Dive back into the world of fun and wonder for kids and kids-at-heart, as Museo Pambata is reopening its doors this December!

Following its renovation and temporary closure, which began in 2022, the Philippines’ first children’s museum is set to make a soft reopening on Dec. 6 this year at its location along Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

The reimagined Museo Pambata will offer new experiences and interactive spaces. This includes a modern Bahay Kubo, which transforms the museum’s herbal garden into a space where visitors can experience a traditional Filipino home.

Another new space to look forward to is the “Balay Yatu,” a brand-new building that will feature artworks made from various regions in the Philippines and will be home to the museum’s gift shop and cafe. The space will also be used for Museo Pambata’s events and activities.

The museum will also feature revamped mainstays, such as its iconic “Bahay Pukyutan” outdoor play space, among others.

The reopening comes just in time for the museum’s 30th anniversary. To celebrate this, Museo Pambata is also holding a series of activities for parents and kids, such as the “Isla Pambata” exhibition and “Dulaan Pambata” performances starting this month.

The newly revamped Museo Pambata is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with tours held on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. It is also available for private group reservations, rentals, and private events on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

For more updates on Museo Pambata’s reopening, follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Location: Museo Pambata, Roxas Boulevard cor. South Drive, Manila

Opening Hours: 10 AM to 5 PM (Friday to Sunday) | Tuesday to Thursday for private groups and events

Admission Fee: P300 (Friday), P450 (Saturday & Sunday), Free (Children 2 years old and under)

It’s no secret that since the beginning of 2020, when the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in pet ownership across the globe. Many people turned to pets, particularly dogs and cats, to cope with loneliness as a result of social distancing and quarantine rules. If we’re talking about countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines took the top spot as the country with the most number of pet-related searches in the region during this time, according to data from iPrice Group.

Millennials in particular are among the biggest pet owners among the generations. More than an aftereffect of the pandemic, many of them are also waiting longer than previous generations to start families and as a result, tend to treat their pets like their own children. Pet owners are now spending more money on their “fur babies” especially when it comes to veterinary care. Just imagine the thousands of pesos Filipinos spend on vet visits, from consultations down to prescribed medications.

That’s where Life by Petto comes in, the first app-based health and wellness service for your pet’s concerns. With this app, you can get the most paw-some care for your fur babies through health plans that cover the basics of your pet’s needs.

The Beat Manila sat down with the app’s co-founder, Eileen Borromeo, to tell us about the inspiration behind the business, the challenges and rewards of running it, and the offerings on the app that aim to provide your beloved pets with the well-lived life they deserve (and more).

A Business Born Out of a Need

Like many entrepreneurs, the seed from which this pet healthcare startup grew was from a need. Eileen told us about how her personal pet story shaped the idea for the business, when her cat, Bunny, was diagnosed with a disease known as Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP).

“If you're a cat owner, FIP is one of those things that are dreaded, and there's [over] 90% fatality rate. It’s basically a mutation of the coronavirus,” she explained. “The vet said, we'll send her home for palliative care, which is often code for just make her comfortable until she passes away. I was fortunate enough to have been directed to a Facebook support group that also dealt with such issues, so I was able to access experimental medicine, non-FDA approved, which I had to procure from one of the members of that group and which we had to obtain from Hong Kong. I spent over three to four hundred thousand [pesos] on her medication. Bunny was able to survive FIP, but not without leaving a huge dent in my pocket.”

Eileen had been lucky to receive the support she needed at that time, but most pet owners aren’t so lucky when it comes to supporting and handling their pets’ unexpected illnesses. This experience led to a realization that eventually gave birth to the business.

“My eventual co-founder and friend [Choco Cuaso], works for the people in the insurance industry and I asked, ‘Wala pa bang pet insurance (Isn't there a pet insurance yet)?’ This was in 2021, so that was really how it started,” she shared.

According to their website, Life by Petto enables access to health and wellness services from partner veterinarians and vet clinics, as well as retail services that help better our pet’s lives. Eileen mentioned how we should think of them as the HMO (health maintenance organization) for pets. She also explained further how the service works and what makes them stand out from other companies.

“What really differentiates Life by Petto from other pet insurance companies is that we're basically more preventive, more healthcare-focused. We don't cover death or loss. Again, knowing the market, we don't want to be responsible for people suddenly just picking up a stray or a rescue and pretending that it's their pet, only to claim it for insurance, for a death benefit.”

Eileen and her co-founder got to work in 2021 but didn’t launch it until 2022. Within that year, the entrepreneurs did their homework to understand and confirm if there was really a need, making sure they had the market identified. This was done through research, surveys, FGDs (Focus Group Discussions) and in-depth interviews with anyone they knew was related to the industry.

They also had to figure out ways that they could get defrauded to prevent falsified claims, “Whilst we’re not technically insurance, there are services that overlap with its functions. We're basically a pet membership platform that allows access to veterinary clinics. It’s really an HMO-inspired business.”

Eileen also told us that one of the reasons they decided to create a membership-style pet HMO is because pets are unfortunately considered "non-living things" under the insurance commission. She explained that one of the advantages of the business model is that people are aware of its importance and are actually spending more money on their pets than themselves.

“It's a big cultural shift, not just in the Philippines but also globally. Children are more expensive in general and pose huge responsibilities. There's also less of the stigma related to starting a family. I think it was more felt in older generations where if you're in your early 20s and unmarried with no kids, your parents or grandparents start asking you questions about when you’ll start a family,” Eileen said. “So, pets provide that fulfillment emotionally. They provide companionship.”

She further explained how this has also caused a premiumization of pet products as people are now more willing to spend on their pets, “We're happy that other industries or other companies actually launched because it means that we're not alone. It's not just us imagining that we need something like this, but it's a legitimate industry. Though it's still in its infancy.”

But like in any business, or in this case a startup, it is not without its challenges. “Because we're a startup, everything is pretty much run by myself and my co-founder. Customer service is a challenge and making sure the operation side is more efficient. So we know what the issues are and we've had a relaunch for version 2.0. That's something that we're already working towards improving and we do see those improvements happening by this month.”

“Another challenge is there's no standard yet. People are expecting certain coverages but unlike with people’s insurance, it’s more fixed. With pet insurance, there's still no standard. Everyone's still learning from each other, but the demand is there,” she added.

Life by Petto: Making Your Pets’ Lives Better

So what exactly is on the app and what can you expect as a member? Eileen walked us through some of the highlights and how it makes not only pet’s lives better, but also their owners’ lives easier with its accessible features and user-friendly interface.

One of the first things you’ll notice when you get on the app is how it reduces the pain of having to fill up multiple forms just to be able to share data.

“My co-founder is with the people in the insurance industry so he knows all the lengthy paperwork and requirements needed,” she said. The creators made sure that the registration feels like you're having a conversation with a chatbot, simplifying the entire process.

Life by Petto currently offers two types of health plans: the Basic Plan (P990) and the Plan+ (P1499). The "Basic Plan" is a health plan valued at PHP 100,000 and covers all the essentials including diagnostics, vaccines, and accidents. Meanwhile, the "Plan+" has an additional coverage of up to 20% of procedure cost which includes spay or neuter procedures, surgeries, and common illnesses.

The app is also partnered with a variety of pet service providers including veterinary clinics, grooming services, pet supplies, and animal welfare groups.

“The latest version of the app now has promotions and marketing initiatives from our retail partners. So we realized that pet owners pay for everything. We don't get benefits in any way. It's easy to get benefits for the pet, but we also want to reward the pet-friendly establishments. We hope to see more of, [you know,] vouchers for pet-friendly resorts so if you're a Life by Petto member, that's something that you can enjoy. Even if your pet's not getting sick, you can get all these rewards as part of the membership.”

When asked if the business plans to support other animals apart from cats and dogs, Eileen stated that they’ve yet to expand their offerings to other types of species due to a lack of data available. “In the Philippines, there's no actuary for pet insurance in general. There are some beginnings of it in Asia, but we're not a mature market like the U.S., Europe, or Australia where you can break down the services down to the breed. They have the data which we don't have yet.”

However, while talking about the future of the app, Eileen confirmed that she has made it her personal goal to add more animals to the mix including rabbits, hamsters, and Guinea pigs. She also stated that any feature they intend to add in future versions would be reliant on data like whether it would be more helpful to have specific plans for cats and dogs, rather than having one base plan that covers everything.

It’s also important to note that Life by Petto is the only service that includes senior dogs as Eileen noted that small and large breeds have big differences in terms of age like how smaller dogs can still be young and active at the age of seven or eight but larger breeds are considered to be seniors at that age.

The business is also gearing up to launch a new vertical this Q4 called, “Petto Daily,” which is meant to be the go-to guide for pet care. The inspiration behind the idea was based on personal experience as Eileen is familiar with the woes of not having access to important information, especially for new fur parents.

“One of the hardest things, for example, when you're starting out and you're not sure what to do, people just ask everyone else on social media and they're not vets. So, there's really no source of information or knowledge that guides pet parents and you have to do so much research and the data is so fragmented. That's what we're doing. We're like a specialist pet publication and marketing business. So, watch out for that.”

Petto Daily aims to give access to vetted and verified knowledge for all your pet care needs. The co-founder also revealed that they are working with companies to offer Life by Petto as a benefit to employees.

It's safe to say that Life by Petto definitely got us covered when it comes to securing our pets’ health and wellness needs. When asked about the best part of running the business, Eileen simply expressed a similar sentiment with pet owners, “Just being around dogs and cats because we visit our vet partners a lot. Also, being surrounded by things that you enjoy doing, so the marketing and product development [aspect] of it. It helps to be around inspiring vet partners as well, because they really love what they do and that also inspires us to do better.”

Life by Petto is available on the iOS App Store and Google PlayStore. For more information, visit their website or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

People don’t think too hard about their scalp. While many place great importance on their hair and its health, there’s also a tendency to forget the importance of what it lies on. The scalp, often hidden, ages six times faster than the skin on our face.

This is according to Ms. Jane, the senior scalp consultant at Meinas Philippines. Having dedicated her professional career to guiding those in the dark, Jane now advocates for gentle, scientific-backed, natural-based scalp care to support hair health. Here’s all you need to know about how to care of this surprisingly sensitive part of your body.

People Have Different Scalp Types

Much like the skin on your face, the skin on your scalp may have different tendencies. Some people have oily scalps, others have dry scalps, and others still have sensitive scalps. Combination scalps are also possible as some patients report a dry and sensitive scalp or an oily and sensitive scalp.

Oily scalps tend to be greasy while dry scalps may have problems with flaking or itching. Sensitive scalps tend to react easily to products and are prone to redness and irritation. Those with this type of scalp may be more prone to seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, or severe dryness.

Oily Scalps Can Also Experience Dryness or Flaking

Contrary to popular belief, oily scalps can also experience issues related to dryness and flaking. “Oil can trigger [issues related to dryness] by disrupting out bacteria on the scalp,” shared Jane.

Seborrheic Dermatitis, which is characterized by flaky or scaly patches of inflamed skin, can in fact be triggered by excessive oil production.

What Affects Scalp Health?

Much like in the rest of your body, many variables can come into play when it comes to scalp health. In fact, even the water you use to wash your hair can affect the state of your scalp.

“We have a lot of OFWs who come to us saying that their hair has changed because [the country they’re in] has hard water,” shared Christine Ong, Managing Partner at Meinas Philippines. Specifically, this is shower water with high levels of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, or chlorides. Dirty water can also be an issue for people living in remote areas.

Another sneaky culprit is chemical residue from hair products or treatments. “What some people don’t know is that [harsh chemicals in] commercial shampoos may not dissolve [as quickly or easily] on your scalp,” shared Christine. “This can lead to clogging on your scalp, which leads to poor hair health as nutrients become less accessible to follicles.”

Another variable at play is genetics and ageing. Women, for example, might notice scalp changes from as early as 30 years old. Medication and hormonal imbalance can also affect scalp health, especially when it causes hormonal imbalance. “PCOS or thyroid problems can cause changes in the scalp due to hormones,” shared Jane. “This is where a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle can be beneficial.”

What to Avoid According to Your Scalp Type

For those with oily scalps, Jane advised to avoid oil-based treatments or products. Check the labels of your conditioners and products, and make sure that they are mild. Those with dry scalps are advised to avoid strong or synthetic products.

“People with dry scalps who use strong, commercial products might find it best not to use it every day,” Jane adds. "They can use it every three days; but ultimately, it’s best to use mild products as these can be used daily.”

Those with sensitive scalps might find products with low pH levels beneficial. “These tend to be milder on the scalp,” she added.

While hair products like these may be hard to find, Meinas Philippines carries imported shampoos and conditioners that are tailor-made for different scalp types.

Scalp Health Affects Hair Health

It becomes clear that ultimately, scalp health affects hair health and taking better care of your scalp can lead to healthier, fuller hair.

Meinas, which is known for their viral 7-step scalp treatment, continually advocates for taking better care of your scalp to see results on your hair. “We’re not a head spa,” clarified Christine. “While there are plenty of spas opening up these days, places like those will focus more on relaxation. They might not target actual scalp issues. We, however, are a scalp solutions and treatment center, and so while our treatments may be relaxing, they will also have more sustainable benefits in the long run [as they target scalp problems].”

Location: Meinas Philippines, 5th Floor of GH Mall, Ortigas Ave, San Juan City

Some people see life through rose-colored lenses, but Tonette Asprer chooses to view – or rather, experience – life through vibrations. A percussionist and music graduate, Tonette began her career as part of the San Miguel Philharmonic after graduating from the University of the Philippines College of Music.

“It was a dream come true – but that dream shattered when the orchestra dissolved,” she shared. “That’s when I had to ask myself the hard questions in life.”

Like many young professionals, Tonette’s main goal at the time was financial security. “My main concern then wasn’t figuring out who I was, it was figuring out how to get rich.” And while Tonette laughs at the thought today, back then, the music graduate had – like many of us – practical reasons to hope for such abundance. Yet, what Tonette found in her journey was much more useful; she found mindfulness.

Today, the term itself – mindfulness – comes across like a mental health buzzword. But those who have put in the work can attest to how helpful it can be in improving one’s outlook.

“Mindfulness is looking at the present moment, without any judgment or attachment,” explained Tonette. It is experiencing sensations without shame, fear, embarrassment, or guilt. “Mindfulness will allow you to be more loving and more forgiving, towards yourself and others.”

Of course, building mindfulness takes time, practice, and patience. The 21st century individual deals with plenty on their plate, so much so that the concept of relaxation becomes not only alien, but difficult to do.

“When we’re young, we’re taught that we need to go, go, go, that we can do it, we can push through,” Tonette pointed out. “But even your gadgets – your phone and your laptop – slow down when too many applications are open. You have to declutter, and that’s the same for your brain.”

In that way, mindfulness is a way to clear one’s mind, to rest, to wring tension out, and even to create boundaries.

For Tonette, her ongoing mindfulness journey has been about ten years in the making. She first started with the life-changing practice of yoga in 2014; this led to her becoming a certified yoga and meditation teacher. But that didn’t stop there; Tonette has since dabbled in other spiritual practices such as reiki healing and sound therapy, founding V432 Wellness, which aims to give clients access to such tools.

“The full benefits of these practices are already inside your own mind, but we can help you draw it out to the rest of your body. And trust me, when you experience it in your own body, that will reinforce everything you know,” she said.

Of course, not everyone believes in such spiritual practices. Energy and vibrations are often scoffed at for being “new age” so while Tonette welcomes those who resonate with her practice, she also admits that people may or may not fall into the same beliefs, all according to “divine timing.”

“These practices – yoga, reiki healing, sound therapy – have been available to us for thousands of years. And yet, it was only 10 years ago that I found myself getting into it, when I was already 37 years old,” Tonette shared. “I do believe that everything happens – and is discovered – through divine timing.”

At V432 Wellness, Tonette and her co-founder, Jose “Isla” Antinero, welcome students to retreats, events, and classes focusing on reiki and sound healing.

“These are practices that help us get in touch with our truest selves, practices that help us get out of the busyness of everyday life,” Tonette said. They also have oracle and tarot reading available for those interested.

Those who avail of sound therapy can expect a relaxing, and sometimes even emotional, session that uses sounds and frequencies to bring the body and mind into a relaxed state. Tonette and Isla use sound bowls brought over from Kathmandu. They use these to tune into specific 432 Hertz frequencies, all of which resonate with the 7.83 Hertz Schumann frequency, which known for enhancing memory and improving stress tolerance in humans. Participants need only to lie back, relax, and allow the sounds to do their magic.

Reiki healing, on the other hand, is more intuitive. As Tonette puts it, reiki healing utilizes energies already in the body, plus kind intention, to heal and connect to the body or to others.

“It revolves around the premise that the body has an innate ability to heal itself,” she added. “You can heal just by touch and some even get to a point where they can send [healing vibrations] remotely, just by intention.”

A unique facet of V432 Wellness is how Tonette and Isla, both musicians, can combine reiki with sound therapy. “Reiki is intention based so every note you play [in sound therapy] can be infused with that blessing and prayer to heal,” she explained.

So how often should people be practicing these tools for mindfulness? Tonette says, every day, “Maybe today, you can do yoga, tomorrow sound healing, the next day mindful writing. But meditation, you need that every day.”

While not everyone subscribes to the same belief system that Tonette and Isla do, there’s no doubt that the teachers’ learnings are beautiful. For her part, Tonette has seen the beauty of kindness through her mindfulness practices.

“There is kindness in everyone, and goodness is always innate. We all have our own egos, and we need to be more forgiving and more compassionate towards everyone, including ourselves.”

Location: V432 Wellness, 2nd Floor, Matana Place, 28 Matino Corner Malumanay, Quezon City, Metro Manila

If there’s one thing the current generations love, it’s a well-balanced life: having great health and making smart financial decisions. Thankfully, UnionBank, in cooperation with drugstore chain Mercury Drug, has launched a new credit card that will give us just that!

The UnionBank Mercury Card, UnionBank and Mercury Drug’s newest offering, is a credit card that’s designed for the “health-conscious, rewards-loving generation.”

With it, cardholders can get numerous perks, including getting five times the reward points on all health and wellness purchases — whether you’re stocking up on vitamins and skincare products or signing up for your favorite fitness classes.

What makes it even more exciting is that there are no annual fees for life (NAFFL), plus there are other exclusive perks to enjoy, like getting a free annual physical exam and ambulance service, among many other benefits!

Apart from its stellar perks, cardholders can also enjoy that card’s sleek, modern, and stylish design, featuring an image of the iconic "Mercury Man" on the front.

Giving users a peek of its various benefits, UnionBank and Mercury Drug held a launch party on Oct. 18 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in BGC, treating the guests to a day full of wellness activities. This included an outdoor yoga session, an indoor cycling class led by the fitness concept of Saddle Row, and rejuvenating treatments and massages from the Grand Hyatt Wellness team.

Speaking about the new card’s relevance in today’s generation, Steve Azcona of Mercury Drug said during the launch event, “We know the current generation is always looking for ways to live better, and that’s exactly why we created this card. It’s built around the idea that health is wealth, and we’re here to reward you for making the right choices.”

Want to get your hands on the new UnionBank Mercury Card and get started on your wellness journey? Apply here!