Balikbayan Box: Stop Desecrating Our Personal Gifts to Our Loved Ones

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Balikbayan boxes are often channels of private and personal communication between migrant workers and their families in the Philippines. Is nothing sacred anymore for the Bureau of Customs?" - Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

There are many people that are so violently reacting about the "Balikbayan Boxes" issue which led the government to finally blink! You can't really win in a staring contest against a fog lamp! Now, President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III has told the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to stop the random inspection and “establish a more defined protocol” to clamp down “balikbayan” boxes that are being used for smuggling.

Remember that the government may have some evil entities (like those that can be found at the BOC and other agencies that have access to so many temptations), but many are still honest and hardworking (hopefully). Not all of them deserve a raised eyebrow when they implement something new.

The littlest effort that an agency does should positively be seen as a counter-measure against whatever negative acts like smuggling or anything similarly damaging to the people, the government and the country. Whether it affects the little or big players, it doesn't really matter since it is everyone's job to deter all kinds of illegal acts.

If we find the newly established procedure intimidating or desecrating, we have every right to let these agencies know, but we should not be accusing but only airing our belief and recommendations. Antagonizing the agency may only lead to further retaliation instead of cooperation.

Savory September on TLC

Wazzup Pilipinas!

TLC serves up extraordinary experiences and dishes like no other this month, with four shows that will take you on interesting and savory journeys on the small screen.

Naive, funny, outrageous and without any boundaries, Britain’s reality star Charlotte Crosby – who reckons she can get on with just about anyone, anywhere - is put to a test in her brand-new series THE CHARLOTTE CROSBY EXPERIENCE. Raised in a modern and very sheltered world, Charlotte will be breaking out of her bubble to experience life among some of world’s most extreme communities – Arctic Inuits, Indian Royalty, Tokyo’s Furisode-san and the Hutterites of Manitoba. Nothing in her life so far has prepared her for this experience but then again, nothing has prepared these communities for an experience like Charlotte. Catch THE CHARLOTTE CROSBY EXPERIENCE, premiering September 1, airing Tuesdays at 10 p.m.

In his new series, stand-up comedian, actor and writer Omid Djalili tries thrilling dishes that are sure to heat up the senses. HOT & DANGEROUS WITH OMID DJALILI is a brand-new, extreme food series which looks at the culture and chemistry behind some of the hottest, most dangerous foods in Britain. Watch him take on risky flavors starting September 8, airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

In the brand new series NOBU’S JAPAN, follow Chef Matsuhisa as he travels with another world-renowned chef, visiting the lesser- known regions of Japan to witness the facets of Japanese life not typically seen in the popular cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto. Watch the chefs experience the lifestyle of the locals as they coexist with the seas, mountains and rivers and encounter food ingredients of the highest quality.

E-Commerce Entrepreneurs' Summit Manila 2015: Meet the Speakers!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

According to i-Metrics Asia Pacific Corporation, the Philippines’ E-Commerce Intensity Index is at 7% to 13% of our country’s gross domestic product (as of March 2015). Its E-Commerce Maturity Scorecard also reports 28% of Filipino Internet users purchases are done electronically while 22% for payments done online.

The 7th DigitalFilipino E-Commerce Entrepreneurs Summit Manila (#ecomsummit), with a theme of  “E-Commerce for Economic Growth” - will soon be held this August 29, 2015 at the Ballroom of Best Western Plus Antel Hotel, Makati Avenue, Makati City.

The event will have e-commerce practitioners share insights and strategies on making e-commerce work and help grow your business.It aims to empower entrepreneurs, decision makers, marketers, strategists, sales managers, supply chain managers, brand managers, and from change thinkers to change makers.

The 7th DigitalFilipino E-Commerce Summit is also referred as the E-Commerce Entrepreneurs Summit, is an intensive 1-day educational event on e-commerce strategies. It is also meant to celebrate the 16th year of DigitalFilipino.com (blog).

Furthermore, this event is also a fundraiser for the Certified E-Commerce Specialist, Entrepreneur, and Professional Program students as part of their “e-commerce industry exposure” learning module where they are scheduled to visit Singapore this September 9 to 13, 2015.