PH envisioned to lead ASEAN in developing standards for the gifted

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A Philippine organization is posed to spearhead the establishment of an (ASEAN) Association for Giftedness to leverage economic growth through human capital development.

Non-profit group Philippine Center for Gifted Education Inc. (PCGE), led by Dr. Leticia Ho, is working towards creating standards for ASEAN member countries to ensure robust criteria for identification, development and nurturing of gifted children.

“While the ASEAN integration aims to unite the ten member countries into one economic, multi-cultural community, development of its human capital is definitely a vital component,” says Dr. Ho.

The ASEAN Association for Giftedness will provide a platform for regular meetings, joint researches, exchange programs and other innovations in gifted education that can help boost economies, including the Philippines’. 

“Modern growth theory has explained the vital contribution of human capital development in a country’s economic growth. Improvements are closely related to the level of cognitive skills of the population. This emphasizes the need to identify, develop and nurture gifted talents for the benefit of the country,” adds Dr. Ho.

An ASEAN Summit on Giftedness sponsored by PCGE is scheduled in October. Dr. Ho hopes that this will stir interest and encourage parents, teachers, psychologists, guidance counselors and the gifted themselves to converse and exchange ideas about how to leverage on excellence for growth. 

The summit will feature global expert Françoys Gagné, Ph. D. and his Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Professor Gagné, supported by Promil Pre-School, will share his belief in the need for natural abilities to be nurtured in order for one to excel.

With its long-standing thrust of encouraging excellence, Promil Pre-School has always worked hand-in-hand with parents’ support and proper care through the right learning environment to nurture gifts into exceptional talents that can benefit a larger community.

Promil Pre-School's proven heritage of success is backed up by its long list of exceptionally talented children who have brought fame, encouragement, and positive influence to their communities and the country in one way or another.

“Nurturing the gifted is not limited to ensuring that their gifts and talents are properly addressed through education, training, cognitive stimulation and other programs. Part of their nurture is to infuse values of maka-Diyos, makabayan, makatao (being God-fearing, patriotism, compassion). In this manner, the gifted themselves become gifts to others,” says Dr. Ho.

“The vital link between the gift of generations of Filipinos and the country’s success is something that we recognize and value,” says Dian Yu, product manager, Promil Pre-School. “As a long-term advocate in encouraging children to reach their full potential, Promil Pre-School will continually support efforts that allow for exceptional talents to turn into outstanding achievements for our nation.” 

According to the Department of Education (DepEd), there are 1.27 million gifted children in the country (2010 data) who may be in possession of exceptional abilities that, unfortunately, aren’t fully developed for lack of proper guidance and support.

World’s largest passenger plane Emirates Airbus A380 touched down at NAIA

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PH President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed the arrival of the Emirates Airbus A380, the world’s largest passenger jet this Tuesday night on a one-off commercial flight by to mark its move to the newly rehabilitated Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Emirates make that flight from the Dubai International Airport with the A380 only once and the plane fly back to Dubai shortly after at 1 a.m. on Wednesday.

“The main objective of the A380 one-off trip to Manila is to mark the move of the Emirates Airline to the Terminal 3 and show its commitment to the Philippines since 1990,” Emirates said in a statement.

Dubai-based air carrier Airbus A380 touched down at the Terminal 3 NAIA landed by the the first Filipino Super Jumbo Jet Captain, Capt. Franklyn Desiderio.

Capt. Franklyn Desiderio, The 1st Filipino A380 Captain (Photo: PPSG (Phlippine Plane Spotters Group)

(Photo: PPSG (Phlippine Plane Spotters Group)

In August this year, Emirates transferred its operations to the NAIA Terminal 3 from its previous home at the congested NAIA Terminal 1

Other international carriers such as Delta Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific also moved to Terminal 3 when it went into full operation.

The completion of the NAIA 3 rehabilitation had been delayed for a decade by legal issues.

Aquino waiting to welcome passengers of Emirates A380, world’s biggest aircraft, from Dubai. 

(Photo via Zen Hernandez of ANC )

No international airline uses the A380, by far the largest passenger plane, onflights to and from Manila.

With two full-length decks measuring a total of 6,000 square feet, the A380 is 50 percent bigger than the Boeing 747 and is widely considered a the solution to the common problems of rising number of plane passengers and congested.

A ‘hapee’ brushing experience for kids

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Seeing your kids flash their bright smiles can be the most priceless sight in the world – a precious “picture perfect” moment that any parent would love to capture and relive. When both corners of their mouths start to turn up, those infectious curves on their faces make you smile, too, especially when you are confident that their teeth are strong and healthy.

Say bye-bye to tooth decay the fun way with Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste 

Convincing your kids to brush their teeth is not as easy as it appears to be. In fact, for some mothers, it is a daily morning struggle that can be very tedious as a chore.

“Even if I ask my four-year-old in a nice way or pretend to get angry at her, it just doesn’t work,” shares Emily Bunagan of Pasig, who admitted that she already tried all strategies she knows just to persuade her daughter to brush her teeth, but still to no avail.

It is the duty of parents to instil to their kids the habit and importance of brushing one’s teeth at an early age. But mothers, did you know that you don’t have to do it alone? More often than not, the success of convincing children to brush their teeth relies on a very crucial first decision – the choice of toothpaste.

With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, brushing is now more than just a required hygienic practice. Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste takes brushing into a whole new (and not to mention exciting) level – a total fun and play experience for kids! Mothers don’t have to stress over morning battles with their kids, as the kids themselves will now be looking forward to brushing time as fun time.

Given the right kind of toothpaste, all you need to do is to complement it with the right dose of creativity and patience in order to make your kids appreciate that proper oral care can be very enjoyable, too. With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste’s seven unique flavors, children will never see brushing in the same boring way again!

Keep in mind that your child’s set of teeth is very different from that of an adult’s. A set of baby teeth is more fragile and sensitive, thus requiring more delicate care. As soon as your child begins teething, it is important also to start brushing his or her teeth to prevent cavities caused by acid attacks, which may arise from drinking milk and eating sweet food, among others. Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste contains just the right amount of fluoride for children.

With these things said, here are more tips for your kids’ “hapee” brushing experience:

· GIVE HIM A CHOICE. Allow him or her to choose his or her own toothbrush, and toothpaste flavor. A colourful toothbrush, an attractive packaging and a fruity flavor for toothpaste like Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste will add excitement to every brushing time. 

· SING ALONG. Did you know that it takes at least two (2) minutes to get your child’s teeth clean enough? Don’t forget that while brushing up and down, left and right, start humming a simple children’s music or nursery rhyme for 2 minutes to make sure that your child is brushing his or her teeth properly long enough.

· TAKE IT SLOW. As expected, your child won’t be as good as you when it comes to brushing. Don’t stress over when he misses some spot. The more important thing at this stage is to make brushing a fun habit with Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste and its cute cartoon characters. With practice, he’ll improve sooner.

· BE ENCOURAGING. Praise your kid whenever he brushes his teeth well. Say words of encouragement like “Hapee Brushing” or “Cavity monsters are gone!” You can also entice him with the yummy flavors of Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste.

· ACCOMPANY YOUR CHILD. To show your kid that brushing is indeed necessary, be a good role model and join him while brushing. 

· FIND AN ALLY. Of course, Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste is the perfect ally but you must visit the dentist regularly. Ask your dentist to acknowledge your kid’s brushing habit. 

By the time that your kids have fully absorbed brushing as part of their daily routine, gradually train them to brush their teeth alone. But you still have to keep track of their brushing habits once in a while. You can make it even more fun by rewarding them everytime they accomplished their day-to-day brushing regimen.

Life is so much easier with the right toothpaste! With Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, all it takes is the right pinch of patience and creativity so your kids won’t see brushing again as a dull after-meal ritual. With the right brushing tools like Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste, your children will say hello to a “Hapee-ier” smile and say goodbye to cavities. The next thing you know, they’ll even remind you to brush your teeth on time!

Who says brushing can’t be fun? He must not have tried Happie Kiddie Toothpaste yet!

For more fun and exciting dental tips, visit www.facebook.com/HapeeKiddie.

Vitamin D deficiency due to limited sun exposure is linked to chronic diseases

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With widespread health warnings about the dangers of too much sun exposure, opting to stay indoors to avoid harsh ultraviolet rays might sound like a good idea. But what most people don’t know is that avoiding sun exposure can lead to Vitamin D deficiency and increase their risk of developing chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer.

For the longest time, Vitamin D was associated directly with bone health, but recently, it has received a lot of attention from the medical community and the media regarding its overall health impact. Studies show that people with chronic disease have low levels of Vitamin D.

Unilab introduces new Vitamin D supplement: More than half of Filipinos are shown to suffer from vitamin D deficiency, cases of which have been steadily on the rise in the country. In efforts to promote awareness of vitamin D deficiency among Filipinos and provide a solution to the silent epidemic, UNILAB takes the lead by launching a new vitamin D supplement, Forti-D. Present at the launch were (from L to R) Dr. Rudy Pagcatipunan, Unilab Consumer (ULCH) Health Medical Director; Katherine B. Martinez, ULCH Category Head; Dr. Marilou Renales, Philippine College of Occupational Medicine Board Director; Dr. Alejandro Diaz, Diplomate and Fellow of the Philippine Neurological Association; and Mr. Alexander S. Panlilio, ULCH Division Head

And considering the Philippines is a tropical country, most would likely believe they’re getting enough Vitamin D due to the mainly sunny weather. Surprisingly and alarmingly, it was revealed that Vitamin D deficiency is becoming prevalent among Filipinos, with 7 out of 10 working adults identified to be suffering from such deficiency. This is based on an ongoing study commissioned by Unilab in partnership with Hi-Precision Diagnostics among 5,000 working adults, 18 yo and above, who live in Metro Manila and other urban areas in the Philippines.

Various researches traced the high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency to increasingly indoor lifestyles, with most cooped up in the confines of their offices during daylight. Other factors identified were practices such as using an umbrella and slathering on sunscreen at midday, which is actually the best time of the day to get the ideal amount of Vitamin D. These are the common practices that people inadvertently do that lead to a deficiency of the Sun vitamin. Nonetheless, factors such as skin color, age, clothing choices, cloud cover, and pollution also come into play in Vitamin D production in the skin.

It remains, that most of the Vitamin D production in the body relies heavily on the skin’s exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, since including a Vitamin D rich food into one’s diet could only do so much as only 10 to 15% of the required daily Vitamin D dosage can be obtained from it.

It is highly advised for everyone to meet the required daily dose of Vitamin D to ensure strong and healthy bones and proper functioning of the body’s organs, to help reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Yellow Cab’s Challenge Camsur and Challenge Philippines Announce USD $299 Bundle Price

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Athletes and triathletes all over the world have the chance to experience races of a lifetime.

The Challenge Philippines Family of races has announced more hot news with their Early Bird Two-Challenge Bundle Price.

For USD $299, athletes get to experience two world-class triathlons for the right price. From a TOUGH old school course, Challenge Philippines in Subic Bay and Bataan, that will put every triathlete’s grit to the test, to a brand new FAST course, Challenge Camsur, that encourages participants to compete with themselves to set their new personal bests, 2015 is going to be an exciting year of new Challenges.

Registration for Yellow Cab’s Challenge Camsur. The Early Bird Two-Challenge Bundle Price lasts until October 14, 2014 only.

Be part of the Challenge Family and book now!

http://challengephilippines.com.ph/