Life changers: Empowering both body and mind

What do a Filipino chef, an entrepreneur and a sports advocate have in common?

For Pharmaton, it is the extraordinary energy to fuel their passions. Culinary educator Chef Rob Pengson, social entrepreneur and Rags2Riches founder Reese Fernandez-Ruiz and sports advocate Peter “Futkalero Pedro” Amores prove that with a healthy physical and physiological state, an individual can create a positive impact in society. Pharmaton calls them “life changers.”

But the three life changers’ inspiring stories are not easy to achieve, and most of the time, the hindrances are circumstantial. A regular day of an average Filipino, for instance, is one marked by chronic stress caused by traffic and commuting woes, office workload and duties at home.

The exposure to great amount of stress on a daily basis leads to lack of sustained energy to achieve more, says Pharmaton senior brand manager Bernice Jalgalado.

“Life today demands a lot of energy from us and we try to perform in everything that we’re involved in—from our family, our work, to our personal lives,” said Jalgalado.

Healthy body

She believes that a healthy body—with a good physiological and mental health—is needed for an individual to go beyond one’s limits and create something meaningful for a better world. In short, good health is not only channeled to the physical.

Jalgalado said: “The world has so many demands, and we are expected to deliver in everything that’s required of us—from our family, our work and our personal lives. That is why it never fails to amaze us seeing other individuals who have the dedication and energy to go beyond these demands and pursue the things that they are passionate about, and eventually create that positive impact in our society.”

By providing health energy that lasts, Pharmaton aims to fuel an individual’s inner resolve to succeed and leave a lasting imprint to the lives of other people. This kind of energy also gives people alertness to go beyond their jobs and, possibly, into accomplishing social endeavors.

According to Pengson, Ruiz and Amores, people who want to take care of others also need to look after themselves.

In the same thrust, Pharmaton launched the Life Changers campaign to look for and to celebrate individuals who channel “energy with a purpose.”

“The core of the Life Changers campaign is really about bringing that energy on a positive level, how you’re going to use that energy for others and not just for yourself,” said Jalgalado.

Search for life changers

This campaign aims to celebrate those people through “Life Changers’ Challenge: Success in Numbers,” an online, video-driven nationwide competition that intends to search for exceptional Filipinos who cause positive change to the world around them. It aims to recognize their effort in fueling their passions and changing lives through sustained energy.

The nationwide challenge also serves as a modern-day movement that draws inspiration from the belief that the measure of true success is defined by the number of lives one has touched—making a difference and causing a positive, life-changing impact to others and to the world.

Social entrepreneurs and advocates of high-impact projects may submit a two-minute proposal video explaining the projects’ visions to Pharmaton, who will then filter the entries to come up with 10 finalists for the finals night on June 30. Winners will receive a grant of P1 million to fund their initiatives, whose implementation will be closely watched and documented.

The search is in line with Pharmaton’s vision to provide sustained energy and mental alertness for life changers to fulfill their visions and go beyond themselves.