Have You Seen Changes in GRAB Lately?

Every Filipino riding Grab must be feeling a little lucky lately. With the company offering true wallet friendly features, smart ones get the GrabCar Saver, GrabFood Saver Delivery, and for the hungry ones, GrabFood Saver Meals. They also have subscription plans such as GrabUnlimited and Grab Ride Saver which I often use going to events and places here in the metro.  

GrabCar Saver

GrabCar Saver has been implemented recently. In it, you get 15 percent cheaper rates in booking a standard Grab Car. For now, it is being done Metro Manila and in Pampanga (Central Luzon). Pretty soon, it'll be done in all Grab areas, though you'll have to note, you will have to wait a little while longer. You can also use GrabShare and use it to be with another passenger. This is useful for those who are not really in a hurry and you'll get even cheaper rates with it. You can get 30 percent savings from it, which is quite nice for those who are watching their transportation spending these days.

GrabFood Saver

It's been offered for quite some time now in the Grab Superapp. If you're fond of ordering from restuarants and establishments, this gives you the option of enjoying your food and have it delivered with the Saver option. Fees will certainly be less than usual, I do this when I have lots of time in between meals and I even do it when I have guests coming a little late than usual. I just order ahead of time so it could reach my location perfectly. These are great prices especially if you love gatherings. Imagine only 15 pesos? That's a steal.

With the rates already low, get the GrabUnlimited for major discounts on GrabFood, GrabMart and GrabCar. You can opt to get the annual plan instead since it'll cost you even lower. I have the Grab Ride Saver though as it slashes 10 percent for 60 rides, I use it all and pay only 99 pesos for it. Quite nice if you ride Grab Cars regularly. Grab certainly is changing the way we ride each day, for that, I'm quite thankful for the perks I get when I avail them. They're really good at it.

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!

Philippine Airlines Launches myPAL Roam

It looks like Philippine Airlines and their group of companies are pushing the envelope on this one as they launch their own global internet hotspot called myPAL Roam, a global mobile hotspot that promises to connect you in over 80 countries in cooperation with Skyroam. Skyroam in itself isn't a mobile company and doesn't use sim cards for their device to work. Their service actually connects directly to whatever local telco, of course it's better with SMART. They apparently give you the local HSPDA+ connection rates for only Php 490. That means there will be no bill shocks for people like you who often go out of the country. This device can now be rented through PAL Boutique located in the PAL Ticket Office lobby of the PNB Financial Center in Pasay City (at the back of World Trade Center), NAIA Terminal 2 Departure area or via roam.philippineairlines.com. The device may be returned to the PAL Boutique NAIA Arrival area or On Board Return Service (yes inside the plane!). 

"In partnership with Skyroam, you can ise this in over 120 countries worldwide. This is the latest addition to what PAL has been offering onboard. PAL moves closer to our goal to be a 5 star airline in 5 years and it underscores our philosophy "The Heart of the Filipino", we hope to power your adventures!" says Mr. Jaime Bautista of Philippine Airlines. 

Camie and Kimi, lifestyle and travel bloggers who also used myPAL Roam in Bali. 

myPAL Roam is the latest addition to Philippine Airlines service innovations together with myPAL Player and parts of the myPAL eSuite. I've shown you their fashion show a couple of weeks ago when they launched PAL Boutique where they have Filipino products exhibiting our own talents and craftsmanship. If you might have forgotten that show, here it is! 

In a nutshell, I think this is much like what they use in Japan where people rent out the device and return it (literally throw it on a designated box). This one however can be taken elsewhere which is also convenient but it still has it's flaws (I heard data caps) but is good as an add on service.

KUMAGCOW

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Archery Right In The Heart Of Makati: KODANDA

We went to Makati Cinema Square a few days ago to try one of the things that I have on my bucket list. I'm quite sure someone has got this on theirs too. This is the Kodanda Archery Range. When you get to Makati Cinema Square, just go down in the center and you'll see the range at the edge of the stairs. It's one of the few places in Metro Manila where you can try the sport in it's fullest form. I'd like to say that this is easy, but when I held that bow and arrow last week, I had a hunch it was going to be difficult. There are a few rules to follow, something similar to etiquette in other sports. The perk in this place though is that they've got air conditioning and it's indoors so you don't have to worry about the wind like in outdoor ranges.

Before you start, you'll have to sign a waiver because of course.. if you shoot someone else on the range.. that'll really hurt!

Suiting up is easy. I think the only thing they don't allow is wearing slippers because of safety reasons. Other than that, you can just fasten the strap on your waist and go shoot. Remember to put your feet in between the line and stand up sideways. Two whistles means start shooting, another whistle means you can pick up the arrows back from the target.

The range has got around 5-7 lanes, so if you have friends with you it's the best activity to vent out happiness, stress or anger with. I felt really calm all throughout though. I laughed profusely at how some of my shots went above and beyond the target, but I had some good ones which landed the bulls eye. They can set the target to 5, 8 or 10 yards away but I'd recommend the nearest one so you can master the basics first. Once you get the hang of it, you can ask them to put the target a littler far and get comfy with it again.

The tip of the arrow is sharp but it's not like the ones you draw on paper or see in cartoons. It's also got a notch on the tail end of it and it snaps into place on the bow's center. You can use a leather protector for the fingers but I didn't like how it felt so I used my fingers to pull the arrow. You can do that too.

My friend Reg made easy work of it. Here he is mounting an arrow on the bow.

The Bow wasn't as light as I thought it would be. It was a little heavy that sometimes, you'll want to put it down if you're not shooting arrows or in between.

The one thing you'll need is the protector that would be wrapped around your forearm. It's there to protect you from the whipping action of the bow. Believe me, you'll need it. Oh and if you're right handed like my friend here above, you'll need to close your left eye so you can take a look at the target with the right one.

Make sure you also take note on how he pulls the bow. It goes up way in front of his chin and you have to release it within 2 seconds so your other arm won't get tired. I had a problem with that because it takes me a while to pinpoint the target. There's a small adjustable notch on the front that helps called the "Sight". The staff helped me adjust that and indeed, it made my shots better.

I felt a little sad though because I thought I was going to be better at it but no, I only had 3 bulls eyes on an hour of archery. I thought I had all the experience because I am Sagittarius. It would have been better if I went back a few more times so I can practice. The people there said it's not that bad for a first timer. They were too kind.

For those who want to get serious about Archery, Kodanda Archery Range will make it easy for you. Aside from the range services, they have tutorials that you can opt for which will cost you 6,000 bucks. It's a one on one thing with the instructor plus you'll get 10 sessions with that price. An hour of archery costs around 550 bucks but I think it'll be better if you get the sessions first. The professional grade bow and arrow set would cost around 25K with the accessories included, but I suggest you try out the range first. I superbly enjoyed my time in Kodanda Archery Range and it's just around a kilometer walk or less behind Greenbelt 1. I'll surely go back when time permits and of course... I'll bring my friends along!

Need something to do these days? Maybe a round of archery would get your interest. You can get more information on the links below.

For more information about their stores:

Kodanda Archery Range

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kodanda.archery@gmail.com

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.

My Dream Villas In France

Working so hard the past year I have been contemplating where to go for a vacation. The usual ones would be the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia but I've grown tired traveling on most of them. This year I'll be trying my luck on backpacking in Europe. I'll be going alone but I'll try my best to raise some funds so I can get my Mom to come along. This particular trip would probably involve us to France because she wanted to go to Lourdes (because she's a devoted Catholic) while the hopeless romantic in me would prefer a night or two in Paris (the city of lights). It's also one of my dreams to shoot from a countryside shabby chic cottage so I would like to find villas in France that we could stay in. We might decide to stay a week since we would be able to save a lot than by just staying overnight. I hope I can get ample amount of vacation leave credits so this would be feasible. I want to also experience the exquisite food they are known for. Oh I can almost taste it! I want to have my own villa someday too but this would be nice to get a feel of it! This is but a dream!

Paris is legendary for its nicest lights and the Eiffel Tower. Seeing the gigantic but beautiful structure towering over the city would be the perfect way to end this trip. I would like to also get inside museums and see the artwork of the masters. Shooting landscapes and a couple of night exposures in that location would be blissful for a photographer like me. I wish to have my own villa holidays spent in Paris and elsewhere in Europe soon. I'm making a list of the requirements for VISA and planning the itinerary now. There are other countries that we would like to include too since it would be relatively easier to travel on local EU flights. I promised to visit my brother in Ireland and this would be the perfect time to do so. I'll also have to ask him about Spain and a couple of cities there. I'll have to make sure my money is spent on the greatest accommodations I could afford and still have money to splurge on a little shopping in the other countries on our list. I wouldn't stop myself to just take the train rides too so I could visit the outskirts and see the places that most tourists do not have on their plans. Oh just thinking about these makes me so excited! I'll tell you about it when all of these push through next year. Wish me luck!

Award Winning Property Management

I did not know about property management before but when I saw this documentary of a new graduate from a prominent school here in the Philippines, I knew he needed this type of service. A company called Real Property Management recently just received an honorable mention award for Franchise of the Year. With their exceptional performance for 2008 they have been given this recognition as a testament to their remarkable achievements in the service industry.

The guy I saw in the documentary was a fresh management graduate and the gift that he received from his parents was a resort. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I was also shocked to learn about that too. He was given a complete resort full of amenities and the only thing left for him to do was hire people and manage it. This is the perfect example of a company that Real Property Management could help. Their experience says it all because RPM already is managing over 20,000 units in the US alone. Property owners are already saving dollars, get financial reports on a 24/7 basis and getting exceptional service from RPM that deploys managers, accountants and professionals... so why not give them a call now!