Davao Diary

I was born in March 1972 and my parents were married in June of 1971. They had their honeymoon in Davao Insular Hotel making me officially a statistic called “honeymoon baby.” I learned that Davao Insular Hotel is now Waterfront Davao Insular Hotel- same hotel, new owner.

Last July 30 was my first time to go to the Philippine island of Mindanao. I was in Davao City for business. This is what you call, perks of the job. The business conference was in the hotel where I was conceived. I was probably just a thought and Davao City paved the way for my existence, if you know what I mean.

I have long idolized the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Durterte for his “no non sense” style of leadership except for the perceived executioner part. It has been said that there are days that he idolizes the grim reaper and would like to take matters in his own hands. All told, I still idolize him.

I didn’t get the chance to go around the city as much as I want to, probably the downside of an official trip. I had planned to see my college friends (Jigger & John) but time and opportunity was not on my side. We just saw the airport (of course since we flew in from Manila), Davao Insular Hotel (the site of the conference) and two SMT wireless centers (the city has FOUR WCs).

Maybe the next time I go to Davao, it will be on a leisure trip with my family. I'll definitely check out their beaches like Pearl Farm, Mt. Apo and have dinner or something with the LSC boys Jigger & John.

Alpha or Avida?

Alpha or Avida? The decision point is analogous to buying a BMW sedan. The question is do you go for a ten year old BMW 5 series or a brand new BMW 3 series. Each has it’s advantages and disadvantages and there is never a correct decision because factors vary depending on the buyer.

1997 BMW 525i / The Pro:
o Mid sized (therefore not too big and not too small)
o Luxury features (just like living in the lap of luxury)
o Safety is key (for its class, car safety is basic unlike in low end models)
o Stable resale value (by this time)

1997 BMW 525i / The Cons:
o Second Owner (hence not sure about how it was used)
o Gurgles gasoline (the bigger the engine, the more expensive it is to run)
o High maintenance (cost of service, parts, insurance, registration).
o Low resale value (10 more years down the road and you’d have a hard time selling it)

2007 BMW 320i / The Pro:
o Brand New (as in never been kissed and never been touched).
o Service galore (no headaches on service since warranty covers for it)
o You can choose the color and other options.
o The financing is budget friendly. You can go for a low down payment or low monthly.

2007 BMW 320i / The Cons:
o Size (might be too small for a family of 5 with a dozen grocery bags).
o Luxury is incomparable to a 5 series.
o Considered low end by 5 series and up owner
o High acquisition cost and probably low resale value (esp. if you’re desperate)

Sabi nga nila, nothing beats brand new. So we’re going for Avida.

Footnotes:
1. We didn’t buy a BMW. I’m just dreaming.
2. If you want to know what I’m talking about, check out www.avidaland.com

Forest Hills Foray

We discovered a place in Subic Bay called Forest Hills Resort located in El Kabayo Road, Binictican Heights – thanks to the internet. The cost of a one 3 bedroom house is a mere P4,800 during weekdays. The price increases to P6,800 during weekends. The house is relatively BIG and can comfortably fit 3 small families or a barkada of 8. It’s complete with a carport, 3 bathrooms with hot and cold shower, a kitchen, laundry area (washing machine & dryer) and centralized air con.

The drawback of it is the place is bare in the sense that it doesn’t come with hotel-like amenities (no towels, toothpaste, etc), the exterior of the place needs sprucing up, no stores in sight and it’s at least 12 kms. from the main gate. The interior is a different world and for me, that’s what matters. The exterior is mainly for photo ops while the interior is more experiential.

In case you’re on a budget and would want to explore, you may check out Travel Smart @ T# 02 8978709 C# 0927 4037826 or an agent’s website: www.travelsmart.net

Enjoy a retreat in Subic Bay for an economical price of P600.00 per head!

CRV, Malapi Na!

Nakita ko na nung biyernes ang pang apat naming sasakyan sa aming isang decadang buhay pamilya. Natural nagagalak ako ngunit sinilip ko siya dahil naninigurado lamang ako sa kundisyon niya. Yung pangatlo naming sasakyan na 2002 Revo ay may kaunting diperensya nung nakuha naming ngunit huli na nung aking nahalata – na pinturahan yung bandang harapan ng hood. Hindi man siya halata kung tutuusin subalit kung mahilig ka sa sasakyan tulad ko ay mahuhuli mo ang pagkakamali. Sinabi ko nga sa Toyota yun pero ang sabi sa akin ay natural lang yun. Natural man o hindi, sisiguraduhin ko na sa susunod naming sasakyan ay hindi na mangyayari ito.

Palagay ko makukuha naming ito sa susunod na lingo kaso mga dalawang lingo pa bago naming makuha yung plaka ng kotse. Umabot ng mahigit isang milyon ang sasakyan ngunit 62 porsiyento nito ay sinagot ng kumpanya. Masaya ako dahil nakakuha kami ng P25,000 na diskwento at mga P40,000 halaga ng libreng gamit tulad ng pang atras na sensor, ilaw pang ulap, punong tanke ng gasolina, 3M mahiwagang tint at kalawang proof.

Napakatagal ng hintayang ito para sa isang mahilig sa sasakyan tulad ko pero sa wakas, malapit na din!

A Ferrari on Fire

Guess what’s wrong in the picture?
a. It’s daytime and the driver forgot to turn off his headlights.
b. A man is walking in South Luzon expressway on a rush hour.
c. The car is burning rubber (and steel and composite material).
d. The car is a super smoke belcher.
e. All of the above

The picture above is genuine and it happened last July 23 along South Luzon expressway. A Ferrari F430 was literally “on fire.” The car which cost in the neighborhood of P20 million caught fire because of an unknown cause. Forum flicks says it was caused by an engine overheating flaw in that particular Ferrari model. This was confirmed by my cousin "Big DST" who works in Top Gear Ph mag and my favorite portal wikipedia.

No wonder they call the color variant as Ferrari Fire Red.

The Crossover Story

Presidentiable Senator Manny Villar is keeping his Senate President post in the 14th congress. This came after crossing over for the Nth time from the opposition to the administration just less than 3 month after the May midterm election.

I've seen Senator Villar twice already. The first was in Tarlac City when he inaugurated his now defunct Capitol Bank. He was a congressman of Las Pinas then. The second time was in Baguio City while we were on vacation. We were in Mile High inside Camp John Hay and along came Senator Villar.

In 2001, then House Speaker Villar ran for the senate under the administration ticket. In between ‘01 to ‘07, he became Senate President, had a falling off with GMA for her stance in the con con, ran for senator under the opposition wing and now he's back in GMA's arms. This just goes to show that some politicians will go through all means to push their 'hidden' agenda. And for Mr. Sipag at Tiyaga, this equates to mastering the crossover move.

Duped by ALI

I was ‘duped’ into attending a Wealth Management seminar yesterday (July 19) at Peking Garden Restaurant in Glorietta last night. The invitation was for a 6PM seminar but started almost 8PM. It was hosted by Community Innovations, a subsidiary company of Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) I must admit I attended the seminar because of the catchy title knowing too well it was just a ploy to sell The Columns Legazpi Village condominiums to prospective buyers. I was invited by one of their Property Specialists a.k.a. real estate agents.

The speaker for the seminar was Rex Mendoza who was their Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Community Innovation. Actually, the speaker sounded like a foreign bred or at least foreign exposed Pinoy who was probably in his late 40s or early 50s. The guy was good. I guess he is a financial planner first then a real estate person. The seminar actually ran for 1 hour but only 5 minutes was allotted to selling. The top things that I learned from him that night include:

I. The Three Stages in a Person’s Financial Life
1. Man @ Work
2. Man & Money @ Work
3. Money @ Work

II. Last Will & Testament Writing Tips
Acronym is ACTS meaning:
A – Adoration
C – Confession
T – Thanksgiving
S – Supplication

These are the types of seminar I’d like to attend: crisp, straight to the point, just enough examples and no autobiography. I learned a lot during my one hour of listening.

My blog site turns one!

Time flies when you’re having fun! And fun equates to meeting my target of 2 blog entries a week. Although I may be a bit amiss on the Top 10 (or 5) tips which I initially targeted 2 entries per month but I hope I am forgiven because it takes more time to create those types of entries although more meaningful for the general readers.

Happy 1st year anniversary to my blog site!

And thank you, dear reader, for patronizing my site.

DyLac

Abe's, A Ribbitin’ Resto

Abe (ah-beh), noun. Capampanagan word for friend, companion and getting together; nickname of a beloved son of Pampanga Emilio Aguilar Cruz (1915 to 1991), a writer, editor, painter, connoisseur, bon vivant and legendary eater outer.

Sunday lunch last weekend was at Abe’s Restaurant in Serendra, The Fort. T’was my second time to dine at this restaurant. The first was with my officemates and this time I was with my family. Initially, we thought that the place was owned by Maritel Nievera of Cabalen but later found out that it’s owned by Larry Cruz of LJC group.

Our meal of choice included the following gastronomical delights: batute (edible frog legs), lengua (ox tongue), sisig (parts of pig's head), gising gising (spicy beans) and suam na mais (corn soup). We almost completed the food groups.

So what does Kermit taste like? It tastes like chicken!

Quiapo Quest : The 30K D40

My fancy for photography just went up a notch last Saturday when I purchased my first single lens reflex (SLR) camera. Since I was on a tight budget (P30,000), I looked into the pool of entry level SLR digital cameras but took careful note of a friend’s advice, to invest on lens and other accessories. That way, if you upgrade in the future, you can still use the lens and accessories.

THE CHOICE. The battle of the entry level SLR digicam was a toss between Nikon D40 and Canon 400D. The big differentiator was the weight and the price. The D40 weighed 475 gms while the 400D weighed 510 gms. The weight weenie in me is at work. The 400D has its advantages like 10MP compared to the 6MP of D40 but I won't be needing extra MPs or megapixels.

THE PRICE. I got the D40 unit for a bargain price of P 23,000 and the package includes a camera bag and a 2GB multimedia card worth about P 2,000. Before finally making my purchase, I surfed the net for great bargains and found some but the catch is the shops are all based in the US and shipping would be a problem. In our beloved Pinas, D40s sell for P35,000 in malls and authorized Nikon dealers. In Hong Kong, the range is about P40,000 but that includes a 200 mm Nikon lens which cost about P 9,000.

THE STORE. I got mine at the “camera capital of the Philippines” in Hidalgo St., Quiapo, Manila. The lucky store was Mayer Photo. We went to other stores but Mayer had the best bargain for D40s. The location is not the cleanest or safest in the neighborhood but what the heck, for savings of at least P10,000, I’d go there anytime!

THE NEXT STEP. Just like a little boy with a new toy, I played around my new gadget the whole Saturday night. I read the manual from cover to cover but have yet to apply what I read. The next step is to PRACTICE, PRACTICE and PRACTICE!

History Repeats itself…on another generation

By the looks of it, history will repeat itself for the Pimentels however this time on another generation. The 12th senatorial slot is about to be filled up and the announcement is expected to come out in a few days. In a sudden twist of faith, 3 termer Bukidnon Representative Migz Zubiri (Team Unity) is leading the race in a photo finish fashion. As of yesterday, he leads senatoriable Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (United Opposition) with only 18,372 votes. Quite a slim margin indeed and makes you wonder if operation dagdag bawas was in effect.

In election Y1995, Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. ran for a senate seat but lost or rather was cheated (source: wikipedia). He elevated the concern to Supreme Court and was awarded victory in Y2004. That’s a full nine years after the election and the funny thing is, he was a sitting senator since he ran in the Y1998 election and won a 6 year mandate. This gives you an idea about the pace of the justice system is in our beloved country.

While the nation awaits Senator Zubiri’s proclamation, it may be short lived because if a protest is filed in the Senate Electoral Tribunal, the numbers in the senate are opposition friendly and they can easily unseat Zubiri and install the younger Pimentel. While it may take some time but definitely not nine years!

Seven Seven Seven

For some people, 7 is a lucky number and not 8. Last Saturday, the date was July 7, 2007 expressed 7/7/07 and everybody was scrambling to have a special event in their lives so the date will be forever etched in their memorabilia. San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker wed Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria in Paris that day. My cousin Bubbles’ son Kenzo was baptized that day and I was one of the godparents. Aside from the baptism, 7/7/07 was a typical day for me.

The number 7 is my favorite number. This is not because I am a big fan of Robert Jaworski, his choice of number and mine are just coincidental. I am also not a fan of ex-Calauan Mayor Antonio Sanchez who was obsessed with the number seven- from his house number, the number of flights in his stairs, his cars, etc. I hope he got 7 life sentences for committing a heinous crime. I wonder if his son won as mayor of their town last election?

My semi-obsession with the number 7 extents to the cellular phone number that my wife used to have (0918-8227777) during the analog days. Now that we’ve gone digital almost a decade ago, we’ve changed her number to her favorite number. Then there’s our next car’s plate number. Initially, I thought of spending P30,000 to get a CRV 777 plate number then realized it might just be a waste of money plus the trouble you have to go through to get that number so I just decided to get a “sandwich” plate number like 787 or 757 and just shell out P2,500. Hope to get that by next month.

Okay. So there are days when you have difficulty connecting your thoughts and you just dabble and write anything that comes to mind and hopefully it reaches 500 words. It’s 11PM 7/8/07 and I’m a bit sleepy. Time to park my pen or rather park the keyboard (and mouse). Good night.

PS: By the way, my blog entry reached 1,777 characters! How’s that for coincidence.

Discovery Adventure

I watched three books this weekend. That’s right, I watched three books! Well, sort of. Watching Discovery channel on TV is pretty much like reading a very interesting book. You figuratively and literally get glued to the tube, enough to get your spouse irritated because you seem to mix up your priorities that is TV over lunch or dinner.

I watched three interesting shows on Discovery last weekend and these were: (1) Man vs. Wild, (2) Everest : Beyond the limit and (3) How do they do it?

Man vs. Wild. The one hour show was hosted and starred by Bear Grylls. Don’t know the guy and t’was the first time I came across his name. I reckon he was either named after a mammal or a fish but what’s more important is what I learned from him which I am hoping I won’t be able to use. The show I watched was filmed in Colorado Rockies. It started when he jumped from an airplane and landed in the middle of the forest. With just a set of clothes and minimal outdoor gear, his target was to find his way out of the forest. It goes without saying that he conquered the forest else it won’t be a TV series.

Everest : Beyond the limit. I never dreamed of scaling Mount Everest. Losing my fingers because of frostbite is not my idea of an adventure. And that’s good news. The bad news is that you might just lose your life. In 2006, eleven climbers did not only see the world’s highest peak, they also saw the gates of heaven. They weren’t as lucky as the other climbers. Mount Everest is the world’s highest peak at 28,251 feet. It is located in the border of Nepal and Tibet. I guess everybody knows that. What you probably don’t know is that climbers are aided by sherpas (The term 'sherpa' is used to refer to local people employed as porters or guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. They are highly regarded as experts in mountaineering and their local terrain, as well as having good physical endurance and resilience to high altitude conditions.).

How do they do it? Have you ever wondered how footballs are made? How about airplane propellers? And marbles? Ship engines? Amplifiers? Neon signs? All of these were features in a 30 minute show called How do they do it? After watching the show, you’d be saying “ganun pala.”

I used to love reading the contents of http://www.howstuffworks.com/ website but it gets pretty boring sometimes just like reading a book. There are times that you just want to laze around, watch TV and hopefully catch some sleep along the way.

Top Five Reasons why employees leave their jobs

In one of the trainings that I attended, a trainer shared a survey that says there are generally five reasons why employees join or leave a company. I have been using this survey and sharing it since I discovered it years ago. Allow me to share it with you:

1. Pay – It pays to be paid well. The key word here is right remuneration. The question is, how much is enough? The survey says people resign or join a company because of the salary. This seems to be the number one reason.

2. Company – Fresh grads would do anything to join P&G, Accenture, Ayala, SGV and recently Smart. It’s probably partly because of reason number one but then again a bigger portion is because of the company culture, the trainings that these companies offer and the experience that you’d gain from working in these companies. Often, they use the employment as a springboard to higher positions in another company.

3. Job – So you finished a B.S. Nursing degree and an R.N. (Registered Nurse) but you work for a company’s IT department. Sounds strange huh? You study hard to be a nurse (and probably hope to work abroad) but happen to enroll in a computer course and realized that you actually love working with computers. This just supports the adage: “Find a job that you love doing and you’ll never work a day in your life.”

4. Peers – Birds of the same feather flock together. If you’re a sheep, then you’re the odd man out and chances are, you’re going to find a group where you’d be most comfortable working. That may mean moving to another department or another company.

5. Superior – No leader will accept this reason but second to pay, this is probably one of the top reasons why people leave – the bossy boss. There’s this thing called chemistry and a superior-subordinate is the hardest concoction to mix. There isn’t one formula for all and the probability is at least one of your staff hate your guts. The good thing (or bad) is that he’ll eventually leave you.

The result is not actually in that order. The good thing about is that when I tested the theory, it was 99% accurate. And the one percent? It accounts for a staff who resigned from his previous employer because of her ex-boyfriend. Probably, the ex-boyfriend was his ex-boss who she wanted to avoid. Did I mention that the ex-boss is married?

Will Mitsubishi Fuzion zing past Toyota Innova?

Good thing Mitsubishi decided to re-brand their AUV initially called the Zinger to Fuzion lest it be mistaken for a Kentucky Fried Chicken product. At least the new name sounds like a science project or a cocktail drink.

While the name game is a first step towards beating the Toyota Innova, the design is in the shades of the recently released second generation Mitsubishi Outlander. Non car aficionados would swear it's an Outlander from inside and out.

Is styling enough to beat Innova whose forefather is the late seventies released Tamaraw? I don't think so. My estimate is that Toyota is at least ten years ahead of Mitsubishi in the AUV race. Let's see how the Mitsubishi Fuzion does. Waiter, isa pa ngang round!

Maria Flor De Luna's Demise and the ABS-CBN stock price increase

What a sad way to end a telenovela, the star of the show passes away. To use my daughter’s fave expression “This is the worst day ever!” Everybody was expecting the evil troika of General Gary Alvarado, Dona Brigida and General Torres to die but all three were just side swiped by bullets. I have to hand it to ABS-CBN, I reckon more than half of the Philippine population was watching the show last Friday (including us) and half of that half was sobbing to death (excluding us).

The show ran for 2 hours and was a heyday for advertisers. It seems like there were more commercials than the actual TV show run time. The TV station probably raked millions that day and it was definitely a spike in their cash flow. I should monitor these types of telenovela endings in the future and probably invest in stocks the day before. Maybe, just maybe, these scenarios may have an impact on their stock price and I can do a Jesse Livermore and make money overnight.

Footnote: Jesse Livermore is considered to be the world's greatest stock broker. In 1907, he made $3M in one day.

Top Ten Credit Card Tips

According to HSBC’s ad, life is a matter of perspectives and I couldn’t agree more. A credit card may be a boon or a bane to every individual. It used to be a bane for me especially when I had difficulty paying the bills but nowadays a credit card is becoming my best friend. I’ve been a credit card user since I was 18 years old when BANKARD gave us free credit cards with a P5,000 credit limit and all you have to do was be a DLSU student and give your ID number. Here are tips coming from an almost 2 decade old credit card user.

1- Non believer. Yes, there is still a good chunk of the (Philippine) population that don’t own a credit card and it is a choice. The practically rule is: don't get one if you don't need one. If you’re a farmer who buys everything in cash then what do you need a credit card for?
2- Stick to one. If you already have one, just maintain one card at a time. If you have two cards, try disposing the other one. The practical arrangement is that you have a credit card and a cash card like Smart Money (http://www.smart.com.ph/SMART/Value+Added+Services/Smart+Money/)
3- Info Load. The most important information that a card holder must know are the following: credit limit, monthly interest rate and cut off dates. Having high credit limit translates to confidence in spending hence request for a limit that is within your means. The monthly interest rate is the ultimate budget killer hence you should know this figure. The cut off date tells you when to pay your bills to avoid paying interests.
4- That’s nice. The nice to have information include: amount to earn loyalty points, target points per item and their hotline number (and if they operate 24 hours a day).
5- Gun-less society. You should be a transactor, not a revolver. A transactor is a card user who pays the whole amount due or a big part of it and a revolver is the one who pays the minimum amount due. The revolver is the money making engines of credit card companies.
6- For me? What’s in it for me? What benefits do the card company give you. If your card company gives one point for every P50 and you use P4000 a week on groceries, would a electric griller worth P2000 be a reasonable remuneration?
7- Promotions. For every $10 spent abroad entitles you an electronic ticket where you get a chance to win a free trip to Hong Kong. Cool! What have you got to lose? You’re going to spend anyway since you’re out of the country so why not use your credit card. It makes sense.
8- The Annual Fee. “Sir/Ma’am, we’ll give you the credit card FOR FREE. And you don’t have to worry about paying the annual fee because it’s eternally free.” Oh, by the way, we charge 3.5% interest every month. Don’t be easily lured by free stuff. You might not like what’s at the end of the line.
9- Then what? You should know about the company’s after sales services like procedures on how to deactivate your card in case of loss, disputed purchase complaints, how to claim loyalty points and where to pay my bills.
10- Link it. The beauty of technology. You can now check your balance inquiry ANYTIME (although not yet real time) using your cellular phone. And eventually (some of the cash card companies are already doing this), credit card companies may offer push text message service for every transaction. That would be a great way to monitor your transactions.

B5 for President, again

Our son B5 was elected grade 4 section 3 class president recently. He said it was a tight contest because he got 15 votes (out of 45 pupils) and there were 7 students nominated. The runner up had 12 votes and eventually became class VP.

When he was in grade 3, he was class secretary and in grade 2, he was class president. His being elected class president the first time in DB came as a surprise to us. Though we didn’t doubt his competence, the fact that he was a new student (who transferred from Bright Woods School, Angeles City) that year, he was the least “best candidate” for the position. He won via landslide against the previous year’s class president so that seem to suggest that his classmates finds something positive in him despite being the new kid on the block.

My Father's a Knockout

I'm not Eric Morales' son.

My father is much older but more handsome.

He is not a boxer but a farmer.

Thou he may not have made millions, he may have made a million people laugh.

He is ToyLac to my son and Papa Boy to my daughter.

Happy Father's day to my one and only father, BoyLac.

PS: Happy Father's Day to every Dad who's reading my blog.

Of The Tipping Point and Maria Flor de Luna

“Maria Flor de Huya” says MC while her Kuya B5 says “Maria Flor de Taypee.” My family is currently fixated with the tele novella Maria Flor De Luna. Flor de Luna is a re-make of a late 70s Flor de Luna TV show of which the child actors and actresses are about my age, Herbert Bautista (now the Vice Mayor of Quezon City) as Reneboy and Janice de Belen as Flor. Their step mother was Laurice Guillen as Jo Espero - Alicante. Just writing this blog makes me quiver and shout “Ang baduy ko!” but I’ll continue to watch it anyway. It’s our family bonding time.

Now about The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. I’m currently reading three good books and one of them is this one. I’m about 1/3 into the book and this gets parked often because of the other equally good books am reading. In his book, M. Gladwell mentioned about the Laws of Connectors and I will be attempting to put his theory into application using Maria Flor de Luna as an example.

The star of the show, Flor de Luna was first played by Janice de Belen whose estranged husband is John Estrada. J. Estrada is now General Gary Alvarado in the remake. Estrada was de Belen’s “tormentor” in real life while he is the “tormentor” in the reel life of the current Flor. His father is General Alvarado played by Johnny Delgado who is married in real life to Laurice Giullen who played Jo Espero – Alicante in the original version.

Whoa! That was a challenge. But wait, there’s more! Dona Brigida is played by Liza Lorena whose son Tonton Gutierrez lives in the same condominium that we’re staying in Makati. At least we’re living in the same building with the son, not the Dona Brigida herself. She won’t be bothering me while I finish reading The Tipping Point book.

The Enchanted Rizal Adventure

Isn’t it a bit odd that you’re a Filipino based in the Philippines and you haven’t visited our national hero Jose Protacio Rizal’s shrine in Calamba, Laguna? It is even worse if you live in Laguna and you haven’t seen it. And Jose Rizal IS still our national hero and not Ninoy Aquino. Speaking about my kababayan Ninoy Aquino, funny, but I haven’t visited the Ninoy Aquino museum in Tarlac.

Last weekend, the game plan was to go to Corregidor. I’ve been yearning to go to that historical place since college but couldn’t find the time and the money. My family’s grand plan was to go to a thrift but fun adventure every quarter instead of logging hours in a boring and costly mall. My recollection brings me to a weekend in Tagaytay, a weekend in Lucena, a weekend in Subic, a weekend in Baguio and watching a UAAP basketball game.

This weekend, we went to Jose Rizal’s shrine in Calamba, Laguna. The travel time from Makati is about 1 hour sans traffic, twice the travel time if with the horrendous traffic. Personally, it was my 4th visit but t’was the first for my family so that’s what matters. The entrance was free. My realization was J.R. belongs to a buena familia. Imagine, in the 1860s, the Rizal family already had a two story house, a sprawling garden, a mechanical elevator and relatively high end furniture and fixtures.

Afterwards, we went to Enchanted Kingdom for more fun. E.K. is located just about 2 exits from Calamba exit via the South Luzon Expressway. This is my Nth visit and the same goes for JML. T’was the second time for B5 while it was the first for MC. The family had fun, a bit. Or at least the kids did. Probably, the wrong mix came from the fact that: 1- we were subconsciously (or consciously) comparing it to Disneyland HK which paled in comparison, 2- we’ve seen the amusement park quite a number of times and 3- it was so hot! The kids enjoyed the carousel which they rode 3 times, the choo choo train times two and the prehistoric looking playground.

The future plan for the quarterly escapades include: finally seeing Corregidor, check out Intramuros, a nature trip to La Mesa Dam, a weekend getaway in Laiya, Batangas, a long weekend Ilocos region trip, a drive to Bicol region (to see Mayon Volcano), museum hops like in National and Ayala museum, watch basketball games like UAAP (go La Salle!), NCAA, PBL and PBA. This beats going to the mall.

Two Reunions in Twelve Hours

Ah reunions. Time to reminisce. Catch up on old friends. Enhance your network. Unwind. I attended two reunions last weekend.

Last Friday (May 26), around 800PM, I met with some high school classmates in Dencio's Paseo Makati branch. We had dinner and a few drinks then moved to McDo near Makati Med for some coffee. In attendance were Eric Flores, Rommel Eser, Manny Orallo, Dax Kanapi and myself. The fave topic was without a doubt, our classmates.

At 700AM the following day, had a reunion ride with some members of the Pampanga Trail Riders, a mt bike group in Pampanga which I helped form. The pack contains about 15 riders but only knew about 30%. The rendezvous was Clark Parade ground and the 30 kilometer trail was called Radar which sits on top of a hill with a magnificent view of Clark Air Base from north side. I was supposed to ride again the ff. day but we had a pre-arranged plan.

Let’s have more reunions please!

My Daughter's First School Day

My daughter who turned 3 years old last January is now officially a school girl. In her lingo, she’s a “stool dirl.” She's attending toddler school at a pre-school about a block from where we live. She's enrolled as a senior toddler and goes to school 3 times a week. Indeed time flies and our peso flies with it (devaluates).

I remember my parents telling me that my first day in school was a bit of a challenge for them because I didn't want them off my sight. Things are a bit different with my daughter because she cheerfully played with her new classmates who are mostly foreigners, probably children of expats and proudly displayed her new Disney backpack to her teacher and didn't stop until they acknowledged it. We slowly slipped off her sight and she didn’t notice a bit. And she calls her teacher “my boss.” It’s a bit too early preparing for the corporate world.

When I was in college more than a decade ago, my semester tuition fee was less than P10,000 and since the university was a tri sem, my annual tuition fee was P30,000. Well, my tuition fee is just a third of my 3 year old daughter’s annual tuition fee. Sheesh! And she’ll be in college in 13 years time so how much would the annual tuition fee be P1 million?!?!

Jatropha, the wonder tree

Do you know what a Jatropha tree is? About two month ago, I didn't give a hoot what it was and what it does but I am now coming into terms with this plant that may-just-save-the-world. Too ideal you say? Think global warming, oil reserves and bio fuel law.

So what's the connection? It's a long story and this blog entry will be insufficient for me to detail it plus the fact that it will bore you to death. I just want to highlight these quick facts: 1- global warming is a big chunk caused by pollution, 2- oil reserves is concentrated in the Middle East countries and none in our beloved Pinas and 3- bio fuel law is already in effect.

Finally I met Mr. Jatropha last Saturday. It's a tree that grows about 8 feet and the fruit is processed to make the 2% mix in today's bio fuel. Today, the mix is currently at 2% but who knows the figure may increase in the next decade and maybe, just maybe, the tables may turn and it could be 98% bio fuel. That would probably happen but not in my lifetime.

Race for Space in 2010

Countdown 3 years to go before our second lady president in Phil history GMA steps down and turns over the reigns to the 15th prexy of the republic. This early, there are a handful of presidentiables jockeying for the position. Some are qualified and some may even win out of sheer popularity even if they are not qualified. Let's review them:

Loren Legarda - The newly proclaimed senator who topped the race is back with a vengeance. In 2004, after failing to get the endorsement of GMA to be her running mate and eventually allying with the late FPJ, she bitterly lost the VP race to fellow broadcaster Noli De Castro.

Mar Roxas - Mr Palengke's term as senator ends in 2010. He topped the senatorial race in 2004. I reckon he is one of the senators with a high degree of initiative and competence. That he belongs to the Araneta clan just proves how deep his pocket is. Will Korina Sanchez be eventually the first lady?

VP Noli de Castro - The housing czar didn't need to cheat in 2004 to beat Loren, she should accept this fact. Noli is just way too popular for her. Kabayan's popularity is just a few shades below Erap’s albeit his competence is better than the deposed president. I reckon he will be GMA's anointed one in 2010.

Jinggoy Estrada - I like the car that he drives, a cool Chrysler PT Cruiser. That's about it. If I were to be objective about it, he is a good candidate having served as mayor of San Juan for 3 terms and currently a senator. However, he is Erap's offspring so we can't be too sure if he will be "clean." Then again, is there really such a thing as a clean politician?

Ping Lacson – “Si Ping, ang kinabukasan.” This no non sense senator who recently won a fresh mandate has his eyes set on the presidency. He had a failed attempt in 2004 to snatch the presidency from GMA. He would have been a good president or could be, potentially the likes of Lee Kwan Yew.

The race has started and we'll know in 3 years who will be the victor. We should watch every wannabees action since this will tell if they are actually doing what they pledged to do in their current functions or just showing off in preparation for 2010.

Recto bids goodbye to his presidential dream

Officially an ex-senator, Ralph G. Recto threw in the towel yesterday (June 4) during an upper house privilege speech. When he was a newbie senator, he expressed interest of eventually running for the highest position in the land. He wanted to surpass his grandfather Claro M. Recto’s achievement who served as a senator from the 30s through the 50s. Obviously, his Lolo didn't become president.

Co-Recto's downfall seem to be the e-vat. He was coerced by Malacanan to pass the controversial law which sparked radical street protests and that probably sealed his defeat. For co-Recto, who has 16 years of legislative experience under his belt, his contributions in congress was eclipsed by the debilitating four letter called e-vat and was a victim of right minus wrong. Obviously, he has to bid goodbye to his Y2010 dream to become the Philippine president.

The Honda CR-V Survey

Pls. click the the box below. Tks!

Dub shot

Dub shop was borne out of double two or a street name for twenty two inch wheels (22in diameter). Read Bling! Bling! These fancy car accessories actually doesn't impress me. Here's a 22 year old that's pretty impressive. Yesterday (May 31), Lebron "King" James led his Cleveland Cavaliers to a 107 - 106 win over the motor city boys, Detroit Pistons. He poured in 48 points or nearly 50% of the team's points and almost a triple double. The Cavs now lead the Eastern Conference finals 3 - 2.

The San Antonio Spurs are just waiting for the outcome of the east finals as they annihilated the Utah Jazz 4 - 1 days ago. It was a mismatch from day one. The east finals is a match made in heaven. I'd say this is better than the actual NBA finals as my guess is San Antonio Spurs will just roll over whoever wins in the east.

I'm rooting for Cleveland Cavs. From among the three "active" NBA teams, only Cavs is without a ring. They suffered so much during the Jordan-era. Remember "the shot on Ehlo" referring to the poor soul who had the unfortunate role to guard the Air Jordan.

King James has a lot of mileage in his 22 year old legs. His game last Friday was described to be one of the best in NBA history. In basketball TV, he owned the top 5 highlight plays off the week. Easily, he could have provided highlight for the top ten plays. The question is, if this 22 year old can handle the pressure. A lot rests on his shoulders.

Double you money in 5 years scheme

The double your money scheme usually given by rural banks is a dying breed. When I was younger, I recall accompanying my mother in Land Bank of the Philippines Tarlac branch to avail of this scheme. For a minimum of P100,000, you may entrust this amount to LBP, wait for 5 years and they’ll give you P200,000. No sweat. It actually is a good deal if you’re the type of person who is a risk taker yet conservative. Sounds contradicting? Allow me to expound a bit.

You are considered a RISK TAKER because investing your hard earned doe in a rural bank is not the wisest decision there is but if calculated properly, both quantitative and qualitative factors, there’s a very high probability you’d get your money back. Then again I may be wrong. That’s why it’s called a risk.

It is considered CONSERVATIVE because some brave soul would borrow P100,000 from a lending institution, pay an interest of 18% per annum and invest the money in a food franchise worth P60,000.00, cross his fingers and hope that he choose the right location and product. If his gamble proves to be right, then he’d have return of investment by 6 months, pay off his debt in a year and in a year or two more, he would have either more outlets or bought a second hand car.

Life is all about taking risks, that is calculated ones. Trusting your gut feel is applicable but should be exercised with extreme care in an investment.

The GIANT comeback

I'm back on the saddle after over a year of dormancy. My first mountain bike ride this year last Sunday was a 30+ kilometer 80% off road over lots of single tracks in Brgy. Sampu, Tarlac. My ride buddy was Joey Mendoza who I've ridden with a couple of times in the past. In fact, I bought my second bike - a Schwinn Moab hard tail from him years ago.

I intend to actively go back to riding my mt. bike. I used to ride 60kms a week when I was still based in Pampanga. We’d ride every weekend even up to 3 times a week. Then every quarter, we'd go on out of town rides like in Montalban Rizal, Mt. Samat Bataan and Dueg San Clemente Tarlac.

I started mt. biking in 1996. It's been my ultimate stress reliever, gives me a break from work. That I get a big work out is just a plus. The most important impact of mt. biking for me is that it let's me be myself. Let the riding begin!

The Terminal

I was watching HBO NYC last Saturday and playing was The Terminal starring Tom Hanks as Viktor Navorski and Catherine Zeta Jones as Amilia Warren. I can’t help but reminisce because d movie was filmed in JFK International Airport in NY. It was around this time last year when I experienced the city.

In the movie, Hanks was tourist from Krazozhia while Zeta Jones played an ultra pretty 39 y.o. flight attendant. The story revolved around the fact that Hanks wanted to enter the US and dig this "get an autograph of jazz sax player Benny Golson at Ramada Hotel." It really seems unbelievable reason why he was endlessly refused entry by immigration. He was stranded in the airport temporarily taking shelter in gate 67 for 9 months. He couldn't go back to native Krakozhia because of the civil war that erupted. During that period, he befriended almost everybody in the airport and touched their lives, reason why he was like a star when he was finally "allowed" to leave the airport. While his wait time to gain entry took quite sometime, his official one day trip was fulfilling as he met his objective of getting an autograph from his father's idol.

For me, the movie was like the new Honda CR-V. It's a so-so movie in fact the ending was lousy but it was directed and produced by THE Steven Spielberg, starred by award winning actor Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta - Jones so people watched the movie. I did. The new CR-V is so-so SUV in fact the exterior is unimpressive but it's a Honda and it's a CR-V so that alone will make people buy it. I will.

Top Ten information that you need to win in a local election

The election fever Y2007 is about to die down. While most of the uncontested local positions have been proclaimed already, the national election remains untouched. The next major election is in May Y2010. Do you want to run for mayor in your town? You'll probably need an army of supporters, dozens of consultants, about P30 million bucks and you may find these information helpful:

1. Electoral Process: The first thing you need to know is how the entire thing works, officially. What’s the end to end process from step 1 which is the filing of candidacy until the last step being your first day in office.
2. Comelec Org: What does the Commission on Elections table of organization look like (from the highest national chairman to the lowest ranking election officers tasked to man the precincts)? It’s a must that you know their names and their profiles. This will give you a leverage on how to communicate with these characters. Hello Garci?
3. Voter’s Demographics: You’ll need the number of voters per barangay; a list of voter’s would surely be a big help and the history of the voter’s turn out.
4. Town Profile: You’ll need at least the ff: Population, Headcount per family, the family names of the “big” families, Per Capita Income and Source of Income (livelihood). If you can cull the data on a barangay level, that would be a big plus.
5. And the Winner is: You’ll need the profiles of winning candidates. Do the constituents vote for first time mayors? Returning mayors? His father is a mayor? Wife of a mayor? A vice mayor nearing its expiry date? Ex-Congressman? Ex Governor? Just like playing baccarat, it would help if you study the trend.
6. Survey Says: Questions like “Who will they vote for Mayor?” “What are the traits that they look for in a Mayor” “What are the top problems of your community?” can be best captured by a survey. You’ll need this to draft your platform, assess your chances of winning and give you an idea how much money that you have to spend.
7. Barangay Captain who? : This is probably the most important requirement in any election bid. I’d say 25% of your chance rests on your level of affiliation with the Brgy. Captain. In fact, they can easily provide the information required from numbers 1 to 6.
8. Media Outlets: If you advertise it, they will come (meaning the votes). Know the list of radio and TV stations, local and regional newspapers. This would be a good time to meet new (journalist) friends, not fiend. In this new media revolution, a website is a must. Check out this URL in year 2025: http://www.dylac4mayor.com/.
9. Local and National Organizations, official and unofficial: Yes, you will definitely need divine intervention. Aside from priests who maintain a direct line to the One, there are evangelists like Erano Manalo of Iglesia Ni Cristo, Bro. Mike Velarde of El Shaddai, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Jesus is Lord, et al. who delivers bloc votes, almost solid. It would be wise to affiliate with organizations like Jaycees, Rota Club, Lions Clubs and any local official clubs you can find. The unofficially clubs would also boost your candidacy. You may want to try Lad Lad. No pun intended.
10. Top Election Concerns – The last thing you need to know albeit one of the more important requirements is the top election concerns. Specifically, know how cheating is done and either ride with the wave (if you can stomach it), go around the system or grab the bull by the horn. A seasoned politician like Peping Cojuangco chose the latter when he ran for Tarlac governor in the recent election and miserably lost to a green horned son-of-the-gov Vic Yap.

Now if these info does not help you get the coveted seat, it only means one thing - you were cheated. Nobody loses in a Philippine election but it’s a clear signal that says ”ENJOY YOUR PRIVATE LIFE!

Foto Me by MC

My 3 year old daughter is into photography! A bit too young you say? Well, yes. Let me post some proof for your appreciation. Her camera of choice is her father’s Nokia N70 which takes 2 mega pixel shots. Last Friday, when it was time to sleep, we tucked her in bed and went outside to watch news. When I woke up the following day, I checked out my phone and saw about 40 new pictures which I didn’t take. I was with my JML in the living room around that time and her Kuya was on vacation in Tarlac so the cute culprit has been identified.

Toyota is on top, again.

The motoring news in a local daily this week shows that the top vehicles sold during the first quarter of the year 2007 are the ff.
1- Toyota Innova
2- Toyota Vios
3- Toyota Avanza
4- Honda Civic
5- Toyota Fortuner

This has been the picture for at least two decades. It’s no surprise that on the road, out of the 10 vehicle, 7 to 8 are Toyotas and at one point, I noticed that 5 are Toyota Revos.

In the vehicle industry, the Toyota trade name has been synonymous to trustworthiness. So it’s no wonder that one of Toyota’s tag line says “The world in mine.”

Blessing in the GenSan Sky

Our pambansang kamao, Emmanuel “Pacman” Pacquiao, all pumped up at 5’7” and 130 lbs. of raw power got knocked out in the early rounds by a petite dusky female looker named Darlene Magnolia Antonino.

Incumbent South Cotabato Congresswoman Darlene Antonino – Custodio is well on her way to her third term after flooring congressman wannabee Pacman. A fellow La Sallite, she belongs to a family of politicians – her grandfather was a former senator, father was an ex-mayor and ex-congressman and her mother served in congress as well. At 33 years old and with already a 6 year experience in congress, she is the one of the youngest representatives if not the youngest in the history of the lower house.

Internet gossip says that Pacman spent P100 million pesos in his failed attempt to snatch the title from Representative Custodio. In a recent interview, he said it would require him at least three months to recover the energy that he squandered while campaigning (although only one fight to recover the money he wasted).

His next fight is with WBC super featherweight title-holder Juan Manuel Marquez in October this year. The people from South Cotabato can now breathe a sigh of relief because their two gems are not squared with each other and instead each doing what they do best – Darlene in the lower house and Manny in the boxing ring.

T.O.P. Investment : The Oriental Place

I hope EIGHT is really a lucky number as we just made our first real investment today, May 18. The Chinese folks believe that 168 is a lucky number reason why Philippine motor vehicle plates with 168 numbers are quite pricey – in the range of P30,000.

We discovered the place while fuelling up in Shell gas station along Pasong Tamo avenue since it’s en route to our favorite mall Waltermart, my son’s school and our church Don Bosco Makati. The real estate project is called The Oriental Place condominium and it’s managed and developed by Federal Land Inc., a member of MetroBank Trust Company group. The selling price of a 1 bedroom 24 sq.m. condo is in the range of P1,8M but of course we don’t have that amount and instead we’ll mortgage it.

Here’s the deal: They call it 10-15-75 scheme. We paid P50,000 as reservation fee; after a month we have to pay the balance of the 10% down payment. From months 3 to the 33rd month, we have to pay P9,000 a month (interest free) only which accounts for the 15%. The remaining 75% will be paid P15,000 a month for 15 years.

We’ve done our math and it shows a potential ROI in 6 years if rent is aggressively priced or 10 years if rent is just right. Worse case scenario is we lose our deposit, down payment and first 30 months payment. If my computation is correct, the deal is better than placing your money in time deposit at 4 percent per annum.

I hope and pray that we made the right decision.

Rebel Yell

Two rebels are poised to win the mid-term senatorial election, if all goes out well for them and their lawyers do their jobs. Ex-Colonel Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan who led a number of coup attempts in almost all the post martial law regime and Lieutenant Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV who led the Magdalo group in the infamous Oakwood mutiny is part of the magic twelve as of this writing.

Ex-senator Gringo Honasan is a veteran lawmaker, coup maker and ultimate escape artist except the last time wasn't as successful. I was able to see him up close and even shook his hand in Tarlac City when he first ran for a senate seat. He arrived in style as he was chauffeured in white Bell helicopter. He was a political neophyte then with full of idealism and Don Bosco alum reason why I voted for him that time.

Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade Antonio Trillanes IV was first in my list of senators. I only voted 11 legit senators and 1 kicker that was singer Victor Wood. With a little over 10% of precincts processed, he is in the 11th spot. In Philippine election history, the 11th and 12th spot is the best candidate for dagdag bawas. The subtle harassment that he has been getting from the government seems to work in his favor brought about by public sympathy. His one liner during a televised forum was a talk of the town. He was asked if he would apologize to the government for leading the mutiny and his reply was simply NO. This is one astig na mambabatas.

The fact that all quick counts shows that 8 genuine opposition, 2 independents and only 2 team unity senatoriables are leading the race suggests a rebellion against the present administration. If you can't beat them (via a coup attempt), join them (as the only government body in the Philippines that wants GMA ousted).

3Ps: Popularity, Power or Pera in Pampanga

Pampanga’s political landscape this mid term election is at its best. The hotly or holy contested gubernatorial post is a battle among a lahar quarry lord, a gambling lord and a man of the Lord. Twenty four hours after the May 14 election, Father Ed Panlilio is lording it over his main rivals Board Member Lilia Pineda and incumbent Governor Mark Lapid with 20000 plus votes compared to the two “government officials” with 8000 plus a piece. The profiles of the 3 candidates can be analogous to the blog’s title: Popularity, Power and Pera.

The Pera: My aim is to be worth P200M by the time I reach 65 years old. That way, I can put our money low risk time deposit and just LOI or Live On Interest. Board Member Lilia Pineda may be worth at least 10 times that amount. I won’t be surprised if the figure is 100 times or P20B and that’s no exaggeration. BM Pineda is married to suspected gambling lord Bong Pineda who owns a fortress of a house in Lubao, Pampanga (the hometown of GMA) and is suspected to have financed the candidacy of my fellow Kapampangan GMA. Incidentally, I voted for her last election.

The Power: A political dynasty is in the works in the province of Pampanga. Now Senator Lito Lapid, occupied the post for 3 terms before passing the torch to his son Mark Lapid. I reckon he is the youngest Gov of the province at age 25 years old. Prior to holding the highest position in Pampanga, he was a Barangay Captain who easily got a seat in the Provincial Board for being the province’s ABC President, which was largely due to his father’s influence.

The Popularity: Among Ed Panlilio, the parish priest of Minalin, Pampanga was in the right place in the right time. Or was it a calling? How many active parish priest do you know decides at a moment’s notice to throw their hat in the dirty world of politics. I’m sure this was not how he dreamed his life to be. Amongst the 3 candidates, it’s pretty obvious Among Ed has the least resources and influence. Much if not all his resources are from contributions. If I was still a Pampanga resident (lived in Pampanga from Y1999 to Y2004), I’d definitely chip in. The only mortal power that he has is the power of prayers. The fact is Kapampangan’s want real change and they felt that a man of God is the best alternative.

Would YOU go for Pera, Popularity or Power? For the other two candidates, aside from Pera and Power, because of their action, they are already assured of a seat in another “P” that is Purgatory. Actually, Among Ed won (rather, is winning unless he gets cheated) because of a “4th P” and that is Prayer.

Graduating from D.A.U. is not a guaranteed ticket for success

I graduated from De La Salle University in September 1994. It was around that same time when I had my first taste of employment with SMT, my current employer. Rewind to my senior year high school in Don Bosco Tarlac, my choices for college then were De La Salle University, Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines (D.A.U.), in that order of preference. I flunked the UP college entrance exam, was waitlisted in Ateneo and successfully passed La Salle's entrance exam for College of Engineering. Fast forward again to my fifth year in college, I learned of an opening in SMT thru a newspaper print ad. The ad wasn't actually impressive since it was a start up company selling cellular phones but I submitted my resume anyway. I sent my resume to Marubeni and Abbott as well. I found out later that the last remaining slot in our department was a toss up between me and another candidate from UST. I met the candidate during our final interview and he was "wearing a red Chicago Bulls shirt." I like his shirt being Jordan fan but thought it was inappropriate. I got the job so I guess the final interviewer was not a Jordan fan.

My superior for over a decade is a Thomasian (University of Santo Tomas grad) but she didn't get the Jordan fan wearing a Bulls shirt and instead hired the Jordan fan who was properly dressed wearing a long sleeves and tie during the interview. I can't actually fathom why I was chosen. I’m quite certain it has nothing to do with my looks. In my professional life, I’ve come to realize that the advantages of being a LaSalista are exuded in these ways:
1- Networking
2- Projection
3- Finance Focused
4- Communication
5- Entrepreneurial

To save myself from boredom in Y2000, I took the University of Philippines entrance exam for Masters in Management and redeemed myself from the earlier failed attempt to enter this school, passed the exam and completed the course. During my 3 years as a Peyups, I’d like to think I developed the following traits:
1- Critical Thinker
2- Open Minded
3- Resourceful
4- Go Getter
5- Career Oriented

In conclusion, an education in DLSU, ADMU or UP is a big plus but not an assurance. Regardless where you finished your undergrad course, thou shall not wait for opportunities, as they will NOT be served in a silver platter. And just like looking for a needle in a haystack, you have to FIND that opportunity and SEIZE it.

Top Ten Household Must Have Tools and Practical Items

Not every one is a Mister Handyman at home but everybody should have at least these ten useful items:

1- Hammer (Buy the Stanley brand curved claw hammer. It’s a bit pricey but a good investment)
2- Wood Nails (Buy 20 pieces each of 1 inch and 2 inches.)
3- Cable Ties (Buy at least 10 pieces each of 3 inches to 6 inches)
4- Wire Cutter (It’s called a wire cutter but it has many uses like cutting cable ties)
5- Pliers (There are at least 6 types but for practically reasons, just buy the slip joint type)
6- Screwdrivers (There are at least 9 types however get the slotted or flat and phillips type which are commonly used)
7- Electric wires (Buy the 300 volt flat cord at least 5 meters. Pls. handle with extreme care. If you're not confident, don’t even try to splice a wire.)
8- Bulb (Buy the most used wattage in your house. If you’re clueless, just buy at least 15 watts for replacement)
9- Packaging Tape (Buy the two inch width heavy duty type. This has gazillion uses, just use your imagination.)
10- Heavy Duty Fastener (Buy the Arrow brand model T-50M).

I just realized I can name 20 useful items but these are the most useful. All these ten items may cost in the range of $ 150 (less than p 7,000) but it sure beats paying somebody $100 each time you need to hammer something.

SPIDERMAN 3 : Three’s a crowd

In New York, there is this pace, a feel. The audience knows they are really in New York – you can see it.” Ari Arad, Marvel Studios Chairman and CEO

I watched Spiderman 3 last May 3 at Glorietta 3. I'm not the movie buff type and am actually trying to avoid writing a movie review because my view in watching a movie is like eating - not everybody likes Chinese food. I'm writing this just to atone with Mr. Arad and to highlight the fine lines in the movies.

This trilogy is my first Spidey movie post US trip where I had the chance to see the Big Apple. While watching, I saw the Bow bridge and Flat Iron bldg. The Bow bridge is what Mary Jane Watson referred to as "Meet me at the bridge" which is located in Central Park, NY. The Flat Iron bldg. is where the Daily Bugle was housed.

In Spider 1, who can forget the line "With great power comes great responsibility." In this 3rd installment, the super arachnid is faced with 3 kontra-bidas (nemesis) and they are: New Goblin, Sandman and Venom. The quotable quote for me would be the line by Flint Marko a.k.a. Sandman delivered towards the end of the movie "I'm not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to understand."

The movie Spiderman 1 was good, the second one was better and the third one is so far the best. I have to find a superlative to describe the fourth edition.

SEMPCO : It’s show time!

It’s official! I won a seat in SMT Employee Cooperative (SEMPCO) board of directors. I decided to run only last April 20, the last day of filing. The election campaign period was from April 21 to 24 and election was last April 25 to 30. Technically, I was only able to campaign aggressively last Apr 21 Saturday because we were off to HK the ff. day until Apr 26. It helped that I asked the endorsement of my fellow managers within and outside our department. Kapalan na rin ng mukha as I texted our Mancom members and asked for their endorsement.

My platform (DSL’s FOUR EYEs platform) includes the ff:
1. Increase number of members
2. Increase member benefits
3. Improve loan packages
4. Increase cooperative profit

To put the platform into play, initially, I have the ff. projects in mind:
1. Travel Lite
2. Club Tie Ups
3. Primera Segunda

I joined the foray to expand my network, load up on experience and try to inject what I learned within and outside Smart in a different setting.

The 64 million dollar question : Is Snow White snow white in HK Disney?

This question must be answered during our trip to HK Disney lest our trip will be a partial failure. Finally, we saw Snow White at her grotto…lo and behold…she was as white as snow and NOT light brown skinned, didn’t have chinky eyes nor black hair. Her looks was occidental, not what I expected. Disney said that the Hong Kong version was designed especially for Asian audiences.

By the way, Snow White didn’t say a word of Chinese. That’s too bad. That was the least she can do to serve the Asian market, so to speak. And of course, I'm just pulling your leg!

Discover Hong Kong : It's a small world after all

While in HK, we saw Reghis Romero, the chairman of R: II builders and Manila North Harbour Center. We saw him along Granville road near Nathan in Kowloon. It was the 3rd time we saw him in public. The 1st time was in SM Megamall with his platoon of body guards. The second time was in Subic Bay Yatch Club inside SBMA. I spoke to him then and told him I was BoyLac's son. He said: "Yes, Lacs from Tarlac" in Kapampangan. I delivered the same line in HK and he retorted with exactly the same line. I've seen him a couple of times in Pasion family reunions. His ex-mother in law is my father's first cousin. That makes his ex-wife my second cousin.

I also saw some SMTees in Disney. We chanced upon Ava Española. She's the marketing manager for SMT Broadboad Inc. A bubbly gal, she was with her daughter. I saw her at Market House Bakery having breakfast. Also spotted was Ms. Eileen Cerezo, an SMT HR Manager and she was with her family. I saw her twice, the first in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster in Tomorrowland and the second was near Jungle River Cruise in Adventureland.

HK Trip Day 5 : Disney Part 2

The day started with me waking up early and went around Disney park by foot to take some pictures. T’was a LONG walk but was up to it. First went around Hollywood Hotel, then Disney Hotel, then Park Promenade and last was the Ferry Pier. I must have taken at least 100 shots during my lone escapade. I took lots of shots, enough to drain the battery. Then we were off to Disney Park for the 2nd time within 24 hrs. It was a choice between going back to Disney or going to nearby Maritime Mall in Tsing Yi. The former was the economical choice hence my recom to the family which they agreed. We saw majority of the attractions except for 2 which was either closed or not operational that day. Our Disney tour was capped with a picture with M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E (sing it!). Our 5day HK escapade ended when we arrived around 1AM Friday in Manila. It's back to reality.

HK Trip Day 4 : Disney Adventure

To all who come to this happy place – welcome. Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955

T'is my 2nd Disney visit in less than a year. I went to Disney World Resort located in Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake, Florida outside the city limits of Orlando last May 2006. Three more Disney's to go then quota na ako. There are currently 5 Disneys in the world and they are: California, Orlando, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong. We checked in at Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. That the kids had fun is an understatement. They'd probably dream about this experience for the next few weeks or months. Too bad our Sony digicam wasn't cooperative, it ran out of batteries one third through our adventure. Good thing Nokia popularized camera integrated phones and that saved our day. Moments like these should be captured on film or rather, on memory stick. I'd say the highlight of the day is the breathe taking fireworks displays. Disney is truly a whole new world and the happiest place to be.

HK Trip Day 3 : Weather is not exact science

T’was a rainy day today. The plan was to go to International Finance Center 2 (the 4th tallest building in the world), check out the world’s longest escalator, the Peak and shop at Mongkok. We had to skip everything except IFC 2 because mister sun decided not to shine today. We had to improvise hence went to Central and Causeway Bay instead. There was a lot of MTR rides today. We were also able to check out HK Science Museum which was just across the street from the hotel. Museum never ceases to amaze me. There is just so much information you can get during these short escapades. We had to buy to more suitcases because of the clothes that we bought. It seems like we bought half of the Bossini’s inventory along Grandville Road. Bossini’s magic words: “WE ARE ON SALE!”

HK Trip Day 2: Ocean Park Adventure

First stop was (1) Aberdeen Marina. We rode on a sampan (water taxi). I actually didn't want to at first, my feeling was the p300 (hk$50) per person was not worth it but the boat trip was an experience. The tour guide Elton (Wi Tek) said that strait will be reclaimed after 5 yrs. Next stop was (2) Hong Kong Jewelry Center. T’was like a plant visit specially designed for my wife who loves jewelries. I was just there for the show. Despite that statement, we won a garnet stone for giving the correct answer during a pop quiz. I was listening after all. Next on the I.T. was (3) Ocean Park. We meet again after 25 years, went here first when I was 10 yrs old. It changed a whole lot, that's what you call re-invention. The highlight was probably the 8 minute cable car ride which was a challenge for someone with mild acrophobia like me. In the evening, more shopping before snoozing off.

HK Trip Day 1 : Kowloon Express

The beauty of living within the shopping district...You can shop, then leave your things at the hotel, more shopping and the cycle continues. We stayed at Ramada Kowloon Hotel. The hotel room view was great - Chatham Road South area. Day 1 included the ffg trips: Chek Lap Kok airport (of course), Nathan Road, the Clock Tower, HK Space Museum and HK Arts Museum. Hkg is known for shopping so we tested that theory and the result - a wasted 4 pairs of legs and an exhausted credit card. HSBC has a promo, for every $10 spent, you get an electronic raffle ticket for a chance to win a trip to Hong Kong! Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. What a cycle!