Benham Rise, Philippines. Officially ours. Officially Filipino.

In April 2012, the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf has adopted in full the Republic of the Philippines' Submission for an Extended Continental Shelf in the Benham Rise Region. (Source: National Mapping and Resource Information Agency)

Credits: www.globalnation.inquirer.net

The Benham Rise is an underwater plateau, located east of Aurora Province. It total area spans 13 million hectares, roughly about the size of the island of Luzon. The shallowest part of the rise, called Benham Bank is about 50 meters deep while the deepest part is believed to be about 3000 meters deep. A team of scientists have already began exploring the site and have been amazed at the underwater beauty. Coral gardens abound in unbelievably crystal clear waters. They have started collecting samples to conduct further studies and exploration

Marine scientist Cesar Villanoy, the leader of the Benham Rise Program said in an interview on Solar News that they were "seeing things that no other human has ever seen before." They were the first to explore the undersea plateau believed to be a rich source of natural gas.

Credits: www.philstar.com

Extensive exploration of the site is expected to be very expensive. Our local resources are not equipped with the appropriate technology to conduct research in the new territory. The Philippine government will have to find means to propel the research program forward.

For now, we can sit back, relax and revel in this blessing that we have a new territory with the potential of uplifiting our economy.

Benham Rise, Philippines. Officially ours. Officially Filipino.

Suggested readings:

The Philippine Star - http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/06/02/1330219/filipinos-chart-new-territory-collect-data-benham-rise
National Mapping and Resource Information Agency (NAMRIA) - http://www.namria.gov.ph/benham.aspx

Tasty Treats For A Cause

Have you ever wondered how treats, snacks and chocolate from another country taste like? Did you ever come across these goodies in a grocery store but did you were not sure if you'd be satisfied with the taste? Are you willing to spend thousands of dollars just to go abroad to sample these treats?

Its time to put an end to your worries and satisfy your cravings. At Taste For Sweets, you will get your own box of curated snacks and treats from around the world delivered to your doorstep monthly. The company has a team of travelers and food enthusiasts that put these snacks together and assure the recipient of discovering new and pleasant tastes from countries you wish you could visit. It is a whole new experience for your palate to enjoy and for your family and friends as well.

Subscription for your monthly box of treats is $16, which is not bad, considering the price you'd if you'd buy these snacks per piece. Taste For Sweets also offers gift boxes that you can purchase to send to family and friends on special occasions. Whichever you choose, shipping is always free.

By purchasing a box from Taste For Sweets, you are also helping them help others in need. Every box or item purchased equates to a donation made to several non-profit organizations that are currently working to provide communities in South Asia, Africa and Central America access to safe, clean water. Think about it. While you're enjoying your snacks, you are helping someone to have safe and clean water.

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Come on and start your journey of discovering wonderful, tasty treats from around the globe. Just click on the Taste for Sweets banner on the upper right side of your screen to sign up and don't forget to type in the promo code! 

The Debutante: The Baby Is Now A Fine Young Lady

Last May 18, my niece celebrated her 18th birthday. As Filipino culture dictates, children celebrate three "milestone" birthdays.  Its their 1st birthday, their 7th, and their 18th (for girls) or their 21st (for boys). Most parents go out of their way to throw a big party for their children during these times. 

In the Philippines, a girl's 18th birthday or debut party calls for a grand celebration. The debutante is ushered and introduced to society as a young woman. Family and friends take turns giving gifts and wishing the debutante happiness and blessings in this new chapter in her life. In Latin American countries, the "Quiceañera" is a similar practice and is celebrated on a girl's 15th birthday. 

My niece, Bianca is my sister's only child. As expected, my sister arranged a lavish debut party for her daughter. Preparations started six months prior to the event which turned out to be a success! Everyone had a great time, specially the debutante, who specifically requested to have the venue decorated "Bohemian Style" with dream catchers hanging on the main entrance. The event planners really did a good job. The make up artist made Bianca look like a princess on her special night. The food was superb and the beer was overflowing. A true unforgettable moment.

I am sharing with you pictures of my niece's party. Our little Bianca has indeed blossomed into a beautiful woman. 

Bianca's Bohemian inspired attire.

Bianca's first dance with her proud daddy

Waiting for the actual ceremony to start

Smile for the camera!

With her parents

The venue - Valle Verde 6 Country Club in Pasig City

The venue before the guests arrived

The three-tiered birthday cake

THE FAMILY

The Grandmama and the Debutante

My Mom, my youngest sister, her husband and two kids Trey and Tyra

My only brother and his girlfriend


(L-R) Adi (my daughter's boyfriend); my daughter Kristine and their common friend

Nieces, nieces galore! (L-R) Abby, Hannah, my daughter Kristine and Inna

My sons Mickey (L) and Aton (R)

My sister's youngest child Tyra (L) and her cousin


THE WELL-WISHERS

THE "ME" PICTURES

 Me and my Poppa bear

 Me and my wacky cousin, Joyce

 Me and my brother

My big bear hug!

I hoped you enjoyed looking at the pictures of our family's big event this 2014. The next debutante in the family would be Tyra.. 8 more years from now. :-)

P.S. Here's Bianca's AVP: 

Nick Nemeth on "Facing an IRS Dispute? Three Reasons Why You Need a Tax Attorney on Your Team"

Nick Nemeth has recently written a blog entitled “Facing an IRS Dispute? Three Reasons Why You Need A Tax Attorney on Your Team” on his web page www.myirsteam.com. Nick Nemeth is the founder of The Law Offices of Nick Nemeth, PPLC, a respected Dallas Tax Law Firm that focuses on providing tax services for individuals and businesses in the Dallas area.

Every year, taxpayers are faced with stress and anxiety when it comes to filing their taxes. The Tax Law being so complicated, can make the entire process a difficult task. Despite every effort to comply with all the rules and guidelines, taxpayers are left with a feeling of confusion and helplessness. The fear of having someone at your doorstep introducing themselves as "working for the IRS" can literally make you break up in cold sweat.

The IRS is one of the most feared government agency. Individual taxpayers and some businesses are still in limbo when it comes to knowing each and every detail of the Tax Law. This is what the IRS relies on - taxpayer confusion.

Most members of the workforce spend their time making a living for themselves, and are dead tired when they get home. They rarely have time to keep abreast of the amendments to the Tax Law, only to find out too late that they have made a mistake in filing their taxes. The unpleasant experience of having to subject themselves to audits or IRS disputes can lead to incorrect or inconsistent responses.

This is the reason why taxpayers should not face the IRS alone. A Tax Attorney can definitely help to avoid dealing with IRS disputes. The Law Offices of Nick Nemeth, founded by Dallas Tax Attorney Nick Nemeth offers their services to put an end to our IRS disputes. For the past 15 years and counting, Nick Nemeth and his team have helped thousands of individual taxpayers and business overcome their fear of filing taxes. Educating their clients about taxpayer rights and privileges sets them apart from other firms in the business. This alone is a major leap in overcoming the stress of tax filing season. Their personalized service and expertise in the subject provide their clients that much needed peace of mind.

Read more about Nick Nemeth and his team at www.myirsteam.com, or, if you are a resident of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, you can drop by their office at:

The Law Offices of Nick Nemeth

2727 LBJ Freeway Suite 806

Dallas, TX
75234

Contact Phone Number: 972-484-0829

Walk the Talk: Leadership by Example

"I think that the best training a top manager can be engaged in is management by example. I want to make sure there is no discrepancy between what we say and what we do. If you preach accountability and then promote somebody with bad results, it doesn't work. I personally believe the best training is management by example. Don't believe what I say. Believe what I do." - Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Renault-Nissan

Powerful words.

In the corporate world, we have to learn and accept that not all bosses are in there to help you up the ladder of success. Some are slave drivers, some are slackers, some just happen to be a boss because their parents own the company you work for. A handful are real leaders. They rally their team to success and bask in their accomplishments. That is what subordinates dream of - to work with a leader.

How would you know if you're working FOR a "Boss" or working WITH a "Leader?" Here are some quotes from famous people to help you distinguish one from the other.

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the ONLY thing. 

-Albert Schweitzer

People ask the difference between a leader and a boss. The leader leads and the boss drives. 

- Theodore Roosevelt

There is a difference between being a leader and being a boss. Both are based on authority. A boss demands blind obedience; a leader earns his authority through understanding and trust. - Klaus Balkenhol

Leaders don't boss. They persuade. 

- Wesley K. Clark

The glue that holds all relationships together, including the relationship of the leader and the led is TRUST. And trust is based on INTEGRITY.

- Brian Tracey

A boss says "Go!" A leader says "Let's Go!" 

- E.M. Kelly

In the past, a leader was the boss. Today's leaders must be partners with their people. They can no longer lead solely based on positional power.

- Ken Blanchard

A boss creates fear, a leader confidence. A boss fixes blame, a leader corrects mistakes. A boss knows all, a leader asks questions. A boss makes work drudgery, a leader makes it interesting.

- Russel H. Ewing

Education can't make us all leaders, but it can teach us which leader to follow.

-Bel Kaufman

There is only one boss - THE CUSTOMER. He can fire anybody from the company, from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.

- Sam Walton

To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who does not know where he is going.

- Joe Namath

Strategic communication is the core of effective leadership. Through a leader's use of verbal and written symbols, employees are motivated or deflated, informed or confused, productive or apathetic. The leader's ability to carve off the verbal fat and get to the meat of the issue, idea or plan will find success at every turn.

- Reed Markhan, PhD

The wicked leader is one who the people despise. A good leader is one who the people revere. A great leader is he who the people say, "We did it ourselves."

- Lao Tzu

A Mother's Day Gift: 21 Years Ago

21 years ago, on Mother's Day, I gave birth to my youngest child, John Michael Clarence. The tiniest of my three children at birth, Mickey, as he is fondly called, weighed in at 7 pounds 2 ounces, 19 inches in length. He was the most behaved little baby in the nursery room of the hospital. Unmindful of the other crying babies beside him, he would just sleep it off. It is weird, because he still sleeps a lot even though he is a grown man, and he is now the tallest among his siblings. 

Being the youngest child, Mickey is very affectionate. When he was a child, he would only fall asleep if he had his little pinky finger wrapped around my pinky finger. My mom thought he'd grow up to be a priest because we would always see him praying. Every time we would go someplace, he'd start his prayers the minute he got in the car. Now as an adult, he never fails to attend mass every Sunday.

A year and a half ago, I took a funny picture of my two boys doing the exact same pose they had when they were babies. I really have fun looking at their pictures and wonder where all the years have gone.

Time flies! My baby is now 21 years old. Officially an adult. (Now I feel soooooooo old). He's currently in school studying to earn his degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He is still the quiet one, and still very affectionate. He loves playing tricks on me and teases me a lot about being old. He is so good with his younger cousins, always looking out for their safety. 

My wish for my son on his 21st birthday is to continue to reach for his dreams, to never lose focus and to be the best that he can possibly be. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY NOT SO LITTLE BARDAGOOL BOY!

Here's your birthday video! :)

5 Common Misconceptions About Working In A Call Center

I have been working in call centers for almost a decade. For ten years, I have been lacking sleep everyday, depended on a fast food diet, and learned to love coffee so much I could not live without it. 

Being relatively "new" in the employment sector, call center workers have been the subject of discrimination by other members of the workforce. Taking into consideration my tenure in this industry, I can confidently state the common misconceptions of working in a call center.

Call Center workers have lots of money. 

FALSE. Call center agents' basic salary ranges from 15K-20K/month. That's the gross rate. Take from that amount the mandatory government deductions - withholding tax, SSS, Philhealth, Pag-Ibig. A per minute rate of tardiness is also deducted from the gross salary. For those getting 20K/month, the average take home pay per month would be more or less 13K-15K. If the company pays twice a month, then that equates to 6K-7K per pay out. For a single mom with 4 children all in school, that amount would not suffice.

Call centers are the dumping grounds of college drop outs.

FALSE.  There are centers who are "equal opportunity" employers, meaning they do not discriminate against an applicant's educational attainment. High school graduates are even welcome to apply. However, not every Maria, Pedro or Juan can make it through the rigorous examinations. Although there is no particular skill set required, call centers choose those who have impeccable English communication skills, a bubbly personality, a team player, an effective multi-tasker and with a high degree of resistance to stress. 

Call center workers are substandard employees.

FALSE. We often hear the phrase "sa call center lang pala nagtatrabaho" (Oh, she just works in a call center) This annoys me so much, every time I hear someone say it. It is not easy to leave home in the wee hours of the morning, to be the target of robbers, of hoodlums and other ill-doers. It is not easy to stay awake the whole night and try to sleep at noon time. It is not pleasant to be screamed at, cursed, and receive derogatory remarks from someone halfway around the globe. We are put through so much stress everyday but we just take everything with a grain of salt and move on. We work from log in to log out, our breaks are scheduled and timed. And this is what others call substandard?

Call center workers drink like there is no tomorrow.

FALSE. Whoever thought of this should think twice (or more). Seeing a group of agents having after-shift FBs (few beers) is not drinking like there is no tomorrow. They could probably be celebrating someone's birthday, or meeting the team goal for the week, or just wanting to relax after a stressful week. If having a few beers with close friends is an eyesore, what can you say about the shirtless, unemployed big bellied bullies drowning themselves in gin on the sidewalks? Please do not be too quick to judge.

Its an easy job.

FALSE.  Working for a sales account demands that you need to close a certain number of sales PER DAY. Agents have to convince a customer to purchase over the phone. That is NOT easy - to sell something to someone in another country. If agents are not able to meet their sales target for the day, they may be at risk of losing their job. Customer service agents have to be extremely patient and resistant to stress. They have to provide resolution to the customer's issue during the call - and make sure that the customer will not call back with the same issue. Then they have to be within the acceptable range of the call handling time. Some centers require issue resolution in 3 minutes. Financial and credit card collection accounts are even more stressful. 

I work for the Quality Assurance team and it is NOT an easy job. Finding calls, evaluating, preparing reports, calibrations, coaching. The life of the account we support depends on us. It is our task to weed out the non performers and recommend the best improvement plan for them. 

Just like any other job, the key to success is to love what you do. Call centers are not places where people do nothing. We generate revenue to keep this country afloat, we put a lot of sacrifice for our families, to the point of putting our health and safety on the line. 

We deserve more than the senseless phrase - "Sa call center lang pala nagtatrabaho."

Me and my fellow Quality Coaches

Midnight coffee, Birthday pizzas,

Accentuated English, Dashing clothes,

Irate customers, Mood music in cabs,

So much money,but so little time.

Late night parties and sunrise beer.

Crush on Team Leads, The fight for appraisals,

Die hard friendships and tears for love.

Nothing missing, Just everything!

People call it Call centers.

WE CALL IT LIFE.

My Summers in Araneta Center

In these islands I call home, we find ways to share smiles and happiness everywhere. We may be a country beset by poverty, corruption and devastating natural calamities, but we remain resilient, hard-working, hospitable and fun-loving.

Araneta Center in Quezon City is a large commercial area with major shopping malls, restaurants, cinemas, grocery stores and offices. It has links to two commuter train lines, a bus terminal, and taxi and jeepney depot. It even hosts a "government center," where satellite offices have been set up to assist the general public in securing documents. It is very accessible from where I live, so close that if I am in the mood for exercise, I can reach it by foot or by bike. For me, it is everything in one place. I grew up here, so I guess that makes me an expert on the topic. :)

Photo credits: http://www.manilagateway.com/

In the sweltering heat of the summer, people flocking to Araneta Center get entertained by a dancing traffic policeman. It makes us forget our troubles for a few minutes, turns a frown into a smile, and makes waiting to cross the street more bearable. It is indeed, Filipino talent at its best.

I am sharing a video of our very own "Dancing Policeman of Araneta Center." (Video credits: www.royalmediaent.com. Uploaded in YouTube by Mack Sean)

Its more fun in the Philippines! Enjoy!

22 Years

It is exactly 22 years to the day that I lost my dad to cancer.

22 long years and it still hurts. Images of my dad in his hospital bed in the MICU of the Philippine Heart Center for Asia. The doctors called us all in, saying he would not make it through the day. We sat around his bedside, holding him, just feeling his pain. And then it happened. Right before my eyes, I saw my father convulse and die.

It was the darkest day in my life. I was struck by disbelief. This man who was my real life hero succumbed to such a rapidly progressing disease. My dad was a doctor and did not expect this to happen to him.

All this time, I have slowly learned to accept that Daddy is gone. I am comforted by the thought that he has moved on to a better place where there is no more pain.

Accepting does not mean forgetting. I keep my father's memory alive in my mind. I tell my children stories of fun times I had with my Dad and how he would have enjoyed seeing his grandchildren. It gives me joy in my heart to relive those times. Every time I look up at the night sky and see the vast expanse of the stars and the universe, I know my Daddy is up there in Heaven with God and all his angels. 

On this day of remembering, I pray that God would hold Daddy and tell him how much we love and miss him. I would ask God to tell Daddy that we are okay and not to worry about us. I pray that God would give him a big bear hug for me, and I will give thanks to God for blessing us with a man whom we lovingly call "Daddy."

The Depressed Diabetic: A Fighter Par Excellence

According to the American Diabetes Association, studies show that people with diabetes have a greater risk of depression than people without diabetes. Oh how true!

Let me tell you about the experience from an expert on this vicious cycle of Diabetes and Depression. That person is me.

A month and a half ago, I was put on a new set of medications to lower my unbelievably high sugar levels. My endocrinologist wants to ensure that the excess sugar in my blood will not damage any of my internal organs. I had to alter my diet, get more rest and avoid stress.

I started to tweak my eating habits. I now only have one serving of rice a day (one cup). This means I only have one decent sit-down meal per day. The rest of my meals are spread out as light snacks. I have totally shunned any sugary beverage. I eat more vegetables than I usually do. Instead of empty calorie snacks, I have learned to feast on half an ear of corn or a cup of boiled peanuts. I started to feel better and had more energy. I take my blood sugar reading twice a day - after waking up and another one two hours after my full meal. My glucometer has earned its place in my purse. 

A normal blood sugar reading is 90-105mg/dl. Me? Despite all the dieting and the new medication, the lowest reading I have ever had for the past 6 weeks is 144 mg/dl. Grrr.. Last night at work, my mid-shift meal was a small steamed bun with ground pork filling. I took my meds right after. I started to feel extremely tired and sleepy. This lasted for a good three hours after my meal. I took my blood sugar reading. Unbelievable. 371 mg/dl! 

And so here I am, flung into the depths of depression (again). Despite all my efforts to get my blood sugar down to "acceptable" levels, it just won't budge! I am resisting the urge to drown myself in a tub of ice cream. What the heck! I might as well enjoy the sugar anyway. 

I am now having feelings of anxiety. I have resigned my fate. I know there is no way I will escape being put on insulin. Not only will it be expensive, it would mean I would have to be pricking myself with another gadget. It is just so sad to have this kind of disease. I am the most unwilling recipient of the genetic markers for Diabetes. Worry is starting to set in, fearful of what the future would bring. Would I be dying soon? Who would then take care of my family? Who would cook, clean and do the laundry? Who will send my boys through school? Sigh...

Managing Diabetes can be stressful enough - diet and lifestyle changes, compliance to medication, enhancing weight loss, increasing fitness levels to avoid cardiovascular complications. These alone can lead to depression and the feeling of hopelessness. Once depression sets in, compliance to the self management of diabetes is compromised. 

This is where the vicious cycle begins.

I guess I would be seeing my endocrinologist earlier than scheduled. I have to fight this. If I want to be well, it should start with me and a whole lot of prayers.