BEAUTY & BAYANIHAN
While the “new normal” was being redefined and life as knew it was put on halt, AIVEE TEO embraced a call to duty for embodying the Bayanihan spirit
“Bayanihan is something that resonates with us. This is why we refocused our energy and manpower to helping hospitals and frontliners. The Aivee Clinic deeply understands this spirit of helping and giving. It is at the core of our foundation, Beauty Beyond Borders.”
When the COVID-19 crisis hit, businesses of all scales had no guidelines or templates to inform how they would adapt, let alone survive. When community quarantine was announced throughout the National Capital Region in March, everyone scrambled to figure out what to do next. For business owners, the challenge lay in finding the delicate balance between ensuring the safety of their people and surviving closed operations.
The unprecedented crisis was a litmus test for companies, its owners and its people. How an enterprise responded to this “new normal” revealed true values that its proprietors and employees upheld. For the Aivee Clinic, the situation sparked an innate commitment to charity. Dr. Aivee Teo explained, “Bayanihan is something that resonates with us. This is why we refocused our energy and manpower to helping hospitals and front liners. The Aivee Clinic deeply understands this spirit of helping and giving. It is at the core of our foundation, Beauty Beyond Borders.”
Shortly after Enhanced Community Quarantine was declared, Aivee Clinic decided to close all branches. Aivee recalled, “It was a tough decision.” While most employees in other enterprises busied themselves with work from home tasks, the Aivee Clinic team opted to mobilize their efforts to helping. They began by packing hand sanitizers, soaps and other PPEs like masks to donate to hospitals. Other items that they later managed to gather included face shields and booties. Aivee and her husband Z even brought this initiative home, engaging their children to help in making DIY face shields for front liners. The clinic’s in-house food outlet, Aivee Café, was also quick to step up to the plate. Its chef, nutritionists, and staff immediately went into preparation of healthy food packs. Aivee reported, “To date, we were able to provide for over 50 hospitals, reaching out to as many frontliners as possible.”
The Aivee team began work on March 16, and they continued to “assemble, organize, and distribute kits on a regular basis.” Their efforts also inspired others to bring aid where it was most needed. In their IG account, the Aivee Clinic posted shout outs to Aivee League celebrities like Heart Evangelista Bela Padilla, Kath
“We are very proud of our Aiveeleagers who share the love and support to our fellow Filipinos in need in time of the COVID Crisis.”
Bernardo, Judy Ann Santos, and Angel Locsin for their efforts to aid manage the crisis. The beauty enterprise wrote: “We are very proud of our Aiveeleagers who share the love and support to our fellow Filipinos in need in time of the COVID Crisis.” More than just an act of validation, it was an inspirational call to arms by the company to join in the fight against the pandemic.
Their exceptional work during crisis also extended to the messages they shared on social media. With almost 300,000 followers, Aivee says her online platforms sought to “spread important information/substantial content for health and wellness during this time. We would like to spread awareness and not panic. Our Instagram account seeks to inspire others to help in their own community, as well as give proper information on how to stay healthy and mentally alert.”
Aivee admitted that just like everyone else, she too was taking things a day at a time. “Our company doesn’t have any timelines in mind, but we hope to be able to continue for as long as we can,” she said. Following this interview, Aivee and her team went straight back to the work at hand, packing more supplies and meals for heroes.