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Ayala Foundation, Huawei scale up efforts towards building sustainable communities

Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) and Huawei Technologies Philippines Inc. held a virtual signing ceremony today to mark another milestone in their purposeful partnership aimed to provide digital education to Filipinos and building sustainable and resilient communities, with the long-term goal of contributing to Philippine nation-building.

At the event, AFI Senior Director for Social Development Joanna Maria Duarte, Huawei Philippines Vice President Daniel Guo, and Huawei Philippines Director for Globe Telecom Zeh Zhang inked a Memorandum of Understanding to formalize the partnership between AFI and Huawei. The collaboration coincides with the celebration of AFI’s 60th anniversary with the theme: “Faith in the Filipino – 60 Years of Partnerships in Nation-building.”

Under the MoU, Huawei is donating $200,000 to support AFI’s programs focusing on disaster recovery and emergency response, education and training, and sustainable livelihood for women and indigenous peoples. Huawei also extends its support to Globe’s environmental programs with a donation of $100,000 for the telco’s rainforest bio-diversity program in Mindanao, bringing the total to $300,000 for the Ayala Group of Companies’ sustainable development initiatives.

In her message during the signing ceremony, Duarte recalled AFI’s partnership journey with Huawei over the years. “Huawei Philippines has been a long-time supporter of Ayala Foundation’s programs, particularly in the education sector. Throughout the years, Huawei has provided students in our partner communities all over the Philippines with facilities and equipment to improve their learning experience,” she said.

As the coronavirus pandemic continues, such assistance to educational institutions is immensely needed to help students and teachers cope with the challenges of online learning. “In the past year, we have seen the extraordinary effects brought about by COVID-19. The Philippine education sector has been hit hard as teachers and students adapt to no face-to-face learning,” Duarte said.

She added that small-scale producers were also affected by the pandemic due to movement restrictions. “It is now, more than ever, that sustainable development must be at the forefront of our organizations,” Duarte emphasized, noting that Huawei’s donation will enable AFI to create and scale up its efforts through technology.

Sharing the same advocacies as AFI, Huawei Philippines believes in the lasting positive impact of social responsibility programs geared towards enabling the Filipino youth to achieve their dreams and improving the lives of people in local communities.

Guo said Huawei Philippines looks forward to continuing its partnership with Ayala Foundation and doing more sustainability programs for the benefit of Filipinos. “In the future, we want to be more active in contributing to Ayala Foundation’s CSR programs and in giving back to the Philippines,” Guo affirmed.

Guided by its global digital inclusion initiative, TECH4ALL, Huawei Philippines has been working with its local partners to create real change by connecting the unconnected communities, providing equitable access to technologies to underserved groups, and protecting the environment.

AFI continues to nurture partnerships with a wide network of government, non-governmental, corporate, and community-based organizations, as well as private individuals. It is on a mission to build communities that are creative, productive, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino.

 About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. With integrated solutions across four key domains – telecom networks, IT, smart devices, and cloud services – we are committed to bringing digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Huawei’s end-to-end portfolio of products, solutions, and services are both competitive and secure. Through open collaboration with ecosystem partners, we create lasting value for our customers, working to empower people, enrich home life, and inspire innovation in organizations of all shapes and sizes.

At Huawei, innovation focuses on customer needs. We invest heavily in basic research, concentrating on technological breakthroughs that drive the world forward. We have more than 190,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/HuaweiTechPH.

#Huawei #AyalaFoundation #collaborations #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Huawei: Innovating Nonstop for Faster Digitalization

China — Huawei’s annual flagship event for the global ICT industry – Huawei Connect 2021 – kicked off today. Huawei Rotating Chairman Eric Xu opened the event with a keynote speech titled “Innovating Nonstop for Faster Digitalization”.

This year’s event, themed “Dive into Digital”, explores how digital technology can better integrate with business scenarios and industry know-how to address critical business challenges, and how stakeholders can work together more effectively to foster an open industry ecosystem and drive shared success. The event is scheduled to have four keynotes, five summits, and 66 sessions, featuring more than 200 speakers, including industry visionaries, business leaders, top tech experts, and ecosystem partners. It will be live-streamed in 11 languages on Huawei’s corporate website and by its media partners. The event will also feature online exhibitions, remote visits to exhibition halls, and open panel discussions, enabling online interaction and one-stop experiences.

 In his keynote, Xu spoke about how helping industries go digital is a critical aspect of Huawei’s mission to bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world.

Xu said, “Digital development relies on digital technology. For digital technology to stay relevant, we must continue to innovate and create value. Cloud, AI, and networks are three critical digital technologies.” Xu then shared some of the progress Huawei has made in these three areas, what Huawei is doing to enable low-carbon development, and where the industry as a whole is heading.

Xu explained that HUAWEI CLOUD, the company’s cloud service that was launched just four years ago, has already brought together more than 2.3 million developers, 14,000 consulting partners, and 6,000 technology partners, and also made more than 4,500 services available in the HUAWEI CLOUD Marketplace. It has become an important platform for Internet companies, enterprises, and governments alike to take their organizations digital.

At the event, Xu launched the industry’s first distributed, cloud-native service called UCS – a ubiquitous cloud-native service available on HUAWEI CLOUD. With UCS, Huawei plans to provide enterprises with a consistent experience while using cloud-native applications that are not constrained by geographical, cross-cloud, or traffic limitations, thereby accelerating digital transformation in all industries.

Huawei’s full-stack, all-scenario AI portfolio released back in 2018 is also progressing as expected. Its MindSpore framework has become the mainstream AI computing framework in China. Meanwhile, the Atlas 900 cluster, as well as the cloud services based on it, currently serve more than 300 enterprises, supporting the training of many models which include the HUAWEI CLOUD Pangu large models. HUAWEI CLOUD ModelArts has made AI application development incredibly simple with its full-pipeline, scenario-based services. The end goal of ModelArts is to enable each and every engineer to independently develop their own AI applications.

Xu also introduced Huawei’s innovations in the network domain. As organizations go digital, they tend to see exponential growth in network complexity. To tackle this, Huawei has been innovating solutions for global networks based on the concept of an autonomous driving network (ADN). The company has been working with customers in the finance, education, and healthcare sectors to innovate and deploy new applications, and build networks that are self-fulfilling, self-healing, self-optimizing, and autonomous.

Xu went on to explain how Huawei is using digital technology to support low-carbon development, as part of global efforts to achieve peak CO2 emissions and carbon neutrality. Specifically, Huawei focuses on three key initiatives:

(1) Investing and innovating in energy-saving technologies to deliver more energy-efficient ICT products for a low-carbon ICT industry;

(2) Investing in innovations where power electronics and digital technologies converge to promote clean energy and the digitalization of traditional energy; and

(3) Providing digital technology to help all sectors go digital and low-carbon.

Zhang Ping’an, CEO of Cloud BU and President of Huawei Consumer Cloud Service, elaborated on HUAWEI CLOUD’s strategic initiatives and launched new services and products at the event. “The key to successful digital transformation is to think cloud-native and act cloud-native,” said Zhang. “HUAWEI CLOUD joins our customers and partners to dive into digital and explore the potential of Everything as a Service – Infrastructure as a Service for global accessibility, Technology as a Service for flexible innovation, and Expertise as a Service for shared excellence,” Zhang announced two new Regions in Mexico and China’s Ulanqab, and launched 10 new HUAWEI CLOUD services. The announcement included MacroVerse – HUAWEI CLOUD aPaaS, OptVerse AI Solver, HUAWEI CLOUD Stack 8.1, SparkRTC – a real-time audio and video service, and Pangu, a large model for drug molecules.

Customers and partners in attendance included Christophe Ozer, Head of Orange Cloud (Orange Flexible Engine) APAC; Wu Qiang, Vice President of Tianjin Port Holdings; Chen Haining, General Manager of IT Dept from Shanghai Pudong Development Bank; and Jiang Chuanrong, Chairman of Shanghai Mirror Pictures. They described their experience of joint innovation with Huawei in their digital transformation. Wu Qiang said, “Tianjin Port is one of the world’s top 10 ports, with an annual throughput of nearly 20 million containers. The HUAWEI CLOUD OptVerse AI Solver helps us improve our planning speed by more than 100 times based on tens of millions of variables and constraints, maximize resource scheduling, and supercharge operation efficiency.”

Xu concluded his speech with, “Nonstop innovation has been the driving force behind digitalization thus far. Moving forward, if we hope to reach more ambitious goals for digitalization, nonstop innovation will continue to be key. So let’s innovate nonstop for a better future.”

Huawei hosts Huawei Connect 2021 online from September 23 to October 31. The theme of this year’s event is Dive into Digital. We’re going to dive deep into the practical application of technologies like cloud, AI, and 5G in all industries, and how they can make organizations of all shapes and sizes more efficient, more versatile, and ultimately more resilient as we move towards economic recovery.

For more information, please contact our local team or check out https://www.huawei.com/en/events/huaweiconnect

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/Huawei

http://www.twitter.com/Huawei

http://www.facebook.com/Huawei

http://www.youtube.com/Huawei

Featured photo: Huawei Rotating Chairman Eric Xu delivers a keynote speech at Huawei Connect 2021 

#HuaweiConnect2021 #globalICTindustry #diveintoglobal #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Eco-friendly beach properties pave the way to sustainability in Batangas

Inspired by Batangas’ coastal surroundings, the eco-friendly beach properties of Millennial Resorts feature designs focused on sustainability and provide guests with unconventional experiences and warmth of heartfelt Filipino hospitality.

For its resource efficiency design, this hospitality group which is a sister company of Landco Pacific Corp., is registered for the prestigious EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) certification.

“Ingrained in Landco’s DNA is our commitment to long-term social, economic, and environmental sustainability in premium property developments for more than 30 years across the country. We do it, first and foremost, because it is the right thing to do.  This is evident in our latest Leisure Tourism Estates in Batangas – 15-hectare CaSoBē and 24-hectare Club Laiya, both of which are LEED Registered, and the management of Millennial Resorts which provide the leisure and hotel operations in these properties,” stated Erickson Y. Manzano, President, and CEO, Landco.

Landco President and CEO Erickson Y. Manzano at Crusoe Cabins.

“The EDGE registration of Millennial Resorts along with our measures to reduce our ecological footprint demonstrates Landco’s leadership and advocacy in green hospitality. Our goal is to ensure the stewardship and sustainability of Batangas as one of the country’s prime tourist destinations,” emphasized Patrick C. Gregorio, Senior Consultant for Hospitality, Landco.

Millennial Resorts owns and operates experiential resort accommodations, Crusoe Cabins, and Cocoons, which are situated in the master-planned Landco Beachtowns CaSoBē (Calatagan South Beach) and Club Laiya, Laiya, San Juan Batangas, both approximately a two-three-hour drive from Metro Manila.

CaSoBē offers a relaxed and intimate beachside destination, while Club Laiya is a vibrant hotspot for those who like to have an active beachside lifestyle; and socialize with friends and groups who share their interests.

Both properties highlight resource-efficient designs which include LED lighting fixtures and water-efficient showers and faucets. The rooms are airconditioned, have access to a strong WI-FI connection and provisions for modern comforts. Natural sunlight and airflow are also maximized for efficient use of lighting and air conditioning.

Patrick C. Gregorio, Landco Senior Consultant for Hospitality showcasing the Cocoons.

Situated in CaSoBē and Millennial Resorts’ flagship brand, Crusoe Cabins are contemporary rooms constructed from upcycled container vans and refreshed with rustic and beachy exteriors that blend in with the relaxing coastline of Calatagan.

Cocoons, located at CaSoBē and Club Laiya are refurbished giant concrete pipes built as pod-like rooms for an intimate and cozy overnight stay. It is iconic for its vibrantly painted murals on its exterior celebrating the diverse marine life of Calatagan and Laiya.

Millennial Resorts guests are also provided with the option to go paperless. Check-in and check-out requests for housekeeping services and room service maybe be done through the hotel’s proprietary Milli App. With Millennial Resorts’ resource-efficient design, water reduction measures are also undertaken at Aquaria, a water park with a giant three-story pool slide at CaSoBē and Laiya Beach Club near Club Laiya.

Bike lane at CaSoBe.

Exciting new facilities will soon open such as Captain Barbozza restaurant and bar, Canopy and The Isle — venues for events, and Colony, a beachside co-working space.

As part of a broader community, adventure seekers and visitors at Cocoons and Crusoe Cabins can take part in the resorts’ initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint by utilizing the development’s pedestrian-friendly tree-lined walkways and scenic bike lanes around the beachside properties.

Millennial Resorts is continuing its efforts for greater resource efficiency design in its operations to eventually qualify for EDGE certification.

EDGE is an innovation of International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group. EDGE is an international green building registration and certification in about 160 countries and encourages solutions to reduce energy, water, and the energy used to make building materials.

Landco Pacific Corp. is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. For more information about Landco and its Millennial Resorts and Leisure Tourism Estates Club Laiya and CaSoBē, visit https://www.landco.ph/ or FB page:  https://www.facebook.com/LandcoPacificCorporation.

Landco Parks: WoodGrove Park in San Fernando, Pampanga; Waterwood Park in Baliuag, Bulacan; Montelago Nature Estates in San Pablo, Laguna; The Courtyard at Lakewood Golf Estates in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Woodridge Garden Village in Zamboanga City; and Hacienda Escudero in Tiaong, Quezon.

Landco Peaks:  Canyon Woods in Lemery, Batangas.

Landco BeachTowns:  Playa Laiya and Club Laiya in Laiya, San Juan Batangas, Playa Calatagan and CaSoBē – Calatagan South Beach in Calatagan, Batangas and Playa Azalea and Costa Azalea in Samal island, Davao.

About Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (PSE:MPI) 

A Philippine-based, publicly listed investment and management company, focused on infrastructure, with holdings in Manila Electric Company, Maynilad Water Services, Inc., MetroPac Water Investments Corporation, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc., Light Rail Manila Corporation, and MetroPac Movers Inc.

#MillennialResorts #ecofriendly #Landco #EDGE #Batangas #beachproperties #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Huawei Releases the Intelligent World 2030 Report to Explore Trends in the Next Decade

Shenzhen, China — Huawei, along with industry partners, held the Intelligent World 2030 Forum. David Wang, Executive Director and President of ICT Products & Solutions of Huawei released the Intelligent World 2030 report with a keynote speech on Exploring the Intelligent World 2030.

This is the first time that Huawei has used quantitative and qualitative methods to systematically describe the intelligent world in the next decade and forecast industry trends, helping industries identify new opportunities and discover new value.

Over the past three years, Huawei has conducted in-depth exchanges with more than 1,000 academics, customers, and partners in the industry organized more than 2,000 workshops and drawn on data and methods from authoritative organizations, such as the United Nations, World Economic Forum, and World Health Organization. Huawei has derived insights from scientific journals such as Nature and IEEE, and drawn wisdom from relevant industry associations and consulting firms, as well as experts within and outside Huawei. Through these efforts, Huawei has developed the Intelligent World 2030 report, providing insights into ICT technology and application trends in the next decade.

 The report proposes eight cross-disciplinary and cross-domain directions for exploration at the macro level. It explains how ICT technologies can solve critical problems and challenges of human development, and what new opportunities can be brought to organizations and individuals. At the industry level, the report explores the future technologies and development directions of communications networks, computing, digital power, and intelligent automotive solutions.

Wang said, “30 years ago, we decided to enrich life through communications. 10 years ago, we decided to connect every corner of the world, to build a better, connected world. Now, our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. We firmly believe that a brilliant intelligent world is arriving at an accelerated pace.”

Many heavyweight guests were invited to speak at the forum, including renowned futurist Steven Johnson, founding and rotating chairman of the World Electric Vehicle Association Chen Qingquan, Co-President of Roland Berg Global Management Committee Denis Depoux, and Vice President of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT) Wang Zhiqin. They shared their insights on the intelligent world and discussed how ICT can better drive socio-economic development.

As the prominent futurist and science author Steven Johnson said, we are entering an era of exponential growth. The coming decades will be characterized by a golden age of collaboration between human and machine intelligence, and algorithms will enhance human intelligence. As technology grows exponentially, all of society will benefit.

The Intelligent World 2030 Forum is the first time that Huawei has systematically shared cutting-edge research and insights into the next decade. This sharing of knowledge will bring great value to social development, especially for global digital transformation and the digital economy.

Imagination will determine how far we will go in the future, action will determine how quickly we will reach the future, and the best way to predict the future is to create it. There are still plenty of challenges to overcome on the road to the intelligent world. As David Wang said at the end of his speech, “We believe, the greatest wisdom is found in shared ideas. Dreams are the key driver of social progress. Moving towards the next decade, let’s work together to shape a better, intelligent world.”

Overview of the report:

Outlooks for the intelligent world 2030: We will live a better life in 2030, with more food, larger living spaces, renewable energy, digital services, and no traffic. We will be able to relinquish repetitive and dangerous work to machines and have secure access to digital services. To meet these needs, we have set eight directions for exploration, including health, food, living, and transportation.

In 2030, we will be able to identify potential health problems by computing and modeling public health and medical data, shifting the focus from treatment to prevention. Precise medical solutions powered by IoT and AI will become a reality.

In 2030, vertical farms unaffected by climate will be applied on a large scale, so that we can provide green food for all. 3D printing will make it possible for us to create artificial meat to meet our nutritional needs.

Our homes and offices will become zero-carbon buildings. Next-generation IoT technology will build adaptive home environments that understand our needs.

New energy vehicles will become the mobile “third space”. New aircraft will make emergency services more efficient, reduce the cost of medical supplies, and change the way we commute.

In addition to healthcare, food, living spaces, and transportation, Huawei has also explored the future of cities, energy, enterprises, and digital trust. We look forward to working with you to explore endless possibilities in 2030.

Communications Network 2030: In the next decade, the objects and boundaries of network connectivity will continue to expand. By 2030, as technologies such as XR, naked-eye 3D display, digital touch, and digital smell develop further, “digital vision, digital touch, and digital smell” will create an immersive and disruptive experience through next-generation networks.

At the same time, as networks evolve from connecting billions of people to hundreds of billions of things, network design will change from focusing on human cognition to machine cognition. We will see an emergence of multi-level computing infrastructure for hundreds of billions of things and massive data, as well as computing power networks that provide connectivity. In addition, four future network scenarios will gradually become a reality. They are the networks that will deliver a consistent experience for homes, offices, and vehicles, satellite broadband Internet, industrial Internet, and computing power network.

As part of the intelligent world, the communications network of 2030 will evolve towards cubic broadband networks, deterministic experience, AI-native, HCS, security and trustworthiness, and green and low-carbon networks. Huawei predicts that the total number of global connections will reach 200 billion by 2030. At the same time, enterprise network access, home broadband access, and individual wireless access will exceed 10 Gbit/s, ushering in an era of 10 Gbit/s connectivity.

Computing 2030: By 2030, the digital and physical worlds will be seamlessly converged, allowing people and machines to interact perceptually and emotionally. AI will become ubiquitous and help us transcend human limitations. It will serve as microscopes and telescopes of scientists, enhancing our understanding of everything from the tiniest quarks to the largest cosmological phenomena. Industries already making extensive use of digital technology will become more intelligent with AI. Computing energy efficiency will increase dramatically, bringing us closer to zero-carbon computing. Digital technologies can become a tool for achieving the global goal of carbon neutrality.

Computing is approaching its physical limits, so innovation in software, architecture, and systems are needed. More importantly, the entire industry needs to jointly explore a new foundation for computing, break through the physical limits of semiconductors, and make computing greener, more secure, and more intelligent. Huawei predicts that by 2030, humanity will enter the yottabyte data era, with general-purpose computing power increasing by 10 times and AI computing power by 500 times.

Digital Power 2030: In the next decade, humanity will enter the digital power era, striving towards low-carbon development, electrification, and intelligent transformation. New renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic and wind power, will gradually replace fossil fuels.

Power electronic technology and digital technology are being deeply converged to enable “bit to manage watt” throughout the energy system and realize various intelligent applications on the “energy cloud”. Huawei predicts that by 2030, solar energy will become one of our main power sources, the proportion of renewables in global electricity generation will be 50%, the share of electricity in final energy consumption is expected to exceed 30%, electric vehicles as a proportion of new vehicles sold will exceed 50%, and renewable energy will power 80% of digital infrastructure.

Intelligent Automotive Solution 2030: In the next decade, electrification and intelligence will be unstoppable, and ICT technologies will converge with the automotive industry. The automotive industry will witness the development of intelligent driving, intelligent spaces, intelligent services, and intelligent operations. Huawei hopes to use its ICT technologies to enable an intelligent automotive industry and help carmakers build better vehicles.

The ultimate goal of intelligent driving is to use technologies such as autonomous driving to greatly reduce the incidence of traffic accidents, and deliver efficient and seamless travel experiences to users. Intelligent driving has so far been mainly limited to closed roads like high-speed roads and campus roads, but it will gradually see more application on public roads, such as those in urban areas. Vehicles will become a new intelligent space. With the support of ICT, technologies like AI, biometric recognition, in-vehicle optical sensors, and AR/VR will bring new features to the cockpit. Intelligent vehicles will truly transform from a flexible mobile space to an intelligent living space that integrates the virtual and physical worlds.

Huawei predicts that, by 2030, autonomous vehicles will account for 20% of new vehicles sold in China, electric vehicles will account for more than 50% of new vehicles sold, vehicles will come equipped with a computing power of over 5,000 TOPS, and in-vehicle network transmission speed per link will exceed 100 Gbps.

For more information, please visit: https://www.huawei.com/en/giv

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have more than 197,000 employees, and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home, and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, in the office, or on the go. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

 Featured photo: David Wang releases the Intelligent World 2030 report

 #IntelligentWorld2030Report #Huawei #industrytrends #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Donate a book, share the joy of learning

SM shoppers can continue to share the joys of learning with children who need them most through The SM Store’s Donate a Book campaign, which is now ongoing at select branches nationwide until September 30, 2021.

While face-to-face classes still have to resume, schooling certainly extends beyond the campus. And your donations will go a long way as these will be very helpful to distributed top partner public schools and libraries around the country. Here’s how you can share your gift of knowledge:

  • Visit the Donate a Book booths at participating branches of the SM Store at Metro Manila, North Luzon, South Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
  • Donate new or pre-loved books. All books are very much welcome, especially storybooks, educational, and hobby books that can help spark a child’s curiosity, imagination, and knowledge.
  • Donate and match with Learning Is Fun (LIF) books that are available at The SM Store.  LIF offers a wide range of books from toddlers to adult categories such as activity books, early learning educational books, cookbooks, reference books, storybooks, Inspirational books, and game and toy books. Being the participating partner of the said campaign, the company will donate the same number of books sold during the program period.
  • School supplies are welcome. you can also donate notebook packs of 6 and school sets that include a backpack, notebooks, rulers, and pens that are4 available at The SM Stationery section.

In exchange, shoppers will receive a 100 pesos discount coupon for every donation made.

Shoppers can share the gift of knowledge with less fortunate children through the Donate- a-Book campaign now ongoing at selected SM Stores nationwide until September 30.

The Donate-a-Book campaign began in 1998 as one of SM Foundation’s groundbreaking mall-based programs. It has been part of the SM Store’s community programs since 2015, collecting and distributing almost 800,000 books and learning materials through the generosity of The SM Store customers.

Share the Joy of Learning and visit the Donate-a-Book kiosks at the participating branches of The SM Store nationwide.

#Donateabookcampaign #TheSMStore #learningmaterials #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Tuberculosis in the Philippines and what you need to know

As we continue the fight against COVID-19, one of the biggest killers in the country remains overlooked — Tuberculosis (TB). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Philippines has the highest incidence rate of active TB among all Asian countries.

Today, many TB-affected individuals in the country dismiss getting checked due to the fear of contracting COVID-19, lack of education towards treatment, and many Filipinos perceiving it as a low-risk disease. To better understand the current state of TB in the Philippines, it is important to know the different types of TB prevalent today, early symptoms and their effects, and how to properly treat it.

Early symptoms of TB and causes

TB is an airborne disease and is not transmissible when sharing utensils with a person with TB. It is caused by a bacteria called Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which affects the lungs and spreads through the air when a TB-infected individual coughs, sneezes, or spits. It generally affects all age groups, especially children and adults with underlying conditions such as HIV, malnutrition, or diabetes. Adults who smoke tobacco also have a higher risk of contracting the disease.

Common symptoms include chronic coughing that lasts more than two weeks, weight loss, fever, and night sweats. If you ever experience these symptoms, it is best to visit the nearest health center or TB clinic right away to get checked up. If you are unsure of their location, you can use the online self-assessment tool — https://assessment.tbfree.ph/ — to find the nearest health center or TB clinic in your area.

The different types of Tuberculosis

TB can be classified into two types of infections, active TB and latent TB. In the case of active TB, the individual who is carrying the organism has active symptoms and can transmit the infection to other people. On the other hand, those who have latent TB do not exhibit any of the symptoms since their immunity is able to fight off the infection. However, at some point in their life, the bacteria can reactivate and become an active TB case.

TB can directly affect different parts of your body. For instance, the most common form of TB is Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB) which primarily affects a patient’s lungs. Another is Extra Pulmonary Tuberculosis (EPTB), a form of TB that affects other parts of your organs and body including lymphatic, pleural, and bone or joint disease which are the most common, while pericardial, meningeal, and disseminated (miliary) forms are more likely to result in a fatal outcome.

In some other cases, the TB bacteria can also be resistant to the drugs used to treat TB which classifies as Drug-resistant TB (DRTB). Though, if a person is classified under Multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), then the TB bacteria is resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampin, the two most potent TB drugs. Patients who fall under MDR-TB undergo a different type of treatment. Drug susceptible TB (DSTB) is the exact opposite. A person who is infected with TB bacteria that are fully susceptible, TB drugs will be effective as long as it is taken properly.

TB detection and treatment

Despite being infectious and potentially fatal, TB can be cured with proper treatment and early detection. The first thing people with presumptive TB need to do is schedule a chest x-ray test. If it is detected as possible TB, ask your doctor for a TB sputum diagnostic test to confirm if it is really TB. It is best advised to take the sample in the morning right before eating. Patients must then gargle water and take their sputum samples outdoors or in an open and airy place away from other people. If results come back positive, the patient must return to their doctor to begin treatment.

TB medicine is free at the nearest health center or TB clinic in your area. However, Anti-TB medicine is not like other antibiotics that are only taken for a week or two since it must be taken for at least six (6) months. Patients who are undergoing treatment may also experience mild headaches as one of the side effects but there may also be other causes. If you experience this, it is best to return to your doctor immediately for a consultation. Additionally, the National TB Control Program (NTP) does not recommend vitamins or any supplements, but it is not prohibited. Remember, it’s even more important to finish treatment to be #TBFree.

Do your part for a #TBFreePH

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) is gathering more government support through the amendment of the National TB Law to increase funding and efforts for the National TB Control Program in 2022. In line with these initiatives, mobile chest x-ray vans that can provide TB detection results as fast as ten minutes will begin city-wide sweeps. With this, TB detection processing will be made quicker and should help solve mobility restrictions posed by the pandemic.

TB is curable and can be attained if every individual does their part to support, educate, and encourage fellow Filipinos to complete their TB treatment and take anti-TB drugs regularly, so they can end the spread of the disease and live a healthier TB-free life. For more information about TB, visit www.tbfree.ph or check out the Facebook page of #TBFreePH.

#TBFreePH #Tuberculosis #Philippines #DOH #WHO #curable #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Protection of free-flowing rivers needed as global study finds threats to freshwater ecosystems

WWF-Philippines is calling for the increased protection of river ecosystems in the country following a new global study that found that over 260,000 kilometers of free-flowing rivers are at risk of being disrupted; equivalent to going around the Earth’s equator 6.5 times.

“Rivers have a very special place in Philippine history and culture. Early settlers traveling by sea founded the city of Manila on the delta of the Pasig River. The Philippines was also once called the ‘Republika ng Katagalugan’ which is based on the term ‘taga-ilog’ or ‘from the river’,” Paolo Pagaduan, WWF-Philippines’ Forests for Water Program Manager said.

“Most Filipinos probably only see the surface value of rivers. But if you look deeper, you will see an endless flow of benefits for us and nature,” Pagaduan said following the publication of the study in the Global Sustainability journal.

Practically every land in the Philippines is part of a watershed and 142 have been declared as critical watersheds by DENR. According to Pagaduan, some rivers in these watersheds no longer flow freely due to human activity. The study led by Michele Thieme, WWF-US Deputy Director Freshwater, cites dams and reservoirs as the leading causes of disruptions in rivers around the world – and the subsequent loss of the diverse range of benefits that healthy rivers provide for the surrounding environment and communities.

“When viewed from high above, rivers look like blood vessels in our body. That’s what they are for the planet. They distribute nutrients and resources across large areas allowing plants, animals, and humans to flourish,” he said.  “Like rivers, we don’t want our blood vessels to be blocked”.

According to the study, connected and healthy rivers deliver diverse benefits that are often overlooked: freshwater fish stocks that enhance food security for hundreds of millions of people, delivery of sediments that nourish agriculture and keep deltas above rising seas, and floodplains that help mitigate the impact of floods and support a wealth of biodiversity.

“Rivers are powerful agents for keeping nature and communities healthy and resilient, especially in a warming world, yet their ability to support life is threatened by hydropower dams in many parts of the world. The best policy solutions will be those that balance renewable energy needs with the many benefits of thriving freshwater ecosystems,” Thieme said.

The researchers compiled science-based policy solutions to meet climate targets and energy goals, while also safeguarding free-flowing rivers and their benefits to people and nature. The study outlines specific examples where governments have successfully implemented these strategies, including:

  • Avoiding fragmenting rivers by instating formal protections of rivers or by exploring alternative development options, such as non-hydropower renewable energy, like solar and wind. Early, system-wide planning is the best solution to meet development needs and keeps rivers and the benefits that they provide connected and flowing.
  • Minimizing the impacts of dams on rivers by siting dams in locations with fewer impacts on people and nature. Technologies such as environmental flows can also help minimize dam impacts by allowing water to move through dams in a manner that mimics natural flows.
  • Restoring rivers through dam removal, an increasingly popular option in the US and Europe due to the high costs of dam maintenance and its proven ability to bring life back to rivers and help restore them to health.
  • Offsetting the negative impacts of dams. If one river is severed by a dam, there may be options to protect another river to ensure that similar values are maintained in the region.

“Nature is not just the land and the sea. Often neglected in the conversation are rivers that play vital roles in sustaining life. Let us ensure that we have free-flowing rivers on the agenda,” Pagaduan said.

Featured photo: Local community boatmen in the Ipo Watershed prepare their boats before setting off down the river. Many have benefitted from the Ipo Watershed, and good science ensures that this continues for years to come. © Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines

 #freshwaterecosystems #rivers #WWFPH #nature #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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BIDA Eskwela Year 2: Aid to pandemic-hit schools

You can be a BIDA (hero) and help pandemic-hit schools with as little as singkwenta (P50) donation!

In its commitment to continuously support education regardless of time, space, or threats, volunteer-powered group, I am M.A.D. (Making A Difference) is calling on everyone to join hands anew in its fundraising campaign called Bigay-Ayuda para sa Eskwela or BIDA Eskwela Year 2.

The multi-awarded non-profit organization aims to raise at least P200,000 in 50 days from every donor’s P50 or singkwenta pocket donations with #BIDAEskwelaSingkwenta. Collections from this social media push will help select underprivileged schools in the Philippines that have been equally affected by the ongoing pandemic.

Now on its second year, BIDA Eskwela targets to send supplemental aid to 20 initial beneficiaries from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that include schools in Pangasinan, La Union, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, Bulacan, Romblon, Rizal, Metro Manila, Antique, Bukidnon, Agusan Del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao City, and Zamboanga City.

First BIDA Eskwela_Delivering bondpaper supplies and learner kits at Daan Taligaman Elementary School_ Bugsukan, Butuan City.

The nationwide, digital-centric donation drive runs until September 24, in time for the opening of School Year 2021-2022.

Learning delivery challenges

 The State of Public Health Emergency has brought many challenges to the Philippine education system particularly on the implementation of the new modalities of learning.  Reports from the ground showed that among schools that opted for modular distance learning through printed format, teachers were hounded by a lack of supplies such as bond paper and ink for the production of their textbooks, activity sheets, and learning guides. The limited access to reproduction machines like printers and photocopiers also hampered the timely distribution of these learning materials, resulting in delays in learning. Furthermore, teachers faced problems in availing proper personal protective equipment while distributing modules.

On the other hand, insufficient internet subsidies impeded schools from implementing modular distance learning in digital format. Limited access to quality gadgets with specifications to complete required tasks in learning such as making videos and ebooks also worsened the problem.

Citizen action, hope to cope

 While the Department of Education had allocated funds for the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan in the time of COVID 19 (BE-LCP), it is simply not enough. Oftentimes, teachers and non-teaching personnel have to shell out their own money. This is why there’s an earnest patriotic duty to help fill in the gap. There’s a need for urgent citizen action.

“During these pressing times, our communities need hope to cope with the challenges brought by the dragging effect of the pandemic,” says Sarah Butad, project lead of BIDA Eskwela Year 2. “With our #BIDAEskwela initiative, I am M.A.D. is in continuous pursuit of giving assistance to select underprivileged schools in the country to help deliver quality education to the future nation builders whatever the circumstance is.”

The COVID-19 health crisis has disrupted the daily lives of Filipino teachers and learners and will continue into its second school year. The Department of Education has set the resumption of classes on Sept. 13.

#BIDAEskwelaSingkwenta, Sing & Share

I am M.A.D. also invites the public to be a part of this year’s level-up digital campaign on Facebook and Tiktok with “Sing & Share”. While there are 20 initially identified beneficiaries for the #BIDAEskwelaSingkwenta fundraising campaign, this can be expanded further with the help of so-called SING-fluencers or carolers who can lend their singing voice every day for 50 days, thereby reaching far more schools to help more young learners. Interested SING-fluencers can join the SINGkwentahan by following and contacting the organization through fb.com/IamMakingADifference or tiktok.com/@iammad_ph.

Where to send your donations?

Interested individuals or entities are encouraged to donate as little as P50 through the following mobile wallet and bank savings accounts: GCash or PayMaya (09088176049 / Erwin Dela Cruz), BDO (Mayo Ceazar Mendoza / 003010257672), Metrobank (Mark Conrad Ravanzo / 0663725653850), BPI (Ruth Butad / 0829342561), Landbank (Bigjay C. Lagang / 2986155891), UnionBank (Vonn Vincent Tanchuan / 109420073791). Donations are also accepted via PayPal (bit.ly/iammadpaypal). For more details, visit BIDA Eskwela’s official donation information platform at bit.ly/bidadonate.  For transparency, all donation receipts and proceeds from the actual collections are published and viewable at bit.ly/bidatracker.

For updates, partnerships, and further inquiries, send an email to iammadph@gmail.com or via mobile at 0926 785 0208. Follow and message I am M.A.D. (Making A Difference) on Facebook (fb.com/IamMakingADifference), Instagram/Twitter/Tiktok (@iammad_ph), Youtube (bit.ly/IamMADYoutube) and podcast via anchor.fm/iammad or bit.ly/MADTalksSpotify.

 #BIDAEskwelaSingkwenta #BidaEskwelaYear2 #fundraisingcampaign #pandemichitschools #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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A roundup of Arts and Culture happenings this week

Even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the quest for learning, pursuing one’s passion for arts and culture continue.

Here’s a roundup of some of the interesting happenings around town: Virtual European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) on 1-2 October 2021, with registration starting on 10 September at https://www.ehefphilippines.com., One-man exhibition dubbed “Efflorescence” by Michael Pastorizo is ongoing until September 21, 2021, at Galerie Joaquin Podium; and the momentous historical ocular inspection at Cuartel De Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

  • EHEF 2021

The European Higher Education Fair 2021 puts Filipino students, academicians, researchers, and university officials on track towards going higher and achieving their educational aspirations in European higher education institutions.

The EHEF 2021 promotes the diversity and excellence of higher education in the EU. Useful, practical, and comprehensive information about the different mobility initiatives and distinctive higher education programs will be available at your fingertips.

The EHEF welcomes Poland, which is participating in the Fair for the first time. Other participating universities come from Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Sweden.

With this year’s theme “Go Higher with EU”, the EHEF continues to be the best platform to link Filipino students with EU universities and higher education institutions.

European girl on a journey.

Aside from country presentations and live chats with representatives of higher education institutions, alumni, and scholars, this year’s all online fair will feature webinars on research programs, sponsorships, and mobility opportunities for students. Also lined up are the very popular country presentations and live chats with HEI representatives, alumni, and scholars.

Local officials and educators will have the opportunity to request virtual meetings with their EU counterparts to discuss potential linkages and cooperation. A virtual networking event will also take place on 1 October at 7:30 PM.

As EHEF 2021 embraces the digital platform, it has also established partnerships with regional hubs including Wesleyan University (Luzon), Silliman University (Visayas), and Xavier University –Ateneo de Cagayan (Mindanao), which will host clustered presentations for students and other members of the academe.

The Virtual EHEF 2021 is organized by the Delegation of the European Union to the Philippines, together with EU Member States’ Embassies, education services, and Institutes and in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education.

  •  “Efflorescence” by Michael Pastorizo

Visual artist Michael Pastorizo’s abstract floral and botanical works for his ongoing one-man show dubbed “Efflorescence” seek to capture and communicate the dynamism and magic of nature through fluid, expressionistic and colorful interpretations of nature’s treasures.

For the artist, “color is therapy and flowers are a universal language of the soul.” Just like his artworks, he has achieved the fullness of his creativity.

Pastorizo’s recent works are on display at Galerie Joaquin Podium. Photo courtesy of Galerie Joaquin

“Efflorescence” by Michael Pastorizo will run until September 21, 2021, at Galerie Joaquin Podium.

Visual artist Michael Pastorizo. Photo courtesy of Galerie Joaquin

The Galerie is located at Level 3, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For more information, contact 09267227925 or email podium.galeriejoaquin@gmail.com.

To know more about the artist, like and follow his Facebook account @https://www.facebook.com/michael.pastorizo.

  • Historical ocular inspection at Cuartel de Santo Domingo, Santa Rosa Laguna

A historical ocular inspection at Cuartel de Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa City Laguna happened recently spearheaded by Kilusan Cuartel De Santo Domingo Executive Director, Gemalin Batino Diaz, and was graced by the presence of Santa Rosa Mayor Arlene Arcillas.

The activity was graced by the presence of Santa Rosa Mayor Arlene Arcillas (center). Photo courtesy of Kilusan Cuartel De Santo Domingo.

It was also witnessed by the staff and new members of Kilusan Cuartel, Board of Directors El Do Cap Medina, Virgie Ramos, LGU’s Engineering, Pastor Nelson Domingo, and some guests from Lipa, Batangas.

The Cuartel was a Spanish garrison erected in1850. Through the efforts of the Kilusan, Cuartel has successfully designated as a “National Historic Landmark,” and an “Important Cultural Property of the Philippines.”

Photo courtesy of Kilusan Cuartel De Santo Domingo

The historical landmark is set to open this year amidst the pandemic.

#EHEF2021 #EU #Efflorescence #Michael Pastorizo #GalerieJoaquin #CuartelDeSantoDomingo #KilusanCuartel #SantaRosaLaguna #historicallandmark #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph

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Gear up for a perfect Christmas with Jose Mari Chan

Once the -ber months set in, we all await the official start of the holiday season with the comeback of a Christmas icon—aside from Santa Claus, that is— Jose Mari Chan! The Filipino artist has been a holiday fixture for years, and this coming Christmas season, you can expect to see more of long-time Shopee Christmas ambassador Jose Mari Chan as he joins the exciting year-end shopping festivities along with the latest Shopee superstar, Jackie Chan.

Whatever your idea of a perfect Christmas may look like, you’ll definitely enjoy Shopee’s lineup of Jose Mari Chan-themed games, activities, and giveaways during the holidays:

  • ShopeePay Celebrity Pamasko

This December, Jose Mari Chan and several other celebrities and influencers will give away pamasko via ShopeePay. Look for ShopeePay Celebrity Pamasko on your homepage and play the game to receive ShopeePay credits. You can also use ShopeePay to send pamasko to all your pamangkins and loved ones, with a variety of holiday-themed virtual cards to spread the love. Don’t forget to activate your ShopeePay wallet by clicking on the ShopeePay wallet bar, entering your personal information and OTP, and creating and confirming your ShopeePay PIN.

  • Christmas in our Carts holiday gift guides

Let Shopee’s Christmas in our Carts gift guides inspire you as you shop for all your loved ones. Start your holiday shopping on a festive note with discounts up to 90% off on Shopee Mall and exclusive gift bundles with the latest gaming consoles, holy grail beauty items, skincare must-haves, and more. Remember to check out Christmas in our Carts until Christmas for exciting new deals.

  •  Jose Mari Chan-themed in-app games

From September to December, catch Jose Mari Chan on holiday-themed in-app games such as Shopee Catch and Shopee Collectibles. Catch and collect aguinaldos and Christmas decors exclusively in-app for a chance to win exciting prizes such as coins, discounts & cashback vouchers, product giveaways, and ShopeePay credits.

  • #MyShopeeWish Christmas contest

This season of giving, Shopee will grant 10 lucky users’ wishes. From November to December, submit a letter via the comments section on Shopee’s official Facebook page for a chance to make your Christmas wish come true.

  • Christmas countdown on Shopee Live

Can’t wait for Christmas? Tune in to the Merry-Galo Countdown for the 100-day, 60-day, and 30-day countdowns to Christmas this September 16, October 26, and November 25, all at 7:30 PM. Drum up some holiday excitement with mini-games, exclusive discounts for Christmas deals, and special vouchers.

  • Jose Mari Chan’s special Christmas party

Nothing says Christmas quite like a serenade from Jose Mari Chan himself. Enjoy some tunes from the artist by tuning in to the Merry-Galo Party on Shopee Live this December. Get a chance to have Jose Mari Chan grant one item from your wishlist during the show by entering Shopee’s #DearNinong contest this November. During the live stream, Jose Mari Chan will also welcome viewers to his home and host a Q&A.

Start the 100-day countdown to Christmas with more holiday deals alongside other exciting sales at https://shopee.ph. Enjoy the Christmas festivities with Jose Mari Chan and watch his latest Shopee video via Facebook at https://shp.ee/5kkbwhh or YouTube at https://shp.ee/vtk84wr.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

#ShopeeChristmasAmbassador #JoseMariChan #Shopee #BerMonths #holidaydeals #rubyspreciousmoments #rubyasoyph