Araneta City, a storied mixed-use commercial hub with a pioneering legacy in lifestyle and entertainment, is marking yet another milestone this 2024 as it celebrates its 70th founding anniversary. To thank the Araneta City-zens for their past seven decades, the “City of Firsts” is giving away iPad to lucky customers with the “70 IPADS FOR 70 YEARS” raffle promo.

From April 19 to July 7, customers just need to present a ₱1,000 single-receipt purchase from any establishment inside Araneta City malls (Gateway Mall 1, Gateway Mall 2, Ali Mall, or Farmers Plaza) to earn an e-raffle entry. Customers may also present four receipts totaling ₱1,000 each—with each receipt at least ₱250–from any Araneta City mall food court or from Dampa at Farmers Market to enter the promo. 

Also valid for an e-raffle entry are four movie tickets from Gateway Cineplex 18, and a single-receipt purchase of at least ₱1,000 from either Novotel Manila Araneta City or ibis Styles Manila Araneta City. 

Maximize your chances of winning by spending and redeeming e-raffle stubs on May 17-19, May 31-June 2, June 14-16, and June 28-30 to avail of the “Double Your Raffle Stub” promo. E-raffle redemption booths are open from 10AM to 8PM until July 7 at designated areas in Araneta City malls.

Don’t miss your chance to be among the lucky winners of Araneta City’s anniversary surprise. So spend now and enjoy this treat only at the City of Firsts! To learn more about this promo, please visit this link.

Pru Life UK solidifies its commitment to building resilient communities through impactful social initiatives. Anchored on its advocacies around financial education and inclusion, health and safety protection and climate adaptation, the company intensified its efforts through two community investment programs.

Recently recognized at the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, Pru Life UK and Prudence Foundation’s Project PADAYON Bantayan Island and Cha-Ching Financial Literacy for Youth program are a testament to the company’s strong focus on sustainability.

The programs underscore Pru Life UK’s commitment to building long-term resilience for its customers and communities as part of its collective responsibility to create a better future for Filipinos and future generations.

In partnership with Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm in Asia and Africa of Prudential plc, Pru Life UK’s parent company, and the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST), Pru Life UK identified health, employment, and disaster preparedness as fundamental pillars for community well-being. This framework guided the creation of Project PADAYON Bantayan Island, a series of community-based training and development programs for Bantayan Island, Cebu residents. It is the latest in Pru Life UK’s decade-long support for the island, beginning with the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

Central to these sessions were discussions surrounding micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) empowerment, family nutrition, women’s health, disaster risk reduction and management, and climate resiliency, all in an effort to help residents thrive in the “new normal”. The program has directly engaged 1,900 participants, fostering growth and development opportunities within the community.

Meanwhile, championing Pru Life UK’s education pillar is the Cha-Ching Financial Literacy for Youth program, a flagship initiative created and developed by Prudence Foundation. The award-winning financial literacy program instills sound financial habits and promotes financial responsibility in children by teaching its four money management concepts: earn, save, spend, and donate.

In an event in 2023 entitled “One Student to a Million: Cha-Ching Shaping a Financially Literate Generation”, Prudence Foundation, in partnership with JA Philippines, set an ambitious goal to reach 1,000,000 students and 28,000 teachers through the Cha-Ching Program nationwide. This reinforces Pru Life UK’s commitment to becoming a trailblazer in financial literacy education for the youth. At the recent Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, Project PADAYON Bantayan Island was honored with a Bronze award in the Corporate Social Responsibility category, while Cha-Ching Financial Literacy for Youth Program was given a Silver award. The Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards stand as a beacon of recognition within the international business community, encompassing organizations across 29 markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

Climbing stairs is associated with a longer life.

This is according to research – “Evaluating the cardiovascular benefits of stair climbing: a systematic review and meta-analysis” – presented at ESC Preventive Cardiology 2024, a scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

“If you have the choice of taking the stairs or the lift, go for the stairs as it will help your heart,” said study author Dr. Sophie Paddock of the University of East Anglia and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Foundation Trust, Norwich, UK. “Even brief bursts of physical activity have beneficial health impacts, and short bouts of stair climbing should be an achievable target to integrate into daily routines.”

Cardiovascular disease is largely preventable through actions like exercise. However, more than one in four adults worldwide do not meet recommended levels of physical activity. Stair climbing is a practical and easily accessible form of physical activity which is often overlooked.

This study investigated whether climbing stairs, as a form of physical activity, could play a role in reducing the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death. The authors collected the best available evidence on the topic and conducted a meta-analysis. Studies were included regardless of the number of flights of stairs and the speed of climbing. There were nine studies with 480,479 participants in the final analysis. The study population included both healthy participants and those with a previous history of heart attack or peripheral arterial disease. Ages ranged from 35 to 84 years old and 53% of participants were women.

Compared with not climbing stairs, stair climbing was associated with a 24% reduced risk of dying from any cause and a 39% lower likelihood of dying from cardiovascular disease. Stair climbing was also linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attack, heart failure and stroke.

“Based on these results, we would encourage people to incorporate stair climbing into their day-to-day lives. Our study suggested that the more stairs climbed, the greater the benefits – but this needs to be confirmed. So, whether at work, home, or elsewhere, take the stairs,” Dr. Paddock ended.