Eric Manuel’s Post

On this special day of 7/11/2024…I decided to high-five 7-Eleven employees. How many encounters do you have in a given day where you just go through the motions without really acknowledging the person you’re interacting with? I probably do it much more often than I should. Always giving the excuse of “I’m too busy to just pause.” Well not today! But there’s only so much candy and chips I can buy…

BIG NEWS: My album, in collaboration with Apl.de.Ap, will be released this week, under my stage name DJ Ekonmix (ie. economics). I wish and maybe in another lifetime. But our lengthy discussion related to cities, transportation, upskilling Filipinos, AI, entertainment, growing up in the US, and of course, music…highlighted the need for collaboration within and outside of our usual circles. Thanks to Audie Vergara of the Apl.de.ap Foundation and my good friend from the Yay Areaaaaaa Genevieve V. Jopanda for setting up this meeting. And also shout out to LL Cool J behind me, reminding me of my Queens, NY roots.

Digital Infrastructure = Economic Development Congratulations to the Digital Halo and Radius Telecoms, Inc team for getting this across the line. Looking forward for to collaborating more with Quiel Delgado and his team.

Connecting the dots. It’s what I’ve always been good at… And this week, I find myself connecting a few dots of Art x Tech x Real Estate x Music. This short video shows the digital art that was done by a professional architect and multi-disciplinary cyberpunk artist from Manila, Philippines. It’s part of a show I co-produced with CryptoArt PH and the Astbury, which all started with my fortunate encounter with Jopet Arias, the driving force behind CryptoArt PH. CryptoArt PH is an evolving community built to empower interdisciplinary Filipino creators who are carving their paths in the dynamic #web3 space and generate opportunities for a sustainable career. I’m proud to showcase and support the amazing level of creative talent in the country, outside of my usual real estate and finance circles. If you’re starting to “connect the dots”, then let’s grab coffee and see how we can make things uncommon.

Reflecting on a Monday… A year older. A little wiser. Taking a little more risks. “Today was a good day.” - Ice Cube

For years, April 15 represented “Tax Day”. But not anymore! Thanks to UNESCO, today is also known as #WorldArtDay. “A timely reminder that art can unite and connect us even in the most difficult of circumstances” - Director-General Audrey Azoulay The photos are from Art Fair Philippines which took place in February 2024. It was done in a parking garage, so just in case we stop using cars, we have a case study for converting these spaces into art galleries.

Look up. Mentally, spiritually, and physically. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I decided to take some photos. The hustle and bustle of the city is infectious. But looking up, you start to appreciate another layer of the city.

"Same old $H!T, just a different day...out here trying to get it, each and every way..." Exactly 10 years ago I was Head of Capital Markets, Research, & Consultancy of large brokerage firm in the Philippines. But even before I wrote this piece, I was already going around the market discussing / teaching about real estate capital markets. There weren't many people who understood the real estate side AND the capital markets side at that time. But 10 years later, and after only-god-knows how many hours of conversations, I can sense a huge leap in the level of understanding now. (Big thanks to the 3 organizations below which have definitely been instrumental in my personal development!!!) So for the younger folks who have been asking me some technical questions lately, please read the research piece "ReThinking: The 4-Quadrant Model". Trust me, it will help on your journey of understanding this sector. If you read the whole thing, you will get a nice "Easter Egg" of how I looked 10 years ago... Now, I love hip hop, so here's the lyrics from Lil Wayne... --------- Same old $h!t, just a different day Out here trying to get it, each and every way Momma need a house Baby need some shoes Times are getting hard Guess what I′ma do Hustle, hustle, hustle, hard Hustle, hustle, hustle, hard Hustle, hustle, hustle, hard Closed mouths don't get fed on this boulevard -------- ULI Philippines | FIIRE - Filipinos in Institutional Real Estate | Asia Pacific Real Assets Association (APREA)