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October 12, 2011

Novartis, WHD partners announce ‘Picture of Health’ contest winners

Novartis Healthcare Philippines and its World Hypertension Day (WHD) partners have formally announced the winners of the “Picture of Health: Healthy Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar” photo contest.

Arturo De Vera, Jr. bagged the top prize with his panoramic photo showing two elderly women doing stretching exercises against a backdrop of clouds in an azure blue sky. Second-prize winner Edwin Forsuelo’s photo of a cyclist on a racing bicycle showcases good use of light and shadow. Third-prize winner Eleanor Cabiltes Paraan snapped a photo of a bicycle rider passing a building and captured an eye-catching interplay between background and symmetry. The top 3 winners will receive P30,000, P15,000 and P10,000 in cash prizes, respectively, in an awarding ceremony scheduled shortly.

“Picture of Health” was launched on May 17, 2011 as part of this year’s WHD commemoration. The annual WHD celebration in the Philippines is an initiative of Novartis Healthcare Philippines and the Philippine Society of Hypertension (PSH) in collaboration with the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), Philippine Society of Nephrology (PSN), Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (PSEM) and the Department of Health (DOH). The photo contest aimed to increase public awareness on preventing and controlling hypertension and diabetes mellitus through regular physical activity.

From a total of 240 photo entries, the panel of judges short-listed 32 entries based on creativity (25%), composition/overall impact (25%), relevance (25%) and photo caption (25%). The panel pared down the number of entries to 10 and, after a lengthy deliberation, selected the top 3 entries.

The panel of judges was composed of PSH President Dr. Dante Morales; PHA President Dr. Isabelo Ongtengco Jr.; PSN President Dr. Delia Bayog; PSEM President Dr. Gabriel Jasul Jr.; Ms. Precy Cuevas, Chief Health Information Officer, DOH; professional photographer Ms. Mandy Navasero; Dr. Francis Domingo, Chief Scientific Officer, Novartis Philippines; and Mr. Thomas Nie, Director Corporate Brand Management, Novartis International AG.

Arturo De Vera Jr., 1st Prize Winner

Edwin Forsuelo, 2nd Prize Winner

Eleanor Cabiltes Paraan, 3rd Prize Winner

Photo shows the prestigious panel of judges in the recently concluded World Hypertension Day 2011 “Picture of Health” photo contest: (seated from left) professional photographer Ms. Mandy Navasero; Novartis Global Branding Head Mr. Thomas Nie represented by Novartis Philippines Corporate Affairs Head Christine Liwanag; Philippine Society of Nephrology President Dr. Delia Bayog; Department of Health Chief Information Officer Precy Cuevas; (standing from left) Philippine Heart Association President Dr. Isabelo Ongtengco;  Philippine Society of Hypertension Dr. Dante Morales; Philippine Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism Dr. Gabriel Jasul, Jr.; and Novartis Philippines Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Francis Domingo. Also in the photo are Novartis Philippines Senior Brand Managers, Joy Elicaño (seated, extreme right) and Jonald Absin (standing, extreme left).