CPR-, AED-, EMS-, 911-ReadyPH champions, and from left: PHA President Dr. Walid Amil, PCEM President Dr. Dave Dato; PHA Council on CPR Chair Dr. Don Robespierre Reyes; DOH-Health Emergency Management Bureau  Director Dr. Bernadett Velasco; DILG Director Francis Fajardo; PHA Director/Advocacy Chair Dr. Iris Garcia and PHA Vice President Dr. Aurora Gamponia “A CPR-Ready Philippines cannot be built alone. It takes a nation — every doctor, teacher, responder, and citizen — to keep the next heartbeat alive.” --PHA President Dr. Walid Amil   The Philippine Heart Association (PHA) spearheaded the call for the collective mission to build a cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-Ready and 911-Ready Philippines, marking World Restart a Heart Day through the Usapang Puso sa Puso (UPP) Media Conference held on November 4 in Quezon City. Gathering key agencies including the Department of Health (DOH), Emergency 911 National Office, Philippine College of Emergency Medicine (PCEM), and th...

  PHA UPP in observance of the Filipino Elderly Man “The heart is not just for ourselves. It beats for those we love — especially our elders who once took care of us. Don’t give up on them. Care for them, listen to them, and let them feel they still belong.” – Dr. Iris Garcia   Did you know that the heart may be younger or older than one’s actual years?   Dr. Augusto Niccolo Salalima, member of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) Council on Preventive Cardiology, introduced the concept of heart age—the biological age of the heart, during the recent PHA Usapang Puso sa Puso (UPP) podcast in observance of October as Filipino Elderly Month.    “You could be 25 years old chronologically, but if you have hypertension, diabetes, or you smoke, your heart may already be 50,” he explained.   “On the other hand, you could be 70 but with a heart that functions like a 40-year-old if you exercise, eat right, and manage your risk factors.”   ...

Fitness coaches Toni and Jim Saret (both in black outfit) pose with the country's top cardiologists and Philippine Heart Association officers during the WHD celebration in Quezon City. Nearly 1 in 10 children and almost 4 in 10 adults in the Philippines are now classified as overweight and obese, a level considered high by global standards. This is according to the health article published on March 2025 by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is so because children nowadays are growing up in environments where unhealthy food is more accessible than nutritious options: processed food products, sweetened cereals, packaged snacks, and flavored drinks flood the market. The lack of better food choices shape their bad eating habits early according to experts. “Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated bad cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes. Around 38 percent of Filipino adults have a high body mass index,” warned Philippine Heart Association Pres...

A gathering of peace-loving individuals posed for posterity at Ballroom I of Taal Vista Hotel     United Nations Day  was celebrated on October 24. A s the world commemorate d  80 years since its  founding, the Philippines stands proud among the global community of nations continuing to uphold the UN’s vision of peace, dignity, and shared prosperity. In humble contribution to this legacy, the United Network of Global Citizens (UNGC) — through its Founder and President Jenny Pearl Bautista Ninalga — joined partners and advocates across education, the arts, and social innovation in advancing initiatives that celebrate the theme “Building the Future Together.” Throughout October, UNGC led a series of transformative programs connecting learning, creativity, sustainability, and peace-building in meaningful ways that bring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life. It’s an honor and privileged for this writer to have joined the UNGC team as its PRO and Media Te...