Health Policy Discussion Series: DOH-LGU Engagement

Posted on | January 6, 2010 | No Comments

The DOH – Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau

has conducted a session of the
HEALTH POLICY DISCUSSION SERIES

Speaker:  Albert Francis E. Domingo, M.D.
Consultant for the Health Sector Reform Monograph Series
Health Policy Development Program (HPDP)
Date:         January 8, 2010 (Friday)
Time:        11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Venue:     Conference Room, Health Policy Development and Planning Bureau
Department of Health Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila

Topic:    Recognizing and Addressing Challenges in DOH-LGU Engagement

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I saw Avatar; I see you.

Posted on | December 30, 2009 | 2 Comments

[SPOILER Alert: There may be some discussion in this review that refers to specifics in the movie being reviewed. You have been warned.]

Today, December 30, is the commemoration of Filipino National Hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s death at the hands of Spanish colonizers more than a century ago. Rizal’s martyrdom formed part of the impetus that led to the Philippine revolution that – initially – resulted in the overthrow of the Spanish Colonial Government and the establishment of Asia’s first democratic republic. It was remarkably coincidental that a friend and I watched Avatar – a heavily-marketed, Hollywood-produced film in IMAX 3D that had very strong overtones about a people being oppressed by a foreign invader, and fighting back in the process.

Much like the fade-in and fade-out of consciousness effect of “going in” to the avatars, I found myself weaving in and out of some cliche and then some novel themes throughout the lengthy yet engaging movie.

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Competitive Buffets: Sushi

Posted on | December 26, 2009 | 2 Comments

While waiting for my mom to call me back and fetch her, our caregiver, and my grandmother after the latter’s hemodialysis session in Makati, I along with a College friend met up to supposedly watch Avatar in 3D at SM Mall of Asia’s iMax theater. A call to the box office early in the morning told us that 130+ seats for the 4:50 pm showing were still vacant, so off we went. Come 4:00 pm however, all show times for Avatar were already sold out! So much for the hype.

To compensate for the failed attempt at watching Avatar in 3D today, we decided to go around the mall and eat somewhere interesting enough to distract us from our loss. First place we saw while walking around: Sakae Sushi (2/F, iMax side and towards the front of the main building of MOA). For around PhP 400 per adult, a sushi buffet on conveyor belt (kaiten zushi) could be had along with bottomless hot or cold green tea and a small bowl of Miso soup. This happened to not be our first time to eat at the said kaiten zushi restaurant, so we were somewhat veterans at its buffet game. It was like watching free market forces at work.

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