Category: Life & Style

THE best things in life are the unexpected ones! This was true during the grand centennial celebration of my parish last Sunday. I didn’t expect the three thousand people that…

What is refractive surgery? Refractive or vision correction surgery is an operation on the eyes to correct error of refraction, like nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, to eliminate the use of…

MANY times in the middle of the night I wonder how I’m able to fulfill my responsibilities as pastor of an inner-city and multicultural church that has a great deal…

MUCH has been said about Bishop Gabino Zavala’s fall from grace, his resignation as auxiliary bishop of the San Gabriel Region after admitting that he fathered two children, now in…

What is myalgia? Myalgia means muscle aches and pains. There is a condition called Fibromyalgia, which is a disorder that causes achy pain, tenderness, spasm, and stiffness of the muscle,…

TAKE small steps at a time. This has been a recurrent advice that we hear from people and read from magazines as we make our New Year’s resolutions. We can’t…

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has shown vicious contempt and grave disrespect for the Filipino physicians and the healthcare in the Philippines when she and her husband decided the quality of medical…

THE holidays are over and now we’re back to our normal routines. Like many of you, I think of the activities and the events that will unfold before me as…

Veggies protect the stomach Those taking NSAID drugs like ibuprofen, and other anti-arthritis pain medications regularly can be victims of stomach irritation which could result in ulcers and bleeding complication….

MY best Christmas gift this year was not another gadget or a nice polo shirt or a sweater. It was not a gift card or a ticket to a concert….

Poorly cooked pork/seafood Unlike beef which could be eaten rare or medium, pork is safe only when fully cooked, especially in barbeque. Improperly cooked pork could lead to a micro…

NO MATTER how good our intentions are in helping others, we will often find ourselves misunderstood, mistreated or misjudged by some people. I have found this true in my twenty…

Is there an illness called Christmas Disease? Yes, there is, but it has nothing to do with the Christmas season. Christmas Disease is a blood disease, also known as Hemophilia…

THE Good News is within us – within our minds and hearts. It’s the change that is happening within our lives, in the way we think about or perceive our…

MERRY Christmas and Happy New Year! Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon! Throughout the Simbang Gabi Masses in my parish, I never got tired of reading and listening to the stories…

Is it normal to have blood in your stools? Blood in the stools is never normal. If the stool has blood in it, it is either from a bleeding from…

“THINK BIG”, I shared the other day in a meeting with a group volunteers. Big: not in the sense of property or material wealth, but “big” in the sense of…

Autopsy findings on “healthy” children, as young as four and five, who were victims of accidents, already showed evidences of arteriosclerosis (hardening of their arteries), a condition we expect to…

Autopsy findings on “healthy” children, as young as four and five, who were victims of accidents, already showed evidences of arteriosclerosis (hardening of their arteries), a condition we expect to…

IT’S A beautiful and solemn season. As a nation we pause and gather as families and friends on Thanksgiving Day to express our gratitude to God. This weekend, we start…

Q: My blood pressure has been normal for more than 6 months, do I have to continue taking my blood pressure pills? A: There are some exceptions where high blood…

“TRANSFORMING the Church involves partnership and participation.” I shared this reflection with some priest-delegates of the First National Assembly of Filipino Priests serving the Roman Catholic Church in the United…

The controversy about the increased risk of brain cancer and other health concerns among avid users of cellular phone is upon us once again. The internet is flooded with claims…

I’VE been talking to many people these days about the importance of having prudence in managing one’s life. It’s an attitude that calls for cautiousness and intelligence, not in theories…

About a year ago, an international vendor of herbal products denounced the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for launching what it described as “a campaign of terror against companies…

THE United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public alert on May 1, 2009, warning consumers to “stop using Hydroxycut Products, dietary supplements used for weight loss as fat…

“Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a strong predictor of death from all causes and of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure in men with cardiovascular disease (CVD),” according to a German…

“SO WHAT did you talk about?” I asked a Catholic School teacher who came from a whole day of Religious Education seminar. “We talked about unity,” she answered. “Unity? What’s…

The World Health Organization observes “World No Tobacco Day” on May 31st each year to remind people around the globe about the deadly effects on smoking and to inspire smokers…