MUST WATCH: Hit Korean Movie REBOUND in PH Theaters May 3

Just got off the advanced screening of hit Korean movie REBOUND starring Ahn Jae-Hong (who also appeared in Reply 1988), Jeong Jinwoon (who's in Dream High 1 and 2), Jung Gun-Joo (who's in TV drama True Beauty in 2021), Kim Taek (who was a Prince in TV drama The King's Affection), Kim Min, and Lee Sin-Young (who also was in Crash Landing on You and several dramas). This film is based on a true story about a high school basketball team who used to win championships but had a long stretch of losses and almost didn't continue to their basketball program. They had to resort to getting an inexperienced coach (an alumnus of the same school) with a skeleton team that had no interest in the sport. Some eventually quit, for multitude reasons, and the coach had to scout a few players to exist and join tournaments versus other schools. 

They ended up with 6 players, and this starts the grueling task of making the impossible, possible. I definitely liked the story. It's also the personalities of the different players that will get you hooked. Aside from that, it's a journey, and really... this is the first time that I saw a cinema where people who were watching were clapping and rooting for Busan Jungang High School. I'm sure it's the innate Filipino love for basketball, that story of the underdog who's trying to win on the court and in life. Will they win in the end and make their dreams come true?

This is being released in the Philippines by 888 Films. For me, this scores a well deserved 8/10 for the story and entertainment value. It's something you should DEFINITELY watch if you're a fan of KDrama and Korean TV shows. Plus points too because it is based on a TRUE STORY. Make sure you stay to see the ending because it'll surely pull heartstrings. I hope Filipinos troop to cinemas, because even as a skeptic going inside the theater, I really appreciated it! Again, it shows in cinemas on May 3!

Thank you to Ms. Sylvia Sanchez and Sir Art for inviting us to this screening! I'm telling my friends!

QC's Belmonte and Arjo Atayde Opens 1st District Office

Quezon City's Councilor Charm Ferrer, Art Atayde, Sylvia Sanchez, Mayor Joy Belmonte, Representative Arjo Atayde and Councilor Doray Delarmente

 

 

It's a bit sad to see that some cities don't actually have offices for local government units. It irks me much because people don't have a place to go to, to look for their respective government officials to look for help with their concerns. Things have changed in Quezon City's 1st District as Congressman Arjo Atayde and honorable Mayor Joy Belmonte just opened a new multi function space at West Avenue, Quezon City. This will be dedicated to Arjo's constituents specifically to hold important events, medical missions and a hub for Congressman Atayde's administrative staff.

The blessing of the property was witnessed by various Barangay officials from Quezon City, fellow district members, Councilors Calalay, Ferrer, Delarmente and several of Atayde's Team Aksyon Agad. This wouldn't have been possible without the help of the office of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte who also lauded the young Solon for his recent projects and services. Add to that the different long term assistance programs they put up that's proven to be sustainable during these times. Congressman Arjo Atayde was also flanked by his parents, multi awarded Actress and iconic Sylvia Sanchez and Businessman Art Atayde.

Arjo says "This office will be oen for everyone in my community and we will work hard to make all our plans for District 1 happen in the coming years. We would need your help in making sure we keep our promise, we'll make District 1 stronger, and thrive more than ever!"

This is a win for District 1 now that you've got a venue to go  to when you need help from your elected officials. Here's hoping you wouldn't need to, and just help other community members in your own capacity.

LG RECONNECT 2022: Experiencing New LG Monitors in Real Life

You can't say it's immersive without experiencing it all so the folks at LG Philippines got us all to see it in action with the latest models of monitors, TV sets and even a real deal transparent monitor at the recent LG RECONNECT 2022 event at the Podium Mall in Pasig City.

They also worked with the largest distributor of IT brands in the country VST-ECS Phils. to see how much of the international companies work with the best monitors LG has and use it for different scenarios. For starters, gaming, office work, presentations, photo and video editing, telephony, video conferencing (yes I see you Cisco, the Meraki setups were sick!), having it with different accessories (Logitech), and working in different environments (again with different brands), still LG fits the bill.

Thank you for the fun afternoon, the entertainment and the experience of having these LG Monitors used in different scenarios. I am eyeing that monitor that Magic Liwanag is using for photo and video editing, I just have to look at some of the great things that LG offers. And I bet, I'll be sharing the experience of doing that in a few days. Stay tuned!

Clorox x Philippine Airlines Keep Airports + Offices Clean

Things may have relaxed but that doesn't mean we should especially when it comes to maintaining cleanliness indoors and outdoors. Still on top of the game is Clorox Philippines and with tourism opening its doors in the country, a collaboration with the country's flag carrier Philippine Airlines seem to be the apt thing to do.

This means Clorox Philippines and PAL will be working together for the safety of their passengers. You can be sure that each airport hub, ticket office across the country will be using Clorox products to make sure you're getting expert disinfection done right in all these locations. Now you've got Clorox Expert Disinfectant Spray, Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes, Clorox Clean-Up All-Purpose Cleaner and Toilet Bowl Cleaners present in all their facilities, so you're sure you get the protection you need if you have a flight or transacting business with them.

PAL VP for Marketing Ria Domingo says "We value the health and safety of our passengers. This is a huge priority. Our partnership with Clorox Philippines has come at a most opportune time. This is timely as customers fly PAL once again. We're glad this happened!"

Today, Clorox Expert Disinfecting Wipes continue to be given to arriving passengers from international and local destinations. This is also being given to patrons going in PAL offices in the country. Clorox International Marketing Manager for SEA Region Monique Gonzales says "These uncertain times surely has put in cleanliness at the forefront of Filipino lives, we are part of that... and we commit to make the lives of our countrymen better each day. Making the PAL passengers, travelers safe is part of that."

That's a good thing.

You Can Do and See More with LG UltraWide Monitors

The need for a dependable, workhorse for monitors is at an all time high now. With professionals arranging work from home, you need something that can accomodate all the windows on your screen, all the software you need, a refresh rate and resolution acceptable in world standards. If it can't do that, it's going to be extra difficult for those who need it in these conditions. LG Electronics have continued to innovate these past few years including their top of the line LG UltraWide monitors. With the likes of the UltraWide Full HD Resolution 2560x1080, it surely gives one more real estate space on screen, that's about 33 percent compared with an FHD screen (1920x1080) used in some homes and offices.

LG's UltraWide 29WP500-B model can give you ample views for textbooks, notes, lectures, video calls without having the need to switch to other windows if you're a student. Quality wise, it won't dissappoint you with HDR10, 99% color gamut, IPS which makes everything pleasing to the eyes. I on the other hand need one because I do gaming on my laptop, which is a little difficult to see when you flick for aiming at enemies. With its AMD FreeSync tech, you see high resolution and fast paced game details without any lags as long as corresponding hardware can do it. This can do it in a very fluid manner, perfect for casual or pro gaming. If it can do that, imagine on what it can do when watching movies, YouTube videos, or media in your network. You can also use the wide screen for putting up multiple windows, so sharing or viewing data would be easy especially when Excel Sheets are involved at work.

LG Electronics has been recognized for their LG PuriCare AeroTower Air Purifier and the LG tiiun for innovation. They were also given nods for their LG One Quick Flex All in One display solution, the LG UltraGearTM Gaming Laptop, the LG OLED evo Gallery Edition and several OLED evo TV models which they have showcased in the past year. They have designed these pieces with the users in mind, something that has made great strides for them at the Red Dot Awards. They were also given accolades at the CES Awards in 2022 for their products under Home Appliances, Entertainment and Business Solution categories for a total of 150 given at the hybrid CES event this year.

Congratulations to LG for always putting the consumer at the forefront of their innovations, how they start technology, think about their design and give value when releasing products around the world.

IKEA Philippines Officially Opens Online Store

We all thought it was going to be too long before IKEA opens in the Philippines, but here they go over delivering with their promise to bring scandi items into the homes of Filipinos today. See, they official online store of IKEA is now open.

Georg Platzer, Store Manager of IKEA Pasay City says "We have just concluded limited test runs the past few weeks, and today, we're glad to say they we will be officially accessible to more pinoys. We will be part of the lives of a lot of folks in the Philippines who's dream would be a better life at home. We're officially opening our online store today!"

IKEA also learned a lot from the shopping habits of Filipinos as the test run showed the need for more home storage and work space items. They also have sold lots of home decors like alarm clocks, wall clocks and artificial potted plants. Aside from that, there's children's items like the soft toys, storage boxes and the play kitchen sold quite regularly. If you would want to purchase some of these items, you have to make an IKEA website account (different from the IKEA Family Account membership) which I too have registered with previously. They accept payments via major credit cards, GCash and installment with BDO.

IKEA also ships fast, as I've seen some of my friends got their products the day after. It can by delivered via truck, parcel and click and collect (where you're just gonna pick it up in the store after ordering online). If it's 30KG and up, that's going to be considered a truck delivery so make sure you're guided before you choose and checkout. Truck deliveries right now only are in Metro Manila, parcels can reach up to other parts til Quezon down south (Lucena) and Subic up north.

Best of all, the store is operating 24/7 so you can get the best IKEA products while everyone is sleeping. You may see the whole line at IKEA.ph.

Fuji Xerox Launches 21 New ApeosPort Series

Today was an awesome day to launch new products from Fuji Xerox. The brand is synonymous with everything there is to do with copiers, but of course in the industry, they're one of the largest corporations to produce SOHO all in one devices such as copiers, printers, scanners, fax machines, software and cloud services. This pandemic as also been so hard for them business wise, but what I heard earlier in their launch was excitement, optimism that even in these times, they can make your home office or businesses flourish with new top of the line models of their ApeosPort Series.

Hideaki Kato Xerox President says "The past year has been challenging even to our way of life, at 2021, we are moving forward with our new products. This is part of the new normal, we can help businesses with these even in the unprecedented situation. Thank you!"

Eliza Crizanto says "Today we are launching the new ApeosPort series. 21 new models for our Apeos Port series. Whether you are a small, medium or enterprise business, we have multi-function printers in different speeds and sizes. We still have copiers, printers and scanners that would support the new normal lifestyle, freedom from security threats and more. Work style is different, now we have mobile phones, wireless devices, now you can control copy and scan jobs by tapping and controlling it with your smartphones. The toners are made of EA Eco Toners, very eco-friendly, doesn't need much high electric consumption for output. If the components are not being used, it is simply turned off and very eco-compliant. It has smart energy management technology. If you are doing a scan job, the other features are not powered, therefore less electric consumption."

Oscar Dolendo Head of Marketing adds "Our new ApeosPort series have impenetrable data, prevents malware or virus, it also has hard drive encryption, has logged detailed information for tracking. It only allows authenticated users to use the device. It can make you worry free from cyber attacks, the new ApeosPort series has complied with very stringent Japanese/Global standards and technology, giving you freedom from security threats."

James Singson Product Manager for Fuji Xerox says "The security features are already placed in the machines, no need to install anything. If customer need customer support, it will be provided on contract, so no need to worry if the need arises."

ApeosPort series can simplify your work with paperless procedures, electronic signatures, and with it, you can unlock your full business potential. Their carefree management can minimize downtime, easy fleet management, so you can focus on your core business and not attend to any of Fuji Xerox equipment. This is done by electronic partnership-broadband (EP-BB), remote device health check and remote assistance. EP BB send machine information to Fuji Xerox for toner refills, alerts if the machine experience problems, usage, eco impact and service history. Their call centers get the alerts and they contact you directly. That's reassuring. 

Remote Device Health Checks are done with the machine sending data of its different components and device sensing points so they can take pro active efforts sometimes even before customer experiences it. Like wear and tear, service technicians will be deployed and fix it for you. They also take preventive maintenance measures so they can make the equipment healthy. RDHC also generates monthly health reports so they can see machines and its performance. For remote assistance, this is the last line of defense where customers are attended to the quickest possible time. You can connect via cloud by walking through the process, you can fix things and forget about the equipment and use your efforts for the business instead.  

Currently, they have the ApeosPort Series available in the market and you can contact Fuji Xerox Philippines or their channel partners nationwide if you want to avail of their devices and services.

Shopee Picks: Good HP Printers for Home and School

I have owned one for years now!

We’re all at home now wether we like it or not. Offices have arranged Work From Home schemes and schools have opted to do mixed or plain home classes. People are scouring for things they need to print, scan or copy and there are a few good ones out there especially in Shopee. The leading app has gotten it’s own set of official stores which you jiust need to pay and order, then deliver it to you while you relax at the comforts of your home. Documents need to be sent, print outs would be needed so we got a few of them listed here.

All in one printers make life so convenient at home and if you need hard copies or learning materials for both office and school, you’ve got to cop one of them so it’ll be cheaper, less stress going to computer shops and safer for you who might not want to touch or see people while in the pandemic. You’ve got to think of clever ways to do things economically, we need all the savings we can get. Add that to the free shipping coupons the platform has and it’s a sweet deal!

Official HP Store https://shopee.ph/hpofficialstore_ph?smtt=0.0.9

HP Officejet Pro 9020 AiO Printer - Print, Fax, Scan, Copy, and Wireless (LIGHT BASALT) https://shopee.ph/product/67422291/2419778456?smtt=0.0.9

HP Laserjet 107a Single Function Mono Printer - Print https://shopee.ph/product/67422291/6200732954?smtt=0.0.9

HP Laserjet 135a AIO Mono Printer https://shopee.ph/product/67422291/7000747217?smtt=0.0.9

If you haven’t got a Shopee App yet, please download it off App Store or Google Play.

Life is gonna be better!

PROJECT T Opens Second Serviced Co-Working Spot at BGC

A blogger like me needs fast internet connection, a cozy place with no distractions, a space where I could work and concentrate so I could whip out good articles for my own website. Aside from my home, you would often see me in coffee shops, internet cafes and when I really need to do deadlines, I go to shared spaces and offices because practically, everything I need is all there.

Project T International IT and Business Solutions just opened their second location at BGC. They offer serviced offices, co working spaces which would be perfect for startups who rely heavily on IT infrastructure, fast rampups in manpower (HR) and even other office functions (accounting etc.). Located at Twenty Five Seven McKinley in Bonifacio Global City, they now have a 500 seat capacity, amenities like a gym, fitness studios so workers have a place to keep healthy.

They have plans to also put up additional machines, sports equipment, planned fitness activities year round to keep with the goal. Clients can also enjoy naps in modern sleeping quarters, shower areas and convertible movie rooms too so they can get their kids occupied while parents get busy at work. Their IT Director Kevin Cabrera also assures 24/7 technicians on standby so they have uninterrupted internet connection, security via biometrics applied in each room. A factor that would be important in any business operation.

Here, clients can pick their space and do away with their Built to Suit program choosing specifications on their list, design their space and negotiate their terms even on installment. They've already had several clients who have success stories growing their manpower double, because their flexible terms and relationship with them have always been good.

If you want to know more about them, you may visit their official site ProjectTSolutions.com. It's all there!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

The Space and People at KMC Solutions

I have a bit of an idea about KMC Solutions, I think I was able to visit one of their offices in BGC a couple of years ago. This one you're going to see is a little bit on the outskirts of Bonifacio Global City, particularly the Cyber Sigma building at Lawton Avenue in the McKinley district. This company is huge as they can house 6,800 work stations, 25 offices, 14 office buildings comprising 37,000 square meters of office space in locations like Metro Manila and Metro Cebu. The company provides coworking space and office services. This is one way of housing multinational companies in the country so they could provide what they need if they are here. Europe, US, Australia, Singapore, they've all been able to design and build offices for SME's based internationally. 

This is very interesting because you can find a use for these properties even if you don't have your own building, making this a haven for businesses that have worldwide reach. Previous clientele include ANZ, PWC, IGH, Yelp, Ericsson, Goodyear, Merck, Royal Carribean, UBER, Sun Life Financial, Vistaprint, TaskUs, Vocus, AirBnB, Ebay, Pru Life UK and others. If you've keen on setting up an office in the Philippines, this might well be a good jump off point and set it up without worrying too much about infrastructure or people needs. They do HR, Payroll, IT services, so you can get up an running in a short amount of time. They even have local companies who also come in a operate, making it viable for employing talented Filipinos so you can do business with less manpower cost, without sacrificing quality. I hope you see the value in that.

I got a short tour, people are really kind and professional. Check out their pantry! It's pretty fancy!

Beat the Summer with Daikin Aircons

On a day like this, I would like to pour a bucket of cold ice on myself for obvious reasons. Summer is just around the corner and I'm sure it'll only get hotter. Not because of my sculptured german physique but because seasons change. Thank the heavens above for there's always aircon. 

Lee Wai Kok of Daikin Philippines says "Daikin will have powerful cooling capable air conditioners with less power consumption in the country. We will take action with the demand of customers, harnessing synergy in the technology, our best products will come with best services too. We will put up more service centers soon. We will get our products affordable while we provide our Cool King line and see to it that every Filipino home would get environmentally safe products that follow the Montreal protocol as we phase out R22 products and have inverters in cooling systems and it's motor. This is the most energy efficient line. We believe in challenging the status quo, this is more user friendly."

Daikin currently has the Standard Cool King Unit and the Premium Cool King Unit in their Cool King series. These are split type air conditioners that uses R-104A refrigerants that have 23dBA so it won't be as noisy as that. The other is the Home Central Air Conditioning which you can use for multiple rooms in your home or office, individually controlled for your convenience. This will be arriving soon.

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

Small Things at Work Are Worth It

Presentations in the office are but a regular thing, I just finished one this evening. There will be more and I'm currently making one as we speak. This is usually made for training sessions, lectures and information dissemination. Presenting in a more professional way if we utilize tools like this. However, we need certain tools in order to show it to an even larger audience. You need to carry around a Projector Case, screen and the projector itself too on most occasions. It's a whole package and one could never do without the other. Naturally if you don't get to protect your things, it'll deteriorate over time and you wouldn't be able to utilize the whole worth of these expensive equipment to the dismay of your company's head honcho.  

Protecting your investment and making sure that everything is used efficiently would make up a better business environment. Little things to protect your equipment are vital in making sure you are not wasting your time, effort and your client's too. Your capability to present to prospective business clients is something that you should always strive for. Without that gusto and unending fervor, you won't be able to realize your dreams. It starts from the small things believe me. It's even practiced by large corporations and it has made an impact to their businesses. Making this gesture and showing your peers how it could change their perspective of work can be something that can influence them to have a culture of care. It'll save money in a more granular way. Wouldn't that be a good thing to practice in your business? I'm sure you'll find this useful, because I did.

Working Too Hard in the Office?!

 


If you are working too hard in the office and you concentrate so much with work, this might actually happen to you. Poor woman dies in the office last Friday and nobody noticed until Saturday.

Rebecca Wells was 51 when she passed away and people only knew her as the one who was always working. One woman even said that she might not have been noticed by anybody in the office even as everyone left. She was performing audit jobs for a risk management company. So if you know someone in your office works too hard, you might as well take a look at them more often because they might already be dead.

Sad huh?!

Smart Business Solutions

This has been a real busy day. I just got back from the office and I forgot to do a lot of things. Although we are in the same area, we are located in different buildings so the time to really think about what I had to do (urgent stuff) was a little tight. I forgot to give the papers for the company checks I got last week. The accounting department would really bug me tomorrow about not submitting the receipts on time since we already spent that budget for our quarterly team building activity. It's not much but it does go a long way if we add up what we also can contribute. It goes to small parties, souvenirs and some other things we can buy for our office. I am a little worried they would deduct some amount on my paycheck next week because I didn't send everything for signature and processing. Are these signs of aging?! LOL!

Campaigns like these need some reminders through electronic mail. I have to see if it would be feasible to get the department involved to initiate contact if the time to do these things is up! Maybe if we organize and get tools for a systematic approach in office processes; this world (and office!) would be a happier place! We already have one for procurement so maybe this wouldn't be too far behind. I can easily ask for office supplies anytime so I never run out of Tape, Paper Clips and Fasteners whenever I need them. It's time to get fully automated and this is inevitable! I need smart business solutions!

In Heat...

It looks like this is one heck of a workday for all o us here. Something should be done because this side of the world is uninhabitable already. I don't want to sit here and watch myself perspire. I don't like this joint. It looks like a mental asylum if I can quote my boss on that when he went on a visit here. They were all initially getting us prepare for a transfer to the other building but that has long been overdue. Now this happens, ha!

I hope someone out there listens when our underarms plead for antiperspirants LOL. This is really not a great way to start the work week. If only I had hotdogs and bread available we'd be happy to get some and roast them since it feels like a camp fire here. It's even colder outside for cryin out loud!

I already have my Orange Juice here. Where did I put that small umbrella and hammock?!... It feels like a beach here haha!

A New Office Mate

A new office mate. Yeah it is one of those days where you welcome another stranger in town. But since he is in my team I am going to look for quality. I hope he works as good as what we expect him to do. There are really not that much choices out there so if you think about it I had to choose between undergraduates, people who had previous call center experience but have no idea what a forum is and what a moderator does. I also had interviewed people who answer the canny response "I don't know what to do but I am willing to learn" script. We exhausted efforts to get one for the post we have but it seems some of the applicants do not even appear for the interview. I tried to even call some of them but they either 1.) begged off or 2.) put up an attitude or 3.) didn't bother to answer. It looks like one of the things why some Filipinos are jobless nowadays. They are simply unwilling to work and also lack qualification for the position.

I don't know what to think anymore. It's either these people are poor and cannot get proper education or maybe the standard of education in the country is getting poorer. I hope the government steps up the educational system and do not pass anyone who could not understand and write English. It's too lame to have an excuse when it is literally already our second language. I probably should even laugh at the fact when one of the applicants was an English professor and her grammar was even worse as the kids I taught for free in the streets. What is happening to the quality of our workforce!

Office Mishaps

I was making reports last Monday and I was really not in the mood. Imagine a whole month's worth of report needs to be merged into one. I also need to show the relationship of this current data from the previous ones in daily, monthly, yearly and fiscal granularity. I have taken extra Canon Printer Ink Cartridges from the Administration Department because I will be printing out almost a hundred pages and a couple more excel sheets. My boss will be surprised how big the document size is and considering the photos I have stored in the drive I might not be able to squeeze in this one unless I delete old ones immediately. I need major organization to happen too and I probably am able to do that via the date of modification. I wish I had more time.

I sent it but it was getting lots of errors even if I already divided the files by batch. I estimated around 6 huge ZIP files might be able to do the trick but there were header errors when I tried to open the attachments. My boss needed it within the day so I had no choice. I reconfigured connections on a fresh installed pc and it went through after a few tries. I was so elated my files reached him in time. I will prepare better before the next month's report so I won't go through the same ordeal again. Do you know anyone willing to help me with this?! Let me know!

Office Inconvenience

I just came back from the other building to have New Year's Eve dinner. When I came back to my office it was scorching hot. Guess what?! The air conditioning unit bogged down again and it will probably be fixed tomorrow morning when people from the building administration arrive. I could have survived this with electric fans but since my cube looks like a room from a hospital/mental institution, it would be too hot in a couple of minutes. If that does not do anything to me, the humidity is going to kill me. I think it is a little too dry around here. I do not even have a sprayer with me to keep me sane throughout the shift but if I would not be able to work with these conditions, I might consider going to the other building instead.



This has happened in the past and I am pretty used to the ac compressor getting broken which would take them days to order and fix. We do not have facilities or systems which you can depend on line if it happens. I think it would be best if they get organized this year; so this would not happen again. It already is hot outside and it would not be fit to be hot here too.