The Department of Health (DOH) warned the public against heat stroke and summer diseases as high temperatures continue to scorch the entire country.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said that hotter days are ahead according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) as the summer season officially starts and the El Niño phenomenon brings an earlier dry spell to the country.

Cabral said that with hotter temperatures predicted this season, the public must be cautious of heat stroke to avoid dehydration.

She said heat stroke cases increase in hot and humid weather particularly with people staying outdoors and during vigorous exercise in hot weather.

The DOH said when afflicted by a heat stroke, the body is unable to ward off excessive heat through sweating because of dehydration and/or humid environment.

A person has warm and flushed skin, faintness, dizziness, weakness and headache when he has a heat stroke.

To avoid heat stroke, DOH advised the public to drink lots of water, wear light and comfortable clothes, avoid exposure to too much sunlight, use an umbrella or sunblock.

The DOH also warned the public against summer diseases like typhoid, diarrhea and skin diseases such as rashes and prickly heat.

It said high cases of water-borne diseases occur during summer due to contaminated pipes and low water pressure.

For beach frolickers, the DOH advised the public to avoid too much exposure to heat as it can cause skin burn, heat exhaustion and worse, heat stroke. It will also be helpful to apply a sun block lotion or a sunscreen to those who will in recreation parks such as theme parks, pools and beaches. (PNA)

Philippine Ambassador to Chile Consuelo Puyat-Reyes reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that “no Filipino was hurt, except for an ankle injury sustained by a husband of a Philippine embassy personnel,” among the 75-something community.

The community is composed mostly of Filipino Catholic clerics engineers, businessmen and spouses of Chilean nationals, and no overseas workers. The embassy consists of seven officers and staff members, headed by the ambassador.

Puyat-Reyes was quoted by the DFA as saying that Chile is still experiencing aftershocks, but “there is little flooding due to the tsunami.” Electricity, water and communications facilities are still down in the capital city of Santiago, where the Embassy is located.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) lifted on Sunday afternoon the tsunami alert in the country’s coastal communities after non-threatening conditions were observed in areas facing the Pacific Ocean.

“As of 3:00 P.M., 28 February 2010, Phivolcs has not received any reports of unusual significant sea level changes within the projected arrival period of tsunami waves in the Philippine coasts (1:00 P.M. to 2:30 P.M.),” the Phivolcs said in its latest bulletin.

Other observations of the passage of tsunami in the nearby countries showed that the waves were small and non-damaging, it added.

The Phivolcs issued on Saturday evening Tsunami Alert Level 1 following the powerful temblor that hit Central Chile at about 3 p.m., Philippine time.

It upgraded the warning to Tsunami Alert Level 2 on Sunday morning to advise the public, especially those living on the country’s eastern seaboards, to stay alert for “unusual waves.”

The Phivolcs said that people may resume their normal activities if no other significant sea level changes are observed by 4:30 p.m., meaning the tsunami threat has passed. (PNA)

Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) has lifted tsunami warning in most Pacific countries, but state seismologists are still monitoring over the possibilities of destructive waves reaching Philippines a day after a big quake hit Chile.

“People are advised to stay away from the shoreline during this period. People should not go to the coast to watch the tsunami. People whose houses are very near coastal areas facing the Pacific Ocean are strongly advised to go farther inland,” Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said in the bulletin issued 7 a.m. Sunday.

Phivolcs chief Renato Solidum said in a phone interview that tsunami warning stays here despite the lifting of alert in most Pacific countries.

He explained that the PTWC is only monitoring for meters of waves hitting the shores.

“Here, we are expecting more than a meter of waves, not really destructive, but dangerous especially for people in the beach or those in the shoreline,” he said.

He also stressed that no evacuation is in effect right now, as they are monitoring the ocean’s situation.

“We may advise evacuation upon upgrading the alert to level 3,” he said.

The Phivolcs raised alert level Sunday morning, in anticipation of wave heights of at most one meter reaching the coastal areas in Philippine provinces.

Identified to be most at risk are coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean of the following provinces which should stay alert: Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur.

The initial waves may not always be the largest. These waves may continue for hours, he said.

The Phivolcs also warned seacrafts and small boats on possibility of unusual high waves that may occur Sunday afternoon.

“Boats in harbors, estuaries or shallow coastal water should return to shore. Secure your boat and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,” it said.

The Phivolcs initially issued tsunami warning about 3 p.m. Saturday after the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile.

Solidum said if waves reach eastern Philippine shores, it is the first batch in the series of ripples which will occur somewhere between 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Philippine Time) today, Sunday.

As of Sunday afternoon, the tsunami warning remains in effect for Russia and Japan, the PTWC said.

The tsunami warning is now cancelled for Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Antarctica, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Pitcairn, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Fr. Polynesia, Mexico, Cook Islands, Kiribati, Kermadec Is, Niue, New Zealand, Tonga, American Samoa, Samoa, Jarvis Is., Wallis-Futuna, Tokelau, Fiji, Australia, Hawaii, Palmyra Is., Johnston Is., Marshall Is., Midway Is., Wake Is., Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Howland-Baker, New Caledonia, Solomon Is., Nauru, Kosrae, Papua New Guinea, Pohnpei, Chuuk, Marcus Is., Indonesia, N. Marianas, Guam, Yap, Belau, Philippines and Chinese Taipei, it added.(PNA)

State seismologists are closely monitoring over the possibility of destructive waves reaching Philippine shore after the 8.8 magnitude quake struck the other side of the Pacific Saturday afternoon.

Renato Solidum, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs), said the agency issued Tsunami Alert Level 1 across provinces in the eastern seabord of the country or those facing the tempestous ocean.

The advisory was prompted by the strong temblor that hit Central Chile around 3:34 a.m., or about past 2 p.m. in the Philippines.

Solidum said that the warning is a mere precautionary measure and does not mean that the public needs to immediately evacuate, rather they wait for signs in the coasts such as receding water level by as far as four meters or more.

But Solidum said there is a possibility that waves will reach the eastern seabords of the country as no large landmass is protecting the us, unlike the one that hit Banda Aceh in 2004.

The country is sheilded by Thailand, and its surrounding countries and portions of Indonesia.

A 9.5 quake also hit Chile in 1960s where a 6-meter high wall of rolling waves rippled off Samar and Surigao coasts 24 hours after the quake in south American country.

A massive earthquake measuring 8.8 magnitude on the Richter scale struck southern Chile early Saturday, knocking out power and driving people in panic into the streets.

The earthquake struck 320 km southwest of Santiago at a depth of 59.4 km at 3:34 a.m. (0634 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

A Xinhua reporter said that when the earthquake struck, he felt his house shaking and heard a squeaky sound for nearly 40 seconds. Shortly after that, electricity was disrupted and everything fell into darkness.

Telecommunications also were disrupted, with almost all telephone and mobile phone calls disconnected, the reporter said.

Many people in the neighborhood ran out to the street in panic. Helicopters were seen hovering in the air.

Witnesses said many buildings were damaged but how big the scale of the damage was not immediately clear.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday banned nine unregistered beauty cream products containing excessive amount of mercury.

FDA director Nazarita Tacandong, in an advisory, said the beauty products were collected on separate occasions at various establishments, and were later found to contain heavy mercury exceeding the allowable limit of one part per million.

Tacandong said the products had more than one part per million of mercury, and pose an imminent danger or injury to the public.

The items include seven face cream products: Jiaoli Huichusu Whitening Speckles Removal Cream, Xin Jiao Li 7-Days Specific Eliminating Freckle Cream, Jiao Li 10-Days Eliminating Freckle Day & Night Set, Jiao Li 7-Days Eliminating Freckle AB Set, Jiao Liang Miraculous Cream, Xin Jiao Liang 7-Days Miracle Package for Spots Refining and Jiao Mei Miraculous Cream.

Two whitening cream products — Jiao Yan Specific Miraculous Cream and Jiao Li Extra Pearl Facial Cream — were also found to have mercury.

The FDA head said the products were imported without government authority, this despite earlier warning to store owners that they will face criminal prosecution if they are caught selling them.

The FDA also asked local government units and the general public to report outlets selling said products. The FDA hotline is 8078275.

“All enforcement agencies are hereby deputized to apprehend and cause the appropriate criminal action against all outlets or establishments found selling the above identified products,” she said. (PNA)

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday that it is set to administer the National Achievement Test (NAT) for Grade Three, Grade Six and Second Year high school students in March 2010.

DepEd said the NAT for Grade Six and Second Year shall be administered in both public and private schools nationwide.  The test for Grade Three shall be given to public schools only.

The annual NAT is used to determine what the students know, understand and can do at their level.

The NAT for Grade Three includes Grammar and Reading Comprehension in English and Filipino, Science and Mathematics.

The test for Grade Six focuses on five basic subjects, namely, Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and HEKASI. On the other hand, the NAT for Second Year High School includes Mathematics, English, Science, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

DepEd, through the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC), will conduct the NAT for Grade Three on March 3, 2010. For Grade Six, it will be given on March 5, followed by the NAT for Second Year on March 11.

[Update] Following more areas declared with small measles outbreak, the Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday has started coordinating with local government units (LGUs) to conduct its nationwide vaccination drive.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said she already ordered a massive vaccination drive against measles as 12 cities and towns were declared to have an outbreak of the illness.

On Monday afternoon, six more areas reported new measles incidents. These are Masbate City with 12 cases; Parañaque city, six; Tarlac City, five; Antipolo City in Rizal, four; Lambunano town in Iloilo, three; and Alabang, Muntinlupa, two.

The Department of Health on Monday declared a measles outbreak in six areas in some parts of Metro Manila, Southern Tagalog and Mindanao where most of the hundreds of cases were recorded since the start of the year.

Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said an outbreak of measles was declared in Baseco Compound and Moriones in Tondo, Manila; Barangay Pulang Lupa in Las Piñas City; Central Market in Dasmariñas, Cavite; San Francisco town in Quezon province; and Balabagan town in Lanao del Sur.

Cabral said a total of 570 cases of measles have been recorded from January to February 5 this year with children aged one to nine as itscommon victims. The identified areas were the towns and cities with most number of cases.

The DOH said symptoms of measles include fever, general weakness and occasionally red eyes. These symptoms usually come before the characteristic skin rash confirming the onset of measles.

Although measles is usually a self-limiting disease, it can cause complications in people with weak immune systems, including diarrhea, pneumonia and encephalitis, and corneal ulceration leading to corneal scarring.

If rashes and complications appear on a patients, the DOH said it is advised to seek professional medical attention and refrain from self-medication. (PNA)

The printing of the more than 1.8 million ballots for voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were completed Monday morning, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said.

According to him, the ballots will be kept secured at the National Printing Office (NPO) until the start of its shipment which is scheduled in March or early April.

“We finished printing them (the ballot) at 6:30 a.m. The ballots are now packed and boxed already. They will be kept at the NPO,” Larrazabal said.

The printing of the ARMM ballots started on February 8.

The region has more than 1.882 million registered voters, excluding the number of registrants during the three-day extension in December.

Meanwhile, the NPO printing machines will be inactive for 12 hours and will undergo recalibration after the last ARMM ballot was printed Monday morning.

“The machines will be idle for 12 hours, since we need to adjust the printing size from 27 inches size of the (ARMM) ballots to 25 inches,” Larrazabal explained.

He noted that the ballots for the ARMM are two inches longer than the ballots to be used for the rest of the country since the former has Arabic translation.

The Comelec will be printing more than 49 million ballots for voters in other regions of the country.(PNA)