‘For Your SweetHeart’ campaign heightens awareness on diabetes-heart disease link, cautions patients amid a pandemic

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The critical link between diabetes and heart disease -- is now more than ever, an important topic of discussion. Knowing the link can save your life.

The “For Your SweetHeart” campaign, spearheaded by Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc. in partnership with medical societies and patient groups, urges Filipinos diagnosed with diabetes to be aware of the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease and how to manage the condition properly. In addition, diabetes, with the presence of its complications, has been identified as a risk factor for increased severity of COVID-19 and poor outcome. 

One of the long-term complications of diabetes is cardiovascular disease. According to a follow-up study among patients who participated in the World Health Organization (WHO) Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes, a staggering 52% of deaths in Type 2 Diabetes patients are due to cardiovascular disease—confirming that Type 2 Diabetes is a cardiovascular disease equivalent. Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for patients with diabetes. 

Patients with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop heart disease. Over time, uncontrolled high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and nerves, leading to the heart and ultimately raise blood pressure levels. Diabetes also increases the level of bad cholesterol. All of these factors increase the risk of heart disease in patients with diabetes. The three types of heart disease that patients with diabetes commonly develop are coronary heart disease, heart failure, and diabetic cardiomyopathy.

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), as of May 2020, there are nearly four (4) million reported cases of diabetes in the Philippines. Alarmingly, many living with diabetes do not know of their increased risk for heart diseases.

The “For Your SweetHeart” campaign aims to change that by raising awareness about this link, with the help of TV personality Kim “Kuya Kim” Atienza as the official campaign advocate. 

“The campaign is relevant to me because my grandparents had diabetes, and so does my mother. Like many Filipinos, I can relate to how we always want what is best for the health and well-being of our loved ones. I always check up on my mother and make sure she’s leading a healthy lifestyle,” Kuya Kim stated.

Supported by health experts and patient organizations, the campaign will focus on not only patients but also the caregivers. 

“It comes naturally for Filipinos to care for our loved ones. The campaign doesn’t just speak to those diagnosed with diabetes but also to the loved ones taking care of them,” said Dr. Greta Cortez, Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc.’s Head of Medicine.

“Boehringer Ingelheim has always believed in empowering and equipping both the patients and their loved ones with important information so they can make the best decisions together for their health and well-being,” she continued.

Knowing the link between diabetes and cardiovascular disease can help patients and those taking care of them to determine meaningful and necessary life-changing steps.

“There are ways to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease for those with diabetes. Being aware of the impact of diabetes on heart health is a critical first step as well as consulting your doctor, so you know the best medical options to manage the disease,” said Dr. Orly Bugarin, President of the Philippine Heart Association and a cardiologist at Twin Hearts Medical Clinic in Balanga, Bataan.

For more information about the connection between diabetes and cardiovascular disease, visit www.foryoursweetheart.ph. 

The website includes an assessment tool based on the Framingham 10-year Heart Disease Risk Test , which requires details of the patient’s total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure. 

The “For Your SweetHeart” campaign is supported by the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Institute for Studies on Diabetes Foundation Inc. (ISDFI), American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), Philippine Society of Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM), Diabetes Philippines (DP), Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators (PADE), Association of Diabetes Nurse Educators of the Philippines, Inc. (ADNEP), and Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations (PAPO).

 

UNIQLO Philippines’ launches 2020 Fall/Winter Collection

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UNIQLO Philippines officially launches 2020 Fall/Winter Collection with a wide variety of LifeWear clothing. From everyday casual wear to essential items, it aims to provide comfort and improve the lives of everyone.

This season, UNIQLO unites with the rest of the world in seeking innovative solutions to urban living for a more sustainable tomorrow with LifeWear. It features the highest-quality materials, modern elegant lines, and superior comfort.

UNIQLO LifeWear clothing is designed to improve the everyday life of everyone. Conceived thoughtfully with people's changing needs in mind, LifeWear adheres to a promise of continual progress towards something better. 

LifeWear clothing features the highest-quality materials, modern elegant lines, and superior comfort: all aimed to provide ease when staying at home or doing daily tasks, to help stay stress-free when working, and to give support in keeping active and healthy.

AIRism

UNIQLO AIRism has comfort conditioning technology, which wicks away moisture, releases heat and absorbs sweat that provides maximum comfort. This season, UNIQLO showcases its complete range of AIRism, with pieces for men, women, kids and babies. The collection is made perfectly for one mile wear, for working at home, and for staying healthy and active at home or outdoors.

SPORT UTILITY WEAR 

Clothes with functionality and design that can be used seamlessly from everyday life to staying active. The Sport Utility Wear lineup is made to be worn as one mile wear, comfort work wear worn at home, and for staying healthy and active. 

DRY-EX 

Ultra quick drying functionality that provides comfort for those who want to stay healthy and active whether at home or outdoors. 

AIRISM

It has soft material that disperses moisture, releases heat and and moves sweat away from skin to keep you cool and comfortable. A full lineup of AIRism products are available for the whole family, for everyday. 

ULTRA STRETCH

Includes 360-degree stretch fabric that expands and contracts as you move for a comfy fit. It allows you to move and stretch, without feeling restricted.

BOTTOMS

SMART ANKLE PANTS

These pieces are comfortable and stylish, perfect for any lifestyle. The fabric stretches vertically and horizontally with the 2-way stretch function, while resisting wrinkles for easy care. 

*Not all men’s Smart Pants use 2-way stretch and easy care materials.

JEANS

These items have remained loyal to their roots while evolving, by taking advantage of innovative technologies. UNIQLO has worked closely with the Jeans Innovation Center in Los Angeles to explore sustainable fabrics and create advanced jeans that deliver even greater quality and comfort. 

Using the latest technology, UNIQLO has enhanced women’s Jeans to make them snug and flattering to the wearer by focusing particularly on the fit, silhouette, and color variations. Men’s Jeans meanwhile are made of authentic denim yet they are so comfortable to wear. They are available in a range of patterns to accommodate divers

taste.

ULTRA STRETCH JEANS

Men’s and women’s Ultra Stretch Jeans have been updated to make them incredibly comfortable without compromising their authenticity. The fabric is more elastic to ensure ultimate stress-free wear.

STRAIGHT JEANS

New this season, Straight Jeans for both men and women are designed to make the legs look longer. The silhouette is straight from the waist down, for modern and refined styling. Men’s dark jeans feature 100% selvage denim from its partner Kaihara Corporation, for a contemporary look. 

MEN AND WOMEN’S SHORT PANTS

Shorts pants are made for everyone and for any occasion - as comfort one mile wear, comfort work wear and when running errands. Available in a variety of length, design and materials such as denim, linen, cotton, satin, dry stretch, chino, jersey and kando. 

T-SHIRTS

UNIQLO offers an extensive line-up of T-shirts with different silhouettes, textures and colors. These include shirts of varying sleeve lengths, fit for any style as comfort one mile wear, comfort work wear at home and everyday wear.

DRESSES

Dresses by UNIQLO are also available in different silhouettes, lengths, and colors, perfect for casual or smart wear. Like the Mercerized Cotton Dress, it is made with 100% cotton giving that high quality and stylish look, perfect for all day wear, from working from home or running errands. 

OUTERWEAR

UNIQLO offers everything from on-trend casual items to functional activewear, to cater to diverse lifestyles and choices, and to meet the new needs.

Women

Must-have casual pieces are everyday parkas such as Pocketable and Blocktech, as well as textured suede jackets and tailored tweed jackets with a masculine touch for stylish pieces.

Men

Jackets for both casual and business occasions include parkas, classic tailored and corduroy items. The washed jersey work jackets are perfect for this season. 

Blocktech

Blocktech is designed for versatility and reliability. It offers breathable performance and it is made with seamless bonding technology. These coats and parkas feature a stitch-free construction that keeps errant water from seeping between seams and they are also fitted with a protective laminate film designed to shield wearer from the winds.

Pocketable

Compact and easy to carry around, the pocketable parka allows you to keep covered and protected at any given moment. It has water-repellent coating that repels light rain and UV ray protection (UPF40).

HEATTECH

In 2003, UNIQLO introduced HEATTECH based on innovative technology developed with its partner, Toray Industries. Since then, numerous features have been added to this warm innerwear. For 20FW, plastic packaging has been replaced, with some exceptions, by more sustainable paper alternatives.

Women 

For this season, colors, patterns, and designs have been updated to give more outfit coordination choices. For example, the neckline on crew neck items has been tightened, or our popular HEATTECH Ballet Neck T-Shirts and HEATTECH Bra Tops now have a lace version. In response to popular demand the HEATTECH Waist Warmers and HEATTECH Body Shaper Bra Tops and Shorts would be made available again this season.

Men

This season’s clothing offers a myriad of vibrant colors. The Extra Warm collection meanwhile now offers items with a deep gray color. Other highlights in this collection include long sleeved Ultra Warm pieces (in replacement of the half sleeved Ultra Warm versions) and Turtleneck and crew neck shirts made available in five hues.

DOWN

Down jackets are warm, functional, and stylish, and are continually evolving. UNIQLO introduces its line of Ultra Light Down jackets with witty prints and seasonal designs. New hues for women’s jackets include plum, green, and lemon-yellow. 

Hybrid down jackets are a step beyond regular down outerwear and feature enhanced designs and functionality. UNIQLO has added detachable hoods to women’s coats and pinched the waists on down jackets to create a more elegant look. For the men, the new line of parkas enables the wearer to move around easily, and the coats have become lighter, following a detailed design review. Men’s seamless down jackets incorporate a new three-dimensional design that does not restrict arm movements. 

UNIQLO’s down recycle program, which started from September 2019, to last until March 2020, has so far collected 620,000 pieces of down outerwear. The collected down will be reused as part of new recycled down products from this season.

I had a sneak peek of the new Uniqlo Ph 2020 Fall/ Winter collection through a virtual press preview. Here are a few standout pieces from the collection:

Power Mac Center celebrates 26th anniversary with bicycle donation drive

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As part of its 26th-anniversary celebration, Power Mac Center is launching its “Pay it Forward” campaign to help provide bicycles to those who commute even in the middle of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with TV personality Gretchen Ho’s Woman In Action advocacy project, the campaign will acquire bikes and other protective equipment using the proceeds taken from purchases of participating products.

“We at Power Mac Center are one with those affected with the current health crisis. We applaud and support those who still find the courage to go to work to support their families despite the dangers of outside travel and the limited commuting options under quarantine. As a way to show them our appreciation and support, we would like to do the little we can to make their daily commutes a lot easier and healthier. Through Gretchen Ho’s Woman In Action project, we are able to create a venue for our partner brands and customers to help in the donation of bicycles so they can use it as their main mode of transportation,” said Joey Alvarez, Power Mac Center Director of Product Management, Marketing and Space Planning.

Founded as a way to mark Gretchen’s 30th birthday last April, Woman In Action advocates for positive change in the community by sharing stories gathered from Filipinas across the country, including advocacy projects spearheaded by Gretchen and others. The phrase itself is Gretchen’s motto and vision, as it encapsulates everything about her, ranging from her active lifestyle to her commitment to engaging with the world to learn and make a difference.

Last August 13, Gretchen posted on her official Instagram page (@gretchenho) that she was looking for 50 deserving beneficiaries to apply for 50 bicycles. She later stated in an update that she had to stop the search as the number of applicants reached over 10,000. This was a far cry from the originally intended number and only signifies the need to get more bikes. Fortunately, with the aid of PMC, Gretchen believes that more Filipino commuters will get their hands on bicycles.

“I’m very happy that I get to work with a company like Power Mac Center in this critical project. Their nationwide reach, plus bolstered with the recent increase in consumer demand for technological devices to meet work-from-home and online school demands, are sure to help me and Woman In Action purchase more bicycles for the commuting public who still can’t ride the main modes of transportation because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Gretchen.

The Pay it Forward campaign will run until August 31, 2020. Included in the list of participating PMC products are select Apple devices and Beats models. Products from PMC partners 59S, Adam Elements, Before Anything Else, Belkin, Bondir, Laut, Microsoft, Panzer Glass, Rivacase, SanDisk, Sonix, Sudio, Tech21, and UV Care are also eligible. 

For the full list of participating products and more information about the partnership, visit https://about.powermaccenter.com/payitforward/.

To know where and how you can purchase the products, visit https://powermaccenter.com/ or message them at https://www.facebook.com/PowerMacCenter/.

ASUS Philippines Announces Official Extension of “Gear Up for the New Normal” Back to School Promotions

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All roads will definitely lead to the ASUS Concept Store nearest you as ASUS Philippines has officially announced the extension of the brand’s seasonal back-to-school campaign up to September 15, 2020.

This gives those who are still on the lookout for the #BestLaptopDeals in the market today more chances to not only get the ASUS laptop they’ve always wanted, but to also have a complete and more productive experience for online learning that is needed during these times.

True to its name, the “Gear Up For the New Normal” promotion equips instructors, teachers and students alike with the best solution to this shift to virtual learning and teaching. 

The “Gear Up For The New Normal” campaign gives buyers of select ASUS laptops a free and exclusive bundle of a Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi router, which features 2x faster speeds than regular pocket WiFi, and comes with free 10GB of Data. On top of this, ASUS Philippines is also giving away a Lazada e-voucher of up to Php 5,000 that can be used to purchase ASUS products in select official stores in Lazada.

Participating ASUS laptops for this promotion include the current and upcoming Intel Core i5, i7 and i9-powered ASUS ZenBooks and ASUS VivoBooks purchased in ASUS Concept Stores and accredited resellers nationwide.

To register for the promotion, and to get more details on the campaign, please visit the official microsite at https://bit.ly/ASUSGearUpMechanics.

Eastern Communications celebrates National Heroes Day with City of Manila

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For more than a century, Eastern Communications, one of the country’s premier telecommunications companies, has been part of nation building fighting alongside Filipinos for stronger tomorrow by providing world-class services. 

Now that the country is facing yet another challenging situation due to the pandemic, Eastern Communications continues its mission of empowering Filipinos by jumpstarting in the country’s capital city. 

With Manila celebrating the National Heroes Day through unveiling of murals in honor of then and today’s heroes in its newly refurbished Lagunislad underpass, Eastern Communications amplifies its strong partnership with the local government by showcasing its mural in the area – a visualization of its strong connections that stand the test of time. 

Driven by their High Tech and High Touch promise, Eastern Communications also rolled out initiatives that elevate the internet experience of every Manileño in time of pandemic.

Together with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Eastern Communications recently unveiled 34 units of “MNLKonek” digital kiosks along España Boulevard in Manila. These fiber-powered kiosks allow the public to do local phone calls, charge their phones, call emergency hotlines, and browse the internet for free. 

Likewise, Eastern Communications introduced to Manila its Eastern Home service to address the growing demand for home internet connection as more employees shift to working from home. It provides a burstable high-speed and non-intermittent residential internet service with equal upload and download speed of up to 100 mbps. 

“Eastern Communications is one with the city of Manila in providing quality internet experience to its constituents, and we are grateful that they are allowing us to be part of its efforts in the beautification of the capital city. We hope that through these initiatives, we are able to uplift the lives of every Manileño at this trying time,” shared Eastern Communications Head of Marketing Jedrek Estanislao.

To learn more about Eastern Communications, visit eastern.com.ph.