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Guest author:
- GYNNA P. GAGELONIA, Communications Manager at PHA
ZAMBOANGA CITY — “How do you take care of your heart? (Translation: Quilaya quida el corazon in Chavacano.)
The Philippine Heart Association (PHA), a nationwide community of medical professionals who are experts in matters of the heart (health-wise), has the answers.
“The family’s heart health is a parental concern. Make 52100 your ‘family code’ and walk the talk,” PHA National Secretary Dr. Walid Amil urged the public and the viewers of GBTV 11 Zamboanga’s “Dateline” at the Heart Month 2024 Fair held at the KCC Mall here.
He also sent the message that children should look up to their parents as their model, including in matters of health.
In collaboration with the PHA-NCR (National Capital Region), the PHA Zamboanga Peninsula Chapter mounted the free Heart Month Fair 2024 at the KCC Mall in Asia’s Latin City on February 16, 2024.
Messages on Code 52100 and the Heart Month 2024, which revolved around the theme: “Strengthening the Community: One Heart at a Time”, were conveyed and reinforced thru all the activities — Zumba, risk factor screenings (BP and BMI taking, cholesterol, FBS tests, on-the-spot poster-making, and spoken poetry contest and hands-only CPR-ready demo/lecture.
A daily dose of 52100 (5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, not more than 2 grams of added salt, 1 hour of exercise, 0 sugared drinks and 0 smoking), is the best protection against cardiovascular disease (CVD), emphasized Amil and PHA National Vice President Dr. Rodney Jimenez.
In calling on parents to never let their children imitate key opinion leaders who are endorsing products and services that may not be healthy, Amil, a past president of the PHA Zamboanga Chapter, stresses: “Kahit sa lifestyle and health habits, tayong mga magulang ang model ng anak natin, hindi ang mga artista at social media.” (Translation: We, as parents, are our kids’ role models when it comes to lifestyle and health habits, not the people from showbiz or the social media influencers).
“There are many possible factors behind a heart attack or myocardial infarction (MI) like uncontrolled blood pressure (BP), cholesterol and sugar count due to excess salt, fat and sugar intake. Apart from a MI, these uncurbed levels could also lead to heart failure, kidney failure and a stroke. That’s why the PHA recommends the 52100 heart-healthy lifestyle code,” Jimenez adds.
PHA Zamboanga President Dr. Lowe Chiong explains that “CVDs refer to diseases of the heart and the blood vessels which include stroke are both hereditary and acquired. CVD is the number one cause of mortality globally and in the country, actually even in this city.”
The high-impact event was graced by Zamboanga City Mayor John Dalipe who pledged to continue working on a healthy Zamboanga City goal with the city officials and barangays, with the medical community.
PHA National President Dr. Ronald Cuyco shares that “the PHA’s purpose is to promote our advocacy of reducing the burden of CVDs, and this year we are excited and honored to be focusing on Zamboanga City.”
The fair generated more than 300 registrants from the medical community (the Private Hospital Association Philippines, Philippine Medical Association, pharmaceutical group), the academe, schools, LGU (local government units) and barangays.
The hands-only CPR training drew over 100 participants.
“In keeping with the PHA CPR & AED Ready PH campaign, we are continuously pushing for this hands-only CPR training that is something we share with all Filipinos. This kind of hands-only mass CPR training is free of charge and is essential to saving lives in the event of sudden cardiac arrest,” says Dr. Louella Santos, PHA National director III and Advocacy Committee chair.
Zamboanga is the second Mindanao city to serve as the nerve center of the nationwide Heart Month event. Auxiliary month-long celebrations were conducted in the rest of the 17 PHA chapters around the country. The first hosting stint was staged in Davao City by the PHA Davao-Southern Mindanao Chapter in February 2017.
“Heart Month 2024 Goes to Zamboanga” which took at least six months of preparation was quite a taxing task, but the turnout was definitely rewarding, Amil quips.
The PHA started to bring the first out-of-town Heart Month to the provinces in 2014, with the PHA Cebu Chapter as the pioneering host. It became an annual tradition until February 2020. Due to the pandemic, the “PHA Usapang Puso sa Puso”, an online forum which is broadcast via Zoom and the PHA Facebook page, was used as the platform of Heart Month 2021 and 2022.
Heart doctors’ message which they often repeat to the public is for families to implement 52100 and make it the foundation of their health habit and practice.
Here’s the Heart Month 2024 in Zamboanga City in photographs:
More heart-related conferences from the PHA for the public are in the line up for the Year of the Dragon to even more drive the importance of attaining and maintaining a healthy heart not just during the Heart Month but throughout the year. (♡)