OFW Shopping Advice: Buy more, spend less!

Overseas Filipino Workers’ life is never easy. They are like soldiers, and their biggest weapon is courage. It is not a surprise that these people have a universal trait called selflessness. For them, the struggle of working abroad is not a hindrance to attain their dreams for their loved ones here in the Philippines.

Did you know that 82% of OFW remittances goes to their families’ basic needs? Spend them on the most affordable supermarkets such as Gaisano Capital!

Isa sa mga misyon ng BeamAndGo na mapadali at maging safe ang pag-ba-budget niyo ng inyong padala. Gamit lamang ang gift certificates, mawawala na ang worry mo dahil siniguro namin na sa tamang gastusin ito mapupunta.

Bakit nga ba maganda bumili sa Gaisano Capital?

Gaisano Capital is one of the well-known malls in Visayas and Mindanao. It has a wide selection of grocery and department store items. Gaisano Capital Group started this shopping mall with an enthusiasm to serve the community when it comes to their consumers’ needs.

Gaisano Capital – Supermarket

Food is one of the basic needs of our family. Isa sa pamilyar na linya ng mga OFWs ang, “Hindi na baleng wala akong maayos na kain, basta mabusog lang ang pamilya ko”.

One mark of a financially literate OFW is knowing where you can save without compromising quality! Gaisano Capital is both affordable and trusted by OFWs because their products are of superior quality and never spoiled!

Ito ang isa sa mga rason kung bakit ka nagpupursigi na magtrabaho sa ibang bansa. Dahil naniniwala tayo na mas malaki ang kinikitang pera, mas maibibigay natin ang pangangailangan nila.

At dahil nais kayo matulungan ng BeamAndGo at ng aming trusted merchant partner, through our digital gift certificates, makakabili na ang ‘yong pamilya ng pang-araw araw na pagkain nila sa Gaisano Capital supermarket. Walang tapon dito sa Gaisano, dahil lahat ng produkto nila ay 100% fresh! Ang saya pa mamili rito dahil lahat ng staff ay sobrang accommodating!

Make sure lang na bago magpunta sa supermarket, nailista na lahat ng mga kailangan bilhin at pumili ng pinaka-the best ang kalidad.

Sa mga misis naman na palaging may listahan, make sure you compare prices or even ask the crew for recommendations!

Gaisano Capital – Department Store

Hindi rin mawawala ang pag-sa-shopping ng pamilya ng mga gamit na maaaring magamit sa bahay. Damit, sapatos, school supplies, appliances o mga pang-regalo ay makikita mo rito sa Gaisano Capital Department Store. Hindi ka naman magsisisi dahil lahat ng produkto nila ay reasonable ang price at pang-long term dahil sa quality nito.

You may even purchase your children’s school stationery needs: notebooks, reference books, gift wrappers, yellow pad, pencils, etc. at Gaisano Capital

Huwag rin kalimutan na tumingin at magtanong ng mga promos na ino-offer ng Department Store para mas sulit ang pamimili!

Check the list below and pick the nearest branch for your family!

• Gaisano Capital South – Henry Gaisano Bldg. Colon Cor. Leon Kilat St., Cebu City
• Gaisano Capital Tisa – F. Llamas St., Tisa, Cebu City
• Gaisano Island Mall – Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
• Gaisano Capital Danao – F. Ralota St., Danao City, Cebu
• Gaisano Riverside Mall – Brgy. Alegria, Ormoc City, Leyte
• Gaisano Central – J. Romualdez St., Tacloban City, Leyte
• Gaisano Capital Guanco – Guanco St., Iloilo City
• Gaisano Capital Kalibo – Andagao, Kalibo Aklan
• Gaisano Capital Ozamiz – Rizal Ave., Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental
• Gaisano Capital Sogod – Zone V, Sogod City, Southern Leyte
• Gaisano Capital Surigao – Brgy. Luna, Surigao City, Surigao del Norte
• Gaisano One Pavilion Mall – No. 7 R. Duterte St., Banawa, Cebu City
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart – Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu
• Gaisano Capital Casuntingan – M.L. Quezon Ave., Casuntingan, Mandaue City, Cebu
• Gaisano Capital SRP – Laray, San Roque, Talisay City, Cebu
• Gaisano Capital Calapan – Tawiran, National Road Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro
• Gaisano Capital Masbate – Quezon St., Crossing, Masbate City
• Gaisano Capital San Francisco – Brgy. 4 National Highway, San Francisco, Agusan del Sur
• Gaisano Capital San Jose – National Road, Brgy. Labangan San Jose, Occidental Mindoro
• Gaisano Capital Ormoc – Lopez Jaena & Real St., Ormoc City, Leyte
• Gaisano Capital Tacloban – J. Romualdez St., Tacloban City, Leyte
• Gaisano Capital Iloilo – Luna St., Lapaz, Iloilo City
• Gaisano Oton Iloilo – J.C. Zulueta St., Oton, Iloilo City
• Gaisano Capital Passi – Simeon Aguilar St., Passi City, Iloilo
• Gaisano Capital San Carlos – Ledesma St., San Carlos City, Negros Occidental
• Gaisano Capital Pagadian – Rizal St., Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
• Gaisano Capital Bislig – Purok 3, Castillo Village District, Mangagoy, Bislig City, Surigao del Sur
• Gaisano Capital Tandag – Cabrera and Navales Poblacion, Tandag, Surigao del Sur
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart Inayawan – Inayawan Bldg., F. Jaca St., Brgy. Inayawan, Cebu
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart Danao Cental – GF – 03 Danao Central Mall, Juan Luna, Tuburan Sur, Danao City, Cebu
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart Bacayan – Talamban Road, Bacayan, Cebu City
• Gaisano City Soho Mall – B. Rodriguez St., Brgy. Guadalupe, Cebu City
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart T. Padilla – T. Padilla St., Cebu City
• Gaisano Saver’s Mart Ormoc – Rizal St., Brgy. 21 Poblacion, Ormoc City
• Gaisano Capital Iriga – Brgy. San Roque, Iriga City, Camarines Sur

 

How to avail gift certificates from Gaisano Capital?

The first thing to do is create a BeamAndGo account at www.beamandgo.com. Registration is FREE! Just provide the required details (full name, location overseas, valid email address and mobile number). Welcome na welcome ang lahat ng OFWs sa BeamAndGo, kaya try na!

Log in your BeamAndGo account and go to our STORE page. Choose GAISANO CAPITAL as your selected product and it’s up to you kung ilang worth PHP 1000 GC/s ang i-sesend mo sa ‘yong pamilya. The more, the merrier! Also, do not forget to check your beneficiary’s FULL NAME and MOBILE NUMBER. And finally, you can now proceed to checkout. You can pay via credit card, debit card (PayPal), online bank transfer, or pay over the counter at any remittance centers that accept BDO deposit and through our partners, Pacific Ace, iRemit, PayRemit, PNB, Speed Money and Sentbe!

 

Remember to bring your valid ID and BeamAndGo SMS with serial codes and confirmation codes. Simply show it to the credit department staff and they will replace it with the GCs

When everything is processed, makakatanggap ng transaction codes ang iyong beneficiary thru SMS. Pupunta lang sila sa branch ng Gaisano Capital na pinakamalapit sa kanila at i-pe-present ang SMS codes at isang valid ID sa Credit Department. Since we have your beneficiary’s details, our Customer Service will call and assist them right away.

Simple lang dito sa BeamAndGo, kaya simulan na ang pagbili ng digital gift certificates para sa iyong loved ones. Bukod sa hassle-free, kontrolado mo pa ang iyong perang padala!

At Gaisano Capital, their staff are all trained to assist every customer’s needs! You’ll be surprised at how friendly and quick they are! I was lost going around but they have memorized every section in their heads! It’s amazing!

 

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Balik-Pilipinas: What Makes You Miss Home?

Missing home is a feeling we often experience, especially as an OFW living far away. Home is where the heart is, ‘ika nga nila. At para maiparamdam na mahal mo ang pamilya mo sa iyong hometown, subukan mong magpadala gamit ang BeamAndGo.

To learn more about BeamAndGo and our services, click here.

Tinanong namin ang ilan sa mga Beamers what it’s like to live in each of their hometowns — from their simple experiences to the memories they cherish the most. Ito ang kwento ni Raizza, Tom, Angela, at Shelly.

Raizza, Bicol

Raizza is from Albay, Bicol, home of the infamous Mayon Volcano. The last time she’s been there was a year ago, October 2016. Swerte raw kapag nakikita mo ang Mayon ng buo. Kadalasan kasi, natatakpan ito ng mga ulap. Fortunately, Raizza always gets to see Mayon’s true beauty every time she visits.

For someone who spends so much time in the city, Raizza enjoys the slow pace in Bicol — yung feeling na hindi nagmamadali o minamadali. She says it makes one appreciate the little things that go by your day even more. Here’s how she describes coming back to her hometown of Albay:

“As cliché as it sounds, maririnig mo sa umaga ang mga tumitilaok na manok. I’d still be half

Raizza’s favorite: tablea chocolate & binugtong

asleep by then, but I’ll always remember that my provincial home would be alive and bustling as early as 4:30 am. Maghahanda si Lolo at Lola para sa 5 AM mass at para mamalengke. ‘Pag 7 AM na, halos lahat ng nasa bahay ay gising na upang magsalu-salo. Siguradong nakahanda ang paborito kong tablea tsokolate at binugtong, a Bicolano delicacy made of glutinous rice with coconut cream wrapped in a banana leaf. Very similar to suman, only creamier.

After breakfast, I’d usually have somewhere to be in the city. Either bibisita ako ng mga friends ko from childhood or iikot lang ako para magliwaliw. Ang masaya diyan is there’s barely any traffic. I prefer going around the area via tricycle or jeep.

Raizza’s family at Biggs

‘Pag in the mood si Lolo at Lola, lalabas rin sila kasama ang rest of the family. Usually, in the afternoon mamamasyal kami sa LCC Mall in Legazpi. Sasamahan ko ang Mommy ko at Lola ko na mamili sa department store. Kapag dinner, walang tatalo sa iconic Biggs food chain. Meron nito sa LCC Mall kaya it’s good narin na nandun kami. Biggs is a famous diner (and the biggest fast food chain in Bicol) that serves western food with a Bicolano twist.

 

Maaga natatapos ang araw kapag nasa probinsiya. By 7 or 8 pm, handa na ang lahat na matulog at mapahinga para sa susunod na araw.  No pressure at all thoughout the day, kaya you always feel so relaxed.”

We also asked her what she misses the most. Sabi niya, it’s being around with her grandparents. Besides the satisfaction of having her favorite people around, the calmness and serenity of the environment. Fresh na fresh and hangin at hindi masyadong mainit dahil sagana ang mga pananim at puno sa paligid, as she would say.

Tom, Iloilo

Tom is from Jaro, Iloilo City. Ang huli niyang punta doon ay noong May 2016. Iloilo is known for it’s virgin beaches, batchoy,  heritage sites, and modern jeepneys that roam around the city. Coming back to his hometown always excites him. And whenever he does, he makes sure to spend a lot of time with his family and friends.

“Every time I visit Iloilo, I always make sure that I’m doing something each day. In the morning, Its either I try new restaurants, maybe visit the beaches or maybe just chill outside my home and enjoy the fresh air. At night, we go out and drink because the night life scene in Iloilo’s crazy.”

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Tom remembers how delicious the food is in his hometown, especially the seafood. He even says, “you can never go wrong with the seafood in Iloilo. They’re huge and you can get them for a very cheap price.”

Angela, Negros Occidental

Angela was born in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. The last time she visited was three years ago before she entered college. The province of Negros is quite known for their festivals: Pintaflores at San Carlos City, Panaad and Masskara at Bacolod, Manlambus Festival sa Escalante City, and a lot more.

Angela shares with us her favorite memories in Negros:

“I feel happy whenever I’m on a vacation in my hometown because I get to see my family and friends. Nakakapag-bonding kami. Catch up catch up, ganon. Andun ‘yung nostalgic feeling everytime uuwi ako. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam.

Simple lang ang buhay sa probinsya. Doon, kapag may vegetable garden ka, mabubuhay ka na! Ang hanapbuhay ng mga tao ay simple lang din, kumakasya lang ang kinikita nila sa pang araw-araw na pangangailangan. Laging kumakayod, bawal magpahinga. ‘Yung iba, umalis na papuntang ibang bansa para magtrabaho, tinitiis nilang malayo  sa kanilang pamilya para lang mabigyan sila ng magandang buhay. Kaya saludo ako sa mga mahal nating OFWs na kinkaya lahat matustusan lang ang pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya. Mabuhay po kayong lahat!”

Para makatulong sa mga OFWs with families in Western Visayas, may partner merchants ang BeamAndGo sa regions na ito. Kasama na dito ang Gaisano Capital, Iloilo Supermart, at Prince Retail.

Marami ka pang ibang puwedeng pagpipilian dito!

Ang pagpapadala mo ng BeamAndGo Supermarket GC ay isa sa paraan ng pagpapakita ng pagmamahal sa pamilya mong, miss na miss mo na. Here’s what Angela misses most about her hometown:

“The spirit of Bayanihan. Sa probinsiya, madaling lapitan ang mga tao, lalo na sa panahon ng pangangailangan. Namimiss ko na din ang fiestas doon. May sayawan kasi doon sa ilalim ng buwan at mga niyog kapag fiesta, dito wala kasi di naman uso ang maingay na fiesta, at wala namang puno ng niyog dito sa Maynila, haha! One of the memories I cherish is nung nagpunta ako ng Panaad Festival sa Bacolod City, kasama ang kaibigan at pinsan ko. Pakiramdam ko halos nalibot ko na ang buong Negros Occidental!

Siguro kung may namimiss man ako ng sobra sa probinsya ay ang pamilya ko. Naalala ko, bago matulog ay ang pagdadasal namin ng sabay-sabay. Pag-gising naman sa umaga ang routine namin ng mama at mga kapatid ko is magwalis sa bakuran. Iba kasi talaga kapag kapiling ang pamilya, lahat gumagaan.”

Shelly, Davao

Shelly at GMall, Davao City

Shelly is a proud Davaoeña. Her hometown is in Davao City, a coastal commercial center near Mt. Apo, the Philippine’s highest peak. It is also notably famous for Philippine Eagle and a place where you can get a lot of fruits and crops. Shelly tells us that aside from the numerous beaches and resorts, maraming mall sa Davao: Abreeza Ayala, SM, NCCC and the famous GMall. We also asked Shelly how it’s like in living in her hometown. Ito ang sinabi niya:

“Waking up in the Land of Promise is a great feeling. You are truly home safe with the people you spend everyday with. You can just go around and plan what you need to do for the day without worrying too much because the city has friendly beautiful men and women who love peace.

A typical day for me would be waking up with my coffee, doing routines at home, going to the mall. I actually like going to GMall, the place has variety of items from their supermarkets, food chains, to department stores. It’s a one-stop shop. And this mall really has a lot of affordable things to offer. Jeepneys pass by the mall making it convenient for commuters and shoppers. Taxis are everywhere too. It’s amazing to be here and every place is definitely accessible in the city.

Sleeping at night is one of my favorite things. Karaoke is limited to 10 PM so you can sleep soundly, hearing the chirping birds and animal friends in the background. And yes, I am living in an urban city but I can still feel like I’m in the countryside too. That is what most of us desire, I guess.”

Shelly misses the peaceful environment in Davao the most — how people treat you kindly, how they follow rules, and the lovely weather to match.

Ito ang mga namimiss nila sa mga lugar na kanilang kinalakihan. It’s such a good feeling to look back on those moments and places that have significant places in our hearts. And just because we don’t come back regularly, doesn’t mean we can’t show the people we miss how much we care for them. Sending Supermarket GCs using BeamAndGo is one of the ways to do so. Kahit saan pa man ang hometown mo, siguradong may option ka dito!

Send Supermarket GCs now!

 

Working overseas and missing your mom

Your first and truest ally

Face it: When things get really difficult at work or when the people you live with prove more challenging than usual, you will normally grab your phone to have even a short talk with your mother. It’s normally just an issue of how much money you have set aside for making calls. Thank goodness for things like Facebook, WhatsApp, Skype, and Viber.

When I was still an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in Singapore, I was one of the musicians in my church. In one Mass for Filipinos, the priest focused on how each and every one of us there owed so much to our mothers. Hit with some inspiration, I began playing the notes of “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” on the piano. When I glanced at the congregation, hardly any person there, male or female, had dry eyes.

Why does any discussion on mothers cause such a reaction? For starters, a mother is always a person’s first supporter, the first fan. If you think about it, the mother is also the first real friend and chat mate with some mothers talking to their children as early as the pregnancy stage. Many of us have the experience of our mothers knowing something was up even before we knew about it or had the gumption to talk about it.

For example, when I was seven years old, I came home and my mom just looked at me. “May lagnat ka.” I gave this quizzical look and said, “Ha?” True enough, I was running a fever even though I didn’t feel it yet.

That’s how moms are and this is one reason why we can’t hide much from them and why our mothers are normally our first and truest allies.

This is why each OFW will always have this nagging question: How is my my mom? Is she okay?

Remember the times when you were too tired that she carried you?

This question is made stronger every time an OFW comes home only to leave for work again. You just can’t get rid of that feeling that maybe just so you don’t worry about her, your mother is not telling you everything she actually needs.

This is one of the reasons why BeamAndGo came to be. Each OFW wants a good measure of assurance that things are okay back home. You’re like that, aren’t you?

The surprise and the usual

Giving your mother chocolates is a good thing. So is giving her a bag of groceries. Mothers love that their little baby is able to earn a living, live a life independently, and send a goody or two back home one in a while. She won’t tell you though. You just see the twinkle in her eye and perhaps the hastily-brushed-off tear.

With BeamAndGo, you can actually do this much more easily and more frequently. For example, if you send her a BeamAndGo gift certificate of Php 1,000 (approximately SGD 30 or HKD 160), she can easily get perhaps the following items:

1. Adult milk (600g): Php 270
2. Sugar-free Coffee (20 packs): Php 106
3. Crackers (850g): Php 147
4. Dried Mangoes (100g): Php 50
5. 5 cups of instant noodles (35g): Php 79
6. Spaghetti (450g): Php 36
7. Sweet Spaghetti Sauce (25kg): Php 22
8. Cooking oil (1L): Php 170
9. High Fiber bread loaf: Php 90
10. Cheddar cheese: Php 45

Halina. Bili na!

What’s even better is that BeamAndGo’s partner merchants offer better value than leading supermarkets. These merchants are your “neighborhood” groceries such as Gaisano Mall of Davao (Davao), Gaisano Capital (Cebu), or Iloilo Supermart (Iloilo). Knowing these guys are also on your side can truly give a whole new and meaningful importance to your hard-earned money.

She was your first companion and lakwatsa buddy.

When you miss your mother, maybe, instead of going out with some friends to burn that SGD 30 or HKD 160, you can just go to the BeamAndGo website and send your mom something that she appreciate.

What we have above most likely won’t last a month but think of it as something like your way of giving back to mom for all the times she didn’t have a lot of money but spent it on one slice of 3M Pizza or a Burger Machine cheeseburger and a bottle of Coke just so her little baby could have something to eat after a tiring day in school.

Yes, that’s your mom, nanay, mama, nanang, inay, ima, mudra. Why don’t you give her a call now and tell her something is on the way to make her smile?

Does your family live in Cebu?

I previously thought that the last time I was in Cebu was in 2005, but it was longer than that … it was 1996 (almost 20 years ago!).

What I do remember clearly was that the beaches were awesome, the city was clean and well organized, duck pin bowling was mucho fun, and I met a lot of friendly Cebuanos during my visit.

So I am happy to say that we have a bunch of merchants on the BeamAndGo platform with branches in Cebu.

If you or your family live in Cebu, you can purchase digital gift certificates from BeamAndGo.com and use them at these participating merchants:

Gaisano Capital is one of the premier department stores in the Philippines. They are known for their wide selection of merchandise and affordable prices. In Cebu alone, they have 8 branches.

With 5 branches in Cebu, Prince Warehouse is one of the fastest growing hypermarts in the Philippines. They have a wide selection of groceries and supplies with discount specials every week and sometimes daily.

Generika is the #1 generics drugstore in the Philippines with 32 branches in Cebu. They carry affordable generic medication, branded medicines, hospital supplies and perform health screenings.

Also feel free to share with your family and friends.

To see what else we are doing at BeamAndGo, visit us at http://www.beamandgo.com. And if you have questions, suggestions or comments, you can contact me directly at jonathan.chua@beamandgo.com.