4 tips to getting the best car insurance provider in the Philippines

Photo from Pixabay

Getting a car insurance in the Philippines is imperative for every car owner. In fact it's mandatory by law for vehicle owners to secure a CTPL insurance as a prerequisite to LTO motor vehicle registation. There's no denying the benefits of having one though. Car insurance helps offset a huge amount of damages whenever an incident occurs. Depends on the coverage of your policy, you may get benefits for accident and death, get legal fee provisions, get repair coverage, and many more additional add-ons.

But where do you begin? Here are 4 tips you may find helpful in getting a car insurance policy in the Philippines.

1. Get a reputable provider

A good way to look for reputable providers is to really just ask around. There are tons of non-life insurance companies in the Philippines and some of the most popular ones are Asian Life, Malayan Insurance, FPG, and BPI/MS.

A reputable provider is one that has a good track record in handling applications and processing claims. This means whatever you apply for with them is delivered on time and with minimal hassles.

2. Compare with other providers

I found that the easiest way to shop and look around for insurance companies is to go online and request for a free quote. Sites like MoneyMax.ph and eCompareMo.com offer real-time car insurance quotes from different providers that would help you decide which one to get. It's also a good way for you to get savings of up to ₱10,000 depending on your car model. Getting a quote is easy. All you have to do is go to the website and fill out a form describing your car and current insurance company. You'll be asked for your vehicle brand, the year, model, and series, as well as the region and city where your car is registered. And that's it, in just seconds you'll be greeted with a page filled with a list of insurance companies that could cater to your needs.

3. Learn how to process claims

Should you get into an unfortunate incident, it's important for you to know how to go about processing an insurance claim. The easier, the better. Some insurance companies may appear more strict than others, but basically the official documents you would need to file a claim are as follows:

1. Police Report or a Notarized Affidavit
2. Driver's License with Official Receipt (photocopies)
3. Your vehicle's LTO OR CR
4. Photos/videos of the damage/s to the car with the LTO plates of the vehicle

Make sure to always have the number of your agent or insurance provider handy because they should know about any incident immediately.

4. Look for reviews and feedback

Aside from getting competitive quotes online, it also helps to look for reviews and feedback from actual customers. From the list of providers you got from your online search, try to narrow down your list based on price point and amount of coverage, then dig deeper into these companies by looking for customer feedback online. To help, join local car groups in Facebook or online forums.

It's bad enough that you got into an accident, but to be faced with a lengthy claims process because of a lack of system adds more frustration to your situation. Get a can insurance provider that really cares about its clients and wouldn't make it so hard for you to have your car repaired or checked.

My Prima Sassy Belle Haul and Review

Hey guys! Sharing with you my first impressions of some of Prima Sassy Belle's bestselling beauty products, plus one of their slimming beverages. If you know me, you know that I suck at routines, and that no matter how hard I try to stick to one I always end up abandoning it somehow, specially if it gets in the way of me going to bed immediately when I get home. 

But here we go again, sampling products to consider adding to my irregular beauty regimen!

Prima Sassy Belle is a fairly new direct selling company that offers beauty and wellness products. They were established on September 2016 and has since grown to having over a hundred retailers all over the country. They're a hundred percent Filipino owned and they take pride in producing high quality products that are FDA approved and Halal certified (among other certs), guaranteeing that their items are 100% safe to use.

That said, let's get on to the review! We'll focus on 3 of their products, the 3R Set, Sheer-C Serum, and Curvetrim juice. Let's go!

Prima 3R Set

₱ 710

The 3R Set consists of a Kojic soap, cleansing toner, night cream, and whitening cream. 3R stands for Refresh, Restore, and Rejuvenate and it claims to help improve the condition of your skin upon regular use.

The Kojic soap acts as your cleanser. I personally love the scent, it's super mild and smells like it could really clean. And unlike other kojic soaps I've tried, this doesn't dry too much that it stings. I was surprised at how pink this soap is. Nagsusumigaw sya mga besh haha. 

The cleansing toner, sadly, is something that I would replace with other toners. Yung milder. It smells like your regular toner, like Eskinol ganon, and it stings. I have some breakout on my face and putting an alcohol-based toner on it isn't really advisable so I'd skip this. 

Depends on the time of the day you are to use either the night cream or the whitening dream, funny how it wasn't labeled a day cream haha.

The night cream is lightweight and lotiony, and a little goes a long way. This acts as your moisturizer after putting the toner on. The whitening cream on the hand is thicker and whiter and leaves a light cast on your face that you need to blend well with your other makeup if you intend to go out. It acts as a sunscreen to help protect your face from harmful UV rays.

There's much to improve in terms of packaging and overall branding. Everything came in plastic and the lids on the creams kindof don't shut properly.

Sheer-C Serum

₱ 340

Sheer-C serum comes in a small push button dropper bottle that's really cute! The serum smells like orange zest and helps to retexturize and smoothen the skin. I like how it smells and how it's not too oily on the face. My only issue is that it dries sticky so it feels weird on the face hehe.

Curvetrim Juice

₱ 260

Oh this was such a delight! This slimming juice is filled with key ingredients designed to help us feel fuller between meals. There's garcinia cambogia, green tea, spirulina, l-carnitine, grapeseed, gluta, and collagen. It also has kalamansi, blueberry, green tea, and grapeseed, making for such a unique flavor. 

Dissolve a sachet in 120ml cold water and enjoy. It tastes like strawberry kalamansi juice which is oddly refreshing as we've never tried that combo before. As for the slimming effects, I can't really say because we downed 4 sachets in a pitcher of cold water while feasting on chips. What a cheat haha.

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Aaaand that's it! For orders you may reach them on their Facebook page or Instagram.

Life Lately and infinite loops

I may have kindof recreated a bug at work that ran an infinite loop that created 40k++ records on our PROD database and impacted a page on my MANAGER'S timesheet.

It's not that bad though, my manager knows of the issue. We've worked out a plan to prevent the issue from happening again (implement better data validation both on UI and backend), but the problem also piqued our curiosity on how infinite loops work.

Being that I'm more interested in the mystery of these loops, I want to uncover what happens during an infinite loop first before I actually apply the bug fixes. I'm sorry! But in my defense, my boss was also curious! Scenario:
I submitted a form that inserts records on a database based on the date range I provided on the UI form. Date range starts on December 14, 2018 and ends on September 21, 2018. Yep it's backwards and that's the issue because the backend took it. Please don't comment on the quality of our code. HAHA

Now, backend logic would loop through the dates on a daily increment and run an insert statement per date. Problem is, since the end date is a past date, the loop will never reach it, thus creating an infinite loop.

The bug created 41,046 records that dates back to December 14, 1901 all the way to January 19, 2038. And for some reason it left out April 1995 to December 2018. So what the hell happened?

Thank God for Google because all of my questions were answered.

I learned that January 19, 2038 is an important date in software development.

January 19, 2038 would be the maximum value a datetime variable in a 32bit integer data type can handle.

Now adding 1 day to that would be an abomination. Datetime couldn't read January 20, 2038. The variable would overflow, wrapping it in a negative value, which the system would interpret as... *drumroll please*

December 14 freaking 1901.

So that's what happened.

The infinite loop started on December 14, 2018 (input start date) and inserted records all the way to January 19, 2038. When it got past that day, December 14, 1901 came next on the calendar and on and on it went until April 1995. Or more accurately, after 10mins of running over the loop -- which is the default remote query timeout value set on our SQL server.

So today... I learned about the 2038 bug, a remake of the Y2K bug where 32bit datatypes storing datetime values would overflow and reset to 1901. Hopefully we already know what to do. Google has a lot of info on it already. And it's still 20 years from now, I wonder what I'd be doing then hehe.

Case closed.

Back to the real life lately...

I, uhhh, have a new bag!

My new everyday bag with Velma from my old Kipling

I'm retiring my 2-year old bag because the fabric tore somehow huhu. My husband bought me a new bag, and it's the most expensive bag I've owned so far (even more expensive than my luggage, apparently). Thank youuuuu my love! This counts as my anniv, birthday, and Christmas gift already so a girl shall ask no more hahahaha.

I was so torn when I found my everyday bag got torn (pun intended). I kept looking for the same model in Kipling stores but I couldn't find it. Either it's phased out or I may have actually brought an imitation one haha. It's a Kipling Anette I bought from TJ Maxx in Minnesota, it's kindof an outlet store for overrun things but I can't be so sure hahaha. Anyway. No luck finding something similar here so I looked at other stores. Never found something I liked at SM Dept store except for those parang Pac-safe anti-theft bags that are overly expensive, so pass. The next day I tried looking at the The Travel Club just to spy on cute bags to search on Shopee/Lazada, I don't care for imitation I just want something nice and sturdy haha. Then I found this...

I love the functional aesthetic of Hedgren bags but it's one of those super unjustifiably expensive things I'll only get to mindlessly buy if my pay grade was at 6-digits you know? But there it was looking all nice and perfect. So I took it to Shopee, Lazada, Zalora (baka may discount), and FB Marketplace to look for this one model I like. It's Hedgren Appeal, the one with a 13inch compartment. But to no luck. Nobody sells a good enough replica of it. :(

I went to the store for the second time before heading home just to take a final look at it and decide if it's worth the occasional splurge. This is an item I definitely cannot afford without maxing myself out, you know what I mean? Like you have extra but it's not meant for such kinda bags. So my husband rescued me! YEHEY! I have a new bag!

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Uhhh, so that's the highlight of my week lol.

Friday's 10 Happy Things // 5

Hey goys, here I am squeezing my brain for happy things, let's go!

1. I loved the sermon last Sunday, actually no, I uhm, needed it. Worship is for God. It's all about Him. He is the audience, and we are the performers.
2. It's swelday today yeheeeeyy
3. Sierra Burgess is a Big Loser is out today. Excited to watch it.
4. Also excited to continue episode two of Designated Survivor.
5. I uhm, designed something quickly for the boss today. Aaaand I learned how to warp text! Finally? What kind of designer am I! Apparently I've been doing things the hard way, typing on a circular path instead of hitting the Text Warp tool. Thanks boss for the Photoshop tip!

Bebas Neue, Day Roman, Miama Nueva, Krinkes Decor

Pinterest, The Noun Project, Mockup World

6. I finally ordered a dashcam. I got a Xiaomi Yi from Shopee for ₱1709 only because of the sale, free shipping voucher, and credit card discount hehe. Hopefully I can manage to install it properly without damaging my car lol, I just want the wires hidden properly help me Lord.

7. Was able to request a cashout for my below-threshold Nuffnang earnings (because they're closing down operations already)! Looking forward to it... the cashout I mean. I'm sad about Nuffnang closing down, I've a lengthy draft about it. :(

8. Also, got a PR posting request from Nuffnang too. Prolly the last I'm getting from them, but yey for the extra money.

9. Grocery tomorrow! I wish I could convince my husband that grocery shopping is fun :(

10. Costa iced mocha is delicious! I'm kindof building an iced mocha preference and so far from all the coffee shops I've tried, Nitro 7's still tops. Next comes Costa!

Happy weekend people! Excited for the next two weeks! :D 

Get in shape during the Holiday season with Taiwan Excellence premium-grade gym gear

As Filipinos, the holiday season kicks off as early as September. It is a time of festivities, parties, and wonderful reunions with family and friends. In these times, keeping up a consistent gym schedule can be tough. Fortunately, Taiwan Excellence is introducing its state-of-the-art exercise equipment to tone and buff up during this frenetic time.

Burn the unwanted calories from that leche flan with the Johnson Health Tech. Co., Ltd.'s Upright Bike-Matrix U50. It has a Comfort Arc Seat that is designed to provide comfort while regulating perspiration, improving calves and hamstrings, and strengthening abdominals.

This sophisticated stationary bicycle has an ergonomic design, and provides an easy step-through access. It also has an Exact Force feature to let fitness enthusiasts adjust the resistance of the pedal depending on his stamina.

If you would rather look for adventure outside, the Tern Taiwan Ltd.'s Verge X20 is worth checking out. This portable bike can be easily folded as it weighs only 9.9 kilograms. Moreover, the Verge X20 makes biking more exciting as it is equipped with Kinetic Pro X wheels. This rubber hoop can strengthen muscles and improve aerodynamics to make you go faster. It also helps condition your metabolic rate.

Fitness fanatics can couple these bicycles with Unite Creative Design Co., Ltd.'s Compression seamless bike sports pants. Compared to others, this innovative elastic apparel is made with environmental friendly materials. Aside from providing protection, it also helps on reducing blood pressure and improve heart rhythm.

Finish your look off with sports goggles. First Rank Co., Ltd. offers JET-S58, a stylish set that has a double-coating technology that enhances the durability of anti-fog performance. This helps users see when swimming, and guard eyes from water or chemicals.

While it is great to celebrate Christmas, it also important to tone up and improve endurance. Say goodbye to holiday weight and take home these smart, functional, and stylish products for a stronger physical health. These innovations are carefully evaluated and sealed by TAITRA with the guidance from the Bureau of Foreign Trade to promote Taiwan's revolutionary products.

For more information about its accredited products, visit www.taiwanexcellence.org or like Taiwan Excellence on Facebook.

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About Taiwan Excellence
The symbol of Taiwan Excellence honors Taiwan’s most innovative products, which provide tremendous value to users worldwide. Products bearing this symbol have been selected for specific Taiwan Excellence Awards, based on their excellence in design, quality, marketing, Taiwanese R&D, and manufacturing. Initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C. in 1992, the symbol of Taiwan Excellence is recognized by 102 countries.

Organized by Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT), MOEA
The Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), R.O.C. is responsible for implementing policies and regulations governing foreign trade and economic cooperation. Established in January 1969, the BOFT's role and position have been adapted regularly to meet the needs of the ever-changing international economic and trade environments. BOFT guides and works with the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in numerous promotional trade projects and activities, both internationally and domestically. Having worked closely with TAITRA for several decades, BOFT continues to commission TAITRA for various critical government projects relating to business, trade, and investment, while promoting Taiwan internationally.

Implemented by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)
Founded in 1970 to help promote foreign trade, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) is the foremost non-profit, quasi-governmental trade promotion organization in Taiwan. Jointly sponsored by the government, industry associations, and several commercial organizations, TAITRA assists Taiwanese businesses and manufacturers in strengthening their international competitiveness and in dealing with the challenges they face in foreign markets. TAITRA boasts a well-coordinated trade promotion and information network of over 1,200 international marketing specialists stationed throughout its Taipei headquarters and 50 overseas offices worldwide. Together with its sister organizations, the Taiwan Trade Center (TTC) and the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC), TAITRA has created a wealth of trade opportunities through effective promotion strategies.

The Layout Currently

Sharing this for backup purposes! :)

Mockup from magicmockups.com

Listing out the features so I know which template to refer to in case I wanted to extract a certain feature:✔  Top horizontal navigation bar

✔  Custom status message box (ie. "Category: label" instead of Blogger's original "Showing posts with the label x. Show all")

✔  Inline Google ads using <!-- adsense --> markup

✔  Disqus comment count

✔  Back to top button

✔  Blog Archive widget on a page

✔  Original blog search widget

[Review] DesignEvo: Is this the Canva of logo making?

I was very excited when I found out about DesignEvo. The interface reminded me very much of Canva, a graphic design web application that allows users to create layouts and graphics using a drag-and-drop interface. With access to millions of photos, layouts, fonts, and graphic elements - it's my one-stop shop for quick design solutions. DesignEvo pretty much works the same way, except it's geared more towards logo making, something designers and non-designers would both benefit from. It's free, easy to use, and has relatively fair pricing packages should you want to purchase the logo you created.

To show you how awesome and simple to use this application is, here's a very quick logo project I created through the app. Aaaand if you want to try it for yourself, just head on to DesignEvo.com to start working on one.

By the end of this article I'd be giving away 3 100% off purchase coupons that you can use to buy a logo! Joining is easy, so please stick around! You don't need to join, I'm sharing the coupon codes at the end of this post!:D

30-minute logo design, is that possible? Oh yes!

Project: Logo for Surf and Perf

Brief: Surf and Perf is a small technical blog covering topics around Software Automation and Web Design. It used to be dedicated to Software Performance Testing alone (hence the blog name), but the owner starting dabbling in different fields of automation so the topics grew. The owner needs a logo for their website at www.surfandperf.com.

Keywords: quality assurance, web design, web, software testing

Preferences: simple, minimal, clean symbol

Process:

Timer starts now?

DesignEvo has tons of logo categories to choose from. But since we already established that the company is software related and technical, let's ignore the other cats and head straight to Technology & Communication

At this point, I didn't really have a concept in mind. I just scrolled through the many options and filtered those that struck near the keywords.

Aaand I stopped at this:

There were so many similar templates with a check mark and a computer but this one seemed most relevant because all the lines could stand for something.

✔  Check mark for quality assurance
✔  Computer for web surfing
✔  Brackets for coding/web development

I guess it was love at first sight. So I took it and started editing. The next step is really just a matter of placing your title text.

And we're done! How easy was that? You can choose from several fonts, and add shapes and backgrounds too. I didn't though, because the brief asked for a simple mark. Finally, you can download your logo by clicking on the Download link on the upper right corner of the page. Or for better appreciation, check out the Preview link first to see your design in several mockups.

 Looks legit!

The checkout process is very simple. After clicking the download link, you'll be presented with  3 download options. 1 free and 2 paid.

The inclusions are all included there. For this project, I could very well just pick the FREE version because all I needed was to place it in a website, and that wouldn't take up more than 500px of space. But for demo purposes I got the PLUS version because I wanted to see the inclusions of the download pack.

DesignEvo accepts paypal and credit card payments and you're guaranteed a secure checkout process.

FREE COUPONS TIME!

Here are 100% off coupon codes you can use at DesignEvo should you want to purchase the logos you created for free. I'm scrapping the giveaway mechanics 'cos I noticed it wasn't taking off so well, so might as well just give the codes to anyone who'd ask.

Each code is good for 3 uses, valid until December 31, 2018. And since it's all out here, first come first served basis applies. If the code doesn't work that means it's been used already.

Here you go:

DEP100FFHY1A

DEP100FFHY1B

DEP100FFHY1C

To use, just follow the Checkout page and click on the "Have a coupon?" link to enter the code.

Back to the download

As promised, the download pack contains a complete set of files you'll need should you want to further edit the logo.

✔  Font file

✔  Hi-res images (in transparent and white bg)

✔  Vector files (pdf and svg)

What I found missing though is the document file stating the right to register a trademark.

So finally, I would recommend DesignEvo for:

✔  Those who want to create a logo quick

✔  Those who don't want to pay too much for a logo

✔  Those who don't mind generic looking logos

✔  Those who don't mind public domain fonts 

✔  Those who want to look for logo inspirations

✔  Those who want to discover new logo trends

✔  Those who are just starting a business and don't have much capital on logo and branding

Having a logo for your brand/business is important, and DesignEvo offers a practical solution to that!

Don't miss the giveaway!