Monday, April 6, 2015

Philam Life offers Filipinos financial protection even at early stages of a critical illness



Health is seen as a top concern of Filipinos – as they tend to prioritize their and their family’s health. Health setbacks, especially life-threatening critical illnesses, after all, can cost much and derail the family’s finances, while taking away precious moments that the family could have spent together.
This was found by the “AIA Survey on Middle Class Hopes and Aspirations ” conducted by Philam Life’s parent company, AIA, the leading pan-Asian insurance group.  The study revealed that “being healthy” is one of the top goals in life among middle class Filipinos. More so, “unexpected emergencies” and “healthcare costs” are the top concerns among the respondents.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Bundle of Joy by Manulife

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.) Inc. (Manulife Philippines), one of the country’s leading insurance companies,has made life insurance more accessible by offering FREE insurance through Manulife Bundle of Joy. This good news is perfect for new parents, parents-to-be and everyone who wants to be a part of Bundle of Joy community!
The vast majority of newborns enter the world healthy but they are more vulnerable to germs than older babies because they simply haven't had time to build up defenses. Sometimes infants develop conditions that require medical tests and treatment. All signs and symptoms are of even greater concern if the baby is less than 3 months old. We can only do so much to take care of our little one, and even if we wrap our child in our arms until they are okay to thrive on their own, we as parents cannot live forever. Accidents happen and diseases will not always be at bay. The unpredictability of parenthood comes with inevitable emergencies of life. If something happens to the mom or dad or God Forbid even both of them before they turn one, what happens to your newborn child? What can we leave behind?
We can either burden ourselves with anxiety on things we cannot control or secure the best future for your child without delay. This means that there is  no need to wait until their first birthday. The absolute security of our newborn is not even a choice, it is a necessity. After all, what is more urgent than our child’s future? Bundle of Joy Launch #manulifeph #bundleofjoy The cost of pregnancy, baby delivery, supplies and immunizations all add up. So for parents like us, Manulife’s Bundle of Joy program is a welcome breath of fresh air. With no premium required, moms and dads with newborns less than a year old would only need to register online for a free one-year insurance coverage worth Php100,000.00. You can also seek expert advice and useful guides for first-time parents and financial awareness for those who are starting to build a family. The site also offers relevant information for us parents on freebies, promos and other fun activities. At this time, getting insurance may be at the bottom of your checklist, as it was previously in ours. But as we relish the joys of parenthood, let us learn to choose lifelong benefits, the ones that would benefit the family and ultimately our newborns. The cute strollers, cribs, baby bouncers and toys will be outgrown in a short amount of time but a good insurance coverage will last a long time. Bundle of Joy advocacy aims to reach, secure and protect as many Filipino families as possible. Eligible parents that sign up with the Manulife Bundle of Joy community (www.manulifebundleofjoy.com.ph) will be entitled to a free one-year term life insurance coverage worth P100,000

Monday, November 10, 2014

Yolanda's First Year


A year ago today, Supertyphoon “Yolanda” made landfall at 4:40 a.m. in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
Yolanda left a near-apocalyptic landscape: about 600 towns and 57 cities in 44 provinces flattened or damaged, more than 28,000 people injured and some 3 million affected in one way or another. The government stopped counting the dead—the corpses littered the coasts and countryside for weeks and sometimes months after the typhoon—at 6,293 last April, despite some 1,800 more persons reported missing. No one is sure of the exact number at this point.


It’s too bad that our public officials can’t set aside politics even temporarily for a tragedy of immense magnitude like Super Typhoon Yolanda. Not that you can blame President Aquino for skipping Tacloban City, Ground Zero of the monster howler, and skipping the date itself of the first anniversary, opting instead to fly to Guiuan, Eastern Samar last Friday.

President Aquino  is no statesman, and as we have seen, he doesn’t take criticism well. The people of Tacloban, led by Imelda Marcos’ relative Alfred Romualdez, were not expected to roll out the red carpet for the President. P-Noy faced street protests – not the best image to be sent out to the world by all the foreign journalists who went to Eastern Visayas for the Yolanda  Victims  anniversary. And horrors, Congresswoman Imeldific was invited to the event!

So P-Noy, who has enough problems on his plate, picked friendlier ground and went to Guiuan. There he was shown knocking on the wooden frame of a hut that looked flimsy enough to be toppled by a native pig fleeing the butcher.

Although Pnoy is the President and as such should exercise utmost statesmanship by doing the popular choice of going to Tacloban instead of Guiuan, I could understand his aversion towards sharing the same space and time with Mayor Romualdez who has time and again criticized the government's handling of recovery efforts in Tacloban. What is important is the assistance that has so far been delivered and future 
efforts to bring the city back to normalcy.

I wonder what yardstick he is using to measure the recovery efforts. He should understand that there other towns and provinces equally needing help and the government is no miracle worker to attend to the needs of people all at the same time. There are priorities and schedules to be observed vis-a-vis resources.
In the same vein, somebody should also question what Mayor Romualdez has done so far. To think this is the mayor who ignored the warning of PAGASA and didn't bother to ask the meaning of storm surge. This ignorance and inaction resulted to a lack of preparedness by his people when Yolanda slammed Tacloban's shores.

He was found out to be spending time with his family in a near-by resort. All the time he deflected criticism of his behaviour by attacking the very entity, the central government, which has the wherewithal to help him and his people. By alienating Malacanang he may have effectively denied his people the full support of the national government. Be that as it may, the government made sure that Tacloban got its fair share of relief funds and assistance.

Calling on Ping Lacson to itemize the assistance given with the amount, date and projects and  relief and rehabilitation efforts  and programs so that the people may know, and there upon ignore Romualdezes' whining and politicking.


\Is there a way of some sort of administrative sanction that could be meted on a lying, whining, and uncooperative local executives  who need to own up to their mistakes and National Government deficiencies?

Monday, August 4, 2014

Hair Rebond That Last



When a lady gets a rebond, it means she went through a lot of serious thinking just to be absolutely sure that she’s ready to make that commitment. At the end of the day, a rebond is a commitment that should really last.

Imagine the indignation when a lady gets a bad rebond or a rebond that lasts only a month. Remember that rebonding is a chemical, thermal, and mechanical process that is sure to have side effects and adverse reactions. That is why getting good quality rebonds using the right products with the best hairstylist is of great importance.


Most people who get rebonds do not know how to properly take care and maintain their rebonded hair for the long term. Sometimes even the hairstylist is at a complete lost when a customer asks how they can make their rebonds last. Anyone would have second thoughts about getting a rebond in the first place if even the hairstylist does not know how to maintain.

The good thing about rebonds is it’s really not that complicated to care for. With the right product in very capable hands of really good hairstylist and your stanch commitment to maintain it in the long term, a rebond can last for close to a year!

This is why the hair and beauty experts of Ahglow created Kerafix.“Ahglow provides the answer when it formulated Kerafix, which is designed specifically for daily care and maintenance of rebounded hair,” said John Lansang, one of the founders and creator of Ahglow.



The chemicals used in hair rebonding and the high heat from the straightening iron can leave hair dull, dry, and damaged, which doesn’t bode well for hair especially in the long term. The products you use for shampooing, conditioning, protection, and keratin replacement are important.

After a rebond, a good hairstylist will tell you not to wet or shampoo your hair, wear clips, hairbands, hats, or any other headgears, tuck your hair behind your ear, ponytail it, or use any styling products two to three days after the treatment lest you lose all effort that was put into making your hair beautifully rebounded. Make the mistake and you’ll live with the marked consequences in the long term.

A good hairstylist will also tell you to commit maintaining your hair and to use products that are up to his standards. For the daily treatment and maintenance of rebonded hair, you need shampoo, whole-day conditioning and shine, keratin replacement, and hair protection. Ahglow’s Kerafix just fits the bill. Here are reasons why:



1.    Rebonded hair tends to be dry and dull. Shampooingthat moisturize hair is just the thing to keep rebonded hair last long term. Shampoo should be formulated with keratin-protein as the active ingredient followed by a conditioner that supports the shampoo’s benefit. Just for that, Ahglow’s Kerafix offers the Deep Moisturizing Treatment Shampoo and Deep Moisturizing Treatment Conditioner.

2.    Aside from keeping hair from dying or becoming dull, you must also do whole day conditioning and shine. Hair will become soft, smooth and shiny the whole day if you use a leave-on conditioner with a gloss component like the Kerafix Leave-On Conditioning HairShine.

3.    When hair goes through heat and chemical treatment, it loses the keratin that keeps it health. Keratin-protein replacement must be done to return the proteins you lost to keep it health. The Kerafix rebonded maintenance products are ingeniously formulated with keratin to reinvigorate hair and give back the healthy aspect it lost.

4.    Ironing and blow-drying hair at home tends to make hair damaged; don’t ‘fry’ your hair at home. Protect hair from the damage brought by extreme heat. Use Kerafix Heat Protection Treatment, which can really shield hair from the extreme heat of iron and blow-dry while you enjoy the benefits of ironing and blow-drying.

At the end of the day, long-term maintenance also relies on the quality of the rebond that you got. Choose the right rebond by choosing Ahglow products. The Ahglow Rebonding System uses a five step system that ensures hair is healthy and beautiful even after the chemical, thermal, and mechanical treatments that when used with low-quality products can surely make hair terrible.



Other rebonding products use only two steps, which neglects the need to replenish the hair’s health. Ahglow’s five step system begins with the Straightening Cream, followed by the Keratin Hair Protek, the Neutralizer Cream, the Keratin Conditioner, and the HairKote.
Another great thing about Ahglow’s rebonding products is its use of a special ingredient imported all the way from Germany to ensure the quality of the rebond. The ingredient other products just didn’t make the cut for the experts of Ahglow. Ahglow also stands out because it doesn’t smell bad unlike other rebonding products. In fact, it smells pretty pleasant.

Of course, making sure the ingredients used were of top quality was not enough to make Ahglow just the best. Ahglow also made sure that it’s convenient and affordable so any Filipina can enjoy being beautiful with rebonded hair. They made the Stand-Up Pouches, which contain 165g each of Straightening Cream (No. 1) and Neutralizer Cream (No. 2) - great for single use.

To ensure that your daily maintenance and styling is also of top quality, Ahglow also came out with their Gold Titanium Straightening Iron that doesn’t snag or pull the hair. It even has a warranty to make sure that customers get the hair care that they want. Ahglow also offerskeratin based conditioners for hair repair and cuticle treatment products formulated for rebounded, relaxed, and even color-treated hair like the original Keratin Reconstructor Conditioner, Avocado Treatment Wax, and the Henna Treatment Wax.


You see, the misconception that hair rebonds last only three months is just that – a misconception. A good rebond can last a really long time if you use the right products and if you commit to maintaining rebonded hair in the long term using great products like Ahglow’s Kerafix. 

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike

The Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike  is a proposed expressway that will start from the coastal area of Laguna de Bay from Taguig in Metro Manila toCalamba and Los Baños in Laguna.
The  Laguna Dike in partnership with the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project will involve the construction of a 47-kilometre-long (29 mi), six-lane dike including bridges, pumping stations and ancillary flood gates.

This was also mentioned by President Benigno Aquino III during his State of the Nation Address (SONA)
The Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike will cost an estimated PHP36.74 billion or US$854.42 million.When constructed, it is expected to ease traffic congestion along Muntinlupa andCalamba area, and to serve as flood control measure for communities on the western shore of Laguna de Bay.
The route alignment starts from Bicutan, Taguig connecting to the proposed C-6 Expressway Road Project. It traverses southwards passing the city boundaries of Taguig, Parañaque and Muntinlupa in the southern part of Metro Manila and then continues further south passing the cities of San PedroBiñanSanta RosaCabuyaoCalamba and ends up at Los Baños in Laguna, near its boundary with Bay.
The construction of the expressway dike is proposed to involve two sections:
  1. from Bicutan to Calamba; and
  2. from Calamba to Los Baños.
The project details for the Expressway Dike as of October 2013 indicated plans for a 41.54-kilometre-long (25.81 mi), four-lane dike,[1] but the official announcement of the approved project in June 2014 indicated that it would be 47-kilometre-long (29 mi), and have six-lanes.
I am concerned about this project because is this the viable long-term solution? Will this not end up like the so-called Camanava flood control project, which, from the look of things, has not changed much for the said area when continuous heavy downpour occurs along with high tide? How much will this cost and how long will this be finished. The most important question is how much will we have to spend for this?

My SONA 2014 Grade

I  just had the time to read the full text of  President Benigno S. Aquino's Station of the Nation Address .In my opinion if you are running your own business in fairness the report on Economy; "nagkamit tayo ng investment grade status", is true, institutional investors as to where I'm at now in this part of the country .

I'm pretty much convinced that our economy is okay with relatively low risk on trading & agriculture. I know I gave him scathing reviews but if you read his checklist last year. In fairness to him he already achieved some of his goals.

I gave him an Overall, a B+.

Amongst other things, the SONA:

  * Lists solid accomplishments in disaster management, the economy, healthcare, education, unemployment rate, transport infrastructure, tourism volume, and tree planting
   * Outlines that seeds planted in agriculture – rice, coconut - will soon bear fruition, indeed, declares self-sufficiency in rice may soon be a reality
   * Promises complete implementation of agrarian
reform (This alone will mark PNoy as a great president.)
  * Sheds light in the energy sector and in numerous
barrios
  * Claims reduction in crime rate and illegal logging
  * Seeks to win the peace via modernization of the
armed forces
  * Extends support of the ARMM
  * Pushes Sin Tax Bill and RH (?)
  * Addresses implementation of government programs that take care of people from the womb to retirement
  * Details plan for performance-based bonuses for
government employees.  (Will this positive step end the petty corruption in public service?)
   * Promotes a strategy of forbearance with China without ceding territory
   * Cites equal application of justice to the rich and powerful and the poor

Missing are:
   * Mention of Freedom of Information Bill
   * How to address the Power Situation in Mindanao

What is remarkable is the mindset:

  * The palpable overarching goal to do good
  * The positive attitude that says “Nothing is impossible” – and proves it
  * The establishment of norms by which to measure performance
  * The recognition that the accomplishments are not the work of one man but belong to the team
  * The show of confidence combined with humility - and an absence of hubris
  * The continued attention to spirituality (in spite of negative Church meddling)
  * The gratitude to the people – the Bosses – that they are the true agents of change

The overall mood is upbeat. Let us see whether an A- can be given in the next SONA
  * The palpable overarching goal to do good
  * The positive attitude that says “Nothing is impossible” – and proves it
  * The establishment of norms by which to measure performance
  * The recognition that the accomplishments are not the work of one man but belong to the team
  * The show of confidence combined with humility - and an absence of hubris
  * The continued attention to spirituality (in spite of negative Church meddling)
  * The gratitude to the people – the Bosses – that they are the true agents of change
The overall mood is upbeat. Let us see whether an A- can be given in the next SONA

Overall, a B+.
Amongst other things, the SONA:
  * Lists solid accomplishments in disaster management, the economy, healthcare, education, unemployment rate, transport infrastructure, tourism volume, and tree planting
   * Outlines that seeds planted in agriculture – rice, coconut - will soon bear fruition, indeed, declares self-sufficiency in rice may soon be a reality
   * Promises complete implementation of agrarian
reform (This alone will mark PNoy as a great president.)
  * Sheds light in the energy sector and in numerous
barrios
  * Claims reduction in crime rate and illegal logging
  * Seeks to win the peace via modernization of the
armed forces
  * Extends support of the ARMM
  * Pushes Sin Tax Bill and RH (?)
  * Addresses implementation of government programs that take care of people from the womb to retirement
  * Details plan for performance-based bonuses for
government employees.  (Will this positive step end the petty corruption in public service?)
   * Promotes a strategy of forbearance with China without ceding territory
   * Cites equal application of justice to the rich and powerful and the poor
Missing are:
   * Mention of FOI
  * ???
What is remarkable is the mindset:
  * The palpable overarching goal to do good
  * The positive attitude that says “Nothing is impossible” – and proves it
  * The establishment of norms by which to measure performance
  * The recognition that the accomplishments are not the work of one man but belong to the team
  * The show of confidence combined with humility - and an absence of hubris
  * The continued attention to spirituality (in spite of negative Church meddling)
  * The gratitude to the people – the Bosses – that they are the true agents of change
The overall mood is upbeat. Let us see whether an A- can be given in the next SONA

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

10 Questions For PNOY

So there it is. The President violated the Constitution, he violated the General Appropriations Act, he “castrated” Congress of its powers said SC Justice Antonio Carpio, yet he did nothing illegal. Heck he did nothing wrong at all. And we’re not even talking here about how the DAP was used to… uh… persuade congressmen and senators about the need to impeach former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Or how DAP eventually enriched Jenny Napoles and her gang.

Here are  questions Pres. Noynoy Aquino should answer about the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and the pork barrel.

1. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled the key elements of your Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional, do you still insist that you did not do anything wrong or illegal?

2. Is it true that Secretary Manuel Roxas II got 10 Billion from DAP for DILG Projects?

3. What was your criteria in approving projects, activities and programs funded by DAP? Why spend P2 billion, for example, for infrastructure projects in your home province of Tarlac? Or P5.4 billion for landowners’ compensation that would partly go to the compensation of your family’s Hacienda Luisita?

4. If you truly believed in the need to adjust the national budget or fund items not contemplated under the General Appropriations Act (GAA), why did you not ask for a supplemental budget from Congress instead of coursing it through a legally tenuous mechanism like the DAP?

5. Why were DAP allocations of anywhere from P50 million to P100 million given only to senators who voted to impeach former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012? Similarly, why were DAP allocations of at least P10 million each given only to congressmen who voted to impeach Corona? Don’t you consider this bribery?

6 Considering that during the Arroyo administration, you riled against and even filed a bill to curb the President’s powers to impound and realign funds appropriated by Congress, what made you change your mind such that when it was your turn to be president, you created a mechanism that would surpass what your predecessor did?

7. As the approving authority for the release of funds under DAP, don’t you think you are also accountable if said funds end up in the pockets of corrupt public officials and private persons?

8. Why does your office refuse to release the full details of the PAPs funded by DAP?

9. In the spirit of accountability and “daang matuwid,” shouldn’t you, Mar Roxas and , Budget Secretary Butch Abad, resign from your posts?#