General Info

[QUOTE=Aussiegaigin;1690370]We've had a few cases reported recently in Australia of people coming down with Hep A .[/QUOTE]"Coming down? ". Bit of an understatement. Something like 15 people died due to this.

[QUOTE=Aussiegaigin;1690370]We've had a few cases reported recently in Australia of people coming down with Hep A from eating frozen packaged berries from China, believed grown in similar unhygienic conditions.[/QUOTE]Personally I wouldn't eat or drink anything from China. Also be very careful of other products produced there. Seems like consumer health and safety has disappeared as inspectors pockets are filling up.

[QUOTE=FreebieFan;1690463]"Coming down? ". Bit of an understatement. Something like 15 people died due to this.[/QUOTE]Actually no person has died.

15 people have been infected yes, deaths no. According to the health officials in the media, Hep A people recover over 12 weeks after which time the liver is back to normal.

BD.

[QUOTE=BrainDrain;1690498]Actually no person has died.

15 people have been infected yes, deaths no. According to the health officials in the media, Hep A people recover over 12 weeks after which time the liver is back to normal.

BD.[/QUOTE]Thanks. I stand corrected. Was sure I had read in The Australian that people had died.

[QUOTE=SkipKost;1690288]Also known as "turista. " Often domestic lab tests (American, European) will not be positive because these bacteria are particular to the Phils or other countries, but are not in the array of typical bacteria that domestic labs test for. You were lucky that your doctor knew about your travels and thought outside the box. Where Filipinos are concerned, these bacteria may not be considered a problem, because many Filipinos carry the bacteria but have also built up immunities. Hence lab results that say you are okay.[/QUOTE]I think most doctors would just prescribe an antibiotic based on the stories their patients tell: where they've been and how they felt. Three times I've seen a doctor in two different countries with travellers' diarrhea and been prescribed something immediately with labs just as a precaution for anything more nasty. Especially as labs seem to take days rather than the hours many lab tests take (yes I know some take days but they're less common).

[QUOTE=SkipKost;1690288]I always ask how the vegetables have been washed, but even that is tenuous because servers often have no clue about the underlying science regarding bacteria that make foreigners sick.[/QUOTE]I find that Filipinos like to have an answer for any question asked. Even if they don't have a clue what the answer is. Classic case just last week: searching for a gas station having just come off the freeway. I had a rough idea in my head where there were likely to be some as I'd been in the area before, but we come up to traffic lights and the wife says "I think there might be one to the right". "Have you been here before?" I ask. "No, maybe there is one though". "Do you know or are you just guessing? "Guessing". Doesn't help that she points left and says "right" either, but that seems to be her rather than a Filipino trait generally.

[QUOTE=Simmer;1690546]I think most doctors would just prescribe an antibiotic based on the stories their patients tell: where they've been and how they felt. [/QUOTE]We would hope this is true, but I had a different experience. A few years ago I returned from the Phils with turista symptoms. I called my primary care physician to describe the situation and indicated I had just returned from the Phils and suspected something parasitic from my travels; "Okay, we'll ask the doctor. " Two days later I get a call from the intake nurse who says the doctor wants me to run fecal lab tests, so come by and get specimen tubes. I returned with samples one day later but didn't hear back for four days. Frustrated, I called the doctor's office. "Oh, I'm not sure if the doctor has seen the lab results. " A day later I get a call saying, "the lab results were all negative, and the doctor says drink lots of water and take immodium if the symptoms get really bad. " I asked what they had tested for; "giardia and all the other parasites we usually test for. " At that point I was angry. I made plans to visit my HMO's walk-in clinic the next day and called the doctor's office to get a copy of lab results. "We can't release the lab results until the doctor has signed off on them. " I countered that the doctor had seen them because I had gotten doctor's instructions the previous day. "I'm sorry sir, she hasn't signed off on them. " An hour later I get a call saying, "our mistake, you can pick up a copy at our front desk. " I did so and carried them straight to the walk-in clinic. Doctor there said, "those are exactly the tests I would have ordered, but out typical tests often do not pick up the odd parasites from other countries. He gave me a very strong injection of sulfa, which cleared up the turista within 24 hours.

Moral of the story: doctors make mistakes, and communications from patients through nurses to doctors and return sometimes lose details along the way.

[QUOTE=SkipKost;1690658]Moral of the story: doctors make mistakes, and communications from patients through nurses to doctors and return sometimes lose details along the way.[/QUOTE]I would certainly agree with that. Our disjointed US health insurance means dealing with doctors, doctors' offices, the doctor's office's billing department, the insurance billing department, and the pharmacy. The left hand doesn't even know there IS a right hand. Two weeks to get a prescription approved and dispensed. I received a stupidly large bill yesterday from the same incompetent doctor's office which is entirely wrong as it's "in network". Yet more time to waste sorting that mess out today. Give me the NHS any day.

Anyone an expert on Canadian citizenship rules for the babies of Canadian guys with Filipinas?

One of my pinay friends had a baby about a year ago to a young Canadian father. Right now he doesn't seem interested in marrying her. Assuming that he will be cooperative can she apply for dual Canadian citizenship for the baby and if so how long will that take? Once the baby gets dual citizenship will she be able to get some sort of visa to visit Canada with the baby so he can see his grandparents etc?

Thanks for any advice.

[QUOTE=GregLondon;1690934]Anyone an expert on Canadian citizenship rules for the babies of Canadian guys with Filipinas?

One of my pinay friends had a baby about a year ago to a young Canadian father. Right now he doesn't seem interested in marrying her. Assuming that he will be cooperative can she apply for dual Canadian citizenship for the baby and if so how long will that take? Once the baby gets dual citizenship will she be able to get some sort of visa to visit Canada with the baby so he can see his grandparents etc?

Thanks for any advice.[/QUOTE]Where was the baby born?

[QUOTE=Simmer;1690699]I would certainly agree with that. Our disjointed US health insurance means dealing with doctors, doctors' offices, the doctor's office's billing department, the insurance billing department, and the pharmacy. The left hand doesn't even know there IS a right hand. Two weeks to get a prescription approved and dispensed. I received a stupidly large bill yesterday from the same incompetent doctor's office which is entirely wrong as it's "in network". Yet more time to waste sorting that mess out today. Give me the NHS any day.[/QUOTE]Six of one. Half dozen of the other.

[QUOTE=GregLondon;1690934]Anyone an expert on Canadian citizenship rules for the babies of Canadian guys with Filipinas?

Thanks for any advice.[/QUOTE]Apart from Westie comment is he named as the father on the birth certificate as this would be very important.

[QUOTE=GregLondon;1690934]Anyone an expert on Canadian citizenship rules for the babies of Canadian guys with Filipinas?

One of my pinay friends had a baby about a year ago to a young Canadian father. Right now he doesn't seem interested in marrying her. Assuming that he will be cooperative can she apply for dual Canadian citizenship for the baby and if so how long will that take? Once the baby gets dual citizenship will she be able to get some sort of visa to visit Canada with the baby so he can see his grandparents etc?

Thanks for any advice.[/QUOTE]You need to assume lots of things. I live in USA but I guess process is the same for Canada.

1. The guy must make sure the baby belongs to him by doing tests.

2. Guy should be willing to have the girl and the baby to be part of his life, not just the baby.

3. Guy must be willing to be responsible financially at least till the child is 18 years of age. This means possibly bearing financial responsibility for the mother as well because she is bringing up the baby.

This financial thing is very big even if the child lives in Phi. This includes nice place to live, food, clothes etc. School expenses, travel, healthcare. Mother can be demanding as well.

4. Grandparents should be willing to accept the baby.

Once everything above is agreed he can go to Canadian Embassy or Government and start the process.

Effective today, March 9, is a new nation wide "flag down" rate of 30 pesos (no mention in the article if it's applicable to yellow cabs, which have a higher flag down rate). The taxi's are not required to re-calibrate their meters, so I can see as soon as you hop into a taxi the driver informing you of the new rate, LOL. If they don't I would just pay the meter (that's of course if you can find a driver who will even use the meter, lol) and tell the driver that the p10 rate reduction is his tip, LOL.

[URL]http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2015/03/08/violators-face-p5t-p15t-fine-396423[/URL]

Has anyone had a suit made in Cebu city lately? Location, cost? I'd appreciate it if someone can send any relevant info. X man.

Only in Philippines.

With witnesses vanishing one by one. One of the accused in the Muguindanao massacre has been granted bail for 11 million peso.

Let's bet how long before the case collapsed due to lack of witnesses.