10 UP Freshie Tips

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - It's a happy, jolly and merry Christmas for many 4th year students because UPCAT was just released, 2 months earlier than the usual which is around February.

 

Si Oble sa Quezon Hall

And so, today is the best time to let these new Iskolars ng Bayan to know the BEST (?) tips fresh from Twitter (or not so fresh at all - most of them were from @OverheardAtUP) on how to survive life in UP from the UPians (oooppps...) Iskos and Iskas themselves.

Tip #1
Calling yourself a UPian is forbidden.

Tip #2
Pag may nakita kayong taong naka Zorro outfit na pagala-gala, DI BALIW YAN! IDOL YAN! :D

Tip #3

Don't be pasikat with your iPad and don't make salita like this, okay?

Tip #4

If u feel stupid, okay lang yan. That's normal!

Tip #5
Feed the cats.

Tip #6

Huwag mong ipagmamalaki ang mga achievements mo nung high school.

Tip #7
Wag matakot, hindi requirement ang pagtakbo sa Oblation Run

Tip #8
Wag ma-conscious kung 'di ka naligo. Malaki ang posibilidad na 'yung katabi mo rin.

Tip #9
Laging isama ang Sting/Cobra sa listahan ng ig-grocery mo. Pwede ring kape

Tip #10
Di ibig sabihin na matalino ka, alam mo na lahat. Stay humble and put your feet flat on the floor.

Congratulations to all UPCAT passer! Mabuhay ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan!

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Limelight: UP Pep Squad's Keith Landicho

QUEZON CITY, Philippines - I am pretty sure everyone knows how much of a UP Pep Squad fanboy I am.. No? Okay. But yeah, I am.. You wouldn't believe it, but 50% of any Youtube UP Pep video views is mine (hmm.. maybe 49%) As a matter of fact, I was there live during the 2011 and 2012 UAAP CDC and even made documentaries (here and here) and closely monitored them in 2013. I will be honest that I am not a fan of cheerleading and/or cheerdancing (if ever there's a difference.) I don't even know what "cupie" and "1-1-1" mean, if somebody could just explain it below this post right now, lol. So the main point is, there's gotta be something that UP Pep Squad has to be loved like this. For sure, I know I am not alone. I love them and we all love these people. They arguably have the largest fanbase compared to the other teams.

But admit it, if I ask you to give me a name of a member, will you be able to give me one? Except maybe for the stunners. Not even a name?

So let me formally introduce to you, Keith Landicho. A drummer-turned-cheerleader for the Unibersidad ng Pilipinas.

 

Keith and the UP Pep Squad. Taken by Ria Narciso.

Keith is a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communication Engineering student (3rd year) of UP Diliman. He’s currently a rookie cheerleader of the well-known UP Pep Squad.

I asked Keith some questions that fans surely want to ask.

1.   How long have you been a male cheerleader?

"Well, actually, as I entered UP, I was part of the Varsity Swimming Team. After being able to join the UAAP that same year, I realized that there was nothing else to dream for since the Olympics are well... you know like making pigs fly. I joined the UP Pep Squad Drummers the following semester and luckily made it in. It’s a thing for the drummers to play the drums during the UAAP Cheerdance Competition. There’s like an assessment for the whole semester of an individual’s performance and if you make the cut, you’ll be taking up a slot in the roster of drummers for the Cheerdance Competition. Not to brag but I made it to the roster twice, first was in 2012, when UP Pep completed their 8-3-1 stint. (8 titles, 3-peat, 1 squad). And the following year, when the UP Pep Squad failed at their attempt of a 4-peat but emerging as 1st-runner up. As the second semester started, I felt that there was more to learn in the squad, there was something to work even harder for, but it wouldn’t be with the drummers, but with the UP Pep Squad Dancers. I actually took up Cheerdance as a P.E. subject the preceding semester, and I must say I really liked it."

2.   When people hear “cheerleader” they always imagine girls wearing short skirts, holding pompoms. What do you think about that stereotyping?

"Well we couldn’t do anything about that but show them that that’s not the case today anymore. It isn’t simply leading cheers in games and going all cutesy cutesy for the crowd and the players. It’s now a display of strength and skill which would unknowingly reflect to the University."

3.   Why being a cheerleader? You could be someone else, you know, like an archer or a swimmer.

    "Because there’s something feasible to achieve, like the Cheerleading World Championships. There are just no limitations! You are constantly learning from training and experiences, and short and stubby people (like me) aren’t at a disadvantage. It’s a battle of wit and will. Unlike swimming, as I’ve mentioned before, height, and weight’s  a huge factor."

4.   I know this has been asked for a million times now: what motivates you to work hard?

"My teammates. Since I have very little background on cheerleading, simple words of encouragement from them’s a big thing. I have to catch up on so many things, from skills, to gymnastics, and dance techniques. It’s a lot to take in but as I see everyone trying and doing their best,  I get motivated to do the same. Everyone’s working really hard for the team. I must do my part of working just as hard. Plus bringing The UAAP Cheerdance Competition Crown back to where it belongs"

5.   I am now turning into a pessimist (lol) so, what will make you quit then?

"My mom. LOL kidding. Another shoulder injury(from swimming) I guess. But I’m more careful now than ever."

6.   What’s the UP Pep member’s greatest dream? Something that you think you and your teammates share?

"I guess it’s to compete in the UAAP Cheerdance Competition and bring back the crown to Diliman. And something even further’s the Cheerleading World Championships."

7.   What do you do during your free time? Do you guys even have “free time”?!

"Well of course we do. I’m still at the point of adjusting though. Since training is from 6pm-10pm at night (sic), I have to study and do homework during my free time. Well sleeping takes up most of my free time."

8. Have you ever had a “UP Pep Cry” moment? You know? Made you cry because of pain or happiness?

"Nope. None as a dancer yet. But as a drummer, yes. When Boom Gonzales announced that the UP Pep Squad was the 1st runner-up it broke our hearts, but looking on the bright side, even if the squad had 3 or 4 stunt falls, they still managed to get 2nd place. It was painful for us, to see our teammates (the dancers) crying."

9.   This must be the most difficult decision-making you’ll ever imagine: choose between “graduating but you’ll no longer be part of UP Pep Squad –like totally an amnesia for them” and “not graduating (ever) but will still be part of UP Pep, becoming a UP Pep legend”

"I should make it a point to leave a legacy before I graduate. *wink wink* (sic)"

10. What is your message to all "UP Pep Fans"?

"Keep on supporting the UP Pep Squad! I have really been admiring the UP Pep Squad Dancers from the beginning and really wanted to join them ever since I was a freshie, so, pursue your dreams and don’t let what you really want to do become a frustration."

Keith describes himself as a happy-go-lucky student. Though incredibly friendly, he thinks he lacks in the 'socialization department.' And as to often being perceived as anti-social, truth is, he believes he's just really shy. Frank but soft-spoken, athletic, he is someone who thinks he can always get away with a genuine smile. His friends say that his face is very transparent to his feelings. He is tagged as hardworking, determined and very passionate.

To all THOSE girls, of course I know what you want to ask Keith. Don't fret, got the answer. You can regularly spot him practicing at the Aldaba Rehearsal Hall from six to ten at night. :)

TheWalkingJed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

FYI: UAAP Cheerdance Competition

MANILA, Philippines - The UAAP CDC month is already here! I made an infographic for everyone. I'll add more info as I gather them. Here's the deal so far:

    

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

An Artistic Experience

PARIS, France -  An artistic experience for me is my unique perspective of seeing the physical world with a more meaningful sense. Since the real definition of art is ambiguous, an artistic experience can also be vague itself. I think the whole point of understanding an artistic experience is for you to elaborate and understand art in general. An artistic experience for me is divided into three points of views: how I perceive art as the creator, how I see art as an assessor, and how I distinguish the difference between art and reality.

Photo by: ba1969

To fully define what an artistic experience is, I came up with a simple idea that art, although perceived or seen or felt as a form of an object as its byproduct, is the actual transformation and application of the person’s thoughts to the object which his/her creativity is applied to. This way, I can easily recognize where and when an artistic experience is happening.

The first point of view of an artistic experience is when I am perceiving art as the creator, or simply when I am actually doing art myself as a way of my personal expression and creation. For me, changing a bleak object into a work of wonder is an artistic experience in itself. The actual experience is the conversion of my ingenious approach to a substantial entity--an output. An example is when I turn a piece of white paper into a colorful abstract painting. By this kind of transformation, an artistic experience is actually happening.


Another standpoint of an artistic experience is when I am the critic of a particular artwork. Basically, it is when I see how profound a subject is just by looking at it or how the artist meticulously applied all of his/her productivity to the end result. It is also when I apply my opinions or/and judgment on a piece of art. An example is when I watch films and I see loopholes on them and criticize them, and after seeing the film completely, I think of how the movie should have ended if I made it myself, or how the cameras should have been placed. When I have my own outlook, whether applied or not, is a time that I am having an artistic experience.

Finally, to complete the artistic experience is to understand the difference between art and simple reality. An argument may arise when I say “difference” as others may say that art is also part of reality, but what I mean with this is that art is more of perspective and interpretation while reality is the actual state of the subject. An example is contemplating the difference between “music and lyrics” and the “quality of the sound” of a particular The Beatles song. Music and its meaning (the lyrics) is art while the quality of the CD or the sound (volume, smoothness, etc.) is just the actual state of the song that is playing. This way, I was able to recognize my understanding of their differences.

To sum it up, an artistic experience for me is the distinctive perception of seeing art with a more evocative sense that is seen in three different points of views. The points of views are materialized effectively through a better understanding of art.



Reference:

Reid, L. A. (1926). Artistic Experience. Mind (New Series ed., p. 469). Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

The Art of the Streets of Manila

MANILA, Philippines - Art, defined as the undefined form of self-expression (or group,) is unquestionably found wherever you go. Although art is seen in different forms, sizes, shapes and textures, and of course, not limited to a kind of painting or any picture made by hand, it is arguably generalized by many that art is simply a picture. Having this idea made me think that a picture is more of an art to some when it is drawn by the hand. This kind of sorting gave me a very unique discovery that there is art wherever we look in the streets of the Philippines that is never recognized by award giving bodies, not even by the locals themselves. I am referring to the art that is probably the “most erased” of all time: graffiti.

Photo by: beermug

Graffiti is a kind of a drawn picture or letters printed on a wall or any form of solid object using aerosol spray paint or simply paint as a sign of tags or expression of an individual, or groups. It is plainly a street art. A very detailed explanation would be the one written in 1985 by Allan Schwartzman in his book Street Art where it says "Art, specifically visual art developed in public spaces - that is, "in the streets" - thought the term usually refers to unsanctioned art, as opposed to government sponsored initiatives. The term can include traditional graffiti artwork, sculpture, stencil graffiti, sticker art, wheatpasting and street poster art, video projection, art intervention, guerilla art, and street installations. Typically, the term street art or more specifically post-graffiti is used to distinguish contemporary public-space artwork from territorial graffiti, vandalism, and corporate art. Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. "Street" artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language. They attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them."


Young Filipinos, most especially those living in the slums of Metro Manila and who usually participate in gang activities, are the most responsible when it comes to the growing number of graffiti in the Philippine streets. And why do they do that? As a form of branding (most of the time,) to show others that they have their own territories or a growing space they can call their own, a tag or a personalized symbol to show power or level. Little did they know is that, even though they have vandalized private walls and platforms, they have created art in its own right.

It is art in its own not only because it is a form of an expression through the use of carefully sprayed colorful paint on walls, but also because it is their way of expressing their advocacies, thoughts, freedom and brotherhood through a physical form which is visible to the naked eye—as a form of communication and expression. The sad reality is that it isn’t appreciated as much as other forms of artworks because it is also a form of vandalism which cost establishments thousands of pesos, if not millions, through maintenance. Graffiti, as a matter of fact, is barely called a masterpiece by passersby.



Reference:

What is Graffiti?. (n.d.). College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences | Georgia Southern University. Retrieved May 17, 2013, from http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/writling/professional/TechWrite/9-2/taylor/whatisgraffiti.html
Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Isang Sulat Para Sa Mga Niloko

MAYNILA, Pilipinas - Niloko ka na ba? Nanloko? O tingin mo niloloko ka? Ito ay para sa iyo kaibigan. :)

Photo by: adamci.

Photo by: adamci.

Kaibigan,

Huwag kang malungkot.
Hindi mo kasalanan.
Huwag kang mag-alala.
Hindi siya kawalan.
Huwag ka ng umiyak.
Hindi siya kasing halaga ng bawat pagpatak ng luha mo.

Alam ko ang tanong mo sa sarili mo. Saan ka nagkamali? Ang sagot? Wala. Wala kang ginawang mali. Hindi mo dapat sisihin ang sarili mo sa kagaguhang ginawa niya sa'yo. Hindi kailanman naging mali ang magmahal ng totoo. Ang mali ay yung gagantihan ka ng kabaliktaran. Ang mali ay yung lolokohin ka sa kabila ng lahat ng pagmamahal na ibinigay mo sa kanya.

Marami kang tanong alam ko. At alam kong ang pinakamasakit sa ngayon ang yung wala siyang ginawa upang sagutin yun. Kung hindi ka iniwan sa ere na parang isang laruang pinagsawaan matapos mong madiskubreng meron na siyang ibang kalaro, e nagmamakaawa naman siya na patawarin ka dahil lang sa nahuli mo siyang nagkamali.

Tao ka. Maganda ka. Espesyal ka. 

Hindi mo dapat ikubli ang iyong sarili sa katotohanang ang taong inaakala mong makakasama mo habang nabubuhay ka ay siya mismong sisira ng pangarap mo. Dahil bukas makalawa, may nakaplano na ulit na isang bagay para sa iyo. 

Tandaan mo: Hindi siya kawalan.


Kahit gaano pa kaespesyal ang nagawa niya sayo na tanging siya lang ang makakagawa, hindi siya kawalan. Uulitin ko: hindi siya kawalan. 

Hindi kawalan ang mag taong manloloko. 

Hindi kailanman matutumbasan ng kahit na anong bagay ang katotohanang ipinagpalit ka sa isang bagay.

Nagmamahal ka ng totoo. At naiintindihan ko ang sakit na nararamdaman mo. Selos, galit, paghihiganti at takot. Halo-halong emosyon, kaibigan. Huhupa rin yan. Wag mong sayangin ang oportunidad na magbagong buhay. Hindi mo dapat iwanan ang katawan mo sa isang estado ng walang hanggang pagkalubog. Bumangon ka.

Ang pinakamatinding ganti mo ay ang maging masaya.

Ang basura ay nababagay sa basurahan, ika nga.

Ngumiti ka.

Mabuhay ka na tila hindi ka matitinag.

Kaawaan mo siya at hindi ang sarili mo. Dahil ikaw na lang ata ang handang magmahal sa kanya ng totoo na higit pa sa sarili mo. Kaawan mo siya dahil wala ng magmamahal sa kanya ng lubusan hanggat patuloy siyang gumagawa ng mali. Kaawaan mo siya dahil sinayang niya ang bagay na katulad mo.

Kung dumating na ang panahon na nalagpasan mo na ito, mabuti. Darating ang araw na siya na mismo ang magsisisi sa sariling mali na ginawa niya sayo.  At sa panahong dumating yun, sigurado ako. Nakita mo na ang taong hindi ka lolokohin.

Sumasaiyo,
Ang Mundo.



TheWalkingJed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Poll: Best University Website in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Websites are the online home of many organizations, companies, and of course, (particularly for this post) universities. Let me do a little poll to know which of the big universities in the Philippines have the best looking homepage. To vote, go to the bottom part.


ADAMSON UNIVERSITY

www.adamson.edu.ph

It's blue and starry. AdU's website is very similar to that of UST's. I am not sure which of which came up first with the look at my front building homepage. The site has its announcements right under the banner.

ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY

www.admu.edu.ph

Blue and blue and blue. The blue pride. It has a very large slideshow of what's going on. I was able to catch Rizal's picture with Tagalog caption. Not so Ateneo in the Tagalog part but hey, the site looks so pro.

CENTRO ESCOLAR UNIVERSITY

www.ceu.edu.ph

Presenting MMDA's extension site. Just kidding. The CEU site reminds me of old MMDA's theme. It is so PINK. Not a fan of the color, but they sure are making a difference here!

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY

www.dlsu.edu.ph

The site is so pangmayaman. It has this Apple website feel on it. The shadows of the borders give it that kind of feel. The site is simple and easy to navigate on.

FAR EASTERN UNIVERSITY

www.feu.edu.ph

The website has this 3D feel on it. Like, it looks nice actually. The colors: yellow and green complement each other so much that it looks so Slytherin with the yellow.

MAPUA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

www.mapua.edu.ph

The site is red and it looks like the Indonesian flag. The site seems like it's a Weebly template ripoff, but it is very simple which makes it look good.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

www.national-u.edu.ph

This site is the only one with a wallpaper-looking background. It looks pale and there seems nothing special about it. Maybe because of the color.

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

www.pup.edu.ph

PUP site is the only one which doesn't literally waste any space. Look at how much they maximized the whole screen. It has a futuristic look on the banner.

UNIVERSITY OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

www.uap.asia

The site is very simple. Some bugs when I tried the Blaze A Trail campus tour. They also maximized the space but only on the slideshow part.

UNIVERSITY OF THE EAST

www.ue.edu.ph

Very child friendly looking site. Not into the minimalists side, more on the colorful stuff - decorative side. They highly emphasized them being "Topnotchers" so expect it all over the website.

UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES DILIMAN

www.upd.edu.ph

Very simple looking. The colors look 8-bitty. I think the website needs a complete overhaul. I guess it's all about the information and excellence, and not on the physical side.

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

www.ust.edu.ph

The site has a very good looking picture of it's famous building. The font is lovely. More like a directory, though but it's really nice.

Vote here!

Best University Website in the Philippines?

• ADU
• ADMU
• CEU
• DLSU
• FEU
• MAPUA
• NU
• PUP
• UA&P
• UE
• UPD
• UST

Acepoll

More polls: Online polls

*The website screenshots are property of the respective universities. For polling and statistics only.

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

20 Tips You Really Need Right Now

MANILA, Philippines - If you are a fan of memes, then I am sure you know Advice Mallard very well - it's the mallard who gives GOOD advices to everyone. I compiled some of these advices that I believe YOU really need right now.

© Dmitroza | Dreamstime Stock Photos &Stock Free Images

Here's my list:

1. Food tastes so bad after brushing?

"To keep food from tasting awful after brushing teeth, rinse with hot water."


2. Your kids keeps on scribbling on your newly painted wall?

"You can use toothpaste to remove crayon marks from walls."


3. Want to know if someone's staring at you? 

"Yawn."


4. Did you get a pimple before an important meeting? 

"Use an ice cube to shrink it."


5. Want someone to add you on Facebook?

"Take a picture with them and ask them to tag you."

6. Googling a computer problem?

"Add 'solved' to your search to find the answer faster."


7. Depressed?

"Do something really nice for someone else."


8. Choosing an alarm tone?

"Don't use your favorite song as an alarm. You'll end up hating it."


9. Puppy lost?

If you're trying to catch a loose dog, get their attention and run the other way. They'll start chasing you on instinct.

10. Cannot always remember your PIN?

"Make a fake contact on your phone where the last 4 digits of their number is your PIN."


11. Don't want to be embarrassed when buying something?

"Buy a birthday card along with it."


12. Itchy skin?

"Don't scratch. Apply pressure. The reduced blood flow will stop the itching."


13. Looking for new music?

"Search your favorite album on Amazon and see what else people bought."


14. Making sure the spelling of the words is correct?

"When spellchecking, read the your writing backwards. That way you will focus on every word and won't quickly read sentences."


15. Late night dinner?

"Don't go to a restaurant 15 minutes before they close. Every worker will hate you and you don't want people serving your food to hate you."


16. Need to clean a super messy room?

"Make the bed first. It will serve as a board to sort through all the madness."


17. Hate Mondays?

"Schedule something that you'll look forward to every monday: lunch with a good friend, your favorite TV show, or a movie."


18.Have an interview tomorrow?

"During job interviews, if you lack a particular skill set say 'no, but I am willing to learn."

19. Posture problems while working on a computer?

"Tilt the screen upwards so you have to sit straight."


20. Spraying your good smell potion?

"Cologne should not be an announcement, it should be a discovery."

That's all folks! :)

Source:
Mallard, A. (n.d.). Advice Mallard. Twitter. Retrieved June 9, 2013, from twitter.com/AdviceMallards

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

My Book Covers

MANILA, Philippines - Just sharing to everyone the book covers of my unfinished/unpublished novels or short stories. I made these images myself. The titles are the actual ones I wrote. I am an aspiring publisher or an author. Forgive the desperation. Haha..

A short story about someone who sinks with the Titanic.

A manga about a boy who needs to find his parents.

A short story of someone's view while the towers collapse.

A tagalog sparks novel about a promdi girl who encounters a rich scumbag guy.

A story about conspiracy and some love.

An old robot was found in a futuristic world of technology.

Two kids - one died - then a dog appears from nowhere.

Story about teens who are running because of a crime.

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Best Customer Service Experiences in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - There is a big difference to the (over-the-phone) customer service given by Filipinos to foreigners (through BPOs/call centers) and by Filipinos to fellow Filipinos (of local companies.) Filipinos working for BPOs are strictly guided by rules, formalities and forced rapport, while the local companies' customer representatives speak in Tagalog (or Taglish) and understand what you need perfectly -- there's no language barrier even in the slightest manner.

I don't usually call hotlines to get help. As much as possible, I go online and try to resolve the issue I am facing by myself with the help of people who've had experience the same thing. So unfortunately, there are only a few times that I have actually called or was called by these local companies, but hey, some are bad and some are good.

And good things do last. And why don't I share them now huh? I have three (3) good companies that perfectly fit the title above. The best companies with good customer services.




Globe Telecom

This Globe™ logo is a trademark of Globe Telecom

There are millions of Globe users in the Philippines. I think 95% of my phonebook contacts are Globe users. But the number of users didn't stop Globe in providing the best customer service. I have a lot of good experiences with Globe, being a prepaid subscriber since 2004-present (I guess) and postpaid by 2011-present, there are too many things to say. Take note that I am judging the customer-related service I experienced not the network's services (signal, internet speed, etc.) Here's one of them.

Scenario:

Let me choose this one time, when my prepaid phone had some missing P25 load when my company loaded my phone P550 for the first time as part of our benefits . So I decided to call just to "ask" where my PHP25 went to. It could be a service I was subscribed to or probably I accidentally dialed someone. So I called 211. 

The representative I spoke with was nice. I forgot her name, though. She checked immediately on the system to see what happened. I wasn't irate at all. I don't do that. I talk calmly no matter how bad the situation is. I was calling just to see where it went to, that's all. And to my surprise, she offered to put the load back on my account instantly and apologized for what happened. That's real quick! Some companies will check it further first, and will give you 24 hours to call them back just to review their system. It's only P25, I know, but I was completely satisfied at the end of the call. Great experience.

Another point that they have is using Facebook and Twitter to offer wider assistance. Here they did tweet me and DM me just to better assist me.

Some screenshots:

This was in 2010! They Direct Message you to help.

I didn't mean to talk to them but hey, they heard my frustration! That's awesome!

How to contact them?

Contact: Dial 211 on your Globe handyphone. 

Twitter: @talk2Globe + a bunch of Twitter reps with their own accounts @ofGlobe!

Website: http://chat.globe.com.ph/

Bayad Center

The corporate logo of Bayad Center

Honestly, I am not a regular customer of Bayad Center. I pay my bills online via BPI Online Express, but I go here to pay bills lately because they have this raffle that you can win a car and P5000 worth of bills. Haha.. I want the car, obviously. But hey, I had a great customer service experience with them, and I didn't call them (I don't even know their number)--THEY called me to help me! How cool is that!

Scenario:

So, like what I was saying, I joined their raffle, it's easy to join, just pay your bills and text the code to 5656 and tadah. One day, I decided to join so I paid 2 bills on a Bayad Center near our house. Then I texted the codes. Weee.. After a few days, I noticed that there weren't any confirmation texts from 5656. And that's weird, but I am good. If it didn't work, there's no problem at all. I am not really lucky with raffles anyway. Bored, I then decided to tweet them: "I am not receiving texts from your shortcode yadah yadah.." And woah, the corporate office called me right away, which I wasn't able to answer because I don't answer calls from numbers that aren't on my phonebook, but luckily, for some reason, I was able to answer it. The guy who answered was really nice and later I was able to talk to another guy, they called to tell me that all I have to do was to retext the messages because the network (which they called prior to that) had an issue that day I texted. And they called to tell me that when they could have just texted me or tweeted me that. I really appreciated the effort. They even gave me a number to call (a regular cellphone no.) just in case I would have issues in the future. I mean, I am really happy with it because when you come to think of it, it's my loss if I couldn't join the raffle, yet they treated me as though I paid for something and it was broken so they had to compensate me, but it's not the case, so that's really 2 thumbs up to these people.

Some screenshots:

How it started..

Even did a follow up! That's too much already! ;)

How to contact them?

Contact: 634-8870 

Twitter: @Bayad_Center

Website: http://www.bayadcenter.com/contact

BPI

This logo is copyrighted by the Bank of the Philippine Islands

The Bank of the Philippine Island or also known by everyone as BPI is one of the top banks in the country. Being a top company must  mean providing top service, and so far, there hasn't been any major complaints by people banking in their branches or by reviews by fellow bloggers. And that's dedication - "Let's make it easy." I've been banking with them for many years now. But honestly, there was nothing wrong with anything about it - I love this bank more than my other banks.

Scenario: 

Having two accounts with them (my personal savings account which has no savings at all and my payroll account that receives my direct deposit from my company) didn't stop me from opening another account with them -- this time, a virtual account from BPI Direct. I applied for a SaveUP account with insurance, this serves as a savings account within my savings account. So, after checking my online account a few days later, I still couldn't see my virtual savings account on my online page. I decided to contact them. I received a call from them, the phone banker I spoke with was very very professional, I bet she's pretty, too. I love the friendly but professional tone, I was definitely sure she knew was she was doing, and that's what customer service should be about--being able to deliver the help the customer needs with conviction. After reporting what happened, she told me I would be able to see the account within 24 hours and it wasn't even 24, I guess I saw it in minutes. I was really satisfied that day, I couldn't help myself, I told the world how great the experience was.

Some screenshots:

Tweet from BPI..

Telling the world..

How to contact them?

Contact: 89-100 for Metro Manila 1-800-188-89100 for domestic toll-free calls (where available) 

Twitter: @TalktoBPI

Website: http://www.bpiexpressonline.com/

To sum it up, I believe good customer service in the Philippines is one thing we don't usually share to others. We only talk about our bad experiences and not the good ones. I would like to thank these companies for providing me good customer service experience. I know the product can sometimes be frustrating  but never blame the representative or even shout to them. Appreciate. It's hard to do something even them cannot do - or else they wanted to be fired.

 And oh I just noticed something, all of them communicated through Twitter! Weeee... Follow me @leejaedi


Disclaimer: CallMeJed™ is not affiliated with these companies. All opinions expressed here are the blog's and/or the author's. This is not a paid advertisement. The logos used here are trademark of the individual companies. For illustrative purposes only to identify the companies. No copyright infringement intended but may be taken down when requested by these companies.

Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Mga Taong Nakakainis

MAYNILA, Pilipinas - Bakit nga ba may mga taong nakakainis? Kung iisipin mo. Pare-pareho lang naman tayo. Ikaw, ako, siya, 'yung nanay mo, 'yung nanay ng nanay mo, yung nanay ng nanay ng nanay ng nanay mo.. tao lang tayo, hindi ba? Pero bakit may mga taong nakakaasar? 'Yung tipong kahit wala namang ginawa, inis na inis ka.. Well, hindi natin kontrolado yung nasa paligid natin. Pwedeng naiinis ka sa kanila kasi may mga bagay silang ginawa sayo, or posibleng may mga bagay ka na hindi mo napapansin na kinaiingitan mo. Pero ganun pa man, anong klaseng mga tao nga ba yung pinakanakakainis?

Isa-isahin natin.


Taong Magaling Lang Kapag May Kailangan

Una, yung magaling lang kapag may kailangan. Ang daming taong ganito. Nagkalat yan. Kaliwa, kanan, taas, baba. Diyos ko. Makikita mo yan kahit saan ka magpunta. Yung mga taong pag may kailangan sayo e ang bilis bilis bilis pero pag ikaw naman ang may kailangan, hindi mo yata yan makikita kahit sa bahay nila. Well, siguro sila yung mga taong tinatake ka for granted ng hindi nila napapansin. Posible ring tingin nila you are their savior. Posible diba? Pero ganun pa man, nakakaasar pa rin yun. Sino ba namang gustong lapitan lang kapag may kailangan? Weird, diba?



A Talker But Never A Listener

Susunod sa listahan natin e yung mga taong kwento ng kwento ng kwento, pero pag ikaw na yung nagkwekwento, hindi naman nakikinig.  May mga taong ganyan. Maggagantuhan (magkwekwentuhan?) kayong dalawa, so nakikinig ka sa kanya, tss daldal siya ng daldal ng daldal, ikaw naman nakikinig ka, so kapag ikaw na yung magbu-butt in ng iyong sariling story (with arte), aba!, teka, mukhang ang hirap yata gawin. Nakakasar to diba? Ang dami mo ng pwedeng ishare, ang dami mong pwedeng irelate dun sa story niya, pero hindi ka makasingit. Paano kasi ang daldal-daldal.


One Day Millionaire

Pangatlo siguro sa listahan natin e 'yung mga taong ang gastos gastos - pero kapag magpapalibre ka na, wala ng pera. :D Ang daming taong ganito, siguro minsan ganito ka rin, yung tipong ang gastos gastos mo sa lahat ng bagay pero kapag may importante kang bagay na kailangang bilhin, wala ka ng pera. Nakakaasar diba? Well nakakaasar yung mga ganito kasi una sa lahat pagwala na silang pera, sayo sila NANGUNGUTANG. :p


Over Decorated Mannequins

Susunod: mga taong ayos pumorma na tila aattend ng fashion show. Ang daming ganito, san ka magpunta, dress to kill si ate, si kuya. Kahit ang init-init, nakajacket. Kahit tag-ulan, nakatakong. Hey, hey, hey guys. Easy lang. Nasa Pinas tayo. Pansinin mo, tayo nga yung mga pinakasimpleng tao sa mundo e, dapat makibagay tayo sa panahon. Well, okay lang naman siguro kung artista ka or siguro kung talagang afford mo naman siya, why not diba? Pero may mga taong, wala naman ng pambili ng pagkain, kung makabili pa ng damit akala mo wala ng bukas.


P.G.

Isa pang nakakainis sa listahan ng mga tao e yung mga taong BURAOT. Tama. Yung tipong isusubo mo na lang, kakagatin pa yung kalahati, yung tipong "patikim" pero "shet!" hindi ata tikim yun ah. Lamon yung tsong, lamon! Well, masarap kasi kumain kung may kashare ka.. which is true. Kapag kumakain tayo, minsan mas masarap yung may kahati, parang feel mo bitin na bitin ka dun sa pagkain mo, tsaka parang ang sarap sarap niya kainin. Pero nakakaasar pa rin yung mga buraot kung minsan, pano kasi ang lakas lakas manghingi pero pagsila yung may food, aba, parang presidente lang na bantay sarado lang sa pagkain niya at parang wala pang balak mamigay.


Hanggang dito na lang! Haha.. Hindi ako galit ha! Nagpapaliwanag lang. Haha.. XD


 Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.

Paano Magmove-on ng Mabilis!

MAYNILA, Pilipinas - Oo, oo.. Alam ko. Masakit talaga ang break up. Pangalawa na ata ito sa pinakamasakit na bagay na pwedeng mangyari sa iyo, sunod sa kapag tumama ung hinliliit mo sa paa sa kanto ng aparador--walang tatalo dun! Anyway, isa sa naiisip mo sa ngayon habang nasa breakup stage ka e "hindi ka na makakapagmove on dahil imposible ito." You are wrong! Akala mo lang yan! Pero I know mahirap, hindi madaling gawin, or it takes time. Sure, sure, it takes time. Pero how long? 3 years? 7 years? Don't fret my love! Dahil eto ang kasagutan diyan. I will tell you the fastest way to move on! In an instant! Ang bagong Unilever MoveOn Capsules made with the finest coconut jelly and North Korean ginseng extract na mabibili exclusive sa Watsons! ..... Haha.. Wag kang tanga. Walang ganung instant pagdating sa nararamdaman. Pero try mo. Baka tumalab.

© Joseasreyes | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Heto na talaga.


Isipin Mo Siya Ng Isipin

Oo! Totoo.. Sabi nila forget him/her to move on. Oo nga. Pero when people tell you to do it, the more mo itong gagawin. Pasaway tayo e. Diyan tayo magaling. Now I dare you to think of him/her. Pagsawaan mo siya. Think of how much time you are wasting thinking of this person. And you know, studies show that when you repeatedly think (write or say) a word, you will have this weird thinking na this word doesn't have a meaning. It's called semantic saturation. A psychological thingy. Google it up. Malay mo. Manawa ung utak mo kakaisip sa kanya. Pero as much as possible stick to "forget him/her." :D

Iwasang Magisa

I know minsan masarap magmuni-muni at magdrama kapag you are experiencing loneliness. Parang you are in a drama series na ikaw ang bida, and api and mag-isa. It's okay lang naman to do it, kasi it's a way for your mind to flush out all that pain that you may be feeling right now. Pero a day or two will do. Again, 1-2 days lang yan. Anything longer than that should be avoided. You've cried enough. Spent your time alone long enough. The 3rd day? Avoid being alone. As much as possible you should not let yourself be alone kahit pumupupu ka pa. Kasi any time alone will make you hear the "love song music" playing in the background again, tapos you will start thinking how lonely you are and so and so forth.  Tapos? Ano? Edi hindi ka na nakapag-move nun! And being with family and friends and whoever (whatever) is a good, good thing! Makes you realize how happy the world is even without your ex.


Acceptance

Tama. Acceptance. Tanggapin mo ang katotohanan na wala na kayo. I am sure there is 20% to 40% chance na you are thinking or hoping na magkakaayos pa kayo. Well, kung meron man, leave it to him/her, if you really want to move on, tanggapin mo na wala na talaga siya. Hindi mo hawak ang future, kapag sinabi nating acceptance it means many things: pagkalimot, pagbabago at pagparty-party! Pagkalimot kasi you will forget what happened-good or bad. Pagbabago kasi you will be someone new-a person without him/her. Pagparty-party kasi finally, natanggap mo na na you are officially single! Weeee!


Burahin Mo Siya Sa Isip, Sa Salita, At Sa Gawa

Dito mo kakailanganin ang delete button! Delete sa phone, sa Facebook, sa email, sa Viber.. saan pa ba? Sa tattoo mo! Everything na merong magpapaalala sa'yo sa kanya needs to be deleted or trashed or erased or trashed or burnt or trashed. GET THE PERSON OUT OF YOUR LIFE! And start by stopping yourself as a stalker. This actually the easiest thing to do. This is controllable e. You can delete the person on your phone or Facebook. Scared to be called 'bitter'? Who freaking cares! Hindi ka bitter when you do that. You are just strong enough to face the fact that the person is not part of life anymore! Tapos ngiti. :)


'Wag Humanap ng Kapalit

Isa sa malaking-malaking (napakalaking) pagkakamali ng maraming brokenhearted sa ngayon is yung maghanap ng kapalit. Sabi daw ng iba "YOU WOULDN'T GO TO THE SHOE STORE TO REPLACE YOUR SHOES WITH YOUR FEET BARENAKED, WOULD YOU?" This is fucking insane! It the same as "humanap ka ng kapalit habang nandiyan pa yung tao (or yung feeling) kesa naman mabakante ka (or mabakante ung feeling mo.)" Piece of shizzzzz! The best way to move on is to erase, let it that way for some time and let it be replaced without you forcing yourself into it. Hindi "erase and replace." Dapat may period in between na wala talagang laman. It will make you more human. So wag humanap ng kapalit -- give time for your heart to heal and then let the love begin.


Humanap ng Bago

Hindi kapalit ok? Kakasabi lang e. Humanap ng bago sa buhay mo. Either organization, kaibigan, pagkakaabalahan or simpleng gamit sa bahay. Kapag meron kasing bago sa atin, nafofocus ung utak natin dun. Diba? And the busier you are, the better you can move on. :)


Feel Good About Yourself

Yes! Kung kasalanan niya - "Hindi ikaw ang nawalan, siya." Kung kasalanan mo - "People make mistakes, kung hindi niya matanggap yun. We aren't meant to be." Don't feel sorry about yourself. Wag kang magpakapathetic! You are worth more than who you think you are! And look at the mirror. Oha. T*nginang looks yan! Crush ng bayan. (asa) Well, wag lalaki ulo mo, pero what I am saying is, you are special.  Find your best asset or enhance it. Tapos labas and show it to the world. Wag lang shempre kung yang asset mo is your brain. Hindi pa zombie apocalypse, ma'am/sir.


To sum it up, moving on takes time and a lot of patience. Hindi siya madaling gawin kagaya ng iniisip mo na "mabilis" pero doing these tips make it "mabilis" in a sense na this is the fastest way you can move on in a short period of time.

Pero at the end of the day, it is still your choice to do whatever you wish. Walang kasagutan pagdating sa sakit ng pagkahiwalay, and the only person who can understand what you feel is the stronger you na nagtatago sa loob mo. The very reason why you are still living kahit a part of you already died.

Remember this, moving on is never easy, pero it's your choice if you will make your life miserable or not while doing it.

Tip ko sa'yo after reading this blog post? Eat! Sarap kumain kapag napapagod ka na kakasip no?


Call Me Jed™ (cc) 2013. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Philippines License.