why bother blogging?

i'm not a writer and i'm not good in english. so why bother blogging?

it all happen last november 2007. i was so inspired with our activity in SFC that motivated me to put all my thoughts in writing. our topic then was "our purpose in life" which was inspired by a book entitled "A Purpose-Driven Life" authored by Rick Warren.

since i'm the resource person, i was obliged to to do some research and come up with some examples. of course, i used my own experience and future plans as an example. after the event i was still pumped-up and input everything in my computer the other day.

when i finished my piece i sent it to our egroup hoping that everybody will follow. i received praises but unfortunately no one write their own story. well i guessed they are not yet ready or they were too busy to write it down. me, i like what i did so better share it to others and inspire them to do the same.

why not publish it?

the idea ran through my mind when i remember the old saying, "to leave a great legacy is to have a child, plant a tree, and write a book". i already had 2 children--accomplishing the first task. i somehow planted a tree during a tree planting activity but i wouldn't know what happen--a big question mark. and now the last piece is to write a book which i don't see happening in the near future since it's not my interest.

but hey! a book starts with a small thought. if i could only write one piece at a time and have a journal of my self and everything that interests me, then sooner or later i can come up with my own book. hehe.

the blogger dot com

i've heard a lot about blogger.com from friends and forums so i searched it in the internet. i was surprised to find out that having an account and creating a blog is as simple as counting 1, 2, 3. i created an account and chose my template. it's simple and easy. i copy and paste my article and that's it--my first post.

the add-ons

before, i wanted my blog as simple as it can be. no ads, no this and that. just plain text. but somehow i realized that most of the time i'll be talking about money here so why not utilize their services. so i opened an account with adsense, feedburner, technorati, etc. and burned my feed with yahoo, among others. later on i put chicklets on the sides and everything that i can think of. still you can consider me as a newbie.

i can't promise to post everyday but i'll do everything and my best to improve my posts. i'm hoping to inspire more people especially the Pinoy youths through this blog. God bless!

one million Pinoy millionaires

the mission of Larry Gamboa, Bo Sanchez, Trace Trajano and Nelson Terrible is to create one million Filipino millionaires worldwide by 2020. this is huge! this is ambitious! but whether it's achievable or not, i want to be part of it. hehe i want to be a millionaire by that time!

the four musketeers

Bo Sanchez is a bestselling author, a powerful Catholic Lay Preacher, and the founder of many ministries that serve the poor and the Catholic faithful in the Philippines. he publishes Shepherds' Voice - the Philippines' most popular Catholic literature - and hosts his own weekly Catholic TV program and daily radio show. he's also an investor and founder of many businesses.

Larry Gamboa is the author of the bestselling books "Think Rich, Pinoy!" and "Grow Rich, Pinoy". apparently, he has applied Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad principles to the Philippine setting and have earned millions through real estate investing. he is now considered as the "Robert Kiyosaki of the Philippines".

Trace Trajano is a Senior Scientist at Fortune 500 company and already have 22 patents. he is also Pinoy real estate investor based in Cincinnati, Ohio USA. his passion is teaching others how to have multiple streams of income through real estate investing. he co-authored a book with Larry Gamboa entitled "Think Rich Quick".

Nelson Terrible is a Pinoy Billionaire and CEO of the Techno-Asia Construction & Development, Inc. with over 30 years experience in real estate.

they lunched the Truly Rich Millionaire Network and the Think Rich Pinoy Millionaire Network and together, they will reach their goal.

me, i'll do my share. with the help of my friends and co-sfc, we will teach financial literacy, conduct livelihood workshops, develop entrepreneurs, create businesses and jobs, and be investors ourselves.

average Pinoy has low financial IQ

average Filipino has financial IQ of 48, says American bank. this was headlined by Inquirer.net last friday, january 18. the 400 respondents only scored 47.8, less than half the maximum score of 100, according to Citibank.

the score was derived from the American banking giant's Fin-Q survey, a study across the Asia-Pacific designed to measure the financial quotient or financial intelligence of consumers aged 18-40, who have at least a bank account or a credit card.

the survey showed that 62 percent of Filipino respondents belonging to the middle-income working class had a score of less than 50.

no retirement planning

based on the results, only 1 out of 10 Filipino respondents is consciously saving up for retirement. the rest have some savings but don't know if it will be enough. others have no idea at all how much they need or have not started planning.

lack in savings

if they lost their jobs tomorrow, or suddenly fall ill and cannot work, their savings would last only for nine weeks (about two months) before they run out of money. a comfortable buffer in case of a sudden sickness or loss of job is to maintain liquid savings equal to three to six months worth of current earnings.

my advocacy

i'm not an expert in financial matters but i want to advocate the teaching and propagation of financial literacy among Filipinos especially the youth.

Robert Kiyosaki said in his book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, that there are no formal education, not even a school, that teaches financial literacy. and besides, more and more Pinoys are becoming out-of-school youths at the early age because of poverty and lack of financial support. so where then, they can learn that?

with the help of my friends and co-SFC, we will start with our community in CFC Singles for Christ. actually we already had organized one seminar last year. me and my friends were the resource persons. i came up with an outline based from the CFC-SFC Expanded Talk Outline for Financial Stewardship and the 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich authored by Bo Sanchez.

i'm targeting another seminar this first week of february. this is part of our service so we gave it and we will give it for free. then we will open it to other chapters, ministries, organizations, parishes, barangay, etc.

while doing this, we will look for possible sponsors who will shoulder some expenses like snacks. if we can pool enough money we can get the services of the experts in this field. we will give him/her honorarium for his/her services.

if possible, i will ask for partnership with Bo Sanchez of Truly Rich Millionaires Network, Joey Concepcion of GoNegosyo, Larry Gamboa of Think Rich Pinoy Millionaires Network and other Pinoy advocates.

if you happen to be interested in supporting this endeavor please don't hesitate to contact me. my email address is richchard28@gmail.com

thank you in advance and God bless!

diskarte, Pinoy!

who wants to be a millionaire?

i can almost see everyone raising their hands saying "me" in exclamation. e sino nga ba ang hindi? we all want to be millionaires and taste what it feels to be one.

but according to Bo Sanchez, author of the 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich, even though we want to be rich, subconsciously we don't. how come? kasi marinig lang natin ang mga salitang: selling, marketing, business, networking, and other related terms e lumalayo na tayo dun sa nagsasalita. as if he's carrying a contagious virus.

e paano nga ba yumaman sila henry sy ng sm, tony tan caktiong ng jollibee, lucio tan ng pal, at iba pang mayayaman dito sa Pilipinas? simple lang... nagbenta sila. may nagbenta ng sapatos, burger, sigarilyo, at iba pa. they started small and now they are billionaires in their own rights. as senator manny villar always say, "sipag at tiyaga lang 'yan."

diskarte, Pinoy!

saan nga ba kilala ang Pinoy? saan pa eh di sa pagiging madiskarte! Filipinos are known for being hardworking, intelligent, creative, innovative, friendly and joyful. Filipinos excel in almost any field and in any part of the world if given the right opportunity. so, if you want to be rich, you can do it!

money problems are most of the times mind problems, says bo. just use your coconut shell. if we take it literally, here's an example: a man brought with him a stand, a chessboard and a sign that reads "checkmate black in 2 moves". those who will try to solve the puzzle will bet for P50, P100 or even higher. it depends on their agreement. one loss try is automatically instant money for him. though i'm not sure kung meron ngang solution dahil kung wala eh he's cheating. hindi ko naman sinasabi na gayahin nyo 'yun. ang gusto ko lang i-emphasize na pwede kang kumita kahit walang puhunan. diskarte lang.

another example is the story of Butch Salvador. one day, he found out that he's broke with only ten pesos (P10) in his pocket. he came up with an idea, made a leaflet, photocopy it for ten (10) copies and then distributed it. when he got his first costumer and received his payment amounting to P2,000, he crumpled the money, held it tight and promised to himself, "i do not want to be poor ever again". he started with ten pesos and now he's Car Magic is franchising and he created more companies in his name. again, diskarte lang.

how to look for a business?

1. identify people's need or simply create a need
2. check out your core gifts/interests
3. sell a good/new idea
4. buy an existing business or franchise a business
5. buy and sell or networking
6. foreclosed properties

delay self-gratification

Filipinos are also known for their festivities, celebrations, parties, etc. likas daw kasi sa ating mga Pinoy ang pagiging masiyahin kahit puno ng problema. and when something good comes up, like receiving a bonus, most Pinoys call their barkadas and start celebrating. they celebrate until all their money are down the drain. some will buy new high tech gadgets, appliances, a new car or a new house to fulfill their dreams. these people are called "one-day millionaires".

i'm not saying that it's bad. but, our people should learn, first and foremost, how to save and invest their hard-earned money before enjoying the fruits of their labor. buy assets. create passive income. this is called "delaying self-gratification".

Financial Literacy

another key to become a millionaire is to become financially literate. ito ang kailangan nating mga Pinoy and this is also one of my advocacy. i want to teach financial literacy to young Pinoys, especially the underprivileged. the new generation of Pinoys should learn the basic cashflow, learn how the money works, the income statement, the difference between an asset and a liability, the difference between good debt and bad debt.

everyone should learn how to invest, how to look for successful mentors and partners, how to be responsible and committed to their dreams, how to apply what they learn and move.

attending seminars and reading books also helps. below are highly recommended books:
1. 8 Secrets of the Truly Rich and Simplify and Create Abundance by Bo Sanchez
2. Think Rich, Pinoy and Grow Rich, Pinoy by Larry Gamboa
3. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

have a plan. simple, measurable, attainable, realistic and time bound plan. and the most important thing is action! "nothing happens unless something moves". kaya let's do it na! now na! kaya natin 'to!