Why BidIt.ph is the Next Big Thing in the Philippines?

2014 is just around the corner and I believe it’s time for us to do some tweaking on our reliable online shops list in the Philippines. I love digital stuff and it is something that would make my day difficult to get by without them. More and more people are engaging to different social media platforms every single day for the purpose of self-expression, networking and mere communicating with their loved ones. And with this kind of lifestyle, we need compact, accessible and updated gadgets to maximize our daily social media engagements. How do we really keep up “digitally” without breaking our piggy banks? I have an answer to that:

JUST BID IT!



BIDIT Philippines is the newest craze in the country when it comes to online shopping with a twist. I have listed the reasons why people are raving about BidIt.ph:

1. Economical

Cheap is the not word. It’s economical. True to BidIt.ph’s promise, every gizmo found on their site is under P100. Photos of previous winners have its own portion on the site together with their bidding experience testimonials. One winner won an audio system with a bid of P0.32! Another winner just used her free bids to get her very own Canon Power Shot digital camera. A shopper can definitely have a gadget on his wish list for a tiny fraction of the actual retail price. Here are more testimonials from some of the winners.

5 Amazing Things I Discovered About Myself Through My Fingerprints

Holding my Encycligent report at their booth in World Trade Center
 last December 14, 2013

A few weeks back, I took the most unique personality test that I have ever taken. It never asked a single
question from me, unlike any other personality test. It only asked for my fingerprint scans.

Yes, you heard it right. Just my fingerprint scans.

So it is possible to analyze someone’s personality through his/her fingerprint scans?

In fact, it is.

Encycligent is the company that brought the Dermatoglyphics Mutiple Intelligence Test (DMIT) to the Philippines. DMIT is a patented personality test based on the research of Professor Lin Ruei Bin from Taiwan. It uses fingerprint scans to analyze the personality of a person as there is a direct relationship between our fingerprint patterns and personalities. His discovery is highly inspired by Dr. Howard Gardner’s study of Multiple Intelligences and Dr. Roger Sperry’s Dual Brain Theory.

Below are some of the things that I discovered about myself through the report generated from the DMIT.

1. Why I never liked exercise that much

Ever since I was a child, I never liked moving around that much. I’d rather stay in a corner and read my book. My dad thought I was lazy. But I used to disagree with him. I love reading. And reading is an activity that many kids of my age find themselves too lazy to do. So, I never accepted I was lazy. I was just different.

When I grew up, I tried liking sports, but to no avail. Physical activity takes too much effort so I did not bother to try so hard. I tried to excel in academics as I saw others excelled in sports. There is enough room for everybody.

My Encycligent report showed that Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (60%) is not one of my inborn strengths. I was both surprised and unsurprised at this.

How can a test like this that only took my fingerprint scans turned out to be true? How can it tell so much things about myself without even asking me a single question about my personality?

It was amazing.

I am thankful to Encycligent. I thought that if parents will only be able to know about the inborn strengths of their children, it will save them not only theirs but also their children’s time and energy from investing in activities that are not aligned with the latters’ unique strengths. It will also save both of them from unnecessary emotional pains that usually result from the parents’ insistence of what they want their children to do.

I believe that it is every parents’ and individual’s business to find out their children’s and their own inborn strengths. Encycligent offers help to people who are taking this business seriously.

My 5 Best Moments During The SYKES Year-End Celebration 2013

Interviewing Mr. Dean Van Ormer -- VP for Philippine
Operations of SYKES

I am very fortunate to be invited yesterday as a blogger to cover what could have been the most anticipated annual gathering of SYKES employees -- the SYKES Year-End Celebration. It was fun. Full of music. Food was great. And the vibe of the SYKES people is remarkable. Below are some of the best moments that I gathered yesterday during the event.

1. My quick chat with Rica. Rica is a PR Office of SYKES. She was very warm and hospitable the entire night that we were there. When I got a chance to chat with her, she told me something that became one of the biggest surprises for me during the event.

I know about SYKES for quite some time but I never knew that they were serving Fortune 500 clients, until Rica told me. 

I wasn’t able to get over that revelation for a while. First, I became proud of myself as a Filipino -- for I know that thousands of my people are actually being outsourced to serve some of the biggest corporations abroad. It wasn’t just a small feat and SYKES, definitely, isn’t just any other BPO company. 

Ms. Armi Mallare of Up Dharma Down

Second, it speaks of the qualifications of the SYKES employees. Rica told me that SYKES employees are highly qualified. They should be, I thought to myself. If not, they might not be able to cope to the requirements of serving the clients of the Fortune 500 companies that they are connected with.

To top our conversation off, Rica told me that the year-end celebration is truly the most anticipated event by SYKES employees for the entire year. This is the company’s way of giving back to the employees who are the real drivers of their growth and operations. When she said, that I knew that I will have really great time that night.

2. The huddle with Mr. Van Ormer. Mr. Dean Van Ormer is the Vice President for Philippine Operations of SYKES. He had been living in the Philippines for more than 10 years. I really appreciated it when he said, “What I love about SYKESers is your passion. You have always shown great passion in and out of work. That is why we had such a great 2013. This year, we have shown the industry why we are the pioneer in the call center industry.”

My Top 10 Lessons From The 2013 ADB International Skills Development Forum

Getting ready for the morning session on Day 2

I am more than grateful to God to be invited to the 2013 ADB International Skills Development Forum. It was unplanned and was certainly a “last minute” decision. But when I was there for two days, the whole conference astounded me. Prior to joining the forum, I was just a regular young professional weaving dreams for himself, for his family and for the people around him. I said to myself, “I’d like to create my own e-learning program or a website that shall promote work-at-home opportunities.” And then I was invited to the forum. And the forum pushes for ICT-based solutions (I am a digital marketing professional.).

Boom! For me, it was more than just hitting the jackpot.



I came to the forum as a dreamer. I went out as a changed man. All the more my fervor for pushing for e-learning, e-commerce and online job opportunities became stronger. Suddenly, I progressed from being a mere dreamer to a man filled with purpose. Suddenly, my decision to leave a comfortable job in a big telco company in the Philippines made sense. Suddenly, all those sleepless nights I spent just to attend classes and finish my projects from my first e-learning certification program on digital marketing paid off. Suddenly, it’s magic. (Is that a song?)



Seriously, I’d like to thank all the people behind the 2013 ADB International Skills Development Forum including my awesome co-delegates from the Philippines and abroad. (Woot! Woot!) I have already written my 5 best takeaways from the first day of the forum but still those weren’t enough. Below are some of the few more things that I’d like to add on the list.







1. The promise of emerging industries.



I jolted at the mention of 3D printing during the forum. How can that be mentioned there? Oh yes, it’s one of the emerging trends in the industry right now, I know. But what are the chances? A week before the forum, I was just talking to an IT company that needs a Digital Marketing Consultant to promote their personal and industrial 3D printers. I thought to myself that this can be the toughest project I will ever take in my entire career. Who wants a 3D printer inside their homes? But when the Business Development Manager started to brief me, I became excited. There is a huge market for 3D printers for architects, designers, hobbyists, homemakers students and others.



What’s the catch?

Booth of the youth delegates at #ADBSkillsDevForum

Just when you thought that you already know a lot of things about the world where you live, you are already wrong. There is so much to discover and know about the world around us especially on those emerging industries that pose a huge promise of more job opportunities for more people. 

My challenge for my fellow youth delegates is to stay open to possibilities and stop limiting themselves. Let us always be on a lookout for those emerging industries that give hope to more people in the areas of jobs and training. Change is constant. If you intend to stay in the same place forever, you pose a danger to yourself. But if you stay awake and hopeful for the promise of the future, you will win.



2. The burden of the ICT guy.



Being the only participant who is not directly attached with any NGO somehow made me an accidental participant. But it also made all the difference.



I represented the community that I started around 2-3 years ago called Bloggers 4 Change Network. It is a community of bloggers who are passionate about using social media for social responsibility.



Being pro-ICT, I carried the burden of sharing my experiences as a Digital Marketing Consultant. I always say that I am a product of e-learning and online jobs. I recently resigned from my corporate job as a Senior Community Manager for Globe Telecom because I see more opportunities online. And not just more opportunities, but better opportunities. The ocean is blue and the grasses are green on that side of the world.



This is what I had been rallying about since Day 1. Honestly, my jaw dropped a bit when only 2 people ticked “Digital Jobs/Apps” from among the many issues that we want to tackle as a group. But I can totally understand this as I may be the only one directly involved in the ICT industry. 

I can look at it in 2 perspectives. One side is saying that ICT is not one of the biggest concerns of my co-delegates. On the other hand, that there are still lots of opportunities to educate them about it. I am so glad that I am not the only voice who is pushing for ICT-based solutions. From the real-time poll tallying to the discussions among the adult delegates from other nations, the words “digital”, “ICT”, “social media” and “virtual” were never missed. My only sincere hope is that may there be a concrete action plan that will highly involve ICT-based solutions as an enabler towards achieving the goal of providing more training and job opportunities for the youth.



3. On starting somewhere, starting small and starting soon.



A few days back, I tweeted that the year 2013 was the year for startups and that the year 2014 will be the year for storytellers. I haven't changed my mind about it yet.

This year, I’ve met the most number of startup founders in my entire life. One is involved in online advertising, the others are in digital marketing and the other one is in wire transfer of payments. Next year, they will be celebrating their first years (hopefully they make it 365 days in the Philippines) and then they shall be telling their stories -- especially for other aspiring startupreneurs' consumption.



I believe in starting somewhere, starting small and starting really soon. I believe that the increase in number of startups being built in the Philippines and in the world is mostly ICT-driven. Internet created more opportunities for entrepreneurs and professionals. It also made starting a business a lot easier. Hopefully more and more people will be enticed to explore the potential of the Internet to become a source of development and livelihood to many.

4. On guiding the young ones.



I admire the youth delegates from Vietnam and the Philippines -- Quy and Luigi. Quy talked about the need for properly guiding the youth on what career to pursue. Luigi mentioned about the time when people of our age threw themselves to pursuing nursing just because it was “in-demand” during that time.



I have been longing to ask these burning questions.

Ms. Nash Tysmans looks ready in her cheongsam

Is the being in-demand of a job enough reason for you to take it? Are we not supposed to take jobs based on our strengths and interests? Who should give the youth career guidance? What can we do in order to resolve these problems?



You might be interested to know that from the poll conducted during the 2nd day of the forum, the delegates are more concerned with “the youth not being able to get the job that they want” than “the youth not getting any jobs at all”.



This can be the reason why Quy and Luigi brought up the issue of acquiring proper career guidance in career, more than acquiring a job itself. I believe that this calls for a more responsible media reporting, parenting and teaching for the young ones.



5. Don’t forget the kids!



On Day 2, we were outnumbered by the adult delegates and stayed only in one corner of the ADB Auditorium. But this did not stop us from being heard. Quy and Luigi talked in front of the stage and “refused to concede that the youth cannot make a dent in the world”. We blogged, Facebook-ed, Instagram-ed and tweeted our viewpoints. We seated with the adult delegates during lunch and break times. Basically, we did everything for our voices to be heard by them and never allowed that chance to pass us by.



One of the panelists encouraged participation from the youth during the onset of the program. They wanted us to speak up and ask questions more. When he said that, I knew that something wonderful is about to happen on the 2nd day.



6. Becoming The Apprentice.



The first grand winner of The Apprentice Asia is from the Philippines. I am so proud of Jonathan Yabut. How did he bested the participants from other Asian countries? It was amazing and inspiring.



I envy him. During my college years, I never had the chance to become an intern in a company. Right after college, I never thought how unprepared I was for the corporate world.



I wonder how many young people like me had experienced the same. Do they still have good chances of getting good jobs even without internship opportunities? Even if they do, are they prepared enough to survive and become regularized?



I may be very blessed because of the many training I had undergone that somehow augmented to my lack of internship experience in a company. I still believe though that real-world training outside school is very important.



I hope that in the coming days, this issue may be touched and be provided for an action plan to provide more internship opportunities for students to become more prepared in the real world.



7. Majority thinks. 

Quy (left) from Vietnman and me

During the forum, we conducted a poll from among the participants. The results might interest you. Here is the summary.

• Majority thinks that the youth are not getting the jobs they aspire for.


• Majority thinks that the training are not relevant to the jobs.


• Majority thinks that there are enough internship programs available.


• Majority thinks that mobile is the most common mode of accessing the Internet.


• Majority thinks we are ready for the kind of environment that uses the Internet for education/employment.


• Majority thinks that young people use social media to look for jobs.


• Majority thinks that using a combination of online and offline methods in teaching is the best option to choose. 


• Majority thinks there are very little entrepreneurship training available. 

8. The great mismatch.



I have been hearing the word “skills mismatch” a lot during the forum -- from my fellow youth delegates to the adult ones. They said that the available skills of the youth today are not anymore relevant to the needs of the industry. This made me think somehow that the problem is not really the scarcity of jobs, but the scarcity of required skills.



Even in my own world, the online world, the problem is not the lack of jobs. There are lots of jobs. But are there enough people who have the skills needed to do the job? Also, is there enough information dissemination about these available online jobs?



No. There are not enough people who have the skills needed to do online jobs such as digital marketing, graphics designing, website designing and etc. These skills are highly specialized and not too many schools offer these courses.



No. There are also not enough promotion and support for online jobs. Not too many of my peers have accounts on Elance, Freelancer and Odesk yet. Not too many of my peers too aspire to become an online professional like me. Most of them still want to stick to the traditional jobs offline. Most of the adult ones may be all the more unaware of these kind of opportunities online since the young ones are more active than them online. What we need is more support in promoting these online opportunities to more people.



Indonesia and the Philippines are among the top 10 users of social media in the world. This speaks a lot about the Internet usage of many Asians. I believe that promoting these online opportunities would not be very difficult to achieve.



9. The intriguing relationship of tourism and employment.



I remember the slogan of the former Secretary of Tourism of the Philippines. He said, “Kapag may turismo, may trabaho.” English: “If there’s tourism, there are jobs.”



Yesterday, a representative from the Department of Tourism spoke to us about their current initiatives in training and developing the Filipinos for jobs created through tourism.



This made me realize how much we should be supporting our country’s tourism as it seems to have a direct relationship with job creation. Travel and leisure must not be underestimated. For a less developed country like the Philippines, we may not boast of our modern infrastructures and technology that much. But we can definitely boast of our natural beauty and tourist spots that more developed countries look for.



It’s all about focusing on one’s strengths. In recognizing a country’s competitive advantage over the others, I believe that’s where opportunities begin.



10. Completing the ecosystem.

Mr. Luigi De Vera to represent the Philippine delegation on Day 2

In the challenge of creating jobs and developing the skills of the youth, the participation of everybody is highly needed. 

This is not just the fight of the government nor the academe. Definitely, the youth cannot just do this on their own. I believe that the participation of the private sector, civil society and NGOs are needed more than ever. 

I thank the Asian Development Bank for creating this platform where a meaningful dialogue from among the stakeholders may be started and concrete action plans may be implemented towards developing the skills of the youth and providing jobs for them.



The 2013 ADB International Skills Development Forum runs from December 9 to 12, 2013 at ADB Headquarters in Manila. To participate online, please use the hashtags #ADBSkillsForDevForum #AsianYouth #Skills4Youth.

My 5 Best Takeaways From ADB #Skills4Youth Forum - Day 1

1. The important role of the Internet. From the brainstorming sessions to the real-time polling, I have been hearing the words such as “digital apps”, “digital jobs”, “e-commerce”, “e-learning”, “ICT”, “online jobs”, “social media” and the like. As an online professional, it’s good to know that my peers all over the region are now more open to ICT-based initiatives as solutions to problems such as youth unemployment. I myself am a product of ICT-based initiatives. Not only that I am an online professional, I also completed my certification as a blog and social media entrepreneur through an e-learning-led program designed by Ateneo de Manila University and DigitalFilipino.com. Deep inside me, there is a burning passion to tell the whole world that digital is the way to go and that in my world, there are so many available jobs for the Asian youth. Also, what I don’t understand is that the Philippines and Indonesia are among the top 10 users of social media in the whole world. Are we really not aware of these online jobs? Is this an issue of a mismatch between the available jobs and the available skills of the Asian youth? Is this an issue found along the lines of formal and informal jobs?



I am parking these questions for now. I know that these will somehow be answered in the next few days of the forum. But one thing’s sure for me -- if we want something new, let’s do something new. Exploring the many possibilities that the online world can offer as an enabler is a good action point to start with.







2. The power of brevity. I had been to many local and international forums, especially in leadership and marketing. I can say that people generally love to express themselves through words. But talking does not necessarily mean productivity. This is what I appreciate the most in #Skills4Youth forum. Having only a few hours in a day, we know we cannot just talk. We need to arrive at action points. This led us to agreeing on a specific framework to follow and then crowdsource our responses to it through online. My peers in #Skills4Youth forum appreciate simplicity, speed and technology – some of the things often neglected before as people tend to focus more on making the discussions more “complete” and “participative”. But efficiency is also a measure of success and time is a very important element. I am very glad that we started it out right on Day 1.



3. The 5W Proposal. I have discovered a new proposal framework during the #Skills4Youth forum. Let’s take a look at the 5 Ws one by one.

• Why? – Rationale or the issues you want resolved


• What? – Action points


• Who? – Partners, stakeholders, supporters


• When? - Timeline


• What does success look like? - Outcome

The framework may look very simple as it only has 5 questions -- a far cry from your college thesis, yes, but I believe that this is what also made it very powerful. At this day and age, where innovation is almost made equivalent to simplifying things, making things complicated had become obsolete. We are now entering the age of Twitter (cutting your shoutouts to 149 chars.) and iPhone (having just 1 or 2 buttons on your phone).



Undeniably, the 5W Proposal is a breath of fresh air. When it was laid down to the group during the brainstorming session, there was a sudden gush excitement and thrill within the group. We know that by having a direction (and having a simple one) will allow us to accomplish more.



4. On starting small and becoming solution-oriented. I appreciated it when John Trew encouraged us to become solution-oriented and to start small. One of the fears that I have when attending big forums such as the #Skills4Youth is that we may get trapped in creating motherhood statements after long discourses of what the problem is all about, without much forward movement. I am very glad that we are focusing more on the solutions rather than on the status quo. I believe this is the reason why the forum was created on the first place -- to create action points. In business, we often use The Business Model Canvas by Business Model Generation when we create plans. Perhaps, it will help us immensely if we can adapt the canvas and transform it into something that can be used by NGOs. To download The Business Model Canvas, please visit http://businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas.



5. Genuine concern of the youth. I appreciate all of my co-delegates especially the ones from our neighboring countries in Asia. We have one delegate from China who experienced being a farmer and had a hard time acquiring education in her country. This is despite China being an economic superpower today. Another one is from Vietnam who used to work from 7am to 10pm every single day. I was astonished by their stories. I never realized how blessed I am with the opportunities that I have right now until I met them. I know that I can never work in a farm nor work 15 hours a day. But these are the stories that they brought from their countries to the ADB #Skills4Youth forum.



Through them I was able to see the genuine concern of the youth for their fellow youth who are unemployed/uneducated. It's because they had experienced the brunt of it themselves. My prayer is that their stories be heard by more people in the world, especially by my fellow Filipino youth, and realize how serious the repercussions are of being unemployed/uneducated. The premise is simple. If you are unemployed/uneducated, you are hungry. If you are hungry, you become more vulnerable to much more serious problems such as crimes, drug addiction, prostitution and etc.



We are done with Day 1 and we are now moving on to Day 2. Changing the world, I know, is not an easy task but I am grateful because something is being done. I am very glad that as a youth, being at the forefront of the world, I am at season of my life where I can see the problems more clearly and at the same time, have the strength to work with my fellow youth towards finding solutions and creating action points.



Below are some of the interesting keywords that I have picked out from the youth delegation in ADB #Skills4Youth forum.

• Enterprise


• Skills mismatch


• Informal and formal


• Rural and urban


• Mentorship


• Lack of institutional support


• Surplus of professionals


• Skills development


• Education system


• Rural opportunities


• Incapacitated education system


• Education opportunities


• Indigenous people


• Top social media users


• Skills


• Supply and demand of labor


• Lack of policies


• Inadequate financial and technical support


• E-commerce


• Online jobs


• Agriculture


• ICT 


• Market-driven opportunities


• Education


• Entrepreneur


• Micro-financing


• Friendlier government processes


• Loans


• Support from government and private sector


• Incentive for entrepreneurs


• Internship programs


• Train the trainer program


• E-learning


• Parent training


• Sensitivity awareness to gender, differently-abled and etc.


• Financial management skills


• Research


• Green skills


• Green jobs


• Training through government and private sector


• Employment framework plan


• Youth reintegration program


• Competency based training for out of school youth


• Mobile school

Why Men Love To Wear Plain White Shirts?

My favorite outfit is composed of jeans, boat
shoes, dog tag and just a plain white shirt.

Let me get this blog post across plain and simple. I love plain white shirts. Every man does, I think. And here are the probable reasons why.

1. Simplicity is (really) beauty. 

I, myself, am a big fan of simplicity. It goes from the way I do things all the way down to the things that I wear. There was a time when I took a project to become a marketing assistant for a male fashion brand that I really like. Being exposed to many patterns and colors of the clothes that I market every day, I decided to just wear a plain white shirt at the office. It worked out just fine. Until this day, I still keep a set of plain white shirts inside my cabinet.

2. It’s (supposedly) more affordable.

Unless you’re unnecessarily sporting for some big brands, buying plain white shirts shouldn’t be burning your cash. Since these items are very basic, they’re supposedly more available and more affordable.

3. It’s very practical. Plain white shirts are great by themselves or as undershirts. I wear them for sleeping too. Whenever I run out of ideas of what to wear on any casual day, I just go for a plain white shirt, jeans, boat shoes and dog tag for accessories. It works all the time for me.

Notes on e-FPS Webinar by Ms. Elizabeth Costales of itPhilippines.net

Below are some of my notes taken during the e-FPS Webinar conducted by Ms. Elizabeth Costales of itPhilippines.net.

• e-FPS is an offshoot of the passage of Republic Act 8792 or E-Commerce Law of the Philippines where BIR aligned themselves with e-Governance or e-Gov. The goal of e-Gov is to improve the delivery of services of the government to citizens (G2C), government to businesses (G2B) and government to government (G2G).

• From 2000 up to the present time, BIR had designed several e-Services to taxpayers to be aligned with e-Gov. These e-Services are enumerated below as described one by one by Ms. Costales.

o e-Reg – For self-employed and professionals who are new in taxation
o e-DST - For banks and businesses that issue doc stamps
o PAYBIR - For payments requiring SMS (e.g. GCash)
o e-Broad – A service that notifies taxpayers that payments had already been received
o e-Complaint – Where complaints to BIR can be lodged
o e-Submission – Where attachments are being sent alongside your other tax documents
o e-Accreg – Where you accredit your POS machine
o e-Sales – Where you submit the output of your POS machine to BIR for further processing
o e-ReportCard – Open to CEOs for tax performance tracking
o e-ORB – For excise tax ypayers
o TRCMS – Tax Ruling and Case Management System, where tax payers seek tax rulings

• Electronic Filing and Payment System or e-FPS is especially designed to cater to the needs of entrepreneurs, professionals, self-employed individuals and mixed income earners for a more convenient and cost-efficient way of filing and paying their taxes.

• e-FPS is a system developed and maintained by the Bureau of Internal Revenu or BIR.

• e-FPS makes the filing and paying of taxes online. This means taxpayers may file and pay their taxes online using a computer with an internet connection.

• e-FPS has two systems.

o e-Filing – Data-capture facility that uses BIR-supplied validation of computation rules to efficiently check tax payers’ inputs. It is based on the hard copy of the tax returns.
o e-Payment – Online payment confirmation process between the BIR e-FPS and the participating banks through an Internet-enabled banking system.

• Below are some of e-FPS’ features and strengths as discussed by Ms. Costales.

o Fast – Some portions of the form had already been filled
o Automatic calculation – The system automatically computes some figures using the given amounts you inputted
o Instant filing confirmation – Right after filing and paying, a notification from the BIR shall automatically be sent to you
o Convenient – Available 24/7 in the BIR website; file anywhere, anytime
o Secure – Uses multi-layer security systems
o Free – No enrolment fee, no usage fee, no postage and courier expenses
o Easy – Has online guides and FAQs

To know more about eFPS, please join the eFPS Coaching with Ms. Elizabeth Costales on November 13, 2013 from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at BancNet Training Room located at 19/F Equitable Bank Tower, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City.

To register, please click the following link - www.facebook.com/events/552701331465446.

STEPS to a Super Business by Dean Pax Lapid

What: STEPS to a Super Business. This seminar is about creating your super business or boosting your existing business one step at a time.

Who will speak: This seminar is to be lead by Dean Pax Lapid, a Go Negosyo Mentor, a business consultant at AIM and a bestselling author of the book 21 Steps on How to Start Your Own Business published by Go Negosyo.

When: November 19, 2013 (Tuesday) from 1pm to 5pm.

Where: Businessmaker Training Lounge at 1203A West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange (Tektite) Bldg., Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

How to join: Please contact Bennette at 0916-672-5070. You may also email her at mentors@lead-more.com

ASH International Language Tutorial Center

What: ASH International Language Tutorial Center is offering high quality language courses in Chinese, English, French and Japanese for only PhP1,999. The duration of each language course is 40 hours. The regular price for this is PhP6,000.

Who are the teachers: At ASH, we boast of our language teachers who are native speakers of the languages that they teach. We can guarantee that you'll never complete a 40-hour language course without getting the maximum learning that you can get from a native language speaker who teaches the language that you want to learn.

Who are our students: Our students are mostly composed of students and young professionals who want to achieve mastery of the language programs they are enrolled to for school, work or hobby.

Where: ASH has 2 branches. One is in Greenhills. The other one is in Makati.

Greenhills - Unit 1405 Atlanta Center, Annapolis St., Greenhills San Juan
Makati - Rm. 904 Rufino Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati City

When: You can enroll anytime and we'll let you choose your preferred schedule. To know more about the schedule of classes, please see the contact information below.

How to contact: You may contact us via 945-7595 from 10am to 7pm, Mondays to Fridays. You may also send us a message via our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/ASH.INTERNATIONAL or email at ash_ilc@yahoo.com.

Cha-Ching: More Than Just A Cartoon Program

My earliest experience in handling money started when I was in high school. I lived in Manila away from my parents to stay in my grandparents’ house. That’s when I started to realize how I love my freedom and independence so much, even as a young child. As much as there are enjoyments, there are also responsibilities and one of them is handling my own finances.

I am thankful to the Lord for giving me hardworking and responsible parents. I couldn’t remember a time that I was in lack. I believe that the first experience of every child in handling their own finances start when they discover how their parents or elders handle their own. The way the latter handle money provides a kind of blueprint to the children until the time that they’ll do it on their own. My knowledge of my parents being hard workers and responsible managers of money became some sort of an invisible guide that became my source of help whenever I need to make financial decisions.

Though I don’t consider myself a real spendthrift, I wasn’t also a saver. This, I believe, is what’s brilliant about Cha-Ching. It laid out everything that happens to money, which can be understood by an ordinary child. Earn. Save. Spend. Donate. When I was a child, I only know about receiving and spending. I didn’t know that saving must be in between that. I didn’t know that I can actually set a goal and stick to it so that I’ll be able to have extra cash whenever I need it. I also didn’t realize that even as a child, I can earn too and contribute to my disposable income. Also, I didn’t realize that I can reduce my spending so that I will have more savings. All of these concepts are explained wonderfully through Cha-Ching. What’s more beautiful about the program is that it encourages the children to think about others. One’s money doesn’t just go to one’s self. This is why “Donate” is also part of the four things that happen to money.

Honestly, I can definitely relate to all the characters in Cha-Ching. I have become a meticulous money manager like Prudence. I have become careless spender like Bobby. I am now a young entrepreneur like Justin. I know the value of giving too like Charity. I have experienced working hard and saving a lot like Zul. I have become a spendthrift too like Pepper. But in my life right now, I think that I am more of Prudence, Zul and Charity by choice. I chose to become a combination of a meticulous money manager like Prudence, young entrepreneur like Justin and generous Charity. I actually have a special spot for Prudence inside me. I used to keep an Excel file in my computer that helps me allocate my income for all the expenses that I have so when payday comes, I already know what to do. I love the detailed work of allocating and computing and saving that Prudence teaches kids to do.

5 Admirable Things About Pru Life UK's New Campaign

1. The insurance company who listens.

When I saw Pru Life UK’s new video on YouTube as well as its brand credo, I was caught by the company’s consistency and commitment to “listening” to their customers. Hearing it straight from the agents shown in the video, it is very apparent that the company is striving not to become a run-of-the-mill insurance company. They want to become the "insurance company who listens". In the video, one of the agents said something like “We don’t just talk about insurance. We want to become a source of hope.” These words stayed with me for a little while.

Being a marketer who advocates “listening” in this day and age where nearly everyone wanted to become the best and the loudest “talker”, my admiration goes to Pru Life UK. They are very consistent and committed to their own brand credo that goes “Always Listening. Always Understanding.” In that aspect, they had become a good communicator. And good communication is very important in any business, especially for them, who need to understand perfectly the needs and wants of their customers.

Because of this campaign, I was able to understand Pru Life UK more. In my mind, they have taken the spot of the “insurance company who listens”. If they stay consistent and committed to their brand credo, they'll draw people to themselves - for a quick chat.

2. Smart move to use social media.

Being a company who listens, using social media, the “media of the people”, is a very very smart move for Pru Life UK. Social media, as I see it, is a "listening" medium, more than an advertising medium. It’s different from all other communication channels such as TV, radio and print, which are all focused on talking about brands. In social media, you can’t just do that. In social media, you must learn how to listen or understand what the people in social media want. And if you were able to produce a message that they like, prepare for stardom. If they don’t, you have successfully wasted your advertising budget.

Life is like that in social media. Why? Because it’s about the people, not your brand. But when you learn how to listen and find out what people want, you’ll be greatly rewarded. It all boils down to good listening and understanding of your consumers.

For a brand that wants to take the positioning of the “insurance company who listens”, I highly recommend to materialize this brand credo over the “media of the people”. Pru Life UK’s bold attempt to do their campaign in social media, I believe, is strategically aligned to the very DNA of their brand.

3. Short video that focuses on the emotions.

Pru Life UK is an insurance company. Imagine if they focused on explaining their products and services in their videos and websites. Clearly, the company knows that no one will be interested to hear about their products and services and how these things work, no matter how good and beneficial these things are. It will be very boring. Thus, they focused on the benefits.

In the 33-second video of Pru Life UK, they focused on dreams, aspirations and feelings. The video made me feel good and made me want to know more about the company, which is why I searched for them over the Internet, which then led me to their good-looking website.

When an ad leads a person to be curious about a company that the latter searched for the company over the Internet, the ad did its job.

Watch the new video of Pru Life UK here and see for yourself.

4. Simple campaign page filled with eye-catching memes.

The key to creating good websites is simplicity. Yes, I know. You want to say a lot of things about your company and how good it is. But remember, you must be able to make your visitors care about it first.

When I saw the new campaign page created for Pru Life UK named “Life’s Little Secrets”, I saw colors and pictures and inspiring messages. It made me want to click them. And when I did, it allowed me to share them with my friends.

Again, the “insurance company who listens”. To think, these memes and quotable quotes are not directly about Pru Life UK’s products and services. But it’s about their customers and what they stand for. Their customers are dreamers. People who want to achieve things. People who, in way or another, need the help of insurance companies like Pru Life UK.

Life’s Little Secrets website may not be directly talking about Pru Life UK’s products and services, but in my mind, it is the kind of company that wants to do more than just that. It’s a step further towards winning the hearts of the people who want to win.

To check out their new campaign page, please click here.

5. The insurance company with a heart.

Insurance agents who have built strong relationships with their clients, a brand credo that speaks of the importance of listening, and a campaign strategy that is consistent with the brand’s positioning. As a marketer, I can’t help but admire Pru Life UK. Being a dreamer and a potential client myself, I appreciated the company all the more.

Because of the five things enumerated above, I have come to understood Pru Life UK more, from both standpoints of a marketer and a potential client. A lot of companies should learn from Pru Life UK.

A Special Day

I spent almost half of my previous year in China learning how to speak Mandarin Chinese. I was one of the scholars of a foundation in the Philippines chosen to undergo a five-month training to learn about the language, culture and history of China. Every day, I will walk for more than twenty minutes from my dormitory to the teaching building in Fudan University. It was a long walk but I have no complaints as long as I get to eat my favorite Chinese bun every morning. After classes, I’ll have lunch with my classmates and then go back straight to the dormitory for my homework. During weekends, we’ll go to the church and then visit the must-see places in Shanghai. During my first few months, this has become my routine. It’s almost exactly the same every single day- until one day.

“Why don’t we organize a Filipino event?,” one of my fellow Filipino scholars suggested during a lunch time. “We are thirty-seven here. It is possible. We have artists, dancers and singers among us. I’m sure we can come up with something special to introduce the Philippines to everyone.”

Few months earlier than that, my classmates witnessed a presentation from the students from Mexico inside one of the buildings. Aside from some pictures, my roommate took home with him an overly sized hat that the Mexicans used as a prop during a dance. A few months passed, the Swedish had their turn. This time, they taught the crowd a dance for couples that the Swedish perform during festivities. It was a wonderful opportunity to experience the culture of other nations through those presentations. The amount of efforts they exerted fueled our passion to create our own "special day" for all of them.

A few weeks later, the Filipino Day was born.

A Date With God

This is the most "anti-religious" blog post I have ever written.

If you consider yourself anti-religious, I thank God that you have stumbled upon this place. I am an anti-religious too. A couple of months ago, I decided to drop religion and pursue a relationship with God. I believe in God and I know that He doesn't need my religious rituals and repetitive prayers. What He wants is my heart and after everything that happened in my life, I decided to give it to Him. From that day on, my life changed forever.

Don't get me wrong. I belong to a church because I also believe in building relationships with other people. I do not want to believe in a kind of god that doesn't want me to care for other people. This is why I believe in Jesus.

But I don't consider this a religion. Early Christians didn't. They even used to gather in their own houses and serve each other willingly and without compulsion. This, for me, is relationship. Relationship is not about obligation. Religion is.

In my pursuit of having a relationship with God, I believe He had led me to the people who had helped me a lot and also to some verses in the Bible that gave me a glimpse of His own heart. I hope that you will also give yourself a chance to experience what I have experienced. If you will only allow God, I believe He will lead you too to whichever will be able to help you.

Below are some of the things that some people do with God. These are not enumerated to be done as a ritual. The key is not in the act itself but it in your heart's desire to be in His presence. The key is in practising His presence. Then let everything flow from there.

I hope this list will be able to give you an idea in your mind on what you can do. Again, the key is in practising His presence. It's the beginning of everything.

1. Think of Him in the morning.

A lot of revelations are given to me by God during my dreams and whenever I wake up. Sometimes, I receive verses from the Bible and one time, there had been an instruction for me to check a particular verse. When I found it, it happened to be a very relevant verse that I needed to read during that time. When you wake up in the morning, practise His presence and He will lead you to many wonderful revelations that will amaze you.

The only reason why you should enroll to the E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program of DigitalFilipino.com

Something wonderful happened. While I was creating a promotional blog for the E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program being offered by DigitalFilipino.com, I decided that I will not be using the usual style that I use whenever I blog.

I work best in creating a list of ideas that I want to share about a particular topic and then expound on each idea. I was supposed to create a list of reasons why one should enroll to the E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program. But while I was writing it, I felt different. I paused, stopped typing, procrastinated a bit, took a quick walk away from my working area, went back, thought for a while and then began to type again.

I decided that I will only be focusing on the single most important reason why one should enroll on DigitalFilipino.com’s E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program.

This time, I shall be typing this blog post from the heart.

I had been working with Ms. Janette Toral since August of this year and words can’t fully describe how thankful I am for two things – freedom and experience. Freedom doesn’t only pertain to seeing myself working inside any café at any time of the day (though that is very very feasible for my case), the job also gave me the freedom to pursue what I wanted to do – from reading the novel that I want, to doing my tasks in my local church every Tuesday and to browsing any website that I admire. Sadly, a regular daytime job doesn’t allow things like these. What’s sadder is that most employers still see these side activities as “distractions”. And I completely disagree.

Without reading the novels that I want to read, I don’t know how will I able to make the most creative copies that I needed to create to attract as many Likers that I need for a particular post. Without attending my local church, I don’t know where I will get additional strength that I need. Without visiting the websites that I admire, I don’t know how else I will appreciate the very importance of user experience whenever we create websites.



These aren’t distractions at all and it’s sad that some employers still box their employees and impose too many rules that actually hurt the creativity of their people. I can never count the times I said “God, thank you.” every time I see employees lining up in trains after a tiring day at work. I’m already out of the rat race. If only they knew that there are more opportunities today than there were five, six years ago.

Second is experience. This is my collective word for new knowledge, opportunities and skills. Where else was I able to learn to appreciate digital marketing in the light of the many fields that need it such as music, photography, real estate and others? Where else was I able to get the chance to talk to a huge crowd at no less than the SMX Convention Center? Where else was I able to learn how to tweak WordPress, a blogging platform that I avoid at all cost because of my ongoing love affair with Blogspot? All of these things happened to me because I chose to be a startup entrepreneur.

Mediactiv8, the startup social media marketing agency that I am currently building is the very offshoot of the program I underwent under the mentorship of Ms. Janette Toral and it is the same “person” that she hired during the time when my dream to “do it on my own” is running wilder than ever in my veins.

Why do I need to tell you these things?

Friends, the future is in E-Commerce Entrepreneurship. Tony Gaskins Jr. said, “If you don’t build your own dream someone else will hire you to help build theirs.” If you want turn your dream into reality, you have to start somewhere and I believe that startups aren’t called “startups” just because. I believe they are once dreams. Dreams that were once fleeting above the heavens, persistently chased by a dreamer who never stopped believing that it will come true, caught by the dreamer’s net and then brought down to earth.

Do you have a dream business? Do you believe that one day, you will also stop running in the rat race? Your time has finally come.

DigitalFilipino.com’s E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program is not just a course in digital marketing. It is a movement, an advocacy. DigitalFilipino.com had been in the business of encouraging the growth of e-commerce entrepreneurship in the Philippines and abroad since the year 1997. Think about what you were doing back in 1997. In my case, I was still in Grade 2, and I will never be able to touch a personal computer yet until I reach Grade 5. But back in 1997, there is already someone who believed that e-commerce will grow in the country and will provide more opportunities for Filipinos.

Today, e-commerce had truly arrived. You will see it in the many online businesses here and there as well as the many startups being built that are anchored on e-commerce. If you desire to build one, I hope that you consider getting help from us, from DigitalFilipino.com, and you will be assured that you will be supported until your e-commerce objectives and bottom lines are attained.

Why you should enroll to the E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program of DigitalFilipino.com?

It's because of your dream. And as your fellow dreamers, we want to accompany you in your journey.

Shall you have questions, please feel free to contact me anytime via 0917-838-7545 or via markjosephdelgado@ymail.com. You may also know more about the program by visiting http://certified.digitalfilipino.com/.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. The program is already ongoing, can I still join?

Yes, anyone can join this program whenever they are ready.

2. Are the videos of the learning sessions being uploaded?

Yes, all the videos are to be uploaded on the learning platform.

3. Will there be consultation sessions?

Yes, consultation sessions with Ms. Janette Toral is to be held every Monday, 7 to 8pm along with the weekly webinars.

4. Will be able to join the E-Commerce Creators Boot Camp?

Yes, part of the perks of enrolling to the Digital Entrepreneur Program are the accesses to the different boot camps including the E-Commerce Creators Boot Camp. To know more about the other perks, please visit http://certified.digitalfilipino.com/membership/.

5. If we registered as an SME or Corporate, can we change attendees?

Yes, SME and Corporate members are allowed to send different attendees for any session limited to the slots allotted for them.

7. How long is the subscription?

The E-Commerce Entrepreneur Program is a 22-week intensive mentorship program but being an automatic member of the DigitalFilipino Club, enrollees are entitled to one year of online learning and consultation. To see the other benefits, please visit http://certified.digitalfilipino.com/membership/.

8. Are there face-to-face sessions aside from the webinars?

Yes, face-to-face sessions are to be held at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business in Rockwell Center in Makati City from 9am to 5pm. The dates are Oct. 14, 21 and 22.

5 Important Lessons I Learned from an Inspiring Missionary Couple I Met During the Viral Series

Viral. The most recent series in Victory is entitled as such. It spoke about the special role that we play as Christians in light of the Great Commission. As a social media marketer, this series held a special spot in my heart for it also spoke about using social media to spread the good news of salvation.

During the last installment of the series, I was blessed to have met a couple who shall be sent for a mission overseas. As they sat down, I saw them smiled at me. Then I smiled back. Little did I know that they will be introduced to the whole congregation later on by Pastor Noel Landicho. And that also later on, I will also be approaching them and will be listening to their amazing stories from their mission trips.

My desire is to honor God through this post and also to inspire those people who have the heart for the missions to pursue what God has called them on earth for.

1. A prophet is without honor in his own town.

There is one burning question that I asked to the couple. “Why are missionaries being sent to Israel? Aren’t they supposed to know more about Jesus than us?”

The wife’s response surprised me. She said, “The Jews who believe in Jesus are the ones who are actually telling the missionaries to reach out to their fellow Jews.” Then I was reminded of what Jesus said in Mark 6:4, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.”

If no one believed in Jesus in his own town, how can we also expect the Jews to believe their fellowmen?

When I realized this, I actually was amazed at how God uses people from other nations to preach to His own people. I was reminded of what was said in Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

2. We are living epistles.

We don’t need to preach the gospel in order to preach the Gospel. By simply living our lives as true Christians we become “living epistles” and in God’s perfect time, people will notice us and will be the ones to ask us about our lives.

This is what exactly happened to the couple I have met. The husband loved her wife so much as instructed by God in the Bible for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved His church. And what kind of love is that? We know that Jesus offered no less than His very own life for His church - for us.

His love for his wife reverberated and was seen by their friends in those countries they have visited. Soon enough, people began to ask. That’s when the couple grabbed the chance to share their faith.

As living epistles, we must always remember that those who do not read the Scriptures, read our lives. In 2 Corinthians 3:2, Paul said, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.”

3. “I want to have what you have!”

I won’t forget my Foundation for Victory classes. One of the pastors told us about the story of the early Christians, especially the ones in Rome. There was a time when the Christians in Rome were fed to the lions in the arena, for everyone to see. When the non-Christian Romans expected to see fellow Romans running and screaming for their lives, what they saw astonished them that they shouted to the ones below, “I want to have what you have!”

The Christians remained steadfast in their faith in God while being devoured by the carnivores.

Surprisingly, the couple also received this kind of plea from the non-Christians they have met. They said to them, “I want to have what you have!” When they shared this to me, I was immediately reminded of what I have learned in my Foundation for Victory classes. Truly, the life of a Christian shines through everywhere he goes.

4. Even the apostles are believed to have been called during their teenage years.

The apostles, except for Peter, are believed to be young men when they were called by Christ. Some said only Peter was mentioned to pay tax with Jesus, a duty for all Jews over 20 years of age during those times. Also, only Peter was only mentioned to be married, as Jesus healed his mother-in-law in Matthew 8:14-15.

Whether this is true or not, when I heard this from the couple, I began to realize how important it is to reach out to the young people all the more. The youth are the future leaders of the country. If we win them for Jesus, we are winning the majority. I am very thankful that God placed me in a church that has the passion for the youth.

5. To be a part of the missions is a privilege, not a task.

Whether we like it or not, the world will end. Whether we believe it or not, the Gospel shall be preached in the whole world.

As a believer I know that I will be saved because of my faith in the Son. And yes, I know that even if I decided not to participate in any way in the missions, I will still be saved.

But do Christians really just stop there?

In Matthew 18:19, Jesus said, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations.” As we are already saved, we are also called to be instruments of God’s reconciliation with other people.

But the truth is, actually, God doesn’t need us. Even if we decided not to participate, I’m sure He has other ways to preach the Gospel in the whole world to fulfill what was written. But that’s not the point. The point is that we have a great God, the God who has invited us to share with His passion of letting the world know of His love for all of us.

Knowing that the Great Commission is a privilege and not a task, an invitation and not an obligation, isn’t it more awesome if we decided to say “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”?

May you say yes to Jesus today.

10 Reasons to Believe that Tagaytay Highlands is a Modern Day Countryside Dreamland

Enjoying my time at the viewing deck with Taal Volcano behind me

I was very privileged to be taken by one of my ex-bosses and a good friend, Rick Manzano, in one of the most highly-esteemed real estate property in the whole archipelago, Tagaytay Highlands. It was a great place to catch up with a friend and to be in awe with the beauty of nature and man's craftsmanship all at the same time. Saying that I had a great time is an understatement and to help me preserve the experience, I am blogging about it now.

Here are 10 reasons to believe that Tagaytay Highlands is a modern day countryside dreamland.

1. It’s just an hour ride from Manila.

It only takes 60 minutes from Manila to Tagaytay Highlands taking the Sta. Rosa/Eton exit. You can even cut this 60-minute ride to lesser period of time if you take the Batino exit, which is exclusive for the club members of the Highlands.

2. All year round Tagaytay cool weather.

Being in Tagaytay, people in the Highlands enjoy this all year round cool weather which is one of the major reasons why people (mostly from Manila) visit Tagaytay often.

3. Perfect view of Taal volcano.

The Highlands is a perfect spot to look at Taal Volcano. From the viewing deck, I was amazed to see the whole lake as well as the mountains surrounding it. I never had this kind of amazing view yet even as a child who used to visit his relatives in Batangas, which is actually very near the volcano and also has a good view of it.

4. The life of exclusivity.

While we are at the viewing deck, Rick told me that one has to become a member of Tagaytay Highlands first before one can buy a property in it. To become a member of the club, one has to undergo a strenuous screening process that involves background checks, interviews, paper works and referral from people who are already members of the club.

26 Photos of Filipino Street Foods That Will Make You Homesick for the Philippines

Banana cue, turon, tokneneng, hotdog, kikiam, samalamig and softdrinks.

6 Important Realizations While Eating in Masuki Restaurant in Binondo

1. You can actually mix beef and chicken in a dish.

I have never seen any dish like the noodles I ordered in Masuki. There was beef and chicken in it and it tastes really good. I have no complaints.

2. Siopao sauce is being spooned before.

I got used to eating siopao with the sauce being pressed from a plastic bottle or a sachet. It was my first time to eat siopao in a place where I should be using a Chinese spoon to scoop the siopao sauce out. I will describe it as a high Chinese society kind of dining experience. No plastic bottles. No sachets. Let’s be authentic Chinese here.

3. Noodles and siopao make a perfect combo meal.

This is another first time for me. I have never eaten a bowl of noodles and a siopao together. Not yet. Until, I came to Masuki. It was great.

4. Chinese people are great manual workers.

Carbs on carbs on carbs? With the kind of diet like this on Masuki, it was pretty easy to figure out that the original patrons of the restaurant are those who need energy the most. Who else can finish a bowl of noodles and a siopao in one sitting?

19 Photos That Will Make You Dream About Baguio Country Club

I was very very privileged to have experienced Baguio Country Club at least once in my life.

Imagine yourself waking up to this kind of view with the cool breeze on your face and the clean scent of pine trees on your nose.

18 Awesome Photos Taken Inside Cafe Juanita

Inside Cafe Juanita is a festival of colors.

15 Top of the Mind Filipino Restaurants Where to Take Your Foreign Friends

One day, I asked for recommendations through a Facebook shoutout for the best Filipino restaurant within the city where we can take our visiting friend from Japan. I was overwhelmed by the responses and thought of blogging about these restaurants.

Here are the top-of-the-mind recommendations in no particular ranking (just alphabetical).

1. 9 Spoons

www.ourawesomeplanet.com

12 Photos That Will Make You Choose to Stay in Caves Dive Resort When You're Planning to Travel to Camiguin

When I first stepped in the island of Camiguin, Caves Dive Resort knew just how to warm my heart with this simple gesture.

8 Reasons Why Ardent Hot Spring in Camiguin is a Piece of Paradise

1. Ardent Hot Spring in the Philippines is one of our most favorite places in the world.

3 Reasons To Like the Ivi Premium Moisturizing Body Wash

How I brought myself to using this product in purple packaging?

Here’s the truth. Guys were used to just using just any product. I mean, in the past, there are really no shampoos and soaps for men, only for women. It was only recently that these products came out and before they did, guys were just accustomed to using what women bought in the supermarkets.

I use Pantene and, sometimes, my sister’s Neutrogena facial wash. I really have no problem using these “female” products and I don’t think using such (except for clothes, perfumes and other products that are really supposed to be for men) will reduce someone’s masculinity.

So I tried this new body wash by Ivi and from the guy’s point of view, here’s a short review of the product.

Listen, men.

1. Silky feeling after a few hours, you don’t need to lotion.

When I first used the body, it was last night. Now, the morning after that, I was impressed upon feeling my own skin. What I like about moisturizing products is that you can really test their effects after a few days but Ivi stood out by having its effect felt even during the morning after.

4 Things to Consider When Planning for a Blog

1. Content Generation

The content is the lifeblood of a blog. Without it, a blog is not a blog. At the onset, you must be able to plan how you will be able to get your contents. Will it be coming from you solely? Or will you solicit for guest posts? Whatever your source maybe, make sure that you keep the "blood" flowing.

You have to go for sustainability to keep your blog going. Other important questions to ask yourself include "Where will I get my ideas for your topics?" and "What kind of resources do I have that will help me generate contents for my blog?" For example, you are a frequent traveler because of your job. Then, it will be very easy to suggest that you blog about your travels. The key here is maximing the opportunities and resources that you have. If you have a steady supply of a commodity, then blog about it!

2. Promotion

A blog is meant to be read. To get readers, you have to promote your blog. How do you maximize this opportunity? Promote your blog to as many possible touchpoints that you have access to - online and offline. Promote through your Facebook account, Facebook Pages, Facebook Groups, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Reddit, Pinterest, Instagram and others! The more touchpoints that you have, the more readers that you will gain.

But of course, you cannot just promote to anyone. To become strategic in targetting your readers, you must be able to know what kind of readers read your blog. Once you know who they are, then it will be easier for you to choose which touchpoints to use in promoting your blog.



3. Participation

Plan how readers and fans can participate in the growth of your blog. Can they submit guest posts? Can they donate money through PayPal? Can you organize contests for them? Whatever your activity may be, make sure that your readers and fans have a way of joining an activity in your blog, aside from reading.

4. Monetization

Although this is is not imperative for all, I believe that it will be beneficial to monetize a blog. It will surely help the blogger continue on what he or she is doing. How do you want to earn money through blog? Do you want to put Google Ads on it? Do you plan to leave a space for advertisers that you may contact by yourself? Do you plan to sell your products and services through it? Whatever your plan is, make sure that you include the monetization of your blog as one of your considerations.

You might also our blog entitled 8 Things to Consider Before Starting a Blog.

-

ABOUT THE BLOGGER
Mark Delgado (@iammarkdelgado) is a Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur (CBSME) who is passionate about consultative works, creative writing, events management, ideation, startupreneurship, strategic marketing and training. He founded Mediactiv8, a startup social media marketing company that advocates digital marketing education and entrepreneurship in the Philippines. To see more of his works, please check out www.facebook.com/Mediactiv8.