An Official Galactic Mission

Blogger Moms and their families trooped to the most exciting party this year, Galactic Mission 7, featuring only the best-loved products for mommies and kids. Thank you so much for the love and the gifts for making this event so worthwhile.

Commanding happiness with COMMAND BRAND. Joining in the intergalactic fun and excitement is Command Brand Philippines, Damage – Free Hanging Solutinos from 3M who has also launched their official instagram account @commandbrandph and official brand hashtag, #iCOMMANDit .

Command was extremely generous, giving out freebies for all of the guests, as well as special gift packs for bloggers as well as during the games and raffle draw. They also had an exceptional exploratory photo wall featuring a few of the excellent products of Command, which is also a brand under 3M, devoted to serving customers and communities with an extensive range of innovative solutions.

So to them I say Thank you to the ever generous 3M Command ! Explore damage-free hanging solutions; adhesive hooks, picture hangers and organizers with firm holding power. We can now use 3M Command Strips in the bathroom to hang toothbrush holders and shower caddies!


Special thanks also to Scotch Brand, for letting the kids become all crafty and creative as they
made their very own light sabers, using Scotch scissors and Scotch Brand duct tapes. My daughter had a great time playing with her light sabers.

A grand time with Giant Carrier. The truly magical experience was captured by Giant Carrier, who did not only showcase their exceptional products but also raffled and gave out a tone of their amazing products! The kids definitely loved seeing Baby Skipper, the official mascot of Giant Carrier, who gave out so much joy, happiness (and balloons) to all of the excited and gleeful kids in attendance!

Moms and kids played the Intergalactic Giant Carrier game, where the kids and babies also got to try out the comfort and ease of riding a Giant Carrier stroller.

GIANT CARRIER shares with you every step your child takes, with the care only a mother can assure. Giant Carrier offers an array of infant and childcare items to meet the needs of babies in different stages, making the baby comfortable and keeping the mother at ease.

 Giant Carrier Playpen: it’s a functional crib that you need. It’s very easy to assemble, disassemble, and store in your house. This helps in mental development and This colorful crib is designed not only to give your baby a place to sleep that is equally adorable as your little one, but also for their color recognition and stimulation. This also makes your baby used to not being carried every time he is awake. Proper sleep is vital to the growth and development of your little love. A gentle rocking feature helps you put your loved one to sleep.

LIKE and Follow Giant Carrier on Facebook by simply typing in GIANT CARRIER,

HOME SUITE HOME. Yes, our home can definitely be sweet with the help of Home Suite, My Choice, the sister brand of Giant Carrier, also under CLC Marketing Ventures. Home Suite is the pioneer in metal based furniture and this brand also offers a ton of delightful products for home and family! and also type in HOME SUITE to LIKE and Follow their official Facebook Page. You can also learn more about Giant Carrier, Home Suite and their other brands by logging in at www.clcmv.com.ph


Moms love TINY BUDS Natural Baby Products. Tiny Buds also delighted and educated parents and
kids alike, through a segment about how important it is to use natural products for our precious children.

Led by its brand manager, Ms. Lorina Tan, Tiny Buds did not only empower parents to make the right choice when selecting products for their babies’ delicate skin, but she also gave out awesome prizes for every guest in attendance! Some of the featured TINY BUDS Products were Tiny Buds Baby Bottle & Utensil Wash, which is the brand’s bestseller! This natural cleaner easily washes away left over milk and food from baby’s bottles, utensils and breastfeeding accessories.

Baby will surely smell good on this while keeping her skin healthy.  Kids and moms can share the award-winning Tiny Buds Rice Baby Powder, made from 100% real rice grains! This biodegradable and hypoallergenic product is completely free from harmful talc and other chemicals.

Much to the delight of everyone, TINY BUDS also gave out the favorite of most moms: TINY BUDS
NATURAL LAUNDRY POWDER & LIQUID WASH FOR BABIES, and TINY BUDS NATURAL FABRIC SOFTENER FOR BABIES. These are both lovingly made with natural plant-based ingredients with a special formula and delightful scent that is perfect for our precious babies!

Please make sure to visit www.tinybuds.com for more details.

SWEET CREATIONS BY MUMS takes everyone to cupcake heaven! All bloggers and guests were also treated to the yummy, moist and delightfully designed cupcakes, made only by the creative and loving hands of Chef Jo-Ann Tuazon, the lovely founder and baker of SWEET CREATIONS BY MUMS.

Everyone went crazy and simply couldn’t get enough of SWEET CREATIONS BY MUMS perfectly designed Star Wars toppers on yummy chocolate moist cupcakes!

Trust only SWEET CREATIONS BY MUMS to give you the most memorable parties with perfectly designed cakes, cupcakes, dessert buffets and more! Please Like and Follow them on Facebook; just type in SWEET CREATIONS BY MUMS.

The following partners also made galactic mission 7

GOLDILOCKS made sure that all the kids in attendance came home happy with their bitbit cake slices from Goldilocks. The event also showcased the latest commercial of Goldilocks, featuring the beautiful teen star, Liza Soberano, one of Goldilocks’ prized endorsers, a fitting face for the brand that Filipinos have always loved and have always made a special part of the most important life celebrations.

Without a doubt, GOLDILOCKS is the number 1 and the most-well loved bakeshop!
Follow Goldilocks on Facebook and @goldilocksph on Instagram.

Philips AVENT gave a ton of treats not just for the kids but also for a few lucky mommy bloggers during the exciting games and raffle draw! Many of the moms present are Philips AVENT moms, who believe in giving the best start for their beloved babies and kids. Follow Philips AVENT Philippines on Facebook and @philipsaventph on Instagram. To learn more about their wonderful promos and upcoming talks and activities for moms, log on to www.philips.com.ph

EPSON PHILIPPINES CORPORATION was the proud tech partner of the event, and who also gave out free loot bags for all the guests. This Star Wars themed event was also proudly POWERED BY EPSON, EXCEED YOUR VISION. Learn more about EPSON Philippines and their astounding, world-class products today (such as the projector used during the talks and activities) by visiting
www.epson.com.ph Every kid got to take home awesome loot bags from EPSON too!

PIT GAMES MEDIA. It may be the month wherein we celebrate Mothers, but as a treat to the dads, we also had Pit Games Media who distributed their leading magazine brands and served as our video and photography partner. We would like to thank the Publisher of PIT GAMES, Mr. Manny Berbano and his wonderful daughter, one of the leaders of Pit Games Media and Brand Manager of Excellence Poultry and Livestock Specialist, Ms. Em Berbano along with her amazing team.

Visit www.pitgamesmedia.net today!

SUMMIT MEDIA also showered the event with support by giving free copies of Good Housekeeping Magazine, Yummy Magazine and Smart Parenting Magazines for all the parents, as well as K-ZONE Magazines to all the kids in attendance!

BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (BPI), the foremost bank in the country also talked about the BPI PAMANA SAVINGS ACCOUNT, an exceptional product from BPI, which serves as both a savings account and insurance product! Beyond the savings devoted for your family, you get FREE Life Insurance worth 3x your account balance, up to 2 million pesos. Talagang the BEST pabaon for your loved ones!

Please visit www.bpiexpressonline.com today!

Universal Robina Corporation (URC) also joined in the fun by making sure that our fun kiddy piñatas as well as every kid got to take home yummy bars of Cloud 9!

Special thanks to sales head Mr. Ron Borbon of URC Sales for the delightful treats!

GALACTIC MISSION 7 Featured talks from Mompreneur and Blogger, Chai Castro Galapon who introduced 4D Flashcards, as she is the authorized seller in the Philippines. It also featured a fun Star Wars treats making activity with celebrity Chef and Philips AVENT brand ambassador, the talented Chef Dang Adrias who is also a professor at MOST Institute. It also featured the talented and inspiring artist and book writer, Mr. GUTCH GUTIERREZ, the visionary behind STORYTELLERMNL.

Gutch Gutierrez, along with Zig Marasigan created the award- winning book entitled, ‘The Day of Darkness,” which the kids truly enjoyed through his live storytelling activity. Follow
StorytellerMNL on Youtube today!

This exciting and memorable learning event and family party was co-organized by Ms. Marylaine Viernes, events host and blogger at www.marythehost.com along with a team of loving
mommy bloggers including mommy bloggers/ mompreneurs and party specialists, Ms. Gemma Alcid and Ms. Melanie Castro, with their Facebook Page at MCJ Balloon & Party Needs.

CORDLIFE Philippines: One Chance, One Choice

CORDLIFE Philippines: One Chance, One Choice. During  the GALACTIC MISSION 7 party!  I was able to listen to The Cordlife team, led by brand manager, Ms. Jonelyn De Belen along with medical and brand experts were able elucidate the participants on the benefits of banking Cord blood.

There is only one opportunity to collect and store the stem cells found in the cord blood and this is only during birth.  CordLife Medical Philippines Inc. and it offers hope to those with history of cancers and other illnesses in the family.  Cord Life is a private cord blood banking facility provides a full suite of cord blood and tissue banking services including the collection, processing, testing, and cryo-preservation of cord blood stem cells and tissue. When I speak of stem cells, I am not referring to  controversial stem cell therapy from sheep or embryos. Cord blood is a rich source of Hematopoietic Stem cells (HSCs) which are responsible for replenishing blood and regenerating the immune system.

Good Housekeeping gathered Modern Urban Moms

Good Housekeeping gathered Modern Urban Momsat the first-ever MUMS of Manila

Good Housekeeping Philippines, the leading family and home magazine in the country, in
partnership  with SmartParenting.com.ph and Yummy magazine, recently held the newest gathering of Modern Urban Moms (MUMS) on May 28, Saturday, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM, at the SM Mall of Asia Main Mall,

TPB and Color Manila Run celebrate fun with Blacklight Run

An enthusiastic crowd of 700 gathered to participate in the first ever black light edition of Color Manila Run held at the SM Lanang grounds in Davao City. Co-organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the Department of Tourism (DOT), Color Manila Run is part of the Visit the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 campaign as one of several activities lined up throughout the year to entice travellers to come to the country and participate in their favorite sports while enjoying the breath-taking natural wonders found throughout the archipelago.

The event started with a rousing Zumba to warm up the runners. To help them navigate through the race routes, LED headlamps were distributed to the participants along with Color Manila Run’s signature color powder packs. Davao favorites Tribu K’ Mindanawan and DJ Torch Gacuma pumped up the crowd by providing riveting entertainment, which culminated in a lively dance party with the runners glowing with different splashes of color. 

“Color Manila Run offers tourists a chance to experience how a unique athletic activity can be more fun and memorable with the help of Filipino creativity”, shared TPB’s Chief Operating Officer, Domingo Ramon C. Enerio III. “The Tourism Promotions Board is happy and proud to support these kinds of events as they highlight both our people’s innate love to share happiness and our goal of creating the Philippines as a top choice for sporting and wellness events,” he added.

Southern Mindanao Regional Director of the DOT Roberto P. Alabado III welcomed the runners by saying, “Color Manila Run is important for us in Davao because we need to be reminded of the region’s rich biodiversity. DOT and TPB invite you to plan trips to experience the wealth of natural wonders our country has to offer.”

For the rest of 2016, health buffs can look forward to more local and international adrenaline-filled activities happening in the Philippines such as Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship, MAYON 360 Albay Ultramarathon 2016, and Sky-athon 2016 Boracay Beach Run among several others. 

To know more on upcoming sports-related events, visit www.tpb.gov.ph and www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com.

Filipino child receives free heart surgery in India

 

Dr. Moopen’s Foundation Proves that Care Goes Beyond Boundaries

Filipino child receives free heart surgery in India

Dr. Moopen’s Foundation (DM Foundation), the organization set up by Aster DM Healthcare Chairman Dr. Azad Moopen, has once again proven that saving lives has no boundaries. In a unique multi-country charity initiative, a rare cardiac corrective surgery was successfully performed on Joneil Dasain, a 5-year-old boy from the Philippines at the Aster Medcity, Kochi. Conducted under the aegis of DM Foundation’s ‘Save the Little Hearts’ initiative, the surgery was carried out by a team of Indian specialists led by Dr. Sajan Koshy, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, Center of Excellence in Cardiac Sciences, Aster Medcity, Kochi. 

Indeed, the world becomes small when we reach out to care. The ‘Save the Little Hearts’ program has been helping indigent Filipino children with Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) by providing free surgical treatment within the Aster DM Healthcare network. For the first time, a child coming straight from the Philippines is able to be flown to India for this much needed heart surgery at the world-class Aster Medcity.  

“Joneil presented with bluish coloration of fingertips and lips and problems in breathing, all resulting from the congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot. This should ideally have been corrected in the first year after birth.  The procedure was not free from risk due to his age. But we decided to take up the challenge. The child was evaluated by our expert team of specialists and a five hour long surgery was successfully undertaken,” commented Dr. Sajan Koshy, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Cardiac Surgery, CoE Cardiac Sciences. 

In Tetralogy of Fallot, abnormalities in the structure of the heart result in blood with insufficient oxygen circulating through the body causing the various symptoms like cyanosis (bluish discoloration) of nails, lips and skin, tiredness and breathlessness. If left untreated, the defect has a 50% mortality rate in the first three years of life in addition to causing delay in growth and development.

Since the program was started, the DM Foundation has helped 26 Filipino children from disadvantaged families, who cannot afford to have their children treated for congenital heart disease to undergo corrective cardiac surgery. In addition, about 750 children have benefited from the ‘Save the Little Hearts’ program across various geographies. These children, primarily from India, but also from Afghanistan and Africa have received free or subsidized treatment from Aster DM Healthcare facilities channelized through the DM Foundation and its associates including MIMS Charitable Trust and other support associations.

Dr. Azad Moopen, Founder Chairman & Managing Director of Aster DM Healthcare and Founder of DM Foundation, is a physician turned entrepreneur and philanthropist. During his early career, he had witnessed many families struggling to afford specialised treatment for many complex and critical health conditions. He founded the DM Foundation to help such patients and it is under this foundation that the not-for-profit initiatives of Aster DM Healthcare and Dr Azad Moopen’s family are being carried out. 

Commenting on this unique initiative, Dr. Azad Moopen, said, “There are many children who are not able to reach their full potential because of congenital heart disease. Coming from poor backgrounds, the parents also cannot afford to have their children treated. The philosophy of our foundation is to provide quality healthcare to the deserving and make a difference in their lives. We are happy that DM Foundation has enabled Joneil to get the treatment to put him back on the path to a bright future. We look forward to helping more such children in the future through our efforts.”

Aster DM Healthcare-Philippines Country Head Joyce Alumno emphasized, “Five children are diagnosed with CHD for every 1,000 live births. Reports show that every nine minutes, a child below 15 years old dies of heart disease. We are grateful that through the selfless heart of Dr. Moopen and the expertise of our doctors in India, children like Joneil are given a chance to enjoy a quality of life like any normal child.” 

“We want to do more. In fact, we have a line of possible beneficiaries needing urgent attention. However, we are unable to do so because of the long queue in the hospitals. With the success of Joneil’s case, we can now say, we can make this happen,” Alumno said. 

Lance Masters, a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Manila supported the DM Foundation and has accompanied the patient and his mother to India. He has documented Jolien’s journey to health on his Facebook page. He said, “Jolien’s free cardiac surgery has been possible thanks to a truly remarkable philanthropist, Dr Azad Moopen, who has designated 20% of his wealth to his charitable foundation dedicated to assisting poor people with catastrophic medical issues. In the Philippines, Dr. Moopen has committed to helping 50 indigent children with congenital heart defects through the DM Foundation’s ‘Save the Little Hearts’ program. I am honoured to work with the Foundation in this noble mission." 

Dr. Harish Pillai, Cluster Head for Kerala & CEO Aster Medcity said, “The successful procedure is yet another testament of the exemplary skills of Aster Medcity’s talented team of doctors at our advanced world class quaternary healthcare facility. We are happy that the child is now recovering well and can look forward to lead a normal life.”

Established in 1987, Aster DM Healthcare currently owns and operates a network of more than 290 institutions across the Middle East and India, covering an array of healthcare verticals including clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and a modern medical city. These network units are consolidated under the brand names ASTER, MEDCARE, ACCESS, ASTER Medcity and ASTER MIMS. The health facilities include 14 hospitals that offer primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary care in order to meet the requirements of people from a cross section of the society.   In 2015, Aster opened its first ambulatory care center in the Philippines.

DM Foundation is the broad umbrella under which the CSR and social activities of Aster DM Healthcare and Dr. Moopen’s Family Foundation are being carried out. DM Foundation works in tandem with associate organizations such as MIMS Charitable Trust. The activities of Dr. Moopen’s Foundation are focussed in India, Middle East, Africa, Philippines, Afghanistan etc. Various programmes of the Foundations are categorized under Free Paediatric Cardiac Surgery Programme (Save The Little Heart), Early Diseases Detection & Cancer Screening Centres (EDDCs), Community Dialysis Centres (CDCs), Radiation Oncology Centres, Doctor on Calls “Mobile Clinics”, Health & Safety Awareness Programme, Free or Subsidized Treatments, MILES Village Adoption – Socio Economic Intervention etc.

Finding a school that parents can partner with in rearing their children

It is a beautiful thing to take part in the process of raising a child to be a wonderful human being, who will one day contribute to this world. However, the job that many parents do not realize they are signing up to have for the rest of their lives does not include a manual, training facilities, nor master teachers.

Great Image Photo Shoot for 20 Pesos

Take this chance to have a photo of you and your mom for only 20 pesos!

Upload a photo with your mom and get the chance to win as much as Php 10,000.

 

Here’s how:


1. Register through this link:www.greatimage.com.ph/meetmynanay and we’ll send you an email through your registered email address. 


2. Print a copy of the email and visit our studio. Have a complete portrait session and 3R photo with the soft copy for only 20 pesos!


3. With your phone, take a picture of your 3R photo print or upload your soft copy at our Facebook page and share your nanay’s story. 


4. Tag them at @greatimageph and use the hashtag #MeetMyNanay. Get a chance to win the following:

 

GRAND PRIZE - Php 10,000 plus Great Image GC worth Php 3,000

2ND RUNNER UP - Php 5,000 plus Great Image GC worth Php 2,000 

3RD RUNNER UP - Php 3,000 plus Great Image GC worth Php 1,000 

7 CONSOLATION WINNERS - Great Image GC worth Php 500

 

Promo period is from May 4 - 31, 2016. 

Submission of entries is until June 2, 2016

Permit No. 4382 Series of 2016

 

The Bow & Wow Benefit Dinner for CARA Welfare Philippines

Celebrate National Pet Parent’s Day at The Bow & Wow Benefit Dinner for CARA Welfare Philippines

The country’s first and only all-natural pet store Bow & Wow, in partnership with CARA Welfare Philippines, hosted a Benefit Dinner at the Robinsons Magnolia Garden in Quezon City where pet lovers and owners gather around to celebrate National Pet Parent’s day and to continue supporting CARA in its advocacy.

Bow &; Wow turns over the funds that were raised during the recent Bow & Wow Benefit Dinner for CARA Welfare Philippines. In photo are: (Seated row, L-R) Kaoru Cumagun of CARA Welfare Philippines Susan Hooper, Senior Communications Specialist, Department of External Relations of Asian Development Bank with rescue Lance; event hosts Tim Yap and Tessa Prieto-Valdez. (Back row, L-R) PaulLibid, CARA Volunteer with Brutus, rescued Laguna pitbull; Francesca Ortigas and Vera Lim, CARA Core Team; Nancy Cu-Unjieng, President, CARA Welfare Philippines; Amie Tan, Retail Director, Bow &Wow; Patrick Sugui, Actor and Bow &Wow Pet Advocate; Bonbell Cerbo, Brand Manager, Bow &Wow; Pam So-Suarez, Brand Director, Bow &Wow with Hitler; and Keith Salas, CARA Volunteer with Mama.

Photo above shows Vera Lim, CARA Core Team; Tim Yap; Nancy Cu-Unjieng, President, CARA Welfare Philippines; Tessa Prieto-Valdez; Pam So-Suarez, Brand Director, Bow & Wow; and Bonbelle Cerbo, Brand Manager, Bow & Wow during the Benefit Dinner.

“We at Bow & Wow are more than excited to continue our long-standing partnership with CARA Welfare Philippines for this kind of advocacy. Together with them and our roster of partners this year, we are strengthening our aim to help raise healthy and happy pets through proper nutrition. I would like to extend Bow & Wow’s gratitude to everyone who has helped to make this night possible. Your help will greatly make a difference,” shared Pam So-Suarez, Brand Director, Bow & Wow.  

Nancy Co-Unjieng, President of CARA Welfare Philippines talks about CARA’s animal welfare program, thanks partners and supporters, and encourages more people to take care of their pets the best way that they could.

The event was hosted by Tessa Prieto-Valdes and it featured a scrumptious buffet prepared by Margarita Fores’ Cibo di M and a wine bar by Planet Grapes for the pet parents. A mouth-watering pet buffet by Bow & Wow and ALL4PETSParty was also offered to the pets.

“The turnout of this year’s Benefit Dinner is more than what we could imagine. We are grateful to Bow & Wow and its partners for choosing to support us in all our endeavors and the overflowing blessings keep us going strong to provide shelter for animals and continue to inspire Filipinos to care more for the welfare of their pets, said Nancy Cu-Unjieng, President, CARA Welfare Philippines.

The night was filled with several activities for both pet parents and their pets such as pawprint keepsakes, design your own pupcakes, raffle prizes, caricature station, among others. Guests were also serenaded by Jonalyn Viray and were treated to an entertaining performance by Pole Cats Manila.

To make the night more memorable, Bow & Wow prepared three special awards for pet owners and their pets: Bow & Wow Pawsome Twosome Award for the Best Dressed Pet & Pet Parent, Bow & Wow Wagging Tails Award for the Most Congenial Pet & Pet Parent, and Bow & Wow Picture Pawfect Award for the Most Photogenic Pet & Pet Parent.

Notable guests who also dropped by to join the event included Patti Grandidge and Jon Herrera, Patrick Sugui, and Bianca King. Other event partners include Cat Café Manila, Ogilvy Public Relations, and WhenInManila.com.

CARA is the country’s key non-profit organization dedicated to inspire and educate Filipinos about animal welfare, animal population control, and the proper treatment of animals in our community. CARA is the primary NGO involved in the rescue, relocation and current rehabilitation of over a hundred pitbulls. (For more information, please visit: http://www.caraphil.org/ & http://www.facebook.com/CARAPhil).

* * * * *

Aster Health Card

Despite all the publications, investigations, books, column inches, airtime and screen-time dedicated to it, the practice of medicine remains, for all practical purposes, invisible. The image of the doctor continues to be an idealized model that reflects people's aspirations rather than their actual experience.1 While medical practice is continuously improving, it has not kept up with patients' rising expectations. Many things are much better than they were, but few things are as good as people have been led to expect.2 What patients expect is what they can understand and often amounts to a perception of attitude. Ironically, in the mid-20th century, when medicine could do a great deal less than it can now, much more attention was given to attitudes because, in practice, that was all doctors had to offer patients.
 

World Sleep Day 2016 with Uratex

“Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine celebrates World Sleep Day 2016 with Uratex”

The Philippine Society of Sleep Medicine (PSSM), the primary organization that aims to promote sleep medicine healthcare in the Philippines, again led in the celebration of World Sleep Day 2016.

The World Sleep Day 2016 slogan is “Good Sleep is a Reachable Dream” and this year, Multiflex RNC Philippines, Inc., makers of Uratex foam and mattress products, lent its wholehearted support to the PSSM in its efforts to help promote good, healthful and restful sleep.

During the celebration of World Sleep Day 2016, the PSSM held its 10th annual symposium entitled “Sleep Matters: Discovering the Importance of Sleep” recently at the EMG Auditorium of the Lung Center of the Philippines. There were various workshops and lectures on many sleep-related concerns for adults—and even in children—that elicited interests from symposium guests.

The PSSM is just one of the many organizations around the world that advocates the importance and educates people about the value of good sleep, which many people lack or perhaps do not pay attention to due to today’s fast-paced lifestyle and blinding-speed technology. Various studies have already shown that lack of restful sleep because of irregular work and lifestyle may lead to health problems in the future. Or even having an incorrect mattress may harm the body rather than provide the restful sleep it needs after a long and hard day at work.

This is why the PSSM reiterates the important elements of good sleep, which are “Duration” or the sufficiency of sleep to become well rested and alert the following day; “Continuity,” which means sleep time should be continuous and unbroken; and “Depth,” that sleep should be deep enough to be restorative or invigorating. Quality sleep, the PSSM said, is very crucial to one’s good health and quality of life. It said that good quality and invigorating sleep is important for people’s day-to-day functioning, even in children for their overall wellness and development.

The PSSM also cited the 10 Commandments of Sleep Hygiene, according to the World Association of Sleep Medicine or WASM, such as having a fixed bedtime and waking up time, no daytime sleeping in excess of 45 minutes, avoiding excessive alcohol intake 4 hours before bedtime or smoking, avoiding intake of caffeine such as those in coffee, tea, most sodas, including chocolate 6 hours before bedtime; avoiding heavy, spicy or sweets 4 hours before bedtime, but a light snack is acceptable, exercising regularly but not before bedtime, using comfortable bedding, finding comfortable temperature when sleeping inside a well-ventilated room, blocking out distracting noise and less light as possible, and limiting the use of the bed to just sleeping, Uratex supports the PSSM through its own advocacies in promoting good sleep in the Philippines.

“Uratex has always been humbly supporting efforts to promote good sleep, a much-needed bodily activity that unfortunately many people do not pay attention to or perhaps, do not know how to achieve it because of various reasons. Simply put, it all boils down to adapting to a more healthy and less-stressed lifestyle, a positive mindset toward life, and choosing the correct mattress depending on the body’s shape and contours, and this is where Uratex can help,” explains Dindo Medina, Corporate Sales Director of Multiflex RNC Philippines.

As the country’s sleep specialist, Medina said Uratex will continue to help Filipinos achieve helathy and superior sleep by continuously developing and bringing innovative mattresses and other sleep solutions.

The PSSM is a group composed of several specialists involved in the practice of sleep medicine in the country and are highly trained to address sleep disorders among Filipinos. Pulmonologists, Neurologists, Ear, Nose and Throat specialists, Psychiatrists and Pediatricians are among those that comprise the group and have expressed interest in the process and study of sleep.

Here in the Philippines, the practice of sleep medicine is still relatively young compared to other countries so it is no surprise that even other doctors do not know that such practice exists here. But the practice is, indeed, growing, even in Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) member countries. In fact, the Philippines will serve as host of the 4th ASEAN Sleep Medicine Congress in 2017 where it will share vital knowledge with other countries about sleep. Together, this collaborative meeting will also help determine how the different cultures of these countries can impact on their actions with regard to sleep concerns.

For more information about the value of good sleep to one’s health, visit the PSSM website, thepssmi.org. To find out more about the Uratex mattress and other sleep solutions, call the Uratex Consumer Hotline, 888-6800 or visit www.uratex.com.ph. 

THE SILENT MAJORITY

The SILENT MAJORITY isn't you and it isn't me. 

The silent majority are the people that make up the lower 60% of our population in terms of education, property and connections.

They are the janitors and clerks that get sacked for one mistake.

They are the taxi drivers that pay P10 at the airport gate just to enter and get passengers.

They are the farmers that plant and till for months only to receive a fraction of the amount we buy our rice for. 

They are the ones who have to pay someone just to get a firetruck to save their burning home, or before they can start a business.

They are the ones who have no other choice but to use public transportation to go places, at the mercy, every day, of pickpockets and pollution and road accidents.

They are the ones living on tapped electricity, dirty water and questionable food.

The silent majority are those who get turned away by private hospitals for not having health cards or the required deposit; and also the ones turned away by government hospitals because there just isn't any more room. 

They are the ones who wait in line for hours at a public hospital to complete a round of nebulization for their child.  

They are the ones who never get to know that what killed their loved one was preventable... Or, that it was actually a very rare disease. They do not understand what a doctor says, anyway.  They have no concept of second opinion.

The silent majority are those whose wakes feature gambling people because it helps finance the wake and burial.

They're the ones who do not get time off to grieve and heal.

The silent majority won't consider a Starbucks frappe a treat, but rather a scandalous way to spend P200. 

They may never even get to hold P30,000 ever while only thinking of how to spend it to make themselves happy. 

They may be people who never pay income tax because they never earn P100,000 in a year. 

They may dream of traveling and going abroad, but they will not plan for it. 

They are the Mangyan women who have to marry early lest they be considered too old by their tribe, or the Maguindanaoan who refuse to carry on with weaving, or the Ifugao men who leave their fields to seek better paying pursuits.

The silent majority are the corrupt in a hundred small ways... From taking home ballpens from work or stealing from donated goods. 

They are the ones without life purpose loitering our streets because they neither go to school nor have jobs to keep them busy. If ever employed, they live a hand to mouth existence, performing the most menial of tasks all their lives. They do not get to retire because not working for a day also means no food to eat. 

They are our brothers and sisters who have been living in war-torn areas, unsure when a stray bullet will snuff the blood out of a child. They're our fellowmen who get cat called, abused and denied. They're the ones who grow exposed to or entrenched in crime.

They are the ones who have to stop schooling at Grade 4, or the ones who graduate high school without ever mastering subject-verb agreement. Political correctness isn't one of their priorities. And they may never know they had special needs.

They try to be noisy, they do. But nobody listens to this silent majority. What they say, we often dismiss. And when they do force attention from us, acting like a misbehaving child, they are not silent indeed. However, just hearing the noise without responding to the need is not being listened to, and in this way, makes them silent still.

But no matter how hard life is, the silent majority prevails and perseveres. 

Now, out of this quagmire and darkness, hope has been awakened. The majority feels emboldened enough to gamble on the hope.  After all, they have nothing to lose but everything to  gain. 

I repeat, the silent majority isn't you or me. But they are the people we should advocate for. In lifting them up, we create more room for progress and growth and harmony in the country. In lifting them up, we also raise ourselves up. 

Let us think about the silent majority when casting our vote today, May 9. Let's give a voice to their dreams and plans. What's more, being blessed the way we are, let us put a stop to their lives, welfare and future being threatened the minute they are born. 

Let us heal our Motherland...

Send more love to your mom this Mother’s Day

Every day people are in a rush – and sadly on Mother’s Day this is no different. Some of us are squeezing the time to buy the perfect gift for our moms into our hectic work schedule, while the others have to seek the help of other people to buy the gift for them. And the challenge comes not only in the purchasing stage – it also occurs on the day itself, when people find it difficult to give their purchased present to their mom in person on her special day.

If you ever find yourself caught up in this situation, then you’ll be glad to know that Zyllem – one of the fastest growing logistics innovators in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore – is happy to give you a hand in sending your parcels, sealing them with love and care.

According to Quito San Agustin, country managing director of Zyllem Philippines, most people in the workforce are able to buy their gifts for their moms but fail to give that to them personally because of time and distance constraints: “We all face the hurdle of finding a fantastic gift idea that’s as unique as our mother. But sometimes, we fail to send it to them right away because work impedes us from doing so, let alone the distance that separates us from our moms,” San Agustin said.

“Knowing this is true for many people around the Philippines — this Mother’s Day, we want to make sure that everyone will be able to show how much their mom means to them through our same day services. We will be open the entire Mother’s Day weekend so that we can help individuals in their surprise delivery. With our same day services, your mom is sure to receive her special Mother’s Day gift pack in good time," he said.

Zyllem offers same day services for both consumers and businesses in Metro Manila. Pick-up and delivery can be done within four hours. Deliveries can be booked four days prior, or even on Mother's Day itself.

You can access Zyllem through desktop and mobile devices. With its pay-as-you-go pricing model, users need not worry about upfront payments with Zyllem. What’s more, users can easily track the status of the delivery through the app, SMS and e-mail, with an added bonus of real-time confirmation with electronic signature once the transaction is completed.

San Agustin concluded, “You may not be there for your mom this Mother’s Day, but Zyllem can help you send your beautifully wrapped gift in time as if you were the one delivering it. With our convenient and trusted logistics services, your mom is sure to celebrate her special day in the most special way.”

Zyllem is the first professional delivery service provider to offer same-day delivery in the Philippines. For more information, please visit the website at http://www.zyllem.com/ph/. 

Top Ten Reason Why You Should Vote For My Presidential Bet

Barely a week from now the country’s most awaited election is happening. The 2016 Presidential Election is by far the most heated one in the Philippine Electoral history. We each have our bet and some voters even goes beyond the boundary of promoting his/her own presidential bet. And though we each have our own choices, let me tell you reasons why you should vote for my candidate.

1. He is steadfast in his commitment to improve more the education system in the country. He will be most efficient as a leader and his high standard will demand that his people will always give high performance.

2. His China policy will sooner or later smoothen out differences between our country and China with no outside influences

3. He will be tougher on the issues of local insurgency. Local terrorism has been a problem since the 1950’s and no President

4. My Presdentialbet is confident and self-assured enough that he can wade his way in to the tumultous polical situation in our country. He has been in politics long enough to know the ins and out of it.

5. He is the only one, among today’s presidential bet who is capable to bring about measures that can efficiently deal with whatever is wrong in our country.

6. His track record of good governance

7. He is a unique non-traditional politician

8. A true Filipino, he will be loyal to everything that will make this country great again.

9. With his hard stance, he can be a perfect go-between and despite mistakes done in the past he can navigate his way and can convince many to follow his way and goals.

10. He will single handedly eliminate the drug problem in the country. It has been a threat in our society for decades now and only someone with no fear can take that problem.