Bigger oil price rollback!

Good news for all motorists!

Because oil prices continue to go down in the world market, local oil companies in the Philippines have started rolling back their own prices. Leading the pack is Unioil Petroleum Philippines with its price rollback of PhP2.50 per liter for gasoline and PhP6.00 a liter for diesel. Seaoil Philippines also cut its oil price by PhP2.00 per liter of gasoline, diesel and kerosene. Oil giants Shell, Petron and Caltex have also followed.

This is a very welcome news, in time for the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day this weekend. At a time when many families will travel to the provinces to visit their dead loved-ones, the oil price rollback means more savings for them.

Can we expect more rollback for liquified petroleum gas (LPGs) and, eventually, transpo fare?

Unilab Ba Yan?

This is not directly about money but in the long run, this will affect your capacity to earn a living.

A recent TV commercial has caught my eye. The TVC of Unilab encourages consumers to ask important questions when it comes to buying vitamins and medicines. Here’s the TVC:

Safe ba yan? obviously refers to the safety of the drug or vitamins. There are so many drugs in the market, some are from backyard manufacturers, and we need to ensure that the medicines we’re taking are safe.

Affordable ba yan? Most mommies hold the purse. They want to get the best value for their money. Prices of Unilab products are very affordable, many of them a fraction of the cost of multinational counterparts. A 500-mg tablet of Ponstan (mefenamic acid), a product of Pfizer, cost P21.82. Unilab’s counterpart, Dolfenal, us just P18.30 for a 500-mg tablet. Almost 17 percent difference!

Subok na ba yan? Unilab has always been proud of the many studies conducted for the safety and efficacy of its products. This is the reason why I don’t take drugs or vitamins from the US (like pasalubongs of relatives). Drugs manufactured by US pharma companies are often suited for the American people. Filipinos have different needs. With Unilab, I am assured that it has conducted studies to ensure that the drugs are fit for the Filipinos.

Unilab ba yan? This should be the buzzword for all Filipinos. Filipinos should make it a point to ask who the manufacture of a product is, whether it’s a drug, shoes, clothes, etc. The reputation of the manufacturer guarantees consumers that they will get the best and highest quality. By asking “Unilab ba yan?” we are assured that we are getting only the best.

Many probably don’t realize it but Unilab has been part of the lives of millions of Filipino families for so many decades now. I myself am an Enervon kid, starting with Enervon Syrup when I was in elementary years. I remember that Enervon Syrup was a regular major sponsor of Eat Bulaga’s Little Miss Philippines! And now that I’m all grown-up, I still take Enervon (this time, the tablet).

Biogesic is another classic Unilab product. It has almost become a generic name for headache medicines, just like we think of Colgate when we say toothpaste. I don’t remember a time in my life when my family used another headache medicine. Basta sakit ng ulo, it’s always Biogesic.

There are so many Unilab medicines that have made a difference in our lives–Revicon, Allerin, Neo-Aspilet (which is now renamed Neo-Kiddielets), pH Care, Neozep, Decolgen, Medicol, Myra E, etc. Just imagine the number of people whose lives were significantly improved because of Unilab products.

It’s easy to take our health for granted. Just like anybody else, we think we’re invincible until we get sick. But it’s important to take care of our health and the health of our family. Like I said, our health affects our capacity to earn a living, Without a good health, there will also be no good health.

Avoid the Christmas mad rush

In a few days, it will be November already. Right after All Saints and All Souls Day, this is officially the start of the Christmas season. And have you started your Christmas shopping?

To avoid the holiday rush, better get started on your shopping. Early trek to the malls and preparation will make a difference in your sanity and wallet. You don’t have to wait in long lines, you can budget your Christmas money well, and you don’t have to push your way in the mad crowds.

Here are just some tips to ensure that you have a headache-free Christmas:

1) List down the names of people you would like to give Christmas gifts to and estimate how much money you will spend for each person.

2) If Divisoria and 168 is not your thing, consider shopping online. You can try buying items from Ebay.ph or from Multiply sellers. Just make sure you check the feedback of the sellers first.

3) If you’re the artsy or culinary type, consider giving personalized gifts.

4) Shop early. Be at the mall when it opens in the morning. Shopping early means less people, shorter lines and sales staff are more helpful.

5) Check your budget. Don’t blow your 13th-month pay in just one shopping spree. Make sure there is enough money for your Noche Buena or, if you can, save a portion of your bonus for emergency.

6) Consider giving group gifts, example, a batch of brownies for your office friends.

7) Consider giving to charity in your friends’ behalf. More and more people are practicing this trend. Instead of giving individual gifts, many choose to give charitable donations in behalf of their friends. These charitable institutions, meanwhile, will give you Christmas cards for free, which you can then send to friends.

Officially banned in Ebay.ph

I’ve been an Ebay seller and buyer for more than two years and in those two years, I’ve had my fair share of joybidders.

Joybidders are those who just bid on your items without intending to pay if they win. Fortunately, I haven’t encountered a scammer (sellers who will not send the items even if you have already paid for them). I am lucky to have met very trustworthy sellers, one of whom has been my regular supplier of Archie comics. I have never met Karen personally but I trust her with my money. Many of our transactions have been conducted off-Ebay but she has always sent my Archies promptly. Her ebay ID is inu_mktg and I give my word that she’s one heck of a gal.

Going back to joybidders and scammers, I chanced upon this Multiply blog called “Officially Banned.” I don’t know who started this blog but it posts the names of joybidders and scammers in Ebay and other online stores. The person behind this blog is probably someone who was scammed.

I am not surprised that my favorite joybidder has already been reported to Officially Banned. I wouldn’t want to name names but she has caused so much amusement and annoyance not only to me but to several Ebay sellers. She even resorted to spreading lies to other sellers (who really couldn’t care less) that my husband left me for another Ebay seller. Talk about an overactive imagination.

Anyway, you may want to take a look at this blog to see if the seller you’re eyeing is a scammer or if that bidder is a joybidder. When you visit the blog, however, do exercise prudence as some may just have resorted to defaming other people out of frustration or even revenge. Exercise good judgment, ask questions and then decide for yourself.

But overall, kudos to the person behind this blog. Because Ebay prohibits posting names of members in the discussion board, I’m just glad that there is another venue to warn other Ebay users.

PSBank Time Deposit

If you’re still looking for somewhere to park your money, you can try saving it through Philippine Savings Bank’s (PSBank) time deposit account.

Currently, PhP100,000 can earn anywhere from 4% to 4.25%, depending on the maturity period. The interest rate increases up to 6.5%, depending on the amount. Here’s the interest rate table for PSBank’s time deposit.

Chinabank raises its interest rates again!

I just love Chinabank!!!

Since I first opened a Diamond Time Deposit in Chinabank last May 2008, I have seen the bank raise its interest rates three times already! When I first started, the interest rate (30-day period) is at 3.75%. As of Oct. 27, the interest rate (30-day period) is now at 4.75%! Here’s the current interest rate table for the Diamond Time Deposit.

 

Amount (Peso)	Interest Rate
	30 days	60 days	90 days
50,000 – 199,999	4.750%	5.000%	5.000%
200,000 – 499,999	5.000%	5.250%	5.250%
500,000 – 999,999	5.250%	5.500%	5.500%
1 Million & Up	5.500%	5.750%	5.750%
(subject to 20% withholding tax) Effective October 27, 2008

 

The Diamond Time Deposit requires an initial PhP50,000 deposit. If you don’t have that much money, the regular time deposit of Chinabank only requires an initial PhP5,000 deposit. Here’s the interest rate table for the regular time deposit.

 

Amount (Peso)	Interest Rate
	30 days	60 days	90 days
5,000 – 49,999	4.250%	4.500%	4.500%
50,000 – 199,999	4.750%	5.000%	5.000%
200,000 – 499,999	5.000%	5.250%	5.250%
500,000 – 999,999	5.250%	5.500%	5.500%
1 Million & Up	5.500%	5.750%	5.750%
(subject to 20% withholding tax) Effective October 27, 2008

Earn extra money from online selling

I should have probably blogged about this a long time ago since I have been an online seller for more than two years already. More specifically, I am an Ebay.ph seller.

Personally, I prefer selling in Ebay more than Multiply or any other social network site. One, Ebay has a solid customer base. Two, Ebay has enforced protection for sellers (unpaid item, joybidders, etc). And three, it’s just so easy to use.

It’s pretty easy to start in Ebay although for the last year, Ebay Philippines has implemented tighter registration procedures. While registration remains free, Ebay monitors newly opened accounts and may suspend you if your account is suspected of fraud. Many joybidders (those who bid but don’t pay) usually opens new accounts to pester other sellers.

But once you have emailed Ebay some requirements, selling is as easy as ABC. Visit www.ebay.ph and look around.