Our very first property Investment, Fruits of a hard labor, A blessing from God

Hubby and I have acquired 3 different properties in our 25 years together. This is the very first one we purchased last 2016.

✹The story behind the purchase

Hubby worked in the local Water District here in our city. As part of their program to the community. They give out free water to those barangays that have water problems during the peak of the Summer months. Usually the affected areas are the one's on the higher parts because water is scarce so the water pressure from the water treatment plants is not enough to push the water up on the highlands. Hubby is the one in-charge of the motor pool department. He handles all the vehicles of the company. He drives the water tanker to these affected areas every summer just so they can provide safe water to the people. One area is where we acquired our lot. This place is the resettlement area of the affected indigenous tribe from Zambales called the Aetas during the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. This is where the then Mayor of our city placed them. Since this is an ancestral domain area, the local water district cannot put their facility on the area without their approval. It has been 30 years now since they are here. I think this year, there has been an agreement between the local tribes and the local government to put up water facilities on this land. Hubby was able to know of this property during his frequent visits to the place bringing water for the people. The property that we acquired is not part of the resettlement area. It is just on the entrance going to the Aeta's resettlement place or barangay. He came to know this when he and his fellow colleagues were looking for areas that might have a source for water. When they came here and asked about the property and its owner the people said it is not for sale. So they never bother asking again. Then one day while hubby was on Facebook, he came across a post about a lot for sale. He inquired on the owner and asked for the details of the property and its price. He then went back and looked at the place. This was really a surprise, Hubby did not tell me about his of purchasing a property. It was all a surprise. We have some saved up money in the bank so he purchased it. He then asked me to go with him stating we will just look for some lot with a water source for his company. Little did I know when we arrived there he showed me the Deed of Sale to the lot. What can I say, I was really happy. Owning a land? what!! His plan of surprising me really did work out. My hubby knows where to put his money. He always plan for the future and he is very good at handling our finances. He knows where and how to put our money to good use. Going to this place, you must pass a zig zag going down hill with steep roads beside a river below. I can't imagine him driving the big water tanker filled with water going up and down the steep road. Just behind that curve is the steep descent the entry to where the resettlement area is and where we have our property. For small vehicles its okay but for the big trucks like the water tanker it is really very hard. One must be a very good driver like hubby. I am really super proud of him.

✹The zigzag road

On your way here, it is like you are in a different country. You can see the rock formations of the mountains, so beautiful. This is the road going to the zigzag.

The descent is not that difficult, you just need to have good brakes. The ascent is were it is very tricky and hard specially when you have oncoming vehicles as well. You cannot go up speedily and if you are not a good driver your engine will stop and you will be hanging on the steep rode. Imagine hubby travelling here at night no street lights on the rode and driving a big tanker truck. whew!

✹ PINAGPALA or The Blessed Place

Would you believe that the name of the place is called PINAGPALA which translates The Blessed in English. Yah, the name of the place seals the blessings from God. I think owning this property was a blessing for all his hard work and his service to the people in this barangay. Imagine he would be going here with his water tanker full from 5pm til past midnight because the trip and the delivering of the water would consume two hours going back and forth refilling the tanker from a fire hydrant inside the Base then going back again. Then the following day, 8am he will go to work. That's how hardworking my hubby was. He has no reason to say no because it was only him who has the guts to drive the water tanker going to this zigzag road dark at night.

✹ The House

This property has a house but still on it's skeletal form when we acquired it. Basically it was just hollow blocks no plastering yet. There was no toilet and bath everything was rough and still needs a lot of budget to make it look like a house. This is now its recent photo. We have already done a lot of work on this house and have spent a lot as well. Since we really don't have a big amount of money for its construction so we do renovations little by little. Now we were able to plaster the walls, put some windows and added some grills and jalousies inside the bedroom area. We designed it to have two big bedrooms. A living room upon entering and adjacent will be the dining area then it has a kitchen on the side then the toilet and bath at the back part. We are not really in a hurry in finishing this house because we just come here when we have the time. We don't rent it out. We come here to do some grass cutting on the grounds and when we have the time. It is our escape from all the hustle and bustle of the city. Our quiet and happy place.

October last year 2020, We let my sister live here together with her family she has five kids so they can save instead of renting out because her partner cannot find a regular job and renting out is too much for them. The children were so happy because they have a very big playground. They have nature all around and this place is windy as well, a very good place for kids specially during the pandemic

We purchased it because this property has free flowing spring water. Our neighbors who were living there said that ever since they moved here 25 years ago this was their source of water because this Community has not been reached by the local Water District up until now. They don't have water line connections. So for them having this spring water was really a blessing to them. Several families use this as their water source so when they found out that it has been sold and we were the new owner they asked us if what will be our plans for the place because they were afraid we will not give them the access to the water anymore. We told them not to worry about it, they can get water there freely. They put up some hose from the source of the spring and then connected it to each of their respective homes. We never took their privilege of having water from our property so up until now they are freely using the water. Since we don't live there it is okay. We love to share what we have to people. When my sister came and lived here, we placed a plastic container so they will have their own water supply as well. Great thing about this spring water it has never dried up ever since even during hot summer days and during the droughts on the previous years. Water just continuously flows. Which I am truly grateful for. I consider this a blessing having flowing water which helps our surrounding neighbors and my sister as well. They boil the water for drinking just to be safe because this is not treated. For their baths, we told them to add in some chlorine on the deposited water in their basins and big buckets inside the house. So it will be safe for the kids because they might have skin rashes or any skin problems just to be sure.

This land is about 1,700 square meters. It has lots of fruit bearing trees around the backyard like Coconut trees, Bananas, Mango trees, Jackfruits, Cotton fruit. We have fig trees (tibig) as well, Mahogany trees, Big Lush Colonies of Bamboo Trees among others. Our coconuts have lots of fruits. We were able to harvest some last June. The bananas behind hubby, we planted them ourselves.

Last year November 2020, hubby and I planted some Cassava plants on the hilly part of the lot and we are hoping to harvest some next month. This was just a try out if cassava's would grow healthily on the soil.

One thing I love were the huge elephant ears plant growing all around the property. This plant became a fad during the pandemic when some actors and actresses planted these in their homes just like the wife of the great Filipino legend boxer Manny Pacquiao, Jinkee Pacquiao. She has these plants on big pots in front of her house just on the entry. Since she is famous so a lot of fellow socialites planted them as well. Then these plants became expensive. I was glad I have them as well all over our backyard and it did not cost me anything because they just grow abundantly in the lot. See those giant leaves, they are as tall as me.... haha. These are just for ornamental purposes. But we have those kinds that can be eaten. The bulbs can be cooked and eaten.

Like this one here below, its fruits can be eaten. It tastes like that of a taro plant and it also looks like that of a taro as well. You can cook like the same manner as what you can do with the taro.

August last year, After the lockdown due to the pandemic. We had our camping here. I invited my brother and my other sister together with the whole family and had our weekend family camping. Each had our own tents and enjoyed the beautiful night sky. We had a boodle fight during our dinner. We ate on the banana leaves. Lighted up a camp fire. The best part was the fire flies watching because we have fireflies in the property as well. So cool right! The kids really had fun seeing the fire flies for the first time. It was such a magical experience. We were not able to capture a photo of them because it was like time stopped and we were just all still while captivated by how fireflies lit up the dark night around us.

Cute little buggers, enjoying their tent. These are my nieces and nephew. They are cousins. This lovely girl wearing pink is my sister's daughter who lives on the house. The other girl is the daughter of hubby's brother and the last cute boy there is my brother's youngest son. They were playing cards and their gadgets inside their tent. This was past midnight already , they were too excited that they cannot sleep. So we just let them be, after all this was a fun camping get away.

The following morning, we hiked going to our second and third property which was just a 30-minute hike uphill from our camp site. This was part of our camping trip and everyone loved the idea of hiking since they are all city kids. Going up the hills and seeing the mountains really made them so excited even if they don't have much sleep from the nights camping they all woke up early feeling so energized and so happy. Here on this photo we are at our "Hill top", you can see the mountains behind. This lot has a 360 degrees view of the adjacent mountains. This has around 40 plus mango trees and cashew nut trees all mature and bearing fruits.

Everyone really had a great time. I am planning on having our camping again for this year 2021 at our hill top, hoping it will materialize since everybody are busy with work. This lot is the third property that we acquired. I will make an article about how we got this as well but first I will write about the second one.

✹My Gratitude to the Lord; Fulfilling a Promise

I am ever so grateful because me and hubby were blessed to have the wisdom to know and discern and act out our dreams and plans. We dance the same dance. We sing to the same tune. We always support each other. We love and respect each other. I am grateful as well because hubby has no vices. I am grateful that hubby fulfilled his promise to me the day he asked my hand in marriage. I will never forget this words. He said, "Mama I don't have lots of money to offer you, I am not rich but these hands will work for you and our family. I will make sure to give you a good and happy life for as long as I shall live. " Oh, bless his dear heart. I love him so much.

I hope you liked reading my true to life experiences article. See you on my next post on my next story telling.

As always, God lives and Loves you.

@lovejoie