Banned from FIFA confab, will Nyok fly to New York?

"A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it." George A. Moore

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Sources from the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) here informed us recently that Bacolod City Mayor Monico "Nyok" Puentevella will be among the Philippine government officials who will grace the 117th Philippine Independence Day, which will be celebrated in a grand parade on June 7, here.

Puentevella's presence should be necessary since Bacolod's Masskara Festival has been reportedly invited to participate in this year's parade of Philippines festivals.

We will have a press conference this afternoon (June 2) at the office of PhilippineConsul General Mario L. de Leon Jr. where Philippine Ambassador Albert del Rosario will reportedly arrive from Washington, D.C. in relation to the big activity on Sunday.

Three days ago, we learned that Puentevella was prevented from traveling to Switzerland to attend the International Football Federation (FIFA) congress because of the pending graft case filed against him when he was a congressman.

ABORTED

We remember Puentevella's aborted trip to Switzerland when the PIDCI sources informed us the 68-year-old mayor of the "City of Smiles" would be arriving here for the Philippine Independence Day Parade.   

If he wasn't able to attend the FIFA congress in Switzerland as board member of FIFA's marketing and television committee which was only days ago, can he be allowed to attend the Philippine Independence Day parade in the United States on June 7?

Since Puentevella has a U.S. visa, he can travel to the US anytime except if there is a hold departure order against him.

We presumed that any elected official with pending graft case does not lose his right to travel especially if it involves an activity about Philippine festivals or commemoration of historical events.

We saw Puentevella in Las Vegas during the Mayweather versus Pacquiao rumble on May 2, thus we conclude that the United States did not ban him from entering here in relation to sports, festivals and other important events.

CONVICT

And besides, Puentevella has not been convicted of any crime. 

A graft case does not make a person criminal unless proven otherwise.

A graft case can't curtail any person's right to move around and travel abroad to attend in activities related to his function as a public official. 

This year, noted area lawyer and community leader Reuben S. Seguritan will be the Grand Marshal for the Philippine Independence Day Parade.

Seguritan was the founding President of PIDCI when it was incorporated on February 14, 2002.  He also co-founded the Filipino American Human Services, Inc. (FAHSI), a leading New York organization that provides social services to disadvantaged Filipinos, according to its website.

Seguritan was presented to the community by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) at the official residence of the Philippine Consul General in New York, Ambassador Mario L. de Leon, Jr. at a dinner and merrymaking-in-the season event last December 8, 2014, attended by close to 100 community who’s who.

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NOTE: The Damayan Migrant Workers Association, iAmerica and 1199SEIU will provide free immigration services and free health services for uninsured/low-wage workers in the "Free Health and Immigration Fair" during the Philippine Independence Day celebration on Madison Avenue between 25 and 26 Streets, next to Madison Square Park...It's been raining in the Big Apple since May 31. We are hoping that the weather will improve during the parade...The Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) is an umbrella organization of Filipino American associationns based on the East Coast. It is principally dedicated to promoting history, the cultural heritage and traditions of the Filipino people through the celebration of Philippine Independence Day, hence, the name. But there is more to PIDCI than its name implies. Jojie Jalandani, an RN from Victorias City, Negros Occidental, was the council president in 2010-2011.  

Beware of heat stroke

“The stroke of death is as a lover’s pinch, which hurts and is desired.” William Shakespeare

By Alex P. Vidal

FEUDING Bacolod politicians, Mayor Monico “Nyok” Puentevella and Rep. Evelio “Bing” Leonardia, are expected to meet again in Las Vegas, Nevada during the Fight of the Century between Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao and Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. on May 2.

Both Negros leaders are actually close buddies of the eight-time world titlist, who speaks fluent Hiligaynon like them.

Sometime in August 2005, Puentevella visited Pacquiao in his training camp in the house of our friend, international promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud, in Cebu City.

Pacquiao stopped training when he noticed that his friend, who was then “Congressman Puentevella”, was present.  

Pacquiao was then revving up for his September bout against Hector Velasquez in Los Angeles.  

Leonardia has been holding Pacquiao’s WBC belt during the introduction since 2008 when Pacquiao eked out a 12-round split decision in a rematch against Juan Manuel Marquez.

When other interested characters (not Puentevella) tried to grab the belt from Leonardia during the Ricky Hatton fight in 2009, the traditional holding of belt has been stopped.

Leonardia was still there in the ring during introductions in Pacquiao’s succeeding fights, but he was already holding the Philippine flag.

Both Leonardia and Puentevella have not displayed any rancor and hostility while they were beside Pacquiao.

-o0o-

WARNING to would-be politicians who are now starting to make rounds in the villages amid the searing summer heat in preparations for the 2016 elections: beware of heat stroke.

A 53-year-old tour guide from Guimaras Province, who spent many years in Canada after his retirement as sailor in the 90s, recently died of heat stroke in Iloilo City.

The tour guide, who once dabbled as bodyguard of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago when the later was campaigning for president in 1992, wanted to run for a public office in his province next year, thus he frequented various villages to shake the hands of constituents even if humidity was on its alarming heat these past months.

In one of his sorties, he collapsed and didn’t make it to the Western Visayas Medical Center in Mandurriao district, Iloilo City recently.

Who are prone to heat stroke?

According to health experts, they are those who have chronic illnesses like heart disease, obesity, alcoholism, old age, Parkinson’s disease, uncontrolled diabetes, those who use certain medications such as diuretics and antihistamines, and those who use some psychoactive drugs as alcohol and cocaine.

SUNSTROKE

Also known as sunstroke, thermic fever or siriasis, heat stroke occurs when our body’s mechanisms for controlling temperature fail, according to C.Health.

In other words, it’s a life-threatening emergency needing immediate treatment.

“While many people feel sick and faint during heat waves,” it explains, “most of these people are suffering from heat exhaustion, a related condition usually less serious than heat stroke.”

C.Health stresses that the causes of heat stroke is working or exercising in hot conditions or weather without drinking enough fluids.

“You can get heat stroke by not replacing lost fluids over days or weeks, or you can bring it on in a few hours by exercising strenuously on a hot day without drinking plenty of liquids first,” warns C.Health.

Why we need more liquids in the body, especially this summer?

C.Health says liquids help to cool us down by allowing the body to produce sweat.

“However,” it stresses, “liquids are also necessary for bodily functions, such as keeping up blood pressure. You can lose large amounts of body fluid in the form of sweat without noticing any effects, but at a certain point the body will reserve the remaining fluid for vital functions and stop sweating.

“The body’s core temperature then shoots up, and cells start dying. Sweat evaporates more rapidly in dry weather, cooling the body more efficiently than in humid weather.

“When working in humid conditions, the core temperature rises more rapidly. This is why forecasts add a humidity factor or heat index to represent how you will actually feels outdoors.”

HEAVY

Health experts also warn that heavy clothing and some skin conditions can also contribute to the occurrence of heat stroke.

The symptoms of heat stroke are quite different from those of heat exhaustion, C.Health warns further.

A person suffering from heat exhaustion will usually be sweating profusely in an attempt to get rid of excess heat, it explains.

“Someone with heat stroke has stopped sweating, due to a failure in his or her heat control system. High core temperatures damage the internal organs, especially the brain. The fluid loss can also produce dangerously low blood pressure,” C.Health points out.

“Most people who are killed by heat stroke die when their heart stops pumping effectively (circulatory failure). Even people who survive are likely to have permanent brain damage if their core temperature has been over 40.6C (105F) for more than an hour or two.”