By Alexander Villafania
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines –While electronic waste in the Philippines remains low, environmental group Greenpeace warns that the lack of legislation against proper disposal and management of e-waste could have dire effects on the country’s ecology and human health in the future.

Due to the lack of proper legislation and take back initiatives from private companies selling computer equipment, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Toxic Waste Campaigner Beau Baconguis said the Philippines could suffer from an e-waste problem in the next five years.

She said the Philippines is also becoming host to many call centers and business process outsourcing companies that purchase and eventually replace computers after three to four years.

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By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

In her recent State of the Nation Address, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo guaranteed that her government will be focusing on environment protection and water conservation, as she promised to allocate at least P3.5 billion for various projects next year.

She said P2 billion will be allocated to forest protection and reforestation projects in an effort to reduce effects of typhoons brought about by global climate change.

Arroyo said she will also allocate another P1.5 billion for water conservation projects for 2009. This amount, she added, is three times the amount that was allocated for water-related projects in 2008.

Arroyo said her administration had been implementing and enforcing several environment laws, such as the Solid Waste Management Act, Clean Water Act and the Biofuels Act.

To reduce waste disposal problems, Arroyo said that 21 sanitary waste plants have been opened with another 18 more to be activated next year.

She cited the “Zero-Basura Olympics,” which aims to encourage the public to be part of government’s waste problems reduction by implementing recycling programs.

By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

A SEDENTARY lifestyle, which characterizes an inactive life for most of the day, could lead to cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, a Filipino doctor said.

Hypertension is the number one killer disease in the Philippines today, with seven to eight million Filipinos affected by it, stressed Dr. Rafael Castillo, president of the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH).

Speaking during a recent event promoting the “Heart Healthy” program, Castillo added that half of those affected are not aware that they have hypertension.

“It is a lifestyle disease. So it requires a lifestyle change. It’s understandable that most Filipinos are busy with their work but taking care of your body will go a long way,” Castillo said.

In an interview, Castillo said those who are not aware that they have the illness are “walking time bombs,” unaware of their condition until symptoms occur.

Symptoms include difficulty in breathing, chest pains, headaches and lethargy.

“They are asymptomatic and don’t show any signs of the disease until the problem becomes complicated. If they do not take care of themselves there could be no turning back,” Castillo said.

Castillo said Filipinos must eat right and have regular exercises to reduce the chances of developing hypertension.

Castillo said that Filipinos should closely monitor their health to lessen the risk of developing hypertension.

The PHS recently partnered with medical hardware manufacturer Omron for the Heart Healthy program, which promotes active lifestyle changes among adults, especially older people who have more chances of developing the disease.

The Father of Smoking Cessation, Dr. Karl Fagerström, tells smokers to quit smoking now. He also listed down ways to get rid of the habit.

Fagerström was in Manila to speak on “Why Quitting Can’t Wait: A Forum on the Issue of Nicotine Addiction.”

Watch this video interview with Fagerstrom done by multimedia reporter Izah Morales.

He has created a nicotine dependence scale, aptly called “The Fagerström Test For Nicotine Dependence,” which later earned him a World Health Organization medal 1999 for outstanding work in tobacco control, according to this website.

Listen to this interesting podcast of Fagerström’s speech during the UK National Smoking Cessation Conference way back in 2005.

Microbiologist Erwin Torres, who is also an expert in alternative and naturopathic medicine, explains the role and importance of probiotics in the human body in this video interview with INQUIRER.net multimedia specialist Erika Tapalla.