Archive for June 2013

THE RICH CAN ALSO DIE YOUNG

By | Published Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Professor Johan P. Mackenbach says that “Only the Poor Die Young”.
“People who are lower on the socioeconomic ladder (indicated by their level of education, occupation, or income) have shorter and less healthy lives, on average, than those on higher rungs. Indeed, life expectancy at birth often varies by 5-10 years, depending on social and economic well-being, with poorer people spending 10-20 more years of life suffering from illness or disability than their wealthier counterparts.
Since the end of World War II, Western European countries have tried to reduce socioeconomic inequality, or offset its consequences, through progressive taxation, social security programs, and a wide range of collectively financed provisions, such as public housing, education, health care, and cultural and leisure facilities. But, while these policies have reduced inequalities in some social and economic outcomes, including income, housing quality, and health-care access, they have been insufficient to eliminate health inequalities.
Long-term time-series data indicate that the socioeconomic mortality gap narrowed before the 1950’s, but has grown substantially since then. More puzzling is the fact that more generous welfare policies do not translate into smaller health disparities. Even the Nordic countries – world leaders when it comes to creating universal and well-designed welfare policies that cover citizens from cradle to grave – face significant health disparities, despite their relatively low income inequality. “
The Philippines should therefore be more discerning in adopting measures to solve its inequality problems. We can take some pointers from the following statistical data.
Stats from CIA World Factbook on


POVERTY INDEX    
LONGEVITY -  world 68.09 yrs.    
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
Christian 33.39% (Roman Catholic 16.85%, Protestant 6.15%, Orthodox 3.96%, Anglican 1.26%)
Muslim    22.74%
Hindu      13.80%
Buddhist   6.77%
Sikh          0.35%
Jewish      0.22%
Baha'i       0.11%
other religions 10.95%, non-religious 9.66%, atheists 2.01% (CIA Factbook 2010 est.)
COUNTRY
World Poverty Ranking as % of people below poverty line
LONGEVITY Years
DOMINANT RELIGION
TAIWAN
152
1.18
79.71
Buddhism
MALAYSIA
150
3.60
74.28
Muslim
FRANCE
145
6.20
81.56
Catholic
SWITZERLAND
143
6.90
82.28
Catholic
SERBIA
140
8.80
74.79
Orthdox
CANADA
137
9.40
81.57
Catholic
THAILAND
136
9.60
66.72
Buddhism
VIETNAM
134
10.60
72.65
NONE
SYRIA
131
11.90
75.14
Muslim
RUSSIA
127
13.10
69.85
NONE
INDONESIA
126
13.33
71.90
Muslim
CHINA
125
13.40
74.99
NONE
UNITED KINGDOM
124
14.00
80.29
Protestant
SOUTH KOREA
122
15.00
79.55
Catholic
UNITED STATES
120
15.10
78.62
Protestant
JAPAN
117
15.70
84.19
Buddhism
MEXICO
108
16.20
76.86
Catholic
SPAIN
100
19.80
81.37
Catholic
ISRAEL
90
23.60
81.17
Jewish
LAOS
82
26.20
63.14
Buddhism
GHANA
74
28.50
65.32
Protestant
ARGENTINA
71
30.00
77.32
Catholic
CAMBODIA
62
31.00
63.41
Buddhism
BURMA
58
32.70
65.60
Buddhism
PHILIPPINES
57
32.90
72.21
Catholic
AFGHANISTAN
52
36.00
50.00
Muslim
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
48
37.00
66.66
Christian
TIMOR-LESTE
36
42.00
67.06
Catholic
SOUTH AFRICA
23
50.00
49.48
Christian
SENEGAL
17
54.00
60.57
Muslim
ZIMBABWE
10
68.00
53.86
Christian
HAITI
1
80.00
62.86
Catholic
ANALYSIS: This statistical compilation negates the saying that only the poor die young, nor does it indicate that religion has something to do with improving life expectancy. It however points out that the poorer half of the world has had a problem with either active insurgency or defective political governance and/or moral degradation. It seems that Argentina and the Philippines share both Catholic faith and better life expectancy than the other high-poverty countries.

Let’s take the high road. Verbum sapienti satis est.

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AN UPDATE ON STEM CELL NUTRITION

By | Published Thursday, June 20, 2013


My wife, Lita and I attended the seminar presented by Stem Tech last Monday, March 11, 2013. There the co-founder of Stem Enhance, Christian Drapeau, gave an update on the status of his work, aptly described in layman’s terms by the following Barbara Gonzalez article.
The stem cell miracle
“The room was crowded. Christian Drapeau was going to speak on stem cells. He told us that the discovery of humans coming from a single cell called the stem cell happened decades ago but not much attention was paid until around 10 years ago when the focus slowly shifted to the stem cell. Stem cells are in our bodies manufactured by our bone marrow then released into our blood stream. There they begin to circulate. All our organs lose living cells day to day. As the stem cell circulates, other cells that are part of our organs release some kind of sticky liquid that catches the stem cells and converts them into cells needed for that organ. For example, if you had a heart attack, there is damage to the cells in your heart. They need replacing. When your bone marrow releases stem cells into your blood, the heart will reach for them and slowly repair the damage.
One of the reasons why it took them so long to discover this is because the stem cells immediately begin to look like heart cells so one cannot say – oh those are new cells made from stem cells. But they discovered a blue-green substance that helped the bone marrow manufacture and release more stem cells. This gave the new cells a blue-green color. Now they were able to track the movement of stem cells and claim that the new cells were created by the equally new stem cells. Stem cells are the body’s natural healing system.
It is difficult to say what organs stem cells repair because they repair anything that needs repair. But StemEnhance is not a miracle drug. It is made from algae from a lake in Oregon, which has been tested over the years and proven to make the body’s bone marrow release more stem cells. Then it is up to your body to heal itself wherever it needs healing.
When I started to take StemEnhance, I felt increased energy maybe after ten days. Instead of dragging myself around in my pajamas I began to wake up cheerful, shower, get dressed and organize my day. This is the very least of the capsules’ effects. Many of my friends claim this same effect on them and add that their friends comment on how young they look. So they keep coming back for more.
But I also know someone who came because her neighbor had to be carried to the hospital once a month for a check up. They read my article written last November 24. Now the old man walks and opens the gate himself. A young man regularly gets StemEnhance for his father who is 84, in tremendous perpetual pain when he first came to see me. Now his father feels no more pain and goes to the mall to walk. However, everything takes time. You have to commit to taking at least three capsules a day.
My only son, who is 41, is extremely diabetic. At 41 he has had cataract operations. He takes a double dose of the pills daily. I asked him how he was. He said, “My sugar is still high but these days I can arrange three songs, compose two and write a jingle all in one day. I never could have done that before. Your pills give me energy.” Over time I am certain even his diabetes will go.
But there are obstacles. So many people asked Christian Drapeau why the medicine was so expensive. He said, “Why don’t you look at the other side? How much does it take us to harvest, manufacture and get here?” And he is right.
What is more expensive? Stem Cell Therapy that involves taking your bone marrow then doing something to it then injecting it back into you for a couple of million pesos or to buy a bottle that increases your stem cells? It depends on how much money you have. If you are very rich, of course, go all the way to Switzerland for your stem cell therapy. But if you are average then just take StemEnhance. It is not cheap enough for everybody but it is good enough for most people.
But I must share this story. One of our recent recruits is an integrative doctor, Dr. Chris Tengco, M.D. He has a medical degree, also studied alternative medicine, anthroposophy and something else. Mostly his patients are people with level 4 cancer and so far he has managed to heal most of them. That Monday afternoon he presented us with two of his patients who were healed. What is his secret? He has a special formula, which he gives them intravenously and he asks them to drink StemEnhance.”
I and many friends have experienced similar pleasant surprises with Stem Enhance. I would gladly share my discovery with anyone interested. You can call 0917-8247904 or email me.

Tancio

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MABABAW NA KALIGAYAHAN

By | Published Wednesday, June 19, 2013


Foreigners say that our country is a country of ever smiling people? It’s a good tourism gimmick, but it can indicate a negative image.
To prove my point, let me take the liberty to freely dwell and quote on 2 out of many recent articles on the shallowness among Filipinos - a trait that is negatively affecting the national life of our country.
Rey Gamboa in Bizlinks talks about “an opportunity not to be lost again”, while F. Sionil Jose in Hindsight tells us “why we are so shallow”.
There are true economic roadmaps, but there are economic roadmaps that just stay in cyberspace, if not, on paper. The latter seems to have been the destiny of this country for decades ever since Filipinos took the helm of nation-building in their own hands. For some time going into the ’60s, the Philippines was considered the shining star of the East.
Then, for some reason, our country overnight found itself the region’s laggard. Even shamefully, in recent years, we’d heard of Vietnam and Laos being praised for their vibrant progression towards economic salvation. That was long after the world acknowledged the emergence of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and China as economic powers.
So what’s the matter? Is it the leadership – in particular, the country’s CEO (better known as the president) that’s the problem? Is it the whole bureaucracy that seems to just be so myopic about doing its job? Is it inherent in the Filipino psyche not to be able to plan long term?
Presidents and politics
We have had our share of colorful presidents, who have tried every kind of recipe in the book to cook up a path of economic emancipation, including holding midnight drinking cabinets and lengthening their stay in government over the regular prescribed period.
They say six years is too short for a good president, and too long for a bad one. I’d like to think that time is not really the big issue here.
A president who thinks of his post as simply a reward for winning the elections is an unacceptable public servant. On the other hand, a person who gets elected because he has a track record for making things work and doing something sustainable for the country should have the upper hand.
There lies the crux, my friends. It’s both the mindset of our elected officials and those that elect them: that a public post, most especially that of the president, is more than a position of trust. We must have people in governance who will truly work for the country’s 93++ million people’s welfare.
Perhaps it is time to rethink how this nation’s politics works so that those who run for elected positions do not think about getting elected simply to get (or stay in) power for whatever ulterior motives they have.
Headless and mindless bureaucrats
It may sound harsh, but we have too many bureaucrats who don’t know what they’re really doing, or who don’t really care what they’re doing as long as they get their SOPs and get paid every 15th and 30th.  And we can find these types from the lowest level of our government to the highest echelons.
Not that all are corrupt or nincompoops. Sometimes, we see government programs that don’t really mesh with one another. But more often, we see undertakings that are totally not in synch by even a half note – the right hand does not even know what the left hand is doing.
The National Economic Development Authority is supposed to play a very important long range role! If we were to rate NEDA whose job is to draw up a sure-fire winning economic development plan and orchestrate this to fruition, it would definitely not be for egregia cum laude honors. Proof of this incompetence is how the country has been floundering through the years trying to keep afloat – from one administration to another.
The country’s COO definitely has a big role to play in getting economic plans off the ground and running smoothly, but it is the NEDA’s role to put together the whole blueprint in a way that the COO can be guided to achieve what this country needs to meet long term goals.
“Why are we so shallow – mababaw ang kaligayahan?”
If we can answer this question accurately, then we will move on to a more elevated sensibility. And with this sensibility, we will then be able to deny the highest positions in government to those nincompoops who have nothing going for them except lineage and popularity that an irresponsible and equally shallow media had created.
Again, why are we so “baduy”?
There are so many reasons. One lies in our educational system which has diminished not just scholarship but excellence. There is less emphasis now on the humanities, in the study of the classics which enables us to have a broader grasp of our past and the philosophies of this past. We envy Hindus and Buddhists who have in their religion philosophy and ancestor worship that build in the believer a continuity with the past, and that most important ingredient in the building of a nation — memory.
We even allow disgraced criminals to be recycled in government service.
Our education system does not even allow the identification and full development of great outstanding minds in our overloaded schools. They must be able to rise out of the muck and shine on their own!
Sure, our Christian faith, too, has a philosophical tradition, particularly if we connect it to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Remember, the first Bible was in Greek. But Greek, Latin and the classics in these languages are no longer taught in our schools the way these are still studied in many universities in Europe.
We are shallow because we are mayabang, ego driven, and do not have the humility to understand that we are only human, much too human to mistake knowledge for wisdom. We can see this yabang in some of our public commentators, particularly on TV — the know-it-alls who think that because they have so much knowledge — available now on the Web at the click of a button — they can answer every question posed to them. What they do not realize is that knowledge is not wisdom. Until they recognize that important difference, they will continue to bluster their way to the top at our expense because we, the people, will then have to suffer their arrogance and ignorance.
We are shallow because with this arrogance, we accept positions far beyond our competence. Because there is no critical tradition in this country — a tradition which will easily separate the chaff from the grain, we cannot recognize fakery from the real goods.  The nitwits who hold such high positions stubbornly hold on to their posts, bamboozling their subordinates who may be brighter than them for that is the only way those who are inferior feel they can attract respect.
On the other hand, the intelligent person will be aware of his shortcomings. He is humble enough to ask the opinion of those who know more than him on particular subjects. If he is a government hierarch, he will surround himself with advisers who can supply him with guidance and background possessing more knowledge, experience and wisdom than him. Such an official is bound to commit fewer mistakes because he knows himself. But, of course, how can he get there unless ironically he has played along.
We are shallow because we lack this most important knowledge — who we are and the limits to what we can do.
We are shallow because our media are so horribly shallow. Every morning, I peruse the papers and, except for the opinion page, there is so little to read in them. It is the same with radio — all that noise, that artifice.
I turn on the TV on prime time and what do I get? Five juvenile commentators gushing over the amores of movie stars - who is shacking up with whom. And the telenovelas, how utterly asinine, bizarre, foolish, insipid moronic and mephitic they are! They promote their own unique vernacular! But there are so many talented writers in our vernaculars and in English as the Palanca Awards show every year — why aren’t they harnessed for TV? TV moguls have a stock answer — the ratings of these shows are very high.  As usual, popularity, not quality, is their final arbiter. They give our people garbage and they are now giving it back to all of us in kind!   
We are shallow because we have become enslaved by gross materialism, the glitter of gold and its equivalents, for which reason we think that only the material goods of this earth can satisfy us and we must therefore grab as much as we can while we are able. And that old anodyne: “Man does not live by bread alone”, who are the thinking and stubborn few who believe in it?
False patience and rigid resilience
Our educational system should be able to give our bureaucrats effective training on how to think out of the box and be more creative in finding solutions. This is how we solve our perennial weakness for short-sightedness and apathy. Patience and fortitude have been traits that Filipinos take pride in - even to a fault. We say “bahala na” suffering incompetence and shabby work without a whimper of protest. We smile shruging off misery that normally would have made other peoples scream and pull the trigger.
Again, the world looks at the Philippines as being at the brink of joining other emerging economies. This should be flattering to ALL Filipinos. We are given a head-start that is grounded on something substantial that will really form the basis for future growth.
Needless to say, we have to unify and get our act together this time. The reality is that if we bungle this opportunity, the chance to move forward may not come in a long long time again. Think Filipino!

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