Have you seen the "Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat" campaign? Here's what it's all about...

Private Sector launches Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat campaign 
for consumer confidence and economic recovery

As the Philippines continues to battle the impact of COVID-19, brands and companies across various industries have banded together to help restart the economy while ensuring consumers’ health and safety

The group launches “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat” campaign, which sends a message of resilience, hope and inspiration to boost businesses to continue to increase operations while ensuring strict safety standards and to encourage Filipinos to once again enjoy activities outside the confines of their homes. 

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon M. Lopez praises this initiative and stresses the importance for businesses to unite in order to win back the confidence of consumers and get the economy back on its feet. 

“At this point in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, balancing health and the economy is our main priority. This is why we are pushing for the gradual and safe reopening of the economy. In line with the spirit of the campaign, we can only move forward by supporting and keeping one another safe while protecting lives and livelihoods,” Sec. Lopez said.

The trade chief also stressed the importance of strictly following minimum health protocols despite the eased restrictions in the “New Normal” to avoid transmission of the virus while restimulating demand and consumer spending.

The Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat campaign is part of the private sector’s support for Taskforce T3 (Test, Trace, Treat), the multi-sector initiative put together in April 2020 to work closely with the Department of Health (DOH), the National Task Force (NTF) against COVID-19, and the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) to manage the outbreak of the pandemic in the country. With the reopening of the economy, the group realized the importance of rebuilding consumer confidence with health and safety still a priority. 

Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman and CEO of Ayala Corporation, a founding partner of TaskForce T3, underscored the importance of continued public-private sector cooperation. “The private sector has found a new front where we can be supportive of the fight against COVID, and that is in restoring the confidence of our citizens that we can all resume our lives and livelihoods, so long as we strictly follow the minimum health standards recommended by health experts.”

Margot Torres, Managing Director for McDonald’s Philippines and Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat communications advocacy co-lead, expressed her faith in the Filipinos’ resilience and optimism.

“Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat aims to transform the mindset of consumers. We are breaking through the helplessness many felt at the height of the pandemic and helping lead Filipinos to empowered vigilance and continued safety during this period,” Torres said. 

The campaign has already obtained the support of the biggest corporations and brands in the country, including Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Alliance Global Group (Megaworld, Resorts World, Emperador), Jollibee Foods Corporation, McDonald’s Philippines, Goldilocks, BDO, BPI, Metrobank, Paymaya, Alaska, Champion, Century Pacific Food Inc., Coca Cola Philippines, Oishi LIwayway Marketing Corp., PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble Philippines, RFM Corporation, Unilever, Petron/San Miguel Corporation, Shell, Ayala Malls, Filinvest Development Corporation, Robinsons Malls, SM Supermalls, Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, Angkas and Food Panda. 

The Ingat Angat media partners include CNN Philippines, GMA, Kapamilya Channel, KBP (Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas), Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Philippine Star, Solar Entertainment Corporation, TV5, Tiger 22, Facebook, Lazada, Shopee, Viber , Phar Partnerships; and LED OOH and Transit Outdoor partners Activations Advertising Inc. (AAI), Dooh.ph, Globaltronics, Krazy Media Ads Solution, Luneta Advertising, Nyxsys Philippines, Out of Home Advertising Association of the Philippines (OHAAP), Steel Art, Summit Outdoor Media and United Neon (UN). 

Agency partners include Bookt, Cobena, EON, HIT Productions, Nuworks, Omnicom Media Group, Pabrika, PSRC, Slingshot, Synergy, TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno, and Viva Entertainment, Inc., while the press launch event partners include Savoy Hotel Manila and Mercato Centrale. 

Greater participation needed

Another lead proponent of Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, Angkas’ Chief Transport Advocate George Royeca, calls on more companies, especially small and medium enterprises, to get on board with Ingat Angat. 

“This campaign is for all businesses – not only the big brands, but more so for small and medium enterprises. We invite all businesses from all over the country to participate and embrace this advocacy. Let us all help each other get back on our feet safely and surely,” Royeca says.

The creative idea behind the campaign and its memorable tagline of Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat were crafted by the geniuses of TBWA/Santiago Mangada Puno’s Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer Melvin Mangada.

“The tagline and the supporting visual brands and materials, which can be adapted by any brand, help promote the message of Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat, creating a sense of solidarity with the whole business community and our consumers,” Mangada explains. These visual aids include branding guidelines, logos and templates that business groups can download and adapt to their operations. 

We can help the country get back on its feet by supporting and keeping one another safe.

Watch the video here: 

For more information, visit the Ingat Angat campaign website, www.ingat-angat.com, and join the Viber Community https://vb.me/IngatAngat, where you can download Ingat Angat stickers and get information on safety guidelines of your favorite establishments, COVID-19 updates, and articles from credible sources. Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat!

How to apply for a DOST Coursera Scholarship

UPDATE: 75,000 DOST & Coursera Grant licenses are fully filled-up!

After watching the video of Nas Daily a few days ago, I realized that we are in a serious situation because of the pandemic. We have to be careful for the next couple of years in order to survive. The economic recession is just starting. More and more people are losing their jobs and businesses are continuously shutting down. In reality, some jobs are simply not coming back. 

Nas said that it is important that we must spend our free time on education.  Get a skill that can make money fast. Businesses will hire people with internet skills. People who know how to edit videos, people who know how to run Facebook ads, build websites or create a sales funnel.

Thus, I am happy to share that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-Caraga) is offering a DOST Coursera grant to all Filipinos nationwide. Yes, even if you are not from the Caraga region, you can still take advantage of this grant. 

If you are not familiar with Coursera, it is an online course provider founded in 2012 that features different courses from top universities like Yale, Michigan, Stanford, and leading companies like Google and IBM.

Normally, these are paid courses but once you qualify for the DOST Coursera grant, you can take these courses absolutely FREE until December 31, 2020.

Some of the courses available are: 

• Facebook Social Media Marketing
• What is Data Science
• Psychological First Aid
• First Step Korean
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design
• Design Thinking for Innovation
• Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management
• Supply Chain Logistics

These are self-paced courses which means that you can take them during your free time. So even if you have an 8-5 job, you can still apply. This is also 100% online so you can join from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. 

If you are interested, you can apply here: http://bit.ly/ApplyDOSTCoursera 

Once again, you don't have to pay anything. The only thing we'd like to ask from you is to SHARE THIS POST so, that we can reach more Filipinos and help them acquire the necessary skills to adapt in these current times. The deadline for application is on October 31, 2020. After that, DOST won't be able to accept applicants anymore. 

I have been an online freelancer for more than 5 years and I just feel that my experience is not enough. This is the main reason why I availed of this scholarship grant. We should not stop learning and instead let us invest in ourselves as we continue to grow.

One more thing... Most courses come with a certificate so, this can also help you as if you are building your portfolio and credentials. 

Don't miss this opportunity! Just send your application via this link: http://bit.ly/ApplyDOSTCoursera today. Limited slots only.

Good luck and please comment below if you have sent your application! 

Online Jobs that you can take using your Mobile Internet

If you want to start your online freelancing career, one of the top requirements is having a stable internet. Ideally, you need to have a DSL or Fiber internet connection from a reliable service provider. 

Here in the Philippines, our major internet service providers are PLDT, Globe, Converge (available in some areas) and Skycable. DSL Plans start at Php 1,299 and is usually bundled with phone service. 

I had no problem with my internet service not until we moved to our new place. When I requested for our internet service to be moved to our new home last year, I was informed that the place was unserviceable. OMG! That is definitely a nightmare for an online worker like me. My biggest concern was "How can I work?" 

Moving to another house was not an option nor renting an office as it will defeat the purpose of me working from home. Our only option was to get mobile internet which I can use through a prepaid wifi modem or the tethering feature of my phone. 

We opted for a prepaid wifi modem however, this limited me with the type of online jobs and projects that I could take. With the unreliable connection, slow internet speed, and data cap, I had to say no to jobs that required me to take calls, make video chats or use a dedicated software or CRM.

On the bright side, I was able to discover a few more jobs and online gigs that's possible with mobile internet, and let me share them with you. 

1. Transcription - Whether it's legal, medical, or general transcription, one can take transcription projects.  Just download the audio file and you can now start working on it using a transcription software like Express Scribe. It does not need an internet connection to work. The only thing you need to do is upload your finished output upon completion. 

2. Blog Commenting/ Syndication Threads Support - If you are someone who's keen to become a Virtual Assistant for Bloggers, then providing syndication threads support is one of the services that you can offer. This usually involves activities such as blog shares, blog commenting, Facebook commenting, Facebook likes, Instagram follow for follows, and a lot more. Actually, you can also complete these tasks using your mobile phone. 

** By the way, if you are a blogger and would like to hire an assistant, I would be happy to help you. Just email me at clarice.mymetrolifestyle@gmail.com  

3. Content Writing - Aside from doing a little research, using the plagiarism checker and Grammarly, you do not really need a fast internet connection to finish a content writing job. Just make sure that you have a way to communicate with your client and submit your completed article. And you're all set. 

4. General Virtual Assistance - As a general VA, the list of tasks is so diverse as you can be assigned to handle the different facets of the business. Just like what I mentioned earlier, as long as you are not required to do calls, video chats and you are not required to upload a lot of files, then you still have a shot of being a VA with your mobile internet. 

Some of the VA tasks that you can handle are email support, scheduling, data entry, and simple research, bookkeeping (as long as you don't use the online version), graphic design,  social media management, etc. 

So, in case you don't have a DSL or Fiber internet connection yet at home, DO NOT LOSE HOPE. There are a lot of online job opportunities that you can consider. Just like Bruce Nauman said, If you really want to do it, You do it. There are no excuses.

P.S. You can make use of this type of internet service to work but once you have to opportunity to upgrade to DSL or Fiber, please do so because having a reliable internet will certainly help you improve your productivity as an online worker. 

I am also happy to share that this 2020 we already have DSL at home. 

How to Withdraw Your Involve Asia Earnings via Bank (Wire Transfer)

Affiliate Marketing is one of the ways to earn online nowadays. If you are not familiar, it is the process of earning a commission by promoting products and services to others and you earn for each sale that you make through your unique affiliate link. 

I have been into affiliate marketing for quite some time but only started with Involve Asia last February 2020. You can read how more about it, here.

I usually get my earnings through Paypal since I thought that the wire transfer option is only available to US and international accounts but luckily I was informed by another IA affiliate that it is actually possible for PH bank accounts too. So, I tried it last October 6 and it was credited last October 13 in my BPI account.  

So, yes! We don't have to wait to reach MYR 400 anymore to be able to withdraw our earnings. 

How can we set up our payment method? 

After logging into your Involve Asia account, go to Account Settings> Payment Settings and you will see this form. Just follow the instructions below. 

For your SWIFT CODE, you may check with your bank or you can see this list. 

You will also be asked for a transfer reason, in my case, I placed "affiliate earnings" however feel free to put any reason that you deem fit. 

Will there be any other charges? How much did you get in peso? 

Yes, there will be other charges and deductions. Please note that since we are requesting the funds in USD, thus, this will be subject to the current exchange rate. Most banks also have inward remittance fees. 

For illustration purposes, I used BPI as the recipient bank but other banks are also allowed. You just have to check with them the applicable fees. 

Sample Computation 

Amount Withdrawn from Involve Asia: $74.12

Exchange Rate: ($1 = ₱48.25)

Converted Amount in PESO: ₱3,576.29

Less: BPI Service Fee:  ₱150.00

          Documentary Stamps ₱10.80

Net Pay - ₱3,415.49

This is also the exact amount credited to my bank account. :) 

What payment method should you use? Paypal or Wire Transfer? 

There are two factors that will help you decide on what payment method to use. If you have reached the minimum payout of MYR 80 but below MYR 400, then you can readily use the wire transfer option. 

However, if you are able to reach the minimum amount for Paypal withdrawals which is MYR 400 then you can consider using Paypal since this will give you a higher payout when you do Involve Asia to Paypal, Paypal to GCASH then GCASH to Bank. 

We specifically mentioned that you use GCASH because you must keep in mind that withdrawing directly from Paypal to your Bank will also have additional charges. :) 

Anyway, that's it for now. We will post tips and ideas on how you can promote your affiliate links soon. Make sure to follow our FB page, www.facebook.com/mymetrolifestyle for updates. 

Do you also want to be an affiliate? You can sign-up here.