loQal - Home and Living | Philippines

Ateneo bags first prize in public health debate

loqal.ph — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:36:10 +0000

By Anna Valmero

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA— The Ateneo Debate Society rose as the champion in the country’s first ever public health debate, besting 12 other teams on discussing issues about the Philippine healthcare system, sin tax reforms, and health promotion.

The UP Manila Debate Circle, in partnership with HealthJustice, held the debate competition entitled “Let’s talk about health” at the University of the Philippines Manila.

The debate tournament was organized with the aim to raise awareness on the value of health promotion, as a branch of public health that enables people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.

“Being a debater is a lifestyle of how one consumes information, recognizing everything as an argument that can be challenged. It instills not only a more refined perspective on the issues of healthcare, but also a mindset of finding answers,” said Elmer Jason V. Cruz, tournament director from the UP Manila Debate Circle.

“If we already suspect a structural problem in how healthcare is delivered, then it is high time we all start challenging status quo, and craft more effective solutions.”

In between the debating events, Dr. Bryan Lim of UP Manila and Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo of the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance gave lectures on the universal healthcare plan of the country and how future health professionals can help the cause, respectively.

The best means to enable and empower people is to raise their consciousness to equip them in making informed decisions about their health, said lawyer Irene Reyes, managing director of HealthJustice.

“The youth sector’s role in the future of health in this country cannot be discounted. How we mold our youth today will dictate the future of the country. Health-conscious youth would yield a healthy population,” Reyes added.

(Photos by HealthJustice)

Eye care provider Bausch + Lomb opens PH office

loqal.ph — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:13:24 +0000

By Alexander Villafania

TAGUIG CITY, METRO MANILA–To address the growing number of Filipino cataract patients and millions of Filipinos who have some form of visual impairment, eye care services provider Bausch + Lomb has decided to open an office in the country.

Citing local statistics on the population of visually impaired Filipinos, there are about 2.5 million have some form of visual impairment. These could include refractive errors, corneal opacity, to cataracts, said Bausch+Lomb Philippines country manager Dr. Joel Javier.

Bausch+Lomb has been present in the Philippines for decades but it is only now they decided to open up an office primarily due to the growing trend of visual impairment among Filipinos, said Javier.

The office will be located in Taguig City, with the company planning to expand their distribution network nationwide.

Many Filipinos with visual impairment are in areas not often reached by ophthalmologists and eye care specialists and this is the market targeted by the company.

Some of the company’s plans for the year include introducing new surgical equipment for cataract patients and pharmaceutical products for eye health.

He also said they are partnering with several private and public medical institutions, such as the Asian Eye Institute, St. Lukes Medical Center, and East Avenue Medical Center, for their equipment.

At least five percent of the population has uncorrected refractive errors, according to the latest National Survey on Blindness Survey that was released in 2003, posted in the Cataract Foundation of the Philippines website.

It is also estimated that in 2011, with a population of 96 million Filipinos, there would be a bilateral blindness percentage of 0.58 percent or 556,800 people. Those who have cataracts will be around 345,216, with at least 69,043 new cases of cataracts every year.

Of the 1,573 ophthalmologists in the country over 90 percent of them are in Metro Manila, the survey said.

Parenting guru advocates ‘positive discipline’, not spanking

loqal.ph — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:28:15 +0000

By Alexander Villafania

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – “Positive discipline,” or teaching children positive attitude based on long-term planning and solutions, has been an important teaching mechanism that replaces corporal punishment against children’s perceived bad behavior.

But in the Philippines, it has yet to be ingrained especially because of “intergenerational” practices.

Culture is not always an excuse for exercising corporal punishment against children. According to the non-government organization Save the Children, corporal punishment or spanking could cause dire effects on a child’s overall growth.

In a recent conference on positive discipline, Canadian child-clinical psychologist Dr. Joan Durrant said that parenting requires a lot of positive discipline on the parents themselves largely because a child’s development is pegged on how their parents react to them.

“You have to mold them through different approaches. Physically punishing your child would only bring them long-term grief.”

“In fact, violence begets violence and they will only transfer this negative experience to their children also. Positive discipline takes a lot of effort and a lot of time but its effects go beyond childhood and children tend to become better,” Durrant said.

Durrant, who is also an associate professor of Family Social Sciences at the University of Manitoba in Canada, described positive discipline as teaching based on setting goals for learning, planning and effective approach, and finding solutions that work.

This manner of teaching essentially takes away the need to spank a child when he or she does something that could upset parents.

She added that positive discipline also requires non-violent and respectful approach to a child, clear communication of parents’ expectations, mutually respectful relationship between child and parent, and other forms of non-violent, emphatic practices.

During the conference, Durrant gave some tips on how positive discipline could be applied to child rearing. Citing her book “Positive Discipline: What to is and how to do it,” Durrant enumerated several ways of exercising positive discipline.

Identifying your long term goals. Know what your child should do, both short-term and long-term. By knowing what you want as a parent, you can find, choose, and decide on the best course of action in rearing your child.

Providing warmth and structure. There are certain actions needed for a child to be loved. Saying “I love you” is the simplest but is among the most profound. Reading to them or playing to them also helps as other forms of nurturing activities.

Understanding how children think and feel. Every child changes as he or she grows up. Through those phases, parents have to understand what they feel and think so that they can base their actions on those feelings. Without giving in to emotions, parents can properly manage what they are feeling, which eventually helps parents solve the problem. Controlling one’s emotions also helps in understanding children’s behaviors.

Problem solving. By identifying the reasons for a child’s behavior, especially their very common fits of anger or frustration, parents will be able to manage their own expectations and solve the problem. Each reaction has a reason and the appropriate actions will help in solving those problems.

Responding with positive discipline. Exercising positive discipline is also achieved by practicing it on your own. What are your own expectations and how do you identify your own feelings? Combining all the elements in positive discipline is a continuous process and parents must also exercise it upon themselves to become better and to further teach their children proper values.

‘Trabahustle’ contest encourages Pinoys to exercise

loqal.ph — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:11:08 +0000

By Alexander Villafania

MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA – In observance of World Hypertension Day, the Department of Health (DOH) and its partners are encouraging Filipinos to live healthy lives through a contest that would have families choreograph their workout regiments.

Called “Trabahustle (Trabaho+Hustle) Moves Online Video Contest,” the program entices families to record a video of their workouts that they hope would be emulated by others at home or at work.

The contest is led by pharmaceutical company Novartis Healthcare Philippines, one of the DOH’s partners in celebrating the World Hypertension Day.

Interested participants can visit the official game website for more details.

According to Novartis Country President and Managing Director Thomas Weigold, the contest aims to show Filipinos that hypertension can be prevented through regular exercise. But instead of making exercising as an obligation, the contest would show that people can have fun exercising.

“The good news is that it’s easy to incorporate physical activity in daily life, be it at home or in the workplace. We urge everyone to make health a lifestyle,” Weigold said.

Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH), one of the partners in the World Hypertension Day celebration, also stressed that regular exercise would lower risks of developing heart-related diseases. In addition, it also helps develop personal discipline.

“Regular physical activity lowers your risk of developing hypertension, stroke, certain forms of cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. It also helps to control weight, and may help to ease stress, anxiety, and depression,” PSH President Dr. Dante Morales said.

Statistics from the PSH showed that hypertension is one of the most common cardiovascular diseases, affecting at least 8 million Filipinos. Hypertension also leads to other health complications.

While it has no cure, hypertension can be controlled and sufferers can have full lives. Apart from medication, exercise also helps in reducing aggravating hypertension as well as other diseases.

Group aims to revive Filipino tradition of kite-flying

loqal.ph — Tue, 22 May 2012 07:39:41 +0000

By Nikka Garriga

MABALACAT, PAMPANGA – Kite-flying has always been part of the Filipino traditional activities and recreation, along with the likes of luksong tinik, tumbang preso, or piko.

However, most of today’s young generation has succumbed to technology and the comfort of having to do almost anything and everything through the Internet.

According to Orly Ongkingko, president of the Kite Association of the Philippines (KAP), one of the major reasons for the decline of interest in kite-flying is the absence of kite-flying areas especially in the urban setting.

“Throughout the years, most open fields in Metro Manila have been built with skyscrapers. This is why we see most kids flying kites only in the provinces or in farming areas,” he said.

The non-profit organization began as a hobby among kite enthusiasts who later on realized the need to revive and develop kite-flying both in its traditional and modern aspects.

It has been actively promoting the through various endeavors. One of which are kite workshops conducted in elementary schools where students are taught how to make their own kites from sticks and papers.

The KAP also supports events like the recently-held Bear Brand Kite Festival where both kids and adults paraded their very own designs–from geometric shapes, dragons to Filipino-inspired figures.

“Commercial events such as these still help spread awareness about kites among children. The important characteristic here is how it creates family bonding, considering the very busy nature of parents nowadays,” Ongkingco said.

Most of the kite-flying activities today have evolved to modern designs and are used for exhibits or as part of competitions such as in kite surfing, land boarding, or “buggying”.

Despite these advancements, Ongkingco says we must strive to keep the tradition of kite making and kite flying alive as it has always been deeply rooted in our Filipino culture.

“My grandfather taught me how to fly my own kite when I was six-years-old. And the experience has stick to me ever since. This is what we hope to revive in kite-flying–its vital role in celebrating our tradition and the values of every Filipino family.”

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Six in 10 Pinoys have no health insurance, says Philhealth

loqal.ph — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:13:11 +0000

By Anna Valmero

QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA—About 60 percent of Filipinos die without access to health insurance and without even seeing a doctor, according to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

In line with this, the agency started reforms in its membership under the government’s Universal Healthcare Program to increase its enrollees including laborers, fisherfolk, the jobless and the needy.

“PhilHealth’s universal health-care agenda gives priority attention to the poor, especially the poorest of the poor, in light of findings that 60 percent of Filipinos die without professional medical care,” said Dr. Eduardo P. Banzon, PhilHealth President and chief executive officer.

The agency plans to tap the health maintenance organization (HMO) sector and work out adjustments in computing the costs of HMO coverage, like enrollment charges, physicians and other health professionals’ fees, and other factors, to make the service more affordable to Filipinos.

Banzon also aims to have a “reformed, responsive and restructured” PhilHealth that offers improved social health insurance benefits and services to all Filipinos.

Among the reforms he cited was the Case Rate method of paying for benefits, similar to a “pakyaw” system wherein all services are already included in the package.

It was also designed to cut the turnaround time or processing of claim documents from 60 days to ten days or even less since the benefit amount is clearly identified.

To date, PhilHealth has 23 medical and surgical procedures being paid for through the new payment scheme, making fee-for-service dispensable, explained Banzon.

PhilHealth will also introduce to more hospitals the first phase of the E-claims Project that will do away with paper transactions, especially where claims processing is problematic.

Through this, accredited health care providers can access PhilHealth’s database system and automatically verify the benefits that can be availed by members and their dependents.

Banzon is optimistic that once the E-claims Project is fully implemented, there will be a shift to paperless transactions from eligibility checking to claims filing.

Universal Health Care, through PhilHealth, also aims to reduce out-of-pocket expenditures to prevent our poor kababayans from the burden of debt, especially in times of illness.

The introduction of the “No Balance Billing (NBB) Policy” to Sponsored Program members is one of the more remarkable evidences that PhilHealth is sincere in its mandate of ensuring that all Filipinos will be provided with quality health care.

“The marching orders coming from President Noynoy Aquino and Health Secretary Ike Ona are very clear, and we are doing all that is necessary to make our benefits more responsive and ensure that our members will no longer spend a single centavo when they get hospitalized,” Banzon said.

He also emphasized that the NBB Policy will ensure that contracted hospitals and doctors would not charge more than the agreed case rate amounts.

The NBB that is currently implemented in government hospitals will soon be offered to private hospitals. Eventually, it will be available to other member-types.

Also underway is the development of the PhilHealth Plus that will initially be available to government employees as supplementary benefits.

For the Ayangans of Ifugao, the community plays a role in properly raising a child

loqal.ph — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:39:45 +0000

By Anna Valmero

LAGAWE, IFUGAO—For the people of Ifugao, it takes a community to raise a child and it takes a good home to teach a child positive values such as discipline.

This is the reminder of Ayangan tribe mother and retired teacher Marina Bango to parents and elders in the small farming village of Caba in Lagawe during the launch of a municipal ordinance that enforces the use of positive discipline among children.

Bango, a retired teacher, is a member of the Lagawe Children’s Advocates, an organization which was formed with the support of the European Union and Plan Germany through the project titled “Strengthening civil society in eliminating violence against children in the Philippines.”

Bango is one of the staunch local supporters of the use of positive discipline and reminded new parents in the locality to refer to the Ifugao’s foundational tenets for parenting. She has been traveling to communities in Lagawe to share tips on the use of positive discipline among parents.

Lagawe in Ifugao is the third town in the country to pass a municipal ordinance that prohibits violence to discipline children with the help of Plan International Philippines and Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development.

Bango, now 70, advocates the use of the traditional “Gopnad di Nunhituwan,” which loosely translates to the six foundations of a happy home, to teach positive discipline and basic values to young children.

Her own mother taught her the foundations when she was just starting as a young mother in her 20s and used them to raise her eight children.

Known for its strong family and community ties, raising a child in the mountains of Ifugao is a job for the whole clan and the community where the child lives.

The six foundational values include affection, respect, tempo (right time), discipline, open communication, and prayer, according to Bango.

The first foundation, affection is a strong bond between the mother and child from the womb to the tomb. Unlike popular belief that affection is only showed by showering attention, praise and care to the child, Bango said that affection starts when the mother carries the baby in her womb.

It is through breastfeeding, however, that the first physical bond between the mother and child is established.

“Giving a child affection, of course, is a job for the mother, father and other members of the family. Always remember that raising a child at home with affection is a partnership and is the start of teaching him positive discipline.”

Bango appealed to parents in the province, particularly to fathers, to avoid having their children buy cigarettes and alcohol because it does not show any positive value.

It is also showing respect—the second foundation for parenting—to children when you treat them accordingly, by not exposing them to vices during their formative years, Bango said.

Tempo or time is also key in Ifugao parenting and raising kids. “A parent’s job is 24/7, it never stops,” she said, adding that every parent, especially those in Ifugao, should make time for their kids, to guide them and be there for them.

The fast-paced lifestyle brought by technology and modernity among Ifugao families has also rapidly changed how parents spend their time with their family, often leaving the child during office hours at home to watch television programs with mature or violent content or play outside home without close supervision.

Bango lamented that parents before had time to accompany kids at play and tell them firsthand that fighting with their siblings and other children is not right.

For parents, TV programs that require parental guidance means that you should be there with your kids as well to make sure that you guide them, especially in crucial scenes when a parent needs to explain something to a child, said Bango.

Spending time with a child to explain and teach values by example is better than reprimanding them after they have done wrong, she added.

“Having time for the kids is not the problem, the parents who have no time for the children is the problem,” explained the Ayangan mother.

The fourth foundational value in raising a child is instilling discipline at home. Today, most parents believe that discipline is a value learned by children at the school instead of teaching them first at home.

The teachers are important in shaping a child’s values but they only serve as second parents, and thus will only help reinforce values like discipline and integrity that should have been taught first at home, added Bango.

Teaching the first four values to a child entails the use of open communication wherein there is an open line of communication between a parent and child, one of the foundations under Gopnad di Nunhituwan.

Communication is a give-and-take interaction and requires trust so parents should invest time off with their children even during their busy schedule.

Finally, the sixth foundation is teaching a kid the value of prayer, and to always thank their “Apo Diyos” for happiness from blessings and lessons from hardships.

‘Tiyanak,’ other Pinoy mythological creatures appear in Ragnarok Online

loqal.ph — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:34:40 +0000

By Alexander Villafania

MANILA CITY, METRO MANILA – Almost nine years since it first broke into the Philippine online gaming scene, the Korean massively online role-playing game Ragnarok Online is getting a new patch that would be based on Philippine folklore called Port Malaya.

Ragnarok Online is published in the Philippines by Level Up! Online, which is licensed by Playweb Games, Inc. It is the oldest online game in existence in the Philippines.

The new patch will be the 25^th such update since Ragnarok Online was introduced globally in 2002 by Korean developer Gravity. It would feature maps of digitized versions of historical places in the Philippines such as a bombed out building from Corregidor, the Old Manila seaport, and Luneta, which will have an in-game version of the jeepney.

There will also be creatures as enemies from Philippine mythology, like the imp-like “tiyanak,” a monstrous “buwaya” (crocodile), an anthropomorphic “tikbalang,” the dragon-like “bakonawa,” bat-like “wak-wak,” among others. The developers have also followed the “jejemon” craze by converting some of the enemies called Poring into Jejelings.

In addition, new items will also be released as either in-game dropped item or purchasable in Ragnarok’s item mall. The game itself just finished beta test in the Philippines and will be launched on May 9.

According to Ragnarok Online Brand Manager Roy Inciong, the idea to build a patch based on the Philippines was due to the strong following of the game in the Philippines. Despite its age, he said the Philippines remains to be a very important market for Ragnarok Online.

Inciong added that the patch would also be made available to global players in their respective countries, with necessary localization to follow. Among the first recipients of the new patch would be Brazil where Level Up! is also present.

For his part, Level Up! Marketing Director Ramon Macutay said that they are targeting old players of Ragnarok Online, many of whom have either moved on to play more serious online games or have stopped playing games altogether.

“The Philippine patch should convince them to come back,” Macutay said.

Ragnarok Online’s registered users in the Philippines is pegged at 10 million with around 300,000 monthly active unique players. “It goes to show that Ragnarok Online will still have a good following of players in the Philippines,” Macutay said.

Tanco scion promotes affordable healthcare for Filipinos

loqal.ph — Tue, 08 May 2012 14:05:41 +0000

By Alexander Villafania

TAGUIG CITY, METRO MANILA – Just barely out of his 30s, Jaeger Tanco can be considered a young executive by most standards and yet he already leads a company that deals in healthcare services.

Jaeger is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of PhilHealthCare (PhilCare) and is one of the youngest executives to sit in its executive board.

He is the son of business tycoon Eusebio Tanco, whose long list of businesses includes STI, one of the most prominent education institutions in the country.

But the younger Tanco is undeterred by the extent of his father’s success. Instead, he considers it a badge of honor where he has to continue the line of achievements and prove his place in the industries where his father leads.

He also credits his father for the business skills he developed, augmented by his own prowess as a young entrepreneur.

Starting out in several business entities under his father, Jaeger moved up the ranks through his own efforts. Now as part of a health maintenance organization (HMO) sector, he aims to bring what he learned to an industry that has a lot of growth potential.

“Of course, there’s pressure to accomplish the goals of the company. What I bring in the company are innovations that could lead to growth (in the company).”

On the other hand, he points out that the presence of older, more seasoned executives at PhilCare helps balance the energy that he brings to the company. “It’s a necessary balance. I have the guidance of the board and it establishes the direction the company takes.”

In perhaps his biggest role yet as an executive of a major HMO provider, Jaeger is setting out to make the company as one of the biggest providers of managed healthcare services in the Philippines.

PhilCare, he says, is one of the very few HMO providers that target the larger population of people who have limited budgets. The company offers the WeCare card, which is a P999 prepaid card for health consultation. They also have the P499 YHES (Yearly Health Examination Service) card.

“The HMO business has been around but it’s only in the last few years that its demand has grown. This is because of awareness especially in companies where HMO is one of the benefits.”

Currently, the HMO market in the Philippines covers just around 10 percent of the total population. But this should grow exponentially with the growing number of outsourcing firms who are also providing HMO benefits to workers.

The potential for HMO for private use is also being extended to families, especially workers who have enjoyed its benefits.

“Aside from our existing premium services, we also want to cater to a different market and that is the underserved. We believe that it’s best that people to care for themselves in terms of investing in their health. Prevention remains to be cheaper than cure.”

(Additional photo taken from the PhilCare Facebook page)

Designer Twinkle Ferraren on how to pick the right swimsuit

loqal.ph — Mon, 07 May 2012 04:29:38 +0000

By KC Santos

MAKATI CITY, METRO MANILA- Twinkle Ferraren believes that Filipino women – regardless of body type – can rock a swimsuit as long as they know what kind best fit them.

Ferraren, who personally designs all the swimsuits under her swimwear line Twinkle Ferraren, agrees that a strict diet can help women get their bodies bikini-ready in time for summer.

But she hastily adds that it’s in re-aligning one’s self-image with a positive perspective that they can genuinely feel beautiful and confident in bearing some skin.

“Your attitude, perspective and personality will outshine the so-called flaws you think your body has.”

“Easier said than done, but sometimes its all a matter of perspective, we just have to not care about what people think and enjoy the trip, your surroundings, and the great people that you’re with,” she says.

Twinkle says there are many factors that make women, especially those who are full-figured, feel less confident in wearing a bikini.

The 28 year-old fashion designer-cum-entrepreneur adds that the problem can be solved if they know what color, cut or pattern works best for their body type.

She gives the following tips on how to choose the right swimsuit.

Choose bikinis with bottoms that are low waisted/hipster-style; tankinis and one pieces are basic flattering silhouettes.
Pattern designs like slanted prints help create additional illusion.
Dark colors mixed with brights and attractive prints also help create that illusion.
Maillots with cutouts can also be figure flattering to some body types.
When fitting the suit, try jumping, bending and moving around with them, if everything is still in place, then that’s the swimsuit for you.
If you’re really not comfortable, you can try tankinis or one-pieces with cut-outs first, and then slowly make the move.
Have the basics which you can mix with the different prints and trends in the future.

Twinkle also suggests fashionable yet still functional accessories like hats instead of unnecessary trinkets. She believes women can still be stylish while protecting themselves from harsh sunlight.

She also suggests investing in swimwear because it has practical uses outside of the beach or swimming pool.

“Aside from using it in the beach, some swimsuit designs can be worn as active wear for working out or doing yoga; or worn instead of underwear; plus we live in a tropical country, it makes sense to be wearing more of these.”
More than wearing the right swimwear, it’s exuding the right attitude that makes a woman look and feel her best while wearing one.

“Life is short to focus on the negative stuff. Everytime I feel bad about my body I just recall a friend’s advice – I have a functioning body with eyes, ears, nose, a mouth, arms, legs, and so I’m perfect as I am.”

(Additional photo taken from Flair in the City)

Get more information on Twinkle Ferraren