FilipinAmazing: Honoring Filipino women at the Araneta Center

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In celebration of the International Women’s Month 2019, the Araneta Center brings you “FilipinAmazing: Honoring Filipino Women at the Araneta Center,” a series of activities that focus on empowering Filipinas.
FilipinAmazing opens with the #DontTellMeHowToDress Exhibit, which aims to raise awareness on the issues of rape, violence against women, and sexual harassment. The exhibit will be inaugurated by Ambassador Harald Fries of Embassy of Sweden, United Nations Population Fund Representative Iori Kato, and Ms. Vickie Garchitorena of SPARK! on March 1 (Friday) at the Gateway Mall. #DontTellMeHowToDressExhibit will run from March 1 to 8.

A free fitness party will then be held at the Manhattan Row on March 2 (Saturday) at 4PM. Led by The Addlib Dance Studio and dubbed as the “Neon Fitness Party,” the activity includes lessons from the bellydance goddess Jill Ngo and a Zumba session with Regine Tolentino. Miss Intercontinental 2018 Karen Gallman, Bb. Pilipinas Grand International Eva Patalinjug, and Bb. Pilipinas Supranational Jehza Huelar will also be there to groove!

To promote artisanal Pinay-made items, Women’s Bazaar will be held at the Gateway Mall from March 15 to 17. The bazaar will highlight the products made by women from Spark-sponsored communities, including those from Marawi.

“Filipinamazing: Honoring Filipino Women” is made possible by the Araneta Center, SPARK! Philippines, Novotel, Pizza Hut, Flawless, Ever Bilena, and Rustans.

For more information and other Araneta Center updates, visit www.aranetacenter.net and follow @TheAranetaCenter on Facebook and Instagram and @AranetaCenter on Twitter.

LTO Hosts Road Safety Congress in Mindanao

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Transportation—Land Transportation Office (DOTr-LTO), in partnership with various government agencies, the private sector, and various road safety advocacy groups, successfully held the first Road Safety Congress on 27-28 February, 2019 in Zamboanga City.

The two-day event is part of the LTO Region IX’s Road Safety Program dubbed as Partnership for Enhanced Road Safety (PERS). With the theme “Making our roads safer through convergence,” the program promotes a unified, holistic, and proactive approach to address road safety issues in the region.

During the Congress proper, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Edgar C. Galvante expressed the agency’s eagerness in hosting the event.

“We are very excited to have this activity. Hindi nare-realize ng karamihan na itong mga nangyayari na injuries, deaths, mas marami ang nanggagaling sa aksidente, sa road crashes,” the LTO chief said.

Previously, Asec. Galvante directed all LTO Regional Offices to institute their respective road safety programs to address the spate of road crashes nationwide.

DOTr Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Atty. Reinier Paul R. Yebra, who represented DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, stated in his keynote address that the event is a good platform because of the basket of solutions which may be generated by each organization involved.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility. ‘Yan ‘ho ang top priority ng DOTr—ang kaligtasan ng mga commuters, passenger at lahat-lahat. Ngayon na po ang panahon na kung saan ang mga drivers ay dapat mag-ingat hindi dahil sa takot na mahuli o ma-penalize, kundi dahil sila ay may tunay na malasakit sa mga pedestrians at commuters,” Usec. Yebra said.

LTO Region IX Regional Director (RD) Aminola Abaton added that the joint efforts of all parties during the Road Safety Congress will push for the safety and security of the young generation.

“It’s about time that we put road safety in the frontline. It should be the prime fight to ensure that the children will be safe. Bahagi po iyan ng kampanya ng ating convergence, at nangyari na po iyan dahil sa pagsasama-sama, sa paniniwala po na kung anong krusada natin pagdating sa road safety, dapat po nating maituloy,” RD Abaton said.

The event was highlighted by the expression of Solidarity Messages and the signing of the “Pledge of Commitment for Safer Roads through Convergence” led by Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar, who expressed the City’s full support for the initiative. Government sector representatives who also signed the Pledge include Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Celso L. Lobregat; Former Zamboanga City Mayor Manuel Dalipe; Zamboanga Economic Zone Chairman Christopher Lawrence Arnuco; PRO 9 Regional Director PCSUPT Emmanuel Luis Delgado Licup; and representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Health (DOH), and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Non-government organizations and private sector signatories included UNICEF Representative Dr. Angelito Umali, Former LTO Assistant Secretary and Global Road Safety Partnership Philippines Secretary General Alberto H. Suansing, Stradcom Corporation President and CEO Anthony K. Quiambao, Imagine Law Executive Director Atty. Sophia Monica V. San Luis, representatives from different transport groups, and students of different colleges and universities in Region 9.

During the program proper, the PERS Program and the Road Safety Module were launched. Solidarity messages and testimonies from road crash survivors were also delivered, while a role-playing demonstration of the Module was conducted as well. The winner of the Banner Making Contest was also announced.

A workshop was also held to thresh out issues and concerns, and draw out possible strategies, programs, activities and projects on the five (5) pillars of road safety: 1) education; 2) enactment of laws; 3) emergency response; 4) enforcement; and 5) engineering. The issues and solutions presented were collated for possible implementation.
The second day of the event highlighted the “Walk for Road Safety” parade, participated in by students from different schools, government agencies, and road safety advocacy and transport groups.

After the event, Zamboanga City Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar announced that the City will issue an Executive Order declaring 28 February as Road Safety Day.

“We are very happy with the outcome of the two-day event. Aside from Zamboanga City’s commitment, the UNICEF has also declared its eagerness to mass produce the Module,” RD Abaton expressed.

DepEd also showed its eagerness to integrate the “Student’s Today, Road Users Tomorrow” (STRUT) road safety module, developed by LTO Region 5, in the Region 9 K-12 curriculum. A quarterly road safety drill will also be held in the Region.

“The LTO is enthusiastic that the road safety agenda will finally be put in the government’s platform. Ito ang simula ng mas pinaigting na kampanya para isulong ang kaligtasan sa ating mga lansangan,” RD Abaton emphasized.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray Leads HIV Screening Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After her charity day early this week, Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray invites everyone to get tested on 2 March 2019 (tomorrow, Saturday) at LoveYourself community centers and partner community-based organizations (CBOs).

Dubbed as THIS IS ME: The Silver Lining HIV Screening Day, the purposeful event is a simultaneous HIV testing in Metro Manila, Cavite, Pampanga, Palawan, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.

Interested inviduals are encouraged to sign up at http://go.loveyourself.ph/ThisIsMeCatriona.

“Let's keep HIV testing as a normal, regular medical routine,” Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray.

Joining LoveYourself on this endeavor are Decent Image of South Signal Association from Taguig, Juan AVES Love and Light, Cavite Positive Action Group The JCH Advocacy Inc., Posi+ive Movement and Project H4 in Luzon, Family Planning Organization of the Philippines – IloIlo in the Visayas, and Kagay-an PLUS - Preserving Life, Uniting Society Inc., Olympus Society of Davao, Inc., and Mujer-LGBT Organization in Mindanao.

Latest data from Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau, an average of 32 HIV cases were reported every day. In December 2018 alone, a total of 877 Filipinos were diagnosed to contract HIV. For the entire 2018, a total of 11, 427 was diagnosed person living with HIV.

In response to this rising epidemic, LoveYourself employs a differentiated care apporach to look after the needs of various segments of the society.

LoveYourself has five community centers: LoveYourself Anglo (Shaw Boulevard); LoveYourself Uni (Taft-Gil Puyat Avenue); LoveYourself Welcome (Bluementritt); Victoria by LoveYourself (Libertad); and Lily by LoveYourself x DIOSSA (across Waltermart Bicutan). In addition, LoveYourself will expand its reach in the Visayas with its first provincial site, the LoveYourself White House near Fuente Circle in Cebu City.