by | May 22, 2025 | Business
May 28th is Menstrual Hygiene Day, and WaterAid Australia is calling for menstrual health to be recognised as a climate justice issue. This follows new research revealing the worsening impacts of climate change on women and girls in the Pacific.
A scoping report by WaterAid Australia and The Pacific Menstrual Health Network highlights how extreme weather events, rising costs and patriarchal systems are deepening gender inequality and making it harder for women, girls and gender-diverse people to manage menstruation safely and with dignity.
Nalini Singh, Executive Director of Fiji Women’s Rights Movement and member of the Pacific Menstrual Health Network, said:
“When a cyclone hits, our needs don’t disappear — they multiply. Managing periods becomes almost impossible without access to products, privacy, or dignity. Menstrual health must be included in disaster planning and embedded in all public health and disaster risk reduction policies and laws”
Interview participants across the Pacific reported that evacuation centres often lack the privacy, safety and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities needed to manage menstruation.
Marginalised groups, such as people living with disabilities, rural communities and LGBTQIA+ individuals, face even greater barriers during climate emergencies, including a lack of access to menstrual products, dignity kits and inclusive health services.
WaterAid Australia’s Director of Policy and Programs, Meredith Hickman, said periods don’t stop during extreme weather events, but the ability to manage them often does.
“In the Pacific, climate change is compounding existing inequalities and pushing menstrual health further down the priority list during disasters. This is a public health and human rights issue.
We need to ensure that every person who menstruates—regardless of where they live, how they identify, or their ability—can do so safely and with dignity, even in the face of the climate crisis.”
Health systems in the Pacific are already under strain, and climate disasters are making it worse. Interviewees shared that remote clinics often run out of essential supplies, forcing women to delay or skip care for menstrual pain and disorders.
“When nursing stations run out of medication, it shuts down… that’s during normal times, irrespective of whether there’s a disaster or not,” said one woman interviewed.
Despite these risks, menstrual health remains deprioritised in disaster response and climate policy. Participants noted that the government and humanitarian focus rarely extends to issues like period pain, menstrual hygiene or menopause.
Cultural and religious taboos around menstruation continue to reinforce shame and limit open conversations in communities across the Pacific. Participants described women being excluded from decision-making spaces, while also carrying the burden of caregiving during climate crises.
Despite limited policy support, grassroots and local organisations are leading efforts to raise awareness and shift harmful norms.
Community-led events and inclusive programs led by organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) are helping empower young women and marginalised menstruators.
WaterAid is urging governments, donors and humanitarian organisations to recognise menstrual health as essential to gender equality and climate resilience. The WASH organisation is calling for:
Menstrual health to be integrated into climate action plans and policiesSustained support for grassroots and community-led initiativesInclusive research and data collection that reflects diverse menstruators’ needsInvestment in WASH infrastructure and menstrual product access in schools and emergency settingsStigma-ending education to shift harmful norms and taboos
by | May 22, 2025 | Business
VRITIMES showcased its innovative press release platform at Terrapinn’s Solar & Storage Live Philippines 2025 in Manila, connecting clean energy businesses with media to boost their market presence.
May 19 – 20, 2025
Manila, Philippines — VRITIMES, the leading online press release distribution platform, proudly participated as an exhibitor at Solar & Storage Live Philippines, the country’s largest clean energy event held this May 2025 in Manila and organized by Terrapinn. The event served as a dynamic marketplace where thousands of industry stakeholders—including installers, distributors, project developers, policymakers, solution providers, and technology leaders—gathered to explore the rapidly expanding solar and energy storage market in the Philippines.
At the exhibition booth, VRITIMES demonstrated how its integrated press release creation, distribution, and analytics platform can empower solar and energy storage businesses to amplify their market reach. By streamlining the communication of product launches, project milestones, and industry innovations, VRITIMES helps companies connect with media partners and target audiences effectively, supporting growth in this fast-evolving energy sector.
Solar & Storage Live Philippines, organized by Terrapinn, is renowned for showcasing cutting-edge solutions across commercial, industrial, residential, and community-based solar and energy storage projects. VRITIMES’ presence at the event reinforced its commitment to facilitating valuable information flow and media engagement within one of the world’s fastest-growing clean energy markets.
“Participating in Solar & Storage Live Philippines allowed us to engage directly with key industry players seeking to elevate their brand visibility and public relations impact,” said Ronto Katsura, VRITIMES Philippines’ country manager . “Our platform is designed to help businesses in the solar and storage sector communicate their innovations and successes efficiently to the media and stakeholders, accelerating their market presence in this dynamic landscape.”
VRITIMES continues to expand its footprint across Southeast Asia, providing accessible, affordable, and data-driven press release solutions tailored to the unique needs of the clean energy industry and beyond.
For more information on VRITIMES and its services, visit https://www.vritimes.com.
by | May 22, 2025 | Business
May 15, 2025 — Manila, Philippines — Taxumo, the Philippines’ leading online tax filing platform, has officially partnered with Security Bank to empower MSMEs, freelancers, and self-employed professionals through accessible business loan offerings tailored to their needs.
This partnership combines Taxumo’s seamless digital platform with Security Bank’s trusted financial expertise, giving business owners direct access to customized loan options—all within a few clicks. Whether you’re expanding your operations, purchasing equipment, or stabilizing cash flow, the loan solutions available through this collaboration are built to help you take your business to the next level.
“We’re thrilled to bring this partnership to life,” said by CEO Ginger Arboleda of Taxumo, “Our mission has always been to simplify compliance and empower entrepreneurs. With Security Bank on board, we’re now adding accessible financial support into that equation—giving our users even more tools to grow confidently.”
Security Bank’s unique loan products include:
– Business Express Loan: a fast, unsecured option ideal for short-term needs such as equipment purchases, office space expansion, or daily operations.
– Business Mortgage Loan: a secured solution built for long-term growth investments.
– Business Working Capital Loan: a flexible line for everyday business demands.
Taxumo subscribers enjoy exclusive benefits such as preferential interest rates and a simplified application process via the Taxumo Loans Marketplace. From checking eligibility to booking a consultation with Security Bank, the process is designed to be easy, fast, and transparent.
This partnership isn’t just a feature—it’s a value-added service built for your success. We’ve teamed up with Security Bank to bring real solutions to real business challenges.
Take advantage of the streamlined loan application process to grow your business with ease and confidence. With tools you already trust—like Taxumo—getting funding is now more accessible than ever.
To learn more about the Security Bank loan offers available to Taxumo subscribers, follow Taxumo on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
by | May 21, 2025 | Business
Global mining services provider Thiess has expanded its service portfolio with the launch of Thiess Asset Services – leveraging over 90 years of proven expertise in managing, operating and maintaining one of the world’s largest and most diverse mining fleets.
With Thiess’ footprint spanning seven countries and over 50 projects, Thiess Asset Services will bring the operational know-how with a flexible, location-first mindset to deliver proven results. For clients, this means solutions that help to optimise equipment availability and efficiency, reduce downtime and increase productivity.
Thiess Group Executive Chair & CEO Michael Wright said: “We know firsthand the asset challenges our clients are facing, with pressure on reducing capital investment, increasing equipment lifecycles, a reduction in industry capability, and ongoing challenges in getting the right technical expertise. When overlayed with a broader expectation of reducing emissions and decarbonisation, the asset strategy and execution is absolutely critical to any mining company.”
“Within our own business, we’ve done the hard yards laying the foundation for safer, smarter and more sustainable asset services – while driving down the total cost of ownership. And we’re excited that we can now offer this expertise to our clients as a standalone service.”
Thiess Asset Services will provide whole-of-life asset solutions, including preventative maintenance, machine and component rebuilds, composite carbon fibre repairs and reinforcement, fleet management, equipment hire and energy transition services.
Thiess Group Executive Assets & Autonomy Ryan Kirkwood said: “We’re bringing a unique offering to market, backed by decades of expertise and strategic partnerships, that enables us to deliver innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and lower costs, drive decarbonisation, and therefore create value for our clients.
“This includes our partnership with Mechatronix, which uses a lightweight carbon-fibre reinforcement to strengthen rebuilds, helping to boost asset lifespan and reduce downtime, and our partnership with EACON to trial OEM-agnostic autonomous solutions, with a view to reducing capital expenditure barriers to autonomous haulage by providing a cost-efficient conversion of conventional fleet to full autonomy.”
Thiess’ Asset Services will provide tailored solutions to suit every client, budget and location, allowing asset owners to scale capabilities up or down as needed.
Thiess will leverage its global network of machine and component rebuild centres to provide comprehensive machine rebuild solutions and proven alternatives to extend machine life and reliability; and it is working to bring fleet decarbonisation options to the market, including retrofittable agnostic mining technology and hybrid and dual fuel solutions.
Thiess will officially launch Thiess Asset Services at GRX25, the Global Resources Innovation Expo, in Brisbane on 22 May 2025
by | May 21, 2025 | Business
While many still confuse Pinterest with a mood board for cupcakes and wedding dresses, Khriz Zaragoza, known in the digital space as The Pinterest Aficionado, knows better. He’s one of the first Filipino SEO professionals to treat Pinterest like what it truly is: a visual search engine, not just social media.
With a background in traditional SEO and a growing reputation in visual search strategy, Khriz is on a mission to help Filipino businesses, bloggers, and brands unlock long-term organic traffic from Pinterest, an often overlooked but powerful platform.
“Pinterest isn’t about going viral. It’s about getting discovered, again and again,” Khriz explains. “Think of Google Images.”
From SEO Roots to Pinterest Pro
Khriz kicked off his SEO journey in 2015, fine-tuning content strategies and navigating the ups and downs of Google updates. But it was in 2020, while working with travel blog The Travel Scribes, that he had his Pinterest “aha” moment.
“We were chasing traffic through Google, but I saw Pinterest quietly outperforming in certain posts,” he says. “That’s when I dove deep into Pinterest SEO, and never looked back.”
Since then, Khriz has carved a niche as the Philippines’ go-to expert for Pinterest SEO, from keyword research, content strategy, and visual SEO, especially for blogs, online businesses, and passion-driven websites.
Founder of Khrizclusive and Bruvato Marketing
Today, Khriz runs two digital ventures:
• <a href="https://www.khrizclusive.com/">Khrizclusive.com</a> – His personal brand where he shares Pinterest tutorials, productivity tips, and brutally honest insights from the SEO frontlines.
• <a href="https://www.bruvato.com/">Bruvato.com</a> – A full-service SEO agency helping global clients grow through organic search, content strategy, and technical audits.
From helping solopreneurs pin their way to passive traffic, to training teams on how to make content evergreen, Khriz combines big-picture thinking with real-world execution.
Why Pinterest SEO Matters (Especially in 2025)
With Google’s algorithm changes getting more chaotic and social media becoming increasingly pay-to-play, Pinterest offers creators and brands a unique sweet spot: search-based visibility that compounds over time.
“It’s not about trends. It’s about timeless content that solves a problem or sparks inspiration,” says Khriz. “Pinterest is where quiet experts win.”
And as one of the few specialists in the Philippines blending traditional SEO with Pinterest strategy, Khriz is leading the charge for a smarter, search-first approach to content marketing.
Work with the Pinterest Aficionado
Whether you’re a blogger tired of chasing TikTok trends, or a business owner looking for sustainable traffic, Khriz Zaragoza offers Pinterest SEO strategy that delivers real results, no fluff, no guesswork.
Portfolio: www.khrizclusive.com
SEO Agency: www.bruvato.com
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