Thursday, February 24, 2022

HOW TO “STILL” SURVIVE THE PANDEMIC

Masks on. Stay two meters apart. Wash your hands often. Even if we are already two years into a pandemic, we still cringe when we hear someone sneeze or cough in public, more so when it’s someone near us. We have never been this cautious about our health, or as interested in knowing the latest updates on cases and variants. We even know the ideal daily dosage of Vitamin C.

But before you stock up on those fruit juices, hear this out. In the season-ender of SUPERHUMAN, host Wil Dasovich and his finale guest, Dr. Dex Macalintal, a registered nutritionist and lifestyle medicine physician, talk about the nuances of our immunity and how to best double down on our health. Here are the best takeaways from the episode, to help you stay in the best of health during the pandemic.

Nutrition is key.

The best time to address sickness is before you get sick. The risks related to the top non-communicable diseases in the Philippines, such as coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, can be greatly reduced by reducing salt, sugar, and unhealthy fats from our diets. 

Keep it simple. Read the labels when choosing what food to buy for your weekly grocery run. The shorter the ingredient list, the better; if you can go for the non-processed food item, even better. If you are unsure about the ideal mix of food on your plate, you can ask your doctor or a nutritionist. 

Just move.

Begin the day with exercise. Raising your heart rate releases endorphins. Moreover, it improves your metabolism, which allows your body to burn more calories in its resting state and process nutrients better.

If you can’t get your sweat on earlier in the day, exercise at a time most sustainable for you. What matters is not the time of day, but the long-term viability of your lifestyle change.

Community helps you stay healthy.

The mental stress and anguish caused by long periods of isolation can impact your immunity. The pandemic limited many of our in-person interactions. However, physical distancing does not have to mean social distancing. Community and meaningful interactions with other people are crucial to our mental and physical health. Connect with your loved ones as much as you can (while still following minimum health safety protocols, of course).

A medical consult is just a button away.

Given the constraints of mobility and the recommendation to avoid risky areas, people have been visiting the doctor’s office online. Telemedicine and the applications that enable it are now available to many. With more healthcare professionals joining networks, the medical expert you need can easily be recommended by the one you initially consulted. 

AIA Philippines, the country’s premier life insurance company, recently introduced Total Health Solution, an ecosystem accessible through a single touchpoint platform that can help you live better so you can maintain a healthy lifestyle, protect better so you have peace of mind that you are prepared for life’s uncertainties, and get better, giving you access to healthcare needs should you find yourself unwell.

With Total Health Solution, you have the support you need anytime, anywhere. Healthcare needs such as teleconsulting, medicine purchase via delivery, vaccine administration, and discounted laboratory procedures are easily accessible. Within the ecosystem, you can view your policies and make changes. You can also be reminded when premiums are due.

For the full season finale and more podcast episodes on ordinary people doing extraordinary things, tune in to SUPERHUMAN with Wil Dasovich on Spotify. You can also visit the YouTube page of Dr. Dex Macalintal to get your weekly dose of nutrition information.

FOR ONLINE PUB: Click here for more information about AIA Philippines’ Total Health Solution, or here to visit the AIA Philippines Facebook page, email customerservice.ph@aia.com or call (02) 8528-2000 to know more.

FOR PRINT PUB: Know more about AIA Philippines by visiting their website at aia.com.ph or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AIAPhilippines/, emailing customerservice.ph@aia.com, or calling (02) 8528-2000.


We are Family (WAF), your Pet Care 101

 


For some, pets mean a lot of hard work. Imagine investing time, effort, and even money to raise a dog or a cat, which sometimes became a source of frustration.

Yet, a lot of people still choose to own or adopt a pet. It is because, despite all the hard work in raising them, it’s all worth it. These pets are more than just four-legged fur creatures; they are like our babies; they are like our family that we can’t find anywhere else.

Just like our family, we want to keep them safe and healthy. But, unlike humans, we can’t easily understand what they are feeling. They can only bark, purr, or cry when they want to tell you something. If only they arrived with an instruction manual and a language that you could easily understand.

So, to give you a guide towards “Fur Parenting,” CADE (Companion Animal Digital Engagement), introduced We Are Family (WAF) (https://www.weare-family.com/ph/), an online community, and your go-to website for different things you want to know as a fur parent. 

Whether you’re looking for tips and bits of advice for your dogs or cats, WAF has everything to offer. What else can you check on WAF?

HEALTH & PROTECTION

They can give you easy-to-understand tips and different approaches to keep your dogs and cats healthy. These are all well-researched and backed up by studies and pet care professionals’ advice.

CARE & NUTRITION

Searching the internet for the best food advice for your dog or cat can be tiring. It will always give you a never-ending list of suggestions. But under the category of Care & Nutrition, they collated a highly recommended list of advice and tips that you can just quickly read.

BEHAVIOUR & TRAVEL

If you wonder how other fur parents can quickly train their pets, they also started reading or watching the expert’s tips. Get these tips from this category. Understand more your cat or dog’s behavior, especially if they are just new to your family.

The categories don’t just end there, as they also have the Pet Park, where you can casually (not walk but) browse and enjoy watching DIY videos and tips.

This one-click-away guide to “fur-enting” is just a step for a happy life with your pet. A regular visit to your veterinarian is still the most essential to good pet health. And, of course, keep track of your pet’s Bravecto dose to provide long-lasting protection against common parasites in dogs and cats. Learn more about how you can protect your furbaby against parasites at http://www.bravecto.com.ph/.


Over 2,400 teachers certified to provide financial education lessons in primary schools



Teachers from around the Philippines recognized in accreditation program developed by Pru Life UK, Prudence Foundation, and JA Philippines

Pru Life UK, together with its community investment arm in Asia and Africa, Prudence Foundation, and Junior Achievement (JA) Philippines, have certified over 2,400 teachers to teach financial education under the 2022 Cha-Ching Curriculum Financial Accreditation (CCFA) program for the school year 2021-2022.

Cha-Ching was introduced back in 2011 as an online, interactive platform to promote and teach children about the four money-smart concepts - Earn, Save, Spend and Donate. In 2016, Pru Life UK partnered with JA Philippines to have the Cha-Ching Curriculum, using the already successful Cha-Ching Money Smart Kids materials, integrated with the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (Values Formation) subject of Grade 4 students, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd).

The objective is to provide an organized approach and structured lesson plans for teachers to ensure good learning outcomes for the students. It is also meant to adopt timely and proactive measures to intensify the integration of financial literacy in the K to 12 basic education system curriculum in the country.

To supplement the financial education curriculum implementation, the CCFA, an online assessment tool, was created. This tool is to accredit and recognize the hardworking teachers for their mastery in teaching the money-smart lessons of the Cha-Ching Curriculum.

“The idea of earning money, having to save, having to have a budget, having expenses, and understanding what are expenses versus savings - these are issues that affect all of us. By the age of seven (7), basic concepts related to financial behavior will have already been formulated or developed,” said Marc Fancy, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation.

Atty. Emeren Vallente, SVP and Chief Legal and Government Relations Officer of Pru Life UK

“Our goal is to reach even more Filipino students and teachers in this continuing commitment for financial education and inclusion. It is our fervent hope that the Financial Education Policy will usher greater momentum for Cha-Ching to bring smiles to more Filipino children and their families, and help them get the most out of life," shared Atty. Emeren Vallente, SVP and Chief Legal and Government Relations Officer of Pru Life UK, in her opening remarks during the virtual recognition program.

We at JA are in the business of empowering young people and what better way to do this than recognizing outstanding teachers and outstanding teaching. The CCFA program has been developed to inspire excellence and to recognize these special educators that have made such a strong positive impact on financial literacy,” said Maziar Sabet, President, and CEO of JA Asia Pacific.

As the highlight of the celebration, various top and special awards were handed over to Cha-Ching teachers and institutions who have shown exemplary commitment, dedication, and brilliance in teaching Filipino youth the value of financial literacy. About 40 CCFA exam topnotchers from the Philippines were chosen to attend the first-ever regionwide Cha-Ching Financial Literacy Conference, sponsored by the Prudence Foundation in partnership with JA Asia Pacific, held on February 18-19, 2022.

Going forward, Cha-Ching will continue in its drive to foster financially literate youth, alongside teachers and partners in the education sector, through ceaseless improvements and innovations, toward expanding its reach beyond the current 170,000 student beneficiaries this year.

Between the years 2016 to 2021, Cha-Ching was able to connect with close to 500,000 Filipino students. Additionally, just in 2021, Cha-Ching was able to garner 6,747 educators to teach the Cha-Ching Curriculum in participating schools in the Philippines, bringing the cumulative number to 11,910 teachers from 2016 to 2021.

For more information about Cha-Ching, please contact coordinator2@japionline.org or visit https://chaching.cartoonnetworkasia.com/en/.

BDO Makes Banking Easy and Convenient in the New Normal



We really don't keep a lotta cash at home. It's all in the bank it's safer that way and besides, there are ATMs everywhere and can be used anytime. We're confident that when we do need cash, we can always withdraw via ATMs. 

Then pandemic strikes, no one's prepared. Establishments closed, even banks were affected. There were a lot of days that we experienced machines (atm) went offline and this proved to be quite a hassle. 

As we continue to live through the pandemic, everyone should learn the value of going digital, since this is the new normal. Good thing that BDO Unibank offers digital services that are easy to understand and access, convenient, safe and reliable that we can do banking transactions at the comfort of our homes. Now we can do banking transactions anytime and anywhere! 

We are happy that BDO Unibank is constantly finding ways to provide customers with the highest possible standards of service amidst the challenges during the pandemic. Focusing on the customers and going the extra mile. 

BDO has multiple digital services to offer such as: BDO Pay, ATM, Phone Banking, Cash Deposit Machine, Online Account Opening, Facebook Messenger, Cash in to Partner Apps, #BDOAntiScam, and the latest, BDO Online. 

What we love the most from their digital services, and what we use a lot during lockdown and up until now and definitely after and beyond the pandemic, is the Cash in to Partner Apps. We love to do online shopping and we love to eat and we order online. 


Using Cash in to Partner Apps is so easy! Just link your BDO Digital Banking account to the Lazada App and GrabPay wallet and you're good to go! 

Topping up our Lazada and GrabPay wallets using our BDO accounts is just one OTP away! Talk about convenience! It works everytime. BDO knows the needs of their clients, they always think out-of-the-box and the execution of their services is seamless. 

You can rely on their digital services even during emergencies and even after the pandemic. 

What do we, as a client need? 

We have busy lives even those who cannot leave their homes. 

We need accessibility, convenience, security. 

We need our concerns to be resolved. 

BDO has all these, and more. 


Go and experience BDO's digital services today! For more information, visit www.bdo.com.ph .

Monday, February 7, 2022

Catch the Lovin’ Vibe this February at SM Supermalls


Get all the things you love here at SM!

S Maison

This February, SM introduces new ways to catch the Lovin’ Vibe with a host of Valentine’s Day activities lined up for the month.

Starting February 2 to 28, you can catch these enhanced malling and romantic dining deals at your favorite SM Mall:

Lovin’ Eats. Enjoy 2 for 1 dining deals with your SO, your friend, or a family memberNo need to worry about your safety because SM Supermalls has al-fresco dining spaces to give you a fresh-air romantic vibe.

Got gifts? Check out the Lovin’ Gift Fair. Looking for a gift for your loved ones? From Vday classics like flowers and chocolates to unique novelty items, the Lovin’ Gift Fair pop-up stores got the best gifts that your special someone will surely love. Plus extra gifts when you purchase items from the season’s promos and deals!

Get into the lovey-dovey vibe with live entertainment. What’s Valentine’s Day without some fun and music? Catch a live harana in select SM malls’ Designated Dining Areas with your loved ones for that lovey-dovey vibe while enjoying your meal. 

Plan a date that’s worth remembering at designated dining spots. SM malls’ safe and socially distant designated dining spots are getting a huge makeover! Just in time for the celebration, select SM will be installing Giant Flower Heart installations, Tunnels of Flowers, and big Sing-Along screens to make date a memory to remember! 

SM Center Muntinlupa

Check out SM Deals for more information about the participating stores, deals, and promos you can cop for the whole month.

For updates, visit www.smsupermalls.com and its Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts: @smsupermalls.




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