Pinoys in the List of World's Billionaires 2009

Famous Forbes Magazine has issued the World's Billionaires 2009.

William "Bill" Gates III of Microsoft is back on top of the World's Richest with a net worth of 40 Billion US Dollars.

Second on the list is Warren Buffett, America's most beloved investor and last year's richest man. His net worth is 37 Billion US Dollars.



Others who made the top 10 are:


3. Carlos Slim Helu & family of Mexico- 35 Billion

4. Lawrence Ellison of the United States- 22.5 Billion

5. Ingvar Kamprad & family of Switzerland- 22 Billion

6. Karl Albrecht of Germany- 21.5 Billion

7. Mukesh Ambani of India- 19.5 Billion

8. Lakshmi Mittal of India/United Kingdom- 19.3 Billion

9. Theo Albrecht of Germany- 18.8 Billion

10. Amancio Ortega of Spain- 18.3 Billion



Fellow Filipinos are also in the list.

At #234 is Henry Sy & Family, owner of various SM Mall chains, Banco de Oro Unibank, among others, with a net worth of 2.7 Billion USD.


Forbes.com writes of Henry Sy:

The richest man in the Philippines arrived there at age 13 from China to help out at father's small convenience store. Saved to start a small shoe store in Manila and built it into one of the country's largest retailers. Now controls the Philippines' largest shopping mall developer, SM Prime Holdings, which opened its 31st mall last year, run by son Hans Sy; country's largest bank, Banco de Oro Unibank, run by daughter Teresita Sy-Coson. Shares fortune, which includes stakes in a dozen companies with wife and children. Last year bought a 60% stake in Manila's National University for an undisclosed sum. In December family's SM Investment Corp. announced plans to start building casinos in Manila.

At #522 is Lucio Tan & Family. They own the Philippine Airlines, Fortune Tobacco, Asia Brewery, etc. Tan and his family has a net worth 1.4 Billion USD.

According to Forbes.com:

Lucio Tan is a former chemical engineer from China who mopped floors to pay for school. Now owns the Philippines' largest cigarette maker, Fortune Tobacco; Philippine Airlines; Asia Brewery; mining operations; banks; property developments in Hong Kong. Cigarettes and alcohol continue to do well during the downturn, but his property company, Eton, has been hit by lower property values and rents in Hong Kong and other parts of Asia. Being prosecuted by the Presidential Commission on Good Governance, which claims that much of Tan's wealth belonged to former president Ferdinand Marcos and should be returned to the country. Hobbies include flying helicopters.

Jobs and Unemployment in the Philippines

In about a month, many students will finally graduate from college and will be ready to face another chapter of their being: Employment.

However, due to the recent scores of recession in many countries, which actually started in the United States in September last year, these fresh graduates will have to face a more stiff competition in winning a slot for a job. One, because there are not much job openings; and two, because experienced employees are also vying for positions.

The SWS survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2008 states that about 27.9% Filipino adults, or almost 11 million people, are unemployed. Being unemployed is defined as those not working and are looking for work. Thus, housewives, disabled, students, and the retired, are excluded from the survey.

Philstar.com reports that business analysts foresee that unemployment rate in the Philippines is expected to remain high in the next few months as the global economic crisis crimps business activities. This came out after big companies, like FedEx, Panasonic, and Intel, have started to trim down or close their operations in the Philippines, thereby laying off thousands of Filipino employees.

So that leaves us with the question whether our Filipino workforce, including our fresh college graduates will have enough job opportunities.

As we wait for our economy to normalize and recover from the worldwide economic recession, here are some helpful tips for those who are currently at a look-out for jobs:

• Prepare a curriculum vitae/resume which clearly states your qualifications. When coming for a job interview, be sure to appear and act presentable. This goes with the connotation that first impressions are very important. Be corteous enough to talk to whoever is administering your application. A cheerful disposition also improves your chances of taking a positive impression from them.

• Be confident but do not overstate your qualifications.

• This is specially for first-time applicants and/or fresh graduates. Do not be very choosy on the job offerings. As mentioned earlier, there are also job seekers who already have previous experiences, so they have better chances than fresh graduates.

• Other than ads in newspapers, try to search for job openings in the Internet. There are sites which cater to the needs of employees and employers. Some of these are Jobstreet, Jobsdb, and Trabaho.com. When you post your resume on their sites, they go and look for compatible job opportunities and email these to you. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) website might also be helpful.

• Attend Job Fairs. Oftentimes, colleges and universities conduct job fairs in order to give their graduating students a head start in getting work. Local governments and other organizations also conduct these kinds of activities.

• While applying for work, it is also very useful to apply for BIR TIN, SSS ID, NBI Clearance, Passport, HDMF, Philhealth, etc., since you might need these when you start working. When you plan to work for any government office, be sure that you have taken and passed the Civil Service Examination.

• Pick the job that suits your qualifications. As much as possible, apply for jobs that will enhance your college degree, lest your career path will be side-tracked. Then, of course, the saying that says "Follow your Heart" applies. Look for work that will give joy and satisfaction to you while considering your qualifications.

• There is nothing wrong in leaving the country and work abroad. But be sure to do a background check on your employer and the agency handling your papers. We have heard lots of people who have had misfortunes on un-accredited agencies and/or bad employers abroad. So verify with the POEA whether such agencies are duly accredited.

• Do not give out Original copies of your Diplomas, Transcripts, and other personal important documents to prospective employers. Give photocopies, instead.

• Frustration is out of the picture. Do not stop when you don't get selected. Know that somewhere, there is a job that's specifically for you.

________________________________________

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

- Proverbs 3:5-6

100

This is my 100th post.

So I will try to create a countdown- some sort of 100 things na sa palagay ko eh nangyayari sa Pilipinas, o sikat sa Pilipinas sa pangkasalukuyang panahon (parang iniisip ko tuloy ngayon, sana ginawa ko ito noong pang-sampung post ko pa lang):

1. Si GMA pa rin ang Presidente ng Pilipinas, habang si FG naman ay patuloy na nasasangkot sa kung anu-anong katiwalian sa gobyerno. Hindi pa rin namamatay ang isyung Charter Change dahil hindi pa rin bumababa sa pwesto si Gloria.

2. Talamak ang graft and corruption. Maririnig mo ito sa radyo, makikita sa tv, mababasa sa diyaryo. Sa katunayan, parang manhid na nga yata ang tainga ng pinoy kaya't hindi na sila nagugulat kapag may mga balitang tungkol dito.

3. Ckat na ckat ang txtng. Naging txting cptal of d world p nga ang pnas eh. Buhay na buhay ang companies ng Smart, Globe at Sun Cellular. Word of mouth ang unlitxt, unlimited, e-load, autoload, pasa load at all calls. Naglipat-bakod na rin mula sa Globe papunta sa Sun si Aga Muhlach.

4. GMA at ABS CBN pa rin ang top television networks. Pero hindi mo malaman kung sino talaga ang number one dahil pareho silang nagsasabing sila ang Number 1.

5. Bumalik na sa bansa si Jocjoc Bolante matapos ang ilang taong pamamalagi sa US. Kasalukuyang dinidinig ang kaso ng Fertilizer Scam habang tila natabunan na naman ang kaso ng NBN Deal (asan na si Jun Lozada?), Euro Generals (mababa na ang euro kaya tahimik na rin), at ang Road to Nowhere Scam (nowhere na, hindi na kasi Senate President si Villar).

6. Madalas magkasakit si FG Mike Arroyo; lalo na kapag pinatatawag siya ng Senado.

7. Naghiwalay na si Dingdong at si Karylle at ang itinuturong dahilan-si Marimar; ang Babaeng Hinugot sa Tadyang ni Fredo (Ayan, nagkagulu-gulo na).

8. Sikat na sikat ang balitang recession sa US. Pero mas sikat si Obama. Katunayan, balitang-balita kung paanong hinabol ni GMA si Obama sa lahat ng pagkakataon para lang makapagpa piktyur.

9. Laya na si Erap. Mahal na naman siya ng masa despite of his corruption and plunder charges. Erap for President in 2010?

10. Speaking of 2010, nag-umpisa na ang kampanyahan ng mga Pulitiko sa tv, sa radio, sa internet, at sa diyaryo.

11. Traffic sa may North Avenue hanggang sa Balintawak. Pero ok lang dahil improvement naman ito. Ginagawa na kasi yung extension ng MRT papunta sa LRT.

12. Grabe ang pila sa lotto nitong mga nagdaang araw. Paano, umabot yata sa more than 300 Million ang winnings sa 6/49. Hindi ako tumama. Hindi naman kasi ako tumataya.

13. Nararamdaman na ang effect nang recession sa US. May mga companies kasi na nag lay off at nagsara dito sa Pilipinas. Lay off ang Intel; Umalis na ang Fedex; balitang may mga susunod pa.

14. Nakabukas na ang SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway). Mabuting balita ito sa mga bumibyahe patungonng North Luzon dahil malaki ang natitipid na oras (at gasolina).

15. Speaking of Gas, bumaba na naman daw ng 1php ang presyo ng diesel. At kaninang umaga ay bumalik na sa 7php ang minimum fare sa jeepney.

16. Marami pa ring Pinoy ang pumupunta sa Dubai. Pero medyo malungkot dahil may epekto rin ang recession doon.

17. Nakakasawa na ang telenovela at koreanovela sa GMA at sa ABS CBN.

18. Patay na si Rustom Padilla. Nagbagong anyo at nagbagong pangalan na siya dahil siya na daw si Bebe Gandanghari.

19. Sikat na sikat si Pacquiao sa buong mundo. Natalo na kasi niya last year si Oscar Dela Hoya; at kasalukuyang pinaghahandaan ang laban nila ni Ricky Hatton sa May 2009.

20. Inumpisahan na ang Random Drug Testing sa mga Secondary at Tertiary Schools. Nahuli kasi ng PDEA ang Alabang Boys na gumagamit ng Drugs. "Social Users" lang daw sila. Wow, men!

21. Tumaas ang presyo ng LPG. Naisalang sa hotseat si Sec. Angie Reyes dahil dito. Pero wala rin yatang nangyari sa investigation.

22. Sumikat na naman ang Pinas sa buong mundo dahil sa nag-issue ang World Bank ng mga lists of Philippine Companies na banned sa kanila on issue of corruption.

23. Speaking of Corrupt companies, nagtatalak na naman sa Senado si Miriam Santiago. Siya kasi ang Head investigator sa issue.

24. Nagkaroon ng Cancer si Cory Aquino. Pero lumalabas pa rin siya paminsan-minsan lalo na kapag may rally ang opposition.

25. Sikat si Charisse, Si Arnel Padilla at yung chef sa White House na hindi ko alam ang pangalan. Kahit paano, may positibo pa ring impact ang Pinoy sa ibang bansa.

26. Uso ang blogging. Madaling medium kasi ito para maipahayag ang gusto mong sabihin (kahit na wala naman talagang bumabasa sa blog mo).

27. Talamak na rin ang iba't ibang social sites katulad ng Friendster, Multipy, etc.

28. Marami ring Franchise international shows ang sumisikat sa bansa. May local adoptation na tayo ng Survivor, Big Brother, Family Feud, 1 vs 100, Deal or No Deal, Philippine Idol, Kakasa ka ba sa Grade Five, etc. Pero nakakainis dahil pinapasukan ng text votes galing sa televiewers. Nakakainis, as in.

29. Mababa pa rin ang sweldo. Mataas pa rin ang tax.

30. Dumadami na naman ang government projects sa kalsada. Malapit na naman kasi ang eleksiyon.

31. Talamak ang drugs. At kung minsan, yung mga pulis na dapat nagsasawata sa users, sila ang nahuhuling bumabatak. IMBESTIGADOR!!! Hindi namin kayo tatantanannnnnnnnn!!!

32. Nagreunion ang Iskul Bukol. Napiyansahan si Richie D Horsie, (medyo) bastos pa rin daw si Joey, at Lalake na si Tonette Macho.

33. Bihira na ang pumapatok na Pelikulang Pinoy. Kung meron mang mga pinipilahang pelikula, malamang Hollywood-made.

34. Patok ang Twilight na libro na isinapelikula. Mas maganda raw ito sa Harry Potter dahil ang Twilight daw, 'May Kilig'.

35. Wala nang Magpakailanman si Mel Tianco. Pero surviving on air pa rin ang Maala ala Mo Kaya ni Charo Santos.

36. Nag-reunion ang Eraserheads pero di natapos dahil isinugod sa ospital si Ely.

37. Lilipat daw si Diether sa Siyete. Pero nag-stay sa Dos. Pero lilipat daw. Pero andun pa rin sa Dos......

38. Puro mukha nina Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Richard Guttierez at Angel Locsin ang makikita mo sa commercials.

39. Inirereklamo pa rin ang Globe at Smart dahil nababawasan ang Load mo nang hindi ka naman gumagamit ng telepono.

40. Marami kang makikitang kabataang may nakatakip na mahabang buhok sa mga mata. Emo!

41. Out na ang mga english-speaking DJs. Mas sikat ang mga balahurang magsalita at mahilig magpatawa. Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan?

42. Sikat pa rin si Bob Ong. Pero halatang mahirap na ang buhay dahil pinatos na rin niya ang pagtitinda ng mga t-shirts (Peace, bossing!).

43. Madalas pa rin ang rally sa may Quezon City Circle partikular sa may Department of Agriculture. Doon na nga yata nakatira ang mga rallyists.

44. Lahat nang telenovela at sitcom ay may cast na bakla o tomboy.

45. Kaaway pa rin ng MMDA ang mga Sidewalk Vendors. Kaaway pa rin ni BF si Binay. Pero gustong gusto naman siya ng mga text voters sa Celebrity Duet.

46. Nakabalik na sa posisyon sa gobyerno ang mga talunang Senador. Nakaupo na ulit sa pwesto si Pichay, si Recto, si Sotto.

47. Bukas na ang UP Ayala Technohub sa Commonwealth Avenue. Maraming kainan, maraming opisina, maraming may trabaho.

48. Sikat ang mga maliliit na motorsiklo katulad ng XRM. Pero araw-araw din ay kung ilang tao ang naaaksidente sa motor.

49. Marami na namang nadagdag na Board Passers na Nurse. Marami na namang gagradweyt nang nursing sa March/April. Marami na namang mag a abroad.

50. Tumataas ang matrikula. Magastos magpaaral nang anak. Katunayan, ang ibang pre-schools, hindi bumababa sa treinta mil ang tuition fee.

51. Ateneo-La Salle pa rin ang hot stuffs sa UAAP.

52. Boljak pa rin sa Gold Medal ang Pinas sa Olympics.

53. Kung mahaba ang pila sa lotto, wala yan sa haba ng pila sa DFA, NBI at SSS.

54. Tataas na naman daw ang presyo ng bigas. Wag naman sana.

55. Sikat sila Among Ed, Gov. Grace Padaca at Sonia Lorenzo. Magaling daw kasi sila; kaya baka raw tumakbo silang Senador.

56. Nakakatamad nang manood nang PBA. Puro Fil-am na kasi ang makikita mo. Di mo na malaman ang tunay na pinoy at tunay na peke.

57. Uso ang Pirated DVDs. Di hamak na mura kasi kaysa sa manonood ka sa sine. Malinaw naman, lalo na yung Blue Ray (Ooops, di pala ako bumibili noon. Ano ba yung Blue Ray?).

58. Lumilipat ang mga taga-dos sa Siyete. Lumilipat ang mga taga-siyete sa Dos. Habang yung ibang laos na ayaw lumipat, nagtitiyaga sa Channel 5 at Channel 11.

59. Sikat pa rin at may following pa rin sila Manalo, Villanueva, Quibuloy, at Velarde.

60. Maraming kabataan ngayon ang may English Accent at mga twang ang dila. Sila yung mga sikat na sikat na CSRs sa mga Call Centers.

61. Kung saan may Call Centers, malamang may Starbucks na malapit.

62. Speaking of Coffee Shops, parang kabuteng nagsusulputan ang Starbucks, Figaro, Seattle's Best, BO's Coffee, etc sa mga malls at sa mga Business Offices.

63. Traffic pa rin lalo na sa Umaga. At sa Tanghali. At sa Gabi. Masarap bumiyahe sa madaling araw para iwas traffic. Pero takaw-aksidente.

64. Hindi na mahirap mag-apply ng Credit Card. Kadalasan, sila pa ang nag o-offer sa'yo.

65. Nag-evolve na rin ang style ng mga sales agents sa mall. Yung mga tipong Family First? Sila yung mga maririnig mong nagsasabi nang 'Ma'am, may Credit Card?', o di kaya ay 'Uy! Color of the Day!' Sabay banggit sa kulay ng damit mo.

66. Lumalakas ang Sales ng Jollibee habang bumababa ang benta ng Mcdo.

67. Top hits pa rin sa Internet ang mga Sex Video Scandal ni ganito at ni ganoon. Meron ka na bang kopya nung kay Hayden at nung kay Katrina?

68. Lalong nagiging magkamukha si Igan at si Arn-arn. Pero tinalo sila ni Mike at Mang Enriquez.

69. Matapos masangkot sa Ultra Stampede, namayagpag na muli si Pappy Willie.

70. Kakandidato raw ulit si Manny Pacquiao?

71. Dumadami ang bilang ng mga kabataang nagyoyosi, nagda drugs, at nabubuntis.

72. Hindi pa nagpapahayag na tatakbo si Loren, si Chiz, si Noli, si Mar. Pero panay naman ang pangangampanya nila.

73. Hate nila dati si JDV. Pero ngayon love na nila. Ganoon lang naman talaga sa Pulitika.

74. Health conscious na ang mga Pinoy. Kaya nga nauso ang Vegetable Salad, Green Tea, Liveraide, Circulan, Arthro at Viagra. Hindi yata kasali yung huli.

75. PSP, Ipod, CP, Mac, Laptop, HP, Wii, mp3, mp4, 3G. Techie Generation ang mga bata ngayon. Pati matatanda.

76. Mahirap i-determine kung sino sa mga lider ang tapat na maglingkod at walang masamang intensiyon sa bansa.

77. Inamin na rin daw ni Iggy na siya at ang Alabang Boys ay iisa. Huh?

78. Alive and kicking with comments pa rin siraul gonsalez.

79. Si Ramos pa rin daw ang totoong presidente. Ha? What's that again?

80. Open for Business na ang NAIA Terminal 3. Sa Wakas!

81. Maraming corrupt. At yung mga kakaunting malinis, kadalasan, nagiging corrupt. Pero meron pa ring mga malilinis.

82. Kung uso ang lipat-bakod sa pulitika at sa showbiz, mapapansing kumokonti na rin ang bilang ng mga nasa 'tradisyunal na relihiyon'. Kaya nga nag-emerge na at common term na ang mga 'Christians, Fellowships, Bible Studies, Small Groups'. Hindi mo masisisi ang mga tao. Natural, maghahanap sila nang kongregasyon na may personal at malalim na relasyon sa Diyos. At kung hindi magbabago nang technique ang mga 'traditional groups', malamang maubusan sila ng miyembro.

83. Uso pa rin ang mga kantang may 'double meaning'. Pero nabawasan na rin ang mga tumatangkilik sa mga bold shows o mga palabas na may temang gusto lang magpakita ng kaloob-looban para kumita ang palabas.

84. Hit na hit ang mga Spa at mga Wellness Centers.

85. Wala ring tigil ang pagtatayo ng mga SM Malls. At kung may SM, malamang may katapat na Robinson's.

86. Bawal nang mag-advertise ang mga sigarilyo. Pero nakaaalarmang dumadami at pabata ng pabata ang gumagamit nito.

87. Kung anu-ano nang sakit ang nadiskubre. Kadalasan, sinisisi nila ang mga Instant Noodles at chichirya.

88. Marami pa ring napuputukan kapag Bagong Taon. Ang mas malungkot, kahit hindi bagong taon, may mga sumasabog na pabrika ng paputok.

89. Bati na si Kuya Germs at si Billy Joe.

90. Nalaman ng bayan na nagmumura pala si Mar Roxas. Malutong pa!

91. In addition to tukneneng, naka-balandra na rin sa bawat kanto ang mga nagtitinda ng calamares.

92. US-made ba ang damit mo? Baka naman UK? O Ukay?

93. Matatandaang sumikat si Miguel Zubiri noong 2008 dahil nag-agawan sila sa ika-huling pwesto ni Koko Pimentel. Pero ngayon, asan na nga pala si Zubiri? Teka. Sino nga pala si Zubiri?

94. Nakakulong pa rin si Senador Trillanes. Pero sa isinumiteng summary of expenses, isa siya sa pinakamalaki ang nagastos sa Transportation. Eh paanong nakapagbiyahe kung nakakulong?

95. Regular na tanawin na ang rally. Kung naiintindihan nang lahat ng naroon ang pinaglalaban nila, yun ang hindi ko alam.

96. Namimigay din naman ng mga maliliit na tulong pinansiyal ang gobyerno. Murang bigas, mababang presyo nang ganoon, exemption sa ganito, subsidy sa ganyan. Pero nalulutas nga ba ang problema ng bansa?

97. Hanggang ngayon, isyu pa rin sa pagitan ng simbahan, gobyerno, civic groups ang paggamit ng contraceptives. Habang hindi ito inaayos, patuloy na lumalaki ang populasyon ng Pilipinas.

98. Kahit may mga operasyon ang pulisya laban sa prostitusyon, nakalulungkot malaman na marami pa ring tambay na babae sa mga footbridge ng mmda sa cubao, sa pasay, sa malate, sa quezon avenue.

99. Dagdag pa sa mga nabanggit sa itaas, tambak pa rin ang basura sa ilog at sa mga kanto. Maitim pa rin ang usok ng mga bus sa EDSA. Marami pa ring banggaan, insidente ng karahasan, kidnapping, carnapping, pamomolestiya sa mga menor de edad.

100. Pero sa kabila ng lahat ng ito, nananatiling nakatayo ang Pilipino. Hindi pa rin nawawalan ng pag-asa sapagkat alam niyang darating din ang tamang panahon kung saan muling ibabalik ng Diyos ang katarungan at moralidad sa bayang Pilipinas. May pag-asa pang naghihintay sa Pilipinas.

Minimum Fare: Now 7php

This is a quick note; but is worth mentioning.

LTFRB has already approved a fare rollback for jeepneys effective Monday, February 23, 2009 for Metro Manila, Region 3, and Region 4.

Minimum fare will now be 7 php for the first 4 kilometers;

and 1.40 php for every succeeding kilometers.

Good News, VERY Bad News

Good News, VERY Bad News

Good News!

The government is eyeing another 50 centavo fare reduction in public transport, particularly jeepneys and buses.

The complete story >>>here

Sana nga eh bumaba na ulit ang pamasahe at maging 7php na lang ang minimum.

Malaking tulong ito lalo na sa mga estudyante at sa mga manggagawa.

Kahit papaano, mababawasan ang budget na kailangan nilang i-allot para sa pamasahe. Kung may .50 cents na maibabawas sa isang minimum na pasahe, ibig sabihin, at least eh 1php ang matitipid kada araw. 5 php kada linggo.

Aba! Sabi nga nung ka-board mate ko dati, 'Eh kahit magtutuwad ka buong maghapon, mahihirapan kang makapulot ng limang piso!'

Thumbs up ako diyan para sa LTFRB.

VERY Bad News!

Despite his negative reputation in Metro Manila, former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn Bolante is being pushed to run for congressman in his home province in 2010.

The complete story >>>here

Aba'y naku naman. Jocjocjoc ba 'yan?!!!

Pinapataas ang alta-presyon ko. Baka mapasugod ako sa St. Luke's niyan. Ay, wag pala sa St. Luke's, baka andun si Jocjoc.

Bakit tatakbo? Para may immunity sa kaso? Atsaka naman, kapag nanalo yan, eh ano pa ba'ng ini-expect mong mangyayari sa Pork Barrel niyan?

VERY Thumbs Down ako sa kung sinuman ang nakaisip nitong ideya na ito.

'La Pong Gas (LPG Shortage)

Department of Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes is firm on his statement that there is no LPG Shortage in the country today but instead, he blamed hoarders and illegal refillers on why consumers are having difficulty buying.

Naubusan din kami nang LPG last Friday and it was only after four days nung nakabili kami (at a much higher price).

The first time we asked on a late night, the retailer said 'Wala pong gas ngayon, hindi kami pwedeng magbenta. Kung gusto po ninyo, bumalik kayo bukas ng mga 6:30 ng umaga, pwede nang bumili'.

And so my companion asked, 'Brod, siguro magtataas kayo ng presyo kaya ayaw ninyong ibenta. Ok lang naman sa amin kung bibilhin namin dun sa presyo na itataas ninyo bukas'.

'Hindi po talaga pwede, bukas na lang po kayo bumalik'.

Sabi nga ni Angie Reyes, walang shortage.

Sabi naman ng mga retailers, kung walang shortage, eh bakit kami, walang mabili?

Sabi ni Boy, nagkakaubusan kasi maraming taxi na nai-convert from Diesel/Gas to LPG.

Sabi nung opinionated na kapitbahay, Red Tape ng gobyerno yan, Red Tape, maniwala ka!

Naalala ko tuloy dati, Rice Shortage naman ang problema ng mga tao. Then, hindi rin naging malinaw kung ano ba talaga? May shortage ba? O may tinabunan lang na kontrobersiya? After a while, nag-stabilize din ang problema sa bigas. Natahimik na rin ang alegasyon ng corruption.

Noon, Rice.
Ngayon, LPG.
Kung sasabay pa sa shortage ng mga lalake dahil nagpapa-convert na para maging babae, paano na?

Sari-sari: Our Friendly Neighborhood Store

Name it, you'll have it.

This seems to be the motto we can give to the so many sari-sari stores that we can find in almost every block near our homes.

From tinapay, to kakanin, yosi, chichirya, canned goods, candies, common medicines, softdrinks, diapers, to shampoos and eggs. And the list goes on and on- name it, you'll have it.

During my childhood days in the province, we have at least 3 to 5 sari-sari stores near our home. So now, I often wonder if ever the competition was so stiff; and why do they all continue to exist even if there is a big store owned by a filipino-chinese who caters the same set of commodities.

I remember my mother would send me to one of those sari-sari stores to buy 1/4 karne, or isang banig na paminta or any of those veggies that she'll use to cook pinakbet. Indeed, it fascinates me looking at how such a small area could hold up to almost anything and everything we need in our day-to-day lives.

The typical sari-sari store showcases the chichiryas in front. then on the stalls beneath will be the canned goods, such as sardines, tuna, liver spreads, squids, then the bottled ketchups, toyo, patis, and even sandwich spreads.

Why the sari-sari stores continue to exist sans the existence of large supermarkets, groceries and 24/7 stores were being studied by some well-know research groups.

++++++++++
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism thus says in one of its special reports,

Food items are the most popular candidates for micro-repacking, and it is common to see oil, vinegar, pepper, sugar, or achuete sold in tiny, plastic bags. They used to go for as low as five centavos each, but today the price is at P1 to P5.

People were buying in tingi because that's what they could afford. Cooking oil, soy sauce were measured in cups and then transferred to the bottle or glass brought by the customer. Even hard drinks were also sold in tingi, "paisa-isang shot."

TNS's Asiapanel division notes that in 2003 the traditional trade continued to gain share in the market, particularly in poorer rural areas.

According to AC Nielsen, these small neighborhood stores have grown to nearly 560,000, making them the top retail outlets in the Philippines.

So strong has been the performance of sari-sari stores, Mercy Abad of TNS says, that when a manufacturer comes in and first looks at the retail trade structure, he wonders, "How am I going to sell the 400-ml in a small store?"

Though sari-sari stores may impose uneven markups, consumers find these stores more convenient, especially for emergency purchases. Teresa Deocaresa of TNS says sari-sari stores have evolved into some sort of the Pinoy's extended pantry. The fact that they provide credit gives them another plus in the harried consumer's budget book.

AC Nielsen notes that while the "AB class prefers wide product assortment, the DE would buy on need basis, mostly small-size packs and on credit." And while these consumers buy in smaller volumes, it says, their huge number make up for the slack. Sachets and products in smaller packages enjoy wider reach in rural areas than in urban areas, says AC Nielsen.

Overall, shampoo, detergent, soap, and toothpaste remain the top (and growing) items in the nonfood category, according to TNS. These products, apart from being the most basic necessities of a consumer, all happen to come in sachets or smaller packs. Even fabric softeners are now fast becoming sachet-driven, says TNS account executive Omar Carlos.
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Indeed, the sari-sari store depicts much of the Filipino-his cultures and his ways of making it to survive.

In these hard times, where the Philippine Economy is at an unstable condition, the Sari-sari store will always emerge as the friendly neighborhood store that we can go to for our basic necessities in life.

Fuel Prices Going Higher and Higher

For about how many months now, there seems to be an unstoppable upscale of Gasoline and Diesel price not only in the Philippines, but also in most part of the world.

In the Philippines alone, gas prices rise every weekend by at least a peso per liter. And economists analyze that it could go much higher still in the coming months.

Thus, militants groups are again on the outrage and continues to urge the Philippine Government to do something about it; while the LTFRB has recently approved an increase on transportation fares.

On a positive note, however, motorists are experiencing less traffic because some of the motorists prefer riding on public vehicles rather than using their own private cars. People also tend to flock to the MRT and LRT rather than in jeepneys, buses, and AUVs because of the fare increase.

Recent study shows a different trend in the Automobile Business.

The sale of 2nd hand cars have declined significantly.
Buyers also prefer having the diesel-run cars rather than those vehicles using gasoline.
Also, vehicles with smaller engines (thereby using smaller volume of gas).

In any event, we all hope that this fuel crisis will finally end. Not unless in the future, we'd want the following video to actually happen in our country.

Basureros

There are stories which are just worth the read. Here's one of those.

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Basureros

Ever since it was diagnosed that I am having a posible heart enlargement in the last APE, I have exerted more effort to do physical exercises.I do jogging during week days and do long - ride mountain biking every Sunday. But this Sunday is a special Sunday to me. While I was on my way to the mountains of Busay (Cebu) hoping to strengten my heart by this exercise, instead, I personally encountered a heart-breaking scene that changed me. I already passed the Marco Polo Plaza ( formerly Cebu Plaza Hotel ) when I decided to stop to buy bananas at a small carenderia located along the road. I haven't taken any solid food that morning so I need fruits to have the needed energy to get to my destination - the mountain top. I am almost done eating with the second banana when I noticed two children across the street busily searching the garbage area.

"Basureros", I said to myself and quickly turned my attention away from them to sip a small amount of water. I cared less for these kind of children actually; to make it straight, I do not like them, and I do not trust them evenmore. You see, several times I have been a victim to these kind of children who are pretending to be basureros looking for empty bottles and cans when in fact the 'plangganas', 'kalderos', and 'hinayhays' are their favorites. I remember one afternoon while I was watching a Mike Tyson fight when I noticed that the TV screen suddenly became blurred. I checked outside and saw two young basureros running away with my newly installed antenna.

Hatred may be a little bit stronger word to describe my feeling towards these basureros, but I do not like them honestly. not till I met these three children.

I was about to embark on my bike again when I heard one of the two children, a girl of about 7 or 8 of age saying aloud to the other , a 12-yr old boy , " kuya si dodong kuha-a kay nag-sige'g tan-aw sa mga nagkaon, mauwaw ta" (kuya si dodong kunin mo kasi tumitingin sa mga kumain, nakakahiya), only then that I noticed a small boy standing near to me biting slightly his finger. He's a few inches shorter if compared to my 5 years old son ( but I knew later that he's also 5 yrs. Old). Though he did not ask for food to anyone in the carenderia, the way he looked at the customers who were eating , enough to convince me that he is intensely craving for it. The older boy then quickly crossed the street and gently pulled out the little one who politely obeyed. As I watched the two crossing back the street to the garbage area, I heard the tindera saying " Lo-oy kaayo nang mga bataa uy, mga buotan ra ba na" (kawawa naman yung mga batang yun mababait pa naman).

I learned further from the carenderia owner that the children are from a good family , both parents were working before , and that their father got a stroke 3 years ago and became partially paralized and their mother died of heart attack while their father was still confined at the hospital. The parents were still in their early forties when the catastrophe happened, and the children became basureros since then to meet their daily needs and for their father's medication.

Deeply moved by what I heard, I went to a nearby bakery and bought 20 pesos worth of bread and gave it to the children who initially refused including the little boy. " Sige lang noy, salamat na lang, magpalit lang nya mi kung mahalinan na mi" (sige lang po, salamat na lang, bibili na lang po kami mamaya kung makabenta na kami) the young girl said to me. I explained that they need to go home because it started to rain . " Naanad na man mi ani " (nasanay na po kami)the girl answered again. Again, I explained that the rain can make them sick and if they'll become sick there's no one to take care of their father. Upon mentioning their father, they nodded and acccepted the bread but I noticed that the older boy did not eat. When I asked him if he does not like the kind of bread I bought for them he smiled but as he's about to explain, the little girl, who is the more talker of them interrupted, " Domingo man gud ron ,noy, basta Sabado ug Domingo hapon ra siya mokaon kami ra ang mokaon ug pamahaw pero dili na pod mi mokaon inig hapon, si kuya ra. Pero basta Lunes ngadto sa Biyernes, kay klase man , si kuya ra sad ang seguro-on ug papamahaw, kami hapon na sad mi moka-on Pero kung daghan mi ug halin mokaon mi tanan." (Linggo po kasi ngayon, pag sabado at lingo hapon lang po sya kumakain, kami lang po ang kumakain ng agahan pero di na po kami kakain pagdating ng hapon si kuya lang po. Pero pag lunes hanggang biyernes, kasi may pasok, si kuya lang po nag-aagahan, kami hapunan lang pero kung marami kaming benta kami pong lahat kumakain) she continued. "Ngano man diay ug mokaon mong tanan, bahinon ninyo bisan ug unsa ka gamay?" (bakit kung kumain kayong lahat, hati-hatiin nyo na lang kahit kunti lang ang pagkain?) I countered. The young girl reasoned out that their father wanted that her older brother to come to school with full stomachs so he can easily catch up the teacher's lessons. "Inig ka trabaho ni kuya mo undang na man mi ug pamasura , first honor baya na siya " (pag nagkatrabaho si kuya, hihinto kami sa pamamasura, first honor kasi sya) the little boy added proudly. Maybe I was caught by surprise or I am just overly emotional that my tears started to fall. I then quickly turned my back from them to hide my tears and pretended to pick up my bike from the carenderia where I left it.

I don't know how many seconds or minutes I spent just to compose myself; pretending again this time that I was mending by bike.

Finally I get on to my bike and approached the three children to bid goobye to them who in turn cast their grateful smiles at me. I then took a good look at all of them specially to the small boy and pat his head with a pinch in my heart. Though I believe that their positive look at life can easily change their present situation, there is one thing that they can never change; that is , their being motherless. That little boy can no longer taste the sweet embrace, care, and most of all , the love of his mother forever? Nobody can refill the empty gap created by that sudden and untimely death of their mother. Every big events that will happen to their lives will only remind them and make them wish of their mother's presence. I reached to my pocket and handed to them my last 100 peso bill which I reserved for our department's bowling tournament. This time they refused strongly but I jokingly said to the girl " sumbagon teka ron kung di nimo dawaton" (suntukin kita dyan pag hindi mo tinanggap yan). She smiled as she extended her hand to take the money. " Salamat noy makapalit gyud me ron ug tambal ni papa " (salamat po, makakabili kami nito ng gamot ni papa) she uttered. I then turned to the small boy and though he's a few feet away from me, I still noticed that while his right hand was holding the half - filled sack , his left hand was holding a toy- a worn out toy car. I waved my hands and said bye bye to him as I drove towards the mountains again. Did he just found the toy in the garbage area ? or the toy was originally his - when the misfortune did not took place yet? - I did not bother to ask. But one thing is crystal clear to me. That inspite of the boy's abnormal life, he did not give up his childhood completely. I can sense it that way he hold and stare at his toy.

My meeting with that young basureros made me poorer by 100 pesos. But they changed me and made me more richer as to lessons of life are concerned. In them, I learned that life can changed suddenly and may caught me flat footed. In them, I've learned that even the darkest side of life, cannot change the beauty of one's heart.

Those three children, who sometimes cannot eat three times a day, are still able to hold on to what they believe was right. And what a contrast to most of us who are quick to point out to our misfortunes when caught with our mistakes. In them, I've learned to hope for things when things seem to go the other way.

Lastly, I know that God cares for them far more than I do. That though He allowed them to experience such a terrible life which our finite minds cannot comprehend, His unquestionable love will surely follow them through. And in God's own time they will win.

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I shared this piece of story in our office and I've got some responses, one of which, surprisingly came from the Big Boss, our Managing Director.

nakakainis ka __________, pinaiyak mo ako sa story na ito ... (from an Assoc. Manager)

Thanks __________ for this beautiful story. I can relate because my adopted twins came from very poor backgrounds.
They might have been basureros if I did not take them. (from the Big Boss)

A Nation In Poverty

Wikipedia defines Poverty as the deprivation of those things that determine the quality of life, including food, clothing, shelter and safe drinking water, but also "intangibles" such as the opportunity to learn and to enjoy the respect of fellow citizens.

With the way the Philippine Economy is doing right now, one could not help but ask, "Are we really a Nation in Poverty"?

Thus, there is always the issue of Rice Shortage, the weekly shoot up of Gas Prices, Fare hikes, and the never-ending increase in the price of various commodities.

How this picture depicts what is happening, not only in our country, but in some other nations, as well.

Are we in any way deprived on the basic necessities of life? Or are we just not contended with what we have right now?

And the question still lies ahed- Are we A Nation in Poverty?

Please, please, help me find the answer.