It’s time to change and beat breast cancer

Filipinos are very active when it comes to supporting a good cause and this month, being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is a very busy one. There are fun runs, concerts, charity auctions, and medical missions to help facilitate checkups and treatments for women with breast cancer.

Though there are several means for people to help, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done in the Philippines. According to the Philippine Cancer Society, a staggering percentage of Filipinas have a difficult time paying for their treatments, while the others are too nervous to continue with theirs. In fact, some Filipinas prefer to ignore the importance of an annual breast checkup and refuse to seek treatment once diagnosed with breast cancer.

This is where Marc Coblen, a Dutch brand created by Jordy Cobelens, the same founder of the well-known timepiece TW Steel, comes in to create a change — and a fashionable one at that. Echoing the mantra “It’s time to change,” Marc Coblen urges women to take a proactive stance against breast cancer and change their mindset about what it is and how to overcome it.

In line with the Breast Cancer Awareness program, Marc Coblen has collaborated with the Philippine Cancer Society’s Best Dressed Women of the Philippines and Lucerne, to create a special edition watch called the “Pink Ribbon Watch.” A generous portion of the proceeds from all Pink Ribbon Watch sales will be donated to the efforts and activities of the Philippine Cancer Society in providing consultation and treatment for women with breast cancer all over the country.

The Pink Ribbon Watch showcases a 48mm pink mother-of-pearl face with a small Swarovski encrusted pink ribbon. The watch is encased in a rose gold finish steel case with pink baguette Swarovski crystals on its interchangeable bezel and uses a pink silicon interchangeable strap with a rose gold clasp.

Breast cancer survivors like Patty Betita, Liezl Martinez, and Ann Puno have stepped up and embraced Marc Coblen’s campaign. They epitomize the several women out there who were diagnosed with breast cancer but emerged victorious.

“Breast cancer at its earliest stage is curable,” says Patty. “That’s why it’s important for women to have themselves checked and have their annual mammograms and sonograms because if you detect it early, there’s a 98% chance of survival.” She says that when she first found out that she had breast cancer, she was in shock. It was one of those things, she said, that you didn’t think could happen to you. “Once you are diagnosed with breast cancer, you are faced with your own mortality,” Patty adds. But she found strength in her family, friends, and her unwavering faith in God. She emphasized that it has to be a conscious decision to fight the disease, and to make an educated lifestyle change. “For every cancer survivor, every day you wake up is a new day,” she said. “Be hopeful, have faith, and you’ll be okay.”

Liezl stresses the importance of finding ways to cope. “There are a lot of support groups out there, if you’re interested in joining,” she shares. For her, though, she wasn’t comfortable with being open about it in the beginning. It varies with each person, but she encouraged women to listen to their inner voice and find strength in their lives, whether it be in their family, or their friends. Although she had a chance to go to another country to seek treatments, she sought to undergo treatments in the Philippines instead. “Part of my recovery is to have my family and friends near me,” she stresses, “I think that’s really important.”

Ann shares these sentiments, and adds that more often than not, overcoming cancer is also in the mind. “The most important thing is to be positive. Cancer cells feed on negative feelings.”

Likewise, Ann kept herself strong through the power of prayers and by surrounding herself with the people she loved most. At times, what also kept her going was the knowledge that other people were praying for her to recover, too.

“I think that it’s truly time to change,” Ann concludes. “It’s time to change the way we look at cancer, and we have to stop being fearful about getting checkups because they mean so much to a cancer patient.”

These women have beat down cancer, and urge other women to help each other and build a supportive community. For them, it’s all about recognizing the time to change — and that the best time to do so is now.

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The special edition Marc Coblen Pink Ribbon Watch is exclusive to Mastercard and retails at P15,000, which includes a white leather strap and a rose gold finish bezel inside a beautiful white leather watch box for the cardholders.

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