Philippine Passport Now Getting Easy!

Acquiring a Philippine passport is one of your investments when you consider going abroad to look for a better career. Although it may also be of necessity when you want to go on vacations outside the country.

Traveling is part of our lives and we should never deprive ourselves for it is the greatest gift God has endowed us. To explore is to be open to possibilities. To be imaginative.


Here at JuanInvestor, we cater all the facets of being an investor. That is why our topic now is about getting your passport. Passports are necessary when you are planning to go on a business or a leisure trip.

Aspire to have these two. But at different time, of course. While my officemate and I were scanning travel pages on the net, we stumbled upon several cheap travel tours and accommodations.

Until we hit on a site where it has a package to China for two for only Php 3,999!!! For 3 days, 2 nights stay, we could experience the GreatWall of China, the Chinese cuisine, the busy streets at Shanghai and anything else. Wow, is this true?

Shocked, I thought if that was a real deal or a scam. So I did some research. I found out that it was a legitimate site recommended by several travelers.

Doubts faded, I got so excited and planned to purchase. But I broke into silence when my friend suddenly said, “Bro, we don’t have a passport yet.” My smile faded. And I hated myself for not having a passport.

I imagined how tiring it would be to get a passport. Long lines, hours of waiting and silly fixers will be there for you. Good luck! There should be a better way. And I should have a passport.

The Answer to Dilemma

Since then we planned to get a passport for mini-vacations and trips outside the archipelago. I scanned through Google for a couple of minutes. I found a website www.passport.com.phwhich is the official website of DFA for passport processing. I immediately accessed the site and there I found the answer to my dilemma.

I went through the side tab of the page and there I saw “Set an appointment”. I went through it and then I filled out the information sheet. I typed in my name, address, occupation and all the other personal details.

What amazed me with this platform is that you get to choose your appointment date and time!

Isn’t that good? Instead of going 4 AM at DFA office, falling in line, stumping other applicants’ foot, sweating ‘til you gone out of sweat, you now have the freedom to choose your own date and time at your convenience? What a breakthrough! I commend DFA for this great improvement.

Going back to my application. I chose my own appointment date and set it at 3:30 PM. I clicked the submit button. A message appeared that prompted me to verify the email sent to my email address. I checked my email address and there I received a link that needs to be verified within 24 hours. Else, it would  expire.

So I clicked the link and there I was able to see a pdf file in 3 pages. The file contains important reminders on the first page, my application form on the second page and the application requirements on the third.

On the first page, it says there that I must print the file and be brought at the scheduled appointment. So I did. And that was all. I filed for a vacation leave on my appointment date and waited.

What To Do When You Are at DFA Aseana

1. When you arrive at DFA Aseana, prepare the appointment file that you’ve printed since it will be asked by the guard before you can enter.

    2. Go to the table just in front where you entered. There is a desktop computer there with two staff. You need to present your appointment documents for validation of the bar code. They will remove the first page of that document and then tell you to wait at the waiting area.

  3. If you’re appointment is set at 3:30 PM, look on the waiting areas there where you can see a signage with your appointment time. You may find a waiting area that has 3:00, 3:30, 4:00 or 4:30. Go to where your appointment time is. You will then wait for a couple of minutes before you are instructed to come inside the building.

      4. You will go inside by batch. A staff will tell you that you can go inside. Prepare your appointment document.

      5. You will then be seated and move like a trip-to-Jerusalem game. When one is done, you will move to the next seat and so forth until you reach your turn.

       6. If you are a new applicant, you will be instructed to go to the 2^ndFloor directly (I don’t know if this applies to passport renewal, lost passports, etc.)

    7. Prepare your original and photocopied documents: Application form, Acceptable ID’s and supporting documents. You will be interviewed for 2-3 minutes. Then you have to present your original 2 valid ID’s. I presented my TIN, driver’s license and company ID.

I was surprised when the interviewer only got my Application form, original NSO and company ID! He returned the rest of my documents. I wondered why. I even prepared my TOR and E1 for this. But they didn’t get it. Never mind. Better anyway that the processing was kinda swift. Smooth transaction.

      8. You will then pay at the cashier for the passport fee of Php 950.00 (regular – 15 days) or Php 1,200 (express – 7 days).

      9. Next is to secure for a priority number. There was a signage there that says “Get your Priority number here”. Else, ask the guard where it is.

     10. The last part was the lazy part. I sit there for around 3:45 PM and was able to complete the process at 5:30 PM. The last part was the encoding and registration process. They will take a picture of you and your signature, and that’s it! You’re done!

    11. If you want to have your passport delivered at your doorsteps, there is a delivery service located at the exit. You can see people in line there. For Php 120.00, you can have your passport delivered so you don’t have to go back at DFA for claiming it. So I paid P120 and I went home.

All in all I was impressed at the improvement they have. Kudos to DFA! And may you take advantage of this service that they have instead of the conventional early-fall-in-line method. Here’s the site again www.passport.com.ph

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Assessing Our Financial Past, Present, And Future

Scrooge McDuck. The Walt Disney Company. Image from: http://ideologystop.net

But as for he who is given his record in his left hand, he will say, "Oh, I wish I had not been given my record | And had not known what is my account...

69. Surat Al-Haqqah (The Reality; 25-26)

After niyyah for financial wellness, step 2 would be to take action toward the goal; assessing our financial situation. This process may be pleasant for those who have done well with their money, but it's the red pill for the opposite that may choose to live in blissful ignorance with the blue pill. Emotions of fear, anger, or embarrassment may hinder us to face the truth. It is a position where we open ourselves and become very vulnerable.

So today no soul will be wronged, and you will not be recompensed except for what you used to do.

36. Surat Yasin (54)

Our current situation is the sum of actions in the past. Like Scrooge McDuck, knowing his deeds on each coin gained. We may be able to recall some of the good and bad decisions made up to this point. It's okay. Forgive yourself for it and do not return to the deeds of the past. If you're in debt, stop adding to it. Start thinking how your actions today, summed up, would result in the future.

Going a bit off topic, I have lived in the USA for a number of years and see that there is massive potential for Islamic centers to provide guidance, counseling, and help. Especially on a weekend halaqah, to gather and talk about money. I'll probably expand on this later in the future inshaAllah. See you next week for step 3!

Offline or Online Stock Market Trading?

Several folks have been asking the same question: Which is better, offline or online trading? The answer lies upon the trader itself. Since we have different opinions, it is better to assess ourselves to have a custom tailored-fit service.

Generally, stock market brokers usually offer both online and offline. While banks on the other hand mostly are offline trading. However, here’s a snapshot of comparisons that might be useful in the decision process.

Aspect	Offline Trading	Online Trading
Service	Personalized service. There is a dedicated broker for every investor.	No dedicated broker. You act based on investment guides sent by broker.
Flexibility/Ease of use	Strenuous. You need to contact your broker for every transaction you desire to make.	Easy and convenient. You can execute your trade immediately as you wish. No intervention of broker.
Interface/Monitoring	No platform for “real time” stock prices updates.	Real time updates available.
Start-up Investment	Offline trading usually suggests higher equities or start-up investment. It costs around P25,000 on average.	Lesser investment cost. COLFinancial has their Easy Investment Program. You can open an account for as low as P5,000.
Maintenance Cost	Higher. Broker’s fees and communication fees.	Lower. Provided you have a computer with internet connection.

In terms of convenience and investment capital, online trading is more favorable. You can access your account anytime and anywhere. You can even trade (buy or sell) anytime you want for as long as the market is active. This is what I like with online trading.

But if you want to have a broker going hand-in-hand with you, guiding you along the way, offline trading is perfect for you.

Your dedicated brokers may call you to give you some alerts about the recent updates in the stock market. They will even signal you when is the best time to long or to short. This is typical for investors who are busy enough that can't monitor their investments regularly.

Personally, I strongly recommend COLFinancial. Here's how to open a COLFinancial account. I would like to reiterate that I am not an associate or affiliate of this company.

I just strongly believe in their system and I never experienced any logs and site errors. What's better is, anyone can apply for an account. Yes, even foreigners can apply with or without any Philippine consanguinity. I've been using their platform for 8 months now and the experience so far, is positive. 

There are many offline and online stock market brokers in the country today. You may choose them according to the criteria given above.

But most of all, first and foremost, MAKE SURE it’s a legitimate one. It’s hard to invest your hard-earned money in a vehicle you don’t even know and trust. So make sure they are recognized and listed in government institutions.

Keep yourself updated on this blog for I will post legitimate stockbrokers which you can choose from. Thanks for reading my blog!

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How will you get the best out of your earnings?

Once you decide to join several survey panels, you may find that you do not have sufficient amount of time to take all of the surveys as they come. Therefore, this blog suggests some of the best way to utilize your time in order to maximize your profit.

Ideally when you join a survey for the first time, make sure that you take at least 5 to 10 survey invitation whatsoever the reward amount is. This allows the survey panel to know that you are a sincere candidate who is ready to invest time to provide honest opinion.This ultimately, helps you to receive higher paying surveys in your future.

How will you maximize the profit?

If you want to prioritize your time you need to first decide whether the surveys are worth of it. You will find a few surveys stating their rewards in cash while others prefer to reward you through a point system. The only important thing that you need to understand is that each panel has a different system of translating their rewards into cash.

Prioritize your time:

Once you understand the worth of every survey, you should start reviewing all your survey invitations. Try to pay attention to all the higher paid surveys first. While evaluating the surveys, it is important not only to consider the amount but also the amount of time required to complete each survey. Utilize your time in the best way possible. Make sure that you do not run out of time to complete a particular survey. Besides, keep a record of the earnings from each of the survey panels that you join. Use the information to decide which survey works best for you.

Therefore, know your survey well before you invest your time. You can contact Crowdology one of the good online paid survey if you are searching for online paid survey panels.

Wealth Summit 2013 Review (2nd Day – Mar 02, 2013)

While Wealth Summit 2013 Day 1 was fully-packed with superb speakers across all sorts of businesses, Day 2 was even better! When I received the summit bag on Day 1, I dug off the contents and came over to each material.

The bag is imprinted with “MY BAG OF ABUNDANCE”. And as you can see on the picture, GOD is emphasized through a yellow font. Nice! Inside the bag is a book entitled “Companion” – a scripture diary book for Apr – Jun 2013.

Now I gotta read this book starting April. The other contents of the bag were the Summit Manual and promotional leaflets from COLFinancial, BDO and IMG.

I immediately checked Summit Manual. I was stoked to see the group of Internet Superheroes! Internet Marketing (IM) is my cup of tea. I love working on my computer. Since then I couldn’t wait to listen to the speakers anymore.

These IM superheroes are composed of Jomar Hilario – the Internet Marketing guru behind www.jomarhilario.com, Paolo Abadesco – Bo’s secret weapon on his online marketing campaigs, Sha Nacino – author of How To Make More Money & How To Make Your Dreams Come True and the serial Cebuano youngster Jan Hilado – author of Rich, Real, Radical and a millionaire at the age of 18.

All the BIGGEST names in the industry were set to give a talk on the second day of Wealth Summit 2013. I was excited. Elated. My eyes were bulging as I was sitting on the second row. Since I am near-sighted, I always manage to be seated in front to see the details of my subject.

Saturday, Mar 02, 2013, was the second day of Wealth Summit. Here are the topics with corresponding speakers:

Topic: Entrepreneurship

Entitled: “How To Start Your Super Business”

Dean Pax Lapid, AIM Professor, Owner of 8 successful businesses, Best-selling Author

Topic: Business Expansion

Entitled: “How to Grow Your Super Business”

Bo Sanchez, TrulyRichClub, Best-selling Author, Entrepreneur

Topic: Franchising

Entitled: “Franchise Superheroes”

Emily Carpio, Generica

Boy Manguerra, Mang Inasal

Topic: Internet Marketing

Entitled: “Internet Superheroes”

Jomar Hilario, JomarHilario.com

Paolo Abadesco, Buildclubs.com

Sha Nacino, SeminarPhilippines.com

Jan Hilado, Janmckhilado.com

Topic: Mega Business

Entitled: “How to Build a Giant Business”

Edward Lee, COLFinancial

Junie Toreja, Toreja Corp.

Ronnie Siasoyco, Trion

Randy Manaloto, Citydorms Corp.

Topic: Multiple Income Streams (MIS)

Entitled: “How to Create MIS”

Rex Mendoza, PhilAm Life

Closing Session: Superheroes’ Prayer

Bo Sanchez

All the speakers instilled my gray matter with chunks of information. But not even information overload. I wrote down notes on my manual for every wisdom nugget uttered by the speakers. I just loved the feeling of listening to these people.

Of all the speakers on Day 2, I really liked the superheroes on Mega Business. Yes they are BIG men and major players in the industry. But what set them apart from others are their modesty, God-centeredness and philanthropies.

It has long been in mind that rich businessmen are crooks, greedy and selfish. That they only think about profit, nothing else! But I was partly wrong.

While there are some, still a number remains. And these are the Superheroes in Wealth Summit 2013. Yes, I adore them. I commend them. Before each of their speeches ended, I was struck upon hearing them (one by one) saying, that the ultimate purpose of wealth is to share others.

How nice it was to hear! And they meant it. It’s not lip service like other speakers were doing. They walk the talk!

Not only because of their values that I admired them. But it is because of their valuable and specific advices that are very practical & usable to almost everyone.

They have the wisdom that you couldn’t find on books and other materials. Listening to them was like entrusting your ears and hearts to every word they said.

I trusted them. I had no choice! Why shouldn't I trust them when they are already billionaires? You would really feel hope, inspiration, drive and confidence to start your own thing.

To sum it up, these are my over-all comments for Wealth Summit 2013 using my own criteria of 5S: Summit Fee, Speaker, Schedule Adherence, Service and Surprises.

Summit Fee

The Summit Fee was all worth it. I did not regret anything. I liked the venue & the facility, the competence of speakers and the service (registration, food, Summit Kit, etc).

Speakers

All the speakers were good. Some were brilliant. Some were newbies but I saw their determination to conquer stage fright. What matters anyway is the content and quality of what they were saying, not the English grammar and pronunciation. I am cool with this. I can relate.

Schedule Adherence

Time hadn't been followed exactly. But I liked it hadn’t. Else, I would be left unsatisfied! On average, each speaker was given 15 minutes to talk. Quite short.

   Could have been better to reduce the number of speakers and have it 60 minutes for each speaker to cover the whole details: start-up, technical aspects, ways of earning, future plans, etc.

Service

In the registration, I liked the way they handled it. The e-tickets brought by attendees were easily read through a bar code, not the conventional manual handwriting of names on the registration sheet.

  As a result, registration had been faster and smooth. The staff also had a good service. They were all scattered around the venue. They were ready to help and always guided everyone.

  The food served on the snacks and lunches were all very good: freshly-made and had a good taste! Wash rooms were also near the hall. So anyone has an easy access anytime.

Surprises

Remember the superheroes who stood at the entrance and guided participants? Yeah, it was amazing. I liked it.  The raffle prizes were astonishing!

  I liked the prizes but I didn’t win though. The live band rocks! The mixing was perfect such that each instruments produced a balanced sound. No instrument was playing louder than the rest.

I was really happy I attended Wealth Summit 2013. Looking forward to Wealth Summit 2014. My thoughts were renewed and inspired. I now have more reasons to strive and have my own business :)

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Image from Bo Sanchez

Wealth Summit 2013 Review (1st Day – Mar 01, 2013)

Treading heavily, I arrived 30 minutes past 8 in the morning at PICC for me to have good seats (for me and my office mate) in Wealth Summit 2013. The event was scheduled to start at 9 AM and I was there catching my breath when suddenly Captain America, Superman and Superwoman stood there at the entrance smiling and said, “Good morning, Sir!” (Read also my Wealth Summit Day 2 Review)

I was shocked! I responded and proceeded to the summit hall, smiling. My excitement rushed when I saw the banners and tarpaulins of the event with Bo Sanchez’s profile on it.

The stage had a wide LED screen which displayed the Superman logo with “Wanted: Superheroes of Abundance” text on it. Beside the stage stood there a live band tweaking their instruments to have a good mix, before the event started.

Can’t wait to see this real businessmen, I thought. A flock of more than 500 would-be superheroes marched down at PICC to see REAL entrepreneurs and investors in action for Wealth Summit 2013.

The speakers talked about valuable business lessons and thought-provoking experiences. And I loved it, with all my heart.

Majority of the attendees were all 30+ years old, I observed. Woah, am I the youngest here? I thought. But it didn’t matter anymore.

The fact that we were there gathered around for a purpose – to be the next superheroes of the church, was an awesome feeling that I felt and it made me realized. That no matter how old or young you are, as long as you are helping other people, you’re a superhero!

Bo is a superhero. He preaches financial education to his millions of followers. He helps them achieve their dreams and clears the confusions in their heads when it comes to money and investing.

Bo started the opening of the summit talking about “How to Become a Superhero of Abundance”. He said that there are two ways to have abundance: produce wealth and reproduce wealth.

The former is about building a business that gives VALUE to customers to support one’s necessities and lifestyle while the latter is about replicating this business to have more and more passive income. Miriam Quiambao followed with a talk about her life: her struggles, downfalls, dilemmas and her success.

She mentioned about how she got into winning the Ms. Universe title, her married life and how she returned to God which she left away when she already achieved her dreams in an instant. Her speech was entitled, “How I Found My True Wealth”.

The speeches were followed by the following speakers:

Topic: Network Marketing Business

Entitled: “Help People Help People”

Benjie & Fely Santiago – International Marketing Group (IMG)

Ivy de la Cruz – USANA

Dr. Butch Mercado – Royale Club

Topic: Career

Entitled: “How to Grow a Superhero Career”

Benedict Hernandez – Accenture

  

Topic: Real Estate

Entitled: “Prospering through Properties”

Larry Gamboa – CEO, Think Rich Pinoy

Ronald Cagape – Real Estate Investor, Larry’s Partner

Maves Angeles – Real Estate Investor, Larry’s Partner

Topic: Career Shift to Entrepreneur

Entitled: “Your Job prepares you For Your Business”

Steve Tamayo – Tamayo Catering

Charlie Fernando – CliXLogic

Topic: Stock Market

Entitled: “Stocks Update Live with Edward Lee”

Edward Lee, Founder and CEO, COL Financial

Topic: Stock Market

Entitled: “How to Create Millions in the Stock Market using Strategic Averaging Method (SAM)”

Mike Vinas, Director, Stocks Update, COL Financial

The first day of Wealth Summit 2013 was really pumped out because of these superheroes. I have gained significant insights and their talks washed away my misconceptions and wrong thoughts about being an entrepreneur. To sum it up, these are the things that I liked on the first day of Wealth Summit 2013:

Venue

     Bo Sanchez (and the Mastermind Group) didn’t settle for less. PICC is nothing but second to none when it comes to the events and special gatherings. The proximity of the place to business districts, accessibility to attendees and facility itself make PICC the best place for gatherings and seminars.

Top Calibre

     Most of the Wealth Summit 2013 speakers are the REAL authority on their field though there are some newbies invited on the Q&A portion. As cynical as I am (before), I tend not to believe individuals giving a speech when they are just a newbie and pretending to be a guru not even showing their credentials on such claims.

Spiritual Intervention

     Just before the summit began, Mike Vinas popped out on the stage as the host and started the show with a series of praise songs and prayers. I really liked the idea of having the Lord in the event, that He is involved and not just people talking to people.

    The speakers as well were not just financially rich, but also SPIRITUALLY RICH! They all have the common denominator: placing GOD at the center of their businesses. Likewise, we ended the day with praise songs and prayers. As a result, I felt so blessed and happy though I was not close to God. Now I’m learning to love Him.

   Wealth Summit 2013 was truly a successful event and I strongly recommend this to all Filipinos. While I was in the course of listening to their speeches, a flash in my mind came.

    How good it is to see these people again on the next Wealth Summit. To double this number next year would be better too. Best is majority of Filipinos are financially educated and no one is complaining about their finances anymore.

So what do you think? Before we parted ways at the summit, we prayed to be more abundant for Wealth Summit 2014! See you again next year, Millionaire! 

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to receive my NEW posts.

Image by https://365daystohappinessproject.wordpress.com

Niyyah To Financial Wellness

FinancialLiteracyMonth.com's 30 Steps to Financial Wellness

Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. Indeed, Allah does what He intends.

22. Surat Al-Haj (The Pilgrimage; 14)

Getting started. It's the most difficult thing to do when finances lack an actual starting point. How do we actually go about on starting to manage our money? Is it after you get your paycheck or next Monday and so on? Before more question pops up, let's start by how we always start things.

Niyyah.

Our heart must be synchronized and commited to the actions that will be required upon us. FinancialLiteracyMonth.com have provided a 30 steps guide to move toward to financial wellness.Step 1 is taking the pledge:

Take the pledge

Willing, Ready, and Able to take financial responsibility.

Are you ready to accept responsibility for changing your financial situation?

Do you believe that you can and will change the way you make financial decisions?

Can you identify at least one benefit you hope to gain by changing your money management behavior?

If you consistently answered yes, pledge to continue on the path to financial wellness:

1. I will make informed financial decisions, understanding the difference between wants and needs.
2. I will communicate with my family about money matters so that we are all working toward the same goals.
3. I will be aware of the effects of advertising on the financial decisions I make, and resolve not to be influenced by them.
4. I will take care of my finances today by tracking expenses and creating a budget that is flexible and realistic.
5. I will take care of my finances tomorrow by saving for my future.
6. I will meet the credit obligations I have made on time and as agreed.
7. I will continue my personal education about financial health, budgeting, credit, and personal debt.
8. I will plan for periodic expenses, including the next holiday season.
9. By good example, I will teach my children the importance of budgeting, saving, and the wise use of credit.
10. If I am over-obligated, I will take the necessary steps to seek assistance.

- See more at FinancialLiteracyMonth.com. 

InshaAllah, the next 30 posts will be based on these 30 steps before the blog dissipates to many other topics of personal finance and also the book; Islamic Personal Finance, Grains of Wisdom on Prosperity from Al-Quran.