DOH launches multi-sectoral initiative to eradicate tuberculosis

The Department of Health (DOH) has launched the Philippine Acceleration Action Plan for Tuberculosis (PAAP-TB), a multisectoral initiative to eradicate tuberculosis (TB) in the country by 2035. The DOH together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), through the PAAP-TB aims to provide wider access to health services, and improved education and public information, social protection, and labor protection to eradicate TB by 2030.

Tuberculosis is a chronic communicable disease that comes second only to COVID-19 as a leading cause of mortality from a single infectious organism. According to the Global TB Report 2022, the disease accounted for 1.6 million deaths in 2021. In a preliminary report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) this year, TB continues to rank 11th among the causes of death in the Filipino population. When I got TB in around 2017, I observed that there are still lapses in our government services that should be addressed.

TB elimination entails improving access to TB services, and addressing the social, economic, and physical determinants that significantly affect its occurrence, transmission, and even treatment. “In addressing these social determinants of health, we enjoin all our sectoral stakeholders for synergistic solutions to overcrowding, low education, malnutrition, and ultimately poverty. Our collective interventions will make TB services equitable, especially for the poor,” said Officer-in-Charge Secretary Dr. Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire.

The PAAP-TB aims to address the nation's TB epidemic by re-examining current programs and initiatives of National Coordinating Committee for Tuberculosis (TB-NCC) member organizations. Together, these collaborating sectors will provide an action plan and involve the private sector and organizations to achieve the program's goals over two medium terms.

Also present at the event were representatives from various sectors committed to eradicating TB in the Philippines, Department of Health Assistant Secretary Beverly Ho, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., DSWD Assistant Secretary Janet Armas, DOLE Executive Director for the Occupational Safety and Health Center Ma. Teresita Cucueco, and FDA Director IV Jesusa Joyce Cirunay.

USAID Philippines Deputy Mission Director Rebekah Eubanks

“By engaging multiple disciplines, organizations, sectors, and partners can combine strengths and leverage resources, expertise, and knowledge, while addressing the social, environmental, economic, and political systemic drivers that influence behaviors and prevent the effective delivery of health policies and interventions,” said Officer-In-Charge Singh-Vergeire.

The PAAP-TB document has been developed with technical support from the USAID’s TB Innovations and Health Systems Strengthening Project implemented by FHI 360.

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LG Continues Its Success at Red Dot Award, Once Again Earning Multiple Accolades

Company Takes Home 24 Awards for Product Design Excellence,

Including One “Best of the Best” Honor

LG Electronics (LG) announces it has received a total of 24 awards at the 2023 edition of the prestigious Red Dot Award. Among its double-digit tally is a Best of the Best accolade for LG OLED Flex, an innovative, bendable TV designed to take gaming and viewing immersion to the next level.

Featuring the world’s first bendable 42-inch OLED screen, LG OLED Flex provides unprecedented screen customizability with twenty levels of curvature to choose from. The unique display delivers a personalized gaming and viewing experience and was designed based on extensive customer research. LG OLED Flex also comes with a wide range of game-specific features, including customizable rear lighting that helps extend the game environment into the user’s space, as well as an intuitive user interface that enhances convenience. LG OLED TVs have been recognized with the Red Dot Design Award every year without exception since its first release in 2013.

One of the many LG products honored at the Red Dot Award, the refrigerator with MoodUP™ boasts color-changing LED door panels and built-in speakers. Enabling users to enliven the kitchen with color and sound, the innovative product belongs to LG’s growing lineup of upgradeable home appliances.

Winners of the Red Dot Innovative Award include the next-generation shoe care solutions, the LG Styler™ ShoeCase and ShoeCare and the LG PuriCare Objet Collection Aero Furniture “table-type” air purifier. Showing LG’s commitment to putting customers first, each of these products was developed considering the needs and wants of real consumers, while the LG Styler ShoeCase and ShoeCare were tested by the company’s own customer advisory group, L.UP. With membership representing a diverse cross-section of society, L.UP consulted directly with LG’s designers, who incorporated their feedback into the final products.

The Red Dot Award is one of the most respected competitions for product design, communication design and design concepts in the world. This year, approximately 20,000 products from 51 countries were submitted for the jury’s consideration.

“LG is deeply honored to have its innovations recognized by Red Dot, one of the world’s top design award programs,” said Hwang Sung-gul, executive head of LG Electronics’ Corporate Design Center. “These awards are especially meaningful to us because they validate our firm belief that customer value and F.U.N. experiences, which are first, unique and new, are created through products and services that reflect the voice of the customer.”

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HATCH: The 5th Edition

For the forthcoming Easter season, The Manila Hotel, in partnership with Manila Bulletin, brings back HATCH – a one-of-a-kind showcase of artfully crafted Easter eggs. Displayed as a focal point of the Grand Lobby of the hotel, guests will be treated to a delightful display of novel collaboration of Filipino artists.

Hatch Lobby: The Manila Hotel

With the aim to promote the local art scene and highlight the creative genius of local artists, HATCH: The 5th Edition features 18 uniquely customized acrylic eggs showcasing multitude of creative styles and distinct personalities of Filipino contemporary artists who come from different disciplines. Just as the artists adapted their respective unique styles of mixed media, each Easter egg has a different story to tell.

Featured artists include: Addie Cukingnan, Agi Pagkatipuna, Al Perez, Aner Sebastian, Carlito Ortega, Carlo Magno, Cindel Tiausas, Carlos Cee Cadid, Demet dela Cruz, Migi Sebastian, Egai Fernandez, Emmanuel Nim, Jinggoy Salcedo, Margie Organo, Maria Magdamit, Migs Villanueva, Monnar Baldemor, Reen Barrera, Remy Boquiren, Roger “Rishab” Tibon. See full collection here.

In 2020, Manila Bulletin won the gold award for HATCH during the 55th Anvil Awards. The exhibit moved from city to city where visitors were introduced to an exceptional showcase of Filipino artistry.

HATCH will be on display at the Grand Lobby of The Manila Hotel until April 23, 2023.

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From the Fields to your local SM Supermall

From the Fields to your local SM Supermall

Now open at 26 malls nationwide, from 7AM to 2PM, the SM Sunday Market has begun to offer fresh produce and fruits in season, flowers and plants grown by local farmers. The SM Sunday Market is a joint initiative of SM Supermalls, SM Cares, and the SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) which spotlights its Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan (KSK) program.

SM Pampanga

This helps hundreds of local food producers by providing them with high-traffic locations at SM malls nationwide to display and market their products to weekend shoppers, employees, and tenants.

Since 2020, SM Foundation has helped 28,500 local farmers from different municipalities nationwide by equipping them with modern and sustainable farming skills.

As we approach Holy Week, traditionally a time for meatless meat choices, you can opt to drop by the SM Sunday Market with your family, friends, and furbabies! As you fill your baskets with the best of their harvest, at farmgate prices, you help local farmers thrive and grow their small businesses.

The SM Sunday Market is currently serving the community at: SM City Cabanatuan, SM City Tarlac, SM City Pampanga, SM City Clark, SM City Baliwag, SM Center Pulilan, SM City Marilao, SM City Taytay, SM City Lucena, SM City Bacoor, SM City Dasmariñas, SM City Trece Martires, SM City Tanza, SM City Santa Rosa, SM City Calamba, SM City San Pablo, SM City Batangas, SM City Lipa, SM City Naga, SM City Legazpi, SM City Puerto Princesa, SM Center Ormoc, SM City Iloilo, SM City Cebu, SM City Butuan, SM CDO Uptown, and SM Lanang Premier.

SM City Bacoor

SM Puerto Princesa

SM Legazpi

Support your local farmers and give your family nutritious farm to table dishes. Stay tuned for more updates about the SM Sunday Market by visiting www.smsupermalls.com or following @smsupermalls on social media.

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LG Smart TVs Take Learning to the Next Level with MasterClass

Millions of LG Customers Can Now Connect With and Learn

From The World’s Best in the Comfort of their Home via webOS

LG Smart TV owners worldwide gain access to MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, allowing customers to access the platform directly on the big screen at home. Available in LG’s Content Store on LG Smart TVs running webOS 4.0 (2018 TVs) up to the newly launched 2023 TVs, the MasterClass app can be easily accessed by voice command and is featured on Life’s Good Hub.

MasterClass subscribers will be able to get inspired from more than 180 instructors and classes across various categories, such as Arts & Entertainment, Business, Design & Style, Sports & Gaming and Writing, which means there is a class for almost every need and interest. Viewers can step into food truck “godfather’s” Roy Choi’s kitchen, design their career with Former Teen Vogue editor in chief and multimedia icon Elaine Welteroth, discover their inner negotiator with former lead FBI hostage negotiator Chris Voss, learn leadership from former CEO of PepsiCo Indra Nooyi and relational intelligence from renowned psychotherapist Esther Perel and much more of the world’s best, so that everyone can be inspired by their knowledge and stories.

New and existing MasterClass subscribers can learn and discover at a pace that best serves their lifestyle—in bite-size pieces or in a single binge, with each class featuring about 20 video lessons, at an average of 10 minutes per lesson. Cinematic visuals and close-up demonstrations make viewers feel like they’re one-on-one with the instructors. For those looking to learn by doing, Sessions by MasterClass offers a structured curriculum where members can roll up their sleeves, get hands-on and learn meaningful skills through step-by-step guidance from world-class instructors and an active community of peers.

By introducing MasterClass to its Smart TVs, LG is demonstrating its commitment to offer more versatile home entertainment experiences that appeal to consumers' unique preferences, needs and interests, with new educational services to be launched later this year.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023, LG OLED TVs have pioneered and continue to lead the premium TV market, earning many accolades from journalists, and industry experts. LG OLED TVs are synonymous with superb picture quality, vibrant, accurate colors and deep blacks for images that are remarkably lifelike. As such, LG OLED TVs have become the preferred TV for many creators and studios. The company is committed to exploring the broad possibilities presented by its self-lit technology as it starts a new decade of OLED leadership and innovation.

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Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba - review

With the lengthy title, who would not get curious? Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba is actually a children's short story by Dean Francis Alfar adapted to a stage play that gives great impact. Aside from the suggestion that it makes fun of curvy individuals, it discusses beautifully layers of liberty, family relations and teaches lessons that open minds in an entertaining and pedagogic way.

Starting in a setting in a bar accompanied by catchy singing and music, the play was able to gather the attention of the audience by participating to the intros. Then the cast appear one by one and told their roles in the story so that everyone can follow.

Then it starts the main story, transporting the stage into colonial setting. The characters were divided into Hispanics and natives, wherein social injustice is being exposed. Our heroine Rosa, knows to fight back and betting on all odds, she challenged a wealthy and powerful Pietrado in a race. Then a layer of discrimination and body shaming adds to the issues that were already present. The post-show call back surprisingly revealed more than just the colonialism and fat shaming were tapped in the story. The short story has been put into greater heights and digs deeper with the lessons it entail.

Rody Vera (playwright), Kiki Baento (Rosang Taba) and Maynard Manansala (playwright) 

Two years in the pandemic has evolved the original plans of production to what it is today. The creative team has put together great ideas other than injecting comic factors that will surely be appreciated by audience from all ages. The stage, the script, and cast are seamless overall that it makes it a feast for the eyes and soul. My words would not be enough to say that it is perfect to watch and to repeat.

Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba runs until April 2, 2023 at the UP Main Theater in UP Diliman. For tickets, you may buy from https://ticket2me.net/o/531

The book How Rosang Taba Won the Race by Dean Francis Alfar, is also available at the foyer, distributed by Lampara Books.

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Wash and Save this Summer with LG's Washer and Dryer Technology

Summer is a time for fun in the sun, but it also means more laundry. Whether it's sandy beach towels or sweaty workout clothes, a reliable washing machine is a must-have for any household. If you're in the look out for a new washing machine, here are four features to consider before making your purchase.

Capacity - The capacity of a washing machine refers to the amount of laundry it can hold in one cycle. If you have a large family or regularly wash bulky items like comforters or pillows, a washing machine with a larger capacity is a must-have. However, if you live by yourself or have limited space, a smaller capacity washing machine may be more practical. LG’s washing machines are designed to carry large loads in a very compact chassis, perfect even in tight spaces.

Energy Efficiency - Energy-efficient washing machines are not only better for the environment, but they can also save you money on your energy bill. Look for washing machines with an Energy Star rating, which means they meet strict energy efficiency guidelines. LG’s Dual Inverter Heat Pump for example, was awarded the Energy Star Most Efficient Mark in 2021 and offers up to 65% energy savings. Another feature that increases efficiency is LG’s Turbowash, which uses a Jet Spray to get a half-load of your washing clean in 59 minutes. The improved process reduces that time by a further 20, getting your laundry done in just 39 minutes using high-pressure sprays that wash and rinse your clothes more efficiently, using less water and therefore less energy.

Noise Level - If your laundry room is located near living spaces or bedrooms, a noisy washing machine can be a major disturbance. Look for washing machines that have a low decibel rating, which means they operate quietly. LG's Direct Drive Motor is connected to a washing machine tub directly without any belt or pulley, minimizing noise vibrations. This simplified structure helps running washing machines to be quiet and reliable.

Smart Features - Smart washing machines offer a range of features that can make laundry day easier and more efficient. LG’s washing machines provide seamless integration with the Smart ThinQ app. The app will then diagnose any problems that you might be having with your machine and give you a solution. It also lets you control, schedule, and monitor your laundry cycles remotely through your smartphone in real-time.

When purchasing a new washing machine for the summer season, consider its capacity, energy efficiency, noise level, and smart features. LG’s washing machines, which was named the No.1 Home Laundry Appliances brand in ASEAN and No.1 Automatic Dryer brand in Asia Pacific by Euromonitor International Limited, meet all these criteria while also providing excellent aftersales and competitive pricing. By taking these factors into account, you can find the washing machine that meets your needs and helps make laundry day a breeze.

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