LRT System reaches Bacoor in Cavite

MANILA, Philippines — With Metro Manila’s insufficient network of trains, the consortium of Ayala Corporation and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) brings good news to commuters: The construction of the P64.9-billion ($1.37-billion) Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT1) extension from Baclaran to Bacoor, Cavite will begin in June.

House and Lot for Sale

This was after the group of Ayala and MPIC – Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC) – on Friday, February 12, signed the P24-billion ($506.02-million) loan facility and the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreement for the LRT1 Cavite extension deal.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded the LRT1 Cavite extension project to the LRMC in September 2014.

"These milestone agreements give us significant headway towards the construction and commissioning of the much-awaited Cavite Extension which will benefit an additional 300,000 passengers from four big cities in southern Manila," LRMC president and CEO Jesus Francisco said.

LRMC signed the 15-year Omnibus Loan and Security Agreement with Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank), Security Bank Corporation and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), with P15.3 billion ($322.59-million) of the total loan amount allocated for the Cavite extension and P8.7 billion ($183.44-million) for the rehabilitation of the existing LRT1 system.

Stalled relocation of illegal settlers

But according to Francisco, unfinished right-of-way acquisition and stalled relocation of illegal settlers take a toll on the construction of the LRT1 Cavite extension.

"Our main concern is that there are still some ISFs – illegal settlers. But we got the report of the grantors that by April, they expect to do relocation of most of them, if not all of them," Francisco said.

As of today, the chief of LRMC said the government has delivered about 95% of the right-of-way acquisition.

IMUS HOUSE FOR SALE

"We think that the stations will come later, but first we have to start building the carriage way. April is when they said they would address the problems of the ISF. If they can really move, by June 1 we will be able to start," Francisco told reporters on the sidelines of a briefing in Makati City.

French firms as contractors

LRMC took on French companies Bouygues Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport Private Limited to help build the extension.

Francisco said that LRMC and contractors Bouyges Travaux Publics and Alstom Transport are set to commence the construction of the 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension once right of way is delivered by the DOTC and Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA).

The extension is targeted for completion in about 4 years after the delivery of right-of-way.

The 11.7-kilometer Cavite extension will link with the existing system immediately south of the Baclaran Station, and run in a generally southerly direction to Niog, Cavite.

Eight new stations will be provided with 3 intermodal facilities across Pasay City, Paranaque City, Las Pinas City and Cavite.

The new stations are Aseana, MIA, Asia World, Ninoy Aquino, Dr Santos, Las Piñas, Zapote and Niog. The intermodal facilities will be located at Dr Santos, Zapote, and Niog.

The commercial speed of the Cavite extension will be 60 kilometers per hour.

LRMC said the new stations will be accessible to and from nearby community facilities such as shops, schools, stadium, and park.

Bouygues Travaux Publics, which will provide the railway infrastructure, is known globally for complex projects involving tunnels, engineering structures and road, port and rail infrastructure.

Among its recent projects are the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, the Port of Miami Tunnel, and the Nîmes-Montpellier rail bypass in France.

Under the agreement, Alstom will provide system integration and project management; build a new train depot; extend the existing depot complete with track works; and establish a new power supply, catenary lines, and signaling and telecommunications system.

Alstom will also modernize the signaling system of the existing 20.7-kilometer line, which runs from Roosevelt Avenue in Quezon City to Baclaran.
Source: Rappler.com

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Put extra life to your cellphone with power bank

A power bank is essentially an external battery in a sealed case. Powerbanks come with a USB cable; you connect it to a power source such as a laptop to charge the powerbank. Some charge via flip out blades for plugging into the wall. Here are more information about this wonderful gadget;

1) What’s power bank?

Power bank serve as an ‘extra battery’ or external charger for your phone or other electronic devices.

2) Where is power bank made from?

Majority of the power banks in the market are actually made in China.

3) How do I charge the power bank?

You can charge your power bank via the charger that came with your phone, computer usb port or using other power bank

4) How long do I need to charge the power bank?

It’s depending on the REAL CAPACITY of the power bank. The larger REAL CAPACITY, the longer charging time may required. Different charging methods may result different charging time as well. Charging with the original charger will be faster than charging with computer usb port.

5) Why sometime I need longer time to charge the same power bank?

Even though using the same charging method, the charging time may be differ due to environment,temperature, power flow and etc

6) What is mAh?

mAh mean milli Ampere Hour, the capacity of the power bank is measure with mAh

7) A 12000mAh REAL CAPACITY power bank, able to charge a 1500mAh capacity phone for 8 times full?

This is a common mistake make by most of the people. For rough calculation of the total charge time, kindly use this formula

REAL CAPACITY * conversion rate * phone battery health / phone capacity = total charge times

EXAMPLE: 12000 x 0.8 x 0.8 / 1500 = 5.12 charge times (0.5-1 times plus minus)

8) What’s conversation rate?

Conversation rate is the remaining percentage of the battery after the battery lost in heat or PCB operation.

9) What’s phone battery health?

In simple, it’s mean how‘healthy’ your phone battery is. Phone battery storage capacity will be lower and lower. That’s also the reason why our phone can last longer when it’s newly bought than after 3-6 months we used it. Different mobile phone models also will affect the calculation as some phone drain battery faster than the other.

10) What’s PCB?

PCB means Printed Circuit Board,its control all the operation flow inside the power bank. A good quality PCB will allow the power bank to charge more and have better durability

11) What’s 18650 power bank and what’s Li-Polymer power bank?

The common type will be 18650 and a better type will be Li-Polymer

12) What’s the different between 18650 and Li-Polymer?

- 18650 size and dimension are fix. Li-Polymer size and dimension are flexible.

- 18650 produce more heat. Li-Polymer are much more safer

- 18650 are cheaper. Li-Polymer are more expensive

- 18650 have higher self discharge rate.Li-Polymer have a very low self discharge rate

- 18650 battery durability will drop faster.  Li-Polymer battery capacity are more durable

13) What’s the common mAh use in 18650?

Common mAh use in 18650 is around 1300mAh to 2200mAh.

14) What’s the common REAL CAPACITY in 18650 power bank in the market?

- Power bank using 1pcs 18650 is 1200mAh – 2600mAh

- Power bank using 2pcs 18650 is 2500mAh – 4400mAh

- Power bank using 3pcs 18650 is 3750mAh – 6600mAh

- Power bank using 4pcs 18650 is 5200mAh – 8800mAh

- Power bank using 5pcs 18650 is 6500mAh –11000mAh

- Power bank using 6pcs 18650 is 7800mAh –13200mAh

- Power bank using 7pcs 18650 (no info)

- Power bank using 8pcs 18650 is 10400mAh –14400mAh

15) Is there any power bank use higher than 2200mAh per 18650?

Yes. There are, but it’s not common due to the expensive pricing.

16) What’s the different between branded power bank and generic power bank?

Branded power bank mostly sell in REAL CAPACITY. Generic power bank mostly sell in MARKING CAPACITY. That’s the reason why you will never see any branded power bank (standard size) have anything as high as 30000mAh – 50000mAh. That’s also the reason why a good 12000-13000mAh power bank are able to charge more or about the same like the market 30000-50000mAh power bank

17)  Is it true branded power bank won’t explode and generic power bank will explode?

Anything to do with battery, will have chance to explode. No matter it’s branded power bank or generic power bank.But chances for both branded and generic power bank to explode are near to 0%.If power bank is easy to explode, everyone will use power bank in war instead of bomb.

Source: Styefree Asia fb.

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7 Tips for Homebuyer About Negotiation Strategy

Negotiation strategy is different from negotiation style. From pit bull to diplomat, each of us has a personal style. But the strategy for negotiating the purchase of a home is based on facts: the real estate market at the moment of your attempt to purchase, the seller's requirements and the property itself (condition, amenities and comparative value in relation to other sold or listed properties).

The best real estate agents have tremendous expertise when it comes to market value in particular areas. In many instances, the most experienced agents have seen just about all the homes that have come on the market over the years. They also work with other agents and speak the same language. For buyers, that is the primary reason to work with an agent: They have the information and background to engage knowledgably in what can be a very intense, fast process.

Now, does that mean you can't undertake your own negotiation? Absolutely not. In fact, many buyers do. It means:

• Doing intensive research about the market, the property you want to buy and the seller's situation.
• Figuring out an appropriate negotiating strategy and style based on that information.

1. Setting strategy

The local market's condition is the single-most important factor in negotiation strategy. And just like the weather, the landscape is a crazy quilt of micro-climates. Markets vary from place to place and neighborhood to neighborhood. The first thing you need to know is what kind of market you are in: a buyer's market; a seller's market, a balanced market or a market where red-hot bidding wars ensue.

2. Negotiating in a buyer's market

You have more leverage in a buyers' market than any other market type because there are more homes for sale than buyers to make offers. For sellers, especially those who have to move for whatever reason, this is the most nerve-wracking market. Properties take longer to sell, so sellers are less likely to allow potential buyers to slip their grasp. They may hate your demands, but they need to sell, so you can assume control of the negotiation.

3. Buyer's market strategy: Ask for the moon

• Negotiate the home price. Make an offer at least 10 percent under the price you want to end up paying.
• Ask for seller-financed closing costs and a closing time convenient for you.
• You want all the appliances and the entertainment center? Ask for them.
• You'd really like the gas grill and flower pots on the deck? Go for it.

Buyer's tip: You're most likely to win concessions and personal property in a buyers' market.

4. Negotiating in a seller's market

Pit bulls beware. In a sellers' market, buyers don't have much clout, and style matters. If the seller has a desirable home and doesn't like your offer, he won't invest time in negotiating with you. In a sellers' market, a good strategy is to make a straightforward, “clean” offer.

Buyers cannot procrastinate once they've found a home they want. Any agent worth his commission will urge you to make a quick decision, perhaps drawing up an offer the same day you tour the property.

5. Sellers’ market strategy: Keep it simple

• Getting pre-approved for a loan is an essential first step in any market.
• Offer the asking price or close to it.
• Ask only for the standard contingencies — financing, appraisal and inspection — to protect yourself.
• Expect the seller to set the closing date to his advantage.
• Don't expect to receive the personal property you want. (But if the seller is planning a garage sale, you may be able to work a deal ahead of time.)

Buyer's tip:Forget the wrangling and go for the house. You'll feel lucky to get it.

6. Negotiating in a balanced market

A balanced market feels less like a pressure cooker because there is a more equal supply of homes and buyers. Because neither side is feeling market urgency, personal priorities reign. Expect the back-and-forth counteroffer phase to take longer than it does in either a buyers' or sellers' market. After several rounds of paperwork, buyer and seller might agree to do a 50-50 split of their differences on price, terms and personal property.

7. Balanced market strategy: Split your differences

• Offer less than the asking price.
• Include the standard financing and inspection contingencies.
• Offer terms beneficial to you.
• Ask for whatever personal property you want

Buyer's tip: Both buyer and seller are likely to feel good about the transaction. They will each gain and give up something in the spirit of compromise during the negotiation.
Source: Zillow.com

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Five (5) Simple Tips to Get the Best Home for You

1. Buy a house priced no more than 2.5 times your annual salary. This is a realistic guideline to ensure that you are not overextending yourself on your mortgage. 

 

2. Buy a house in an excellent school district, even if you don't have children. This will increase your resale value, as many home buyers do have children. 

3. Before you buy, hire your own home inspector to detect any potential problems. This report could be a negotiating factor on the price of the house. 

4. Getting pre-approval on a mortgage will give you more negotiating power with the seller, as you are a "sure thing" and not a gamble. 

5. Get a realistic

view of the neighborhood before you buy. Drive from your potential home to work and shops during the appropriate times to evaluate traffic. 

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Tips About House Inspection

Owning a new home is quite a task. Countless brainstorming sessions, negotiations as well as disagreements may occur between couples from house search to house viewing to reserving a unit and ultimately inspecting if the unit adheres to house plan and delivered in excellent condition. Below are some specific tips about house inspection which is particularly important for first time homeowners.

EXTERIORS

Walls

Cracks, unevenness, or holes are symptoms of a house with a not quite sound foundation or worse, an insect or rodent infestation. If you’re noise-conscious, examine wall thickness as they indicate how solid the house is built. This applies especially for condos and apartments, where the common walls give a clue on their soundproofing capacity.

Roof

Admittedly, checking the roof for damage is not that easy, which precisely why it’s crucial not to overlook it as it can be easily missed from ground level. When inspecting a house, be sure to ask help for a roof inspection. Bring a camera and a ladder if you have to. If it’s a pre-owned home, ask the broker or previous owners it had leak problems due to poor roof installation, weathering, or other damage.

Elevation

Flooding is a common problem in our tropical climate. Make sure the home you’re eyeing to buy is elevated enough or located in a flood-free area. Check the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment Hazard) to see if your potential home location is in danger of flooding or in a flood-free area in the city.

Locks/Gates

Security and safety are big factors to keep in mind during home inspection. If you’re inspecting a house, be sure it has a gate and door locks that are hard to break into. With condos, lobbies with concierge, tight security, and CCTV cameras are preferable. Invest in and install a private home security system if you need to.

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INTERIORS

Indoor wiring can get pretty complicated. Be sure you have a professional electrician to help you out.

Electrical

Avoid the dangers of electrocution, electric shock or burn, and fire hazards due to faulty wiring, defective outlets, and poor circuitry design. Have a professional electrician test out outlets and identify electrical hazards.

Plumbing

Because the plumbing system is mostly unseen, plumbing problems can be like ghosts; you won’t notice them until something unpleasant or downright scary happens. Common issues to check are pipe leaks, clogged drains, and unnatural water pressure. A damaged plumbing system can turn the mundane task of flushing the toilet into a nightmare.

Flooring

Your new home flooring should be solid and durable. Inspect if the flooring sags, makes a lot of unnatural squeaky noises, or has uneven parts which can cause accidents. Flooring jobs can be hugely expensive, time-consuming, and of course, inconvenient.

Ventilation

Unless you want to live in an inferno or smell like your home-cooked meals, you’d also want to check the house ventilation system. A kitchen and dining area with windows or dedicated vents can defuse the buildup of gas, smoke, chemical contaminants, and prevent mold or bacterial growth that may cause health or comfort problems. In terms of energy efficiency, a house with good airflow distribution can reduce your Meralco bill.

Ideally, home inspection is a systematic and comprehensive examination of its features to identify and prevent hazards. Its findings can greatly help you determine if you’ll want to push through with the sale or not. In short, they can make or break a deal. You might have to do it more than once and it can get expensive if you’re consulting professionals. However, a thorough home inspection that saves you a lot of future horrors is well worth an investment.

SOURCE: Zipmatch.com

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Tips on How to Increase your House Resale Value

If you are looking for a business that earns big profits instantly, buying and selling house and lot is worth a try. I know some individuals who started to accumulate their fortune by doing this business that’s why it has been my dream to be involved in this business someday. Though it’s a very expensive business to start, having the right attitude, proper mindset and proper planning can still get the job done.

For House and Lot Videos, please go to https://www.youtube.com/user/Filprimehomes
For Home Choices: www.filprimehomes.com

So if you want to start to buy and sell house and lot in the Philippines, here are the things that you can do to increase the value of your property:

Basic Updates/Renovations

This is the most important upgrade to start with. Typically, as a buyer one of your main questions are the basic things like: Is the roof leaking? Does the house look good? Is it properly painted? Is the wood still sturdy enough? Does it need replacement? Are there termites that should be treated? Are the pipes in a good condition? Are the wiring still safe for use? We all know that buyers want a healthy, safe home that can be lived with the most minimal maintenance. Addressing these problems earlier, will help you increase or at least maintain your house’s value over time and save money.

Create Space

Houses with a wide open floor plan are attractive for buyers. Maximize the current space that you have to add additional space inside the house. If you have an attic, present it as an additional work area, study room, bed room, family room or even a library.

Also, under-utilized spaces like under stairways spaces can be converted into storage spaces for shoes, bags or even kitchen supplies.

Upgrade your Bathroom and Kitchen

In the US, almost all brokers agree that enhancing your kitchen and bathroom is good way of increasing your house’s value.

For the bathroom, replace old, dripping and rust faucets, clean the grout, change the seat cover, replace or repair the non-working flush, paint the cabinets and clean everything as if it would look as new as possible.

For the kitchen, repaint or re-varnish kitchen cabinets, clean or paint the walls, replace old faucets and make sure that the pipes do not have leaks.

Outdoor Upgrades

The façade of a house is the most important upgrade here. If you will put yourself on a buyer’s position, the front door or the façade is the first thing that you will notice. Before putting your house on sale, make sure that everything outside the house looks good and ready for selling. Make it look like that the house looks vibrant and inviting.

For a vibrant and inviting house, you can do the following:

Replace the front door if needed, if not repaint or re-varnish it. You can also consider repaint jobs on your front gate.

Make sure that the lights and door bell outside the house is working.

Invest on landscape. If you have a garden outside, make sure that the trees, plants, mini pond looks desirable.

Doing these things will greatly increase the appeal of your house to potential buyers. With a properly maintained house, everything will be in place. You will sell your house instantly at a high reasonable price.

Source: blogspot.com

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Donts for a New Home owner

If you’re new to homeownership, you’ll definitely want to avoid these easy-to-prevent mistakes that could cost you big time.

We know so well the thrill of owning your own house — but don’t let the excitement cause you to overlook the basics. We’ve gathered up a half dozen classic boo-boos new homeowners often commit — and give you some insight on why each is critically important to avoid.

1.  Not Knowing Where the Main Water Shutoff Valve Is

Water from a burst or broken plumbing pipe can spew dozens of gallons into your home’s interior in a matter of minutes, soaking everything in sight — including drywall, flooring, and valuables. In fact, water damage is one of the most common of all household insurance claims.

Quick-twitch reaction is needed to stave off a major bummer. Before disaster hits, find your water shutoff valve, which will be located where a water main enters your house. Make sure everyone knows where it’s located and how to close the valve. A little penetrating oil on the valve stem makes sure it’ll work when you need it to.

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2.  Not Getting Familiar with House Plan Before Digging a Hole

Ah, spring! You’re so ready to dig into your new yard and plant bushes and build that fence. But don’t — not until you know where your pipes and underground cables are placed.

3.  Not Checking the Slope of Foundation Soil

The ground around your foundation should slope away from your house at least 6 inches over 10 feet. Why? To make sure that water from rain doesn’t soak the soil around your foundation walls, building up pressure that can cause leaks and crack your foundation, leading to mega-expensive repairs.

This kind of water damage doesn’t happen overnight — it’s accumulative — so the sooner you get after it, the better (and smarter) you’ll be. While you’re at it, make sure downspouts extend at least 5 feet away from your house.


4.  Carelessly Drilling into Walls

Hanging shelves, closet systems, and artwork means drilling into your walls — but do you know what’s back there? Hidden inside your walls are plumbing pipes, ductwork, wires, and cables.

You can check for some stuff with a stud sensor — a battery-operated tool that detects changes in density to sniff out studs, cables, and ducts.

But stud sensors aren’t foolproof. Protect yourself by drilling only 1¼ inches deep max — enough to clear drywall and plaster but not deep enough to reach most wires and pipes.

Household wiring runs horizontally from outlet to outlet about 8 inches to 2 feet from the floor, so that’s a no-drill zone. Stay clear of vertical locations above and below wall switches — wiring runs along studs to reach switches.

5.  Cutting Down a Tree

The risk isn’t worth it. Even small trees can fall awkwardly, damaging your house, property, or your neighbor’s property. You have to obtain a permit first. Cutting down a tree is an art that’s best left to a professional tree service.

Plus, trees help preserve property values and provide shade that cuts energy bills. So think twice before going all out.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Real Estate Investments

Real estate is like gambling - It is suitable for almost everyone and everyone loves it. It gives a better living standard to some and on the other hand the risks take you on a roller coaster ride. It makes or ruins lives. People are skeptical about investing in real estate as they believe that investing in real estate is a sure shot recipe for disaster. But, after careful observation and learning about real estate investments, you might find quite the opposite.

There are both the possibilities with real estate and it depends on many factors. Let me discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this buisness which will give you a better ideas before investing your money.

The advantages of real estate are:-

1. Income stream: - The best way to earn quick money is investing in real estate .It is a secure path to choose which gives you huge benefits. Investment in real estate is good and rental property is in great demand, so through renting property, you can earn money in no time.

2. Secure: - It is very secure to choose real estate because real estate there are not many risks that one needs to handle - like in other businesses .No other business will give that much opportunity.

Investing in real estate is secure because the value does not tend to fluctuate as much as other assets such as stocks and bonds. However, this does not mean that the investor will always break even or earn a profit on their investment. But, the thing about real estate is that once you have a property in hand, you will not need to be worried that its value will change anytime soon.

3. Two ways to earn: - There are two tricks to earn in real estate. As a smart investor, you can own rental houses and rent them out. Then, hopefully you are collecting the differences in your rents and your expenses as profit.

In addition to profiting from renting out your properties, you are also benefiting from its gradual increase in value. So, it is a win-win situation for you at each level.

4. Real Estate Investments are Less Risky: - Without a doubt, real estate is less risky than other investments. Once, the investment done everyone have the fear of losing their money in other businesses. But, real estate investment is a one-time thing which will ensure results even after long periods of time. One just needs patience. Because, the longer you kept your property, the more you will get good amount of benefits and deals. Risk is there in every business. Real estate is less risky because you have to focus on smaller factors which are not at all risky.

The steps which must be follow before investing in real estate:-

Plan it out: - Everything with a plan will always give you a better ideas of benefits.

Suggestion:-Ask for suggestion from an experienced person in real estate investment.

Never hesitate:-Never hesitate to take chances and risk .Because real estate is a game of chances. If you hesitate to take chances you might lose the opportunity to earn big.

Expert advice: -There is always a need to take expert advice before taking any decision. It will always help you to take fast and beneficial decision.

VALUE:-You need to give value to your work money and time. Real estate is based on all of these three factors to get more benefits and earn a good amount of money.

Research:-Before selling or investing in real estate, it's a good idea to search online market about the best value of the place. Do your homework before investing in real estate.

The disadvantages of real estate are:-

Maintenance: - It requires time for maintenance, repair etc. if you have purchased a not so well piece of property. It always seems to be different than what you had planned.
Legal difficulties:-Investing in real estate is easy .But you need to be fully aware about the rules and regulations issued by the government of your country.

3. Property Taxes:-If you want to invest in real estate, taxes is going to be a headache to you. Because the taxes varies on rural and urban areas, it really effects your profit. So awareness about the taxes will be a real life saver.

4. Involvement of Time and money: - Real estate needs a big amount of money for investment and demands attention to property. It sometimes needs more efforts to sell a property with greater benefit. It needs TIME. Real estate Investment is easy to make, but for more benefits and better results it needs your patience. It is sometime costly to manage re-selling and owning a property.

Conclusion: -The only tough part in real estate is that it requires a huge investment of your time and money. Real estate is risky only if you neglect doing a little research on the official government rules and research on the value of your property.

If you want real benefits in real estate, you need to play the game. Every business is like gambling and there is fear of losing. But in this buisness that fear factor is next to nothing and benefits of it are really high. So, make the smart choice and invest in real estate TODAY!
Source: Sooperarticles.com

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Are you safe from possible big earthquake?

Now you can check for yourself whether your house, or planned house, lies along or near an active earthquake fault line in Metro Manila.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has made public updated and detailed maps that trace the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault traversing parts of Metro Manila and the adjoining provinces of Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite.

This active fault line system has the potential of generating up to a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that can devastate the capital and nearby provinces.

The product of two years of work by a small team of Phivolcs geologists, the 120-page book titled “Valley Fault System in Greater Metro Manila Areas Atlas” has a total of 33 maps for the 19 cities and municipalities transected by the fault line.

Phivolcs produced 22 map sheets for Metro Manila on a 1:5,000 map scale, 10 map sheets for Laguna and Cavite on a 1:10,000 scale and one map sheet for Bulacan and Rizal on a 1:50,000 scale.

The scale refers to the ratio between the distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. On a 1:5,000 map scale, 1 centimeter on the map equals 50 meters on the ground.

Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum Jr. said the agency updated the maps of the fault line because the last maps it issued for Metro Manila in 2000 provided only a bird’s eye view, with a 1:10,000 map scale, that most people found it hard to locate their homes relative to the fault line.

The new maps for Metro Manila have a 1:5,000 scale so they show the subdivisions and roads relative to the fault line and fissures.

“You can actually see the streets,” Solidum said during the official book launch on Monday.

Due to limited production, copies of the atlas would be given to affected local government units (LGUs) and state agencies but Solidum said the public can download the maps from their website www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph.

“You can use this if you want to know if you are near a fault. It’s good to have this data out to the public to let them know about (earthquake risks),” he said.

New fault traces

He said the new survey discovered new fault traces aside from those previously mapped.

Since there is no early warning when or where an earthquake occurs, Phivolcs has been calling for public preparedness through earthquake drills and contingency plans and checking the structural integrity of homes and buildings.

In the 2013 bulletin, Solidum said the projected risk analysis for a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Metro Manila and five Rizal provinces was 37,000 fatalities, 140,000 serious injuries and total economic loss of P2.5 trillion with 11 million square meters of floor area severely damaged.

A total of 8,200 people were killed in Nepal in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake on April 25 and a 7.3-magnitude on April 16, according to wire service reports.

Phivolcs geologists literally walked the danger zone to validate the fault traces, which could be as narrow as less than a foot wide to up to several feet wide.

However, the maps for Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan and Rizal were still of the bird’s eye view kind since the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority did not have detailed base maps for them.

As expected, Solidum said many areas along the fault line had already been settled.

Danger markers

He said it was the task of LGUs to inform the affected residents and not allow further property development in places at risk.

Phivolcs recommended that the area at least five meters from either side of the fault line should be cleared of any development.

But of the 19 concerned LGUs, only Quezon City, Pasig City and Makati City have coordinated with Phivolcs to put markers or signs along the fault line.

“We encourage local government units to put the markers,” Solidum said, adding it was not Phivolcs’ job to put these up.

“It’s very important for LGUs to make sure houses and buildings are not located on active faults,” he said.

He said the geologists found no major commercial sites, no high-rise buildings and condominiums or hospitals sitting on the fault line.

Parts of the South Luzon Expressway show fissures but the highway does not run along a fault line, he said.

Permits for developers

Fewer than 10 schools have been informed that they are in the danger zone, Solidum said.

“We told them they can use the buildings but they should not let their students use them. It’s up to DepEd (Department of Education) to check whether that’s followed,” he said.

Antonio Bernardo, chief executive officer of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, said the agency did not give permit to housing developers unless their project sites had been certified by Phivolcs to be far from the fault line.

But Solidum said Phivolcs could only check on the planned housing or business site if their developers apply for clearance. “If they don’t ask, we won’t be able to know about it,” he said.

“There should be someone (from the local government office) closely monitoring the actual construction,” he added.

The 100-km West Valley Fault traverses 18 cities and municipalities: Quezon City, Marikina City, Makati City, Pasig City, Taguig City and Muntinlupa City; Doña Remedios Trinidad and Norzagaray and San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan; Rodriguez municipality in Rizal; San Pedro City, Biñan City, Sta. Rosa City, Cabuyao City and Calamba City in Laguna; and Carmona, General Mariano Alvarez and Silang in Cavite.

The other segment of the Valley Fault System, the 10-kilometer East Valley Fault which can generate up to a 6.2-magnitude earthquake traverses Rodriguez and San Mateo in Rizal.

Phivolcs said in the last 1,400 years, the West Valley Fault had moved on an interval of every 400 to 600 years. The last earthquake in the area occurred in 1658, or 357 years ago.

Strongest earthquakes in PH recorded history

Name of earthquake———-Date  Magnitude

Panay Island —————Jan. 24, 1948     8.3

Southeast Mindanao———–April 14, 1924    8.3

Moro Gulf ———————–Aug. 15, 1918     8.1

Moro Gulf ——————–Aug. 17, 1976     7.9

Luzon Earthquake —————- July 16, 1990     7.9

Casiguran Earthquake ————Aug. 2, 1968      7.3

Bohol Earthquake—————–Oct. 15, 2013     7.2

Source: www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph

             http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/

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Manila, Philippines is the Place

Forget Singapore, forget Hong Kong. Manila is the best place to be an expat – and 12 expats will tell you why.

We’ve all heard that Manila has increasingly become a center of economic growth and foreign investments, and with great foreign investments come a great number of friendly neighborhood expats. In 2010, the NSO stated that almost 200,000 foreigners were living in the Philippines. Now I don’t know what the current number is, but based on observing the pedestrians of Makati for the past year, I would boldly say that 2 out of 20 pedestrians are probably not Filipino.

A lot of people might ask – why is Manila the best place to be an expat? There are so many opportunities for expats in the urban jungles of Singapore and Hong Kong. Well, we talked to some expats from the Netherlands, from America and even all the way from Colombia who all settled down in the Philippines once they saw the great opportunities here. After reading what they say below, you might be asking yourself – why not Manila?

Jacqueline Van den Ende, Managing Director of Lamudi Philippines

Van den Ende, from the Netherlands, arrived in the Philippines in 2013 as the managing director of Rocket Internet’s Lamudi, their online real estate marketplace. Since she’s arrived, she can’t imagine being anywhere else. She often travels around the Philippines and goes surfing for weekend escapes, but loves living in the cosmopolitan city of Manila.

“Manila is a great destination for expatriate employees,” she said. “Cost of living here is not very expensive unlike Hongkong and Singapore, though the city provides a quality of life that’s comparable to Bangkok or Jakarta.”

Van den Ende believes that one of the best attributes of Manila is its openness to different cultures as well. “It will be easy for expats from all types of backgrounds to settle in Metro Manila. Filipinos are world renowned for their hospitality and their friendliness is definitely unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”

Mauro Cocchieri, Managing Director of foodpanda Philippines

Cocchieri comes from Italy, a country known for its great cuisine and accommodating people.He worked at Lazada before becoming the managing director of foodpanda, an online food delivery platform.

Despite his country’s solid culinary reputation, he claims that the Philippines has amazing food and amazing company which goes hand in hand. “The people are very accommodating and they go out of their way to help you. The food, hands down, is one of the best I’ve had.”

Cocchieri, however, cannot help but crave for some homegrown Italian food from time to time. When asked if he often orders through foodpanda he said, “Of course! With my busy schedule, it always pays to have an alternative.”

David Margendorff, Co-Founder & Chairman, PawnHero Philippines

Our third European on the list, Margendorff hails from Germany.

He praises Filipinos for their fun culture and hospitality, but emphasizes that Filipinos are some of the most ambitious and talented professionals he’s ever met. Margendorff is starting PawnHero this year, and he’s chosen Manila as the first city to launch it in. He is currently working with a local team.

PawnHero will be the first online pawnshop in Southeast Asia. Margendorff promises to give Filipinos a cheaper alternative to existing pawnshops which charge extremely high interest rates. “We want to solve the problem of expensive credit for consumers who might not be able to afford it,” he says.

Margendorff has lived in 7 countries for the past 6 years, but he eventually chose to settle in the Philippines. He plans to stay here long-term, mainly because he can see how much impact he can create through PawnHero.

Jimmy Cassells, CEO of Spiralytics

Cassells is from the United States. He’s been in the Philippines since 2005, and he is one of the minds behind the quick growth and expansion of online fashion marketplace Zalora. 2 years ago, he started his own company called Spiralytics, which provides a range of services in digital marketing to some of the biggest brands in the Philippines.

“I love the Philippines!” Cassells begins, “People are so warm, embracing, endearing, and the culture here is wonderful. At work, the team becomes good friends with each other. Everyone definitely feels like they’re part of the ‘barkada.’”

Cassells also exclaims that the tech community here in Manila is exploding with brilliant startup minds. He continues by saying that not all startups are destined for success, but when startups fail, there is still a very low cost of failure when you start in the Philippines. He states, “Failure in the US often means millions of dollars. Here, you can cut that by a factor of 10.”

He also loves the nightlife, the weather, and the beautiful beaches and unlimited dive spots of the Philippines. His favorites include the Tubbataha marine sanctuary, Malapascua for thresher sharks, and Coron for the sunken Japanese WWII warships.

When asked if there was anything else, he said, “Yes! Four months of Christmas which leads up to one of the most amazing fireworks displays in the world. It’s more fun in the Philippines!”

Ezra Ferraz, Chief Content Officer at Zipmatch.com

Of Filipino heritage, Ferraz taught writing for three years at the University of Southern California and grew up in the US. He moved to the Philippines not very long ago, and writes for Rappler. He currently works at Zipmatch, another online real estate marketplace. He’s interviewed almost every Filipino entrepreneur you can think of, including Erwan Heussaff, and he believes that the Philippines is definitely a great place to pursue business.

Ferraz explains that the entrepreneurial sector in the Philippines is still a small community. “It’s much easier to meet the entrepreneurs changing X industry or Y space because there are relatively few of them, compared to what you might find in another city of similar size.”

“You are never really more than one or two degrees away from someone you’d like to meet,” he adds, “And due to the overwhelmingly friendly culture of the Philippines, other entrepreneurs generally welcome you with open arms.”

Farouk Meralli, CEO of mClinica

Farouk Meralli is a 28-year-old Harvard School of Public Health graduate who worked in strategy and management for major pharmaceutical companies Roche, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer before finally becoming an entrepreneur. He founded mClinica, the largest pharmacy network in the country with a growing network of over 1,400 pharmacies and access to over 20 million customers.

He chose the Philippines as their launch market for mClinica because it provides an interesting test environment for creating truly global products. “The Philippines represents a fascinating intersection between the East and the West. Due to its cultural and political history, one can identify behavioural norms and practices that fit both Eastern and Western paradigm,” he said.

After launching in the Philippines, mClinica is expanding to several emerging markets after leveraging on their experiences in the country. Meralli insists that while he is based in their Singapore headquarters and travelled in many Asian markets, the Philippines is undoubtedly his favorite. To him, it represents the best of both worlds.

Robin Leonard, CEO and Co-Founder of AllFamous Digital

Five years ago, Robin Leonard moved from New Zealand to the Philippines to start working at IBM before finally starting his own company, AllFamous Digital.

Leonard told us that coming here alone was no problem and not difficult. “Within weeks I had a big group of Filipino and foreigner friends and colleagues that were very welcoming. Culture at work is very family oriented.”

Working culture in the Philippines is not what Leonard is used to back home – and he means this positively.

“Getting people onboard requires one on one lobbying, not big meetings. Laughter is commonplace and gangs or “barkadas” form between staff, often resulting in life-long friendships, which is a good thing. As a foreigner you need to accept that you will sing karaoke, and over time you will learn to give it your all when Hotel California plays.”

According to Leonard, the Philippines also serves as a great place to work because business is done in English. However, he admits that he’s earned a couple of ‘brownie points’ with Filipinos by learning a few keywords in Tagalog.

“It often creates a giggle or surprise if you drop a Tagalog word here and there,” he adds.

Leonard leaves us with a couple of wise words for future expats who want to start their business here: “Crack the big city lifestyle of Manila and you’ll find that it is a gold mine of opportunity, especially for the “expatrepreneur.”

Joost Boer, VP of Operations at Gourmet Society Philippines

Joost Boer comes from the Netherlands, a country known for its liberal capital Amsterdam, but also widely renowned for its cold, rainy weather throughout the year. After arriving in the Philippines, where there is year-round sunshine, warm people, and a stunning array of islands according to Boer, it’s no wonder that he immediately considered establishing himself here long-term.

“You’ll find no country in Southeast Asia where the culture is so welcoming towards foreigners and where the level of English is this well-developed. From a more business-centric perspective, this has a profound impact on the ease of communication with your co-workers as well as on conducting business development,” he adds.

He continues by praising the business outlook and directional perspective of the Philippines. “Here, you’ll find yourself on an upward curve, and the overall levels of optimism are high. This is a far-cry from life in Europe, where the outlook on life over the years has more and more slanted towards pessimism.

Boer concluded by saying that he strongly recommends his fellow foreigners to consider making the move to the Philippines as well.

Daniel Torres, Managing Director of Easy Taxi Philippines

Daniel Torres comes from the exciting Latin American city of Bogota in Colombia. He’s been here in the Philippines for a little over a year and he says that Filipinos have been very welcoming since his first day.

“I’ve been amazed and pleasantly surprised by the warmth and helpfulness of Filipinos. Metro Manila has so much to offer in terms of food, cultural diversity and affordable yet high quality living. You’ll always find something new, which makes it a fun city to explore and rediscover.”

Torres also adds that there are a lot of nearby getaways like Puerto Galera, Tagaytay and Sagada, which easily gives people the opportunity to take a break from the fast paced metropolitan.

As the managing director of Rocket Internet’s Easy Taxi Philippines, Torres is happy to contribute to make a better Manila, by improving its transportation system, reducing traffic, and make it safer for everyone.

Henry Keppler, Managing Director of Kaymu Philippines

Henry Keppler is also from Germany, and he just arrived in Manila a week ago. Although he’s been here very briefly, he already feels that Manila has huge potential for fast growth. Kaymu, launching soon, is another Rocket Internet venture.

Keppler felt the trademark Filipino hospitality. “I immediately felt connected to locals. Their genuine openness and interest in what I do and why I’m here pleasantly surprised me. Compared to other Asian countries, they are very open!”

Launching new ventures may be difficult to do in a new country, especially when it is critical to have low resistance from potential customers. Keppler feels that Filipinos are willing to try out new products, and he is definitely excited to learn more about the city and its different characteristics.

Dip Ghuman, CEO of Near

Dip Ghuman worked at Google and Lonely Planet before joining the entrepreneur world. He believes the Philippines market is a sleeper – slowly building steam, quietly, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting world economy.

“With the world so focused on Silicon Valley, China, Japan, Europe, etc – no one is looking at the Philippines. Here’s why they should,” he begins.

According to Ghuman, one of the first things that caught his attention about the Filipino market was that 60% of the population in the Philippines is younger than 20 and that was coupled with GDP growth of 6%+ YoY. Because of these facts, he views the Philippines as a representation of the next financial boom in Asia.

“There is a growing Westernized middle class who speaks perfect English, and this makes the country an ideal springboard to launch your business in Asia. Barring corruption, the Philippines has a small window of opportunity to return the country to its pre-World War 2 status as the ‘Pearl of the Orient,’” Ghuman adds.

Ghuman says that he’s started two businesses within two years, the latter of which is launching in March 2015 in Manila. “I got on that plane a year and a half ago to start my California wine business, but now I’m focusing on a new hyperlocal mobile messaging app, Near.”

Ghuman concludes, “Manila is the social media and selfie capital of the world – there is nowhere better for me to be than right here, right now.”

Bryce Maddock, CEO of TaskUs

Bryce Maddock arrived in Manila in 2009 from the United States. He had just started TaskUs and was determined to connect rapidly growing American startups with incredible talent at prices that would enable them to scale. He found what he was looking for in the Philippines.

“When we just started TaskUs, I wouldn’t have been able to find the Philippines on a map if you asked me. We went on a search for affordable talent to support our friends’ startups. We hired people in 16 different countries, but were consistently impressed by the results and work that Filipinos were delivering. We were so impressed, that we opened our first office here, in Bacoor, Cavite and have not looked back since.”

Today, Maddock has 1,600 employees and counting. TaskUs is the secret behind the rapidly growing customer support and back office operations for startups like Tinder and HotelTonight.

“Almost all of today’s most successful startups depend on the talent that exists in the Philippines. Simply put, it’s the people. The people of the Philippines are some of the kindest and most talented people on the planet. Historically, the country exported its people as OFWs. But today a homecoming is happening,” says Maddock. “The next decade is going to be very exciting as talent repatriates and reinvests in the country.”

It’s time for the balikbayan to come back for good.

One of the Philippines’ biggest exports is its own people. Everyone was leaving to work abroad because they believed there was no opportunity for them here. All that amazing talent went into making prosperous countries even more prosperous.

Today, we should acknowledge that that is no longer true. The best opportunities for business are here in the Philippines. Foreigners are flocking here to start their businesses in the perfect Asian beta market. They happily leave their first world countries for what the Philippines has to offer.

We, as Filipinos, should all find it in ourselves to see the beauty of our country the way they do; to finally discover the diamonds that have been waiting to be found for decades.

SOURCE: https://www.kalibrr.com/advice/2015/02/why-manila-is-the-best-place-to-be-an-expat/

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