Dates are nutrient power-houses that supply a liberal dose of vital vitamins and minerals that help maintain optimum health.
The date palm is often described as the ‘Tree of Life’. According to a Muslim legend, the date palm was the first tree to be grown in history, and it was cultivated from the dust that was left after the conception of Adam.
The Nutritional Highlights of Dates
Dates are a brilliant source of easily digestible carbohydrates and a significant source of dietary fiber, especially, beta-D-glucan. Dates provide ample thiamine, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, iron, copper, potassium, zinc and folic acid. Packed with these essential nutrients, dates proffer the a host of health benefits:
http://food-facts.suite101.com/article.cfm/a-fruit-that-fights-constipation-cholesterol-and-cancer--dates
Jun 22, 2010
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 7:6.12-14.
6Huwag ninyong ibigay sa aso ang anumang banal. Huwag ninyong ihagis ang inyong mga perlas sa mga baboy. Kung gayon, yuyurakan lang nila ito at muling babalik at lalapain kayo.
Humingi, Maghanap, Kumatok
7Humingi kayo at ito ay ibibigay sa inyo. Maghanap kayo at makakasumpong kayo. Kumatok kayo at ito ay bubuksan sa inyo. 8Ito ay sapagkat ang bawat isang humihingi ay tumatanggap. Siya na naghahanap ay nakakasumpong. Ang kumakatok ay pinagbubuksan.
9Sino kaya sa inyo ang magbibigay ng isang bato sa kaniyang anak kung ito ay humingi ng tinapay? 10Kung humingi siya sa kaniya ng isda, bibigyan ba niya ito ng ahas? 11Kayo, bagaman masasama ay marunong magbigay ng mabubuting kaloob sa inyong mga anak, gaano pa kaya ang inyong Ama na nasa langit? Hindi ba niya ibibigay ang mabubuting bagay sa kanila na humihingi sa kaniya? 12Kaya nga, ang lahat ng bagay na ibig ninyong gawin ng mga tao sa inyo ay gayundin ang gawin ninyo sa kanila sapagkat ito ang kabuuan ng Kautusan at ng mga Propeta.
Ang Makipot at ang Maluwang na Daan
13Pumasok kayo sa makipot na tarangkahan sapagkat ang maluwang na tarangkahan at malapad na daan ay patungo sa kapahamakan. Marami ang patungo roon. 14Subalit ang makipot na tarangkahan at makitid na daan ay patungo sa buhay. Kakaunti ang mga nakakasumpong nito.
Ang Salita ng Diyos (SND)
Humingi, Maghanap, Kumatok
7Humingi kayo at ito ay ibibigay sa inyo. Maghanap kayo at makakasumpong kayo. Kumatok kayo at ito ay bubuksan sa inyo. 8Ito ay sapagkat ang bawat isang humihingi ay tumatanggap. Siya na naghahanap ay nakakasumpong. Ang kumakatok ay pinagbubuksan.
9Sino kaya sa inyo ang magbibigay ng isang bato sa kaniyang anak kung ito ay humingi ng tinapay? 10Kung humingi siya sa kaniya ng isda, bibigyan ba niya ito ng ahas? 11Kayo, bagaman masasama ay marunong magbigay ng mabubuting kaloob sa inyong mga anak, gaano pa kaya ang inyong Ama na nasa langit? Hindi ba niya ibibigay ang mabubuting bagay sa kanila na humihingi sa kaniya? 12Kaya nga, ang lahat ng bagay na ibig ninyong gawin ng mga tao sa inyo ay gayundin ang gawin ninyo sa kanila sapagkat ito ang kabuuan ng Kautusan at ng mga Propeta.
Ang Makipot at ang Maluwang na Daan
13Pumasok kayo sa makipot na tarangkahan sapagkat ang maluwang na tarangkahan at malapad na daan ay patungo sa kapahamakan. Marami ang patungo roon. 14Subalit ang makipot na tarangkahan at makitid na daan ay patungo sa buhay. Kakaunti ang mga nakakasumpong nito.
Ang Salita ng Diyos (SND)
Jun 21, 2010
There is hope
These coming months will be especially difficult for our country.
We have the El Niño drying up our water sources and creating havoc on our agriculture.
Campaigns and the elections will create a lot of stress in trying to discern who is best for our country and our respective communities.
The bright side of things is that whatever the result, for as long as the elections are conducted and concluded credibly, our economic future will be very bright.
However, if there is a failure of elections caused by the untested automated system, what will surely follow is a chaotic economic and social environment.
More jobs will be lost and each one will have to keep struggling to keep whole until better times come.
Yes, better times will come and we want to look ahead with this sort of parable of HOPE that someone shared with me.
The story has to do with the pear tree in a country, which had four weather seasons, namely, winter, spring, summer and autumn.
There was a man who had four sons whom he wanted to teach not to judge things too quickly.
He sent each of them on a mission to go and look at a pear tree that was far away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer and the youngest in the fall or autumn.
When they had all gone and arrived, he called them together to describe to him what they saw.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said that the tree was covered by green buds and was full of promise.
The third son disagreed and said the tree was full of sweet smelling blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful.
The last son said that he saw the tree full of ripe fruit ready to be picked and full of life and fulfillment.
The father explained to them that all of them were right because each of them saw the tree in only one and different season of life.
He told them that you couldn’t judge a tree by only one season of life.
The essence of what it is can only be measured at the end after completing all the seasons.
Therefore, if you give up on the tree during winter, you will miss the promise of spring, the beauty of summer, and the fulfillment of autumn.
We can apply this parable to our financial life where there are also these four seasons.
We are still probably in the winter of our financial options.
It has been very difficult for everybody whether an ordinary income-earner or a person with substantial wealth.
In fact, we have seen some take the radical solution in ending their lives simply because they are incapable of seeing farther than winter.
Just as sure as night and day, spring will follow winter.
The challenge though is that it is difficult to predict when each season will end.
It is especially most difficult to accept that “autumn” when all the big profits can be made will end.
Fortunately though, in the financial world, there can be little season cycles within the big season.
There will always be chances to save, invest and earn.
Every asset class has its time.
The challenge is to know which asset class rules in a given season.
This is why I always advise people to choose the right investment option only after making their personal financial plan based on their Personal Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) and Personal Income and Expense Statement (PIES).
Mutual funds (MF) or Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITF) are usually right for most people because you need not invest all your savings in it.
It is also a long-term investment using savings that you can practically “forget.”
Just choose the best MF or UITF that will fit your objectives.
MF range from P5,000 minimum investment and UITF from P10,000 minimum investment.
Invest a small amount in it regularly, preferably monthly whether the market is up or down.
In this way, you will be averaging your cost over the years.
You do not have the look at it too often.
If you are buying regularly, your average cost will surprise you over the years.
Of course, the rule is always to buy low (during winter) and sell high (during summer and autumn).
But we cannot always be checking the market, unless it is our job.
MF and UITF managers know the seasons within the seasons and they will make their funds grow accordingly.
Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Do not judge life by one difficult season.
We still have the rest of our life still ahead of us.
For those interested in our Pisobilities Seminar on Saturday March 20 2-4pm, please call 6373731 or 6373741. For email inquiries, info@colaycofoundation.com.
Article:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/francisco-colayco/archives/30-There-is-hope.html
Subscribe to blog below|
http://kilusansajollibee.blogspot.com/2010/06/there-is-hope.html
We have the El Niño drying up our water sources and creating havoc on our agriculture.
Campaigns and the elections will create a lot of stress in trying to discern who is best for our country and our respective communities.
The bright side of things is that whatever the result, for as long as the elections are conducted and concluded credibly, our economic future will be very bright.
However, if there is a failure of elections caused by the untested automated system, what will surely follow is a chaotic economic and social environment.
More jobs will be lost and each one will have to keep struggling to keep whole until better times come.
Yes, better times will come and we want to look ahead with this sort of parable of HOPE that someone shared with me.
The story has to do with the pear tree in a country, which had four weather seasons, namely, winter, spring, summer and autumn.
There was a man who had four sons whom he wanted to teach not to judge things too quickly.
He sent each of them on a mission to go and look at a pear tree that was far away.
The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in the summer and the youngest in the fall or autumn.
When they had all gone and arrived, he called them together to describe to him what they saw.
The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted.
The second son said that the tree was covered by green buds and was full of promise.
The third son disagreed and said the tree was full of sweet smelling blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful.
The last son said that he saw the tree full of ripe fruit ready to be picked and full of life and fulfillment.
The father explained to them that all of them were right because each of them saw the tree in only one and different season of life.
He told them that you couldn’t judge a tree by only one season of life.
The essence of what it is can only be measured at the end after completing all the seasons.
Therefore, if you give up on the tree during winter, you will miss the promise of spring, the beauty of summer, and the fulfillment of autumn.
We can apply this parable to our financial life where there are also these four seasons.
We are still probably in the winter of our financial options.
It has been very difficult for everybody whether an ordinary income-earner or a person with substantial wealth.
In fact, we have seen some take the radical solution in ending their lives simply because they are incapable of seeing farther than winter.
Just as sure as night and day, spring will follow winter.
The challenge though is that it is difficult to predict when each season will end.
It is especially most difficult to accept that “autumn” when all the big profits can be made will end.
Fortunately though, in the financial world, there can be little season cycles within the big season.
There will always be chances to save, invest and earn.
Every asset class has its time.
The challenge is to know which asset class rules in a given season.
This is why I always advise people to choose the right investment option only after making their personal financial plan based on their Personal Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL) and Personal Income and Expense Statement (PIES).
Mutual funds (MF) or Unit Investment Trust Funds (UITF) are usually right for most people because you need not invest all your savings in it.
It is also a long-term investment using savings that you can practically “forget.”
Just choose the best MF or UITF that will fit your objectives.
MF range from P5,000 minimum investment and UITF from P10,000 minimum investment.
Invest a small amount in it regularly, preferably monthly whether the market is up or down.
In this way, you will be averaging your cost over the years.
You do not have the look at it too often.
If you are buying regularly, your average cost will surprise you over the years.
Of course, the rule is always to buy low (during winter) and sell high (during summer and autumn).
But we cannot always be checking the market, unless it is our job.
MF and UITF managers know the seasons within the seasons and they will make their funds grow accordingly.
Don’t let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Do not judge life by one difficult season.
We still have the rest of our life still ahead of us.
For those interested in our Pisobilities Seminar on Saturday March 20 2-4pm, please call 6373731 or 6373741. For email inquiries, info@colaycofoundation.com.
Article:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/francisco-colayco/archives/30-There-is-hope.html
Subscribe to blog below|
http://kilusansajollibee.blogspot.com/2010/06/there-is-hope.html
REAL ESTATE AS A BUSINESS?
Joyce, the wife of the OFW whose husband remits to her $300 or PhP15,000 monthly wants to consider just buying real estate as an investment. She understood from our last talk that she should not invest more than PhP7,000 in real estate so that she can spread her risks.
Her cousin, Tina, is offering her a piece of land in her province as an investment. It is 1,000 sq.m. for only PhP400,000. Her cousin is even willing to accept installment payments if she just makes a 10% down payment of PhP40,000. Joyce has the money for the down payment because her husband just received a bonus.
Tina is willing to accept payment for the balance of PhP360,000 at the installment payments of PhP7,000 per month for 5 years or 60 months. This is actually equivalent to paying Tina an interest rate of only 6.24% p.a. for the PhP360,000 balance due. Tina told Joyce that this is a good deal because the property is well located and there are talks that prices will at least double in five years (this means that the value of the property will increase by 14.4% per year) because the area will be developed very soon. Tina can’t wait for the development because she is getting married and living abroad. The monthly installment is something that she wants to give to her parents as a monthly gift because her husband will be giving her the same amount to give to her parents anyway.
My comments are:
In terms of the money involved the deal does look okay if Joyce is able to:
Make sure that the PhP15,000 or at least PhP7,000 monthly remittance of her husband will really continue for 5 years and that she will have no other need for it except to pay for this property.
Investigate with the Registrar of Deeds that the value of property recently sold in the area to be really at least PhP400 per square meter.
Check out that the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) is clean and that it really corresponds to the property that was shown to you.
Visit the property to see that it does not have any squatters. Joyce will be paying less than the Php15,000 that she has available monthly so she has the budget to pay for real estate taxes and other expenses to maintain the land free of “talahib” and future possible squatters.
Ensure that the TCT can readily be transferred to Joyce after full payment considering that Tina will already be living abroad. Joyce should consult with a lawyer on this.
Joyce should try to understand if there is real basis in expecting the value to double in five years. She should verify from the local government whether or not there are approved infrastructure developments in the area and how long it will take. “Chismis” can never be reliable. She has to go there herself and check with the Registry or Deeds and the companies who will be developing the area.
However, even plans of big companies can change. Then, she has to make an educated guess if the future increase in value will give her returns that are at least higher than the average annual inflation rate of 7%.
If the property appreciates by only 7% annually, which is the average increase of property values, then the sales value of the property after five years will be PhP 561,000 or PhP527,000 after a 6% capital gains tax. This will mean that the effective return of this investment will only be 5.1%. This is lower than the average inflation rate of 7% and is therefore not that attractive as an investment
I need to remind Joyce that land, as an investment, is generally an illiquid investment. It is something she cannot sell very quickly if she needs cash. In this case, she can only sell the property after she has completed her installment payments and the TCT has been transferred to her. Again, this is an issue that ought to be discussed with Tina and the lawyer before the down payment is made.
In this case, she should be able to sell the land at PhP600 per square meter after five years if she wants to make a return equal to at least the inflation rate of 7%. She must remember that she will have to pay for the transfer of the TCT (about 2% of selling price) after she has completed the installment payments. Also she has capital gains tax of 6% when she sells the property.
If Joyce is able to find other uses for the real estate to give her income, she should include that income in the computation of the returns she has derived from the property. This would of course improve the return on that property investment.
Let us assume that there is a small building on the property that Joyce has been offered for the terms given above. Let’s say that Joyce has the option to rent out space in that building. In such a case, when she estimates her rental income, she should remember that she has to deduct the following from her rental income:
Cost of daily maintenance if there will be more than one tenant in the building as there will be common areas.
20% vacancy rate. This means that there will be no income for about 2.5 months per year.
Cost of major repairs of the building
Possible non-payment of rent by the tenants.
In addition to real estate tax, municipal permits and income taxes.
I also told Joyce, for her information that others also buy real estate to develop into buildings to rent, sell or into condominiums. However, these involve bigger capital and a lot more serious business management expertise.
Article:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/francisco-colayco/archives/35-REAL-ESTATE-AS-A-BUSINESS.html
Her cousin, Tina, is offering her a piece of land in her province as an investment. It is 1,000 sq.m. for only PhP400,000. Her cousin is even willing to accept installment payments if she just makes a 10% down payment of PhP40,000. Joyce has the money for the down payment because her husband just received a bonus.
Tina is willing to accept payment for the balance of PhP360,000 at the installment payments of PhP7,000 per month for 5 years or 60 months. This is actually equivalent to paying Tina an interest rate of only 6.24% p.a. for the PhP360,000 balance due. Tina told Joyce that this is a good deal because the property is well located and there are talks that prices will at least double in five years (this means that the value of the property will increase by 14.4% per year) because the area will be developed very soon. Tina can’t wait for the development because she is getting married and living abroad. The monthly installment is something that she wants to give to her parents as a monthly gift because her husband will be giving her the same amount to give to her parents anyway.
My comments are:
In terms of the money involved the deal does look okay if Joyce is able to:
Make sure that the PhP15,000 or at least PhP7,000 monthly remittance of her husband will really continue for 5 years and that she will have no other need for it except to pay for this property.
Investigate with the Registrar of Deeds that the value of property recently sold in the area to be really at least PhP400 per square meter.
Check out that the Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) is clean and that it really corresponds to the property that was shown to you.
Visit the property to see that it does not have any squatters. Joyce will be paying less than the Php15,000 that she has available monthly so she has the budget to pay for real estate taxes and other expenses to maintain the land free of “talahib” and future possible squatters.
Ensure that the TCT can readily be transferred to Joyce after full payment considering that Tina will already be living abroad. Joyce should consult with a lawyer on this.
Joyce should try to understand if there is real basis in expecting the value to double in five years. She should verify from the local government whether or not there are approved infrastructure developments in the area and how long it will take. “Chismis” can never be reliable. She has to go there herself and check with the Registry or Deeds and the companies who will be developing the area.
However, even plans of big companies can change. Then, she has to make an educated guess if the future increase in value will give her returns that are at least higher than the average annual inflation rate of 7%.
If the property appreciates by only 7% annually, which is the average increase of property values, then the sales value of the property after five years will be PhP 561,000 or PhP527,000 after a 6% capital gains tax. This will mean that the effective return of this investment will only be 5.1%. This is lower than the average inflation rate of 7% and is therefore not that attractive as an investment
I need to remind Joyce that land, as an investment, is generally an illiquid investment. It is something she cannot sell very quickly if she needs cash. In this case, she can only sell the property after she has completed her installment payments and the TCT has been transferred to her. Again, this is an issue that ought to be discussed with Tina and the lawyer before the down payment is made.
In this case, she should be able to sell the land at PhP600 per square meter after five years if she wants to make a return equal to at least the inflation rate of 7%. She must remember that she will have to pay for the transfer of the TCT (about 2% of selling price) after she has completed the installment payments. Also she has capital gains tax of 6% when she sells the property.
If Joyce is able to find other uses for the real estate to give her income, she should include that income in the computation of the returns she has derived from the property. This would of course improve the return on that property investment.
Let us assume that there is a small building on the property that Joyce has been offered for the terms given above. Let’s say that Joyce has the option to rent out space in that building. In such a case, when she estimates her rental income, she should remember that she has to deduct the following from her rental income:
Cost of daily maintenance if there will be more than one tenant in the building as there will be common areas.
20% vacancy rate. This means that there will be no income for about 2.5 months per year.
Cost of major repairs of the building
Possible non-payment of rent by the tenants.
In addition to real estate tax, municipal permits and income taxes.
I also told Joyce, for her information that others also buy real estate to develop into buildings to rent, sell or into condominiums. However, these involve bigger capital and a lot more serious business management expertise.
Article:
http://blogs.gmanews.tv/francisco-colayco/archives/35-REAL-ESTATE-AS-A-BUSINESS.html
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