Why We Smile Amidst Challenges

It's been a running joke for most folks to see Filipinos get into a resilient mode every time there's a calamity or challenge. It probably stems from our defense to try and smile instead of suffering, a survival mechanism to find simple joys in small things. 

Losing power, we make shadow plays. We experience floods, we'd probably swim in it. When we get stressed, we try to entertain ourselves, and it's something that's innately Filipino to not dwell in problems and why not? 

We even experience heartbreaks and poke fun at ourselves and the situation... instead of being in a condition to not perform tasks or activities because of certain limitations. We even make music out of it because yes, it is an escape. 

When we can't do it, we find ways to survive, and tell ourselves we still have something to hold on to... and just carry on!

Listerine, Watsons Work Together with Operation Smile Philippines

Looks like it's going to be an even brighter day for children with cleft lip and palate as they're going to have more smiles formed with popular health brand Watsons and the folks from best selling mouthwash Listerine. 

They're addressing the 200k backlog of cases in the country by making sure they benefit from each sale of products from Listerine. This will benefit several of their surgeries, speech therapies, nutrition programs, hygiene kits, and education in various communities too. This is Asia Pacific wide and it has been going on for a while now. You can give a pledge too on Listerine booths across Watsons branches and the P10 for every bottle will fund the programs and it will start from April 17th til the end of the year. 

Their hope is that you too will spark awareness, become starters to donate, volunteer and refer patients if needed be. Be part of the solution, and take part of their efforts especially in Watsons branches nationwide!

Smile 360 Dental Clinic Holds SMILE360CON 2025

Renowned chain of dental clinics Smile 360 just held SMILE360CON 2025 at the F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. This is an annual event for their corp, patrons and partners to celebrate their milestones every year. They've had very humble beginnings, from a quaint 20 square meter space, they now have a lot of branches in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. This is also the opportune time to introduce new brand ambassadors, folks who would want to put their message across because they want to do it quite differently.

Ms. Janna Miniella Gonzales the CEO of Smile 360 Dental Clinic says "All of our ambassadors and influencers are in one room, it's so nice to see that. We are celebrating a milestone, thank you to the press and new endorsers who you'll all see later. We believe that we need to cater to diverse kinds of clients, the dental care needs of Filipinos varies. The purpose of Smile360con is to get a range of influencers and celebrities that 

people an relate to. We have Tiktokers, veterans from film and TV, actors and actresses that could set examples, and let people know that we can do complex cases. Our company wants to elevate dental care in the country while making sure it remains affordable. We are very careful about our messaging and we want to tap the right market with the right brand ambassador. The goal is to bring affordable dental care that remains accessible for Filipinos."

Here's more of our talk with her earlier:

True to what Ms. Janna says, she has signed several artists like international actress Mercedes Cabral, veteran actor Mr. Rey PJ Abellana, the super cute Xia Vigor (whom we were quite surprised with because she's already a lady!), the folks from Star Image particularly Mr. David Bhowie aka Hungry Boss, viral gigil kid Carlo Mendoza, the very entertaining Vince Apostol aka Kapitan VJ plus the super famous "You Do Note Girl" MAJO who was such a spirited dancer! To date, they have over 20 clinics nationwide and the variety was evidently done to make sure there's representation so folks could see themselves with these individuals as they start their journey with SMILE 360 Dental Clinic. 

@kumagcow "Majo" is a nickname for Marjorry Lingat, also known as the "You Do Note" girl who gained popularity for her videos and is now building an online presence as an influencer. She was first known for her viral "You Do Note" video when she was 9 years old. #tiktokshowbizreporter #tiktoktainmentph #tiktoktainment ♬ original sound - John Bueno

 One thing I'd love to tell you is that when we talked to their resident Doctor/Dentist and partner Franchesca De Castro is that they don't really just do procedures like clockwork. They get to know their patients, show them the pros and cons, even treat them like family which for me is a huge plus. If you would like to try and see how they take pride with their work, visit their social channels or visit any of their clinics in Metro Manila. Another thing they announced is that they're planning to expand to United Arab Emirates (Dubai) as they see a huge demand for their services there too, especially for overseas Filipino workers.

 Congratulations Smile 360 Dental Clinic! Can't wait to visit soon! 

 

Smile Train Philippines Holds "Every Day After" Screening for Cleft Condition Awareness

I was amongst a Miss Universe, Miss World, several more title holders, beauty queens, Smile Train Philippine executives, and volunteers a few days ago at Powerplant Mall Cinemas in Makati City. This was the screening for the documentary "Every Day After" created by Emmy award winning director Elisa Gambino who filmed this on location in the Philippines. Aimed to help raise awareness for the Cleft Palate and Lip condition, they follow around siblings Jary and Jessa, in their quest to get surgery for him.

Mr. Felix Grimares Program Director for Smile Train Philippines says "Every Day After the documentary holds a special place in the cleft community. As we share the complexity of this condition, this is also about the love of a sister. This is captured in this film, and I hope it drives support for our cleft community."

 Here's the press conference which happened right after the screening

Jary and Jessa were orphaned before the pandemic. Jary felt something is missing, he talks about it lengthily with his sister in the documentary. Jessa says "When he was born, our dad couldn't look at him, nor treat him like he exists. When I turned 18, I left for Manila to get help from a person who's had the same condition as he does. She connected us with an organization and got him checked. I wish he would feel different when he goes back home in the province. Ideally, cleft palate and lip surgery should be done during infancy but my brother is already 13 years old. Health workers thought he was my son, but I told them how our parents passed. He is also going through speech therapy, planned ahead on what should be done in the coming months."

This is just the start of Jary and Jessa's story.

Jessa adds "I was afraid of hospitals because when my Dad went in for treatment in 2019, he died and never got out of it. I am so worried about him. When he woke up today, he nudged me and asked if we look alike now (after the surgery). He told me I did something that our parents could not do."

"When Dad died, I was worried about what will happen to our lives. I told my live in partner Robert about it, he knew my priorities was with my family. He was okay with it, and knew why my brother should live together with our kids too."

Their struggles and experiences would be told in the documentary and hope people who watch it and learn that the condition needs so much more that just a surgery. It needs support from all over, including financial, emotional and psycho-social. This was shared to us by one of the execs from Noordhoff Craniofacial Foundation Philippines (one of Smile Train's partners). Smile Train makes it possible for all the procedures to be FREE, so if you know someone with Cleft Palate or Cleft Lip condition, tell them about it because you need to do the surgery early.

If you want to know more, please visit SMILETRAIN.PH and their social channels. You can ask about it and they'll provide you the information you need to do it. They also are looking for volunteers if you are a medical professional who would want to share your expertise and services for the beneficiaries. 

Here's Miss Universe Catriona Gray whom we got to talk to about Smile Train after the event.

As for the documentary, a local screening is in the works but it will be done in the near future. It will be sent to other festivals in other countries too to share Jary and Jessa's story.

Hope this helps!

Whiten Teeth Fast at an Affordable Price: The Smile Bar in BGC

I really don't know how to tell you this but I've been a little low on self esteem especially when people talk about teeth. Mine isn't the whitest, perhaps over years of driven abuse of it with coffee, smoking and just about anything that would have caused a no-no in a dentist's check list. I regularly see dentists, go through prophylaxis but it doesn't come close to what I've wanted it to be. I thought about bleaching but got scared of horror stories about the side effects of it, plus the fact that the quote that I got from my Doctor was scary enough to put it under the priorities, when I shouldn't have really.

Anyway, I'm so glad this place opened up at the 2nd Floor of Uptown Parade in Bonifacio Global City. It's called The Smile Bar, and I'm glad to note this is their first flagship store which means they plan to open up more real soon. The promise? Is to get your teeth whiter in just 20 minutes! Crazy I know, but with what I've experienced, it is possible! 

The technology has been brought here from Sweden and they have been using it for a decade. Teeth actually discolors over time but also is subject to things that we don't have control of, like our diet, the things we drink (like tea, cola, juice, coffee) and that's pretty much what The Smile Bar takes care of. You probably know you consume a lot of that, guilty? Don't worry, because they can remove it with the procedure and get you 2 to 9 shades whiter in a short amount of time. I feel like I was there for about less than an hour and got 3 shades, but I've seen my friends get 8 and I'm not even joking. They will have you sit in these gorgeous egg chairs (photo seen above) and let you do the procedure here for most of the time.

They have professional attendants trained to help you do it. You would need to first go to the huge lavatory and brush your teeth. They use a special line of products to take care of your teeth. First of which is the BrilliantSmile WhiteningEvo Mouthrinse to prepare your mouth for cleaning. Then you will have to brush your teeth normally but with a special Brilliant Smile Whitening Boost Toothpaste (on the first week), then Brilliant Smile Whitening Evo Toothpaste for the second week, then go back to the Brilliant Smile Whitening Boost Toothpaste again on the third week onwards. This will also be explained to you before you leave the facility so make sure you ask questions if you're a little dumb lol (or write it down if you forget quite easily).

That syringe filled with black stuff is actually the solution that will go to a tray that you would need to bite on later. I just took photos of it for reference later so you know what goes in the hatch LOL.

Oh yes there's music for you to listen to, an iPad will be provided while you're seated comfortably in your seat.

Brilliant Smile products will also be available inside the store, I will be buying that mouth rinse because I ran out of it already this morning.

Don't worry about the wait time because they will make sure you are comfortable, and perhaps let you know if it would be okay for you to shop around nearby Uptown Mall which sits right across, and connected by bridge. Congratulations to The Smile Bar Philippines CEO on photo.

I waited and didn't want to smile for photos, I'm that shy haha. The place is modern, the lighting is perfect for selfies too so indulge!

They will let you sign papers before the procedure, to get to know if you have allergies and declare it before the procedure. The things they use though are harmless even for your gums and teeth, so no need to worry.

In a brightly lit room, they will measure your starting shade by comparing it with this contraption. You will see the difference afterwards.

So after brushing my teeth, they put the black stuff on the tray and then fit it on my mouth. It'll cover most of the front and bottom teeth. That's where they need to concentrate on my smile.

Then I went back to the chair and got a contraption pointed to my teeth. The tray is transparent so the light from this device will go through. It's hot but manageable. You will also be ask to wear protective goggles.

Then peteew peteew! Make sure you sit comfortably because it's going to be like this for 20 minutes. Make sure you do or else, your neck would hurt. I got skills so I'm okay.

After the procedure, they got my trap dried and cleaned. Then they put in the NANO Seal Total+. so your teeth would get coated shut. Otherwise, you would actually need to refrain from eating or drinking anything that has color for 3 days. You can always go without it but I'd suggest you do this, you don't wanna look for white food for 3 days eh? LOL

The experience alone had me think that there's actually hope for me. The procedure is not expensive, even feel more effective, especially if you compare it with the long dental procedure and prophylaxis (where I have locked jaws). Imagine, it just took me 20 minutes for it to take effect, but got 3 shades whiter. I see the improvement first hand plus it's not hard to maintain and I hope this would turn out to be a normal thing in the Philippines. The procedure costs Php 2,999 for Single Whitening, Php 4,999 for Double Whitening, they can do Triple Whitening also for Php 6,999. My dentist's whitening procedure costs 4x that haha. You can do the Nano Seal Total+ for Php 1,299 while the Brilliant Smile Whitening products cost Php 849 for the Evo Toothpaste, Php 649 for the Whitening Boost Toothpaste, and Php 999 for the Whitening Evo Mouthrinse.

There are a lot of people with teeth confidence issues like me, but remember, it's aesthetic. If you want to do it fast, affordable and safe, then get your feet walking towards The Smile Bar. If you want to book an appointment, you may book online via www.the-smile- bar.ph. Or you can call or text them via 09171485659 or landline 5412853. They do entertain people if you walk in but only if there are available slots, a lot of people already are availing their services as you probably would know.Head to their treatment salon at the 2nd Floor, Cluster 2 of Uptown Parade in BGC, Taguig City. They're on top of breakfast place Denny's so you won't miss it. Just ask around, there are tons of security people there.

Get those pearly whites shine baby!

Sorry I Said That, Smile!

I admit I made fun of some of my classmates when I was in high school because they wore full metal braces. Back then I did not realize that it was actually a good thing that they were doing it. Years after that, I saw their photos and the treatments obviously made their smiles improve. I felt sorry for doing that but it was actually the thing everyone was doing back then. I know I apologized a lot when I offended people and that was not an exception. I'm glad I was forgiven and now even my nephews and nieces are doing the same thing. Good thing there are advancements in technology that would spare this thing I did to people in the past. I looked at Invisalign Braces Austin and saw a whole new way of aligning teeth. It's quite convenient and affordable plus I won't see them in the same predicament as this one doesn't have those metal parts anymore. I saw people wearing it and it's like they are not wearing anything at all. What a wonderful thing they have invented huh?!

I hope someday there wouldn't be any prejudice against people braces because of this technology. I'm sure you know someone who still wears those metal ones, so please go ahead and inform them about this. You'll spare them a period of humiliation from mean people like me. Again, I'm so sorry I did those things in the past! I'll spread the news and tell my friends about it now.