The Impact of Earthquakes and Natural Calamities in the Real Estate Industry (Part 1)

Recently, Central Luzon and other nearby areas felt the power of a 5.7 magnitude earthquake that hit the archipelago with its epicenter in the town of Castillejos, Zambales. The earthquake started at approximately 5:05 in the afternoon of that fateful day as it struck damage to homes and establishments in Metro Manila, Pampanga and other nearby areas. The damage brought about with this disaster cost some millions of pesos in damages to properties and loss of countless lives and livelihood in the town of Porac, Lubao and Floridablanca, Pampanga.

Inside Real Estate: Property Rights Vs. Titled property in the Philippines

Photo Credits

A week ago, I was with one of my friend who chanced upon an acquaintance of ours who introduced herself as a called “real estate agent per se”. We were in this one of social event of an unnamed organization and she hitched a ride with us on our way home after the activity. While driving to our destination we talked to her about what she was doing for a living and mentioned that she is owns a upholstery shop and on the sides as works as a “real estate agent per se” thereby mentioning about real estate to us (me and my friend) were both curious about the property she mentioned so we decided to have an ocular inspection of the subject property with her. 

On our visit, it seems the neighborhood is quiet but questionable. It seems to be a in a bad neighborhood with questionable characters of people propping out their heads on their windows when we passed by, roads are not concreted an no sewerage or canal to disburse rain water during monsoon season. Just a few meters away, there was a wide river with newly constructed rip-rap on the shoreline of the river plus a soon-to-be constructed connector road encompassing the two major highways. 

Impact of Republic Act 9649 or RESA Law in Real Estate Industry

REBAP Greenhills Chapter is the host chapter of this event

Recently we were invited on the 1st National General Membership Meeting at Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines in Le Pavillion, Pasay City last 9th of April 2009. We were honored and privileged to have Professional Regulation Board of Real Estate Services (PRBRES) Chairperson Dr. Pilar Torres-Banaag in person on the updates on the practice of Republic Act 9646 or Real Estate Service Act of 2009 also known as RESA. 

Dr. Banaag stance was to educate people on the this law which is already 10 years in effect with the effectivity of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) back in 10th of July 2010 (see link) on our first organizational event for 2019.

This is a warning to all practitioner who are not licensed or not even accredited as real estate salesperson here in the Philippines. At this time there were are number of people already filed with cases with PRC Legal offices and a task force anti-colorum initiated by the stakeholder real estate organizations and individuals have also spearheaded this momentous task of cleaning and policing the profession.

What's Up: An Exclusive Look Inside New Clark City.

Last 19th February 2019, we were given the privilege to have a tour inside New Clark City. New Clark City or NCC is  9,450 hectares of carefully masterplanned urban mixed use development located in Capas, Tarlac. It is almost a similar development with Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City. Let’s see more video of this development located above.

What's Up: The Trains Are Coming to the North (Part 2)!

This is a continuation from the first part previously published last April 16, 2019 (see link ).

The Golden Years of  Philippine Railways (1950s, 1960s and 1970s)

After World War II, the Philippine railways was rehabilitated by the U.S. Military before the Philippine independence of July 4 1946. The U.S. Army had paid a  total amount of US$ to compensate for the use of the railway for transport of men and equipment during World War II in Asia - Pacific region (1941 - 1945). Surplus of equipments 

By 1950s, the MRR fleet of trains shifted from steam engines to diesel powered engines. Later on, the company was given charter under Republic Act 4156, creation of the modern-day Philippine National Railways (PNR).




The Light Railways of the 1980s

During the Marcos regime, President Marcos would be credited for the establishment of Manila Light Railway Transit Sytem Line 1 or “LRT 1” for most of those living in Metro Manila which starts from Monumento Station, Caloocan City to Baclaran Station in Pasay City.  The Central Terminal to Baclaran route was inaugurated in 1^st of December 1984 and an extension connecting from Central Terminal to Carriedo Station going to Monumento Station was formally opened on 12^th of May 1985.