Lately I have been letting a lot of anti-Filipino talk online get under my skin. From the guy with his retirement village telling people to buy up at least a hectare of land just so they can’t here Filipino Karaoke to the general grumblings of Expats. I just want to say to everyone “don’t forget your a guest”. Immigration fees go up, the TV shows are repeatative and you may think every Filipino you meet is trying to rip you off.. But if that’s the case why are you here?

The TV shows who said you have to watch them? Immigration fees I will give you that but not because of the increases but the fact they regularly change and they don’t keep people informed.

But the Philippines isn’t going to change and that is the fact I live with every day. Getting up to be at the SSS office for 5am just so my wife can get an ID card because they can only process so many in  a day I would here a western answer “why don’t they do overtime?” or “why don’t they get more staff” it isn’t going to happen its part of life here. Processing takes a long time so expect it infact my 13(a) residency visa is already complete and we asked to delay collecting it. It is the laid back attitude which brought so many people here in the first place and you have to take the rough with the smooth. I have neighbours with a multi-cab with excessive speakers which shake the building sometimes. I could complain about it but generally it doesn’t bother me because he is only there 5 mins before he drives off. Last week I had to go out for a break. Will Irwin’s response who I wrote about in a previous article was to buy 2 hectares to basically create distance between him and his neighbours.. The truth of the matter it was his ramblings that irritated me in the first place not the music. Because the truth of the matter its the grumpy old men that are getting under my skin. The constant whining and in fighting between several of them. The fact some will bad mouth others behind peoples backs to cut them out of contract work. I’m not on about my work by the way just something I know that went on between a local translator and two expats. Not sure what the one expat said to the translator but she stopped talking to the other Expat who had work for her. Why? because the one expat has issues with the other. Yet the other Expat it is all water under the bridge. These disputes between Expats are the sort of things why so many fail in the Philippines. The cutting ones nose off to spite the face is something I have seen too much of in the last two years and often why I look to stop writing as I’m disappointed with so many of the Expats that come to the Philippines. What stops me from quitting though is the Filipino community here and abroad who read the blogs because they enjoy my ramblings from a perspective that sort of sits between an Expat and a Filipino. Why my ramblings are a little different is probably due to my upbringing with a military family moving from country to country finding that you live between Military and local people in some sort of balance.

If you want to make a difference in the Philippines while living here teach people who want to learn. I’m not on about lecturing at a college etc. but the education of the kids that roam your area during the day. Maybe they lack the interest or money for education (moneywise schooling is free but all the add-ons cost money as the school uses it to help with its funds) but that is why its more important to teach them things that they will find interesting or useful. Starting with responsibility with such things as anti-graffiti and anti-littering as both of these contribute to degrading an area but also the clearing up of your area will hopefully stimulate others to take responsibility. I am currently just awaiting the concrete work to stop on the external of the Apartment as we will be adding plants along the roadside with fruits etc. free for people who want to pick them offering a small source of food but also cleans up the road a little adding a bit of colour.

It is always easy to be negative and it drags everyone down with it. The truth of the matter is you need to look at how to improve things not make them worse. If your in the Philippines respect that people are different here but at the same time if you want them to change you have to accept you need to change as well. You can hunt down literally thousands of negative posts on the Philippines but isn’t it about time people started posting about what they did to make things better instead?

Popularity: 6% [?]

You have probably noticed im not my happy self lately. I have also put a lot of goods up for sale as well.. its not really a financial crisis but simply I need to get things completed. The first apartment is around 90% complete and already has a tenant. The second apartment needs construction to start ASAP to be ready on time. The big problem right now is generating more cash, I know a few readers will be thinking things are going wrong here but they aren’t its just purely timescale. Infact we have in the last month taken on someone part-time to help with chores such as ironing etc., a Yaya and a part-time attendant for the internet cafe. Ideally I need more thinking space to come up with new and lucrative ideas our budget is stable and covers not only our expenses and ongoing construction costs but I want apartment 2 to be able to push ahead a lot faster. Which of course is a big difference of finding P250,000 liquid cash to the P20,000 we have available for next construction projects per month. So this is where my frustration lies currently finding the P250,000. I will hopefully be supplying articles and information for a magazine shortly which hopefully will get things moving at least a little at worst will keep me occupied. The aquaponics I want to start soon but have so much going on I cant really dedicate enough time to guarantee the success so will be on the back burner for a little while more. Although Paps has had a chicken laying eggs all over the place so I got side tracked sorting out a design for an incubator that Paps constructed. We will hopefully see our first batch of chicks soon.

Anyway getting a little off tangent and it being nearly 2.30am its time to rest. If you have any money making ideas please add them on the comments below im all ears

Popularity: 9% [?]

I’m not normally one to promote E-Books simply because I find them overpriced for the information that is within them considering there is no real cost except the time it takes to write them. So what am I doing selling one here? Well simply for £2.00 you can purchase a small book around 18 pages long with Small business advice. Not full of facts and figures to boggle the mind but the reality of life in the Philippines and the ability and viability of how to start a business and what you need to be asking yourself before even spending your first Peso. So if you want to buy a piece of my knowledge for £2.00 Drop me an email to mattwilkie@tropicalpenpals.com and send a payment to PayPal mattwilkie@msn.com if you find TropicalPenpals.com useful please make a donation. I’m currently looking to expand projects and will need funding to do a more in depth life in the Philippines as I will look to make TropicalPenpals more of a Channel than a one dimensional blog.

Popularity: 11% [?]

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: 32% [?]

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: 29% [?]

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: 30% [?]

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: 59% [?]

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: 66% [?]

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: 58% [?]

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.

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