A WORKING MOM'S PEN HAVEN

Cebu Adventure with Hubby

2024-11-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

I had wanted to post this since forever but did not have the time or just did not remember to have the time. I wanted to just share about this very organized albeit sablay itinerary of mine. Well what the heck!

I consider myself an expert travel planner. Having planned countless office and family local and international trips, I even thought of putting up my own travel agency just to remind me of how good I am in travel planning.

But there are of course trips that will always run into some setbacks and even unforeseen delays and even stops that may altogether throw your plans out the window. This Cebu trip with my dear hubby was probably one of those. But if you ask my husband, this was probably on his toplist of our most unforgettable trips ever.

I usually plan out by hour but since there are items in the IT that's not very familiar to me (sardine run etc), I thought to leave out the time and just run with whatever the day brings.

So here how it all went.

Day 1:

We had to leave the kids to our dear Lola Aida and have our part-time driver Ali take us to the airport. We were there about an hour early before boarding so we had early heavy merienda/prelude dinner at Cinnabon. Our flight was on-time and we landed in Mactan at 8pm. We were able to checkin at our hotel in Cebu City by 9pm and had late but suprisingly good dinner at 930pm. The sinigang of Ned Nanay's was to die for, probably the best and most creative that I've tasted. The meal was also a great deal for only P350 for us two, drinks included.

By 1030pm we retired to our beds after preparing our things for the next part of our trip.

Day 2:

We woke up early at 7am to have our breakfast which was a simple but ample buffet. By 8am we were waiting for our rent-a-motor to arrive. This one was booked by a dear friend from Cebu who was able to get a good deal for us. However, our whole planned was stalled since the motorcycle arrived 1 hr and 30 mins late. This was the thing I feared most because I know it will create a ripple effect on what we'll be able to do with the rest of the trip. And just because of that we lost 3 destinations in our IT. :(

We went on to take the rental and go through whatever's left in our IT. We decided to still push thru with the farthest IT - The Sirao Garden. We decided to just make the most out of the Garden since we can only accommodate 1 other item in our morning IT before we head to Moal boal. After that we went eat lechon in CnT. According to my husband, it was the best lechon he has ever tasted.

That Amazing Ilocos Trip

2023-04-12T21:09:00.007-07:00

Just came from our 4-day Ilocos Region adventure with the fam and I am so stoked to write about it!

My husband and I contemplated on taking the trip about a month ago when he mentioned that he wanted to see Vigan. I've been there a couple of times for work but have always wanted to visit with him and the kids so I relented despite my apprehensions because of the long travel ahead. I started creating our IT which was difficult to finalize since it meant that I had to see if we can afford the hefty sums for accommodations during peak seasons. So the first thing I did was to look for hotels within or near Vigan. Praise God I was able to find a hotel offering a family room for less than P5k! I immediately booked with a free cancelation option in case plans go hayward.

So the rest of the planning began. I booked a halfway airbnb since I know that it was a loooong drive to Vigan. Then I looked for acomm in Pagudpod in case hubby wanted to go too. Alas! 2 weeks before the trip, my husband said he indeed wanted to go to Pagudpod but when I checked the good and fairly proced ones are already gone. I then booked a hotel in Laoag instead which turned out to be a good decision since we had to go straight home on the 9th.

With our very detailed checklist of things that we needed to bring and activities we needed to do we set out for our 4-day adventure:

Day 1: NLEX horror traffic + Caba beach

We woke up at 5am and had a quick bite while hubby cooked rice and spam which we planned as our lunch just in case we encounter traffic along the way. We left the house at 6am but had to go to our condo in Pasig to get our airbed (to avoid extra bed charge). We left Pasig at around 7am and head out to NLEX. At 8am we already reached QC only to face the most horrific traffic I've ever experienced. Traffic was so bad we reached the first NLEX shell at 12nn! We decided to stop over for a bathroom break (which we had to queue for) and ate in the car since all the restos were full to the brim. Praise God we had food with us (with indivudual packs) and each one of us had a water bottle. By 1pm we were on the road and in the middle of traffic again. From that NLEX stop to SCTEX was another 3 hours, by the time we got to TPLEX is was already 4pm. Tarlac to Caba only took an hour so we arrived at our airbnb by 5pm.

Our Airbnb was a quaint place tucked in the fields of Caba which was also very near the beach area. Our lovely host Ms Jane rented out a 2-BR with own CR and kitchen at a place called J. Novotny Transient Home. Her mom managed the place and guided us on our way. On the way there were captivated by the views offered by San Carlos Caba beach. We wanted to stop right then and jump into the sea after a horrid 10-hr ride!

But we had to checkin and put down our things first. It was comforting that J. Novotny was just a few minutes away from beachfront. We immediately went back on our swimsuits to dive in the waters. We had a lot of fun chasing the waves. The shore was rocky so we had to wear our crocs while in the water. It was getting dark after a while so we experienced big waves which made it fun all the more. We went to the car on our wet swimsuits and took turns to shower off.

It was a good thing that we bought dinner at Jollibee Agoo before we headed to Caba since there were no place near to dine in. Totally exhausted, we wound down the day watching a bit of TV while my husband and I share some wine.

Day 2: Grape picking at Caba + Vigan + Slide swimming

We were all excited to start the day and left J. Novotny before 7am. Our plan was to checkout the sandy beaches of Bauang. But to our dismay, we were taken aback by the huge number of people already swimming in the beach. We also saw a lot of trash on the shortline. The water looked murky and the beach itself was not as sandy as we expected.

Turned off by the sight, we decided to try grape picking instead. We went to a vineyard called Liezel Gapuz Grape picking place. As we entered, we were given baskets and scissors which we can use to harvest all the grapes we wanted to buy. Price was P350 per kilo and we ended up harvesting 1.8 kgs or P570 worth of grapes. It was a sweet deal considering the tons of instagrammable pics that we took and the grapes tasted awesome! We all enjoyed the activity so much we promised the kids we'd do it again soon!

On the way to Vigan, we stopped by Candon City to eat lunch at a famous resto which was sadly closed for Good Friday. We settled for a family meal at Chowking. After lunch, we headed toward Vigan but had a pitstop at a breakwater view we saw along the way. The breathtaking ocean view of the Rocky Shores of San Esteban urged us to go down for a bit to take photos. Shortly after that we noticed that its shoreline had sandy beach were people already flocked to swim. We decided to put it down as our last IT before we head back to Manila on our last day.

We arrived at Metro Vigan Fiesta Garden Hotel minutes after 3pm so we expected a breezy checkin. To our disappointment, the front desk took a looong time to find my confirmed booking at Agoda. There was actually a man who was there before us and was already waiting for an hour to checkin. They said that they were having problems with Agoda and it was taking time to get confirmed from their end. Alas after an hour, they told me that they found my booking but we still needed to wait to have our room ready. We decided to proceed to Vigan City and just come back to collect the key later.

I had never seen Vigan this busy and this crowded! The infamous Calle Crisologo turned into a heap of selfie-crazed people walking through the street while avoiding the occassional threading of vintage horse carriages. Despite that, Vigan's charm did not fail to enthrall my husband and my kids. It is as close as you can get to time travelling. With the vintage houses, the olden day streetlamps and cobble stoned streets, one can't help but be amazed on how well Ilocanos were able to preserve this marvelous place. It was great to find that magic of Calle Crisologo now extended to the other streets and that the whole city now have been transformed to similarly designed vintage theme of the 1900s. We swore to come back dressed in white and our formals for a dainty photo shoot less the crowd of course!

After our dinner we head back to the hotel for a very late checkin as we were still made to wait before we finally got our keys. The kids were excited to take a swim at the hotel's large pool which features an adult and a kiddie slide. The kids especially my son enjoyed the slide so much that I had to promise to to come back to the place again another day. We also snacked on the delicious bagnet we bought from thr city. It was literally to DIE for! hehe.

Day 3: Pagudpod + La Preciosa Carrot Cake

This day was the penultimate point of our trip! To visit the Boracay of the North was a dreamy idea to anyone! After a sumptous buffet breakfast at Metro Vigan Fiesta Hotel, we drove to Ilocos Norte for Pagudpod!

We first had to stop by Palacio de Laoag in Laoag City to make sure our booking was confirmed. On the way to Pagudpod, we made a quick photo opp at the Bangui Windmill Viewdeck. We lost our way finding Pagudpod Saud beach as the google map was pinned at the wrong site. We had to ask people for directions which finally lead us to Saud beach.

Since I have been to the place twice in past, the picture of Pagudpod in my mind were all about pristine sandy white beaches and a mile long shoreline which was comparable to the sands of Boracay. Its cystal clear waters turned into somewhat murky green with lots and lots od seaweed at the bottom. The shore did not even had space for sand caatle making. I almost wept when I saw how poluted the place had become because of the hundreds or even thousands of people swimming and pitching their space in the shore, eating, drinking and polluting the area and the water. It was a sad site to see for one who saw how it was once an untainted virgin place that have then yet to be discovered.

I was also surprised to experience large waves in Saud beach. What I remembered from long ago was a calm sea that had little to no waves at all. Maybe it was the time of the day sinc we arrived in the area at around 2pm already. By the time we arrived all parking slots were occupied and we had no choice than to park our car on the bridge! Good thing the friendly locals allowed us to do so.

We had a quick lunch before swimming but we did not take too long to swim since there were also rocky parts on the bed of the shores. We also noticed that the sky was turning grey and by the time we were showering, it was already beginning to drizzle. We ran to the car and drove back to Laoag still a bit sandy all over since there was no real place to shower in. We had to settle for open showers and pitched larged tents as changing areas provided by the local municipal council free for tourists to use. We had to pay P10-P20 per head to enter the public beach.

In Laoag, we decided to drop by a popular resto I once dined in which was famous for its best in town carrot cake. After a moderately priced dinner, we helped ourselves to a medium sized whole carrot cake. It was a great appeasement to a very disappointing day! The cake seemed to lighten up everyone's mood as we decided to really push through with our San Esteban stop over before we head back home.

After a very exhausting day, we slept soundly in the 3-bucker bedroom provided to us by the hotel. We actually expected to just get a room with 2 twin-sized bed but we were sort of upgraded. The room however was very old and had a moldy smell around it. It was passable but I it could have been abated by simple linen spray. Overall, the stay was acceptable enough because of the simple 3-item buffet it offered for breakfast. It was a value for money deal for only less than P3k for the 5 of us including the compli breakfast.

Day 4: Paoay Church + San Esteban beach

We took off from Laoag at 7am as we wanted to drop by Paoay Church for a photo opp. The kids were amazed by the church's architecture and landscaping and enjoyed every minute of the stop. By 10am we were on the road again heading towards San Esteban.

We reached San Esteban shortly after 12nn and had lunch in one of only 2 diners/restobars there. We ordered chicken inasal with unli rice for only P139 each!

After putting on much needed sunscreen, we dived right into the wavy beach. The sand was not so white but fine and the shore did not have rocks. It still had some seaweeds but way less than what we saw in Pagudpod. The crowd was also much thinner and the shoreline was also wider probably because it was not as commercialized.

Overall, the stop to San Estaban beach was well worth it! The day could have been perfect if not for the horrendous traffic we had to face going home. We left Ilocos Sur at 3pm and expecting at least 7 hours travel time, we would have been home by 10-11pm. Boy we were dead wrong! By 9pm, we were only starting to exit TPLEX as we had to endure the La Union jam where we saw hundreds of tourists still ramping around town. SCTEX was another 2 hours. Traffic was so bad, we saw a lot of vehicles on the side streets with their hoods up and with people sitting it outside their vehicle.

By 11pm, we decided to make a pitstop at the first Shell station in NLEX we could find. Alas! A sea of vehicles flooded the area. Hundreds of desperate hungry tourists lined up at counters of restaurants that were still open. By that time, Chowking and Burger King was already closed. Jollibee had its last call when we checked. So the only options left were Wendy and Krispy Kreme, both had a mile long queue. We decided to take our chances with Wendy's.

By 1am, we faced NLEX carmagedon! We endured the most gruelling 3 hrs which should have been less than an hour in a normal day. As we exited NLEX, we saw the density of cars in the streets decreasing until waze confirmed that we would be reaching our house by 5am! When we alighted out car, we already saw the light of day. We quickly changed our clothes and retited on our beds. My husband, however, who drove almost 24 hrs straight was too exhausted to sleep! He drank Cobra after our late dinner so his mind would still be wide awake up to 12 hours. By morning he ran some errands and even worked a bit on the van. At last he was able to sleep by 4pm.

I Praise God for my husband and his willingness to go thru the entire ordeal without complaining. He was juat so happy that we had this wonderful family adventure. Praise God for this trip!

For those curious about how much we spent here's the breakdown for you:

Grocery before Trip: P2k

Gas: P7,000 (Antipolo to Pasig to La Union to Vigan to Laoag to Pagudpod to San Esteban to Mexico Pampanga to Antipolo) - We gassed up P3,500 twice)

Airbnb J.Novotny: P2,200

Metro Vigan Fiesta Garden: With breakfast for 5: P5,650 (promo rate in agoda, early booking)

Palacio de Laoag with breakfast for 5: P2,400 (promo rate in agoda, early booking)

Food:

Day 1: Breakfast- at home (baon bread and peanut and cheesewiz)

Lunch- Baon Spam and rice

Dinner: Jollibee-P800

Day 2:

Breakfast- cooked cornedbeef and sausages

Lunch:-Chowking P800

Dinner: Calle Crisologo Resto- P1k

Bagnet- P250 :)

Day 3: Breakfast Buffet C/o hotel

Lunch: Picnic lunch on shore: P500

Dinner: La Preciousa including whole cake: P1,500

Day 4:

Breakfast: c/o hotel

Lunch: San Esteban: P800

Dinner: wendy's: P1k

Toll fees: P1k

Total: P25,900

Remembering our last precovid travel ..part 2

2022-06-20T21:24:00.003-07:00

Each time I hear about anything related to Cambodia like Angkor Wat, Phnom Phen, Lara Croft and so on, I can't help but feel nostalgic and go back to when we had the most amazing 2 days and 2 nights we had in Cambodia.

Cambodia was the second leg/country of our Indo-China adventure and so far it's the one that met the most hospitable people we've met, far cry from the horrors that we experienced during our short visit to Ho Chi Mihn.

The Cyclo Hotel and staff

Only a few minutes from the bus terminals, The Cyclo Hotel is a gem for foreigners looking for a quick tour of Siem Reap and its most famous spot --The Angkot Wat temples. The boutique hotel offers large beds and sizable amply put showers and tiny hints of luxury along the way. But what makes the hotel great aside from the sparkling decor pool and the bountiful breakfast is the staff's very warm welcome and service.

Remembering our last travel before the pandemic...Part 1

2021-11-18T02:02:00.002-08:00

Every once in a while I find myself in a trance. I pause to reflect on what is happening in the world. The feeling is overwhelming. I recall the year that was. Then I remember the year before. The Pre-pandemic. What it meant for me then and what it means to me now. A world of difference. Something that I may never be able to go back to ever again.

2019...That year was when I backpacked with my husband from Vietnam to Cambodia to Thailand by land and air in 6 days- an awesome feat for someone with a chronic illness like me. Manila to Ho Chi Mihn was supposed to bea normal uneventful night flight but turned out to be a traumatic experience for our first time in Vietnam. The taxi driver duped us into letting him count our money and with his quick hands was able to snatch at least P1,000 worth of Dong money from us.

We actually stayed in 2 hotels in Vietnam both of which were not worth mentioning at all. Both were 2 star hotels where we had the most unpleasant stays in the whole trip.

I remember taking the cheapest night bus from Ho Chi Mihn to Siem Reap. We were indeed courting danger but we manage to brave our backpacking adventures and make it in one piece. That bus ride was probably the cringiest bus ride I ever had. Not to mention that the bus itself must have been as old as I am judging from how it creeks at every step, the ride was uneventful yet unnerving still with almost all passengers smelling like they've been out in the sun all day. My only comfort then was that I was with my most loyal steed, hubby always kept guard and made sure that he wrapped his arms around me all 14 hours of the way.

We reached Siem Reap at 10 in the evening so you can imagine how scared we were when the bus stopped on a dingy garage-like bus station which looked like a scene from an old horror movie. There were only a few people around but these seemed like the ones you wouldn't like to make eye contact with. I tried calling the hotel that I booked which promised to pick us up but my skype kept failing me. My hubby started to talk to some boy who drove a Tuktuk and ask if he could bring us to the hotel but the boy did not know about the hotel. We were just about to panic when my phone rang and alas it was the hotel! They couldnt find the terminal that I indicated in my booking but they were searching all 5 bus terminals near the vicinity. What a relief! I told the girl from the hotel that we were able to talk to a Tuktuk driver who can probably take us there so we made them talk to each other.

Thankfully, in minutes, we arrived in the The Cyclo Siem Reap Hotel and Praise God it only went right up from there.

I'll tell you about the next 2 days in my next blog but for now let me share you a pic from this amazing hotel we found in Siem Reap - THE CYCLO SIEM REAP HOTEL

How knowing SEO changed my career path

2021-10-14T21:17:00.003-07:00

It's been more than a year since I took the SEO specialization course from Coursera given by UC Davis Extension program. And boy is it a great pivoting experience so far. As one who have been in the practice of market research for more than 20 years, venturing into a totally new field is not only nerve-wracking but also defining. It changed my career path unexpectedly even at age 40.

It was also last year that I have concurrently been assigned as Head of SEO/SEM for the entire conglomerate. And because of that, I have been able to practice SEO not only with one website but with 12. One year later, I've seen these websites grow impressions by 1k% and traffic by 500% because of organic and local SEO. It actually surprised me how powerful SEO really is in achieving traffic goals which will help you eventually grow leads. We now have a steadily increasing number of leads across the 12 brands.

But recently I have been trying to assess if I were to shift my career to SEO/SEM. I have been mulling over it for quite sometime. And I surmised that if I were to be really successful with this, I need to also be a good digital marketer which needs to include Social Media. As shy as I am in real life, I really don't see myself turning into a vlogger or a tiktoker. That's really not my thing. But my hubby suggested that I should explore podcast instead. Well, maybe I will, maybe I won't, we'll see.

Where am I going with this blog, I actually don't know. I just want to update and share my thoughts with everyone as I venture into a career assessment. In my age, I know it's quite late and may not be a good thing since I think I already established myself in the research industry somehow. But I know that even market research needs to be digitized and so I am also thinking to help the said industry to pivot to digital market research.

By God's grace I'll be able to think things through.

Retirement in the Philippines: Going against the grain

2021-02-27T23:35:00.007-08:00

I started to think about retirement at age 36. I don't know why but it was then that I realized that despite my good prospects for promotion in the near future and my steady stream of income from the investments that we were making, I just knew then that I needed to start my journey to financial stability and security.

My son and my youngest was less than a year old then. I computed in my mind that when he reached college at 18 years old, I would be around 55 years old by then. I was unsure what I'd be by then. Would I still be healthy enough to work? Would we have enough savings to make sure that he has money for a decent college to go to? Would he be intelligent enough to make it to UP to enjoy free tuition? It was unsettling. I felt I had to do something. And so I realized that I wasn't even talking about retirement. I was just thinking about Sam's college really.

So it was then that I made my big leap to get a VUL. I did not know much about it then but I studied it and made sure I would at least have enough after 15 years to ensure Sam's tuition at the very least. It was just a start up policy with P1M insurance and a small Balanced investment which I would have to pay for 10 years. Then I would need to let my money grow till Sam would be about a year in college. If by that time I would not be able to work anymore, at least I am sure that I will not need to help from my older kids for his tuition. Hannah will have already graduated by then at age 25. But I promised myself that I will do my best not to ask money or support from my kids.

Fast forward to today, I just have 3 years more to go to pay off my first VUL. Ryan got his VUL at age 35 also in 2016 and he will already pay it off by June 2021, only 4 months from now since he got a 5-year paying period. That would have a 10 year waiting period to mature so as early as 2031, Ryan can already earmark that for Hannah for her post grad if she wants to pursue Medicine.

I got another VUL at age 39 in 2018 which will I will may off in 2028. I am earmarking that for 2033 if Joanna wants to pursue law school so she would have the option to become a full time law student.

I am now 43 and I feel that I am just on thr prime of my career. We already added several investments including a house and lot from Crown Asia and a condo in pasig to ensure that we have income after we decide retire at age 58. I dream of travelling the world, checking off my bucketlists and spending the rest of my days serving the Lord.

I praise God for the strength and the wisdom he gave us to allow us to plan ahead. He is truly our Jehavah Jireh, our God who provides.

Why is Camella Manors the most exciting condo this year?

2021-02-11T00:02:00.005-08:00

I have again been invited to give a talk about digital selling among its sales network. This time by a very popular brand Camella and its new vertical brand Camella Manors.

In my webinar, I've covered topics from Macroeconomics and Industry updates collated from several sources. I also presented a perspective of the brand's buyer persona and journey map. Finally, I gave recommendations on how sellers can leverage on digital assets and tools to effectively reach their market.

But as I pre-recorded that webinar and while giving the piece about the industry update and how the market demand was changing towards the suburbs and even provincial areas, I came to realize that I was indeed describing in general and maybe even in detail what Camella Manors is. Camella Manors' advantage has always been its prime location in the provinces and even fringes of the Metro like Caloocan. Emerging cities like Antipolo and Malolos are among those is the pipeline developments of the brand. And even now, Camella Manors Lipa which is about to start construction, is just a trike away from the University Belt in Lipa Batangas.

Camella Manors is also designed with generous portion of open spaces. Within the condo community, even before the pandemic, the condo development already featured family friendly facilities such as play ground, pool, function rooms, sports and recreation facilities among others. Each Camella Manors property is also planned to have a commercial community center if not to be adjacent to a Vista Mall.

Camella Manors Butuan as I've heard selling like hotcakes (as agents refer to fast selling). I would not be surprised since the Butuan site is on very prime location at the heart of the city.

You can check out other locations for Camella Manors thru their website: https://www.camellamanors.com/properties

Truly, investors should not miss to consider Camella Manors as a prime candidate for their next investment.

It is after all from Camella, the country's largest and most trusted horizontal real estate brand. As an investor myself, my bet is for Camella Manors as the most exciting condo development this year.

What makes a good Financial Advisor?

2021-02-08T23:10:00.004-08:00

If you're my age, you've more likely come across an Insurance Agent or Financial Advisor from among the popular insurance companies in the Philippines. Most of them claim to be able to advise you on investment portfolios that you may want to buy or avail for yourself. They would often ask you first about your investment capacity or the amount that you are willing to invest whether monthly or one-time and then move into presenting you a proposal based on that alone.

Based on my experience on investments, the best kind of advisors are those that are concerned with the end goal rather than what you'd like to give up from your disposable income. Normally, when you ask people about how much they would like to invest, they would normally just let you know how much extra extra money they have or what they usually have left after a payroll cutoff. If you let people do that, chances are you'd end up getting lose changes as investment funds. There lies the disconnect usually because people normally expect more than they are willing to invest. This is why the search for the best Financial Advisor is one of the best things that a budding investor should endeavor

Here are the checklist of things that you need to note about the FA that you’re thinking of trusting for your first financial investment.

1. A good listener - take notes of what you need and want to achieve. He probes about your dreams and goals both short and long term. He also listens to your apprehensions about investments and helps you thru the understanding process.

2. Insightful – gives sound advise in several investment options and then tailor fits the best one/s for you. He knows not only the product but also the industry and the economic situation in the Philippines. It will be nice if he can update you on the current market situations so that you'll be able to note the backdrop for your investment decisions.

3. Walks the talk – also has insurance and investment products that he sells. It would be difficult for an agent to relate to his clients if he himself have not invested in the products he is selling. He must be excited with the product and therefore he himself should be willing to invest in it.

4. An experienced investor – owns varied investment assets like real estate, stocks, etc. so that he can give you different perspectives on investments and not just the product that he sells. To have a full view of the investment market, he should base the advise that he gives from his own experience. This gives him more credibility and trustworthiness.

5. Empathetic – shows genuine concern and the eagerness to help you in your financial journey. This is rare among FAs that I have dealt with. Find an FA who not only wants to earn from you but also who is concerned about you. He must be a financial advocate or someone who would like to see you succeed.

6. Non-judgmental - A good FA is one whom you can share your current liabilities with to help you assess your real financial situation. Whether you still have a lot of debts to take care of, you should be comfortable enough with him to share that information to understand your investment conditions.

More likely you have come across an FA with some of the above characteristics but it is more difficult to find one that has all 6. But I have one that I know who has all these. Of course, this might be a bias assessment because that person is my husband but this is also how I know that he definitely has it all. My husband is my greatest influencer in all of my financial decisions. He has guided me in all my investment endeavors and so far we are on track in achieving our financial goals.

He is now connected with AXA Life, a top insurance company which is considered one of the oldest financial institutions in the world. He's a license insurance and investment broker and with me owns several (4 policies to be exact) VUL products. We also got one of their best investment product - the Asset Master. We have a condo for rent, 2 house and lot units (one primary and one for rent). One of our houses is located at Maia Alta in Antipolo. This is currently being marketed by the Vista Treasures group. We also bought memorial lots from Golden Haven Antipolo aside from 2 memorial plans we bought 6 years ago from another company. We also have invested in stocks and some investment funds from different companies. Ryan and I have also been able to travel in countries in Asia like Japan, UAE (Dubai), Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam. If not for the pandemic, we were really due to visit his brother in Germany this year and then visit my sister and his other brother who are both based in Canada.

Based on this and his genuine concern for people, without a shadow of a doubt, if you consider my husband - Ryan Mananquil, as your Financial Partner/Advisor, you truly are in good hands.

You may reach Ryan Mananquil thru his FB page: https://www.facebook.com/RightPeopleMarketing (InvestPH) or his mobile number 09167981927

Real Estate Industry Outlook in the Philippines: What's in store for 2021?

2021-02-06T16:23:00.008-08:00

REALIZATIONS OF REAL ESTATE PANDEMIC TRENDS

It's now Feb 2021 and I have held off this 2021 outlook piece precisely because I was too busy thinking of what to say.Yes, 2021 unlike its predecessor the phenomenal 2020 is perturbly quiet and uneventful. Whether good or bad so far, we don't know.
https://www.camella.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/2018-CAMELLA-MEADOWS.jpg
In the real estate scene, all developers including the top dogs have been silent about their 2020 performance except for one IPO company who happily announced that they even grew by 12% in 2020. This is probably considering that they are still a minor player despite going public. For the big guns, top developer Vista Land has been showing muscle to defend its turf in the horizontal segment.
Now that the vertical realm has been challenged on several fronts including the mass exodus of the POGO market, the impending oversupply may occur because of it. Shortly after this and in the offing is the correction in prices in some areas particularly those that were vacated by POGO employees.
Finally, the major effect of the protocols on occupancy in condos which are still regulated even after the lockdown is a huge obstacle for the industry as well. The Airbnb business for one has almost seen its demise during the height of the pandemic. All transient condos which were groomed for staycation setups for Airbnb were forced to transition to long term lease of minimum 6 months. Since the supply of these midterm rental condos increased, owners can no longer command the same monthly rents pre-COVID.

Shift to horizontal

Surely, condo development will see a rebound in the aftermath of all these. Indeed, condos are here to stay. I am sure there will still be condos for sale in years to come. But for now, people are shifting its interest towards house and lots and lots only for investments. This is evidenced by the demand noted by a property listing company citing significant growth in views and leads for horizontal developments. You now see an abundance of house and lot for sale in these listings.
Many areas outside NCR have been identified as hotspots including Antipolo, Bacoor, Dasma, Batangas, Pampanga to name a few. Cebu and Davao have also shown upward trend. These are areas where Vista Land properties are already positioned as self-sustaining, thriving communities. Camella, Lumina, Bria and Lessandra carry the different housing options for the market in these emerging areas. How lucky are their buyers who have truly gained from the pandemic by packing on some value appreciation because of the infra that are bolstered around the areas and the demand that it is now gaining.

Value appreciation becomes a crisis cushion

Just to emphasize, a friend of mine who lost her job consulted with me on how she can resell her Camella house and lot unit whose downpayment she has already paid. It was about 2.5 years ago when she bought the house and lot for only P2.5M. Before I answered her, I checked the current value of her property now and I was totally but pleasantly surprised to discover that the same property is now pre-selling at P4M. And since it is now due for turnover, it's value could easily amount to as much as P4.3M. Wow! That's almost 2M in 2 and a half years in appreciation.
When I shared this with my friend, she was ecstatic but at the same time regretful that she had to let go of the house and lot property. After a month, she reported back to me that she was able to sell it and that she was able to recover all her payments and even earn a little (more than bank highest SA interest) from the transaction. It was according to her one of the best investments she's ever made. She promised herself that once she's able to stabilize her income, she will endeavor to get another Camella because she now trusts that it is the best real estate investment brand out there.

Conclusion

Truly, we are still in the pandemic period. Without the clear prospect of a vaccine on the horizon, the market is still on a wait and see stance. But everyone's hope is up. With all the savings that have been made by the middle income earners over sudden lifestyle changes, people are holding on to their money until such time that they can spend it. But once the fact that real estate is the most solid investment to own at any time is realized, they should want to spend that money into these worthwhile products instead.
Now that people are wanting to move to areas where the air is still fresh and trees and greens are still abundant, house and lot properties are a gem to own. Coupled with the government infra finishing up on these areas, horizontal developers like Vista Land should be experiencing what they call a market euphoria. My advise is to ride the waves with these brands under Vista and you will surely get out of this crisis as a winner.

Milleneals were able to save during the pandemic and they need to invest now

2020-11-27T00:21:00.003-08:00

I got invited by people from Vista Residences to talk about Investing Tips for Millleneals. This will happen on Dec 1 via their Official facebook account. Please see here to registration link.

https://www.vistaresidences.com.ph/

https://www.facebook.com/VistaResidencesOfficial/posts/3825522130801187

As I was mulling over the topic for my talk, I needed to do some research on this generation which has been misjudged and misunderstood by the older gen, including mine (Gen X). But as I conclude my deck, I realized that every generation has gone through that stage in life where self-realization is a foremost need. Sometimes more than financial stability, the need to find the self is I think one of the most important ideals for the said Gen Y. This is evidenced by its high level of patronage of travel promos and DIY get away trips by most of the middle class even those belonging to the lower middle class.

I remember one of my staff in the office telling me how she is able to save for 4 months by having pack lunch instead of her usual lunch outs. She of course was saving for a trip to Bali with her friends who were also saving for their trip in different ways. But this staff of mine belongs to the lower middle class family whose parents are still working at blue collar jobs despite their old age. Again, most of us are quick to judge them but for these kids as well as their parents, they deserve trips like these.

So for years since this generation joined the workforce we see an increase in spending on non-essential and recreational items that we (Gen X) are only seeing recently. Aside from hightech gadgets, these items have been there for years (travel, restaurants, getaways, hotels etc). But it is only now that these are being taken up in a no-guilt fashion. This probably is a result of our economy doing fairly well pre-covid when GDP is growing by at least 5-6% on a yearly basis. People have more money to spend. They either earmark a huge amount of savings to recreational or they just spend it all in one go most of the time. Having this in mind, we can say therefore that spending has indeed been rationalized because of the pandemic. Not because they do not want to spend but because they cannot spend. Their travel plans have been cancelled because of airline cancellations. They shopping has been limited to online which most still have apprehensions especially in buying clothes. And dining out is at a halt because of safety issues etc. In 2019, my spend on lunch, snacks and dinner alone averaged P10k a month. This is not including fancy dinners with family and friends. So I can just imagine how much people are able to save for least 6 months now.

In general, you'd think that milleneals, now 27-36 yo, are still immature individuals who are usually blowing off their salaries in a day for a day in the spa or hotel. In my opinion, most of them already started a family and most have already saved enough to start small businesses online along with their full-time jobs. Most GEn Yers I know if they're still single are now in that stage where they are thinking of settling down. And this pandemic might have accelerated their thinking process. They might have contemplated about their future and how well they should prepare for it.

Investing in real estate in the time of COVID

2020-08-29T01:12:00.002-07:00

Investing in real estate (condo and house and lot) in the time of COVID As a real estate researcher, I've read and navigated through a lot of information and data to analyze and provide insights to our company leaders about industry trends. Off work, many of my friends also ask me for advise when it comes to decisions about real estate. To buy or not to buy this property, to sell or not to sell at this price, to rent out long or short term, house and lot or condo, and other related queries about what to do with their money and property. I almost always suggest to keep it simple and logical. If it does not add up and you have an inch of a doubt about it, then don't do it. However, there are also signals that should not be ignored. This is especially true in periods when demand presets supply. The worst case scenario for a buyer/investor is to see a property be sold out just when you've decided to buy it and then see it appreciate exponentially over a short period of time. This is why a lot of people is asking me this age old question: "Is it right to invest now?" "Even during the pandemic?".
My simple answer to that is a YES!
In the course of my career as a researcher, I've had the opportunity to speak to a lot of people from all walks of life. Recently, one of our studies involved affluent respondents and investors. And to cut to the chase, they all told me that during this time (COVID) is when they are most willing to buy properties. Some would consider themselves as opportunistic investors but others would say that they belong to the conservative pack. But nonetheless, there was almost zero apprehension about investing during this time. In fact, one of them said that it would be a total waste if he would not buy a single property in the next 3 months or before the vaccine for COVID is released to the public. Each one of them is anticipating a big rebound after this period once the issue boils over. You'd probably ask "Why would they invest during this uncertain times?"
My quick answer: "They know something most of us don't - Investing".
One respondent tells me that after buying 5 condo properties and seeing all of them liquidate themselves in due time condo properties for him seemed to become a "free buy". It means that one only needs to invest a small portion (20%) and wait for it to be turned over to you. About the time the unit is ready for you to use, you would have already earned back that 20% on value appreciation.
His example was a property he bought in 2015 at preselling, priced at P5M. He forked out 20% (P1M), even deferred payment in 2 years and wait another 3 years for the turn over. When the developer informed him how much his RFO property is now, he almost jumped for joy as he noted that it was already priced at P7M, 40% more than the original price! For him it was like lending his money for 5 years and the return was more than what banks and even mutual funds are ready to offer. What's more is that after turn over, investors can rent it out for almost the same price as a low-interest bank loan amortization. It literally pays for itself.
But why now, why during COVID? It is in this opportune moment that developers are offering the most aggressive payment schemes especially with the lower and middle priced properties. Discounts and stretched payments that you have not and may not ever see again are now being offered to buyers. Banks are also cooperative from their end since they also have quotas to manage. Consumer Confidence Index maybe at an all time low but it is bound to recover as the trauma of the pandemic begins to subside. People are no longer afraid to go out. A lot of establishments are already opening and the economy is about to pick up again. As the old adage goes, there is really no way to go but up from the slump that we have been through in the last 3 months.
If I were to assess the real consumer confidence at least from an investor standpoint, I would say that recovery is really in the offing. And a lot of people (affluent people and investors mostly) are excited about it. Because they know that people belonging to that segment of the population who shares the wealth of the country (middle to upper income class) are able to save during the pandemic. Most of them have postponed and even cancelled their domestic and international travels. A significant amount of food and leisure expenses were saved for the past 6 months. And of course the purchase of non-essentials and luxury items has been put on indefinite hold at least in the last 6 months.
So people, certain people at least have money - extra money that is waiting to be spent. What better way to spend it than in real estate, where your money works for you.
As a wise man once said "It's the time to invest and it's also the best time to sell. Because you need to be very pessimistic if you think that this pandemic issue would go beyond 2021." I could not agree more.

CoHo by Vista Land is present in Las Pinas, Taguig, Cavite, Davao and CDO

My tween daughter's challenge

2020-05-04T08:28:00.001-07:00

My daughter "Banana" will soon come of age so I finally allowed her to create her own blog. That was about 2 weeks ago and now she just asked me how many followers I have on my 10-year old blog. So I checked for the very first time and so I realized that I just have 3 followers! 3 in 10 years and that already included her! To top it off, my own hubby isn't even following me! Hahaha.
I mean I have gained 2k+ views over the years but none of them seem to be interested in following my blog.
And so I am now totally determined to prove my daughter wrong when she said that: "Mommy, you don't have any friends!" Because I know I do. Hahaha I am just positive that at least some of them would care enough to prove it. Hahaha.
Anyway, who said a mom can't feel insecure about having friends anymore... I sure am glad that I have Jesus with me. At least I know I have one who would follow me wherever I go. And one who will be by my side online and offline. :)
So please, pretty please friends, pls follow me by subscribing your email add.
Super thanks!
#bananachallenge
#ihavefriends
#insecuremom

Thinking of buying a house? This seminar for house and lot buyers is for you

2020-05-01T04:50:00.006-07:00

If you are looking for information on what house and lot for sale options are available for P10k up a month, you should attend this webinar conducted by yours truly.
I have been a real estate advocate for 8 years now and I have had experience in buying 3 properties from different sources - developer, foreclosed and Pagibig
It is an exciting and most interesting topic for most pinoys out there who have yet to start owning a home of their own.
Details of the webinar are as follows:

You may message us at our fb page: https://www.facebook.com/howtobuyhouseandlotph/ to get the meeting ID and password.
Pls click here for the event info:
https://www.facebook.com/events/260782601632745/
See you on May 9, 2pm via Zoom

Balik Probinsya Program: Preparing for the new normal

2020-04-25T01:06:00.007-07:00

Vista Land supports the Balik Probinsya program by offering several affordable house and lot packages in hundreds of locations nationwide.

The government recently extended the ECQ in Metro Manila and critical areas of the country to May 15, 2020. While the rest of the world continue to battle the dreaded virus, PH has more worries ahead. the economy is on the brink of collapsing and people's lives are also on hold because of fear and uncertainty. The different Department of the government each has its own contribution to the Task Force that is helping each other to solve the crisis. But left out in the picture at least for now are the economists that would like to push for more detailed plans on how to revive the economy after the COVID crisis. DOH on the other hand is still on the limelight sharing it with the DSWD in making sure that the spread is controlled and that people would have food on their plates everyday.
Short term stops are on its way but long term solutions are still hanging as we speak.
Thankfully, cabinet members have agreed on one program as of late. And this is a very wise program that may really have long term effect and may serve as our defense for future health crises such as COVID. This is the government's BALIK PROBINSYA PROGRAM. This has actually been started way back 2016 and one of the first programs initiated by the Duterte government.
However, its traction was left to the rut as business conglomerates' support on this has not been realized. Instead the infra program or BBB has even been the reason why people saw the need to stay and live within Metro Manila to avoid the daily horrors of commute and travel. According to a survey report from Colliers International, about 60% of workers living in the suburbs of NCR are willing to find co-living spaces in the Metro. Even so most are willing to pay an average of P4-6k per head for a bedspace near their workplace. Developers took advantage of the situation by offering condo developments near workplace, some with an outright co-living model. But all that's gone at least for now after the lockdown has taken place. People living in these highly densed co-living spaces all went back to their homes mostly in nearby suburbs and provinces. 5 of my 10 staff have exactly the same experience. and because of forced work-from-home arrangements, most companies are rethinking their physical office models to incorporate some learnings from the pandemic.
But going back the BPP, I would think it is the best social program I've seen so far. Manila is really overrated. I have long rejected many proposals of real estate developers offering condo developments for my family. I have once rented in Manila and I told myself that I will never rent again.
But I noticed that a lot of my friends and acquaintances from Manila have stayed in their ancestral homes and is currently stuck with their parents even though they already have families of their own. This is because of the lack of affordable housing in NCR. In my many FGDs about real estate, those who intend to buy their own house and lots were thinking of buying condos instead of a house and lot in the Suburbs because they wouldn't like to commute 3hrs a day one way to and from work. However, with the new norm, people will be forced to rethink. People should rethink house and lot. First of all in a condo, your chances of contracting the virus is much higher that if you live in your own house and lot. You'll have less common things to touch and you'll have fresh healthier air to enjoy in a house and lot than a condo. In most subdivisions like Camella, Lessandra and Lumina, you'd get to enjoy the same level of security with their 24/7 guards. You get to enjoy subdivision amenities such as swimming pools, basketball court, clubhouse etc. And most Vistaland properties also have malls and relevant establishments that makes these subdivisions self-sustaining. Plus if you live in the more provincial areas, you'll be able to enjoy more natural scenery right out of your balcony.
The government is planning to provide incentives for both people and business sectors who support the program. Creating jobs and opportunities for the people who will choose to uproot themselves from NCR and more importantly to those who are just forced to rent in Manila to return to their home province to restart their lives.
Surely, the Villar group is on the front end of all these are they already have the products to support this program. They actually have 2 brands (Lumina and Bria) www.lumina.com.ph and bria.com.ph that cater to the lower middle class. Prices starts at P500k and Pagibig amortization is as low as P2,000 a month.

They also have models for the middle class that starts at P800k or monthly amortization of P6-8,000 a month.

Another brand Lessandra lessandra.com.ph aims address the real middle class who can afford house and lot packages of P1.5M to 3.2M, monthly payments starts at P15k.

Of course we all know Camella Homes https://www.camella.com.phmay be found anywhere. The country's largest home builder, Camella packages starts at P3M for about P20k per month. Amenities of each brand vary and Camella would of course have the most outstanding offering. Camella has complete amenities which includes a large or olympic-sized swimming pool, grand clubhouse, a 2-ring basketball court, jogging path, playground, 24/7 security with roaming guards and lush landscaping in common areas.

As we get ready for the inevitable impact of COVID to our economy, it would really be worthwhile to consider the new normal. Hopefully, people would see that their movement from Metro Manila might be the best decision they may ever make. A simpler, happier and safer life in the province might just be what we really hope for. As we dare to navigate our way through these uncertain times, we pray people will come to realize the importance of space and healthy fresh air which is almost non-existent or at least non-accessible to most in the Metro. As a true native of the province of Rizal, I am one of the few who have realized this early on. I can say that I am genuinely enjoying the lockdown and do not see the need to go outside especially downtown for anything. A stone's throw away is a grocery store and a small wet market where my husband buys food for us. We are lucky to enjoy the cool breeze of the air every morning when we take our daily dose of Vitamin D. We can freely walk outside our park for a quick snack while kids lightly play and jog along the path. We don't have to open common door knobs or handles like the usual condo dwellers do. We don't have to touch elevator buttons and pray that it is empty so we can avoid being cloistered with other people. We don't have to get worry about getting infected all the time.
Yes, we are the lucky ones but also the wiser ones who have long stayed in the province despite the hassles of everyday commute. We only hope that more people will make follow suit and make the wise decisio - #balikprobinsya.
For inquiries you may visit their website or their fb pages:
Camella: facebook.com/camellaofficial
Lessandra: facebook.com/lessandraofficial
Lumina:facebook.com/luminahomesofficial
Bria: facebook.com/thebriaofficial

To OFWs: Starting your home purchase is the greatest decision you'll ever make

2020-04-18T05:33:00.006-07:00

I have read a worrisome article from an OFW forum which has been shared and has circulated among OFW group communities. It mentioned that purchasing real estate may not be a good idea for OFWs. Apart from the fact that he the writer is trying to convince his audience to buy "stocks" as a form of investment, I am really not sure where he is coming from.

I have been a daughter of an OFW since age 2. One of the earliest conversations with my dad circled around his reasons for not choosing to work locally. And the very first of these reasons was for us to have a decent home and a good life. 3 years into his work as a cashier in Jeddah, he bought a piece of land and 2 years after we moved into our unfinished house. Slowly over the years my mom would try to make major improvements like an extension or a interior finishing or a semi permanent partition which would later on form part of a still unfinished house and lot.

During that time there was no concept of a house and lot development yet at least in our area. So people or OFWs with some savings are left to build or pay some contractor/engineer to work on the house after the lot has been purchased. It takes some time to finish and more often than not because of the small budget, construction is most of the time left unfinished.

This generation of OFWs are the lucky ones. Real estate developers like Camella Homes are now offering built to sell and ready for occupancy units that only need a portion of your savings to jumpstart your dream of owning a home. Reservation is only a fraction of your monthly salary and the terms of payment are so flexible, it allows stretch down payment while they process your bank requirements.

Bank loans are now also very accessible to overseas workers that an OFW bank account is all it takes for a loan approval.

Real estate is still the most efficient way to diversify assets because its value consistently appreciates over time. In the south suburbs, the growth rate in zonal value of land alone has appreciated at an average of 14 percent per annum over the last 10 years alone. It is the only investment aside from fine jewelries that you get to also get to enjoy while it appreciates. And now unlike any other investments, you dont need spot cash to acquire real estate. It truly is better than putting your savings in a bank.

Imagine if you start saving for your intended house and lot now and you peg at least P30k per month as savings to eye your dream house and lot. Yes, you will be able to save a total of P3.6M in 10 years. But unfortunately that same P3.6M property will surely double or triple in 10 years time, minimum of P7M.

And so by that time your money will still not be enough and your bank eligibility will also shorten. So instead of 15 years, you will only be eligible for a 10-year loan. Also, instead of starting early in your 30s, you'd be starting late 10 years post. You would be paying for your property in your old age. And only then will you be able to truly save for retirement.

This is the sad story of most OFWs who thought there is still time for them to save for the house of their dreams. But in reality, and honestly, the best time to save is now and it is through real estate.

So with this blog, all I wanted to do was to bust that myth that says 'Real estate is not a good investment for OFWs, instead buy stocks to earn more money and then buy a property!' This is neither a good concept nor a truthful one, it is infact irresponsible to say the least. The writer, obviously devoid of anything that's sane and moral, is misleading people and OFWs to finding their greedy nature to earn more money.
Real estate may be boring for you Mr Writer. But at least it is safe and guaranteed. Unlike the stock market that can fall out at any time especially in a critical time such as now. The stock market plummetted into oblivion as soon as the first covid19 case was declared in the country. Where is your hard-earned money now, Mr writer? Where are you now?

But for those wise investors who have started early like my OFW-wife friend who bought their Camella www.camella.com.ph unit a few years back, they are now living their dream. Already years into their paying period, they are now safely tucked in amidst the crisis, enjoying the convenience of a self-sustained community that is accessible to place of work, school and market with 24/7 security and resort-type amenities.

Another relative startes small with a 1.2M lessandra.com.ph townhouse unit she purchased from Vista and is now almost full paid after less than 5 years . She is now thinking of upgrading to a larger Camella Grande house. The unit she bought 5 years ago had almost doubled and is now 2.2M.

This is how real estate works for you. Enjoy it, live it, love it, buying real estate is truly the best decision you will ever make.

My COVID19 heart attack, Praise Jesus!

2020-04-03T08:49:00.003-07:00

It's been 21 since I've been to the office and technically we should be clear of fear from COVID19. But I realized that I am one of the lucky ones who might have survived this calamity. This Pandemic has been going on for more than 3 months and it's devastating effect is now slowly unfolding by the day. Rumors and now confirmation of impending global and national crises have circulated and haunted economists, businessmen, executives, employees since the pandemic was announced about a month ago.
I for one have had a roller coast of emotion over the virus. From panic to paranoia, to fear of stepping out of the house even for a ray of sunshine, my stress levels got the best of me recently when I almost had my second heart attack.

Yes, 2 days ago, I woke up to this throbbing pain of my chest. Coupled with dizziness and nausea, I was sweating profusely that my shirt was deeply soaked. I took my blood sugar test to check if it was too high. I got 120 which was still normal. I then drank water and had to go to the bathroom to discharge.
As I was walking back to the bedroom, I suddenly fainted. Then when I had my consciousness back i was lying on the floor, my heart still pounding like crazy, still sweating profusely like i was on a threadmill. Everything was hazy but my mind was still active.
I suddenly realized that I forgot to drink my morning maintenance med -Imdur30 yesterday.
I asked my husband to get it and I took it. Panicking and crying, my husband was trying to wake me up. But since I was still too weak to standup, he had to call out to our neighbor to help me standup and lead me to the car.
As they were walking me to the car, I vomitted water and some mucus (according to hubby).
As he was locking up the house and I was in the car, I prayed aloud with all my strengthfor Jesus to help me out . I prayed: "Jesus, I know that you can see me. I know that you are with me. Pls help me Lord. Pls heal me. Your name is Power Jesus!".
That was when I started to feel better. Maybe the meds started to kick in or the sunshine that I had not seen for a week but I know in my heart that it was Jesus.
My husband arrived a few minutes later and started the car. I knew he was bringing me to the hospital.
As he asked me how I was, he was surprised that I could already speak clearly. But I told him that I was already well and that I dont want to go to the hospital because I might get exposed to Covid.
I told him that Jesus healed me. When he saw that I stopped sweating and I was not dizzy anymore, he turned around and brought me back home.
Back in the house, we thanked our neighbor for helping us and just explained that the meds already kicked in.
When I felt a lot better I search the Internet for heart attack symptoms and was surprised that the classic tell tale signs of a heart attack were exactly the ones that I just experienced.
And if it were not for Jesus' healing mercy. I could not even begin to imagine what could have happened if I had to be brought to the emergency room that day.
We learned later on that there was no longer any available emergency room in any of the hospitals nearby.
I later called in a doctor from the Kitika App for a consult and even she thought my symptoms were consistent with a heart attack. She advised me to see my cardio as soon as I can and if they symptoms recur, I really need to go straight to the emergency room.
It's been two days since and it is now late at night but I could not help myself from sharing this miracle I experienced that day.

Indeed, the Lord is soveriegn and there is Power in His Name Lord Jesus!
In my anxiety, I learned that my only hope is in Jesus!
Truly He is my healer, my everpresent help in times of need.
I cannot help but cry and proclaim his wonderful deeds! Praise God!!! Praise His name on high!
#gratefuldespitecovid19
#covid19experience
#JesusisSovereign

My metrobank was hacked and my reserve claim was denied!

2020-04-03T08:09:00.001-07:00

I could not believe my eyes! My request for dispute has been denied!
To make the long story short, about a month ago, my metrobank account was hacked, I have been a victim of a phising scam yes but one that was brought about by a text coming from Metrobank's official SMS number. This was the same number that texts me for updates and posted about my transactions and OTPs! I would have no reason not to trust it because the sms came from their official system. Assuming this, I calmly requested for reversal and waited patiently for the decision, only to find out that they denied my claim! How can they be so cruel and heartless! But alas they are, they really are. All I can do now is to warn as many people as I can about what happened to me because Metrobank is a callous heartless bank who would not care if your money got stolen from their bank. No to Metrobank!
If I were you, leave this bank now. Pull out your money and put it somewhere safe.
Beware of of Metrobank!

Indochina challenge...Chronicles of our trip to Ho Chi Minh, Sirm Reap and Bangkok

2020-01-15T15:13:00.000-08:00

So, my husband and I embarked on this journey in an attempt to complete out SEA countries travel checklist.
So far we've been to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.
Now we're in Vietnam and about to travel to Cambodia and our last stop would be Bangkok.
So far our Saigon trip has been bitter sweet leaning to the bitter a bit more. My husband and I call the country- THE HUSTLING CAPITAL OF THE ASIA. We've had our most frightful welcome when we arrived 2 days ago. It was past 9 when we touched down Saigon. I made a mistake hailing a cab instead of booking grab, which i found out was quite easy in HCM. Anyway, upon queuing in the taxi bay, a couple of uniformed drivers approached us asking if we needed a ride. We chose a Vinusun taxi leaning online that this is a legit taxi company. Upon arrival at our hotel, still inside the taxi, we asked how much our bill was. The driver mentioned 380 and just signalled us to pay with some hand gesture. My husband gave a 100k dong bill but we said it was 380 and said to just show him our money. To our horrors, he grabbed all our money very quickly and began counting in front of us. My husband suddenly remembered an online comment we read about some Vietnamese driver doing the same thing to us. Then to his surprise, he saw the man threw our money on the passenger seat. So my husband grabbed it and told the man: this is ours! The man denied it and said that it was his. So we had a bit of squabble with the man. The man gave up and was asking us are you sure it was your money? Are you sure you're ok? To our disgust, we just took our things and went inside the hotel. In the hotel, we realized that another 500k dong was missing. The man probably threw one bill om the seat and another somewhere else. 500k dong is about Php1k. So we decided to just charge it to our one of a kind albeit sordid experience of our first day in Vietnam.

So we were off to an awful start! But this did not dampen our Spirits and we vowed to make a better day 2.
We stayed at the New Space Hotel which was very near the airport. The hotel room was big but the beddings particularly the comforter was dirty. But since we just needed a quick place to stay, we were able to call it a day at around 11pm.
The morning after we were ready to move on from our unfortunate first day. The breakfast in the hotel was passable with a good assortment of rice and bread options. It even had salad and some cold cuts aside. I loved the homemade yougurt and fruits.
We were able to book a grabcar to our next hotel and paid online to avoid having to settle payment with the driver. We arrived safely at Dragon Palace 3, our next accommodation which was right in the middle of district 1. It was very accessible to a lot of establishments.

WHY AIRBNB? THE BEST THING TO DO WITH YOUR CONDO INVESTMENT

2019-01-07T03:47:00.005-08:00

4 Reasons why we prefer Airbnb:

A lot of people who are interested to book with us are asking us why we do not accept bookings outside Airbnb. Well, I just want to explain our stand on this and our reasons why we prefer Airbnb.
1. Airbnb has a very good authentication system. As the world leader in the bnb sharing industry, it prides itself with the safest and most secure info management. This allows us to get to know more about those who would like to book our place even before they book us. Also, this saves us so much time to get details and info that would provide us peace and security before we hand you over the keys to our condominium unit. As mentioned before, this condo studio is also our second home in the metro. We stay there every so often to relax and so that our kids can enjoy swimming. But more than earning from airbnb, we really want to share that same awesome experience with as many people as we can share it with. But understandably, we also want to protect our investment as we have appliances and things in our unit. We really need to make sure that we can be protected in case of mishaps like theft and damages to our property. Aside from the secure authentication system, Airbnb actually offers insurance to its hosts.
2. Airbnb has a very safe payment system. When you signup in airbnb for the first time, one of the requirements is for you to provide your credit or debit card details. And since airbnb has one of the most secure payment system, you can be sure that you wont be debited until you’ve officially booked a stay. The creditting of your payment to the host will actually happen on the same hour of your checkin. This provides both hosta and guest with more security having to forego face to face physical payment.
3. Airbnb allows you to rate your stay! This is the main reason why I encourage guests to use airbnb. You as guests are really the king here. That’s why hosts go through lengths to really make guests happy because we know that we will be rated for our efforts and of course the value that we provide. But equally excellent is the fact that Airbnb also allows hosts to rate guests so they also will conduct themselves in a fair manner. The greatest of all guests are those who really treat the units as theirs. These are gold clients that we hope to get in every booking.
4. Airbnb offers promos for both hosts and guests. For new guests who will signup and book, they will get a P1,600 discount if they book a total of P3,500 in one booking, that means they can actually have a day worth of discount for my place. They in turn give incentives to hosts who are able to invites first time guests.

Booking airbnb really is a win-win scenario for both guests and hosts. In all aspects, it really is the most awesome way to book a value-for-money staycation!
Unless of course, you’d prefer to stay in a rundown public resort for the same amount.
Yes for the same buck, you’d get more for your money and the key is really AIRBNB!

With all these reasons, I can’t think of any reason not to book using airbnb unless of course you’re trying to hide something. Then in that case, we prefer not to have you stay in our precious home.

For interested to book my place, pm me and i can give you the coupon link for the airbnb discount for first time users.
Here’s my unit’s link for those who already has airbnb accounts: https://abnb.me/gmt6SnL5fT

Happy staycationing!

Sunlife is real! Praise God for Sunlife!

2018-12-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

Praise God!!! What an amazing God we have!

Alas! my Sunlife testimony! Sunlife is real!

It was late last year when Jayson Ignacio, my Sunlife Advisor for 4 years followed up on my promise to avail of another policy from Sunlife. My first policy was only a VUL with total disability benefit. I realized then that I needed to have more coverage before I turned 40. I still took sometime to mull over it until I finally made the decision to avail of another VUL and this time with a Critical Illness Benefit rider. It took them about a week to finish the underwriting and by 2nd week of January, I got approval for my policy and paid my first premium.

Fast forward to June 25, 2018. I was rushed to the hospital because of severe chest pain and shortage of breath. I was hooked up with oxygen and was attended to immediately by the emergency staff. They run tests including ECG and right after results came, the doctor took blood samples for the heart attack marker test. After an hour, the doctor informed me that I was having my first heart attack which was confirmed by the marker test. And since my troponin level was 17x the normal elevation, I was immediately sent to the ICU that day.

My IM referred me to a very good cardio doc who explained to me what I was going through. I felt scared for a while and thought of my kids and how they will survive without me. And in my fear, I remembered God’s promises that He will never leave me nor forsake me. It was then that I held on to my faith and found confidence in the Lord God Almighty.

It was also then that I saw God’s love for me through my family and friends especially my Dgroup. They were there to pray for me in the ICU and almost all of them visited me when I was moved to a regular room. It was on my 4th day in the hospital that I remembered my Sunlife policy with CIB. I texted Jayson to ask for assistance and he immediately attended to me and provided me with the list of requirements for submission. He even took time to help arrange for the delivery of the forms to the hospital.
I was finally discharged after about 5 days in the hospital and was given a lot of medications to prevent a second episode. My meds go for about 6k a month so the CIB benefit will really be a great help to me as I continue my medications.
Since my policy was just only 5 months old, it was well within the 2-year contestability period. Sunlife launched a full investigation and went through all my past medical records including that of my records from Medical City where I gave birth to my 3 children.
As months passed by, I was beginning to worry about the approval of my policy but still paid for the next premiums that came.
Jayson helped me with this by religiously following up on the status of my case.
Fast forward to December 4, 2018, got a call from a Sunlife claims officer informing me that my Critical Illness Benefit Rider Claim has finally been approved! She said that Jayson will be the one to pickup the check from Sunlife and give it to me in a week's time. Thank you Lord! Praise God!
Today, December 7, 2018, Jayson happily turned over my CIB check! It was also the first claim in his 4 years of being a Sunlife Advisor. I was indeed a living proof that Sunlife is real. Sunlife pays claims! Thanks to Sunlife I have funds to spend for my full recovery. With upcoming tests and meds, this will truly be a big help to me and my family.

The best thing about this is that my husband also began his journey in Sunlife Last October, he took the Life Insurance license test and passed and is on his way to become a full-pledged Sunlife Advisor in the same group that Jayson is connected. And because of this experience, we are now advocates of Sunlife! To my friends and relatives, please feel free to contact me or Ryan for questions about Sunlife.

Japan japan!: Day 1 of our Japan family trip Saga

2018-10-27T00:25:00.000-07:00

It's about a week after our trip to Tokyo Japan and though I promised myself and my husband that I will be chronicling our trip the day after, I ultimately forgave myself (and I'm sure hubby does too) for not fulfilling that promise. The sheer exhaustion from our travels would be enough excuse let alone the insurmountable stress of handling 3 small kids tagging along this trip.

But i only have 3 words to describe our struggles - ALL WORTH IT!

So how do I begin to retell this note worthy travel?

Let me start with...

Day 1:

We slept in our studio condo unit in Pasig the night before. Since we had a lot and I mean a loooot of bags to bring (family of 5), my husband ditched the original plan of commuting to the condo from our house in Antipolo. Instead, he had to go back and park our car in Antipolo at about 9pm. He was able to go back to the condo at around 11pm. By then I have successfully packed all 4 big bags and 5 small bags. We did not need not avail of a baggage services as I have already packed everything so immaculately. I am an expert packer :) Our 3 kids have slept well from 9pm after dinner to our wake up time at 2am. They were already wearing their first layer of clothes so they didnt have to change in the early morning. At 3am, we booked a grab car and were off in a few minutes.

We arrived the NAIA 3 at 4am and did not experience the usual horrible lines, we queued for about 5-10minutes. Upon entering the terminal, we went straight to checkin but since we already checked in online and did not have baggage to checkin, we were directed not to line up anymore. We only had to pay the travel tax (a total of P5,670 for all of us), in about 15 minutes we already had our boarding passes and was on our way to immigration.

Surprisingly, passing through immigration was also a jiffy. The lines were quite short and without any questions, our passports were promptly stamped.

On to the last baggage check, we also did not have any problems.

And so we waited for our flight. There was one change of gate, but other than that all went smoothly from there including the 4-hour flight.

We landed at around 11:30am (Japan time). The first thing we looked for after the Japan immigration check was the wifi rental.

We found one just near the train terminal. we opted to get the 5 days package for 5,000 yen. It was I think the mid speed one. Good thing a family friend (who we met in Japan) told me to get this in advance because I really can't imagine myself stressing out to find wifi around Japan. P2,300 for 5 days is quite expensive for internet but I think the convenience of having unli wifi without worrying about the bill is truly worth it.

We then looked for the train going to our hotel. I was lead to the skyliner ticket office where a pleasant Japanese lady who could speak little English asked me to choose between the faster (and more expensive) or the cheaper train. Of course, we opted for the cheaper on which cost us 3,200 yen (for all of us), good thing my baby boy (4 years old) was free to ride and my 2 kids enjoyed half fare rates. And so we boarded the train which took around 1 hour and 30 minutes to Ueno Station. After Ueno Station, we're supposed to go transfer trains of another color for the Oimachi station which is the nearest to our Hotel.

The train ride was awesome. We got to see the more laidback side of Japan as we traverse Narita's green landscapes. We knew that we were approaching Tokyo when we already saw some tall structures along the way.

We alighted the train at Ueno Station. Not knowing were to go next and realizing that we were already very hungry, we decided to go out of the station. Upon exit, the cold air welcomed us out. Good thing we were ready with our layers of clothing. We had to find a place to eat but we hesitated to go and try the restaurants that we saw because we did not want to blow off our budget on the first day.

And so, trailing off with our kids and luggages and bags, we set off to find food. And a few minutes of walking paid off as we saw a 7-11 nearby. We were so glad to see that there were so many food options to choose from. We bought ramen (450yen or P225), Gyoza (250yen), 5 kinds of buns (120 yen each), some water (100yen) and a bottle of green tea (100yen).

Looking for a place to eat, we asked the lady in the cashier if they have tables, but she only pointed out that we could probably eat there (pointing towards the door). Of course, these was all in Japanese and I had to assume that she understood my question. And so we followed her lead and just went out the door. And boy am I glad we did because out there about a few steps away is the Ueno Park. A very beautiful place where pigeons and crows are walking and flying about.

Since we were both so hungry and exhausted, we sat down on the side and started eating. We had to share and pass the ramen and the buns around since there were no tables around.

The food by the way was soooo delicious! I mean, this is 711 but it was better than any Japanese restaurant I've tried in the Phils. The Gyoza was superb!

After the filling meal, we were off again to find our hotel. From Ueno, we bought ticket to Oimachi station. Thanks to the wifi, we were able to find everything without hassle.

When we alighted the train, we saw our hotel building at once but had to figure out how we could get there. We took a wrong turn I guess because the travel up kept on telling me that we were walking towards the wrong direction. And so we stopped and asked a man from one of the supermarkets, he told us that we had to cross sides again but we could use the connection from the mall.

I a few minutes, we found our hotel. We were let to the other tower since we entered the first. The hotel location was the best, having a starbucks, a grocery, a convenience store and some restaurants just on the ground floor. It was an awesome place to be. We checked in easy and I paid for our stay in full (60,000 yen for 4 nights). We were given 3 key cards. The lobby by the way was one of the best I've ever seen from a 3-star hotel.

The room was at the 5th floor and it had a vending machine available. The room had three beds placed together which gave more than enough room for our family of 5! It also had a small table and some seats. The toilet had an amazing bathtub and ample toiletries. The TV however only showed Japanese so we didnt use it for anything. The wifi was ok but we did not have any need for it since we bought our own.

We were all so tired from the trip so we had to rest for 2 hours before heading out again. We reached the hotel at 4pm and slept til 6pm.

It was already dark when we went down to check out the grocery store. The amazing thing there are the food options available in the supermarket. So many kinds of food from meat to fish to ramen and veggies come in various price range. There were tempura and dumplings, sushi and sashimi which were all looked so good. We were careful not to buy too much and bought just enough for the night. We also bought milk and bread for breakfast the next day.

We ate our loot at the hotel and each of us agree that all the food taste great!

After dinner, we called it a night. The kids quickly dozed off but my husband and I had to stop and pray to praise and thank the Lord for this awesome day. Truly, the Lord is great and wonderful! To him be all the glory, power and Praise!

Japan japan...6 days to go

2018-10-09T23:48:00.001-07:00

Yes! 6 days to go before our family trip to Japan! I can’t tell you how excited I an about this! I’ve been on several trips but this one I know would be quite special since we’re doing this as a family, yes all three kids including!

So being the super anxious person that I am, I can’t stop thinking of what else to do and plan for. I’ve read dozens of articles about japan tours and to dos but I can’t seem to finish my detailed IT for our 5-day trip. Is it the jitters, the excitement, or both, I don’t know all I know is that I just want to share this feeling and probably the prep experience. This piece might be useful for semi-OC moms like me who just needs to plan, plan and plan ahead about everything. So here’s the list of my prep journey and I hope it helps on your future trip to Japan...

1) Tickets! Let me tell you first and foremost that I am not an affluent person. We’re a middle class family of 5 and I work as an officer in a large company but I cannot afford to buy 5 round trip tickets to Tokyo at full price! No way! Not it if I can help it with my Getgo points! I got our tickets about 6 months ago during a getgo points sale. In total I paid 5,000 points and only a bit north of P11k! Yes your read it right only P11k for the 5 of us, roundtrip to and from Narita. When I tell people this, they either think I am exaggerating things or I’m just flat out lying. But it’s totally true! So you guys need to take th getgo seat sale seriously from now on because it’s the best thing that happened to travel junkies like me.

2) Visa! Got our tickets last March but held on to get our Japan Visa til Sept. Why because getting a visa is really not that difficult! I have read horror stories from those who have been declined and believe me when I tell you that I doubted myself several times up to the last minute before we claimed it from our travel agency. It was such a huge relief when I finally saw our visa pasted on our passports. So you might ask for the list of requirements and procedures right? Well I won’t even try to to list them anymore because you can type in “Japan Visa Requirements” in google and you can find hundreds or blogs and articles about them. But one important thing I can share with you is that you need to have a stable source of income and a reasonable amount of money in the bank. I only showed 100k per person using our joint account. So I guess it varies depending on what you need for your travel.

3) Hotel accommodation!. I booked a good 3-star hotel in May, with a free cancellation option. Got it for 60,000Yen, less than P30k for 4 nights, nice catch right. Sure thing! Because when I checked for hotels now cheapest of the range dibs from P50,000 to P100,000! And the hotel that I chose is already fully booked. Great planning right?
4) Entrance to activities! I came to terms with this already, this is something that I can either purchase by faith online or risk on the day of my visit. I decided, with my husband's encouragement to just take a risk on the day of our visit. Of course we plan to go to Disneyland and to the famous science museums but I don't know if we can make it to the other great spots in Japan like the Harry potter studio in Osaka. I don't even know if we can make it to Osaka at all. You see, with 3 kids on my heals I doubt if we can go further than Tokyo.
5) Yens! I regret buying yens later that I should have. I wanted to see how the exchange rate will pan out once the ber months came in. I'm not sure if I was able to gain more because of the waiting. But anyway I just changed about 160,000 yen for our trip which is right smack my budget including accommodation. I will have a liquidation for you when I get back, hopefully we wont be able to spend all the yens that we have.

With only a few days to go, I really can't get my mind off our trip. I'm sure my husband is equally excited as I am. I have my detailed IT ready, I have all what we need for documentation. We have the money and the plan. All that's left is for time to fly for us to finally enjoy this momentous occasion...

House and lot in Davao: Camella Toril

2018-10-04T03:31:00.003-07:00

I have friends who hail from Davao who's been asking me about the best property to buy in Davao City. They probably know that I work as a researcher in a real estate company and that I will give them my very honest opinion about things, reason why they came to be for advise.Well, for one I have been everywhere in the country. As in literally been everywhere! My getgo points reveal that I have had more than 40,000 points accumulated in that past 5 years. My pal mabuhay miles though may not be as reflective of my flights because I rarely go PAL for obvious reasons.
Anyway, I can say that if someone who can afford a house worth 2M-4M would ask me where to buy a house and lot from, I would of course tell them to purchase a CAMELLA HOME. Not to be self-serving here but I can point out more than 100 reasons to prove my point.
But how about in Davao? Prices of house and lot for sale in Davao have soared super high since the president go elected. Investors both local and international have eyed the city as the next big thing in Asia.
You can't find house and lot in a subdivision for less than P4M within the main city center of Davao City. Thus, the outskirts of Davao is said to be the next residential hub of the city. Places like Mintal, Toril and Maa have now been considered an extension of the city center with their own developments flourishing in each area.
In Toril, Camella Davao is indeed the star of the area, not only does it offer house and lot for the typical OFW which can range from P3M-P4M. It is actually best for those who want an upgraded house for mature families that needs more than 4 BRs. Reasonably priced houses are available for you at around P4.5M to P7M. The best of what Davao has to offer is right within your reach as Camella Toril is designed to be a sustainable community which will soon have its own commercial area. Truly all you need is here in Camella Toril. Indeed, it is the best place to live in Davao City.

For questions, inquiries, you can reach out directly to our marketing officer for Davao at 09998864066, look for Mel Gumapac.

Indeed, Camella Toril https://goo.gl/maps/DQc1KzXAr1J2 in Davao is your best bet for your first home purchase.

Best things about Cebu City

2018-09-28T00:16:00.008-07:00

I've recently visited Cebu for the nth time and since my companion was a first timer, I had tour guide duties to fulfill. And it dawned on me that this is not my first time to be touring a newbie in Cebu. What shocked me is that I almost end up doing the same thing. And always, always bring home the same pasalubong. I never go home without Cebu's tasty treats since my kids would check on their "bilins" every single one of my trips to Cebu.
Here's my Cebu pasalubong list and where to find the best of them:

1) Cebu Lechon - CnT lechon is still the best there is. I've only gone to 2 of their branches, one is in front of SM Cebu, the old one and the other is along V Rama. But I've heard that there's a branch that opened near Ayala Center, got to check that one out.

2) Cebu Danggit and Dried Pusit - Although you can buy these popular ones anywhere in the city, Taboan market is the cheapest place where you can buy them. If you intend to buy a lot, it really is worth the trip there.

3) Cebu Dried Mango - I don't remember the brand but I know that what's good is the one with the yellow pack...go figure...
4) Shamrock Otap - These are also everywhere in Cebu but you can find an outlet near the Robinsons Mall Fuente, the one in Osmena Ave.
5) Carcar Chicharon - This one's quite difficult to find in Cebu City because these are sourced from Carcar, a municipality in the province which is about 2 hours away from the city. When I go to Cebu, my good friend who lives along Pardo gets it for me. Not sure though if she goes a long way to Carcar for it. All I know is that it's from there.

6) Titay's Rosquillos - This biscuit variant hails from Liloan, another munipality of Cebu province that's also adjacent to
Cebu City. A good friend of mine loves this so I make it a point to buy a pack for her on the way home.
7) Cebu's famous guitars - The Lumanog and Alegre guitars are the most sought-after acoustic guitars in the country. They have them available in almost all music stores in the city but they also have stand-alone stores like the one in Lincoln St. They say that these guitars are the best there is when it comes to durability and sound. The down side is that these are very expensive compared to the ones they sell in the streets of Cebu in the Sto Nino church area. You can chance upon an ambulant vendor selling a piece for less than P1,000.

My next trip to Cebu is coming soon since I'm visiting an OFW friend in Camella Riverfron t for a project. I want to see her new house and lot that shw recently bought.
I know for sure that I'll still be packing up at least half my list before I get back home.
See you soon Cebu!

EMPRESA MARIVELES; THE MOST AFFORDABLE HOUSE AND LOT IN BATAAN

2018-09-06T02:40:00.003-07:00

One of the things that surprise me most is the fact that everyone who has some kind of employment can actually afford a house and lot. Well, a lot of things like preference, accessibility, community etc will come into play but in terms of affordability, one actually have a choice out there. Thanks to socialized housing programs, Filipinos who are employed can avail of a house and lot for as little as P2,000 a month through pag-ibig financing. How cool is that right?

However, in most areas where these socialized housing is available, most developers would require a hefty downpayment which is the main hindrance why most forego their purchase. Most developers ask around 10-20% down payment which is roughly about 50-100k, something that the average Juan may not readily have.

In most cases though, developers stretch the down payment to 12 to even 24 months to pay just to accommodate their budgets. However, for this market whose jobs are usually very volatile, they may not have enough money to spare for down payment amortization since most are also currently renting. Those living with relatives on the other hand also share on their extended family's need in exchange for staying in their in-laws and parents house. In most cases, the operative price that an average minimum wage earner can spare would not be more than P2,000. This does not match even the lowest dp amortization offered by most which is around P3k to 4k a month.

Seems ironic right given that they can afford the balance but the problem lies with the down payment.

This is why I was elated to discover about Empresa Homes! The one in Bataan is located in Brgy Lucanin in Mariveles.

It truly is a gem to behold especially among 40,000 workers in the Freeport Area of Bataan of FAB. The development offers the Elena Model which is surpringly priced the lowest in the industry at only P485,000 per inner unit. The floor area is 22sqm (just like my condo) and sits on a 36sqm lot! And they have an ongoing promo that allows the buyer to move in even before they get Pag big loan release. They only require that you submit the Pag ibig housing loan requirements and just P15,000! Dope right??? P15k then you can move in?

What's more is that you can choose to may the P15k in 3 months so after paying P3k, you just have to pay P4k a month then Voila! you can move in! So you're thinking, "Didn't you just say that we can't afford more than P2,000?". Well, the best news is that if you're a FAB or AFAB employee, you get a huge discount on down payment!

You only need to pay the required reservation of P3,000 and instead of paying P4k, you only get to pay P2,171 for 3 months! Wow right? BUT the deal is you can only avail of this by going through the marketing team or employees of Empresa Mariveles. So for inquiries, please go directly to the Empresa Mariveles office or if you're employed in FAB you can ask your HR about it and tell them that Empresa has an ongoing partnership with FAB and they should be able to coordinate with the Community Services Dept of FAB for the discount. You can also catch the Empresa booths located at some FAB companies. This week the team will be holding a booth inside the canteen of Desktop Bags.

You can also show this voucher to the Empresa Mariveles office to avail of the exclusive discount.

For questions, inquiries, you can call Lailyn at 09256217650 or Josh at 09153719034. You can also visit bria.com.ph for more info.Know more about this offer at: https://www.facebook.com/empresamarivelesfabdiscount/