The Department of Health (DOH) recently launched Health Fiesta Caravan, Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan, a health promotion campaign which aims to bring information on healthy practices to Filipino families in the rural barangays.

Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan (LBK) was launched in Capas, Tarlac and was attended by 1,500 Aetas from Barangay St. Juliana. Maternal heath services like pre-natal check-up and counseling were included in the health fiesta. Educational activities were also done with the children.

Asuncion Anden, DOH Director on Health Promotion said that Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan aims to have engaging, memorable and fun experiences during the different LBK health fiestas scheduled.

Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan is the DOH’s health reform agenda on Universal Access to Health program.

“Making health and medical services readily accessible to the public has always been one of the priorities of the province. And with programs like LBK promoting health prevention and education in a fun and entertaining approach, we can look forward to a future when households will be competent enough to keep their families healthy and productive,” Tarlac Governor Yap said.

This is the bus for Lakbay Buhay Kalusugan’s mobile counseling and examination clinic for the women and children. During the event, participants can learn about health practices through interactive exhibits, entertainment shows and fun activities.

Please click on photos to see in bigger resolution.

The LBK health fiesta caravan will travel to 10 provinces in its first year.

• Tarlac, Pangasinan, and Nueva Ecija in Luzon;
• Bohol and Negros Occidental in the Visayas;
• Bukidnon, Zamboanga del Norte, Compostela Valley, South Cotabato, and Maguindanao in Mindanao.

LBK is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID), Victory Liner Inc., Melawares, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Air21, OMF Literature, Green Cross, Dakila – Philippine Collective for Modern Heroism, Center for Community Journalism and Development, Manila Broadcasting Company, UNTV, Philippine Press Institute, and the Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders and Advocates International, Inc.

Havaianas is having a flip-flop design competition for the benefit of Operation Smile.

Mechanics of the Havaianas Design a Smile flip-flop competition:

What: Design the sole of a Havaianas pair of flip-flop for 5-12 years old based on the question: “What makes you smile?”

The winning flip-flop entry could be produced to heal the broken smiles of the children of Operation Smile.

Where: drop by any Havaianas Design a Smile booth at the following dates and venues:

• October 16, Activity Center, Alabang Town Center
• October 17, Level 4 Exhibit Area, TriNoma
• October 23, The Gallery Greenbelt 5
• October 24, Left Wing G/F Glorietta 4
• October 30, Activity Pod 3, Bonifacio High Street

Prizes to be won:

• The Top three designs, which will be chosen by the public through text voting, will receive fun prizes from Havaianas, a creativity workshop from My Masterpiece Movement and gifts from Polaroid, Faber-Castell, KidSports and Orange Juice.
• The Top Ten finalists will get cool prizes from Havaianas, KidSports and Orange Juice.

For complete mechanics, visit HavaianasPhilippines.com

What is Operation Smile?

Operation Smile is a private, non-profit volunteer medical services organization and worldwide children’s medical charity that provides reconstructive surgery and related health care services to indigent children and young adults with cleft palate, cleft lip and other childhood facial deformities. Along with the surgery, Operation Smile provide training to health care professionals who work with these children.

Cleft lips and palates is said to be among the top 12 birth defects in the country. Along with these facial deformities, the children are found to experience other conditions: malnutrition, respiratory problems, and ear infections. Psychological as well  as sociological impact due to low self-esteem brought about by their inability to interact socially because of these deformities also has an impact on the child.

A simple surgery is needed to be able to reconstruct the deformity. But to those coming from the low-income bracket, the cost is a heavy burden to bear, considering a number of patients come from this group. Operation Smile gives the gift of surgery that can change a child’s life at the cost of PhP15,000 per child.

So far, since 1982, Operation Smile Philippines has done more than 22, 500 free reconstructive surgery all over the country. Around 140,000 children and young adults have been given free reconstructive surgery all over the world.

Join the Havaianas Design a Smile flip-flop competition and who knows, your child’s entry would help put more than just a smile to other children who need the services of Operation Smile

I can safely say that I am discerning mommy, choosing only the best products for my children.I always think not only of the safety of the products I use with my children but also the quality and assurance that these are the best there is in the market. However, having the best does not mean making a dent in the budget. How? because a discerning mommy knows how to get the best products without paying too much.

So when the chance to visit Amherst Plant, Unilab’s plant for medicines came along, I did not hesitate to join the tour. After all, paracetamol Biogesic suspension, Ceelin with Zinc, PH Care, Myra E 400, Neozep tablets, Solmux Capsules and Biogesic tablets are products we have been using through the years.We now have Dolan in our stock and the reason for this will be explained later.

Plus, UNILAB is a Filipino company that has been in the health care market for a long time. The UNILAB products we buy from are safe, effective and affordable.

The Amherst Plant tour was timely because I was able to ask Dr. Royce Mangubat, Medical Director for UNILAB Pediatrica Division about the low-grade fever my son had for almost a week. I learned from him about the use of paracetamol versus ibuprofen. So we got Dolan which has ibuprofen.

A few days after the plant tour, my youngest daughter had the low-grade fever symptoms my son had. The difference now was that instead of giving her our usual dose of paracetamol Biogesic suspension, I gave her ibuprofen Dolan. The results were different: the low-grade fever went down faster when ibuprofen was given.

Anyway, the tour…

For the plant tour, Ving Abolino, Amherst Plant Director showed us the different parts of the plant. We were made to wear plastic shoes, plastic hair covers, hard hat and sterile lab gowns. The plant was huge but very clean. All I can say was that I am thankful, these health care products that we use come from here.

Wanna know more about UNILAB? Follow UNILAB in Twitter and “Like” their Facebook page

Science concepts are one of the more exciting things to teach students.

On the other hand, students learn a lot from studying science concepts through observation, experimentation, following instructions, and other learning skills necessary to understand what is being talked about.

One of the topics that was discussed for Science first trimester with my youngest daughter was ANIMALS which fell under the category of living things.

They studied about different kinds of animals which include movements, food eaten, habitat, body covering, baby animals and even taking care of these animals. What we did to learn a variety of concepts is to read varied books, watch DVDs and re-visit old photos from trips to the zoo.

Two of the educational DVDs we watched again and again even if the lessons have been discussed already were Wink to Learn Jungle Feathers and Wink to Learn African Safari.

Wink to Learn Jungle Feathers presented colorful birds from the Jurong Bird Park which is the world’s largest bird park.

Wink to Learn African Safari showed big animals from the Singapore Zoo which is considered as one of the world’s best zoos.

The children loved the flashcard videos because they watched it again and again. They even asked when we were coming over to Singapore to be able to see these animals in the flesh

These are just two of the DVDs in Wink to Learn Animals Series DVDs.

Wink to Learn are educational flashcard-based DVDs for Learning Chinese and English are distributed by Powerhans Kids.

Powerhans Kids also offer a wide array of flashcard DVDs for children in English and Chinese. They have Blockbuster Kids stores in SM Fairview, SM North EDSA, SM Marikina and The Podium.

Has it been almost a year ago when we mommy bloggers and our children had a fun play date at Active Fun SM North EDSA Annex?

Last Friday we came back with other mommy bloggers for Active Fun’s pre-anniversary party. Yes, Active Fun is celebrating First Year Anniversary on August 18 and 19.

As a way to thank their patrons, tickets worth PhP450 and P350 (Fun Club members) has these: unlimited play, magic show, games, loot bags, raffles, and a whole lot more.

But wait there’s more! Join the Active Fun contest and win One Year Free Unlimited Play.

Here are two ways to win:

“My Best Active Fun Photo Shot” for children ages 5 and below: Submit a 4R size photo of your child featuring him/her having a blast along with your child’s name, parents’ names, contact details and a copy of the receipt for unlimited play dated within July15 till August 31.

“What I love about Active Fun” for children ages 6 -12: Write a short paragraph and illustrate on a short Oslo paper why you  (pertaining to your child) love Active Fun. Entry must be submitted with a small photo of the child, names of parents, contact details and receipt of unlimited play from July 15 till August 31.

Prizes for each category:

1st Place: VIP Golden Pass – 1 year free unlimited play (yey!)

2nd Place: VIP Golden Pass – 6 months free unlimited play

3rd Place: VIP Golden Pass – 3 months free unlimited play

You have until August 31, 2010 to submit your entries to Active Fun SM North Edsa Annex. Announcement of winners will be on September 10, 2010.

Call Active Fun SM North EDSA Annex at 632 3323929 for inquiries about the First  Anniversary celebrations and/or about the contest.

Techonomy is [tech(nology) + (ec)onomy] which means organized activities related to the invention, development, production, distribution and consumption of technology-enhanced goods and services that a society uses to address the problem of scarcity and to enhance the quality of life.

A rational, optimistic, forward-looking and technically savvy work ethics that works hand-in-hand with technological achievement, human ingenuity and sustainable living.

Read more about Techonomy here.

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