World Vision celebrates 60 years, launches advocacy campaign to stop sexual abuse of children in the Philippines

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World Vision Ambassador for Disaster Risk and Reduction Marc Nelson and new World Vision Ambassador for Child Sponsorship Joyce Pring

World Vision celebrated its 60th year in the Philippines last March 23 with the theme “Caring for Children, Building Sustainable Communities,” at the press launch hosted by World Vision Ambassador for Disaster Risk and Reduction Marc Nelson and new World Vision Ambassador for Child Sponsorship Joyce Pring, held at Max’s Restaurant, Scout Tuason, Quezon City.

Led by acting National Director Rommel V. Fuerte and Board of Trustees Chairperson Atty. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, World Vision paid tribute to its partners and supporters, including key government agencies, like-minded organizations, individual sponsors and corporate donors who have faithfully journeyed with World Vision in the last few decades.

World Vision International Ambassador Marilee Pierce-Dunker, daughter of World Vision founder Bob Pierce, graced the commemorative event and delivered an inspiring keynote message. Dunker revisited World Vision’s beginnings and her father’s vision of hope, and left the crowd with a challenge to make the world a better place.

World Vision International Ambassador Marilee Pierce-Dunker

Dunker asked, as she closed her speech.

“Every one can be a world changer, but the question is – will the change you bring be for the better or for the worse?” 

It takes a world to end sexual exploitation of children 

One of the grim realities we face today is the sexual abuse of children. In the Philippines, 1 out of 10 children encounter sexual violence at home. Our country ranks 10th worldwide when it comes to sexual exploitation of children aged 10 to 14. And with the ready accessibility of the internet and rapid technological advancement, children are becoming more vulnerable to online abuse now more than ever.

To strengthen its efforts in child protection, World Vision launched an advocacy campaign entitled “It Takes a World to End Sexual Exploitation of Children.” The 3-year campaign aims to reach three million children and to protect them from sexual exploitation and other forms of online and offline abuse that leave them vulnerable.

World Vision Board of Trustees Chairperson Atty. Liwayway Vinzons-Chato and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy Taguiwalo 

World Vision launched the campaign in partnership with the International Justice Mission (IJM), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Inter-agency Against Trafficking (IACAT), and other like-minded groups, in the hopes of raising more awareness and resources to bring people to action and to better address the issue of sexual exploitation of children.

Funding and volunteers for this campaign would be highly needed for prevention training, rescue operations, after-care and reintegration programs, and engagement of children survivors to be advocates of the cause.

During the press launch, World Vision also introduced its new online application “Caring for Communities,” as it strengthens its effort not just to improve children’s lives but to help communities to be self-sustaining in the long haul. The online gift program gives donors the opportunity to support other World Vision’s community-based programs which promote Economic Development, Child Protection, and Disaster Preparedness programs.

World Vision National Ambassadors Tippy dos Santos and Sam Concepcion 

Other World Vision ambassadors who showed their support and attended the launch are World Vision Ambassador for the Youth Jasmine Curtis-Smith, World Vision Ambassador for Health and Nutrition Tintin Bersola-Babao, new World Vision Youth Ambassador for Education Bianca Umali, new World Vision advocate CJ Hirro, and World Vision National Ambassadors Tippy dos Santos and Sam Concepcion among others.

Protecting the Future: A Parent's Guide to Getting an Education Plan

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One of the most important things a parent should do is to ensure that their children receive the best education that money can buy. As parents, we must make sure that we are financially stable enough to put our children through school. And we must also acknowledge that our children's dream university or college might be more expensive than we’d expect, especially since education costs have been rising every year. Hence, planning ahead and making investments for our children's education, through an education plan, is very crucial.

As such, getting your children (or your future children) an education plan should be one of the first things parents should aim for, aside from being able to provide for the family. However, before getting one, parents must know and understand the features and benefits of an education plan, as well as the expenses that go along with it.

Every education plan, offered by many different companies, has a different set of benefits. This means that you have many things to consider while shopping for an education plan that fits your budget and your future goals. Do you get the pay-out benefits as soon as your child enters high school? Or is it for a college fund? How much do you need, and how much can the education plan give you? 

Here are some helpful tips on getting the right education plan for your kid: 

• Always make sure that the benefits of the plan you are looking at are aligned with your needs. Better if there are additional features included like life or accident insurance so your children are still guaranteed to receive the education plan benefits in case something happens to you. 

• Research on the companies offering education plans. You’ll want to make sure that the company you are getting an education plan from is financially strong, trustworthy, reliable, and capable of keeping its promises. You want to be assured that you will receive the benefits on-time and in full, without having to worry about the company going bankrupt. 

• Save early: Start saving as early as possible so that you can be sure that you are financially stable enough to pay for your child’s education plan. 

• Find other sources to fund your child's education savings by exploring other resources of growing your money, such as investments, having passive income, and so forth. 

• Divide financial tasks between the two parents. Having mutual spending decisions, and constant communication about money is very important. 

Education plans are something everyone should have for their children. Sometimes, the education we want for our children will cost more than an arm and a leg. A plan helps make that education more affordable. 

Now that you know what kind of education plan you are looking for, you are ready to send your child to their dream university-- even before they've graduated high school.

To know more on how to plan for your child’s education, visit www.philamlife.com

About Philam Life 

The Philippine American Life and General Insurance Company (Philam Life) is the country’s premier life insurance company. Established on 21 June 1947, Philam Life has earned the trust of customers for its financial strength, strong brand name, and ability to deliver on its promises. 

Philam Life has PHP236.4 billion in total assets as of 31 December 2015 and has delivered timely payouts of over PHP10 billion in education benefits (2004-2015) and over PHP131 billion in insurance benefits (1950-2015), while serving close to 600,000 individual policyholders and over 2 million insured group members. 

Philam Life understands the real life needs of its customers and provides the right plans and the right solutions including life protection, health insurance, savings, education, retirement, investment, group and credit life insurance. It also offers bancassurance and fund management products and services through its subsidiaries  – BPI Philam Life Assurance Company (BPI-Philam) and Philam Asset Management Inc. (PAMI). 

Philam Life is a member of AIA Group Limited, the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group.

About AIA 

AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets in Asia-Pacific – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, New Zealand, Macau, Brunei, a 97 per cent subsidiary in Sri Lanka, a 49 per cent joint venture in India and representative offices in Myanmar and Cambodia.

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai almost a century ago. It is a market leader in the Asia-Pacific region (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$181 billion as of 31 May 2016. 

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia-Pacific, AIA serves the holders of more than 29 million individual policies and over 16 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code “1299” with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: “AAGIY”).

Pinoy kids need to develop reading habits (SM Supermalls' National Children’s Book Reading Day)

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These present days, most people especially students have no much time to read books with all the subjects they have to study in school, plus the distraction from social activities, like using cell phone for texting, internet, computer for assignments and projects, facebook, messaging, and games, TV, DVDs and other gadgets. 

Here some updates on SM Supermalls' National Children’s Book Reading Day

Filipino children need to develop a habit of reading to improve literacy, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) during the celebration of SM Supermalls’ National Children’s Book Reading Day held simultaneously in all 58 SM malls nationwide, and seven in China. 

UNICEF emphasized on the importance of reading to children as much as possible, and at an early age. During the event, UNICEF ambassadors read books to select elementary school children per area. Daphne Osena-Paez and Lara Precious Quigaman were in SM Southmall, with Gary Valenciano taking the task in SM Megamall. Aside from UNICEF, the event was also in partnership with Vibal Publishing, National Bookstore and the Department of Education. The annual event is a project of SM Cares, SM Supermalls’ CSR arm, for children.

“Reading is very important, especially since we don’t have a reading culture in the Philippines. Our children are missing out on a lot of things,” said Michelle Parazo-Borromeo, head of UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships. Boromeo cited studies that show young children who are read to everyday get their brains stimulated early for learning. Their learning ability, eventually, will be ahead of their peers.

Paez, who read to students of Almanza Elementary School in Las Pinas, believes that book reading in a mall is a good idea because it gives a chance to a wider audience to find out about the benefits of reading to children. “Having it in a fun place with a dynamic environment like SM, with celebrities reading to kids, gives the advocacy another dimension,” Paez said. UNICEF was able to show an animated visual aid to the kids through a large screen while the reading was taking place.

SM’s National Children’s Book Reading Day coincides with the 25thanniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), of which the Philippines is a signatory. To commemorate this significant milestone in children’s rights, UNICEF reissued six of its published books that revolve around the themes on children’s rights, gender stereotypes, conflict resolution, among others.

When SM learned about the reissued books, the mall management suggested that UNICEF participate in their National Children’s Book Reading Day. It was iteration for the National Children’s Book Day, which was started more than 30 years ago by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People.

“What SM did is great because it’s more focused on reading,” Borromeo said. “We actually work a lot with SM because the company supports UNICEF’s advocacies like exclusive breastfeeding and proper nutrition.”

SM and UNICEF’s partnership began in 2008 under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) program. It started with SM Drink for Two wherein every purchase of SM bottled water gives 25 centavos to UNICEF for the organization’s water sanitation facilities projects for schools and communities in the Philippines.

Bags of Hope Campaign : Make your purchase meaningful for World Vision Kids

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Robinsons Supermarket, Unilever Philippines and World Vision united together and launched the “Bags of Hope” campaign – which aims to help World Vision Kids with their education and their future.

Packing hope in a bag is possible with the help of Unilever Philippines, Robinsons Supermarket and World Vision through Lady’s Choice’ Bags of Hope.

With what began as a child sponsorship endeavor in Malabon in 2007, blossomed into a relentless commitment for continued and growing support for children in more communities. It inspired the launch of “Lunch Box of Hope,” and eventually gave rise to the “Bags of Hope” we know today.

Lady’s Choice Bags of Hope is mounted each year together with Robinsons Supermarket to help in the education of World Vision kids. In the early days of the campaign, P5 is donated to World Vision for every Bags of Hope pack sold. Recognizing the growing needs of kids and the yearning to extend greater assistance for their studies, Unilever donates a set a school supplies for each Bags of Hope pack sold on top of the free school bag included in each pack.

On its 9th year, Bags of Hope ensured to help more kids in their education. Bags of Hope was able to donate Php 1.1 Million pesos worth of school supplies that benefited 15,000 students from World Vision-assisted communities. Through this support, beneficiaries are ensured they go to school equipped with what they need to learn.

Lady’s Choice not only makes delightful sandwiches and salads for the family, it is also packed with renewed hope towards a better, brighter future for children.

To help World Vision Kids with their education, Robinsons Supermarket, Unilever Philippines and World Vision unite together and launched the “Bags of Hope” campaign.

One may be a committed donor through buying the Bags of Hope pack. One can choose from purchasing 470ml Lady’s Choice Mayonnaise, Ham or Bacon spreads. Purchase will automatically entitle one to receive a “collectible school bag” which comes in four designs while concurrently giving out school supplies as donations for World Vision Kids to support their education.

Let us bring back the children to school and share the Bags of Hope to give a child a chance in life.

Keep kids clean and dry this rainy season , Sanicare introduces portable Hygiene Kit

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Photo: ClipArt 

As another school year starts, so does the beginning of the rainy season, which makes kids more vulnerable to common illnesses like colds and flu. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), Filipino students in elementary and high school miss an average of one month per year because of sickness. To curb these cases, the health department encourages the maintenance of proper hygiene at home and in schools

Sanitary Care Products Asia (SCPA) introduces the handy and affordable Sanicare Hygiene Kit to help mothers ensure that their children are clean and safe from germs and viruses that could affect their health. The Hygiene Kit contains a roll of two-ply Upsize Sanicare Bathroom Tissue, a pack of Cleansing Wipes with 15 paraben-free sheets, one pack of Toilet Seat Cover and one pack of Sanicare Hankies. With 20 years of proven quality, SCPA gives mothers an advantage in maintaining holistic hygiene for the family anytime, anywhere. 

SCPA products are designed for a fuss-free experience. The classic two-ply Upsize Sanicare Bathroom Tissue, with its new embossed designs, absorbs liquids faster while retaining its durability. The cleansing wipes, on the other hand, has a sturdy, cloth-like texture that is perfect for thorough clean ups. Free from alcohol, chlorine and paraben, the cleansing wipes are gentle to children’s sensitive skin.

Securing a kit saves money and time, making it easier for mothers to equip their children with various personal care products without having to compile different items in one bag. As a back-to-school must-have, the Sanicare Hygiene Kit reminds students about the importance of observing proper hygiene in school. 

It can be bought in leading stores and supermarkets with a suggested retail price of Php 75.

“We recognize the importance of proper hygiene to the overall health of every Filipino,” SCPA President, Ven Sio noted. “Creating the Hygiene Kit is a reflection of our commitment to continuously offer safe and economical hygiene solutions to meet every Filipino households’ needs.”

TOYCON 2016 & Pop Life FanXperience

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The Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention, or TOYCON as it’s more widely-known, is Asia’s longest running convention for collectibles, toys, anime, comics, cosplay, gaming and anything and everything related to hobbies and collections. The convention has been ongoing since 2002 so it is now on its 15th year of thrilling fans and aficionados alike. It is, simply put, the biggest pop culture event in the country. 

Being a milestone year, the TOYCON reaches new heights as it readies itself to be the first international multi-genre entertainment and hobbies convention based in the Philippines. Held annually in June every year, it has grown in scale and popularity since its humble beginnings and is now regarded as the one of the most anticipated and visited events in the country, with event-goers filling the venue to capacity with close to 40,000 people attending.

TOYCON 2016 & Pop Life FanXperience 

After 14 conventions, TOYCON Philippines is proud to announce its partnership with Pop Life Entertainment to create the ultimate FanXperience for the Filipino pop-culture fans!

ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will be the biggest celebration of all things associated with pop-culture such as toys, games, movies, cosplay, anime and collectibles. 

FanXperience is the offshoot event of the Salt Lake City Comic Con, the 3rd largest comic convention in the United States with over 125,000 in attendance. Through its global partnership with Pop Life Entertainment, ToyCon 2016 will be the staging-ground of the "ultimate FanXperience for their international fan base with exclusive show merchandise, exhibitions, international cosplay competition COSFANX, celebrity appearances ” ”and much more.

The exhibits will feature some of the world’s biggest brands in entertainment with such licensed properties as Marvel, DC, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Cartoon Network, UFC, Peanuts, Nickelodeon and the NBA to name a few. It will also highlight gaming brands such as Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2.

The ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will give ToyCon fans up close and personal FanXperiences with their favorite pop culture icons. These FanXperiences will feature big name local and international celebrity guests from movies, television, music, comics, gaming and anime. Stay tuned for exciting announcements on who will be our featured line-up of guests for the inaugural ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience!

June 10 to12, 2016 

SMX Convention Center Halls 1-4 

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Event highlights include:

1. Stan Lee Excelsior! Exhibit

2. Pop Life Exhibit - exhibit of the newest Funko Pop toy releases, including one of the most anticipated lines, Suicide Squad, the new Cosplay line and possibly prototypes of the new Encantadia line of Funko Pop toys 

3. CosFanX – The biggest and newest international Cosplay competition which pits the best cosplayers in Asia against each other in country eliminations, country finals and regional finals. Top prize in the local finals is P50,000 cash and the chance to represent the country in the championships in Thailand 

4. Suicide Squad Movie Exhibit – Warner Brothers Pictures exhibit of DC Comics newest cinematic blockbuster coming in July 

5. Voltes V Exhibit – It’s Voltes V 40th Anniversary and this exhibit is highlighted by a 20-foot statue of the iconic robot and various memorabilia from the creators of the hit anime series of the 70s and 80s

6. TOYCON Toy Club Gallery – The biggest toy collectors’ exhibit ever assembled under one roof featuring top toy brands, Kotobukiya, Enesco, Bandai, Hero Cross, Hasbro, Mattel, Hot Toys and Lego. This exhibit makes ToyCon one of the most photographed events in the country.

7. FanX Celebrity photo-ops and autograph-signing - fans meet and greet with the international guests during interactive stage panel interviews, one-on-one photo booths and autograph-signing 

8. Artists Alley and custom artwork - fans meet their favorite local and international guest artists for custom sketches, signing and art critiquing 

9. Multi-media entertainment – Interactive booths from top gaming companies, Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2 and also from top subscription video on demand company, iFlix 

10. The biggest dealer floor of around 240 merchants of various pop-culture merchandise, comics, accessories, cosplay merchandise, toys and collectibles

FanXperience International Celebrity Guests

Kristian Nairn, actor and musician, known for his portrayal as Hodor from Game of Thrones 

Mario Maurer – Thai pop-star, actor, model and brand endorser. Also known locally for various film projects with local celebrities 

Bronson Pelletier and Kiowa Gordon – Members of the werewolves pack in the Twilight saga: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn movie. 

Frankie J – R&B/Pop Singer songwriter known for his hits Top 40 hits “Obsession”, “How T Deal” and “That Girl” 

Dean Cain – best known as Clark Kent/Superman in the 90’s series Lois & Clark and now portrays Jeremiah Danvers in the hit new TV show, Supergirl

Daniel Logan – New Zealand actor best known for his portrayal as young Boba Fett in Star Wars Attack of the Clones 

(More celebrities to be confirmed in the coming weeks)

The event is organized by the Asian Comics, Toys & Hobbies Collective Inc. and Pop Life Entertainment

For details contact: 

ToyconPh@gmail.com

toyconmarketing@gmail.com

Cholo Mallillin (Marketing Head) – 0917-8248176 

Vic Yap (Head of Operations) – 0906-5067616

Azrael Coladilla (Digital Content Manager) – 09087568622 

For event details go to:

www.toyconph.com

www.facebook.com/ToyConPh

SM Little Stars celebrates10th year anniversary

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SM Little Stars now on its 10th Year Anniversary of finding young talents,  SM Supermalls gives away P6.5 million total prizes to the next kiddie sensations.

The search for the next child superstars gets more special this year as the country's biggest nationwide kiddie talent search, SM Little Stars marks its 10th anniversary celebration with more fun learning experiences, talent enriching activities, and much bigger winnings at stake--over P6.5 million worth of total prizes!

SM Little Stars, is a nationwide kiddie talent competition and performance platform spearheaded by SM Supermalls to find the brightest, shining and aspiring little kids that we may dubbed as our “Little Stars”.

"For the past 10 years, SM Supermalls has witnessed a lot of kids' dreams coming true and how their amazing talents turned them into inspiring stories of success," shared Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls' senior vice president for marketing. "And now more than ever, SM Little Stars will continue to discover the brightest young talents from different parts of the country who will surely shine in their chosen fields."

To further inspire and excite this year's participants, San Agustin said that SM has in store the grandest set of prizes to date especially for the two grand winners who will each bring home a Suzuki Ciaz car, one-year talent management contract from TV5, college scholarship grant from National University, exclusive trip for two to Xiamen, China, Toy Kingdom Gift Cards, cash prizes and SM gift certificates.

Since 2007, SM Little Stars has been serving as training ground for thousands of hopefuls including some of the country’s kiddie sensations today.

Among these SM Little Stars big achievers are popular child actors Lei "Junior" Navarro (Batch 2015), Chun Sa "Chuchay" Jung (Batch 2014), JM "Cho" Ibañez (Batch 2009), commercial model Makee Dulalia (Batch 2012), musician and singer Kyle Jimenez (Batch 2012), kiddie power belter Telesa "Esang" De Torres (Batch 2013) and Nhikzy Vheench Calma.

SM Little Stars 2016 application forms are now available for download via www.smlittlestars.com.ph and for pick-up at any SM mall's branch's mall administration office (marketing department).

Pre-registration will start on March 27, from 10am to 6pm. Deadline of submission will vary depending on the contestant’s preferred schedule and/or venue of the preliminary screenings. The preliminary screenings will be held from April 16 to May 22. 

Never miss the chance to let your family's own little stars sparkle the brightest at the SM Little Stars 2016. 

Join Now!

Don’t let sickness ruin your child’s summer

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When the raining days ends, parents everywhere could rest a little easier knowing their children will now be safe from the bouts of colds and coughing that seem to go with the cold and rainy weather. With the lowered risk of rainy day sniffles, what else is there to watch out for?

It's summer, but this isn't a reason to completely let one's guard down. The warmest parts of the year also have their fair share of communicable diseases. According to the Department of Health, flu-like symptoms such as colds and cough could manifest in the summer because of erratic weather patterns and sudden downpour. 

With weak immunity, your child can easily contract these diseases and more; an unfortunate possibility that places the damper on any summer plans. Summer vacation is an important part of any child’s life, but they run the risk of missing out on the season when they get sick.

Diseases are easily preventable and thankfully, it's fairly easy to start strengthening your child's immune system. By incorporating fruits, especially pineapples, into their daily diets, children can develop the bodily immunity needed to fearlessly take on the coming summer months.

Dr. Leonora Panlasigui, Dean of the Philippine Women’s University’s School of Nutrition, found that adding 2 servings of Del Monte Pineapples to a child's daily diet may help improve overall immunity. The study showed a 27% increase in the production of granulocytes, a type of white blood cell vital to combating diseases, in children who ate 2 servings of pineapple a day, resulting in reduced recovery time for bacterial and viral infections.

“Even a single serving of fruit a day could make all the difference with your child’s health,” says Dr. Panlasigui. 

“One serving is good, but the general consensus recommends two servings a day. It’s pretty easy to build a fun, tasty habit with the kids that will benefit them in the long run.”

Let your kids enjoy their summer vacation. Keep them safe and healthy as they play with others and experience what it is like to be a kid. 

Two pineapple servings a day can make a difference.

The power of coming home : A Filipino company encourages employees to go home early to be with their families

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Family bonding is always fun and the best of life.. Family dinners play an important part of parents' and children's conversations about daily activities. From the small side streets to the country’s major highways, it’s almost a given nowadays for people to experience traffic—with a 30-minute ride turning into a nightmarish 2 hours, especially during the dreaded rush hours.

Because of this, hardworking employees lose precious time. They get home too late for dinner. Worse, they would inevitably have less energy for family bonding. Consequently, family members seem to have less time to catch up on each other’s lives.

Such is unfortunate because according to a study conducted by Debra Manchester MacMannis, the author of the renowned “How’s Your Family Really Doing?”, family dinners play an important part in the development of both children and teenagers because the presence of a parent is pivotal in building them up to be better individuals. The study showed that sharing meals as a family has been found to give kids a boost in the classroom, improve language skills, increase communication, and overall promote better adjustment of kids.

With a keen understanding of its employees and their needs outside of work, Del Monte Philippines launched an important corporate initiative--COME HOME TO FAMILY WEDNESDATES-- through which the company encouraged its Manila-based employees to leave the office no later than 6:00 PM at least once a week so they can have ample time to travel and make it home in time for family dinners. 

A testament to its success

With the program in place for over a year now, Del Monte employees have consistently shared pleasant experiences resulting from the initiative.

“At first there was a bit of hesitation from the employees. It was weird being asked to go home early for Wednesdates,” Gladys Chua, Accounts Payable Supervisor, shared, “but when we complied, we realized it had very positive results. By going home earlier, I realized I can avoid the traffic a bit, so I can get home in time to cook food for my son. Cooking for him and sharing our Wednesdates dinner has become some sort of mini- tradition for us now.”

Walter Conti, Del Monte’s Customers Activation Manager, along with his wife and kid, has religiously spent Wednesdate with the family since the initiative was first launched. “We bond better now, and all of uslook forward to it. Along with encouraging us to go home early at least once a week, we also get proposed recipes from Del Monte Kitchenomics that we can prepare and share during our Family Wednesdates. We also enjoy taking pictures of our dinners together and posting them online.”

Ryanne Villanueva, Del Monte’s Demand Management Head, is also a mother to a five year old. Having always relied on her nanny to prepare dinner for them, she shares that she’s able to personally prepare dinner for her child at least once a week. Sometimes, he even helps her out in the preparation. “It increases our bonding moments from the time we prepare to the time he goes to sleep,” she says. “It’s the type of policy that I think every other company should have. From the workforce perspective, work hours are deliberately maximized so employees can get out before 6:00 pm. In fact, I wish it wouldn’t be just Wednesdays, but everyday if possible. If we can do it on Wednesdays, we should be able to do it on other days.”

“The advocacy may have started as a Del Monte Tomato Sauce campaign, but we at Del Monte Philippines are very deliberate about walking our talk.” Eileen Manuel-Asuncion, Group Head for Marketing explains. “When the campaign launched, we knew we cannot advocate once-a-week family date nights for Filipino families without deliberately espousing the same among our employees. Soon after, we implemented the 6:00 pm lights out at the Del Monte Manila offices. By 6:00 pm every Wednesday, everyone has to be out of the office so they can get home in time to be with their families.”

As Del Monte employees can attest to, coming home to have dinner with the family—despite the challenges nowadays--is possible. Down the line, Del Monte hopes to do its part in helping strengthen family bonds over good meals across a broader scale--one Filipino home, one Filipino family at a time.

About Del Monte Philippines

Del Monte Philippines, Inc. (DMPI) is a leading producer of pineapple and other food products.

The company markets over 100 processed food and beverage variants, where it is the leader in almost all the major categories, including packaged pineapple (slices, tidbits, chunks), tropical mixes, 100% pineapple juice and juice drinks and tomato-based sauces (tomato sauce, catsup, spaghetti sauce).

Today, Del Monte Philippines operates the largest integrated pineapple operation in the world. The company grows pineapple across 20,000 hectares that span from Bukidnon to Misamis Oriental, supplying one-tenth of the canned pineapple products worldwide. 

Cebuana Lhuillier teams up with Youth Focus: Conducts sports clinics for Smokey Mountain kids

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Cebuana Lhuillier, in partnership with Young Focus For Education and Development Foundation, recently held a three-day sports clinic for young adults from the Smokey Mountain site at the Redemption Ranch in Lipa, Batangas.

The activity aimed to promote a healthy lifestyle through sports and healthy nutrition, and expose the participants to sports they are not familiar with.

"We are happy to work with Young Focus in conducting this activity for the children of Smokey Mountain. I am a firm believer of the benefits of sports, that is why I have been supporting different sports in the country through Cebuana Lhuillier Sports. I am interested in discovering diamonds in the rough, young athletes with a lot of potential, who can eventually bring glory to the Philippines," said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“The same principle applies here: giving these children the opportunity to experience the discipline of sports would enable them to find their potential, and, hopefully, it will bring out their potential for sports and help them develop not just their skills but themselves in general,” Lhuillier added.

Members from the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems and the Blu Girls, the national women's softball team, led 215 high school and college students to basic basketball and softball exercises and drills.

A coach from the Blu Girls, the national women's softball team, leads the warm-up sessions with participants of the three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

This activity is just one of the many sports development initiatives by Cebuana Lhuillier. Through Cebuana Lhuillier Sports, the company supports grassroots development in softball, tennis, and basketball through various clinics and support to tournaments, such as inter-secondary softball tournaments and national age-group tennis circuits.

The participants also joined clinics for badminton, volleyball, and arnis, among other sports.

"I was truly grateful seeing the students from the Smokey Mountain area enjoying sports so much. I am grateful for the teams from Cebuana Lhuiller for their participation as they gave the clinics: they were enjoying it as much as our kids! It was a privilege having them with us," said Young Focus Managing Director Paul van Wijgerden.

Moala Tautuaa of the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems watches a young participant lay up the ball during three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

Young participants line up to start some warm up drills to start the badminton clinic during three-day sports clinic organized by Cebuana Lhuillier and Youth Asia Foundation for young adults from the Smokey Mountain area, held in Lipa, Batangas.

EPSON joins 'Portraits of Love” advocacy event in support for children with Cancer

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Digital imaging leader Epson Philippines recently joined a group of volunteers with their continuing support for the ‘Portraits of Love’ advocacy to once again bring smiles to the faces of children afflicted with cancer.

Organized by renowned photographer Pilar Tuason and in cooperation with the Kythe Foundation, ‘Portraits of Love’ is a recurring initiative designed to give children with cancer a magical day full of laughter and love. The most recent event was held at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center.

“It’s always a joy to be a part of such a worthy endeavour. We are thankful to be here,” said Epson Philippines Corporation’s Head of Marcom & PR, Donna V. Ferro. 

“It’s a small offering – a print out of the portraits of the children with their parents. And yet, witnessing how the faces of the children light up when we give their photos to them is a profound experience. We’re happy to be part of the team that made their day even a little bit brighter,” Ferro added.

The Kythe Foundation is a non-profit, non-stock organization aimed toward improving the quality of life among hospitalized children with cancer and other chronic illnesses. The Foundation has provided psychosocial support to over 8,000 children with cancer and other chronic illnesses and their families since 1992.

The Multiple Intelligence International School helps enhance kids' particular intelligences this summer

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Summer vacation is here. Summer activities for kids, crafts, sports, outdoor fun, travel ideas, cool-down treats and lots more! The only thing to remember is to make sure your kid will have fun while learning something new.

Finding a workshop or an activity for your kid during the school break should be fairly easy with the metropolis brimming with plenty of options to choose from.

Multiple Intelligence International School, an advocate of the Multiple Intelligence (MI) framework implemented in the United States and other countries, is offering summer enrichment activities to help kids enjoy summer while developing their leadership skills and particular intelligences: linguistic, logical-mathematical, body-kinesthetic, visual-spatial, musical, naturalist, interpersonal and intrapersonal, starting April 13 to May 8. 

For preschoolers, there is the Toddler Play Group, which is about learning how to interact and play with other kids between 1 to 3 years old. The Summer Activity Center is an introductory class for 3- to 5-year-olds to help prepare and give them an idea on how school is like. They learn about different themes that are explored through the eight intelligences. The Mind Explorers class focuses on observations of science, the environment and discovering how things work for those between ages 3 to 5. 

There is also Art Masters, which is basic art +classes for ages 3 to 5. Preschool SMART Leaders Camp teaches kids, aged 4 to 6, leadership and interpersonal skills outside the four walls of a classroom. Ballet, Spanish and Futsal for ages 3 to 7 are available as well. 

Those between 7 to 14 years old can enroll in Leadership Camp, MILO table tennis, Outbound Camp, which teaches pre-teens basic life skills and nature survival; and Magic for Beginners with instructor Jose Leonidas also known as Professor MagicAL. There are also Ballet and Taekwondo classes.

Workshops for teens aged 14 to 18 years old include Leadership Camp, International Relations Organization, which aims to develop teens' self confidence and public speaking in an environment of international school delegates; Outbound Camp, and College 101, which helps equip teens with practical and real life skills needed to succeed in college. They can also try Writer's Guild or MTAP or Math Guild.

Available for both pre-teens and teens are Piano, Voice and Beginners Violin; Master Fernando Sena Art Workshop, Fencing, and Chess. Other summer classes include Photography, Trumpets Playshop, and Functional Chinese. 

Lastly, Out of the Box is about exposing kids to situations that will give them an opportunity to apply the social skills necessary for interaction outside the classroom setting. Tech Revolution focuses on developing skills in graphic design, video editing, and PowerPoint presentation. Science Discoveries is about discovering the wonders of Science through practical application of scientific discoveries. 

For reservations and more information, call (02) 433 4948-49 for Preschool up to Middle School programs and (02) 929 1021 for Upper School programs. Email admin@mischool.edu.ph.