Broadband DSL Rants and Raves
I’ve had 3 different DSL Service Providers in the past 4 years. I want to take this opportunity to give an objective and unbiased review on the experiences I’ve had with all 3. Hopefully this will help you guys when you make your decision to get your own broadband, be it for gaming, e-mail, downloading, or surfing. For this article, I’ll write about my experiences with Bayantel DSL, SMART Bro, and PLDT MyDSL. Check them all out after the break.
SMART Bro: This was my first internet connection outside of dial-up. I had this hooked up when I was still living in Visayas Avenue, Quezon City. In all honesty, I had little problems when the DSL was running. Download speeds were pretty stable and I only experienced lag when I was playing Fly for Fun. It actually ran pretty well with RF Online. For 900+ bucks monthly, the connection was pretty okay back then. My only problem with SMART Bro was when the connection would go down. The customer service reps would say that it would take around 1-2 days for their technical team to drop by to fix it. However, there were several instances when it took the technicians more than 1 week before they come over to fix the antenna. Because of the intermittent connection, I decided to cancel my subscription to SMART Bro after 1 year (contract).
SMART Bro Plug-it: I then moved on to SMART Bro Plug-it. I needed mobile internet because I’m always on the move and it helps a lot with my consultancy work. I bought the USB Modem for P3,800 I think. It kinda makes me sad when I see that the prices have dropped all the way down to P1,800. Anyway, regarding the connection, it really depends on location. There were instances that the speed was really fast to the point that I could actually play World of Warcraft without any hassle. But there were instances that I couldn’t even get a signal at all. From experience, it’s kinda fast in Makati and Tomas Morato, but very erratic in the Katipunan area. By the way, forget about downloading… it takes forever. I still have this with me since it allows me to go online wherever. It’s pretty much for emergency use like: waiting for the girlfriend while she’s shopping, need to send an urgent e-mail, bored to death and I want to Facebook while on the road, etc.
Bayantel DSL: I got Bayantel while I was living somewhere along Katipunan. First, let me just say that they provide the most hassle free service. I called their hot line on Monday, and their agent went by to get my requirements Tuesday. Internet was installed Wednesday. That’s insanely fast! Plus, I didn’t have to go to their service centers at all. I got the 2.5MBPS package which costs around P2699. Initially I had problems with the connection since the Speed Test just registered around 1.1 - 1.2MBPS. However, after making 1 call, they fixed it and I got 2MBPS - 2.4MBPS constantly. If ever I would have problems with the connection, it would get fixed within a day. If they say that the technician would drop by soon, they really mean it. There was one instance that my connection was on and off. I called in the morning, and the guy actually arrived in the afternoon to fix it. Amazing. My only concern with Bayantel is that around 11PM-12AM, the connection is really on and off. Dunno why. Rest of the day though it’s pretty much stable.
PLDT MyDSL: I just moved to Greenhills a few weeks ago and I initially wanted to just get Bayantel because of the convenience. Unfortunately they weren’t servicing the area yet. I had to decide between PLDT MyDSL and Globe Broadband. Since I work for the PLDT Group, I thought of just going for PLDT. Okay, I don’t know if I’ll get into trouble for writing this but… man. I applied for a connection more than 3 weeks ago and I still haven’t gotten any feedback on when they will install! I’ve been calling the contractor that signed me up and she’s no help at all. In fact, she told me to be the one to follow up by calling 171. I have no idea when I’ll get a call telling me that the technician will drop by. That’s the main reason why I haven’t been able to blog regularly because I don’t have connection at home. I’m seriously thinking of going for Globe Broadband if I still don’t get any feedback by tomorrow.
So that sums up my entire DSL experience. If you guys want to share yours, please go ahead and leave a comment. We can use this thread as some sort of a feedback mechanism so we’re all informed before we subscribe. Cheers everyone!
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Online Marketplace: Ayosdito.ph
I’ve been seeing their ads on various websites for several weeks already. I finally decided to give it a click and check what the site was all about. Ayos Dito is basically an online marketplace where you post things you want to sell for free. There are several categories and it’s broken down per region (in the Philippines). A few thoughts on this site after the break.
The front page can be a bit confusing since there are so many links. If the administrators of the site ever get to read this entry, I strongly suggest they overhaul their front page so that they give the prospect clear directions on what to click and what to do. Maybe they can have a box that focuses on new items or best-sellers like laptops.
If you’re planning on posting something for sale, this might be a good time to do so. They’re currently running a promo wherein you can win gadgets like laptops, iPods, and iPhones. The grand draw will send the winner to a vacation in either Singapore or Hong Kong. That’s a win-win, especially if you’re able to sell whatever it is you want to sell. Tapos panalo ka pa sa raffle! Hahaha. Nice deal if you ask me.
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My Gaming Career
It’s back-to-school season again! There’s been so much talk going on about how gaming is bad for a person. Let me just set the record straight. Anything in excess is bad. Be it gaming, texting, drugs, alcohol, or whatever. In light of the season, let me just share with you guys my story as a professional in the Online Gaming Industry. I’ve been here for 4 years now and it’s been one hell of a ride so far. Read my story after the break (naks parang maala-ala mo kaya)
I’ve been an avid gamer for as long as I can remember. I can still recall the countless hours I spent playing on my Family Computer trying to finish CONTRA without using the Bonus Lives cheat. Back then, the Family Computer was really for the entire Family - especially when it was time to play Battle City.
Red Alert, Duke Nukem, Starcraft, and Netopia
In my High School days, I played a lot of FPS and RTS titles. The first ever Netopia branch was opened in front of Miriam. It was owned by James and Axel. I had a very good relationship with the owners. I’d play Red Alert with them for hours (and keep on beating them nyahaha). Little did I know that me playing here and meeting the owners of Netopia will pave the way for me to have a good career in the gaming industry later on.
Being a Guild Master is Leadership Training
In 2003, I was introduced to one of the first MMORPGs published in the Philippines, Ragnarok Online. I totally immersed myself in the online world of Midgard. I met a lot of new friends and made enemies as well. I led a 500-600 man strong guild called the Shadow Circle. In MMORPGs published in the Philippines, the line between virtual and real life blurs a lot. A lot of my closest friends today are people that I met online. Anyway, by leading the guild, I learned a lot about people and resource management, especially since we were very competitive. In this phase of my gaming career, I realized that there is a big difference between inspiring people and managing them. Inspiring your team will bring out the best in them, making them more productive and they tend to “over-deliver”. Just managing without inspiration will just set you up for mediocrity. It’s all about passion and the drive to succeed.
In Seoul, Korea for the Ragnarok World Championships 2007
Internet Cafe Business
Sometime in 2004-2005, I decided to set-up my own business, an Internet Cafe. I was able to raise almost P4M worth of capital and I got a very good location in front of Ateneo De Manila University. We named the shop 129 Square and most of my partners were also from the guild. Here, I got exposed to pitching my ideas, selling a business plan, and “trying” to manage operations. The 50-seater cafe grossed more than P500,000 monthly, and this was mainly because of the DOTA sessions in the afternoon followed by the full capacity long-hour gaming by Ragnarok fans (mostly people I knew) during the evening. To cut a long story short, the business ended up being sold to the Land Lord despite being insanely profitable after a lot of conflicts came up with the partners. I also learned here that you should never go into business with friends.
netGames Era - Falling in love with Marketing
Late in 2005 (or 2006 can’t remember), I was hired by an upstart gaming company called netGames which was actually a subsidiary of ePLDT. They hired me because the outgoing president, Axel Kornerup and their current CEO, Jane Walker, saw me on MTV Massive. The show was produced by MTV and Level Up and it featured Ragnarok players. When Axel saw me on TV, he told Jane all about me and how he knew me way back during our Red Alert days in the first branch of Netopia Katipunan. I was interviewed then by their Game Operations Head, Andro Baluyut, then their Marketing Director, RJ Maclang, and finally the CEO, Jane Walker. After one whole day of interviews, I got a new job as the Community Manager for all the games being published by the company - Fly for Fun, Pangya, and Khan.
Hosting at M4 at G4 Event for netGames in Glorieta Mall
It was at this time that I fell in love with Marketing. My mentor then was Frances Fernandez, the netGames Marketing Manager. I was lucky enough to have really good bosses, and Frances is one of the people who really made me become a better professional and person. She was very patient with me, often letting me commit mistakes so I would learn to do things better. Eventually the company got a new Marketing and Sales Director in Apol Dionglay.
Apol became another mentor for me. He taught me on how to focus my energy and efforts into one goal. We would have lots of coffee sessions wherein we would just exchange ideas on how to bring the business forward. It was at this point that I decided to go 110% in Marketing.
The Foundation of my Success: Reading Books
In one of my coaching sessions with Apol, he told me that in order for me to grow more as a professional and as a marketer, I should invest money, time, and effort in books. Since I was really hungry to prove to everyone and to myself that I had what it takes, I really took his advice to heart. I think I spent the next two paydays buying different marketing books written by local and international authors. I don’t know what happened but suddenly my brain was on fire. I could not stop reading. I kept on buying book after book, reading and absorbing everything that I could. Kotler, Godin, Go, Riles, Trout, and a bunch of other authors suddenly became my best friends, haha. After reading a book, I’d try to apply whatever I learned in the office. Sometimes it worked, but most of the time it didn’t (haha) but I learned so much combining knowledge with actual experience. I would also consult a lot with Frances, Apol, and Jane who all continued to teach me the ins and outs of marketing.
Eventually, Apol decided to promote me as the Brand Manager of our flagship game back then, Fly for Fun. I have so many good memories during that time! I had so much fun working and waking up everyday was effortless. My team was composed of Wudie (GM Atma), Boyie, Guia (GM Kumiko), Daryl, and Jim. Really fantastic people I tell you.
The Merger: ePLDT Buys Majority Stake in Level Up
When ePLDT bought into Level Up and decided to merge the two gaming companies, I was terrified. Talk about one giant serving of karma eh? In a stunning turn of events, Apol called me to his office a few days prior to the official merger. I was really shocked when he shared with me his plans. He told me that the company wants me to become the new Brand Manager for Ragnarok Online. Ooookaaaaay. Hahaha! I obviously accepted the job and suddenly I was in charge of the biggest online game in the Philippines.
In my stint in Ragnarok Online as the Brand Manager and eventually as the Marketing Manager (sometime 2008), our team came up with the Subscription Item Bundles (Free headgear with Game Time), the Item Mall, Premium Service, Free-to-play servers Valkyrie/Valhalla, Server Merge, Ragnarok World Championships 2007, and the Ragnarok World Championships 2008. All of these projects came to life because of the hard work of the people at Level Up and our counterparts in Gravity. Personally, I would like to honor the people who I worked with in the Ragnarok Team. Namely: Donald, Ace, Janice, Rain, Rob, Bubbles, Ruth, Jim, Andy, Jinn, Rafael, Kuya Marc, Mon, Jed, Dodge, Blue, Jake, Joie, and Erwin.
RWC 2008 Press Conference with Gravity Business Development Head Chang-ki Kim
Life After Ragnarok
I think after a year, I got promoted as the Marketing Manager. I directly reported to Jake (our Marketing Director) and was colleagues with Mon “GM Tristan”. After several months, we had a reorganization. I ended up handling the Casual Games and Advergaming Division of the company. I have new mentors now and at this point I’ve realized that life is really a journey of discovery. Up to this day, I am still hungry for more knowledge. I still want to learn. I want to change, evolve, and become better as a gamer, marketer, and professional.
The Ultimate Lesson to be Learned
Yes, gaming can be good for you. It can be a career. However, being good in gaming alone is not enough. Gaming is your subject matter, not your skill. You have to develop a proficiency in Marketing, Sales, Customer Support, IT, Creatives, or whatever. You have to be passionate for both gaming and your profession if you want to translate your everyday gaming into a full blown corporate career. If you are a student, make sure to balance your time between gaming and studying. Your ticket to a good life is in your education, regardless if you want to join the gaming industry or not. Combine your education with passion and action, then you’re pretty much well equipped to face the adventures of real life.
Ragna Rally in 2007, Cavite
And that’s my story so far. Hope you learned a thing or two from it. 
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Kris Allen Wins American Idol Season 8!
In what looks like one of the biggest upsets of the competition, Kris Allen beats Adam Lambert for the title of American Idol Season 8. There’s been a lot of discussion going around about who will be the winner of American Idol Season 8. A lot of people were really expecting Adam to win but I guess the 100 million people who voted for Kris Allen identified with him more. Complete story after the break.
The following is the article posted on GMANews.TV:
( 10:30 a.m.) LOS ANGELES – Kris Allen’s smooth vocals and boy-next-door image propelled him to “American Idol” victory Wednesday, turning the theatrical powerhouse Adam Lambert into the most unlikely of also-rans.
“I’m sorry, I don’t even know what to feel right now. This is crazy,” said a stunned Allen, 23, of Conway, Ark.
As host Ryan Seacrest said in announcing the result of the viewer vote, “The underdog, the dark horse, comes back and wins the nation over.”
Lambert’s commanding vocal range and stage presence — and the judges’ adoration of him — at times turned “Idol” into “The Adam Lambert Show,” with the other contestants mere guests. But it turned out that “Idol” viewers could embrace a gifted performer like Lambert, one who sported black nail polish and bold self-assurance, only to a point.
Simon Cowell tipped his hat to both contestants Wednesday.
“To both of you, and I don’t normally mean this, I thought you were both brilliant. …. The future’s all yours,” the judge said.
Before the results were announced, Lambert and Allen had a moment of musical camaraderie: They joined together with Queen on the rock anthem “We Are the Champions.”
“Adam did win. So did Kris. Nobody lost tonight. These are two champions,” said Paul Stanley from Kiss backstage.
The outcome echoed last year’s contest, when Cowell all but crowned David Archuleta after the performance finale — but the victory went to David Cook.
Lambert’s triumph was never inevitable. When Allen and Lambert were declared the finalists last week, just 1 million viewer votes separated the pair out of 88 million cast.
Allen bloomed during the season, gaining more assurance onstage and winning viewers over with his smooth, heartfelt vocals, modest demeanor and well-scrubbed good looks.
There was also the Danny Gokey factor. Gokey made it to the top three before he fell out of the contest, leaving his supporters up for grabs.
“After the third one leaves, you wonder where do the votes go from that third contestant,” Paula Abdul said backstage after Tuesday’s singing showdown.
Allen seemed the likely candidate for those viewers’ affections, for on- and offstage reasons. Allen and Gokey, 29, of Milwaukee, were downright conservative when compared to Lambert’s elaborate staging and wardrobe choices. Allen is a married college student and has worked as a church worship leader. Gokey, a widower, is a church music director.
Lambert, 27, of Los Angeles, brought measured rock flashiness — daring, not freaky — with songs including “Whole Lotta Love,” the first-ever Led Zeppelin tune on “Idol.” He’s largely kept his personal life under wraps, saying “I know who I am” when asked about it.
Earlier this week, Allen said he hoped the outcome wouldn’t be decided by “having the Christian vote.”
“I hope it has to do with your talent and the performance that you give and the package that you have. It’s not about religion and all that kind of stuff,” he said.
Added Lambert: “It’s about music. That’s really important to keep in mind.”
The finale Wednesday included the usual bag of tricks for extending the show to two hours and delaying the result until the final minutes. There were group numbers, the Golden Idol Award — semifinalist funnyman Nick “Norman Gentle” Mitchell among the contenders — and celebrity-contestant combos.
Allen was joined by Keith Urban on “Kiss a Girl,” while Lambert performed with Kiss. The female finalists, including Allison Iraheta, opened up for Fergie, who sang “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and then was joined by her group, the Black Eyed Peas.
Iraheta later dueted with Cyndi Lauper on “Time After Time” and Danny Gokey joined Lionel Richie for two tunes.
Rod Stewart sang “Maggie May” after the male finalists opened for him with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.”
An offbeat guest was Steve Martin, the actor-comedian who also specializes in the banjo. He played his song “Pretty Flowers” with finalists Megan Joy and Michael Sarver on vocals.
Asked by Seacrest to guess who might win “American Idol,” Martin replied: “I know it’s a long shot, but I’m hoping I do.”
Allen rose to the occasion during Tuesday’s performance show, especially with his soulful version of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” But he was tripped up by “No Boundaries,” a song co-written by judge Kara DioGuardi and ill-suited to his voice.
Lambert did a better job with “No Boundaries” and excelled on his reprise of “Mad World” and on “A Change is Gonna Come.”
“That was the best I’ve ever heard you sing — ever!” exclaimed Abdul. - AP
Me and my sister are both Kris Allen fans so we’re pretty much happy with the results. Congratulations Kris Allen!
Tags: Kris, Allen, American, Idol, Season, 8,, winner, american, idol, season, 8,, who, won, american, idol, season, 8,, kris, allen, adam, lambert
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Cardio Boys, New Comedy Act in the Philippines
I was reading through a few blogs when I stumbled upon this very interesting video in a post by a good friend. It’s a 4 minute segment from a local Philippines television show, Sharon. The first part is 2 girls with the ability to talk like machine guns. Yes, I’m serious. They can talk like there’s no tomorrow… at lightning speed too. The more entertaining part is the second half when 4 guys take the stage and they do a short comedy dance act that will leave you gasping for air because you can’t stop laughing! Watch the video of the Cardio Boys and find out more details about them after the break.
Cardio Boys at Sharon
Simply hilarious! My favorite part was when they did the Transformers thing. Kinda timely since the next Transformers movie is due to be shown in theaters pretty soon.
Got some more information about the Cardio Boys. They’re composed of the following “gentlemen”: J.B. de Leon, Maui Manalo, Miko Pepito, Ronald Tupas, and Teddy Corpuz. You can contact Jourdan Sebastian for bookings at 0917 8144329 or you can send an inquiry e-mail to bitawcollective@gmail.com.
Tags: Cardio, Boys,, Cardio, Boys, Sharon
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Guild Leadership versus Guild Management
Happy weekend everyone! I’d like to share with you guys something I wrote about Guild Leadership versus Guild Management. A significant amount of readers of Waukster Online are gamers so I know you guys can relate to what I’m about to talk about. I was a very active guild leader way back in 2003 - 2006 for the Shadow Circle in Philippine Ragnarok Online. We then moved to Fly for Fun for a few months. After that some of us decided to try World of Warcraft. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot of things about how to lead and develop a guild.
Guildmasters DO NOT MANAGE, they LEAD
There is a big difference with managing people and leading them. I know that being an insensitive jerk who breathes down on everyone like Satan may work for other guilds but I personally believe that this is not long term and can only work for a short period of time. The key to having a strong, reliable, and loyal guild is to really build relationships and to develop your leaders. This even makes life easier for you as the guildmaster because you will now have lieutenants who will take care of several aspects of your work.
When you manage, you talk about the allocation of resources, manpower, and basic raid composition. I’m not saying that we shouldn’t have that. In fact without proper logistics your guild is doomed to fail. However, we need MORE THAN THAT. When people lead, they inspire with their passion, charisma, and respect. Managers order people around, leaders develop them and pave the way for their growth. Always remember that logistics, resources, and systems are just one aspect of leading a guild. The most important element is still how you build relationships with one another.
Think about it guys.
There is really strength in numbers. Especially for competitive guild games like Ragnarok Online. What’s key is to build a loyal base of members that you can really rally. You build a vision that connects everyone, given them a venue to communicate and then you pave the way for them. No man is an island after all.
Invest time and effort in PEOPLE
Some of the most loyal and passionate members I’ve had were the people that I invested personal time and effort to reach out and communicate to. These are the people that I’d talk to over Yahoo Messenger, over the phone, through dinner meetings, and a lot of DOTA sessions. Don’t underestimate the power of “bonding”, hahaha.
Lastly, let me just share something that I wrote on my guild website when I was trying to pass the torch to another leader.
Shadow Circle in our 2008 XMAS Party
With that, let me just say that it has been an absolute honor serving you as a Guild Leader. Yes, you all rock in-game, and I’m happy. But I feel the most joy when we have our EB’s and I see all of you. Each time we have gatherings, I’m really humbled. Because I’m in the presence of professionals, doctors, and people who have plans for their lives. The mere fact that you have chosen to follow me - man, that is something that I will forever cherish. For that - maraming maraming salamat po
As a guild leader, always stay humbled and thankful. People are following you for a reason and don’t let that get to your head. Don’t break that trust because that’s something that will take forever to earn back.
The best thing about building relationships and investing in people is that the returns still come long after you quit the game and live your own lives outside the virtual world. Some of my very good friends to this very day are still the same people that I met, led, and bonded with in Ragnarok Online.
That’s it for now, hope you guys like the article. Cheers and have a happy weekend!
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SMART BRO Connectivity Problems?
I just noticed that my comment approval que is filled with gamers complaining about connectivity issues once again with the SMART BRO ISP. I believe that the Head of our ICT Department has already taken steps to inform SMART BRO about this but just to be sure, can you guys help me out by giving me some details that I can send to his team? It’s the same drill - tracert IP command. Details after the jump.
1. Go to Command Prompt
2. Type “tracert 202.57.117.1″
3. Copy paste the results to the comments section below
Please post the results and include your ISP, location, and what game you play that you can’t access. Thanks and my sincere apologies to everyone who’s getting hassled by this.
FYI you can check out my recent posts - Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow and Gundam Season 2 Episode 25 (Finale).
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Game Heroes Wins at the Philippine Web Awards!
CICT Chairman Giving the Opening Speech at the PWA
I’m very happy to let everyone know that Game Heroes, a Level Up website that pays tribute to the gamer, won the People’s Choice award in the recently concluded Philippine Web Awards! I’d like to thank all the gamers who texted in their votes! You guys definitely rock. Since we won, we will be having bonus EXP across all of our games! Check out the official announcement after the jump.
LU! Game Heroes Site Wins in Web Awards
Thanks to your unceasing support, Level Up!’s Game Heroes site won the Philippine Web Awards 2008 People’s Choice Award for Lifestyle and Leisure.
It is through your undying support that Game Heroes was able to come out on top of this prestigious annual event. Our heartfelt thanks goes to all of you who have helped us by voting for the website.
This victory is a testament to how strong and united the Level Up! community is and it is through this unity that we were able to reach greater success.
As a token of our appreciation, we are activating the following rewards for all our loyal gamers!
• Perfect World - 1.5x EXP,Soul, and Item drop mods for 1 week
• Flyff – 2X EXP weekend
• Freestyle – 3X Points and EXP for our Rookie channel and 2X EXP and Points for our major channel
• Crazy Kart – 2X EXP for 1 week
• Ragnarok – 2X EXP for New Chaos, 3X EXP for F2P servers (Valkyrie and Valhalla)
• RF Online - 1+1 Promo for 1 week
• Grand Chase - 1.5x EXP/ GP and +10% Upgrading Rate- Please check individual game websites for the announcement of when the bonuses will be implemented.
We dedicate this victory to you, our players and community. It is because of you that we work hard in keeping our websites in top form to provide you with nothing but the very best quality service we can provide.
Once again, thank you very much for all your support. Keep on gaming!
Source: Level Up Website
Wait for further announcements on when the bonuses will be applied. Cheers!
Level Up Office Pictures (Sometime January 2009)
When I got my new camera, I took it for a spin taking random pictures all around the Level Up office. Actually I got that camera for my food blog but might as well use it for everyday picture madness. Let me just share with you guys some of the shots I took that day. Nothing fancy or artsy here, I just got a couple of people from the office to smile and pose. I’m sure you’ll find some of the more famous Level Up personalities on the pics. Let’s start off with this one.
GMs Meishen, SamHok, and Cydie
A bunch of other random shots after the jump.
Gravity Engineer Min Joo and Gameplay Specialist Dodge
Level Up CEO Jane Walker
Cute Panda Hat by CM Lilith! Rawr! Advergaming Manager Pam Puen, CM’s Misty, Cassiel, and GC ABM Toti!
One of the winners of the RO EB events also passed by to claim their prize!
I could post like a dozen more pictures but that would hog all the bandwidth when people browse this particular entry. I’m thinking of making this a regular thing - Level Up Office Random Pics series. Hahaha! Anyway, will try to post again later. I hope all of you are having a good week. Tuesday pa lang! 3 more work days before weekend!
