Moderated by Vince Ang, a panel discussion during the PPIE featured experienced titled “BE YOUR OWN BOSS: Ultimate Guide to GROW Your Own Business in the UAE from Choosing Your Business and Legal Steps” featured three Pinay businesswomen who triumphed even amidst the pandemic.

Aisha Madanay, Saloon Owner of Aladdin Group of Saloons shared that valuing her people is what keeps her business growing. This principle, according to Madanay, has helped her bounced back after the lockdown.

She also emphasized the value of having a financial backup or contingency funds to make sure the business keeps running regardless of any unforeseen circumstances.

“Kailangan talaga may financial backup. We should not forget in business na that having financial spare is necessary. We have 20 branches that we needed to close that time (during the pancemid). We have a lot of families waiting for their salary. Hindi namin sila pwedeng pabayaan so we need to give financial support pag mga ganyang sitwasyon,” said Madanay.

She also advised that aspiring business owners should also always “overcome whatever the problem is.”

Dr. Marjorie Nazaret, Principal of Al Alfiah Filipino Private School, relayed that another secret to success is knowing your line of business. Nazaret shared the value seeking for guidance and help from experts of your chosen field.

“I do understand education kaya I know what the Filipino children should get as a parent. Business wise, marami akong kinaing bigas for me to understand what business is all about. Ito yung nagba-balance sa school, sa business. Ang sa akin, makikita ko na though I know how to run a school, need ko to know more about the operations. I know na kailangan ko ng advise, consultation sa mga taong who have been running schools. What’s important for me is the learning that their children are getting. Naniwala ako na as an educational institution, I want to do be able to give the best. Malaking bagay na for me kapag alam kong nagkaroon ng malaking impact for that child to be a better person,” said Nazaret.

Malou Prado, CEO & Owner – MPQ Travel & Tourism LLC shared that her willingness to do what it takes to market her business became a starting point in her business venture.

“Alam kong mahirap maghanap ng trabaho noon. So I did my best. Ginawa ko lahat ng pinag-utos nya, pinatunayan ko na I can bring business to him. Mga visit visa, mga exit, visa changing and ticketing. Na kahit wala akong prior expeience, nagawa ko siyang i-market,” said Prado.

Prado successfully kept her business running and even managed to open a new branch in Manila despite the long travel restrictions. To grow her business, she shifted their offered services and managed to earn more.

“Mas triple pa nga yung income. You just have to adopt kung ano yung demand. Walang flights, pero may repatriation and its in line with my business,” said Prado.

To conclude, Ang said that an aspiring business owner should be diligent in finding the right business which works for them.

“Hindi naman lahat ng successful na tao ngayon, nagstart sa gusto nilang business. You have to try and try again until you find your niche,” said Ang.

During the 8th edition of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition (PPIE), Federal Land has listed down the top 10 reasons why purchasing real estates remain as a top investment option for Overseas Filipinos around the world.

Represented by their International Business Development Division Head, Nina Urquiaga-Chua, Federal Land has broken down the main key factors of what makes Philippine properties a solid investments which expands from location, economic growth, and our culture.

1. STRATEGIC GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION

The Philippines is strategically positioned in the ASEAN region, making it a perfect seaport or trading hub with other countries globally.

“Aside from being highly competitive in the ASEAN region, with its vast archipelago of 7,107 islands, the Philippines still has a lot of areas for development. Developers continue to build residential, offices, commercial buildings, township, estate, and even resorts outside Metro Manila which eventually flourish into an exciting community. These include: Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Tagaytay,” said Chua.

2. CONSISTENT ECONOMIC GROWTH

Chua highlighted that despite the pandemic, the Philippines remains stable compared to other countries.

“Despite the global economic crisis, we have still achieved economic growth, following the relaxation of the Covid 19 mobility restrictions in the country including the vaccination program from the government and private sectors,” said Chua.

This year, several global financial institutions considers our country as a nation which remains with the fastest growing economy in Asean 5.

3. MORE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE & BETTER CONNECTIVITY

“We have more new public infrastructure projects in Metro Manila and connectivity in the country. Of course, you know that a country’s economy is growing when we are seeing developments such as roads, bridges, railway system. Hence, it attracts more multinational investors and definitely this will increase the demand for real estate and rental of properties especially in the areas near these infrastructure projects,” said Chua.

4. ROBUST DEMAND IN REAL ESTATE MARKET

Chua continued by sharing that despite an evident decline for real estate during the lockdown in 2020 and early 2021, the interest in buying properties have shifted.

“Now that we have officially resumed face to face work and classes, nag increase ang inquires natin for real estate projects near offices and schools,” said Chua.

5. HIGH PROPERTY APPRECIATION AND RENTAL YIELD

An important point that Chua highlighted during her talk is the fact the the value of real estate prices remained interestingly the same or even higher amidst the lockdowns “but never depreciated.”

“For this year, we are happy to share with you that real estate prices on pre-selling have increased per quarter by 9.9% for the midscale category and 8% for the luxury category,” said Chua.

6. NEW TOWNSHIPS WITH FLEXIBLE PAYMENT TERMS

One top reason why OFWs are opting to buy real estate properties now is because they are being offered with lots of payment options making their purchase easy.

“Before, when you want to invest in real estate, prepare at least 20% from the TCP or Total Contract Price based on the payment term, for a pre-selling property or mga condos which are not ready for turnover yet, but now, we, in, Federal Land, we offer friendly payment terms,” said Chua.

“You can even secure a unit with reservation deposit for as low as AED 1,600 Dirham or Php25,000,” she added.

Federal Land offers cash discounts of up to 30%. This is potentially the reason why investing is made easier compared to 2019 or earlier years.

7. PERFECT PLACE TO WORK, LIVE AND PLAY

“Of couse, if maraming expats who love to visit at mag lease ng long term sa Philippines or even live here sa bansa natin, that will drive the demand for rental or purchase for properties. So may effect yan satin economically,” said Chua.

8. OUR PEOPLE AND CULTURE

Our warm welcome to guests and our rich culture as a nation also add into the many reasons why properties in PH attracts OFW investors and even foreign nationals.

“Investing in the Philippines, especially for foreign nationals, will be easy because of the following:

•We have an English-speaking community.

•We are intelligent and highly-skilled.

•We are hospitable and have a positive attitude.

•We are highly-resilient and hardworking.

9. LOW COST OF LIVING VS. OTHER COUNTRIES

“The Philippines ranks no. 50 globally this year in the cost of living; with the peso devaluation, foreign currency purchasing power is higher and can easily support a wealthy lifestyle here,” said Chua.

10. BEST RETIREMENT DESTINATION

We know for a fact that Philippines is a good retirement destination for Filipinos or non-Filipinos because of the relaxed environment with 7,107 islands to visit, the low cost of living and the gentle and warm attitude of Filipinos.

“Federal Land, is an example of a Philippine real estate developer who has mastered the development of townships and master-planned communities in prime locations. We have an extensive project network with numerous residential properties. We have townships or integrated communities of residential, commercial and office developments: We have properties located in Manila, Makati, Pasay, Cebu, Marikina, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Ortigas, BGC and Cavite,” said Chua.

Another edge of Federal Land is its accessibility to roads and near ongoing and completed Gov’t infrastructure projects which will make it more valuable for you. Because whether it is for dwelling, you will enjoy your everyday living because everything you need is readily available. Schools, hospitals, places of worship, malls.

You can learn more about their products here: https://www.federallandph.info/

In a panel discussion titled “VIZMIN REIMAGINED: Top Emerging Real Estate Communities in Visayas and Mindanao” during the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition (PPIE), seasoned experts in the real estate industry identified the in-demand real estate communities that are a great starting point for first-time investors.

Facilitated by New Perspective Media Group COO and General Manager, Vince Ang, the discussion featured top individuals from major game player developers in the Philippines including Manny Arbues of Ayala Land, Chiara dela Paz of DoubleDragon Properties Corporation, and Niña Chua of Federal Land.

“All of us have that aspiration pero hindi lahat sa atin kayang bumili ng house and lot or condo unit. Kaya yung mga buyers natin they start with what they can,” said Arbues.

He shared that regardless of location, home buyers have their own purchasing motivations.

“Minsan yun yung cohice nila because its close to their heart. Doon sila lumaki sa area na yun, familiar sila doon, alam nila yung paikot-ikot. So, doon sila bumibili at habang hindi pa sila nakatira doon gusto nila parentahan. Ang kinukuha nila ay RFO, it’s very salesable because its located between an estate of Ayala Land. Malapit sa Ayala, maraming restauraunts. Common ang vision na titirhan ko yan or papaupahan ko as passive income,” said Arbues.

Niña Chua of Federal Land shared that they take pride in thier world-class properry development in Cebu, Marco Polo which is one of the in-demand properties in the area.

“All these projects are near accessible roads and near ongoing and completed Gov’t infrastructure projects which will make it more valuable for you. Because whether it is for dwelling, you will enjoy your everyday living because everything you need is readily available. Schools, hospitals, places of worship, malls,” said Chua.

For her part Chiara dela Paz of DoubleDragon Properties Corporation highlighted several of their residential units which included the in-demand Hotel 101 which allows its residents to use any other Hotel 101 locations which will later on included Japan.

“The Hotel 101 also allows unit owners to have a monthly pay out of their earning,” said dela Paz.

Currently, developments in Cebu, Davao and other parts of Mindanao are also in the pipeline of some of the above-mentioned developers.

Greenfield City Sta Rosa Laguna

“Each year statistically in the Philippines we have 7 percent property value appreciation. But basing on our statistics in Greenfield, our minimum is actually at 12 percent. So just imagine you’re investing Php 1 million – the following year ang pera mo na is Php1.120 million na – so that is one thing that you can actually enjoy when investing on real estate,” explained Michael Russel Reyes, Division Head & Vice President for International Sales at Greenfield Development Corporation.

Greenfield District Mandaluyong

He also added that property owners across their developments value the fact that they’re safe throughout their neighborhood with gated communities, 24/7 security, with walkways that are wide, integrated, and well-lighted at night.

“It’s very safe – why? In Greenfield District we have two police stations right beside the property itself. So kung safety ang pag-u-usapan natin, definitely gusto natin yung malapit sa atin ng mga pulis,” said Reyes.

Reyes further explained that their properties also provide convenience in terms of transport and facilities: “For Greenfield District in Mandaluyong, it’s transport-oriented. Katabi lang ito ng Shaw Boulevard (MRT), just 15 minutes away from BGC, Makati, Ortigas, and San Juan. Kumbaga Greenfield District is actually ‘EDSA Central’.”

OFWs interested to invest in a Greenfield Property can talk to Michael at: mlreyes@greenfield-m1.com

He revealed that these four AyalaLand properties have trended among OFWs seeing that these are more affordable projects with payment options that range from only AED 360 to AED 500 per month.

“Yung mga property na ito ay patok sa OFWs primarily because mas affordable itong mga projects na ‘to at napakaganda ng payment term na in-o-offer. May mga stretch sometimes as as long as sixty months, for as low as AED500 or AED360, mayroon ka ng Ayala investment. It’s an Ayala Land investment already and Metro Manila pa yan,” said Arbues.

He also added that the premium locations of these properties at the heart of Manila makes it even more worthwhile and enticing among OFWs to invest at.

“Yung prospect at investment potential nitong mga projects – iyong location is perfect since it’s along EDSA, along major thoroughfare ng Metro Manila. Walang project ng AyalaLand ang bumababa (ng presyo). It’s best to grab the opportunity habang may available pang inventory,” explained Arbues.

He said that since these four AyalaLand properties have been selling fast not just in the Philippines but also among OFWs in the UAE.

“Sobrang ganda ng bentahan – maraming mga overseas Filipinos dito sa UAE ang bumibili dito sa mga projects natin na ‘to. So habang mayroon pa, it’s best na bumili na kayo habang ino-offer pa ng mga developers – ng Avida at Amaya itong mga strecthed payment terms, bilhin na natin ngayon,” advised Arbues.

In an interactive session, members of the Fil-HR shared tips on how you can accelerate your career. President of Fil-HR Felicito Hernandez and ACC-ICF Credentialed Coach Josephine Dela Paz shared the GROW Model: Goals, Reality, Options and Will.

Through a quiz, they asked the participants to determine their strengths and identify the things that hinders them from achieving their goals.

“The first step is for you to determine your Goal,” said Hernandez. “What will you commit do start doing now?,” he asked the audience.

The next steps are being aware of one’s reality and listing down the options which can help you attain it.

“By deeply understanding who you are what you want to do have or be, you will be closer to attaining your goals,” said Hernandez.

For her part, Dela Paz recommended narrowing down the ways which can help in achieving the said goals.

“Pili ka ng dalawa that will bring you most impact and focus your energy, time and money on them,” said Dela Paz.

The last step is having the will to attain that goal. They highlighted the fact that it all start with having the right mindset.

Hernandez encouraged the attendees by saying that “you can have anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t have it.”

Dela Paz also advise OFWs to take action by following a plan.

“The action planning is also important. A plan without an action is… “

Their final tip to OFWs, “Write down your goal. You are the best person to judge your key strengths and do something that makes you feel fulfilled.”

Karlo Jamer, Senior Property Specialist at DoubleDragon Properties Corporation, said that Filipinos nowadays are more conscientious when make investment decisions focused on sustainable, increasing returns over time.

“Return in value is what clients often look for, key located investments that can make returns and weather any business climate,” said Jamer.

Here are the most common considerations and impressions that OFWs feel when they invest for the first time.

Fulfillment. OFWs/First time investors feel more fulfilled when they invest in real estate. For OFWs, real estate provides them the assurance that whatever they invest in has value and will have good returns through capital appreciation.

Stability. Jamer likewise explained that compared to other investment tools, only real estate has been proven to appreciate in its value over the years.

“Having a real estate investment will keep you assured that whatever happens in the economy, one is assured that the investment won’t be highly affected since real estate is one of the safest and usually unharmed,” said Jamer.

Valuable asset. OFWs toil for several years abroad just to give their family a good life. Jamer advised OFWs that the sooner OFWs invest in property, the earlier they can get to reap the benefits of capital appreciation and turn their real estate into something that has value that just increases as time passes by.

“You are assured that by investing now, you are securing that your hard earned money, by turning it into a valuable asset that can provide you and your family security through returns in value,” explained Jamer.

The panel, moderated by Dr. Karen Remo, CEO and Founder of New Perspective Media, spoke to four of the UAE’s most experienced Filipina leaders who over the years have found success in their respective line of work as follows:

Know your purpose. Filipino women must find their inner purpose which will motivate them in their line of work.

“You need to know why you’re doing this. It needs to be purposeful in order for you to get up in the morning and really energize and do what you want,” said Penn Policarpio, a Filipina veteran marketing expert during the panel titled: “SECRET TO THE TOP: Take-Aways from Fiipina Leaders’ Tales of Success in the UAE”

She also added that finding your support system and being optimistic will allow you to go a long way.

“The second one is really have your support system professionally or so professionally hire the best so that you can delegate and have some time for yourself and personally you need to have your support system at home. Optimism is also key – always have hope, always know that something is there out for you to strategize for and to move,” said Policarpio.

Take care of yourself. Cleo Eleazar, Public Relations & Events Manager at Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, highlighted that women should take care of themselves first before prioritizing the needs of others – and they can do this by managing the 20 percent of life that they can control.

“Concentrate on the 20% which you can control. And then disregard the 80% that you don’t have any control of. Kasi pang gulu lang yun sa buhay natin. This way, you can take care of yourself.

She also added that another way to take care of yourself is by investing in your own capabilities.

“If you want to be successful then you have to be healthy and invest in yourself. Make sure you acquire new skills and invest in property because paguwi natin sa Pilipinas, we all need a home for ourselves. Kailangan natin ng property not only for ourselves sa pagtanda natin and also for our family na din,” said Eleazar.

Avoid ‘BCE’. Women should also stop the ‘BCE’s of life. Roxane Negrillo, Executive Business Director at phd media, quoting inspirational speaker Robin Sharma, said that women should stop blaming, complaining and making excuses. Instead – they should find out what they love to do in life since this will show in the output that they do at work.

“As Filipino women, importante sa atin na we take accountability for our actions and it will also help us become more responsible and more focused on our actions. Importante din sa atin na pursigido tayo kasi ine-enjoy natin ‘yong ating trabaho at siyempre kapag passionate tayo and we love what we do, yung output natin will be high quality,” said Negrillo.

She also added that Filipino women should love what they do and begin investing for their future today in both tangible and intangible matters.

“Also you should invest in yourself under two classifications: Tangible and intangible. Intangible is about upskilling, self-development, and learning new things. For tangible, it’s really important for us to start thinking of investment. Paano natin paghahandaan ang ating future? Hindi naman habang buhay tayo ay OFWs. So importante sa atin na we going to exhibitions like PPIE because it’s credible and alam nating yung hard-earned money natin, mailalaan sa mga trustworthy companies,” said Negrillo.

Be a role model. Dr. Mary Jane Alvero, CEO of Prime Group, stated that women should aspire to be the person they want to work with – to become a role model who will spread positive vibes to the work culture.

“Lagi kong sinisigurado na maging role model ako sa kanila. have done and kung ano pa ‘yong mga natutunan ko. I always see to it na she-share din sa kanila. So that they will learn from me as their leader,” said Dr. Alvero

She added that as a leader, your team will be your support group where you can entrust tasks allowing aspiring Filipino women leaders to grow further.

“I really consider yung team ko na very supportive sa akin. They love me so much and they were able to understand ‘yong lahat ng pinagdadaanan ko as a business leader. Dahil doon sa ganoong understanding and patience nila we were able to move forward and ‘yon ang nagbigay sa akin ng motivation to do more para pag ‘yong aming organization ay lalong lumaki,” said Dr. Alvero.

Moderated by Vince Ang, COO of New Perspective Media, the panel included Dan Lester Dabon, a Multi-Awarded Healthcare Professional, Jay Adrian Tolentino, a Financial Coach, Mico Banua, a Food Guide & Blogger, and Em Serrano, a Food and Lifestyle Blogger.

Dan Lester Dabon shared that throughout his journey as an OFW, he was always encouraged by the hardships that he went through since childhood.

He shared that his investments are all products of the habit of saving and forward thinking.

“You have to think forward lalo na sa mga risks kung ano na yung mga mangyayari,” said Dabon.

Dabon also encouraged viewers to invest in one’s skills and knowledge which can help them earn more, save and invest more.

For Jay Tolentino, any one who is interested in saving or investing must first know what is their purpose.

“It’s a deep questioning in yourself why you’re doing this and who are you doing it for?,” said Tolentino.

“When I meet people, I have to sit down and really ask why they want to invest in this money. Is it an investment of love or is it an economical investment? ‘Pag hindi clear sa’yo ang purpose, there are tendencies na when something new comes around with higher earning, you will withdraw your investment. It’s really important for you to know your why and identify your purpose,” said Tolentino.

For Food and lifestyle blogger Em Serrano shared that she realized the value during the pandemic.

“Doon ko na realize ang importance ng savings kasi ang school po ang unang nagsare, so 6 months wala kaming sweldo noon,” shared Serrano.

Serrano said that she is also a firm believer of the concept of value for money and moderation.

“Pag nagba-blog ako, pag may mura, doon tayo bumili. Para yung sobra, pwede mo pang maitabi. Okay lang gumastos sa pagkain pero wag masyado sa material things. Kung may bagong labas na cellphone, mas gugustuhin ko syang i-save sa bangko para may pang-invest ako sa business,” said Serrano.

Similarly, Mico Banua shared that it’s all a matter of goal-setting.

“Know your goal. Bakit ka mag-i-invest. Kapag hindi kasi strong yung purpose mo, walang value yung gagawin mo. Masasayang lang ‘yung pera mo. So for me, it’s important na mag goal set ka,” said Banua.

Banua shared that as a freelancer, he uses this to motivate himself to grow his earnings at the end of every month.

“I always set a goal. For the first week of the month, I check my clients and may specific goal dapat. Hindi ka magiging complacent. My initial goal is dapat ma-compensate yung sahod ko, pero habang tumatagal, dapat nag-i-increase na rin yung target, gradually,” said Banua.

He encouraged the audience to compete with oneself in achieving more.

The discussion ended with their key takeaway being having a clear vision of what or how much you want to save and knowing why or to whom are you saving for.

Rico Mondejar, a veteran Filipino motivational speaker and author, said that overcoming stage fright helps Filipinos unlock their potential not just to be more confident to speak up but more importantly, to earn respect, attention, and more opportunities to earn more.

“People will pay you in three ways. First, people will pay you the respect. Second, people will pay you their attention. And third, people will pay you money. Because they want to do business with you, right? So it’s good to stand out,” said Mondejar during his talk titled “SPEECH ANXIETY: Top Tips to Overcome Fear of Speech and Anxiety Among OFWs” in the recently-held Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition.

He outlines that there are several ways as to how Filipinos can overcome their stage fright as follows:

Do your research. When Filipinos are selected to speak for a particular topic, they have to research extensively to gain more knowledge about their topic at hand.

“Una talaga if you are given the opportunity to speak you have to really make a research. Master your topic. Kahit baliktarin ka ‘di ba? If you know the subject matter – you will enjoy speaking.” said Mondejar.

Practice. While there’s no such thing as perfecting your speech, Mondejar said that this paves the way for improvements as you go on and hone your craft: “You cannot reach perfection by practicing but there’s one reality – it makes improvement.”

Grab every opportunity to speak. Mondejar also advised Filipinos to seek ways on how they can speak or even deliver talks in public – whether that’s by joining clubs or meet ups so they can establish rapport from people from different walks of life.