Search for Outstanding Microentrepreneurs Launched

(L-R) Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Benjamin Diokno, 2018 Youth Microentepreneur of the Year Mary Grace Bayalas, and Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed

The search for the country’s most successful microentrepreneurs is on, with the launch of the 17th Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards (CMA) held last Tuesday, June 18, 2019 at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This program aims to recognize entrepreneurs who are able to conquer poverty with the support of MCPI’s microfinance institution partners.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas governor Benjamin E. Diokno and Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed led the launch of the 17th CMA, which honors microentrepreneurs who have overcome poverty by partnering with microfinance institutions that support the government’s financial inclusion and enterprise development initiatives.

Funded by Citi Foundation, the nationwide search is a partnership among BSP, Citi Philippines and the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc. (MCPI).

“The partnership with MCPI and Citi Philippines remains one of BSP’s cornerstones in stakeholder engagement for financial inclusion. The Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards, as the fruit of such remarkable partnership, serves as an important platform to convey the message that collaboration with a strong shared vision, coupled with responsive policies and reforms, can bring the best out of the Filipino people,” said Governor Diokno.

This year’s National Selection Committee is headed by Governor Diokno and Aftab Ahmed. Committee members include notable industry and community leaders such as Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez, SM Investments Corporation vice-chair Tessie Sy-Coson, Ayala Corporation president Fernando Zobel de Ayala, JG Summit Holdings, Inc. president and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei, RFM Corporation president and CEO Jose Ma. A. Concepcion III,  former Philippine Daily Inquirer chair Marixi Rufino-Prieto, University of the Philippines Diliman Chancellor Dr. Michael L. Tan, Samahan ng mga Pilipina para sa Reporma at Kaunlaran (SPARK!) Philippines president Imelda M. Nicolas, and MSME Development Council Mindanao private sector representative Mary Ann Montemayor.

“We are thrilled that after 17 years, the CMA continues to provide economic empowerment opportunities for microentrepreneurs, including a growing number of young people. We take pride in the fact that this initiative has helped us make a meaningful and lasting contribution on the diversity front. A sizeable percentage of the award recipients have been women and the program has empowered them and helped them improve the lives of their families and communities,” said Ahmed.

The CMA has significantly helped several microentrepreneurs. 2018 Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year winner Mary Grace Bayalas said, “My win at the 2018 CMA helped me expand my business. It was not only the cash prize that was important but also the skills and knowledge I acquired from the training that CMA provided. I also deeply value the connections I have made with fellow microentrepreneurs.”

The awards are open to microenterprises with assets less than P3 million. To be recognized are the CMA National winner, regional awardees from the three major island groups (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), Youth Microentrepreneur of the Year and three special awards that are open to different categories including agriculture, green/sustainable business, community leadership, startup micro-business, persons with disabilities, social innovation, financial technology/digital enterprise, and preservation of traditions.

The CMA national winner will receive P200,000 while the three regional awardees,  youth awardee and special awardees will each get P100,000. Loan officers and MFI branch partners of the awardees will each get a cash incentive of P10,000. Semi-finalists will get a cash incentive of P10,000.

Deadline for submission of entries is July 19, 2019. Entries should be submitted to MCPI. Finalists will be chosen by the Country Team composed of officers of Citi Philippines, MCPI and BSP. The National Selection Committee will select the winners who will be awarded on November 26, 2019.

Aside from the prizes, CMA awardees also get access to supplementary tools that can help them grow their businesses. They will receive microinsurance coverage and a nine-day entrepreneurship training at the Citi Microenterprise Development Center, a laptop each and basic computer training. They also gain automatic membership to the CMA Alumni Network to build their market connections and to participate in a mentoring program that will help them further improve their businesses.

CMA was introduced in 2002 when Citi marked its 100th year in the Philippines and in Asia. The awards program has since been adopted as a global program and introduced in over 30 countries. In the last decade, it has honored over 100 Filipinos, many of whom have grown their businesses significantly in terms of profits and assets.

Essilor asserts its continued fight against myopia at 22nd Asia Pacific Optometry Congress in Manila

MANILA, 19 June 2019 – Essilor, the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company, has affirmed its commitment to tackling the growing myopia epidemic as the platinum sponsor of the Asia Pacific Optometry Congress 2019 held in Manila, Philippines. Acknowledging the importance of Essilor’s powerful mission of improving lives by improving sight, the Congress dedicated one whole day to discuss ways for eye care professionals to better manage childhood myopia. This was the first time that a myopia management symposium of this scale was held in the Philippines.

The four-day Congress hosted by the Asia-Pacific Council of Optometry and the Optometric Association of the Philippines, brought together 28 renowned speakers from over 22 countries to explore the latest advances in optometry. During the myopia symposium, some of the industry’s top eyecare professionals with myopia expertise shared their experiences and best practices in managing their patients’ myopia progression with different solutions available today.

The prevalence of myopia is increasing at an alarming rate. As of today, more than two billion individuals are diagnosed with myopia. By 2050, five billion or half the world will be affected by myopia and nearly one billion will suffer from high myopia.

Myopia, also called near-sightedness or short-sightedness, is a vision condition in which people find it difficult to see distant objects clearly. High myopia (-5.0D or more) is associated with a higher risk of serious eye conditions such as glaucoma, cataract, retinal detachment and myopic macular degeneration (MMD)—which can even lead to vision impairment or blindness later in life . However, when detected early, myopia can be managed with the right solutions, substantially reducing these risks.

Myopia impacts not only individuals, but also communities and nations. It may impact learning and development – as 1 in 3 children can’t see the blackboard (or whiteboard) clearly, affecting their academic performance . It also affects socio-economic development – the global direct cost for lost productivity due to vision impairment from myopia is estimated at $392 billion .

Children and myopia

A major cause for concern is that more children are getting myopia at younger ages than before, particularly in Asia, where studies suggest rapid increases in the prevalence of childhood myopia, affecting 80 to 90 per cent of young people in some major cities .

Even in the Philippines, myopia prevalence (-0.50D or more) has been steadily increasing each decade, with nearly 40% of the overall population currently being myopic, predicted to increase to nearly 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2050 .

Despite the magnitude of this challenge, the science of myopia is still young and awareness of the long-term adverse effects of myopia is low. A recent Essilor survey has shown that only five to six per cent of parents in the United States and China are aware of any form of solutions to manage myopia . This growing prevalence among children has been associated with factors such as increased near work activities and less outdoor time, which are consequences of rising educational pressures and urbanization.

The Department of Health (DOH) has issued an alarm on the rising number of children in developed cities like Metro Manila and Cebu who are suffering from myopia , mostly rooted from their constant use of electronic gadgets. DOH Undersecretary Eric Domingo noted that the gadgets are being served as “babysitters” to the children to keep them occupied.

Essilor also emphasized the important role that parents play in ensuring the vision health of their children. To delay onset of myopia, children should be encouraged to minimize near distance work and spend more time outdoors. Taking regular vision or outdoor activity breaks during near work can help. With regard to the usage of various electronic devices, it's not the digital devices as such, but the fact that digital devices are used at shorter distances than books, as near-work has been shown to be a significant risk factor for developing myopia. Children should be encouraged to maintain an optimal reading distance from the screen, which is the distance between the elbow and the fingers.
When detected early, myopia can be managed—substantially reducing the risks of long-term eye diseases. Regular eye examinations are key to early detection of myopia in children. The sooner a child's myopia gets detected, the earlier the child will gain access to myopia management solutions and proper eye care.

To detect and manage myopia in children, it is critical for parents to know that regular eye exams s by an optometrist are as important as basic health screening. It is important for children to have regular eye checks, once every six months. Even if a child has been screened for myopia in school, it’s a good idea to take them for an eye check if they are squinting, having headaches or complain of blurred vision.

Addressing media at the Congress, Dr. John Ang, President, The International Vision Academy, Vice-President, Education & Professional Services Essilor Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Russia, and Africa, said “As eyecare professionals, we have a common responsibility to present myopia management solutions as an option to manage myopia progression in children. We need to act fast, and we need to act now to be able to reduce associated long-term visual health risks, because once myopia progresses, you can't turn back time. That’s why driving the conversation at forums such as this Congress is critical to ensuring that we reduce the impact of high myopia in the future decades.”

Mr. Kovin Naidoo, Senior Vice President of Inclusive Business, Philanthropy and Social Impact, Essilor, said in his keynote address, “We’ve already seen that the statistics for the burden of myopia are alarming, and the level of high myopia and associated complications are only going to increase further. To reverse this trend, it is critical to consolidate efforts amongst the public sector, healthcare professionals, NGOs, inclusive businesses, social enterprises and private players.”

“Together, we need to adopt a comprehensive approach to improve accessibility, drive research and innovative product development, educate eye care practitioners, build coalitions and partnerships, initiate early intervention programmes at schools and effect policy change,” Naidoo added.

Essilor’s fight against myopia

Research has already shown that a number of different solutions could help in slowing down the progression of myopia in children. Myopilux® is a range of ophthalmic lenses developed by Essilor, and is designed to both correct myopia and help slow down its progression in myopic children. This non-invasive solution has successfully helped more than one million myopic children in Asia over the last eight years.

Myopilux® Max lenses have slowed down myopia progression by up to 51 per cent compared to other regular single vision lenses . Myopilux® was presented at the Congress with live demonstrations on the proper use of Essilor’s products.

Essilor also recently pledged its support for the publication of eight highly-anticipated white papers by International Myopia Institute, which cover a range of topics deemed essential to advancing clinical knowledge and practice relating to stemming the expanding impact of myopia. Last year, Essilor rallied the eyecare professional community in Asia by supporting the first-ever National Myopia Convention in Singapore and Global Orthokeratology and Myopia Control Conference (GOMCC), the first conference in


Malaysia to focus on myopia management. In the Philippines, Essilor has engaged all optical clinics nationwide to provide information on myopia management and Myopilux.

Celebrate Dads Day at SM City Fairview

This coming  Sunday , take a break on everything you’re doing and have a time with the reason for our existence , our Dad.  Dad’s are everything rolled into one, a personal cook, family comedian, DIY specialist , motivator and a lot more. This June show your love and appreciation for your one- in a million dads by throwing him a feast fit for a king with the whole family at  your favourite SM mall.

This Dad’s day ,SM puts the spotlight into our idol dads who brought  nothing but laughter and love to our homes. We celebrate them through exciting deals, events and  fun feast made especially for them”, invites SM Supermalls SVP for marketing, Jonjon San Agustin.

The launch was graced by a doctor and the cast for Sam's Father's day TVC

They give six ways to spoil the king of the family this Dad;s day at SM:

D-day for your main man.  Reminisce about the good old days over beers and barbeques until June 16 from participating restaurants  because let’s be honest , Dads invented BBQ Sundays.

Makeover and wellness time. Dad always put family first. On this special day, make him feel like the king that he is by pampering him at SM. On June 16 get exclusive deals for haircuts and massages.

Toys for the big boys. Fill your dad’s heart with excitement by bringing him to a showcase of classic and contemporary automobiles and motorbikes at the Cool cars and bikes exhibit from June 14 to 16.

Daddy belly. Take your dads to a steak date and make reservations at his favorite restaurant  this June 14 to 16 . It’s never too late to treat your Foodie Daddy to a sumptuous feast.

Dance machine. Relive great childhood memories! Work as a team and show off supreme dance moves by joining Dads fortnite Dance Challenge on June 16.

Create memories with Dad . Take snaps and play with fun Facebook filters with your super dad for a chance to win exclusive #DadsDayAtSM2019 giveaways until June 16!.

Create new memories with your Dad through an exciting celebration of fun, food, and treats at SM Supermalls.

For videos and speeches about the launching pls click this link, https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2326924890721465&id=100002119298281

Picturing Marawi at SM Supermalls

Let us learn through this siege in Marawi as a nation to somehow remember the pains that our brothers and sisters passed through in life in exchange with a big amount of money being bribed with our own people in Mindanao. That in the coming years we may learn to say no to such deals that would destroy our families and  nation as well.

Revisiting the tragic backstory of the Maranaos at SM’s Picturing Marawi Photo Exhibit featuring the heart tugging photos of the Marawi siege aftermath immortalized by former journalist Mylah Reyes Roque from June 3 to August 31 in selected SM malls.

“The exhibit memorializes the tragedy in Marawi with the aim to engage mallgoers and help them have a better understanding of the conflict”  said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing.

Picturing Marawi narrates the aftermath of human conflict through images of the buildings, homes and mosques that are deserted by the war but nevertheless speak of the community that used to make it alive.

These are stories of a siege fought in close quarters.

Catch the photo exhibit in the following SM malls: Megamall (June 3- June 11), Southmall (June 24-June29), Rosario (August 5- August 11), and Telabastagan (August 25- August 31) . This endeavour is in partnership with National Museum.

The Marawi siege is an armed conflict that took place in Marawi  Lanao del Sur- a city filled with pulsating energy that was silenced by war. The battle started on the 23rd of May, 2017 and lasted for five months- leaving the city in ruinsand ending the lives of many Filipinos.

For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com

Sun Life Presents life, health and wealth solutions for Financial Independence Month

FILIPINOS ARE SAVING BUT NOT INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE,  SUN LIFE STUDY

Last June 4, 2019 Sun Life declares this coming June 12, 2019 as a Sun Lilfe Celebrates Financial Independence Month. Sun Life conducts a Talk  with Ms. Krie Looez (CEO and Founder of Messy Bessy) who become a full time  entrepreneur selling health and beauty products on line and learn to invest her hard earned income. Sara Black a Health expert teaching eating the right healthy food proper exercise like what shes teaching  yoga as her spare time , and Lay Preacher Bo Sanchez a leader  who experiences on how to make your money works for you .At first when he is a young lay person he tells us that he is negative when talking about money because of the misquoted phrase "Money is the root of all evil" but as he had a family and most of the problems he encounters with people is regarding lack of money whether they have big or small income , That was the time he literally study about money and investment . He bluntly say that he does not want to answer a person when the problem is money that will just pray for it , if there is more effective way of teaching people to save and invest  . Today he is considered  a financial expert  talking  about it engaging his congregation and even his housekeepers to learn to invest and save for the living.

Filipinos are eager to prepare for the future, but are still tied to traditional ways of handling their finances. This was revealed in a nationwide study of 1,200 respondents conducted by Kantar Milward Brown and commissioned by Sun Life Financial Philippines ("Sun Life”).

According to the study, 68% of Filipinos were concerned about saving for emergencies, 62% on securing their family’s future, and 57% on retirement. In order to address these priorities, 62% said they are managing their finances while 54% are spending only on things that are planned.

Only 39% replied that they were investing their money in order to fund their goals.
Many pointed to their financial situation as a reason for not availing of life insurance or mutual fund products, where an average of 44% said that these products are considered as added expenses rather than tools to be financially secure.

 Moreover, it appears that lack of knowledge was also a factor, where 16% admitted they knew little about life insurance, 15% confessed to not knowing much about accident insurance, and 17% felt the same way about health insurance.
This prompted Sun Life to adopt the theme ”Life, Health, and Wealth” for its Financial Independence Month campaign this June.

”Life, health, and wealth are the essentials of a brighter future, but one can only achieve them if they save and invest for the future,” Sun Life Chief Marketing Officer Mylene Lopa said. ”This is possible with the right partner, tools, and products, and these are what we would like to highlight this Financial Independence Month.”
Life solutions

Among the initiatives under ”Life” is the Life Insurance Calculator, which would help one assess how much life insurance he would need to properly cover the needs of his loved ones, giving him a clearer goal to pursue. The digital tool can be accessed via bit.ly/SLlnsuranceCalc.

Meanwhile, SUN Smarter Life Classic is a protection plan that provides double life insurance coverage throughout one's lifetime. Available in flexible premium payments, it also offers benefits that he can use in case of emergencies or immediate need for cash.

Sun Life is also set to team up with Waze to promote road safety in an initiative dubbed ”Brighter Drive, Brighter Life,” which will alert Waze users on accident-prone areas. This may also serve as a reminder for Waze users, who are also registered Lazada members, to insure themselves with a digital life insurance from Sun Life, such as Life Armor. It may be availed via the said online marketplace for as low as P100.

Health solutions

Under ”Health," Sun Life endorses SUN Fit and Well, a new generation wellness plan that offers comprehensive life and health protection. It covers the whole health Journey from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation, offering comfort and peace of mlnd should a serious illness strike.

GoWell, Sun Life's wellness community, has also expanded its tie-up with Fitness First to offer club benefits and preferential rates for Sun Life clients, advisors and employees.
Wealth solutions

Those eager to pursue their wealth goals can give the Investment Calculator 3 try at bit.ly/SL|nvestmentCalc to see how their money can grow over time using various financial instruments.

Once they are ready to start investing, they can opt to invest in the Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Funds from Sun Life Asset Management Inc. (SLAMCI). The first target date investment funds in the Philippines, these funds are designed to help investors achieve their goals on time with the minimum investment at only P1,000.

Should they wish to encourage their loved ones to start their own investing journey as well, they can give them a Sun Life Prosperity Card, 3 gift card which can be invested in any of Sun Life’s peso-denominated funds. It is available in P1,000 and P5,000 denominations.
In order to keep them on track as they pursue their life, health, and wealth goals, Sun Life also created Sun Future Planner, a comprehensive financial planning guide that would help one determine his life stage, analyze his needs, and take concrete steps to achieve his goals. The Sun Future Planner may be availed via a Sun Life advisor.

"We hope that Filipinos would utilize these solutions to create a more holistic and hardworking financial plan and serve more of his and his family‘s needs,” Lopa said. ”By saving, investing, and being more proactive in this pursuit, there is no doubt that they can look forward to a brighter future, and we aspire to be their partner for life in theirjourney towards financial freedom.”

For updates on Sun Life’s Financial Independence Month initiatives and for details on Sun Life’s products and digital tools, follow @SunLifePH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, visit sunlife.com.ph, or talk to a Sun Life advisor today.