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I long wanted a Young Living diffuser and promised myself
that I’ll save up for it when P offered a set initially. Since our trip from Subic,
I have appreciated what an impact a diffuser has on a good afternoon nap
especially during the weekends. Thanks to C, I was gifted the Daily Essentials
set, just because. And I’m really grateful for the sweet surprise.
Even before my set arrived, I have been searching for various
aromatherapy blends and have done my research on essential oils. So far, I haven’t
used any of the oils topically, and I like to keep it at that. Let’s just say
that I’m limiting my use of these oils to diffusing and I know what I’m getting
myself into (another rabbit hole, I know).
The Desert Mist Diffuser
I have a huge crush on the Desert Mist Diffuser- I still
really do and assure myself that it’s a nice choice after the Lantern Design
(Orb Diffuser I’m looking at you next). It has Moroccan-inspired patterns but I
love that it’s muted in white and features gold accents, perfect for my bedroom.
Operating it is easy.
The left button regulates the diffusing capacity- first press
is for all-out diffusing (about five to six hours), second press is for medium
diffusing (about six to eight hours) and third press is for intermittent
diffusing (which is great for about ten to twelve hours).
The right button sets lighting options. First is high white,
second is low white, the third is my favorite- which is an alluring
candle-flicker, followed by color settings such as red, orange, yellow, green, purple,
blue and pink.
Daily Essentials Oils
The set comes with five oils. In 5ml, I have lemon and
lavender. Lemon has a clean, energizing scent that makes it a favorite for
cleansing applications or for adding an uplifting element. Lavender has a
floral aroma with a refreshing minty undertone. It is widely regarded as one of
the most versatile essential oils.
In 15ml bottles, I have RC or Respiratory Congestion is a
blend of spruce, cypress, and three types of eucalyptus oils (globulus, radiata
and citriodora). Thieves, a powerful blend that contains clove, cinnamon bark, rosemary,
lemon and eucalyptus radiata. This blend is one of Young Living’s most popular
and is present in its line of cleaning products. This is what I diffuse during
my afternoon yoga, and it’s a good warming oil to use.
Peppermint is my most favorite of all, which has a cooling
aroma. It’s an all-around oil and is very versatile which can be diffused alone
or in a blend, and it just reminds me of Christmas season.
My Favorite Diffuser Blends
My favorite diffuser blends are: peppermint and lavender for
a calming evening; peppermint and lemon for a wake-me-up, energizing morning; RC
for those stuffy nose moments and Thieves, for my yoga practice in the
afternoons.
I have also turned to my Pinterest and created a board title
Aromatherapy where I have pinned diffuser blend “recipes” so that I can mix
oils for any mood that I fancy. Which brings me to a crazy ride when it comes
to buying oils.
What's Next
As of now, I’ve used up my lavender and lemon. 5ml only, c’mon!
So I put in a refill order of these two, plus a bottle of Grapefruit-
a sweet, zesty scent that uplifts and revitalizes, and a bottle of Citrus Fresh-
a refreshing blend of citrus oils combined with the subtle, minty character of spearmint.
It is a blend consisting of orange, grapefruit, mandarin, tangerine, lemon and
spearmint. For these, I’m pretty much excited just like when I was waiting for
my enrolment set to arrive, I could hardly wait!
I also started receiving orders from people who wanted to try
out the oils, so I’m waiting for those to arrive. Not to mention, I took it
upon myself to order a 15ml bottle of Lavender, plus Ginger- for a warm, spicy
fragrance that is energizing and uplifting, perfect for mixing in fall
season-blends. And I added a bottle of Cypress- for a fresh, herbaceous,
slightly evergreen aroma for an invigorating session, this should be useful in
the holidays.
Perhaps you can say that I’m already hooked with my oils and
blends. Next in my wishlist is a list of Geranium- a wonderfully uplifting,
calming, flowery scent; Elemi- same family as that of Frankincense and Myrrh;
Lime- a refreshing, citrusy scent; and Patchouli- a sweet and rich aroma, with an
earthy complex which makes it easy to rave about.
Thoughts
I have a couple of observations regarding Young Living’s oils
though. Even if the Philippines has an abundance of Sampaguita and Ylang-Ylang,
these oils are not available for sale in the country, but they are available in
the United States. I just wonder why these are not for purchase here. However, according
to their farm directory, the Finca Botanica Farm and Distillery in Ecuador produces
the Ylang-Ylang oil, and as of writing, I am tracking down the farm that is
responsible for producing Jasmin essential oil.
For decades,
residents in far-flung areas in Visayas and Mindanao have been burdened by
minimal, if not outright lack of access to banks.
It’s not unusual for
residents to travel many kilometers just to get cash from a bank or ATM. They
need to spend half a day, or even an entire day in some cases, to transact with
banks in distant urban areas. Some of them may need to travel by land and even by
boat, spending hundreds of pesos in the process.
That situation has
been slowly changing for distant communities that now have the Cash Agad
service. Cash Agad, which has been
operating in both far-flung and semi-urban communities for the past several
years, is allowing residents to make cash withdrawals, receive remittances and government
cash subsidies, make balance
inquiries, and get access to calamity funds and loan releases.
Essentially, Cash
Agad is a service that turns community-based shops and similar establishments
into a neighborhood ATM. It was BDO Unibank Inc. that first originated
the idea for such a service and has been expanding the Cash Agad network in the
countryside ever since.
Cash Agad is one
example of a bank’s faith in the resilience and resourcefulness of Filipinos in
the countryside; it’s a vision realized into a service that has become crucial
to the survival of communities during this pandemic.
Cash Agad and LGUs
The Cash Agad
service transforms communities for the better when entrepreneurs and local
government work together for the common good. The service accepts ATM cards, whether debit or prepaid cards from all banks in the Philippines.
According to Cash
Agad partner agent Elsa Pardo of Lantapan, a municipality in Bukidnon Province,
Mindanao, until today there’s just one single bank operating in their
community.
When the bank’s ATM
runs out of cash or is in need of repair, people will have to wait and endure a
few days without cash. Those who can’t afford to wait would have to go to the
nearest urban area which is some 14 kilometers away. Transport fares can get
quite expensive.
According to Elsa,
sometimes even these other ATMs also run out of cash or go offline. In such
cases, people would have to return home and go back the following day. This
situation got even worse when quarantines were imposed due to COVID-19.
Elsa Pardo, owner of ECY Store and a Cash Agad Partner Agent in Lantapan, Bukidnon facilitating a withdrawal transaction for a pensioer
“Mahirap dito noong
nagka-quarantine. Hindi makalabas yung
mga tao. Kaya sabi nila, it’s a good
thing there’s Cash Agad. Kasi mas madali
na sa kanila mag-withdraw ng pera. Kung
pupunta pa sila sa malayo, madami pang aasikasuhing requirements. Kailangan pa ng quarantine pass. Travel pass.
Very inconvenient. Pag dito sa Cash Agad, malapit lang tapos makukuha pa agad
yung pera. Sandali lang ang queueing time,” Elsa explained.
Elsa runs her Cash
Agad service at her store in their municipality’s public market. When the
pandemic hit and community quarantine was declared, she worked with the local
government so that Cash Agad transactions could be done safely and in
compliance with physical distancing regulations.
“Kaming mga nasa
public market, nag-meeting kami with DSWD, the municipal health office, and the
mayor. We discussed and set how to process transactions so that we could still
provide our services to the people during quarantine,” she said.
With the help of the
LGU, protocols were set on how Cash Agad could provide services to its
customers. Elsa’s customers include not only workers but also beneficiaries of
4Ps program (who receive monthly cash assistance from the government), and members
of indigenous peoples (IPs) sector who also get cash assistance.
“Yung LGU po, they
already set a schedule for withdrawals for 4Ps and assistance to IPs. So, these
people already have set days and times when they can queue for withdrawals. They
are also informed on how much money they are set to receive. Kaya hindi na nila
kailangan mag-balance inquiry. Withdraw na agad using their ATMs,” Elsa
explained.
The LGU with the
help of policemen also established a protocol for those queueing to use Cash
Agad. Since Elsa’s Cash Agad kiosk is in the public market, measures were taken
to avoid crowding.
“May (outdoor) gym
po malapit sa public market. So that was the holding area for those waiting for
their turn. Tumulong po yung mga pulis para mag-maintain ng physical distancing. May mga traffic enforcers. May thermal
scanning.
“People were glad
that we had this system because they felt safer and they were able to inquire
about their balance, withdraw their salaries and remittances, and even get
their loans and calamity assistance from the SSS and Pag-Ibig. Marami kasing
nag-apply ng calamity loan during quarantine,” she said.
Spark for growth
Another Cash Agad
partner agent, Roselyn Abela of Pitogo municipality (now renamed officially as
President Carlos P. Garcia municipality, although residents still use the old
name informally), said that her Cash Agad kiosk has been contributing to the
local economy.
“Before I started
the Cash Agad service in Pitogo, people had to go to the nearest city to transact
with a bank or use and ATM. But the nearest city is so far; it’s at another
island. People have to ride thehabal-habal (passenger motorcycles)
and then cross the sea on a pump boat. After getting to the island, they have
to ride another habal-habal. A two-way
trip costs 550 pesos. And each trip takes two hours to the island, and then two
hours again for the ride back to Pitogo,” said Roselyn.
Roselyn Abela, owner of FBA Merchandise and a Cash Agad Partner Agent in Pitogo, Bohol facilitating a withdrawal transaction for a local security guard
According to
Roselyn, residents in Pitogo were used to spending half a day or even the
entire day on a trip to the city. Due to the high cost of transport and the
travel time consumed, people would maximize their city jaunts. They go the
bank, transact at the ATM, and then buy essential goods but they also make it a
leisure trip as well: they eat at fast food restaurants and bond over some
shopping and other activities.
When the pandemic
hit and with community quarantine imposed in March, however, Pitogo residents
were forced to stay put. It was then
that Roselyn got more customers for her Cash Agad service. As a result, people
were spending their cash right there in Pitogo instead of at the city.
“People had no
choice but to buy goods here. I noticed
that during the months in quarantine, more small businesses were set up. A lot of new eateries and stores cropped up,”
she said.
Roselyn’s experience
is not unique. Other Cash Agad partners in other localities report the same
thing. This shows that by giving more people in more communities ready access
to cash, the local economy benefits from the increased spending and capital
flow.
“Financial inclusion
in far-flung communities is a driver for economic growth. Some places are too
far away or located in terrain that make it difficult, logistically, to build a
bank branch. Take for example some islands or mountainous regions. That’s why innovative
services like Cash Agad are a way to bridge the gap. As more spending occurs in
a community, the better for residents and businesses,” said Jim Nasol, Head of
Agency Banking, BDO.
As we face a public
health and economic crisis, it’s evident how crucial Cash Agad is for people’s
survival. They would otherwise not be able to get money for their essential
needs. Cash Agad provides convenience but it can be a literal lifeline to those
who depend on it. We’ve seen that during quarantine but the truth is, Cash Agad
has become essential to communities whether there’s a pandemic or not.
