Hop your way to luck this 2023 at SM Supermalls!

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

This 2023, say goodbye to the roaring tiger and usher in the spirited rabbit as you celebrate Chinese New Year at your favorite SM malls nationwide!

From January 9 to 22, SM Supermalls has lined up exciting activities and events for a prosperous Year of the Water Rabbit festivities. If you are up for some hoppin’ fun adventures, here are exclusive CNY deals for you to enjoy.

Share good luck over good food at SM

Chinese New Year will always be about family dining and spending time together. This month, indulge in a delicious dine-in experience at SM with the whole family and enjoy sumptuous Lucky Feast deals from participating tenants. 

Have a stroll at the Lucky Park

Don’t miss out on the fun of strolling around SM Supermalls’ Lucky Park. Snap a photo with the whole family at the Bunny Family Photo Spot, or take selfies at the magnificent Money Trees and the lighted rabbits. You can also read through your luck this year with the Zodiac Forecast Panels or put your A-game on at the Lucky Finds Pop-Ups in the area to win CNY exclusive deals.

Witness a Lion and Dragon Dance

Who would want to miss a signature lion dance during the Chinese New Year? At SM, lion and dragon dance performers will go around the mall to get all the lucky hanging hong baos. Catch them perform live from January 13 to 22!

Usher in good fortune this year with tips from a Feng Shui expert!

When it comes to Feng Shui, SM Supermalls knows how you can harness the positive energy that the new year brings. And with the help of Feng Shui expert, Ms. Marites Allen, you’ll surely discover what 2023 has in store for you.

Just present a minimum SM receipt worth Php 1,000 to get a chance to talk to her in person in the following malls:

● January 14, 2PM - SM City Olongapo Central

● January 15, 2PM - SM City San Lazaro

● January 19, 2PM - SM City Fairview

● January 20, 2PM - SM City Dasmariñas

● January 20, 5PM - SM City Sta. Rosa

● January 2 1, 2PM - SM Megamall

● January 21, 5PM - SM City North EDSA

● January 22, 2PM - SM City Bacoor

● January 22, 5PM - SM Mall of Asia 

Scan and win amazing prizes in this AR hunt game

Test your luck at the Lucky Rabbit Hunt in SM malls! Join this AR hunt game by opening the app on your mobile device. Hunt for the triggers, scan the area, and catch lucky rabbits all around the mall with your family and friends.

As the Year of the Water Rabbit predicts hope this 2023, SM Supermalls wishes their shoppers longevity, peace, and prosperity this Chinese New Year. So, hop on luck and enjoy all these CNY-themed activities safely and conveniently at your favorite SM Mall!

For more updates, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow @smsupermalls on social media.

Philippine Post Office launches colorful Year of the Rabbit Stamps to mark Chinese Lunar Year

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The Philippine Postal Corporation (Post Office) released the commemorative "Year of the Rabbit" stamps to mark the celebration of Chinese New Year 2023 held at Seascape Village in Pasay City.

“The celebration is a manifestation of our solidarity with our Filipino-Chinese friends. For us, the Lunar New Year is an occasion to celebrate the rich heritage that both our nations have treasured”, Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio said.

Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) Executive Vice President Ms. Mary G. Ng said that recognition and respect for both the Filipinos and Chinese is being represented through the stamps”.

The Chinese New Year is said to be the most important and longest holiday celebrated not just in Asia but in other parts of the world. The celebration begins on the first day of the lunar calendar, and it is considered the beginning of “Spring”.

The Chinese Zodiac has twelve representative animals, namely: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. During this auspicious event, Filipino-Chinese and even the general public practice age-old traditions and joyous festivities associated with the holiday.

The Chinese calendar has sparked "a lot of interest" in recent years among Filipinos who "collect the (Chinese zodiac) stamps”, the Philippine Post Office, which is under the Office of the President, said in a statement.

In Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. 2023 is predicted to be a year of hope. The Rabbit is known to many as the luckiest in the zodiac. If one is born under the Year of the Rabbit, it is said that one is friendly, gentle, and kind to others.

Modern Chinese Lunar Year Stamps have bolder colors and designs to make it more appealing to collectors. For example, viva magenta, which is the pantone color this 2023, represents universal harmony and emotional balance. It promotes compassion, kindness, and cooperation.

The Chinese cultural influence has been widely recognized in the country, from eating Chinese food, talking to Feng Shui experts for good luck, as well as reading their Chinese horoscope.

PHLPost in-house artists Ryman Dominic Albuladora, Eunice Dabu and Agnes Rarangol designed the colorful stamps.

The stamps, souvenir sheets, and official first-day cover will be available to the public starting Wednesday, January 25. The Year of the Rabbit ends on February 9, 2024. For inquiries on the stamps, call (02)8527-0108 or (02)8527-0132 and follow and like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/PilipinasPhilately/ for updates.

UP scientists eye nationwide wastewater monitoring for COVID-19, other diseases

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Researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) are positing the use of wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) to aid with public health. They presented their findings to the public on January 19.

During the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, Dr. Caroline Marie Jaraula of the UP Diliman College of Science’s Marine Science Institute (MSI) was already doing water quality research in the Davao region and decided to expand into WBE, or the analysis of biological and chemical markers in wastewater to provide information on public health. Dr. Jaraula worked with scientists and researchers from UP Mindanao and UP Manila including Dr. Lyre Anni Murao, Dr. Emmanuel Baja, Dr. Vladimer Kobayashi, Dr. Dann Marie Del Mundo and Maria Catherine Otero. The collaboration resulted in multiple studies that underscore the value of wastewater research in public health surveillance.



Invaluable detection tool for COVID-19

In her presentation of their published study, Multifaceted Assessment of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in Selected Urban Communities in Davao City, Philippines: A Pilot Study, Dr. Del Mundo explained how WBE research can provide effective and faster analysis of community-level COVID-19 infection using fewer resources.

“Clinical monitoring, such as RT-PCR testing, and contact tracing are limited in the early detection or prediction of community outbreaks and can be logistically demanding and expensive when applied to a large population,” Dr. Del Mundo said.

Wastewater samples from six Davao City barangays contained a high volume of SARS-CoV-2 RNA genetic material even though the barangays were classified as having a low risk of COVID-19 transmission and no reports of new infections. The RNA found in the wastewater “may have also come from pre-symptomatic, asymptomatic, or symptomatic individuals who did not self-report to their local health monitoring unit,” according to the researchers.

Otero further elaborated that the virus RNA was detected in 22 out of 24 samples (91.7%) regardless of the presence of new COVID-19 cases in those areas, echoing similar trends in COVID-19 cases reported via standard clinical surveillance. “Danger of reinfection due to wastewater research will not be an issue because the virus is already dead in the water. They can still be detected because of the RNA, but they are no longer infectious,” Otero assured.



Urging government adoption of WBE

The researchers urged the Philippine government to consider WBE as a powerful and cost-effective tool for public health surveillance.

“Detecting RNA in wastewater could help LGUs forecast what barangay are at risk and may need closer monitoring, rather than a blanket lockdown,” said Dr. Jaraula. “We should consider this as science-based tools to determine which barangay is more susceptible.”

The team has expanded its efforts to look at other possible beneficial uses of WBE. With funding from the Department of Science and Technology Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (DOST-NICER), they have expanded their work into other areas through the Integrated Wastewater-Based Epidemiology and Data Analytics for Community-Level Pathogen Surveillance and Genetic Tracking (iWAS) Project.

The team is expected to publish further findings on WBE within the year, and are also looking to conduct similar research in other highly urbanized areas outside of Davao City.

 
The researchers of Project iWAS are looking at more ways to monitor public health through wastewater analysis. (Photo credit:Dr. Dann Del Mundo)



REFERENCES:

Otero, M.B. et al (2022). Multifaceted Assessment of Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for SARS-CoV-2 in Selected Urban Communities in Davao City, Philippines: A Pilot Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8789; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148789



Links to presentations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-8S0xbgaSU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Buh6_XFoh4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oK_N_pWykY


Cover photo caption:

Dr. Dann Marie Del Mundo, Project iWAS lead, talks about the challenges of designing a wastewater-based surveillance system for COVID-19. She and her team underscored the potential of WBE for monitoring public health across the Philippines.(Photo credit: Shedy Masayon, UPD-CS SciComm)