Good Real Estate Buy - Cebu City
By philobean | July 16, 2007
Ever wanted to live up in the mountains but still be just a few minutes away from the city where work, study and shopping will likely be? Well, for metros like Manila, this may be an impossibility but not so for Cebu!
Ever wondered why Cebu’s international airport is located in Mactan and not Cebu City proper? Well, besides traffic and good city planning, we just don’t have enough flatlands between the mountain ranges along central Cebu and the sliver of an island’s shore line (acknowledgment goes out to Jaine Yeh for this wonderful insight).
Only in Cebu: Live in the mountains, where its cool and relaxing, be 10 minutes away from the office, the schools and the mall, and yet also be only 20 to 30 minutes away from the nearest dazzling beach resort!
So, back to real estate. The once agricultural lands up from Nivel Hills (where the former Cebu Plaza and now Macro Polo Plaza is located) all the way to Balamban is quickly becoming residential. Land development is booming in the area. (Note: Ayala Land was one of the first land developers to recognize the Busay-Balamban real estate opportunity, having built Ayala Heights around the turn of the millenium).
Now, battalions of small, medium and large developers are entering the scene. It wont be a surprise if market values skyrocket very soon (if they haven’t already begun to, that is).
Topics: Business, Personal | No Comments »
(Update) Role-playing Madness
By philobean | July 14, 2007
Amazing. INSEAD, the premier french business school, uses Second Life, a virtual second world built especially for the MMORPG fanatics and others of the sort, as a playing ground for business students in a new online MBA track!
The Economist (online) reports:
Is this for real?
In a novel twist on the idea of the online course, on March 20th, INSEAD, a French business school with campuses in Fontainebleau and Singapore, became the first institution to announce its intention to offer classes to students who exist solely online. INSEAD plans to open a campus in Second Life, an online environment in which users can create virtual representations of themselves—“avatars†in Second-Life-speak. Within the virtual campus, INSEAD plans to hold information sessions for its new virtual students, organise meetings with virtual recruiters, and offer space for virtual conferences.
Planned courses include an entrepreneurship class in which students can test their ideas on the simulated campus. To those sceptics who prefer education to be more grounded in the real world, its proponents call Second Life an ideal laboratory for perfectly practical experiments: users have been marketing, buying and selling virtual items, using “Linden dollarsâ€, the artificial world’s currency, for years. There is even a Second Life currency-exchange market, where the Linden dollar is running a rate of about 280 to the real-world greenback.
Just when I was beginning to think the virtual world tended to lead people away from their real lives, I am presented with an innovative way by which the virtual world can be used to improve how we conduct ourselves in the real one. Absolutely cool.
Topics: Technology, A little political, Personal | 2 Comments »
Budget Boom: Good but Cheaper, Good but Cheaper
By philobean | July 13, 2007
Southeast Asia is all about ‘best cost’–the best quality for the best price, where best does not equal cheapest or high-end but more likely cheaper and higher-end. Southeast Asian budget airline trailblazer AirAsia was followed by a series of other highly successful regional budget carriers, including Singapore’s Tiger Airways and our very own Cebu Pacific Air. Now, Tony Fernandez, the man behind AirAsia, sees an expansion of the ‘budget’ (best cost) strategy to every tourist’s next stop from the airplane–the hotel, Tune Hotels.Com. Imagine a ‘world’ of cheap flights and cheap hotels mushrooming all across Southeast Asia. As it is, tourism is flourishing in the region (intraregion tourism owning an ever icnreasing share of the ‘pie’). Best cost hotels are the logical next step to best cost flights.
Any takers in the Philippines? In a previous blogpost, we heard Henry Sy envision the Philippines as the key tourist destination in the region. Budget hotels will surely play a central role in this new tourism industry.
Topics: Business | No Comments »
Aren’t we all “SEC of it all”?
(The Media and Government are at it again!)
By philobean | July 12, 2007
You’ve got to read it for yourself.
Just a brief teaser: Conspiracy theory, the SEC attempts to sabotage Phoenix Petroleum’s recent IPO through leaking potentially damaging information to the media but fails.
Link: Inquirer’s Conrado R. Banal III in “SEC of it all”
Topics: A little political, Business | No Comments »
Marketing-driven Development
By philobean | July 11, 2007
We’ve all heard about marketing-driven growth. It’s near become a cliche in business schools and the circles to which their graduates soon enter. But taking the concept a little further, applying the strengths of marketing (whether you consider the set of concepts, principles and frameworks that constitute it a science or an art) to the public sphere, will marketing-driven development make sense as a logical concept? Can marketing-driven development spur the growth of economies, both national and regional in scale, as marketing-driven growth does for business and industry? Can we find case studies that have proven this possible? Are there opportunities, whether they be countries or continents (like Africa, for example) or communities and small towns, for the application of marketing tools to engender socio-economic development?
Comments are appreciated.
Topics: Academic, Business | 1 Comment »
The Happy Planet Index
By philobean | July 10, 2007
Ever wondered what the world would be like if happiness, not money, was the key driver of global affairs? Ever thought that it would be better if countries were ranked via a happiness index instead of a wealth index? Well, take a look see at The New Economics Foundation’s Happy Planet Index website for rankings of countries by HPI, a HPI self-measurement tool, a Happy Planet World map, and various other really cool stuff. Enjoy.
Topics: A little political, Personal | No Comments »
Cebuano Pride: Just or Bigoted?
By philobean | July 9, 2007
Cebuanos have been long known for their deeply rooted aversion toward the Tagalog-speaking population of the Philippines. According to many of them, Cebuano (or what most of the country would rather refer to as Visayan, being the language most widely spoken in the Visayas and a good part of Mindanao) should have been made the National Language, being the lingua franca for some time in the past. Many Cebuanos still feel that the Manila-based politics is a Manila problem and that Cebu, a sliver of an island at the country’s heart, is a country of its own with its own rythm and its own issues.
Being born and raised Cebuano, I felt the same way (at least for the first sixteen years of my life). After spending over five years in Manila, however, I believe my perspective has broadened quite a bit. It actually came as quite the surprise when an old Cebuano high school classmate sent me this essay as an e-mail attachment, which quite succinctly encapsulates all the (misguided?) Cebuano beliefs of my childhood. This begs the question: are these beliefs really just or are they simply bigoted?
CEBUANO KO BAI!
Author UnknownI am not a Filipino, never considered myself one a long time ago. I am a Cebuano and my late father once said: “There’s a whale of a difference between the two”. And that distinction between the Cebuano and Filipino is never more pronounced than the result of the 2001 Senatorial Elections. The election results nationwide from Manila to Mindanao showed an even trend, far below the expectations of the anti-Erap advocates. Can you believe that? After we’ve been screwed in the ass by a pea-brained Tagawg! But the Cebuanos voted differently. We Cebuanos voted with the same clear sightedness and maturity that scared the shit out of Marcos and his KBL lap dogs who despite massive cheating and terrorism in collusion with his Ilocano Generals were defeated by the Pusyon Bisaya during the Parliamentary Elections in the seventies. We Cebuanos have a better sense of truth and justice and we have always been the vanguards against tyranny and oppression since 1521 when Chief Lapu-lapu whacked Magellan.
Cebu City was the first established capital of the islands until the seat of the Spanish colonial government was moved to Manila in the early eighteenth century. Why? Can you imagine if Malacanang Palace were in Cebu City in September 21, 1972? Marcos would have been barbecued in Pasil in less than 24 hours. That’s the same reason why Legaspi changed his mind and moved the capital to Manila and not because Cebu was no longer a commercially viable port during the galleon trade with Acapulco. Legaspi was simply traumatized by Magellan’s defeat in Mactan and was clearly intimidated by the Cebuanos.
In Col. Manuel Segura’s book “Tabunan: The Exploits of Cebu Guerillas”, the dauntless yet under armed Cebuanos inflicted the highest number of enemy forces killed per guerilla fighter in the Philippines . The indomitable spirit and determination of the Cebuano fighters to arm themselves against the superior Japanese Forces became the progenitor of the now burgeoning gun (paltik) industry in the province. One of the most famous guerilla fighter that later became a successful arms manufacturer was Simeon Cortes who once fabricated mortars out of sewer pipes.
The imminent invasion of Australia was thwarted when Japanese General Koga who was carrying the classified blueprint of the of the military plan to invade Australia was captured by Cebuano guerillas off the coast of Minglanilla . Yet this brave tales remain a footnote in military history. Why, because history is written by the Tagawgs of the North. We once had a Cebuano President the late Don Sergio Osmena, Sr. who never got re-elected for being too honest to tell the Filipinos that he cannot promise them a better life in a country reeling from the destruction of war. He never licked the butt of the “Liberator kuno”, the legendary mama’s boy General Douglas MacArthur. He was a great President in the wrong country!
Do you know that the Cebuanos produced more world boxing champions than any other ethnic group in the Philippines ? Let me refresh your memories. One of the all time great in the Junior Lightweight division was the legendary Gabriel “Flash” Elorde. The string of World Champions that followed were Bernabe Villacampo, Frank Cedeno, Dodie Boy Penalosa, Jerry Penalosa and Joma Gamboa. The Cebuanos also produced the best singers and musicians in this archipelago. We are all familiar with names like Pilita Corrales, Amapola Cabase, Dulce, Eva Santos, Vernie Varga, Manilyn Reynes, Vina Morales, Chad Borja, Ray-an Fuentes, Stax Hugete, Ingrid Sala Santamaria - the list is almost endless. This is a testament to the artistry and creativity and the passion to excel that is deeply ingrained in the genetic code of every Cebuano.
We are a unique people Blessed by the Sto. Nino. We have lesser typhoons, criminality, traffic jams and virtually no earthquakes. Our artisans are world-class- we have the best furniture makers, the best gun makers, the best guitar makers, and the best delicacies,etc. ,etc.
We deserve nothing less than the best in governance and to be able to run the affairs of the state and economy by ourselves without relying or being exploited by the hopelessly corrupt Manila government. Our children don’t have to suffer the torturous Tagawg lessons in school because our own language is more eloquent and superior. Is there a Tagawg word for husband? Or who can better pronounce the words Beatles, popsicle, tricycle, uncle? Cebuanos or Tagawgs? Baaah!! Yet they make a mockery out of our accent and they think all Cebuana girls are maids.
Since the choice of our national leaders will always be superseded by the choice of ignorant Filipinos, the time is ripe for the Cebuanos to rise and demand self-determination. Mga Moros ra diay maka-hibaw? No doubt we can do better than what Hong Kong and Singapore have accomplished as an independent State. Let the rest of the country be run like hell by the Ilocanos, the Pampangos, Pangasinense and Tagawgs. Give Mindanao to the Moros, they deserve it! Kamong nang botar ni Loi, Ping, Honasan, Angara inyo na ang Pilipinas. Leave Cebu to the Cebuanos. So, who’s with me in this crusade? Sugdan na nato mga igsoon! Voice out your anger! Cebuano Pride is Burning! So please don’t call me Filipino in the same manner that the Catalans, the Andalucians, the Malaguenas and the Basques don’t want to be called Spaniards!
Topics: A little political | 1 Comment »
Role-Playing Madness
By philobean | July 4, 2007
Picture this: a college student cuts class and ends up at a cybercafe with other MMORPG fanatics on an all-day fixed fee PC rental promo. This guy, disciplined as he is, cut down on all *non-essential* expenses just to be able to finance game time. He also stays up till late at night and wakes up early in the morning, plays day after day, week after week, month after month, saving up sacks upon sacks of cybermoney, taking every opportunity to gain those coveted *experience points*, just to get ahead. He exhibits all those laudable characteristics moms and pops would be glad to have their children carry–hardworking, industriousness, focused, determined, and others. Without a doubt, therefore, these kids have all that it takes to succeed in the traditional sense of the word. But, why don’t they?
Why do they live their cyberlives better than their real lives? Why are they more morally upright (*heroic* even) as an imaginary knight or mage than they are as themselves?
Some basic ideas: firstly, in contrast with the cyberworld of MMORPGs, real live does not provide a clear (i.e. defined and unpoliticized)Â path toward progress. In the cyberworld, the harder you work the higher up you go. In the real world, there is no such assurance. In the cyberworld, your experience points and gold coins aren’t ever stolen from you. In the real world, this often isn’t so. In the cyberworld, the good guy gets the girl, the gold and the glory. In the real world, well, let’s just say these are harder to come by.
Will a more meritocratic *real world* bring the youth back from the world of MMORPG to this one? Will it encourage them to channel their skills toward the more tangible produce of this playing field?
Topics: A little political, Personal | 3 Comments »
Discovering the Magic/Uncovering the Magic
By philobean | July 3, 2007
I’ve always been so enthralled even by the mere thought of being in a five-star hotel (slash resort). I’ve also always thought highly of working as a news reporter (and maybe as a novelist too, on the side). But just this week I’ve come to realize how there exists such a thin line between ‘discovering’ the magic of hotels and media versus ‘uncovering’ the magic of these two (often finding things less *spectacular* as they originally seemed).
But, alas, breaking childish fantasies is the first step toward a truer understanding and appreciation of the ‘magic’ behind our most desired things. Once we realize how much running around (footwork) both running a hotel and making news requires, we then begin to see how valuable these services actually are.
More insights on how it feels to be inside a media organization soon.
In the meantime, look up some news on the relaunch of Yahoo! Pinoy Connect in the Philippies through inquirer.net. Enjoy!
Topics: Personal | No Comments »
Snippet of Unacknowledged Wisdom
By philobean | July 2, 2007
‘Dream as if you’ll live forever; live as if you’ll die today.‘ - Bob Dylan (I’m guessing)
Topics: Personal | No Comments »