Dear Phoenix, It's 2012!

Dear Phoenix,

It's already 2012, almost your birthday!  :)

It has been an absolutely fulfilling 2011 for me and your Daddy. We have watched you grow up from this tiny baby who just squeals and cries when needed, to this tall, long-legged baby who now drools on everything, walks like she has no tomorrow and says "cat" even while looking at a dog.

You may have not noticed but there has been so much that happened last year. One was of course, you were born, then Mommy got assigned somewhere farther and left CIAD in good hands. Daddy also got a new job and I think is still enjoying it. :)  You now have more batchmates in church, you prefer Tita Brenda over the other people in the Nursery and your Tita Yanyan is already carrying your cousin even before your Tito Ken can open CupcaKen.

Your uncles and aunts are also doing better, even though Kaye is already spamming our FB accounts with her k-pop thingy. Kuya TJ now has a job, he doesn't want you calling him uncle, you know. Kuya Bryan gained more weight and is now back in Ipil, God knows why. Papa and Mamu, as they want to be called, are doing better also, they have been the most excited grandparents this Christmas since we went there for a vacation. (And they still despise your Daddy for printing "Lolo" and "Lola" on their shirts!)

You also met several ate's this year. One of which, the oldest, kinda pinched your arm and since then denied it. Two other ate's passed until you met your Ate Phebe, who is now taking care of you. You have been so behaved up until you discovered you can very well want something and cry if you can't get it. Ever since you wandered about the room and the sala and the kitchen of Papa and Mamu's house, you have been enjoying giving a full exercise to me, Mamu and now your Ate Phebe. You want to walk around too much, and sometimes even run (and crawl-run, if there's such a word!). You now almost always want to get out and look for cats, or dogs, roosters or chickens, and this was when you started saying "cat" and "dog", "shi-ehn" and "fin-esh". You learned to kiss your reflection when asked to "kiss Phoenix" but you won't kiss Mommy nor Daddy (which is frustrating by the way...) What else will you surprise us with, in the days to come? :)

So there, as I said, it was a lovely year, and hopefully, 2012 will be so much better!



Still waiting to hear you say our names,
Mommy and Daddy

OFW remittances at an all-time high: social remittances as new currency from Global Pinoys

Remittances from Filipinos working overseas are at an all-time high. And no, it’s not just because they’re sending back US dollars, Saudi Riyals, Euros or Japanese Yen; but because our modern-day heroes are sending back what’s known as social remittances.

Social remittances refer to ideas, practices, identities and social capital that flow from receiving to sending country communities. It was coined by sociologist Peggy Levitt in her book “The Transnational Villagers and she describes social remittances being transferred by migrants and refugees that are exchanged by letters or other forms of communication that includes phone, fax, the internet or video. She suggested that social remittance affects family relations, gender roles, class and race identity, as well as have a substantial impact on political, economic and religious participation.

This concept isn’t something new for the Philippines. In the 1800s, this was already seen through the newspaper La Solidaridad and the novels of Jose Rizal. Like them whose ideas paved . In the 21st century, blogging is the new form of social remittance of Filipinos working and living abroad. Through their blogs they are publishing their stories online to inspire others. They also advocate for causes, help others and muster support from their readers to help effect change in their own little ways.

With globalization, Filipino migrants are beginning to realize the power of harnessing the potential of social remittance. They may be students pursuing a higher education, a professional with a white-collar job or a migrant working as house help; but all of them have something in common: an economic goal and aspiration.

This year the Pinoy Expat/OFW Blog Awards or PEBA 2011 is geared to recognize the contributions of Filipino bloggers abroad. This year’s theme is dubbed as "Ako'y Magbabalik, Hatid Ko'y Pagbabago." (I Will Return, I Will Bring Change) as Balikbayans not only send back their monetary remittances; but social remittances as well.

For this year PEBA opens a new blog search called PEBA’s Any Blogger, Anywhere for all Filipino bloggers in various categories, at home or abroad. This year’s blog contest will look into narratives as to how returning Expats/OFW will make use and share their social remittance or their talents, skills and fortunes to bring change to their families, communities and country. Expats/OFW bloggers who will be joining the contest will be required to write a blog entry on the said theme. There is also an ongoing blog contest for OFW supporters.

For 2011, VIPinoy, a service and perks for overseas Filipinos and OFWs offered by Ayala Malls is the biggest sponsor of PEBA. Ayala Mall is providing Trinoma Activity Center as the venue for the awards nights on December 9, 2011 and Market Market as venue for its photo exhibit from December 9, 2011. PEBA is equally supported by one of its long time partner NOKIA and communication giant Globe Telecom.


PEBA will exclusively invite some 200 guests who can make their reservation and confirmation/RSVP of their attendance through VIPinoy Lounges in the different Ayala Malls and the awarding will be watched by a thousand or more and will be telecast live for OFWs to watch.

For more information regarding PEBA, please visit http://www.pinoyblogawards.com/.

Budgeting: Every Finance Manager's Headache

Every year-end, all companies do their budgeting for the coming year. This means, actual expenses as of the cut-off date are collated, evaluated and then a budget for the following year is drawn from the proposed projects and actual operating expenses as assessed previously.

It just so happened that our company first gives all department heads to "propose" their own budgets. But then, these are subject to checking and revising and correcting, of course, by the Corporate Officers, before it gets approved.

So how come I'm writing these down? Because I'm irked. Annoyed. Irritated. That some of the department heads think that once they have proposed something, it becomes law. Hello?! What's so hard to understand that we still have to go through the checking process and the approval? Our budget cannot be approved if it didn't pass the qualifications or limits set by the authorized "approvers" - who in this case is the Corporate Finance Officer. How come you all sound so irritated that your proposed budget went down? Tell me, would you rather have the same budget as last year because we didn't budge and accepted the limits set by Management? Or will you be willing to accept the new proposed budget and stop blaming me because the figures you're seeing now are significantly lower than what you proposed beforehand?

I know. It's law that everyone should hate the Finance Manager. But hey, is this YOUR money we're talking about? Isn't this the company's? Isn't this the owners' money you're planning to spend relentlessly?

Gimme a friggin' break...

I miss Blogging!

I do. I miss blogging. Not the deadlines or the research, but just jotting down, typing away... Just like that.. I kinda lost the touch after giving birth since my Phoenix is a handful, but I totally want to go back to blogging again. For one because it just loosens up my brain a bit just enough to get me going with my tasks again. Two, it kinda gives a little jiggle to my head just so the creative juices will keep on seeping through the tiny little cracks so I don't lose it at all.

Hmmm.

And I also miss the cha-ching I sometimes get from blogging. *smirk*


Don't mind me though. I'm just bored.

Finally.. Passed 1st Batch of Docs for the BIR Audit

Hoorah, we're being audited. Again. (Sarcasm intended)

Apparently BIR's targeting hotels for their 2010 audits and behold, we're a
hotel. *facepalm*

I thought what we first submitted to the boss had mistakes, but lo, there
were only interchanged columns in our excel file. Haha! But still, it had
to be corrected to be "correct".

Anyway, I'm way too sleepy, and our pc's mouse surrendered and wouldn't
move, so I'm ticking away using my mobile phone. And if you're reading
this, then blogging via email in Blogger still works. :)

Cheers!

Profit? or Loss?

Hmm, based on the impromptu calculations that were not the normal thingys asked for during these types of meetings, it's a BIG loss.


At least we profited in terms of calories. Thanks to F&B. Haha!

I think It's Gonna Rain..

(Taken at the South Road Properties)