Globo by Ferdie Montemayor

Artist Ferdie Montemayor, in collaboration with Secret Fresh Gallery, launched a series of toys/sculpture pieces called Globo.

These toys/sculpture pieces are in the general shape of a linear sphere topped with small pieces of sculpture of a standing man or a tree. These come in two sizes: small, which is roughly 20 inches in diameter; and large, which is 27 inches in diameter. Each size is limited to 15 pieces each (eight black and seven white) and will never be produced again.

Montemayor, who graduated with a Fine Arts degree from the University of the Philippines-College of Fine Arts, lives and works in Antipolo City. He is one of the recipients of the 1994 Thirteen Artist Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and a grand prize winner of the Metrobank Painting Competition in 1992. His works are in the permanent collections of the National Museum and Singapore Art Museum.

As of this writing, there are very few of Montemayor’s Globo left. Secure one for your collection now!

(Secret Fresh is located at G/F, Ronac Art Center, Ortigas Ave., Greenhills, San Juan City. For inquiries, call 570-9815 local 7 or e-mail [email protected] for inquiries.)

Is your asthma under control?

To coincide with the global World Asthma Day, GSK launched its campaign called “ASTHMAlaya Ka Ba Talaga?” at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel Manila recently.

The campaign seeks to encourage asthma patients to be more proactive in consulting their doctors on how they can achieve asthma control. Meanwhile, World Asthma Day, an annual event organized by the “Global Initiative for Asthma,” aims to improve asthma awareness and care around the world.

Dr. Melvin Pasay, a pulmonologist and medical affairs manager at GSK, said, “Asthma is a recurring inflammatory disorder in the airways of breathing, which undergoes variable expiratory flow and reversible bronchoconstrictions. In people with asthma, the airways are chronically inflamed. Certain triggers can make the inflammation worse and cause a narrowing of the airways. A lot of asthma patients have resigned and became ‘prisoners’ to their condition. They are assuming that frequent symptoms, exacerbations and lifestyle limitations are inevitable consequences of having asthma — unaware that their condition can be controlled.”

Ninety-eight percent of Filipino asthma patients reportedly have uncontrolled or only partly controlled treatment. “This means that asthma patients will only use medication when they have attacks believing that as long as there are no attacks they will be okay. As such, they believe that it is enough that they have available medicines to be taken on an as-needed basis,” shared Dr. Sylvia Yang, World Asthma Day committee chair of Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP). 

Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Inc. (PSAAI) president Dr. Carmela Kasala added, “While there is also no known cure for asthma, this serious chronic disease can be controlled and effectively treated. By establishing a strong partnership between a patient and his doctor, asthma can be controlled.”

(For more information about the GSK campaign, visit www.facebook.com/winagainstasthma or health.gsk.ph.)

Health for Juan & Juana

A timely forum titled “Health for Juan and Juana: Moving Forward with the Philippine Health Agenda” was recently held at the Fuller Hall of Asian Institute of Management in Makati City.

The forum, which discussed how the Philippine health agenda can move forward especially under the incoming administration, was organized by Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines (PHAP) together with the Asian Institute of Management, the Zuellig Family Foundation and Havas Life.

In a panel discussion, MVP Group Media Bureau head Michael Toledo (second from left) stresses a point on the private sector’s perspective regarding the Philippine Health Agenda. With Toledo in the discussion are (from left) Dr. Camilo Roa, founding chairman of Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis and chairman of medical mission at American College of Chest Physicians, Philippine Chapter Inc.; Rene Figueroa Jr., Ayala Health COO; and Dr. Beaver Tamesis, PHAP president and MSD Philippines managing director.  

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)