Beyond the numbers and increasing cases and the presence of new variants of COVID-19, being stuck at home has taken a huge emotional and psychological toll for people. Some lost their jobs, some lost a family member, and some are still struggling to adapt to the new normal.
For model, television host, and social media personality Kelly Misa, just like everyone else, she went through a phase where she had to make big adjustments. It became even more challenging because she’s a working mom.
“It was a rollercoaster ride especially in the beginning like we’re trying to find ourselves, trying to find who we are in the community and in our workplace especially. Being a model, basically, there has been a sudden shift. Suddenly it just became influencers because everything is online now,” Kelly shared with Manila Standard Entertainment in an exclusive interview for PLDT Home Rewards.
“There are no longer events that we go to, we no longer leave the house. There was a sudden shift in how we do things. Thankfully, the industry and myself, I was able to adapt well along with everyone else. It’s essentially a different way of doing things but we still provide the same service, just a different medium. And it’s something that we are trying to get used to,” she carried on.
The pandemic has made parents working from home and children attending online classes the new norm. But adapting to this new way of doing things is an entirely different story. And for Kelly, it’s a continuous learning process.
“Taking it day by day is the best advice I could give because it’s really difficult. Even with my son and his schooling, it’s really uncertain. We really don’t know what will happen in the future,” the model and host stated.
As the current situation dramatically affects our lives, including our relationships with other people in our families and in our workplace, Kelly has managed to nurture these connections through social media and other means of communication.
“I have a group chat with my closest friends. I think that’s how friendships survive these days. We have this thread where we share inspirational news or even just ‘tsismis.’ It’s a way of connecting with each other,” she said in jest.
“I’m thankful for all the social media platforms including viber, whatsapp, and zoom because I can still connect to people although I really miss seeing people face to face and feeling the energy and the connection. When I go out and see someone I know, I get to be clingy, I don’t want to let go because I want to know what’s going on. I just want to hug my friends and be with them,” she added.
Making plans
Amid closed borders and canceled flights, travel came to a virtual standstill. Yet, Kelly still hopes that she would be able to take a mini-vacation with her family.
“I’m planning to have a mini-vacation, something to get us out of the house, rent a beach house probably. We all need that kind of break. It’s something I’m looking forward to. We are getting used to this sort of new normal, new way of living, although we’re all at home,” she said.
In the latter part of the year, despite uncertainties, she wishes to be able to do more.
“I’m still looking forward to collaborating with other brands and influencers to be more creative. And for my son to learn and to continue on, hopefully, we get to the point where we’re to what we were before and see each other again. What else can we do; we can only control our area.”
Having a strong connection at home
As a social media personality, Kelly spends so much time on her phone.
“I can’t imagine not having an internet connection even just for one day,” she admitted and explained why having a strong and reliable connection is a must in every household.
“I have obligations to fulfill. For my son, homeschooling and learning would be difficult if the internet is slow then nagla-lag yung teacher. It is essential. Internet is life essentially. It’s something that everyone needs and it’s my wish for everyone — to have fast internet.”
Kelly underscored the convenience of internet at home as it provides immediate access to information, perform her responsibility as a mother, communicate with people outside her home, and purchase goods for her family’s daily needs.
“I got married eight years ago, and we have moved to a different home three times, and every time we move, even before we have the furniture, we make sure that we have the internet at home already,” she related.
“For me, once you have a bed and internet, then you can already live in that home,” she said in jest.
PLDT Home Rewards
With Kelly on board as the face of PLDT Home Rewards, PLDT launches its improved loyalty program. With this new program, subscribers can earn and use crystals to pay for PLDT and Smart products and services, get bill rebates from Cignal, Maynilad and Easytrip, accumulate raffle entries, and instantly avail of exclusive deals and discounts from various partner merchants.
“PLDT has always valued its customers’ trust and loyalty. We want to continuously thank them for supporting and staying with PLDT all throughout these years. With the new PLDT Home Rewards, our subscribers can easily earn points that we call ‘crystals’ and win huge and exciting raffle prizes every month. The earned crystals can be used to shop, purchase food online, and make better moments at Home,” said Patrick Tang, Vice President and Head of PLDT Home Customer Management.
Signing up is easier than ever
To register, just simply go to the MVP Rewards website at mvprewards.ph/signup or download the MVP Rewards mobile application and click the SIGN-UP button. The MVP Rewards sign-up page will open, and it will take no time at all to fill out the required details. Register, accept, and continue. At the MVP Rewards Home Page, look for the PLDT Home logo and click it, link your PLDT account and encode the details needed. Users can enroll up to five accounts.
Different ways to earn and use crystals
As a member, subscribers can automatically earn crystals in many ways.
- A member gets 20 welcome points for every PLDT Home account enrolled.
- Paying in-full and on-time also earns crystals. One crystal will be earned for every P250 spent.
- An additional 20 points can be received by enrolling your PLDT account to auto-charge arrangement, and another 20 points if you go green or enroll your account to paperless billing.
- You will also receive 20 crystals if you purchase any PLDT Home gadget or avail any value-added services like a Cignal subscription.
- Account upgrades earn the highest number of crystals with a total of 50 for getting a higher plan or migrating your line to another technology (e.g. DSL to Fiber).
- Soon payments made via the accepted digital channels such as electronic wallets like Paymaya, internet, and phone banking, credit card, debit card etc. will be granted five crystals.
If you want to use your crystals, you can simply go to the MVP Rewards Homepage (website or mobile application), click ‘Redeem’ and choose the PLDT Home logo. These points can be used to avail deals and discounts from Shopee, Nike Park, Planet Sports, Din Tai Fung, Gong Cha, National Bookstore, and more.
“This bigger and better loyalty program is just one of the many exciting rewards for our loyal subscribers. Powered by the fastest and strongest connections, our subscribers enjoy better and more meaningful digital experiences at home,” said Tang. To learn more about this loyalty and rewards program, visit bit.ly/3dUbe4Y.