You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


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Showing posts with label Baguio City. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Baguio City. Show all posts

Friday, February 3, 2023

DA: No extensive crop damage from frost

By Dexter A. See


BAGUIO CITY: The Department of Agriculture-Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-CAR) is yet to receive significant damage reports on crops amid the presence of frost starting this week, particularly in the higher elevations of the provinces of Benguet and Mountain Province as shared on social media.

Frost, locally known as "andap," was seen in Benguet, specifically in the grassland of Mt. Pulag in Kabayan on January 24, followed by the vegetation in Paoay, Atok, Madaymen and Kibungan starting January 26.

The occurrence of frost was also reported in Balicanao, Sadsadan, Mt. Data, Pactil and Monamon Sur in Bauko, Mt. Province.

Local government units (LGUs), through the municipal agriculture offices (MAOs), are closely monitoring the frost situations in their area. According to the MAO in Atok, there was no reported vegetable damage to date, but close monitoring and surveillance on the sites affected are being undertaken.

Similarly, in Bauko, the MAO reported that based on their initial monitoring in the frost-affected communities, crops that are likely to be affected are cabbages and potatoes in their vegetative stage.

While minimal damages are recorded in the ongoing monitoring of the LGUs, these are not evident and do not affect the supply of vegetables in the trading centers, hence, the vegetable supply remains stable.

The DA-CAR, through its High Value Crops and Development Program (HVCDP), is also closely monitoring with partner LGUs the frost situation. Frost is a yearly phenomenon that occurs in isolated communities at higher elevations when the temperature drops to a single digit.

Historical data of DA-CAR shows that frost presence in the region is particularly experienced in the higher parts of Atok, Buguias, Kibungan and Mankayan municipalities in Benguet and Bauko in Mountain Province, usually during the months of December, January and February.

In previous interviews with farmers in frost-prone areas, they said frost has been there even when they were not yet born and they have learned to adapt to it.

The farmer's practice relative to the situation is to sprinkle frost-affected crops with water using either rain burst or power sprayers to get rid of the icy water before sunlight reaches the crops.

Thursday, April 28, 2022

Omicron sub-variant detected in Baguio


US. This undated, colorized electron microscope image made available by the US National Institutes of Health in February 2020 shows the novel coronavirus Sars-CoV-2, indicated in yellow, emerging from the surface of cells, indicated in blue/pink, cultured in the lab. (AP)


By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO, SunStar Philippines


HEALTH authorities detected the first case of Omicron sub-variant BA 2.12 in Baguio City.


Karen Lonogan from the Department of Health-Cordillera said the variant was detected from a 52-year-old foreign visitor from Finland.


The person’s purpose of visit in the country was to conduct lecture on digital loom weaving.


She was already tagged as recovered and had already traveled back to her home country.


The BA 2.12 caused resurgence of Covid-19 cases in South Korea and United States.


Lonogan said, however, that Covid-19 cases in Baguio City remained low. (SunStar Philippines)

Monday, October 9, 2017

Casa Marcos brings Baguio craft beers to Manila for first time

By: Angelo G. Garcia

Baguio Craft Brewery, one of the pioneer craft breweries in the country, has finally landed in Manila. The popular brewery and restobar in the City of Pines has been tapped by heritage restaurant Casa Marcos to bring in its best brews to town.
“Whenever I would go to Baguio, I make it a point to visit Baguio Craft Brewery because I truly enjoy their craft beer,” said Casa Marcos partner Kevin Khoe. “Chris Ordas once had dinner here and he can't stop raving about our callos. I love his beer and he loves my food so it's a perfect marriage.”
Ordas, the owner and brewer of Baguio Craft Brewery, started brewing beers in his garage in Canada 10 years ago. But it was in 2014 that he and some partners decided to open a brewery in Baguio City. It has been successful, to say the least, and their shop in the city has become a destination for locals and tourists alike.
“We're actually one of the first brewers here in the country, along with the brewers at Katipunan. But it is our first time in Manila and we're very excited,” Ordas said.
Ordas said that their brewery now has 67 types of craft beers but he is only bringing in 10 beers that are now available at Casa Marcos located at Il Terrazo commercial complex in Timog, Quezon City. He confessed these 10 are his favorites.
Baguio Craft's Kraken. Photo by author
In a recent launch, Casa Marcos introduced Baguio Craft Brewery with a special pairing menu. The heritage restaurant, which first opened in 1945, serves classic Spanish dishes and heirloom recipes. It ran for 55 years until it closed down in 2000. It reopened in 2011 and has since been reinventing itself. Its lone restaurant in Quezon City is very modern and now has local craft beers on the menu.
“Casa Marcos is actually a legacy brand but we want to reinvent it. There's no cerveceria here so I'm so happy he [Chris] agreed to partner with Casa Marcos,” Khoe said.
According to Ordas, craft beer is “the new wine” when it comes to food pairing. Beer in general is a good pair with any food but different craft beers have different tastes and characteristics. They paired the food based on contrasting or complementing flavors.
“There's basically two beers, ale and lager. The difference between them is the yeast that you use. Most lagers are popular in hotter climates because it's more refreshing and lighter. The ale is more bolder, in terms of taste. If you would compare it with wine, lager would be the white and ale would be the red,” he explained.
For example, gambas, a classic Spanish shrimp dish, is very simple yet bold in flavors because of the garlic and chili. They paired it with Kabunyan, a wheat brew that is bready and has high carbonation making it light and refreshing.
Two types of gambas paired with Kabunyan beer. Photo by author
Another garlicky dish, the almejas, is baked clams with cheese and lots of crispy garlic, is paired with Hop Attack, a brew with intense hop aroma and with hints of malty sweetness. The intense flavors of the dish and the beer complements each other.
On the other hand, Baguio Craft's popular beer, the Englishman in New York is an American pale ale that has a mild hop aroma with hints of malt and caramel. The refreshing beer is paired with the very rich and hearty dish that is callos.
Other food and beer pairing are available on the restaurant menu. Ordas said, however, that these pairings are only suggestions because the diners can pair the food with the beer they like. It still comes down with the matter of taste.
“Casa Marcos' food is heritage and very classic so you can't go wrong. Beer can be easily paired with these dishes. Taste is very subjective so the customers can still opt to pair it with what they like that's why we offer a taste of the beers first before they can choose,” he said.
Chorizo cheese platter paired with Philandering Pauper. Photo by author

Thursday, September 21, 2017

When in Baguio, walk!

When in Baguio, walk

By Zaldy Comanda
WALKING TOURS - Young Burnham Park visitors walk past a Walk Meter Chart, which encourages tourists and local residents to walk to nearby destinations.  The project is aimed at  minimizing the use of motor vehicles and promote a healthier lifestyle. (Zaldy Comanda)
WALKING TOURS – Young Burnham Park visitors walk past a Walk Meter Chart, which encourages tourists and local residents to walk to nearby destinations. The project is aimed at minimizing the use of motor vehicles and promote a healthier lifestyle. (Zaldy Comanda)
Baguio City – The health benefits of walking are being promoted by the Department of Tourism (DOT) – Cordillera which set up walk meters in major parks in the city to encourage tourists, as well as the general public, to walk short distances instead of taking public transportation.
DOT-Cordillera regional director Venus Tan said walk meter charts encourage a car-less community, approximating the original plan of the Americans, who built the city as a rest and recreation area with narrow streets to discourage the use of motor vehicles.
“We are conditioning our locals and visitors to walk, we are reviving health and wellness in the city, encouraging them not to bring cars,” Tan said.
The  walking meters were installed at Burnham Park, Mines View Park and Wright Park, and indiactes the distance to key destinations and locations and the approximate calories spent walking.

Thursday, July 20, 2017

SM Baguio spearheads planting in Busol watershed

SM Baguio spearheads planting in Busol watershed

Published 
By Zaldy Comanda
Baguio City – In celebration of Cordillera Day, a total of 50,000 Benguet Pine seedlings were planted by the SM management and city government employees at an adopted site at the Busol watershed, last July 14, in this city.
SM City Baguio employees, together with representatives from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), local government of Baguio, and the Baguio Water District (BWD) trooped to the Busol watershed to plant some 20,000 Benguet Pine saplings as part of the company’s commitment to bring back the greenery of the city’s environment.
TREE-PLANTING COMMITMENT – SM City Baguio employees participate in a tree-planting activity at the Busol watershed in Baguio City where they planted 20,000 Benguet Pine saplings. (Zaldy Comanda)
TREE-PLANTING COMMITMENT – SM City Baguio employees participate in a tree-planting activity at the Busol watershed in Baguio City where they planted 20,000 Benguet Pine saplings. (Zaldy Comanda)
The 20,000 saplings that were planted were part of the 50,000 saplings that were committed to be planted by the company within the Busol watershed. Deyan Construction, SM City Baguio’s reforestation contractor, will plant the remaining 30,000 seedlings.
Aside from the 50,000 tree saplings that were planted in Busol watershed, SM City Baguio’s contractor will be planting another 50,000 fruit bearing trees in the perimeter of the 139-hectare property in Sto. Tomas School Area and Camp 7 for the remainder of the year.
Mall Manager Rona Vida Correa, reported that from 2012 to 2014, SM City Baguio was able to plant within the Busol watershed some 24,092 assorted tree saplings which was the initial wave of trees that were planted within the city’s premier watershed that supplies some 40 percent of the city’s potable water supply.
Under its reforestation contract with SM, Deyan is obliged to maintain the planted trees for a three-year period until such time that the planted trees will be able to independently grow and service their purpose.
She said SM still has a balance of some 350,000 assorted tree saplings that will be panted in the different parts of the city.
“Thus, SM’s commitment to plant 500,000 trees within five years could be shortened depending on the availability of the planting sites where the saplings will be planted and maintained by its contractor, Correa said.
SM City Baguio assured stakeholders that it will remain committed in helping concerned government agencies and the local government sustain their environmental preservation and protection programs to be able to maintain the city’s forest cover instrumental in balancing its cool climate for the benefit of the present and future generations.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Heiner Maulbecker Relishes Retirement in His Beloved Baguio

By: Raoul J. Chee Kee, Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE ENTRANCE to Mother’s Garden is made of leafy vines forming an arch
THE ENTRANCE to Mother’s Garden is made of leafy vines forming an arch
Heiner Maulbecker cuts a familiar figure in Baguio City. The German national, who spent his childhood in a town near Heidelberg, first came to the Philippines in 1979 when he was asked to head Hyatt Terraces Baguio.
The hotelier was initially connected with the Hilton chain of hotels before joining the Hyatt Group. His last posting before the ill-fated Hyatt Terraces was at the Hyatt Bangkok. The 1990 earthquake caused the collapse of the Hyatt Terraces among other establishments in Baguio.
“After the earthquake, I was ‘clean.’ It took everything away, so I was able to move around with only an attaché case and two boxes of clothes,” he recalled.
Instead of fleeing the Philippines and seeking another posting, he returned after a brief trip to Germany, worked at Camp John Hay and eventually became the general manager of The Manor at Camp John Hay.
In 2014, he retired after logging in 52 years as a hotelier.
“I have lived longer here than I have lived in Germany,” he said.
VEGETABLE garden supplies herbs for the restaurant on site.
VEGETABLE garden supplies herbs for the restaurant on site. PHOTOS BY JILSON TIU

Easy access
Maulbecker has grown to love Baguio so much that he has built a house that overlooks part of the city. The bedroom is located on the first level for easy access for him and his partner.
“It’s an upside-down house,” he joked, but pointed out that it serves their needs well.
“People bought houses here with the intention of giving it to their grandchildren,” he noted, but their grandkids would rather stay in the city. It’s better this way, it’s quieter, you can actually hear birdsong.”
THERESE Jison and HeinerMaulbecker
THERESE Jison and HeinerMaulbecker
Since retiring, he now has time to look through the stuff he has accumulated after close to 35 years of living in Baguio.
“I’ve basically been sorting out the mess I’ve collected… I would put stuff in a box and say, ‘I’ll sort these things out when I retire,’ and now that time has come,” he said.
Maulbecker has made a lot of friends through the years, but the people he likes being with can be counted on the fingers of one hand, maybe two. He meets regularly with fellow expat retirees.
“It was originally a group of people who spoke French, and we would meet up and talk in French, but then the Swiss joined in as well as the Germans. But I noticed that the German members gather in one group while all the Swiss stay in another,” he noted.
Maulbecker chose to retire in Baguio, but he said that to attract more retirees, the Philippines should upgrade its recreation values.
“Other than the malls or the gyms, there are few places to hike, bike or do other outdoor activities, unless you go to the beach,” he noted. “Security should also be looked into, and health care and transportation options for senior citizens.”
QUIET spot with a view of the mountains
QUIET spot with a view of the mountains

Reality is different
Maulbecker also gave advice to those who plan to build a more compact place of their own. Basically, you should build it by taking your needs into consideration—not what you think others might need. He recounted how one of his neighbors built a beautiful house with a glass ceiling and a tub made of natural stones.
“She built the house for her artist-daughter who lived in Paris. There is even an atelier where her daughter can work should she need a space, but she has never come over to visit,” he said.
IFUGAO hut in the garden
IFUGAO hut in the garden
Maulbecker then narrated how another friend, a fellow retiree, built his house in Alabang with a huge kitchen and a center island where he imagined he and his friends would cook and eat huge meals together.
“It never happened. Well, we were there once for Christmas and everyone was late two hours because of the traffic jams,” he said.
“People should build their homes the way they want to because they’re the ones who will end up living in them. Some people build based on fantasy scenarios, but reality is always different,” he added.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Water Challenged Baguio Finds Relief in Rainwater Collectors

By: Vincent Cabreza, Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE BAGUIO rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet province, collects rain which becomes the city’s source of water during the dry season.  EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
THE BAGUIO rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas in Tuba, Benguet province, collects rain which becomes the city’s source of water during the dry season. EV ESPIRITU/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—Rain won’t go away from the summer capital, at least not in the coming years, with or without El Niño.

It’s because half of the city’s population harvests rain for domestic use, according to a study by the University of the Philippines Baguio.

UP sought to measure the city’s water resiliency since it annually receives the highest amount of rainfall but rations its potable water, said political science professor Alejandro Ciencia, the study’s team leader.

The city’s water distributor, Baguio Water District (BWD), operates 57 deep wells, which are insufficient to supply the 61,727 cubic meters of water required daily by 317,200 consumers.
BWD also operates a rain basin at Mt. Santo Tomas, where water is drawn during the dry season.
No other rain basins are in use, however, because of the steep cost and because areas suitable as rain collection facilities are now densely populated, according to a BWD report.

It said runoff rainwater has not been efficiently seeping into the soil to replenish the city’s aquifer due to high urban growth, adding to the city’s woes. Watersheds are also suffering from human encroachment.

But Baguio households could collect rain, aided by tax incentives and water filtering technology, said Cordelia Lacsamana, city environment officer, who is adopting the UP study to improve the way the city uses its water.

The study said: “If the practice of rainwater harvesting was to be adopted by all or most households in the city and if this was done on a larger scale than just the use of drums, pails and basins, then fewer households would depend on water delivery services for most of their domestic needs.”
The study results, which were presented on Dec. 11 last year, also discussed an unspoken benefit from rain, of which Baguio residents may not have been aware: It’s a resource which government could not possibly tax.

Water, by law, is owned by the state. The only water that the state allows people to have “exclusive control” of is that which is “captured and collected by means of cisterns, tanks or pools,” said the study, citing a section of the water code (Presidential Decree No. 1067).

“Notice, however, that the law used the word ‘control’ and not ownership. This goes to show how the state jealously guards its assumed title over water,” the study said.

“The city’s historical lack of a constant water service for most households has made them adopt a ‘water-scarce lifestyle,’” the study said.

“For many households, knowing the days and the time that water will be released is important as many tasks are scheduled around it,” it added.

“In many places, BWD releases water late at night or during the early hours in the morning, causing residents some inconvenience… In fact, residents have water from the BWD for an average of 44 hours only…” the study said.

Sunday, March 1, 2015

U.S. Envoy Wowed by Flower Festival

By Dexter A. See 


Manila Standard Today

The magnitude of the Panagbenga, popularly known as the Baguio flower festival, which is the longest running festival in the country today will help attract more American tourists to visit the Summer Capital.
This was the assessment made by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Golberg on Saturday at the sidelines of the street dancing parade, one of the highlights of Panagbenga.
DANCING IN THE STREETS. Student- participants in the Panagbenga
street dancing  competition  make their moves on Saturday, 
celebrating  the  20th  anniversary of the Baguio  flower festival. 
DAVID CHAN
Goldberg, who spoke in front of a mammoth crowd gathered at the Baguio Athletic Bowl for the grand street dancing parade, said Filipinos and Americans have a long history to speak of ranging from struggles during the World War II and eventual successful suppression of the Japanese forces and eventually to being robust partners in trade and commerce.
He said Baguio City has always been a home for the Americans outside Metro Manila because of the existence of the Ambassador’s Residence within the Camp John Hay which was the former American military base and a historical site. It  was the venue where Gen. Tomoyoki Yamashita, leader of the Japanese Imperial Army, signed his surrender paper to the allied forces on September 3, 1945, Goldberg added.
“We are awed by the active participation of the people in the flower festival and the resourcefulness in making the flowers a true representation of friendship, unity, team works and solidarity among the local residents and visitors,” Goldberg said.
The US envoy pointed out that with the city’s cool and romantic weather, pine-scented air and scenic spots coupled with the annual conduct of the flower festival, foreign tourists especially the Americans will be enticed to visit and contribute in improving the growth of the local tourism industry.
He said because of the city’s “natural air conditioning,” he might be spending more time in  Baguio attending to important concerns rather than in the US embassy in Metro Manila.
The grand street dancing parade Saturday is one of the major highlights of the annual Panagbenga which is now on its 20 year. Several contingents from the elementary, secondary, college and open categories will compete by showcasing their dance steps with the inter-play of flowers and recyclable materials to remind the people of their individual responsibility to preserve and protect the environment.
Some nine elementary, four high school and three open category contingents joined this year’s finals for the grand street dancing competition that lasted for around three hours along the 7-kilometer parade route from Upper Session Road with its junction with South Drive, Loakan Road and Military Cut-off up to the Baguio Athletic Bowl.
The US ambassador expressed his gratitude to the people, officials and visitors   for their warm welcome that contributed in making his stay in the city over the past several days a wonderful and fruitful.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

A German in Baguio

BAGUIO CITY—Heiner Maulbecker has experienced much in his decades-long service as a hotelier in the Philippines, but nothing made him realize more the value of working with Filipinos than the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that shook Baguio in 1990.

The hotel he was then serving collapsed. He was in the thick of saving survivors and pulling out the injured and the dead (at least 80 employees were killed).

He said the main lesson the quake gave him was this: “If I ever should be faced with a natural disaster again, I hope I am surrounded by Filipinos. Filipinos jump right in. They immerse themselves and don’t wait for help from the outside world.”

His love affair with Baguio didn’t start out sweetly.

When he first made his way up in 1979, after he was appointed to professionalize the running of then Hyatt Terraces Baguio, which was losing money and taken over by Hyatt, he took Naguilian Road.

UPPER House Village along South Drive in Baguio City. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
UPPER House Village along South Drive in Baguio City. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Kennon Road had been closed for two years. Marcos Highway did not yet exist.

He was at the wheel, the road was bad, it was a rainy day in October or November, and he had an Ilocano guide by his side.

The first thing he saw when he entered Baguio was the cemetery.
He thought, “We’re going up to hell!”

On Abanao Street, he saw a big billboard announcing a Fernando Poe Jr. movie with the actor pointing a submachine gun at pedestrians and motorists.

Before he was assigned to Baguio, Maulbecker had just finished a stint with Hyatt Bangkok.
Previously, he was with the Hilton chain, serving for 10 years in Frankfurt, Germany.
Istanbul was his last posting for the Hilton.

When Baguio was presented to him, he asked, “Where the hell is that in the Philippines?” He was assured it was “the Switzerland of the Philippines.” But when he finally got to Baguio, he said, “Switzerland my foot! This is like a hick town in the US!”

When he arrived at the Terraces, it looked “like a morgue. There were no guests, no light, no flowers, no life!”

The original owners built the hotel with no expert advice.

Its opening was timed for the World Bank-International Monetary Fund conference when there was a hotel-building boom and the government was generous with loans.

He stated in his report then that the hotel had too many employees, the payroll too high, the management nonexistent, and he couldn’t fire people.

He was there to make recommendations, which he promptly did so help could come fast. The goal was to make the hotel break even.

Prioritized were the chinaware, glasses, linen. He made a budget. Hyatt took it from there.
Renovations were done, an interior designer hired to give the rooms a uniform appearance.
HEINER Maulbecker   photo by  ELIZABETH LOLARGA
HEINER Maulbecker. ELIZABETH LOLARGA
New function rooms were opened to attract those holding seminars. Two cooks from Hong Kong and Japan were flown in to beef up the kitchen.

Maulbecker retrained people to level up to basic hospitality industry standards.

While changes were being made, he observed how “the Filipino employee is the best that you can have. With the proper training, you can bring the best out of them.”
He tapped Thelma Fullon, who had a Girl Scout leader background, as training manager.
He said, “She could do what I couldn’t—whack them behind the head or kick them in the back if they’re not doing well.”

His accomplishment was to turn a “derelict, sad-looking, lifeless hotel into a jumping, lively hotel.”

He also brought in Tippin Coscolluela since he couldn’t find a hotel person in Baguio who also had a national perspective and knew the Hyatt philosophy.

He connected with the people of Baguio through print and radio spots.

“But the best way,” he said, “was to bring them to the hotel.”

He formed an Executive Circle with membership cards that entitled them to monthly buffets.
There were Greek, German, Japanese nights followed by movie-themed buffets (The Great Gatsby, Wild Wild West, Tarzan) “until we ran out of countries to represent.”
Hyatt Terraces’ edge was it had “showmanship. We knew how to present food. When I attended functions here, food was just presented on aluminum foil, lechon was just chopped, chopped, chopped. That was it.”

For 10 years, the buffets went on.

He said, “The people appreciated it. All of a sudden, their response was, ‘Hyatt is our hotel.’”

Professional pride

He admitted though that “it wasn’t love at first sight. I hated it during my first year, but I saw the potential. There was a job to be done. My professional pride kicked in.”

When the work became more enjoyable, financial success followed. By then, he was also envisioning what would happen when the Americans left their US bases in the Philippines, including their R and R place, Camp John Hay.

There were meetings with the tourism secretary and other ranking officials. His message to them in behalf of his management team was: “Don’t worry, we can run that.”
The idea was to make John Hay, Poro Point and the San Fernando airport one operational unit.

UPPER House features cottages that can house 10-14 people each  RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
UPPER House features cottages that can house 10-14 people each. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON
Then President Fidel Ramos liked the idea of making Baguio the jumping point towards such destinations as the rice terraces in Ifugao and the beach resorts in La Union.

But because administrations come and go, the plan didn’t pan out.

Maulbecker rued, “It didn’t happen. It would’ve made us the center of tourism development in Luzon.”

Before he retired as The Manor’s managing director last year, he had these accomplishments under his belt: He opened the golf course while the hotel wasn’t yet ready, he opened the hotel followed by the CAP Convention Center.

Country boy


Baguio appealed to him because he’s a country boy at heart.

Born and raised in Heidelberg, Germany, he liked Baguio because “it’s like a neighborhood. I became friends with the mayor. Even if we argue, we’re still friends. Living in the Philippines is like organized chaos. But if you know how to live in chaos and survive, that’s the way to live.”

He recalled attending a Hyatt general managers’ meeting where he was the only guy without a problem.

“I was confident with my staff, I got along with the owners, I knew everyone from the city’s chief of police to the chief of the presidential staff. I learned how to tell the phonies and pretenders from the real guys. The other managers wanted transfers because their owners were a pain in the ass. Everyone wanted a transfer, except me,” he said.

He also personally knew the Presidents.

“They came up to play golf, and I’d have coffee with them. I remember having a conversation with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo about holiday economics. I told her she can declare Christmas four times a year!”

New challenge

Maulbecker hasn’t hung up his hotelier’s hat.

He loves a challenge, and he found another one in running the newly opened Upper House Village on 88 Paterno Street, South Drive.

Upper House features cottages that can house 10-14 people each. It acknowledges the trend among Filipino families of traveling in big groups once or twice a year.

MAULBECKER is a country boy at heart    photo by ELIZABETH LOLARGA
MAULBECKER is a country boy at heart. ELIZABETH LOLARGA
“Hotels can’t cater to these groups, but our village can,” Maulbecker said. There’s a shift in the visitors coming up. The new and younger generation doesn’t know what Baguio is all about.”

He added: “It’s not like 30 years ago when everybody knew one another. Today they ask, ‘What can we do here?’ So we must offer more interesting things to do and see for them and these can be in the areas of culture, music, art, nature, fitness and wellness.”

Tribute

In his message at the recent tribute to him when he retired from The Manor, he said:
“This is not really a goodbye, as Baguio is my home. I think in the past life, I was bestowed with some of the wonderful Filipino blood which allowed me to make so many good friends, and also have such great working relationships. Being a hotelier for the past 52 years was not just a profession to me, but also a passion. It was sweat, blood, tears, courage and inspiration with dedicated long hours and sacrifice. It was teamwork, innovation, quick thinking and imagination.”
He closed with these words: “It is said, happiness is often more remembered than experienced. ‘One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.’ I knew then that I was happy, but didn’t know until now, how happy, how very happy I really was.”



Read more: http://business.inquirer.net/184794/in-baguio-german-hotelier-finds-a-home#ixzz3OTiWXq8V
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