“Mommy ’s love”

TRUE to form and substance, our program lanes this October is over crowded with a chain of programs focusing on the youth, the senior citizens as well as our city’s cosmopolitan residents. Simultaneously, on Oct. 1st, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and the Filipino Elderly Month honouring respectfully the youth and the elderlies in particular will start their commemorative endeavours. This year, marks the 81st anniversary of the BSP as created by Commonwealth Act No.111 on Oct. 31, 1936, the independent from its mother organization, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It was in 1923 when Scouting came to life in the country through the initiative of the Rotary Club of Manila who organized the first official Boy Scout Troop here. Actually, Scouting was first introduced by an Army Officer, Lt. Spencer who organized the troop composed of Muslim boys in the South way back in 1914. The troop was not affiliated with the BSA.

The Scouting Month in the city will kick off with a Grand Opening Day program and parade on Oct.1, spearheaded by the BSP Baguio City Council. The bonanza event will be held at the Baguio Convention Center starting at 8:00 o’clock in the morning. The grand parade follows after the program. Over 6,000 Scouts composed of Cab Scouts, Boy Scouts, Senior Scouts and Rover Scouts and their Scout Leaders will be at the forefront of the activity. Several thousands of Girl Scouts from the GSP Baguio City Council are joining the big event. On Oct.9, a select group of Boy and Girl Scout will be on centerstage for the annual Scout Officials for a Day (SCOFAD) sked at the City Hall.

On the other hand, The Baguio Elderly Assembly (BEA) 2017 OCTOBERBEST Celebration in partnership with the CSWDO and OSCA, honouring our city’s elderly population pursuant to a Presidential Proclamation, a city Resolution by the Sangguaniang Panglunsod ng Baguio and a BEA Covenant of Unity forged in 2003 by Senior Citiconsternation. zens organizations in the Bea will usher in the monthlong rites with the Senior Citizens Officials for a day (SCOFAD) program set on Oct. 2. A core of 58 elderlies from BEA member organizations will take over the key city and CAR leadership regional posts after the simple induction of officers ceremony during the Monday flag at the City Hall grounds. City Mayor Mauricio Domogan will officiate in the installation of officers. This year’s SCOFAD is led by three Board of Trustee members from the BARP Foundation. Rodolfo Abella will serve as Congressman, Juanita Gabaen as City Mayor and Victorio Afalla, Vice Mayor. The City Councilors are Alfredo Palado, Ruby Agpapaoa, Felix Betayen, Emelia Jarata, Erlinda Bueno, Namnama Lopez, Eduardo Reyes, Elesio Baldovino, Pacita Resurrection, Luz Abella, Alexander Wasian and Antonio Jr. Cortes.

The department heads are Lorito Calderon City Administrator; Emilio Bumanlag, City Accountant; Rogelio Urbanozo, City Treasurer; Josefina Dalatin, City Assesor, Victoria Tubera, City Auditor; Jaime Villanueva, City Budget Officer; Luis Brillantes, City Building and Architecture Officer; Bernardo Vilasco, City Civil Registrar; Maraia Fatima Pacis, Dep-Ed Superintendent; Ernesto Ruiz, City Director DILG; James Gomez, City Engineer; Dindo Undas, City Environment and Parks Management Office; Felomena Baldas, General Services Officer; Catherine Codnita, City Health Officer; Erlinda Cortez, City Planning and Development Officer; Clarita Soriano, City Secretary;

for free while waiting in the drive thru.

In two occasions, once with my Mom we went to Haf Chan and ordered two beef brisket noodles and one wonton noodles, the second time with Dad this time it was the same order again of two beef brisket and one wonton noodle. What a coincidence. That's my Mom and Dad thinking like one.

For this trips, a trip to the gas station is one for every trip. One tank full. It gets me back home every time. One of the cars Juan would use can haul me back and forth to Manila for five or six trips in one load. It's a diesel pa.

The remaining trips were to Rosales, Agoo, Bauang, San Fabian and San Fernando in three separate days totaling six trips. All within six days.

As of this writing I am scheduled to be in Abra. Eighteen road trips in all. Maybe I will do one story for all my flying naman, or the number of kilometers driven. Start counting. It's just numbers.

Crispina Liwanen, City Social Welfare and Development Officer; and Delia Ellinger, City Vetenerarian.

The SCOFAD Regional Directors are Clarita Climacosa, Bureau of Immigration; Benjamin Tiaco, COMELEC-CAR; Cristino Sacayan, COMELEC-Baguio; Celesta Besitan, CSC-CAR; Regina Mangangey, DENR-CAR; Jesus Luzadas, Mines and Geo Science; Erlinda Fuertes, DILGCAR; Leonora Safoket, DOLE-CAR; Jaime Martin, DOTC-CAR; Erlinda Balmocena, DOT-CAR; Daniel Lee, DPWH District Office; Herminia Pascua, DPWH-CAR Cynthia Taguba, DSWD-CAR; Rosviminda Orig, DTI-CAR; Maria Tagudar, NBI; Cristina Estipona, PHILHEALTH CAR; Cynthia Feliciano, PIA-CAR; Violeta Garcia, TESDA; Margaret Tolero, SSS Loreta Umali, National Nutrition Council.

On Oct. 3 the second BEA OCTOBERBEST program will be held at the Baguio Convention Center with Congresswoman Milagros A. Magsaysay of the Coalition of Senior Citizens Committee in the House Congress. A street parade will follow after the sked to end at the Melvin Jones Grandstand at Harrison Road for BEA-CSWDO-OSCA Green is Life beautification and nature conservation project.

Meanwhile, the Shrine of the Brown Madonna at Km.7, Asin Road will celebrate its 31st year anniversary as a blessed place of worship on Oct. 8. The Shrines was, purposely inaugurated in the month of October to give more meaning and significance especially to Mama Mary devotees and to remind Roman Catholics that October is the Rosary Month for all of us to observe prayerfully with love and joy. A Holy Mass at the Shrine is scheduled at 10:00 o’clock in the morning. A simple salo-salo courtesy of the Shrine’s Project Committee and friends will be held after the Holy Eucharist to be concelebrated by Rev. Fr. Joey and Rev. Fr. Alejandro. Together, let us make the occasion another wonderful day for our treasure chest.

Sulfonylureas.

Your columnist is among the enthusiastic listeners to the lecture of Dr.Domingo Solimen, a true-blue Baguio boy, A Cordilleran lad, who after finishing among the creme de la creme of SLU Medicine, spent his internship, residency training in internal medicine and specialty training in endocrinology at the premier UP-PGH on sulfonylureas. The amiable doctor who helped financed his studies making the best tasting ube and strawberry jams in Baguio traced the evolution of sulfonylureas from first to second to third generation, all of which have the same mechanism of action- that of stimulating the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas to secrete and release insulin in response to elevated blood sugar. Then Dr. Solimen zeroed in to the sterling qualities of Glimiperide, a 3rd generation sulfonylurea, and enumerated its class effects but also its unique characteristics that set it apart from its predecessors.

Sulfonylurea receptors are found all over the body including the heart. Glimiperide has a selective attraction or avidity for the receptors in the pancreas leading to a more effective release of the much needed insulin to counteract the upsurge of sugar. On top of that, its binding to the recepoor is more reversible than the lder sulfonylureas ,this translates clinically into lesser risk of the muchdreaded hypoglycemia- sudden significant drop in blood sugar which is a lot more serious than hyperglycemia. Of course sulfonylureas are known to increase weight but again, in the totem pole Glimiperide is in the lowest rung.

There are many Glimiperides in the market. With the indulgence of our readers and fellow doctors, there is Getryl which with its available dose strengths of l,2,3,4 mg and color-coded at that, affords a more individualized management in blood sugar control depending on how high is the fasting, postprandial-after meals sugar rise or for that matter the HbA1c values. Indeed, life is made of choices and so do our choices of drugs to give. After all, no two diabetics are exactly alike.