medicines are drugs to treat tuberculosis, hepatitis, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, as well as haemodialysis for kidney diseases, according to WHO. Chemical reagents for blood screening tests are also urgently needed to ensure the safety and quality of blood used in surgical and trauma cases.

“The health sector had been heavily affected in conflict areas as hospitals and health centres had been closed, damaged or controlled by parties to the conflict,” Jasarevic said. “Public health facilities were often inaccessible due to ongoing violence and lack of public transportation.”

The spokesperson added that the main challenge faced by WHO staff remained unhindered access to those in need. The health agency has been working with Syria’s Ministry of Health, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and other partners since the beginning of the conflict to address the health needs of crisis-affected populations.

“This [includes] the provision of ambulances, the refurbishing and equipping of mobile health clinics, and providing medicines and medical supplies for 700,000 people,” Jasarevic said, noting that the Ministry of Health had reported having lost 200 ambulances over the last few weeks.

To ensure access to essential health services â€" including life-saving medical and surgical services in directly and indirectly affected areas â€" WHO and its health sector partners are supporting trauma management at primary health care centres and hospitals.

Addressing reporters at the same media encounter in Geneva, a spokesperson for the UN World Food Program (WFP), Elisabeth Byrs, said that the food relief agency has sent assistance for distribution to 28,000 people in Aleppo over the next few days to address food shortages there.

Since the intensification of clashes in Aleppo in July, WFP has reached close to 46,000 people in the city with urgent food assistance. Overall, during the month of July, WFP’s food assistance reached 541,575 people in most of Syria’s governorates â€" the agency had aimed to reach 850,000 people, but was prevented from doing so by the violence. - pna

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The Russian government may set up a special commission to tackle problems of African swine fever outbreaks, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said on Wednesday.

“The situation is very difficult,” he noted. “Regional governors are taking relevant measures and at the same time they propose a federal program in this area. We shall also do our best to solve these problems.”

He did not rule out that an ad hoc commission will be set under the Russian government but refused to dwell into the status of a would-be anti-swine fever program.

The problem of funding, according to Dvorkovich, needs a “thorough study,” because it is necessary to take into account various parameters, such as expenses on restructuring of farms, etc.

should be an award-winning photo.

Sleeping Child and Dog - Philippine Floods Scenery

why are they laughing?

Pinoy Bulalo

pinasagdan sa kusina.

diha pud toy korean weightlifter nga nabali ang kamot. ngano wa may porter sa barko sa ato nga mi-qualify?

the government has to fix this mess. all our economic efforts would be useless if this flooding remains a big headache in NCR.

labihang gastoha diay ning iroa.

many floods had passed. no solution so far.

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No One Knows About London Olympics

karon pa ko. wa pa man hinuon ko matuk-an ug tundan.

i never eat balut and never will i.

thanks Manay Tess and David for sharing your EB photos with us.