When the netcafe originally started it was based on the idea of being a simple chat hotspot for people being able to contact people overseas. It quickly became more of a haunt for gaming enthusiasts and now has more kid users than anyone else. They come in all shapes and sizes and different levels of wealth but have yet to see any of them argue or dispute anything at worst they laugh and joke about things they are doing or watching online. With the current Fiesta some of the kids have also been practicing dance moves and performing on stage at night.

Its more a bit of local fun than anything else but all the kids in the area are taking it very serious for the Fiesta. Maybe seeing it as an opportunity to be discovered or just to win the competitions. Either way a lot of kids have been spending a lot of time practicing various dances and sorting out remix CD’s for the performances. One of the Netcafe kids also got up and sang a mixed version of Lady GaGa songs.

What I enjoy about the singing and performing is the fact all the kids want to take part. There is a keen interest to participate and be a part of the Fiesta. I think its one of the major factors Filipinos have in life that make visiting the country always interesting as there is always something going on somewhere and people willing to get up and sing or dance..

Popularity: 48% [?]

There is a term you will here Expats use sometimes which is “Only in the Philippines” and its often just like a shrug of the shoulders nothing personal or against anything but just sometimes things just are the way they are thinking about it only resolves in a headache. Now before people start thinking I am against the Pageant its actually to do with the night that followed. Because the Pageant itself people took very seriously. If you were there and seen the other days you would notice that on the Pageant night extra lighting appeared with affects and also a few stage props. Fencing and a central area for seating for people who seemed to be relatives complete with tables. It was the fact that the pageant took place and the day after was a mock version of guys who are straight dressed in women’s clothes pretending to be gay. Only in the Philippines is something like that likely to happen I think its the fact that generally people here are so laid back that its acceptable nobody seemed offended by it and both nights gathered a fairly large crowd.

All in all the events were opposites of each other. The Pageant reminded me something like Miss world with a bit of comedy thrown in. The participants had obviously spent a lot of time and money on the clothes they wore. The swimwear was a bit more skimpy than I had expected but then again the competition between the contestants was pretty strong they all wanted to win. But along the way talking a bit about themselves several of the contestants came up with witty and funny speeches to the enjoyment of the crowd.

On a different level the guys who were dressing up as women pretending to be gay were all about comedy. Most seemed a bit worse for wear no doubt from alcohol and a lot of comical answers to questions which led to roars of laughter and cheering from the crowd.

Its good to see things being done from within the community. But also a bigger budget would make it better for all involved. Who knows maybe next year we will do some sort of assistance such as stage etc. I won’t promise anything this year as simply we don’t know where things will be financially next year yet.

Popularity: 56% [?]

As the apartment is heading into its final stages of completing we started concentrating on our businesses that need development. We started selling ice pops out of the internet snacks and now our neighbours are also starting to sell frozen drinks. Not a major problem but just a show of how quickly people adapt to ideas that work. We are also experiencing some competition from our main competitor internet cafe who is operating on the main road. Offering free swimming for so many hours. Good promo or are things getting desperate? only time will tell but from what feedback I got from one of the 7 (yes 7) netcafes in Upper Calajo-an the one on the main road is also asking the kids where they go to play on the internet and sending people to look at peoples setups. Now that doesn’t sound like a confident business but then again we also looked at the same unit they are in and decided it was cheaper long-term to build a building rather than pay the high rent as most of profit margin is wiped out by the cost of the location. You maybe thinking location location location.. well in most cases you could be right but the unit is too small compared to ours. Ok we don’t have the fastest internet or PC’s but we are the cheapest and can function on a lot less than the main competition because we have no debt or high rent. All in all we are here to stay and with the snacks and Sari-Sari expanding soon the business will remain viable and profitable.

I have been told by a lot of expats that its not viable to compete with Filipinos but like I say a lot its all about not NEEDING the business income at least initially. This will allow it to grow by itself the competition is irrelevant as simply they start trying to beat you and and offer crazy promo’s etc. but your here for the long haul just setup and let things develop around you. Customer service is something that is important and a lot of places lack. Prime example was Nutech my wife called ahead for items I needed and they said they had them all in stock. I arrive they have one out of the four and I ask when are they getting the next stock of the items “maybe a week or two”. Not I will call you as soon as I am aware sir.. not I will call and find out now sir.. just something I hear very often lately a very “I cant be bothered to find out sir”. Which is what they really meant. Doesn’t annoy me the way it used to simply because it happens so much you get used to it. But at the same time I am thankful because if I can provide that service that people will be surprised to receive because of not being used to it instantly going to win customers.

As you can see the apartment is coming along well and im looking forward to getting the next 3 projects out the way so we can do the Aquaponics and also an incubator due to Pap’s chickens laying eggs constantly. So those of you thinking I have it easy when I come home to the Philippines think again.. I have had probably a month of 1am finishes at the netcafe including a few 4-6am finishes, a bit of stress with the budgets on the apartments and cutting out some bad debt from another business. Not the life of someone who wants to sit still but anyone who knows me will pretty  much tell you its the way I like things to be… busy and constantly progressing.

Popularity: 34% [?]

There is one debate that every politician avoids like the plague. Because its more than likely to cause political suicide. The debate is fathers rights and how they are so displaced in today’s society.

I have watched TV documentaries discussing the class system and how it fits into society. All that seemed to be followed is the “benefit class” who are generally people who are unemployed,unemployable or got no interest in ever having a job. But what about the divide that has developed since the 60s as things started to mess with the education and political system that now has kids that struggle to read or write and little knowledge of their own country. What about the divide caused by women’s rights which have pretty much destroyed equality in society. There is a class that doesn’t grumble but gets on with life they are the “Bedsit class” which are the divorced males who have been swindled out of life with a bad divorce and a biast legal system. Hard working and living in a Studio apartment which really means a room with a sink in a shared house which normally has a mix of students and drug addicts as neighbours they are the forgotten in society. Working to pay their ex partners for “child maintenance” which in most cases see`s the woman not needing to work as the guy will pick up the tab. If he complains no doubt an arguement will develop and access to his children will be made difficult as its the easiest way to screw him over and force the last bits of money out of him. Welcome to the UK!

I have friends who live like the above and its one of the reasons I would never be part of that society anymore. Because lets face it what ex wants to see you happy? I was discussing the fact with a friend at work a few months ago where she had come from a bad split and found out her ex has a new girlfriend. The first concern was “how did the new girl look”. It was a positive feedback to find out the girl was ugly and my friend was happy. We then discussed what it was about the woman and the truth was no woman wants a successful and happy ex they want them to suffer. May sound a bit odd so would be nice for some comments on here to back it up..lol but I experienced the same myself, my ex became bitter knowing I am happy and had moved on and its the category of “bedsit class” are the ones that are stuck in limbo because of the crap divorce and no doubt got a lazy ex who is sitting on his money until the kids reach 16 and he can stop paying. At what point does a woman become disabled and unable to work? as soon as she gives birth or before that? Im not against all women btw I just seek equality. In any separation the “ABILITY” to work should be taken into account and deducted from the child maintenance as simply there are a lot of “part-time” and full-time jobs out there that the parasite women could do and actually be a benefit to society. I am well aware there are women who do work and bring up kids on their own. Some of them struggle to get payments and may not even know where theyre ex is. But I am not talking about those women I am talking about the ones who stop these guys moving on in life. They are bled to death by allowance payments and for what? a Saturday morning with his kids?

Personally I looked at some of my friends lives and couldn’t see me living like that I would rather put a noose round my neck. Its an acceptance of loss to a society who doesn’t want you but wants your money, to an ex that keeps you on tight reigns. To hell with that if you haven’t ventured into Asia before book your holiday this year and if you want to come to Cebu I will help you organise your trip.

If this seems a bit off topic today its simply because I am having one of those days where things are niggling at me from the UK. Nothing to make me mad but just frustration. But its also a frustration I know many others have. But the choice is you can be miserable in a bed-sit until you get old and somebody smells that stale odour from under your door that can only be described as a body left rotting for a few weeks. Or you can come to Asia and seek out a new life. It isn’t easy but your life in the UK isn’t either difference is here you have sunshine and if you can secure a small pension you can live month to month without being overstretched financially. Also the ability to hop back to the UK for a few months a year to top up the finances keeps you ahead of the game.

The hard bit is not seeing your kids and its something very familiar to a lot of expats. Most I have met have been robbed blind in divorce and pretty much lost everything they own all here for the same reason a better life and a better future. I know what I would prefer my daughter Nicole seeing a father who has achieved and secured her future than a father that sits in a bed-sit on his days off and just looking towards the weekends to see her. Life never throws fair cards and many decisions are hard. But the valuation is on how I can secure a future for my family (family being my daughters, wife, parents and in-laws). Difference I found here in the Philippines though is people want to help and develop.

Popularity: 63% [?]

A reoccurring comment keeps coming up a lot about a lot of things. From kids being taught composting and growing vegetables etc as kids but after they get older are either to lazy or not interested to do it themselves to people having no interest in working because remittances are coming from abroad so if these factors are true and to be honest from Expats I know who have a lot of problems with relatives because they have got used to riding the OFW and foreigner gravy train I think its fair to say in many cases it is that at the same time this is space for opportunity to make money. In expat circles you will hear that “Sari-Sari stores rarely make money”. Truth is they can only lose money by bad management and more being taken in house than is being sold. Filipinos by nature and culture love to eat which means selling daily food supplies there is a constant market that needs supplying. I have yet to meet anyone in the Philippines who does a monthly shop for example most people are buying something daily. This is also partly due to fund restrictions and living hand to mouth. But that is also a reason there is a market for “small ventures” as we are finding with our neighbours currently. There are people a few streets away selling rice by small bag quantities and due to the quantity of neighbours needing rice they are currently out stripping supply and are requesting that my in-laws start selling rice aswell. The reason this happens is that people don’t have the budget to be buying rice by the sack and buying daily supplies. The same is can be said about Chorizo a Philippines native cured sausage meat. The frozen food idea wasn’t originally something I had thought of as I had been busy with other projects but after a chat with a friend of mine Nathan who mentioned a few good ideas it made sense and currently this is the latest thing we have started doing. We are also looking to buy a freezer shortly for “Frozen” Chicken and other meats to supply the local demand that seems to be developing. We wont get rich from it that isn’t the point but its the collecting the coins from all these ventures that will turn a small income into a regular  development fund for other projects. We are also preparing before the Tilapia in the Aquaponics live chickens to sell locally for meat as there is a culture of “fresh meat” means alive as very few people have ways to store meat so the culture is to keep healthy kill it and eat it. So the chicken venture will be approached from two angles. So what is the point of doing all this if your picking up around P1+ per item sold? In reality you have people that either buy from us or will be having to pay P12 to ride to the market and back. If they are living hand to mouth that P12 is a big saving if having to buy every day or every couple of days as they earn money. In reality we are making a bit of money at the same time as saving them. Even if we buy retail from the market and sold it with a P1 increase on each product. I know some of my friends will be laughing at the fact I am dealing in such small amounts but its the ability to budget into such small amounts that will allow things to grow. People often in the Philippines as “Retirees” end up living a life more inline with the poorer members of society simply because they haven’t done anything while here to stabilise their income for the future. The pension is unlikely to grow but the cost of living will without a doubt. When I first came to Cebu the average salary was around P250 a day that was just over two years ago with an exchange rate of P96 to the £1 now the rate is P350 (average) and an exchange rate of P76 to the £ which is just below the 20% mark and on top of that food prices have increased. If a retiree budgets ahead then suddenly gets sick it can pretty much wipe out the pension completely. You may not think it will happen to you but its always best to prepare for the worst to keep ahead of the game.

I got in a dispute with someone a while back over pigs as he had told me I don’t know what I am talking about as there is little money in pigs. Truth is like he admitted himself he “made a profit” as well on his. But its the cost of the setup as we are generally too quick to assume we are going to make XYZ in the first year. But the fact of the matter is that year one is the learning curve, year one is the year where you spend money until if everything is setup, year one is where things break,don’t work or find you are being over charged for things. In reality if you make money in YEAR ONE your doing well. Now we ran 2 batches over about 8 months we made a profit on both batches but stopped. Why? Because the profit margin as a “Piggery” wasn’t viable because we had a small stock of 30 pigs and I wanted to generate enough income to Support my wife April and Daughter Zoei as well as create a stable income for my parents in law as Aprils mother used to work miles away making clothing and would be out of the house for at least 10 hours a day for a small salary. This is why I gave up the piggery at the time it didn’t pay enough for 4 people to be supported. So when the last batch sold we had around P57,000 so we took it and put it into another business which is now our biggest income I won’t go into too much detail but it does support 6 people and has allowed us to fill in a budget shortage on the first apartments construction after the Net cafe delays and an unexpected extra P80,000 (more than half of the budget for Apartment 1). But the other thing is like I said its all about the coins. The net cafe is now fully functional and the income already covers its own bills and a small salary for Jovie but it will grow. The first apartment is also in its final stages of construction before the fitting out starts and the Sari-Sari store is in its early stages but will quickly grow. The one important factor that makes a difference is not stretching the businesses as the early stages are important to its survival and prosperity. We are all living off the one main business at the moment and allowing the smaller ones to move forward in the next couple of months I expect that we already own a couple of freezers, stocks of frozen food and livestock for sale. We wont be doing anything fancy with the live chicken mind as they will be supplied by the egg producers who need to clear out the barns ready for new stock. Basically we will be buying in bulk for quick turnaround rather than fattening them on expensive animal feeds and before someone comments on the meat difference between “free range” etc. these chickens already sell well which is why we are doing it. Once the stocks are selling the next stage is getting apartment 2 completed before December. The end result will be steady incomes from multiple enterprises. But at the same time not absorbing too much time to stop us progressing with new ones. Aprils mum already has an idea for a new venture which was joked about tonight. Not because the idea was funny but April and Jovie are more concerned about what we have right now as simply our man power and budget is split in so many directions its time to pull in the reigns and sit for a while. Same reason I have stopped going out recently to keep our budget down as the net cafe hammered us a bit on top of the bad debts we received. Bit of a reality to check but now the wheels have started to slowly turn again we are all going in the right direction and no doubt will see the rewards by the end of the year in time for the Christmas party..

Popularity: 74% [?]

I have been investing money into Kiva.org while I was in the UK from money I was getting in my PayPal account from various things that I do and I wasn’t in a rush to receive the money. Kiva you can add money and lend to Entrepreneurs in developing parts of the world to help them get a lift up. You lend them money at 0% interest which I have no problem with as its pretty much as good as any UK bank will give me interest on savings. So all was fine until I noticed that there is some small print that I clicked on by accident that “Self-sustainability is critical to creating long-term solutions to poverty, and charging interest to entrepreneurs is necessary for microfinance institutions to achieve this. Our Field Partners are free to charge interest, but Kiva will not partner with an organization that charges exorbitant interest rates. We also require Field Partners to fully disclose their interest rates. You can find more information about the interest rates that Kiva’s field partners charge on our Field Partner pages: http://www.kiva.org/about/partners”.

So I started to look at “Kiva`s business partners” that I had loans out on and the rates they charge :-

Alalay sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI) average interest = 50%

Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI), part of VisionFund International = 34%

Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Inc. (NWTF) = 34%

Ahon sa Hirap, Inc. (ASHI) = 47%

Paglaum Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC) = 48%

The majority being above 40% interest wouldn’t you love that on your bank account? Also bearing in mind a lot of the loans are several months I think my longest is 14 months so it would see at least 40% interest on my money.

Why I am I complaining? Because its not “CHARITY” this is business and I am tired of people hiding under the umbrella of a charity organisation. This is 100% business these people are money lenders not some people with a divine purpose in life which is what they try to hide behind. Money lending is part of life here in the Philippines and a daily part of ours. The thing about financing in the Philippines is the general public those who are the ones who need access most pretty much cant borrow money from banks as they have nothing the banks need. So getting credit is expensive because you can only really get it from the money lenders or micro-finance organisations. What about collections would this justify the high interest? To be honest the Philippines operates in a more “village” type environment which basically means you don’t have to go far and no doubt the lending organisations on Kiva will have field agents who do the collecting or receiving. Either way they are making a lot of money off other peoples good gestures. It may sound a bit odd but even if you loaned out a small amount remember that Kiva.org have millions of pounds and dollars donated on there to these loans. The lending partners take none of the financial risk but all of the gain. All I can see is that we are being taken for a ride. Rural banks used to offer interest rates of upto 20% in the Philippines if you locked in your savings for 12 months you can see why now. I am still able to get around 10% savings on a rural account but currently our money is invested in other projects which are more viable and unlikely to disappear overnight like the Legacy collapse.

So what is my answer to helping others? I think personally there are only a couple of real options. The first is “do it yourself” and the other is something I am looking at with the Aquaponics as a “home kit”. Now me being me I would look to in the future that if you sponsored a kit for someone to start producing fish and plants that they would repay the money back to you over a period of time once they have learned how they can make money from it. That way you can either “donate” or get your money back its upto you. The reason I loaned out on Kiva in the first place was its people who are willing to help themselves and anything I do “real charity based” the backbone of the idea is that something comes out of it for everyone. Ideally you get your money back and the people who are doing whatever it is they are doing get a business they can develop. Taking it a stage further things like jewellery you could become a selling agent and even take a commission on at the same time helping others. But at that stage it would have been already a completed “starter cycle” and you would be dealing with each other as a business.

Its about time people started questioning where they send money to and what it really gets spent on. I know its common for “administration” and “processing fees” to swallow up the majority of money donated to so called charities who are in reality companies. My question to you would be if your making money off the back of poverty what interest is it to you on ending it? You would be putting yourself out of the gravy train that keeps you in a nice comfortable state of limbo or even making you rich.

Don’t get me wrong I do business ventures aswell the difference between those though is they are purely business. The charity projects that I am currently doing with the Aquaponics are to help relatives increase incomes within the family that will be expanded out once I get to grips with it. The important point about this post though was to get across double check where your money is going!

Popularity: 59% [?]

Its a very good question and one I think about a lot. When you first arrive in the Philippines your thrown back by the greenery and blue waters as the plane dropped below clouds. You rush to meet your partner and quickly find chaos as you enter the Philippines bustle and turmoil of the streets. It gives you a funny feeling of adventure and newness of things you have never seen before. Shanty towns and street vendors, the multi-cabs and Jeepneys, the “hey joe`s” and the smiling faces. On top of that hit on by beautiful women nearly every day are you in paradise? You have experienced the Philippines from the tourist perspective what happens when the shine comes off…

I was recently having a discussion with a friend of mine over school fees as a school in Talisay tried to double charge him on fees purely because he was a foreigner. It resulted in a dispute where he withdrew his kids and is teaching them at home. If your forced to do such things with the most important things in life to give your kids a head start I can see why I would up and leave. At the same time illness had taken hold and had taken several doctors for him to get the correct diagnosis. Two major factors in life here in the Philippines when they go wrong.

Then there is the racism aspect with overcharging which is “expected” and when you refuse its laughed off as if its fine by the people trying to do it. Could be something as simple as bananas from a market or trying to get you to pay double on buying a car because you are a “foreigner you can afford it”.

Truth of the matter is you have to adapt but some people I have spoken to recently are starting to look at other countries that are willing to give them a better break on medical care and visas as well as home ownership.

There are tips on getting the most out of the Philippines and a lot of it may seem a bit extreme but its the only way to keep your costs down. Firstly is when doing business you need someone local as switched on as you as this makes a big difference in getting things done and cheaply. You sit in the background and let things get done around you just keeping financial controls in place that can keep you in the know and the ability to adapt to changing markets. Construction work can be difficult for many but the best way to do it is do it yourself. Hiring staff isn’t a problem and the structures are pretty simple infact you could get a design thrown together for your house construction by a local architect for not a lot of money. But personally I think its important to monitor your own projects same as the UK as simply there are too many rogues in the building trade worldwide also means you get it done the way you want.

Buying and selling is another problem. Buying a house in the Philippines with your partner you just don’t need the realtors as they hike up the price and not by a small amount they generally work on percentages so doubling the cost of a house gives them double the interest doesn’t matter you paid P2m for a P1m house right? your the foreigner you can afford it! Its that last line I use a lot in my head as it tells you to tell them to get lost. Filipinos don’t like being called stupid and I don’t like people assuming I’m a dumb foreigner who its fine to steal from.

So how do you find your property? Personally the easiest way I found is wander around or ask an expat like myself to look for you. I have found apartments for people before as rentals because generally I would advise nobody to buy for at least 6 months due to location issues and the fact you may not like it in the Philippines. Its easy to buy a house but hard to sell unless you want to take a loss. I have friends who have had houses on the market for a couple of years. The reason its better asking me to find an apartment btw is purely because if I ever did charge commission I would tell you up front but so far I have done it to help out friends I have here needing tenants for free. But as my pocket gets a little thinner it maybe time to start looking at it as an alternative venture. Difference is though you will no doubt save on the monthly rental as I will try to get it at “local” prices rather than the fees being charged to foreigners.

Buying your daily produce gets easier over time what you need to do is find the local prices which takes time but once you have it you will find market vendors will give you a local rate because your there regular on top of that if they do try to overcharge just say “Mahal” (expensive) with a disgruntled face and walk away or try bartering as often bartering is expected. The supermarkets are labelled etc. so no worries there just avoid places like Gaisano for electrical products as they breakdown very quickly and your just burning money. Better to head into Makro or the main malls for appliances. You will pay more but the difference is years not weeks on product life.

So why move to the Philippines? for me its personal reasons my wife and daughter are here as well as Aprils parents. I’m very interested in developing business and although Asia is full of fast growing economies I find the Philippines isn’t jumping in to get a slice of the pie. Is there money to be made? definitely but can you imagine a furniture maker turning you down because “they don’t want anymore business?” that is exactly happened with a business I approached in Cebu for Export. So if you are looking for running an export business you are better to approach companies in Taiwan and China as they are prepared to do most of the leg work for you.

I may sound a bit harsh on the Philippines but it is a country that isn’t so welcoming to the Foreigner and I cant see it changing. Ideally the Philippines should build in a property ownership and visa combination where if you own a property you don’t need a visa. The “employment”  visa for foreigners that was brought in last year was a stepping stone but still doesn’t reach the same rights that Filipinos have or that foreigners seek. But its not just the Philippines generally Asia has a lot of laws that are anti-foreign for which we can only blame our home countries as they could just as easily enforce changes in the UK etc. that would force change. I wonder what India and China would do finding out its operations in the UK would be treated the same way as they treat UK Citizens and ventures in India and China? Will it ever happen I doubt it as the UK government has no spine and too much personal gain for those in power.

Popularity: 60% [?]

Life in the Philippines can be complex and difficult like any other parts of the world and recently we can say we are going through one of those periods. Not because we are unhappy but simply a re-jigging of finances and things we are upto put a hole in the wallet and a delay on rebuilding the pocket.

The internet cafe is up and sort of in a middle of a stall due to the poor internet connection provided by Smart who lack any interest in customer service I suppose that comes from running pretty much a monopoly. Not only did we bin or Smart Bro Share it which aren’t worth the money but the next net café along from us did exactly the same on the same day. Am I bitter or annoyed? To be honest I just want a reliable service you seem to get a run around on the telephone comms industry here as nobody really cares if you get what you want or not or infact don’t even update on if it will be done or not. So that’s sort of burned a big hole until it starts rolling again which it no doubt will once someone decides to do a days work at Smart.

But above the cafe the first apartment is pretty much well underway and I’m pleased with the way its looking. The budget is pretty much on course and the problem is not can we let it but can we get the second one built asap. As currently we have two people wanting a long term rental. Things are starting to get a bit more organised but I can see an extra P250,000 being needed to get everything the way we want it. Although the whole P250,000 wont be needed in lump sum it will be needed in stages to get the next two projects finished. The first one being the Sari-Sari under the second apartment then the second apartment. So many people will tell you a Sari-Sari is a waste of time but its more about what your selling rather than who you are selling to. For a start most people don’t have freezers or refrigerators so there is an instant market for frozen produce. Add another factor of being able to buy live chickens from the main egg producers you have a second business opening up. That’s even before we start looking into the sausages and cured meats. We started selling ice-pops recently not the biggest thing in the world I know wont get rich overnight but we sell a pack a day which comes to P40 profit add that to everything else going on the venture is moving more from viable to lucrative. There are so many things you can do with limited space problem is we are just about out of it this year and will need to look for our next property lot to expand or buying into houses which has hit a stumbling block. For one April is looking after Zoei full-time at the moment so cant get a loan there and I have little to nothing declared in the Philippines so I cant gain finance either. The only viable way to do it is to pay cash which in the long run will be the better deal.

I can see the next three years being hard as we start to move forward as the foundations on the ideas are starting to take shape. From our other ventures we have a sustainable income. Getting the net café going will give Jovie a stable income and the two apartments and sari-sari will be the back bone of saving for the next property. If we can gain two houses in the P1m bracket each by December I will be more than happy. Currently its a hard amount of cash to find but I am hoping a few ideas I have will pay off to push us towards the goal needed to succeed.

Why do I push so hard with so many objectives? I looked at most things and you will find most people on forums will say “you cant make money in the Philippines” or “want to make a small fortune start with a large one”. In reality everything comes down to time management and its how we will get ahead of the game. Currently Aprils parents are busy full-time with one of our ventures and Jovie is busy with the net-cafe. But the net-cafe will eventually be setup with the Sari-Sari store  so that one person can operate both of them and with the apartments upstairs one person is literally running four incomes. I will progress with things online and hopefully start developing some websites. I currently have one client who is waiting for one to be done and its something I can easily build on. Some of you may be thinking but every man and his dog is online making money! but That’s only looking to make P40,000 a month from the venture as we are already sustainable. On top of that the P40,000 is for development of properties we all work as a group towards a goal that supports everyone. Why do so many people fail in the Philippines? I think a lot of it is down to the fact that many would fail regardless of country while others have bad luck and finally others don’t use what they do have available at theyre disposal. Most family members struggle to find work in the Philippines so it just makes sense to generate ideas as getting a Filipino average salary can be achieved more easily if people have money or products to start with. We hit a hurdle in December – January which hit us financially hard. But we are still here and will no doubt recoup and move forward from it we may have received a bloody nose in one of the ventures but its already starting to recover and no doubt 2010 is going to be more prosperous.

I didnt forget about the aquaponics by the way its simply that Smart has taken up so much of my time recently on top of getting the net cafe finished that we will hopefully begin the fish production in March all going well.

Popularity: 64% [?]

Its that time again in the Philippines where ambushes and shootings happen. Election time taking a seat in power even for one term is something that can set a family and relatives up financially for life and this year will be no different. I have posted a recent Sun and star article at the bottom of this post but just wanted to give another few facts before you read it.

2007 – mid term polls for Congressional and local positions has so far resulted in 75 election related murders.

“The PNP, as of May 1 the fatalities included two lawmakers (congressmen), a vice-governor, two mayors, three city councilors, 19 village chairmen and 16 village officials.” Senior Supt. Samuel Pagdilao Jr added that, “Another 32 casualties were supporters of the political candidates or civilians who happened to be in the area when the attacks took place.”

Police officials however are quick to point out that 75 election related murders however violent this may seem is actually an improvement over past elections. “The number of casualties is still low compared to the 189 reported killed and 279 wounded in the 2004 campaign period”. PNP Spokesman Gen. Pagdilao clarified; overall the situation has improved since the last election.

but lets bring it forward to this year. Already there have been 57 deaths and the elections are just starting to warm up. The other thing I have seen including in the trial of one of the people responsible for the massacre in which 57 people died in Maguindanao is that there is no remorse. Have even seen it in children throwing rocks at dogs for fun, if there is no feeling there then there is no remorse or even thought of being in the wrong. Its an accepted part of life and this is why I would advise people to stay away if planning a trip to the Philippines until later in the year once the dust settles. Most things will no doubt be safe and stable but I cant say “come to the Philippines” when I cannot assure people of being safe while visiting here. Especially as tourists as you are more likely to wander into something you shouldn’t it will still be here later in the year and would be a bit milder in weather in September – December and still hot. So if you can wait please do..

Sun and Star Newspaper :-

CEBU CITY — With a lot of uncertainties on the poll automation process and the integrity of its results, a human rights lawyer urged journalists and policemen to prepare for what could be the country’s bloodiest elections.

That, as some 35 community journalists from all over the country adopted a covenant and approved a set of guidelines that will help ensure a safe and balanced reporting of the May 10 polls.

Lawyer Harry Roque said it will be especially difficult for journalists to cover the first automated elections, since there is no guarantee that the government will keep them safe, as what happened in Maguindanao last November.

Roque is an assistant professor of the University of the Philippines College of Law, and is the legal counsel of the relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims.

In a Philippine Press Institute (PPI) seminar last Wednesday, he noted several flaws in the country’s poll automation, which he said could result in violence.

He said since there is limited transparency in the counting of votes by the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, candidates may claim they were cheated.

Roque said in manual elections where people saw how the counting was done, some candidates did not concede defeat, resulting in violence.

"More so where you have no way of verifying how the vote was conducted… So my warning to journalists is the same warning I gave the policemen. Beware, this is potentially, probably the bloodiest elections that we will have. Although you have the obligation to be where the news is, remember too what happened to your colleagues in Maguindanao," he told journalists.

And since the machines will do the counting, it cannot be ensured that all the votes were properly counted, he said.

Roque was one of the speakers in the PPI seminar-workshop on civic journalism "Ready for the Elections" held in this city from February 2 to 5.

Some 35 community journalists from all over the country attended the workshop.

"Filipino journalists should be aware that the Philippine government has always been in breach of its obligation to protect life. You should be aware that sometimes the practice of your profession is in fact coming in harm’s way without any protection from the State. Therefore, journalists should also give premium on their own lives, without necessarily compromising their obligations as professionals," he said.

Regional Election Director Ray Rene Buac, also a speaker in the seminar, reiterated the assurance given by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) spokesperson and a Smartmatic-TIM representative that the machines will not have pre-encoded results.

Buac also told the participants that the machines will count only the votes for the corresponding candidate, unless the ballot is rejected or the votes are considered invalid due to over-voting or under-voting.

Another concern that threatens the safety of journalists, Roque said, is the absence of guidelines on how to file an election protest.

Without a legal remedy by which a losing candidate can protest election results in a peaceful manner, defeated candidates could resort to violence, he said.

While the remedies are provided for in the Omnibus Election Code, the code is intended for manual elections.

Meanwhile, barangay officials will help inform and gather Mabini and Bulacao residents identified by Comelec as participants in the mock elections on Saturday.

The barangays will also help secure the PCOS machines that will be sent to the two areas Friday.

Bulacao barangay captain Jose Gabiana said they will guard the machine, which will read the votes cast during the elections and electronically send the results to the canvassing center at the Cebu City Social Hall.

Cebu City south district Elections Officer Edwin Cadungog said the 50 participants from Bulacao are representatives of the various sectors of society, including the youth, women, senior citizens, and even those who are considered "illiterate" voters.

He will also ask members of the media who will cover the mock election in Bulacao to pick a representative to join in the exercise.

The PCOS machines for the elections would be transported Friday for Saturday’s elections that would start at 7 a.m. and end around 10 a.m.

Cebu-Citizens’ Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel) executive director Marilou Chiongbian, meantime, said the fears and doubts of voters about the automated polls are understandable and "very normal."

Although they are monitoring the preparations for the automated elections, they are also preparing for a possible shift to the manual elections.

On Saturday, they will send member-lawyers headed by Judge Gabriel Ingles to witness the conduct of the mock polls in Cebu City.

C-Cimpel, she said, has been conducting since September an orientation to prepare voters in the parish level all over Cebu for the automated polls. This is in addition to the election watchdog’s values education efforts. (LCR/With RHM/CYR/Sun.Star Cebu)

Popularity: 64% [?]

Another day in sunny Cebu and time to get the vehicles up and running. We have had a few problems across the board so after yesterdays breakdown in the City today is getting everything to work day. Due to the climate things rust faster and generally play havoc with the electrical side of the vehicles. My scooter electrical start hasn’t worked in over a year although kick starts easily. Have spent a few hours previously trying to sort the fault but it looks like “teenagers” have messed around before making it pretty difficult to find out what they connected to what without completely stripping the electrical circuits and starting again. Don’t you love it when people mess around with stuff they don’t understand.

The Jeepy on the other hand is a reliable piece of equipment. Not posh or shiny just a solid piece of vehicle with only one purpose getting from A to B. No Aircon, cooling or even a solid roof. But a good Toyota engine shoved into an old Jeep chassis and because of the simplicity of the vehicle the fan belt that broke yesterday was replaced in an hour. Didn’t have to plug in any diagnostics PC to repair this vehicle. Now the Jeepy is back up and running its time to fix the Multicab which appears to be having an alternator problem which has killed the battery. So off to the store to grab a set of jump leads so I can jump start the multicab and test the charging circuit. Hopefully by the end of the day everything will be back up and running as the Jeepy gets a bit heavy on regular fuel usage compared to the Scooter for local runs and the multicab for the city runs. The thing I do like about the Jeepy though is its ideal for photo opportunities because of its open sides.

Popularity: 58% [?]