The freedom to fully express one's identity without fear of judgement is the fruit of years of fighting for equal rights and representation, and every June, we celebrate how far we've come with LGBTQIA+ Pride month.

It takes courage to embrace your truth and tell your story to the world. That's why it's important to put the spotlight on those who have already found the courage and confidence to flaunt their pride, so that they can inspire others to do the same — just like these strong women.

Mela Habijan Miss Trans Global 2020


Mela’s journey to womanhood began with her hair. After years of wearing synthetic wigs or putting a bath towel over her head, she finally let her hair grow long. “At first, I tried to joke about it, “Ma, pagbigyan mo na ako! Rocker na ako ngayon!” She shared on her Instagram post. As time went by, she realized that having straight, smooth, and jet black hair felt right. “I was meant to rock my hair with confidence.”

She found pride in her crowning glory and made sure to give it the proper care it needed. “… Everytime people complimented my hair, my honest, consistent, and confident reply has always been, “Alagang Pantene yan!”, Mela proudly shared in her Instagram post. “I have always flaunted my hair with pride because [it] reflects my journey to being the free and authentic Mela that I am today. As a proud trans woman with feminine expression, my hair has been my source of power. And that’s definitely Salontastic!”

Chezka Carandang, Pilot


“As a member and supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community, I, too have my own journey in raising my voice for my happiness and myself.” Chezka shared on her Instagram.

Chezka, like many others, was afraid of how her family and friends would react to her identity. So, she joined predominantly female activities like modelling and beauty pageants as she tried to figure out how she wanted to present herself. Later on she realized that she wanted to express herself physically as a woman, “…and that’s why I started growing my long straight hair with Pantene. Because Pantene has always been there in helping me feel stronger and Salontastic! Flaunt your #Pride with Pantene. I’m truly thankful for my community in helping me understand them and myself. Know that you are not alone and that we are heard.”


Allies also play a role in helping make the LGBTQIA+ community a safe space by fostering a culture of acceptance and respect, and advocating for equal rights and opportunities.

Gabbi Garcia, Actress


Gabbi, an ally, shows her full support for the LGBTQIA+ community in her Instagram post. “I’ve always been a proud supporter ever since I was young. I believe that everyone should be treated with love and respect. There is definitely no room for hate in this world! Everyone can be Salontastic regardless of gender!”

Let your hair take pride and flaunt it with Pantene Miracle Conditioners. With Pantene Keratin Straight Miracle Conditioner you can help reduce frizz for that sleek, straight look. While with Pantene Collagen Miracle Conditioner, you can turn dry, frizzy hair into shiny, Salontastic hair.*

Both conditioners are formulated with a blend of Pro-Vitamin B5, with special ingredients like Miracle Serum, real Collagen, and Keratin straighteners that moisturize hair and help strengthen hair against damage* to give you everyday #Salontastic results.

Take pride in your hair and get that #SalontasticTransformation with Pantene. Explore more from Pantene’s wide range of haircare products through the P&G Shopee Mall store.






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Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI)—the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—aims to secure Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) from Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS), one of the world’s leading audit and certification companies.

PCPPI bagged FSSC for its Muntinlupa, Santo Tomas, Rosario, Davao and Bacolod plants. It is working towards certifying its other six plants in Cebu City, Naga City, Zamboanga City, Cagayan de Oro City, Iloilo City, and Tanauan within the year.

“It is imperative to strengthen our food safety practices and standards which we have always valued in PCCPI. We always aim to produce quality products that do not just comply with regulatory requirements but exceed customer expectations, as well,” said PCPPI President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Frederick Ong.

The company’s certification aligns with World Health Organization’s goals as it marks this month’s World Food Safety Day. This year’s theme is “Safe food now for a healthy tomorrow.”

The company follows stringent measures on food safety and quality. Its policy requires high food safety targets, regular process reviews, and strong food safety culture across all levels in the organization.

To further ensure quality production, PCPPI aligns with PepsiCo global practices. These include random trade sampling to verify food safety compliance and increasing food hygiene awareness among stakeholders.

Owing to its strict food safety practices, PCPPI’s Zamboanga plant was recently given the PepsiCo Caleb Bradham Award. The distinction is presented to Pepsi manufacturing plants which exhibit exemplary food safety and quality assurance practices.

“PCPPI believes that a strong food safety culture helps us promote food hygiene outside our operations. Our consumers will remain confident in our brands and in our ability to refresh them with clean and safe drinks,” Ong added.
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With the threat of the pandemic still very much present in the country, a simple cough is enough to cause heightened anxiety these days because it is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Unlike before where this matter was usually taken lightly by most, the current situation has people rushing to find a solution when the first signs of a cough arise.

Coughs are our bodies’ natural response to expel unwanted organisms from our lungs caused by allergies, irritants, asthma, and the most common of all, viruses. Although coughs caused by common viruses go away in time, it's better to treat them as soon as possible and equip our bodies with added immunity for faster recovery.

In the Philippines, only one cough medicine combines the trusted formulation of Solmux with an essential mineral for faster recovery: Solmux Advance, the only one with Zinc! This unique and powerful combination of Carbocisteine and Zinc is proven effective to reduce cough bouts in as fast as 3 days, compared to the usual 10 to 14 days of recovery. The addition of Zinc to Carbocisteine not only liquifies sticky phlegm, but also improves the body’s immunity for faster recovery from cough.

Carbocisteine is scientifically proven to treat cough with phlegm and other respiratory tract disorders, and have properties that inhibit viruses and bacteria, making it more difficult for microorganisms to cause infections. The right levels of Zinc, on the other hand, can help speed up recovery from infections like the common cold through its action on immunity. It also activates white blood cells to help the body fight off viruses including coronaviruses.

Given the continued increase in COVID-19 cases every day plus the occurrence of other viral respiratory infections, Filipinos can protect themselves and their loved ones with a more advanced 2-in-1 solution for faster cough relief.


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Torn between preparing a nice meal for the family but not enough time to start from scratch? Don’t worry! You can now spend more time with the family and less time in the kitchen with new ready-to-heat Pork Katsu, Chicken Katsu, and Spicy Chicken Nuggets from Purefoods!




How does “tonkatsu meal for the family in just 8 minutes” sound like? Now, you can enjoy the crispness and juiciness of Pork and Chicken Katsu and experience Japanese cuisine right in the convenience of your home! Just pop frozen in the oven for 8 minutes or fry for 2-3 minutes.

Level up the katsu experience resto-style with these Eats-so-easy ideas!

One, serve katsu with some thinly shredded cabbage and sesame dressing, crushed toasted sesame seeds mixed with the free packet of katsu sauce. and a lemon slice to garnish.



Two, whip up an easy curry sauce with Japanese curry paste, coconut milk, diced potatoes and carrots and drizzle on katsu.



And third, go All American-inspired and serve katsu with BBQ seasoned French fries and ketchup or sour cream-bleu cheese sauce.



For more recipes, you can visit homefoodie.com and its social media platforms @HomeFoodiePH

Purefoods Pork Katsu, Chicken Katsu, and Spicy Chicken Nuggets are available in leading supermarkets nationwide.





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The Medical City Expert Reveals How to Protect Your Baby from Diaper Rash

As a sigurista parent, fulfilling different roles can be a challenge when you run multiple tasks, yet so little time and energy left to do it all. This can sometimes leave you to wonder, “Am I choosing the right products for my baby?”. Although it’s only natural to worry when your baby’s health, hygiene, and comfort are threatened when the products you thought were good enough to help protect them. 

In order to prevent and alleviate discomfort, it is important to identify common infant health problems such as colds, coughs, fevers, and vomiting. Your baby might also experience common concerns like diaper dermatitis, also known as diaper rash. 

Opting for diapers that aren’t able to provide baby’s needs not only puts their skin at risk of babad and kulob but it also leaves your pockets dry — spending more in the long run in search of the right diaper. This begs the questions, what is diaper rash and how do you prevent it? 

What is Diaper rash? 

Diaper rash is an inflammatory skin condition that affects the most sensitive part of your baby’s body. It is often caused by prolonged exposure of the skin to wetness and moisture. 

According to Dr. Krissy Dim-Jamora, a board-certified dermatologist, Deputy Director of Aesthetics by The Medical City and Head of the Skin Cancer Unit of Medical City, baby’s skin is thinner, and at risk of babad compared to adult skin. Dr. Krissy mentioned, “When [your] baby’s skin is left to soak in a moist, wet environment for a long time, the skin can break down. This results in redness, pain, and swelling.” 

With temperatures that can get as hot as 42 degrees Celsius in a tropical country like here in the Philippines, diaper rashes can also happen more often during the dry season. “The moist environment of the urine and feces creates a nasty environment for baby’s thin, gentle skin.”, as described by Dr. Krissy. If your baby’s skin is unable to breathe due to trapped heat, a diaper that does not allow air to flow can leave them feeling kulob. 

When unattended, a chronic diaper rash can result in thickening of the skin, pigmentation problems and worst of all, a chronic wound that may lead to an infection. Dr. Krissy also adds, “Keeping baby’s skin healthy will save parents money from doctor’s visits and dermatology creams.” Diaper rashes don’t only cost parents’ additional expenses, but it also costs baby’s skin health, comfort, and sleep development. 

To protect your baby from babad and kulob, it’s best to practice measures and use quality diapers with the proper technology to prevent diaper rash from happening.  

Protect Baby’s Skin with Pampers with 2-in-1 Rash Shield 

Endorsed by The Skin Health Alliance, Pampers Pants — now with NEW 2-in-1 Rash Shield that keeps baby protected from the two main causes of rashes: babad and kulob. Even when your baby wears Pampers Pants for a long time, you’re less likely to worry about baby’s skin health. 


Pampers Pants are made with a super absorbent kontra-babad core that not only absorbs up to 30x their weight in urine, but also provides up to 99.9% vs. wetness.* With kontra-kulob features that release heat and humidity for less stuffiness, Pampers Pants allows baby’s delicate skin to breathe. 

According to Dr. Krissy, a quality diaper should be able to keep moisture away from baby’s delicate skin and allow good ventilation in the private area. “The diaper should draw the moisture from urine away from the baby’s skin so that the baby does not sit in the moist environment. The diaper should be able to last the whole night of peeing without the urine spilling onto the bed. This will allow the parents to have a good night’s sleep.” No wonder Smart Parenting moms nationwide vouch for Pampers. It passed their standards and evaluation making Pampers Pants #SPSmartMomApproved! 


It is crucial to pay extra attention on products that baby often uses to prevent diaper rashes from happening. Pampers knows that sigurista parents are always on the lookout for products that can help protect baby to ease their worries of baby’s well-being. That’s why Pampers diapers continuously innovates to provide your little one’s sensitive skin with comfort and protection from babad and kulob. saving you from hidden costs on unexpected treatments. 

Siguradong protektado si baby from diaper rash, and less worries for sigurista parents with Pampers new 2-in1 Rash Shield. Stock up on Pampers products during the Pampers x Shopee Mommy & Me Playdate Sale and get up to 40% worth of discounts from May 31-June 2. Visit the official Pampers page at Shopee and add to cart now!


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If going through 2020 were to be described in a nutshell, it definitely would be a rough ride – much like having to go through a bad hair day, every single day. Now that the new year is here, it’s time to turn things around for the better — here’s to 2021, a year of transformations.

Although transformations can be overwhelming, be it big or small, it still counts as a move forward to improvement. So, what better way to start your 2021 with a transformation? In fact, there’s no need to stray away when you can start things off with your hair. Give yourself some well-deserved pampering with a salon-like treatment experience at home when you’re not able to visit the salon. With Pantene, you can provide your hair with a #Salontastic transformation that you’ve always wanted. Welcome 2021 – a year of transformations – with Pantene #Salontastic Conditioner collection with Keratin and Collagen.

Check out the social media posts of some of the influencers and celebrities you love who shared how 2020 was a rough patch that even their hair condition wasn’t spared.



As it turns out, 2020 also took a toll on Sofia Andres’ hair. Thankfully, she was able to move past the bad hair days with the help of Pantene. “I’m so ready to welcome 2021 with the help of great hair days, of course. Thanks to Pantene, I’m ready for a #Salontastic start!... Celebrate the new YOU in 2021 with Salontastic hair, thanks to Pantene!”


Gabbi shared in her Instagram post that 2020 was indeed a crazy year for her hair. “But this 2021, I feel salontastic! I'm glad I have Pantene’s Salontastic products. Now, I’m ready to welcome 2021 by being more confident with Salontastic hair every day.”

Say goodbye to bad hair days when you use the Pantene Collagen Miracle Conditioner or the Pantene Keratin Straight Miracle Conditioner. Both conditioners are formulated with a blend of Pro-Vitamin B5, with special ingredients like Miracle Serum, real Collagen, and Keratin straighteners that moisturize hair, target damaged strands, and strengthen hair that’s frizz-free with everyday #Salontastic results.

Even when times are tough, it’s never too late to turn things around. Just like how you deal with your hair — it’s never too late to use products that can give you the transformation you’ve always looked forward to. Now you can look forward to #Salontastic hair days, because with Pantene you have total control over bad hair days.

Say it loud and proud! Share with us your #Salontastic transformations by using before and after photos with Pantene products that helped your hair go from drab to fab. We’d love to see your fabulous makeovers. Head over to the Pantene Facebook page for the #Salontastic template, and don’t forget to tag our social media accounts so we’d get to see how far your hair transformation has come.

Start your #Salontastic hair transformation with Pantene at the comfort of your own home when you checkout through the official P&G Shopee Mall store.


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BDO Unibank honors Filipino artist David Medalla, who passed away on December 28, 2020. 

It commemorates Medalla’s legacy with the continued display of his sculpture, “Cloud Canyons No. 31” at the lobby of its Corporate Center in Ortigas (CCO). “

Cloud Canyons No. 31” found its way to CCO for bank employees, clients, and visitors to enjoy in 2019. Before coming home to the Philippines, it was exhibited in the Hepworth Wakefield art museum in England when Medalla was one of the shortlisted artists for the inaugural Hepworth Wakefield Prize for Sculpture in 2016. It is made of plexiglas tubes, wood, fibreglass, water, soap, and oxygenators, and is part of a series often referred to as the “bubble machines.” 

Mara Coson, who oversees the BDO Art Collection, said of Medalla’s passing: 

“David Medalla was magnetic. He lived a life that drew people in while he himself could not be contained. He left the world with stories so wild and infinite they can never all be told. 

“Medalla was born in Manila in 1942, with literary and visual genius uniquely attributable only to his bright spirit. His biography is too vast for a short note, and is kept alive by the many who encountered him along his life’s adventures, strangers and friends, periods from explorations of kinetic art in the 1960s and beyond to performances anywhere, and travel whether physical or otherwise. He spent his life around the world, at home everywhere and still home was also the Philippines, where he died peacefully. 

“More than ever, we must make sure the bubbles of Cloud Canyons No. 31 continue endlessly and fully in our care—and most of all, welcome to the public to experience these clouds for always. We will do Medalla proud. 

“When you visit the bubble machine, I encourage you take a moment to wish David the best for his next life, as he dances with ease among the brightest galaxies.”
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If it’s worth any consolation, 2020 has been such an inventive year for the beauty community. The beauty world has been constantly introducing big ingredient innovations we’ve never seen possible before. Just take a look at the micellar and collagen trends that were only thought to be beneficial for the skin but are now being sought after for hair. Who knows what’s next? And yet here we are again. 

Who would have thought that the food we eat 3x a day would be the newest trend that’s about to take over the beauty shelves, especially the hair care section? Enter, rice oil — the underrated hair beauty secret of ancient Japanese women, and now Filipinos are bound to experience its powerful benefits. 

The age-old secret to beautifully long hair comes from the 2000-year old Japanese tradition of using rice water to wash hair. For thousands of years, East Asians have taken advantage of this superfood’s high concentration of vitamin E and have been using it since to maintain their luscious long hair. 

The abundance of vitamin E in rice oil can help reduce inflammation and reverse damage to the hair follicles. It can also act as a natural UV protectant, shielding strands from the harmful effects of too much sun exposure. It’s the perfect ingredient to maintain strong, long and shiny hair. If you’ve been dealing with limp, brittle, dry, and damaged hair — a shampoo with rice oil essence might just be what your hair needs. 

Pantene took the hair game up a notch by extracting and distilling rice oil essence extracted in Wakayama, home to the Aragi-jima Rice Terraces to create a more potent ingredient, blended with Pro-Vitamin formula. 

So Long Damage, Hello Damage-free Strands with Pantene Long Hair Solutions! 

The New Pantene Long Hair Solutions with Pro-Vitamin Formula & Japanese Rice Oil Essence can help you grow your hair long without worrying about damage. This new Pantene shampoo is rich in Tocotrienol—a super Vitamin E, which has 50X anti-damaging benefits versus tocopherol in other oils. 


What does that mean? Pro-Vitamin B5 and Lipids fortify the inside, while Japanese Rice Oil Essence fortifies the outside. It ultimately repairs damaged hair and keeps it protected from external factors, allowing the hair to grow longer, stronger, and beautifully smoother. Now you can say goodbye to hair damage, without worrying about growing it out with the New Pantene Long Hair Solutions with Pro-Vitamin Formula & Japanese Rice Oil Essence! 

After shampooing, follow it up with Pantene Total Damage Care Miracle Conditioner that helps prevent protein loss and protects hair from damage caused by frequent styling and chemical treatments so you can enjoy stronger, silky-smooth long hair! 

Maintain beautifully long, and damage-free hair right at the comfort of your home when you checkout the Pantene Long Hair Solutions from Pantene’s official Lazada and Shopee stores.

 
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