WITH so much going on in the Internet and social media, there are times when all I want to do during weekends is to go unplugged. Leave the distractions of social media and just relax. I’m sure many of you feel that way too. But in this age of telecommunications, such a thing is easier said than done.
You can, of course, hide yourself off to some remote jungle or cave, unreachable to cell-phone towers. But that may take you beyond the borders of security, as well. Not exactly conducive to a relaxing weekend.
It would be simple enough to turn off your phone, put away your laptop, and keep your tab inside your desk drawer, under lock and key. But are you prepared to deal with the separation anxiety that would invariably follow? How are you going to order in for pizza? How are you going to monitor the National Basketball Association scores? More important, how are you going to check out the KimYe and AlDub updates (wouldn’t that drive you batty?) Let’s face it, for many of us, staying connected is probably easier than being disconnected. The struggle, as they say, is real. Resistance is futile.
A MATTER OF PRIORITIES
That’s not to say staying connected is a bad thing. The trick is how to integrate it seamlessly into your lifestyle so it becomes more of a boon than a bane.
For Tessa Prieto-Valdes, for example, it’s a matter of prioritizing what is important and filtering out the unnecessary noise.
Prieto, who cuts a charismatic figure in the social scene, has to stay connected to maintain a lifestyle in which she dons many hats (literally and figuratively).Aside from maintaining a career as an interior designer, she writes a newspaper column, hosts social events, and raises funds for several charities, including the annual Red Charity Ball for the Red Cross. Above everything else, she is a doting wife and mother to husband Dennis and kids Bryan, Tyrone, Annika and Athena.
To her, digital technology is a blessing.
“I thank God for digital connections,” Prieto admits. Now that her eldest, Bryan, is living on his own and her second, Tyrone, is studying abroad, she has maximized the use of messaging apps Viber and WhatsApp, not to mention Instagram and Snapchat, to keep in touch snd stay abreast with her family’s activities. Staying connected also helps with work, she says. “I multitask a lot—this is of course a must during these fast-paced times. Access to various channels and sources of information help keep me updated and relevant. I can access all the convenient channels to get my to-do list done! It’s a great fuel for creativity, and finding interesting, innovative or new things to inspire me—that wonderfully translates into what I produce.”
Prieto acknowledges the assistance she gets from Globe Telecom in juggling her many responsibilities.
“I consider Globe a key partner in enabling me to accomplish what I set out to do on a daily basis. For instance, the Platinum Lifestyle Plan provides me with everything I need to stay connected to my passions and the things that inspire me to enjoy the life I have worked hard for.”
Prieto is one of three Globe clients handpicked to speak for the telecomm giant’s Platinum brand, which was relaunched over the holidays.
CONFESSIONS OF A KITCHEN ROCK STAR
Another Platinum Plan ambassador, Chef JP Anglo has a different story to tell. Unlike Prieto, Anglo went through adversity to get to where he is right now. The master chef picked himself up from a failed family business to build a restaurant legacy that extends beyond his hometown. He did this with the help of his family, and by maximizing resources open to him, including digital information.
Growing up in Bacolod, Anglo nurtured a passion for cooking. Undaunted by the failure of his family’s Chinese restaurant, he decided to seek culinary education and experience in Australia, fast emerging as a haven for up-and-coming chefs. After undergoing five years of intensive training in Le Cordon Bleu, during which time he took on some of the most labor-intensive chores, he deemed himself ready.
Family, in the form of his sister and brother-in-law, gave him the chance to prove himself. He opened his first restaurant, Mai Pao & Mu Shu, in Bacolod.
Moving to Manila, he nurtured the dream of opening a restaurant in the Big City. Being digitally connected helped him find his place.
“I was away from everything familiar, so, yes, staying connected with people I love was a comfort. Access to various sources of information and inspirations, on the other hand, kept me going. I had a dream to fulfill, didn’t I? And seeing what others were doing and [what they] have achieved gave me that push to not let up.”
Since then, Anglo, who has developed the reputation of being a rock star in the kitchen for churning out excitingly edgy Filipino dishes, has opened several restaurants including Sarsa, Kafé Batwan and Liberation Shawarma. He also served as a judge on MasterChef Pinoy Edition, where he earned the respect of top-drawer Filipino chefs like Fernando Aracama. Anglo continues to seek inspiration and knowledge, and travel is one of his ways to do this. Staying connected helps him keep tabs on his local endeavors while enjoying his travels.
“I make it a point to never stop learning about food, and traveling is an awesome way to do that. Naturally, I have to stay connected with my team in Manila because the business needs to run even when I’m out of the country,” he says. “I’ve found Globe Platinum to be a key partner in enabling me to do that. Remember that I’m in the service industry, so I demand the same level of quality service that I provide. The Platinum Lifestyle Plan that I have covers everything I need.”
This includes features like unlimited all network calls and texts, rich mobile data allocation, and built-in automatic or consumable options on roaming services whenever he travels.
As Globe Platinum Marketing Director Kaisie del Carmen says, “It’s our commitment to ensure that our customers, get to live their modern lifestyles in today’s digital setting.”