Getting positive, and feeling good

Here’s a very inspiring video my friend pancakes has shared to me. She shared me “the secret” and it was interesting aside from being positive and feeling good, you have to pray too. Pray… pray, yes, prayers -

I realized it’s all in there - if you fervently pray for something, and completely leaving your faith to it, you’ll get it.

It reminds me of a song that goes this way -

kung ang bagabag ay dumating
at matinding hirap
o ikaw’y laging manalangin
sa Ama’y tumawag…

…maaasahan Siya
kung dumalangin kang lagi na

Answered Prayers

We were so deeply in debt all these months, that all in all they could nearly surpass my whole year’s salary. My monthly salary is now down some grands because I availed of the company salary loan, and company emergency loan.

In every occasion, I pray to God that He show me the ways how to overcome this, as I am used to pray everytime I am on the verge of hopelessness. Today, I can already see the answer I am hoping for. My online venture is successful, and I got my first commission of ~1 grands. More commissions will come for sure, and I can only be overly thankful to God for these blessings.

Little by little, I will eradicate my debts from now, and never get on them again, ever.

SSS Sick Leave Pay Released

After some 3 months of waiting, my SSS sick leave benefit is finally released. It’s a cheque worth 4 days of maximum sss support (~300/day).

 It’s not really worth waiting, but it’s better than to get nothing at all. It is good enough to cover my Citibank minimum due this month end. At least, it helps.

Free Php 3,000 Shopping Spree @ Adidas

Want to get this too? So, you need to apply for a MetroBank credit card, and you get this voucher as welcome bonus.

I received my MetroBank card last week and I was surprised it included a P3,000 voucher. I’m so excited that I rushed to the Adidas stand to window shop for items I should get for P3,000 -

To avail of the promo, you should use the card and accumulate a total of P2000. So, we buy an additional 5 layer chest drawer (P1,500), and loads of groceries.

Just this afternoon, we go to the Adidas stall and I exchanged the voucher for a decent pair of white adidas shoes, and 3 pairs of adidas training socks. Nothing is more enjoyable than it is free!

I asked the salesman how many already have availed of the promo, and he showed me a 5-page list of new MetroBank credit card holders. Wow, that many in Iloilo alone!

If you want to apply for MetroBank credit card online, visit theorygame.com

Working on a TVC

I started laying my hands on this project some 5 days ago, yet I don’t have any notable progress. I even skipped work yesterday to do this…

As I think about it, there are many temptations that interfere on my working time. Like this secret blog for example. But I’ll try to enumerate them all:

• high fiber dot org website - this is my online tambayan whenever I’m bored
• youtube - i’m just checking my subscriptions. Top videos annoys me with their sex themes.
• my finance website - I have to answer many comments
• my personal blogfolio - I am itching to fill it, it only have little contents
• a social website I am developing - well, I am foreseeing this site could be a goldmine so…
• free service projects - i am developing some school org sites for free…
• my mangas
• eating, drinking, peeing, sleeping, thinking, breathing…
• power outage
• secret

Ehehe. I need toi finish this project quick before another power failure.

-

Metrobank Classic: a new addition to my credit cards

So, this is my fifth card. Metrobank classic, with Php 3,000 shopping spree welcome voucher redeemable only at adidas stalls, 30 grands spending limit, 3.5 % monthly interest, and Php 1,400 annual fee. Fifth card….

A persistent credit card agent wasluring me to apply for this card. She’s cute, so this is my 3rd card sponsorted by her.

But the lesson that I got from here,  was, to get serious on my credit card stints - I’ll be an agent myself. My next plan is to apply for all credit cards that I don’t have, that way I get more knowledge on how these cards work… and earning myself commissions in the process.. )

New Funds Again

We’re so drained this week that I was thinking of cash advancing from one of my dying credit cards. Yet, a collegue from the yearbook staff told me we can withdraw our honorarium from the admin office. I wasted no time - rushing into the school’s business office minutes after knowing that…

From my share of ~20grands, I bagged some 17+clear of tax. The teller, who is an acquaintance was awed and asked me were that money came from. When I told her, she’s a bit shocked, but not as much as when I told her I got the least share, and some had it at the tune of 40+ grands

I then reinstated my insurance policy, one I was not able to pay last month for we use the funds during the aftermath of typhoon frank.  I paid ~8 grands including surcharges. Then, I paid all my credit cards’ minimum dues, our rent for this month,and our helper’s salary.

Then, it’s all gone. We have successfully crossed this month and the next month would be another challenge to face .

New Funds

I don’t like the negligence of SSS here in Region VI - their doctor specifically. It’s getting two months already since I applied for sickness benefits yet I still haven’t received any reimbursement because their doctor is simply out. What a reason.

Nevertheless, I’m still lucky. A check from my sidejob came in (inset), plus mom donated a grand as my sister’s share for the apartment rent. We can still live for another two weeks!

Typhoon Frank: the aftershocks

I stole these shots in a supermarket adjacent to our office. People are panicking they’d run out of food supply. The rice shelves were totally empty, so with the bread. I bought a week’s supply of canned goodies and instant food too. Another pain on my credit card dues.

Instant foods were low in supply - biscuits, canned goods, noodles… bottled water. maybe they are purchased in bulks to be donated to the severely affected victims - those who are in the evacuation centers.

Prices of common commodities shocked me. A sack of rice which normally costs around P1,800 was now P2,200. A small piece of candle at P2 before was now P5 each. Purified water tripled or quadrupled their prices. From a low of P15 per 5 gallon, it’s now playing at P60 or more…

No electricity still and telecommunication services (landline and wireless) weren’t yet restored in some places. Water supply will be suspended in at least a month, as they are fixing the plants and pipelines. Some roads are still unpassable due to landslides, and wrecked bridges.

Death toll is still rising. From nearly 200 sure it will go up as more persons are still missing. Plus the still missing 700+ passengers of Sulpico Lines’ MV Princess of the Orient - their biggest vessel.

Let’s say all deaths summed 1000. And everyone cries it’s the greatest tragedy to hit Iloilo or Panay Island in general. Yet, one who always reads the news can only ridiculously belittle the figure. Think of China quake or the Myanmar flood, or the landslide in Barangay Guinsaugon, St. Bernard, Southern Leyte, or the Ormoc City flashflood which happened at night time… so scary.

Typhoon Frank’s wrath and the aftermath

Our area has never been flooded this much, as testified by our  neighbors who were already here since the 1970’s. The worst flooding that ever happened was only ankle deep, not like this - not like this…

We are lucky. Some people had the murky waters up to their 2nd floors, attics, ceilings, even roofs. Some even had their houses carried away by raging waters 8 to 12 feet deep. We are lucky… We only had some of our things submerged or partially wet.

Hundreds of lives were lost and more than a billion pesos was the damage cost in Panay Island alone, that includes 180,000 sacks of NFA rice submerged in flood waters as the flood destroyed the stockhouse.

 In five minutes time, water was already this high, and some of my housemates were so thrilled - with unexplainable emotion as it’s their first time to experience flood.

It’s getting dark already and there’s no electricity, so candles were lit.

We are evacuating to our land lady’s place with some neighbors for fear that the water level might go higher.

The tedious cleaning job the day after.

Water supply has run out, we need to use collected rainwater from the rooftop.

Some of our (and neighbors’) things and stuffs that were temporarily “thrown” outside for easy cleaning

The muddy narrow streets to our apartment.

Basinsin Goes to School!

We tried to send him to a local Day Care center last year, but he complained there are only a few kids (there are only five of them when he entered as visitor pupil). He wanted to study at the nearby private school, where there’s a lot more kids… but he’s just barely 2 years old then and I’m so broke on my own finances to entertain a private school… private school, huh, i can only dream of it for now.

Now, another school year and it’s Tuesday - first day of school for Basinsin (classes started yesterday but he had fever). The kiddo was so excited with all his new school gadgets. He’s entering the community Day Care center just a block away our house. We only paid P500+ for a half year’s tuition and fees.

He’s turning three this August and we plan to celebrate his birthday in his lola’s house in Antique.

Moving to a new place

We need a bigger breathing space now that we’re legally married. So, from a small room for two, we are moving in Jaro - somewhere nearer our place of work - just walking distance to the hospital where wifey serves as intern, and a 10 minute ride to my office.

Most of the apartments available on this area (near the hospital and schools) if not occupied, are of notorious pricing. So we had a hard time finding the right one, add the fact that school opening is getting close and more students are on the hunt too.

After days of searching, we found an interesting one. It’s a newly constructed 4×3 room with toilet and kitchen inside at P5,700/mo. It’s already cheap compared to the P6,500 bandwagon. The owner is asking P1000 if I plan to reserve it and I give to it. It’s along the highway and around it are offices and office spaces. I was thinking I could make use of its strategic location for business purposes soon…

But we are planning toget a house helper, and perhaps accommodate some boarders. So, we tried searching for a more suited place. We found the right one in a somewhat secluded area, with a shyer rent. With 3×4 all purpose lobby (turned into living room & dining room), 2 standard rooms, a small kitchen, and a toilet, it’s already a great offer. It has an airconditioner installed already and a separate electric meter.

We need to walk some 300 meters to reach the main road though. Else, we just take a trisikad for P5/head fee.

Wifey’s Graduation

me, xane,  & wifey at a remembral graduation photo.At last as they say.

a headshot of wifey before going to the ceremony

We still owe sone P22,000+ from the school though.
unpaid part of the P75,000 Junior Intern tuition and fees.

Wedding Day

I am thinking these pics were enough to explain it. But I’ll elaborate it anyway…

In one of the pictures, is our 2 year old kidoo, Basinsin. So basically, this wedding is a move to correct a past mistake, for legality, and for morality, if anything’s left of it. And maybe, because of love. Just maybe though. :p

This is relatively a small budgeted wedding, with a decent number of entourage and sponsors, and at least 100 guests. (we invited 140 people). So far, this wedding maxed out one of my credit cards. )

Xane’s 2nd B-day

The Spiderman-themed party and the modest food.

Xane wearing one of his own give-aways

Xane’s cake. The cars are from a set given by Tito Bebong as gifts.

Xane blowing the cake’s candle with Lola Bing

Xane’s first birthday

My kiddo’s birthday is coming so soon so I made a secret invite for some special guests.

I’m turning 21 at the moment, and he’s turning 1. When I’m 40, probably I already have a grandchild from him. )

Prelude

Each of us got secrets. We make those things secrets because of many reasons. But oftentimes, we don’t keep it only for ourselves. We let others know, and let them keep it, with us. The more people we tell the secret, the less safe it would be, but we risk it for the comfort we got knowing that friends are guarding it and blah blah.