Handy How-To's

I would like to share how I obtained my first Professional Tax Receipt (PTR) at the Manila City Hall. I suppose that the procedure and requirements are similar in various jurisdictions in the Philippines. As a first-timer, I needed to prove that I passed the professional licensing exam. So, I brought with me a hardcopy of an email from the company where I was affiliated with which attested that I had passed the licensure exam. I also prepared some money to pay the tax, which amounted to Php 300. Then I went to the Manila City Hall, where I was directed to the Licensing Division on the Ground Floor. There, the staff inspected the email message. Satisfied that everything was in order, he prepared a small slip of paper called "Order of Payment" and instructed me to take it to "Window D" of the Taxpayers' Lounge located on the Ground Floor. At Window D, I paid the tax and was issued an official receipt. The official receipt indicates my profession and the amo

My wife and I hit a few rough spots when we applied for a multi-purpose clearance from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) of the Philippines. Realizing that other clearance applicants might be encountering similar difficulties, I would like to share how we got ours, plus some handy tips. Summary Sign up for a new account on the NBI website. Fill up an online form. Apply for clearance: schedule your appointment and select the type of clearance and payment method. Pay the processing fee. Verify that your payment was processed correctly. Print the application form. On the appointed date, proceed to the NBI office. Rough Spots The first one concerns the name of a married female who is trying to register as a new user in the system.  The second concerns payment. For the payment method we selected, we were presented with so many instructions in the form of screen popups, as you will see below. They were all intended to help us, of course. But seeing it all fo

Deter crime and gain peace of mind with a home security camera You may sometimes worry that your home is being broken into by thieves while you are away. Installing a home security camera will enable you to check your home any time you want to and record valuable evidence of a break-in if it does occur. Indeed, the mere presence of a security camera is often enough to deter crime. Let's say that you want to install a security camera in your home. What are your options? The traditional purpose-built, professionally-installed closed-circuit televison (CCTV) cameras are still unbeatable in terms of features and reliability, but they tend to be too expensive for the average homeowner. Luckily, as can be seen in the pictures below, you can now set up a home security camera using nothing more than your old smartphone or tablet and a free smartphone app. Of course, you also need to have broadband Internet and WiFi in your home. Set up an old smartphone as a security camera

It has been six whole years since I started using my Paragon CRT contact lens, and I think it's time that I wrote about this amazing technology and the people who prescribe it with expertise, care and compassion.  We who have been wearing eyeglasses or contact lenses are only too aware of the trials and tribulations that they can cause. A few words come to mind: painful, inconvenient, time consuming, restrictive, expensive. I had been wearing eyeglasses since I graduated from high school in 1978. To arrest my visual acuity's steady decline, I switched to soft contact lenses a few years later. But as I got older, presbyopia set in, and my contact lenses prevented me from seeing nearby objects clearly. Not willing to switch back to eyeglasses, I decided to undergo laser eye surgery in 2009. Unfortunately, the result of the surgery was not so good. Although my nearsightedness was reduced significantly, my astigmatism got a lot worse. What's more, it became more difficult

How to improve the reliability of your smartphone As your indispensable travel assistant and communications tool, your smartphone must always be ready to do its job. Here’s how to prevent your smartphone from letting you down during your vacation. Invest in a power bank, travel charger and charging cable Bring one or two power banks with you so that you can top up your smartphone’s battery while you are on the go. How large should your power bank be? As a rough guide, you probably have to fully recharge your smartphone’s battery twice during a full day of sightseeing. For today’s typical smartphone, this means that your power bank should have a minimum capacity of 10,000 mAh. Invest in two 5,000 mAh power banks if flexibility and reliability are your primary concerns, or in one with 10,000 mAh if you prefer to carry less equipment and have a limited budget. Choose a name-brand power bank whose specifications (brand, model, capacity, etc.) are printed clearly on its body. Otherwis

How to connect to the Internet in Japan Part 1  of this series of articles explores some very useful smartphone apps that make visiting Japan much more fun and convenient. But these apps are nearly useless if your smartphone cannot access the Internet. So here are some handy tips for getting online in Japan. You have several options: International roaming promos The most convenient (and expensive) way to access the Internet overseas is through international roaming. International roaming enables your smartphone to make and receive phone calls, send and receive SMS and access the Internet. In exchange for such convenience, every phone call and text message is charged at international toll rates plus a roaming charge. Similarly, Internet access is metered and charged at premium rates. So, use international roaming sparingly. This means keeping your smartphone’s Mobile Data (or Cellular Data) switched off unless you absolutely need to access the Internet, and calling and texting on

Become a travel ninja with the right smartphone apps Japan is a fabulous country and a great place to visit. But vacationing there can be stressful if you are not prepared for the language barrier, the complexity of its transportation system, and a general lack of familiarity with the place. I would like to share how you can overcome these challenges with the help of your smartphone.  Essential travel apps For your next visit to Japan, download these (or similar) apps into your smartphone: Japan Travel App Agoda Google Maps Trip Advisor Google Translate Here is a brief rundown of these apps. Japan Travel App The Japan Travel App is made by Navitime Japan Co., Ltd. Use this app to determine which trains or other forms of transportation to take. It tells a traveler everything he needs to know, such as what time to leave the hotel, which train station to go to, how far to walk to reach the train station, which train line to take, which train platform to go, wha

I visited Japan many times during the past 30 years and experienced living and working there for full year. Every visit was a beautiful experience, and it can be for you, too. I would like to share with you how to find a convenient place to stay. Save time, energy and money by staying in a hotel near a train station We all need a place to sleep, freshen up and park our belongings. For most of us, it means staying in a hotel or a ryokan. Here is my tip: stay in a hotel that is situated near a train station. Being near a train station makes a lot of sense, because it gives you quick access to the extensive and highly efficient rail network. It also puts the multitude of convenience stores, food stalls, restaurants, and emergency services that congregate around them within easy reach. This leads to lots of savings in valuable vacation time and energy. Another reason for staying near a train station is that it gives you the opportunity to avoid expensive taxi rides. In most cases, tak

It’s time to wise up on Waze  As a frequent user the Waze app, I noticed that it doesn't always come up with the best possible route. Over time, I learned how to make it do a better job of finding the quickest route. In this short post, I would like to share my technique.  The basic idea is to make Waze recalculate your route as you approach an intersection that may offer alternative routes. For example: City driving: Make Waze recalculate as you approach an intersection.  Inter-city driving: Make Waze recalculate as you enter your destination town or city.  As a safety reminder, do not operate the app  while your car is in motion or in any situation where it is  prohibited by law. If you are driving with a companion, ask him or her to operate the app for you.  How to make Waze recalculate routes Tap the blue icon at the bottom right corner of the navigation screen: On the next screen, tap the Routes icon near the bottom left corner of the screen. Waze