Seek No More

Citibank's Online Mobile Services

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:18:00 +0000

Online access to bank account has been a problem for many home-based entrepreneurs for several years now, but it may come to end soon. Citibank is now offering ease and comfort for enterprising people who want to get more information and services from their credit cards and bank accounts right in the comfort of their own home. They even adopted the mobile banking application for Android phones to get in touch with Citi Mobile Payments.

The main purpose of this tool was to help track bank accounts, pay bills, transfer funds, view electronic statements and allow entrepreneurs to experience online banking services without having to go to the bank through the Citibank Online.

The Citibank’s mobile banking application or App for Android phones will also show its users shopping and dining offers exclusively for Citibank customers wherever they may be. This could easily be done by downloading from the Marketplace application in the Android phone.

"It is simple to navigate, assures you of secure access and has world-class banking features that allow you to do your transactions whenever you wish," said Roy Villareal, Consumer eBusiness director. "It even has a personal budgeting tool that can help you keep a close watch of your credit card expenses by creating a monthly budget for all your spending."

However, some sceptics are not too excited with this new application. Even if this is still new to many people and no known issues have been identified so far, some consumers are worried about the security measures the application has adopted. There are several cases in the past where mobile applications were hacked to either steal the user’s identity or to open their accounts and transfer their money without difficulty.

IBM's "Five in Five"

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:33:00 +0000

For the past five years, IBM has come up with a list of five innovations it believes will become popular within the next five years. In this, the sixth year, IBM revealed to the public a list of mind-boggling and unbelievable innovations that it believes will gain traction to change the way people work, live and play.

"At IBM, we are bridging the gap between science fiction and science fact on a daily basis," said Lope Doromal, chief technologist of IBM Philippines.

Hold on to your sci-fi novels, because some of these are pretty far out there. And some of them, well, I wish we had them today to help us change the future of this planet:

Anybody can power their homes with the energy that they created themselves.
Nobody will ever need a password again.
Mind reading is no longer science fiction.
The digital divide will cease to exist.
Junk mail will become priority mail.

According to IBM, the next Five in Five is based on market and societal trends as well as emerging technologies from their labs around the world that can make these transformations possible.

On the power that can be generated to power a home, IBM explained that anything that moves or produces heat has the potential to create energy that can be captured. From walking, jogging, bicycling to the water flowing through the pipes has energy. Advances in renewable energy technology will allow individuals to collect this kinetic energy, which now goes to waste, and use it to help power homes, workplaces and cities.

On the claim that password will not be necessary anymore, IBM said that the biological makeup is the key to individual’s identity, and soon, it will become the key to safeguarding it. Nobody will again need to create, track or remember multiple passwords for various log-ins.

On their observation that mind reading will no longer be a thing in science fiction literature, IBM scientists are currently researching how to link a brain to devices, such as a computer or a smartphone.

On their prediction that the digital divide will cease to exist, IBM explained that the global society, growth and wealth of economies are increasingly decided by the level of access to information. And in five years, the gap between information haves and have-nots will narrow considerably due to advances in mobile technology.

Incredulously, IBM also thinks that junk mail will become priority mail because unsolicited advertisements may feel so personalized and relevant it may seem spam is dead. At the same time, spam filters will be so precise nobody will ever be bothered by unwanted sales pitches again.

"Trends #4 and #5 are especially relevant to the Filipinos because of the prevalent use of smartphones and gadgets. In addition, the Philippines is considered the most social media-addicted market globally according to comScore.com," Doromal added.

However, how good IBM predictions really are? Well, their track record of predictions over the past five years has been somewhat mixed. For instance, in 2006 they predicted that everyone will be able to access health care remotely, from just about anywhere in the world; there will be a 3D Internet and mobile phones will start to read minds.

At this time, we all know that remote health care is a reality, but real-time speech translation is, well, not quite as real. Also, we still waiting for the 3D Internet, but those mobile phones are becoming awfully smart.

Women Are Better Managers, But Lack Something

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:28:00 +0000

Before business owners decide who among their applicants is best suited to manage new ventures and critical enterprises it may be better if they should try to read first the result of MasterCards survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities - Money Management. The survey reports that women have stronger money management skills than men in areas such as everyday financing and planning but struggle around more complex financial concepts.

Respondents from across seven Asia/Pacific markets were asked about their ability to handle everyday budgeting; keeping track of expenses; paying bills on time; knowledge of compound interest, and whether paying minimum amounts on unstructured loans such as credit cards was a good idea. The survey then polled the consumers on various aspects of financial literacy such as their basic money management skills, investment knowledge and financial planning.

From the data gathered from 15 March to 27 April 2011 and involving 4,359 consumers, it appeared that women scored better than men in most markets when it came to tracking expenses regularly, but trailed when it came to understanding investments and inflation compared to their male counterparts.

The data collection was made via internet surveys, personal, telephone and computer aided telephone interviews, with the questionnaire translated to the local language wherever appropriate and necessary. The survey and its accompanying reports do not represent MasterCard financial performance.

Results also showed that both men and women were adept at budgeting for their everyday finances-eight out of 10 respondents overall said they could handle budgeting. The survey also found that women believed it unwise to only pay the minimum amount for unsecured loan facilities such as credit cards, led by New Zealand (76 percent women vs 73 percent men) and Hong Kong (76 percent women vs. 66 percent men).

Survey findings further revealed a generally weak understanding of the concept of compound interest across most markets, with the exception of Chinese women who had the highest score (47 percent), followed by Chinese men (37 percent), and Japanese respondents (men 33 percent, women 30 percent). Women were found to be more money conscious and better at keeping track of their spending more regularly than men. Women in both Australia and New Zealand (76 percent of respondents) were especially systematic account keepers.

Women also edged ahead of men in their prudence, with Taiwanese women leading in regular savings (96 percent women vs 92 percent men) and the belief in having three to six months’ emergency cash savings. In a majority of the markets surveyed, women also showed up as being more financially prepared in taking out insurance for anything unexpected, led by Taiwan (92 percent women vs 89 percent men).

Survey questions about more complex financial concepts-such as understanding inflation or investment-favored men, with a significant proportion of women unable to answer or answering incorrectly when questioned about the concept of inflation. In Japan, 65 percent of the women did not know the answer or answered incorrectly, compared with 49 percent of men, with Australia a close second from the bottom (63 percent women vs 49 percent men).

Similarly, women did not have a clear understanding of whether single company stocks provide safer returns than a diversified stock portfolio. Across seven markets surveyed, on average 63 percent said they did not know or answer incorrectly on whether a single company stock portfolio was better than a diversified one compared to 57 percent for men.

Modern Way of Producing Tilapia Fingerlings

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 23:21:00 +0000

I. Preparing the Fishpond

Construct a small fishpond in areas having suitable clay soil and abundant water supply, about 10 meters wide, 20 meters long and 1 meter depth.
Irrigate up to 3 to 5 centimeters (cm.) water level.
Apply 1 kilo of dried chicken manure fertilizer per square meter (sqm.) of the pond
Let natural fish food organisms grow in 15 to 17 days.
Irrigate the pond up to 50 cm. level. The pond is now prepared for stocking of the tilapia breeders/adults.

II. Stocking of Tilapia Breeders

This is done early in the morning or in the afternoon when the weather is cool.
The ratio is, 1 male is to 3 female. Avoid to pair many male tilapias because it tends to slow down the production of fingerlings because they tend to eat their own fingerlings due to lack of feed. 1-2 tilapias may be dropped per square meter.

III. Management
Feeding System

Feed the tilapias twice a day by using a duck layer mash or broiler mash, about 3 to 5 percent of the fish body weight. Do not give feeds with high protein as it tends to make the fish fat and incapable to lay eggs.

IV. Harvesting

The tilapias lay eggs from 20 to 26 days. Three to five days after the eggs are hatched, the fingerlings should be collected early in the morning and transfer it in the rearing net enclosures.

Source: http://www.da.gov.ph/tips/tilapia/fingerlingway.html

Growth of Medical Transcription in PHL

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:39:00 +0000

The growing and aging population worldwide is generating an increasing need for medical professionals. This is already evident in the increasing number of nurses migrating and working abroad. The elderly require a considerably greater number of medical tests, treatments, and procedures that all require documentation. There is also an increased awareness in the importance of preventative health care. This particular trend is opening up a new avenue for work prospects in the Philippines.

The country is currently benefiting from a total of PhP 1.63 billion investment in the IT sector, most of which come from outsource service providers. While the country is busy looking at call centers, there is a growing and untapped need for medical transcriptionists.

Medical Talk
Medical transcriptionists (MTs) interpret and transcribe dictated recordings by physicians and healthcare professionals into medical reports, correspondence, and administrative materials. These can include patient assess-ments, therapeutic procedures, clinical course, diagnosis, and prognosis. The technological processes differ but the intention is to convert electronically stored voice-dictation by medical professionals into written form.

A doctor based abroad can call a 1-800 number, key in a patient's ID number, and dictate his findings. The dictation will then be transcribed in the Philippines, stored in a database and e-mailed back to the doctor. Some institutions use speech recognition technology and the resulting document is then checked and edited to ensure accuracy and cohesion. It may require extensive editing depending on the capabilities of the speech recognition software and, of course, the habits of the professional dictating the text. It is also necessary to make corrections that relate to grammar, punctuation, and style.

Jobs in Transcription
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment for medical transcriptionists will grow faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2012. This growth is the result of the pressure for hospitals to convert their medical files to electronic formats in compliance with requirements for federal certification.

With the Internet becoming secure enough to handle transmission of confidential health information, there is an increased demand for overseas transcription. It is estimated that about 47 percent of the US medical transcription market is outsourced to countries like the Philippines.

Medical transcriptionists can earn a minimum of PhP 10,000 a month with additional incentives depending on production output. Those with their own US-based clients can earn in dollars while working at home (US labor statistics place the median hourly earnings of a transcriptionist at US$ 13.05).

The US medical transcription industry is estimated at US$ 10-20 billion dollars with an annual growth rate of 13 percent, which also translates to an additional 150,000 additional medical transcriptionists needed yearly. Cornering ten percent of the US market alone means a PhP 50 billion industry -- at a minimum -- in just a few years. With this figure, medical transcription has been identified as a priority area in the information and communications technology (ICT) development in the Philippines.

It is projected that the medical transcription industry might be the next employment generator in the country. The low labor cost and the English proficient, IT skilled workers which account for the popularity of the country as an outsourcing venue for call centers are the same factors that make the country viable for medical transcription.

More than Talk

However, there is big difference between call centers and medical transcription. While any additional training in a call center would be in small amounts and would be limited to the product that one is representing, medical transcription requires intensive and very specialized training. Unlike the common misconception which pegs medical transcription as purely a data entry job, being a medical transcriptionist requires certain skills unique to the field.

Transcribing medical records is a sensitive vocation because there is an absolute need for accuracy. A small mistake can literally be the difference between life and death. More than just the skill to understand the English language Ð its structure and nuances -- there is a need to understand the human anatomy. It requires extensive knowledge in medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments.

These requirements make the country more attractive than other outsourcing destinations. The Philippines has the advantage of having doctors and nurses who have studied and worked abroad. These professionals are familiar with foreign healthcare systems, particularly the United States' and have the edge of being already familiar with American English usage, accents, and idioms.

Another thing that makes the country particularly attractive for medical transcription is the advanced and comparatively cost-efficient telecommunications and business infrastructure. The time difference factor also plays a role in such instances where there is an immediate need for results.

Blossoming Industry

There are at least 17 companies in the Philippines that offer MT services to US-based clients. Several schools have already sprung to help train future transcriptionists. These schools, like MTC Academy, offer training that incorporates lectures with laboratory work before handling actual transcription work as their on-the-job training.

MTC Academy was established initially to supply the manpower demands of its sister company, Accutype Medical Services (AMS), an MT production facility and joint venture partner of a Kansas-based MT organization. The president and founder of the school, Eugenio G. Gonzalez, explains that their difficulty to find qualified medical transcriptionists who could deliver the quality standards required by Accutype was their key driver in putting up the school.

With the number of US-based transcriptionists decreasing at a rate of ten percent yearly, there is no doubt that the Philippines will continue to benefit from medical transcription outsourcing. But the country is still under-utilizing the potential of this IT-enabled service.

The Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has already set the guidelines and requirements for certification in the medical transcription field. But more than just support in marketing the skills and product, there is a need to give full administrative and legislative support to these programs.

Due to the sensitivity of the business, the US government passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountancy Act (HIPAA) of 1996 that gives guidelines for safeguarding medical data. This arose from an incident where a transcriptionist threatened to disclose confidential information on the Internet because of problems with payment. This raised concerns in the US and threatened to slow down the outsourcing of transcription business. The Medical Transcription Industry Association of the Philippines (MTIAPI) calls for the government to help in providing corresponding legislation that will give assurance to clients that the privacy laws would also be held up in the country.

Car Wash Business Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:02:00 +0000

Everytime people think of a car wash, they tend to think of it as an exterior-conveyor wash. These are the washes that put cars on a motorized track and drag them through a tunnel where they are rinsed, soaped up, washed, rinsed again and possibly waxed. The cars then emerge clean (and perhaps even relatively dry) at the other end. But this is only one type of car wash.

Other types of washes include:

Full-service: This is basically a combination of the exterior conveyor with an inside cleaning (also known as detailing) added in.
In-bay automatic (also called a rollover): This type of car wash is an automatic wash consisting of a machine that literally “rolls over” a stationary car parked in a washing bay.
Self-service: Most self-service car washes are coin-operated brush-and-hose combinations that the driver uses to dispense soap, wash the car and rinse it off.

Aside from stereotyping car wash operation, there are also a few common misconceptions most people have about what a typical car wash business involves. Because of these misconceptions, entrepreneurs who wanted to go into car wash business or trying to invest in one are often times disappointed when what they had in mind was not the one that actually transpired.

To correct the wrong impression about the operation of a car wash business, here are some of the common myths:

Myth #1: This Business Is A Cash Cow

Sure, if you drive by your local car wash on a sunny Saturday morning, you’ll see cars waiting in line for a wash. But drive by that same car wash on a rainy Thursday afternoon, and you’ll be lucky if you see one or two cars waiting. You might even see that the shop is closed for the day. Variables such as the time of the week as well as the weather affect how profitable car wash businesses can be on any given day, or for any given week, month or season. Sometimes, people are content to let their cars stay dirty for "one more day." Or, if the season is particularly wet, snowy or some other factor that would make people reluctant to pay good money for a car that’s likely to be filthy again in a few days, months can pass where business is down—sometimes severely so.

Myth #2: This Is A Hands-Off Business

As an outsider, all you see are cars being dragged along a conveyor as a bunch of gizmos and do-dads spray, buff, rinse, wax and even dry them. You might not ever see a human being doing any work at all (though even most automatic conveyor washes do employ at least a few workers to complete the drying process by hand). In truth though, this is not a business that you can put on autopilot. For one thing, those gizmos and do-dads can and will break down. And, depending on the type of equipment you buy, they might break down much more than you think.

Cars emerge from those washing tunnels not clean enough to satisfy some customers or with a scratch that you didn't cause but that the customer blames you for anyway. Employees sometimes will not treat customers the way they should be treated, especially if you haven't trained them well.

Shipments of supplies will be late, and someone (usually you) will have to be there to deal with it. After all, it's pretty much impossible to wash a car with no soap. The bottom line is that you'll be spending a lot of time at your car wash—at least until you learn the business well enough to be able to hire a professional manager who can take over when you’re not there.

Myth #3: You Won't Have Employees To Worry About

This might actually be true for certain types of car washes (most likely self-service and, to a lesser extent, in-bay automatic washes), but for a full-service or exterior-conveyor wash, you're going to have to hire employees and inherit the headaches and responsibilities that go along with them. In fact, aside from the initial investment in equipment and commercial space, employees will probably be one of the biggest costs you incur while running your business.

Myth #4: You're In Total Control

Well, you are your own boss, that's for sure. But until someone figures out how to control factors like the weather, you're still going to have to answer to a higher authority. No matter how much time you put into your business, there are still going to be things that go wrong—things you just can’t control.

Even if you're a mechanical whiz, some of your equipment is going to break down. And if it happens at a peak washing time, like that glorious sunny Saturday morning we keep talking about, you're going to watch a lot of potential profit go down the drain.

You will have to suffer through days or maybe even weeks at a time (depending on where your business is located) when the weather is so bad that the furthest thing on anyone's mind is getting a car wash. And unfortunately, the bank won’t care about the lousy weather when your loan payment comes due.

Opportunity for Would-be Cowboys

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:23:00 +0000

One of the foremost ranches here in the Philippines is trying to offer a business opportunity for those who have idle and stagnant lands lying around and they are not sure how to deal with it.

Given the current market conditions, the King Ranch sees the potential of the Brahman enterprise in the country and takes interest in providing possible opportunities for others. In this regard, the King Ranch has prepared three (3) investment packages for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), retirees and aspiring cattle raisers who have invested in vacant lots in their provinces.

King Ranch would like to urge owners of these vacant lots to use their areas as a cattle farm that provides steady income, popularize the Brahmans and to further improve the overall cattle industry in the country.

The different packages are budget-friendly and light on the pockets for anybody who wants to live partly as local cowboys in their own wild west. The following packages may be easily and conveniently paid in two years, and only requires 25 percent down payment:

Package A costs PhP 280,000 (DP PhP 70,000) (PhP 8,750/month), which includes one male and three females;
Package B costs PhP 420,000 (DP PhP 105,000) (PhP 13,125/month) which includes one male and five females;
Package C costs, PhP 770,000 (DP PhP 192,500) (PhP 24,062.50/month) that includes one male and ten females.

The King Ranch lies in the heart of Rosario, Batangas. It is a 24-hectare farm that is well-known for its breeding of American Brahman (bos primigenius indicus). In the 24-hectare farm, there are about 250 Brahmans that are contained in an animal pen allotment space of 500-square meters and are free to roam around a five-hectare grazing area. Their daily food supplements are harvested in the area to ensure the quality of crops. They have five (5) 1/2 hectares of space allotted for a corn plantation. They also have a nine-hectare forage plantation.

The King Ranch takes pride in being one of a few cattle breeders in the country. The owner King Carlos highly encourages more long-time breeders in the country since they are able to produce a bigger herd resulting in bigger gains, in contrast with the majority of the cattle farms in the Philippines that breed cattle to be immediately fattened and then slaughtered.

Along with the investment package, the King Ranch will provide the basic information (i.e., supplier of vaccines, medicines, and equipments) as well as free training/consultation that the investor needs. King Farm assures that the investors will be well-equipped in starting and, in the long-run, handling the enterprise.

The investors will be given the choice of what initials to be branded on their chosen cattle. The brand will serve as cattle identification for the investors’ reference. The management will take care of the animals until they are two years old. These include feeding, maintenance, medication, and vaccines. After two years, feed charges will apply for every succeeding day when the investor intends to prolong the stay of their stock in the farms’ premises.

Based on the farm’s experience, the King Farm has computed as annual return on investment (ROI) of 71 percent if confined and up to 79 percent if grazing.

At the beginning of the payment term, the investor has the opportunity for profit, unlike other investments that only earn profit after full-payment or after several years.

There are many income-generating opportunities in the enterprise which include stud services where the investor may earn at least PhP 800 – PhP 1,000 per successful stud. Depending on location, stud service of at least four times a week, will give a profit of at least PhP 4,000 a week or PhP 16,000 a month.

The investor may also opt to sell a male calf (eight months old) for PhP 35,000, while keeping the female calf to use as a breeder for a future larger herd. The heifer, or the female Brahman, may mate with a sire as early as 18 months, and should give birth to one calf per year given the natural circumstances provided with good nutrition and proper animal handling. Brahmans are known to be good mothers as they offer an abundance of milk, resulting in healthier and heavier calves.

The advantage of the Brahman is that they are not susceptible or prone to fatal diseases. In seven years of farm experience, the King Ranch has never recorded a full-grown or mature cattle that died of a disease since Brahman cattle are known for their strong immune system.

The Brahman also has the advantage of size and weight as compared to the native/upgraded breed. The weight of the native breed ranges from 300 to 350 kilos, while the Brahman may reach up to 750 kilos to 850 kilos. With this advantage, the old-aged cattle may be sold for slaughter at almost double than what you get from the native/upgraded breed. It has defeated the native brand, not only in quality, but also in quantity.

The best part is that Brahmans are low in maintenance requirement. Like the native breed, Brahmans only need forage (i.e., grass, hay) and protein source that will depend on the resource availability in the area. Ideally, the Brahman food requirements will cost around PhP 15 to PhP 20 (per head, per day) in a confined system, while only PhP 5 is needed (per head, per day) in the grazing system. As for space requirements, confined system only requires five square meters per head, while the grazing system requires one hectare of improved pasture for every three heads.

In terms of life expectancy, Brahman cattle may reach up to the age of 15 years, which is a relatively higher life span than other breeds. Furthermore Brahman heifers remain capable of producing offspring even after a decade and this is a big benefit for the breeder.

Office Pimpin' Made Easy

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:21:00 +0000

This post brought to you by Contest Factory. All opinions are 100% mine.

Despite the hardships and challenges that we faced this year, this blog still wants to extend a festive holidays greetings to all bloggers and web surfers by inviting everyone to check out the 'Pimp My Cube Contest' by Contest Factory.

The objective of the contest is to look for the worst, most pathetic and messy cubicle or office out there. Its negative energy could have been brought about by having bad furniture, old technology, messy set-up, unorganized surroundings, among others.

Contest organizers want those who are interested to join to just upload a video showing their cube/office/workspace while they explain the details about why it is horrible and why it is so important that Contest Factory come in and 'Pimp' their cube.

Once the video is entered, contestants will have to invite their friends, family and coworkers to vote for your video. It's important that many people view the video and post their reaction because this will entitle the contestant entry points.

The grand prize is not something to be ignored. After Contest Factor selected the winning video based on various criteria including for the most votes, best (really worst) video and most compelling story, they will be giving out approximately US$ 1,200 to the winner.

The prize includes an oportunity to get the office/workspace/cube upgraded with the one of three prize packages:

New high end computer system
New Desk, Chair and Decorations
New Entertainment Package with high end stereo, espresso machine etc.

What are you waiting for? Visit the 'Pimp My Cube Contest' site now register and upload those amazing videos to enter in the contest. Once your entry is approved, call out and encourage your friends and family to vote for your video to enhance your chances of winning.

The Burden of Blogging about Disaster Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 02:42:00 +0000

Blogging serves many purpose. For some, it was an opportunity to vent out what they feel through writing and sharing their thoughts. Others only wanted to lighten the mood using their sense of humour, while many blog to earn money. For me, it was a combination of my thoughts and feelings, promote healing in whatever form and whenever there is a need for one and at the same time try to earn what I can using honest means.

Whatever the reason or reasons are, bloggers try to mentally prepare beforehand what they will encounter in the process of writing. However, nothing could have prepared me for something as grim as what happened in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City on the night of 16 December and the early morning hours of 17 December.

Tropical storm "Sendong" (international name Washi), now known as 2011’s deadliest storm, struck Northern Mindanao and killed more than 900 people and a couple of hundred more missing. The smell of death is all over the place that the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said they have lost count of the number of people who have gone missing following the flashfloods spawned by the storm.

Blogging was supposed to help bloggers deal with emotional challenges that come up while working through whatever life brings, but how can you do that when you know that there are people who are in a worse situation than you who may not be able to live long to find out what living is really all about.

Blogging was supposed to provide bloggers with an opportunity to record and keep track of how they feel. However, what you feel cannot be easily put into words as your mind keeps on rewinding the images of dead children drenched in flood water lying in the once paved streets while those that survived stared back blankly probably waiting for hope to take them away from death’s embrace.

Blogging was supposed to encourage bloggers tο process their emotions аnd thουghtѕ as they write аbουt their experiences. The problem is that those emotions fly faster than floodwaters when uncoordinated efforts opened the floodgates of frustrations and utter helplessness. Bloggers can do more than just narrating what happened to the world, but they can only do so much.

Blogging οftеn involves reviewing a situation аnd discussing possible options. Whatever the blog is all аbουt, you can take a closer look at what is happening on the ground than you normally would and see the problem clearly developing in front of your eyes. However, it seems that those who hold the power of the purse takes too long to respond and have not mobilize the public to counter the problem in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City head on. It is there in front of us, so why wait?

Lеt us all face it: the more a blogger blogs, the better they become as a writer. Writing a blog саn hеlр уου reconnect. If a blogger looks fοr аn audience, nеw internet friends, οr јυѕt thе possibility οf getting feedback about their own articles, blogging саn provide all these healing elements. But why is it that the more you write about the victims of the flashfloods and what they are going through right now, the more you feel that you are 'free-floating' or unattached to anyone and anything?

Blogging frees bloggers. Being honest and telling truth about how you feel is always a liberating experience. Throughout life, many of us have learned or were taught to keep our emotions under wraps. With blogging, many of those feelings are out there somewhere. But how did these things help the surviving families of those who died on 16-17 December 2011? Did it touch their lives?

Let's Build Hope in Southern Mindanao

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:21:00 +0000

The bleak economic climate and the demands of the coming Holiday season mean that charities are struggling as never before to raise funds and meet the demand for their services. However, for the victims of tropical storm 'Washi' also known locally as 'Sendong', every centavo raised and sent to Southern Mindanao will go far in helping change their lives. All generous support (i.e. donation, volunteers, prayers) is even more pressing now.

On the early morning of 17 December 2011, the typhoon unleashed mammoth floods across vast areas that left 440 people dead and nearly 200 missing. Cagayan de Oro city reported 215 dead, and nearby Iligan city lost 144 residents. Iligan mayor Lawrence Cruz described rampaging floodwaters from swollen rivers that swamped up to a quarter of the land area of the city of 100,000.

Among those that needs critical and immediate care at this time are the children. Aid worker Crislyn Felisilda informed the media that there is a need to care of the children who had became separated from their families or lost their parents. "Many children are looking for their loved ones... (and children were) crying and staring into space."

A photo by Cherryl Vergeire for AFP above shows two women hold their children killed during the passage of tropical storm at a village in Iligan City.

Rosal Agacac, a 40-year-old mother, was begging authorities to help find her two children after their shanty was swept to the sea. "Please President Noynoy, help me," she cried, holding a candle at a spot where their house stood before the floods, referring to President Benigno Aquino.

Everyone are encouraged not to wait for the situation to get worse. Based on previous flood in the Philippines, the suffering is just beginning. Diseases could soon set in if not enough effort is made to secure potable water and healthy food.

It is time to give the victims a a renewed hope in humanity this Christmas.

An Ingenious Way of Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:21:00 +0000

This post brought to you by Parker Pens. All opinions are 100% mine.

Christmas time is very near now and while you’re trying to scramble for the most appropriate gifts to give to your love ones, you may want to consider giving out Parker pens. Why? Because if you want to express your appreciation for the blessings that were given to you this year, there's nothing better to show it than by giving a quality pen created without compromise.

Through the years, Parker pens were designed to capture the style of the times, using the finest materials available and the blend of established and ultra-modern techniques. Hence, every model you see through represents the commitment to style while pushing the boundary of art a little further each year.

Years of innovation and extensive research has led to several technical breakthrough such as the Parker 5^th Technology, which was exclusively infused to the Parker Ingenuity collection. Combined with consumer’s taste and preference, all 6 kinds of 5^th Technology pens were further imbued with unparalleled elegance to make it possible to combine the current writing modes – the beauty of a fountain pen, the smooth writing experience of a rollerball and the ease of a ball point.

The Parker Ingenuity Collection is the ultimate accessory for people who go their own way to achieve what they were set to do, but it sleek style. The design blends well for business meetings and high-performance presentation during these times when company executives always demand instant results. Where output is everything and quality is key, the Parker Ingenuity Collection provides the modern pen for modern life.

To find out more about this new engineering marvel at your finger tips, check out Parker's social networking page at Parker on Facebook. Parker has also started to give away prizes such as pens exclusively designed to perform that are valued up to US$ 200.00. Just stay tune and look out for further updates on 2 upcoming Parker Pen Twitter parties to find out how to join. If these are not enough to make you get you own new generation pens the redefines writing, then post your suggestion below in our comments page.

Furniture Enterprise Thriving in Fairs

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 07:22:00 +0000

Jonald's Home and Office Furnishings Enterprises started its business by producing made-to-order sala sets, dining sets, and other furnishings. It was through Pagayaya 1999, a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-organized regional trade fair, that the company was able to widen its business options.

Taking note of the business opportunities that the trade fair brought, the company subsequently joined the NTF 2000 and two other DTI-organized trade fairs. It also ventured into the international market through the Fiera Del Levanle, an international trade fair in Italy in September 2001.

Doors to opportunities continued to open and the company's participation in trade fairs enabled it to appreciate the bigger market opportunities outside the province. Armed with DTI's assistance in product development, skills enhancement and network linkages with government agencies, the company knew that it had the potential to address the market's needs.

The company's trade fair exposures both in the local and international markets have contributed to the growth of the business. From an asset size of PhP 2 million (US$ 36,000) in 2002, the firm has grown into a PhP 5 million (US$ 91,000) enterprise four years years later. Sales have doubled from PhP 2.2 million (US$ 40,000) in 2002 to PhP 4.5 million (US$ 82,000) in 2006. It plans to join other international trade fairs, particularly in Canada and Italy, to promote not only its products but the region's as well.

The company has also committed itself to taking the lead in the establishment of a Provincial Trade House in Manila to promote Isabela's indigenous products, thus providing better access to export traders and foreign buyers.

Cassava Contract Growing

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:46:00 +0000

Many cassava farmers in the Philippines seem to be complaining about the low demand and price of their products, which is one of the reasons why many believed there is a declining stock of food and cash crops in the country. These farmers are also of the opinion that there are not enough buyers for cassava tubers, even if they produce the crop in large quantity.

However, unknown to these farmers, San Miguel Foods, Inc. (SMFI) FEEDS Agribusiness Development and Operations Group is developing a sustainable sourcing program of its agri-based raw materials requirements which for now calls for the mobilization of at least one (1) million hectares of farm lands in the Philippines.

SMC is showing its commitment to help develop the countryside by providing livelihood opportunities in rural communities with the introduction of alternative crops and the improvement of farm technologies and income. They are interested in developing partnerships for the domestic production of cassava, sorghum, sweet potato and other crops for our feed mill facilities nationwide.

For their flagship cassava program, SMFI Agribusiness provides:

Guaranteed market with a marketing agreement according to mutually agreed product quality, volume and delivery schedule;

Guaranteed floor price;

Start-up technical assistance in production, post-harvest and logistic operations.

SMFI Agribusiness is looking for assemblers/consolidators with the following characteristics:

Persons who are already into or willing to go into large-scale cassava production;

Can provide technical and financial assistance to their farmer proponents;

Has post-harvest facility and preferably with access to logistics services;

Can consolidate volumes from farmers and ensure delivery to SMFI.

An assembler can be an individual entrepreneur, a corporation or farmers’ cooperative that has the capacity to consolidate at least 20 hectares for cassava production.

Guidelines for SMFI Cassava Contract Growing

Preliminary Requirements

Letter of Intent to join the program;

Photocopy of Certificate of Ownership/Lease of Authority from DAR/DENR or other concerned government agencies (TCT/CLOA/CFSA/Lease Agreement) ;

Photocopy of Certificate of Security and Exchange Commission Registration/CDA or DTI Registration/Board Resolution (authority to negotiate) for corporations and cooperatives;

Property vicinity map;

Suitability of site (subject to inspection by an SMC representative)
- Topography;
- Soil Classification;
- Farm to Market road accessibility;
- Effective arable area

Requirements per Contract

Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
- Effective arable area of at least 20 hectares;
- Area Development Plan for three (3) years

Hapinoys' Sari-Saring Offers

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 08:18:00 +0000

There are a couple if unique things that travellers will definitely notice first when they visit the Philippines. While traveling from the airport to the hotel, foreigners will take note of the myriad of colourful Jeepneys, smoke-belching tricycles and fully-stocked sari-sari stores.

Among the three, sari-sari stores are the most attractive venue because it is a place where people can meet and discuss the latest local news. Youths also use the place to hang out, while children look at it as a convenient source of sodas and snacks.

In essence, sari-sari stores are an existing infrastructure in every locality that are run by nanays or mothers that only needs to be networked and given a slight makeover to deliver goods in a more efficient manner and at cheaper price points to the bottom of the pyramid (BoP) or poor communities. With almost 700,000 stores in the country, sari-sari stores make up 30-40 percent of the total retail sales.

Because of their location and importance to everyday Filipino lives, sari-sari stores are considered as the primary strategic point of intervention for the Hapinoy Store Program.

In 2007, MicroVentures Incorporated launched the Hapinoy with microfinance borrowers in mind. Upon realizing that 15 to 20 percent of microfinance borrowers use the capital to put up stores or expand their inventory, Hapinoy first focused on aggregating all these sari-sari store owners for bulk product discounts.

Today, Hapinoy Sari-Sari Store Program has evolved into a full-service micro entrepreneur enhancement program: a network of micro, small, medium and large enterprises where Hapinoy Community Stores and sari-sari stores serve as the hubs for goods and services that are coursed through the program and offered to its Base of the Pyramid target.

The Hapinoy Store Program starts with the infusion of capital (through the resources of the microfinance institution program partner) to and conversion of an existing sari-sari store in a specific town to a Lead Store or in Hapinoy terms, a Community Store. The Community Store is set-up to be able to service 100 to 120 smaller stores on average. The Community Store in addition becomes the point of entry of the primary benefits of the program:

Cheaper access to goods. The Hapinoy Store Program is able to maximize lower acquisition costs since it operates as an aggregate account in terms of supply.

Training. The training program aims to cover both personal growth and business training.

Support. The program's field operations team - called the Store Doctors - help diagnose and customize each store's Path to Prosperity.

Hapinoy is now incorporating the following into the Store Program:

The Kahanapbuhay Program: Filipino for livelihood, the Kahanapbuhay Program will focus on helping local micro producers brand and package their goods and sell them through the network of Hapinoy Community Stores.

The Hapinoy Plus Model: Value added goods such as generic medicines and services such as HapiPrints, a photo printing service based in Hapinoy Community Stores will be added to the regular operations of the Store. These new value added goods and services aim to increase traffic to and the profit margin of the Community Stores.

Globe Business Leader Test

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 13:10:00 +0000

Are you an Abraham Lincoln, a Napoleon Bonaparte, a Cleopatra or a Jose Rizal to your employees? These are some of the questions that you will find when you click the widely advertise online program of Globe Business entitled, "Globe Business Leader Quiz". This is an online test to help entrepreneurs identify what kind of leader they are — and give suggestions on how to harness their unique qualities to run their business even better.

By just logging on to http://business.globe.com.ph/leader and answering the seven-item quiz, business owners could identify their leadership style.

The online test will try to find out if the respondent is authoritarian, intolerant of incompetence, an intimidating or inspirational leader.

"There are no right or wrong answers to Globe Business Leader Quiz. The results merely show what particular qualities a business leader has. There are, of course, pros and cons to these qualities when running a business," said Manny Aligada, head of corporate and SME segments of Globe Business.

"The quiz results then suggest how the business leader should tone down certain qualities and nurture others in order to maximize his leadership abilities. Best of all, it's a fun and entertaining way to learn," he said.

Aligada added that Globe Business offers a range of customized products and services that may be mixed and matched to suit a specific leadership style.

"Globe Business products and services are flexible and comprehensive enough to allow customization — they may be tailored to be the right fit not only to the needs, requirements and budget of a particular business, but also to fit the preferred leadership style of the entrepreneur," he said.

"For example, an entrepreneur who functions best when mobile and conducting business away from the office might feel cranky when boxed inside office premises. He or she may best benefit from running the office through a mobile phone, online video conferencing, chat or e-mail," he said.

Before the respondents can get a clear shot at the results of the quiz, an entertaining video is shown to illustrate in a fun way the various types of leaders and how Globe Business can work for them.

Globe Business offers services that are designed to help large enterprises and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operate more efficiently so business owners would have time to pursue their other passions in life.

Globe Business solutions help simplify business operations, manage communication costs, and serve clients efficiently. If entrepreneurs are able to run their business smoothly, then they would enjoy more things in life and be the leader they have always wanted to be.

The online quiz also features business solutions that Globe Business offers. Business Plus allows entrepreneurs save up to 50 percent on texts and 30 percent on calls. Companies can also control their communication expenditure with AutoloadMAX Corporate Edition, which helps manage employees’ prepaid cellphone accounts.

Sending e-mails and performing daily Internet requirements could be fuss-free as well with Globe Business’ reliable DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) Internet.

The Globe Business Leader Quiz also gives respondents the chance to win BlackBerry Bold 9900 or a prepaid phone kit. All they have to do is register and follow the promo mechanics.

Hog Industry Holding Their Gains

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:55:00 +0000

Despite receiving minimal assistance and subsidy from the national government, the Philippine hog industry is considered the second leading contributor to the Philippine agricultural sector, coming only after rice production. It was estimated that in 2009, hog business raked in about PhP 160 billion in sales.

As of 1 January 2008, the country’s swine total inventory was estimated at 13.7 million heads, up by 1.8 percent compared to previous year’s level. Backyard farm initial stocks, however, was observed to experience a glut as total heads went down by as much as 1.00 percent. On the other hand, commercial farms inventory registered a 9.37 percent increase against initial stocks of 2007. About 71 percent of the total swine population are raised in backyard farms while 29 percent are in commercial farms.

The swine industry which accounted for 80 percent of total livestock production registered a 2.72 percent growth in 2007. The gain in production was noted during the 2nd and 4th quarters of 2007 when more animals were slaughtered.

In that same year, the average annual price received by farmers was PhP 71.26, or about 2.83 percent higher than the 2006 price. Similarly, the average wholesale price of live hogs in Metro Manila went up by 0.77 percent. Annual average retail price in Metro Manila increased by 0.83 percent from the record set the previous year.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) stated that Philippine hog production dipped slightly from 1.89 tons in 2007 to 1.86 tons in 2008. The most notable decrease in stocks was due to the numerous losses caused by diseases like hog cholera, PRRS, Pseudorabies, Swine Flu and Circovirus. The disease scare was considered a major catastrophe by Luzon farmers that it forced many of them to sell their pigs prematurely for fear of getting hit by the continuing drop in market price while feeling the increase in prices of commercial feed as well as the basic ingredients like corn.

In terms of value, however, the pig sector posted an 11.29 percent increase with PhP 149.59 billion (US$ 3.16 billion) from PhP 134.42 billion (US$ 2.84 billion) in 2007. The BAS attributed the growth to improved farm prices which averaged PhP 80.61 (US$ 1.70) per kg in 2008 compared to PhP 71.27 (US$ 1.51) per kg in 2007.

Tight Competition on 'Black Friday'

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Everyone in the United States are expecting a total shopping chaos this coming weekend when the consumers take advantage of bargains offered by Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. It was estimated that about 60 million shoppers will troop to their nearest shopping mall and online stores to get the best price available.

With U.S. economic conditions weak and as some leading retailers announced that they will open their bargain doors only on Thanksgiving Day this year, the competition for tight consumer dollars will be sharper than ever. This is an incentive enough to drive business owners to upgrade their infrastructure and transaction systems both at the brick and mortar stores and on their mobile online sites.

This year mobile Websites will be under an enormous pressure than ever before to perform fast and reliably given a new report from InMobi which reports that Black Friday and Cyber Monday will see an estimated 20-30 million consumers using their mobile devices to shop, research purchases or seek retail information.

For consumers Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals will mostly be dominated by electronics sale. It has been the most attractive category for several years now and everyone have seen some very low prices on laptops, digital cameras, cell phones and plasma televisions. This is also the ideal category for the savvy shopper who knows how to stretch their holiday shopping dollars.

To get ahead of other consumers, there are only two basic things that shoppers need to do. Try to organize their shopping and to anticipate crowds. Shopping on Black Friday is not a typical day at a shopping mall. The crowd may be two or even three times larger compared to ordinary days. Hence, it is even more important to know where to go and ho to go there. There are several Black Friday circulars already available and anybody can see this online to find the very best deals days or weeks before the sale. Taking the time to do this can help find exactly what product to purchase in time for the Christmas holiday.

How to Price Your Products?

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 23:00:00 +0000

They say that in business, price is a major leg-breaker. Hence, the pricing method you select provides direction on how you want to set your product price in the market. The way you set prices in your business will eventually change for many reasons. And as you learn more about your customers and competition, you may decide to change your pricing method. Usually changes in the industry or the development stage of your product are the most significant indicator on whether it is time to review your pricing strategy.

Simply, pricing methods are a way to determine how a product will be priced. The following are the most common methods adopted to simplify the process of setting the price of products and services:

Cost-plus pricing

This method allows you to cover all direct cost and then generate a profit. For example, you want a 20 percent profit from 100 units of a product that cost you PhP 1,000.00. You should sell the product for PhP 12.00.

Cost-based pricing

This method uses unit costs of direct and indirect costs to determine the price. The cost-based pricing formula is [(VC x units sold) + FC = price per unit x units sold] x (100 + profit margin, expressed in percentage).

Let us say your variable cost is PhP 30.00; fixed cost, PhP 500.00; units sold, 100; and target profit, 20 percent. Using the formula, your selling price must then be PhP 42.00 per unit, to cover your cost and make a 20 percent profit.

Note that the price per unit, before adding the profit margin, is also the break-even point. The selling price must be PhP 42.00 to cover costs and make a 20-percent profit.

Percent food cost pricing

This is a method based on the theory that food cost makes up about 40 percent of the product price. Using this method, simply multiply the food cost by 2.5 (40 percent x 2.5 = 100 percent).

Contribution pricing

This method allows you to cover all direct cost (per product), and also allows a contribution toward indirect cost and profit. Let us say your indirect cost amount to PhP 1,000.00; desired profit, 30 percent (PhP 300.00); and contribution of PhP 20.00.
The formula to follows is (IC + profit) / contribution = units to sell. Using this formula, you need to sell 65 units of the product to cover indirect costs and make a PhP 300.00 profit.

Working-back method

This method is most useful for small businesses as it computes for the total costs and desired profits first. Use this formula: (total costs + profit) / units sold = price per unit.

Let's say your total cost is PhP 1,000.00; units sold, 100; and desired profit is 50 percent (PHP 500.00). Your price per unit would be PhP 15.00. If this turns out to be higher than the price offered by your competitor, offer something more to the consumer to compensate for the higher price (i.e. free pick-up or delivery).

Reviving the Philippine Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:42:00 +0000

Most foreigners and a few local residents of the Philippines are still thinking that the country is primarily an agricultural economy. Data, however, will show that, strictly speaking, it is not.

Products generated by the agriculture, fishery and forestry sectors account for only one-fifth (20 percent) of the economy's aggregate domestic output (GDP). Ever since the 1960s, the direct share of agriculture in the GDP had fallen below one-third, and by 1981, the sector's share had decreased to only 23 percent. Looking at the average growth per year, agriculture average only 1.7 percent per annum, which is way below the GDP average growth of 2.6 percent annually.

The importance of agriculture appears larger when it comes to employment, with nearly two-fifths (i.e. 35.8 percent in 2006) of jobs currently coming from the sector. However, agricultural employment has been showing a declining trend (1.9 percent annual average) as it hit 33.2 percent in 2010.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) reported that the bulk of agricultural employment came from the Western Visayas with 1.16 million persons employed. In comparison, Central Luzon, the Bicol region, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, South Cotabato-Saranggani-General Santos City (Socsargen), and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao — overall — had only employed between 800,000 and 860,000 persons.

The bureau also noted that the National Capital Region (NCR) had employed the least number of agricultural workers at 25,000 last year, an average decline of 8 percent in the last five years — whereas the annual reductions in other regions ranged only between 0.2 to 1 percent.

The BAS also reported that child-workers, 5 to 17 years old, totaled 1.35 million in the agriculture sector, corresponding to 61.3 percent of the country's total working children.

Agriculture also displays the most erratic growth among the country’s major sectors, with growth rates tending to fluctuate widely from quarter to quarter. While the sector’s 2011 real GDP growth performance is not yet available, the most recent quarters have seen dramatic slowdowns from previous quarters, due mostly to unfavorable weather conditions.

It is clear by now that after 20 years of neglect, there is an unmistakable trend of deterioration in the performance of the Philippine agricultural sector. The deterioration is much more evident when figures are taken against the performance of neighbouring countries in the region. While the picture is not devoid of some bright spots, the general picture remains disturbing, and implies only one recommendation – the urgent need for determined corrective action.

The present administration of President benign Aquino III needs to reverse the decline of the country’s primary industry by adopting a mix of policy reforms, improved implementation of existing policies and programs, capacity-building, market reforms, improved governance and strong negotiation with trading partners. These are all daunting tasks that government alone cannot undertake. It is, therefore, a no-brainer that the private sector and civil society also has to do their part to modernize Philippine agriculture. This is not the time to bicker and complain by protesting in the streets and inconvenience others. It is now the time to contribute in making Philippine farms efficient and competitive as global competition intensifies into the next century and millennium.

Investing in Carbon Credits

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Have you heard about carbon trading? Many are familiar with the money market and even gold speculative dealings, but very few are aware about carbon credit trading. Unlike the usual modes of swapping financial ownership, carbon trading involves exchanging for the right to emit a certain volume of Co2, putting a price and cap on such emissions.

Based on several references, carbon trading is a system which was initiated by the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. It involves financial instruments known as "carbon credits" and they represent one metric ton of carbon pollution.

Carbon credit units are being bought and sold the same way as any other stocks or shares – through the stock exchange. They take a number of forms like any other tradable commodity such as over-the-counter trades, spot trades, futures and even in auctions.

As a new application of the emissions trading approach, there are still a lot to be learned from carbon credit trading. JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and Barclays Capital, have just established their carbon trading departments and made carbon investments. Since this is an untested market, what little knowledge that can be gain will be very valuable.

Because of the knowledge gap on carbon trading, online sites like carbon-investments.co.uk is fast becoming one of the most important resource and information portals. It keeps its readers up to date on carbon credit market facts, trends, news and investment opportunities. Carbon-investments.co.uk also provides analysis on why the value of carbon credit investments can go up or down according to market conditions.

What made carbon-investments.co.uk valuable is on the way it explains and presents the information. Readers can easily understand the difference between the voluntary and compliance markets, get the rationale on why carbon credits are traded, identify the major players in both markets, and get a sense of the process in a concise and simple manner.

Prospective investors should really try to check carbon-investments.co.uk to understand carbon credit trading as an investment opportunity.

Simplifying the Microinsurance Process

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 08:44:00 +0000

Microinsurance in the Philippines will be facing a new promise once a simplified licensing process and procedure is introduced by the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines-Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP-MABS) program. Known as the TRACS process, the system is expected to streamline the microinsurance licensing applications of rural bank to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Insurance Commission (IC).

Assisted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the MABS program developed the turn-key system to assist participating rural banks in expanding their services to include microfinance product in order for microinsurance to reach low-income groups.

The TRACS Process actually stands for: Train in microinsurance basic and product mastery; Request for a no objection notice from the BSP; Assemble microinsurance core team; Choose the bank's partner-insurance provider; and, Submit complete requirements to the Rural Bankers Research and Development Foundation Inc. (RBRDFI).

The process was introduced in a two-day microinsurance basic course covers the fundamental concepts and principles of microinsurance. It also imparts practical knowledge and skills to participants on microinsurance sales and servicing.

After completion of the training, the participating rural banks must submit its No Objection Notice to the BSP. This document basically signifies the bank's compliance to the regulations and intent to pursue the distribution of regulated microinsurance products.

Participating banks are encouraged to designate members of its microinsurance team with expertise in marketing, operations and the management information system (MIS) of the bank.

In addition, the team supervisor must have completed the trainings on microinsurance basics and product mastery conducted by RBAP-RBRDFI and the bank's partner-insurance provider, respectively. Only licensed insurance companies and their authorized microinsurance products are endorsed to the member rural banks.

50th Anniversary of USAID-Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:57:00 +0000

Tomorrow (3 November 2011) marked the 50th Anniversary of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) involvement in the Philippines, including administering U.S. economic assistance to Mindanao. So far, USAID’s assistance has helped develop Mindanao’s infrastructure, provide training and technical assistance, increase agricultural productivity and economic growth, promote sustainable environmental management, improve health and nutrition, and foster democracy and decentralization.

"Mindanao is still USAID's top priority because that's where the need is greatest," said Gloria D. Steele, the Filipino-American head of the agency in the Philippines, pointing to a region where literacy and maternal and child mortality rates are highest.

"We have been working in partnership with the administration of President (Benigno) Aquino (III). We’re making sure our programs will support the President’s priority projects, mainly poverty alleviation," Steele told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview.

"That's a big challenge. But if we all try, meaning with joint efforts by government and the private sector, we can make things happen. There are no guarantees, but the potential is there. With the right people working together and the availability of resources, I am optimistic we can make things happen," she said.

Overall, USAID was estimated to have pumped in about US$ 500 million between 1996 and 2009 to develop basic infrastructure in Mindanao, such as ports, roads and bridges, and assist rural banks in providing loans and deposit services to microenterprises.

To mark the historic partnership, USAID Philippines together with Peace Corps Philippines will be organizing an event entitled, "50 Years of Partnership for Peace and Development" at the SM MOA Music Hall on 4 November 2011 from 10:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M.

Five Great Ways to Make Your Kids Money Savvy

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:49:00 +0000

Are you and your children savvy about money? If the answer is yes, you and your family have a secure and satisfying future ahead.

Educating, motivating, and empowering children to become regular savers will help them keep more of their allowance and do more with what they have. Everyday, children are faced with temptations to buy useless or frivolous things that can affect their financial status in the future. Wouldn’t you want them to be more responsible about money?

The Real Bank, a multi-awarded thrift bank that has received local and international awards for its savings advocacy program for children, offers the following tips to help you educate your kids about personal finance and managing money:

It is never too early to teach kids about money. Introduce them to money as soon as they can count. Get them a piggy bank as early as age two and teach them to 'feed' the piggy regularly. By doing so, you teach them important lessons on caring and discipline.

As they grow older, share your values about money with your kids. Tell them how to save money, how to make it grow and how to spend it wisely. Excite them about what money that is well-earned and well-saved can do and buy. This will teach them the value of patience and looking towards a goal. Give them an incentive if they can save weekly, or when their total savings this year are bigger then the previous years.

Teach your kids to set goals while they are young. If your child wants a toy or a special item like an iPod, let him or her make it a goal that they can work for. Goal-setting teaches children to be aspirational and responsible too.

Emphasize the value of savings versus spending. Explain and demonstrate the concept of earning interest on savings to your kids. Start by paying your child interest if he or she can save his or her allowance. This shows them that regular, successful saving leads to good credit rating and other tangible rewards. This is the real way to provide for your children’s future.

Lastly, bring your child to the bank with you. It will excite him or her because they will feel that they are being prepared for bigger things. Make your children feel at home with processes and institutions that will make them savvy money managers in the future.

To help parents teach kids the wonders of saving, The Real Bank put up the Real Kiddies Savers Club, where children are encouraged to bring their piggy banks to deposit their money in a real bank.

The Real Bank has also introduced Kinabukasan Savings, a savings program that encourages people of all ages to save their money and to feed their deposits an agreed fixed amount each month. To reward the savings habit and to make the practice of regular savings an exciting activity, the bank rewards Kinabukasan Savings depositors with higher interest on their accounts as they continue to save on a regular basis.

Ideal Suits for Business Negotiations

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 00:07:00 +0000

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

How men behave and how they look arguably can be as significant as, if not more important than, the content discussed in the business meeting. There is little disagreement that attire has communicative power, and the topic has been the subject of research for years due to its cultural and social significance.

While the debate regarding effective business pitch continues, it is apparent that the professional appearance and attire of the professor has a positive impact on the business colleagues’ perceptions of a number of traits that are often considered in the evaluation of a technical proposal or a business venture. The results of some informal studies suggest that the way a person package himself in a business meeting leaves others with a more positive perception on the credibility and viability of what that person is talking about.

It is obvious by now in the corporate world that dressing men, especially men's suits from Express make very much impact on his personality whether it is a business meeting or a corporate negotiation. Express professional attire dictates their overall personality and their line of men suit is the most appropriate dress code for any business occasion. Clients of Express have already communicated to everyone that they are ready to make the transition from just in business into a respectful working professional.

Often you see men not being dressed accordingly to their line of business. A suit from Express not only underlines one’s personality, it also underlines the quality of their work. If a person has a serious business to offer then they need to start serious considering the way they look and how Express can help give that makeover.

Another good thing about getting suits from Express right now is that they are giving their customers a chance to win US$500 Suiting Makeover. Enter the Express sweepstakes everyday and earn an additional entry (up to 20 total) when you share this opportunity with a friend who also signs up. So why not take advantage of this opportunity to win some cash, get some new suits and impress the people you want to work with.

If you want to say something, especially on what is the purpose for wearing a suit, just post it in the suggestion or comment box and we will try to make a suit that is appropriate to your situation.

Eight QM Principles

noreply@blogger.com (Kirhat) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:46:00 +0000

Quality management is becoming increasingly important to the leadership and management of all organisations. It is necessary to identify Quality Management as a distinct discipline of management and lay down universally understood and accepted rules for this discipline.

The ISO technical committee working on the ISO9000 standards had published a document detailing the quality management principles and application guidelines. The latest revision (version 2008) of ISO9000 standards are based on these principles.

A quality management principle is a comprehensive and fundamental rule or belief, for leading and operating an organization. It is aimed at continually improving performance over the long-term by focusing on customers while addressing the needs of all other stakeholders

The eight principles are:

Principle 1 - Customer-Focused Organization

"Organisations depend on their customers and therefore should understand current and future customer needs, meet customer requirements and strive to exceed customer expectations".

Steps in application of this principle are:

Understand customer needs and expectations for products, delivery, price, dependability, etc.

Ensure a balanced approach among customers and other stake holders (owners, people, suppliers, local communities and society at large) needs and expectations.

Communicate these needs and expectations throughout the organization.

Measure customer satisfaction & act on results, and

Manage customer relationships.

Principle 2 - Leadership

"Leaders establish unity of purpose and direction of the organisation. They should create and maintain the internal environment in which people can become fully involved in achieving the organisation's objectives."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Be proactive and lead by example.

Understand and respond to changes in the external environment.

Consider the needs of all stake holders including customers, owners, people, suppliers, local communities and society at large.

Establish a clear vision of the organization's future.

Establish shared values and ethical role models at all levels of the organization.

Build trust and eliminate fear.

Provide people with the required resources and freedom to act with responsibility and accountability.

Inspire, encourage and recognize people's contributions.

Promote open and honest communication.

Educate, train and coach people.

Set challenging goals and targets, and

Implement a strategy to achieve these goals and targets.

Principle 3 - Involvement of People

"People at all levels are the essence of an organization and their full involvement enables their abilities to be used for the organization's benefit".

Steps in application of this principle are:

Accept ownership and responsibility to solve problems.

Actively seek opportunities to make improvements, and enhance competencies, knowledge and experience.

Freely share knowledge & experience in teams.

Focus on the creation of value for customers.

Be innovative in furthering the organization’s objectives.

Improve the way of representing the organization to customers, local communities and society at large.

Help people derive satisfaction from their work, and

Make people enthusiastic and proud to be part of the organization.

Principle 4 - Process Approach

"A desired result is achieved more efficiently when related resources and activities are managed as a process."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Define the process to achieve the desired result.

Identify and measure the inputs and outputs of the process.

Identify the interfaces of the process with the functions of the organization.

Evaluate possible risks, consequences and impacts of processes on customers, suppliers and other stake holders of the process.

Establish clear responsibility, authority, and accountability for managing the process.

Identify internal and external customers, suppliers and other stake holders of the process, and

When designing processes, consider process steps, activities, flows, control measures, training needs, equipment, methods, information, materials and other resources to achieve the desired result.

Principle 5 - System Approach to Management

"Identifying, understanding and managing a system of interrelated processes for a given objective improves the organization's effectiveness and efficiency."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Define the system by identifying or developing the processes that affect a given objective.

Structure the system to achieve the objective in the most efficient way.

Understand the inter-dependencies among the processes of the system.

Continually improve the system through measurement and evaluation, and

Estimate the resource requirements and establish resource constraints prior to action.

Principle 6 - Continual Improvement

"Continual improvement should be a permanent objective of the organization."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Make continual improvement of products, processes and systems an objective for every individual in the organization.

Apply the basic improvement concepts of incremental improvement and breakthrough improvement.

Use periodic assessments against established criteria of excellence to identify areas for potential improvement.

Continually improve the efficiency and effectiveness of all processes.

Promote prevention based activities.

Provide every member of the organization with appropriate education and training, on the methods and tools of continual improvement such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, problem solving, process re-engineering, and process innovation.

Establish measures and goals to guide and track improvements,and

Recognize improvements.

Principle 7 - Factual Approach to Decision Making

"Effective decisions are based on the analysis of data and information."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Take measurements and collect data and information relevant to the objective.

Ensure that the data and information are sufficiently accurate, reliable and accessible.

Analyze the data and information using valid methods.

Understand the value of appropriate statistical techniques, and

Make decisions and take action based on the results of logical analysis balanced with experience and intuition.

Principle 8 - Mutually Beneficial Supplier Relationships

"An organization and its suppliers are interdependent, and a mutually beneficial relationship enhances the ability of both to create value."

Steps in application of this principle are:

Identify and select key suppliers.

Establish supplier relationships that balance short-term gains with long-term considerations for the organization and society at large.

Create clear and open communications.

Initiate joint development and improvement of products and processes.

Jointly establish a clear understanding of customers' needs.

Share information and future plans, and

Recognize supplier improvements and achievements.