Work – Page 3 – Jellybeans in the City

Profile: Manila Ocean Park’s Francis Low

At 8.30 am on Saturday, April 9, while many top executives would be enjoying a leisurely start to their holiday weekend, Francis Low, Manila Ocean Park’s EVP and COO, was already with his team of animal trainers and park staff, getting ready for the day’s activities. After all, weekends are the busiest days for the country’s first world-class marine theme park and premiere educational entertainment destination.

Animal lover

It’s hardly surprising that Low would be hands-on when it comes to park operations, especially animal training and handling, being a certified professional animal trainer himself.

In fact, before eventually taking on the leadership role in Manila Ocean Park, he was first hired as a consultant by the holding company, China Oceanis Philippines, Inc., to conceptualize and set up its Birds of Prey Exhibit and All-Star Bird Show in a bid to expand the park’s attractions.

Manila Ocean Park's Francis Low — Mr Low is a Certified Professional Animal Trainer in birds, birds of prey, mammals, marine mammals, etc

When he started to helm the MOP team, he set about designing the park experience in a way that encourages the same love for animals that he and his team have.

“We designed our attractions in line with three key pillars,” he reveals. “They have to be educational, interactive and experiential.”

With today’s more well-traveled and knowledgeable market for entertainment facilities such as theme parks, Low feels that these pillars help to differentiate Manila Ocean Park from similar establishments. “We try to give park visitors experiences that they can only have here, so they have something to bring home and tell others about.”

One such attraction is the Sea Lion Encounter. While there are similar sea lion shows in other countries, Manila Ocean Park enables guests to interact with its highly trained sea lions as they perform stunts or exhibit their skills. “When guests get up close and personal with the sea lions, they realize they aren’t scary and can be quite fun. These are moments… memories that they will remember for a long time.”

MOP Summer — Yeni, one of MOP’s smartest sea lions

Advocates conservation awareness

Manila Ocean Park’s attractions are also geared to promote animal conservation.

“In the Philippines, conservation awareness is very high,” Low observes. “People’s efforts in saving certain species, protecting marine life and saving the trees, some with the help of LGUs and international organizations, are very noticeable.”

He also notes that since conservation is not a one-off thing but requires continuous effort and resources over many years before results can be seen, a lot of people may not choose to commit to it. “What is important is to make people understand that conservation has long-term benefits for many generations down the line.”

MOP Bamboo Sharks — Photo credit: manilaoceanpark.com

MOP Bamboo Sharks 2 — Photo credit: manilaoceanpark.com

One of the park’s conservation activities is its “Back to the Wild” program wherein juvenile white-spotted bamboo sharks are bred and raised safely in the park’s facilities, and then released back to the coasts in cooperation with government agencies such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, and local government units.

“With the help of NGOs, we scope out areas and ensure that these are ideal for the bambo sharks to thrive, then we release them. We also tagged them to see how they are faring. We hope to hold another releasing this year.” shares Low.

Leads with heart

Low’s first few months after he took over the management of Manila Ocean Park in 2011 was all about getting a feel for the local culture. He shares, “I did not do a lot major changes. I blended in: I tried to understand Filipinos, Filipino culture and the way things are done here. By understanding these, it’s easier to put in certain ideas to my team and get them to support the strategies.”

He is proud of the park’s employees and the concern they demonstrated for the park and its animal charges during the height of the pandemic when the park was closed down and he was away in his home country of Singapore. “There was a time when two of the sea lions got sick but we couldn’t get medicine because all the pharmacies are closed. It was a very scary moment for us. I’m so glad that staff proved to be very caring: they went to the canals, sat beside the sea lions to coax them to eat. Because of their care, the two sea lions recovered.”

This care extended throughout the time when the park was closed down due to the community quarantine, but the trainers and staff simulated shows, despite the absence of audiences, so as not to stress the animals from the break from their routine.

He even boasts of how Manila Ocean Park’s security guards expanded their role beyond ensuring safety within the park by familiarizing themselves with the park’s various packages and pricing so that they can recommend attractions to the park visitors.

“I consider myself blessed that I have key leaders and key staff who go all out to make very good experiences for the guests, care for the park and the animals. These are things that money can not buy.”

By 6pm, activities within the park wind down but Mr. Low and his team are still seen up and about, assisting guests or overseeing operations. This routine plays out for six days every week as the park slowly but surely reopens attractions and dining establishments to cater to the public who are ready for new experiences after a long time spent indoors during quarantine.

Manila Ocean Park is located within Rizal Park, Ermita, Manila, open from 10am to 6pm, Tuesdays to Sundays (even during Public Holidays). For more details about the park or to book your tickets, visit its website. You may also book your tickets via Klook.

Check out my previous posts about Manila Ocean Park:

Manila Ocean Park Reopening — 6 reasons to bring the fam to Manila Ocean Park

Garden Dining by White Moon Bar — Garden Dining by Whitemoon Bar

#TechVocInThePhilippines: Why not?

Tech-voc professionals should be regarded as graduates with equal opportunity, job security, professional status, and recognition in our society that professionals of four-year higher education programs currently enjoy.

It’s around that time of the year again when a fresh batch of new college graduates join the workforce.

For many of these graduates, after studying and struggling for years to earn their degree, a tough road lies ahead before they land their first job. If they’re lucky, they will be able to find work that aligns with their interests and the degree they worked so hard to attain. If they are not so lucky, they may find themselves in jobs that are not related to their degree, are underpaid for the jobs that they do have, or worse, have no job at all.

In a recent report on in-demand jobs in the country, IT/Computer Software, Clerical/Administrative Support, IT/Network/System/Database and General Work are among the top specializations that are being hired. In a separate salary survey, on the other hand, Computer/IT, Services, Manufacturing and Building/Construction are among those with the highest salaries for entry-level positions.

These are jobs that the new members of the workforce could have been prepared for by a technical-vocational education.

An unpopular choice

Unfortunately, tech-voc education has rarely been a first choice among high school graduates in the country. This may be due to the perceived lack of glamor or prestige of pursuing further education in the tech-voc sphere compared to a university degree, or the erroneous impression that workers in this field lack of job security or professional status compared to their peers who took university courses. Also coming into play may be the existing bias that only the ‘bobo’ enroll in these courses.

Whatever the reason, many members of our workforce are being denied employment opportunities and productive careers simply because they did not opt to pursue education in the tech-voc field.

This is such as shame because our technical-vocational institutes (TVI), if managed and monitored well, are fully capable of producing world-class and skilled graduates at par with those of our neighboring countries. Tech-voc graduates perform key roles in various industries both local and abroad. A job-ready and globally competitive batch of tech-voc graduates joining the workforce can also greatly contribute to the national income and economy.

To get to this stage, we as a country need to place importance in the possibilities offered by the technical field in providing a decent and productive life to our citizens.

TECH VOC blog images — Existing Philippine Qualification Framework and Ladderized Program Law

A need to revise our framework

You will notice that our highly-industrialized Asian neighbors like Japan, Singapore, and Korea have made necessary adjustments in their educational system, with particular focus on academic excellence and technology innovation. By placing emphasis on citizens becoming productive and contributing members to their national economy, these heavily invested in technical training.

A local proponent for tech-voc education is Ayala Corporation CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. According to him, a vocational or technical degree should be given a prominent position in our country’s educational framework. Expanding its curriculum and significantly improving its accreditation status will help produce young graduates equipped with the specific skills that match the requirements of the job market.

The Philippines has two main government agencies tasked in providing basic education in the country: DepEd (Department of Education) for the academics and TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority) which is in charge facilitating quality technical education and skills development. Ideally, these two should complement each other, with no overlapping of roles that could result in conflicts during the implementation of their programs.

However, with the implementation of the K-12 curriculum, some of TESDA’s resources have been acquired by DepEd due to the need for technical experts to handle the tech-voc curriculum.

Both esteemed educators such as University of the Philippines professor, Clarita Carlos and government administrators like Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia have cited the sorry state of tech-voc education in the Philippines and made appeals to DepEd and TESDA to focus on their respective mandates, namely basic education and in the students’ academic performances for DEPED and technical skills formation for TESDA.

An expanded role for TESDA

TESDA needs to take on the complete responsibility for technical and vocational training as a distinct and separate agency from DOLE, DTI and DepEd, with a scope beyond merely providing technical instructions and training. Its purview should include thorough skills assessment to meet globally-competitive criteria, and granting professional license to successful graduates to elevate their status to professional practitioners of their chosen skill.

As the final “quality control” check before graduation and the practice of their profession, passing the licensure exam becomes a mark of pride and achievement for the graduates, a basis for demanding a higher salary and compensation for their services and an undeniable proof of their parity with the technical graduates of progressive countries.

Licensure examination is but one wheel in the big cog of Philippine Qualifications Framework which supposedly sets multiple criteria to measure the quality assurance principles and standards of the Filipino professional, technician and craftsman.

Performing this mandate would require TESDA to review and rescan its current services and offers in order to attract enrollees and be an effective government agency for manpower development.

To do this, it is proposed that TESDA curriculum be organized in two tracks that serve different purposes and will be monitored accordingly:

Product-Oriented Track	*Service-Oriented Track*
No pre-requisite	Pre-requisite: HS graduate
Only product quality control	Customer and Practitioner’s Protection Service
Do not require higher academic achievement	Service-Oriented professions are measured by quality of service thru customer satisfaction
This is measured only through quality control	It promotes respect, prestige and protection to the client and also the practitioner

Product-oriented tracks may be in the form of cottage industries and are designed to provide livelihood opportunities at the barangay level to folks such as stay-at-home moms, out-of-school youths, drug dependents, seniors/retirees, jobless folks, and surrenderees, with TESDA providing the necessary tools and materials as well as equipment for this skill training. Some of these are:

PTV Tracks — Livelihood tracks aims to provide skills training to its target beneficiaries, to engage them in livelihood projects that are income generating

The Service Oriented Sector/Industry, on the other hand, are professional tracks that go beyond a simple trade, and are identified by specific specialization based on the industry qualification. These will require a high school diploma as a basic requirement. These include the following:

Giving TESDA a free rein as well as an expanded role will help it perform its main mandate faster and more efficiently to address current joblessness and lack of experts in vocational and technical skills and to uplift the status of tech-voc in the Philippines.

Now that the country is entering the COVID-19 recovery phase, opportunities abound for smart investment in tech-voc education and training to “build back better” programs and systems. These may also cater to students who dropped out during school closures and reskill or upskill those who have become unemployed.

To greatly improve employability and professional development of tech-voc students, focus must be given to developing their foundational cognitive and socioemotional skills, such as empathy and resilience, while investing in learning technology and digital skills of tech-voc instructors.

In conclusion, if TVETs are compliant with global standards and are at par with similar institutions of our Asian neighbors, the “Filipino Diaspora” will be minimized because tech-voc graduates are capable of getting better-paying jobs locally or establish their own enterprises without leaving the country.

To this end, while TESDA should be independent from other government agencies in providing technical-vocational training and education, it can be greatly helped by agencies like DepEd with its focus on the basic education of children, as well as DOLE and DTI in providing employment assistance and livelihood programs to tech-voc graduates.

Young Filipinos who wish to lead productive lives can look forward to brighter and more productive futures with the tech-voc track, provided they are given the proper incentives, multisectoral support and a supportive policy environment.

With the government, industry and the academe working together in strengthening the country’s tech-voc ecosystem and reinforcing the knowledge that the “Pinoy tech-voc ay hindi bobo,” a career in this field will become a promising path for our future graduates.

Student photos by Mikhail Nilov from Pexels

4 tips to setup your home office for WFH success

One of the few bright spots in the midst of the global pandemic is the realization that we can work -productively and efficiently – at home.

The concept of Work-from-Home (or WFH) has been around for quite some time but it took the necessity for isolation and limited physical or social contact to make it as widely accepted as it is now.

Aside from ensuring your safety from infection by COVID-19, working from home has allowed you greater freedom and flexibility with your time, saved your the costs of travel, office wardrobe and lunches, as well as provided you with improved work-life balance, hasn’t it?

Hopefully, for many of us, WFH is here to stay.

However, this setup is not without some disadvantages, with discomforts and distractions being among the chief complaints among WFH setups.

The good news is that, with a little bit of forethought, these disadvantages can be minimized or eliminated.

Here are some rules of thumb in setting up your home office:

Define the space.

If, after two years of working from home, you haven’t set aside a defined and dedicated space for your home office, I laud your discipline (or pity you for the suffering you put yourself through).

A dedicated (ideally enclosed) area separate from the rest of the household to house your work equipment and provide you with a quiet space for concentration and work meetings will help you work a lot more effectively at home.

Illuminate.

Good lighting is something most people take for granted, but do remember that you need to be able to be able to read from your monitor or notebooks for hours on end. Dealing with glares or shadows while working not only makes it harder to focus on the tasks at hand, it may also cause eye fatigue and headaches, as accidents from momentary blindness as your eyes adjust to sudden changes in lighting conditions.

In these days of Zoom meetings, having enough light to illuminate your face (as opposed to being in shadow in a seemingly dark dungeon) goes a long towards coming across as professional to your colleagues.

If you can’t find a space with good indirect natural light, equip your space with overhead, task and ambient light sources to help your eyes as you do your various activities.

Take a (good) seat.

Your future self will thank you for investing in a good ergonomic chair today as it is designed to support your body as you work while considering your posture, comfort and health.

Sitting in the wrong kind of chair may cause pain in the neck, back and hip areas, as well as distractions due to discomforts caused by poor circulation and posture.

Get organized.

All you need to be able to work should be within easy reach but you also need to keep workspace spic-and-span to reduce distractions and improve your productivity.

This is why using smart storage solutions is a must. If floor space is limited, consider storing vertically through the use of stacking drawers, floating shelves, rolling carts or even pegboards.

So get to work on setting up your workspace. And you can get all you need for your home office at your nearest All Home branch.

AllHome is the Pinoy’s one-stop shop for all home needs. It offers an extensive range of top-quality home-improvement products such as construction supplies, hardware, appliances, indoor and outdoor furniture, homeware, décor, and even electronic gadgets all under one roof.

Its Metro Manila branches include:

Vista Place (Wil Tower), Eugenio Lopez Drive, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City
E. Rodriguez Jr. Brgy. Bagumbayan, Quezon City
Starmall EDSA-Shaw, Ground, Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Mandaluyong
Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong
Vista Mall Taguig, Levi Mariano Ave., Taguig City
Vista Mall C5 Extension Road, Quirino Ave. Pulang Lupa Uno, Las Piñas City
Vista Mall Las Pinas, CV Starr Ave., Philam Village, Pamplona, Las Pinas

You may also shop conveniently online at allhome.com.ph to take advantage of AllHome’s wide array of original and top-quality items, easy payment methods and fast delivery timelines.

In-store photos taken at AllHome WCC and Libis. Used with permission.

Meet my new bestie: KYLA of SKY!

One of my new besties is a bot and I ain‘t afraid to say it!

It’s not that I’m giving up on humanity; it’s just that she makes my life so much easier.

She’s KYLA, a 24/7 messaging bot designed to provide real-time answers to SKY product or service inquiries by both existing and non-subscribers.

Being a closet introvert, I sometimes get some form of apprehension every time I’m forced into social situations. Yes, that includes interacting with sales associates, retail staff and customer service agents.

Being able to interact with a bot affords me that feeling of ease of not having to worry about how I’m coming across or gauge non-verbal cues as I set about having my questions answered.

If you think that you would not want to transact with a machine and much prefer the “human” touch, guess again. You’ve been doing it for quite some time. Whenever you opted to withdraw cash from an ATM rather than get in line to wait for an actual bank teller to get to you, you have opted to conduct your business with a machine. And why not? It’s so much easier, isn’t it?

That‘s what KYLA does: she eliminates a lot of the hassle and waiting time to get answers or help I need with regards to my SKY service. She answers in real-time, providing me with the info I need right when I need them.

Here are some of the instances when KYLA helps me out:

When I had trouble with my cable TV or broadband signal, KYLA provided me with self-help guides so I can troubleshoot
When my neighborhood had signal issues, KYLA informed me of when it was expected to be resolved
When I wanted to check my bill, KYLA provided me with my account status, due date and payment balance, as well as a list of convenient ways to pay for my SKY bill

If my service concern is a bit more complex, I don’t worry. KYLA can connect me to a live agent with access to my conversation history. So no need to answer the same questions again.

I have started forwarding my family and friends to KYLA for their own service concerns or subscription inquiries, knowing that they’re in very good hands already.

And since KYLA is available 24/7, I don’t have to worry about the time of the day or night when I message her.

Isn’t that the kind of accommodating and helpful bestie you want for yourself?

Well, I’m not selfish, I’ll gladly share my bestie with you so she can help you with your SKY service concerns too!

Here’s how to reach her:

On mysky.com.ph (click “Message Us”)
On Facebook Messenger
On Viber

Then select the category of your query. Or you can type in a question in English and KYLA will answer you right away!

It’s so easy, right?

So, are you ready to meet your new bestie? Grab your mobile device and start messaging!

SKYBiz guarantees reliable speeds and reliable partnerships to small business owners

The start of the year has been great so far for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as they have continuously served their customers virtually, and some entrepreneurs have finally re-opened its doors physically to their loyal patrons.

While businesses gradually pick up its pace, it is still a challenge for some MSMEs to fully accommodate their day-to-day activities like logistics, marketing, and customer servicing experience as their chosen service provider becomes unreliable and eventually ends up costly for their business set-up.

With SKYBiz as a partner, decision makers can now have business-grade enterprise solutions that are fully reliable and will keep businesses running — even in these challenging times.

Reliable and Upgraded Speeds

For as low as P2,299 monthly, budding entrepreneurs can enjoy speeds up to 100Mbps with BIZBB PRO which comes with 2 FREE WiFi Mesh units to complete the seamless wireless office setup. Valuing its customer’s trust, SKYBIZ injects Value-Added Services on each subscription with a starter tool kit, personalized account management, and assured 24/7 Technical Support so that businesses can be online and on track even when it’s the weekend or off-hours.

SKYbiz Reliable Speeds, Reliable Partnerships

Just starting to grow? The 50Mbps plan at P1,799 monthly fits Micro and Small businesses perfectly, as they can also enjoy the freebies and perks of having a faster plan with SKYBIZ.

Reliable Partnerships with the Industry Greats

As part of the vision to create a seamless end-to-end enterprise solution to its customers, SKYBiz has partnered with high-value industry partners to make each SKYBiz subscription the best business decision for every entrepreneur.

Best Customer Servicing Experience with Microsoft 365

Each plan comes with FREE 3 months Microsoft 365 Business Basic for 5 users. This productivity cloud designed to help run your business smoothly is more than just the apps like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

It brings together these best-in-class productivity apps with powerful cloud services, device management and advanced security in one, giving you a seamless, connected experience.

Best Advertising Solution for Small Businesses with ABS-CBN Dash

Reach your customers and grow your business with ABS-CBN Dash’s digital advertising solution. Get a P1,000 voucher that you can use to advertise on ABS-CBN’s top digital platforms.

Best Logistics Solution with Grab

Have your parcels arrive on time and make customers happy with a P1,000 voucher from Grab.

About SKYbiz

SKYBIZ is the corporate arm of SKY Cable Corporation under the partnership between the Lopez Holdings Corp. and STTelemedia. SKYBIZ started in 2013 and has managed to become a 2-Billion business that serves major Hospitality, BPO, Banking, Real Estate and major Corporations in the country. For more information check out SKYBIZ’s official website: https://www.skybiz.com.ph/

Photo Credit: Header photo created by rawpixel.com – www.freepik.com

La Germania shares local food-preneurs’ secrets to success

These small food businesses share their biggest advice for surviving and thriving in the pandemic.

For the past two years, Filipinos have seen the rise of home based food businesses. From sweet pastries to hearty dishes, comfort food to artisanal beverages, numerous Filipinos have ventured into the world of entrepreneurship. But what does it take for a food business to succeed amid a global pandemic?

To inspire more Filipinos to build their food businesses, La Germania is launching a video project called Food Babies. Starting this February, La Germania will be releasing special features on food businesses that survived and thrived amid all the challenges thrown their way. This video project will be exclusively available on their Youtube channel and Facebook page. As a preview of the upcoming project, these food businesses spilled some of their secrets to success with La Germania.

Use social media to stand out against competition

Claudia’s (@claudias.ph) is a passion project turned popular online bakeshop that offers chunky and gooey baked cookies and blondies. According to Founder and Owner, Claudia Tagle, business owners must focus on their social media content to stand out against competitors, especially since customers “eat with their eyes”.

“It’s important for you to get those really good shots of your food or the products that you’re selling,” Tagle explained, which involves investing in food photography and social media content. “I do have slower days or slower months, and I think that consistency is key. You just need to learn how to market or promote your products more because your loyal customers will come back.”

She also shared how valuable it is to engage and build relationships with one’s customers. “What really keeps me going is my customer’s feedback, and when they tell me they really enjoy the cookies or the blondies. Getting feedback about what they like and don’t like about your products can help you improve further.”

Believe in your product

Butterboy Bakehouse (@butterboyph) focuses on different kinds of croissants and baked goods to make pastries more affordable and accessible for everyday Filipinos.

Head baker and owner Hilder Demeterio credits his businesses’ wins to two key ingredients. “You should seek knowledge from everywhere, like YouTube videos or classes. You should just try to absorb whatever you can,” he said.

Growing up, Hilder was always a lover of food from a distance. It wasn’t until 2018 that he finally began to experiment with baking after meeting his boyfriend, Jason. An architect by profession, Hilder took lessons from his relatives and sought knowledge online, beating the misconception that you need to be a professional cook to start a successful food business.

Moreover, he believes that it’s important for aspiring foodpreneurs to believe in their products as if they’re the brand’s number one fan. “In the middle of the pandemic, I was 6 months unemployed. I borrowed money from my parents, and I emptied pretty much all of my savings. Pati sa boyfriend ko. So during that time, I took a leap of faith and I bought all my own equipment, tapos ayun, we jumped into the unknown with only the knowledge na ‘I think we have something good here’.”

To aspiring foodpreneurs, it is your faith and confidence in the uniqueness of your products that will help your business survive all the ups and downs of the current landscape!

Cook with passion

For restaurateurs Wendel and Portia Habaluyas, The Purple Wok (@thepurplewok) began as a way to support their loyal kitchen staff who were laid-off due to the pandemic. “These people have been loyal to us for many years now, so it was very painful for us to see them feeling hopeless,” said Portia.

For the power couple behind The Purple Wok, it’s all about following your passion. “The most fun part in running a food business is doing what I love to do. Our recipes were created out of passion. They were made out of love. We’ve perfected the recipes, and we do not compromise the quality of our food,” the couple told La Germania.

As for what advice they would give aspiring entrepreneurs, Wendel says: “Never create a recipe just for a business and just to create money. Especially nowadays, we noticed that Filipinos are willing to pay a premium or extra for good and quality food. If there’s one advice we can give to people who want to start a food business, it is for you to cook with passion and prepare your food with passion.”

These tidbits of wisdom are only some of the valuable lessons viewers can learn from the La Germania Food Babies series. While each featured business owner may have their specialty and recipe for success, what they all have in common is that the most important aspect to your brand’s success is investing in high quality kitchen equipment like La Germania!

Built according to the highest European standards in terms of construction and design, La Germania appliances allow you to prepare a multitude of dishes in an efficient and easy way. With guaranteed durability and superior quality, they’re a good investment for you to bring out your inner foodpreneur and climb the ladder to culinary success.

La Germania products are available online through La Germania’s official e-commerce website www.lagermaniaph.com and e-commerce platforms on Shopee and Lazada. You may follow the trusted kitchen and appliance brand’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts for more information on La Germania and its products.

ABOUT LA GERMANIA

Italian-heritage brand La Germania has been the preferred kitchen companion of Filipino homemakers for 53 years and counting. Its wide array of ovens, cooktops, and stoves is made of high-grade materials and designed to stand the test of time and extensive use. La Germania’s current line of products continues to serve the cooking needs and lifestyle of this generation and the next. To know more about La Germania and its products, visit http://www.lagermaniaph.com. The trusted kitchen partner of Filipinos also has its official stores on Shopee and Lazada.

Details and images provided by La Germania in a recent press release.

Gear up for cooking.

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Header Photo by Daria Shetsova of Pexels

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#SwakSaSKYFiber: With its new super speed plans, SKY Fiber hits the sweet spot between affordable and seamless connection

SKY Fiber recently launched its new set of Super Speed Plans to deliver on consumers’ need for inexpensive plans with reliable internet connection.

“While we all continue to adapt to the new normal, we cannot deny the significance of having a good quality internet connection at home. As an internet service provider, SKY Fiber wants quality internet connection to be accessible to more Filipinos. With our new Super Speed Plans, we have enhanced the speeds of our best value plans bundled with the WiFi Mesh without compromising its affordability,” James Dumlao, SKY’s head of Consumer Products Group, said.

SKY Fiber’s new plans offer Unlimited Broadband Plans with speeds of up to 50Mbps (P1,699/month), 100Mbps (P2,299/month), and 150Mbps (P2,799/month), compared to its previous offering of 40Mbps, 80Mbps, and 120Mbps. The Unli Broadband + HD Cable TV Plans also provide higher speeds of up to 80Mbps (P2,499/month) and 150Mbps (P2,999/month) with more cable channels.

These Super Speed Plans provide subscribers the right balance in terms of speed, strong connectivity, and value for money. Alan Supnet, SKY’s head of Broadband Products, said they looked into the sentiments of many Filipino families when they were developing SKY Fiber’s new set of plans.

“Families with a limited budget tend to get low-cost plans or wireless prepaid internet, but risk experiencing slow and spotty connection. On the other hand, ultra-high speed plans that do offer reliable connection come with very high costs, which not a lot of people can afford. SKY Fiber offers that sweet spot that’s ‘swak’ for their needs and budget,” he explained.

The new plans also come with free WiFi Mesh units (number of units included depend on the chosen plan) to evenly distribute the internet signal around the house. To date, SKY Fiber remains to be the only internet service provider in the country that readily bundles the WiFi Mesh for free with its plans.

“We made sure to keep the WiFi Mesh included for free in all our broadband plans because we’ve seen how it enhances the experience of our subscribers in eliminating dead zones at home. Most frustrations related to the internet are rooted in poor signal around the home, and the WiFi Mesh is our solution. Anywhere in the house, our subscribers get seamless WiFi coverage without any additional cost,” Supnet said.

For users looking for a reliable plan to cater to their basic internet needs, SKY Fiber still offers its 20Mbps Plan maintained at the affordable price of P999 per month. An Unli Broadband Plan of up to 30 Mbps (P1,299/month) and Unli Broadband + HD Cable TV Plan of up to 40Mbps (P1,699/month) are also new offerings that won’t break the bank.

As a treat for those who subscribe to the new Super Speed Plans within February 1 to April 30, SKY Fiber is offering free and lowered installation fees. Select plans also get a free speed boost until April 30. The boosted speed will depend on the chosen plan. For example, subscribers of the 50Mbps Plan can experience up to 75Mbps until the end of April at no additional cost.

Aside from having new plans, SKY Fiber has made its highest speed plan of up to 200Mbps (P3,499/month) available in all SKY Fiber serviceable areas, which are Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Baguio, Cebu, Dumaguete, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, GenSan, and Zamboanga.

Visit mysky.com.ph/skyfiber to apply for these new fiber-fast plans. Existing SKY Fiber subscribers can continue to enjoy their current plans or choose to switch to the new plans.

Product details provided in a recent press release.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them online with like-minded people as some of the biggest perks of my job.

Photo Credit: Header photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Embrace growth and make success happen with SKYBIZ

As more and more businesses have turned into home businesses, and currency has turned to digital currency, it’s important to grow with a reliable business partner like SKYBIZ. Aside from its reliable service, approachable team members and customized business packages, SKYBIZ also extends its expertise to its clients with exciting programs that can help budding entrepreneurs become more productive and successful in their endeavors!

Grow Together Webinars

As part of its Grow Together campaign, SKYBIZ partners with industry experts to share their expertise and secrets to successfully grow businesses. The first webinar is “How to Grow and Multiply Your Wealth,” with author and entrepreneur motivational speaker Bo Sanchez.

Bo is also a micro-entrepreneur that firmly believes that one of the most important solutions to the country’s economic problems is growing more micro entrepreneurs. The webinar is on November 25, Thursday at 4:00pm and is for free. One just has to register on the link: bit.ly/3nxWbD5 or easily scan the QR to join the webinar.

It’s so easy and convenient to apply for a SKYBIZ account. Just scan the QR code with your phone and fill out the details on the application form. A SKYBIZ representative will get in touch and guide you through all the requirements.

Having SKYBIZ is just a QR Code away!

SKYBIZ has True Fiber internet connection, personalized account management, and 24/7 technical support, so that any time of the day, you can expect someone to assist you of any problems with your connection.

Talk about personalized service. Successful applications for Fiber Direct and Fiber Connect get 50% OFF for the first three months. Take this as your first step in pushing your business to new heights.

So don’t fight the change. Embrace it, and make it a business essential that you can rely on. Everybody wins with SKYBIZ.