It is already a fact that we need water every day to keep our bodies healthy, functioning well and strong enough to withstand sickness. Yet we still go for drinks that quench our thirst and at the same time are flavorful and enjoyable to drink – juices and carbonated drinks are the usual suspects. They do taste good and give us some added nutrients; however, it is probable that some of them have chemicals that will not be as healthy as some minerals that are needed by the body.
Fortunately, Pocari Sweat, a health hydration drink by Otsuka Philippines Pharmaceutical Inc., brings hydration to a healthier but enjoyable level. Pocari Sweat is highly recommended to those who are in need of immediate hydration, most especially those who have an active lifestyle and those who suffer from dehydration because of illness.
Pocari Sweat has a refreshing mild taste, even best when it’s cold, you won’t need another beverage to wash off a strong taste and flavor from your usual drink. Yet, children as young as one year old can safely drink it. It does not have artificial coloring, no preservatives, no caffeine, and no artificial sweetener, which then makes it safe for anyone who needs immediate hydration.
Especially now during these months when “ber-month” celebrations are close at hand, numerous parties will be held with family, friends, and co-workers from before the Christmas season until the New Year. Alcohol will definitely flow and other fun activities will get you into that party mood that lasts up until the sun rises.
Those who love to go on a night out after work can get over hangover easily just by drinking Pocari Sweat before they turn in after their night cap. There is no fun in having those head-cracking hangovers. When we drink alcoholic drinks like beer and cocktail, we get dehydrated easily because we tend to do a lot of restroom breaks.
Alcohol also drains the electrolytes that our bodies need to function that is why when we get drunk, we sometimes can’t get a hold of ourselves. Coffee and some warm soup may give us some relief for a time, but still, the best way to battle hangover is to replenish our body with enough electrolytes – something that a bottle of Pocari Sweat can give.
Pocari Sweat comes in 330ml can (Php 24.00), 350ml PET bottle (Php 24.00), 500ml PET bottle (Php 35.00), 2L PET bottle (Php 125.00). Pocari Sweat is available in major chain drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Elevate Your Home Entertainment with a Beyond UHD Experience
The evolution of the television set has already come a long way, from the traditional wood-enclosed ones that offer monochromatic pictures and then moving to color, from the cathode ray tubes to LCD to plasma, and now with LED.
Never content with just following the trend, Sharp (Phils.) Corp. has decided to take it up a notch by helping change the way we see pictures on TV. A few years ago, Sharp introduced Quattron Technology, a proprietary color technology which adds the sub-pixel Yellow to the traditional Red-Green-Blue color setup, for a more natural reproduction of colors, making it more brilliant and lifelike.
Now, Sharp is going even further with the game-changing Quattron Pro Technology. Simply put, Quattron Pro uses the 4-Color Technology and heightens it with the Quattron Pro Drive Engine. The Quattron Pro Engine is a built-in upscaler which transforms the quality of Full HD TV, making it comparable to 4K-Ultra HD picture quality. It is a great improvement on the usual Full HD resolution, adding 10 million subpixels to the 6 million subpixels that Full HD normally has.
Sharp Quattron Pro offers stunning resolution that is better than the other Full HD TV products available in the market today. This means more detail, more depth, and more color. And with the addition of the Quattron Pro Drive Engine, everything looks better when seen on this TV. It upscales any content and makes full HD content almost equivalent to Ultra HD quality.
Quattron Pro is also future-ready in the sense that it allows you to play 4K content without discernible loss in quality. It is a viable and more practical solution, compared to buying a 4K TV today when there is not enough 4K materials available in the market to justify buying one. So, instead of buying a 4K TV hoping to use it in the future when there is more 4K content, you can buy a Quattron Pro now, enjoy Full HD content that is as close to Ultra HD quality as possible, and be ready for the future when 4K content is more readily available. Complementary to the visual precision of Quattron Pro is its sound quality. It has been awarded the THX Certification, a globally accepted standard for sound reproduction. THX was founded by world-renowned Star Wars director George Lucas, who initially created THX to make sure that cinemas could recreate the sound – all the nuances and subtleties – the way filmmakers intended. THX Certification has since then been adapted into home entertainment, with televisions going through 30 test categories, 400 bench tests and 1,000 data points to make sure that only the best of the best are approved and awarded. Because of these rigorous tests, a THX Certification is an instant guarantee that your TV has the highest cinema-house standards for both visuals and sound.
There is no doubt that the television is a ubiquitous part of every household. But Sharp understands that in today’s world, your home-viewing standards are higher than ever. Trust Sharp to provide quality enjoyment and leisure time with the breakthrough Quattron Pro Technology. This commitment is made clear through Sharp’s “Our Brand, Our Pride” philosophy, a pledge to uplift the quality of Filipinos’ lives with exceptional products.
For more details about Quattron Pro, visit www.aquos-world.com
Global property portal releases new research on real estate in the Philippines.
Affordability is top of mind for Filipinos who choose not to buy property, with more than 60 percent of renters in a recent survey of online house-hunters citing cost constraints as the primary reason they leased their home.
The findings are contained in new research from global property website Lamudi, which today released its first report on real estate in the emerging markets. The report, Real Estate in the Emerging Markets, provides a comprehensive overview of the property sector in 16 emerging countries, including the Philippines.
The report is based on a series of online surveys conducted with house-hunters and real estate agents in each country, as well as onsite data from Lamudi’s global network of websites. The research examines the habits of online property-seekers, while offering insights into the future of the property sector based on interviews and surveys with local property experts.
The customer survey examined house-hunting habits among buyers and renters. For renters, affordability emerged as the key reason why many Filipinos choose not to buy their own home. More than 60 percent of renters surveyed said they could not afford to buy property. For buyers, the main driver for owning property is security. Nearly three-quarters of buyers cited security as their primary motivation for purchasing a home.
According to the survey of real estate agents, the country’s economic outlook is seen as the top constraint on the property market, reflecting current concerns about a potential slowdown. However, agents and brokers remain overwhelmingly optimistic about the future of the market. More than 90 percent describe their outlook for the next 12 months as positive.
Lamudi’s Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, Kian Moini, said: “The primary conclusion that we have drawn from our research is that the future for the Philippine property sector is extremely bright. In fact, two-thirds of the real estate agents we surveyed are expecting growth of eight percent or higher in the property market this year. The country’s real estate market has emerged as one of the most promising in the Asia Pacific region.”
The report features a series of in-depth interviews with key figures from the property industry of each country, including Jose Romarx Salas, Head of Research and Consulting at Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services.
Mr Salas said the key challenge for the Philippine property market was finding enough land to accommodate development. “In Metro Manila, that’s the challenge: looking for suitable land. Some developers are even willing to bid high, which pushes up already skyrocketing land prices in the capital,” he told Lamudi.
The 16 countries covered in the report are: Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Morocco, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mexico and Colombia.
The full report is presented in an easy-to-read online format, available for viewing on the Lamudi website. Visit www.lamudi.com.ph/research.
ABOUT LAMUDI
Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 750,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph
Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
Fast-growing property portal’s iOS app now available in 27 countries.
International property portal Lamudi has rolled out its iOS app for property seekers in a further 11 countries, making the popular mobile application available across the company’s global network.
The iOS app has been progressively rolled out in countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America since it was launched in June. The app, Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale & Rent, is now available for iOS users in 27 countries in the emerging markets.
With the release of version 1.5, the Lamudi iOS app has been made available in the Middle East for the first time. The app is now available with right-to-left orientation for Arabic speaking house-hunters in Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Countries which already have the app will also benefit from improved speed and security for easier browsing.
The iOS app was this week launched in: Algeria, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zambia, Sri Lanka, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Lamudi’s Android app was rolled out to 28 countries in the emerging markets earlier this year.
Lamudi’s Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, Antonius Salis, said: “Our website now hosts more than 750,000 property listings around the world. All of these have been made available to iOS users through the updated Lamudi app.
For existing users, we have also made several improvements to the overall experience. The app is now more secure and faster to use, making searching for real estate on the go even more convenient than before.”
The app provides the perfect platform for house-hunters to rent, buy or sell property on the go. A key feature of the Lamudi app is its customised search function, which allows users to easily switch between the 27 countries available in the app.
The app also provides match alerts, with users receiving a notification as soon as a property that suits their needs hits the market. House-hunters can bookmark their favourite properties to access at any time and on any device.
All listings on the app feature high-quality photo galleries, detailed property information, maps, and multiple contact details for property owners or agents. Users can also share their favourite properties with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.
ABOUT LAMUDI
Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 600,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph
Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
Lamudi takes a look at the advantages and disadvantages of allowing
foreign property ownership in the Philippines.
To say that Philippine real estate is fast becoming a favorite among buyers abroad is quite an understatement. In fact, an article published in ABS-CBNnews.com reported that Asian investors—from Malaysia to Japan—are snapping up condo units in bulk. These buyers are favoring the Philippines over Hong Kong and Singapore, where the authorities have put in place cooling measures to rein in property prices.
“There has never been this strong interest in the Philippine
property market,” said Colliers International’s David Young in an interview.
But despite this, the Philippines still does not allow foreign ownership of
real property; foreigners, however, can purchase condo units so long as foreign
ownership in a single project does not exceed 40 percent.
This may seem counterintuitive, because more established
property markets allow freehold foreign ownership of real estate to attract
investment and create more wealth. Hence, it makes sense for the Philippines to
follow suit. By doing the opposite the Philippines may be thwarting its
competitiveness.
To look into this issue closely, Lamudi Philippines compiled a list of the pros
and cons of allowing foreign ownership of real property in the country.
PROS
1. Foreign Investment
on Real Estate Will Boost the Market
The residential real estate market will get a boost if some
of the restrictions imposed on foreigners are lifted, said David Leechiu, JLL
Philippines Managing Director and Country Manager.
In an interview with the Philippine
Daily Inquirer, Leechiu said that the total worth of the Philippine real
estate industry could jump from $48 billion reported in 2011 to $300 billion by
2031, if certain structural changes were made, such as relaxing rigorous rules
on foreign ownership and longer lease terms.
Although the Philippines’ macroeconomic fundamentals are
sound, Leechiu said it could do so much better if it were less restrained.
2. The Country May
Benefit from More Substantial Investment
According to Charlie Gorayeb, Chairman of the Chamber of
Real Estate & Builders’ Association (CREBA), foreign investment into real
estate will attract much-needed capital, which will unleash the multiplier
effect of construction and real estate sectors into other industries. This
multiplier effect will impact sectors closely related to real estate, and will
provide additional opportunities for local businesses and employment.
3. Benefits Will
Spill Over to Other Sectors
For many years the Philippines has lagged behind its
neighbors in Southeast Asia when it comes to attracting foreign direct
investment. According to experts, this is due in part to the country’s
restrictive business climate, particularly when it comes to foreign ownership
of properties. Allowing foreigners to own land for industrial and commercial
purposes will benefit the manufacturing sector, which will boost employment
opportunities for many Filipinos.
Cons
1. It May Cause
Property Prices to Skyrocket
In certain cases, allowing foreign money to come in freely
is not entirely a good thing. For example, London has become too attractive to
rich property buyers from Russia and the Middle East, which drove prices too
high and priced locals out of the housing market. At the moment prices of houses
and condos in Metro Manila are already beyond the reach of most Filipinos, so
allowing foreigners to freely purchase may push prices even higher.
2. It May Spur
Speculative Purchases
Speculative purchase of property—the kind that take large
risks in the hope of making quick, huge gains—could be intensified when the
gates are opened to foreign property buyers. This could pose danger to the real
estate market, which could go through a period of irrational exuberance,
fueling the formation of a real estate bubble.
3. Lands Acquired by
Foreigners May Be Converted for Another Purpose
There are certain property types that if they get sold and
converted into another use may do more harm than good to the local economy.
Examples of these properties are agricultural land. According to Gorayeb, there
should be some mechanisms of control to protect local interest. Agricultural
lands, for example, should remain as such even when they are purchased by
foreigners, and in order to protect our natural resources foreigners should
only be allowed to purchase disposable or alienable land.
From presidential palaces in Colombia to film centers in the Philippines, the most normal places are not always as they seem.In honor of Halloween, global real estate marketplace Lamudi guides you through the world’s top 10 haunted properties.
1.
Lawang Sewu, Indonesia
A landmark of Semarang, Central Java,
Lawang Sewu (which translates as “Thousand Doors”) is a former Dutch colonial
era building, rumored to be haunted by headless ghosts. This large, deserted
structure is open to the public 24 hours a day, so if you’re looking for a
scare this Halloween, why not take a midnight visit?
Image via Shutterstoc
2. Manila Film Center, the Philippines
A national building in Pasay City, Metro Manila,
the Manila Film Center was built in 1981. During construction, on November 17th
1981, the construction collapsed, burying over 150 workers in quick-drying
cement. It was believed that some of these workers were entombed alive in the
concrete. However, records show that all bodies were retrieved from the site.
Ghostlore says that those who died roam the film center to this day, making
mysterious sounds.
Located in Karachi, the Mohatta Palace is
an elaborate, pink, and yellow stone building, consisting of 18,500 square
yards. Legend has it that there is a superhuman presence at the palace, with
guides believing the building is haunted. While on guard, workers are rumored
to have felt the presence of spirits, and experienced objects moving without
human touch.
The former prison of some of England’s most
renowned historical figures, the Tower of London is one of the most haunted
places in the UK. Reportedly, the headless ghost of Anne Boleyn, one of the
wives of King Henry VIII, still resides within the tower, following her
execution in 1536. The oldest part of the building, the White Tower, is also
home to the White Lady, who is said to have been seen standing at the window,
waving to children in the opposite building.
Image via Shutterstock
5. Bhangarh Fort, India
Legend has it that a black magic wizard
named Singhiya, in love with the Princess of Bhangarh, cursed the fort with the
death of all who lived there, following the Princess’s rejection of his love.
The year following the curse, both war and famine broke out, leading to the
death of the Princess. Tourists are unable to enter the building after sunset
and before sunrise, so not to disturb the ghosts of Singhiya and other locals
who haunt Bhangarh Fort.
Xochimilco, a district just south of Mexico
City, is home to a number of artificial islands and canals, one of which was
owned by a caretaker named Julian Santana Barrera. When Barrera discovered the
body of a young girl in one of the canals near his island, he began to collect
dolls to hang around the island to ward off any evil spirits, and to make the
young girl happy. The island, known as Isla de las Munecas (Island of the
Dolls), is now visited by thousands of tourists a year, who bring dolls to
carry on Barrera’s work.
A medieval castle hidden away in the hills
of Western Germany, Eltz Castle is one of just a few haunted castles in
Germany. Allegedly, ghosts of medieval knights roam the grounds of the great
12th century castle, which has been owned—and haunted—by the same family for 33
generations. One of the more famous ghosts, Agnes, apparently died defending
her honor, and her specter remains in the castle to this day.
Image via Shutterstock
8. Edinburgh Castle, United Kingdom
The vaults of Edinburgh Castle are famous
for the unsettling noises and movements that come from within. Constructed in
the 15th century, the underground maze makes up 120 rooms, which were used to
quarantine and entomb victims of the plague. Visitors can expect to see Lady
Janet Douglas, who was burned at the stake following accusations of witchcraft,
the spirit of a headless drummer, dogs wandering around the cemetery, and
numerous prisoners roaming the labyrinth.
Image via Shutterstock
9. Marroquín Castle, Colombia
This stunning mansion, built in 1904 near
the Colombian city of Chía, was an asylum for several years. Allegedly, the
castle is haunted by the ghost of a nun who once worked there, numerous
patients who met their demise in the asylum, and “La Zancona,” a mysterious
woman dressed in all black, who roams the building.
Port Arthur is allegedly the most haunted
place in Tasmania. During its almost 50-year history as a convict settlement,
hundreds of men died at Port Arthur. Furthermore, the massacre in 1006 led to
the death of 35 men, women and children. Tourists visit the port with the hope
of catching a glimpse of the Lady in Blue—the crying ghost of a young woman,
who reportedly died in childbirth—as well as over 2,000 ghosts that have
apparently been seen over the past 20 years.
Image via Shutterstock
ABOUT LAMUDI
Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global
property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing
platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East,
Africa and Latin America, with more than 600,000 real estate listings across
its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers,
landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list
properties online. For more information, please visit http://www.lamudi.com.ph
With the Christmas season fast approaching, many overseas Filipino workers are readying their hard-earned cash to purchase their first home.
They say that Christmas is the season of giving. But for many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) returning home for the holidays, it is also the season for some serious home shopping.
In fact, according to Enrique Soriano III, Program Director for Real Estate at the Ateneo de Manila University–School of Business, many OFWs spend all year saving enough down-payment cash for their first home, and they usually remit this cash by December when their purchase decisions are finally made.
An observation Claro dG. Cordero, Head of Research, Consulting, and Valuation at JLL Philippines, shares: “More property transactions occur at the end of the year when many of these OFWs have performed oculars of the properties they’re looking into buying.”
With the Christmas season fast approaching, a great number of OFWs are already researching on their home purchase, and come December, many of them would be ready to buy. However, since a home is perhaps the most important purchase any person can make, it only make sense that due diligence should be made.
Lamudi Philippines has compiled the following questions to ask to make the decision easier for every OFW.
What do I Intend to do with the Property?
Will the property be used a primary residence for the OFW family or an income-generating asset? The OFW must first determine this in order to inform his or her decision on what type of property to buy, where to buy, and even when to buy.
When looked from the financial perspective, a home purchase makes a lot sense if the property will be used as the primary residence of the OFW family. Hence, the property should meet the requirements of the OFW’s family (size, location, type, etc.). Buying a home will give the OFW and his family a sense of financial security and watch their investment grow in the long term through capital appreciation.
However, buying property strictly as an income-generating asset presents a different challenge, which will be tackled in the next item.
Who Will Manage the Property?
If the OFW is buying a property to eventually have it rented out, then it is a different matter. A crucial question to ask should be, “who will manage the property while the OFW is out of the country.”
If the property is in Metro Manila and the OFW’s family lives in the province, then it will make sense to hire an agent that will double as a property manager. They will take care of finding and screening prospective tenants, scheduling viewings, collecting rent, and overseeing the property’s upkeep, among many others. According to Angela Manese, Residential Division Manager at estate agent KMC MAG Group, it is very crucial who looks after the property while the OFW is away. After all, that person will be key to making the investment property a profitable one.
Which Developer to Choose?
They say that due diligence can go a long way, especially if the OFW is buying a preselling property. Hence the importance of choosing the property developer cannot be overemphasized.
An OFW buyer can count on an established, publicly listed developer to deliver on its promise because it has a reputation to protect. In addition, established developers are generally well funded, so they are highly unlikely to default.
Should I Inspect the Property?
Whether it is a condominium in Makati or a house in Cavite, make sure that you have physically inspected the property before buying it.
Although this may mean making a trip or two back home, but the cost would be worth it. A homebuyer who does not inspect the property runs the risk of discovering major defects at a point when the deed of sale has already been signed—and the property can no longer be returned.
However, some OFWs will have to make do with asking someone they trust (a close relative, for instance) to do the inspection for them. If possible, make a to-do list for the appointed inspector, and even ask the person to send pictures or even videos of the property.
Should I Ready Extra Cash for the Closing Costs?
When buying a piece of real estate, the seller takes care of the capital gains tax and the broker’s commission, while the home-buyer takes care of the documentary stamps tax (1.5 percent of the property’s selling price), transfer tax (0.5–0.75 percent of selling price), registration fee (Php8,796 for properties whose selling price is Php1.7 million or lower, plus an additional Php90 for every Php20,000 in excess of Php1.7 million), and notarial fee (1–1.5 percent of the property’s selling price).
For example, an OFW buying a Php1.7 million property needs to ready approximately Php59,800 for the closing costs.
Global property portal makes mobile app available for Apple users.
Leading property portal Lamudi today, July 24, 2014, launched its iOS app in the Philippines as the company seeks to capture the growing smartphone market in the country. The launch of Lamudi’s iOS app follows the successful roll out of the company’s Android app in the Philippines last month. The app, Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale and Rent, is now available on iOS devices in 16 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Lamudi’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, Antonius Salis, said: “The launch of Lamudi’s Android app last month was a great success. We saw huge demand from our customers in the Philippines and beyond, so we decided to keep the momentum going by moving our services on to iOS straight away.”
The Lamudi app provides the perfect platform for house-hunters to rent, buy or sell property on the go. Both the iOS and Android apps are designed to meet the growing demand for mobile internet services in the emerging markets. In the Philippines iOS is the second most popular mobile operating system, with Apple devices accounting for nearly 25% of the local smartphone market, according to figures from Statcounter.
A key feature of the Lamudi app is its customized search function, which allows users to easily filter results by country. The app also provides match alerts, with users receiving a notification as soon as a property that suits their needs hits the market. House-hunters can also bookmark their favorite properties to access at any time and on any device.
Jacqueline van den Ende, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lamudi Philippines, said: “The new iOS app puts thousands of global property listings from 16 countries in your pocket. It means your dream home is now just a tap away.”
All listings on the app feature high-quality photo galleries, detailed property information, maps, and multiple contact details for property owners or agents. Users can also share their favorite properties with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter or email.
The Lamudi iOS app is now available in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Morocco, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
Lamudi.com.ph, which started operations in January this year, has over 57,000 residential and commercial property listings from developers and PRC-licensed brokers. The company has active offices in Manila, Cebu and Davao.
Download the Lamudi iOS app in the App Store today!
ABOUT LAMUDI
Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets.
The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with more than 500,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easyto-use platform to find or list properties online.
Visit Lamudi Philippines on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.
