DOH, MSD all set for 7th Cervical Cancer Awareness month

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May is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. The Department of Health, global pharmaceutical company MSD, along with medical societies all over the country are all-set for the 7th year of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month celebration this May.

The celebration highlight will be the free cervical cancer screening which will be offered to women 21 years old and above in 58 DOH-retained hospitals nationwide for the whole month of May. 

Screenings will be offered to the public every Wednesday in Metro Manila, every Friday in Luzon, every Tuesday in Visayas and every Thursday in Mindanao.

The partnership first established the month of May as cervical cancer awareness month. Over the years, policies and programs have been established such as the national guidelines for cervical cancer prevention and control, conduct of lay forums on disease education and prevention and awareness campaigns.

In 2009, a national screening program was piloted in 13 government hospitals. The following year, all 58 government hospitals offered a 1-day free cervical screening during the month of May to women 25 to 45 years old.

In 2011, regional celebrations of cervical cancer awareness month were done along with free weekly screening.

In 2013, 56 local government units (LGUs) were also allowed to do the screening. This year, the screening program will be expanded to select LGUs which have been trained for VIA namely Valenzuela, Paranaque, Makati, Marikina, Albay and Surigao Del Sur.

According to DOH, screening, either through Pap smear or visual inspection using acetic acid (VIA), should be done on women who are sexually active or had a history of sexual contact. 

Studies showed that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer afflicting women worldwide with about 500,000 new cases and approximately 250,000 deaths each year.

In the Philippines, an estimated 12 Filipino women die due to cervical cancer each day.

This makes cervical cancer control as one of the major priorities of the DOH thru the National Cancer Prevention and Control Program. Several strategies are being done by the program geared towards the prevention of women from developing cervical cancer.

According to the Filipino Cancer Registry 2005 annual report, the incidence of cervical cancer remained stable from 1980 to 2005. In 2005, there were 7,277 new cases of cervical cancer with 3,807 reported deaths. This brings mortality rate at 1 per 10,000 women.

Cervical cancer is caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV which is the most common sexually transmitted infection in both men and women. HPV is highly transmissible and may lead not only to cervical cancer but also cancer of the vulva, vagina, anus, and head and neck cancers as well as genital warts.

In fact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that HPV is so common that nearly all sexually-active men and women get it at some point in their lives.

Easily transmitted through intimate skin-to-skin contact, HPV infection can be prevented through maintaining a healthy lifestyle and regular cervical cancer screening.

But having a HPV vaccination is the means of primary prevention, according to DOH. Vaccination can help protect against cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases in both men and women. Secondary prevention through regular screening which is every one to three years can help detect cervical cancer in its early stage and increases the chances of survival.

For a complete list of participating hospitals, visit http://www2.doh.gov.ph/doh_retained_hospital.htm.

To learn more about cervical cancer and other HPV-related diseases, go to www.mahalagaka.com

Johnoy Danao sells the music as he made the big leap to the mainstream

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Singer-songwriter Johnoy Danao has made the big leap to the mainstream music scene from being indie before. Johnoy Danao will keep on playing his guitar and singing his songs as long as he reaches his audience and as long as he enjoys his music. Recently, Universal Records launched his first album "Samu't Sari." His first created buzz via his entry “Kung ‘Di Man” in last year’s Philpop. Jonoyh's hopes to create a bigger mark in the industry via his new album.

Dubbed as the must-have OPM album of the year, his first mainstream album Samu’t-Sari boasts of songs that tackle love in its different faces. This is Johnoy’s first album under a major record label, and he chose Universal Records to take care of his songs.

“Releasing an album independently was a great experience for me,” admits Johnoy. “But, I realized that working with a label, gives me a chance to reach a wider audience. Limited din kasi talaga pag ikaw lang mag-isa. Kahit anong sipag mo, may hangganan sa maaabot na tenga.”

Johnoy, who has established his own strong following in his years as an independent artist, is proud to be in the Universal Records’ roster of artists, which includes OPM President Ogie Alcasid and Noel Cabangon.

“I had a very pleasant experience working with Universal Records’ resident producer Ito Rapadas when we we were working on last year’s PhilPop album,” says Johnoy when asked why he chose Universal Records to be his first mainstream label.

“Plus, I really respect the artists in the roster. They are the people I look up to. I am in good company.”

When asked what the buyers of his album should expect from the album, he quips, “Samu’t-Sari is my way of introducing my music to a wider audience. It is never about me, my face, the visuals. It is all about the music, the voice.”

Samu’t-Sari,” Danao’s first mainstream album, has 12 tracks. Apart from “Bakuran” it also include “Buntong-hininga,” “Salamat Sinta,” “Aking Mahal,” “Bilog Ang Bola,” “Malayang Bilanggo,” “Kung ‘Di Man,” “Dapithapon,” “Salubong,” “Ikaw At Ako” and covers of Itchyworms’ “Beer” and Imago’s “Sundo.”

“iba’t-ibang kuwento ang napapaloob sa album na ‘to. Iba’t-ibang tunog rin ang maririnig. Pero, lahat nasa iisang tema ng pag-ibig. Kasama din dito ang mga Beer at Sundo, na parehong paboritong i-request sa akin sa mga gig.”

When asked why, of all OPM songs, he chose Beer and Sundo to be included in the album, he replies, “Ang ganda ng mga kantang ‘to. Ito yung mga kanta na alam mong pinag-isipan. Ito yung kanta na minsan iniisip ko na, ‘sana ako nagsulat nito.’”

Johnoy describes the entire album as easy listening, perfect for sentimental moments or road trips.

Johnoy considers Buntong-hininga and Bakuran two of his favorite cuts from the album.

“Buntong-hininga kasi magaan, maaliwalas, at napapanahon sa init ngayon,” describes Johnoy. “Bakuran (his collaboration with Aiza Seguerra) naman at sumasalamin sa kung paano tayo lahat nagmamahal.”

Johnoy is also happy that his version of the 2013 PhilPop entry Kung Di Man is included in the album. The song, which was interpreted by Ney Dimaculangan in the festival, was 1st runner-up in last year’s PhilPop.

Ikaw At Ako, perhaps the most notable Johnoy Danao song, is also included in the album. The said song was used as theme in one of the episodes of Maalaala Mo Kaya.

Johnoy expressed pride over his Samu’t-Sari album because he added different elements in every song in the album.

He cites, “we used Tuba in Salubong, Bassoon for Malayang Bilanggo… All songs have their own individual highlights.”

Party with Allphones and Alcatel at Microtel Palawan!

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Allphones Summer Fun Caravan continues and the ongoing Palawan leg of hottest fun event will end with an exciting all-night beach party event at the Emerald Playa Beach and Nature Park, Palawan—right at the white sand shores of Emerald Beach. 

Celebrate the best of summer with Allphones now by getting your Fun Passports at an Allphones store in Palawan which located at Robinsons Mall Palawan.

The Fun Passport serves as your official pass to join the event. The party happens at Microtel’s Emerald Beach last May 3. Party-goers have the chance to receive free giveaways, raffle prizes, as well as enjoy free food and drinks, and dance along the hottest party tunes with old and new friends.

When you drop by an Allphones store in Palawan, don’t forget to check out the exclusive, sweet deals from Allphones and Alcatel. These deals give you the chance to get Alcatel smartphones and tablets at huge discounts, or even for free if you opt for a postpaid plan.

Allphones and Alcatel provide you with high-tech gadgets for fun and entertainment and also make your work tasks easier. These come in various plans that are affordable and rich in features, with great value for money. You can customize the features and services based on what you need—calls, sms, and mobile data.

Because of the Summer Fun Caravan in Palawan, you can get the Alcatel Scribe HD and Tab 7 is free at Plan 999 while the Alcatel Pop C1 handset is yours to own for only Php 2499, Alcatel pop C3 at 2999, Alcatel Pop Ct at 4999 and Alcatel Idol mini Php 5999. These gadgets are the perfect party tools and accessories. 

You’ll be looking cool as you take photos and videos, and share party highlights on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. 

Don’t miss the other Allphones events as the Allphones Summer Fun for All Caravan goes to  Subic, Davao and Lucena.

For updates on these events, go to www.allphones.com.ph 

Bibiano Fernandes successfully defends ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship

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ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC), Asia’s largest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organization with a 90% market share, impressed the sold-out crowd in attendance at the state-of-the-art Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena with ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES. 

Fans were treated to an unforgettable night of mixed martial arts action, culminating in a successful title defence of the ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship by Bibiano Fernandes. Filipino fans in attendance also had reason to cheer, as all five Filipino mixed martial artists won their respective bouts.

Bibiano Fernandes displayed both grappling and striking skills en route to his first successful title defense. The first round of the main event was fairly even. Fernandes managed to take Ueda down, but Ueda reversed the position and landed a knee before time expired. Bibiano Fernandes established his dominance in the second round. He landed more strikes and also succeeded with a takedown attempt. Fernandes found success in the third round as well, ending the round with a rear naked choke attempt. Fernandes’ world class grappling prowess shone through in the championship rounds as Ueda failed to find an answer to his takedowns. All three judges scored the bout in Fernandes’ favour.

Striking pugilists Eduard Folayang and Kotetsu Boku went to battle in the co-main event, but it was Folayang’s improved wrestling skills that swung the bout in his favor. Both parties were highly respectful of each other’s striking pedigree and were hesitant to strike in the opening exchanges. Folayang took Boku down with an empathic slam in the first round, and came close to finishing the bout with an armbar attempt before time ran out. Folayang’s improved grappling was on full display in the second round, as he took Boku down on several attempts as well as grazed Boku with a spinning wheel kick. After a wild third round where both fighters attacked valiantly in search of the knockout finish, Folayang emerged with his hands raised with a unanimous decision victory.

Docyogen chalked up another win for the Philippines by defeating Joshua Alvarez. Alvarez began the bout by threatening with a rear naked choke, but Docyogen survived and went on to dominate the rest of the first round with superior grappling skills. Docyogen thwarted all of Alvarez’s takedown attempts in the second round while clearly winning the striking exchanges. Docyogen found his striking range again in the third round, landing countless strikes at will. All three judges awarded the unanimous decision to Docyogen.

Rob Lisita extended his winning streak to four by overcoming Yusuke Kawanago in his ONE FC debut. The pair fought two years ago, with Kawanago emerging victorious then. Lisita clearly had revenge on his mind as he fervently stalked Kawanago from the opening bell. Lisita caught Kawanago with a precise left hook while Kawanago was advancing, and jumped on the opportunity to finish the fight by unloading a series of punches. 

The heavyweight clash between Chris Lokteff and James McSweeney pitted two of ONE FC’s best strikers against each other, and it did not disappoint. The bout was contested entirely on the feet, with both fighters having their share of shots landed. With Lokteff backed up against the cage, McSweeney threw a perfect knee that landed flush on the chin of the Australian, knocking him out.

Leandro Ataides extended his impressive professional record to eight wins and no losses with a knockout victory over Tatsuya Mizuno. The victory marked Ataides’ second knockout in the ONE FC cage in as many appearances. Ataides hounded Mizuno across the cage, and a series of left hooks caused the Japanese mixed martial artist to collapse, signalling an end to the bout only forty seven seconds into the first round.

Boxing champion Ana Julaton received the loudest ovation of the evening, and proceeded to prove why she is one of the most popular sportswomen in the Philippines. Julaton demonstrated her newly acquired grappling skills in the first round, executing a successful takedown manoeuvre. Julaton faced some adversity in the second round when Saber attempted a guillotine choke, but she managed to defend the submission and retaliated with several slams and punches from top position. With the crowd cheering her every move, Julaton reversed Saber’s takedown attempt to gain a mounted position in the third round. She began to let loose a series of devastating punches that ended the bout with less than a minute remaining.

The flyweight bout between Gianni Subba and Eugene Toquero featured two of the most talented stars in the division. Toquero proved to be the superior mixed martial artist over three rounds, ending Subba’s three-fight winning streak in ONE FC with a unanimous decision victory. Toquero, a former muay thai practitioner, dictated the striking range with leg kicks in the first round. A well-timed takedown and superior ground control allowed Subba to control proceedings early in the second round, but Toquero reversed the position and hurt Subba with several deadly elbow strikes. Toquero secured several takedowns in the final stanza, and earned the nod on all three of the judges’ scorecards.

The opening bout of the evening featured two hard-hitting female mixed martial artists. Hometown favoriteJujeath Nagaowa quickly established her dominance in the first round, using crisp boxing skills to set up several takedowns. Nagaowa, the former WBO Atomweight Champion, decided to keep the fight standing in the second round. That proved to be the correct decision as she unleashed a barrage of punches that ultimately forced referee Oliver Coste to step in, earning Nagaowa a TKO victory. 

Official results for ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES:

ONE FC Bantamweight World Championship bout: 

Bibiano Fernandes defeats Masakatsu Ueda by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 5

Lightweight bout: 

Eduard Folayang defeats Kotetsu Boku by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Flyweight bout: 

Rey Docyogen defeats Joshua Alvarez by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Featherweight bout: 

Rob Lisita defeats Yusuke Kawanago by TKO (Strikes) at 0:28 minutes of round 1

Heavyweight bout: 

James McSweeney defeats Chris Lokteff by KO (Knee) at 3:04 minutes of round 1

Middleweight bout:

Leandro Ataides defeats Tatsuya Mizuno by TKO (Strikes) at 0:47 minutes of round 1

Flyweight bout: 

Ana Julaton defeats Aya Saeid Saber by TKO (Strikes) at 4:01 minutes of round 3

Flyweight bout: 

Eugene Toquero defeats Gianni Subba by Unanimous Decision at 5:00 minutes of round 3

Atomweight bout: 

Jujeath Nagaowa defeats Jeet Toshi by TKO (Strikes) at 1:07 minutes of round 2

In case you missed the action log on to www.onefc.livesport.tv for the full replay of the fights at only US $9.99.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

Spin.ph is the official online media partner of ONE FC: RISE OF HEROES.

  

James Hardie dominates first Architects' Choice Awards

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James Hardie, a world leader in building materials, dominates first Architects' Choice Awards. James Hardie has proven its excellence once again when it bagged four awards from the first-ever Architects’ Choice Awards 2014, organized by BCI Asia last March 27 at the Marriott Hotel. 

Its flagship brand, HardieFlex, was adjudged the Architects' Choice for the Cement Boards product category. James Hardie also received awards for being the leading brand in "Design and Innovation", "Performance" and "Customer Service" in the Philippine design and building industry.

Left to right: Dean Borg, Country Manager, BCI Asia Philippines Inc.; Karina Arellano, Sales Consultant, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Deb Gutierrez, Market Development Officer, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Arlene Apple Patricio, Philippines Manager, Cross Media Division, BCI Asia Philippines, Inc.

Receiving the awards for James Hardie were Product Marketing Assistant Manager Rome Lopez, Sales Manager Romy Silawan, Sales Consultant Karina Arellano and Market Development Officer Deb Gutierrez. 

"We are very happy and honored to have received four awards," says Lopez. "These awards serve as a true testament of our insatiable drive to develop innovative building materials that will help Filipinos to live without compromise."

The winners garnered the most number of votes based on a survey conducted by BCI Asia across a broad spectrum of architects and planners including the top 10 architectural firms in the Philippines. 

Through the survey, respondents were able to cast their votes for the best in each product category, and declare their brand of choice when it comes to Design and Innovation, Sustainability, Performance, and Customer Service.

Aside from the 20 product category awards (segmented under Wall & Ceiling Lining, Mechanical & Electrical Fittings, Bathroom Products, Interior Furnishings & Appliances, Interior Finishing, Floor Coverings, and Enclosure Fit outs) that were given out, there were four Feature Awards of which James Hardie won three. 

“We extend our sincerest thanks to the architects who have voted for us,” says Gutierrez. “We are grateful for their trust and we will strive continuously to remain deserving of their patronage.”

The leading worldwide manufacturer of fiber cement products, James Hardie has operations in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. Core markets include North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. 

In 1998, it built its manufacturing plant in the Philippines in Cabuyao, Laguna which now serves local and international demands. To date, James Hardie remains as one of the biggest Australian investments in the country.

For 125 years, James Hardie, through the HardieFlex brand, has produced durable, versatile and strong products that offer a real alternative to traditional building materials. Today, the company employs more than 2,500 employees and has a turnover in excess of Euro 1 billion.

James Hardie prides itself with its aggressive investment in research and development that allows it to continuously expand its product offering and improve the quality of its fiber cement technology and solutions.

Left to right: Arlene Apple Patricio, Philippines Manager, Cross Media Division, BCI Asia Philippines, Inc.; Karina Arellano, Sales Consultant, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Rome Lopez, Product Marketing Assistant Manager, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Dean Borg, Country Manager, BCI Asia Philippines Inc.

Left to right: Ruben Cueto, VP Marketing, Boysen; Karina Arellano, Sales Consultant, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Romy Silawan, Sales Manager, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Rome Lopez, Product Marketing Assistant Manager, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Dean Borg, Country Manager, BCI Asia Philippines Inc.

Left to Right: Arlene Apple Patricio, Philippines Manager, Cross Media Division, BCI Asia Philippines, Inc.; Romy Silawan, Sales Manager, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Karina Arellano, Sales Consultant, James Hardie Philippines, Inc.; Dean Borg, Country Manager, BCI Asia Philippines Inc.