Mikey Bustos on navigating the challenges of being an online celebrity

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“I don’t think anyone is prepared for the life that comes with going viral in the internet.” 

It’s been 14 years since Mikey Bustos first posted a video on YouTube. It was a video of him performing as a front act for a Pussycat Dolls concert in Manila. And while initially renowned for his career as a singer and performer, it was really the relatable content he has been masterfully crafting and posting online that has captured the hearts and laughs of many. 

“It’s been such a learning curve,” said Mikey about his career, despite years of creating countless viral videos such as “Adobo” - a parody of the song Let It Go from Frozen - and “Balikbayan Box” - a parody of the Miley Cyrus Hit “Wrecking Ball”. “You just have to navigate through,” he added. 

While having to constantly think of new ideas is already a challenge in itself, having an audience that can directly interact with you via a comments section is another. “Having to deal with bashers is something you never get used to,” he remarked. 

Other challenges Mikey mentioned that he has encountered in his career was having to fight through insecurities, second-guessing himself, and managing his schedule. 

There was even a time when Mikey was juggling multiple YouTube channels all while traveling, performing, and managing his ant business. And while it was a challenge for him to do all these simultaneously, all these “trades” brought about plenty of opportunities. 

With these opportunities, however, come crucial choices he needed to make. 

On taking risks 

“For me, to be successful, you need to take calculated risks,” said Bustos who mentioned that one of the biggest risks he made in his life was moving to the Philippines from Canada. 

But this was just one among many risks Mikey had to take in order for his career to flourish further. 

“Signing contracts, teaming up with brands, expanding a team, collaborating with other content creators—these are all risks and choices you have to calculate and think about. You can’t just throw all your chips in and wish for the best” he stressed. 

On the art of de-stressing 

With all these decisions and challenges, not to mention having to sustain his career and business, there is no doubt that stress and risk of burnout frequent Mikey’s life. 

To combat these, he turns to exercise and meditation. 

To combat the stress and risk of burnout that comes with his successful career, Mikey makes sure to incorporate exercise and meditation to his daily routine. 

“I always try to incorporate exercise into my routine. I go to the gym a few times a week, and now I’ve taken a love for running—making sure I go 10km every day. In terms of mentally staying in shape, I do a lot of meditation and prayer.” 

To lessen the risk of burnout, Mikey also makes sure to explore his hobbies, which is sometimes a blurred line for him as his work involves making the most of his interests and sharing it online. He solves this dilemma by exploring his hobbies without feeling the need to bring a camera with him. 

On the importance of trust 

Another way Mikey reduces the stress brought about by his career and ventures is working with people that he trusts, which for him, is crucial to success. 

In the time of the pandemic, Mikey also shared that bringing “trusty” items with him wherever he goes is key to having an extra “peace of mind”. 

In the time of the pandemic, Mikey always makes sure to bring “trusty” items like face masks, face shields and Diatabs wherever he goes to help ensure “peace of mind”. 

“Lately, I always bring all sorts of protective gear—masks, alcohol, face shields, and the like. I also make sure to bring a lipbalm because ‘you never know when you’ll be on camera,’” he remarked. 

Besides exercise and meditation, Mikey also explores other hobbies such as reading to help keep his creative mind in top shape.

“I also make sure that I bring Diatabs with me wherever I go, especially when I’m running. It helps because I’ve been having ‘banyo-phobia’—When I’m far from the house and I really have to go, it’s hard for me to go use the public toilet because of the fear of acquiring the coronavirus. That’s why it’s always good to have Diatabs around,” he shared. 

Diatabs is a product of Unilab, a trusted anti-diarrheal brand in the country, that can easily take care of your upset stomach and give you the peace of mind you need when it comes to bowel trouble. It is available in leading drugstores and pharmacies nationwide. To learn more, visit https://www.unilab.com.ph/products/diatabs

5 things to remember as we begin again

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As we welcome the new year—2021, it might do well for us to look back, to take stock of the positive lessons that we can extract from what was an unprecedented year. For sure, numerous take-aways can be gained as we move forward and anticipate a more “mobile” next normal—especially since vaccine trials by leading pharmaceutical companies have been yielding encouraging results.

With that, here are 5 lessons we should remember as we begin again:

Always wash your hands

Perhaps the most frequent reminder worth noting is how the power of proper handwashing has been in full display. It has been proven effective in killing 99.9% of germs and should always be considered a first line of defense against sicknesses and diseases.

Do not take sicknesses lightly 

The previous year that was also demonstrated how a virus can easily and quickly transmit from one person to another. With this, one should learn to treat regular coughs, colds, and flu like a very harmful and contagious virus. That means that even if the pandemic eventually ends, it would be wise to isolate one’s self when they feel flu-like symptoms or anything of the sort.

 

Take care of yourself

But more than the physical and physiological, we also learned to focus on ourselves and safeguard our mental health, a practice which we should continue doing even as we start physically interacting with others—carefully—and as we slowly get back into our fast-paced lives.

 

Cherish each moment

At some point during the lockdown, there must have been a point where we all realized that we had taken some activities, events, and physical hangouts for granted. So, in heading out again with care, cherish and make the most out of every outdoor moment and create memories that can last lifetimes.

Always be prepared

But in our excitement to resume our normal lifestyle, hang out, and even hook up, it’s important to remember that health safety should always be a priority for us to continue to enjoy the best things life can offer, for a long time.

So always be prepared and bring quality PPEs like alcohol, hand sanitizers, wipes, and even condoms—such as Durex—especially for those who have been craving for intimacy.

To learn more about the best PPEs to use in the next normal and how to stay safe and protected both up there and down there, Durex has launched a series of insightful videos with Boys Night Out which you can catch on Facebook and YouTube.

Globe site builds help Dagupan residents prepare for the future

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Globe maintains its momentum in improving its network and upgrading its sites to build a #FirstWorldNetwork, with more sites up in rural areas where connectivity was once dire. Globe has been building new cell sites to fulfill the telco's commitment to have 4G LTE nationwide, in areas such as Brgy. Tambac, Dagupan.

Developments like access to the internet are more than crucial to residents in the area. For them, internet connectivity opens the door to more educational opportunities and economic possibilities for their barangay’s youth.

For parents faced with the challenge of mentoring their children through modules and distance learning, better connectivity supports this daily endeavor. Primalyn Castulo, a resident of Brgy. Tambac shares, “Ang importante maka-aral ‘yung bata, kasi ang uso ngayon ay online [learning] po eh. Mabilis na po [ang internet].” (The child is able to study, since online [learning] is what is being done now. The internet is faster now.)

“In this new normal, telecommunications or for online learning plays a vital role in delivering the easiest and fastest way of learning to our school children. Without it, the level of education will be a challenge to both teachers and students,” shares Jeanet de Vera, School Director of Sir Melan Learning Center in Calasiao, which specializes in both school-based and teach-from-home set-ups.

Average download speeds across all mobile providers in the Philippines' rose to 22.50 Mbps from 18.49 Mbps in November 2020, according to data from Speedtest™ Global Index.

Globe’s regional mobile Consistency Score™ also improved from the previous quarter in 16 out of 17 regions, registering increases as high as 10 PPTs (percentage points), with Consistency Scores ranging from 39% and 65% in Q4 2020. Ookla®'s quarterly data shows that Globe's overall Consistency Score in Q4 2020 improved to 60.82% from Q3’s 56.83%.

Mobile Consistency Score measures the number of incidences (viewed as a percentage) of a provider's samples equal or exceeds both a download threshold of 5 Mbps and an upload threshold of 1 Mbps.

The company strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.

 

CitySavings provides recovery assistance to schools

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2020 was indeed a challenging year and the education sector most especially was not spared from the massive pressure on distance learning and teaching brought about by the pandemic. The series of typhoons that hit different parts of the country caused immense destruction to school infrastructure and learning materials across Luzon areas. 

School buildings and furniture were damaged, technology equipment and supplies, learning materials, and printed modules for remote distance learning were ruined and washed away due to massive flooding. 

In response to the Department of Education’s (DepEd) call for help, City Savings Bank, Inc. (CitySavings) mobilized calamity related assistance through various relief distributions and education recovery support initiatives to the typhoon-affected areas in Regions 2, 3, NCR, 4A, 4B and 5. 

Over 1,800 relief goods (rice, canned goods, water, vitamins, coffee) and hygiene kits (bath soap, toothpaste, toothbrush) were distributed as immediate aid. 

“Maraming-maraming salamat po sa CitySavings para sa grocery na relief goods na ibinigay sa aming pamilya. Napakalaking tulong po nito lalo na ngayon na nasalanta po kami, binaha gawa ng mga nagdaang bagyo. Sa pamunuan ng Calamba Bayside Integrated School at mga guro, isang taos-pusong pasasalamat at naging daan kayo para mabigyan kaming mga evacuees ng relief assistance mula sa CitySavings,” said Clemente Atesora, an evacuee from the said school. 

The Bank also donated printers, inks, and bond papers to assist in the replacement and reproduction of self-learning modules (SLMs) to 75 schools and divisions in Luzon. 

“The corporate social responsibility projects of City Savings Bank have always been felt by the SDO of Camarines Sur, from the printing of SLMs to the relief operations due to typhoons Rolly and Ulysses. Thank you very much for being our active partner,” said Loida N. Nidea CESO V, Schools Division Superintendent – Division of Camarines Sur. 

CitySavings Reputation and Brand Management Head Paula Ruelan emphasized “As we usher in the new year, we are committed to supporting our education sector by providing resources the best way we can. We advocate equal access to quality education despite the adversities brought by these natural calamities during this time of global health crisis. 

Guided by the Aboitiz Group’s purpose to drive change for a better world, CitySavings has pledged its support to DepEd under the government’s Basic Education - Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) for the school year 2020 - 2021. 

About City Savings Bank: 

City Savings Bank, Inc. (CitySavings) is the thrift bank subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) and a member of the Aboitiz Group. It is one of the largest thrift banks in the country and provides a range of mass market financial products and services such as salary loans to public and private school teachers, pension loans to GSIS and SSS pensioners, OFW loans, seafarer loans, motorcycle loans, and traditional deposit products. The bank now has more than 140 branches nationwide.

Compassion and excellence at the heart of Cardinal Santos Medical Center

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Clinical excellence has always been the core of Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s (CSMC) services—from its medical staff composed of some of the most respected doctors today, to the technology that it uses to bring the most groundbreaking services to its patients. 

Clinical excellence throughout the years. Dr. Zenaida Javier-Uy, Senior Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer of Cardinal Santos Medical Center shares how the hospital has continuously strived to be at the forefront of the medical industry by providing innovative services and investing in groundbreaking technologies. 

“Clinical excellence encompasses a lot of things, not just excellent doctors in terms of knowledge, but excellence in being an innovator—leading the pack, so to speak. The patients seek out our services because they know how good our doctors are. It also encompasses the services we offer and how our people take care of our patients. We continuously improve on our 

ways as we remain determined to be top of mind for our patients when and if they need to go to a hospital,” said Dr. Zenaida Javier-Uy, Chief Medical Officer of CSMC. 

Dr. Javier-Uy has been with CSMC for forty-two years and has witnessed how the hospital has continuously strived to be at the forefront of the medical industry over the years. 

This brand of clinical excellence has been the driving factor behind CSMC’s investments in groundbreaking technologies, which in turn has enabled it to offer some of its most innovative services like Gamma Knife Surgery. Considered to be the gold standard technique in Stereotactic Radiosurgery, Gamma Knife Surgery allows neurosurgeons to make no incisions as they treat sensitive ailments of the brain, making the procedure simple, painless, and straightforward. 

“We really take pride in being first in a lot of things,” Dr. Javier-Uy adds. 

Passion for people. (Dr. Zenaida Javier-Uy, Senior Vice-President and Chief Medical Officer, with the Medical Executive Committee of Cardinal Santos Medical Center) The hospital continues to attract the best minds in the industry as it consistently strengthens its development programs for their doctors, nurses, and hospital staff. 

Complementing these technological innovations, CSMC continues to provide training and development tools to its people to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary advanced skills. For medical professionals, CSMC has established Philippine Center for Advanced Surgery - Minimally Invasive Training Center (PCAS-MISTC). The PCAS-MISTC is the first of its kind in the Philippines and is one of the few MIS facilities on advanced surgery in Asia. 

For the nursing underboards in their team, CSMC has launched Project Apple, a development program that enables them to pursue their dreams to be a fully licensed nurse. Project Apple was designed to establish a robust nursing talent pipeline for the organization while helping transform lives in the process. 

For Dr. Javier-Uy, these programs are a testament to the hospital’s passion for their people which, in turn, attracted some of the best medical minds to the hospital. 

“To most of us CSMC is home, we are a really family-oriented hospital,” she says. 

Just like they treat their people as family, CSMC gives the same level of value to their patients. 

“Here at CSMC, you are family. That is our corporate brand, but truly that’s how all of us feel. When you are here in CSMC you are part of a caring and loving family,” Dr. Javier-Uy explained. 

This marriage between medical expertise and compassion is what cemented Cardinal Santos Medical Center’s commitment to provide world-class healthcare to its patients. 

But what really drives CSMC’s continuous commitment to deliver excellent service and compassionate care is the institution’s rootedness to the Catholic faith—the very faith that, according to Dr. Javier-Uy, provides clarity, resolve, and direction for many of their medical staff. 

“It is our faith that has played a big role on how we take care of our patients and why malasakit is an extremely important value of the hospital,” Dr. Javier-Uy concluded. 

For more information about these services and others that CSMC offers, please visit https://cardinalsantos.com.ph/. CSMC is also on Facebook, like and follow them at www.facebook.com/CardinalSantos.