Coco Martin chosen as 'The RiteOne' to continue legacy of Ms. Susan Roces

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The country's leading pharmaceutical brand RiteMed has officially unveiled its new brand ambassador with the launch of its latest TV commercial (TVC) featuring the well-loved and highly respected actor-director Coco Martin.

Coco graciously accepted the challenge of continuing the legacy and advocacy of the Queen of Philippine Movies, Ms. Susan Roces, of empowering the masses in opting for quality and affordable healthcare.

Coco rightfully opened the TVC with the line “Ang sabi ng lola ko, ‘wag mahihiyang magtanong...at hanapin ang check", which not only gives honor to Ms. Susan but also reminds the people of the Filipino culture of listening to the advice of their elderly loved ones.

Filipinos remember the wife of the late Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), the King of Philippine Movies, for her famous lines in TV and radio commercials that espoused affordable medicines such as: “Bawal ang Mahal” and “Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong”. Ms. Roces passed away in May 2022. Since then, RiteMed conducted a long and thorough selection process to be able to choose "The Rite One" to take the place of the late actress.

Coco, who became a hero of the masses for his role in "FPJ's Ang Probinsyano", one of the longest-running and most successful soap operas in Philippine TV's history, emerged as the hands-down choice.

The actor-director even suggested the adaptation of Ms. Susan’s famous tagline, Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong, well-aware that everyone should have the right to ask questions. “Una, para hindi tayo magkamali. Pangalawa, ang mga ang mga Pilipino po ay likas na mahiyain; tinuturuan tayo dito na may alternatibo. Pag naiisip natin na ‘mahal yan’, tinuturo sa atin ng RiteMed na may alternatibo na mas mura," Coco stressed.

“Maraming maraming salamat po sa pagtitiwala. Napakalaking obligasyon po itong ipinasa po sa akin,” Coco said in his speech during the contract signing with RiteMed. “Naikwento ko nga po na kapag dumadaan ako sa Quiapo at pag nakikita ko yung overpass doon, ang laki laki ng billboard ni Tita Susan. Pumasok sa isip ko, ‘sino kaya ngayon ang papalit kay Tita Susan?’ kasi iba po talaga. Hindi lang bilang apo niya sa 'Ang Probinsyano' o sa mga proyekto naming. Alam na alam ko po kung anong klaseng tao si Tita Susan. Hindi po siya basta basta nagtitiwala sa mga produkto ng hindi niya nasusubukan dahil ayaw niyang masira ang kanyang pangalan.

The actor-director emphasized the impact and the legacy that Ms. Roces left and how she became the voice of every Filipino especially when it comes to affordable health care.

“Sobrang laki po ng naging impact. Alam naman po natin na mahirap ang buhay, lagi tayo nag-iisip kung paano makakamenos at paano pa rin natin maitatawid yung pangangailangan, lalo na yung kalusugan. Kasi si Tita Susan, silang mag-asawa ni FPJ, parang sila yung simbolo ng bawat Pilipino eh, na kapag may sinabi sila o may ginawa sila, lahat nakikinig. Napakalaking impluwensya nila sa mga Pilipino, kaya ingat na ingat si Tita Susan talaga sa mga paggawa niya ng mga proyekto at kung ano man ang mga ineendorso niya, lalo na po itong RiteMed.

Atty. Joey Ochave, RiteMed President, welcomed the new brand ambassador with great honor.

“It was 11 years ago when we had Ms. Susan and it was one of the best decisions that we’ve made. She was not just a face and a voice. She was a co-creator of the brand. The sudden shift on the lighter tone of 'Huwag Mahihiyang Magtanong' was her idea,” recalled Ochave. “From then on, RiteMed took this advocacy to heart.”

“Just a brief history, RiteMed was launched upon the request of the government then. Before, people had the impression that generics are sub-standard. Because of this, we strived to change that perception as people still wanted to associate themselves with a brand, because a brand is a badge of trust. Parang pangalan iyan, ang hirap magtiwala sa hindi mo kilala, sabi nga ni Ms Susan.”

RiteMed, thus, worked hard to make quality healthcare more affordable. “We want to assure everyone that [RiteMed] is a brand that you can trust. It’s a company branding and not just a product brand,” Ochave highlighted.

RiteMed General Manager Vince Guerrero said Coco possesses the traits that they are looking for in a brand ambassador.

"Coco not only understands but actually represents the aspirations of the masses, which is why he is esteemed by the common people for advocating what is right," Guerrero said. "As the new face of the brand, we believe he will be a good reflection of RiteMed’s continuing thrust to provide affordable quality healthcare to our people.”

Coco acknowledges the weight of being the new face of a trusted brand. “Alam kong ang laki ng responsibilidad bilang brand ambassador ng RiteMed. Ito po ay legacy ni Tita Susan at iyon po ang panghahawakan ko.”

How To Pay for Flights Using Cryptocurrency

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



According to buidlbee, the cryptocurrency has become a rapidly gaining popularity as a way to pay for the services of airlines. Already in 2022, you can fully pay for the trip with cryptocurrency, starting with booking airline tickets, hotel rooms, car rentals, etc.

In this article, we will tell how you can purchase airline tickets with cryptocurrency, as well as about airlines that sell tickets by paying with cryptocurrencies.


How to buy a plane ticket with cryptocurrency

The process is about the same everywhere: you start any supported crypto on the website of the air carrier, simply by downloading and registering a wallet on your phone and sending your crypto to it (we do not recommend starting a lot or storing it, because the services are centralized).

After that, simply select the payment method of the airline, which will convert your crypto into a currency to pay for the airline and the ticket will be issued within 24 hours (or during the time that is written on the site). However, in most cases, it is issued immediately.






Airlines

The first airline in the world to start selling tickets for its flights to the Baltic countries, Europe and Russia for bitcoins since 2014 is airBaltic, an airline based in Latvia. According to AirBaltic, over seven years, more than 1,000 tourists have bought plane tickets from the airline using cryptocurrency.

In addition to the Latvian National Airlines, companies such as Polish Airlines (LOT), the Canadian Airlines and the Japanese low-cost airline Peach Aviation are leading in the sale of air tickets for cryptocurrency. CheapAir, a California-based firm, was one of the first airlines to sell tickets for bitcoin in the US in 2013. It is believed that crypto transactions are not only confirmed and safe, but also that purchases using electronic currencies are easy and fast.


Travel companies

Electronic currencies are quite popular, especially among travel agencies that sell tickets via the Internet. The Australian travel site travala.com and the Spanish destinia.com joined the list of "advanced" companies. This platform was created with the ability to book travel. The platform is based on the blockchain. Based on this, its big plus is the flexibility when paying with a crypt (besides this, of course, flights can also be paid with ordinary cards). On the Travala platform, there is a wide choice of cryptocurrencies to pay for services. There are also thousands of hotels, car rental services to choose from. A feature of this platform is the presence of its own AVA cryptocurrency.

In addition, entire service sites have appeared, for example, travelbybit.com is a partner of Binance, one of the largest exchanges for cryptocurrencies in the United States. For digital currencies and, of course, bitcoins, hotels and flights are available for booking on the site. The service allows tourists to compare flights listed in the selected state currency before buying with cryptocurrency.

No less famous is the Alternative Airlines platform, where you can find flights from numerous airlines and pay for the purchase of tickets using digital money.


Benefits and risks

As an addition, it can be noted that all cryptocurrencies, of course, are not without risks, but the benefits that accompany them outweigh the possible disadvantages. Users of virtual money get anonymity, high speed of transactions, lack of dependence on financial institutions, small commissions, no “limits” for transfers. However, it is also important to monitor the risks, for example, jumps in the rate of the crypt, the real benefit of such payment, the lack of sufficient technical capabilities.


Conclusion

When buying air tickets, we often lose money on conversion, or additional commissions. Innovations in terms of new settlement options can significantly reduce the cost of air tickets due to the elimination of unnecessary commissions, and sometimes even certain types of tax. At the moment, not many companies have decided to optimize in this area, but the list of services is constantly expanding, and it is only a matter of time when payment with cryptocurrency will be available everywhere.

It is worth saying that the above airlines and services are not the only ones where you can pay for the flight using cryptocurrency. For example, Abitsky, thanks to this service you will be able to pay for a flight while traveling all over Europe.

Planning your trip is always difficult and time-consuming, but finding a travel agency that accepts bitcoins is no longer difficult.

Must-Have Things to Carry on Hiking or Trekking Trips

Wazzup Pilipinas!

 

Even though most people don’t have enough free time to enjoy their favorite hobbies, that doesn’t mean that they can’t have some fun and do something extraordinary every once in a while. And if you’re one of those who love being in the open as often as possible instead of doing nothing but watching TV - you’re lucky, because those outdoorsy people always have tons of options to explore! From swimming and camping to hiking and trekking, you can do quite a lot even if you don’t have that much free time. All you need to do to maximize your time in the open is to get organized adequately and pack all your essentials. In case you’re a fan of hiking and trekking, but don’t know how to do that, here are a few essential items you need to carry with you whenever you’re about to start a new hiking/trekking trip.

The backpack

This might not sound like the most important thing at first, but you can’t even start packing your essentials if you don’t have the right backpack. And if you’re serious about hiking and trekking, you can’t pick just any model - you have to ensure that it’s strong, durable, large, full of various compartments, and, most importantly, waterproof. To make the selection process easier, you can find local trekking companies and use their expertise. They have in-depth knowledge of the terrain, weather conditions, and the type of gear best suited for the region you plan to explore.

This is why finding a new backpack is a process that might take a while. Lots of hiking and trekking fans have several different models at home and they choose which one they’ll use depending on where they’re going and how long they’ll be staying on their trip. So, don’t be afraid to choose whichever you like first and then get a new backpack if you notice that the first one isn’t working for you. Alternatively, you can talk to your hiking and trekking buddies and buy the same backpack they’re using - if it’s working for them, it’s probably going to work for you as well.

Handy tools

Many things will be beneficial for your trip and you should have them by your side during your hiking adventure. One of the most common items is a flashlight which can be found in a very small and practical size and can be of great help if your trip turns into an overnight adventure or you stay up too late and you end up watching the sunset. In addition to that, you’ll need hand sanitizer because during your walk you’ll probably want to explore nature and will end up with potential germs on your hand. It is better to be safe and clean your hands before making a break to eat or drink water.

Also, Sunscreen, sunblock, and lip balms will be a great thing to keep in mind because people tend to forget that they need to protect themselves from the sunlight and UV rays which is crucial especially if you are hiking on a mountain. Make sure to use high SPF ratings to protect your skin and avoid any potential problems. Thi sis something you need to carry close to reach in order to always be able to use it.

Safety features

Though lots of us believe that hiking and trekking are among the safest hobbies in the world, things are quite different in reality. You can do this for ages and still run into situations that can escalate quickly and become potentially dangerous without you even noticing it. Whether we’re talking about a weather disaster or an encounter with dangerous animals, you need to be safe, protected, and always alert.

That’s why it’s important to have lots of protection by your side at all times. Navigation, headlamps, protective boots, fire matches, and sun-protective clothes are among the most important pieces you need to have whenever you go. Also, don’t forget a practical OTF knife that’s going to come in handy in different situations, from building shelter to preparing food. Speaking of which, make sure you always have enough food and water with you, as well as some extra clothes in case you get wet or muddy.

Sleeping options

If you want to enjoy hiking and trekking to the fullest, you must try doing it overnight and sleeping under the open sky. This might not look like the best way to spend your free time and enjoy your hobby, but you’re going to end up having a blast, especially if you’re surrounded by people you know and love.

But, if you want this to turn into an adventure you’ll never forget, you have to think about where you’re going to sleep and how you’re going to spend your night. Luckily, sleeping bags and tents are now easy to find and they’re more advanced than they’ve ever been, which means you shouldn’t have a problem finding models that are going to work for you. Still, when buying them, ask the salesperson to show you how to set up your tent in no time at all, and pay some extra money for a waterproof and windproof model that’s going to keep you warm and dry all night long.

Clothes, clothes, clothes

When getting ready for a hiking and trekking trip, thinking about your appearance is probably not your main priority. However, there’s nothing to do with the way you look, but with the fact that you need adequate clothes that will help you enjoy your time in the open even more and you can browse through a travel magazine to see what type of clothes you’ll need.

First, keep in mind that you need to dress in lots of different layers regardless of the weather. Most hiking and trekking trips end up being wet, cold, and windy, which is why you need protective jackets, warm socks, and quick-dry shirts. Also, don’t forget protective shoes that will keep you dry and safe whenever you go, so take some time to choose the right pair you’ll be able to use for ages.

 

Of course, these are just some of the things you’re going to need when you go hiking or trekking, so learn how to pack them properly, without wasting too much time or energy. And after you do, you can hit the road and enjoy your time in the open to the fullest!

Contributor: 

Emma Joyce is an avid traveler who likes to explore new places and takes on new adventures. When she's not exploring new grounds, she's reading or writing about them. 

https://twitter.com/joycesemma