Philippines Customs Tax Calculator

A lot of Pinoy eBayers, including myself, have asked for help from the experts on how to compute for tax/duties for imported products or items delivered from abroad. Based on information from an eBay thread (thanks to katana_hunter, tamed_8souls & v.carter), I created a calculator for this purpose. It's a little crude, but hopefully it becomes handy for those who have items to be delivered to the Philippines.

Disclaimer: This is meant only as a tool to estimate customs fees. This is in no way meant to be an official computation. Please use the calculation as guidance only.

Input fields are in yellow.

For corrections or suggestions for improvement, just leave a comment.

Declared Value
Shipping Cost
Other Costs
Total Taxable

Peso Rate
Amount For Customs Fee Computation

Tariff Rate (get the rate from the Tariff Table. if you're too lazy, just peg it at 10%)
Customs Fee

CDS
IPF
Postal Charge

Total Vatable
VAT (12%)


Total Amount To Pay (sum of green fields)


For those using Express Mail Service (EMS), here's additional information:

EMS office phone numbers at Pasay City (as of August 2010):

854 5257
854 5148
867 8070
854 0084
854 3580
854 4621

Wikimapia map: EMS Location Map

YouTube Picks: Amazing Time Lapse Videos

Following The Herd

In the past months i saw a lot of surveys & polls but noticed essentially two disparate results: the kind where Noynoy and Villar leads...

SWS: Binay now tied with Mar; Noynoy widens lead

Erap tied with Villar in new Pulse Asia survey

And the kind where Gordon and Gibo is at the top...

Gordon, Roxas, Santiago top UP mock polls

Pic your President

If I didn't have enough time to analyze the candidates, and had to resort to consulting what the populace thinks, I need to decide which crowd is smarter (and therefore more attuned to what this country needs), then pick whomever is on top of its polls.

How do you know which one is smarter? Simple: Look where Erap is miserably failing in the rankings. Any poll that doesn't put Erap in the top three has a more sane set of voters, I think everyone would agree... I'd rather be influenced by this crowd.

By all means, we should make an independent and impartial choice, but if for some reason you can't make a principled choice and just have to follow the herd, at least follow the smarter herd.

 

How To Pick A Candidate

Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you. 
Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all. 
- Andrew Lack

This quote reminds me of school exams. Everybody loves multiple choices but never problem solving questions. The reason is quite obvious: with multiple choices, you’re allowed to be lazy and still have a chance of getting it right simply by guessing an answer. Solving problems however require a lot more deliberate effort called thinking, and when you don’t know what to do, it really shows.

It’s election time once again. In the midst of traditional mudslinging, melodramatic political ads and motherhood statements, have you picked a good candidate? And if so, how did you make a choice? A.) The candidate has the most powerful ads, B.) Looked at the surveys and followed the herd, C.) The candidate is the cousin of your officemate’s neighbour... Obviously, it’s easy to make a choice for all the wrong reasons.

The real question is, can you justify your choice with confidence? 

What then is a good way to select a candidate that would fit the job best? How does one pick? Hmmm... Eureka! Beauty pageants?

We need to establish a basis for selection—a criteria for judging: 30% beauty, 30% personality, 20% talent, 20% intelligence. Yeah, that could work...

So here's a rating system that works the same way, but applies to judging politicos (anyway, an election is nothing but a pageant of ugly people making us believe they’re beautiful, right?). What I like most about this system is it tries to make the process quantitative and balanced, removing as much subjectivity as possible.

Here goes...

Step 1: Set the criteria – This is first and foremost. What qualifications are we looking for? Do not pick a candidate just by looking at one facet. The whole package must be considered, all angles inspected.

Example:

Leadership	20%	Observed influence, role-modeling.
Character	20%	Observed integrity, credibility, fairness, objectivity.
Accomplishments	30%	Actual accomplishments, competency, experience.
Platform	15%	Specific and attainable action plans to achieve goals.
Forums/Interviews	15%	Observed intelligence, show of experience and communication skills.

There are of course other criteria out there, so feel free to make up your own based on what you think should be good measurements. Just be sure they have value and are balanced. Next is to put weight on each of these qualities (the more important the factor is, the bigger the percentage you assign to it).    

Remember, be objective: wipe out the names of the candidates from your head as you build these criteria, else you might make it biased and that won’t make this exercise effective.

Step 2: Research about the candidates – It’s time to pick them apart. List down the candidates and gather as much info related to the criteria as you can. Thanks to the Internet, we got news, candidates’ web sites, blogs and forums to grab these data from. Write them down or put everything on a spreadsheet. This is where the bulk of the work is done, but it should be all worth it.

Step 3: Rate the candidates – After digesting what you’ve researched, it’s time to rate the candidates. I used a 5-level system to keep it simple (20, 40, 60, 80, 100) and rated them per criterion (horizontally). In the table below, Candidate B and D have the best showing of leadership so they were both given a 100; next is Candidate C (80); then Candidate A last (60). Do the same for the other criteria, and you would have something like this:

Again, be objective as much as you can. If you’re putting perfect scores on one candidate, you know you’re showing favoritism. Get real!  

Do not continue to the next step until you’re fully satisfied that you've been objective about your ratings.

Step 4: Sum up the scores – First, multiply the ratings against the weights and put it on the blank columns.

Then, sum up the candidates’ scores.

From this example, Candidate B is the best choice.

Whether you agree or not with the result, is a matter of discipline and personal deliberation. Like I mentioned in Step 3, do not proceed with tallying up the scores until you’re convinced that you’ve rated objectively. If you have, then you should agree with the outcome with conviction.

What this demonstrates is that there are quantitative ways to make an independent and impartial choice. This is much better than simply being swayed by a politician’s flattery, by surveys and by the crowd.

Now, when somebody asks why you picked your candidate, you can be confident and say that you did some decent research and analysis.

Be a good judge... Vote intelligently!


 Attachment: Criteria Scoring Spreadsheet.

Farewell, Conan

It's a sad day in late night comedy. Conan O'Brien finally had his last day in "The Tonight Show", after just a short seven months of being handed the reins.

Conan O'Brien leaves NBC in 45 million dollar deal: reports

Conan O'Brien has left NBC in a reported 45-million-dollar deal, it was confirmed Thursday, ending an ugly public feud surrounding the fate of US television's long-running "The Tonight Show."

NBC Television said in a statement it had reached a settlement with O'Brien and later confirmed that the funnyman's predecessor Jay Leno would return to host the show he helmed for 17 years until he stepped down seven months ago.

"NBC and Conan O'Brien have reached a resolution of the issues surrounding O'Brien's contract to host 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien,'" the statement said, adding O'Brien would be free to work elsewhere after September 1.

What would comedians do in the middle of a big controversy as this one? Well, what anybody else would. Fight it out. Here's how the funniest comics do it, and see how they're trashing their home network in the face:



Kimmel was heartless, Leno was speechless.



A $1.5 million comedy bit!





Too bad I wasn't able to catch the last episode so I'm scrapping for videos. This was the best I found: Conan's final 'Tonight' tops Friday ratings

See you in September, Coco!

CES 2010 Picks

The Consumer Electronics Show has just concluded and, as always, came up with a good roadshow of what's up and coming in electronics and high tech gadgetry. This is the ultimate peep show to what's going to be ubiquitous in two or three years time (well, if the products succeed).

Here are some cool finds:


Minority Report user interface - We'll probably see widespread use in five years... I can imagine our grandkids saying, "What's a keyboard?"

3D high-def TV - Your very own 3D theater at home. 3D games next?

Slate PCs - This is the second attempt to introduce tablet PCs in the consumer market. Nothing new really, as this was introduced in the early 2000s. But since more innovative interfaces like multi-touch have sprung up, slates might have more success this time.

USB 3.0 - 10 times faster than 2.0! Enough said.

And enough salivating.

YouTube Picks: Action-packed

Reality is more action-packed than fiction...








Here's our 80s favorite...



...and see what the next gen has to offer...

Project 10 To The 100

Last year Google ventured into an altruistic project with Project 10^100. It's goal is to release $10 million for top ideas out there that would most benefit the world.

The idea is so simple, you'd wonder why nobody has thought about it way back.

There are just a few important premises: one, that the world has problems (no doubt about that!); two, that there are thousands of ideas out there; and lastly, that in order for an idea to make a far-reaching impact, you have to know our greatest issues. That's where we come in.

The search giant has solicited thousands of ideas since last year, and now it's time to cast votes to decide which idea will get funding.

What's so neat about this is, we get to become part of it even while we're just sitting back at home or from our favorite coffee shops.

Go and vote here! Quick, quick, coz deadline is October 8, 2009!

PS: If you get dizzy about the choices, let me help you out with an article. Caution, this is a little geeky, but it was surprising to find out that we'll get more bang-for-the-buck benefits when we focus on health issues... vitamins. The Top Ten Solutions to the World's Biggest Problems

And yeah, note too that your biggest personal problems are most likely not in the Top 10... so be grateful. ;-)

I picked "Make government more transparent". You?

YouTube Picks

You can't top this wedding entrance... and some ads.

YouTube Picks

Sharing some great finds on YouTube.

Pinoy In CNN Heroes

CNN has started its campaign of CNN Heroes that features selfless ordinary folks doing big things for society. Early in the running is one of our own, Efren Penaflorida. His story is very inspiring, and somehow it made me feel how little our lives seem when we don't do something important for others.

Pushcart classes help break gang chain

CAVITE CITY, Philippines (CNN) -- At 16, Rhandolf Fajardo reflects on his former life as a gang member.
Efren Peñaflorida's Dynamic Teen Company offers Filipino youth an alternative to gangs through education.

"My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life," says Fajardo, who joined a gang when he was in sixth grade. "We were pressured to join."

He's not alone. In the Philippines, teenage membership in urban gangs has surged to an estimated 130,000 in the past 10 years, according to the Preda Foundation, a local human rights charity.

"I thought I'd get stuck in that situation and that my life would never improve," recalls Fajardo. "I would probably be in jail right now, most likely a drug addict -- if I hadn't met Efren."

When the voting starts, please vote if you think his personal crusade deserves merit.

Just when most of us are at our desks, complaining about everyday life and bad politics, some people are actually in the streets doing something to make society better.

Dear Miriam

Forgot where I found this one, but it's one of the wittiest I've seen.

I'm Gonna Miss Bush

Saw this reading through an old-fashioned newspaper. Couldn't pass it up.

World bids farewell to 'Bush-isms'


Agence France-Presse
First Posted 12:57:00 01/15/2009

Filed Under: Personalities

WASHINGTON -- US President George W. Bush may be passing out of the White House and into history, but he has bequeathed to the nation and the world volumes of unforgettable quotes.

Herewith are some of the more memorable "Bush-isms:"

JUST A TEXAS COWBOY

"They misunderestimated me," -- Bentonville, Arkansas, November 6, 2000

"There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on ... shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again," -- Nashville, Tennessee, September 17, 2002

"I want to thank my friend, Senator Bill Frist, for joining us today ... He married a Texas girl, I want you to know. Karyn is with us. A West Texas girl, just like me," -- Nashville, Tennessee, May 27, 2004

...

"Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we," -- Washington, August 5, 2004

...

"For a century and a half now, America and Japan have formed one of the great and enduring alliances of modern times," -- Tokyo, February 18, 2002

...

"Thank you, Your Holiness. Awesome speech," -- Washington April 16, 2008 to Pope Benedict XVI.

"I remember meeting a mother of a child who was abducted by the North Koreans right here in the Oval Office," -- Washington, June 26, 2008

ECO-BUSH

"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully," -- Saginaw, Michigan, September 29, 2000

UITF Performance, Balanced Funds (Year 2008)

What a year that was. The year of the rat was a sure pest for the global economy. Hope '09 fares better being the year of the ox. Ox? Bull? Maybe that bodes something... Happy New Year!

PNB Mabuhay Prestige: 3.20
BPI Balanced Fund: -27.08%
Metro Capital Growth Fund: -28.58%
BDO Balanced Fund: -41.37%

Source: UITF Online

UITF Performance, Balanced Funds (First Half, 2008)

With a gloomy market, the first half results is almost the exact reverse of the standings for the year 2007. BPI stays at second.

PNB Mabuhay Prestige: 1.47%
BPI Balanced Fund: -20.19%
Metro Capital Growth Fund: -20.26%
BDO Balanced Fund: -26.92%

Source: UITF Online

PERA Is Getting Closer!

The Philippines has one of the lowest savings rate for a nation. Poverty is a clear excuse but even those who are getting paid well seems to be not taking it seriously either. Based on this article, only one of out 10 Filipinos are preparing for retirement. That means, if I say that YOU have a low financial IQ, I have a 90% chance of being right. That's not a pretty sight.

Don't feel too down though. Senator Angara is trying to pass a bill called PERA (Personal Equity and Retirement Account) that will significantly improve the savings culture of Pinoys.

I'm crossing my fingers on this one.

PERA bill to hike savings rate, says lawmaker

MANILA, Philippines - The country’s savings rate is expected to increase once the bill allowing tax-free personal retirement accounts from taxes becomes law, a lawmaker said.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara said the country’s savings rate would go up to about 30% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 19-23%. He noted that the country’s savings rate is among the lowest in the region, with Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam at 34-40% of GDP.

"[The Personal Equity and Retirement Account or PERA] is one of the best ways to accumulate savings. It will greatly augment Filipinos’ retirement plan," Mr. Angara told a briefing Friday.

The PERA bill was approved by a bicameral conference last June 10. Mr. Angara, who heads the Senate Committee on Banks, Financial Institutions and Currencies, said the law will likely take effect within the year after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Department of Finance come up with implementing rules.

PinoyMoneyTalk thread: Do we have a retirement plan like in the US called 401(k)?

UITF Performance, Balanced Funds (Year 2007)

Just sharing performances of Balanced Funds UITFs, year 2007.

BDO Balanced Fund: 18.93%
BPI Balanced Fund: 12.16%
Metro Capital Growth Fund: 14.36%
PNB Mabuhay Prestige: -0.02%

There are other balanced funds out there, but these are the only ones available at UITF Online.

NBA Millionaire Gone Broke?

If a former NBA superstar can start pulling out his dreadlocks as he faces foreclosures, just imagine how much panic that can subject average income earners like us who have families to feed.

Ex-NBA star Sprewell sells $1.5 million yacht, home could be foreclosed

MILWAUKEE -- Former NBA star Latrell Sprewell's home is up for foreclosure and his yacht sold at auction to help pay off the $1.3 million he owes on the boat, according to court filings.

Sprewell, who once turned down a three-year, $21 million contract extension saying, "I've got my family to feed," has apparently fallen on tough times.

RBS Citizens NA, or Citizens Bank, filed a foreclosure suit last week in Milwaukee County for the $405,000 home Sprewell bought in the Milwaukee suburb of River Hills in 1994.

In court documents, the bank said Sprewell owed $295,138 in outstanding payments plus interest.

I think it's important to learn at least two important lessons here, so we don't fall into the same trap. One, living beyond our means is never a good idea. I don't know how common sensical enough that is. Two, I guess out of so much money he was able to amass during his glory days, he never spent time to being financially literate; or maybe he has a financial planner that he just didn't pay attention to. A "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" book only costs less than $20.

Please take these two lessons to heart. It could be all that Latrell needed to have prevented him from being in this rut.

As they say, "It's not the money you earn, it's the money you keep." I'd rather be financially literate with little money, than be financially stupid with a winning lottery ticket.

Philippine Time Deposit Rates (February 2008)

I asked around for current TD rates, with a minimum placement of P100,000 on a 90-day term. These are not comprehensive, just sharing what I was able to research:

First Country 8.25%
China Bank 3.88%
PBCom 3.75%
The Real Bank 3.50%
Planters Bank 2.75%
BPI 2.50%
BDO 2.25%

There were some concerns on First Country Rural Bank (and perhaps rural banks in general), so please refer to the PMT thread "First Country Rural Bank" for some background. There's also a "Peso Time Deposit Rates" thread you might want to check out.

Hope this helps.

New Journey Vocalist Comes From The Zoo

This guy's unbelievable! I'm a fan of Steve Perry's high pitches, but finding a Pinoy out there to match his vocals was just stupefying. Listen closely to the clip around 4:20...



I have no idea where he gets his wind... There's some unwelcome feelings from some hard-core Journey fans in the US (issues on maintaining the image of "an American band", his shortness and accent), but you just can't ignore this talent.

Here's the news from Inquirer.net: Filipino rocker hits global stage

Speaking of Filipino talent, a 15-year old made waves in the Ellen Degeneres show last month. She got two standing ovations, nothing serious.

If these didn't get you goosebumps, get your ears checked!

All the best, Arnel and Charice!