Sagala Night at Cerritos Trails

It is a nice feeling to be a part of a livable community, where people do take part in important events and other initiatives. It is after all what makes a community. Recently, we had a Sagala Night at our village. It was so fun despite the rain showers late in the afternoon which has momentarily halted the activity and spoiled the kids' excitement. But it was great that the kids had other stuffs in mind which kept them busy. The girls paraded in their fancy gowns and the boys had their turn too. They danced inside the hall not minding the rain outside. Later in the evening, they still found the energy to push through with the parade around the subdivision.

Surviving the amortization woes

When you find yourself having difficulty paying for your mortgage loan, don't worry coz you're definitely not alone. In fact, at some point, all of us experience anxiety over paying the monthly amortization. Based on experience, the difficulty can actually be lessened or even the amount can be lowered with these steps, and they can help us get by.
1. Save and pay in advance to principal
Not only for rainy days when you need something to save you from having to pay the penalty but more so to have some amount to pay come mortgage anniversary. Paying a lump sum amount no matter how small it is is helpful in lowering your future payments for the property (of course holding other factors constant). If you earn extra money here and there or get that big bonus, it is wisest to save it to pay an "advance to principal." If you realize that only a small portion of the monthly amortization actually goes to paying the principal loan (in our case, only roughly 30 percent which means 70 percent are interest payments), you would appreciate more the importance of paying in advance to principal.
2. Ask for a rate reduction from the bank
I used to be passive when it comes to the interest rate that the bank impose. Well, the time of blankly staring at the bank notices on interest rates is over for me. I always ask for a rate reduction every time. I simply send an email stating why I am asking for a lower rate, and guess what - I always get our rate reduced. Cite the current inflation which gives you headache in budgeting or if you are receiving remittances where the Peso-Dollar exchange rate matters a lot to you, air your concerns over the Peso appreciating a lot making the Peso equivalent of your dollar receipts lower than it used to be. Convince the bank why they should give you a lower one. Most likely they will give in, a percent or two perhaps.
3. Budget, budget, and execute it
Avoid facing the inevitable circumstance of paying penalty by carefully guarding your budget. If you think you will be short of funds, make adjustments early on. Our bank gives us at least a week grace period, I assume other banks have that sort of allowance, so there's actually enough time to make remedies. Don't wait until the last minute before you act.
Want to read other saving tips? Check out how you can cut grocery expenses.

Living in Cerritos Trails

When we moved here in Cerritos Trails, I knew it wouldn't be the same as living in our Makati apartment where everything is almost within an arm's length. In fact, it was a major change - a life-changing decision. The adjustment period was about half a year to be honest - but that was more because we moved in at the middle of the school year (can you believe that?) If you can imagine how difficult it is to commute everyday for my then preschooler and third grader from Bacoor to Makati, it is even worse in real life. I'm glad that part is over now and I am so proud of my kids for passing that stage in their life, that part when their mom just made up her mind one weekend and decided to move the next month because of her excitement with the new house and because she's getting tired of floods in Makati. I know, I may not able to get over the guilt and forgive myself for that drastic decision but nevertheless, things turned out great for us here in our new community, I'm so relieved. To cut the story short, the kids are now well-adjusted, we all love the place, the house, their new school, and the community.

It is peaceful in here, which is what I really love about moving in and buying a home in gated communities. The kids can freely bike their feet around, there is a swimming pool where children of all ages could splash to their heart's content, and there is fresh air which is non-existent in the hustle and bustle of the city. Yet, we have the convenience that a convenience store could provide, thanks to Finds, and we are near a mall (SM Molino) where we could watch movies. If we want some serious shopping/malling, Alabang is just 10 minutes away. 

Although, our area is not necessarily traffic jam-free, our gates (Meadows and Springville) are situated before and not after the crossing of Daang Hari and Molino Rd. which is a major crossing a.k.a. bottleneck. So we normally don't experience this inconvenience that dwellers in Dasmarinas or Paliparan may be dealing with. Lucky us! And also, the advantage of being inside established communities, Springville, is that we are near some commercial areas, schools and churches, unlike if we have moved to an entirely newly developed community far from existing ones. We are in an exclusive village, yet there is an easy access to amenities and other stuffs. Looking back, I am happy with our decision. It is rewarding to have a home of our own and to live in a peaceful and pleasant environment.

Some tips for the newbies in our village:

To buy fresh seafood - check out a corner store (ala talipapa) near Don Steven's
Tailor - there's one at the back of Montessori dei San Lorenzo (main building), try 09199441917

Check out my previous post about Cerritos Trails for more details. For schools around the community, check out this post.

Moon over sunset

I was mesmerized the other day at dusk upon seeing the lovely moon looming over the equally majestic sunset clouds just about to turn from white to orange before they got eaten up by darkness. It was a sight that is truly rare, so I frantically searched for my camera to steal a shot. I was on my way home then. By the time I reached the house, the sight below was all I can photograph, for the wind already was blowing. But I thought it was still a great scene. Actually, had I known how to paint, this would really inspire the Van Gogh in me. Oh I wish.

Sunny day at last

Sunny day at last. There is nothing more refreshing and relieving than seeing the bright sun shines again after days and maybe weeks of heavy rains and gloomy sky. At last we can leave our laundry outside to dry up today. I was so glad to see the bright sun this morning - glad enough to take a shot of the neighbors' roof and the blue sky - the colors are giving out great contrasts. After taking Sean to school, I went around with my bike to take some sunny day photos. I've missed doing this for a while since it has been, as I said, raining all the time.

Cloudy encounters

I don't know whether it is the dusk or the clouds

Or the wind gently breezing

It is truly a sight

Of beauty rarely noticed
As the sun sets down
It makes walking about fun
Soft, weightless clouds
Take me, lead me abound
'love the ordinary days
Like the calm, breezy clouds
Indeed, peace is a beauty
Look up the sky and one can see

Stroll by

The gated community is a nice place to go strolling on a bike. For now, the kids have theirs. I'm going to make sure I will have too, by this month's end. There are some nice second-hand Japanese brand bicycle stores nearby and I'm going to check those out. I like the good quality, light bicycles I used around Odaiba back in 2006-2007. I see more and more people using bicycles instead of their cars these days in going to nearby markets and groceries, it's not only economical and energy-saving, it's for fitness as well. I'm gonna have one that is sleek and has a basket in front. I miss my life when I was in Tokyo where everything is pleasant outdoors. Somehow, being in a gated commune is reminiscent of that pleasantness.

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Camella Homes: Cerritos Trails

This post serves as a guide to those people who are planning to get a house and lot here in Cerritos Trails. We moved here just September last year and though it was not easy at first, coming from the ever convenient Makati City, we found ourselves getting by slowly each day and eventually liking and loving the place. I’d like to share some information on schools, nearest hospital, shopping areas, churches, public utility going to Metro Manila.

Cerritos Trails in the second phase of Camella’s Cerritos subdivision, it’s farther from the main road than the Phase 1. It is also bigger and more spacious than the first phase. The Camella Cerritos is located within the Camella Meadows and Springville communities, about 10 to 15 minutes drive from Alabang.

Back to a new school

It's back to school once more. This time the anxiety for my household is quite different. The kids are going to new schools. Sean is going to Divine Light Academy (DLA) while Andre will be going to Montessori dei San Lorenzo. Moving from Makati to Cavite has been a huge turnaround for us. At first it was really difficult having to move out from the urban, convenient way of life, where the supermarket is just around the corner and public transport is just a jump away. But the desire to have a bigger space and cleaner, better environment especially for growing kids gets stronger by the day. So now we're here, and so far, so good.

Camella Cerritos Model Houses

For those planning to purchase house(s) at the Cerritos by Camella Homes, here are some photos of their model houses Marvela, Drina and Carmela. Both are designed in a way to maximize the spaces. They're pretty nice. If you are a couple or with 1 child and you're looking for a house to buy, check out Carmela. For those with two kids, I recommend Drina coz it is bigger, it has 3 TB and 4 bedrooms. Marvela is designed like a townhouse but it is single detached.