XURPAS IPO

I never thought I would see a home grown tech company like XURPAS. Just read it from abs-cbnnews.com site. It really caught my attention. The company is planning to go public to raise as much as 1.44 billion pesos. This much money means expansions and new multi-millionaires! Nice!

I am not sure if this company is in the same category as YEHEY - I hope not as YEHEY I think is a bust - a pufff. Lost some money to this stock. 'Have an axe to grind - hehehe.

I have not downloaded any XURPAS IOS or Android application. Maybe I will try in a few days to get a feel on why this company is earning almost 200 million just half of this year alone. Maybe they really have a good application and they are giving them quite a good return of investment.

XURPAS is a very encouraging success story. Started by a bunch of friends that was able to make 62,000 pesos grown to millions. I envy you guys. Maybe I will also make my 10,000 pesos to millions - someday...

I hope to see more Filipino tech companies to follow XURPAS. Filipinos are really very talented - aside from properly cook chicken and turn it to Mang Inasal, Chicken Joy, Chooks or Andoks - we also know how to venture in tech business and learning the right recipe. Let us support them as their success will surely be our country's success as well. Go XURPAS!

FPH Forward to 90

FPH is creeping slowly to the North. I started buying at 74-ish and now it is priced at 87.90 pesos. I set my buy price at below 80 pesos which means it is not a buy for me at its current price. Hopefully, it will go back to 80 in a few weeks - although I have a doubt. I really like this stock for it gave a good return last year which I know it will do the same this year as well.

I think Lopez stocks are not as explosive as other conglomerates. It is slow in moving up which should give you more time to accumulate. With FGEN and EDC still in profitable mode, I believe 100 pesos is not too far away. How about 100 pesos at the end of the year? Not yet, not yet.

Smart Manny

First, the slow internet. Then, FREE 30mb internet access from MVP. Why 30mb? Is it because internet is so slow that it will take 30% additional patience to wait for internet to serve a request? Is 30 because that what Smart, TNT and SUN subscriber's happiness worth? Is it 30mb because it will not be enough and subscribers will tend to pay for extended access? I can guess and guess, but 30mb is a good deal (at least for me). But I would love to know why it's 30?

Maybe 30mb can give you couple of emails, chats, some surfing and maybe upload some photos to a cloud drive. It is better than nothing. Having to have free internet access for 2 months is a kind of blessing to others. But why 2 months? What MVP will gain from this promo? Maybe this is just an experiment. They want to see if their subscribers will continue using internet even after the promo. 

How about Globe - will Ayala follow the lead? Will it be 30mb+? or better, up the limit to 2gb per day for post paid subscribers. Who knows? Maybe a little prodding will help.

Oh, MVP's company (no it's not his) own almost all of the important infrastructure of our country, like hospitals, tool roads, media, mining, telecoms, etc. If you take down the company our country will crumble. That's sad.

I Love my Country (but I almost left)

"I love my country but I hate my government" - I saw this in one of the facebook posts from Trader's forum. With rampant crimes involving cops coupled with corruptions perpetrated by local and national government officials; it is not too far fetch that people might take a drastic action and effect the law on their hands. Personally, it is becoming so frustrating. I am not sure if there is one in the government who really uphold the highest standard accorded to a public servant. From Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) up to the highest echelon of the government we can find people who is taking advantage of their position to steal public funds. They even go to church and talk the way a holy man would while they are plundering the money taxed by the government from poor and hardworking Filipinos. They even have the guts to accuse their kind of the same crime he himself is committing for he is convinced that people would not know the truth, only God would. He knows that he will be forgiven; just what Jesus did when he assured one of the Thieves that he will go to heaven with him. What he does'nt realise is, Jesus is not here to assure him of salvation.

There is an impunity of corruption in our country. We know it from the cavity of our common sense. We hear it, we see it and we experience it in one form or another. Corrupt Senators are treated like a Celebrity and not as a common Criminal. The sad thing is to see some people cried for them. They were blinded by hope that these evil are here to give them the garden of Eden. These Politicians are like Lions looking for Prey... looking for the weakest one. He makes them believe that he is the Savior; their Hero; their God. He knows what make them weak; he knows how to make them weak; he knows how to make them worship him - he has the formula. He learnt it from the bowel of corruption. He was taught by corrupt elders, the legendary plunderers, the Kublai Khans of the modern world. He even surpassed them. He is so evil that even the Devil himself would not want him enter his domain.

But Politicians are human. 
We have a choice. We can be evil or human. We are not victim of circumstances but our mistaken choices; choices we made in our everyday life. Plenty of choices are in front of us. Sometimes people need help to find and understand the better one if not the best. As Filipino, we have to be very specific of what we want. We have to condemn the crimes. We have to condemn the abusive Government officials. We have to take care of our future. 

What should we do next?
Our only effective weapon is our vote and vigilance. We must NOT vote for the people who wear gloves to hide blood on their hands; for people who talk peace while holding a gun in one hand; for people who think he is pro poor because he is once a poor; for people who promise heaven and earth while the only truth is he is the only one living in heaven and the rest in plundered earth; for people who say he is righteous while living in unrighteous way; and for people who made politics as their very source of income and family business.

We have the choice; we have the power to make our lives better; we must not waste every opportunities that comes our way.

Lazada for Filipinos

There is no question that Lazada is now becoming part of Filipino life. It's business is thriving in our country and in Asia. Most of the people I know like Lazada and trust Lazada for their online buying - may it be gadgets or just accessories. Prices are affordable and mostly less than the average price in Malls. Customer support is almost comparable with Amazon. I bought a mini camera which is not working so I shipped it back to Lazada for FREE. I just went to 2GO branch and they took care of everything. I received the replacement after 4 days. A bit long but still I received the replacement.

Lazada is the only authorise reseller of Xiaomi products. I learned it after my unfortunate experience buying Xiaomi power bank from Groupon. Lazada is benefiting from Xiaomi's fever. A lot of people are trying to beat other buyers to  get Red Mi 1s. This mobile phone is on sale for only 5K+! It is a runaway price for dual SIM phone with high-end specs. A truly phone for budget conscious Filipinos - low price, great quality phone.

So, with Alibaba, Rocket Internet (and possibly Lazada ;-)), are we up for another tech bubble?

Costa Coffee

Another coffee chain is vying for slice of coffee market in our country. Are Filipinos really a coffe drinker? Is it one of the reasons why we have Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Seattle's Best and other coffee houses that occupy almost every corner of Manila? Many places has Starbucks located 200 meters from each other. As if one store cannot accommodate people buying coffee for habit. Is coffee a new tobacco? We know it is addicting. It trigger some chemical in our brain that makes us active above normal for at least 6 hours! That's almost 1 day! A must for those who stays late and work all day.

Costa coffee is the second largest in the world, next to Starbucks. It is planning to establish 70 - 80 stores in 5 years. It will provide another employment opportunity which the Philippines badly needed. Is Gokongwei the lucky guy here? I wish sometimes there are this kind of business opportunity for other people not just millionaire like Gokongwei. What if somebody (I hope it's me) ask funding from KickStarter to form a company that will franchise to a business like Costa Coffee? Would that fly?

I was able to visit Costa during my secondment in UK and India. I just orders cafe latte. Taste is comparable with Starbucks. Ambiance is like CBTL. I did not try the pastries but I think it would pass to Filipino taste. I hope to see them open their first branch in a few months. Who knows, maybe Student in Starbucks might decide to do their business there? I would love to visit Starbucks without waiting for table to be freed ;-)

Visited Costa Coffee in UK near Paddington Station

BLOOM all the Way

Now it's flying. The 40% of my portfolio sleeping in BLOOM for more than a year now is waking up and roaring like a Dragon. Just break the 13 pesos and climbing. I like BLOOM for the reason that I don't gamble in the true sense of the word. I don't lose but those patrons definitely will - reality is, I am not happy with it but in trading unlike gambling you don't trade based on emotion. If you lose, get over it and carry on.

Second phase makes Solaire more profitable. I like the fact that Razon is taking care of Solaire personally. He was able to make Solaire one of the best entertainment city in Manila if not in Asia. It is already making money for him - a dividend would definitely follow soon. I just need to hold a little longer. I know it will earn me a good return of investment and help me live a comfortable life after I retire from my work - ah, what a dream.

From Interaksyon.com:

In its 2013 annual report handed out to shareholders, Bloomberry president Thomas Arasi was quoted as saying that the Phase 2 expansion of Solaire will add three new hotel towers with 1,500 rooms, an events arena capable of accommodating up to 15,000 people, approximately 100,000 square meters of additional meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) and retail space, and approximately 35 new food and beverage outlets.

The expansion will also increase the total number of table games to approximately 650 and electronic gaming machines to approximately 3,000. Upon completion of Phase 1A, Solaire will have 360 gaming tables and 1,711 electronic gaming machines.

All of these things will be in place before year ends which will help Solaire boost its profit. Hold longer but do not fall in love with this stock.

BLOOM at 13.70!