Iloilo City from ‘most shabulized’ to ‘like Singapore’

“Never forget that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression - with investors, with customers, with PR, and with marketing.”
--Natalie Massenet

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- WHILE President Rodrigo R. Duterte called Iloilo City as “the most shabulized”, Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin was all praises for the City of Love, calling it as “like Singapore.”
The President based his statement on “intelligence report” while the Chief Justice based his on what he and his wife, who accompanied him during the 17th National Convention of Lawyers held at the Iloilo Convention Center from March 28-31, 2019, saw with their own eyes.
While intelligence reports can mislead us, our eyes can not.
Chief Justice Bersamin and his wife were simply amazed by Iloilo City’s cleanliness, especially the highly regarded Iloilo River, one of the best rivers in the world.

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When important and credible people say nice things about Iloilo City based on their personal experiences and independent scrutiny, those who say negative and spread derogatory words about Iloilo City based on hearsay and muckraking, will sound and look like fools, especially if they have ill-motives.
When the Bersamin couple and the 3,000 lawyers who attended the recent convention went back to their respective cities and provinces, they would surely spread the good impression they have gathered about Iloilo City.
No amount of brainwashing and twisting of facts and reality from people with ax to grind against Iloilo City and its leaders can change or influence the favorable and truthful impressions.

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Now that the heads of the two branches of government--the executive and the judiciary-- have expressed their contrasting views about Yrong-Yrong, Ilonggos will be waiting for the honest-to-goodness opinions of the Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about the erstwhile “Queen City of the South” (the title the Ilonggos allegedly “lost” to Cebu City) to complete the tango.
Having been in Iloilo City more than a dozen times in the past, both leaders of Congress’ upper and lower chambers would never lie if asked about their own impression of Iloilo City under the new local administration and the administrations to come.
Other recent convention attendees, including foreigners, businessmen and dignitaries, must have seen what the Bersamin couple have seen in Iloilo City.
Or more than the cleanliness and orderliness in the metropolis, if they stayed longer.

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Candidates for the May elections who will “win” in surveys--bogus or genuine--to be conducted anytime this month should not react as if they hit a lotto jackpot.
As much as possible, they should refrain from “thanking the people for their trust and confidence; for their unwavering or continuing support, etcetera.”
The more they react this way, the more will people suspect the surveys where they “win” are rigged or staged as part of mind-conditioning.
If the surveys are legitimate, the outfits that commissioned the surveys will be the ones to report them to the media.
Let them convey the message to the public.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Alex P. Vidal Quotes (Secrets)

The biggest guru-mantra is: never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you.
-- CHANAKAYA :

Secrets can be either toxic or essential. If they leak, toxic secrets can wreck us emotionally and mentally. Essential secrets will promote normal growth and development because it is part of psychotherapy that can lead us to living a more rich, meaningful, creative, and balanced life.
-- ALEX P. VIDAL

Alex P. Vidal Quotes (Friends, Friendship)

Friendship is essentially a partnership.
-- ARISTOTLE :


Friends don't abuse and take advantage of each other's generosity and weaknesses; they advocate fair play and don't shortchange each other.
-- ALEX P. VIDAL

Jay Razon's respect

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.”
--Bryant H. McGill

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- JAY Atienza Razon, 64, was not in the group of my Filipino-Canadian friends who hosted a despedida party for me the night before I left Vancouver to Blaine, Washington on April 8, 2012, but he became one of my regular callers from Canada when I was already in the United States.
In my brief visits in Vancouver in 2008, 2009, 2010, I heard and read a lot about Jay Razon--both positive and negative--but we didn’t know each other yet.
I was the editor of the Surrey-based Philippine Asian News Today (PNT) published by 1976 Montreal Olympian Reynaldo “Rey” Fortaleza when I first met Jay Razon, who came to our editorial office to submit a basketball story to sports editor Alex Mino.
Our second meeting was on December 21, 2011 during Jay Razon’s 56th birthday, which he celebrated on crutches, 12 days after undergoing a surgery for Achilles Tendon.
I got several calls from Jay Razon in August 2018, where he relayed an information that he was “unfairly targeted and singled out without any due process.”
He was referring to the advisory posted by the Consulate General of the Philippines in Vancouver, Canada on its website on July 30, 2018 which screamed, “The Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Vancouver advises the general public about the unauthorized and unlicensed recruitment of Filipino workers being conducted by ‘Harvard Immigration.’”

-o0o-

Jay Razon, who owns the Harvard Immigration, protested the advisory and sought my help to clarify certain information which he claimed weren’t true. He said he had documents to back his story.
He remembered me “because I believe in you, Alex. I know that you have many readers; I know that you are fair and balance and willing to air both sides of the coin. I respect you as a journalist.”
Jay Razon admitted the issue faced by his immigration agency was “against all odds because of some false information fed to the RP consulate” but he “was only asking to be given the opportunity to air my side.”
I gave him the benefit of the doubt and lent him my ears.
In the spirit of fair play and balance reporting, I gave forlorn Jay Razon a space in my blogs and newspaper column. No strings attached.

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I advised him to focus on news websites and not to respond to attacks by anyone in the social media because the slanderous comments have no substance and are only temporary; they don’t have the depth and permanence--unlike the articles that appear in the news websites that surface online anytime when Googled and stay there permanently.
Jay Razon was the founder and president of the Filipino Plaza Society of British Columbia in Canada.
He was then advocating for the restoration of the Filipino Plaza, a landscaped park located in Vanness Avenue, west of SkyTrain's Nanaimo Station in the city of Vancouver.
I heard a lot of opposition from other factions in the Filipino-Canadian community; there were those who believed in his leadership, while others doubted Jay Razon’s capability to pursue and finish the project, which needed a gargantuan budget.
Jay Razon, a retired nurse and civil engineer by profession, told me he was determined to prove his critics wrong despite the brickbats.

-o0o-

I learned from our common friend, Tom Choy, that Jay Razon died on March 28.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported on that day the following:
“This afternoon at 2:15 p.m., Burnaby RCMP and a number of other agencies including the Coast Guard, BC Emergency Health Services, Burnaby Fire Department, Coquitlam RCMP and the Vancouver Police Marine Unit responded to a report of an adult male kayaker who had capsized in the water at Barnet Marine Park and not resurfaced. At 3:20 p.m., the adult male kayaker was located deceased.”
Jay Atienza Razon left too soon without any warning.
His demise came about 24 hours after he wrote “Good reporting, Alex”, his last comment on the “live” report I made in the Times Square in New York City posted on my Facebook account. 

Rest in peace, Jay.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Important warning to all feeble candidates

"If you can't stand the heat in the dressing room, get out of the kitchen." --Terry Venables By Alex P. Vidal AS local candidates prepare for a full-court press campaign sortie in the May elections, the searing heat brought by El Nino phenomenon threatens to cause some of them a terrible inconvenience, especially those with a bad history in hypertension and other physical symptoms brought by so much heat exposure. What happened to entertainer Chokoleit, who died shortly after a performance in Abra recently, could happen to any candidate who will hit the campaign period with a poor health and lack of adequate preparations to tackle the summer heat. Over fatigue and heat stroke could dash to pieces their dreams of serving the public.  If a candidate is sickly, it's better to avoid an extended heat exposure during the campaign period. Better still, he or she must quit before it's too late. After all, health is still wealth. A form of hyperthermia or heat-related illness, heat stroke is an abnormally elevated body temperature with accompanying physical symptoms including changes in the nervous system function. -o0o- Leading medical author, Dr. Mellisa Conrad Stoppler, said unlike heat cramps and heat exhaustion, two other forms of hyperthermia that are less severe, heat stroke is a true medical emergency that is often fatal if not properly and promptly treated. She said heat stroke is also sometimes referred to as heatstroke or sun stroke. Severe hyperthermia is defined as a body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher. Dr. Stoppler explained that the body normally generates heat as a result of metabolism, and is usually able to dissipate the heat by radiation of heat through the skin or by evaporation of sweat. However, she pointed out, in extreme heat, high humidity, or vigorous physical exertion under the sun, the body may not be able to sufficiently dissipate the heat and the body temperature rises, sometimes up to 106 F (41.1 C) or higher. -o0o- Another cause of heat stroke is dehydration. A dehydrated person may not be able to sweat fast enough to dissipate heat, which causes the body temperature to rise. Dr. Stoppler stressed that heat stroke is not the same as a stroke. "Stroke" is the general term used to describe decreased oxygen flow to an area of the brain. She said those most susceptible (at risk) individuals to heat stroke include: Infants; the elderly (often with associated heart diseases, lung diseases, kidney diseases, or who are taking medications that make them vulnerable to dehydration and heat strokes); athletes; individuals who work outside and physically exert themselves under the sun; infants, children, or pets left in cars. Dr. Stoppler added that heat stroke is sometimes classified as exertional heat stroke (EHS, which is due to overexertion in hot weather) or non-exertional heat stroke (NEHS, which occurs in climactic extremes and affects the elderly, infants, and chronically ill. Symptoms of heat stroke can sometimes mimic those of heart attack or other conditions. Sometimes a person experiences symptoms of heat exhaustion before progressing to heat strokes. -o0o- Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps and aches, and dizziness, explained Dr. Stoppler. However, some individuals can develop symptoms of heat stroke suddenly and rapidly without warning. Dr. Stoppler said different people may have different symptoms and signs of heatstroke. Common symptoms and signs of heat stroke include: high body temperature, the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, and/or coma. According to Dr. Stoppler, victims of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent organ damage. First and foremost, cool the victim. --Get the victim to a shady area, remove clothing, apply cool or tepid water to the skin (for example, you may spray the person with cool water from a garden hose), fan the victim to promote sweating and evaporation, and place ice packs under the armpits and groin. --If the person is able to drink liquids, have them drink cool water or other cool beverages that do not contain alcohol or caffeine. --Monitor body temperature with a thermometer and continue cooling efforts until the body temperature drops to 101 to 102 F (38.3 to 38.8 C). --Always notify emergency services (911) immediately. If their arrival is delayed, they can give you further instructions for treatment of the victim. (The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo).

Don’t call me ‘doctor’; don’t call me ‘doc’

“Finish last in your league and they call you idiot. Finish last in medical school and they call you doctor.” 

--Abe Lemons

NEW YORK CITY -- Doctor Oscar London continues to defend his claim to be the World’s Best Doctor by explaining the 57 rules he follows.
His Rule No. 4 is: Don’t call me “doctor”; don’t call me “doc.’
London admits he becomes “apoplectic” when a new receptionist refers to him as “Doctor” instead of “Doctor London.”
“Doctor is tied up at the hospital and will be a little late.”
“Doctor will see you now.”
“Doctor wants you to make another appointment in June.”
In his own explanation, Dr. London thinks this reverential use of “Doctor” is a throwback to an age when physicians had little more to offer patients than a mega-dose of holiness--when an ethereal stench of sanctimony pervaded their office.
“Doctor will be with you in time.”
“As far as I’m concerned, “ he explains, “the high and mighty “Doctor” has no place in an up-to-date, down-to-earth medical office.
“At the risk of being stuffy, I must confess to being less than overjoyed when a patient calls me ‘Doc.’ I realize that ‘Doc’ is often used as a term of endearment. But to me, ‘Doc’ is what you call an excellent poker player who never went to medical school and what you call the town drunk who did.”
Dr. London says “Doc” is what Bugs Bunny calls Elmer Fudd.
“Doc” also sounds too much like “duck,” a species of fowl that goes, “quack-quack.”
To sum up, “Doctor” is not pleased to be called “Doc.”
He continues: “While we’re on the subject, I make a point of addressing Ph.D.’s as “Doctor” unless instructed not to. They earned their doctorate; I earned mine. In my neck of the medical woods, there are so many Ph.D.’s and physicians per capita that everyone seems to be calling each other “Doctor.”
“I few years ago, I hired a receptionist who had earned a Ph.D. in botany,” he narrates. “She once informed me, ‘Doctor London, doctor Shapiro’s wife, Doctor Gottlieb-Shapiro, is calling you from Doctor Mishkin’s office.’ ‘Thank you, Doctor Oglethorpe,’ I replied to the receptionist.”
“I had to let her go. She may have had a Ph.D. in botany, but she let all the plants in my office die,” Dr. London adds. “Besides, we were doctoring each other to death.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Kill as Few Patients as Possible

“Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.”
--Alia Bhatt

NEW YORK CITY -- In Kill as Few Patients as Possible, Dr. Oscar London warns that if our physician aspires to be the World’s Best Doctor, “he or she will have to wait until I die.”

London describes himself as “sixty-one, don’t smoke, and always wears my seat belt.”
Let’s listen to what London has to say more about himself: I have taken the precaution of descending from ancestors who lived well into their nineties. I have no immediate plans to retire, run amok, or ride off into the sunset on my Schwinn exercycle.
I have taken time from my busy--but not killing--practice of internal medicine to pass along some hard-won strategies that, at best, will save your life. Or, at least, will permit your own physician to become the world’s second best doctor.
Then, when Hippocrates and Aesculapius summon me to join their Group Practice in the Sky, your healer will be in the catbird seat.
Your shaman will be poised to assume my current role of Mother Earth’s Favorite Son--the Doctor. Or Daughter, as the case may be.
How did I get to be Top Doc? How come heads of state phone me long distance, at odd hours, to say they took the two aspirin and now what?
Why does my appointment book read like a compendium of Who’s Who, Burke’s Peerage, and People magazine?
What is the key to my success? Is it my uncommon good looks?
My uncanny diagnostic skills? My charisma? My modesty? Yes, all of those, but more important: my strict adherence to the rules.
Daily Planet correspondent Sari Friedman called Dr. London as “a pseudonymous Berkeley internist who practices out of a two-story sole proprietorship on Webster Street”.
Friedman wrote: “From Voodoo to Viagra” vents on such topics as: “The 7 Habits of Highly Obnoxious Patients” and “How to Cut Your Doctor’s Bill in Half.” (For his next collection, maybe Dr. London will cover “How not to complain after spending long lonely hours in pain in a doctor’s waiting room, only to become the target of a sarcastic essay.”)
But I quibble, for the writing in “From Voodoo to Viagra” is witty and tart, informative on a array of issues and surprisingly fun, despite the acerbic point of view piercing as one of those long -- loooong -- needles about to give you a shot.
Dr. London does have his not-so-secret lusts: for Krispy Kreme donuts from Union City; for dissing alternative medical modalities such as the use of St. John’s Wort in treating depression and the use of magnets in reducing pain; and methinks Dr. London moans a bit much over the trials and travails of having the occasional celebrity patient.
Many of Dr. London’s ideas are original and even impressive, such as that “the bloated burger billionaires should direct their charitable funds to the American Heart Association, much as the tobacco execs, out of the goodness of their prosecutor’s hearts, are contributing a bundle to Lung Cancer research.” He also has fascinating things to say about testosterone.
But Dr. London’s voice soars to its most inspiring heights when he recounts his happy experience of making an apt and unusual double diagnosis (in non-English speaking cousins) of Mitral Stenosis – a rare, life-threatening, but potentially quite curable condition. Dr. London loves the practice of medicine: “trading in arthritic broken-down joints for shiny, metallic models that run like brand-new Audi TT coupes” and hitting upon the perfect drug or combination of drugs to effect a cure on even the most bedraggled and hopeless of patients.
While laughter is, indeed, strong medicine, these memoirs primarily show how humor can motivate and soothe the physician.
Nothing wrong with that.
When all’s said and done, Dr. London comes across as sweet. He greatly admires firefighters, and he attributes the fact that married men live longer than bachelors to the way most wives take such careful care of their husbands: “I’ve never seen a husband drag his wife to the doctor. I’ve seen a thousand wives drag their husbands into my office.” He adores his family and – bless him – works hard to serve the “25 patients a day” the HMOs require him to see.
As he says, “in the end, all of us will be most remembered not for what we did but for how deeply we loved.”