Life after COVID-19: Stories of Survival

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As of April 7, the Department of Health reported 414 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease in the country, raising the total number to 3,660. The Philippines now has 163 fatalities, and 73 recoveries. But while the number of deaths outnumber recoveries, most people who contract the virus go on to get better. That’s because 80% of people who contract the coronavirus will only experience relatively mild symptoms, or even no symptoms at all.

While most will recover from contracting COVID-19, the peculiar nature of recovery is it requires isolation. And patients, in addition to being sick, will oftentimes also experience great anxiety and afraid. According to the members of Public Health Communications Advisory Network (PHCAN), COVID-positive patients should be shown kindness and compassion, and not discrimination and fear.

As a follow up to their first FB Live session last April 4, PHCAN will be holding another Live session this Saturday, April 11 at 2PM, with Dr. Iris Isip-Tan together with COVID-19 survivors to discuss recovery, coping, and moving forward during this very challenging time. Follow the official PH CAN Facebook page for more updates and tune in to hear the stories of recovered COVID-19 patients.

About PHCAN

PHCAN is an official partner of the Department of Health (DOH) that seeks to drive a social movement to buy more time for the country’s healthcare system by communicating critical and verified public health messages on COVID-19 to families. It is composed of doctors and healthcare professionals, dedicated to empowering families and communities to care for their loved ones during these challenging times.

Palacio de Memoria offers virtual tour

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Art and history enthusiasts can now go on a virtual tour of Palacio de Memoria, the resplendent Colonial Revival mansion, and marvel at its luxurious facilities and hundreds of Euro-Filipino paintings, sculptures, art displays, and historical pieces online. 

The virtual tour offers a highly detailed and interactive presentation of the heritage house. If you haven’t visited Palacio de Memoria yet and are looking for a more "enriching" activity during the COVID-19 lockdown, now is the perfect time to explore and “walkaround” the place through 360-degree videos as if you are there in real life.

“Many Filipinos are ordered to stay home at the moment to protect themselves from the coronavirus pandemic. With most of us being isolated from the outside world, we hope that Palacio de Memoria’s virtual tour will not only give them respite during these uncertain times but also keep them productive as they learn and get a glimpse of a significant time in our history that was once Manila’s prime,” said Palacio de Memoria general manager Camille Lhuillier.

The tour will begin with an aerial and outdoor view of the estate which shows the restored pre-war mansion. It then leads to the first floor which shows the Los Tamaraos Ballroom and its Murano chandelier, as well as the terrazzo floor by National Artist for Architecture Juan Nakpil.

It also shows the showroom of Palacio de Memoria’s auction house, Casa de Memoria or the Casa, which houses the Lhuilliers’ unrivalled collection of antiques. Other highlights include the Mosphil Lounge, a passenger plane that that was refitted to be a lounge for special occasions; the bridal suite which is perfect for weddings; and the recently opened museum which also serves as a chapel for intimate weddings and religious gatherings.

To view the complete Palacio de Memoria’s virtual tour, visit https://www.palaciodememoria.com/tours. For more updates, follow @thepalaciodememoria on Facebook and @palacio.de.memoria on Instagram.

Parlorista at Barbero Kami Foundation (PAK) with a mission : To Spread Love, One Haircut at a Time

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Parlorista at Barbero Kami Foundation (PAK) was founded by Joby Linsangan Moremo  in April 8, 2020. The mission of the foundation is simple: To Spread Love, One Haircut at a Time.

Joby Linsangan Moreno

Businesswonan, Joby owns and manages Orange Blush Salons that she built in October 2003. Since then, she has opened several branches nationwide and have been building and supporting families who work for the company. 

Orange Blush Salons have also contributed and joined various CSR activities nationwide. In January 2020, with the objectives to support these families and to promote Hairdressing as a serious profession and educational program, Joby began to gather information and started to work on the vision and mission of the foundation. In the long run, Joby wishes to put up salons that offer free haircut services to the indigent and less fortunate, and to build PAK communities that look after the welfare of PAK Members.

In time of her 40th birthday April 8, Joby opens the Parlorista at Barbero Kami Foundation with vision to be the first foundation that unifies salon owners and workers, barbers and other related beauty and wellness institutions.

Parlorista at Barbero Kami Foundation

- OBJECTIVES:

1) To prioritize, improve, and safeguard the lives and the welfare of our Parloristas (Hairdressers, Estheticians, Massage therapists, Nail Technicians, salon receptionists), Barbers and their families.

2) To promote Hairdressing as a serious profession and educational program that generates employment and contributes to the over-all economic development of the country. To uphold Hairdressing, Massage, Hair and Makeup and other beauty and wellness related courses to the highest standards

3) To ensure the welfare of ALL CUSTOMERS of Health and Wellness industries by providing them with the proper and the best professional hairdressing services possible

- SHORT-TERM GOALS:

1) To establish PAK foundation and enlist its members: Parloristas- (Hairdressers, Estheticians, Massage therapists, Nail Technicians, salon receptionists), Barbers (initial 500 members)

2) To provide FREE Haircut and other wellness services as part of our CORE objectives in the foundation

3) To hold free summer camps and short courses about Hairdressing and other beauty and wellness-related programs in cooperation with TESDA

- LONG-TERM GOALS:

1) To educate and encourage learners to enroll in Hairdressing program as offered in K-12 curriculum by the Department of Education (Home Economics Thread)

2) To provide scholarship programs to the children of our PAK families in pursuing their courses of choice (Junior-senior year)

3) To put up HAIRCUTTING SALONS (1 salon per city) that offer FREE HAIRCUT for the indigent and for the less fortunate.

4) To hold FREE HAIRCUT SESSIONS and related health and wellness services in partnership with both government and private institutions to promote the Foundation and its members

5) To build PAK communities (with affordable housing, vehicles, free basic education, livelihood programs for mothers, job opportunities for fathers) in every province in the country that will ensure holistic and meaningful livelihood programs for the PAK members and their families.

- PAK BENEFICIARIES:

1) Families of PAK foundation members

2) Indigenous people

3) Salons, Barbershops, massage parlors owners and workers, and suppliers

4) Salons, barbershops CUSTOMERS

An entreprenuer, Joby also to introduce her first book BEAUTY and THE BIZ .

The book is a guide for aspiring entrepreneurs who want to build their own beauty empire. The book features stories from self made beauty entrepreneur who share their personal experiences and success stories to help you establish your own beauty brand. 

Include at Joby’s “10 commandments of the Orange Lady” a list of rules on how to live a joyful and balanced personal business life.

The BEAUTY and THE BIZ book will be published by ABS CBN Publishing and will be sold at National Bookstores nationwide soon.

You may contact Parlorista at Barbero Kami Foundation (PAK) Head Office 474 Maharlika Highway, Concepcion Sr., Cabanatuan City  and with contact numbers (044) 940 6573, 0917 566 4142

Five little ways to help others during the quarantine : The little acts of kindness go a long way to show how we are #OneAgainstCOVID19

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As the entire country deals with the current public health situation, it can be tough to find spots of hope and happiness in the confines of our home. While we may be healthy physically, it is also important to keep our mental health in check. In a time of difficulty, it isn’t too hard for all of us to be someone else’s source of light with small acts of kindness even when we cannot be physically there.

You might be thinking how to do anything when you’re practicing social distancing and staying at home. With the help of apps like PayMaya, it’s easier than ever to send some love and share your blessings with others. Here are little ways to spread love in the time of COVID-19.

1. Send money to anyone who needs it

Whether you want to help out a relative, a friend, or the family of your kasambahay, you can transfer funds quickly and easily to any PayMaya account, Smart Padala agents, Palawan Express, or any bank accounts under Instapay using the PayMaya app. In these trying times, helping them with funds for food and other supplies can really mean a lot.

Just make sure your account is upgraded so you can easily send funds to your peers. PayMaya’s upgrade is pretty easy and can be done within 24 hours, provided that you have sufficient documents. Learn how to upgrade your account by visiting https://www.paymaya.com/upgrade.

2. Help pay the bills

Now that work is a little harder to come by, there may be people you know who need help paying bills, such as your parents or your kasambahay. If you’re able to, chipping in for bills can go a long way in this time of need. Fortunately, it’s also incredibly easy to pay a wide variety of billers on the PayMaya app, like Meralco, Smart, Manila Water, and a lot more.

You can do this with a few taps on your PayMaya app’s Pay Bills function in just a few minutes – and in the comfort and safety of your home to boot.

3. Buy a hearty snack for a friend

Some of us may be having a hard time emotionally during this crisis, so a favorite snack could do a lot to cheer our friends up. Why not have milk tea delivered to a friend who’s craving for it? You can pay for food delivery services with your PayMaya card, and restaurants like Domino’s Pizza, Goldilocks, Burger King, and Army Navy with your PayMaya number. So it’s definitely easy to do!

4. Treat a delivery person to a meal

You might have some food delivered every now and then during the quarantine, so why not take the time to treat your hardworking riders to an extra meal or snack to keep their energy up? When you pay for food delivery using PayMaya, consider ordering another item for your rider to show them how much you appreciate what they do. Angkas, for example, has launched a PayMaya QR code where you can donate directly for the benefit of their drivers.

5. Donate to organizations providing response and relief

If you’ve got some money to spare, especially some Balik Bayad from PayMaya, why not consider donating it to organizations that need your help? There are a lot of organizations raising funds to provide protective equipment, food, and other essentials to both frontliners and Filipinos affected by COVID-19, and you can immediately donate to any of them through the PayMaya app or donate.paymaya.com as part of the #OneAgainstCOVID19 initiative. These organizations have collectively raised P11 million in a week through this platform, proving that all it takes is extra left over to be pledged for a good cause.

With all these little acts of kindness, we can help each other out in this crisis and stand as #OneAgainstCOVID19. If you don’t have a PayMaya account yet and would like a faster and more convenient way to help, you can easily make one by downloading PayMaya for iOS or Android from the App Store or Google Play.

For more information and updates on PayMaya’s donation drives, follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. To help you maximize your PayMaya account, just visit https://www.paymaya.com/quick-guide.

PhilHealth sets new case rate benefits for COVID-19 patients starting April 15

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PhilHealth President Ricardo Morales said on Tuesday that all corona virus (COVID-19) patients admitted April 15 onwards will be covered by a new case rate package of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, to be divided into four categories.

Mild pneumonia: P43,997 

Moderate pneumonia: P143,267 

Severe pneumonia: P333,519 

Critical pneumonia: P786,384

“Up to April 14, sasagutin ng PhilHealth. Walang dapat ibayad ang mga pasyente (Up to April 14, PhilHealth will shoulder everything. The patient should not pay for anything),” Morales said in the Laging Handa virtual briefing.

“Yung pneumonia kasi is the complication of COVID-19. Ang babasehan nito yung date of admission. If they are admitted after April 14 or April 15 onwards, ito ang gagamitin na rate sa kanila (Pneumonia is the complication of COVID-19. We will base it on the date of admission. If they are admitted after April 14 or April 15 onwards, these are the rates that will be used for them),” Morales explained.

While PhilHealth has “sufficient” funds, Morales noted it is not “unlimited” hence the new case rate for COVID-19 patients.

“Kaya nga tayo mag-e-enforce nitong case rate para meron tayong sustainability sa anti-COVID campaign. Although yung pondo ng PhilHealth is sufficient, hindi naman unlimited,” he said.

(This is why we are enforcing a case rate so that we have sustainability in our anti-COVID campaign. Although Philhealth’s fund is sufficient, it is not unlimited.)

PhilHealth earlier said it will shhe Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine was extended until April. It was originally expected to be lifted by midnight of April 13.

The government is also eyeing to start mass testing of persons suspected of being infected by COVID-19 on April 14.