eHealth Philippines: Technology in Support of Kalusugang Pangkalahatan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The dream of a universal health care program is quite noble. We all want everyone to gain access and to receive the necessary health services in order to ensure equal benefits for all. To be able to bring about health care even to the most remote areas of the country is a daunting task but is an ideal necessity that will be very beneficial to our countrymen.

This is where information and communication technology play a vital role. We need an infrastructure that would assist us in getting and delivering information that would be used by our medical practitioners and decision makers involved in the deployment of these health services.

The partnership forged among the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) and the Department of Health (DOH) to come out with the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE), is an initiative that would ensure accurate and timely health information exchange that can be instrumental in improving the services of these three agencies as well as the other organizations that could use the said data.

At a press conference which was part of the eHealth Forum held the same day, July 26, 2014, at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia complex, several heads of government agencies like the DOH and DOST presented to the media the PHIE project. Leading the press conference panel were Secretary Enrique T. Ona of DOH, Secretary Mario G. Montejo of DOST, UnderSecretary Teodoro J. Herbosa of DOH, Dr. Jaime C. Montoya of PHRD, and Dr. Shaun J. Grannis of the Regenstrief Institute USA. Everyone was available to the inquiries of the media.

Zomato Foodies Enjoyed Heavenly Delights at Angel's Kitchen

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Zomato let's you discover foodie places that may be out of your radar due to the fact that there are just so many restaurants and other food spots available in the Metro. Their very convenient app allows you to search for dining alternatives so you could experience more possible favorites within your neighborhood or nearby areas.

They also hold special events with foodies every now and then, and you'll feel really honored you are among the few that they invite. Our Zomato foodies meet-up at Angel's Kitchen was more than just a food or restaurant review, it was an opportunity to get to know fellow foodies more intimately, that is, if you can steer your focus away from the delightful and heavenly dishes being served.

Since taking photos of the food is a necessity before finally trying them out, most of us are engrossed in trying our best to get the best shot of the food that will truly be presented in the most delicious way for the benefit of our readers. There is such a thing called the "yummy angle" that would make the food look more sumptuous than it really is. Some would even go to a greater extent of actually doing "food porn", and even beyond that - like applying an assortment of stuff just to make the food look more appetizing.

But the real foodies would spend several minutes taking photos of the food as is from different angles, probably re-arranged the food with a spoon or pork to make it more organized and facing properly, wait for the others to finish, then dine on the already cold food before it gets any more colder.

A Principle to Adhere

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I first got my journalism experience when I was in high school. Although we are "working" at our school, we were taught that it's still unethical even for us student journos then to be biased in our report. Time flies, and now I'm working for two (soon three) online news sites and owning three blogs.

Now working for mainstream media, I have to abide by the rules, and one of the most important rules is to not have some biases. This is especially true in sports, especially if you use to cheer for one team. It may sound easier said than done, but as mediamen, we have to be impartial at all times.

I find it a privilege that my superiors (well, they're my friends) assigned me, an alum from a UAAP school, to the NCAA last year (curiously, they, alums from NCAA schools, reported for the UAAP then) probably so that no bias will be done.

However, some journos still get caught cheering for a particular team or player while flaunting the media passes they have, so it was a no surprise when TJ Jurado sent me and many more media reporters an email regarding this matter.

According to Joey Villar of Philippine Star, the email has something to do with what happened at one Shakey's V-League game when Jun Lumibao, the president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, was heard getting upset at an apparent cheering of a mediaman at a certain team... with his media pass worn!