Through that post, I saw a lot of people getting irked with how Customs charge them for imported goods. So I compiled a list of questions and asked Mr. Phillip to answer them.

Here is some sort of FAQ if you’re planning to have an item shipped here from abroad.

1. Which method of shipping is better for the recipient? Via post office (regular) or via courier such as Fedex, DHL, etc.?

Both are better but it depends who is best in clearing your shipment on time and will free you of any hassle. My advice, if the goods are only letters, documents, etc. try to send it via EMS. If the items are loose cargo (LCL) or the so called “balikbayan boxes” send it thru so called “Balikbayan Cargo Forwarders”. Take note it will take a month or two for this kind of shipment method because it’s via seafreight!

2. What are the factors that comes into play why I have to pay Php4000 for an item valued at Php6000? Is paying almost or more than 50% of the cost normal?

Customs is implementing the WTO (World Trade Organization) Valuation System called “Transaction Value”. The dutiable value of an imported article subject to an ad valorem rate of duty shall be the transaction value, which shall be the price actually paid or payable for the goods when sold for export to the Philippines.

Usually, the cost of insurance and cost of transport of the imported goods from the port of exportation to the port of entry in the Philippines is also added in your dutiable value (purchased price).

3. Sometimes, people are not being taxed? How come?

There are a lot of scenarios that can happen. One thing for that is that shipment imported has Tax Exemption duly provided by the consignee. But NOT all shipments can be subjected to Tax Exemption especially personal shipments.

4. Are used or free items such as replacement items also taxable?

Yes as per section 100 of Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines:

ALL ARTICLES, when imported from any foreign country into the Philippines, SHALL BE SUBJECT TO DUTY UPON EACH IMPORTATION, even though PREVIOUSLY EXPORTED FROM the Philippines, EXCEPT as otherwise SPECIFICALLY PROVIDED for in this CODE or in OTHER LAWS

Calvin: Bummer. This is so unfair!

5. What is the rate of duty for and how do i know if they applied the correct rate for my item?

The rate of duty is the duty apply on the shipment arrived and based on World Customs Organization’s Harmonized Tariff System. This depends on the item you purchased or imported here in the Philippines.

It would be better if the seller or shipper determine the correct harmonized code so that customs can easily find the correct rate of duty.

Calvin: You can determine the rate of duty on the Tariff Commission’s website. Mobile phones don’t have rate of duty by the way while garment has the highest at 15%.

6. Is there an online calculator on how you can estimate how much Customs should charge you?

Not that I know of. But if you need to know the basics how to compute the duty and tax, you have to seek assistance of a licensed customs broker. Few courier companies has their own system of computing the duties and taxes.

Calvin: We’ll see if we can program one for you guys.

7. What happens if I can’t or I won’t pay for the item because the tax is too high?

Customs will treat the shipment as abandoned as per section 1801 to 1802 of Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (PD1464) as amended by RA 7651.

There is 30 days period starting from the date of discharge of the last package of the shipment and not extendible and 15 days after filing of the necessary import entry. Abandonment can be categorized as:

• Express Abandonment – expressly signifies in writing his intention to abandon the shipment to the Collector of Customs.
• Implied Abandonment – the importer fails to file necessary import entry within 30 days from discharge of the last package OR importer is duly notified and filed an entry but FAILS to claim his importation 15 days after the FINAL ASSESSMENT or notice to claim his importation.

Once abandoned, Customs will auction the abandoned goods as per section 2601  of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines as implemented by CMO 5-2003 or the Rules and Regulations on Public Auction or Negotiated Sale.

Calvin: Or… sell it on eBay.ph?

I’m going to ask our friendly and helpful customs broker to subscribe to this post so if you have any more questions, maybe you can ask them in the comments.

Related posts:

1. Oops… Philippines Customs did it again
2. FedEx and the insane Philippines Customs Taxes
3. Philippine’s or Philippines’? What should I use?

You look at your friends’ blogs and you think to yourself “Hey, I want that one on my blog too”. By the time you know it, your front page already takes 4 “Page Downs” to reach the bottom just because of your widgets. Now you ask yourself, “what should I remove?”

Here are some tips I kinda picked up through years of blogging on how to prioritize which widget should be included in your blog.

Recent Post

This widget is very useful for blogs that generate a lot of traffic from search engines. Since people don’t visit your site via your homepage, they can easily glimpse what your recent posts are and will likely click them. You can also place this widget on your footer so after reading, a visitor can easily check other interesting stuff.

For blogs that are more personal in nature and has a daily readership, this becomes less important.

Recent Comments

I personally like adding recent comments. This allows me and my readers to quickly see if there are new comments on my blog. This also somewhat helps those who recently commented to know if their is a reply on their comment.

Popular or Top Post

This widget is usually based on the number of comments a post has. It’s a nice way to bait first-time readers who are just surfing around to actually click a link from this widget and join in the discussion.

I don’t use this widget because my most popular posts are how-to guides so it won’t really attract the average visitor on my blog.

Calendar

I think this is just a filler widget. It looks cute sitting on your sidebar if it is bare but it really poses little value to you or your visitors. If your blog is like a journal though then this will be slightly appropriate.

Archives

If you want to show off how long you have been blogging then by all means slap your archive widget in your sidebar. But seriously, how often do you click on a blog’s archive link? If you really think that an archive is helpful for your site then I would suggest just creating a separate page for it.

Tag Cloud

How many of you think this widget is just a waste of space? I thought so before but the Tag Cloud is very useful for a niche blog to get some SEO points. Your visitors won’t use it that much though so you can put it somewhere below the fold or even the footer.

Others

Shoutbox, Clocks, Facebook, Flickr, MyBlogLog and other third-party widgets aren’t included in the list so it’s up to your discretion if they would be beneficial for your site.

Conclusion:

Too much widgets can overcrowd your blog and may give your readers sensory overload. It can also slow down your site if they are hosted in different servers. However, widgets can also be a big help for letting your visitors discover different pages in your site without you instructing them.

Better prioritize which widgets should be placed above the fold, below the fold or the footer (if applicable) and see your widgets drive more page views to your site.

Related posts:

1. The 3 C’s of a Successful Blog
2. Facebook is the best way to promote your blog
3. Blog traffic and how they translate to AdSense earnings

Blogger (yoursite.blogspot.com)

Blogger is Google. This means it has integration with Google AdSense which is one of the main reasons why newbie bloggers choose this over WordPress. If you want to earn serious money (which is not really easy by the way) with AdSense with little to no cost then go ahead and choose Blogger.

There are plenty of free Blogger themes available on the net and the default ones are nice as well. Customization is slow and messy though since CSS are already integrated to the code itself instead of having its own CSS file.

PROS:

• Google AdSense are easily integrated
• You can add java scripts for online money making programs such as for paid posts and affiliate marketing
• Integrating it with your custom domain is free

CONS:

• Very basic editor
• No built-in spam system (can be controlled by implementing a strict commenting system)
• Hard to keep track and manage comments (especially for old posts)
• No ready widget for recent comments
• Must rely on Google Analytics or other stat-gathering services for site statistics
• No categories (must rely on tags/labels)
• Sites tend to load slow because of third-party js scripts and how CSS is called

WordPress.com (yoursite.wordpress.com)

There are two types of WordPress service available. One is the free service (WordPress.com) and the other one is the free platform (WordPress.org) which requires you to have your own means of hosting.

The only difference between the two is that you can’t have scripts, third-party widgets and themes on WordPress.com service.

PROS:

• Clean and tidy due to lack of ads
• Comprehensive editor (with support for an image gallery)
• Lots of very useful widgets (recent posts, comments, top posts, etc.)
• Beautiful themes for different styles of blogging
• Comments are very easy to manage
• Built-in site stats are very helpful

CONS:

• You can’t put scripts
• You can’t edit the html code
• You cannot make money from it (against their TOS)
• Themes are limited but there’s a lot to choose from
• Editing of CSS requires an annual fee
• Mapping your own domain name requires an annual fee

Choosing to go with the WordPress platform plus your own hosting will eliminate all the CONS plus will give you access to a LOT of more plugins, widgets and theme. However, you need the necessary know-how or have someone to properly set up your WordPress blog.

Conclusion:

WordPress.com is suitable for people who just want to have their own blog so they can write, share their thoughts and information and interact with other bloggers without the need to earn money.

I really can’t deal with Blogger’s cumbersome comment manager and poor editor but the ability to earn money while blogging is a huge factor to draw in bloggers. If you’re not too keen on building a community for your blog then choose Blogger.

But if you’re serious in blogging, I suggest go for the WordPress platform from the get-go with your own domain and paid hosting. It will be much better and easier in the long run.

What I did was start with WordPress.com and also created a Blogger account. Joined some pay-per-post service until I was able to earn enough to get a domain name and hosting for my own self-hosted WordPress site. Then transferred my WP.com into it.

Related: Having an online presence need not be expensive

Related posts:

1. Google really loves WordPress.com Blogs
2. Adding avatars on a Digg 3-column theme for WordPress
3. Use WordPress.com’s RSS Widget to promote your other sites

Your Chrome must be equipped with a plugin called Getflash in order to save those videos as .flv’s or mp4’s. Go ahead and click the link using Chrome and click the Add to Chrome button.

Now what will happen is if your browser detects a flash video, a flash icon will appear on the right portion of your location bar.

Click the flash icon and a Download (Video) link will appear just above your video.

Don’t click Download even if you think it’s the logical thing to do. Somehow it doesn’t work. Instead, Right-click on Video and select Save Link As.

That’s it, wait for your download to finish and you will have a local copy of the video. Some sites will give you the title of the video while some don’t and some will save it as FLV and some as MP4.

Can’t play it on your PC? Go get the ultra-versatile VLC media player. Now go start collecting more video clips that you can put on your phone or iPod.

Related posts:

1. The easiest way to download Youtube videos
2. How to download YouTube videos on your iPod Touch
3. How to convert videos for your iPod Touch

So if you think your site is worth promoting, better create a Facebook page for it. And while you’re at it, create a username for it as well so it will be easy to remember. Like mine which is  www.facebook.com/Calvinshub.

Creating a Facebook Page

1. To create an official Facebook page for your site, go to www.facebook.com/page.

2. Select Brand, product or organization and choose Website.

3. Enter your site’s name, mark the checkbox and click Create Official Page.

4. Enter your details, add links to your blog posts and stuff and start inviting people.

Pretty simple huh?

Get your username

Now as your friends start “liking” your page, some of them may ask you, how come the link to your page has numbers on it? It’s hard to memorize and it won’t look good in a calling card.

This is Facebook’s way of controlling pages, especially those who were made by mistake. But there’s a way to simplify the link to your Facebook page.

1. All you need to do is have 25 people become fans of your page then go to www.facebook.com/username. Click the link to Set a username to your Pages.

2. Now choose which Page you want to create a username for.

3. Enter your desired name and you’re all set.

That’s it. Your Facebook page link is now simpler and easier to remember. Better hurry before someone uses your site’s name.

Related posts:

1. Facebook is the best way to promote your blog
2. Create your own MTV!
3. The evil that is Facebook

A basic function of a smartphone is its Push capability. Based on your update settings, it will automatically connect to the internet and get your e-mail, update social network statuses, weather, stocks, passport, driver’s license, etc.

If you’re like me who only wants to connect to the net via WiFi, we want to turn off 3G (GPRS/EDGE/HSDPA) connectivity by default and only turn it on only when we want to. However, most smartphones don’t have the feature to manually toggle data connection on and off. (not so smart huh?).

Fortunately, there’s a lot of workaround for this nuisance that should be available in your phone.

What you can do is slightly modify the APN details of your data connection. For Windows Mobile, it’s on Settings > Wireless controls > Data connection.

In my HTC mini (Windows Mobile), I just changed the operator for my data connect so that it couldn’t successfully connect to the net if it wants to.

I’ll just change it back when I’m in need of 3G connection.

If you can’t find that in your Settings or if it takes too much time to do that, you can download an app that does it for you. Here are popular APN controller apps for each Smartphone OS:

• Android OS – APNdroid
• iPhone OS – Unlockit
• Windows Mobile – GB-Soft GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA Tweak

Another reason why you should do this is to save battery. Your smartphone maybe updating your stuff even when you sleep and this drains its battery.

So do yourself and your phone bill a favor by disabling automatic data connection on your smartphone.

Related posts:

1. Enjoying the new HTC HD Mini
2. Won something at the HTC Event last night
3. MagicJack to support mobile phones thanks to femtocell

I’ve been noticing that some of my photos are a little bit blurred or smudged and details tend to get lost. Tweaking contrast in Photoshop just made the lines darker but I want something that would make the details pop out.

If you know what I mean and you’re wondering the same yourself, try this simple trick in Photoshop.

1. Open your photo in Photoshop. I’m going to use this photo of furs we took in Datong, China using my point-and-shoot Panasonic ZS1.

Nothing’s really wrong with it. I just want to show you the difference when details pop out.

2. Create a duplicate of it on a different layer. Layer > Duplicate Layer > Ok.

3. On the new layer, go to Filter > Other > High Pass and enter the value of 4.0.

4. On the same layer, click the Layer Drop-down menu and select Overlay, or any choice from that section (Soft, Hard, Vivid, Linear and Pin Light). Just play around until you get the desired result.

5. And watch the result. Examine the details closely and compare it to the original image. They really popped out right?

Now I’m not saying that you do this on all of your images. Just those that seem to be lacking detail. Or looks too soft.

Here are some more samples of photos treated with this technique. Just click the image and click Next and Previous to quickly see the difference.

It works great on close-up shots:

Or when you want to make the subject stand out from the background:

Hmm, can’t really see much difference that way. Anyway, just go try it out yourself and show/hide the duplicate layer to see the difference.

Thanks for this tip Bry!

Related posts:

1. How to fix grainy photos in Photoshop
2. How to soften up your portrait photos
3. Microsoft’s mad Photoshop skillz

Here are the common home appliances and their power consumption when used and some tips on how to save electricity. In a tropical country such as the Philippines, we don’t have heaters so you won’t find that here.

Let’s start with the appliance that consumes the most power and work our way down.

The power consumption listed here may be different with your appliance but the value would be close.

Electric Oven: 2000W – 3000W

Sure. That baked pasta or baked chicken looks yummy and healthy but the oven is the mother of all electricity hogs in a house. The more heat you require, the more power it consumes.

How to save? Stop baking. Stick to fried. Just kidding. There’s not much you can do to maximize savings with the oven. Maybe don’t use it during peak hours when other appliances are being used. Or see if you can use the microwave instead.

Aircon: 900W – 1200W

Ahhh nobody can seem to live without aircon during these sweltering hot summer days. The window-type AC on our bedroom has 1.5 horsepower and this consumes 1200W so smaller ones obviously consume less.

How to save? Try to set the temperature as high as you can tolerate. To do this, either clean the filter and properly seal the room so the AC will work less. Or replace your pre-2005 ACs with those with high energy ratings (EER 13 at least) which consumes 30% less electricity. Wrote a guide on choosing the right AC a few posts back.

Microwave Oven: 700W – 1000W

Don’t be afraid to use the microwave oven. Even if it consumes a lot of power, you only need to use it for a few minutes at a time. If you can use the microwave instead of the electric oven to bake then go for it. It’s way cheaper.

Flat Iron: 600W

See a pattern here? Appliances that gives heat requires a lot of power. Older models of flat iron will consume up to 1000W of electricity.

How to save? Try to iron when no energy-hogging household appliance is in use (e.g. aircon, oven). Also, avoid ironing in small batches because you want to reduce the instances an iron needs to heat up. Try to to do your ironing once a week instead of as needed. Oh, and DON’T forget to turn the iron off or better yet, unplug it.

Washing Machine: 300W – 500W

That is the wattage of the typical washing machine, 6kg and 10kg. If you have the automatic type, the wattage doubles. If you’re buying a new one, look for the front-loader type which consumes less water and electricity.

How to save? For manual washing machines, there’s not much you can do other than maximize the clothes per load. For automatic, try not to go the hot water route anymore.

Refrigerator: 140W – 200W

This wattage is from a typical 7 cubic feet refrigerator. Not those two-door types which  consumes more.

How to save? Replace your old pre-2001 with new ones ASAP especially if you always keep on repairing it. It will pay for itself quickly. Fridge work less when the temperature’s already cold inside so the more stuff (except hot) you put inside, the easier it will stay cold.

Desktop Computer: 170W

A typical desktop computer with a 17” LCD monitor has a 170 wattage on average. If using CRT, it will require 50W more.  If it’s a gaming rig, then it can shoot up to 400W to 600W easily. If you can live with a laptop instead of a desktop, do it since it consumes around 45W. Lower if it’s a netbook.

How to save? See if you can upgrade to a newer processor which has a more energy-efficient architecture. You don’t need a graphics card if you’re not going to do games. Integrated graphics is sufficient most of the time. You can easily add a graphics card anyway. I always advise my relatives to turn off the monitor when going idle for a while. Running screensavers doesn’t save energy, go on sleep or standby instead.

TV: 150W

They say CRT consumes more power than LCD TV. It’s true but if you’re going to replace that 27” CRT with a 40” LCD TV then it’s not going to save you money on electricity. So be mindful of the size of your TV.

Electric Fan: 80W

This is for standard stand fans or desk fans. They say that ceiling fans are better because they can make the room cooler without requiring too much power. I guess I’ll hang up our desk fan onto the ceiling then. Hehehe.

Fluorescent Light: 20W – 40W

When computing for the energy consumption of a fluorescent lamp, also consider the wattage of the ballast. Incandescent lights consumes a whole lot more electricity while LED lights are the most energy efficient.

How to save? Go CFL which consumes as low as 18W for a 60W lighting equivalent.

Hope this post made you aware which of your appliances are consuming the most electricity and thus, make the necessary usage adjustment so you can save a few bucks on your electric bill.

Do note however that the wattage of the appliances found here are the ones a low-to-mid level income household owns. If you want to be more accurate, get a power monitor like the Kill-A-Watt which you can use to check the consumption of each of your appliances.

If you want some more tips to save energy, my friend Noee has some more ideas.

Related posts:

1. All set for Globe Run for Home 2010
2. Common questions couples ask about pregnancy
3. This LaCie USB drive you probably won’t leave at home

With the adidas miCoach, you can do a proper interval training without the need to continuously check your pace, distance/time. Something that Nike+ can’t properly do. You don’t need someone to keep track of your intervals because the miCoach can coach you through your routine.

It is important that you do the assessment workout because your intensity intervals will be based on your heart rate. Here’s a guide on how to do it.

There are interval workouts already included in miCoach but you can also do a customize routine to fit your needs. If you don’t know how to do an interval training workout, here’s a nice article with sample workouts from Beginner to Advance level.

I’m going to use the Intermediate Interval Program for this guide.

Here’s how to put this in your miCoach:

1. Log in to miCoach and go to Manage > Schedule.

2. On the Custom Workout section, click Add Custom Workout.

3. Select Build Your Own under Interval.

4. Set the warm-up/cool down duration. Since we need 5 minutes and that’s also the default, we don’t have to change it.

5. Click the + button on the next square and add your first interval. In our case, it’s 1-minute in 6.5 intensity. I’m going to use the yellow zone for the intensities 6 to 7.

6. The next interval has an intensity of 5 (green) for 2 minutes. The 3rd has a 1-minute at intensity 7 (yellow) followed by a 2-minute at intensity 4 (green).

7. You will notice that the next interval is just a repeat of the 2nd one. This will go on three more times so just set the Repeat to 4.

8. That’s it. Just name your workout, add some notes and click Next. Click Create when you’re satisfied.

Don’t forget to add it to your workout schedule or to your Pacer favorites so you can use it anytime you want.

If you want to progress, add the number of times you need to repeat the intervals instead of increasing the intensity.

There you have it. This shows one of the many workouts you can do with the miCoach. One improvement that adidas can do is to incorporate distance-based interval training aside from time-based.

Related posts:

1. miCoach Pacer Review Part 2: miCoach Web
2. miCoach Pacer Review Part 6: The Custom Workout
3. miCoach Pacer Review Part 7: Conclusion

To do this, make sure that you have sufficient GCASH load and follow these simple steps. If you don’t have GCASH on your Globe number, you can find instructions on how to register here.

1. Go to your game’s credit buying page. I’m going to use FarmVille as an example here:

2. Look for the Pay by Mobile option using paymo that is usually located at the other options part of the page. In FarmVille’s, it’s near the bottom. Click that link.

3. A new page will appear with a selection of credits and their prices. Choose one and click Get Farm Cash.

4. You will be directed to Boku’s secure site to complete your purchase. Select Globe GCASH as your mobile network and enter your mobile number before clicking Continue.

5. Now enter your GCASH MPIN. This is like your ATM’s PIN code that you enter when you registered for your GCASH wallet. Click Confirm.

6. If successful you will be brought to a page like this. You will also get a text message on your mobile informing you of the transaction.

Don’t forget to check your game to see if you indeed received your coins.

There you have it! I just wasted a hundred pesos to write this guide. Hahaha.

Anyway, you don’t have to lend your credit card to your kid to give her some FarmVille coins. You just have to send her some GCASH and while you can use it to buy some Zynga poker chips or Mafia Wars reward points. Too bad you can’t convert your poker winnings back to GCASH.

Related posts:

1. P1000 price drop on Globe Tattoo Prepaid Kit
2. All set for Globe Run for Home 2010
3. Stay away from Globe Visibility Prepaid