Knorr’s “Sarap ng #LutongNanay” Movement brings easy cooking back to homes

Posted on by jane

My Mom was a hands-on, stay-at-home Mom who knew how to cook and bake, sew, draw, play the piano, embroider, amd do oh so many things. Now that she has passed on, I remember her for all the things that she did for us as kids. And one of the things I truly remember (and miss a lot) is her home-cooked dishes.

When I went off to grad school in the States, the one thing she made sure I had with me was a box of her recipes so that I would not go hungry. That was typical Mom.  Memories of Mom washed over me during the Knorr #LutongNanay event I attended recently because everything about the event reminded me of things she used to do for us as kids. I listened to celebrity Moms talk about how some of them only learned to cook when they got married but that they now draw pleasure from cooking for their families.

(L-R): Carmina Villaroel, Dimples Romano, Pia Guanio
(L-R): Danica Sotto, Delamar, Christine Jacob

World-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Stuart Firestein, PHD from Columbia University in New York confirmed that mom-cooked flavors actually activate memories because scents reach those parts of the brain that connect the familiar scents with past experiences with Mom. By leaving children with these wonderful flavor imprints in their brain, heart and soul, Moms leave wonderful memories up to their kids’ adulthood. Dr. Firestein says, “What continues to fascinate me is how the brain instinctively knows that certain flavors and foods have the power to mean more to us than just sustenance. This is called sensory recall and is a phenomenon which demonstrates how the brain is hard-wired to respond in certain ways to different tastes and smells. Even over time and distance, when we taste mom’s cooking, it transports us back to a special place and a unique memory”. So, so true…

Unfortunately, modern lifestyles have put pressure on young people. Compound that with the bane of Metro Manila traffic and you have single people, aged 23 to 27 roughly (and even older) who would rather go for fast food eating. As a result, many have admitted in a new research that they cannot cook.

Knorr’s #LutongNanay event was a way of showcasing so many ways to cook quick, uncomplicated dishes and we had a chance to experience just how quick it was! Here I am at Table No. 1 with Dimples Romano who shows us how to cook Tinola sa Gata.

Our cooking table with Dimples Romano

Tinola sa Gata ingredients. They are all readily available.

Here’s Dimples whipping up Tinola sa Gata on our side of the room. It only took her a few minutes to cook this.

Later, I went around the other 3 tables checking what the other celebrity Mom-bassadors were whipping up. Here are the other dishes:

Here’s how to make the Tinola sa Gata:

I’ve been using Knorr products for a long time so am so relieved they have a #LutongNanay section on their website where I can go and check out easy-to-whip-up recipes. You can do the same.

For more simple and delicious recipes from #LutongNanay, visit www.knorr.com.ph. It’s not only the celebrity Moms’ recipes that are there but they’ve also posted recipes shared by other Moms. What a wonderful community!

Moms, think #WeAreBeautiful so your daughters will think so too

Posted on by jane

Moms, your influence on your daughters is greater than you think.

We’ve heard it said that more important than what we say to our kids is what we do because even as small kids they watch and imitate us. We may not know it but as mothers, we also communicate fears and impressions of ourselves onto our daughters. If we are not careful, they will grow up mirroring our thoughts and actions.

How many times have we said aloud “I don’t like my (fill in the body part)”? This self-deprecation rubs off on our daughters who grow up being self-critical or lose their sense of self-acceptance or self worth.

Dove, in its previous #IAmBeautiful campaign, found out that only 7% of Filipina women saw themselves as beautiful. That is a staggering 93% who don’t think they are. In another locally-commissioned study by Dove, the results showed that 2 out of 3 girls feel pressured to look beautiful and this external pressure comes from peers and friends. The redeeming factor? 81% of them still consider their mom as their role model, much higher than the global average of 55%.

That means that if Moms feel good and beautiful, they have the potential to be catalysts of change. They can change their daughters’ image of themselves and turn them into a future generation of empowered women.

Dove is at the forefront of pushing Real Beauty instead of the worldly notion that beauty has only to do with one’s weight, figure, shape of eyes/face/mouth, and so on. It enlisted the help of celebrity moms Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Christine Jacob, and TinTin Bersola-Babao who were with us at the launch of the #WeAreBeautiful movement to discuss their relationship growing up with their Mom and their current relationship with their own children. Dr. Honey Carandang, a leading psychologist, was also present to add her own professional insights to the discussion.

A video entitled Dove Legacy featured moms who were asked how they felt about their bodies. Surprisingly when their daughters were asked the same question, the answers were very similar. What the Moms did not like about their bodies, their insecurities, their daughters also manifested. But, where they were happy about their bodies, their daughters were too. So a Mom’s attitude can really be very important for her daughter. Watch this video to see how you, as a Mom, can be a life-changer for your own daughters.

Join the rest of us Moms and support the #WeAreBeautiful movement by starting within your own family — your daughters.  From there, you can also bring in the other mothers in your sphere of influence (siblings, cousins, friends) who can work on their own daughters as well. Before we know it, we would have widened the circle of this movement to empower as many Filipina mothers and daughters as possible to feel good about themselves.

To learn more about the #WeAreBeautiful movement, visit Dove’s social media sites:

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/DovePH
Twitter: @DovePH
Instagram: @doveph

Register for the Digital Business Summit: Empowering Success Online

Posted on by jane

Are you a start-up owner or a small- to medium-sized business owner? You probably spend a lot of time focused on your business operations. You may have some online presence, maybe a website or a social media account on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram. But are you maximizing that online presence?

It is usually hard to find the time to catch up and learn about how to maximize your online engagement. But you need to be active online. As more and more people go online for different reasons, including online shopping and online searches before making a purchase, it is important that you meet your customers where they are — on cyberspace — and engage them.

Now there is a way for all of you, entrepreneurs and businessmen! The Digital Business Summit 2014 (DBS), with the theme “Empowering Success Online”, is a series of online conferences from November 18 to 27, 2014 through different webinars covering the following topics:

  • Social media marketing 
  • Search marketing 
  • Mobile marketing 
  • E-Commerce 
  • Content marketing 
  • Online advertising
The online speakers are both international and local digital marketing and e-commerce experts. Representatives from top digital agencies, who are immersed in digital marketing and e-commerce on a daily basis across a wide number of industries, will share what they know and answer your questions. Most important of all, this summit meets you where you are. There is no need to take a flight to the summit venue. Wherever you are online, you can join the summit.

All the presenters in these webinars have used online engagement in campaigns for their own businesses to generate even more value. In these webinars with you, they will share their knowledge and know-how so you can learn how to combine digital strategy with your usual marketing tactics.

Here’s an infographic showing the presenters so far. There may be additional speakers but they will be added directly to the DBS website.

Summit Fees and a US$10 Campaign

The fee to join the Digital Business Summit is US $100. That fee gives the participant access to all webinar sessions. On top of the webinars, all participants get a 3-month access to Hootsuite Pro and Hootsuite University for free. 

But wait! There is more! 

You can get access to the Digital Business Summit, with all the perks that come with its regular fee, at only US$10. Here’s how:

1. On November 14 (Friday), the team behind the summit will offer 90% off on its price to access  the Digital Business Summit 2014.

2. Price of US$10 is available only for 12 hours.

3. Duration / Hours of Campaign:

12PM NZDT to 12AM NZDT
7AM – 7PM Philippine Time
10AM – 10PM Australia Time

Summit Schedule

Below is an infographic showing the summit schedule of webinars as of this writing.

How to Reserve your Seat

Reserve your seat and find out more details on the summit by going to thedigitalbusinesssummit.com/
(but don’t forget — it drops to only US$10 for 12 hours this Friday, November 14, Friday).

Check out also the summit’s Facebook page and follow their Twitter account @digibizsummit.

Townships: Cities within Cities

Posted on by jane

Living in Metro Manila and other metro cities in the Philippines, with poor transport system and horrendous traffic, can make the average commuter go through hours of just being on the road. And commuters do not just mean employees who sometimes have to commute from one end of Manila to another. It also includes students whose places of residence are often far from their schools.

In the United States, decades ago, I already appreciated the concept of suburbs. They were self-contained communities that included small businesses, entertainment places, restaurants, schools and even churches and hospitals. But suburbs were located outside the city proper. Employees who lived in the suburbs still commuted to the business district (of course, their transport systems were often very good so there was no great inconvenience).

In recent years, we have seen the concept of suburbs taken to a higher level in the form of urban townships. And this time, the townships are located within city proper.

Concept of Township

A township revolves around several key components: Live, Work, Play, Learn, Eat (and should I add, Pray?). Designed by master urban planners, townships’ vision usually revolve around self-contained living and working environments where residents would not have to go far. This concept has been supported also by the mushrooming growth of IT-BPOs which locate within such townships. In addition, accreditation by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) of such cyberparks make the business of townships not just good business but convenient for residents.

One of the earliest townships I have seen is Eastwood City which is roughly 18.5 hectares. Located in Libis, it continues to evolve and expand as new buildings and shopping areas sprout.

Eastwood City Vicinity Map (taken from Eastwood City website)

In its beginnings, sometime in the early 2000s, I remember Citywalk (the part of the vicinity map above showing red roofed buildings) as comprising most of Eastwood City. It was the place where restaurants were found right beside each other with lots of inner walkways away from cars and traffic. The high-rise buildings there were mostly BPOs. Citibank was also one of the first high-rise corporate buildings in that area.

Walking around Citywalk was reminiscent of some places I loved abroad — quaint haunts where people could just walk around cobbled streets, surrounded by restaurants and trees that provided shade. It was a family place. The mall nearby provided the shopping convenience of a one-stop place.

Then as years went by, other high-rise condominiums began sprouting around. They became mixed-use condos — fancy restaurants, shops and convenience stores on the ground floor and upscale residences or offices on the upper floors. A new, more modern Eastwood mall was built on the other side of the road. The plaza facing the mall features fountains, bridges and lots of seating places where people (and their pets, too, because Eastwood City is pet friendly) can hang out and socialize. This is one place where I can go into a mall and not be surprised to see dog breeds of all sorts walking alongside their humans.

Living in a township is the best of all worlds — for professionals who work in companies located within the township area; young married couples who are raising kids and want to have enough family time rather than fighting traffic commuting from home to work and back; and are even ideal places for retired folks who want everything they need within walking distance. When most everything you need is self-contained in a township, life really does get so much easier and more relaxed. Work no longer becomes such a burden because the stress of the commute is eliminated. Play and Eat become so much more pleasant when one starts out already in a relaxed mood.

Eastwood City high-rise units (photo courtesy of Wikipedia)

Up to this date, Eastwood City is not yet totally developed, which is good urban planning. I like slow development. It gives residents and workers time to get used to the changing landscape as people and vehicle traffic implications are studied, tweaked and improved.

That reminds me. It’s nearing Christmas and I just love Christmas in the air! I should find some time to pay a visit again to Eastwood City and other townships in the metro and see what the Christmas atmosphere is like there now.


Stories of Hope in the time of Typhoon Yolanda

Posted on by jane

In times of disasters, there is often no end to news of destruction and loss of lives. Oftentimes it is so hard to find the positive in the face of utter despair. This was what so many went through when Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the Philippines exactly one year ago on Nov. 8, 2013. It is estimated that damage to the areas affected reached over 35 billion pesos.

But there is HOPE.

And over lunch with some people from Procter & Gamble (P&G), I heard some of these stories and how P&G, together with other partners, are some of the private sector organizations that are bringing hope back to people and places

Next to the devastating loss of loved ones, one thing that greatly affected those in Yolanda’s destructive path was the loss of a source of livelihood for thousands. Looting became rampant in the aftermath of the super typhoon and store owners stood helpless as looters took their goods and food items even in their presence. It is actually a tribute to many store owners who later said that they allowed the looters to get everything as they understood the desperate situation they were all in.

Dranix East, P&G’s distributor in the area, was also badly hit by Yolanda. But it quickly sprung into action together with P&G to start the rebuilding of lives. Calling their effort “Hope Stores”, P&G had prefab sari-sari store stands, painted orange (Tide color, I immediately thought), made. The only requirement in the selection process was that the recipients of the Hope stores should have been previous store owners. This was because sustainability could only happen if the beneficiary already had previous store experience. For each orange Hope Store, P&G stocked it with PhP 1,000 worth of their popular, fast-moving products (Safeguard, Whisper, Joy, etc) to jumpstart the livelihood of the recipients.

Eventually, with additional partners like USAID, Rebuild and Coca-Cola coming in to join P&G’s efforts, the Hope Stores expanded. As USAID builds houses, a section of the ground floor is also converted into a sari-sari store. Then P&G donates PhP 3,000 worth of their products as initial capital for the recipients.

We got to ask P&G several questions and it was but natural that one question would crop up. Did P&G put any conditions like lockouts on the recipients? Amazingly, there were none. P&G said that had they imposed conditions like exclusivity, it would be restrictive on the recipients and would prevent them from selling other items that they could make a profit on. The company believed in open competition and said that as long as they helped unconditionally, they knew that the goodwill would come back in some other way to them in the future. I think all donor companies should emulate this kind of thinking.

Watch this video about 3 people (Noemi, Annalyn and Reden) whose lives are now being slowly brought back to a new normal through the efforts of P&G and its partners.




About Procter & Gamble 

Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers®, Tide®, Ariel®, Always®, Whisper®, Pantene®, Mach3®, Bounty®, Dawn®, Pringles®, Folgers®, Charmin®, Downy®, Lenor®, Iams®, Crest®, Oral-B®, Actonel®, Duracell®, Olay®, Head & Shoulders®, Wella®, Gillette®, and Braun®. The P&G community consists of over 135,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit http://www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

Huggies Dry Pants: the easiest way to change baby

Posted on by jane

It’s been a while (uhhh…no…a long, long time) since I’ve changed nappies. And although I ended up using disposable diapers, I actually started with cloth diapers for my kids, complete with those pins that pricked me if I was not careful changing my babies.

But guess what came recently for me to try….Huggies Dry Pants — the latest in diapers that even do away with those resealable side stickers. This time, Huggies Dry Pants look exactly like underwear that you just slip on left, slip on right, pull up, and you’re done!

To make me experience it for myself, the creative people behind Huggies sent me a baby-sized doll that just wouldn’t stop crying! But watch what happens when I change her nappies to the Huggies Dry Pants.

I took a few more closeup pics of the Huggies Dry Pants so that you can really see how much more superior it is to ordinary diapers. And the cost is not that much more. Each Huggies Dry Pants piece (Large, 36s) only costs PhP 8.52 as of this writing.

Front view 
Side view. I am really impressed by the all-around stretchable waistband!

Back view

The inside look – a blue layer pulls liquid away from baby’s skin, reducing diaper rash incidents

Check out this infographic to see all the features of Huggies Dry Pants.

It was really quite easy to change diapers, based on my experience with the doll. The waistband easily stretched and there was actually a lot of leeway (meaning, it’s comfortable even for a really chubby baby!). I’m just truly amazed at all the innovations done to make diaper changing so easy on Mommy and so comfy for baby.

HAPPY BABY!!! She poses here with Huggies Dry Pants (large). It comes in 36 pieces for babies 9-14kg.

More Mommy Goodies

Huggies is giving away FREE SAMPLES. Mommies, just visit the Huggies PH Facebook page, select supermarkets and various baby fairs to get your free sample.

If you’ve already tried, and loved, the Huggies Dry Pants experience, register via www.pants.huggies.com.ph, talk about your experience and get a chance to win up to a 1-year supply of Huggies Dry Pants.

And…here’s another chance, Mommies, to show just how cute and happy your kids are using the new Huggies Dry Pants. Let them join the Huggies Dry Pants Step Up Dance Showdown (www.bit.ly/HDPDanceShowdown). Winning entries get a 1-year supply of Huggies Dry Pants AND will be featured in the Huggies Step Step Up music video.

1780 by SariSari: heritage Philippine products in one site

Posted on by jane

The sari-sari stores that we know have been a part of Philippine life for decades. It’s everywhere — those houses in our neighborhood that use whatever little frontage they have to sell canned goods, bread, chichirya (chips), softdrinks, cigarettes, and whatever else. We even have a sari-sari just two houses away from my home!

The physical sari-sari stores are what I call the earliest form of the 7-11 convenience stores. They are the run-to places when you find yourself craving for something to eat when stores are closed. Or the place you buy eggs from when you suddenly run out and it’s just not worth a trip to the grocery. Or even the saving grace when a holiday shuts down all stores and you need to buy a few things.

This was what SimpleSoft CEO Ernell DyLim had in mind when he named his online site, SariSariStore.com after our iconic Filipino one-stop-shop. DyLim realized that there are consumers looking for certain products and merchants selling these products but there was no central place where they could meet. And oftentimes, cost was a big factor for the merchants to bring their goods to market. Thus, his site was born out of this need.

But even as this online platform grew in popularity, DyLim felt that there were still areas where it could make a sizeable impact — small-time business enterprises and undiscovered gems around the country from microentrepreneurs. With this in mind, a new project was born — 1780 by SariSari.

1780 by SariSari is now a sub-portal within SariSariStore.com that showcases Philippine heritage products that have not yet broken into mainstream urban commercial areas. The sub-portal highlights the wide variety of regional delicacies and crafts from different regions and makes us realize just how much more creativity there can be in local ingredients and indigenous crafts.

Why 1780? 1780 refers to the 17 regions and 80 provinces of the Philippines combined in 1 website.

Beautiful closeup photos of the products make up a slideshow on the 1780 home page

Each product has a thumbnail with the price, a Buy button and links to its details

The product details have an interesting write-up on the entrepreneur & a short story on the product

At the launch of the 1780 sub-portal, I got to see for myself some of the products that can be bought via the site . Here are some.

A beautiful banig spread of products one can find at the 1780 by SariSari sub-portal

Fashionable Paniya clutches — made from buntal (palm tree) straw and acacia wood

Pili products like this Corioso and Hopia de Pili by Charito’s Delights are indeed a delight to eat

My first time to see…..mango ketchup!!!

One-of-a-kind pieces from Josephine’s Jewelry use silver and gold metals
with jewels such as topaz, opal or even diamonds
Dark chocolate and spicy dark chocolate — made from cacao and sold by Kablon Farms

CT South Tropic now makes wine out of fruits: mangosteen, passion fruit,
durian, jackfruit, pineapple and dragon fruit, among others

Really beautiful and vibrant colors in these banigs made by the Badjaos of Zamboanga.
Some are so intricate that they take 1-3 months sometimes just for a single mat!

For me, what makes 1780 by SariSari a wonderful idea brought to life are these:

* It recognizes the creativity of the Pinoy microentrepreneur & inspires more such entrepreneurs to look around their own locale to see how they can use what they have to produce world-class products.

* It cuts out the problems and additional cost of middlemen and allows the entrepreneur to connect directly with consumers.

* For consumers, we get access to products that we ordinarily would not see yet in metro cities and which are often found in the local areas of each of the entrepreneurs

You can find 1780 by SariSari at the e-commerce site of SariSariStore.com. Also check the Facebook page of 1780 at www.facebook.com/1780bySariSari.

The 2015 Starbucks planners, Christmas Starbucks cards and Christmas merchandise are here!

Posted on by jane

It’s that time of the year again when Starbucks goes all out for the Christmas season and the new year!!! (Note: This will be a looooong post with lots of Starbucks goodness inside.)

The much awaited 2015 Starbucks Planners

It’s here!!! I know you are all waiting with bated breath to find out what the 2015 Starbucks planners look like. This is the 12th edition of the planners since it began. You’re getting first dibs before it comes out next week. Take your first glimpse!

Presenting the 2015 Starbucks planners with matching Starbucks double-sided pens!

Each planner is wrapped in a water-resistant apron cloth cover (green, black, red and brown). Just imagine that each planner cover has the exact same apron cloth that Starbucks baristas actually use. The planner also comes with a name tag bookmark, a coffee pin bookmark and a chalk pen with highlighter. One end of the pen has a chalk nib so you can write your name on the name tag bookmark to personalize it. The other end is a thick highlighter nib which smells like coffee. Really nice touch!

My favorite of the 4 – an embroidered version of the Starbucks siren

World Map of the Coffee Belt

A page spread for memories, complete with stickers

Monthly summary page

15 coupons to make you enjoy even more Starbucks goodness

How to get your 2015 Starbucks planner:

1. Get your Starbucks Christmas Traditions promo card from Nov. 3, 2014 to Jan. 8, 2015.
2. 18 stickers (9 Christmas beverages, 9 core handcrafted beverages) are needed to redeem one 2015 Starbucks planner.
3. A shortcut way to redeem it without filling up the promo card with stickers is through a single-purchase receipt worth PhP 7,000 of Starbucks merchandise, whole beans or VIA latte. (Note: This is a change from last year. Starting this year, you can’t get the planner via bulk purchases of gift certificates or Starbucks card load/reload.)
4. Redemption of the 2015 Starbucks planner is from Nov. 3, 2014 to March 8, 2015 at Starbucks stores within the Philippines only.

The first Starbucks Mini Card and 2 Christmas Starbucks cards

The Starbucks Mini Card (center) beside the two 2014 Starbucks cards



A first in the Philippines is a Starbucks mini card that has all the features of the regular-sized cards. This is a true collectible because only a limited number of such cards are going to be available. It comes with a tiny strap allowing many ways of carrying it, including as a mobile phone hanging decor. The mini card is available at a slightly higher consumable load of PhP 500 because of limited supply and the expected demand for it as a collectible. I’m sure this isn’t a problem for regular Starbucks lovers.

Available at an initial consumable load of PhP 500

The two regular-sized Christmas Starbucks cards feature a holiday tree and a snowman. These are similar to last year’s Christmas themed Starbucks card but redrawn in a different way.

The two Christmas 2014 Starbucks cards, available at initial consumable load of PhP 300

Starbucks Card Activation Promo (Nov. 3-5, 2014)

Here are the mechanics from Starbucks:

1. NOTE: This promo runs only from November 3 to 5, 2014 in all Starbucks stores in the Philippines.

2. Customers who activate a new Starbucks Card within this promo period with at least PhP 1,500 gets an additional PhP 300 load.

3. This promo applies only to newly activated Starbucks Cards (any design, including mini card). Reloaded Starbucks Cards are NOT included.

4. Customers cannot use a Starbucks Card or Gift Certificate to activate a Starbucks Card.

5. There is no limit to the number of Starbucks Cards a customer can activate.

6. The additional PhP 300 load must be loaded on the same Starbucks Card activated.

7. If a customer would like to activate a Starbucks Card with PhP 10,000, the customer should only shoulder the cost of PhP 9,700; the PhP 300 balance will be complimentary.

8. This promo cannot be availed in conjunction with other promotions.

Per DTI-FTEB SPD Permit No. 3670 Series of 2014

Starbucks Card Gift Pack (Dec. 1-3, 2014)

Do your Christmas shopping from December 1 to 3, 2014 in all Starbucks stores in the Philippines!

Starbucks cards now come in gift packs of six (6), each loaded with PhP 300 and selling at a special price of PhP 1,500 within the promo period. Each pack of 6 includes the following designs:

  • Holiday Tree Card
  • Snowman Card
  • Philippine Eagle Card
  • Cold Cups Card
  • Coffee Cups Card (2 pcs)

Starbucks Cards within a gift pack cannot be sold individually or interchanged with other designs. A Starbucks Card or Gift Certificate also cannot be used to purchase a gift pack.

To load a higher amount on each Starbucks Card, the gift pack must be purchased first, then reloaded in a separate transaction. This promo cannot be availed of with other promotions or discounts. (Per DTI-FTEB SPD Permit No. 3668 Series of 2014)

Starbucks Christmas Merchandise

From November 10 to December 7, 2014, select Christmas merchandise will be featured with different offers each week. Time your Christmas shopping to take advantage of the promos and discounts.

See the table below for the different weekly promos:

Note that this promo can’t be combined with other offers or discounts and are only valid in Starbucks stores in the Philippines. (Per DTI-FTEB SPD Permit No. 3672 Series of 2014)

Earn from home with 51Talk

Posted on by jane

Are you in between jobs? Were you forced by circumstance to leave your job to take care of your family? Are you looking for something to augment your income? Are you retired or semi-retired and looking for something meaningful to fill up some of your time?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then this post is for you.

At one blogger event in the past with a BPO, I raised a question with them. I told them that there was an untapped labor force in this country – the thousands of well-educated, English-speaking, degree holders who have opted for different reasons to quite their office jobs and take care of the family. While a majority of these are married women with small kids, there are a good number of single people who have elderly parents and even husbands who have reversed roles with their working wives. While the BPO’s executives agreed with me, they said their present constraint was the kind of communications security required of their business which working from home would not be able to fulfill. Understandable. Still, the fact remains that there is a growing untapped labor force in the home.

Now comes a chance to tap that untapped market. And bring job opportunities back to this labor force.

51Talk (pronounced FiveOneTalk) is based in China. A premier online English school, it was founded in 2011 by Huang Jia-Jia and Shu Ting. Formerly called Talk China, 51Talk is now found in Beijing and Shanghai in China, and in Metro Manila and Baguio in the Philippines. As a major economic power, China is realizing the importance of being able to communicate in English and is strongly encouraging its citizens to learn the language.

I know of several teachers who left the Philippines and now teach English in China. But why leave the country to teach English if one can do it from here? That is the edge that 51Talk gives. Their presence here definitely brings job opportunities to our homes. And why not? We are blessed with many well-educated, English-speaking Filipinos. And…the requirement for connectivity is not as stringent as those required by BPOs.

51Talk calls this Make the Choice, the company’s movement that signifies a jump to a more digital approach. Now, Filipinos are given an alternative career to office work and allowing them a chance for a more balanced family life. People can now opt to work from home — a huge relief for those who have long had to bear with hours of commute and traffic. Because the classrooms are online, educators can schedule their teaching time around their daily routine and family tasks. By cutting down commute time, online educators have more time with the family and can experience flexible working hours.

Three well-known names in their own fields were chosen to represent 51Talk as its brand ambassadors.

(L-R): DJ Delamar Arias, 51Talk COO Shu Ting, Jim Paredes, Michele Gumabao

Jim Paredes is one of them. Jim, not many people may know, is not just one of the APO Hiking Society trio, but is a teacher as well (I’ve attended one of his classes out of curiosity, actually). He is very effective in engaging his students through his classes and workshops on life and is very active on social media. Jim was very positive about 51Talk. He kept emphasizing that the Philippines is rich in English-speaking people. He considers this a source of pride for us that we are able to teach English to another country. It is also great, he says, that there are opportunities to work from home, just as you would in an office, without the commute and without the time difference (because China is in the same time zone as the Philippines).

For Michele Gumabao, an athlete, a health and wellness advocate, she was inspired to see Chinese people wanting to learn English and believes that 51Talk will allow the convergence and exchange of cultural ideas. She says that working from home gives a big opportunity to those who want to do so while taking care of their families.

And for Delamar Arias, an award-winning DJ, and a mother, she sees 51Talk as a wonderful way for mothers to earn. She says it’s important that even a stay-at-home mom can keep her self-esteem intact by earning for herself and for the family as well.

Teach — Learn — Earn

This is a great opportunity for all those who have a lot of spare time at home and meet the minimum required internet speed connectivity.

Basically what is expected of the online educators? You will be a teacher to interested Chinese students who want to learn the English language. You will be asked to evaluate your students’ performance based on established guidelines. If you have wired DSL access to the internet with a minimum speed of 1.5MBPS and a Skype ID, you’re qualified to apply.

It’s so easy. As an applicant, you just have to pass these 4 steps in order to become an online educator.

Just to give you an idea of 51Talk, here are some trivia:

* Online educators come from different educational backgrounds. 51Talk even has educators from the nursing field!

* The teaching is geared towards American English.

* There are different packages, the shortest of which is 6 months, then 1 year and 3 years. An adviser will provide a student with advice on which package is best suited for his learning goals.

* 51Talk programs are divided into General English – reading, speaking, writing; programs for exams like TOEFL; and, programs for Business. The programs are geared towards improving communication skills rather than a certificate program.

* Curriculum development team is based in both Beijing and Manila

* Training programs for educators – new applicants begin with several days of teacher training (orientation, Chinese culture, how to teach, communication/teaching skills). Months after there are other kinds of training for the educators.

* 51Talk now has over 2,000 online educators in the Philippines.

Find 51Talk online on their social media accounts:

Website: www.51talk.com/ph/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/51Talk
YouTube: www.youtube.com/51Talk
Twitter: www.twitter.com/51TalkPH
Instagram: www.instagram.com/51TalkPH
Tumblr: www.51talk.tumblr.com

Enjoy Starbucks Latte Mmm-oments (with a raffle!)

Posted on by jane

Before anything else, new seasonal lattes are here again! Hot or cold, these 2 lattes are sure to be enjoyable so I’m trying them next time I go to Starbucks.

French Vanilla Latte

The French Vanilla Latte is the first one I want to try because vanilla has always been a favorite flavor of mine. Just imagine the Espresso Roast complemented by steamed milk and creamy French Vanilla sauce with mild custard notes. The beverage is topped with whipped cream, vanilla bean specks and dark chocolate curls.

Dark Caramel Latte

The Dark Caramel Latte is espresso, steamed milk, and creamy dark caramel sauce topped with whipped cream and a custardy caramel flan drizzle.

And there’s more! How would you like a chance to win 30 days of Starbucks Mmm-oments?

How to join: Just purchase a pack of Starbucks VIA® Latte with your registered Starbucks Card and earn a chance to win a one month treat of your favorite handcrafted beverage. You have 3 flavor options:

Mechanics:

  • The Starbucks VIA® Latte Raffle Promo will run from October 15 to 31, 2014. 
  • To join the promo, customers must purchase any 4-pack Starbucks VIA® Latte using a registered Starbucks Card within the promo period. 
  • Every valid purchase of a 4-pack Starbucks VIA® Latte will automatically earn one (1) raffle entry. 
  • There is no limit to the number of raffle entries a customer can earn. 
  • There will be ten (10) winners in the raffle draw. Each winner will receive thirty (30) Tall beverage coupons applicable on any handcrafted beverage. 
  • Customers can only win once in the raffle draw. 
  • The raffle draw will be done electronically through a random generator program. The raffle draw will be held on November 3, 2014 in the Rustan Coffee Corporation’s Head Office in Makati City at 5pm. 
  • The winners will be notified through registered mail declaring him/her as a winner. Name of winners will be announced in the Starbucks Philippine Facebook fanpage at https://www.facebook.com/StarbucksPhilippines.
  • All employees of Rustan Coffee Corporation and Rustan Group of Companies including their relatives up to second degree of consanguinity or affinity are disqualified from joining the promotion.

How winners claim prize:

Mega-Manila winners

Winners must visit Rustan Coffee Corporation (G/F Urban Bldg. 405 Sen.Gil Puyat Ave., Makati City) and look for Ms. Jamie Silva to claim their prize.

Provincial winners

Prizes of provincial winners will be sent through courier.

Important reminders for claiming

  • To claim the prize, the winner must present a valid ID and the verification letter. Claiming period is within 60 days from receipt of registered notice. 
  • Unclaimed Tall beverage coupons after the claiming period will be forfeited. 
  • Redemption period of Tall beverage coupon is valid in all Starbucks stores nationwide from November 4, 2014 to December 31, 2015. 

Per DTI-FTEB SPD Permit #3224, Series of 2014.