July 29, 2020

Visiting a doctor amid pandemic: If symptoms persist, don’t hesitate

The widespread panic and fear generated by COVID-19 have brought the world to a grinding halt with authorities imposing quarantine protocols. 



The pandemic has caused many Filipinos to hesitate to visit doctors’ clinics primarily due to the fear of contracting the virus outside their homes. Medical practitioners are now conducting teleconsultations or virtual consultations, allowing patients to have access to doctors through phone or video calls to mitigate the situation.

Some hospitals have already opened outpatient clinics but on an appointment basis only, with the patients required to accomplish health declaration forms.

While the spread of COVID-19 currently dominates health concerns, Filipinos should not ignore their pre-existing health conditions or non-COVID-19 symptoms, as this can put patients at enormous health risk. Among health conditions that must be paid close attention to are diabetes and hypertension.

Studies have shown an increasing prevalence of diabetes and hypertension with nearly four million cases of diabetes recorded in the Philippines as of May 2020 , while hypertension is the leading preventable cause of premature death worldwide. The emergence of COVID-19 leaves these patients vulnerable to the virus.

“When seeing a doctor, the risks and benefits must be considered. Whatever circumstances we’re in, it doesn’t change the fact that when symptoms persist, people shouldn’t hesitate to consult a doctor, be it on-site or through virtual consultations,” said Dr. Alex Junia, Cardiologist at the Perpetual Succour Hospital and Past President of the Philippine Heart Association.

“Early medical intervention saves lives,” the doctor emphasized.

Among the early warning signs of diabetes emergencies that should not be ignored are extreme thirst, dry mouth, frequent urination, unplanned weight loss, hunger, fatigue, irritable behavior, blurred vision, slow-healing wounds, skin that itches, or is dry and/or yeast infections. 

However, not all symptoms of diabetes are the same. According to Dr. Grace De los Santos, Diabetologist at the Metropolitan Medical Center and President of Diabetes Philippines, “Type 1 diabetes symptoms may also include abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, while Type 2 diabetes symptoms may include shortness of breath, pain or numbness in the extremities.”

Likewise, the symptoms of hypertension must also be discussed with doctors for proper medical attention. While people with high blood pressure often have unnoticeable symptoms, there are instances when the blood pressure is alarmingly elevated that the patient may experience the following: headache, dizziness, and blurred vision.

Some of the symptoms may resemble other medical conditions, so it is best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis.

“There is a variety of treatment and management options for patients with diabetes and hypertension. The decision on which medications to opt for to achieve target blood sugar levels and to lower the blood pressure depends on many factors including patient’s medical history and other health problems a patient may have. This is why it is crucial to seek and consult a doctor to discuss the best treatment plan for one’s condition,” Dr. Greta Cortez, Boehringer Ingelheim Philippines Inc. Head of Medicine, Human Pharma, explained.

To alleviate concerns about visiting the doctor for consultation, patients are advised to take safety precautions such as having temperatures checked, wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and making a habit of bringing alcohol for sanitation and disinfection.

July 28, 2020

Reckitt Benckiser and Shopee team up to champion a ‘super’ initiative for Enfagrow A+ Four : Get exclusive super deals, discounts and vouchers in three-day ‘Super Brand Day’ on 28-30 July


PHILIPPINES, 27 JULY 2020 - As Philippines adjusts to the new normal, it is important for children to develop smarter and stronger immune systems to keep them protected, especially as they start embarking on adventures outside their home. 

Reckitt Benckiser (RB), the global leader in health and hygiene, and Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, have joined forces for a three-day Super Brand Day on 28-30 July for Enfagrow A+ Four milk formula. The online event will provide Shopee customers with greater value such as exclusive deals and promotions, exciting vouchers and gifts with purchase, ensuring moms can continue giving the best to their little Adventure-Ready Heroes. 

Ms Aleli Arcilla, General Manager of Reckitt Benckiser Health Philippines, said, “As a global leader in health and hygiene, we are committed to helping the local community grow up safe and healthy. This also means giving mothers the extra reassurance as they continue being a superhero protector to their children, who are just about to start exploring the outside world again. We are honored to partner with Shopee and tap into their extensive user base to reach a wide audience of parents and help them fortify their children’s development with expert nutrition.”

Ms Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee, said, “As families transit from their homes back to work and school, keeping their children safe and protected are key priorities. By merging Reckitt Benckiser’s strong portfolio of children products and our wealth of insights on online shoppers’ behaviour and preferences, we co-created this campaign to better serve our users. Through this partnership, we can tap on Reckitt Benckiser’s expertise and strengthen our offerings, further unlocking more choices and value for our users. The satisfaction of our users remains our top priority and this partnership builds on our continued effort in ensuring consumer demand for important and essential items are met.”

Find out more about the Enfagrow A+ Four Super Brand Day at https://shopee.ph/m/super-brand-day and view the video at https://youtu.be/lb8CS9kyPd0

Some of the deals include: 

● Up to 35% off on Enfagrow A+ Four and Enfamama

● Super gifts with purchase that include learning toys with every purchase of Enfagrow A+ Four 1.8kg x 2, 2.4 kg x 2 and 3.6kg x 2

Products on Shopee Mall come with 15-days free returns, 100% authenticity, and free shipping. Shop for all Enfagrow products now at: https://shopee.ph/enfagrowofficialstoreph 

Download the Shopee app free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

Comm&Sense wins gold, 2 silvers for marketing innovation in 2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards


Public relations company Comm&Sense continues its impressive metal haul as, on its first try, the agency won a gold and two silvers for the three entries it submitted to the 2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Organizers of the Seventh Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards today announced that Comm&Sense will receive the Gold Stevie® Award for Innovation in Content Marketing/ Branded Editorial for the agency's campaign for the hospital ManilaMed.



The agency will also receive the Silver Stevie® Award for HMO company PhilCare for Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing and another silver for the WestLake Medical Center, this time for Innovation in Viral Videos.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards® for 18 years.

President Jaeger Tanco said Comm&Sense plans to continue this emerging winning tradition by having the agency send in more nominations from its growing client portfolio, not just in healthcare, but also in finance and consumer brands.

"We are emboldened to showcase even more campaigns. We are proud of these because these were not just creatively executed, they also - more importantly - allowed our clients to surpass their business goals," he said.

Managing Director Charlotte Fabian - Reyes said getting the Stevie® Awards for the first time lends "an amazing exclamation point" to the growing number of recognitions that the agency has been getting for the past three years since it decided to try the awards circuit.

"For us, the recognition that we have been getting is a testament to the excellent collaborations our team has formed with brands. It is also providential that we are getting our first international award as we approach Comm&Sense's 15th anniversary," said Reyes, who co-founded the agency in 2005 with Tanco.

Communications Director Toteng Tanglao said Comm&Sense will continue to bank on the agency's brand of Intelligent PR not just to get awards but also to win more clients. 

"Intelligent PR relies on data as a smart springboard for content, platform, and amplification, allowing brands we partner with to attain not just engagement but more importantly market relevance. Intelligent PR is, simply put, Comm&Sense's business card," Tanglao said.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the winners will be celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on Tuesday, 22 September. 

More than 1,000 nominations from organizations across the Asia-Pacific region were considered this year in categories such as Award for Excellence in Innovation in Products & Services, Award for Innovative Management, and Award for Innovation in Corporate Websites, among many others. 

Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 100 executives around the world acting as judges in May and June.

“We are delighted that the seventh edition of the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards attracted so many impressive nominations,” said Stevie Awards president Maggie Gallagher. “This year’s winning nominations are testament to the resiliency and innovation of organizations in the region, many of which continue to succeed despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we are disappointed that we cannot stage the in-person awards banquet we had planned for Hanoi, Vietnam this year, we look forward to celebrating many of this year’s winners during our virtual awards ceremony on 22 September.”

Details about the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards and the 22 September awards ceremony, and the list of Stevie Award winners, are available at http://Asia.Stevieawards.com. 


Hot Chocolate Recipes to Give You That Cozy Feeling Anytime

Whether you’re working from home or doing a weekend movie marathon with the family, you can make your day extra sweeter by enjoying home activities with a cup of hot chocolate.

Stay cozy and level up your hot cocoa game with these easy-to-make Swiss Miss chocolate drink recipes.



Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa
Who says peanut butter only goes well on bread? Pour a sachet of Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate into a mug. Add 180 ml hot water to dissolve the cocoa mix. Add a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter, and gradually stir until well-mixed. Top off with whipped cream.


Caramel Hot Cocoa
Simply adding caramel to your drink can give it a different burst of sweetness. Make your caramel hot cocoa by pouring milk into a mug and heating it in the microwave until it’s hot. Add in half a teaspoon of caramel syrup and stir until fully dissolved. Pour in a sachet of Swiss Miss Dark Chocolate. Top with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.



Mocha Hot Cocoa
Savor the perfect blend of chocolate and coffee by making your own cup of chocolate mocha. Just dissolve a sachet of Swiss Miss Chocolate Hazelnut into a mug of warm milk. Add two teaspoons of instant coffee granules and stir until completely dissolved. For added flavor, you can top this top off with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.



Strawberry Hot Cocoa
Strawberries and chocolate are a perfect pair. Having both in one drink? Heaven. To prepare, heat a glass of strawberry milk in the microwave until hot. Stir in a sachet of Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate until well-blended. Top off with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder. You may even add strawberry bits to level-up your drink.


Mallow-loaded Hot Cocoa
If you’re a fan of marshmallows, this can also go well with your chocolate drink! Start by mixing Swiss Miss Choco Milk Blends with a warm cup of milk. This Swiss Miss variant comes with marshmallows that you can mix in the drink and even use as toppings. You can even add more mallows and top this drink off with whipped cream. You can also coarsely break a graham cracker into small pieces and generously sprinkle these on your drink.


Grab your stash of Swiss Miss and try these five different recipes that you share with every member of the family. You can even invite your buddies for a virtual chitchat session over some hot chocolate drinks or do a watch party with your favorite movies.

Swiss Miss comes in Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Marshmallow, Hazelnut and the new Choco Milk Blends variants. Check out more recipes and updates by Swiss Miss Philippines on Facebook.

Swiss Miss is a product of Universal Robina Corporation (URC), makers of well-loved Filipino goodies such as Jack ‘n Jill Piattos, Cream-O, Cloud 9, Maxx, C2 Cool and Clean and Great Taste.


Enjoy your favorite Swiss Miss drink even more by trying these hot cocoa drink recipes


Out of essentials? Here’s a handy guide for when you #ShopAtSM!


Ran out of stock in your stash? #ShopAtSM for essentials and more as it reopens its doors with a wide range of exclusive flash deals – both online and in the malls – while still keeping a safe community space for all. 

“Providing for our customers, especially in this time of pandemic, has always been our top priority. In the coming months, we will be rolling out more digital and on-ground programs to make shopping more convenient for our mallgoers,” said SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing Jonjon San Agustin.


Here are some shopping thrills you can expect when you #ShopAtSM starting this July:


1. Shop safe. Shop with ease as thermal scanners, automatic alcohol dispensers, and UV devices and other safety measures are now in place in SM malls. On top of that, SM will be collaborating with actress Heart Evangelista for the #SMxHeart campaign to further promote safe shopping.

2. Empower your little learners. Are your little ones attending classes from home? Provide them with the necessary #AweSMLearning tools, such as tablets and laptops, or some headphones from Bose which will be at 30% off during SM Megamall’s online Flash Sale from July 24 to 26! Find out more here!

3. Snag the kiddie must-haves. Your kids need a wardrobe update, too! Give them a fashion spin while on quarantine and get them their fave clothes, shoes, and accessories with special discounts. Can’t leave the house just yet? Have it delivered or picked up via SM’s online delivery and curbside services! For more information, check out www.smsupermalls.com.


4. Update your wardrobe. Get first dibs on fashion deals from brands you love such as Perry Ellis, Marks & Spencer, Sebago, or Superdry with SM Megamall’s online Flash Sale at flashsale.smsupermalls.com or through “Shopstreaming”, a live online shopping program broadcasted on SM Supermalls’ Facebook and Instagram pages. While you’re at it, avail of SM’s personal shopper free delivery for a minimum spend of P3,000! Plus, shoppers may also get designer masks!

5. Get it from the catalogue. Be the first to get exclusive peek of fresh drops via your favorite SM mall’s digital catalogue available on Facebook. Plus, score digital coupons and special discounts on select items!

Score exclusive offers with SM’s first-ever exclusive online Flash Sale happening in the following malls: SM Megamall (July 24 to 26), SM Aura Premier (August 14 to 16), SM City North EDSA (August 21 to 23), and SM Mall of Asia (August 28 to 30), and soon in other SM malls nationwide. Check out flashsale.smsupermalls.com to know more. 

From home essentials, gadget needs, to fashion must-haves, get everything you need and more, and experience a new and safer way to live and #ShopAtSM!

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