The Art of Leadership: Foundation Teaches Essential Skills for Success

It is true to say that it takes a community to raise a child, and it also takes a nation to raise great leaders. B!ng0P|us Foundation recently had their 2nd FutureSmart Leaders General Assembly at the country's financial hub Makati City. This brings in over 80 scholars from around the country to teach them the manners of growth, inspiration and connection. The foundation sought help from some of the industry's leading trainers, beauty queens, even those from NGO's who have experience in leadership to teach these young minds and help them become future ready leaders themselves. 

They dubbed it as the PLUS Factor (Pioneering Leadership and Uplifting Service) aimed to give young ones life skills, community leadership and personality development. 

They also taught them about public speaking, build confidence, show presence and how to share these traits with others. Aside from that, they had Management Strategies hold consultations so they could start identifying their purpose, so they could see what they need to do for a better future. 

Present during the occasion was Jasper Vicencio who's part of B!ng0P|us Foundation a d AB Leisure Exponent. They were also given a very educational talk about how to advance their platforms courtesy of beauty queens Chelsea Fernandez and Kat Llegado. 

They also talked about the importance of volunteerism and more. Ms. Issa Litton shared her experience in public speaking, voice and communications which is a huge part of her career. They immediately got feedback after each session which is very important for their initiatives. If you want to know more, just search for them on their official social channels.

Acer Brings Out 6 More Copilot+ PC's

While the rest of the world is scaling down, top brand Acer is taking out more of their Copilot+ PC's in the market. These new ones have AI capabilities and they'll be doing it in 14 and 16 inch models, something that students, professionals or work anywhere individuals would gladly want. 

These new Aspire AI laptops are ultra reliable, and can last a couple of days which would be handy if you are traveling. Aside from that, these lovely units have Recall, Click to Do and Improved Windows Search which could help in a lot of things for school and offices, or if you need to help being creative. It's a pretty handy tool especially if you are doing word processing with the bulk of your work. Acer also has AcerSense, Acer LiveArt 2.0, Acer PurifiedView and PurifiedVoice 2.0 that would make it a cinch to create content in a jiffy. Each unit is built with aluminum chassis, all these new Aspire 16 AI and Aspire 14 AI units can get your tasks done without worrying about lasting the whole day. Display is also phenomenal, has more than enough memory for tasks and has faster WiFi technology (Wi-Fi 7) for those internet breaking apps or programs you need to use every day. 

They also have Aspire 14 AI and Aspire 16 AI that utilizes Intel Core Ultra Processors Series 2 to deliver more helpful AI tasks that won't get your usual work be meddled with. With OLED WUXGA+ displays, you get to see it clearly with brilliant colors, especially for your creative work that needs it. The others have an AMD Ryzen AI 7 300-350 series processors and utilize the Zen 5 CPU architecture to make computing easy. If you feel like it, you can opt for the Aprire 14 AI and Aspire 16 AI units that use Snapdragon X for a more reliable workhorse, even for a little play. 

If you want a more detailed technical specifications, visit their main website www.acer.com today. Prices will be there too.

LUMOS TABLET: The Perfect Blend of Function and Fun for only ₱6,999

I'm a writer, content creator and jack of all trades. We're pretty known in the "industry" for dishing out stories fast. I often write about events that I go to a la minute. It's not magic, but hard research done before interviews. It's also about taking notes, and wanting to keep the exciting things happen, with the goal of telling folks while it's fresh, and as soon as I get it. Arguably, in this day and age, you can't discount the fact that being "fast" counts too. It's now an established workflow.

We often write with a desktop/laptop computer at our home office. If I'm out, I'd pull out my notes and checklist and constantly write with a smartphone with real struggle. I could have carried the laptop with me but with the travel I do and my diagnosed sciatica, it's not going to be a comfortable solution. This is where the LUMOS Tablet comes in. 

Screen size is good. I can see what I need to see for work or play.

Carried this and used it before an event, finished 3 articles with it.

Case cover fits like a glove!

Light weight, even has a  front and back camera!

This is something I'd be able to use for work and leisure. Good tablet for kids too!

This hails from the same brand of projectors I've had the pleasure of using in the past (for work and entertainment). The LUMOS TABLET has a 10.1 inch screen, capable of playing 4K videos, has 8 GB of RAM and a 6000 mAh battery (for hours of use), but still kept quite affordable. I could watch on streaming apps, watch YouTube videos, or enjoy hours of entertainment with Karaoke or play game apps too. This would be an ideal device for what I'd want to do since it's got WPS Office Apps (that has a word processor and presentation software in it), and is lightweight. It also fits in my bag, and since it's a bundle, comes with a Bluetooth keyboard, a mouse, pen (editing would be a cinch!) and its own case cover. It works like a mini laptop, but works without the worries of it being too big.

It can be cast to a Smart TV, I see what I exactly have on the tablet to the TV I have at home. YouTube, Netflix, Presentations all work!

Surely, this could also work with kids who would need to study or folks who would want to cast on TV's for presentations, everyday leisure watching of your favorite K-Dramas, series, movies, reality shows and more. They've got lots of folks, celebrities, YouTubers and Influencers who have attested, given their trust and confidence to it. It is after all, the perfect blend of function and fun. If you would want to get one, simply visit their official website HERE. 

LUMOS TABLET: A great blend of function and fun!

Wouldn't that be a good idea?! Head on to https://lumosprojector.ph/products/lumos-tablet to know more about the device. It's a good investment for family, and for yourself.

Personal Collection Does Recyclable to Biodegradable Shift

Doing good for themselves, the community and the environment has always been in the goals of Personal Collection Direct Selling, Inc. In a nutshell, they've made efforts to do packaging for their products from recycled to biodegradable, and done it real good. Good enough to have an award from DENR.

As Personal Collection President and CEO Jerome Tuguin says “We have dared to do the shift from recycling to a more sustainable solution by using biodegradable packaging. We proudly have pioneered this in hopes to impact every Filipino home. We'll be promoting more initiatives to increase our tribe, and have the #GreenLifeGreatLife a reality in communities across the country. Expect more coastal cleanups (like what they did last October 2021) and plant more mangrove trees in sites like Pampanga and Bataan."

PC has also partnered with Marine Conservation Philippines and did coastal cleanups in Siaton Negros Oriental, Siliman Beach in Dumaguete City, and Bayawan in the same province. It was participated by PC employees and volunteers from different PC branches. Here's hoping it'll grow more in the next few years. 

Congratulations Personal Collection!

The Green Efforts of Personal Collection

At this day and age, it is quite disheartening to know that the Philippines is one of the largest plastic polluters in the world. It's also a little uncomfortable telling you that it's World Ocean Day today (June 8). Personal Collection, one of the pioneers and biggest direct selling companies in the country wants to change that so they've launched A Green Life Is A Great Life movement which bolsters their commitment to environmental conservation by changing to 100 percent biodegradable packaging for their products. Pretty soon, they'll also explore on making the ingredients on their products all organic and natural.

What that means is that their packaging can decompose in a much faster rate than ordinary plastic bottles, which can contribute to biogas/sustainable energy. This is something that the company has given time for as part of their research and development efforts.

As Personal Collection Direct Selling, Inc.’s Chairman Willie “Jun” Evangelista, Jr. puts it “We can work for our goals and care for the world we live in. It's a mark of a successful business. We can make the Green Life and Great Life possible for Filipinos. Now, all our dealers and partners have become ambassadors on environmental responsibility because the products they sell are sustainable and made of biodegradable materials. They are part of our efforts, and we'll have more campaigns in the next few months."

This is such a nice move from the people behind Personal Collection. I've always loved their Home and Men's products and thinking about how they've helped the environment through these efforts is laudable. This is good!

Enchong Dee Talks About Sun Life's Negosyante Starter Pack

Enchong Dee is in the prime of his life, his career is on top, his businesses flourish, and he still wants more. He also helps people behind the scenes, helps his family and others. He's the perfect guy imho, I wouldn't be surprised he's going to be even more successful in the coming years.

Enchong talked to us during a press conference after his live session and he shares "We have a lot of ways to save our car, bikes, property and we need income generating investments. At 4,000 a month, you can now save your business, you can use it for your business too. For me, I would advise people at my age to make an investment that is very close to your heart. When you are young, when you are still healthy, there is more room to grow. I am in the business of real estate, restaurants and others. I don't promote them as much and I don't think I have bankrupt businesses because I still have them open. I am very thankful that none of us have been affected in Bicol. I am always praying to make me a bridge to help people in 2020, my heart really bleeds with people that have been affected by the pandemic and the typhoons. I still want to put up another business despite the things happening, maybe a farm to table concept if it is possible. I see food as a necessity, we need it, we want it and in the country we need that. Passion isn't enough but it's good that it is there. We need a lot to succeed, but it's a nice first step. It's a shrimp business, we don't have sustainable farming and I am going to explore that with new technology. I want to have a facility that won't be affected by typhoons and hope we would be able to survive. In my restaurants, we didn't have movements and since there were not much sales, we needed to cook them so we strengthened online payments and couriers so we can keep up with the times and systems. I graduated developmental studies in La Salle but my love for doing business was from my parents. I used to sell instant noodles and corned beef to my team mates, I learned at an early age that no matter how small my earnings were it was a good experience. When I was already working I used the same system in my businesses, when I have earned in show business, I already knew where it would go, to a business of course."
 

Enchong also talked about security and says "It is important to have a backup plan. It safeguards my business, it safeguards my future. We need to do that because we can't expect things like this pandemic. We practiced a contingency fund for our business, if we need another one, I added the Negosyante Starter Pack so I can insert my personal funds when I needed it. You have to have that clear vision of what you will achieve. All the things you do, you have to folow that goal no matter what happens in your business. In our company, we told them about the situation, transparency to let them see the state of the business. They understood the situation and they had clear mindset about what was happening if their salaries was a little delayed. We were all going through it, they worked hard, they got average daily sales and achieved it. I said earlier about passion, I told them about what I did in my case. When you're so tired from work you can still go to your business. Sit down with your business partners and seek where you can help, it makes you a real part of the business and not just wait for dividends so you can be a part of future businesses with them too, so you can grow more. I want to build a business in Naga, in Bicol to open up more opportunities in that part of the country. I want to have my own game show, my own biopic, I will pray for that. Business and pleasure can mix, if you do good in business, you can enjoy it when it grows. It will come to a point when you will rest and you won't have those worries when you don't have work. For me, you don't cross the line, it has to be clear that you are going there to work and it's not a relationship. If I would give an advise for my contemporaries, just work. Business is not a thing that can be hurried, it doesn't work that way, you need to do two to three good businesses that earn rather than a lot of restaurants in one go and some of them won't earn. Behind every successful man is a woman, it may help but you have to know if you're inspired because of it or have their support, it is a case to case basis. It will help."

He tells us some of his celebrity friends also ask him about doing business but he says "Sometimes when I get to see my friends asking me questions about business, I tell them about it. But most often that not, they don't follow through. I hope they turn it to action because they know when I get into something I make sure it is very secure."

I asked him about his other policies and Enchong answered "Yes I have three different policies in SunLife, I have Health, I have Negosyante Starter Pack and Life Insurance. I am so secured because SunLife is my partner. I have a goal to try new things in businesses, but I have to educate myself each time I do that. To know who my business partner is, timing and location, which is what I do every time I venture into different things. It feels good to consistently treat yourself as a student, so you learn things even more."

Ms. Len Arboleda adds "Sunlife is in the business of Life Insurance. There are other types of non life insurance which can cover risks on the business itself. We cover individuals only."

The Negosyante Starter Pack combines Sun MaxiLink 100 which is an investment linked life insurance and the Sun Life Prosperity Achiever 2028 Fund which grows capital. You should talk to an advisor so you know which one would fit you. This would be a really great plan for new entrepreneurs who want to have security so you can fund future projects and have some extra for instances of emergencies. If you want to know more, they have information about it on www.sunlife.com.ph. 

They're good at this.

Dad

Dear Dad,

I miss you a lot, I do.

It’s been a while since I’ve last heard you snore, or was that me? I miss you making fun of yourself with all the Dad jokes you can think of, I miss the times you go with Mom to church, when we eat out and you throw a fit when you don’t like the temperature of the water, or the glass itself.

I miss you try and eat a lot when I am and the times you wake up so late, not eat because you would rather watch Eat Bulaga and Showtime - finish both shows - at the same time. 

I miss you being morbid, at times when I have to tell you NO that’s not gonna happen. I miss every single one of your obnoxious songs, songs you put on repeat til the wee hours of the morning.

I miss you playing Angry Birds Friends and how you manage being number one in the standings, I deleted that app just now because the old iPad is wonky. I miss you every day, I feel a lot guilty when I don’t get to visit you at the columbary every week, or put flowers in your place. The same when going to church, but it reminds me so much of you, so I try to.

Mom just fixed your altar at home and put stuff away because the toys wouldn’t fit anymore in your space downstairs. Too much toys I guess, but it’s all clean now, she still takes care of the house every day.

You being gone is not really fair, I cried so many times but yours was just difficult. I do not even see myself moving on at all, we just don’t, they were right, the pain never really goes away... you just become numb with time. 

I’ll try to take care of Mom the best way I can, we all miss you still. I really do.

John

Thank You

My Dad passed away this Tuesday, April 3, he was 70.


I know am still hurting, not fully recovered yet. I don't know what will happen after this but I am optimistic things (even though will not be the same) hopefully will be better for us. We are taking care of Mom, as we always have been doing.

I am just writing this post to thank everyone who have in their own way, showed their condolences while we are still grieving. It may have not been less stressful, less heavy, but know that we are extremely thankful to everyone who have helped us during this time. Please do know that I have read all the comments, private messages, but I'm still contemplating how to answer most of them because the old people are telling me not to say "thank you" even if I really am thankful.

Kidding aside, my heartfelt thanks to all the bloggers and PR Executives who went to the wake of my Dad. It really kept me on top of my toes to see you just being there. You know who you are.

For those who sent flowers, who sent help and even tons of food, THANK YOU

Batch 68 Ramon Magsaysay Cubao HS

ABSCBN Corp Comm
Evelyn Bueno, Alain and Ryan
Batch 95 TCQC
Jessah Marie Lopez
Tita Tootsie, Daisy & Bjomar, Duvhie, Aiko and Emem
BAM Asia
Comco Southeast Asia
Vivo Philippines
Oppo Philippines
Ripple 8
Direk Perci Intalan and Direk Jun Lana
Senator Gregorio Honasan and his Family
Oishi
Grupo Agatep
MediaXChange
M2.0Communications
Officers and staff of SYKES asia
Honorable Senator Gregorio and Mrs. Honasan
Regine Boo District AIA Singapore, Evelyn, Alain and Ryan
Valles Family
Comco Southeast Asia
Jessah Marie Lopez and family
Ms Annie, everyone at Bridges

Oishi

PerkComm inc.

Former TV5 PR peeps

All my relatives who put aside their differences and went to see my Dad

My neighbors

Thank you so much for helping us during our most trying times. I know this isn’t enough, but know that everything you have done for me and my family is much appreciated. Again, THANK YOU.

For those who I may have forgotten to mention in this post, my apologies, but know that I do treasure each minute you spared and spent with us and my family. Maraming maraming salamat, my Dad would have been happy to see this all happen. Again, thank you!

KUMAGCOW
Fresh Blogs Fast!

Mr. Dingdong Dantes... This Hurts!

That moment when Mrs. Real couldn't take it anymore and confirms that Mr. Real had another Mrs. Real. Slowly.. it happened!

P.S.

Mr. Dingdong Dantes, please get your face checked after that scene. Argh!I am super sure that thing would just hurt your face! Ouch!

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Director Andoy Ranay, Dingdong Dantes and Maricel Soriano for "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real"

It was a great day to get to know people from the show "Ang Dalawang Mrs. Real" which is one of the great prime time offerings  in GMA. I've written about Lovi Poe in the past and this time we'll get to know them (people in front and behind the cam) a little better as we got to talk with Director Andoy Ranay, Dingdong Dantes and the Diamond Star Ms. Maricel Soriano.

Director Andoy Ranay

Direk Andoy Ranay has been working behind the camera for years now and just recently, he has been the talk of the town because of the hit movie "Diary ng Panget" (Diary of an Ugly) which catapulted the career of James Reid, Andre Paras, Nadine Ilustre and Yassi Pressman. He said that the ready market of readers was one of the reasons why it became successful and he also attributes that project with VIVA getting the rights on it. The second one he's making isn't really a sequel but another book being made into film just like when they used to do it with Filipino comics in the past. It was a big surprise because he says these unknown actors were all lucky as fans of the book immediately supported the movie. The second project "Talk Back And You're Dead" is also banking on the fan base but they're also glad that they are also working with a giant production such as Star Cinema. There are going to be new actors and he knows the material is very good even if it was written by young ones. He adds "This is more serious and intense. I need to know how to get their psyche and know them as a person. Their life experiences are not much but the friendly approach is being done so I can get something from them". Direk Andoy also says "Working with veteran actors is easy, more so if you are in the leagues of the people you're working with in "Ang Dalawang Mrs Real". I still want to learn a lot, that's where I came from... the theater. My passion is acting too. I impart what I learn from that to kids... but working with Maricel is a dream. I watch her during the early years but I try so hard to also not be overwhelmed. This project was offered to her but we only knew each other as friends. Now as a director, she asked for a dinner so we can get to know each other. She assured me that she will give her respect, talent and everything to me. Her presence really is like that so I try not to be star struck every time we meet on the set."

With regards to the show, comparisons he says was not too present because he knows he's telling a different story. The legal wife was on the point of view of the wife. This one's more on the guy's side and the issue of bigamy. This is where they concentrate and not too much on the other women in his life. They are concentrating on the families and the three big actors on the project. You can expect that there will be a big confrontation soon and he mentions that they are brewing that right now. Maricel will release or unleash her madness soon. Direk Andoy says he is inspired just to work with Dingdong, Lovi and Ms. Maricel. He also says he appreciates how much effort they put into this and even better on the next few taping days. It only takes them a few takes because they really know how to do it already. They don't really give any inputs because they want Direk Andoy to take charge. If they did that, Direk Andoy would have given them the Director position..  and we laughed a bit about that. 

Direk Andoy was a joy to interview and he was very nice too. He didn't give out that aura of being too strict while we were there and says the rumors before were really not true. I've seen it myself that evening.

Happy Easter!

A lot happened in a few days. You probably did the same. I didn't go out of town that much but had a pretty good time spent with my folks at home. 

I went on a day trip in Sta. Maria in Bulacan. It was my best friend's wedding anniversary so I had to rush and get there just to say hi. Aside from that, I bought a ton of these to take home.

It did spoil my diet of Glucerna and Century Tuna but I think it was worth it. I still managed to lift weights in between but of course if I binged on these crunchy wonderful chicharon it'll take a long time to get the weight back. Aside from that, I also had a very good easter lunch over at Peppermill Restaurant and Mixology Bar in Katipunan. My cousins from the US arrived and the uber nice food from that restaurant did not disappoint. If you want to see my review of Peppermill you can check the link provided.

And might I suggest you order a full slab of the Agave Beef Ribs which was superb!

I also went to church and prayed. I also got burned at stake haha. I'll be very busy this week though, stay tuned for more updates on Century Tuna Superbods which we might live blog all the way from Boracay! ;)

So how was your easter celebrated? :)

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The Piano

I grew up with a pretty musical family. I've been blessed to have seen my relatives careers flourish in Christian, Pop or mainstream music. The bug didn't get to bite me though and I wish it did instead of pressing me pressing keyboards now. Regrets? I do have some but I don't discount the fact that life in general has been good to me. It makes me realize I have so many things to be thankful for but in hindsight, it would have been nice to have seen me in this field too.

I tried to get music lessons when I was a kid in this piano but it was really difficult. Reading notes, knowing when to press keys and getting to follow a certain scale was all a blur to me. I even got enough money to purchase Yamaha Used Pianos which I wanted to buy and play alone in my room but my folks didn't see I need one. I even joined a band in college. I had a nice taste of what it felt to be in that situation. It felt good... and I knew that in some small way I was already realizing my dream. It may be simple to some but for me it was all I needed to get in touch with my musicality. Today I don't really have a band anymore but I have been good friends with my band mates. I think I gained more than what I bargained for and I was able to still write songs even at this day and age. I am happy something still came out of it; and for that I am truly thankful that even if I don't play that piano anymore, I have my friends and songwriting to make me feel grounded. Music and I might not have been good buddies but the experience was precious. Today, we're planning to sell this family heirloom. I wish whoever gets to have this in their living room would make great use for it and later on, a family inclined with music too. Blessed be.

The Importance of Insurance

I was at the gym yesterday and getting back to my old routine of lifting weights, running 2 hours and sweating off what I ate from the Christmas and New Year feasts. While I was around my second set, I decided to go back to my locker and check my phone for text messages. I powered it back up and got surprised my phone was ringing, it was my sister calling and I wondered why. I was telling myself what it could be that would force her to call me this early. This is not a regular thing, when I talked to her she was already screaming and asking me to go back home. Our house was on fire.

Shocked and awed by that, I immediately packed my bag and ran out. Grabbed the first cab I could hail and asked the driver to kindly get me to our house as fast as possible. He stepped on it and within 20 minutes, I saw flames and smoke from afar. Something was burning at the back of our house. Fire Trucks immediately came in and swept the fire out in a few minutes. Fire was out, but all I could see was a burned third floor of our neighbor’s house. There was no wind at that time; thank God it did not reach us at all.


My family was safe and so was our house, but our next door neighbors was not that lucky at all. I was thinking where we could have been if it was windy that day. What would happen to my family if our house burned down? We did not have motorcycle insurance, insurance for the house, the car and even some of my family members. We could have lost everything in a few minutes and suffered a lifetime if that fire dealt with us.

It’s now a priority for me and my family to sit down and talk. We need to take care of our lives and our property. We need insurance from those who we can trust even at these times where there is an economic crisis. Good thing there is http://www.autonetinsurance.co.uk/ that we can easily call and go to ask about it. They have the best deals and an excellent customer experience! They really know what they are talking about, so why don’t you start thinking about your family’s safety and call them right now. It’s something you wouldn’t regret!