Friday, August 26, 2022

AIA Philippines Partners With The PCP Foundation To Empower More Filipinos To Live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives

 

From left to right: Max Ventura, Diane Madulid-Santiago and Regina Custodio from the AIA Philippines ESG Team, Dr. Maricar Limpin, 2021 President of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP), Bernadette Chincuanco, Head of Branding and Communications from AIA Philippines, Dr. Kenneth Hartigan Go, Vice-President PCP Foundation, Dr. Sandra Torres, Executive Director PCP Foundation.

Since it was established in 1947, the country’s premier life insurance company, AIA Philippines (formerly AIA Philam Life), has been actively partnering with various organizations to empower more Filipinos to live healthier, longer, and better lives. 

As a testament to its commitment, the company is inking more partnerships to support initiatives which push its advocacies promoting health and wellness. AIA Philippines’ most recent collaboration is with the Philippine College of Physicians Foundation, Inc. (PCPF) who received a donation pledge of PHP1.5 million to fund the organization’s Bridging Leadership Workshops and projects, and other non-communicable disease registry/programs. 

“We at AIA Philippines are well-positioned to make a difference in health and wellness by supporting initiatives that can contribute towards improvements in the health care sector,” Kelvin Ang, CEO of AIA Philippines, said. “We are proud to partner with the PCP Foundation and other organizations in the health sector. Supporting their initiatives go a long way towards helping more Filipinos live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives.” 

The Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) is the umbrella organization of internists in the Philippines. This organization aims to continue the medical education of internists and other physicians, and provide accreditation and certification of training programs for internal medicine in the Philippines. PCP created the PCP Foundation to become the social service arm of the College.

The PCP conducted a Bridging Leadership Workshop in 2021 for their members. This is a transformational leadership program focused on enabling the physicians to work with other stakeholders, such as the local government units, in providing innovative health projects for their respective communities. AIA Philippines is supporting some of the projects. 

Some notable programs under the partnership include GINAHA (the Sweetheart Project, which aims to improve health outcomes through community empowerment of indigent hypertensive and diabetic patients of barangay San Isidro village, Virac, Catanduanes. Another is the “Magpangaman gamit ang BOTA, Leptospirosis matana ta” initiated by the PCP Western Visayas-Panay chapter that aims to prevent Leptospirosis among farmers from Cabatuan, Iloilo, a town where a high incidence of Leptospirosis is found. If these programs are successful, it can serve as a model for preventing non-communicable diseases and leptospirosis in other areas. 

Aside from the PCP Foundation, AIA Philippines has other ongoing partnerships with various organizations in the health sector: the Cancer Research and Registry Philippines Foundation (CARE), the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organization, the Philippine College of Surgeons Cancer Commission Foundation (PCS-CanCom), I Can Serve Foundation, UP Cancer Institute, the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians (PSPHP), and the Ateneo School of Governance (ASOG). 

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.  For more information about the PCP Foundation, you may visit their website at https://pcpfoundation.com/ or their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PCPFoundationInc/ . The PCP Foundation secretariat may be reached via email at secretariat@pcpfoundation.com. 

Friday, August 19, 2022

Dreaming Of Establishing A Career In Engineering? Here’s How To Choose The Right Field And Specialization

 


If there’s one occupation that has remained enduring throughout the years, it’s engineering. Engineers are relied on by industries to develop innovations, systems, and products, so they’re always in demand, especially with the advance of the fourth industrial revolution. The collaborative research of the Department of Science and Technology and the Philippine Institute for Development Studies even forecasts that the country will need 1.8 million engineers by 2025. 

Dr. Francis Aldrine A. Uy, Mapúa University’s dean of the School of Civil, Environmental, and Geological Engineering, said that engineers are in demand because they create innovations that are crucial for industries to survive. 

“Due to continuing development and change, the engineers’ work will never end, as it is part of humans’ journey to the future,” he said. Its longevity and financial and professional rewards have made engineering one of the most sought-after college degrees. The question is which engineering field should you choose?

Mapúa president and CEO Dr. Reynaldo B. Vea, an engineer himself, emphasized that students should pick an engineering track aligned with their interests and pursuits. This strategy ensures their thirst for knowledge and endurance will help them surmount the challenges during their studies and career. 

“If one is interested, he is motivated. He will feel satisfied, fulfilled, and perhaps even happy as he takes the courses in engineering, which are considered very challenging,” explained Dr. Vea.  

Of course, the first step towards arriving at a decision would be to acquaint yourself with the different branches of engineering. The most popular are mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, industrial engineering, and chemical engineering. Other engineering fields are derivatives or sub-branches of these core specializations or combinations of engineering and non-engineering fields such as biological engineering. 

One branch that has a very wide scope is Mechanical Engineering. Mechanical Engineering focuses on all stages of product development, from research to design, to manufacturing and testing. Most mechanical engineers are employed in just about any industry worldwide: energy and power, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), automotive, manufacturing, construction, robotics, nanotechnology, and biomechanical. Students who take up Mechanical Engineering learn about statics and dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, stress analysis, technical drawing, and mechanical design.  

Civil Engineering, on the other hand, is involved in designing and creating infrastructures like buildings, bridges, roads and public transport systems, commercial structures, and other projects. Aspiring civil engineers should have a knack for designing and building things and be interested in mechanics, materials science, hydraulics, and geotechnics. 

Budding engineers fascinated with electricity, circuitry, and power generation have potential in Electrical Engineering. Electrical Engineering oversees the production, delivery, and sustainability of energy. 

Electronics engineers also play a vital role in industries as their exciting nature of work involves the whole pipeline of developing integrated circuits and systems, telecommunication technologies, and other communication and network systems.

Computer engineering is also a promising degree to pursue the career opportunities it offers. Computer engineers devise and maintain system hardware such as computer components, create applications for software programs, and all other related technical and creative attributes using machine-level and high-level modern computer systems, equipment, and languages. 

Those inclined toward systems and process efficiency will likely thrive in Industrial Engineering. Industrial Engineering deals with production efficiency and systems optimization of enterprises, production floors, financial processes, and management. 

Would-be engineers with analytical mindsets and a bent toward chemistry and life sciences should consider Chemical Engineering. Chemical engineers utilize physical, chemical, and biological principles, physics, mathematics, and economics to develop and optimize processes for the production of fuels, chemicals, petrochemicals, food, pharmaceuticals, and other commodities needed in everyday life.

On top of matching their interests and strengths to various engineering fields, incoming students should talk to people in the industry to gain insights if the degree and career they’re eyeing are meant for them.  

Dean Uy furthered that “Academic records are a good basis, but they are not everything. I assess students more based on their attitude and motivation. I believe everyone can learn but not at the same time and in the same way. As long as a person believes in himself and has a great motivation, he can become an engineer. Engineering practice is determined more by a person’s attitude, as much as his academic records.”

Mapúa University is the first school in Southeast Asia to receive accreditation for its engineering programs from the US-based ABET. The ABET accreditation assures that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates (www.abet.org). To date, 11 of its engineering programs are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission: Biological Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, Environmental, and Sanitary Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science, and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. 

Thursday, August 11, 2022

How Important Is Milk In A Growing Child’s Diet?


Milk is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly high-quality protein and calcium.

Milk is a mom’s BFF. It is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, particularly high-quality protein and calcium. It plays an important role in bone and tooth health, as well as muscle-building and repair. It reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. It can even help enhance the body’s immunity!

A glass of milk is often deemed a whole meal because of all the healthful goodness it provides. But the benefits of drinking milk extend well beyond healthy bones and teeth. This is because cow's milk is chock full of 13 essential nutrients, including vitamin B12, riboflavin, niacin, potassium, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, vitamin A and D, zinc, iodine, and selenium.


But did you know that not all milk available on the market is actually healthy? In fact, many contain high amounts of sugars and preservatives. This I learned when I attended the launch of "Ang Natatagong Lakas ni Bulas Gatas" a story book by Elite Performance Nutrition Coach Jeaneth Aro.

The story is about a nutrient-packed milk named Bulas Gatas. Despite being the best and healthiest drink for children, Bulas is not the drink of choice of many. Instead, the kids and their parents prefer the sugary "milk-like" drinks in colorful packaging.

The book discusses why it is importance to choose the right milk for our kids. The cute illustrations help both kids and parents better understand the difference between real, nutritious milk from sugary, “milk-like” beverages. 

Coach Jeaneth said that it has always been her desire to give back to the sports community, that's why she pledged a percentage from the total sales to fund a Milk Feeding Program for young athletes.

Dairy Supports Our Kids’ Overall Wellness

Different age groups have different needs for their overall wellness. Below are information from the National Daily Council: 

Toddlers (12 -23 months) Supporting Growth and Development

After their first birthday, as babies transition from human milk or iron-fortified infant formula, milk, and other dairy food emerge as critically important sources of calories, and essential nutrients to fuel brain development and growth spurts. 

Within the first 12 months, a baby’s brain doubles in size and triples to almost adult size by 36 months. To fuel this incredible expansion, the infant brain alone uses over 50% of consumed daily calories. Whole milk provides a concentrated source of calories and nutrients during this time.

Milk is considered one of the top food sources of several vitamins and minerals.

Preschoolers (2-5 years ) Nourishing Growing Kids

Leading health experts agree water and plain milk are the only recommended beverages for children 1-5 years old. Plant-based alternatives are not recommended due to their wide variability in nutrient content, limited evidence of bioavailability, and impact on diet quality and health outcomes. The exception would be unsweetened, fortified soy milk if a child is allergic to dairy milk or is in a family that has made specific dietary choices such as abstaining from animal products.

Dairy foods like low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are fundamental to good nutrition. 

Milk, in particular, provides a powerful package of 13 essential nutrients. 

Grade Schoolers (6-12 years) Building Healthy Habits to Last a Lifetime

Elementary school years are filled with activity. To keep pace with a packed schedule, fuel learning and play, build bone mass and support unique developmental needs at this life stage, high-quality nutrition – like the nutrients provided by dairy foods – is especially important. However, dairy consumption starts to slip below-recommended levels before children start elementary school, with the gap widening as they enter school and become more independent.

This means school-aged children are at risk of under consuming three key nutrients that dairy foods provide: potassium, calcium, and vitamin D. Dairy’s calcium, vitamin D, protein, and phosphorus can help support bone mass, which may reduce the risk for osteoporosis later in life. Osteoporosis may seem a long way o for kids, but building bone density early in life is vitally important.

For those who are interested to purchase Coach Jeaneth’s book, please contact 09196767840. You can get your copy for only P250.00.


Real California Milk Philippines is one of the main event partners of the book launch. It is part of the global marketing network of the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB). Its mission is to let the world know about all the amazing dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt from the Golden State that are now available in our country.


California is the U.S.’ leading state in the production of milk, butter, ice cream, and other dairies. As the second largest cheese producer in the U.S., they make over 250 varieties and styles of yummy cheese. California dairy products are made only with 100% real California milk from real California dairy farms.



California Sunshine Milk is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by S&R Membership Shopping.

 (L-R: Heidi of Real California Milk Philippines, Reylen of Made It Through Mum, Lanie of Mommy Bloggers Philippines, and Berlin of Momi Berlin)


Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Entravision MediaDonuts Partners with Anzu to Bring Award-winning In-game Advertising Platform to Southeast Asia

 


Leading digital marketing performance and branding solutions platform Entravision MediaDonuts has entered into a partnership with Anzu.io to bring the most advanced in-game advertising platform to advertisers, developers, and players in Southeast Asia.

Entravision MediaDonuts will now represent Anzu in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, enabling advertisers in these markets to tap into the power of real-world ads inside gaming platforms.

The partnership will provide brands with a sophisticated channel where they could run campaigns in some of the most popular titles by Ubisoft, Saber Interactive, Amanotes, and other leading game developers. These video and banner ads via blended but highly viewable IAB-compliant formats can appear as stadium banners, billboards, buildings, or other 3D renditions to complement the gameplay and make the user experience more realistic.

Data shows that the global gaming audience, which is now at 3.1 billion, spends an average of 1 hour and 20 minutes of game time per session, or almost 8 hours a week. More than 1.4 billion of them come from the Asia-Pacific, with Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia topping the list of the highest number of gamers in the world, according to the Global Web Index of 2020.

In terms of revenue, gaming became twice as big as the film and music industries combined in 2020 with $175 billion. Through Entravision MediaDonuts’ expertise in managing full-service campaigns, advertisers can target a multi-billion-dollar industry that is touted as the fastest-growing form of entertainment around the world.

“Southeast Asia has seen phenomenal growth in gaming in recent years, home to over half of all the world’s gamers. Our partnership with MediaDonuts means advertisers in SEA can now reach this massive, rapidly growing audience with in-game advertising that preserves the gameplay experience. Thanks to our patented, adaptive technology, first-to-market in-game ad viewability measurement with Oracle Moat, and a full suite of third-party integrations with AdTech vendors, advertisers will be able to achieve this huge reach in a measurable, cost-effective way,” says Stephanie Lublinski, Head of Partnerships, Emerging Markets at Anzu.

“Gaming in our region has seen incredible growth over the last two years. We’re thrilled to partner with Anzu to bring its groundbreaking, nondisruptive in-game advertising solutions to 8 countries in APAC,” says Entravision MediaDonuts CEO Pieter-Jan de Kroon. “Asia will remain a mobile-first gaming region, but we also see growth in console gaming so advertisers can now connect with consumers across all gaming platforms, leveraging Anzu’s full suite of advertising solutions.”

Thursday, August 4, 2022

Keep safe this cough and colds season with MyPharma online delivery

 

The change in weather between the summer and rainy season can affect your immune system and make you more vulnerable to respiratory conditions such as flu, cough, and colds. The cooler air also causes rhinoviruses to replicate more efficiently, so the chances of catching respiratory diseases such as coughs and colds are higher. 

When you are feeling under the weather, it is important to rest to reduce the chances of a full-blown infection. Instead of going out to the drug store to purchase your immunity boosters and your flu, cough, and cold medication, you can opt to order online from MyPharma and have your healthcare essentials delivered to your doorstep. 


Easy recovery 

MyPharma has a wide online catalog of authentic, trusted, and FDA-approved OTC medications and treatments at accessible prices, along with supplements to help you and your family stay healthy. With its efficient on-time delivery, you can rest and recuperate from your cough and cold at home instead of being exposed to other viruses while your immune system is still in a delicate state.

Among the cough medicines that are available at MyPharma’s online site are Ambroxyl (Ambroxol Hydrochloride) 15 mg/5 ml Syrup and 30mg tablets that can help ease the elimination of phlegm. For colds, Salinase NaCl (Sodium Chloride) in Nasal Drops and Nasal Spray variants naturally moisturizes dry, crusted, and stuffy nostrils due to allergy, colds, sinusitis, and overuse of antihistamine and decongestants.  

To help you breathe easier, there are also Salinase Max Nasal Drops (Sodium Chloride + Xylitol) that are formulated to be safe for all ages and Salinase Nacl .65% Solution for Nebulization (Sodium Chloride) which is a buffered isotonic solution for nebulization for colds, mucous congestion, allergic rhinitis, acute and chronic sinusitis.  These OTC products can help you feel better faster, and you can have them delivered hassle-free to your home with the efficient service and safe and secure online transactions of MyPharma.  

The online healthcare needs shopping site is easy to navigate and it is backed by the strong nationwide distribution of Dygen Pharma. MyPharma is a virtual hub that makes it possible for you to safely get what you need when you need it.

Skip the lines and stay safe and dry on rainy days. Visit mypharma.ph to find your genuine OTC treatments and healthcare essentials and have them delivered conveniently to your home.   


Wednesday, August 3, 2022

Pru Life UK taps Ben&Ben as an ally to help Filipino families get the most out of life




Leading life insurer Pru Life UK officially introduced Ben&Ben as its new brand ambassador to help more Filipino families get the most out of life at a fun-filled family day event held at The Island in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.


At the launch, the company talked about how the band perfectly aligns with the company's progressive and inclusive approach in defining a family. Testament to this is the insurer’s recently announced product called PRUHealth FamLove, a first-of-its-kind yearly renewable life insurance and critical illness plan that protects up to four family members under one policy. Under this plan, family members also include same-sex or common-law partners, parents, and adoptive children. 


“Like many Filipino families, Ben&Ben is diverse, inclusive, and warmhearted. They resonate with the strong family ties that Filipinos are known for representing both the traditional and modern Filipino families. We are delighted to welcome Ben&Ben into our Pru Life UK family as our new brand ambassador and ally in helping more Filipino families get the most of life,” said Pru Life UK General Manager and Chief Commercial Officer Gilbert Simpao.



The top-rating Original Pilipino Music band who serenaded the crowd with its top hits such as Paninindigan Kita, Kathang Isip and Pagtingin, is a perfect example of both traditional and progressive Filipino families who are doing great things together, recognizing their differences, and celebrating diversity and inclusivity.


The event is Ben&Ben’s first public performance as Pru Life UK’s ally to help Filipino families of different types and sizes get the most out of their lives through PRUHealth FamLove, and its unique and game changing features. The product is designed for customers to share their critical illness protection coverage with different types of family members, including single parents, cohabiting partners, LGBTQ+ partners, and adoptive family members. 


The product is also the first in the country as it provides coverage should any major organs require surgery, without the need to remember the long list of critical illnesses. This is a new generation of solutions designed to provide customers with simple, flexible and future-proof protection benefits against unknown diseases. It also provides long-term coverage until age 85.


“Strengthening Filipino families through financial wellness is one of our biggest advocacies at Pru Life UK. We want every Filipino household to have peace of mind by bringing protection closer to everyone. PRUHealth Famlove, with its shareability feature, is a step forward in achieving that as it gives families an affordable and accessible life protection option,” Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer & Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga said. 


In celebration of family diversity and championing individuality, Pru Life UK launched Famvatar, a unique digital experience that lets anyone create a personalized group avatar starring one’s family. Users can then use their unique, fun-filled chat stickers in group chats and more. 


To make a Famvatar and know more about Pru Life UK’s PRUHealth FamLove, please visit www.prulifeuk.com.ph.