What is your insight about the Filipino culture based on your experience?

 

Bisaya

Barok and Takya Blog | Bisaya Podcast

My experience is that Filipinos are highly family-oriented, sacrificing their desires for the needs of others. They are great at celebrating life. They love life! And living in the Philippines would make anyone look forward to each day at work because you meet many wonderful friends there--people who are always ready to share a laugh or a good meal with you. The country has natural beauty. I found it interesting how Filipinos will go out of their way to give foreigners directions when asked, even if they may not have understood what was being said most times. Filipinos also think that visitors need no time whatsoever to feel welcome here - which I believe may be an inherent characteristic foreign nationals cannot leave the country without.

The Filipino culture[1] has taught me to live my life fully, enjoy it as much as possible, and make the most of each day. To always be grateful for whatever comes my way because whatever I am going through now will eventually pass. And no matter how many challenges come to my path in life, if I remain steadfast and focused, I will undoubtedly enjoy a happy and peaceful life.

Footnotes

[1] 8 Best Filipino Pastimes of All Time

Who can travel to Germany now that COVID restrictions are being tightened again?

• Author Felix Schlagwein, DW

Coronavirus infections are surging in Germany. What does this mean for tourists? Here are the answers to some of the most pressing questions.

The fourth coronavirus wave is currently resulting in record infections in many European countries — including Germany. In some places, the situation is so dramatic that public events and fairs have been canceled and contact restrictions introduced.

Tourist travel has also been banned in parts of Germany. On Tuesday, the US once more issued a warning against visiting Germany, although vaccinated tourists can still enter. What do these developments mean for anyone wishing to enter Germany? What quarantine rules apply? And what do German holidaymakers need to bear in mind when returning home? Here are answers to some of the most important questions.

Who can enter Germany?

Despite soaring infections, conditions for entering Germany are in some cases more relaxed than they were a year ago. Nevertheless, all arrivals from the age of 12 must present proof of vaccination, recovery, or an approved negative COVID-19 test, regardless of where they are coming from and by what means of transport. This requirement will remain in force until January 15, 2022. Entry is possible from all EU countries as well as the Schengen-associated states of Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Before traveling to Germany, make sure to get an overview of the latest developments and rules. Travelers can find detailed information on the websites of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of the Interior and the Foreign Office.

Are people from third countries allowed to travel to Germany?

Entry from third countries is possible again, albeit only under certain conditions. Residents from a list of "safe" third countries, which includes Australia and Canada, may enter Germany for any purpose, subject to the above-mentioned documentation requirement. Travelers from other third countries, including the US, must either be fully vaccinated or put forward pressing grounds for their trip. 

Only vaccines approved by Germany's Paul Ehrlich Institute are recognized, which currently comprises vaccines from BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. Licensed foreign versions of these vaccines are recognized as equivalent. A person is considered fully vaccinated if 14 days have passed since the second shot. For those who have recovered from a coronavirus infection, a single dose is sufficient. Also, only one vaccination is required for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Who needs to quarantine?

All arrivals failing to present proof of vaccination, recovery or a negative COVID-19 test must self-isolate. Likewise, arrivals from high-risk and virus variant countries must quarantine in Germany.

Travelers from high-risk countries must spend ten days in self-isolation, whereas those from virus variant countries must self-isolate for two weeks.

Individuals from high-risk countries may cease self-isolating if they can present a negative test result on day five. This option is not available for people from virus variant destinations.

Germany's disease control agency, the Robert Koch Institute, currently classifies a spate of EU member states high-risk countries, among them Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece, Austria and Croatia. Anyone wishing to travel to Germany from there must complete a digital passenger locator form. At the moment, Germany does not list any virus variant countries.

Before planning your journey, be sure to check whether Germany deems your country a high-risk and virus variant destination.

Do I need to take a coronavirus test before arriving?

Not necessarily. Provided travelers can prove they are fully vaccinated, or have recovered from a coronavirus infection, no test is needed. Some airlines and train operators, however, ask passengers to take an additional COVID-19 test.

In Germany, PCR tests are accepted only if taken within the past 72 hours, rapid tests may be no older than 48 hours.

I'm a German tourist and contracted the coronavirus on holiday. May I return to Germany?

The Ministry of Health urges anyone who has fallen ill with COVID-19 to quarantine abroad, instead of returning home and potentially infecting others. Even so, authorities may not refuse entry to Germany. If you do make your way back, be sure to self-isolate the moment to step foot on German soil.

Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 is barred from air travel. Likewise, infected individuals from high-risk or virus variant destinations are also banned from traveling to Germany.

I want to travel to Germany with my children. Which rules apply?

The rules set out above apply to children aged 12 and above. Those below this age are exempt from proving they are vaccinated, have recovered, or tested negative. Moreover, they are required to quarantine only for five days when returning from a high-risk country.

I have a stopover at a German airport. Which rules apply to me?

Persons changing flights at a German airport without entering the country can disregard Germany's travel rules. The same applies to persons who are transiting through Germany without stopping. In this case, travelers are not required to go into quarantine, nor complete a passenger locator form. It is advisable, however, to become acquainted with the entry rules of your final destination. If en route to another EU country, be sure to consult Re-open EU, a platform with detailed information on travel rules and coronavirus rules in all EU member states.

May I travel freely inside Germany after my arrival?

In principle, yes. But as all 16 of Germany's federal states have the power to pass individual coronavirus regulations, you should carefully check where you are planning to go. Saxony, which has recorded a dramatic spike in coronavirus cases, has severely restricted public life to contain the outbreak. Tourists are temporarily banned from visiting the state. Business travelers, meanwhile, are still welcome. Bavaria has instituted similarly strict rules.

May tourists visit cinemas, museums and restaurants in Germany?

Rules can vary from state to state, and sometimes even by region. Many federal states such as Berlin, Hamburg, Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia have instituted the so-called "2G" ("geimpft oder genesen" — vaccinated or recovered) rule for many venues and public events. It means only persons who can prove they are vaccinated or have recovered may enter restaurants, museums and attend certain events. Unvaccinated guests will find it challenging to go about touristic activities.

Germany's epidemiological situation is in flux. States and regions may adapt or even intensify measures aimed at curbing the recent infection surge. Some have even called for the "2G" rule to be rolled out nationwide.

In any case, tourists are well-advised to research the latest rules applicable in the parts of Germany they wish to visit.

What must I do if I contract the coronavirus during my stay in Germany?

Go into quarantine as fast as possible and inform the health authority in question. To find out which agency to contact, consult this website. If you are having severe COVID-19 symptoms, call a doctor or ring the following number: 116 117. In an emergency, dial 112 or go to your nearest hospital.

Advent time for planning and strategizing

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

          IT’S the season of Advent again, opening a new liturgical

year. There can be many things that can come to mind with this season

of Advent. For one, it’s a time of expecting and preparing for the

birth of Christ on Christmas. That is in the short run. In the long

run, it is also a time of expecting and preparing for the second and

glorious coming of Christ, the Parousia.

          Advent also means that since it marks the beginning of

another liturgical year, we need to re-enliven our sense of making a

new beginning in our spiritual life that is the very foundation of our

whole life, since it is what relates us to God, our Father and

Creator, our be-all and end-all, as well as to everybody else. There,

therefore, is a great need to make some serious and effective plans

and strategies to pursue that most important goal of our life.

          We have to remember that our life here on earth is like a

divine project that has a beginning and an end, and a very concrete

purpose. But it’s a project that we also take active part in, since as

an intelligent and free creature of God capable of knowing and loving

God and others, we are meant to knowingly and lovingly correspond to

God’s plans for us individually and collectively. We are not passive

materials in this project.

          And this divine project takes the form of a yearly cycle,

what we call as the liturgical year, where the working of the whole

economy of salvation that God has for us, takes place. God’s

interventions in our life are actually constant and abiding.

          This yearly cycle of the divine project is meant to prepare

us for our ultimate eternal destination. It would be good if we make

ourselves most aware of this truth of our faith, so that we know what

we ought to do in this earthly life of ours.

          For this, a prayer that can be helpful is the Glory Be,

where we find the words, “As it was in the beginning, is now, and will

be forever.” Let’s put our mind and heart into these words if only to

remind ourselves strongly that we need to have a good sense of

continuity and consistency between our beginning and end, between the

past, present and future, and between time and eternity.

          Let us foster the awareness of this basic truth about

ourselves and about our life here on earth. We need to encourage

everyone to have a clear and strong sense of purpose, and to know how

to pursue it given our human condition and all the means that God has

given us.

          We therefore cannot overemphasize this basic need of ours to

make plans and strategies. If we have to develop ourselves as we

should, if we have to be truly productive and fruitful, if we have to

take advantage of everything in life, whether good or bad, to attain

our ultimate goal, then we have to plan and strategize our moves.

          Making plans and strategies may require some time and

effort, but it’s an investment that is all worth it. The little time

and effort required can actually multiply our time and make our

efforts more productive at the end of the day. It’s like the little

rudder that St. James talked about in his letter. (cfr. 3,4) Our plans

and strategies can have the power to accomplish great things, like a

little rudder giving direction to a big boat.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com