Thoughts and Non Thoughts

The bicameral committee of the Senate and Congress has finally approved a reconciled proposal for the excise tax beginning 2018. For cars, the committee approved a four-tier scheme as follows 4%   - for cars costing up to PhP 600,000 10% - for cars over PhP 600k up to PhP 1 Million 20% - for cars over PhP 1 Million to PhP 4 Million 50% - for cars over PhP 4 Million It's a simpler scheme than the current one with fixed and marginal taxes. The more important question is : how will it impact car prices? Below is a graphical summary, showing increases (or decreases) based on current retail prices (as of Dec 18, 2017). If  you're in the market for a car in the PhP 2.5 Million to PhP 7.0 Million range, it might be worth waiting for January. Otherwise, there's a few more days in 2017 if you're eyeing a car outside this range.

It's in Taguig City, Philippines. It's even called Venice Grand Canal Mall . 😀

http://malacanang.gov.ph/8143-the-philippine-revolution-by-apolinario-mabini/ "When it is considered that Mr Aguinaldo was primarily answerable for insubordination against the head of the Katipunan of which he was a member... the motive for the assassination cannot be ascribed except to feelings and judgments which deeply dishonour the former; in any case, such a crime was the first victory of personal ambition over true patriotism... The death of Andres Bonifacio had plainly shown in Mr Aguinaldo a boundless appetite for power, and Luna’s personal enemies exploited this weakness of Aguinaldo with skillful intrigues in order to encompass Luna’s ruin... With Luna.. fell the Revolution, and, the ignominy of that fall bearing wholly on Aguinaldo, brought about in turn his own moral death, a thousand times more bitter than physical death."

This par 71 course is built along the Candaba swamp (a nature preserve) and water comes into play in almost all holes. And bunkers too, with Boracay-like sand! It's like being in the beach! The greens on the back nine are nice and fast (the original 9 holes), but the front nine greens are very slow. It's a nice course nonetheless, with views of Mt Arayat. Wish there were more trees as it can get really hot. White sand in the bunkers. Water, water everywhere. If you play it right, ie, "dartboard golf," you can manage this course. Scored 82.:)

Beach! Sun! Fun! Less than three hours from Manila. It's more fun in the Philippines!

"No crackling fire or chestnuts roasting, But we got some coconuts and rum for toasting Don't need a snowman we'll build castles in the sand I'm in a Christmas Paradise You and me underneath a beach umbrella, we don't need no mistletoe at all No need to hurry we don't have to worry there's no where else to be But the starry sky and the Christmas lights when the sun sets on the sea" - from Christmas Paradise by Carole King

This yearly event has gotten bigger and bigger. It's new home, the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, is a perfect venue, with a few function rooms occupied by the big set-ups and the demo rooms now occupying two floors.  These Wilsons driven by Plinius amps from Listening In Style are quite impressive and weighty. In looks and in sound. The Focal-based system from AVDI is very good indeed. Detailed and neutral. If I had to choose a cost-no-object system, it would have to be this system from Architectural Audio. Magico Q5 speakers driven by Hegel amplification with Naim as source.  It is very realistic, as if the performance is right in front of you.  Just natural sound, music playback at its best, and what hi-fi should be about. Proudly Philippine made.  The Harana Audio brand can stand toe-to-toe with the megabuck imported brands and systems.  These are built by hand by audio enthusiasts and designers.  This horn-based syst...

\   Party time Catching the last of the sun   Night light    The morning after the night before...  Nice F*ing life

A scenic route to Pico de Loro and Punta Fuego, via the Cavite coastal road.  

Happened to pass by Talisay, Batangas. It's the town next to Tagaytay, right beside Taal Lake. The town is preparing for its fiesta, which is on Feb 10. The San Guillermo Church, named after its patron saint. It's worth the short stop.   The altar and interior of the San Guillermo Church.   Going up to Tagaytay on the winding road, I passed by this Buko Stop, complete with a view of Taal Lake. (photos taken with an iPhone 5)  

Living in the city... another day.

For a nice Tagaytay experience, Breakfast at Antonio's is a popular destination.   It's along the main highway at the west end of Tagaytay, on the ridge side, so it has some views of Taal Lake.   The food is good, probably at the same level as coffee shops in international hotels in Manila.      There's  nothing like a waffle to satisfy one's palette after the hour-and-a-half drive from Manila. Anotonio's version of Eggs Benedict. Smoked salmon for something light and savory. And you can go with good old BLT and chips for a filling meal. Expect to spend between P400 - P700 per head. The waiting line can be 30 -45 minutes but it passes by quickly in the cool breeze of Tagaytay. Service is quick and courteous. There's also a bakeshop cum deli where you can get bread or their bacon and chorizo if you want to take some home. Recommended to try at least once.

Much attention has been given Peque Gallaga's supposed rant against the government's alleged failure to deal with the Yolanda super typhoon aftermath. Whether or not the 70-year-old director actually wrote this letter, which is a well-written manifesto, I would rather go back to his masterpiece from 31 years ago -- the film Oro, Plata, Mata. The film tells the story of two haciendero families in Negros, and how World War II turned their world upside down. The war was like a super typhoon that stripped society of its social hierarchy and structure and exposed underlying conflicts between social classes, good and evil, and family members. It exposed man's inhumanity to man and confronted him with his humanity. It forced people to choose between survival and their values, between dignity and their basest instincts. In the end, no one was left untouched. The war changed everyone's life forever. Some hiding secrets, some harboring regrets, and some emerging scarred but ...

 (photo taken with an iPhone) Enjoyed the concert of Tony Bennett at the PICC in Manila. He is the picture of a happy man. He loves what he does and is doing what he loves. You can feel how much his music means to him,  and that he will continue performing for as long as he lives. And people will continue listening to his music and watching his concerts because of this.

We are being bombarded by bad news. The “ghost month” has barely passed yet we are continually haunted by revelations of how ghost NGO’s are used to siphon pork barrel money into bathtubs. Then an ageing MNLF leader wants to show that he is still a force to reckon with, resulting in clashes with the military in Zamboanga and putting civilians in the crossfire. Some people are smelling conspiracy, that the latter is used to take attention away from the pork barrel controversy. This could be true. Or it may not. But the warnings about a conspiracy are just another way of saying “be vigilant.” It looks like people are really keen to see this pork barrel issue through, that they won’t take their eyes off the ball. It is not to say that the loss of lives and the suffering of the people in Zamboanga are not serious. Nor that this latest incident, shattering any illusion that a lasting formula for peace in Mindanao is at hand, is not a major setback. It is just that Filipinos may n...

There's no place like home. And there's nothing like food to make one feel at home. A few of the food that makes the Philippines more fun! Puto bumbong Bibingka D' Original