Father’s Day Gifts for every type of Dad

Some Dads love cracking cute and corny jokes, some are more serious, some offer valuable wisdom and guidance, and some show real life lessons. But they all have one thing in common, they’re our rock, our provider, the pillar of our home.

 

That’s why you should make them feel special this Father’s Day by giving them something they’ll love. Fortunately, there are EastWest exclusives you can avail of for every type of Dad:

 

For the Dad who loves to travel

Fuel his passion and help him go the distance with a full tank from Unioil. With your EastWest credit card, get up to Php4.00 off per liter. Here’s your chance to give back for driving you to places you need to go—with gas prices at an all-time high, this goes a long way in keeping the motor running.

 

The promo is valid at participating Unioil branches that accept credit card payments and will run until November 14, 2022.

 

Once you have a full tank, you can go on a scenic drive and  haveand have a family getaway. Explore historic Bataan and avail of the Php5,000 net rate per night  at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar. Indulge in Baguio’s sweater-weather and have a rejuvenating retreat at Le Monet Hotel with up to 25% off on rooms. Otherwise, if you prefer a quick drive, you can stay at Timberland Highlands Resort in Rizal and enjoy as low as Php4,999 net rate per night and be surrounded by nature.

 

For the Dad who loves to eat

Foodie dads can get a delightful gustatory experience on Father’s Day with your EastWest Elite credit card. Get 20% off on food and 15% off on beverages when you dine at French-Mediterranean restaurant Mireio at Raffles Makati or feast on the local and international cuisine served at Spectrum Restaurant, Fairmont Makati. Dad will surely feel like a king when you treat him for a next-level fine dining.

 

For the Dad who loves to unwind

Put his favorite drink in his hand and let him have that much-needed downtime. Order in, compliment it with his go-to bottle at a Php300 discount when you use the promo code EWB300 at Boozy.ph and celebrate the day right there with him.

 

For the Dad who loves to shop

For the stylish dad who always gets his outfits in check, this ZALORA discount will definitely score you a striking piece to add to his wardrobe. New users can enjoy up to Php1,000 discount with no minimum spend required. Meanwhile, existing users are entitled to 18% off or a maximum discount of Php1,000 with minimum spend of Php1,500. Don’t forget to add the promo code EWB2022 when you check out. He’ll be thanking you for his new OOTD staples.

 

For the Dad who loves to work 

With all the work done to support the family, it’s always a good idea to keep in touch with their health. Be prepared for any medical needs with Maria Health’s affordable health plans, which you can get at a discount with your EastWest credit card –up to 10% off when you use the promo code EWPERKSxMH10.

 

There’s always something for every kind of Dad, thanks to the deals that are available with your EastWest credit card. Use it to make Father’s Day extra special! And if you don’t have one yet, you still have time to apply for your own EastWest credit card! Just apply via our EastWest System Tech Assistant chatbot at www.ewlend.com/CreditCard or by heading to your nearest EastWest store today.

 

The importance of Community-based Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

A person's safety during calamities is mainly dependent on their community's disaster preparedness. No matter how ready they are for all possible catastrophic scenarios, every bit of preparation can go down the drain if their community cannot respond effectively to such events. 

It is why a community-based disaster risk reduction and management plan (CBDRRMP) is essential. It places the responsibility of being prepared for calamities and other emergencies on the community as a whole, ensuring that organizations, households and individuals can work together in making their community more resilient in the face of disaster.

 

 

 

CBDRRMP is important, especially for countries highly vulnerable to disasters, such as the Philippines. Situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire and typhoon belt, the Philippines is frequented by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions and typhoons respectively. The country ranked 9th in the world in terms of vulnerability to calamities in the 2020 World Risk Index. 

 

One of the most common events experienced by the Philippines is flooding, which underscores the importance of effective floodwater management. There are many ways that local government units are doing this. Efforts range from structural measures such as sizeable underground drainage systems, floodways, pumping stations, flood warning systems, and urban greening to non-structural measures such as minimizing plastic waste, a primary culprit in urban flooding.

 

With the country situated on five active fault lines, Filipinos must also prepare for earthquakes. It is why many buildings are equipped with earthquake-resistance features. Taking earthquake resilience in the country further are the periodic earthquake drills implemented at the national and organizational levels.

 

 

These are good examples of effective CBDRR, where both the authorities and the citizens work together to ensure the safety of life and property in their communities.

 

 

 

SM City Masinag has a rainwater collection tank that can store 17,681 cubic meters of water.

 

As a trusted and responsible developer of integrated properties, SM has always been committed to promoting Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) in its communities, which is evident in many of its malls that employ infrastructure design centered on disaster resilience. SM allocates 10% of its capital expenditures to incorporate disaster-resilient features, of which installing water management design features is one of them. 

                      

Artist's illustration of SM's rainwater collection facility in 22 SM Malls nationwide.

 

A few examples of these are SM City Marikina, elevated by several rows of concrete stilts to protect tenants and mall-goers during extreme floods. SM Mall of Asia was built with a storm surge barrier for added protection during storm surges, and several malls employ catchment tanks for recycling rainwater.

 

Across the country, there are 22 SM Malls that have rainwater collection tanks under the mall. All these malls combined can catch and store 79,880 cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to 32 Olympic-sized swimming pools. 

 

“Wherever SM is, we try to help our communities become resilient to changing weather patterns,” explains Arch. Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President of SM Engineering, Design and Development.  “Nationwide, we have 22 malls equipped with rainwater catchment facilities that help rain water management to avoid flash floods for surrounding communities.”

 

SM City Olongapo Central's rainwater collection tank can hold up to 14,580 cubic meters of water.

  

Supporting these are several initiatives focused capacity-building for its stakeholders. It includes workshops & learning sessions on Disaster Risk Resilience Management and regular participation in the quarterly national simultaneous earthquake drills for its employees, and the annual Emergency Preparedness Forum for persons with disabilities and the elderly, two of the most vulnerable sectors of society during disasters.

 

Similarly, in line with its multi-stakeholder approach, SM Prime has also continuously built long-term partnerships with organizations that advocate for a disaster-resilient Philippines. It includes collaborations with ARISE-Philippines, the National Resilience Council, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Office of Civil Defense, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, to name a few.

 

 

 

SM City San Mateo's rainwater collection tank can collect 10,800 cubic meters of potential floodwater.

 

SM: Creating shared value through tech-voc education

One of the flagship programs of SM Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the SM group, is its scholarship program. Aside from the college education offerings, the program also provides venues for students who would like to pursue a career in the skilled labor industry.

 

SM tech-voc scholar alumnus Anthony Andales

The gradual reopening of economy not just in the country, but around the world, brings hope to more job opportunities for Filipinos who lost their jobs because of the health crisis. Indeed, the support for individuals eyeing to be part of the skilled industry is needed now more than ever.

 

It was in this light when SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), together with SM Foundation (SMFI), Don Bosco One TVET Phils. Inc., and the city government of Pasay partnered to give educational support to 20 deserving youth coming from Pasay. To date, SMFI has already produced more than 4,500 tech-voc graduates who are now gainfully employed.

 

A dream to be fulfilled

One of the current SM tech-voc scholars from Pasay is Stephen Parina. His dream is to put up his own automotive shop since aside from his interest in cars and motorcycles, he intends to uplift the economic status of his family. Both of his parents are temporary employees at the Pasay City Hall.

 

SM-Pasay tech-voc scholar Stephen Parina

“Nakita ko sa Facebook post ng SM Foundation na nandun ang aking gustong course kaya dali-dali akong pumunta sa city hall ng Pasay para alamin ang mga detalye nito at kinabukasan ay nagpasa na ako agad ng mga requirements,” said Stephen, who is now studying Automotive Mechanic course at the Don Bosco Makati.

 

“Gusto kong matuto kung paano mag ayos ng mga sasakyan at makatapos ng pag-aaral dahil hirap kami sa aming pamumuhay. Alam ko na makakatulong ang edukasyon, kagaya ng techvoc upang matupad ang aking pangarap na makapagpatayo ng sarili kong automotive shop. Magiging susi ito upang mai-angat ko ang antas ng pamumuhay ng aking pamilya” he added.

 

“Taos pusong pasasalamat sa SM at sa Sy family dahil nabigyan nyo ako ng pagkakataon na makabalik muli sa pag aaral. Hinding hindi ko ito malilimutan. Dadalhin ko ito hanggang sa aking pag tanda,” Stephen said.

 

Ticket to success

Another current tech-voc scholar is Jeorge Angelo Madrid. He is also studying Automotive Mechanic course at the Don Bosco Makati. His father works as a painter of houses and buildings while his mother works at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Jeorge is the youngest and most of his five siblings already have their own families.

 

SM-Pasay tech-voc scholar Jeorge Angelo Madrid

According to Jeorge, he sees this opportunity of going back to school as his ticket towards achieving his dreams: “Nag-apply ako sa SM Foundation kasi wla po akong kakayahan na makapag aral at makapagtapos. Wala po akong pagkukuhanan ng pang tuition para maipang bayad sa eskwelahan.”

 

Jeorge is adamant to find a gainful employment right after he finish his studies. “Salamat po sa SM Foundation. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo, hindi madaragdagan ang kaalaman ko tungkol sa automotive. Magagamit ko ito sa aking paghahanap ng trabaho at kinalaunan, masuportahan ang aking sarili, mga pamangkin at ang aking mga magulang,” Jeorge further shared.

 

Reaping the fruits of his efforts

Anthony Andales, an SM tech-voc scholar alumnus, also took the time to share his inspiring story. He graduated from the Dualtech Training Center in 2019 and is now employed as a staff technician in a known company which manufactures various electronic products for home and office use.

 

“Bago ako mag-training sa Dualtech, nagtrabaho muna ako bilang isang helper sa isang refilling station. Ang aking arawang sweldo ay P220 lamang. Akala ko dati, wala na akong mararating sa buhay at hindi na makapagtatapos ng pag-aaral,” Anthony recalled.

 

“But God gave me the privilege to be chosen as one of the SM Foundation scholars para makapag-aral ako nang walang binayaran kahit piso. Ang tanging puhunan ko lang ay ang aking lakas ng loob at ang aking mga pangarap sa buhay na balang araw, makatutulong ako sa aking pamilya upang kahit papano ay makaahon sa buhay,” he further added.

 

Right after his on-the-job training, he was absorbed by the program’s OJT- partner company and was given a job as a staff technician because of his skills and work ethics.

 

“Napagawa na namin ang bahay kahit papaano, hindi man bato pero at least maayos at safe kapag may bagyo. Hindi po kagaya dati na pag umuulan ay may pa-shower kami kasi butas-butas na ang bubong at tagpi-tagpi ang dingding ng aming tahanan. Walang imposible kapag ikaw ay may pangarap at determinasyon upang maabot ito sapagkat maraming tao at institusyon na handang tumulong. Kaya sobrang thankful po talaga ako sa mga taong tumulong sa akin para magkaroon ng maliwanag na kinabukasan.” Anthony concluded.

 

SM Foundation, through its Scholarship program, provides deserving and qualified students with access to college education and technical-vocational studies since 1993.

 

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals completes a 100 liver transplants in children from the Philippines

Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, Delhi has reached the landmark of performing 100 liver transplants in children from the Philippines. Aged between 4 months and 15 years, children suffering from various diseases that had resulted in liver failure necessitating a transplant have received a liver transplant.

Despite COVID posing several challenges in the last 2 years, Apollo made sure that children and their families were provided end-to-end assistance in terms of aligning travel permissions while also ascertaining patient safety by arranging special charter flights with a medical team on board to manage any emergencies.

Mr P Shivakumar, Managing Director – Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, asserted: “Apollo Hospitals leads the way in delivering cross-border care for children. Our approach is aligned with Apollo’s overarching objective of providing prompt delivery of healthcare services, notwithstanding myriad constraints. This becomes even more important when it comes to caring for children. We believe there is no greater joy than seeing the smiles of children who have been saved by our timely medical intervention.”

Group Medical Director and Senior Pediatric Gastroenterologist, Apollo Hospitals Group – Dr (Prof) Anupam Sibal, stated: “Apollo Hospitals has been receiving children with liver failure from Philippines for the last five years. Fortunately, we have been able to help many families from different parts of Philippines.

We would like to thank families for their trust as we mark the landmark of 100 liver transplants in babies and children from Philippines. Despite COVID restrictions, we have transplanted 53 children in the last 2 years. The youngest child to be operated on was 4 months. Significantly, babies weighing barely 3.5kgs have also had liver transplants at Apollo Hospitals. Our initiative has been facilitated by the immense support from the Embassies which helped in easing travel formalities for patients. The Apollo Liver Transplant Program, the first successful program in India which was established in 1998 has now performed more than 3950 liver transplants including 458 in children from 20 countries”.

Senior Liver Transplant Surgeon at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Dr. Neerav Goyal, said, "In liver transplant, surgery is performed when patients have a high risk of dying from their disease in the ensuing weeks to months. Since COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, many of these patients were unlikely to survive the period of the pandemic without liver transplant, and the patients despite several challenges travelled to us. We are happy that we can help them in easing their pain and provided a new lease of life. In 65% of children, the donors were mothers, in 30 % fathers and 5 % other blood relatives.”

About Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals: Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, India’s first JCI accredited hospital, is a joint venture between the Government of Delhi and Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited. Commissioned in July 1996, it is the third super-specialty tertiary care hospital set up by the Apollo Hospitals Group. Spread over 15 acres, it houses 57 specialties with more than 300 specialists and more than 700 operational beds, 19 operation theatres, 138 ICU beds, round-the-clock pharmacy, NABL accredited laboratories, 24-hour emergency services and an active air ambulance service. Apollo Hospitals Delhi has the leading programmed in kidney and liver transplant in the country. The first successful pediatrics and adult liver transplants in India were performed at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. The hospital is at the forefront of medical technology and expertise. It provides a complete range of latest diagnostic, medical and surgical facilities for the care of its patients. The Hospital has introduced the most sophisticated imaging technology to India with the introduction of 64 slice CT and 3 Tesla MRI, Novalis Tx and the integrated PET Suite. Indraprastha Apollo has also pioneered the concept of preventive health check programmed and has created a satisfied customer base over decades. The Hospital has been consistently ranked amongst the best 10 hospitals in India by The Week survey for the past few years.

Hospital website - https://delhi.apollohospitals.com/

Twitter: @HospitalsApollo

Make your love language food this Father’s Day

The roles of fathers have gone beyond being the sole provider for the family. They are equally important in nurturing the family’s wellbeing by building strong relationships and being actively involved in child care interests and responsibilities.

Such wonderful fathers, who literally become our rock, protecting us as much as they can. Some fathers may not be huggers or emotionally attuned to us but you know they truly care deep down through their unique love language.

We are truly blessed to have fathers and father figures in our lives, who helped mold us to into what we are today. We thus salute these ‘’men’” on their special day.

Nothing beats whipping up something sweet from the heart. Make your love language food. Make this utterly #Madalicious treat, Cerveza Negra Chocolate Balls, made with Magnolia Devil’s Food Cake Mix combined with Cerveza Negra. It will pleasantly surprise your taste buds too.

Preparation Time: 40 min

Baking/Cooking Time: 25 min

Main Ingredient:

Eggs

Flour

CERVEZA NEGRA CHOCOLATE BALLS

Ingredients & Preparation HH Measurement Measure

1 (550 g) pack MAGNOLIA DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE MIX

3 (50 g each) pc MAGNOLIA BROWN EGGS

1 (330 mL) bottle CERVEZA NEGRA

1 (120 mL) cup coconut oil

COATING & DÉCOR

1/2 kg dark chocolate, chopped

100 grams pistachio nuts, chopped

1 (120 g) cup cocoa powder

1 (80 g) cup desiccated coconut

100 grams white chocolate, melted (optional)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 176.7°C (350 F). Meanwhile, line and grease one (1) 12x16 inch square pan

with baking/wax paper. Set aside.

2. In a bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, cerveza negra and oil. Mix until smooth in consistency.

Pour into prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool and then crumble cake and form into 1-inch balls.

4. Prepare dark chocolate by melting it for 10-15 seconds in a microwave oven over high

setting.

5. Dip each ball in melted dark chocolate and then roll each ball in pistachio nuts, cocoa

powder or desiccated coconut. Drizzle with some melted white chocolate placed in a piping

bag, if desired.

Makes 40 pieces.

(Yield: 40 pc (30 grams per ball) /4 pc per serving )

Ajinomoto launches Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online nutrition classes for nutritious, delicious and enjoyable meals

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) recently launched Sustansarap, Sustansaya!, a series of online nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations, through a Facebook Live on Cookmunity by Ajinomoto page. The project aims to help Filipinos improve their nutrition knowledge and cooking skills with the help of food experts. It is set to run on a quarterly basis on the brand’s official Facebook page.  

“We, at Ajinomoto, believe that nutrition education is vital in taking care of our families’ health. However, for most, nutrition information can be intimidating and difficult to understand.  With day-to -day busy schedule of homemakers and budget limitation, we understand that nutrition usually takes a step back when preparing meals. Sustansarap, Sustansya! makes nutrition information fun, simple, accessible and proves that easy, affordable, nutritious, and delicious meals are possible, especially with the help of Ajinomoto products,” said Roann Co, Ajinomoto General Manager of Corporate Planning and Public Relations. 

Class #1: BawAsin Natin! (Delicious Salt Reduction)

The livestream launch features the first Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online class titled “BawAsin Natin.” The pilot session focused on delicious salt reduction wherein health and nutrition experts Dr. Dex Macalintal and Bea Menorca, RND shed light on the adverse effect of excessive sodium intake in our health and why it is important to reduce salt intake.  They shared a practical tip that it is not difficult or costly to reduce sodium in daily meal preparation.  One easy way is lessen teaspoon salt and use monosodium glutamate (MSG).  MSG contains only 1/3 amount of sodium compared to table salt.  With MSG, sodium intake can be reduced by up to 40% while maintaining overall deliciousness of food.

“It is important to know that high blood pressure or hypertension can cause complications such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney failure. Among the factors is the frequent consumption of foods high in sodium. According to the World Health Organization, the recommended sodium intake per day is below 2000 mg. But for Filipinos, the actual intake is more than twice this recommendation. One way to reduce sodium intake is reducing intake of salty foods.” shared Dr. Macalintal, Lifestyle Medicine Specialist. 

“To help and encourage Filipinos to clear their worries and struggle on practice of salt reduction, the BawAsin® campaign was started by APC. It aims to share how it is important to reduce sodium intake for our health and not sacrificing the taste and deliciousness of our meals,” said Menorca, APC Specialist - Science Communication. 

For more information, checkout BawAsin® section in APC’s official website. The site features 100 less sodium creative recipes that help individuals enjoy meals that contain less sodium yet enjoying same deliciousness.

After the lectures, Sofie Conejos, RND APC Manager – Culinary Nutrition demonstrated two Less Sodium Recipes: Upo Kalabasa and Sotanghon Soup and Chicken Eggplant Omelette, made delicious by  AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. She reiterated that lessening sodium in diet is not difficult and does not mean sacrificing deliciousness of food.  For other easy-to-follow delicious less sodium recipes checkout ajinomoto.com.ph/whats-new-archive/sodium-recipes/

The Sustansarap, Sustansaya! Online Class is in line with the brand’s “Eat Well, Live Well” promise, that aims to propel meaningful initiatives that will improve the health and wellbeing of Filipino families. This project is also one of the actions made by Ajinomoto to fulfill its ultimate goal of extending the healthy life expectancy of 1 billion people.

“With Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online classes, we hope to educate, empower, and enable families to live a healthy and happy life, one nutritious and delicious meal at a time, ” said Co. “We have more classes and cooking demonstrations in store and we’re eager to encourage more people to learn about nutrition and apply them in their own kitchens.”

To catch the next Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online class, follow and stay tuned at Cookmunity by Ajinomoto facebook page.

Pru Life UK launches critical illness protection plan for Filipino families

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK launches PRUHealth FamLove, a protection plan that shares the critical illness coverage to up to four family members in one policy, a first-of-its-kind product in the market. This is available for all Filipino families, including same-sex or common-law partners, parents, and adoptive children.

 

PRUHealth FamLove is a yearly renewable protection plan that provides long-term coverage until age 85 (applicable when the premium is continuously paid), against high treatment and hospitalization costs due to critical illness.

 

According to a 2019 study by Mercer Marsh Benefits*, critical illness cost in the Philippines is the second most expensive in South East Asia. Lung cancer treatment costs can lead up to Php 2.78 million, stroke is for Php 1.8 million, while a heart attack is for Php 980,000**.

 

Having critical illness protection is important as costs including long-term medication and care, and even loss of income can be covered by the plan’s critical illness benefits through the System and Organ Function Insurance (SOFI) concept. This feature makes the product unique in the market as it provides coverage should any major organs require surgery, without the need to remember the long list of critical illnesses.

 

PRUHealth FamLove is flexible and easy to avail as it comes in different packages, with the option to choose how many family members will be covered from one (self) to

 

three – mySelf, myPartner, myChild, myFamily, myParent – depending on what suits the family’s protection needs.

 

“Pru Life UK celebrates and nurtures every Filipino family of different types and sizes with PRUHealth FamLove. This protection plan focuses on their ever-changing needs by offering critical illness protection to the whole family,” shared Pru Life UK President and Chief Executive Officer Eng Teng Wong. 

 

“This innovation is a solid testament to our continuing commitment to promote financial inclusion by providing protection coverage to millions of underserved and unserved Filipinos to get the most out of life,” Wong added. 

 

For more detailed information about PRUHealth FamLove, customers may visit the Pru Life UK website or book an appointment with a Pru Life UK insurance agent.

 

This is the latest product offering from Pru Life UK, ranked number one by the Insurance Commission in terms of New Business Annual Premium Equivalent in 2021.