PinoyDad.com

If the concept of “Pay Yourself First” is foreign to you, don’t worry, the concept was also greek to me during my YUPpy (young urban professional) days. Working as an associate in a Makati law firm, I had the means to spend, nay, splurge. I had my own condo unit, go out whenever I want and splurge on anything I fancy. I spend so long as there’s cash in my wallet, or, more appropriately, ATM. Whatever money is left, I told myself, will be my savings. This strategy appeared to be sound. I realized later on that I had no savings, primarily because by the end of the salary/pay cycle, I had spent all I had and nothing is left for savings. (more…)

The headlines these past days have been all about rice. I know rice, and not simply because I don’t feel satisfied eating without rice, just like any Filipino. Many years ago, while growing up in the province, I would walk the pilapil of rice paddies with ease, something which would probably come in handy when I try the “sangkilo” bridge at Isdaan. We have a modest tract of ricefield, with produce sufficient to last the family, and some, until the next harvest season. Just like any child, I loved playing with, and in, the ricefield mud, and I refused to understand, way back then, why such pleasure would merit punishment from my mother. I have cultivated rice — from the preparation of the field, preparing the seeds, planting, weeding, harvesting until milling. (more…)

Office politics is a fact of institutional or corporate life. As long as organizations exist, office politics will always be there. On a neutral note, office politics is simply the relationship and interaction between and among co-workers (and, to a certain extent, with the bosses). The relationship should ideally be of mutual respect, and the interaction should be one of healthy competition. Unfortunately, office politics – just like general politics in our country – is viewed as something extremely negative. It’s present in any corporate structure and gets worse in bigger corporations.In other words, you can’t run away from office politics. Here are some points to remember in order to survive the office jungle: (more…)