Making a choice: A Brighter Life

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I  smile as I flick through the photos from my little red wooden box. As I gaze at the photos of my children, the laughter springs to life in my memory bank. Life has not always been nice and dandy but that is not to say it remained sad or lonely. Life is  about making a choice: should it be sad or happy? dark or bright?  I wish I knew that life were about choices when I was at the deepest pit of my misery but thanks to loving friends, I got out of it and chose a life that is happy and bright. When made that choice, it does not mean I will ignore feelings of sadness. It means working towards the goal of a happy and bright future.

my daughters

A brighter life for me will be cherishing my golden years and contributing to the future of my children.  I made this choice after I decided to live a new normal after the death of my son.  I know I will not be as young and vibrant so I needed to prepare living a comfortable life beyond my golden years. That meant fixing my finances through long term investment and  a sound retirement plan.  I deserve to have the self-esteem and peace that accompanies financial responsibility. The future of my children does not only lie in providing them material wealth.  Helping out in community activities also contribute greatly to my children’s future. What better legacy is there than making a difference in my children’s life by being of service to others?

brighter life website

Everyone has their own ideas of a brighter life. Sites like brighterlife.com.ph provide inspiration. You may also ask yourself “How do you imagine a Brighter Life? Is it having comfortable lifestyle? To be able to provide for your family’s needs? Perhaps you want to leave behind a lasting legacy?” Just like a friend you can talk to, the Brighter Life website provides lessons in life and financial advice. Divided into five categories, it is easy to relate to because it tackles relationships with five aspects of our lives: finance, health, family, career and the future.

Topics in personal finance is quite useful to me. Though my family invested in real properties and Sun Life Financial Investments, I also want to know more about stock investments.  Being a newbie in the stock markets, it is heartening to read articles like the “The Road to Becoming Stocks Smart”.  I can relate to the writer’s fear of the unknown. I need to conquer that fear too by getting to know the ropes of the stock market.

There are more topics that will surely enlighten you. My good friend Randell Tiongson writes about Pinoy Style: Financial Planning. Randell has “ personally been a witness to many individuals who had relatively good income and yet failed miserably with regard to being financially secure.” Preparing for a brighter with a financially secure future requires taking action today:

1.Increase your cash flow;

2. Reduce or eliminate debt;

3. Take baby steps in savings and investing;

4. Review your finances periodically;

5. Communicate with your family.

For more tips about personal finances, visit http://brighterlife.com.ph

Grab the opportunity: Be a Certified  Blog and Social media entrepreneur

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I am excited about 2014 for the possible opportunities that will come my way.  The start of the new year offers a wonderful opportunity for me to reflect on 2013 and to set goals for the months ahead. I took concrete steps on the direction of this blog ever since I started in 2006.   Yesterday, I blogged about “Speaking and Consulting” as possible income opportunities.   It is another business model to sustain my advocacy in using social media for social good. Sure, I will still get ads, sponsorship, create content and collaborate with projects but I want to diversify. I am in control of my blog and I know I need to take risks to reach my goals.

I believe bloggers can generate revenue by being a blog and social media entrepreneur. There are many benefits of being one.  Some of the things you can do is creating and sharing relevant content; building and managing online communities (managing a forum or Facebook page) ; becoming a digital advocate or influencer; starting a blog movement or communities of like-minded people; building a blog network; creating a win-win social media campaign; helping out with the online presence of NGOs; and building social media presence for people or businesses.

Readers often ask me tips on how to tap the potential of their blogs and social media network. The question on their minds is “How?”

While I would like to sit down with them, I believe I won’t be able to deliver all the tips in one day. You can also do it by trial and error like I did but it will take years to acquire those skills.  If you want to fast track your blogging direction, the best recourse is to acquire the skills and knowledge from resource speakers who walk the talk, and are subject matter experts.

I came across, the Ateneo – DigitalFilipino Digital Entrepreneurship Program called,  Blog & Social Media Entrepreneur Course “with the aim of creating a movement – to encourage the growth of online entrepreneurship and serve the growing needs of businesses locally and internationally.”  Janette Toral partnered with Ateneo De Manila University and eLearning Edge to offer this program which started in 2010 , to support her advocacy in developing more “blog and social media entrepreneurs” in the country.  They combine online course access, hands-on activities, and consultations via webinar. See the modules in the infographic below:

blog and social media entrepreneur

One advantage of this intensive 14 – week online mentorship program is one can learn at any time of day and from anywhere as long as one has internet access. How convenient!

Another advantage is this program is different from similar courses in the market because it goes beyond the creation of a project plan. The one-on-one consultation plays an important role during this stage as well where Janette Toral also collaborates, if necessary, to help carry out a participant’s project.

What makes the program unique in comparison to other programs available is it required completion of a live project per module. As a result, by the time a student finishes the program, they have three projects in their portfolio.

Want to increase your income for 2014?  Grab the opportunity.  Consider being a Certified Blog and Social Media Enterpreneur.  Ideal students for this program are those who aspire to establish their own “personality” brand. They will be able to use the skills and experiences learned in doing the same for others – person, product, service, company and advocacy.

Investment for the program is only P25,000.00. It may look big at first but can be easily recovered by an entrepreneur on their first two projects.  The online class starts on January 25, 2014. Contact Janette Toral (@digitalfilipino) on Twitter or send a private message on facebook.

Speaking & Consulting : Social media, Pro-active parenting & Wellness

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How time flies. The year 2014 is my eighth year as a blogger. When I look back at my grief journey, the turning point is the day I became a blogger on February 25, 2006. It must have been my angel that touched me that one night. I embraced twitter a year after including facebook and other social media networks.

Never in my wildest dream did it occur to me that this new life without my son would open doors to an even more meaningful life. Three years after in 2009, an opportunity presented itself to me to be part of the Automated elections in a PCIJ training. I grabbed the chance. I felt sad that the democracy that we fought so hard in 1986 was getting fragile. I felt the same heaviness in my heart as I saw the corruption slowly destroying our country. What will happen to the country that my children will inherit one day? I wanted take an active role in advocating social change.

jane and myself 3

My good friend Jane Uymatiao (@philippinebeat) together with other citizen advocates in Blog Watch are committed to make a difference in the lives of the Filipino people by helping them make more informed decisions. We help make things happen , one blog post at a time, one tweet at a time , to advocate social change as well as serve as a nonpartisan citizens’ watchdog and collective conscience for transparency and good governance. Being part of that positive change is a meaningful life to me. Blog Watch Citizen media, an emerging media is so much a part of my life aside from this blog.

To sustain an advocacy requires time and money that could have otherwise gone to saving up for our senior years. This is where Jane and I talked about developing our income channels yet doing what we are passionate about: advocating for social change.

Why not offer our services? Though, Jane and I are invited as social media resource speakers, we don’t actively promote ourselves. For 2014, we have moved to a new direction: expanding our services to include social business consultancy, and more topics for social media and pro-active parenting with a new category on “Reinventing One’s Life”. Jane writes about this new chapter in her life.

Here is a general background of the services Jane and I are offering:

1. Social Business Consultancy

Social media presence is no longer a “nice to have” feature of your business. It is a “must have” to be present on social media and give personality and better customer service to your customers and clients. We can help you align your business goals with social media engagement. Applying a new philosophy and methodology to your digital approach will naturally make your business and your overall strategy…meaningful and social.

2. Social Media Resource Speaker

Speaking topics include:

a) Personal branding
b) Brand advocacy- effectively turning customers into brand advocates is a company wide effort
c) Social media content
d) Developing a crisis communication plan
e) How to develop social-media enabled leaders in their spheres of influence
f) Using social media to advocate for social good (company advocacy work, disaster risk reduction)

3. Pro-active Parenting

Speaking topics:
– A safe school program to prevent bullying, abuses and discrimination
– How to establish a digital trust fund for your children
– Teenagers: Why they Should Care About their Digital Footprint
– Parenting in a digital landscape

4. Reinventing One’s Life

Speaking topics:
– Rediscovering Passion in One’s Prime
– Learn the power of forgiving and letting go
– Loving and taking care of yourself
– Finding purpose and meaning in one’s prime
– Developing a wellness mindset

With this new thrust, we will be able to achieve a better work balance, as we continue to earn adequately to sustain our advocacy and boost our retirement savings.

For more details about how Jane and I can work with you, please send me an Email at noemidado @ gmail.com or the form below

Don’t let your money sleep. Grow it with Money Tree.

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I was too complacent during the years I grieved for the loss of my son. I left all the financial burden to my husband. Today, taking responsibility for our financial affairs improved my self-esteem and lessened my anxiety.

Each of us has a financial future. There are few future aspects of my life I can’t control, but one part I can play to assist our family’s future is setting goals. Now that my children are financially independent, our next goal is our retirement income. Not that I will retire anytime soon, but my husband and I need funds for our senior years. Aside from real estate investment, we placed some of our savings in mutual or equity funds in three financial institutions for long term investments.

Long Term investments

A vast majority of Filipinos are only aware of saving accounts in banks and time deposits and do not know that there are other vehicles which can best grow one’s money. I am not talking of those ““get-rich-quick” scheme that reportedly duped 15,000 people, including local government officials in the Visayas and Mindanao”.

The reality is, savings and time deposits earn 2.75% or less annually. With inflation currently at 3.6% as of September 2012, the purchasing power of your money will diminish over time.

There are many options to make your money grow. One is Philam Life’s Money Tree, a one-pay investment and life insurance plan that gives you the opportunity to invest in high-performing funds that take advantage of the Philippines’ booming economy. It also offers life insurance protection to secure your family’s future.

Benefits of Money Tree

What I liked about this long-term solution is the life insurance benefit in case something happens to me. Naturally, my beneficiaries are my two children. What benefits can you exactly derive from the Philam Life’s Money Tree?

1. Grow your money’s value over the long-term

Money in the bank actually loses its value and gets eroded by inflation. I just put enough for short term needs. Bank deposits only earn 0.375% p.a. for savings accounts while one-year time deposits earn 2.75% p.a. or less. This is not enough to beat the current inflation of 3.6% as of September 2012.

2. Ride on the growth of the Philippine economy

Gain access to an array of professionally-managed investment funds which allow you to participate in the growth sectors of the Philippine economy.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said the Philippine growth in 2012 will be well in excess of 5%. And we are certainly looking forward to 2013 being in the range of 5% as well. Not only that, Philippines is now the fourth fastest economy in Asia, and is expected to be sixth fastest growing economy in the world by 2050. Philippine Stock Exchange reached multiple all-time highs this year and is expected to continue to further grow as our economy progresses further.

3. Gain from Professional Fund Management

Benefit from Philam Life’s expertise and experience in insurance and wealth management to help you grow your money over the long term.

4. Enjoy Guaranteed Life Insurance

One gets protection including your family with guaranteed life insurance benefit of at least 125% of your initial investment.

Each of us has our own individual needs and preferences and one should also undertake individual planning. Certain financial requirements may take priority over others. For younger families, a home might be a priority over retirement during the earlier years. No matter one’s stage in life, it is important to take a long-term perspective when it comes to investing. Maintaining this discipline allows investors to reap better returns and beat any uncertainties in market. The important thing to look at is to match your goals with proper investment tools. Short-term goals may require putting money in the bank but medium to long-term goals should not be funded by short-term savings.

What are your plans? Don’t let your money sleep. Consider long term investments like Philam Life’s Money Tree. Take control of your financial future today.

To know more about Philam Life’s Money Tree, call (02) 528-2000 or click here.
You can also visit Philam Life’s Facebook Fanpage at www.facebook.com/PhilamLifeAIA and learn tips on how to plan for your and your family’s future.

Women entrepreneurs running their online business with eBay Philippines

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I am a firm believer that one of the solutions to our country’s economic woes is that more of us should start a small business and be self-sustaining. With the advent of the internet, business can even start online.

Women entrepreneurs are an ever-growing part of the economy, and one of the best opportunities to start is through online selling on your own platform or using one like eBay. I had the opportunity to talk to eBay Philippines a few weeks back. I discovered that eBay Philippines provided our women to run successful businesses right in the comfort of their own homes.


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Finding the right school for your child

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“No one school is right for every child. When searching for a school for your child, the question is not whether a particular school is good or bad, but whether it’s the right school for your child. You might ask the school, ‘What is your definition of a successful child at this school?’ or ‘What kind of child would find success here?'” David Harris

school-dayIt must have been two years ago that I told my daughter to write a guest post in my blog on bullying. She didn’t hesitate to share her experience to my readers because doing so will raise awareness to parents that their kids should never ever be bullied at school.

One thing I do know is that a lot of the insecurities I have about myself is rooted in the fact that I got bullied a lot during my early elementary school years….they pass it off as play, or maybe an early life lesson: the world can be a terrible place filled with people who will treat you with undeserved cruelty. I do understand that kids have to grow up and learn that hard lesson someday, but I think anyone under the age of ten is too young to deal with that much reality. At that age, it’s important for children to learn to accept or at least respect people for exactly who they are instead of making fun of their differences. What kind of lesson will be passed on to them if their elders shrug off bullying as something totally normal?

Her reflection of her bullying experience just tore me apart. I felt so helpless because during those days, children just had to deal with bullies. I considered moving schools but all the schools in the nineties were just Montessori-imitations or the usual large traditional schools. Parents are fortunate these days because they face a wide range of options aside from traditional Catholic schools that I attended to. Take for example, homeschooling that my friends, Jen and Julie are doing to their young kids. Then there are the non-traditional schools , the alternative to traditional schools.

As a mom blogger, I get a chance to visit non-traditional schools and check out their curriculum and programs. This is an opportunity to share these information to my readers and for them to discern if this is the right school for their child.
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Meralco lights up Christmas for kids from 1 to 92

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Christmas is most truly Christmas when we celebrate it by giving the light of love to those who need it most.– Ruth Carter Stapleton

Christmas lights always gives me that warm fuzzy feeling that glows inside for the entire season. It brings me so much joy. Childhood memories of twinkling lights and Christmas carols are enough to lift my spirits during the holiday season. Through the years that I lived in Pasig, the lights in the Meralco compound never fails to mesmerize me as the car passes by.

meralco-christmas-lights2
It never occurred to me that Meralco has been opening its gates to the public for a long time now, giving delight to kids from ages 1 to 92. Yes, not just young kids but kids at heart like me. I didn’t have to think twice being invited together with other bloggers to witness the Christmas lighting tonight.

meralco-christmas-lights6
CEO Manny Pangilinan together with other very important guests marked the lighting event. For Meralco, lighting up their Ortigas compound symbolizes the light of Jesus Christ whose coming to the world brings joy and hope to the young and old.
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Embassy of the United States in Manila invites bloggers

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me-and-joe-tordella

Photo from Jane Uymatiao. Me and Assistant Cultural Affairs, Joe Tordella with Jay de Jesus on far left and Juned Sonido at the center.

The government inviting bloggers is slowly catching on. The Singapore Tourism Board brought me to their Singapore Food Festival 2009 and also Singapore Food Festival 2010. Our own Philippines’ Department of Tourism invited a few bloggers to the Black Eyed Peas Concert and Meet Apl de Ap in Singapore. It was a matter of time that the embassies in the Philippines would invite bloggers to their reception or events.

The Embassy of the United States in Manila is not far behind. Jay de Jesus, the Emerging Media Specialist for Public Affairs of the US Embassy recommended a few bloggers to a reception hosted by Counselor for Public Affairs, Richard W. Nelson to welcome their new and current Cultural Affairs Attache, Alan R. Holst, and Assistant Cultural Affairs Attache, Joseph Tordella.

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A Chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip to the Greek isles

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A Jewish proverb says “No matter what happens, travel gives you a story to tell. ” I just came from my husband’s hometown for a Father’s day weekend. It might just be an ordinary place to travel for most of you but see, there is a story to tell. Since we moved to our new home in Pasig in 2007, my husband felt our new home was the ultimate vacation destination. Except for a brief trip to Singapore, we never traveled within the Philippines as we used to in the past. I nagged him to take us back to his birthplace because the kids missed travelling with us. Unfortunately, only one daughter could join us as the second daughter couldn’t leave work. Being in a different place is always an opportunity to take a break from the computer, bond with my husband and daughter. This is just the beginning of a series of travel in the Philippines and elsewhere for the year 2010. Of course, a travel is never complete without photos and I took lots of them. Above are just a few.

National Geographic Energizer Ultimate Photo ContestI am back in Manila and eager to start work when I saw this email in my inbox. The sender, the awareness campaign of National Geographic and Energizer who asked me if I was interested to share the Energizer Ultimate Photo Contest with my readers. The thought of travelling to the Greek Isles will surely interest everyone. I thought you might be interested in this unique opportunity which is now in its third year so I am sharing it with you.

What is it about? (EDIT: Found out the contest rules are “open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old “)

1. Send in your best photos – in categories like Animals/Wildlife, Travel and Weather – for a chance to win a National Geographic Expeditions trip for two to the Greek isles and a featured in an Energizer ad in the December issue of National Geographic magazine.

2. Entry is open until June 30th at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pictela. National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson serves as a contest judge, and will also be doling out photography tips and participating in a Q&A session on the contest website.

3. ALL photography skill levels are encouraged to enter – one of last year’s winners was shot by a zoo employee on a regular point-and-shoot camera!

The deadline is next week, June 30. Send your photos here at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/pictela

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