Nasaan ang Pag-ibig? Nasa Shaw Boulevard sa Mandaluyong

Sadyang mahirap hanapin ang Pag-ibig! Ang daming naghahanap nito. Ito pala ay makikita sa Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. Doon mo mahahahanap ang tunay na Pag-ibig. Ako nga ay naligaw pa noong hinahanap ko ito. Nandito lang pala sa gusaling ito.

Kung kayo ay nakasasakyan madadaanan nyo ito kung kayo ay papunta ng SM Megamall galing Quiapo o Sta. Mesa. Dumadaan din dito ang Pasig-Quiapo na mga jeep at Quiapo-SM Megamall na FX. Pwedeng sunakay sa alinman sa dalawang byahe. Sabihin lang sa driver na bababa kayo sa Nissan o Hyundai Shaw Blvd. Magkakatabi lang ang mga ito. 

Ang Nissan o Hyundai showroom and palatandaan. Pagnakita nyo ito baba na kayo. Katabi ng Hyundai ang mataas na gusali kung saan nag-oopisina ang Pag-ibig Fund. 

Ang eksaktong address ay ito: 2/F JELP Bldg., Addition Hills, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City. Kung kayo naman ay galing sa SM Megamall o Pasig, sakay lang ng jeep o FX papuntang quiapo at madadaanan nyo ito. Malapit lang ito sa SM Megamall. Siguro nasa gitna ng Megamall at Kalentong. Sana ya hindi kayo maligaw sa paghahanap ng Pag-ibig!

Economic Growth in the Philippines is Not Inclusive

"For a country that achieved a 7.2-percent growth in gross domestic product last year, the second-fastest in Asia next to China, many like Cristobal do not feel its benefits," says the Philippine Daily Inquirer in its article "The informalization of Philippine Workers." Cristobal, a construction worker without a permanent job, personifies the extent of poverty in our country.  

In the same article, Dr. Rene Ofreneo of the UP School of Labor and Industrial Relations calls it "unequal and exclusivist" growth. Meaning, there is growth in the economy but it's not inclusive because poverty still persists and many are still jobless. The GDP growth rate is expanding but employment growth is not, as shown in this graph using the data from the Philippine Statistics Authority:

            

Notable in the graph is the GDP vis-a-vis employment growth trend from 2011 to 2013. GDP growth rate over the last three years went up but the employment growth went to the opposite direction. Clearly, employment growth is not catching up with economic growth and this could be the reason why Cristobal is not feeling the benefits of the economic expansion that our government has been proudly declaring.  

   

  

Investing in Philamlife's Valuable Universal Life (VUL) Insurance

I've just received the bill for my Valuable Universal Life (VUL) Insurance in Philamlife and my due date is on May 9, 2014. That's next week. It'll be my 3rd time to pay for the premium and until now I feel like I don't know if I really made the right decision getting one.        

VUL insurance is a life insurance product with investment feature. It offers both death benefit and investment features. So if you want to get an insurance and invest at the same time, this is the best product for you...That's according to VUL financial advisors/sales agents. They would always use the 2-for-1 selling point as a marketing pitch. Admittedly, I was lured by this proposition and so I easily said yes to the Philamlife agent without any hesitation.      

Recently, however, I found a finance blog saying that it's not practical to get a VUL especially if you're still young. That's because the probability of benefiting from the insurance is not that high yet.  Also, while it offers a possibility of increase rate of return over a long period, the moment you withdraw it requires you to pay hefty taxes. And then of course the management fees, etc. and other costs that only finance/investment experts can best explain. 

But then there are also those who are saying otherwise, that VUL insurance is a good product. The debate actually continues (in most finance blogs) so I don't know which is which, who is telling what. For now, I just can't back out even if I wish to because of the possible consequences that I have to deal with if ever. So i have no choice but to continue paying my premium on a quarterly basis...and that's for 10 long years ahead of me. 
     

Lessons learned? Don't get into anything that you don't fully understand! Spend time learning by reading or asking the right persons before making decisions. With emphasis on asking the right person! And the sales agent is not, and can never be the right person!