Philippines is top emerging economy—French firm.

By Nestor Corrales
INQUIRER.net

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MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is among the top countries with “emerging economies,” a French credit body said in its latest economic publication.

Compagnie Française d’Assurance pour le Commerce Extérieur (COFACE) cited the Philippines as a country with high growth potential and the most favorable prospect of increasing production capacity in the years to come.

COFACE said the Philippines is also considered to have the most favorable business climate.

Other countries recognized as top emerging economies include Peru, Indonesia, Colombia and Sri Lanka replacing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The criteria used by COFACE to determine the new emerging economies include intermediate level of per capita income (above that of less advanced economies but below that of advanced economies); higher GDP growth rate than most advanced economies; and major institutional transformations.

“This piece of economic good news comes at the heels of the report that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had raised its 2014 economic growth forecast for the Philippines to 6.5%, up from its January projection of 6.3%. Standard and Poor’s (S&P) also raised its growth projection for the Philippines to 6.6% for 2014,” DFA said in a statement Friday.

The IMF and S&P are leading providers of global credit benchmarks, policy advice and research to foster economic development and growth around the world, while the COFACE is the French credit rating agency which publishes quarterly risk assessments for 160 countries.

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You won’t go wrong with Right Homes.

By Tanya T. Lara 

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Robinsons Land Corporation consolidates completed units from its portfolio of brands ranging from the affordable Robinsons Communities to the mid-range Robinsons Residences and the upscale Robinsons Luxuria into a sort of one-stop shop for homebuyers. Called Robinsons Right Homes, they offer units that buyers can move into right now such as The Trion Towers (above) and Sonata (right).

MANILA, Philippines - It’s a great way to shop for a new home — there’s no waiting time, the house is finished, you don’t have to rely on renderings, floor plans or model units, and you can move in as fast as you sign the document and your check clears.

Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) recently launched its latest brand called Robinsons Right Homes, which consolidates units from RLC’s portfolio of brands, ranging from the affordable Robinsons Communities to the mid-range Robinsons Residences and the upscale Robinsons Luxuria.

What’s good about having a finished house as opposed to one that you buy in the pre-selling stage is that you can make a decision based on the finished product, knowing full well what you are getting in terms of the unit itself, the amenities, and the community. Robinsons seized the opportunity to serve the market that is ready to move into a new home and not have to wait till the project is completed.

“Right Homes gives people the chance to see the completed homes in a master-planned setting,”  says Mybelle V. Aragon- GoBio, senior vice president for Robinsons Luxuria, Robinsons Residences and Robinsons Communities. “This helps them to ascertain the quality of the development and to run through what will be the inhabitant’s experience in a tangible manner. There are people who can’t afford to pay for amortization and rent at the same time but it’s important for them to invest in a place or buy a home.”

Robinsons Right Homes sales head Roel Maglaya adds, “The notion of an RFO (ready for occupancy) is that you pay in full. What potential buyers don’t know is that we offer friendly payment terms.”

Buyers can choose from the various RLC brands Robinsons that are located all over Metro Manila such as Cubao, Bonifacio Global City, Mandaluyong, Parañaque, and Cebu and Tagaytay. They are close to major thoroughfares in the city, schools, offices, hospitals and churches.

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The various brands of RLC means you can choose from a slew of products that fit your budget.

Says Maglaya, “People, who don’t have sufficient savings or credit to buy a home, can avail of a two-year lease-to-own package. The tenant can occupy the rented unit after signing a lease/purchase agreement and payment of lease deposits with an option for purchase. At the end of the 24-month lease, the tenant can buy the unit for a specific amount.  Total rental payment has been credited to the sales price or final cost subject to certain conditions. This gives the lessee time to save up while evaluating the property and the neighbors.

“As an investment, the buyer can put up the unit for rent and get a quick return. Likewise, with the rising demand for condo units, the gross rental yield per year is four to five percent of the invested capital.  Because of the unit’s appraisal, the invested capital will go up in price. The yield from rental is higher and faster than keeping the money in the bank.”

Right Homes also provides assistance to those who want to lease out or resell their units and free interior design consultancy services and furniture orders at cost.

Kaye Mallari-Sanchez, Right Homes unit head, cites an example, “In the past, the reservation fee was P35,000.  We’ve lowered the reservation fee payment to P20,000. At Escalades 20th in Cubao, you can own a unit for as low as P8,000 monthly payment. In this mid-rise condo, you don’t feel as if you’re in a vertical development. It’s more like being in a townhouse.” 

For your retirement and other housing needs, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com.

* * *

Selling property? Why it pays to get a real estate broker.

 

MANILA, Philippines - Setting a selling price for a property may be challenging, especially if one is not knowledgeable in the current market values. Inflate too much and you might scare away potential buyers. Price it lower than current values and you’re undervaluing the property.

If you’re not sure how to price that piece of property you’re selling, you might do well to get in touch with an experienced real estate broker. Aside from making sure the asking price is correct from the outset, a broker can help you with a lot of things, including knowing how to respond to buyer inquiries, dealing with regulatory requirements and all the necessary documentation.

Property24.com.ph, an online portal that lists properties from leading estate brokers around the country, shares these pointers on why it’s advantageous to hook up with a real estate broker who can help you get the best value for your property. 

Expertise in pricing property

A highly regarded real estate broker will have a record of how much properties with similar offerings to the seller’s home have recently sold for in the last three to six months.

A sales broker is knowledgeable about the running prices around the area. Although it is the seller’s decision, a real estate broker will have the expertise to guide them with regard to setting the right asking price by performing a comparative market analysis.

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Sellers must ask about the general trends in current asking prices, as well as prices from a few months to a year ago. Knowing the prices at which properties are getting sold in the area will help the seller arrive at an accurate running price for his property.

Comparative market analysis

Real estate brokers use a comparative market analysis (CMA) by gathering information and statistics from various sources and to determine the average price per square meter of property in the area. A CMA is not an appraisal, but it does contain some of the same types of information that you will find in an appraisal. CMA is a property analysis that real estate brokers use to help sellers and buyers determine the market value. This information, paired with their experience of the relevant area will help guide the seller’s understanding of what an appropriate price will be for their property.

Accurate appraisal

From here on, it is easier to give an accurate appraisal of the property. Knowing the base price, the seller can now include other factors that might affect the property’s exact value. These coulretirement and otheerd be the condition of the property and its size, security features, finishes and fixtures, and any other features that could set the house apart from others in the areas. The real estate broker will still guide the seller in pricing their property right.

For more information, visit Property24.com.ph. The site is now a leading online venue for legitimate sellers and serious buyers, and a preferred portal for licensed brokers and agencies. In addition, it provides better navigation experience with its user-friendly dashboard and helpful filters. Finally, site visitors can also view listings on latest real estate developments, and get updated on industry news.

 For your retirement and other housing needs, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com.

Example of a real-life investor.

PHILEQUITY CORNER By Valentino Sy 

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In this article, we discuss Peso Cost Averaging as an investment strategy. We center on an actual investor of the Philequity Fund who has been employing this strategy since 2003. In fact, this is the same investor whose statement of account we presented during our Investors’ Briefing last March 8, 2014.

What is Peso Cost Averaging?

As we said in our article last week (The Time to Invest is Now, March 24, 2014), Peso Cost Averaging “is an investing technique which involves buying a fixed peso amount of stocks on a regular schedule.” To illustrate, an investor applying Peso Cost Averaging can invest P10,000 on a monthly basis. Another investor can opt to invest P5,000 every week. The amount and the frequency of investing will depend on one’s financial capacity and tolerance for risk.

Why is Peso Cost Averaging stress-free?

Investing can be stressful especially for first time investors who have never experienced volatility in the markets. Also, many are daunted by the thought of investing a large amount of money in one go. But with Peso Cost Averaging, as the following example will show, one can reach a gross investment of P1 million in a short amount of time by investing as little as P5,000 on a weekly basis.

A real-life investor

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During our Investors’ Briefing last March 8, 2014, we included in our presentation the actual statement of account of Mr. Cecilio Castro, Jr. In our article today, we narrate how Peso Cost Averaging has allowed him to build his investment in the Philequity Fund.

Mr. Cecilio began investing in Philequity Fund in September 2003 with an initial investment of P31,000. Since then, he has been investing regularly – investing around P4,000 to P10,000 weekly or biweekly. Even throughout the vicious bear market of 2008, he continued Peso Cost Averaging.

Here is a snapshot of his ledger:

The table below shows how Mr. Cecilio’s gross investment grew each year. By the end of 2008, he had reached a gross investment of P899,000. Today, his gross investment of P1.28 million has a market value of P4.27 million as of last Friday, March 28, 2014.

Straight from the horse’s mouth

We interviewed Mr. Cecilio over the phone and here is what he had to say about his experience as an investor – from choosing the right fund to investing consistently even during bear markets.

Q: How did you start investing in mutual funds?

A: I worked in Philequity from 1998 to 1999 and in a brokerage firm prior to that so I had knowledge on investments. I started investing once I had enough income to set aside. My first choice was Philequity because I knew how the fund invested…

Q: Which was?

A: Value investing. I also chose Philequity because it was not affiliated with any investment bank or insurance company. But most of all, I had full belief in Wilson Sy. For me, the fund manager’s reputation is a very critical aspect in choosing a mutual fund.

Q: What was the market like when you started investing in 2003?

A: I don’t remember. But I do remember the NAV at which I first entered the fund: P4.42 per share.

Q: What was your experience as an investor during the bear market?

A: I just kept investing. For those who set aside funds to invest regularly, you should not look at what the index level is. Investing consistently has proven to give you a good average cost in the long run. You cannot catch peaks and bottoms in the market.

Q: What can you say about financial literacy in the Philippines?

A: It still has a long way to go but people are much more knowledgeable now. Back in 2003 and much more in 1994 when Philequity started, only those who were in the industry of capital markets knew about mutual funds. But now, people are more aware as seen, I think, in how Philequity Fund has grown. I think Philequity has made investing in mutual funds very accessible by making the minimum additional investment only P1,000.

Learning by Example

We would like to thank Mr. Cecilio Castro, Jr. for allowing us to use his account as an example during our Investors’ Briefing and in our article today. He did not mind being interviewed as he shares in our advocacy of teaching people how to invest. In fact, he was even interviewed by ANC. We hope that this real-life example will help our readers understand how to use Peso Cost Averaging to achieve their investment goals.

For further stock market research and to view our previous articles, please visit our online trading platform atwww.wealthsec.com or call 634-5038. Our archived articles can also be viewed at www.philequity.net.

For your retirement and other housing needs, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com

How do you know if a relationship is karmic?.

By Jaime Licauco
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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Cecilia (not her real name) has some questions about karmic relationships:

“How do you know when a relationship is karmic? Is that a positive or negative thing? Can that be avoided, or does one have to go through it no matter what, since it is supposed to be part of his life’s journey?

“How does one deal with these relationships? If it is not a positive thing, how can you make it a positive one?

“It would help me if you could shed some light on this. Thank you so much.”

***

Dear Cecilia,

Let me start with some basic definition of terms which I explain in detail in my seminar on “Soul mates, Karma and Reincarnation.”

“Karma” comes from the Sanskrit word which means “action.”  We normally refer to action as something physical like running or eating. However, action here also refers to nonphysical acts such as thoughts, desires, intentions or purposes.

It is possible to incur a karmic debt or obligation simply by thinking of or intending to do something. This is because everything begins with the mind. The physical is only the result of a previous mental action.

For example, before a table or chair becomes a physical reality, it must first exist in the mind of the carpenter. Before a painting appears on canvas, it must first exist in the mind of the artist.

And before the sun, the moon and the stars appear physically, they must first appear in the mind of God.

I may add here that because of this, before one becomes physically sick, he was already sick mentally and spiritually. It may be hard to swallow such explanations. We are generally not accustomed to thinking this way because we are so focused on the physical plane as science has defined it. As the American psychic, Edgar Cayce, used to say, “The Mind is the Builder, the Physical is the Result.”

The soul never forgets

In this sense all close relationships are karmic, as for instance, parent-child, boss-subordinate, teacher-student, husband-wife. As I have often said, “We seldom meet a person by accident, for the soul never forgets.”

Karmic partners, therefore, are two individuals who are bound together because of strong karmic obligations or debts incurred in past incarnations which they have chosen to meet or work out together in this lifetime.

Strong karmic partnerships or relationships are often mistaken for soul mates. They differ from each other in the sense that karmic partnerships may take place because of some human obligations, lessons or debts to be paid, whereas a soul mate encounter always implies a higher spiritual purpose as a primary motivating factor or basis.

All soul mates are karmic partners but not all karmic partners are soul mates. Strictly speaking, one can have only one soul mate, but several karmic partners or relationships in a given lifetime.

Karmic relationships may either be happy and satisfying or they may also be unhappy and painful ones. One cannot avoid meeting a karmic partner because they have decided to meet in this particular lifetime.

Remember, there is always a reason why we meet a person, whether the relationship turns out to be a positive or a negative one.

The way to deal with a karmic relationship is to try to understand the reason or reasons for meeting and being together.

Karma, according to Edgar Cayce, is simply “meeting yourself,” meaning, you meet the consequences of your actions begun in the past but are only now taking effect in this lifetime.

Karma can be extinguished only by understanding why or how it was incurred.

For inquiries about seminars, past life regression, paranormal consultancy and other services, contact 8107245/0908-3537885. E-mail jaimetlicauco@yahoo.com.

For your retirement and other housing needs please visit http://www.gregmelep.com.

How to bring love, peace, abundance into your life.

Your mantra for the week: My beliefs become self-fulfilling prophesies

By George Sison
Philippine Daily Inquirer

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BART Guingona

Many, if not all of us, allow an accumulation of clutter in our drawers, cabinets, closets and wherever our favorite dumping places may be.

How about our thoughts and feelings? Don’t we do the same thing? Don’t we permit negative thoughts to pile up and gather dust and rust in our hearts and minds?

I am not speaking of the useful, constructive thoughts and emotions that have taught us important lessons. I am referring to little hurts, tampo, resentments and vengeful thoughts you keep for “that day” of reckoning.

Also, conjectures in the storage room of your mind, such as: I am not good enough; I am a sinner; Life is a constant struggle; There is no justice in the world; Sex is just for procreation and not to be enjoyed; Love hurts (love never hurts, it is the ego that hurts us); Money is the root of all evil (money is neutral, it is the user that makes it good or evil); It is normal to get sick (what is normal is health); God will punish you (God does not punish, we punish ourselves with our thoughts, words and deeds); Think of the competition (there is no competition in the universe because consciousness always prevails).

Rony Rogoff

Spring-cleaning

It is time for the spring-cleaning of our minds. Promise yourself today that you will release and let go of all the above destructive and corrosive concepts to make room for the creative, refreshing and life-giving ones so you can be free to establish love, abundance and peace in the mental and emotional aspects of your God-given life.

Fear, feelings of lack and limitation, disease, burdensome thoughts, feelings of unworthiness must be cleared out and be sent to the nearest garbage bin.

There are many thoughts and feelings that resonate with love, abundance and peace. Claim them now, bring them all into consciousness.

And if you find that difficult to do, act out the following:

1. Live as if every day was given to you to plan some good.

2. Live like you love everyone and everyone loves you.

3. Live like you believe that everything is working out together for good in your life.

Cherie Gil as Diana Vreeland

4. Live like God were listening to your every thought.

5. Live like you were born to be an instrument of peace, love, abundance and joy.

6. Live like every day were Christmas.

7. Live like you were living your passion.

8. Live like nothing were impossible in the world.

For those who succeed in doing these, you will find your life unfolding gloriously like never before. Love, abundance and peace will be with you all the days of your life.

Living out a dream

In “Full Gallop,” whose March 22 performance was sponsored by Inquirer Lifestyle with Bulgari and Hermes, theater enthusiasts, among the elegant set, flocked to the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium of RCBC Plaza to watch Cherie Gil do a Diana Vreeland.

In the audience was Gil’s former husband, international violinist Rony Rogoff, who flew in from Philadelphia to lend her moral support.

Cherie Gil

It is sheer serendipity that “Full Gallop” is presented in the Philippines in the Year of the Horse with a lead star born in the zodiac sign Gemini which, in Eastern astrology, is likewise the Horse. So, absolutely nothing could go wrong with Gil’s spectacular one-woman performance.

Furthermore, she is also on her sixth cycle of Venus, where one enjoys the luxury of being attractive and admired by others. (I will explain, in a future column, about the seven cycles everyone goes through yearly.)

If Vreeland were also in the audience that evening, she would have given Gil a standing ovation. Gil not only portrayed Vreeland so perfectly, but also made her physically lovely which was Vreeland’s frustration early in her life.

It was only after Vreeland married that she finally resolved her feelings of being unbeautiful, because one man found her alluring. Her attractiveness, however, lay in her free-spirit, her uniqueness and her wit (“fake it until you make it!”). She lived a dream, a passion that made a dent not only in the fashion world but also in the collective consciousness of creativity.

“Full Gallop” was produced by Gil herself and picked a director, Bart Guingona, who knew exactly how to bring out the best in her. The set design was by Joey Mendoza.

It was truly an evening of breathtaking theater. Two thumbs-up for everyone involved. Thank you for the experience.

For your retirement and other housing needs, please visit http://www.gregmelep.com