A heavy workload, including visiting typhoon victims in the rain, caused Philippine President Gloria Arroyo to fall ill this weekend, presidential palace officials said Saturday.
Arroyo, 54, was downed by high fever on Friday and had to miss a meeting with a Christian evangelist group scheduled for Saturday, Press Undersecretary Roberto Capco said.
Arroyo had kicked off a packed schedule on Friday with a visit to victims of Typhoon Utor in the northern Philippines, during which she was soaked by the rain while inspecting an evacuation center, Capco remarked.
Stopping only long enough to change out of her wet clothes, Arroyo continued with the rest of her hectic schedule, attending a gathering of bishops and businessmen, holding a lengthy press conference and other official engagements before finally saying she felt feverish that evening, Capco said.
This is the first time the diminutive Arroyo has been sick since she took office in January.
Capco said Arroyo's temperature was back to normal by Saturday afternoon and that she was being examined by doctors. He did not say when she would resume her regular workload.
The president previously admitted she had lost 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) mainly due to the stress of her job – MANILA (AFP)
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