First person – Xiamen crash landing: The case of chaos at NAIA

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This was originally published at the Manila Times on August 26, 2018

Travel is an adventure, I thought. However, when I had an eye-opening experience of a cancelled flight followed by a boarding delay of several hours, I could best describe it as “Noemi’s Chaotic Adventure”. The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway closure due to Xiamen Air flight MF 8667’s crash landing exposed major weaknesses in NAIA’s operations. NAIA has four terminals but it could only use two runways, one plane at a time. Its closure led to the cancellation of several flights, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the NAIA terminals or various airports around the world. I was one of those stranded, irate passengers. My “tale of inconvenience” from the flight cancellation and delays is not as bad as the stories of my fellow travelers on Cathay Pacific flight CX 902 bound for Amsterdam Schiphol, originally scheduled for August 17, 2018.

My plans covered traveling with my sister and visiting my daughter in Europe, complete with train tickets and accommodations. When NAIA announced on its Twitter account that the runway would open at 12 noon but eventually moved the schedule to 4:00 pm of August 17, I felt optimistic that I could still leave on time at 8:00 pm. The Twitter account of Cathay Pacific, including the flight status in its app, didn’t update the passengers of status changes. I arrived at Terminal 3 before 4 p.m. only to hear another announcement that the runway would reopen at 7 p.m.

This 7 p.m. timetable was moved to 5 a.m. on August 18. Bad weather conditions or pilot error could have caused Xiamen Air flight MF 8667 to crash-land at NAIA Terminal 1’s runway. This is an issue that needs a separate investigation. Miguel, a Twitter user, questioned NAIA: “What were the bases of their previous announcements? The fact that the runway opening has been postponed so many times in the last 24 hours simply meant that NAIA management had no plans in place with no knowledge of what they are doing!”

 

What annoyed me is that NAIA didn’t seem to have a crisis plan to remove the 43-ton Chinese aircraft that was stuck on the runway. NAIA thought it could remove the Xiamen plane with their equipment — but the soil was too soft. Crisis management covers any plane stuck in the mud or concrete runway.

 

While re-booking on the same flight for the next day had no extra charge, the Grab car ride back home took another three hours. What about the passengers who came from the provinces? Did they have accommodations? I enabled account notification for the @MIAAGovPH and @cathaypacific to alert me of any updates. Sure enough, it alerted me that the 5 a.m. departure was changed to 12 noon. I also observed that many social media-savvy passengers openly complained to whoever would listen on their Facebook or Twitter accounts. Searching for #NAIA horror stories were enough to make me appreciate that I would only have to miss one day of my European vacation, or so I thought.

After three hours of queuing at the Cathay Pacific counter, I finally got to check in. I hoped that the plane would leave on time so I could catch my connecting flight in Hongkong but someone told me that there was a long queue of planes trying to land at NAIA. I confirmed that there were planes going around in circles above the NAIA terminal from the Flight Aware app, a flight tracker and flight status app.

When I arrived at 3:30 a.m. on August 19 at the Hong Kong International Airport, I made my way to the Transfer Desk. Majority of the passengers in our flight had to re-book their connecting flights. A seaman had to return to the Philippines because his ship would have left by the time he arrived at his destination. A woman in a wheelchair lamented that she missed her group bound for Madrid. My sister and I could not get another flight to Amsterdam until 21 hours later.

Cathay Pacific did not want to compensate me with lounge access but instead provided HK$450 meal vouchers. The customer service representative at the counter said it was Manila’s fault. While the meal vouchers were useful, a place to take a nap other than public seats was an immediate need. Fortunately, I had two memberships with access to airport lounges: Dragon Pass (given to Citibank Premiere Miles cardholders) and Priority Pass. The latter was more useful because the former did not reflect my credit card purchases. In the airport lounge, I took a nap, had my shower, and ate buffet meals.

Lounge access is an added cost, including non-refundable expenses such as paid accommodations and train tickets. Will I ever recover some of these expenses? A quick look at my travel insurance, a requirement for a Schengen visa, did not look promising for flight cancellation and delays because “causes of delays” only covered: (1) delay caused by severe weather conditions; (2) delay due to strike or other job action by employees of the airline on which the insured is scheduled to travel; and (3) delay caused by the equipment failure of the aircraft on which the insured is scheduled to travel.

This is my woeful story about how it took almost three days to reach my destination. How will other passengers who missed work, events, and vacation plans recover from lost income or opportunity? Will Xiamen Airlines pay for the damages? Should our airline have been more helpful? Should NAIA also take responsibility? Will the travel insurance company cover the NAIA runway closure as a cause of delay or cancellation?

“This incident served as an eye-opener — a reminder for us to take a second look at the processes, procedures, and protocols of concerned agencies, as well as airlines, so that we may all improve in the future,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said in a statement after the NAIA runway was reopened after a 36-hour closure.

This “incident”, the term authorities will describe my chaotic adventure, is an eye-opener for everyone. These people-in-the-know possibly followed an agreed-upon process that would protect NAIA and the airlines from costly litigation. The government owes it to every passenger to make sure that “this case of chaos” does not happen again. Don’t allow the “Xiamen crash landing” to become a standard in NAIA crisis management.

Smile. Travel is taking a journey into yourself

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“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

To reach that single step here in Germany took me almost three days  and whole lot of patience. I will write more about my adventure during the NAIA chaos which took off two days off my vacation plans.  I was travelling with my younger sister who has been so cool despite the chaos we were into.  I had to nurse a bump on my head when my husband accidentally closed the trunk door. Fortunately , it was just a slight bump that went away after the ice pack. (Smile)

Take two at the NAIA Terminal 3, delayed for five hours  and I am still smiling because I am terribly excited to see my daughter and start my adventure with my sister. (Smile)

I arrived in Hongkong on Sunday only to miss our connecting flight to Amsterdam. Still smiling.

Fortunately I got access to an airport lounge which gave me some time to nap and have a shower. Still smiling.

The sunrise near the Amsterdam-Schipol airport is lovely. (Smile)

This is the first time ever that I am dragging a heavy luggage but the thought of seeing my daughter is enough to give me the strength. (Smile)

I am finally in her flat. Happy!

Yes, I am still smiling. A sunny day by the Rhine River  with my daughter is comforting. The flowers from her friend is pretty. All that adventure and living through the NAIA chaos is finally over. It was worth the trip no matter what route I took. (Wider smile this time)

So, yesterday I had time to sit in the park and reflect on the beauty around me. (Smile)

It was 25 Celsius in this part of Germany and wearing a hat is not just to protect me from the sun but also from the wasps or hornets. (Smile)

Even it is a bad hair day for me, I am excited to see Berlin. 34 years ago when I visited Germany, there was still a wall that  cut off West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin . Always smiling.

I will not allow chaos to ruin my vacation. Travel is taking a journey into myself and knowing that I can still enjoy what the universe has in store for me.  There are more smiles to show off.

 

Do you have a family media plan?

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This Family Media Plan was first posted at Manila Times

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed an interactive, online tool so families could create a personalized Family Media Use Plan at HealthyChildren.org/MediaUsePlan

Meet two mothers who have different media plans for their kids. One mom of two girls aged nine and 10 years old says gadgets are only allowed on weekends. This is assuming they don’t have exams or a tremendous amount of homework. Also, they cannot use the gadgets the whole day as we “force” them to go outside and play. She also added that she is friends with her kids on Facebook, the only social network allowed. Her kids are hardly ever on Facebook so there is minimal monitoring. This mom also has access to their gadgets and Facebook. Their gadgets are synchronized to her gadgets so she knows what they download. She created their FB accounts so she knows their passwords. Their android tablets are also synched to her Google account.

Then there is another mother of two, aged nine and 13 years old, who doesn’t have weekday-weekend play and gadget rules. She allows her kids to use gadgets as long as they satisfy a grade requirement, which is no grade below B+ or 88. She is connected to them via Facebook but they hardly use it. They don’t have Instagram but have Twitter for school use.

family media plan

Like I discussed in my last column, “Are digital gadgets good for our children?”, parents play a role in guiding children and teens navigate the internet and media environment, just as they help them learn how to behave off-line. No one can decide the media plan for your family except the parent or caregiver but there are recommendations to give you an idea.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that parents or caregivers develop a family media plan that considers the health, education, and entertainment needs of each child and the whole family. Our family pediatrician told me that the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) follows the recommendations of the PPS.

Continue reading at the Manila Times

Are digital gadgets good for our kids?

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Are digital gadgets good for our kids? was first published at the Manila Times, July 29, 2018.

Most parents face this dilemma: should they be giving their kids gadgets as toys? Or should they deprive them of these gadgets? It doesn’t help that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently released the latest update of its International Classification of Diseases and identified gaming disorder as an addictive behavior disorder. The new classification is warranted because of a movement in the medical field to recognize addictive behaviors extend beyond drug addiction, according to John Roache, who heads UT Health San Antonio’s Division of Alcohol and Drug Addiction.

Having raised my three children in the early age of the internet in 1995, I followed two parenting concepts that applies online and offline. These are clear limits and lead by example.

Clear limits mean providing boundaries on our child’s activities and walking the talk on rules.

We need to understand the technologies better to know how they should and should not be used. We have to recognize where the real world begins and ends so we can help our children develop boundaries in both worlds. Parents also need to venture into the online world of our children to help them navigate the tricky waters, learn the rules, learn from our adult experience and still be safe.

In our digital lifestyle, a mobile phone or tablet is usually within easy reach. Raising tech-savvy kids at such a young age has its advantage but can also be a little worrisome. Both feelings are valid, but the motivation behind our children’s interaction with gadgets need to be examined as this can help determine whether the use of the gadget is beneficial or harmful to the kid. Children exposed to gadgets for more than two hours a day have higher risk of becoming overweight, which could lead to other serious illnesses such as diabetes and heart diseases according to Dr. Parolita Mission, head of the National Nutrition Council (NNC) in Region 7.

A paper “The Impact of using Gadgets on Children”, written by Sundus of the Department of Computer Science, Lahore Garrison University and which appeared in the “Journal of Depression and Anxiety” published on January 10, 2018 discussed both the positive and negative impact of gadget use. The positive impact of gadget use are 1) Children have better motor skills; 2) Gadgets are fun for kids while they use them; 3) Educational games help children to perform well in their studies; 4) Playing video games enhances their skills of competition and enables them to manage themselves in competing environment.

On the other hand, the negative impact of gadget use is Speech or language delay, Attention deficits, Learning problems, anxiety, childhood depression, and negative impact on character.

Mundus recommend some tips parents can follow when their child is using gadgets.

Set time for using screens: The amount of time children spend on gadgets need to be restricted and be consistent by not allowing them to use after their time is finished. It is recommended that small children use gadget an hour a day and two hours a day for school children. Set your own rules and follow them consistently.

Some parents get their children’s gadgets at 9:00 PM before bedtime while others programmed their modem to shut off at a certain time. Another parent I know allows her highschool children to monitor their own time as long as their grades are fine. The limits I set for my children below 16 years old: only one hour gadget use/internet a day. No TV during school days. Once the girls were in college, I set them free and allowed them to set their own rules.

Make them play outside: Children need to be encouraged to play outside with their friends and siblings. They will learn to interact and communicate with other children. Playing with pets like cats, dogs, and other kids are so much better, rather than watching any animated movie. Playing outside also helps in exercising long distance vision and lessens the chances of myopia. Allow them to develop other hobbies like singing, sports or the arts.

You can also make a deal in the house that for every hour of media, they must also spend an hour reading or being outside. This makes sure kids keep a balance between technology and other activities.

Gadgets as babysitters is discouraged: It is best to keep the children occupied with other creative toys, story books, puzzles, coloring books while you are busy. Kids should be experiencing all the senses in their activities not just eye-hand coordination.

Ensure adequate sleep of your child:  10 hours a day is what our young children need every day. Good sleep helps recover from eyestrain and for efficient working of brain.

If you need to use digital devices to your young children, cuddle them in your arms or sit them on your lap. The best way to make technology a healthy and positive part of family life is actually to embrace it as a family activity.

Play games along with them to encourage building social skills while monitoring how they are learning. Teach them how to use technology responsibly. Talk to them about apps that have added value, versus apps that are merely repetitive. For as long as the kids are guided well and follow a balanced set of online and offline activities, gadget use can be beneficial to their learning and growth. As with everything, moderation is key.

Helicopter parents may need to come down to earth

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Helicopter parents take away a child’s character and his ability to do things on his own. This type of parenting is backfiring. – Lisa Hein

helicopter-parenting

I only heard of term, helicopter parenting from Cookie when I asked for suggestions on topics. I did a little research and found out that helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they hover closely overhead, rarely out of reach, whether their children need them or not.

I wondered if I was so I asked Lauren if I was a helicopter parent because I knew at some point I was a protective and strict parent. She said “no”. Sometimes I think I am so laid back but I don’t think I was a helicopter parent except when it came to the internet usage. In 1996, there were very few kids online and I had no one to ask advice on web safety. I learned to let go when the girls were in college but I never hovered like a helicopter when it came to their academics. In fact, I never fussed about their grades except when they needed help on a topic. Part of growing up is learning to stand on their own. The girls knew we were always there to ask for help.

How can you tell if you are a helicopter parent? A parent shared me her article 10 ways to tell if you are a helicopter parent, ten signs that you’re well on the road to driving your children, and yourself, insane. What is disturbing is the results of a study that says ” overly protective parents might be leaving a lasting impact on their child’s personality.” The US study, which surveyed college freshman, is one of the first to try to define exactly what helicopter parenting is, and measure it.

Can you imagine what it will be like in the more conservative Philippine setting? Only 10 % of the students surveyed had helicopter parents. I think I saw a few during registration period in Ateneo when I fetched my daughter after she was done.

What did the study show?

“Students with helicopter parents tended to be less open to new ideas and actions, as well as more vulnerable, anxious and self-consciousness, among other factors, compared with their counterparts with more distant parents.”

“We have a person who is dependent, who is vulnerable, who is self-conscious, who is anxious, who is impulsive, not open to new actions or ideas; is that going to make a successful college student?”

Many educators have been searching for ways to tell parents when to back off. It’s a tricky line to walk, since studies link parents’ engagement in a child’s education to better grades, higher test scores, less substance abuse and better college outcomes. Given a choice, teachers say, overinvolved parents are preferable to invisible ones.

The challenge is helping parents know when they are crossing a line.

My advice is letting go slowly… starting at 8 years old, determine if your child can wean off from your tutorial time, decide extra curricular activities and even making decisions with your guidance. Remember , a certain amount of hovering is understandable when it comes to young kids, but when it persists through high school and college, I think it is so unhealthy for both sides.

‘Give ’em the morals, give ’em the right start, but you’ve got to let them go.’ They deserve to live their own lives.”

helicopter-mom

Image posted at take10withtricia.com and http://womenonthefence.com

Always Young and Wild (Not)

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If there is anything my daughters (especially my eldest girl) cannot imagine is a young and wild me. True, I was once young (still young), a 105 pound slim and anti-social girl who’d rather pour over her school text books than gallivant around with her roommates or officemates. I never considered myself “wild” , not wild enough to party out during weekends. Not wild enough to bend a few rules here and there.

I am the sister who admonished her siblings NOT to stay out late. The only time I ever went home late was at 2:00 AM only because my ex-boyfriend drove me all the way from Quezon City to Las Piñas. To think that I was then 24 years old, living independently since college graduation and I had the freedom to go out anywhere I wished.

I was like the manang.

I am the sister who shook her head and berated her sisters whenever I see them scurrying off like rats over to the door as soon as my dad fell asleep. If only he knew.

I am the sister who got appalled whenever her other sisters climbed over the gates of our house after curfew hours. Of course, I never tattle-taled on them.

The two “wildest” things I ever did in my life was smoking (yes, bad!) and oogling at cute guys while abroad during a conference I attended with my sister Lorna and dad. The year was in 1984, a year before I got married. Butch told me that I should take this vacation because once we got married, he is not sure if he can bring me around the world. (He still hasn’t.)

young me
I thought that it is my last time to “appreciate” the cute guys (I still do!) without the guilt so why not? My sister, the sociable one always broke the ice when we met these cute guys. I can’t remember if I flirted or not. Maybe not because one time, a British guy stalked me as I loitered around the trade hall. Of course I snubbed the creep because girls don’t like to be stalked no matter how cute they are. The temerity of this guy! He had the gall to say that I was racist, just because of his color. Oh wow. I could have slapped him right there and then.

young me
My ex-boyfriend must have been attracted to my boring personality because one day he suddenly blurted in that sexy voice, You are like a rock to me. I must have also been attracted to his wild, reckless and unconventional ways too. We easily complemented each other. Sometimes, I see a little of myself in my second daughter (she’s more sociable than I was at her age) and my husband in Lauren though I know they are their own unique persons.

Do I regret not being a bit more wild?

Yes and no. No, because my personality is probably like that and Yes because I should have been more easygoing. I’ve evolved to a more laid-back person in the past years. Though I might have aged and grown bigger the past 29 years since those photos were taken, I still feel young and in every essence, happy. Age is not a factor to be considered “wild” and carefree.

I have never been happier in my life. I don’t pine for the good old days of my un-reckless lost youth. When I look back at my life , I don’t think in terms of my losses. I think of all the experience gained. And I look forward with enthusiasm about experiences that have yet to be enjoyed with my husband, my  daughters, my blogger friends, the citizen advocates of Blog Watch and my wonderful, loving siblings.

It’s one reason I want to venture into new activities or cultivate new friendships. There is always something fun to do.

To be young and wild is all about attitude.

Positive energy, anyone?

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I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.– Wayne Dyer

It’s so easy to notice what’s wrong.

It takes practice to see what’s right.

I don’t know why negativity thrives in some people. Maybe they lived around negativity for years. They have become skilled at attaching labels on what’s wrong with other people, our work, our life, our relationships, ourselves and our recovery. Heck, even my beloved Luijoe is thrown at my face when these negative/unhealthy people lose all sense of their arguments in my entries.

Positive-Energy

I don’t need this negative energy. When it comes, I throw it back to that person. That negative energy belongs to them. Negative thinking empowers the problem so I don’t let it get to me. Negativitis cripples the Human Spirit. Negative energy sabotages and destroys. You see it around even here in the blogosphere, blogs with crab mentality or with shock appeal. They even have their own community of whiners. Nothing surprising there. Negative people attract other complainers. It has a powerful life of its own.

So does positive energy . Sometimes, it can’t be helped that I get my dose of negative vibes but I let it go after a while. I don’t let it destroy me. Each day, I ask myself, what’s right and what’s good about other people, my work, my day and my loved ones. Positive energy heals and transforms.

I choose positive energy. I try to maintain a positive frame of mind by surrounding myself with positive energy in my life. I usually add the following elements to my life:

1. Uplifting music– How often do you get a song “stuck in your head’ for a few hours or days with the lyrics repeating themselves in your mind? Lyrics that are positive and inspirational, is a good thing. I know it sounds silly but I play “Dancing Queen” when I am exercising because I feel I am so alive with the lyrics “You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life”

2. Inspirational Books- Self help books are good resources to help me change my outlook and the things I say to myself. A book I am currently reading is “Do What You Love for the Rest of Your Life” by Bob Griffiths. I had a new career and a new life at my prime yet I am having the time of my life.

3. Positive People- Positive energy in my life emanates with the company I keep. I choose friends that uplift me. I read blogs that contain a positive resolution even if it starts out with a rant. I enjoy the company of friends that provide support when I am down and fun when I’m feeling at the top of the world, wisdom when I am lost.

4. Positive Affirmation- My Daily Positive Affirmations can subtly but pervasively change my self talk from negative to positive. Whenever something bothers me, I keep reminding myself that we cannot control people’s actions, attitudes and even events. I label it as the Three P’s (People, Places and the Past). The only thing we can control is our attitude. But it isn’t that easy. One of the choices in recovery is choosing what we want to think and using our mental energy in a positive way.

So when you think the world is against you, just say this:

Today, I will empower the good in myself, others and life. I’m willing to release, or let go of, negative thought patterns and replace them with positive ones. I will choose what I want to affirm, and I will make it good.

Photo via tinybuddha.com

What kids search online

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Kaspersky Lab’s latest report on the online activities of children – based on statistics received from its solutions and modules with child protection features – highlights children’s online activities and the importance of protecting them when online. The top three most googled items by kids worldwide are video, text translation and communication 

I have never tried Kapersky but I am intrigued with their latest report on online activities of children. Twenty year ago, there were not many websites so it was easy to track the online activities of my children. With so much multimedia today , it is impossible to monitor all the sites.  There are many security solutions like McAfee, Symantec Norton, Bitdefender , Kapersky and Avast . I personally use Avast but you can also check this Kaspersky report before trying it out.

what kids search online

The report shows anonymized statistics from Kaspersky Lab’s flagship consumer solutions for Windows PCs and Macs that have the Parental Control module switched on and from Kaspersky Safe Kids, a standalone service for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

For example, the report presents search results on the ten most-popular languages* for the last 6 months. The data shows that the video & audio category – including requests related to any video content, streaming services, video bloggers, series and movies – are the most regularly ‘googled’ by children (17% of the total requests). The second and third places go to translation (14%) and communication (10%) websites respectively. Interestingly, games websites sit in fourth place, generating only 9% of the total search requests.

We can also see a clear language difference for search requests: for example, video and music websites are typically searched for in English, which can be explained by the fact that the majority of movies, TV series and musical groups have English names.

Spanish-speaking kids carry out more requests for translation sites, while communication services are mostly searched for in Russian. More than any other nationality, Chinese-speaking children look for education services, while French-speaking kids are more interested in sport and games websites. In turn, German-speaking requests dominate in the “shopping” category. The leading number of search requests for porn are in Arabic, and for anime are in Japanese.

“Kids in different countries have different interests and online behaviors, but what links them all is their need to be protected online from potentially harmful content. Children looking for animated content could accidentally open a porn video. Or they could start searching for innocent videos and unintentionally end up on websites containing violent content, both of which could have a long-term impact on their impressionable and vulnerable minds,” says Anna Larkina, Web-content Analysis Expert at Kaspersky Lab.

As well as analyzing searches, the report also looks into which websites children visit or attempt to visit that contain potentially harmful content which falls under one of the 14 preset categories** for the last 12 months.

The data shows that communication sites (such as social media, messengers, or emails) were the most popular pages visited by computers with parental controls switched on – with users visiting these sites in 60% of cases over the previous 12 months. However, the percentage for this category is dropping every year as mobile devices continue to play a bigger role in children’s online activities.

The second most popular category of websites visited by these users is “software, audio, and video” (22%). Websites with this content have become significantly more popular since last year, when it was only the fifth most popular category at 6%. The top three is rounded off by alcohol, tobacco, and websites about narcotics (6%), which is a new addition compared to this time last year.

The mobile trend is again highlighted in the figures for gaming websites, which are now only in fourth place on the list at 5%. As kids continue to show a preference for mobile games rather than computer games, this category will only continue to decrease in popularity on computers over the coming months and years.

“No matter what they are doing online, it is important for parents not to leave their children’s digital activities unattended, because there’s a big difference between care and obtrusiveness. While it is important to trust your children and educate them about how to behave safely online, even your good advice cannot protect them from something unexpectedly showing up on the screen. That’s why advanced security solutions are key to ensuring children have positive online experiences, rather than harmful ones”, adds Anna Larkina.

The Kaspersky Total Security and Kaspersky Internet Security consumer solutions include a Parental Control module to help adults protect their children against online threats and block sites or apps containing inappropriate content. In turn, the Kaspersky Safe Kids solution allows parents to monitor what their children do, see or search for online across all devices, including mobile devices, and offers useful advice on how to help children behave safely online.

Check out the whole report, at https://securelist.com/kids-report-2018/85912/.

* These languages in Kaspersky Safe Kids are: English, German, Russian, Portuguese, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish. Search engines include different categorizations, covering: Pornography, eroticism; Abortion; Religious movements and sects; Weapons; Drugs; Alcohol; Tobacco; Violence; Extremism, racism; Self-harm, suicide and Gambling.

** The 14 categories of websites that can be blocked by the Parental Control module in Kaspersky Lab’s solutions are: Adult content; Alcohol, tobacco, narcotics; Computer games; E-commerce; Explicit language; Gambling, lotteries, sweepstakes; HTTP query redirection; Internet communication media; Job searches; News media; Religions, religious associations; Software, audio, video; Violence and Weapons, explosives, pyrotechnic.

 

My Coins.ph mobile wallet allows me to buy load

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I love the convenience of my Coins.ph all-in-one mobile wallet especially when buying cellphone load. Try it yourself. Create a Coins.ph account with my promo code “momblogger” and get an exclusive 100% rebate on your first load purchase (up to Php 50).

Communication is important in my household especially if I am away on business or events.  It used to frustrate me whenever my helpers give me the following reasons for not communicating with me on important matters that needed my attention:

Me: So why didn’t you send a text?
Helper: Ma’am, I ran out of load.
Me: Then why didn’t you buy load?
Helper: Ma’am, I don’t have money anymore.

Or the following conversation:

Helper: Ma’am, I will just go out to buy load.
Me: It’s 9:00 PM. Why didn’t you buy earlier?
Helper: This is an emergency.

Communication is also important among my loved ones.  Whenever my balikbayan sister or my daughters visit the Philippines, I always have to google the syntax to get the text/call or internet bundled package.

All these challenges are a thing of the past now that I can buy load using my Coins.ph all-in-one mobile wallet. I was aware that Coins.ph allowed me to send or receive money, pay 80+ bills online, or load a Beep card, but the first useful thing I did was give load to my helpers, all from my phone. No need to step out of the house to buy load or queue at a loading station.

Let me share the same convenience I experienced by giving you an exclusive rebate during your first load, just so you can see it for yourself.

How to get 100% rebate on your first load purchase at Coins.ph

When I buy load and load promos through Coins.ph, I receive it in seconds and get a 10% instant rebate. But for you my dear readers, you are getting an exclusive 100% rebate during your first load. Here are the steps.

1.Download the coins.ph app from Google Play store or iTunes, and create an account

– Use the promo code “momblogger”  to get an exclusive 100% rebate and referral bonus

2. Once you create an account, get ID and selfie verified.

How? Watch this video:

Getting ID and selfie verified allows you to do more with your coins.ph wallet.

3.  You will receive a Php 75 referral bonus in your Coins.ph wallet once you are ID and selfie verified.

4. Make your first load purchase! The 100% load rebate is only valid for 7 days after you create your account. After that, the rebate is 10%.

Please see the terms and conditions:

  •  You must sign up for a Coins.ph account with the referral code “momblogger” to qualify for this promo
  • Your Coins account must be ID and Selfie verified before you can avail of this promo
  • Rebate is 100% (up to Php 50) of your 1st load purchase
  • To get the rebate, you need to make your 1st load purchase within 7 days of creating your account
  • Processing of ID verification may take up to 3 business days
  • Load promo is open to Philippine mobile numbers only
  • You may avail of the rebate only once
  • Rebate will be credited to your Peso wallet after your transaction has been successfully processed
  • Only one (1) Coins.ph account per person
  • Promo runs from May 25, 2018 until 11:59pm on June 8, 2018

Let me show you the “buy load” feature of the coins.ph wallet

1. Cash in to your Coins.ph wallet

coins.ph wallet

2.  Choose your cash in method. I prefer over the counter banking, but you can cash in at 7-Eleven, Gcash or M Lhuillier.

3. Once the cash is reflected in my Coins.ph wallet , I just select the “buy load” in the app menu.

Type the cellphone number.  After the load is sent, you will be able to save the number.

4. Choose the load or load promo  from Globe, Smart, Sun, Talk ‘N Text, or Touch Mobile .

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I just love how the load promos are already set. There is no need to google for the right syntax or create a promo.

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5. Select the load amount and slide to send.

6. Coins.ph requires you to add a  verification code from Authy or Google Authenticator.

I use Authy for this extra layer of protection. Find out how to do the two-factor authentication through the 2FA tutorial video or through the step-by-step guides.

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I just click “open authy” to get the token

coins.ph wallet

7.  The load is sent within seconds, and the best part is getting an instant rebate. (But if you sign up with the “momblogger” promo code and buy load in 7 days, you get a 100% rebate up to 50 pesos on your first load purchase.)

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It is that simple, fast and convenient. You also get a history of yourtransactions as well as the rebate.coins.ph wallet

Now, isn’t that convenience?

Create your coins.ph wallet today. Just download the coins.ph app from Google Play store or iTunes.

Homeschooling or traditional education?

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Homeschooling or traditional education

Our eldest daughter just turned three last March but she was already showing signs of interest for school as early as age 2. Her grandmother’s house is right in front of a public school and our own neighborhood is near three schools so it is understandable that her excitement builds up every time the academic year starts as uniformed youngsters dragging along their bags and lunch boxes are fetched by school buses.

But a lot of things are making my husband and me think twice about taking the traditional route to learning. Money-wise, a good pre-school demands tuition fees as high as universities so I started kidding about saving up for college by home schooling our kids now. What started as a joke took a serious turn when a friend bewailed about the stress her son went through as they scouted for a pre-school.

At the age of 4, he was already expected to know how to identify the alphabets and colors, count one to ten, read simple words and write his name. My friend was confident her son would breeze through all the pre-acceptance tests with all the home-training she did with the yaya and he almost did. There were practices that scared the wits out of the little boy. One school made him enter an empty room without proper orientation so when the time came for a teacher to appraise his skills, he made an excuse to see his mother. He said he pooped and had to go to the toilet but actually, all he wanted was to run to the comfort of his mom and convince her to go home. Another school did not like the child’s confidence and branded him disobedient. He was told to count one to ten but he proudly insisted on counting one to twenty. My friend was asked to bring her son back for debriefing to teach him to follow rules. Something is amiss here. A child’s learning has endless possibilities. Why clip his wings before he could even learn to fly?

There goes the dilemma. How do I explain to my excited tyke that school will be home and not in a big building just like where the rest of the kids go? Will we deprive her of the excitement of trudging with her backpack and lunch bag in tow? How will she develop social skills if we take her away from the classroom set-up?

But then again, we see that our daughter is smart for her age (modesty aside) and has great potential for advanced learning. What if conventional school does not meet her needs and limits her enthusiasm to explore? Think with me as the search begins.

PREPARATIONS FOR HOME SCHOOLING
Requirements for the parent. The ideal set-up is for one parent to work for sustenance while the other focuses on the tutelage. It could be more challenging for single parents or couples who are employed since she or he has to juggle work with the child’s education. The key is focus and dedication. There are even academies that assist Overseas Filipino Workers to home school their children on line. Dedicating two to three hours of quality time daily is a good start. It becomes easier if the child learns to self-study as she/he grows older.

The Department of Education requires home schooling parents to be college graduates. If the parent feels ill-equipped, guidance for teaching difficult subjects could be drawn from parent support groups, teachers and academic consultants of schools that offer home schooling. In fact, many parents who do not have teaching experiences successfully home school their kids.

HOW DOES IT WORK?
Check out learning institutions that offer home school programs accredited by the Department of Education and study their approaches and curriculum to see if it fits your family. Enrolment dates may vary for every school. Before the child is enrolled in the home school program, parents are required to attend the orientation to prepare them for the task.

Home schooling may start when the child reaches 3 ½ years old. For the first grade, the child should be at least 6 years old. Initially the child is assessed by the home schooling academy to enter the Grade 1+ level.

Upon assessment of the child, an academic consultant recommends an appropriate curriculum for the year which will be used as basis for buying materials. Parents may provide another option subject to approval of the academic consultant.

The curriculum will then be furnished by the school. The schedule and place of teaching and creativity in handling the lessons is up to the parent. Preacher Bro. Bo Sanchez capitalized on his son’s passion for horses. From there, lessons on anatomy, arts, culture and even business sprang.

WHAT IF WE DECIDE TO TRANSFER TO A REGULAR / CONVENTIONAL SCHOOL?
Children are tested annually through a standardized achievement test which serves as a basis on how the kids are faring compared to their peers. The test could also be used as diagnostic tool for the child’s next level. The achievement test measures the child’s proficiency in language, arts, science, math and social studies. Aside from this, there is the regular portfolio review with the academic consultant to monitor their progress.

Dep Ed requires records from Preparatory School to High School. These are usually honoured in conventional academies and universities before accepting the home-schooled child provided he/she passes the entrance examination.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?
Most of the apprehensions about home schooling are based on the fear that children will be deprived of opportunities for socialization. This is a fallacy. The best socialization happens at home where the child builds his self-confidence on the feeling of security around his family. Home schooling academies also offer opportunities to relate with their contemporaries through weekly meet-ups, summer camps, retreats, field trips, clubs and on-line organizations.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HOME SCHOOLING?
Less Expense. Although parents who decide to teach their kids at home have to spend for curriculum materials, field trips and out-of-town excursions, the expense for home schooling is way lower than the tuition fees, miscellaneous fees, transportation and daily allowances.

More peace of mind. With all the headlines on crimes committed against children and bullying occurring in schools, we could not help but be more wary and protective of our little girls. Home schooling seems a better option to shield them from the exploitations of the world and unnecessary bad experiences that may scar them for life.

More time for building relationships. My chum Tess confesses that home schooling her two boys could really be so physically taxing especially now that she is pregnant with their third child but the joy of deepening bonds with her sons is definitely priceless.

More edge. Studies show that home schooled children excel more since their learning is designed one-on-one and the parent adjusts to the readiness of the child to learn.

Some of the home schooled children are scientist Albert Einstein, most of the US presidents including Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, writer Mark Twain, nurse Florence Nightingale and the list goes on. Who knows? Your child may just be the next in the long line of achievers and shakers.

Photo: “Olivia working on homeschooling” by Ann, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved

by Jasmine Barrios