鈥淲e noticed that many consumers eat their hot dogs with cheese, so we said, why don鈥檛 we save them the trouble of looking for cheese to put on their hot dogs?鈥澨齢e听said in an October 2025听interview.听

The first cheese dog, which came in a clear-colored casing, was offered from 1993 to 1994. The red-colored variant debuted between 2007 to 2010. 听

鈥淲hen it comes to cheese hotdogs, I鈥檓 pleased to听share that we鈥檝e been the market leaders for a long time,鈥� he added. 听听

CDO was founded 50 years ago by Ong matriarch听and Mr. Ong鈥檚 mother,听Corazon D. Ong.听

Her purpose was not to build a company but听rather听help augment the family income. The business started small,听operating听from home, after Ms.听Ong听took short courses on making longganisa听(a Filipino sausage)听and tocino (a cured pork dish).听Her听husband Jose joined her听in the business听a听few听years after.听听

Mr. Ong听now听runs the company together with his siblings Charmaine, who handles corporate purchasing and treasury, and Jason, who heads both听corporate social听responsibility听and the emerging business arm.听

CHALLENGES AND LESSONS
The听company learned lessons borne from challenges听over听the years, Mr. Ong said.听

The first is the 鈥渂ig headache鈥� of credit risk.听

鈥淲hen听we were听rather small, uncollected debts really put pressure on our cash flow and finances,鈥� he told听大象传媒. 鈥淲e learned to put control measures in place to establish credit limits,听[and] to do听our due diligence before extending credit.鈥澨�

Another is supply chain issues, such as logistical disruptions that increased shipping time by up to 20 days which led to the company diversifying its source of raw materials like meat.听

A third one听is听the war on talent,听which prompted the company to improve its hiring process and retention program. 听

Their staff care about the company because management demonstrates that it cares for their welfare, Mr. Ong also said.听

During the pandemic, he said,听CDO听operated at full听throttle,听so听everyone who wanted to work was able to.听Food, vitamins, and transportation were likewise provided for.听

鈥淚f we want our people to have malasakit听[the Filipino value of showing concern and empathy],听we have to walk the talk and show that we have malasakit for听them,鈥� he added.听

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION
The biggest ongoing challenge, however, is market competition. 听

鈥淲e continue to stay relevant by developing products 鈥� or improving existing products 鈥� to meet the evolving preferences of consumers,鈥� Mr. Ong said. 听

One insight gleaned from the company鈥檚 market research, for instance, led to the formulation of its Karne Norte corned beef.听

鈥淩esearch told us that it鈥檚 not just the taste of the product that attracts customers,鈥� he told听大象传媒. 鈥淎roma is an important factor too, because once the consumer opens the can, the first thing he or she notices is the aroma, so we made sure that Karne Norte had that flavorful aroma.鈥澨�听

Another听insight came from the dwindling sales of its听now-shelved hamonado听(flavored smoked pork sausage), which used to be a bestseller听in the 1990s.听听

When it gradually lost听its听relevance as new types of longganisa听emerged听in the market, the company tried to revive听sales听of听the hamonado听by offering promos听and samplings, but to no avail.听

鈥淲e can keep on nurturing a brand, but we cannot听fall in love with it,鈥� Mr. Ong said. 鈥淲hen the market听says,听鈥榯ime is up,鈥� we just have to pull the plug and move on.鈥澨�听

CDO鈥檚 goal is听for its brands to be patronized by nine out of 10 Filipino households in five years, up from the current听six听out of 10.听

Mr. Ong says this goal, as well as听the challenge of taking on the听future, is doable with the guidance of the core family values that听brought听them to where they are.听听

鈥淭he most successful companies continue to thrive and flourish and enter new avenues of growth听even听after the founders have retired,鈥� he said.听听

鈥淲hat鈥檚 important for us is to prepare the next generation of family members, the next generation of leaders, to future-proof the company for the next 50 years and beyond.鈥� 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol

APRIL B. ELISTERIA wades through knee-deep water every time it rains in her neighborhood in Las Pi帽as City. The 39-year-old helper at a private elderly care home and mother of four has lived with floods for as long as she can remember.

鈥淪ometimes the floodwaters are thigh-high near the entrance of our community,鈥� she said in an Oct. 8 Viber interview. 鈥淚 walk a fair distance to the entrance because no car can enter our place anymore,鈥� she added in Filipino.

Her family has elevated their home to keep floodwaters from seeping in. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been here for so long, we already got used to the situation,鈥� Ms. Elisteria said. 鈥淲hen I get home, I take a shower right away to avoid getting sick.鈥�

Floods remain a part of daily life for many urban poor Filipinos despite decades of government projects meant to address them. Now, those projects themselves are under scrutiny.

Government investigators recently confirmed that 421 of roughly 8,000 flood control projects nationwide were 鈥済hosts鈥� 鈥� nonexistent despite being allocated funds. The revelations triggered the removal of P255 billion ($4.4 billion) worth of projects from the proposed 2026 national budget, effectively cutting flood control allocations to zero.

As the scandal unfolds, public officials are looking to technology to restore trust, improve transparency, and curb corruption by design. Blockchain ledgers, livestreamed bidding and satellite mapping are now being tapped to track how every peso of public works spending moves 鈥� and whether something actually gets built.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has faced recurring questions over the integrity of its flood control program, a key infrastructure item in annual budgets. The 鈥済host鈥� project revelations reinforced long-standing suspicions of systemic graft tied to infrastructure contracts.

Digitalization, automation and the removal of personal discretion create systems that make corruption more difficult, experts said.

The DPWH has begun livestreaming procurement activities, and on Sept. 30 launched 鈥淚ntegrity Chain,鈥� a blockchain-powered transparency platform developed with the Blockchain Council of the Philippines (BCP).

The system aims to embed accountability into infrastructure workflows by maintaining immutable records that cannot be secretly altered.

The platform functions like a digital ledger, Mark S. Gorriceta, a founding BCP trustee, said in a Zoom interview. Every transaction, every data point is permanent once entered, and any tampering will be visible, he pointed out.

The Integrity Chain will initially cover foreign-assisted projects, which already follow stricter standards.

鈥淰alidation does not rely solely on the government,鈥� Mr. Gorriceta said. 鈥淚ndependent validators from civil society, the academe, media, and nongovernment groups will check the data before it鈥檚 finalized.鈥�

Public Works Secretary Vivencio 鈥淰ince鈥� B. Dizon said during the platform signing that he welcomes private sector scrutiny. 鈥淓veryone should be watching,鈥� he said.

Mr. Gorriceta said AI (artificial intelligence) would also be integrated to verify data accuracy. In three months, he expects the players to share the results from the pilot phase.

At least 10 blockchain-related bills are pending in Congress. But experts warn against seeing blockchain as a cure-all.

鈥淏lockchain won鈥檛 prevent collusion among vendors and government officials,鈥� Jeffrey Ian C. Dy, a former undersecretary at the Department of Information and Communications Technology, said in a Facebook post.

He also said the government鈥檚 lack of expertise could create dependence on proprietary systems 鈥渁kin to graft.鈥� Mr. Dy has suggested limiting blockchain to transactional data, defining clear rules on data use, and determining who should access it.

WATCHING FROM SPACE
Beyond blockchain, agencies are turning to space-based monitoring to catch irregularities early. The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) is integrating satellite and geospatial data into its oversight systems.

Its Automated Land Use and Zoning Compliance Assessment and Monitoring (AutoCAM) tool uses remote sensing, machine learning and geographic information systems to track whether land use complies with local plans 鈥� and whether flood control projects are built in appropriate areas.

Ibani C. Padao, officer-in-charge director at the DHSUD鈥檚 Environmental, Land Use and Urban Planning and Development Bureau, said AutoCAM could detect zoning violations in real time.

鈥淚n protected agricultural zones, for example, if the tool detects that residential structures are being built, it will be tagged as not allowed or conditionally allowed,鈥� he told 大象传媒 via Zoom.

DHSUD Assistant Secretary Mylene A. Rivera said the agency鈥檚 challenge lies in ensuring local governments use their approved land-use plans.

鈥淎fter approval, these plans are often shelved and not used as a reference for development,鈥� she said in the same Zoom call in Filipino. 鈥淓ven diligent local governments learn about violations only after the fact because they don鈥檛 see everything.鈥�

Ms. Rivera said AutoCAM could compare approved land-use maps with satellite images from the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA). 鈥淚f the plan doesn鈥檛 match what鈥檚 happening on the ground, the system flags it in real time,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat saves local governments a lot of time.鈥�

The DHSUD will also launch a digital platform called PlanSmart for Sustainable Human Development on Nov. 17. It integrates hazard maps with planning data to help local governments make risk-informed decisions.

The initial rollout will cover 15 local governments per regional office, or about 200 nationwide. The target is for all local governments to have risk-informed plans by 2028. AutoCAM is slated for nationwide rollout by May 2026.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has revived an older technology-driven project tracking system known as Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation, or DIME. First launched in 2017, it uses drones, geotagging, and satellite images to monitor major public investments. It was discontinued in 2021 and relaunched in 2023 through a partnership with the local space agency.

鈥淭he initial goal is to integrate PhilSA鈥檚 imagery with DBM鈥檚 platform,鈥� Romer Kristi D. Aranas, information technology officer at the space agency鈥檚 High-Performance Computing and Information Systems Division, said via Zoom.

PhilSA expects project images to be publicly available through the DIME website by 2026.

鈥淲e are ready as far as technical capability and access to data are concerned,鈥� Julius M. Judan, senior science research specialist at PhilSA鈥檚 Space Mission Control and Operations Division, said in the same Zoom interview.

He added that satellite data would be cross-validated with project timelines and milestones 鈥渢o reach relevant conclusions.鈥�

BEYOND THE TOOLS
Both Mr. Aranas and Mr. Judan stressed that government capacity-building is critical. 鈥淲e integrate the data processing know-how and what the technical requirements are so it would be self-sustaining, and they can do it themselves long term,鈥� Mr. Judan said.

Ms. Rivera of DHSUD said some local governments still lack the resources and expertise to use such tools effectively.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 give solutions if you don鈥檛 understand the situation on the ground,鈥� she said in Filipino. 鈥淭he goal is to make planning easy for them, to give them a template they can adapt to local realities.鈥�

Experts say the technologies being deployed 鈥� blockchain, AI and satellite monitoring 鈥� mark progress toward transparency. Yet they emphasize that digital systems cannot replace political will.

Science and technology can provide tools that enable desired social outcomes, William G. Padolina, chairman of the Science, Technology and Innovation Foresight Steering Committee of the National Academy of Science and Technology, said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

鈥淏ut the choice to harness which of these tools can promote societal interests, especially to recover from shocks, remains a political decision,鈥� he added.

Mr. Dy said flood control corruption starts with budget enactment, which no technology could capture. 鈥淧erhaps the stance should shift from 鈥榓nti-corruption鈥� to 鈥榠ncreasing transparency in government.鈥欌��

Transparency advocates have long argued that corruption thrives in discretionary budgeting 鈥� a point made clear by the 鈥済host鈥� projects鈥� discovery. Oversight mechanisms are often activated only after projects have been funded and payments released.

Economists note that eliminating P255 billion in questionable allocations could improve fiscal discipline in 2026, but warn of gaps in actual flood mitigation if legitimate projects are also delayed.

State efforts to digitize oversight represent a rare convergence of science, policy and accountability. Whether these systems will outlast political cycles 鈥� and actually prevent 鈥済host鈥� projects 鈥� remains to be seen.

For residents like Ms. Elisteria, though, the test of reform will be simpler: the day her street finally stays dry. 鈥淚 just hope the floods stop becoming a fixture in our lives because it鈥檚 so hard.鈥�

BUSINESSES and policymakers face a widening gap between the demand for skilled labor and the workforce鈥檚 readiness to fill green jobs, as the Philippines accelerates its transition to a green economy.

Industry leaders and government officials warn that unless the country scales up training programs, the promise of economic growth from renewable energy, electric vehicles and sustainable construction could be undermined by the lack of qualified workers.

鈥淎re we ready for these chang别蝉?鈥� Francis A. Macatulad, program director at the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), a nonprofit that promotes capacity-building and sustainable practices, told 大象传媒 in a virtual interview. 鈥淯nfortunately, we are not. We don鈥檛 have the technicians.鈥�

His warning underscores a structural challenge for Southeast Asia鈥檚 second-most-populous nation.

As climate change reshapes economies worldwide, the Philippines is under pressure to retrofit aging infrastructure, decarbonize energy systems and adopt greener modes of transportation. But the country is still scrambling to align its workforce with those demands.

The World Economic Forum projects that green and energy-transition roles such as renewable energy engineers and electric vehicle specialists will be among the fastest-growing job categories in the coming years.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that the shift to a green economy could create 24 million jobs globally by 2030.

The Asia-Pacific region is particularly exposed, with 43% of its workforce considered vulnerable to climate-related shocks and the disruptions from decarbonization, according to the ILO. For the Philippines, where millions of workers remain in carbon-intensive or informal industries, the transition risks leaving many behind without targeted support.

Labor Undersecretary Carmela I. Torres said the government is working to balance the creation of green jobs with inevitable losses in traditional industries such as coal and fossil fuel-based transportation.

鈥淭he transition to a green economy should be just and inclusive, ensuring that workers in traditional industries are not left behind,鈥� she said in an e-mailed reply to questions. 鈥淭his aims to shift towards environmentally friendly practices while ensuring the creation of decent work opportunities and addressing social inequalities.鈥�

Still, she acknowledged persistent challenges: gaps in training programs, limited funding, and the lack of awareness among workers and employers about opportunities in the green sector.

Some of the country鈥檚 biggest companies are trying to bridge the gap by embedding sustainability across their organizations.

Ayala Corp., one of the Philippines鈥� oldest business groups, ensures its sustainability agenda extends beyond dedicated teams.

鈥淥ur corporate strategy, business development, investor relations, and treasury teams, among others, are updated on the latest and most relevant thinking in sustainability to ensure that it is embedded into our long-term planning and investments,鈥� Francisco R. Milan, Ayala鈥檚 chief human resources officer, said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

Ayala Land, Inc., the group鈥檚 property arm, hosts quarterly forums on topics such as decarbonization, regenerative design and water resource management. Globe Telecom, Inc., meanwhile, launched an online Sustainability Academy in 2021 to help its 8,000 employees adopt sustainable practices at home and at work.

鈥淎cross the group, sustainability and human resource teams are working closely to identify ways to more widely embed the value of sustainability among all employees,鈥� Mr. Milan said.

The Aboitiz Group has also made sustainability central to its real estate and infrastructure ventures. Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc.鈥檚 economic estates, including Lima Estate in Batangas, have earned a five-star Building for Ecologically Responsive Design Excellence (BERDE) district certification. It features a sustainability hub with a waste-to-eco brick facility, rainwater harvesting and compost-to-fertilizer systems.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about shifting how everyone in the organization thinks about placemaking and future-proofing for the new economy,鈥� Monica L. Trajano, vice-president for business development at Aboitiz unit LIMA Land, Inc., told 大象传媒 in an interview.

鈥淲e must be able to integrate agility and innovation as we emphasize sustainability and best practices,鈥� she added.

Working with urban planning consultants such as Singapore-based Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd., Aboitiz has identified specific workforce gaps in renewable energy and sustainable construction. 鈥淭here is a skill gap in practical areas like installation, maintenance, repair and even the basic knowledge in sustainable construction,鈥� Ms. Trajano said.

鈥楳INDSET SHIFT鈥�
While infrastructure upgrades are critical, advocates stress that behavior change is just as important.

鈥淒esigning green is the easiest part,鈥� Christopher C. de la Cruz, chief executive officer at the Philippine Green Building Council, said in an interview. 鈥淪taying green is the biggest problem.鈥�

He noted that even the most energy-efficient systems are wasted if occupants use them improperly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a mindset shift.鈥�

The council administers the BERDE green building rating system and partners with organizations such as the Philippine Business for Education to develop training programs. It also works with universities like the University of San Carlos in Cebu to update curricula so graduates are equipped with green skills from the outset.

Green jobs are for everyone 鈥� including janitors, messengers, and plumbers, Mr. De la Cruz said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e able to transition your work today into a cleaner kind of work that contributes [to mitigating] the climate crisis, then it鈥檚 a green job.鈥�

Nonprofit groups are stepping in to address the training deficit. ASSIST, for example, works with technical-vocational associations in Mindanao and Metro Manila to give instructors updated training materials.

It has also established an advisory committee with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and chambers of commerce to identify skill gaps.

鈥淲e are upskilling the current tech-voc students, or in some cases reskilling technicians to be able to work with the new technologies,鈥� Mr. Macatulad said.

The Philippines already has a legislative framework in place. The Green Jobs Act of 2016 seeks to identify skill needs, train and certify workers and provide financial support including tax deductions for green-skill programs.

The Labor department and TESDA have also issued a joint memo to strengthen career guidance and training alignment with industry needs.

鈥淓fforts such as those by TESDA are crucial for developing a workforce capable of meeting these demands,鈥� Ms. Torres said. 鈥淏oth public and private sector investments are needed to support the development of a robust green job training ecosystem.鈥�

For the private sector, investment in education is vital to long-term competitiveness.

鈥淲e recognize that no single institution or the private sector acting alone can produce the necessary talent at scale,鈥� Mr. Milan said. Government investment in education is critical so Philippine schools can produce a workforce that supports the drive of industries for sustainability, he added.

Aboitiz鈥檚 Ms. Trajano called the skill gap both a challenge and an opportunity.

鈥淥ur biggest opportunity as a country is our labor force, and we really must focus on that, with the public and private sectors working together,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he skill gap is also our biggest opportunity in terms of influencing the quality of our educational institutions.鈥�

As the Philippines braces for the impacts of climate change 鈥� rising sea levels, stronger typhoons, and disrupted agricultural cycles 鈥� building a workforce ready for the green economy has become more than an economic necessity.

The Philippines is in a race against time. 鈥淭here are a lot of projects that will be coming on stream very soon, and they need technicians,鈥� Mr. Macatulad said.

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COMING UP with new product offerings has ensured the continued success of Sonya鈥檚 Garden, a sustainable farm and hospitality business in Alfonso, Cavite, all throughout its almost two decades in business.

An example of this was during the pandemic, said Sonya Garcia, the business owner.

鈥淲e didn鈥檛 sit back and complain,鈥� she said in an interview with 大象传媒.

鈥淲hat we did was our massage therapists 鈥� instead of tending the body 鈥� started tending the soil,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey grew plants and veggies, and then we delivered these to the plantitos (plant dads) and plantitas (plant moms) [through our] distributors in the city.鈥�

The hospitality industry was one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of Tourism reported that international tourist receipts in the first quarter of 2020 declined to P85 billion, 36% lower than the revenues in the same period the previous year.

BOTTLING ITS PRODUCTS
The erstwhile private retreat also started producing 鈥渇ast food in a bottle,鈥� with offerings like Basil Pesto in Olive Oil or Puttanesca Sauce, during the lockdown.

鈥淎ll you do is pour it over pasta or rice and that鈥檚 it,鈥� Ms. Garcia said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to go to the market anymore to buy food.鈥�

The company is 鈥渉oping to export its products,鈥� she added.

Sonya鈥檚 Garden products 鈥� including its jams, calamansi (native lemon) concentrate, and salad dressing 鈥� are found on the ecommerce platform Lazada at present. Its salads, entrees, and breads are likewise available in the food delivery app Foodpanda.

Ms. Garcia was a banker who left her career to create her private sanctuary. It opened as a business in 1998 after a wedding proposal was held in the garden and word subsequently spread about the place.

The enterprise specializes in farm-to-table food and houses a restaurant, bed and breakfast, spa, bakery, and event venue within the property.

To meet customer demands, it now also offers Filipino food and catering services.

Sonya鈥檚 Garden has evolved into health and wellness, with a spa that keeps guests coming back for more, Ms. Garcia told 大象传媒.

鈥淲e have a Korean master acupuncturist with a 99% success rate,鈥� she added. 鈥淚f you are suffering from different ailments… because of consuming a lot of industrial food, our doctor will be able to help you out.鈥�

IT鈥橲 NOT THE MONEY
鈥淒on鈥檛 do anything for money鈥� is Ms. Garcia鈥檚 tip to aspiring and current business owners.

鈥淓njoy what you do and take care of your people and their wellbeing,鈥� she said.

In line with this goal, Sonya鈥檚 Garden provides its staff 鈥� typically locals from the neighboring community 鈥� with interest-free loans to enable them to build their homes.

A succession plan is also already in place.

鈥淚 want them to run this place the way I would鈥檝e wanted it when I perish from this earth,鈥� Ms. Garcia said. 鈥淭hat is a legacy I will leave to them.鈥� 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol and Edg Adrian A. Eva

The family is in talks with an interested buyer of the bookshop, although everything is still under negotiation, Mr. Jos茅 said in a Sept. 3 phone call.

The potential next owner, he said, is a good friend of his father鈥檚 and plans to continue operating the bookshop.

Solidaridad was established in June 1965 by F. Sionil Jos茅 and his wife, Teresita J. Jos茅, who both dreamed that Filipinos read more often. It was named after La Solidaridad, the bi-weekly Spanish era newspaper published by the Propaganda Movement, which was led by Filipino intellectuals in Europe such as Jose P. Rizal and Marcelo H. del Pilar.

STATE OF THE BUSINESS
The bookshop was not making money when Mr. Jos茅 took over the reins from his parents about 12 years ago after living overseas.

鈥淲hen I took over, and when they passed away [both in 2022], there were a lot of headaches,鈥� he said in a Nov. 5, 2024 interview. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how it was.鈥�

鈥淲e can pay the bills, but profit-wise? Hardly,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard.鈥�

Mr. Jos茅 introduced a computer system to manage inventory, a task his mother had done manually in the past.

He also maintained a professional relationship with the staff, in contrast with his mother鈥檚 personal approach.

鈥淚鈥檓 used to the American way of running a business,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know you鈥檙e married, that you have kids… but I鈥檓 not going to go further than that, like know what you do on weekends.鈥�

鈥淚f you鈥檙e too close to your employees, professionalism starts to go away,鈥� he added.

Although the bookshop does not have a presence on any e-commerce platforms, it has a Facebook page where patrons can inquire and order books online.

The management changes, Mr. Jos茅 told 大象传媒, have led to more stable operations.

鈥淢y parents ran it like a small business,鈥� he said last November. 鈥淲hat you see downstairs is how it looked like 59 years ago.鈥�

PROMOTING FILIPINIANA
Solidaridad鈥檚 unique selling proposition is its 鈥渦nmatched鈥� Filipiniana section of 2,795 titles, according to Mr. Jos茅.

鈥淎 lot of people come up for the Filipiniana section… We have foreign titles [too] but we hardly have any bestseller,鈥� he said.

In line with its vision, the bookshop also promotes Filipino literature by hosting events like book launches and meetings by Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Novelists (PEN), whose Philippine chapter the elder Mr. Jos茅 founded in 1957.

It likewise does community outreach through book donations to public libraries and schools.

Mr. Jos茅 was the only sibling who returned to the Philippines to manage Solidaridad and care for his parents. The rest are overseas.

No one in his family 鈥� including his nephews, nieces, and daughters 鈥� is interested in continuing the business.

鈥淚鈥檓 not getting any younger,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a very hard and sad decision for us to sell it.鈥� 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the e-commerce landscape in the Philippines, offering new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and personalized shopping experiences.

While Filipino consumers are quick to embrace AI-powered features, adoption among businesses 鈥� particularly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) 鈥� remains uneven due to cost, complexity, and infrastructure challenges.

A 2025 survey by e-commerce platform Lazada found that sellers across six Southeast Asian (SEA) countries already use an average of four AI tools in their operations. In the Philippines, 76% of sellers are familiar with AI 鈥� well above the regional average of 68%, according to research by Kantar in partnership with Lazada. But 64% of Filipino sellers said AI adoption could be 鈥渃ostly and time-consuming.鈥�

The study also found that 37% of Filipino merchants fall under the 鈥淎I agnostic鈥� category 鈥� those who are cautious, have low trust in the technology and keep a neutral stance toward adoption. Many of these sellers struggle to transition from manual processes to AI-driven systems.

Elyse P. Juan, creative director at Filipino gift shop Papemelroti, cited the need for better support and clearer communication from e-commerce platforms.

鈥淲hen you roll out new features like these, you need to inform us local businesses beforehand,鈥� she said in an Aug. 7 interview. 鈥淥ur people don鈥檛 come from technically trained backgrounds. There鈥檚 also a language barrier on the dashboards. There鈥檚 so much jargon.鈥�

Admir Masin, a conversational AI expert at global cloud communication platform Infobip, noted that while the Philippines has a strong digital foundation 鈥� high mobile penetration and increasing cloud adoption 鈥� other challenges persist.

Infrastructure issues like inconsistent internet connectivity and reliance on legacy systems are real, he said in an e-mailed reply to questions. 鈥淏ut the bigger barriers tend to be organizational readiness, siloed data and limited awareness of AI鈥檚 strategic value.鈥�

Mr. Masin said industry-specific playbooks and unified omnichannel strategies 鈥� where customers experience seamless service across all touchpoints 鈥� could help scale AI adoption.

CONSUMERS LEAD THE WAY
While businesses remain cautious, Filipino consumers are more open to AI-enhanced shopping. A study by Shopee involving 400 Gen Z participants found that 70% rely on e-commerce platforms as their primary source of product information.

Clariza Yu, Shopee鈥檚 head of mall solutions, said 80% of buyers prefer visual content, and 60% made purchases after seeing products promoted by influencers.

鈥淚nfluencers play a very big role in winning over Filipino consumers,鈥� she said via Zoom. 鈥淧eople look for authentic storytelling and a genuine connection.鈥�

鈥淔ilipinos also have a very aspirational culture 鈥� if they see someone they look up to in TV or on social media promoting a certain product, it becomes more credible for them,鈥� she added.

Both Shopee and Lazada have integrated AI tools to enhance customer engagement and streamline the shopping experience.

Lazada鈥檚 AI curates personalized catalogs based on user preferences, said Pauline DLC Castro, head of user product operations at Lazada Philippines.

鈥淚magine a catalog that knows your skincare goals, your favorite brands and even the specific concerns you鈥檙e trying to address 鈥� AI does exactly that,鈥� she said in an e-mailed reply to questions.

Lazada鈥檚 generative AI tool, AI Lazzie, helps users find the right products and deals. It also analyzes spending habits to offer tailored vouchers. During Lazada鈥檚 2025 6.6 Super Wow Sale, AI Lazzie鈥檚 contribution to sales tripled compared with the 2024 12.12 All-Out Pasko Sale.

Shopee, meanwhile, reported a 15% improvement in user satisfaction and a 0.5-day reduction in average customer inquiry and case resolution times in 2025 compared with early 2024.

Ms. Yu also highlighted Shopee鈥檚 virtual fitting room feature, which allows users to upload images and try on apparel virtually. 鈥淎I has helped buyers feel more informed and confident in their online shopping decisions,鈥� she said.

AI presents significant opportunities for MSMEs, which are the backbone of the Philippine economy. A 2023 McKinsey & Co. study found that businesses using AI in sales and marketing could increase revenue by as much as 15% and cut costs by 20%.

AI-driven solutions are projected to contribute more than $1 trillion to the Southeast Asian economy by 2030.

AI levels the playing field for small businesses, said Arlie Jophen F. Matubis, a digital marketer at education technology firm Techedify. For example, AI can optimize your website to rank higher on Google or generate content at scale for social media marketing.

However, not all experiences with AI are positive. Ms. Juan of Papemelroti said AI-assisted features like chatbots could be frustrating, especially when dealing with customer complaints or shipping issues.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 be penalized for a courier鈥檚 mistake,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he algorithm might flag us, but the delay could be because the parcel wasn鈥檛 picked up by the courier.鈥�

As AI becomes more embedded in daily life, concerns about data privacy and ethical use are growing.

Filipinos often prioritize convenience over privacy, said Sherwin M. Pelayo, executive director at the Analytics & AI Association of the Philippines (AAP). 鈥淲e don鈥檛 read those terms and conditions because we just want to be in the bandwagon.鈥�

He cited the importance of ethical guidelines such as data minimization and opt-out options for data collection.

Sammuel P. Sanclaria, a senior software engineer at Techedify, said tracking technologies like cookies are activated when users visit websites. Ignoring consent popups effectively allows full tracking of user behavior.

These are used for cross-selling and upselling, he said. 鈥淧ersonally, I only allow necessary tracking data. That鈥檚 one way to protect ourselves from data mining.鈥�

Mr. Pelayo warned that while AI offers convenience, it also poses risks. 鈥淲e鈥檙e giving out our personal data unknowingly to all these AI engines,鈥� he said.

To address these concerns, the Private Sector Advisory Council for Jobs and Education has presented a national AI upskilling roadmap to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. The roadmap, which seeks to promote digital literacy, assigns implementation responsibilities to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education and the AAP by 2026.

鈥淥ur staff learned through Lazada University and Shopee University,鈥� Ms. Juan said. 鈥淏ut if these platforms really want to empower more Filipino businesses, it would be great if they conducted more face-to-face training.鈥�

As AI continues to evolve, bridging the gap between consumer enthusiasm and business adoption will be key to unlocking its full potential in Philippine e-commerce.

The initiatives mentioned in the SONA are 鈥渆xpected to significantly enhance access to essential health services, spanning the full continuum of care from prevention and early diagnosis to treatment and recovery,鈥� said Teodoro B. Padilla, executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP), which represents the biopharmaceutical research industry in the country.听听听

鈥�These reforms represent a significant step forward in the country鈥檚 journey toward universal health coverage,鈥� he said in an August 1 email.

鈥淭he PHAP recognizes that the government鈥檚 increasing investment in health is essential to ensuring that every Filipino receives timely and equitable care.鈥�听

The President outlined healthcare-related pronouncements on his July 28 address at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, including the following:听听听听

• funding for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, and P1.7 billion for medicines for cancers not covered by PhilHealth听

• free kidney dialysis sessions for the entire year, including the necessary medications, courtesy of PhilHealth; free coverage also for heart attacks, open-heart surgery, and heart valve repair or replacement听

• the ongoing Walang Gutom Program that supports 600,000 nutritionally at-risk households this year听

• P1 billion allocation for barangay child development and bulilit centers听

• the 53 Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Services (BUCAS) centers across 32 provinces that offer free check-ups, x-rays, and lab tests听

鈥淲e are happy he was able to soft launch PhilHealth鈥檚 YAKAP program (Yaman ng Kalusugan Program),鈥� said Dr. Lydia Ann Labro, medical specialist III of PhilHealth-PRO NCR South.听

鈥淟eaps and bounds yung increases ng benefits sa PhilHealth,鈥� she said on the sidelines of a July 30 event.听

We cannot celebrate coverage while ignoring the cost of silence, however, according to Dr. Anthony C. Leachon.听

A 鈥渟taggering鈥� P60 billion was transferred from PhilHealth, which also has a zero-government subsidy in the proposed 2025 budget, the health reform advocate and past president of the Philippine College of Physicians said.听

鈥淭his decision severely compromises the very backbone of our universal health care strategy,鈥� he sent in a July 29 Viber message. 鈥淭hese decisions were made without public consultation, and in defiance of the Universal Health Care Act, which mandates that health funds serve only one purpose: healing.鈥�听

Republic Act Number 11223, known as the Universal Health Care Act, aims to provide equitable access to quality and affordable health-care services, with financial risk protection for all.听

Dr. Leachon filed a petition on February 25 challenging the constitutionality of some provisions of the 2025 General Appropriations Act due to its zero allocation for PhilHealth subsidies.听

鈥淭he promise of reducing out-of-pocket costs and healthcare premiums remains unmet, and families continue to shoulder the burden,鈥� he told 大象传媒.听

鈥淎 resilient healthcare system isn鈥檛 built on seasonal programs鈥攊t demands strategic investment, long-term planning, and accountability,鈥� he added.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 time we move beyond optics and commit to genuine reform,鈥� he said.听

The Department of Health was sought for comment on this article. – Patricia B. Mirasol with contributions from Almira Louise S. Martinez听

mWell, the digital healthcare arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), launched on May 23 Wellness@Work, a suite of customizable programs created to promote a healthier and more productive workforce.

The suite provides human resources (HR) stakeholders with a dashboard to manage all aspects of employee wellness in one place.听

“A company is only as strong as the people behind it,” said mWell chairman and MPIC chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.听听

“That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e doubling down on employee wellness with mWell鈥攂ringing together technology, data, and real expertise to help build a workforce that鈥檚 not just productive, but healthy and thriving,鈥� he said in a May 23 statement.听

Wellness@Work鈥檚 Corporate Scoreboard is a monitoring system that gives HR teams real-time insight into employee participation, health trends, and wellness outcomes. It includes monitoring of the artificial intelligence-powered mWellness Score, which tracks physical activity, as well as the Mind Health Score, which helps measure emotional well-being and stress levels.听

Employees, meanwhile, gain access to a personalized wellness experience, which includes 24/7 doctor consultations, curated fitness and nutrition programs, and interactive team challenges.听听

Unhealthy employees are twice as likely to disengage, leading to lower productivity and increased turnover. Hospitalized employees in the Philippines, on average, can incur medical costs of about 鈧�15,000 per month, based on private hospital estimates. Productivity losses from absenteeism, presenteeism, and decreased engagement cost employers an average of $1,685 per employee per annum, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.听

Health is the company鈥檚 biggest investment, said mWell president and CEO and MPIC chief finance, risk, and sustainability officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla.听

鈥淔or companies, big or small, investing in employees鈥� health is important to enable our people to live healthier, happier, and longer,鈥� she said in the same statement. 鈥淲e are here to help companies increase overall employee happiness and morale, lessen absenteeism, improve productivity, and enhance talent management.鈥�听

“Having a healthy workforce will deliver savings on corporate wellness expenses,鈥� she added.听

In the offing too are lifestyle programs, in collaboration with Lifestyle Medical Group Manila, with customized nutrition plans and chronic disease management.听

鈥淟ifestyleMedMNL鈥檚 vision is to provide prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related diseases at both individual and community levels, and we have found the right partner for this,鈥� its president Dr. Nicole Anne 鈥淎ika鈥� Buenavista said. – Patricia B. Mirasol

mWell is the digital health arm of Metro Pacific Health, a unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.听

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in 大象传媒 through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.听

“Encephalitis is a neurological condition that presents with symptoms similar to many other illnesses. It is often misdiagnosed as conditions like meningitis or depression because patients have symptoms such as fever and changes in mental status.

Dr. Ferron F. Ocampo, a neurologist, talks about the most accurate test for its detection.

Interview by Patricia Mirasol

Video editing by Jayson Mari帽as听

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) advises netizens to report misleading social media posts, even as posts manufactured by deep fake technology proliferate in such platforms.听

Deepfake technology is a type of artificial intelligence that creates fake images, videos, or audio recordings through algorithms that stitch together such multimedia materials.听

“Let鈥檚 look out for one another and stay vigilant,” said Ramon S. Ang, chairman of San Miguel Corporation, .听

According to Mr. Ang, a fraudulent sponsored post featuring his interview with broadcast journalist Anthony T. Taberna, Jr. has recently been making rounds.

鈥淪cammers have used deepfake technology to alter our conversation, making it appear that I am endorsing an investment opportunity,鈥� the post read.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating how easily these fake videos spread, deceiving people and taking their hard-earned money.鈥�听

Facebook has not responded to 大象传媒鈥檚 emailed query about deepfake content on its platform as of press time.听

听

Responsibility of social media platforms听

Even government officials are not exempt from deepfake-generated posts, according to Jeffrey Ian C. Dy, DICT undersecretary for infostructure management, cybersecurity, and upskilling.听

There鈥檚 a deepfake post of him selling modems, Mr. Dy told 大象传媒 in a February 19 text.听

The hearings at the Lower House by the tri-com, Mr. Dy said, 鈥渢ook in the task to hard questions about social media platforms鈥� responsibility to police posts.鈥� 听

During a February 18 investigation into online disinformation at the House of Representatives (HoR), Surigao del Norte Representative Robert Ace S. Barbers revealed that a committee is evaluating a proposal to mandate social media companies to obtain a franchise to operate, aiming to curb the spread of disinformation.

鈥淭here needs to be regulation,鈥� Mr. Barbers said in the vernacular. 鈥淭here should be a policy for our social media platforms and actors because they shouldn鈥檛 be allowed to use it to spread fake news or baseless statements.鈥�听

The DICT, Mr. Dy said, has partnered with platforms like Meta, Google, and TikTok to promote verified accounts, or accounts that have been verified as authentic by the platforms.听

鈥淲e also have a working relationship with fact checkers to empower them,鈥� he said in the same February 19 text. 鈥淵ung nga lang, these solutions usually tend to act on sensational deepfake posts.鈥�听

听

Recognizing Deepfakes听

On a February 4 House hearing, cybersecurity analyst Jan Marcelo 鈥淢arco鈥� S. Reyes of the DICTs Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said the agency has a tool that can help law enforcement agencies detect deepfake videos.听

The CICC has acquired a tool called Aletheia Deepfake Agent to detect deepfake videos, Mr. Reyes told 大象传媒 in a February 20 Viber message.听听

Once activated on a Windows computer, it automatically analyzes any video played on the screen鈥攚hether from Facebook, YouTube, or even Zoom. The software can flag potential deepfakes and notify the user within half a minute.听

鈥淩ight now, CICC has secured several licenses and is focusing on empowering online communities with large followings to help verify suspicious content,鈥� Mr. Reyes said.听

鈥淚f someone comes across a possible deepfake, they can share it with these communities for quick validation,鈥� he said.听

The CICC is looking into broader deployment, he added.听

, via its Detect DeepFakes campaign, offers tips on how to better spot a deepfake:听听

• Pay attention to the face. High-end Deepfake manipulations are almost always facial transformations.听听

• Pay attention to the cheeks and forehead.听 Deepfakes may be incongruent on some dimensions.听

• Pay attention to the eyes and eyebrows. Deepfakes may fail to fully represent the natural physics of a scene.听听

• Pay attention to the glasses. Deepfakes may fail to fully represent the natural physics of lighting.听

• Pay attention to the facial hair or lack thereof. Deepfakes may fail to make facial hair transformations fully natural.听

• Pay attention to facial moles.听 Does the mole look real?听听

• Pay attention to blinking. Does the person blink enough or too much?听听

• Pay attention to the lip movements. Some deepfakes are based on lip syncing.

鈥淲e can report [such posts] to Facebook and Facebook takes them down, but that can take weeks,鈥� Mr. Dy said. 听

鈥淲e can also report these cases to our hotline 1326. We collate these reports and act on them,” he added.

Filipinos are advised to apply for visas early to avoid delays even as they鈥檙e cautioned against visa scams that include the issuance of fake appointment letters or the promise to influence visa decisions.听

Selling appointments is one of the top visa fraud scams, according to Bernard Vijaykumar, head of North Asia & Philippines of VFS Global, a company that helps governments and diplomatic missions with visa, passport, and consular services.听

Visa appointments, he said, are free. VFS Global, moreover, is neither involved in job placement nor immigration services.听听

鈥淒o not fall for VFS Global dupes promising [such services],鈥� he said in a February 12 media event. 鈥淲e will not ask applicants to deposit money to any accounts.鈥�听

Visa applications in the Philippines in 2024 rose 3% as compared to 2023, Mr. Vijaykumar also said at the event.听听

There was likewise a 38% growth in 2024 versus 2019.听

The most popular travel destinations observed in the Philippines are 鈥� in alphabetical order – Australia, Canada, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and the U.K.听

VFS Global offered tips to avoid visa-related frauds:听听

1. Know that you can apply early – Most countries accept visa applications up to 90 days before the travel date. For a Schengen visa, one can apply up to 6 months prior to the date of travel.

2. Know that visa appointments are free – There could be a nominal service fee to prepay for select countries.

3. Know that VFS Global has no role or influence on the decision of the visa application – The decision on visa applications, the visa tenure, and the timelines to process them lie in the hands of the concerned embassies or consulates.听

4. Know that VFS Global does not work in association with any third-party entities – Beware of scammers who claim to be associated with, or pose, as VFS Global and guarantee appointments or positive visa decision

5. Know that VFS Global is neither involved in job placement nor immigration-related services. – Be cautious of scammers offering spurious job or immigration opportunities in exchange for money.听听

In addition, travelers are reminded to review their visa applications to avoid these common mistakes:听

1. Information mismatch – The details on the application forms, such as name, passport number, and date of birth, must match the official documents.听

2. Incorrect photo format 鈥� Check the photo guidelines specific to one鈥檚 target destination.

3. Incomplete documentation – Refer to the checklist for one鈥檚 target destination.

4. Unauthenticated bank statements – For certain destinations, applicants should ensure their bank statements are updated and authenticated as required. While most travelers know they need to present bank statements, failing to have these statements authenticated remains a common mistake.

Peak travel seasons can cause delays, which is why it鈥檚 advisable to apply early, Mr. Vijaykumar said.听

鈥淲aiting until the last moment not only increases the risk of delays but also exposes applicants to fraudulent entities seeking to exploit their urgency,鈥� he said.听

Dengue vaccines are safe, and they are one way of combatting the viral infection spread by mosquitoes, according to doctors at the February 18 launch of Empowering Networks to Defeat (E.N.D.) Dengue coalition.听

E.N.D. Dengue, founded by the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), is the largest coalition of doctors dedicated to combating dengue. It aims to strengthen public awareness, prevention, and response efforts across the country. 听

That the vaccine is 鈥�nakakamatay (can kill) is the number one misinformation,鈥� said Dr. Mildred Manalac-Mariano, secretary general of the PMA, at the launch.听

In a letter to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. dated February 12, PMA 鈥渦rges the government to grant access to the new-generation dengue vaccines and allow Filipinos the right to protect themselves from this dreadful the disease.鈥�听

鈥淲ith recent advances in vaccine technology,鈥� the letter read, 鈥渢here are new generation dengue vaccines in the market or in Phase 3 clinical trial which showed promise in terms of vaccine effectiveness and safety.鈥澨�听

“Sa sampung taon na pag-aaral namin ng Qdenga, wala po kaming nakitang masama (In the ten years we鈥檝e studied Qdenga, we have yet to see any ill effects from it),鈥� said Dr. Lulu C. Bravo, head of the vaccine study group of the National Institutes of Health – University of the Philippines Manila.听

Qdenga is the biopharamceutical company Takeda鈥檚 dengue vaccine. It is undergoing approval with the Philippine Food and Drug Administration.听

鈥�Puwede pong mas mahina ang efficacy doon sa mga hindi pa nagkakaroon ng dengue (The vaccine could have a lower efficacy for those who havent鈥� had dengue yet),鈥� she said at the event.听

鈥�Sa bakuna, ang importante hindi kayo ma-ospital at hindi kayo mamatay (When it comes to vaccines, what鈥檚 important is that you don鈥檛 get hospitalized and you don鈥檛 die),鈥� she said, adding that no vaccine can give a 100% assurance that an individual will not fall ill from a disease.听

The Department of Health (DoH), in a February 17 statement, says it sees a concerning rise in the number of dengue cases in nine local government units, including Quezon City.听

The DoH uses the 5S strategy to prevent dengue:听听

• search and destroy mosquito breeding sites;听

• Self-protection measures (such as the use of insect repellents);听

• Seek early consultation听

• Support fogging, and听听

• Sustain hydration.听

It reminds the public to practice proper hygiene and self-protection against W.I.L.D diseases (Water and food-borne diseases, Influenza-like illnesses, Leptospirosis, and Dengue) as the country experiences increased rainfall and thunderstorms due to the Shear Line, Intertropical Convergence Zone, and Easterlies increasing the risk of weather-induced diseases.听

Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. and Otsuka-Solar Philippines, Inc., with the support of the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, inked on February 6 a memorandum of understanding to raise community-based awareness on dengue.听

The Japan-backed health alliance aims to empower communities in the Philippines with the knowledge and resources needed to improve health-promoting behaviors.听

Dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Nov. 16, 2024 reached 340,860 nationwide, or 81% higher than the 188,574 cases logged for the same period in 2023, .听

Dengue is a viral infection transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes. through multiple social and environmental factors, including population density, human mobility, access to reliable water sources, and water storage practice.听

鈥淲ith the Japanese Embassy鈥檚 support, Otsuka-Solar’s expertise in hydration and wellness, and Takeda’s leadership in pharmaceutical innovation, we can empower communities through open discussions about health, which is essential in shaping better healthcare practices and disease prevention strategies,鈥� said Loreann E. Villanueva, country manager of Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc.听

鈥淭he campaign is initially targeting 10 communities, she said.听

鈥淲e鈥檒l make the effort to understand what some of the causes are that鈥檚 driving the high incidence of dengue in their communities,鈥� she told 大象传媒 on the sidelines of the event. 鈥淲e are going to really find a way to get insights on the communities on what the gaps are, and that鈥檚 how were going to design the initiatives accordingly.鈥澨�听

鈥淭hats how we can avoid deaths and achieve ,鈥� she added.听

The highest case fatality rates of dengue in the country are observed among those 9 years old and below, as well as those 60 years old and above, said Dr. Enrique A. Tayag, a public health advocate and founding member of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.听听

The challenges are multifold – from the lack of granular data to the different protocols for dengue management, he said at the Feb. 6 event.听

The integration of routine vector surveillance is likewise a challenge, he said.听

鈥淓veryone does their own thing. They do it now, then they forget it the next season…,鈥� he said. 鈥淒engue will win if we do that. [Efforts] should be sustained. Hindi puwedeng ningas kugon lang (Our diligence shouldn鈥檛 just be short-lived).鈥�听

The Philippine health department cannot do this alone, Dr. Tayag told the event audience.听

鈥淭his partnership can be a model for future collaboration among many entities,鈥� he said.听

1 of 2

By Patricia B. Mirasol, Multimedia Producer

HEART DISEASE is a leading cause of death in the Philippines, with risk factors such as physical inactivity, poor diet, and stress contributing significantly to its prevalence. Since employees spend at least a third of their weekdays at work, corporate wellness programs 鈥� which typically include health screenings, stress management, and fitness challenges 鈥� have the potential to enhance the heart health of Filipino workers.

It鈥檚 part of the healthy settings approach, said Sean Paolo Ohrelle B. Aquino, medical officer III of the Department of Health鈥檚 Disease Prevention and Control Bureau.

鈥淔rom the school setting to the workplace setting to the community setting, what we want to target sana is, kung saan (is where) people spend most of their time like in schools, iyung mga bata dun (the children there) will be provided services.鈥�

Wellness initiatives like regular blood pressure readings can likewise be integrated in occupational health, he said during a Jan. 17 Zoom call.

鈥淭he Health department doesn鈥檛 work in a silo,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e need close collaborations with the Civil Service Commission and the Department of Labor and Employment for this whole-of-society approach we鈥檙e talking about,鈥� he said.

Data from a United Nations joint mission in 2018 found that non-communicable diseases (medical conditions that are not caused by infections and are not contagious) cost the Philippines P756.5 billion per year. This figure represents 4.8% of the gross domestic product in 2017.

鈥淗eart diseases are captured under the broader umbrella of non-communicable diseases,鈥� Dr. Aquino added. 鈥淭here is no separate data for heart diseases alone.鈥�

鈥楬EALTHIER U鈥�
Among the businesses with regular employee health programs is Unilever Philippines, Inc.

鈥淲e have about 20 company policies and programs in a year that support employee wellness,鈥� its head of human resources, Geeta Royyuru, said in a Jan. 10 interview.

Included in the initiatives of the consumer goods multinational company is a 24/7 employee assistance program with counselors for both employees and their dependents, Ms. Royyuru said. Facilities like gyms, nap rooms, and daycare services are also available for all staff.

It also has a voluntary program called 鈥淗ealthier U鈥� where employees take tests and use screening tools which the company鈥檚 medical team analyzes for associated risks. Employees are tagged as Red (those with chronic diseases or high-risk factors), Amber (those at risk of chronic diseases with a few identified high-risk factors), or Green (those with zero to minimal high-risk factors), with the aim of moving more of those tagged Red and Amber to Green through follow-up check-ups and recommendations.

From 2023 to 2024 there was a 33% increase in Healthier U enrollees in the Philippines. The company told 大象传媒 that 8% of those with cardiovascular-related chronic diseases showed an improvement in their blood pressure.

Lemuel B. Lucas, a customer operations business partner at the company, said 鈥淗ealthier U鈥� was an eye-opener.

鈥淏ecause of my high cholesterol levels, I was advised to consider lifestyle changes and prompted to seek the help of a nutritionist…,鈥� he told 大象传媒 via e-mail on Jan. 28. 鈥淎part from losing 45 lbs., I鈥檝e also brought down my cholesterol levels and will even be running my first marathon in February!鈥�

To promote employee health, there are also changes being made in the cafeterias, Ms. Royyuru told 大象传媒.

鈥淲e continuously audit the food that鈥檚 served in all our canteen spaces across our facilities,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his has led to the introduction of simple things, like less oily food, and the introduction of more veggies and varieties of fish rather than just meat.

鈥淲e work with our union and employee representatives in food tasting and make sure there is a habit-building journey, and that it doesn鈥檛 feel forced,鈥� she added.

鈥楪颁尝鲍叠厂鈥�
Globe Telecom, Inc., meanwhile, has a holistic approach to wellness, according to its vice-president for people experience Nicolette S. Bambao.

鈥淲e make sure to fulfill the four pillars: physical, socio-emotional, financial, and purpose,鈥� she said.

Apart from programs that support each of the pillars, the telecommunications provider also has a myChoice program, which allows employees to customize their benefits according to their needs. Among the options for 2025 are wearables, vouchers for medicines and vitamins, and spa packages.

In 2024, the company also expanded its annual physical examination by adding screenings for cardiovascular, kidney, colon, and hypertension-related diseases, and diabetes.

鈥淕lobe promotes wellness through similar interests for ka-Globes to gather, experience, and share in non-work-related clubs,鈥� Ms. Bambao said in a Jan. 27 e-mail to 大象传媒.

The majority of the 鈥淕Clubs,鈥� as they are called, are sports-related: 鈥淲e have competitions in basketball, volleyball, football, badminton, golf, and dance within and outside Globe.鈥�

IMPACTFUL EDUCATION
reports that the top three causes of death in the country from January to April 2024 were ischemic heart diseases, neoplasms, and cerebrovascular diseases. These were also the leading causes of death in the same period in 2023.

Ischemic heart diseases (which happen when the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle become narrowed or blocked) accounted for 20.2% of the total deaths nationwide.

While age, gender, and family history are risk factors that are beyond people鈥檚 control, sleep, diet, and physical activity are among the factors that are controllable.

Regular exercise, healthy eating, and routine health checks can reduce the risk of heart disease, said Rodney M. Jimenez, a cardiologist and president of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA).

But according to him, the number one component in a workplace wellness program that needs to be present to keep employees鈥� hearts healthy is 鈥渋mpactful education.鈥�

鈥淣umber one is education, number two is screening… how can you identify people who are at high risk if you do not screen them, interview them, and then check their cholesterol level?鈥� Dr. Jimenez asked in a Zoom interview on Jan. 9.

Despite its reputation, cholesterol isn鈥檛 all bad. Cholesterol is a substance that the body needs to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL or the 鈥渂ad鈥� cholesterol, and HDL, called the 鈥済ood鈥� cholesterol. Too much of the bad kind, or not enough of the good kind, can eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Cholesterol levels are one of the controllable factors.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain cholesterol level for each risk factor,鈥� Dr. Jimenez said. 鈥淪o kung may risk factor na hypertension or diabetes, ganitong level iyung cholesterol mo, and kung wala naman, ganito iyung level (So, if there is a risk factor of hypertension or diabetes, this should be your cholesterol level, and if you don鈥檛 have these risk factors, this should be the level).鈥�

Individuals are encouraged to advocate for their own health by keeping in mind 鈥淎CTing NOW鈥�:

A – ASCVD (atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease) is a top killer in the Philippines

C – Cholesterol is a key risk but can be managed

T – Take action to lower it fast

NOW – The next heart attack or stroke could be worse 鈥� act now to stay protected.

The Philippines doesn鈥檛 have any data on the prevalence rates of specific cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Jimenez told 大象传媒, so the PHA has started a study on the hospitalization rate of acute cardiovascular diseases, he said.

Taking a step towards heart health can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, he reminded 大象传媒.

鈥淜耻苍驳 one to three [flights of] stairs lang sa office niyo, and kung wala ka namang knee injury (If your office just has one to three flights of stairs, and if you have no knee injury), take the stairs,鈥� Dr. Jimenez said. 鈥�Maglagay siguro sa elevator ng sign na (place a sign in the elevator saying), 鈥楥limbing up the stairs will help prevent heart attack and stroke.鈥欌��

鈥榃ELLNESS HEROES鈥�
Two other companies in the Philippines that have corporate wellness programs are TaskUs Philippines, a business outsourcing provider, and Fluor Daniel, Inc., an engineering, procurement, and construction company.

Fluor won at the 2023 Asian Experience Awards for its that combines physical fitness with financial security, mental balance, and social connection. One of the initiatives under it is ProErgo, which optimizes workstation design to prevent musculoskeletal disorders. There are also programs for lifestyle-related diseases which include recreational facilities and a weight loss program to help lower cardiac risk factors among the workforce.

Health awareness campaigns are likewise disseminated through e-mail blasts, bulletin board infographics, and lunch-and-learn activities.

TaskUs, on the other hand, has a which enlists volunteer employees and trains them to be 鈥渨ellness heroes,鈥� or individuals who advocate for their own wellness as well as that of others.

These 鈥渉eroes鈥� are found across the 13 countries that TaskUs is located in. Each of their certifications is valid for 12 months to ensure people鈥檚 safety and service quality and requires additional assessments for renewal.

鈥淚f we have more people actively practicing and promoting the use of our wellness resources, we鈥檙e expanding the reach of our Wellness + Resiliency team and making the topic of mental health discussions ubiquitous in the workplace,鈥� said Rachel Lutz Guevara, TaskUs鈥� vice-president for Global Wellness + Resiliency, in a May 2023 post on the company website.

found that employees who participate in corporate wellness programs have a higher physical wellness status than those who didn鈥檛. Employees who were aware of such programs also had a higher mean socio-emotional wellness score (36.2 卤 6.0) than those who were not (34.2 卤 6.0).

A HEALTHY MIND FOR A HEALTHY HEART
Stress management is yet another component of heart health.

Heart health is being promoted through Globe鈥檚 mental health webinars and modules, said Globe鈥檚 Ms. Bambao.

鈥淭he medical coverage of employees includes reimbursements with prescribed psychiatric medicines and consultations with licensed psychiatrists,鈥� she said.

Ms. Royyuru said Unilever鈥檚 holistic approach to corporate wellness 鈥� which encompasses physical, mental, and emotional well-being 鈥� ties in with the company鈥檚 purpose of 鈥渂rightening lives every day.鈥�

鈥淲e cannot have unhappy, unhealthy people who cannot be their best self at work,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow do you expect them to innovate with the best of solutions for our consumers and for themselves, right?

鈥淲e have to care for them as individuals with wants and needs… and [who] are at different life stages.鈥�

This article is part of the Unblock Your Heart Health Reporting initiative, supported by the Philippine Press Institute and Novartis, to improve health literacy on cardiovascular diseases. Know your numbers, understand your risks, and consult your doctor 鈥� so no Filipino heart is lost too soon. Take control of your heart health today. Visit for more information.

Eating heart healthy

FILIPINOS鈥� PENCHANT for salty food and partaking of panghimagas (dessert) after meals pose a risk to one鈥檚 heart, Donna L. Lorena, a registered nutritionist-dietitian, said.

High sodium intake negatively affects the heart, she said in a Jan. 10 interview with 大象传媒. Popular processed meat items like corned beef and hot dogs are not just salty, they are also high in artery-clogging fat.

She suggested that when cooking traditional Filipino fare such as adobo (usually a dish of chicken and/or pork braised in vinegar and soy sauce), to opt for a low-sodium soy sauce variant. When using toyomansi (a mix of soy sauce and the local citrus calamansi) as a sauce, meanwhile, use more calamansi and less toyo.

Portion control is also important, Ms. Lorena said.

She cautioned, however, against eating just one meal a day, as in the case of those who go on 20-hour fasts. When you eat 1,200 calories in one go, she explained, 鈥淵our vital organs get stressed… thereby impacting your cardiovascular health. [That鈥檚 because] masyadong maraming name-metabolize iyung katawan natin na salt and fat at that time (too much salt and fat is being metabolized by the body at that time).鈥�

The following heart-healthy recipes were shared by Ms. Lorena. 鈥� PBM

GINISANG MUNGGO WITH BANGUS

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup munggo (mung) beans, washed and soaked

1 medium-sized bangus (milkfish), cleaned and sliced into 4

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

4 cups water

1 cup malunggay (moringa) leaves (or spinach as an alternative)

1 cup diced squash

1 tablespoon low-sodium patis (fish sauce)

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash and soak the munggo for at least 4 hours or overnight. Do not skip this step.

2. Pat-dry the bangus slices and season with salt and pepper. Spray with oil and air-fry or bake until brown.

3. Meanwhile, in a sauce pot, saut茅 onions and garlic until fragrant. Add in squash and cook until slightly brown, then add chopped tomatoes. Let cook for at least 5 minutes.

4. Stir in the munggo and water then let it simmer until the beans are soft and cooked through. Mix in the malunggay leaves or spinach leaves. Cover and let simmer until the leaves wilt.

5. Season with low-sodium fish sauce or salt and pepper. Divide into four bowls. Top with the air-fried bangus. Serve with a cup of lightly packed brown rice.

Notes:

*Always soak beans or lentils of any kind before cooking. Aside from reducing cooking time, this improves digestibility and reduces bloating.

*In the absence of an air-fryer or oven, pan-fry the bangus in oil and dry on a paper towel to reduce excess oil.

Per serving (with 1 cup of brown rice): 621 calories; 85 g carbohydrates; 41 g proteins; 13 g fats

TOFU WITH ENSALADANG TALONG

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

2 blocks tofu

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Ensaladang Talong:

2 large eggplants

1 tsp olive oil

2 medium tomatoes, diced

1 small red onion, chopped

1 cup pakpako (edible ferns), cleaned and parboiled

1 tablespoon vinegar

1/2 teaspoon low-sodium fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wrap tofu in a paper towel and press down with a heavy item like a chopping board or a heavy pan to squeeze out most of the water. Leave it under the weight for at least 30 minutes.

2. Once dried out, slice the tofu into cubes. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and spray with oil then air-fry or bake until brown and crispy. Set it aside.

3. Wash and pat dry the eggplant and brush with oil. Air-fry or bake until the skin separates from the flesh. Let it cool.

4. Once cooled, peel off the eggplant鈥檚 skin. Chop the eggplant and place it in a bowl. Mix in diced tomato, red onion, and parboiled pakpako. Season with vinegar or calamansi juice, low-sodium fish sauce or salt, then ground black pepper.

5. Serve on a plate with air-fried tofu and a cup of lightly packed brown rice.

Note:

*In the absence of an air-fryer or oven, pan-fry the tofu in oil and dry on a paper towel to reduce excess oil.

Per serving (with 1 cup of brown rice): 477 calories; 61 gm carbohydrates; 28 gm proteins; 16 gm fats

mWell, the digital healthcare arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), launched on February 5 its OnTheGo medical drone delivery in Barangay Niogan, Pilila, Rizal.

OnTheGo, the first in Southeast Asia, complements the company鈥檚 telemedicine services to geographically isolated communities.

The service is in partnership with not-for-profit organization Philippines Flying Labs (PFL), which 鈥� in 2022 – was the first in Southeast Asia to use cargo drones for medical deliveries across oceans.

“Distance should never be a barrier to healthcare,” mWell chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan said in a Feb. 5 press statement. “Through drones, we鈥檙e bridging the distance between patients and life-saving medicines. This isn’t simply a matter of convenience, but of getting help to every Filipino that needs it.”

The health and wellness mega app has been providing mWell OnTheGo Clinic-In-A-Bag to enable teleconsultation in remote areas such Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi, Calayan Island, and Sacol Island. Each of these bags contains a tablet or mobile phone, health passes for online doctor consultation, a Smart pocket Wi-Fi, and an mWellness Kit with a digital thermometer, blood pressure monitor, and oximeter.

One barrier to patient care has been the difficulty in acquiring prescribed medications due to limited pharmacy access and medication shortage.

鈥淲e have received feedback that after consultations, doctors prescribe medicines that are sometimes unavailable in health centers,鈥� Tisha C. Quinitio, mWell鈥檚 business development head, said.

鈥淪ince these patients are in remote areas, we thought about how to get the medicines to them. That鈥檚 why we partnered with the [PFL], which offers drone delivery services,鈥� she said on Feb. 5.

鈥淎fter an mWell teleconsultation, with just a click on their tablet, medicines can be delivered directly to remote areas via drone,鈥� she added.

DICT secretary Ivan John Uy, who attended the launch together with mWell, PFL, and Department of Health representatives, said many Filipinos will benefit from the service.

“Maipagmamalaki natin sa ibang bansa na hindi tayo nahuhuli (We can proudly say that we are not being left behind by other countries),” he said in the same press release.

The discounts given to fake PWD (people with disabilities) IDs do make a dent on the bottom lines of restaurants, according to business owners.听

On February 3, the Restaurant Owners of the Philippines published a statement on how fake PWD IDs are crippling the industry.听

鈥淭he PWD discount was created to support those who genuinely need it, but widespread abuse of fake PWD cards is now putting a serious strain on restaurants and other businesses,鈥� it said.听

鈥淔or restaurants, especially small and family-run ones, this isn’t just an inconvenience – it’s a financial hit that can mean the difference between survival and closure. When multiple fake PWD cards are used at a single table, the losses can be devastating. This isn’t just about lost revenue; it affects employees, food quality, and even menu prices for honest customers,鈥� the statement continued.听

Most restaurants’ profit margins fall between 3% and 6%, although the number can go up to 15%, .听

鈥淚t is very bad especially for bakeries all over the Philippines – a majority of which are mostly micro or small businesses, and with thin profit margins too on basic foods like breads and pastries,鈥� Wilson Lee Flores, owner of Kamuning Bakery Cafe, said.听

The bakery鈥檚 staff still has to find ways to distinguish fake PWD IDs from authentic ones, Mr. Flores texted on February 5.听

鈥淚 hope our government can find ways to purge or clean up the misuse and shameless abuse of PWD IDs by dishonest people,鈥� he said.听

Greenery Kitchen doesn鈥檛 mind giving out PWD and senior citizen (SC) discounts, said its co-owner Ivy A. Villamor.听

Some of the restaurant鈥檚 PWD customers even hesitate to use their IDs when they order, she said in a Viber message.听

鈥淪ana magkaron po ng (I hope there would be) specific parameters/guidelines on how to clearly compute for the SC/PWD discounts for food establishments. Maraming (There are a lot of) gray areas leading to different interpretations,鈥� she said in a separate message*.听听

鈥淚 hope the process of applying and registering as a PWD 鈥� from the barangay to national levels 鈥� would be made more effective, so late registrations and updates at government websites can be avoided,鈥� she added in the vernacular. 鈥淭his way, legitimate PWDs can be protected, and their rights won鈥檛 be abused by those posing to have disabilities.”

PWD Rights听

A PWD advocate said that the fake IDs issue shouldn鈥檛 be used to 鈥渙ppress or embarrass鈥� legitimate PWDs.听

鈥淩estaurant owners and certain bus companies are now exploiting a flawed DoH [Department of Health] website to evade their obligation to provide discounts to PWDs,鈥� said Paolo A. Capino, himself a PWD.听

鈥淣o number of margins in their business can justify the intentional embarrassment restaurant owners are doing against an already marginalized sector,鈥� Mr. Capino鈥檚 February 5 statement on Messenger read.

What do restaurant discounts have to do with the welfare of PWDs, asked Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III, coordinator of Action for Economic Reforms and a columnist at 大象传媒.听

鈥淥nly those who can afford going to restaurants, not the common folks, benefit from this,鈥� he said in a February 5 Viber message.听

鈥淭he government can provide direct subsidies to PWDs instead of having price and tax discounts, which can be abused resulting in significant revenue leakage,鈥� he said.

鈥淗ave a strict and rigorous definition of who qualifies as PWDs,鈥� added Mr. Sta. Ana. 鈥淭he interpretation is too relaxed.鈥�听

For Ms. Villamor, it’s not just fake IDs but taxes plus overhead costs that also contribute to the vegan food business鈥� already thin margins.听

鈥�Ang hirap naman magtaas ng presyo basta basta, kasi pag nasaktan ang customers, di sila makakabibili, and then eventually masasaktan din yun business... (It鈥檚 hard to raise prices, because if customers feel the pinch, then they won鈥檛 buy, which eventually hurts the business),鈥� she said.

There are 2,008,233 registered PWDs in the Philippines as of February 11, . – with contributions from Edg Adrian Eva and Almira Louise Martinez

SMALL Philippine companies can strive for stronger sales while ensuring sustainable corporate practices, according to small business owners.

Narrow profit margins and limited resources are some of the challenges these businesses face, but 鈥渢here鈥檚 always a strategy,鈥� Armando O. Bartolome, a business mentor and founder and president at GMB Franchise Developers, said in an interview. 鈥淵ou have to take the first step.鈥�

The Southeast Asian nation has about 1.2 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME), accounting for more than 99% of its total enterprises, according to the government.

Mr. Bartolome said cost-efficient measures such as the installation of light-emitting diode (LED) lamps, solar panels and inverter air conditioners go a long way in the pursuit of sustainability.

LEDs use as much as 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. Users of solar panels, meanwhile, can avail themselves of the Energy department鈥檚 net-metering scheme to offset their electricity consumption.

Franchise business Tipid Sulit Laundromat gets its washing machines and dryers from Alliance Laundry Systems, a Wisconsin-based provider of commercial laundry systems.

The washing machines, which are customized for the Philippine market, consume 80 liters of water per load, Tipid Sulit co-owner Roderick F. Dilag said.

鈥淚n terms of water consumption, [our machines] are very economical,鈥� he said in a virtual interview. 鈥淚t uses 40% less water compared with other commercial brands.鈥�

They use a combination of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and electricity to reduce electricity use. 鈥淏ased on our computation, we save as much as P14 for every load.鈥�

Products that made environmental, social, and governance claims grew 28% from 2017 to 2022, according to a 2023 study by McKinsey and NielsenIQ. Products that made no such claims, in comparison, grew 20%.

Consumers are also willing to spend an average of 9.7% more on sustainably produced or sourced goods, even as cost-of-living and inflationary concerns weigh, according to PricewaterhouseCooper鈥檚 2024 Voice of the Consumer survey.

MSMEs that align themselves with these global sustainability trends can gain a competitive edge in international markets and meet the demand for eco-conscious options.

In its 2023-2028 MSME Development Plan, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) highlighted the circular economy, which creates a closed-loop system where materials are continuously repurposed, and green growth, which espouses economic growth that is good for the planet, as ways for MSMEs to scale sustainably.

The initial investment and the raw materials needed, however, are among the reasons people perceive eco-friendly business practices as expensive. Implementing these often requires an investment in energy-efficient appliances. Sustainable products also use ethically sourced materials, which may be more costly.

A solar system that can generate 3,000 watts of electricity, for instance, costs about P145,000 to P200,000.

While Mr. Bartolome noted the importance of an entrepreneur鈥檚 passion and persistence in championing sustainability, he said incentives are key to further promoting this concept.

鈥淚 have yet to see the government give incentives to MSMEs to go solar,鈥� he pointed out. 鈥淚n the US, when you have a solar panel installed, they give rebates.鈥�

There also isn鈥檛 enough collaboration between the private and public sectors, he said.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e into agriculture, for example, can the government help [connect] you with farmers?鈥�

Among the DTI鈥檚 programs is Green Economic Development, which helps MSMEs adopt climate-smart, environment-friendly and inclusive measures.

鈥淓ngaging MSMEs in sustainable business practices is a huge challenge and a huge opportunity,鈥� said Katreena V. Pillejera, Philippine country manager at Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) ASEAN, in an Aug. 26 post on their website.

The 2024 pilot of its Sustainable Practices and Reporting Kickoff (SPARK) program, in collaboration with the DTI, 鈥渁ims to use the power of sustainability reporting to reach more MSMEs and build their understanding of the value that comes from understanding their impacts.鈥�

SPARK is the first stage of the five-year GRI-DTI initiative, which addresses sustainability issues related to supply chain practices and responsible procurement.

For Mr. Dilag, combining innovation and technology with green initiatives has translated to savings for the enterprise and made it more competitive.

Tipid Sulit Laundromat charges its customers 20-25% less because of its use of LPG, he said.

Its machines鈥� soft wash function uses earth-friendly chemicals that prevent skin allergies and clean fabrics such as silk.

The business is also exempted from having water treatment facilities due to the small amount of waste it generates.

鈥淭he Environment department has given us a certificate of noncompliance for water treatment facilities,鈥� Mr. Dilag said. 鈥淥f course, we still need to have disposal facilities, but they don鈥檛 have to be as sophisticated as those of bigger companies.鈥�

Released this International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the survey found that almost half (48%) of PWDs report not recovering at all from disasters, compared to 24% for the rest of the population.

鈥淭hese findings underscore the critical importance of providing appropriate and adapted assistance, including medical support, in disaster recovery efforts to foster true resilience and recovery for this group,鈥� Patrick Vinck, HHI director of research and co-lead of the study, said in a December 3 press statement.

HHI collected data from 4,608 Filipinos between February鈥揗arch 2024 to understand the factors that contributed to disaster and climate resilience.

PWDs represented in the study include individuals who experience difficulties with vision, hearing, and communication, or physical activities such as walking, climbing steps, or self-care. It also included disabilities associated with lower levels of wealth and education.

The most frequently reported impact of disasters by both PWD and non-PWD groups is financial and material (77% for the former and 76% for the latter). Less than a fifth (3%-17%) feel that past disasters impacted their physical and mental health and resulted in displacement, death of a relative, and social impact.

The study鈥檚 results further indicated that, on average, PWDs are less prepared for disasters (17.1 out of a total 50) than those without disabilities (19.3 out of 50).

PWDs likewise scored 14-57% lower than non-PWDs on the following dimensions: training and drill participation (2.3 vs. 3.6), material measures (3.9 vs. 4.5), access to information (4.3 vs. 4.9), and planning (3.6 vs. 4).

PWDs tend to have stronger social support networks (3.1) than non-PWDs (2.3), though.

鈥淭hese results clearly show the importance of creating more inclusive training programs that are accessible and relevant to PWDs,鈥� said Vincenzo Bollettino, program director of the HHI Resilient Communities Program and co-lead of the study.

鈥淚t is important that future research focuses on illuminating the specific kinds of barriers PWDs face in preparing for disasters and identifies the kinds of interventions that contribute best to PWD disaster resilience,鈥� he said in the same press statement. 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol

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The risk for heart and bone disease rises after menopause, or the stage when a woman鈥檚 menstruation ceases, said Annebelle D. Aherrera, an obstetrician-gynecologist.

鈥淥steoporosis [a disease that weakens one鈥檚 bones] is the single most important health hazard for women past menopause,鈥� Ms. Aherrera said at a Nov. 20 event by Pro Age Beauty, a company that provides wellness products for perimenopausal and menopausal women.

The female hormone estrogen, which helps prevent bones from getting weaker by slowing their natural breakdown, decreases during menopause.

Estrogen, Ms. Aherrera said, also has a protective effect on the heart, which is why the risk for a heart attack or stroke increases when its levels fall.

Women would benefit from intensifying cardiovascular prevention efforts in the years leading up to menopause, also said JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women鈥檚 Hospital.

鈥淭hat stage of life is a window of opportunity for making lifestyle changes,鈥� she said in a February 2023 post by the American Heart Association.

The most effective ways to prevent heart disease include physical activity, a healthy diet, a healthy weight, good sleep, and smoking cessation. It also involves keeping one鈥檚 cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels under control.

Conversations surrounding menopause should be normalized, according to Pro Age Beauty founder Claudine F. Viquiera.

Ms. Viquiera said that 鈥� despite growing up in a household with nine daughters 鈥� menopause wasn鈥檛 discussed like menarche (the onset of menses) was.

The company鈥檚 social media communities and products were created specifically for women in this demographic, she said at the Nov. 20 event.

Have a better perspective about aging, Ms. Aherrera told the event audience.

This, she said, includes accepting each and every life stage as normal.

鈥淩emain active, create positive life changes, and cultivate better relationships,鈥� she added. 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol

Companies that communicate their sustainability efforts enable their customers to become ambassadors of sustainability, according to a hospitality expert.

Small changes in everyday operations can have a big impact in the environment, said Barun Jolly, senior vice-president of Robinsons Land Corp. and business unit general manager of Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR).

A towel, as he pointed out in an interview on Oct. 18, takes eight liters of water to wash.

鈥淏e it in water, be it in linen, we are telling the guest what the impact is and how they can be part of it,鈥� he told 大象传媒 at the sidelines of the publication鈥檚 forum with The Freeman. 鈥淚n our linen reuse program, for example, we don鈥檛 want to not change the linen and not let the guest be aware about it.鈥�

The point of the linen reuse information cards in every room, he added, is to give the customer the choice of whether or not they need new towels or sheets, thus allowing them to take part in the advocacy.

RHR focuses on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on good health and well-being (3), affordable and clean energy (7), sustainable cities and communities (11), responsible consumption and production (12), climate action (13), life below water (14), and life on land (15).

Climate change is an area where the Philippines is regressing, according to Edwine Carrie, deputy resident representative of United Nations Development Programme Philippines, in said forum.

鈥淎lthough the Philippines is in an upward trajectory, climate change is the main challenge,鈥� he said at the event. 鈥淚t could impact its ambition to be upper income in the region.鈥�

The impacts of climate change reduce a country鈥檚 ability to advance SDGs, noted the 2024 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report.

RHR鈥檚 sustainability efforts for 2024, Mr. Jolly also said, include an Earth Hour activity that resulted in a 0.39 reduction in greenhouse gas emission, as well as a water bottling plant in five of its hotels that decreased single-use plastic bottle use by 8.1 tons per year.

The organization is also looking into variable frequency drives 鈥� a motor controller that drives an electric motor by varying the frequency and voltage of its power supply 鈥� as an energy-saving tool.

Air-conditioning and heating carry the biggest impact in a hotel鈥檚 energy consumption, Mr. Jolly said.

鈥淚f a ballroom only has 100 people, [the technology] will adjust the cooling temperature so you鈥檙e not overcooling the area,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat can reduce 20%-30% of consumption.鈥�

The initiatives extend to its workforce through the company鈥檚 internal sustainability awards, Mr. Jolly added.

鈥淲e hope our efforts inspire people… to be more attuned to green and sustainable energy,鈥� he said.

Per the report, more than half of the markets see trend rates above 10% in 2024 and 2025. Asia leads at 13%, outpacing inflation by five times.

The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam have the highest medical trend rates at 21%, 19%, 15%, and 15%, respectively.

The report defined medical trend as the year-on-year cost increase for claims under a medical plan on a per-person basis. The rate factored in medical inflation, altered treatment mix, utilization patterns, and regulatory changes.

The insurers that were surveyed identified an increase in utilization due to a higher incidence of health conditions (81%), ongoing medical inflation (73%), and changes to more expensive or advanced treatments (73%) as the key contributing factors in the region.

Persistent medical inflation (80%), in comparison, remains the chief driving factor worldwide.

The trends shaping employer-sponsored health plans in Asia, the report also said, are cancer as a major source of claims; a lag in deploying new techniques to maintain affordable plans; and gaps in what employees value against what insurers cover.

Only 26% of insurers in Asia offer preventive screenings by default, compared to 43% globally.

Moreover, while over 40% of the workforce value more support for reproductive health, less than 5% of insurers provide it by default.听 听

Findings from a 2021 Small Business Trends survey by Guidant and the Small Business Trends Alliance suggested that 鈥� to make employees stay in the company 鈥� businesses should ensure that health benefits are competitive within the industry. This, the survey found, evokes a sense of security in the workplace over the larger competition.

The disparities between insurers and employees in Asia, the Mercer Marsh Benefits report said, requires ongoing dialogues with advisors and insurers so offerings remain relevant and competitive. 鈥� Patricia B. Mirasol

On average, Filipinos鈥� self-reported disaster preparedness level increased by 42%, as revealed by the HHI survey on disaster preparedness and climate change perceptions in the Philippines.听

The average score – 19.2 out of 50 points 鈥� was an improvement over the 13.5 out of 50 gleaned in a 2017 study conducted by HHI using the same methodology and instrument.听听

鈥淔or a country as vulnerable to disasters as the Philippines, [however,] this is not enough,鈥� Vincenzo Bollettino, director of the HHI Resilient Communities program and co-lead for this study, said.听

鈥淎 score of 19.2 highlights both progress and areas needing urgent attention,鈥� he said in a November 7 press statement.听

鈥淭he score suggests that Filipinos are only doing 38.4% of the kinds of disaster preparedness activities needed to be prepared,鈥� he added.听

Among the five objective measures of disaster preparedness, Filipinos scored highest in information (4.9 out of 10) and lowest in social support (2.3 out of 10).听听

In terms of specific social support activities, less than a quarter of Filipinos are members of a group or association (23%) and are familiar with their local disaster risk reduction and management officers (16%).听听

Social support also declined to 2.3 in 2024 from 2.7 out of 10 in 2017.听

While many Filipinos discuss emergency plans as a family (58%), less than a third prepare their respective disaster management plan (20%), Go bag (27%), adequate supplies of regularly taken medications (32%), and first aid kit (33%).听

Regions-wise, the Cordillera Administrative Region (24.0 out of 50), Central Visayas (21.5), and Western Visayas (21.4) reported the highest levels of preparedness. Davao Region (17.3), Negros Island (15.8), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM (15.1), on the other hand, reported the lowest levels of such preparedness.听听

The Philippine capital of Metro Manila ranked 11th in level of disaster preparedness (19.1) and slightly below the national average (19.2). It is also one of the regions with the least progress in disaster preparedness over time, with an increase in preparedness score by 22%, or 3.4 points from 15.7 in 2017.听

鈥淭he [National Capital Region] is the heart of the Philippine economy and home for a significant part of the country鈥檚 population, yet it is routinely hit by natural hazards,鈥� Mr. Bollettino said. 鈥淚ncreasing its disaster preparedness is crucial.鈥�听

The Philippines has , based on the 2024 WorldRiskReport.听

As Patrick Vinck, HHI鈥檚 director of research, said: 鈥渆nhancing the Philippines’ disaster preparedness requires investing in local leadership and leveraging technology to improve early warning systems and community engagement, among other critical measures.鈥�听

鈥淭his should be accompanied by investments in resilient infrastructures, local capacities, and anticipatory actions,鈥� he said in the same November 7 press statement. – Patricia B. Mirasol

On November 4, a social media post by vlogger Cabalen Foodie went viral, noting the temporary halt in shipments of such sauces to the US.

The US FDA issued on products that are or contain unsafe food additives.听

Among the ingredients found in Philippine-made products were Benzoate, a preservative that has a negative impact on gut microbiome; BHA, another preservative with carcinogenic potential; and Potassium Iodate, a dough strengthener that interferes with thyroid functions in high doses.听

Other Philippine companies whose products had been flagged were Heinz UFC Philippines Inc. and HDR FOODS CORPORATION.听

Manufacturers need to 鈥渁dequately demonstrate that the firm has resolved the conditions that gave rise to the appearance of the violation鈥� to have their products removed from the Red List.听

NutriAsia ensures that its products are compliant with the regulatory requirements in the countries they are exported to, the company said.听

鈥淚n the Philippines, food products are legally required to use [the food additive] Potassium Iodate, while the US FDA just very recently announced new requirements around this ingredient,鈥� the statement read. 鈥淎s such, the discussion around Potassium Iodate today is not a safety issue but rather a regulatory requirement which varies by country.鈥�听

The company has since reformulated its products and has gained approval for release in the US market. – Patricia B. Mirasol

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How can podcasting help businesses in terms of brand management, community building, and thought leadership? In this episode, 大象传媒 speaks with Ron Baetiong, the founder and CEO of Podcast Network Asia, about the impact podcasting can have for businesses who get into this digital medium.

Interview by Patricia Mirasol
Audio editing by Jayson Mari帽as

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In order to maximize artificial intelligence (AI) as a tool, Filipinos from every age and every level of society will need to be capacitated on its use, experts say.听

Franz A. de Leon, director of the Department of Science and Technology (DoST)’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute, said that it is best to start capacity building at an early age.听

鈥淭he interest in science, math, etc… if it鈥檚 just at the university level, it might be too late,鈥� he said at the second day of the AI Horizons PH 2024 conference. 鈥淲e want to engage the youth.鈥�听

鈥淭he more we diffuse this technology to the very least of our citizens, the more they can gain from it,鈥� also said Enrico C. Paringit, executive director of the DoST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development.听

鈥淭he reason why ChatGPT [an AI model that’s designed to generate human-like text based on the input it receives] is so ubiquitous is because it鈥檚 so accessible,鈥� he told the audience of the same October 25 event.听听

鈥淚t must have that type of accessibility,鈥� he added, 鈥渢o achieve the type of impact that you want.鈥�听

With , the Philippines has lower than the UNESCO recommendation of 380 per million.听

The DoST has been creating 21st century learning environment models (CLEM) since 2018 to help meet the demand for such professionals.听

The 21st century CLEM is a school-based classroom setup equipped with technologies such as robotics, three-dimensional modelling and printing, and virtual and augmented reality. It aims to promote teaching and learning skills and is intended as a support system to the education department鈥檚 K-12 curriculum.听

The 16th and latest one was launched on October 14 in Cavite鈥檚 Angelo L. Loyola Senior High School.听

The bulk of the investment is from the local government unit, which situates the facility in schools that are managed by the Department of Education, explained Albert G. Mari帽o, director III of DoST鈥檚 Science Education Institute (SEI).听

鈥�Parati namin inu-update yung mga resources dito (We update the resources in these classrooms),鈥� he said at the October 14 launch. 鈥�Kung anong ma-develop naming bago, nilalagay po namin dito (We always incorporate whatever new technology we develop).鈥�听

Students who qualify for SEI鈥檚 undergraduate scholarship program can join the roster of the country鈥檚 scientists, researchers, and engineers, he said.听

鈥�Yan kailangan ng ating bansa dahil sila yung nagiisip ng new knowledge at nagde-develop ng new technologies (This is what the country needs, because it鈥檚 the scientists, researchers, and engineers that discover new knowledge and develop new technologies),鈥� he added.听听

Children nowadays have an 鈥渆asy grasp of technology,鈥� Mr. De Leon said at AI Horizons PH 2024. 鈥淚f we can do some intervention and engage them from the start, that would be good.鈥�听

Data integration and systems interoperability are key components in the digital transformation of healthcare, according to experts speaking at an international symposium by The Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA) and the National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST PHL).听

Electronic health records (EHRs) exist in the Philippines, but 鈥淓HR data is not collected and curated in a way that is optimized for learning health systems (LHS),鈥� said Dr. Iris Isip-Tan, a professor at the University of the Philippines Manila鈥檚 College of Medicine.听

An LHS creates a feedback loop of ongoing improvement in healthcare by using data from healthcare encounters. A that EHRs are important to an LHS because they provide the data needed to drive this improvement.听

鈥淭here’s acceptance among clinicians in digital systems,鈥� Dr. Tan said at the symposium on October 30. 鈥淭he barrier is infrastructure in terms of data connectivity in our islands.鈥�听

Good outputs need good data, according to Carmencita D. Padilla, a national scientist and a member of the health sciences division of NAST PHL.听

鈥淭he issue of interoperability is very important if you want to fast-track the issue of integration of data,鈥� she said.听

鈥淵ou have to strategically plan and include budget for it [the digitalization of the healthcare process] in your system,鈥� she added. 鈥淭he primary source of funding should be the government, with the assistance of the private sector.鈥�听

鈥淭he cost of digital transformation should of course be done by the government,鈥� also said Dr. Ertugrul Kilic, a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences.听

Turkey鈥檚 entire healthcare process has been digitalized, Dr. Kilic shared in the same event.听

The e-Nabiz Personal Health System, for one, has enabled the country鈥檚 citizens to access their digital health records since 2015. It draws information from 鈥� among others – over 1500 hospitals and 9000 medical centers.听

Turkey’s digital transformation roadmap – which began in 2004 with its Health Information Systems Action Plan – includes the centralization of health data in 2008, as well as the launch of a communications center in 2016 that provides video translation for those with hearing impairment.听

Younger generations need to be aware of the world鈥檚 pressing health problems, advised Narinder Mehra, a professor and the vice president of international affairs of India鈥檚 National Academy of Sciences.听

Among these global issues are air pollution and antimicrobial resistance, of which climate change can act as a catalyst.听听

鈥淲e need to change the narrative: from the threat of climate change, [let鈥檚 shift the focus] to a healthier future through climate action,鈥� Mr. Mehra said.听

Depending on how it鈥檚 designed, artificial intelligence (AI) may be able to reduce inequities in Philippine healthcare, according to medical experts at the AI Horizons PH 2024 event.听

鈥淲e should…discover new ways to implement what we already know,鈥� said Dr. Antonio Miguel L. Dans, professor emeritus of the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila鈥檚 College of Medicine. 听

AI isn鈥檛 only for the rich, he said on day two of the conference by the University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City.听

鈥淲e can increase the likelihood of reducing inequities…depending on how we design it,鈥� he said on October 25.听

In its , the World Health Organization highlighted the importance of developing AI technologies in a way that addresses biases, so health inequities are not perpetuated.听

The guidelines, published in January 2024, also said AI technologies should be made accessible and affordable to all, particularly to the most vulnerable. 听

鈥淟et鈥檚 focus our research on narrowing the gap by discovering new ways of doing old things, like Efren, which is a new way of…checking on our patient,鈥� Dr. Dans said.听

鈥�If that can be done for those with less, then it’s something that can actually help bridge the gap,鈥� he added.听

Efren is a chatbot that assesses diabetes distress (or the emotional response of living with diabetes) among Filipino patients.听

Diabetes distress can lead to adverse outcomes like reduced physical activity and less healthy eating, according to Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan, professor 12 of UP Manila-College of Medicine鈥檚 Medical Informatics Unit.听

鈥淚 know firsthand that physicians may have limited time to assess diabetes distress,鈥� said Dr. Tan, whose team is designing the conversational agent.听

鈥淧atients may also not be expected to ask – nor wish to talk about – their emotional state,鈥� she said at the same event.听

For the diabetes distress scale, moreover, 鈥渢here are actual questions about the physician like 鈥楧o you feel that your doctor does not take your concerns seriously enough?鈥欌��听

Underpinning all AI endeavors such as Efren is data, a component of the Genomics Philippines Initiative, which will sequence the genomes of 25,000 Filipinos by 2030.听

Filipinos need their own database with their own genomes represented, according to Dr. Felicitas L. Lacbawan, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC).听

This, she said, will allow for a more precise and accurate interpretation of their test results.听

鈥淭he PGC is taking baby steps in transforming laboratory services towards accessible, affordable…genomics testing for Filipinos,鈥� she told the audience of the October 25 event.听

鈥淚f we can drive cost of sequencing down, we鈥檙e happy with it,鈥� Dr. Lacbawan added.听

In 2020 to 2022, the Philippines ranked fifth in the world among countries with the most zero-dose children.听

The 2023 WHO/UNICEF Immunization Coverage Estimates reported that the Philippines improved significantly and is no longer part of the top 20 countries, having reduced unvaccinated children to 163,000 from 1 million.听

鈥淭his milestone should fuel our resolve to vaccinate even more children, especially those who remain vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases like polio, measles, diphtheria, and pertussis,鈥� said UNICEF Philippines Representative Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, in an October 23 press statement.听听

鈥淯NICEF remains committed to support the government and its partners in sustaining this progress so that every child in the Philippines can live a healthy life,鈥� he said.听

At risk still is polio, with , the 2022-2023 WHO Polio Risk Assessment showed.听

The country鈥檚 weighted risk points nevertheless improved to 36 from the previous 39.听听

Polio, caused by a virus that affects the nervous system, can lead to paralysis in a matter of hours.听

The Department of Health (DoH)鈥檚 two-year immunization acceleration plan commits to achieving the status of fully immunized children to .听

鈥淰accination remains our strongest armor to protect children for life,鈥� said Dr. Rui Paulo de Jesus, a WHO representative, in the same press statement.听

鈥淭ogether with the DoH and partners, our goal is a country and a world where no child is ever paralyzed by polio again, and the infrastructure and systems we鈥檝e built to fight it continue to benefit global health and ensure that children are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases,鈥� he added. – Patricia B. Mirasol

This came on the heels of a commitment signed by health secretary Teodoro J. Herbosa and PhilHealth president and chief executive Emmanuel R. Ledesma, Jr. in response to AGRI party list representative Wilbert T. Lee鈥檚 interpellation at the Lower House鈥檚 budget deliberations.听

Filed on March 5, House Resolution No. 1623 proposes the state health insurer include optometric services worth up to P4,000 in a benefit package.听

鈥淗R No. 1623 paved the way and advocated for Filipinos’ right to comprehensive optometric services and free prescription eyeglasses to improve productivity and reduce the financial burden of the Filipinos,鈥� said Dr. Charlie L. Ho, IPAO chairman, in an October 21 press statement.听听

鈥淭he timelines are tight,鈥� he added, 鈥渂ut everyone is working to ensure that everything remains on track and that PhilHealth鈥檚 coverage for preventive eye care and optometric services becomes successful and would benefit all its members.鈥�听

IPAO estimates that about 28 million Filipinos have presbyopia or farsightedness.听

The showed that 9% of kindergartners are affected with visual impairment. The number rises to 16% by high school, with 90% of the cases being myopia or nearsightedness.听

The stated that 90% of vision loss can be prevented or treated if detected early.听

Eye health is essential to achieving many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the commission said. It contributes to an individual鈥檚 overall health and wellbeing, social inclusion, and quality of life.听

鈥淪everal Filipinos visit their eye care professionals only when vision loss begins to manifest or when it鈥檚 too late for any intervention,鈥� Dr. Ho said. “PhilHealth鈥檚 expanded program to cover preventive optometric services and prescription eyeglasses comes very timely as it will benefit millions of Filipinos.鈥�听

鈥淚f we鈥檙e talking about productivity, if we鈥檙e talking about food security, we should also be addressing the eye problems of our countrymen, and consider this as a primary healthcare issue,鈥� . – Patricia B. Mirasol