Thursday, December 29, 2011

Last working day in 2011

I'm so bored and I can't concentrate in my work. I have a lot of deliverables, but I can't focus on it. Well, I just leave them for 2012. Heheh!
Its December 29th today, this is the last day of work here in the Philippines because its a holiday tomorrow to commemorate the death of our National Hero "Jose Rizal". Today, the office is very gloomy and dull, only a few people reported. They are busy for the holidays and I think they are having their vacation. I was not able to file my leave because I want to save my leave for next year, because 12 days leave are convertible to cash. So, I better save them than take my leave, after all I don't have any vacation plans. No budget for that, have some important things to look at rather than that.

Today is a  gloomy day at the office, as we are nearing year 2012, it seems so dull and pale. We are not that excited or we are not looking forward to 2012, because our project will end on June 2012, and all of us will be left unemployed. But I'm not worried, I know that there are a lot of opportunities around I am positive about it. God really provides in time, we should be patient and always ask for His guidance in every endeavor we have.    

Monday, December 26, 2011

A rainbow of hope for Sendong Victims

December 20, 2011 - Four days after the destructive typhoon "Sendong" that had shattered dreams and stolen the lives of our brothers and sisters, a rainbow appeared in Cagayan de Oro City, one of the worst affected cities in the aftermath of the flood. The rainbow reminded us of the covenant of God to Noah after the great flood that hit our planet (B.C., thousand years ago). 

Photo: Credit to Yeb Sano

Excerpts from the Holy Bible (NIV):

When the land is dry, God tells Noah to leave the ark, and Noah offers a sacrifice to God. God resolves never again to curse the Earth, "for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth." God grants to Noah and his sons the right to kill animals and eat their meat, but forbids meat which has not been drained of its blood. Blood is proclaimed to be sacred, and the unauthorised taking of life is prohibited: "For your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man...Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image." God then establishes his covenant with Noah and his sons and with all living things, and places a rainbow in the clouds, "the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth."

It's a sign for the survivors of the tragic flood that they should get back to the Lord and keep their faith in Him always. God has made a promise in Cagayan de Oro, that never again will the great flood hit the city of "Golden Friendship".

Monday, December 19, 2011

Help Sendong Typhoon Victims


Let us help the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City. As of today, the death toll is estimated to be 900, a senior government official said, as cities prepared mass burials for the victims. The number of dead bodies is expected to rise even further as more floating bodies are recovered after sunrise, said Benito Ramos, head of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Authorities likened the impact of tropical storm Washi to Ketsana, one of the country's most devastating storms which dumped huge amounts of rain on Manila and other parts of the country in 2009, killing more than 460 people. (Reference Article from Teodoro Aljibe | AFP News) Visit  http://www.sendongrelief.org/ and donate.


Sunday, December 18, 2011

A million thanks



My family and I are very grateful for the wonderful people who have shared their support and love during our crisis. I am so blessed to have people around that are always there to give us strength and encouragement. These people gave us so much joy to move forward and start a new life together as a family. All I can say is.. THANK YOU.... IM THANKFUL..

Google search rank


I am a first-time blogger and I rarely had an opportunity to have my keywords searchable on the net. This morning, I noticed that my post about the Magallanes Riverside Fire was among the popular posts (that I have). When I tried to enter the "magallanes riverside fire" keyword on google search, I was surprise that it ranked number 2. I was shocked because I did not expect that this will be ranked. Nevertheless, its so ironic that the personal post that trended was about the fire incident that hit our family. Everything has its own positive side I guess. I will continue to share the pages of my life and try to impart the positive things in every aspect of our lives. My blog is a personal blog that talks about my daily life experiences, as well as my opinions on different matters that I am interested in. Keep on reading  my blog and share your views and opinions.


Thursday, December 15, 2011

Moving on and paying it forward

Source: www.epicvelocity.wordpress.com
Don’t be afraid to keep moving on,

For what was before, now has gone,
God wants to accomplish so much more,
But we need to move forward in the Lord.
© By M.S. Lowndes, Based on Isaiah 43:18-19

After the fire incident in our house, we are gradually accepting our fate and move forward to paint a new rainbow after the storm. Its not easy for us to forget the things that had happen, but we cannot always think about it and regret the things that we should have done to save our house. But our life has no rewind, we cannot erase and live to the past, we need to move on.

Moving on is such an easy word but its very hard to accomplish. I am blessed that I have friends and family that gave us strength and encouragement to live our normal lives again. Even though, we are still living at a friend's house, we are trying to adjust and be diligent in living there, because its hard to live in somebody's home.

When my friends and work colleagues knew about the incident, blessings were showering in our home. I realized that in this lowest time of my life, you will know who your real friends are, who are there to support you in your ups and downs. I am shy about the gifts that I have received, but it will be disrespectful if I would not accept their offer. This is the time to take away my pride and "magpakumbaba".

I am so blessed that I have a loving work colleagues, they are a family to me. When my boss heard about the news, he immediately called me and said that we would initiate some help from our head office. They gave me financial assistance and there are also some help from the US Head Office that will be given to me. That amount would be very helpful in building again our house.

Hallelujah! God is great and marvelous! He endures forever! With these blessings, I can say that God has a purpose in this trial of our life. He did not made this situation just so to hurt us, but He has prepared something great for us. Every trial that He made, He wants to send a message, a message that we need to keep our faith in God, always and forever!

I said thank you to my colleagues and even sent greeting e-cards just to express my feelings of gratitude. My boss was touched by my message and he even said if they have done good deeds to me, I need to pay it forward to others who are in need. I told him that even if this incident had not happen, I am willing to help others who are in need.
Source: www.madmikesaamerica.com

I maybe in need right now, but there are still people out there who have less in life. I am still lucky that I can eat three meals a day, I still have a job and my family is complete. I can no longer ask for more, God has given me a lot of blessings already. This incident will be remembered for the rest of our lives, not as a tragic incident but an event where God did great things for us! Amen!

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

12/09/11 - Shattered dreams in Magallanes Riverside Fire


December 09, 2011 - A day to remember in the lives of my family. Our dreams were shattered in just minutes and they were turned into ashes like dust in the wind that flown away and nowhere to be found. A tragic event that wounded our hearts and bewildered our plans in the future. Just because of a kid who played fire while cooking in the kitchen, turned a simple accident into a blazing fire fuming with black smoke, causing the clouds to get heavy.

At 9:15am that day I was preparing to go to work and I said good bye to my 9-month old daughter. I noticed a certain sad aura in her eyes, she was sad that I will be leaving her in the house. But I need to go to work for them. I felt something bad, but I did not mind about it when I saw her sad face.When I rode a jeepney going to bajada, I had a call from our family friend, she said in a terrifying voice that there is a fire in Magallanes just at the back of Grand Men Seng Hotel, which is very near at our house. I was shocked and panicked, when I texted my husband informing him about the situation, my hands are shaking and I am very nervous. 

At 9:30am, I got off the jeep, and rode another jeepney going to Magallanes. I just dropped at Ponciano St., because the roads were closed going to Magallanes. I felt the heat of the fire even in San Pedro St., and as I move closer to the City Hall and Magallanes Elem. Sch. , the fire was still scorching. I went to City Health Office, where are house is nearly located, I saw blazing red fire with black fuming flames. Our home is nowhere to be found, it was turned into ashes and flown away in the air. (Watch me here at 5:47 mins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnPeN-DhbQ4.)

I keep on calling my mom and dad, but they were not answering the phone. When I received a text message from our boarders, I was relieved when she said that they are safe and they are on the other side of the dike, so I hurriedly went there. As I was walking towards the other end of the dike, which I will walk through Bolton St., I saw fire trucks and people watching the fire. I kept on crying because I want to see my family safe. A lot of people were panicking and getting the things out of their house, it was daylight nightmare.

When I went to the place, I saw my family and we hugged each other and we cried. I kissed my daughters and I was happy seeing them safe. I thank my two boarders who helped my daughters escaped from the fire. It was an unexpected event in our lives, but even in this tragic happening we are still blessed that we are  alive and safe. My dad's boss offered that we could stay in their house temporarily until we can build our house.

We are slowly moving forward to start a new beginning, I know that it is not an easy journey but I know we can do it together as a family. God has a purpose for this trial in our life and I know He has prepared something great for us. We need to move on, we cannot live by the past alone but we can think about the future and plan a new chapter of our life.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Frugality in this trying times




"Every peso counts."
In this trying times, we want to maximize our resources, as much as possible we want to spend our money wisely. We want to get what we have paid for because every peso counts. Well, I am "kuripot" (hehe), maybe that's a not the right word, because it has a negative connotation. The right word for me is "frugal".


I'm just prudent and thrifty in spending my income, because I need to compensate all our needs with the amount i'm getting. Some of my friends say that I should chill out and spend money for night outs. But that is not on my mind right now, because I am not only thinking about myself, every food that I ate I always think about my family. Money  should be put to important things that are of necessity to my family. 

Thursday, November 24, 2011

The volatility of christmas bonus

We can smell the air of Christmas this month, its only 30 days to go. Employees of various companies and government agencies are very excited to grab their Christmas bonus and 13th month pay because they can buy the things they want for Christmas i.e gift, appliances, hi-tech gadgets, grocery items and more.  

 I just receive my 13th Month pay today and its worth my whole salary plus my semi-monthly pay. Its a large sum of money but before I even receive this, there are a lot of things listed for this sum of money intended for payment of debts, bills and other expenses. So, in short it just evaporated in the air like its not there. 

This is the dilemma of a struggling employee that the only source of income is her semi-monthly salaries, which is not enough to compensate the needs of her family. I think I am not the only person who are suffering from this dreaded disease of debts (hehe!). A lot of people have more debts than me and are in the state of bankruptcy (lol). Well, this thing is normal nowadays, because an employee's career path is the so-called "modern slavery from a meager salary".

Employees work for money, money does not work for them. If we stay as employees and just receive the salary that our companies gave us, we just don't  expect to achieve financial stability. Why? Because employees cannot dictate their salary, the company determines your income. We need to shift our paradigm and move to another quadrant, the quadrant of a businessman.

Traditional business or network marketing businesses are the fast-paced growing market today. Multi-level marketing companies promise financial freedom if you just follow their system, but it will not work if you just sit down and do nothing. These businesses require focus and determination to succeed, you just put your mind into it. There is an affordable way to enter this business, visit http://www.bncblitzkrieg.com/ for details. Just leave a comment and I will introduce you to the system.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Overtime Blues

When we are in the corporate world it is normal to stay up late to finish our work in order to meet the deadliest deadline. Every workplace has its own culture on how to manage overtime and late schedules in work, but in our case since we are an NGO, we don't have any definite time-in and time-out, as long as you consume the official eight (8) working hours. 

Overtime is normal if is consistent, but what are the things that we should do to avoid it or how can we make our workload manageable. I think overtime is a product of inefficiency and disorganization of tasks and responsibilities. Some people will request for an overtime is there are things urgent, but you can gradually do that thing beforehand to avoid cramming. 

Sometimes the one who instructed you to do that work, do not understand what he has instructed you because he crams and just instruct you to do this and do that without even thinking if it is feasible or not.  Well, I understand the position of the bosses because they have a bigger responsibility in the organization and everything you do, reflects their management. 

In the end, the big bosses will blame your direct supervisor if something goes wrong and your boss will be the one to relay it to you. In short, your direct boss has much pressure than you. I understand every boss, its not easy handling people. Its up to the management of each organization to make a policy with proper implementation.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

A new home, a new beginning

On my blog about my dream  house with a broken promise, I have expressed my disappointment on the delay in the construction of our house. Luckily, the long wait will be (hopefully) over. Last Saturday, we visited the site because our developer contacted me to check the house and examine if there are repairs to be made. 
When we checked it out, the construction is completing its last touches, the comfort room has no door yet. The main door is not fit against the tiled floor. The aircon wire, aircon switch and the breaker was not yet attached. I was kind of irritated, because the foreman told me to buy those stuff before they start painting the house. But until now, it was not yet installed. 

The roof gutter was not yet installed , and I was expecting that the house will be color peach orange or golden brown. But the house is pale and dull. The foreman explained that it was a Jasmin model house, and that is really its design. So, what can I do, I just need to accept it.

I am hoping that the house will be taken out by Pag-ibig this December 2011 or January 2012. I am also hoping that they will approved my application. After the house is awarded, its only the beginning of other expenses like installation of electricity and water, purchase of important appliances and furniture and construction of fence. 

I am praying that the house we have chosen is worth the wait.. I have waited for more than 1 year, maybe God has a purpose for everything, because in that time, I was not prepared to pay the amortization yet given my present financial condition.

This is my dream, to have my own house for my family, even though I was not able to provide it to my parents, I know that they are proud of what I have invested. In the future, I will buy another house for my parents.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

A mediocre victor

Who wouldn't want to win in a competition? Off course, we want to succeed in our every endeavor right? But we want to succeed in a fair game with a sportsman's hat. When everybody expects us to be a winner all the time, when you failed to please them once, people will generalize tagging you as incompetent if they find you weak in that certain competition. We should be reminded that in a game, there is a winner and the other one is the loser. There is always two sides of everything, bad or good, ugly or beautiful, black and white, win or lose...

In the recent fight of Manny Pacquiao against Juan Manuel Marquez last Novembver 13, a lot of people were dismayed by the result , especially the Mexicans. But not only Marquez fans were upset but also Filipino fans of Manny Pacquiao. Filipinos has a lot of expectation in Manny's performance because we are used to his knock-outs and dominance in the game. He is known to be the "Mexican Assassin" , the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. People are really surprise why Manny's performance that night is not a champion's stance.
Source: www.pacquiaovideo.com

Well, obviously during the fight you cannot deny the fact that he is not prepared for it. Yes, he has practiced a lot for 2-3 months, but there are a lot of distractions. Manny is a multi-tasker, he is an actor, a congressman, a commercial model, a singer and a part-time boxer. Since he entered politics, his bread and butter (boxing), was put aside. He only practice if there is a scheduled fight.

We are familiar with the saying that  "you cannot serve two masters at a time", we can only work one by one  with  proper time management. Juan Manuel Marquez  has a great advantage in preparing for the fight. He started practicing even before the game was announced and definitely he is a full-time boxer.

Success is not determined on how famous you are or how your previous fights went.  A victory over an enemy is not consistent, because in every game we have different conditions and situations. In sports, winning does not happen everyday.

Nobody is perfect, as well as Manny's, and we should accept that. Although, he did not emerged as the dominant fighter, he is still the winner. But this fight is a great reminder to Manny, that boxing should be taken seriously now... This was his long-time passion in life, hope that politics and showbiz will not tamper his boxing career.

A mediocre victor has every chance to change the pace of his game. Its up to Manny now, on how he handle his future in boxing. A choice should be made... its either to the left and to the right, no more in betweens...

Friday, November 11, 2011

Pacquiao Fights: A Business event?

Today, one day before the trilogy fight of Pacquiao and Marquez, all the news on TV in the Philippines are focused on  Manny's. As usual, during preparation, actual and post fights of Manny, all eyes (of the Filipinos) are on him (pakyaw nya lahat ang balita) . According to police reports on past Manny Pacquiao fights, crime rate is lessened during these times. When you see the streets, there are only a few people walking around, all are watching the big event of the nation.

A Manny Pacquiao fight in the Philippines is also a great opportunity for businessmen to have pay-per-view promos in their establishments. Most restaurants, fast food chains, movie houses and hotels take advantage of this event to promote their products and to have more income. Well, your money is worth it, if you watch the fight with free food and drinks (sulit talaga!).

But if you don't have enough budget, might as well look for a barangay or the city hall's free pay-per-view viewing if any. In General Santos City, Manny's hometown , there is a free pay-per-view and you only need to get a ticket, and I think its really hard to grab one ticket.

No matter what you prefer in watching Manny's fight live, you can still watch the fight on TV via GMA 7. It's free, no hustle, because you are in the comforts of your home, but just be patient in a long line of commercials (very frustrating!). Its  okay because its free, Filipinos are fond of freebies anyway (heheheh).

Well, for now the nation is praying for Manny Pacquiao's victory. Its hard to predict who will win because both of them are great fighters and Marquez is not an easy opponent. ITAAS ANG BANDILA NG PILIPINAS, MANNY!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Yehey! I won a sunshine award this year!

I was a bit surprise that my personal blog won an award, at first I thought it was a cash prize. HEHEHEH! Joke lang.. But I was honored that someone appreciates my blog. I am a first-time blogger, so it means a lot to me. I want to thank RONA who owns  four of my favorite blogs, namely; Rona's REVIEWSWomen's ChoiceMake Money Online Blogs and c",) At home ako dito. A BIG, BIG THANK YOU! MWA.. With lots of hugs and kisses....

This sunshine award really depicted my personality, its always sunny in every day of my life. I always see the good things in life. There is always a sunshine after every storm.. Here it is!!!

In order to win this award, there are rules to follow and future winners should do these things if this award is given to them too.

To all the winners, kindly do the following:

1. Thank the blogger who awarded this to you and post a blog entry like this.
2. Answer the questions below.
3. After that, forward this to 10 bloggers who deserves to win the SUNSHINE AWARD.


Questions:


* Favorite color? PINK because I am Jennylicious Babe!

 * Favorite animal? Koala Bear because they eat eucalyptus leaf..
* Favorite number? 15 is my lucky number
* Favorite drink? Melon Shake with bits.. hmm yummy!
*Facebook or Twitter? I prefer twitter, twits are more sensible than Facebook status..
* Your Passion? Singing, Researching and blogging!
* Giving or getting presents? Giving. Give and give, do not wait wait for something in return. We are still very lucky, a lot of people are suffering, so we should always be thankful to God for all the blessings! SHALOM!
* Favorite Day? Sunday. I have more time with my family.

* Favorite flowers?  Roses, because they are red and sexy. 
And without further ado, these are my 10 winners! Congratulations!

Jocy of Jocy's World
Simply Kim of The Story Teller
Mauskie of  Mauskie's Den
Mau of  Mau's Trap
Chloebelle of ChloeBelle's NesT
Algene of The COFFEE CHIC..
Ayielle of UTOPICBLISS
Quima of         Piece of My Mind
Jenny of FOODS & Etc.
Mommy G of  All About Me

Pass the award to your chosen winners!

Monday, October 31, 2011

A Passionate Multi-tasker

"The secret to multi-tasking, is not doing things at the same time, but by doing it one by one."

Source: www.lifelogia.com
After I got married and had children, I seldom have time to bond with my girlfriends. I am also hesitant in joining their out-of-town trips ,because I need to take good care of my kids. Even in night parties and group dates, I cant also attend because I don't want to go home late because my husband and kids are waiting for me. But its not a big deal to me, I know my responsibilities and the main reason why I don't to go with them is that I don't have enough money to spend in these unnecessary things. I need to prioritize my basic needs, specifically my family's needs.

I budget my monthly salary in order to compensate our daily expenses. Even if we are both working, our earnings is not enough. I need to have part time jobs to have additional income. I am part time teacher in a University (teaching Economics and History), a Unit Sales Manager in a Memorial Park Estate, a Real Estate Agent and a struggling Multi-level Marketer. A lot of my friends could not believe that I can do these things at the same time. They told me that I am a workaholic ever since college.

Well, I can't deny their notion, I am a workaholic and a multi-tasker. From Elementary, High School up to College, I was engaged in student leadership activities i.e. Class Mayor, College Vice Governor, College Governor and University External Vice President. 

In college, I was juggling my academic excellence to student leadership, I was a candidate for Cum Laude but I was not able to reach the minimum GPA of 1.75, because mine was 1.7604 (a very slight difference). I regret the things that I should have done in order to reach that certain mark, but it was too late.

But my experience was worth it, my experiences as a leader  have molded me to become fully equipped in the workplace. All knowledge and experiences that I have done were very useful, when I worked at a Business Organization. No regrets.

The secret to multi-tasking, is that I don't multi-task, I do not do things at the same, I do it one by one. Even if you have a lot of appointments, you just need to balance and manage your time. Time is gold, right? We need to value every second of every minute in every hour, because valuing time makes us more productive.

Sometimes, we are lazy and do not initiate things that will make us more productive in the workplace, in school or at home. We have different roles in life , we can be a mother, a wife, a teacher, a friend or a business partner. Each of these roles should be acted upon, in accordance to their expectations and our fulfillment in life.

Life is so short... we need to live our lives to the fullest!

Friday, October 28, 2011

A Healthy Coffee

My co-teacher at Brokenshire College invited me to a business seminar that introduce products from the 7 most nutritious vegetables in the Philippines (see my article in October). They have products like coffee, vegetable food supplement, calcium ascorbate and many others. What I like the most is there coffee, because the ingredients were mangosteen and some vegetable extracts and minerals. I was able to share this to my colleagues and they like it too. It has health benefits at an affordable price. It's worth your money to buy one.


Source: sulit.com.ph
This is a nutritious herbal coffee, derived from the queen of fruits Mangostana, which helps support visual and cardiovascular functions while promoting the flexibility of joints, reduces allergies and inflammatory processes.On the other hand, its alkaline minerals neutralize harmful acids, in our body, and replenish mineral reserves needed for both physiological and biological functions. Its vegetable components regulate the acceleration of pressure within the arteries, prevent the thinning of bones ("osteoporosis"), suffering of body tissues ("osteomalacia") while, at the same time, regulating the secretion of various enzymes within the body. (Source: www.victoryglobal.vg)                                                                  



Source: FNRI

If you want to try our coffee, please comment below so I contact you on how to purchase this one.


Sunday, October 23, 2011

The old and new me

I had a medical check-up with our ophthalmologist and I have discovered that my eyes are not well. I have +100 grade in my eyes. I was recommended to wear eyeglasses, which I really don't like. But my doctor advised me that I should wear eyeglasses to prevent the grade from increasing. My eye illness was due to stress. I always work in front of the computer and I sleep late. Yesterday, I was able to purchase an eyeglass. I just want to share my previous look and my new look today.

Before
Now

I hope that I will have a quick adjustment on wearing these. I hope it looks fine with me.



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

What you eat, is what you get

Alternative medicine is the new paradigm trend in the world, because everybody are very conscious on their body. Majority of our population are very keen on improving their health and wellness regimen.  More and more people are eating healthy foods, taking herbal medicines and doing regular exercise. 

Source: www.victoryglobal.vg
As what Hipprocrates (the father of medicine) said that our health and sickness depends on what we eat, drink and breathe, it just means that we put inside our body, shall go back to our body. Our body needs the essential nutrients and these are found in our fruits and vegetables. Many people are now advocating for organic farming, in order to prevent the rapid growth of deadly diseases due to our unhealthy lifestyle.  Organic or natural farming does not use fertilizers and other synthetic chemicals in plants, they are only practicing the traditional way of planting. Below are the list of 7 Most Nutritious Vegetables in the Philippines that we should put in our daily menu.
 Its never too late to have a healthy lifestyle. At our young age, we should instill in our minds that "HEALTH IS WEALTH". Health is our ultimate treasure in life, because if we do not take good care of it, all the rest shall not function well.  Act now, before facing "DEATH".



Monday, October 17, 2011

Only in the Philippines: Irony of the Generals

Image from Facebook

Is this image familiar to you? A lot of social networking sites and blogs have posted this picture. The image momentarily captured (on the spot) a Filipino General who chose to be carried by a bystander for him not to be wet in the water. While beside them, is an American soldier who walk through the water along the sea shore and chose to fulfill his duties (as part of their military duties). I think the American did not even think about being carried by anyone. Walking along the shore is a very simple task that can be performed by a toddler, and I don't understand why some Filipino soldiers are lifting their heads up because they have higher ranks. 
As I have observe, some officers assumed that they should be treated special because they are on top. But they should not think that way, because a good leader is a good follower. Follow the upright and your constituents will follow you. There are a lot if issues about corruption in the Philippine Military, and neither of them are solved. It all starts from an expose and  all ends to nowhere. Its like dust in the wind, totally vanished. Its hard to develop our country, when our leaders are not the catalyst of progress. Let's us start from ourselves and we can make greater changes for our country.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Motorcycle weekend madness

Last month I had the chance to visit the mall and stroll with my family. That Sunday there was an exhibit of spectacular motorcycles. From big bikes to small motorocycles, vintage and brand new models were displayed at the mall lobby. Several onlookers took pictures of this unique motorcycles with cool accessories and  hi-tech gadgets. It was spectacular, these were the pictures we've taken during the event.

 











Wednesday, October 12, 2011

My nail art polish at Envy Me Salon

Last week I was surfing the net and visited some blogs, I noticed a burger ad with 70% discount, when I checked it out it was a site who offers great deals with salons, skin clinics, travels, food, etc. I saw this  ad on Envy Salon, they offer 50% discount on their nail art. The original price was 350, and the deal was only 175, I was amazed. So I grab the deal and bought the voucher online through my credit card. 

The voucher is valid for 3 months, but I immediately made my appointment that night. I was very excited about it. After work, I quickly went to the salon located at Gaisano Grand Mall in Ilustre. The session lasted for 2 hours, the staff even offered to buy me slippers so that my nails wont be damaged. The design of my nails is what they call "cracked nails".  The deal was good, if you want to avail some of their great deals, visit their site at https://www.beeconomic.com.ph

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

My dream house with a broken promise

Everybody wants to have their own house. A home they could call their own, where they could live happily together with their families. 

I have prepared and save enough money to apply for a housing loan through pag-ibig. Even if it is a loan, you still need to prepare some cash to pay for the reservation fee, processing fee and equity to the developer. 

Last May 2010, I paid P 15,000 to reserve a house and lot in a certain subdivision in Catalunan Pequeno. After this, I need to pay P 20,000 on a 2-month installment basis for the processing fee and an additional P16,000 for the equity (which is deductible to the selling price).

Last November 2010, I already paid all of these and the developer promised me that after these payments the house will be constructed. I have submitted all the necessary requirements for the pag-ibig loan. In fact, my application is pre-approved already, but it cannot be awarded because the house and lot is not yet finished. 

Last December 2010, we visited the area and made some ritual for the groundbreaking. The foreman told me that the house will be finished by March 2011. But until now, October 2011, the house is not yet finished.  

A broken promise should not be shattered in pieces and be throned in the wind. May this entry open your eyes and will make you more keen and investigative in choosing your dream house. I suggest that you should check the background of your developer, if they have done good projects to satisfied customers. If you can hear good reviews and have seen their final products, that's when you should decide whether to purchase that or not. 

I have learned my lesson well. The problem is... I cannot refund the P15,000 reservation fee, which is a very large sum of money.  So, I have no choice but to wait for my dream house to be built. I hope it will be finished this year.. I hope so....

Friday, October 7, 2011

iSad on Steve Jobs's demise ...

3 apples that changed the world.
the one that eve ate.
the one that fell on newton's head.
and the one that steve jobs built - Anonymous



A lot of people around the world are in grief, because of Steve Jobs demise.Even if I am not a mac user, I still commend his inventions and fast-forward thinking. The Apple company he co-founded changed the world's technology. He created his innovations from consumers' needs and pre-empted the future of technology. He will definitely be missed, but his legacy will continue for generations. He has crafted his own history, a legendary icon of technology. Good bye STEVE, you had a good JOB! 

Here are some quotes from fans, in tribute to Steve Jobs:

Steve Jobs was born out of wedlock, put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college, then changed the world. What's your excuse?

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The importance of exchange rate: PHP vs USD

Source: wn.com
Exchange Rate is the price of one country's currency expressed in another country's currency (investopedia.com). In other words, the rate at which one currency can be exchanged for another. For example, the higher the exchange rate for one dollar in terms of one peso, the lower the relative value of the peso. 

In matters concerning exchange rate, we usually relate it to the currency of a country. Currency is a type of money in which shares of investments are bought and sold. This is not necessarily the same currency in which this investment purchases securities (www.businessdictionary.com). For example, an international mutual fund bought in the United States is traded in dollars ($), however the mutual fund may own many different international securities, spanning several currencies. The assigned currency for such an investment is still dollars ($), since that is the currency in which the investment is bought and sold by an investor. 

There are a lot of factors that influence exchange rate, it includes (1) interest rates, (2) inflation rate, (3) trade balance, (4) political stability, (5) internal harmony, (6) high degree of transparency in the conduct of leaders and administrators, (7) general state of economy, and (8) quality of governance (Duarte,1997). The Philippine Peso has been influenced by these factors and we’ve been through tough times in edging down against the US Dollar. 

Want to read the whole version of this research paper? Kindly visit this site: 

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Its time to wake up!

 Save the future of our children and  join the movement!

In our modern world, we are highly engaged to technology. The paradigm shift of our thinking has drastically changed for a short period of time. Our world population is steadily increasing. More people are very busy with their work and have less time with their families. Children are left home with their nannies and parents just give them money and hi-tech gadgets (thinking that this will make them happy and will do them good).

Most parents do not give full attention to their children. They just leave their children watching TV and surfing the internet. Not knowing what problem may occur, because of the technology that our children are addicted to.

Watch this video and see for yourself, what is the look and future of our children. Its never too late to take action. Let's join the movement of saving our children... WATCH NOW ASAP!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Crime: A chronic ailment of the society

Source: philippinesalawikain.com

Crime is a chronic ailment of the society. This invariable dilemma that our country has faced for the last years has been a doubtful keystone of the economic instability of the country. Despite some improvement in law and order, crime remained a major problem through the end of the decade. Police attributed the country’s chronic crime problems to variety of social and cultural factors. 

Widespread poverty and rapid population growth were frequently cited. Population pressures and a shortage of land and jobs in rural areas had produced a steady internal migration to the cities. This urbanization of a traditionally agrarian society was commonly mentioned as cause for increased rates (www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-10537.html).

Government officials attributed to the decrease in crime to improved police work, but economic conditions appeared to be important. The deterioration in law and order during the early and mid-1980s accompanied a steadily worsening economy, whereas the improvement in the late 1980s paralleled renewed economic growth under Aquino. Not surprisingly, crime rates were highest in major urban areas, where unemployment was the highest. Regionally, peninsular southern Luzon, the western Visayan islands, and, portions of Mindanao—impoverished rural areas where insurgents were active—had the most criminal activity (www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-10537.html).

Many studies in the economics of crime have been conducted and most of these studies focused on the effects of interest rates, labor market conditions, demographic change, poverty incidence and inflation rate. Few empirical studies of the economics of crime have doubted the deterrent effects of the legal sanctions on crime. Yamada in 1985 examined the impact of labor market conditions, represented by either  male civilian unemployment or labor force participation rates, on seven major categories of crime, using the quarterly crime-rate data for the United States. The study made used of the Vector Autoregressive Model in estimating the parameters of the model. They have concluded that labor market conditions have significant effects on crime rates.
Source: bowlersdesk.wordpress.com

A recent study conducted in 2007, Seals and Nunley examined the effect of inflation on property crimes using the structural time series approach. They have shown that it is possible to estimate consistently the effects of macroeconomic variables on aggregate property crimes without introducing endogenous deterrence to the model. Their study concluded that price stability contributes considerably to the reduction of property crimes.

In the Philippines, Gillado (2004) studied crime rates using the panel data of index crime rates for the 13 regions of the Philippines over the period 1983-2000 to analyze the determinants of crime rates in the country using the constant coefficient model. He concluded that there are only two significant determinants of crime rate on rape incidence: unemployment rate and population density.   To access the full version of this research paper, please visit this site: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/83991973/CRIME-AGAINST-PROPERTY-IN-THE-PHILIPPINES-(2003-2007)-THE-EFFECTS-OF-REAL-EXCHANGE-RATE-AND-VISIBLE-UNDEREMPLOYMENT-RATE







Sources:


Becsi, ZSolt (1999). Economics and Crime in the States. Atlanta Federal Research Department. Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. First Quarter 1999.

Gillado, M. and Tan-Cruz, T.(2003) Panel Data Estimation of Crime Rates in the Philippines. School of Applied Economics. University of Southeastern Philippines. Davao City, Philippines. March 2003.

Nanley, J. and Seals,A.(2007). The Effects of Inflation and Demographic Change on Property Crime: A Structural Time Series Approach. Department of Economics and Finance Working Paper Series. Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN. April 2007

Yamada, Tadashi(1985). The Crime Rate and the Condition of the labor market: A Vector Autoregressive Model. Working Paper No. 1782. National Bureau of Economic Research. Cambridge, Massachusetts. December 1985.