PALACE spokesperson Abigail Valte was quoted as saying that the bad rating of President Benigno Aquino Jr. in the latest survey is a ‘sign for the administration to improve.’

A sign? What did she mean by a sign?

The Aquino administration is already nine months old and contrary to many of our expectations, it seem to have consistently drawn criticisms  over poor policies and governance.

From what was observed as their  poor handling of the Mendoza hostage-taking incident early last year to their  failure to protect the welfare of our beleaguered OFWs, our leaders in Malacañang continue to disappointment the very people who catapulted them into power.

Is Valte telling us that it is only now that she realizes the need for the administration to improve? Will she not get the sign for the government to change for the better if the  SWS did not release the survey?

The signs were actually scattered on the wall after the president came with up a three-headed communications group. Right from the start, many thought the group would fail,  and it did.

Now, the president is angry over his declining popularity. He’s blaming the communications group that he created. But instead of blaming himself, he’s now also blaming the media.

By blaming the media, the president showed he lacks  public relations or the group who can do it for him. Why can’t he hire a PR group like the one that handles the MMDA?

For sure, there are many good PR practitioners out there who are just waiting to be tapped by the president.

Going back to Valte, nine months is a very long period before she gets the ‘HINT’  that her boss needs to improve. The SWS survey is not only a sign but an affirmation that Noynoy is not fulfilling his promise to the people.

It takes nine months before a woman gives birth to a child. By doing so, she makes her man happy. Its now April 2011 or more than nine months after Noynoy was elected by the Filipinos as President. But his adminsitration has yet to bear ‘fruit’ and the people are still lonely.

“Baog’ is what we call those who cannot bear fruit.  So how do we call now the administration?

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I mentioned the public relations of MMDA because it’s doing a great job for the agency.

If you read  the papers, listen to the radio and watch TV, there is a high possibility that there is something g about the MMDA.

This is because the MMDA is not only spreading the good news. It also disseminates newsworthy information easily understood by majority of the public. Who cannot relate to the  60kph speed limit in Commonwealth Avenue or the danger posed by the giant billboards along EDSA?

MMDA is not expected to release a story on foreign economic aid but in case it does, I’m sure it would choose an angle  fit for the millions of our  pedestrians, motorists and others that belong to the masses.

While I commend MMDA’s PR group (if there is any), the credit really goes to its chairman Francisco Tolentino who is doing a good job as a hands-on manager.

By saying hands-on, I mean the highlander from Tagaytay  is  in command of MMDA from top to bottom. So he knows what’s going on even in the department of public relations.

In line with this, I hope the chairman knows that Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City is fast becoming the next ‘killer highway’ after Commonwealth Avenue.

The number of vehicular accidents in Commonwealth drastically fell following the creation of the MMDA-led taskforce that set new traffic regulations in the said major thoroughfare.

But vehicular accidents are now occuring more often in Mindanao Avenue causing loss of  lives. The MMDA and the local government of Quezon City may take a look at it.

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Nasal allergies can really be bothersome.

Adults and children with nasal allergies or allergic rhinitis have impaired quality of life because of the symptoms associated with the disease, results of the Allergies in Asia-Pacific (AIAP) survey showed.

More than 400 million people worldwide are affected by allergic rhinitis, and in Asia-Pacific, the incidence of nasal allergies is estimated to be as high as 48 percent as societies become more urbanized and adopt urban lifestyles.

Otherwise known as nasal allergy or sometimes referred to as sinus disease, allergic rhinitis is triggered when an individual inhales allergens such as pollen or dust, causing severe swelling or inflammation of the nasal airways.

This leads to such symptoms as itchy and runny nose and mucus production. Allergic rhinitis may be seasonal or perennial.

According to the survey, two out of five parents with children who have nasal allergies said that their child go through severe allergy episodes that cannot be tolerated without treatment. They also reported that their children experience runny nose almost everyday.

The work productivity of adults who suffer from nasal allergies dropped by 24 percent on average, and more than 45 percent of those surveyed reported that they were unable to perform their work well because of discomfort.

The largest fall in average productivity in the Asia-Pacific was registered in Australia, China, and the Philippines. Respondents in these countries said that their productivity dropped by 31 percent when they were experiencing their worst nasal-allergy symptoms.

I hope nasal allergies don’t hit Malacanang because the people there have a lot of work to do as far as raising the approval rating of P-Noy.

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