Category Archives: Economy

Economy, Food, Government, Health & Medicine

Philippines To Ban Sale Of White Rice?

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Villar

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Rice and pork, two items in the Filipino diet that are never, ever enough.  Not on the plate.  Not in the nation’s supply.

Despite being an agricultural country, the Philippines still imports rice and pork because local production can’t keep up with demand.

One senator just has the perfect solution towards rice self-sufficiency: ban white rice.  She unveiled her proposal as she chowed down a plateful of macaroni and breaded fried fish (see photo).

Cynthia Villar believes that Filipinos should eat less, and shift to brown rice.  So she wants to ban white rice altogether.

In the interim, she wants Filipino restaurants to stop offering “extra” or “unlimited” rice on their menu.

“Hindi na uso ang mestiza,” villar says, referring to the Filipino aversion to fair skin, as opposed to brown complexion, known in the local dialect as “kayumanggi.”

The reality is, brown rice is more nutritious so Villar might have a point there, but it is also more expensive.

When asked by The Adobo Chronicles what she plans to do about the country’s short supply of pork, she said that senators and representatives should be able to continue receiving DAP funds (Disbursement Acceleration Program) so that they can help their respective constitutents cope with the high cost of pork, and of brown rice for that matter.

DAP is more popularly known as pork barrel, previously ruled by the country’s Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

Economy, Fashion, LGBT

San Francisco’s Gay Men Hit Hard By Down Economy

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Internet grab (thanks to Michael Martin Navarrete Bello)

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles, San Francisco Bureau) – Gay men living in San Francisco have been hit hard by the economic downturn and are striving hard to cope.

It’s not only housing rent that’s skyrocketed in this City by the Bay. The cost of everything — from groceries to gas ⛽️ have become very prohibitive.  Even fabric, to the dismay of the highly-fashionable community.

But as always, gay men find ways to weather the storm, boldly but surely.

Walking the streets of Castro, the gay district, one will notice a growing number of gay men wearing “crop top” t-shirts, a new fashion trend that uses minimal fabric (see photo).

It’s time to scan your closets and rip up (or down) your favorite t-shirts.

It’s the economy, stupid!

Economy, Food, Health & Medicine, Religion

Why Incidence Of Hypertension Is Highest Among Devout Catholics In The Philippines

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IMG_0307MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – A still to be released study shows that in the Philippines, the incidence of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease is highest among devout Catholics. And it has to do with Fridays and Lent.

We are in the midst of the holiest of seasons, which culminates on Easter Sunday.  Each Friday during Lent, Catholics are expected to abstain from meat. But the more devout Catholics have made every Friday throughout the year as “fish Friday.”

So what has that got to do with high blood pressure?

Many Filipinos don’t have easy access to fresh fish, or where it is readily available, the cost is prohibitive.  So they turn to dried fish 🐟 which is fairly inexpensive: tuyo, tinapa, dilis.

IMG_0306Problem is, dried fish has a very high sodium content, as high as 166% of daily nutritional values. (See nutritional chart for dried fish)

In most people, the kidneys have trouble keeping up with the excess sodium in the bloodstream. As sodium accumulates, the body holds onto water to dilute the sodium. This increases both the amount of fluid surrounding cells and the volume of blood in the bloodstream. Increased blood volume means more work for the heart and more pressure on blood vessels. Over time, the extra work and pressure can stiffen blood vessels, leading to high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke. It can also lead to heart failure. There is also some evidence that too much salt can damage the heart, aorta, and kidneys without increasing blood pressure, and that it may be bad for bones, too.

High blood pressure is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. It accounts for two-thirds of all strokes and half of heart disease. 

Imagine consuming high amounts of sodium every Friday, assuming one doesn’t eat dried fish on other days of the week.  Overload!

So, we’re calling on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to grant all Filipinos a special dispensation from abstinence so that we may be able to significantly reduce hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the country.

Either that or Catholic Churches should give out free fresh fish to their congregation on each Friday of the year. That’s a good way to unload and liquidate their financial investments.