ADOPTING THE BABY STEPS: ROLLING OUT OF DEBT

courtesy of Odyssey

Debt is something which hinders a person to financial stability, it hinders a person to think and act clearly according to his needs and wants. Having a debt is like being stuck in a rut, hard to move on. As hard as it sounds, there are just so many instances that a person who is determined not to loan or borrow might still be forced to get acquainted with debt. Life's surprises do not all have a happy ending, there is just so much with life that sometimes people are forced to go into debt with their own dear reasons.

As it looks like normal these days already, most if not all people do have debts. So what would be a better way for us to start our life anew than to clear ourselves of debt.

From Dave Ramsey's "Baby Steps", he has prioritized clearing oneself from debt over the others and right after keeping an emergency fund. According to importance, having an emergency fund is indeed a much needed fall back in case something happens.

courtesy of kahaba.net

The West may apply Dave Ramsey's ideas as they are but for the rest of the world, there should be some minor alterations in order to have with financial freedom. 

As stated in the book, clearing up debts according to the interest rates is a good way to work on your debt(debt snowball). This asks one to arrange his debts according to the interest rates and prioritize paying the one with the highest interest rate. Focusing on a single debt at a time will help you pay a bigger amount which can help you complete your payments faster.

Another case, is to divide your payment among the debts you owe and pay equally. This is somehow a little bit disadvantageous because there would always be debts which are bigger in amount than others. Not paying the minimum in this type of debt will incur more interest.

So how can a regular employee with a minimum wage be able to free himself from debts?

Paying debts need a lot of sacrifice. The first sacrifice will require you to immediately allocate a portion of your salary to the debt you want to finish. This should be done right after you received your pay. The sacrifice will come in budgeting the rest of your 15-day salary throughout the upcoming 15 days.

Ways to budget the remaining fund?

• Pack your lunch from home. If you are more comfortable with taking lunch out, this might come as real pain. Just think that you only need to pack lunch from home until you can pay all your debts.
• Walk to work. If you live just a few kilometers from work, wake up early and walk to work. Wear comfortable pair of shoes for this case so you will not feel so terrible upon reaching the office.
• Follow your budget strictly. This not only concerns about stopping eating out or treating friends and family. This would also mean to remove those unnecessary things from your list. Prioritize on those things you need, list them down, keep some pocket money, and the rest of your money should be paid to your debt.
• Learn to eat food which does not cost that much. It might be great to eat sumptuous meals everyday, but how about adding some veggie meals a few times in a week. Vegetables are so much cheaper (and even healthier) than meat.

How should you pay your debt?

Most employees feel it is more convenient to pay debts every month-end, the others would like to pay on the 15th and another on the 30th. Both ways will be reasonable as long as one has the determination to stick on one's budget plan.

Those who would like to pay only on the end of the month, it would be a good plan to budget all the expenses on the 15th then try to pay as much as you can on your 30th pay. If there is an excess on the 15th, discipline yourself not to buy anything else and keep it for the 30th's budget.

For those who would like to pay every payday, take note on the dates of paying bills and all those scheduled expenses. On your payday, immediately separate the amount you want to pay to your debt. The remaining amount will be used for the other necessities like food. This does not mean that you give food the least importance. From your remaining amount, budget it on low-cost food which would still meet great nourishment for your family.

Apart from paying the interest, make sure that you follow the amount you decided to pay on the principal.  Bigger amount paid on the principal debt will mean the faster you will be free from your rut.

Learn about the other steps.

WHAT IS ACADEMIC ADVISING PROGRAM?

courtesy of Campus Bridge International

So you are already in the tertiary education, this does not mean that you are good to decide on your own just yet. There may be some of the lucky ones who would actually start planning their life ahead and be fortunate enough to really be in luck. However, there are also those who are still struggling on the choice they made. Some may struggle but they are well determined that the course is the right one for them. They can still be right.

So what is academic advising? This is a program which is focused on helping the students attain their educational (as well as career) goals. An adviser is assigned to each student and both have responsibilities to make the students’ track to educational success be visible and clear.

Adviser Duties

Advising program does not let students ask academic help to their advisers for cases like answering homework or giving more lectures to a course. Advising program is limited to the assistance on making sound plans and decisions for students to discover their full potentials as engineers.

The adviser may not be teaching the subjects one more time but they should assist in the development of consistent career plans aligned with students’ interests and abilities. The student would be assisted in understanding the rationale of engineering.

The adviser should also help students develop a positive working relationship with faculty and school staff. They should provide students with accurate information regarding department policies, requirements, and procedures.

It is also the duty of the adviser to refer the student to the guidance center when student seems to need further professional advising assistance.

Student Duties

With the huge number of students for one faculty, students are responsible on making appointments in advance and appearing on time. They should be prepared with their concerns. If the concern is about subjects to be taken for the next semester, students are required to have a copy of those subjects they are interested with.

Students are responsible in the decisions they make. Although advisers provide advice, students have the last decision to make. They should clarify confusing concerns with their adviser.

It is the duty f students to be fully aware of the adviser correspondence sent personally or as an announcment in the building. Students should also respond on time if required.

Students are responsible in taking advantage of resources in the department which will improve and develop their educational experience.

PARKS IN BAGUIO CITY: MELVIN JONES

The soccer field of the city right at the heart. The Melvin Jones is a park and a soccer field in one where most big concerts and most of the big gatherings held. Although the grass has not grown that much in the area due to the ground being stumped at and walked on, the place is still preserved as the wide open area of Baguio city.

Two big stages are across the two opposite sides of the field. And two park Restaurants are on its opposite ends.

Floats from the parade are usually parked in the Melvin Jones for spectators to gather more pictures, however, lately, the Athletic Bowl is more often used when crowds of people perform events because the latter has benches for people to rest on.

How to reach the park?

Melvin Jones is along the Harrison Road but route for the entrance is in Lake Drive.

Establishments near the Park?

Along Harrison Road are a few establishments such as Tiongsan Harrison department store, and banks - BPI, BDO, Summit bank and Landbank, also found is the Philippine Red Cross and the Patriotic School. On the opposite lane is the Burnham Lake.

Melvin Jones is just one of the scenic parks of Baguio city.

Elementary students in Melvin Jones practice for the street dance

BAGUIO FLOWER FESTIVAL: BONSAI CUP

  

For bonsai lovers, the Bonsai Cup is the chance for them to showcase their passion. Bonsai Cup is an exhibition held at the Rose Garden this Festival season in Baguio city. A silent exhibit but elegant and still wonderful for those who appreciates nature.

Growing bonsai (actually stunting the growth of the bonsai) is a hobby which needs skills in art and appreciation and tons of patience. The best thing is pruning the branches into a shape of a dwarf tree where one can clip the tree into one’s imagination.

Tables have been placed in the right side of the Rose Garden slopes for the event. Different bonsai trees with their elegant-looking pots are on exhibit. All look like small trees literally with other additions to the plant like rocks or ceramic figures. Small trunks made to look like worn out and old, eaves made to be smaller than normal - the attributes of dwarf trees.

For those who appreciate growing these small trees, the Bonsai Cup is a good medium to learn more about how bonsai should be grown and directed. The art is simple but exquisite. Those who would also like to venture on this hobby can take this chance to learn before buying their own masterpiece.

BAGUIO FLOWER FESTIVAL: THE MARKET ENCOUNTER

The Market Encounter is a full month event participating in Baguio city’s Panagbenga. Business owners would get a stall at this tented activity along Burnham Lake Drive. All kinds of things to buy in a bazaar are also present in this encounter. From shoes to clothing to crafts… Market Encounter basically covers everything to buy and check in Panagbenga. But the food, oh the food. Panagbenga is the best time when all kinds of street food are available for grabs.

There are stalls selling shoes - leather, rubber, flats, sandals, boots and all kinds of shoes. Another There are also clothes offered by other sellers - shorts, shirts, jeans, pants. And for souvenir, different colors and different designs of Baguio T-shirts are on sale.

Other souvenirs are key chains and wood carvings. Baguio city has been known to offer carvings which are appreciated by locals and foreigners alike from big warrior statues, wood masks, ash trays and even the famous “barrel man”.

Paintings and art craft are also a part of this encounter. There are stalls selling paintings already in frames. There are also stalls which offer arts for kids and adults alike.

And then the food… all kinds of food can be enjoyed in the market encounter and people are truly enjoying them. The best smelling beef shawarma is sold in regular, medium and large sizes. Shawarma rice and shawarma burger are the new addition to the shawarma group. Regular shawarma costs 35 and can be bought for 100 if you get 3. Medium shawarma is 45 and large costs 55. Shawarma burger can be bought at 35 and shawarma rice costs 55.

 

Chicken stalls sell chicken skin, fried chicken and other varieties. Then the footlong has been an all time favorite too. People just enjoy having enormously long hotdog burger with veggies and all sorts of mayonnaise and ketchup in it. Footlong costs 35 and can be at a discounted price of 100 for 3 footlongs.

Different drinks are also sold. From smoothies, shakes, fruit juices and basically everything non-alcoholic. Food and beverage which are nice to enjoy while walking around.

PARKS IN BAGUIO CITY: THE IGOROT GARDEN

The Igorot park is a small peaceful area exactly at the center of downtown Baguio. Although surrounded by a few trees, there is more paved space than plants in this park. The main attraction of this park is the pedestal of majestic native warriors more than 10 feet high.

Small city events are conducted in this park. The area before the pedestal is often used as stage for rallies, concerts and the like.

With benches located at the sides of the park, most people would sit and spend time or wait for a meetup. A group of chess players are also often seen playing the sport in this park. Old and young men mostly carry their chess boards and just ask anyone who would like to play with them. When the game starts, slowly more and more spectators crowd them and study silently as well or watch on how the game ends.

Few years back, there are tables and benches were tables are designed like chess boards from white and black pebbles. Most chess enthusiasts would only need to carry their chess pieces and perhaps chess clocks to enjoy a game or two. Because of the rising problem of trouble when people might start gambling over the game, tables were removed but it never stopped players to get a spot in this park and enjoy chess.

How to reach the park?

The park is basically in downtown Baguio so taking a public utility transportation is available at almost all routes to downtown. When riding a taxi, Igorot Park is already a household name which every driver knows.

Establishments near the park?

Across the arch of Igorot park is Tiongsan Department store, to its left is Venize Hotel and McDonald’s, on the right is a public parking lot with Ganza restaurant. Just after the great statues behind the park or grill stalls, where smokey but tasty chicken and seafood await.

Igorot park is just one of the amazing parks in Baguio city.

BAGUIO FLOWER FESTIVAL: LANDSCAPING EXHIBIT

The landscaping exhibit has been a part of the city event from the very start. This is the event where a handful of contenders would need to design the most elegant, inviting, and soothing landscape according to a theme.

For 2018, there are almost 20 contenders for the competition showcasing the biggest flowers, the most colorful petals, the most ecstatic layout where one who visits the exhibit would say, “I wish I had this setting at my own backyard. Each one is given just a small space of around 3m x 5m. This space utilizes only the sidewalk just across the Burnham Lake. At this time, the Lake Drive is converted into stalls for the Market Encounter joining the Landscaping Exhibit altogether.

Landscapes showed different variety of bloomers such as the boat orchid (cymbidium) which actually costs shockingly; marigolds, daisies, petunia, impatience of different species, not just pink or red anthurium but purple and white; hydrangea in variety of colors, and so many flowers to feast one’s eyes on.

The Dwarf village

Different styles and motives has also been used for the landscapes. One has the village of small dwarfs and elves. So fantastical that it brings one’s childhood memories of getting to be friends with these cute mythical beings. 

Hi ho! Dwarfs traveling back to the village

Others used a garden theme with cute paved walkways lined with greens and flowers of differing varieties; walls were covered with plants and beautiful leaves. Corners and strategic spots would have clay pots and statues, nipa huts and garden benches. 

Alluring site where it is hard to resist to dream of a nice place with a wonderful backyard full of amazing things.

Fountains are also one of the major attractions used by a lot of the competitors. Falls from stoneworks or captivating water flowing out from a bamboo chute can be seen always in the landscaping event.

Admittedly, with all the hustle and the bustle just at the other side of the landscape (where multitudes of people check the market encounter), it is so soothing to hear the water trickle while watching the scenic view of the bloomers.

This is 2018's landscaping exhibit but all other exhibits are not a bit less than we had this year. 

Every exhibit was done full of colors, full of love, full of inspiration.