Did he really do it ... or just an accident

I don't actually want to post this one here because the story is kinda sensitive, and somewhat provocative. However, people think this is an urban legend, so I thought, maybe, I should list this story here.

I don't know the whole truth behind the story, so I should be careful with my words. One thing is certain to me, it really did happen. What makes it questionable, is his statement when he was asked about the thing.

The Story

Jobert Sucaldito hospitalized after an accident with ... a cucumber? Showbiz talk show host Jobert Sucaldito is recovering at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City after a successful emergency surgery to remove a large piece of cucumber that got stuck in his rectum, according to reports. Sucaldito, one of the hosts of ABS-CBN's The Buzz, reportedly met with the accident Sunday night and was rushed to the hospital after complaining of extreme pain in his bottom. X-rays subsequently revealed that a broken piece of cucumber, about five inches in length, had gotten lodged into the lower end of his large intestine. It was not immediately clear how the cucumber got there. The surgeons who operated on Sucaldito were tight-lipped and refused to discuss his case with media, citing doctor-patient confidentiality. Oddly enough, they all looked like they were trying vainly to keep from laughing and refused to look reporters in the eye. Members of Sucaldito's household who declined to be named said they recovered the other half of the cucumber, also five inches in length, in Sucaldito's bedroom. They said it had bite marks and was in a soggy state. Besides the cucumber, they said they also found a bottle of Johnson's baby oil, pictures of scantily clad men, and lots of tissue paper.” Reached by phone, Sucaldito said he is fine and will be discharged from hospital soon. He explained that it was all an accident. Gumagawa kasi ako ng salad. Napaupo ako dun sa chair e meron palang pipino dun na patayo ang pusisyon. Basta, mabilis kasi ang mga pangyayari (I was making a salad. I sat on a chair but there was a cucumber there in an upright position. Everything just happened so fast), he said. In a related development, a group of vegan Filipinos is reportedly thinking of filing an abuse complaint against Sucaldito for allegedly molesting a harmless and defenseless vegetable. Source: Good Times Manila

Now that you have read the article above, its up to you if you will believe his statement ... or you know - guffaw?

Source:
http://es2pido.tumblr.com/post/606344574/jobert-sucaldito-hospitalized-after-accident-with

Top 10 Things You Need to Know about Healthcare Reform

Are you (or someone you know) worried about how the upcoming Healthcare Reform will affect you?  I am!

 

Many people, especially entrepreneurs and those are that currently uninsured, are concerned about the upcoming Healthcare Reform. So to simplify the new requirements, Sherri Kindlmann of Inshpere Insurance Solutions gives 10 quick Tips about what you need to know about Healthcare Reform.

 

Tip 1:  Children may remain on their parent’s insurance policy up to age 26.

 

Tip 2:  2014 health plans cannot impose pre-existing condition exclusions.  

                       

Tip 3:  Annual limits on essential health benefits are prohibited.

 

Tip 4:  Premiums cannot be based on health status, claims experience, or gender.

 

Tip 5:  Insurers must accept everyone who applies for coverage during the 2014 ACA enrollment period.

 

Tip 6:  All private health insurance plans offered in the Marketplace will offer the same set of essential health benefits which include  emergency services, maternity and newborn care, mental health; prescription drugs, laboratory services, preventive and wellness services, Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices, and pediatric services.

 

Tip 7:  Individuals must have health insurance coverage in 2014 or may have to pay a penalty.

 

Tip 8:  Private health insurance can be purchased on state-based insurance exchanges administered by a governmental agency or non-profit organization.

 

Tip 9:  Open enrollment begins on the Health Insurance Marketplace in October 2013for coverage beginning January 1, 2014.  The initial open enrollment period ends in March 2014.

 

Tip 10:  Middle-income people under age 65, who are not eligible for coverage through their employer, Medicaid, or Medicare, can apply for tax credit subsidies available through state-based exchanges. 

 

For more information about the Healthcare Reform, contact your local insurance agent or go to http://www.insphereis.com/skindlmann.

_________________________________________________________ 

Contributing author, Sherri Kindlmann, is a licensed insurance agent in the state of Georgia, representing Insphere Insurance Solutions.  For questions and complimentary health insurance consultation, contact Sherri at skindlmann@InsphereIS.com or 678-226-9266. IIS001391

January 24, 1998 Aswang News in Caloocan City

Lung ailment, not aswang killed baby, says doc ASWANG, in the city? Not really. The Caloocan City police assured terrorized residents of Dagat-Dagatan yesterday that the area is not infested with aswang, the human flesh-eating creature of Philippine folklore. The statement came following reports that an old female aswang devoured a newborn baby boy residing in the area early Wednesday morning. Police investigators clarified that the immediate cause of the death of three-week-old Dave Nagawa is broncho-pneumonia, the inflammation of the lungs. Dave was found by her mother Leonor already stiff at around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday inside their house at Block 39, Lot 7, Sabalo Street, Kaunlaran Village, Dagat-Dagatan. Leonor, 21, said she could not explain why her baby's mouth and nose were oozing with blood. Lumps were also found in Dave's head, neck and left shoulder. "We were shocked; he [Dave] was a healthy baby. He did not even get sick from the day he was born," Leonor said. Her husband Edwin added that Leonor had even played with Dave the night before he died. "But when we woke up early [Wednesday] morning, he [Dave] was already stiff," he said. The baby's death remained a mystery because the couple has yet to receive the death certificates, inflaming the superstitious beliefs of the neighbors, most of whom hailed from the allegedly aswang-infested provinces in southern Philippines. But some' neighbors claimed having proof. A girl alleged seeing a fierce-looking old woman at the roof of the Nagawa's house during the early morning that Dave died. Reports quoted a certain Roselle Echano, nine, as describing the old woman as having very long hair, wrinkled skin and reddish, glowering eyes. These descriptions aptly fit the portrayal of the supernatural being in Philippine folklore. Moreover, when some neighbors scaled thereof, they reportedly discovered blood-stains that led to a small opening in the couple's room. "The aswang could have sucked the baby's blood," the neighbors said. Leonor herself recalled that their neighbors used to say during her pregnancy that an old woman was frequently seen on their roof every night. "But I did not buy it, I thought it was all hearsay," she said. Still, intense terror gripped the residents that barangay tanods kept watch the night after the incident occurred. So intense it failed to escape media attention. Too intense that city police chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao ordered his investigators to "verify" and present feedback on the incident. Investigators Senior Police Officer I Romeo Onte and Police Officer I Joel Aquino dug into the mystery only to find out that nothing mysterious surrounded the baby's death. The policemen discovered . that Dave di'ed.of naturals causes, particularly of broncho-pneumonia, as verified by' Caloocan City Medical Officer 4 Dr. Isidore Ayson. Ayson furthered that the lung disease caused the baby's bleeding. Aquino said the Nagawal couple also "verbally denounced" the reports, claiming that their son was not a victim of a "witch." Moreover, a certain Rodelia Echano, 14, the victim's neighbor and probably Roselle's sister, said that she saw not an old woman but a big cat on the roof of the couple at around 2 a.m. Wednesday. End of the story? Not quite. Some Dagat-Dagatan residents just refuse to bury the issue, claiming that there is indeed an aswang in the area. Not a few residents have been buying extra garlic, the alleged aswang repellent. Sharon Lansangan, 15, the victim's aunt, is sure that her nephew was killed by the aswang which lingered about on their roof. "Before Dave died, I heard noise on the roof. It could not be a cat or anything as it squeaked 'ik, ik, ik' [the "patented" sound of the aswang]," she said.

Source:
http://www.margarita-station.com/newsclippings/nc98_1a.html

Usog - Real? ... or Myth?

Is Usog real or just a myth?

We have finished discussing all about Bangungot and Pasma - their causes and effects, and the reality and fiction sides of those said folk diseases. Now, let's have another one. For me this is the second most mysterious, well after Lihi. My first impression on this, when this was introduced to me when I was still a kid, is GROSS. Puting saliva of a stranger in your stomach? No thanks. And how if you're the person causing usog to somebody else? Well, some people would insist you lick their stomach. Hahaha . . .

Introduction

I don't know if usog still exist to Filipinos. Well maybe to old-fashioned Filipinos, but to modern youngsters, they ignore and don't believe on it any more. I am not saying all of the kids today, but definitely most of them including me. My parents still talk about this, but only at this time that I have interest on it.

I asked my grandmother about it and she told me she still believe in usog. I asked her why people insist to be licked in their stomach. She answered me, Not always. You don't need to be licked, you just need their saliva. Just let them wet your stomach with it. Then I asked her again, what's about saliva? Well, the only thing she respond to me is, Ewan ko ... Sabi nila eh. (I don't know ... That's what others said.)

I'm still wondering who are those nila she was talking about. I think she was referring to those people who first told her about it.

Well, anyway, what is actually Usog?

Usog (others call it Balis and Hinsuokan) is an affliction that causes the affected person a headache, stomach pain, fever, convulsion and some more severe pains or disease. This is often discussed in Filipino Psychology. Usually, the victims of this are kids, but in some occasion adults. If an adult is still experiencing usog, it means that he or she is still a weak person (Usogin). The person who causes usog are said to be overpowering. Not all people can cause usog to somebody. Actually, there are only few people who (I think) has a power to do this, like an evil eye.

In folkloric explanation, there might be some mangkukulam (witch), who are looking badly at you, as if cursing you.

Usog may had been influenced by the Spanish mal de ojo.

Cure

When you ask somebody how to counteract usog, most of them would answer the use of saliva. Usually, they will tell you to Dilaan mo ako. (Lick me.) and/or Lawayan mo ako. (Put saliva on me.) to avoid usog to the child you greeted. While doing so, he/she should say Pwera usog ... or Pwera barang ....

If the person tells you to lick him, it doesn't mean to lick him in other parts of his body, but to his abdomen. The same place where you need to put the saliva. You just need to wet your finger with it, then rub it to him. In some cases, especially to babies, the finger is rubbed to his heel or sometimes in the forehead. In these two ways, rubbing finger wet with saliva is more used and preferrable.

Other ways on healing or preventing usog is by means of placing the clothing of the afflicted kid or adult in a hot water and then boiling it.

Scientific Explanation

One theory, explains usog in terms of child distress that leads to greater susceptibility to illness and diseases. There are observations that a stranger (or a newcomer or even a visiting relative) especially someone with a strong personality (physically big, boisterous, has strong smell, domineering, etc.) may easily distress a child. Thus, the child is said to be "overpowered" or nauusog and thus may feel afraid, develop fever, get sick, etc.[a]

In usog, the child's distress is the consequence of the child's failure to adapt to change. It is, in medical terms, the consequence of the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli brought about by the stranger. Technically, the condition results from the child-environment interaction that leads the child to perceive a painful discrepancy, real or imagined, between the demands of a situation on the one hand and their social, biological, or psychological resources on the other. The stressful stimuli to the child may be mental (stranger is perceived as a threat, malevolent or demanding), physiological (loud and/or high-pitched voice of the stranger that is hurting to the child's eardrum; strong smell of the stranger that irritates the child's nasal nerves), or physical (stranger has heavy hands or is taking up too much space).[a]

The stranger's act of gently placing his finger with his saliva to the child's arm, foot, or any particular part of the child's body, could make him more familiar to the child, and thus, reduce if not remove the stress. As the stranger keeps gently saying, "Pwera usog... pwera usog...," the child is made to feel and assured that he means no harm. The usog is said to be counteracted because the child is prevented from succumbing to an illness since the child is no longer in distress. Children or even adults who are shy or have weak personalities are more susceptible to usog in accordance with observations and theory. Some have observed that at times even praising a shy child by a visiting relative caused an usog.[a]

Source:
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usog

Pasma - Real? ... or Myth?

Is Pasma real or just a myth?

Lately, we had discussed everything about Bangungot - the causes and effects, and the reality and fiction sides of the said disease. Now, let's have Pasma in our discussion.

Introduction

My grandmother often advises me not to take a bath after doing something, especially if I'm soaked with my sweat. The only reason is, Baka pasmahin ka!. I don't know how to translate it properly in English. Maybe this, You'll get pasma!. There's no English word equivalent to that, if I'm not mistaken.

Actually, its not only my granny who diligently warns me about it, but also my aunts and uncles, and my parents. I am sure, its not only me who experienced this kind of cautionary. Perhaps, all of us Filipinos heard it.

Pasma is a Filipino word origintaing from Spanish term espasmo which means spasm. Spasm, according to my dictionary, is an involuntary sudden muscle contraction. That is very much different to Pasma. Like what I had said, there is no English word for this.

Pasma is a unique Filipino illness. It is mostly connected or brought by heat and cold. Its when a the body's muscles (kalamnan) are said to be "hot" and should not be too quickly brought into contact with "cold," in this case usually meaning cold water or air conditioner.[a]

Filipino albularyos enumerated many causes, symptoms, and effects of this disease. They also know how to avoid and treat it by their folk medicine. Medical experts don't recognize this as a disease even though there were reports of people who died of this.

Signs and Causes

People who are execising or working and get soaked with sweat are usually the one who acquires pasma.

A person is pasmado if he has a sweaty palms, and if his hands are shivering uncontrollably. Pasma can also affect eyes, they'll get blurry. That's when you take a bath after reading and/or facing a computer for a long time, or before sleeping while you're hair is still wet.

Aside from the traditional cause of "init" and "lamig," which is a traditional concept sufficiently intact in the contemporary Philippine psyche to be accepted, alone as a cause for pasma, some correlation has been noted with diseases already recognized by contemporary medicine. For example, symptoms of pasma are similar to those found in people with diabetes mellitus and thyroid dysfunction. It has also been suggested that the complaints are often neurological in nature and may be linked to some kind of nervous dysfunction.[a]

The Sweaty Hands, which is one of the signs that a person is pasmado, may be caused by Hyperhidrosis. It is a disorder in which a person had an excessive sweat on face, hands, feet and armpit no matter what the temperature is.

Folkloric treatments for Pasma include massages using ginger, coconut oil, alcohol, garlic, and camphor oil. Soaking in lukewarm salted water or rice water is believed to cure Pasma, as well is Pasmang-bituka, a daily salted decoctions of solasi (Holy basil).[a]

There are reports of people who died suddenly and some became mentally ill pointing the cause to pasma. Even though there more reliable explanation of these cases, Filipino still believe it was the main reason. These victims perhaps just had done something pasmatic, and encountered signs similar to pasma.

I had once a neighbor who suddenly became mentally ill. My granny told me what he did before becoming like that. She said, Masipag kasi ang taong iyon. Nagtatrabaho ng halos buong araw, tapos hindi sapat ang tulog. Isang gabi naligo raw iyon pagkauwi ng bahay. Kinabukasan, nagkaganoon na siya. (He was a hardworking man. He was working almost the whole day, and his sleep was not enough. One evening, he took a bath after arriving home. In the next day, he just became like that.)

Have you read my recent post here, about my neighbor who was suspected to be an aswang? Some people claimed he isn't, that he just died suddenly because of pasma.

Source:
a. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasma

Bangungot - Real? ... or Myth?

Dreaming is a part of our life. Every time we sleep, we often encounter peculiar images and feelings we cannot explain. Some may symbolize your personality, and physical and mental wants and needs; and some may show you your very fear. These might be situations and possible problems you don't want to occur, and things (living or non-living) you don't like most. Dreams are ambiguous. Till now, Psychologists are still solving and studying what are those things you see on it really mean and its importance in our lives.

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.

But how if these dreams are not likable? If they turned to something demonic and deathly? This kind of dream, in the Philippines, is Bangungot. The question here is -

Is Bangungot real or just a myth?

Let's have a short introduction about what is this bangungot.

Bangungot is a Filipino word for the English nightmare. It is also the word used by locals in naming the sudden death of persons while they are asleep. Whether you are healthy or not, you may be affected. Victims may have no complications or even any other signs of heart diseases. This medical condition acknowledged by experts is named as Sudden Unexpected (Unexplained/Unknown) Nocturnal Death Syndrome or SUNDS. Filipinos identify the causes of how a person undergoes in the said condition as well as ways on preventing and waking a person experiencing this. But actually until now, no one knows the causes of it which everyone should accept and believe.

The Filipino word Bangungot came from Bangon (which means to wake up or stand) and Ungol (which means to to moan).

Did you know that 43 out of 100,000 young Filipinos die because of Bangungot? Its a small ratio, but alarming.

I included it here because some Filipinos don't believe in Bangungot. Some would just accept it as an urban legend. Bangungot is true! However the causes that local Filipinos identify are a little incredible. Maybe that's the reason some don't believe on it.

Foreign Similarity

Actually, it is not endemic in the Philippines. Other Asian and European countries also know and recognize this. They even have their own names for this. There are differences comparing it from one country and another, but they have more similarities.

Thailand. They call it Lai tai. They believe that this disease may have cause in eating a food they called phi am, which means ghost of a widow. This ghost visits young men at night.

Vietnam. Tsob Tsuang is their name for bangungot.

Indonesia. Digeunton is their name for it.

Laos. Dab Tsog.

Japan. They name it as Pokkuri. There was a temple called Pokkuri-dera in Nara Prefecture. There, people do a ritual to wish for a pleasant death.

China. Bei gui ya is there name for it.

Hungary. Boszorkany-nyomas.

Netherlands. Nachtmerrie.

Nefoundland, Canada. They call the local Batibat as Old Hag.

Mythical Causes

There was this nature spirit dwelling in trees that punishes humans especially those people who cut the specific tree where she lives. It usually takes the form of an old, fat woman. This mythical creature I'm talking about is the Batibat of Ilocanos (more commonly known as the Bangungot).

She punishes people by means of sitting over them while sleeping in the wooden beds and/or benches made from the tree where she dwell. Of course the person will be suffocated, and if not prevented, the worst thing may happen, he will die. The only way to escape her is to wake the victim up. However, you cannot wake the person by just slapping their body or face. You need to press hardly the thumb toe of that person and, if necessary, shake it.

Another mythical creature blamed to cause this is the Engkantos, particularly the wicked engkantos. Reasons why they cause this sudden death while sleeping are: (1)they punish them; and (2)they fond the person. Yes! I do mean that if the engkanto fell in love with you, they will snatch your soul and never let you go any more. Thus causing your death. But this often happens to women, and bangungot usually occur to men.

Natural Causes

If a Filipino warn you not to eat to much at dinner or before you go to sleep, follow them. Acute Hemorrhagic pancreatitis is a disease caused by eating and drinking to much food and alcoholic beverage, especially beer, and this cause Bangungot. Some foods are avoided by locals like noodles and desserts. Eating Balut and drinking beer at the same time may also cause bangungot, as well as salty foods like bagoong and patis.

In Thailand and Laos, Brugada Syndrome causes Bangungot.

Famous Issues

Rico Yan died at 10:45 am of March 29, 2002. The true cause of his death was acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, which causes Bangungot. But because he, at that time, was one of the most famous celebrity in the Philippines, his death created many rumors.

Marky Cielo, a newly discovered celeb, was also rumored that his death was caused by bangungot.



Some of these bangungot might actually caused by problems and worry (in short stress) that you still put in mind even you're about to sleep. So remember, before going to sleep, you need to set them aside and be relaxed. A warm milk may also help you.

For some ways on how to get rid of Bangungot, click here [1].

Source:
http://health.wikipilipinas.org/index.php?title=Bangungot
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_unexpected_death_syndrome

A Medical Center Mystery

Have you receive this message below?

About

"ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. "When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner."

Me? Yes. That's the reason why I searched some details that can support the text message I received. Actually I got it a long time ago, and it was only now that I read it again.

According to the message, every patient dies in ICU every 11 AM, Sunday, whatever reason death may cause.

It mentioned a doctor named Dr. Licauco, perhaps his full name is Jaime T. Licauco. He is a paranormal expert (a parapsychologist), President of Philippine Paranormal Research Society, Inc., and a columnist in Inquirer Lifestyle. Other than that, I knew nothing about him. It also mentioned together with Mr. Licauco, the Ateneo paranormal folks. I don't know about them.

I found an article in a News website in the Philippines. He also received the same message, and searched everything about it.

News

I RECENTLY got a text message titled ?Mystery at a Medical Center? from a well known ophthalmologist. The message read: ICU patients always died in the same bed on Sundays at 11 a.m., regardless of their medical condition. This puzzled the doctors. No one could solve the mystery. Mr. Licauco and the Ateneo paranormal folks were called. They arrived armed with special photographic equipment, infrared devices and motion sensitive radar to detect any presence, so on Sunday, a few minutes before 11 a.m., doctors and nurses nervously waited outside the ward to know what the mystery was all about. Some were holding wooden crosses and prayer books to ward off evil spirits. When the clock struck 11, Mang Jose, a part-time Sunday janitor, entered the room, unplugged the life support system and plugged in the vacuum cleaner. I replied to the female ophthalmologist who had sent me the text, ?I didn?t know that story is still being circulated around.? I explained to her that the joke first appeared on the Internet maybe five years ago in the US. It carried names of well-known American parapsychologists. Somebody had forwarded to me a copy of that Internet joke. Soon it was used by compilers of a bestselling series of pamphlets on ?True Philippine Ghost Stories.? But they changed the name of the American hospital to Makati Medical Center and the names of the parapsychologists to sometimes Jaime Bulatao or Tony Perez and the spirit questors and myself. I thought the story had died a natural death. But many years later, I found out it is still very much alive, this time in text jokes. I am simply amused by such stories and hope people see the obvious jest. Strangers But urban legends apparently die hard. And some have been going on about me without my knowledge. I am usually the last to know. For example, I bumped into a group of strangers coming out of a Greenbelt restaurant years ago. One of them recognized me and greeted. ?Do you remember me?? he asked. I apologized and said, ?No I?m sorry, but I don?t.? He then told me he could not forget meeting me in a restaurant three months before former Sen. Ninoy Aquino came back to the Philippines. He said that I told him and six other people that if Ninoy came back to the Philippines, he would be assassinated. I said that? I asked incredulously. Yes, he emphatically replied. There were six of us who heard you say that. ?I?m sorry.? I told him. ?I don?t remember having said that.? And then I walked away from them. I learned from my son Jolan Alexander, now a businessman, that he had been told the story on two separate occasions that I once hit a baseball so hard it flew high up in the sky and was never recovered. When Jolan told me about that, I merely laughed because I have never played baseball, not even in my dreams! Relieved Here?s another recent example which took place only months ago. I went to a medical doctor who was a practitioner of holistic medicine and Chinese acupuncture. There was a female patient in the treatment room. When we were introduced, she said she knew me; we were neighbors in same office building in Makati. She said she was then scheduled for operation for cancer and I supposedly told her not to undergo the operation because she didn?t need it. Because of my advice. she said she didn?t undergo the operation. ?And what happened?? I nervously asked. ?You were right!? she replied. ?It turned out I didn?t need the operation after all.? I was relieved but at the same time puzzled because I would never tell anyone, specially someone I hardly know, not to undergo a medical surgery. I don?t remember that incident at all. But she was very sure that conversation took place in that building. Maybe that was another urban legend that has developed around my persona or character. I?ve been told that some people say I can read minds, tell the future, heal the sick and talk to the dead. If I could do all those things, I probably would have a long line of people waiting outside my door. I don?t know how many others are being circulated that I am not aware of.

Source:
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20101123-304720/Urban-legends-die-hard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaime_Licauco

Adrian Caballes

I don't know who this 15-year-old boy student of a school abbreviated as BHNS. And I don't know if he's real or not. However, the two messages below show sign of incredibility.

Story

[Taken from a Social Networking Site:]

... paki copy nlang sa mga cp nyo lalo na sa mga tga pinas, kah8 sa ganit0ng paraan lng maka2l0ng tau kah8 k0nte Fr0m.09077537362 SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA. please help by sending this message to as many as u can. A 15 years old boy ADRIAN CABALLES former student of BNHS is in crititacal stage suffering frm MEGACOLON TOXIC. His family needs 4M For the Bowel resecti0n. all networks agreed to give P1.00 for each msg. pls 4ward at least 15 people i hope that u are a kind hearted pers0n Tenkyu this msg is m0nit0red pls help!KUNG UNLI NAMAN KAU D0NT BE SELFIS GOD BLESS ... Will you copy this on your cp (cellphone) especially to those people living in the Philippines? Just for this way, we can help other people, even a little. From: 09077537362 SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA. Please help by sending this message to as many as you can. A 15 years old boy ADRIAN CABALLES former student of BNHS is in crititacal stage suffering from MEGACOLON TOXIC. His family needs four million for the Bowel Resection. All networks agreed to give P1.00 for each message. Pls. forward (to) at least 15 people. I hope that you are a kind-hearted person. Thank you! This message is monitored. Please help! If you're (text) unlimited, don't be selfish.

[Taken from a Text Message:]

GENERAL HOSPITAL OF BATAAN - Please help by sending this message to as many as you can. 15-year-old BOY, ADRIAN CABALLES, former Student of BNHS, is in a critical stage, suffering from MEGACOLON TOXIC . His family needs 4M (4 Million) for the BOWEL RESECTION. All networks agreed to give P1.00 for each message. PLS. forward to atleast 15 people. I hope that you are a kind-hearted person. TNX! This message is monitored. PLS. Help! If you're (text) unlimited, don't be selfish. God Bless you!

The first message, actually from Facebook.com, tells that the boy was confined in SAVIORS HOSPITAL OF PAKIL LAGUNA, while the second one is GENERAL HOSPITAL OF BATAAN. If this is true, then what was really the hospital where he could be found? Other than that, the two tells about similar individual with the same disease, with alike school and age. However, there are too many BNHS school in the Philippines.

Balayan National High School - Balayan, Batangas

Balibago National High School - Barangay Balibago, Santa Rosa City, Laguna

Bacoor National High School - Bacoor City, Cavite

Bataan National High School - Bataan

And many more....

Sources:
http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?id=297936936936882&story_fbid=318317231565519

Dirt in McDonald's Foods

Urban Legends are not only based on false stories with full of exaggeration, but some of them came from real ones, though added with almost incredible information. Legends like this can be true, in the other hand, it was not absolutely real. However, it was normal for fast-food restaurants to cook incorrectly or accidentally serve a reject dish.

I remember the rumored stories about the Bulate Burger (Earthworm Burger). It was absolutely unreal. What I mean to say is, every restaurants may experience similar faults. How hard they try to avoid flaws, they may still done the same.

Stories

[Taken from Internet:]

CASE: RAT POOP IN McCHICKEN PLACE: McDONALDS GLORIETTA Date: Fri Sep 29, 2000 1:47am Subject: BEWARE OF McDONALD'S - GLORIETTA BRANCH! Friends, I send you this message to warn you of the danger of eating in fastfood restaurants especially in McDonald's Glorietta Branch. My wife was food poisoned last Sunday, September 10, 2000 after eating a piece of McDo chicken with feces ("TAE") of rodents on it. It was a good thing that my 6-year old daughter was not poisoned after taking one little bite of the McDo chicken. On the said date, my wife, my daughter and an in-law visited the McDonald's outlet of Glorietta and ordered McDo chicken among other things. After taking a few bites of the McDo chicken, my wife noticed a foul and disgusting taste. She spat out the morsel of McDo chicken from her mouth and checked the food and noticed black objects, which she thought was "tae ng ipis" but we later discovered as "tae ng daga". Since she already has ingested a few bits of the chicken, she felt dizzy and started to vomit. A service crew approached my wife only after repeated calls and only after my wife's sister-in-law raised her voice. The McDo chicken was quickly whisked away from their table and thereafter, a certain Ms. Edna Resurreccion, who introduced herself as the Assistant Branch Manager, came and unbelievably offered to replace the food my wife ordered without even asking about her condition. Worse, the service crew formed a "human barricade" by surrounding their table, perhaps to prevent other customers from hearing my wife's complaint. Since my wife's vomiting seemed to be uncontrollable, she rushed to Makati Medical Center (MMC) through her own initiative. No one from the McDonald's store bothered to accompany my wife to the hospital. Ms. Resurreccion was kind enough to follow only after I informed her that my wife is in MMC. Worst, my wife made the payments for all the medical tests, medicines and check-up through her health card. A few days after the incident, Mr. Christopher "Chic-Chic" Perez, McDonald' s Operations Consultant asked to meet my wife. Though Mr. Perez is a cousin of my wife, he did not make a dent on my wife's disgust and disappointment with the way McDonald's handled the incident. However, a positive aspect we got during the meeting with Mr. Perez was the admission of a leak in McDonald's ? Glorietta Branch's food storage area that may have been the source of the intrusion of elements. Mr. Perez has repeatedly assured my wife that they are doing something to close up the leak. How unfortunate though that my wife has been diagnosed to have contracted TYPHOID FEVER and is now suspected to have LEPTOSPIROSIS (a sickness that may lead to death if left untreated). Results of the current medical tests will be known in a few days. It is my hope that she won't come out positive of leptospirosis. My wife has not reported for work for the past 14 days due to high fever, severe headache, weakness, intermittent chills and diarrhea. We have demanded a written apology from the Management of McDonald's Restaurant but we have not received any up to this time. It pains me and my wife to realize what had happened. We have a hard time explaining the incident to my daughter, who is, by the way, "used" to be a Ronald McDonald fan. PLEASE DO NOT LET THIS THING HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES. SEND THIS TO YOUR FRIENDS SO THEY MAY THINK TWICE BEFORE ENTERING A McDONALD'S RESTAURANT.

CASE: MOLDS IN A HAMBURGER BUN PLACE: McDONALDS INTRAMUROS I am Bill Householder, an American living in the Philippines for more than a year now, married to a Filipina wife, the former Doddie Pacion. Last July 19,2000, my wife and I ate lunch at McDonald's-Intramuros near Colegio de San Letran. Doddie was five and half months pregnant at that time and was very hungry. She noticed a funny taste in her Big Mac burger and by the time she found out why it was so, it was too late. Imagine my wife's horror and dismay when she found out the remaining one-fourth of her Big Mac burger had black and blue-green molds on the underside of the hamburger bun. We complained to the management of the store and they refunded only her meal. They only were only going to go that far had I not insisted of getting the store manager's name in case my wife got sick. She did. Later that night, Doddie was throwing up severely and had to go to her OB doctor the next day. It was severe food poisoning due to black & blue molds. She was hospitalized for 3 days, the food poisoning triggered preterm labor and she nearly lost the baby and could have lost her life as well. My wife had to stop working because of the 2 months bed rest ordered by her OB-Gyne. McDonald's paid for the hospital bill and related medical expenses of my wife. For compensation of her loss of income, pain, suffering and the chance of having a baby with gastrointestinal disorders, McDonald's refuses to compensate what is due to my wife and baby. They even refused to admit fault, in their letters and conversations to us, with regards to the moldy bun causing her food poisoning. I can't believe McDonald's corporate doctors even went as far as to flatly deny my wife having preterm labor ignoring the medical certificate issued by her doctor and the hospital. Doddie is still taking Duvadilan to control her preterm labor. What my wife went through was atrocious. The emotional turmoil alone was so grievous I find it hard to write of it even now. The heartache of almost losing our FIRST baby drove the both of us to tears many times. Not even mentioning the severe physical pain she has had to endure due to the preterm labor. Their Mktg. & PR Manager, Mr. Jojo Samson, offered only about P20,000.00 as compensation to my wife and the baby. His reason for such a measly amount? "It comes from our PR & Mktg. budget which does not amount to much", he said. Mr. Samson even casually mentioned that if we go to court, he can easily "bury" our story from the Philippine media. We filed a criminal case against McDonald's with the Manila Trial Court and legal proceedings begin this October 12, 2000. We didn't want to go to this but we are forced to these measures. We expected more honesty and honor from a company who claim to uphold quality, service and customer satisfaction as stated in their People Promise principles. We recently received a lot of emails regarding the McDonald's Glorietta incident and found out there was another case involving that same store in that mall where a guy has DIED of food poisoning last November 1999. We are outrage by this lack of sympathy, callousness and disregard of human life by McDonald's. Please pray for my wife, our baby, the wife of Mr. Jonathan Herbolario and the soul of the poor guy who left a wife and two young daughters. Pray that justice is served to all of us. Sincerely, Bill Householder

Source:
http://timothy2170.multiply.com/journal/item/93

The Woman with a Lump in her Tongue

Story

[Taken from [1]:]

A woman was working in a post office. She was supposed to use a sponge to seal the envelopes but one day she didn't. She used her tongue instead. Days after , she noticed that her tongue had a strange lump in it. It got so big that she was having a hard time eating or talking. That was when she decided to see a doctor. He cut open the lump and a live roach crawled out! Turns out, there were roach eggs on the envelope flap and they hatched in her tongue!

Foreign Counterpart

Actually, this urban legend originated from U.S.A.

[Taken from [2]:]

A California woman who worked in a post office decided one day that she would lick some envelopes instead of using a moist sponge for that purpose. In the process, she accidentally cut her tongue. Later, she noticed a swelling in her tongue, but a doctor could not find anything wrong. It finally got so bad that she was having trouble eating, so she want back to the doctor. He did some tests, found a lump on her tongue, and did surgery. During the surgery, he cut open the lump and a live cockroach crawled out. It was determined that she got cockroach eggs in her tongue from the envelope that caused the cut and they incubated there. A real example of the eRumor as it has appeared on the Internet: If you lick your envelopes...You won't anymore!!!! A woman was working in a post office in California, one day she licked the envelopes and postage stamps instead of using a sponge. That very day the lady cut her tongue on the envelope. A week later, she noticed an abnormal swelling of her tongue. She went to the doctor, and they found nothing wrong. Her tongue was not sore or anything. A couple of days later, her tongue started to swell more, and it began to get really sore, so sore, that she could not eat. She went back to the hospital, and demanded something be done. The doctor, took an x-ray of her tongue, and noticed a lump. He prepared her for minor surgery. When the doctor cut her tongue open, a live roach crawled out. There were roach eggs on the seal of the envelope. The egg was able to hatch inside of her tongue, because of her saliva. It was warm and moist. This is a true story reported on CNN. Andy Hume wrote: "Hey, I used to work in an envelope factory. You wouldn't believe the..... things that float around in those gum applicator trays. I haven't licked an envelope for years."

That's the whole story of this legend.

Sources:
[1]http://spoonlagoon.blogspot.com/2008/09/pinoy-urban-legends-10.html
[2]http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/e/enveloperoaches.htm

Sigbins are the cure for AIDS

About

The Sigbin is a mythical creature that's more popular in Visayas and Mindanao. Old folks say that the sigbin walks backwards with its head tucked between its hind legs and that it "resembles a hornless goat, emits a very nauseating smell and possess a pair of very large ears which are capable of clapping like a pair of hands." They also say that it ventures out of its lair during Holy Week in order to "look for children that it will kill for the heart, which is made into an amulet." For some reason, the story about it being the cure for AIDS spread like wildfire in the late 1990s even if nobody really knew what a sigbin looked like. Some drawings actually make it look like a kangaroo.

Story

Rich government officials in Mindanao who lived in mansions or large estates were believed to be raising sigbins. They were accused of being too greedy to share the wealth with the people. The blood of the sigbin, its meat, or its oil was supposed to cure AIDS within seconds.

Fact

There are no words to explain just how ridiculous this story sounds and the fact that many people actually went sigbin hunting. Many hapless people who wanted to make a fortune by catching the animal that would cure AIDS were said to have been shown pictures of albino animals that the con men passed off as genuine sigbins. Many of those who wanted to try their luck at sigbin hunting were asked to pay a fee for the privilege of being part of the sigbin hunting group.

Sources:

http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41192/urban-legends-that-drove-pinoys-crazy

AIDS patient injects Movie-goers & Shoppers with his blood

Claim:

Movie-goers and mall shoppers were injected with syringes containing infected blood of AIDS/HIV.

Legend:

The story about a guy carrying a syringe full of AIDS/HIV positive blood going around injecting moviegoers at SM Megamall broke out sometime in the 1990s. There were those who claimed to have heard stories from people who knew one of the guy's victims.

A person will sit beside to someone who is alone then prick a needle to him, then leaves a morbid note like, "Welcome to my world!" or "Congratulations, you're one of us."
In the case of the shoppers, they will stand or sit beside you, then they'll inject you with the infected syringe or needle. After that, they will just run away living the words, "Happy living".

Variations:

- In some stories, the guy was said to be wearing a baseball cap or a hooded jacket.
- Some people also said that the guy would let out a maniacal laugh each time he injected a victim. The guy seemed to "melt into the shadows" since nobody reported seeing him running or headed anywhere.
- Instead of a syringe, he use only a needle.
- Other versions, this guy injects HIV positive blood in Ketchup dispensers in fast-food chains.
- Another story which originated this legend:

---

A woman (an employee of SM) who was infected by an HIV. After being fired by Mr. Henry Sy, she took revenge. She sit/stand beside SM shopper, then injects a needle from her body. Sometimes, she left some of the needles in the seats in SM cinemas for whoever will sit on it will also be infected. Other story would claim it was a disgruntled man.

Facts:

Anti-Megamall groups probably got together and decided to infect it with this story, which, by the way, isn't original. It turns out that this story has an international scope.

Sources:

http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41192/urban-legends-that-drove-pinoys-crazy
MC DUANE's PAGE PRESENTS: Philippine Urban Legends by: Michael Caleda a.k.a. MIKERAPPHONE of Mikerapphone Chronicles.[1]

Cortal + Coke = Abortion

Story

Some people think that taking Cortal (a local brand of aspirin) and washing it down with Coke would induce abortions. More often than not, people will retell a story that they had heard from a friend of a friend's other friend about a young woman who could not face the fact that she had gotten knocked up. The said young woman allegedly used the Cortal-Coke combo to solve her problem.

Legend

Information about the young girl would vary. The name of her school or dormitory would change. In some stories, she got away with her so-called "self-medication." In others, she was rushed to an emergency room of some hospital and pronounced dead on arrival. Of course, the young woman in question never had a name and it was never revealed who the father of her unborn child was.

Fact

This is either a twisted cautionary tale that's told to young girls who are out on their own or a campaign against Cortal and Coke. Nevertheless, somebody posed a question related to the combo online

Sources:
http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/41192/urban-legends-that-drove-pinoys-crazy

Cat - As the Main Ingredient of Siopao

Fact

Cat meat is eaten as part of uncommon cuisines of Cantonese in China, Vietnam, and some rural Swiss cultures. In desperate times, people of other areas have been known to resort to cooking and eating cats. Cat meat was eaten, for example, during the famine in the Siege of Leningrad. In 1996, a place that served cat meat was supposedly discovered by the Argentine press in a shanty town in Rosario, but in fact the meal had been set up by media from Buenos Aires.

Legend

In the Philippines, there is an urban legend (and also considered a joke) that some vendors use cat meat to make siopao (steamed bun), leading some Filipinos to name their pet cats "Siopao". The story tells that one of the restaurants in Quiapo, Manila City was caught throwing cut heads and body parts of street cats at the back. Some versions also said that they actually saw them cooking it. This urban legend began way back during the Japanese time when there was a scarcity of meat and lots of cats on the street.

Interpretation

The urban legend is just a kind of business technique of winning customers' favor over the said restaurant above, thus they told false stories circulated in the city.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taboo_food_and_drink#Cats
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/philippine-urban-legends-093005285.html