The Pinay Wanderer

Financial Wanders | My Personal MP2 Account Performance, How to Redeem MP2

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 02:46:00 +0000

Performance of my Personal MP2 Account

Time flies really fast! Five years passed by so fast, my MP2 matured already and now I'm redeeming it. How did the account perform overall? Is it better than my other savings and investments?

Here's the thing -- MP2 dividend rate for the past 5 years, on average is 6.92%. It's quite decent, considering MP2 investment is relatively low risk. But if you're like me who contributes premium payment irregularly, that is, only adding money whenever I have extra; then you will not be able to maximize the dividend rate, again, just like me. On average, I only received 4.2% return on investment annually. Am I disappointed? Actually no, I am happy, very happy with the return. With MP2, I was able to save some money. And I was not tempted to withdraw any portion of it.

However, comparing it with other investments that I made on the same time frame, MP2 is lagging. But don't get me wrong. I'll still open a new MP2 account and reinvest a portion of the money I saved from my first MP2. It’s safe and no temptation to withdraw before maturity, unlike my other investments which I can withdraw anytime.

For those who do not have MP2 account yet, create an account now. And if you can do one time big time investment, do it. This way, you'll maximize the dividends you'll get. Of course this is not to say that you can't add investments in the course of five years. If you happen to get hold of extra money, by all means, add on it.

How to Redeem MP2 (after maturity)

As mentioned above, my MP2 account matured this month. And I already filed redemption actually. To make sure I'll not be wasting time whether redemption is done online or offline, I called Pag-ibig hotline first. Unfortunately, I got more confused instead. The CS I talked to said if I'll do it offline, I need to file MP2 redemption in the Pag-ibig branch where my office is tagged with. So I thought online redemption is better.

However, when I checked the requirements for online redemption, I found out I need to have Pag-ibig loyalty card. I don't have it yet, not actually seeing the benefits of it so I didn't apply. Apparently, it's needed if you are going to redeem MP2 online. I think it's also needed if you'll apply for loans online.

Anyway, since I don't have the Pag-ibig loyalty card yet, I decided to go to the nearest Pag-ibig branch. And here's what I found out, you can actually file MP2 redemption in any Pag-ibig branch (whatever branch is nearest to you). So instead of applying for loyalty card, I instead apply for MP2 redemption.

Here's what you need to do if you're applying for MP2 redemption offline:

Go to the Pag-ibig branch nearest to your place of residence or office. Make sure to bring 2 valid IDs (passport, GSIS ID, driver's license, SSS ID, voter's ID)
Ask for MP2 redemption application form. You'll also be given queue number when you get the form (there might be a number of transacting members so of course, you need to fall in line).
Fill-up the application form and then sign it. Note: bring your own pen as there's no available/free pen there.
Wait for your queue number to be called or for the queue number to appear in the large display monitor.
Go to the assigned counter and submit your form. The counter clerk will check the form and your IDs and once everything's okay, you'll be given a stub as proof that you actually submitted the application.

MP2 maturity settlement or redemption will take 22 working days (one month) to be processed. It could be shorter if everything's in order, just like my case. I got a notice that I can pick-up the check already, two weeks after submission of my application. I'm still in the province so will pick it up once I returned to Manila.

And that's it, easy peasy MP2 redemption right. Happy investing everyone!

Fitness Wanders | Walk! And Get Younger Everyday

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 18 Jun 2023 08:06:00 +0000

one of the joys of going to the park for a walk -
you get the chance to see God’s beautiful creations;
and you get to photograph them, too. 😊

There are two topics that interest me the most these past few years - savings and investments and health and fitness. I guess these topics are the most common concern of people as they get older. And I’m no exception. We all want to be healthy and financially secured as we grow older.

But actually, these interests came to light when I realized that my parents are old and I’m getting older, too. Old age comes with health scares and income depletion, especially if you’re just relying on employment like me. And if there’s one aspect in life that makes me worried, paranoid at times, it’s my health and the health of my loved ones. My parents are on maintenance medication (my father suffered stroke in 2018) and in the past 2 years, my doctor put me on maintenance medication, too, for my elevated blood pressure. So yes, I need to aggressively work on my savings and improve my overall health condition.

It was 2021 that I started my BP medication, one year after the height of Covid-19. That year and the past two years, I’m working from home, in a small apartment where kitchen and dining table and bed are a step or two from each other. No open space to move around, hence, no exercise. I’m too lazy to go up the gym and work out, add to it the fact that I’m too stressed out with my work. In my previous job, I normally work for extended hours. The job is is so taxing that at one point in time, during a meeting, my blood pressure shoot up to 180/120. Quite scary, right? Thankfully, with rest, I was able to manage it.

That incident made me realize that I need to slow down. I need to once again focus on my health and find a work that not only gives me better salary but a work confined to 8-5 working hours, as much as possible. That if I have to work extended hours, it’s not because I have to but because I want to. So when I got a chance at a new job, I took the opportunity. Unfortunately, the said job didn’t last long. Thankfully however, I got a new one immediately anfter. And I’m more thankful because this new one (my current job) doesn’t require extended work hours.

Now, I have the time to again focus on improving my health. Last December, I started working out again, initially 3 times a week and then 5 times a week since last February, and currently, everyday since April. My fitness goal is actually to improve my cardiovascular health. I know part of it is to be in the right weight range but I’m not looking for immediate results. What Im after for now is a sustainable workout routine, something that I can do regularly everyday. And for me, it’s walking and making sure my daily step count is at least 8k.

When I started exercising again last December, a moderate walking pace of 3 miles per hour makes my heartbeat rise to around 140-150 beats per minute, at the end of an hour’s walk. Also during that time, although I can still do some house chores, I’m pretty beat up by the end of the day. Nowadays though, I can walk an hour on the treadmill or at the park, go to the mall after walking to maximize my steps, do house chores in between and still not feel beaten up at the end of the day. I feel my energy level and endurance improved tremendously. Also, I can now walk (indoors and outdoors) on a moderate pace, on steady state in my zone 2, around 120 to less than 130 heart beats per minute.

I’m also happy to share that my VO2max (from my smart watch) and cardiovascular fitness improved a lot. When I got my smart watch last 2020 (not saying it is accurate but at least I have an idea), it says my fitness age was 60. Last January, my fitness age was 57, now my fitness age is 46, eleven years younger just after 5 months of walking everyday. I lost a few pounds too, not significant enough since I’m still working on my diet, but at least I lose some. All these just because of walking and reaching my daily step goal. So yeah, don’t be couch potatoes, let’s move more instead. Let’s walk! And let’s get younger everyday, as days go by. 😉

~ oo00oo ~

Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.

Blessed Sunday everyone. And happy father’s day to all fathers out there. 🙏

Financial Wanders | Investing on MP2, How to Apply, Who are Qualified, Why Invest on MP2

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 22 Jan 2023 13:19:00 +0000

For ordinary Filipinos like me, investment equates to being rich. That in order to invest, you have to have lots of money to spare; you have to have big savings in the bank. Now that I read a lot of articles about investment, I realized it is not. You don't need big amount of money to start investing. There are investments that start for as low as 50 pesos. Of course, these type of investments won't make us rich in the short term. You won't get as much return from them but what I want to establish here is the habit of saving and investing. Had I known this early on, had this habit of saving and investing been ingrained on me during my formative years, I would have started saving early on. I've been working since I was 11 years old but I only started saving (and by saving, I mean, religiously allotting a portion of my salary to my savings account) last 2020. Kinda late for some maybe, but there's no such thing as 'too late' for me, for something that I know will benefit me and my family. However, saving is just an initial step. The goal really, is to let your savings grow. And it won't grow if you just let it sit in the bank as deposit interest rates nowadays is too low, as low 0.25% annually.

Anyway, there are several investment vehicles out there in the market. There is mutual funds and UITF investment; there is VUL (though won't suggest this one for investment purposes); there is stock trading and investing and there is MP2, the modified Pag-ibig II savings, among others. In this post, I'll be focusing on MP2.

What is MP2?

MP2 stands for modified Pag-ibig II savings. It is a voluntary savings facility offered by HDMF (Home Development Mutual Fund), more commonly known as Pag-ibig, to its members.

Who are qualified to apply/invest on MP2?

Active members - those who are currently working and making their mandatory monthly contributions via salary deduction
Retirees - those who already retired but is a previous member of Pag-ibig; also includes those who stopped working but made at least 24 monthly contributions
Pensioners - those previous employees who are now getting their pensions

What are the requirements and how to apply for MP2?

MP2 application is quite easy to accomplish. You can go to the nearest Pag-ibig branch in your area, accomplish the application form and submit it for processing. Once everything’s okay, you will get your account number which you can then use to pay for your MP2 premiums.

Submitting an application for MP2 doesn’t always have to be traditional, as stated above. If you’re comfortable working with your computer, you can also apply for MP2 online. Instead of filling up printed forms, you just have to type/input the required information via online forms. A note for online application, have your MID and other personal information ready to avoid getting timed out and redo everything.

Where to pay for the contribution/premium?

Payments for your premium can be done online and offline, similar to online and offline application process. For convenience, you may use your bank’s online payment facility. You may also use e-wallets like Gcash. A note though, there’s a 5-peso service charge when you use Gcash. But considering today’s jeepney fare, paying via GCash is still cheaper and saves more time. Convenient too, since you can do it anywhere you are, as long as you have internet connection.

But if you prefer traditional way of paying obligations like MP2 premiums, you may still do so. Just go to your preferred bank and pay from there. You may also use payment centers like SM payment center to pay for your premiums.

Why invest on MP2?

There are three main reasons why you should invest on MP2. First, it’s easy and convenient. You can apply for MP2 account online and pay your premiums in the comfort of your own homes, via online facilities and e-wallets.

Second, it’s affordable and flexible. It’s affordable because you can invest as low as 500 pesos monthly. And it’s flexible because you can pay any amount you like even if you initially declared a 500 monthly premium. You may actually skip a month or two if you’re low on money, as long as you make sure the total premium on or before the end of maturity totals to 30,000 pesos. Just take note that if you opt to pay online, some payment facilities charge convenience fee (GCash charged 5 pesos every transaction, regardless of the amount).

Lastly, it offers higher returns (dividends) compared with other investment facilities. And you can get even more via compounding interests if you opt to get the dividends on maturity date rather than getting it annually. Last year’s dividend is 6 percent but it went as high as 8.11 percent in 2017. The dividend rate is not guaranteed but the government guarantees the principal, meaning you’ll get your money whatever happens (unless it’s the government that failed 🙄). One more thing, dividend is tax free; unlike in savings wherein your interest will be deducted 20 percent for the tax. Pretty good reasons to invest right? So what are you waiting for, start your 2023 right; visit https://www.pagibigfundservices.com/MP2Enrollment/. I already did! (I’m an MP2 subscriber since 2021) 😊

PS: I made a video out of the short presentation I made from our soft skills training last year, you may want to check it out also. It's a shorter version of this blog post. Watch it here:

~oo00oo~

It's not how much money you make, but how much you keep,

how hard it works for you, and how many generations you keep it for. ~Robert Kiyosaki

Looking Back at 2022, Looking Forward To A Much Better 2023

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 10:19:00 +0000

I will have to say 2022 was such a challenging year for me. I resigned from a somewhat stable job to pursue a more financially rewarding option in another company. I joined the new one last May but unfortunately, after just 5 months of stay, just a few days after I was informed of my supposed regularization, I was told I would be laid off. Such loss of job is a big blow to me, financially as well as mentally and emotionally. I’m not on my 100% health-wise and I also have lots of personal obligations to attend to as well family to support with so yeah, I would say 2022 is really tough.

But looking back now, now that I already have a new job (I started last November) and hearing some not very good news about the company I thought would be my last until that dreaded retrenchment, I would say what happened is a blessing in disguise. My new employer, though far from being perfect, is a good one. I may have experienced some issues with co-workers when I was just starting but now that everything’s settled, I can say we’re all good. So thank you Lord for this job. Thank you because even though I lost a job, a job that I thought was a dream job, I found another one; maybe not as financially-rewarding as the old one but definitely more relaxing and stress-free. And I get to work from home full time; no more going though rush hour traffic, no more queuing along EDSA for the MRT line, no more worrying about what dress (or shirt rather 🤣) to wear. A blessing in disguise indeed! Thank you Lord. 🙏

But 2022 was not all challenges and tough times. I get to fulfill and check 2 items from my wishlist last year. I get to double my UITF fund and build up my emergency fund, thanks to my previous employer 😊. I still have some balances from my credit card but with God’s blessing, I intend to finish it in the next few months. Although I broke the resolutions I made last year - still sleeping late, after 12MN from time to time and wasn’t able to create a monthly blog post - but at least I tried, and I get to do 6 posts 😜. But the good news in terms of my resolutions is that I’m back to my health routine! I do cardio exercises (at least 20 minutes) at home every other day and walking in the park during weekends. Good job to me! 💪

A week had already passed for 2023 and I’m feeling hopeful, I believe 2023 will be a much better year, not just for me but for all of us. This year, I’ll continue working on my savings and build it up. I will continue to try to live a healthy lifestyle and I will do my best to create more blog posts this year. I also am sleeping earlier than usual these days, especially during weekdays as my work schedule is pretty early (AU time) so yeah, I have a good feeling that 2023 will be good to me. And hopefully to you all out there also. Happy new year everyone! 💥 Cheers! 🥂

Food Trips | Pho Hoa Noodle Soup, A Healthy-ish Cravings

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:09:00 +0000

sticky rice w/ ice cream

Healthy lifestyle is a big thing nowadays, especially since the pandemic. Almost everyone became aware of their lifestyle, particularly, the eating habits. Everyone tries to live and eat healthy, myself included.

However, I’m not fond of those strict/focused diets out there. I believe in eating a balanced meal. But as much as possible, I avoid or minimize intake of deep fried foods and junk foods. Since I'm mostly work-from-home (before the dreaded retrenchment happened), I normally eat home-cooked meals, veggies and fish mostly; lean meats for meat products. I also usually cook sinigang or nilaga for meats, bulanglang for veggies so it’s less fatty/oily.

But of course, we do eat out too, usually during weekends. And one of our weekend go-to restaurants is Pho Hoa. BFF and I usually go to Pho Hoa for healthy-ish dinner. I like their noodle dish as it’s light and is healthier, compared with other noodle dish like ramen which so heavy and creamy and usually greasy. BFF loves their "grilled pork with shrimp" because he likes their fried rice, and it has meat and seafood (grilled shrimp) to.

Following are our usual orders at Pho Hoa. Please note that these orders were made in several visits, not just in one. 😜 I added captions on every photos for my short take on the dishes. For the "mango sticky rice with ice cream" (photo above), it was okay because of the sweet mango and creamy ice cream but wont order again. The sticky rice is kinda bland although the quality of the rice is good but I like our own "suman" (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf, sometimes coconut leaves) better. Ours has a hint of salt (makes desserts (or sweet dishes) taste sweeter) and when taken w/ sweet mango, just yum! 😋


chicken pho light but tasty, with lots of pulled chicken, a very good companion on a gloomy weather


Goi Cuon fresh rice paper rolls this one I usually order for take home, and eat the next day, for my breakfast 😋

Com Ga Nuong Cha Gio
grilled chicken with fried rice paper rolls

this is one of BFF's favorite,
anything with fried rice, actually 😁

grilled pork with shrimp

another of BFF's favorite,
it's the vinegar dip that makes him like grilled dishes from Pho Hoa

Pho Chin, Nam, Gan, Bo Vien
brisket, flank, tendon meatballs pho

fresh and aromatic, flavorful (yet not greasy) soup,
with lots of beef brisket (not fond of tendons, though)

Chien Ga Ot Sung, Dau Phung
kung pao chicken

this I just ordered last week,
it's okay but I'm not gonna order this again,
actually, it's just the peanuts that makes this dish okay for me

mango crepe

love the crepe but not the mango, asim!

~oo00oo~

"for every minute you are angry,

you lose sixty seconds of happiness." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Random | I Was Blindsided by ‘I/We got your back’

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 15:56:00 +0000

Last October 4, I got another blow on my professional life. I was once again laid off. The first one (check here) was in 2020 when the company I was then connected with was affected by pandemic; although if I would have to look back, it’s no surprise since our commercial team is not getting new clients anymore.

And it’s not so different this time around. I just joined the company last May but in June or July, the company announced that they’ll stop hiring to mitigate the possible effect of economic recession. In August, the leadership then announced refocusing of the efforts for some reasons. Sounds familiar eh?!

And then came the announcement of refocusing/restructuring in the organization. I was surprised but the announcement was not really unexpected considering the timeline of events I mentioned. I wasn’t in the office then (decided to WFH that day) but I can imagine the somberness, the sadness, the heavy feelings that everyone felt, even those that weren’t affected by the announcement.

The manager talked to each and every one of us who were affected. When it’s my turn, the manager didn't say much, only reiterated the message announced in the “all hands” meeting. It's more like I was the one handling the conversation. I faked strength that time, but inside me, I'm crying. I actually cried but I don’t know if they sensed it. After the meeting, I cried a bucket. Losing a job is really really hard. It’s hard because I have a family to support and obligations to fulfill. It’s hard because just a week before the announcement, I was told of my regularization only to be told a week after that I’m fired. What makes it more difficult is knowing that it wasn’t LIFO, that the manager chose who’s gonna stay and who’s gonna be fired, considering that the same manager recruited me personally. It felt like I was stabbed in the back. It felt like I was a worthless employee, that I wasn’t deserving of the position I have. That time I was thinking, where’s the “I/We got your back” mantra that they (all the leaderships) want to instill in the minds of their employees? How about radical transparency? Before the announcement, they always say the company is okay, nothing to worry about. Where’s radical transparency there? Are they all just lip service?

But I'm okay now, all that thoughts are slowly going away as days go by. And if I would have to look at what happened objectively and be honest with myself, I know that what the manager did was to do his job, to look after the company that pays him to do so. Whatever criteria he used to come up with the list of who are going and who are staying, I understand. They are probably better fit than we are who were let go, better fit to the company that I thought I would retire from. The company that despite what happened, I still want to see succeed and prosper, not because of the owners and remaining employees (don't get me wrong, all my teammates are nice, the camaraderie and friendship formed in those 5 months is awesome; and for that, I’d say ‘no regrets’. all things considered, it was an amazing 5 months) but for the company’s mission to come into reality. Because I believe in their mission and I know that their mission will have a great impact to humanity. So yeah, I hope the company overcomes whatever challenges they're facing.

Looking back now, two weeks after that dreaded day, I’m more calm, more at peace with what has happened. I've already moved on. I’ve accepted the fact that I’m unemployed, that I’m once again part of the statistics, the 2.68M unemployed Filipinos.

My journey with those 19 awesome guys and gals (my teammates) has ended, that chapter of my life is over. It’s time for a new one, hopefully a chapter where there will be more amazing people and wonderful journeys. I know it will still be hard so I have to be stronger. And I will be. Because I have an amazing God who will always be beside me. He always was, always is and always will be, beside me, whatever state or chapter I'm in.

~oo00oo~

Be joyful in hope,

patient in affliction,

faithful in prayer.

Food Trips | A Taste of Mary Grace

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 06:34:00 +0000

dory and saffron cream - Php 430

I see Cafe Mary Grace as one of those restaurants that’s frequented only by the ‘can-afford’ middle-age (or older) adults. I seldom see young adults whenever I pass by this restaurant. For me, it has this “sosy” vibe which makes me somewhat uncomfortable. That’s why I’ve never tried it, not until last week.

What changed then? Nothing actually, it still has that ‘sosy’ vibe for me. But BFF and I are tired of Gerry’s and Mann Hann (our weekend go-to restaurants) so I decided to become ‘adventurous’ somehow and tried Mary Grace for the first time. And so we went to Mary Grace’s Trinoma.

When we got hold of their menu, BFF’s first reaction was ‘ang mahal naman!’ 😂 He’s better off than me actually but he’s the type who always check the price. Anyway, we ordered toasted Vigan longganisa meal (with rosemary fried rice and scrambled egg) for him, dory and saffron cream (pasta) for me. We also had mango bene for dessert.

Vigan longganisa was cooked the way we like (we shared our meal so we can both have a taste of each other’s orders) our longganisa, well-done, that is. It’s good and garlicky but kinda salty for our taste (probably because we’re used to LSLF diet) but the rosemary rice was superb, I’d probably try it at home some other time. For the price: it’s 502 PhP, pricey indeed for a 4-piece longganisa meal but the menu says it's homemade, fresh and without preservatives so...🤷‍♀️

Dory and saffron cream pasta on the other hand is worth the price for me (costs 430 PhP). The pasta is al-dente, white sauce is creamy and tasty (though still salty for our taste), cream dory tasted fresh. I’m not familiar with how saffron tastes like (but I read it’s the most expensive spice) so I can’t comment on its taste but at least, somehow I tried a dish with saffron in it. 😜

mango bene - Php 278

Having a sweet tooth, mango bene is yummiest of course. I’m actually tempted to buy a whole cake for take out but we’re also on low sugar diet so a slice is enough. Mary Grace is known for its cakes and pastries so no wonder mango bene tasted very good (better than the popular mango bravo of Conti’s, in my opinion). A slice of mango bene is priced at 278 Php, by the way.

Overall, Mary Grace is worth a try; foods taste great, ambience is good, staff are efficient and responsive. Are we coming back again? Probably yes, but most likely, not as frequent as the other restaurants we go to; because you know, we are puritas. 😁

That’s it for our taste of Mary Grace, Happy and blessed Sunday everyone. 🙏

Food Trips | Batangas Lomi

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 14 Aug 2022 14:02:00 +0000

Being a Batangueña, a visit to my home province would not be complete without visiting a lomi house and having a taste of pancit lomi, or simply lomi to most Batangueños. Lomi is an egg noodle dish in thickened soup stock with meatballs (sometimes squid balls) and slices of kikiam, pork and liver as toppings; sometimes, with chicharon and hard-boiled eggs, too. But definitely, no vegetables! That's what sets Batangas lomi apart from other lomi variety.

Lomi was made known in 1968 by To Kim Eng, a Chinese immigrant in Lipa City who served this dish to his mah-jong friends. Because of its good taste, he then started getting orders of lomi. Soon after, he, together with his wife Natalia, started their own Lipa City Panciteria, the first lomi house in the city. From then on and due to the dish' sudden popularity, more lomi houses sprung up around the city and the neighboring towns as well. (history source) Nowadays, most (if not all) local eateries or restaurants has lomi in their menu. It is a recommended dish for travelers and food-trippers alike. And, it has now become Batangas' icon, aside from Batangas bulalo, and of course, the famous kapeng barako.

Lomi is usually served with soy sauce, calamansi and chili pepper. It is the customer who then prepares his own seasoning mixture, depending on his preference. It is typically served in a medium-sized bowl filled almost to the brim. Non-Batangueños and first-time eaters of Batangas lomi were usually astounded by its serving size and often wondered how they would finish it. But for some Batangueños, the serving size is just enough because it serves as a substitute to their regular meal, what with its carbo- and protein-rich ingredients. It's a heavy snack-cum-meal at a price that's not heavy on the pocket. An order of lomi usually costs around 50PhP to 100PhP, depending on the toppings (regular or special) and the location of the eatery or restaurant.

Curious about this hearty and delicious noodle dish? Go food-tripping in Batangas. Try a steaming hot lomi with a super spicy calamansi-soy-sauce-chili-pepper seasoning and you'll have that sweat-and-mucus-dripping but definitely tummy-filling experience. Enjoy! ^_^

Financial Wanders | UITF Investment and Investment Risk Profile

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 03:38:00 +0000

If you read my blogs, you already know that I mentioned my UITF journey in several of my posts. A note to the reading public though, I am not a financial advisor and certainly not an expert in financial management. What I write is normally just based on my understanding of what I read/researched and my experiences about UITF and investment in general.

So what really is UITF?

UITF or unit investment trust fund is an investment vehicle offered by banks to the investing public. It is a pooled funds (can be peso-denominated or dollar or other currencies) collected from investors and is managed by professional fund managers. In UITF, funds collected from the public are pooled together and invested in different financial instruments like bonds and equities.

UITF, though managed by professional fund managers, is not risk-free. It is subject to risk factors like changes in interest rates and stock market fluctuations. That’s why it is important that an individual find out his risk profile first before diving into UITF investments to minimize loses.

What is investment risk profile?

Investment risk profile is an individual’s evaluation of his ability to take risks on the money he’s going to invest. The areas subjected to evaluation include an individual’s financial capability in terms of his earnings, savings and investment time horizon. This means understanding the current financial state of an individual and the length of time one is able to let his money out for investment. Knowing an individual's risk profile is important to help find out the right portfolio appropriate to an individual's profile and to minimize the risks accompanied by this investment vehicle.

Investment risk profile is generally categorized into three; conservative, moderately aggressive and aggressive. Conservative investment profile means an individual can only accept minimal risk with minimum returns, one that's normally focused on preserving capital. Funds for conservative profile usually includes money market funds, a fund that seeks to invest on short-term fixed-income instruments and assets with high liquidity (ease of getting in and getting out of an investment) like treasury bills.

Moderately aggressive investment profile means an individual is willing to accept some risks and invests on medium-term instruments that offer higher returns. In moderately conservative profile, an individual is usually offered funds that both invest on liquid investment that offers fixed return on a slightly longer term like bonds. When I first enter into investment, I was classified as moderately aggressive and was asked how much of my fund will be put on to low risk instruments and how much to put on medium risk instruments. Back in 2013, I didn't quite understand this concept yet and just opted for a 50/50 ratio.

Aggressive investment profile on the other hand means you are willing to accept high risks for a possibility of much higher returns. In this profile, one seeks to maximize the growth of his funds on a long term horizon. Nowadays that I quite understand the risks that come with my investment, I purposely make sure that I get the aggressive profile so that I can invest on highly risky funds. These funds usually invest on equities and stock markets. This carries a lot of risks and there's a high probability of losing money. In order to counter the risks, I make sure to invest money that I won't be needing in the short term; money that I'm willing to let go for years, if need be. I also try my best to study market movement so that I would know somehow when to subscribe and unsubscribe to aggressive funds like what I'm doing with my BPI Invest Philippine Equity Index Fund. Of course, I can't exactly predict market movement so whenever the market goes against me, I do top-ups and accumulate shares. So far, with these strategies, I was able to ride the market fluctuations without losing money. I didn't earn that much but I definitely earn much higher return compared to just saving money on the bank, higher even compared to money market funds or time deposit.

Please note though that each and everyone of us is unique, our risk profiles are different, our financial situations are unique to us. What works for me might not work for you and vice-versa so please know yourself and your situation and do your own research before investing, be it small or considerable amount of money.

Where to invest in UITF?

As mentioned above, UITF is usually offered by banks. Many of the commercial banks in the Philippines offer UITF using Peso or other currencies, usually US dollar. Some of these banks include BPI, BDO, Security Bank, Metrobank, etc. Although majority of those that offered UITF are banks, there are investment companies that also offer UITF. One of these companies is ATRAM.

Of these companies and banks offering UITF, BPI, BDO and ATRAM (thru GCash) are the ones I’ve tried. Of the companies I tried, BPI and ATRAM are the ones I can recommend. I like BPI and I’d say it’s the most appropriate UITF bank for me. BPI’s certain funds (like BPI Invest Philippine Equity Index Fund, a fund that tracks the PSEI, the Philippines stock exchange index) has no holding period which means you can unsubscribe anytime you want to (Other banks require 30 days holding period which means you will be charged a fee if you unsubscribe before the 30-day period ends). In this BPI fund, peso averaging is also allowed, which means, if the unit value of this fund goes down, I can buy at lower prices and accumulate shares.

I also like ATRAM because even though I don’t have a dollar account, I can still subscribe to global funds. Other banks like BPI only offer global funds if you have a dollar account. The minimum initial investment is also usually high in global funds, from USD500 to USD1000. The minimum top-up amount, in case you want to accumulate shares is also high, at least USD200. In ATRAM, the minimum initial investment is PhP1000 and top-up amount is PhP500 making it quite accessible to all Filipinos, especially those like me who only has minimal amount to spare for investment.

If with BPI, I normally subscribe and unsubscribe in fairly short period of time, sometimes a week or two, I can't quite do this with ATRAM. ATRAM has longer settlement period and unlike BPI Invest Equity Index Fund where I can easily monitor it by checking PSEI movement, ATRAM's global technology feeder fund is quite diverse that it's quite hard monitoring the securities they invest in. So for my ATRAM Technology Feeder Fund, I just accumulate shares on a pretty regular basis, every payday as much as possible. Will this work for me in the long term? Shall I get higher return from this fund in the future? As of now, I don't know. I'm giving this fund five (5) to ten (10) years to work. In this same period, let's also see the rate of return of my BPI Invest Equity Index Fund and compare these two (2) funds. Hopefully, both goes well. Wish me luck my dear readers, if there's any. 😉

~ oo00oo~

Blessed Sunday everyone.🙏 Stay safe and healthy!😊

Random | 2022 Wishlist and Resolutions

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 11:45:00 +0000

Time flies really fast! It’s already two weeks past the start of 2022, before we know it and given this continuous rise of Covid cases, December will be here once again without notice, just like last year.

But before that, let’s start our 2022 right. I know it’s a cliche to always come up with our wishlist and resolutions every start of the year but, whatever, I’d like to do it once again. Normally, my wishes revolves around material things but this year, my wishlist is totally different. It’s more about saving money and investing while my resolutions are focused on good health habits. Here are my 4 wishes and 2 resolutions this 2022.

Double My UITF Fund

First on my list is to double my Unit Investment Trust Fund (UITF). I’ve started my investment journey last 2017 but I only bought my first UITF fund last 2019 using GCash's GInvest by Atram. It started as just a sort of game for me and my friends so we can join GCash promos that time but I took it seriously since then. Initially, I only subscribed to Atram's Money Market Fund but I withdrew the small amount I saved there and transferred to Atram's Global Technology Feeder Fund. This feeder fund is more risky but I'm looking for long term investment here so I just accumulate shares every payday, consistently.

Now, aside from my GInvest, I also have BPI UITF. I’m trying to do “trading” in my BPI UITF by subscribing and redeeming my shares in a short period of time but I only do it when I have gains. If I lost (paper loss) or the unit value of my shares is lower than when I bought it, I do cost averaging and buy additional shares when the price dips and then sell it only when I have gains. In BPI UITF, I only subscribe to BPI Invest Philippine Equity Index Fund because I can easily track it by monitoring the PSE Index. My goal is to double by BPI UITF fund and consistently add shares for my GInvest.

Note: The funds mentioned here are not a recommendation, they are highly risky. Please do your own research and subscribe only to funds you have researched thoroughly. And please only invest money that you won't be needing at least in the next 5 to 10 years so you can weather market fluctuations. If you just need to park your money for a short term, go for low risk funds like Money Market Fund. I'll create a separate post about the different UITF funds available next time.

Double My Emergency Fund

For my emergency fund, I’m using GCash’s GSave as my savings account. My GSave account was initially created in 2020 also for GCash promo purposes but now am using it to build up my emergency fund. I make a deposit to it every payday, immediately after my salary was credited to my payroll account.

For those building their emergency fund too, use GSave. It has higher interest rate compared with the traditional bank. It’s also risk-free since it’s covered by PDIC.

Pay-Off My Credit Card Debt

I know some of you may find my financial approach kinda wrong, that I should pay my credit card debts first before saving but this is what works for me.

I tend to spend and charge my spending on my credit cards only to realize at the end of the month that I overspent. I used to think it’s okay, I’ll pay my CCs first and then I’ll start saving, again only to find out in the end that I don’t have any savings also. To be able to do both, I started to allocate certain amount on my savings (emergency fund) and bought UITF shares every payroll religiously. These are the first things I do whenever I received my salary every 15th and 30th of the month. Whatever’s left, I will allocate for my CCs (I have 2; one I used for my essentials which I pay fully every month and the other one for big ticket or unplanned spending). Because of this approach, I was able to limit my unplanned spending. I still have unpaid balance because of my previous spending habit but I plan to pay all of it this year.

Create a Blog Post At Least Once A Month

I promised myself to spend time on things or activities that are worthwhile and limit my screen time from useless activities like playing games and scrolling through social media posts. But since I’m used to always checking my phone, I decided to just go back to blogging. At least in blogging, I’ll be able to practice writing again and still use my phone.

But instead of me posting more travel stories (I don’t have any because of the pandemic btw) it will be more about savings and investments now. Of course, I will still write about travels and food adventures and I will still posts photos of anything and everything (because why not, I love taking pictures 😉).

Phone Down/Ready for Sleep by 12MN

This I struggle a lot but I’m trying my very best to really put down my phone and be ready for sleep by 12MN. So far, I was able to control myself and put down my phone on or before 12MN. Hopefully, I can do this whole year round especially that soon, we’ll be going back to office for work. Staying healthy is also a must nowadays so I better sleep and rest right.

Get Back to My Daily Exercise Routine

Back in 2020, exercising became part of my routine. I exercise at home for 30 minutes every other day and if quarantine rules allow, jog/walk in the park for an hour or two every weekend.

But when I started my current work (lost my previous job and became part of jobless Filipinos last 2020 also), I forgot all about exercise and healthy habits. In 2020, I lost 15 pounds. I ate healthy, too.

Last year however, I gained back the 15 pounds (and some more) I lost in 2020. I also was prescribed amlodipine for my hypertension last year and until now, I’m still taking it. I’m still hoping I could reverse this by eating right again, by sleeping right and by living right through healthy habits.

Join me in quest for a healthier and happier life this 2022. Let’s get back to shape; physically, mentally and financially. Happy, healthy and prosperous 2022 everyone. 😊

Random | Home Alone! Christmas in the New Normal

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Fri, 25 Dec 2020 05:07:00 +0000

It's the most wonderful time of the year 🎶🎵🎶

Yes, despite the ongoing pandemic and the many struggles that 2020 has brought to us all, Christmas still remains the most wonderful time of the year. Our current situation (pandemic) may have changed how we usually celebrate Christmas, it may have forced some of us to celebrate it away from our loved ones but Christmas is not about us. It's about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ so let's still celebrate and be happy. Merry Christmas everyone! 💗🤶🎄

Each of us may have different struggles, struggles that others may not consider as one. But each of us is unique, we are individuals. We do have different levels of tolerance to certain issues. What may have been difficult for me would be easy for some, and vice versa. For me, this year is one of the most difficult one especially in terms of career. For the first time in my life, I was laid off. I lost my job. I haven't been laid off before so it was such a big blow for me, mentally and emotionally. Also, for the first time (except when I was living with my aunt) I am now celebrating Christmas alone, away from my family. We don't celebrate Christmas the way other families do but for the longest time, we are always together (at least, with my parents and sibling in Batangas) on Christmas. This year was not. I'm here in the Metro, in a building where people don't know each other, where I don't know anyone. There are some other struggles I don't know that others are experiencing. This is our situation now. We just have to deal with it. We just have to accept it and move along with it.

Despite all these, Christmas is still a season to be merry and gay! And this Christmas, I am! I'm still happy and grateful. I lost my job but found a new one. My family and my loved ones are safe and we all are healthy. We are struggling financially but we're coping. We still have food on our table, we still can eat 3x a day. So thank you Lord! Thank you for the new job and for sending people who believe in me. Thank you for keeping my loved ones safe and healthy, especially during this pandemic. Thank you for always being there for me, for protecting me, even from myself. Thank you Lord for all the blessings and even the hardships, for they make me (us) stronger. Thank you for everything. Thank you for letting us survive and get through this 2020! With all these things to be thankful for, yes, I am happy and gay!

In a few days, another year would come, a new beginning. May the new year brings all of us all the blessings that we are praying for. May we all be safe and healthy. May we find peace in everything. To everyone, let's not focus on the difficulties of life, on the negativities around us. Let us all look forward to the new year with a positive outlook, with gratefulness, with hope. And let us all be kind to one another. Let's help shape a better world for everyone. Let's share and help each other, even in the smallest way we can. Let us all be each other's hope!

Financial Wanders | BDO Securities (BDO Nomura) Trading Platform Review

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 08 Nov 2020 03:04:00 +0000

BDO Nomura

I've been using BDO Nomura for several years now, since the start of my stock investment/trading journey. I even wrote how easy it is to apply for BDO Nomura account back in 2017. For the past 3 years, I tried to learn the ins and outs of stock investing and trading. At some point, although I have an 8-5 work before I got retrenched, I tried to do some daily trading. And in those trades, I win some, I lose many. I attributed all of my loses to my being a newbie in the stock market. And it's true! But after 3 years of being in the stock market, I realized it's not just me that is the problem.

In the past, there are trades that I know for a fact is so volatile and could really be a winning or losing trade real quick. But I still joined the herd; bought some and planned to exit just after I got my TP (target price), which I know would only take just a few minutes. I set a GTC (good 'til cancelled) sell on my target price. I also planned my exit, in case it goes against my predicted price. And it happened, it goes downward real quick! I'm logged in so I tried to edit my GTC and set a sell price 2-ticks below the current selling price to make sure that I could sell it at a minimal loss. The platform says my modification was successful so I continue watching while the current price was being consumed. When the selling price hits the price I set, I thought I successfully exited the trade. Unfortunately, it was just a thought! When I checked the View Orders tab to see the status, it's not there. I tried to refresh and check several times but I couldn't really see my sell order. I logged out of the platform and tried logging back in but I couldn't anymore. And that's it, I resigned to the fact that I probably wasn't able to sell my position since I couldn't see it. Only after the trading hours was I able to log back in again. And it's confirmed, I wasn't able to sell my position.

this is supposedly BDO Nomura's trading platform homepage; yes I was able to login but I couldn't connect to the trading platform itself; this happened so many times I already lost count of it.

I only bought minimal position so I didn't lose that much for the particular trade but this scenario happened several times that in total, a loss of considerable amount. There are other scenarios like not seeing my positions or non-loading of trading platform (see photo above) or not being able to login during trading hours (platform is under maintainance) so I couldn't trade. In part, not being able to log in and trade volatile stocks were okay; at least I didn't lose money but it also means I didn't have the chance to gain some too, a lost opportunity.

sometimes, I was able to connect to the trading platform only for the above instance to happen; i.e., I couldn't select a sector for which the stock I'm supposed to trade belongs

I'm not attributing every loses I had with BDO Nomura. I know I made some bad trades, too, but a reliable trading platform is essential in trading the stock market. The trading platform should always be available, especially during trading hours. It shouldn't undergo system maintenance from 9:30AM to 3PM during trading days (9:30AM to 1PM during this pandemic). I worked in the IT industry and our system maintenance was always during non-peak hours, normally during midnight when there are only a few people (if there is any) using our system or, if we really need to deploy some hotfix, to make sure to do it in just a few minutes.

Nowadays, I only use BDO Nomura for medium to long term trades. I don't do daily trading especially those highly volatile trades anymore. If you're planning to be a trader, and by trader, I mean those who want to do buying and selling stocks in just a short period of time, within the day normally, don't go with Nomura. Try other brokers. But search and research thoroughly. Ask people from trading forums and social media who are actually using the platform; list down the pros and cons of the recommended platform/broker, ask for their experiences and how reliable the platform is, and then decide from there.

But if you're a medium to long term investor, you can still try BDO Nomura. It's easy to apply, especially if you have a BDO account; no additional paper requirements. You can do everything online. The funding is also easy and real time, with no transfer fee so yeah, it's not 100% bad at all. Just make sure to know what type of investor/trader you are.

~ oo00oo ~

PS: I'm also trying another investment vehicle which is unit investment trust fund (UITF) but I'm using BPI for this one (and GCASH Invest Money too) ; will talk about UITF next time. Blessed Sunday everyone, stay safe always! 😊

Random | Simple Life in Batangas, Pros and Cons of Living in the Province

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 18 Oct 2020 04:54:00 +0000

If you have read one of my previous posts, you know that I recently lost my job. It is such a big blow financially that staying in the Metro and continue renting while looking for a new job is not an option anymore. A week ago, I decided to go back to the province and stay here for a while, at least until I get a new job.

Life in the province, especially in kinda remote barangay like ours, is very simple and laid-back. Community comes to life early in the morning, normally around 5AM (as early as 4AM for some); and then starts to die down at 6PM. By 7PM, almost everyone is ready for sleep; a stark contrast with life in the Metro where it almost never sleeps.

Pros and Cons of Living in the Province

Batangas is one of the provinces in CALABARZON region. It is only around 1.5-2 hours (depending on traffic situation) away from Metro Manila, going south. It is near Metro Manila but living here in the province, especially in kinda remote barangays like ours, is like living in other provinces; it has its pros and cons.

PROs

Green and Fresh Environment

Less pollution, fresher air, greeneries abound! The only usual pollution here is noise pollution; that is, if you consider dogs’ barking, birds’ chirping and insect sounds as noise. That’s the environment you’ll see and experience in the province. It is usually not densely populated, too, so residential lot areas are usually bigger than in the Metro, with enough space to plant veggies and fruit-bearing trees. If you love nature, you’ll definitely enjoy living in the province.

free fresh fruits and veggies! #probinsyalife

Low Cost of Living

Cost of living in the provinces is usually low. If you are resourceful and hardworking and love veggies, you can live here for around 40-50 pesos per day per person on the average, maybe less; that is, if you have your own vegetable garden. Here in the province, we have malunggay (moringa), camote (sweet potato), eggplant, squash, papaya and other vegetables around the house. We cook it bulanglang-style, using traditional stove, so almost zero cost. Fish and meats are also cheaper here, compared to supermarkets in Metro Manila.

Laid-back Lifestyle

Simple, relaxing, laid-back; this is how living in the province looks and feels like. Closely-knit neighborhood (you know everyone, usually). No Traffic! No such thing as rush hour. Almost everything is easy and uncomplicated! That is, if you love simple life.

CONs

Accessibility, Transportation

One of the cons of living in the province, especially in remote barangays, is the means of transportation and accessibility of social services and infrastructure. If you don’t have your own car, commuting is quite costly and time-consuming. Social services and infrastructures like hospitals, tertiary education, connectivity (telephones and internet) are usually not very accessible. Although mobile phones and cellular networks are available almost nationwide, connection signal is still a problem in far-flung areas. Though I’m quite happy that DSL connection from one of the major internet providers in our country is now available here in our barangay. Yey! 😄

No Night Life

If you’re one of those who loves the lights and sounds of a busy Metro life, regardless of the time of day, province life is not for you. There is almost always, no night life in the province, especially in remote barangays. As I mentioned above, people in neighborhood like ours, sleeps as early as 7PM. No more life, no more sounds after that, except for sound of geckos. 😉

Limited Career Opportunities

Most of the big companies put up their businesses and hold their operations in Metro Manila and big cities as they are usually the center of economic development and infrastructure. As such, there is only limited opportunities, career-wise, in the province. However, due to the on-going pandemic, there are more remote opportunities for career individuals nowadays. Career people, especially in the IT industry, can now work anywhere they want to, even in the province.

There you go, the pros and cons of living life in the province. If you are thinking of settling down in the province, weigh these pros and cons and decide wisely based on your personality and the kind of life you want to live. There's no such thing as perfect life, just choose to be happy and contented and grateful wherever you decided you want to be.

~ oo00oo ~

Happy and blessed Sunday everyone! Stay safe, always! 😊

Food Trip | TPW's 5 Best Milk Teas in the Metro

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 11:43:00 +0000

FRNK's cinnamon miruku

I'm not really a fan of tea, especially those hot tea varieties. I usually only have them if it feels like I'm gonna be having a sore throat or if I'm not feeling well. Hot drinks, tea included, sort of make me feel better afterwards. But cold teas and milk teas, for that matter, is a different thing. I've grown to like them as time passes by. Probably because milk teas are more of milk than tea actually. And they're creamy and sweet (hello diabetes 😀).

Anyway, I've tried several milk teas from several tea shops. Whenever there's a new tea shop nearby my previous work or in the mall, I'll try them at least once. Since it will be my first time to try the new tea shop, I usually order whatever their bestseller is. And I've tried many, so many that I wasn't be able to post everything in my other account. Of the so many shops and milk tea flavors I've tried, here are my top 5 best milk teas in the Metro.

FRNK Milk Bar's Cinnamon Miruku

FRNK's Cinnamon Miruku is my top favorite when it comes to milk tea. Unlike other milk teas that almost always taste the same no matter the brand, cinnamon miruku tastes really different, probably because of the right blend of tea and cinnamon and dark sugar and whatever spice they put into it. I also like the added sinkers (basil drops, a clear jelly-like pearls that looks like bloomed chia seeds) that feels like exploding in your mouth when you chew, not the usual chewy pearls. My only issue with this tea is its size; I find it pricey compared with other milk teas.

Macau's Cheesecake and Pearl Milk Tea

When I first try Macau's cheesecake and pearl milk tea, I was put off by the strong taste of the tea. But I realized now that it's probably because I didn't shake and mix it well that time. Now that I usually buy it for take-out, it somehow got blended/shaken on my walk home that a minor shake before drinking it is okay enough. It still has strong tea taste compared with other brands but it's more tolerable now that it becomes my go-to milk tea whenever I like a bigger size one, as opposed to smaller-sized cinnamon miruku.

BaaBaa's Thai Milk Tea with Cheese

I've been to Bangkok once but because it's almost 2 decades ago, milk tea isn't in my radar yet. When I heard of Baabaa from a colleague last year, I ordered other milk tea flavor that they offer instead of the Thai milk tea. It was just an ordinary milk tea for me so I forgot about it. But I few weeks ago, I was able to try Baabaa's Thai milk tea, not the regular one but the premium Thai milk tea with cream cheese in it. And I love it! It's almost like Macau's cheesecake and pearl, only that it's just the right blend of tea and milk and cheese, not with the strong tea taste like Macau's.

Alishan at The Alley's Brown Sugar Boba Milk Tea with Cheese Brulée

My first try of Alishan is their brown sugar boba milk with cheese brulée. It's too sweet that I think I didn't get dinner that day that I had it for merienda. The next time, I tried their brown sugar boba milk tea with cheese brulée. This one I like better because of the tea contrast, unlike brown sugar boba milk that somehow has "umay" factor as you drink it.

Tiger Sugar Brown Sugar Boba with Cream Mousse/Dakasi's Creme Hokkaido

When brown sugar milk tea becomes a hit, Tiger Sugar is my first try. Originally, this is my top pick for milk tea but I realized that what I'm having from Tiger Sugar is not really a milk tea but rather just a milk-based brown sugar drink. But even if this isn't a milk tea, I still love it. It was of the right blend with the right sweetness to it. And their bobas are sweet and chewy, which I love!

Another milk-based drink that I came to love is Dakasi's Creme Hokkaido. The thick and rich creamy blend of milk, brown sugar, salted cream cheese and oreo in creme hokkaido will make you feel full even with just half of the drink. It is so filling that you'll skip next meal or forget that you haven't had a meal yet. It is a very filling drink and has bigger size that I consider this drink worth my money. Creme Hokkaido is also one of Dakasi's bestsellers.

~ oo00oo ~

There you go, my list of 5 best milk teas in the metro. If you'll notice, except for cinnamon miruku, all else has cream cheese or similar item on their ingredients. I love milk teas with cream cheese because it makes the milk tea more flavorful and creamier. I like the contrast that cream cheese or mousse or brulée (or whatever they call it) gives to the sweet milk tea. How about you dear readers? What are your 5 best milk teas? Share your list in the comment box below. 😊

~ oo00oo ~

Our government loosen its rules on public transportation but be safe still my fellow Pinoys, keep your face shield and face mask on. And don't forget to always clean/sanitize your hands. Keep safe everyone. 😊

Random | I am one of the 45% Jobless Filipinos

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 30 Aug 2020 03:24:00 +0000

"Be strong and don't be afraid! God is coming to your rescue." ~Isaiah 35:4

Last August 16, I became officially part of the 45% jobless Filipinos, a number that for one government official is not worrisome, a number that for that official we should be "joyful" about. But who, in his right mind, in the situation we are in right now, would be happy to be jobless? However, life must still go on, like they say. So here I am now, trying to be strong and finding my way out of this unfortunate situation.

Losing a job gives a person anxiety and a feeling of worthlessness. Also of betrayal. And these are what I felt after knowing that I would be laid off. I tried to be strong during the convo with my boss and good thing it was done via phone call (because of this pandemic) so somehow, I think I was able to fake strength. But right after I put down the phone, I cried. And I cried a bucket! When my brother called me to comfort me the day I was officially notified, I cried even more. It was my first time showing helplessness and weakness to him. And it sucks! I consider myself the face of strength for my family but that time, I felt so weak and helpless.

Feeling anxious and worthless and helpless right after losing a job is okay, but wallowing in that situation is not. So here I am now, trying to rise up from the situation. I'm now working on improving my craft and learning something new in the hopes that I would soon find a new job. To people like me who recently lost a job, let's make use of our "free" time on something useful and of value. Let us be productive despite being jobless. And let us not lose hope! If we can't find a job related or similar to what we used to do, then maybe it's time for us to find something else. Maybe we should give thoughts on some other passions or interests that we may have put on hold because we thought we got a good job. I got some other interests that I'm putting on hold because my line of work gives me financial security but maybe, it's time for me to work on it, too.

When I left a job that offers security and tenure 7 years ago, one of my bosses told me to think it over a million times because it's an unknown future I'm walking into. And I know that but here's my reply to him (not exactly the same words but the same thoughts), "I'm not afraid of the future because I'm not a one-skill-only person. If I couldn't find a job related to my current interest, I could find and learn and do something else. There will always be something else out there." I am a "Jill of several trades", not of all trades of course, and not a master but enough for me to survive. I will find and learn and work on a new trade, if need be. With all the trials I've been through in life, losing a job is just another trial I have to go through and overcome. I know I can survive this, just as how I survived the many trials I had before. I did it 7 years ago, I can do it again now.

I'm positive I can find a new job eventually, if not soon. So for everyone like me who's reading this post, let's have faith in our dear Lord, He is our refuge and our provider. He will help us get through this. Happy and blessed Sunday everyone! 😊

~oo00oo~

PS: I know I said to be productive and improve yourself and all but don’t forget to relax also. It’s okay too, to sit and do nothing, once in a while. Or just play games, if you’re into it (I am! 😛). Just don’t forget to always be in control of yourself. Remember, anything too much is bad! Stay safe everyone. 💛

Guest Post | One Hundred Days of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 03 May 2020 13:00:00 +0000

I will always be grateful to The Pinay Wanderer for this opportunity as a guest blogger. I have my own blog, ofliea.com, yet, I need to collaborate with other blogger to expand my blogging experience.

In October last year, we were blessed to buy our own car. When the rest of my family are planning for a road trip to Tablas Island then to Boracay, I was excited to drive from Marilao in Bulacan to Legazpi City in Albay, where my in-laws live. Then, I started checking AirBnB. I looked for hotels and resorts in the province of Sorsogon for a night of stay or two. I started plotting the itinerary. We are bound to leave on April 8. But we stayed at home.

At the onset of the enhanced community quarantine, I had headaches. I keep on thinking about what will become of us with this situation. I decided to divert my attention and started planning to travel from Marilao, Bulacan going around the Philippines. The last destination on my itinerary is Palawan where I can no longer travel with my 1996 Honda Accord.

I had so much fun doing research. Among the facts that I looked for are where to stay, travel time from one province to another, and how many days should I stay to enjoy the place. The most challenging to look for on the internet is the schedule of ferries that cross one island to another.

When I was about to end the whole itinerary, I realized I can actually go around the Philippines in 100 days. Then I also realized that I missed most areas of Mindanao. It is because of the remoteness of each provinces. I needed to pass by Batanes Island too. I guess I won't be able to bring my car to the island.

It must have been fun to start traveling right now, as it is summertime. I would love to feel the wind while on a long drive from Pangasinan to Zambales. It would have been great to meet new friends, see new views, and sleep on different beds.

Unfortunately, we need to stay at home today to travel tomorrow.

Let's connect on Twitter. Let's share photos on Instagram. Contact me on Facebook to know more about me.

Random | Work From Home, Life During Lock down, 6 Things to Keep Your COVID-19 Anxiety at Bay

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:37:00 +0000

fortunate to be able to work from home

The Philippines (and the whole world) is going through very trying times. COVID-19 outbreak that has started in one country has now spread to so many countries in the whole world. The COVID-19 positive cases is now above 2 million and still counting, death toll is rising, lots of patients in critical conditions. Every government is trying to control and curb the spread of the virus, issuing lock downs and restricting movements of its people. The Philippines is one of the countries affected by this pandemic and our government and the people are struggling to to get through it. We are a third-world country and our resources are limited so the people are panicking, getting more anxious as the days go by.

The pandemic and lock down has caused lost of jobs for many. But I'm glad I still have mine, for now. I'm one of the few fortunate members of Metro Manila workforce that can do work from home during these crazy times. And I'm very grateful for it. I was supposed to terminate my internet connection last January (see this post for the reason) but my provider gave me a 6-month discounted rate so I didn't terminate it. Glad I didn't; otherwise, it would be very hard for me to work from home since my mobile connection is very slow. I was able to control and discipline myself anyway, so I probably am not terminating my DSL connection, even after the 6-month discounted rate is over.

Anyway, going through this crisis emphasizes some of the realizations I listed in this post. I'm glad I started eating and drinking right again. Also glad that I started doing some fitness exercises once again. Even though I'm staying home, just like everyone else, I still do some indoor cardio workouts. And I'm happy to say I didn't gain weight (lost a few pounds, actually), even after more than a month of just staying home. I still do struggle financially, but I still can manage it, for now. I'm thankful and grateful always, especially to our Lord Almighty because He is always there for me, for my loved ones; thank you very much dear God!

But there are times that I can't help but get anxious. I can't help and wonder what the future holds for me, for my family, for everyone. Because I'm scared, just like everyone else.

During the first week of the lock down, I'm so anxious I cried almost everyday. On the very first day of the lock down, I felt body pains. I had stuffy nose, too. So every few minutes, I took my temperature. And one time, I got a reading of 38°C! OMG, I don't know what to do. I don't want to go to the hospital because I know that most hospitals have COVID cases. So I just read and researched a lot about the disease. The articles I've read just compounded my anxiety and I got scared even more, actually. Then I found an article comparing the symptoms of COVID-19, influenza and common cold (see photo below). This list calmed me somehow but I still slept that night anxious. The next day, my anxiety made me automatically reach out for the thermometer as soon as I woke up; glad to see a normal reading once again. My body pain is milder, too. (The pain is probably because I did a workout 2 days before the lock down.) So I'm somehow relieved, I'm okay, I said to myself. But I know I'm not 100% okay. I still cry up to now, mostly when I'm saw sick and death posts related to COVID-19. But I'm better now, compared to the first 2 weeks of the lock down.

I forgot the site where I got this, I hope it's okay to post it here.

So how did I overcome my anxiety? What are the things that kept me sane during this lock down period? Here they are dearies, the 6 things I did (and still doing) to keep my sanity and overcome anxiety brought about by the on-going health crisis.

STOP reading COVID-19-related articles

I'd like to think that I'm the kind of person that doesn't get affected by the negativities around me. So I read a lot! I read about the disease, I watched videos that discusses corona virus. I even read and watched stories of people who have gone through with the disease. I listened intently on the symptoms they felt. And then unconsciously, I will make an inventory of the symptoms myself, checking if I do have one or more of their symptoms. Crazy, isn't it? And then I remembered my doctors' reaction during one of my check-ups before this lock down started. One of them said "you are not sick, do you want me to say you are?". The other one said "I think you have fibromyalgia", sort of saying the pain I'm relating to them is just in my head. Prior to my check ups, I read a lot of articles related to the symptoms I felt, those are what prompted me to make consultations with them. And then it hit me! When it comes to health-related issues, I am affected by what I'm reading (or watching), without realizing I'm actually affected by them. So I stopped! I stopped reading all and every posts I saw on Facebook that are related to corona virus and COVID-19. I still do read some COVID-related articles but the ones I read were just those DOH updates, just so I am aware of what is happening around me.

Boost immune system by eating and drinking right

Eating and drinking right, these are the two things that I tried to do everyday but especially now that we are in a health crisis. I don't have anything against those who are engaging on a very focused diet but for my self, I believe on a balanced one. I eat and drink mostly everything, as long as I do it in moderation. Of course, I do stay away with junk foods and sodas, as much as possible . They aren't good for the health, anyway. This habit keeps me sane, too, because I know I'm doing my part to keep myself, my body, strong and healthy.

Exercise

Before the lock down, I always make sure to do 10K steps a day. There are some days I wasn't able to do it but on the average, it's 10K steps per day. Also, every weekend (since January), I do around 30-40 minutes of walking-jogging-walking at the park; a total of around 1 hour of cardio exercise including the walk to and fro my place (my place is just around 1.4 kilometers away from the park). But now that we are in a lock down, I cannot do it anymore. So every other day, I try to do a 15-20 minute indoor cardio workout and then a 30-minute workout on weekends. These workouts keep me sane, too, as the workouts assure me that I don't have breathing issues (I am that praning hehe).

Watch inspiring and/or funny videos

When it comes to watching, I used to enjoy only spy/military/police-related movies and series. But nowadays, I enjoyed watching short and funny FB and/or YT videos, too. I like watching Smile Squad by Markian and his friends (search them on FB, if you're interested). I also like watching videos of The Hungry Syrian Wanderer on YT; they are inspiring videos. Basel (the vlogger) is a funny guy, too; I don't get bored watching his videos. I don't even click 'skip ads' on his videos so I could somehow help him do his good deeds. Surprisingly, I enjoyed Camille Co's YT videos, too. I'm not into fashion and make-up stuff but I still watch her videos. I like her personality and the way she presented her content; she's kinda funny, too. I also like watching her videos where her hubs is present; such a lovely couple.

Reach out to Family and Friends

I'm used to living alone since my younger years. But with this on-going health crisis, I suddenly felt the need to be with my family. Of course, I can't as my work is here in the Metro. Although I can do work from home in the province, telco signal and internet availability there is not that reliable. Besides, I was traveling to and from work using mass transportation (MRT) so I'm afraid I might have caught the disease unknowingly and I don't want to infect them so I stayed here, alone. Thankfully, we now have cellphones to communicate with our loved ones so I just called them from time to time, making sure that they are all okay and reminding them to stay at home and to always practice good hygiene habits.

PRAY

I do like to think I am a strong person. But this COVID-19 pandemic made me realize I am not. There are times I suddenly cried and I don't even know why I'm crying. When these crying bouts happen, I pray. I pray to the Lord for my family's safety, for my BFF's safety, for my relatives' and friends' safety, for my self and for everyone else's safety. I surrender to Him all my worries, all my fears, and pray that He gives us all the strength we need to go through with this crisis and come out alive, strong and healthy. This is the most important thing that's keeping me sane these days, even when I'm just alone here in the Metro.

~ oo00oo ~

Oh wow, I made a lengthy post today. 😀 I hope you read it through, learn something from it and get inspired with it. Let's all pray that this COVID-19 pandemic ends soon so we can all go back to our normal lives; though this "normal" might be different from the "normal" we have, before the crisis and the lock down. Stay healthy, stay safe, stay home everyone! Blessed Sunday to all! 🙏

Random | Ala Eh! Interesting and/or Funny Batangueño Words and Expressions

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 01:24:00 +0000

Batangas: Lalawigan ng Magigiting
photo source: Google street view

Updated: 2020 November 3

As I have mentioned in my About page, I am a Batangueña, though I was born in Pangasinan (my mother is a Pangasinense). My father is a full-blooded Batangueño and I was raised there. When I first started my work here in Manila, my officemates usually kid me with "ala eh, batangueña ka pala" (translated as "oh, you're from Batangas") imitating how Batangueños say "ala eh". Batangan or Batangas Tagalog is a dialect of the Tagalog language and is used mainly in the province of Batangas, though neighboring provinces like Cavite, Laguna and Quezon sometimes used it, too. It has strong accent placed normally on the last syllable of the word. The sentences usually end with the word "eh", too. Batangan also has this characteristic of separating and changing the vowel of the last syllable of the word, making the vowel the last syllable. For example, in Batangas, gabi (night) is pronounced as "gab-e" rather than "ga-bi".

Batangan or Batangas Tagalog usually elicit laughter and/or shock from other Tagalog speakers. Listed below are some of the interesting Batangan words you may have heard from Batangueños out there.

Ala eh - the most common Batangan expression stereotyped with Batangueños. This phrase normally signifies hesitation or disagreement to something and is usually present at the beginning of the sentence. For example, Batangueños would say "Ala eh, ikaw na la-ang mag-isa." which means "Go, just do it by yourself."
Are - pronounced as "a-re", which means "in this place" or "here". This word is normally used when pointing out misplaced thing that is usually nearby. For example, Batangueños would say "Are ga o, di mo ga makita? Ikaw ga'y bulag?!" which means, "Here it is, can't you see it? Are you blind?".
Bahite - meaning broke or with no money. During this quarantine time (because of COVID-19) here in the Philippines, I would normally see Batangueños post saying "Bahite na ako eh" which means "I have no money" or "I'm already broke".
Banas - meaning "hot" or "humid" though Manileños associate this word with trouble or displeasure. For example, Batangueños say "Kabanas naman ngay-on ah" which means "It's so hot today".
Barek - which means "to drink alcoholic beverages". A common expression in Batangas: "sinsay muna dine at tayo'y makabarek" which means "come here, let's drink (liquor)".
Basaysay - which means "bahay" in Tagalog or "house or home" in English. I didn't know this term actually, I just got the meaning based on the context of the sentence it was used. I saw this on a Batangueño post in FB about the government's call on COVID-19 that says "Tumimo sa basaysay" which means "Stay at home".
Gulamot - another term I usually see on Batangueño posts nowadays (again, because of the quarantine) which means "kamay" in Tagalog or "hands" in English. So the famous COVID-19 pandemic expression "always wash your hands" when spoken in Batangan is "ika'y pirmeng maghugas ng iyong gulamot".
Hikap - which means "gala" in Tagalog or "to wander or go around" in English. See Tumimo below for the sample usage.
Laywan - which means "bubuyog" in Tagalog or "bee" in English. I recently saw my cousin's post about getting honey from a beehive near his house and this is what triggers its inclusion here. An example usage of this word: "Ika'y mag-iingat sa laywan" which means "Be careful with the bees".
Liban - which means "tawid" in Tagalog or "to cross (the street)" in English. Batangueño students who are studying in Manila: "Liban na tayo" or "Tayo ng lumiban"; Manileño friends: (staring); Batangueño: interpreting his own words then say "Tawid na tayo" or "Tayo ng tumawid" which means "let's cross the street". Manileños or other Tagalog speakers stares because they thought "liban" means "to skip classes".
Mamay - a Batangan word for "lolo" or "grandfather", it's also used to refer to elderly male Batangueños. This is one of the famous Batangan words too because normally, Batangueños use mamay when they want to prove or confirm something. For example, Batangueños say "Ay totoo yu-on, itanong mo pa sa mamay" which means "It's true, you can ask grandpa about it".
Papagayo - which means "saranggola" in Tagalog or "kite" in English. I normally see this word nowadays too because in Batangas, summer season is associated with kite flying, especially with male teenagers. And adults too, actually. An example use of this word: "Tatayog ga naman ya-ang papagayo mo?" which means "Will that kite fly high?".
Pirme - which means "lagi" in Tagalog or "always" in English. See example usage of pirme in the gulamot entry above.
Pumirme - another Batangan word for "tumimo". See definition and example of tumimo below.
Sakol - which means "to eat with bare hands". An example use of this word: "Kasarap namang kumain nang nakasakol eh" which means "It's good to eat with our bare hands".
Tugso - which means "sira" or "bagsak" in Tagalog or "destroyed" or "collapsed" in English. I heard this word from my niece recently while watching videos in YT wherein she saw a man standing on rocks that seems unstable. She said "pag iyon ay natugso" which means "when that collapsed" referring to stacked stones/rocks that in her eyes were unstable.
Tumimo - which means "tumigil" in Tagalog or "to stay (in one place)" in English. This is normally used to tell the children to stay in one place or inside the house. For example, Batangueño parents say "Hikap ka ng hikap, ika'y tumimo/pumirme sa bahay" which means, "You're always moving (or going) around, stay at home".
Ulaga/Usbaw - a Batangan derogatory word which means "stupid" or "foolish". Though a derogatory term, this word is usually used as an expression between friends joking around so is usually taken lightly. For example, Batangueños say "ika'y ulaga" to a friend which means "you are foolish".
Utay-utay - which means "dahan-dahan" in Tagalog or "take it slow or little by little" in English. For example, Batangueños say "Utay-utay la-ang, pasasaan baga't matatapos din ya-an" which means "Just take it slow, in time, it will be finished".
Yayao - which means "aalis" in Tagalog or "leaving" in English. This word usually elicit a shocked expression from non-Batangueños because they thought the person is bidding farewell because he is dying. Batangueños normally use this word as follows: "Ako'y yayao na" which means "I'm leaving".

I hope you've learn something about Batangas and Batangueños from this random post of mine. If you have Batangueño friends, ask them to read the samples to you in a true Batangueño way. Enjoy and have fun!

~ oo00oo ~

Because of this COVID-19 pandemic and the Luzon lock down, I now have more time browsing through FB posts of my Batangueño relatives and friends. Reading through their posts make me smile somehow, despite the fears and worries brought about by this COVID-19 disease. I imagine hearing them say these words and phrases with true and legit Batangueño accent to non-Batangueños and how non-Batangueños would react to them. Anyway, this is what happens when boredom strikes, you write random post haha.

~ oo00oo ~

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad! Jesus died for us because He loves us and He has risen to fulfill His promises to us. He will always be there for us, moreso during these trying times. Let us all rejoice and be grateful to Him for the gift of life and for saving us all from our sins. Let us also pray for His guidance and protection to us all and let's pray that this COVID-19 pandemic ends soon. God bless and Happy Easter everyone. #StayHealthy #StaySafe #StayHome please.

Zambales | Mt. Pinatubo Day Hike in Photos: The Crater

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 15:03:00 +0000

the beautiful Mt. Pinatubo crater

It was almost 29 years ago when one of the world's largest and most explosive volcanic eruption happened. I was then a part-time sewer in a small garment sub-contractor in my hometown. I, together with my co-workers, were stay-in sewers; that is, we live in the same building where we work. The night before June 15, we slept leaving our windows open, just as we normally do. In the morning of June 15, we woke up having sands (ashes) in our mouth. I looked out the window and saw thick ashes in our window sill and on the streets below.

There's no cellphones (smartphones) back then so we don't know what's happening. We went down and check out newspapers. Then we found out that Mt. Pinatubo, a stratovolcano located in the mountains of Zambales erupted. This hometown of mine is in Bauan, Batangas; around 172 kilometers from Mt. Pinatubo. Imagine that! Actually, it reached as far as the Indian Ocean (source), that's how explosive Mt. Pinatubo eruption was. This wrath from Mt. Pinatubo and the Baguio earthquake (earthquake was felt in Batangas, too) are the two most unforgettable disasters I've experienced in my teenage life.

Mt. Pinatubo crater, at another angle

Fast forward 2015, I was with friends who are into mountain climbing, when I finally saw with my own eyes Mt. Pinatubo, a magnificent beauty created by a catastrophic disaster. It's such a beauty that it lures many tourists, both local and international alike. With the onset of dry season here in the Philippines, I'm quite sure Mt. Pinatubo will again be one of the top tourist destination in Northern Luzon. Most likely, blogs and IG posts will again be flooded with Mt. Pinatubo photos.

For those who are into nature tripping and photography, Mt. Pinatubo is a place to be. Going here is kinda pricey but it's all worth it. It's also quite an adventure riding a 4x4 along lahar-laden field surrounded by ash/sand walls and then concluded with a 2-hour trek to the crater. Come and see this beauty that is Mt. Pinatubo.

By the way, in this post are various Mt. Pinatubo crater shots I took during our 2015 adventure. I hope these photos inspire you to go visit and see Mt. Pinatubo, too.

Welcome to Mt. Pinatubo

Mt. Pinatubo crater and my hiking buddy

foreign tourists, enticed by Mt. Pinatubo beauty

Photo Wanders | Chasing Sunset in San Jose, Tarlac

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 23 Feb 2020 12:14:00 +0000

Sunset at San Jose, Tarlac

“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.” ~Ocean Vuong

These photos where also taken during our Monasterio de Tarlac roadtrip last 2015. These were taken, if I'm not mistaken, along Lubigan Road in San Jose, Tarlac. We were passing by a road with empty open field everywhere when I saw the beautiful sunset. It's kinda late so we're literally chasing sunsets here. Shortly after we stopped, a truck came by with men aboard that somehow made me a bit nervous. We're in the middle of nowhere with no houses nor people nearby so I can't help but feel a bit scared. Thankfully, nothing happened and we reached home safe.

If you're going to Monasterio de Tarlac, make time for sunset photography in Lubigan Road, it's really beautiful (not my photos, though :P). It's worth the stop, just be careful and be mindful of the environment around you. If you're alone, be in a hurry if you still wanna stop and take photos; or better yet, don't stop at all. Don't take unnecessary risks. :)

Photo Wanders | Monasterio de Tarlac: Statue of the Risen Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 00:56:00 +0000

Photo Wanders will be a new section of this blog. It will consist of photos I took during my travels that I haven't posted in this blog yet. It may contain a short description of the photo and the place where I took it. I'll try to do this weekly, whenever I don't have a full-blown article to post. I hope you'll still enjoy it.

~ oo00oo ~

The Risen Christ at Monasterio de Tarlac

Monasterio de Tarlac, Church of the Risen Christ

The Risen Christ at the Monasterio de Tarlac

tourists admiring the view at Monasterio de Tarlac

These photos were taken during our road trip to Monasterio de Tarlac in San Jose, Tarlac last 2015. I just started my new job then so I wasn't able to create a post about it. Anyways, in the photos is a 30-foot statue of The Risen Christ, the most-photographed part of the Monasterio de Tarlac and the view around the Monastery. Aside from the famed colossal statue, Monasterio de Tarlac houses the Relic of the True Cross, a remnant of the physical cross where Jesus was crucified. Monasterio de Tarlac, located on a hill overlooking Tarlac, surrounded by greens and hills, is a beautiful and peaceful place to be. I hope to be back here again, someday.

What about you dear readers, have you been to Monasterio de Tarlac? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. I'll be waiting... ^_^

Financial Wanders | Easy Investing For As Low 50 Pesos with GCASH Invest

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 02 Feb 2020 08:14:00 +0000

from GCASH Invest

My GCASH journey started as a game with office friends last year (2019). Although I'm a GCASH subscriber years ago, I didn't actually use it. Last March 2019, we chanced upon this GCASH promo wherein you just have to send 1 peso to 2 of your GCASH friends and you could win a cash prize (currently on-going Ang Pao promo has 202,000 Php as major prize). Actually, every subscriber who joined this promo is already a winner because GCASH gives you 3 pesos as the minimum prize for every successful Ang Pao transaction. Anyway, my GCASH investment journey started that way.

Since then, I continued using GCASH and availed most of its services, mostly those that would give me savings and/or investment. One of the services I availed of is the GCASH Invest facility. GCASH Invest is a GCASH feature that allows its subscribers to make an investment with its partner provider for as low as 50 Php. By the way, GCASH and ATRAM (investment product provider) are both authorized/supervised by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to offer financial investments. In case you're interested to start your investment journey, too, download the GCASH app, available on IOS App and Android Play stores.

In order to avail the GCASH Invest facility, GCASH subscribers MUST BE a fully verified subscriber. In case your account isn't fully verified yet, follow this instruction from GCASH on how to make your account fully verified. Once your account is fully verified, you may now start using GCASH Invest. To start GCASH Invest, look for the Invest Money icon/button on your GCASH app and register.

How to Register to GCASH Invest

1. Click the Invest Money icon/button to register. You will then be prompted to confirm your personal details (extracted from GCASH profile). Confirm and submit your details.

2. After confirming your personal details, you will then be asked to answer a survey/questions regarding your risk profile. This step is a must. Your answers to this questionnaire will determine what type of investor you are - conservative, moderate or aggressive. Conservative investors are those who prioritize security and liquidity of their investments. Conservative types of investment are low risks but poses lower returns. Moderate and aggressive investments poses higher risks (possibility of losing money) but also has the greater chance of earning more from the investments. Currently though, GCASH Invest only offers conservative type of investment which is ATRAM Peso Money Market Fund.

Once done with step 2 above, please wait for the approval of your GCASH Invest registration. You will be notified via SMS and email when registration is approved. Once approved, you may now start funding your GCASH Invest.

How to Fund GCASH Invest

1. Click the 'Invest Money' icon.

2. Click 'View Investment Products' button (currently, it only has one product available which is the ATRAM Peso Money Market Fund).

3. Click 'View Details' of your chosen product.

4. Click 'Subscribe' button.

5. Enter amount (50 Php minimum) to be invested then click 'Next'.

6. You will then be prompted to confirm your agreement on the product's Terms and Conditions. Click the checkbox beside 'I agree' then click 'Confirm'. You will then receive a text message confirming your subscription transaction.

I haven't yet done withdrawal or redemption of my investments but in case you want to redeem or withdraw your money, choose and click 'Redeem' instead of 'Subscribe' and then follow the app instructions.

As of this date, my GCASH Invest money earning is around 1.4% of my investment, better than bank savings which is usually around 0.25%. Considering that I only made small investments every payday, 1.4% is already a good return for me. ATRAM's rate of return on Peso Money Market Fund is 3.2%, year on year.

~ oo00oo ~

This post was triggered by a gift I received from GCASH last Wednesday. Earlier that day, I got a text message from Entrego (a logistics company) informing me that my package will be delivered that same day. I've never purchased or ordered anything so I'm not expecting any package to be delivered to me. I then called Entrego and inquired them about the text message. The CSR told me I got the correct message and that I do have a package for delivery. I asked who the sender was but the CSR couldn't provide me an answer. I went out that same day and when I got back, the guard handed me the package, no sender information outside. When I opened it, I was surprised it came from GCASH. A simple gift; but it encourages me more to continue saving/investing and work my way towards my dream of financial freedom. Thank you GCASH!

2020 GCASH Invest gift,
yes, I'm a certified GCASH investor! :)

Gadgets | Garmin Venu: Thoughts/Opinions/Review

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 26 Jan 2020 08:47:00 +0000

Garmin Venu, black/slate

I'm not an athlete or a sports-minded person. In fact, I'm a couch potato. But recent developments in my health prompted me to go out and move more. This 2020, I renewed my #sitlessmovemore mantra once again. And my companion in this endeavor is my new Garmin Venu smartwatch. Thanks to my very dear BFF who sponsored it. Otherwise, I would have to be contented with my phone's fitness app. BFF knows that I like smartwatch with fitness tracker so instead of buying some other gift last Christmas, he gave me the money to buy the wearable that I want.

I initially wanted to have Samsung Galaxy Fit but reading through lots of reviews made me end up with considering a full-blown smartwatch rather than just fitness tracker. Last December, I checked out and read and viewed lots of reviews about the 4 smartwatches (Samsung Active 2, Fitbit Versa 2, Apple Watch 3 and Garmin Vivoactive 3 element) I'm considering. I'm an iPhone user so Apple Watch is really recommended but they're really not my type, not because of anything but more so because of its shape. I'm not a fan of square/rectangular shape watches. Fitbit Versa 2 was also eliminated from consideration because of its shape. Also, Fitbit Versa doesn't have a GPS so it does not fit with my requirements. So there, it's Samsung Active 2 vs Garmin Vivoactive 3.

Samsung Active 2 is not available in most stores I checked until early January this year. Same with Garmin Vivoactive 3, it's out-of-stock and sales clerk don't know if and when they will have it. Besides, she said Vivoactive 3 is an old version and will not be released anymore, though they have the updated version Vivoactive 3 Element and Music. I went to several stores of both Samsung and Garmin several times to try the models that I'm considering just to decide which one I should buy. In the end, I bought Garmin Venu, one of Garmin's newest smart/sports watch. Following are my opinions/thoughts/review on my new Garmin Venu.

Garmin Venu Sleep Tracker

Of the many features of Garmin Venu, its sleep tracking is the most inaccurate in my experience. I set my usual sleep and wake-up time at 12MN-6AM but I usually am in bed before 12MN browsing and reading online. The next morning, when I wake up and sync my watch with my phone, Garmin Venu registered my sleep time way too early than my actual sleep time. Since I'm just lying in bed reading and not actively moving, Venu misinterpreted my activity and included my reading time as sleep time. Even when I woke up in the middle of my sleep and couldn't get back to sleep at once, tossing and turning in bed for minutes, sometimes hours, Venu still registers it as sleep time. Another thing, Venu shows very little deep sleep time, normally less than an hour, which I think is not correct since I usually wake up well-rested and energized. Garmin, in their forum site, mentioned to correct and set the correct sleep time through the phone app and it will eventually learn from it. So far, my Venu hasn't learned from it, yet.

Garmin Venu Heart Rate and Respiration

In terms of heart rate and respiration, I couldn't compare Venu with other wearables out there but I have a BP monitor which I usually use every morning to check my BP and the readings are not that diverted, just a few points difference so I guess it's somehow accurate.

Respiration on the other hand, registers a pretty normal range except when I was doing exercises and while I'm sleeping. By the way, although my Venu doesn't report my actual sleep time accurately, I find my respiration data quite right. (I wouldn't say "accurate" since I've no other basis but the normal range I read online.) During sleep time, my respiration goes below normal range, which I guess is correct, since I normally snore loudly during sleep causing my breathing to go slow or stop maybe. During the day, the respiration readings are within normal range again except on times that I'm active and doing my exercises when respiration shoots up.

Garmin Venu Smart Notification

Venu's smart notification feature is a handy feature specially during busy times when I couldn't always check my phone or when I accidentally left my phone's sound alert turned off or when it's in my bag or pocket. With this feature, I could immediately get on to my phone when there is emergency. But actually, the best thing for me is that I could read the messages and ignore or delay responding to them without letting the sender know I've read his/her message. Sorry peeps, I'm just quite busy sometimes. But I eventually turned off this feature after a few days as it eats up on Venu's battery life. My Venu lasts only for about 2 days when smart notification is turned on. Please note that my notifications get pretty crazy during work days as my work (and work mates) uses online communication pretty much.

Garmin Venu Fitness Tracking/Steps Tracking

For health reasons, I'd like to track my movements/steps on a daily basis. My goal is to at least do 8K steps a day and eventually get it to at least 10K a day. And this is one of the reason why I bought a smartwatch or sports watch. Although I can use my phone to track my steps, I couldn't always bring my phone wherever I am so a wearable is my best option to keep track of my movements. Based on my phone's data (using a different app), I could say it's pretty correct. I also like that this watch alerted me to "move" every time it detects that I'm not moving in quite a while.

Garmin Venu VO2 Max Estimates

Last September, I had a check-up in a clinic because of chest pains. I'm quite a worrier when it comes to my health so the doctor ordered a full cardiovascular check-up which include ECG, 2D-Echo and treadmill stress test. Thankfully, the results are all okay except for my stress test which pretty much shows how poor my fitness level is. I actually was able to reach maximum heart rate for my age and gender without a hitch. The thing is, I reached it just after 3 minutes of treadmill workout, just a few seconds after the warm-up stage. I felt like a weakling that time haha.

Good thing that this Garmin Venu has this VO2 max estimates which shows the fitness level of its users. For me, this is the best feature that Garmin Venu has. Venu's VO2 max is just estimates, but it helps me in my fitness journey and it somehow encourages me to continue improving my fitness level. So what does Venu tells me about my fitness? Venu told me my fitness age is 58 and that I'm at the bottom 25% of people of the same age and gender. Gosh, it's so shocking! I really need to move, and keep on moving. Anyway, I'm doing this sort of VO2 max training (my version) so hopefully, my fitness level will eventually improve.

Garmin Venu VO2 Max estimates

Garmin Venu Battery Life

Garmin website says that Venu battery could go as long as 5 days on smartwatch mode. And this is one of the reasons why I bought this watch, the longer battery life compared with Samsung Active 2's 2 days. I intend to use it 24/7, at least during the first few weeks or months of use to establish data accuracy. However, in my experience, the battery only lasts for about 2 days with 24/7 heart rate monitoring on and smart notification turned on (as I said above, I get lots of notifications during work days). I also noticed that the Venu battery drains pretty quickly after using on GPS-tracked activity even though I'm actually done with it. I searched online and found a recommendation to turn it off and reset the watch. So now, every time I'm done with my GPS-based activities, I turned it off for a while to reset (I don't know how to reset it without turning off, didn't do some googling yet) and then continue to use it, as usual.

Connectivity, Watch Face, Etc.

I'm glad that Garmin watches, Venu in particular, can be used with either iPhone or android phone so it's a plus feature for me. It can also be connected to other third-party apps like MyFitnessPal and Strava. I'm not using Strava but I track my calorie intake using MFP so this is another plus feature. I also like that there are so many third-party developers supporting Garmin that you have an array of watch faces to choose from. Just download Connect IQ and look for the watch face that matches your style and personality. Another thing, if you like to share your stats on social media like instagram and facebook, you can use any of your photos as background of your statistics. Overall, though there some features that need improvements, I would say I'm quite happy and satisfied with my Garmin Venu; and this is now my everyday watch.

my everyday watch face

Valentine Watch Face

Garmin Photo Stats, for social media sharing

There you go, my personal thoughts and opinions on Garmin Venu after using it for more than 2 weeks. Take note, I'm no expert in smartwatch and I don't have other smartwatch to compare it with, I just want to share my thoughts and opinion on Garmin Venu as an ordinary user, that's it. 'Til next time... (hopefully, I can post more articles this year).

Random | 6 Things I Realized About Life In My 40s

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 05 Jan 2020 04:35:00 +0000

It's been a while since I wrote a story here. I posted a short one last August about a quick tour in Intramuros and another one in January and that's it, nothing more. Two posts for 2019, 3 if only I was able to finish this one (I started this post last December). But I didn't! I've always wanted to update this blog and write a new article but I also always find a way not to do it. Does procrastination comes with age? 'Cause it seems that way for me, nowadays.

Anyways, I'm writing this one as my way of releasing my worries and sharing the things I realized now that I'm halfway through my fifth decade in this world.

Save and Invest

Before I left my stable job (in government) last 2013, I'd always say to myself that money is not everything, that money can't buy me happiness. Now I realized, money may still not be able to buy me happiness but it can certainly buy me (and my family) a comfortable and less worrisome life.

Don't get me wrong. I love my job in the private sector. I learned a lot, and I mean A LOT, in my field of work. I also get good exposures, things that I'm sure I would never experience had I stayed in the government sector. So yes, I don't regret leaving my stable job as I really am bored with it. But I regret not having saved money back then. I used to be that kind of person that live in the moment, without regards to the future. I buy things that I want when I want it, things that I would just give away after some time. I never think of saving up. My thinking was that I am skilled and I can always find a job that can support my living. It's wrong, very wrong thinking!

Last 2017, I started my stock investment journey. I used my small savings to open up an account in BDO Nomura. I thought investing in stock market will easily pave the way for my financial freedom. But I'm wrong, once again. In my more than 2 years stay in the stock market, I realized it's not easy. On my first year, I gained around 10% of my capital so I thought, 'yes, I can do this'. In 2018, I was proven wrong. I lost my gain from my first year plus around 10% of my capital. At the end of 2019, I'm down 27%. But I'm not giving up. Miss Market is telling me to study more so I will study more so I could make wise trading choices this time.

credit to the owner, click the image for my post on starting stocks investing

Also, I will make sure that I save a portion of my salary, even if small, to build up my emergency fund and add-up on my investments. With God's blessings and provisions, I know I can do this.

Stay Debt-Free

I got my first credit card way back 1999, if I remembered correctly. I got several credit cards from different banks since then. During that time, I buy things I can't afford buying in cash and use my family obligations (I help support my brother's studies, buy things my family don't have) as a justification. Back then, I always maxed out my credit card limit. Imagine having 2 or 3 cards at the same time and maxing out all of them. I also have loans from other people and institutions. So yeah, I'm in deep shit!

In 2013, I was able to pay all my credit cards and personal loans. Except for my housing loan, I'm almost debt-free. I still use my credit card after that but I always pay in full, no roll-over balances. Then came 2015 when I lost my job. I couldn't pay my purchases in full so my outstanding balance started accumulating again. Of course, I found a job also in 2015. But I transferred to a more convenient apartment which led to bigger expenses so I wasn't able to pay my outstanding balance. In 2018, my father was hospitalized and I have no emergency fund to use so I rely on my credit card, too. My outstanding balance has accumulated once again. I used up almost 50% of my credit limit.

My not so good health last year made me realize that I shouldn't just live the moment, that I have to be debt-free so I would be worry-free, too. Since last quarter of 2019, I never made any big purchases, even if I'm tempted to. All new purchases (groceries, personal necessities) through credit cards, I make sure to pay in full. I also availed of installment plan for my outstanding balance to ease off on interest. I'm struggling but I know I'll be debt-free again. Soon!

Eat and Drink Right

I used to think I eat and drink right. But that was before! Most of the time, I skip breakfast. If I do have one, that would be late, around 10AM and mostly consist of just coffee or hot chocolate. I don't drink water that much (usually less than a liter a day).

And since I can afford it, I usually eat out, too. By eating out, I don't mean eating in fancy restaurants. It's more like having lunch or dinner in fastfood chains. And this includes weekend meals, too. So yeah, I don't eat and drink right. But 2019 has been an eye opener for me. I visited the clinic almost every quarter last year when before that, I only went to clinic for mandatory annual check-up. My blood pressure is elevated, cholesterol and uric acid above normal range; conditions that if not treated immediately, could lead to more severe illnesses. So starting third quarter of 2019, I eat and drink right again. Less red meat! Less sodium. Less fatty foods. Less processed foods. Definitely just occasional visit to fastfood chains. More veggies and fruits. And I drink lots of water now, too. I make sure I get at least 1.5 liters (my initial goal is 2 liters) of water everyday.

my kind of healthy food: bulanglang tagalog, recipe on my food blog

For my few readers out there, eat and drink right. Don't wait for your blood pressure to shoot up. Don't let cholesterol and uric acid level go beyond normal range. Unless you want to take maintenance medicines for the rest of your life, eat and drink right. Now!

Get More Sleep

For the past 10 years or so, I only get an average of around 5 hours of sleep. There are times I go to work with just 1 or 2 hours of sleep. During my younger years, I'm more than fine with 5 hours. Nowadays, I feel so sleepy even in the early hours of the morning. It affects my job because I'm always late. Lack of enough sleep also contributes to my elevated blood pressure which leads to absences. I'm now not at my one hundred percent.

This 2020, I promised myself I will sleep early. So far, I'm still good with my promises. My internet connection will be cut down this January 26 so I hope I can keep this promise. I need to anyway, or else, I'll be forced to take maintenance medicine (for elevated BP), which I hate. For the past few days, my BP is back to normal level, so yeah, sleep pa more! ^_^

Sit Less! Move More!

This one I'm really struggling but I know I need to do it. I need to lose weight. Everything I'm experiencing right now (elevated BP, above normal cholesterol and uric acid level, back and shoulder pain, GERD) was worsen by my being overweight. Okay, I'm still in denial stage, let's change it. I'm obese! There, I said it.

I used to work on my laptop with me lying in bed. I also play games and watch movies lying down. Now, I'm writing this post with me sitting on a chair, posture in check (bad posture also contributes to my pains). It's a start right? Mall-ing is better than lying in bed and playing games isn't it? After this, I'm going to the mall and window-shop and walk around. I'd love to enroll in a gym but I can't afford it right now so maybe, I'll get back on going to parks and walk around again. They're just stone's throw away from my place, anyway.

forest in the city @ Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center
this park is stone's throw away from my place

Limit Use of Gadgets

I got my first laptop (got a PC before that) in 2008, I think. That was the same time I got exposed to online games, too. I used to play Dekaron with officemates until the wee hours of the night so yeah, it worsen my bad sleeping habits. Around that same time, I got my first smart phone, too. By then, I learned to read ebooks instead of actual books. I started surfing the world wide web a lot, too.

For the past 2 years, my gadgets have become my life. I stayed on my bed the whole day; watching movies, playing games and just browsing the internet. And what has these gadgets brought me? Pains! Lots of pains! I now have chronic back and shoulder pains that extends to my neck and head, too. My shoulder and back hurt so bad that I have to transfer my bag (with just 2 phones, some coins and keys) from one shoulder to another several times during mall-ing. The connection? My excessive use of gadgets leads to bad posture, bad eyesight, bad eating and drinking habits, bad everything actually.

Now I'm planning to cut my internet connection at home. Steady and stable internet connection has contributed so much to my gadget and games addiction. And since I couldn't cut my fingers to stop this addiction, then I'll just cut my internet connection. I still have my cellular data connection but signal here at home is not good and and is unstable so it would definitely limit my time on games and online stuff.

~ oo00oo ~

What about you dear readers? How was your 2019? Was it good? I hope it was. But whatever your circumstances are, let us make this 2020 a better year for us all. Let's improve and make ourselves worthy of all the blessings that God has given us, through the years. And let us all be grateful always, blessings and trials, for our Lord Almighty will never leave us and will always be there for us. Happy and prosperous new year my dear readers. God bless us all!

Manila | 10 Things to See and Do at The Walled City of Intramuros

noreply@blogger.com (Tal | ThePinayWanderer) — Sun, 09 Jun 2019 03:26:00 +0000

Intramuros is a huge part of my work journey here in Metro Manila. My first job used to be situated in one of the historical buildings inside the walled city, the Palacio del Gobernador. But as I said in one of my previous posts, I haven't explored Intramuros much during my five years stay in the area.

Last March, a colleague from our Myanmar branch visited us here for an official function. It was her first time here in the Philippines and she told us she wants to see Intramuros. So in one of her free days, me and another colleague accompanied her on the tour. From our office in Makati, we rode the MRT and LRT lines and walk our way to Intramuros where we took a pedicab to our first destination, the San Agustin Church.

San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church was established by Augustinian missionaries during the Spanish era. The present church structure (several churches were built/destroyed before this one) was completed in 1607 and is the oldest stone church in the Philippines. This church was declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1993.

San Agustin Church also has a museum where priceless chalices and reliquaries, clergy vestments and other religious artifacts are on display. San Agustin Museum opens at 8:00AM to 6:00PM but closes on lunch break at 12:00PM to 1:00PM. Entrance is free but a donation is expected when you enter the museum.

inside the San Agustin Church in Intramuros

Trivia: The ashes of the Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, the first governor general of the Philippines, and other known conquistadores are housed inside the San Agustin Church.

Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral, also known as Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, is the first cathedral of the Philippines. Like San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral had undergone several constructions and reconstructions due to natural and man-made causes. The present-day Manila Cathedral is the eight cathedral built on this site and was consecrated in 1958.

Aside from historical significance of Manila Cathedral, it is also a popular church for wedding ceremonies. Several known personalities and celebrities including Sharon Cuneta and Gabby Concepcion and Dodot Jaworski and Mikee Conjuanco took their vows in this church.

Manila Cathedral

Casa Manila Museum

Casa Manila Museum is a two-storey mansion located in Plaza San Luiz Complex in Intramuros. It is a replica of the old Spanish mansions found in Binondo, Manila. Casa Manila is a fully-furnished mansion that showcases the luxurious lifestyle of the affluent families in the olden days. Furnitures and fixtures inside Casa are all made of finest materials and the rooms are all big and luxurious. But of all the rooms and fixtures inside, there is this one room that will trigger your curiosity - the toilet! It has two toilet bowls companionably close to each other, you can do tête-à-tête while doing your thing. Weird eh haha!

Casa Manila Museum

Fort Santiago

Fort Santiago was built in the late 1500s to serve as fortress of the Spanish conquistadores. But before the Spaniards arrive, it is a native settlement of Raja Sulayman, one of the kings of Manila. After the Spanish regime, Fort Santiago then serves as a headquarter of the US Army to signify the American rule of the Philippines. When World War II erupts, the Japanese seized Fort Santiago and used its prisons and dungeons to imprison, torture and execute hundreds of Filipinos.

Fort Santiago is open daily from 8:00AM to 6:00PM. Entrance is 75 Php.

Rizal Shrine

Rizal Shrine showcases the life of Jose Rizal, Philippines' national hero, before and during his incarceration in Fort Santiago. It contains Rizal's memorabilia and artifacts including his writings. Also on display at the Shrine is a portion of Rizal's bone together with the bullet that struck him during his execution in Luneta.

Rizal Shrine is located inside Fort Santiago. It is open Monday, 1:00PM to 5:00PM and Tuesday-Sunday, 9:00AM to 6:00PM. Entrance is free.

Jose Rizal Shrine

Kalesa Tour

One of the ways to tour around Intramuros and nearby attractions is to do a Kalesa Tour. The kutsero (the man driving the kalesa, a horse-drawn carriage) usually serves as tour guide, too. He'll tell you some bits and pieces of the history of a particular site or building within Intramuros which makes the tour more interesting and informative. The tour costs around 300 to 500 Php for a 30-minute tour. However, please note that if you step down and check out the sites and let the kutsero waiting, the entire tour would take around two (2) hours. There are some opportunist kutseros out there and they will not explain/emphasize that the tour is time-bound and will take more than 30 minutes, actually. So be prepared to haggle for the entire Intramuros tour rather than agree on a time-bound tour as the cost will go as high as 1,200 to 2,000 Php.

Kalesa

Bambike EcoTour

If you're an active person and knows how to bike, you can take the Intramuros bambike ecotour. Bambike is a bicycle made of bamboo and can be rented for as low as 799 Php up to 1,200 Php for a 90-minute or 150-minute tour. This is a guided tour and has specific route, depending on the bambike package tour you availed. For more details about this ecotour, check out bambike website.

Bambike

Shopping for Pinoy Arts and Crafts

If you're a foreigner or even local tourists fond of buying souvenirs (for yourself or your loved ones), there are several stores selling Filipino arts and crafts -- pouches, wallets, bags, key chains, magnets, hats, shirts, even furnitures and fixtures -- all proudly Philippine-made. The materials used in the items being sold are usually found here in the Philippines, too, like sea shells and abaca thread.

Food Trip

Got a tough tummy? Check out and try some of the famous Pinoy street foods like fishball, tokneneng and kwek kwek; baluts are also available in the streets of Intramuros. But if you're not ready for street foods yet, there are several restaurants located within the vicinity of the churches, you can check out those that offer Filipino dishes. On our trip, we've tried Restorante Delle Mitre, a restaurant and cafe that offers various cuisines including Filipino foods like sinigang and tinola. Restorante Delle Mitre is located just across San Agustin Church.


grilled tuna belly with mixed veggies from Restorante delle Mitre

Photography

Photography enthusiast? Don't fret! There's a lot to shoot and photograph in Intramuros, from historical sites to century-old structures, manicured parks, too. You can even do sunset photography here, just climb the Intramuros walls and find a good spot for sunset. If you have the money, you can stay and dine in the Bayleaf Hotel, go to its rooftop and take the best cityscape you can get. You can also join bambike ecotours as sunset photography is one of the packages they offer.

Pasig River