OF TREES AND FORESTS A couple of months from today we will be celebrating the 126th year of Philippine Independence. On June 12, 1898, Emilio Aguinaldo proclaimed the independence of the Philippines in Kawit, Cavite. The proclamation was followed by the ratification of the Malolos Constitution that...
OF TREES AND FOREST There was a time when the term “bakasyon” (or vacation) meant only one thing — leave your current residence and go to a place to experience a change in scenery. There was a time when it simply meant going to the province during summer. For a Tondo boy like myself it meant...
OF TREES AND FORESTS In a Tatler Asia interview last year, I was asked a very straightforward question: How do I become rich? How do I make tons of money? To which I responded, “it’s the wrong question”. To become rich should never be your goal. It’s the idea that you can build...
OF TREES AND FOREST In my column last week, I wrote about the Villar Farm and how we are raising around 50 carabaos. Sometimes I would get up early in the morning and walk around the farm for my daily exercise. I also take the opportunity to visit the farm animals there and enjoy the fresh carabao...
OF TREES AND FOREST One of the very first drawings — if you can call it that — I made as a young student was that of an idyllic farm scene. In addition to basic drawings of fruits, vegetables and animals, I would draw a nipa hut with a coconut tree beside it and a perfectly shaped mountain on...
OF TREES AND FOREST A leader is someone who can marshal all the resources he has in an efficient and effective manner in order to accomplish his vision. “A great leader,” the Harvard Business Review article added, “is one who can do so day after day, and year after year, in a wide variety of...
OF TREES AND FOREST (Part 1) We often come across the term business leaders when we read or listen to the news. The media would frequently go to “business leaders” to get their opinions not just on economic and business issues but national issues in general. But what does it mean...
OF TREES AND FOREST I consider myself lucky because at a very young age I learned about entrepreneurship, financial management, and basic skills of running a business from my mother. Those times when I helped her sell shrimps and fish were my first lessons in financial literacy. That tiny stall we...
OF TREES AND FORESTS I remember the first time I stepped into an escalator. It was fascinating and also quite frightening. It was a new experience and many among us were afraid of getting hurt by this technology that makes mobility easier. The same thing with the elevator. The first time I rode one...
OF TREES AND FORESTS It has been chilly the past few days here in Metro Manila. Last Jan. 27, the temperature was at its lowest for the year at 19.9°C. I usually wake up very early in the morning and I can feel the nippy weather as soon as I get up. It is perfect weather to do some brisk walking...
OF TREES AND FOREST A small but very significant shift happened within the economic management team of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. Last week, former Senator and outgoing Batangas Representative Ralph Recto was sworn in as the new Secretary of Finance replacing Secretary Benjamin...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Right before Christmas, I was asked by a journalist who was my mentor in business. I thought it was an interesting question and one which is not often discussed as a crucial factor in the success of young entrepreneurs. I got my degree in Business Administration from the...
