Side Topic: Jeremiah 29:11-13

Just a little side topic. This is more of a reminder for myself but please feel free to be inspired by this Bible quote.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

Chinabank Time Deposit Rates (Nov. 10)

As of Nov. 10, 2009, here are the time deposit rates of Chinabank.

Enervon Prime, Jollibee help families make more memories

Families now have more reasons to continue making memorable moments together, even with their older folks. With the new partnership between Enervon Prime and Jollibee, food-loving Pinoys don’t just reinforce past memories, but they get the chance to make new ones as well.

Enervon Prime, the nutritional drink for older adults, and Jollibee team up for a promo that aims to further strengthen the bond of today’s Filipino families.

The “Jolly Memories” promo rewards customers with free Jollibee meals for every purchase of Enervon Prime. The effort is driven by the shared commitment of Enervon Prime and Jollibee in championing the importance of having a sharp mind and a healthy body in making more memories with the family.

Unilab Nutritionals Marketing and Operations Director Brenda Miranda stressed the importance of staying healthy and strengthening the family unit. “This is a perfect partnership since Jollibee and Enervon Prime share the same ideals,” she said. “And what’s great is that the promo helps families keep their minds sharp and make more memories as they spend more time together when they visit Jollibee.”

From Oct. 15 to Dec. 15, 2009, one can get free Jollibee treats simply by purchasing Enervon Prime in any SM Supermarket, SM Hypermart, Savemore, Robinsons Supermarket and Mercury Drugstore. Just present the proof of purchase to any Jollibee store nationwide and you can instantly avail of the following treats: Peach Mango Pie for every Enervon Prime 200g, one-piece Burger Steak with rice for every Enervon Prime 400g pack, and a one-piece Chickenjoy meal for every Enervon Prime 1kg. Consumers can claim their free Jollibee meals until Feb. 15, 2010.

BPI offers new Real Thrills Promo

Last August, BPI kicked off its Real Thrills Promo in partnership with Chowking (see story). Real Thrills is back, this time, in partnership with Jollibee.

The idea is still the same. You earn one point for every payment you make via Express Online or Express Phone. With just a minimum of seven points, you can redeem one Jollibee Spaghetti. For 14 points, you get a two-piece Jollibee Burger Steak. For 21 points, you get a two-piece Jollibee Chicken Joy.

If you have registered before in the Real Thrills Page, there’s no need to register again. Just log in and read the mechanics and FAQs.

The promo period runs from Nov. 3, 2009 to Feb. 3, 2010. Redemption period is from Nov. 3, 2009 to April 4, 2010.

I just have one concern, though. I still have a few points left from the Real Thrills-Chowking promo. Is it possible to use those points in the Jollibee promo?

You have an emergency fund. Now what?

I’ve always been an advocate of having an emergency fund. In my previous blog entries, I recommend that you should have at least eight months’ to one-year worth of emergency fund (see story).

But what if you have already completed your emergency fund? What if you have managed to amass one-year worth of EF? What now?

First of all, congratulations! This is a great way to start your pursuit of financial independence.

Now that you have your emergency fund, make sure you keep this safe and sound. Place it in a time deposit that gives you a pretty good interest rate.

Any money that comes in now can be placed in other investment instruments or earmarked for other goals. If you’re planning to buy a new house, then you can start saving up for the 20% down payment. You can also start investing in mutual funds or bonds. You can also get additional insurance for you if you have dependents. Basically, the coast is clear for any investment you may want to take.

Press Release: BPI rewards contest winners

The Bank of the Philippine Islands’ Expect More Digital Contest honored the creativity and humor of youth in line with BPI’s Expect More Freedom Campaign for their 24/7 Banking Services.

The campaign aims to tap the youth segment by going through a medium that they are most at ease with. The top 10 most viewed videos were chosen as finalists and judged according to creativity, originality, and conformity to the theme.

BPI awarded the most popular video to “Agent BPI” by Mark Andrew Margallo who received a plaque and a cash prize of P5,000. Second place was bagged by the video “Free time is freedom” by “Radical Ray” Mercado who received a plaque plus a brand new Sony Cybershot.

First prize winners Paolo Reyes and John James Sampson are flanked by BPI President & CEO Aurelio Montinola III and BPI SVP Tessie Tan.

The first place went to the video “Things to do on a free day” by Paulo Reyes and John James Sampan.  Their video featured the idea of freedom that showed all the fun things a person could do given the time and opportunity. They received a plaque and a new Sony Vaio Laptop.   The winning videos are posted in www.expectmorefreedom.ph.

Lessons from Ondoy and Pepeng

A few weeks have passed ever since tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon Pepeng hit the country, causing massive damage to many Filipinos. Until now, many are still trying to recover from the magnitude of the damage.

Allow me to provide some perspective. Aside from the environmental lessons, there are financial lessons, as well.

I know a very devastated husband (not mine) who lost his entire FHM Philippines collection. He diligently collected every issue from day 1 and it was all swept away by the flood.

Another husband’s comic collection was also badly damaged. His wife narrated that her husband started his comic collection ever since he was young. When the flood reached their home, they weren’t able to save anything. All was left was the loose pages from the collection.

Other stories I heard include the rock-bottom prices of houses in subdivisions that were badly hit by Ondoy like Provident Village. It seems that in their desperate attempt to just get rid of their houses and to start moving forward, many homeowners are dropping the prices so low. One is even offering her two-storey house for just P1 million.

What is the take-away from all these?

I believe that calamities like these are a wake-up call from God to focus on the more important things like your loved-ones and your own lives. Maybe we have spent way too much time and money in shallow things like collections, a grand home, etc. when we could have pursued more important things. Sure, we all want to live a comfortable life but we also have to realize that these material things should be balanced with spending more time with our family and loved-ones.

I feel so sorry for those collections and houses damaged by the storms. I have my own Archie comics and snowglobe collections and I would probably be just as devastated. But the storms also serve as a wake-up call to me to focus on the more important things in life.