Mommy Banker

Work to live. Live to love.

Maxed Out: Debt and Financial Insecurity

Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders is a documenatary film which seeks to raise awareness on how credit and lending issues are affecting American society.   While it is targeted for Americans,  it could very well be telling our own story.  We as a nation and as individuals are also over our heads in debt.  Affluenza has led to an addiction to debt.

It’s a movie you can’t afford to miss.  Watch it here for free (albeit in low quality).   Share the link with your children,  your family and your friends.  Hopefully, it will make them think twice about spending money that they don’t have.    When it comes to credit,  it pays to be informed.

 

=======================================
Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep

Subscribe to my feed or subscribe via email to get notified of my next post.

March 6, 2008 Posted by jhorca | Finances, advocacy, financial literacy | , , | 2 Comments

We Are What We Do… Start the Change You Want to See

I see them everywhere.. the ubiquitous “I’m not a plastic bag” bags which  have become such a rage that they are being sold for hundreds of dollars on ebay and mass marketed by pirates.

Did you know where they came from and what they stand for?  The Anya Hindmarch bags were just one of the many initiatives of We Are What We Do, the global social change movement which originated in the United Kingdom and is quickly catching on around the world.  The movement has provided a quick list of actions which represent a simple way in which we can all make a difference to some of the biggest problems facing the world: climate change, poverty, crime, mental illness, community breakdown etc.

The simple and very doable actions range from “smile and smile back” to “recycle your cellphone” to “plant a tree”…

We Are What We Do….

seize-the-moment.jpg

In the Philippine context and in keeping with the Spirit of Edsa (I), I would add:

Be the Change I Want to See.

Related post: http://mommybanker.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/parents-help-build-the-philippine-brand/

=======================================
Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep

Subscribe to my feed or subscribe via email to get notified of my next post.

February 24, 2008 Posted by jhorca | advocacy, philippines | , , | No Comments

Parents, help build the Philippine brand!

Related Links:
Anton:  OAP’s Random Thoughts on Branding the Philippines
Philippine Daily Inquirer:  Branding the Philippines in a flat world

A recent article by Junie Del Mundo and Robert de Quelen presented some very interesting ideas on the Philippines as a brand.  You can download the article by clicking Branding the Philippines (in an Increasingly) FLAT WORLD.

Key Insights:
1. The Brand is US.
The Core Ingredient of the Philippine brand is its people.  Like it or not, the Philippines is known largely by its largest export:  talent and labor.   A person’s perception of the Philippines can be shaped by a chance encounter with a kababayan.  Call Center agents,  nurses,  domestic helpers, accountants, bankers… these are our brand ambassadors.  We are ALL stakeholders and should act accordingly.

2.  Patience and Consistency = Country Branding
“Country branding requires persistence because it seeps every so slowly into the minds and hearts of the target audiences. It is a work that will continue and even outlive several generations.” We need to start with our children. 

Children learn by example.  Here are some things we can do to mold our kids to be brand ambassadors extraordinaire:

*  Instead of going to HK Disneyland this summer,  swim with the whalesharks in Donsol,  shoot the rapids in Cagayan de Oro.  Climb the rice terraces. Explore Bohol.  Discover La Mesa Dam.  Trek Taal.  Bookmark Ivan Henares.
*  When abroad, spread awareness of Philippine brands.  Share your Boy Bawang.  Use VMV products.  Promote medical tourism (we have excellent opththalmologist and dentists).  Dazzle the crowd in an intricately embroidered barong.
*  Visit local museums.  Join the boutique tours of Carlos Celdran. 
*  Experiment with Filipino Food.  When in NY, eat at Cendrillon (www.cendrillon.com). Visit La Cocina de Tita Moning in Manila.
*  Revel in the thriving art scene. Watch a Filipino movie.  Listen to OPM.  Catch a performance at the CCP.  Visit an art gallery.  Read a book.
*  Respect your parents.  Live a frugal life. Be a loving spouse and helpful friend.

Mga Kababayan Ko - Francis Magalona

Respetohin natin ang ating ina
Ilaw siya ng tahanan
Bigyang galang ang ama
At ang payo niya ang susundan
At sa magkakapatid
Kailangan ay magmahalan
Dapat lang ay pagusapan ang hindi nauunawan

Mommies and daddies (especially those based overseas), any thoughts or reactions on how we can strengthen the Philippine brand?
 

=======================================
Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep

Subscribe to my feed or subscribe via email to get notified of my next post.

February 4, 2008 Posted by jhorca | advocacy, family, philippines | , | 3 Comments

Earth Day Mission: To Save Paradise

“Don’t It Always Seem To Go That We Don’t Know What We Got Til It’s Gone They Pave Paradise and Put Up a Parking Lot.” Joni MitchellApril 22 is the day we renew our commitment to Earth which we should actually be doing everyday. Below is a list of little things (downloading from a WWF-affiliated blog) which we can do for one day to alleviate the pressures we put on our ailing Mother the rest of the year. Heck, try them for at least 20 days so that they can become a habit, an earth-changing lifestyle.

Don’t leave the water running. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth or washing the car. Fresh water is one of our most precious natural resources.

Flick off the light when you leave the room. Power plants burn fuels to create energy for your light bulb. Burning fuel makes carbon dioxide that adds to global warming. The less energy you use the less they need to make, and you’ll save on your energy bill. Makes cents (pun instead).

Print on both sides of the page at work. It’s easy to change your printer settings - you’ll use half the paper and save trees.

Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. It works just as well as hot in your washing machine and cuts back on energy use.

Bring in a glass to keep at work instead of using the paper ones by the water cooler. Did you know that Starbucks will give you a P5 discount if you use a mug instead of their disposable cups?

For every soft-drink bottle recycled, enough energy is conserved to run a television set for an hour and and a half.

Use the right settings on your appliances. Many appliances, like your dishwasher and refrigerator, come with energy-saving settings. Make sure they’re turned on.

Turn off your computer at the end of the day. A monitor left on overnight uses enough energy to print 5,300 copies.

Look at the labels. Take the paper items with the “recycled” emblem over the ones without. Look for the Energy Star symbol when buying new appliances.

Take public transportation whenever possible.

Eat organic, if possible, from your garden. If you don’t have a garden, start one.

Don’t eat sharksfin, Chilean seabass, any reef fish, fish balls (contains shark meat), turtle soup, turtle eggs, dolphin, dugong, Philippine Eagle, Tarsier, Tamaraw, Philippine crocodile, and spread the word.

Try to go vegetarian for one entire day.

Here’s a fun one: go to Youtube and watch Will Ferrel do George Bush on Global Warming

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

April 20, 2007 Posted by jhorca | advocacy | , | No Comments

Love Books

Start your children reading at a young age.

February 21, 2007 Posted by jhorca | advocacy | | No Comments

LPG Car Conversions: Good for the Pocket and the Environment Too


With oil prices reaching the stratosphere, consumers everywhere are looking for new ways and means to tighten their belts. Our cities are slowly being smothered with smog, the price we pay for the large number of cars which ply the roads each day. Is there a solution to the problems affecting our health and wealth?

One viable alternative which many fleet operators and taxis have embraced is LPG conversion. Consider these bits of trivia:

  • LPG is practically half the price of diesel and fuel.
  • The chemical nature of the fuel (over a 100 octane rating) ensures a cleaner burn, producing less pollution. It also reduces engine wear.
  • Modern LPG conversions suffer no noticeable loss of performance. Engines will run smoother and be slightly quieter.

There are already a number of LPG filling stations in the metropolis. Among them is Petron’s Xtend Autogas which is available in Barangay Ugong, Pasig City, Sen. and Makati City.

Interested? What to know more?

AmbiEnergy Enterprises, Inc. is one of the pioneers in the distribution, sale, installation and service of high quality LPG kits for automobiles. It has become the standard by which all LPG kit suppliers in the Philippines follow.

Its list of clients include Basic Taxi (Basic Transport Management Corp), Dollar Taxi, Ninestar, Sturdy, Pilipinas Shell, Petronas Energy Phils., Eastern Petroleum, Nissan Gallery Ortigas, Nissan Gallery Quezon Ave and Ford Global City. Aside from corporate clients, the company also entertains individuals.

To get more information on LPG Conversion, contact Kuki Buencamino or Jere Fregil at
AmbiEnergy Enterprises, Inc.
Mobile: +63917 898AMBI
Mobile: +63920 9275988
Telefax: +632 4127100
LPGcarpower@gmail.com

August 6, 2006 Posted by jhorca | advocacy, lifestyle | , | No Comments

Breastfeeding Week: August 1-7

What is Children for Breastfeeding?The organization aims to….
· Preserve the Filipino indigenous way of nurturing our children guided by a deep respect for life and the environment.
· Mobilize parent and children advocates and other sectors of the society to promote, support and protect breastfeeding through the *Seven Acts of Kindness to Support Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers.*
· Revive indigenous healthcare and nurturing practices like cooperative or shared nursing and the use of baby slings, strengthen family and community support and other traditional practices that sustained breastfeeding in the past.
* *
Milestones:
· Initiated the Presidential Proclamation of the annual celebration of World Breastfeeding Week from August 1-7, 2006 in Malacanang, the official residence of the Philippine President last August 2005.
· Established the First Breastfeeding-friendly Mall in the Philippines with SM SuperMalls that will put up Breastfeeding Stations in all SM Malls throughout the country within this year.
· Official Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding that mobilized 3,541mothers with the City of Manila.
· Established the first Breastfeeding Clinic in a Private Hospital in the Philippines
· Conducted trainings on Infant and Young Child Feeding and Care

Our organization, seeks to mobilize children to promote earth-friendly parenting through the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers.

The Seven Acts of Kindness:
1. Represents the issues that breastfeeding addresses.
2. Develops respect for life in the womb and instill in children the value of breastfeeding.
3. Revives indigenous healthcare and nurturing practices that sustained breastfeeding in the past.
4. Provides support and inspiration all women need in these crucial stages of motherhood.
5. Develops social consciousness and social responsibility by guiding children on how they can help in their own little way.

Download: The Seven Acts of Kindness:
A PowerPoint Presentation
http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/philippines.htm

Suggestion: Please attach a native lullaby while you are playing the presentation.

The Seven Acts of Kindness was conceptualized by two breastfeeding advocates Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, RPh, IBCLC and Director, Children for Breastfeeding and Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC and Director, Nurturers of the Earth, two of the only three Filipinos who are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). They have observed that parents are unaware of the risks of bottle-feeding and even if they are made aware of it, many will resort to mixed feeding and consequently, full bottle-feeding.

Alarmed by the realization that the bottle-feeding culture is so deeply ingrained, they saw the need to educate children, the future generation of parents on the superiority of breastfeeding. The exposure of children to mothers who breastfeed will help them internalize that breastfeeding is the norm. A concrete example is when children breastfeed their dolls when they see their mothers breastfeed. Hopefully, this will instill in their young minds that breastfeeding is the most natural and beautiful way of nurturing, when they become parents themselves.

For more information on breastfeeding and the hazards of cow’s milk, visit the following websites:

http://www.promom.org/101/
http://www.drjacknewman.com/
http://www.iblce.edu.au/Consult_an_IBCLC.htm
http://www.milksucks.com/index2.asp

For more information on WBW activities and downloadable materials, please visit:
http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/philippines.htm
http://bringbackbreastfeeding.org.ph

August 5, 2006 Posted by jhorca | advocacy, baby, family, health | | No Comments