HBO GO’s fiercest female characters redefine ‘girl power’ : Celebrate Women’s Month with these inspiring ladies of style and substance! Watch ‘em all only on HBO GO, powered by PLDT Home!

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From Effie White with her amazing voice and personality that arrested everyone in the room in Dream Girls (2006) to Imperator Furiosa with her willingness to put her life on the line to free the Five Wives in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), aren’t we all glad to have strong female role models across pop culture to inspire young ladies growing up?

With more women at the helm of productions in recent years, more of these girl power-focused tropes have come to life — with their stories of individuality, resilience, strength, and womanhood front and center.

HBO GO celebrates Women’s Month by spotlighting some of these heroines and their inspiring journeys. From Gossip Girl’s misunderstood queen bee to Batwoman’s self-effacing medic, meet strong, relatable women and discover their stories only on HBO GO — powered by PLDT Home’s fastest connections. For only P149 a month or P299 for three months, access HBO GO’s library of award-winning series and blockbusters conveniently charged to your monthly bill!

Get to know and maybe learn a few life lessons along the way from these female icons. Warning: Spoilers ahead!

Gossip Girl’s Julien Calloway

She’s as moneyed as an Upper East Sider as she’s influential as an Instagram celeb. With her shaved head and supermodel bod, Julien (Jordan Alexander) rocks as the new Queen Bee of Constance in this Gossip Girl reboot.

Make no mistake, though: While usually nice, JC uses her Serena van der Woodsen-esque charm and Blair Waldorf-trademarked sense of authority to her advantage. In the recently concluded first season, she shows off a backbone of steel — defying her father’s wishes to connect with her half-sister Zoya and then confronting him about his sexual abuse allegations. In contrast to the OG GG queens though, Julien exhibits more accountability. In one episode, right at Zoya’s birthday party, she realizes she has gone too far in bullying her sister that she asks everyone in the crowd to record her unexpected “I’m a bully” admission.

Stream Gossip Girl now on HBO GO.

And Just Like That…’s Seema Patel

As the overdue follow-up series to the iconic Sex and the City, And Just Like That… proves that women can hold their own — no matter the decade or phase in life.

The show may have its original leads in Carrie, Miranda, and Charlotte, but no one translates this message more than 50-something realtor Seema (Sarita Choudhury). A new addition to the series, Seema is a breath of fresh air — playing a major role in showing the recently-widowed Carrie that there is still more to life after Mr. Big’s death. She even helps her find a new apartment! Unabashed and opinionated, Seema points out Carrie’s mistakes including this one insensitive — albeit unintentional — remark on her love life and age.

Stream And Just Like That… now on HBO GO

KIMI’s Angela Childs

Trauma affects people in different ways — Angela (Zoë Kravitz), a sexual assault victim too scarred to step out of her Seattle loft, knows.

Angela works from home as a data monitor for Amygdala, a tech firm whose products include a smart speaker that uses human monitoring to improve its search algorithm called Kimi (think Amazon’s Alexa). It’s the perfect job for her until she hears a terrifying voice recording that has her suspect someone is being assaulted.

Angela reports the incident to her superiors, but none believe her — an experience she knows too well after being disbelieved for her own assault. In this new scenario, she finally musters the courage to check out what’s beyond her front door and gather enough evidence to make a case. Even as she discovers that the higher-ups at work are involved, there is no stopping her.

Stream KIMI now on HBO GO.

The Girl Before’s Jane Cavendish

Jane (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), after suffering from a traumatic stillbirth, ran away to escape her pain by renting a gorgeous home in One Folgate Street owned by an eccentric architect, Edward (David Oyelowo).

Despite red flags (strict rules, cameras everywhere, no personal possessions inside), Jane decides this is the perfect place for her to heal. She even develops a romantic relationship with Edward but everything changes upon learning about Emma, the previous tenant who has more than a passing resemblance to her had mysteriously died. Feeling a connection and wanting to find answers, a suspicious, justice-seeking Jane is led down a dangerous rabbit hole.

Stream The Girl Before now on HBO GO.

Land’s Edee Holzer

Feeling extremely guilty after losing her family in a theater shooting, sole survivor Edee Holzer (Robin Wright) physically isolates herself in the mountains of Alberta, Canada. It’s as if Edee came to the mountains to die, as she leans on her pain and lives off-grid with no survival know-how.

After a bad snowstorm destroys her new home, she meets Miguel (Demián Bichir), a hunter who teaches her how to hunt and rebuild her home. Edee finds solace in her new friend, who also lost his family. Edee finally lets herself grieve for her own loss as she navigates her way back to the life she had left.

Stream Land on HBO GO from March 19.

Batwoman’s Mary Hamilton

In the dark city of Gotham City, the Batwomen— Ryan Wilder and Kate Kane — are fighting with its villains. On the other side of the coin is the cheerful Dr. Hamilton (Nicole Kang), who has hers anchored on nursing. She supports Kate upon learning of the latter’s identity as the female caped crusader.

Despite numerous setbacks, including becoming Poison Ivy and turning on her friends, Mary proves that strong women can do what’s right to help others. In an episode, Mary stops supervillain Alice from blowing up the Gotham Dam and saves thousands in the city.

Stream Batwoman now on HBO GO.

Watch, discover, and be inspired by stories of strong female icons only on HBO GO, powered by PLDT Home’s fastest connections. Enjoy HBO’s collection of award-winning content with the undisputed fastest broadband network in the Philippines, as recognized at the Ookla Speedtest Awards.

For more information on how to enjoy HBO GO with your PLDT Home subscription, please visit the official website at pldthome.com/hbogo.

Legarda, DOT and Antique LGU launch documentary on Antique's marine treasures on Discovery Channel - "Antique: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea"

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Antique: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea, a new documentary is produced by studio H20 through the Office of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda , The Department of Tourism in partnership with the Province of Antique.

The documentary, which captures the underwater beauty of the province, as well as the true heart of the Antiqueños, will air on Discovery Channel on March 23, 2022 (Wednesday), with replays on March 24, 2022

Antique, a province in Panay Island in Western Visayas in the Philippines, is often overlooked as a tourist destination because of its proximity to the more popular Boracay Island in Aklan. But Antiqueños believe this will soon change.

"Antique is a paradise where the mountains meet the sea. It is a province that may have been in the doldrums for three decades but is now experiencing (its) Golden Age," says Loren Legarda, Deputy Speaker and Representative of the Lone District of Antique.

Under Legarda’s vision of discovering, documenting and protecting Antique’s rich marine biodiversity, she allocated a budget under the Department of Tourism that was implemented by the local government of Antique and the DOT regional office.

In early 2021, Studio H2O organized an expedition team composed of marine researchers, scientists, and underwater cinematographers. Aside from conducting a scientific survey of the reefs in Antique, particularly around the coastal areas of Pandan Bay and Libertad, the project also held a freediving workshop for fisherfolks with the intention of teaching them how to survey, protect and do an inventory of their own marine areas.

"Part of the survey is to have the local people learn the method so they can continue on with the monitoring, or at least be interested in learning more about it," says Tara Abrina, one of the team's researchers and freediving instructors. "The objective of the project was really for tourism, to see where people can go to dive, where guests can stay, and what might be interesting underwater," she adds.

During the survey, a rare sighting of an oceanic manta ray, a creature known to visit nutrient-rich waters that provide zooplankton, surprised and excited the team. The oceanic manta ray is famous for its majestic form that could reach up to twenty-three feet across. For the researchers, the encounter was truly magical. But no one was more delighted than the staunch environmental champion herself. "The discovery and sighting of the existence of the manta ray in our waters is so important because it shows they thrive in a healthy marine ecosystem," says Deputy Speaker Legarda. "And the manta ray, of course, must be protected at all costs, especially because it is identified as possibly threatened for extinction," she further emphasizes.

Antique: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea

Deputy Speaker Legarda is aware that the oceanic manta ray sighting can draw in more visitors and open up more possibilities for ecotourism. That is why she believes that the tedious task of survey and documentation is crucial in educating the public about the all-important work of protecting the environment. Thus, her continued support for projects such as this remains steadfast. "How can we protect something we don't know exists and so documenting all of this-- taking photos and video without destroying their habitats—is very important."

Legarda authored several landmark environmental laws, as well as laws on marine protection and conservation such as Ecological Solid Waste Management Law, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, the Climate Change Act, Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System, National Environmental Awareness and Education Act, People’s Survival Fund Act, and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, among others. As Deputy Speaker and Representative of the Lone District of Antique, Legarda has also authored bills for the province’s marine protection such as the establishment of a multi-species marine hatchery in Tibiao and the Northern Antique Protected Seascape and Landscape.

Watch the journey of the Antique expedition team in Antique: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea, a new documentary produced by Studio H2O through the Office of Deputy Speaker Legarda, the Department of Tourism in partnership with the Province of Antique. 

The 20-minute documentary, which captures the underwater beauty of the province, as well as the true heart of the Antiqueños, will air on Discovery Channel on March 23, 2022 (Wednesday) at 6:15 pm (Philippine standard time), with replays on March 24, 2022 at 8:15 am and 11:25 am (Philippine standard time). Discovery Channel airs in the following countries: Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and India.

ABS-CBN searches for the next online singing sensation in "Bida Star Singer"

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ABS-CBN's online talent competition, "Bida Star," begins its search for the next online singing sensation in "Bida Star Singer" with mainstay hosts Karina Bautista and Aljon Mendoza, who will be joined by “Pinoy Big Brother Kumunity Season 10" housemate Anji Salvacion.

Anji believes that her experience as a former "Idol Philippines" contestant will help her impart lessons to aspiring singers. "I experienced the same thing as they do. I'm grateful to be able to host a singing contest since this is where I started," she said.

It is the first singing edition for “Bida Star” wherein aspiring singers will showcase their talent in exciting challenges like "The Cover," a live singing showdown in front of their judges, "Online Gig," wherein the contestants take over Star Hunt's kumu account, and a "Bida Star Bagsakan."

"I'm excited to see how the contestants will give a new flavor to the songs that a lot of people have performed before,” shared Karina. " I'm excited about what new things will they offer to the Kapamilyas. We are all unique, so I expect to see it.”

For his part, Aljon shared how the online talent search has helped him hone his hosting skills. He shared, "I learned how to listen to the guest than focusing on the suggested questions. I learned that communication and connection are key to hosting."

The contestants are in for an exciting journey with their judges, which include ABS-CBN singing coach Anna Graham, head of "It's Showtime" and Polaris Reily Santiago, and a weekly celebrity guest judge from Polaris. The “Bida Star” winner will win an ABS-CBN management and recording contract, a special trophy, and a cash prize of P50,000.

Filipino citizens aged 18 years old and above, who have a talent for singing, can audition to become the next Bida Star Singer until March 18 (Friday) by visiting forms.abs-cbn/bidastarsinger for more information and fill out the audition form.

“Bida Star” Star has fulfilled the dreams of young and talented Filipinos like Dustine Mayores, who is now a "PBB" kumunity teen housemate, and Ruth Paga, who is now a Star Hunt artist. Both Dustine and Ruth became the Ultimate Bida Stars in the past seasons after getting the highest votes from viewers and their mentor Direk Rahyan Carlos for the acting skills they showed in the competition.

To know more about “Bida Star Singer,” follow Star Hunt on Facebook (@starhuntabscbn), Kumu (@starhuntabscbn), Twitter (@starhuntabscbn), Instagram (@starhuntabscbn), and Tiktok (@starhuntabscbn

Study shows some OTC throat lozenges found highly effective against the COVID-19 virus

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Lozenges containing both Benzydamine Hydrochloride (BH) and Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) found efficacious in COVID-caused sore throat

Steyer Study discussion with preventive health education and health reform advocate, Dr. Anthony “Tony” Leachon during the Virtual Media Roundtable

on Wednesday, March 16

Some OTC throat lozenges may be effective against COVID-19

We know your over-the-counter throat lozenge can relieve a sore throat and can help manage a pesky cold or cough. But can they take the wind out of the sails of the dreaded Covid-19 virus?

The question got a fresh look recently after researchers at Microbiology and Immunology Institute of the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia, found that throat lozenges containing a combination of Benzydamine Hydrochloride (BH) and Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) may have a virucidal effect against Covid-19 and help reduce the risk of viral transmission.

Virus-killing Action against SARS-CoV-2

The preliminary findings, based on testing in a defined and controlled laboratory environment designed to mimic the conditions of the oral cavity, found that all three test settings showed strong virucidal (virus killing) activity against SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 infection.

In fact, the throat lozenge test products in a high concentration were the fastest at destroying the virus, reducing the viral concentration by 99.99% in as fast as 1 (one) minute. This also suggests the possibility of reducing the amount of virus in the oral cavity as well as reducing the risk of viral transmission.

Encouraging step in fight against Covid-19

While it’s important to note that the study is yet to be peer-reviewed, with economic activities opening up and the country on Alert Level 1, these results are extremely encouraging and a positive step in finding ways to manage the spread of COVID-19; especially through a simple and effective method such as using widely available medicated sore throat lozenges.

Getting Vaccinated with Booster shot, and the observance of standard health protocols such as proper handwashing, physical distancing and mask-wearing are the current mainstays for the reduction of virus spread. However, Benzydamine HCl and Cetylpyridinium Cl containing throat lozenges could prove to be another valuable tool.

*The results of this study were first published by Andrej Steyer, Misa Marusic, Marko Kolenc, Tina Triglav from the Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, in the article “A throat lozenge with fixed combination of cetylpyridinium chloride and benzydamine hydrochloride has direct virucidal effect on SARS-CoV-2”, COVID, 2021;1(2):435-446 (Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/Covid1020037) which has since been republished with permission in the Romanian Journal of Pharmaceutical Practice (Sarafoleanu C et al, 2021).

WellGreens Advocates for Self-Love By Going Beyond Natural Health Supplements - Alice Dixson reaffirms commitment to making natural, healthy choices

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(Quezon City, Philippines) – WellGreens, Pascual Laboratories Inc.’s premium and certified organic natural food supplement brand advocates self-love this pandemic by encouraging people to go beyond natural with healthier choices via its 2022 campaign “Go Beyond Natural! Choose Premium and Certified Organic​”.

Going Beyond Natural

In these times, self-love, specifically caring for one’s health has been key to surviving and thriving. Food supplements, such as vitamins and herbal products, have become the new must-haves in people’s daily nutrition. WellGreens doesn’t just believe in sourcing products naturally but in going certified organic. The PascualLab brand is not only natural, with ingredients found in the environment; WellGreens takes it further as it undergoes stringent processes that subscribe to industry-approved farming & production, and high manufacturing standards, making it certified organic.

Certified Organic

WellGreens’ ingredients are mostly derived from one of the largest organic-certified farms in the Philippines, Leonie Agri Corp. (LAC). With EU-based certifying organization Control Union’s stamp of approval, the farm has both EU and USDA organic certifications. Aside from these, LAC is also certified for Good Agricultural Practices by the Department of Agriculture.

Premium Food Supplements

WellGreens products which include Sinta, Lagundi – Cuban Oregano, Malunggay, Mangosteen-Malunggay, and Ampalaya are harvested, processed, and manufactured through a stringent 13-step process.

WellGreens Organic Sinta

Sinta or Andrographis Paniculata is known in folklore as an herb that benefits type 2 diabetes¹ - the variant caused by lifestyle choices. Clinical studies attest to this and Sinta’s many health benefits – aside from helping reduce blood sugar,², ³ it also relieves upper respiratory tract infections.⁴ Moreover, it has anti-inflammatory properties that can help manage certain inflammatory conditions ⁵

WellGreens is Alice Dixson’s Healthy Choice

Alice Dixson, launched as WellGreens’ brand ambassador last year, reaffirms her commitment to loving oneself through healthy choices by going beyond her comfort zone. Known to live a healthy lifestyle, Dixson is not one to go easy on her routine, and with it she makes sure to incorporate preventive food supplements into her diet.

Dixson says:

“I started living a healthier lifestyle as part of self-love so I can pursue more of my passions. At my age, I need to keep myself going by complementing my already healthy choices with food supplements that go beyond their natural goodness. WellGreens Sinta which is certified organic and premium, continues to be my choice since it helps keep my blood sugar in check”.

WellGreens is available in all Mercury Drug branches nationwide and in PascualLab’s flagship Lazada and Shopee Stores. Avail now of WellGreens with their Buy-One-Take-One promo! Join the FB community @WellGreens for updates on the latest in healthy choices.

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Sources:
¹Okhuarobo A, Falodun J, Erharuyi O, et al. Harnessing the medicinal properties of Andrographis paniculata for diseases and beyond: a review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. Asian Pac J Trop is. 2014 Jun; 4 (3):213-222. DOI: 10.1016/S222-1808 (14) 60509-0

²Ischak N, Botutihe D. Premiliminary Study of Clinical Antidiabetic Activity of Salam Leaves (Eugenua Polyantha) and Sambiloto Leaves (Andropgrahis Paniculata in Type 2 Diabetic Patients. IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Envronmental Science. 580 (2020) 0123034. Doi: 10. 1088/1755-1315/589/1/012034

³Alrich JR Hilario , et. al. “Evaluation and Characterization of Indigenous King of Bitters, Andrographis paniculata (Sinta) and Momordica Charantia (Ampalaya)”. September 2021

⁴Nizmawardini Y, Endang H, Djunaidi R, et al. The Effect of Andrographis paniculata Extract Capsules on Blood Glucose Level in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. International Journal of Current Research. 2013; 5(3): 578-581. ISSN: 0975-833X.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10589439

⁵Rahmi E, Kumolosasi E, Jalil J, et al. Extracts of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees Leaves Exert Anti-Gout Effects by Lowering Uric Acid Levels and Reducing Monosodium Urate Crystal-Induced Inflammation. Front Pharmacol. 2022; 12:787125. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.787125