Time to Save

The time to save in order to buy stock mutual fund or stocks in the future is our answer to the last Friday, July 29, 2007 stock market sharp fall after a massive selloff in Wall Street.
For those who eat business news you are very much aware that the PSEi plummeted 140.92 points its steepest single day fall since August 28, 1997. The PSEi closed the week sharply lower and dropped 5.87% to 3,518.76 points from 3,738.28 points last week, as investors reacted with alarm to a massive overnight sell-off on Wall Street driven by US housing and credit market concerns. On July 27, the PSEi shed 140.92 points following the second largest single-day decline of the Dow Jones this year at 311.50 points.
There is also the Fitch ratings who expressed doubts on the ability of the government to limit its fiscal deficit within P63 billion this year. It pointed out that with economic growth expected at 6.5% in the first half of the year, the 3.4% increase in tax receipts was rather poor. Add to the announcement of GMA that she issued a memorandum to all government owned firms to remit more tha the minimum 50% of their income to help cover the big tax collection shortfall.
We need this noise to filter down, wait for the market to reach the bottom, hold on to our cash and then when the right time comes buy stocks mutual fund and other equities. The Chinese are right, in every problem there are opportunities!.
ALC

State of the Family

Our President delivered her State of the Nation address yesterday. The ordinary folks didn't even bother to listened. Her messages were applauded not by the common people but of the elite who circled around her for the photo-ops yesterday. They always ask why Gloria has a negative ratings. Let me provide the answer by sharing to you the State of the Family.

1. The typical Filipino family is paying the most expensive electricity in Asia. A family who consumed an average 82 Kwh is now paying around P680 per month. For the elite it's a small amount but for those who earn a basic daily wage of P300 it's an agony.Who needs a super-region when a family is paying a super expensive electricity?

2. The Filipino family is forced to send one of its members to go abroad due to lack of opportunity. The unemployment and underemployment in the country continue rising with college graduates comprising the biggest chunk. Divorced and broken homes are the result of this malady.

3. The Filipino Family continue to have lesser spiritual guidance from their churches. Whatever denominations you belong the spiritual leaders of this country are not Christ-like in terms of serving. There is no Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King among them.

4. The Filipino family are under attack by the government whose weapons are taxes to plugged their deficit. Whenever a family eats outside, buy groceries, medicines, house materials & others the 12% VAT will be slapped to them. Now the VAT income will be allocated to the war in Mindanao.

5. The Filipino family continuosly experiencing the low quality of education on all levels throughout the country. This is the areas the government should focus into. Everything can crumbles in the country, the senate and the congress can be abolished but providing affordable quality education to all will give a fair chance to the masses to uplift themselves.

6. The Filipino family are brainwashed by the media that they are learning distorted values. The soap operas, the news and the gossips shows are one way or another contributed to the decline in the belief of true values. With the TV network focused on the profit, the values are thrown in the window.

7. The Filipino Family are earning less while prices continue rising. Their solution is to provide instant noodles in order for their budget to be stretched.

This is the state of the family. For them the state of the nation is nothing because daily they are under attack. Stop wondering why the rating is negative.

Most Lucrative College Degrees

As a parent I am always on guard on what are the job trends for the future. I have a daughter who will be in college three years from now and I am guiding her on what course she should take. She may have in mind a different course and it may differ on what I proposed. The important thing though is that I fulfilled my role as a father, that is informing her on what will be in demand in the future. For my friends reading my blog this may guide you also. But take note that this survey was done in the US of A where statistics is a passion. If you believe that the trend in the US is also the trend in the world , read on:

Summer 2007 Survey

1. Chemical Engineering
2. Computer Engineering
3. Electrical Engineering
4. Mechanical Engineering
5. Computer Science
6. Civil Engineering
7. Economics
8. Management of Information Systems
9. Finance
10. Accounting
11. Business Admin/Mgmt
12. Marketing
13. Political Science/Government
14. History
15. English
16. Sociology
17. Psychology

Source:National Association of Colleges and Employers
If you notice the top ten most lucrative degrees have roots in mathematics. We need to guide our children to master their numbers and as the survey confirm....it pays to be a nerd.
ALC

Quezon Del Sur?

This month congress will open and will endorse for signing of the President anytime this month a bill aiming to divide Quezon into 2. The bill proposed by then Senator Wigberto Tañada and then congressman Rafael Nantes aim to divide the 862,676 hectares prvince of Quezon into a Quezon del Norte and Quezon Del Sur. If the president signs the bill it will be put into a plebiscite coinciding with the presidential election in 2010.
According to the bill Quezon del Norte will be composed of Lucena, Burdeos, Nakar, Infanta, Jomalig, Lukban, Mauban, Pagbilao, Patnanungan, Polillo, Real, Tayabas, Candelaria, Polillo, San Antonio, Sariaya and Tiaong. The Quezon del Sur will consists of Agdangan, Bunevista, Catanuan, Gen Luna, Macalelon, Mulanay, padre Burgos, Patnanongan, San Antonio, San Francisco, San narciso, Unisan, Alabat, Atimonan, Guinyanagan, Gumaca, Lopez, Plaridel Quezon, Tagkawayan.
For Quezon Del Sur the capital will be Gumaca and for the Quezon del Norte will be Lucena.
The primary aim of the bill is to propel economic growth. The question though can this realistically possible?.
Let us analyze:
1. Dividing the province into 2 will create a new batch of politicians that will rule Quezon Del Sur from the Governor down to the Board members. This means that the taxpayers will shoulder their salaries, their honorariums and other expenses.
2. Judging from the history of dividing provinces like Surigao del Norte, Surigao del sur; Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur; Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental;These provinces are among the poorest in the country. Therefore there is no assurance that dividing the province will ensure growth.
3. There is no consultation on every sectors in the Province if this is really a need.
This is a country where politicians passion is to to rename streets, dividing provinces and approving their own pork barrels. When will this curse end?