Smile Train Global Ambassador Catriona Gray Joins Online Speech Therapy Sessions for Cleft Patients

Smile Train Volunteer Ms. Veronica Yu, CSP-PASP, a Speech Language Pathologist, faculty member of the University of Sto. Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences, explored topics about the effects of cleft on speech and its impacts on the physical well-being of children.



The world’s leading cleft organization, Smile Train Philippines recently held a virtual speech therapy session with its Global Ambassador, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, in an effort to reach and continue educating more patients with a cleft lip and/or palate amid the enhanced community quarantine.

 

Smile Train recently launched virtual speech therapy sessions with its volunteer Ms. Veronica Yu CSP-PASP, a Speech Language Pathologist and a faculty member of the University of Sto. Tomas College of Rehabilitation Sciences. She led the discussion on the effects of cleft disability on speech and the impact of feeding difficulties on the physical well-being of children. Ms. Yu also demonstrated her patients’ progress on proper pronunciation, which they were able to accomplish during the separate one-on-one online therapy sessions.

 

The session also allowed viewers to ask questions about their family members experiencing difficulties with their conditions. Numerous viewers had inquiries about how many speech therapy sessions are required and what other procedures patients need to undergo if they have cleft lip and/or palate.

 

In her welcome message, Smile Train Global Ambassador Catriona Gray acknowledged the efforts of the organization to continue providing free comprehensive cleft care including speech therapy, while free surgeries and physical therapy sessions are on hold. She plans to support Smile Train’s upcoming initiatives during the ECQ.

 



Smile Train Global Ambassador Catriona Gray joins the organization’s online Speech Therapy session to reach and educate more patients with cleft lip and palate amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).





“I was able to work closely with Smile Train for the first time during my reign as Miss Universe and it inspired me to help the organization change the lives of many people around the world. Now as the newest global ambassador, I am committed to supporting its patients in the Philippines during this pandemic through the organization’s online speech therapy classes.” ~Catriona Gray, Miss Universe 2018, and Smile Train Global Ambassador

 

With the support and collaboration of its donors, partners, and ambassadors around the world, Smile Train is able to transform the lives of patients with cleft and help improve their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. Even during the ECQ, Smile Train continues to find sustainable solutions such as social media to help their beneficiaries.

“Smile Train has always been committed to exploring various avenues and utilizing technology to reach more patients and communities in the Philippines, especially during this ECQ. With the support of Catriona, we hope to reach more patients and families so that we can continue to provide them with the care that they need, even during a pandemic.” ~Kimmy Flaviano, Smile Train South East Asia Director

 

Smile Train plans to hold more sessions in the coming weeks to address concerns of patients or parents about receiving cleft treatment during this time and talking about staying positive and productive during the ECQ.

 

For more information about Smile Train’s global efforts and to donate, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s local programs in the Philippines, please visit smiletrain.ph, follow Smile Train Philippines on  FACEBOOK, TWITTER, and INSTAGRAM and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines. For more information about Smile Train’s work in the Philippines, please contact philippines@smiletrain.org.

 

 

 

 

About Smile Train
Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.ph. For more information about Smile Train’s work in the Philippines, please contact philippines@smiletrain.org.

 



 

Join the Movement: Wear Masks In Public and Block COVID-19

Over 13,000 LBC employees nationwide join the mask movement to block COVID-19. Photo Credit: LBC



The Philippines, which currently holds the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, has also followed suit when the government recently imposed wearing of masks in public.

 

As the rest of the world works together in flattening the curve due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, several cities and countries have imposed precautionary measures to ensure public safety. These new guidelines will define what the new normal will be for the time being — and it includes wearing masks in public.

 

Wearing masks is now increasingly becoming a global movement where everyone is called to act. Companies, known personalities, and governments all over the world are enjoining everyone to be responsible by wearing masks in public. Online campaigns rallying for people to wear masks have gone viral. What covers up most people’s faces is now an act of solidarity — for friends, families, and neighbors, essential workers, and frontliners.

 

Recent studies have shown that while masks may not totally prevent transmission of the virus, it aids in reducing it especially after asymptomatic cases have been confirmed in different parts of the world. Coupled with other acts like social distancing, frequent handwashing, and staying at home, wearing masks can help save lives.

 

People and organizations are doing it not just for themselves, but for others too.

 

Local conglomerates, like LBC Group of Companies for example, are helping advocate for wearing reusable masks in public. With most of its employees acting as frontliners by delivering essential goods to households, wearing masks is not just a mandatory — but also a welcome act of being one with the Filipinos in flattening the curve. Its employees nationwide join the new normal and wear masks. In just a sheer number of days, the company was able to mobilize its 13,000-strong workforce to help save not just themselves but also, other people.

Creativity is also in action. While personal protective equipment and surgical masks are reserved for medical frontliners, people found a way to create their own: from bra masks to homemade masks made from old fabrics. Online businesses, like swimwear shop Pearlypop Swimwear, have also found ways to be creative by reinventing its product line and starting to sell reusable masks for shipping.

Celebrities are on the frontlines of the movement too using their influence to educate the public about the importance of wearing masks. Filipino personalities like Iza Calzado, Tweetie de Leon, and Tim Yap have challenged friends and families to support the movement while Hollywood actress Sophia Bush hit close to home by sharing who she’s masking for. These are just some of the examples of how wearing masks have now become more than just a call for safety, but a call for solidarity too.

Lessons from the Lockdown; Musings of an SMDC Resident



 

What was once thought to be essential has become luxury. What seemed unattainable became reality. What was once impossible became the new normal.

 

The Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) has become the new benchmark for everything. Decisions will henceforth be made on the basis of their efficacy under a lockdown scenario, most probably even in the post-Covid future.

 

So what has a month of ECQ taught us?

• 1. Rain can fall even in summer.

Covid-19 came like a freak storm. Everyone was caught unprepared. Lives were overturned in an instant, forcing us to enter unchartered waters and making difficult decisions in the midst of uncertainty. Out of work, out of business, stripped of the many luxuries and conveniences we once enjoyed, we were forced to accept our new realities, re-engineer our lives, re-calibrate our days, and revisit the way we did things.

 

But as we were forced to enter an entirely new existence, we also learned to appreciate the many things we tended to overlook in our pre-Covid lives. For one, we are now seeing our community frontliners in a different light, appreciating their service to our community more than ever.

 

• 2. Closeness need not be physical.

With limitations on personal movement, we learned to adjust, to purge, and to find ways for things that really mattered to us.

 

Most of us have re-connected with our families, finding ourselves communicating more and taking interest in each other’s lives.

 

A New York Times analysis of Internet usage in the US shows behaviors shifting, sometimes starkly, toward devices for work, play and connecting, with people wanting to do more than just connect through messaging and texting. We want to see one another, to have that sense of belonging, of family, of community.

 

Our own Smart Telecommunications’ data traffic shows a spike of 15-20% in the first week of the ECQ.

 

Condominium living has given us that sense of community. We may be alone in our units, but it gives us a sense of calm to know that there are people around us who share our plight and that there will always be someone to heed our cry for help. With our safety and security on the line, it is reassuring to know that we can rely on our property management to immediately provide emergency assistance, whether to bring us to the hospital or to secure medical or professional help for us or to link us with our local government units.

•  
• 3. There is so much we can do in 24 hours.

We used to complain about not having enough time, wishing there were more hours in a day. But once the commercial clutter was taken away, we realized how long 24 hours was.

 

We found ourselves doing things we had been putting off – learning a new skill, rediscovering an old hobby, reading a good book, starting an art project, volunteering for or spearheading a cause, re-decorating our homes. And yes, praying.

 

For some of us, work has not skipped a beat. In fact, many of us realize we are more productive working from home (WFH) than when we were in our offices. And we are able to do that while being able to eat healthier, watch more movies and shows, exercise with greater regularity, sleep longer and more soundly.

 

What used to be little things that we took for granted in the past, we now see with renewed eyes. Our balconies offer us a magnificent view of the outdoors – clear, blue skies hovering over our well-appointed amenities that, post-ECQ, will allow us to be able to spend quality ‘me’ or ‘family’ time without the need to leave our homes. Our wifi-equipped, resort-like lobbies and open-air lounges or co-working spaces provide the perfect setting for a new normal that encourages WFH.

 

• 4. We do not need much.

When the commercial noise settled down, we found ourselves going back to what really mattered.

As in Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy, everything starts with – and everyone returns to – the basic needs: physiological and security or safety. Roofs over our heads, food on the table, and protection of our health and of our existence, became the be-all and end-all of our lockdown existence.

 

Never have we appreciated the presence of retail shops within our community than in these trying times. Having shops that provided the true essentials – a grocery, a pharmacy, a service center, ATMs, even a full-service bank in many of our developments – has given us peace, security and comfort knowing that we do not have to travel long and hard nor risk our health in order to survive. Yes, ECQ has taught us that we do not need much. But the little that we need – the bare essentials – are within easy reach. What used to be just a convenience or an add-on feature for some of us has become a necessity for all of us in these trying times.

 

• 5. We will weather the storm.

Life choices will now have to focus on the true essentials.

 

Many of us are now looking at saving, not just for the rainy day, but also for another eventual freak storm. More than saving, we should now look at investing our hard-earned money on the essentials: health, food, shelter.

 

Investing in health would mean eating well, exercising regularly, sleeping longer, stressing less, and buying health insurance. As stock prices plummeted in record time and businesses closed down, we learned that investment choices should point in the direction of stable assets, like gold and real estate, which are the least affected in times of uncertainty.

 

And because it is an essential, a home will always be a wise investment. Not just any home, as this experience has taught us. We need a home that would provide easy access to our essentials, that would give us protection, security and safety, and that would allow us to easily move from home to office and back to home.

 

The COVID-19 storm is bound to pass, but it will have left us with these valuable lessons to last a lifetime.

 

 



She Didn’t Give Up on Mayor Isko Moreno



 



Happy Mother’s Day!

 

“Behind every great man there’s a great woman.” Mayor Francisco Domagoso or simply YORME, shares his heartwarming Mother’s Day message to a great woman behind his great success and to all the Filipino MOMS – the Real VIPs!

 



 

As the elected City Mayor of Manila, endearingly called by most Filipinos as Yorme, he never wavered amidst adversities hurled at him for taking several steps in making a better version of the city he fondly calls his home and crowning glory.

 

On this special occasion, Yorme encourages all Filipino moms to be stronger for their families while consciously maintaining a healthy work-life balance and to continue their selfless dedication amidst the uncertainties of this pandemic war - “Believe in yourself! You’ve got nothing to lose.” 

 

How about making your mom feel that she’s the real VIP today? Discover a natural female hair loss treatment at https://bit.ly/2SjZ9wc.

Formulated with 19 of nature’s finest ingredients, NOVUHAIR® offers a natural hair loss solution that helps address the early warning signs especially for those in search of a natural alopecia treatment - nothing doubtful compared to home remedies for hair loss, nothing worrisome versus chemical-based treatments and nothing disadvantageous, unlike most instant fiber hair loss solutions that provide temporary baldness cures. 

Find out more at www.novuhair.com

 

 

How to Fit Fitness into Your Work from Home Schedule

 By Samantha Clayton, OLY, ISSA-CPT, Vice President, Worldwide Sports Performance and Fitness, Herbalife Nutrition

 

 

With gyms and studios temporarily closed, and social distancing a high priority, many find themselves adjusting to a new normal. This is why it’s important to find creative ways to keep moving throughout the day, while you’re confined to working from your house. Home workouts are more accessible than ever.

 

With many governments implementing “safer at home” policies, including working from home provisions, it’s understandable that the new disruptions to our daily routines may cause stress or anxiety. For many, working from home is a new experience, and you may find yourself plugging-in more throughout the day and missing out on essential time you should be taking for your wellbeing.  This is why it’s important to find creative ways to keep moving throughout the day, while you’re confined to working from your house.

 

Keep a Routine

Just like it’s important to have a consistent workout regimen to avoid or delay reaching a plateau in your fitness performance, it’s important to develop or stay on your “work routine” to avoid creating bad habits that will hinder your motivation. 

It may be tempting to roll out of bed and work in your pajamas, but before you know it your work area will also become a mess, and your habits will change. In the midst of these changes we’re going through, why add more? Stay consistent and keep a schedule-- get up at the same time you would as if you were going to the office in the morning, shower, get dressed, have your coffee or tea, set up your workstation and work as you normally would. Keeping this sense of normalcy will help you stay focused on your tasks.

 



 

 Here are some ways to fit fitness into your work-from-home schedule:

• Prioritize Movement for a Positive Work Environment

While you may be more concerned about getting your work done than getting a workout in, the truth is that you should always make time for a total of 30 minutes of every day. If you make it part of your schedule by adding it to your daily calendar, it will be something to look forward to in an otherwise monotonous workday.

Additionally, there’s research that has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and back pain. 

Even if ‘being fit’ isn’t a priority for you, the body’s natural release of endorphins is enhanced during bouts of physical activity, which will at the very least improve your mood. And during stressful times like these, one of the greatest benefits of performing regular exercise is its ability to make the activities of everyday life feel easier.

Workout While You Work

Here are five easy exercises to do while working from home, and many don’t even require you to leave your workstation:

• Set an Alarm. At the top, middle, or the end of every hour set an alarm on your phone for a few minutes of activity. Whether you choose to do 1 minute of crunches, 60 squats, or 20 pushups—setting time to take a break from your work to get your body moving will not only help you feel stronger over time but will also help keep your energy up throughout the day. 
• Stretch Your Upper Body. Warm-up your muscles with upper-body stretches—raise your arms above your head, stretch until you feel it in your chest, and biceps. Stretching helps to relieve stress and tight muscles.
• Take Your Calls Standing. Whether you decide to go for a walk during a call or do some squats, use this time to put your ear pods in and move. Lunges can also work your glutes and thighs. Lunge forward by dropping your hips to the floor, alternate legs. 
• Seated Crunches. Work your abs while sitting in your chair. Keep your back straight and your hands behind your head, then raise your knees to your elbows, alternating legs. 
• Ankle Circles. Keep your blood flowing by doing some simple ankle circles to support healthy circulation.

 

Don’t Forget Your Balanced Diet Food
Managing your exercise routine, consuming a healthy diet, and getting enough rest are just a few great ways you can strive toward getting the best physical and emotional results. Healthy snacking throughout the day on whole fruits, sticks of string cheese, and cartons of yogurt will not only keep you full but are also easy to grab when you’ve lost track of time from being plugged-in all day. Additionally, a balanced diet with plenty of protein will keep you feeling full so that you’re not constantly visiting the refrigerator. Don’t forget that working from home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep your boundaries—make sure you take this extra time at home to make time for yourself to unwind and relax. 

 

 

 

 

 

About Herbalife Nutrition Ltd.

Herbalife Nutrition is a global company that has been changing people's lives with great nutrition products and a proven business opportunity for its independent members since 1980. The Company offers high-quality, science-backed products, sold in over 90 countries by entrepreneurial members who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that inspires their customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle. Through the Company’s global campaign to eradicate hunger, Herbalife Nutrition is also committed to bringing nutrition and education to communities around the world.

 

For more information, please visit IAmHerbalifeNutrition.com.

Herbalife Nutrition also encourages investors to visit its investor relations website at ir.herbalife.com as financial and other information is updated and new information is posted.

 

 

 

McDonald’s Celebrates Discovering Mom’s Hidden Quirks in Latest Mother’s Day Video





Being locked up at home during this community quarantine may not be the most ideal of situations, but looking at the bright side, it has given us the opportunity to spend more time with our families. These moments together make us realize that there’s much more to discover about each other, especially our mothers.  
 
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the quirky and unique things that set our mothers apart, as we get to know more about them over shared moments at home, and as we discover that there are always more reasons to love them.  

 

Na-lockdown tayo, Ma. McDonald’s Mother’s Day video this year opens our eyes to the often unseen side of our mothers, which many of us are getting to know with the almost 24-hour confinement brought about by the current situation. For many, it’s a pleasant surprise to realize the stark realization of our mothers leading their own lives—beyond what they do for the family. Now is the time to pay even closer attention to them, and to put in that extra effort of appreciating them for all that they do.  

“We sometimes forget that mothers also have other personal interests, hobbies, or roles aside from being ‘mom’. They can be gamers, tech experts, artists, movie buffs, Kdrama addicts— we don’t really know because how caught up we are on our own daily lives. Here at McDonald’s, we hope for families to bond even more, embracing every moment as an opportunity to appreciate our mothers - quirks and all.”  ~Ollie Rabatan, Marketing Head of McDonald’s Philippines

If you haven’t checked out the video, here it is:

 

 

 

 

Celebrate Mother’s Day in the comfort of your home

 

Order in from your favorite restaurants and enjoy engaging online workshops with the whole family this weekend!

 

This year’s celebration of Mother’s Day is quite unconventional brought by the enhanced community quarantine-- almost everyone is confined to their homes, limiting the options of people to celebrate the most important women in their lives. With this in mind, Ortigas Malls finds a way to celebrate Mother’s Day through a series of engaging online sessions that our beloved moms will surely find enjoyable.

 

Have a sweet Mother's Day celebration as we teach you how to make your own no-bake peanut butter rolls!



From making DIY beauty essentials to preparing sweet treats and learning the basics of urban gardening - Ortigas Malls makes sure that moms are entertained at home with these online workshops on May 10 from 2PM to 5PM at Greenhills’, Tiendesitas’ and Estancia’s Facebook pages.

 

Nature, Mother Nurture: an online learning session in urban gardening with Jennie Agcaoili of Plant Project PH.



Aside from the workshops, Ortigas Malls is also giving away a bouquet of flowers on Mother’s Day to three lucky moms through an online contest. Winners will be announced on May 8, 2020.

Mechanics are as follows:

STEP 1: Change your Profile Photo with our Say it at Home Frame

STEP 2: LIKE Greenhills Mall, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Tiendesitas on Facebook

STEP 3: Comment #OMSayItAtHome down below

STEP 4: SHARE this post to your timeline in PUBLIC status, a message to your mom & HASHTAG #StaySafe #OMSayItAtHome

 

Learn to make health and beauty essentials at home! Exfoliate with a DIY lip scrub and sanitize with a simple hand sanitizer.



To complete the celebration, Ortigas Malls makes it even easier to order from your favorite restaurants through their Click & Collect program, available in Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Greenhills from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

 

1. Check the Ortigas Malls Viber Group (http://tiny.cc/OrtigasMallsViber) to see which merchants offer pick-up services.
2. Contact merchants, place orders, pay, & agree on pickup schedule.
3. Drive to the designated C&C pick-up area to collect your order.
For more information, you may visit their official Facebook pages - Estancia, Tiendesitas, and Greenhills Mall.