On Monday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of March 21, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 17 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 80 new recoveries, and 9 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 831 (from 902).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,731 (+9 new) – Total recoveries: 51,556 (+13 new) – Total deaths: 1,685 (+1 new) – Active cases: 490
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 17,036 (+1 new) – Total recoveries: 16,503 (+14 new) – Total deaths: 508 (+1 new) – Active cases: 25
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,399 (+0 new) – Total recoveries: 14,870 (+10 new) – Total deaths: 496 (+0 new) – Active cases: 33
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 46,206 (+7 new) – Total recoveries: 43,116 (+43 new) – Total deaths: 2,807 (+7 new) – Active cases: 283
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 831 (from 902)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 132,372 (+17 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 126,054 (+80 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,496 (+9 new)
A total of 859 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
For the past decade, the need for having a fast internet connection has slowly grown.
As we entered the year 2020, the demand for internet went through the roof with work-from-home arrangements becoming the norm due to the pandemic. This has opened a new idea for more flexible work arrangements for the future with internet connection being at the center of it all.
The internet has etched itself so deep into our lives that, just like water, food, and electricity, it has become one of this generation’s basic necessities.
Since every form of transaction and business is slowly migrating into the digital space, a practical move would be to subscribe to fast, reliable, and, if possible, affordable plans. From doing online and cashless payments for online shopping and online classes.
One of the most heated debates regarding internet connection is the choice between DSL and Fiber. In terms of speed, DSL only reaches up to a measly 15 mbps while Fiber can go as fast as 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) which is more than 100x faster. Clearly, Fiber is vastly superior over DSL but its greatest downside is its availability.
Infrastructures still need to be laid down first before connections can be made in an area and there are areas in the country that are just too far for installations.
With that, we have made a list of all available Fiber plans in the country and corresponding reasons and conditions to apply for a certain plan.
Quick Comparison
GLOBE
SKY
PLDT
CONVERGE
20 Mbps
–
P999
–
–
30 Mbps
–
P1,299
–
–
50 Mbps
P1,599
–
P1,699
P1,500
75 Mbps
P1,699
–
–
100 Mbps
–
–
P2,099
–
150 Mbps
P2,099
P2,299
–
–
200 Mbps
–
P2,799
–
–
300 Mbps
P2,699
–
P2,699
P2,500
400 Mbps
P3,499
–
–
–
500 Mbps
P4,999
–
–
–
600 Mbps
–
–
P3,799
–
800 Mbps
–
–
–
P3,500
1 Gbps
P9,499
–
–
–
Note: Prices indicated above are the monthly recurring fees as of March 2022 with Unlimited Data. Speed accuracy and reliability depend on the network and location.
Globe Broadband
The same with PLDT, Globe Broadband also has a wide reach nationwide and is therefore available to the majority of the population. Some of their plans also come with freebies and offer some of the most bang-for-buck deals for plans with a speed of 100 mbps and up. Globe is perfect for households that want seamless internet connection without having to worry about bandwidth consumption.
GFiber Unli 1599: P1,599 up to 50 mbps (Unlimited data)
Go Unli 2099: P2,099 up to 150 mbps (Unlimited data)
Go Unli 2699: P2,699 up to 300 mbps (Unlimited data)
Go Unli 3499: P3,499 up to 400 mbps (Unlimited data)
Go Unli 4999: P3,499 up to 500 mbps (Unlimited data)
Go Unli 9499: P9,499 up to 1 Gbps (Unlimited data)
Sky’s Fiber Unli Plans belong to the second cheapest in this list and Sky, in general, offers one of the best prices per mbps on broadband. The All-in box plans are perfect for families who prefer enjoying quality TV time and want the most out of their plans while the Home Wifi postpaid plans offer the most mobility and range which would suit families living in large houses and experience difficulty setting up a wireless network.
PLDT Home Fibr Plans are the perfect plans for streamers, gamers, and other professions requiring heavy bandwidth usage. This is a good option for small families or any house with only a small number of gadgets requiring a connection. Also, unlike Converge, PLDT has a wide area coverage with a lot of PH cities under its web. It also has bundle plans that some consumers will surely appreciate.
Converge ICT is one of the most affordable plans out of all in this list, able to provide users with the fastest speed at a low price. However, it offers the least amount of inclusions and also covers the least locations – mostly available in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Converge ICT is ideal for heavy broadband users who want cheap fiber-optic connection at home without the installation of phones.
As of January 2021, Converge ICT supports very few locations in the island of Cebu.
When one mentions Cordova, island-hopping is definitely one of the things that come into mind. But who would’ve thought that taking a weekend at a delectable resort here can literally change your mind about the place? Check out Alta Cebu Resort.
Photo from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook PagePhoto from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook Page
Located in Cordova, Alta Cebu Resort is a two-hectare of heaven and beauty, where tourists have been consistently flocking this place whenever they are in the area.
Alta offers a government/corporate-friendly and family-fun environment to foreign and local holiday guests, dignitaries, luminaries, celebrities, function attendees and celebrants; as a venue for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events), and for its expertise in combining top quality and affordable value, Alta is ranked #1 in Cebu and the Philippines.
Speaking of their rooms, they are indeed affordable, cozy and quite luxurious. With their own AC systems as well as comfort rooms, spending a night in one of their rooms will surely take your stress away, especially after a stressful week at the city.
Photo from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook Page
ACTIVITIES AT ALTA
There are many activities that can be done here at Alta Cebu Resort. Not to mention the usual go-to-resort activities such as diving, kayaking, island-hopping and beaching, Alta has no shortage of other activities friends and family would enjoy.
They have their own recreational rooms which include rooms that has billiard pools, rock wall climbing, hoop-shooting, darts and many more. You can also just simply gallivant around the resort and take pictures of the perfect scenery the place offers. Taking a picture while standing with the beauty of Cordova as the background is one for the keeps, and also an Instagrammable moment.
Photo from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook PagePhoto from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook Page
FRIDAYS AT ALTA
Alta Cebu Resort’s inhouse restaurant offers a variety of dishes that are sure to meet everyone’s palates and appetites. From local Filipino dishes, to Western favorites like steak, burgers, pizza and many more, anyone can surely enjoy delicious food while vacation with this tourist-favorite resort.
Photo from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook PagePhoto from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook Page
With that, they also celebrate Fridays at Alto where they feature various dishes for buffet. With a fee of P350 per head, feasting here after a day’s worth of beaching is indeed heaven. Dinner usually starts at 7PM, and sometimes they play live bands to accompany the feast. Poolside dinners are also sometimes available depending on the availability of the venue.
Photo from Alta Cebu Resort Facebook Page
RATES
Day Use Regular Rate – P500 per head
Room Rates:
Standard Room – P2,500 (good for 2 and with breakfast)
Deluxe Room – P3,500 (good for 2 and with breakfast)
Superior Room – P4,500 (good for 2 and with breakfast)
Family Room – P6,000 (good for 4 and with breakfast)
BY VAN: From SM City Cebu Van Terminal, ride a van going to Cordova. The van will drop you off at Gaisano Grand Mall Cordova and from there, you may ride a tricycle or hail a taxi to Alta Cebu Resort. Motorcycle taxis are also available for hire that can take you directly to the resort.
BY CAR: Navigate with Waze or Google Maps and set your destination to “Alta Cebu Resort” in Cordova, Cebu.
Confidence is an important part of beauty in and out. It can attract people like magnet and reflect on our physical appearance as well.
Unfortunately, women particularly Asian, according to a study conducted by Watsons, are not confident enough
Photo from Unsplash
Watsons conducted a survey named “Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia” with the goal of finding what kind of support women need to level up their confidence and become a better version of themselves.
The findings however showed a sad reality with almost half of all women in Asia being not confident about themselves at work and even in life.
The study conducted involved over 3,100 women aged 20-29 from six countries: Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand who rated their confidence levels
Four major findings of ‘Women’s Confidence Survey in Asia’ are:
Almost 50% of Asian women feel unconfident
Almost 50% do not feel satisfied with their career development
Over 70% think it’s a challenge to balance the two roles of work and family
Top supports women need are mentoring, seminars on stress management & career success
They also answered the query of what could help boost their confidence which reveals that staying healthy inside out can do wonders to their confidence as well as gaining recognition from coworkers in terms of work.
Inforgraphics photo from Watsons
Women’s confidence levels ranking according to the 6 countries involved in the study:
Mainland China
Indonesia
Philippines
Singapore
Thailand
Hong Kong (Lowest)
Our country, the Philippines ranked third on the highest to lowest confidence level ranking of women which is something to be proud of really. It shows that we do have strong and confident women and that they are not easily influenced by any standard and knows what they want.
Inforgraphics photo from Watsons
Notable results for Philippines
70% are satisfied with their career progression and almost all believe that it’s possible for women to excel in their careers.
70%, women believe that they will be more confident if they are staying healthy
65% are more confident when doing a purposeful job
56% are more confident when doing something good for the environment
Getting an appointment for a passport application can be very tricky and annoying. There seems to be no way (almost) to get an appointment online no matter how frequently you check the agency’s website.
To help address this issue, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that starting March 16, 2022, walk-in passport applicants who are “fully vaccinated and qualified” will be allowed at all consular offices to reach Filipinos, especially those outside Metro Manila.
The DFA advised only qualified applicants to line up at courtesy lanes. Non-qualified applicants will not be accommodated. Now the question is, who are the ‘qualified applicants’?
Qualified Applicants
The following candidates will be accepted in consular offices’ courtesy lanes:
Qualified Applicants
Documentary Requirements
Senior Citizens
Senior Citizen ID Card May be accompanied by one (1) adult
Pregnant Applicants
Proof of pregnancy (Medical Certificate)
Persons With Disabilities
Valid PWD ID Card
Solo Parents
Valid Solo Parent ID Card
Minors aged 7 years old and below
Must be accompanied by a parent or a legal guardian Original and photocopy of Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Birth Certificate of the minor, printed on security paper Additional documentary requirements if minor is not accompanied by parents
Overseas Filipino Workers and Seafarers with incoming or active employment abroad
Must present one (1) of the following: Valid OWWA E-Card Valid Employment Contract Valid Work Visa Seafarer’s Identification and Record Book (SIRB)
Applicants are also reminded to bring their proof of vaccination. Unvaccinated and partially-vaccinated applicants will not be accommodated.
Can seniors, minors be accompanied by adults?
Yes. Children aged 7 and below must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Senior citizens may be accompanied by one adult.
Will unvaccinated applicants be accommodated?
No. Walk-in applicants will only be accommodated if they present proof of vaccination.
Can temporary off-site passport services accept walk-in applicants?
No, TOPS sites will not accept walk-ins.
Where are DFA consular offices located?
The DFA consular offices are located in the following areas:
Metro Manila
DFA NCR East in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City
DFA NCR North in Robinsons Novalichez, Quezon City
DFA NCR Northeast in Ali Mall, Cubao
DFA NCR South in Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa
DFA NCR West in SM City Manila in the city of Manila
DFA NCR Central in Robinsons Galleria West in Pasig City
Cordillera Administrative Region
SM City Baguio in Baguio City
Region I
CSI Mall in City of San Fernando, La Union
Robinsons Place Ilocos in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte
Robinsons Place Pangasinan in Calasiao, Pangasinan
Region II
City Hall Bldg., Regional Government Center in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan
Robinsons Place Santiago in Santiago City, Isabela
Region III
Malolos Central Transport Terminal and Commercial Hub by Xentro Mall in Malolos City, Bulacan
Robinsons StarMills in San Fernando City, Pampanga
Marquee Mall in Angeles City, Pampanga
Waltermart Paniqui in Paniqui, Tarlac
Region IV-A
SM City Dasmariñas in Dasmariñas City, Cavite
Robinsons Place Lipa in Lipa City, Batangas
Pacific Mall-Lucena in Lucena City
SM City San Pablo in San Pablo City, Laguna
SM Cherry Foodarama in Antipolo City, Rizal
Region IV-B
Robinsons Place Palawan in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan
Region V
Pacific Mall-Legazpi in Legazpi City
Region VI
Robinsons Place Iloilo in Iloilo City
Robinsons Place Bacolod in Bacolod City
Region VII
Robinsons Place in Dumaguete City
Pacific Mall-Metro Mandaue in Mandaue City, Cebu
Region VIII
Robinsons North Tacloban in Tacloban City
Region IX
Go-Veloso Bldg. in Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur
Region X
Clarin Town Center in Clarin, Misamis Occidental
SM Downtown Premier in Cagayan de Oro City
Region XI
Gaisano Mall of Tagum in Tagum City, Davao del Norte
SM City Davao in Davao City
Region XII
Robinsons Place General Santos in General Santos City
Mall of ALNOR in Cotabato City
Region XIII
Robinsons Mall in Butuan City
For the consular offices’ complete address and contact, head on to this link.
On Sunday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of March 20, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 17 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 21 new recoveries, and 6 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases declined to 902 (from 910).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,722 (+10 new) – Total recoveries: 51,543 (+11 new) – Total deaths: 1,684 (+0 new) – Active cases: 495
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 17,035 (+0 new) – Total recoveries: 16,489 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 507 (+0 new) – Active cases: 39
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,399 (+2 new) – Total recoveries: 14,860 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 496 (+1 new) – Active cases: 43
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 46,199 (+5 new) – Total recoveries: 43,074 (+10 new) – Total deaths: 2,800 (+5 new) – Active cases: 325
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 902 (from 910)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 132,355 (+17 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 125,966 (+21 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,487 (+6 new)
A total of 953 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
You’ve probably heard it from your friends, workmates, schoolmates, or just simply the term just keeps popping on the Internet. It has existed for quite a while already, but I bet you are still confused what it is.
With the rise of P2E games or play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity, which took the country by storm in the past few months, NFT is one of the familiar terms that are being tossed around by P2E enthusiasts. So, what the heck is an NFT?
Photo from Unsplash
NFT
NFT stands for “non-fungible token” which is a digital asset that is verifiable on blockchain technology. From the word non-fungible, these tokens are virtual, meaning they are basically like collectibles or ‘tokens’ except they are of digital or virtual format.
Orange Phanta bear with playing card | Photo from kun11xd on Instagram
Some of these assets include artwork, music, or in-game assets, where unique avatars are famous as NFTs. Because of its non-fungibility, this unique asset in digital form can only be traded or exchanged by any other NFTs. This gives NFTs their unique or ‘one-of-a-kind’ factor.
NFTs have been quite famous for the last two years, thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, where enthusiasts have been sprouting all over, though NFTs have been around as early as 2014. Cryptocurrency booming is one of the reasons of NFT’s sudden popularity.
Welcome @Chrissycostanza to the Lucky Zero community! Chrissy is the lead singer of Against the Current and has done songs ranging from gaming League of Legends (Legends Never Die) and anime My Hero Academia (Hero Too). She is also a host, streamer, and cat mommy. pic.twitter.com/T6auxzv6oc
Sure, the term itself is as handful as mouthful it is because blockchain technology is indeed an intricate and complicated concept. NFTs are transferred from one owner to another using blockchain technology, which creates a digital trail from seller to buyer that verifies the transaction. This encodes the unique ownership rights to the buyer (new owner).
Photo from Unsplash
This means that in order to acquire an NFT, one must have cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin, to buy a digital asset and create an account on the NFT marketplace that is connected to the cryptocurrency wallet holding the coins.
The most common blockchain NFTs use Ethereum ERC-20 tokens; this is what the blockchain utilizes to issue a smart contract on the Ethereum blockchain.
NFT vs Cryptocurrency
It is important to remember that NFTs and cryptocurrency are not the same; one would use cryptocurrency to conduct a certain transaction. Using the same blockchain technology that a specific cryptocurrency uses, an asset is built up differently when it comes to NFTs.
Whereas a cryptocurrency coin can be traded or exchanged at equivalency, the NFT cannot. This is because each cryptographic asset is set up with a unique identification code and metadata that distinguishes one NFT from another.
An exchange of money and bitcoin | Photo from Unsplash
Investing in NFTs
One of the most common reasons why NFTs suddenly got popular is because of money. People came rushing like the California gold mine, hoping to buy and invest different NFTs as much and as early as possible. But is investing in NFTs a good idea?
Buying NFTs requires due diligence on the part of the investor or collector. Same with the stock market, you need to do diligent research with a specific NFT you would like to invest in. You need to first find NFTs that you feel are going to grow in value and that you have an interest in collecting.
Photo from Unsplash
NFT marketplaces where sales and auctions are conducted is a good place to gain knowledge about a certain NFT or if is it worth investing or not. YouTube, Discord channels, Telegram channels is also a good place to learn more about them. A growing community interested in NFTs will help you learn about the topic. However, be careful too with people you ask about NFTs as they might scam you or urge you to buy a worthless NFT, taking advantage of your lack of knowledge.
Photo from Unsplash
Overall, NFTs are continuously growing as a trend. Some argue that their popularity can help artists expand their collection and work, while some it diminishes the general idea of ‘making art’, where people get more focused on the financial value.
Voters selected from among candidates for all local positions: a town mayor, vice mayor, and town councilors, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the vice governor, governor, and representatives for the seven districts of Cebu (including two districts of Cebu City, the lone district of Lapu-Lapu City and the lone district of Mandaue City).
Cebu City Mayor
Margarita Osmeña, a former city councilor and wife of former mayor Tomas Osmeña, is challenging incumbent mayor Michael Rama for the position of mayor. Outgoing city councilor David Tumulak has also joined the race as an independent candidate.
Cebu City Mayor 2022 SurveyLiveEnded
Margot Osmeña
29%
1.8k / 6.4k
Mike Rama
18%
1.1k / 6.4k
David Tumulak
52%
3.4k / 6.4k
Vice Mayor
Incumbent city councilors Raymond Alvin Garcia and Franklyn Ong are competing for the position of vice mayor along with former city administrator Bimbo Fernandez.
On Saturday evening, the Department of Health Central Visayas (DOH-7) released its official, consolidated data of the COVID-19 cases in the region as of March 19, 2022.
The whole island of Cebu — Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, and Cebu Province — recorded 37 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 20 new recoveries, and 11 new deaths. Cebu’s total active cases jumped to 910 (from 890).
Cebu City – Total confirmed: 53,713 (+21 new) – Total recoveries: 51,535 (+19 new) – Total deaths: 1,684 (+4 new) – Active cases: 494
Lapu-Lapu City – Total confirmed: 17,035 (+3 new) – Total recoveries: 16,489 (+5 new) – Total deaths: 507 (+1 new) – Active cases: 39
Mandaue City – Total confirmed: 15,397 (+3 new) – Total recoveries: 14,860 (+0 new) – Total deaths: 495 (+1 new) – Active cases: 42
Cebu Province – Total confirmed: 46,194 (+10 new) – Total recoveries: 43,064 (+1 new) – Total deaths: 2,795 (+5 new) – Active cases: 335
SUMMARY OF COVID-19 CASES IN CEBU:
Total Active Cases in Cebu: 910 (from 890)
Total Confirmed Cases in Cebu: 132,339 (+37 new)
Total Recoveries in Cebu: 125,948 (+20 new)
Total Deaths in Cebu: 5,481 (+11 new)
A total of 1,415 laboratory results were released.
NOTES from DOH-7:
*As per DOH-7, the additional deaths in the report are not due to the overnight spike in deaths but due to more accurate data collection and validating efforts. Not all of those deaths occurred today but occurred more than a week ago.
Reports maybe subject to change as these claims undergo thorough validation by the local healthcare offices and health personnel.
Now, the youngsters of this generation aren’t all in TikTok or Instagram and many other social media platforms, some of them are actually building their own businesses. Better start it young they say.
Photo from Allen Hale Jaguimit via Smart Parenting
This is what Allen Hale Jaguimit has proven as at just 18 years old, a teenager, he had opened a shoe restoration business. And what’s amazing about it is that he started with just P300 as his capital.
He has successfully restored over 70 pairs of shoes and counting.
His shoe restoration business is one of buy-and-sell which he started building in 2019. Buy-and-Sell businesses involves buying something (from thrift shops or other sources), then restoring or improving these products before reselling for a higher amount.
Photo from Allen Hale Jaguimit via Smart Parenting
Opportunities and ideas do present itself in difficulties as it started when he had to restore his worn-out shoes.
Raised by a single mom, Michelle Jaguimit, he is someone who have loved leather shoes for a long time as he’s a fan of Michael Jackson. His dream was wearing the same shoes as what his idol wore on “Thriller” but was sadly out of budget. He even shared that he goes to the ukay-ukay every day to look at his dream shoes.
To be able to afford the loafers which was sold at P1,500. Though it took a long time of saving as he helps out his mom too whenever he can.
So, shoes have already been kind of a passion for Allen at that time.
He learned to care for the shoes he dreamed of which somehow developed a passion in him for shoe restoration.
Photo from Michelle Jaguimit Photo via Smart Parenting
Impressive sales:
A pair of Charles Tyrwhitt shoes- got for P300 but sold for P2,500
Two shoes- initially bought for P3,000 but sold for P9,600
Photo from Allen Hale Jaguimit via Smart Parenting
Now, that’s a steal indeed and a profitable business for sure.
