Two Babies Born with Microcephaly Reported in Iloilo

Two babies with microcephaly reported in Iloilo 

IMAGE pbs.org

Iloilo Health Officials confirmed to ABS-CBN News that there are now two cases of babies born with microcephaly in the province, particularly in the district of Mandurriao. Microcephaly, a birth defect in which the baby has an abnormally smaller head, is said to be caused by the Zika virus infecting the mother while pregnant. Iloilo has had several confirmed cases of Zika since last year, but none of them were pregnant women. According to Dr. Bernard Caspe of the Iloilo Health Office, the mom of one baby had already tested negative for Zika, and the birth defect may have been due to other causes. He adds that microcephaly could also be caused by drinking, smoking, or taking unsafe medication while pregnant. He also revealed that they have limited information on the second suspected microcephaly case, as the family of the baby refuses to cooperate. As of last update, there have been 57 confirmed cases of Zika in the country, seven of whom are pregnant women. (abs-cbn.com)


Joross Gamboa shares advice for all married men who feel tempted to cheat

The actor gave his two cents' worth for married men who feel tempted to cheat on their wives. At the press conference of the new movie My Ex and Whys headlined by Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano, Joross said, "Palagi kong sinasabi, ang temptasyon, hindi nilalabanan, tinatakbuhan. Kasi ilang beses ko nang nilabanan ang temptasyon, palagi akong natatalo. Kaya bago pa mangyari ang sitwasyon, ang payo ko sa mga kalalakihan, layuan niyo na," he said. This was after a playful exchange with co-star Karen Reyes, former Pinoy Big Brother teen housemate, using their lines from the movie. Joross is proud to say that he's a happily married man. He and his wife Katz have a son, Jace Kyler, who just turned one last October. (pep.ph)


House bill wants to declare February 14 as National Family Day 

IMAGE istockphoto.com

House Bill No. 4845, or the National Family Day Act, was authored by Cebu Representative Rodrigo A. Abellanosa and aims to honor and instill in Filipinos "the importance of nurturing the most basic unit of the community, the family." According to the bill, "a community comprised of families that are economically stable is also a community that is such. Hence, strengthening the family unit may well be the key to a stronger nation." The proposed law would consider February 14 as a special working holiday, but would encourage all government offices, private entities, and academic institutions to conduct programs and activities that pay tribute to the family. It also aims to help the government curb the drug problem. "The drug menace has long thrived because the family environment has festered with misplaced values that have cultivated errant behavior," the bill read. (congress.gov.ph)


What does Scarlet Snow want to be when she grows up? 

The adorable daughter of Vicki Belo and Hayden Kho looks like she may want to follow in her mom's footsteps. On an Instagram video, you can hear Hayden asking Scarlet what she wants to be when she grows up. It's a tough question to ask a tot who's yet to turn two. After a long pause, Scarlet replied, in the most adorable way, that she wants to be a “der-ma-to-lo-gist.” "You want to be a dermatologist like mommy? Really?" Hayden said. Vicki posted the same video on her Instagram account with the caption, "Finally, I found my successor." (pep.ph)


Duterte to push for revival of mandatory ROTC for Grades 11, 12

This is according to a Facebook post by Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary Manny Piñol. "President Rody Duterte has approved the return of the Reserved Officers Training Course in Grades 11 and 12 of the country's public and private schools," his post read. The approval came after the issue was discussed thoroughly following Department of National Defense (DND) secretary Delfin Lorenzana's presentation proposing an amendment to Republic Act No. 7077 to make ROTC mandatory. According to Piñol's post, Lorenzana said ROTC instills patriotism, love of country, moral and spiritual values, respect for human rights and adherence to the Constitution. The mandatory ROTC was stopped in 2011 due to several abuse cases and hazing incidents, including the death of a student. The new proposal includes strict implementation of the Anti-Hazing Law to avoid a repeat of such incidents. (inquirer.net)