Foundations Forge Partnership: Investing in Youth Through Tech Education

Two entities, SM Foundation and BingoPlus Foundation just formed a partnership in order to provide technology based education for those in exposed communities. The plan is for the BingoPlus FutureSmart and SM Foundation scholarship programs to fund those with interests in Game Development, Software Engineering and Data Science. They will also be supporting those who would delve in Web Development, Multimedia Arts, Design, and IT. This will benefit over 30 students for the upcoming school year.

DigiPlus is making headway in making sure the 100 Million Pesos of investments (through grants and partnerships like these) they are pouring in would benefit Filipino lives, the IT industry, especially since they are an entertainment corp that is all digital.

Debbie Sy the Executive Director and Trustee from SM Foundation reiterates how this collaboration is transformative and could create a huge impact for future professionals of the Philippine IT industry. If you want to know more about it, visit sm-foundation.org or digiplus.com.ph/bingoplus-foundation if you want to also help.

Adulting: Choosing the Right Investments

If you have extra money in the bank, I'm sure you're trying to rack your head between just leaving it stagnant in your savings or plan to put it on investments. It's not easy because right from the start, you're dealing with hard earned money and imagine the hours you had to endure just to earn that amount. Rightly so, it's something you shouldn't take lightly.

You have to be comfortable in what risks you should take. It should fit what you want to achieve in the future. It's not the time to mince back with questions because it is a financial decision.

According to Joyce Mayo the CEO of SmarTrade (a financial education and consultancy firm) "We should understand that before investing, you should have a clear idea of you personal needs and goals because it's all about aligning what you want to achieve with your lifestyle, financial wishes and your values. SmarTrade offers FREE training and learning sessions before you do online trading. Our personalized approach makes it easier to understand and meet your objectives. The first days would certainly be crucial as you try and get a sense of your risk appetite. Everyone has a growth potential and being armed with the education, knowledge you need to thrive from the first day is essential. You have to take your strategy and align it with your long term vision."

SmarTrade provides free learning sessions and personalized coaching. This means you get to tailor fit your investments and protect your hard earned money. They do this with ATFX which is a global leader in broker services. They have a broker program for skilled individuals so they too become partners wether you are in the finance or forex industry. You also gain access to resources, get personalized support when you need to and become a part of a huge community who are thriving in online trading. This will arm you with what you need to make smart investments. If you want to know more, visit SmarTradePH.com today!

Next Level BRIA Homes: Launches xE Series

Things are looking bright for the real estate industry especially this year where prices are competitive. To become successful, you need to expand fast and innovate to spark growth here and in any other industry. BRIA Homes for example has made sure their projects are located in strategic sites, full of amenities that can be used by the community like good internet connection, utilization of electronic cash and people who care about managing the property.

Recently, they launched BRIA Homes Bettina Prime carrying the xE series which are mostly upgraded versions of BRIA’s Elena, Elyana and Bettina models. The differences lie in the fences, pavements and gates which was non existent in previous designs. Inside, it gets even better with bedroom partitions, well designed floor and wall tiles, water closets, hand showers and bidets (a must for Filipino homes these days). This would make any person looking for a home eager to own one or invest to lease off for families. There are also options to own two lots for more space like the Bettina xE with 72 square meters, there will be a lot more space for small gardens or play area.

Like in any other BRIA Homes property, lots of facilities like the multi purpose hall, covered basketball court, a playground can be used by home owners and enjoy with families, friends, the community and for special occasions.

Thinking of moving? Check out the property without having to go there physically via 360 degree tours on www.bria.com.ph or you can check out their socials at www.facebook.com/BriaHomesIncOfficial where they post updates about their many projects. If you're seriously considering one, go reserve a home via https://www.bria.com.ph/online-reservation/ because they can do that too online.

Now go make that choice a BRIA today!

Making Sure Budget Plans Work

The pandemic has taught us a lot about how good financial management remain as a valuable skill not just for personal survival, but giving ease to the lives of your family - the closest people for you. We determine budget plans early on, with proper forecasting you get to have peace of mind yes, but in rare occasions, we all struggle. When one gets sick, incapacitated, restrictions happen and people lose their jobs, when businesses decide to close shop, these are emergencies nobody gets prepared for so it is wise you get to evaluate your budgets regularly and learn to properly make adjustments when the need arise.

Managing Finances Effectively

You need a good bank, know where you are putting savings, things for investments, for entertainment (because you deserve that too) and an emergency fund (when the unimaginable happens).


Allocate Appropriately

I always make it a point to have funds directed to a specific goal. A huge chunk of course goes to bills, food and shelter (about 50%), 10 percent goes to entertainment (if you want to go to a vacation, buy something for yourself or your loved one you need to set aside something for this purpose), then 25% goes to investments (if you prefer digital currency, bank deposits, stock market, insurance premiums or money market you need to do this early on). 15% goes to emergency fund so in times you wouldn't be able to work or pay for medical bills if you or your family gets hospitalized, you have this to get funds from. There are a lot of other things to consider and customize these rates, you need to weigh what works for you and stick to it. If you need to adjust, go ahead and make that play. You need to be a little aggressive in making sure your budget works for you.

Monitor Your Investments

Since a huge part of your funds go to investments, you need to have this checked a few minutes a day. Make smart choices if you are looking for short term ones, relax on the long term goals. You don't need to watch lines go up and down and spend hours for it, so only do it when times are volatile, and be aggressive if you have the money to do it with. Familiarize yourself with the market and slowly make your way to grow your funds. You also have to find one that fits your lifestyle. If you want to delve into business, or become an entrepreneur, pick up  a loan with easy payment terms and lower interest rates because a lot of it is out there. 

Manage Your Debt Wisely

Loans, credit card bills are of course part of the game. If you've got a lot of these, consider plans to pay more than the minimum monthly payments to reach your goal of zero debt. You can schedule payments for some purchases for ease of doing business and everyday transactions. Know when interest rates would be okay for you or not. See if you are going to benefit in the long run because remember, some loans and credits are not taxable and if you pay them earlier, it won't be too painful to see where your funds go. Give debt consolidation a try so it would also be manageable to pay for things. If you want information on that, click here.

These are what I do now in order to manage funds, if you've got one that serves the purpose, follow your own strategy and adjust when you see the need to. The market isn't constant just like change, think of more ways to grow your money and see if your budget plans work today.

OFW Home Investments and Optimism in the Philippines

New heroes as they are called, Overseas Filipino Workers have continued to help their families at home. Their hope, is to finally one day go back and see the fruits of their labor and perhaps see their loved ones get decent jobs and live in a house that they could call their own. While this sacrifice doesn't go unnoticed at home, it's a hard life for often overworked Filipinos and the situation with the pandemic surely didn't help.

Red Rosales the President of BRIA Homes says "These are just some of the reasons why OFW's still wish to invest in homes in the Philippines. As the pandemic still is happening, property investments remain steadfast and resilient. More people chose to live where they are from and BRIA have been strategically located in different places where the community grows. These are wise investments they could give their children and prepare for their future." 

 

 

The value of these properties also appreciate over time, not to mention become even more accessible as government projects near completion. Since more of these properties are in the north, your choice could be near Clark International Airport, the cargo rail, connector roads, the MRT7 of which all could benefit travelers to and from Manila. Aside from that, these sites are well planned and situated in communities that are near places of worship, markets, schools, and have amenities that the whole family could enjoy. These are also secure, livable townships with CCTV and security to make sure you are safe inside your neighborhood of which are all located in progressive provinces in the north and south of Manila.

You too can own one because it is possible. BRIA Homes take pride of what they build in these places and assure it follows their mission of giving affordable and quality units. Whether it's house and lot or condominium units, you're sure to get the best one because it's a BRIA.

You may visit their official site www.bria.com.ph or their social channels by searching for Bria Homes, Inc. on FB, Twitter, IG and others. Give them a call today via 0939-887-9637.

GCash To Hold 2nd Money Talks: On Passion and How To Grow Your Savings

I've been doing a lot of investing in the GInvest section of the GCash app. They have launched this in 2019, but just recently, they've been teaching and leading ways in how ordinary people like you and me can actually invest in different funds. If you're 18 years old and up plus a valid identification card, you can start doing it now for as low as Php 50. Crazy and impossible as it may seem, it's true and I was able to earn a few hundred pesos in the first few days of doing it. 

They did a talk a couple weeks ago and it proved to be very successful and it did encourage a lot of Filipinos to start considering investments in their portfolio rather than just putting it on a savings account from their banks. I've learned to have a specific part of my money on moderate kind of investments while putting my extras in aggressive type ones. Make sure you answer the risk assessment questionnaire when you sign up for it so you've got a grasp of how you can diversify it because it'll be a little dangerous if you put your money in one basket these days. 

 

 

Anyway, the folks at GCash are still at it. They're holding another episode this coming June 23 at 8PM on their official Facebook page. It'll be a bit more interesting as their guest Chinkee Tan will be talking more about the ins and out of investing. He's also going to answer if you have some of the weirdest questions because I'm sure, you've heard a lot of stories about investing wherein you're not sure whether it's true or not. The program will be hosted by Jaz Reyes and there will be gamers,Tiktok stars that will also join in the conversation as they too have tried doing investments on the GInvest platform. 

Just search GCashOfficial on Facebook and it'll take you to the page, watch the stream that comes out 8PM and start learning with me. I'm going to be there! :)

Young Professionals Spark Interest in Golden Haven Memorial Lots

The value of saving has been inculcated and passed on to the next generation and financial literacy has been increasingly taught to even a younger audience. Now, even millennials have become very conscious and know that while they're still young,  it's important to have investments at this day and age so when the time comes, they get to rest early, spend for not just the necessities but have the nicest things and get financial security not just for themselves, but for their entire family. Having that would mean they would be able to put a roof over their head, food on their table, and the ability to help others when they can.

Some people I know even went ahead and bought memorial lots from Golden Haven which is under Golden MV Holdings, Inc., a publicly listed company. With real estate, you can be assured property lots in the country would have an increase in value much like theirs who've been 20 percent up average year on year. They're also in 30 locations around the country and investments can easily be managed online these days. It's best for young individuals who want to grow their portfolio or start off with an investment that has been doing good these past few years. All you need is one valid government ID and the eagerness to work with professional marketing representatives from Golden Haven that will guide you through the process. 

As Red Rosales, the COO of Golden Haven says "We take pride in the aspects of our business; from the design of our parks, to what we offer our customers, we want to pay close attention to details to give timely and consistent service to our dear customers. We want to also enjoin young professionals to invest in Golden Haven's memorial lots so they too would be able to secure their future."

Maybe this is the sign you're looking for.

For those who don't know, Golden Haven Memorial Park is a part of Golden MV Holdings Inc. This is under the Villar group and is one of the largest real estate conglomerates in the Philippines.

GCash Futurecast 2021: Unlocking Innovations

Just got off the GCASH event called Futurecast 2021 and they pronounced some really good news about their financial app.

So really, what's next?

The goal is to bring you better solutions and better lives. Martha Sazon the CEO of GCash says "We all know the past year has been a struggle, we are still coping. We want you to know that GCash is your buddy through all of this, since the lockdown, I too haven't had the chance to meet my whole team but we focused on hwo to make Filipinos lives better. We can be there in times of need, for paying bills, for donating, everyday transactions, our user base now doubled. Currently we have 38 million Filipinos use our app. We are the number one financial app in the country and we strive to further improve our services. Not only to consumers, merchants, even the government. We empowered people through our cashless payments, we have registered social sellers, even sari sari stores and tricycle drivers now accept GCash. This amounts 16B to almost 2 Million Filipinos. The government saved a lot through GCash and now, we are collecting typhoon and COVID drives because we are secure and seamless. We know Titas of Manila need to learn how to use it, teaching them is an easy task. Families, people from far flung areas have no access to finances, but all Filipinos deserve to save, invest and grow their money. We believe GCash everyday will be possible, lifestyle, entrepreneurship.

GLife is where users can now transact with their favorite brands. Buy, transact and subscribe without downloading other apps, because it's all in on the GLife section of your GCash app. We give you deals, the best ones in the market. 

Social sellers can use their personal QR to make transactions easy, to send money and pay bills with it. Wanting to not leave anyone behind, you can do paytime and playtime with it. You can have several companies (35 of them!) providing entertainment, shopping, food, without downloading their individual app and costing space on your phone because it is accessible through GLife. I've tried purchasing chicken when it came out, it was such a deal!

Financial Services

Equal chance for a brighter future. Doesn't that sound promising? In a nutshell, they've got these services running inside the GCash app. They're still developing the platform and promise to bring more services in the future, here's what they currently have:

GSave has the highest interest rate in the country, insured by PDIC, you can also be assured with what you deposit.

GCredit can give you access to cash when you need it

GInvest can get you to invest with as low as 50 pesos.

GInsure can also get you insurance including coverage of COVID.

GForest gets you the chance to also plant trees while doing several things in the app.


Their goal is to make Filipinos live better, and I think that is achievable. PureGo for groceries, Lazada for Shopping, Gawin for household help, Fully Booked for your favorite titles, Goama Games for your gaming needs, Gadgets at Datablitz, Bo's Coffe, Gong Cha, Mc Donalds, Tapa King, tons of them are listed and you can set favorites when you feel the need to. Oh and if you see the deals, it's unbelievable especially for the 50% OFF I've experienced a couple of times.

Entrepreneurship

Local farmer, fishermen, tricycle, medium sized companies, no matter what we do and what we are, they want to help every Filipino entrepreneur do cashless and safe transactions through GCash. Fe Mir the GCash Marketing Head says "People are looking for new opportunities to keep their business afloat. The business of every enterprise in the country is a personal one, we want to help you in the new normal. GCash Pro can give easy payment solutions, it's secure and we want to help entrepreneurs improve their business. Platforms have their eCommerce activity exploding, we made QR on demand so you can receive money accurately. We have so many business solutions and businesses can go to our GCash Merchant Portal so you can submit requirements online and hassle free. We will be adding credit and other options soon. We want you to have Finance for All. We want to have a GCash option in every convenience store, sari sari store and Tricycle soon."

Finance for All

38 Million Filipinos have financial potential and GCash through GInvest can be accessible to all. You can get your money to work with you. GSave is fully digital and hassle free, only needs one ID for it to be verified. GSave also doesn't need any maintaining balance, interest rates are competitive (4% per year) and saving regularly would be a good thing. If you need an emergency fund or vacation funds, a lot of people have already opened a GSave account (over 3M actually). GInvest on the other hand allows you to invest in local or international funds. It need not to be complicated, and GInvest allows you to do that even for 50 pesos. Fund managers from reputable companies allow you to invest in 5 different types of corporations. It's also easy to monitor because it shows graphs on the GCash app itself. In just a few taps, you can now access these services without going through the agonizing paperwork needed for investments.

GInsure makes Insurance easy to purchase, manage and become affordable. This is their partnership with Singlife, with less than 50 pesos a month, you get covered from Dengue and now, cover Covid 19 as well. You can insure your self or your family for this. In the app, you can buy in a simple and straight forward way, soon to have vehicle, travel and property (which will be rolled out soon).

GCredit is cash that can be borrowed. With your GCash transactions, you can use it to build small businesses (like a micro loan) and earn from it during a pandemic. They've shown proof that it is possible during the event when a woman borrowed money and used it for a food business. She grew the amount and had her husband help her make it become a sustainable business today which now provides for their everyday needs and the needs of their children.

GForest is a small little game inside the GCash app that will help reforest places in the country. To date, their goal is to have 500K trees to be planted, and there will be more no matter what season. They are partnering with environmental groups and organizations so they too can get help with this digital bayanihan method.

GLife provides things you need at a click of a button. These services are available now on the GCash app, so if you haven't downloaded it yet, maybe the time is now.

Have You Ever Thought of Investing in Memorial Lots?

I actually asked myself that question a couple of times because in the past, I got to actually earn a little from selling lots that I purchased a long time ago. These days, I've seen OFW's even do it on a regular basis while they are abroad and working to make ends meet. Yes, it is possible to actually invest in memorial lots and in the Philippines, it is actually a good business model if you think about it.

With about 2.2 million OFWs around the world (in 2019), that accounts for a huge amount of money being sent home to the country. As Filipinos, we often just do it to help family and friends, or in some instances, just put it in the bank and forget about it. These days, we should be thinking about growing our investments if you think about it, I've never even heard of real estate being on a slump these days. I reckon it's even pandemic proof. Take for example real estate developers like Golden Haven Memorial Park. Currently, they are in about 30 cities in the Philippines, and as of recent, they got memorial lots gaining close to 20% annual value appreciation. Imagine what that would mean to an OFW who invest in these properties for a couple of years. This is why about 10 percent of them are actual OFW's and the developer is encouraging it. They also have different schemes so it would be easier to pay via special plans made for beginning investors. This also includes easier processes for immigrants and residents from other countries so they could own lots in Golden Haven. They also have plans that include long term maintenance for the lots so they always are in tiptop shape. Then after payment has been done in full, they have ownership over the lot perpetually... that's a good thing.

 

 As the COO of Golden Haven Red Rosales puts this, he says "It would be wise to invest in properties like these as the country continues to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. There has been a steady and healthy appreciation of value over the years and OFW's should definitely take advantage of it."

For those who don't know, Golden Haven is a subsidiary of publicly listed Golden Bria Holdings. They've been doing really good in the real estate market in the last few years and it would be nice if everyone would have the opportunity they are having. 

 

It's a good thing!

Matteo Guidicelli Talks About Accessible, Affordable Investments #MakeItMutual

I have been in the Mutual Funds game since I was in college and yes, I am already reaping some of the benefits of it now. Back then, it was really complicated and I had to really be patient because it takes a lot of time, effort (especially the bank visits) before actually confirming what I needed to invest. I also had snail mail for updates about it, so imagine how worried I was being an aggressive investor. These days, there are now financial advisors who can make your goals achievable. When stocks, bonds and the money market seem so confusing and complicated, asset managers are a good way to do it so you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand it all. If you’re a conservative, balanced or aggressive type of investor, your fund managers can make it easier for you to understand things, and help you earn more with the risk you’re taking. I always do the aggressive route especially if I trust the company I put my money in. More so than often, I use the money I could burn so I do it habitually without worrying about anything. Markets go up and down, and that entails a lot of courage to face. Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) has already helped a lot of people, and this is good news.

Ms. Valerie Pama the President of Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. says “There are more Filipinos investing and it is a vast improvement 20 years ago when we were starting out. Last year, we continued to introduce to Filipinos the Sun Life Prosperity Achiever Fund, Sun Life Prosperiy Card, SLAMCI online. Now, we have 83 Billion Assets Under Management. We got the World Voyager, Dollar Advantage and Dollar Abundance Fund are in double digit returns for 2019. Our efforts have been recognized at the Philippine Investment Fund Awards (PIFAA) and we are ready to partner with Filipinos in the coming years. There are scams out there, people who are not aware get to be wooed by them. If it is too good to be true, it probably is. You should know if they have offices, registered with SEC, are they honest? You have to go with someone reputable before you part with your money.”

#MakeItMutual Season 2

Ms. Mylene Lopa their Chief Marketing and Client Officer says “We had very encouraging results two years ago and we see market potential with mutual funds. Relative to amount in time deposits, the growth of mutual funds is increasing. We are opening the minds of a lot of Filipinos. Millennials are a third of our investors while 47% are Gen X. There is a lot of us to do. Sun Life has been doing this since 2009 and we conduct research on financial challenges. Pinoys cannot still provide for everyday expenses, emergencies and extra money and we are here to help them prepare for their future. There is hope, as we are here for the long haul. We will keep introducing initiatives so new generation and middle class can get a democratized investment landscape. It would have not been possible to reach millions of Filipinos without digital media. We want to be their partner in prosperity so we’re launching #MakeItMutualSeason2. We are so lucky to have the help of Matteo Guidicelli.” 

She adds “You can now do it yourself with our new digital platforms. A selfie, online documents filled up can immediately get you to invest with our fund managers. Your investment goals should be tied up with your life goals, whether you’re married or paying for your kids tuition fee, you need to know where your money goes and volatility/market corrections and see it as an opportunity to buy when it dips and sell to earn in the future. The funds are managed by experts in the field. Now that the values are cheap, our financial growth are 6-7%, clients who want to diversify can now invest because the timing is right. Sun Life is making that available to our clients.” 

Mr. Gerald Bautista, Agency Bank and Alternative Channels Head adds “We are also launching tools to avail our product. We have an online quiz to know your mentality. Auto invest which takes part of your salary automatically and invest it. Investment online which you can now access on our website. We hope you can share this good news to everyone.” 

Our boy Matteo Guidicelli shares “My goals have changed as I start to prepare to have a family. Back then my only guide was my Dad and he’s good but when I started with Sun Life, I got to broaden my portfolio and invested in other industries. Not just real estate, they know my risk profile and can invest as low as 1K. I am very thankful, my financial goals are achieved with Sun Life. It’s nice to be in a stage of my life where it is very important, of you want to do it, don’t do it if it is too late.” 

For those of you who would want to take the step, go ahead and visit sunlifefunds.com to get started. Simply click on your desired mutual fund, proceed and click the “BUY NOW” button then accomplish the online application form. You just have to settle payment through preferred channels and that's it! You're ready to go! Here’s Matteo out with the first episode, enjoy! 

This is SLAMCI’s 20th glorious year in the business and with experience, they present a very remarkable growth to prove how effective it is investing in mutual funds, bonds and other services in their folio. They have their Financial Advisors to also help, all you have to do is ask. 

Matteo Guidicelli Saving For the Big Day: Endorses the Sun Life Prosperity Card

"A future with endless possibilities, I want every Filipino to have that! This is why I want people to learn more about Sun Life Assent Management. Sun Life is someone I believe in, a chance to make Filipinos invest, make it grow starting from a card and have a financial advisor guide you how to do it. I believe in the products that I endorse. I enjoyed doing different roles, to be in Dolce Amore I was happy with what the role brought me. Their feedback is okay, when I died they felt sad for me, even the bashers. I want to have substance and meaning to every role. I had two weeks of training for Iron Man, I hope I can break that next year. We can blame Sarah a little haha! I'm also going to have a concert in Cebu, entitled Matteo Made in Cebu on November 18, hope you watch it! Sun Life has been increasing accounts here an they are putting in funds regularly. You can enroll BDO accounts and automatically invest in our peso funds, like auto deduction. It's a good way of starting your investments. This year has been a life changing one, I opened my new restaurant in Cebu and my sister is managing that. I also have Bigbang Productions, I don't want to be fast, but everything is in preparation for that big, special, day! I think I found the one, it will just take a few more years, I'm lucky I have a Dad that is strict and warns me if I over spend. I have anothe professional helping me invest, being with Ms. Charo, Piolo, Juday with me, I was honored! I was surprised, I know I'm gonna be honest with what I do." -Matteo Guidicelli

Sunlife Asset Management Company Incorporated (SLAMCI) believes that for any Filipino to become a smart investor and financial freedome, they need to grow their money through financial education and mutual funds. Filipinos need to become protected, and they've got 11 different funds to choose from depending on your investment behavior. It can be done with as little as 5 thousand pesos. It can be returned with 23 percent, growing more than regular time deposits as it is the better and good way to do investing. This is where they introduce the SUN LIFE Prosperity Card.

Ms Mylene Lopa of Sun Life says they've got a new "Money 4 Life" Campaign to encourage Filipinos to have a financial plan as 9/10 Filipinos really lack this. Sun Life has been here for 120 years and they don't want to see that. They've got products for every need, a single person, those with kids, or just retired, we all have phases in life that needs plans to serve us. We need everything to be designed with plans with Sun Life has for us. They want to break the financial 

Matteo Guidiccelli adds that he represents the millenials, one that have different priorities. 8/10 of them seem to want to experience life rather than earn money. The credit card empowers them but seem not to know that it is credit. They don't have a grasp of how this disconnects with the reality that it is not property, putting them into debt quite early. They have to allocate their spending plan to emergency funds, start growing their money early and get them to invest while they're young. They need financial security, the earlier they prepare, the better. 

Yna Fuentes of Sun Life says "The Prosperity Card has been here this year. People have already made spending a habit to more tangible items, they need to revolutionize mutual funds and have that reacheable. This is the first mutual fund investment card in the country. It is a prepaid investment card and is available at 5,000 pesos. We want this card to be used open an account in the Peso denominated funds, whether you are conservative or aggressive, you can give this to your loved ones. Instead of giving them toys or dresses, you can start them young in investing. You are giving them the gift of prosperity, you can get it at sunlifeprosperity.com.ph or 8 of out financial stores. You can buy them from 3,000 financial advisors and you just need to sign up investment forms and an ID. MoneyforLife.com.ph can analyze your financial behavior just by answering a few questions, you can use this to open an account there or use it as a cheque if you've got an existing one. We encourage you to fill this up or juts ask an advisor. You can start your journey now, to help each other to make every Filipino feel that financial freedom"

KUMAGCOW
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Caballete Artist's Gallery in Quezon City

I've been a fan of Filipino painters since I could remember. The passion that is put to work in every piece has been evident every time I see them do it in water color, oil, charcoal or mixed media. We've even got history to prove it. In a small country as ours, we're so rich in this department and I have never been able to put my finger what sets us apart, or do we even have to do that.

My neighborhood is also as colorful. Networks are a few minutes walk, old artisan outlets are still abound, the new ones even carry a pack. I visited one of them a few days ago in Kamias Road in Quezon City. It's called Caballete Artists Gallery.

This event is sort of a re-launch. We were welcomed by a very well versed man named Ramon Araullo, this is his very own. He's a stock broker by trade but is a fine collector of art. Some of the pieces here are part of his collection. He explained to us how he treats what he has right now, some of which are priceless and wouldn't even think of selling off soon. For him, most of his paintings are actually an investment. He's bought some of it a long time ago and saw some of it appreciate over the years. He even says it made him survive the most difficult times of his life. He sold some of it during the Asian financial crisis. The place has got Duldulao's, Tony and Joel Mahilum, Angel Cacnio, the works of Ang Kiukok, Manansala and a lot of other national artists. The dream - is to actually have a place to showcase art by Filipino artists in a venue which you can say is - neutral ground. Caballete is the Spanish term for easel which artists use to put their canvass in. Like it, he would want it to be a cradle for Filipino art, for artists - of different generations. 

One of my favorites during that launch is this very detailed ornate painting that looks like real crochet work in canvass. This is by Tess Duldulao, who did it using pastel, much like a colored version of charcoal pencils. Her husband did a lot of books too in Philippine art.

He attributes putting up the gallery on his passion to collect art pieces, his eye in spotting a good one, of which happened since the late 80's. He worked then in Makati, the art trade scene was booming in Greenhills' "Allegria", a gallery that houses art pieces that he got on a lay away basis. He took time to go there right after trading time because he loved them all so much. He also thought about what pieces he could have as investment. He got more, pretty much until he had no walls left to hang them. Some of them could later on sold as much as 10 times of its original price. He thought of retiring and do this on a regular basis. The location might feel off to some and prefer some place like a mall. People don't know though how much overhead cost it would have and pass it on to collectors later on. It'll be better to put the artists on the pedestal rather than the middle men. He doesn't believe there's justice in doing that and make the artist poor. They now are making art more accessible in some way because it'll be very easy to purchase pieces without getting overpriced.

Another thing is, they want to make it a place for people to grow interest in art by having workshops taught by the masters themselves later on too. Whatever medium, not a formal school, just to spend time here and drawing your own masterpieces by the best people who can do it. This is in the pipeline and probably be done during Fridays. They'll also invite musicians so people would get more inspired. Hopefully the community wouldn't be just known for spare parts and spa's later on. This is his hope.

This one was from Father and Son. The one above was done by Tony Mahilum (+) while his son did this one below. Joel almost had the same color palette, cleaner I think and you can see the workmanship in the details. I learned that the younger Mahilum only does Filipino good traits on his work, really impressive.

Ang Kiukok, he does really good black artsy pieces, almost on the gory side.

Loved the Manansala sketch on paper. This one probably would cost an arm, leg, a kidney and half a lung.

The gallery also houses some really good artwork from Filipinos based elsewhere, Australia, France, US, of which he finds really good ones too. There are real up and coming artists in the Philippines too that he is starting to invest on as well, if you're going to have something to save up on and thinking of art pieces to be your medium rather than buying stocks, it'll feel good because you can appreciate it rather than just looking at numbers.

Part of his goal is eventually also featuring shows in the future. If you want to learn about it and start your own collection, you can probably visit the place and start now. Be patient too and look it up, read, make your own judgement which you see would be a good thing to have in the future. Something that you might haven't seen, felt a connection with or heard before might be the next artistic genius. The time to get their work would be now, and perhaps you too would get to piece together your own puzzle. You need to build your own collection and see how it'll appreciate and go after a few years. Come visit them at 111-A Kamias Street Barangay Malaya 4 in Quezon City. They are just in front of a Shell Gasoline Station perpendicular to Kasingkasing across the street. Almost 5 blocks away from Edsa, Manila's main thoroughfare.

The place is open from Monday to Saturday from 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Call them 02 945-2573 or 0927 2600470. You may also get in touch with them through caballete.artgallery@gmail.com if you have inquiries with any of the pieces there. Oh by the way, they have a restaurant just up stairs and we'll talk about that in just a bit!

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Decisions On Saving, Investments, Land and Property

My short stay last week down south made me think a lot about getting my own place. I could afford it but I'm thinking about some other priorities; and second guessing if it's a worthwhile investment. A condo? A house? It still really bugs me, because the last thing I want to happen is to throw away cash that I've worked hard for. 

This goes the same for you guys who are just starting off at work. If you think you live paycheck to paycheck and still couldn't afford saving up for high ticket items such as a car or your own property, think of the things you've purchased that you don't really need. For example, you already have an iPhone but you go ahead and buy an iPad when in fact, you already have the same functions available on both your Apple gadgets. If you go out too much and party after a hard day’s work, think of the amount of money you could have saved than buying a few thousand pesos worth of beer because you think you deserve it every once in a while. You'll come to realize that hangovers and going bankrupt was not in the picture. Then you go to work late the next day and don't perform at par with your workplace standards. Not that I'm making you guilty about it, but I think my point stands. I learned that through the years and I think I did a pretty good job at it. It's a lifestyle change.

When we stop small things like these and save a lot, then we have to decide where to put the money. I got the chance to read an article at Lamudi which already lists down the pros and cons of owning a house versus an apartment. It saved me a lot of time. Then I figured, a condominium unit in a business district like Makati will probably be a better option if things wouldn't materialize. I have so many options to choose from but I thought about the pets, the lawn, the garage and the whole house to manage aside from the property I'd like to buy. I need to simplify my life if I want this to happen. I hope my investments in the stock market and money market yield more than what I hoped for.

What about you guys? Have you thought about where you want your money goes? Let me know!

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