Vidal's health improves

To allay concerns of the Catholic faithful on his health, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal has announced that he is now back to his daily routine, including participating in processions - a sharp improvement of his health after almost a year of undergoing a coronary stent.

A coronary stent is a medical procedure involving the insertion of a small expandable metal in his artery to allow the regular blood flow to the heart.

Sometime in November last year, Vidal's doctors decided that he must undergo a coronary stent to unblock a clogged artery in his heart.

Vidal underwent angioplasty - a cardiac procedure that is non-invasive, unblocking clogged arteries. Angioplasty is one of several standard treatments for coronary artery disease, a condition in which the blood flow to the heart and the body is restricted due to hardened and narrowed arteries, and reportedly one of the deadliest ailments in the Philippines and worldwide.

Doctors found a moving clot in Vidal's artery and were afraid that if they didn't intervene, the clot could go to the brain area and cause great damage to health. - Jasmin R. Uy