It’s not every day that parents get to know more about two of the most critical issues that they’ll ever encounter in their parenting lives: emergency situations and financial security. And so it was with unblinking attention that they listened to the resource persons at MPowered Moms, a first of its kind learning workshop sponsored by Mompreneur Manila, Pioneer Insurance, and St. Luke’s Medical Center at F1 Hotel in Bonifacio Global City. Francis Orioste, a training and development specialist at St. Luke’s Development Center, took to the floor first and proceeded to teach moms and dads the elements of Basic Life Support (BLS), a level of medical care used for victims of life-threatening conditions until they can be transported to the hospital.

Orioste teaches parents the elements of Basic Life Support.

Orioste oriented parents on how to recognize and deal with several life-threatening emergencies, such as choking, drowning, and heart attacks, in a safe, timely, and effective manner.

In instances of choking among adults, a case is characterized as a mild obstruction when the patient can still talk. In cases of severe obstruction, the patient will already find it difficult to breathe and talk and may execute a silent cough. Orioste showed participants how to do an abdominal thrust to address cases of choking. For infants, back blows are recommended as well as chest thrusts.

A member of the St. Luke’s Development Center demonstrates how it is to ask someone if he’s okay.

Demonstrating how to give an infant chest compression.

Mommy Mundo Founder Janice Villanueva and her husband Gary practicing an abdominal thrust.

Here’s another couple trying to do an abdominal thrust.

Orioste then proceeded to show participants how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR, both for adults and infants, emphasizing the difference between the two. CPR uses chest compressions and rescue breaths to make the blood circulate through the brain and other organs until help arrives. When an unconscious person is not breathing, time is of the utmost importance. Brain damage is likely to occur after 4 minutes without oxygen, and death a few minutes after.

Orioste emphasized, however, the need to survey the scene of the emergency first and foremost to ensure safety.

The importance of investing was emphasized at the Financial Planning Workshop.

While the Basic Life Support Training Workshop prepared parents for once-in-a-lifetime events, the Financial Planning Workshop equipped them with tools and techniques to manage the necessities of everyday living. Facilitated by Danny Oledan of Pioneer Insurance, the workshop took the participants through several steps, the first of which is the assessment of their current financial situation. This proved to be an eye-opening experience as some of them have not had the time or the opportunity to analyze their financial fitness. As parents calculated their expenses and made an inventory of their assets and liabilities, some were stomped and surprised at the resulting figures.

Oledan says, “It is important to know where you are. An examination of your cash flow will give you a picture of how you are doing financially… Ask yourself: If something happens to you, what will happen to your family? Think about it.” With such information in mind, Oledan then asked the participants to determine their financial goals. The fun part came when moms and dads were then asked to create a financial action plan, which would enable them to live the life they want. Oledan explains, “Financial planning is the process of managing your money to achieve life goals and live your desired lifestyle. It is unique to each individual or family.”

Oledan encourages parents to monitor their expenses.

Parents accomplish their worksheets at the Financial Planning Workshop.

The benefits of financial planning are plenty, he says. You not only increase your effectiveness in obtaining and protecting your resources, but you also get to enjoy a better relationship with your spouse because of well-planned financial decisions. Most important, you enjoy a sense of freedom from financial worries obtained by anticipating expenses and achieving economic goals.

Oledan says, “Financial planning is about living according to your desired lifestyle while preparing for the future.”

Mommy Mundo Founder Janice Villanueva with Danny Oledan of Pioneer Insurance.

Participants of MPowered Moms went on to win cool raffle prizes.

Another winner!