ACCORDING to the Philippine Heart Association, approximately every 33 seconds, a Filipino suffers from some type of coronary event and almost every minute, someone dies from it. Cardiovascular diseases are among the principal causes of premature deaths. Heredity, although not a controllable risk factor plays a role in heart disease risk. It is a fact that children of parents who have heart disease of some kind have a predisposition to develop a similar disease later in life. Because individuals with a family history of heart disease are at a greater risk, it is important to focus on controllable risk factors such as not smoking, keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal range, becoming physically active, and maintaining a healthy weight.

AT the recent district conference of the Rotary Club in Subic, I shared my views on corruption and governance, or the lack of it.

THE outcry over jueteng brings to mind Sun Tzu’s "Art of War," which counsels: "Thunder in the East, strike in the West." Or something like that. The critics, detractors, and oppositionists to President Arroyo are on her on a comprehensible issue, an issue that brought down President Estrada. What worked once, it is hoped, should work again.

AFTER several decades, the farmer had finally arrived. The achievement was remarkable, given his complete lack of education. It was all through sheer dint of hard work and frugality. At last their resources had reached a level placing them among the top five percent of the whole town.

JUST when the weak-hearted were about to give up hope, there came the good news: The jueteng probe in the Senate will be held next Monday.

TODAY is the 195th anniversary of Argentina’s 1810 May Revolution. Argentina is a federal republic headed by a President, assisted by a Council of Ministers. Legislative powers are vested in a National Congress consisting of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies. Argentina is a member of the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS).

HYPOGLYCEMIA is a low level of glucose in the blood. When this occurs, the muscles and cells in your body are deprived of energy-providing glucose. The condition occurs almost exclusively in people with diabetes mellitus, especially those who are taking insulin injections or oral hypoglycemic medications. Taking too much insulin, not keeping to the prescribed meal schedule, or unusually strenous or prolonged exercise call all bring on an attack, which if severe is called diabetic coma. Other causes include stomach surgery, some types of cancer, and reaction to various drugs, alcohol, liver disease, pregnancy, and high fever.

MEDIA reports directly linking First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and his son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, to jueteng are, to say the least, unfair. The reports are based on very dubious sources. They are unidentified. Their alleged statements are unverified. Even hearsay. Anyone can be accused of the most heinous of crimes and be unjustly tried by publicity under similar circumstances.

LAST week (May 15-19, 2005), the City of Tagaytay was fortunate to play host to another very significant gathering of environmental experts for the 10th Living Lakes International Conference. With the theme: "Responsible Stewardship by Lake Communities – Sustainable Development of Densely Populated Lake Regions," the conference was spearheaded by the Living Lakes Partnership and CLEAR (Conservation of Laguna de Bay’s Environment and Resources) – a tripartite organization comprised of Laguna Lake Development Authority, Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands and Unilever Philippines – and graced by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Attendees included almost two hundred (200) lake management experts from various parts of the globe who shared experiences and technology in relation with lake resource administration, particularly on the aspect of lake protection through community participation.

"One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea."

(Retirement speech of Deputy Director General Reynaldo Vicente Velasco, delivered at Camp Crame, Quezon City, May 23, 2005.)

AFTER my afternoon mass in Malacañang, I got to talk with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo about the economic situation.

JESUS and His disciples were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. They were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, He began to tell them what was going to happen to Him. "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles who will mock Him, spit upon Him, scourge Him, and put Him to death, but after three days He will rise."