Good Medication Adherence Plays Part in Controlling High Cholesterol

Healthcare experts suggest the importance of a well-balanced lifestyle in curbing illnesses. However, a study found another important factor in easing diseases, including those that are triggered by high cholesterol. Based on the most recent survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), one in every ten Filipino adults has high cholesterol, while 21 in every 100 are in borderline high. While it is important to keep proper nutrition and lifestyle in check, a study published in the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America suggested that successful treatment of diseases require consistent intake of medications as indicated by doctors.

“Proper medication adherence is found to be an effective way of managing, if not averting, known diseases,” said Tomas Marcelo Agana III, president of Pharex HealthCorp. “That’s why for people with high cholesterol, we want them to bear in mind that good compliance to medication will keep their cholesterol levels at ease and eventually, improve the quality of their lives.”
Almost one-third of patients discontinue their medication earlier than instructed, leading to “poor clinical outcomes, high healthcare costs and lost productivity.” However, for some people who wish to continue their medication, Agana noted that certain factors like budget constraints may keep them from doing so. This is why Pharex HealthCorp., the most prescribed generic brand of medicines, offers its 15-day Compliance Pouch for high cholesterol.

The new Pharex 15-day Compliance Pouch for high cholesterol is designed to help patients comply with their medication while saving on costs. It helps patients maintain their cholesterol at its normal and desirable levels, keeping them from acquiring the worst consequences of high cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) in blood that plays vital roles in the body system’s day- to-day functions. However, too much of it can clog and harden arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. Because of this, the normal blood flow is suppressed, affecting one’s body system. High cholesterol triggers the development of different cardiovascular diseases like stroke and heart attack, and other health problems like renal failure.
“This product is specially produced to fight low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which is often referred as ‘bad’ cholesterol,” said Agana. “With the new Compliance Pouch for high cholesterol, patients can continue their medication without worrying about ceiling-high costs.”

Agana concluded, “Complying to your medication is a high priority, but while healthcare providers give the best advice to ease cholesterol levels we are no less responsible for our own health. On top of proper medication, we also have to prioritize proper diet and exercise. At Pharex HealthCorp., we will aim to provide the best possible care that every Filipino deserves.” The new Pharex Compliance Pouch is available in all leading drugstores.
For more information, please contact 4338088 (local 820).

Bonbon Festival - Celebrate Art, Environment and Community!

Now on it's second year, Bonbon Festival is back to celebrate Arts, Environment and Community in a one of a kind one-day event which will be participated by young professionals, students, different artists in Batangas Province, and invited guests from other places.

Bonbon Festival is the first eco-green festival in the province which aims to support and sustain the environment by using arts and culture as one of the tools for preservation and development. The festival will be at Sitio Tagbakin, Brgy. Halang Lipa City, Batangas this coming May 21, 2016 from 6am onwards!

What to expect:

Gala at Pasyal sa Lawa/ Knowledge Tour

Know the story of the lake region and eruption history of Taal Volcano via boat ride from Sitio Tagbakin, Lipa City to San Nicolas to Volcano Island and back. Enjoy the horse ride and trek with local tour guide and the rest of the team.

Mananghalian/Lunch

Savor a sumptuous lunch of Batangas fusion cuisine and local refreshments.

Huntahan sa Lawa/ Talkback

Join a series of meaningful talkback and discussions about Art and Environment with interactive community workshops that culminates the afternoon activities.

Hapunan/ Dinner by the Lake, Art Installations and Performance Art

Experience Batangas Art and Culture through performances. Listen to the old time Kundiman music plus musical performances dedicated to Taal led by independent Batangueno musicians including LAC Music Department. Cocktails are available with a party capping the night with all-out-fun and dancing.

Participants may choose from 2 packages:

For inquiries and ticket purchase you may contact:

Mr. Carlo Aguila at 043-740-7112 or 09178779144

Let's end this summer season with a purpose. See you there!

Ascent: Paving the Way for Filipino Nurses to Realize their Dream

According to statistics, Filipino nurses are very active in looking for better opportunities in the US. In fact, even as early as high school, many are set to make nursing their ticket out of the country and for some, out of poverty.

However, earning one’s nursing degree and acquiring their Philippine license are just some of the first few steps before they realize their dream. Aside from having the required work experience, there are additional certifications and licenses needed to be able to practice in the US. Aside from investing time and effort, there is also a substantial amount of money needed to facilitate and complete the requirements.

Raphael Macapagal, President and CEO of Ascent, shared that he was moved with what he saw before that there are 2,000 registered nurses in the Philippines who do not have work. Being a seasoned professional in the Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) sector who managed and led companies connected to different verticals including healthcare, he saw the opportunity to bridge the gap recognizing that there are hundreds of thousands of nurses needed in the US.

“The missing piece is the US license, and this is where we come in,” Macapagal pointed out. A 100% Filipino-owned and managed recruitment, consulting, and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) company, Ascent is making it possible for Philippine-registered nurses to turn this dream into reality. Established in 2015, Ascent is making it its advocacy to not only pave the way for our Filipino nurses to achieve their goal of working in the US but also hoping that, in the process, be able to encourage them to choose to stay in the Philippines. Ascent believes in the value of being with your Family is more precious than any money.

Through the expertise of the company’s executive team, headed by Macapagal, Ascent is able to design a product that can shoulder qualified Filipino nurses to undergo the process and required tests that will allow them to acquire their US license. Through their partners, they will be also be able to provide free review until their licensure exam plus, provide them employment so they no longer need to worry about their source of income.

“This is a unique scheme and we are happy to pioneer and be able to help our skilled and deserving Filipino nurses. Through the plan that we designed, all they need to worry about is passing the exam,” he stressed.

Ascent will be processing the papers on behalf of the applicants. Simultaneously, they will be employed in one of Ascent’s partner BPOs where they will be trained and gain experience.

He explained that they hope to address and correct the misconception connected to nurses working in the BPOs. Some have the notion that working in the BPO is not doing nursing work. In reality, their scope of work is highly related to healthcare. They do clinical work, only remotely. After the Filipino nurses gain their US license, Ascent requires them to work with their partner organizations for two years.

“Being a US registered nurse will definitely give them a premium and this will reflect on their salary when they go and work with our partner organizations. We hope that through this effort we can convince them that there is an opportunity here in the Philippines. They don’t need to leave. Here, they can experience working in the US with a premium salary without having to leave their family and loved ones. There are opportunities in the Philippines,” he said.

Nevertheless, Macapagal added, if after two years they will choose to leave and work abroad, Ascent will also help them with opportunities through their connections in the US.

If you want to learn more about Ascent and how to be part of their nursing pool, visit ascent.net.ph or call 534-0033.

Salarium Unveils Major Overhaul in Core Product

Salarium, a cloud based payroll platform from the Philippines, announced a major update and overhaul to their application particularly in their attendance and approval modules. The new attendance module provide employers new features to better manage their workforce. Some of the highlights include weekly timesheet views, inclusion of hour types, shift visibility, multiple projects/tags, time disputes via messaging, and a significantly improved user interface.

The approvals module has been overhauled resulting in a mobile friendly version which gives employers the ability to pre-approve requests or override a subordinate’s requests when the user is higher up in the approval workflow.

“Salarium aims to constantly delight our users, we have always been heavily focused on R&D and this is highlighted by our nearly weekly feature release. The new attendance however is a major overhaul and replaces a significant chunk of the core application” Daniel Bahna, VP of Product. 

The attendance page will now feature a full breakdown of the daily employee attendance. Time records of clock ins and outs are now grouped by day. A new Hours Worked page where you can add Regular, OT, Night or OT during Night hours. These new features are aimed to better serve our clients by addressing their needs for better management and visibility of their workforce.

“This update enables our clients to get better insight and control on their workforce,” said Judah Hirsch, CEO of Salarium. “Continuously providing solutions that delivers significant value to the organization is our core principle. The new attendance module coupled with our other products will certainly improve not only HR management but also in automating processes.”

Interested to find out more information on Salarium visit www.salarium.com or contact sales@salarium.com

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About Salarium

Salarium is a cloud based payroll software that automates payroll from beginning to end, from each employee’s clocking in to disbursement of funds during payday. The company operates in Philippines, with thousands of employees subscribed to its product. 

FatOut’s The Royal Treatment Fans Day with Kim Chiu

One of the today's brightest stars came from humble beginnings, from a teenage girl who dreamt of being a celebrity, finally blossomed into one of the brightest stars in the industry of showbiz. Kim Chiu has proven that a simple girl from Cebu can achieve superstar status. It’s almost too easy for her to captivate anyone with her style of acting and her bubbly personality and thanks for her wide support of her fans, she is now dubbed as the Chinita Princess.

It’s time to give back to the millions and millions of fans who have supported Chinita Princess, Kim Chiu throughout her bright career. FatOut’s The Royal Treatment Fans Day is a day for you, by ATC Healthcare and Kim Chiu. So unroll your sleeves, loosen up and give yourself a kind of relaxation fit for a royalty. FatOut’s The Royal Treatment Fans Day will be a day filled with royal relaxation and a royal performance from, none other than, Chinita Princess herself, Kim Chiu! What else are you waiting for? Grab your tiaras and join this awaited FatOut’s The Royal Treatment Fans Day.

Have you been waiting for your Fairy God Mother? Then wait no more! FatOut is giving you the Ultimate Royal Treatment with The Chinita Princess, Kim Chiu! Get ready to be pampered and meet your Idol, FatOut’s newest endorser Kim Chiu! What are you waiting for? Go hit the nearest Drugstore and buy FatOut now! Don’t forget to keep the receipt so you can register online to make your entry and tickets valid! Register on this link: http://bit.ly/FatoutFansDay

AQUABEST RENEWS PARTNERSHIP WITH BPI FAMILY KA-NEGOSYO

Aquabest has renewed its partnership with BPI Family Savings Bank as an accredited franchisor for its BPI Family Ka-Negosyo Franchising Loan.

 The company was among the pioneer batch of accredited franchisors and has been recognized as a Best Listbrand by the bank. The company's prospective franchisees can enjoy favorable and flexible financing terms from BPI Family Savings Bank. 

"Our renewed partnership with BPI Family Ka-Negosyo is a testament to our company's hard work to building a strong brand and business that has helped our franchisees succeed as entrepreneurs. At the same time, it continues to make it easier for aspiring entrepreneurs to set up their dream business" says Carson Tan, Aquabest's President and CEO.

For a franchise to be included in the Best List means it is an established, profitable and franchisee-friendly brand. Most of the companies in the list are profitable, having a return on investment (ROI) of less than three years. Aspiring entrepreneurs taking out a BPI Family Ka- Negosyo Franchising Loan on Aquabest can enjoy incentives such as no collateral loan, shorter processing time and no processing fee. 

How to Choose the Right School – Put Your Future in Focus

How do you choose the right school> Do you base it on course? Specialty? Prestige?

The truth is, there is no single answer to this. But if you had to put your future into the hands of one school, wouldn’t one that combines theoretical expertise with practice experience be the logical answer?

“The role of higher education, as far as iACADEMY is concerned, is to equip students with the capability to excel inside the classroom, and more importantly, outside the walls of the institution. Our school is proud of the fact that we are able to cross traditional academic boundaries through an integrative and immersive approach to learning, across some of the most in-demand industries today,” says Ms. Vanessa Tanco, President and CEO of iACADEMY.

School of Computing

The school of computing’s academic foundation ties its programs to a real-world curriculum that is meant to make students industry-ready for their chosen career.

“iACADEMY institutionalized an extensive internship program that really focuses on the student’s talents and exposes them to the demands of the job. This ensures relevant training in the field that lets them stand out as fresh graduates,” says Mr. Mitch Andaya, Vice President for Academics.

Notably, iACADEMY is also known for producing some of the most talented graduates in Software Engineering, Game Development, Information Technology and Web Development.

School of Business

For business, iACADEMY’s courses are strongly anchored on fundamental business concepts as much as it is on the abstract ideas that drive businesses and organizations to succeed. These include thinking on their feet, smart decision-making, creativity, leadership, networking, accountability and social relevance.

“We offer business administration but with strong focus on financial management as well as marketing and advertising – all of which are the pillars of a holistic approach to business in today’s modern landscape,” explains Mr. Lucky Malveda, Dean of iACADEMY’s School of Business.

More importantly, iACADEMY makes sure that students are given a chance to learn from working professionals who are updated with the trends and constantly evolving nature of the industry.

School of Design

The study of design is as much about nurturing creativity as it is exposure to technology and real-world experience.

“Many people tend to think that the tool males the artist, but the reality is entirely the opposite. We coach students in the use of industry-standard software and equipment to unlock their creative potentials, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Our main objectives are to hone their talent and nurture their imagination to help them succeed as artists and designers,” says Mr. Ryan Abeledo, Chairperson of Multimedia Arts and Design.

It takes a more focused and practical approach to a course that is traditionally based on the subjectivity of a student’s talent. Across its different areas of discipline, specifically Animation, Multimedia Arts and Design, and Fashion Design and Technology, iACADEMY makes sure that students graduate armed with the necessary skills to become game changers in their careers.

“Given the competitive nature of design, we also want to give students a global perspective on how they can succeed,” adds Mr. Dane Romley iACADEMY’S Creative Director, whose expertise stems from having worked as one of the animators in the longest running cartoon series in the world, The Simpsons.

Senior High School Curriculum

In line with the government’s thrust to improve the nation’s education system, iACADEMY is now also offering Senior High School Program that will give students a more comprehensive educational background as they enter higher education.

That said, iACADEMY takes it a step further by creating a senior high school program that is focused on the school’s core competencies in computing, business and design; thus giving students more exposure and experience for the creative and technical expertise required to excel in their field. It also enables to make better decisions for their future careers.

“Right now, students are in the best position to learn how to become the game changers of their chosen industries. And while a theoretical academic approach is important, the competitive nature of today’s industries prompts a more comprehensive and holistic approach to education to prepare students for what lies ahead,” ends Mr. Jake Aragon, iACADEMY’s Senior High School Principal.