NorthPine Land strengthens ties with Pag-IBIG Fund, vows to build more quality homes and communities for Filipinos

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Community developer NorthPine Land, Inc. (NLI) recently paid a courtesy visit to the officials of Pag-IBIG Fund to present recent and future projects, as well as its other community engagements and advocacies.

“NorthPine Land is a big supporter of Pag-IBIG’s affordable housing program for Filipino workers with some of our property developments being Pag-IBIG-accredited projects including Forest Ridge in Antipolo City, Kahaya Place and Greenwoods Village in Dasmariñas City, Kohana Grove in Silang, and South Hampton in Sta. Rosa Laguna,” shared NLI Chief Finance Officer, Ben Tatunay.

Photo above shows (L-R): Amytis Banaag (AVP for HRODA, Sales Training and Corporate Sales), Wilma E. Fernando (VP for Corporate Services), Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Atty. Darlene Berberabe, Ben Tatunay (VP for Finance), Elmer Tugade (Developer Assisted Department Manager) and Paul Lamagna (AVP for Technical Management Group)

Active Pag-IBIG members have access to the Fund’s housing loan programs. They can avail of a Pag-IBIG housing loan to acquire a property from a community developed by a Pag-IBIG-accredited developer. NLI Vice President for Corporate Services, Wilma E. Fernando, said the recent meeting with Pag-IBIG has reaffirmed the company’s commitment of providing genuine, quality homes to the hard-working Filipino family.

“We’ve developed a comprehensive portfolio of prestigious projects over the years, making sure that we deliver on our promise of providing fine living to every Filipino worker who strives for his dream home. Our houses are built on excellence, and our communities on trust,” says Ms. Fernando.

NorthPine Land has been a prime mover in the middle-income housing market since it was founded in 1996 by four prominent companies led by Asia’s top property investment group, Hongkong Land; with local investors and trusted names in the country: San Miguel Properties, Inc., BDO, and Metrobank.

About NorthPine Land, Inc.

NorthPine Land Inc. (NLI) is one of the country’s trusted real estate prime movers with a prestigious portfolio of projects such as Kahaya Place, Greenwoods Village, Wind Crest, Kohana Grove (Cavite), South Hampton (Laguna), Forest Ridge (Antipolo City), and Lexington (Pasig City). Its distinguished shareholders are: HongKong Land, BDO, Metrobank, and San Miguel Properties, Inc. To know more about our lineup of products, visit www.northpineland.com or call +632 637.1531.

Feeling at home with the freelance lifestyle : A quick look at freelancing and the rise of online customer service

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For freelancers, working at home is an incredibly attractive proposition. You don’t just get paid to develop your skills; you also get to exercise complete control over your own time and space as well. 

Global trends in the job market show that an increasing number of professionals are cutting their teeth on freelance work online, coinciding with the current ubiquity of the Internet in up to 40% of the world and its particular spike in demand for customer service agents.

According to industry statistics, the rising demand in customer care isn’t going away soon and this bodes well for the large number of skilled customer service people in the Philippines.

Thanks to the surge in online-based freelancer talent marketplaces like Upwork, customer service practitioners are in a position where they can successfully build entire international-standard careers for themselves, getting first-world pay without ever having to commute. 

This has proven to be incredibly appealing to businesses of all types and sizes —from bootstrapped startup to established enterprise—all over the world since they now have access to the talent they need to build phenomenal support teams thanks to an earth-sized talent pool of freelance professionals , giving an ultra-nuanced matching experience compared to traditional hiring methods.

The customer service category is one of the fastest growing categories on Upwork. Last year alone, companies spent 54 percent more than the year before. Increasingly companies are discovering the value of having a distributed customer support team – from reduced turnover to improved customer satisfaction and 24/7 multi-channel support.

If you are a passionate service professional looking to start practicing online freelance customer care, now is a great time to start.

The challenges of freedom

While the trend is unquestionably empowering for both businesses and freelancers, it is not without its quirks.

One thing that scares many aspiring online freelancers off early on is the fear of losing the distinction between “work time” and “home time.” For freelancers customer service professionals in the Philippines, the need to address this is particularly pressing.

Luckily, here are some tips to help you feel more at home with the freelance way of life:

Build your office

Your first step in kickstarting the freelance life is building the space you’ll be working in. While things should be welcoming and familiar for you, never forget that a clear work area goes hand in hand with a clear mind.

Remove unnecessary clutter from your table, and ensure that you have a professional-looking backdrop in case you need to face clients during your next online meeting. Also ensure that your immediate environment is quiet enough to work in. This will be your office from now on, so everything counts if you want to stay distraction-free, regardless if you’re offering email, chat, or voice support.

You may also need to secure a stronger or more reliable connection, as you may need the extra bandwith and speed for conference calls and long customer service sessions. Compare reviews and current product offerings from your preferred service provider.

Dress the part

The thought of going to work in your PJs is something many home-based professionals aspire for, but this may be particularly bad for you in the long run. 

A big part of the professional mindset knowing how to make the best possible impression when you present yourself to clients. The gesture alone shows them that you’re willing to be the best version of yourself for them, and it helps build trust between both parties.

While you may be incredibly talented, it’s hard to trust someone to deliver if they look like they just got out of bed all the time. Just think of it as something that cements your image as a working professional. Studies also show that a healthy self-image boosts productivity and motivation. It’s never a bad idea to dress up for work!

Develop a routine

People need a routine to ground them to certain aspects of their working lives. For many, this starts as early as the morning commute; something that may be foreign to the home-based customer care professional. I mean, how far do you have to walk to go from your house to… the other end of your house?

Try setting routine habits to get you into that working mood. Some would prefer a quick morning workout before the bulk of the day’s deliverables. Others cook, while others would prefer a simple walk to the nearest coffee shop for a good cup of coffee.

With opportunities to develop your customer service agent career, the comforts of home, and all the time you need for the things that matter in life; could you ask for a sweeter life? If you are a skilled customer service agent , online freelancing can make your dream of a freestyle life come true.

About Upwork:

Upwork is the world’s largest freelance talent marketplace. As an increasingly connected and independent workforce goes online, knowledge work — like software, shopping and content before it — is shifting online as well. This shift is making it faster and easier for clients to connect and work with talent in near real-time and is freeing professionals everywhere from having to work at a set time and place.  Upwork is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., with offices in San Francisco and Oslo, Norway. 

For more information, visit the website at www.upwork.com, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Power-Up with ASUS Notebooks and Get a stylish, limited edition ASUS ROG Shuttle Backpack plus, 2-Year Global Warranty

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Power up with ASUS Notebooks and enjoy incredible performance, style and 2-Year Global Warranty at an amazing price. From October 1st until November 30th, select ASUS Notebooks with Intel™ Core® i5 and i7 processors are now bundled with limited edition water-resistant Republic of Gamers Shuttle Backpacks worth PHP 4,995 so you can bring your device wherever you go! Bag is roomy enough to fit most devices even laptops up to 17”. Store all your cables, mice, powerbanks and even other belongings in this functional ROG Backpack. Rainy days won’t be a problem since the water-resistant ROG Backpack keeps all your gadgets safe and secure.

As a big bonus, select ASUS notebooks now also come with a 2-year global warranty to lessen your worries on parts and services.

Protect your investment with an extended global warranty worth Php2,500 available for select ASUS notebook models with pre-loaded Microsoft Windows 10.

Benefits you can enjoy from the extended warranty services:

· Provides you with peace of mind knowing that you device is covered for two-years. 

· Save money on laptop repair service and parts 

· Convenience of enjoying the warranty in any of the 57 countries ASUS service centers are present. 

· Whether you plan to travel with your ASUS Notebook or plan to purchase it as a gift for your loved ones abroad, ASUS 2-year Global Warranty gives you the best value for your device.

Bundled ROG Backpacks Mechanics:

1. Promo is open to all endusers who purchase select ASUS notebooks from October 1 to November 30, 2015.

2. Each enduser who purchase any of the select ASUS notebook from authorized ASUS resellers will get a free ROG Shuttle backpack. One notebook is equivalent to one backpack.

3. Redemption of free item starts from November 1, 2015 and ends on January 31, 2016.

4. Enduser may claim their free backpacks in two (2) ways:

Claim at ASUS Concept Stores:

· Enduser must present the photocopy of their official receipt, serial number

box cut-out and provide their name, e-mail, contact number in the

following concept stores:

• SM Megamall (ASUS Shop-in-Shop), 4th Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM North EDSA, 4th Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Fairview, 3rd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• Festival Supermall, 3rd Floor, Festival Supermall

• SM Lanang, 3rd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Bacolod, 2nd Floor, SM Cyberzone

• SM Cabanatuan, 2nd Floor, SM Cyberzone

5. Ship to Customer’s Address

Enduser must email a copy of their official receipt, serial number box cut-out and provide their name, e-mail address, contact number and complete shipping address to: asusredemption@gmail.com.

Upon sending an email to ASUS from November 1. Customer just needs to wait up to 7days to receive the free item

6. Premiums are transferrable but not convertible to cash. Employees of ASUS Philippines, its advertising, PR and events agencies and their relatives up to the second degree of affinity or consanguinity are exempted from the promo.

Eligible model for free ROG Shuttle Backpacks

OpenSignal: Globe outpaces competition in LTE speed, coverage

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Providing fastest mobile internet service in the Philippines

OpenSignal State of LTE report:

Globe Telecom provides the fastest LTE service in the Philippines, affirming the superiority of its mobile internet service and network infrastructure amid intensely competitive environment in the local telecommunications industry.

Based on OpenSignal’s State of LTE report for the third quarter of 2015, Globe Telecom’s LTE download speed is at 10 Mbps, double its competition’s LTE download speed of only 5 Mbps. Globe Telecom’s LTE download speed is comparable to territories/countries like Hong Kong (Smart Tone), India (Airtel), Norway (Telenor, Network Norway), Portugal (NOS), Indonesia (Indosat), which all registered a 10 Mbps download speed, and even higher than the 8 Mbps download speed in Russia (MTS), Malaysia (DiGi) and even US (AT&T, US Cellular, Sprint, C Spire Wireless).

While Globe Telecom’s download speed of 10 Mbps is considered adequate, its competition’s download speed of 5 Mbps dragged down the Philippines’ average LTE download speed to 8Mbps. OpenSignal specializes in mobile coverage mapping by crowdsourcing signal strength, data speed and reliability. In terms of LTE coverage, that of Globe is also superior at 41% against its competitor’s 36%.

“These findings prove our success in continuously expanding our network capacities amid ever-increasing demand for high-speed mobile internet access as more and more of our customers

build their life and work experiences around a digital lifestyle,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, noting that about a third of the company’s 48.4 million mobile customers are now using smartphones.

As part of the company’s aggressive LTE rollout, the Globe network’s mobile ultra-broadband access in Visayas and Mindanao were expanded, utilizing the LTE-TDD and LTE-FDD technologies, Agustin said. Currently one of the most relevant mobile network technologies, 4G LTE offers much higher bandwidth, lower latency even as it increases overall network capacity. This allows customers to use more applications on their mobile devices.

Crisanto said the continuing expansion of Globe network capacities is intended to provide its customers with holistic digital experience as the company continues to offer products and services that enhance the Filipino digital lifestyle. “Globe is committed in providing the right infrastructure support to ensure that the data needs of our customers are served, thus strengthening our position as the network of choice for smartphone users in the country. When it comes to mobile internet speed, we believe that the Philippines can compete globally but there is a need to distinguish between mobile and wireline,” she added.

Amid ongoing network expansion, Globe capital expenditure this year is expected to reach $850 million. As of June this year, capex stood at P11.4 billion, bulk of which were allocated for data-related projects that include investments for the company’s broadband network, capacities for wireless data, LTE, domestic and international transmission facilities. A significant portion of the company’s capex for the year were also allotted for its IT infrastructure as Globe continues to create platform for new products as well as to build on its IT transmission initiatives.

The OpenSignal data is collected from real consumer smartphones and is recorded under conditions of normal usage. Rather than approximate the user experience, it is directly measured from the users of OpenSignal smartphone application, which can be freely downloaded on both iOS and Android devices, and thus it is able to constantly monitor the true network experience that users are getting on those devices.

Through the app, OpenSignal is able to observe the network exactly as the end user experiences it. Such customer-centric approach allows OpenSignal to measure the true end-to-end experience of the mobile network. It isolated the networks in the Philippines by extracting all those points sent with network IDs corresponding to the brands operational there and then perform a geographical query to isolate only those data points that have been captured within the region. The different brands have been identified by investigating the network names associated with the SIM in the reporting device and the network which is serving the device.

Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart Sabrina to represent Ph in 2015 Asia Song Fest

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Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart Sabrina is going places! She will be representing the Philippines in the upcoming Asia Song Festival to be held on October 11 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium in Busan, South Korea. Sabrina will be performing alongside Asia’s top music acts like KPop artists EXO, GOT7, Red Velvet and B.T.S, NGT48 from Japan and William Chan from China. She is also scheduled to collaborate on stage with KPop group B1A4 for their song “Lonely” where Sabrina will sing in Korean. Asia Song Festival is held every year since 2004 in Korea gathering the best singers in Asia and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Previous Philippine representatives include R&B singer Kyla and MYMP.

Sabrina recently conquered Malaysia when she performed at the Kuala Lumpur Lake Garden Festival last August 23 at Padang Merbok in the capital city. She was the only Filipino to sing at the festival alongside other Malaysian, Indonesian, Singaporean and other acts from Southeast Asia. She also did photoshoots, radio guestings, retail and TV appearances during her tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in time for her latest album “I Love Acoustic 8”. To date, she has also traveled to Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore where she had successful concerts and promo tours

She just released her latest album “I Love Acoustic 8” which debuted at #1 on iTunes Philippines and Indonesia and also on Top 10 of iTunes Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The album is also released in CDs all over Asia making Sabrina one of the only few Filipinos to release a CD in the region and cementing her status as Asia’s Acoustic Sweetheart. In the Philippines, “I Love Acoustic” is now on the Top 10 of the country’s largest CD retailer Astroplus. The Malaysia version of the album includes her duet with Malaysian singer Natasha Sass with the Malay version of Freddie Aguilar’s iconic song “Anak” which is entitled “Terima Kasih”. Indonesia’s version had Sabrina record a duet with one of their top singers Chilla Kiana for the songs “Thinking Out Loud” and “Love Me Harder”.

“I Love Acoustic 8” includes Sabrina’s acoustic-fied versions of current hits like: “Thinking Out Loud” (Ed Sheeran), “Bang Bang” (Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj), “All About That Bass” (Meghan Trainor), “Love Me Like You Do” (Ellie Goulding), “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars), “Chandelier” (Sia), “I Really Like You” (Carly Rae Jepsen), “Blank Space” (Taylor Swift), “Sugar” (Maroon 5), “Love Me Harder” (Ariana Grande), “Style” (Taylor Swift), “Heroes” (Alesso feat. Tove Lo), “Lost Stars” (Adam Levine), “The Heart Wants What It Wants” (Selena Gomez), “Cool Kids” (Echosmith), “I’m Not The Only One” (Sam Smith), “I Want You To Know” (Selena Gomez) and “One Last Time” (Ariana Grande).

Now on its 8th volume, her “I Love Acoustic” series plus “Acoustic Love Notes” has sold more than 300,000 units all over Asia and were certified Platinum and Gold in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia and also released in Korea and other Asian countries digitally.

Sabrina’s “I Love Acoustic 8” is now out on CDs at Astroplus and Astrovision outlets, through digital downloads via Spinnr and iTunes and through streaming via Spinnr, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Guvera and Rdio.

For bookings and inquiries, please contact Sammy Samaniego at +632 9162504 local 107, +639178565174 or +639209682991 or email sammy.samaniego@umusic.com.