Shopee Fashion Week Gathers Leading Fashion Brands in the Philippines, Offers Up To 95% Off The Hottest Fashion Items

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, teams up with leading fashion brands including Bench, Silverworks, CLN, Watch Republic, Banana Peel, Avel Designs, and Unisilver to kick off Shopee Fashion Week. From 19 to 25 September, users can indulge themselves with up to 95% off men’s and women’s fashion categories including apparel, shoes, and accessories.

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To cater to the diverse fashion tastes of all Filipino shoppers, Shopee Fashion Week will contain six themed collections namely Fresh Finds, Sneakerfest, Aegyo! Korean Fashion, Denim + Leather, Holiday Glam, and Accessorize. Featuring unbelievable deals starting from ₱1.00, shoppers can save even more when purchasing their fashion essentials on Shopee. Shoppers can also look forward to the Everything Must Go flash sale on September 25, where the most in-demand fashion items will be available at unbeatable prices.

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Shopee Fashion Week will also mark the official launch of Bench, the top fashion brand in the Philippines, on Shopee Mall. To celebrate the opening, Bench will be offering 20% off storewide for fashion hunters to fill their wardrobes. Bench Apparel and Bench Body will also offer exclusive bundles for as low as ₱259.00 on a limited time only, so fans of the brand can usher in the festive year-end shopping period with Bench on Shopee. Lastly, the first 100 Bench shoppers will win a free cosmetics set and limited-edition postcards signed by celebrities Max Collins and Marco Gumabao.

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Jane Lim, Director of Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is dedicated to bringing a customised shopping experience that caters to the unique tastes of our users. With dozens of the most beloved local fashion brands on board, Shopee Fashion Week aims to give users first-hand access to exclusive deals on a wide variety of clothes, shoes, and other fashion accessories. Together with themed collections and various other attractive promotions, we are confident shoppers can save even more on their favourite fashion products at Shopee Fashion Week.”

For more information about Shopee’s Fashion Week, visit: https://shopee.ph/m/fashion-week
For more information about Shopee, visit https://shopee.ph
Download the Shopee app for free on App Store or Google Play Store.

Shell Bike Fair 2018 Gears Up for Epic Finale in Manila this September

BIKE riders, club members, and enthusiasts are expected to pack the Philippine International Convention Center as Shell Bike Fair 2018 culminates in Manila on the 22nd of September.

One of the highlights of this much-awaited event is the search for the Shell Outriders Best Bike Club, a nationwide competition for groups that exemplify the values of a responsible and socially-active riding community.

To qualify for the Shell Outriders Best Bike Club award, nominees should show passion for achieving their goals, exhibit personal and social courage that benefits the riding community, have the mindset to overcome social barriers, and support a cause with a spirit of fun and youthfulness.

A screening committee will then evaluate entries and vote for representatives for each of these participating regions: NCR, Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Winners will be announced during the event in September with the grand prize being P100,000 cash plus P50,000 worth of fuel vouchers.

“Shell Bike Fair 2018 is our way of solidifying our commitment to the Filipino bikers. Through this event, we hope to recognize the bike clubs’ positive contributions to the community,” said Lorrie Ramirez, Shell Advance Brand Manager. “It’s their courage that inspires us at Shell. And it is the goal of Shell Advance to help our riders outride any obstacles they encounter by protecting their engines and helping improve the smoothness and responsiveness of their bikes.”

With this year’s theme, “Together We Ride Stronger,” Shell Bike Fair 2018 kicked off in Baguio last July with close to 3,000 bikers braving the rains to take part in the event held at the CAP John Hay Convention Center.

Now on its fourth year, Shell Bike Fair 2018 treated riders to a day full of exciting activities: with contests for helmet design and bike modification, on top of fun booth games and freebies sponsored by Shell V-Power, Shell Advance, and other sponsors. To top it off, five brand new motorcycles were given away in a raffle draw.

Celebrity guests like Daiana Menezes and Roxanne Barcelo also entertained the crowd while performances from Rico Blanco and other local bands rocked the night away. Certified motorcycle enthusiast and Shell’s newest brand ambassador Drew Arellano also shared his personal journey as a rider, the challenges that he encounters while on board his bike, safety riding techniques, and how Shell V-Power and Shell Advance served as his road partner throughout filming his travel show “Biyahe ni Drew.”

“We recognize our bikers’ passion for driving and the challenges they face on the road every day. That’s why we at Shell continue to develop products designed to be their reliable companion on the road. Right alongside Shell Advance, we have the Shell V-Power fuels line designed to deliver both performance and efficiency for our customers to ride well,” adds Mark Malabanan, Shell V-Power Brand Manager.

Be there for the culminating event of Shell Bike Fair 2018 this September 22 at the Philippine International Convention Center. This project is a joint venture of Shell Advance and Shell V-Power, dedicated to empowering solutions for making life’s journeys better and helping motorists outride anything.

For more information, visit www.shell.com.ph

Celebrate this festival season with Super Star Virgo

Christmas’ brightest star makes her way to Manila shores, as SuperStar Virgo will be back this December for holiday cruises.

Experience a one-of-a-kind holiday celebration while you cruise the Asian seas on these 6 Day / 5 Night Manila roundtrip cruise itineraries:

– Dec 4 and 9 2018 sailings to Halong Bay – Sanya
– Dec 14, 19, 24, 29 2018 sailings to Ho Chi Minh – Nha Trang
– Jan 3 2019 sailing to Coron – Puerto Princesa – Kota Kinabalu

Special family-friendly promotions of CRUISE ONE, TAKE ONE or 3RD/4TH GUEST FREE are available!

Book your holiday cruise through any local travel agency or visit http://bit.ly/SuperStarVirgoinManila

For inquiries, call (02) 836 6080

#SuperStarVirgo #StarCruises

Cebu Pacific encourages Filipinos to enjoy life’s first experiences with new campaign

Experiencing first moments always leave a big impact in everyone’s lives. From something as simple as meeting a new friend, to thrilling new adventures such as driving your own car or traveling out of the country—these unforgettable moments turn into wonderful memories that are worth treasuring for a lifetime.

Among these cherished moments is that exciting feeling one can get from traveling for the very first time. For today’s young Filipinos, flying off to a destination is a realization of their long-time hopes and dreams. Accompanying them in their journeys, the country’s leading local carrier, Cebu Pacific, opens a world of possibilities where everyJuan can create their life’s most memorable moments.

“It has always been our goal to support everyJuan to fly to their dream destinations. Now, we want to take things to greater heights, and share and celebrate exciting first memories and experiences with our loyal patrons,” said Cebu Pacific Director for Corporate Communications Charo Logarta Lagamon.

Cebu Pacific inspires more Filipinos to travel and gain more experiences with its Make Moments Happen campaign. The airline is touching on relatable stories that perfectly capture the interests of the viewers, especially the frequent and first-time fliers.

In support of its campaign, Cebu Pacific is releasing a series of digital videos that showcase real-life situations which are worth capturing as it happens. It focuses on first time moments that define everyone’s lives and shows how the airline plays a role in elevating the experience.

The first episode, Leah (First Break), follows a hardworking Manileña who is looking for a break from her busy reality. As her birthday comes near, she decides to take a leap and book that much-awaited vacation to a local destination, alone for the first time in her life.

Following Leah’s story, Cebu Pacific will also share an uplifting narrative of first achievement and a heartfelt tale of first welcome. Watch and share the videos on Cebu Pacific’s official Facebook page or YouTube channel.

freenet brings Freeniversaya: A FREEnet Concert

Are you ready for the most awesome free concert in the universe? Freenet, the top free lifestyle app in Google Play engaging online Filipinos nationwide through gamified rewards, celebrates its 3rd anniversary by giving freenetizens an exclusive access to the most requested artists of today with the Freeniversaya: A FREEnet concert.

Freenetizens joining the saya on September 20, 2018, will be jamming and grooving to the beats and tunes of some of the hottest OPM acts of today, including Bamboo, KZ Tandingan, Moira Dela Torre, Shanti Dope, Gloc 9, Ben & Ben, and Hashtags at the SM MOA Arena in Pasay City.

Scoring a concert ticket to this exclusive musical event is easy. All you have to do is download the freenet app, register, and complete missions inside the app to earn freenet points. The more freenet points you earn, the better seats you get at the concert, as you will use these points to redeem tickets in the in-app freenet shop. Check out http://frnt.ph/gettix to know more.

With 100 freenet points, you can already fangirl over the hashtags with your besties all the way from the general admission area. Get in the feels with Ben&Ben and redeem upper box tickets with your 200 freenet points or lower box tickets with 500 freenet points. For 900 freenet points, you can already dance to the beats of Gloc 9 and Shanti Dope closer to the stage at the VIP 2 area. You’ll sure be singing with KZ and Moira all night especially if you get VIP 1 tickets with 1,000 freenet points, so be sure to memorize their songs. And with 10,000 freenet points, you can get the best seat and view at the house with your VVIP ticket and even get a chance to hang out backstage during the concert!

Once you’ve redeemed your ticket, you will receive an SMS confirmation from freenet containing your reference number. All that’s left to do is to go to an SM Ticket outlet near you, present this SMS confirmation, and claim the print-out version of your ticket. You will need to present this along with your freenet app before you enter SM MOA Arena on the day of the concert.

“We’re definitely leveling up the fun and excitement as we celebrate our third year with the Freeniversaya concert! We’re excited to bring this one-of-a-kind musical extravaganza to all the loyal freenetizens out there, because life has definitely become more rewarding with freenet. But that’s not all, because Filipinos all around the country can definitely expect a more rewarding experience from freenet–within the app and out of it–in the coming months, so stay tuned!” said Heidi Garayblas, Associate Director for Marketing at Voyager Innovations.

More freebies? We got you, freenet fam!

Of course, this isn’t a freenet event without amazing rewards! To bring the saya to the next level at the Freeniversaya: a Freenet concert, freenet will be giving away very special prizes exclusive to the concert goers.

Freenetizens from other parts of the Philippines can also join in on the saya and get their hands on these rewards at this awesome concert. On September 19, freenet is flying in three lucky freenetizens and their plus 1, from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, for the ultimate Freeniversaya experie nce complete with a roundtrip ticket, hotel accommodation, and VVIP Freeniversaya concert ticket to boot.

The Freeniversaya concert ticket is just one of the many rewards that you can redeem inside the freenet app. By completing in-app missions such as visiting selected sites on freenet, or downloading useful apps, you earn freenet points which you can use to redeem rewards like airtime load, data packages, gaming pins, and even vouchers such as the Freeniversaya concert ticket.

By using the freenet app, you also get a chance to win prizes everyday for your daily dose of happiness with Dailygaya Raffle Promo. Every day, until September 29, a lucky freenetizen will take home awesome prizes from freenet – from PayMaya credits, Sodexo GCs, to brand new smartphones and motorcycles.

But that’s not the only way you can get a rewarding experience in freenet. With this app in hand, shopping at Lazada or paying bills via PayMaya has just gotten more convenient as freenet allows Smart, TNT and Sun subscribers to access these go-to apps and sites without data charges.

With freenet’s Netzee Hours, posting photos on Facebook in the morning (from 7AM to 8AM) reading tweets on Twitter at lunchtime (from 12NN to 1PM) or playing Mobile Legends in the evening (from 8PM to 10PM) without having to subscribe to a data package is now possible. How cool is that?

Check out all the rewards and freebies you can access on freenet now by downloading the app for free at Google PlayStore for Android, and Apple AppStore for iOS. For more information, follow freenet on Facebook and Twitter or visit www.thefreenet.com.

Steph Curry in Manila this Septmber 2018

Finally, the wait is over. 3x NBA Champ, 2x MVP, the one and only Stephen Curry is coming to Manila, Philippines on September 7, 2018!

Want to see him LIVE?

Here are some ways to do it:

1. Get 2 LOWER BOX Tickets and the chance to see Curry Live, when you either purchase a pair of Curry 5 or Curry 5 Tour shoes at bit.ly/CURRY5PH

2. Get 2 UPPER BOX Tickets when you purchase Php5,000 worth of items at the select Under Armour stores and other participating outlets.

Terms & Conditions apply.

For more details, please check out www.facebook.com/UnderArmourSouthEastAsia

Rise Against Hunger Shows the World That it is Possible to End Hunger

The country’s beacons of joy come together to launch Rise Against Hunger’s ‘This is possible.’ Campaign in the Philippines

Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief non-profit organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In line with the celebration of their 20th year, the organization has launched “This is possible,” a global movement to end world hunger by 2030 — a vision aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #2.

On August 31, Rise Against Hunger Philippines officially launches this campaign with “Beacons of Joy,” a gathering held at the Conrad Hotel Manila to shine the light on those who have made extraordinary efforts in rising against hunger and bringing joy and relief to communities across the country.

The event included messages from Rise Against Hunger’s various partners and stakeholders—government representatives, corporate partners, impact partners, and beneficiaries—the beacons of joy to the Filipinos in need. Outside the event, hundreds of passersby witnessed the campaign’s launch with a video display at the Mall of Asia Globe on Friday evening.

“Our mission is to end hunger in our lifetime, and the first real step is to activate a worldwide movement,” said Tom Barbitta, Chief Marketing Officer of Rise Against Hunger. “It will take the help and support from the global community to accomplish this goal, but with participation, financial contribution, volunteerism and heart, each person can change the life of another and put an end to suffering from starvation.”

Around the world, just over 815 million people lack adequate food. One in nine people go to bed hungry each night. Rise Against Hunger works to meet immediate nutritional needs today and empower the ability to build strong, resilient communities tomorrow.

Rise Against Hunger Philippines is the latest in the organization’s twenty-five U.S. and five international locations to take part in the “This is possible.” campaign. In 2014, Rise Against Hunger opened a dedicated location in the Philippines, led by Executive Director Jomar Fleras, following the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Since its inception, Rise Against Hunger Philippines has packaged over 252 million meals. In 2018, the organization established the Good Food Grocer, the country’s first food bank sells nutritious food at discount prices, as well as distributes food to informal settlers and children in daycare centers.

“Rise Against Hunger, its donors, volunteers and beneficiaries join the global community in ending hunger by 2030. With the ‘Power of We,’ 2030 is possible,” said Fleras.

The “This is possible.” campaign was first launched in February 2018 in New York City, where thousands of people joined together in Times Square to sign pledges to end hunger. The campaign was created to build awareness and drive a global movement to end hunger by the year 2030. So far, the initiative has also been launched in Italy, Malaysia, India and South Africa.

is Possible to End Hunger

The country’s beacons of joy come together to launch Rise Against Hunger’s ‘This is possible.’ Campaign in the Philippines

Rise Against Hunger is an international hunger relief non-profit organization that distributes food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable. In line with the celebration of their 20th year, the organization has launched “This is possible,” a global movement to end world hunger by 2030 — a vision aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #2.

On August 31, Rise Against Hunger Philippines officially launches this campaign with “Beacons of Joy,” a gathering held at the Conrad Hotel Manila to shine the light on those who have made extraordinary efforts in rising against hunger and bringing joy and relief to communities across the country.

The event included messages from Rise Against Hunger’s various partners and stakeholders—government representatives, corporate partners, impact partners, and beneficiaries—the beacons of joy to the Filipinos in need. Outside the event, hundreds of passersby witnessed the campaign’s launch with a video display at the Mall of Asia Globe on Friday evening.

“Our mission is to end hunger in our lifetime, and the first real step is to activate a worldwide movement,” said Tom Barbitta, Chief Marketing Officer of Rise Against Hunger. “It will take the help and support from the global community to accomplish this goal, but with participation, financial contribution, volunteerism and heart, each person can change the life of another and put an end to suffering from starvation.”

Around the world, just over 815 million people lack adequate food. One in nine people go to bed hungry each night. Rise Against Hunger works to meet immediate nutritional needs today and empower the ability to build strong, resilient communities tomorrow.

Rise Against Hunger Philippines is the latest in the organization’s twenty-five U.S. and five international locations to take part in the “This is possible.” campaign. In 2014, Rise Against Hunger opened a dedicated location in the Philippines, led by Executive Director Jomar Fleras, following the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda. Since its inception, Rise Against Hunger Philippines has packaged over 252 million meals. In 2018, the organization established the Good Food Grocer, the country’s first food bank sells nutritious food at discount prices, as well as distributes food to informal settlers and children in daycare centers.

“Rise Against Hunger, its donors, volunteers and beneficiaries join the global community in ending hunger by 2030. With the ‘Power of We,’ 2030 is possible,” said Fleras.

The “This is possible.” campaign was first launched in February 2018 in New York City, where thousands of people joined together in Times Square to sign pledges to end hunger. The campaign was created to build awareness and drive a global movement to end hunger by the year 2030. So far, the initiative has also been launched in Italy, Malaysia, India and South Africa.

Old Spice and Ducati Motorbike Honor Today’s Man with the Spice Up your Ride Raffle Promo

A man’s man is not a man who shies away from the crowd nor a man who hides when the going gets tough. He is someone who is loud, proud, and stands out from the crowd by being their absolute best in every aspect, even in their personal care. Old Spice, the manliest grooming brand on the planet, has recently launched the ‘Spice Up Your Ride’ raffle promo, where a lucky guy gets to win an exclusive Old Spice Edition of the equally confident and striking Ducati SuperSport motorbike.

“We want today’s man to not settle for the bland and the conventional. Today’s man should be able to stand out and be fully confident of themselves. With Old Spice, you get to spice up your ride, making you feel confident in whatever endeavor you are in to, whether it is about your career, your sport, your social life, or your personal life. We want you to take charge. And with our friends in Ducati, you get to do this by elevating your game with the limited edition Old Spice Ducati SuperSport”, shared by Old Spice Philippines at the launch event in Social House, Circuit Makati, Makati City.

The ‘Spice Up Your Ride’ promo is perfect for a man’s man, someone who wants to feel fresh and at their best not only in the personal level, but also when it comes to exploring through the bikes they ride.

To join the promo, all you have to do is man up and purchase any Old Spice product. You can then submit your entry at www.oldspiceph.net, where you will have to fill out your personal information, contact details, and the receipt number of the product that you purchased. For the complete mechanics, details of the promo, and as well as more information about Old Spice, you check out the website (www.oldspiceph.net) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com/OldSpicePH). The promo runs from July 15 to October 31, 2018 with the draw happening on November 5, 2018.

Old Spice is the authority on the male grooming experience and it brings authenticity, performance, and confidence to men all around the world. It offers a wide array of products for the modern man such as antiperspirant deodorants, deodorants, bar soap, shower gel, body sprays, after shaves, and colognes. It comes in various scent collections, allowing the man to choose the perfect man-smell for oneself given any and every situation. You can man-up today as Old Spice is found in all leading supermarkets and stores nationwide.

For further inquiries, please contact:

ComCo Southeast Asia
Rafael Reynaldo H. Dela Torre
+63 920 964 7507
raf.delatorre@comco-hq.com

Ferdinand L. Bondoy
+63 919 995 8588
ferdinand.bondoy@comco-hq.com

RPG Distribution Services, Inc.
+63 917 852 9891

Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day is Back

The Biggest Annual Shopping Event in Southeast Asia and TaiwanUsers can look forward to a super series of non-stop deals over 11 consecutive super themeddays, and massive giveaways worth over 15 million to be₱ wonShopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, kicks off its biggestannual regional shopping event, Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. After last year’s successful9.9 event which saw a three-fold uplift in orders and a five-time increase in traffic, Shopee isupping the ante this year with a 11-day mega shopping event from 30 August to 9 September.With over 500,000 sellers, around 800 brands and more than 60 partners onboard, users canexpect up to 99% off from the largest collection of deals and massive giveaways worth over 15₱Million.

“Shopee has grown tremendously in the past year. We now boast around 160 million usersacross the region, including over 16 million in the Philippines. At the same time, the number ofsellers on Shopee has more than doubled to over 500,000 in less than a year, showing how weare quickly becoming the online shopping destination of choice for both shoppers and sellers inthe region. To thank all our users for their continued support, we extended this year’s Shopee9.9 Super Shopping Day to feature almost two weeks of non-stop promotions across all productcategories. We have also continued to strengthen our ties with leading brands and partners tobring our users even more exclusive deals and promotions on Shopee,” said Terence Pang,Chief Operating Officer of Shopee.

Super savings on super themed daysStarting 30 August, users can participate in a 11-day shopping marathon, featuring differentback-to-back themed days every 24 hours in the lead up to the peak of Shopee 9.9 SuperShopping Day on 9 September. Users can also look forward to free shipping with loweredminimum spend every day during this period. Key highlights include Super Flash Sale Day onAugust 30 featuring flash deals as low as ₱99 happening nine times over the course of the day;and Super Vouchers Day on 3 September with a total of over 900,000₱ worth of vouchers tobe redeemed.On 5 September, Shopee will also be teaming up with hundreds of leading brands includinggiants P&G, Maybelline, Samsung, Vivo, Colgate – Palmolive, Oppo, Asus, and more tolaunch the first-ever

Super Brand Festival, comprising the largest collection of deals frommajor brands on Shopee Mall. Users will get first-hand access to thousands of products sold bytheir favourite brands across all product categories including Electronics, Mobile and Gadgets,and Health and Beauty.Shopee Shake, the highly popular in-app game that has since clocked over 70 million plays by users across the region, is making a comeback, this time with a new group mode where users can invite others to play at the same time to earn bonus coins, and a supersized coins pool of over 9 million Shopee Coins up for grabs. On Super Shopee Shake Day and Super Shopping Day on 8 and 9 September respectively, users can play up to 18 times in 48 hours for a chance to win Shopee coins, vouchers and prizes.

Take part in the nationwide Shopee Dance competition to win super giveawaysIn line with Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping day, Shopee will also be launching a nationwideShopee Dance competition called Shopee Dance to Win with prizes including an Ace 50” TVand up to 100,000 in cash to be won. The dance is featured in Shopee’s second television₱commercial starring Shopee Philippines’ brand ambassador, Anne Curtis.To qualify, users will need to post a video of themselves doing the Shopee Dance on Facebookor Instagram with the hashtag #ShopeeDancePH. The competition will run from 31 August tillthe end of Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. Winners will be announced on Shopee’s socialmedia pages on 9 September.

Mental Health Matters

With successive incidents of suicide among notable celebrities here and abroad, there is now a strong call to promote good mental health among people suffering from various mental health disorders. Now, it is not just enough to provide emotional support, belongingness, understanding and compassion. There is also a strong need to spread enough information, how to know if one is suffering from mental issues, especially those undergoing various amounts of physical and emotional stress that can be too hard to handle, much more ignore.

To stress further the need to spread more information about mental health issues, Mental Health Matters (MHM) recently celebrated its 1st anniversary through its “Mental Health Matters Fair.” The event, which was held at the Crown Spaces in Makati City and opened to the public, was organized by the group and Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa, herself an advocate of good mental health and who once underwent bouts with depression.

The fair featured several inspirational talks from guest speakers from the medical profession and the legislative sector, free psychiatric consultations, art exhibits, live performances, and interactive and imaginative booths and was open to the public. Priority access, however, was provided to the MHM Support Group and the Anxiety and Disorder Support Philippines (ADSP).

The whole-day affair started with psychiatrists from the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPS) and Talang Dalisay, a nongovernmental organization, who jointly provided professional psychiatric advice for free to select attendees. Both are partners of MHM.

The afternoon started with a talk by Senator Risa Hontiveros, author and principal sponsor of the bill that became Republic Act 11036 or the Philippine Mental Health Law, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte recently. She said mental health struggles among Filipinos are very complex. “Today and every day, you are not alone,” she assures those present.

She said the law’s Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) is now being developed under the Department of Health, particularly on seeking increase in access to services up to the community level, a progressive “referral” system, on-campus anti-discrimination and anti-stigma program, and inclusion of non-medical interventions to health and healing.

Verzosa, a strong advocate of mental health since her reign, said she organized the event for the benefit of everyone who has been struggling and who has survived. She also called on people undergoing depression to not be afraid to seek help. “Get help by talking to someone. Let’s speak up about mental health before it’s too late.” Dr. Gia Sison, a breast cancer survivor and a Youth for Mental Health Coalition national adviser, meanwhile, provided invaluable advice, particularly on developing mental strength to help overcome failures.

There were also other speakers who shared their mental health advocacies. UST student Reymark Simbulan, a member of the LGBTQ community who also suffered from depression, shared many important things about finding one’s anchors, not giving up because it will get better, and knowing that God will make us stronger. He also noted that “members of the LGBTQ community are almost three times likely to experience mental health problems like depression,” he said.

Diet coach Nadine Tengco, meanwhile, said food has a profound effect in addressing one’s mental health while Mariella Tung, a pastry chef, shared her story of resilience and recovery. “I finally came out to people about depression and became strong because of my son, my anchor. Every day, I remind myself of that one person.” Kates Ante, head of operations at ADSP, explained how “laughter yoga” works, and said the art pieces in the exhibit were masterpieces of people with mental health problems. Rachelle Jardin, a former media researcher, filmmaker and poet, meanwhile, said her team is working on an idea of a social enterprise for mental health.

Mental Health Matters is an online support group established for people experiencing various forms of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety disorders. The group also offers seminars to spread awareness about mental health in many universities nationwide. For more information about the group, go to www.Facebook.com/mentalhealthmattersbykylieverzosa.