Eugene Torre: A Living Legend

GM Eugene Torre in 1982

Whenever Filipinos encounter the word “chess”, the name Eugene Torre automatically pops up in their head. Fans of the board game or not, people recognize and respect his legacy in the sport. Torre, Asia’s First Grandmaster, is the country’s most celebrated and accomplished athlete that his name appears in school textbooks and sports news over the years. 

The chess legend turns 68 this year. While many of his age enjoy retirement, Torre still competes and showcases his robust play in international tournaments. He also continues to champion chess in the local scene, helping in the development of future chess masters. He shows no signs of slowing down in his career. The question is, what keeps him going?

Eugenio Oliveros Torre was born on November 4, 1951, in Iloilo, but raised in Manila. He is seventh of the 10 siblings in the family and started playing chess at age six with his elder brothers and father. Chess was his parents’ means to keep the kids away from trouble.  

“Our parents encouraged us to play chess because they wanted us to stay inside the house to avoid bad cliques, nightclubs, disco, parties, and rumbles. Especially, there were street gangs back then,” Torre recalled.

With his passion for the board game, the young Torre pursued his chess calling. However, there was no formal training, no culture, and no support being offered yet in the country at that time because the game was not popular. But he did not let such conditions hinder him in pursuing his goals. Instead, he rose above that challenge with diligence and resourcefulness, by reading lots of chess books available then. 

Photos of young Eugene Torre displayed in his house in Quezon City

In an interview with ChessBase, Torre recounted that chess players back in his day were on their own unlike nowadays when there are lots of programs and resources available to help players in their preparation. Nonetheless, he noted that his generation of players had a wonderful time in mastering the game because chess back in the day was “a mystery and there was a lot to be discovered.”  

With outstanding brilliance, he won local tourname

nts until there was no challenge left for him. So during his early years in college at Mapua, Torre decided to take his skills to the next level by joining competitions in Europe under one condition from his father-- win or go home. 

“My father gave me a two-year ultimatum that if I would not succeed in chess within two years, I have to go back and focus on my studies. But I became a grandmaster within two years. I have to keep going as my opponents like (Anatoly) Karpov were really focused on chess. So I got no chance to finish my college,” Torre said. 

The medals he won in many tournaments through the years
artistically arranged by his lovely wife Marlin

Torre flew to Europe with the mission to further his game and to put the Philippines’ mark in the world of chess. And he was able to draw the attention and by adding color to tournaments being the Asian champ. “I felt in awe. I have faced world champions then,” he said.  

One of his outstanding feats happened in the 1969 World Junior Chess Championship held in Stockholm, Sweden. The young chess wizard from the Philippines surprised the world with his performance against a rising young Soviet master Karpov.

“They thought of the Philippines, Asia as weak contenders. The game was dominated by the US, Europe, and Russia. They group the players wherein the strong ones faced the weak. So they put me in the group where Karpov is because supposedly the Philippines is a weak contender. But in our match, I almost beat him. But it came to a draw,” Torre recounted.  Eventually, Karpov qualified to the Final A stage and won the tourney, while Torre won the Final B.  

GM Eugene Torre in 2016

Torre conducted his chess crusade around Europe from 1972 to 1973 with the help of chess legend and National Champion Florencio Campomanes, who convinced the national newspaper Daily Express to fund Torre’s crusade with USD250 per month. There he played against the best chess players in the world, especially the ones from Russia (known as a producer of grandmasters). It was a journey filled with heartbreaks but as the European aphorism says, “What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.” He learned from his defeats and turned them into progress. Eventually, it paid off. In 1974, he captured the silver medal at the World Chess Olympiad in Nice, France, where he emerged as the First Asian grandmaster at age 22. 

But the moment that cemented Eugene Torre’s name in the history of the game came two years later at the Marlboro-Loyola Kings Challenge Chess Tournament, a four-player double round-robin held in the Philippines. Three grandmasters flew to Manila: Ljubomir Ljubojević from Yugoslavia, Walter Browne from the United States, and the reigning World Champion -- the guy he almost beat in the World Junior Chess Championship--Anatoly Karpov.

The Filipino grandmaster joined the tournament as an outsider and the lowest-rated player among the four contenders. But everyone was amazed by his inspired play, finishing clear first with 4.5/6, 1.5 points ahead of Karpov, who he defeated in the second round. Torre achieved what nobody had done since the latter became world champion. His underdog tale made him an international chess sensation.

A TRUE CHAMPION

With all the successes he attained through the years, Torre has become a beacon for the next generations of chess players. In spite of that, he confessed a weakness that hindered him to achieve even greater accomplishments in his career. 

“I am not the type of player whose game is exceptional all the time. There are times moments wherein my performance is outstanding, there are also times when it is down. I had that moment that I felt I am undefeated, even if the opponent is a world champion,” the grandmaster said. 

At the peak point of his career in the early 1980s, Torre ranked No.17 in the world and was perceived as a possible future title contender after his outstanding performance at Marlboro-Loyola Kings Challenge Chess Tournament. He successfully qualified as a candidate for the world championship after tying with Lajos Portisch at first place in the 1982 Toluca Interzonal event.

He competed at the preliminary stage for the 1984 World Championship, where chess masters battle against each other to determine the challenger to the world champion. Unfortunately, he lost to Zoltán Ribli of Hungary, eliminating him from the tournament and took away his chance to be world champion. 

It was indeed a heartbreaking defeat that made the Filipino grandmaster somehow go semi-retired. During those times, Torre used his prominence in further promoting the chess movement in the Philippines. He hosted a daily one-hour TV show Chess Today and wrote a few books. Eventually, he bounced back and resumed playing. In 1992, in a battle of two chess legends Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky, Torre worked as a second for the former, who became his good friend.

“The measure of a successful chess player is actually during the times when you lose, not when you’re winning. Handling triumphs is easier. You feel like you’re up in the clouds and everything is rosy, positive, and heaven. The measure or challenge is how you handle moments when you’re down. That is the measure of champions. Regardless of your strengths, you’ll go through such times. Some players take losses so much that it affects their psyche and everything and destroys their game. But the solid champions when they get defeated recover fast. Like Karpov and Fischer,” he professed.

A book on Torre's legendary chess career published abroad

In 2016, at age 64, Torre set the record for the most number of participations in the World Chess Olympiad when he played his 23rd in Baku, Azerbaijan. He played strong in all 11 games, winning nine games and two draws and captured the bronze medal.  

For decades, he continues to represent the country in the world stage. His presence in the national team boosts the morale of our players, sending a message to the international stage that Pinoy contenders should be taken seriously. 

RIGHT MOVES OUTSIDE CHESS

Torre continues to play a vital role in the local chess movement as a coach for the national chess team, backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and as FIDE (International Chess Federation) Senior Trainer in the Professional Chess Trainers Association of the Philippines, which produces chess trainers in the country. 

 Outside the game, he works as a consultant for a real estate developer wherein he also applies the wisdom the board game has taught him. 

“In chess, there are lots of principles that you could apply in life. Like control the center, and control the pawns. Although pawns are small, generally, they are the ones that decide the outcome of the game. How would you translate that to real life? When the pawns are in disarray, the officers are ineffective too. You take care of those who are in the lower ranks because eventually, they will make you achieve your goal," he elucidated. 

GM Torre showing his many recognitions
and trophies displayed in his home

The chess legend is also an active member of the humanitarian organization Rotary International, particularly the Rotary Club of Sta. Mesa, Quezon City, since 2003. He professed that being a Rotarian serves as a means to further his advocacy.

During his club presidency, he initiated the First Governor’s Cup tournament in 2010 that garnered support from fellow Rotarians.

He hopes Rotary Governors would include chess in their projects since education, fellowship, and health are among the organization’s thrust. Torre explained that the game he champions covers the three since chess promotes mental health (improves focus, protects against degenerative diseases like dementia), creativity, critical thinking, and sportsmanship. 

“When kids get involved in sports, they become good citizens of the community. The get discipline and how to take care of their health,” he said. 

As the interview winds up, Torre toured this writer in the hallway of honors in his home in Quezon City jam-packed with trophies, plaques, and recognitions. The walk stopped in front of the huge glass case where his international major prizes are displayed, talking about the huge silver trophy amid the awards-- his 1974 Marlboro-Loyola Kings Challenge Chess Tournament title. Then the living legend was asked, “For how long will you be playing?” As long as his brilliant mind can. 

“Even I am already bedridden and my eyes are closed, I will still make my moves on the chessboard,” the grandmaster answered.  

Eugene Torre is indeed an epitome of passion, who lives and breathes chess, driven by the desire to win more and more supporters of the sport he loves throughout his existence. And he will not retire soon. Perhaps never. 

Me and The Living Legend himself!

 (Special thanks to Edmond Aguilar, past district governor of Rotary International District 3810,  for helping make the interview possible)

THE ROTARY HOMES PROJECT: BORDERLESS KINDNESS FOR THE HOMELESS

New housing units at Rotary Homes

Around 5,000 families dwell along the banks of the three-kilometer Parañaque River,  considered one of the most polluted in Metro Manila and  classified as “biologically dead”  by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),  which means it is no longer a viable habitat for fishes and other forms of marine life.  Heavily clogged with tons of trash and domestic wastes,  flooding is always imminent during a typhoon that brings torrential rains, threatening  the lives  of these poor residents who most likely persist in this area despite the risks because  they have no other options.

HERE COME THE MILLENNIALS

They are lazy and narcissistic. And they are tomorrow’s leaders. Really.

BREAD OF HOPE

It’s three a.m. at  the Holy Trinity Home for Children. While every one is still in deep sleep, Sister Perpetua Osio gets out of bed. She offers a prayer of thanks for another day to serve the Lord and the faithful, especially the children taking shelter in the orphanage. Then, wearing her habit, she goes to the kitchen and with the assistance of Randy and Mema, teenagers who grew up in the orphanage, she prepares the dough  to be baked and sold in their bakery.  She does this every day.

“We need to do the baking early so people could see that our breads are already available in the morning and they will be enticed to buy. If we display the breads late, most likely, they won’t be sold,” said Sr. Osio, a nun for already 13 years. Some of their best selling products are the cheesebread and the asado bun.

The bakery, named after the orphanage, has been in operation for several months. It was established through the assistance of the Rotary Club of Pag-asa, RI District 3780 which remains to be one of the organizations that support the orphanage over the years. The club donated an oven and other baking tools as well as provided free training. The bakery’s earnings are being used to support the needs of the more than 40 indigent children housed at the orphanage located at Fairview, Quezon City.   Sr. Osio admits that, at first, she was not able to focus on operating the bakery due to field missions. But this time, she’s really geared up for baking jobs.

The Holy Trinity Home for Children was established in January 1993 by Mother Elena O. Suico, founder of the Trinitarian Handmaids of the Divine Word, with her great desire to help destitute children attain a better future. The charitable institution also provides education and livelihood training to the beneficiaries.

The ongoing livelihood project of the Rotary Club of Pag-asa involves the conduct of free training for a three-year-baking course, in partnership with the Philippine Society of Baking,  being held at the Fairview campus of Gateways Institute of Science and Technology, where the project’s main proponent, past club president  Joe Montenegro, serves as director.  It is open to individuals who are above 18 years of age and have the desire to learn how to bake.  So far, the project has around 200 beneficiaries and more are signing up.

Montenegro, an electronics and computer engineer, shares that helping people in their livelihood is close to his heart.“When I see people who are in need, I could not hinder myself to help them because I see my former self in them. I came from a poor family in Surigao and I worked as a house helper, driver, car wash boy to support my education in order for me to achieve my dream of having my own school. Now that I achieved that, I would like to share my blessings to them,” he said.

Last October, under the leadership of Club President Marilou Lapuz, the club will provide training on making breads and pastries that could be baked in small ovens to make the course relevant to more viable livelihood for the trainees, as well as accommodate more students. Sr. Osio has already expressed her interest to join the upcoming session so she could add more variety to Holy Trinity Bakery’s products that sustain the children at the orphanage.

When asked if she has a secret ingredient or a ritual in making her breads flavorsome, she answered,  “There is no miracle. We just make the breads with love.“ -Photos by: Carmen Dela Cerna

(Published in Philippine Rotary magazine October 2015 issue)

QUALITY EDUCATION ON WHEELS

Rotarians with students of Torres High School in Tondo, Manila

Proficiency in the language used as means of instruction is very essential in the facility of learning. In the Philippines English is commonly the medium in teaching core subjects such as mathematics and sciences, that non-mastery of the language greatly hampers comprehension, and ultimately quality education.

Gab Enriquez is among the myriad of Philippine public school students who struggle with the English language. He considers his lack of skills as a millstone around his neck that weighs down his class performance and diminishes his self-esteem. “I’m not really good in English because at home our family does not use the English language when we communicate with each other. There were times when my classmates laugh at me during class recitation because of my poor grammar,” shares the 15-year old Grade 9 student from Araullo High School. Inadequate English proficiency not only casts an adverse impact on  the students’ capability to assimilate knowledge  in but also puts them at a disadvantage in global communications.

Inside the mobile classroom

The limited English proficiency of students like Gab, most likely, is a result of absence of proper learning tools and facilities, such as speech and writing laboratories, prevalent in government-run elementary and secondary schools. Acknowledging the need to address this problem, the Rotary club of Manila 101  initiated a service project called Education In Motion that aims to complement  learning tools and facilities in public schools to upgrade quality of education, and assist them meet the challenges of the K to 12 Basic Education Program that started in 2011. The new 13-year basic education curriculum calls for mastery of concepts and skills, development of lifelong learners, as well as  preparation for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship.

According to RC Manila 101 President Majella T. Villaroman, Education in Motion intends not only to help facilitate learning among students , but also, in the long term, develop communities. “Education is the key to improving the lives of the students and in return they can contribute back to their communities and alleviate poverty,” she states.

The program, which was launched in Rotary Year 2014-2015, offers a mobile classroom equipped with multimedia learning tools such as internet, computers, and television. These facilities are acquired through a Global Grant worth US $75,000 secured with the efforts of Dr. Caridad Icaciano Santos and RC Manila 101 Charter President Tess Tumangan in partnership with the Rotary Club of Sarasota, Florida as well as with the support of RI District 2820 (Japan) and  the Department of Education-Manila City Schools Division.

Students sharing  their i-Ready lessons
with RC Sarasota President Vicente Medina

Education in Motion uses i-Ready, an online diagnostic and instruction tool for English and mathematics developed by Curriculum Associates, a US-based education company. The i-Ready tool, recipient of the Tech& Learning 2013 Awards of Excellence, provides an engaging  and visually appealing approach to learning and allows teachers to monitor each student’s performance in real time to identify if he/she is ready to advance to the next level or needs further remedial interventions.  “It’s a two-part program. It has a diagnostic part where each child gets to be assessed in his/her individual weaknesses and the remediation part wherein the deficiencies of the student are being addressed so he/she can improve in that area and advance in the lessons,”  Andrew de Jesus, chair, RC Manila 101 Basic Education and Literacy Service Project Committee, explains. Aside from the mobile classroom, the club also installed licensed  i-Ready software in the computer laboratories of the participating secondary schools for the students’ online English lessons.

De Jesus further emphasized that Education in Motion is intended to enhance the students’ comprehension skills so they can learn effectively. “Comprehension is important. In fact, solving a mathematics problem requires 80 percent comprehension and 20 percent actual solving. One has to understand the problem and the process to take before resorting to solution. That is why around the world language comprehension and mathematics are the two basic subjects that are being prioritized,” says the club officer.

Dr. Caridad Icaciano with students of Araullo High School

Last August, RI District 6960 Past Governor Richard Rehmeyer, RC Sarasota President Vicente Medina, and Dr. Santos visited the schools participating in the Education in Motion program.  The Sarasota Rotarians were impressed with the outcome of the project where 80 percent of the students advanced in their English skills just a year after program implementation. President Medina,  a Spanish by birth, shared his knowledge that in language teaching it is essential that contemporary communications technology must be incorporated in order to capture and sustain the interest of the student. “This is a multifaceted method of learning where more interaction, more media, and more technology have to play a role. Kids now are more tech-savvy than we were when we were growing up. We have to adapt with these changes and modify our methods to make teaching more lively and tuned in to their interests,” asserts Club President Medina.

Gab’s school was among the six high schools in Manila selected by DepEd to participate in the Education in Motion program. The other schools were Mariano Marcos Memorial High School, Jose Abad Santos High School, Manuel A. Roxas High School, Esteban E. Torres High School and Corazon Aquino High School.

RC Manila 101 President Majella Villaroman

Amazingly, Gab was among the students who have enhanced English proficiency through the program. He confides that not only were his English skills boosted but his self-esteem as well.  According to his English teacher Adeline Tejada, Gab and his classmates have become more confident to speak, write and engage in discussions in English. The students also turned more eager to pursue college education and land a good job.

One of the student-participants, Jasmine Mendoza, 14, a Grade 9 student of Torres High School, thanked the Rotarians when they visited  her school for the excellent educational experience through the i-Ready program, wherein they learned and had fun at the same time from its interactive content and good quality graphics .“i-Ready is a very interesting experience. I don’t feel pressured. In the traditional setting, sometimes I get shy to ask teachers questions regarding the lesson, while i-Ready makes you understand more at the right pace. You can even repeat the lesson until you master it. The approach of i-Ready is very relevant to us,” she says.

Jasmine’s English teacher, Lady Chris Caati-Leonardo, lauded the Education in Motion’s efficiency in making the millennial students learn the English language better.  “I think it’s a good thing that we can combine the traditional approach and the new approach wherein the kids use their 21^st century skills.”

Villaroman and Medina take a selfie
 with students of Araullo High School

The success of the service program motivated Villaroman and her club members to sustain Education in Motion and broaden its service.  In fact, her club is currently working on another program which will partner with Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies to help address the high unemployment rate in the country. Termed as the Bridge program, it is in line with Education in Motion and will enable the students  acquire greater chances of landing jobs in the BPO sector which is one of the largest industries in the country at present that generate gainful employment.

“We believe that this program will be very meaningful. We as citizens are accountable for our future and it makes me want to make sure that the program moves forward. I think if we are able to bring together all players to make this happen, we can make each school better and our lives in the future,” declares Villaroman.

 (Published in September 2015 issue of the Philippine Rotary; Photos by Carmen Dela Cerna)

Diabetes Facts and Myths

Health experts consider diabetes a “growing global epidemic” as the number of people contracting the disease continues to rise.  Based on a 2014 report by the World Health Organization (WHO),  the global prevalence of diabetes was estimated to be nine percent among adults aged 18 years above.  In 2012, diabetes  was directly accounted for an estimated 1.5 million deaths, more than 80 percent of which  occurred in low and middle income countries. The WHO projects that diabetes will be the 7^th leading cause of death worldwide by 2030.

The number of Filipino diabetics also continues to rise.  The American Association of Clinical Endocrinology considers the country as “one of the world’s emerging diabetes hotspots.” The group states  that there were 3.4 million reported diabetes cases in the country in 2010, representing a prevalence rate of 7.7 percent. The WHO predicts that by 2030  the prevalence rate will rise to 8.9 percent, equivalent to 6.16 million cases. 

Diabetes is a serious chronic disease caused by the inability of the  pancreas to produce enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces (Type 2 diabetes) that leads to increased concentration of glucose in the blood or hyperglycemia that could result to complications like nerve damage, stroke, heart and blood vessel disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputation of limbs in the long run.

To further understand  and discern the misconceptions from truths about the life-threatening  disease, Philippine Rotary consulted Diabetologist Dr. Nick  Villatuya, founder of the Diabetes Education Assistance and Research Foundation Philippines and Past President of Philippine Diabetes Association-Pasig Chapter.  The diabetes expert was  a past president of the Rotary Club of Alabang. 

Diabetes can be cured.    

MYTH

Dr. Nick Villatuya

Some people believe and claim that diabetes can be cured. But Dr. Villatuya, who has been treating diabetic patients for more than two decades, chucks out that belief, citing the statement of  Dr. Elliott Proctor Joslin, the first doctor in the United States to specialize in diabetes and founder of Joslin Diabetes Center, “Once a diabetic, always a diabetic.”  “Though there are available medications such as tablets and insulin injections to help patients control the disease, I do not believe that a cure will come in the near future.  Prevention can be done,  but to reverse it once contracted, we do not have the capability,” he said.

Despite the fact that diabetes is a life-long disease, Dr. Villatuya emphasizes that diabetics, with proper health care, can live a long and productive life. “Diabetes should not shorten a person’s life since it can be controlled.”

Eating too much sugar can lead to diabetes.

MYTH

Diabetes is a genetic disorder. If  it does not run in the family, one has almost zero chance of developing it even if one has a sweet tooth. “If you are not predisposed to diabetes, no matter how much sugar you take, you will not be a diabetic. You may become fat, but you will not become diabetic because of the sugar itself,” said Dr. Villatuya.   “According to one author,  ’Genetics loads the cannon, but the environment fires it.’  You could be genetically predisposed but if you are not overweight and do not eat too much unhealthy food, you will not develop diabetes. However, if you have that in your system and once you get it, there is no turning back,” he said.

However, the diabetologist stated that though an individual does not have a history of diabetes in his/her  family, he/she could get the disease if his/her pancreas gets damaged through injury or inflammation  known as pancreatitis.

Dr. Villatuya also noted that obese individuals have a higher risk of developing the disease because the excessive fats in their body cause insulin resistance.

Older people have a higher risk of developing diabetes. 

MYTH

The elderly may notice a rise in their blood sugar levels through a blood test, but that does not necessarily mean they have diabetes. “Those who are in the age of 60 and above have higher blood sugar elevations compared to people of younger  age generally due to inactivity and development of excess fat. But that may not be categorized under diabetes.  The more precise statement is that seniors have a higher risk of developing ‘glucose intolerance,’”  Dr. Villatuya advised.

Diabetes affects sexual performance. 

FACT

Someone who has been diabetic for a long time most likely suffers from diabetic neuropathy which is damage of the body’s nerves due to high blood sugar. It also affects the nerves that are involved in sexual performance. Dr. Villatuya also added that there are  other factors such as psychological problems and medications for other illnesses that can negatively affect the libido.

Diabetics should avoid engaging in exercises

MYTH

Diabetes should not halt patients from participating in physical activities according to Dr. Villatuya.  “Diabetics  can live normal lives. They can participate in physical activities, unless they have complications from neuropathy.  They should exercise because one way to decrease insulin resistance is through physical activity. “ He recommends joint-friendly exercises such as walking, swimming and aerobics.

Women with diabetes should not get pregnant.  

MYTH

Diabetic women can still give birth to a healthy baby, but there are risks. “They can be pregnant but they should receive excellent care and treatment,” said Dr. Villatuya. “She has to control her sugar level  to protect her baby and doctors must see to it that the medication will not  affect the baby inside the womb of the mother.  That is why the type of medication given to the mother is in the form of injectables instead of tablets.” 

Dr. Villatuya also explained that a pregnant woman who never had diabetes before can have  high blood sugar levels during pregnancy, a condition called gestational diabetes. Experts believe that this is caused by the hormones from  the placenta which supports the development of the baby,  and that makes the mother’s body less responsive to insulin.This makes the pancreas to work double time in secreting more insulin and if it can’t keep up with the increased insulin demand, blood glucose levels become too high, which can harm the health of the mother and her baby.

Diabetics have low resistance against diseases 

FACT

Diabetes, if not controlled, could weaken the body’s immune system. “If the blood sugar of a diabetic is not controlled, he/she may be prone to illnesses like infections in the wounds, tuberculosis, eye disease (retina), kidney diseases, neuropathy and heart disease.”

He added that according to the  American Heart Association, recent findings stated and concluded that having diabetes is equivalent to having a coronary heart disease. “Diabetes damages the body’s system and makes blood vessels get clogged easily. That is why diabetics should really be watchful of their health.”

HEART TO HEART

Dr. Adolfo Bellosillo

For many years, we have heard and read several  information on keeping the heart in good condition. Health conscious friends and relatives have shared those tips in small talks or via the social media  where everyone is free to publish information, verified or not.  To help us discern fact from myth on heart care, Philippine Rotary held a discussion with Dr. Adolfo Bellosillo, a cardiologist at the Makati Medical Center and founding president of the Foundation for Lay Education on Heart Diseases that disseminates public information on prevention of cardiac ailments.

 You need to exercise at least an hour daily to keep the heart healthy.

MYTH

“Not necessarily,” says Dr.Bellosillo, considering that there are people whose hectic schedules won’t allow them to hit the gym daily. On the other hand,  Dr. Bellosillo says this should not be an excuse to ditch exercise or live a sedentary lifestyle which makes one prone to stroke and heart attack. To maintain a healthy heart, he recommends allotting 30 minutes , three times a week at least, for exercise.

The heart expert also suggests exercises that  1) involve  alternate contraction and relaxation of the body’s big muscles such as legs and arms; 2) increase heart rate at a desired level; and  3)something one could do regularly  like running and dancing.

However, Dr.Bellosillo cautions that there are some forms of exercise that could be harmful, especially if one has a heart problem. “We do not recommend exercises that will put muscles in a prolonged contraction like chinning bar and water skiing because these increase blood pressure,” he says. 

Men are more prone to heart disease than women.

MYTH

“Actually, the risk is almost the same in both genders depending  on the kind of heart disease,” the good doctor emphasizes.  He further elucidates that  during the early years, the risk of atherosclerotic heart disease, the build-up of plaques in the blood vessels that lead to stroke and heart attack, is higher in men than in women. However,  when women reach the age of menopause, the incidence of heart attack becomes almost equal with men and, worse, when women have a heart attack, it is more fatal. “The reason for this is, probably, because women are protected during their childbearing years by their hormones,” Dr. Bellosillo, who have served as resource speaker  in several health symposiums in the country and across the globe,  explains.

Margarine is better than butter

MYTH

Dr. Bellosillo observes many people accept  as  true gospel  that margarine is a healthier choice than butter, because margarine  is made from vegetable oils and higher in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (“good” fats) in comparison to butter which is made from animal fat which contains cholesterol and high levels of saturated fat.  However, he warns that  there are some margarines that contain trans fat that, like saturated fat, increases blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. In addition, trans fat lowers high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol levels.  Thus, Dr. Bellosillo cautions not to consume much of margarine.

Aspirin can help lower risk of heart attack.

FACT 

The heart expert points out that heart attack is usually triggered when platelets in the blood suddenly aggregate which blocks blood flow.  He says, studies have shown that aspirin diminishes  the tendency of platelets to aggregate, therefore it helps lower the risk of heart attack. Though, Dr. Bellosillo advises about the proper intake of aspirin. “While I strongly advocate that almost all heart medications should be taken on an empty stomach for better absorption, however, aspirin should not be taken before a meal because it has an irritating effect to the stomach and one can develop gastritis.” He advises that it is best to take the said drug late in the evening because it will help prevent platelet aggregation which happens at 4 a.m.

 Eat only fat-free foods to protect your heart.

MYTH

This is a misconception, the cardiologist expounds, that drive some people to become too much conscious of their fat intake, prefering to eat fat-free food products only. “One needs fats for other purposes in the body. It helps in the integrity of the membrane of cells. The body also needs it in the production of hormones and other chemicals. Cholesterol can be harmful only if it is in excess,” says Dr. Bellosillo.

 Red wine is good for the heart.

MYTH

“On  certain occasions where liquor is being served, preferably, one  should go for red wine but should not make it a practice to have wine regularly because it has negative effects on other organs like the liver,” Dr. Bellosillo recommends. Compared to white wine, he says,  red wine contains more antioxidants that protect cholesterol from oxidation. On the other hand, the downside is that alcohol has harmful effects on other organs of the body.

Hypertension can be cured.

MYTH 

According to Dr.  Bellosillo many people have  misapprehension  that hypertension is curable, but the fact is that it is a lifetime disease. “There are no medications and surgical procedures that can cure hypertension that is why one with this condition needs  regular intake of medicines to be protected from persistently elevated blood pressure.”

Sex can keep the heart healthy.

MYTH: 

People like to hear that sex is good for the heart, but the wisdom of the heart specialist claims that, actually, it depends on how one does it.  For Dr. Bellosillo sex can be considered as a work out, and  most likely, If one is physically active during sexual intercourse, there are health benefits . However, he cautions that sexual activity is not as good as aerobics or jogging. “There are  qualifications for a physical activity to have a good effect on the heart. First, it must use the big muscles in alternate contraction and relaxation. Second, it must be done regularly.  Lastly,  it must raise one’s heart rate to a desired level for 30 minutes. “ Based on research, the good doctor clarifies that the desired heart rate during sexual intercourse is only reached during orgasm. “Can orgasm last for half an hour? Based on that argument, sex  is not a good form of exercise to keep the heart healthy,” says  the veteran cardiologist.

Dr. Bellosillo further advises that having sex in the morning can be dangerous for individuals who suffer from hypertension and coronary heart disease due to the phenomenon called Circadian Variation. “If one has a coronary heart disease or hypertension, moments that will make one’s  heart beat fast and hard must be avoided because the heart will require more oxygen which will not easily pass through. Studies have shown that in the mere process of waking up in the morning, one’s adrenal glands are already being stimulated to secrete hormones called adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. These hormones are notorious for making one’s heart beat faster and harder, so how much more if one  exercises or engages in sexual intercourse,” he says. However, he prescribes to  those who can’t really resist, to take their medication  beforehand.

 It is ok to consume fast foods as long as you exercise.

MYTH

The heart specialist reveals that fast foods, like hotdog, hamburger and French fries, usually contain a lot of saturated fats, such that even if one does  exercise but  eats too much of these kinds of food, one’s cholesterol level will still go up. “Whatever the beneficial effect of exercise on one’s body is nullified by excessive intake of saturated fats which are present in fast foods,” explains Dr. Bellosillo.  He advises that it is important to know one’s risk factors and work on them.

Dr. Bellosillo and me

(Published in Philippine Rotary magazine May 2015 issue; photos by: Carmen Dela Cerna)