Colgate: Keeping the Philippines Smiling

“Ignore your teeth and they’ll go away.”

My dad would say this to all of us when we were growing up. There were lots of other things he impressed upon us during our formative years. He demanded that we respect our elders, that we didn’t waste food because there were children who didn’t have any, and that we had to earn our keep by contributing to the house in the form of chores.

At fourteen, I knew how to do the laundry, cook a meal for the family, and how to clean the bathroom that I shared with my siblings. My dad didn’t show me how to do all of these things, but he did teach me the proper way to clean the bathroom and even mow the lawn.

He also taught all of us the proper way to brush our teeth (up and down not side to side) and how to floss every night. These simple but very important lessons, are the same lessons I teach my kids now. (Ok, maybe not the mowing the lawn part…)

Fast forward to when I gave birth to each of my children and watched as each of their personalities developed and unfolded, I realized I would have at least one kid who I would have to remind to brush his teeth.

Like all the time…

I mean every day…

I’m not joking…

And with this kid, I find myself quoting my dad 35 years later…

“Ignore your teeth and they’ll go away.”

There are lots of factors that can affect oral health care. We all know that our children will model the behavior they see. So if they see their parents as great examples of oral health care, then they should follow in their footsteps.

So, if you brush well, your children will brush too. If you eat lots of fruits and vegetables and limit your sugar intake, your kids will do the same. If you floss and use a mouthwash, then your kids will most likely floss and use a mouthwash as well…simply because you modeled this behavior for them.

However, some situations aren’t always this ideal. Sometimes things are just not that easy, and in extreme circumstances, studies have shown that poor oral hygiene and poor oral health is usually a good indication of the over all health of an individual.

For me, when it comes to oral health care the first and most recognizable brand here, in the Philippines, is Colgate. Colgate is a brand I rely on for oral health care for the whole family.

In my case, having six family members in our home, means that we have that many preferences for each of the products, paste, and mouth wash that we all prefer, as well.

I was really excited when Colgate launched Colgate with Sugar Acid Neutralizers. THIS toothpaste was made for my kiddo who doesn’t like to brush his teeth. Unfortunately, this is also the same kiddo who loves sugary snacks. When I learned about Colgate with Sugar Acid Neutralizers, I knew that this was the toothpaste for Diego.

I write about Colgate today because I’m just as excited to share with you the wonderful plans they have to “Keep the Philippines Smiling,” as they begin their 90th year celebration.

Now, there are household brands that I really love simply because I have used them forever, and we have a history together. There are other household brands that I continue to use or buy because they make MY life easier. Then there are brands that I love because they have a stake in social responsibility. They make me feel good when I buy them. These are the brands that make OTHERS’ lives easier as well.

After attending a press conference a couple of weeks ago, I learned of a wonderful initiative where Colgate will celebrate the milestone of 90 years in the Philippines by partnering with Operation Smile, and Puregold to help Filipino children more than they already have. This means that I get to feel even better buying my Colgate products.

As it is, Colgate already takes a huge initiative in educating children on oral health through their Bright Smiles Bright Futures Program. This program, in conjunction with DepEd, provides oral health education as well as oral care kits to every first grade public school student in the Philippines. That’s 2.3 million healthier smiles in 2015 through this program, alone.

Stephen Lau, VP and GM for Colgate-Palmolive Philippines explains “Indeed, the company feels privileged to have this opportunity and capacity to make a meaningful impact to the community. At Colgate-Palmolive, we firmly believe that good oral health is a basic right of every citizen.”

For those of you who visit the blog regularly, you know that February is special to me because it is National Down Syndrome Consciousness Month. What I didn’t know, is that February is also ORAL HEALTH MONTH.

During the entire month of February, the Philippine Dental Association in conjunction with Colgate-Palmolive, offered free dental check-ups, and free fluoride treatments to 100 kids in 100 barangays. That’s a total of 10,000 healthier smiles!

 

But that’s not enough for the folks over at Colgate-Palmolive. They plan to do more EVEN more with Operation Smile.

Operation Smile got its start 34 years ago here in Naga, City. Inspired by Filipinos’ genuine warmth and spontaneity as well as the Bayanihan spirit in our culture, founders Bill and Kathy Magee were able to venture further into Asia, Latin America, Africa, and parts of Europe on medical missions taking care of children with cleft lip and cleft palate.

Working with volunteers from all over the world, Operation Smile has been changing lives by providing oral surgery, reconstructive surgery and repairing other facial deformities for children and families who would not otherwise be able to afford such necessary care.

Puregold comes in as the retail partner of this amazing endeavor to raise funds for the surgeries, dental check-ups, and fluoride treatments. Shoppers will enjoy the same great Colgate products at their standard retail prices and, at the same time help Colgate by donating Php5.00 to Operation Smile for every Colgate product purchased between February 15th to April 17th. 

I have always believed that education is the key to any kind of real change. I suppose that’s why I became a teacher all those years ago.

Colgate believes the same.

This is another reason why, the partnership with the PADC, is so important. Together, they have granted scholarship to 248 students to go on to study dentistry since 2001.

“This collaboration with Operation Smile is only one of several activities that Colgate-Palmolive Philippines will implement on its 90th year. We have allocated significant resources for this year-long campaign of giving back to the Filipinos. I am proud to see that the entire organization is extremely dedicated towards Keeping the Philippines Smiling more each day”, declares Stephen Lau.

After attending this press conference, I was completely enlightened about all the programs that Colgate-Palmolive has planned for the coming year. Thank you Colgate, for creating such strong ties to the community through education, children, and keeping Filipinos healthy. I’m looking forward to sharing more ways in which Colgate will Keep the Philippines Smiling as one of their partners through this year long celebration.

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