Table of Contents
Recently, someone requested that I give my take on Ascendra International.
Good afternoon, sir. Kindly review the new networking company of Joseph Lim called Ascendra. Their packages keep increasing in price — is this legit?
Let’s dive deep into it.
What is Ascendra International?
Ascendra International is a new multi-level marketing (MLM) company that recently launched in the Philippines. It offers various products and services.
According to their business presentation, Ascendra sells three primary offerings:
- Masterclass – These are training hubs designed to help you get started with their system.
- Products – Such as Omega Life (P3,200), Barley Fusion (P1,500), and Best Barley (P1,150).
- Life Insurance – Offered as part of their bundled packages.
Enrollment Fees
To join Ascendra, you need to choose a membership package:
- Associate – P8,500
- Builder – P17,500
- Consultant – P45,500
- Director – P110,500
- Executive – P199,800
Each package comes with a combination of masterclass access, products, and/or insurance services, depending on your choice (MVP, MV, MP).
That means upon joining, you’ll receive something tangible—either a product, service, or both.
Are the Products Competitive?
Here lies a concern. The MLM industry in the Philippines has long offered training, health products, and even insurance. So Ascendra isn’t breaking new ground here.
Take their health products for example:
- Omega Life: Similar to USANA, AIM Global, Atomy, DXN
- Barley: Competes with Sante Barley, I Am Worldwide, Edmark
These types of products are already saturated in the MLM market. And while they may have some internal value, their external market value is questionable.
There’s no distinct value proposition that sets Ascendra’s products apart from more affordable and well-known alternatives.
In most cases, the only people purchasing these products are already within the system—not external retail customers.
This creates a red flag: if the system doesn’t generate profit through external customers, members must rely on recruitment to earn.
Which leads us to the next discussion…
Is Ascendra’s Compensation Plan Attractive or Concerning?
After deeply analyzing Ascendra’s business presentation, I noticed multiple red flags that resemble position-based income—a structure commonly found in pyramid-style MLMs.
What is Position-Based Income?
Position-based income means your profits depend more on your rank in the system than your actual sales or recruiting effort.
Let’s illustrate this:
Suppose I purchased the Executive package (top rank), while my friend is only an Associate (lowest rank).
Even if my friend sells more and recruits harder, I’ll still earn more than them simply because I bought a higher position.
That’s the problem: rank is bought, not earned.
Now, let’s break down Ascendra’s income sources and where this issue appears:
1. Direct Referral Bonus
Ascendra advertises a 20% direct referral bonus—but you only get the full 20% if you’re an Executive member.
- If you’re an Associate and you refer someone at a higher rank (e.g., Executive), your bonus is significantly lower.
- The commission varies based on your package, not effort.
So, unless you invest more money for a higher package, you’ll get smaller commissions. Only Executives consistently earn 20%.
This is position-based income.
2. Unified Binary (Matching Bonus)
Every package and product has a corresponding Binary Value (BV). 1 BV = P1.
You earn matching bonuses when you place people on your left and right team.
- Example: 10,000 BV on left + 10,000 BV on right = P10,000 match
However, you can only earn the full P10,000 if you’re an Executive. If you’re just an Associate, you’ll only get P600, regardless of the volume.
That’s a massive disparity—and again, a classic position-based income red flag.
3. Unified Unilevel
This is a 10% commission structure across 10 levels based on product or package purchases.
- Example: If someone under you buys an Executive package, the UV is 3,000. You earn 10% (P300).
- But if you’re an Associate, you only get a tiny fraction of that—about P25 to P50.
So even in team sales, your commission is rank-locked.
4. Unified Override
If someone under you earns from Binary or Unilevel, you get 10% of their earnings—as long as your rank qualifies.
- Builders and Consultants get only 8%.
- Directors and Executives get 10%.
- Higher ranks (Prime, Legacy) get additional levels of override.
So again, your commission depends on your position, not performance.
5. Ascendra Lifestyle Fund
This fund rewards you with shopping vouchers, gadgets, travel, car, luxury car, or property.
However, it’s not enough to meet the Enrollment PV and Product PV requirements—you also need to be at a certain rank.
- Example: Even if you meet the PV needed for the “Car” reward, you still won’t qualify unless you’re at least an Executive.
This creates positional gatekeeping—a manipulative reward system that favors higher-paying members.
Final Analysis: What Are the Red Flags?
- Position-Based Income – Your income potential is tied to how much you pay upfront, not how much you sell.
- Forced Upgrade Pressure – Almost all commissions and rewards are locked behind higher packages.
- Dead Commissions – If you’re low rank, part of your commissions go to your uplines.
- Pyramid Layering Behavior – Those at the top cut a larger share from every new recruit.
- No Equal Opportunity – Lower ranks are automatically disadvantaged.
Is It Fair to Say Ascendra Is a Pyramid Scheme?
To be legally classified as a pyramid scheme, the main income must come from recruitment, not product sales.
Ascendra has real products, which shields it from being an outright illegal pyramid.
However, the compensation system exhibits strong signs of a pyramid-style MLM:
- Heavy emphasis on position
- Profit limitations for low ranks
- Incentives pushing expensive upgrades
This puts Ascendra in a “Not Recommended” category for me—especially for people who don’t have the capital to invest in high-level packages or those who don’t enjoy recruitment.
Positive Points
To be fair:
- ✅ It offers real products and services (masterclass, insurance, health items)
- ✅ There is a product rebate system for resellers
- ✅ Members have multiple product lines to choose from
However, the pricing is high, the competition is stiff, and the system favors those who spend more upfront.
Final Verdict
If Ascendra restructured its ranking system so that positions were earned through sales and performance, and not through spending, then it could be considered a legitimate MLM.
But as it stands now—with income and access tied to how much you pay to join—it exhibits the architecture of a pyramid-style MLM.
This is not recommended for people who don’t want to spend big or recruit aggressively.
What do you think about Ascendra International? Do you believe it’s a smart opportunity or a cleverly disguised pyramid? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
So ang tunay na kumikita ah yung pinag kakakitaan? 😂