Get Healthy and Go Places:Purchase of PhilCare prepaid cards yields GetGo Rewards points

Here's a goods news! PhilCare and GetGo partnership is something to look forward too. Being healthy could mean more adventures in life, like travelling. I love to travel and if given opportunities, I will travel till my last footstep to the place on my bucket list.

Exciting partnership it is!

As we all know, PhilCare believes that the path to wellness goes beyond having an effective health care coverage or an immediate access to medical providers. To be truly healthy means taking the time to enjoy life’s little pleasures while ensuring that you are protected for medical emergencies at all time.

The vision behind PhilCare’s latest partnership with GetGo Rewards by Cebu Pacific, a lifestyle program that allows card holders to accumulate points on everyday spending and redeem these points for free flights. GetGo points can be earned from buying groceries, paying utility bills, refilling the car with gasoline, and now—even when taking care of your health.

To kick off the partnership between two brands, PhilCare and GetGo has launched “Get Healthy. Go Places” which will give as much as 750 GetGo points for every purchase of one of PhilCare’s prepaid health cards. PhilCare prepaid health cards included in the promo include ER Vantage cards, Medical and Dental cards, Health Vantage cards and Health Vantage Elite cards. PhilCare members are automatically eligible for a GetGo cards upon purchase of any of the prepaid health cards mentioned above.

“PhilCare has always advocated for a 360 degree view on health and wellness. We have addressed the need for affordable and accessible health care products by offering our prepaid cards, starting from the ER Vantage cards, with 40K, 60K and 80K maximum benefit limits which allows access to medical providers for emergency health concerns; and then we supplemented it with the introduction of the Health Vantage and Health Vantage Elite cards, which offers a more comprehensive and extensive one-year emergency health care coverage; and finally, to answer the clamor for an unlimited consultation card to complement ER Vantage, we introduced our Medical and Consultation cards for kids, adults and senior citizens early this year. The partnership with GetGo meanwhile addresses our belief for over-all wellness and health,” shared Noemi G. Azura, president and chief executive officer (CEO) for PhilCare.

By partnering with GetGo, Azura hopes that PhilCare members will be more inspired to travel discover new places and get much needed R&R.

Traveling keeps the brain and body healthier, according to a study published in MarketWatch. It’s also said to lower the risk of heart attack and death from coronary disease in certain groups, while the new and complex situations encountered while traveling can also help keep the brain sharp.

The “Get Healthy Go Places” promo is just the first in a series as part of the partnership between PhilCare and GetGo Rewards which will run until March 20, 2017.

“PhilCare is committed to continuously innovate in order to give our members a different perspective of the health care industry and to provide best-in-class customer experience. We started by offering the first NFC-enabled HMO card in the Philippines, introducing prepaid health cards, and now, we are partnering with organizations and businesses that are well-known for their wellness programs and benefits,” adds Azura.

To know more about the partnership, go to https://www.getgo.com.ph/web/getgo/promos.

To know more about PhilCare and its prepaid products, go to http://www.philcare.com.ph/products/.

STI holds first Senior High graduation

Be college-ready, job-ready, and life-ready          

YEARS AHEAD of the national implementation of the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or known as the “K to 12 program” this coming school year, STI Education Services Group, Inc. (STI), the largest pioneer in Senior High School (SHS) in the country, has taken up the challenge, and is paving a brighter path for the Filipino youth as early as June 2014 during the initial roll-out of its SHS program.

Two years later, STI celebrates another historic event as it welcomes the pioneer batch of Grade 12 students in the 1^st Senior High School Graduation with 779 graduates from 26 STI campuses nationwide. Out of the total SHS graduates, 228 are from eight STI schools in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas who will be honored on April 8, 2016 at theSTI Academic Center Global City in Taguig.

“STI is one of the pioneer schools that implemented Senior High program in the country. We see this as an opportunity for the students to meet the demands of the 21^stcentury as part of our goal to equalize regional competencies in line with the ASEAN integration. We are proud of the first batch of Senior High graduates and we wish them to succeed in their ventures,” STI President & CEO Monico V. Jacob shares in a statement.

In 2014, out of 92 private schools nationwide accredited by the Department of Education (DepEd) to offer Senior High School for school year 2014-15, sixty-seven (67) or 73% are STI schools. As of today, all 78 STI schools including STI West Negros University have been granted the DepEd permit to offer Senior High School.

Designed to ensure that Senior High School graduates are prepared for higher education, entrepreneurship or employment, STI opened its doors to Grades 11 and 12 students with various strands and specializations under the academics and technical-vocational-livelihood tracks. STI Senior High Schools have been preparing for this transition since June 2013.

Among the 8 STI campuses in NCR with SHS graduates were from STI Colleges in Caloocan, Fairview, Las Piñas, Makati, Muñoz-EDSA, Ortigas-Cainta, Pasay, and Tanay. The graduation ceremony was attended by the DepEd Regional Director for NCR Dr. Ponciano Menguito and STI Alumni Association President Hernan Alar. Inspirational words were given to the fresh graduates by DepEd Assistant Secretary for Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Elvin Uy.

The first graduation event of STI Senior High is another milestone in STI’s pursuit of excellence. The institution looks forward in the advancement of education in the country, and welcomes the implementation of Senior High with readiness to produce graduates who are college-ready, job-ready, and life-ready.

Under the new curriculum, the enactment of K to 12 program mandates students to undergo Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education comprising six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School.

DepEd reports that around 1.3 million students have already registered for senior high school since the launch of the Early Registration period last September 2015.

ABOUT STI:

STI Education Services Group, Inc. is owned by the publicly listed company STI Education Systems Holdings, Inc. (PSE SYMBOL: “STI”). STI remains committed to providing education for real life for over thirty years now with highly-relevant academic programs in the fields of Information & Communications Technology, Business & Management, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Engineering, Arts & Sciences, and Senior High School. More information on STI is available at www.sti.edu.

DIVA Loves Food : Feast on two of the hottest reality cook-offs!

Wednesday, 20th of April, me and my daughter had an extra-ordinary experience! We both love to cook in the kitchen. Never have we both imagined to see ourselves in a cooking adventure like what we always see on the television. 

I thought the event was just a simple launch of a T.V. program. But we came in and saw aprons and chef hats on the tables. Expecting to watch the contestants do the cook-off, to our surprise, it was actually us the media people who will do the honor. 

It was actually fun! Working for the first time with other co-bloggers in a task of on-the -spot cooking challenge. See the photos of our group dishes, the Winning Dishes!  Our team brought home the bacon!

Fierce food battles awaits as My Kitchen Rules returns for a spectacular seventh season and new series Chef in your Ear makes its debut, only on Diva.

DIVA, the leading women’s entertainment destination from NBC Universal International Networks, presents two of the hottest reality cooking competition television events as part of its “DIVA Loves Food” line-up:  

CHEF IN YOUR EAR (SERIES PREMIERE), airs every Wednesdays at 8pm.

What if you could only guide a completely clueless cook to create the best restaurant quality dish through an ear piece? Isolated in their own private booth while watching their clueless cook on a monitor, two of the country’s hottest chefs go head to head with each other! It’s ego against ego and dish against dish. Who will emerge victorious? Watch Chef In Your Ear to find out!

MY KITCHEN RULES: SEASON 7 ( Premieres 9 May, Monday at 10:20pm. 

New episodes every Monday to Wednesday at 9:25PM 

Keep your aprons on as the most popular and hotly contested cooking competition show in Australia, My Kitchen Rules, serves up its seventh instalment on DIVA. With renowned UK chef Rachel Khoo joining as the newest judge, this season is bound to be even hotter than ever! Watch as 18 talented teams go face to face in “instant restaurant rounds,” where they cook up three-course meals in the hopes of demonstrating their culinary superiority. Will Indonesian sisters Tasia and Gracia be able to impress the judges with their cooking style? Who will be the last chef standing?

About NBCUniversal International Networks:
  

NBCUniversal International Networks is one of the world’s premier entertainment portfolios, delivering quality content and compelling brands to over 176 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia Pacific.  The channel brands in the portfolio include Universal Channel, Syfy, E! Entertainment Television, 13th Street, DIVA, Studio Universal, Telemundo, The Style Network and Golf Channel. These unique brands deliver a full range of entertainment experiences to local audiences across the globe; the portfolio also includes Movies 24 in the UK. Further, NBCUniversal News Group, one of the most influential and respected portfolios of on-air and digital news properties in the world, operate CNBC and NBC News internationally.  NBCUniversal International Networks is a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.   

NOVUHAIR LAUNCHES ENHANCED FORMULATION

Topical scalp lotion boasts of 19 natural ingredients

Say goodbye to hair loss and scalp problems with the newly-enhanced formulation of Novuhair.  With 19 natural ingredients, the leading medicated topical scalp lotion is now almost 100% natural.

            “The Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion used to only have 12 natural ingredients. Its improved formulation has a much better fragrance and a cool and minty feel. It also has anti-dandruff properties, as well as nourishing and moisturizing effects on the hair and scalp,” said Sheila Mae Velilla, CEO of Nutramedica, developer and distributor of Novuhair.

            Aside from producing a more effective solution for hair growth, the changes were necessary to make the product 100% compliant to the ASEAN Cosmetic Directive (ACD).

            “Nature has provided a safe and effective answer to hair loss and scalp disorders with Novuhair. It is the only topical scalp lotion in the market that has the highest concentration of natural ingredients, FDA-certified and ACD-compliant. Novuhair is a homegrown, proudly Philippine-made product that is globally competitive. ” added Velilla.

Made of herbal ingredients that include moringa oleifera, panax ginseng, virgin coconut oil and the natural essences of rosemary and peppermint, Novuhair nourishes the scalp and hair by increasing the flow of nutrients and improving blood circulation to the scalp. Novuhair also helps hydrate the scalp, maintain the hair’s natural luster and prevent early hair graying, hair dryness and itching.

Nutramedica is going global and will start shipping Novuhair to the USA, Middle East, Europe and Asia. The first batch of shipment to the USA will be available in California by second quarter of 2016. The company has obtained partnership with a distributor in Kuwait, and is currently facilitating product registration in Denmark.

Novuhair has been awarded by Watsons Philippines as the Most Successful New Brand of the Year in 2012 and has been recognized as the leading Medicated Hair Care Brand from 2012 to 2015. Just recently, they introduced Filipino music icon Gary Valenciano as their latest endorser.

Novuhair Topical Scalp Lotion, Shampoo and Conditioner are available in all Mercury Drug Stores and other leading drug stores nationwide. For more information visit www.novuhair.com, like the brand’s official Facebook Page at Novuhair Official, and follow it on Twitter at @NovuhairNatural. You may also call the Novuhair hotlines at 4136570 and 09228830575 and order online at Lazada and regaloservice.com.

The Property Report Congress Awarding happening tonight

MANILA, Philippines – 7 April 2016 An annual event that caters to more than 250 C-level executive and top real estate professionals, the Philippines Property Awards 2016, presented by Hansgrohe, returns tonight at the Fairmont Makati.

Sixteen-time nominee Megaworld Corporation will battle it out with last year’s champion SM Group, which received a total of 10 nods at the prestigious property tilt.

Other hopefuls include regional developers AppleOne Properties Inc and King Properties, both shortlisted in a new category recognizing the Best Boutique Developer. Accolades also await the outstanding residential and resort developments in Cebu and Davao as the awards programme expands its nationwide search for the country’s finest proeperties.

Organised by Property Guru, Asia’s leading property portal group with a network of 14 million real estate consumers, the black-tie gala dinner and awards ceremony on7 April will bring together the best of the best in the Philippines’ excitinf real estate industry, boosted by the the country’s positive economic  outlook, strong office sector and improving investor confidence.

Some highly respected VIPs are on the guest list, including former Senate President Manuel B. Villar Jr. recipient of the 2016 Real Estate Personality of the Year award to be presented by the editors of Property Report, Asia’s leading luxury real estate, architecture and design magazine. The chairman of Vista Land Group will be cheered on by his team as well as his industry peers.

The chairman of the independent panel of judges, Lindsay J. Orr, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF Jones Lang LaSalle Philippines, will speak about the rigorous six-month judging process that precedes tonight’s ceremony. Orr was also chosen to give the ‘’State of the Market’’ keynote address at the inaugural Property Report Congress Philippines 2016, a high-level conference about the past, present and future of Philippine real estate.

Before the evening programme’s four-course gala dinner, the VIP keynote speech will be given by John W. Mims, chief connector and managing partner of The Hunting Ridge Group. Mims leads today’s workshop called ‘’Driving revenue through social media engagement: strategies that work’’ at the Property Report Congress.

The whole day conference, which runs from 09:00 and 15:00 at the Fairmont Makati, is the first Property Report Congress to be held outside Singapore. The Philippine summit features the following expert moderators: KMC Mag Group’s Michael McCollough (‘’The road ahead:how Manila should address its infrastructure problems’’ forum);  Real Estate Personality of the Year winner Ramon F.D. Rufino of The Net Group (‘’Going ,going, gone green in the Philippines: the rise of branded real estate’’); ABS-CBN News Channel anchor David Celdran, tonight’s master of ceremonies (‘’We need to talk about the bubble, or do we?’’); and Property report  magazine’s editor-in-chief and brand director Liam Aran Barnes (‘’Looking beyond Metro Manila: the Philippines’emerging markets’’).

Immediately after the closing remarks of the Property Report Congress, the ballroom of Fair:, followed by the gala dinner. Fairmont Makati will be prepped for the Philippines Property Awards networking cocktail reception begins at 18:00, followed by the gala dinner. In addition to Villar’s special award, the event will reveal the Winners and up to four Highly Commended in 26 award categories.

Top winners from the Philippines Property Awards will get the chance for international acclaim when they compete with their counterparts from eight ASEAN countries of the Asia Property Awards at the grand finals in Singapore in late November at the 6^th South East Asia Property Awards 2016.

For the complete shortlist of nominees, visit www.property-report.com/unveiled-philippines-property-awards-2016-official-shorlist/ CED

A Super Afternoon with Superdudes at Century City Mall

Yesterday was a BLAST! A memorable afternoon filled with joy and excitement for kids just like my daughter! It was a well spent hot Wednesday afternoon with the awesome SUPERDUDES at the Century City Mall!

The media and blogger's children got to experience the energetic team of Stevie Nicholson, a former cast of Hi-5. The kids had so much fun seeing the group in person. My daughter even told me that she can't believe that she already saw Stevie in person at last.

Meeting Stevie together with Pencil Pirate, Flutterby and Bubble Trouble made the day complete!

The floor opened for the Question and Answer portion where my Junior Blogger daughter threw her own questions. Surprisingly, she even asked why Stevie left the Hi-5 group where he used to be a member.  According to Stevie, he just decided to make something different...he wants Superdudes to be more fun and interactive.  Stevie even said that he still have constant communication with his Hi-5 group.

After the Q&A, the kids and the kids at heart were able to have photo selfies with the team and the kids got their books signed too by the author, Stevie Nicholson.

If you plan to visit the mall, remember to include this event that is sure to happen on the 16th of April at the Century City Mall Event Center. The Superdudes children’s book creator Stevie Nicholson holds a book signing, show and VIP workshop.
It’s definitely going to be a truly super summer for kids as Century City Mall hosts Superdudes.  Live at the mall’s fifth level Event Center on April 16!

It's true that Superdudes is a funny and quirky children’s book created by Stevie Nicholson, a member of the well-loved Australian children’s musical group Hi-5. The book, with illustrations by Nick Rudich, focuses on capturing the imagination of children in a playful and engaging way and is based on the philosophy that absolutely anyone and anything can be Super!

My daughter can't even put down her book and loved reading it before going to bed since last night. The book is nice and quite extra ordinary! So happy that my Abi got interested reading another new book.

Get excited! On April 16, enjoy the ultimate Superdudes experience with a Show and Workshop featuring Stevie Nicholson and the Superdudes in a fun-filled stage show! A ticket of Php1,500 admits 1 child and 1 adult, and comes with a free Php1,500 worth of Century City Mall Gift Certificates!

Don't forget to mark your calendar! 

Tickets are available at www.ticketworld.com.ph. The Concierge booth at the ground level of Century City Mall will also offer tickets starting April4. For further inquires call the Century City Mall Concierge at 705-6200 loc. 111/112.

Sony Pursues More Realistic and Immersive Visuals with its New BRAVIA™ 4K HDR and Full HD Lineup

Guess what? Sony Philippines is back with another viewing experience that goes beyond just screen with the debut of its latest lineup of innovative televisions featuring 4K HDR (High Dynamic Range) content designed to deliver a greater brightness range and higher contrast that can impact the total cinematic experience of customers.

The launch event entitled “Infinity” showcased a number of showrooms designed to fit various lifestyles – from a bachelor’s pad to homes for young families, professionals and businessmen. Sony Philippines partnered with lifestyle store Heima to specifically design the showrooms with the new BRAVIA series that will match the chosen lifestyles.

“We at Sony are taking the next big step by providing a viewing experience that goes beyond just the screen—.we’re pursuing more realistic and immersive visuals by merging our superb 4K picture clarity technology with HDR. We continue to make an impact on our customers by creating products that truly matter; and with the latest range of 4K HDR TVs operated by the Android OS, we provide a more captivating visual experience for them,” said Nobuyoshi Otake, President and Managing Director, Sony Philippines.

Each showroom curated by Heima portrayed living spaces for different personalities, while highlighting the design flexibility of the Sony TVs. “Partnering with Sony Philippines gave us the opportunity to showcase a range of lifestyle designs a home can have, demonstrating how each BRAVIA TV not only complements the home’s interiors but also reflects the owner’s personality. It was easy to incorporate the BRAVIA TVs in each design given its slim frame and cable management feature that made styling the home interiors a breeze,” said Bong Rojales, Co-Owner and Marketing Director, Heima.

The 4K HDR TV series ranges in screen size from 55” to 75” class, while the new HD TVs will come in multiple screen size options from 32” to 55” class. The complete lineup of 4K HDR TVs will be available in the Philippines this coming April 2016 while the Full HD model TVs will be available starting May 2016.

4K HDR and Slim Backlight Drive™ Technologies

4K HDR is an increasing video standard that greatly expands the range of possible visual expression by producing higher brightness, higher contrast and more vibrant colors. Recently, HDR compatible content and services are becoming more and more prevalent via Internet video services, TV broadcastings and Ultra HD Blu-ray titles.

The new X9300D series of BRAVIA™ 4K LCD TVs is equipped with Sony’s brand new Slim Backlight Drive™ technology that takes picture quality to new heights by delivering the best from 4K HDR content. With a unique backlight system structure, the X9300D series allows X-tended Dynamic Range™ PRO technology to boost peak brightness and black levels more precisely and enhance contrast levels, while maintaining its slim form. The 4K Processor X1™ and its precision color mapping technology allows TRILUMINOS™ Display to reproduce a wider color ranger with accurate color details at any brightness level.

Slice of Living Design

Sony believes and understands that more than a good viewing experience, a television should also have the aesthetics to fit any environment. This is why the new BRAVIA televisions are designed with sleek lines and elegant slim displays to complement one’s home interior.

The latest BRAVIA™ series is designed to make each TV set the ideal piece for any room. When hung against a wall, the X9300D series sits very close to the surface, virtually disappearing into the wall and leaving nothing but the picture. In addition, the clean cable management keeps wires out of view, providing an equally elegant look when viewed from behind.

More immersive user interface with Google Android

The new lineup of BRAVIA TVs (All 4K Models: X9300D and X8500D) run on the Google Android TV system that allows live TV broadcasting and internet video services, along with enhanced content navigation and voice search. This latest Android TV operating system provides a more intuitive user interface with various entertainment options.

Google Cast™ is a technology that allows users to control and play photos, movies, games, and music on their BRAVIA screens straight from their Android and iOS devices. Meanwhile, the Voice Search function allows users to find media content through speaking the command, rather than manually browsing the screen.

New BRAVIA Full HD Lineup

Sony continues to expand its product line to fit any household with the Full HD picture quality and slim features that Sony BRAVIA is known for. The new lineup features X-Reality PRO that provide stunning details for any content, even when you are viewing TV broadcastings, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Internet video services and digital photos. Every single pixel is up-scaled beautifully by Sony’s exclusive picture processing technology, reproducing vibrant colors.

The sleek lines and elegant slim display come with clean cable management to keep wires out of view when you watch the screen.

The W65D and W60D series incorporates a Clear Phase audio technology that analyzes and compensates for inaccuracies in the built-in loud speaker’s response. This results in a smooth and even reproduction of all frequencies, giving the customer a pure and natural audio experience.

Additionally, the W65D and W60D series has the ability to connect to a wide range of Internet video services such as Youtube and Netflix[1] using its built-in Wi-Fi^®. Photo Sharing Plus makes it possible for up to 10 users to share photos and music from their smartphone or tablet wirelessly on the big screen.

The new BRAVIA Full HD lineup also feature X-Protection PRO that enhances the Sony TV’s durability with protection features to guard against dust, lightning, surge and humidity.

The new BRAVIA series takes your cinematic experience beyond the screen and provides every viewer with what they need. The new BRAVIA 4K HDR will be available in Sony Centres and Authorized Dealers starting April 2016 while the Full HD TVs in May 2016. For more information, visit www.sony.com.ph, like facebook.com/SonyPhilippines, or follow twitter.com/SonyPHinc and Instagram.com/sonyPHInc. 

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[1] Internet video services available vary by country.

PRESS RELEASE:Meeting Mark Zuckerberg and My Facebook Friends Day Experience

Last January 31, 2016, Fellow Filipino Abby Asistio flew to San Francisco and had the wonderful opportunity of being chosen as one of the eighteen invited by Facebook on their 12th Anniversary Friends Day celebration with California-based Alopecia awareness advocate, Rachel Regal.  Alopecia is an autoimmune condition which results in partial or total head and body hair loss.  Abby Asistio have had it since she was four while Rachel just developed it sometime in 2012, the same year she discovered that her 10-year-old daughter, Eliana, had it, too.  Six inspiring stories were picked by Facebook among its 1.64 billion users and Abby’s friends were all amazed when they’ve found out that Abby’s Alopecia story was one of them.  Imagine that!

Abby and Rachel met each other through the double A hand sign campaign that Aby started in 2012, and They've been "connected" since then.  Last year, Facebook Stories featured how these two were able to build a friendship, as well as campaign for disease awareness through Facebook!  And last February 1st, Abby and Rachel had the chance to tour FB headquarters in Menlo Park, San Francisco, meet and chat with the people behind Facebook (Founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg, COO Sheryl Sandberg, CPO Chris Cox, and a whole lot of awesome people), get crazy cool gadgets and have one of the best experiences of their lives.

Abby recounted that it was such a surreal feeling to be in the same room as the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Mark Z was wearing his trademark look (jeans, sneakers, shirt and a big smile on his face), and had such a friendly, approachable aura and demeanor about him.  Not at all intimidating!  He shared stories about how the company started, its mission-vision, the ups and downs that come along, and their future plans.  Those invited also had the chance to ask him questions. When Mark Z was asked about achieving success and life’s “impossibilities”.  He said, “There’s a difference between impossible and things taking a really long time. Even if you’re not going to be able to do something in a short time period, if you care about something, you want to see the world to move into that direction…  So the best thing to do is just get started and not be discouraged.  It’s tough because this stuff is hard, or else people would’ve already done it.”

                              

Abby Asistio got the chance to ask a question to one of the world’s 50 most powerful, successful women in business, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg.  Aside from Alopecia awareness, Abby is also an active Real Beauty advocate with girls and women struggling with various insecurities, being so consumed by the world’s unrealistic and sometimes superficial standards of beauty.  So Abby asked Sheryl about her perception of it.  Sheryl said that beauty is just like success and that no one could really define it for you.  We are all unique.  We have different stories, dreams and desires. We should explore our own inner and outer beauty, believe and embrace that we are beautiful, and never allow anyone to tell us otherwise.

Mark capped off his talk by sharing their company philosophy with everyone present. Though already having over 1 billion subscribers, there are still 7 billion people all over the world without access to all the meaningful connections and information that Facebook brings.  One thing that the company stands by is that “things are always 1% completed”.  It keeps them grounded, reminding them that there is always so much work, growth and progress to be done, and so many people to reach out to and help.

Everything about the Facebook trip was overwhelming and inspiring according to Abby.  More than anything, it reminded her about “responsibility”.  We are all given our own platforms, in this case “accounts and connections”, to make a dent in this world.  It is up to us to become complacent and take these vehicles for granted, or maximize the opportunities and use them to make a positive impact in this generation.  Abby is grateful that Facebook has become a medium for her to communicate disease awareness and touch people beyond the confines of her tiny room and her country.  Abby is also glad that she and Rachel are two out of millions of people choosing to recognize the importance of social media in contributing to making this world a better place, and actually doing something about it.

Truly, God plans the best adventures and creates the most beautiful surprises.  Abby knows that she wouldn't have been handpicked for this if it weren't for Him, as well as the countless individuals who have cared and showed support for my advocacy.  Abby would like to leave a positive thought to everyone that we should really take the time to search for and identify our “purpose” – that one unique, very specific calling that is the result of our talents, dreams, desires, passions and experiences.  Once you find it, be faithful to it no matter how long or difficult the journey towards its fulfillment may be.  You’ll never know where it could lead to, how far it could go and how large it could grow.  Abby is also thankful that her campaign continues to spread and reach new heights and she is particularly grateful to Facebook for giving her this opportunity and to Novuhair, Nature's Answer to Hair Loss (www.novuhair.com), for always being so supportive of her advocacy and endeavors.  Abby is proud and honored to have represented the Philippines and the Alopecia community in this once-in-a-lifetime, international event.