Ruffa taking African diet pills? Belo reacts

MANILA - Belo Medical Group clarified on Monday that a Facebook post alleging that its endorser, actress Ruffa Gutierrez, has been fired after revealing her supposed slimming regimen is a hoax.

The sponsored post from a certain FitFirst Magazine has been circulating since last week and appears to link to an article about Gutierrez's supposed statement.

The link uses a photo composite of Gutierrez in a file "TV Patrol" interview and Belo Medical Group founder Dr. Vicki Belo, with the title: "Ruffa Gutierrez FIRED By Vicki Belo After She Revealed The Truth Behind Her WElGHTLOSS".

The post quotes Gutierrez as saying, pertaining to her weight loss regimen: "I am sick of lying to everyone about this. People ask me about this all the time!"

The hoax alleges that Gutierrez has admitted using so-called African Diet Pills, and that her treatments at Belo had little to do with her weight loss.


A screengrab of the viral Facebook post linking to Ruffa Gutierrez's supposed weight loss regimen






However, in a statement on her official website, Gutierrez said: "Do not believe fake, paid advertisements saying that I lost weight due to African diet pills. It's a LIE!"

The 40-year-old actress explained that she has been availing of different services of Belo Medical Group, in addition to eating healthy and exercising in order to lose weight.

In a statement given to ABS-CBN News, Belo Medical Group similarly belied the viral post and warned the public to "check the accuracy and legitimacy of certain advertisements promoting beauty and slimming products that are claiming to be effective and used by both local and international celebrities."

The company explained that several false advertisements using images of Belo endorsers as well as Dr. Belo have been brought to its attention in the past months.

Referring to the viral advertisement showing Gutierrez, and the allegation that the actress has been fired as one of its endorsers, it added: "Belo Medical Group denounces such malicious news. Ruffa is still our endorser and that she regularly visits our clinics for her beauty and slimming procedures."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Anne Curtis tests moles for cancer

 

Belo gives tips on spotting cancerous moles

MANILA, Philippines -- Anne Curtis has had to undergo annual tests to ascertain she is clear of cancer, according to celebrity dermatologist Vicki Belo.


The prized Kapamilya actress, a patient of Belo for over nine years, has been advised by the doctor to closely monitor any possible symptoms of cancer, pointing to the skin features of the "A Secret Affair" star.

"[Anne] has so many moles, so we have to watch out for that," Belo told ABS-CBN News on Tuesday at the sidelines of Curtis' pictorial as an endorser of the doctor's medical clinic franchise.

"Because of her being half-Australian and the incidence of cancer in Australia being quite high, we monitor her moles and make sure that they're all healthy, and that nothing's happening to her. That's what we do every year. We examine her moles," Belo added.

As of their recent test, the celebrity doctor has cleared the "It's Showtime" host of cancer, pointing to the features of Curtis' moles compared to those that are known to be cancerous.

How to spot cancerous moles

"It's not cancerous. We want to give a little lesson here: the bigger the mole, and the more mataba it is, and the more even the color, the less dangerous," Belo said.

"Actually, it's the flat ones, that's not round [that may be cancerous]. If it changes shape, or it's two-color, like brown and black, those are the ones you have to watch out for," she added.

Learning of the good news, Curtis, in a separate interview with ABS-CBN News, expressed relief. She explained that she has grown "curious" of the increasing size of some of her moles.

"Praise God! Kasi they are in places that people know where they are, like my face, my mole on my chest. So talagang as they get bigger kasi, you tend to get curious na baka it can get cancerous, especially if you get exposed a lot to the sun," she said.

"[Vicki Belo] looked at them naman, sabi niya, 'No, you're safe,'" Curtis added.

"Youth is on her side," Belo added, referring to the actress. "But we have to keep an eye on her. As of now, she still feels she's superhuman. Walang mangyayari sa kanya because she's only 25."

source: abs-cbnnews.com

PLDT to set up Wi-Fi in Belo clinics

MANILA, Philippines -- Dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is beefing the contact center operations of the Belo Medical Group and is set to provide wi-fi access inside the beauty company’s clinics.

PLDT ALPHA Enterprise vice president and corporate relationship management head Mitch Locsin said in a statement that the company is set to enhance the Belo Medical Group’s customer service experience through improved communication systems and wifi access inside its clinics.

Locsin said the company would beef up the Belo Medical Group contact center with the hotline 819-BELO (819-2356) to assist customers on questions and information on clinic schedules and appointments.

“We are happy that the Belo Medical Group have entrusted us their communication system,” Locsin said.

PLDT has also provided the Belo group with a unified internal communication service for all their employees after switching all their employees to Smart Communications Inc.

Through Smart Netcast, the Belo Medical Group could immediately send important advisories and promos to its employees’ using their Smart mobile lines.

PLDT’s DSL service would also be deployed in these branches to give their clients high -speed wifi connections while waiting for their consultations.

“With PLDT’s superior network infrastructure, the Belo Medical Group will surely enjoy our extensive and resilient network as well as our impressive after-sales support,” Locsin added.

More than 70 Belo Medical Group employees have been migrated to Smart’s network to benefit from the Netcast service.

A PLDT IPVPN (Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network) has also been set up to connect the company’s main offices to its clinics in Metro Manila and Cebu for real-time sales monitoring.

The Belo Medical Group has nine clinics in Metro Manila including Tomas Morato and Trinoma in Quezon City; Greenhills in San Juan; Medical Plaza Rustans and Greenbelt Residences in Makati City; Mega Atrium in Mandaluyong; Alabang Westgate and Podium in Ortigas.

It also operates a clinic at the Ayala Center in Cebu.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Grace Lee admits having liposuction

MANILA, Philippines -- More than a year after she underwent the procedure, television host Grace Lee admitted she had undergone liposuction to look slimmer on screen.


"I really wanted to lose some weight, kasi that's the issue for us," Lee told ABS-CBN News on Tuesday during a press conference for the medical services of the Belo Medical Group, where the TV host sought the procedure.

"Kasi sa television, we [appear to] gain weight, usually it's 10 to 15 pounds heavier than when [you see us] in person. So  lagi ko concern 'yun," added Lee, who currently hosts a number of TV programs.

Her concern was largely over her "flabby" arms -- the target of her liposuction procedure -- as it appeared to "frame" her when she'd go on TV.

"Alam niyo naman sa TV, waist up 'yung mga shots, so ang nangyayari, 'yung arms ko, nagiging frame siya ng katawan ko," Lee said.

"'Pag nakikita ako ng televiewers [in person], ang unang sinasabi nila sa 'kin, 'Ay, hindi ka pala mataba in person.' 'Yun ang comment sa 'kin all the time, and I really believe it was because of my arms," she added.

According to Lee, the insecurity came to her well before she became a TV personality. In college, when she had a dramatic weight loss, the fat around her arms remained prominent in comparison to the other parts of her body.

"Even when umabot ako sa 108 pounds na lang when I was in college at one time, kahit ganoon na ako kapayat, 'yung arms ko pa rin flabby, chubby pa rin, ayaw mawala," Lee said.

Her chance encounter with Vicki Belo, founder of the Belo Medical Group, made her aware of her options to address her concern over her "chubby" arms. But it wasn't until three years later when she finally underwent the procedure upon prodding from the celebrity doctor.

"I was so scared in the beginning talaga to do liposuction, kasi takot talaga ako sa injection, so it took me a while to decide on the procedure," said Lee, who emphasized the operation happened "long before" she dated President Benigno Aquino III.

"Three years ako nagmatigas, and then when I finally did it, I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. My arms are so much smaller, and I've maintained it so far," she added.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Belo apologizes for skin whitening ads

MANILA, Philippines -- The Belo Medical Group apologized late on Sunday after its advertising campaign for Belo Men drew flak for supposedly "racist" undertones.

To launch a line of skin whitening products, Belo Men recently unveiled a series of advertisements, including one which has the caption "10% lighter. 100% more sosyal," with the young man throwing his car keys to a valet.

Facebook users posted negative comments about the ads on Belo Men's page on the popular social networking site.

"If a lot of people are getting offended about it, we apologize about that. But it wasn't our intention," Belo's daughter Cristalle Henares said in an interview with ABS-CBNnews.com on Sunday night.

"And it's not really about the sosyal. That was just the execution. The idea behind it is as they get whiter, they became more confident," she explained.

Belo added that in her 22 years of medical practice, she noticed that skin whitening is the most popular procedure asked by their customers.

"And men have always been looking for something for them," she said.

This is why Belo came out with a whitening product specifically for men.

"They don't want to be really white but they just want to be fairer kasi sabi nila parang mas clear ang complexion, parang they feel more confident. So I told Cristalle before pa na i think you need to make a whitening product for men, for them lang talaga," the doctor said.

"I gave in to what they want. That's (skin whitening) the No. 1 talaga na hinihingi sa clinic, both men and women," she added.

Henares added that Belo Men as a brand has a more humorous personality -- which she said was reflected in the series of ads.

The other executions are: "10% lighter. 100% approved," with an elderly man showing off his future son-in-law to his golf buddies; and "10% lighter. 100% more numbers," with a guy surrounded by three sexy girls, holding their cellphones.

"These are just ways to make the subject a little lighter because men are medyo nahihiya sila about the topic. But from what we know in the clinic, that's really what they want to happen. ...Para hindi siya diretso, we had to make it a little more humorous," Henares said.

Henares also said the campaign was planned before the launch of Bayo's much-maligned "What's your mix" campaign, which has since been discontinued after it was heavily criticized for being racist.

"Actually it was planned before the whole Bayo thing happened. Nagkataon lang na medyo sabay ang launch namin. And when the Bayo thing happened, we said, 'Oh no, because of the percentages, people might think that they have the same connotation. So when the Bayo thing happened, we said why don't we lay low for now. So we put it down first sa Facebook. And we released it in just one magazine, which is FHM," she explained.

But with the negative reaction on social media, Henares said they will decide on what to do with the campaign.

"If we feel that it's a sensitive topic right now, we're going to park it a bit and see where it goes," Henares said.

article source: abs-cbnnews.com

A sizzling 'Skin' party with the country’s top models

MANILA, Philippines — The hottest and sexiest personalities from the modeling world is all set to topbill the first Talent Agents’ Organization’s (TAO) Party “Skin: The TAO Models’ Party” this Feb. 7 at the posh Genting Club, Resorts World Manila.

Around 100 of the top high-fashion, commercial, print models will show their real skin during the event. Celebrities who started their careers as models will also be part of the event.

Singer JayR, Mikael Daez, Alodia Gosiengfiao, Daniel Matsunaga, Fabio Ide, Kerbie Zamora, Lemuel Pelayo, Mikel Campos beauty queens Venus Raj, Krista Kleiner, Gwen Ruais, and Hayden Kho are expected to make the event sizzle.

The “Skin” party provides the attendees with the ultimate sensory experience that lives up to the glamor and stylishness of the modeling world. This also underscores how TAO understands the basic essentials of model requirements – going to the skin of things.

The event will also celebrate the achievements of TAO and its member groups in the field of modeling, may it be for ramp, commercials, and even showbiz.

TAO is a professional organization of legitimate and topnotch agents in the Philippines. Composed of THIRTY-SEVEN (37) members, its main vision is to unite and professionalize the talent agencies in the Philippines as well as meet the constant demands of talent requirements of all its ever-growing set of clients.

“Skin” is presented by Resorts World and Genting Club, in cooperation with All Famous, Inc., and Belo Medical Group. It is also being supported by Manila Escapades Magazine.

source: mb.com.ph