Entertainment
Former Bus Conductor Now Owns Rental Cars in US, Hollywood Celebs Among Customers
A Filipino former bus conductor now owns a fleet of luxury rental cars in the US – and several Hollywood celebrities have been his customers! How amazing is that, huh?
Pinoy Former Bus Conductor Meets Hollywood Stars
He was born to a poor family and sometimes felt ashamed about how their house looked after visiting his classmates’ homes, but Felix doubled his efforts to succeed in life. This led to him owning a fleet of rental cars in the US and meeting several Hollywood stars and celebrities in the process.
“Nu’ng bata ako, akala ko lahat ng tao ginagawa ‘yung ginagawa namin. ‘Yung nanay ko nagluluto sa kahoy, naghuhugas ng plato sa balde. Pero nu’ng napunta ako sa bahay ng kaklase ko nu’ng high school, nakita ko na meron silang couch. Maganda ‘yung lababo nila. Hiyang-hiya ako sa katayuan ng buhay namin noon. Doon ko na-realize na dapat akong magsumikap,” he recalled.
But being poor did not become a hindrance for Felix. Instead, this became his inspiration to try harder to succeed in life so he could also enjoy the same conveniences that his classmates had.
Things were not easy for him at first. As bus conductor, he only earned a few pesos per day, but someone inspired him to try harder to reach for his dreams.
“Naging konduktor ako. Sumusweldo ng 10-15 pesos kada araw. May naging kaibigan ako. Siya ‘yung nag-push sa akin na ‘wag mawalan ng pag-asa. Kaya nagkaroon ako ng lakas ng loob gawin ‘yung gusto ko. Naghanap ako ng paraan. Sumampa ako ng barko. Hanggang sa nagkaroon ng oportunidad dito sa Amerika,” Felix added.
In America, the former bus conductor found fortune after investing everything he had in a fleet of cars for rent.
“Sinugal ko lahat ng naipon ko para masimulan ‘tong business na ‘to. Sa awa ng Diyos, may mga tumatawag na mag-aavail ng car rental service. Nagkaroon ako ng pasaherong Hollywood celebrities, gaya nina Patti Austin, Simon Cowell at si Captain America Chris Evans!” he happily shared. “Basta ‘wag kang mag-give up. Aim high.”
Why are Bus Conductors Important?
Bus drivers are supposed to stay focused on the road but with so many passengers getting on and off, it would be hard for him to collect the fare and give the passengers’ change. This is where the bus conductor steps in. His task is to collect the fare and ensure that the passengers pay the right amount, depending on how far they traveled and other factors.
Entertainment
Xian Gaza Fulfills Bucket List to Walk around Shibuya with Sibuyas (Onions)
Xian Gaza fulfills bucket list of walking around Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan, with sibuyas (onions) – and it’s hilarious (if you get the joke, that is).
Would you dare do this, too?
Xian Gaza Fulfills Bucket List in Shibuya
If you’re a fan of anime (hand-drawn or computer-generated animation that originates from Japan), then you might be familiar with Shibuya.
Also called Shibuya City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan, and is known for being the heart of the country’s modern culture.
It has one of the world’s busiest railway stations – and there are lots and lots of busy people walking in the streets and crossing the intersections.
It isn’t surprising that the place is a favorite setting in anime.
But while Shibuya literally means “harsh valley” in Japanese, it spells so closely to “sibuyas” (onions) if you’re a Filipino.
Knowing that Pinoys can be witty and so hilarious, some might joke about getting a “sibuyas” from Shibuya or something to that effect.
Still, even if some Pinoys might joke about it, it’s just something “mababaw” (shallow) that might not even make other people laugh.
For Xian Gaza, however, he just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fulfill his “bucket list” when he visited the place.
He shared a video of how he bought the pack of “sibuyas” from a store and walked around Shibuya while holding it out on his hand.
He captioned the video, “BUCKETLIST: Itawid Ang Sibuyas Sa Shibuya☑” – that’s with a check mark to show that he was able to tick it off his list.
“The goal is to become the first ever Filipino citizen na nagtawid ng sibuyas sa Shibuya with proper documentation. Congrats sa akin,” jokingly adding that he’s congratulating himself for the achievement.
Here’s the video:
What’s a Bucket List?
It’s a list of achievements or experiences that a person hopes to accomplish or have during their lifetime, before their “kick the bucket” (an idiomatic expression about passing on).
Entertainment
Seller Goes Viral for “Angry” Reviews to Prove Products’ Durability
A seller goes viral for “angry” reviews to prove his products’ durability – and customers love it! He’s also gaining fame as a content creator in the process because of his unique content. Win-win situation, yes?
Seller Goes Viral for Unique Marketing Strategy
When you’re buying something online, you want to make sure that it’s exactly the way it is described and that it’s durable. After all, there are so many unscrupulous sellers out there who post pics or vids of great products but send you something that totally different from what they advertised.
But you’d have to buy the products being endorsed by Jomar Yee, a TikToker who’s making a name for himself with “angry” reviews that prove these products’ durability.
In his product reviews, Jomar is known to smack on the item, slam it on the floor, smash it on the wall, or even stomp on it repeatedly.
While reviewing a bag product, he “angrily” pulls the zipper back and forth.
To prove that a basin is durable, he even stomped on it several times, pushed it back to its original shape, then stomped on it again.
@jomaryeedump_ OH BAKA HINDI PADIN KAYO MANIWALA!? WAG NYO KO GIGILIN JAN!
Reviewing an umbrella meant shaking it back and forth, reminiscent of the strong stormy winds that you might encounter – and the product survived that without breaking.
Many of his videos are now making waves on social media, with lots of netizens praising the product reviews (and the products themselves).
@jomaryeedump_ ANO PANG REVIEW GUSTO NYO NANG MATIGIL KAYO JAN!! GO!
While many netizens are saying that they’re enjoying his videos, some have also bought the products.
Although some were also skeptical and said that these are likely fake reviews and he’d send less quality products just like other online sellers, some of those who actually bought the products commented that these were, indeed, as durable as Jomar had reviewed.
@jomaryeedump_ Replying to @JOC Thrifts OH WAG NYO KONG ANUHIN JAN MAGSIBILE KAYO! GO!
Which of his product reviews did you like best?
Best Marketing Strategies
There are many different wants to market your products – and being unique is something that can truly make you stand out from the competition. That’s exactly what Jomar was able to achieve.
While there are already so many sellers using TikTok as a platform to expand their customer base, it seems that he’s the first to conduct reviews in this manner.
Entertainment
Funny Photos: Congratulations to the New RSCs (Registered SIM Card Users)
Funny photos are making rounds on social media with the same theme: congratulations to the new RSCs (registered SIM card users)! LOL
Have you joined the RSCs?
Funny Photos of New RSCs Go Viral
As the SIM card registration law in the Philippines took effect on December 27, 2022, millions of Filipinos scrambled to register their SIM cards on the day, fearing that they might lose their numbers if they don’t do so.
It wasn’t surprising that the first day was marred with glitches – and so many users complained that they were unable to register their SIM cards no matter how many times they tried.
The telcos were forced to announce that they were having technical glitches, urging their subscribers to be patient as they try their best to improve their systems to accommodate the registrations.
With so many people experiencing difficulties in registering their SIM cards on the first day, those who managed to do so quickly took to social media to announce their success – and many found creative ways to do.
Soon enough, social media became flooded with posts of photo cards and faux tarpaulins announcing a similar theme: congratulations to the new RSCs (registered SIM card) users!
Others had different ways to announce their successful registration, but most followed a similar format to that of supportive family members or friends supposedly congratulating them for their success.
It’s reminiscent of tarpaulins for board exam passers – but most of those who posted these photo cards and pseudo tarpaulins created it themselves. LOL.
At least, the board passer whose mom made her create her own tarpaulin won’t feel too bad because others are also doing it (but for completely hilarious reasons).
So, have you posted your own version to congratulate yourself for successfully registering your SIM card?
How to Register Your SIM Card in the Philippines?
Here’s a handy guide on how to register your SIM card for free from Business News Philippines.