We Must Patronize Only Ethical Jewelry Locally

 

 [Opinion]

Admittingly, as soon as  I have read pronounced comments about an excavated (was it?) ancestral metal found (I can just imagine how it looks), that was previously displayed, at a museum,  that recently made its way into the hands of an artisan, to make such jewelry reworked and molded from its original old trove haunt, I felt moved, to incredulity.  

How on earth, an unearth belonging previously deep a find, can make its way to the neckline of a beautiful celebrity? 

What are the resonating ideals of such an effort to make jewelry from a "gold find" from a past forgotten even if it has the best of intentions? 

Truly, it is hard to imagine exploitative fashion out of old belongings. 

Whose item will be next for the sake of fashion? I say fashion must NOW thinktank about its boundaries.

We all know that fashion is as imaginative as it can get. 

It knows no age and it explores anything that can be made into a beautiful thing. 

But our need for fashion let’s say even for the sake of being ecologically minded, must not be thrust into the unknown, enough to dissonate disrespect for the values of history, culture; and respect for the un-living.

It was like a hatchet depth to be unraveled that stylish jewelry fashion can come from those which can't defend itself,  making it unthinkable to own and flaunt.  

Fashion has always been liberating from the point of view of a wearer. But its purpose must not be to commercialize a past that makes up a culture or a society belonging to the rested.  

We make fashion, probably yes even out of a molehill, but that molehill must not come from an era belonging to the depart, where a treasure could be hidden, and exploited for the sake of art.

 

  

 

THIS DICTATES YOUR FUTURE. ANSWER THIS WELL BEFORE ACCEPTING A PROSPECTIVE JOB

 THIS DICTATES YOUR FUTURE. ANSWER THIS WELL BEFORE ACCEPTING A PROSPECTIVE JOB

Don’t rush to accept a job offer for the sake of being hired.

[CAREER TIPS}

So, you think you landed the job of your dreams, as a first-timer or a returner employee. 

Hurry not, eager employee.  In times of pandemic when jobs are scarce, and work-from-home jobs are not really happening for most applicants, there is one thing that one must be careful in “settling” for, before signing for a job.

 

Forget about that excitement  in trying an industry that is aligned to your education. 

 

As one chooses work, so is he or she building a future one day at a time.

 

The secret to being wise as a newcomer or same-old worker relies only on one thing-- when one is afront with an interview personnel, at a time when an individual has a pretty good chance already of being hired.

 

Know that this secret to having a better, brighter future can start with writing the answer to one important question given by screening personnel, even way before the interview, from the time you score an application form.

THIS IMPORTANT FUTURE SETTING for a worker requires answering a blank line that is repeated over by hiring personnel, no matter what company or industry one aims to enter.

 

The heavy impact answer that could impact an individual career, when asked by human resource personnel, requires honesty to the question:

What is Your Expected Salary? How Much Was Your Previous Salary?

 

These two questions tell and foretell how an applicant and would-be-employee would be treated by a company or employer.

 

Writing down one’s expected salary requires honesty and consistency of expectations, and not just hopeful statements on the part of an applicant.

 

It used to be that hard-knock industries attract a lot of bemedaled applicants for many reasons other than salary. The reasons include opportunity for fame, clout, or even an aspirational one. But signing up for a job that does not consider one’s financial requirements and needs; agreeing to a salary that would NOT satisfy standards of living  decently in today’s times could be tantamount to walking a lane of hopeless pursuit for a future that is not there.

 

Workers must be firm and blunt in putting forward their ideal salary expected. And must not get a kind of work that does not even consider good salary placements for employees.

 

Many companies consider hierarchy and plantilla in filling out work positions and offering figures for the salary.  But often, applicants are shortchanged of what they deserve or what is commensurate to the time one has to exert in order to get work done.

 

Thus, it would help that workers from the very start must write the fine line of their salary needs because if the preferred salary is not given, in one’s target position or work, a worker may soon regret having spent a great deal of time and effort being part of a company.  Regrets in employment must not be a standard for workers who value their talents and dedication to a company.

 

It is a tricky question that is always given with the intent to measure sometimes, with a bias to undermine and not to patronize a person’s capacity to work,  no matter what qualifications one has.

 

WHAT’S YOUR PREVIOUS SALARY IS A QUESTION HIRING PERSONNEL OFTEN ASK TO MEASURE THE IMPORTANCE, VALUE, AND INDISPENSABILITY OF AN APPLICANT.

 

How and why? The tendency of hiring personnel is to simply retain the old salary or match it with a similar offer to the applicant. That is often the easy and best route taken by HR, to offer a "realistic" same salary and play on that card of “times are hard” statement WHEN FINALIZING A SALARY OFFER.  

 

The fact is, getting the right salary can be as elusive as getting the right job to match one’s qualifications.

 

Hence, an applicant no matter what background one comes from,  must not settle for a losing end of the bargaining rod.

THIS IS THE ONLY THING YOU MUST KNOW WHEN RENTING AN APARTMENT

Mind your space. And your lessors.

Not yet ready to get your own place? Sadly, it is the reality of middle-class families and individuals. The ease of getting a place is not yet there given the business conditions in the country.

There are a lot of developers targeting earners with the purchasing power for affordable houses that are in development, even in the pre-selling stage.  But high-interest rates in banks, lack of enthusiasm to lend financial assistance to families needing basic shelter, and the prevalence of difficulties in getting papers needed to process real estate investments, are some of the reasons real estate buyers cannot readily jump into the prospects of having new houses immediately. 

If buying is not yet an option, the real good deal is to rent a house in a reputable city with all the necessities available in building a family.

But forget your checklist of what to look out for in a rented house, there is just one basic seek-in information that lessees must know. 

 

The lessor or land owner should not live beside the same place you intend to rent out. 

 

It is no surprise that there are lessors who stay in their real estate property they rent out for reasons only they can declare. But as a starting family, a prospective lessee must know that there are a number of complications when getting a place where a landowner or lessor lives beside the property you rent, whether it is a few steps away from the house you would be renting on or in the same vicinity of your apartment.

 

Here are the reasons you must not settle for a house where the lessor lives in the vicinity of your unit or apartment:

 

·         THE LACK OF PRIVACY OF TENANTS. Living with your lessor next door is an inconvenient way to start a family. The lessor would have so much access to your day-to-day affairs, activities, and privacy as both would live in the same location. This fact guarantees familiarity both ways and same circle complications that can be disfavoring to the tenant’s interest and necessities.

 

By having a lessor living next door,  the tenant/s opens up their own family and individual realities that can be a breeding ground of loss of integrity both for the lessor and the lessee, as the former can easily impose a supervisory attitude towards the house property he/she is renting out.  PRIVACY is a big issue for tenants with lessors living next to them.

There will be a conscious effort to cloud the decision of the tenants by superimposing on the will of the lessee, how the property is maintained or kept, and the tenant/s could also be in constant scrutiny from the lessor whether or not the tenants’ actions is congruent to the lessors’ expectations.

 

 

Having a lessor next door could guarantee less freedom to move around the house for your family.

 

 

·         THE EXPECTED FAMILIAL CONNECTION IS ALWAYS THERE.  As tenants living next door, you must be prepared to mingle, elbow to elbow with the lessors’ family, and expect interactions with the lessors’ own circle of connections. As tenants, you must decide if such constant probability would be impactful to your need for family privacy, margins for freedom, and integrity. As we all know, too much familiarity and lack of privacy can interfere with the tenants’ rights when it comes to moving around, and personal decisions in how a household is maintained.  Expect comments whether necessary or not from the lessor, no matter how amiable the arrangement seems to be from the start. The lessor-to-tenant interaction is not always perfect as the lessor who lives nearby can also expect a little dose of familial support from the tenant once needed. This consequently affects the business integrity of the lessor in the face of its own tenants.

 

·         SHARED SPACE OR COMMON GROUND BETWEEN THE LESSOR AND THE TENANT CAN BE A CAUSE OF TENSION or cold disagreement between the lessor and the tenant, and this cannot be avoided. Since each family or each circle has been brought up differently and can show different attitudes about a lot of important issues where it concerns daily realities, a lessor can be vocal in asserting their own hard way of doing things, and superimpose on the preferences of the tenant that can affect individual freedom and choices.

 

THESE THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS DISCUSSED OR EXPECTED IN THE OPEN since most enterprising businesses offer a very presentable façade in their customer or client relations.   But when it comes to renting an apartment, everything becomes personal or subject to hear-end comments, hence to avoid conflicts and disagreements when renting a place, interested parties must try all means to find the best route in having a home space rented out to others; while tenants must be prepared for the business and personal weaknesses of their lessors when it comes to daily interactions should living next door be an unavoidable option for the tenant/s.

 

This business article is open to advertisers’ input and advertorials. Please feel free to direct message this writer or respond to this open call for sponsored articles about real estate, house renting, budget homes, etc.

 

Thank you.

About Quiet Luxe, Loud Logos and The Cost of Being Admired

 

Recently there are luxury brands (we need not name the who’s or the which-- it’s influencer-style marketing these days and we don't wanna alienate), gearing a paradigm shift in the way luxury items are distinguished and patronized.  

The increase in the attention worthy-posts for “quiet luxury” is obviously positioned to appeal to logo-averse buyers of expensive items. 

So expectedly waiting for this, because in true high-end fashion, not all people with money for luxury would ALWAYS WANT TO make a big deal out of how much they spent for a bag, or who they are wearing, to other people. Thus, “quiet luxury” seems like a more peaceful route to loving luxury with a conscience, without the need to brag and tag.  

 

"Quiet luxury” may be more alluring to the right niche but not to the countless aspirational buyers of luxury goods who want to be out and loud with the brands they fancy.

 

Why this writer opines that logo-fest on bags and everything branded would still win the favor and hearts of local consumers because of the wide acceptance of luxury brands as status symbols and success-pitchers for the locals.  

In addition, consumers who wear and carry popular brands of bags, shoes, etc., are more favored and treated nicely in the city or rural side.

 

Try going out to an ordinary place wearing only simple clothing for whatever purpose, or donning only a simple bag; go looking like a plain Jane, or Joe for the men.  

One could easily spell a difference in the customer service efforts one can get from a shop attendant when one is logo-worthy versus that of the so ordinary. And this is a normal mindset among the locals.  

 

Filipinos love international brands so much that this culture of luxury wearing tends to out shadow our own acceptance of local products.  

It is not a matter of luxury versus practicality. Frankly, for many young and old,  it is a matter of having acceptance and being estimated well by others, that brings forth a reason to wear and patronize popular luxury brands. 

 

But the preference for luxury can pose a burden to ordinary consumers when brand bias trickles down to other lifestyle items that have become “essentials” for many Filipino consumers- like game consoles for kids, and insurance products that do not necessarily embed their brand names, but require expensive prices in order to be enjoyed by mainstream consumers.

 

When moms and dads have to keep up with trends,  to evade being an outcast in the middle of an amiable taste for brands that denote status, wealth, or high income, there goes the pressure to spend more. It is understandable that there are parents who would want to go super-upper on their lifestyle, just to avoid their kids from being branded as can’t afford, at a time when consumerism gives high value to everything luxurious. Like when going for a fancy gaming lifestyle that could allow a level-up treatment from those who are in the world of the can-affords, just to avoid their kids from being bullied. 

It is a fact of life in the country that those who live below the expectations of others, those who can't afford the high-priced goods in their everyday use have a high probability of being bullied whether directly or indirectly; whether in subtle gesture or as a direct insult verbally or even through social outcasting where popularity and favor of goodwill counts more than the indistinct and the generic-wearing individuals.

Reference is alluded, to a recent viral story of a dad being affected when his son gets home after being bullied because of wearing a replica brand. A story that illustrated the local penchant for brands,  to enjoy social acceptance, must not be undermined.

 

Suffice it to say, admiration is a spellbinding lure of many brands. Those who buy expensive items are often associated as successful; not “losers”, just like the young would like to drum roll many times over.

 

What is unacceptable is when our status-hearted philosophy permeates even in the way we look and shop for medical products and services, that are expectedly must-haves, like insurance products that are priced unaffordable and are marketed to give luster to a specific niche. When it comes to insurance products and medical services, there must not be a distinction to profile the low from the highs.

 

One buyer of prepaid insurance bragged about getting a product for her helper, alluding that a low-cost insurance product is only for those who are at the bottom ladder of economic status. If this persists, even the kind of service that is supposed to be professionalized and idealized such as that given by the medical industry, can be marginalized to favor the luxe-abiding ones. 

 

Insurance products bought without the need to shell out high and mighty amounts, give a buffer of security and a layer of protection among ordinary consumers, in times of uncertainty.  Thus, insurance products must not be branded to mean exclusively fashioned for the poor, or for the wealthy, even in a sublime way.    

 

We cannot let status and brands, delineate consumers of many lifestyle products to assert importance, more so demand a kind of service or product, we need as Filipinos especially when it comes to healthcare or medical services.

 

Edited July 18, 2023, 7:08 pm. News Review Philippines by Anna Liza VB.

Copyright 2023 Philippines

 

The Fault in the Unseen: What Creatives Won't Tell Everyone About Big Projects

And What Mediocrity Truly Spells 

Believe me, mediocrity is a word those in the creative professions loathe.

With a reason of course.

No creatives in advertising can be there if, from the very start, one does not know the intricacies of their work, more so the difference between mediocrity and mediocracy.

It is not all about colors, photos, words, and fonts when one is handed an advertising campaign that is expected to be shredded and criticized by many--probably because of timing, probably because of budget.

It cannot be diluted that those who belong to the world of creatives, when given a project,  [warning cliché] do get that “fire in their belly” to finish a task with aplomb, breathe—success.

Unless when a team of creatives is demoralized or has a very stressful deadline given them, that demands quality within an almost impossible deadline or timeframe;  or for them to work despite a lack of manpower available. One cannot simply judge a whole slew of creatives based on the outcome of a project. 

With the foresight of having an unsatisfactory output, one who can pull the strings, can simply call the shots, trash everything, or have a do-over of work.  Rest assured, the creatives would be the first ones to balk at such an average campaign. 

The real deal, before a project is accepted, is a whole lot of expectations are given to creatives. 

Sometimes, the demands are not doable.  But creatives, believing that they can always do their best, would always put a brave, fast-paced move forward, in order to satisfy a client. 

What this post wants to share is:  why a team of creatives "at the helm of things" did not pull enough brunt and blunt to come up with an impeccably original campaign for a tourism project? 

• Was the brief clear?
• Was there a budget that supported such a big deal campaign that is accessible within the confines of the deadline, for the team of creatives to peruse? 
• Or was the deadline given so strict that the team working on the campaign, had no choice but to come up with a hush edition from logo to video?

In times of failure, the writers and artists for such a gargantuan project do know they would be the ones to take the blame for such a hullabaloo. And believe that a team of creatives would have the decency to admit what’s wrong should all else fail. 

 

So much has been said about the tourism campaign. But what is good to ponder is that a team of creatives from a well-known ad agency could have done a better job, if all support, and ideals were given them. If the ideals were not there, no matter how excellent they are, they can only give a lackluster output, if something was sorely missing that requires them to further their brilliance.  

Most of the time, originality is spun by inspiration. And an excellent campaign also requires the right work environment to bring forth enough motivation to be original. By coming up with a campaign that fails many expectations, the ad agency's creatives would be the first ones to be dissatisfied with their own work.

Something to spell out there, lay out the reasons for fail, not just criticize the finished tourism campaign if originality really was a big deal for everyone.

commentary. News Review Philippines 

edited @10:19pm July 11, 2023

Copyright 2023 Philippines

 

 

 

Can You Handle Spam Mails Without Worrying Over Security?

Wicked, spam, or simply trash-worthy? How to deal with cunning spam.
 

Perhaps you’ve been busy wringing your wits about your next content or mail draft. Suddenly you get an email, that is tantamount to a mail threat asking for something--like crypto. 

Then you ask, what if,  your email account is hacked hence the spam? What to do in situations like this, when one is simply an ordinary user or netizen?

 

This is a tricky question indeed.  But everybody must be aware of email attacks. 

How one can feel when getting an unwanted email that’s more than spam but asks for something in return, with no obvious offer to amend their spam action- one can be pushed to a reflex action that sends SOS to the more knowledgeable ones.

 

When one goes online, one can bump into the unannounced, other “netters” who aim to make one’s netsurfing, emailing, news keep-upping, a difficult one. This happens especially if one is not technically equipped with online usage basics and dynamics.

 

Here are the basic truths one has to guard knowing when one is online:
 

1.     A computer can be exposed to others.   A computer connected to the internet for real, cannot guarantee privacy.  And one may not even be aware of this happening.

 

Even if emails, profiles, and data are uploaded and shared online or offline, and are guaranteed data privacy and confidentiality, nobody can really be assured of 100 percent protection when using the internet.  

Even the strictest basic emails cannot guarantee absolute protection as they can be penetrated with spam or unwanted emails, too.

 

To relate, this writer’s mailbox has gotten once in a while, mail threats asking for crypto deposits. 

The email content is blunt saying it knows all aspects of one’s activity (an email can go directly to spam by the way so you don’t easily notice it). The spam can give enough of a threat scare for an email account holder to take notice.  

 

When prompted for help, technical experts would simply advise deleting a “spoof” email.  

It was labeled as a spoof, even if it did not come as that, but a mail of a more hounding message from an anonymous address and sender. An IT expert can simply advise acting on it by simply deleting the email from one's mailbox.

 

2.  Sometimes, unintentional clicks happen.

 

This can expose the computer to threats. Those blinks and winks that are pressed in a hush can lead one to surprise wins, and sites that do not only intend to spam but take one’s time but change valuable settings as well. 

 

So, the minute one notices some changes on one's computer or any out-of-the-usual variation to one's email settings, an individual user must retrace the footsteps of what caused such change right away. And when an IT expert is not available to help, it is best to retrace the steps that one has taken; look into new downloads, added apps, and exposure to blinking sites that sometimes appear out of nowhere, aiming to get visits or clicks.

 

Baits are not usually a nice way to surf into.  Clickbaits hunger for site visits, not just product sales.

 

Thus, it is best to keep track of one’s online activity and to rethink internet usage. 

After all, technology can be tapped not just for improving social media connections but for learning the ways and the means of many platforms that are abundant when going online.  

Using the now indispensable gadgets that make our lifestyle modern and convenient,  one can also learn how to be more secure when going online, to avoid being taken aback by the prospects of being spammed, spoofed, or faked by unscrupulous internet users.  

 

3.       Make internet and email time ideal. 

      The internet is a world full of information. But nobody really connects to help address solutions on internet integrity.  

• When one does a solo flight on the internet, it helps that one visits trusted sites and pages that are official and free of dubious names. 
• Even news media pages can give confusion.  A lot have mushroomed of late, as eager newcomers in the industry.  However, some good intentional media sites don't offer enough proper introductions or backgrounders for their media site's purpose and content policies.   The rule of thumb is to rely on news providers that have a long history of serving news; with a team of practitioners dedicated to using their skills that cannot be outbested, and with enough integrity to earn the loyalty and trust of their readers. 
•  Email spam is not just a lost message in another receiver’s inbox.  It is meant to distract,  discontent, affect the certainty of security in another, and the user cannot always anticipate the receipt of such unless one is in constant track of one's digital activities, to get an idea of where spam and unwanted email/s, could be coming from.

It helps to stay "minimalist" on internet usage and reduce internet hours unless one has to use the net for work or official purposes.

 

For comments, this site accepts additions to this post. Thank you for reading News Review Philippines.  Copyright 2023.

 

 Edited July 22, 2023.

WHAT WOKE REALLY MEANS IN MEDIA

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know that counts. 

There is a word in the millennial language that can actually sum up all things that a media practitioner must be in life: Woke. To be aware, to come in awareness; to be informed, or be in tune with the latest issues and be woke, is an outright necessity at work-- without it, a media man could be said in old “kasabihan”, “natutulog sa pansitan”. 

To be woke is both a sense and a skill. Many times, it requires a lot of experience and basic to thorough research to be in a state of “woke”. 

Sorry but woke may sound like another word when a letter is changed from “o” to “a”, which can relate to the opposite of being woke. 

But in practice, woke signifies that one has risen from a state of unknowing, or in simple terms to be challenged and act on that FOMO (fear of missing out mode) and thus be woke. 

 Whew, what youth speak one has to learn to be woke and provoke others’ awareness of words and issues that matter. 

In the industry, one must not presume inclusivity in circles unless you are woke of who knows who, and who knows what. 

The former refers to connections and clout. The latter can be referred to as the beat or to exposure to a certain niche that one has grown into knowing, with such skill and expertise. It cannot be understated that a media man must work independently without the influence of outsiders enough to persuade or affect his/her work. 

But in the reality of things, when one is woke, there is normalcy in not knowing the circles that your colleague may have to show preset clout and influence that can affect one’s future or work fulfillment.

Short of saying, you need to be woke to accept there is “palakasan”. 

You need to be woke to accept there is "envelopmental gifting". 

But that does not mean everyone works against the persistence and good legacy of media as an industry.

One cannot undermine that such wokeness can lead one to perceive the existence of bias among the industry naysayers, players, and game-changers. After all, an old-timer cannot derelict a duty to impose independence yet, ostracize a circle of “friends and supporters” who helped build a name from the ground up or ensure continuity of work in their current titles. 

What I am sharing is that a media worker must know there is favoritism, bias, or “priorities” in giving work assignments, positions, and titles, or in giving benefits in paper and reality. 

The media industry can do better if it does away with all its biases. And break away from its own hierarchy of clout that gives favor to the one who pays more for a name, a space, or can afford to invite an advertiser in exchange for a byline in the guise of being branded, “content-driven” or “client commissioned”. 

There is favor when one sees none of fairness in giving work to the true media practitioner/s.