Author: Rochelle Sy Chua

Teleserv Citizen Services

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 7, 2012

Teleserv Citizen Services

We do almost anything online these days. Things like paying bills, ordering food, and finding information about various kinds of stuff. However, availing of government services has always been a pain for me as I have to put up with going to the office, the long lines and long processing times.

That was the problem that Pilipinas Teleserv, Inc. (Teleserv) is trying to address. The company developed proprietary services for various Philippine government agencies that have improved the way citizens transact with government.

Teleserv Presentation

Teleserv is experienced in customer service activities with operations running 24/7, 365 days a year. Connecting their expertise with the current need to improve government transactions paved the way for Citizen Services.

Filipinos can now be provided with efficient, cost-effective and convenient services as Teleserv partnered with some Philippine government agencies. I tried this myself (read more of this experience in succeeding paragraphs) and I was completely satisfied and happy with the service.

Here are the three government agencies that partnered with Citizen Services:

National Statistics Office

Teleserv NSO Birth Certificate Delivery

Developed for the National Statistics Office (NSO). This facilitates the application of Birth/ Marriage/ Death/CENOMAR Certificates by telephone and through the internet with a courier service for the delivery of the document requested by the applicant.

Department of Foreign Affairs

Teleserv DFA Express Passport Delivery

Developed for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). It allows Filipino citizens the facility to avail of a more convenient and expeditious application process for new, expiring, and expired Philippine passports. Applicants may set an appointment by going online through its dedicated website www.passport.com.ph or by calling the DFA Appointment Hotline 737-1000. This service is free.

The system is designed to help eliminate long queues formed with the old walk-in system, as the applicants would be pre-processed using information given via hotline or online.

Philippine Overseas Employment Agency

Teleserv POEA Balik Manggagawa OEC Delivery

Developed for the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). It provides Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) a convenient, hassle‐free application procedure for Overseas Exit Clearances while on vacation in the Philippines.

OEC processing comes with PHILHEALTH and OWWA membership updates.   Balik-Manggagawa OEC Delivery is available nationwide and is coupled with an inquiry hotline 737-7777.   An OEC Express Delivery booth is also situated inside the POEA Balik Manggagawa area to cater to OFWs who find themselves at the POEA.

Personal Experience with Teleserv Citizen Services

My mom used to be the one who would request for copies of my birth certificate so I didn’t really know the process and how convenient or hard it is.

However, as soon as I got the invite to the Teleserv event, I gave Citizen Services a try by ordering copies of my NSO birth certificates.

Teleserv Birth Certificate Experience

The process was completely awesome! I was blown away by how easy and efficient the process is!

I just visited the Citizen Services website, answered a few questions, chatted with the call center agent (who was very helpful & friendly), paid the processing fee and in less than a week, I got the birth certificates delivered to me!

Knowledge is indeed power. If I haven’t known about Teleserv’s services, I wouldn’t have experienced how easy it is already to apply for NSO certificates. So here I am, sharing with you what I learned and experienced.

Getting NSO certificates, Passport appointments and OEC has become so much simpler with Teleserv Citizen Services! I’ll surely avail of those services when I need them in the future. Oh, and by the way, GSIS services will come soon on Teleserv Citizen Services.

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Teleserv Citizen Services
http://www.citizenservices.com.ph
NSO inquiries: +63-2-7371111
DFA inquiries: +63-2-7371000
POEA inquiries: +63-2-7377777

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Smart Live More Anthem

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 6, 2012

Smart Live More Anthem

Have you been wanting to know what song Smart used in its Live More Commercial ad? I know I do as I like the message that Smart has been sharing with us through their Live More Campaign.

We’re in luck because Smart has finally released the full version of the song. What’s cool is that Smart subscribers can download the song for free!

Do you know that Smart even commissioned international artists to make the song, “It’s Your Life” for Smart? The two musicians worked across time zones to deliver the beautiful Smart Live More anthem. While James Banbury (Hong kong) and Pete Davis (Sweden) have collaborated in the past for other popular brands such as Marriot Hotels, Tropicana and Cathay Pacific, the Component Music artists are also established musicians in their own right.

James was the cellist of truculent cult Brit-band The Auteurs. He also arranged strings for U2, Depeche Mode and Snow Patrol while Pete wrote scores for films such as Moulin Rouge and Coyote Ugly and has programmed and performed on records by New Order, Gwen Stefani and Bjork.

The Video

Haven’t seen the whole original composition by James Banbury and Pete Davis for Smart’s Live More Campaign? Well, listen and watch here 🙂

The Lyrics

I can relate to the song that it inspires me to live my life to the fullest. It reminds me that time is in my hands and I shall own it and do the things that I like to do. Listening to the song made me want to pursue my goals even more. We should stop worrying because it’s our time and it’s our life!

It’s Your Life

My love is always the same,
It shines forever.
Shoot across the sky tonight,
(It’s your time)
I don’t want you to change,
It’s enough that you’re always there.
(It’s enough that you’re always there)

(It’s your time)
Feel the love
Shine forever
Here we go…

It’s your time
It’s your life

My life is more than a game,
(Calling out your name)
I don’t want you to change,
Yeah, I know that you’re always there.

Time’s your life
Make the most of every moment
Here we go…

It’s your time
It’s your life

How to Get a Copy
FREE and EXCLUSIVE to SMART Subscribers

There are 2 ways to use the song: You can download the song in itself and listen to it in full or you can also download it as a ring back tune on your phone, isn’t that cool?

Full Song – Get your copy of the full song “It’s Your Life” for free by simply logging on to http://m.smart.com.ph/livemore and click on download.
Ring Back Tune – Be one of the first to have the song, “It’s Your Life” on your phone as a ring back! Simply text LIVEMORE and send to 2728. Enjoy this FREE for 30 days (auto expire).

The Smart Live More Campaign

Smart-Live-More

There wasn’t any mention of the Smart brand throughout the song but the message is clear: to Live More. It’s really not about the telecommunications company but it’s about our time and our life.

With the song centered on our personal lives but a company pushing that message only means that Smart is working with the customers in mind. If we read between the lines, then we can decipher the message that we can count on Smart for reliable connections (signal & network coverage) so we can spend more time on important things.

Nicely done Smart. The song is perfect for the campaign!

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Friendster FunXtion

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 6, 2012

Friendster FunXtion

We first heard about Friendster’s revamp last 2009.

This year, Friendster officially launched as Southeast Asia’s social discovery and gaming platform through a big event that happened at SM North Cyberzone Activity area entitled ‘Friendster FunXtion‘. The event featured the unique fun experience that the new Friendster site offers such as playing online games, meeting new friends and winning cool prizes.

The event was hosted by Adz Sison and popular cosplayer, anime and gaming enthusiast, Ashley Gosiengfiao.

Friendster Prizes Hosts

There were cosplayers left and right. I really love seeing them and how they brought their favorite anime characters into life.

Friendster Cosplay

These days, photo booth has always been a mainstay in events. The ‘I love friendster funXtion photo’ was a good souvenir for those who attended the event. I wasn’t able to have my picture taken but I enjoyed seeing several folks donning wacky wigs and making cute faces to the camera.

Friendster Photobooth

Gaming booths were stationed all over the activity area where it featured some of the games that Friendster has. I did try one of them and I logged in to my friendster account once I got home to play more. I was totally surprised! Friendster was totally revamped! I had to take a virtual tour of the site to understand what the new features are. If you have an existing friendster account and haven’t been checking the site, you should try it now.

There were performances by Callalily, Gracenote and Paraluman in Friendster FunXtion. I was able to catch the performance of Callalily, the crowd went wild when they came out!

Friendster Callalily

It was a pretty fun event! I really wish Friendster the best as I’ve seen them repackage Friendster quite a few times for the past 3 years. Hopefully, this time around, they get it right… I do like their new tagline though: ‘friendster – living the game‘.

Friendster Logos

The changes were brought about by the acquisition of Friendster, Inc. by Asia’s leading e-payment and e-lifestyle provider – MOL Global Pte Ltd (MOL) in 2009.

Under the leadership of Friendster, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Mikhail Nikolai Galicia and MOL Global Group Chief Executive Officer Ganesh Kumar Bangah, friendster was repositioned from being a social networking site where testimonials were popular to a gaming platform where virtual currency can be used to purchase virtual goods, online games and applications.

Friendster Executives

The new Friendster included features such as a new user-friendly interface, selection of avatars to suit your personality, chat with friends via the Friendster Chat Application while playing games on Friendster, over 50 online games from 8 different genre like role-playing, strategy, simulations and card games, earn rewards through points for every activity within the site including adding friends, engaging with friends, daily log-in or playing any game and simple, easy-to-obtain virtual currency that can be used to purchase virtual goods, online games and applications in a safe and convenient manner.

Friendster Screenshot

Friendster was a social networking site pioneer. It was the first social network site I got addicted to. That was where I got several touching testimonials, that was where I was able to catch up with several friends and that was where I started to get addicted into networking with friends online. This time around, Friendster repositioned itself to be a gaming platform.

Congratulations Friendster and good luck! 🙂 Visit friendster.com and discover the new site!

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Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 6, 2012

Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels

I have been traveling quite more often than usual since last year. That was the reason why I needed to find a suitable luggage for my travels. I wanted the luggage to look good, to be durable and strong, to have enough space for my things and easy to carry around.

Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels has addressed those needs. My only gripe with the product is that there’s no color red (my favorite color) available but nevertheless, I’m very satisfied with it.

Spring Peeper Tech Specs
Exterior Fabric: 900 D Polyester with PU backing
Interior Fabric: 150D Ripstop Polyester with PU backing
Handles : Neoprene padded handles

Dimensions
Width: 32 cm / 12.6 inches
Height: 55 cm / 21.6 inches
Depth: 23 cm / 9 inches
Volume: 40 L / 2441 cubic inches
Empty Weight: 2.95 kg / 6.5 lbs

Here are 5 reasons why I like Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels and why I settled for it as my official luggage for my travels:

Roomy/Enough Storage Space

Crumpler Spring Peeper Contents

I have the medium-sized Spring Peeper with Wheels. When opened, you could see a large main compartment that has 2 internal pockets. One is a mesh pocket, and the other is a pocket to put on your wet stuff (no need to bring plastic bags to put your wet items on). The exterior, on the other hand, has a zippered pocket in front where I usually put my passport and a hidden zippered pocket at the back to put on other stuff like books where you can easily get out from the luggage.

Lastly, the dual strap compression panel with quick release closures help bring our things together making it looking neat and compact.

The luggage is more then enough to carry stuff that is good for a 2-week vacation. However, if you need a bigger storage space, you can get the large-sized Spring Peeper with Wheels.

Strong and Durable

I usually park my car in the airport overnight parking and that entails me to bring my luggage all the way from the outside street to the air-conditioned airport. The weather is unpredictable, sometimes it rains, sometimes it’s hot, so I’m just glad that Crumpler Spring Peeper is strong enough to handle the unpredictable weather.

Crumpler made the Spring Peeper with wheels water-resistant which is really great! I do not have worry about my gadget chargers inside the bag getting wet or damaged. In addition to that, the uber-nice wheel housing prevents pebbles or any small stuff becoming caught in them while I move the luggage.

Everything in this luggage makes me feel that I’m carrying a strong, durable and high quality product, I super love it!

Easy to Carry Around

Crumpler Spring Peeper w Wheels

For a girl, poise is important that’s why I always make it a point to check if a luggage is comfortable and easy to carry around.

Crumpler designed the Spring Peeper with Wheels in a way that it holds its own when held vertically or horizontally.

When I don’t have much stuff inside the luggage, I carry it horizontally. I appreciate that the top carry handles are nicely padded that it won’t get my hands wounded if I carry the Spring Peeper for long periods of time.

Crumpler Roch Luggage

I, however, always bring lots of stuff, so I use the luggage’s trolley often. I love that I just push a button to activate the trolley. I can even control the height of the trolley, whether full height, half height or totally none.

At full height, I can put an extra bag on top which makes it so much easier for me to carry my bags.

Crumpler Spring Peeper Handle

I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that there are also padded handles on top and bottom of the luggage apart from the ones in the main compartment. It’s really nice as I can hold the luggage vertically if I want to.

Secure

Crumpler Spring Peeper lock

The twin zips on the Sprint Peeper’s main compartment feature loops where I can put a padlock to secure the things I have inside the luggage. This feature is extremely important as we don’t want to lose any of our belongings, right?

It’s an eye-candy!

crumpler spring peeper counter

The Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels looks so good that it makes me feel proud whenever I see it with other luggages in the conveyor belt. I can easily spot my luggage because of its cute lively colors (purple/oatmeal). However, if you’re on the conservative side this Crumpler luggage also has navy and black color variants.

I also appreciate that this luggage is perfect with my Crumpler Limpet which serves as my name tag. Now, if only the Spring Peeper has a red-colored one, it would have been perfect…

I’ve been using this luggage for a few months now. It still looks as good and sturdy as ever making me conclude that the Spring Peeper with Wheels by Crumpler will be with me for a very long time 🙂

Crumpler Spring Peeper with Wheels (Medium) is priced at Php 9,850. If you want one, head on over to Crumpler stores in Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall and Trinoma Mall.

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Prince of Persia

Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On May 3, 2012

Prince of Persia Restaurant

The Avengers movie was too cool and we were all still so giddy about it while we walked along Citywalk in Eastwood looking for a place to eat for dinner. I have a special interest for Persian food so when I saw Prince of Persia, I immediately suggested it to the group hoping they’d agree.

Luckily, everyone agreed so we entered the small dining place and chose our table. There were only about 6-8 tables inside Prince of Persia. It was very cozy, good for people who want to hang out in a quiet place. It was perfect for us because all we usually do when we get together is talk about stuff.

Prince of Persia Ambiance

I waited for everyone to order before I decided what my order would be. I’ve always wanted to order differently from my friends so I could share with you more items from a restaurant that I feature here in HeaRty’s Haven. Luckily, no one ordered what I really wanted to try out.

Prince of Persia features mediterranean and persian food. The most popular item in their menu has got to be Shawarma. Beef Kebab with persian rice is a menu item that I consistently order in any of the Persian restaurants that I visit and that didn’t change with my visit at Prince of Persia (which coincidentally has the same name as a movie)

Beef Kebab (Php 145)

prince of persia beef wrap

Prince of Persia’s own grilled beef on a charcoal wrapped vegetables on a bread. The beef looked dry but you can always put garlic and hot sauce on it. You wouldn’t even realize its dryness as the sauce complements the beef very well. Put more sauce as you like, some people just couldn’t get enough of it!

Chicken Shawarma Wrapped (Php 90)

prince of persia chicken wrap

If you wanna try something else for a change then this chicken shawarma wrap is a good choice. It’s basically marinated chicken with tomatom cucumber, vegetables and onion wrapped in pita bread. A very light sandwich but more than enough to fill your empty stomach.

Chelo Koobideh (Php 275)

prince of persia beef koobideh

My order was Chelo Koobideh <3 A very yummy dish that is already a complete meal in itself. It had 2 skewers of charbroiled ground beef kebab, grilled tomato and Persian rice topped with butter. I can eat this all by myself even if it can be shared between 2 people.

Oh, by the way, I didn’t eat the tomato by itself. What I did was I put the tomato in a small plate then I mashed it then added garlic & hot sauce. Lastly, I put it on top of the beef as a sauce. You should try it next time you visit a Persian restaurant. I promise you’ll love your beef kebab even more! 🙂

Beef Kebab (Php 90/skewer)

prince of persia beef kebab

If you can’t get enough of the charbroiled beef, then you can order it a la carte for Php 90 per skewer.

Buttered Persian Rice (Php 85)

prince of persia buttered rice

Sioti Jepoy ordered one skewer of beef kebab (Php 90) then one order of buttered persian rice (Php 85). I felt it was actually very smart of him to order that way. My order of Chelo Koobideh was a combination of 2 skewers of beef kebab (Php 90+Php 90), an order of buttered persian rice (Php 85) and a grilled tomato (Php 50). If you’re not fond of tomato, you might as well order the rice and beef separately.

Lamb Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 195)

prince of persia lamb

Shawarma rice is getting popular especially for people who are not fond of breads. Prince of Persia has a great selection of it. They have this lamb shawarma rice which is marinated shredded lamb with tomato, cucumber, vegetables, onion and persian rice.

Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 150)

Prince of Persia beef

If you like beef which is Prince of Persia’s specialty then beef shawarma rice is the way to go. It has the same ingredients as the other shawarma rice selection which are tomatoes, cucumber, vegetables, onion and persian rice except that it has marinated beef.

Chicken Shawarma with Persian Rice (Php 145)

prince of persia chicken

If chicken is your thing then order chicken shawarma rice. I didn’t try out any of the shawarma rice dishes because they weren’t my order but from the looks of it, they seemed good (my friends finished their orders and feedback was pretty good).

Prince of Persia has opened its doors since 2008 in Eastwood. With the delicious food that they serve, Prince of Persia will surely be staying for long.

prince of persia group picture

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Prince of Persia
Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
+63-2-3833738

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