World Vision and Shell Foundation distribute tons of fresh vegetables in Metro Manila and CDO

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World Vision Development Foundation (WVDF) today provides 16,800 kilos of vegetables to the residents of Quezon City, Malabon City, Manila City and Cagayan de Oro City, four of the hard-hit cities under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) due to the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Children and communities receive fresh vegetables and other relief goods from donors of World Vision Philippines

In collaboration with Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI), the child-focused organization packed and distributed fresh vegetable packs containing okra, sayote, cabbage scorpio, wombok, potatoes, squash, eggplant, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bitter gourd, string beans, carrots and chili pepper to 5,750 households and 60 frontliners in Quezon City, Malabon City, Manila City and Cagayan de Oro City. 

PSFI’s Ani Para sa Bayani (translated Harvest for Heroes) project aims to help struggling small farmers sell their produce and to also ensure that frontliners and the vulnerable communities have access to nutritious foods. 

"Nutrients in vegetables could help strengthen our body's immune system to fight diseases including COVID-19. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables," shared Carleneth San Valentin, World Vision's technical manager for health. 

Staff and volunteers of World Vision Philippines pack and distribute tons of fresh vegetables to Quezon City and Malabon City

San Valentin explains that while we continue to implement interventions on COVID-19, programmes that address undernutrition and malnutrition especially among children under-5 years old in the country, whether nutrition specific or nutrition sensitive, need to continue. 

Nanay Nerissa, a mother of two from Malabon City shares that since the implementation of the extended community quarantine, his husband is not able to drive his pedicab and even get extra work and earn a living because they cannot go out. She adds “Umaasa kami ngayon sa paminsang minsang kita dito sa ulingan. Mahirap din para sa dalawang anak ko na bata pa, 10 at five years old dahil kung walang kita, sa relief lang kami umaasa.” (We are currently relying on the irregular income from selling charcoal. It is especially difficult for my two young children, 10 and five years old, while we do not have a stable source of income, we rely on relief goods.)

Her 10-year old son Ric, who is a World Vision sponsored child says he misses going to school but since classes are suspended, he sometimes helps his mother repack charcoal aside from cooking rice and cleaning the house.

PSFI Executive Director Sebastian Quiniones Jr. says, "This pandemic is allowing all to show the best of humanity, especially during this season of Lent where we are commanded to love one another. We at PSFI have always believed in the power of unity and collaboration, and this successful partnership with World Vision and Filipino farmers has manifested that." While the collaboration begins by supporting farmers in Luzon and assisting vulnerable communities in Metro Manila and Cagayan de Oro City, the organizations hope to extend their collaboration to other areas in need of assistance.

"Thanks to Pilipinas Shell Foundation for partnering with us in sending much needed help to families especially their children affected by COVID-19. We pray that God will continue to bless you even more as you generously give back to our communities," World Vision national director Rommel V. Fuerte said.

As of today, World Vision has provided 458 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits catering to 2,140 frontliners. It also helped install nine (13) tents to be used as isolation and triage areas for COVID-19 referral hospitals in Metro Manila, Misaims Oriental, Pangsinan and Bicol Region and two (2) huge mobile storage units each with an area of 320 sq meters for the Quezon City Risk Reduction and Management Council and Office of the Civil Defence. At least 2,000 families have also received sanitation kits that include bath soaps, alcohol, toothbrushes for children and adults, toothpaste, face mask and mouthwash. World Vision has also reached over 1.4 million people nationwide on awareness raising on COVID-19 including infection prevention and control (IPC) measures.

In a recent advisory, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) gave the go signal to local governments to use a portion of their development fund to address the threat of the pandemic, which includes the provision of food assistance and relief goods for affected households.

Meanwhile to slow down the spread of COVID-19, the Philippine government has extended the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine to May 15, 2020.

Life lessons from the pandemic

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The COVID-19 outbreak has been putting a large amount of stress on everyone. However, we must also remember that this is not going to last forever and that if we are open to it, we can learn many life lessons that can help us live better lives.

Strive to be empathic and give what you can – no amount or donation is too small.

Here are some valuable lessons we can take from the health scare and enhanced community quarantine.

Be prepared for any scenario. The best defense we can have against life’s uncertainties is to be ready for anything. Have an emergency fund and insurance for chaotic times like these. If you haven’t yet, build up a savings plan or take out health insurance— these are a couple of the best ways to deal with financial setbacks that may be caused by unforeseen events.

Make adjustments to your lifestyle. Since restaurants and gyms have been either limited or closed, this pandemic has been teaching us to eat better, get enough sleep, and make time to exercise even at home. Remember, what you do every day essentially affects how long and how well you’ll live. It’s always better to establish good habits sooner rather than later. 

Be a friend of the environment. COVID-19 has been a wake-up call to how badly we’ve been treating the environment. With the enhanced community quarantine in place and limited cars on the road, nature has been healing, as evident in the smog-free skies. Taking even small steps like carpooling, recycling, and planting more trees can help further restore the balance of nature.

Take time for yourself. Participating in the rat race entails multitasking and promotes staying busy as a measure of success. Taking breaks to unplug and recharge is usually seen as weakness. However, overexerting yourself is unhealthy so it’s best to listen to your body. You are not required to stay busy. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is the gift of time. Use it wisely to honor your needs, whether that is reading a book or simply having more time for family.

Share your blessings with others. We should try helping those who find it hard to get by. In addition to the numerous deaths and cases, the pandemic has brought on negative economic implications: small businesses are closing, many people are losing their jobs and are finding it hard to take care of themselves and their families. We must strive to be empathic and give what we can – no amount or donation is too small. In the same vein, now is also a good time to show Pinoy pride and support local businesses.

For more information on AXA Philippines insurance products, visit www.axa.com.ph.

Huggies Philippines launches Huggies Club: Facebook Live to connect Moms at home to medical experts

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MANILA, Philippines, 30 April 2020 – A trusted parenting partner for moms everywhere, Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies® brand will be launching Huggies Club: Facebook Live, a series of online forums that aim to help guide expectant, new, and experienced moms through every step of their motherhood journey.

Starting this Saturday, May 2 at 8pm, and hosted on the Huggies Philippines Facebook page, each session will feature a medical expert and a fellow parent who will cover a variety of topics that aim to guide and equip viewers with useful tips and uplifting advice as they go through the delicate stages of motherhood; from prenatal to postnatal, whether they have an infant or a toddler. The first few sessions will specifically focus on helping them navigate the unique circumstances they find themselves in today. A live Q&A segment will follow to give viewers a chance to ask questions for either expert or mom.

By connecting them to these medical professionals and parents with relatable situations or experiences, Huggies hopes to be a reliable support system for moms and their kids, offering them a safe space to comfort and care for each other during these stressful and challenging times. As they practice home quarantine, social distancing, and more stringent sanitation, moms remain constantly on the lookout for information online that help address their pressing concerns and queries.

“We understand that the COVID-19 situation has really impacted the physical, mental, and emotional health of moms,” says Huggies Marketing Manager Bernice Ilacad-Jalgalado. “That is why we are carefully and continuously coming up with efforts like Huggies Club: Facebook Live to make more moms feel at ease as they provide comfort and care for their babies in these trying times.”

Like and follow Huggies Philippines Facebook page to stay updated on the latest announcements and updates. 

For more information, visit https://www.huggies.com.ph/.

ING continues to support clients during ECQ and extends help in the fight against COVID-19

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The extended community quarantine (ECQ) across Luzon due to COVID-19 has seen many Filipinos gradually shifting to the use of online banking, especially as movements of non-essential personnel and goods have been limited to control the spread of the pandemic. Transferring money, monitoring finances and managing funds are now increasingly done from the safety of people’s homes.

According to Nicholas Mapa, Senior Economist at ING Bank, growth of the Philippine economy can fall to as low as -0.1% if the situation does not improve by May. This means that major economic drivers like consumer spending, OFW remittances and local trade and tourism are slowly declining, therefore ultimately affecting the way people manage their finances during this time. 

“In many ways, we now see that Filipinos have a higher awareness of the need to build their savings and keep an emergency fund. As an all-digital bank, we want to continue being our customers’ partner towards financial security. That is why we have decided to keep the ING Savings interest rate at 4% per annum*. This way, we hope to give our customers the assurance that their money will continue to grow with ING as their sustained savings or for any emergency needs,” said Hans Sicat, country manager of ING Bank in the Philippines.

“Our mobile app continues to be accessible 24/7 in our promise to provide simple, easy and convenient banking services to Filipinos. We know that managing your money digitally is highly necessary at this time, so it is important for us to maintain our no-fees policy when customers transfer funds from ING to other local banks.”

In addition to keeping the interest rate, ING Bank together with its global processing and support centre ING Business Shared Services, Manila have committed to donate €100,000 to several healthcare and non-governmental organizations in response to the immediate needs. True to its long-standing partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), ING is also supporting the UNICEF donation drive initiative to provide aid to the local healthcare sector in the Philippines. 

Hans added: “We remain hopeful that things will get better soon and we will continue to support all our clients and the local communities as we power through this challenging time together.”

More details of this offer can be found on https://ing.com.ph/promos/4-percent-interest 

*4% interest rate per annum for balance up to P10 million, till July 31, 2020

Ateneo helps frontliners, affected communities amid COVID-19 outbreak

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With the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, the need to support our healthcare workers and the underprivileged has been of tantamount importance to stave off the spread of the virus. 

The Ateneo de Manila University has been actively playing a part in making a difference in the lives of frontliners and those adversely affected by the declaration of an enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) brought about by the pandemic. 

Just last April 15, Ateneo opened its doors to 23 medical and support staff from the Quirino Medical Center, one of the government hospitals that are leading the battle against COVID-19. The dormitory inside the Institute of Social Order was picked to house the healthcare workers (HCWs). Under the “Project Panunuluyan: Kanlungan at Bayanihan” Ateneo will provide board and lodging for the HCWs, plus a point-to-point shuttle service to and from the hospital, until May 15, 2020. 

Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, SJ, president of the Ateneo de Manila welcomes several medical and support staff from the Quirino Medical Center.

"We consider it a privilege to be of service somehow to our [healthcare workers] by providing this place where they can rest, reflect, and renew their body and spirit," Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, president of Ateneo de Manila University said. "This is panunuluyan during Easter time, a time to open ourselves to how the Spirit is entreating and moving us in the world today.”

Aside from providing temporary shelter to our health care workers, Ateneo is also offering psychological support through the Ateneo Bulatao Center for Psychological Services. The center provides free online counselling and psychological first aid to frontliners who need assistance amid these difficult times. 

Ateneo has also provided over 12,500 meals to the health care workers of the Philippine General Hospital, Lung Center of the Philippines, East Avenue Medical Center, and the Mandaluyong City Medical Center.

In addition, Ateneo has helped in providing personal protective equipment to our health care workers in 96 health institutions. The University, in close coordination with the Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health (ASMPH), also gave hazardous material (hazmat) suits to The Medical City. The specifications of the hazmat suit design came from ASMPH Dean Dr. Cenon R. Alfonso, M.D., and produced by Marie Alexene Cabantac and Dennie Tan Ruiz using a fabric called Taslan 80 gsm which makes the suits reusable after proper decontamination.

Dr. Lourdes “Des” Jimenez (center), Chairperson of The Medical City’s Emergency Room Medicine and Dr. Menandro Sandoval (right), Ateneo School of Medicine and Public Health Alumnus and ER Medicine staff, received the hazmat suits donation.

The Areté Makerspace team has also assembled more than 1,600 face shields for the use of healthcare professionals in various hospitals in Metro Manila and around the country.

“We are one with our frontliners as they bravely face this disease. What we’re doing for them is just our own little way to help them with their burden as they continue to lead this fight against COVID-19. We are proud to support them and will continue to do whatever we can to make a difference in their lives,” Villarin said.

Meanwhile, Ateneo has also been taking part in assisting communities affected by the declaration of the ECQ. Over 44,600 families have already been given food and relief packs containing various essential goods. 

Tanging Yaman Foundation has also been helping fishing communities in Visayas by purchasing their products. This past Holy Week, Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ and the Ateneo-Jesuit consortium ordered 38 tons of assorted bulad or dried fish that were also added to the relief packs that were given to poor families here in Metro Manila. 

In partnership with the De La Salle Brothers and the Philippine Jesuits, Ateneo has also helped provide a safe shelter to 446 individuals. 

“We believe that this is an opportunity for the entire Ateneo community to come together and help people who need it most. And I am proud that many in our community are stepping up to extend a helping hand during this crisis,” Villarin added.

To know how you can help, visit giving.ateneo.edu.