Philippines braces for another storm

[Source: Yahoo News]

By Raju Gopalakrishnan Raju Gopalakrishnan – Tue Sep 29, 12:43 am ET
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine authorities braced on Tuesday for another storm as the death toll from rain and floods from a weekend typhoon, now bearing down on Vietnam, rose to 240.

Weather forecasters said a new storm forming in the Pacific Ocean was likely to enter Philippine waters on Thursday and make landfall later in the week on the northern island of Luzon, just like Saturday's Typhoon Ketsana.

Ketsana dumped more than a month's worth of average rainfall on Manila and surrounding areas in one 24-hour period. About 80 percent of the city of 15 million was flooded.

Authorities estimated damage from the storm so far at around 2.34 billion pesos ($50 million). More than 1.8 million people were affected and 375,000 had abandoned their homes and taken refuge in evacuation centers.

The death toll could rise further once reports come in from remote areas. The storm hit metropolitan Manila and 12 provinces.

"For casualties, the increase will be not as great, but the damage figures may increase," Defence Secretary Gilbert Teodoro told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Even opportunity loss of revenues for establishments, that alone would amount to hundreds of millions at least per day."

VIETNAM NEXT

Ketsana is now likely to make landfall in central Vietnam later on Tuesday, where authorities have ordered the evacuation of at least 170,000 people.

Hundreds of soldiers were helping evacuate people and with storm preparations. Ships have been told to take shelter in Danang. Vietnam Airlines has canceled all fights to the port city since Monday and schools in several coastal provinces were closed.

In the Philippines, authorities released water from Angkat dam north of Manila, but stressed it was being done carefully to prevent any recurrence of floods.

"Angat opened their gates slowly just to keep it at spilling level and the effect would be minimal," Teodoro said.

Communist rebels announced a unilateral ceasefire with government forces and ordered cadres to help in flood relief operations.

Private citizens and volunteer groups were collecting relief goods -- mostly clothes, drinking water and medicines -- and distributing them to victims. Many people have thrown open their homes to those who were forced to abandon theirs.

U.S. soldiers deployed in the south of the country have been brought to Manila to help in relief, while the United Nations has announced it will give food aid and cash for medical supplies.

The government has come in for scathing criticism for its response to the disaster, with many calling it inadequate and delayed.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has called the typhoon "an extreme event that has strained our response capabilities to the limit."

"But it is not breaking us," she said in a statement on Monday, after opening the presidential palace for relief efforts.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime typhoon."

But analysts say the floods have worsened the reputation of Arroyo, who has been accused of corruption and poll fraud, and that it could affect the prospects of Teodoro, the administration candidate, in the May 2010 presidential election.

(Additional reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Bill Tarrant)

Meng Yoe & Sarah's Gift List

I have officially been appointed GIFT CO-ORDINATOR for my petbrother and fiancee's wedding. As a way of introduction of the gift list & their website, kindly find the link as attached.

http://tmysarah.wordpress.com/gift-list/

They'll be updating the website periodically so do feel free to browse through off and on.

Meantime, if you see anything that you want to bless them with, do not hesitate to contact me so I can ensure you're the one who gets them that specific thing or update you on what else is still "untaken".

Gosh, I love weddings!

Benefits of Eating COD FISH

Cod fish is my favourite of all kinds of fish. So decided to do some read up on it and post a little on its benefits.

[taken from Hubpages, article written by Shannon Clark]
Cod is a white fish that is mild flavoured and available throughout the entire year. It belongs to the same family as the haddock and monkfish and is deep is a deep fish sea from the Artic waters.

Along with 29 grams of protein and 119 calories for a four once serving, cod provides the following other health benefits.

Cardiovascular Health Improvements

Cod has been shown to be one of the best meat sources in terms of reducing atherosclerosis and heart disease in those who have diabetes. Those consuming cod as a regular part of their diet also have a decreased risk of heart attack than those who don't and also show a greater likelihood of meeting their vitamin B12 needs as cod is high in that nutrient as well. Vitamin B12 along with vitamin B6, also found in cod, are important in helping to keep homocysteine levels low. This is a molecule that is related to the blood vessel walls and when seen in high proportions can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.


Increase Heart Muscle Function

Because cod is a source of Omega-3 fatty acids it will significantly help to improve the functioning of the human heart muscle therefore helping to protect you from experiencing an ischemic stroke. In one study comparing those who at fish and those who did not, it was seen that the risk of ischemic stroke decreased by 9% in those who ate omega-3 fatty acid rich fish 1-3 times per month, 13% in those who ate the fish at least once per week, 18% in those who ate the fish 2-4 times per week and 31% in those who consumed fish five times per week or more. This demonstrates that the more you choose to consume fish in your daily diet the better off you will be.


Along with decreasing the risk of ischemic stroke, consuming a fish rich diet will also help to lower your triglyceride levels, giving you a better cholesterol profile (high in HDL and low in LDL)


Skin Protection

Finally a third reason why consuming a cod rich diet is a good idea is that the fish can help to have anti-inflammatory effects on the body and help to protect against sunburn and potentially even skin cancer.


Because the ozone is becoming more and more depleted as time goes on, it is becoming increasingly important to take measures to protect our skin from the sun's damaging affects. Because when UV-B radiation strikes the skins surface inflammation occurs, anything that will help reduce this inflammation will work towards solving this issue, cod being the perfect example.


So next time you are trying to choose what to cook for dinner, consider baking up some cod. Not only does it taste great but it's a perfect food for weight loss since it's low calories and also allows you to achieve optimum health.

In This Land

The guys and I took the opportunity of the long Merdeka weekend to go back to Penang to visit their grandmother and eldest uncle. It was such a lovely stay just chilling, enjoying the fine weather, the food (can't forget this important part) and of course the company.

We went to Georgetown Baptist Church (GBC) on Sunday for service and without fail, every time I step inside that church, I am thoroughly blessed by just being there. Their simplicity and sincerity always amazes me. And this time, God had a treat for us.

There was a song presentation by some of the youths. The message behind the lyrics was simply powerful and a great reminder to us all. Lyrics of the song is as written below:

Title: In This Land
Composer: Jeremy Ng (GBC)

In this land, I will praise.
This is where You rule and reign.
In this land, I will stay.
May Your glory fill this place.

There is a calling for every man.
A greater purpose in the Maker’s hand.
Will you hear the call?
Will you take your stand?
As a people of this land.

In this land, I will serve.
This is where I’ll pour out my love.
In this land, I will pray.
May Your glory fill this place.

There is a calling for every man.
A greater purpose in the Maker’s hand.
Will you hear the call?
Will you take your stand?
As a people of this land.


Malaysia for Your glory.