From fear to being open-minded

“All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.”

--Charles M. Schulz

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

I HAVE stopped eating chocolates three years ago, the year my doctor in Queens warned me I could end up among over 25 million people in the United States who have type 2 diabetes.

Doctors say the majority of individuals anywhere in the world today with diabetes are not aware they have the condition “due to the fact that the symptoms, seem more like annoyances than signs of a dangerous condition.”

Medical experts have warned it is always important to know the most common symptoms in order to be better aware of any conditions you might be facing.

Eating sweets, especially chocolates, or plenty of them is among the surest ways to get a diabetes, they said.

But all these fears and worries changed after we heard what neurophysiologist and wellness coach Will Clower, Ph.D. explained when, as a guest speaker at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont, pointed out, “Chocolate is the perfect metaphor for how healthy people eat. Chocolate has numerous health benefits when eaten in control.”

Clower insisted chocolate functions as an antibiotic and an antiplatelet (similar to aspirin), increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol, decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, and contains polyphenols that prevent DNA damage.

Cocoa also contains flavonoids and flavonols that prevent cell damage and inflammation and promote blood health. Chocolate’s health benefits come from cocoa– not added fillers or sugars – so the key is choosing a treat that has the highest percentage of cocoa.

 

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In its unprocessed state, chocolate is slightly bitter and acidic, which is why many chocolate manufacturers add sugar and other fillers to raise its pH level to neutral. Unprocessed or “raw” chocolate is better for you, said Dr. Clower, so let’s look for these keywords on the label and the percentage of cocoa or cacao the treat contains.

-Unsweetened chocolate contains 100 percent cocoa.

-Bittersweet or dark chocolate contains 35-99 percent cocoa.

-Milk chocolate contains at least 10 percent chocolate liquor.

-White chocolate contains no cocoa.

“The higher the percentage of cocoa, the more you can have of it,” he explained. “Low-cocoa chocolates are high in sugar and fillers, so those are the things to absolutely avoid.”

For example, a chocolate bar with 85 percent cocoa has less sugar than milk chocolate varieties and more heart-healthy cocoa butter. As a bonus, richer dark chocolate is usually more satisfying, meaning you can eat less.

 

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In addition, here’s what we learned about eating chocolates with or without any occasion or season like the Yuletide, where everyone wants to give chocolates as gift.

Over-eating of chocolate can be tantamount to slow motion suicide, although it contains health benefits if we eat moderately.

Some of the health benefits of chocolate are:

--Cacao, the source of chocolate, contains antibacterial agents that fight tooth decay. However, chocolate with high sugar content will negate this benefit, according to Cocosymposium. Dark chocolate contains significantly higher amounts of cacao and lower amounts of sugar than white chocolate, making it more healthful.

--The smell of chocolate may increase theta brain waves, resulting in relaxation.

--Chocolate contains phenyl ethylamine, a mild mood elevator.

--The cocoa butter in chocolate contains oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fat which can raise good cholesterol.

--Men who eat chocolate regularly live on average one year longer than those who don’t.

--The flavanoids in chocolate help keep blood vessels elastic.

--Chocolate increases antioxidant levels in the blood.

--The carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.

The health risks of chocolate are:

--Chocolate may contribute to lower bone density.

--Chocolate can trigger headaches in migraine sufferers.

--Milk chocolate is high in calories, saturated fat and sugar.

--Chocolate is a danger to pets (chocolate contains a stimulant called theobromine, which animals are unable to digest).

 

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Christmas is a time for eating chocolate.

Consumption has come a long way since the first “eating” chocolate was introduced in England by the Bristol firm of Fry and Sons in 1847.

Much debate and mythology surround people’s craving for this confection, which has been blamed on depression, the menstrual cycle, sensory gratification, or some of the 300 plus chemicals that it contains.

The sensuous properties of chocolate depend on the fat it contains.

Roger Highfield explains in The Physics of Christmas that

Cocoa butter can solidify in half a dozen different forms, each of which has a different effect on “mouthfeel” and palatability.

Form V predominates in the best chocolate, making it glossy and melt in the mouth.

Unlike other plant edible fats, which are usually oils, Highfiled explains that cocoa butter is enriched in saturated fatty acids so that it is solid under normal conditions and has a sharp melting point of around 34C, just below the temperature.

Heat is absorbed when this occurs, giving a sensation of coolness on the tongue.

“Another reason we like chocolate is the stimulatory effects of caffeine and related chemicals. Every 100 grams of chocolates contain 5 milligrams of methylxanthine and 160 milligrams of theobromine (named after the cocoa tree, whose botanical name, Theobroma cocoa, means “food of the gods”). Both are caffeinelike substances,” Highfield points out.

Originally, chocolate was a stimulating drink. The name is derived from the Aztec word xocalatl, meaning “bitter water.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor in chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

‘I just want peace of mind; I’m also human’

“Ask not what your OFW relative can do for you; ask what you can do for yourself.”

—Anonymous

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THIRTY-six-year-old Cindy (not her real name) decided to deactivate her social media accounts (both Meta and Instagram) hours after receiving a cryptic private message from “Sampaguita” on December 18 while working the night shift at a Presbyterian medical center in New York on December 18.

She suspected Sampaguita to be her older half sister, forty-year-old Dolores (not her real name), using a fictitious Meta (formerly Facebook) account to harass her.

Cindy is an LPN (licensed practical nurse) from Mambusao, Capiz in the Philippines who transferred from Cleveland, Ohio to New York after the pandemic in February 2023.

She has been helping financially the other family of her late mother, Teresita (not her real name), who had three children in her first marriage, in the coastal village of Punta Tabuc in Roxas City, Capiz.

Cindy is Teresita’s only daughter with a Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) executive in Capiz who died in a vehicular mishap in Ternate, Cavite in 2011.

 

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Dolores or “Sampaguita”, a single unmarried mother and storekeeper, is one of the three children of Teresita, who died of breast cancer while working as a seamster in Mandaluyong City in 2014.

Teresita’s first husband, Dolores’ father, is a former town councilor in Jamindan, Capiz, who now works in Dubai and has a new family.

Since Teresita’s death, then 25-year-old Cindy has been helping supply the household needs and otherwise of her half brother Richard (not his real name), now 38; Dolores, 40; and another half sister, Jennilyn (not her real name), now 42. They are all unmarried.

Cindy said Dolores, Richard, a pedicab driver, and Jennilyn, a crew of a popular fast-food chain, treated her as real sister; they had good relationships and supported each other in one way or the other in the absence of their parents.

Everything turned sour, Cindy said, starting when she decided to cut the remittances she regularly sent to the household of Dolores, Richard, and Jennilyn.

It developed from bad to worse when Cindy stopped sending them money starting January 2025.

“I realized I’m not getting younger anymore,” Cindy quipped. “I need to also save for my own future. My two (half) sisters and brother are grown ups; I believe they can stand on their own and they can’t rely on me forever.”

She dreamt of having her own family and wanted to compensate herself by starting to save “hard-earned” money.

 

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Cindy said she had to quit in the hospital where she worked for two years in North Shore Collinwood, Cleveland’s east side, in 2021 because of coronavirus pandemic.

“Sometimes, our relatives and friends in the Philippines should also think of our situation while working abroad, not just their situations. Much as I would like to sustain their needs, but I need to also survive because I’m alone,” sobbed Cindy, who has remained single at 36.

The “bullying” and “harassment” from Dolores a.k.a “Sampaguita” came in the form of bizarre private messages “in the dead of the night” that sometimes bordered on threats and intimidation, Cindy alleged.

“Yudi__ta ka kalagon ka gd ni mamang. Wla ka consensia selfish ka maturong gid mata mo (you sonnobabitch mom’s ghost will haunt and punish you. You’re selfish and without any conscience; you’ll be cursed until your eyes will be widely shut),” read one of the many messages Cindy allegedly received from “Sampaguita” or Dolores.

By deactivating all her social media accounts was one way for anyone not finding out what she was doing, where she was, and everything about her would remain private.

“I want to have peace of mind and live my own life,” Cindy explained. “I’m also human.”

 

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LISTENING TO LEAVES. Western Washington University geophysicists are making localized air-pollution maps by tracking the magnetism of three leaves. Car and some industrial pollution contain particles of magnetic iron oxide that stick to the leaves, making them magnetic.

WIRELESS EYES. A team of MIT researchers has entered the race to develop an implant that can restore partial vision to the blind. Unlike other implants under development, MIT's system does not place electrodes directly on the retina, which can damage the eye during implantation. Instead, the device stimulates nerves near the eyeball that carry visual information to the brain.

RADAR TECHNOLOGY. Conventional radar ranges are increasing, and that's just the start of the problem. Over-the-horizon radar can detect airplanes by bouncing signals off the ionosphere, 56 miles above Earth, while passive radar can provide enemies with rough tracks of an airplane's location, direction and altitude.

SELF CONTROL (presence of mind while doing it) is strength. Right thinking is mastery. Correct priority is wisdom. Calmness is power. What a gift! May God continue to grant us all these in 2026.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor in chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

Broken promises

“A promise made is a debt unpaid.”

—Robert W. Service

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE are not Einsteins, Mozarts or Newtons but we are good at remembering historical events, especially promises—including broken promises—made by famous characters in government.

We have been constantly reminded not to make promises if can’t keep them.

It’s always risky to make a promise in any situation because circumstances change and not all promises can be kept — not even in sickness and in health.

We must always remember life is unpredictable, circumstances change and we don't know what the future holds. Making promises can give both ourselves and our loved ones a false sense of hope.

We can’t forget 39 years ago when the late Mrs. Corazon Aquino, the country’s first woman president, famously used the price of galunggong, considered the "poor man's fish" in the Philippines, as a barometer of the country's economic hardship under the previous Marcos Sr. regime.

 

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The price of the fish however increased dramatically after she took office in a bloodless EDSA People Power uprising, from around P6 per kilo after the 1986 revolution to as much as P20 per kilo during her administration.

The broken promise led to criticism that the mother of future President Noynoy Aquino had failed to address poverty and improve the common Filipino's life. And we don’t forget until this moment.

Now comes President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr or BBM to his followers.

He and his laway (saliva) subalterns, the Remulla brothers —Jonvic and Jesus Crispin—made a promise to Filipinos to jail barracudas in the flood control project anomalies in the persons of senators, cabinet officials, congressmen, and even DPWH top honchos before Christmas day 2025.

We are now a whiff away from 2026 and all they could parade in public is the weakling Sarah Discaya and several DPWH rodents.

Jim Rohn once said, “For every promise, there is a price to pay. If the promise is clear, the price is easy.”

 

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The bedazzling saliva (laway) brothers lording over the Department of Justice and Office of the Ombudsman have become the president’s albatrosses, just in case many of us haven’t noticed it yet.

When Mr. Marcos Jr. lost (he let him ago) his administration’s most admired official in the person of former PNP chief and now Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Nicolas Torre in favor of DILG Secretary Jonvic (Jonvic and Torre had a silent rift), the president’s popularity started to decline.

No wonder Mr. Marcos Jr.’s popularity continued to nosedive based on the latest SWS survey.

Instead of promise, why not make agreements which are awesome? Two or more people agree on a set of rules and conditions in an agreement.

If the agreement is broken by one of the parties, then they take the blame, however if the agreement is broken by some outside force, it is no fault of either party.

 

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On December 28, 2011, I visited cancer patient Lorna Tolentino (not the Pinay actress) at the Burnaby General Hospital in Burnaby City, British Columbia. She was dying of ovarian cancer. It was my three straight Christmas in Canada and third meeting with a cancer patient scheduled to join the Creator.

In December 2009, I visited a 27-year-old female caregiver at the Vancouver General Hospital in Vancouver and interviewed her before she died. In December 2010, I visited another 27-year-old male patient in the same hospital before he died. My Christmas in Canada has been always dedicated to dying cancer patients. Bless their souls, oh Lord.

 

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OUR ABILITY TO BUILD MUSCLES. Thirty grams of protein are needed to maximize our body's ability to build muscles. University of Texas Medical Branch scientists found that eating 30 grams of protein at one meal helps muscle growth as much as taking in 90 grams does. Let's try smaller meals (3 to 4 hours apart) for a more efficient approach to repairing our muscles.

WHAT SCARES THE AIR FORCE. A pair of binoculars and a cellular phone can threaten modern warplanes. In 1999, Serbian airplane spotters watched U.S. aircraft leave an airbase in Italy. The spies alerted anti air-missile battery crews in Serbia to aim their long-wavelength radar overhead, enabling the crews to destroy a stealth F-117A nighthawk.

ANTHROPOMIMETIC MACHINES. No matter how closely a robot resembles a human on the outside, if we crack it open, the jumble of wires is unlikely to bear much resemblance to our insides. A group of European researchers aims to bridge that gap--its robot prototype is anthropomimetic, meaning it mimics the human form.

WE AND OUR NEIGHBORS. Some of the main reasons why our relationship with our neighbors--rich or poor-- has always been chaotic and hostile are:  A. Envy (both parties) B. They know our dark secrets (vice versa) C. Jealousy (both parties) D. Territorial dispute. Some people are always uncomfortable when they see their friends talking to their neighbors.

OUR TIMELINE. Some of our important choices have a time line. If we delay a decision (to get married, to work abroad, to transfer residence, to change career, etc) the opportunity is gone forever. Sometimes our doubts keep us from making a choice thus an opportunity may be missed. Let's think, decide and move!

Christmas is a season of love and forgiveness. So even if we are not aware of it, holding a grudge against someone who has done wrong cripples us. Our energy is consumed by hatred and ill-feelings rather than being spent on worthwhile endeavors. Better to forgive but don't forget. In my case, I WILL NEVER FORGET (including their names).

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)