On Countering Text Scams and Spams.

A few months ago, I received this text message from an unknown number.
It read, "Your postpaid has been charged P500 for LTE use. Is this a wrong charge? Text 500 send to (2909*******) for Refund."

Just another text scam.

I knew right then and there this was a text scam - an attempt to 'extort' money through 'share-a-load transactions'. After all, I am subscribed to Globe's Unli Data Plan and there is absolutely no chance in hell (pardon the idiom) that I'd be charged extra for my supposed LTE use. Also, I'm pretty much aware that advisories from Globe do not come from 16-digit numbers such as the one above. Instead, they are labelled 'GLOBE' and appear as such on your inbox.

These text scams have become pretty rampant these days, and Globe has addressed this issue by implementing a new process where customers doing Share-A-Load transaction will be sent a validation text message.

Validation message.

Customers doing a Share-A-Load or a Share-A-Promo transaction will be asked to confirm their transactions. The step is intended to address proliferation of text scams that trick customers into doing Share-A-Load transaction without their knowledge.

The validation message reads as follows: “You are about to share PXXX load with 0916XXXXXXX. Reply YES within 5 minutes to proceed. P1/transaction. Report text scams to www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.” The validation message would come from 2652xxxxxxxxx where the last 9 digits are the transaction number. Replying to the message is free of charge. On the other hand, customers who fail to reply within 5 minutes will receive the following message: "We're sorry, but your Share-A-Load/Promo transaction has been cancelled because the response time exceeded 5 minutes. Please try again. Thanks!"

Last month, Globe reduced the amount of Share-A-Load transaction to a maximum of P150 for prepaid customers and P300 for postpaid customers to counter text scams asking for P500 Share-A-Load transactions. Text scam messages are varying everyday using spiels like rewards, loyalty, MSF discount, roaming and bill overcharge, waiver of charges, refunds, etc.

Globe urges its customers to immediately report thru http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and provide all the details required. Numbers that are reported as source of text scams will be immediately blocked from the network. Following the telecommunication company’s intensified efforts to combat text spams and text scams early this year, the number of reports using the website has reached over 42,000 since it was created in June 2014.

Rebuilding the Nation with Globe's Project Wonderful.

It's been three months since the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), which barrelled through the country and caused great damage to the Visayas region. Although it's been said that it will take a long time before the region can fully recover from the devastation, efforts to rehabilitate the typhoon-hit areas are continuous and ongoing. This, of course, wouldn't have been possible without the help of the international community and the big businesses here in the Philippines.

Photo credit: News Flash

Globe Telecom, for instance, recently launched Project Wonderful which aims to provide support in rebuilding communities through sustainable development. The company’s corporate response to nation building, Project Wonderful endeavors to provide shelter to the homeless, bring education to the children, and generate livelihood opportunities for the jobless.

For the housing sector, Globe through a P15-million donation of its mobile and home broadband brand Tattoo, will build houses in the Gawad Kalinga Rotary Village in Brgy. Tambulilid, Ormoc, Leyte for the benefit of 100 families as well as provide livelihood projects for the residents. Repair kits for 500 homes will also be given to affected host communities in Culion, Palawan; Daanbantayan, Cebu; and Guiuan, Eastern Samar in partnership with Habitat for Humanity while another 940 shelter kits will be distributed in Malaya and Madalag, Aklan in partnership with Non-Timber Forest Products.

One with the nation.

For the education sector, Globe will establish 100 tent classrooms in totally damaged elementary and secondary high schools as well as distribute at least 5,000 learning kits for students and teachers in identified tent schools. Latest statistics showed that Typhoon Yolanda damaged over 1 million houses, more than 20,000 classrooms of public schools, and P17 billion worth of agricultural products in regions 4B, 6, 7, and 8.

Also, Globe Telecom’s network in the Visayas has normalized, and local enterprises may now avail of their broadband services in the region.

“We recognize the importance of communication services as a tool that could enhance business opportunities. We want to help the local economy in these typhoon-hit areas by making it our priority to restore network services that include not only voice and text services but also mobile data services, “ said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. He stressed that in support of the government’s rebuilding efforts, Globe has accelerated the restoration of telco services in the area to encourage local businesses to resume normal operations, provide livelihood for local residents and in turn spur the local economy.

Proud to be part of Globe Project Wonderful! :)

The road to recovery may be long and arduous, but in terms of fighting spirit, Filipinos are relentless, unyielding, tenacious. After all, we are a nation of heroes, and heroes never falter.

Sinulog 2014 goes digital with Globe Telecom.

If you're in Cebu right now to join the festivities of the annual Sinulog Festival, I have some great news for you!

With the advent of digital technology, Globe Telecom makes its presence felt at the Sinulog Festival in Cebu from January 16-19, 2014 by harnessing social media to showcase the vibrant and lively celebration to the rest of the world.

This year, the leading telecommunications company turns to social networking sites Instagram and Twitter to engage locals and tourists participating in one of the country’s biggest and most attended festivals with a photo submission contest.

To join the contest, Sinulog attendees should capture and upload photos taken from the Globe Neon Carnival on Instagram and Twitter with the hashtags #Wonderful2014 and #GlobeSinulog2014. The photos must tell the story of “Globe creating a wonderful world of festivals and celebrations at the Sinulog 2014”. 

Five winners of Globe prepaid load cards plus 1 grand winner of P5,000 worth of prizes from Globe Telecom’s mass market brand TM will be awarded daily during the 4-day event.

Located at Block 11 Cebu IT Park, Apas in Cebu City, the Globe Neon Carnival is a village-like attraction that houses the Globe Mobility Store-on-the-Go, a one-stop shop showcasing the telco’s line-up of prepaid, postpaid and Tattoo broadband offers as well as exclusive Sinulog deals for subscribers to enjoy.

Follow me on Instagram! :)

Aside from the roving Globe Store, the Globe Neon Carnival also features food carts and drinks stations, interactive game booths, and exciting prizes for lucky locals and tourists. Entertainment acts from blacklight dancers, local bands, and local and international DJs are expected to provide the fanfare at the event.

One of the highlights of the Globe Neon Carnival is the “Kaloka-like” contest, a concept that originated from a noontime show open to the public. Participants are to showcase their looks and talents to convince the crowd and the judges that they deserve to win the title. Three (3) celebrities composed of an international singer, a primetime TV queen, and a men’s magazine model will form the panel of judges.

In addition, a daily raffle will be open to subscribers who will avail of Globe Prepaid, Postpaid and Tattoo offers, with exciting prizes such as tablets, handsets, and gift certificates from partner-establishments.

“We invite both the locals and tourists attending the Sinulog Festival to ready their smartphones and take photos from the Globe Neon Carnival to be part of this year’s biggest Sinulog social media craze courtesy of Globe as we experience a brand new Globe network in Cebu. With a quick snapshot of the energy-filled festival celebration in Cebu, you can win prizes by showing to the whole world, via social media, that it’s really more fun in the Philippines,” said Globe Retail Transformation and Management Head Joe Caliro.

Open daily from 4:00PM until the wee hours of the morning the next day, the four-day event is open to the public for free but Globe subscribers will be greeted with a slew of food treats and freebies upon entry.

To know more about #GlobeSinulog2014, follow @enjoyGLOBE on Twitter and like Globe Telecom on Facebook at www.facebook.com/globeph.

Globe cements leadership with highest industry growth in broadband business.

Sick of all the bad news that you see on TV, in the papers, and in social media? Here's a bit of good news for a change. :)

Globe Telecom, through its broadband brand Tattoo, maintained its leadership in the Philippine broadband industry with its flagship on-the-go and home broadband services after posting double-digit increases in both revenues and subscriber base as of end-September 2013.

Broadband revenues leapt 22% from P6.3 billion to P7.8 billion year-on-year, the highest in the industry, on the back of the market’s positive response to Tattoo’s wide portfolio of wireless and wired broadband products that were made more affordable and relevant to subscribers. Tattoo closed the first nine months of the year with 1.9 million broadband subscribers, up by 15% from last year’s 1.6 million, with both wired and wireless subscriber bases registering growths of 17% and 14% respectively.

“We are happy to sustain momentum of our broadband business with game-changing offers that provide fast internet connectivity, may it be mobile or at home broadband services,” said Gilbert Simpao, Head of Broadband Business at Globe. “As we’re starting to reap the benefits of our new modern network, we will remain focused on finding new ways to delight our customers and provide them with new broadband innovations.”

Robust growth in the broadband business resulted from aggressive acquisitions campaigns, attractive pricing offers and product bundles. This positive response and sustained growth was a product of the company’s continued push to expand its product portfolio and its awareness of the customers’ evolving and increasing demands for nomadic and home broadband services such as the more affordable Tattoo Prepaid 4G SuperStick at P1995 alongside Tattoo Postpaid’s more personalized and consumable plans with increased surfing speeds now up to 42 Mbps delivered by the telco’s growing and expanding Long Term Evolution (LTE) network.

The Tattoo Prepaid LTE devices were also launched with the mobile Wi-Fi variant at the forefront as it doubles as a powerbank with 3000mAh capacity. LTE Postpaid plans are also offered starting at Plan 1299 which comes with a FREE LTE dongle or, for a one-time fee of P 2000, upgrade to a mobile Wi-Fi device. 

True to its customer-focused strategy, Tattoo introduced its first rewards program called Tattoo+ Rewards, where qualified subscribers earn rewards points and freebies by subscribing, loading and using Tattoo services. Tattoo also launched the revolutionary Tablet Revolution bannering the most affordable tablet bundles where subscribers get three free devices -- Skyworth S73 tablet or a Cloudpad 705W, a Blackberry Curve 9220 and the country’s fastest broadband Wi-Fi stick which can power up to 10 devices, all starting only at Plan 1298. Other Tattoo tablet bundles are also made available with varying numbers of free browsing hours starting at Plan 598.

Tattoo Home Broadband also offered its enhanced product bundles with high-speed internet, free landline, and free unlimited landline to mobile (Globe and TM) call services. Broadband bundles were unveiled such as Plan 1099 at 1 Mbps, Plan 1299 at 2 Mbps, Plan 1599 at 3 Mbps, Plan 2299 at 5 Mbps, Plan 3999 at 10 Mbps and Plan 4999 at 15 Mbps. Meanwhile, internet-only plans that connect at 3 and 5 Mbps were made available at Plan 999 and 1999 respectively, both with unlimited internet access.

To date, over 80% of the network is already on 4G HSPA+ providing faster mobile browsing experience for customers, complementing the pilot LTE deployments in key business districts. Nearly 900 Long Term Evolution (LTE) sites in key cities and holiday destinations are now operational. At the same time, Globe continues to enhance its Service Quality with the continuing optimization and capacity upgrade of its modern network.

To know more about Tattoo’s latest products and services, visit www.tattoo.globe.com.ph.

A Very Merry Christmas with Bamboo!

Heads up, music enthusiasts! Rock icon Bamboo will take the center stage at the Music Museum on December 20th for a special benefit concert.

Dubbed as BELIEVE: Christmas @ Home with Bamboo, this concert aims to raise more than a thousand toys, which will in turn be given to the children survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. Together with Tattoo Home Broadband, this event aims to provide assistance to our 'kababayans' who have been devastated by the super typhoon, and give our young survivors something to smile about this holiday season.

Bamboo!

You can make this event a smashing success through your simple donations. There are two ways to donate:

1. Purchase a pair of toys via TICKETWORLD and get tickets to Bamboo's benefit concert.

Ticket prices* are as follows:

Balcony - Php 400/pair of toys

Orchestra Side - Php 600/pair of toys

Orchestra Center - Php 700/pair of toys

*Service charges may apply.

2. Post an Instagram video message to donate a toy.

From December 17 onwards, you can post your video messages or Christmas song covers on Instagram and dedicate them to the kids affected by #YolandaPH. Remember to tag @ChooseTattoo and use the hashtag #UnwrapHope to make your entries valid. Globe will reply to your entries once validated, and for every valid entry, a toy donation will be made by Tattoo Home on your behalf.

Mark your calendars, friends, get ready to post some creative video messages, and see you at the concert! :)

Spazz Saturday #8 | Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

It's here! The Bahamut of smartphones has reached the Philippine shores - finally!
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

I have my eyes set on this baby, and I reckon the husband will get this as a not-so-surprise birthday gift for me. Originally, I was lusting for its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Note - which is my Mum's current phone, and the phone overly represented by most Hallyu stars in Korean dramas. (Think Rooftop Prince and To the Beautiful You.)

But when Samsung dropped the bomb (about the Galaxy Note 2) sometime around August, my resolve melted. I was like, "Forget the Note! Forget S3! Who cares about iPhone5? The Note 2 will be mine!" (Insert Maleficent laugh here, lol.)

Check out the phone's features so you can understand my madness.

Stunning Viewing Experience
The Galaxy Note II's 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display and 16:9 screen ratio allows you to see more content in breathtaking detail. Its innovative design includes a larger display and slimmer body, so it fits just right in your hand.

Air View 
Browse your photos quickly and conveniently without having to open any folders. Thanks to Air View, managing your life's contents is easier than ever before.

Quick Command
Need to send emails, text messages, meeting locations or call contacts immediately? Just write your command on the pad and Quick Command will instantly do it for you.

Popup Note
With Popup Note, you can easily jot down important details such as phone numbers, directions, and other information in the middle of a call. Simply double-tap the screen using the S Pen and you can take note of the details without delay.

Easy Clip
Click. Trace. Clip. Send. That's all it takes to including what you want in email, messenger, S Note, and Scrapbook. Now isn't that easy?

Enhanced Handwriting
Say goodbye to your paper planner! With the Galaxy Note II's enhanced handwriting support, you can send handwritten notes via email. You can even handwrite notes and memos to yourself with the S Planner.

Photo Note
Add a personal touch to your photos. Photo Note allows you to add handwritten notes on the back of your photos, helping you capture those moments perfectly.

Enhanced S Pen / S Note 
Now you have more writing tools and notepad templates to use, so you can always find one to match your creative style.

Pretty amazing, huh?
I'm thinking of getting this baby under Globe Postpaid's Super Plan 999. I've been with Globe for about a decade now, and I have no plans of switching networks yet. And yeah, the mobile number I'm using now is the same one I had ten years ago.

I can't wait for my birthday. :)

It's Saturday! What are you spazzing on?