1000 Steps to Mount Pinatubo

Things to bring:

(1) Digital Camera - CHECK
(2) Sun Block - CHECK
(3) Running Shoes - CHECK
(4) Mineral Water - CHECK
(5) Pedometer - CHECK

February 21, 2009 marks a special day for the 28 members of the Smart Photo Club and Smart Mountaineering Club. After more than a month of planning, we were finally off to conquer Mount Pinatubo.

ETD Makati
Our day started early with a 230AM call time at Smart Tower. The adventurers rented 3vans to shuttle us from Smart Tower Makati to Capas Tarlac and vice versa. We arrived in Capas, Tarlac at 500AM then we had breakfast at Chowking. We were the Buena Mano of Chinese Fastfood restaurant.

Sta Juliana
The four wheel drive forums say there's scarcity of 1st generation Toyota Land Cruiser in the Philippines. Guess what - most of them are in Sta Juliana, Capas, Tarlac ferrying tourists to the jump off point. The group used 6 old school SUVs to bring us within walking distance from the volcano. The one hour dusty and jumpy ride passed through 2 feet deep rivers, quick sand type lahar and an almost 45 degree hill climb. A standard 4x4 would have a tough time with the terrain reason why they use modified rigs.

Keep Walking
And now the punishing walk starts or the adventure begins, depending on how you view it. At this point, some of us fotogs have taken at least a dozen pitures already and we've barely started. Travelling light under this circumstance is a basic requirement however as photo buffs, we can leave behind everything EXCEPT our cameras and equipment. The usual 40 minute walk at normal pace took more than an hour because pictures were taken every 10 meters. The scene filled walk brought us through boulders the size of a jeep, a 60 feet high lahar and C2 streams (cool and clear).

Lo and Behold
In 1991, this long dormant volcano wreaked havoc, claimed lives and brought significant property damage. Fast forward to 2009, it is now making up by sharing its natural beauty. The sight of the lake will give you goosebumps and every individual who experiences its natural wonder is truly blessed. In an informal survey, only 2 out of 10 Filipinos have seen Mount Pinatubo. The 5 square kilometer blue green lake inside the volcano is picturesque. No matter how you shoot it, it will come out beautiful. The cool lake water was so tempting that some of the group members had to take a dip in the nature made pool. We stayed inside the volcano crater for 3 hours and around 200PM, we started our trek back to the jump off point. My trusty pedometer logged 1000 steps from the jump off point to the lake and that's equivalent to about 1.3 kilometers.

After walking 1000 steps to the crater, 300 kilometers logged by the vehicles and 17 hours of fun filled adventure, the group reached Smart Tower Makati at 700PM. It was an exhausting day but the adventure was worth it. Conquered Mount Pinatubo - CHECK!

CIV Sound Upgrade

The world's economic superpower US is entering or has enter recession. They say that this will be worse than the early twentieth century (1929 to 1934) financial crisis called "The Great Depression."

Recession? Depression? Heck, I'm going to upgrade my rides sound set up! The plan is to sell the 7th gen Civic's current set up: Pioneer Head Unit DEH-P7450MP, Pioneer Equalizer EQ-6500, Pioneer CD changer CDX-P650 and Ryan Audio 8in subs and upgrade to the ff: Pioneer Head Unit DEH 5050UB, JBL GTO 6507c component speakers and Rockford Punch P1 subs.

I've been surfing through the web lately and found out that the best prices are from Mickey's AutoSound in Pasig and Quest Audio in Quezon City.

Phase 1 of my CIV project which includes the new head unit and seps should be completed before my 37th birthday in mid March while the new subs should be in place before Christmas. I'm SO EXCITED!

DyLac's Rides History

Two Wheel Rides:
1994 Tange Barracuda A2R HT - 1994 to 1999
1998 Schwinn Moab HT - 1999 to 2003
2002 Giant NRS D/S - 2003 to 2008
2008 Trek 8900 HT - 2008 to X
2012 Santa Cruz Superlight - X to Y

Four Wheel Rides:
1992 Toyota Corolla XE M/T - 1999 to 2001
1993 Mitsubishi Galant MPI A/T - 2001 to 2002
2002 Toyota Revo GLX A/T - 2002 to 2007
2002 Honda Civic LXi A/T - 2007 to X
2007 Honda CR-V 2.0L A/T - 2007 to X
2012 Toyota Prius? Toyota RAV? - X to Y

Everything starts with a dream...

One on one with a BMW 135i

January 8, 2009

I saw my second apple red BMW 1 Series coupe last Thursday. It was parked along Bautista St. in Salcedo Village beside the condo that we are staying in. The owner is probably a neighbor. I wonder if he's the same guy driving a silver BMW 325i or the one driving a gray Porsche Cayenne. This vehicle retails for P 2,050,000 in the Philippines.

The first time I saw a BMW 1-Series 135i Coupe M Sport was in Volusia Mall in Daytona Beach Florida in May 2008. Released in 4Q 2007, BMW Florida was doing their regular promotional stuff and had one displayed inside the mall. That time, I just couldn't get my eyes off the apple red sport car.

I wonder if they'd resell it for P1M in 3 years time. I guess not!

A Star Studded Party…

A Star Studded Party…

Dec 19 was the company Christmas party. It was the grandest party in the 15 year history of the company. The night was full of stars:
1- Tanging ina niyang comedien Ai-ai delas Alas
2- International recording rap artist Billy Crawford,
3- The girl with the ultimate X factor Toni Gonzaga,
4- Pretty and sexy teen Ara Cristine Reyes
5- Curvaceous Rufa mae Quinto
6- PBB hunk of a housemate Sam Milby
7- Papa (double meaning ) Piolo Pascual
8- Philippine’s prettiest and sexiest actress Angel Locsin.

But still there was something missing. While I was there physically, my mind was in another place - our bedroom. I was sleepy and had a very long day at work but needed to attend the party. It’s a commitment.

Mother's New Ride

Mother's New Ride

Finally we were able to sell my parents 98 Toyota Corolla GLi. Bought in 2004 via a vehicle swap deal (for a 1994 Mitsubishi Lancer EL) with a car dealer who was trying to pull one on me. The Corolla provided my parents service for a year before they moved to the US. My little sister and her family then used the trusty Toyota sedan until it was purchased in November 2008.

My parent's 6th vehicle replacement in the Philippines is a 2004 Toyota Revo Sports Runner. I'd say it was a good deal as we got the AUV for less 20% of the selling price. The proceeds from the Corolla sale plus funds from my mother's savings was used to purchase the vehicle. The odometer reads 67,000 kilometers, relatively unused for a 4 year old vehicle. An average vehicle uses 20,000 kilometers per year. The two toned (white and silver) Revo has an automatic transmission, power windows, power side mirrors and central locking system.

The car is good for at least 5 years with proper use and maintenance.

Shop-less in 2H 2008

Shop-less in 2H 2008

It's official! I was able to zero out my shopping expense during the second half of 2008. My last purchase was probably in May were I bought clothes, a nice Bass loafers (for $20 only!), a Motorola bluetooth headset, a couple of mt bike gears and a dozen other personal stuff. At the end of the day, I realized I didn't need some of the stuff and they're just waiting to be utilized at home. What can I do, they were on S.A.L.E. Just couldn't resist.

It's almost mid January and I haven't purchase an item for myself though I was tempted to get a Crocs slippers but thought that my 2 year old Havaianas flip flops is still serviceable. I'll probably get something for myself during my birthday in March.

MC's dream about Papa Boy

MC's dream about Papa Boy

One day in December, my daughter MC woke up and said "You know Dad, I dreamt about Papa Boy. We went fishing. He caught a big fish and I caught a small fish." To make sure that I heard the right story, I asked my wife to validate the story and MC just repeated the exact story. She followed up by saying that she misses Papa Boy. I miss my Papa too.

Goodbye Giant, hello Trek!

December 28, 2008

Sold!!!

I sold my 2003 Giant NRS full suspension (FS) mountain bike frame for a mere P10K today. I’m getting a 2008 Trek 8500 hard tail (HT) frame. I’m back to a rigid hard tail after 5 years on a FS frame. The decision to “downgrade” is because of economics. I would really like to get a 2008 Santa Cruz Superlight (my dream frame) but is cost $1,000 (a little under P50K) but it’s not wise at the moment plus our financial status can’t support the purchase. The new blazing red HT frame cost P15K so I need to shell out just 5 grand for the upgrade or downgrade depending on how you look at it. In the mountain bike world, the natural progression is an upgrade from a HT to FS not the other way around. Oh well, I really don’t mind the downgrade. I’ll still get my dream frame in the future.

Kaizen sa Karsil

December 25, 2008

Kaizen sa Karsil
December 25 morning. It’s the Soliman family’s annual outreach. It is relatively an odd outreach as we “reach out” to people who are perceived as misfits of society – the prisoners. They are human beings like all of us it’s just that they made a grave mistake and they have to pay for their actions. I’ve had previous entries about the Tarlac Penal Colony and this entry will focus on how to introduce continuous improvement during the activity. Here goes:

Pre-work:
1. Check the number of prisoners and the prison staff
2. Raffle should be pre-drawn based on their prison identification
3. Free call list
4. Who is the Jail Warden? Assistant Warden?
5. Who is the Prison Mayor? Vice Mayor?
6. Food should be there by 630AM
7. List of 60 inmates who can avail of the free call
8. There should be a committee to handle: Food, Mass, Games, Raffle & Hosting.

Program Outline:
7:30 to 8:30 - Eucharistic Celebration
8:30 to 9:30 - Breakfast
9:30 to 12:00 – Start of Program
9:30 to 9:40 – Opening Remarks 1 by AGS or MSD
9:40 to 9:50 – Opening Remarks 2 by Prison Mayor
9:50 to 10:00 – Orientation of Activities by host
10:00 to 11:40 - Games
11:40 to 11:50 – Closing Remarks 1 by Jail Warden
11:50 to 12:00 – Closing Remarks 2 by CSL or LST or TGS or TSG

Notes:
1. Free Calls with a duration of 3 minutes each will be given to 60 inmates.
2. A priest will be available for confession from 10 to 12nn.
3. A third generation family member (pamangkin) will handle the emcee chores
4. The activity should be over by 12noon.

The value of Japanese Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) may be applied in the simplest of activities.

Who wants to own an Evo X?

While getting a haircut at my fave barbershop Bruno's Salcedo Village, I read the latest C! (car) magazine where they featured the latest Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. When asked what do you drive- "I drive an Evo!" a regular Juan dela Cruz would probably say, it's just a commom Lancer family sedan on steroids but for a car fan like me, owning an Evo is like driving a Japanese version Porsche 911. It probably retails for half the price of a brand new Stuttgart, Germany made sports car but will probably beat it in the drag strip. Now if I only can get one on my birthday this year, that would be fun!!!

(Created on December 6, 2008 using my Nokia celfone)

Golden Boy gets Promoted - to Smithereens!

Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao wins via 9th round Technical Knock Out over the Golden Boy Oscar Dela Hoya. Before today, everybody said it was a mismatch and that the future hall of famer will clobber our pambansang kamao. As it turned out, Manny made mince meat of Oscar.

At the end of it all, it was still a win-win situation for Dela Hoya. While he lost officially in the boxing ring, his paycheck in this fight is said to be in the neighborhood of $30 million to $40 million compared to PacMan's $15 million.

The dream match turned out to be a nightmare for the tarnished Golden Boy.

Upskirt and Personal (Part 2)

Part 2

# 6 - Aguinaldo Shrine in Cavite taken in September 2007
during a family escapade. Taken from a Nikon DSLR.


#7 - Singapore Hall of Justice (looks like a UFO)
taken in June 2008 using a Nikon DSLR.

#8 - Coconut upskirt in Dakak Beach Resort taken in

February 2008 using a Nikon DSLR.

#9 - Taken in Tarlac Penal Colony in December 2007,

a basketball ring and board upskirt using a Nikon DSLR.

#10 - Bamban Grotto taken in March 2008
using a Nikon DSLR.

DYK? Did you know that it is illegal to take upskirt photos of a person's intimate body parts (without the subject's consent) in Australia, New Zealand and United States?

Upskirt and Personal

I learned recently that there is a photography classification called UPSKIRT. Wikipedia defines upskirt as a slang term usually referring to up skirt photography, images of the view up a woman's skirt (as seen from underneath). Alternatively, an "upskirt" may be a video, an illustration or simply a view.

I've been taking a lot of "legal" upskirt shots mostly buildings and trees since I got hooked into photagraphy. Here are my TOP TEN UPSKIRT SHOTS:

#1 - Disneyland Hollywood Hotel in HK. Taken using
a Sony Cybershot during a family trip in 2007.

# 2 - Fort Santiago, Intramuros, Manila taken in October

2008 during a family weekend escapade using a Nikon DSLR.

#3 - Empire State Building in NY during my

trip in May 2006 using a Sony Cybershot.

#4 - San Francisco CA City Hall dome taken in

June 2006 using a Sony Cybershot.

#5 - Petronas Twin Tower in MY taken last April 2008

using a Nikon DSLR.

Who is Tenzing Norgay?

I'm pretty sure at least 75% of the world's population knows who is Barack Obama. Yes, he is the 44th U.S. president elect who will start his term on January 20, 2009. Yes, he beat Senator John McCain in the presidential race via landslide. Yes, he also beat former first lady and NY senator Hillary Clinton. And did I mention that he is the first black U.S. president?

So much for the introduction for this entry. The question actually is- who is Tenzing Norgay? My estimate is that 25% or less of the world's population know who the heck is this man. At least in Nepal, this man is reveared and a statue built in his honor. Ask a mountaineer or an outdoor guy and there's a high probability they know or even idolize this fellow. Tenzing Norgay is arguably the first man to step in the peak of Mount Everest. He was a sherpa by profession and the trusty sidekick of Sir Edmund Hillary. Sir Edmund is known as the first man to plant his foot in Mount Everest's peak. Wikipedia said they stepped on the peak at the same time. Both of them have now passed away so we actually won't know the real story. Tenzing Norgay's undisputed claim to fame is the first human being photographed on the peak of the highest mountain in the world. Not bad for an accolade. I'd trade that anytime for a model region.

Happy Birthday Papa!

Hi Papa,

Sheng ri kuai le! That is Happy Birthday in Mandarin. You should have turned 62 years old today. I wonder if the age meter goes back to zero once you’re in eternal life. Judy went to mass today at Don Bosco Chapel in Makati. Of course, the mass was intended for you. We supposed to attend it after bringing Chloe to school however I was dead tired so she attended mass alone. I know in my heart that you were a good man during your mortal life and I hope that it gets acknowledged in your present dwelling place. I will continue to pray for your soul as long as I live. Please continue to watch over us and whisper to the BIG BOSS to guide us, keep us healthy, free from harm’s way and continue throwing us trials and challenges to make us better persons. Do visit us in our dreams so we’d know how you’re doing.

We love you and we miss you so much!

Your son, DyLac

Introduction to Intramuros

The plan today was to introduce the family to Intramuros, Manila where the famous landmark Fort Santiago is located. Our P150 escapade (w/o fuel) brought us to the following sites:

1- Baluartillo de San Francisco Javier

2- The Rizal Shrine

3- Baluarte de Santa Barbara

4- Almacenes Reales

5- Dulaang Rajah Soliman

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SIGE KUHA

A family escapade won't be complete without our precious pictures. Three hundred pictures were taken from 3pm to 5pm which was a combination of portrait and landscape. The Nikon D40 again proved its worth and an opportunity for me to practice my skill as well as a de-stress exercise.

DI KO NAGAWA

We wanted to ride a calesa (horse drawn carriage) but cost prevented us. The price was p50 per head and you'd go around a single 400 meter loop. We felt it was not worth it. We also wanted to watch a film show scheduled at 430pm but we stayed there until 5pm but the show didn't materialize. We just thought the operator was late but apparently he was absent.

The cost to bond with the family is inexpensive. You just have to invest in time and effort. The return on investment is priceless.

The Gathering Place

O'ahu, Hawaii
Location 21°28′N 157°59′W / 21.467°N 157.983°W / 21.467; -157.983
Area 596.7 sq. mi.
Rank 3rd largest Hawaiian Island
Highest point: Mount Ka'ala 4,003 ft (1,220.1 m)
Population 905,034 (as of 2008)
Density 1,468/sq. mi. (567/km²)

My mother, CSL is now in O'ahu, Hawaii. She's been there for the past 3 months staying with my Aunt Lu. (If you're reading this entry Aunt Lu and Unc Dong, words are not enough to say how grateful we are for your support to Mama during this period of adjustment). She currently works for a Catholic Pre-school which is about 10 minute walk from Aunt Lu's place.

Anima Christi

(This is my wife JML's fave gospel song. I like it too that's why it is an entry in my site)

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, give me strength

Hear me Jesus, hide me in Thy wounds
That I may never leave Thy side
From all the evil that surrounds me, defend me
And when the call of death arrives, bid me come to Thee
That I may praise Thee with Thy saints forever

Mandarin Lessons, Take Two

After 6 months in hiatus, I've started attending Mandarin (Chinese) lessons again. The lessons had to stop because of unexpected changes in my life. So unexpected that I'm still trying to cope up with the loss. I reckon I already paid 25% of the total enrollment fee amounting to P3,500 for 21 hours. The school is called Luke and Wendy's Language school located in Legaspi Village. It's about a 15 minute walk from our office in Salcedo Village. Better to walk than take the car becasue of the traffic, if you have the energy to do so.

LAO TZE
My new teacher is a Chinese native. The real one, probably born in mainland China. Not like me, a fake Chinese, with strong Chi physical features but don't speak a word of Chinese, that is before attending Mandarin class. Lao Tze's name is Iris. She gave me her Chinese name but it didn't register in my mind. I was surprised to attend her 3rd session because I was just warming up my seat when she already gave a seatwork!

YI-ER-SAN-ZI-WU (1-2-3-4-5)
We were supposed to study numbers yesterday but she was not around so classes had to be cancelled. I just wish they texted me so I didn't have to go to school. I saw a classmate, a white female who's name I learned was Natalie. I have 5 more classmates so this should be fun!

There are 7 more sessions to go and I'm hoping to learn more basic Mandarin words and phrases. The whole Mandarin course consists of 6 modules and I shall assess after the first module if I should proceed further. This is exciting. It's actually a breather for me as well as a for of networking.

SBC tromps JRC

Hi Papa!

.

Your alma mater San Beda College completed a historic 3 peat at the expense of Jose Rizal College. They trounced JRC 3 games to 1. I didn't get to watch any of the games but your grandson B5 watched some of the games and kept me abreast. In fact, he gave me the usual blow-by-blow account.

.

Their dynasty is about to expire though as their prized center Sam Ekwe played his last game as a Red Lion. There's no player in their current roster who can fill in the big shoes that the Nigerian will vacate. My assessment is that at the very least, they'll make it to the final four.

.

Keep reading my site!

Ateneo is it!

(September 26, 2008)

It's official, Ateneo de Manila University is the 71st UAAP season king of men's basketball senior edition. The basketball team trounced defending champions De La Salle University two game to none. They were the best candidate to win the award and proved that not even their arch rival can get in the way.

SO STRONG
The Blue Eange team is so strong that they can probably beat a UAAP star player selection. In their player roster is Most Valuable Player Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Mythical 5 guard Chris Tiu, Defensive Player of the year Nonoy Baclao, Rookie of the Year Ryan Buenafe, some non awardee players capable of scoring double digits night after night and then a couple of effective role players.

BACK-TO-BACK
After the euphoria from the celebration has subsided, the next big question is if they can make it back to back. In Y2009, the core team is still intact save for 23 year old superstar Chris Tiu hence they can still power their way to a repeat and probably even a three peat.

Go La Salle!!!

Is Armstrong's arm still strong?

(September 17, 2008)

I'm talking about cycling god's Lance Armstrong who recently announced that he's going out of retirement and attempt to seek his 8th Tour de France title. At age 37, he's no spring chicken anymore. He'll be battling it out with men at least a decade younger than him.

Can he make a comeback in the sport that he dominated? Let's stay tuned and we'll know by during the year of the Ox (Y2009).

The Donut Story

(September 19, 2008)

We just learned today that Go Nuts donuts set up a 4 sq.m space at the second floor of WalterMart Mall in Makati. They started early this week. The big question is - will they be able to recoup their investment?

Around July 2007, we explored the possibility of franchising a Mister Donut store and place it is WalterMart Mall in Makati. We submitted the necessary requirements and passed all the required interviews only to be advised that the location is NOT profitable. At best, we've be earning P10,000 a month for almost half a million investment. The mall gets P27,000 a month for the rent so they make more money. If it were the other way around, we'd probably be celebrating our first year anniversary. The 2% return on investment is actually good however the return on investment pegged at 5 years is bad reason why we abandoned the idea.

Going back to the question, will Go Nuts recoup their investment? If they are still in WM Mall 3 years from now then they probably made money.

Cherry Cute Cute

(September 12, 2008)

Imagine going around Tarlac City on a cute front wheel drive 3 banger that definitely contains melamine but won't pose as a hazard to the passengers. Today we bought a booklet of tickets at the local parish raffle were the grand prize is a 2008 Cherry QQ subcompact car. The cute China made car retails for P318,000.

I read a book in college which says if you really, really want something, you should plan as if you already have it. So if we win this car, we'd sell the Chinese made auto, keep our Jap made auto, invest the amount is stocks or mutual funds - 30% allot for MC's college education, 30% for B5's education, 20% for the family travel next year and the balance goes back to the church.

If we don't win, at the very least we were able to help the church with their projects. It's a win win situation and that gives us more reasons to buy more tickets.

My Fourth Dream about Papa

That I miss my father is an understatement to the infinite power. I dreamt about him again last night. It was the usual dream - I was talking to him and he was flashing his winning smile, the difference this time is that I got to hug him REAL TIGHT! He's always happy in all my dreams which makes me wonder if this is a sign that he's in heaven. I guess he is. I know he is. I pray that he is. I love you, Papa.

Ilocano 101

Ti ayat ti masya nga baro

Ken balasang nataina

Uray man uray man uray man

Haan unay nga nadonya

The lyrics came from the Eraserheads hit song titled Toyang. One paragraph of the song is in Ilocano and not sure what it exactly means. Here are some of the Ilocano words that I learned:

Greetings

Naimbag nga malen - Good Morning

Naimbag na adlaw - Good Afternoon

Naimbag nga rabii - Good Evening

Courtesy

Agngina ak la unay - Maraming Salamat

Intayon mangan - Halika na kumain

Pasensya kayon apo - Pasensya na po

Basic Questions

Anya iti nagan mo? - What is your name?

Manu iti tawen mon? - How old are you?

Paggigyan nam? - Where do you live?

Directions

Idiay - Doon

Ditoy - Dito

Dita - Diyan

It would be good to learn a new dialect aside from Tagalog and Kapampangan. Learning Ilocano completes the three dialects that the province of Tarlac uses. This would be a good preparation for my ambition in life - to join Tarlac's political foray.

Month of Subscription

They say that impulse buying is not good and I completely agree. When I was single and even until my early years in marriage, I was a self confessed impulse buyer. I bought a sub compact handgun that I actually didn't need almost a decade ago. If I opted to save the amount, placed it in mutual funds, the figure would have at least doubled. In my recent international trip, the impulse buying spree became active again and bought some stuff which I actually haven't used like a bluetooth handsfree kit, a camera cleaner, bike jersey (my 6th jersey), bike gloves (my 3rd pair) and a Honda Civic EX emblem. Sayang pero nag enjoy ako nung binili ko. Reality struck when we were paying the credit card bills.

MONEY SENSE

This month, we subscribed to2 magazines on impulse - Money Sense and Reader's Digest. For Money Sense, we just renewed our subscription. Early this month, I was wondering why they haven't sent the July-August issue and when I checked, I learned that my subscription has already ended. I sent an email to the publisher and this kind man in the person of Mr. Nonoy Torrijos called me and told me that my subscription had expired. He went to my office to give the July-Aug issue and collected almost P700 for the renewal. That's what I call personalized service.

READER'S DIGEST

When we were growing up, we had an RD subscription at home. We had a bookshelf filled to the brim with RD magazines. I used to read All in a day's work, Campus Comedy, Points to Ponder, Drama in Real Life and challenge myself in the vocabulary. I recently learned that my wife belongs to an RD family as well so it didn't take a lot of convincing for us to shell out almost P1600 for an annual subscription. It comes with an alarm clock and a chance to win a Volvo S40.

I wonder how much I'd be able to sell the Volvo S40 so I can get a BMW 320i, on impulse!

Retirement: 20 / 20 Rule

Finance gurus say that the retirement rule is 20 - 20. This means that 20 years before your target retirement date, you should be saving for THE DAY.
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TARGET DATE
My target age for retirement is 55 years old and that's 19 years from now. We've started saving last year and have various "small" sources. Most are forced savings therefore we can't touch them until a certain period. By the time I retire, the kids would have graduated from college and would be on their own. My last day at work should be December 31, 2027.
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TARGET AMOUNT
When I was in college, during my finaman or financial management subject, I computed that I need P10 million to retire comfortably. I guess I made a mistake in computing as I didn't foresee that inflation would hit 14%. Besides, back then, I didn't give a hoot about inflation. Inflation for me then was a term used to fix a basketball that needed some air. :) My new target is to have P40 million in liquid assets or a monthly income of P200 thousand from various sources by 2027.
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It's a huge amount indeed and I actually haven't even scratched the surface. Add to that is the fact that our family is just starting so there are tons of bills to pay, insurance, children's education, the list goes on. Will I meet the goal? Only time can tell.

Arriva Avida!

Avida Land is making headway with their Makati West project. Located between Yakal and Mayapis street and covering one block, tower one's foundation is complete and they've already started with the ground floor.
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When we purchased our units via pre-selling mid last year, we were told that the 300 something unit tower one is 70% sold out. It was initially offered to Ayala Corp employees. Lucky them! We got a 10th floor unit with a Manila Bay view. It was not an ideal floor for us (currently living on the 18th floor of a condo in Salcedo Village) but what we got is acceptable.
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Our loan in BPI should kick in this month. Seems like they're a bit delayed. Not sure if it's the sales agent's fault or the bank. How much does this delay cost? I was recently told that the annual interest increased from 10.99% to 11.75%. Somebody didn't do their job properly and we were charged additional 0.76%. Only in the Philippines. And the messenger of the bad news even had the gall to lecture me about inflation reason why the interest went up. Anyway, I knew that the situation was similar to a hostage taking (since Avida Land and BPI both belong to the Ayala Corp) and there was no recourse but to pay the ransom.
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The turnover is Y2010. That's 2 full years from now. We're excited to move to our own home. As for now, home sweet home will be at a rented condo in Salcedo Village.

Will this be my next UV project?

Last Sunday on the way to the farm, I chanced upon an 80s Toyota Mini Cruiser at a vehicle lot. It's called a mini cruiser because it's big brother is the mighty late 70s Toyota Land Cruiser (first generation). Based on my assessment, the vehicle used to be a Philippine Army service vehicle hence that the utility vehicle (UV) is used is an understatement.

My novice analysis on cars tells me that I'll be spending in the the neighborhood of P70,000 to make the vehicle serviceable. Here's the list of possible expenses:
1. New Toyota 12R engine = P15,000
2. New set of all terrain tires = P15,000
3. Body works & painting = P15,000
4. Seat upholstery & canvas top = P 6,000
5. Registration = P 6,000
6. Miscellaneous expenses = P10,000
TOTAL EXPENSES = P67,000

I called the owner through his celfone and he said he'd sell the junk jeep to me for P50,000. Therefore the project would cost about P120,000 without airconditioning and unforeseen expenses which only a real mechanic can tell. I therefore conclude that it is not a wise project. A better option would be to get a 90s Suzuki Samurai or a 90s Mitsubishi Pajero which would cost in the neighborhood of P130,000.

Meet Tatang Carlos

Carlos Bautista is a second generation farmer in Barangay Balanti. He and his children plant corn, tomato, eggplant and other vegetables in our farm. Our landowner-tenant relationship started more than 5 years ago. I like our relationship because his accounting of income and expenses, though not scientific, is clear and accurate. He values integrity and one of the few tenants who takes care of the expenses. Normally, the landowner pays in advance the expenses - seeds and fertilizer.

Today, he told me that he's going to retire from farming and endorsed his children - Dado, Dhod and Nick to deal with the family. I just hope that the children are as trust worthy as the old man. Tatang Carlos turned 73 years old this year.

Meet Cong Cenon

Cenon Mendiola is a 61 year old male from Barangay Balanti, Tarlac City. He is happily married with 12 children (or more) and 36 grand children. He is a boatman in Brgy. Tibag which is an adjacent barangay from where he lives. Everyday, he ferries people across a 400 meter wide river and the passengers pay P5 per person. His boat can carry up to 6 passengers and the ride will take about 2 minutes. On a good day he earns P200 but on the average only earns P100.

I've known him since my teenage years because he used to drive our jeep and does alot of errands for my parents. He together with his ka-barrio attended my father's wake in May. Everytime I see him, I'd give him pang merienda as advised by my father. Last Sunday, I gave him more than pang merienda so he'd have a hearty meal with his family that day. I told him not to use the money to buy alcohol to which he obliged. He told me that my old man knows him better than I do because he doesn't drink.

This is my small way of giving back to the less fortunate. The next time I see him, I'll give him pang merienda and some clothes.

FN: Cong is a Kapampangan word for an older brother. It is used as a sign of respect.

Death Becomes Him

Everybody is saying how year 2008 is a very lucky year. Olympics opened 8-8-08 and in the Chinese way of life, eight is a lucky number. Months in advance, event sites are booked because everybody wants a piece of triple 8.

While there are four and a half months before the lucky year 2008 ends and a lot of things may still happen, I've already concluded that it is a sad year for me. The untimely demise of my father due to a natural cause is a big blow to a closely knit family like ours. We relatively live a simple life, just enough monetary resource but overwhelming with love. I pray that the love strengthens with the loss of a pillar.

Long Time No Post

It's been almost 2 weeks since I last posted an entry in my blog. I'm at a challenging phase in my life were I have to sacrifice certain things that I enjoy doing for a greater good or at least that's how I view it. Mountain biking has to take a back seat. My blog entry is suffering in consistency. Web surfing is limited and no time to practice taking my precious pictures. Practically all my sources of anti stress are taking a breather. As a result, the stress level is at an all time high. Admittedly, I am outside my comfy zone right now and just surviving on a day-to-day basis. I hope months down the road, I can look back at this day at this blog entry and say that - I SURVIVED!!!

Addicted to Cars!

As the song goes "Might as well admit it, I'm addicted to love." In my case, I admit that I'm addicted to cars. Imagine going to Singapore, walk for 10 mins. from the hotel to the train station, travel 5 stops, walk almost 1 kilometer just to see Honda Cars in Alexandra Road. That was one lang walk under the heat of the sun. I did all of that this year to check out this mags...

In His Time

In His time (2x)

He makes all things beautiful;

In His time.

Lord, please show me every day

As You're teaching me Your way,

That You do just what You say;

In Your time.

(In Your time;) (2x)
You make all things beautiful;
In Your time.
Lord, my life to You I bring
May each song I have to sing,
Be to You a lovely thing;
In Your time

Bridge Over Troubled Water

When you're weary, feelin' small
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all.
I'm on your side, Oh, when times get rough
And friends just can't be found.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
When you're down and out, when you're on the street
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you.
I'll take your part, Oh when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will lay me down.
Sail on children, sail on by
Your time has come to shine, all their dreams are on their way
See how they shine, Oh when you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled waters
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled waters,
I will ease your mind.I'll ease your mind.

2012 SMT Car Plan?

Our 2007 Honda CRV is celebrating her first year anniversary this month. Being a true blue car buff, days after getting our first real SUV, I've been dreaming what car to get next. My next car pla is scheduled in 2012 and I'd be 40 years old by then. They say that life begins at 40 so what ride should I get while I approach mid life?

By 2012, the plan is to keep the Vee ('07 Honda CRV), sell the '02 H. Civic and get a new vehicle. Currently, there are 4 candidates:

(1) Toyota RAV 4. I like the design of the 1st gen and the 2nd gen cute-ute. The 3rd gen looks like a very slight modification of the 2nd gen hence it didn't appeal to me that much. Add to that is the fact that the base model cost P1,4M which was out of our budget and was not worth it. But it bears a Toyota badge and it's always worth considering.

(2) Toyota Prius. One of my life targets is to THINK GREEN and one big way is to get a hybrid car. In a nutshell, a hybrid car uses 2 engines, a gasoline and an electric motor. From 0 to 45 kph, it uses the electric motor and any speed over that uses the gas engine. Currently, the 1st gen Prius retails at P1,7M and grapevine talks say that it might be reduced to P1,3M once an environment act is passed into law.

(3) Honda CRV. Not again! That we're driving 2 Hondas is just a coincidence, it is not by design. To drive another one in 2012 is just loyalty to the max. Then again, if the price is right and Honda offers a 4th gen CRV which has a hybrid engine priced at P1,3M, we would go for it.

(4) Subaru Forester. This is an odd choice. The choice is: do you want to be a face in the crowd or do you want to deviate? In 2007, we choose the former. The 2nd gen Forester was an option in 2007 but a 3rd one. I like the design of this cute-ute but the timing is just not right. They introduced the 3rd gen just this year so by 2012, the body & chassis will be practically the same.

I have a full 4 years to assess. A lot of things might change, for better or for worse, hopefully for better. At any rate, there's no charge for dreaming.

Would you like a Cherry Tiggo?

Would you like a Cherry Tiggo? The car sounds like an upsell by a McDonald's crew. It looks like a rebirth of a 2nd generation Toyota RAV 4. The engine sounds like a 1.6 liter sedan undergoing extreme punishment.

Chinese Invasion

This pretty much sums up my comments on the 2008 Cherry Tiggo. Cherry is a Chinese car manufacturer who recently set up a distributor in the Philippines. They're pretty aggressive - a sales outlet in Tarlac City at a prime location, sales blitzes in metro manila malls. They really mean business and their message is that they want to slug it out with the big boys.

Cheapest SUV
Priced at under P800,000 I'd say it is the cheapest SUV in the market. At under a million, you get dual airbags, anti lock braking system, roll bars and a 1.6 liter engine! Well you can't have everthing. Another model, QQ is the cheapest hatchback in the market. In the early 90s Kia Pride CD5 was introduced at around P350th. Fast forward to almost 2 decades, the Cherry QQ is offered at P318th. It goes without saying that the company's differentiator is the price.

So would I get a Cherry Tiggo? It depends, if it is given for free or at least sold with a 50% discount, I'll definitely grab the offer.

One Seventy in my Vee!

We tested the all new Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway last Saturday Dau, Pampanga to Luisita, Tarlac leg. That portion opened midnight of July 25. On the way, there were only 3 cars northbound hence ideal for high speed driving.

The car of choice that weekend was our '07 CRV which will be celebrating it's 1st birthday in 3 weeks time. Our Vee is equipped with a 2.0 liter gasoline engine producing 150 horsepower. The speedometer allots 220 kilometer per hour but my target then was just to bring it to 180 kph. The speed rush in me pushed the vehicle to 170 kph. I could have brought it up to 180 kph but I remembered my Papa's advice - speed drive only when alone and don't do it with your family.

Drive safely.

Our Ayala Museum Adventure

July 19, 2008 - The plan this weekend was to see the National Museum in Manila. It was not meant to be as we learned that the museum is undergoing renovation. The back up plan was to go to Ayala Museum which was just 5 minutes from our place. Funny, we've been living in Makati for the past 4 years but we haven't seen the "new" museum. One of the perks of being a Makati resident is a big discount in museum entrances. We only had to pay P150 for adults and P75 for children. Museums in the Phils are relatively cheap as museums abroad cost in the neighborhood of P500 to P1000.

T'was my second time to see Ayala Museum. The last time was over 2 decades ago during a school field trip in my elementary days. While the building is new, the location and the concept are the same. It's located at the corner of Dela Rosa St. and Makati Ave. The concept - dioramas depicting the history of the Philippines, miniature galleons and paintings from famous Filipinos.

The difference lies withe the company - my wife, my 10 year old son and my 4 year old daughter. My wife was amazed, it was learning filled for my son and my daughter saw it as space freedom (compared to our 65 sq.m. condo). In all, it was mega bonding time for the four of us.

Not Short on Leadership

Carlos P. Romulo - 5'1"
Jose P. Rizal - 5'2"
Emilio Aguinaldo - 5'3"
Andres Bonifacio - 5'4"

Philippine history declares that in the late 19th century to the early 20th century, these were the people that we look up to. These people fought eye to eye with towering Spaniards, Brits and Americans who stood at 5'10".

This is what I learned or relearned during our 2 hour field trip with my family in Ayala Museum last Saturday.

Budget Four Wheel Drive

We are based in Central Business District, Makati City. Sounds cool, huh? Well, not entirely true! For a simple provincial lad like me, the magnet of a cosmopolitan city is not that strong. I'm only here for thefinancial benefits, the future of my children and preparation for retirement.

As soon as I retire from the hustle and bustle of the corporate world, the first thing I'm going to do is get myself a four wheel drive vehicle. ATV? UV (pick up)? SUV? The acronym doesn't matter as long as all four wheels engage on demand.

If retirement were today, budget would be in the range of P150,000 to P200,000. For that budget, candidates would be early 90s Suzuki Samurai SJ10 or early 90s Mitsubishi Pajero 1st gen. It's just a utility vehicle, just needs to get the job done, no flares, no fanfare. My ideal set up includes- clean (red) paint, stock all terrain tires, decent sound system, cool air conditioning and well maintained.

And where will I use it? The most logical answer would be an agricultural farm. The family currently has agri farms in Tarlac City and Bamban, Tarlac. I also dream of purchasing my own farm in Tarlac. It should be an integrated farm with a lake or a pond, rice pods, corn field, some eggplants and tomato and lots of trees, preferrably mango so they would be income earning.

So when is retirement? It's 20 years from now when our children have graduated from college and should be working by that time.

Bisita Iglesia, SG

When I was a newbie manager handling Central Luzon region, one of my religious commitments was to visit a town's cathedral and say a little pray. I did that consistently while assigned in Central Luzon and continued the commitment when I handled South Luzon region.

I am now based in Metro Manila handling a newly formed group. Recently, the company sent me to SG to attend a telco convention and I just had to continue my pledge and visited St. Andrew's Cathedral.

That visit felt good.

Happy Father's Day

Hi Papa,

I was in SG during the 3rd week of June, just a week after Father's day. This adage used as a window ad in Suntec City Mall caught my attention. It reads "My father taught me about life not with words but by how he lived his."

I wish I could say Happy Father's Day directly to you but I know you're in another universe right now. I hope they have internet in heaven and that you're reading this web log. I read in your diary that you consistently read my blog entries.

I miss you and I love you. Happy Father's day!

Your son, DyLac