LoveYourself Launches Cozy HIV Testing Center in Cebu

Wazzup Pilipinas!

CEBU’S FIRST HIV COMMUNITY CENTER:LoveYourself White House opened on 27 April as the newest addition to LoveYourself’s growing community. The center’s press launched was graced by (L-R) LoveYourself Senior Director Christopher Lagman, LoveYourself Executive Director Ronivin Pagtakahan, LoveYourself newest brand ambassador and singer Karencitta, Department of Health-Regional 7 Regional Coordinator Dr. Van Philip Baton, and LoveYourself Cebu Head Jan Shaltiel Estrada.

After seven years of serving the Greater Manila Area, the LoveYourself, Inc. officially launches today (27 April) its first community center in Cebu City – the LoveYourself White House.

By establishing a community center in Cebu, LoveYourself focuses its attention to the growing number of HIV cases in Central Visayas, since it already shared 9% (5,773) of the total number of persons living with HIV (PLHIV) since 1984. Throughout the country, there are already 38 HIV diagnoses a day.

To augment the efforts not only in Cebu but throughout the region, LoveYourself White House provides free and confidential HIV testing and treatment, including education, counseling and life coaching.

Interestingly, the new community center also offers a co-working space with contemporary and hip ambiance that caters to the distinctive taste of Cebuanos. The center also brews free coffee for waiting clients, while either enjoying the wifi services or the murals.

During the press launch, LoveYourself unveiled Karencitta as its newest brand ambassador in addition to Miss Universe 2015 and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador for Asia and the Pacific Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray. Karencitta is a Cebuana talent who made a wave in the Philippine music industry through her songs and artistry.

LoveYourself also invited the Department of Health-Region Vll Regional Coordinator Dr. Van Philip Baton to discuss the HIV situation in Cebu and the efforts that the government is doing to curb the epidemic.

LoveYourself founders Ronivin Pagtakhan and Christopher Lagman explained LoveYourself’s humble beginnings and how its young community was able to make an impact to the advocacy here and abroad. Both founders looked forward to the contribution that LoveYourself could make in Cebu in the years to come.

For Cebuanos who want to get themselves checked, LoveYourself White House is located at 40 Don Julio Llorente St., Cebu City. The center is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 noon to 9:00 p.m. with contact number (032) 367-7016.

To know more about LoveYourself and its services, visit www.loveyourself.ph or follow and share its social media channels: Facebook- @loveyourself.ph, Twitter- @loveyourselfph, and Instagram- @loveyourself.ph.


OTHER PHOTOS:

SONG FOR THE HIV CAUSE:During the press launch of the LoveYourself White House on Saturday (27 April), Cebuana pop singer Karencitta announces that she has been thinking of writing a song for the HIV advocacy. The Cebuana singer is LoveYourself’s newest brand ambassador, specifically catering to the organization’s Cebu clientele.

CEBU SITUATIONER: Dr. Van Philip Baton talks about the Cebu province’s reported cases which already reached 5,179 since 1984. According to Dr. Baton, it is 92% of all cases in Region 7. Demographically, Dr. Baton said 38% of the cases in the region are people who inject drugs and 30% are men having sex with men.

Cupping Competition Highlights Emerging Ifugao Coffee Industry

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The coffee industry in Asipulo, Ifugao got a major boost with the conduct of the first Cupping Competition during the town’s Kulpi’d Asipulo Festival on April 16, 2019. Asipulo has the biggest coffee planting area in Ifugao, a major Robusta coffee producer, with about 1,394 hectares or 55% of the province’s total coffee area.

Robusta coffee samples by 21 farmer members of the Hojap Multi-Purpose Cooperative (Hojap MPC) were rated based on the international standard of cupping and bean grading. 

Corazon Wangag, 35 years old, emerged as the first-place winner of the competition, with an average cupping score of 84.06%, followed by Leon Donato, 61, who garnered a score of 83.13%. The third place went to Rosita Dumelod, 47, with 82.83% average cupping score. 

According to Coffee Quality Institute (CQI), a non-profit organization working internationally to improve the quality of coffee and the lives of people who produce it, coffee samples which score 80 points or above on a 100-point scale is graded ‘specialty’.

CQI created the industry’s first comprehensive guide of compiled standards and procedures that define fine Robusta coffee. The scoring is based on ten attributes: fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, salt/acid aspect ratio, bitter/sweet aspect ratio, mouthfeel, balance, uniform cups, clean cups, and overall defects, both taints and forms, of the coffee. The higher the score, the better price it commands in the specialty market.

The average cupping score is derived from the consolidated rating from the four judges tapped by the Philippine Coffee Board, Inc. (PCBI), namely: PCBI’s Robert Francisco, panel chair, Mario Macalalad of Magellan Coffee, Bea Belardo of Belardo Coffee Enterprise and Jennifer Rimando of Ola Farms.

According to Rimando, the coffee submitted during the competition has shown how much the quality of coffee has improved in the region over the years.

“May potensyal ang kanilang kape. Masaya ako dahil na-apply nila ang mga learnings (from the trainings). Suggestions were also given to the farmers to further upgrade the quality of their coffee,” she said.

Another judge, Macalalad, also recognized that Ifugao can now compete in the growing market of the coffee industry.

“Malaki ang inimprove ng kalidad ng kape at sa palagay ko ang mga ganitong mga competition ay makakatulong upang iangat ang kalidad ng Ifugao coffee. Kung mataas kasi ang kalidad it also dictates a better future for the industry,” he said.

Hojap MPC’s Manager Shirley Tagtag meanwhile lauded the passion and dedication of the farmers to develop high-quality coffee products in the province.

“Ang requirement ng market kailangan ng quality. ‘Pag maganda ang kape mo, maganda ang presyo,” she said.

The competition was spearheaded by the Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), in partnership with PCBI and Hojap MPC.

Website link: http://pef.ph/index.php/2019/04/26/cupping-competition-highlights-emerging-ifugao-coffee-industry/

STATS Performance Apparel is official UP Fighting Maroons Outfitter and Merchandise Company

Wazzup Pilipinas!
STATS Performance Apparel, an athleisure brand under Januarius Holdings Inc. (JHI), expanded its support for the UP Fighting Maroons Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) for University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 82. 

Besides the official on-court and off-court wear of the basketball team, STATS will also produce the official merchandise of the UP Fighting Maroons. 

JHI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) JJ Atencio (left-most), JHI Chief Operating Officer Marcy Venezuela (right-most), STATS Performance Apparel CEO and Creative Director Edrin Panganiban (second from right) officially sealed their partnership on Wednesday, April 24 with Nowhere To Go But UP Foundation (NTGBUP), a volunteer group of UP alumni supporting UP’s varsity programs led by its President, Atty. Agaton Uvero (center) at the Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. Also present at the signing ceremony were UP Head Coach Bo Perasol, UAAP Season 81 MVP Bright Akhuetie, Janjan Jaboneta, Noah Webb, and the Gomez de Liaño brothers, Juan and Javi.