This OFW Warrior Is A Child

It's July - the 7th month of the year. And for me,  it is the best month of the year - my birth month :) Hence, it's the time of the year when I get into a period of reflection.

So please bear with my being sentimental for this blog.

As I turn into a year older, I can't help but look back for the year that was. Life is not perfect. Not all the plans I set forth had been fulfilled. I encountered lots of problems and challenges. I had more physical breakdowns. But I have never been happier and fulfilled. I feel wonderfully blessed.

Sometimes, it feels weird. But I finally found joy and inner peace which had been elusive in the last few years. It doesn't mean that I have less problems and challenges now. In fact, I feel that I have more. But I have learned to bend whenever needed - with stronger faith in God.  I have learned to let go and let God leads me to His plans. I became more comfortable with my weaknesses and limitations. I know that I just need to do my best and God will do the rest.

I would say that being a son remains the most fulfilling and cherished of all my endeavors. I've made many wrong decisions, trusted wrong people, made numerous mistakes, stumbled with my human weaknesses, failed miserably - wounded, betrayed and judged. But the love of "Inang" and my family continuous to heal me to be whole again and again. As one of my favorite songs goes "The Warrior is a Child", I just run "home" and silently calls out when it becomes too much to bear. For there is no greater love on earth than that of our parents and families. As an OFW, I can't wait to be home for good - after almost two decades of being away from home. This is my strongest motivation why I am investing for the future.

I am what I am because of the love, guidance and inspiration of all my friends, colleagues, relatives, mentors, family and loved-ones. I will continue to offer all that I am and all that I have to the One above with Honor and Glory belongs to HIM alone.

It is my hope that there will be more Filipinos who participates in the ongoing revolution - the Modern Day Bayanihan of Filipinos for a Financially Literate Philippines!!! Having experienced to be away from home for most of my life in order to break the cycle of poverty in my family, it is my fervent prayer that the next generation of Filipinos does not have to leave their families and friends behind just to earn a living.

A year older means a little bit wiser, stronger and more confident and courageous of the future. But deep within - this "OFW warrior remains a child".

For the meantime, let me enjoy my birth month :) :) :) and prepare for the years ahead... Stay blessed everyone!!!

Family - My Anchor and Inspiration!!!

OFSI-TGFI Kuwait Monthly Session

OFSI-TGFI Kuwait Batch 7 Attendees of Basic Financial Literacy Series for OFWs

Learning is FUN

OFSI Officers before the OFSI-TGFI Kuwait Batch 7 Session

Learning is FUN...

I always loved attending educational activities - seminars, trainings and even conventions. But this journey is turning a new page with OFSI-TGFI Kuwait sessions. It is now my turn to share the knowledge and experiences to my fellow OFWs.

Financial education is a great need for Filipinos especially for OFWs who are all thousands of miles away from home with the single objective of providing a better future for their loved ones.

Yesterday, OFSI-TGFI Kuwait had started the batch 7 of the Basic Financial Literacy series for OFWs with almost 40 OFWs in attendance. Unfortunately, we could not accommodate more due to limitations of space. The series is composed of five power packed sessions held during the weekends.

It is always a great pleasure to meet new OFWs who are all eager to step out of their comfort zone and ready to become investors. It is such a great privilege to be an instrument of helping fellow OFWs become better stewards of their financial blessing so that all OFWs can retire young and truly rich.
 
Learning is a fun activity. It is just about proper mindset and attitude in  life.

Keep on learning, it's FUN!!! :) :) :)

OFSI-TGFI Kuwait Batch 7 Attendees during their first session

Dreaming for More Young Filipino Stocks Investors

Melvin with our sweet Angel Sofia

I am writing this as the country celebrates its 117th Independence. It also marks the 21st birthday of one of my nephews Melvin - the 4th "Apo" of my parents.

From childhood, Melvin had always been very good in earning extra and saving money. But what I discovered is that, his savings always end up loaned to either his Mama or his siblings.

 Early last year, I assisted him with two other nephews to open an investment account with COL. He has now the biggest stocks portfolio among the three. Melvin also assist me in preparing the OFSI stocks guide to help members thus making him learn more about stocks investing. I am pretty sure that he has a "bright future" and a "richer life" ahead of him, not just because of the formal education that we are providing him. But because of his financial literacy which he started to apply early in his life.

It is my dream to see more young Filipinos who instead of just playing COCs and other computer games, they become financially literate at a young age and able to invest in the stock market.

My advocacy to help in spreading financial literacy among OFWs become more meaningful when we are able to reach out to their families especially the children.

True independence will only be felt by majority of Filipinos when the greater majority is lifted from the bondage of poverty, when more Filipinos achieve Financial Freedom and Abundance.

To a Financially Literate Philippines, let us continue to do our share...

www.ofsi.ph (Modern Day Bayanihan of OFWs)
www.tgfiph.com (The Global Filipino Investors TGFI) #FinanciallyLiteratePH

OFSI Batch 7 - Basic Financial Literacy Series for OFWs

Preparation for Batch 7 Sessions Started

Batch 7 and counting...

My appetite for learning, search for financial security and natural desire to share had brought me to the path of providing financial literacy to fellow OFWs. It's been 10 years since I started investing in stocks indirectly through Mutual Fund. It was very difficult to find information as well as mentors then.

Being an OFW had also limited my learning opportunities. I had to contend with reading books and Truly Rich Club membership.  But even then, I already started sharing these learnings to friends and most of them just listened without doing anything. In fact, I "coerced" my kumpare and kumare in opening a mutual fund account for my inaanak in 2007.

This sharing to friends led to the batch 1 of OFSI in 2012. The OFSI batch 1 is composed of 5 close friends - Bon, Elixer, Herbert, Jayar and Yvonne. I used to give them sessions on weekends sometimes even at midnight. Herbert just read materials at home based on what I provide him. They finally opened their COL accounts in May 2013. I am very proud and grateful to this mythical five as they allowed me to grow into what I am today. Their trust and confidence had pushed me to learn more and inspired me to be more consistent in my investments. They pave the way for OFSI to what it has become today.

To date, OFSI had already given financial literacy series to more than hundred OFWs and their families. We continue to guide them into becoming OFW Investors with the right mindset and strategy through our monthly session. Our series which runs for 5 sessions are always overflowing with attendees. In fact, we are just preparing for batch 7 and yet, registration for batch 8 had already started. We have also started to reach out to our friends and families by making our sessions available online.

OFSI Officers with the Batch 6 Graduates

Our desire to continue to provide these sessions for FREE is a continuous challenge. But with pure advocacy in our hearts, God always sends His angels whenever we are faced with challenges. We also gained our share of doubters and non-believers to what we do. They question our motives while others view us as just bunch of money lovers. But I am less bothered as I am focused on the people who needs our guidance. I am focused to helping fellow OFWs to become better stewards of their financial blessings. What they think of us reflect their values or motivations in life and not ours.

OFSI fully understands that the ultimate purpose of wealth is to bless other people. Thanks to one of our virtual mentors - Bro Bo Sanchez. We are fully aware that as we seek to become rich in the outside, we need to be rich in the inside as well. OFSI will continue to exist as a showcase of real OFW bayanihan - OFWs who are helping fellow OFWs and their families achieve financial freedom and abundance. OFSI will help in addressing the exploitation of businesses to ignorant OFWs who falls prey to financial scams as well as wrong financial decisions.

OFSI will continue to live by our values of Competence, Excellence, Integrity & Service. We will make our humble contribution with all other financial literacy advocates in the vision of Financially Literate OFWs who are making sure that the next generation of Filipinos will no longer need to leave their families and friends behind just to earn a living.

I am very excited to start and meet the attendees of OFSI Batch 7 series - another group of future OFW Investors!!!

OFSI - Overseas Filipino Stocks Investors
www.ofsi.ph

Retire Young and Truly Rich OFWs!!!

New Projector Screen

I am writing this blog at around nine in the evening after whole day of monitoring maintenance in the house in preparation for future Financial Literacy series for fellow OFWs. It's almost two years now since I opened my house for such sessions. I can no longer count on how many OFWs had attended sessions at home.

This advocacy to help fellow OFWs had taken a lot from me - time, talent and treasure. I must admit that it has never been easy.  I get tired and sometimes long for the privacy of my flat during weekends.

Gift from fellow OFWs

But whenever I talked to our fellow OFWs and hear how they are transformed by our sessions, I get reinvigorated. The difference that we are able to make to other OFWs gives me enough strength to rally my fellow volunteer advocates to reach out to more OFWs. This also reminds me of the enormous need to spread financial education for Filipinos and that everyone has to make their contribution to make a difference to the greater majority of Filipinos.

I see myself from my fellow OFWs doing their best to achieve their dreams while helping their families the best that they can. And this doesn't come without the great sacrifice of living alone thousand of miles away in a foreign land.

So to my fellow OFWs, don't just work hard. Be financially literate so that we can all Retire Young and Truly Rich!!!

Karen Davila's Secrets to Success

"Suffering in any form is a blessing."

"It's not how much you make but what you set aside consistently to grow that matters more."

"My lifestyle did not change much even when my salary went up. I started saving around 30 percent of my salary even when it was very small. Today, I am saving 60-70 percent of what I earn. What matters is that you develop a habit that will not be easy to break."

"Wealth is not just about money. Always check the condition of the heart."

"It is not how much you have but what you do with money. It's either you are in control or money controls you. This is when the guidance of the Lord comes in."

These are just few of the wisdom which Karen Davila shared during the Truly Rich Club's Wealth Summit 2015. Her values is anchored on a strong faith and deep personal relationship with the Lord which she started to nurture during the later part of her college days.

In these times of teleseryes and video games, we need role models who inspire us to excel and be the best that we can be so that we can be a blessing to more people like Karen Davila. I must admit that on the day of the Wealth Summit, Karen won my heart. I was teary-eyed as she delivered overflowing wisdom with all the difficult challenges that she went through as it resonates with my own experiences and struggles. And as Bro Bo Sanchez pointed out, he saw many who are in tears because her story resonates to many of us in the audience.

Thank you Ms. Karen Davila for being such an inspiration and role model. Thank you for the wisdom and practical tips you shared, not only about money but life in general.

Every Filipino Deserves to be Rich

"Every Filipino Deserves to be Rich". COL Financial founded by my mentor Mr. Edward Lee was built on this foundation.

I am a personal witness of how passionate Mr. Edward Lee in making sure that more Filipinos get rich through stocks investing. I have seen this up close in the very first Truly Rich Club Wealth Summit in 2013. This was further reinforced in the last 2014 Wealth Summit when he brought his younger son Edmund to give a talk on Stocks Trading.

But in the 2015 Wealth Summit today, it was exceptional. I could not help but marvel as I watch the father and 2 sons passionately share their knowledge, experience and wisdom.

You can feel their deep sense of commitment and passion to educate more Filipinos on how they can become great stocks investors like Warren Buffet. Such an inspiring family.

As a Filipino, I feel truly blessed and grateful to the generous, humble and Godly Mr. Edward Lee for making sure that more Filipinos will have richer lives.

I have not only learned today. I am moved to remain steadfast in doing my own share focusing on my fellow OFWs and their families so that more OFWs will retire young and truly rich by investing in stocks.

Join us at www.ofsi.ph seminar for practical money management, investment sessions and more...