Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant, Tong Yang renew partnership with PCPPI

Vikings, Tong Yang strengthen partnership with PCPPI. The multi-awarded restaurants recently renewed ties with PCPPI in a ceremonial contract signing in Makati City. Present during the event were (from left to right) PCPPI National Key Accounts - Food Service Director Alex Catindig, Vikings Operation Director Mia Bernardo, PCPPI Area Commercial Head Red Israel, Vikings Group President Jackson Go, PCPPI Region Commercial Head Mayette Guro, Vikings Group Sr. Supply Chain Manager Luzvie Sityar-Villanueva, PCPPI Customer Development Manager Joel Javier, and Vikings Operation Director Hazel Rodriguez.

Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant (Vikings), the Philippines’ largest buffet-style dining destination, Tong Yang, the premium unlimited grill and shabu-shabu restaurant, recently renewed their long-term partnership with Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI). Under the agreement, the two restaurants will exclusively serve PCPPI’s well-loved beverage brands in all branches for the next three years. These include Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Mug, 7-Up, and Lipton Iced Tea. With this, more foodies can pair their favorites from Vikings and Tong Yang’s wide array of culinary specialties with PCPPI’s drinks nationwide.

Present during the contract renewal program were Vikings Group of Companies President and Owner Jackson Go and Sr. Supply Chain Manager Luzvie Sityar-Villanueva. They were joined by PCPPI Head of National Key Accounts Red Israel, Region Commercial Head Mayette Guro, and National Key Accounts - Food Service Director Alex Catindig.

“PCPPI is honored to continue to collaborate closely with Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant and Tong Yang as they take more Filipinos on memorable journeys around the world through delicious food. We look forward to supporting the Vikings team as they further their mission in delivering memorable gastronomic experiences,” said Mr. Israel.

Vikings has redefined the standards of dining class and style with its renowned status of being the largest buffet restaurant in the Philippines. Tong Yang elevates the grill and hotpot dining experience with its outstanding selection of unlimited fresh seafood, meat, and vegetables. Other dining destinations under the Vikings Group include Four Seasons Buffet and Hotpot, Niu by Vikings, Putien, and Mey-Lin.

For more information about PCPPI and its brands, please visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.

Gatorade No Sugar Fuels Filipinos Forward this Summer

Summer spells active fun under the sun. With the hot weather, more Filipinos embrace the great outdoors to spend time with friends or learn new skills and sports. But with the sweltering heat, the body loses more than water, as valuable nutrients to regulate basic functions are used up at quicker rates.

Medical journals and health experts warn that the likelihood of getting dehydrated is high during summertime. If not addressed immediately, the effects of dehydration may be irreparable and require lifelong treatment. Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) reminds everyone to hydrate regularly and pay close attention to how much sugar is consumed during the dry season.

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI), the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country, supports this call by encouraging Filipinos to fight dehydration while staying fit and active with Gatorade No Sugar. This electrolyte drink helps recover the body’s lost minerals without the unnecessary calories from sugar.

Electrolytes are key to one’s physical performance and overall well-being, as they help balance the amount of water and nutrients in the body. They regulate nervous, motor, and cardiovascular functions so that mind and body perform as they should.

“We lose more than water when we sweat, and we must take the necessary steps to continue nourishing our bodies to keep healthy. Gatorade No Sugar is packed with electrolytes and essential nutrients to replenish our bodies’ supply especially during the humid Philippine summer,” said PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick D. Ong.

Gatorade No Sugar helps ensure that more Filipinos get to enjoy being active this summer without compromising their health. It is available in leading convenience stores, supermarkets, and drug stores nationwide.

Aside from Gatorade, PCPPI also manufactures and distributes well-loved brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Sting, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Milkis, Chum Churum Soonhari, and Premier Purified Water. For more information about PCPPI and its products, please visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.

A “Dentistry of Excellence” is Taiwan’s Promise to the World

Five Taiwan Excellence Award winners demonstrated their groundbreaking and state-of-the-art products for the dental materials and products industry during a virtual product launch called “Dentistry of Excellence” that took place recently.

The five Taiwan Excellence Award winners were EPED’s real-time imaging system, Saturn Imaging’s all-in-one digital solution for implantation, Dentmate’s innovative LED light solution for dentistry, Young Optics’ 3D printer with outstanding optical technology, and DHEF’s Endodontic Handpiece and dental imaging scanner. The event was jointly organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwan’s foremost trade promotion body, and the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs.

According to the latest report by the World Health Organization (WHO), 30 percent of elderly people at age 65 and up in the world are toothless; thus, the demand for oral care products will continue to increase.

It is estimated that the global dental implant market demand will reach its peak in 2026, where business opportunities are expected to reach about US$570 billion. Dental materials made in Taiwan cover 94 percent of the entire global dentistry product line, and the output value is expected to reach US$10 billion by 2025. These figures clearly show the vaunted manufacturing power and might of Taiwan in this growing industry. 

“The existing medical environment, advanced health insurance data system and electronic and automated mechanical integration technology are the great assets in this field. Over the past decade, products from Taiwan have shown the world its innovative and pioneering power and technological advancements in the dental industry.” said Leonor Lin, President and CEO of TAITRA, at this online product launch campaign.

As a trusted world partner, Taiwan Excellence selected products that best represent the image of Taiwan’s dental material and product industry.

During the product launch, the award-winning and leading company in the field of minimally invasive surgery EPED presented IRIS and SimEx, which provides super flexible and exceptionally customized solutions in dental training as well as dental impressions and dental curriculum. Saturn Imaging, which specializes in 3D diagnosis and implant planning software, on the other hand, showcased its ImplantMax that provides an all-in-one solution for guided implantology, ranging from digital treatment planning, surgical guide fabrication, to surgical guide verification. The all-in-one approach streamlines guided implantology and greatly increases the throughput of digital technology in implantation practice.

Dentmate, a top dental equipment provider, for its part, offered its Dental Curing Light and Headlight that is not only lightweight but also easy to operate. Meanwhile, Young Optics, which is engaged in research, design, manufacture and sales of optical components, presented its Digital Light Processing 3D Printer that offers stable printing materials with constant parameters where 12 models can be printed within 3 hours to meet dentists’ needs more efficiently. Finally, DHEF, one of Taiwan’s leading digital dental equipment makers, presented the Digirex PSP Scanner that packs a powerful image processing system into a small machine, and its Endomax Brite that helps improve visibility and safety for root canal treatments.

All of these innovative and reliable products provide better care for users and enable long-term care facilities in order to save time, costs and improve services. Taiwanese companies are also confident in providing the best products for global users to fulfill their unique and discriminating demand.

The last activity of Taiwan Excellence Healthcare Train series, the “Taiwan - ASEAN Medical Device and Innovation Forum,” will be held on October 16, 2020 where participating companies will share Taiwan’s latest medical technologies. 

To join, please go to this link:

https://sites.google.com/taitra.org.tw/taiwanexcellencemedicalexpress.

Life after COVID-19: Stories of Survival

As of April 7, the Department of Health reported 414 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease in the country, raising the total number to 3,660. The Philippines now has 163 fatalities, and 73 recoveries. But while the number of deaths outnumber recoveries, most people who contract the virus go on to get better. That’s because 80% of people who contract the coronavirus will only experience relatively mild symptoms, or even no symptoms at all.

While most will recover from contracting COVID-19, the peculiar nature of recovery is it requires isolation. And patients, in addition to being sick, will oftentimes also experience great anxiety and afraid. According to the members of Public Health Communications Advisory Network (PHCAN), COVID-positive patients should be shown kindness and compassion, and not discrimination and fear.

As a follow up to their first FB Live session last April 4, PHCAN will be holding another Live session this Saturday, April 11 at 2PM, with Dr. Iris Isip-Tan together with COVID-19 survivors to discuss recovery, coping, and moving forward during this very challenging time. Follow the official PH CAN Facebook page for more updates and tune in to hear the stories of recovered COVID-19 patients.

About PHCAN

PHCAN is an official partner of the Department of Health (DOH) that seeks to drive a social movement to buy more time for the country’s healthcare system by communicating critical and verified public health messages on COVID-19 to families. It is composed of doctors and healthcare professionals, dedicated to empowering families and communities to care for their loved ones during these challenging times.

Why Keeping Your Home Clean and Disinfected can Play a Big Part in Preventing the Spread of COVD-19

With the imposed enhanced community quarantine, one of the means directed towards controlling the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 in the country, everyone has been forced to stay put and stay home. Yet, just because you are at home and isolated doesn’t mean you have to let your guard down and stay complacent. On the contrary, those at home can do their share by doing small things with significant impact; steps that are quite basic and easy to do.

For one, keeping your home clean and disinfected can help prevent the spread of infection at home. Frequently-touched surfaces and objects, once contaminated, play some important role in the transmission of disease, especially as COVD-19 is spread from person to person either when we cough or sneeze or through droplets.

Therefore, keeping these surfaces in our home properly disinfected and not just clean is an important step and one of the most essential things we should be doing right now.

Cleaning has the ability to physically remove organic matter such as dirt and germs. This is then best followed up by using a potent household disinfectant because while a surface may appear clean, it can still very much be host to illness-causing germs. This becomes ever more apparent as studies from the New England Journal of Medicine have shown that the COVID-19 virus can live for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces.

So, which frequently-touched surfaces should be regularly disinfected with a household disinfectant? Those often shared by members of the household like doorknobs, light switches, countertops, faucets, and the like. Kitchen surfaces for example can harbor foodborne bacteria as well as bacteria transferred from humans and other items. Likewise, phones, remotes, and laptop keyboards are also potential bacteria carriers.

Not to be missed out as well is the bathroom, where showers, toilets, and counters together with bathroom mats have to be disinfected too. In the bedroom, a disinfecting spray is well-suited for mattresses and pillows.

Above all these, do not forget of course to wash one’s hands with soap for minimum 20 seconds thoroughly.

So do keep in mind these tips—simple but very important steps one can and should undertake to keep everyone at home—and outside—healthy and safe.

Local Mental Health Non-Profit Strongly Recommends Opening the Conversation on Mental Health in the Workplace to Achieve Better Productivity

World Mental Health Day is recognized across many countries, including the Philippines, on an annual basis to raise awareness of the growing concern over Mental Health issues that continue to rise amidst changing times. In the Philippines, the entire Mental Health Workforce is only composed of 2 people per 100,000 people in the Philippines. The latest report from Department of Health stated that 1 in 5 Filipinos suffer from a form of mental illness.  More than 300 million employees according to the study by World Health Organization (WHO) suffer from it.

According to WHO, the workplace is one of the key environments that affect our well-being and health.  Globally, only 9% of mental health promotion and prevention programs are focused in the Workplace.

“We spend at least 9 hours a day at our workplaces. If it’s not a healthy environment for your mind, body, and soul, your output and morale will definitely suffer,” states Philippa Keys, ex-officio of InTouch Philippines. This non-stock, non-profit organization has been providing Mental Health Services in the Philippines since the 80’s.

“A recent study conducted by the World Health Organization revealed that the global economy loses up to 1 trillion US dollars annually due to lost productivity caused by Mental Health Issues such as depression and anxiety,” Keys shares. “There’s still a stigma that prevents people from talking about their Mental Health issues. The ever-increasing demand to deliver more in the workplace in shorter timeframes is still prevalent across different industries. And it’s time for companies to play their part by providing an environment that opens the conversation on Mental Health.”

In Touch Philippines has extended help to hundreds of struggling employees along the way through its Employee Well-being Program or EWP.

Among those who have availed of EWP from In Touch Philippines is Havas Ortega. As an organization that belongs to the highly competitive and evolving marketing and communications industry, achieving work-life balance is a difficult task to contend with. Havas Ortega partnered with In Touch Philippines to help its employee address the day-to-day challenges that affect employees’ Mental Health as they do agency work. Through its partnership with In Touch, the organization was able to create its TALK program which provides every employee a dedicated 24/7 Employee Hotline as well as subsidized private counseling sessions. Adding to these benefits, resource speakers from In Touch Philippine’s pool of professional experts has enabled Havas Ortega to conduct monthly In-house Skill Builder Sessions to educate and empower the workforce on a range of topics such as “Mental Health Awareness and First Aid”, “Stress Management” and “Finding Grit”.

Jos Ortega, CEO of Havas Ortega enthusiastically shares why upper management has given its full support behind this initiative, “Employees are the most important asset in the company. Here at Havas Ortega, we want to make sure that we look after their health with a holistic approach - and that includes putting a premium on mental well-being. At the end of the day, we want to keep them inspired and motivated. We want to ensure them that there is a solid support system to help them keep going.” The first of its kind in the local advertising industry, Havas Ortega’s internal mental health program became possible based on its cohesive partnership with In Touch Philippines.

For more information on In Touch Philippines’ Employee Well-being program, you can call  893 1893 or email intouch@in-touch.org.  In Touch Philippines also hosts a 24/7 crisis line, offers face to face counselling, and leads training sessions to build skills for healthier mental and emotional well-being for individuals and their loved ones.