Sotto, Zamora, Moreno topple giants; make history in PH politics
Marje Pelayo • May 14, 2019 • 9395
(L-R) Vico Sotto, Francis Zamora and Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso
MANILA, Philippines – The political arena had a complete turn-around in major cities in the country as the reign of political clans ended and new faces emerged victorious in Monday’s 2019 midterm polls.
Pasig City’s new, “millennial” mayor
A promise of a “new kind of politics” is about to start in Pasig City after 29-year-old Councilor Vico Sotto braved the pressure to break the almost three-decade unbroken line of Eusebios in the country’s eighth largest city.
On his official Facebook page, Sotto thanked his supporters for the trust while he promised to lead the city to its new beginning.
“Maraming salamat. Sa lahat ng nagbigay ng tiwala, sa mga bumoto, at sa mga nakiisa sa ating laban,” the incoming Mayor said.
“Sulit po ang pagod at effort natin. Narinig na ng bayan ang ating tinig. Handa na ang Pasig para sa tunay at pangmatagalang pagbabago!” he added.
Sotto, who topped the councilor race in 2016 in his first ever attempt in public office, is the son of veteran celebrities Vic Sotto and Coney Reyes.
Sotto did not field a vice mayor which left the incumbent Iyo Christian Caruncho Bernardo unopposed.
His party-mate former Rep. Roman Romulo also won the race against Mayor Bobby Eusebio’s brother incumbent Rep. Ricky Eusebio and is now a returning congressman for Pasig City’s lone district.
A game changer in San Juan City
Businessman Francis Zamora is the new mayor of San Juan City ending the reign of the Ejercito-Estrada clan in the smallest city in Metro Manila.
Zamora considered himself a game-changer after winning the election against Jannela Ejercito, the daughter of former senator Jinggoy Estrada and granddaughter of Manila’s incumbent mayor Joseph Estrada.
The new mayor promised to turn the old city of San Juan into a highly developed “Smart City” with improved services and state-of-the-art facilities.
Francis’ father, Ronaldo Zamora, remains in office after defeating challenger Edu Manzano for the lone district of San Juan.
The Estrada clan took hold of San Juan City since 1969 when then popular actor Joseph Estrada won as mayor. He was succeeded by his sons Jinggoy and JV Ejercito then JV’s mother Guia Gomez to whom Zamora narrowly lost his bid for mayor in 2016.
The Zamoras and Estradas were family friends for 30 years until Francis and Guia both ran in the mayoralty race in 2016. Francis claimed he was cheated in the election.
Dethroning a giant
Former Vice Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso defeated the “giant” in the country’s capital, Manila.
The new mayor described his win as a “humbling experience” while he could only wish the best for his opponent, former president and mayor Joseph Estrada.
“Maging masaya ang kaniyang mga araw sa buhay. Maging maligaya din siya na kapiling ang kaniyang pamilya…Nakapaglingkod na naman siya sa taumbayan. Napagbigyan na rin naman siya. And I think he did enough already for the country and for the city,” Domagoso said of Estrada.
A Tondo boy who used to scavenge for food, Domagoso established his political career from serving three terms as a city councilor, another three terms as vice mayor and the most recent as an undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
As now the new mayor of Manila, he promised “more programs of governance” for the city.
“Today is just the beginning. It’s going to be challenging years for us. People are expecting pero may awa ang Dios. We always wanted to be guided by law and order and by God,” he said after securing his win.
His running mate, incumbent Vice Mayor Maria Sheilah Lacuna-Pangan, also won for a second term in office. — Marje Pelayo
MANILA, Philippines – New halfway houses which will cater to cancer patients will soon rise in the Philippine capital, the Manila City government said.
In a statement Monday, Manila City Health Officer Dr. Arnold Pangan said the construction of halfway houses is part of an integrated plan to strengthen the city’s public health facilities.
Pangan said halfway houses will serve as temporary shelters for cancer patients at the Philippine General Hospital as well as the city’s specialized health centers to ease their recovery and lessen transportation expenses.
Likewise, the city government also said it aims to build new facilities for diabetes patients and wellness centers for women.
“Our plans include building specialty centers for diabetes, halfway homes for cancer patients, and women wellness centers,” Pangan said during a consultation meeting with Manila district hospital chiefs and health center directors.
“We are also planning to create Super Health Centers with Vertical Housing for our employees,” he added.
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso emphasized that the city government requires mutual cooperation and thorough assessments to provide the best health care services to the people.
“Kaya ako nag a-assess. I govern with data. I want to utilize whatever is here to spend it efficiently and so that the city government will be guided accordingly.”
Domagoso stressed the intent to reestablish the people’s confidence in public health systems through joint effort and correspondence.
“I encourage each and everyone of you, it’s high time to collaborate. I want to declog our hospitals. I want the people of Manila to trust our health centers. ‘Yun ang pangarap natin, ibalik ang dignidad ng mga health centers,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), stroke is one of the leading causes of deaths worldwide.
In its report, the WHO said that of the 56.9 million deaths worldwide in 2016, stroke and Ischaemic heart disease accounted for a combined 15.2 million deaths.
A stroke occurs when there’s bleeding in your brain or when blood flow to the brain is blocked or limited.
Its risk factors include having high blood pressure, had a previous stroke, smoking, diabetes and heart disease. A person’s risk of stroke also increases with age.
A stroke is a true emergency that needs quick action.
When a person is having a stroke, every second counts and quick intervention may increase a person’s chance of survival and reduce the risk of long-term disability.
Strokes, depending on its severity, can carry a number of sudden, telltale signs, including:
Drooping on one side of the face
Difficulty in lifting of one or both arms to its full weight
Slurred or difficulty with talking and understanding speech
Loss of vision
Difficulty in walking, dizziness
Loss of balance or consciousness
The WHO said that having sudden severe headache with no known cause is another potential sign that one might be having a stroke.
According to UNTV’s Lifesaver program, a bystander should use F.A.S.T to help remember warning signs in the event of possible stroke:
Face. Does the face droop on one side when the person tries to smile?
Arms. Can the person lift his/her one arm to its full weight?
Speech. Is the person having a slurred speech or difficulty with talking and understanding speech?
Time. If you observe any of these signs, immediately call a local emergency number.
What should you do while waiting for the emergency medical service to arrive?
Remain calm. Talk to the person and reassure him or her that help is on the way.
If the person is conscious, gently place them into a comfortable position but do not try to move them any further.
Do not give them any food or liquids.
Note the person’s symptoms and look for any changes in condition. Also try to remember the time when symptoms started. It is important to give the emergency medical responder as much information as possible about the person’s situation.
If he or she falls unconscious, monitor their airway and breathing by lifting the person’s chin and tilt their head slightly backward. Look to see if their chest is moving or listen for breathing sounds.
If there are no signs of breathing, start performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
During a medical emergency situation, always remember to stay focused and take action quickly.
Watch these episodes of Lifesaver below for more information on the early signs of stroke:
A fire razed an industrial warehouse of San Miguel Corporation in Pandacan, Manila on Saturday (February 1).
According to the Manila Fire District, the fire erupted at 10:35 a.m. at San Miguel Yamamura Corporation Compound.
The fire reached Task Force Bravo, and was declared out at around 2:52 p.m. Estimated damage reached P15 million which includes the on-going construction of the Skyway Bridge.
No casualties were reported by authorities.
Based on the report of the Manila Fire District, the fire allegedly originated from a stack of plastic pallets placed in the open place under the Skyway extension project.—AAC
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