“We can sit down together and share experiences, not looking at each other as Muslims or Christians but all as creations of one God. This is liberating, thanks to Nonviolent Communication.”—Amina Mambuay Seeing the many faces of pain and suffering of people affected by calamities especially its effect on the children and the experiences brought about by animosities among Muslims and Christians in Mindanao has led Amina Mambuay and her family to establish a non-governmental organization called Kalilintad Pilipinas Inc.  Founded in 2010 in the hope that starting with proper education for the children, the family believes there is a great chance for peace if not at this time, for the future generation. Today, the family NGO has put up a shelter for 17 students for Grade 4 to Grade 8; six of them Muslims while 9 are of Christian faith. According to Amina some of the children are orphans while most come from impoverished families who really cannot send them to school. A...

I’m not really a fan of motorcycling especially that I was nearly hit -- not once but twice – by irresponsible riders. The first one happened at EDSA Annapolis when I alighted the public bus to ride the MRT. I was just one step away from the sidewalk and was about to lift my right leg to cross when a speeding motorcycle made its way. The second incident happened in HV Dela Costa St. in Makati. I was on the middle of the road, half way across Liberty Center Bldg, when a speeding motorcycle cut my way right on that street. If not for my guardian angels, I believe, any of the two incidents could have caused my life or left me with bruises or broken bones.  It is not surprising that I belong to the many pedestrians who call for our riders to be very careful and responsible. Therefore, it came a welcome respite when leading motorcycle manufacturer Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI)  launched Generation S, a new breed of smart, responsible riders – even if the campaign only mean...

Managing chronic pain can be costly and most individuals would really spend a fortune just to be pain-free. Constant body aches can afflict anyone, young and old alike, and can be a harrowing experience for those suffering from it. The most common types are head, neck and back pain; muscle and joint pain, or neuropathic pain which occurs when the nervous system doesn’t function properly. Chronic pain   could be a medical condition that needs attention and should not be ignored. S evere pain in the muscles and joints very much resembling those you might experience during flu can be debilitating. The aches and pains may cause fever and when the pain becomes severe, tenderness in the joint areas and inflammation of the muscles may result in weakness and feeling sick. Body aches may lead to increased fatigue, as the pain occurs not only in one particular area but almost all over the body. So much so, you might even have trouble sleeping. Injuries from acciden...

In recent years, most of us are striving to live a healthier lifestyle.  Whether that means  eating healthy ,  exercising more ,  buying organic   or reducing our carbon footprint we all want to feel like we are doing the best we can to take care of ourselves and the people we love. The beauty industry has joined the wellness trend by selling products with terms like "organic," "natural" and even "chemical-free".   And, why not? Ever since, people have long used natural ingredients to effectively address their woes and concerns. This is why pH Care bottled up nature’s wonders through two popularly used ingredients, papaya and guava leaves, to come up with their all-new pH Care Naturals line in pH Care Naturals Papaya and pH Care Naturals Guava. The folks behind best-selling feminine wash pH Care have an intimate understanding of the importance of caring for your feminine area, and they expertly combine the properties of these winning natural ingred...

It was my first time to travel to Tacloban City in June this year. Together with select Manila representatives,  I felt privileged to be invited by the local government and the Department of Tourism-Region 8 headed by RD Karen Tiopes to witness how the province rose from the devastation brought by super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), the strongest typhoon in the world which took place on November 2013. Tacloban City was celebrating Sangyaw Festival while the provincial government of Leyte was celebrating  Pintados-Kasadyawan Festival of Festivals. Sangyaw Festival, was organized by Leyte Rep. Imelda Romualdez Marcos in the 1980s, but it was replaced by the Pintados-Kasadyawan after the 1986. For years, the original Sangyaw was replaced by the Kasadyawan, organized by the Petilla family, until 2007 when the congressman’s cousin, incumbent Mayor Alfred Romualdez, chose to restore the Sangyaw. But this year, both families agreed to use the fiestas to...

Gardenia Bakeries Philippines Inc. announces business expansion through the recent launch of  artisanal specialty bakeries and community neighborhood bakeries, the Big Smile Bread Station and Bakers Maison stores, respectively. Gardenia president Simplicio Umali Jr. said the company is investing P300 million to support the new venture which is seen to widen its market reach and also contribute to the growing Philippine bread industry. He explained the investment  would be used for logistics purposes and to build a commissary catering specifically to the new set of products it will offer. Big Smile Bread Station will be Gardenia’s answer to the thousands of community bakeries across the country while Bakers Maison will serve as counterparts for burgeoning medium to high-end bakery chains. To date, the company has opened  Big Smile branches in Pasig, Muntinlupa, and Cabuyao. Bienvenido Topacio, Gardenia business development manager, said they are eyeing to op...

How safe is your drinking water? Are you sure you get really clean water from your trusted refilling station? Unilever Philippines has recently launched an awareness campaign to empower household consumers to question the safety of their drinking water,  and in so doing, protect the health of their families. During the launch of the  “Sure Ka Ba?” campaign, media guests watched a video of how a typical water refilling station processed the order of a customer, revealing how refilled water can become contaminated especially during handling, storage and delivery of containers. According to the 2013  Kantar Worldpanel In-Home Packaged Water Report,  roughly 60 percent of urban households buy their drinking water from water refilling stations. “Through the video, we wanted to show households, especially the moms, how refilled water can easily be contaminated due to improper handling and transport of containers and other human factors. This, in turn,...