Iloilo’s Finest - Events, Food, Places

Certainly, you and your family don’t want to miss the fun the holiday season brings - all the merriment, food and excitement. In line with this, the Department of Health (DOH) has the following health tips for this holiday season:

• Plan Christmas activities for yourself and your family to prevent tension and stress.

• Take care of yourself and your family against changes in temperature. Children and adults may become susceptible to cough, colds and fever. If your cough, colds and fever is more than five days, consult your nearest health station.

• Prepare a well-balanced Noche Buena and Media Noche meals. Make sure that vegetables and fruits are on the table together with your traditional ham and queso de bola.

• Be kind to your heart. Eat a moderate amount of nutritious foods to sustain your daily activities.

• Drink plenty of liquids. Drink plenty of water and fruit juices to facilitate excretion.

• Have enough sleep. Give yourself enough sleep so that the mind and body can rest.

• Avoid crowded areas because bacteria that cause diseases multiply and spread easily. Airy and well-ventilated areas are essential to healthy living.

• Use environment-friendly Christmas decors that cost less and are not fire hazards. Save decors for next year and store them in a safe place.

• Buy toys with no pointed or sharp edges; nor too small toys that can cause choking.

• Do not use fireworks and firecrackers during the Holidays. Make some noise even without fireworks and firecrackers.

Finally DOH advises, “Stay alive and whole for the coming year”. (PIA)

Next: Dinagyang Festival fires opening salvo

The Christmas Parol

This post is long overdue. And yes, it is already Christmas. At least here in the Philippines. Christmas here in the Philippines is a four-month affair. Any month that ends in “ber.”

So as soon as it is September 1, you could already hear jolly carols playing on the radio. Some families may even start putting up Christmas decorations in their homes. Sadly, the decorations now are not as prominent as I remember. When I was still small (in years), I could see almost all houses in the neighborhood decorated with Christmas lights and decorations, especially the parol. Now, decorations are scant. Some people will comment that this is due to economic problems. Nevertheless, the Christmas spirit is no less felt and observed, even to the most poor of us.

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