Category Archives: Livelihood

The Benefits of Blogging: My Personal Experience

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I updated the article to include information about my son’s college graduation.

Blogging has been a therapeutic outlet for me since I quit my job in 2007. Maintaining an online diary has helped me cope with the stresses of everyday life.

Through blogging, I’ve met new friends online who are fellow moms like me. They were the ones who introduced me to the idea that I can earn from blogging in the comfort of my own home.

Photo by Kaitlyn Baker on Unsplash

I started to earn from blogging in 2010, and since then, I’ve registered with several blogging networks and have been working with them for years. While some of these companies are no longer in operation, I’m grateful for the opportunities they’ve given me.

For the past 11 years, blogging has helped me pay our bills, buy groceries, pay for my kids’ monthly tuition, purchase personal items for my family, and even cover some of my kids’ hospital bills back in 2011.

My son has since graduated from college, and I couldn’t be prouder. Blogging was a huge part of how I was able to support him through his education.

While the blogging landscape may not be as lucrative as it once was, I’m still not planning to retire from it. To young aspiring bloggers, I would recommend trying it out, growing from it, and thriving in the world of blogging.

Bioengineering

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I’m glad to have stumbled upon this photo posted by DPWH Secretary Mark Villar on his Facebook page in July. The photo showed a segment of Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEX).

According to Sec. Villar, coco net, and vetiver grass are being utilized in the 11-km segment of TPLEX to prevent soil erosion. The photo also carries hashtags #BuildBuildBuild and #Bioengineering.

DPWH Sec. Mark Villar photo

According to Wikipedia, bioengineering means the application of principles of biology and the tools of engineering to create usable, tangible, economically-viable products.

Sun-dried coconut halves

In 2012, we were able to observe how coco nets are developed in Las Piñas. The intricate process includes, drying up coconut halves; decorticating the husks; twining the fibers; finally weaving the net.

The tour at the green social enterprises in Las Piñas was made possible by the Villar Foundation.

Decorticating machine separates coco fibers from coconut husk

Twining and weaving nets from coconut husks are just one of the social enterprises of the foundation. The other livelihood projects include handloom weaving, house waste composting, vermin composting, producing hollow blocks from trash, and crafting baskets from water hyacinths.

Worker separates fiber for twining

The development of these livelihood projects was an offshoot of an endeavor to clean and revive the Las Pinas-Zapote River.

The husks not thrown on the river were left on the sidewalks, and the city had to spend more to haul the garbage. Trash collectors failed to collect sacks of coconut husk, so they end up polluting the river.

Twining the coconut fibers to create ropes

Mrs. (now Senator) Cynthia Villar, managing director of the Villar Foundation, met with experts from the Bicol University for the Coco Coir technology; to address the growing problem with uncollected coconut husks.

Twines are weaved in the loom to create nets

Dr. Justino Arboleda, an agricultural engineer, designed the machinery to make the coco-net. Coco Coir Enterprise utilizes coconut husk and converts them into a coco net.

Finished coco nets are being used for slope protection and control soil erosion. Las Piñas City and private developers use coco nets in various projects.

Congratulations Sec. Villar, for implementing the #bioengineering techniques to assist in the #BuildBuildBuild program of the government. This sure saves a lot of government fundings.

Things to Remember in Conducting Yard Sales

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yard-sale

Image credit: http://hottytoddy.com

It does not matter what type of season it is as long as there are people who are willing to go out, there will always be yard sales. We would have to admit however that having yard sales in the summer is always the best. There are always things that we should remember when conducting yard sales. Here are some tips that you should remember:

  1. Yard Sale items that you will put out may mean nothing to you but may mean a lot to the next person who will find it.
  2. cheap yard signs are necessary so that people will not get confused with the items that you are selling.
  3. Be prepared that people will haggle.
  4. You should always try to make your items look presentable and easy to look at. You will sell more items this way.
  5. Being friendly will go a long way.

With these tips, your yard sale will be successful for sure.

Bead Jewelry

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My friend used to design earrings, bracelets and necklaces using chamilia beads as a hobby and later on for profit. She also gave them away as presents for friends, teachers of her kids, and relatives here and abroad. She also sells them abroad through her siblings based there. She creatively designs each piece to make a beautiful set of bead jewelry.

Chamilia-bead

We haven’t seen each other for a long time, but we managed to catch up on each other’s lives through phone conversations. She is a friend and I can tell here anything until now.

Christmas package

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CHOCOLATE GIFT

Chocolate berries in stylish gift boxes

Hubby and I used to receive big baskets of groceries including corporate chocolate gift from my previous company (PJI). Aside from that, we also get gift certificates (GCs) from different advertisers. Instead of cash, advertisers pay PJI with GCs for the advertisement published in three newspapers such as People’s Journal, People’s Tonight, People’s Taliba and Women’s Journal. The management used these GCs as gift or as payment for delayed allowances of employees.

GCs and chocolate gifts are good, but the employees need cash, especially their 13th month pay.