Dr. Alfonso Lagaya talks about Oriental Healthy Lifestyle.Through the collective efforts of the UP Open University (UPOU) Health and Wellness Committee and the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Finance and Administration (OVCFA), in cooperation with the Faculty of Management and Development Studies (FMDS), an Oriental Healthy Lifestyle Seminar was held as a topic under the FMDS Let's Talk It Over (LTIO) Forum. This seminar was aimed at enhancing the UPOU's academic performance and each individual's rejuvenation, intelligence and health. This was held on 06 June 2016 at the UPOU Audio-visual Room in Los Baños, Laguna, and was livestreamed at www.upounetworks.net.
The seminar was opened by UPOU Chancellor Melinda dP. Bandalaria. In her welcome remarks, she thanked the participation of the UPOU community in the efforts of the university to improve the health of its constituents. She mentioned that one of her action points in her vision is to promote staff wellness and work-life balance, and challenged all the participants to make a decision of living a healthier lifestyle after they have listened to the resource speaker. She is also happy to note that the LTIO forum has become a regular event that has become a venue to discuss and promote various topics for the good of the many.
The seminar's resource speaker was Dr. Alfonso T. Lagaya, a Certified Medical Acupuncturist of the Department of Health's Philippine Institute of Traditional & Alternative Health Care (PITAHC). He is a lecturer for the Philippine Lecture Series of the American Academy of Family Medicine in California, USA. He is also a lecturer at University of the Philippines College of Medicine, Emilio Aguinaldo College of Medicine, and the University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. He is the current Vice-President and Board Member of the Philippine Academy of Acupuncture, Inc.
Dr. Lagaya shared the oriental healthy lifestyle coaching and meridian-based exercises, which includes sample exercises to improve the physical functions, intellectual and social functions, self-regulating metabolic functions and sleep or recharging mode of the body. He mentioned that a correct and upright posture will heal the pains of the back, neck, shoulder and head, especially for people who sit long hours in front of computers. He added that this also extends to healing the disorders of internal organs like prostate, ovary and uterus, and scoliosis. Another point he emphasized was the importance of preventing dehydration by water intake and the use of scarves. "In a warm environment, covering the ears, neck & shoulders will cause the body heat & sweat to be trapped in the scarf thus creating a cooler & more sustained release of sweat to evaporate and you feel cooler." Dr. Lagaya led more exercises that the participants gladly obliged. Those who attended the event were energized and motivated to be more active and mobile.
Dr. Primo Garcia, Dean of the FMDS, delivered the closing remarks after participating in some of the exercises that Dr. Lagaya led. He thanked Dr. Lagaya and the entire team who made possible the conduct of the seminar. He hopes that more activities be held to fulfill Chancellor Bandalaria's vision of promoting the wellness of all UPOU staff members.
Prior to the seminar, Dr. Lagaya conducted free acupuncture and therapy sessions for some UPOU faculty and staff members. Ms. Jeniffer de Pasion was the event's lively and energetic emcee. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
