6 Ways to Be More Productive at Online Work

By: Tony Carmona

Work productivity has been a challenge for most people under work from home set-up and it doesn’t help that your overly excited dog needs your attention all the time, or that Netflix and Youtube is just a click away to get you distracted.

Working Hours

Your personal life is just as important as your professional life. Make sure you make a routine before and after your working hours, from taking a shower to shutting down your laptop to call it a day. Not following your timetable for work will make you miss out on your personal time to unwind, socialize, and distress which will lead to making you exhausted and burned out. So go ahead and perform those tasks with full focus and commitment, so you can enjoy the after-work hours

Eat The Right Food

One of the great perks of working from home is being a few feet away from your kitchen but that doesn’t mean you should just grab a bag of chips or a bar of chocolate as your lunch. A busy professional person like you deserves a healthy diet to function at your very best. Now that everything is online, you can even do your groceries on CloudKart, where you can buy fresh veggies for your salad, or fruits for your go-to snack. If cooking is not your best talent, you can also order your favorite healthy meals on LEB, where you can choose from homegrown restaurants that offer the best hearty dishes.

Sleep Right

Waking up groggy from a Netflix binge of your favorite K-drama might not be the best Idea. Not only does sleep deprivation make you feel fatigued, but it will also make you feel irritable and have difficulty concentrating. So make sure you stick to your sleep schedule, avoid caffeine before going to bed, and most importantly, use the bedroom only for sleep or sexy time with your partner.

Designated Home Office

To be free from distractions, you’ll need a room that encourages productivity while still allowing your family to live their lives. This doesn’t mean that you lock yourself in your room though, we encourage your workstation to be away from your bed so you won’t appreciate your bed to work and productivity, plus you might frequently doze off and rest too much when you should be finishing off your deadlines.

Quality Tech

Remote working needs to be easy, and hassle-free as much as possible. Laggy computers, age-old software, and even broken keyboards will make your work-from-home unbearable. It can break the momentum if your system breaks down and starts distracting your work now and then, which is why we recommend upgrading the gadgets that you use in working. Can’t leave the house? Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Malls Central Bloc have got you covered with ANA, your very own personal shopper!

 

Take a few breaks

In the workplace, you have small breaks, lunch breaks, and your coworkers with whom you can have small talk. Working home is a very different experience, there is no planned break, and if your workload is high, you tend to even skip lunch and snacks. All you need is for you to move your body, even just around your house can help your mind refresh so you can become more productive

We hope these tips will help you be more productive with your work-from-home setup. Focus on your goals, organize your activities, and deal with procrastination to stay productive. But don’t forget to take some time for yourself when you need it, and don’t forget to make time for your friends and family!

#Mompowered: A Mom’s World at Home

Moms have always been our unsung heroes and during this pandemic, working moms are tested in balancing household responsibilities, virtual meetings, homeschooling, and other commitments while keeping the kids entertained and the family safe in this challenging time.

Ayala Center Cebu caught up with 7 empowered moms as they share their stories, tips, and insights in balancing full-time work and family life at home:

 

 

Gretchen Choa, Businesswoman, and mom of two boys

“Understand that “balance” doesn’t mean equal, it just means that you are happy with the choices you have made. Some days you could work while having the extra time to leisurely make dinner with your kids and play board games with them after.  While other days, work needs more attention, so you order food; turn on Netflix to occupy your kids’ entertainment. Do not feel bad. You are not alone in this. Some hacks do help ease the mom guilt, here are some of them.

1. Delegate/ask for help
2. Plan ahead — I am a planner, so I have learned to lay out my top 3 goals in a week, and top 5 main tasks I want to achieve in a day.
3.  Realize that sometimes you need to compromise, and that is okay.”

 

 

Kristine Kokseng, Product Development Manager at Golden Cowrie, and mom of three

“As a working mom, it was a difficult situation to be in as we were tackling problems and challenges in the restaurant, trying to shift from a dine-in to a delivery-based resto and at the same time helping and guiding the kids with online school.

 It was easy to lose your cool and it was very important for me to be conscious about that. We had constant talks, (and we still do) with the kids about their challenges and ours too so there would be a better understanding of each other’s situation. And as a homemaker, it did not stop with kids but also with the team that I work with at home. It was important for me to make sure that our help at home was adjusting well too. Coming up with activities for the kids and the help at home was something we did during the first 6 months until we reached a point where we were used to the fact of being home.”

 

 

Kd Tiu, Owner of Cabana Cebu, and mother of two

“I’ve accepted that there’s no perfect work-life balance so I just ride the waves & manage my expectations. If things don’t go as planned, I try not to waste my time dwelling on it and just move on to being more productive. It is also important to try to let go of mom guilt.

I’m able to keep things together because I have a strong support system. It really takes a whole village to handle my businesses and our household at the same time & I’m pretty grateful for them. “

 

 

Dyan Gayas, Proprietress, Nono By Dyan, mother of two

“As a working mom, I make sure everything is scheduled and plotted. I try my best to work only on Tuesdays to Fridays and every other weekend between either 9:30 or 1:30 only. So I can still have time to prepare food and other needs at home and spend more time with my kids and family.”

 

 

Tiffany Tan, IT Entrepreneur, Artist, and mom of two

“I find it very important to keep my long-term plan in mind as I go about my day-to-day activities. I am a visual person, so I have a clear picture of where I see myself and my family in five years or ten years down the road. I work backwards from my future goals and take steps today to bring myself and my family closer to those goals. Having a clear vision helps me to keep the balance between my roles.

Taking care of my physical, mental and emotional health is essential so that I can find clarity in my vision. I take breaks as needed, allocate time for my hobbies, and for regular exercise. It’s important for me so that I don’t get burnt out and lose sight of my vision.”

 

 

Gillian Uang-Uy, Interior Designer, and mom

“Try to let go of mom guilt! It’s okay to do something for yourself once in a while to help you recharge.”

 

Kim Gothong, Wife, Entrepreneur, Resource Speaker, and mom of three

“It’s all about setting priorities. This may seem a little technical but I employ Stephen Covey’s Time Management Matrix. I categorize my to-do’s into four quadrants, urgent and important, not urgent but important, urgent but not important, and not urgent and not important.

This matrix somehow guides me on how I go about my day or week. Sometimes, this may all get jumbled up, but, I somehow always find my way back.

To avoid burnout, once in a while I step back and re-center through physical activity, baking, and of course a good Kdrama marathon.

We moms, can’t keep pouring from an empty cup. When we learn to love ourselves, then we can take care of others better.”

 

This Mother’s Day, we honor and celebrate all the hardworking moms and mother figures for their unconditional love, courage, and sacrifices. This special day allows families to bond and make mom smile in different ways. You can take your mom to an al fresco dining at The Terraces, just order from your favorite restaurants and have them deliver your food at the specially curated al fresco in the area, or surprise your mom with some gift ideas at the Activity Center with your favorite brands. If you’re too busy to head out, you can order your gift via ANA. With a minimum spend of P3000, you get a special BOMB cake from Cakes by Nicole or Mango Toffee Jr from Banapple. Add a special touch to your surprise and say it with flowers, have yours arranged on the spot at the Drive Buy station along Cardinal Rosales Ave. near Torque Lounge.

Celebrate empowered moms and say thanks to all the important women in our life this Mother’s Day at Ayala Center Cebu. The region’s premier lifestyle destination keeps amazing going while continuing to provide a clean, healthy, and safe environment for all. For more information and updates, like @AyalaCebu on Facebook and follow @AyalaCenterCebu on Twitter and Instagram

Buy all you can, fly when you can with the CEB Super Pass

One-way flight voucher to any PH destination for only PHP99

Over a year into the pandemic and it is undeniable that a lot of Filipinos have been wanting to safely go out and travel again – to see some of the Philippines’ world-class beaches and historical sites, or to visit family and friends. Do you belong to this group of travelers but are unsure of your trip dates? Well, you’re in for a special treat from Cebu Pacific this 5.5!

As the Philippines’ leading carrier continues to celebrate its 25^th anniversary, it comes up with another innovative product to address everyJuan’s need for utmost flexibility, coupled with the lowest fares.  Introducing another first-of-its-kind product that will let travelers buy all they can, and fly when they can across CEB’s widest domestic network – the CEB Super Pass.

The CEB Super Pass, a limited-time 25^th anniversary offer available only from today, May 5 until May 12, 2021, is a travel voucher that gives passengers the much-needed flexibility and accessibility without breaking the bank!

For only P99 (one-way base fare), the travel voucher may be used in ANY Philippine destination in CEB’s widest domestic network for travel from May 12, 2021 to May 31, 2022! Now everyJuan can save by availing and planning ahead those future beach getaways, workcations, and visits to family and friends – and fly when they want to.

“On our 25^th anniversary, the CEB Super Pass is a timely option for guests who would want to travel whenever they want, wherever they want in the country, at a guaranteed low fare. With the widest network in the Philippines, we offer this one-of-a-kind product that enables us to fulfill our commitment of providing fast connectivity and value-for-money deals for everyJuan,” said Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Customer Experience.

How to purchase the CEB Super Pass

Purchasing the CEB Super Pass can be done in just four easy steps:  all “Juan” has to do is go to https://bit.ly/CEBSuperPass, input the number of passes you want, add passenger names, and pay! Payment may be settled via existing Travel Funds, or other online payment options such as credit cards. Once successful, your CEB Super Pass will be sent via email, for keeping until you already have a place and date in mind.

How to redeem the CEB Super Pass

Booking the CEB Super Pass can be done via the “Redeem CEB Super Pass” tab on the website as early as thirty (30) days before the flight’s departure or until seven (7) days before intended flight date, as long as seats are still available. Vouchers may be redeemed from May 5, 2021 to May 24, 2022, for travel between May 12, 2021 and May 31, 2022.

Guests will also be able to purchase and redeem this pass via the ‘CEB Super Pass’ banner on the Cebu Pacific website or mobile app. A maximum of ten (10) vouchers per transaction is allowed, however there is NO limit to the number of total vouchers each passenger can avail – allowing everyJuan to stock up on these vouchers as they see fit!

CEB currently flies to 32 domestic destinations, mainly from its hubs in Manila and Cebu. For more information on CEB Super Pass, visit www.cebupacificair.com.

Here’s why Cebuanos should try this online supermarket

By: Tony Carmona

All sorts of lockdowns have affected our lives since COVID-19 appeared in the first quarter of 2020. Remember the times where you wasted time finding a parking spot at the supermarket, going from aisle to aisle at the grocery store and most of the items on your list aren’t available? We’ve all been there; the moment we realize that our favorite instant noodles are nowhere to be found, or worse- they even ran out of toilet paper. 

With everything going online from meetings, drinking sessions with friends, banking, to shopping, it was not long till this homegrown gem came to save Cebuano’s grocery dilemmas. CloudKart, Cebu’s first hassle-free online supermarket, allows customers to shop for groceries online with same day delivery. Here are 6 more reasons why we are in-love with this online supermarket!

Same Day Delivery

Experience grocery shopping as we would have before the lockdowns happened, without the traffic along the way, and long lines before we pay for our items. Orders placed before 4 p.m. from Monday to Sunday are delivered the same day, while orders placed after this time are delivered the next day. Order status is communicated through SMS and email. Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, Consolacion, Liloan, and Cordova are among CloudKart’s delivery areas.

HASSLE FREE GUARANTEE

With CloudKart’s hassle-free online grocery shopping, you can finally avoid the dreaded long queues, save time and money, and stay safe from the comfort of your home. They source directly from principals and distributors, so you can shop for groceries at supermarket prices. You won’t even have to worry if the items you added to your kart are always available and on hand as their stocks and inventory are updated in real-time on their website

 

All Groceries Are Cleaned and Sanitized

Before getting safely delivered to our homes, all purchases are thoroughly washed and disinfected at their 1,300 sqm facility in Mandaue. Their well-trained personnel safely handle the goods, receive, stock, and dispatch all objects to ensure our safety comes first. CloudKart practices strict sanitation standards and does not allow walk-in customers to guarantee the safety and cleanliness of their facility.

 

Fixed and Affordable Delivery Rates

This is one of our favorite reasons to love CloudKart as orders are delivered for a cost of Php 95 within Cebu City and Mandaue City. Lapu-Lapu City and Consolacion deliveries cost Php 140, while Liloan, Talisay, and Cordova deliveries cost Php 200. The fees are the same regardless of the size or volume of the order. With their super affordable delivery rates, we won’t have to hesitate to even do groceries- TWICE!

Support for Local Suppliers and Displaced Farmers

Our purchases from CloudKart benefit Cebu’s local businesses and riders impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They sell and promote items from local Cebu brands. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sourced directly at fair prices from cooperatives of farmers. Every delivery fee is paid in full to CloudKart delivery staff, who are motorcycle riders who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. One recent testament for their support was by purchasing 2,000 kilos of cabbages from the farmers of Mantalongon, Cebu to help with their oversupply. With an outpouring of support from customers, the cabbages have all sold out and the cabbage prices have gradually stabilized. All the more reason to genuinely love this online supermarket!

 

CloudKart Points

We’re getting a lot of bang for our bucks with CloudKart Points. For every P200 spent on our groceries, we’ll be getting one (1) CloudKart point. CloudKart Points can be used to make purchases on the website in the future. This is an added treat for us to continue enjoying shopping.

Follow our favorite online supermarket on Facebook @CloudKartOnline and Instagram @CloudKartPH for updates, and join their Viber Community at https://bit.ly/345ifLt for real-time announcements.

7 Effortless Ways to Beat the Summer Heat in Cebu

By: Tony Carmona

 

High Temperature, and increased humidity this month only mean one thing, summer is finally here. While your plans on taking a trip to the beach, or a dip in the pool at your favorite resort might be put on hold because of the pandemic, we’ve got 6 cool tips for you to beat the scorching summer heat.

 

Feel Great, Hydrate!

We all know how crucial it is to stay hydrated all day, all the time, and it’s more important in Summer. When you’re sweating like crazy because of physical activity and the hot weather, you have to refuel and drink up! Water isn’t your only option though, you can still chug on your favorite milk tea or iced coffee. Save the trip from heading out of your home, and just order out! Our favorite homegrown delivery app LEB has tons of restaurants to choose from. Download the app for IOS here and for Android here.

 

Eat Light

Stuffing your mouth with greasy fast food might sound tempting but it’ll make you feel sluggish in the hot climate. We recommend enjoying your favorite bowl of salad or a fruit platter with your family. Not only will you enjoy the nutritional benefits of eating fruits and veggies, but you’ll feel better too! You can even buy fruits and veggies online from an online supermarket. We recommend trying Cloudkart, not only are you helping local Cebuano farmers, but you’ll be supporting their motorcycle riders who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.

 

Cool your Skincare Essentials

Yes, you heard it right. Refrigerate your skincare items. Your skin will thank you for that cooling & soothing sensation when you apply your creams, moisturizers, or face masks. The low temperature will help your beauty items even last longer because as it’ll help slow down the oxidation process, and it maintains the beneficial ingredients last longer, that’s a double win for you.

 

Conserve Energy

Your home will less likely heat up if you lessen the consumption of your appliances. Help keep the temperature down by simply turning off the lights, and not using the oven or microwave often. Considering ordering out once in a while, or try making cold meals. Mother Earth will thank you, and your electricity bill too!

 

Dress Down

Ditch the layers and update your OOTD. Now is not the time to wear thick and heavy outfits that will most likely leave you gasping for air, and drenched in sweat. We recommend fabrics like cotton, linen, chambray, or jersey to keep you stay cool and fresh, and avoid fleece, nylon, or polyester. If you are in dire need of therapy shopping, our top recommended brands are Lotus and Natori available in Rustan’s Cebu, Women’s Secret and Springfield, or  have ANA, Ayala Malls Central Bloc and Ayala Center Cebu’s personal shopper send you photos of key pieces this summer from stores in the mall. 

 

Find Your Body’s Cooling Spots

If your whole house feels like an oven, get a sense of relief by treating your body’s pulse points. Wet a towel with cold water or apply an ice pack to your pulse points, your wrists, neck, or even ankles. Make sure you protect your skin with a towel and only do it for less than 20 minutes at a time. When all else fails, you can also take a refreshing shower, by putting ice on a pail. Splurge on luxurious scents from Disenyo del Sur for an indulgent, everyday experience. We already feel reinvigorated just by imagining that.

 

Keep cool, and avoid stressing about the heat so much. Being stressed and frustrated will do you more harm than good. These awesome life hacks will do a great job of helping you feel better and make the summer heat more bearable.