Samprasita

Wheatgrass rocks to this radio DJ

2012-01-07T12:06:00.023+08:00

DJ George of pop/R&B station Wave 891(FM) shuns dependence on anything that doesn’t work. Like medicines, even if prescribed.

In June 2011, the 38-year old radio DJ/voice talent/events host thought she was near death when she felt chest pains, couldn’t breathe and belched so bad.

Based on lab tests and images from a camera inserted down her throat, she was told she was suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Her ENT doctor prescribed a medicine which DJ George described as a proton inhibitor. (GERD is a condition in which food or liquid comes up from the stomach into the esophagus and can cause heartburn, nausea, chest pain and other symptoms.)

DJ George of WAVE 891 (FM), live on air Mondays to Thursdays 5pm-8pm and Fridays from 5am-8am.

“For three months, I was taking this expensive tablet but I didn’t feel any improvement in my throat,” she recalled. “My stomach acids may have been addressed, yet I still felt a lump in my throat which was uncomfortable.” She spent those months sleeping in a semi-reclined position to avoid acid backing up into her throat that would cause the swelling. She was disappointed that her medicine didn’t address the problem of swelling. It only addressed the stomach acids by inhibiting their production.

A singer-friend (from an all-girl sing-and-dance group) suffering from hyperacidity told DJ George to try Easy Pha-max wheatgrass whose bus ads DJ George had already noticed before.There are other wheatgrass variants but DJ’s friend swore this particular one “really works.”

A week after drinking wheatgrass, DJ George felt a bit better. That “something” in her throat, she said, lessened in size and she didn’t feel uncomfortable as much anymore unlike before when she wasn’t taking the natural health supplement.

This makes sense to me now. Because wheatgrass is alkaline, it tapers the acid and coats the esophagus down to the stomach with alkaline, thus addressing the lump problem in my throat.

When I first drank Easy Pha-max wheatgrass (with honey), its smell reminded me of green tea. I also drink Easy Pha-max wheatgrass pure but because I have a sweet tooth, I frequently drink the honey-flavored one,” she said.

DJ George continues to drink wheatgrass, twice daily, upon waking up and before sleeping.

“Wheatgrass works!” she affirmed. She now sleeps flat on her back.

100% Filipino-made 10-in-Coffee especially made for Pinoys

2011-10-14T17:00:00.000+08:00

For most Filipinos, breakfast will not be complete without a cup of piping hot coffee. There are even others who can survive until lunch time by just drinking coffee--- brewed or instant.

Now comes a unique coffee experience for Filipinos. Moreishi 10-in-1 coffee is not your ordinary instant coffee because it combines coffee, non-dairy creamer, fructose, and seven premium herbs in one sachet.

Coffee lovers will surely love it because of its engaging taste and the health benefits that they can get from every cup they drink.

It’s the only BFAD-approved coffee in the market that uses seven of the 10 herbs recognized by the Department of Health as “medicinal plants.” Frequent drinking of Moreshi-10-in-1 Coffee improves one’s over-all health condition as it boosts the immune system to prevent diseases such as asthma, kidney stones, high blood pressure, rheumatism and even goiter.

Ginger enhances one’s respiratory system and kills TB germs while ginseng is a good antioxidant and promotes stamina. Reishi or red mushroom strengthens the immune system, lowers blood cholesterol and helps cleanse the body. Aside from its anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties, turmeric (luyang dilaw) prevents eye cataracts.

Sambong, a natural diuretic, regulates fluid retention of the body and helps treat kidney stones. Kelp (seaweed) which is rich in iodine prevents goiter and even hair loss. It also promotes healthy fingernails. Lastly, the herb gotu kola which promotes skin elasticity is a brain tonic herb which improves mental focus and memory.

Moreishi-10-in-1 coffee is exclusively distributed by Empower Marketing Inc. (http://www.empower.com.ph), a 100 percent Filipino-owned company that advocates wellness using products made from indigenous plants.

The instant coffee was formulated by Filipino scientists and registered doctors from medicinal plants approved by the Department of Health as having been tested and clinically proven for their medicinal value.

Learn more about Moreishi 10-in-1 coffee and other Empower Marketing health products by visiting their website or calling them at 534-6702 to 04.

Want to see how your ‘live’ blood behaves?

2011-08-17T17:37:00.000+08:00

CBC. Live blood analysis. They have become compulsory especially among job applicants. After all, the companies hiring them want to be assured they have a generally healthy workforce.

This September, in various areas in Baguio City, a team of young brand ambassadors and registered nurses will show Baguio folks the first step to finding out if they are healthy or unwell through live blood analysis tests, or LBA for short.

The Easy Pha-max team will be at the Baguio Country Club (Sept. 1 to 3, 10am – 7pm) and at Aegis People Support (Sept. 2, 8pm onwards) to give free LBA to the young workforce and local residents and introduce the company’s product line of healthy food supplements.

LBA is a health check that alerts anyone of potential disorders that could harm the person’s health in the long run if left untreated.

But then how can you have a condition treated if you don’t know you have it?

Blood determines a person’s health condition. A healthy blood maintains a pH range of 7.35 – 7.45. Beyond that, our bodies become weaker because the body works doubly hard to bring the pH level back to normal. A pH level less than 7.35 also makes the body more prone to diseases. Unhealthy blood, which is caused by chemicals, poor diet, and stress, lead to a more serious health condition.

Our blood carries important nutrients to the cells in the body for it to function properly. It helps eliminate wastes in the body by moving them to the kidney and liver.

The most common blood test is the Complete Blood Count (CBC). The problem with this test is that the blood cells extracted from the body die after 30 minutes, therefore the blood cells being analyzed in the lab are already dead. It’s hard to determine if the red and white blood cells were performing their duties while inside the body.

Because of this, another blood test – the LBA - is getting attention.

What is LBA?
Unlike the conventional blood test, LBA uses fresh blood making it easier to determine the blood’s behavior inside the body. The live blood is examined under a microscope that is connected to a computer enabling patients to watch on a video monitor their blood moving around, while a medical professional or a trained nutritional microscopist is analyzing and explaining. You see exactly how your blood behaves inside your body.

Does your blood move around or does it stay rooted in one spot? Get yourself LBA'd by Easy Pha-max Phils. when it holds on-ground health activities in malls and BPOs. That way, you're on top of your health.

LBA test results shows the activity of red blood cells, the presence of bacteria or free radicals in the body, malabsorption of fats, presence of heavy metals in the body (i.e., mercury), nutrient deficiencies and toxicity in the body which cause certain diseases.

The LBA isn’t considered diagnostic. It gives an early warning of potential abnormal conditions like diabetes, heart attack, arthritis.

Anyone having the LBA test can, on the spot, learn from the attending medical personnel the proper health regime or get a medical referral.

To know more, call +632 890-1111 and speak to registered nurses and dietitians.

See you in Baguio!

Makati Sports Club's 1st open tennis tourney

2011-08-04T14:46:00.000+08:00

The Makati Sports Club launched last July 29 the 1st MSC Men's and Ladies' Open Tennis Tournament 2011 where 140 professional tennis players from all over the country have signed up to compete.

This is the first time in its history that the Makati Sports Club has organized a sporting event for the country's professional tennis players and top collegiate players.

“We are holding this tournament to promote the sport in the country,” MSC Comptroller Ron Limbo said during the opening. Also, the recent short-lived stint of 18-year old netter Jeson Patrombon at the Wimbledon Junior Boys’ Singles Tournament motivated the club to run the tournament to prepare younger players to the rigors of local and international competitions.

Major sponsor is Easy Pha-max Phils. Inc. (EPPI), the country's leading distributor of wheatgrass-based health products carrying their brand name in different forms - powder, tablets and ready-to-drink in cans. Other sponsors include Firefly Lighting and tennis racquet maker Babolat.

The official tournament began August 1 and the championship games for the men and females divisions are scheduled on August 7.

The grand winner for the mens’ division will walk away with PhP22,000 while the champion in the female category will take home PhP10,000 cash. Cash prizes will be given to runner-up players and those who will reach round of 16, round of 8, quarterfinals, and semi-finals. Total consolation prizes at stake amount to Php 68,000.

Expected to reach the finals in the male division include top-seeded players Johnny Arcilla, Elbert Anasta, PJ Tiemo, and Rolando Ruel Jr. while the Patrimonio sisters Anna Christine and Anna Clarice, Marian Jade Capadocia, and Aileen Rogan are widely considered in the female division.

EPPI chair and CEO Edward Ling said the company's sponsorship abides by their advocacy for healthy lifestyles. In a brief interview, he said "We are strongly pushing for preventive healthcare. In every way we can, we encourage everyone to shift to a healthy lifestyle that includes eating healthy foods and increasing their physical activities like this one, playing tennis."

Limbo said the club has been been serving wheatgrass at its restaurant and dining rooms for some time now.

The musical 'Proudly Green: 100 years of La Salle' looks to next 100 years

2011-07-13T18:33:00.007+08:00

The new and much talked-about musical ‘Proudly Green’ with a cast of 100, tackles two messages that the 100-year old De La Salle University hopes its 180,000 students in its 17 campuses across the country must take to heart – better education and environment in the Philippines in the next 100 years.

Directed by multi-awarded director and La Salle alumnus Fritz Ynfante, the one-hour musical extravaganza done in lyric theater charts the university’s 100 year history from the time the Christian Brothers came to the country in 1911.

First shown last June 11, it will be re-staged on July 31 at the St. Benilde Gym at La Salle Greenhills, 4 pm and 8 pm.

Using existing music, the lyrics of which were improvised by advertising guru and La Salle professor Adie Pena, the show is a mix of Broadway, rock , gospel and a mashup of La Salle’s three different alma mater songs.

Despite the participation of seasoned theater performers Isay Alvarez and Robert Sena from Miss Saigon, Rannie Raymundo and JM Rodriguez, there are no main stars here. Fritz Ynfante wanted the story to be the star. The main characters are nine wingless angels representing the first nine Christian Brothers who came here and founded the school.

The angels who came down from heaven are the continuing thread because they re-tell the story.

Three acts break into three epochs that end in man-made disasters which show important milestones in the history of La Salle and the country: 1911-1945 ends in World War 11 with the massacre in February 12, 1945 of the Christian brothers and people both young and old, 1946-1972 ends in Martial Law, 1973 to the present time talks about the future and compels audiences to think and be more caring about education and the environment, La Salle’s two missions which are also universal concerns. Their deterioration is a threat that the university does not want to leave to the next generation.

Other history highlights include the first game between La Salle and Ateneo and the arrival of the first female students (coeds).

A riveting scene in one of the acts has two boys extending their arm to touch each other’s forefinger, embodying One La Salle. The boys represent an elite student and a student from the poorest La Salle campus.

One La Salle

Green, being the university’s color and a symbol of hope, is pervasive throughout the show. According to Adie, the green light and the resplendent green costume of Isay who portrays the Alma Mater songs, signify that the spirit of La Salle continues. He says, “We are talking about three generations who grew up with three different anthems, so that even if they are not familiar with the other songs, we are all green La Sallians.”

Isay Alvarez is Alma Mater

‘Proudly Green: La Salle’s 100 Years’ was organized by the Grade School and High School Taft chapter of the De La Salle Alumni Association. Its re-staging is in response to the clamor by parents and students who have not seen it yet. By showing it again, the DLSAA hopes to nurture among the next generation of students the Christian upbringing, spirituality and sound values began by the Brothers 100 years ago.

New challenges

Tickets are selling at P600 for reserved seating and P300 for students. For reservations, call Manny Blanco at 818-3021 and 819-3963 or the De La Salle Alumni Association at 523-6158 and 526-5612.

Cosplay goddesses Alodia and Ashley root for the Good Drink

2011-06-03T18:09:00.001+08:00

Icons of the performance art known as cosplay, sisters Alodia and Ashley Gosiengfiao – though opposite in temperament - have endeared themselves to millions of their young fans with their good-mannered yet perky personalities, and of course, drop-dead gorgeous looks.

The lissome and artistic twosome got into cosplay in their early teens, collecting many awards in competitions here and abroad. They’re now 23 and 21, still heavily into cosplaying, lately venturing into successful commercial endorsements of online games, fashion, telecoms, food and health drink.

Reflective and polite, the elder sister – Alodia - who stands 5’4, placed 76^th in the 2010 FHM 100 sexiest women poll. Another plaudit came her way when she was named one of the most influential women in the Philippines by a local glossy for inspiring many women to cosplay.

At 5’5, younger sister Ashley or Ash is the sportier one and dabbles in photography which she does professionally despite only having learned it from the web. She plays the lead guitar for the all-girl band, Yes Ma'am (formerly known as Hymn of Siren), and even records her own songs and posts them on her blog. A tad naughtier, Ash even contemplates being a ‘yaya’ if she weren’t into cosplay or the arts. Don’t you just lurve her?

Their strong influence with the younger generation made them incontestable brand endorsers for the new Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass RTD, billed as the best health drink in the Philippines.

“It’s perfectly blended and very convenient. Just the right amount of sweetness which I really love. Just chill it, shake it well and you’re good to go,” Alodia said.

Younger sister Ashley added, "I’m into sports. I played volleyball from seventh grade to my fourth year in high school. I give importance to my health. When I drink a can in the morning, nawawala yung tamad vibe ko. As much as I want to be healthy, I don’t like vegetables. Good thing that with this RTD wheatgrass, I can do a lot of amazing things.” Ashley thinks she’s fat even if her legions of fans think otherwise.

Being health-conscious is not just for adults. Take it from cosplay goddesses Alodia and Ashley who swear they can change for the good by establishing a healthy lifestyle while still young. Like balancing their diet with the Good Drink.

Take the Grasstig Ka Ba health challenge at Watsons

2011-04-28T15:37:00.052+08:00

Malling offers a welcome respite from the heat, job stress, boredom.

When you go to the malls this summer, you can drink wheatgrass juice for its all-round health benefits and get a chance to win cool items from the ongoing Easy Pha-max Wheatgrass Grasstig Ka Ba Challenge.

To join, just buy any of these Easy Pha-max products at select Watsons branches: 10+1 Value Pack, Wheatgrass Pure 30 sachets in a box, or Wheatgrass Honey 15 sachets in a box.

Then go to the Grasstig Ka Ba Challenge booth and drink within five seconds one glass of Wheatgrass Honey to win one of these items (you choose): a Certified Grasstig shirt, tumbler or umbrella.

Buying the Wheatgrass 10+1 Value Pack also entitles you to have a free live blood analysis (LBA) where trained nurses extract a tiny drop of blood from your finger tip.

On a monitor, you get to watch how your blood moves inside your body. The LBA test helps detect health conditions you may be suffering from. You will also know the level of acidity in your body.

Called "super food", wheatgrass purifies the blood, flushes out toxins from the body, lowers blood pressure and helps relieve constipation.

Since it started on April 1, the Grasstig Ka Ba Challenge has been held at Watsons outlets in Gateway Mall, V- Mall Greenhills, Market Market, SM Fairview Hypermarket, SM City North Edsa, and SM Mall of Asia. You can catch its final leg on May 7 and 8 at Watsons stores in Festival Mall and SM Megamall.

Easy Pha-max Phils. Inc. is the country's leading distributor of wheatgrass-based health products.

Easy Pha-max opens 1st Lifestyle Center at SM MOA

2011-01-22T19:28:00.000+08:00

The first Lifestyle Center of Easy Pha-max Philippines Inc. that gives Filipinos easy access to health resources in a relaxed setting opened at the SM Mall of Asia on January 20.

Easy Pha-max is the Philippines' leading distributor of wheatgrass-based health products.

Mall shoppers looking for other healthy lifestyle options will find them at the Lifestyle Center located on the 2nd level, south wing of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. It is the first of several lifestyle health stores the company and its channel partners will put up across the country this year.

CEO Edward Ling said it is a one-stop shop for the company’s wheatgrass products that include Wheatgrass Pure, Wheatgrass with Honey, Bio Coffee, So Easy Colon Cleanse, Whea-gee (for kids), Bio Soy Milk, Skywheatgrass Plus, Insupro Forte (anti-diabetes), among others. Other products like Wheatgrass ready-to-drink (in can) will retail soon.

Incorporated on 28 November 2007, Easy Pha-max is a subsidiary of INS Bioscience which is engaged in the scientific research and development and commercialization of herbal remedies and bioscience products in Malaysia. Easy Pha-max is the only company that uses both the leaves and roots of the wheatgrass to get the maximum amount of proteins, minerals, enzymes and chlorophyll that neutralize toxins and restores alkalinity to the blood.

As such, the Lifestyle Center will give mall shoppers access, on any day, to antioxidant dietary supplements, health information and diagnostic screenings.

Mall shoppers can have their health check-ups from experienced nurses and dietitians using modern diagnostic tools like the Live Blood Analysis and Inner Body Scan which provide information on the body’s health condition.

The LBA identifies traces of cholesterol, uric acid and damaged cells in the blood. The Inner Body Scan on the other hand, shows the metabolic age and condition of the body. Exclusive Easy Pha-max merchandise like the “I Love Grass” shirts, umbrellas and other accessories are also being sold at the center.

The center is operated by artist Charles de Nava who runs Rotech Arts & Frames which provide contemporary artwork services in selected malls in Luzon. De Nava is one of the company's more than 500 accredited distributors. He operates 22 kiosks and carts scattered nationwide.

Ling said the Lifestyle Center aims to help Filipinos understand holistic wellness.

Edward Ling, Easy Pha-max Phils. CEO

"Since day one of our operations four years ago, we’ve been in the business of motivating Filipinos towards leading healthy lifestyles. The Lifestyle Center is a wonderful opportunity for us to make healthcare more accessible. We are identifying locations in Metro Manila and in key cities in the country where we can achieve our company vision of transforming lives and communities by restoring people’s health,” he explained.

Ling clarified the Lifestyle Center will not replace clinics and hospitals. The company only wants to empower consumers to adopt healthy lifestyles by giving them access to the latest health information and products.

Easy Pha-max has tapped admired celebrities to endorse its wheatgrass products like ABS-CBN sportscaster/athlete Dyan Castillejo and actress/aerobic exercise instructor Jackie Lou Blanco. Their infomercials are showing on Cable TV in 14 cities across the country. In Metro Manila, the infomercial is screened daily on SkyCable 11 and Destiny Cable 3, 10pm – 12 midnight. For more information about Easy Pha-max, visit www.wheatgrasscan.com.

BUYanihan's Lucky 7 winners of gift certs

2010-11-27T01:20:00.000+08:00

November 26th, 2010 | Author: Ida

Seven participants in the just held two-day e-Commerce Summit 2010 won gift certificates from BUYanihan.com in a raffle draw held on the last day of the summit.

They were:
· Reggie Bundang of regaloservice.com (a gift service portal)
· Alvin Gale Tan of SVI Software Services (e-services outsourcing provider)
· Micci Lopez of cashsense (facilitator of cash-based transactions online and offline)
· Fritzie Ann Revilla of 701 Search Inc. (online classified ads service)
· Bernardo Mitra (chairman of many companies, among them ChilLine Attitude Corporation which develops destinations that cater to a high-end client base)
· Alexandra Lopez of Ayannah (provider of solutions that enable secure transactions over online and mobile communication networks)
· Mel Co of Global Competitiveness (business and training consultancy)

Each won P300 worth of GCs of Sodexo, Krispy Kreme and Red Mango that BUYanihan.com raffled off after the announcement of the category winners in the 4th DigitalFilipino SPI top 100 Web Awards.

Some of them are members of the DigitalFilipino.com Club founded in 2003 by Janette Toral who is acknowledged as the ‘Mother of the e-Commerce Law (RA8792)’. The Club is composed of more than 100 members who meet regularly to share their experiences on e-commerce, social media, SEO marketing, blogging and e-lancing (freelancing over the Internet).

BUYanihan.com founder Eddie Lee was a speaker on the first day where he discussed the growth potential in the Philippines of group buying websites by harnessing the Filipinos’ collective bargaining power and their innate social networking skills.

By 2012, Eddie foresees this market to grow to P9 billion with about 20 strong players each featuring 3,000 discount deals a year.

For a group buying site to successfully promote and sell 3,000 deals, he said the company needs to have 300 staff to handle 1-million transactions a year and have the infrastructure to send out one (1) billion emails to its customers (database) who have a spending power of P300 per month.

Launched in August 2 this year, BUYanihan.com is the Philippines’ first group buying site. Since then, the site has featured 20 deals on food and drinks, beauty and skin care, themed parks, travel, hotel, kiddies fun and fun run.

Posted in Buyanihan Always!

Simplify your Christmas shopping

2010-11-02T16:26:00.000+08:00

For the festive crowd planning their Christmas shopping list and itinerary, the blog below is worth sharing. Irrespective of whether you're on a budget or intent on shopping like crazy.

http://www.buyanihan.com/blog/2010/10/a-brilliant-way-to-save-on-christmas-purchases/

A brilliant way to save on Christmas purchases

October 28th, 2010 | Author: admin

The countdown to Christmas has begun. It is two months away.

Mixed feelings from the young and grown-ups.

Great expectations for the perfect gift from the young. Meanwhile, the not-so-young are already saving and planning what to give.
Ah, the joy in Christmas shopping. When you don’t leave it to the last minute. And especially when you shop online, a burgeoning trend worldwide, because it can be done from your home and your office desk. No need to jostle with the Christmas crowd on the malls and in Divisoria.
Be among the world’s savvy shoppers and bargain hunters in cyberspace. Make BUYanihan.com your Christmas shopping destination.
We can make your shopping experience simple, easy and painless this Christmas. We’ll take care of looking for that ‘something’ that gives long-lasting value. We’ll get that ‘something’ at big markdown prices to help your Christmas budget go further.
What do we have, what will you choose and who will you surprise?
The kids, the other relatives, the boss, the BFFs, the neighbors, the customers, the companies down the hall that have always given your company a basket of Christmas goodies.
Check our site every day because we offer loads of fabulous bargains on popular products and unique Christmas gift ideas that suit any budget (including those with deep pockets).
Fine/casual dining, booze, mouth-watering festive food, theme parks, wellness and spas, body-beautiful treatments (yes!) and other must-have Christmas gifts for friends and business customers.
It’s simple to buy from us.
Sign up as member, fill up the information boxes, click buy on the Home Deal page, choose your payment method and complete the checkout process. Voila! We will email you the printable coupon which you can take to the store to redeem your purchase within its validity period.
To the best we can, we arrange with retailers between three and six months expiry dates.

So bring your Christmas spending on gifts and company giveaways ahead of the holidays.
See, no stress.
Happy holidays!

Let's go Buyanihan

2010-08-05T18:20:00.000+08:00

Patterned after the popular group buying websites in the US and Europe, Buyanihan.com is the Philippines’ first collective-buying site where real bargains on different goods and services are featured every week. It’s a low-cost Internet business tool that local businesses can use to pull in new customers.

If Buyanihan sounds familiar especially to Filipinos, it is a play on the word “bayanihan” which in English describes the Filipinos’ kindred spirit (collaboration, if you like) with one another.

Note the bold emphasis on the word “real" in the lead sentence. The emphasis is deliberate because the discounts are not your usual ‘10 to 30 percent less’ the normal prices.

The time-limited discount offers can go anywhere from not less than 50 percent and up, depending on negotiations between Buyanihan.com and the retailer.

So what will be the deals?

Hotel and restaurant meals, popular consumer items, tickets to themed parks and concerts, adventure tours, spas and other wellness services, flying or horseback lessons, you name it.

This new business model poses a new revenue stream opportunity for commercial establishments in that they can monetize their inventories especially during off-peak hours or their lean months when there's not too much demand for the items (or services).

The caveat is the deal gets the green light if the agreed minimum number of people sign up before the run-time (1 to 5 days) expires. And this is where the power of viral promotion comes into play. If consumers see the deal as a shared interest, they will feel compelled to pass on the information to their friends using traditional and social media - - word-of-mouth, email, Twitter, Facebook. Because if there are not enough buyers, sorry guys, the deal is off.

And the companies? They should be prepared at all times to welcome new customers at their doors.

Buyanihan.com is only available in Metro Manila but by the second half of 2011, it will expand to Cebu and Davao.

The LGBT Vote

2010-03-13T23:01:00.002+08:00

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/sim/sim/view/20100306-257022/Almost-a-Woman

Around 10 percent of the more than 50-million registered voters for the general elections just two months away are LGBTs, according to Ang Ladlad which is seeking representation in the Philippine Congress.

Ang Ladlad defines its constituency as “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender" persons.

Although it has been included in the ballot list, the Supreme Court has yet to decide on the merits of Ang Ladlad’s accreditation as a party list group. This means if the SC does not accredit the group, votes for Ang Ladlad will not be counted.

If it wins, Ang Ladlad will push for the passage of the Anti-Discrimination bill which seeks to punish persons, agencies, offices and establishments that discriminate against Filipino LGBTs.

“It has been 10 years now since the filing of the bill. There must be a law that protects and allows us to choose our school, apply for work, enter establishments without prejudice. We have worked out our priorities already,” Ang Ladlad’s first nominee Bemz Benedito (representing transgenders) said.

It will support the bill repealing the Anti-Vagrancy Law which emboldens the police to arrest gays and transsexuals who walk at night without identification cards, set up micro-finance and livelihood projects for poor and handicapped LGBTs, create drop-in centers for “Golden Gays” or old and abandoned LGBTs and young ones driven out of their homes by parents or guardians. The centers will have counselors and hotlines for those seeking advice on LGBT issues and reproductive health.

I’m crossing my fingers. This demographic is a key driver in our economic growth.

Let SMilDS.com take you to e-commerce wonderland

2010-02-05T13:08:00.003+08:00

This is for the small and medium entrepreneur with limited funds but who wants to be his/her own boss and make lots of money.

Information sharing and delivery reigns supreme in today’s social media milieu, making customers more informed and selective over what they want and where to get it. The market is here and everywhere, waiting to be tapped and cajoled into buying your product and services.

The challenge, or better yet, the golden opportunity facing the micro-entrepreneur is to put a business on the Internet where he immediately engages with the global marketplace without even leaving the Philippines. However, taking the e-commerce path can be formidable especially if one is used to bricks and mortar, is unfamiliar with the platform that successful online businesses here and abroad use.

The quickest route, industry experts say, to earning extra income lies in running a virtual store because tangible products are sold to consumers who want them. This is where e-commerce can help the self-starting capitalist on his way to becoming a netpreneur.

Setting up an e-shop can be outsourced to companies whose e-commerce expertise is beyond reproach. Platform2u.com Phils.Inc., an e-commerce company barely seven months old in the Philippines, is making waves in the local IT industry. When it began operations in July last year, the company immediately launched its fourth generation e-commerce solution called SMilDS.com meant to help capitalists take their B2B and B2C operations online.

Fourth generation means social commerce or networking/multi-level marketing in the digital space. SMilDS.com software has a cross-selling e-trading engine – a first in the Philippines - that facilitates webstore owners to sell not only their own but also the products of other online merchants in the global market. The e-retailers earn commissions from their cross-selling.

The e-commerce software comes complete with the basic components of an e-retailing platform: easy set up and design e-store system, proactive fraud monitoring, relationship management system, automated logistics and payment processing (in 18 different currencies). In less than 24 hours, SMilDS.com can build a robust and secure 24x7 webstore.

Three business packs are offered – Lite Pack, Full Pack and Enterprise Pack - at a cost almost equivalent to having one, two or three Frapuccinos a day, depending on which is selected. Again, depending on the pack one has subscribed to, value-adds are thrown in like support in advertisements and digital promotions, system upgrade up to two years, business analysis report and training courses. Training in webstore design can be enjoyable and can be done in one’s own time because the tutorial is accessible on YouTube.

There are now 150 merchants who are part of a growing online mall hosted by SMilDS.com (http://smilds.com/ph/), selling almost 2,000 items that customers all over the world can view on their computer screens. Product viewing and comparison is made easy through the site links on the SMilDS.com e-mall. Clicking a product takes you to the website of the store owner.

At their July launch, company executives announced their vision is to help the Philippine e-commerce industry rise from ground zero and to bridge the e-commerce divide in the country. The industry, they said, recorded only about PhP5 billion (US$100 million) e-commerce transactions in 2009. If they begin now, budding Filipino online store owners will be part of the e-trading revolution, because by 2012, the size of the Philippine e-commerce industry is projected to reach PhP20 billion.

So, when a buyer from...let's say, Davao, Shanghai, California or any part of the world clicks and pays, the lucky webstore owner is on his way to becoming his own boss and earning more than he’d ever dreamt.

And SMilDS.com, which led their current merchant-partners to the Net economy, is barely seven months old.

Transpinays: "Accept us for who we are"

2010-01-15T01:23:00.007+08:00

Before, they used to hide their gender identities from everyone, including their fathers, fearing ridicule and avoiding corporal punishment. Most of them, at an early age (5 yo), felt they were girls.

In the November 30 (last year) episode of GMA 7’s public affairs TV show I-Witness, Kristine Madrigal - a transsexual - was featured where she openly talked about the difficulties she faced from childhood. Homophobia/transphobia, discrimination in the workplace, all resulting from society's deep-seated prejudice against those who are not “straight” and the flawed judgements of some people in Government.

Interviewed (but) briefly in the program was clinical psychologist Brenda R. Alegre who expressed her frustration over the lack of job opportunities for transsexuals despite their talents and academic qualifications. She deplored the fact that because of this, many transsexuals end up as entertainers and go to Japan and Thailand.

Brenda, who is finishing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology, authored the first graduate study on transgenderism because she wanted the public to understand a gender that has always been misunderstood and misrepresented.

Her study, “Psychological Perspectives and Development of the Transsexual Woman: A Phenomenological Case Study on Male to Female Filipino Transsexuals”, is about Filipino transsexual women (or Transpinays) and the difference between them and gays. Brenda is a Transpinay.

Completed in 2005, she is using her thesis as the cornerstone for working up her advocacy in making this society learn to accept them and be given equal treatment like everyone else. Backing her up is STRAP (Society of Transsexual Women in the Philippines), a transgender rights information and support group for male to female (M2F) transsexuals.

The Transpinays are seeking cooperation from all sectors in eliminating discrimination against them, which Brenda says is achievable if:

-   School authorities include transgenderism in the curriculum in primary and secondary levels
-   Health and medical sciences develop standardized measures on gender identity (femininity vs. masculinity vs. androgyny) and recommend healthy management procedures on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), genital reassignment surgery and facial feminization surgery (FFS)
-   Social workers provide the right counseling and job placements for them
-   Government creates gender fair and compassionate laws that will include transsexuals

Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court ordered the Commission on Elections to recognize Ang Ladlad as a party-list group. Last November, the Comelec denied Ang Ladlad’s petition to be accredited as a party-list group to run in the May (2010) national elections on “moral grounds”. Ang Ladlad represents the LGBT community.

It is hoped that the SC directive is a step forward towards respecting transgenders. It may not have occurred yet to some government officials that the way to bring about positive change is toss our prejudices in the dustbin.

Hooray, Transpinays and LGBTs.

Collectively caring about population and development

2009-12-21T18:58:00.005+08:00

Do we need to bring our population size down?

Is a reduced population growth, at least in the next two generations, the answer to a progressive Philippine economy?

I say yes to the first question. An overshooting population will always be the first to suffer from poverty, depleted environment resources and poor land use planning (storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng showed us that). My answer to the second is, let’s hear it from those running for leadership roles in the May 2010 national elections.

The launch last December 19 of the Mulat Pinoy website deserves close watching in the run-up to May 2010.

Mulat Pinoy brings a promise of familiarizing and broadening our views, especially the youth, on PopDev or population and development. It is a joint project of the Probe Media Foundation Inc. and the Philippine Center for Population and Development.

The website will be the central platform of information on anything related to PopDev like fertility, migration, mortality, health and nutrition, employment, environmental resources depletion, consumption of goods and services, congestion, and other life-related processes.

The exchange of information will be through posting of contributed news, blogs, videos, and forum discussions. Taking their advocacy along the social networking path, according to the organizers, is a sure-fire formula for connecting to the youth who are not familiar with the issue. Almost half of today's 92 million Filipinos are young, aged 20 and below. There are 27 million young Internet users in the country, according to latest statistics. Making them aware of population and sustainable development issues is the first step to making them think and later on, recommend how they, their elders and government leaders can move towards sustainable lifestyles.

Speakers from the Philippine Center for Population and Development said the Philippines' 92 million population makes it the 12th highest populated country worldwide. The projected 2010 population is 94 million. And in 2050, we will rank 10th among the most populated countries.

But this is what made sense to me --two in five Filipinos are poor, with incomes less than $2 a day (below PhP100). That budget hardly gives them any access to education, health, and a better quality of life. Born poor, die poor.

It makes perfect sense that the Mulat Pinoy campaign is also taking aim at the government leadership and the Presidentiables to present their roadmap on balancing population and development, before they leave Office or assume Office, whichever applies.

Bloggers, journalists, candidates for elective positions, and anyone seeking enlightenment on PopDev, can join Mulat Pinoy offline sessions in 2010 at its “Kapihans”, 2 - 4 pm, Bo’s Coffee, Glorietta 5 (Makati City).

Topics have been laid out already:

January 16 – Population and environment
January 23 – Government resources and population dynamics
January 30 – Population and housing
February 13 – Population and food supply
February 27 – Population and education
March 13 – Population and health
March 27 – Urbanization / Migration
April 10 – Mulat Pinoy synthesis

Gifts at a Click - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-12-13T18:46:00.001+08:00

This is a more complete account on the e-commerce success of RegaloService.com, a gift portal.
Print version was published in Sunday Inquirer Magazine on 13 December 2009.

Gifts at a Click - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

Common-sense e-commerce tips from a mum-trepreneur

2009-11-14T17:44:00.003+08:00

Useful lessons learned from a thriving SME entrepreneur who put up a full-service gift shop on the Internet in 2006 and is now blazing a trail.

Reggie Bundang of regaloservice.com was one of the speakers at the e-Commerce Summit 2009 organized by digitalfilipino.com, held last November 12 and 13.

Reggie turned into a goldmine her familiarity with the public's buying and saving habits gained from her previous product management and business development experience with banks and telcos that required her to travel all over the country.

Going e-commerce was a good move because an internet enterprise meant flexibility (she can work from home) and did not require stiff capitalization (she had no millions).

Professionalism and a technology focus are essential when putting a business on the virtual world, she said. She plonked money (her first major outlay) on building a website hewed closely to the basic functions of what it should be and do - - simple to understand and navigate, and making it easy for the public to contact them. Sourcing merchant partners, couriers and secure payment gateways came next. She summed up the whole experience as challenging but productive lessons on starting an e-commerce store.

Three years ago, regaloservice.com had five merchant partners. That has now expanded to 45 partners offering more than 300 product lines. Shoppers can order stuff not available on the online store. In 2007, it was voted best website in the gifts category by the DigitalFilipino Club Awards.

There are still hiccups like meeting delivery deadlines here and abroad. But Reggie's no-nonsense advice is honesty with customers, because it will put you in their higher esteem. Managing their merchandise inventory is a continuing aim-for-perfection process between her staff and their partners. "We continue to have great focus on professionalism and good customer service," she said.

Inspired by her success on the e-commerce platform, she will launch her second business (will be up by next month), a one-stop party food portal where busy professionals, companies, schools and OFWs can order food for their parties.

To quote her, 'I have reached the point of no return.'

'Blogging from Home', in a class all by itself

2009-10-30T14:52:00.002+08:00

This book review is a year overdue.

Rereading my friend Janette Toral's book became urgent when I was invited by the info team of a local government official to comment on the value of blogging in keeping constituents up to date with community projects and motivating them, especially the young into becoming action-oriented.

Most of the members of the info team admitted their lack of knowledge of information sharing on the Internet, apart from some of them having Facebook accounts. My familiarity with web collaboration tools is only a notch higher than theirs and so seized the occasion to have another look at "Blogging from Home".

Rereading the book took on a deeper dimension. The mindmap, blog registration and set up, blog performance, links, keywords, podcasts, vlogs, blog ethics, RSS are neatly sectioned and explained in simple English that there is simply no way to get muddled in the 92-page instructional guide.

It made it easy for me to prepare my talking points and turning them into weighty ones.

Boomers still in the spending game

2009-07-31T10:50:00.001+08:00

Savvy marketers and communicators are those who do not overlook the baby boomers as a lucrative market for their products and services. The boomers have fat wallets that enable them to brand-shop like their progeny, to pamper themselves now that the children are grown ups and have flown the nest.

For the 50-somethings who have retired or have been retired, they will start their own businesses and therefore, get more committed in their social networking – even better than when they were still on a company payroll.

Because they grew up in the era of print, radio/TV advertising, Boomies want to stay connected. Hence Facebook is populated with ‘friends’ commenting on how they miss fellow baby boomer Michael Jackson whose music they grew up with, are posting photo albums of their college days and videos of their children and the new grandchild. They are very much part of the interactive media.

So how to engage them and make them spend? Give them information on what they need - - wellness, personal financial planning, adventure holidays, entertainment, products that youngsters (like their grandchildren) would use and like to have.

Not very smart to look the other way if you want to increase your market share.

Busby SEO Test

2008-12-23T09:45:00.004+08:00

I look forward to my friend Janette Toral's latest engagement in an international SEO competition. Best of luck to you, Janette and Gary Viray.

it's all geek to me!

2008-07-29T19:24:00.006+08:00

How do I – a second-life starter – keep in step with these new media models / applications that are so skillfully utilized by today’s young ‘digital-savvy’ generation in managing their relationships (social networking) and communicating company messages and services?

Yes, traditional media – which is what I’m very confident at – is still very much in place and continue to be effective channels for reaching target audiences.

But if we (poke: 40 yo and above) want to continue to matter to our employer(s) and customers, we need to understand and work (play?) with the new digital media culture.

IPlay, SEO, imeem, digital storytelling, widgets and a host of others - they're all geek to me. Yet, the optimist in me compels me to network with the geeky community, wade through the NetGen’s supremacy of the interactive media, regardless of how fast or slow I can absorb and retain the new system of sharing and distributing information on the web and mobile gadgets.

How do i start? Janette Toral, a very good friend, clued me in on three events taking place on August 13-15 at the Hotel Intercon.

It's all geek to me! The 2nd Internet and Mobile Marketing Summit 2008, http://www.interactivesummit.com.ph/

The Boomerang Awards 2008, http://www.boomerangawards.com.ph/

Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP), http://www.immap.com.ph/

The 3-day menu (see their URLs) will be a good educational treat for both netgens and boomers as we learn directly from the leading new media strategizers the processes with which to gather, understand information and decide how and where best to use the information.

It isn’t that I’m delaying getting older. But in the next 5 years, an ideal scenario for me is being very much a part of the digital generation. Where family, peers and business contacts will respect me for the digital mastery with which I can relay TV breaking news received on my mobile, find my way out of unfamiliar territory when traveling (GPS), pay overdue credit cards enroute to a critical business meeting, advise clients on which MMORGS to put their ads …and other future interactive services that telcos, search engines and application developers are now working on.

top 10 influentIAL BLOGS 2008

2008-07-25T19:36:00.000+08:00

I thought I was good at finding interesting blogs on my own. When my good friend Janette Toral invited me again to identify this year's emerging influential blogs, I was amazed at the passion and brilliance of these bloggers.

Here are my top 10 picks:
http://www.itsngenius.net/
I like a site that is friendly and contains images, "intelligent" cartoons among them. The site's creator is so generous that it allows you to use their toons on your own site or web-based newsletter.

http://www.miss-write.com/
Nice, clean layout. Easy to read. Humorous, observant. No pretensions to artsy writing. Miss Write writes what she preaches.

http://www.pinaymommyonline.com/
Topics are very down-to-earth. Things that wage-earners like the rest of us are concerned about - how to earn extra (online job searches). Very practical and helpful like your own mommy by proving links to sites that could help you make money and more importantly, managing your credit card debts.

http://kenarmstrong.blogspot.com/
I am a sucker for white backgrounds. Very easy on the eye. Effortless writing - this blogger. His tips on boiling eggs, for instance, is so fascinating.

http://visitsagada.com/
Again, the pure-white backdrop. Very helpful tips on transportation, budget.

http://www.filipinovoices.com/
Intelligent commentaries on politics, national issues, Church, lifestyle. Without being preachy.

http://delfindjmontano.blogspot.com/
riveting exposures of the maladies in our society. Admirable lesson on a man's baring his soul and humbling himself in his quest for justice and recovering his savings.

http://www.yougottech.com/
Ideal reading for non-techies who are nonetheless interested in the Web, e-commerce, gadgets. Their tagline is very spot-on.

http://www.amonged.org/
Good platform for promoting good governance.

http://www.kopongkopong.com/
At the end of the day, I want a really good laugh. Humor and wit best served in Tagalog.

when i get stirred up

2007-08-06T15:58:00.001+08:00

(culled from my email to Twisted's Jessica Zafra, reacting very excitedly to her Aug. 3 Philippine Star column. )

Hi Jessica,

This time, I can't resist emailing you (after reading 'You be the shrink').

Never fails to tickle me whenever you write about the tennis greats because I also adore Marat, the unpredictable Russian. I find his natural, spontaneous manner very engaging. When he walks around the court, I only see a giant good-looking teenager - the nineteener who defeated Sampras and who couldn't explain how he did it. (I'm always in a time warp when I watch him loping around, swinging his racquet or looking intently at the strings).

When he beat Sampras in the US Open, I didn't hate him even if I felt badly about Sampras' defeat.

Federer - I can't forgive him for depriving Pistol Pete (the greatest of them all) of a 2001 Wimbledon title. I know you admire him, but I call him Babalu.

Sampras - he affects me in a grand way. He moved me so much when he dropped on the grass after beating Rafter in Wimbledon 2000. Simply awesome.

By the way, I don't know the rudiments of tennis but years ago, I stayed glued to the TV everytime Safin, Sampras, Rafter were playing. Now, I only watch tennis when Safin is playing.

Haas? Used to like him because he looks good. It was just a momentary infatuation.

Best,
Samprasita

Why I like these 5 blogs among the nominated emerging influential blogs

2007-06-07T13:21:00.000+08:00

Again, one of those busy busy mornings. A busy morning for me is when I cannot even spare half an hour reading the newspapers. But after rolling through the morning, I am now here at digitalfilipino looking at the nominated blogs for this year's emerging influential blogs: And because I love gossip at the highest and lowest level, here are my choices:

1. Cheezmizan with Chuva - I admire anyone who openly declares his interest in local movie gossip
2. Gibbs Cadiz - because he's gibbs cadiz
3. From the boondocks - traveling is an obsession of mine and I just love the not-so-common tourist destinations.
4. Trader Pinoy - unexpected humor in graphs and trading. Trading & economics not being within my area of expertise
5. MartialArts3000 - blogger just explains everthing about self-defense so well.

This was a busy week...

2007-03-02T17:45:00.000+08:00

Last Monday, I thought it was going to be a relatively quiet workweek with only the mid-week workshop on web traffic analytics providing a welcome break from the not-so-stressful writing deadlines. After all, localizing a press release that was written from the Client's regional HQ in Singapore meant just changing Singapore with a Manila dateline.

The Wednesday web workshop was great. Never mind if among the 6 or 7 participants, it was I who could not transition smoothly into the next web pages , struggling with the data on the screen. My associate Nicotine was breezing through the lessons but of course he is from the YouTube gen.

That evening, the request for a PR proposal from the local sub of a global search engine came. The next day, a US-based client who has been silent for the past week needed our help to follow-through an online promo involving a software superstar that I will just call Em.

Thursday was 'brainday' at the office . There were three of us at the office keeping out of each other's way. We were all busy with our thoughts, our hands tapping furiously on the Dell keyboards , our brains willing the telephones to stop ringing because they interrupt our thinking.

And yes, we did it. We met the 6-hour deadline of the search engine founded by two men, one of whom I quite fancy. As for Em, we've long been ready with our html pages and video demos, we're just waiting for them to finalize the promo prizes.

And what a fitting way to end the week with lunch with two tech-savvy journalists from the Manila Bulletin. Halfway through the noisy lunch, my 24-month dilemma over what mobile phone to buy next was over. The editor fished out a prototype phone which the manufacturer wanted his newspaper to review. I looked at the colored sheet listing the specs. I scanned the tech specs and as usual, understood only 1/4 of the info I saw. I looked at the sheet again and I liked its glossiness. E65, I memorized.