Startups to be granted registration exemptions

 

STARTUPS may soon be exempted from some business registration processes as the government develops new programs to support new businesses.

Various government agencies including the Anti-Red Tape Authority are working on a memo that will exempt startups from some business permit requirements, Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez said in an online event on Monday.

The government has also created a group that will implement its startup development program since the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of the Innovative Startup Act in November 2019.Secretaries of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DoST), and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on Monday signed a joint administrative order creating the steering committee of the Innovative Startup Act or Republic Act 11337.

The law signed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in April 2019 qualifies for incentives “any person or registered entity in the Philippines that aims to develop an innovative product, process, or business model.”

The committee will guide and oversee the implementation of the Philippine Startup Development Program, which would support programs and incentives for startups and startup enablers.

“DTI will serve as the inaugural chair of the steering committee, then succeeded by DoST and then by DICT thereafter,” Mr. Lopez said.

“We have been working together since the enactment of the startup law in 2019. Specifically, we have been aligning our respective programs for startups and implementing initiatives in pursuit of the objective of the law.”

Mr. Lopez in 2019 said that the government was planning to create a one-stop shop for startups, which would offer end-to-end registration for the businesses.

The Startup Business One-Stop Shop (SBOSS), he said, will be on the government central business portal and will be made accessible through a startup website in development.

“This is about facilitating registration of businesses, especially the startup businesses. This is also envisioned to serve as a platform containing all information about regulations on opening, operating, closing, or exiting a startup,” he said.

The National Development Company (NDC) included a P250-million venture fund committed last year in the 2021 budget.

“Although we were affected by the pandemic and there was a bit of difficulty in completing the process, nevertheless, it is in our agenda for this year and hopefully we will be able to launch that venture fund to be managed by NDC,” Mr. Lopez said.

Written by: Jenina P. Ibañez | Source: Business World | March 23, 2021

Japanese Forest Bathing

"Forest Bathing" Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It

We all know how good being in nature can make us feel. We have known it for centuries. The sounds of the forest, the scent of the trees, the sunlight playing through the leaves, the fresh, clean air — these things give us a sense of comfort. They ease our stress and worry, help us to relax and to think more clearly.

Being in nature can restore our mood, give us back our energy and vitality, refresh and rejuvenate us. But what exactly is this feeling that is so hard to put into words? I am a scientist, not a poet. And I have been investigating the science behind that feeling for many years.

In Japan, we practice something called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and yoku means “bath.” So shinrin-yoku means bathing in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses.

This is not exercise, or hiking, or jogging. It is simply being in nature, connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Shinrin-yoku is like a bridge. By opening our senses, it bridges the gap between us and the natural world.

Never have we been so far from merging with the natural world and so divorced from nature. By 2050, 66% of the world’s population is projected to live in cities. According to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors.

But the good news is that even a small amount of time in nature can have an impact on our health. A two-hour forest bath will help you to unplug from technology and slow down. It will bring you into the present moment and de-stress and relax you. Numerous studies I’ve conducted have shown that shinrin-yoku has real health benefits.

So how does one go about forest bathing?

First, find a spot. Make sure you have left your phone and camera behind. You are going to be walking aimlessly and slowly. You don’t need any devices. Let your body be your guide. Listen to where it wants to take you. Follow your nose. And take your time. It doesn’t matter if you don’t get anywhere. You are not going anywhere. You are savoring the sounds, smells and sights of nature and letting the forest in.

The key to unlocking the power of the forest is in the five senses. Let nature enter through your ears, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet. Listen to the birds singing and the breeze rustling in the leaves of the trees. Look at the different greens of the trees and the sunlight filtering through the branches. Smell the fragrance of the forest and breathe in the natural aromatherapy of phytoncides. Taste the freshness of the air as you take deep breaths. Place your hands on the trunk of a tree. Dip your fingers or toes in a stream. Lie on the ground. Drink in the flavor of the forest and release your sense of joy and calm. This is your sixth sense, a state of mind. Now you have connected with nature. You have crossed the bridge to happiness.

When it comes to finding calm and relaxation, there is no one-size-fits-all solution – it differs from person to person. It is important to find a place that suits you. If you love the smell of damp soil, you will be most relaxed where the natural landscape provides it. Then the effects of the forest will be more powerful. Maybe you have a place in the countryside that reminds you of your childhood or of happy times in the past. These places will be special to you and your connection with them will be strong.

Forest Bathing inspired community by Laurel Valley in Laurel Batangas, Philippines. Designed by Nature. Source: facebook.com/theasianconcept

When you have been busy at work all week, it can be hard to slow down. You may have been rushing around so much you no longer know how to stand still. Walking with a guide who is a trained forest therapist can help you feel more comfortable and find the right environment to fit your needs. In one of my favorite forests, Iinan Furusato-no-Mori, the forest-therapy program includes guided walks. Doctors are on hand to offer general health assessments. When you arrive, you are given a physical health check and a psychological questionnaire. The therapist then works out the best walking plan for you.

But it is just as easy to forest-bathe without a guide. And there are many different activities you can do in the forest that will help you to relax and to connect with nature. Here are some of the things people do: forest walking, yoga, eating in the forest, hot-spring therapy, T’ai chi, meditation, breathing exercises, aromatherapy, art classes and pottery, Nordic walking and plant observation. It doesn’t matter how fit – or unfit – you are. Shinrin-yoku is suitable for any level of fitness.

You can forest-bathe anywhere in the world – wherever there are trees; in hot weather or in cold; in rain, sunshine or snow. You don’t even need a forest. Once you have learned how to do it, you can do shinrin-yoku anywhere – in a nearby park or in your garden. Look for a place where there are trees, and off you go!

From FOREST BATHING: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness by Dr. Qing Li, published on April 17, 2018 by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © Qing Li, 2018.

Source: Time.com

GCOOP Handmade Sulfur Soap highly commanding for Eczema, Psoriasis, Acne, etc.

I cannot say enough about this handmade Sulfur Soap from GCOOP.  I was suffering from serious case of eczema and Psoriasis that kept on coming back for 2 years no matter what I did to get better. Then I was introduced to GCOOP products from a friend. By this time my eczema was spread all through my upper body and I had severe itchiness 24 hours a day. One of the 1st products recommended to me to try to help my skin condition was this handmade Sulfur Soap... I got it, let the Sulfur Soap dissolve, then soaked my body in the tub. Amazing!! I did not itch for 2 days after the first try!!! So I soaked myself every 2 days for about 2 weeks until I felt no more itchiness at all. After that I used it to shower or wash. Not only I'm free from Itchiness and eczema, my skin looks also radiant!!😀😀😀 Now I enjoy taking a sulfur hot spring bath whenever I want without  travelling far to get to the hot spring somewhere! 👍

When men reach middle age in life they start produce a certain "middle-age man smell." My brother is in his 50s, and his room started having this smell, so I told him to use this Sulfur Soap when showering. Now his room has no smell!! He smells good also!! 👍😉  When my little 6 years old niece broke out with rashes and bumps on her neck this sulfur soap helped clear those up within few days, too. And now whenever she sees any little bumps, she yells "I want to take a sulfur bath!" 😊😊😊

Now all my family is using this Sulfur soap from head to toe.  Yes, we wash hair with it, too!  None of us in my extended family are is  breaking out with the symptoms of eczema any more!

Sulfur soap is also good for those who are suffering with acne!

Sulfur Crystal

•  Sulfur Effects: From ancient times sulfur has been known as an ingredient to alleviate skin disease and many people would visit hot springs to heal their skin. In ancient Chinese medical texts, a paste was made from sulfur and other ingredients to heal dry skin. Sulfur has sterilization properties and when applied to the skin the sulfur reacts with the organic matter to create Pentatitanic Acid which helps to exfoliate and disinfect skin.

Take a sulfur hot spring bath everyday. Daily shower with GCOOP's Ecoer Snow Sulfur Soap produces an effect of hot spring bath because it is highly concentrated with 100% natural sulfur! 

Through a 4-week ageing process, the soap is not too soft and forms enough bubbles. Soap particles are made smooth with roasted salt.

• Components : Sulfur Soap 110g(Dry weight 100g) x 10ea
• Main ingredients : Coconut Oil, Beeswax, Sulfur, Glycerin, Yogurt.

FEATURES OF PRODUCT:

Japanese sulfur hot spring Sulfur 45 ppm, while GCOOP Sulfur soap Sulfur 450 ppm.

There is no better sulfur soap!!

Even a smallest rubbing brings rich creamy lathers which is very smooth.  Cut the bar of soap in to small pieces and loosen it in the bathing water, it will dissolve and become a sulfur spring... Relax and enjoy! People who with troubled skin becomes maniacs of this soap!! GCOOP Sulfur soap can help suffering dogs with skin diseases also!

Distributed by: GCOOP Philippines, Inc.

Manufactured by: General Bio Co., Ltd.

Made in South Korea

Email us: gcoop.ph@outlook.com

Source/CTTO: https://bit.ly/2wes8Gd