Category: Electronics

SM: Creating shared value through tech-voc education

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One of the flagship programs of SM Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the SM group, is its scholarship program. Aside from the college education offerings, the program also provides venues for students who would like to pursue a career in the skilled labor industry.

The gradual reopening of economy not just in the country, but around the world, brings hope to more job opportunities for Filipinos who lost their jobs because of the health crisis. Indeed, the support for individuals eyeing to be part of the skilled industry is needed now more than ever.

It was in this light when SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), together with SM Foundation (SMFI), Don Bosco One TVET Phils. Inc., and the city government of Pasay partnered to give educational support to 20 deserving youth coming from Pasay. To date, SMFI has already produced more than 4,500 tech-voc graduates who are now gainfully employed.

A dream to be fulfilled
One of the current SM tech-voc scholars from Pasay is Stephen Parina. His dream is to put up his own automotive shop since aside from his interest in cars and motorcycles, he intends to uplift the economic status of his family. Both of his parents are temporary employees at the Pasay City Hall.

“Nakita ko sa Facebook post ng SM Foundation na nandun ang aking gustong course kaya dali-dali akong pumunta sa city hall ng Pasay para alamin ang mga detalye nito at kinabukasan ay nagpasa na ako agad ng mga requirements,” said Stephen, who is now studying Automotive Mechanic course at the Don Bosco Makati.

“Gusto kong matuto kung paano mag ayos ng mga sasakyan at makatapos ng pag-aaral dahil hirap kami sa aming pamumuhay. Alam ko na makakatulong ang edukasyon, kagaya ng techvoc upang matupad ang aking pangarap na makapagpatayo ng sarili kong automotive shop. Magiging susi ito upang mai-angat ko ang antas ng pamumuhay ng aking pamilya” he added.

“Taos pusong pasasalamat sa SM at sa Sy family dahil nabigyan nyo ako ng pagkakataon na makabalik muli sa pag aaral. Hinding hindi ko ito malilimutan. Dadalhin ko ito hanggang sa aking pag tanda,” Stephen said.

Ticket to success
Another current tech-voc scholar is Jeorge Angelo Madrid. He is also studying Automotive Mechanic course at the Don Bosco Makati. His father works as a painter of houses and buildings while his mother works at the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Jeorge is the youngest and most of his five siblings already have their own families.

According to Jeorge, he sees this opportunity of going back to school as his ticket towards achieving his dreams: “Nag-apply ako sa SM Foundation kasi wla po akong kakayahan na makapag aral at makapagtapos. Wala po akong pagkukuhanan ng pang tuition para maipang bayad sa eskwelahan.”

Jeorge is adamant to find a gainful employment right after he finish his studies. “Salamat po sa SM Foundation. Kung hindi dahil sa inyo, hindi madaragdagan ang kaalaman ko tungkol sa automotive. Magagamit ko ito sa aking paghahanap ng trabaho at kinalaunan, masuportahan ang aking sarili, mga pamangkin at ang aking mga magulang,” Jeorge further shared.

Reaping the fruits of his efforts
Anthony Andales, an SM tech-voc scholar alumnus, also took the time to share his inspiring story. He graduated from the Dualtech Training Center in 2019 and is now employed as a staff technician in a known company which manufactures various electronic products for home and office use.

“Bago ako mag-training sa Dualtech, nagtrabaho muna ako bilang isang helper sa isang refilling station. Ang aking arawang sweldo ay P220 lamang. Akala ko dati, wala na akong mararating sa buhay at hindi na makapagtatapos ng pag-aaral,” Anthony recalled.

“But God gave me the privilege to be chosen as one of the SM Foundation scholars para makapag-aral ako nang walang binayaran kahit piso. Ang tanging puhunan ko lang ay ang aking lakas ng loob at ang aking mga pangarap sa buhay na balang araw, makatutulong ako sa aking pamilya upang kahit papano ay makaahon sa buhay,” he further added.

Right after his on-the-job training, he was absorbed by the program’s OJT- partner company and was given a job as a staff technician because of his skills and work ethics.

“Napagawa na namin ang bahay kahit papaano, hindi man bato pero at least maayos at safe kapag may bagyo. Hindi po kagaya dati na pag umuulan ay may pa-shower kami kasi butas-butas na ang bubong at tagpi-tagpi ang dingding ng aming tahanan. Walang imposible kapag ikaw ay may pangarap at determinasyon upang maabot ito sapagkat maraming tao at institusyon na handang tumulong. Kaya sobrang thankful po talaga ako sa mga taong tumulong sa akin para magkaroon ng maliwanag na kinabukasan.” Anthony concluded.

SM Foundation, through its Scholarship program, provides deserving and qualified students with access to college education and technical-vocational studies since 1993.

Smart wearable devices enable users to monitor scientific data 24/7

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Health and wellness have become many Filipinos’ top priorities these past months as people look to boost their immunity against the pandemic. Despite the growing emphasis on achieving a healthier lifestyle, however, many find it difficult, if not fail altogether, to meet their health, wellness and fitness goals. With the extended lockdowns changing people’s habits and limiting physical activities, more people face problems with their metabolism, which plays a critical role in maintaining good health.

Garmin, the leading brand of smart wearable devices with more than 60 million active users worldwide, uses health technology to accurately track users’ data and scientifically quantify their health status and guide them in achieving their health goals. Garmin‘s 2021 Asian User Health Data Report, which tracks Garmin smart wearable users’ data from January to September 2021 using the smartwatches’ Resting Calories and Active Calories features, reveals lower active calories and higher stress levels among people in most Asia countries compared to last year, which could be attributed to the pandemic and restricted outdoor activities. The study shows the Resting Calories of men and women in Asia 55 years old and above dropped significantly. Older users, however, clocked more Weekly Intensity Minutes than younger users, indicating growing health consciousness as people get older.

Garmin’s study indicates people with a higher average Weekly Intensity Minutes consumed more calories — both Active and Resting Calories — emphasizing the importance of exercise in maintaining good metabolism, which in turn improves one’s health. To encourage Filipinos to choose a healthier lifestyle, Garmin launches a new campaign aimed at helping users stay motivated and on track in their fitness goals. The #HealthIsAChoice #ChooseGarmin campaign encourages a scientific approach to pursuing health goals for the long term, with smartwatches as a way to track progress, maintain good metabolism and keep motivated. With this campaign, Garmin hopes to make exercising and leading a healthier lifestyle an easier choice for more Filipinos.

Choosing Health with Garmin

Watch the #HealthIsAChoice #ChooseGarmin campaign video here.

A sedentary lifestyle has been a pressing concern among a growing number of Filipinos even before the pandemic. Garmin’s latest report reveals Filipinos average 42.82 Intensity Minutes, the fourth lowest average values in the SEA region with Hong Kong leading at 53 minutes. The extended indoor living further limited people’s activities these past months, and specialists pointed this increases the risks for severe COVID-19 symptoms and other diseases.[1]

Filipinos ranked fourth globally in terms of being sleep-deprived, according to a study by Sleep Cycle in 2019. The report revealed Filipinos sleep an average of 6.5 hours a day versus the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep for adults.[2] In terms of stress level, the country was second only to Indonesia in having the highest stress level in Asia, according to Garmin’s 2021 report. Staying physically active and having adequate sleep are important in boosting metabolism and health. Improving blood oxygen health, avoiding excessive stress, building or maintaining muscle mass and maintaining proper hydration are also vital.

Garmin Asia Senior Director Mr. Scoppen Lin shared, “The public’s awareness of health has improved significantly, and a lot of it has to do with the pandemic. In 2021, Garmin’s health and wellness product lines, which feature comprehensive health functions such as blood oxygen monitoring, had a strong growth of approximately 30 percent in the Asian markets.”

Garmin’s smart wearables help users keep an eye on health factors by monitoring sleep and stress, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiration rate. Garmin encourages more health enthusiasts and fitness rookies to #ChooseGarmin in their self-training and physical activity monitoring and measurement.

To motivate users to continue exercising and boost their metabolism toward achieving better health and fitness, Garmin’s devices have sensors and trackers that show users’ progress. These help users see how their bodies are reacting to physical activities. Seeing positive results can give them a sense of achievement and motivate them further in their health and fitness journey.

Comprehensive Health Monitoring Features

Garmin’s smart wearables monitor important health functions related to the metabolic rate such as resting calories and active calories consumption. These devices also monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, stress level, advanced sleep monitoring, fitness age, hydration and other important health functions.

These features aid the user in determining exercise quality and developing good habits to improve their metabolism and overall health. The Heart Rate tracker, for example, can be used to measure exercise intensity. The body’s efficiency in burning fat improves when the exercise heart rate is between 65 percent and 79 percent of the maximum heart rate and the intensity of the workout results in slight shortness of breath while still feeling relaxed and comfortable.

The Stress Level widget monitors changes in the heart rate and provides Relax Reminders (when enabled) to calm down when stress levels run high. The Sleep Monitoring Tracker analyzes the user’s heart rate, oxygen saturation level, respiratory rate and activity data through the three sleep cycles (light sleep, deep sleep, and REM). It provides a score based on the quality of sleep. The Hydration widget records the user’s water intake with reminders to hydrate from time to time.

Garmin’s smartwatches also have built-in workouts, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in select watches, which users can access and download more from the Garmin Connect app. Fitness Age widget uses chronological age, weekly vigorous activity, resting heart rate and BMI or body fat percentage to estimate if the body is younger or older than the user’s actual age.

The most notable monitoring feature of Garmin’s smart wearables is the Pulse Ox sensors. Pulse Ox is one of the most-trusted technologies in detecting blood oxygen saturation.

Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) refers to the concentration of oxygen in human blood and is a valuable indicator of one’s health. Insufficient oxygen in the body’s tissues can lead to hypoxia, the chronic state of which leaves the body “low on fuel” resulting in dizziness, lethargy, fatigue and frequent yawning. Long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause obesity and decrease in metabolism.

The Pulse Ox feature in Garmin’s devices measures a user’s oxygen saturation concentration throughout the day and in real-time to identify the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. Tracking SpO2 gives users insights on their physical performance under all kinds of conditions, even while sleeping. Monitoring SpO2 during snoozing hours can help determine if one is experiencing any sleep disorders.

The Pulse Ox feature is available in select Garmin smart wearables in the Philippines, including the Venu 2/2s, Venu Sq, Lily, vívomove series, Forerunner 245 Music, Forerunner 745, Forerunner 945; Instinct Solar, fēnix 6/6S/6X Pro Solar, tactix Delta Solar and Descent Mk2/2S/2i. These come in diverse designs and features to match the user’s lifestyle.

Learn more and activate Pulse Ox feature on Garmin smartwatch here.

To help Garmin’s #HealthIsAChoice campaign reach more people, Dr. Geraldine Zamora recently took over Garmin Philippines’ Instagram Stories to conduct a Health Talk + Q&A session to answer health-related questions from the audiences. The whole IGS session can be found in the ‘Wellness’ IGS highlight.

“Strive to be physically fit. It’s important for us to keep moving. If you cannot find the time such as an hour or two every day, a few minutes per day would do. Try to get enough sleep at night and have a balanced diet. As much as possible, we have to try replacing ‘bad foods’ with good ones. Finally, do what you think is good for your mental health,” Dr. Zamora reminded when asked about her top recommendations for staying fit and healthy.

The #HealthIsAChoice. #ChooseGarmin. campaign will run from mid-November to December to champion a safe and healthy holiday season. It will include many exciting activities and promotions to look out for. For more information, check out the minisite here and follow Garmin’s social media pages Instagram and Facebook.

Worldwide sales of OMRON blood pressure monitors tops 300 million units

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OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd (Head Office: Muko, Kyoto, Japan, President & CEO: Isao Ogino) has announced that cumulative global sales of home-use blood pressure monitors reached 300 million units. It was 1973 when OMRON released its first electronic blood pressure monitor. And now, OMRON blood pressure monitors are available in more than 110 countries/regions across the world including the Philippines.

“We are celebrating this remarkable milestone by strengthening our commitment to serving our customers here in the Philippines even better. We are working hard on forging more partnerships and making our products more accessible so that OMRON can help more Filipino families in maintaining good heart health from home,” said Mr. Yusuke Kato, General Manager for OMRON Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd – Philippine Branch (Healthcare Division).

In the Philippines, for example, OMRON has collaborated with Philippine Society of Hypertension in educating Filipinos on how to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease by changing a healthy lifestyle and monitor blood pressure regularly at home.

Since the release of the first device, it took OMRON 36 years to achieve cumulative global sales of 100 million units in 2009. In the 2010s, people became more conscious of managing their own health, and at the same time, the number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases dramatically increased on a global scale. Just around the same time, the guidelines for home treatment of hypertension were officially established　by leading medical societies, and a new behavioural pattern – monitoring blood pressure at home – became more popular. As a result, it took only 7 years to sell the next 100 million units. Ever since, OMRON has expanded across global markets consistently, accommodating the increasing demand of blood pressure monitors not only in America, China, and Europe, but also in developing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Brazil, and it took only 5 years for marking the 300 million-unit sales this year.

An estimated 1 billion adults worldwide have hypertension, and the number of individuals with cerebro-cardiovascular diseases caused by hypertension accounts for 17.5 million. In the Philippines, the latest Preyson study released in 2021 by the Philippine Heart Association showed that the country has a progressive rise of high blood pressure among Filipinos, with the prevalence of hypertension climbing to 37 percent in 2021.Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, and even when patients manage to survive after an event, there are still high risks for becoming bedridden or causing them to have serious side effects. Not only patients, but also their families can be impacted mentally and financially, and the level of their health-related quality of life (QOL) is jeopardized.

With the mission of “helping realize healthy and comfortable lives for people around the world”, OMRON Healthcare heralded its Going for ZERO vision (achieving zero cerebro-cardiovascular events) for its cardiovascular business in 2015, and has expanded the business domains focusing mainly on home blood pressure monitors. Now, taking this opportunity as a milestone for the new chapter, it will continue to identify the market demands and user needs, while responding to them swiftly with innovative solutions. Furthermore, the service business, such as the development of health-management apps for smartphones and a remote patient monitoring service will be accelerated. OMRON Healthcare will support both home health managements and healthcare professional’s patients treatment with its devices and services; helping to realize healthy and comfortable lives for people around the world.

Journey of OMRON Healthcare

In the 1970s, when measuring blood pressure had formerly been regarded as a medical procedure performed only by physicians and nurses, the first OMRON electronic blood pressure monitor was released. Since then, OMRON Healthcare has been devoting efforts to explore the easy-to-use and highly accurate blood pressure monitors and has introduced innovative devices including a wearable blood pressure monitor and an upper arm blood pressure monitor with EKG function into the market. More recently, OMRON has taken on the challenge of introducing the remote patient monitoring services on a global scale as part of the infrastructure in the New Normal, and developing AI technology to prevent the potential events of cardiovascular diseases.