Philippine Nurse Help

Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) - Philippines

2011-07-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

Introduction

The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in the Philippines began in 1986 in response to the Universal Child Immunization goal. The four major strategies include:

1. Sustaining high routine Full Immunized Child (FIC) coverage of at least 90% in all provinces and cities,
2. Sustaining the polio-free country for global certification
3. Eliminating measles by 2008,
4. Eliminating neonatal tetanus by 2008.

Routine Schedule of Immunization

Every Wednesday is designated as immunization day and is adopted in all parts of the country. Immunization is done monthly in barangay health stations, quarterly in remote areas of the country.

Routine Immunization Schedule for Infants

The standard routine immunization schedule for infants in the Philippines is adopted to provide maximum immunity against the seven vaccine preventable diseases in the country before the child's first birthday. The fully immunized child must have completed BCG, DPT 1, DPT 2, DPT 3, OPV 1, OPV 2, OPV 3 and measles vaccines before the child is 12 months of age.

Vaccine /

Reason for Administration

Minimum Age
at 1st Dose

Number
of Doses /

Amount of Dose

Minimum Interval Between Doses /

Route/Site

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin

-BCG given at earliest possible age protects the possibility of TB meningitis and other TB infections in which infants are prone.

Birth or anytime after birth

1 dose

-0.05 mL

Intradermal

-Right deltoid region of the arm

Diptheria-Pertussis-Tetanus Vaccine

-An early start with DPT reduces the chance of severe pertussis.

6 weeks

3 doses

-0.5 mL

4 weeks interval

Intramuscular

- Upper outer portion of the thigh

Oral Polio Vaccine

-The extent of protection against polio is increased the earlier the OPV is given.

Keeps the Philippines polio-free[

6 weeks

3 doses

-2 drops

4 weeks interval

Oral

-Mouth

Hepatitis B Vaccine

-An early start of Hepatitis B vaccine reduces the chance of being infected and becoming a carrier[

Prevents liver cirrhosis and liver cancer which are more likely to develop if infected with
Hepatitis B early in life.

About 9,000 die of complications of Hepatits B. 10% of Filipinos have Hepatitis B infection.

At birth

3 doses

-0.5 mL

6 weeks interval from
1st dose to 2nd dose,
8 weeks interval from
2nd dose to third dose.

Intramuscular

-Upper outer portion of the thigh

Measles Vaccine

(not MMR)

-At least 85% of measles can be prevented by immunization at this age.

9 months

1 dose

-0.5 mL

Subcutaneous

-Upper outer portion of the thigh

General Principles in Infants/Children Immunization

* Because measles kills, every infant needs to be vaccinated against measles at the age of 9 months or as soon as possible after 9 months as part of the routine infant vaccination schedule. It is safe to vaccinate a sick child who is suffering from a minor illness (cough, cold, diarrhea, fever or malnutrition) or who has already been vaccinated against measles.
* If the vaccination schedule is interrupted, it is not necessary to restart. Instead, the schedule should be resumed using minimal intervals between doses to catch up as quickly as possible..
* Vaccine combinations (few exceptions), antibiotics, low-dose steroids (less than 20mg per day), minor infections with low fever (below 38.5º Celsius), diarrhea, malnutrition, kidney or liver disease, heart or lung disease, non-progressive encephalopathy, well controlled epilepsy or advanced age, are not contraindications to vaccination. Contrary to what the majority of doctors may think, vaccines against hepatitis B and tetanus can be applied in any period of the pregnancy].
* There are very few true contraindication and precaution conditions. Only two of these conditions are generally considered to be permanent: severe (anaphylactic) allergic reaction to a vaccine component or following a prior dose of a vaccine, and encephalopathy not due to another identifiable cause occurring within 7 days of pertussis vaccination.
* Only the diluent supplied by the manufacturer should be used to reconstitute a freeze-dried vaccine. A sterile needle and sterile syringe must be used for each vial for adding the diluent to the powder in a single vial or ampoule of freeze-dried vaccine.
* The only way to be completely safe from exposure to blood-borne diseases from injections, particularly hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is to use one sterile needle, one sterile syringe for each child.

Tetanus Toxoid Immunization Schedule for Women

When given to women of childbearing age, vaccines that contain tetanus toxoid (TT or Td) not only protect women against tetanus, but also prevent neonatal tetanus in their newborn infants
Vaccine Minimum
Age/Interval Percent
Protected Duration of Protection
TT1
As early as possible
during pregnancy
--

--
TT2
At least 4 weeks later
80%

* infants born to the mother will be protected from neonatal tetanus
* gives 3 years protection for the mother

TT3
At least 6 months later
95%

* infants born to the mother will be protected from neonatal tetanus
* gives 5 years protection for the mother

TT4
At least 1 year later
99%

* infants born to the mother will be protected from neonatal tetanus
* gives 10 years protection for the mother

TT5
At least 1 year later
99%

* gives lifetime protection for the mother
* all infants born to that mother will be protected

In June 2000, the 57 countries that have not yet achieved elimination of neonatal tetanus were ranked and the Philippines was listed together with 22 other countries in Class A, a classification for countries close to maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination.

Care for the Vaccines

To ensure the optimal potency of vaccines, careful attention is needed in handling practices at the country level. These include storage and transport of vaccines from the primary vaccine store down to the end-user at the health facility, and further down at the outreach sites. Inappropriate storage, handling and transport of vaccines won’t protect patients and may lead to needless vaccine wastage

A "first expiry and first out" (FEFO) vaccine system is practiced to assure that all vaccines are utilized before its expiry date. Proper arrangement of vaccines and/or labeling of expiry dates are done to identify those close to expiring. Vaccine temperature is monitored twice a day (early in the morning and in the afternoon) in all health facilities and plotted to monitor break in the cold chain. Each level of health facilities has cold chain equipment for use in the storage vaccines which included cold room, freezer, refrigerator, transport box, vaccine carriers, thermometers, cold chain monitors, ice packs, temperature monitoring chart and safety collector boxes

References

1. ^ (2007) Public Health Nursing in the Philippines. Manila, Philippines: National League of Philippine Government Nurses, Inc, 141. ISBN 978-971-91593-2-2.
2. ^ "Six Out of Ten Children 12 to 23 Months Are Fully Immunized", Final Results from the 2002 Maternal and Child Health Survey, National Statistics Office, 2003-06-02. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
3. ^ Puvacic, S. (2004-02). "Protective effect of neonatal BCG vaccines against tuberculous meningitis.". Bosnian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences 4 (1): 46-9. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
4. ^ (1987) "Immunisation". Dialogue on Diarrhoea Online (30): 1-6. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
5. ^ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2001-10-12). "Public Health Dispatch: Acute Flaccid Paralysis Associated with Circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus --- Philippines, 2001". Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 50 (40): 874-5. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
6. ^ Ni, Y. H.; M.H. Chang, L.M. Huang, H.L. Chen, H.Y. Hsu, T.Y. Chiu, K.S. Tsai, and D.S. Chen (2001-11-06). "Effects of Universal Vaccination for Hepatitis B". Annals of Internal Medicine 135 (9): S53. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
7. ^ A Look at Each Vaccine: Hepatitis B Vaccine. Vaccine Education Center. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
8. ^ Chang, MH; C.J. Chen, M.S. Lai, H.M. Hsu, T.C. Wu, M.S. Kong, D.C. Liang, W.Y. Shau, D.S. Chen (1997-06-26). "Universal hepatitis B vaccination in Taiwan and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in children. Taiwan Childhood Hepatoma Study Group.". The New England Journal of Medicine 336 (26): 1906-7. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
9. ^ Salazar, Tessa R.. "Cancer Preventable Says US Doctor", The Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2004-05-24. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
10. ^ Orenstein, WA; L.E. Markowitz, W.L. Atkinson, A.R. Hinman (1994-05). "Worldwide measles prevention". Israel Journal of Medical Sciences 30 (5-6): 469-81. Retrieved on 2007-05-11.
11. ^ Measles (Catch Up Campaigns) - Toolkit for Volunteers. Health Initiative 2010. African Red Cross & Red Crescent. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
12. ^ Zimmerman, Richard Kent. "Practice Guidelines - The 2000 Harmonized Immunization Schedule", American Family Physician, 2000-01-01. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
13. ^ Management of the Traveler: Vaccination. Travel Medicine. Portal de Saúde Pública (1997). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
14. ^ General Recommendations on Immunizations (PDF). Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases--The Pink Book 10th Edition. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2007-02-14). Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
15. ^ Department of Vaccines and Biologicals. "WHO Recommendations for Diluents", Vaccines and Biologicals Update, World Health Organization, 2000-12, pp. 3. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
16. ^ Hoekstra, Edward. "Immunization: Injection Safety", UNICEF Expert Opinion, UNICEF. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
17. ^ Tetanus - The Disease. Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals. World Health Organization. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
18. ^ "Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus", UNICEF, 2000-11. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
19. ^ "Temperature Sensitivity of Vaccines", Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, 2006-08. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
20. ^ "Handle Vaccines with Care", British Columbia Center for Disease Control. Retrieved on 2007-05-12.
21. ^ (1995) Expanded Program on Immunization Manual. Manila, Philippines: Department of Health, Philippines.

Philippine SONA 2011 - President Benigno Aquino III

2011-07-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

The Philippine President Benigno Aquino State of The Nation Address 2011!
State of the Nation Address of His Excellency Benigno S. Aquino III President of the Philippines To the Congress of the Philippines
[Delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasan Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on July 25, 2011]

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Speaker Feliciano Belmonte; Bise Presidente Jejomar Binay; mga dating Pangulong Fidel Valdez Ramos at Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Chief Justice Renato Corona at ang ating mga kagalang-galang na mahistrado ng Korte Suprema; mga kagalang-galang na kasapi ng diplomatic corps; mga butihing miyembro ng Kamara de Representante at ng Senado; mga Local Government officials; mga miyembro ng ating Gabinete; mga unipormadong kasapi ng militar at kapulisan; mga kapwa ko nagseserbisyo sa taumbayan;

At sa mga minamahal kong kababayan, ang aking butihing mga boss:
Humarap po ako sa inyo noong aking inagurasyon at sinabing: Walang wang-wang sa ating administrasyon. At ngayon, patuloy nating itinitigil ito. Naging hudyat at sagisag po ito ng pagbabago, hindi lamang sa kalsada, kundi pati na rin sa kaisipan sa lipunan.

Sa matagal na panahon, naging simbolo ng pang-aabuso ang wang-wang. Dati, kung makapag-counterflow ang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan, para bang oras lang nila ang mahalaga. Imbes na maglingkod-bayan, para bang sila ang naging hari ng bayan. Kung maka-asta ang kanilang mga padrino’t alipores, akala mo’y kung sinong maharlika kung humawi ng kalsada; walang pakialam sa mga napipilitang tumabi at napag-iiwanan. Ang mga dapat naglilingkod ang siya pang nang-aapi. Ang panlalamang matapos mangakong maglingkod—iyan po ang utak wang-wang.

Wala silang karapatang gawin ito. Ayon sa batas, tanging ang Presidente, Bise Presidente, Senate President, House Speaker, Chief Justice, at pulis, bumbero, at ambulansya lang ang awtorisadong gumamit ng wangwang para sa kanilang mga opisyal na lakad. Kung sa trapiko nga ay di masunod ang batas, paano pa kaya sa mga bagay na mas malaki ang makukuha, tulad ng sa mga proyektong pinopondohan ng kaban ng bayan?

Kayo po ba gusto ninyong makulong ang lahat ng tiwali? Ako rin. Gusto ba ninyong matanggal ang wang-wang, hindi lamang sa kalsada, kundi sa kaisipang nagdulot ng baluktot na sistema na pagkatagal-tagal na nating pinagtiisan? Ako rin. Gusto po ba ninyong mabigyan ng patas na pagkakataon ang lahat na umasenso? Ako rin.

Narito po ang halimbawa ng resulta ng ating kampanya kontra wang-wang sa sistema. Nitong taong ito, taumbayan na mismo ang nagsabi, nabawasan ang nagugutom sa kanila. Mula 20.5% na self-rated hunger noong Marso, bumaba na ito sa 15.1% nitong Hunyo, katumbas ng isang milyong pamilyang Pilipinong nagugutom dati, pero ngayon ay nakakakain na nang tama kada araw.

Sa larangan po ng negosyo, sino ba ang nag-akalang pitong ulit nating malalampasan ang all-time-high ng stock market? Ang dating 4,000 index na inaakalang hindi maaabot, o kung maabot man ay pansamantala lang, ngayon, pangkaraniwan nang hinihigitan.

Kung dati napako na ang bansa sa mababang credit ratings, itinaas ng Moody’s, Standard and Poors, Fitch, at Japan Credit Ratings Agency ang ating ranking, bilang pagkilala sa ating tamang paggugol ng pondo at sa malikhain nating pananalapi. Ang mataas na credit rating, magpapababa ng interes sa perang inuutang natin. Kumpara sa unang apat na buwan ng nakaraang taon, mas malaki po ng 23 billion pesos ang natipid nating interest payments mula Enero hanggang Abril ng 2011. Maaari na po nitong sagutin ang dalawang milyon at tatlongdaan libong benepisyaryo ng CCT hanggang sa katapusan ng 2011.

Paalala ko lang po, sa siyam at kalahating taon bago tayo maitalaga sa puwesto, iisang beses lang tayong nakatikim ng ratings upgrade, at anim na beses pang na-downgrade ng iba’t ibang ratings agency. Sa isang taon pa lang po natin, apat na beses na tayong nabigyan ng upgrade. Alam naman po natin na hindi madaling ma-upgrade sa panahon ngayon. Itong mga ratings agency, nabatikos na mali raw ang payo bago magkakrisis sa Amerika, kaya ngayon ay mas makunat na sila sa pagbibigay ng magandang ratings, at nakikita nga natin ito sa sunud-sunod na pag-downgrade sa ibang bansa. Pero tayo po, inupgrade pa nila. Sang-ayon silang lahat: gumanda at lalo pang gaganda ang ekonomiya ng Pilipinas. Isang hakbang na lang po, aabot na tayo sa investment grade, at wala pong tigil ang ating economic team upang tuluyan na tayong makaarangkada.

At may mabubuting balita pa pong parating. Dahil wala nang wang-wang sa DOE, muling nabuhay ang kumpiyansa ng mga namumuhunan sa ating energy sector. Patunay dito ang isandaan at apatnapung kumpanya na nakahandang tumaya sa eksplorasyon at pagpapalakas ng ating oil at natural gas resources. Sa huling energy contracting round noong 2006, tatlumpu’t lima lang po ang nakilahok. Nitong Biyernes lamang po, nilagdaan na ang panibagong kasunduan para sa isang bagong power plant sa Luzon grid upang pagdating ng 2014, may mas mura at mas maaasahang pagmumulan ng enerhiya ang bansa.

May kumpiyansa, may pag-asa, at tinutupad po natin ang ating mga pangako. Naaalala ko nga po ang babaeng nakausap ko nang ako’y unang nagha-house-to house campaign. Ang kaniyang hinaing: “Miski sino naman ang manalo, pare-pareho lang ang kahihinatnan. Mahirap ako noong sila ay nangangampanya; mahirap ako habang nakaupo sila, at mahirap pa rin ako pag nagretiro na sila.” Sa madaling salita, ang hinaing po ng marami, “Walang pakialam ang mga pinuno namin kahapon, wala silang pakialam ngayon. Bukas, wala pa rin silang pakialam.”

Di po ba’t may katuwiran naman siya sa pagsasabi nito, dahil sa pagwawang-wang sa mga ahensya ng gobyerno? Wang-wang po ang pagbili ng helicopter sa presyong brand new, pero iyon pala ay gamit na gamit na. Wang-wang ang milyun-milyong pabuya na tinanggap ng mga opisyal ng GOCC, tulad ng sa Philippine National Construction Corporation, gayong hindi naman sila nakapaghandog ng disenteng serbisyo, at ibinaon pa sa utang ang kanilang mga ahensya. Bago sila bumaba sa puwesto, dalawandaan, tatlumpu’t dalawang milyong piso po ang inomento ng dating pamunuan ng PNCC sa kanilang sarili. 2007 pa lang po, wala na silang prangkisa; lahat ng kikitain, dapat diretso na sa pambansang gobyerno. Hindi na nga nag-abot ng kita, sinamantala pa ang puwesto. Ang bonus nila mula 2005 hanggang 2009, dinoble pa nila sa unang anim na buwan ng 2010. Ibinaon na nga po nila sa bilyun-bilyong pisong utang ang kanilang tanggapan, nasikmura pa nilang magbigay ng midnight bonus sa sarili.

Para po pigilan ang pagwang-wang sa kaban ng bayan, sinuyod at sinuri natin ang mga programa. Dalawang magkasunod na taon na po nating ipinatutupad ang zero-based budgeting, na nagsisilbing kalasag sa walang-saysay na paggastos.
Sa Laguna Lake po, magtatanggal nga ng 12 million cubic meters sa dredging, pero pagkatapos ng tatlong taon, garantisado naman itong babalik. 18.7 billion pesos ang magiging utang natin para lang maglaro ng putik. Hindi pa bayad ang utang, nag-expire na ang pakinabang. Pinigilan po natin iyan. Ang food-for-school program na bara-bara lang ang paghahanap ng benepisyaryo, at iba pang inisyatibang pinondohan ngunit walang pinatunguhan—binura na natin sa budget upang ang pera namang nalibre, ay mailaan sa mga proyektong totoong may silbi.

Ang budget po ang pinakamalinaw na pagsasabuhay ng ating tuwid na landas. Ang aking pahiwatig sa lahat ng gusto pang ilihis tayo rito: Kung mang-aagrabyado ka lang ng mahirap, huwag ka nang magtangka. Kung sarili mo lang ang papayamanin mo, huwag ka nang magtangka. Kung hindi iyan para sa Pilipino, huwag ka nang magtangka.
Sana masabi na natin na tapos na ang utak wang-wang, pero nakikita po natin ang latak ng ganitong kaisipan na pilit bumubulahaw sa aliwalas ng ating biyahe sa tuwid na landas.

Mukhang marami rin po kasi ang nagwawang-wang sa pribadong sektor. Ayon sa BIR, mayroon tayong halos 1.7 million na self-employed at professional tax payers gaya ng mga abogado, doktor, negosyante na nagbayad lamang, sa suma total, ng 9.8 billion pesos noong 2010. 5,783 pesos lang ang ibinayad na income tax ng bawat isa sa kanila—ang ibig sabihin, kung totoo po ito, ang kabuuang kita nila ay umaabot lang ng 8,500 pesos lamang kada buwan. Mababa pa sa minimum wage.Naman.

Nakikita naman po ninyong napupunta na sa tama ang buwis ninyo, kaya wala na pong dahilan upang iwasan natin ang pagbabayad. Nananawagan po ako sa inyo: Hindi lang po gobyerno, kundi kapwa natin Pilipino ang pinagkakaitan sa hindi pagbabayad ng tamang buwis.

Pinananagot at pananagutin po natin ang wang-wang saanmang sulok ng gobyerno. Ang masakit, hanggang sa mga araw pong ito, may sumusubok pa ring makalusot. Mayroon nga pong isang distrito sa Region 4B, may proyektong gagastusan ng 300 million pesos. Kaso hanggang 50 million pesos lang ang puwedeng aprubahan ng district engineer.
Kaya naisip nilang ichop-chop ang proyekto para di lumampas sa 50 million pesos ang halaga, at di na umabot sa regional at central office ang mga papeles. Kani-kaniyang diskarte, kani-kaniyang kaharian ang nadatnan nating situwasyon sa DPWH. Sinubukan nilang ipagpatuloy ang nakasanayan na nila. Kadalasan, dahil sa lump-sum na pagbibigay ng pondo, wala nang tanung-tanong kung ano ang plano at detalye ng proyekto. Miski yata bahay ng gagamba ang ipapatayo, bibigyan ng pondo, basta may padrino.

Hindi ito pinalusot ni Secretary Babes Singson. Tinanggal na niya sa puwesto ang district engineer. Pinigilan din po ang pag-award ng proyektong ito para busisiin kung ano pang magic ang nangyari. Masusi na ring iniimbestigahan lahat ng nagkuntsabahan. Ang mga kontratistang mapatunayang nakipagsabwatan para mag-tongpats sa mga proyekto, ibablack-list natin.
Tingnan nga po ninyo ang idinulot na perhuwisyo ng pagwawang-wang sa sistema: Tuloy ang pagdusa ng mamamayang dapat nakikinabang na sa proyekto ng bayan.
Hindi lang po iyan sa region 4B nadiskubre. Ngunit natigil na po ito dahil hindi na padrino kundi tamang proseso ang naghahari sa DPWH. Hindi na puwedeng walang work program; kailangang magpakita ng pinag-isipang plano para hindi magkasalungat ang pagsasagawa ng mga proyekto. Malinis at hayag na ang bidding, at pantay na ang pagkakataon sa pagpasok ng mga kontratista.

Sa sistemang pinaiiral ngayon sa DPWH, nakatipid na tayo ng dalawa’t kalahating bilyong piso, at umaasa tayo na aabot pa sa anim hanggang pitong bilyong piso ang matitipid sa taon na ito. Ang pinakamahalaga po, nakakaasa na tayo sa mga kalsadang matino, hindi ‘yung maambunan lang ay lulundo o mabibiyak agad. Paniwala natin dati, imposibleng maitama ng DPWH ang sistema nila. Hindi lang po ito posible; sa unang taon pa lamang, ginagawa na natin ito.
Kahit po sa mga bukirin, may mga nagwawang-wang din. Bago tayo maupo noong 2010, nag-angkat ang bansa ng 2.3 million metric tons ng bigas. 1.3 million metric tons lamang ang kailangan nating angkatin, ngunit pinasobrahan pa nila ito ng isang milyon. Dahil nga sobra-sobra ang inangkat, kinailangan pa nating gumastos muli sa mga bodegang pagtatambakan lang naman ng barko-barkong bigas.

Ilang taon bang walang saysay na pinasobrahan ang bigas na inaangkat? Dahil dito, umiral ang pag-iisip na habambuhay na tayong aangkat ng bigas. Ang akala ng marami, wala na talaga tayong magagawa.

Ngunit sa loob lamang ng isang taon, pinatunayan nating mali sila. Ngayon, ang dating 1.3 million metric tons na kakulangan natin sa bigas, halos nangalahati na; 660,000 metric tons na lang po ang kailangan nating angkatin. Kahit dagdagan pa natin iyan ng panangga laban sa sakuna at gawing 860,000 metric tons—na ginagawa na nga po natin—mas mababa pa rin ito sa tinatayang taunang kakulangan na 1.3 million metric tons.

At hindi po buwenas lang ang nangyaring pag-angat ng ating rice productivity. Bunga po ito ng matinong pamamalakad: ng paggamit ng maiinam na klase ng binhi, at masusi at epektibong paggastos para sa irigasyon. Nito nga pong nakaraang taon, labing-isang libo, animnaraan at labing-isang bagong ektarya ng bukirin ang napatubigan natin. Dagdag pa iyan sa halos dalawandaan at labindalawang libong ektarya na nakumpuni o nabigyang muli ng irigasyon matapos ang panahon ng pagkakatiwangwang. Ang resulta: umangat ng 15.6% ang inani nating palay noong nakaraang taon.

Ang gusto nating mangyari: Una, hindi tayo aangkat ng hindi kailangan, para lang punan ang bulsa ng mga gustong magsariling-diskarte ng kita sa agrikultura. Ikalawa: Ayaw na nating umasa sa pag-angkat; ang isasaing ni Juan dela Cruz, dito ipupunla, dito aanihin, dito bibilhin.

Balikan din po natin ang dinatnang kalagayan ng ating mga kawal at kapulisan. Labingtatlong libong piso po ang karaniwang suweldo ng isang PO1 sa Metro Manila. Apat na libong piso daw rito ang napupunta sa upa ng bahay. Tila tama nga po na isang-katlo ng kanilang sahod diretso na sa upa. Isang-katlo pa nito, para naman sa pagkain. At ang natitirang isang-katlo, para sa kuryente, tubig, pamasahe, pampaaral sa anak, gamot sakaling may magkasakit, at iba pa. Maganda na nga po kung tumabla ang kita niya sa gastusin. Kapag naman kinapos, malamang sa five-six po sila lalapit. At kapag nagpatung-patong ang interes ng utang nila, makatanggi kaya sila sa tuksong dumelihensya?
Kaya ang ipinangako nating pabahay nitong Pebrero, ngayong Hulyo ay tinutupad na. Nakapag-abot na po tayo ng apat na libong Certificate of Entitlement to Lot Allocation sa magigiting nating kawal at pulis. Bahagi pa lang po ito ng target nating kabuuang dalawampu’t isang libo at walong daang bahay sa pagtatapos ng taong ito. Ang dating apatnalibong ibinabayad para sa upa kada buwan, ngayon, dalawandaang piso na lang, para pa sa bahay na pagmamay-ari talaga nila. Ang dating nalalagas na halaga na pambayad sa buwanang renta, maaari nang igugol para sa ibang gastusin.

Mayroon pa raw pong mahigit isang libong bahay na natitira, kaya po sa mga pulis at sundalo nating di pa nakakapagpasa ng papeles, last call na po para sa batch na ito. Pero huwag po kayong mag-alala, sa susunod na taon, lalawak pa ang ating pabahay, at hindi lang pulis at kawal sa Luzon ang makikinabang. Inihahanda na ng NHA ang lupang patatayuan sa Visayas at Mindanao, para sa susunod na taon, makapagpatayo na tayo ng mga bahay doon. Sa ating mga kawani ng Bureau of Jail Management and Penology at Bureau of Fire Protection, may good news po ako: kasama na po kayo rito.

Kung seguridad na rin lang po ang ating pag-uusapan, di ba’t karugtong din nito ang ating pambansang dangal? Dati, hindi man lang natin makuhang pumalag tuwing may sisindak sa atin sa loob mismo ng ating bakuran. Malinaw ang pahiwatig natin ngayon sa buong mundo: Ang sa Pilipinas ay sa Pilipinas; kapag tumapak ka sa Recto Bank, para ka na ring tumapak sa Recto Avenue.

Tama nga po kaya ang kuwento tungkol sa isang stand-off noong araw? Tinapatan daw ang mga marino natin ng kanyon. Ang ginawa nila, pumutol ng puno ng niyog, pininturahan ito ng itim, saka itinutok sa kalaban. Tapos na po ang panahong iyan. Parating na ang mga capability upgrade at modernization ng mga kagamitan ng ating Sandatahang Lakas. Literal na pong naglalakbay sa karagatan papunta rito ang kauna-unahan nating Hamilton Class Cutter, isang mas modernong barko na magagamit natin para mabantayan ang ating mga baybayin. Maaari pa po tayong makakuha ng mga barkong tulad nito. Idadagdag iyan sa kukunin na nating mga helicopter, patrol craft, at sandata na bultong bibilhin ng AFP, PNP, at DOJ upang makakuha ng malaking diskuwento. Lahat po ito, makakamtan sa matinong pamamahala; mabibili sa tamang presyo, nang walang kailangang ipadulas kung kani-kanino.

Wala tayong balak mang-away, pero kailangan ding mabatid ng mundo na handa tayong ipagtanggol ang atin. Pinag-aaralan na rin po natin ang pag-angat ng kaso sa West Philippine Sea sa International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, upang masigurong sa mga susunod na pagkakataon ay hinahon at pagtitimpi ang maghahari tuwing may alitan sa teritoryo.
Alam ko pong magbubunga ang pag-aarugang ipinapamalas natin sa mga lingkod-bayan na nakatutok sa ating seguridad. Mantakin po ninyo: sa unang anim na buwan ng 2010, umabot sa isanlibo at sampung (1,010) kotse at motorsiklo ang nanakaw. Ikumpara po natin iyan sa apatnaraan at animnapung (460) kotse at motorsiklong nanakaw mula Enero hanggang Hunyo ng taong ito. Ang laki po ng naibawas. Malas ko lang po siguro na ‘yung isa o dalawang kaso ng carnapping ang nai-heheadline, at hindi ang pagbawas sa mga insidente nito o ang mas mataas na porsyento ng mga nanakaw na kotse na naibalik sa may-ari.

Isa pa pong halimbawa ng pagbabagong tinatamasa natin: Mayo ng 2003 nang lagdaan ang Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, pero dahil hindi sineryoso ng estado ang pagpapatupad nito, dalawampu’t siyam na indibiduwal lamang ang nahatulan sa loob ng pitong taon. Nalagpasan na po natin iyan, dahil umabot na sa tatlumpu’t isang human traffickers ang nahatulan sa ating administrasyon. Ito na po siguro ang sinasabing “sea change” ni Secretary of State Hillary Clinton ng Amerika. Dahil dito, natanggal na tayo sa Tier 2 Watchlist ng Trafficking in Persons Report nila. Kung hindi tayo natanggal sa watchlist na ito, siguradong napurnada pa ang mga grant na maaari nating makuha mula sa Millenium Challenge Corporation at iba pa.
Dumako po tayo sa trabaho. Dagdag-trabaho ang unang panata natin sa Pilipino. Ang 8% na unemployment rate noong Abril ng nakaraang taon, naibaba na sa 7.2% nitong Abril ng 2011. Tandaan po natin: moving target ang nasa hanay ng ating unemployed, dahil taun-taon ay may mga bagong graduate na naghahanap ng trabaho. Nito nga pong huling taon, nadagdag pa sa bilang nila ang libu-libong hawi boys, tagasabit ng banderitas, at iba pang mga Pilipinong kumuha ng pansamantalang kabuhayan mula sa eleksyon. Ang resulta po natin: Isang milyon at apatnaraang libong trabahong nalikha nitong nakaraang taon.

Dati, nakapako sa pangingibang-bansa ang ambisyon ng mga Pilipino. Ngayon, may pagpipilian na siyang trabaho, at hangga’t tinatapatan niya ng sipag at determinasyon ang kanyang pangangarap, tiyak na maaabot niya ito.
Malaki pa po ang puwedeng madagdag sa trabahong nalilikha sa ating bansa. Ayon pa lang po sa website nating Philjobnet, may limampung libong trabahong hindi napupunan kada buwan dahil hindi tugma ang kailangan ng mga kumpanya sa kakayahan at kaalaman ng mga naghahanap ng trabaho. Hindi po natin hahayaang masayang ang pagkakataong ito; ngayon pa lang, nagtatagpo na ang kaisipan ng DOLE, CHED, TESDA, at DEPED upang tugunan ang isyu ng job mismatch. Susuriin ang mga curriculum para maituon sa mga industriyang naghahanap ng empleyado, at gagabayan ang mga estudyante sa pagpili ng mga kursong hitik sa bakanteng trabaho.

Ngunit aanhin naman po natin ang mga numerong naghuhudyat ng pag-asenso ng iilan, kung marami pa rin ang napag-iiwanan? Ang unang hakbang: tinukoy natin ang totoong nangangailangan; namuhunan tayo sa pinakamahalaga nating yaman: ang taumbayan. Sa dalawang milyong pamilyang rehistrado sa ating Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, isang milyon at animnaraang libo na ang nakakatanggap ng benepisyo nito. Sa pagpapakitang-gilas ni Secretary Dinky Soliman, tinatayang may mahigit isandaang libong pamilya ang naiaahon natin mula sa kahirapan kada buwan. Kaya naman mataas ang aking kumpiyansang makukumpleto ang 1.3 million na dagdag na pamilya, mula sa kabuuang 2.3 milyong pamilyang target na benepisyaryo ng CCT bago matapos ang taong ito. At sa compliance rate nito na hindi bababa sa 92%, milyun-milyon na rin po ang inang regular na nagpapacheck-up sa mga health center, ang mga sanggol na napabakunahan, at ang mga batang hindi hinahayaan sa labas ng paaralan.

Simula pa lang po ito, at sa ganitong kalinaw na mga resulta, umaasa ako sa suporta ng bawat Pilipino, lalo na ng lehislatura, sa mungkahi nating salinan pa ng pondo ang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program. Inaasam po natin na bago matapos ang 2012, tatlong milyong pamilya na ang mabibigyan ng puhunan para sa kanilang kinabukasan.
Binibigyan natin ang mga maralitang pamilyang ito ng pagkakataong makaahon sa buhay, dahil ang pag-asenso nila ay pag-angat rin ng buong bansa. Sino ang tatangkilik sa mga produkto at serbisyo ng mga negosyante, kung isang kahig, isang tuka naman ang mamimili? Kapag may amang kumakapit sa patalim para may kainin ang kanyang pamilya, at siya ay nagnakaw o nangholdap, sino ba ang puwedeng mabiktima ng krimen kundi tayo rin? Kung ang mga kababayan natin ay walang maayos na pagkain o tahanan, mahina ang kalusugan at may malubhang karamdaman, hindi ba’t tayo rin ang nasa peligrong mahawa sa kanilang kapansanan?

Naglalatag po tayo ng pagbabago upang mas mapatibay ang pundasyon ng maaliwalas na bukas para sa lahat. Halimbawa, sa kalusugan: Di ba’t kapansin-pansin ang pagtaas ng bilang ng mga benepisyaryo ng PhilHealth tuwing maghahalalan? Ngayon, sa pamamagitan ng National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR), tiniyak natin na ang limang milyon at dalawandaang libong pamilyang Pilipino na nakikinabang sa PhilHealth ay ang talagang mga nangangailangan nito. Malawakang pag-unlad at pag-asenso ng lahat: Iyan po ang panata natin. Walang maiiwan sa tuwid na landas.

Tumungo naman po tayo sa ARMM. Ang dating sistema: Nagbabatuhan lang ng huwad na utang ng loob ang mga baluktot na kandidato. Kapag pambansang halalan, malaya ang nakaupo sa ARMM na imane-obra ang makinarya sa kaniyang rehiyon para matiyak na bokya ang boto ng mga hindi kaalyado. Kapag naman eleksyon sa ARMM at maniningil na ng utang si Mayor o Governor, ang administrasyon naman ang magpapatakbo ng makinarya para manalo ang kanilang kandidato.

Ayon nga po sa naungkat ng COA, sa opisina ng regional governor ng ARMM, mula Enero 2008 hanggang Setyembre 2009, walumpung porsyento ng mga disbursement ang napunta sa mga cash advance na wala namang maayos na paliwanag. Kung hindi nawala ang pondong ito, nakatapos na sana ang isang batang tumawid sa ghost bridge, para pumasok sa ghost school, kung saan tuturuan siya ng ghost teacher. Walang humpay na paghihirap, at walang pag-asa ng pag-asenso.
Gusto nating maranasan ng ARMM ang benepisyo ng tamang pamamahala. Kaya ang solusyon: synchronization. Dahil dito, kailangan nilang tumutok sa kani-kanilang mga kampanya; magiging mas patas ang labanan, at lalabnaw ang command votes. Salamat sa Kongreso at naipasa na ang batas na magsasabay ng halalan sa ARMM sa halalang pambansa.
At bakit po postponement ang kailangan? Sa kagustuhang makabalik sa puwesto, nakahanda ang ilan na ulitin ang nakagawian para manalo. Isipin na lang po ninyo kung pumayag tayo sa kagustuhan ng mga kontra, at itinuloy natin ang eleksyon. Wala po silang ibang gagawin sa loob ng dalawang taon kundi paghandaan ang susunod na halalan at isiksik ang kalokohan nila sa mas maigsing panahon. Habang nananatili sa pwesto ang mga utak wang-wang na opisyal, naiiwan namang nakalubog sa kumunoy ng kawalang-pagasa ang taumbayan.

Wala akong duda sa kahihinatnan ng mga repormang inilatag natin. Hindi po tayo nagbubukambibig lang; may kongkretong resulta ang ating mga paninindigan. Kapag sinabi nating tuwid na daan, may katapat itong kalsada sa Barangay Bagumbayan sa Sta. Maria, Laguna. Kapag sinabi nating malinis na pamamahala, may dadaloy na malinis na tubig sa mga liblib na lugar gaya ng nasa Barangay Poblacion, sa Ferrol, Romblon. Kapag sinabi nating liwanag ng pagbabago, titiyakin nating may liwanag na tatanglaw sa mga pamayanang dati ay nangangapa sa aandap-andap na gasera, gaya ng ginawa natin sa Barangay San Marcos, sa Bunawan, Agusan del Sur. Ganito na ang nangyayari sa marami pang ibang lugar; pinipilit nating ito rin ang mangyari sa kabuuan ng Pilipinas.

Nakatutok na po ang iba’t ibang ahensya ng gobyerno; nag-uugnayan at nagtutulungan sila upang maabot at mapabilis ang mga solusyon sa mga problemang kaytagal nang pinapasan ng bayan.

Di po ba’t may problema tayo sa baha, na alam naman nating dulot ng walang humpay at ilegal na pagputol ng mga puno? Ang dating solusyon: photo-op ng pagtatanim na ang tanging benepisyaryo ay nagpapapoging pulitiko. Nagtanim nga ng puno kontra-baha, pero hindi naman siniguro na mananatiling nakatayo ang mga ito pag-alis nila.

Isa sa mga solusyong pinag-aaralan ay ang gawing kapaki-pakinabang sa mga pamayanan ang pagbabantay ng puno. Bibigyan sila ng binhi ng kape at cacao para itanim at mamunga ng kabuhayan. Habang hinihintay ang ani, makakakuha sila ng stipend upang bantayan naman ang mga punong itinanim laban sa baha. Puwedeng maging benepisyaryo ng programang ito ang mga informal settlers, na ngayon ay nagkukumpulan sa siyudad. Mamumuhunan tayo sa taumbayan, habang namumuhunan din sa kalikasan.

Noon bang isang taon, inisip ninyo na kaya nating gawin ito? Sa ngayon, tinutupad na natin ang ating mga pangako. Bukas makalawa, katotohanan na ang lahat ng ito.

Marami pa pong malikhaing konsepto na inilalapit sa atin. May mosquito trap na pinapatay ang mga kiti-kiti ng lamok, na siguro naman po ay may kinalaman sa halos labing-apat na porsiyentong pagbaba ng insidente ng dengue; may hibla ng niyog na itatapon na sana, pero puwede palang murang solusyon sa mga daanang madaling mabitak; may landslide sensor na magbababala kung tumaas na ang panganib na gumuho ang lupa; may mga kagamitang magbibigay ng senyales kung malapit nang umapaw ang tubig sa mga ilog. Lahat po ito, gawa ng Pilipino.

Pinag-aaralan na rin po ng DOST at UP ang pagkakaroon ng monorail system, para tugunan ang problema sa pangmalawakang transportasyon. Sa malikhaing pag-iisip ng kapwa Pilipino, may pag-asa palang magtayo ng light rail system nang hindi hihigit sa 100 million pesos ang gagastusin kada kilometro. Sa matitipid na pondo, mas mahabang kilometro ng riles ang mailalatag at makaka-abot sa mga lugar na malayo sa sentro ng komersyo. Ang mga dating sumisiksik sa siyudad para maghanap ng trabaho, maaari nang tumira sa malayo, nang hindi pahirapan ang biyahe.
Uulitin ko po: ang mungkahing ito ay galing sa kapwa natin Pilipino, para sa Pilipinas. Naaalala po ba ninyo ang panahon kung kailan ni hindi man lang maabot ng mga pangarap natin ang ganitong mga proyekto? Ngayon, sinasabi ko sa inyo: pinapangarap natin ito, kaya natin ito, gagawin natin ito. Hindi ba tayo nagagalak, Pilipino tayong nabubuhay sa ganitong panahon?

Sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, huwag po sana nating lilimutin: masasayang lang ang lahat ng ating narating kung hindi tuluyang maiwawaksi ang kultura ng korupsyon na dinatnan natin.

Sa mga kapwa ko empleyado ng sambayanan, mula sa tuktok hanggang sa bawat sulok ng burukrasya: Di po ba’t napakarangal na ngayon ang magtrabaho sa gobyerno? Di po ba’t ngayon, sa halip na ikahiya, gusto mo pang isuot ang iyong ID kung sumasakay ka ng bus o jeep papasok sa iyong ahensya? Sasayangin po ba natin ang karangalang kaloob sa atin ng sambayanan?

Iyan din po ang aking panawagan sa ating Local Government Units. Kabilang po ako sa mga sumasang-ayon na kayo ang pinaka-nakakaalam sa pangangailangan ng taumbayan sa inyong mga lungsod at munisipyo. Makakaasa po ang ating mga LGU sa higit na kalayaan at kakayahan, kung makakaasa rin tayong gagamitin ito sa tuwid na paraan, at isasaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng buong sambayanan.

Halimbawa po, may ilang munisipyo na naisipang magbuwis sa mga transmission lines ng kuryente na dadaan sa kanilang mga pook. Magpapasok nga po ng kita sa kanilang lokal na kaban, pero kapalit nito, tataas din ang gastusin ng mas nakararaming Pilipino sa kuryente. Tiwala po akong kaya nating balansehin ang interes ng inyong mga nasasakupan sa interes ng sambayanan.

Kailangan pong manatiling magkatugma ang ating mga programa, dahil ang ikauunlad ng buong bansa ay manganganak din ng resulta sa inyong mga pook. Wakasan na po sana natin ang agendang nakatuon sa susunod na eleksyon lamang, at ang kaisipang isla-isla tayong maihihiwalay ang sariling pagsulong sa pag-unlad ng bansa.

Tayo-tayo rin po ang dapat magtulungan tungo sa kaunlaran. Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa Kongreso sa pagpapasa ng mga batas ukol sa GOCC Governance, ARMM Synchronization, Lifeline Electricity Rates Extension, Joint Congressional Power Commission Extension, Children and Infants’ Mandatory Immunization, at Women Night Workers.

Noong isang taon nga po, nagpakitang-gilas ang Kongreso sa pagpasa ng budget bago matapos ang taon. Dahil dito, nasimulan agad ang mga proyekto at hindi na inabot ng tag-ulan. Bukas na bukas po, ihahain na namin sa lehislatura ang budget para sa susunod na taon. Umaasa po ako na muli kayong magpapakitang-gilas, upang tuluyan na nating mapitas ang bunga ng mga naitanim nating pagbabago.

Maganda na po ang ating nasimulan. Pero mahalaga pong maalala natin: simula pa lang ito. Marami pa tayong gagawin. Hayaan po ninyong ilatag ko sa Kongreso ang ilan sa mga batas na magpapaigting sa pagtupad ng ating panata sa bayan.
Layon nating bigyan ng kaukulang kompensasyon ang mga biktima ng Martial Law; ang pagkakaloob ng makatarungang pasahod at benepisyo para sa mga kasambahay; at ang pagpapatupad ng isang mas maayos na sistema ng pensyon para sa mga kawal. Sinusuportahan din natin ang pagpapalawak ng sakop ng scholarship na ipinagkakaloob ng DOST sa mahuhusay ngunit kapuspalad na mag-aaral; ang pagtataguyod ng pinaigting na pangkalahatang kalusugan; at ang pangangalaga sa ating kalikasan at sa mga pasilidad na titiyak sa kaligtasan ng mga mamamayan sa oras ng sakuna.
Kabilang din po sa ating agenda ang pagpapalakas ng BuCor, ng NBI, ng NEA, at ng PTV 4, upang sa halip na mapag-iwanan ng kaalaman at panahon, mas maayos nilang magagampanan ang kanilang pagbibigay-serbisyo sa publiko.
Hindi ko po nailagay ang lahat ng gustong magpasali ng kanilang adbokasiya dito sa SONA. Pero kumpleto po ang detalye sa budget at budget message. Sa mga interesado po, pakibasa na lang.

May mga nagsasabing pinepersonal ko raw ang paghahabol sa mga tiwali. Totoo po: Personal talaga sa akin ang paggawa ng tama, at ang pagpapanagot sa mga gumagawa ng mali—sino man sila. At hindi lamang dapat ako ang namemersonal sa usaping ito. Personal dapat ito sa ating lahat, dahil bawat Pilipino ay biktima nito.

Ang mali—gaano katagal man ito nanatili—ay mali pa rin. Hindi puwedeng “Oks lang, wala lang iyan.” Kapag kinalimutan natin ang mga ito, mangyayari lang ulit ang mga kamalian ng nakaraan. Kung hindi magbabayad ang mga nagkasala, parang tayo na rin mismo ang nag-imbita sa mga nagbabalak gumawa ng masama na umulit muli.

Ang totoo nga po, marami pang kalokohan ang nahalungkat natin. Halimbawa, sa PAGCOR: kape. Isang bilyong piso po ang ginastos ng dating pamunuan ng ahensya para sa kape; sa isandaang piso na lang po kada tasa, lalabas na nakakonsumo sila ng sampung milyong tasa. Baka po kahit ngayong iba na ang pamunuan ng PAGCOR ay dilat na dilat pa rin ang mata ng mga uminom ng kapeng ito. Hanapin nga po natin sila, at matanong: nakakatulog pa po ba kayo?

Pagpasok ng bagong Ombudsman na si dating Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, magkakaroon tayo ng tanod-bayan na hindi magiging tanod-bayad ng mga nagwawang-wang sa pamahalaan. Inaasahan ko nga po na sa taon na ito, masasampahan na ng kaso ang lahat ng nagkuntsabahan sa katiwalian, at naging sanhi ng situwasyong ating inabutan. Tapos na rin po ang panahon kung kailan nagsasampa ang gobyerno ng malalabnaw na kaso. Kapag tayo ang nagsampa, matibay ang ebidensya, malinaw ang testimonya, at siguradong walang lusot ang salarin.

Tutok tayo na ang pagkakamit ng ganap na katarungan ay hindi natatapos sa pagsasakdal kundi sa pagkukulong ng maysala. Buo ang kumpiyansa ko na tinutupad ng DOJ ang malaki nilang bahagi upang maipiit ang mga salarin, lalo na sa mga kaso ukol sa tax evasion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, smuggling, graft and corruption, at extrajudicial killings.
Wala pong tsamba: ang tapat at mabuting pamamahala ay nanganganak ng mabuti ring resulta. Isipin po ninyo: naipatupad natin ang mga ipinangakong serbisyo ng gobyerno, at nakapaglaan pa ng sapat na pondo para sa mga proyekto nang hindi kinailangang magtaas ng buwis.

Iyan naman po talaga ang plano: siguruhin na patas ang laban; itigil ang panlalamang ng mga makapangyarihan; at tiyakin na ang dating sistema kung saan nakikinabang ang iilan ay magiging bukal ng oportunidad para sa lahat.

Tinutuldukan na po natin ang wang-wang: sa kalsada, sa gobyerno, sa kalakhang lipunan. Ito po ang manganganak ng kumpiyansa na magdadala ng negosyo; ito rin ang sisiguro na ang pondo ng taumbayan ay mapupunta sa dapat nitong kalagyan: Imprastruktura na titiyak sa tuluyang pag-angat ng ekonomiya at pagmumulan ng trabaho, at serbisyong panlipunan na sisigurong walang mapag-iiwanan. Bubukas ang marami pang pintuang pangkabuhayan sa pamamagitan ng turismo; sisiguruhing hindi magugutom ang Pilipino sa pagpapalakas ng agrikultura. Ang mga dating kinakaligtaan, bibigyang-puhunan ang kinabukasan.

Magbubunsod ito ng siklo kung saan tiyak na may pupuno sa mga nalilikhang trabaho, at may mga konsumer na lalong magpapalago sa mga negosyo.

Batid ko po na hanggang ngayon ay may kakaunti pang nagrereklamo sa ating estilo ng pamamahala. Nakita po ninyo ang aming estilo, at ang kaakibat nitong resulta. Nakita po ninyo ang estilo nila, at kung saan tayo nito dinala. Sa mga taong bukas ang mata, maliwanag kung saan ang tama.

Ngayong tayo na ang nagtitimon sa gobyerno, malinaw ang direksyong tinatahak ng ating bayan. Isang bansa kung saan ang pagkakataon ay abot-kamay; kung saan ang mga nangangailangan ay sinasaklolohan; kung saan may saysay ang bawat patak ng pawis, bawat sandali ng pagtitiis, at bawat butil ng hinagpis na dinaanan natin. Kung may gawin kang mabuti, may babalik sa iyong mabuti. At kung may gawin kang masama, tiyak na mananagot ka.

Naaalala ko nga po ang isang ginang na lumapit sa akin noong kampanya; ang babala niya, “Noy, mag-iingat ka, marami kang kinakabangga.”
Tama po ang sabi niya: Tao po akong may agam-agam din. Pero wala po akong alinlangang tumahak sa tuwid na daan: Buo ang loob ko dahil alam kong nasa likod ko kayo.

Salamat po sa mga pari at obispo na masinsinang nakikipagdiyalogo sa atin, katulad nina Cardinal Rosales at Vidal. Di naman po kami ganoong kalapit ni Cardinal Rosales, pero naniniwala akong ibinuhos niya ang lahat para mabawasan ang hindi pinagkakaunawaan ng gobyerno at simbahan. Sa paghahalal kay Archbishop Palma, tagapagtanggol ng karapatang pantao at kalikasan, lalo pong tumibay ang aking kumpiyansang ugnayan, at hindi bangayan, ang mabubuo sa pagitan ng estado at simbahan.

Salamat din po sa ating Gabinete, na walang kinikilalang panahon ng tulog o pahinga, maipatupad lang ang pambansang agenda. Special mention po ang PAGASA, na tunay na ngayong nagbibigay ng maaasahang babala.

At sa mga nasasagasaan po natin sa landas ng katapatan at integridad sa pamamahala, ito naman po ang aking masasabi: Pinili ninyo ang landas kung saan naaapi ang sambayanan. Pinili naman namin ang landas na ipagtanggol ang taumbayan. Nasa tama po kami; nasa mali kayo. Sa inyong magbabalik ng pang-aapi sa sambayan, hindi kayo magtatagumpay.
Sa lahat ng mga kasama natin sa tuwid na daan: Kayo ang lumikha ng pagkakataong baguhin ang dinatnan, at gawing mas maganda ang ipapamana natin sa susunod na salinlahi ng mga Pilipino. Kayo pong mga tsuper na pumapasada pa rin; kayong mga guro at estudyanteng pauwi pa lang mula sa klase; kayong patuloy ang paglikha ng mga obrang nagpapaalab sa apoy ng ating pagka-Pilipino; kayong mga pulis, sundalo, kaminero at bumbero; kayong mga marangal na nagtatrabaho, sa Pilipinas man, sa gitnang dagat, o sa ibang bansa; kayong mga tapat na kasama natin sa gobyerno, anumang probinsya o partido; kayong mga Pilipinong nakikinig sa akin ngayon—kayo po ang lumikha ng pagkakataong ito.

Lumikha po kayo ng gobyernong tunay na nagtatrabaho para sa inyo. May limang taon pa tayo para siguruhing hindi na tayo babalik sa dating kalagayan. Hindi tayo magpapadiskaril ngayong napakaganda na ng resulta ng ating sinimulan.
Kapag may nakita tayong butas sa sistema, huwag na po tayo magtangkang lumusot. Huwag na nating daanin sa pakiusap ang madadaan sa pagsisikap. Tama na ang unahan, tama na ang tulakan, tama na ang lamangan, dahil lahat naman po tayo ay makakarating sa minimithi nating kinabukasan.

Tapusin na po natin ang kultura ng negatibismo; iangat natin ang kapwa-Pilipino sa bawat pagkakataon. Bakit po ang iba, ang hilig maghanap ng kung anu-anong pangit sa ating bayan? At napakahirap—parang kasalanan—na magsabi ng maganda? Naalala pa po ba natin noong huling beses tayong pumuri sa kapwa Pilipino?

Itigil na po natin ang paghihilahan pababa. Ang dating industriya ng pintasan na hindi natin maitakwil, iwaksi na po natin. Tuldukan na po natin ang pagiging utak-alimango; puwede bang iangat naman natin ang magaganda nating nagawa?
Kung may nakita kang mabuti, huwag kang magdalawang-isip na purihin ito. Kapag nakita mo ang pulis sa kanto, nagtatrapik nang walang kapote sa ilalim ng ulan, lapitan mo siya at sabihing, “Salamat po.”

Kung magkasakit ka at makita mo ang nars na nag-aruga sa iyo, sa halip na magserbisyo sa dayuhan kapalit ng mas malaking suweldo, sabihin mo, “Salamat po.”

Bago ka umuwi galing eskuwela, lapitan mo ang guro mong piniling mamuhunan sa iyong kinabukasan kaysa unahin ang sariling ginhawa; sabihin mo, “Salamat po.” Sa aking guro, Salamat po Ginang Escasa.

Kung makasalubong mo ang iyong kinatawan sa kalsadang dati ay lubak-lubak, at ngayon ay puwede nang daanan nang maaliwalas, lapitan mo siya at sabihing: “Salamat po.”

Kaya po, sa sambayanang Pilipino, ang aking Boss na nagtimon sa atin tungo sa araw na ito: maraming, maraming salamat po sa pagbabagong tinatamasa natin ngayon.
Buhay na buhay na ang Pilipinas at ang Pilipino

2011-07-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

DOPAMINE COMPUTATION

DOPAMINE (INTROPIN)
Action: Positive inotropic effect on the heart

Indications: Hypotension, Low cardiac output states

Must know:

1. FORMULA

Doctor’s order (mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (mcg/ml)

2. AVAILABLE DOSAGE

Single concentration: 200 mg/250 ml = 8000 mcg/ml =

Double concentration: 400 mg/250 ml = 1600 mcg/ml

Triple concentration: 600 mg/250 ml = 2400 mcg/ml

Conversion to microgram:

Conversion factor: 1000 mcg = 1 mg

200 mg		1000 mcg
	X
250 ml		1 mg

200 mg		1000 mcg
	X
250 ml		1 mg

200,000 mcg

250 ml

800 mcg/ml

Sample Problem:

A client was ordered to have an infusion of dopamine via infusion pump at 15mcg/kg/min. The client weighs 176 pounds. The medication comes in 400mg in 250ml of D5W. Compute for ml/hr:

_________________ml/hr

STEP 1: Know the given.

Doctor’s order: 8mcg/kg/min

Client’s weight: 176 lb or 76.36

Available stock: 250 mg/250 ml

Convert 168 lb to kg.

Conversion factor: 1 kg = 2.2 lb

176 lb		1 kg
	X
1		2.2 lb

176 lb		1 kg
	X
1		2.2 lb

80 kg

Step 2: Substitute the given to the formula.

Doctor’s order (mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (mcg/ml)

Doctor’s order (15mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (80 kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (1600 mcg/ml)

15mcg/kg/min	X	80 kg	X	60 min/hr

1600 mcg/ml

15mcg/kg/min	X	80 kg	X	60 min/hr

1600 mcg/ml

40 ml/hr

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DOBUTAMINE COMPUTATION

DOBUTAMINE (DOBUTREX)
Action: Inotropic support

Indications: Left ventricular dysfunction, congestive heart failure

Must know:

3. FORMULA

Doctor’s order (mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (mcg/ml)

4. AVAILABLE DOSAGE

Single concentration: 250 mg/250 ml = 1000 mcg/ml

Double concentration: 500 mg/250 ml = 2000 mcg/ml = 0.03 ml/min/hr/mcg

Triple concentration: 750 mg/250 ml = 3000 mcg/ml

Conversion to microgram:

Conversion factor: 1000 mcg = 1 mg

250 mg		1000 mcg
	X
250 ml		1 mg

250 mg		1000 mcg
	X
250 ml		1 mg

250,000 mcg

250 ml

1000 mcg/ml

Sample Problem:

A patient weighing 168 lbs. is ordered to receive Dobutamine (Dobutrex) at 8mcg/kg/min. The medication comes in 250mg to be diluted in 250 ml of D5W.
Compute for ml/hr: Answer should be rounded off to a whole number:

___________ ml/hr

STEP 1: Know the given.

Doctor’s order: 8mcg/kg/min

Client’s weight: 168 lb or 76.36

Available stock: 250 mg/250 ml

Convert 168 lb to kg.

Conversion factor: 1 kg = 2.2 lb

168 lb		1 kg
	X
1		2.2 lb

168 lb		1 kg
	X
1		2.2 lb

76.36 kg

Step 2: Substitute the given to the formula.

Doctor’s order (mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (mcg/ml)

Doctor’s order (8mcg/kg/min)	X	Client’s weight (76.36 kg)	X	60 min/hr

Stock dose (1000 mcg/ml)

8mcg/kg/min	X	76.36 kg	X	60 min/hr

1000 mcg/ml

8mcg/kg/min	X	76.36 kg	X	60 min/hr

1000 mcg/ml

36.6 ml/hr

How to Cut Calories Right Now

2009-11-10T09:48:00.002-08:00

Cutting calories is pretty simple. If your trying to cut calories your either trying to get into great shape or maybe even just trying to have a healthier diet. Most of the time the objective is to take in less calories and burn more calories. Here you will learn how to cut calories.

The first basic step starts when you go shopping. You want to look at the food labels to see the amount of calories in each food you buy.Try to find foods with fewer calories. It is important to compare the calories to the serving size. If a food says 200 calories and it comes in a pack of 4, most likely the serving size will be 1 of the 4. Sometimes they seem to try to trick you into buying their unhealthy food. Eat a lot of vegetables because they contain less calories and are packed with nutrients.

Stay away from foods with lots of sugar. Sugar has a lot of calories. The reason I say this is because you have to watch what you drink also. Soda contains lots of calories which making it harder for you to get into great shape. It would be ideal to just quit soda all together. If you don't want to quit soda then I would suggest drinking diet soda such as diet rite.

The next step is on how you cook your food. If your going to cook your food in a frying pan with a whole bunch of grease, that is going to pack the calories. It's actually healthier to cook your food on a grill rather then frying it if you can. This is because the grease drips down into the grill. It won't contain as much fat and will contain less calories.

The final step is that you must watch your food portions. By this I mean if your going to eat something healthy trying to cut calories you must watch how much you eat. If your eating plates and plates full it really isn't going to cut calories. It is always better to eat more small meals rather then a couple big ones. Cutting calories is pretty simple and I know that you can do it.

Hi, I'm Jamie Krause and if you would like more information about cutting calories I invite you to visit my website. You can find my website by clicking HERE.

Other Recent EzineArticles from the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category:

2009-11-10T09:48:00.001-08:00

Most Viewed EzineArticles in the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category (90 Days)

2009-11-10T09:47:00.000-08:00

Other Recent EzineArticles from the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category: * Weight Loss Tips - How to Supercharge Your Fat Burning Furnace

2009-11-10T09:45:00.002-08:00

How to Cut Calories Right Now

2009-11-10T09:45:00.001-08:00

Hi, I'm Jamie Krause and if you would like more information about cutting calories I invite you to visit my website. You can find my website by clicking HERE.

5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

2009-11-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

Want to feel full longer? It's all in the numbers.

Actually, one rule will do: Lower each meal's overall score on the glycemic index (GI) -- an indication of how quickly a meal drives up your blood sugar -- and you'll feel full longer. The index ranks foods against glucose, a sugar that scores 100. Under 50 is considered low; 50 to 70 is medium; over 70 is high. The foods' scores are in parentheses below; for an expanded list, see The Glucose Revolution Pocket Guide to Losing Weight, written by leading GI researchers.

Be Wary of White
Such as white bread (73), bagels (72), Cream of Wheat (70), doughnuts (76) -- just about anything made with white refined flour. Ditto for high-sugar products such as Pop Tarts (70), colas (65), and sweet cereals (85). Also troublesome are white veggies and grains such as instant rice (72), baguettes (95), french fries (75), baked potatoes (85). Try new potatoes (57) instead.

There are exceptions to the white rule, including dairy products (40 or less), and most pasta (40 to 50).

Eat Healthy Fat
Cook with olive and canola oil, snack on nuts, and make sandwiches with cheese, peanut butter or avocados. Also good is lean protein such as beans, fish, chicken, lean cuts of beef, and some luncheon meats. (All of these score low.)

Eat Fiber
That means whole-grain breads (53), long-grain or brown rice (55), vegetables (most score low), fruit (unsweetened and unjuiced, it's fine).

Snack Smarter
Skip jellybeans (80), Skittles (69), Lifesavers (70) in favor of Peanut M&M's (33), Snickers (55), Twix bars (44) or milk chocolate (34). For salty snacks, pass on the corn chips (72), pretzels (81) and rice cakes (77) in favor of a handful of nuts, another low scorer.

Think Balance
Having a baked potato on the side won't hurt if it's served with a salad and salmon. It's the overall score of your meal that counts.

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs

2009-11-10T09:24:00.000-08:00

16 ways to make low-carb healthy.

Thanks to the popularity of low-carb diets, nearly half of Americans say they are watching the amount of carbohydrates they eat. If you're among them, we're providing these 16 tips so your carb control is stealthy, healthy, and wise!

Bear in mind that there is a huge difference between Cheese Doodles and oatmeal. Both might be categorized as carbs, but their benefits are on opposite ends of the health spectrum. What is a "bad carb"?. Here's the simplest answer: white flour, refined sugar, and white rice. More broadly, any food made primarily of a carb that has been processed in such a way as to strip out ingredients that hinder quick and easy cooking. Why are refined carbs a problem? Easy: They digest so quickly that they cause blood sugar surges that lead to weight gain and other health troubles.

Here we'll give you ways to avoid troublesome carbs while still getting the fuel you need for good health. Carb-counting meets common sense, right this way...

1. Tell the waiter to hold the bread. At almost every restaurant, your meal starts with a basket of rolls, breads, and crackers made from white flour. If it's not put on the table, you won't eat any. Or, if you really need something to nibble on, ask if they have whole wheat varieties.

2. At Chinese restaurants, ask for brown rice, and limit how much you eat to one cup. In fact, some Chinese restaurants have started offering to swap a vegetable for the rice in their combo dinners, knowing that many people are on low-carb diets. At home, always cook brown rice instead of white. Brown rice hasn't been processed and still has its high-fiber nutrients.

3. Instead of bread, use eggplant slices to make a delicious sandwich. Broil two thick slices of eggplant until brown, then add mozzarella and tomato, olive oil and basil to one slice, suggests Nicole Glassman, owner of Mindful Health in New York City. Top with the other slice of eggplant and broil again until the cheese melts.

4. Wrap your food in lettuce leaves. Yes, skip the bun, tortillas, and bread slices and instead make a sandwich inside lettuce leaves. Glassman suggests going Mexican with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, salsa, and chicken; Asian with sesame seeds, peanuts, bean sprouts, cut up green beans, and shrimp with a touch of soy sauce; or deli style with turkey, cheese, and mustard.

5. Buy old-fashioned snacks in kid-size bags. Truth is, pretzels, tortilla chips, potato chips, and cookies are mostly bad carbs, made primarily of refined flour, sugar, salt, and/or oil. You want to remove as many of these foods from your daily eating as you can. But if you can't live without them, buy them in small bags -- 1 ounce is a typical "lunch box" size -- and limit yourself to just one bag a day.

6. Break yourself of your old spaghetti habits. Almost everyone loves a big bowl of pasta, topped with a rich tomato sauce. The tomato sauce couldn't be better for you; the spaghetti, however, is pure carbohydrate. While spaghetti is fine to eat every now and then, for those sensitive to carbs or wishing to cut back on their noodle intake, here are some alternatives to the usual spaghetti dinner:

Here's the easiest choice: Switch to whole wheat pasta. It is denser than traditional pasta, with a firm, al dente texture similar to what you'd get in Italy.

Grill vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, and onion and slice them into long, thin pieces. Mix up and pour your spaghetti sauce over the vegetables for a delicious and immensely healthy meal.

Substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta. Boil or microwave the squash until soft, then scoop out the seeds and pull the strands of squash from the shell with a fork. Top with your favorite sauce and a grating of real Parmesan.

Try healthy whole grains as a replacement for pasta. Spaghetti sauce goes better than you'd expect on brown rice, barley, chickpeas, and such.

7. Cut up 1-ounce portions of cheese and divvy up 1-ounce portions of nuts into tiny snack bags. Now you have a handy snack at the ready.

8. Eat potatoes boiled with the skin on. The effect of potatoes on blood sugar depends on how the potatoes are prepared. No need to unspud yourself completely! Also, new potatoes tend to have fewer simple carbs than other types of potatoes.

9. Eat lightly of the new low-carb products. More than 1,000 low-carb products were introduced in 2003, but the FDA has yet to publish any guidelines as to what "low carb" really means. Instead, many new "low carb" foods are to carb-cutting what "low fat" cookies were to fat-cutting: just a new way of pitching foods high in calories and low in nutrient value. In fact, Consumer Reports found that many packaged low-carb foods are actually higher in calories than their regular counterparts. For instance, a serving of Keto's low-carb Rocky Road ice cream has 270 calories, almost double the calories found in many regular ice creams and twice as much fat.

10. Think lightly of the new net-carb measurements. Many of the low-carb weight-loss programs are trying to get their followers to use "net carbs" as the measurement of choice for the appropriateness of a carb food in their diet. This is a measurement of the "bad carbs" left in a food after you adjust for those carb ingredients that don't immediately affect blood sugar. The folks at Atkins Nutritionals say the proper way to measure net carbs is to subtract fiber (as well as sugar alcohols and glycerin, when applicable) from the total carbs listed on the nutrition facts panel of a product. But that's just their version, and that's the problem. "Net carbs" is not a regulated or standardized measurement -- manufacturers can define it how they want, and say what they want on product packaging. And there is no science to say that tracking net carbs offers any unique weight-loss benefit.

11. Never let yourself get too hungry. Eat every three to five waking hours, and eat only until you're satisfied but not stuffed. You should never reach the point where you feel ravenous. Not only is that a recipe for overeating, but your body will want sugary, quick-to-digest "bad carbs" to quickly satiate your need for fuel.

12. Instead of eggs and bacon, try low-carb versions of cereals. For example, the Nature's Path cereal line offers all the benefits of whole grains without the "problem" carbs found in added sugar. Another option is low-carb, high-fiber muffins and breads (spread with no-sugar-added jams or nut butter).

13. At the movies, skip the popcorn. Popcorn isn't a bad food, but it does happen to be a simple carb with little other nutritional value and, when bought at the theater, is often drowning in salt and fat as well. Better movie snacks are small bags of nuts or seeds and fresh or dried fruit. Just sneak them into the theater in your purse or a backpack.

14. Mix up a sweet dessert. Combine nonfat cream, unsweetened cocoa, sugar substitute, and ice in a blender. Or mix mascarpone and sugar substitute with whipped cream and a hint of lemon zest.

15. Make your own quickie low-carb pizza. Lightly toast a whole grain, low-carb tortilla and top with chopped tomatoes and shredded, part-skim, mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper and return to the toaster oven until cheese is melted and bubbling.

16. Make french fries with turnips. Missing those fries with that bun-less burger? Heimowitz suggests cutting turnips into sticks and tossing with olive oil and salt. Bake at 425°F for 30 minutes, turning frequently. Voilà! A crisp side dish with none of the fat of frying and far fewer carbs than from potatoes.

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Ways to Control Your Cravings

2009-11-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

You can lose weight by overcoming your cravings now. Here are the latest tricks of the trade from researchers and experts:

Avoid your triggers. "You crave what you eat, so if you switch what you're eating, you can weaken your old cravings and strengthen new ones," says Marcia Pelchat, PhD, of the Monell Center. This can happen pretty fast. For five days, her study volunteers drank bland dietary-supplement beverages. During that time, they craved fewer of their trigger foods. By the end of the study, the volunteers actually wanted the supplements instead. The first few days are always the hardest, and you probably can't completely eliminate your old cravings. But the longer you avoid your trigger foods, the less likely you may be to want them. In fact, you'll probably begin to crave the foods you eat, a real bonus if you've switched to fresh fruit.

Destroy temptation. If you've succumbed to a craving and bought a box of cookies or some other trigger food and start to feel bad while eating it, destroy it. "Don't just throw it away; run water over it, ruin it. You'll feel a sense of accomplishment that you've licked your binge," says Caroline Apovian, MD, director, Nutrition and Weight Management Center at Boston Medical Center. Don't think about the money you're wasting. If the cookies don't go into the garbage, they're going straight to your hips.

Go nuts. Drink two glasses of water and eat an ounce of nuts (6 walnuts, 12 almonds or 20 peanuts). Within 20 minutes, this can extinguish your craving and dampen your appetite by changing your body chemistry, says Michael F. Roizen, MD.

Jolt yourself with java. Try sipping a skim latte instead of reaching for a candy bar. The caffeine it contains won't necessarily satisfy your cravings, but it can save you the calories by quenching your appetite, says Dr. Roizen. And the warm richness and ritual can distract you.

Let it go. Since stress is a huge trigger for cravings, learning to deal with it could potentially save you hundreds of calories a day. This will take some practice. You can try deep breathing or visualizing a serene scene on your own, or you can speed things up by buying one of the many CDs that teach progressive muscle relaxation. A good one is Relaxation/Affirmation Techniques, by Nancy Hopps.

Take a power nap. Cravings sneak up when we're tired. Focus on the fatigue: Shut the door, close your eyes, re-energize.

Get minty fresh. Brush your teeth; gargle with mouthwash. "When you have a fresh, clean mouth, you don't want to mess it up," says Molly Gee, RD, of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Distract yourself. If only ice cream will do, it's a craving, not hunger. "Cravings typically last ten minutes," says John Foreyt, PhD, of Baylor College of Medicine. Recognize that and divert your mind: Call someone, listen to music, run an errand, meditate or exercise.

Indulge yourself -- within limits. Once in a while, it's OK to go ahead and have that ice cream. But buy a small cone, not a pint. Try 100-calorie CocoaVia chocolate bars and 100-calorie snack packs of cookies, peanuts or pretzel sticks. The trick is to buy only one pack at a time so you won't be tempted to reach for more. And since even 100 extra calories can sabotage weight loss if you indulge daily, strike a bargain with yourself to work off the excess calories. A brisk 15-minute walk will burn 100 calories or so.

Plan or avoid. Vary your usual routine to avoid passing the bakery or pizzeria. If you know you'll be face-to-face with irresistible birthday cake, allocate enough calories to fit it into your diet.

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

2009-11-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Simple Slimming

Spring is right around the corner and retailers have already begun stocking their floors with warm-weather goods -- including swimsuits. Besides looking great on the beach, commonsense tells us that one of the best things you can do for your overall health is to drop a few pounds. Or maybe more than a few pounds.

Being overweight significantly increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer ... the list seems almost endless. Plus, if you do get sick or need surgery, being overweight can make any treatments riskier.

You know the drill when it comes to losing weight -- take in fewer calories, burn more calories. But you also know that most diets and quick weight-loss plans have about as much substance as a politician's campaign pledges. You're better off finding several simple things you can do on a daily basis -- along with following the cardinal rules of eating more vegetables and less fat and getting more physical activity. Together, they should send the scale numbers in the right direction: down.

1. Once a week, indulge in a high-calorie-tasting, but low-calorie, treat. This should help keep you from feeling deprived and binging on higher-calorie foods. For instance:

Lobster. Just 83 calories in 3 ounces.
Shrimp. Just 60 calories in 12 large.
Smoked salmon. Just 66 calories in two ounces. Sprinkle with capers for an even more elegant treat.
Whipped cream. Just 8 calories in one tablespoon. Drop a dollop over a bowl of fresh fruit for dessert.

2. Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. Make a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown. Cut down on the chips by pairing each bite with lots of chunky, filling fresh salsa, suggests Jeff Novick, director of nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa in Florida. Balance a little cheese with a lot of salad.

3. After breakfast, make water your primary drink. At breakfast, go ahead and drink orange juice. But throughout the rest of the day, focus on water instead of juice or soda. The average American consumes an extra 245 calories a day from soft drinks. That's nearly 90,000 calories a year -- or 25 pounds! And research shows that despite the calories, sugary drinks don't trigger a sense of fullness the way that food does.

4. Carry a palm-size notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips -- even water. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don't.

5. Buy a pedometer, clip it to your belt, and aim for an extra 1,000 steps a day. On average, sedentary people take only 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Adding 2,000 steps will help you maintain your current weight and stop gaining weight; adding more than that will help you lose weight.

6. Add 10 percent to the amount of daily calories you think you're eating, then adjust your eating habits accordingly. If you think you're consuming 1,700 calories a day and don't understand why you're not losing weight, add another 170 calories to your guesstimate. Chances are, the new number is more accurate.

7. Eat five or six small meals or snacks a day instead of three large meals. A 1999 South African study found that when men ate parts of their morning meal at intervals over five hours, they consumed almost 30 percent fewer calories at lunch than when they ate a single breakfast. Other studies show that even if you eat the same number of calories distributed this way, your body releases less insulin, which keeps blood sugar steady and helps control hunger.

8. Walk for 45 minutes a day. The reason we're suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that a Duke University study found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you're eating.

9. Find an online weight-loss buddy. A University of Vermont study found that online weight-loss buddies help you keep the weight off. The researchers followed volunteers for 18 months. Those assigned to an Internet-based weight maintenance program sustained their weight loss better than those who met face-to-face in a support group.

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

11. Clean your closet of the "fat" clothes. Once you've reached your target weight, throw out or give away every piece of clothing that doesn't fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will serve as a strong incentive to maintain your new figure.

12. Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat -- regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10-14 inches (making them look forlornly empty if they're not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7-9 inches wide). The same goes for liquids. Instead of 16-ounce glasses and oversized coffee mugs, return to the old days of 8-ounce glasses and 6-ounce coffee cups.

13. Serve your dinner restaurant style (food on the plates) rather than family style (food served in bowls and on platters on the table). When your plate is empty, you're finished; there's no reaching for seconds.

14. Hang a mirror opposite your seat at the table. One study found that eating in front of mirrors slashed the amount people ate by nearly one-third. Seems having to look yourself in the eye reflects back some of your own inner standards and goals, and reminds you of why you're trying to lose weight in the first place.

15. Put out a vegetable platter. A body of research out of Pennsylvania State University finds that eating water-rich foods such as zucchini, tomatoes, and cucumbers during meals reduces your overall calorie consumption. Other water-rich foods include soups and salads. You won't get the same benefits by just drinking your water, though. Because the body processes hunger and thirst through different mechanisms, it simply doesn't register a sense of fullness with water (or soda, tea, coffee, or juice).

16. Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries. And add vegetables to make a fluffier, more satisfying omelet without having to up the number of eggs.

17. Eat one less cookie a day. Or consume one less can of regular soda, or one less glass of orange juice, or three fewer bites of a fast-food hamburger. Doing any of these saves you about 100 calories a day, according to weight-loss researcher James O. Hill, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado. And that alone is enough to prevent you from gaining the 1.8 to 2 pounds most people pack on each year.

18. Avoid white foods. There is some scientific legitimacy to today's lower-carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. But you shouldn't toss out the baby with the bathwater. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, you should eat plenty of whole grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.

19. Switch to ordinary coffee. Fancy coffee drinks from trendy coffee joints often pack several hundred calories, thanks to whole milk, whipped cream, sugar, and sugary syrups. A cup of regular coffee with skim milk has just a small fraction of those calories. And when brewed with good beans, it tastes just as great.

20. Use nonfat powdered milk in coffee. You get the nutritional benefits of skim milk, which is high in calcium and low in calories. And, because the water has been removed, powdered milk doesn't dilute the coffee the way skim milk does.

21. Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week. Studies find that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don't. They also consume more fiber and calcium -- and less fat -- than those who eat other breakfast foods. Of course, that doesn't mean reaching for the Cap'n Crunch. Instead, pour out a high-fiber, low-sugar cereal like Total or Grape Nuts.

22. Pare your portions. Whether you eat at home or in a restaurant, immediately remove one-third of the food on your plate. Arguably the worst food trend of the past few decades has been the explosion in portion sizes on America's dinner plates (and breakfast and lunch plates). We eat far, far more today than our bodies need. Studies find that if you serve people more food, they'll eat more food, regardless of their hunger level. The converse is also true: Serve yourself less and you'll eat less.

23. Eat 90 percent of your meals at home. You're more likely to eat more -- and eat more high-fat, high-calorie foods -- when you eat out than when you eat at home. Restaurants today serve such large portions that many have switched to larger plates and tables to accommodate them!

24. Avoid any prepared food that lists sugar, fructose, or corn syrup among the first four ingredients on the label. You should be able to find a lower-sugar version of the same type of food. If you can't, grab a piece of fruit instead! Look for sugar-free varieties of foods such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing.

25. Eat slowly and calmly. Put your fork or spoon down between every bite. Sip water frequently. Intersperse your eating with stories for your dining partner of the amusing things that happened during your day. Your brain lags your stomach by about 20 minutes when it comes to satiety (fullness) signals. If you eat slowly enough, your brain will catch up to tell you that you are no longer in need of food.

26. Eat only when you hear your stomach growling. It's stunning how often we eat out of boredom, nervousness, habit, or frustration -- so often, in fact, that many of us have actually forgotten what physical hunger feels like. Next time, wait until your stomach is growling before you reach for food. If you're hankering for a specific food, it's probably a craving, not hunger. If you'd eat anything you could get your hands on, chances are you're truly hungry.

Discover New Motivations

27. Find ways other than eating to express love, tame stress, and relieve boredom. For instance, you might make your family a photo album of special events instead of a rich dessert, sign up for a stress-management course at the local hospital or take up an active hobby, like bowling.

28. State the positive. You've heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? Well, if you keep focusing on things you can't do, like resisting junk food or getting out the door for a daily walk, chances are you won't do them. Instead (whether you believe it or not) repeat positive thoughts to yourself. "I can lose weight." "I will get out for my walk today." "I know I can resist the pastry cart after dinner." Repeat these phrases like a mantra all day long. Before too long, they will become their own self-fulfilling prophecy.

29. Discover your dietary point of preference. If you work hard to control your weight, you may get pleasure from your appearance, but you may also feel sorry for yourself each time you forgo a favorite food. There is a balance to be struck between the immediate gratification of indulgent foods and the long-term pleasure of maintaining a desirable weight and good health. When you have that balance worked out, you have identified your own personal dietary pleasure "point of preference." This is where you want to stay.

30. Use flavorings such as hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings instead of relying on butter and creamy or sugary sauces. Besides providing lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, many of these seasonings -- the spicy ones -- turn up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

31. Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice. For the calories in one kid-size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods will keep you satisfied much longer than that box of apple juice, so you'll eat less overall.

32. Spend 10 minutes a day walking up and down stairs. The Centers for Disease Control says that's all it takes to help you shed as much as 10 pounds a year (assuming you don't start eating more).

33. Eat equal portions of vegetables and grains at dinner. A cup of cooked rice or pasta has about 200 calories, whereas a cup of cooked veggies doles out a mere 50 calories, on average, says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., clinical assistant professor of nutrition at Boston University's Sargent College. To avoid a grain calorie overload, eat a 1:1 ratio of grains to veggies. The high-fiber veggies will help satisfy your hunger before you overeat the grains.

34. Get up and walk around the office or your home for five minutes at least every two hours. Stuck at a desk all day? A brisk five-minute walk every two hours will parlay into an extra 20-minute walk by the end of the day. And getting a break will make you less likely to reach for snacks out of antsiness.

35. Wash something thoroughly once a week -- a floor, a couple of windows, the shower stall, bathroom tile, or your car. A 150-pound person who dons rubber gloves and exerts some elbow grease will burn about four calories for every minute spent cleaning, says Blake. Scrub for 30 minutes and you could work off approximately 120 calories, the same number in a half-cup of vanilla frozen yogurt. And your surroundings will sparkle!

36. Make one social outing this week an active one. Pass on the movie tickets and screen the views of a local park instead. Not only will you sit less, but you'll be saving calories because you won't chow down on that bucket of popcorn. Other active date ideas: Plan a tennis match, sign up for a guided nature or city walk (check your local newspaper), go cycling on a bike path, or join a volleyball league or bowling team.

37. Order the smallest portion of everything. If you're ordering a sub, get the 6-inch sandwich. Buy a small popcorn, a small salad, a small hamburger. Studies find we tend to eat what's in front of us, even though we'd feel just as full on less.

38. Switch from regular milk to 2%. If you already drink 2%, go down another notch to 1% or skim milk. Each step downward cuts the calories by about 20 percent. Once you train your taste buds to enjoy skim milk, you'll have cut the calories in the whole milk by about half and trimmed the fat by more than 95 percent.

39. Take a walk before dinner. You'll do more than burn calories -- you'll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

40. Substitute a handful of almonds in place of a sugary snack. A study from the City of Hope National Medical Center found that overweight people who ate a moderate-fat diet containing almonds lost more weight than a control group that didn't eat nuts. Really, any nut will do.

41. Eat a frozen dinner. Not just any frozen dinner, but one designed for weight loss. Most of us tend to eat an average of 150 percent more calories in the evening than in the morning. An easy way to keep dinner calories under control is to buy a pre-portioned meal. Just make sure that it contains only one serving. If it contains two, make sure you share.

42. Don't eat with a large group. A study published in the Journal of Physiological Behavior found that we tend to eat more when we eat with other people, most likely because we spend more time at the table. But eating with your significant other or your family, and using table time for talking in between chewing, can help cut down on calories -- and help with bonding in the bargain.

43. Watch one less hour of TV. A study of 76 undergraduate students found the more they watched television, the more often they ate and the more they ate overall. Sacrifice one program (there's probably one you don't really want to watch anyway) and go for a walk instead. You'll have time left over to finish a chore or gaze at the stars.

44. Get most of your calories before noon. Studies find that the more you eat in the morning, the less you'll eat in the evening. And you have more opportunities to burn off those early-day calories than you do to burn off dinner calories.

45. Close out the kitchen after dinner. Wash all the dishes, wipe down the counters, turn out the light, and, if necessary, tape closed the cabinets and refrigerator. Late-evening eating significantly increases the overall number of calories you eat, a University of Texas study found. Stopping late-night snacking can save 300 or more calories a day, or 31 pounds a year.

46. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost -- an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it.

47. Order wine by the glass, not the bottle. That way you'll be more aware of how much alcohol you're downing. Moderate drinking can be good for your health, but alcohol is high in calories. And because drinking turns off our inhibitions, it can drown our best intentions to keep portions in check.

48. Watch every morsel you put in your mouth on weekends. A University of North Carolina study found people tend to consume an extra 115 calories per weekend day, primarily from alcohol and fat.

49. Stock your refrigerator with low-fat yogurt. A University of Tennessee study found that people who cut 500 calories a day and ate yogurt three times a day for 12 weeks lost more weight and body fat than a group that only cut the calories. The researchers concluded that the calcium in low-fat dairy foods triggers a hormonal response that inhibits the body's production of fat cells and boosts the breakdown of fat.

50. Order your dressing on the side and then stick a fork in it -- not your salad. The small amount of dressing that clings to the tines of the fork are plenty for the forkful of salad you then pick up.

51. Brush your teeth after every meal, especially after dinner. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over.

52. Serve individual courses rather than piling everything on one plate. Make the first two courses soup or vegetables (such as a green salad). By the time you get to the more calorie-dense foods, like meat and dessert, you'll be eating less or may already be full (leftovers are a good thing).

53. Passionately kiss your partner 10 times a day. According to the 1991 Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex, a passionate kiss burns 6.4 calories per minute. Ten minutes a day of kissing equates to about 23,000 calories -- or eight pounds -- a year!

54. Add hot peppers to your pasta sauce. Capsaicin, the ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot, also helps reduce your appetite.

55. Pack nutritious snacks. Snacking once or twice a day helps stave off hunger and keeps your metabolism stoked, but healthy snacks can be pretty darn hard to come by when you're on the go. Pack up baby carrots or your own trail mix made with nuts, raisins, seeds, and dried fruit.

56. When you shop, choose nutritious foods based on these four simple rules:

Avoid partially hydrogenated oil.

Avoid high-fructose corn syrup.

Choose a short ingredient list over long; there will be fewer flavor enhancers and empty calories.

Look for two or more grams of fiber per 100 calories in all grain products (cereal, bread, crackers, and chips).

57. Weed out calories you've been overlooking: spreads, dressings, sauces, condiments, drinks, and snacks. These calories count, whether or not you've been counting them, and could make the difference between weight gain and loss.

58. When you're eating out with friends or family, dress up in your most flattering outfit. You'll get loads of compliments, says Susie Galvez, author of Weight Loss Wisdom, which will be a great reminder to watch what you eat.

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Weight Loss Tips

2009-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Burn Calories and Build Strength

2009-11-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

Try these options when you're bored with your walking and strength-training routine.

Spice Up Your Workout

Variety is the spice of life, and exercise comes in as many varieties as you could want. Whether it's walking, tai chi, tennis, gardening, or swimming, the key is to find something you enjoy and keep doing it. (Having a few options to choose from so you can vary your routine helps.)

Here are a few fun, inexpensive ideas to try:

Exercise Balls
One of the hottest exercise trends to hit the country in recent years involves nothing more than a brightly colored, oversized plastic ball. Physical therapists have been using these giant balls for years; finally they're available to the rest of us. The balls are used in a variety of exercise moves and routines to improve your balance, coordination, strength, flexibility, and posture, primarily by helping you strengthen your body's core muscles: the abdomen, back, and sides.

The balls trump other exercise routines for numerous reasons, says Liz Applegate, Ph.D., author of Bounce Your Body Beautiful: Six Weeks to a Sexier, Firmer Body. They're portable -- you can even deflate one and bring it with you when you travel; they are attractive, so you don't have to "hide" it in the basement; and they're efficient. For every exercise you do, the rest of your body also gets a workout. They're also inexpensive, starting at around $25. You can buy your ball from sporting goods stores, shop online at sites such as www.balldynamics.com, or call 800-752-2255.

Pilates
If you're looking to simultaneously strengthen your muscles, become more flexible, and improve your posture, look to Pilates. One of the latest fitness trends, Pilates is embraced by movie stars and professional dancers, who value its integration of mind and body and its ability to help them maintain a lean shape. It was developed by a German man named Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century as a way to regain his strength after he spent much of his childhood as an invalid. It focuses on using the body's core muscles to support you as you move through large ranges of motion.

Many Pilates exercises require only an exercise mat, although some utilize large pieces of equipment involving pulleys. (For access to these, you'll need to sign up for a class. Look for a certified Pilates instructor -- many are not certified -- by logging onto www.pilates-studio.com.) The "mind" portion of Pilates comes with the intense concentration on the quality of the highly controlled movements. For a Pilates workout you can do at home, check out these videos:

Pilates for Dummies, with Michelle Dozios. A good, basic workout for beginners.

The Method, with Jennifer Kries. This is a series of videos, both for beginners and those who have done Pilates before.

Stott Pilates -- Advanced Matwork, with Moira Stott-Merrithew, one of the gurus of the Pilates movement. This is for a more advanced participant, although Stott-Merrithew also makes a video for beginners.

Resistance Bands
Remember as a kid how you would stretch a rubber band against your index finger and fling it across the room at your brother? Well, the same concept is at work with exercise resistance bands, only there's no flinging involved, and it's not your index finger that gets the workout but nearly every other muscle in your body. Resistance bands use your own body weight instead of dumbbells to provide resistance.

Generally, you slip a band around your foot or arm and lift or extend the limb, working against the band's resistance. You can also secure the band to a door or bar. The bands are not only portable, they're cheap: You can find them in sporting goods stores for under $15. They come in different lengths and degrees of resistance. The shorter bands are used to strengthen hips, ankles, wrists, and hands, while longer bands are best for legs and arms. Both are usually color coded: Yellow provides the least resistance, followed by green, red, blue, and black. For a good video introduction to using the resistance bands, check out Denise Austin -- Pilates for Every Body. (The makers of the video call it a Pilates workout, but true Pilates does not involve resistance bands.) A number of other toning and strengthening videos incorporate resistance band exercises into their routine.

Moving Without Exercising

Exercise doesn't have to involve equipment or even a special time set aside in your day. Any kind of movement that increases your heart rate provides benefits. That includes everything from house cleaning to dancing to gardening. Here is a list of activities that can replace 30 minutes of walking:

Washing and waxing a car for 45-60 minutes.

Washing windows or floors for 45-60 minutes.

Playing volleyball for 45 minutes.

Gardening for 30-45 minutes.

Wheeling self in wheelchair for 30-40 minutes.

Bicycling 5 miles in 30 minutes.

Dancing fast (social) for 30 minutes.

Raking leaves for 30 minutes.

Water aerobics for 30 minutes.

Swimming laps for 20 minutes.

Basketball (a game) for 15-20 minutes.

Bicycling 4 miles in 15 minutes.

Jumping rope for 15 minutes.

Shoveling snow for 15 minutes.

Stair-walking for 15 minutes.

Source: Surgeon General's report on Physical Activity and Health, 1996

If your hobby involves being physically active, perfect! Just consider the workout you get from gardening. Between edging and raking the lawn, walking back and forth to the mulch pile, pulling weeds, digging holes, and planting seeds, gardening uses all of the major muscle groups. And half an hour of general gardening burns about 202 calories in a 185-pound person. One study even found that gardening could reduce insulin resistance, a condition that could lead to metabolic syndrome or diabetes, both of which significantly increase your risk of heart disease. It's even been suggested that urban gardens be used to improve public health, not only by providing fresh produce, but also by providing exercise. To get the most out of gardening, nix the gadgets that make it easier, such as electric weed-whackers.

In addition to gardening, simply eschewing convenience devices like remote controls and garage-door openers can make a big difference in terms of the calories you burn and your overall amount of physical activity.

How To Lose Belly Fat?

2009-11-09T20:03:00.000-08:00

How to get rid of stomach fat: Understanding the problem

Stomach fat is just like any other fat in your body. It accumulates as a result of the lifestyle choices that you make that lead to consuming more calories than you burn off with exercise. Your body converts any access energy or calories that you eat into fat as a way of storing the energy for later.

This is your bodies way of helping you to survive when you're never quite sure when the next meal is coming from. It's a mechanism that's more suited to the lifestyle that your ancestors might have lead several thousand years ago when they had to hunt for food. If you regularly consume more calories than you need then you will create more and more stomach fat and fat in other places and you'll carry it around with you forever. Not a pleasant thought.

How to lose the fat on lower stomach

The lower stomach is one of the first places that you will notice excess fat storage. It's a very convenient place for your body to put it but it isn't so different from the fat anywhere else on your body. The steps to lose fat around the stomach are the same as losing it from other parts of your body.

Exercise to lose stomach fat

Exercise is important in any weight loss program especially if you want to lose the weight permanently. Weight loss exercise programs work by increasing the rate at which you burn off calories and if you burn more calories than you consume then your body will start converting fat into energy to make up for the shortfall. Fat will be converted into energy from all over your body including your stomach but exercise will not burn fat from any specific area of your body.

If you want to accentuate your abs and even start yourself a six-pack where your stomach muscles can be clearly seen then you need to use an exercise program targeted to that area of your body. You will need to reduce stomach fat if you want your six-pack to be seen because it will be underneath the fat otherwise. More about this in a free ebook and course from Lose Weight and Stay Lean

Best way to lose stomach fat

Reduce your daily calorie intake a little but not too much.
Replace a small amount of fat and carbohydrate with lean protein in your meals.
Take up regular exercise several times a week to burn more fat.
Make this a lifestyle change and plan to keep it up for the rest of your life.

It's important to have a target weight loss of no more than 1-2 pounds per week. Any more than this and you will start to lose muscle and other lean parts of your body. Your metabolism will slow and your appetite will increase making it very easy for you to put the weight back on as soon as you start to relax a little. Get rid of stomach fat slowly but surely and you are far more likely to keep the weight off permanently.

7 tips to reduced stomach

2009-11-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

1. Mike, what is the number one component to getting a six pack?

MG: Your training style, nutrition, and mindset are all extremely important if you want to stand a chance at getting a six pack... However, if I had to choose 1 component that is most important, it would probably have to be nutrition. Maybe you've heard the saying before that "abs are made in the kitchen".

It really is true, and that's where the majority of people go wrong in the goal to get super lean. Of course, this also ties into mindset, because you really have to get your mind in the right place in order to have the discipline to be able to eat consistently clean enough to get six pack abs.

There's a lot of confusion out there these days about calories, fat, protein, and carbohydrates... every "expert" disagrees with one another on proper ratios and types of diets. I think people make this way too complicated... If you are just to focus on a good balance between fats, carbs, and proteins, and make sure to eat only natural unprocessed organic foods (as close to their natural state as possible) instead of packaged, processed foods, a lot of the problems that most people have with cravings, sweet tooth, overeating, blood sugar swings, etc all take care of themselves.

We still can't lose sight of the fact that you can overeat on healthy foods and gain fat even while eating healthy. Therefore, your caloric intake needs to be controlled to a level that will promote fat loss if that's the goal.

2. Excellent Mike! Next question... What is one thing I might be doing, unknowningly, steering my quest for a six pack in the wrong direction?

MG: I'll give 2 things that may be steering you in the wrong direction...

a. Too much cardio

Some people, in their efforts to try to get lean, focus way too much on hours and hours of cardio exercise. The problem is that this can backfire on you by making you lose lean muscle mass over time, which decreases your resting metabolic rate. Once this happens, it becomes easier to pack on body fat than ever before. I've even seen many people that do too much cardio and end up getting that "skinny fat" appearance, where they have very little muscle tone, yet they have excess stomach fat (even a "gut" possibly).

Instead of excess cardio, focus more on high intensity weight training (yes, even during a "cutting" cycle). This will help maintain your lean muscle mass throughout your body, so that you don't experience the metabolic rate decrease. Maintaining as much lean muscle mass on your body at all times is one of the most important things for staying super-lean for life.

b. Not eating enough healthy fats

This is another area where I see people go in the wrong direction. They are trying to lose body fat and they end up going WAY too low on their fat intake. When you decrease your fat intake too much, you are basically messing up your fat burning and muscle building hormones. It's not uncommon to see people decrease their fat intake too low and end up reducing their testosterone levels significantly.

Try to get some sources of healthy fats with every meal to make sure you don't go too low... This could be avocados, any and all nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc), seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds), nut butters (almond butter, natural peanut butter, etc), virgin coconut oil (good source of medium chain triglycerides), extra virgin olive oil, grass fed beef (good source of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3s), whole eggs (yes, whole eggs...not egg whites), etc.

Alternative Ways to Burn Calories and Build Strength

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

7 Tips to Reduced Stomach

2009-11-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

Lose Body Fat and Get a Lean Stomach for Good!

Free Blogger Template

2009-11-09T19:57:00.001-08:00

Finest Blogger templates

Polls Creator

2009-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

Create polls here.

HTML Tutorial

2009-11-09T19:55:00.001-08:00

Learn about HTML. Click above.

Boracay! Boracay!

2009-11-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Location, Prices, Reservations, PROMOS!, etc.

Tips for US-Bound Nurses

2008-02-29T02:12:00.000-08:00

- Danny Fernandez, Dec 24, 2007

Danny Fernandez of OFWGuide Forum shares useful information for Filipina nurses about to go to US to work for the first time.

Get Your Social Security Number (SSN): It is important to apply for SSN upon arriving in the US at the Social Security Office near your place of deployment. You may seek the help of the Human Resource Department of the hospital where you will work. Most State Boards requires the SSN to get your permanent nurse license, be a registered rurse and practice your profession. Without the SSN, you may not be able to secure your license and will not be allowed to work. Securing SSN takes between 10 to 30 working days while the processing for the RN License takes 30 to 90 days.

Don’t Overspend: The contract you signed in the Philippines may include a clause stating that for the first 90 days of your stay in US, the hiring hospital will provide for your needs and you will receive an allowance or stipend. The usual stipend is USD 1500 to USD 2000.

The stipend may seem like a large amount but the truth is, it will barely cover your expenses. Normally, the accommodation they provide is a one-room apartment with free water and electricity. It has a stove, ref, sofa, TV, and a bed. You need to buy your utensils, plates, spoon, fork, bed sheets, food, and other personal items. Some hospitals have these things included in the package but some do not. It is a must to inquire about these matter to your agency. You need to spend frugally until you earn your first paycheck. Until then, you have to live with the stipend unless you brought some pocket money before leaving the Philippines.

Learn to Drive in the Philippines: If you can, you need to learn to drive and secure a driving license in the Philippines. Knowing how to drive in the US is not a luxury but a necessity. There are public transport facilities available but it is very time consuming and inconvenient to wait for buses, and taxis at times. When you have a Philippine driver’s license, some State allows you to drive for one year as long as your license is valid. Another thing is, if you provide a Philippine driver’s license when you apply for a driver’s License in the US, you are exempted to take the drug test. On top of these, you will also have a big edge in passing the driving test. It is also lot easier and less expensive to learn to drive in the Philippines than learning it in the US.

Learn about the US Hospital Environment: The Philippine Hospital environment is totally different from those in the US, from the way they treat their patients, the patients themselves, the equipment used, and the procedures. Don't be fooled of the patient-nurse ratio of five patients to one nurse in the US against forty patients to one nurse in the Philippines. The procedure necessary for you to handle five patients in the US exceeds the procedure in handling forty patients in the Philippines. The documentations alone consumes so much time. You need to be ready for this. Orientation period is usually six weeks (on the floor) after the classroom orientation. You need focus and alertness on the work floor. It appears that it is during the orientation that you will experience difficulty but will soon get use to it in no time.

Practice Talking and Listening in English: You need to be adept in English comprehension. This should be easy because Filipinos are very good in English. However, the way Americans speak English is different from the way we do in terms of pronunciation and accent. Many foreign nurses find it difficult to understand doctor’s orders. The key solution is practice. The more you practice, the easier it would be for you.

National Licensure Examination (NLE) December 1 & 2, 2007 Results

2008-02-29T01:58:00.000-08:00

Roll of Successful Examinees in the
NURSE LICENSURE EXAMINATION

December 2007 Retake
December 2007

Congratulations!

Male nurse stabbed 23 times in Sulu town

2008-02-28T04:26:00.002-08:00

JOLO, Sulu — A Zamboangueño nurse who was assigned as chief nurse of the municipal hospital in Luuk, Sulu was killed when he was stabbed 23 times last Monday night in Luuk.

A police report identified the victims as William "Bong" Estrada, resident of Mampang, Zamboanga City.

His relatives said that Estrada was stabbed 23 times at about 9 p.m. last Monday by an unidentified assailant. He was taken to the Jolo Station Hospital in Camp Asturias, Jolo, where he was declared dead on arrival.

The victim’s cellular phone, diamond ring, and wallet were missing. (Vic Arevalo)

US staffing firm slates nurse recruitment here

2008-02-28T04:26:00.001-08:00

Nursing managers and supervisors from nine major US medical facilities will be in Manila this month to interview nurses for prospective assignments to US.

An additional four nursing managers from Arizona and California will be also competing for the nurses through long distance calls during the event. This was disclosed recently by Joseph Gilinsky, vice-president and managing director of HCCA International, a US-based Nurse Staffing Management Company.

Over 170 HCCA International nurses were asked to choose their top five choices of HCCA hospitals for assignment. The hospitals reciprocated with their own choices. Most of the nurses will meet with a minimum of two interviewers from their favorite facilities. In the event of multiple offers, the nurse will have the choice as to where he or she will work. The nurse also has the option to decline all offers and select from non-visiting and future HCCA hospitals.

"This is not a recruitment activity," Mr. Gilinksy emphasized. "It is basically a reward for HCCA nurses who have worked hard to prepare for their US deployment, including through retrogression when it was thought US immigrant visas might not be available for several years. We continued processing and investing in our nurses and they remained loyal and active. Now, many will travel to the United States, within the year. It is also a reward for our hospitals who are thrilled with the quality of the nurses� preparation and availability. It is very exciting for all concerned," he said.

In addition to talking with nurses from across the Philippines, the visiting medical facilities will also interview HCCA nurses, mostly Filipinos, located in Singapore, the UAE, UK and Ireland, by telephone from Manila.

Also on the agenda for HCCA�s "June Fest" is an opportunity for the visiting hospitals to meet with school educators, a local hospital, government officials, and to experience a cultural show performed by the students of Manila Doctors College of Nursing.

HCCA International has a total of 18 active US medical facilities, with additional facilities added on a routine basis. The facilities usually interview nurses year round by telephone, which makes "June Fest" unique. If it is successful, we might try this every six months, as well as doing the telephone interviews, Gilinsky said.

In the last 33 years, HCCA International has matched more than 30,000 healthcare workers with international assignments. Current recruitment in the Philippines is done through the POEA. No fees are charged to the nurse.

OFWs, is it all worth it?

2008-02-28T04:25:00.003-08:00

THE plight of Angelito Nayan and Roberto Tarongoy who are now held hostages in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively, focuses our attention on the dangers lurking behind hundreds of thousands of Filipino overseas Filipino workers (OFW).

This time it�s not only in the form of abuses and maltreatment by the employers but kidnapping with possible torture or execution.

* * *

OFW aspirants should really heed the government�s ban against working in troubled places, like Iraq.

Another serious problem which our overseas workers overlook, in blind pursuit of the almighty dollar, is that of broken families.

Although many OFWs get what they want and regularly send home money to buy decent houses and ensure a good education for their children, they do so at the risk of family breakups.

* * *

For instance, it�s not uncommon that a spouse working abroad has an illicit partner there and the spouse left behind has also one.

One wonders if the dollars earned are worth it when one�s family is in shambles. To paraphrase the Lord�s words: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but suffers the loss of his family."

We can only hope and pray that our economy will prosper soonest so that our poor kababayans will not be forced to work in foreign lands, exposed to a lot of dangers.

* * *

Joke of the Day. It was the stir of the town when an 80-year-old man married a 20-year-old girl. After a year of marriage she went into hospital to give birth.

The nurse came out to congratulate the fellow saying, "This is amazing. How do you do it at your age?" He answered, "You�ve got to keep that old motor running."

* * *

The following year the young bride gave birth again. The same nurse said, "You�re really amazing. How do you do it?" He again said, "You�ve got to keep the old motor running."

The same thing happened the next year. The nurse said, "Well, well, well! You certainly are quite a man!"

He responded, "You�ve got to keep that old motor running."

The nurse then said, "Well, you better change the oil. This one is black."

More jobs for RP nurses seen

2008-02-28T04:25:00.001-08:00

ASEAN accord will liberalize nursing services trade -- TUCP

CEBU CITY — Fililpino nurses can look forward to greater overseas employment opportunities in the months ahead with the scheduled adoption of a new agreement liberalizing the trade in professional nursing services within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), former senator and labor advocate Ernesto Herrera said.

"Our nurses can count on easier access to the lucrative job markets of ASEAN members once the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) on Nursing Services comes into force," said Herrera, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines secretary-general.

The agreement will definitely be signed during the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu this December, according to Herrera, former chairman of the Senate labor, employment and human resources committee.

"The covenant essentially means that Philippine-licensed nurses will be automatically recognized as nurse practitioners by other ASEAN members," Herrera said.

ASEAN groups 10 countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Herrera said the MRA would expedite the recognition of the qualifications of Filipino nurses, and thus, considerably ease their recruitment and deployment within ASEAN.

"This means our nurses do not have to take the national nurse licensure examinations of other ASEAN members to be able to practice in those countries," he said.

"Right now, for instance, Singapore recognizes nurses from Malaysia and Brunei, but the city-state does not recognize nurses from the Philippines," Herrera said.

"For a Filipino nurse to practice in Singapore, he or she has to pass the city-state’s nurse eligibility test, similar to the US National Council (of State Boards of Nursing) Licensure Examinations for Registered Nurse or NCLEX-RN," he pointed out.

At present, most of the 4,000 foreign nurses working in Singapore are Filipinos. They all had to pass Singapore's nurse licensure test, Herrera said.

"The Philippines will be the MRA’s biggest beneficiary, since we are now the worlds biggest exporter of nurses," he said.

Since the MRA is mutual, Herrera said the Philippines would also automatically recognize nurses from other ASEAN members.

He said the MRA, which is part of a Free Trade Agreement initiative, had been in the works for years, and was finally only this month, ahead of the December summit.

The former senator said the Philippines should negotiate with Japan a similar MRA for health professionals.

"Japan is a huge potential market for our nurses, physical therapists and caregivers. Government should dump the proposed Japan-Philippines Free Trade Agreement if Tokyo refuses to have an MRA with us on health services," he said. (PR)

Export Action Line

2008-02-28T04:24:00.001-08:00

The window

Nelly Favis-Villafuerte

Many of us are familiar with the words of one writer who said that "the greatest discovery of our generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their state of mind." The Holy Bible says it in another way: "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Proverbs 23:7)

Sometime ago, I read a short story entitled "The Window." Whenever I feel sad, I refresh my mind with this story. The story lifts up my spirits and calms my mind.

I am sharing this short story with the readers of this column. Hopefully, this short story will be a great blessing to everyone who reads it.

"There were two seriously ill men who occupied the same hospital room. One was able to sit up for short periods to drain the fluid from his lungs, and his bed was next to the only window in the room. The other man had to spend all of his time flat on his back. Every day the patient by the window passed the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside. The man in the other bed began to live for those periods when his world was broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside."

"The man by the window would describe the nearby park and lake, giving colorful descriptions of the swans and ducks. He told of children sailing model boats as their parents watched nearby. He would tell of the young men and women walking arm in arm among the beautiful trees and flowers. He gave daily weather reports in picturesque detail. In short, he described a glorious view of the world from his hospital bed. The man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the scenes his friend described, seeing in his mind’s eye the pictures the man by the window painted with descriptive words."

"One morning the nurse found the lifeless body of the man by the window. He had died peacefully in his sleep. As soon as it was appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse complied with his request and made the change. Once he was in place, he raised himself up on one elbow and looked out the window. But instead of the beautiful lake and all the wonderful scenery his roommate had described, he discovered the window was facing a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate to describe such wonderful things outside his window. The nurse responded that the man was blind and couldn’t even see the wall. She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Have a joyful day!

‘Brain regain’ can counter ‘brain drain’

2008-02-28T03:48:00.001-08:00

3 nurses resign daily from Heart Center to go abroad

By JENNY F. MANONGDO

Many have left, but there are those who come back too.

The Philippine Heart Center (PHC) is not the least disturbed amid the growing number of specialists who are taking up nursing courses in search of greener pastures abroad.

PHC Director Dr. Ludgerio Torres admitted yesterday that there were five specialists who had left PHC since last year to work as nurses in the United States. Among them were three anesthesiologists, one cardiologist and one pediatric cardiologist. These doctors, he said, worked at the PHC for the past 20 years but decided to leave to establish their families in the US.

They are however expected to return to the country and to their profession, an act which he called "Brain regain."

National Institutes of Health (NIH) data show that a total of 3,000 doctors and more than 50,000 nurses have left the country since 2002, the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) cited.

Torres said this situation is however not a cause for alarm as there are actually 500 specialists at the PHC.

"This is just a drop in the bucket," he told reporters in a forum in Quezon City yesterday.

He said these specialists are not really after the money because they were already earning an average of 500,000 pesos per month in the country.

‘’But it seems the lure of the immigrant visa awarded to foreign nurses in the US is the strongest factor why many Filipino doctors leave the country. They are earning but why did they leave? It’s more for their children, not for their financial capacity," Torres said.

However, he said there is more difficulty in facing the shortage of nurses in PHC.

About three nurses resign everyday from the PHC since 2002.

"Others go on AWOL, others don’t bother to get their salaries and just leave. We used to have six open heart surgeries simultaneously in one day. However, since the shortage in nurses, we only do four open heart surgeries a day."

Two nurses are needed for an open heart surgery procedure.

Torres said there are currently 600 nurses in PHC. They need more mostly for critical care units. A regular nurse in PHC is required to handle two to three patients in a ward while those assigned in the critical care units handle only a single patient.

Specialty nurses in PHC earn at least 15,000 to 18,000 pesos a month while an emergency nurse earns a basic of 10,000 pesos a month.

"Our specialty nurses are those who leave. Those who are new are the ones that are left behind. It is the highly specialized critical care nurses who are the ones employed abroad," he said. "We still have to train the replacement nurses in our procedures. PHC is a tertiary hospital. Our nurses have to know how to read ECG, and what to do inside the critical care units. The most common errors in nursing is dosage, so we have to teach them. It takes six to eight weeks before a nurse can be oriented," he said.

Critical Care Nurses Association of the Philippines Annual Convention at the historic landmark Manila Hotel February 23-24, 2008

2008-02-28T03:46:00.001-08:00

Critical care nursing is that specialty within nursing that deals specifically with human responses to life-threatening problems.

A critical care nurse is a licensed professional nurse who is responsible for ensuring that acutely and critically ill patients and their families receive optimal care. Critically ill patients are those who are at high risk for actual or potential life-threatening health problems. Given their condition, the specialized critical care nurse is required to provide intense and vigilant nursing care.

There are only a few nurses who have been formally trained in critical care nursing. There is also a limited number of hospitals in the country with the ideal critical care setup supported by complete monitoring equipment and gadgets. This poses a major threat to the delivery of critical care services today.

In response to this concern, the Critical Care Nurses Association of the Philippines, Incorporated (CCNAPI) has taken the lead in advocating an expansion in the number of institutions that train and provide critical care nursing service. For this year’s annual convention, it has adopted the theme "Critical Care in Critical Times."

To be convened today at the historic landmark Manila Hotel, the convention will provide an opportunity for its members and specialists in the field to discuss current practices and trends with the end in view of enhancing nursing care delivery system in the intensive care units. The convention will disseminate information in state-of-the-art critical care technology, and share research findings, experiences, and ideas. Workshops will be held on various topics including hemodynamic setting and monitoring, airway and breathing management, and defibrillation and delivery of first line emergency drugs.

We congratulate the Critical Care Nurses Association of the Philippines, Inc. (CCNAPI) headed by its President Ma. Isabelita C. Rogado, RN, MAN, its Officers and Members, on the occasion of its Annual Convention. We wish them success in all their endeavors.

Gov't hospitals uffering from exodus of nurses

2008-02-28T03:44:00.000-08:00

Gov�t hospitals uffering from exodus of nurses

By JENNY F. MANONGDO

Government hospitals are suffering from an alarming turnover rate of public health nurses as a result of the continued exodus of the country�s health workers.

Although the group has no solid data on the rate of turnover of nurses in public hospitals, Frances Prescilla Cuevas, national president of the National League of Philippine Government Nurses (NLPGN), said that it varies anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of the total number of nurses staying in a government hospital.

"We�re not calling our nurses to stay here forever but we�re also not telling them to leave. We just want this exodus to be regulated. You cannot hold back a person who wants to seek greener pastures elsewhere. We�re just trying to have a better way to retaining them by proper compensation," Cuevas said, adding that the figure is based on individual reports of hospitals nationwide.

Cuevas spoke during the celebration of the 43rd anniversary of the NLPGN and its two-day conference aimed to "rekindle the passion for nursing."

Christina Romero, training officer of nurses at the Tondo General Hospital, said that seven nurses from the institution are heading for abroad this month, one of them a head nurse.

NLPGN is hopeful that the government will implement Republic Act 9173 or the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 that seeks to upgrade the salaries of government nurses from salary grade 10 to 15.

Cuevas explained that an entry-level nurse is currently entitled to a salary grade of 10 that is equivalent to P9,000. But if RA 9173 is implemented, it can shoot up to salary grade 15 that is equivalent to P13,000.

"The additional income will somehow tie them over and give them second thoughts about leaving," Cuevas said.

Earlier, Health Secretary Manuel Dayrit acknowledged the fact that the country is now recognized internationally as a "hub" for quality nurses although the profession is also threatened with the continued exodus of Filipino nurses abroad.

SDSC: In the forefront of producing quality nurses

2008-02-28T03:43:00.000-08:00

Nursing remains the top choice as a course among many Filipinos. And for someone who wishes to join the bandwagon, one need not go far to look for a nursing school for many have sprouted like mushrooms all over the country. The problem now is how to distinguish mediocrity from the legit? How does one gauge the quality of nursing education that each school offers in just one glance? In this "fast lane" to a nursing career, what does one need to know?

The answer is simple: choose the school that has a proven track record. Track record means a school’s ability to produce a high performance rating through its graduates in the Nurse Licensure Examination administered by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). And the Bachelor of Science in Nursing of St. Dominic Savio College is one of the privileged few.

SDSC’s BSN program has consistently landed among the Top Performing Schools in the PRC Nurse Licensure Exam producing an average of almost 90 percent performance average over the last six board exams since June 2003. Likewise, several of its alumni have landed in the Top 10. SDSC’s Board Topnotchers include Myrene Villanueva, (86 percent) Top 1, Idohna Santiago, (84.2 percent) Top 7 and Wilfredo Pacheco, (84 percent) Top 8 (June 2003); Mary Jane Paez, (86.2 percent) Top 1 and Diosdado Alava, (84.2 percent) Top 7 (December 2003); Ma. Filipina Rimas, Top 6, and Ma. Cecil Tanlu , Top 7 (December 2005).

Likewise, Savians have also scored a 100 percent passing performance in the Nurse Commission Licensure Examination of the USA. With this outstanding feat, Savian nurses have no difficulty processing their papers and finding work in the US. Around 100 alumni are working in the different states of USA, some are even holding administrative positions.

At SDSC, there are no shortcuts for a student must comply with all the requirements, regular or second courser. Preparing them to be quality nurses starts with the very basic: the curriculum and the clinical exposures. The BSN program offered by the college is one that helps the student meet local and international standards. Prime focus is attended to the professional courses, as well as the medical courses because this is the very foundation of the profession. Supplementing these are the more than adequate exposures in the school’s affiliating hospitals. Theory is well complimented with the rudiments of clinical work to ensure that there is immediate application of their stock knowledge.

However, aside from these, would-be nurses are molded to be "thinking nurses" – one who is critical and has the necessary skills to conduct a research study. Proof of which is the number of case studies and research papers they have written.

SDSC’s vision of a quality nurse means that he/she is fully prepared to adapt to any country around the world. Thus, a cross-culture management class is offered where simulations and case studies are conducted to have a bird’s eye view of a country’s culture, political landscape, working standards, laws, etc.

More importantly, SDSC’s nurses are exposed to the technological advancements in the medical and health sectors for these are the tools they will be using once they practice the profession. However, they are still well grounded with the nursing technology of the country, making fully adaptable to any nursing environment.

As a supplement to their development, the students are exposed to various spiritual activities in which their Christian outlooks can be fully developed. Having these, the school believes, would allow them to provide the most caring and passionate care a patient truly deserves.

This is what separates the Savian Nurse from the rest in the field. Our nurses are not only intelligent but are also critical, fully aware of the big responsibilities given to him/her by society. He is adaptable anywhere in the world and can meet the pressures that come along. And more importantly he/she is a compassionate one who will never cease to provide the utmost care to those in dire need.

Choosing SDSC as one’s nursing school is worth the time and money for you will be taken care of by its accommodating staff, faculty and administration.

Nursing the Savian way is a cut above the rest.

Private duty nurses: A vocation to care for the sick

2008-02-28T03:40:00.001-08:00

Text by MAE LORRAINE S. RAFOLS

Private duty nurses (PDN) offer more than exclusive care for the sick. They are also a source of moral support � the kind that stems from knowing and understanding the physical pains a critically ill patient goes through. They become confidantes, personal �secretaries�, even friends.

In the case of private duty nurse Louella Duque, being a PDN is her way of giving hope to patients she care for.

"There are patients who only need to hear my voice, and they immediately feel fine," she said.

This confidence, of course, is brought about by the fact that nurse Duque has been in the private nursing profession for many years. Her established medical training is complemented by her positive outlook in every situation, allowing patients to be at ease even in dire conditions.

Private duty nurses work on a "one patient only" basis. They are not part of the regular hospital staff, although it�s the hospital who also recommends them to patients who need their services. They tediously see through the care of every patient�s medical needs � from administering medicines, going through physical exams, to overseeing arrangements for the patient depending on the doctor�s diagnosis.

Many of the nurses are part of the Association of Private Duty Nurse Practitioners Philippines (APDNPP), an organization recognized by the Security and Exchange Commission, where nurse Duque is a member.

To be a PDN, one needs a degree in nursing, two years of hospital experience, and attended numerous medical workshops.

APDNPP makes sure that private duty nurses follow a strict code when it comes to their duties. To be a member, nurses need to undergo various examinations, interviews, as well as practical tests.

Nurse Duque is considered one of the best in her field. She has been the president of the society for many terms. She now acts as one of the chief advisers.

With burgundy-colored hair and long fingernails with red polish and glitters, one can be skeptical about her dedication to the vocation. But nurse Louella can give an instant retort to the wrong notion.

"It�s not my nails which are working, it�s my hands."

One of the secrets that she�s well-known in the PDN circle, is because she treats each person equally � whether young, old, expats, politicians, showbiz personalities, or just the common Joe of the street.

Nurse Louella has many stories to share when it comes to her nursing job. She relates how all of her patients never forget her even after years of her duty.

Nurse Louella also explained that there is a different kind of discipline to be in the calling. Those considering the profession do not just go through the technical duties of the field � they also need to consider bedside courtesy, and the fact that they will face not just the patient�s physical ailment, but their emotional turmoil as well.

"Some of these patients are really just emotionally sick. In a way, being a private nurse means you become a shock absorber for all their ventings. You have to gain their trust and confidence, sometimes all you got to do is listen to them, and they start to feel fine," she said.

And since patients see them as a professional companion, private duty nurses are regarded with a higher sense of credibility.

"What separates the private duty nurses with staff nurses lies not in the nursing process, but how they approach their job.

We get our fulfillment from taking care of a critically ill patient and bringing them back to health. In the long run, what you�re doing is not actually for you, it�s for the patient," she said.

Philippine Nurse Help

Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) - Philippines

Philippine SONA 2011 - President Benigno Aquino III

DOPAMINE (INTROPIN) Action: Positive inotropic effect on the heart

DOBUTAMINE (DOBUTREX) Action: Inotropic support

Indications: Left ventricular dysfunction, congestive heart failure

How to Cut Calories Right Now

Other Recent EzineArticles from the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category:

Most Viewed EzineArticles in the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category (90 Days)

Other Recent EzineArticles from the Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss Category: * Weight Loss Tips - How to Supercharge Your Fat Burning Furnace

How to Cut Calories Right Now

5 Simple Rules to Beat Hunger

Cutting Back on "Bad" Carbs

16 ways to make low-carb healthy.

Ways to Control Your Cravings

Easy Ways to Lose Weight: 50+ Ideas

Simple Slimming

Discover New Motivations

Weight Loss Tips

Burn Calories and Build Strength

Spice Up Your Workout

Moving Without Exercising

How To Lose Belly Fat?

7 tips to reduced stomach

7 Tips to Reduced Stomach

Free Blogger Template

Polls Creator

HTML Tutorial

Boracay! Boracay!

Tips for US-Bound Nurses

National Licensure Examination (NLE) December 1 & 2, 2007 Results

Male nurse stabbed 23 times in Sulu town

US staffing firm slates nurse recruitment here

OFWs, is it all worth it?

More jobs for RP nurses seen

Export Action Line

‘Brain regain’ can counter ‘brain drain’

Critical Care Nurses Association of the Philippines Annual Convention at the historic landmark Manila Hotel February 23-24, 2008

Gov't hospitals uffering from exodus of nurses

SDSC: In the forefront of producing quality nurses

Private duty nurses: A vocation to care for the sick

DOPAMINE (INTROPIN)
Action: Positive inotropic effect on the heart

DOBUTAMINE (DOBUTREX)
Action: Inotropic support