Here are the TV Ratings (National) in the Philippines last September 1, 2011 (Thursday) based on the survey of Kantar Media Philippines (formerly TNS):

Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) – 24.7%
Sisid (GMA-7) – 17.7%
Sinner Or Saint (GMA-7) – 15.4%
Pahiram ng Isang Ina (GMA-7) – 14.9%
Slam Dunk (GMA-7) – 14.3%
I Dare You (ABS-CBN) – 13.6%
Kapuso Movie Festival: Operation Balikatan (GMA-7) / The Fierce Wife (ABS-CBN) – 13.2%
Reputasyon (ABS-CBN) – 11.8%
One Piece (GMA-7) – 11.4%
Showtime (ABS-CBN) – 11%

100 Days To Heaven (ABS-CBN) – 31.2%
My Binondo Girl (ABS-CBN) – 28%
TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 27.8%
Guns And Roses (ABS-CBN) – 24%
Maria La Del Barrio (ABS-CBN) – 23.5%
Amaya (GMA-7) – 22.3%
Munting Heredera (GMA-7) – 21.8%
Iglot (GMA-7) – 20%
24 Oras (GMA-7) – 18.8%
Time of My Life (GMA-7) – 16.7%

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said 1,605 out of 2,131 or 75.32% examinees passed the Physician (Complete, Finals and Finals with Prelims) or Medical Board Exam held in the cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao last August 6, 2011.

List of Board Passers Medical Board August 2011 (Results) – (TXT file)

The oathtaking ceremony will be held on Sunday, September 11, 2011, 1PM at the Plenary Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Roxas Blvd., Manila.

Here is the third part of Sen. Miriam Santiago’s second sponsorship speech on RH Bill:

THE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ACT
Part 3: Socioeconomics

It is easy to discuss reproductive health in abstract terms such as theology, constitutional law, or international law. But it is not so facile to exchange arguments over the hard facts concerning mother and child among the very poor.

Statistics on Maternal Health[1]

· Due to childbirth- and pregnancy-related complications:
11 MOTHERS DIE EVERYDAY!
3,000 to 5,000 mothers die every year
162 mothers out of 100,000 live births die
11% of all deaths among women of reproductive age in the Philippines are maternal deaths
· How many women will be affected by the RH bill?
23 million (From 15 to 49 years old)
· How many women are at risk of pregnancy?
15 million
Guttmacher Institute made a 2008 study of pregnant Filipinas, with the following results:
How many pregnancies that year? 3.371 million
How many were unintended pregnancies? 1.82 million
What happened to the unintended pregnancies?
570,000 induced abortions
1 million mistimed or unwanted births
90,000 hospitalizations for complication of abortions
3,700 maternal deaths in one year, of which
90% deaths occurred among women using no or natural
family planning methods
· Where do women deliver their babies?
56% at home, specially in rural areas
44% in health facility
· At childbirth, is skilled birth attendance available?
As of 2008:
36% No; only the hilot
62% Yes; with a birth professional
· Does skilled attendance at delivery and emergency abortive case reduce maternal deaths?
Yes, with 75% reduction
In addition to reducing maternal and child deaths during delivery, family planning would prevent not only unwanted and high-risk pregnancies, but also abortion. Under the Penal Code, abortion is a crime, and it will remain a crime under the RH bill. In fact, one important reason to pass the RH bill is that it will reduce abortions. The Act will provide full information to any mother on the entire menu of family planning options, making it unnecessary for the mother to resort to abortion. Hence, pregnancy will result in a wanted child, not an unwanted child that the mother might be forced to abort.
· In the Philippines, how many unplanned pregnancies end in abortion?
1 out of 3
· How many induced abortions are estimated to have taken place in the Philippines?[2]
400,000 in 1994
473,400 in 2004
· Who are the women who resort to induced abortions in the Philippines?
9 out of 10 are married women
87% are Catholics
· Who are the women who resort to induced abortions in the Philippines?
9 out of 10 are married women
87% are Catholics
· Did the mother receive antenatal care?
As of 2008:
4% – No
5% – From hilot
91% – Yes
· Who are vulnerable to risky pregnancies?
Young adolescent women
Women over 35 years old
Women who already gave birth to three children
Women whose pregnancies have short intervals
· Of pregnant Filipinas, how many are aware of danger signs of complications, and where to go in case of complications?
50%
These statistics lead to the question of how the government should prevent maternal death. The obvious answer is that government should provide access to skilled care during pregnancy, during childbirth, and during at least the first months after delivery. Poor women are more at risk of dying from pregnancy and pregnancy-related complications.
· Does voluntary family planning reduce deaths? Yes:
20 to 35% of maternal deaths
20% of child deaths
Lower fertility rate reduces poverty incidence:[3]
NCR:
Fertility – 2.3%
Poverty – 7.6%
Bicol:
Fertility – 5.1%
Poverty – 49%

Actual children are more than wanted children:[4]

Wanted fertility rate – 2.4 children
Actual fertility rate – 3.3 children
Each woman has excess of 1 child
Unmet need for family planning – 22%

Poor women have three times more children than rich women:

Highest class:

Desired fertility – 1.6%

Actual fertility – 1.9%

Lowest class:

Desired fertility – 3.3%

Actual fertility – 5.2%

Childbearing among teenagers:

Uneducated – 25%

College – 3%
Similarly, a Canadian NGO[5] released a fact sheet based on several studies. It showed that school-based sexual health education results in more parent-child communication.
· What is the incidence of failure to protect against pregnancy for early PMS?
40% unprotected for first PMS (Pre-Marital Sex)
70% of most recent PMS
· Is there a double standard between the two genders with respect to PMS?
40% think it is acceptable for young men
22% think it is acceptable for young women

The Abortion Scare

Contraceptives are not abortifacient. This issue was laid to rest as early as 2006, during deliberations on House Bill No. 4643, which sought to declare contraceptives as abortive. A position paper on reproduction issued by international organizations,[6] and released by the World Health Organization, categorically stated: “None of these methods have been shown to cause the abortion of an implanted fetus. Therefore they cannot be labeled as abortifacients.” The position paper covered virtually all the methods of contraception.[7]
As part of the abortion debate, the question has been raised: When does life begin? Doctors and scientists do not know, and it would be presumptuous for legislators to settle this question by the expedient of parliamentary debate. We cannot settle a scientific issue by spouting anecdotal evidence to support a layman’s view. Contemporary ignorance of the answer has been admitted by no less than a former professor of biochemistry, who became former dean of the UP college of medicine. In a book published this year, 2011, the authors apparently reached the conclusion that the process of becoming human is gradual, and that there is no specific point at which a non-human entity suddenly becomes human.[8]

Youth Education on RH

The RH bill provides for RH services and information for the youth. This provision is supported by the results of a 2002 UP Population Institute survey,[9] which showed the following:
· Many young people engage in risky sexual behavior.
· Their knowledge of reproductive health problems are inadequate.
· They rarely seek medical help for reproductive health problems, and
· They have liberal views on sex and related matters.
The survey showed that many young people engage in pre-marital sex (PMS), as follows:
· Among young people 15 to 24 years old, how many have had PMS experience?
23%
· What is the prevalence of PMS among the sexes?
31.1% among boys
15.4% among girls
· What is the incidence of PMS among male youth?
20% admitted that they paid for sex
12% admitted that they accepted payment for sex
Even young men who risk getting infected with HIV also suffer from inadequate knowledge. As a common practice, Filipino youth do not discuss sex at home with their parents. Therefore, it is not realistic to argue that sex discussion should be limited to the parents and the home.
Sexuality education does not encourage promiscuity among the youth. On the contrary, if young people know more about sexual health, they are even more likely to postpone sexual initiation. An American NGO[10] looked at several studies made in countries where sexuality education is being taught, and reached the conclusion that sexuality education reinforces the sense of responsibility of young people in terms of their sexual behavior. When they are given proper education on reproductive health, young people no longer feel a need to explore other sources of information on sex.
Mistimed or unwanted pregnancies result in health risks which are higher for adolescent mothers. They are more likely to have complications during labor.[11] Unwanted pregnancies compel society to pay a social cost. Parents who are able to plan their families are usually able to raise and educate them. But poor families who cannot plan their families have to rely on government for education, health, and other goods and services.

Philippine Demographics

The branch of knowledge that deals with human population, e.g., the statistical analysis of births and deaths, is known as demography. Here are the demographics:[12]
· Philippine Population:
2010 – 91.8 M
2020 – 105.5 M
2040 – 126 M

· Population Growth Rate (PGR) – 2. 04%

No. 3 in Southeast Asia
Added Filipinos each year – 2 M

· What is the biggest age group?

15 to 49 years old – 51.11%
Half of population below 21 years old
Philippine population is young

Implication of Demographics

The consequences of all these statistics were analyzed in the seminal 2008 paper entitled “Population, Poverty, Politics, and the RH Bill.” It was written by some 27 UP economics professors, virtually every single one eminent in this field. The paper is so authoritative that I have to quote the first paragraph:
The population issue has long been dead and buried in developed and most developing countries, including historically Catholic countries. That it continues to be debated heatedly in our country testifies to the lack of progress in policy and action. The Catholic Church hierarchy has maintained its traditional stance against modern family planning (FP) methods, particularly modern (also referred to as “artificial”) contraceptives. On the other hand, the State acknowledges the difficulties posed for development by rapid population growth, especially among the poorest Filipinos.
According to the authors – whom I shall call the Economics 27 – a clear and consistent national population policy is long overdue. The RH bill would be a good instrument of such a policy. Hence, the RH bill would become an integral part of the strategy for development and poverty reduction. The country needs a population policy, together with a government-funded family planning program. A rapidly growing population has a negative impact on economic development. Rapid population growth is largely caused by the least urbanized, least educated, and poorest segments of our population.
The bigger the family, the poorer. The bigger the family, the less educated the children. The poor know this, and prefer smaller families, but they are unable to keep the family small. The 2006 Family Planning Survey showed that among the poorest women, 44% of pregnancies are unwanted. According to the Economics 27: “Contraceptive use remains extremely low among poor couples, because they lack information about, and access, to them.”
The lack of access to contraception results in high maternal mortality. At our present rate, the Philippines will be unable to meet the Millenium Development Goal target of 52 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2015. The more children and the more they are closely spaced, the higher the risk of illness and premature deaths for mother and child alike. Everyday, 11 to 12 women die from pregnancy and causes associated with childbirth.[13] The evil of maternal death is compounded by the evil of induced and illegal abortions amounting to half a million annually.[14]

2011 NEDA Study

Perhaps the most telling lesson taught by the Economics 27 is their conclusion that: “Ensuring access to the free range of modern (“artificial”) family planning methods with appropriate information raises the success rate of achieving the desired family size. Limiting family planning options to ‘national family planning (NFP) methods only’ fails to address.

The Philippines’ Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has created a mosquito trap called OL (Ovicidal-Larvicidal) Trap developed by the ITDI-DOST researchers in a bid to prevent the rise of dengue.

The DOST said that they could not release additional traps or kits to the public because they ran out of containers. What they can give the public are the organic pellets. You just have to get your own container and piece of wood (lawanit). For more details about the mosquito trap, you can contact DOST-ITDI at (02)837- 2071 loc. 2182.

Malacanang wished former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo well as she undergoes another surgery after the bone implant on her spine was dislocated, though they don’t belong to same political team.

The former President underwent a five-hour operation on Wednesday at St. Luke’s Medical Center after doctors discovered that the titanium plate put in her spine during the first operation was dislocated.

Doctors for the former president said the second operation is more risky but it is necessary to avoid complications from developing that could numb Mrs. Arroyo’s upper extremities or affect her breathing.

The implants, which were inserted during the first operation, got dislodged for still unknown reasons so a second surgery is very important to correct it.

At the same time, Lacierda clarified that the inclusion of the former president in the watchlist saying that it’s not the handiwork of the administration.

Lacierda said that under the rules of the watchlist the secretary of justice can issue such orders based on factual grounds adding that the acts of De Lima are not out of vengeance.

De Lima placed Mrs Arroyo in the watchlist because of her alleged involvement in the anomalous sale of the old Iloilo airport property four years ago, the P550-million allegedly misused welfare funds for migrant workers, and the P1.6 billion fund diversion for the 2004 presidential elections.

Here are the TV ratings last July 21, 2011 (Thursday) based on the survey of AGB Nielsen (Household Ratings) in Mega Manila, Philippines:

Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) – 32.1%
Sinner Or Saint (GMA-7) – 18%
Blusang Itim (GMA-7) – 17.1%
Sisid (GMA-7) – 16.5%
Slam Dunk (GMA-7) – 14.8%
Ghost Fighter (GMA-7) – 13.5%
Kapuso Movie Festival: Mulawin The Movie (GMA-7) – 13%
Gourmet (GMA-7) – 12.7%
Detective Conan (GMA-7) – 10.8%
Showtime (ABS-CBN) – 9.5%

Munting Heredera (GMA-7) – 28.7%
Amaya (GMA-7) – 28.5%
100 Days To Heaven (ABS-CBN) – 24.1%
Captain Barbell (GMA-7) – 22.7%
Secret Garden (GMA-7) – 22.1%
24 Oras (GMA-7) – 22%
Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin (ABS-CBN) – 21.2%
Guns And Roses (ABS-CBN) – 21%
TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 19.5%
Futbolilits (GMA-7) – 14.1%

Filipina-American Thia Megia and ten other finalists of the American Idol Season 10 will be having a concert in Manila, Philippines.

It will be held on September 20, 8PM at the Araneta Coliseum. The rest of the AI finalists are Casey Abrams, Haley Reinhart, Jacob Lusk, James Durbin, Lauren Alaina, Naima Adedapo, Paul McDonald, Pia Toscano, Stefano Langone and Scotty McCreery. The concert is made possible by ETC, Jack TV, and Ovation Productions. Stay tuned for updates on where to get tickets.

President Benigno S. Aquino III inaugurated Nokia Siemens Network’s (NSN) research and development facility located at the University of the Philippines-Ayala Technohub in Quezon City on Monday, July 11.

Upon his arrival at the project site, the President viewed NSN’s photo gallery that includes a Philippine jeepney symbolizing the strengthening of Philippine-Finland partnership towards communications technology development.

The newly constructed NSN NetworkLabs is a one of its kind and a first ever R&D facility in Southeast Asia that is internationally recognized in the telecommunications industry as it services and supports all R&D teams around the world.

Nokia Siemens Network said it chose the Philippines as its new hub for NetworkLabs in Asia over other countries due to the country’s vast resource of highly skilled engineering students and graduates from reputable universities and colleges such as Mapua Institute of Technology, De La Salle University, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University.

Here are the TV Ratings (National) in the Philippines last July 7 2011 (Thursday) based on the survey of Kantar Media Philippines (formerly TNS):

Eat Bulaga! (GMA-7) – 19.6%
Slam Dunk (GMA-7) – 13.6%
Sisid (GMA-7) – 12.5%
Sinner Or Saint (GMA-7) – 12.4%
Ghost Fighter (GMA-7) / Playful Kiss (GMA-7) – 12.2%
Showtime (ABS-CBN) / Blusang Itim (GMA-7) – 11.8%
Marry Me, Mary (ABS-CBN) – 11.7%
Kapuso Movie Festival: My Guardian Debil (GMA-7) / Kapamilya Blockbusters (ABS-CBN) – 11.5%
Happy Yipee Yehey! (ABS-CBN) – 10.4%
Detective Conan (GMA-7) – 10.1%

100 Days To Heaven (ABS-CBN) – 33.2%
TV Patrol (ABS-CBN) – 29.2%
Guns And Roses (ABS-CBN) – 28.3%
Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin (ABS-CBN) – 26.6%
Amaya (GMA-7) – 22.2%
Mula Sa Puso (ABS-CBN) – 21.4%
Munting Heredera (GMA-7) – 21.3%
24 Oras (GMA-7) – 19.6%
Captain Barbell (GMA-7) – 18.7%
The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition (ABS-CBN) – 18.1%

After the unexpected win of Dallas versus Miami via Derik Nowitzki, the finals continue on its 3rd game.

The finals game between NBA teams Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks will be aired live on ABS-CBN Channel 2 so no need for live streaming.

The series is tied at 1-1. The schedule of the live broadcast will be as follows:

Game 3 – Monday (June 6) 8AM
Game 4 – Wednesday (June 9AM
Game 5 to 7 schedules will be released at a later date. Replays will be played on the same day on Studio 23 at 7PM.