Musings on Macau

In these hard times, what company would think of sending their people on trips abroad—all expenses paid, pocket money included? We’ll get back to that later.

When I learned I was going to Macau to represent the Philippine STAR in a familiarization tour hosted by PhilAm Plans, I had mixed emotions –—I was ecstatic because I’d be able to leave the country again (a surprise blessing, I guess) and at the same time I was apprehensive because my companions would all be adults. I really didn’t know if I would be comfortable. I kept telling myself that since we’d be having a stop-over in Hong Kong, I’d prefer to get stuck there and just shop, because I wasn’t sure what I’d see in Macau. But now I’m glad I did not do that.

Macau, though only an hour-turbo jet ride away from HK, is very different from its bigger neighbor. It’s 50 times smaller than HK and has a more homey and laid-back atmosphere. I also noticed that people there seem nicer and they weren’t always in a hurry. Even the food there is great and relatively cheap. Thanks to the Portuguese and Chinese influences, I was able to sample a different kind of cuisine.

And when it comes to shopping, well, it is a whole lot cheaper than HK. Though there are only a limited number of shops, the brands they carry are really cool. And they accept HK dollars so it’s also very convenient. Yet, not everybody would put Macau at the top of their list when it comes to shopping in Asia, but that might change soon.

Since Macau is so small, the city center where everything is happening is quite accessible and you could easily reach it on foot, since most of the hotels are located near the city center. And even if Macau was colonized by Portugal, most people don’t speak Portuguese there. And, unlike the Spanish churches here in Manila, what makes the Portuguese churches different is that theirs are simple—no elaborate/extravagant designs or carvings whatsoever. "Simple Gothic," if there is such a term, is how I would describe it.

Macau is the type of place that grows on you. After awhile there you actually begin to feel its warmth.

On the second day of our Chinese adventure, we were able to spend an entire afternoon in Mainland China—the city of Zhuhai, to be specific. The Chinese border was just a 10-minute bus ride from our hotel, and I could actually see the coastline of Zhuhai. The city of Zhuhai is one of the Chinese cities that is part of China’s Special Economic Zones. China has never really one my favorite destinations, maybe because it’s a communist country, and since we are a democratic people we have misconceptions about what it is like to live in a communist state. But what I saw in Zhuhai made me feel realize that China must be just like any other country.

The afternoon in China was quite boring, but not the evening. After dinner, we went to the New Yuan Ming Palace — the summer palace of the Chinese emperors. It’s called "New" because it’s just a replica. The original palace was destroyed by the British and French troops back in the 19th century, but the reproduction is faithful to the original.

The cultural show we witnessed was one of the most beautiful highlights of the trip since it showed a lot of Chinese dances. The dancers were in colorful costumes and they had eye-popping effects which depicted the Qing Dynasty (pronounced Ching)— the last Chinese dynasty. Just goes to show how much the Chinese value their culture.

This Macau trip was sponsored by PhilAm Plans. It was a treat for their deserving agents and employees who met their sales targets. Next year’s sales incentive is even juicier — Australia.

The trip was quite interesting since I was surrounded by grownups. Though I was not the youngest in the group, it was obvious that the age gap was kinda big. They were quite surprised because many of them thought that I was also with the PhilAm Plans. Although I I think some of them were wondering how someone as young as I could qualify for the trip.

It was quite a change being with adults. I felt like a quiet observer watching from be-hind the scenes. Once in a while it felt like I was with a bunch of kids having fun. And it’s kinda cool hanging out with adults from time to time. I didn’t suffer from peer pressure and I wasn’t sized-up based on what I was wearing and all that shallow stuff. Luckily I was able to bond with some of these people from whom I got to know more about the company. It cleared a lot of misconceptions I had about what it’s like to be an agent for Pre-plans.

First, I found out that pre-plans are different from the traditional insurance plans, which I am familiar with. As they say, "Here, you get something even before you’re dead." They even have this "Wedding Plan," but I think that’s the least of my concerns for now.

In these uncertain times, it’s better to be proactive and be prepared and PhilAm Plans has a way of dealing with that. They teach you the value of investing and saving something for a rainy day, simple as that. After interacting with these people, I have developed a new respect for their profession. I have learned that no matter what profession a person may be in they should be respected.

So what is Pre-Plan? It’s "security," and once it is sold, the service is delivered in the future. In a way it is also considered a long-term savings plan. PhilAm provides long-term money, since they encourage people to save for a rainy day. So, how does "pre-need" differ from insurance? In insurance, something has to happen to you before you can get the money. With pre-need you don’t have to die in order to get something. Whatever happens, PhilAm delivers the service they commit to deliver at a fixed date.

There have several services to choose from: PhilAm Gold for educational plans; Ultima for memorial plans; Future Fund, Future Fund Plus, and Future Fund Prime for pension and a whole lot more.

The job is not that easy — it’s not easy to convince a total stranger to invest his money in a jiffy. It’s not easy to gain people’s trust these days, and the PhilAm people work at doing just that.

Their job, I learned, can be very interesting. You get to meet a lot of people, it helps develops character and teaches you to be humble and persevering. Since some people might consider you a nuisance, the job just teaches you to stand up again once you fall down. The good thing is that you are well compensated— and it isn’t necessarily a nine-to-five job, it could be a sideline. And if you do well, the money you earn could send you globetrotting in no time.

You have nothing to lose if you try going into this profession, as long as you have the knack for mingling with people. These days it’s hard to find people who can deal with all types of people — a very precious asset, come to think of it. And since this is not a nine to five job even new grads can give it a try.

I guess after a job well done what these hard worker men and women can expect is not just a pot of gold — but a fun holiday, too.

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Email me at ketsupluis@hotmail.com