Ifugao's Unknown Paradise - Part 2

Halag is not a well known place (as described in my first write up), it has a limited exposure due to the location and the number of inhabitants.  Visitors may have ignored the place and thought of it with no great significance, but they are surely missing a lot.  My friend, whom I called small bro. didn't talk much of their place, but I was encouraged to write more about it.

Going to Halag is not complicated.  Starting from Santiago City Public Transport Terminal, you can board a jeepney going to Ramon Isabela or Aguinaldo Ifugao.  Then, get another ride from Ramon to Magat dam.  Journey may take an hour when traveling by public transportation; however, on a private car, it would only take about twenty to thirty minutes.  There is a small pier going north of Magat where you can get a ride to Halag.  There is a carpark near a military post where you can leave your vehicle safely, just inform the military officer on desk.

Group of tourists visiting the Magat Dam are often sighted.  There is a viewing deck at Magat dam where one side shows a fantastic view of the islands.  From this distant, one can easily assume that the islands are just small pieces of land covered with green bushes and trees without any inhabitants.  The other side of the deck is the view of the spillway flowing beautifully like a majestic curtain of water.

Visitors who wish to set foot on the islands need to go to the small pier where motor boats line up for passengers.  Waiting time depends on the passengers volume.  Fare is minimal, if I am not mistaken, it was P50 per person.  There is also an option to rent a small boat if you are in a hurry.


The cruising is very relaxing, the fresh air is soothing, and the clear water is calming.  People in the boat are mostly residents, there are only few visitors.  I took pictures of the beautiful basin, which used to be the biggest in the world, but now ranked second to China's.  Flocks of birds of different colors can be seen looking for fish.  Floating little houses that hold fish cages were scattered along the lake.  There are also some water lilies that the villagers gather.  They use the flowers for different types of native souvenirs such as hats, fans, slippers, etc.  There is no specific landing dock for the motor boat, each passenger is delivered to his/her own home or destination. When it was our turn to get out of the boat, I was pleased  for the travel was so short, but at the same time feeling disappointed because I was enjoying the ride.  Every family owned a paddle boat for going around.

The first thing we did was travel the entire lake.  We have two boats and we raced  for each island.  Spending all day cruising made my complexion shiny chocolate brown.  I knew that the two island boys who were with us didn't enjoy the ride as much as we did.  For us, that was the fun part, we sailed all day until our body was exhausted. Some of the villagers were smiling at us and waving their hands.  At around three o'clock in the afternoon, we packed a picnic and headed to the foot of the mountain.  We were on the boat again, two person on each boat, racing to the side of the mountain.  With me was a boy named Jonathan, the second youngest of the Uchayan siblings.  Jonathan was very happy to do the paddling while we were on the race, as young boy you can see his enthusiasm.  I helped him by using my slippers to paddle.  Finally, we reached the place after almost an hour of paddling.  Now on foot, we passed by a stream running from the mountain, and climbed through rocks until we found a nice place to enjoy our picnic which is next to a small water fall.  Afterwards, we all enjoyed a little swim in the cool water.

Ifugao - Halag

Highlights:

Island hopping
Cruising the lake
Mountain climbing
Fishing
Diving 

Ifugao's Unknown Paradise - Halag 1

Ifugao is known for the famous terraces and the panoramic mountains in Banawe and Sagada.  The Ifugao mummies are also an added attraction.  For people who want to take the fresh air away from the city life, it's a perfect getaway.  Unknown to many, there are beautiful islands floating in Ifugao.  Around twenty of them are inhabited by locals, they call the place Halag.

The place amazed me the moment I set foot on it.  It is an enticing wonderland of natures beauty and simplicity.  There is no electricity in all the islands which gives the feeling of distant isolation, but an awesome place for star gazing.  Each island is occupied by at least 1-5 families; the big ones with maybe ten or more families have the presence of public elementary schools.  I'm not sure exactly how many people are living in that paradise.  We cruised by motorboat and took us about 25 minutes to reach the place.  No one could have imagined that such place still exist at this age.  In this era where everything appears complicated,  here is the place to rest body, mind, and soul.  I couldn't have imagined small islands like these exist in Ifugao!  This may sound unbelievable but I it's real! Serene, magnificent, and just simply perfect.

The island were I stayed was owned by one family and the place has just enough  space  for their home.  There was a chicken coop, a pig pen, and a little rest house that added to the beauty.  The best thing is...it's totally private, only one family occupied the small island.  The hospitality of the Uchayan family is one thing someone could never forget.  Mr. Uchayan was a former village captain, despite of his status and popularity, he was a humble man, with good heart and spirit.  They prepared a small feast for us that made me feel embarrassed, but that's the way they welcome guests. It was fantastic!

Ifugao - Halag

They have generator in their home, we watched movies on DVD's as the entertainment for the night. At 9 o'clock, it's bedtime. Before 6 am, they are up and start the day anew. I have been to many places in the Philippines, stayed with friends and relatives for a few days and even for more than a week, but this family's hospitality and values are incomparable.  They are unique and pure.  I wish that my retirement age would be spend on that paradise.

(More story on Halag 2, How to get there? What to do? and the fun.)

Stock Investing - Philippines (SLI)

If you are following the PSEi, correction have started and and I view it as a positive movement towards an upward trend.  Analyst's from different stock brokerage firms predicts the support level will be 5850, then a possible run up to 6,100 up to 6,300.  Following such predictions,  I sold some issues that I considered volatile and retained my key stocks like SM, SMC, GERI.

SLI move upward for today's trading, this is what I am expecting few days ago when I enter @ .68.  Since the the blue chips were mostly overbought and the second liners were on see saw.  SLI trading below par would be a target, and my reading seems right.  Well, SLI have good track record in high end residential development.  They are present in NCR, Calabarzon, Central Luzon, Western Visayas and Davao Region.  Looking at the demographics, those areas are highly developed and mostly urban regions.

Four projects boosts the real estate revenue like East Bel air Residences, Orchard Towers, Monte Carlo and Neopolitan Condominiums.Davao Riverfront, a resort and leisure was developed for high end visitors which shows huge volume sales in the last years.  More surprises from SLI happen soon.

My Class and Friends

While watching a reality tv show, I remembered my family inside the classroom.  I missed them,  wish I brought them all here in Dubai.

I don't want to forget how I loved and be loved by my class friends.  Sitting in front from the right were: Joel, Dennis, Paul, Albin, Nicco, Joseph, Maricris, Joy, and maybe I missed one.  There were thirty six in the class, I'm the 37th, their eldest class friend.  Nicco was appointed as a class leader and he did well.  There was a great teamwork, friendly competition was encouraged, and everybody was eager to participate.  Each individual's contributions and  everyone's cooperation for their team's success were evident.  Motivation was the name of the game in our class in this College of Accountancy at a university in Isabela.

The beauty of the class was captivating.  I taught good values as much as I could, it was productive.  They came to loved the class and it was obvious.  Everybody was eager to SHOW UP in class!  Each meeting was always a great day for me, a great fun for learning for all of us.  I used my classroom management as an experiment to exhibit the theme, "Values and Motivation is Greater than Fear."  I can say that the strategy worked for the students.  One thing that made me proud of is none of them have cheated, I am their TRUE classmate in a some ways.

I always wanted the Niko Gallardo way, an English speaking class friend that I wanted everybody to follow.  I always like Maricris, a simple lady blessed with wisdom.  I always recall Aldrich sitting at the back because everybody wanted to be in the front.  I always like Joy for her lovely smile and hardwork.  I like them all... Juvee, John, Izaa and all, I MISS U ALL!  Some people said, many of them are repeaters but who cares, I love them, and I am PROUD OF THEM. 

I surely hope that we will see each other again.......

Stock Investing Philippines - The Money Makers

I did'nt expect the straight three week ascent of the PSEi, I am anticipating a correction since the first week of 2013.  PSEi seems unstoppable, the first liners continues to dominate like favorite SM, PLDT, MBT, BDO among others. 

I noted the quick movements in the third liners like TA - Trans Asia Oil and Energy Development Corp.  This stock have been on the watchlist since the 3rd quarter of 2012, now it's soaring to a whopping 35% gain from the December 2012 close.  Well, this is so because of the companys fundamentals and expansion, cosistent dividends and good management.  For day traders, it's great fun to play and ride.

Another on list is CPG, the ascent and the volume is getting bigger each day, price soar 21% up from the 2012 close.  Is it free to say that second and third liners are the next?  How about SLI? The stock is trading below par.  Shall we anticipate a big swing the coming days?  Look out.

Stock Investing Philippines - The Promise of Vista

Shopping in the PSE, Vista land was always on my list.  The popularity of Camella Homes (the real estate brand) in the 1990's turns Manny villar into a billionnaire.  The company have been robust in the real estate business and providing affordable homes to every Filipino.  It caters to different class of clientelle in the the Philippine society, with Britanny, Crown Asia (high end) while Camella and Vista Residences (low cost housing) positioned in the broad middle class and cornered the biggest chunk in the market.  The business joined the bandwagon in the high rise residential and commercial in Metro Manila.  The performance was encouraging.  Vista's business model was purely Filipino style of management and marketing.  The sound financial position is a signal for a much better future for Vista Land.  It has a strong liquidity with almost P10B cash as of the 3rd qtr of 2012 financial condition.


The stock is currently trading P4.85 a discount of 36% on net asset value.  Price earning ratio 11.06 (4.85/.418) the interpretation is that an investor is willing to pay 11.06  for every P0.418 of  current earnings.

My position is to get more of VLL but I have to wait for the proper entry.  Investing is fun if it is in the Philippines.

Important information and highlights of Vista Land and Lifescapes. 

Land Market Value as of September 2012 - P42.7B

Debt to Equity Ratio - .14:1 (the company has strong capital base to support its borrowings)
 
Net Income Dec. 31, 2011 - P3.53B 17% higher than previous year
 
Camella accounts for 65% of VLL sales
 
Net Asset Value - 7.65/share
 
Dividend History - since 2008 an average of P0.076 per share were distributed to stockholders        

http://www.vistaland.com.ph/photos.php?id=4

Stock Investing - Philippines

If we talk about stock market many people find this complicated.  Since 1997, I wanted to start investing in stocks.  Honestly, I do not know how to start it, it took nine years before I find myself in the play, I mean investing in stocks.  Here are the simple ways to do it.

1.  Open a bank account in any bank of your choice.  Online banking is recommended like MBT, BDO, BPI, and more.  Be sure to have your online banking activated and take care of your password.

2.  Open an account to any broker.  Firstmetrosec, Bpitrade, COL Financial, Macquarie, CLSA, DBP, etc.  The opening in the broker is not complicated, example, in Firstmetrosec, you can fill out the application online in their website.  Be sure to make a follow up so your papers will be processed asap.  I recommend online brokerage firm for simplicity, convenience and lesser commission and other fees.

3.  Funding issues can be done through electronic transfer, from your bank account to your broker accounts.  BPI to Bpitrade, MBT to Firstmetrosec or MBT to COL Financial, there are many ways to do it.

4.  How much money you need?  Many were overwhelmed by the amount of money needed to start stock investing.  Depending on your broker, you may start from P5,000 to P100,000, COL Financial let you start with P25k, Firstmetrosec - you can start @ 5k but 10k as start would be better.

5.  Buying and selling, this activity is being done online, simply shopping online but the items are stocks listed in Philippine Stock Exchange.

Stock market investing - now in your finger tips.

For more information, links below will help.

https://www.firstmetrosec.com.ph/

https://www.citiseconline.com/final2/b_home_new/home.asp

http://www.pse.com.ph/stockMarket/home.html



http://www.bloomberg.com/slideshow/2013-01-30/the-top-20-emerging-markets.html

The Dreamer Boy

I was thinking on what to write after the strong performance of the PSEi in the first day of 2013.  Would it be best stock performers? My picks? Then I decided, stocks will have to come later.  I went for this instead...

November 2012, I was jogging in a circle in Cordon Isabela, nearby a high school, as I recalled it's Cagasat High School - Magsaysay Annex.  Jogging was a daily routine to my friend Joel, Thursday morning I joined him.  I just wanted to sweat and let my body and muscles stretched.

On my third round, a boy started to run with us from a distance.  He was fast and with an athletic look, he passed through me several times for he runs with speed.  I kept on my jogging pace, he passed me again.  Then, I noticed something that broke me.. the boy was running without shoes.  He was running with barefoot in the circle which is not concrete, it's rough gravel and sharp rocks.  Ohh! my eyes widened...  While many are throwing old shoes and others have hundreds on their shoe racks, here's a boy running in this graveled circle without any shoes.  I was torn, I ran faster and approached the boy.

His name was Geamer Merano.  "Why you don't wear your running shoes?" I asked. " The rocks are sharp and might injure your feet," and he responded, "Kuya wala po akong sapatos."  (Brother I don't have a pair of shoes.)  I felt my body jitters, I was sick to my stomach, then I said, "wait for me here tomorrow morning @ 6am."  "Yes", he said.



Geamer  in Jolibee Santiago City

I didn't have the energy to jog the following day, I didn't feel well, and at 6am I'm still lying in bed.  I was thinking to go directly to my classroom to meet my students for a short lecture in Santiago.  Looking at my watch, it was 6:30.  I ran out of the house and drove directly to the circle.  I looked around and spotted Geamer.  He was waiting for me. I greeted him and he smiled, it was 7am.  After the flag ceremony, I asked the teacher if she knew the boy.  I told her that I had seen him running without shoes, the teacher then invited me to see Geamer's adviser.  I was amazed, Geamer - was track and field athlete.  An athlete with a big potential but incapable of having the basic gears he needed. 

We headed to Santiago City together with her adviser Ms. Lilian Bermosa.  After buying shoes,  Jolibee Santiago City was the next stop.  Geamer Merano, 13 years old, first time to enter Jolibee, (To him this is a big place where only people with money could enter).  He was speechless while I was talking with her teacher and Joel.  Then suddenly he spoke,  "This is the happiest moment in my life."   I looked around and said to myself, how blessed I am.  Joel's generosity filled Geamer with joy, MP3 player that he bought in Dubai, jackets and jogging pants.  As we finished lunch, I drove them back to school, I stepped out of my car and took a last view of the circle.

I took Geamer's details, her teachers number, but I did not promise anything.  One thing  sank deep in me, Geamer Merano - the Dreamer Boy, I want to be a part of your journey towards success.  May God the Almighty bless you.

PS:  I shared this story to Ben, a friend of mine in Fitness First IBM Batutta, and he asked  the size of the feet of Geamer.   It's 6.5 to 7 asian size.  DSF has just opened, hope that Geamer will no longer jog barefooted.

Travel - Part 3

Sunset - Disumanget Palanan Isabela

Continuation of the travel... an amazing place await us.  Really, I was fascinated by the beauty of the place, Disumanget (a place of cries) as they call.  Sea waves were so huge and a surfer will have a tremendous moment over the sea.  Few native houses were there, I rested a while in their house before we look for a place to camp.

The Cave

If you are an explorer and love an extreme adventure I would say the place is perfect.  The beautiful scenery and the panoramic view of the sunset.  There is an stream flowing from the mountain, the water is potable, like, fresh from the mountains.  We made a camp and explore the sea, I dive and enjoy the view of the corals.


Highlights:

Diving and fishing - be sure to bring complete gear
Mountain climbing
Night fishing
Living like a native in an untouched paradise.

Caving