Traveling is back. And people are doing just that – revenge traveling! In fact, The Philippines has now welcomed 3.87 million foreign tourists since the start of the year, representing more than 80% of the country’s 2023 target of 4.8 million arrivals. At the opening of the 2023 Philippine Travel Exchange in Cebu, on September 21, the country’s tourism department revealed there had been 3,877,183 arrivals between 1 January and 19 September 2023. This means the Philippines is already sitting at 80.8% of the agency’s full-year target and on track to comfortably exceed 5 million arrivals. Thanks to various travel promotions for this feat. Hong Kong Tourism Board promoted HELLO Hong Kong at the TME 2023 One of them is the TRAVEL MADNESS EXPO (TME) which boasts to be the source for the best travel deals in the last 10 years. TME’s successful display of destinations and cultures from around the world in the past years brought about strong support from the travel industry maki...

As the holiday season approaches, the quest for the perfect gift takes center stage in our minds. While the options are seemingly endless, there's one gift that stands out from the crowd – the gift of relaxation. OGAWA, a trusted name in the world of wellness and massage technology, presents an exquisite selection of premium massage chairs that promise to be the ultimate holiday gift. Smart Vogue Elite: The Pinnacle of Massage Innovation   At the forefront of OGAWA's holiday gift guide is the Smart Vogue Elite, a masterpiece in the world of massage chairs. Designed to emulate comprehensive hand-like massages, this chair is a luxurious retreat for your body and soul and is the perfect gift for hardworking parents in need of a well-deserved break from their daily routines. This luxurious massage chair offers a rejuvenating escape right in the comfort of their own home. Key Features: The Smart Vogue Elite stands out with its comprehensive hand-like massage capabilities, pr...

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) which could lead to sudden cardiac death (SCD), is a global health threat that can happen to anyone when the heart’s electrical activity beats speedily and abruptly stops, according to doctor members of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA). With this, Filipino heart experts are batting for the enactment of a law that mandates the government to place automated external defibrillators (AEDs) within easy access of the people including those in rural areas to dramatically decrease death from heart ailments notably SCA. AED is described as a “sophisticated, yet easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.” The PHA is the lead agency for the yearly observance of World Restart a Heart Day (WRaHD) which was highlighted by a monthly webinar dubbed Usapang Puso sa Puso (UPP). UPP was held on October 18, followed by the Tra...

  The lead agency of the World Heart Day (WHD) celebration in the country, the Philippine Heart Association (PHA) underscored the importance of physical activities to abate the surge of cardio vascular diseases (CVDs) in the country through the September 28, 2023, Usapang Puso sa Puso online forum titled “Use Heart to Know Heart.”   The PHA emphasized the maximum benefits and importance of walking: “One of the best simple exercises to live healthier ang walking. Madali lang gawin araw-araw at wala namang kailangan na equipment or facilities,” said Dr. Walid Amil, PHA secretary, and WHD 2023 chair/UPP moderator.   An entry to PHA's poster-making contest on WHD 2023 PHA President Dr. Ronald Cuyco’s short but sweet message: “regardless of one’s age, walking is still the best exercise”. Encapsulating the PHA’s WHD sentiment, he quipped “isa lang ang aming mensahe dito: Use Heart, Know Heart; galaw-galaw para sa puso.”   Dr. Michelle Pipo, a cardiac rehabi...

Sharing in the bayanihan spirit, locals, guests, and tourism service providers take time to help clean up the beaches of Boracay every 5:00 PM for 5 minutes in line with the HIGH 5 Boracay clean-up program. (Photo provided by MBA) With its upbeat and almost danceable tempo and easily understood message on cleanliness and mindful tourism, ‘Isla Boracay’ could easily become the new national anthem of sorts across the island in the days and years to come. (Check out the song at https://bit.ly/IslaBoracay ).  Written and performed by upcoming musician Daenniel Fernandez from Palawan State University, Isla Boracay is the grand winner of the first High 5 Boracay Song Writing Competition, one of the highlights of the Malay Tourism Week 2023 celebration. Winning P100,000 cash prize though the efforts of Boracay MICE Alliance (BMA) together with the Local Government of Malay and the Department of Tourism Region VI, radio stations and establishments across Boracay would play the son...

Since officially opening its doors to the public in 2010, Pintô Art Museum, has become the place-to-be and a melting pot of sorts of various arts and artists from all over the Philippines. Owned by esteemed Filipino neurologist and patron of the arts, Dr. Joven Cuanang, the sprawling 1.5-hectare complex in Antipolo has been providing a platform for Filipino and foreign artists to show their works in the last three decades since the day the good doctor became a supporter of practicing artists in the region in the mid ‘80s. Obviously, the name of the museum came from the Tagalog word for door. Aside from the artists and art aficionados, Pintô Art Museum also welcomes the general public to open their minds and hearts to new possibilities, new directions, "by providing a door to reach out to the world, a door for everyone to come in!” Currently, this gateway for modern and contemporary art, has an assemblage of over 300 modern paintings, sculptures, and art installations by va...

Do you experience sudden irregular heartbeat or random episodes of a flip-flopping heart that abruptly slows down? According to heart health experts, palpitations can be triggered by stress, exercise, medication, or rarely, a medical condition. They added that although heart palpitations can be worrisome, they're usually harmless. But should you continue to experience episodes of palpitations coupled with fast breathing and rapid heartbeat, you should take time to consult a cardiologist. This is the advice of heart experts from the Philippine Heart Rhythm Society (PHRS), a medical society of 46 cardiologists who subspecialized to treat patients with heart rhythm disorders including Atrial Fibrillation. The group held the “Atrial Fibrillation Public Awareness” Press Conference on September 16, one of the highlights of the PHRS 9th Convention themed: “Cardiac Electrophysiology Reborn”. Rapid heartbeat that comes and goes and becomes a continuous cycle could be a case of...