Meralco and Manila Water Refund, NFA Rice Mania, and A Mother’s Budgeting Notes
The other day, my officemate was telling me about the refund by Manila Water (former Nawasa). I was delightfully surprised. First,the subsidy from the government for Meralco customers, now, Manila Water’s meter deposit refund! The better news is they will be refunding about Php1,600.00 of our payment for the meter deposit. Wonderful!
When I went back to our office today, there was a memo requiring signature of those who wanted to buy half sack of American NFA Rice at Php25.00 per kilo. I again thought: “another good news.” Because of the rocketing price of rice, our family tried American NFA Rice and to our surprise, it was actually delicious! No wonder there’s always a long line waiting at American NFA Rice distributors in any place.
Although there’s a downer at home (my mother and my mother-in law are both sick), I’m happy that somehow, God was sending budget relief like bill refunds and NFA rice availability. However, it remains a fact that I need to work harder and explore more business opportunities to augment our ballooning expenditures.
There are some business possibilities I was offered by good friends. One was putting up a web hosting services for Philippine bloggers. This is actually promising since there are thousands of new blogs created every day. If you would look at webhosting geeks dot com, you will see the list of top web hosting services internationally with magnanimous earning one would never receive even if she/he works 24/7 and 360 days a year.
Who knows, if and ever our web hosting plans push through, we may even get to theweb review page of this site. That would be the day!
Read more
Web Site Designing and The Marikina Web Awards
Marikina recently held its first Web Awards for websites of Barangays and Schools in the city. Since I had a friend from Barangay Sto. Niño where I grew up, I was asked to help in the design and content of their website for Web Awards. I was too willing to help but my skills in web designing is limited. I was able to help edit and write some of the contents and even design the header and some images but that’s about it, I don’t know how to design a website using html. Marikenya.com uses wordpress template and all I need to do is edit its elements to suit my style.
Unfortunately, Sto. Niño lost but the experience convinced me to study professional website designing in the future. For those who need help in designing their websites for their business or organizations, you may check out charlotte web site design firm. It specializes not only in professional web designing services but they also host websites and emails and even do internet marketing for promotion of products or services.
Here are the winners of the First Marikina Web Awards:
Read more
Wordless Wednesday: Darling AM in the Morning
See the antics of my lovely god daughter AM when she wakes up in the morning…
Empowering the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
As I am writing this post, I am silently praying that the small lumps the doctor found in my breast are benign. It is scary to think that I am a potential victim of the deadly breast cancer. It never crossed my mind until next week when I underwent the breast screening procedure. My lab examination is scheduled on Thursday and until then, I am bound to feel miserable and worried.
We are all vulnerable to breast cancer, women and men alike. This tag of my friend Joy of Garden of Moments is indeed timely. I feel strongly for this campaign, I hope you too would feel the need to support it.
June is the International Month for Breast Cancer Awareness, let us all pitch in to spread the information on this killer disease in the blogosphere to help more people worldwide.
Facts we need to know about Breast Cancer:
• The first sign of breast cancer usually shows up on a woman’s mammogram before it can be felt or any other symptoms are present.
• Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, delaying pregnancy until after age 30 or never becoming pregnant, early menstruation (before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last ten years of oral contraceptives, and daily consumption of alcohol.
• Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival. Read more
More Tips for Bloggers
Another way of earning from your blog is participating from social surveys that are actually guise of companies conducting market research for their products or services. Among one of the most popular is the social survey network dneero dot com. By joining this site, you will be notified of new surveys, now called, conversations. The blogger would have to respond to the survey and then post his response in his/her blog.
This monetizing scheme though is not as attractive as it sound since you will only get cents for answering and posting it but just like google adsense, it is earning while staying calmly in a corner of your post or blog. Better than not earning any dollar at all.
My Blog and SocialSpark
I recently joined this social networking and blog advertising site by the reputable and popular Izea, the power behind Payperpost and Bloggers Choice Awards. I regret that I wasn’t able to join it months back when my blogger friends kept on badgering me to get in.
SocialSpark is a dream site for bloggers. There are prospects for generating income as well as meeting new friends, bloggers and blog readers alike. My profile at SocialSpark already got invites from friendly members soon as I signed up, some even sent me messages on how to use the features and maximize the use of the site. It was really an overwhelming experience.
I already uploaded two of my blogs and one was already approved. I am still waiting for this blog, Marikenya.com to get verified. A blogger friend told me that because of the influx of bloggers joining the site, it would take time before my blog gets a chance for verification. I hope they’d make it sooner though, I’ve been waiting for almost a week already.
Read more
Response To A Marikenya.Com Reader
Got an email today from a Marikenya reader, Roma:
Hi gorgeous Marikenyos and Marikenyas,
Thanks for putting up a wonderful site like this. I would just like to ask if you know of any legit work-from-home type of job. You see, I am a mother of an eight year old boy and a nine month old baby girl. I have decided to stay at home after giving birth to our baby girl to be a full-time mother. However, because times are so hard, considering we’re spending so much for my baby’s special milk (she has allergy to milk protein so she only takes Nestlé Alfaré which costs Php1180 for a 400gram can), i need to find a source of income while being a home-maker. I hope you can enlighten me. Any comment, suggestion, or idea will be highly appreciated. Thanks and more power.
Firs, thank you for your letter (sent through Marikenya’s contact form) and for appreciating this blog. I can feel your dilemma, most mothers would. At this point, I can only give you the strategies that has worked for me in augmenting the income of my family, hope any or all of these would be able to be of use to you too:
Roma, let us hope that our mom readers out there would provide you also good income generating tips for you. God bless…
Read more
BLogging, Social Networking and Backlinks
I have received several emails from subscribers and occasional readers of Marikenya asking me how to improve their blogs and their page ranks. Thank you very much for your trust and believing that I am qualified to answer your queries.
If you happen to pass by this blog months back, you would notice that the layout has entirely changed. I picked a new template (and modified some of its components), one that looks organized but not boring. I believe that among the basis of google for assigning page ranks is the layout or design of a blog. Although there’s no sure way or specified criteria for increasing page ranks, I have seen a lot of blogs with good PR for their nice layout.
Read more
Resources on Web Hosting for Beginners
Everyday, more and more internet users turn into blogging to journal their lives, share their interests and eventually, to earn money. At first, new bloggers use free blog hosting services but after some time, they would clamor for their own domain which of course would lead to needing hosting services. Me and my site is an example of this trend.
For amateur and not-techy-bloggers, all these information regarding blog services, domain names and hosting would give them a headache and would provide them the impression that it is hard to be a successful blogger. It’s actually a misnomer. Believe me, I started from scratch.
Aside from having helpful and patient bloggers who gives you free advices and free tutorials, online resources like the web hosting tutorials provided by webhostingrating dot com is very helpful. This site provides extensive tips and reviews of web hosting specifications and tutorials for beginners and even noteworthy advices in choosing or even migrating to right hosting services.
Sites, Network, and Connection Downtime
Among the worst thing that may happen to a site or blog is experiencing downtime. For a blog or site, this temporary or frequent downtime may cause decrease in readership, rejected or withheld monetizing opportunities or even decrease in page rank (PR).
In an organization set-up, more and more companies these days depend on network services and applications so downtime of servers or connections are deplorable. Effective network monitoring services like the ones offered by Uplogix, a top IT remote network solutions company, are critical. Productivity of employees are now almost dependable on the speed and stability of networks.
I’m pretty lucky I have a particularly good host service for marikenya site. I hardly experienced downtime since it was created in October last year. I am not that lucky though with my broadband service at home since each time I log in, I always wait for an average of 20 to 40 minutes before I get connected and oftentimes, the speed connection is appalling.
Technology is at times, unreliable and most of the time, pricey.
-
Contact Form
-
World of Blogs
-
Advertise Here
-
Marikina News!
-
Quick Trip
-
Support Sites and Readers
-
Testimonials
Tintin Rios: Nice article mhel! As always, I am indeed enjoying all the stuff that you are doing. Very honest and very inspiring. Keep it up! :)
Big Brother: Very helpful and enlightening person, always there to lend a hand whenever you’re in need… Keep it up !!! GOD Bless!!!
Zaldy: Very interesting and informative. Lovely as the author.
Kengkay: Ipagpatuloy ang pag blog tungkol sa kagandahan ng pinas… gusto ko ang mga ganitong blogs. nakakataba ng puso :)
Apple Lucero: It's wonderful, and knowledgeable. I love the beauty of marikina, continue blogging, great!
Ed Ebreo: You have a very interesting blog and an even more interesting work. Keep up the great work!
Rino: Thanks for this information. I would never have known about this. Good job and please continue to provide us with more of these…
Eclud: You surprised me mhel!!! This is great.. keep up the good work… (saka parang paganda ka ng paganda..) *From the author: "Aint this the best comment of 'em all?" :D
AnitoKid: Wow! Danda na ng Marikina! It has been a while since I last visited it! I studied at Marist School (Gr 1-6, HS 1-4). Loved your site kabayan! And I kid you not!
MyGlitch: Hi, Mhel. I salute you for promoting Marikina, the only blogger I know who truly loves her municipality.
Alvin Aljecera: Marikina is the Best in TOWN!!!
Lad Madrigal: Nakakatuwa, napaka informative at talagang helpful ang blog mo. Rating: 11 out of 10 haha.
Edelweiza: Hi der! I admire BF, too. I always see him during Cabinet events in the Palace as our office is the one in-charge of them. It’s his strong character and sincere efforts to “urbanize” the metropolis and us city dwellers that keeps me an avid fan. He belongs to a very rare breed of public officials that really walk the talk. I think he deserves all the support he can get from Filipinos. :D
Dennis: I was once a passerby, ngaun mukang magiging regular reader at “avid fan” na din! hahaha!
Ericc: Congrats to this wonderful website! it’s a good advocacy for responsible citizenship and good city governance! all the best to marikina!
Heidelyn A. Camaligan: We are so lucky living here at Marikina, werein lots of educational training are offered.
Islander: Wow! grabe na talaga ang marikina. beyond the legend na kayo. pano pa kami makakahabol nyan? hehe. Alamat!
Reign: I used to pass by Marikina since i’m just 40 minutes drive away from Antipolo but I never thought of these great facts about your lovely place. You’re a sure proud marikeña.
Lotus Flower: Happy Marikina Day to you. Aren’t you glad to be part of this quaint but definitely bustling and progressive city? I am :-)
Meeh: Maituturing na ang marikina ay nakilala sa paggawa ng mga dekalidad na sapatos na nagdala sa ating lugar upang makilala sa ibang panig ng pilipinas at sa ibang bansa…at ipinagmamalaki ko na ako ay isang marikenya…mabuhay!
Tapsiboy: Marikina is my happy and comfort place.
Spinning Lovely Days: I’m so glad there are so many interesting places to check out in our city now. with gas getting so expensive, i’m all for limiting our explorations within marikina. :D as always, thanks for all the wonderful tips.:)
Mera: Ang ganda naman ng lahat ng nakapost dito sa site mong marikenya Ms.Mhel…more of it were very inspirational.interesting and educational…just keep it and godbless u!
Abby: Hi. I'm glad i chanced upon this really interesting blog. i'm from marikina too. we’ve been living here for more than a year now. i'm super excited about your list. you see, hubby and i frequent eating spot in town. we are, still in search for the perfect crispy pata. a lot of my friends say you can find it here.
CallCenterGal: Thanks for the additional tips on improving one’s blog in simple, doable ways.
Sagada Philippines: I like your niche. More power to your blog! =)