Freelance Writers — $5 Per 400- to 500-Word Article
And I got this job through Craigslist just this May. The only minus-point is that the workload is not that much.
But the good thing is, in this new project I earn in just two to three days what I’ve been earning in 6 days in the project I’ve been doing for the past 18 months. Also, the new project does not have a lot of specifications and keywords, and it has prospects of increased workload.
Fellow Pinoy freelance writers have been asking others to accept only writing jobs for not less than $5 per article of 500 words, in order to improve Pinoy writing rates in general. But it has not been easy finding these clients that really send the payments.
A lot of freelance writing jobs on Craigslist are bargain-priced. Imagine getting paid for one dollar (that’s only 46 pesos!) for a 400-word original, researched article? And others even require the articles to be ready for spinning or with some other attached tasks!
Lastly, I’m thankful that I found a client that didn’t scam me. Recently, a fellow freelance writer wrote a lot of articles for a certain website, which suddenly disappeared, and which didn’t pay him. He got the client through Craigslist.
This January 11, 2011, Ash wrote something on the comments section, and I believe what she shared should be read by fellow starting and not-yet-there freelance writers:
“what an inspiring article. thank you for posting this. i had also recently begun freelance writing (used to work in an office) and i was surprised at the going rate of some.
my first offer was $.50/100 words, downgraded from my asking of $2.50/100 words. dirt cheap, i know, but i was new and didn’t have a thing to my name. plus, it was the holidays–i was unemployed, renting, sending a kindergartener to school and my post-shopping overall finances were running low. like P600 low. in short, i was desperate. lol.
good thing the employer added more subtopics bec he got inspired by what i wrote, so the word count increased by another 1000 words.
after 2 days, somebody interviewed me and, after showing him my written samples, he hired me on the spot for $10/hr. it’s only part time, though. which is just as well bec i very recently got hired for a full time home-based editing job that pays good.
i can research and write 1 article in 2-3 hours at my going rate. i don’t think i will lower it; i’m sure that i’m worth every penny i charge them. i know that some employers will tell you that if you don’t lower your rate, they can always find others who will work for much cheaper.
i don’t blame them, that’s their prerogative. my prerogative is this: if they can’t afford my rate, somebody who can will always find me.
and they just did. tonight, somebody contacted me saying they like my writing and will be letting me know when they have a job for me. i will be waiting. and writing and writing until i can justify upping my rate once more. in the future 
”
Thanks a lot, Ash.
UPDATE on my blogpost on freelance writing:
It’s now January 2011, and my working relationship with these clients I talked about in the blogpost has been going great. The primary client turned out to be a fellow Pinoy who has immigrated to the U.S., and when he vacationed here last October, we met and treated me to a great expensive lunch.
He and his foreign-born wife are again coming over here this February, and again I received an invitation for another lunch. Last December, he gave me a bonus. No one else in my past and present freelancing work has given me a bonus. My other employer, based in the Alabang corporate world, didn’t give a bonus. I didn’t mind it much though as bonuses weren’t in the homebased-employment contract that I signed.
Additionally, my work with this U.S. client doubled, as I helped bring traffic to his and his wife’s sites. Surely, if we give our best effort and we comply with the deadlines (although this client is flexible with the deadlines, but I don’t abuse it), we reap great fruits.
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Tuition Fees at Adamson University
Last school year, Adamson University didn’t increase its tuition fees. For this school year 2010-2011, the university has decided to increase its tuition fees by 9 percent.
Nevertheless, Adamson officials insist the rate of increase was among the lowest compared to increases in other universities and that the new tuition fee levels are among the lowest in Metro Manila.
Indeed, Adamson has among the lowest tuition fees in Metro Manila, one of the factors we considered in choosing the school for my daughter. It was also very near the house of my sister-in-law.
I would have liked my daughter to continue studying at nearby TUP for economic reasons, but sadly, TUP does not approve course shifting, which my daughter had to do because of health reasons.
The tuition fee for the first semester of BS in Accounting (29 units) at Adamson is almost 33,000 pesos. If paid in cash, the discount is 5 percent. For installment payments, the initial payment is 5,000 pesos. The rest — three payments of 9,200 plus — are paid before the prelims, midterm and finals.
Included in this nearly 33,000-peso payment are one set of school uniform and one set of PE uniform.
Adamson University (AdU)
Based on Adamson’s website, tuition fees for freshmen
for the school year 2010 to 2011 are the following:
Accountancy – 33,060 pesos per sem
Architecture – 32,670
Biology – 28,622
Business Economics – 30,780
Chemistry – 31,174
Computer Science – 37,607
Computer Technology – 32,299
Education – 27,856
Engineering – 30,370
Financial Management – 30,780
Hospitality Management – 38,429
Information System – 31,529
Information Technology – 34,188
Marketing Management – 30,780
Mass Communication – 27,852
Nursing – 33,700
Pharmacy – 34,020
Psychology – 31,166
Contact Information:
Adamson University
900 San Marcelino St.
Ermita, Manila 1000
Hotline: 524-2011
email: general inquiries — webmaster@adamson.edu.ph
admissions — registrar@adamson.edu.ph
website: adamson.edu.ph
Related Articles:
Tuition Fees at FEU and Some Other Universities in Manila, Philippines
Dorms in the University Belt – FEU, UE, PSBA, San Beda, UST, UM – Manila
BPI and BDO Internet Banking — Free and Quick Ways to Send Your Children’s Allowance
Deed of Sale for Real Estate — You Can Create Your Own and Cut Legal Costs
If you’re selling your own lot or house and lot, you can create your own
Deed of Sale so you can cut your legal costs. I did it when I sold my own vacant lot in Pasig early this year.
1. First, find a copy or form of a Deed of Sale for real estate online. There are a lot offered for free by certain Pinoy legal websites. Some are short; the others are longer. Choose the one which you think contain all the things you think should be included.
2. After copying the Deed of Sale form, change the details to suit your circumstances, such as name and address of seller and name and address of buyer.
Revise in Microsoft Word or Open Office so it would be ready for printing.
3. Remove phrases that make the title transfer process more complex.
In my case, I failed to remove the following phrase, and I had to meet again with the buyer to sign again:
“as shown by my signatures on one side of every page of this document.”
4. Ask the buyer if he or she is married and if he/she wants the name of his/her
spouse included in the Deed of Sale. Typically, the phrase “married to” is included in deeds of sale, but some buyers do not want it, just like in my case.
Nagtaka tuloy ako dahil, di ba, may right pa rin ang legal spouse sa property kahit hindi nakasulat sa deed of sale? Sabi ng buyer, baka raw kasi mag-aaway sila in the future.
5. After printing the Deed of Sale for at least 4 copies, three for the buyer and one for you, have it signed, registered and sealed by a notary public.
If you ask notary public personnel to make the Deed of Sale, they’ll charge 2,000 pesos or more. Some even base their charge on the sale price for the property (which is legal if the lawyer also handled the sale negotiations ).
But if you have the document ready, you can shop it around by asking immediately Magkano before handing them your document. You can find someone to notarize it for only 200 to 500 pesos. Pag pumunta ka sa lugar na tabi-tabi ang mga puesto ng mga notary, mas makamura ka kasi may competition.
6. Lastly, remember that the sale price you’re putting in the Deed of Sale is the basis for the Capital Gains Tax, Transfer Tax and Documentary Tax. Will post about these taxes soon.
Pre-Need Planholders — How to Ask Help from the Insurance Commission
If you’re a pre-need planholder with a concern, you can now write the Insurance Commission even though the IC is still in the process of absorbing pre-need companies into its system.
The pre-need code was signed into law just last December 2009 and the implementing rules were signed just last March.
In a report published by Business World, Insurance Commissioner Santiago Javier Ranada also said that the IC needs about 150 more employees, including lawyers, actuaries and researchers, to manage pre-need matters.
Ranada, however, added that the IC is prepared to hear and settle pre-need cases.
To request for assistance, you can refer to the Claimant’s Request for Assistance form on the IC website as reference for details you need to include in your letter:
- Name of Planholder
- Address
- Telephone No.
- Name of Pre-Need Company
- Plan No.
- Name of Plan
- Amount of Plan
- Maturity Date
- Summary of Claimant’s Request
You can also refer to the complaint form designed by the SEC for pre-need complaints.
Related Article:
Pre-need Companies in the Philippines Now under the Insurance Commission
How to File a Complaint Against Any Pre-need Firm in the Philippines
Cheap Ways to Send Money Within the Philippines
Puedeng magpadala ng pera sa murang paraan.
Why do you pay hundreds of pesos to send money from Manila
to your families in the province? or vice-versa or any location within the Philippines?
Does paying 130 pesos to send 1,000 pesos or 650 pesos to send 7,000 pesos make sense?
There are now several ways to send money without paying any charge, or if you have to pay, it would only be a few pesos.
1. Debit cards
- You can get them for only around 100 to 150 pesos.
- You don’t need to maintain a daily balance.
BDO Cash Card
- Pay around 150 pesos to open the account.
- No charge for reloading money. Use the Card Sale/Reload Slip.
- Choose from three types of cards based on maximum balance limits of 10,000; 25,000; and 100,000 pesos.
- The 10,000-peso-limit card needs to have at least one deposit or withdrawal within a six-month period.
- Minimum reload of 100 pesos.
- Withdrawal only through ATMs.
BPI Express Cash Card
- Pay around 150 pesos to open the account.
- Good for two years, renewable.
- No charge for depositing or loading money.
- Minimum withdrawable amount: 500
- Maximum withdrawable amount per day: 10,000
- Update as of March 2011: There’s now a withdrawal fee of 15 pesos per withdrawal.
RCBC MyWallet
- Pay 100 pesos to open the account and another 100 pesos annually.
- Pay only 20 pesos to deposit, any amount.
- Pay only 10 pesos to transfer money, if you have a regular RCBC account.
2. Regular ATM Savings Accounts
BPI Family – 1,000 pesos maintaining balance
BDO — 2,000 pesos maintaining balance
Metrobank – 2,000 pesos maintaining balance
Open your account where you plan to send money so you won’t have to pay a deposit charge. Example: If you’re sending from Metro Manila, open an account here.
If you’re depositing in Metro Manila to a provincial account, you’ll have to pay a deposit charge ranging from 50 to 100 pesos, still lower however than other remittance services.
3. EON CyberAccount of Union Bank
- No maintaining balance
- Pay 350 for the Visa electron annual fee
- No charge for depositing
- Can be used to verify a Paypal account and to withdraw funds from Paypal.
- Update as of March 2011: There’s now a withdrawal fee of 10 pesos for the third and subsequent withdrawals for the month. In other words, you’re allowed only two free withdrawals for every month.
4. Bank accounts for OFWs
Most banks have special accounts for OFWs. No maintaining balances and just a few pesos to open the account. Just present proofs of remittances from abroad.
5. Accounts for Minors and SSS/GSIS Pensioners
Most banks also have special savings accounts for children, requiring zero or low maintaining balances.
6. Smart Money and G-Cash
Will write another post for these.
Related Articles:
Pre-need Companies in the Philippines Now under Insurance Commission
Pre-need companies in the Philippines are now under the supervision of the Insurance Commission.
The pre-need law was passed in December 2009 and the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) were signed in March 2010.
Visit the website of the Insurance Commission at insurance.gov.ph, and you will see the pre-need code and the IRR already published on the site.
You will also see the list of the 23 pre-need firms under Directory of the IC home page. However, the list on the IC was still the list previously prepared by the SEC.
The list includes the 23 pre-need firms that were licensed to sell pre-need plans as of December 2009:
- Abundance Providers and Entrepreneurs Corporation (APEC) (formerly Pacific Plans)
- AMA Plans
- Ayala Plans
- Caritas Financial Plans
- CityPlans
- Cocoplans
- Danvil Plans (formerly Berkley International Plans)
- Destiny Financial Plans
- Eternal Plans
- First Country Plans
- First Union Plans
- Grayline Plans
- Himlayang Pilipino Plans
- Loyola Plans Consolidated
- Manulife Financial Plans
- Mercantile Careplans
- Paz Memorial Services
- Philplans First (formerly Philam Plans)
- Provident International Plans
- St. Peter Life Plan
- Sun Life Financial Plans
- Transnational Plans
- Trusteeship Plans
The only two changes from the May 2009 list are:
- the addition of APEC to the list
- change of name of Philam Plans to Philplans
For those who have complaints, inquiries or claims, you can address them to:
Public Assistance & Information Division
523-8461 to 70 local 102, 103, 105
pubassist@insurance.gov.ph
Death — Prepare for Yourself and Those You’ll Leave Behind
Remember, man, that you are dust and unto dust you shall return.
The sad realities of life, such as deaths and illnesses, have struck our family, so I did not have time to make updates on this blog.
Thank you to all those who made comments on this blog while I was away.
There are lessons learned that I can share here:
1. Make your last instructions now, so your family will know what to do in case the Lord calls you to heaven.
Put your last instructions in a safe place that they can access — your personal drawer or your family safe.
List all insurance or investment plans that they can claim. Tell them where they can find your documents. List the requirements needed to make a claim.
Instruct them to cut your credit cards immediately. Tell them about what they will do regarding your balances.
Tell them about your current debts (such as debts owed to persons) and what you have paid and instruct them about what to do.
Similarly, list the persons who still owe you money and the amounts owed and compile documents or proofs if available. Better yet, collect them now, or put the loans into writing, especially for large amounts.
2. If there are still properties that need to be divided with your brothers and sisters, divide them now, so that your children do not have to do the negotiations with their cousins or uncles and aunts. Transfer the titles directly to your children to save on transfer costs.
3. Show more appreciation to you parents, husband and children. Say thank you more often. Tell them you love them.
Lastly, the most important of all, make sure you are going to heaven. This is not about doing good all the time, or never sinning. This is not possible for anyone.
What is possible now at this moment is to accept you are a sinner, accept Jesus Christ as your only Savior, ask forgiveness from Him and believe you are now saved.
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