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Showing posts from May, 2020

AXA offers moms world-class healthcare for cancer and other diseases

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AXA Philippines is offering Preferred Consultation and Care,  a value-added service that comes with select AXA insurance products. AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance providers, is offering Preferred Consultation and Care, a value-added service that comes with select AXA insurance products, and its coverage for cancer and heart disease to support moms in the community. Filipino moms constantly face many health risks. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, three out of 100 Filipino women between the ages 35 and above develop breast cancer in their lifetime, while about one in 30 Asian women have coronary heart disease, based on a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Still, moms continue to do what they do: caring for their families and making sure they stay safe and healthy. “AXA is here to help our customers, including women whom we strongly support, live their best lives by providing solutions that can hel

Canva launches its largest content update

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Photo 1. Stock videos, photography, icons, elements, animated stickers, audio tracks, illustrations, and more are all available for access to all Canva Pro Users. Photo credit: Canva Global online design platform, Canva, has launched the biggest update to Canva Pro in history, with 15 times more content now available at no extra cost. The major upgrade is taking on traditionally expensive stock subscriptions by including more than 60 million premium images, over 20 thousand videos along with a huge collection of audio tracks, and more than 3.5 million graphic elements as part of its subscription-based product Canva Pro, saving its design community up to 10 times the cost of comparable platforms and stock subscriptions in the market today. At no extra cost, Canva Pro subscribers will now have access to everything from stock videos to photography, icons, elements, animated stickers, audio tracks, illustrations, and more as part of the monthly subscription priced at $9.95 USD (

Increased demand during lockdown helped this cake business grow

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Made with joy and passion, Cardinal Cakes bestsellers: Dark Chocolate Cake,  Naked Red Velvet Cake, Walnut Carrot Cake, and Caramel Cake Celebrating life continues during lockdown – this optimistic proposition is what helped this cake business thrive in the tough COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the quarantine, people went on to celebrate special occasions with family, becoming an accidental opportunity for Cardinal Cakes, the offshoot of an events catering company known as Cardinal Cuisine. "Our business provides catering services for birthdays, weddings, baptisms, and other parties. But with the abrupt ban on mass gatherings, we had to pivot to survive. Truly, necessity is the mother of innovation. We came up with a line of cakes, and marketed them to friends and family via social media," said Eric Bandola, co-owner of Cardinal Cakes. Prior to ECQ, Cardinal Cuisine made cakes as ordered, and only as part of their catering events. But in the early stage of the lockdo

METROBANK AND GT CAPITAL HOLDINGS SUPPORT MCDONALD’S KINDNESS KITCHEN

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McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen, a program supported by Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings, distributes meals to 750 individuals in Barangay 790 in San Andres, City of Manila on April 18, 2020. Metrobank and GT Capital Holdings Inc., through the Metrobank Foundation, Inc. (MBFI) and GT Foundation, Inc. (GTFI), donated P2 million to Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines in support of its ‘McDo Kindness Kitchen’ program aimed at providing free meals to 40,000 individuals in Metro Manila. The first wave of distribution that ran from April 15-20 catered 9,000 individuals from the cities of Manila, Quezon, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Navotas and the municipality of Pateros. Each location was allocated with 3,000 meals to be strategically distributed to marginalized barangays recommended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The program will continue to provide meals from April 21 to May 16. The donation is part of the P200 million pledge by Metrobank and GT Capital Hol

Jump in the skin care craze with Korean gel moisturizers suitable for the tropics

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Every Filipina can now achieve supple skin with Ever Organics Soothing Gel which uses natural ingredients and are formulated in Korea. These gel moisturizers come in three variants infused with natural skin-loving ingredients like Aloe Vera and Tomato to keep all skin types nourished and hydrated:  Ever Organics 95% Aloe Vera Soothing   Gel , which is naturally extracted from Aloe Vera plants, is suitable for all skin types. It repairs the reduces dark spots, and soothes puffy eyes. It is also Alcohol & Paraben free and contains Centella Asiatica extracts that soothes sunburn and inflammation. Fortified with tomato extracts, the  Ever Organics 95% Tomato Soothing Gel  brightens and revitalizes the skin, giving it a youthful glow. It regulates sebum production and contains antioxidants that fight skin aging. It also aids in skin dryness and irritation perfect for sensitive skin. Use it to minimize the appearance of pores and achieve Korean glass skin while protecting

COVID-19 response and emerging challenges for children

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The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency continues to be an overwhelming challenge in the Philippines as the national government extends the localized general and enhanced community quarantines. However, while the government implements necessary measures to combat the spread of disease, these have brought unintended consequences with significant impacts to children. In a study conducted from March to April 2020 ( Children’s voices in times of COVID-19 [1] ), World Vision International consulted 101 children from 13 countries, including the Philippines, to learn about their perceptions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey concluded that the main concerns for children are school disruptions, emotional distress, and increasing poverty. The study may be accessed here: https://www.wvi.org/publications/report/child-participation/childrens-voices-times-covid-19-continued-child-activism Temporary school closures,

AXA extends help to deaf community amid COVID-19

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AXA Philippines  recently partnered with the Manila Doctors Hospital Corporate Social Responsibility Office to help members of the hearing-impaired community understand and diseminate information on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They teamed up for a special project called Healthcare Equality and Accessibility for the Rights of the Deaf (HEARD), which aims to train the hospital’s healthcare front-liners to be able to independently communicate with deaf patients. HEARD provided translator assistance to  Manila Doctors Hospital’s deaf program through the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) Access Team for COVID-19 . It is composed of volunteer doctors, healthcare professionals, sign language interpreters, technology professionals in delivering quality healthcare for the deaf. “Proper dissemination of information  is  vital to the management and containment of the ongoing pandemic,” says Rahul Hora, AXA Philippines president and CEO. “While we are getting information fro

Love knows no Distance

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As we continue to combat a pandemic that has forced us to keep distance from each other, none have felt this distance more than our beloved healthcare workers. These courageous heroes continue to fight despite the overwhelming tasks that come their way. One such healthcare professional is John Kenneth Go, a Staff Nurse at the Hamad Medical Corporation in Doha, Qatar. Aside from being a healthcare professional currently at the frontlines of the battle against covid-19, Kenneth is also an OFW, and one of many who will not be able to spend Mother’s Day with the special woman in his life. In his case, his beloved Grandmother who raised him and whom he devotes his accomplishments to. “Nanay”, as she is endearingly referred to by Kenneth, is described as generous, patient, and respectful, qualities that John himself says he inherited. “She taught me how to respect people from all walks of life, something that greatly helps me and my profession to this day”. Since John is cur

4 Casa de Memoria auction pieces to add drama to your home

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The Casa de Memoria lifestyle provides an opportunity to avail of select pieces on auction that adds depth to character for any home. Four distinct pieces call to us as we prepared the catalogue. This anniversary auction supports the construction of the emergency quarantine facility (EQF) at Sta. Ana Hospital, Manila. Inspired by the Grey Room at the Palacio is an ebonized and ormolu-embellished commode, with pietradura vegetal elements in Napoleon III style (Lot 011). From late 19th century France, this Napoleon III Pietra Dura Commode is one of the most outstanding items for Segundo. To complete the look are a set of Carlos IV chairs (Lot 020). These six Neoclassical side chairs are carved, painted, and gilded beech with provenance from late 19th century Spain. The team highly recommends a Spanish neoclassical sofa (Lot 019) carved and prepared in gilded beech. This reproduction, following one in the Palacio del Nuncio in Aranjuez, is embellished with églomis

QBO's online conference empowers startups in the face of COVID-19

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 Speakers of the virtual conference share different aspects of startup operations from remote global locations. Photo credit: QBO Innovation Hub Over 100 startup and technology leaders from 20 cities across the Philippines, other parts of Southeast Asia, and the United States gathered together in a five-day virtual training conference organized by QBO Innovation Hub together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The conference aims to elevate the capacities of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in the country. TBIs are facilities that house startups and equip their business development. They ensure the sustainability of the startup’s operation, the advancement of entrepreneurs, and partnership of the startups with public sectors. "During this difficult time, the need to come together and work on solutions is placed at the forefront of innovation. Now is the best time for us incubator managers and technology leaders to help give birth to

Ace your makeup skills during quarantine

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Life in lockdown has given us plenty of opportunities to master new skills. If you’re eager to learn but don’t know where to start, why not take a page from Ever Bilena, the country’s leading cosmetics brand, and follow their makeup tips and techniques so you can come out looking young and fresh, post lockdown. Natural flush While you can’t get that bronzed skin from an excursion to the beach this summer, you can still achieve a natural flush with the EB Blush Rush or the EB Matte Color Sticks . The EB Blush Rush has a watery-gel consistency with roll-on applicator while the EB Matte Color Stick is creamy matte in consistency, making both products easy to blend on your cheeks, eyes and lips. For a sun-kissed glow, strategically apply on points of the face where the sun hits most, such as the cheeks, nose and a little above the brows. Blend with your ring finger (remember to thoroughly wash your hands regularly/before applying makeup) to sink the product naturall

AXA offers teleconsultation service to support pandemic response efforts

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AXA Philippines is providing customers easy access to medical consultations   through its health partner MyPocketDoctor.     The COVID-19 pandemic has brought on the reemergence of digital healthcare where patients and doctors communicate and hold remote medical consultations by telephone or by video link. To foster better health outcomes, AXA is offering free teleconsultation to approximately 6.5 million people in Asia, including under-served patients in remote, rural areas with limited health care access. In the Philippines, AXA, one of the country's leading insurers, is providing its customers easy and convenient access to health care services amid the crisis by offering medical teleconsultation service through one of its health partners MyPocketDoctor , the first telemedicine app in the country that allows people to consult with a medical doctor from the safety of their own homes. " To give our policyholders access to quality healthcare while in

Join the Movement: Wear Masks In Public and Block COVID-19

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Over 13,000 LBC employees nationwide join the mask movement to block COVID-19. Photo Credit: LBC As the rest of the world works together in flattening the curve due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, several cities and countries have imposed precautionary measures to ensure public safety. These new guidelines will define what the new normal will be for the time being — and it includes wearing masks in public. Wearing masks is now increasingly becoming a global movement where everyone is called to act. Companies, known personalities, and governments all over the world are enjoining everyone to be responsible by wearing masks in public. Online campaigns rallying for people to wear masks have gone viral. What covers up most people’s faces is now an act of solidarity — for friends, families, and neighbors, essential workers, and frontliners. The Philippines, which currently holds the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, has also followed suit when the government rec