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Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Malig: San Fernando's charter statement
By Jun A. Malig
CONGRATULATIONS to the people of the City of San Fernando (CSF) for the fifth cityhood anniversary last February 4. I was told that during the pre-cityhood day celebration, Mayor Oscar "Oca" Rodriguez acknowledged the efforts of his former friend, three-term mayor now Representative Reynaldo "Rey" Aquino in the transformation of the capital town into a bustling component city.
Such a gesture only manifested Oca's decency not only as a public figure but also as a real human being that would neither hesitate to criticize shortcomings nor praise or acknowledge good deeds by another, be it a friend or a foe. In the same manner, Rey has also recognized Oca's important contribution towards CSF's cityhood.
During the celebration of the cityhood anniversary last Saturday, a charter statement for the capital city was promulgated: "In pursuit of this vision, we adhere to become a progressive city and model of good urban governance in Central Luzon where its public officials and citizens are committed to the principles of the common good, unity, service, love of god and love of country. Deeply rooted in our heritage, we commit to create and embrace a future where governance is socially-inclusive, transparent and accountable, where citizens enjoy the fruits of their labor and peacefully live in harmony with their environment."
The statement pursues the vision of CSF to become the gateway to North Philippines by 2015, become a regional center of Central Luzon and a champion of good urban governance, become a global gateway by 2020 and a "habitat of human excellence" by 2030. Well, good luck to Mayor Oca and his team. May you achieve your goals. I would say it would be better for everyone in Pampanga and the rest of the region and the country if their leaders would have some sorts of visions and objectives for the development and progress of their economy, environment, and human resources. Realization of dreams, whether simple or grand, usually starts with scratchy plans and ideas.
* * * * *
A year ago, a new finding about the health benefits of caffeine was disseminated to the public. Coffee used to be among the beverages avoided by health conscious people because its main ingredient - caffeine - allegedly has harmful effects to one's body. Recent findings however revealed that the much maligned but beloved coffee could lower risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease and colon cancer. It could even treat headaches and lower risk of cavities.
The other good news for coffee lovers was: The more you drink, the better. Harvard researchers who analyzed data of some 126,000 people in the last 18 years have disclosed that consuming one to three cups of caffeinated coffee daily has more healthful than harmful effects.
The study showed that regular caffeinated coffee drinkers (one to three cups per day) are 30 to 54 percent less likely to develop diabetes and up to 80 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's disease. At least two cups daily can translate to 25 percent reduced risk of colon cancer, 80 percent reduced risk of liver cirrhosis, and 50 percent drop in gallstones risk. Coffee could even help manage asthma when medication in not available. It could stop a headache, boost mood, and even prevent cavities.
Caution: Pregnant women, heart patients and those at risk for osteoporosis are still advised to limit or avoid coffee.
Although caffeine, not coffee per se, is responsible in making the beverage a healthy drink for most people, as the Harvard study and other studies showed, the beverage's other ingredients like quinines, trigonelline and other anti-oxidants also bring healthful benefits. This really is good news for coffee lovers.
A feature article I read states that a cup of brewed coffee has 90-150mg of caffeine; instant coffee 60-80mg, tea 30-70mg; cola 30-45mg; chocolate bar30mg, stay-awake pill 100mg; and cold relief tablet 30mg. Of course, these are just estimated figures.
For your information, the American Psychiatric Association's report in 1987 stated that recent consumption of caffeine, usually in excess of 250 mg. would leave a person with at least five of the following signs: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, diuresis, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, rambling flow of thought and speech, tachycardia or cardiac arrhythmia periods of inexhaustibility, and psychomotor agitation. The almost a decade-old report however cited that caffeine tolerance levels vary from person to person.
An online encyclopedia describes caffeine as a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant, having the effect of warding off drowsiness and restoring alertness. Caffeine-containing beverages, such as coffee and tea, enjoy great popularity, making caffeine the world's most popular psychoactive substance.
(February 7, 2006 issue)
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