Launching in Asia: RELIFE, a revolutionary new approach to medical aesthetics

MANILA, Philippines – June 2018 – Calling all fearless Filipinas – it’s time to join the confidence movement, by embracing and expressing beauty according to one’s own terms.

By fusing the science and art of beauty, women can have a better grasp of the possibilities they face. Stepping up to this is Menarini, Italy’s largest bio-pharmaceutical company with more than 130 years of medical experience, which has developed a revolutionary new approach to medical aesthetics. They took to heart the innovation and insights that bring life to the confidence movement, and the Menarini Group eventually launched RELIFE, a new worldwide company that specialises in dermatology and aesthetic medicine.

With its global headquarters in Florence, Italy; the cradle of the Renaissance; RELIFE draws on its dual scientific and artistic heritage to create beauty. Its science-based products and treatment protocols reflect its scientific heritage while the company’s concept of conscious innovation embodies its artistic heritage. “Gone are the days when women are ashamed or afraid to try new products and even cosmetic procedures. Filipinas are very particular about how they look, and they want to be sure that they go for the best especially when it comes to their body.” says Menarini Group’s Medical Affairs Doctor, Dr. Grace Nilo. “Now that the Menarini Group has arrived in the Philippines, we’re here to provide revolutionary aesthetic medicine that will empower people to be the most beautiful and confident versions of themselves”.
Showing the beauty within.

RELIFE believes the skin mirrors your well-being. That’s why RELIFE offers healthcare practitioners (HCPs) a holistic approach to aesthetic medicine giving a natural-looking, youthful appearance. This is achieved with a combination of unique products and treatment techniques developed in collaboration with leading HCPs/ specialists and the global scientific community. RELIFE will always listen to the needs of patients and HCPs, to provide the best-in-class product and value-added support services. The RELIFE aesthetic range consist of two core products:

Happy Lift suspension threads

Happy Lift is a patented line of absorbable, monofilament, suspension barbed threads designed to lift and hold soft and/or sagging facial tissues for a refreshed look and more defined facial contours. Happy Lift is made of unique materials poly-L-lactic acid and caprolactone. Unlike some conventional sutures which are smooth, Happy Lift threads have tiny barbs. Once inserted into the skin, these tiny barbs stimulate the fibroblasts to synthesize the extracellular matrix and collagen in the skin that act as scaffolding to lift and hold soft facial tissues in place, giving longer-lasting results than most other kinds of sutures.

SKINFILL hyaluronic acid fillers

SKINFILL is developed based on the patented COESIX® Plus technology, an effective cross-linking technology that allows the filler to be optimally balanced between duration and moldability. SKINFILL is made of hyaluronic acid, which is naturally occurring in the human body and cross-linked with butanediol diglycidyl ether (BDDE) for increased stability. Together with collagen and elastin, hyaluronic acid is responsible for the skin’s youthful appearance. SKINFILL is used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, restore lost volume, and reshape facial features

Conscious Innovation

RELIFE provides HCPs with the knowledge, training, and products they need to cater to their patients’ desires while adhering to a standardised educational platform ICME (Innovation and Consciousness in Medical Education). RELIFE prides itself on being a brand patients and HCPs can rely on and trust to:

1. Provide patient-centred care with a science-based approach
2. Develop and manufacture safe and effective products
3. Work with HCPs to bring conscious innovation and solutions to meet patients’ needs
4. Partner with scientific and medical communities to develop and deliver continuous medical education
Passing on the smiles
As RELIFE begins its launch in six key Asia-Pacific markets this year, they have commissioned a series of seven paintings called the Masterpieces of Beauty by a rising star in the Asian art world, Monica Hapsari. All the paintings will incorporate Asian perceptions of beauty tastefully combined with the Renaissance concepts of science and art. At the end of each of the i-DASS launch events in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, all the paintings from the Masterpieces of Beauty series will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to Smile Train, a global alliance of charities working together to share beauty and happiness by giving children with cleft lip and cleft palate back their smiles and confidence.

To find out more about Smile Train in the Philippines, please visit www.smiletrain.ph/

Shopee shares top 5 tips on how you can be like your favorite basketball star

It’s the NBA season! Filipino basketball fans are on their toes cheering for their respective NBA team. Though some might just be happy with cheering, others aspire to be part of famous basketball associations one day. However, we all know just how intense the off-season training sessions of our favorite NBA players are, so Shopee is here to share five tips to help you be just like your favorite basketball star!

1. Boost your protein

Eating a high amount of protein often goes hand in hand with having an active lifestyle. As an important building block of your whole body, your body and muscles use protein to repair tissues and provide energy. Shopee offers the best deals on health and weight supplements that will help your body get the most needed energy. Fuel your body!

2. Push your limits

You are stronger than you think. Staying in your comfort zone is not the key to achieving your goals. Shopee offers a speed training chute that can help every aspiring basketball player build those muscles and run faster. Get up and test your limits!

3. Gear up

Start your training by dressing the part. Get yourself a brand new basketball jersey, knee and ankle pads, socks and training shoes to help you play like a star athlete on the court! Choose from a wide variety of sports gear available on Shopee to improve your game and protect yourself from injuries.

4. Track your steps

It is important for athletes to keep track of their training routine so that they can keep their body in the best condition. Athletes usually use a fitness tracker to help track their steps, calories burned, distance travelled, and  heart rate. Get yourself a smartwatch that can help you keep up-to-date with your health and weight. Shopee features hundreds of affordable and top-of-the-class fitness trackers for you to choose from.

5. Practice! Practice! Practice!

Every great point guard in the NBA trains extra hard on their dribbling skills. Master your ball handling and dribbling skills to be at the top of your game. Get yourself a brand new basketball from Spalding’s official store on Shopee for the best deals. 

Shopee is also celebrating the NBA season with its Sports Week campaign from June 1 – 5, offering great deals from its Sports category. Sports fans can look forward to getting discounts on items such as health supplements, fitness trackers, sports equipment, and apparel.

For more information, visit www.shopee.ph.

Download the Shopee app for free on Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Microsoft and Frost & Sullivan Study reveals that:
• A large-sized organization in the Philippines can possibly incur an economic loss of US$7.5million, more than 200 times the average economic loss for a mid-sized organization
• Cybersecurity attacks have led to job losses inseven in ten (72%) organizations over the last year
• Cybersecurity concerns delay Digital Transformation plans
• Organizations are increasingly leveraging Artificial Intelligence to enhance their cybersecurity strategy

Sullivan study commissioned by Microsoft revealed that the potentialeconomic loss in the Philippines due to cybersecurity incidents can hit a staggeringUS$3.5 billion. This is 1.1 percent of the Philippines’ total GDP of US$305 billion.

The study, titled “Understanding the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape in Asia Pacific: Securing the Modern Enterprise in a Digital World”, aims to provide business and IT decision makers with insights on the economic cost of cybersecurity breaches in the region and identify the gaps in organizations’ cybersecurity strategies. The study involved a survey of 1,300 business and IT decision makers ranging from mid-sized organizations (250 to 499 employees) to large-sized organizations (>than 500 employees).

The study reveals that more than half of the organizationssurveyed in the Philippines have either experienced a cybersecurity incident (18%) or are not sure if they had one as they have not performed proper forensics or data breach assessment (34%).

“As companies embrace the opportunities presented by cloud and mobile computing to connect with customers and optimize operations, they take on new risks,” said Hans Bayaborda, Managing Director, Microsoft Philippines.“With traditional IT boundaries disappearing the adversariesnow have many new targets to attack. Companies face the risk of significant financial loss, damage to customer satisfaction and market reputation — as has been made all too clear by recent high-profile breaches.”

The True Cost of Cybersecurity Incidents – Economic, Opportunity and Job Losses

The study revealed that:

• A large-sized organization in the Philippines can possibly incur an economic loss of US$7.5 million, more than 200 times higher than the average economic loss for a mid-sized organization(US$35,000); and
• Cybersecurity attacks have resulted in job losses across different functions in seven in ten (72%) organizations that have experienced an incident over the last 12 months.

To calculate the cost of cybercrime, Frost & Sullivan has created an economic loss model based on macro-economic data and insights shared by the survey respondents. This model factors in three kinds of losses which could be incurred due to a cybersecurity breach:

• Direct: Financial losses associated with acybersecurity incident – this includes loss of productivity, fines, remediation cost, etc;
• Indirect: The opportunity cost to the organizationsuch as customer churn due to reputation loss; and
• Induced: The impact of cyber breach to the broader ecosystem and economy, such as the decrease in consumer and enterprise spending.

“Although the direct losses from cybersecurity breaches are most visible, they are but just the tip of the iceberg,” said Edison Yu, Vice President and Asia Pacific Head of Enterprise for Frost & Sullivan. “There are many other hidden losses that we have to consider from both the indirect and induced perspectives, and the economic loss for organizations suffering from cybersecurity attacks can be often underestimated.”

In addition to financial losses, cybersecurity incidents are also undermining the Philippines organizations’ ability to capture future opportunities in today’s digital economy, with more than half (57%) respondents stating that their enterprise has put off digital transformation efforts due to the fear of cyber-risks.

Key Cyberthreats and Gaps in the PhilippinesOrganizations’ Cybersecurity Strategies

Although high-profile cyberattacks, such as ransomware, have been garnering a lot of attention from enterprises, the study found that for organizations in the Philippines that have encountered cybersecurity incidents, data exfiltrationand data corruption are the biggest concern as they have the highest impact with the slowest recovery time.

Besides external threats, the research also revealed key gaps in organizations’ cybersecurity approach to protect their digital estate:

• Security an afterthought: Only 44% oforganizations consider cybersecurity before the start of a digital transformation project. Majority of respondents (56%) either think about cybersecurity only after they start on the project or do not consider it at all. This limits their ability to conceptualize and deliver a “secure-by-design” project, potentially leading to insecure products going out into the market;

• Creating a Complex Environment: Negating the popular belief that deploying a large portfolio of cybersecurity solutions will render stronger protection, the survey revealed that 17% of respondents with more than 50 cybersecurity solutions could recover from cyberattacks within an hour. In contrast, more than twice as manyrespondents (38%) with fewer than 10 cybersecurity solutions responded that they can recover from cyberattacks within an hour; and

• Lacking cybersecurity strategy: While more and more organizations are considering digital transformation to gain competitive advantage, the study has shown that 46% of respondents see cybersecurity strategy only as a means to safeguard the organization against cyberattacks rather than a strategic business enabler. A mere 25% of organizations see cybersecurity strategy as a digital transformation enabler.

“The ever-changing threat environment is challenging, but there are ways to be more effective using the right blend of modern technology, strategy, and expertise,” added Hans. “Microsoft is empowering businesses in the Philippines to take advantage of digital transformation by enabling them to embrace the technology that’s available to them, securelythrough its secure platform of products and services, combined with unique intelligence and broad industry partnerships.”

Artifical Intelligence (AI) is the Next Frontier in Cybersecurity Defense

In a digital world where cyberthreats are constantly evolving and attack surface is rapidly expanding, AI is becoming a potent opponent against cyberattacks as it can detect and act on threat vectors based on data insights. The study reveals that more than almost four in five (79%)organizations in the Philippines have either adopted or are looking to adopt an AI approach towards boosting cybersecurity.

AI’s ability to rapidly analyze and respond to unprecedented quantities of data is becoming indispensable in a world where cyberattacks’ frequency, scale and sophistication continue to increase.

An AI-driven cybersecurity architecture will be more intelligent and be equipped with predictive abilities to allow organizations to fix or strengthen their security posture before problems emerge. It will also grant companies with the capabilities to accomplish tasks, such as identifying cyberattacks, removal of persistent threats and fixing bugs, faster than any human could, making it an increasingly vital element of any organizations’ cybersecurity strategy.

Recommendations for securing the modern enterprise in a digital world

AI is but one of the many aspects that organizations need to incorporate or adhere to in order to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture. For a cybersecurity practice to be successful, organizations need to consider People, Process and Technology, and how each of these contributes to the overall security posture of the organization.

To help organizations better withstand and respond to cyberattacks and malware infections, here are five best practices that they can consider in improving their defense against cybersecurity threats:

• Position cybersecurity as a digital transformation enabler: Disconnect between cybersecurity practices and digital transformation effort creates a lot of frustration for the employees. Cybersecurity is a requirement for digital transformation to guide and keep the company safe through its journey. Conversely, digital transformation presents an opportunity for cybersecurity practices to abandon aging practices to embrace new methods of addressing today’s risks;

• Continue to invest in strengthening your security fundamentals: Over 90% of cyber incidents can be averted by maintaining the most basic best practices. Maintaining strong passwords, conditional use of multi-factor authentication against suspicious authentications, keeping device operating systems, software and anti-malware protection up-to-date and genuine can rapidly raise the bar against cyberattacks. This should include not just tool-sets but also training and policies to support a stronger fundamental;

• Maximize skills and tools by leveraging integrated best-of-suite tools. The best tools are useless in the hands of the amateur. Reduce the number of tools and the complexity of your security operations to allow your operators to hone their proficiency with the available tools. Prioritizing best-of-suite tools is a great way to maximize your risk coverage without the risk of introducing too many tools and complexity to the environment. This is especially true if tools within the suite are well-integrated to take advantage of their counterparts;

• Assessment, review and continuous compliance: The organization should be in a continuous state of compliance. Assessments and reviews should be conducted regularly to test for potential gaps that may occur as the organization is rapidly transforming and address these gaps. The board should keep tab on not just compliance to industry regulations but also how the organization is progressing against security best practices; and

• Leverage AI and automation to increase capabilities and capacity: With security capabilities in short supply, organizations need to look to automation and AI to improve the capabilities and capacity of their security operations. Current advancements in AI has shown a lot of promise, not just in raising detections that would otherwise be missed but also in reasoning over how the various data signals should be interpreted with recommended actions. Such systems have seen great success in cloud implementations where huge volumes of data can be processed rapidly. Ultimately, leveraging automation and AI can free up cybersecurity talents to focus on higher-level activities.

For more information on the study, please visit:

https://news.microsoft.com/apac/features/cybersecurity-in-asia/ ‎

To better understand the cyberthreats happening globally and in Asia Pacific, please download the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report Volume 23 here: https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-Security-Intelligence-Report-Vol-23-Landing-Page-eBook.html

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About the “Understanding the Cybersecurity Threat Landscape in Asia Pacific: Securing the Modern Enterprise in a Digital World” Study

This study involved a survey conducted with 1,300 respondents from 13 markets – Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand.

All respondents are business and IT decision-makers involved in shaping their organizations’ cybersecurity strategies. 44% of them being business decision-makers, including CEOs, COOs and Directors, while 56% are IT decision-makers, including CIOs, CISO and IT Directors. 29% of participants are from mid-sized organizations (250 to 499 staff); and 71% are from large-sized organizations (more than 500 staff)

This June, young kids can have more fun while learning new things and doing school work as they go through enjoyable adventures with Jollibee and friends—their Jollibee School Pals.

Available with every Jolly Kiddie Meal, the Jollibee School Pals is a set of back-to-school toys, each with different functions, that enable kids to be more creative at home and inside the classroom.

Young students can use the Jollibee Sharpener to keep their pencils from getting dull as they watch Jollibee spin around. With the Hetty Tape Dispenser, they can make Hetty turn as they pull strips of adhesive tape for their school projects.

With the Popo Stamper, kids can watch Popo dribble the ball while they creatively decorate their projects. They can also use the Twirlie Notepadto write messages to their classmates by simply opening the base to get the notepad. After, they can pull the lever at the back to see Twirlie’s hands move with excitement.

Drawing lines and shapes is more fun with the Yum Multi-Tools. Kids just need to poke the opening at the bottom of the base to get the ruler, stencil and paper clips. They can also turn the gear to watch Yum spin around.

Assemble your kid’s Jollibee School Pals in time for the opening of classes with every purchase of a Jolly Kiddie Meal: Yum Burger Meal at P97, Jolly Spaghetti Meal at P100 or 1-piece Chickenjoy Meal at P127, each with its own Jolly Joy Box.

Hurry, complete the entire Jollibee School Pals set, available until June 30. Head over to the nearest Jollibee branch to collect all five toys that can help make school more fun for kids!

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Las Piñas City – In today’s digital revolution, Artificial Intelligence (AI) opened opportunities for companies and states to develop machines that highly integrated a human’s imagination and problem-solving skills. Efficient logistics for production, cure for challenging diseases and self-driving vehicles are some of the visions that turned into reality through AI. This technological advancement is rapidly shaping the future and the way people live. Recognizing the shift, Southville International School and Colleges (SISC) has widened the scope of their Information Technology (IT) course through the launch of its AI and Mobile applications courses strengthened by their partnership with one of the world’s top ICT companies, Acer.

Students of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology can now opt to major in AI or mobile applications. The field of mobile applications for undergraduates can hone their skills in designing and hosting applications for gaming, entertainment and productivity.  On the other hand, students majoring in AI will tackle real-world projects that can provide solutions to today’s challenges. From handwriting/speech recognition to stock trading with neural networks, AI students will learn the skills that will be beneficial to organizations and to society.

“Southville IT degree holders will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence that will help them transform an organization into a more innovative, efficient and sustainable one,” said Dr. Aris Ignacio, Dean of the College of Information Technology.

Aside from adding tracks to its IT course, SISC has also intensified its faculty. Providing the students with quality AI skills and training is Professor Rex Wallen Tan, the sole holder of an AI masters degree in the Philippines.  Professor Tan finished his Master in Artificial Intelligence as Summa Cum Laude in Imperial College of London, one of the top universities in the world.

As a result of its strengthed partnership with Acer Philippines, SISC also has access to trainings for its educators to be up to date with the current industry trends. “As a global ICT company, we believe in paving the way for students to discover a future in the world of IT. Creating Acer Academy is our way of providing our products and services to schools and universities where they can utilize our expertise and resources in preparing future professionals in their careers,” shared Carren Garcia, Acer Philippines Senior Manager for Commercial Sales.

As a school that is strongly committed in preparing learners to be leaders and movers in the digital society, Southville also pioneered a technology-driven curriculum where students are taught with e-learning methodologies through an interactive software. SISC’s tie-up and accreditation with Microsoft Imagine Academy allows students and teachers to access course materials and obtain certifications online. Coupled with the software is Southville’s newly upgraded computer laboratory, powered by Acer desktops with high-end specifications. These devices allow students to process heavy data and applications to produce real-life end products.

To know more about the courses and programs offered by Southville International School and Colleges, visit its website at www.southville.edu.ph and/or call telephone numbers (02) 820-8702 or (02) 825-6374.

Southville’s Faculty of Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT).

[L-R]: Lisandro Adamos and Floramae Aguilos, BSIT Faculty; Dr. Aris Ignacio, Dean of the College of Information Technology; Claudine Lumactud and Fulgencio Ducut, BSIT Faculty.

Southville’s newly upgraded computer laboratory, powered by Acer desktops with high-end specifications.

High-flying teams came together at The Bike Playground at the Circulo Verde, the city’s newest entertainment and lifestyle destination that has become a haven for those who love one-of-a-kind adventures.A stratospheric high took over everyone as Game of Drones: 2nd Flight, the country’s biggest and only drone competition, took off on May 26, 2018.

Game of Drones: 2nd Flight is one such event, which provided FPV (First-Person View) pilots and drone enthusiasts an opportunity to show off their flying skills without having to wander far from the city, thanks to The Bike Playground’s wide open spaces which is ideal for those who love to fly drones.

The contest covered three categories – Time Trial, the Rotorcross finals, and Drone Photography, all of which allowed participants to battle in various contests for supremacy of the skies.

 Time Trial is a spec/open class category, where competitors raced to fly their drone across the 300-meter track for one lap. With up to four pilots per race, the winner Jerico Taleon, flew his drone within the shortest time took home a cash prize of P30,000. Runners-up were Marlon Caras and Mark Cometa.

 Rotocross is a spec class game. For this, participants were again grouped into batches of four for the elimination round. They flew their drones through a marked course, and the racers who finished first per batch moved up the ladder of eliminations. In the evening, the finals were held to determine the Rotocross Champion. Repeat winner Jerico Taleon received a P20,000, a trophy, plus items from sponsors. Runners-up were Danny Formentera and Axlsoy Godinez.

Drone Photography is an opportunity for photography enthusiasts to take breathtaking aerial shots within the Circulo Verde vicinity. The top ten submitted entries were shown at the venue for judging, and the winner who took home P5,000 was Lawrence Samaco.

On ground, there was as much excitement as that in the skies. Treats were available for everyone thanks to food stalls and sponsors’ booths that have ensured that everyone was revved up for a whole day of fun.

Drone hobbyists, enthusiasts, novice racers, and those who just want a taste of some outdoor fun were present to experience and watch as the drones battled for supremacy of the skies.

The Bike Playground is located within Circulo Verde, Calle Industria, Quezon City, a 10-hectare master-planned mixed-use community envisioned by its developers, Ortigas & Co., to become an active lifestyle destination.

For more information, check out the Game of Drones social media pages:

https://www.facebook.com/gameofdrones.ph/

https://www.facebook.com/CirculoVerde.Ortigas/

Recognizing how technology plays a vital role in today’s society, Southville International School and Colleges is offering two additional tracks in its BS Information Technology program starting school year 2018-2019: Artificial Intelligence and Mobile Applications.

Students majoring in Mobile Apps will learn how to design and host mobile apps good for gaming, entertainment, and productivity while students majoring in AI will tackle real-world projects such as handwriting/speech recognition and stock trading with neural networks.

“Southville IT degree holders will be equipped with the knowledge and confidence that will help them transform an organization into a more innovative, efficient and sustainable one,” said Dr. Aris Ignacio, Dean of Information Technology.

Providing the students with quality AI skills and training is Professor Rex Wallen Tan, the sole holder of an AI masters degree in the Philippines. Professor Tan finished his Master in Artificial Intelligence as Summa Cum Laude in Imperial College of London, one of the top universities in the world.

Aside from the new specializations, Southville IT students are trained in various topics and specializations that will prepare them for their profession. They also acquire a vast network of mentors and peers through their involvement in seminars and organizations here and abroad such as the Youth for Internet Governance Forum organized by the Netmission Asia, the Youth for Information Technology held annually in Manila, the Internet Society’s (ISOC) Intercommunity, student organization Junior Philippine Internet Computer Society -Southville chapter, and IN2ITION, an IT convention led and organized by Southville students.

At the end of the course, Southville IT students will not only obtain a college diploma but also global certifications from Microsoft that will give them an advantage anywhere in the world.

Interested to study in Southville International School and Colleges? Check out their profile now!