5-6 To Pay The Rent

No doubt that recession had hit the Philippines, I agree to the documentary show that loan sharks or commonly called 5-6, pawnshops and other same business are continue flourishing during global crisis in the Philippines.

Last year, when recession was predicted, some was already prepared, some didn’t bother to save and sad to say there are some that didn’t understand what will happen (already happening) in time of recession. I belong to the first group but no matter how I save for rainy days, business is not doing well. Savings are not enough to pay for the taxes, license, permits, utilities, salaries and other expenses. I assume, blog income is also affected to most pinoy bloggers.

Few years ago, I told my mom that I have plans of investing my small savings to lending. She told me that a 10% interest is against the bible. I don’t know if its true but never bother to continue with my plan. Then when I saw that documentary saying that its in the law that maximum interest is 12%. Correct me if I’m wrong here. But… Arggh! That was too much.

Pawnshop offers as low as 4% per month but since its a pawnshop, your valuable item serves as your collateral. If you haven’t paid in time, your collateral will be gone. What if you don’t have collateral? 5-6 is the solution for the immediate need of money.

Let me share this. One of our tenants continue borrowing money (for years) from different people to pay her rents and other business expenses until such time that she can’t handle paying them all and including us. She paid her taxes and business permits first, forgetting her obligation to pay the rent. We don’t want to play hide and seek anymore, we have lease contract and signed written agreement in Barangay Hall. Her business will be closed within the week for not paying her rent of 4 months. Actually, she asked for one week allowance to pay starting today. We could have use the money for our own obligations but we end up using our savings.

I’m hoping that she can settle this. Otherwise, there’s no income to vacant commercial establishment. If business is not doing well in our place, then its hard to choose the tenants on a first come, first serve basis.

Glitchline Is Under Construction

The long search is over! I finally found the template for this blog, a simple magazine style. I’m tired of traditional wordpress template. Please check back soon, I’m still busy customizing my blog.

Taxes: By The People, For The People

Am I right? No doubt that recession is already in the Philippines. I can still remember the video footage I saw in the news about VAT, people rallying with streamers against VAT.

How about the local governments? I wonder if they’re affected of global financial crisis when most lower class families continues to struggle on their daily lives looking for food to eat. How about the small businesses? Every year, taxes continue to increased. I guess, its not enough but the councilors continue to author “money generating” city ordinances, special permits and penalties that businesses will shoulder. In the long run, small businesses will be gone eventually. The worst part is… when time comes and US recovered from global financial crisis, Philippines will be left behind.

Taxes paid by the people should be felt by the people. I smell election already.

No Classes On People Power Anniversary

It was announced that there will be no classes in all levels nationwide on February 23, 2009,  Monday in celebration of People Power anniversary. The exact anniversary is February 25 , a Wednesday… do you think people will celebrate the anniversary on Monday? I don’t agree to R.A. 9492 (economic holiday) in this case. Also, it is still a regular working day, only the students don’t have classes.

R.A. 9492 provides that holidays, except those which are religious in nature, moved to the nearest Monday unless otherwise modified by law, order or proclamation.

The way I see it, the announcement is just their way so that they won’t received any negative feedbacks of omitting Edsa Revolution from the Official Non-Working Holidays for this year (Proclamation 1699). Is that so? What will happen to students on Wednesday if rallies is everywhere? With the present corruption and other issues we have now… tsk. tsk. tsk.

Iba Na Ang May Pinagsamahan

The title is taken from famous SMB commercial tagline, “Iba na ang may pinagsamahan” is about friendship.

Attending a high school reunion is exciting, to see the changes in the faces you used to know during high school days, how they’ve been all this time and mingle with them again just like the old days. Most of my batchmates were not here in the Philippines, some settled abroad, some are OFWs… and the others are here.

Its sad to know that some people are using this so-called “excitement” to their advantage. A hidden agenda was exposed to some batchmates, financial issues left questionable and some batchmates don’t want to attend again. No wonder why some attendees of 1st reunion didn’t show up again on the 2nd reunion. We did elected board of directors and no officers yet. Does that mean that they have the right to collect contribution and pledges?

Yes, they organized the first and second reunion and we paid them for their services… unnecessary clowns, hip-hop dancers, streamers, tarpaulins  and other expenses. If everything was accounted and acknowledged, where was the financial report?

Php 300 and Php 500 is small amount of money to the happiness we felt when we saw the others but there is such thing as “trust”. They could told us beforehand that they will charge us a certain fee for organizing such reunions. Honestly, I don’t think pancit canton, fried chicken, a glass of iced tea is worth Php 300 per head. Business is business… this is their business but this is our batch, not their batch.

No wonder why some people prefer not to attend the reunions. I doubt if the planned outing/reunion will push through. I will not attend anymore if there was still no officers, no board meeting and everything is not settled.

Last week, I spent time and money to contact the board on their available day for board meeting. When everything is okay, organizers are  not available. We already invited them thrice and we received last minute notice of cancellation.  I’m getting tired of this sick behaviour.

Be transparent, my dear. We already have the board, please let them settle things. Don’t appoint yourself to a position that you don’t deserve. We will have our election and let the others decide if they will entrust you their hard earned money. FYI, I’m not interested of any position, its just that I heard most of the negative feedbacks.