2BR Condo in Taguig, for sale, SOLD!

After using our 60sqm condo in Taguig for two years, we decided to put it on sale and move to the South.

Our condominium unit in Vista De Lago, Taguig is a 2BR, 60sqm, fully furnished and is located at the fourth floor. The condo is 5 minutes away from Fort Bonifacio and 15 minutes away from Ayala Avenue. This is perfect for newly-wed couples or start-up families who are looking for a secured, convenient and affordable primary home.

The unit is furnished with airconditioner, shower water heater, electric oven with exhaust hood, 8.5 cubic feet refrigerator, dining set, kitchen cabinet, queen size bed, single bed, ceiling fans and wardrobe. The unit also has a 6sqm drying area at the roof deck that doubles as a lockable stock room. Being at the fourth floor, it has a direct connection to the parking building so you can park and go directly to the unit without using the stairs.

We are selling the unit for 2.1M pesos, cash. Buyers can also opt the low interest (7 to 8%) amortization of the unit. For a minimum downpayment of Php 300,000 and 20 thousand a month for ten years, you can own this unit!

Thank you for viewing our Ad and we are happy to announce that this was successfully SOLD last January 20, 2009!

HOW CAN WE LESSEN CORRUPT FILIPINO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS?

I had the pleasure of going around the countryside the past few weeks and I have seen the difficulty of our countrymen in coping with the times. Children, thousands of them, are still begging on the street. Roads are flooded, thousands homeless from the recent typhoons. Millions are still living in "squatters area", deprived of so many things.

And that's amidst the hundred of billions worth of corrupted government money. NBN-ZTE, CYber-Ed, Northrail, name it. Check all our foreign loans, I am 100% sure that they are all scammed. Make sure you include all China funded loans.

If 30 to 40% of the government money goes to corruption, isn't that enough to make you and your family's lives easier? Wouldn't it provide free, quality medical care or international standard of education?

We, Filipinos, deserve a better treatment from our government. Our government people have failed us.

Now, a crazy idea just came into my mind.

Corruption, specially stealing our taxpayer's money, results to failure of providing basic government services such as quality healthcare and education.

Did you have a relative who died in sickness, unable to seek medication due to lack of money? Did our government provide help? I bet not. Who enjoyed the money that was due for his healthcare?

Millions of them died in vain while only a hundred enjoys our stolen taxmoney.

If we incarcerate, reduce or eliminate these government robbers, do we have more chance of getting better government services like healthcare? I prefer incarceration of these government officials. Killing them is not a solution but another problem.

It's not worth killing a government official, but it is worth seeing them suffer the difficulty that most of us experience in our daily lives. Let's see them languish in a stinky, rat-infested jail.

Mabuhay ka Pilipino, ang pinakamagiting at masipag na lahi sa mundo!

DTI and getting a business name

For the past two weeks, I have been trying to put up a business so that I don't have to go bazck working abroad. I though that all the knowledge I have acquired overseas can help me and my country from this slump of poverty.

Sorry to inform you but, it is really difficult getting a business started here in the Philippines. We went to DTI in Makati at around 1030AM and guess what the security told us, "come back tomorrow since we have already ran out of priority numbers." Apparently, DTI only gives out 100 priority cards and that's it for you, taxpayer. Go back. We decided to go back the following week at a much earlier time and guess what. no more priority numbers! DAMN LAZY DTI people! 1030am is too late for government transaction!

And by the way, the online business name registration sucks too. DTI reviews your application for 5 working days and once the name is rejected, it is impossible to get the online thing going.

I hope that DTI will earn back their grand stature by reviewing the way they serve us back.
(And I mean, all those sitting in their airconditioned DTI office.)

Who's your Obama?

All of a sudden, in spite of my tight construction schedule, I thought of our country’s politics. Maybe it was the 24 hours lingering coverage of the DNC (Democratic National Convention and Bill O’Reilly face on Fox) that made me reminisce of the pathetic political scenario back home.

I was wondering who could be Obama, Hillary or John McCain in the Philippines. I’ll start with my key personal impression of these figures and I’ll try to link some local figures who might just be up for comparison.

Barack Obama- Democrat, challenging, young, rose from the ranks, difficult childhood, successful, risky, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, good speaker, intelligent, humorous, family man, inexperienced, leader

Hillary Clinton – Democrat, feminist champion, ex-first lady, white, ambitious, strong wife, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, intellectual, famous, fighter

John McCain – Republican, veteran, war hero, old senator, experienced, conventional, pro-life, optimistic, patient, sound ideas

I wanted to pitch in Miriam Defensor Santiago as the local Hillary for their common feminist approach to things. They are both intellectuals with strong personalities but both also failed to make it to as president. Their images as strong wives overshadow their husbands’ achievements. If Edsel Lagman was a woman, I could probably put him as Hillary due to his stand in abortion and life issues.

John McCain can be seen in the eyes of Fidel V. Ramos. Decorated soldier, experienced leader. John McCain has been questioned for his ties with big defense industry players that compares with Ramos’ ties to the independent power producers and landfill companies (AMARA). Former General Renato De Villa would certainly come in next due to the resemblance of his conventional wisdom to that of McCain.

The most difficult part is looking for an Obama figure. Honestly, I can’t find a guy so straight and transparent in our political scene. I wanted to mention Mar Roxas or Chiz Escudero due to their young political career, but I think they failed to make an impression as a person who started with nothing to make it big in politics. They also fall short in comparison to Obama’s steadfast resolve amidst issues thrown at him (Jeremiah Wright, Muslim descent, etc)

I like the idea of change and fresh new ideas, away from the conventional white ideas of America but I am just afraid that the only thing that is pushing me away from Obama is his stand on life issues: abortion and gay marriage. Both issues do not support life. (Do you think if Obama was on the conservative Republican side, would he have a bigger chance for the presidency?)

So, who’s your Obama?

A Husband's Confession

Falling in love the second time

Love has struck me once again and it happened nearly two years ago, when I first laid my eyes on her. This time, love was easier to understand and deeper to really take pleasure from each moment it fills me. Skies were bluer, home is sweeter and days were simply better. That’s the time when I fell in love, the second time. (By the way, I was married 3 years ago.)

She was in a deep slumber and she didn’t even know that I was watching her from a distance. I was confined on the other side of the wall, just enjoying every minute watching every twitch and expression on her face. She carried my lifetime aspirations, a fulfillment I can never find somewhere else. She took my breath away. It was such a feeling I will never forget.

I showed my deepest affection without getting any hint if she feels the same way. You can imagine how much joy when I held her in my arms and electricity just seemed to spark everywhere, engulfing me with unfathomable bliss. She never said a word, but I know I love her with all my heart, more than anything in this world.

I just couldn’t tell my wife, Rhea, how this person has displaced her in my heart. But I would say, that they both filled it with so much love that the only way to enjoy it more is to share it with family and friends. I know that time will come that Rhea will share with her a portion of my devotion but I am glad that Rhea felt the same thing.

Rhea, my ever beautiful wife, showed me how love was five years ago across a conference room table. She returned my gaze and everything else was history. I fell in love for the first time and i'm still enoying it up to this day.

Now as I devote my heart to another person who is so fragile and seemingly filled with happiness, I ask myself. Am I ready to take on this love?

For the second time in my life, I fell in love, with Raine, my first born daughter.

Best Online Shops

Best Online Shops - A personal experience

I have been shopping online for the past five years and I really enjoy the thrill of getting bargains on the web. After all, the main reason why these stores save you a lot of money is that they don’t have overhead for displaying their goods in a physical store. I guess the only drawback from online shopping is that you have to do a lot of checking (specifications, color, sizes, etc.) to ensure that you get what you really want.

Major items I’ve bought online so far:

Items Bought	Online Store	Savings, US$	Comments
Acer Laptop	www.tigerdirect.com	200	great bargains every day
Ipod Touch, 8GB	www.jr.com	50	fast, reliable service; 5 star rating
Canon Rebel 400D SLR	www.jr.com	250	My personal favorite; 5 star rating
TaylorMade Golf Driver	www.tgw.com	149	authentic products, reliable reviews
Sunglasses	www.sierratradingpost.com	100	wide selection
Apparel	www.jcpenney.com	80	quality products, low prices
Toys and Books	www.amazon.com	120	mother of online shopping sites
Golf accessories	www.golfballs.com	50	limited products but personalized
Nike Shoes	www.eastbay.com	30	thousands of shoes to choose from
Website services	www.planetdomain.com	49	fast, secure transaction

I also rely heavily on third party review sites like Bizrate, Epinion and Cnet for technical information. These sites have helped me avoid loopholes in buying certain products that turn out to be a dud. J&R.com, my personal favorite, includes product reviews. They would even ask you to submit your own review with the items you bought.

Lately, I am trying to order some SLR gear from www.bhphotovideo.com. This is the site where professional photographers and enthusiasts buy their gear. Their professional photographer staff actually offer a lot of technical insight before you buy something. That’s rare for a commercial store.

I still shy away from eBay though I already tried buying a book from one of its online sellers but I haven’t received it yet as of this writing. My boss, a good friend of mine, actually transacted on eBay with lots of ease. He said that the secret in eBay transactions is to understand how the system works. I guess, I’m still far from discerning that process.

By the way, I have used the local www.bidshot.com and www.buyandsellplus.com when I was still selling original DVDs online. I recommend you check them out.

Payable on Death (POD Experience)

Metallica, Gun ‘n Roses, Warrant, Nuclear Assault, Sepultura, Skid Row, Nirvana, Anthrax, Motley Crue, Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Slayer, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam.

These are the names and images that filled the walls of my room from 1990 to 1998. I had giant posters of these bands: long haired, tight leather pants, tattoos, tongues out, black nail polish and of course, the symbols of sex, drugs and rock and roll. My brother and I always saved a portion of our allowance to buy records and posters. It was our bond, a common thing that got us through high school and college.

I played guitar and just like any rocker-wannabe, I played rock songs over a bottle of Red Horse beer and drunk board mates. I never sported long hair and only grew it a little I was in my 4th year, way beyond the ROTC days. But the height of that metalhead life didn’t really come until 2002.

Feb 2002 – I was managing the tent venue, Le Pavillon in Metropolitan Park, Pasay City when the Leasing Manager informed me that POD (Payable on Death) going to have a concert in Manila. And guess where? Right there in Le Pav!

I got hundreds of phone calls from friends, friends of friends and anonymous people asking for access to the concert. Tickets were only available to the first few thousand buyers of POD’s CD. It sold like hotcakes. But it also left more people finding ways to get to the concert.

Le Pav is a metal truss and tent venue. The place was designed to take in about 2000-2500 standing pax audience. That night, the venue was stormed by roughly 8,000-10,000 POD fans and groupies. There were 100 armed policemen and around 30 well-built bouncers that were commissioned to control the concert.

At 6pm, it was already difficult walking through the perimeter of the venue. I was concerned that somebody would rip the tent just to get inside. I called the attention of all the security guards to make sure that the perimeter remains intact, free from breach. Inside, the atmosphere was foggy. It was like breathing from a bottle filled with cigarette smoke and zero ventilation. 5,000 people were already inside the venue, twice the designed capacity.

When the speakers boomed and introduced the band led by the dreadlocked Sonny. A loud crash came from the main glass door. The main glass doors were already breached that left a few guys cut by the shards. Ladies were crammed unto the unforgiving concrete walls of the lobby. Rock fans were actually crying. There was a stampede!

The bouncers and security people tried their best but people just squeezed themselves into the cramped venue. It was like the scene on a Tokyo subway train where people just force themselves into small entry doors.

The band didn’t disappoint. The banner song “Youth of the Nation” rocked the whole place and people just started to jump in unison. Picture perfect The galvanized trusses are only supported by pins at the bottom. Putting weight into these truss supports could make the whole place collapse!

I was 26 years old, just barely a few months into this job and here I was in front of a big mob. By the way, I am an engineer and managing a mob was never discussed in school. I knew I have to do something. I forced myself to the backstage area with the help of the bouncers.

At the backstage I was able to find the band manager. He was a jolly guy but he also shared my concern about people getting hurt if the trusses remain breached. After a minute of discussion, we decided to stop the concert. I went onstage, and the place was pin drop quiet. I talked to Sonny, the lead singer, and explained the danger of having a hundred people on the truss supports. He agreed and gave me the extra microphone.

“The concert will not go on until you guys get down from those trusses!” My voice echoed through the venue. I repeated my plea as bottles of water flew to the direction of the guys hanging on to the trusses. The crowd was with me!

When the last guy was down on the floor, Sonny came to my side, gave me a big hug of relief and I announced, “Thank you. Let’s rock the night!” The place just boomed into jubilation as the drums rolled and Sonny took center stage.

As I headed back into my office back stage, my heart rate was still on the high hundreds. But I also felt better and did not mind the damp smoky air.

That was rock life at its best.

Image is courtesy of http://www.justin.tv/. Download POD's newest single @ http://www.payableondeath.com/ecard/.

A Snapshot on Housebuilding

By Rynor G. Jamandre

If you are a person who would find fulfillment in designing your own place, then the do-it-yourself approach would fit you. Doing things on your own brings in more pride in what you have accomplished but has also a share of the difficulties. I would leave the DIY (do-it-yourself) approach to persons who actually have ideas and experience in doing construction / renovation works.

However, if you believe that hiring someone to do the plans and actual work will give you better results, then the discussion below is perfect for you. Construction, no matter how small like renovation, is a tedious and worrisome process. But take a breather, it’s not that hard at all if you know the basics.

I'll break down the whole process in 5 stages: Conceptualization, Planning: Goals vs Finances , Outsourcing for design services, Procurement of construction services and finally, Construction and Acceptance of Works.

CONCEPTUALIZATION

Conceptualization is the first step in planning a home renovation. Basically, you draw a picture of what you want to achieve. This may come in better ambient lighting or installing a granite wine bar near your dining room or simply repainting your exterior walls with stucco. Every home renovator or builder would differ in their ideas and it would range from a few thousand pesos of work to millions, depending on how big your ideas are.

In doing the concept, list down or if you can, draw your ideas. This ideas will be critical for the designer, contractor and suppliers to understand what you intend to do. The bottom line is, start sketching your ideas.


PLANNING

Planning a renovation is probably the most critical stage since it requires proper attention to details. Planning is indispensable to a successful and hassle free home renovation works. It is like a road map showing your stops and turns from point A to point B, that is from concept to an actual new home look.

I'll try to discuss planning in a checklist and table approach so that you can actually print it out and do the planning on your own. At this point, you might want to ask youself if you need someone's opinion, expert advise or tips. If you think you can't do it on your own, try asking a friend who's into architecture, engineering or design.

What do you want to do?

- From your concept, try putting out a few schemes. Prepare several options. List down the works that you wanted to be done. If it's a major house renovation, I suggest that you get an architect or an interior designer to do the plans for you. The purpose of hiring these professionals is to get the best interpretation of what you want and reflected in actual plans and drawings.

BahayDirect tips: in hiring professional designers / consultants: always ask for referrals from friends or refer to our directory of able and competent individuals. (click here)

- With each scheme, try to experiment on new materials that will not be easily out of fashion. A brightly colored tile in the market might be rendered obsolete after a few years. Newer and sometimes more expensive materials, offer new and better material properties that you could enjoy for along time.

- Get an idea how much it will cost. An engineer or architect can help you with this. This exercise will ensure that you will have a grasp of the project's effect on your present finances.

- Next, stick to the scheme. If you hired a designer to do the plans, ask him to provide the details and if possible, specifications. These documents will be the basis or reference of the contractor's quote on your renovation project.

- Ask your designer to prepare two more important documents: the project schedule and the cost estimate. The project schedule will help you decide whether to have the renovation done in one blast or have it done in phases. As for the cost estimate, it will help you plan your expenses.

BahayDirect tips: Trust but verify. Show plans and cost estimates to family and close friends for their comments and inputs.

OUTSOURCING FOR DESIGN SERVICES

Choosing the right person or company to do the design will be critical in getting your ideas into a concrete set of drawings and plans. The designer should be able to lend their technical expertise to meet your needs. This may vary from a simple sketch of a furniture lay-out or even a 3-dimensional presentation of your envisioned living room.

For a short list of these designers, please visit our local directory listing. (Click here)

PROCUREMENT OF CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

Now that you have a complete set of plans and specifications, you are now ready to bid out your own project. But wait, be sure that you have listed the works that have to be done. This will be important for the contractor to establish their contractual scope of work.

Prepare a shortlist of contractors and set an appointment with them.

Bahaydirect tips: Don’t forget to get referral from friends who have done similar renovations in the past or get recommendations from known professionals. You can also visit our directory list for credible contractors who can join your project.

Contractors would usually ask you several questions and be sure that you give them the same information so that you can have a better comparison of their proposals. Listed below are the common queries.

Are we allowed to tap from your existing water and electrical outlets?
Are the workers allowed to stay in the compound / vicinity during the time of construction?
Shall we include cost of permits such as barangay, building, renovation and occupancy permit?
What is your time frame for this project?

It would always be appropriate that you get proposals from at least 3 contractors so that you can gain negotiating leverage and a better perspective of the cost comparison. Ask your engineer to check the completeness of the proposals and get his recommendation.

Prepare a contract acceptable to you and to the contractor. Indicate the start and completion dates with a clause for penalty if they incur delays.


CONSTRUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF WORKS

Your contractor has already started the actual works and is asking you for approvals of sample materials. It is a common practice to have the materials such as floor tiles and paint colors be submitted by the contractor to you for approval. Your designer should be able to help you on this.

If possible, always schedule an on-site visit to monitor and observe the works being carried out. At this point, if you are not happy with the workmanship, you can call the attention of the contractor. The contractor should be able to rectify the workmanship issues so that the resulting works will be acceptable to you.

Please take note that any changes that you made from the original plans may have effect on both the cost and scheduled completion of your project. Always consult your contractor and your designer to eliminate such constraints. One example of this is when the approved floor tiles have already been installed and you found it unpleasant. Such changes will be on your account.

During the completion of your house renovation / construction project, the contractor will ask you to sign the acceptance papers. Depending on your agreement, the warranty of one year on construction defects will start upon acceptance of the completed works.

Bahaydirect.com tips: for new house construction, you might need to include the application of water and electrical connection in your contract with the contractor.

This blog is also featured in my website www.bahaydirect.com