NPAW 2020 Highlights The Importance of Play amidst Pandemic

In the face of global pandemic and natural disasters, our daily lives have been put to a standstill and many children have lost access to play. Because of this, a huge part of children’s activity, creativity and learning have come to a pause affecting their holistic development and overall wellbeing.

Moreover, some have placed play within the limiting context of “laru-laro lang”. With this, play advocates continuously address the misleading notion and provide the right perspective that play should be given priority as it is considered one of the basic rights of children as stated in Article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Supporting the promotion on the right to play, the Philippine Play Coalition (PPC), a network of organizations which Unilab Foundation, Council for the Welfare of Children, World Vision Philippines, Unang Hakbang Foundation, Kythe Foundation, Tukod Foundation and Educo Philippines are actively involved in, has been working to ensure that every child will not miss their experience of play even amidst the time of pandemic. Amplifying this great cause, the National Play Advocacy Week 2020 was celebrated last November 16 to 22, 2020. The celebration successfully reached over 10,000 children via offline and online platforms, 300,000 Filipinos through online platforms and engaged 150 partners to participate and conduct play activities. The Local Government of Iloilo City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Zamboanga City also showed their strong support and eagerly participated in the celebration.

This 2021, Unilab Foundation is continuously strengthening its play advocacy under its program, Bayanihan for WellBeing (BWB), through the distribution of Resiliency Play Bags. These play bags aim to spark hope, harness creativity, and develop resilience and coping skills among Filipino children, who were not only strained by the presence of the coronavirus outbreak, but were also victims of the recent calamities that struck our nation in the previous year.

A Bayanihan for WellBeing Resiliency Play Bag is composed of the following:

1. Toys like sipa and kickball, which are intended to help children release tension.

2. Cape and mask which they could design, allowing them to identify their strengths and make them feel like Superheroes.

3. Writing and coloring sheets to encourage their creativity and help them express their emotions. As little as Php250 / $5.00 will help warm the heart of a child and build his/her resilience.

Donation can be done via bank deposit through the Bank of Philippine Islands:

Account Name: Unilab Foundation, Inc.

Account Number: 0181-0489-72 Branch:

BPI, Mandaluyong Swift Code: BOPIPHM

or via PayPal at healthierPH@unilabfoundation.org

Finally, a screenshot of your donation transaction needs to be sent to headsup@unilabfoundation.org.


Visit the Bayanihan for WellBeing Facebook page to support this worthy cause and share the initiative with your loved ones, friends and colleagues.

Let’s continue to make play happen this year. Let us nurture resilience and withstand change through the power of play!

UP Men's Basketball Team and TopBreed treated UP Diliman's emotional support animals to a special Holiday pampering session

Nineteen dogs from the Emotional Support Animals (ESA) Program of the University of the Philippines Diliman (UPD) received a Holiday treat from the UP Fighting Maroons Basketball Team and its newest sponsor TopBreed, the leading Philippine-made dog food brand in the country.

TopBreed provided the dogs with 900 kilograms of high-quality dog food and essentials like TopB+ vitamins and ShamPooch dog shampoo. The canines underwent general check-up and deworming, and were given anti-rabies vaccines administered by the TopBreed veterinarians. TopBreed provided pet supplies to ESA handlers from the different UPD colleges and units for dogs under their supervision. Efforts were coordinated with the Friends of Campus Animals (FOCA UP), the first campus-based animal welfare volunteer group that helps with the ESA program. UPD’s Balay Kaibigan houses the emotional support animals that also includes cats.

The project became a reality when TopBreed and the UPMBT reached out to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs in early December and volunteered to help out UP Diliman’s Emotional Support Animals (ESA) Program. The program,which was launched in 2019 by then UPD Chancellor Michael Tan, provides psychosocial support for students and university staff that may experience stress, depression or anxiety. The program manages, trains and utilizes campus animals to render emotional and therapeutic support to those who need them.

“The University recognizes the ability of animals to help people destress. Therapy dogs are already being tapped in universities abroad to help students deal with academic stress. But even the ESA’s were not spared from the hardships of the pandemic,” said UP Diliman Vice-Chancellor for Community Affairs Dr. Aleli Bawagan. “We appreciate the efforts of Top Breed to vaccinate and deworm UPD's emotional support dogs and donate dog food. We look forward to more collaborations with them in the future.”

Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro-Industrial Group (URC-AIG) managing director Vincent Henry Go meanwhile said “TopBreed is thrilled to take part in the UP Doggo Day. We are very happy to be given a chance to express our brand’s mission of providing top care to pets specially to these dogs who have provided comfort and emotional support to those in need. We would like to commend UP for coming up with this brilliant program that benefits both animals and humans alike. We salute the University for this endeavor and for taking good care of our fur friends, the emotional support dogs.”

Emirates Airline offers free, comprehensive travel insurance coverage

Emirates Airline customers can now plan their travels and fly with even greater assurance and peace of mind. Dubai carrier Emirates' latest industry-first initiative provides free, expanded, multi-risk travel coverage on top of its current COVID-19 cover.

Provided by AIG Travel, this cover is the first of its kind in the airline and travel insurance industry. This multi-risk travel insurance is designed to provide all Emirates passengers a stress-free and hassle-free travel with no additional cost.

Travel insurance coverage automatically applies to all Emirates tickets purchased from December 1 and extends to Emirates codeshare flights operated by partner airlines, as long as the ticket number starts with 176.

"Emirates was the first airline to offer complimentary global COVID-19 cover for travelers back in July, and the response from our customers has been tremendously encouraging. We've not rested on our laurels and instead continued to look at how we can offer our customers an even better proposition. We're very pleased to be able to now provide this new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover, which is another industry first, to all our customers,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Chairman and Chief Executive.

"We see a strong appetite for travel around the world, especially heading into the winter holidays as people seek warmer climates and family destinations like Dubai. By launching this new multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover, we aim to give our customers even more confidence in making their travel plans this winter and moving into 2021," he added.

Emirates customers will be covered when they fly to any destination, in any class of travel. Highlights of the coverage include:

Out-of-Country Emergency Medical Expenses & Emergency Medical Evacuation up to US$500,000, valid for COVID-19 (contracted during the trip) and other medical emergencies while traveling abroad.

Trip Cancellation up to US$7,500 for non-refundable costs if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is unable to travel because they are diagnosed with COVID-19 before the scheduled trip departure date, or for other named reasons - similar to other comprehensive travel cover products.

Trip Cancellation or Curtailment up to US$7,500 if the school year is extended due to COVID-19 beyond the departure date, and the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) is a full-time teacher, full-time employee, or a student at a primary or secondary school.

Trip Curtailment up to US$7,500 for non-refundable trip costs and additional costs to return to their country of residence if the traveler or a relative (as defined in the policy) falls critically ill, for instance, contracts COVID-19 while traveling abroad.

Travel Abandonment up to US$7,500 if the traveler fails a COVID-19-related test or medical screening at the airport and is required to abandon the trip.

US$150 per day per person, for up to 14 consecutive days if, while outside of their country of residence, the traveler tests positive for COVID-19, and if they are unexpectedly placed into a mandatory quarantine outside their country of residence by a governmental body.

"We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Emirates and we are excited to work with them to tailor this product to meet the needs of Emirates customers worldwide," said Jeff Rutledge, CEO, AIG Travel. "Our hope is to help alleviate some of the concerns travelers may have when planning travel during this time."

Similar to other multi-risk travel insurance products, Emirates' generous cover also has provisions for personal accidents during travel, winter sports cover, loss of personal belongings, and trip disruptions due to unexpected air space closure, travel recommendations, or advisories.

Customers need not register or fill in any forms before they travel, and they are not obligated to utilize this cover provided by Emirates.

Flexibility and assurance: Emirates' booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket for travel on or before March 31, 2021, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options, if they must change their travel plans. Customers have options to change their travel dates or extend their ticket validity for 2 years.

Health and safety:

Emirates has implemented a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey to ensure the safety of its customers and employees on the ground and in the air, including the distribution of complimentary hygiene kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and antibacterial wipes to all customers. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight, check out: www.emirates.com/yoursafety.

Dubai is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences for visitors. In 2019, the city welcomed 16.7 million visitors and hosted over hundreds of global meetings and exhibitions, as well as sports and entertainment events. Dubai was one of the world's first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai's comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Visit www.emirates.com/flytoDubai for more information on Dubai entry requirements.

Experience a Virtual Christmas Wonderland this Yuletide 2020

November 2020, Singapore – Christmas Wonderland organizers Blue Sky Events is out to deck your screens with good tidings, presented in a whole new way to experience the season with the debut of Virtual Christmas Wonderland 2020. 

For the first time, Singapore’s biggest year-end festive event invites visitors of all ages to explore a virtual magical realm unlike any other from the comfort of their homes. Visitors can enjoy the full experience of Virtual Christmas Wonderland via a Windows desktop app or access selected functions via the Members Only area at www.christmaswonderland.sg. 

 “This year has been an extremely difficult year for everyone. As organisers of Christmas Wonderland, we felt that it was even more important to continue to celebrate Christmas. We’ve come up with a unique solution which moved the vast variety of the traditional Christmas Wonderland content online, whilst keeping some physical lights at Gardens by the Bay. Fans of Christmas Wonderland now have the best of both worlds, as they can choose to either visit us on site, or experience the magic of wonderland at home. To allow maximum choice, both are ticketed separately,” said Mr. Kevin Soh, Executive Director, Blue Sky Events Pte Ltd.

 “Given the current safety measures for Covid-19, a much smaller number of our normal visitors will be able to enjoy the lights at the Gardens. This was the main driver for us to develop a Windows desktop app to enable as many people as possible to continue to enjoy Christmas Wonderland,” said Mr. Soh. Explore an immersive world of wonder and enchantment featuring hyper-realistic graphics and highly interactive content via the website and desktop app. 

Step into a virtual winter landscape, have a video call with the man himself at Santa’s Workshop, challenge your friends to a snowball fight at the Snow Playground, try your hand at the game booths at the Jolly Carnival, enjoy festive entertainment at the Tinsel Theatre presented by Lifetime, admire the stunning lights at the Supertree Grove, shop for unique gifts at the Bells Market or send personalised e-cards to friends and family.

Online games galore for all ages

Take part in a multiplayer Midnight Snowball Fight game, have a go at carnival games with a digital twist, solve challenging puzzles with Puzzlemania presented by Lenovo, or help the elves at Santa’s Workshop to pack gifts whilst stopping rogue elves from stealing presents.

Loads of cash and fabulous prizes to be won

'Tis the season of giving and there is more than S$50,000 in cash and fantastic prizes to be won. All members of Virtual Christmas Wonderland 2020 will be automatically entered in The Great Christmas Wonderland Giveaway weekly and grand draws, where they will have multiple chances of winning up to S$30,000 in cash prizes, and giveaways of staycations, shopping vouchers and more. In addition, all Puzzlemania participants who have successfully solved the challenges will stand to win up to S$5,000 worth of prizes sponsored by Lenovo.

Walk of Lights at Gardens by the Bay

Complementing the online festivities, visitors can also head down to Gardens by the Bay for the Walk of Lights – Brought to you by Christmas Wonderland to view the stunning light installations from Italy in person. A total of eight light installations will illuminate the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay. Look out also for a festive concept display by Häagen-DazsTM. 

Tickets to the onsite event are priced at S$5 each and are sold separately from the online membership for Virtual Christmas Wonderland 2020. Visitors are required to pre-book a 30-minute session and purchase their tickets up to an hour prior to their visit. Tickets are not available for sale on-site. To adhere to social distancing measures, they will launch with a maximum of 430 people per 30-minute session, with a maximum of five persons allowed per group. 

The Walk of Lights – Brought to you by Christmas Wonderland is separately ticketed from Virtual Christmas Wonderland 2020. The Virtual Christmas Wonderland 2020 membership does not provide access to Walk to Lights at Gardens by the Bay and vice versa. 

Visit www.christmaswonderland.sg to purchase tickets to Walk of Lights. 

Emirates Airline Foundation spotlights work in improving the welfare of children around the world

 

World Children’s Day is a day for children celebrated every 20th of November. And this year marks 66 years from the time United Nations established the Universal Children’s Day.

Emirates Airline Foundation and its NGO partners share their hopes for improving the welfare of disadvantaged children around the world, and speak on projects that provide children with safe shelter, basic necessities such as food and medical services, and access to opportunities through education and skills training.

Tim Clark, Emirates Airline President and Chairman of the Emirates Airline Foundation said: “In the 18 years since its establishment, the Foundation has been helping to channel the generous donations of our passengers and employees towards projects focused on improving the welfare of children in need.

The Foundation currently supports 19 projects in 12 countries around the world, and we would love to do more. Children are our world’s collective hope for the future, and they deserve every dignity and opportunity.”

A number of projects supported by the Foundation include: the Virlanie Foundation in the Philippines which helps provide housing and protection for 42 marginalized children; the Little Prince Nursery and School in Kenya which provides nursery and primary education for over 400 underprivileged children from the Kibera slums; and the Italian NGO Emergenza Sorrisi which sent medical volunteers to perform life changing plastic surgeries for over 100 children last year. In South Africa, Singakwenza, which works to build sustainable early childhood programs in economically disadvantaged communities, trained over 1,400 parents, caregivers, and educators last year; and in India, IMMPACT provides education through community-based learning centers to 3,000 girls each year who come from underprivileged families mostly in rural areas that have little or no access to schools.

The Emirates Airline Foundation is a non-profit charity organization made up of volunteer employees and friends of the Emirates Group, and managed under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saaed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group.

The Foundation aims to improve the quality of life for children, regardless of geographical, political, or religious boundaries by partnering with NGOs and community groups. Projects supported by the Foundation are located primarily at Emirates’ destinations, where the airline’s employee volunteers can participate and oversee their management.

Visit: www.emiratesairlinefoundation.org for more information on the Foundation and its projects.

Araneta City brings comfort and joys as it formally lights up its Giant Christmas Tree

 

 

Araneta City has formally ushered in the Yuletide Season with its Giant Christmas Tree lighting activity.  

The online event last November 14, 2020 marked an all-digital program that was filled with prizes and musical performances from some popular celebrities today! Dubbed as “Comfort and Joys at the City of Firsts,” the event streamed live through Facebook and YouTube---the first in 39 years that Araneta went all-digital, foregoing the usual merriment that goes with its annual tradition,in light of health protocols currently in place.  

While it has been an extremely difficult year under quarantine, Araneta City wanted to spread good tidings to all and experience the magic of Christmas even at home. Audiences on Facebook and YouTube still felt the Christmas cheer with back-to-back performances from some of the biggest musical acts in the country.

The festivities commenced with a pre-show hosted by Ana Ramsey. Coke Studio brought in the December Avenue band, which sang some of their hits and even rocked out to a modern rendition of the Christmas jingle “Joy to the World.” Twenty lucky winners also took home some exciting prizes during the pre-show; ten of which won a pizza package from Pizza Hut delivered straight to their homes, and another ten snagged a Noche Buena package for a delicious spread this Christmas.

After the pre-show, Robi Domingo took over. Jeremy Glinoga, The Voice - Teens finalist sang his own Yuletide hit “Ngayong Pasko” while Janine Berdin, the champion of Tawag ng Tanghalan, sang the beloved Holiday song “Jingle Bell Rock.” A highlight of the program was the special performance from Vice Ganda, who belted out the classic “All I Want for Christmas is You” but done with a punk rock twist.

Aside from the wonderful musical performances, many members of the audience were thrilled with the prospect of winning the night’s top prize. One lucky winner’s Holiday will surely be more festive after winning a Grand Entertainment Showcase!

Several personalities also joined in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas including the Bb. Pilipinas 2019 Queens Gazini Ganados, Bea Patricia Magtanong, Resham Saeed, Aya Abesamis, Emma Tiglao, and Leren Mae Bautista. Mrs. Judy Araneta-Roxas, the Vice Chairman of the Araneta Group, also shared her Holiday message while inviting everyone to come visit Araneta City.

“

I’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope [this event] gives you hope and happiness. Pwede ba we see each other here at Araneta City? Maybe your next visit,” Araneta-Roxas remarked.

Afterwards, the celebrities all came together to start the Christmas Tree lighting countdown. Adorned with thousands of lights and various ornaments, the Giant Christmas Tree has a very important message to deliver—--hope.

This was especially timely as many of our countrymen are still reeling from the effect of several typhoons that hit the country in the past few weeks. The Giant Christmas Tree Lighting also gave importance to Araneta City’s relief efforts for people who were affected by the recent tragedies. Through Operation R.E.A.C.H. (Relief Efforts of Araneta City to Help), the City of Firsts is focusing on the real meaning of Christmas---- giving to those in need. 

Visit https://aranetacity.com to know more about Operation R.E.A.C.H. and the other Araneta City programs and promotions.

5 Reasons Why your Hair might be Falling Out

Thinning hair? Losing up to 100 strands of hair every day is normal. But if your hair starts shedding more strands than than usual, it can be a source of concern. You need to get to the root of the problem. Once the underlying cause of your hair loss is determined, applying the appropriate treatment can be easy.

Sudden hair loss often signal an underlying medical or genetic condition. While male pattern baldness is the culprit for hair loss in the Philippines, the causes widely vary: genetic or hereditary hair loss, alopecia areata, male pattern hair loss and reactive hair loss.

What are the reasons behind the excessively shedding of your hair?!


Find out possible causes of excessive Hair Loss here: https://bit.ly/35xfuDA

How do you remedy or prevent excessive hair fall?

Using natural ingredients for your hair is ideal. In the Philippines, the leading hair loss treatment NOVUHAIR® (Euromonitor Passport Data 2019) has sustained market leadership for its breakthrough hairfall solution. NOVUHAIR® contains natural ingredients and essential oils such as ginger, moringa, Indian Pennywort, Virgin Coconut Oil, Panax Ginseng, Indian Gooseberry, Aloe Vera, black pepper, Biotin, Vitamin B5, Shikakai, lemongrass, peppermint, safflower, lavender, rosemary etc. to prevent hair loss. NOVUHAIR®’s 19 natural ingredients work in synergy to help remedy early warning signs of hair loss – excessive hair fall, thinning hair and bald patches.

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