After Call Magazine Fit & Green Issue Q1 2013

Q12013

CONTENTSTHE OFFICE

Industry Branding and CurrencyIs the IT-BPO industry living on the edge with current exchange rate? If it is, can

branding save the industry?

BPAP Announces Name ChangeFind out what’s behind the name change

and know who’s in the new board.

TRAVEL AND ECOLOGY

The Battle Against Climate Change Global warming is slowly cooking the human civilization to extinction, find out now how we can stop it.

Quick Travel Guide to BaliWith flights to Bali getting cheaper by the minute, it is now a must to know what do to, where to eat and how to tour Asia’s

most famous beach destination.

RELATIONSHIPS

Dating and First ImpressionsTips on finding the one, and how not to get dumped after the first date.

HEALTH & FITNESS30 Days to your Boracay BodySummer is nearly here, and it’s time to prep your bod for flaunting. No worries, here are quick tips you can do in 30 days without

breaking your body.

TECH & MOBILITYFujifilm X150: The Camera that Never QuitsFinding the right digital camera to goof around the beach or have endless summer fun with? Check out the Fujifilm’s underwater cam

offering – reviewed.

On the Cover:Photographer: Rap YuModel: Ekaterina Li

Stylist: Raizel DyHair/Make-up: Jinky Oreta

On the Model:bra top from Nike;

black plastic vest from JeC Macaraig; leather gloves from Edrick Paz

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Feel the Burnturn to

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With each release of the magazine we have been hard at work realigning our content to match the industry’s agenda and the dynamic IT-BPO culture. In this issue, we have prepared a guide to Bali in our travel section. To know which underwater cam is best to accompany you to the beach we have also made an underwater camera review. So that you look your best, we also have an article to prep your body for the beach this summer season.

We want to break all the myths, the prejudices and misconceptions that society harbors about the industry. This is why we would like to extend our invitation

for you to forward your success stories to us. You may contact us through e-mail at [email protected] hit us up on facebook: www.facebook.com/AfterCallMag. We would also want to encourage IT-BPO professionals to contribute to the magazine either as writers, photographers, and models or suggest topics for the magazine, as we want the magazine to continue to be the true blue IT-BPO magazine by the BPO people for the BPO people.

Kudos,

Bayan Dela CruzEditor-in-Chief

Publisher’s NoteIn this issue After Call magazine advances and pushes the envelope on three of its main advocacies:

1. Health and Fitness2. Healing the world from climate chang3. A central message for Philippine IT-BPO

international branding

For health we have prepared articles on diet and exercise as well as a fitness themed fashion editorial to help motivate you to be healthier. On climate change, I have written an article on how climate change happens and how we can reverse it if everyone pulls their weight in reducing carbon their carbon foot print. And of course we are continuing to crusade for a

central message for our IT-BPO industry, much like of the successful campaign of our tourism department’s “Its more fun in the Philippines!”

I hope you enjoy this issue, as much as I had creating it. I also hope you can help

us forward our advocacies.

Respectfully

Pio GranadaThe Publisher

Pio Granada Publisher

Bayan dela CruzEditor in Chief

Brian LuBusiness Development Director

Ruby DiazManaging editor

Xian AnzuresEditor

ContributorsWriters

Angelo Songco

Aina Ferrer

Greg Yan

PhotographersRap Yu

Layout and DesignJiar Castillo

THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE OUTSOURCING INDUSTRY

Editor’s Note

Pinoy Ballers

ADSpecial Thanks To:

Aldwin Requejo, Ivan Bicierro, Chris Angeles, Marie Bretana, Bri-git Acuna, Grace Tupasi, Bong Borja, Arlyn Fausto, Vad Del Ro-sario, Ella Viola, Melissa Matibag, Nica Dacanay, Karina Murphy, Fred Ayala, Benedict Hernandez, Nette Roselo, Genny Marcial, Cecile Aquino, Jared Morrison, Velvet Lagman, Jun Laxa, Pam Wu, Geth Savellano, Lars Ramirez, Raffy David, Fred Chua, Doll-fuss Paredes , Roslyn Ong, Marie Nazareno, Isaiah Clemente, Cara Atienza, Fordee Orosco, Sonny Lagasca, Armi Delos Reyes, Ryan Macaspac, Lanz Manipor, Haidee Enriquez, Trevor Freisen, Jan Laguardia, Ryan Aldaba, Marife Zamora, Jom Mercado, Kit Sison, Techie Flores-Sabio, Cecile Venancio, Jaja Aguna, Rica Es-trada, Twilight Benoche, Ruin Sugay, Grace Tupasi, Carmelo Del Gallego, Mike Rabat, Verna Marin, Bobbi Millena, Lourd Ramos, Felbin Sotto, Steph Cancio, Gabby Manas, Frenbrook Gardens, Barbara Bennett, Cherry Ermita, Arianne Kader,Pippo Soriano, Mark Dantes, Mac Arisgado, Tani Puyat, Erika Abanto, Marjo Nav-arro, Pat Mendoza, Che Sunglao, Tonette Orpilla, Andrew Vitales, Lei Reyes, Em Jamias, Pao Santiago, Charlyn Yu, Sarina Edra-lin, Abertine Monteron, Edwin Totanes, Patricia Go, Richard Teo, Charlotte Rogacion, Maan Magpoc, Maf Billiones, Cookie Cabre-ra, Gale Verzano, Vincent Caducio, JV Reyes, Mel Granada, De-lia Granada, Nati Granada, Monique Morales, Matet Santos, Rey Natividad, Chris Ang, Paolo Granada, Gray Granada, Don Rafol, Agnes Rafol, Budz Estocado, Cel Logarta, Jojo Meceda, Love Fernandez, to all supporters and readers of After Call magazine.

Without your help this issue would not be possible, our heartfelt gratitude goes out to you.

magazine is published by Gorilla Trading.For advertising & printing

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The Office

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As of late, everything seems to have been peachy for the Philippine economy with the OFW remittances, tourism and the IT-BPO industry raking in billions upon billions of dollars into the country’s GDP. The current

administration’s policies and the free market have favored the economy. The drive against corruptiton, a stable business environment, an effective tourism campaign, Filipino talent, and the resilience of our overseas workers have helped paint this picture. However, the main driver: global arbitrage is under threat.

Global arbitrage is what made all of our bounty possible: from the creation of the first OFW, outsourcing, and what makes it possible for almost every first world citizen to spend their winters here and live like royalty, all on a month’s wages. Global arbitrage is a win-win situa-tion created by economics. Simply put, it is taking advan-tage of a price difference or by leveraging the exchange rates between two or more markets, where all parties profit. Ah the beauty of globalization… But alas, this currency leverage has been eroding, as the peso has become stronger and stronger. So is our bubble about to pop?

Strong Currency, Strong Republic?Right now, as of writing the exchange rate is PHP 40.62 to a dollar, while the Indian rupee (IDR) continues to slide against the dollar at 54.19. Back in 2010, when the Philip-

pines first became number one in voice both the PHP and the IDR were eye to eye at the 44 to 45 exchange range to the dollar. Now, there is more than a 30% disparity between currencies. From a cost perspec-tive this makes India so much more attractive, and the industry has been feeling the pinch.

According to a member survey done by The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) back in late December 2012, 40% have reneged on their expansion plans, and 40% have reported losing clients to other countries. Currently, a large call center as rumor has it, canceled its grand plans to expand in the south.

Last January, being interviewed by Bloomberg Businessweek, Philippine Central Bank (BSP) deputy commissioner said, “Philippine foreign-exchange reserves increased by $9 billion to a record $84.2 billion, which “shows the extent of BSP’s intervention.” She continues, “Without us intervening, the peso could have been much stronger.”

They deputy commissioner also expressed her opinion by saying, “We can’t change the exchange-rate system just to be competitive with India. They [the IT-BPO industry] can’t just rely on the central bank to bring the peso down to 45. It’s a no-brainer.”

Maybe, what she doesn’t realize is the top two GDP contributors of OFW remittances and tourism also benefit from a “healthy” exchange rate. It looks like that half-measure of an intervention is all the help the IT-BPO industry or even other Global Arbitrage beneficiaries can expect from the BSP. Maybe, it’s time for the industry to rely on itself.

Moving up the Value Chain and BrandingWhy do we buy designer clothes, why do we pre-fer BMWs over Hyundais? Is it because we are stupid money managers? Of course not, we buy these things because of what these brands make us feel about our-selves, we buy these brands because of the value we get from them, and most of all we buy these brands be-cause we know they deliver. For the longest time, I don’t know how many times I have heard the term, “moving up the value chain.” Perhaps it’s time we aggressively do this, build up our brand and come up with a higher value product proposition.

Most high level IT-BPO work is still being awarded to India and according to the Everest Group at the end of 2012, the world market for IT-BPO was around $220 billion to $280 billion and more than half of it was non-voice. India has nearly half of this pie at $ 105 billion last year, mostly thanks to high level IT and KPO verticals. Their investment in moving up the value chain has been paying off.

The Philip-pines on the oth-er hand has been heavily reliant on voice, an area where other destina-tions have been catching up. Making it an imperative for us to catch up with India in higher value verticals, imag-ine what this would do to the IT-BPO industry’s brand-ing internally in the country. If we are able to offer more IT, KPO, and game development jobs, won’t the fresh grads go nuts on the offerings we give them instead of simply feeding them the plain vanilla call center agent job? This can even go as far as stopping the brain-drain where we keep on losing our best and brightest citizens to high level OFW jobs year after year.

Its true, we have just begun to bridge the divide on the talent-manpower mismatch on the voice sector, but when will we start seeking the higher verticals? When

Can Industry BrandingOffset the Philippines’s Currency Conundrum?

By Pio Granada

we’ve breached the Php 38 to dollar red line? Now is the time to start, it may take several years, but it’s better to start doing this aggressively now than next year.

The truth is we have the talent to go up the value chain, the only problem is they are not here. Like America, we also need to bring our troops home. Too many talented Filipinos are abroad and other economies are benefiting from them. We need to reach out to them and communicate that the opportunities are here. Perhaps the “Work Abroad, Live Here” campaign can hark them to go back.

We need to slay our own insecurities as the being “cheaper” alternative to local American labor, prove the Filipino brand is superior and shout it from the top our lungs. We need move up the value chain and brand the IT-BPO industry beyond voice. If we can do this, we can perhaps even survive an appreciation to Php 35 to the greenback.

One MessageIT-BPO branding already has one message where all IT-BPO companies can hinge on, “Work abroad, live

here,” whilst the message only attracts talent and not paying o u t s o u r c i n g c l i e n t s . R i g h t n ow t h e mes-sage that gets to them seems to be, “It’s more cheap in the Phil-ippines” hence our separation anxiety fr o m l u c r a t i v eexchange rates or global arbi-

trage. It is t r ue tha t g loba l arbitrage is what be-gan the IT-BPO in the Philippines, but i t i s a lso t r ue tha t our count r y ou t o f the hundreds o f oth-ers also presented a unique product proposition – our innate hospitality combined with good communication skills.

If we can ask people on the industry, the government and ad industry to put our heads together then perhaps we can flesh out a campaign that’s as good as, “Its more fun in the Philippines” that says Filipino talent is great enough to shine on the outsourcing world stage in one big blow; then perhaps we may not need to rely on global arbitrage as much, but instead lean on the true value of Filipino talent as the industry’s ultimate cornerstone.

“Right now the message that gets to them seems to be, “It’s

m o r e c h e a p i n t h e Philippines” hence our separation anxiety from lucrative exchange rates”

(Manila, Phil ippines, March 6, 2013) — T h e B u s i n e s s Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP) announced the formal change of its name to Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to accurately reflect the range of information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) services provided from the Philippines.

“This move represents the associat ion’s strong commitment to the entire outsourcing sector, where buyers are looking increasingly at bundled IT-BPM services options. We recognize that IT is an important component of these options,” said Benedict Hernandez, outgoing IBPAP president and CEO.

According to Hernandez, who will officially assume the role

of IBPAP chairman of the Executive Committee this month, the name change aims to represent the association in the global IT market since members serve customers for both business process services and information technology. “Changing our name to IBPAP will help preserve as well as expand the Philippine industry’s brand. The new name also emphasizes the less-known fact that we provide the whole spectrum of world-class services from here including corporate and complex services, creative processes and products, customer relations and health care information management, and software product development,” he said.

IBPAP also elected a new board of trustees in its recent annual meeting. The newly elected IBPAP trustees representing industry players are Alfredo Ayala, president and CEO of LiveIt Investments Ltd; Rainerio Borja, president of Expert Global Solutions Philippines and lead operations at the NCO Group; Carlo José, president and head of GSC Operations-Philippines of the HSBC Global Resourcing; Danilo Reyes, country manager of Genpact; and Manolito Tayag, country managing director of Accenture Philippines. Trustees elected to represent the support industry we r e G i l G e n i o, head of Business and International Markets of Globe; Juan Victor Hernandez, vice president of PLDT and head of Alpha Enterprise; and David Leechiu, regional director and country manager of Jones Lang LaSalle.

“With approximately 300 industry and support industry members and five partner associations, IBPAP has played a pivotal role in sustaining rapid growth of the IT-BPM and GIC industry,” said Hernandez. “With a new board of trustees, IBPAP will continue to work to drive favorable outcomes across multiple areas to achieve the US$25 billion revenue goal by 2016.”

Hernandez also encouraged industry members and stakeholders to work together to ensure an enduring supply of high-quality labor, support service innovation, and country visibility.

“Guided by our industry road map, there were a lot of things we accomplished in 2012. We now have a breadth of IT-BPM voice and non-voice services that continue to grow year in, year out. For 2013, we must keep building our momentum and continue to provide the right business environment,” said Hernandez.

Alfredo Ayala, current IBPAP chairman and newly elected trustee, said that it has been a privilege to be part of the impressive growth of the industry. “The team has always done a commendable job in making sure that the industry is up to speed on securing more employment opportunities and in maintaining the lead in global voice and non-voice services,” said Ayala.

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) is the enabling association for the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) and global in-house center (GIC) industry in the Philippines. IBPAP serves as the one-stop information and advocacy gateway for the industry. With approximately 300 industry and support-industry members, including five associations—the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc., Contact Center Association of the Philippines, Game Developers Association of the Philippines, Healthcare Information Management Outsourcing Association of the Philippines, and Philippine Software Industry Association—IBPAP plays a pivotal role in sustaining rapid growth of the IT-BPM and GIC industry by working to ensure an enduring supply of high-quality labor, supporting service innovation, and providing country visibility.

IBPAP assists investors in setting up operations easily and quickly in the Philippines. Relevant research, introductions to key government and industry officials, and a series of briefings at each step of the investment process ensure a seamless development process. On-going support is provided through a wide variety of initiatives, including programs for HR development, business development, and on-going knowledge sharing and networking opportunities.

BPAP announces name change to IBPAP, elects new trustees

About the Information Technology andBusiness Process Association of the

Philippines (IBPAP)

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SHORE Solutions has recently entered into a 100% definitive acquisition agreement with Rainmaker Asia, Inc., one of the leading outsource providers of telesales, integrated marketing services and hosted e-commerce. The acquisition

will see SHORE Solutions own and manage the Rainmaker Asia group based in Manila, Philippines.

Synergies will be leveraged as these two businesses merge to provide premium outsourcing services that are tailored and customized to meet client needs, creating BPO, Call Center and IT services that will speak volumes in terms of client focus, operation excellence and flexibility.

According to SHORE Solutions Managing Director for Corporate Services, Mr. Darcy Lalonde, streamlining the management and governance of the two companies will create a bigger and more efficient company and focused service offering.

“Integrating these two businesses provides a huge upside that leverages on the Philippines as the best market in the world to provide world class BPO, Call Center and IT services,” Lalonde said. “The synergy really positions us to be a stronger force, allowing specific industry know-how, positioning, financial leveraging and optimization”, he said.Mr. Jonathan Smith, Managing Director for Operations and a pioneer in outsourcing who started SHORE in 2005, added that the acquisition will now allow the company to be more focused on a client-centric model, reducing the layers between working teams, shifting and consolidating groups and creating a highly dynamic and operationally driven organization.

“Combining each of the company’s distinct capabilities would mean being able to provide the best service there is — but with a difference,” Smith said. The difference, he adds, will primarily focus on the satisfaction of both their clients and employees. “While we have grown to a larger scale with the acquisition, our client focus and operational excellence remain our clear differentiators. And we are able to deliver with better governance and organizational efficiencies while meeting the specific needs of our clients.”

Established in 2005, SHORE Solutions started as an advisory consulting business, eventually evolving to delivering of BPO and Call Center services in 2010 to global companies. Today, the combined SHORE group will have four sites with more than 1500 seats specialising in servicing operations for companies in Australia, Asia Pacific, Europe, Canada and the US. The addition of Rainmaker Asia has added customers, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to local Philippine-based conglomerates, which were supported by 800+ reps from their core site in the Greenfield District, Shaw Boulevard since 1999.

Lalonde said that SHORE Solutions is planning to grow to more than 2000 employees this year, focusing on their key markets in Australia, the United States, Canada, Hong Kong and United Kingdom.

Tailored servicesThe past decade has shown how the Philippines has estab-lished itself as one of the top destinations globally for Call Center, IT-BPO and Global In-House Shared Services.

The latest annual ranking of the top 100 global outsourcing destinations by services globalization and investment advisory firm Tholons, places Manila (NCR) in the number three slot, following Indian cities Bangalore and Mumbai. The report furthered that the Philippines enjoys a more vibrant IT-BPO industry than either Indonesia or Malaysia.

Lalonde said that the acquisition of Rainmaker continues to add more to the already robust local BPO industry. “While we are not as big a BPO as some others, we will be more ‘hands-on’ and focused in partnering with our clients, delivering more dynamic value-added services that will satisfy their needs,” he said.

Editorial Contact:Tanya DeakinJustine Bonilla

Shore SolutionsDominguez Marketing Communications, Inc.

+ 63 2 659 5962 loc.3064+63 2 897 7088 loc.107

[email protected]@dominguez.com.ph

SHORE Solutions Inc. (Philippines) acquires 100% of Rainmaker Asia Inc.

8 www.aftercallmag.com

Travel &Ecology

“The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to a close. In its place, we are entering a period of consequence.” – Winston Churchill

cubic meter or less); and the plowing of at least 1600 square meters of corals at the Tubattaha reef (home to a number of endangered species) by a US Navy ship ironically called “Guardian.”

Last December 2012, at the 2nd World Ecological Safety Assembly (WESA) held at Bali, Indonesia; organized by IESCO; delegates from all corners of the world convened to tackle climate change and implementing eco-safety in their nations. During the conference former House Speaker Jose De Venecia, in his speech, pointed out that we need a de-fense system, not defense against ter-rorists but against climate change. Food supply, potable water, and the survival of mankind are all at risk; the threat more imminent and exponentially more damaging than the next terror plot. In the hands of nature we are all vul-nerable, it has now become a moral im-perative for the world to come together to defend the environment at all fronts – eco-nomic, political, social, and cultural.

IESCO introduces a concept called ecological safety. It is the dynamic process wherein the environment (air, soil, forest, ocean, water, etc.) on which the life system of the earth depends for survival is not destroyed or threatened. In short, ecological safety is the total well being of the planet and its inhabitants, this is the organization’s main objective.

Climate Change 101When facing death, they say that one goes through five stages. First de-nial, then anger, after which – bargaining, next depression, and finally acceptance; at present, it seems the collective world consciousness is at a half measure between denial and acknowledging the inconvenient truth. The problem is climate change, really is a life or death situation for our civilization. A conundrum, which cannot be swept under a rug anymore, and c a n o n l y b e s o l ve d by f u l l y understanding it and taking it by the horns – as such education is the first weapon of choice.

The times require everyone to learn and understand environmental issues, be-ginning with cl imate change. To un-derstand climate change, the best place to start is the greenhouse effect.

The end of the world did not come in 2012 as predicted by doomsayers. They believe that the end will come in one fell swoop, or one Revelation-

esque apocalyptic event. Most scientists believe that this is not the case, and that the extinction of mankind will be a slow reaping of the seeds of destruction that it began sowing during the dawn of the industrial revolution. Right now, the har-vest has been unfolding in the guise of a p l a n e t a r y c a u l d r o n s l o w l y c o o k -i n g humankind in a gourmet stew aptly named, “Global Warming.”

According to the 1981 – 2010 Climate Normals, the Earth’s temperature has been increasing 0.19 degrees Celsius per decade*, furthermore NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, indicate that since 1880, the average world tempera-ture has risen 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degrees Celsius). Wh i le the Un i ted Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Cli-mate Change (UN-IPCC) indicated that this is to increase more by 1.5 to 2.5 de-grees Celsius more (compared to 1980 – 1999 average) by mid-century. Rising tem-peratures have caused chart topping sea levels, droughts, while mixed up cold and warm fronts have caused extreme mete-orological phenomena.

The effects have been devastating, from the heat waves in Europe, the two Asian Tsunamis within the last decade, to the monster hurricanes like Sandy, and the now yearly occurrences of super typhoons in Mindanao. All of which, are results of climate change. So much damage has been done on global scale, which prompted International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization (IESCO) President Jiang Minjun to say, “Ecological disasters can bring more losses to humankind, no less severe than warfare.”

These disasters are still viewed as acts of god, but the truth is – we are doing this to ourselves. One doesn’t have to look far to see that we are directly assault ing our own ecosystem: the extreme air pollution Beijing caused by the fast pace of industrialization, which has recently reached a record level of nearly 1,000 micrograms of pollution per cubic meter of air (the World Health Organiza-tion (WHO) deems that acceptable clean air is only 25 micrograms of pollutants per

The Battle against Climate Change and the Pressing

Need for Ecological SafetyBy Pio Granada


Today, frequent natural disasters like earthquakes, tsuimanis and volcanic eruptions happen as well as deforestation, devegetation, ocean pollutions, wetland degradation, water pollutions, desertification, bio-losses, land subsidence, extreme weathers, floods, mudslides, droughts, epidemic diseases, food security and food safety caused by climate change and unsustainable economic activities have been seriously threatening the human survival and the sustainable economic development. They have changed the world political structure and intensified poverties, which causes conflict. Therefore, initiated by China, with the support and involvement of related UN agencies, IESCO was established by political parties, parliaments and governments in China in July 2006 as a global international organization according to the UN Millennium Development Goals — Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability; and Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development.In December 2010, IESCO became the observer of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties and in July 2011, it was granted the UN-ECOSOC’s special consultative and observer status. In October, 2012, IESCO serves as Advisory Institution of ICAPP and COPPPAL.

World Ecological Safety Governing Council (Presidium) is IESCO’s highest authority, which is responsible for the principal affairs of the organization. The organization holds the World Ecological Safety Assembly and the World Exposition of Ecological Safety every two years as well as the Annual Euro-Asia Ecological

Safety Conference.IESCO aims to tackle climate change, handle ecological

crisis, achieve urban disaster reduction and ecological restoration and gradually achieve the sustainable development of economy, society, and ecology through cooperation with political parties, parliaments (congresses), governments, scientific research insti-tutions as well as national think tanks around the world.

IESCO, with headquarters in Beijing and a major office in New York working in concert with the United Nations, and with offices in Hong Kong, Geneva, and Kenya, has been granted a Special Consultative Status by the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) .

IESCO under its President – Director General Dr. Jiang Mingjun is the Climate Change Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), composed of more than 300 ruling and opposition parties in 52 countries in Asia.

It is also the Advisory Body on Climate Change of COPPPAL, an association of over 60 political parties in 28 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Much earlier, the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), a unique organization composed of political parties and civil society organizations, designated IESCO as its Climate Change committee.

International Ecological Safety Collaborative Organization

11 Ways to Reduce your Carbon Footprint

the distribution of weather around the average conditions (i.e., more or fewer extreme weather events). Climate change is caused by factors that include oceanic processes (such as oceanic circulation), variations in solar radiation received by Earth, plate tectonics and volcanic erupt ions, and human- induced alterations of the natural world; these latter effects are currently causing global warming, and “climate change” is often used to describe human-specific impacts.

Now, on to the debate on whether climate change is part of the Earth’s natural process or not. According to National Geo-graphic, “natural cycles in Earth’s orbit can alter the planet’s exposure to sunlight, which may explain the current trend. Earth has indeed experienced warming and cooling cycles roughly every hundred

thousand years due to these orbital shifts, but such changes have occurred over the span of several centuries. Today’s changes have taken place over the past hundred years or less.”

The extreme rise in temperature

since the dawn of the industrial age is already enough proof that humans are significantly contributing to climate change. Fur thermore, according to Former US Vice President Al Gore in this documentary, “The Incovenient Truth” there are 928 peer-reviewed scientific studies that say climate change is here and eminent and zero peer-reviewed studies say it doesn’t exist.

In IESCO President Jiang Minjun’s book, Ecological Safety Research, he states that according to the UN-IPCC if the temperature rises 4 de-grees Celsius more, over 3 billion people would be faced with water shortage or drought. In the same book he stated that, “Montana which used to called ‘Little Switzerland’ had 150 glaciers in the last century, at pre-sent only 35 are left; Maldives, which enjoys the reputation of “Lost Paradise” , is under the threat of being drowned; the Great Barrier Reef in Queens-land, Australia, which was listed as

“Eight Wonder of the World”, is pre-dicted to disappear in a great amount in 2050, and over 350 kinds of cor-als, over 1500 kinds of tropical fishes, and over 4000 kinds of echinoderms and mollusks are in the danger of ex-tinction. When all these are happening, will human beings, who blindly pursue economic benefits, still remain indif-ferent and nonchalant?”

This is enough proof that anthropologic global warming is here, and we are responsible for cleaning up after ourselves and our ancestors.

1. Buy local and organic.When possible, buy organic or “fair trade.” There’s a better chance the food was grown in an eco-friendly way, and if it’s locally grown, it didn’t have to travel that far. This also goes for those double lattes — coffee often has a large carbon footprint because of the distance those beans had to travel to get here, and how they were produced. Also, try eating at restaurants that serve locally produced or seasonal foods.

2. Pay attention to packaging.When out shopping, try to go to stores or co-ops that keep packaging to a minimum. For example, you may choose to buy the loose tomatoes rather than boxed or plastic-wrapped tomatoes. Also, take reusable bags to the grocery store. When it comes to resources, recyclable plastic is better than paper — but a reusable cloth tote-style bag (eco-bag) is better still. Always having an eco-bag in your car or bag is highly advisable. If you have none at the moment, and you’re not buying too many items; refuse to use the paper/plastic bag and hand carry.

3. Economize your energy Switch from incandescent or compact florescent light bulbs to LED. LED light bulbs use about 50 percent less energy than our normal light bulbs and last much longer. Compared to regular bulbs, the LEDs are more expensive, but they will eventually pay for themselves due to lower energy costs. The same goes for the TV, if you still have a picture tube based TV replace it with a Flat-screen LED ASAP!

4. Window shop.If you have the urge to spend, try window shopping or browsing first. This helps ensure you are only buying things you really need, or really want, and you’re not just impulse buying. Remember, every item in a store, no matter how small, has a footprint — so if we are conscious consumers, we can reduce our own footprint and the overall footprint of our nation.

5. Unplug it!Unplug appliances that you don’t use frequently. Most electronics have a standby mode that siphons energy even when not in use. Cell phone chargers, laptops, televisions, stereos — there’s a whole list of items that should be unplugged when not in use. Try using a power strip for groups of electronic items. One flick of the switch and it’s all off.

6. Keep your car.With gas prices seemingly always on the rise, it’s tempting to buy a hybrid or electric vehicle. But if your older-model car is in good condition, you’re better off keeping it in good running condition.

Even hybrids create a big footprint when they’re built, so consider driving that old clunker for a little while longer. Have a regular tune-up and always make sure that you’re tires are on the right pressure, this can save you liters of gas every year. Unloading unnecessary items should make your car lighter and therefore more fuel efficient. Also, try more eco-friendly modes of transport when possible, like buses, trains, a bicycle, jeeps or even walking.

7. Chuck your microwave.Admittedly, this is a bit drastic. But this speaks more to those convenient frozen dinners some rely on because of their busy schedules. A freezer full of meals is actually more energy-intensive — it costs more to freeze foods, ship them cold, display them frozen in the grocery store and keep them frozen in our homes. So while the modern convenience of the microwave and the Lean Cuisine is enticing, it’s much more resource-intensive. Cook fresh food when you can, and you’ll also find yourself eating out less often.

8. Use cold water.Try using cold water when taking a bath and when laundering things that don’t need to be cleaned in hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat up water — multiply that by the number of loads, the times you take a bath, and that’s a big footprint. Most major detergent makers sell detergents designed to have the same cleaning power as with regular soap. Finally, we live in a tropical country so warm showers are not really a necessity.

9. Have family and friends over.Gatherings are a good way to spend some quality time with loved ones, with very little carbon impact. Cooking and entertaining for larger groups is more efficient and, per person, a lot less expensive. If you can’t foot the bill, ask everyone to contribute, and who can put a price on these “carbon freebies”?

10. Batch your appointments and make time for errands.A lot of us try to run errands in-between work and other commitments. Try bundling errands and meetings together to reduce how far you need to travel. Going back-and-forth to the same part of Metro Manila on different days to run errands or meet people uses more gas than if you planned everything in the same area all at once.

11. The Three Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.It seems like something from a kid’s sing-a-long, but sometimes we lose sight of just how much we buy. Try buying less, and reusing and fixing things when you can instead of buying new. For a lot of people, recycling is as easy as rolling the trash bin to the curb. Just remember to do it at work, too.

The Ear th stays warm and maintains livable temperatures in the coldness of deep space because of the greenhouse effect. The way it works is when the Sun’s radiation hits the Earth’s atmosphere some of it is reflected back into space; the rest enters the atmosphere and heats up the earth. To prevent the warmth from dissipating on to space, greenhouse gasses consisting of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other elements filter the sun’s radiation from totally escaping the Earth. On ideal conditions, the greenhouse effect keeps the temperature on the planet warm enough for life to exist; how-ever too much of anything is always bad thing.

Human related activities such as burning of fossil fuels for energy, t ranspor ta t i on , and indus -t r i a l development, release copious amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere causing a thick layer of pollution to trap way too much of the sun’s radiation on Earth. This causes our planet’s temperature to rise, giving birth to the phenomena of global warming. Of course, excess greenhouse gasses may also caused by natural causes like volcanic eruptions. In technical terminology when one says climate change this usually points out to human caused global warming or anthropological global warming.

According to www.wikipedia.org, climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions, or in

The Power of an Individual’s Political WillWhy do we always look up to governments, organizations, or great people to leads us to change? Why do we wait, pro-crastinate until someone from the top mandates policies on saving the ecology and environment, when the very solu-tion relies on an individual’s political will. We don’t have to wait until the next super typhoon shreds your house and floods your town, leaving you drowning on your flooded street. We can start reducing our own carbon foot print now, and inspire others to reduce their own. We can change the world one mind, one family, one community, one company and one nation at a time. We cannot renege on this anymore, within our lifetime the effects of climate change will be apocalyptic.

Nations have gathered year upon year on assemblies like the Kyoto protocol only to back down on their declarations. The time has come for the change to come from the bottom – from the individual. If we don’t double down or go all in on this now, we will have no one to blame for climate change that is happening right in front of us or to us. In this other article: http://www.aftercallmag.com/?p=522 I have prepared a simple list on how each of us can reduce our own carbon foot print. It may be simple, but all significant change stems from a small seed.

In the past, we have fought for economic causes, seeing the unsustainable industrialization of many nations; as a result, we are now forced to fight for ecological causes. The threat of climate change has never been clearer and obvious. There is no escaping it. We have no choice but to win the struggle for eco-safety, and defeat is not an option. Winning the battle against climate change, goes beyond reducing carbon emission s, minimizing the effect of extreme natural disasters, or the ever so cute environmental 3Rs (reduce, reuse and recycle); because at the very essence of it, we are fighting for the very existence of the human race. Each of us have a part to play, no matter how small or big it is, it is up to us use our own personal power to contribute. I believe, if healing the world from extreme climate change becomes the aspiration of every person in this planet, the human civilization stands a big chance of seeing climate change vanquished within this century; it all starts with me, you, and then influencing everyone around us.

Former Philippine

Speaker and ICAPP Founding Chairman Jose de

Venecia, IESCO Co-Chairman; Undersecretary of State Sous Yara

of Cambodia, IESCO Deputy Direc-tor General for Southeast Asian Affairs; Tee Ching Seng, IESCO

Deputy Director General for WESA Affairs; and Gao Dehui,

Assistant to Dr. Jiang Mingjun.

ICAPP Founding

Chairman and IESCO Co-Chairman Jose de Venecia with

(from left to right) ICAPP Secretary General Chung Eui-yong of South Korea; Hwang Jin-ha of South Korea, Member

of National Assembly and Vice Chairman of Grand National Party; Gustavo Carvajal

of Mexico, Deputy President of COPPPAL; Ai Ping, Vice Minister of International Department, Communist Party of China; Dr. Jiang Mingjun,

President-Director General of IESCO; and Sen. Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan, ICAPP Special Rapporteur

and IESCO Co-Chairman.


AFTER CALL PARTICI-

PATES AT WORLD SUMMIT ON CLIMATE

CHANGE. IESCO President-Director General Dr. Jiang Mingjun and After Call Publisher, Pio Granada at the 2nd World Ecological

Safety Assembly (WESA) in Bali, Indonesia, 9 -12

December 2012

Pinoys the world over are renowned for their distinct Bay-anihan spirit – a brotherhood of kinship that galvanizes people to transcend times of crises.

Envisioned as the most visual way to stand against climate change, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off lights for 60 minutes to deliver a powerful message on the need for decisive climate change solutions. This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people the world over.

Earth Hour began in 2007 as a single-city event. Today, it has become the largest recurring environmental mass-action, with 152 of the world’s 196 countries joining the global switch-off.

One of the movement’s staunchest supporters, the Philippines has since 2009 topped town and city participation to earn the title of Earth Hour Hero Country. Locally spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), organizers are gunning for the country’s fifth consecutive first-place finish.

Earth Hour 2013 is slated for 23 March at 8:30PM. Many of the nation’s most iconic landmarks are expected to dim their lights in the largest call for action on climate change. Cities from around the world, from Argentina to Zimbabwe, are expected to join in.

“The EDSA revolution has shown how the Filipino’s strong sense of spirit and unity can change the course of history,” says WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan. “Because we stand firm, we are able to set an example and be of positive influence to others. Having secured the top spot for four straight years, we should do all we can to ensure that the country again sends a clear message to the world – that individuals, when working as one, can rise to the challenge of climate change.”

Earth Hour 2013 aims to reach more people and provide further chances for participation by going digital. “At 8:30pm this March 23, you can either initiate your own switch-off at your home or be part of bigger switch-off initiatives led by companies or organizations,” explains Earth Hour Philippines National Director Atty. Gia Ibay. “You can sign up on the Earth Hour Philippines website at wwf.org.ph/earthhour and show the world how you will participate.”

Local communities, organizations, and corporations can download the Earth Hour 2013 Action Kit on the Earth Hour Philippines website if they will hold their own switch off events. Dare the World to Save the Planet Through ‘I Will If You Will’

Taking off from last year’s successful worldwide campaign for Earth Hour, WWF also invites Filipinos to empower their friends and colleagues to commit to protect the planet beyond Earth Hour.

The concept of ‘I Will If You Will’ centers around providing a social contract between two parties - connecting one person, business or organization to a ‘promise’ and their fr iends, family, customers or members to a ‘challenge’ - uniting them

behind the common goal of creating a positive environmental outcome.

WWF-Ph i l i pp ines na t i ona l ambassador and fitness enthusiast Rovilson Fernandez has pledged to conduct a free CrossFit class if 1000 people pledge to use reusable bags instead of plastics.

His fellow national ambassador, extreme sports extraordinaire Marc Nelson, has also pledged to kite-board from Boracay Island to the main island of Panay while wearing a Panda headgear if 1000 people commit to use reusable water tumblers instead of disposable plastic bottles.

Filipina equestrienne and actress Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworsk i , the newly-appointed Earth Hour Philippines Ambassador, has pledged to contribute

500 seedlings to WWF-Philippines’ agroforestry programme at the Abuan Watershed in Isabela if 500 people agree to quit smoking for 5 days.

With easier ways for Filipinos to help Mother Earth through WWF, there is simply no excuse to sit back and remain a spectator. “WWF intends to create different opportunities for individuals to make a concrete contribution to the worldwide cause of protecting and saving the planet,” Ibay concludes. “Each act of support matters – which is why we are calling on every Filipino to make that crucial choice to take action. By rallying the entire nation, we can do much more than we have ever done and show the world how our Bayanihan spirit transcends nations.” (30)

Dare the world to save the planet! Visit wwf.org.ph/earthhour or follow WWF-Philip-pines at Facebook.com/WWF.Philippines or Twitter.com/WWF_Philippines!


With flights to Bali getting cheaper by the minute, especially now that Cebu Pacific is offering it, making it happen is now a cake walk. Here is a quick guide on how to spend some vacay time at Bali.

Kuta, Legian & SeminyakThis the common go-to area for people who go to Bali. Known for its luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping and its vibrant night life, if you thought Bora cay is already commercialized wait ‘till you get to this area. In Kuta, I experienced entering mall from a busy street, and then exiting to a beach on the other side.

This area is a melting pot, you can be hanging out in an expensive beach front bar one moment, and then find yourself eating a full meal for less than Php 50 within the same vicinity. This would also be the place if you want to socialize with other travelers. Everything is practically in this area, except isolation. If you would choose one area in Bali to go to and you have limited time, this is it, but if commercialized surroundings is what you are escaping from then stay away.

The club/bar’s to check out here are The Sky Garden (3 levels of club fun and a roof deck), Double Six, MBarGo, Paddy’s and Ku De Ta.

The pricey hotels in this area are Hard Rock and Sofitel. If you’re on a budget try Seminyak Square hotel. If you want to save further, head to the Poppies II Lane in Kuta. There you can find inns or bungalows for only about $10 or cheaper per night.

UluwatuAsk any Balinese taxi driver, what the best beach in Bali is? They would immediately recommend Dreamland in Uluwatu. This is ar-guably the finest white sand in Bali. For people who want to chill, surf and escape the noise in Kuta without burning holes in their pockets, this is the place. There is only one establishment in this beach so it is ideal to pack some food when going here.

For the best surf conditions that never quit, your best bet is Padang-padang beach. What makes this beach interesting is that its entrance has a Hindu temple that leads to a cave crevice and exits to a beach. Going here gives you the feeling like you are entering a secret beach, until you see the crowd. It’s a small but beautiful beach, ornate with some rock formations.

Renting a surf board can cost Rupiah 150,000 rupiah for the day. Like Dreamland it’s not commercialized, only one warung (small eatery) serves food here with a sari-sari store on the side, so it’s best to bring your own picnic basket.

Another place to check out in this area is the Uluwatu temple, on sunset they perform what they call the Kekac dance. This temple rests on the edge of a cliff, if you are into stunning sunsets, do not miss this place. Monkeys are also abound here and will try to snatch caps, hats and sun glasses, so watch out.

If you want to stay in this area you can check out Uluwatu Surf Villas or Blue Point Bay Villas & Spa. For budget options, accommodations along Jalan Uluwatu are more feasible.

Nusa DuaIf you thought Seminyak is the high-end luxury area of Bali, Nusa Dua will make you think again. This is home to 5-star hotels such the Saint Regis, Marriot, The Grand Hyatt, and the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa. The main difference here is the long stretch of isolated beach front. This place is perfect for long walks along the beach and has the best high-end spas. Conversely, if you want party, this place will bore you to death after the sun sets.

During my trip this is the area where I stayed, at the Nusa Dua Beach Resort and Spa. The breakfast buffet here is one of the best I’ve ever experienced. If you want food other than your hotel’s, then simply hop to the next hotel or go to the Bali Collection shopping center, it’s like Nusa Dua’s rarified version of D’Mall. Here you can find a grocery, a-list shops, affordable restaurants, and a theater. In this area, try Bebek Begil Dirty Duck Diner for some scrumptious fried duck.

Getting AroundIn Bali there are no buses or trains, the primary mode of public transportation in Bali are taxi cabs. If you are not careful, transpor-tation can be easily become your biggest expense. Bali is a pretty big island it’s not Boracay where you can easily get end to end on foot. So plan your trips and at least have four people in your group to split the fare. If you are going around the island for a whole day, your best play is to contract a taxi for $50. If you are staying for more than a week, then renting a car or motorbike is advised. If you don’t have an international driver’s license, you can apply for one during your stay.

During my five days stay, I’ve only seen about 20 to 30 percent of the island. Seeing Hindu statues especially for their main deity Shiva, I was impressed with the spirituality the place possessed despite the high commercialization. What also impressed me was the rich culture, clean streets and the disciplined taxi drivers.

Bali has everything from water sports, clubbing, trekking, cultural tours, luxury, food and etc. If you haven’t been here yet, you are missing half of your travel life.

QuickGuide to Bali by Pio Granada

Global Switch-offSlated from

8:30PM to 9:30PMon 23 March

Philippines Guns for Top Earth Hour Spot for 5th Year

Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off lights for 60 minutes to deliver a powerful message on the need for decisive climate change solutions. This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people the world over

Feel the PHOTOGRAPHY: RAP YU MODEL: EKATRINA LI OF NEXT MODELS

STYLING: RAIZEL DY HAIR & MAKE UP: JINKY URETA

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On Ekatrina:Red leather vestfrom Renan PacsonBra topForever21

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from SpeedoLeather gloves from

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from Forever21

LET IT RIP!

Black top& Pants from Renan Pacson

Shoes from

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Cool Down

brain’s pleasure chemical! Triggering a release of this happy drug gets translated into an instant likeability for you. So when greeting somebody new – always wear a smile because that smile is contagious!

(2) Ask Questions; encourage self-disclosure!

You’ve got a few minutes to spark great

First impressions are everything. The world of Psychology have provided fresh and exciting insights into the reasons why creating a great first impression is so important – especially when dating.

When we meet somebody new in a dating context, our brains have to assimilate a vast amount of information about that person. We try and categorize them and judge their characteristics to compute whether they provide a suitable match that compliments us, or whether we are not attracted to them. In essence, our brains are like little private detectors that distil all the information about them (from their physical appearance right down to their personality type and everything in between). Since our brains have to process up to 2 million pieces of information per second, much of this happens at a subconscious level. We are effectively running on autopilot when it comes to making assumptions about who we are talking to or meeting for the first time – therefore when it comes to finding who we find attractive and who we don’t – we have evolved with the amazing capacity to do this subconsciously.

What we encounter f irst is very impor tant in determining our perception – not just for attraction, but for human behaviour as a whole. We instinctively place more weight on the first point of contact and use this information as a basis interpret further information from. Therefore when we meet someone who oozes positivity, and is generally a blast to be around, we are more likely to perceive all their other characteristics in a more positive way. This is sometimes known as the halo effect and can drive up attraction like no other.

Likewise, a poor first impression primes people to judge all your merits in a less desirable way! Therefore it pays to learn the fundamentals of the psychology behind the first impression to be sure you’re creating an awesome one! Our brain’s like to use the first impression as a mental start point, where further information can be easily be latched onto it.

The importance of the first impression can be seen almost everywhere. And anyone that knows the power first impression brings, is instantly able to use it to their advantage. Think of places, people or events that gave you such in the past. The fact that you remembered them, are proofs of the impressions they’ve marked into you!

Relationships

So how do we relate all of these into the dating scene? Let’s take speed dating as an example. Given the relatively short amount of allocated time with each speed dater, creating a great first impression will be a useful tool in priming your date to think positive thoughts about you as a whole and have them begging for more.

conversations. Engaging people in a conversation is an awesome way to generate attraction for both genders! Typically, asking someone questions that require them to reflect upon their positive attributes (such as asking about somebody’s passions and the things that they love to do), not only are you expressing a deep interest in the subjects that they take great pride in, they also have to talk about themselves. Le t m e a s k yo u : W h a t ’s everybody’s favourite subject? Themselves! Not only are we biased to believe that we are more interesting that your average Joe, but when people ask us questions about ourselves, the regions in our brain responsible for fee l i ngs o f p leasu re go absolutely crazy. Brain imaging studies have shown that when we talk about ourselves to others, we feel much better than we would if we were to be talking about an arbitrary subject. So remember, when speaking to somebody new, ask questions about things that they love and get them to talk about themselves!

(3) Listen Up!No t o n l y i s i t p s y -

c h o l o g ically rewarding to ask meaningful questions that get your speed dater to reflect upon themselves in a positive l ight, but it ’s impor tant tolisten – and listen very close-ly indeed!

We like people that listen to us (it’s a concrete sign that they are interested in us and what we’re saying, which we unconsciously take as a sign of the value they place on interacting with us) and we are more inclined to return this favour when they’re talking.

When we meet some-body new, undoubtedly there is a natural human barrier –

(1) Smiling.When first meeting somebody, smiling represents itself as a powerful tool in creating an instant likeability. Being likeable is one of the most important predicators of securing further contact with somebody after a speed-dating event, and smiling is a perfect way to spark this.

S m i l i n g i s o f t e n reciprocal. When we smile at somebody, they are likely to smile back. This is thanks to neurons in my brain called mirror neurons that allow us to mimic other’s beha-viour. When we smile, the facial muscles needed to produce a cheeky g r i n trigger the release the d o p a -mine; the

Dating and First Impressions

especially in a dating context. You’re nervous, wondering what they think of you and you’re desperately trying to not mess up.

But all this worrying may be influencing your ability to listen. Psychology has revealed that in certain situations that cause a lit-tle apprehension (such as speed-dating) we fail to listen effectively as our thoughts revolve around pondering what we’re going to say next. However, you have the ability to override the attention bias.

By paying close attention to the conversation, you will be able to unlock new avenues of potential conversation by following on from what you’re speed taker is talking about and asking questions!

(4) The Power of Smelling Great

Smell presents itself as a powerful attraction tool and can dramatically shape the first impression and prime positive expectations at a subconscious level. Smell is the most deeply rooted sen-

sory system within the brain that taps into our memory and cognition. Once we meet someone that smells great, we may not consciously con-sider it; however our overall impression of that person can become more positively shaped. Therefore, when speed dating, be sure to wear your best fragrance and make sure you stock up on deodorant before you arrive. Remember: a bad smell can equally influence attraction – but in the way you hadn’t hoped for!

Here are some useful hints that could give out that great first impression:


TravelHealth


Posture. Pay attention to your posture and make corrections to it so that you can assume proper alignment. Your stature determines your shape and body tone as well as how you present yourself in a swimsuit. The body aligns itself from the ground up. Make sure that you stand, sit, walk, and run correctly. How? Check to see that your feet are parallel with one another, pelvic bowl is in a neutral posi-tion, tailbone is long, abdominal muscles are drawing back towards your spine and up towards your chin, ribs are sitting over your core, collarbones are wide, neck is centered between your shoulders, head is on top of your neck neither jutting backwards nor forwards in space nor twisting to one side, and that the crown of your head is rising. An easy way to think about your posture is to envision your body as divided into seven sections:

The 7 Sections That Determine Postural Alignment

Section 1: Feet to the base of the pelvic floorSection 2: Pelvic bowlSection 3: CoreSection 4: Rib cage, Collarbone, ArmsSection 5: NeckSection 6: HeadSection 7: Crown of Head

If your feet are pigeon-toed or duck-footed, your pelvis will move into an excessive anterior or posterior tilt. If the pelvis tips backwards, then you lose the length of your abs and oblique mus-cles, resulting in collapsed shoulders as well as a rounded back. If you tip your pelvis too far forward, which causes the tailbone (and bootie) to fly up behind you, your ribs and chest will puff out, which disengages and over-stretches your core muscles. These are not ideal stances for swimsuits. Wouldn’t you rather appear tall, long, open, lean and solid?

Core Yoga. Practice core yoga 3-4 times a week, at least 45-minutes to 1-hour each session. Some poses to do in your practice with extra attention to aspects of Moola and Uddiyana Bandhas(contraction of the pelvic floor and abdominal wall) include: (View my Yoga Glossary for images of these core yoga poses.)

• Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasana 1), Warrior 2(Virabhadrasana 2), and Warrior 3 (Virabhadrasana 3)

• Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) flowing into Up Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) and back to Down Dog sev-eral times

• Standing balances such as Tree (Vrksasana), Hand-To Big Toe (Utthita Hasta Padangustasana), and Eagle (Garudasana)

30 Daysto Your Summer

Beach Body

Summer is almost here and many of us are hoping to look our best in our swimsuits. What can you do to whip your body into shape over the next month? Try my May boot camp, which incorporates a finely balanced combination of fitness, yoga, and diet. The idea is that you incorporate the following tips with discipline and focus for one entire month.

• All twisting standing poses with emphasis on the engag-ing of your core muscles on your exhales

• All arm balances including Crow (Bakasana), Side Crow (Parsva Bakasana), Arm Pressure Pose (Bhujapidasana), Firefly (Titibasana), Pendant (Lolasana)

• Camel (Ustrasana)• All inversions• Jumping forward from Down Dog with suspension to Pre-

pare Pose• Jumping through to Seated Staff Pose (Dandasana)• Boat (Navasana) to Half Boat (Ardha Navasana)• Seated twists• Yogic reclined core exercises (i.e. eagle crunches,

reclined leg lifts)See below for the best yoga breathing techniques for core toning. If any or all of these are too difficult for you, start in a beginner class to build your strength. Realistically, boot camp might last longer than a month for some of you and that is okay. You have to begin somewhere.

Walk as much as you can wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Every step makes a difference.

Sit-Ups. I find military sit-ups on an incline to be the quickest and most effective way to build core strength. If you cannot do these or don’t have access to an incline, old school sit-ups with your feet stabilized under a couch or chair and hands behind your head will do the job. Just make sure to round all the way up as though you are coming up and over a ball, hugging your abdominal wall back towards your spine. The JWM boot camp asks that you do 2 sets of 25 military sit-ups a session at least 4 times a week. Follow them with at least 30 repetitions of twisting crunches on each side (bicycle style or elbow to knee) and 10 leg lifts straight up and down and 10 side to side.

Burn More Calories. Whatever your cardio routine has been (hopefully at least 20 minutes a few times a week), bump it up by 10 to 20 minutes to burn more calories and fat. Spend more time run-ning, cycling, cross training, swimming, etc. Add intervals to each cardio session if you can because they help to increase your heart rate, metabolism, and burn more calories and fat.

Yogic Breathing. Practice yogic breathing techniques that strengthen your core. Some include strong Ujjayi in seated staff pose, Bhastrika (forceful inhales and exhales), and Kapalabhati (forceful exhales). You can start with as few as you can do and build from there. When I was with Dr. Vasant Lad, he recommended one thousand breaths of Kapalabhati and said that this is a practice that many serious yogis have always done regularly for thousands of years.

Eat According To The Julie Wilcox MethodBreakfast: JWM Breakfast of Champions: Acai smoothie with homemade granola or ¾ cup of plain granola (The plain granola allows any of you who work to measure it, toss it in a bag or small Tupperware container, and to bring it with you to the office.)

Lunch: Lettuce and vegetable salads (with light dressings of lem-on juice and/or vinegar with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper) or vegan soups (maybe with a small side of veggies lightly sautéed or roasted in olive)

Snack: Lara Bar or a palm-full of almonds

Dinner: One-course meal of any or up to three of the following: vegetables, grains, beans, legumes, vegetable proteins such as tempeh, seitan, or tofu, and fish if you eat it.

Cut down on dessert and make them lower in calories and fat. One delicious dessert I learned to make in Marrakech is sliced oranges with almonds and dates. Get rid of frozen yogurt and eat Greek yogurts perhaps with honey instead. Have a piece of dark chocolate. Whatever it is, keep it small, eat half of what you normally would serve yourself, or drink a cup of tea with honey if you feel like skipping dessert all together.

Sleep. Create a sleep schedule and stick to it. We burn a lot of calories while we sleep and additionally, during this month of boot camp, the last thing you want is to be energy-depleted during the day due to lack of sleep.

Be Outdoors and Be Athletic. Spend as much time outside as you can. It is more likely that you will be active outside than when hanging around in your apartment or office. Look around at what people are doing and try new sporting activities. I saw people roll-erblading the other day in Central Park and thought to myself - my poor rollerblades have been cooped up in my closet for a decade. Meanwhile, recently I learned that rollerblading is one of the high-est calorie-burning outdoor sports! I turned my head and then saw a couple do some exercises that were totally new to me. I thought it would be fun to try them.

House Chores. If you are not doing them already, start! The more sweeping, sponging, vacuuming, clothes hanging, and laundry you can do, the more calories you will burn.

Play with your kids. Teach them how to do cartwheels, run around the playground, climb rocks, skip and run races down the block with them. Don’t sit on benches and watch.

About Julie WilcoxJulie is the founder of The Julie Wilcox Method (The JWM), an innovative

approach to healthy living encompassing fitness, yoga, and nutrition. An expert across all three categories, Julie blends her life-long passion for athleticism with the mind, body, and spiritual aspects of yoga, as well as with healthy, moderate, and sustainable diet advice. While many health and wellness experts focus on one lifestyle element only–fitness, yoga, or food– the sum total of Julie’s approach is a comprehensive experience.

Julie has contributed to MindBodyGreen since its early days and covered health and travel for Forbes Lifestyle. She completed her yoga teacher training with YogaWorks in 2006, co-founded ISHTA Yoga in 2008, which she operated and at which she taught through 2012, and then became independent to create The Julie Wilcox Method. In addition to running The JWM, Julie now teaches vinyasa yoga at New York Yoga in addition to private yoga lessons.

Julie graduated from Harvard College in 1997 with a B.A. in English and American Literature. She completed her MFA at The American Film Institute in 2002. Connect with Julie Wilcox:juliewilcoxmethod.com@JWMethod on TwitterFacebook

By Julie Wilcox

The Pantry


Recognising the clamour for a one-stop shop of healthy food items in the metropolis, Sugarleaf de-buts at the ground floor of the Health Cube Building along Wilson Street in San Juan and soon after at the MEDICard Lifestyle Center in Urdaneta Village,

Makati, ideal locations from the BPO centers in the Metropolis.

“At Sugarleaf, as our restaurant and store offerings are as organic and natural as possible, food is naturally weight-reducing, detoxifying, anti-oxidising (make you look and feel young) and energy boosting. We ensure that food choices taste great so it appeals to all people dispelling the misconception that healthy organic food is bland, tasteless and boring.”

Co-owner, marketing and business development head Angelo Narciso Songco shares “Though health is a major factor when it comes to food choices, we realise that vanity is a more active influence. People always focus on their appearance before anything else. For friends in the BPO industry, our food is a welcome change from the greasy food usually available from nearby fastfood and convenience stores.”

Goody Kefir also makes its debut in Greenhills providing more than 40 species of beneficial micro-organisms in a product line appealing to all ages. Aside from the classic kefir, flavoured variants, frozen kefir, kefir dressings and sauces and menu preparations such as sandwiches, wraps, pasta, desserts are also offered. Prepared by dedicated food technologist and Sugarleaf partner, Marjoree “Jeren” Cabral, the usual sour note of kefir is kept at pleasant levels making it enjoyable for all ages.

Healthy meals, snacks and beverages will also be available for both dine in and take away fully utilising the fresh produce available. Both restaurants have a cozy dining area of up to 30 persons is available for intimate events such as reunions, etc.

Goody Kefir, Promoting Good Health! Prolonging Good Life! Kefir is a cultured, en-zyme-rich food (both microbial and digestive enzymes) filled with fr iendly m i c r o - organisms that help b a l a n c e our “inner ecosystem.” Though it tastes a bit sour, kefir

is refreshing and more nutritious and thera-

peutic than

yogurt because it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins.

After numerous trials and errors, Sugarleaf partner Marjoree “Jeren” Cabral was able to master the fermentation process of kefir using fresh raw milk – keeping the sourness to a pleasant level with careful fermenting techniques and the addition of natural fruit flavours.

As her milk kefir passed the discriminating taste of my friends, she began to market it to my other acquaintances who recommended it to their own set of friends and acquaintances. As the demand for it increases, she decided to venture into mass production. Those familiar with its selling price in the market will certainly be surprised to find out that the price is kept at a reasonable amount. Special orders can be entertained for coconut kefir as well as water kefir.

To maximize its health benefits, she integrated milk kefir in a seven-day diet program. So far, all of those who underwent this diet program got positive results like regular bowel movement, greater stamina, resistance to illnesses, and weight loss of five to ten pounds.

Studies show that kefir could help treat or cure allergies, acne, arthritis, rheumatism, wrinkles, gout, liver diseases, kidney stones, gastritis, pancreatitis, ulcers, constipation, diarrhea, hypertension, heart and lung disease, yeast infections and many other illnesses. To make kefir more enjoyable and refreshing, we add fresh fruits, muscovado or honey into it. With this special mix, our children will surely love it and ask for more.

Sugarleaf is located at the ground floor of the Health Cube Building, 226 Wilson Street, West Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila. Open 9am-730pm Mondays to Saturdays. Tel (63 2) 661 6639. Email: [email protected], Makati branch is open 8am to 930pm Mondays to Saturdays. Tel (63 2) 812 7323. Website: www.sugarleafph.com. Follow us on Twitter @sugarleafph and like us on Facebook Sugarleaf Foods That Nourish.

Foods That Nourish, Beautify, Detoxify, Slim You Down

Sugarleaf…

G/F Health Cube Building, 226 Wilson StreetWest Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, PhilippinesTelephone: (63 2) 661 6639Mobile: (63 917) 8039 055Email: [email protected] Web: www.sugarleafph.comFacebook: Sugarleaf Foods That NourishTwitter: @sugarleafph

Makati branch:G/-2/F MEDICard Lifestyle Center

51 Paseo de Roxas corner Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue

Urdaneta Village, Makati CityTel: (63 2) 812 7323

Tech + Mobility

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With smart phone cameras equaling or nearly equaling the photo quality of most point-and-shoot digital cameras, it is almost impractical to buy a digi-cam, besides who needs to carry the extra bulk. What smart-phones have not fully developed

yet is waterproof technology. Although Sony already offers these feature, but as soon as you dive to a 10 meter depth it may already start cracking under pressure. For the snorkeling or scuba diving aficionado, no smart phone or smart phone casing has matched your needs yet. So we turn to waterproof digi-cams.

One of the best offerings on the market right now is the Fujifilm Finepix XP150. This all-weather shooter boasts of 14.4 megapixel from a 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor, an anti-reflective LCD with a pretty standard 2.7 inch display (perfect for shooting under intense sunlight and underwater), in sensor image stabilization technology (perfect for strong current dives or shooting while hovering around), 10fps continuous shooting, 5x optical zoom equipped with a wide angle 28-140mm range, and pretty much all the standard features you would expect from a point-and-shoot camera.

Now for the features that set it apart from your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy S3 camera, waterproofing is up to 10 meters (32.8 feet), shock proof for up to two meters in drop height and freeze proof to – 10 degrees Celsius. Ever been annoyed at Boracay when the powder white micro fine sand enters your gadget because your casing is cheap, no problems like this with the XP150 with its impeccable sand proofing.

The Fujifilm Finepix XP family also has the XP 170, which adds the wireless transfer feature for people who can’t wait to post pictures on social media, while the XP 150 has the GPS feature. Lower models XP 100 and XP 50 come complete with the proofing features sans the GPS and the wifi capability.

The camera is easy to work with, all you need to do is to make sure both the locking mechanisms are switched correctly, and you’re ready to rock the beach. The camera has a little weight to it compared to regular digi-cams, which come in handy when you are shooting underwater. I was able to take this to 15 feet and the camera’s buoyancy remained pretty stable, as it didn’t float upward when I let go of it. The image stabilizer was also working quite well, although I had a few blurry shots.

Taking pictures of the beach shore was also a blast. Reviewing the view finder under sun was not a problem at all. The photos were clear as daylight.

Battery life was pretty excellent, the camera stayed with me for the whole four days I was in Bali, and then was able to take it for one more sortie at the Manila Ocean Park. I only shot with camera while I was at the beach during the four-day trip, but extending the life this long already speaks volumes of its battery life.

For the verdict, I will just let the photos speak for the camera. On aspects other than image quality however, the camera was straight forward, easy to work with, and most of all it never quit. Taking it in the hotel pool, on different beaches around Bali and then more than 15 feet deep in the Manila Ocean Park aquarium, the camera is an adventurer’s companion.

This camera also doesn’t break the bank compared to other brand’s equivalent offerings. Currently on www.sulit.com.ph you can score this camera brand new, for only a bit over Php 8,000 as of writing. While the Olympus is a bit cheaper, you only get 5 meters of dive, which really reeks as most shallow dive sites begin at around 20 to 30 feet; as for the most formidable competitor: the Nikon Coolpix AW100 as this matches the XP150’s features blow by blow, but you would need to cough out more than Php 10,000. So if you’re prepping for beach bumming scuba diving point-and-shoot fun, this is the underwater camera for you.

The Fujifilm Finepix XP150

By Pio Granada

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After Call Magazine Fit & Green Issue Q1 2013

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