Support SM Green Bag and win tickets to Al Gore's Leadership Conference in Manila!

Here's the next chance to win tickets to the Leadership Conference Series 3: The Leader as Environment Steward by former US Vice President Al Gore.

How?  Support SM Green Bag. Add a Twibbon to your Facebook profile photo. Afterwards,
1) post "I support the SM Greenbag" on the SM Cares' wall tagging three of your friends OR
2) tag the profile photo with three of your friends and SM Cares.

Three lucky supporters will win a bronze ticket each to the Al Gore Event on June 08. Winners will be announced on April 30.

To add the twibbon to your Facebook profile image, please see instructions at http://twibbon.com/cause/SM-Green-Bag-SM-Cares/Facebook.

So what are you waiting for, hurry up and join this promo contest now!

Dapat wala nang babaeng mamamatay, habang nagbibigay ng buhay -- Lea Salonga on MDG No. 5

Action & Event-ure:

Improve maternal health.  This is MDG No. 5, the next in the "I Vote for MDG" series.  Broadway actress and Philippine pride Lea Salonga advocates the promotion of Millennium Development Goal No. 5 so that no more mother will die while giving life (para wala nang babaeng mamamatay, habang nagbibigay ng buhay).

 Lea Salonga on MDG No. 5

MDG No. 5 targets to reduce by three quarters, between 1990 and 2015, the maternal mortality ratio.  By 2015, MDG No. 5 aims to achieve universal access to reproductive health.

I think the signs are clear. You know there are candidates who believe and support MDG No. 5, despite the objections of the influential blocks of our society, to ensure the delivery of maternal health services to Filipino women.  And you also know that there are those who do otherwise, to ensure their votes, and consequently their political triumph by May 2010.  But you know better.  You know who to vote for.

Backgrounder:

Out of three (3) million pregnancies that occur every year, half were unplanned and one-third of these end in abortions, according to a 2006 report of the Allan Guttmacher Institute conducted in the Philippines. Induced abortion was the fourth leading cause of maternal deaths. Young women accounted for 17 percent of induced abortions. Over half of births occurred at home and one-third of them were assisted by traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Around 75 percent of the poorest quintile did not have access to skilled birth attendants (SBAs) compared to only 20 percent of the richest quintile. There is, therefore, a need to improve prenatal and postnatal services and special competencies of SBAs to reduce neonatal mortality.

Universal access to sexual and reproductive health education, information, and services improves health, saves lives and reduces poverty. The slow decline in MMR may be traced to inadequate access to integrated reproductive health services by women, including poor adolescents and men.

The country’s total fertility rate (TFR) based on the 2006 FPS was 3.2 births per woman. This is a slight decline from the 2003 TFR of 3.5 children per woman. Among the regions, Region 4-B posted the highest TFR (4.1), while NCR, the lowest.

On the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR), the percentage of currently married women
ages 15-49 years using contraceptives slightly changed from 49 percent in 2001 to 50.6 percent in 2006 based on the FPS for the same years. Among the regions, Central Luzon had the highest CPR at 58.9 percent, followed by Cagayan Valley (58.6%) and Southern Mindanao (57.2%). The lowest CPR was in ARMM (20%).

The unmet need for family planning was 15.7 percent in 2006, representing a decline from the 1998 figure of 19.8 percent. The ARMM showed the highest unmet need (29.7%) while Cagayan Valley, the lowest at 9.7 percent.

These trends indicate the need to actively promote family planning and responsible parenthood most especially, for low-income households. Without access to FP techniques, the actual number of children of poor families generally exceeds desired family size.

Survey findings, however, revealed that Filipino women across all socio-economic classes desire fewer children and would like to use modern contraceptives. Yet only about half of women of reproductive age practice family planning (FP). Even when FP services are available, it has been observed that the decision to seek health services is often determined by gender norms in the family and community, as well as cultural and religious beliefs and practices.

Concerning the young, data from the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey (YAFSS) for the period 1994-2002 indicated that the overall prevalence of pre-marital sexual activity increased from 18 percent to 23 percent. It is likewise observed that twice as many females than males experienced reproductive health (RH) problems. The higher levels of RH problems observed in females can be attributed to their higher experience of less serious RH problems. It is however noted that there was an increase in serious RH problems among females as compared to males due to the increasing proportion of females engaging in sexual risk behaviors and the low level of contraceptive use. The 2006 FPS results also showed that 6.3 percent of women 15-19 years old had begun childbearing and majority of them were poor and from the rural areas. Other studies show that teenage pregnancies accounted for 17 percent of induced abortion cases.

Source www.undp.org.ph

Celebrity moms discover the benefits of baby yoga!

 Action & Event-ure:

Celebrity moms and their babies discover the benefits of play and movement as they are introduced to the latest baby yoga inspired exercise routine - the new Pampers Yoga Stretchycise.

I was given the chance to interview celebrity moms Camille Pratts, Amy Perez, Danica Sotto and Meryll Soriano and they all shared the joys and challenges of raising their children, now in their active baby stage, and how baby yoga becomes a welcome treat for them! =)

While it was the first time for many of the them to try baby yoga, they were quickly won over as they sat, stretched and sang through the different routines with their babies.

Pampers Yoga Stretchycise, developed by Pampers the Mother and Child Nurses Association of the Philippines (MCNAP) and Gymboree Play and Music, is a fun playtime routine that combines yoga moves with stretching which will help encourage the development of baby's mind and body.

“It really helps you bond with your baby because he will pay attention to you, listen to you and follow you as you do the exercises,“ said Camille Pratts, who did the session with her son, Nathaniel, while Danica Sotto, who learned the routines with her baby Jean Michel remarked that, “It’s fun and it really helps stimulate him physically - through movements that stretch his muscles, movements that help him learn to balance and allow him to practice his crawling and walking.”

These simple exercises encourage baby movement and active play, which is essential for babies at this stage of their development. The first two years of life is when a child’s brain is growing fastest and before a child can speak, movement is the most important way for them to explore and learn about their social and physical environment and develop new skills.

“The Active Baby Stage is really a period for developmental achievement and intellectual growth. It’s a time of intense exploration of the environment as children attempt to find out how things work,” said MCNAP President Estelita Galutira.

This is further confirmed by the U.S. National Association of Sports and Physical Education who states that “current research confirms that the physical activity of infants and young children is an important component of early brain development and learning. Postivie early movement experiences increase the infant’s chances of achieving full developmental potential throughout life.”

Another thing these celeb moms agree on is that mothers should encourage their children to play. “I think moms should actually be happy when their babies become active because an active baby is a healthy baby. I was advised to support that and to find activities that are appropriate for my baby so he can release his energy,” said Meryll Soriano, another Pampers Stretchycise participant with son Elijah.

Amy Perez, who also joined the yoga session with her son Sean Kylie, shared that her son moves a lot but she should adjust and cope with it. “Active baby stage happens once so we should have time with our babies, watch them grow, and support them in the best way we can.”

Dapat masarap maging bata diba? -- Zaijian Jaranilla on MDG no. 4

Child actor Zaijian Jaranilla who portrayed the role of miraculous boy "Santino" from the hit series May Bukas Pa of ABS-CBN pleads to everyone, candidates and voters alike, to support MDG No. 4 which is to reduce child mortality.

Zaijian Jaranilla on MDG No. 4

Millennium Development Goal No. 4 aims to reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the mortality rate of children, under-five years old.

Backgrounder:

Based on data from the Technical Working Group on Maternal and Child Mortality, under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was 80 deaths per 1,000 live births for 1990. This rate declined to 48 in 1998 and to 42 in 2003. In 2006, using results of the Family Planning Survey (FPS) of NSO, the rate fell down further to 32 deaths per 1,000 live births. For the period 1990-2006, the decline was about 60 percent. This suggests a high likelihood of meeting the target of 26.7 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2015.

Infant mortality rate (IMR) has also been decreasing from 57 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990, to 35 in 1998, to 30 in 2003 (see Figure 6) and in 2006, it declined further to 24 deaths. The decline from 1990 to 2006 in infant mortality rate was about 58 percent. Similarly, the likelihood of attaining the MDG target for IMR is high. It should be further noted that the MTPDP 2004-2010 aims to reduce the IMR to 17 per 1,000 live births by 2010, a much greater decline than the 2015 MDG target.

Still, there were regions that in 2006 had infant mortality rates exceeding the national average of 24 deaths per 1,000 live births. These were Cordillera (29), MIMAROPA (32), Bicol (26), Eastern Visayas (29), Zamboanga (38), Davao (28), CARAGA (28), and the ARMM (31).

Source: www.undp.org.ph

D' Survivors opens in cinemas on April 28

Shoe Potato:

Adolf Alix has been known and recognized for writing / directing serious films like Manila, Donsol, Kadin, Batanes, Kahapon May Dalawang Bata and Homecoming, among others until he shocked the entertainment world by doing the horror comedy film D' Anothers of Vhong Navarro and Toni Gonzaga.  Please don't get me wrong, he shocked the industry the positive way because even he's known for the serious stuff, his movie made everyone laugh and made Star Cinema smile as it was a certified blockbuster.

And then a few months ago, I heard he's shooting another comedy film -- D' Survivors.  And without a doubt, I knew another comedy hit from our school mate is in the making.

Here's more info about the movie:

On their way to Babuyan Island for a pictorial, a group of models finally finds themselves stranded in an unknown island. Chaos reigns as they try to survive there along with other survivors.

Directed by Adolf Alix  and produced by Astral Productions, D' Survivors, as the title suggest, is a comedy film inspired by the hit reality TV program, where contestants are challenged physically, mentally and emotionally to survive in a remote island setting. The movie shot in Caramoan Islands, Camarines Sur, takes on the same path but this time in a hilarious set-up.

Choose a leader who promotes gender equality and women empowerment -- Miriam Quiambao on MDG No. 3

Action & Event-ure:

Promote gender equality and empower women. This is the Millennium Development Goal No.3 advocated by beauty queen / TV host Miriam Quiambao.

Miriam Quiambao on MDG No. 3

I believe that in a society where oppressive social standards put our women at a disadvantage, candidates this coming election should be serious and committed in putting MDG No. 3 in their priority goals.

Backgrounder:

A recent national survey estimated that around 2.2 million Filipino women or nine percent of all women ages 18 years and above, experienced violence inflicted by their partners. In the past two years, around 70 percent of child-abuse victims were girls and about 40 percent of cases were sexual abuse and exploitation.

The Philippines is also recognized as a source, transit, and destination country for cross-border trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation and forced labor. It is estimated that between 60,000 to 100,000 children and over 100,000 women are trafficked (internally and externally) annually. Since the passage of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, the number of cases filed for investigation and prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ) had steadily increased from 12 in 2003 to 114 cases in 2005. There had been eight (8) convictions since 2003.

On access to income and productive resources, the last decade had seen an increase in the number of women in the labor force with 50 percent of all women working compared to 80 percent of men. In terms of quality of work, 64 percent of those in higher wage-and-salary jobs and 67 percent of own-account workers were men. Among the employed women, 50 percent were wage-and-salary workers, 33 percent were own-account workers and 17 percent, unpaid family workers.

Women had a large presence in the growing informal economy and had limited benefits and protection, such as social security and health care. Moreover, their economic contribution was largely invisible. As a country with the highest number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) worldwide, women and men were almost equal in number. The national economy and a quarter of the country’s families were highly dependent on OFW remittances.

However, the average cash remittances of women were only 60 percent that of men. This is indicative of the status of women OFWs in lesser skilled and often unprotected lower paying jobs. This renders women vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking and abuse. Of particular concern is that 72 percent of newly-hired OFWs in 2005 were women, indicating lack of opportunities locally for decent work and livelihood to provide for themselves and their families.

On civil and political rights of women, the Philippine Constitution upholds the right of women to sectoral participation in national and local legislative bodies. The Philippines is one of the few countries with a woman President. Four out of 24 senators are women. Women dominate the civil service at the technical level (74%) but are still largely outnumbered by men in decision-making positions (35%). Women account for only 20 percent of total positions in the judiciary. In the 2004 elections, mean participation rate of women was 18.2 percent at the national and local levels of both executive and legislative bodies.

Source: www.undp.org.ph

Comedy Bar in TV? Are they crazy? Yes, they are indeed crazy... and funny! =D

Potato On-the-Go:

Saturday night is usually a major writing / blogging night for me as broadband connection at home is very strong at that time. =)  While I was writing and editing my posts, a new show caught my attention.  The new show I'm talking about is Comedy Bar in GMA 7 hosted by Allan K and Eugene Domingo and directed by Dominic Zapata.

Comedy Bar's billboard

Initially I was intrigued on how a "comedy bar" concept can be translated in free TV since humor in comedy bars is usually "for adults only".  Well, they might say that it's on a Saturday night and minors should not be awake at that time but I don't think that's true for all homes, especially in Mega Manila and other key cities in the country.  Some may say not all comedy bars are not the usual comedy bars we know but given that Allan K and Eugene Domingo are the hosts, it's obvious that what we are talking about are the likes of Klowns, Zirkoh, Laffline, Punchline and Library.

Hosts Eugene Domingo, Fabio Ide and Allan K

Well, so much for the preamble, all I can say is I enjoyed the show!  Eugene Domingo and Allan K were wacky but prolific hosts and of course, they perfectly fit the concept and format of the program.  Comedy Bar was able to make a little wholesome version of the comedy bar we know.  Yes, I think that's how far they can go, to play on the double meanings since they won't be allowed to go hard core on green jokes! =D  Their band is called Six Foot Long and their sexy waiters and waitresses are named Beergins!  The segment with celebrity guests Jay-R, Julia Clarete and Bayani Agbayani was also fun.  They were made to sing with Allan K and Eugene Domingo when prompted but they were only allowed to sing the word given to them -- talong for Bayani, pechay for Julia and dila for Jay-R.  So could you imagine how the double meaning was strategically played in the game? Well, it's fun. =)

Choose a leader who puts education in his priority goals -- Gary Valenciano on MDG No. 2

This is the second part of the "I Vote for MDG" campaign. Millennium Development Goal No. 2 is to Achieve universal primary education and is advocated by no less than premiere singer / concert performer and UNICEF Ambassador Gary Valenciano.

Gary V on MDG No. 2

In the Philippines, about 5.2 million children are not in school., 61% of young children are not ready for school and 53% are not enrolled in Grade 1. Majority of children drop out after Grades 1 and 2 and the national average of cohort survival is 63.6%. Boys are twice likelier to repeat or drop out of school

Sulu Province in Mindanao has the smallest percentage of children enrolled in public primary schools at 62% compared to the national average of 81.7%

With this, MDG No. 2 aims to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling.

This coming election, please choose the candidate who puts education as a priority goal in his or her platform.

Congratulations to Jeffrey Aspacio and Shank Meghrajani for winning the first SM Cares - Al Gore promo!

Web Announcement:

Congratulations to Jeffrey Aspacio and Shank Meghrajani for winning in the first SM Cares - Al Gore promo! Each of them won a bronze ticket to the Leadership Conference Series 3: The Leader as Environment Steward of Al Gore to be held at the SMX Convention Center at Mall of Asia on June 08!

Challenge our leaders to prioritize the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger -- KC Concepcion on MDG No. 1

First of the eight part series of the "I Vote for MDG" campaign is the Millennium Development Goal No. 1 which is to Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger as advocated by movie actress and World Food Programme Ambassador KC Concepcion.

KC Concepcion on MDG No. 1

The specific goals are:

• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than one dollar a day.

• Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people.
• Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.

Watch out for Millennium Development Goal no. 2 in the next post of Tatak Digitista (www.digitista.blogspot.com).

Still undecided (or blinded) on who to vote for? -- Revisiting the Millennium Development Goals

Action & Event-ure:

Eighteen days before the Philippine 2010 Election, I believe there are many people out there who are still undecided (or blinded) on who to vote for.

And to help us make a better decision, let me share with you the the full "I Vote for MDG" campaign which encourages voters to know their candidates in this coming election and support those who will have the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as their platform of government.

The UN Millennium Campaign was established by the UN Secretary General in 2002. The Campaign supports citizens' efforts to hold their governments to account for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs were adopted by 189 world leaders from rich and poor countries as part of the Millennium Declaration which was signed in 2000. These leaders agreed to achieve the Goals by 2015.

How was the Millennium Development Goals conceived and started?

Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan convened world leaders in September 2000 for the Millennium Summit in New York. At this historic international gathering at the beginning of the new millennium, 189 member-states of the UN reached a consensus that rich and poor countries alike should work together to achieve peace and security, respect human rights, promote good governance and strive for development, with attention to the needs of the poor, the vulnerable and the children of the world, to whom the future belongs. This was encapsulated in the Millennium Declaration of 2000.

 Through the Millennium Declaration, the UN member-states, which included the Philippines, committed themselves to achieve a set of time-bound development goals and targets called the Millennium Development Goals or MDGs. The MDGs are clear, quantifiable goals and targets for global human development, which are anchored on eradicating extreme poverty by 2015.

Get a chance to win tickets to Al Gore's Leadership Conference in Manila!

Web Announcement:

Happy Earth Day everyone!  I hope all of us are doing our share in saving what’s left of our planet.

Anyway, coinciding with the celebration of Earth Day, SM Cares is launching a promo contest for the upcoming Leadership Conference Series 3: The Leader as Environment Steward by former US Vice President Al Gore.

Change your Facebook status update to "I want to watch Al Gore deliver the Inconvenient Truth on June 08 at the SMX Convention Center" and win a bronze ticket to the event! The SM Cares Facebook fanpage must be tagged at the end of the status message to be eligible for the prize. Two winners will be randomly chosen and announced on April 23.

So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and join the SM Cares Al Gore promo contest and learn more how to be a steward of the environment!

Summer snacking becomes more fun with all new Pringles flavors of the sea!

Scene Stealers:

"Once you pop, you can't stop!"  I believe this line is very familiar to many of us as there are lots of folks like me who grew up with Pringles!  Yup, we all loved the original, cheese and sour cream flavors but our all-time favorite Pringles is committed in continuing to innovate, develop and provide new variants that will satisfy our changing taste preferences.

And this summer, long road trips and beach vacations just got more delicious with three new flavors from Pringles!  Inspired by our favorite seaside snacks, choose between the yummy Soft-Shell Crab flavor, lightly spiced with paprika and white pepper; the green and crispy-sweet Seaweed flavor; and the savory Grilled Shrimp flavor, seasoned with sugar, onion, garlic and ginger. With these three new taste sensations from Pringles, ocean fun and flavor is just a Pringles chip away!

Congratulations to Maureen Miravite for winning in the Pampers Yoga Stretchycise promo!

 Web Announcement:

Congratulations to maaauuuuuuu / Maureen Miravite for winning the limited edition of Pampers Yoga Stretchycise kit courtesy of Pampers Active Baby and Gymboree Play & Music!  Please send an e-mail  via Tatak Digitista's contact tab located at the site.  You'll then receive the details on how to claim your prize.

Thank you very much to everyone who joined this promo.  For those who didn't win, don't worry, there are more chances to win in the upcoming contests lined up in Tatak Digitista (www.digitista.blogspot.com)! Thanks again and continue visiting the site. =)

The Rise of our Favorite Tuyo!

 Bayanihan Republic:

Tuyo, dipped into vinegar or mixed with fresh tomatoes and then eaten with sinangag… what comes first into your mind?  If you're a true blooded Pinoy, I bet hunger strikes you in an instant and you are craving for it now! Hmmm.... nyam nyam nyam! =)

Well for us Filipinos, tuyo has been really an all-time favorite staple food.  Tuyo is a Filipino word meaning dried. The fish, usually saliñase, is salted and dried to be preserved and stored for months. It is then fried in cooking oil and usually served with fresh tomatoes and sinangag (fried rice).  Pinoys eat it with clean bare hands.  We take out the scales, pick it up in flakes, and then dip it into vinegar or mix it with a sliced piece of tomato.  And some even eat it together with champorado (gelatinous rice mixed with water and cocoa).

Well, that’s how tuyo is usually eaten but have you heard of ready-to-eat or gourmet tuyo packed in a small jar? Forget the hassles of frying the fish, smelling the stinky odor (but for me, when at home, the smell of the actual tuyo being fried is a heaven sent scent!), taking out the scales and manually picking up the flakes because you can now buy a bottle of tuyo flakes in olive oil and enjoy your all-time Pinoy culinary icon in an instant! =)

Joel in the pilot episode of
MBA... May Business Ako in ABC 5
(now TV5).

The product I’m talking about is Uy Lami spicy tuyo in olive oil by young businessman Joel “Jayvee” Velilla who happens to be the host of our defunct show MBA… May Business Ako aired in ABC 5 (now called TV5) which I conceptualized and co-produced in 2006 (I’ll blog about it next time). We actually discovered him when he delivered his product at Starbucks to one of our colleagues. And then thought balloons just popped out of our heads saying “He’s the one!”, a certified businessman and a raw talent who has the potential to be a TV host! And then the rest, as they say, is “history”.

Jayvee used the screen name Joel Yuhico for the show.  He used the surname of his mom and former actress / beauty queen Emma Yuhico.  Photo shows his signature spiel before the CBB of the show.

Jayvee in MBA... May Business Ako's OBB.

Uy Lami was introduced to Joel by his Lola Herminia Adad Yuhico.  "Nagluluto ako dito everytime may family gatherings.  I try out new recipes and then this new recipe came out and they all liked it!  Kasi tuyo, masarap ang tuyo diba? (I cook here everytime there's a family gathering.  I try out new recipes and then this new recipe came out and they all liked it!  'Because it's tuyo, tuyo is delicious right?)," said Lola Herminia.

Lola Herminia Yuhico taught Jayvee the recipe of spicy tuyo in olive oil.

Jayvee showing Lola Herminia that he's an expert in cooking too.

Joel coined the term Uy Lami for his business, which means delicious in Cebuano.  He started with a small capital and produced 15 bottles for a bazaar and they were all sold out. And his luck continued as he learned that his driver also has a fish business and he knows the right place where to source out the tuyo and their laundry woman coincidentally has the skill on how to meticulously take out the scales of tuyo and turn it into flakes!  He's one lucky man indeed!  "Ito talaga yung nagtulak sa'kin magnegosyo, having all these factors, there's no reason why I shouldn't try getting into business, (Having all these factors pushed me to get into entrepreneurship, there's no reason for me why I shouldn't push through getting into business), said Joel.

Moms and babies get hooked with baby yoga through Pampers Yoga Stretchycise

Action & Event-ure: 

I'm not a parent yet but I think I’ll be more than equipped to be one in the future with all the parenting knowledge I have acquired since I got assimilated with Pampers [For now, my Godchildren, nieces and nephews will benefit from my newly acquired skill! =)].  Well, I’ve talked to pediatricians, nurses, parenting and child development experts, and experienced moms and dads, both famous and ordinary, about the art and science of baby care. The most recent of which is the latest parent-child bonding activity and fun and hip new exercise routine called baby yoga that was unveiled at the launch of Pampers Yoga Stretchyise.

Right photo shows Vanessa Pastor and her baby doing the Pampers Yoga Stretchycise Flipitty-Flap movement.

Developed through a partnership of baby experts - Pampers, the Mother and Child Nurses Association of the Philippines (MCNAP) and Gymboree Play and Music, Pampers Yoga Stretchycise is a fun playtime routine that combines yoga moves with stretching which will help encourage the development of baby's mind and body.

Participants were treated to a first-hand demonstration of these simple exercises that encourage baby movement and active play, which is essential for babies at this stage of their development. The first two years of life is when a child’s brain is growing fastest and before a child can speak, movement is the most important way for them to explore and learn about their social and physical environment and develop new skills.

Pampers Yoga Stretchycise's Tippy Toe Touch movement

Stretch and Crawl movement

“The Active Baby Stage is really a period for developmental achievement and intellectual growth. It’s a time of intense exploration of the environment as children attempt to find out how things work,” said MCNAP President Estelita Galutira.

This is further confirmed by the U.S. National Association of Sports and Physical Education who states that “current research confirms that the physical activity of infants and young children is an important component of early brain development and learning. Positive early movement experiences increase the infant’s chances of achieving full developmental potential throughout life.”

And one way to encourage movement is through the new Pampers Yoga Stretchycise. The series of exercises was inspired by baby yoga, which offers quality physical stimulation including flowing postures, holding, movement, touch, voice and deep relaxation.

“Baby Yoga is a great way to encourage active play which is important because at this stage, the pre-schoolers and below, their way of learning is to play. The Pampers Yoga Stretchycise helps encourage your baby’s development by maximizing body movement.” said baby yoga instructor, Maritoni Tordesillas.  Through the high quality attention they receive, yoga helps babies learn to interact with others and play actively, either with their parents or with other children in the classroom like environment. Physical benefits for the baby include helping his neural development, motor skills and balance aiding in digestion and giving him enough activity to sleep more deeply.

Wrap and Wiggle movement