Ward 448, Debunking the HIV Stigma, Sowing Compassion and Understanding, Giving Information

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“WARD 448”a play written and directed by Rodel Mercado is a trilogy that presents the stories of individuals that have HIV virus affliction. The play depicts the fight-or-flight response of persons infected with this devastating and life-threatening disease and how discrimination, ignorance and the stigma exacerbates the predicament of the persons with HIV.

From the point of view and reportage of Jennylyn Braza, a news reporter with Karina Macaspac and Jenney Cañeja as alternates, the story of three (3) RITM in-patients who stay in the same ward will figure in their news story.

The headliners are Carla Mae, a mother of three with Anna Escobia and Justine Torralba as alternates; the men who have sex with other men group who work at a BPO are VJ Mendoza, Kevin Posadas and Rey Correjado; and seasoned thespians Ronnie Martinez and Roeder Camanag who alternately portray Francis, a jaded drag performer.

Director Mercado says: “The production’s main reason for being is that we want to shed light and give the correct information about people with HIV affliction. Yes, we focus on their difficulties and struggles, especially in coming to terms that they have the HIV infection and how they manage to maintain their dignity and humanity”.

Adds Mercado: “The play employs of humor, drama, paghaplos sa puso at pagbubukas ng pang-unawa elements to its narrative. The medium of theater here has become a powerful tool to impart knowledge about the affliction that is HIV, to push safe sex practices and help build a a community that does not judge, but understands and helps those who are HIV afflicted and their loved ones.”

The figures of people with HIV affliction have skyrocketed and DOH reports say that the Philippines has become the fastest HIV/AIDS growing population in the Asia and Pacific region with 237% increase in an exhaustive and verified report on HIV infections FROM the periods of 2010 to 2022.

Director Mercado concludes: “By watching our play, you’re also exercising your power to contribute to the collective efforts to minimize, and hopefully end the escalating digits of individuals with HIV. Be one with us as we debunk the stigma, sow compassion and understanding, and give accurate information on HIV affliction”.

"WARD 448", produced Frontline Production Inc. is slated on October 29 and 30, 2022 , with matinee (3pm and gala 7pm) performances at the RCBC THEATER (Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium), 4th Floor, Tower II, RCBC Plaza, 6819 Ayala Ave., Makati City.

Tickets are available now at ticket2me.net

PHILUSA Corporation celebrates 65 years of supporting Filipino families, unveils Katuwang ng Tahanang Pilipino campaign

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In celebration of its 65th anniversary, trusted Filipino household company PHILUSA Corporation continues its commitment to making meaningful, healthy, and sustainable lifestyle more attainable for Filipino families through “Katuwang ng Tahanang Pilipino” campaign.

PHILUSA Corporation is a leading Filipino-owned company that is known for marketing and distributing fast-moving consumer goods and pharmaceutical products through their iconic Filipino brands like RHEA, Babyflo, Cleene, MEDIPLAST, Albatross, Apollo, and more.

Dedicated to being a part of every Filipino household, PHILUSA Corporation marks its 65^th year by championing hygiene, health, sustainability, and giving back to the communities. The leading company commenced the anniversary campaign by supporting Luwalhati ng Maynila, a home for the aged in Marikina City. Led by the PHILUSA Family Council (PHILFACO), the initiative benefitted over 400 seniors in the institution, receiving kitchen equipment and supplies, household products, hygiene kits, medical kits, and more.

“PHILUSA Corporation strives to inspire volunteerism in others by creating a meaningful impact in the community. Our company has helped different sectors over the years through social development efforts and relief assistance, and PHILUSA continues with its commitment of touching the lives of Filipino families through these initiatives,” said PHILUSA President and General Manager Neogin Evangelista.

Through the “Katuwang ng Tahanang Pilipino” campaign, PHILUSA Corporation continues to uphold its core values of putting its customers’ needs first, achieving timely and quality results through innovation and continuous improvement, and doing everything with integrity through its initiatives in helping others.

The initiative strives to maintain the trust of Filipinos, featuring its three main pillars – Katuwang sa Kalinisan highlights the brand’s efforts to promote the importance of hygiene; Katuwang sa Kalikasan, on the other hand, showcases its commitment to sustainability; and, lastly, Katuwang sa Kalusugan advocates overall wellness in every household.

“We’ve always envisioned PHILUSA Corporation as every Filipino’s household partner, which is why we are very excited to announce our Katuwang ng Tahanang Pilipino campaign. This campaign is really a celebration of PHILUSA Corporation’s 65th year championing health, wellness and environmental sustainability to Filipinos everywhere not only through our products and brands, but also through our initiatives,” shared Mr. Evangelista.

The Katuwang ng Tahanang Pilipino campaign will be a continuation of PHILUSA Corporation’s efforts to pay it forward by releasing relevant content on its sustainability and hygiene-related initiatives, as well as outreach programs to promote and raise awareness about their advocacies of health, hygiene, and environmental sustainability.

To learn more about PHILUSA Corporation and their different brands and initiatives, visit their website at https://philusa.com.ph or visit their official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/PhilusaCorporation/. 

Kim Chiu's beyond the usual hair solution is finally here!

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Looking confidently hair-ready any time of the day is now possible! Regardless of age, gender, and income, there is no longer a need to break the bank to get that perfect luscious hair. Actress-host and influencer, Kim Chiu with beauty pageant titleholders Miss World PH 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez and Miss Hispanoamericano PH 2022 Ingrid Santamaria, and some influencers shared their secret to getting that perfect wavy and straight hair during the intimate media launch of Lifestrong Hairfix.

As the crowning glory, Kim recognizes the need to care for the hair on all occasions anytime, anywhere. This has been affirmed by beauty influencers Kris Lumagui and Lolly Isabel who led the pack of influencers by sharing how Hairfix has helped in solving their past hair struggles, as well as, hairstylist MJ Rone, who shared his experience with Hairfix while styling for pageant beauties.

Meanwhile, influencers Quel Palomo, Nikki Tiu, Patricia Parian of Momshies Diary, as well as, Tiktok Influencers Grace Uy, Aika Legaspi, Mica Abacan, Jaymie Cruz, Jaymee Javier were also present at the vibrant event while wearing pink and blue to represent the two Hairfix Serum Lines.

Apart from the games and raffle, which the Influencers and the media members gamely participated in, another highlight of the launch was the recognition and awarding of the plaque from the European Hair Factory and the Philippine General Hospital to Kim, along with Lifestrong’s General Manager, Marge Lee and President, Lance Lee for their hair donation for the cancer patients.

“Gusto talaga ng Lifestrong and ni Ms. Marge na magkaroon ng magandang hair ang lahat. And of course, ang mga cancer patients hindi talaga maiiwasan na magkaroon sila ng hair loss at mawalan sila ng confidence sa sarili nila na ‘Wala na kaming hair kaya hindi na kami lalabas ng bahay,’” Kim said.

She added, “I’m very happy kasi hindi lang siya nagpapaganda ng hair ko kasi nagbibigay rin siya ng hope for the cancer patients.”

Much-needed (Hair) fix

Different hair problems need different but not necessarily expensive solutions.

Lifestrong Hairfix provides a complete Do-It-Yourself hair care solution catering to every hair need from hair essentials, hair treatments, hair color, hair styling, and general merchandise for a full DIY experience at home. With its easy-to-use hair color and hair treatments that come in handy, travel-friendly sachets, Lifestrong Hairfix lives up to its name of fixing one’s hair in the comfort of the own home, at the convenience of their own time.

“In creating personal care products, we have always looked at creating items that empower Filipinos. But it doesn’t end there, we want our items to be accessible to many anytime anywhere. We know that times are hard and that the pandemic has changed the game for everyone including taking care of themselves. Such is the concept behind our DIY Hairfix products,” said Margaret Lee, Lifestrong’s Hairfix co-founder.

The Hairfix Multiplex Serum Range provides the much-needed hair vitamins and nutrients that address the inevitable hair deterioration due to excessive styling and exposure to heat, chemicals, and pollutants. Crafted with quality care and advancement, the line consists of Shampoo, Conditioner, and Treatment, all specially formulated in Italy to repair and nourish the hair. The Multiplex Serum Range has two variants namely: Hyaluronic Acid with Zinc, which hydrates the hair to power repair dry and damaged hair, and Keratin with Zinc, which straightens and enhances power growth for frizzy and tangled hair.

What further sets the two Hairfix Multiplex Serum Lines from other products is how scalp-friendly they are as they have no harsh chemicals like Paraben and Phthalate that have long been proven to cause various hair problems and allergic reactions.

Reaching the hair goals need not be pricey as the Hairfix Multiplex Serum Shampoo and Conditioner 250ml retails at P119, while the Hair Treatment 220ml retails at P239, for Buy One Take One. All are exclusively available at Watsons and SM Department stores nationwide this October 2022.

For more information about the Hairfix Multiplex Serum products follow HairfixPH on Instagram & Twitter and like Lifestrong Hairfix PH on Facebook. You can also visit our website at hairfix.com.ph and lifestrong.com.ph.

P1 Million cash credits and other exciting prizes up for grabs with UnionBank's Play2Win Raffle Promo

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UnionBank Credit Cardholders, we have a treat just for you! Get the chance to win exciting prizes and P1 Million worth of cash credits with UnionBank's Play2Win Raffle Promo!

To join, all you have to do is register one-time by clicking the PLAY2WIN image featured on the UnionBank website homepage and all your qualified spend using your UnionBank Credit Card after successful registration will earn Playcodes that you can use for UnionBank's Play2Win matching game! There is no minimum spend required; every single use of your UnionBank Credit Card will give you one (1) Playcode. It's that easy!

Spend and play the matching game for a chance to win amazing prizes such as an Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, an iPad Mini 6th Gen, a 13-inch M1 2020 MacBook Air, and many more!

That's not all. Each qualified transaction also entitles you to one (1) entry to the Play2Win raffle, where you can be one of the two (2) lucky winners of P1 Million worth of cash credits! This will be credited to the winning UnionBank Credit Card and can be used for shopping, dining, airline tickets, luxury getaways, or even for your daily necessities.

There will be two (2) raffle draws throughout the duration of the promo. The first draw happened on October 7, 2022 covering all qualified spend made until September 30, 2022. The second draw will happen on November 23, 2022 and will cover all qualified spend from October 1, 2022 until November 15, 2022.

Promo is ongoing until November 15, 2022, so hurry, REGISTER NOW and keep using your UnionBank Credit as the more you spend with it, the more Playcodes you can earn, giving you more chances of winning in the Play2Win matching game and the raffle! Make sure you’re not missing out on UnionBank Credit Card’s bigger and better offers! No UnionBank Credit Card yet? Apply now through the UnionBank website.

To learn more about the promo and other offers and deals from UnionBank, visit the UnionBank website and click the PLAY2WIN image featured on the homepage.

SPARK! partners with Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to empower young women and girl

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SPARK! Philippines will receive funding from Sony Music’s Global Social Justice Fund to accelerate young women’s rights advocacy through music and film   

Photo from left to right: Prerna Suri, VP, Communications, Asia & Middle East, SME; Hans Kevin Madanguit, Senior Program Manager, SPARK! Philippines; Shridhar Subramaniam, President, Corporate Strategy & Market Development, Asia & Middle East, SME; Maica Teves, Executive Director, SPARK! Philippines; Roslyn Pineda, GM, Philippines, SME; and Andrew Smith, EVP & CFO, Asia & Middle East, SME

SPARK! is delighted to announce new funding from Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to champion young women’s rights and provide access to free and quality education, improved reproductive health products and services, as well as support for gender sensitive and responsive programs.      

As a new beneficiary, SPARK! Philippines will develop an initiative that capitalizes on the power of storytelling through film and music to showcase inspirational narratives of the young women they support. The selected girls will collaborate with a critically acclaimed female filmmaker and Sony Music Philippines artists to produce original short biopics or documentaries featuring impactful musical scores and theme songs. A separate series of short videos will also be made to showcase how Sony Music Philippines artists engage with the young women through their workshops and songwriting and recording sessions.

“In addition to elevating young women and raising awareness for the issues they face, we want to inspire them to be more creative, to dream deeply, and to aspire for more,” said Maica Teves, Executive Director at SPARK! Philippines. “Young women need help with strengthening and amplifying their advocacy efforts, and support from the Sony Music Philippines’s musicians and filmmakers will help them achieve that in a creative way. Through our collaboration with Sony Music’s Global Social Justice Fund, we aim to give our young women a positive platform to showcase their collaboration and develop meaningful stories that shed much-needed light on the pressing issues they face. We want to embed a belief in equal rights and the importance of education at a young age and will work hand-in-hand with Sony Music Entertainment Philippines to realize these goals.”      

“We are happy to partner with SPARK! who are impacting the lives of young women across the Philippines,” said Roslyn Pineda, General Manager, Philippines, Sony Music Entertainment. “As a global music company, Sony Music Entertainment is dedicated to empowering and elevating all members of societies where we have a presence. We are committed to bridging gaps in society and look forward to working with SPARK! to unlock the creative potential of young women in the Philippines.”

Established in 2012, SPARK! Philippines is an NGO composed of empowered women committed to the development of women and women’s organizations as full partners in national development. The funding from Sony Music Philippines will help strengthen collaboration and build alliances with people and organizations across various fields and sectors to advance the rights and welfare agenda of young women, encourage young women to be agents of change from a young age by actively participating in social development programs and community projects, claiming their right to engage in spaces of policy discussion, and support men in allyship and activism by joining activities that advance gender equality.

SPARK! Philippines is the latest recipient announced in Asia from Sony Music Group’s Global Social Justice Fund. Launched in 2020, the Fund supports social justice and anti-racist initiatives around the world. Two years on, the Fund has pledged 71% of the total $100 Million USD fund to more than 400 community organizations worldwide, covering areas including civic engagement, environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and education.