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The Sweetness of Gratitude

There are a lot of people in my life who has taught me so much but if I have to pick one person to show my gratitude for. It would have to be Joshwa. He taught me a lot of life lessons.. He taught me how to love others instead of myself.He taught me that there are things that I have to let go to be able to fully live my life. I love you Joshwa I'm sorry that I may not be the kind of mother that you deserve but thank you for putting up with me. Mommy is still a work in progress.

We are celebrating the 3rd National Thank You Day on October 20, 2009 sponsored by Swiss chocolate Toblerone, Let us just not use word to say thank you. Let us use our actions to let other people know that they are loved and appreciated.

With that, I’d like to invite you all to join me in spreading the Sweetness of Gratitude by not just saying thank you, but by coming up with a creative photo expressing your gratitude and joining the Toblerone Spread the Sweetness of Gratitude Photo Competition.


Who: any one in the Greater Manila Area can join the photo contest.

What: Spread the Sweetness of Gratitude Photo Contest. Take this chance to get creative and thank the people who definitely deserve it!

When: the contest runs from 2pm of today, September 7, 2009 until 5pm of October 16.

Why: other than to express our gratitude, you can also have the chance to win a Toblerone Gift pack! More details on the prizes below.

How:

1. Take a creative photo expressing you gratitude or thanks. The photo must be your original work and you must have permission to release the photo. If minors are included in the photo, please make sure you have permission from the minor’s parent or guardian.

2. One entry per participant only.

3. Post your entry in your own website (blogs and social networking sites such as Multiply, Friendster, Facebook, etc. are welcome) and link this to the gallery found here.

4. Post your link in the comments section in Ria's blog so it qualifies as an entry in her blog. Please include a valid email address so she can notify you if you are in her short list.

5. On October 16, Ria will choose 5 finalists from the valid entries here in her blog which will be submitted to GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications, Inc. From all the shortlisted entries submitted by various bloggers, 3 winners will be selected by a panel composed of employees of the Sponsor and its PR Agency, GMCI. The 5 selected finalists from Ria's blog will receive a thank you kit.

6. Awarding of the Top 3 entries will be on October 20, 2009 during the National Thank You Day Awards. Winners will receive a Toblerone Gift Pack.

For more details and other mechanics go to www.thankyoudayphilippines.com.

Itchy The Grump

Del Fabric Softener leads the drive in propagating this fact among parents and concerned individuals with the Allergy Awareness Program. This consciousness campaign aims to make known that skin allergy is a serious problem among children that needs to be addressed.

Being the first and only hypoallergenic fabric softener variant in the country, Del Fabric Softener propagates its message through an amusing story that zeroes in on the discomfort that children may suffer from skin allergies. The book, entitled Itchy the Grump, is a tale about a kid named Itchy who is always unpleasant and grumpy because of the allergies he has been suffering from. It takes a humorous twist when Itchy suddenly breaks into dance as he furiously tries to scratch hard to reach parts.

Itchy the Grump also underscores the impact that skin allergies may have on children, such as difficulty focusing in school, inability to sleep, and social embarrassment. More importantly, it emphasizes prevention as the most effective way to avoid skin allergies, through the use of hypoallergenic products, such as Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener.

“Del inspires parents to be more proactive especially when it comes to skin allergies that may affect their children. That is why it is important to be constantly vigilant in identifying whether the products one uses actually pose a threat to one’s health, and conceive proper action steps to address it. [We invite you to log on to www.wearitchfreeclothes.com to view the Itchy Dance and to read the Itchy the Grump book.]”

Allergy No More

In a perfect world, all kids are happy and smiling like nothing could ever go wrong in their little Wonderland.

In reality, however, young children are easily susceptible to all kinds of discomforts such as allergies. Allergy experts in the Philippines relate that there have been an increasing number of allergy-related diseases over the years. Children in particular are the most sensitive to allergens, causing most of them to turn irritable and grumpy. And surprisingly, many common allergens are found in the home.

In the country, skin allergies among children are health conditions which are often taken for granted. Unlike colds and coughs, which most parents see as reason enough to head to the nearest drugstore, skin allergies are perceived to be normal, and thus, is not a cause for alarm.

But this apathy towards the condition should not continue. According to allergy experts in the Philippines, there have been an increasing number of allergy-related diseases over the years. And with the Filipino public not yet fully educated about this growing problem, it is expected that more and more cases shall continue to arise.

What most do not know is that allergies are actually immune system disorders, and that children are especially vulnerable to skin allergies. Lack of knowledge about allergies can lead parents to further aggravate the situation by exposing children to household products such as deodorants, perfumes, and laundry detergents which can set off reactions.

Thus, it is vital to educate one’s self with these substances and then eliminate the products with these substances from household use altogether, or if possible substitute them with hypoallergenic alternatives to prevent future allergy episodes.

Allergies are actually immune-related sicknesses that are the body’s response to environmental substances that, while other individuals may possibly find as harmless, could trigger allergic reactions to those who are sensitive to the said substance.

Though genes are considered to play an important role in the development of allergies, children do not necessarily inherit their parents’ sensitivity to certain allergens. Heredity is not solely to blame for this immune system response, as a recent study has identified that the environment plays a role in the development of allergies. According to the book “Immunobiology : The Immune System in Health and Disease” by Charles A. Janeway Jr., et al., changes in exposure to infectious diseases in early childhood, environmental pollution, allergen levels, and dietary changes can also encourage the development of allergies among individuals.

The first step in allergy treatment is identifying the potential trigger for allergic reactions. Isolation from the allergenic material is then the next stage to inhibit the recurrence of further allergic attacks.

While certain environmental factors outside one’s home also contribute to allergic attacks, it is important to begin addressing the issue by checking those that one can easily control – such as looking at household products that have components which are established to cause allergic reactions.

Some allergy culprits that your children may be exposed to at home include nickel, which is commonly found in buttons, belts and jewelry; harsh soaps and detergents; fiberglass particles in toys; and even body oils and powder. These can cause mild to severe allergic reactions among children, depending on factors such as length of exposure and sensitivity to the substance.

As with many sicknesses, prevention is better than cure when it comes to skin allergies. It is important to opt for hypoallergenic alternatives for common household products, such as the recently-introduced Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener, which has been tested to be skin-friendly even for children.

Without doubt, the rising phenomenon of skin allergies needs to elicit a proactive response from everyone, especially among parents for their children’s sake. That is why it is important to be constantly vigilant in identifying whether the products one uses actually poses a threat to one’s health, and conceive of a proper action to address it.

The days of non-stop itching are now over.

“Children are regularly exposed to items that we don’t know can be allergenic, such as nickel which is found in buttons and jewelry; fiberglass toys; and even common household products like shampoos and detergents,” says Catherine Apodaca, Product Manager for Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener.

Skin allergies, considered to be a growing epidemic among children, have come to the attention of Del Fabric Softener. Being one of the top fabric softener brands in the Philippines, Del rises to answer an unmet consumer need of having a fabric softener that is safe for the whole family, even kids, to use.

Health experts recommend that parents use laundry products that are skin-friendly when washing their children’s clothes to avoid contact dermatitis, a skin reaction caused by exposure to certain allergens. Del Hypoallergenic Fabric Softener is dermatologically-tested safe even for children’s delicate skin. Its skin-friendly formula has a gentle scent and contains no artificial colorants, leaving skin safe from allergies while making clothes soft and mildly fragrant.

Also, through their newest hypoallergenic variant, Del begins a campaign that is intended to better educate moms on the issue of allergies and make them more conscious of possible ways to control the condition.

Negros Fair

The Negros Trade Fair, the Philippines’ longest -running provincially organized Trade Fair in Metro Manila, will move to another dimension soon when it will make available its Negros-made products through its online store.

The Trade Fair, organized and managed by the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), features a wide range of Negros-made products, which include furniture, home furnishings, garments, bags, fashion accessories and food delicacies. The on-line initiative, another first of marketing initiatives from similarly organized trade fairs in the country, is expected to call attention again to the association that has also been cited as having established one of the country’s best managed Trade Houses for SMEs.

The 24th Negros Trade Fair will run from September 11-16 this year at The Rockwell Tent in Makati City.

Another Letter From PLDT

I received another letter from PLDT..

Dear Ms. Pagaspas:

Good Day!

We wish to inform you that your letter of complaint dated August 25, 2009 was forwarded to concern group to call the attention of these personnel for disciplinary action. Rest assured that your concern will be accommodated the soonest.
Thank you!

Respectfully.

GERRY C. GO
Customer Care Analyst
Customer Care

Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP)

Advertising and marketing play a vital role in the internet and mobile industry, as like any other media channel, the survival of internet and media companies rely on marketing for revenues. The explosion of internet companies like Google and Yahoo! has changed the way internet is used in marketing, and the same can be said on how telecom companies like Vonage or Verizon revolutionized mobile marketing. To date, web and mobile accounts for 10% of advertising spending in the US, and is expected to increase to 40-50% within the next couple of years in certain industries.

In the Philippines, marketing through the web has yet to take off. Last year, it is estimated that online ad spending would sum up to only P100 million, a measly 0.2% of the total advertising spending. Mobile shares the same fate, although while they are higher than web advertising, they are also a small percentage of the total ad mix.

The two new media internet and mobile, sometimes referred to as interactive or digital media, possess a wealth of opportunities for marketers to communicate directly with their customers. Unlike the traditional media television, radio or print where these media serve as channels for advertising placements, digital media provide marketers the opportunity to utilize technology to have a closer relationship with their customers as these media offer 24/7 communication and engagement, feedback mechanisms, and other CRM tools.

With the power of being digital and interactive, it goes without mentioning that the two marketing media, internet and mobile, at this stage of development, are very much underutilized and not given the appropriate attention. Both are seen as a techie-geeky tool, somewhat confined to only those who were nerdy enough to understand them, and very much underutilized in the marketing community.

It is because of this opportunity and need that companies that belong to the internet and mobile media have come together to form IMMAP (the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines) is to , and embarked on working towards educating and providing the necessary digital tools for advertising and marketing professionals to make better communication decisions. It is believed that the two media will soon be utilized and used as complementary marketing tools to traditional media once advertising and marketing professionals understand how these can be used and optimized.

Jollibee continues tradition of innovation with Jollibee Chicken Barbecue

Building on this tradition of innovation, Jollibee has introduced its newest major offering which promises to be another popular hit: the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue.

With the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue, Jollibee takes a Filipino gastronomic classic and improves upon it, creating the perfect version of the dish. Made only from generous premium chicken cuts, it uses a special marinade made from top secret ingredients which endows it with that mouth-watering barbeque taste. Soaked long enough for the flavor to thoroughly seep in, it also utilizes a special culinary technique that allows it to be thoroughly cooked while still remaining juicy and tender. Furthermore, the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue is served with its perfect accompaniments—a delicious barbecue dipping sauce and steaming java rice—for a truly memorable dining experience.

“The Jollibee Chicken Barbecue represents our latest product milestone,” says Gold Tantoco, Jollibee vice-president for marketing, during the product’s launch which took on the theme of “The Best of Filipino Taste” and which celebrated prime local cultural icons that continue to develop through time, just like Jollibee. “It reaffirms our brand’s commitment to constantly introducing innovative products that are tailored to local tastes.”

According to Tantoco, the brand deliberately took its time in developing the product. She adds, “As it’s our first major product launch in years, we really made sure that we get everything right and that we come up with something truly special and appealing to Filipinos.”

Extending Jollibee’s legacy of excellence, the Jollibee Chicken Barbecue further cements the brand’s position as a pioneer in the fast-food industry. It also offers further proof of Jollibee’s status as an icon of Filipino food with a devotion to upholding its signature langhap-sarap goodness.

The Jollibee Chicken Barbecue is available as a 1-pc. solo meal for P69 and as a 2-pc. solo meal for P119. Value meals, which come with a regular drink, on the other hand, are priced at P89 and P139 for the 1-pc. and 2-pc. sets, respectively.

The Jollibee Chicken Barbecue is already available in Metro Manila and will soon be enjoyed in other parts of the country.

JOHNNY ALEGRE 3

One of the country’s jazz prodigies is back with an album that hoists Filipino talent with his beautifully crafted and skillfully mastered jazz arrangements. A world-class and wholly satisfying jazz opus entitled “JOHNNY ALEGRE 3” is a firm mark of what a genuine artist is in his truest essence – meticulously incorporating different musical styles to produce a wonderful jazz masterpiece.

Recorded in New York, this beautiful album features nine exceptional tracks, which Johnny Alegre performs brilliantly.

Compositions by Alegre such as “Wildflower”, “Offering”, “From Long Ago”, “Theme from Humanfolk” and more harnesses energy and spontaneity that crosses international borders by his collaboration with international jazz legends Billy Hart and Ron McClure.

Expect nothing but stellar performances and riveting melodies by our very own Filipino talent, in collaboration with two international jazz legends! Truly, this is a global breakthrough for the Philippine guitarist-composer --and a treat, both for local and international listeners! Johnny Alegre is a jazz journeyman and unique recording artist. His pioneering projects have contributed meaningfully towards bringing an emergent Asian milieu to the attention of musical audiences local and foreign, defying barriers of genre, demographics and cultural stereotypes. Alegre’s involvement in the Philippine scene encompasses scores of bands and recording projects, spanning more than three decades of history and discography, starting from his roots in seminal “pinoy rock” in the 1970s, his early sorties as an award-winning OPM (Original Pilipino Music) producer in the mid-80s, and the epiphany into modern jazz in the recent years.

In his various capacities as composer-arranger, record producer and performing musician, his protean roles have been none short of forward-looking. Johnny Alegre formed what effectively became Manila’s premier jazz collective, AFFINITY, that caught the attention of the London-based jazz specialty label, Candid Records. Their first eponymous album was released in the Philippines in mid-2005, and subsequently re-released in the U.K. as “Jazzhound”. In 2008, Alegre released “Eastern Skies”, an orchestral jazz collaboration with conductor Gerard Salonga. It was his response to the clamor for even more innovative music from “Manila’s jazz superband”. In pursuit of these encouragements, 2009 is the year of “3”, Alegre’s third outing: a U.S. trio recording of the guitarist-composer joined by two masters of the jazz genre, Billy Hart (drums) and Ron McClure (bass). This third release also marks his migration to his new home and record label, MCA MUSIC (Philippines) of the Universal Music Group.

SM Definitely Has Everything

Now I can definitely say that SM has it all..They definitely provide their consumers with what they need at reasonable prices.

The SM Malls is big and very spacious. Which is something that I love about going there. It is a treasure trove of good finds! Most of the items for sale are affordable and of good quality. The clothes are in style and fashionably chic

One can never say that SM Malls are boring. You can never run out of things to do. There are cinemas, a bowling alley, a lot of arcades where the young and those that still they are young play video games. There are restaurants, bookstores, clothing shops, shoe stores and now it is a WI-FI Enable zone..

I am now in SM Manila testing the speed of the WI-FI connection.I can truly say that it is fast.No lags and waiting just log on and you are in cyberspace. Truly what they say is true the best things in life are free. If it's not free then it might as well be affordable. I tasted the food from Lydia's Lechon and it was yummy!!!! They have one of the best lechon's that I have ever tasted..Another amazing thing about them is that they are now online.. They can be found here

So basically, everything that you want and need . They can proudly say We’ve really got it all for you.

Globe Immortal Text Promo

Globe Tattoo gives you the new IMMORTALTXT, the first and only text offer with NO EXPIRY. For just P10, enjoy 50 texts to Globe/TM and 10 texts to other networks that will never expire*.
To register, simply text IMMORTAL10 to 8888. Also available to Globe Prepaid subscribers.

*Subject to SIM validity.

*Offer is available to Globe tattoo sim users and old Globe sims.


IMMORTALTXT is the first ever NO EXPIRY text offer that will give Globe Tattoo and Globe Prepaid subscribers the following for only P10:
   • 50 texts to Globe/TM
   • 10 texts to other networks
NO EXPIRY!*
* Needs P1 maintaining balance to be able to use service
   Every Globe Tattoo SIM is also pre-loaded with 25 free texts to all networks.
IMMORTAL BAL to 8888 to request for a status update of your subscription. You will receive a reply message that will indicate the following:

   • Number of texts to Globe/TM left in the subscription
   • Number of texts to other networks left in the subscription. The remaining FREE SMS in the account will be added to the free texts to other networks and will be included in the reply message.
You will be charged P1.00 for the balance inquiry.
The following message will be received:
"You have remaining XX texts to Globe/TM and XX texts to other networks. Your texts to other networks have been added to your account's text balance. P1/text."

A Letter From PLDT

Dear Ms. Pagaspas:

Good Day!

We apologize for the untoward experience you had during your travel. All members of our staff are required to conduct business with utmost courtesy, professionalism and efficiency at all times. Anything less is unacceptable. We regret to learn that you did not find this to be the case. Please be assured however, that your e-mail was forwarded to the concerned Division Head for appropriate handling.

Again, we would like to reiterate our regret for the unfortunate incident. We appreciate your gift of feedback and welcome every opportunity for service improvements. Thank you!

Respectfully.

GERRY C. GO

Customer Care Analyst

Customer Care