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Sunday, 22 September 2013
Thursday, 19 September 2013
Affording chances and other life skills
By
Earl D.C. Bracamonte
Total solutions company Dell announced very recently that it will
support the advocacy of Children’s Joy Foundation, Inc. (CJFI) in helping close
the learning gap among abandoned and underserved children in Metro Manila and
its six other centers around the archipelago. CJFI will receive funding from
Dell’s ‘Powering the Possible’ grant that will facilitate its aim to empower
misplaced youth through education and computer literacy.
CJFi’s initiatives to support learning empowers the young wards by
closing the technology gap and providing training in information &
communications technology skills – all focused on improving, enhancing and
jumpstarting learning for life. By placing state-of-the-art computer labs into
underserved communities and working with non-profit organizations, Dell’s
action helps marginalized young people discover new possibilities, change their
lives, and unleash their true potential.
Dell’s ‘Powering
the Possible grant’ is focused on four areas of giving that includes children’s
cancer care, disaster relief, social entrepreneurship, and learning. CJFI
belong to the latter category; addressing the concern by targeting the marginal children
and youth, most especially indigent children in their serviced community who
have the interest to learn computer, as well as other life skills.
A
better tomorrow
In the Philippine setting, public school
students, especially those in the elementary and secondary levels, have less
access to computer literacy. So you can just imagine how grim the chances are
of those who are unschooled, particularly the out-of-school youth, because of tight
resources. They are the neediest in the area of learning. In its own way, this
program helps address the ever-widening gap of access to learning. The children
at CJFI are being taught by volunteers in classroom settings at the center in
Proj. 8, Quezon City. CJFI has been
working
with depressed communities when it was established over a decade ago as this is
the vision of its founders. This program is a vital instrument for the
organization to be able to help the children and youth under its care to
realize their dreams, and eventually enable their latent capabilities. The Proj.
8 center that we visited has 17 wards under its care.
The rapid growth of the information and
computer technology has opened the minds and interest of many children and
youth to get a profession in ICT. For the last three years, state universities
and colleges in the Philippines have an increasing average of students who
graduated in IT related courses or discipline. According to the DepEd data, 69%
of the public schools in the Philippines have at least one computer unit. The
rest of the public schools have no computer set thus
depriving many school children of the opportunity to learn or at least
familiarize themselves with the basic operations of a computer. Dell’s support
on CJF’s program, in effect, affords better chances to these kids than those enrolled
in public schools.
Grants such as this will
greatly help CJFI sustain its efforts and continue to monitor the welfare of
the children and the impact of the program on their development.
"Our grants to
children’s centers like CJFI mark an important milestone in our CSR efforts. It
is special because of the strategic focus of these projects; most specially the
Computer Literacy Program. Building these computer laboratories affirm the best
use of Dell technology.
“Even our employees
donate their free time to teach the children technical and IT skills. We
approach the program in a more structured way now, unlike in the past. For
every 10 hours of volunteered time in every quarter, each employee receives
$150 that they donate to any of Dell’s charitable causes,” remarked Richard Teo, president of Dell Int’l Services
- Philippines.
Home away from
home
Children’s Joy Foundation, Inc. was
established in 1998, the year of the Philippine Centennial, when a group of
good-hearted individuals from Davao City saw the miserable plight of poor
Filipino children particularly children along the streets, and they felt a
burden in their hearts to help and protect these innocent and needy children by
subsidized means. They wanted that these children improve their lives and
experience happiness and contentment in their hearts. They envisioned that
these children would have joy, peace, protection, and become productive
citizens in the country when they grow up.
From one residential
center for children established in 1998, Children’s Joy has expanded to seven
(7) children’s residential centers across the country serving and catering to
the poor and needy. Aside from Davao City, the other CJFI centers are located
in Butuan, Cebu, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna and Quezon City. Children’s Joy feed
the children, clothe them, teach them the good values, and send them to public schools
within the area.
“We are very lucky that Dell turned its eyes on the children of our
foundation; whose experiences would have been otherwise very limited. Dell
computers are in all our computer laboratories nationwide. Our wards have all been
screened by the DSWD before moving here from their respective families. The
children are aged from 6 to 17 years old,” intimated CJFI executive director
Rosemarie Dimagnaong
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:
DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that
give them the power to do more. ‘Powering the Possible’ is Dell’s commitment to
put technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people
and the planet. Dell works with nonprofit organizations to address pressing
social issues by donating a combination of Dell technologies and solutions,
funding, expertise and volunteer support. In 2012, Dell team members
volunteered more than 700,000 hours in their communities and contributed an
estimated $32 million through employee match and rewards programs. To learn
more about Dell’s initiatives, simply visit their Web site, www.dell.com/communities.
Wednesday, 18 September 2013
A
‘Precious’ secret
By
Demi Braque
“If the eyes are
the windows of the soul, then the skin is the canvass of our soul …”
Celebrity
mom and beauty queen Precious Lara Quigaman-Alcaraz revealed today that
Bio-Oil, a formulation of combined plant extracts and vitamins suspended in an
oil base, has certainly improved the appearance of her stretch marks after
childbirth. If you’ve seen her anytime recently, the results absolutely speak for
themselves.
“Aspen
Philippines approached me to endorse a secret product. When they told me it was
for stretch marks, I automatically said yes. My stretch marks grew faint and
improved in appearance; it lightened, since mine were really dark. When I was pregnant
I had dark spots in the hidden areas and was beset with the normal fears and
worries that most mothers have on delivery and the condition of the newborn.
“I
gained weight – from 110 to 160 lbs.! Gradually, Marie France helped with my
weight loss. I gave birth Nov. 10 last year to a son – Noah Lamar. Noah,
because he’s my favorite biblical character, and Lamar is a contraction of Lara
& Marco. So last July, I started using Bio-Oil and saw the results three
weeks after. I also use it as my facial moisturizer,” Lara intimated.
Bio-Oil
has become the No. 1 scar and stretch mark product in over 13 countries.
Containing the breakthrough ingredient PurCellin Oil which changes the
formulation’s overall consistency, it makes the product light and non-greasy. This
ensures that the potency contained in, both, Vitamins A and E, as well as the
plant extracts from chamomile, lavender, rosemary and calendula, is easily
absorbed by the skin. The brand has undergone safety assessments in accordance
with the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Cosmetic
Products; having been used safely by pregnant women for over 20 years now.
Bio-Oil is also effective against ageing and dehydrated skin parts.
Stretch
marks, known also as linear atrophy, is a dermal damage caused by the tinning
out of the skin. Medically termed striae distensae or striae atrophicans, the
condition results from pregnancy, puberty, growth spurts from steroids, rapid
weight gain/loss, and obesity. “This also occurs if you’re genetically
predisposed. Injectable, like corticosteroids, and topicals are some of the
treatments available for stretch marks. Use topical formulations, like Bio-Oil,
at the 2nd or 3rd trimester of pregnancy but not on the
first. Foreign chemicals might affect the developing embryo during the first
three months. Topicals improve skin elasticity,” intoned dermatologist Dr.
Patricia Tinio.
Aspen
is a supplier of generic and branded pharmaceuticals, including Bio-Oil, in
approximately 100 countries across the globe and of consumer and nutritional
products in selected territories. The company has 18 manufacturing facilities
in 13 pharmaceutical sites on six continents. Four of the sites are located in
South Africa (being the leading supplier of generic medicines to both the
public and private sectors in the region), four in Australia, and one each in
Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Mexico, and Germany. It has businesses, too, in
Venezuela, Ireland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and the
Philipines.
“Noah
will be a year old this November. His birthday will have the Ark as theme.
Invited kids will come as paired animals. His birthday celebration will also be
his dedication day,” shared the former Miss International.
Bio-Oil
is available at all leading drugstores nationwide at the recommended retail
price of Php 495 (60ml bottle). For more comprehensive product information
and/or results of clinical trials, simply visit their Web site, www.bio-oil.com.
HBO's pioneer
Asian series premiers this weekend
By Nico
Erle Ciriaco
SINGAPORE
CITY – Home Box Office (HBO) Asia announced in a press confab at the historic
Raffles Hotel that it will air its first original Asian series on Sunday night,
Sept. 22, 9 pm over the Starhub TV Channel 601 (HBO) and Starhub TV Chaannel
655 (HBO HD), a co-production with the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Being Asia’s very first original drama series, Serangoon Road is
a ten episode hour-long detective noir series set against the tumultuous
backdrop of 1960s Singapore, when the global balance of power
was shifting and Singapore at its crossroad; a time when the British
colonial rule was coming to an end, independence was on the horizon, and
the island state finally forged its own identity.
The series took its name from one of the
earliest roads built in the Lion City which was then known as ‘the road leading
across the island.’ In the past, Serangoon Road was the key thoroughfare (much
like Highway 54 or Edsa is to us), making it a unique crossing point for all
walks of life. It is symbolic of the series as an important main road that
traditionally linked the various communities in Singapore then. As the
heartbeat of the nation, be it culture or crime, patriotism or politics,
espionage or enterprise, all paths lead to Serangoon Road.
The ten-part series is not just about the road
but how this historical avenue linked and brought races together before
Singapore gained its independence. The scenes were shot in various locations
around the city, including the famous Raffles Hotel.
The episode this Sunday opens with the Cheng
Detective Agency being hired by the CIA to investigate the murder of a US
sailor. Sam Callaghan (Don Hany) is asked to help out as a favor to the widowed
owner, Patricia Cheng (Joan Chen). Her need for closure causes her to use her
agency as a springboard in searching for her husband’s killer. But as Sam tries
to save the life of an innocent man, he is forced to resist memories of killing
a childhood friend during the Second World War.
Sam was dishonorably discharged from the
military after being caught up in the Malayan Emergency. He now tries to seek
redemption for his sins as a soldier by helping others through his work for the
Cheng Detective Agency.
“There’s a great percentage of myself thrown into
the character I play. And the characters in this series are in a state of flux.
The production is a melting pot of elements that make for a good TV show; with
love affairs set against the backdrop of political chaos. It’s also about
unrequited love and people using their rights to settle score. There’s a little
bit of something for everyone here. It’s also a parallel between climate and
character; of chaos and criminality,” enthused the Australian actor who plays
the pivotal role in this historical drama.
His associate, Su Ling (Pamelyn Chee), is a
forward thinking woman who gets involved with an ambitious CIA upstart. She tries
to define who she is and fights for her independence, despite the adversity she
witnesses while working at the Cheng Detective Agency. “My character is caught
between playing with foreigners whilst retaining what she is traditionally. By
comparison, me and my character Su Ling are fighters. But I have a shorter fuse
than her,” she intimated.
Inspector Amran (Ario Bayu) is the first Malay
inspector in the Colonial-run police force, with something to prove. He is at
constant loggerheads with Sam due to their differing views over authority, and
must constantly thread a fine line between upholding and enforcing the law.
“I bring half of my real self into the
character I portray – as an enforcer with very antagonistic moments. I hope
this series becomes a catalyst for more co-productions to follow. The
production has the intimacy of a small set; it’s communal. Great conversations
abound; just like an artistic village that fosters a collaborative spirit.
Working this intimate gave us a sense of déjà vu, like in the early days of
theater,” intoned the Indonesian superstar.
Kang (Alaric Tay) plays a former Communist who
flipped and fought alongside Sam, and who runs an import-export business around
his bum-boat.
His subsequent gambling problems run the risk of losing his
friendship with Sam and his debt to Secret Society leader Kay Song.
“I need to pull off punch-lines like ‘The monsoons
are coming,’ because I’m a comedic actor. This is my first drama after a long
line of comedies. So I need to be convincing as an ex-communist who took part
in the Malay Emergency. This is a seldom talked-about chapter in my nation’s
history. A villain and the conflicts he brings make for an interesting part to
play,” said Singapore’s well-loved funny man.
Kay Song (Chin Han) is the ambitious grandson
of the head of a Secret Society which traditionally controls the action around
Serangoon Road. Careful and ruthless, and despite his grandfather’s opposition,
he eyes even larger opportunities to take the organization unto new directions.
“Kay Song is a dangerous man. He’s like a snake
in the grass or a lion in a safari. Audiences are sensitive so I seek the truth
in my performances in any medium. The difference lies in expressing the truth.
Difficult times spur to build a character in every different medium.
“Half the battle of being an actor is finding
the right script and role. You have to be committed to your work. And pray that
you be in the right place, at the right time. My character (Sun Feng) in Steven
Soderbergh’s pandemic drama Contagion
is the most serious role I have ever tackled,” shared the Hollywood-based
Singaporean actor, who dabbled for many years in theater before starring in
films like Dark Knight, Capt. America and 2012.
Serangoon Road also stars Maeve Dermody (as
Mrs. Claire Simpson), Russell Wong (as Winston Cheng) and Michael Dorman (as
Conrad Harrison).
Brand new episodes air for nine Sundays
thereafter at the same time. The series will also be available on HBO On Demand
(Starhub TV Channel 602) Visit the program’s social network sites on Facebook (www.fb.com/hboasia),
Twitter (www.twitter.com/hboasia) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/hboasia).
Tuesday, 17 September 2013
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