The cruel unpredictability of the weather has been a regular occurrence for the past decade. The usual cool, clammy Januaries and Februaries are now scorching hot, with trees shedding their leaves and reports of drought plaguing the northern provinces of the Philippines. For the past couple of years, there's no telling when the sun will shine or the rain will fall. Sunblock could be quite uneconomical, as it usually gets washed out by water. However, there is a breakthrough that protects one from the elements without having to worry about it wearing or washing off.
Columbia Sportswear's Omni-Shade® clothing protects you from damaging UV radiation by blocking the majority of the sun's harmful rays, so you can stay out longer. Omni-Shade blocks Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays (UVA and UVB), helping to prevent sun burn and long-term skin damage through tight weave construction, UV reflectors, and UV absorbing technology.

Unlike SPF (Sun Protection Factor), which is a measure of sunburn reduction from sunblock, and does not indicate any protection from UVB rays. UVB rays are much more harmful than UVA, and are present even on cloudy days. Like sunblock, Omni-Shade is given a numeric value to indicate its level of sun protection. Your safety increases as the Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) increases, and several levels of Omni-Shade protection are available: UPF 15, UPF 30, UPF 40 and UPF 50+.

All Omni-Shade fabric carries The Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation. Now, you can literally wear sunscreen – without having to worry about it washing off. With the insane heat building up, sunscreen just can't seem to be enough. Wearing clothing with Omni-shade technology is like an invisible armor against the cruel heatwaves and piercing sunrays.

Currently, Columbia products are available through more than 13,000 retailers in 72 countries and operate sales offices in North America, Europe and Asia, including wholly owned subsidiaries in Canada and Japan.

Exclusively distributed locally by Primer Group of Companies, they are available in the following Columbia Sportswear outlets: 2/F Greenbelt 5, G/F SM Cebu Northwing, Upper Ground Floor Bldg. A SM Megamall, 3/F SM The Block, 2/F SM Mall of Asia, G/F Limketkai Mall, 2/F Festival Supermall, 2/F Gateway Mall and in all R.O.X., Res/Toe/Run stores.

For more information visit www.columbiasportswear.com.ph