Category: Philippines

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Money Saving Tip: Pay Your Real Property Tax Early (Updated)

When do you pay your annual real property tax?

Sec. 60 of the Real Property Tax Code (or PD No. 464) states:

“Payment of real property taxes in installments. — Real property taxes may, in the discretion of the taxpayer, be paid without penalty in four equal installments; the first installment to be due and payable on or before March thirty-first; the second installment, on or before June thirty; the third installment, on or before September thirty; and the last installment, on or before December thirty-first, except the special levies authorized under Sections forty-seven and fifty-five of this Code which shall be governed by the local ordinance or Department Order issued by the Secretary of Finance, as the case may be.”

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Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno gave a powerful commencement speech at the Ateneo de Manila 2017 graduation

My son graduated today from Ateneo. He is the last of my kids to do so.

I attended the Baccalaureate Mass this morning. Unlike the past graduations of my kids, the program for the Baccalaureate already includes the Commencement Address. In past graduations I attended, two different commencement speakers spoke on the 2 graduation days.

Batch 2017’s Commencement Speaker was Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, an Atenean herself. In his introductory remarks, Ateneo President Fr. Jett Villarin, S.J. told us that Chief Justice Sereno was his classmate in Philo 103.

Chief Justice Sereno said that she already had a prepared speech that, in her words, was “more lighthearted and general”. But with martial law being declared in Mindanao, she discarded that speech and made this one. I am glad she did. It was powerful, moving, and inspiring!

SC CJ Sereno

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Using Bubby as an ONLINE social media tool to reach Pinoys OFFLINE

In September of 2013, I discovered a new microblogging platform. My friend Noemi was using it and introduced me to the person in the Philippines representing Bubbly, an audio platform that allows you to record 90 seconds of voice. It also allows others to listen to you and if you are on a Premium account (like I am), you get people who subscribe to you.

Bubbly profile

I immediately fell in love with Bubbly. More than just an expressive outlet of my thoughts, I discovered that it was a great platform to draw people with disabilities into social media because of its audio feature. I had visually impaired followers and they were so happy to engage on Bubbly with me!!!

Click here to read that very first post I did about Bubbly.

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IdeaSpace announces ten tech startup winners for funding (UPDATED)

(UPDATE: The winners are in BOLD. The remaining 7 teams will undergo a second screening to see how IdeaSpace can continue to support them.)

IdeaSpace Foundation, Inc. (IdeaSpace), the Philippine’s largest privately funded non-profit incubator and accelerator, headed by Marthyn Cua, is about to announce tonight the 10 (out of 17 competing teams) winners in its technology startup competition program. The winners will each receive at least PhP 1 million worth of seed funding investment, training and services.

IdeaSpace Finals Night

More than 600 entries were submitted for this competition, involving 3 rounds of judging and a two-month intensive incubation program where the 17 finalists received an initial grant worth PhP 100,000 including PhP 50,000 outright cash grant to work on their product. During this period, they were also mentored and trained to build their entrepreneurial skills; they also got assistance for business incorporation and intellectual property filing support.

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The Philippines says #PHthankyou to the world

PH Thank YouGRATITUDE.

We may be a Third World country lacking in so many things that First World nations have in abundance. But let it not be said that we lack gratitude.

My own Mom always drilled this into me. Say “Thank you”. As a kid, I heard her tell me this so many times. It almost sounded like nagging when she’d remind, “Say thank you, say thank you…” But I’m glad she did.

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