Western Union Gold Card perks and privileges
January 13, 2008
Here’s one more reason to use Western Union especially if you are a Google Adsense publisher: the Western Union Gold Card rewards program.
The Western Union Gold Card is simply a loyalty card very similar to SM’s Advantage Card or National Book Store’s Laking National Card. Presentation of the Card entitles the holder automatic discounts and privileges at partner establishments.
The basic benefits of the Western Union Gold Card are:
- 7% discount on any Air Philippines fare;
- 15% discount on hair and facial services at David’s Salon;
- Free gift item on a minimum purchase of P125 at HBC;
- 5% discount on all Goldilocks cakes;
- $5 discount on all international outbound transactions at DHL
Richest 10% owns 1/3 of incomes in the Philippines
January 12, 2008
An Inquirer article published today reported that the richest 10% of families in the Philippines holds more than a third of the country’s total income.
According to the National Statistics Office, the richest 1.74 million families earned 36% of the aggregate family income of around P3 trillion ($74 billion) in 2006.
Who are these families? Well, they include the Ayalas, the Sys, the Tans, the Tys, and the rest of the 40 richest Filipinos.
How about the family of Juan de la Cruz? According to the same report, the average income of a Filipino family is $12 a day or $4,380 a year, or roughly P180,000 per year.
Thanks to our Entrecard droppers
January 11, 2008
I signed up in Entrecard only two days ago but I must admit that I am already loving the service.
I particularly like the idea of dropping my “digital business card” in someone else’s blog to signify that I visited the site and to sort of introduce myself to the other blogger. That’s one easy way of generating more contacts especially from within the same blog niche.
Of course, advertising my “card” — for free! — in someone else’s blog is expected to deliver more site traffic too, and I’m sure that’s enough bonus to other Entrecard users as well.
So as a gesture of appreciation to those who visited the site via Entrecard and to those who drop their cards day by day, I am recognizing the Top Entrecard Droppers on this site.
Withdraw PayPal via Xoom from same country — allowed or not?
January 10, 2008
One of our members, Joanna (ani*****@gmail.com), wrote to tell us about Xoom.com’s confusing policy on intra-country transfer of PayPal funds.
Joanna wants to convert her PayPal funds to cash via Xoom. She contacted Xoom to inquire whether it is indeed possible to make an intra-country transfer, that is transfer funds from a PayPal Philippines account to an account holder in the Philippines.
Back online after 12+ hours of downtime
January 10, 2008
Pinoy Money Talk is finally back online after more than 12 hours of downtime. The site first went down around the afternoon of January 9, Manila time. After 8 hours or so, the site temporarily went back online for 2 hours before going down again.
As of 9:30 a.m. today, the site is officially back up. Forunately, no data seems to be lost.
The downtime was apparently caused by a power outage at the datacenter where the website is hosted. Almost all websites under the webhost became inaccessible starting yesterday for several hours. We’re just glad now that everything seems to be back to normal.
To all our readers, feed subscribers, and visitors, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by this downtime.
Have a good day.
Google scraps Adsense Referrals units in some countries
January 9, 2008
Bad news for Google Adsense publishers located outside North America, Latin America, or Japan: you cannot earn commissions anymore if you refer someone to the Google Adsense program.
Google announced that it is retiring its Referrals units that promote Adsense. The company cited that it did not perform as expected in regions outside the three mentioned.
Widgetbucks drops $25 signup bonus, lowers referral commission
January 9, 2008
Is Widgetbucks trying to be more efficient or are they on the way down?
Widgetbucks recently announced that, effective January 15, they are getting rid of the $25 signup bonus offered to members who register. That means new Widgetbucks publishers need to work harder in order to reach the $50 minimum payout.
The referral structure has also been lowered from 10% to 5% effective January 15. Widgetbucks, however, stressed that the lower referral commission affects only newly created accounts and not existing accounts.
Without a doubt, these changes are attempts by Widgetbucks to increase efficiency and eventually generate profit. Can they rise up to the competition or will they go down the AGLOCO way?
Are Widgetbucks’s days already numbered?
How to deal with the falling dollar
January 8, 2008
A lot has already been written explaining the reasons behind the fall of the US Dollar but very, very few have offered solutions on how to deal with it. Here we give some suggestions on how to face the challenge of a depreciating dollar.
The fall of the US Dollar is very much apparent in the Philippines, where the Peso currency appreciated by as much as 18.8% in 2007, making it the year’s best performing currency in Asia.
Although the peso rise has brought economic benefits such as lower inflation and higher purchasing power, it also hurts exporters who are currently struggling with rising prices and Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families who are now getting less from their dollar earnings.
What to do then to deal with a depreciating dollar and appreciating peso?
Stocks Basics 4: What are the types of stock trading orders?
January 7, 2008
What are the different types of stock trading orders?
There are several types of trades that meet one’s stock trading requirements and objectives — market order, limit order, all-or-none order, day order, amd good till canceled order.
Read more
UP Centennial Celebration 2008 starts this week
January 6, 2008
The country’s premier institution of higher learning, the University of the Philippines (UP), is now 100 years old. Established on July 18, 1908, UP has since produced leaders in both government and industry, trailblazers in the arts and humanities, and innovators in science and engineering.
The year 2008 is UP’s Centennial Year and was officially declared one by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through Proclamation No. 913. The celebration officially begun on July 18, 2007 and will last until December 31, 2008.
Following are highlights of activities related to this year’s UP Centennial celebration. A complete calendar of activities from January to December 2008 can be found in the UP Centennial website.
