HOPELINE 24/7 mental health support now in HealthNow app

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As mental health issues rise due to isolation, fear, and worries that accompany the current pandemic, it becomes necessary to make it easier for the public to access mental health support services whenever and wherever they need them.

Thus, HOPELINE, the 24/7 suicide prevention and crisis support desk of New Good Feelings (NGF) Mindstrong, partnered with telehealth service integrator HealthNow to give the public more ways to reach the hotline. HOPELINE can be found under HealthNow app’s Urgent Help button in the welcome page. Globe and TM subscribers will be able to call the hotline toll-free. 

HealthNow is a joint undertaking of 917Ventures, a corporate incubator wholly-owned by Globe, and AC Health, the healthcare arm of Ayala Corporation. It is a mobile application that helps patients to conveniently consult with a doctor, buy medicine for delivery, and schedule clinic appointments without leaving their homes. The app may be downloaded from Play Store for Android and App Store for iOS.

Beia Latay, CEO of HealthNow, said: “Our partnership with HOPELINE is an important step to allow more people access to mental and emotional support services, even if this means simply having someone to talk to when they need it the most. We knew that we wanted to collaborate with a reputable group like NGF, whose mission is aligned with ours as we strive to accompany Filipinos in their healthcare journey during these complicated times.”

In its pursuit to provide a platform for a 24/7 suicide prevention hotline, toll-free HOPELINE 2919 was created in 2012, with Globe providing the necessary technology for it. Since then, the hotline has received over 14,000 calls mostly related to issues of depression, suicidal thoughts, and relationship problems.

The psychological impact of COVID-19 on Filipinos these past months has been devastating. In a study conducted by Tee et al last August, it showed that “anxieties and stress caused by social distancing practices and the economic recession have led to a rise in mental health issues, worsening of health conditions and has even led more the more vulnerable to commit suicide.”

The integration of HOPELINE in HealthNow is part of the Globe Group’s efforts to support mental health awareness in the Philippines. Aside from conducting mental health webinars, Globe has also partnered with UP Diliman Psychosocial Services (UPD PsycServ) for free counseling or psychotherapy services. It also launched Hope Bank, an online support community particularly for front liners and patients suffering from COVID-19 and other illnesses. Globe is committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals such as UNSDG No. 3 which ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all of all ages.

For more information about HealthNow, visit https://healthnow.ph/

Finding a digital ally during the pandemic

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In a situation as precarious as today, everyone tends to gravitate toward a sense of security and stability, especially financially.

For Andrew Bautista, all he needed was the assurance that he would be able to provide for his family. The 33-year-old father wears many hats--tricycle driver, delivery rider and now, with the help of GCredit, sari-sari store owner.

The pandemic has left every Filipino dangling over the cliff of uncertainty. With three children, Bautista sought the helping hand of GCredit, the credit platform of the country's leading digital wallet, GCash.

When he gained access to GCredit, Bautista immediately sought the essentials.

"Ibinili ko ng gatas ng anak ko," he said matter-of-factly.

The Pasig City resident recently started a small business, the quintessential sari-sari store, to help his family get through the lockdown that forced thousands of Filipinos in Metro Manila to stay at home.

"Malaking tulong talaga siya…Ngayong lockdown kasi, kelangan ng dobleng diskarte lalo pa't hirap sa pamamasada, and nakakatakot lumabas," Bautista said.

With the questions of a murky future remaining unanswered, Filipinos have found an ally in GCredit.

"Meron kang magagamit na pang-alalay...may matatakbuhan ka, kasi alam mong andiyan lang siya, steady lang, kumbaga meron kang katulong," Bautista said.

Household staple

Boasting a 700-percent year-on-year growth in May alone, driven primarily by bank cash-ins and online payments, GCash has become a new household staple.

Now, over 20 million GCash app users obtained a credit score with GScore, even without prior credit history. Through increasing their GScore, users are able to gain access to GCredit, a surprisingly easy process credit facility in contrast to the usual requirement-heavy applications in traditional banks. GCredit, is able to provide eligible users with their own credit lines, extending their budgets during the quarantine.

GCredits acts just like a traditional credit card, without all the fuss and hassle of getting one. It makes credit accessible to all—helping users in far-flung areas as well—as many of the formal requirements in banks may not be available to many Filipinos.

Since it was first introduced in 2004, GCash has offered various digital solutions to the unbanked and underbanked. Staying true to its mission of financial inclusion, it introduced its digital credit facility, GCredit two years ago.

Seeing an unprecedented growth in the middle of a pandemic, the financial technology giant filled their role in the “new normal" with ease.

Last June, GCash disbursed P5 billion in loans through GCredit, making it more accessible to over 550,000 Filipino users.

For 37-year-old Arnie Martinez, her small sewing business, was, quite literally, hanging by a thread.

"Karamihan ng supplier ng garments ay sarado, dahil hindi siya kabilang sa ‘essentials,’ kaya ang impact sa kanila ay kailangan talaga maghigpit ng sinturon," she recounted.

With the new coronavirus disease limiting the capacity of every Filipino, most have turned to the power of technology, with applications like GCash thrust into the spotlight.

Even under lockdown, the responsibility of bills and necessities continues to burden many Filipinos. Martinez turned to GCredit when it came to paying bills, especially with the quarantine making it more difficult for everyone to access cash.

"Dun sa mga pagkakataon na hindi dumadating yung inaasahan kong pera, pero may kelangan ng bayaran na dues, meron akong mapagkukunan," she said.

With a stay-at-home order dangling over everyone's heads, grocery runs have turned into an occasional practice. With lines snaking around our local groceries and everyone geared with their own personal protective equipment, buying the essentials has become a chore that entailed arduous planning.

With GCredit, users are able to breathe a sigh of relief. Because of quarantine, most Filipinos prefer to buy in bulk, and the digital credit facility has given users more purchasing power.

Users are able to buy more with the credit line, instead of being restricted with their budget, in order to minimize exposure to the deadly virus.

Over the past 12 months, the digital credit provider boasts a 115-percent increase in activated credit lines, entailing the growth of its user base.

Disbursements in the past 12 months also doubled, boasting a 214-percent increase and providing greater financial support to Filipinos.

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc. 

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.

917Ventures, AC Health team up for new healthcare app

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With the current pandemic, it’s not easy for Filipinos to take care of their health. There have been delays in seeking medical help due to fear of contracting the virus when they go out to visit a doctor’s clinic or a pharmacy.

Healthcare providers, on the other hand, are also facing a challenge, as they have to handle a tremendous volume of patients while making sure that everyone receives the appropriate help at the right time. 

917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe, is collaborating with ACHealth to provide solutions to these problems. The collaboration resulted in HealthNow, an all-in-one health app that will help Filipinos get the healthcare they need anytime, anywhere. 

With HealthNow, users will be able to consult a doctor through video, buy medicine for delivery, and book clinic and lab appointments. The mobile app will be powered by the assets of 917Ventures and ACHealth, which include KonsultaMD, FamilyDOC, Healthway, and Generika. The mobile app will be available for download in Google Play and App Store in August. 

“When COVID-19 struck the country, there has been a massive shift in consumer behavior from passive to active participation in health, creating more demand for convenience and transparency,” said Issa Cabreira, 917Ventures Managing Partner. “Since it is our mission to solve the most prevalent problems plaguing the Philippines, we found it necessary to prioritize the delivery of healthcare to our fellow Filipinos who are in need of medical attention especially in this trying time.”

HealthNow was initially offered as a website that provided free video teleconsultation from volunteer doctors. Over 11,000 patient requests were received and more than 100 volunteer doctors were pooled from April to June this year. The pilot has since proved the need for patients and doctors to be digitally connected for better healthcare. 

The contactless delivery of health services through telemedicine is advocated by the Department of Health (DOH) as a way to relieve hospitals of non-critical cases and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, especially among vulnerable members of society.

To know more about HealthNow, visit https://healthnow.ph/