10 GOALS for 2025

By Mark Ferry John A. Lamsen, 05 January 2025, 11:10 pm.

 

Happy New Year!

 

I have listed my ten (10) New Year’s resolution, calling them 10 goals, for this year 2025 as a real estate practitioner. I really wish that all of them will happen, but we know all of them happening is next to impossibility, just like ordinary people wishing to accomplish all their new year resolutions. Still, it’d be fun to list them down and praying that all of them will happen. Check them out!

 

One, PEACE in our government. I am not in favor of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, though I am not saying she is not guilty, with all the evidences that appeared during all those congressional hearings. We have a strong legal system, and ex-President Rodrigo Duterte is no longer in power. I agree with the statement of President Ferdinand “BBM” Marcos Jr. that he is not in favor of the impeachment. All they have to do is file the necessary charges against the sitting vice president. I wonder why they are not doing it…

 

Two, boost public-private partnership (PPP). The Skyway Stage 3 is a very strong proof of the effectivity of the PPP between the national government and the private sector. More infrastructure project outside of Metro Manila via PPP would boost well our economy.

 

Three, regional tourism development. An archipelagic country such as the Philippines should dominate the tourism industry in the Southeast Asia and the whole of Asia by way of boosting tourism-related projects. We have I think eighteen regions in our country as of this writing, and each region boasts of rich culture, best tourist spots, sumptuous cuisine, impeccable talent and the well-known Filipino hospitality. I wish we can bank heavily on this unique gift to our country.

 

Four, more CBDs outside of NCR. Metro Manila is home to at least ten per cent (10%) of our country’s population residing on that minute 638.6 square kilometers of land area – a tiny 0.21% of the total land area of the country. Yet, that tiny land accounts for nearly 40% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The rest of the GDP is spread across 99.79% of the land area. Imagine if there are more metropolitan cities as advanced as the so-called imperial Manila in other regions or provinces. We would be a very rich country by then. Oh well..

 

Five, little-to-zero government bureaucracy in doing business. There are still some transactions with the government that we, real estate practitioners, frown so much – the slow-moving bureaucratic processes in securing documents and permits. This actually breeds corruption, and any capitalists, local or foreign, HATE this thing. Instead of money to be used in expanding businesses, they are being spent on “under-the-table” greasing just to get what they are supposed to get in the first place – REAL TALK!

 

Six, REAL flood control projects. The typhoon Ondoy that happened way back September 2009 actually DEVALUES the property prices in Provident Village in Marikina, so much so that, in a popular rumor at that time, a Php 10 million house and lot being sold has been disposed for only Php 3 million after the Typhoon Ondoy aftermath. This 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) enjoy more than Php 1 trillion of projects. Do they really know what to do to perfectly execute flood-control projects? We have architects like Jun Palafox who advocate several flood-control programs such as the Paranaque Spillway project (connecting Manila Bay to Laguna de Bay). Why on earth does anyone in the DPWH listen to these intelligent suggestions? Tsk..

 

Seven, pursue the 99-year lease for foreign firms. As of this writing, a bill has been passed at the House of Representatives, called House Bill (HB) 10755, that allows foreign firms to lease private lands for at most ninety-nine (99) years, and they will be allowed to sublease them. That’s great news for us, real estate practitioners!

 

Eight, government to dedicate lands for agricultural economy. Yes, that HB 10755 is favorable to landowners. But I personally do not like harvest-producing lands to be included in the lands that will be allowed for that 99-year lease for private use (except for enhanced agricultural production purposes). We do not want our pay be subjected wholly to food simply because the food prices in our country is so high, due to importation, due to absence of agricultural produce from our lands. Huwag naman sana..

 

Nine, instilling Christian values in business deals. I heard a lot of stories of property sellers not paying due commissions to agents/brokers, of reneging their verbal promise of paying the middlemen what they promised them, of their thick-faced attitude despite pleas of commission release. I heard a lot of stories of people besmirching co-agents/cobrokers to justify their non-payment of their share of commission, of co-agents not being fair in splitting their income, of persons not honoring their agreement, verbal or written. I have also heard a lot of stories of buyers painting so much negative light on the economy and even on the property to justify their degrading lowball offer in their negotiations with the property owners, especially if the owners are desperate for funds due to medical emergencies or even during real hard times. I heard a lot of stories of people stealing clients from other brokers, of unjustifiably bypassing their colleagues, of people betraying their neighbors for cash. Worse, I heard a lot of stories of people killing agents/brokers, literally or figuratively, so they won’t have to pay for them once the deal is sealed with a potential buyer. It actually pains me to listen to these REAL stories. Simple lang naman – Jesus personally Himself taught REAL Christians to honor their word, when you say yes, then yes, when you say no, then no; all others are from the devil (Matthew 5:37). This valuable Christian trait of honoring your word with someone was specifically preached by no less than the LORD Himself, just imagine that. If only this teaching will be practiced by the property owners, property buyers and all the agents/brokers, then all these saddening stories will never happen. They better buy Bibles and read them.

 

Ten, wholly trust God in all we do. We don’t know what the future holds. Yes, as breadwinners, we all wish to succeed in our endeavors for ourselves and/or our families. But the randomness of life makes it so challenging for us to have all our dreams come true. Still, don’t let the complexities of life dampen our hopes or drive us to do all things, literally or figuratively, just for the money. Money per se is not bad; it’s the love of money that is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10). Maganda yung panalangin ng isang lingkod ng Dios na nakasulat sa Biblia, at ito ang iiwan kong resolution para sa ating lahat –

 

7 Diyos ko, may hihilingin akong dalawang bagay bago ako mamatay: 8 Huwag akong hayaang maging sinungaling. Huwag mo akong payamanin o paghirapin. Sapat na pagkain lamang ang ibigay mo sa akin. 9 Baka kung managana ako ay masabi kong hindi na kita kailangan. Baka naman kung maghirap ako'y matutong magnakaw, at pangalan mo'y malapastangan.

 

Kawikaan 30:7-9 Magandang Balita Biblia

 

Happy New Year, everyone!