The Medical City shows what it means to be a partner in health and in sickness

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



What makes an ideal life partner? Some say that a partner should be kind and caring, helping you through tough times while celebrating the high moments with you. Others say that a lasting partnership is built on a foundation of open communication, trust, and respect. With a reliable partner by one’s side, one can truly live life to the fullest and face any challenge with the assurance that someone will be there to take care of them.

The Medical City (TMC), the largest healthcare network in the Philippines, recently launched a campaign honoring these ideal partners which symbolize its brand philosophy “Where Patients are Partners”. This means that in TMC, the patient is viewed not merely as a problem to be solved, but as a partner in his or her own health.

In a heartwarming, relatable video series, modern-day couples describe what they see in a perfect partner, which reflects what TMC strives to be for its patients. Watch the pilot episode here:


https://www.facebook.com/TheMedicalCity/videos/569971268232145/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C-GK2T

“This campaign aims to show that The Medical City is committed to being its patients’ partner in health and in sickness through two-way, world-class healthcare and wellness services,” said Dr. Christian G. Delos Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer. “Patient partnership is acknowledging the patient’s fundamental accountability for his own health, and then supporting this with systems, tools, and venues for education, open communication, and informed choice. This fresh perspective on the patient’s role in healthcare represents a radical departure from the traditional idea of the patient as a passive recipient of medical services.”

The insight behind this innovative campaign is validated by prestigious citations which reinforce TMC’s healthcare leadership. It was recently hailed as the “Hospital of the Year and Medical Tourism Initiative of the Year” by the Healthcare Asia Awards 2022. It has also been a consistent recipient of a gold seal of approval from the Joint Commission International (JCI) since 2006 for maintaining the highest standards related to Access to Care and Continuity of Care; Quality Improvement and Patient Safety; Patients and Family Education; and Governance, Leadership, and Direction. With these recognitions in tow, each person who goes to TMC is assured of receiving healthcare services that are at par with the best hospitals in the world.

Where Patients are Partners

The Medical City’s esteemed accolades are further backed by positive, real-life testimonials garnered from its valued patients:

“A caring hospital for me does not only mean that the hospital staff are caring and dependable. They should treat me and each patient as a person and not as a disease or condition to be treated. A hospital cares when it involves me in decisions about my care and the doctors and staff are willing to explain everything to me in a manner that I can understand. And that’s what I like about The Medical City.” – Raquel, 57, HR Practitioner, Patient since 2021

“I feel safe here. The Medical City has a good track record in keeping us safe knowing that patient safety and high-quality healthcare are its top priorities. The hospital is always clean and good hand hygiene is being practiced. Doctors and staff are experienced and knowledgeable, so I am confident I am in good hands whenever I am at the hospital.” – Ralph, 35, Engineer, Patient since 2016

“The Medical City treats me with respect. The hospital listens to our views as patients, and they value getting feedback from us.” – Pat, 65, Retired Banker, Patient since 2010



The country’s largest healthcare network

The Medical City is composed of one flagship complex in Ortigas Avenue; provincial hospitals in Clark, Iloilo, Laguna, and Pangasinan; and over 50 clinics in Metro Manila and in select provinces in the Philippines. It gathers around 1,500 experienced and recognized physicians from various fields and 4,000 administrative support staff who have honed their expertise through the years.

These skilled and compassionate doctors and medical staff cover a wide suite of health and wellness services across TMC’s nine institutes: Cardiovascular Institute; Institute for Women’s Health; Eye and Vision Institute; Wellness and Aesthetics Institute; ENT, Head and Neck Institute; Augusto P. Sarmiento Cancer Institute; Institute of Pediatrics; Acute Critical Care Institute; and Institute of The Neurological Services.

The recently launched video officially kicks off the campaign’s series. Developed in partnership with veteran photography and videography service provider Nice Print, the upcoming videos will expound more on the perfect partnership which TMC promises for its patients. “The short films by Nice Print highlight the joy of finding the one, and that relationships are no fairytale as they show how two people in love can weather any storm together,” said Dr. Christian G. Delos Reyes, Chief Marketing Officer. “And that’s exactly what The Medical City is—your partner in health and in sickness. Our role is to be with you on your health and wellness journey every step of the way.”

Stay tuned for the succeeding episodes and for more information, visit themedicalcity.com and follow The Medical City on Facebook and @themedicalcity on Instagram.

Selected SSS branches in Metro Manila now open on Saturdays

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


The Social Security System (SSS) announces that its branches located in shopping malls in the National Capital Region (NCR) are now open on Saturdays until December 31, 2022 to accommodate members who can only transact with SSS on weekends.

A total of 12 branches in shopping malls within Metro Manila are now accepting SSS transactions except the tellering services on Saturdays which include Cubao, Malabon, Novaliches, Paso de Blas, Antipolo, Mandaluyong-Shaw, Marikina, Ortigas, Las Piñas, Makati-Chino Roces, Parañaque, and Taguig.

These branches are open from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for Novaliches and Ortigas which are open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Michael G. Regino said that SSS extended the business hours of several branches to accommodate transacting members even during weekends.

“We understand that many SSS members cannot visit SSS offices during weekdays given their working schedule, so we decided to open our branches in shopping malls on Saturdays until the end of the year,” Regino said.

Meanwhile, 43 SSS branches in NCR will start assisting members as early as 7:00 a.m., an hour earlier than their regular servicing hours. These branches include Batasan Hills, Congressional, Cubao, Deparo, Diliman, Eastwood, Fairview, Kalookan, Malabon, Navotas, Paso de Blas, San Francisco Del Monte, Valenzuela, Antipolo, Mandaluyong-Shaw, Marikina, Marikina-Malanday, New Panaderos, Pasig-Mabini, Pasig-Pioneer, Pasig-Rosario, San Juan, Tanay, Binondo, Legarda, Manila, Pasay-Roxas, Pasay-Taft, Sta. Mesa, Tondo, Welcome, Alabang-Muntinlupa, Alabang-Zapote, Bicutan Sun Valley, Las Piñas, Makati-Chino Roces, Makati-Gil Puyat, Makati-Guadalupe, Makati-JP Rizal, Parañaque, Parañaque-Tambo, Taguig, and Taguig Gate 3.

“These initiatives reflect our continuous commitment to serve our members and their beneficiaries better, especially during this Holiday season. We further encourage them to take advantage of this extended business hours, which is one way of showing our dedication to serve the growing number of transacting members and stakeholders,” Regino added.

Likewise, SSS members and their beneficiaries, employers, and pensioners may also opt to conduct their transactions through SSS online channels such as the My.SSS portal on the SSS website (www.sss.gov.ph) and the SSS Mobile App for a more convenient way of transacting with SSS.

PELÍCULA Spanish Film Festival caps off a successful 21st edition at Shangri-La Plaza Cinemas

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




From 14 to 16 October, the 21st edition of PELÍCULA-Spanish Film Festival will end with strong showings at Shangri-La Plaza Cinemas, proving that once again Filipinos are slowly ready to enjoy arts and culture the best way there is --- face to face.

After two years of having a virtual festival, PELÍCULA opened to a full house screening of the Goya award-winning film El buen patrón (The Good Boss) starring Javier Bardem. This return to the big screen is, according to Instituto Cervantes Director Javier Galvan, “a true evidence to our commitment to quality cinema”.

“For the past few months, Shangri-La Plaza has been collaborating with different embassies to bring foreign films closer to our community. We wanted to give them a venue where they can widen cultural knowledge and for them to appreciate the unique, yet relatable stories shown in the films. I am thrilled that the Instituto Cervantes finally brought PELÍCULA to Shangri-La Plaza’s Red Carpet Cinema”, shares Ms. Joy Polloso, Executive Vice President for Retail and Commercial, Shang Properties, Inc.

After a second leg at the Instituto Cervantes Intramuros showcasing Spanish cinema classics and a Basque retrospective entitled “Ventana Vasca”, PELÍCULA will cap off its 2-week long fete at Edsa Shangri-La Plaza with an exciting weekend for cinema buffs.

Don’t just be a spectator – vote!

Viewers are invited to vote for their favorite movie with the Audience Choice Award. The film with the highest ratings will receive this year’s Premio del Público (Audience Choice Award) and will be screened again during the closing of PELÍCULA 2022 on October 16 at The Red Carpet at Shangri-La Plaza. Meanwhile, lucky winners drawn from the raffle will win exciting prizes – such as free Spanish courses at the Instituto Cervantes, a Christmas “cesta de Navidad” (Christmas hamper) and limited edition PELÍCULA hoodies.



Since its first editions, PELíCULA has had activities that served as a space for meeting and interacting with Spanish and Filipino filmmakers. In line with this, on October 14, PELÍCULA will be holding “En corto: Short films from the Philippines and Spain”, an activity that will feature recent short films from both countries. The selected Filipino short film, Dosena (2022), directed by Kyla Romero, is a coming-of-age tale of a boy who deals with confusion and tragedy on the night of his 12th birthday. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the audience. This will be complemented by the 2020 short drama Totem Loba, the directorial debut film of Spanish actress Verónica Echegui.

PELíCULA 2022 is a project of Instituto Cervantes in Manila and Sydney, the Embassies of Spain in the Philippines and Australia, and the AECID, in collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines, Shangri-La Plaza, Instituto Etxepare, Filmoteca Vasca, the Embassy of Colombia in the Philippines, the Embassy of Panama in the Philippines, the UP Film Institute, the University of the Philippines, Intramuros Administration, Vibal Foundation, Philippine Transmarine Carriers, Acciona, Rustan’s, Arthaland, La Pícara, and Emperador.

All the screenings are FREE admission. All the movies are in Spanish (or their original language) with English subtitles. For updates on the Festival, please visit the website of the Festival (https://pelikula.org) or the Facebook page of Instituto Cervantes de Manila: www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila