Food | Freshko's Nova Tierra, Lanang Branch Opened

Ribbon Cutting of Freshko Nova Tierra Opening

Talking about Freshko, what comes into my mind is the Avocado Float! Actually, it is a family favorite!!! My father and mother would always want an avocado shake or float that really answers the craving for an avocado thirst quencher plus healthy! However, existing branches were only at Toril and Acacia or during events where Freshko participated that was a bit far from the northern part of the city.

Freshko Nova Tierra, Lanang Branch

Good news! Freshko, a company of real fruit shakes, opened its 3rd branch in Davao City at Nova Tierra, Lanang - August 18, 2020. It is a celebration for the people of northern part of Davao City who craves for a Freshko! It is also very timely for the celebration of Kadayawan Festival as fruits are abundant during this season, plus they are making way for a Kadayawan promo. The opening, with observance of the minimum health standards, was also graced by Mr. Kylie Gaite, Ginoong Davao 2019.

Ginoong Davao 2019

Ms. Marylou Gerondio

Another good news! Freshko is now open for FRESHKO Franchise! According to Ms. Marylou Gerondio, Freshko Founder & President, they are making way for interested and aspiring entrepreneurs to be successful like how Freshko has become. They are ready to share their placed system with full support to have an easy business with remarkable earnings.

Indeed, it is another milestone for the company with partnerships to happen.

Me during the Opening

Freshko started 2003 with a very simple vision of providing for the family its everyday needs. With a meager amount of P200, it has grown to what it is now. It is another Davao brand that showcases the abundance of fruit harvest in the city, especially with avocado, mango and durian - all of which are tropical fruits. With this in mind, Freshko wants to position itself as among the "well-know fresh fruit refreshments provider in the country that are using locally-grown fruit products, furthermore, helping local farmers sustain a living. A brand name that screams great quality."

Durian Shake

Happy Parents with the Avocado Float (they just wanted their hands in hihihi)

I am among those who are happy that Freshko has come nearer to us in this side of the city. It is indeed a favorite and with great potential in the market amidst the current health challenges in the world. According to Ms. Marylou, Freshko Nova Tierra will be available with food delivery apps very soon! That will make Freshko available at the comforts of our home.

Thank you for visiting my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com.

Globe Telecom's Statement Post SONA 2020

Today is the State of the Nation Address 2020 of the Philippines' President, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. There's a lot being discussed and one of it is with regards the telecoms in the country. Here's the statement of Globe.

"Multi-billion dollar investments in network have improved services but challenges remain

We heed the call of the President to improve telco services.  Service performance and increased consumer demand for data are the key reasons why we have been investing billions of dollars to upgrade and improve our network.  This year Globe has earmarked 1.2 billion US dollars in capex, majority of which goes to network and capacity builds.  These substantial investments are paying off as we experience marked service improvements. Today, the Globe network is running at 4G/LTE.  Last year, we launched 5G for Globe At Home and soon we will be launching mobile 5G services in the country. Globally, we are being cited for having improved internet experience. Only recently, independent mobile analytics Open Signal ranked the Philippines as the 4th most improved country in mobile video experience.  The ranking was included in its State of Mobile Network Experience in 2020 report. Although we have seen marked improvements, the industry is not without its challenges. The long drawn permitting process across LGUs, HOAs and national agencies including the DOH and CAAP have hampered cellsite builds and laying down of fiber to homes.  We express our optimism that the recently signed Joint Memorandum Circular 01s.2020 spearheaded by the DICT with other national agencies to fast track builds of telco towers will finally lead the way to a more robust connectivity in the country and provide internet services to every Filipino.

 

During this time of the pandemic, Globe has actively supported public and private hospitals, quarantine facilities, and frontliners.  We are working with the Department of Education to assist the sector through low cost data plans and devices as well as teacher training, online platforms and mental health support. Globe was able to provide over P1.3 billion in combined services and assistance package for COVID-19 benefitting customers through services and promos, monetary and in-kind donations."

This is giving a light to the current situation of our telecoms in the country. Hoping this will also give way for a faster connection and connectivity in the nation. More Power!

Lifestyle | More Filipinos Opting for Digital Lifestyle

More cashless transactions for Pinoys: GCash is top finance app for Android, iOS

With the recent development of the pandemic in the world, here in the Philippines, many Filipinos are opting to go cashless and GCash is among the leading mobile wallet provider in the nation. GCash is said to be one of the top finance application for both Android and iOS devices. It is indeed an indicator that more Filipinos are getting digital in their financial needs. 

As of May 15, GCash was the only finance app in the top 10 list of free applications for Android. It also ranked fourth on the overall list of free mobile apps in Google Playstore. For iOS, GCash topped the finance division in the App Store and ranked second after Zoom Cloud Meetings on its free apps list. This shows how GCash has transformed from a convenient mobile wallet to a lifestyle app that enables Filipinos to do more with less, as they embrace the new normal.

“The national health situation has caused more Filipinos to be mindful of their personal finances. As a powerful tool that provides financial services to the masses, GCash is enabling its users to manage their personal finance better than traditional means,” GCash Chief Technology and Operating Officer Pebbles Sy said.

A white paper released by AdSpark, Inc., a portfolio company under Globe Telecom’s 917Ventures, showed that consumption of Personal Finances as a topic grew by 800 percent from January 2020 to end of March 2020 when most Filipinos were required to stay at home.

Global Web Index, which surveyed people on how they foresee the impact of the situation on their personal finances, found that 65 percent of Filipinos surveyed believed that the pandemic will have a huge impact on their personal finances, while 15.7 percent believe that the effect could be even greater.

“Due to uncertainties brought about by the national health situation and the limitations set by the government to help curb the spread of the virus, Filipinos are looking for various ways to address their personal finance concerns. GCash is here to provide them with the necessary financial tools and services that will help them in managing their finances,” Sy said.

As a mobile wallet, GCash allows users to pay for their digital and physical transactions through the GCash app. GCash also allows users to pay their bills, buy airtime load, and transfer funds to any GCash account or to other banks.

Users may also avail of GCash’s savings service, GSave, which offers better-than-industry interest rates; GCredit, which allows them to tap into a credit line for emergencies; invest in money market funds; and GCash Insurance, which allows them to avail of very affordable insurance plans.

“We have seen a huge growth in terms of volumes of transactions in our platform during the community quarantines. We saw people transacting with merchants physically through QR and Barcode and digitally through money transfers. We also saw a lot of people donating to causes, one of which is our native fundraising drive called #FightCOVID19. Our platform has empowered more people in taking care of their personal finances,” Sy said.

GCash saw app installations grow by 2x during the community quarantine, while registrations rose by 2.5x, and app referrals increased by another 2x.

“This is a reflection of how Filipinos are growing more trusting of digital finance, which we believe will be a huge player in implementing the so-called ‘new normal.’ Financial technology will serve as the bedrock of digital services -- those that will empower Filipinos to do more with less,” Sy said.

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

Comment: I am also among those who are using this application. It does a lot of convenience and I can transmit any amount of money any time any where as long as the application is not upgrading or I have good internet connection. The only thing that is off for me is the limit, a hundred thousand limit every month, that includes amount that goes in and out - confirmed or denied. Nevertheless, I am happy with it. :-) 

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. Try to use this QR, below:

For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.

Thank you very much! 

Public Health | Immunization in the Philippines Situation

Immunization in the Philippines, at an all-time low rate
DOH, experts call for continued immunization amid pandemic

Immunization is one of the public health services given primarily by our health centers to prevent any outbreak of known public health diseases that can also spread communicably. However, due to the current pandemic and measures of lockdown, there is a huge concern over an all-time low rate of vaccination now in the Philippines, according to a Department of Health (DOH) official.

With this happening, the DOH and other medical experts are calling for continued immunization despite the quarantine explaining that the country could not afford an outbreak within a pandemic.

The DOH National Immunization Program manager, Dr. Maria Wilda Silva, said that from January to March, vaccination coverage has dropped to 7 percent which is an all-time low. This number is way below the ideal 24 percent coverage for the country to reach the 95 percent target by end 2020.

“This is very low because of the disruption from both the supply and demand side,” Silva said in the recent online Kapihan of Samahang Plaridel.

The call for immunization is strongly aligned with the statements released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF which also highlighted the importance of continuing vaccination at this challenging time said that the benefits of immunization clearly outweigh the risks at this time.
“Don’t be afraid because children must get immunized. They are at higher risk of getting measles, polio, pneumonia and other vaccine-preventable diseases,” according to Dr. Lulu  Bravo said, Executive Director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination.

“Let us all be reminded that first, if children and other vulnerable sectors are not vaccinated, they can get sick and can die from these vaccine-preventable diseases,” she adds.

Silva shared that one of the vaccine-preventable diseases, pneumonia, remains the number one killer disease among children 5 years old and below. The tender for the child pneumococcal vaccine—between PCV 10 and PCV 13-- is currently being reviewed by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) for comparability and cost effectiveness.

Asked on the new evidence presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that the two PCVs in the market are equally effective in protecting the children from pneumonia, Silva said:  “When we did the cost effectiveness analysis, they are both cost effective. The price of PCV10 and PCV13, they fall on that range na cost effective sila pareho. But, of course, there is another benefit when we chose the PCV13 because it contains the three sero-types that are not found in PCV10 before. But now with the new evidence, this was now presented to National Immunization Committee and then it was brought up to the HTAC for further review and we are waiting for the review.”

The PCV tender is massive, which is even bigger than that of the controversial Dengvaxia procurement.

“Currently, there is only one available pneumococcal conjugate vaccine available in the market (PCV 13). It is a very expensive vaccine and its eating up more than 60% of the budget of the national immunization program. Mahal talaga pag isang produkto lang ang nasa merkado, ” Silva said.
The HTAC Review of the PCV vaccines is expected to be completed this June.

For her part, Dr. Mary Ann Bunyi, president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), said that like COVID-19, “each opponent virus has its own effective weapon of infecting vulnerable individuals, especially children which is why, vaccination is critical even during a pandemic.

“Sa ngayon, meron na tayong mabisang bala para sa tigdas, polio, tusperina, flu, pulmonya, pagtatae at iba pang mga sakit. So, labanan natin at sugpuin natin ito upang mapanatili nating malusog ang ating mga bata. Sama-sama, tulong-tulong tayong ihayag sa mga magulang kung gaano kahalaga ang magpabakuna.” (For now, we already have an effective defense weapon against measles, polio, pertussis, flu, pneumonia, diarrhea, and many other illnesses. We need to fight and beat these to ensure the health of our kids. We should all together make parents aware how important it is to get vaccinated.)

Comment: Yes, as a nurse, there are a lot of highly proven effective vaccines given already to the public. Usually, those who receive these vaccines are the newborns and children who are part of the vulnerable population. With the current crisis, I just hope that there will be means to reach these population aside from going to the centers. I also hope that other public health programs will not be set aside because of the current pandemic. Let us protect our vulnerable population while protecting our health care workers, too. :-)

Thank you for visiting my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com.

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Lifestyle | Cars On Park Mode: Tips from Ford

Ford Ranger Garage

The world is currently experiencing a pandemic and that has brought a lot of cars to be parked in each garage. Even the cars are being parker, there are things that should be done to maintain the car's optimal performance even for a month of stay at the parking space. Don't worry, the tips to be given is applicable to all mobile cars.

So, here are the tips that Ford has shared for us to follow:

1.    Choose a parking spot

Picking a spot where to park your vehicle is very important to its overall well-being. Do not park it on grass or soil, because moisture can make its way up and rust certain parts of your vehicle. Make sure to choose a covered area, or an area out of direct sunlight, and has a solid floor. 

2.    Give your vehicle a wash

Spend time to wash your vehicle in your garage or parking area once in a while to ensure you are able to remove dirt particles or even bird droppings. These will be harder to remove after a couple of days if left uncleaned.

3.    Clean and place a dehumidifier inside the cabin

Give your interior thorough vacuum and throw away food particles or remnants. Having a clean car will avoid insects and animals from entering your vehicle and potentially causing damage to it. Placing an off the shelf dehumidifier inside your vehicle can help combat unwanted moisture, especially in more humid climates. 

4.    Fill up the fuel tank

Make sure to fill the fuel all the way to the brim. This avoids a gap in your fuel tank where oxygen can oxidize. Oxidization is a chemical reaction between the fuel and oxygen which results in gum forming in your fuel tank, which can cause damage to your vehicle if not properly cleaned before using.

5.    Overinflate the tires

The tire pressure can slowly drop over a period of time, even when the car is not in use. Ensure that you overinflate your tires and the spare tire before parking your vehicle. This can also avoid flat spots forming on your tires.

6.    Leave the parking brake down

If you leave your parking brake engaged, it could possibly become stuck or seized after being parked over time. Unless you are parked on a slope, simply shift your vehicle into Park for automatic transmissions, or engage the first gear for manual transmissions.  Keep in mind about shifting back the transmission to Park or engage the gear back to neutral for manual transmission when starting the car.

7.    Lift your wiper blades

This very simple advice can save you money and time after the strict travel restrictions. Lift the wipers and place a ball of cloth underneath it so the blades are not touching the windshield. Heat can damage the wiper blades over time and take away its wiping credibility.

8.    Start your car once a week

Take at least 10 minutes every week to start your vehicle. Let the engine idle so the oil and other fluids can circulate through the engine. This will also enable to recharge your battery if you do not have a trickle charger. This will keep your battery healthy and ensure an efficient start every time.

Hopefully, you got the tips and will be able to execute for your cars, your assets.

Thank you for visiting my avenue, www.ten7avenue.com.