I have hobbies and interests, such as browsing online shopping platforms for bargains and occasionally relaxing at a café or restaurant with a cup of matcha green tea and some chocolate chip cookies. Today, even while spending time at an upscale mall in Bonifacio Global City, I found myself unable to resist reading on my Samsung tablet, which comes from South Korea, and reviewing notes in my physical notebook.

I want to have more hobbies and interests. I admire Nikola Tesla because we share almost the same birthday, not because I aspire to wealth or affluence. What inspires me is his desire to make an impact through ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness. I hope to do the same while remaining humble, including maintaining intellectual humility. For me, having the sincere intention to act on knowledge in a way that aligns with my integrity is enough. My approach is simple. I want to stay curious rather than focus on impressing others.

Ultimately, I want to develop a product that qualifies for research and development incentives as a business owner. During the earlier years of my twenties, I even created virtual machines using cloud servers from Google and Microsoft so I could play AAA video games with approximately $500 worth of free cloud credits.

I want to create beautiful data presentations. I am learning data analytics, business intelligence, operations research, and many related disciplines. I want to master earth science and environmental science, as well as statistics, calculus, algebra, and trigonometry. I also want to deepen my knowledge of economics, financial engineering, and business administration. Along the way, I hope to master Excel, accounting, bookkeeping, mental mathematics, computer science, nutrition, agile methodology, and cloud engineering.

My interests extend across the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, and biology. I also want to achieve fluency in Japanese, whether that ultimately means reaching N5 and continuing forward or one day becoming conversationally proficient in both written and spoken Japanese. I am already fluent in English and Tagalog and can get by with some Arabic. Beyond that, I am studying Philippine taxation, logic, IQ-related subjects, general knowledge, world history, geopolitics, and international relations.

To me, data is beautiful.

I enjoy conducting research through tools and platforms such as Jenni AI, Everand, and Scribd. They allow me to explore ideas, test assumptions, and continuously learn from a wide range of sources.

Please take what I will say with a grain of salt, as I’m still fairly new to all this, and I’m just excited to share my knowledge and encourage a healthy discussion. One thing I recently discovered is that most business owners are familiar with tax deductions. Far fewer understand that qualifying research and development activities in the Philippines may unlock additional tax incentives under the CREATE and CREATE MORE frameworks.

The key point is that the government does not reward research simply for the sake of research. Instead, it encourages innovation that leads to new products, technologies, processes, systems, or intellectual property that can contribute to economic growth.

If a company is engaged in activities such as software development, artificial intelligence tools, manufacturing improvements, biotechnology, renewable energy solutions, educational technology, or other qualifying innovation projects, it may be eligible for enhanced deductions on research and development expenses, provided that the project is properly registered and approved.

One lesser-known fact is that the incentive is not merely a standard deduction. Under the Enhanced Deductions Regime, qualifying enterprises may claim an additional 100 percent deduction on research and development expenses, subject to applicable rules. Certain training expenses may also qualify for an additional 100 percent deduction.

Another interesting point is that many people assume these programs primarily benefit large corporations. In reality, startups and smaller companies may also qualify if their activities fall within eligible sectors and are properly registered through the appropriate investment promotion agency.

Many founders are also surprised to learn that publishing research and writing books alone generally do not qualify as research and development. However, developing new technology, proprietary databases, AI-powered platforms, educational software, or novel research methodologies may be viewed very differently from a tax incentive perspective.

Innovation is not only about building something new. It is also about understanding how to structure, protect, and maximize the value of what you create.

For entrepreneurs, that knowledge can be just as valuable as the invention itself.

Ultimately, I will continue to read, learn, and apply myself as I always have. The more I learn, the more I realize how much remains unknown. In many ways, knowledge has made me more humble, not less. My goal is simply to become a better person, continue growing, and contribute something meaningful through curiosity, discipline, integrity, and a lifelong commitment to learning.