Joseph Digest by Goshen Land Inc.

blue print

Nativity plays never give justice to the hardship of being pregnant at the verge of delivery while one is on top of a donkey traveling for miles. The back pain,the dizziness and vomiting, the heat of the desert, the cold of the night . Since Mary was not lying down while traveling to Bethlehem, her feet must be so heavy with edema, a common swelling condition of the feet and legs among pregnant women . Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem to take part in the required Jewish census. Developed real estate properties must be scarce at that time because the tired couple couldn’t find a decent room to lay their heads. The manger was the next best thing. But how we wish our Property Management Team Martha. at Goshen already present EvenLand beforewas the angels broke out inata that time so that Jael, our Martha. heavenly chorus of Glory to God in head would have reserved a unit the highest before shepherds, animals for them from our Leasing Departalready saw how Jesus was delivered ment. But no one could dictate on normally, not C-section! Thank God. God’s sovereign plan. Whether rich or poor, babies With no semblance of anyborn in hospitals get bathed immedithing antiseptic nor royal, Jesus ately their cordsborn cut off , Theand King ofumbilical Kings was in in antiseptic environment. Mothers theanmidst of squalid conditions. No are also given tryng post natal care. But the papparrazzi to gain access Bible is silent about these procedures. for the first photo opportunity nor Instead, the book of Luke reports a royal baby watch uploaded in that the after Jesus was born, he was wrapped net every nano second. The clean in strips of cloth inplays the manger, manger nativity portray not is in some well scrubbed nursery. Wise too far fetched from the reality of men from the East for came to worship a manger, a shack animals. The plays“Where fail to isshow that in aKing manHim. the newborn of ger,Jews? animal abound the Wepoop haveand seenurine His star as it intensifying smell arose and we the have odorous come to worship animalsWhen emit.they Animal Him.” foundfodder where are he strewn all about as most animals was through the star, the Bible says eat even night.from eastern lands these wiseat men Without coterie of ob-gyne were filled with agreat joy and they fell doctors, anesthesiologists, nurses, down before the child and worshiped pediatricians, and gifts assisHim. Then theyinterns gave Jesus of

tants befitting royalty, the son of God was born where animals sleep and poop. Even before the angels broke out in a heavenly chorus of Glory to God in the highest before shepherds, animals already saw how Jesus was delivered normally, not C-section! Thank God. Whether rich or poor, babies born in hospitals get bathed immediately and their umbilical cords are cut off in an antiseptic environment. Mothers are also given post natal care. But the Bible is silent about these procedures. Instead, the book of Luke reports that after Jesus was born , he was wrapped in strips of cloth in the manger, not in some well scrubbed nursery. Wise men from the East came to worship Him . “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? We have seen His star as it arose and we have come to worship and Him.” When they gold,frankincense myrrh. found where he was through the Around this time however, King star, the Bible says these wise men Herod of Bethlehem got wind of the from eastern lands were filled news. Not wanting to be edged out with great joy and they fell down of his throne mistakenly thinking Jebefore the child and worshipped sus is another politician soon to grab Him. Then they gave Jesus gifts of power away from him, he ordered the gold,frankincense and myrrh. murder Around of all boys in Bethlehem ages this time however, two and below. But Jesus got esKingyears Herod of Bethlehem caped thethe murder advised wind of newsas. an Notangel wanting to Joseph in a dream to hide his family in be edged out of his throne mistakEgypt till HerodJesus died.is another polenly thinking Jesus’tobirth waspower so much unitician soon grab away like frenzied, material-obsessed, fromthe him, he ordered the murder food laden, sale intensified, self-foof all boys in Bethlehem ages two cused December are so years and below.Christmas But Jesuswe escaped the murder an angel advised Jofamiliar withastoday that ends up with seph in nerves a dream hide his family stressed andtowallets. Knowing in Egypt till Herodthe died. and understanding ancient, manJesus’ birth was so much ger Christmas centered on the humunlike the frenzied, materialble birth and purpose of the Kingobof sessed, food laden ,sale intensified Kings and The Lord of Lords make all , self-focused December Bangsoy, Christmas the difference.***Annabelle JD we are so familiar with today that ends up with stressed nerves and

http://0.tqn.com/d/familycrafts/1/0/y/W/3/Nativity-Scene-Coloring-Page.jpg

Baguio Christmas at The Courtyards

Family warmth and Baguio christmas breeze

The Courtyards Baguio Christmas. Family warmth and Baguio Christmas breeze are all felt by residents in the Courtyards.***

Baguio Christmas is always a special treat for families. Even wellheeled families from Manila who could afford to spend Christmas in Europe and North America pack their brood with their yayas and cooks in tow for a wonderful family get together in Baguio. Inspite of the setbacks commonly faced by a highly-urbanized city like Baguio, people still clamor to spend their Christmas in Baguio and hope to stay. It is common to hear Manila kids say, “can we stay one more day”? At The Courtyards, Baguio Christmas could be felt early, as the breeze turns chilly in September. Then the temperature drops to 13 degrees Cel-

4 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

sius in October. Surrounded with a provincial landscape, The Courtyards gets a visual feast from the blossoming yellow sunflowers in the hills of nearby La Trinidad. Since it is surrounded by the hills of La Trinidad and capped by the Busol watershed above it, the cold breeze at The Courtyards pavilion is relaxing and comforting the whole year through. The Courtyards is one of the favorite Goshen Land investments of Filipinos overseas. They long to see the unique Baguio Christmas morning experience where their breath’s mist form a fog in the cold. It gets colder though after November and December and tourists usually visit Baguio

at this time. The Courtyards is one of Goshen Land’s masterplanned communities. Its’ first two phases have been done and families are already enjoying the perks of living in a masterplanned community. First-time visitors and investors at The Courtyards always exclaim they never thought a beautiful development like The Courtyards exist in Baguio. To prepare for the season, Goshen Land’s Property Management Team personally set up the Christmas tree and the community’s decorations to welcome families at The Courtyards for Christmas. ***JD

Baguio’s economy to benefit from TPLEX

Shorter Manila to Baguio drive. The TPLEX first phase is now open till Gerona, Tarlac.***

Local Baguio vegetable vendors at the public market are elated at the prospect of a shortened Baguio to Manila trip through the Tarlac – Pangasinan – La Union Expressway (TPLEX). The vegetable vendors said they could easily transport Baguio vegetables down to Manila while maintaining its freshness. “This will entice buyers to buy local produce over imported ones, the vendors explained. The TPLEX was partially opened on October 31, 2013. The complete route will soon be done in 2016. But the initial TPLEX phase till Gerona, Tarlac is already a time saving route for motorists. Because of the TPLEX, travel time from Manila to Baguio will be shortened to three hours from the six – hour drive. Economic activities in Baguio as well as the neighboring towns in Cordilleras are expected to get a boost. According to the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) website, the Cordillera Administra-

tive Region (CAR) posted the third highest real Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) among the 17 regions of the Philippines in 2012. This means that the economy in the region is doing well and with the opening of TPLEX there will be more economic activities that will be boosted in the city. The economy of Baguio is centered on tourism and its educational

“Because of the TPLEX, travel time from Manila to Baguio will be shortened to three hours” institutions. In a phone interview with Marsha Radam, Baguio Tourism Operations Officer I, she said the first and second quarters of 2013 registered 440,119 actual tourists who came up to Baguio composed of domestic and foreign tourists plus balikbayans. These tourists come to Baguio in summer particularly in April. Based on the Department of Tourism data, the major tourism events that draw to Baguio visitors are the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) events

held in different hotels and conventions in the city. There are also expected to increase when the TPLEX will be fully opened. Tourists still choose to held events in the city due to the cool weather Baguio has to offer. Furthermore, there are at least eight colleges, universities, and several English tutorial schools for foreigners. Based on the latest census done in 2007, almost half of the city’s population is composed of students, majority of which are from nearby provinces with numerous foreign students in the mix. The opening of the TPLEX will drive the student population of Baguio because of its proximity to the lowlands. Baguio also serves as a stopover point and gateway for those bound for the Cordilleras. According to the city’s website, a tourist spends an average of Php 2,500.00 daily in his visits in the city. This means that when the TPLEX will be fully functional, Baguio’s economy will get boosted from the influx of visitors.*** Harriet Dale Sagorsor, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |5

When helping others gives you more

Goshen Land scholars slowly see life change They were first spotted playing football at the Melvin Jones football field in Baguio City. All muddied up, grimy and sweaty, the boys exuded determination and seem to be organized in their play and training. Inspite of their lack of appropriate football gears they seem not to mind. All of them were using old rubber shoes or second hand football shoes sourced from Baguio’s wagwagan (second hand stores). As Goshen Land spoke to them personally, we learned that some of them are struggling with poverty. “Pumapasok ako na di kumakain kasi wala ng pagkain sa bahay,” said one kid who eventually became one of Goshen Land Caring Hand’s scholars. The kids come from the city’s elementary and highschool public schools. Most of them were also struggling with their academics and

an unhealthy obsession with computer gaming which causes them to go home late. At such a young age, some of them are also confronted by perplexing family problems that lead to their character struggles. Seeing their needs, Goshen Land Caring Hands devised a scholarship program to address first “the inside” before their needs in the outside. “Lahat kasi ng bagay sa buhay sa loob nagsisimula,” said Goshen Land CEO Alexander Bangsoy. The program has a heavy emphasis on character development through personal and collective responsibility tasking, life coaching, mentoring, tutorials and fitness through grassroots football. Together with other members of the Cordillera Goshen Land Football Club, they are also given training on living for a vision higher than themselves. Timothy Mateo, a

former street kid who is now a second year highschool Goshen Land scholar says he wants to become a pilot someday. Mike Arbela, a third year scholar says he sees himself working as an engineer or an architect at Goshen Land in the future. “Since I became a Goshen Land scholar, there were improvements in my grades due to the tutorials,” said Franky Sungay, a third year highschool student at Baguio City National High School. While a public high school might be prone to negative influences, the Goshen Land Caring Hands scholars say they now have the wisdom to avoid gang wars and vices. “My spiritual well-being and character were improved and developed due to the life coaching they provide,” Spencer Galasa, another Goshen Land scholar shared. James Mansueto, another third year highschool student said the

Goshen Land Caring Hands Scholars. It is encouraging how their lives are being transformed for the better.***

6 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

GOSHEN LAND LAUNCHES COFFEE TRAIL PROJECT

Constant improvement Goshen Land Scholars regularly evaluate their lives for improvement.***

program’s life coaching and mentoring programs helped keep himself away from computer games addiction. “When I became a Goshen Land scholar, there are lots of changes that happened in my life,” added Spencer, whose 9 year old brother Judiel is also a Goshen Land scholar. Jay-ar Jorolan, a second year highschool scholar and the son of a security guard says he uses a portion of his scholarship allowance for food. “Sometimes I use a portion of my weekly scholar-

ship allowance to buy rice if my father does not have enough money,” he said. Now, Goshen Land Caring Hands, the entrepreneurial social responsibility arm of Goshen Land has 16 scholars and is looking towards adding more in the future as it grows Benguet Arabica coffee in its Blue Ridge Mountains development to support the program. “I will not waste the help Goshen Land keeps on providing for us,” Galasa said. ***Nestor Udan/Pheobe Grace Sumilep, JD

Goshen Land Partner Noel Buhong shows the scholars how to properly plant MSAC Selection Arabica seedlings.***

To further strengthen its program to make an impact in the lives of underprivileged kids while enhancing the environment, Goshen Land set aside 70 percent of its 26 hectare Blue Ridge Mountains development to its Coffee Trail Project. The first batch of 200 seedlings were planted by Goshen Land Caring Hands scholars as part of their social and environmental training and orientation. The seedlings were planted along the scenic jogging trail thus giving it the name “Coffee Trail”. As of press time, 1000 seedlings of premium, carefully developed and selected strain of Benguet Arabica coffee were initially planted in Blue Ridge Mountains . The strain, called MSAC Selection was personally developed by retired Benguet State University (BSU) professor Ben Dimas. The MSAC Selection strain was developed from stocks of five other strains of Arabica coffee. The Coffee Trail Project by Goshen Land aims to support the ongoing scholarship, life coaching, mentoring, tutorials and grassroots football program of Goshen Land Caring Hands, the entrepreneurial social responsibility of Goshen Land. The program caters to underprivileged kids in Baguio City and La Trinidad where the first Goshen Land master planned communities were built. As it expands outside of Baguio, it looks forward to dedicating itself also to change lives of underprivileged kids in its new areas of development.***Nestor Udan/ Phoebe Grace Sumilep, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |7

OFW from Baguio eats snow in Japan DEAR JOSEPH DIGEST Editor’s Note We are allocating a special space here at Joseph Digest for us to feature stories of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). This is our own little way of honoring them, by giving them a platform to speak their minds, share their hearts, their stories and build connections with their families and communities. Each OFW has a story to tell to encourage, teach,strengthen and show others how to navigate the challenges posed by working in a foreign land. Richard Rosalin, a Baguio boy, was cleaning his brother’s porch in Japan when dust-like particles kept on falling overhead. He complained to his brother saying their kaaruba (neighbor) is dropping dirt from the porch above. His brother, George, who is a mechanical engineer of Toyota car company in Japan told him the “dirt” is not what he thinks it is. “Ay apu, snow dayta”(My goodness, that isn’t dirt. That’s snow.) his brother said. To this Richard exclaimed, “Snow?” “Snow!” He run hurriedly downstairs, and swiped every sheet of

Richard with his siblings in a Japanese winter resort.*** (contributed photo)

fallen snow with his hands, even the first dirty layer of snow on parked cars and ate it like a madman. He was frolicking on the snow covered street like a little boy without any care in the world , in full view of his brother’s neighbors . “Hoy, anya ar-aramidem dita?”, (Hey, what are you doing there?) his embarrassed older brother shouted. Then he went to buy a can of fruit cocktail from the nearby convenience store and mixed it with snow to

After eating the snow, then OFW Richard Rosalin rides it out on the snow in Japan.***(contributed photo)

8 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

make Japanese style snow halo halo (Philippine mixed ice cream variant). “I also sandwiched snow with biscuits,” Richard said. His brothers, who worked in Japan a long time said they never tried eating snow because of embarrassment, until they saw their youngest brother Richard try it. When they tasted Richard’s snow mixed with fruit cocktail, his brothers also trooped to the store to buy their own cans of fruit cocktail. George, the eldest brother went to work in Japan in the 80s as his siblings got to college. One time, while touring Richard in the neighborhood, he told his younger brother a story. “Nakikita mo ba ang mga buildings na ‘yan?” he asked (Do you see those buildings?) “Yan ang nagpa-aral sa iyo.” (Those buildings sent you to school.) Richard cried as his older brother recounted how he took on a second job of spraying pesticides in the basement of those buildings so he could meet his younger siblings’ school needs. After years of toil, George’s hardwork paid off. All his siblings finished school and most of them are working now in countries where they could concoct their snow halo halo in winter.***Annabelle Bangsoy JD(For comments and stories, please write me thru my personal email at annabelle.bangsoy5@gmail.com)

Burnham Hill offers value for money prime property Burnham Hill by Goshen Land is a masterplanned residential condominium community near Baguio’s most famous landmark known as Burnham Park. It was named after Daniel Burnham, an American master planner and architect of Baguio as the Summer Capital of the Philippines. Located in Montinola Subdivision, just above Kisad Road, Burnham Hill will give a potential transient income to investors because it is located in the heart of Baguio and near the central business district. Because of its nearness to major landmarks such as Burnham Park and Session Road, it is an ideal transient place for tourists going up to the city as most tourist destinations are very much accessible from the project. With a land area of 1,016 sq.m., Burnham Hill has 64 condominium units, 16 parking slots with drop off, water refilling and laundry stations, convenience and pasalubong centers, pathwalks and pocket parks. The project has a potential to provide a good return on investments as the City of Baguio usually accommodates 687,023 tourists annually or 1,882 tourists daily according to the Department of Tourism – CAR. These tourists would usually stay for 3 – 4 days. Assuming that the unit can be rented to 2 people for 3 nights, and to a group of 4 for another 3 nights; the unit owner can potentially earn extra income every month for each group of visitors that would lease the unit. Burnham Hill is another innovative product of Goshen Land that’s sure to answer the needs of the market whether they are tourists or investors. It is a value for money proposition

ARCHITECTURAL PERSPECTIVE OF BURNHAM HILL BY GOSHEN LAND

Real Estate investments like Burnham Hill gives value for money for a prime property.***

“The project has a potential to provide a good return on investments”

considering its prime location. Inspired by Burnham’s superb architectural prowess, excellence and his belief that man should strive to be of service to others, Goshen Land names its newest innovative masterplanned community in

his honor. Baguio is a master planned city that is originally a collection of parks connected by road ways with an old euro – western design. It is a highly urbanized city and the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in Northern Luzon. The city is the Summer Capital of the Philippines and is one of the most popular destinations for tourists whether domestic or foreign. *** Joseph Christian Fernandez, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |9

For customer service excellence

Goshen Land raises the bar in property management For a six year old homegrown property developer, Goshen Land has further upped the ante of customer service excellence through property management in Northern Luzon. It has launched its Property Management Department in the second quarter of 2013 to serve the specific needs of its customers. Property management is a critical part of investment property development because after the property is turned over to its buyers, they usually need assistance on how to manage or lease their properties. Goshen Land’s Property Management Team aims to preserve and prolong the useful life of the properties under its responsibility and accountability. It seeks to delight its unit owners and residents while they are using their units either as a residence or for lease. The team’s additional services include leasing of enrolled units, brokerage, handy-

man, construction, renovation and fit -out. A unit owner who wishes to ensure his unit becomes an income generating asset could have it rented out on his own or engage the services of the Property Management Team. Once the unit is enrolled though, the unit owner has to pay a reasonable fee for the enrollment . This will cover advertising the unit, selecting the renter, contracting, serving, collecting, accounting as well as evicting a problem tenant. Goshen Land’s Property Management Team also serves unit owners who like to sell their property especially when the unit has appreciated in value. The unit owner could easily engage the services of the Property Management Team’s leasing division to sell his property if he so decides. If the unit owner encounters maintenance concerns while using

his unit, Goshen Land’s Property Management Team has skilled maintenance staff to attend to his needs. The fees are reasonable. The team charges 30 percent lower than the prevailing market rate. Clients interested to improve their units, do fit-outs and need technical services can use the expertise of the team’s technical and construction division for an affordable rate. Local experience would show that fly-by-night developers do not care to have a property management service for their buyers because it’s an added cost to their budget. Worse, a lot of locals and OFWs claim they got duped and were given bad deals by fly-by-nighters and the customers’ concerns and complaints were not served nor given slight attention. But while Goshen Land cannot control what others offer, it strives to slowly improve its customer service to its clients. Through its Property Management Team, Goshen Land intends to provide compassionate, efficient, reliable and value for money service that results to delighted customers. The staff of the Property Management Team are challenged to live buy a culture of malasakit, masinop, mapagkakatiwalaan, maaasahan and masayahin. The team works hard to show that a developer like Goshen Land and clients can both have a mutually beneficial professional relationship.***Jael Cuaresma, JD

At Goshen Land, customer service is a reward in itself. Raymond Cruz, Goshen Land partner works the flower beds with joy to delight customers.***

10 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

Exotic Baguio Food

How about Tinuno and Blood Sauce?

The entrepreneurial couple wakes up at 4 a.m. to make preparations for the dishes they would be serving throughout the day. The meat, fresh from the slabs of the butchers within the slaughter compound are delivered at dawn daily. Mang Ed’s Eatery is known for their bulalo, pinapaitang kambing, inihaw na baboy, kilawen, dinakdakan, and other signature meat dishes. This is definitely the place where you roll up your

Bakareta

sleeves and get ready to dig in, there’s no room for pretentious foodies here. Mang Ed’s is one of the eateries located in Slaughter Compound, Baguio City. Slaughter Compound is well – known among locals and tourists as the place to go when you’re craving for authentic Filipino food and Mang Ed’s is up there with the best of them. The restaurant is run by the husband and wife tag team of Marilyn and Eduardo “Ed” dela Cruz. They manage the eatery and are also the main

Mang Ed’s Eatery owners Marilyn & Ed De La Cruz

cooks of the establishment. One of the dishes they are known for is kalderetang baka or bakareta. It’s a no – frills dish that allow the taste of the beef to permeate. The meat for most of the dishes at Mang Ed’s are alow cooked. This is why the owners wake up at 4 a.m. to start simmering the ingredients so that the dishes are ready just in time for the

Bulalo

first rush of customers in the morning. The very Ilocano inihaw or tinuno is also another star of the house. It’s a meat – lovers dream with the crispy layer of skin and fat. You bite into it

with an audible crunch after dipping a portion into a saucer of blood sauce which perfectly complements the flavor of the pork. All these blend well between spoonfuls of flavorful broth from the huge helping of bulalo. You can really tell how they didn’t skimp on the best ingredients. A knife and cutting board are also provided so you can easily navigate the big portions of beef knuckles and bone marrow. Of course, a visit to Mang Ed’s is incomplete without a helping native pinapaitan. They are particularly famous for this dish. Tourists, businessmen, and local politicians from all over Northern Luzon flock to Mang Ed’s whenever they have the chance for a taste of this native delicacy. The beef or goat meat is partially cooked to remain tender and succulent in a soup base thickened with bile.

Blood Sauce

Famous Slaughter House Tinuno with blood sauce

Mang Ed’s is open from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The establishment is located after a narrow alley beside the basketball court near the Sto. Niño Barangay Hall in the Baguio Slaughter House Compound. If you get lost, just ask around. Most people there know where it’s located. *** Flynn Ayugat, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |11

(From top, clock wise) 1. Children of Goshen Land Partners enjoyed the Trick or Treat party, 2. Goshen Land Project Director Norman Alcayde was honored during the 6th year anniversary dinner, 3. Goshen Land Partners enjoy their an12 Josephculinary Digest| DECEMBER 2013 niversary creations, 4. Goshen Land partners held a garage sale for a cause.***

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |13

How to spot a good investment:

Recommended investments (Second of a series)

Heart and Hand Alexander L. Bangsoy CEO and President, Goshen Land Capital Inc.

of the value of the stocks and the

are successful. A less risky venture

dividends that are declared by the

would be to buy a franchised busi-

company. In these kinds of invest-

ness. The advantage of this is that

ments, you have to be knowledge-

you are buying into an established

able of the complexities of stock

business that already has a brand.

investments. Thus this is certainly

And a system of doing things. In

not for the rookie investor.

this case, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel so to speak. This is

Our last issue tackled the heart of investments which confronts greed as the main cause of why a lot of people get duped into bad investments. Once we are free of greed, then we are in a good position to spot a good investment. What then are these investments that one can try, whether they are in the Philippines or working abroad as an OFW? I could only recommend

stocks, mutual funds or bonds, small businesses and real estate. Let me discuss each briefly. four. These are

Stocks are securities that could be bought in the stock market which represents ownership of listed corporations in the stock exchange. You earn through the appreciation 14 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

But if you would like more

a good investment for new entre-

stable investments in “paper mon-

preneurs. The only things that you

ey”, then you can invest in mutu-

need to watch out would be the in-

al funds. These are funds that are

tegrity of the franchised business.

managed by professional managers

This means you have to check its

and you earn from the annual div-

established system and its prom-

idends which said funds declare.

ised return on investment.

Another option is you could pur-

[Continued to page 38]

chase bonds or T-bills which are PHILIPPINE ECONOMY: GDP GROWTH

instruments that carry a fix rate of interest annually. Both are more or less riskier than stock investments.

Another popular invest-

ment nowadays is venturing into small and medium scale industries. Those who are more aggressive venture into new businesses and take the plunge of being an entrepreneur. While this is very risky as records show that only 1 or 2 businesses survive after five years, it offers a huge return for those who

“ The nation is deservedly riding high on the back of a string of economic successes growth second only to China in the region last year; debt [rating] increased into investment grade for the first time and an upgrading in the Global Competitiveness Ranking to 59th.”

-Lord Stephen Green of Hurstpierpoint, UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment in line with the UK’s commitment to boost trade and investment links with emerging economies including the Philippines.

Central Apartments:

Rent is the first option newly weds resort to after the much fussed about wedding gown is packed and stowed away. When the dust has settled from the celebrations, the couple is now confronted with where to stay and cook their own meals away from Mama. While it is ideal for newly-weds to have their own separate home, the lack of financial resources forces them to endure staying with their in-

laws or parents. Then conflicts arise as a consequence. But people in situations like this do not have to lose hope. Central Apartments is an ideal starter home not just for newly weds but also for those who had been renting a long time. Besides it is a long term investment property ideal for a passive income business because the location is right within Trancoville, one of the city’s nearest home rental barangays because of its proximity to

Owning a home makes one feel like a king, or for Mikee Cojuangco- Jaworski a queen.***

“Ang dream ng Goshen Land ay magkaroon ang ordinaryong tao ng sariling bahay at mapasakanya ang kanyang inuupahan.”

the city. Sometimes the only way humans can stand up or swim is to move those legs or plunge into water. Central Apartments could be their first move or first plunge towards owning their own home. “Ang dream ng Goshen Land ay magkaroon ang ordinaryong tao ng sariling bahay at mapasakanya ang kanyang inuupahan,” Alexander Bangsoy, Goshen Land CEO and President said. Central Apartments is Goshen Land’s future masterplanned apartment community located at Trancoville, Baguio City. Construction starts in 2014. Owning a unit at Central Apartments has its long-term financial benefit.’ Dahil sa centrally located, mabilis ang pag-appreciate ng property na ‘yan, “ the Goshen Land CEO advises. “Very affordable ang amortization niya. Kayang-kaya buwan buwan o kaya daily,” he added. ***Annabelle Bangsoy, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |15

Architectural perspective of Central Apartments’ interior. ***/Goshen Land

Kaya mong magsarili

In Memory’s Kitchen: A Legacy From the Women of Terezin

Cookbook written

What do you cook when there is nothing and you know that in a little while your frail body will be the next one they will toast after they have cooked your neighbors in a gas chamber? You write a cookbook in hunger as a form of defiance and revolt against Hitler. This is what the undernourished and starving Jewish women did in the Czechoslovakian ghetto cum Nazi concentration camp of Terezin, also known in German as Theresienstadt. The cookbook, entitled In Memory’s Kitchen:A Legacy From the Women of Terezin contained recipes in the tradition of the ‘rich and robust’ Czech cooking. Mina Pachter, one of the primary authors of the handsewn recipe collection entrusted it to a friend whom she asked to get to her daughter Anny in Palestine. Pachter died of hunger sickness in the ghetto in 1944. “The story of the manuscript’s survival is in itself a triumph of the spirit. A quarter of a century later, with the help of numerous caretakers, the package finally reached Anny and her husband George Stern who moved to New York,” Cara Silva, the book’s editor wrote.

16 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

“ Despite the harsh conditions in the Nazi’s “model” ghetto (Terezin)--- which in reality was a way station to Auschwitz and other death camps, the handwritten cookbook is proof that the Nazis could not break the spirit of the Jewish people,” she said. Aside from the recipes,the book also contained the ‘reality poems’ written by Pachter in Terezin and translated in English. The poems struggle to be funny while it can’t deny the harsh and grim circumstances of the author and her companions in the camp. Bianca Steiner Brown, the translator of the recipes in the book and a survivor of Terezin said imagination aided her and others to survive. “Far more disquieting is the idea that people who were undernourished, even starving, not only reminisced about favorite foods but also had discussions, even arguments about the correct way to prepare the dishes they might never be able to eat again,” she recalls in the book. Susan E.Cernyak-Spatz, professor emeritus at the University of North Carolina and a survivor of both Terezin and Auschwitz “describes people in both places

in hunger

as speaking of food so much that there was a camp expression for it.” She adds: “we called it cooking with the mouth. Everybody did it. People get upset if they thought you made a dish the wrong way or had the wrong recipe for it.” Central to the lives of these women was the food culture by which they treat their families and express their love for them. Thus it was disconcerting for them not feeding their families rich and hearty Czech home cooking like they used to before Hitler and his machinery cooked up the Final Solution. These women tried comforting themselves with just the thought of these beloved recipes within the harshness of hunger, oppression, forced labor and the overshadowing pall of death which is Auschwitz-Birkenau, known as the “East”. A loving mother, one of Pachter’s recipes in the book is called Busserln or Kisses in English. The recipe faithfully resembles the modern Kisses cookie usually baked for Christmas gift-giving and popularized by a known chocolate brand. While the book may give only a glimpse of the holocaust, it also reminds one of the Filipino diaspora which is confronted by the specters of hopelessness or an overcoming spirit as OFWs risk their chances of a better life in foreign lands. The book was among the limited reprinted

copies sold at the Chicago Holocaust Museum. It was given as a gift to Joseph Digest from Alexander Bangsoy, Goshen Land CEO. He said he bought the book during a visit to the museum while studying at Kellogg University in October this year. Perhaps this book’s significance in the pages of Joseph Digest, a Filipino magazine based in Baguio city, Philippines goes back to that time when the Philippines was the only country in the world that opened its doors to fleeing European Jewry and gave them visas when Hitler was annihilating them in 1940. “When it seems that nobody in the world cares, the Philippines opened its doors to welcome people like us,” said Asher Cohen, a Holocaust survivor and an officer at the Rishon Lezion Foreign Relations Department, Israel during a ceremony honoring the Philippines in 2012. The ceremony was held at the Rishon Lezion Holocaust Memorial Park where the Open Doors Monument was built by the people and government of Israel to honor the kindness of the Philippines which was extended to them in their darkest hour. Today, there is a growing Filipino community in Israel composed of OFWs and students given scholarships by the Israeli government.***Annabelle Bangsoy, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |17

18 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |19

WE ARE SIX YEARS OLD! Building happy families for six years, this vision of Goshen Land, your homegrown property developer of choice continue to burn in the heart of every Goshen Land partner. Our support staff partners--Angela Orit, Angela Ocden, and Raymond Cruz make sure our offices are clean for the partners’ well being. Our driver partners--Jaimcy, Louie, Philip, Jerry and Lito make sure partners and clients’ road trips are safe always. Manong Joseph, our faithful courier and liaison partner make sure documents are delivered on time, rain or shine. No task is ever so mundane at Goshen Land, as each partner sharpens his own saw towards everyday excellence. We are proud of our partners, as they persevere to live Goshen Land’s vision, mission and values in their daily lives, especially after 5 p.m. The mission to prosper all stakeholders makes every partner an owner of the company. Their stewardship shines through when challenges confront us. They are not hired hands who run away at the first sight of trouble. They are owners, so they stay put, brace themselves and implement creative solutions. They refuse to give up and instead take the bull by its horns. They sacrifice a lot, knowing that Goshen Land is not just a workplace but a place of their calling. With a passion for their calling infused with the company’s innate entrepreneurial spirit, they realize their potential as they faithfully work towards “on the ground “ excellence everyday. This pursuit of everyday excellence reaped a good harvest for our partners, their families and other stakeholders. On the national level of entrepreneurship, Goshen Land, a six year old local, homegrown company was recognized as one of this year’s top 12 finalists for master entrepreneur in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. But more than this, we are grateful to our customers for trusting us and for the sixth year opportunity to change lives of underprivileged kids through Goshen Land Caring Hands and build happy families through our Goshen Land communities. *** 20 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

THE SIX YEAR JOURNEY: BAKIT HINDI? by Alexander Bangsoy, CEO and President, Goshen Land Capital Inc.

“Nung nandun ako sa stage ng Makati Shangrila para tanggapin ang Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Philippines finalist award for the master entrepreneur category, ang mga nanunuod ay ang mga karamihan na siguro sa mga pinaka successful at mayayaman na tao sa Pilipinas--Ayala, Aboitiz, Gokongwei, Uytengsu, Tan Caktiong ng Jollibee, Wash Sycip, Cesar Virata, Concepcion, at iba pa. Narinig ko na naman ang boses na nagsasabing hindi ka bagay dito, na siya nating paulit-ulit na sinasagot sa isip natin ng bakit hindi? Bakit hindi? Bakit hindi? Nung gusto nating kumuha ng abogasya, sabi natin gusto natin sa Ateneo dahil isa siya sa pinakamagandang law school. Sabi ng marami, huwag ka duon, mahal duon at mga mayayaman lang nag-aaral duon. Maout of place ka. Sabi natin, bakit hindi at ginapang namin ng aking mga magulang ang aking pag-aaral duon. “Nung nagsimula ako magnegosyo sabi ng iba, pangmalaking negosyante lang ang real estate, hindi mo kaya ‘yan, wala ka naman malaking puhunan. Bakit hindi, nagsimula tayo sa wala, binuhos ang sipag at tiyaga hanggang sa makaraos. Napakaraming hindi. Hindi nila gusto ang condo sa Baguio city. Bakit hindi,

Bakit Hindi? SGV Chairman Vic Noel (L) and Tonette Tionko (R), Entrepreneur of the Year Program Director present the top 12 Finalist of Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award to Goshen Land CEO and President Alexander Bangsoy: A six-year old company, Goshen Land is one of the youngest corporations to be recognized in the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Award.

ang ating mga condo sa Goshen Land ay isa sa mga pinakamalakas nating produkto na nauubos ang napakaraming units sa isang buwan lang. Hindi magtatagumpay ang isang katulad mong maliit lamang na negosyante sa abroad. Bakit hindi? Papunta kami ngayong linggo sa Jakarta para simulan ang Goshen Land Indonesia!” Goshen Land started in 2007 with virtually no capital because when we started the business, we were still paying off hospital debt we incurred when my father died. But we overcame this by undertaking in-

novative real estate junkyard deals. Goshen Land started off with 10 partners and only a few sales in its first year. Six years later, we have more than 200 partners (this is how we call the people working at Goshen Land) with close to a thousand outsourced workers. Goshen Land, being a local, homegrown company now has assets which qualifies it as a large corporation and a sustainable sales growth averaging 150 to 200 percent per annum culminating in an Ernst and Young finalist award this year. Goshen Land is one of the youngest corporations to [continued to page 28]

Goshen Land partners. Goshen Land envisions to send entrepreneur-leaders to establish world-class Filipino-owned businesses in emerging markets overseas that will not just employ Filipinos but foreigners as well. Bakit Hindi?***

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |21

Upgrade Now!

Goshen Land offers better living spaces for students and families

With its exciting world – class amenities such as the infinity lap pool, fitness gym, picnic area, cafes, convenience stores, wi – fi study area with book café, indoor and outdoor parking lots, 24 – hour security, students now have an upgraded, secured home in Baguio City that is very affordable. North Cambridge, masterplanned condominiums by Goshen Land is different from other dormitories and boarding houses in the city because of its Property Management Team (PMT) that provides the needs of each and every occupant. The advantage of having a PMT is that it provides easy processing, takes quick action and ensures immediate response to all the requests and concerns of the tenants. “Masaya ang feeling pag nagpapasalamat ‘yong mga tenants kung nagawa at natapos agad yong request nila”, said Pineda, maintenance and technician staff at North Cambridge. Aside from guaranteeing the well – being of student occupants, the staff of the PMT also establish a personal relationship with their clients as they serve as guardians for the student

occupants. “Often times, we serve as the guardians of the students. We are the ones who sign their waivers; Of course, we make sure na approve ng parents nila na kami yong nagiging guardian ng mga anak nila since malayo nga sila.” Nanette Eserio, Leasing Officer said. “We are happy if we provide the needs of our tenants, especially when we attend to the personal needs of our student occupants”, Eserio added.

“They serve as guardians of the student occupants”

Aside from North Cambrige, The Courtyards, another Goshen Land masterplanned community also offer units for lease and PMT services. Early this year, the Alabama and Arkansas Cabins were opened for leasing. Since North Cambridge is designed for students, The Courtyards on the other hand is for families but not limited to it. For only Php 10,000 per month. Families that are renting get to experience the service of Gos-

hen Land’s PMT and the comfort of staying in a secured community with exciting amenities. Due to the immediate increase of student renters in Bakakeng, North Cambridge masterplanned condominiums introduced the “Student Condo for Rent” concept to the market. Situated just beside SLU – Maryheights Campus, Bakakeng, North Cambridge is an ideal place for students to stay in. With its affordable monthly rental of Php 1,950 per head, students will get to experience a secured and comfortable stay at the studio type units that include a 12” flat screen tv, hot and cold shower, electric stove, compact refrigerator, and a bed with comfortable mattress plus privilege of using the exciting amenities of North Cambridge. Being the educational hub of the North with no more than ten college universities, Baguio City now caters to more than 62,000 college students from different parts of the country. According to National Statistics Office, as of 2013, there are about 15,527 house units that are being rented out for students and families. *** Joverlyn Espejo, JD

North Cambridge Masterplanned Student Condominium provides a complete living experience.***

22 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

Melbourne Towers

Fulfilling ordinary Filipinos’ dream of owning prime property

Melbourne Towers. With a pool and garden on top, Melbourne Towers is an innovation in property development in Baguio City.***

When one thinks of prime property in a Baguio city, Philippine setting, it has to be commercial in value and must be centrally located. But since affordability and availability are out of reach for most ordinary Filipinos wanting to have prime property, Goshen Land offered Melbourne Towers to answer this need. Baguio has scarce prime commercial property for sale especially within the central business district. If ever a property comes up for sale, one has to pawn the family silver and more before one could afford it. In reality, only about one

percent of the locals could afford this. This is why Melbourne Towers by Goshen Land can now be that rare opportunity for ordinary Filipinos to own prime commer-

almost seventy percent of the units were sold out. It was grabbed by locals from the city and the Cordilleras. They see their investment in Melbourne Towers as an investment, not a liability to their finances. “Tapon na pera kasi ang renta. Pag sa iyo ang unit mo, sa iyo na rin renta mo,” advises Goshen Land CEO Alexander Bangsoy. Melbourne Towers is a Goshen Land master planned community located just below Bagucial property. At Melbourne Tow- io’s famous Session Road. It offers ers, commercial space renters can residential and commercial condonow own their units instead of minium units ideal for business, clinics, offices and residences. renting for a lifetime.

“Almost seventy percent of the units were sold out in the day of its launching”

On the day of its launching,

*** Genalyn Ramos, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |23

Living in a Masterplanned Community: The Ordinary Filipino’s Dream “Nag – angot jay kanal. Ada pay babuyan kaaruba mi.” (The water canal stinks and our neighbor has a piggery. “Masang – sang – ab mi inaldaw jay angot na.” (We smell and inhale the stink every day.) We might think this complaint is from the estero where squatters are but no it comes from a lawyer resident of a middle – class area in Baguio City. This is why Goshen Land is working towards masterplanned communities in all its developments. This means there’s no stinky piggery within the community. In fact for every masterplanned community Goshen Land builds, a sewage treatment plan (STP) is installed by the developer. A masterplanned community as defined by builders is an almost complete community that provides the residential commercial and recreational facilities and services needed for its residents. Great benefits could be found in a masterplanned community. Basic necessities are present within the community such as convenient stores, bakery, laundry shop, water refilling stations and the like. There is no need to endure the hassle of traffic to shop for basic needs. This saves time and transportation expense. At Goshen Land masterplanned communities, they provide amenities such as fitness gyms, swimming pools, clubhouses, and other sports facilities that can be used by residents for their weekend activities with their family and friends. A masterplanned community also provides private security for its residents. A fence around the whole community are patrolled to ensure the residents are safe. With these privileges of living in Goshen Land master-

24 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski runs the garden path at the Courtyards.***

planned communities, they turn out to be the best places to raise kids and grow families. At The Courtyards, a masterplanned community developed by Goshen Land in Baguio, one could see families enjoying the perks of living in a masterplanned community. Their kids enjoy playing in its gardens, open spaces, and can take a nap and relax at The Courtyards Pavilion without worrying about the security.

“Great benefits could be found in a masterplanned community.” In a masterplanned community there is more open space compared to unplanned communities where house are built anywhere and sometimes even the parks are being sold for housing. At Goshen Land masterplanned communities, lots have certain sizes and houses have maximum sizes as well as every house has its own road

access. Zoning and waste management come with the masterplanning such that North Cambridge and The Courtyards, both Goshen Land masterplanned communities have their own sewage treatment plants. And definitely, no stinking piggery within the community. In a Goshen Land masterplanned community, a Project Management Team takes care of the monthly maintenance of the parks, open spaces, common areas and facilities in the community. When you own a house or a condominium in a Goshen Land masterplanned community, the value of your property increases. This means great return on investment for those who plan to eventually sell their property or those who want to invest in a Goshen Land property. Properties appreciate in value in Goshen Land communities because of the amenities built around the area and a Property Management Team maintains it. *** Harriet Dale M. Sagorsor, JD

Forward-looking investments now at Blue Ridge Mountains

Your Pamana Investment

With the uncertainty of globalized economies that results to the devaluing of properties in North America, a Cordilleran OFW who works in the United States is better off now if he invests in property in the Philippines. A forward looking investment for the Cordilleran OFWs in US and even Europe is Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Mountains is a masterplanned community located in Baguio City where you can build your dream home. Only 30% of the entire property will be developed, which means that residents can enjoy the perks of living in what is essentially a nature reservation. The natural bodies of water, the trees and the wildlife will be maintained because Goshen Land would like to bring back the experience of Old Baguio; crisp air, pine scented breeze and beautiful scenery. The rest of the property’s 70% is dedicated to open spaces and a green zone planted with coffee. The coffee project would benefit underprivileged

kids in Goshen Land’s GLCI scholarship program and its grassroots football program it sponsors for the city of Baguio. Being involved in the construction of your dream home from start to finish is a beautiful experience, and it is an experience offered at Blue Ridge Mountains. Here, clients start with a basic design and

“We build homes that complement the beautiful surroundings” they can add or change the features they want in their home. The basic house designs have a modern-country theme. The aesthetic of homes in Blue Ridge Mountains is dominated by earth-tone colors and organic architectural lines with modern details. “We build homes that complement

the beautiful surroundings”, says Carl Mark Abellera, Assistant Project Director for Blue Ridge Mountains. This includes making the windows of the homes extra wide so that residents can enjoy the beautiful scenery and of course, making sure that a balcony is strategically placed where the view is the most breathtaking. By October 2014, house construction will start for the initial batch of homes. This gives ample time for clients to start paying for the land and the cost of construction. In fact, this is ideal for OFWs who plan to come home after a few years. They can start making monthly payments and within a couple of years they can go back to Baguio and have their dream home. The homes in Blue Ridge Mountains are designed to stand the test of time because these structures are your pamana investment. It will stand witness not only to the joys and trials of your family but also the lives of your children and the families that they will build in the future. ***Flynn Ayugat, JD

Blue Ridge Mountains offers a great opportunity for OFWs and locals to have a basket for investment. *** joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |25

school, but lack proper funding. There are children here in this country who could have graduated with honors, have their school materials been properly provided for. One always sees the politician enjoying a life built on dishonesty and fraud; when will they able to see that there are children who haven’t even started living?

Seedling Subliminal Catalysts Noel Diaz Trisha Teope Von Benedict Duran Redge Ballesteros Karin Bangsoy Vie Azarcon (coach)

Editors Note

The Subliminal Catalysts is a group of high school students from Baguio who won the Media Advocacy Campaign Contest during the ABBCS Literary and Litmus Competition. We are featuring here the contents of their handbill. Their media campaign used a two-media approach-video and print. Sana is their handbill’s title. EDUCATION One of the effects of corruption is that it takes away from the funds that could have been used to alleviate poverty and thereby improve the status of basic education for every Filipino: not just for the elite rich, but also for those below the working class. In this country, the money that could have gone to social programs now lines politician’s pockets. And this is the sad reality: that there are children here who could have gone to

26 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

INFRASTRUCTURE Juan limps along with a crutch on the way to school. Because of the unpaved road, he often trips and falls. Hid body is covered with scars from his trips and tumbles. But he cannot do anything about it, and so he trudges on. Notorious for being the most exploited fund, the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) or more commonly known as “pork barrel” could have been used to fix situations like these. However, this seems not to be the case. Instead, many of our country’s leaders hungrily eye it as a “get – rich – quick” scheme, with no thought at all for those who have been continually affected by these dilapidated, deteriorated infrastructures. What could have been fixed…. What could have been improved .... at this time, these are all “could – have – beens”. HEALTH Every year, more and more Filipinos from rural areas die or suffer needlessly because they do not have a healthcare plan to cover their costs in cases of need. Money that could have gone to supporting and implementing these healthcare plans has gone to other wallets. Every year, a mother has to find another ways to bring her baby into the world, simply because she cannot afford the hospital dues. Every year, a baby suffers needlessly from the common cough and colds, simply because there is not enough medicine in that rural clinic. Every year, more and more children fall prey to a disease that could have been prevented with a simple vaccination. What kind

of a notion have we become – if our leaders selfishly give not thought to the health and welfare of the Filipino People? CORRUPTION is more than what it looks like in the surface. It is more than dishonest politicians and fake NGOs. It is more than what is published in newspapers and what is broadcast on the television. To the Filipino people, these are intangible: political gibberish and nonsense and lies that most cannot understand. What we do understand is what we really see: the wasted potential of billions of pesos that could have gone improves the country, and the death of honesty and integrity. That is why we say that corruption is the nation’s greatest “could – have – been”. Imagine the schools that could have been built and teachers that could have been hired. Imagine the medical facilities that could have been improved and the healthcare plans for the Filipino that could have been put into place. Imagine the roads that could be built; imagine the amount of road accident – caused deaths that could have been prevented. And that is why we mourn; but more than mourning, we dream. We dream of a better Philippines, a corruption – free land where truth is free to take root and thrive. We dream of a nation where money is no longer the cause of destruction, but the root of improvement. We dream of a place where what the Filipino works for will be returned to him in kind, and not swept away into the murky shadows of the political system. We dream of a Philippines where the light of truth is so strong that no shadow of deception will be able to prevail. We are dreamers; we are the youth. And it is up to us to make it so.***

Bound for Nationals

Baguio City High boys bag Milo Olympics -Luzon Football Championship

Fifteen football players from Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) and members of Goshen Land Football Club (CGFC) under Coach Aris Bocalan emerged as champions in the Luzon-wide Milo Olympics held recently at the Melvin Jones Football Field. They beat scores of teams from different schools from CAR and regions 1, 2 and 3. They will represent Baguio,CAR and Luzon in the upcoming national Milo Olympics to be held in Cebu in November. The team is composed of third year and fourth year highschool students from Baguio City National High School (BCNHS) under principal Elma Donaal They diligently train at the Melvin Jones and Athletic Bowl football fields. Mayor Mauricio Domogan, a football enthusiast, gave them permission to use both fields for their training. This way, kids who are

interested to train in football are given an alternative from the attraction offered by drugs, alcohol and bum gangs.

“Malalaki sila. So we beat them with our ground ball game and speed” The players in the team are: Dean Carlos (Goalkeeper), Louie Kiyawan (Goalkeeper), Marvin Viray (striker), Mike Danieve Arbela (striker), Jason Escara (Midfielder), Reggy Ubfan (Midfielder), Spencer Galasa (Midfielder), Carlo Conde (Midfielder), Russel Carino (Midfielder), Alfin Olero (Defender), John Nicolas Dammay (Defender), Jacob Gomez (Defender), Keazer Maliones (Defender), Jemsley

Dalisay (Defender), James Mansueto (Defender). The boys persevered amidst the taunting of other players from other teams. One intimidated them saying his dad is a congressman, to which one Baguio player answered, “eh anu ngayon kung congressman tatay mo?” ‘Malalaki sila. So we beat them with our ground ball game and speed,” Mike Arbela, 15, one of Baguio team’s striker said. Since he was in grade 5, Arbela was already being recruited by a university in Manila to play for the school’s varsity. A Goshen Land Caring Hands scholar, he is in the top five of their class’s academic ranking. He was Baguio city’s elementary football team captain in 2010 when his team won the CARAA football elementary championship.***JD

Champions. It is encoureging to see them grow up and improve in life, school and play.***

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |27

Six Year Journey...

[Continued from page 21]

ever become an Ernst and Young finalist in the master entrepreneur category. To encourage young, startup entrepreneurs, we like to humbly share with you four Goshen Land ways: 1.VISION, MISSION AND VALUES (VMV)- At Goshen Land, we believe that vision, mission and values result into a certain action, repeated action becomes a habit, and habits practiced consistently in the company develops into its culture and culture determines destiny. As CEO, I would preach the VMV to our partners for 2 hours every Monday, 8 a.m. sharp. With all humility, we can’t argue with the results of our VMV. With just six years in the industry, we are now considered a large corporation, breaking sales and profit records consistently every year, part of the top ten thousand corporate taxpayers of the country, and featured on TV, radio, newspapers and the new media. 2.MARKET- One cannot breakthrough in a market if his product or service is just like the others without any differentiation. One must come up with a remarkable product

and service to meet an unmet need in the market. “Me toos “ or generic products without unique selling propositions (USP) will not be sustainable. At Goshen Land, we believe that unremarkable products that compete only on the basis of price become commodities whose survival in the market is nil. 3.PEOPLE- I like what our pastors always preach. In Christianity, we don’t need more converts but disciples. This principle is the same with entrepreneurship. People are your most important assets and you don’t need just employees but loyal disciples. At Goshen Land, these loyal partners are now being discipled or trained to become leaders whom we envision to become even far better than the CEO. We see Goshen Land Baguio as the training ground of world class leaders and entrepreneurs that Goshen Land envisions to send overseas not as OFWs seeking jobs abroad but entrepreneur-leaders who will establish world class Filipino owned businesses overseas and employ foreigners. As such, Goshen Land partners take it upon themselves to run with the vision, mission and values of Goshen Land. They put their blood,

sweat and tears in growing the business because they partake of its profits making them part owners. They are not bored employees punching an 8 to 5 card but committed, enthusiastic partners who are building a legacy and working for the privilege of providing a better life for their families. 4.CONTINUOUS LEARNING- At Goshen Land, we take our business as our passion. It gives us an insatiable desire to never stop learning about the intricacies and nuances of our entrepreneurial ventures. We don’t work on silos but we create cross-functional people who know every part of the business because of the intensive training experienced while doing their tasks. Our goal is to establish a corporate university with a campus that rivals that of the finest business schools. 5.START- Goshen Land started small. But never despise small beginnings. Just start. The problem of would be entrepreneurs is not that they fail but they never get to start. Nothing happens until you take the plunge. Goshen Land believes that vision should be pursued regardless of the absence or scarcity of resources. Hindi hadlang ang pagiging salat o mahirap sa pag-asenso ng Pilipino. Kaya natin. Bakit hindi?***

You take your people with you. At Goshen Land, success is teamwork and developing people. Here, the first batch of leaders the Goshen Land CEO developed, celebrated with him and his family during his Ernst and Young Entrepreneur Awarding at Makati Shangri-la on October 2013. *** 28 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

Sir Jess: The Steward of Summerfields Sir Jess is a familiar figure in Summerfields, masterplanned residential community by Goshen Land. He is often seen striding from one construction concern to another, his small frame purposefully walking towards one corner where a road is being paved and afterwards, to another part of Summerfields, where a house is being constructed. His walks are interrupted by residents and employees of the community who are eager to say hello or to exchange a few words. The younger residents at Summerfields regard Sir Jess like an uncle and some of the older ones think of him as a faithful steward. As a site supervisor, it is the job of Sir Jess to inspect and oversee the construction progress of the property, but he performs duties above and beyond that job description. Since a lot of the residents are OFWs who come home every couple of years, they have left their homes and even their families to stay at Summerfields. This is why they make it a point to know that the people handling the community are trustworthy. And sir Jess is definitely one of the people they rely on to make sure that everything is in order. Everything is his concern, from the maintenance of the houses to the welfare of the kids staying at Summerfields. Sir Jess or Manong Jess, is known for his soft-spoken demeanor and quick smile. But don’t be fooled by his seemingly easy-going nature because nothing escapes his sharp gaze and high standards when it comes to construction and development. He doesn’t hesitate to tear down a structure when it doesn’t pass his standards, and he will supervise every aspect of rebuilding it until he is satisfied with the quality of work.

Jess Organista. Summerfields site supervisor stands up to tests of integrity.***

“Hindi ako matalino, pero hindi ako tanga” That’s Sir Jess for you, a man of integrity and honor. He is often bribed by contractors to look the other way when they plan to cut corners in building homes or paving roads. But Sir Jess has never succumbed to the temptation of easy money. “Hindi ko bubuhayin ang pamilya ko sa perang

hindi ko marangal na pinagsikapan”, he says when asked why he has never taken a bribe. Even when times were hard, and even when he really needed the money, it had never occurred to Sir Jess to take the easy way out. “Hindi ako matalino, pero hindi ako tanga” was his reply when a contractor was trying to indirectly buy him by trying to make the bribe look like a simple gesture of goodwill. This self-deprecating humor and unshakeable values are characteristic of Sir Jess and they are one of the reasons why he is a treasured partner of Goshen Land and a beloved steward of Summerfields.*** Flynn Ayugat, JD joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |29

PARENTS OF FIVE by Alexander and Annabelle Bangsoy EDITOR’S NOTE We are starting a parenting series hoping to encourge parents in their journey. We have been blessed by God with five kids. Karin,15, Jon, 12, Sammie,8, IJ, 6, Debbie 4. Each one was given to us with all their uniqueness in tow. It gave us a reality picture of what the Scriptures have said long ago: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made. You made all the delicate parts,

inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was written in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day has passed.” With this , we learned three basic things we applied in the parenting of our five kids which we like to share with anyone who likes to learn like us. 1.Our kids have their own calling. As parents, we learned that each kid has his own calling. We don’t dictate on the calling predetermined by God for them. Many times, their calling in life is not separate from their God-designed DNA and ‘wiring’. It is the role of parents to be sensitive and discerning to this so that the kid will not be manipulated into taking a path for the parents, for the parents’ glory and for the parents’ satisfaction and not the kid’s. Our kids are not extensions of ourselves nor a vindication of our failures. We just guide. Our first born daughter Karin loves “intellectual jousting” with her

dad so she is keen on taking up courses that could fuel that passion she has coupled with her passion for writing. We guided her in the options available for her that could stir all the more her passion for issue debates, social, economic and political policies that affect people. She is looking at writing and lawyering to serve others as a fulfillment of her calling. Jon, her brother has a different wiring and DNA fit for the calling God has for him with an end of serving others. He sees himself as an entrepreneur and a leader of his organization. In his younger years, he desires to play as a goalkeeper of a national team from the Philippines. When he was 11, he played as a goalkeeper for a 12-under football team from the Philippines that won as first runner up in Denmark besting other countries at the Dana Cup. He is again being considered to play for a 13 under team to be brought to Europe next year through the Makati Football Club. Because of this, Jon is already being mentored by his dad on [continued to page 32]

The Bangsoy brood. (backrow) Annabelle, Jon, Karin, Debbie, Alex, (front) IJ, and Sammie.***

30 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |31

Parents of Five... [Continued from page 30] leadership and running a business. Sammie, our fashionista sees herself opening her own shop and atelier in Paris in the future . She is passionate for design and the finer things in life. She said she will use fashion to help under privileged kids have a better start and future in life. Because of this, we expose her to her passion. We show her the world of design and give her opportunities to experience the arts by being a spectator or a participant. IJ and Debbie, while still a bit young have already exhibited their different ‘wiring’ and DNA which we are keen on developing as they grow up. A word of warning though. As we counsel our kids, we tell them not to disqualify themselves from the calling that God has for them by wrong choices like immorality, pre-marital sex, drugs, friends with bad influence, wrong relationships and others. Do our kids make mistakes? Of course. Do we make mistakes as parents?

favorite third born, IJ, our favorite fourth born and Debbie, our favorite fifth born. We love each of them unconditionally. With the uniqueness God placed in them, we decided early on not to compare them. Comparison diminishes a child’s self-esteem, hope and vision. “Bakit ka kasi di kagaya ng ate mo,”Bakit ka ganyan, hindi mo kagaya ang kuya mo na magaling, Bobo, wala kang alam.” These words which are sometimes uttered by parents have caused not just indelible hurts kids carry with them throughout their lives until adulthood and marriage but also lives lose in limbo, in search of who they really are. Worse, they

seek love from all the wrong places and people. From our experience, the uniqueness of each child will sometimes cause disagreement among siblings but it is a natural thing because they see things differently. With our five kids, some are left-brained, some are right-brained so they learn differently. It doesn’t really matter to us if a kid reads at 4 or 5 years old and a kid fluently reads at 7 or 8.Once they grow up, they will all be reading. We celebrate the uniqueness of each child in our family and teach our kids to appreciate how God designed them--”fearfully and wonderfully made. [Continued

to page 33]

“God is the only one they could depend on even when everything is gone.” You bet we do. We are grateful that God’s grace covers all our lack and imperfections and more than compensates for our failures. 2. Each kid is unique, different. We always assure our kids that they are all our favorites. Karin is our favorite first born, Jon, our favorite second born, Sammie, our

32 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

Don’t Compare. Comparison diminishes a child’s confidence and self-esteem.***

Parents of Five... [continued from page 30&32]

3. The goal of parenting is to raise our kids to be dependent on God and independent of us. Most Filipinos, including us are hard up in releasing their kids. But we learned early on that when you have entrusted your life to The Lord, you are not releasing your kids to the dogs or to the darkness of the world. What assures us, even at night , and when that time comes that our kids will have to fly the coop to their destiny in The Lord is that we are releasing them to Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s care and protection. God is the only one they could depend on even when mom and dad are not there and even when everything is gone. Teaching our five kids then early on, for them to love The Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind and strength is deliberate and a matter of hard work. If we want our kids to be dependent on God, Alex and I have to walk the talk. They have to see us loving God and depending on Him at all times, not just on bad weather. So far, God had been faithful to our kids. He comforts them in their dejected times, especially if they lose in their endeavors, in school or in play. Then they begin to pray and ask God to teach them to be humble, obedient, and have a victorious attitude. We started teaching them to be dependent on God through small things. If they come up and say they want a toy, we ask them first to pray about it till God provides for them.*** joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |33

Commentary

Chico River, Gayang Mountain Province. The rich history of Chico River must be nurtured even in its development. Ideally, it must be harnessed by locals.**

FOUR years back, we heard The City of Tabuk, Kalinga was bent on constructing a mini-hydroelectric plant as a renewable energy resource. The local government had applied for a bank loan to build the facility which, when operational, would ensure years of power to the people of Kalinga, literally and otherwise. The plant will be owned by Tabuk and its people. Tabuk’s project is a move in the right direction. Hydropower generation is highly feasible and practical in the Cordillera. Otherwise private ventures wouldn’t have stamped their brand of business up here, harnessing resources within our midst and beyond our comprehension to see, much less develop, for our own. They are applying or had already obtained water rights over our rivers long before

34 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

our local government units started taking stock of this region’s resources. Otherwise, the giant firm Aboitiz wouldn’ts have bought the Ambuclao and Binga Dams in Benguet and rehabilitated the same. In tandem with a Norwegian partner, the same power giant purchased the Magat Dam in Alfonso Lista, Ifugao which, because of natural wealth and other taxes going to the host local government unit, is being claimed by Isabela as host, despite the fact that lots surrounding the facility are registered in Ifugao. Otherwise, a Korean investment-backed enterprise wouldn’t be aggressive in its push to harness river water by tunneling in another hydroelectric power venture Kapangan and Kibungan towns in Benguet. Other-

photo by Joverlyn Espejo

Development from

wise, Aboitiz wouldn’t have ventured into the Chico River and forged an agreement for a mini-hydro development in Sabangan, Mt. Province. After all, hydropower is a renewable resource. Now we buy energy harnessed through our resources by these independent power producers, occasionally with feeble protests over the socalled “power purchase adjustment” (PPA) that allows them to charge us even for electricity not delivered or not used by us. Region-wide, our local government units have yet to take the cue and go beyond computing and begging for their share from the exploitation of the Cordillera’s water resources. They have yet to explore the probability of building and owning their own energy plants. I broached this idea of host

and for the Cordillera “It’s long overdue to go beyond begging for what is due and overdue us in terms of national wealth taxes and other benefits and develop our resources for our own benefit.” from the extraction of the gold, silver and copper and harnessing of the water resources up here. No one wants to move on towards autonomy that, despite its imperfections, would give us something to improve on. That regional watershed summit at the end of 2008 could have been the venue for taking stock of our rights over what remains of this region’s resources instead of it part-

ly being triggered by the complaint of the lowlands that their vital water source up here that is the life-blood of their farms and even industries is drying up. For generations, the Cordillera has been the watershed, the resource base for national development. Recently, it has been blamed for the flooding and silting of the lowlands, calamities they say are triggered by the dams and mining activities up here. Lost in that recurrent complaint is the fact these ventures hardly kept us at pace in development with them and the rest of the country. These are all water under the bridge –about hydro power and gold produced here and delivered to spur development in Metro-Manila and elsewhere. The Cordillera had given so much in the name of national spilt [continued to page 38]

photo by Joverlyn Espejo

communities or local government units building and forever owning power plants to the late Benguet provincial prosecutor Felix Cabading as a talking point during the peace talks for the creation of a Cordillera Administrative Region and eventually an autonomous one. We missed the boat towards autonomy that would have given us a leverage to impose conditions for further natural resource development in the Cordillera. Over two decades after the peace pact was signed and the interim region installed, we seem content with the administrative setup. It appears only Juan Ngalob, the regional director for development, and the Regional Development Council, are concerned about the disparity between our level of development and those of other regions that progressed

Ambuclao Dam. When will Cordillerans take charge of their natural resources?***

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |35

GOSHEN LAND THANKS TOY GIVERS FOR YOUNG SURVIVORS OF TYPHOON YOLANDA

Thank you. May the good Lord bring it back a hundred fold.***

In a hastily called online drive for toys to somehow uplift the spirits of the traumatized kids who survived typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas, Goshen Land is overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the short term project. Goshen Land customers who

36 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

dropped by the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home store during the weekend run to the nearest toy store in Baguio and rushed back to the office to bring brand new toys. Goshen Land partners-- the ones who work at Goshen Land ,also gave anything from whatever

they could spare from their homes. Karin Bangsoy, a 15 year old Grade 10 student in Baguio who also writes for Joseph Digest, told her parents she will give her birthday money to the typhoon victim kids in lieu of a 16th birthday on November 30 which she planned earlier. A resident at The Courtyards, a Goshen Land master planned community in Baguio gave five thousand pesos to the drive. Netizens also suggested drop boxes must be placed along Session Road for the toys drive . Goshen Land staff responded immediately to the request by placing a box infront of Manahan building along Session Road. For the long term, Goshen Land plans to help rebuild homes of some indigent survivors in the Visayas beginning next year. ***JD

BLISTT Development to boost La Trinidad economy

La Trinidad Trading center. Mountain produce gets traded in bulk at LaTrinidad.***

The recent revitalization of the Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, Tublay (BLISTT) project looks forward to decentralize, decongest and extend development from Baguio City outwards. According to NEDA, this opens La Trinidad as a secondary center and alternative, and expansion of industrial, educational, business and residential area for Baguio residents and other migrants. This scenario is starting to take place in La Trinidad as a center and likewise BPO firms are already operating in the said town. There is also an increased presence of restaurants, banks, transportation facilities and government offices. The old La Trinidad Trading Post is now being expanded to a wider space at the swamp area. The BLISTT development project will also cause better migration possibilities in the towns surrounding Baguio City. With better infrastructures and new business op-

portunities plus more tourists, who wouldn’t consider moving to a town with constant and long term growth? It will be a good economic development that benefits all the involved parties.

“The old La Trinidad Trading Post is now being expanded to a wider space at the swamp area.” One of the primary benefits of this project would be better accessibility for all the stakeholders. This project involves connecting all the 128 barangays to the surrounding towns of Benguet through constructing and improving roads. This would benefit town like La Trinidad which trades goods like vegetables and fruits. It would also contribute to a greater impact on tourism. Imagine the town filling with tourists and various travel-

lers. It can be very beneficial not only to the big businesses but also to small and medium enterprises. La Trinidad is also known as the marketing arm of the Province of Benguet with annual gross sales of 60.5 billion form the different commercial and manufacturing businesses. La Trinidad remains to be an agricultural area with urbanization fast creeping in the valley area. La Trinidad, a first class municipality is the capital of Benguet. It is the Strawberry Bowl of the Philippines and is part of Metro Baguio and BLISTT. With the BLISTT finally taking off, more benefits will arise and therefore more growth will materialize in the years to come. Through BLISTT, locals can expect more economic opportunities in the future. *** Kristine Mae Gacer, JD

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |37

Development from and for... [Continued from page 35] milk and stand on its own – like our small-scale miners and vegetable farmers. It’s time for our regional leaders and local government units to think of and pursue development in terms of our own. “It’s long overdue to go beyond begging for what is due and overdue us in terms of national wealth taxes and other benefits and develop our resources for our own benefit.” Reports have it that the Benguet Electric Cooperative plans to venture into mini-hydro development. It is a push in the right direction, and given Beneco’s track record of turning around a problem-riddled system into a class A facility, it can be the beginning towards the region’s sustaining its own development through energy generation that, for most intents and purposes, benefitted Metro-Manila and other regions and the private power producers. There’s also wisdom in rallying the rest of the Cordillera provinces and Baguio to supporting Kalinga’s push to self-empowerment through its mini-hydro dam project that will be owned, managed and used by and for its people. There’s even a better deal than the Kalinga project, as exemplified by the .2 megawatt Ambangal River hydroelectric power project built by the G-8 countries as their gift to Kiangan, the host town, and Ifugao province. After the facility was finished, it was turned over to the provincial government. The only condition was that part of the income from the sale of electricity would go to the rehabilitation of the rice terraces in Kiangan, Banaue, Mayoyao

How to spot... [Continued from page 14] Lastly, the investment I favor strongly is real estate. For one, land will always be in demand as it is called mother of all industries. All kinds of activities, may it be residential, commercial or indus-

and Hungduan towns of the province which are endangered due to erosion, neglect and abandonment. Instead of aggressively tapping similar support of foreign countries, however, the region and its local government units appear more keen on approving private enterprise to build and forever own our renewable energy resources. There should be a time-frame, a limit to how long a private hydro-developer should own and operate a generation facility. As noted by Engr. Edmund Bugnosen, a mining consultant and Cordilleran, even mining permits given for exploration and actual extraction of minerals have their expiry dates. This should apply to hydropower developers who should not own the plants they build in perpetuity but should turn these over to the host local government or community after they have recouped their investments and realized enough profits. The political leaders of host communities, the provinces and even the region owe it to their constituencies to press for this provision akin to the build-operate-transfer scheme of doing projects. It’s time, too, for the other provinces, Baguio and the RDC to rally behind the fight of Ifugao for benefits due it from the operation of the Magat Dam, something which then Ifugao governor, now Rep Teddy Baguilat, tried to explain during that watershed summit five years ago. Otherwise, the Cordillera would remain the watershed cradle for Northern Luzon and the mineral and electric power resource base of the country but never for itself. (email: mondaxbench@yahoo.com for comments.)***

“Whatever your choice is for investments, make sure that you have prayerfully considered it” used for collateral loans. In fact, it

a regular income without being hands on in the operations of the investment.

This is because in

an ideal investment real estate, you just receive your share of the monthly rent. The professional property management and leasing company take care of leasing and managing your unit. This invest-

trial concerns would need land.

is the most preferred collateral ac-

Your property investment could be

for those who would like to earn money we are talking about.***

ment real estate is ideal for OFWs, Secondly, land is a diminishing cepted by financial institutions. If professionals, high wage earners, and scarce resource. So we have the financial experts say real estate and business owners in search of on one hand a strong demand and is the most preferred asset for coladditional income. on the other a diminishing supply. laterals then who are we to argue Whatever your choice is Thus the net effect is that land in- with their wisdom. Thirdly, investment real estate for investments, make sure that vestments almost always increase you have prayerfully considered it. in value thru time. Land invest- yields passive income in terms of After all this is your hard earned ment is also an economic enabler. rent. This is an ideal investment

38 Joseph Digest| DECEMBER 2013

joseph.goshenlandcapital.com |39