8 Ways to Recession Proof the Filipinos

The corporate casualties are mounting: Lehman, AIG, Citigroup, Ford, Chrysler, GM. Countries are applying for loan: Iceland, Georgia and Pakistan to name a few. This is the recession we are now facing and it is wise to face the truth. The truth that life will be more difficult before it will get better.
In my beloved Lucena City where I am currently based, the word recession is known only to a very few people. These are the well read and those with investment in mutual funds and stocks. These few people, however , are already feeling the pinch because the value of their investment shrinks by 40%. You may correctly say that they are becoming poor as the days march.
How can we recession proof our family and our finances? Are there ways to shield us from this big R?
Some experts say yes but these experts are based in USA or in Europe and hardly apply to the Philippine environment. Let me share my views as my share to you my dear readers and to the million of Filipinos who are clueless at the moment:
1. Protect your job. This is the very first thing that you should do. This is the reason why you and your family are still eating 3 times a day. Do not be a candidate for retrenchment, lay-off or right-sizing. (Different words but same meaning: reducing company cost by firing employees). How will you protect yourself?. Do your job excellently, be an active contributor and surpassed your to-do-lists by doing more. Report early to work and stay late if necessary. Inform your boss of your accomplishments. There is no other way but to make yourself a brand that can be easily recalled.
2. Protect your health. All of us know that being hospitalized cost an arm and a leg. The hospitals will squeeze every penny that you have. It is better to buy healthy foods now than to buy medicines for your disease. Meat everyday? Think twice. Lambanog every night?.Noooooo way!.
3. Protect your wallet. What I mean is spend below your means. If you can follow the 10% rule of paying yourself first you can be in a better financial position than the rest who spend 100% of their income. Those who have discipline and can save 20% of their income you are part of the few Filipinos who knows how to protect their wallet.
4. Protect your investment. Those who are willing to buy stocks you will find the price so low that having a time horizon of 10-20 years will surely provide you a harvest of profit. Those who are willing to buy stock mutual fund this is the right time to invest. You just practice peso-averaging. Those having stocks and mutual funds right now, I sympathize with you for suffering heavy losses. But if you need the money for the next 20 years, why weep? Time is on your side.
5. Protect yourself. If you have children below 15 years old it is a must for you to have insurance. You don’t need the expensive whole life insurance. Term insurance will do and it is cheap. How will your family survived if you will be hit by a lightning while reading this article?.
6. Protect your home and love ones. Be sure that you are drinking clean water and eating food not heavily exposed to chemicals. Maintaining your house to make it a sanctuary of peace and love is a necessity. If you can repair your house to save money do so. But if you don’t have the skills and safety is not assured outsource it to the expert. Just make sure they will not over charge you. It is a paramount to have a house where you can recharge your body and it is only possible if the roof is not leaking.
7. Protect your faith. In this time of uncertainty you should be certain on your faith. Those people who profess that they belong to a religious group have s strong tendency to carry on despite any kind of difficulty. The power of prayer can move mountain, heck, it may move the value of your stocks also.
8. Protect your skills. In this era of technology, skills are kings. The more skills a person have the more chance of earning more money. Err on the side of the kings, get more skills.
If you are paid to think protect your brain. Read a lot about your trade, perfect your grammar, learn how to pronounce properly, learn how to present your ideas and yes answer that Soduko. Likewise if you are paid to use your hands protect it by all means necessary. Wear safety gloves, rest it when you are tired and make sure to make your fingers intact because severing it will make your employer think twice of keeping you. Whatever your source of power and income it is absolutely wise to nurture it.

Always,

Arnel L. Cadeliña

(You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com)

In Defense of the Teaching Profession

Many people, noticeably parents who seek good teachers for their children, despised the teaching profession. They mocked the measly salary of the teachers though they are the most honest professionals I ever met. They scoffed the teachers uniforms though they are highly respectable than the Generals and the politicians. They laugh at the long hours the teachers spend preparing their lessons though they are silent when corrupt people extorted money from them.

These are the warped values some parents possessed.

They want the best teachers for their children but they turn their nose up at the teachers who spend on the average 8 hours everyday to help their children understand the world. These parents are the same earthlings who bashed the teaching profession.
Where did this prejudice came from?.

I am a product of public school from elementary to high school. The teachers I met retired, most of them, with a little retirement pay. But their care and teachings are imprinted in my mind that they are never erased by anybody or by any circumstances.

In other country specifically the Scandinavians countries, the teachers are highly respected and better paid because their government and their people knows the tremendous effect of the teachers to mold their future scientists and businessmen. All kinds of benefits and accolades are given to them because they know that without them they surely will not come out with world class products like Nokia, Ericsson and Volvo. They know that teachers play an important role in hitting their GNP, GDP and Per Capita target.

In this country, the true heroes are the OFW’s and the Teachers. But the teachers should be rank higher because they can make a President or scientist out of our children.

But if some parents continually scorned them, that the hurting sinks deep, I will not be surprised with the result………… zombies out of their little emperors with a brain size of a pea.

You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com

Back to Thriftiness

Back to Thriftiness
“ It’s a belt tightening out of necessity, but I predict and hope that one would begin to embrace thrift as a path to sustainable prosperity…It’s not just poorer people or lower middle class. This is an across the board effort to get your house in order for the seven lean years”. David Blankenhorn of Thrift: a Cyclopedia.

The financial crisis sweeping the globe is changing the habit of the Americans. Gone are the days of buying whimsically anything that suits their taste. “Eating in the fancy restaurant?”. Later. “Buying Gucci?. Not today. “Plasma TV?”. No way. “New car?”. Kidding me.
What is happening now awaken the Americans that they are drowning in the sea of debt. The Americans saving rate is zero. They are over leveraged by $1 to $33.(Meaning for every dollar they earned they borrowed $33.). They have no choice now but to be thrifty or else they will go bankrupt.
They are now feeling the pain of their unregulated market fuelled by credit cards.
For the Filipinos who are not earning much as the Americans we are also suffering but on a different level. But it is also time to visit the value of thriftiness.
Our ancestors before the Europeans came have a high regard on thriftiness. Somewhere along the way it got lost. It is time to instill it back to our minds and to our souls.
Before buying any high ticket items such as appliances or car. Save First and be thrifty.
Before your 10 month old baby go to college. Save First and be thrifty.
Before you get married. Save First and be thrifty.
Start with you. We can not find a real good role model.
The government?. Sorry. Our government is one expensive and one of the most inefficient in Asia. If you will take seriously the controversial Macapagal Boulevard, the fertilizer scam, the Eurogenerals and the countless charges thrown at Malacañang you can conclude the absence of thriftiness and self-restraint.
The church? Hmmm. Maybe. But how can you reconcile it when the youth sees their Bishop,Minister or pastor driving a P1M car.
The job losses rampaging in America will hit our shore sooner or later. The announcement of CITIGROUP that they will axe up to 52,000 jobs including their Philippine unit is a testimony that we will not be spared.
Thriftiness is not an option but a necessity.
We have nowhere else to go but up and thriftiness will carry us there.

You may e-mail the author at arnelcadelina@gmail.com

Galoc Oil

In the land of misery, one good news will make you ecstatic. The discovery of oil in Galoc, Palawan is one news that could be considered a blessing that somewhat help in easing the pain of the soul and of the body.
According to the Department of Energy the Galoc Oil Field is expected to produce an average of 17,000-20,000 barrels of crude oil DAILY, equivalent to about 6% of the country's requirement.
This means the country will save millions of dollars in import costs.
PETRON is the first buyer of the crude oil from Galoc.
The question now is how the government will spend the savings. Hope the next President will allocate it to the improvement of education.

Forecast for 2009

Next year is the year of living dangerously. The wall street and main street bloodbath will hit the bottom and everyone breathing in this planet will be shaking their head in accepting the fact that the day of stock gains and profit boom will not return quickly.
Here are my forecasts:
1. The new U.S. president will find it difficult to reverse the damaged done by the subprime, housing and investment crisis. He will be more insular protecting the economy of U.S. rather than giving aid to the other country. We will expect the new U.S. president to create jobs for the Americans (of course!) hence deportation for illegal immigrants and tighten entry of new ones.
2. There will be less remittance going to the Philippines if there will be retrenchment next year. If the companies in U.S. and Europe start to tighten their belts in order to survive the first thing that they will do is to cut operational costs. They will not hesitate to fire employees. Call centers, shipping, logistics, air lines, tourism will be the first to be hit by this belt tightening.
3. The $700 B package approved by Bush will not stimulate financial credit and there will companies that will still go under. Companies who borrowed in dollars and whose loan will mature for the next 3 years will find his boat rocking ferociously. With the advent of less customers and higher interest rate, it can bring the boat down.
4. Jobs will be available for those who got skills that others do not have.Technical skills will be favored instead of a sloppy college degrees from a sloppy colleges.Skills in electrical , electronics, automation, alternative energy, design will be highly sought by selective employers.
5. Philippines will still find itself in the bottom of the economic heap in southeast asia. The perception of corruption, poor infrastructure and low quality of education are issues that can not be erased by the current Malacañang occupants. She will be at the helm until 2010 and we have nothing to do but pray.
6. The Philippine economy is saved by the remittance of OFW. There will be less inflow of dollar or euro investment next year and the stock market will still be in the bear mode.
7. The Filipino family will find it more difficult to send their children to college. With the continuos rising cost of food, transportation,and utilities every filipino family will face a tremendous challege in 2009.
The predictions may sound gloomy but it is what I perceived as the reality of 2009.
But predictions are predictions.
It may come true or it may not. Still the future is in our hands and the antidote for gloomy things are actions.
Yes Og Mandino is right. It is better to act than be an spectators.
Let your nose be bloodied.

Arnel

Quezon Del Sur

Last July 2, 2007, I wrote in this blog my opposition on the partition of Quezon.Next month Quezonians will vote in a plebiscite to decide if we adhere on dividing Quezon into two.
Quezon politicians and the church (no less than the Bishop) are involve and the people are starting to get confused.
Understanding the herd mentality of Quezonians, many will vote based on what their politicos or priests endorsed.
It is time for the people of Quezon to vote based on the merit of the proposal and decide what is good for the province.
These are the 7 questions that we should answer before voting. Scrutinize if the questions are explained to you.

1. There is direct evidence judging from existing data that dividing provinces will spur economic progress. Yes ( ) No ( ).
2. There is a research done by economists that dividing Quezon into two will mean less bureucracy, less headcount, less capital and operational expenditures and less corruption. Yes ( ) No ( ).
3. There is a research done by DOLE or any independent firm that dividing Quezon will mean additional jobs locally. Yes ( ) No ( ).
4. There is a research done by DTI or any independent firm that dividing Quezon will create more small and high scale industries. Yes ( ) No ( ).
5. There is direct evidence based on an intensive research that dividing Quezon will transform Quezonians into a hardworking and enterprenuerial people. Yes ( ) No ( ).
6. There is a direct evidence based on intensive research that dividing Quezon will produce political and economic leaders that will put Quezon Province interest first. Yes ( ) No ( ).
7. There is a direct evidence based on intensive research that dividing quezon will attract local and foreign investments. Yes ( ) No ( ).
Check your answer:
6-7 No ----- Ditch the proposal.
4-5 No ----- Again ditch the proposal.
1-3 No ----- Maybe you can vote Yes but can you handle the truth?

Go out and vote.
You are given the freedom to send this article to anybody, to everybody who will vote on the November plebiscite.

David H. Maister

Today I would like to feature one thinker that influences me. Mr. David H. Maister, one of the world’s leading authorities on the management of professional service firms.

In 2002, he was identified as one of the top 40 business thinkers in the world (BUSINESS MINDS, Financial Times/Prentice Hall.)

For twenty-five years he has advised firms in a broad spectrum of professions, covering all strategic and managerial issues, building a global practice that finds him spending about 40% of his time in North America, 30% in western Europe, and 30% in the rest of the world.


A native of Great Britain, David holds degrees from the University of Birmingham, the London School of Economics and a doctorate from the Harvard Business School.

He began his teaching career at the University of British Columbia, Canada, and then joined the Harvard Business School faculty, where he taught courses in managing service businesses from 1979 until 1985.

One of the research that Maister contributed for business that catapult him one the helm of my favorite thinker is the 9 Statements for business to profit. These 9 are:

1. Client satisfaction is a top priority at our firm.
2. We have no room for those who put their personal agenda ahead of the interests of the clients or the office.
3. Those who contribute most to the overall success of the office are the most highly rewarded.
4. Management gets the best work out of everybody in the office.
5. Around here, you are required not just encouraged, to learn and develop new skills.
6. We invest a significant amount of time in things that will pay off in the future.
7. People within our office alwyas treat others with respect.
8. The quality of supervision on client projects is uniformly high.
9. The quality of the professionals in our office is as high as can be expected.
If you notice Maister is very particular on employee attitude as we all know it can make or break the organization.
Cheers to Maister!

WORLD DAY FOR DECENT WORK

Today, October 7, 2008, is designated by UN as “World Day for Decent Work”. For all Filipino workers toiling in the Philippines and other countries, we all have one aim and that is to lift ourselves and our family from the pangs poverty and hunger. It is our aspiration in our working lives to have a decent work that is productive and provide fair income. We long for security in the workplace that we can not be fired unjustifiably. We aspire for a social protection that will help us when we are old. We look for decent job that provide us personal development and an environment where we can express our concerns without being penalized. These are what decent work means to all of us.
But sadly the global financial crisis will result in tossing the meaning of decent work and making us accept or be grateful in having any kind of work at all. Our working class is stuck in the survival mode since the founding of the country.
We need to pass the survival mode and jump to creative/inventive mode in order for us to have a decent work that will help us develop self-respect.
Having any kind of work just to survive is a survival mode hence not a good work because it does not bring self-respect. It does not give a degree of autonomy.
I am praying for a day when all of Filipinos are enjoying the creative/inventive era where Filipinos are not treated by their employers as a resource or a commodity that can be manipulated.
(you may e-mail the author at lenra1967@yahoo.com)

DOMINO EFFECT

We always think that Saving for college is priority for Filipino parents, right? Wrong. Almost 80% of parents I interviewed said that they spent more on transportation and foods than they set aside for college.
Parents are borrowing more than ever to put food in their table than savings for college. Over the past five years the cost of tuition fees rose by the average of 10% annually. It is very common to pay P45,000 per semester in UST, P60,000 per semester in ADMU and DLSU and P20,000 in UPDiliman. The high cost of college became a heavy burden for a Filipino family that hinders them in sending their children to the “best” school. The moneyed class has no problem because they can pay but they did not know that the current situation is an injustice that will haunt them also.
The high cost of tuition fees prolong the rule of the elites and fail to uplift the masses out of the debilitating poverty. It is only education that will equalize everything and it is not happening right now.
Whether the elite graduate from his elite schools and he is surrounded by people of abject poverty these elite will also be affected economically. The purchasing power of the people surrounding him is low that the chance of setting up and succeeding in business becomes highly unlikely. If they work in a corporation they can not get a high salary because his company has few customers to attract.
In short, lifting the poor out of poverty will benefit all of us economically. The poor who rose out of poverty will construct their own house, send their children in private school, spend their money in the mall, and employ people. It is a domino effect.
Here’s a thought: Skills are now much needed for the country to survive. A country that possesses skills and knowledge has comparative advantage to those who have none. This will make the country powerful and the people more productive. If we deny or will not provide the skills and knowledge to the masses we will always be at the bottom of the heap, economically.
(you may e-mail the author at lenra1967@yahoo.com)

Ateneo vs La Salle

Many people are asking me why Ateneo and La Salle UAAP basketball championship hogged the headlines of national newspapers for the past weeks. They add that why other universities did not merit the same attention as these two elite private school.
There is only one reason why this two universities captured the print and broadcast media: their die-hard ALUMNI.
These alumni enjoyed their stay in their universities, they are trained to love their school and to treat one another as a member of one big family. That is why you can see on the banner of Ateneo the slogan "One Big Fight" and to La Salle "Animo La Salle". It is common to notice that they treated one another as fraternity or sorority eventhough they do not belong to any Greek letter organization. If you notice every game they sing their alma mater win or lose.
Other colleges and universities can mimic the ADMU and DLSU technique: love your future alumni. If you train your students well, teach them the best by providing the best teachers ,love them irregardless of their shortcomings, and show them how to be proud product of your school, you will never go wrong. Once they are working and earning money they will come back to you even without invitation.
You can produced the like of Pangilinan and Razon who by loving their school donated a gymnasium to their respective alma mater.
So the secret is out: have a die-hard alumni.

Wall Street Bloodbath

All of you knows that there is a bloodbath going on wall street nowadays. Thousands of jobs are lost because of Lehman Brothers brancruptcy and the bail out of AIG. The ripples of these corporate failures reverberate around the world including the Philippines. The stocks are down in the country, hot money flowing out and investment in the all time low.
What happened in America is the result of their lifestyle wherein they borrowed a lot of money in order to live too comfortably. The banks and other investment entities smelling profit from the American consumers lend a lot of money even without collateral. This loan is what they call NINJA loan meaning lending money to people with No Income, No Job and Assets. It is the ultimate recipe for failure. Because of this greediness, the Americans are suffering the pain of losing their homes, their jobs and their standing in the world.
In this country this NINJA loans will not happen because our banking system is too conservative. The threat in our country is not what is happening in America but what is happening inside.
The politicians have no concrete plans to stave off inflation.They are busy spending their time debating on insertion and C-5 contreversy. What a curse!
The economists are in illusion that the government is ready on Americas depression. We are not. With the Americans tighthening their belt, there will be less investment, remittance and business going to the country. Do we hear a concrete plan?. Without the OFW money that fueling consumption we will be already on our knees.
This is the time for all the Filipino families to help one another. Let us go back to basic and enjoy everything without spending a lot of money.
We are in a situation like the Japanese in the '50s. They are hungry not only for food but for respect. Then they act relentlessly from the top echelons of the government to the street sweeper in rebuilding their country.
Do we have a tenacity to do it?

Mentors

(Picture courtesy of cartoonstock.com. Thanks!)
In my working life, I am very fortunate to have a lot of mentors that helped shaped my career and my life.
These mentors made me realized that in order to be relevant to this world hard work is not enough. They taught me that people come first and dignity of the person should be upholded always.
My first mentor was Mr. Cesar V. Almendras. The man is amazing when he is dealing with customers. He is the Pag-IBIG Lucena manager who treats clients as a real Kings and Queens. It is very common to find him walking around the office to see that all employees adhere to the common purpose of serving the customers. Later I found out in my MBA that Mr. Almendras’ style is what we called Management by Walking Around (MBWA). It was my first job and in my 3 years of stay at Pag-IBIG Fund, Mr. Almendras taught me the proper way to delight customers.
When I transferred to Ayala, Makati in Pilipino Telephone Corporation (PILTEL), I was even allowed by Mr. Almendras to file a leave of absence first and resign only if I feel that I fit in my new company. The man is amazing!.
My new company then is a sister company of PLDT. That time we are launching the first cellular phones in the country. The pace of work is different and stress is part of the territory. In PILTEL output is paramount. We work early and stay late. Working in a big company means better pay but the work is damn demanding. The bosses will not accept excuses and everybody is required to deliver. The Damocles sword is always in your head that you feel you can be fired anytime if you fall short of what is needed. In this big company one advantage is having numerous mentors who are expert on their fields.
One of them is Mr. Tony Ramirez. He is the HR Manager and I was under him. My unit is General Services and my job is to handle building administration, janitors, security, fleet and insurance. Mr. Ramirez is very passionate on written communication. It is very common that he issues memorandum and policies on a weekly basis. He required us to make policies and procedures and he is relentless on following it up. I wrote more than 20 HR and Administrative policies and that 20 were subjected to frequent revision, consultation before he signed it. The standard of the man is very high that he himself edited the policies before endorsing to the VP. Mr. Ramirez taught me that I need to put in writing all that is relevant to the organization. To Do Lists, Weekly report, monthly report and to report all of them orally became my ordinary activity. To express my views without being penalized was his legacy to me.
My supervisor in PILTEL was Noel Dacanay. A graduate of Cebu Institute of Technology. Noel is a mechanical engineer who guided me in the intricacies of building administration. The man is simple and very supportive. I made mistakes but he always understand me. Noel taught me that being simple, reliable and understanding worker were the traits of a good supervisor. I will never forget his kindness.
After Mr. Ramirez was promoted, a new manager arrived. His name is Bayani M. Castro, son of the famous Dakila Castro. The man is very good in numbers and costings. His forte is Administration and to him I learn that in order to be a good administrator I should be good in details. It is in the details where company succeed or fail. He never approved what is not necessary and negotiation on the prices should be the norm. Being cost conscious and always thinking what is beneficial to the company were his legacy to me.
In my current works, three nuns I considered my holy mentors.
Sr. Letty Garcia, DC was the former president of Sacred Heart College. She is a nun who believed that every person possessed talent that should be utilized and compensated properly. Her unflinching belief in my ability helped me work harder that I never done before. Her constant teaching about family and her large collection of rare books which I was allowed to borrow were another significant and unforgettable moment in my working life.
Sr. Rebecca Felizardo, DC was the former Dean of Sacred Heart College. She is instrumental of my good performance as a Chairperson. Although our professional relationship is short I learn from her the value of forgiveness and dedication.
Sr. Remedios T. Tidor, DC my current VP practices what she believes in and always thinking that dignity of a person is more important than anything else. She is a nun who trusts her people and as return her people remember her even though she is reassigned to other mission. They have a vow of mobility but this do not prohibit her to be an active administrator.
These mentors of mine made my working life colorful and meaningful which made the work related problems not a burden but a temporary cross that I should carry and move on with confidence of a good future.

INVESTING THE FILIPINO WAY

I received numerous e-mail requesting ideas on how to invest their money, the Filipino way.
It is a given that we are different from the western countries in terms of economy and availability of investment opportunity.
In the U.S. of A. alone there are thousand mutual funds while in our country we have less than 20.
In the U.S., there are blue-chip growth funds, emerging market stock funds, international aggressive fund, targeted retirement fund, KEOGH, 401 etc. In our country we have none of these kinds.
It is very obvious that the investment opportunities for Filipinos are very, very limited.
In order to enter and survive the Philippine Stock market, a typical Filipino investor need to buy 12 stocks . This is very difficult to a common investor because it will costs him more than P500,000. For the majority of us it is not only difficult but impossible to raise P500,000.
So how will we enter the stock market and buy a dozen stocks without raising P500,000?.
First, invest in INDEX FUND that will automatically give you a stake in more than a dozen companies. The index fund will guarantee a piece of best performing stock that already exists or might emerge later and more important it will give you adequate diversification. You may read BUSINESSWORLD newspaper to check the list of index fund as a starting point. The Index Fund should cover 90% of your investing money.
The remaining 10% should be invested in stocks. Surf www.citiseconline.com.ph as another starting point.
This technique will give you the joy of investing and at the same time minimize risks and maximize hope for profits.
My best regard to all my blog readers.

Para sa mga Pilipinong Investor

Wala atang Tagalog sa Investor. Kaya pala kulang ang ating kaalaman sa paghawak ng pera kasi karamihan sa atin hindi tinuruan sa eskwelahan o sa bahay kung paano bumasa ng stocks, mutual fund at iba pang investment. Bakit nga ba?. Ako natutuhan ko lang ang lahat ng ako ay 30 years old. Kund hindi pa ako tumuntong at gumastos na isandaang libong piso sa Ateno ay hindi ko malalaman and pagkakaiba ng index fund sa index card. Kayong mga kabataang bumabasa ng aking blog hindi nyo na kailangang mag-MBA para matutuhan ang paghawak ng pera. Eto na nga ibibigay ko sa inyo ng libre.

1. Gumastos lamang ng ayon sa inyong kinikita. Pag bibili ka ng sapatos o cellphone at uutangin mo pa kalimutan mo na lang. Isang alipin ang maraming utang.
2. Maging matipid pero hindi madamot. Alam mo na ang kaibahan nyan.
3. Huwag mangutang, hanggat maari. Sa Pilipinas daw hindi maari ang walang utang pero kayang gawin. Itapon mo na ang credit card mo. Payag ka bang singlin ng 18% na interes. Binabaon ka kasi limang taon mo yang babayaran. Gusto mo bang limang taon kang bugnot?
4. Maghanap ng trabaho na mahal mo. Araw-araw kang papasok sa iyong trabaho kaya dapat andoon ang puso mo. Kung wala, nasa impyerno ka ngayon at kailangan mong tumakas.
5. Kung gusto mong maging eksperto dapat babad ka sa ginagawa mo at hindi kung anu-ano ang pinagkakaabalahan mo.
6. Kung gusto mong madagdagan ang pera mo at ayaw mong maghirap ka sa pagtanda bumili ka ng stocks o mutual fund.
7. Alamin kung saan napunta ang pera mo. Baka naman nauubos lang yan sa load, sayang.
8. Kung walang magbigay sa iyo ng trabaho, ikaw ang mag create ng trabaho mo. Sabi mo magaling kang magbenta ng t-shirt, gawin mo.
9. Huwag mong pansinin ang problema ng mundo. eh ano kung tumaas ang presyo ng diesel, may magagawa ka ba para ibaba ito. Ang magagawa mo ay pansinin ang buhay mo.
10. Huwag kang maging magaling sa maliit na bagay kung hindi sa malaki. Gusto mo bang makilalang pinakamagaling sa pagdidilig ng halaman. Mas mainam kung kilala ka bilang mahusay na landscape artist. Andoon ang pera.

Kaya daw ang Pilipinas ay hindi umunlad dahil iilan ang marurunong sa pera, karamihan singkit pa. Ayaw ko namang umasa sa aking mga anak sa aking pagtanda. Ewan ko sa yong bumabasa ng blog ko. Hanggang ngayon ba hindi mo pa kilala ang pera mo?

Changing the face of the earth

Today we are now experiencing the non-stop rise of oil, food and transportation prices. If we will think about it it will give us tremendous opportunity by focusing on what we can do.
1. The expensive price of oil means there will be less cars on the road. This means pollution will be cut by at least 30% this year.
2. The expensive food prices will bring us back to the basic. No more eating in expensive restaurants and no more drinking alcohol till dawn. Imagine the psychological and financial benefits of cutting expenses.
3. The high cost of transportation will forced us to use public transportation which will forced the government to provide us a more efficient one. In New York many people don't drive cars because they have excellent subways. The politicians, with their bright minds and pork barrels, will be peppered by demonstrations to bring down the cost of transportation. They will be forced to think of alternative and they will not be an absentee in congress or else their constituents will boot them out come 2010.
4. We will now on the mode "think first before spending". That's a blessing for a parent.
5. Our children will be forced to eat a lot of vegetables harvested from our own backyard. The high cost of meat will make us vegetarian causing the Cardiologists to be out of job.
6. Instead of buying i-pod or the latest cellphone, we will be forced to read books borrowed from the public or private library. There will be an exponential rise on intellectual prowess in the country.
7. There will be less or no use of the air-con because of the high cost of electricity and as a result we will have enough money to invest in stocks and mutual fund which can benefit us upon retirement. In addition we are not contributing to the global warming which according to scientist will worsen for the next 10 years.
So, don't worry if doomsayers broadcast that you will be dead because of high prices. We are made to innovate that is why you got brain bigger than a pea.
Cheers!

Reunion QNHS Batch 1983

I am a product of Quezon National High School. I belong to the proud batch 1983. During our time QNHS was a tough school. The classrooms are crowded,the library lacks books, and we need to hop from one classroom to another to attend each subject of ours. You can get mugged, you can see students punching one another when there is a fraternity rumbles and you attend class in the Alcala stadium, beside the stadium and even under the stadium. We were even required to sell candies during our first year.
The environment was tough and as result you NEED to stay tough. We share books when we study, we forced ourselves to attend class on saturday, we walked from QNHS Iyam to Bayan because there are often times we have no money,we borrowed everything from each other because we know our families can not buy what we need. As a result, we develop an ability to survive that can not be found in a convent-bred-catholic-private high school graduates of our time.
Today many of my batchmates are gainfully employed or working abroad. Many are still struggling to survive but the lessons we got from the arena called QNHS are enough reasons to require us to stand in our feet. We are a survivor and the hard lessons of QNHS toughened us.

Man of Action

I do belong to the tribe who would like to act rather that sit or watch things to happen. If there is shortage of cash I did not wallow on grief but rather do things legally to make money. If there is a problem in the family or in the office, I do not rest until it is solved. That's why all my bosses are happy to give me something to do because they are sure that I will do it and do it well. Sometimes I asked myself if I am a Type A personality but I am not aggressive though signs of assertiveness are visible.
If I am on the right track, I will finish what i started regardless of criticisms.
I protest everytime their is injustice and sometimes resulting to the detriment of my body and soul. I can not prohibit myself in expressing my views eventhough a thousand dagger looking eyes aiming at me. This sometimes result in sour relationship.
But I am rather proud that for twenty years that I am working, I contributed a lot to all companies who hired me.
There are a lot of pain of being a man of action but there are exponential product of being one: you produce results and you make your world go FORWARD.

Shortage,skills and country

I can not believe what I saw in the Lucena Public Market yesterday. A long line waiting on their chance to buy 2 kilos of NFA rice. This is the first time that I saw the physical evidence of extreme poverty haunting the country. The high cost of food prices are starting to inflict pain on everybody that families are giving up everything that are not food related such as clothing and education in order for their meager income to buy food that will fill their hungry stomach.
But as eternal hopeful, I am praying that this crisis awaken us and make the present generation realized that their elders are failing them in providing a secure future. The young should now show that they can overhaul this country by arming themselves with knowledge and skills needed to transform them and their families.
Do not be bother on the political noise (the are just tenant) nor the food crises (there is always a remedy). You should focus on developing yourself and make you better than the Vietnamese, the Thais, the Indonesians, the Chinese and even the Japanese.
Carry the banner of the Philippines so that when you go abroad, the people will not look down on you because they know that your skills are incomparable.
It is not only your life that is at stake here, it is also the future of your beloved country.
Carry on!

The Secret

(Photo courtesy of Adithya Bhelke.Thanks Adithya!)
1. The secret to life -- get good teachers who will not only train but inspire and
work well with the student.
2. The secret to financial security -- spend below your means and make the money
work for you.
3. The secret to peace -- love.
4. The secret to integrity -- signed every work with excellence.
5. The secret to friendship -- respect, trust and open-mindedness.
6. The secret to success -- never give up.
7. The secret to health -- eat all things in moderation.
8. The secret to happiness -- follow the 10 commandments.
9. The secret to intelligence -- childlike curiosity.
10. The secret to leadership -- truthfullness, accountability and vision.

If you notice they are really very common and most of them just under our nose. The secret USE IT!

Arnel

The Agony of the Poor

Mang Jose is praying at the garden of Gethsemane in Lucban, Quezon. His callous hands were trembling in the same rhytmn as the grumbling of his stomach. He got only P25 pesos in his pocket. His jeepney fare going to work will cost him P15 and the remaining P10 can only buy 3 skyflakes for his lunch. As he walked into his construction barracks , he remember what his daughter said to him. "Tatay, if the cost of jeepney fare ate a lot of your daily income it means our economy does not benefit the poor". He can not understand what his daughter told him but what he experienced daily taught him that he is in much worst situation than before.
In the store near the construction place, Aling Maria replaces the price of rice. The Sinandomeng that Mang Jose bought every payday now costs P32. Mang Jose shook his head as he estimated that he can buy only 5 kilos of rice for his family this coming payday. As he is riding the jeepney going home, his Pareng Jun, a jeepney driver told him that the drivers will go on strike next week to demand P8 jeepney fare. Mang Jose did not say anything as he felt a sudden anger on his soul that he need to let it out or else his mind will explode. I could not take it anymore..... I could not take it anymore....
Meanwhile, the moneyed class are in their usual mode. They go on shopping abroad, watching concerts of foreign artists in Araneta and buying the latest Italian shoes & bags.
The upper class can not feel the pain of their poor brethren and sisters.
Our country is not blessed of people who love their country deep.
The poor will think of first of having something to fill their stomach before they feel that they are part of country.
The upper class will need a painful lesson before they feel that they are part of country.
The middle class need to be awaken in order for them to rekindle the feeling that they are part of the country.
Meanwhile, Mang Jose is now thinking of something radical. On his head he will go on a riot if he can not feed his family in the coming days. He has nothing to loose because he feel that he is already dead anyway.
We got few days to help Mang Jose and his kind in convincing not to do it. Let us talk to Mang Jose that it is against God and the law to go on a riot. But will they listen to us?.
Jesus said that the poor will be in our midst always but he did not say that we let the poor starved.

Beatlemania

(Photo by Brian Craig. Thanks Brian!)
For a Beatlemania like me, the film "Across the Universe" made by renowned director Julie Taymor and written by the prolific writers Dick Clement & Ian La Frenais, forces me to sing and dance on the classics songs of Beatles when I watched it last night.
"Across the Universe" is a 2007 Academy Award-nominated musical film that incorporates 34 compositions written by members of The Beatles.

The film is a love story set against the backdrop of the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, mind exploration and rock 'n roll, the film moves from the dockyards of Liverpool to the creative psychedelia of Greenwich Village, from the riot-torn streets of Detroit to the killing fields of Vietnam.
Songs such as "Girl" ("Is there anybody going to listen to my story, all about the girl who came to stay"),"Hold Me Tight", "All My Loving" ,"I Want to Hold Your Hand" , "With a Little Help from My Friends" (both The Beatles' and Joe Cocker's versions) ,"It Won't Be Long" ,"I've Just Seen a Face", "Let It Be"; in a gospel rendition,"Come Together" ,"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" , "If I Fell" ,"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"; "Dear Prudence","Flying","Blue Jay Way" , "I Am the Walrus" ,"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Because", "Something","Oh! Darling" ,"Strawberry Fields Forever", "Revolution"; ,"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" as a memorial to Dr. King, "Hey Jude" , "Don't Let Me Down" "All You Need is Love" in a cappella.
All in all is a total joy ride!

Philippine Patriot

It is quite clear that our country is divided. The daily printed announcement on newspapers of people for and against GMA made me wonder if this country is really in the right direction. If their purpose is to make the newspapers rich, they are doing it great. But rather the paid announcements are pathetic that it creates more negative energy zapping our collective strength.

While these politicians amazed us with their never-ending talent on “talking”, the lower and middle class are now experiencing the cost of living that is the highest in Philippine history. The era of cheap food prices are over in case you didn’t notice.

Prices of rice, sugar, coffee, fish, meat, LPG and all other necessities are sky-rocketing or to follow the jingo of FVR pole-vaulting. More families are starving and these problems will explode in our face through class struggles.

The poor will reach the boiling point that they can not take it anymore and will do everything including crime in order to survive. These people have nothing to loose and that is fearsome. If they will have access to murderous weapons, the peace loving middle class will be the first to be hit because they are accessible.

We don’t want bloods in the street.

The politicians and the Filipinos in general are focusing their strength on an issue that will not put food on the table at the end of the day.

Their issues are political issues and should be solved by politicians. The Filipino people will be happy to see and hear the truth but they should not depend on it as if it can save the Philippines. The church is right in protecting the witness but they should not negate their primary responsibility of promoting good human behavior on their flock. Because the accused came from their convent and exclusive schools, they have a failure that until now they can not face the truth that somewhere in-between they are involved.

Meanwhile that the country is suffering on the pain of divisiveness , the scale not seen during the time of Marcos, many families are experiencing nothing to eat. The unemployed are thinking of various ways on how to feed himself and his family. His ways are possibly illegal and violent. The newly graduates can not find a decent job and some are forced to accept job that is not related on his skills or education, that will pay him less and working in long hours.
The price of food in the public market and mall and tuition fees continue to rise that those who are earning fixed salary can not stretched their money anymore and their tightened belt need a lot more tightening thereby sacrificing nutritious foods in exchange of anything that can fill their stomach.
The church,ahh the church. I am looking for the church that will go back to the ways of the early apostles. More time with the poor, less time in the temple.

At this point, we have only one country, I guess, loving it will make us one. We can do that, right?.

The Right Moves

Stanford University announced February 19, 2008 that attending Stanford University next year will be a lot more affordable for some undergraduate students by eliminate tuition for students with annual family incomes totaling less than $100,000. It also will pay most room and board for students with families making less than $60,000.

Financial aid director Karen Cooper says the move comes as middle-income parents express concern about paying for a Stanford education.

Meanwhile Harvard University announces sweeping middle-income initiative by sweeping overhaul of financial aid policies designed to make Harvard College more affordable for families across the income spectrum. The new initiative focuses on ensuring greater affordability for middle- and upper-middle-income families through major enhancements to grant aid, the elimination of student loans, and the removal of home equity from financial aid calculations.
When will you act ADMU, DLSU,UST,................?
Can't you feel the trend?

Killing the Middle Class

In this country, the middle class are the pawns. The politicians ignored them by taxing them to death and by not making laws providing them opportunities to fulfill their aspirations. With only the lower class or the "masses" they always try to pleased because of their sheer number that can translate into votes. The middle class which are only few are the least priority of these politicians. How many of them stand up to defend them? How many write laws to protect them? How many wish to make them numerous?.How many of them feel that they are now financially squeezed?.
One of the key aspirations of middle-class families is to provide their children with the good education they’ll need to maintain — or exceed — their standard of living when they enter the work force. But the financial security of the middle-class has been strained by the rising cost of higher education, which has risen faster than overall inflation for much of the past decade.
The GMA regime failed miserably in protecting the middle class due to her extreme busyness in making sure of its survival.
Meanwhile, the middle class is facing the biggest question of their life: leave the country to survive or survive by fighting until death for this country?

What I learned from the Ateneo

The MBA program that I gone through at the Ateneo Rockwell demanded the best in me. The classrooms there are swanky, the equipment brand new, the technology updated and the professors rich in business experiences. But I learned a lot not because of them but because of the the sharing of my classmates in our case analysis and the rich collection of business and liberal arts books that shaped my thinking.
At the Ateneo, they are proud of their library and it is not a boast that in the country they have the most number of business books available.
In that library I am a constant visitor.
That is the place where I met colorful people who got great minds and best advice not found in the classrooms. Some of them are: Confucius who advised me to be humble in the face of business uncertainty, Freidrich von Schiller who pressured me to take calculated risks, Benjamin Franklin scolded me to have an emergency fund of 3 months living expenses, Miguel de Cervantes notified me not to put my money in one basket, Warren Buffet informed me that the best way to own stocks is through an index fund, Edwin Lefevre conveyed that I should be patient on my investment, Peter Lynch revealed to me that I don't need to time the market and John Kenneth Galbraith imparted that I should borrow only to buy assets that appreciate. These are some of the people who made my stay at the Ateneo worthwhile.
The cost of all the books I borrowed and read in the Ateneo Rockwell library may reached more than P200,000. More than half the fees I paid.
I already forgotten what my accounting professors taught us but I am forever grateful to the large collection of books I read and enjoyed.
The Jesuits are charmers and their snakes are libraries.

Lucban,Quezon

My family hails from Lucban, Quezon. A place well known as the summer capital of Quezon Province. Tourists flock to our town to see the famous Pahiyas and to eat the equally famous longganisa and pancit lucban. My ancestors were one of the pioneers of the town that is why you can find Cadeliña streets honoring them. There are lot to thank for my town. The climate, the people, the rain and the mountain. These are the reasons why artists abound in my town, they can be easily inspired by the environment.
The last time I visited Lucban, I was disturbed. Though it is still cold there but not as cold during my younger years. The people are still pleasant and hospitable but are now so numerous that water pollution in the once clean canal are evident. Surely, Lucban is now overpopulated. With its very small area, the throngs of people polluting the river will affect the drinking water which is the primary source of Lucena, Pagbilao and Tayabas.
There will come a time that Lucban will loose its luster and it's not because of the nature but because of the people who slowly destroying it.

Father Eduardo Hontiveros, S.J.(20 December 1923 – 15 January 2008)

I met him only once. Born in Molo, Iloilo a Jesuit whose simplicity will make you feel that you need nothing but faith. His passion will put ashame all persons who dont' have one. His courage will extinguish the fear in you. His love for music will make you sing and even will make you cry.
He is Father Eduardo Hontiveros, SJ the father of Philippines Liturgical Music.
In the past 25 years, millions of people all over the country sing his hundred hymns including " Papuri sa Diyos"; "Magnificat", "Maria"; "Luwalhati"; "Kordero ng Diyos"; "Bukang Liwayway"; "Pananagutan".
He is an inspiration to generation of composers. His songs of praise, thanksgiving, petitions, contritions and love for the Almighty enriched the rituals of the Holy Mass.
Fr. Hontiveros passed away last January 15, 2008 and buried yesterday at the Sacred Heart Novitiate in Novaliches.
Good bye Fr. Hontiveros and for sure Heaven is waiting for you with thousands of angels singing your hymns!

My 2008 predictions

There are a lot of predictions flying in the air since January 1. I will leave the prediction who will die or who will get pregnant this year to Madam Auring.Let me predict simple things that will affect us in the year of the rat:
1. There will be recession in America and the economy of the Philippines will be
affected. The Americans will tighten their belts and will hold on their purse in anticipation of freeze on salary or layoffs.The subprime and property mess causing default of loans will aggravate the recession. This means they will consume
less and import less from other countries including the Philippines.
2. The stock market will not have a stellar performance like 2007. Though this will be an opportunity to buy mutual fund with a cheap NAV or a stock with a cheap price.
3. There will be more Filipinos who will be OFW because of lack of job in the
country.This will mean more dysfunctional families.
4. The cost of electricity,water, LPG and other utilities will continue to rise.Thereby penalizing millions of poor families.
5. There will be a lot of middle class that will slide to lower class this year.
This will propel them to take action hopefully a productive one and non-violent.
6. The cost of sending somebody to college will continue to rise because private
colleges and universities also need to survive. They have no other way but to increase their fees. The parents will be left with only one option: sending them to state colleges.
7. State colleges will also increase their fees because of less subsidies from the
government.They will accept more students looking less on their qualifications in order to get funds to pay their teachers.
8. The church will scrutinize itself if they meet the needs of the masses. They
already know that they are ineffective in providing solution to the poverty that engulfs the masses.They have the will to help but lacks cohesive action.
9. The President knows that she got only 3 years to leave a legacy. This year she
will do everything to make the economy resilient completely disregarding the corruption ghosts that haunts her administration.With the military on her back, she will survive this year.
10. It is up to each Filipino family to survive 2008. This year, they will do everything to feed their children legit or non legit. They are given a free will and many will stick to their values while others will throw away their towels seeing no hope.
These are predictions hence two sides of a coin:may or may not happen.