Three Changemakers join the roster of Ashoka Philippines Fellows

 

I have always looked up to people with noble professions and those who were naturally born with golden hearts--those who give a helping hand without asking for anything in return, those whose hands may be full but are still willing to help to the best of their ability for the benefit of our less fortunate brothers and sisters. 

Growing up privileged, yet I had also volunteered to various NGOs, I myself had witnessed the simple acts of generosity and kindness from total strangers--and to be honest, these made me reflect. They inspire me to give myself more to others. As St. John Paul II said, "Nobody is so poor he has nothing to give, and nobody is so rich he has nothing to receive."

One of the many wisdom that Jesus has passed to us is that life is not, "I" or "me" but "we" and "us." Life is a community. It is wonderful to know one's place in the world and every single one of us needs each other. When I get to know people like our recently inducted Ashoka fellows and changemakers, namely Scott Stiles, Ben Abadiano, and Ryan Gervasa.

Ashoka is a non-governmental organization that aims to support leading social innovators around the globe. Recently, Ashoka officially inducted three outstanding and leading social innovators who have championed inclusive and systems-changing solutions in various Filipino communities. The virtual event was hosted by Ashoka Philippines to honor these "changemakers" as well as induct new lifelong members of Ashoka Fellowship program.  

Founded in 1980, Ashoka has created a massive network of professionals that supports over 3,500 Ashoka Fellows from 93 countries. Now on their 40th year, Ashoka has built and nurtured the largest network of leading social innovators from across various sectors, professions and countries. After a stringent selection process, they are introduced to a lifelong Fellowship, where each member is committed to championing new patterns of social good.

The online event was led by Terri Jayme-Mora, Country Director for Ashoka Philippines who made the honor of inducting Scott Stiles, co-founder of Fair Employment Foundation, Ryan Gersava, co-founder of Virtualahan, Ben Abadiano, founder of Pamulaan Center of Indigenous People (IP) Education. The three exemplified what it means to make a resounding impact that benefits all Filipinos. Their respective organizations around the country go beyond limitations, socioeconomic status, and culture and thereby took down barriers and regressive systems. 

"We are proud to welcome Scott, Ben, and Ryan into the global Ashoka Fellowship. Their transformative work extends to regions, sectors, and people that are unfortunately often overlooked despite having potential solutions for the good of everyone. They have what it takes to be a changemaker," says Ashoka Philippines Country Director Terri Jayme-Mora.

Neil & Marter Wearable Art and Functional Fashion Pieces for a Cause

Bon Marter (left) and Neil Capistrano (right) with Ms. Salve Duplito, ANC On The Money’s resident financial advisor

Neil & Marter was born out of curiosity and environmental wellness by interior designer Mark Boni Marter and aspiring fashion designer Neil Capistrano. The two collaborated on scrap materials from Bon's interior design studies. They thought of maximizing the use of unique and genuine vegan leather and fabrics in order to create wearable art.

Armed with basic leather crafting tools and techniques, the creative duo produced their first batch as gifts to family members  "At first, I wanted to craft everyday accessories like bags, wallets, and cardholders out of Bon's luxury leather collection," Neil shares. "One day, my mom requested a pair of earrings for her, my aunts, and cousins. We had fun with the learning process and ended up making 25 pairs." 

This led them to venture into an ethical fashion social enterprise that caters to modern and eco-conscious fashionistas who value the origin and process behind the brands and products that they support.

Neil & Marter aims to influence people in supporting the slow and ethical fashion movement through handcrafted accessories using upcycled materials. The brand is launching a crowdfunding campaign to introduce a limited-edition collection together with artisans from Marikina City.

Novuhair Celebrates 10.10 with 10 Novu VIP Coaches

2020 is indeed a milestone for the Philippines' number one hair loss preventive product, Novuhair as it marks its 10th successful year. In line with this, they have also launched NOVU VIP Club. 

The NOVU VIP Club is made to guide, inspire, and join in the journey towards a holistic approach in managing hair loss, especially during the ongoing global pandemic and crisis. Supported by a carefully selected pool of 10 VIP Coaches, members are given the opportunity to engage directly with each expert as well as enjoy exciting monthly perks and privileges. 

The Novu VIP Club's roster of expert coaches is being led by the Philippines’ Health, Beauty and Wellness guru Ms. Cory Quirino joins NOVUHAIR ®.

Taiwan Excellence Creates New Partnerships for Digital Healthcare and Innovations

 

From left: Ray Yang, Intl Sales Manager, Mediland Enterprise Corp; Miron Wang, CEO, Foresee-X; Dr. Ted Chang, CTO, Quanta Computer; Ms. Leonor F.M. Lin, President and CEO of TAITRA; Adam Horng, Vice President, Faspro Systems Co. Ltd., CP Chuang, COO, Crystalvue; David Hung, Asst. Manager, IEI Integration Corp. 

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic which has brought monumental challenges to the global healthcare industry, Taiwan Excellence, a national award in Taiwan with 28 years of history, initiated the Smart Medical Express. 

The Smart Medical Express is composed of product launches that seek to enhance

cooperation within the international community while highlighting digital healthcare and innovations from Taiwan. 

The activities involved in Smart Medical Express included 5 online presentations that focused on technological advancements and innovations in surgical equipment, ophthalmology, assistive devices, dentistry, and innovative healthcare.

Very recently, over 300 medical practitioners from various medical institutions, medical colleges, and healthcare industries from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines, including media members from these participating countries attended the final even dubbed as "Taiwan - ASEAN Medical Device and Innovation Forum" where they learned more about Taiwan's latest medical technologies. 

The said forum brought together innovative companies such as Faspro Systems Co., Ltd., Taiwan Main Orthopaedic Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Crystalvue Medical Corp., Mediland Enterprise Corp., IEI Integration Corp., and other medical manufacturers who presented their latest products.  Furthermore, another leading digital healthcare enterprise in Taiwan, Quanta Computer had discussed Taiwan's digital healthcare advancement. 

As we are now facing a large-scale pandemic, healthcare is considered the sector that is most at danger and at risk being the first line of defense. Taiwan is using the advantages of its robust ICT industry to assist medical institutions with regard to planning and executing their digital transformations. With their software and hardware integration, Artificial Intelligence (AI) implementation, and establishment of cloud databases, Taiwan makes opportunities for partnerships between medical institutions across the globe. 

Ms.Leonor F.M. Lin, President & CEO of TAITRA, delivered the opening 

remarks.

5 Causes of Hair Loss: Why is my hair falling out?

 

Have you ever thought, "what causes hair loss?" Although hair loss may seem like experiencing hair loss is more of a prominent problem in men, women aren't totally spared. Women also tend to lose, or have thinning hair especially when they get into their 50's or 60's, although it can happen at any age for a variety of reasons. 

Most people tend to lose hair strands anywhere between 50 to 100 strands of hair each day, and the experts say, that's pretty normal. But if your hair starts to shed more than the usual, and worse, they don't grow back as they should--it is a source of concern. 

The earlier the cause is known and detected, hair fall remedy or baldness cure for hair loss must be done as soon as possible. Genetic conditions like male patterns baldness may be the main culprit for hair loss in the Philippines, but there are other conditions that affect hair loss: from genetic or hereditary hair loss, alopecia areata, too much stress, male pattern hair loss and reactive hair loss.

There are so many reasons why your hair is excessively shedding. Read up and find out exactly why your hair is falling out: https://bit.ly/35xfuDA

As soon as you've found out exactly what causes your hair loss, it's time to act upon it and do something about your dilemma. You may start with something that's natural with no harmful ingredients that can worsen your problem. In the Philippines, NOVUHAIR ® is proven to be exceptionally safe to use and you are assured because it only has natural ingredients. It even sustained its market leadership after being hailed as the leading hair loss treatment in 2019 (Euromonitor Passport Data 2019).