5 Ways to Help the Asthmatic People in Your Life

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MakatiMed lists down simple adjustments you can make to help your loved one cope with asthma

Asthma symptoms and effects can range from being a nuisance to being life-threatening. When triggered, asthma causes the airways to swell, narrowing the person’s airways, which then makes breathing difficult. You may not have this condition, but it’s likely someone you know does. If you live with an asthmatic, it’s easy to be constantly stressed about whether they might have an attack.

There is currently no known cure for asthma, but aside from prescribed medications and other long-term treatment options, certain lifestyle changes can be made to avoid an attack.

Leading hospital in the Philippines Makati Medical Center takes you through some simple adjustments you can do to help you or your loved one cope with asthma.

Clean your surroundings regularly. “Dust is one of the most common triggers of asthma,” says Nazario Macalintal Jr., M.D., of MakatiMed’s Section of Pulmonary Medicine. “Household items that are prone to collecting dust like carpets, mattresses, and curtains should be aired out and cleaned regularly. Vacuuming areas where you spend most of your time in, like your bedroom or living room, is better in preventing dust from accumulating.”

Electric fans, window screens, and air-con filters, should be frequently cleaned. Some asthmatics are also sensitive to molds. To avoid adding more moisture to the house, clean damp areas regularly especially behind the toilet and under the sink.

Choose household items that won’t trigger attacks. “Blinds and wooden or tiled floors are friendlier to asthmatics than curtains and carpets,” says Dr. Macalintal. When it comes to household accessories and furniture, it’s best to opt for items that simply keep dust and dirt away like leather sofas or hypoallergenic washable pillows.

Manage your pets wisely. “Pet’s hairs are potential allergens,” says Dr. Macalintal. “Limiting the areas where the pets are allowed in the house can also help keep their dander from spreading.”

Take precautions before travelling. Dr. Macalintal advises, “You might want to reconsider plans of visiting farms or mountain climbing when it’s pollen season to minimize attacks. Sudden changes in temperature may also trigger asthma.” So, before travelling to countries with cooler climates, consult your doctor to know if there are any emergency medications you need to bring.

Avoid food that could irritate your throat. “There are certain food items that make coughing worse in an asthmatic such as calamansi, lemon, nuts, and oranges,” says Dr. Macalintal. “Asthmatics are also sensitive to artificially colored fruit drinks especially yellow ones.

Having asthma may be stressful for both the patient and those close to them, but starting with small, simple points of action can greatly reduce the risk of an attack and make living with the condition easier on everyone.

For more information, please contact MakatiMed On-Call at +632.8888 999, email mmc@makatimed.net.ph, or visit www.makatimed.net.ph.

Epson PH Showcased Innovative Tech in Print and Label 2018

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Epson recently showcased its array of innovative solutions as it joined the Print and Label 2018, the largest printing exhibit of the year, held at the Waterfront Hotel in Lahug City, Cebu.

Organized by Global-Link MP, the Print and Label 2018 event is under the banner of PackPrintPlas Cebu. It is the only event series in the country that gathers interrelated industries of printing, packaging, and plastics, serving as a venue for industry leaders to showcase and introduce their most advanced technologies and services to the current market.

During the event, Epson showed its advanced solutions, from its range of POS receipt, label, and inkjet printers to its latest projectors. Aside from the exhibit, industry professionals and visitors also enjoyed live demos on how Epson products can be utilized to support better customer engagement, more efficient cost management, as well as increased sales.

“Today’s customers demand more meaningful engagements as they interact with brands, products, and services. The Epson products and solutions we presented for this year are dedicated to help businesses in tapping the current market, as well as to work as their tools to stay ahead of the competition,” said Eduardo Bonoan, Director of Marketing Division, Epson Philippines.

Bonoan also noted that “all of Epson’s technologies are also developed and driven with a focus on details and precision, which allowed us to innovate  technologies needed by the today’s businesses in various industry segments.”

“We believe that this event enables our key partners to conduct meetings, negotiate sales opportunities, and move projects to another level.  This kind of opportunity stands truly unmatched,” said Global-Link CEO Patrick Lawrence Tan.

Metro Manila Subway Project Receives Initial Funds from JICA

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The Philippines has received the initial P51 Billion from JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) to start building the subway project from Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to NAIA.

JICA is a governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance (ODA) for the government of Japan.

The Metro Manila Subway, originally named Mega Manila Subway, is an underground rapid transit line to be built initially in Metro Manila in the Philippines. Construction is projected to finish by the second quarter of 2027.

This is cool! But do not let it easily get dilapidated and problematic due to poor or no maintenance.....just like what is happening to the MRT.

Since it's underground, I think an additional challenge would be the sewerage system. How would they keep it clean since when it rains, all the flood waters would go directly to the low-lying areas. This will definitely be harder to maintained compared to the MRT/LRT.

#WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger

Indie-Siyensya Kicks Off 3rd Run with Science Communication, Cinematography Workshops

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More than one hundred students, teachers, filmmakers, and science professionals flocked to the Cinematheque Centre Manila last July 6, 2018 for the program launch and workshop of the 3rd Indie-Siyensya Filmmaking Competition.

Indie-Siyensya, the country’s first and only science filmmaking competition, is now open for submission of film concepts for short documentaries that capture science as it works to answer the needs of communities and the country.

“We are encouraging students to create more science films,” says Dr. Josette Biyo, Director of the Department of Science and Technology – Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI), the competition’s main organizer. “DOST-SEI aims to promote a culture of science in the country and film is no doubt a powerful medium to achieve this,” Biyo adds.

This year, Indie-Siyensya strengthens the competition and its workshop offering by partnering with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP). The free workshop is part of the competition’s series of activities and meant to arm interested participants with the skills needed to create credible and visually appealing science films.

UP Los Baños Development Communication Professor Garry Montemayor, a member of Indie-Siyensya’s board of judges, delivered a workshop on science communication, while 2017 Breakthrough Junior Challenge grand prize winner, Hillary Diane Andales, facilitated the segment on scientific content. Cinematographer Joshua Reyles engaged the participants with training on camera and lighting. Montemayor also joined fellow judges, UP Film Institute Director Patrick F. Campos and FEU and DLS-CSB Professor Seymour Sanchez, in a Q&A session on the contest mechanics.

Indie-Siyensya is inviting all interested students, out-of-school youth, teachers, filmmakers, and science professionals to submit their film concepts until August 3, 2018. For approved concepts, deadline of submission of film entries is on October 15, 2018.

For details and inquiries, visit www.facebook.com/indiesiyensya/.

How to Use a Good Online ID Card Maker to Sell Your Brand

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A business card is an informal communication channel that has the potential of taking your contacts to every nook and cranny of your industry. Yes, there may be other means, but identity cards are significant because of direct contact and the impression it creates among businesses and customers. Being popular does not mean people can contact you freely, but people can inquire about your services or products through the business cards.

Additionally, business cards are becoming a popular strategy for spreading your business name all over the market. The best part of it is how it promotes your company along with all types of businesses as a priority. This is the first step to become a brand in the market; the first and biggest need for having a bright future.

Designing identity cards online has brought revolutionary boom for businesses. This has resulted in the emergence of several id makers all over the internet taking only a few minutes to get your card ready. Nonetheless, a good Online ID card maker should be the foremost priority for your business.

Customizing Business Card
A good Online ID card maker should be able to customize your ID card in minutes. Customizing your ID card means you do not need to use the websites default images, photographs or graphics because they do not represent your identity brand. Instead, you should be able to upload your images to make a great representation of you and your business.

Again, business people who intend to steer their brand higher would want to create ID card online with an appealing background. Usually, the background is dictated by choice of the theme colors. The online business card site you have chosen must provide a variety of colors to add an extra flair to your card.

Using pre-designed templates
Majority of online card makers have pre-designed templates which you choose then edit to suit the type of identity card as per your needs. After brief editing, you can add your logo to personalize it. A good ID maker will give suggestions on the logos, icons, how and where to place them to complete your ID cards with the badge that makes your company unique.

Going premium
Ensure your ID does not get too busy with colors and background themes that encapsulate your brand by choosing premium elements of some sites. The free templates, themes, and colors offered by online ID card makers are usually cheap and basic designs. But if you decide to go premium, you will design an impressive card tailored to your company needs.
Unique identity cards fulfill the needs of your business's brand and image. It gives members of your group, school, business or hobby group a true sense of membership status and belonging apart from identifying who they are outside the company.

The Bottom Line
Gone are those days people would struggle to disclose who they are because the ID card has become a critical necessity. The first step to create brand awareness for your business is to create ID cards online tailor-made for the brand.

Nightlife in Limousine

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There are so many things in life that makes us happy and make us enjoy the quality time with our family and friends. Riding in a limo is one of them. When you are celebrating a specific occasion like birthdays and family parties or weddings, you can rent a limo to have luxury and style both at your end.

Sightseeing and riding for vacations is fun but nightlife in a limo is just the best. You must have seen in the movies and TV shows that your favorite celebrities are coming out of the limo and having fun in the limo and enjoying the night time at casinos. You can have that luxurious life too.

All you need to do is to rent a limousine and have fun. If you are living in Charlotte then you can use one of the best limousines Charlotte service.

Nightlife is just the kind of thing that can be enjoyed best in the limo. You don’t even need to worry about the directions and you can just lay back and relax with your partner, If you are on the date. If not, then you must be with your friends and you can do all the crazy things there. There will be champagnes and so many other things that you can do. If you have tickets to the concert than going on the limo will be fun. Backstage Limousine Company is one of the best companies that will provide you all these services in affordable prices.

Bars are the best places to hit at night. If you are planning a great night out with your friends then there is nothing much better place to go than the bars. You can enjoy the nights to full and make things awesome. You never know, you might get lucky when you are at the bar and you never know who you are taking with you when you leave the bar. And the ride in limo is what everyone wants.

Nightclubs are another great option when you are planning a night out with your friends. You can have so much fun at the nightclubs with your friends. Fancy dresses, dances and so many other things to do at nightclub. When you are deciding to hire a limo, limo rental Charlotte is what you should consider. Here is the info that you need for the contact.

Cusi Signs Pantawid Pasada Program Joint Memorandum Circular

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PANTAWID PASADA: The DOE and the heads of the implementing agencies of the Pantawid Pasada Program sign the Joint Memorandum Circular, providing the implementation guidelines for the fuel subsidy scheme. (L-R) LTFRB Chair Martin B. Delgra III, DOE Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi, DOTr Sec. Arthur P. Tugade, DBM Sec. Benjamin E. Diokno, LBP President Alex V. Buenaventura, and DOF ASec. Antonio G. Lambino II.

MANILA CITY- Department of Energy DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi signs today, Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, series of 2018, providing the general guidelines for the implementation of the Pantawid Pasada Program. The signing event took place earlier this morning at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the  Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

The DOE is one of the six implementing agencies of Pantawid Pasada, which will provide fuel vouchers to qualified franchise holders of public utility jeepneys (PUJs). The Department of Transportation is the lead implementer of the program.

Under the JMC, the DOE is responsible for coordinating with oil companies to ensure their acceptance of Pantawid Pasada Cards as mode of payment. In addition, the DOE and the Landbank of the Philippines (LBP) will be in charge of identifying areas with limited or no access to retail Point of Sale systems, where vouchers instead of cards will be honored.

In his message, Sec. Cusi stated that the DOE has been proactively implementing mitigating measures to help cushion the public, particularly the country's vulnerable transport sector.

"We called on our partners in the oil industry to grant fuel discounts to public utility vehicles, in addition to their CSR programs. This resulted in our MOAs with Petron, Shell and Phoenix Petroleum," he said.

He also expressed that the Energy Department will be ready to extend any assistance that may be needed by its partner agencies to successfully implement the fuel subsidy program.

The Secretary assures the public of the DOE's vigilance in finding more ways to provide targeted relief to the public transport sector.

"Makakaasa po kayo na itutuloy ng Kagawaran ng Enerhiya ang aming maigting na pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga kumpanya ng langis para sa posibleng pagpapalawak ng PUV discounts at isulong ang pagtatagumpay ng Pantawid Pasada," Sec. Cusi emphasized.

The Pantawid Pasada Program will be implemented by the DOTr, DOE, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, Department of Finance, DBM and the LBP. 

PARTNERS FOR CHANGE: DOE Sec. Alfonso G. Cusi expresses his appreciation to partners in the oil industry who readily joined the government's efforts to provide support to the country's public transport sector.

E-Vehicles Back DOE's E-Diskarte Principle

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EV SUMMIT: Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella delivers the message of Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi at the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicles (EV) Summit held on 10 July in Pasay City. Usec. Fuentebella emphasized the DOE's support in championing the use of electric vehicles as well as hybrids as the future of the Philippine transport system.

The Department of Energy (DOE) underlines its Alternative Fuels and Energy Technology Roadmap during the opening ceremony of the 6th Philippine Electric Vehicles Summit on Tuesday at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City.

The roadmap is meant to support  the government’s aggressive “Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) Modernization Program". 

In the message of Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi that was delivered by Undersecretary Felix William "Wimpy" B. Fuentebella, he encouraged stakeholders to scale up the use of alternative fuels and energy efficient technologies.

Among others, Sec. Cusi emphasized the need to reduce the country’s oil dependence in accordance with the E-Diskarte principle under the E-Power Mo campaign that promotes a smart energy lifestyle. 

He further added that the heavy dependence of the Philippines on imported fuels makes the country vulnerable to energy supply disruptions and global price fluctuations.

He also pointed out that the current annual motor vehicle growth rate of about 6% will likely increase road transport emissions. This will result in the further deterioration of the country’s air-quality, and an increase in carbon footprint.

“A low-carbon path in the transport sector is an essential part of the Philippines’ strategic priority and we will pursue cleaner, indigenous and optimized energy and transport,” Sec. Cusi said.

On the issue of having a broader range of sustainable energy choices, USec. Fuentebella assured summit participants, "We support the development of alternative technology and fuel options that demonstrate energy efficiency such as hybrid and electric vehicles in the transport sector."

He stressed that a holistic approach must be adopted for alternative fuel technology to grow. This includes the construction of support structures (i.e. charging stations) and the need to establish strong  after-sales services to address issues on the availability of service centers and replacement parts, as well as the sustainability of e-vehicle operations. 

The DOE assures the public that it is committed to provide energy that would power industries, homes and even more electric vehicles into the future.

E-VEHICLES: The 6th Philippine Electric Vehicles (EV) Summit is until Wednesday (11 July) at SMX Convention Center in Mall of Asia in Pasay City. Leading the ceremonial ribbon cutting together with Energy Assistant Secretary Leonido J. Pulido III (3rd from L) are (L-R) Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines President Rommel T. Juan, Nissan Assistant General Manager Dax Avenido, Senator Edgardo 'Sonny' J. Angara, Manila Electric Company Vice President and Head of Strategy and Business Development Office Raymond Ravelo, and Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation Vice President Renato Lampano. 

Some Smart Instagram Marketing Strategies for Boosting Your Brand

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It is necessary for your business to be active on the social media platforms such as the most popular Instagram that is about to hit one billion MAU very soon. Instagram has achieved a phenomenal growth in the last few years and has become an effective social media marketing platform for reaching more and more customers and potential customers from all corners of the world.

It is essential to boost your Instagram marketing for increasing your following consistently and steadily. Here are some effective and easy marketing tips for growing your brand, get Instagram followers faster and building a robust online presence for free.


Take the Fullest Advantage of All Free Instagram Apps & Tools

Instagram has recently started rolling out exclusively business profiles that look identical to the Facebook business profiles. Instagram for Business profiles come with a contact option and a CTA allowing all Instagram users to call, text, or email the business. Besides, the contact option, all Instagram business profiles would be having easy access to accurate engagement data and impression. You may consider switching over to Instagram for Business account to leverage the platform. The more knowledge you could gather about ways the users are actually interacting with the content you have shared, the better adjustments you could make for improving your customer engagement.


Create a Truly Interactive Hashtag

You must create a truly interactive hashtag for having instantaneous engagement. You must doubly make sure that you are actually using the hashtag in the right manner. The simplest strategy would be to create a hashtag that has been used by consumers to tag pictures of them along with the specific product that they have just bought.


Consider Cross Promoting Instagram Posts

Are you interested in adding new Instagram followers who already know and love your brand? You need to cross promote all your shared posts on Instagram across other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc. You could consider inviting them to follow and like your Instagram profile. Since they have already been following you on some other social networking site, they would obviously, be interested in everything you offer.

You simply cannot take it for granted that all your posts would be reaching all users connected to you on the social media. Many of them would be going away from certain social networking sites, some of them may not be that active on certain social media platforms. Anyways, no matter what, you would certainly want all your followers to be effectively engaged and connected to all your social profiles for boosting reach and engagement per post. Cross promotion helps you inform people across various social media sites about your existence on Instagram. You may get in touch with digital marketing experts for getting more Instagram likes.


Interact Effectively with Followers for Boosting Growth

If someone takes the trouble and dedicates his time to like and even comment on your posts, you must mandatorily reply and also, thank them. Even such a simple engagement could be creating a loyal customer base and you could obtain an enthusiastic supporter of your brand. You must consider integrating effective ways to convince your followers to seamlessly interact with all your posts. Just by using posts with a caption such as ‘Tag four of your friends who would like this’, you can immediately create a broader audience for attracting new followers. As they are real, being recommended and introduced via a friend, very little to no resistance is offered. This would be culminating in a number of tagged users beginning to follow your profile.


Repurpose or Recycle Interesting Content from Some Other Relevant Accounts

If you are unable to create adequate content for catering to the increasing requirements of your constantly growing following, you may repurpose fascinating content from any other relevant and useful Instagram accounts. However, do not forget to give the due credit to your original source by simply tagging his profile and even mentioning him cleverly in your caption. Today several applications are available for downloading Instagram images and saving them on your camera roll. So you could effortlessly repost them whenever you need to or wish to. Repurpose content from such accounts that have your desired target audience because many such accounts would be too glad to return your favor. So they would, in turn, repurpose your content once they find that you are sharing their content.


Use Influencer Marketing for a Broader Reach

The most effective and quickest way of reaching potential customers is through influencers that have successfully created their own audience and have an impressive following. Today, we find that more people are actually purchasing products that they come across in their feed from other influential people whom they are following. This is because they rely on them and find them trustworthy. If you are able to partner with an exceptional industry influencer, you could expose your brand to a wider audience.

Conclusion
There is no doubt that Instagram has taken the center-stage in the social media scene. Over 800 million active monthly users hand out billions of likes daily, and the stage is set for you to steal the spotlight with a glorious marketing campaign. You should switch to an Instagram Business Profile to be able to access a number of incredible insights and free tools to chart audience demographics by age or location. You can then proceed to put out product teasers and sponsored ads to reach more people, but try to be approachable instead of aggressive, because this goes a long way in building your impression. Discover the popular influencers in your field and partner with them to leverage their popularity. Also make use of user-generated content via quizzes, contests, and branded hashtags. Learn when to post, and create a posting schedule. Also learn when not to post, thus avoiding over-posting or low reach. Ideally, one to two posts a day is optimal. The last step, of course, is seeing how your plans work out by tracking performance metrics and then fine-tuning your strategy.

UP Fighting Maroons Renews Partnership Deal with Nxled

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Nxled, the leader in next generation lighting, renewed its support for the University of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team for University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 81. The lighting and fixtures company designed for longevity and breakage-resistance committed to help UP breed the next generation of champions and be a part of its bright future. Nxled executive vice president Catherine Tiu-Tan, UP chancellor Michael Tan, and officials of 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 -- officially renewed their partnership by signing a new Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Tuesday, July 10 at Quezon Hall of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Also present at the signing ceremony were UP head coach Bo Perasol and his coaching staff, the UP Fighting Maroons and another UP MBT major backer, Ms. Robina Gokongwei-Pe, president, CEO and director of Robinson Retail Holdings, Inc.

Photo Caption: [Left to Right] NTGBUP Chairman Atty. Agaton Uvero, NTGBUP President Victor Emmanuel Reyes, Electrosavers Corporation Executive Vice President Catherine Tiu-Tan, UP Diliman Chancellor Dr. Michael Tan