A Few Important Things You Need To Know…

Share This Post: “…this video will blow your mind!” –Renzie Baluyut

Seriously it will.

Not too long ago, I posted an article, pretty much evangelizing the importance of having a continuing desire for learning and discovery.  I go online and try to learn something new everyday, on top of reading a book, or immersing myself in some of the latest songs.

That last one was probably a habit I picked up from my days in radio.

In any case, I actually got a few friends into the same idea, and so we’ve been actively sharing all kinds of useful (as well as some not-too-useful) things with each other: links, blog posts and articles, ebooks, webinars and webcasts, podcasts and video.

One of the most interesting videos I’ve seen lately was this one posted by the good people of TeacherTube, which they shared over their YouTube channel.  Particularly of interest to business-folk and internet professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners, as well as all sorts of marketing and media professionals.

That highly informative video, along with so much more great stuff, is available on TeacherTube.com’s official channel on YouTube.

Almost totally useless trivia: You were watching that video to the tune of Fatboy Slim’s “Right Here, Right Now”. The song was released in 1999, from Fatboy Slim’s second studio album, You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby.

A similar video and blog post can be found here on Keyboard Monkeys | Tips, Tricks and Advice for the Digital Entrepreneur.

Cheers, everyone.

Three Things a Couple Should Never Fight About | Relationship Advice

relationship advice with Renzie Baluyut.

A friend and I were having coffee the other night, and she was opening up the fact that, while her relationship with her current boyfriend is generally alright, they usually end up quarreling.  This usually happens when she has to go out of town, attend to some clients, or work on a photo shoot.

Now, as far as relationships go, I think I have a fairly good idea of what works and what doesn’t.  While I am enjoying a very happy eight-year love affair with my girlfriend/fiancee, my current view on relationships has been shaped by a number of ex-girlfriends, numerous dates both successful and disastrous, as well as stories from other friends.

So here’s what I think: if there’s anything you, as a couple, shouldn’t be fighting about, it would have to be these three things:

1.  Work,
2.  Friends,
3.  and Money

Let’s get into all three in greater detail, shall we?

Buy and Sell in the Philippines – Online!

Website-hopping with Renzie Baluyut.

One of the first orders of business for me coming back to the Philippines is looking around to check prices on all kinds of things- groceries, fast food items, PCs and laptops, even pieces of real estate.

Not only because I had wanted to see how things (and by things, I mean prices, mostly) have changed since I left for Los Angeles last December, but also because I wanted to have an idea on how much investing I might require, say, setting up a new Metro Manila office, for example, or investing in a property in Makati City.

A friend of mine asked me to check out AyosDito.ph, which as it turns out, is really like a bulletin board of all kinds of things you can buy and sell in the Philippines- not just real estate and cars, but also electronics, apparel and personal effects, as well as hobbies and collectibles.

AyosDito.ph - a free online Buy and Sell bulletin board for anything you might need in the Philippines!

You want to check out the price range of a slightly used laptop?  AyosDito.ph has ‘em.  What if you wanted all kinds of used items- all kinds of appliances, cameras and mobile phones?  AyosDito.ph has ‘em too.

You can even search for job listings and rooms or apartments for rent if you need to get yourself one.

You can go search according to region, so you can check out houses not just, say, in the Metro Manila area, but also pieces of real estate in Baguio, Tagaytay, or Butuan City- pretty much wherever you want in the Philippines.

Quite literally, AyosDito.ph is a free online marketplace for all things you can buy and sell in the Philippines.  And it’s great for entrepreneurs, business-folk, and just about anyone who has something for somebody else.

Cheers, everyone!

The Philippine Culture of Dependence

Here’s what I think: the reason why we have so many poor people in the Philippines is that our society has a pervasive culture of dependence and patronage.

It is uncommon for Filipinos, I believe, to take an active part in challenging the status quo, and be more involved in carving out a fortune for themselves- to be the master of their own fates, to be the architects of their own success.

It all starts at home: children don’t make an effort to leave the comforts of the household at age 18 to find work and carry their own weight.  In fact, the opposite is true- children will try to stay with their parents for as long as they can, even if they have their own family, and start to have their own kids.  On the flipside, elder adults don’t always plan for their retirement, and so many count on their kids to take care of them once they’ve grown old.

The concept of work for a regular Pinoy is hoping to find a company that would employ them for the rest of their lives- depending on a monthly, regular salary, which really is hardly enough for a comfortable lifestyle, and hoping that they also get all kinds of benefits and allowances, and that all their hard work would pay off- and lead to a lifelong stint with their employer.

Many Filipinos even depend on richer, more financially capable- often political- families to take care of them- which is why you have so many poor families sucking up to politicians to spring for anything from burial expenses to baptismal favors.

And it’s that twisted kind of mutally beneficial arrangement that forms the basis of Philippine politics, society and culture:  a patronage system where the rich and powerful keep the loyalty and support of the poor, who continually work for them, and the cycle just goes on and on.

It’s like the poor expect the rich- the ones with power and influence- to take care of their needs and provide for them

I believe it is precisely that kind of mindset that keeps 85% of Filipinos poor- the way of thinking that comes from a pervasive culture of dependence and patronage.

The same way of thinking that makes noontime variety shows so popular among the masses.  The exact same way of thinking that bloats up the Philippine bureaucracy.  The very same way of thinking that makes people think they can get away with breaking laws and simple ordinances.  The mindset that some higher power has their back, and that same higher power will take care of them.

It’s what this blog is all about- a life of self-reliance, and breaking free from a pervasive Philippine culture of patronage and dependence.

How else can we change our country and make things better?

1.  Make your own money.  Getting a job will serve that purpose for now, but your ultimate goal will be to come up with multiple income streams so you don’t have to be too dependent on any one source of cash.

2.  Live on your own.  Teach yourself to manage your own life and make your own decisions.  Break away from depending on your family.

3.  Get a life.  Remember there is life outside work.  Don’t allow your work to consume you.  Spend time with friends and loved ones.  Do the things you want to do.  Have some personal time.

4.  Expect no special treatment.  Show you’re a better person by not calling on your influential family connections.  Do things the right way.  Avoid getting yourself into trouble so you don’t get the temptation to call in favors.

5.  Build up your market value.  Keep learning new skills so you can secure yourself a more lucrative career.  Invest in books.  Network.  Turn your hobbies into money-making ventures.

Remember: change starts with us.  We have to take charge of our own lives and stop depending on others. We can make it our choice to break free from the Philippine culture of dependence and patronage.

And as we take care of our own needs, we shall then teach others to be just as self-reliant and independent.  It’s gonna take a while, I know.  So let’s get to it.

Cheers, everyone.

Press This

Setting Up a New Blog

this week with Renzie.

Setting up a blog isn't easy, but if you do things right, your efforts can pay off rather nicely.

I’ve been occupied the past couple of weeks with this latest online project of mine.  I bought a few new domains for myself, and started developing the first in a new line of blogs.

While most of the content had already been made beforehand, it’s the editing that’s been taking up most of my time.  Tagging up a hundred+ posts can really wear you down.  Over the next couple of days, I’m gonna have to reformat the original embedded vids and pics, and work on those dead links.  

There really is so much more to blogging than just churning out blog posts.  In fact, a big part of any serious blogging effort involves a lot of other things like search engine marketing, html & css know-how, a working knowledge of social media optimization, among others.  It would also be great if you’re into graphics yourself, or if you can do your own programming.

That’s not even considering the business part of your blog.  It’s all about generating a steady flow of traffic, embedding the codes for all kinds of advertising and affiliates, and eventually making some decent cash from all that hard work of yours.

And any professional blogger knows that it’s gonna take patience and time.

Nevertheless, all that hard work can pay off rather nicely.  

That new blog of mine will be up and running in a few more days.  Just need some editorial work done on it.  Well, a lot actually.  Hoping things turn out alright for it.

I’ll let you all know once I’m ready to go live.

Cheers, everyone.