Having the Joyride on Two Wheels: A Reminder for Motorcycling Public.

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Have you ridden a motorcycle before? We know for a fact that riding a motorcycle is pleasurable and fun. It felt like having your wings and flying away. In my experience, it is the freedom that makes it thrilling for riders alike. It can maneuver on congested streets and heavy traffic. It can be used for sports and even travel / adventure or cruising on an out of town ride.

The motorcyclists are common sight in the urban or rural areas around the Philippines. Even in other Asian countries like India, Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Thailand were the number of motorcycles outnumbered cars and trucks. Motorcycles have become the mode of transport of the masses. This is second only to the passenger jeepney which is still the “King of the Philippine Road” here in our country. In terms of frugality, motorcycles are very economical with fuel prices skyrocketing weekly in which fuel expenses can be used for a week at most. Motorcycles Loans are available in the market through commercial and other financial institutions. Repairing and upgrading costs is lower compared to a car or an SUV.

The Cost of Getting Sick

By: Benedict F. Baluyut, RMT, RFP, REB

From: Freedigitalphotos.net

“BAWAL MAGKASAKIT (DON’T GET SICK)” - This is a popularized  Filipino tagline or slogan I remember from the old TV commercials and print advertisements that were used by ad agency for a top multinational pharmaceutical company a few years ago. It speaks direct to the consumers of this product and did bring attention to the viewing public or target consumers of this popular multivitamin food supplements.

With the rapid advances and changes in Medicine and Allied Healthcare, Life expectancy has tremendously improved with people living to 100 years or more around the world and Filipinos on average have a life expectancy estimated at 71.94 years for both male and female elderly population.      

Healthcare Costs are Rising

In a 2011 study conducted by the World Health Organization, stated that almost 250,000 Filipinos families are struggling financially in terms of paying for medical treatments and health services plus the inaccessibility of health care due to high cost of this affects the people’s livelihood. Current Inflation also played an integral part in the financial hardships at an average of 4% to 5% level and so healthcare costs continue to rise. For them, paying for these services are burdensome as it ruins the financial capabilities with more debt piling up could lead to bankruptcy. The Republic Act 9502 or "Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008 have been placed in order to grant access to essential medicines especially for the Filipinos and the poor folks but it was not properly implemented.

13 WAYS TO JUMPSTART YOUR PERSONAL FINANCE THIS 2013.

By: Benedict F. Baluyut, RMT, REB, RFP

Holidays are over and we have moved forward to this year with high hopes and positive outlook. The past year has shared a lot of events from positive economic reports, increase business activities, there have been negative news from disasters and catastrophes that happened either natural or manmade during the latter part of 2012 in our country including the rumored Doomsday Prophecies of December 22, 2012 according to Ancient Mayan Calendar prediction which made world headlines a few days before the holiday season.

The spending during the past season had piled up and it did does not justify the expenses we incurred during the festive season for our friends, loved ones and colleagues so we better shape up or ship out in our finances.

Many superstitious people believe that the number 13 is an unlucky number but there is no reasonable explanation why we should have phobia on this because it is just a number? Still the destiny still rest in our hands.

This 2013 there are thirteen 13 ways to help uplift your spirits that could serve the purpose controlling the cash flow, let me share them to you.

Losing weight and being happy

SUMMERTIME is here. With a lot of people looking and finding ways to look better and make  themselves fit into their summer beach outfits and having their skin tanned a little  but then of course people tend to be conscious of their bodies. I am not spared of this even if I carry some excess pounds on my body I am still hopeful of losing anyways and being in my top form a few years ago.

I was 186 lbs and losing the extra weight was a big problem for me. It became a constant battle of keeping myself healthy and active because the current lifestyle I had that can affect my health in general. I never thought that I would still lose this extra pounds and flabs due to the fact that I became accustomed with the sedentary lifestyle I had for the past few years since—not grasping a single sports after college, eating too much junk and fast foods plus not doing enough physical activities except for some badminton games with my younger sister during free time but was to lazy with it.

I just felt sorry for myself of neglecting my physical well-being and being swamped with work plus becoming a total couch potato and watch TV all day or sit in front of a PC playing Facebook Game applications or chatting with friends. But all is not loss at all if I wanted to regain my old self again.

The badminton game and once in a blue moon jogging back in 2011 was not enough for me because I made it a mission to finish the combat and try to reach my goal of 160 lbs or roughly 73 kilogram (target weight) in the coming months up to December of this year. It was tough decision for me, but if I put my mind into focus I could surely achieve it. 

My first run for 2012: 3rd Animo Clark LaSalle Run

Photo from Life123.com

 I got excited to wake up early one Sunday morning and smell the dew on the pitch at Clark Freeport - CDC offices where the beginning of the 3rd Clark Animo Run organized by De La Salle Alumni Association of Pampanga last 11th of March 2012. This will be my first time again to run for more than 3 years of being busy with work and other activities related to career building.

 Running became a part of my training regimen when we were younger. We were required to run from post to post during soccer / football days or run indoor on basketball court in barefoot during my Taekwondo years or just warm up with the rest of the guys during a one day recreational basketball game with friends and sometime do short distance sprints on table tennis practice. It increases your endurance and agility to the maximum level keeping your fitness level high. 

Lost sense of being in top shape after not qualifying for a possible varsity spot with the school I was enrolled in back in college plus being in constant danger of loosing my academics during college with other priorities from studying and other extra-curricular activities.

Back then in my teen years:

To tell you, I was a former athlete in my younger years. Sports became a part of my life since early years of my education. I got into tremendous competitive edge type of activities that my dad and mom sometimes are irritated when I got back from home smelling like being burned from the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays making me darker complexion even today after a football match with some old colleagues from my high school days.

Unhealthy Lifestyle and getting sick:

Back in 2009, I was always tremendously getting sick with some lifestyle disease that got me afflicted since I was 19 years old. It is hyperuricemia (High blood uric acid). I got to drink some pills then and have to watch my diet and also exercised a lot in order to lose weight and at the same lessen the intake of food with high purine content but after battling this out I was diagnosed with another disease, Gastroesophageal Acid Reflux (GERD) or Acid Reflux for short came about it June 2010 when I was doing my speaking engagement in Caloocan City with RFP Philippines.

It was a painful experience of being in constant pain in your stomach and the same time in your throat and esophagus area coughing like there is no tomorrow. It had served as a wake up call for me to find a solution on this health problems I have encountered recently.

At present and today:
 
I spend my time wasting my body with physical activities such as sports in order to sweat it out and joined running competitions as well in 2.5 to 3 kilometer runs as a baby step of not jeopardizing my untrained body for the this event feeling the self-fulfillment of finishing the race even if you are not on top runners list but it was a worthwhile experience in participating in such event as this for a cause. I finished the course in 38 minutes which good for me anyways. Looking forward in making it to a 5 kilometer soon.

Copyright 2011 - 2012. PinoyMoneyVantage| Personal Finance Help Philippines

Exploring the world of Sports in Badminton.

Photo courtesy of sportsmanila.com

I have a confession to make. 

To tell you the truth I haven't  been really active with ball game related sports for the past few year after having a long hiatus with sports related activities due to injuries and sedentary lifestyle although I do take time to walk or run a few laps in a jogging trail it seems work  has taken toll on my physical well-being.

Other extracurricular activities for the past few years that I am not engage with are Soccer / Football or even Basketball. Feeling the wear of being an old fellow and getting heavy with my weight that kept me from playing this sports.

Inspired to make an active lifestyle again, I was invited by my younger sister to join her to play badminton the other time and it really felt good because I really perspired a lot after the game and felt rejuvenated with that concept of keeping myself fit again and feeling happy and not stressed from work lately.

A 2 year old boy addicted to nicotine | Madness

I was alarmed in seeing this video even if it was kind of amusing and cute but somehow it hit me that this is very wrong. A two year old boy such as this has weak immune system and his father was very wrong about this on teaching his wrong habits. Ardi Rizal smokes 40 sticks a day and cannot stop puffing, if he does then he will surely get tantrums that are not very normal for kids his age like getting sick, bang his head or what.

I have seen some similar cases of these happening around our community. Back in college, I used to live within the vicinity of the U-Belt area, I chanced upon this four year old girl who was smoking a cigarette for her mother's need. The store owner was alarmed and the whole community within that block frowned upon her mother who was despised by many for lacking the sense of responsibilities being a parent on her child by asking her child to light up the cigarettes even if their home was stone throw away. This also goes to people living in the slum wherein their children are already smoking in tender early ages.

It will have a lasting consequences if this child will not stop and keep the habit. A child's health is fragile even this gets worst and will deteriorate into problems in adulthood such as cardiovascular diseases which comprise of 27% in the mortality of Filipinos according to the study conducted by World Health Organization in 2002 (see downloadable file).

Well, we cannot totally ban cigarettes here in the Philippines but we increase more sin taxes and levies on these products which gravely affects 6,000,000.00 farmers and workers of major tobacco companies in the country. The Department of Health campaign of putting graphic posters of diseases on the backs of cigarette pack purchased should be useful as a wake up call to the population to reduce then later stop smoking and kick the habit.

About this man comment on the Indonesian boy's smoking problem. I totally agree with him. I will never let my son take up a cigarette in his entire life. If he does, he will definitely get a butt kicking from his future dad.

Copyright 2009 - 2010. PinoyMoneyVantage| Personal Finance Help Philippines