Pagasa warns public: Brace for colder mornings

MANILA, Philippines — And just when you thought that the chill has finally arrived for the Christmas season, think again. Residents of Manila woke up on Wednesday to the city’s coldest morning in 2008 as temperature dropped to 19 degrees Celsius, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said. In the same forecast, state weathermen warned of chillier mornings until February next year. Pagasa said the cold weather is due to northeast monsoon or Amihan winds brought to the country from northern islands. "'Yung northern islands o countries ay winter ngayon dun sa kanila so nagye-yelo ngayon kaya yung tinatangay nilang hangin nanggaling sa high pressure area. Eh pag dating nito sa Pilipinas ay tinatawag hanging Amihan," Pagasa said. Because of this, the Department of Health (DOH) reminded the public to take care of their health as colds and flu very rampant during the cold season. It also said that the change of weather can trigger asthma. Dr. Yolly Oliveros, director of National Center for Disease Prevention and Control of DOH, said the person’s ability to combat sickness during the cold season highly depends on their resistance. "Depende kasi sa immunity at resistance at katawan ng isang tao no, kung mahinahina ang resistance, subject to changes of weather, nag re-react yung body," she said. In order to avoid being infected with the virus, DOH advised the public to do the following: * Eat fruits and vegetables (kumain ng maraming prutas at gulay) * Drink lots of fluid (umimon ng maraming juice at tubig) * Get enough sleep and take plenty of rest (matulog ng tama sa oras at magpahinga) * Exercise regularly (mag ehersisyo) * Wear (magsuot ng pangginaw) * Avoid smoking (iwasan ang paninigarilyo) Oliveros further explained that if an infected person refuses to take proper coughing manners and proper hygiene, he could easily transmit the virus. She also gave a few pointers so as not to spread the virus further: * Stay away from crowded places (umiwas sa mataong lugar) * Cover mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing (ugaliiing magtakip ng bibig at ilong kung uubo o babahing) * Wash your hands frequently (palaging maghugas ng kamay) * Avoid bringing kids in crowded places (huwag magdala ng mga sanggol at mga bata sa matataong lugar) - Aie Balagtas See, GMANews.TV