Alter Space: Technology to Inspire a Generation

After the devastating 3/11 earthquake-tsunami combo in Japan, I’ve been interested with just about anything what-to-do-when-disaster-strikes posted online, printed on newspapers and reported on radio and TV.

I am one of the only 723 people (as of Mar 31, 2011) who viewed the MMDA Earthquake Preparedness for Metro Manila video since it was posted on Youtube last February 2010. When Charice Pempengco posted the MTV of her hit Pyramid also on that video sharing site on March 2010, it was viewed more than 31 million times after a year. With the rate it’s going, the MMDA vid will only reach thousands of hits either by getting Charice doing the voice over or the predicted 7.2 magnitude quake hit the metropolis.

I don’t want to sound like am paranoid or something bu t I am actually more than after the safety of my wife and son than my own. And besides, I am a true blue boy scout and still practice our mantra “Laging Handa” up to now.

If only I am Superman or our very own Captain Barbell, I would more than willing to work 24/7 to save all the people I can when danger comes. But I am not. I am just like the many people out there who works in front of the computer nine hours a day (with a few instances of online leisure, of course) and zoom back home when the clock hits 5 o’clock.

While posting a comment on an amusing video that one of my friends uploaded on Facebook, I discovered Alter Space which is a new Filipino-developed game in the popular social networking site. AboitizPower is the bighearted company who came up of the idea of giving gamers a fun way to learn practical tips on earth-friendly living. This means a lifestyle that helps reduce the effects of global warming, climate change and carbon emissions on the planet. Alter Space is the 1st Filipino environment awareness game on Facebook.

Alter Space: Official Game Trailer. Watch it NOW!

I think this game is very timely and relevant, not to mention the great fun you’ll have while playing. I want to describe this innovative game as ASTIG for Alter Space is a Technology to Inspire a Generation. AboitizPower is definitely using the right platform to reach out to the online community and make them aware of the need to do something for our beloved Mother Earth. As an added bonus, yo u’ll get a chance to win cool prizes and gadgets when you finished the game. Now , that ’s what you call fun fun fun! To play the game, just go to http://www.facebook.com/AlterSpaceGame.

Just want to share an alarming report from The Washington Post about the recent findings of scientists that there is a possibility that climate change and global warming could produce more earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic activity as ice masses on the continental crust shifts.

This only tells us one thing: every one of us should start saving energy not only to save money but to reduce the demand for fossil fuels like coal, oil, an d natural gas. Less burning of fuels also means lower emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary contributor to global warming, and other pollutants.

To set it straight, people cannot totally avoid carbon emissions because it’s a fact that all living things release carbon gas into the air. I would like to share some tips on how to conserve energy and lower carbon emissions that I learned after weeks of reading about what a non-Superman like me can do to save our planet. I am just so inspired by the great advocacy that is Alter Space initiated by AboitizPower that I will rundown my list using the name of its mother company. So if you want to take part in saving the planet, remember ABOITIZ.

Energy is lost when air conditioners and hot-air furnaces have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters. 5 percent of the energy used can be saved by cleaning a dirty air conditioner filter. That’s about 175 pounds of CO2 saved per year.

It only use 1/4 the energy of an ordinary incandescent bulb and last 8-12 times longer. They provide an equivalent amount of bright, attractive light. Only 10% of the energy consumed by a normal light bulb generates light. The rest just makes the bulb hot. Every home that will replace one standard bulb with one compact fluorescent bulb can save 260 pounds of CO2 per year.

Buy the product that is sized to your typical needs - not the biggest one available. Front loading washing machines will usually cut hot water use by 60 to 70% compared to typical machines. A new energy-efficient model of a refrigerator, saves 1.4 tons of CO2 per year.

This appliance accounts f o r about 20% of household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible. Make sure that its energy saver switch is turned on. Also, check the gaskets around your refrigerator/freezer doors to make sure they are clean and sealed tightly.

Plant shade trees and paint your house a light color if you live in a warm climate, or a dark color if you live in a cold climate. Reduction s in energy use resulting from shade trees and appropriate painting can save up to 2.4 tons of CO2 emission s per year. Each tree also directly absorbs about 25 pounds of CO2 from the air annually.

Every gallon of gasoline you save avoids 22 pounds of CO2 emissions. If your car gets 25 miles per gallon, for example, and you reduce your annual driving from 12,000 to 10,000 miles, you'll save 1800 pounds of CO2.


Reduce the amount of waste you produce by buying minimally packaged goods, choosing reusable products over disposable ones, and recycling. For every pound of waste you eliminate or recycle, you save energy and reduce emissions of CO2 by at least 1 pound. Making products with recycled materials, instead of from scratch with raw materials, uses 30 to 55% less for paper products, 33% less for glass, and a whopping 90% less for aluminum.

The above mentioned tips are just some of the many things we can do for our environment. It only shows that we don’t need a super hero to save the world. Each one of us has the ability and opportunity to contribute in preserving the only planet that we have. Let’s join hands like a family protecting their home from harm and danger. We should be grateful that we have a government trying to reach out to the public and organizations like AboitizPower who strive to make a difference in their own creative and innovative ways.

I am a Taste Test Pilot!

I might have been a goat in my previous life.

It’s not like I smell bad or I am a lecher, I just love the feeling of having a chewing gum in my mouth most of the time.

“Kambing ka ba?”

I am immune to hearing that question since the day I discovered Mentos in high school. Funny but the first time I got a hold of this gum is when a classmate asked me to bite it and place it unto a newly-opened bottle of soda. The result: my two amazed eyes wide open.

From then on, I have been a sucker, figuratively and literally, to this crunchy and soft gum. I have tasted and chewed almost every flavor and sizes of Mentos from the minty to the fruity-flavored ones, to those cube-shaped in boxes to the original flat egg-like singles in a pack.

My all time favorite is the classic variant which I have grown chewing. I could either play my tongue on its crunchy shell ‘till it softens or immediately break it with my teeth the moment I pop it inside my mouth. The outcome would just be the same--- an undefined chewing experience that only Mentos can bring.

Just recently, I was privileged to be chosen as one of the first few to take a crack (again, figuratively and literally) on the newest variant of my favorite gum: Sugarfree Mentos Pure Fresh with Green Tea.

As a Mentos Taste Test Pilot, I have undergone one of the most exciting tests I have ever encountered--- chew all the Mentos I can. It’s almost a week since I received my taste test kit and here are my findings after a rigid process conducted in my mouth and taste buds:

“Sugarfree na, may green tea pa! Definitely, you’ll feel an intense sensation of freshness in your mouth with every bite. A blister pack contains seven gums but don’t expect it to last in seven days because I can finish one pack in only seven minutes.”

I think it’s also worth mentioning in this post that Mentos has been my ally to avoid smoking. I have worked in different companies in the past and noticed that when stress and pressure comes, many of my officemates would go to the designated “yosi” areas for a dose of stick or two. Not me. I say, “Isang Mentos lang yan.”

The next time my boss ask me, “Kambing ka ba?”

I’ll just give him my usual pogi and smart-looking smile and offer him a pack of the new of Mentos Pure Fresh with Green Tea and say, “Sugarfree po yan!”

This new product is now available and can be found in most grocery stores and C-stores nationwide.

No money for a grad gift? Be Smart, Bro!

I am Mr. Thoughtful. A title I have carried since I learned how to wrap a gift, which if I estimate would be sometime in between the moment I discovered how to tie my shoe laces and the time I felt I was falling for Brooke Shields. I can’t remember the exact date but more or less you’ll have an idea of how old I am.

I am Mr. Thoughtful but I think my streak of being that guy who always remembers special occasions and give gifts to the celebrators might come to an end. Our budget at home this month is in a little mess because of some unavoidable spending money spree (birthday party for my son who just turned 2, a brand new LCD TV, a cellphone unit for yaya, etc.)

Rromaine, one of my nieces is graduating from kindergarten this week and I only have enough money for me to survive until the next payday. Then I remember what my bestfriendalways tells me during times like these, “Be smart, bro!”

Well, I have come up with a list of possible graduation gifts that I can give to a 6-year old girl after hours of squeezing my creative juices. I hope I still have a few drops left for work.

Recycle gifts. Last Christmas, I received almost a dozen of pens with logos of the companies where they came from. I just hope my niece don’t mind using a pen with the word Loperamide boldly marked on the body. It’s red naman e.

Clippings of Taylor Swift. I have a stack of old magazines and newspapers just waiting for the right offer from a passing magbobote-dyaryo at home. I remember reading a lot of articles about Taylor Swift since her invasion in Manila recently. I did hear my niece sang a few lines from “You Belong With Me” before so I suspect she is also a fan.

Homemade toy. When I was in kindergarten myself, I used to have a pet pebble just like any ordinary kid (hey, owning one then was normal as per Super Grover). I have a few shiny stones I collected from my first trip in Boracay kept in the attic (now, I’m not sure if that is normal). She can play with it as an anting-anting during superhero games, use as pamato in piko or put in her pencil case as a lucky charm for high grades. You just have to include an instruction sheet and I think that will work.

Cartoon collection on CD. Youtube and Nero have save me for a number of times when I am blank with gift ideas. Two years ago, I surprised my father-in-law with a CD full of Bulagaan episodes on Father’s Day. He’s a sucker of classic TVJ jokes and he officially heart me na after that day. For my niece, it’s a combo of Dora and Barney song numbers.

Shoe cover. My niece will be a Grade 1 stude next school year and she will definitely need a pair of shoe covers. I should know because she’ll be going to the same elementary school where her mom and all his titos and titas graduated. I got a grade of 90% in Home Economics when I submitted a hand-sewed apron so I think I can manage to make a pair of shoe covers out of my old office uniforms.

I think I can also get some advice from my friends for graduation gift ideas. Well, they’re just one click away and would not mind a few minutes of chatting and exchange of emails. I just hope my internet service connection would not fail during this time that I need immediate responses from my online buddies.

Hmmm, I think I should really get a personal broadband connection soon. Have you heard about the SMART BRO Unlimited Home Broadband Plan 999 or 1995? Aside from the dependable quality service it offers, subscribers will also get some amazing freebies:

a. FREE All-In-One HP Printer
b. FREE Call & Texts with SMART Gold Lite Plan 300 for 6 months subscription
c. FREE 1 month broadband subscription.

I have read and heard a lot of good reviews about SMART BRO Unlimited Home broadband because of its consistent surf speed and stable signal. This offer is only good until June 4, 2011 and it may not happen again so join me and be one of the lucky subscribers who will grab this great opportunity. This promo is per DTI-NCR Permit No. 1871, Series of 2011.

For further inquiries about the promo, you may visit the nearest SMART Wireless Center or any SMART BRO accredited agents or visit www.smart.com.ph. You can also follow the SMART Communications Corporation Facebook fan page.

While writing this post, I got a text message from Rromaine's mom thanking me for the mono block chair she borrowed which her daughter used during their practice for the graduation. She also informed me that my niece will graduate as one of the top students of her class. She was also grateful for the help every time Rromaine asked assistance for her home works.

Now, I realize that all the while I've been thinking of material things to give and not what's the most important thing in life--- Love. I may have only realized it now but definitely there is love every time I read stories, connect the dots and color pages with my niece when we work on her assignments.

On her graduation day, I want to witness her marching up to the stage and I'll whisper my sincerest prayer for her to have a good health and better opportunity to show her skills, talent and intelligence, along with a promise that I will forever be a willing and proud uncle who would watch over her.

How I became the Big Bad Blogger

Four years ago, an online buddy tipped me about a blog writing contest sponsored by a big supermarket. It was the first time I thought of making my own blog so I can join the contest which I did. A blog for me then was just an online diary for people who have a lot of extra time in their hand.

I don’t know if I can be proud of that my very first ever post is about that supermarket which luckily managed to win a Php 500 gift card despite of just being text heavy with no images or whatsoever (back then, I still don’t know how to place a photo in a post. All virgins lack something in their first time, you know).

Today, I will announce something a few people have denied. It took me a stick of gum and a semi-loud burp to finally decide that I really have to do this. Yes, I am the BIG BAD BLOGGER and trying to be proud of it.

You see, I don’t know if my wife has noticed it and is just playing blind mouse but I am actually experiencing symptoms of what the morals call the The 7 Deadly Sins ever since I started blogging. Well, here are the symptoms and please let me know what you think:

LUST. Excited akong pumunta sa mga blogger’s event dahil bukod sa mga freebies at libreng chicha ay pwede akong magpa-picture kasama ang mga guest celebrities. Ampopogi at ang gaganda nila. Minsan, ginagawa ko pang profile pic sa FB kahit malabo pa ang kuha at mukha akong dukha katabi ang amputi-puting artista para ipagmalaki sa buong mundo na minsan sa buhay ko ay nakadikit ng mga balahibo ko sa braso ang mga balahibo sa braso ng isang sikat na artista. Pag napanaginipan ko pa, jackpot!

GLUTTONY. Kapag may food event, kape lang talaga ang almusal ko at light lunch sa tanghali para sa gabi e lahat ng putahe sa buffet table ay may space sa tiyan ko kahit maka-dalawang balik pa ako. Minsan nga isinama ko pa asawa ko, sabi ko date kami sa Wack Wack, siyempre go siya dahil first time niya dun tas malaman niya, isang daang tao pala ka-date namin. Pag nagustuhan ko pa yung isang dessert, tina-try kong makapag-take home para makatikim din ang anak at biyenan ko. When I started blogging, my waistline was just 30 which is 2 inches thinner than my current size. That’s explain how I become a BIG blogger now.

GREED. Nito lang February 2011, tatlong major contest ang napanalunan ko. Una yung sa Nuffnang Eveready contest tapos nanalo din akong first prize sa Valentine’s card making contest ng Manila Bulletin. Napili din nga ng Wish Ko Lang ang sulat ko at binigyan kami ng isang kakaibang date ni misis nung Feb. 14. Sabi tuloy ng asawa ko, “Quota ka na ha?” na ibig sabihin pede ko nang tantanan ang iba pang contest. Naku, kahit yung pa-contest na doughnuts ang premyo, effort pa din ako sa pagsali hanggang ngayon.

SLOTH. Dati nung magkasintahan pa lang kami ni misis, basta may paparating na special event e nagpi-prepare na ako kahit isang buwan pa ang layo. Effort sa paghahanap ng pwedeng kainan tsaka kakaibang gift. Ngayon, nakaupo na lang ako sa harap ng PC at nag-aabang ng contest na premyo e free lunch or dinner at mga bagay-bagay tulad ng cellphone, iPad, concert tickets, whitening soap, 2nd hand aircon at kung ano-ano pa. Bibili lang ako ng regalo kapag in-announce na ang mga winners at di ako kasama sa listahan.

WRATH. Ewan ko ba kung bakit madaling mag-init ang ulo ko pag may mga taong nahihirapang intindihin kung paano mag-blog. Feeling ko kasi andali lang since 4 years ko nang ginagawa. Meron kasing nagtanong kung paano gumawa ng blog kaya in-introduce ko Blogger kasi may gmail account na siya tapos paulit-ulit pa din ang mga tanong niya, nalaman ko yung ginawa niyang blog e sa Multiply. Di ko nga in-accept friend invitation niya. BAD ko no?

ENVY. Dati, nadadaanan ko lang yung salitang Hater kapag nagbabasa ko ng mga thread ng mga fans nila Kobe Bryant at LeBron James o kaya sa mga showbiz sites kung saan pinagsasabong ng mga fans ang mga idolo nila. Ngayon, andaming ko nang nabasang blog na hater ng isang brand and another kasi na-delay o di pa nakukuha ang premyo sa promo o kaya natalo sa contest. Minsan din akong naging hater kasi yung nanalo sa padamihan ng “Likes” na contest, andaming bogus account na voters kuno. Kawawa naman yung desrving ang entry pero natalo dahil onte lang ang votes. Enough said.

PRIDE. Share ko lang yung nangyari nung nag-claim ako ng Php 500 GC na premyo sa isang supermarket. Sabi ko, “blogger po ako.” Sagot sa akin nung taga-information booth, “Ha? Sa HR po mag-aaply ng bagger.” Wow tinamaan ego ko dun! Para lang yung tiyahin ko. Narinig niya kasing sinabi ko kay misis, “Mamaya pakita ko sa ‘yo blog ko.” Kinausap ba naman ako sabi niya, “Yung mga ganyang bagay na pang-mag asawa di n’yo dapat pinaparinig sa ibang tao” sabay tingin sa puruntong ko. Bigla akong napayuko sabay takip sa puson ko.

This year, I intend to be a better blogger that I can be since I am also maintaining an advocacy blog called Mapagbigay ka ba? which is the counterpart of my contest blog Mapanghingi ka ba?

To do this, I will be attending blog workshops and learning events to improve my writing skills and knowledge about the cyberspace. I would like to be health conscious as well because a healthy body comes with a healthy mind that will definitely reflect on my blog, and maybe on my waistline too.

Generally, what I want to do is to do away with the BIG and Bad things and just be a BLOGGER in the very essence of its meaning, and that is to freely express what is in my heart and mind for the world to know.