Shopee, the
leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, partnered with Unilever,
the leading beauty and personal care company in the Philippines, for the
#BeautyThatCares sale in August. The campaign was a big success as it leveraged
e-commerce to increase awareness for UNICEF, The Philippine LGBT Chamber of
Commerce, and Future Faces.
Martin
Yu, Associate Director, Shopee Philippines, said, “We are very proud
to partner with Unilever for this philanthropic cause. This partnership has
given us the opportunity to empower our users to support causes they believe
in. Through the #BeautyThatCares sale, participating advocacy groups are able to reach a wider audience.
Aside from our post-sale donation, we hope the continued support from our users will go a long way for
these groups.”
At the same time, Dorothy Dee-Ching, Unilever Philippines’
Vice President for Beauty and Personal Care says, “The #BeautyThatCares
philosophy is grounded in purpose: to care for the people, the society, and the
planet. Each brand under the Unilever Beauty and Personal Care category has its
own thrust, acting as a compass for all its campaigns and innovations. It’s not
just about what products we put out, but also why we develop them at all. We
want Filipinos to feel that they are being cared for by the brands they love.
We are grateful for our partnership with Shopee—they have allowed us to reach
more people online and raise the visibility of our purpose.”
The sale,
which ran from August 7 to 9, gave Shopee users the opportunity to show their
support for causes they believe in by buying Unilever products on the shopping
platform. 20% of the proceeds from the sale went to the three partner
organizations of Unilever.
Benefitting
from the sale are:
UNICEF – champions the rights of children everywhere in the world so they can reach their full potential.
The Philippine LGBT Chamber of Commerce – advocates for safe workplaces that promote equality.
Future Faces – a group of young adults that use repurposed plastics to provide nutritious meals to children in impoverished areas.
Shop Unilever personal care products on its official store on Shopee at https://shopee.ph/unilever_personalcare. Visit the Shopee website at https://shopee.ph/ and download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.
Pertinent issues facing the coconut industry, such as best farming practices, supply and value chain, takes centerstage in the World Coconut Congress organized by the United Coconut Association of the Philippines.
At the second World Coconut Congress, industry players here and abroad come together to tackle issues that are shaping the landscape — one of which is best practices in coconut farming and product development that local players, like ProSource International Inc. (ProSource), are focusing on.
Organized by the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP), the conference centralizes on coconut supply and value chain. Covering wide-ranging topics — from coconut solutions for health and environment, coconut biodiesel, to the latest on coconut oil health research — the said event seeks to promote Philippine coconut products globally.
At present, there is an observed paradigm shift in worldwide market behavior on choosing healthier and sustainable alternatives known as ‘Conscientious Consumerism’, as defined by the Network of Business Sustainability. With this, more and more consumers are seen to be promoting local industries, patronizing cruelty-free cosmetics, reducing plastic use, and generally, turning to healthier and more ethical diets.
To the key players in the Philippine coco industry, the eminence of the coconut trade stems from the significant shift in consumer values towards healthful living. For them, it is but an exciting opportunity to strike on now that the concept of “going green”, or lessening our environmental impact by way of creating more informed choices, is deliberately finding its way into Filipino sensibilities.
“The concept of ethical consumerism is already established in people’s behavior, and as practitioners in this field, we see strong opportunities in penetrating this market,” said ProSource’s CEO Ricky E. Santos, who, as a key producer from the coconut industry, believes that businesses like them should also start adapting to the conscientious commerce trend.
“There has been an increase in veganism over the past decade even in meat-heavy countries like the Philippines. Through this thriving lifestyle, we believe that coconut production is one huge market that we all should keep an eye on,” he added.
ProSource, for one, started innovating with the Coconut. They have introduced to the market the likes of coconut calming oil, organic coconut wraps, coconut crunch, and its classic hero product, the Virgin Coconut Oil, among others. This is foreseen to be a springboard for other players to also start getting creative with the fruit with its promise of a warm reception from the market.
“We are one of those who put our strong faith in the ‘tree of life’. It is indeed that, as the fruit can be broken down into a wide range of by-products — from food, medicines, supplements, beauty products, and even personal care commodities,” said Santos.
Worldwide values of coconut products have developed steadily since 2014, and in 2017, with the Philippines reportedly exporting coconut oil at over $1.46 billion in total returns, putting the country amongst the world’s top coconut producers.
With the significant shift in consumer values towards healthful living, and the local industry players’ ingenuity to toil on this worldwide demand, the Philippines is once again set to be in the forefront of the global stage — with its competitive edge of the mastery of the miracle fruit.
To know more about how ProSource can enable you in achieving a conscientious lifestyle, visit ProSource’s website at and ‘like’ their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ProSourceVCO/
In this fast-paced day and age, most of us juggle so many roles and responsibilities that we sometimes forget
an important thing—looking after our personal needs. And while
we are busy ticking off our to-do list, we must not forget one the most important facets
in our life and that is
self-care.
More often than not, we tend to forget to take care of ourselves and the effects take an alarming toll on our total well-being. No matter how complex or indulgent as it may sound, self-care is of utmost importance in achieving our best self ever.
Aside from healthy
lifestyle choices such as regular
exercise and wholesome diet, pampering
yourself is important too. A regular trip to the salon, a relaxing massage
or even getting a long overdue facial are needed
in order to achieve your
best self ever.
For the past 4 years, SvelT’i Health and Beauty Centre has made its mission to ensure that each customer look their physical best all the time that is why over the years, SvelT’i has been providing advanced health and beauty services, using only state of the art technology coupled with only the best professionals in the industry to give only the best service to its customers.
From
the latest procedures to the most in-demand treatments, SvelT’i got them covered all for you. And to highlight its 4th anniversary celebration, SvelT’i has a perfect
treat for all its customers.
Exciting times are definitely ahead! For the whole month of April, SvelT’i has lined up great deals and huge discounts for its loyal customer as a way of thanking for their continued patronage over the years and to help them achieve their best self ever!
Aside
from the free
consultation care of its well-trained medical professionals, SvelT’i
is giving away as
much as 40% discount on all non-invasive treatments. Yes, you
read it right,
that’s a huge
40% off on your
favorite treatments!
Another highlight of their anniversary blowout is their Nose and HIKO promos. You can now get Nose Filler, Nose Thread Lift or both procedures at a discounted price that you can’t resist!
Now who doesn’t want to get those great deals?
Head on now to SvelT’i
to avail your favorite treatments at such low
prices exclusive for this month
of April only!
For inquiries you
may call, (02) 332-7546 / 0918-878-3584 or you may log
on to their website, www.svelti.com.ph or follow
their social media pages,
FB: SvelT i and IG: @svelti_ph.
Media Contact: Jerome Samson / Contact No. 09178961568
Men can now rejoice that a product line is now available that will cater to men and their special personal care needs.
BAD LAB™ (or Brave And Daring Laboratory) products were made to revolutionize new dimensions in personal care for men that no other product in the market have done in the past
Boldly going where no other personal care brand for men has gone before, BAD LAB™ and its unique packaging sets it above the rest, with the animal concept (with reference to men’s inherent animal instincts), the non-use of a traditional model on the label to make it unconventional and creative, non-conformist, anti-typical, and the competitive pricing makes BAD LAB™ products more fun and endearing.
Revel in the BAD LAB™ range of products under 5 personal care categories for the “bad” man, all made good to make the bad look better. The BAD LAB™ Skin Care line boasts of a Facial Cleanser, Facial Scrub and Facial Moisturizer, Shampoo under Hair Care, Hair Clay, Hair Pomade, Hair Cream and Hair Gel for Hair Styling, Body Wash and Deodorant for the Body Care line, and the
Special 3-in-1, the Hair, Face and Body “Caveman Cleaner” that’s perfect for the bad or outdoor type of man who is on the go and looks for convenience like when traveling, going to the gym, or when doing activities outside his abode.
For BAD LAB™, it’s about using a variety of ingredients for its products to elicit the best results and benefits. BAD LAB™’s Face and Body products use Dragon’s Blood extract, a resin of plant extraction from the jungles of the Amazon to bring about skin rejuvenation. The Hair products’ active ingredient, Fluidipure™8G, helps deodorize bad body odor and controls dandruff.
There is also Silver Citrate, an anti-acne ingredient that bars inflammation and infections. The Blue Stone, on the other hand, reveals the skin’s natural radiance and provides natural nutritive minerals. Lastly, Cronodyn™ fights signs of skin fatigue while it tones and firms the skin.
More importantly, BAD LAB™ products are all certified “halal” by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM). It is the only government body in the world that has control over the implementation of Halal certification anywhere.
So break through the usual norm. As BAD LAB™ says, wash like a man and not like a girl because the day is out there and not in the bathroom. With its energizing, revitalizing and healing ingredients, BAD LAB™ products are totally “man-gineered” for the man, that the dirty can be sexy and the filthy can be clean in a few minutes.
When you use BAD LAB™, be ready to feel and look good.
Integrated Nutrition and Health
Actions in the First 1,000 Days of Life Program to benefit 40,000 children
under-5 and 57,000 pregnant/lactating women in Samar, Northern Samar and
Zamboanga del Norte
Korea
International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UN children’s agency UNICEF, in
partnership with the Department of Health and National Nutrition Council,
launch an integrated nutrition and health program targeting the first 1,000
days of life to benefit vulnerable children and women in Samar, Northern Samar, and Zamboanga del Norte.
“The Korean Government fully supports the Philippine government in its goal of addressing malnutrition and achieving universal healthcare. By giving assistance to this project, the most vulnerable – mothers and children ages 0-5 years old – will be ensured access to vital health and nutrition services which will help them develop fully later in life,” says Ambassador HAN Dong-Man, Korean envoy to the Philippines.
The
support from KOICA amounts to US$6 million and targets 19 local government
units in three provinces, namely Samar and Northern Samar in Region VIII and
Zamboanga Del Norte in Region IX. Expected reach through the initiative will be
12,000 infants 0-5 months old,
36,000 6-23 months old – including children from poor families and children
from geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas – and 57,000
pregnant and lactating women.
It also aims to improve the LGU’s policy, governance frameworks and service
delivery systems and enhance the capacity of 1,370 nutrition and health
personnel.
“We thank
the Korean government for supporting the Filipino child’s right to survive and
thrive. Supporting interventions at the local level is important to reach every
vulnerable mother and child especially those who do not have access to
essential services,” UNICEF Philippines Representative Lotta Sylwander says.
Technical
support at the national level is expected to reach an estimated 14 million children
under five years of age including acutely malnourished children, premature
newborns, an estimated 3.5 million pregnant
women, and 3 million lactating women in 17
regions across the country.
The
project aims to: a) establish a more responsive
enabling policy environment at the national and local level that supports the
comprehensive approach to maternal, infant and child nutrition and health in
the critical first 1,000 days window;
b) strengthen systems for the delivery of quality and comprehensive nutrition
and health services for the first 1,000 days provided to women, newborns and
children; and c) improve knowledge, attitudes
and practices of pregnant women, mothers and caregivers in the 19 project areas
on maternal and child nutrition and health.
Under-nutrition
in the Philippines remains a serious problem. The damage to health, physical
growth and brain development of children affected by chronic
under-nutrition—stunting in the first two years—is often irreversible,
impairing children for life and leaving them with lower chances of finishing
school and becoming highly-productive adults. Stunting, iron and iodine
deficiencies impact learning abilities and intelligence of children. Studies
show that populations affected by iodine deficiency have 10 – 15 IQ points less
than those not affected.
A joint research by UNICEF Philippines and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) revealed that every $1 (P53) invested in interventions to combat child malnutrition and accompanying problems can save around $12 (P639) in foregone earnings or health expenditures – equivalent to a 12:1 benefit-cost ratio.
The Kalusugan and Nutrisyon ng Mag-Nanay Act,
more commonly known as First 1000 Days Law, was approved by the end of 2018 and
heralds the beginning of more concerted efforts by the national and local
government, donors, and civil society.
For
further information, please contact:
Ms. PAIK Seunghwa, Assistant
Country Director, KOICA, Mobile: +63917-800-3058, philippines@koica.go.kr
Ms. Michelle Apostol, MD,
Health Specialist, KOICA, Mobile: +63905-462-2356, philippines@koica.go.kr
Kickstart the new year at Shopee with the best brand deals at the first Payday Sale of 2019
Building on the buzz of the new year, Shopee Philippines unveils the top categories and brands in 2018 ahead of the first Payday sale of 2019 from 10 to 18 January. Electronics, Health & Beauty, and Home & Living emerged as the top categories for 2018, with Xiaomi, Maybelline, and The SM Store topping the charts for each category.
Martin Yu, Associate Director, Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee Philippines achieved many exciting milestones in 2018, including the launch of Shopee Mall which cemented our position as a one-stop online shopping destination and delivered increased convenience for users seeking a more diverse online shopping experience. Since its launch, Shopee Mall has seen tremendous growth due to strong support from both brands and shoppers in the Philippines. In 2019, we will continue to expand our assortment on Shopee Mall to give users even better deals from leading local and international brands and retailers.”
Xiaomi emerges as best-selling electronics brand in Shopee Philippines
The electronics category recorded around 300% increase in orders in 2018, becoming one of the top 3 categories on Shopee Philippines as Filipinos shopped for tech products online more. Shopee catered to this trend by onboarding leading electronics brands on Shopee Mall and also launching Shopee Gadget Zone, a dedicated portal featuring Lowest Price Guaranteed deals on tech products from top brands including Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo.
Xiaomi emerged as the top electronics brand on Shopee Philippines in 2018. Xiaomi enjoyed a strong debut on Shopee Philippines as the Redmi 5 smartphone sold out in less than a minute during the brand’s first flash sale in April. It was also one of the most sought-after brands for Filipinos, as “Xiaomi” was searched around 900,000 times on Shopee Philippines over 2018. Finally, one of its most awaited smartphones, the Pocophone F1, sold out in 16 minutes on flash sale during Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale.
In addition, televisions were also popular among Shopee users in 2018, as TV brands Ace, Mass, and Avision ranked among the top 5 electronics brands on Shopee Philippines.
Consumers snap up bath and bedroom supplies as The SM Store leads Home & Living
Home & Living was also among the hottest categories in Shopee Philippines in 2018. Bath and bedroom supplies were especially popular among Filipino users; on average, over 2,000 bath and bedroom-related products were sold every day. In line with the global trend of cutting down on plastic use, around 400 stainless steel straws were sold per day on Shopee Philippines in 2018.
The SM Store, the largest department store chain in the Philippines, was the number one brand in the Home & Living category in 2018. Insulated tumblers, oil diffusers, and hard case luggage bagswere the hottest products on The SM Store as the brand saw robust performance over the year, ranking among the best-selling brands during Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.
In line with the growing popularity of online shopping among men, there was also an increase in demand for electrical appliances and power tools as TCL, Bosch, and Lotus ranked among the top 10 Home & Living brands.
Maybelline crowned the queen of Health & Beauty
Health & Beauty rounds off the top categories on Shopee Philippines in 2018 as Shopee users continued to snap up skincare products and cosmetics.
Maybelline emerged as the top beauty brand on Shopee Philippines after a fruitful Shopee 12.12 Birthday Sale, where it sold over 50,000 items on 12 December alone. Maybelline’s success was driven by several hit products launched in 2018, such as the Superstay Matte Liquid Lipstick, Hypercurl Mascara, and the Fit Me Liquid Foundation.
Filipino users were also interested in skincare and personal grooming, with P&G, Nivea, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Garnier also named among the top Home & Living brands.
Shoppers can look forward to even better deals from their favorite brands on Shopee in 2019, starting with thefirst Payday Sale of the year from 10 to 18 January. Users can enjoy free shipping with a minimum spend of ₱150, up to 7 rounds of flash sales daily, and the return of the new interactive live quiz game Shopee Quiz after a strong debut during Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.
Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.
About Shopee
Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support. Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.
Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home & living, health & beauty, baby & toys, fashion and fitness equipment.
Shopee, a Sea company, was first launched in Singapore in 2015, and has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Sea is a leader in digital entertainment, e-commerce and digital financial services across Greater Southeast Asia. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology, and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol SE.
They are known for casually making green jokes and getting away with the most exciting (and sometimes erotic) discussions “on air”, to the delight of their amused fans and
listeners, especially those caught in early evening traffic or stuck in offices with OT work.
The trio of radio disc jockeys Slick Rick (Eric Virata), Tony Toni (Tony Bueno) and Sam YG (Sam Gogna) have made Magic 89.9’s Boys Night Out (BNO) a legendary radio talk show in the early evening time slot, especially with their crazy antics, uniquely challenging games with celebrity guests,
and the most candid opinions about love, sex and anything in between.
So, it was no surprise that the “bad boys of radio” have actively taken on an advocacy that is within their “area of expertise”, yet one that tackles an issuebrought about by unprotected sex—HIV infection.
As advocates of Durex Philippines’ “Always Come Prepared”, a campaign geared towards raising awareness on human immunodeficiency virus infection, especially among young
adults, the trio have gone out of their way to engage their listeners about the dangers of the virus and what infected people can do to get treatment.
“The HIV/AIDS infection is a global health problem that started decades ago. Yet today, its prevalence is still growing and now affects young Filipino adults. This is what convinced
us to help out, especially since we realized the potential impact of us talking to our listeners and fans about this concern,” said Tony Toni.
Latest figures from the HIV/AIDS & Anti-Retroviral Therapy (ART) Registry Data indicate that 31 new HIV infections are diagnosed daily and 1 of every 3 new cases are from 15 to 24-year-old
individuals.
Aside from raising awareness about HIV in their radio show, the Boys Night Out trio also visited the Far Eastern University and Lyceum of the Philippines University and partnered with the FEU Central Student Organization and the LPU Manila Central Student Government for a sex education and HIV awareness talk among thousands of students. Known for their antics, the Boys Night Out trio and Durex share the same advocacy to remove the taboo on conversations about sex and HIV to raise awareness about the issue and potentially save lives.
Breakthrough lung cancer pill Osimertinib shows promise at stopping disease progression and improving patient survival.
The fight against lung cancer doesn’t have to be a solo battle.
To help Filipino patients and their loved ones rise above this challenging condition, biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has partnered with the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology (PSMO), along with local support groups such as the Cancer Coalition Philippines (CCP), and the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO) to launch LVNG With Lung Cancer, an online resource portal for patients across all stages of the disease.
From left: Dr. Mary Claire Vega-Soliman, President of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology and Head of the Tumor Clinic of East Avenue Medical Center; Carla Comendador Britanico, a patient living with Stage IV lung cancer for more than 6 years; Dr. Ma. Luisa T. Abesamis-Tiambeng, Director of the Cancer Center at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center; and Dr. Paolo dela Rosa, Medical Advisor and Medical Oncologist at AstraZeneca Philippines.
“Being diagnosed with lung cancer can make patients feel anxious and hopeless, which is why support is vital,” explains Dr. Donald Ray Josue, Medical Affairs Head of AstraZeneca Philippines. “LVNG With provides support by forming a community of patients and their loved ones so they can inspire one another and exchange helpful information about their treatment. Through the network, patients may realize that while lung cancer is not yet curable, it is very treatable. There’s still so much more for them to look forward to in their lives.”
Struggling with stigma
Lung cancer is the top cancer killer worldwide, with 2.09 million incidences and 1.76 million fatalities this year alone according to the GLOBOCAN 2018 report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).[1] But while a majority of lung cancer deaths involve tobacco use,[2] non-smokers are also at serious risk.
“‘Are you a smoker?’ Many lung cancer patients get this question, but the truth is, different factors cause the disease,” said Dr. Denky Shoji Dela Rosa, a medical oncologist from the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center and St. Luke’s Medical Center . “Lack of awareness has been a source of stigma because people often put the blame on the individual. This makes it difficult for lung cancer patients to find support and form communities.”
A 2015 study on the European Respiratory Journal notes that about 25 percent of lung cancer incidences are not linked to smoking, and that the rate of never-smokers diagnosed with the disease has been increasing.[3] The American Cancer Society identifies several causes, such as exposure to second-hand smoke, diesel exhaust, asbestos, radioactive radon gas, and chemicals released by burning coal products.[4]
Adding to the stigma, new patients tend to think that their illness is a hopeless case. This leaves them with a sense of isolation that worsens their anxiety over their diagnosis.
LVNG With addresses these stigmas by dispelling myths that prevent lung cancer patients from seeking proper treatment and seeing hope in their condition. The community also empowers patients with information that enable them to reach out to medical professionals so they can learn more about treatment options.
Dr. Mary Claire Soliman, president of the Philippine Society of Medical Oncology and member of Cancer Coalition Philippines also emphasizes that, “Standard evidence-based medicine is the way to go in treatment. I understand how the promise of alternative medicines (‘natural”, “herbal” or “nutraceutical medicine”) may be tempting, especially with their claims that they do not have side effects. The fact of the matter is that there is very little evidence to support these claims.
A recently published study by Skyler B Johnson at the Journal of the National Cancer Institute this January 2018 revealed that patients who initially chose alternative medicine over conventional lung cancer treatment had a more than twofold increase risk of dying. At the end of the day, alternative treatments should not replace standard evidence-based medicine.”
Breakthrough treatment
Chemotherapy—or the use of drugs to kill and stunt malignant tumors—is usually thought of as the only treatment for cancer. “The fact is, various options are now available depending on the patient’s diagnosis, preference, and recommendations from the healthcare team. Among these include surgery to remove affected lung tissues, radiation therapy that use high doses of radiation to destroy cancer cells, and targeted drug therapy.”, Dr. Maria Luisa Abesamis-Tiambeng of Cardinal Santos Medical Center emphasized.
Targeted drug therapy may be recommended based on biopsy findings. Through biomarker testing, the biopsy can reveal genetic mutations in cancer cells that can be targeted by drugs designed to zero in on those cellular abnormalities.
Therapeutic advances have made targeted drug therapy the standard of care for personalized medicine in the fight against certain lung cancers. One breakthrough is Tagrisso (Osimertinib), an oral tablet from a class of drugs called tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) that target tumors with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations.
Tagrisso (Osimertinib) is a third-generation EGFR TKI that has shown better precision and power at stopping lung cancer growth and improving patient survival. A double-blind FLAURA study shows that Tagrisso delivers 18.9 months of median progression-free survival, nearly twice as long as older drugs that deliver a median of 10.2 months. Tagrisso (Osimertinib) also reduces the risk of lung cancer metastasis on the central nervous system by 52 percent, and lowers the risk of death by 37 percent based on its preliminary data.
“These results have made Tagrisso (Osimertinib) the recommended and preferred first-line treatment by international guidelines for advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer—the most prevalent type of lung cancer—that tested positive for EGFR,” Dr. Josue adds.
Dr. Jorge Ignacio, former President of the Philippine Society of Oncologists , Inc. and Head of the Cancer Institute of the UP-PGH
EGFR biomarker testing is available across laboratories and hospitals nationwide including the Chong Hua Hospital, Hi-Precision Diagnostics, Lung Center of the Philippines, Manila HealthTek Inc., National Kidney and Transplant Institute, St. Luke’s Medical Center Global City, and The Medical City.
Learn more about LVNG With Lung Cancer at www.lvngwithphilippines.com or www.lvngph.com.
