PHILIPPINES – In the Philippines, the holiday season stretches long and wide, starting as early as September, building toward Simbang Gabi, Noche Buena, and back-to-back reunions that fill homes, churches, and town plazas. Families gather, lechon tables appear, and streets light up with parols as the country embraces the most festive weeks of the year. But even as celebrations surge, so do heart-related emergencies.
With the Department of Health (DOH) observing a yearly rise in cardiovascular emergencies, ranging from stroke and heart attack to sudden cardiac arrest, the toll of holiday stress and excess has become increasingly evident. During DOH rounds in 2023, the government-run Philippine Heart Center (PHC) reported a steady uptick in cases, with stroke incidents climbing from 38 in December to 42 in January 2024—the highest monthly count that year. The surge reflects a familiar holiday pattern, when celebrations often bring excessive drinking, lack of sleep, heightened stress, and indulgent food choices that quietly raise blood pressure and strain the heart. In such moments, knowing how to perform CPR can mean the difference between life and loss.
