Calling the Shots

To the person who keeps on telling that life's not about the money definitely doesn't have anything to spend or pay for.

It has been very long since I wanted to have a part-time job so that I can have my own money to spend and pay for whatever there is to be paid like school projects and stuff. I don't like to ask from my parents for money all of the time. Also, every time I want to go somewhere or buy something, I have to ask for money from them. I seldom ask them to buy stuff for me but when I do, I ask way too much (HAHA).

So in order to have that liberty of buying stuffs without pestering my parents, I looked for part-time jobs online and I was able to find a few. I sent my resumes and got a couple of replies. The company which replied the fastest was Aegis Peoplesupport, a BPO company. Got the call one afternoon and I was invited for another interview that next day. As I could remember that was when Typhoon Pablo was brewing in the country.

December 10, 2012 was a memorable date because that was the time I signed the contract and it has been like a month since then. It was on the very same date I got a text from the ESL company I applied for. They set an appointment where I had to take an exam and an interview. I came and took the exam but I had to turn down the job because the schedule they offered was in conflict with my TTH classes.

Going back to my current employer. Yes, I have survived a month in this company. Actually, the company isn't that stressful since I am assigned to a sales department.  As a matter of fact, Aegis' working environment is just perfect! The only problem I have is raising my conversion. I am never the sales-type-of-person. I don't like persuading people to buy but this is the nature of my part-time job. I have to take it or leave it. I chose the former.

My supervisors have been very patient in guiding me that's why I am still in the company. I don't want to quit the job because the company and the supervisors have invested so much just to make me useful to the company. I owe that much to the company. Plus, BPO agencies really compensate very well. I have a lot of school fees to pay which I want to pay by myself. Let's just say that's my way of giving back to my parents.

Every graveyard shift is a battle for me. I have to answer calls mostly of online shoppers who aren't immediate bookers. If I get a lot of calls yet less sales, I am doomed. But that will not make me quit. I will only render my resignation when I couldn't improve my conversion in three to four months time. I don't want my team to suffer because of my low conversion. For now, I will continuously strive for improvement and make more sales.

Rediscovering Cebu

Beyond the bustling Cebu Metropolis lies a perfect playground for outdoor enthusiasts.

Despite being one of the highly urbanized cities in the Philippines, Cebu still has that untamed and unraveled side which enlivens the Cebuano traits of being outgoing and nature loving.

Outdoor Safety Officers Joel Carino and Joemeth Robles from Team Adventyurista Concepts and Services are the best people to go on an adventure with! The Miss Cebu 2013 candidates can attest to that as they went outdoors yet still managed to stay posh last December 9. First stop was Willy’s Place, a hub for Cebuano bikers, located at Barangay Busay along the Transcentral Highway which is developing Cebu’s shot on sports tourism. Certainly, the girls have proved that make up, elegant dresses, and stilettos are not the only things that can make a woman beautiful.

One of the hopefuls vying for the crown, medical student Marie Ann Maraon, would strengthen environmental awareness and promote health education programs if given the chance to be Miss Cebu 2013. She invites everyone to get on a bike and step one’s way up to the Transcentral Highway.

In order to foster environmental conservation advocacies, the lovely ladies had to have a first-hand experience with nature. Cebu’s adventure provider, Adventyurista Concepts and Services arranged their itinerary and paved the way for these fine ladies to convene with Mother Earth. 

A mini waterfall situated in a corner of a road in Barangay Malubog.

 Aside from staying healthy and fit through biking, Adventyurista Concepts and Services brought the candidates to a trekking venture into the Central Cebu Protected Landscape specifically in Sitio Cantipla, Barangay Tabunan. Protective measures are done to preserve the area due to its high biodiversity and the watershed. It’s good to note that Cebu still has a lush forested area that grows the little-known tree endemic, the Cebu Cinnamon tree (Cinnamonum cebuense).

Joel Carino, Adventyurista Concepts and Services Outdoor Safety Officer, discussed some of the uses of the rare Cebu Cinnamon Tree. The aromatic leaves and bark captivated the candidates.

Retired General Tiburcio "Tiboy" Fusilero created Cantipla's famous man-made lake. It has served as an irrigation system and water impoundment that is useful during the dry season.

The rain may have poured that afternoon but it didn’t hamper the ladies from trying out Adventure Café’s Zipline in Gaas, Balamban and horseback-riding at Gov. Joe Leyson’s Peak in Barangay Taptap, Busay. Plus, not to mention having to munch on hot sweet corns offered there. If the next Miss Cebu would be promoting the city, it is just fit to expose the candidates to the underrated tourist destinations of the old and historic Cebu.

                         

Well, you don’t have to be a candidate to experience the same exploration. Go extreme with bouldering, river trekking, or kayaking! Just give Adventyurista Concepts and Services a call and have them arrange your itinerary. You can reach them through these numbers: 0922 825 5332 or 0919 841 4113. Better yet, visit http://www.adventyurista.tk/ to see the exciting tour packages Adventyurista Concepts and Services has in store for every outgoing Cebuano. 

Balamban Vice Mayor Rosie Binghay welcomes the candidates to Adventure Café.

Namrata Neesha Murjani takes on Adventure Cafe's Zipline.

At Governor Leyson's Peak

For the published article, it's here:
http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2013/01/05/893562/rediscovering-cebu

ePerformax: The Past and Beyond

Marking the 10^th year of ePerformax Contact Centers and BPO in the Philippines, this year’s Red and Black Ball was a celebration of the company’s ten years of great feat.

With the theme, “Party of the Decades”, ePerformax commemorated the milestones of the 50s to the 90s last December 8 and transformed Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino’s Pacific Grand Ballroom into a time machine.

Unlike other company Christmas parties, the Red and Black Ball is not only a celebration of the yuletide season, but is also an avenue for the employees to show their talents.

The Serenades proved how talented ePerformax’s employees are as they rendered a heavenly doxology and patriotically sang the U.S., Australia, and Philippine national anthems with much fervor and pride. Being the first performance of the night, they set the bars high for the rest of the presentations. The ball highlighted Cebu’s first BPO-organized couture fashion show as it campaigned for ‘dressing for success’ move wherein selected employees strutted 50s-90s inspired creations by two of Cebu’s top designers, Jun Escario and Ivan Belocura.

“The couture fashion show is the first of two fashion shows that we
will be doing. The second one will be held within company premises -
focusing on business casual and regular dress down attires,” Neil Iosif Ilagan, ePerformax Fan Club President told the FREEMAN.

Teresa Hartsaw, ePerformax President and CEO, considered the outfits ‘divine’ and would love to have Jun Escario and Ivan Belocura design for her for next year’s Red and Black Ball.

She congratulated everyone for the accolades ePerformax has earned over the years. The company celebrated their successes despite their diminutive number compared to other BPOs worldwide and recognized the individuals who went an extra mile in rendering quality service to their clients.

Eperformax may never be the biggest BPO firm, but they are and always will be the best. “We are so darn good at what we do. We are an awesome team,” Teresa acclaimed.

With all the accolades the company has been blessed, they deemed it appropriate to give back to the community.  Talisay Mind Power Creativity Center, Incorporated has been their adopted school since 2010. ePerformax has helped the school in building a library, a science lab and a new classroom. The company has also been doing monthly English reading sessions with the kids and English enhancement sessions with the teachers. Selected pupils wowed the crowd and performed a dance number as their way of thanking the company for the continued support they have been giving the institution.

Moving on with the other exciting parts of the program, Teresa asked, “Andam na mo?” which gained the assembly’s appreciation and cheer upon hearing the CEO speaking in Cebuano.

Every department performed and highlighted the musical, dance, and fashion revolutions throughout the decades. EBay Australia started the ball rolling with their Elvis Presley inspired costumes and danced to the beat of Rock Around the Clock, YMCA, Thriller, Billy Jean, Material Girl, and Livin La Vida Loca. The performance ended with a bang when the whole EBay AU team went on to the dance floor.

DH Gate and Core may have less manpower compared to other departments, but they brought the house down with their song and dance number as they gave their own rendition on the 90s hit Backstreet Boys song, “Everybody”. Another show stopping moment was when Rain Villagonzalo, ePerformax’s Concierge Manager and the first Queen of Cebu, did the flash dance that was popular during the 80s.

Defending Champion, team EBay North America rendered a spectacular and lavish production number as they grooved to Abba’s “Dancing Queen”, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”, and Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs”. They even sent in their own Victoria Secret Angels and a giant mascot adding to the festive mood.

Target, the last performer, took the FREEMAN to a Cabaret show to the tune of “All that Jazz” and went upbeat with “Mamma Mia” and “One Night Only”.

Dennis Lindley, ePerformax’s Chief Operating Officer, had to do the hard part – announcing the winner among the four brilliant performances. Target and EBay North America tied in third place, EBay Australia came in second place, while the joint efforts of DH Gate and Core snatched the title from last year’s champs. What sent them apart from the other departments and gave them the upper hand was their song number.

          All good things come to an end, but ePerformax Contact Centers and BPO will continue to perform at its best as Teresa Hartsaw, Dennis Lindley, Mike Tanner, Louis Meeks, Jr. and the rest of the executive team see nothing but more accomplishments for the company this 2013 and for the years to come. Cheers for the Red and Black!

Here are the photos from Paulo Cañete and Eric Zapata:

First BPO Modeling stint. Rey Escario graced the occasion. 

Show of talents from the different departments.

Rain Villagonzalo was awarded as someone who reached out to people from different departments. 

The kids from adopted school entertained the crowd with their dance number.

Teresa Hartsaw, ePerformax CEO, along with Dennis Lindley and Mike Tanner, toasts to a wonderful 2012 and a successful 2013 ahead.

For the published article, click this:

http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2012/12/19/887769/eperformax-past-and-beyond

A D-I-Y this Christmas

Along with the holiday season are the numerous invites to a lot of parties. With that, the dilemma of what to wear rises. Plus, let us not forget to mention the undying problem of living with a tight budget.

This is the season to be jolly and to get a little extravagant in buying new clothes, new shoes, and other new stuff to wear for the month-long celebration. Who would want to be go to a party donning the same get-up you wore on another bash? (It’s like having wardrobe-drought, if there’s even such a word.)   

But that’s not the case for a fine lady who has kept her budget at bay through wearing her old clothes to different occasions. YES! You’ve read it right. She wears her used clothes (sometimes, her mom’s or her sisters’) to different occasions, but don’t judge just yet. She magically transforms them into something different and classy.

Mariz, a communication student from a known university in Cebu, saw this vintage-looking waterfall-slash-mullet-whatever-you-call-it-skirt while she walked by a boutique. “That dress. That’s what every girl wants,” she pointed at it as if she was drooling all over such a beautiful masterpiece but her happy hormones sunk bottom deep upon seeing its price tag. She sadly walked away just like any kid who cannot bring home a toy that tickled his fancy.  

To air out her frustrations, she headed to her closet, her sisters’, and even her mom’s. She wanted the vintage skirt so bad that she hoped for a vintage piece from anyone’s closet collection. Of all the hanged garments, her mom’s old duster caught her eye.

The Do-It-Yourself (DIY) videos she watched gave her tons of great ideas popping at every blink of her eye. Creative juices started flowing and fueled her to snip the shear and stepped on the pedestal as she trimmed and sewed the garment into something modern-looking and fashionable.

          And viola! She saved herself from spending a hefty amount of six hundred pesos and made her own vintage-inspired floral mullet skirt. Thanks to her mom’s old duster which has been dormant inside the closet for years now.

Figure 1 ”Turned mom's super old "duster" into a Vintage-inspired "Waterfall skirt" and stitched a cute bow tie to add a little charm,” the satisfied fashion-designer-wanna-be gleefully said. “I hope I won’t get scolded”, she added.

        Her experimentation did not stop with her own version of a mullet skirt. She tried to play with dyes, too. Flare pants are so yesterday and hers was just about to get dumped, but she thought of doing another D-I-Y she watched online. Her favorite pair [of flare pants] just got rebooted as she cut it short and splashed it into red and yellow dyes. 

Figure 2 Here’s her colored and tattered denim shorts plus a bat-inspired top from a piece of cloth she found and sewed.

And her favorite among her altered clothes which is her acid-washed skinny jeans. Being her preferred pair, she found it hard to let go that’s why she decided to add life to its plain hue.

         Although she admits of not being a professional fashion designer, what she wants to relay is that our curiosity and creativity may keep us from spending on lavish things. “It would be nice to reward yourself with a new get-up every once in a while especially that it’s Christmas season but practically-speaking, why would I buy something when I can actually create or customize on my own?” Mariz gives her two cents. 

“If you have plans of giving presents to your friends or loved ones, through DIY's, aside from saving, the thought of you making it yourself for them makes the whole essence of Christmas evident,” Mariz suggests.

Get creative and strut the D-I-Y-ied outfits you altered this Christmas!

Photos by: Nera Mariz A. Puyo

For the published article, click here:

http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2012/12/07/882525/d-i-y-christmas

Redefined Christmas Grandeur

People have not kept their excitement and mouths from saying something Christmas-related since the start of the “-ber” months. Aside from carols playing all over the radio and every household’s flickering lights, when can we really feel the essence of Christmas?

          Warm smiles, festive mood, and exquisite hospitality – these innate Filipino characteristics are aggrandized during the holiday season and most especially at Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino during their annual Christmas Tree Lighting as it welcomed the Christmas season last November 23.

          This event has been a tradition that serves as a transition period from Thanksgiving Day to the most celebrated holiday, Christmas. Turquoise and lime took over last year’s traditional red-and-gold color combination. Although there is nothing wrong with the classic, Mr. Alfred Portenschlager, the General Manager, wanted to twist some things up a little bit. Of course, Country Classics helped in creating magic to the hotel.

          Traffic along Mabolo and Salinas Drive may have delayed some of the guests but the Harmonic Overtone Choir kept the Grand Lobby alive with their soulful renditions of “Joy to the World”, “Silent Night”, and “Noel” to name a few.

          Aside from the color combo, its earlier schedule compared to last year’s is one noted difference along with the other hotels that will still be having theirs on the first week of December.

In strengthening their corporate social responsibility, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino chose to help one of Cebu’s public hospitals, the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) particularly their Psychiatric ward.

Dr. Celia Mabalatan, VSMMC’s Chief of the Training and Research Division, gratefully received their early Christmas gift from the company.

          “We’re not saying that it’s [our donation] very lavish, but it’s something that they will really need,” Ms. Naomi Verdan-Agua, Marketing Communications Head, told the Freeman as she enumerated new bed sheets, pillows, and pillowcases as some of the things the ward can buy with the donation. Just because someone is mentally challenged, that does not mean he has no right to sleep on a clean and comfy bed. After all, it is a season of sharing and of being jolly.

Mr. Portenschlager is fond of classical art that is why Balletcenter Cebu was a new offer this year compared to the past years’ usual choir performances. Actually, they should have performed during last year’s Tree Lighting event but the lobby underwent a renovation, taking much space for such a graceful performance to transpire from those talented dancers who are living up to the ideals of its founder, Madame Fe Sala Villarica. The dance group rendered two performances, “The Snow Dance and “The Nutcracker”, both packed with finesse and ended with the tree fully lighted. The Grand Lobby was bursting with colors and life, but one just cannot disregard the wintery pavement of the Gourmet Walk.

         

          Due to last year’s lobby revamp, the hotel was not able to light a tree as grand as this year’s. Nevertheless, they made a winter wonderland out of the Gourmet Walk, which they still maintained this year. Lighted trees whose branches seem to spread out made any passers-by shiver due to the makeshift snow piles along with snowmen, polar bears, reindeers and Santa Clauses. Now, who would not wish for snow in the Philippines this Christmas? I know some people would.

          The Gourmet Walk would never be complete without the restaurants that offered sumptuous cuisines. A dinner followed at the Uno Buffet that took everyone to different kitchens worldwide. Thanks to Executive Chef Simon Sperling’s Japanese, Italian, Filipino and other international dishes that satisfied the gastronomic cravings of the assembly.

Prominent and the hotel’s loved patrons, Mesdames Elvira Luym, Teresin Mendezona, Mayen Angbetic Tan, Amparito Lhuillier, Marissa Fernan, Carmen Campbell, and Ambassador Francisco Benedicto graced the occasion. They have been very loyal and supportive to all of the hotel’s events even since Sir Marco Protacio’s, the former General Manager, time.

“We don’t plan to stop at all. Hopefully, we make it even grander as the years go by,” Ms. Lara answered when asked if Cebuanos will still be looking forward for more lighting events. “It will definitely be very festive,” she added.

The lighting event is only one of the many events in store for Cebuanos this December. Holiday serenades are in line every Sunday of December until the 24^th. Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino will also be one with you in spirit through the Misa de Gallo, the Misa de Aguinaldo, and the New Year’s Eve Mass.

In addition, satisfy your palate with native delicacies like Puto Bumbong, Palitaw, Bibingka, and more along the Gourmet Walk until January 27, 2013. Also, enjoy 50% off on freshly baked bread products for the whole month of December from 7:00 in the evening onwards. Waterfront is not stopping there. They are offering weekend packages you do not want to miss!  They are giving the usual P3638 per night rate for just P7,000 and that’s for two nights already with breakfast. You gotta splurge into these offers this Holiday Season. For bookings and inquiries, give them a call through these numbers: 032 – 232 – 6888, 032 – 232 -6880 or email them at wcch@waterfronthotels.net

For the published article, click this: 

http://www.philstar.com/cebu-lifestyle/2012/11/30/877155/christmas-grandeur-waterfront

Grab a copy of the FREEMAN because nobody knows Cebu better than the FREEMAN.

USJ-R hosts Rappler's Move.PH Cebu Chat Series

Rappler, a social news network, made huge waves during their Move.PH Chat Series at the University of San Jose - Recoletos, Center for Performing Arts last November 21, 2012.

Third year AB Mass Communication, AB Liberal Arts in Commerce: Major in Marketing and Communication (LIACOM), and AB English Seminar classes of the Department of Communication, Languages, and Literature under the College of Arts and Sciences, co-sponsored the seminar entitled “Social Media for Social Change: Pag-ugmad sa Kaalam sa Responsableng Paggamit sa Internet (Developing Responsible Use for the Internet).”

“Rappler and many other domains are using the internet to promote social change and we can only pursue change, if we’ll always be responsible users of this platform,” Reverend Father Emmanuel Bolilia, OAR, the university’s vice president for academics said as he welcomed the assembly.

Former ABS-CBN Senior Vice President for News and Current Affairs and Rappler’s CEO and Executive Editor, Maria Ressa gave the keynote speech on how social media can be used to evoke social changes.

         “You are so young and you have so much power right now because of social media,” Maria Ressa greeted the 597 participants composed of Josenians, Media practitioners, and other representatives from Cebu Normal University, University of San Carlos, Southwestern University, Velez College, University of the Philippines - Cebu, and Silliman University - Dumaguete.

 Ressa stressed on how social media allows Science to meet with religion and its capability of making us ‘look into things in God’s eye view’ giving us a different perspective.

She believed that social media being such a powerful tool in information drive can predict world events just like how twitter was able to forecast Philip Philip’s victory over the highly-contested Filipino-American, Jessica Sanchez during the 11^th Season of the American Idol. She also explained why people get hooked for long hours in the internet.

Emotions are amplified because of two chemicals, dopamine and oxytocin, in the body that increase every time a person’s status, photo, or post is liked, giving the user satisfaction.

“We will be irrelevant in the future if we don’t adapt,” she answered King Anthony Perez, a Mass Communication student from the University of the Philippines - Cebu, who asked her about her shift from the conventional media into the new multimedia reporting. Despite being in the broadcasting industry for more than 20 years, Ressa admitted that objectivity is just a myth and not her ultimate goal in reporting. Giving content, letting people feel the story and making them realize why they should care about such news, are her goals.

The next speakers Ike Durano, DYRL’s Public Affairs announcer, and Mr. Ruben Licera, Jr., Cebu Bloggers Society’s (CBS) president, shared why they are a hundred percent against some of the provisions of the Anti-Cybercrime Law. “Our laws are a bit dilapidated,” Durano said calling for the necessity of enacting laws that are supposed to address pressing needs of the times. He added that we have ‘congressmen and senators who enact legislations for personal reasons, rather than for the good of the nation.’

He also discussed on how void Republic Act No. 10175 is due to the vagueness rule, the issue on due process, and over breadth doctrine of its penalties. Licera took pride when the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order due to CBS’ formal complaint against the law. Licera, however, admitted that the law should be amended not junked. He suggested that the SC should provide a forum and tap professionals to check on the law.

         Chay Hofileña, Rappler’s Citizen Journalism or Community Engagement director refreshed on the Ethics of Journalism. “Be social media smart,” Hofileña reminded everyone to keep language civil and respectful when posting and to avoid feeding trolls.There are a lot of things to discover online, but we need to ‘disconnect to connect’, Hofileña said because people tend to be so tied up in the virtual world.

          

       The only bisaya among the Rappler team, Ayee Macaraig, discussed the challenges faced by a multimedia reporter. Being ANC’s former writer and executive producer, Macaraig talked on the differences between being a conventional news reporter from being a multimedia reporter. “It’s a lonely job,” Macaraig attested how a multimedia reporter does more with being less but it didn’t stop her from covering events.

          During a coverage, Macaraig has to set up the equipment, interview, take shots, and edit the raw files. Being a multimedia reporter entails one to be a one-superman team to combat the deadlines which are on steroids. Facebook’s wide reach mobilizes social causes.

      The sixth speaker tackled on using social media to push an advocacy. Michael Josh Villanueva, Rappler’s Special Projects Head, gave ways on how to effectively use Facebook in pushing for a social cause. An advocacy’s FB Page should not only be attractive, but should also be substantial. For advocates to fully further their social thrust, doing it online is an effective way as much as doing something offline. That goes back to what Chay Hofileña meant with ‘disconnect to connect’.

          Patricia Evangelista, London-based annual International Public Speaking Champion and Rappler’s narrative multimedia reporter, was the last speaker and played some of her documentaries on Andi Eigenman’s pregnancy and the ruthless Maguindanao Massacre.

          Teenage pregnancies aren’t new today same as with the Maguindanao Massacre, which happened three years ago, but why does Patricia continue to tell stories about these two? “I can’t forget…I hope I never will…and in the hopes that it wouldn’t happen again,” these are the reasons why she tells these stories.

          

           Effective journalists get people to listen to their stories but if people don’t listen, ‘they are not moved by your story or you, yourself aren’t moved by your story,’ she added.

          Selected students were formed into groups and chose a social cause that they want to advocate online. Cyber bullying, discrimination, education, and the rising case of street children were some of the concerns that were given attention.

For the published article, please click on this link: 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3662510376420&set=a.2096297862086.86732.1684542202&type=3&theater

Life goes on

HEY! The world didn't end last December 21, 2012. Screw those people who kept bluffing about doomsday. Please, I worked my arse off in school just to find a stable job and eventually earn money then you go telling me that everything's coming to an end? All my sacrfices and hardwork for what? For earthquakes, tsunamis, and death? GIVE ME A BREAK. Give us a break.

K, moving on. Yes. I know I owe you a lot of stories of how my life went since my last post and I have to tell a lot of interesting events unfolded. Will hafta to tell you once I finish this article I'm working on for Freeman. I also have plans for posting my raw outputs but I have to ask my company's permission first. I might get sued or reprimanded. HAHA

Well, this is it for now. Just dropped by to let you know I am alive. Franz Papat will have more to rant so just keep in touch and I'll ttyl!

keep calm and live life to the fullest,

Franz.