why is it a manila envelope?

The Manila envelope is in the limelight once again thanks to Macbook Air's advertisements promoting the Manila envelope as the appropriate, snotty and trendy container for the world's slimmest laptop.

So what's the fuss about the Manila envelope? It's actually a reference to the Manila folder which were originally made of abaca or what they call Manila hemp. Abaca is a fiber commonly found in the Philippines. Manila is the capital of the Philippines and local entrepreneurs should be cashing in on Macbook's popularity by producing what else, but Manila envelopes that are indeed as sturdy as the ones being sold by Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans for $29.95 or roughly P1,200.

Imagine, a Manila envelope for P1,200? It’s a crazy world!

nescafe shows regional bias?

I was looking for Nescafe's newest advert since it looked interesting but instead I stumbled upon this seemingly unfair promotion from Nescafe. It's all moot and academic now really, but I think the subject matter is something people should take notice of.

Nescafe launched an "All Expense Paid Italian Gateway For 2" promo last year. I think the promo aimed to promote its newest product Amore Nescafe.

However, before you can enter the promo, you have to be part of the Amore community. And to be part of the Amore community you have to be:

Looks fine. But come to think of it, isn't Nescafe a brand that is being distributed throughout the 3 islands of the Philippines including Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao? I was wondering why only those from METRO MANILA can qualify for the promo. Maybe because Amore is distributed only in Metro Manila? That's the most logical answer I can think of because if not then this is clearly a stupid bias against the other regions who also drink Nescafe by the way.

This superior Manila mindset has come a long way, just like Nescafe. In fact, this issue is a very sensitive one because those in Mindanao have always lamented the fact that the national government puts more money in Luzon when Mindanao's export sector (think BANANA and PINEAPPLE) is contributing a lot of moolah to the government's coffers.

I prefer my coffee brewed, but when I want variety or when I do not have a choice, I drink Nescafe's 3 in1 blends. But if this promo is true to form and the answer I suggested is not the real reason for not including Mindanao, Visayas and most areas in Luzon then perhaps Filipinos should think twice before buying their Nescafe.

Maybe this is the reason why Amore has not clicked in Mindanao. With this ad, Nescafe shows there's no Amore' in them after all.