Joyful Wellness Movement Launches to Redefine Health with Purpose, Positivity, and Personal Connection

What if wellness didn’t feel like a chore? That’s the heart of Joyful Wellness, a new movement that redefines what it means to live well—by meeting people where they are, embracing individuality, and turning health into something personal, practical, and yes, joyful. Launched by NEXT in partnership with health professionals and community advocates, Joyful Wellness offers a refreshing take on self-care: rooted in science, guided by intention, and powered by real-life stories that inspire positive change.

 The Joyful Wellness campaign, launched by NEXT, is a first-of-its-kind, a multi-platform movement that redefines what it means to live well.

A campaign that aims to empower Filipinos to live healthier, happier lives, Joyful Wellness offers a fresh, exciting approach to wellness that is rooted in self-awareness, backed by science, and made joyful through community. The campaign was shaped by insights from a diverse group of health professionals, including contributions from LifeScience Center.

“Joyful Wellness is about meeting people where they are and helping them move forward with intention and optimism,”says Booboo Atayde Alvendia, NEXT’s Head of Business Development. “By combining science-backed tools with real-life inspiration, we aim to turn wellness from something intimidating into something joyful, personal, and sustainable.”

Joyful Wellness is a movement that sees transformation as a process, celebrates individuality, and emphasizes empowerment through education, accessible resources, and daily habits that make a real impact.

Joyful Wellness Champions (From L to R) Danie Laurel, Daphne Dionisio, Paula Grace, Dr. Dex Macalintal, Ms. Booboo Atayde Alvendia, NEXT’s Head of Business Development, Hazel Calawod, Jayvee Fernandez, and Lordy Angelo Santos.

A Mindset Shift in Motion

The heart of the campaign is rooted in a vital shift: from viewing wellness as a clinical, overwhelming task to embracing it as a joyful, sustainable lifestyle that everyone deserves. Joyful Wellness recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to health.

Inspired by the science-based, patient-centered approach of Functional Medicine, the campaign encourages people to tune into their bodies, explore their unique needs, and take small, meaningful steps — whether they are just becoming health-curious or already championing wellness in their circles.

What Sets Joyful Wellness Apart?

While other health and wellness efforts tend to focus on outcomes, Joyful Wellness is all about the process. It recognizes that wellness is not just physical — it’s also mental, emotional, social, and behavioral.

With seven core pillars — Nutrition, Beauty, Mental Health, Longevity, Disease Prevention, Health Innovation, and Joy — the campaign invites everyone to explore wellness in ways that resonate with their personal journeys.

It encourages people to build self-awareness, seek expertise, and become experts of their own bodies. In doing so, Joyful Wellness supports not just individual transformation, but national progress.

Imagine a nation where people know better – and choose to do better. That’s the heart of Joyful Wellness.

Joyful Wellness Champions (From L to R) Danie Laurel, Daphne Dionisio, Paula Grace, Dr. Dex Macalintal, Jayvee Fernandez,  Lordy Angelo Santos, and Hazel Calawod,

Launching a Movement: A Joyful Gathering

At the heart of the event was the unveiling of the Joyful Wellness Champions, a diverse lineup of credible and inspiring individuals who represent the campaign's seven pillars:

●     Hazel Calawod: Nutrition Pillar Champion & Main Campaign Ambassador

●     Danie Laurel: Longevity

●     Daphne Dionisio: Beauty

●     Lordy Angelo Santos (@TitoMongPsychologist): Mental Health

●     Dr. Dex Macalintal: Disease Prevention

●     Jayvee Fernandez: Health Innovation

●     Paula Grace: Joy & Happiness

 

Each advocate brings credible, lived experience and professional insight to help make wellness more accessible for everyday Filipinos.

Nutrition Pillar Champion & Main Campaign Ambassador, Hazel Calawod

Real Stories, Real Science: Impact That Resonates

A key highlight was the Impact Stories segment, which featured a heartfelt panel discussion with:

●     Hazel Calawod (Campaign Ambassador)

●     Dr. Kathy Mercado (Gastroenterologist and Functional Medicine Practitioner)

●     Atty. Edsel Tupaz (LifeScience patient and health advocate)

●     Mitch Genato (Group CEO of ROMLAS – the company behind LifeScience Center)

(From L to R) Mitch Genato - Group CEO of ROMLAS, Hazel Calawod - Joyful Wellness Ambassador, Atty. Edsel Tupaz -LifeScience patient and health advocate, and Dr. Kathy Mercado -Gastroenterologist and Functional Medicine Practitioner

The panel shared how Functional Medicine and the Joyful Wellness mindset are transforming lives—from Dr. Kathy’s physician insights, to Atty. Edsel’s personal story of managing stress and health, to Hazel’s journey of transformation through food and mindset. Together, their insights bridged science and humanity, touching on the realities of burnout, chronic illness, and the power of proactive, joyful health management

Tools for Transformation: A Better You Journal

Guests were also introduced to the "A Better You" Journal— a cornerstone of the campaign designed to help individuals reflect on and reset their health goals through guided prompts and practical tips. A short journaling activity allowed attendees to experience first-hand how small reflections could lead to progress, one step at a time.

The journal is available for purchase via the website: hardcover edition (₱888) now available, and the softcover edition (₱688) launching online next week — perfect for those looking for a lighter, more flexible option!

What’s Next for Joyful Wellness?

The campaign continues to roll out with:

●     A BETTER YOU: Wellness Workshops

On-ground and online workshops rooted in the campaign’s seven pillars

●     ALIVE: A Joyful Gathering for the Mind & Body
A large-scale wellness concert and movement experience 

●     Ongoing content and resources
Website: www.joyfulwellness.ph
Instagram: @joyfulwellness.ph
Facebook: Joyful Wellness

Be Part of the Joyful Wellness Circle

If you’ve ever felt disconnected from your body, overwhelmed by wellness information, or unsure where to begin — Joyful Wellness was made for you.

This is your invitation to thrive.
Prioritize your health. Connect with a supportive community.
Let joy be part of your journey.

Visit www.joyfulwellness.ph to learn more, join the conversation, and explore upcoming activities that will help you move, reflect, and live well – together.

 

 

 

Visa Unveils AI-Powered Payment Innovations to Shape the Future of Commerce in the Philippines

 With AI emerging as the new frontier in digital payments, Visa (NYSE: V), a global leader in the industry, has unveiled a suite of innovative products designed to enable the next wave of digital payment experiences in the Philippines. The country’s digital payment sector is rapidly expanding, with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reporting that 50% of retail payments were digitized in 2023—a milestone that highlights both the growing adoption and the readiness for further innovation.

As digital transactions continue to rise, Visa’s AI-enabled solutions are set to empower Filipino consumers and business owners by providing secure, seamless payment experiences. “The continuously growing digital payment sector in the Philippines makes it a prime environment for technological innovation—one that harnesses AI for the benefit of the digital Filipino business owner and consumer,” said Jeffrey Navarro, Country Manager, Visa Philippines.

In this new era of agentic commerce, where AI agents will browse, purchase, and manage transactions on behalf of users, trust is more important than ever. Over the past decade, Visa has invested more than US$3 billion in AI and data infrastructure, enabling regional partners—including AI platforms, fintechs, banks, and merchants—to connect effortlessly to the Visa network. In an increasingly digital landscape marked by evolving threats and the need for greater accountability, Visa’s continued focus on AI, tokenization, and real-time fraud prevention ensures every transaction remains secure.

Leading this wave of innovation is Visa Intelligent Commerce, a new initiative that opens Visa’s payments network to developers and engineers building the next generation of AI-powered commerce in Asia Pacific.

Visa Intelligent Commerce: A New Era for Asia Pacific

Visa Intelligent Commerce brings a suite of integrated APIs and a commercial partner program to AI platforms, enabling developers to deploy Visa’s AI commerce capabilities securely and at scale. Visa announced that it is in explorations with Ant International, Grab and Tencent to grow AI commerce by enabling a secure and seamless checkout experience.

Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation, and financial technology provider. Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading super app offering ride-hailing, food delivery, digital payments, and financial services across eight markets. Tencent is a multinational technology leader that develops a wide range of digital products and services, including Weixin/WeChat, China’s super app. 

“The Philippines’ digital economy remains vibrant, and Visa’s cutting-edge innovations are key to keeping the country at the forefront of payment technology,” said Poojyata Khattar, Head of Product for Regional Southeast Asia at Visa. “Imagine the possibilities that AI brings to everyday life for Filipino digital consumers—from automatically ordering your favorite meals on Grab before you even think of it, to alerting you about the next big K-pop concert and arranging all your travel plans. With Visa’s trusted payment infrastructure and advanced AI capabilities, these seamless, secure, and enjoyable experiences are now within reach for everyone in the country,” Khattar added.

Over the past 25 years, Visa’s global network has handled 3.3 trillion transactions. Today, Visa is advancing its infrastructure, standards, and capabilities to power AI-driven commerce, opening new opportunities for consumers across Asia Pacific. Soon, AI agents integrated into familiar platforms will be able to transact using Visa’s 4.8 billion credentials at millions of merchant locations worldwide.

Expanding payments innovation and connectivity for Filipino businesses

Visa is also launching new services to make it easier for consumers, merchants, and businesses in the Philippines to pay and be paid. 

Visa Pay: A service designed to connect any participating wallet to any Visa-accepting merchant, local or international, in-store or online, launches across Asia Pacific, home to the largest number of digital wallet users. Through partnerships with leading players including LINE Pay in Taiwan, Maya in the Philippines, OpenRice in Hong Kong, and Woori Card in South Korea, Visa is expanding access to its global network, giving consumers more ways to pay globally by tapping, scanning or online. 

Digital Identity:  This suite of solutions includes Passkeys, Tap to Confirm, and enhanced data which are meant to identify and authenticate digital users. These solutions will reduce friction for consumers by being digitally native while improving payment security and authorisation rates with enhanced transaction data and state-of-the-art fraud prevention techniques. New partners in the region include Coles, a supermarket chain in Australia and Maybank, a leading financial services provider in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

Visa Accept is a new solution that allows micro-sellers to receive payments directly to their eligible Visa debit card using any NFC-enabled smartphone. Launching in Vietnam, the service supports micro-entrepreneurs and informal sellers such as street vendors, freelancers, and small service providers. Participating issuers will enable cardholders to accept contactless payments through their bank’s mobile app. 

Seamlessness in payments 

Visa continues to expand its product portfolio with solutions designed to support the evolving payment needs of consumers and businesses in the country and across Asia Pacific, particularly 
Millennial and Gen Z consumers who are increasingly looking for flexible and convenient payment options that match their lifestyles. 

Flex Credential: Visa’s Flex Credential, a next-generation card that allows users to seamlessly toggle between debit, credit, and reward points, continues to gain traction in Asia Pacific. Visa first launched Flex in partnership with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company (SMCC), known as Olive, two years ago in Japan. Today, more than 5 million Olive account holders are benefitting from the Visa Flex Credential. The Olive card continues to outperform, with cardholder transactions averaging 40% higher than the national average in Japan over the past year. 

Visa and SMCC have expanded the Visa Flex Credential to support small businesses with the flexibility to switch between business and personal accounts using the same Olive card, enhancing access to credit and cash flow management. Visa is also collaborating with local banks in Vietnam to launch Flex Credential in the next few months.

Stablecoins: Visa has been facilitating cryptocurrency transactions for over five years and is now expanding its offering to include stablecoin-backed cards, settlement, and programmable money. On and off-ramps via stablecoin-backed cards allow consumers to use their Visa credentials to buy stablecoins with fiat currency and pay with stablecoin across Visa-accepting merchant locations. In Asia Pacific, Visa is partnering with DCS Singapore, DTC Pay and StraitsX on stablecoin-backed cards that support conversion through regulated infrastructure. 

Enabling seven-day-a-week settlement for stablecoins: Visa has settled more than $225 million to date in stablecoin volume that has been settled through Visa across participating clients. In Asia Pacific, Visa is working with StraitsX for stablecoin settlement.

Through the Visa Tokenized Asset Platform (VTAP), Visa provides a platform for our partners to issue and manage fiat-backed tokens, offering interconnectivity to public and private blockchains, enabling programmable financing, trading of tokenized assets and facilitating cross-border money movement. Visa is looking to expand the availability of VTAP to more partners later this year and into 2026.

“We are excited to work with local banks, acquirers, merchants, and the government in bringing these innovations to the Philippine market. Working with the right partners will help us translate these global innovations into real, tangible impact for local stakeholders – helping us all advance into the future of payments,” said Navarro. 

HONOR 400 5G Sells Out in Just 3 Days, Outselling HONOR 200 5G by 15x

 Leading smart devices provider HONOR Philippines recently set the internet ablaze yet again with the launch of #YourAIPhone HONOR 400 5G. With its image-to-vide feature, it brought HONOR fans, tech enthusiasts, and alike to a trip down memory lane as it can bring old photos to life. After its successful pre-order campaign, HONOR 400 5G has officially surpassed its predecessor HONOR 200 5G by 15 times!

“We are still in shock. We have been working very hard for the past few months to introduce HONOR 400 5G to our supporters perfectly and it’s safe to say that all our hard work has paid off. Don’t worry to those who haven’t gotten their hands on our AI phone, restock will arrive sooner than later,” said HONOR Philippines Vice President Stephen Cheng.

 

Sold Out in just 3 Days with 15x Sales Growth vs HONOR 200 5G

 

The HONOR 400 features a cutting-edge 200MP Ultra-clear AI Camera System that includes a 1/1.4-inch large sensor, f/1.9 aperture, and dual stabilization (OIS + EIS) to ensure exceptional clarity, even in low-light conditions. A 12MP Ultra-Wide and Macro Camera captures expansive shots, while the 50MP Portrait Selfie Camera delivers professional-grade selfies with lifelike details.

 

AI-Powered Creativity

With advanced AI Editing tools, the HONOR 400 allows users to transform photos into dynamic videos using Google’s Veo 2 model on Google Cloud. The HD Moving Photo feature captures vivid, live moments, while the AI Eraser and AI Outpainting tools simplify editing for everyday users.

 

Built for Durability and Performance

The HONOR 400 is powered by a 6000mAh Silicon-carbon Battery, offering extended usage even in extreme conditions and maintaining over 80% health after four years of use. With 80W HONOR Wired SuperCharge, the device can charge up to 40% in just 15 minutes.

 

Pricing and Availability

Available in stunning color options—Midnight Black, Tidal Blue and Desert Gold—the HONOR 400 5G is now available for pre-order across the Philippines for only Php 22,999 (24GB + 512GB)! Get it now at any HONOR Experience and Partner Stores, and online via Lazada https://bit.ly/Laz_H400_PR, Shopee https://bit.ly/Shop_H400_PR, and TikTok Shop https://bit.ly/TikTok_H400_PR.

 

You can also #BringPhotosToLife with #YourAIPhone via Home Credit easy installments of as low as ₱979/month for 18 months! Check the best HONOR products and deals for you here: https://hcph.info/3I2m1gb.

 

To know more about HONOR 400 5G, head on to: https://bit.ly/Web_H400_PR. For more exciting announcements, you may visit HONOR’s website www.hihonor.com or social media platforms: Facebook (Facebook.com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorph) and TikTok (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines). To check out HONOR’s complete list of retail stores, go to https://www.hihonor.com/ph/retailers/.