Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Top 5 Ways to Make Use of Your 13th Month and Christmas Bonus

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Most companies nowadays add Christmas Bonus on top of the mandatory 13th month pay to show appreciationfor their employees.It’s only a few days until you get your hands on the most coveted company benefit, and here are the ways you can maximize your hard-earned money.

1. Apply the 70/30 Budget Plan

By now you may already have plans in spending your bonus.To maximize your money, it’s always best to set up a budget plan. This budgeting ratio is very effectiveif followed correctly.

The 30% of your bonus may be dividedas shown below:

10% should go to paying yourself first. Add this amount to your savings. You know how much you can afford to save and the expenses you need to prioritize. A little goes a long way as long as you set aside something for your savings.

20% should go to giving yourself a well-deserved treat and/or Christmas gifts for your loved ones.

The 70% of your bonus should go to your personal expenses such as rent, gas, loans, and utility bills. These might cause a setback in your finances if neglected, so your diligence in following the 70/30 budget plan is important.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Another cool way to tour around the Philippines is via the AAP-Petron Drive Tour Caravan. This shows how possible it is to bring your own vehicle and take it along with you on the trip. In our case, we were around 15 vehicles in a seemingly VIP convoy escorted by policemen and with an ambulance ready to serve us just in case we encounter an accident or any of the participants needed immediate first aid.

AAP is the Automobile Association Philippines who partnered with Petron to provide a "drive-tour caravan" experience to interested participants who would like to see the Philippines through their unique way. They've been doing this for a few years already and now they've introduced a tour around Cavite. With coordination from the local government units and tourism offices of the province, the "drive-tour caravan" takes you on a delightful journey of selected stops at different tourist destinations to also promote the province and cities included in the itinerary.

I was invited to join the two-day "drive-tour caravan" through a media friend whom I met at a previous Department of Tourism event at La Union. This is actually the second time he recommended me to the organizers starting off with the Oriental Mindoro for the very first MIMAROPA Festival held in Calapan, now he again said good words about me for the AAP-Petron Cavite Drive-Tour Caravan held on November 28 to 29, 2015.

Overwhelmed at how my friend believes in my capacity, I am somewhat challenged to do more than my very best so I can fully show the organizers that I am indeed rightful to be part of the event.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The year 2015 was an eventful one for Philippine real estate. It was a roller-coaster ride that coursed through both news of optimistic growth, and the not-so-positive issues that affected everyone involved in the real estate business. Either way, these happenings helped shape the local real estate scene to what it is now, and could give us an indication of what’s in store for 2016. To refresh your memory, MyProperty.ph offers a look back at 10 of the biggest real estate-related news of the year.

A way to monitor real estate prices. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is preparing to launch a residential real estate price index (RRPI) that aims to track property prices in Metro Manila, as well as nearby provinces. According to the BSP, the RRPI, which will include information on costs of construction materials and types of houses being built, will help determine the formation of a housing bubble so that preventive actions can be taken.

Rise of the townships. The year 2015 saw the rise of townships all over the country by different property giants. Megaworld Corp. alone launched five townships this year: Sta. Barbara Heights (Sta. Barbara, Iloilo), The Upper East and Northill Gateway (both in Bacolod, Negros Occidental), Westside City (Bay City, Parañaque), and a still-unnamed township in San Fernando, Pampanga. Ayala Land added two townships to their growing portfolio: Cloverleaf in Balintawak, Quezon City; and Capitol Central in Bacolod. Meanwhile, Vista Land and Lifescapes, Inc. is ramping up the development of Vista City, a 1,500-hectare “communicity” located at the boundaries of Cavite, Laguna, Las Piñas and Muntinlupa; and SM Prime is continuing to expand the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay.