This might not be the typical expat blog, written by a German expat, living in the Philippines since 1999. It's different. In English and in German. Check it out! Enjoy reading!
Dies mag' nun wirklich nicht der typische Auswandererblog eines Deutschen auf den Philippinen sein. Er soll etwas anders sein. In Englisch und in Deutsch! Viel Spass beim Lesen!
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!
Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!
As soon as the “-ber months” start (September), we start putting up our Christmas decorations. At the same time, Christmas songs and tunes start to play on TV and radio channels. The most popular ones are from Jose Mari Chan – the king of Filipino Christmas songs.
One fun online tradition we do every year is posting memes of Jose Mari Chan peeking or saying psst! and hello, to remind everyone that the much anticipated Christmas season is coming and that you will soon hear his songs, including the ever famous Christmas in Our Hearts everywhere – in every mall, street, and household in the Philippines.
Aside from this, Filipinos will attend Simbang Gabi, which is the series of nine masses preceding Christmas. Most of us believe that if we complete the nine days, our wish for Christmas will come true.
Lastly, the ever famous Filipino Christmas Feast. Every Christmas Eve, Filipinos will prepare a festive meal, which includes lumpia, lechon, queso de bola, and fruit salad, to name a few. Then, they will gather along with their friends, families, and neighbors to stay until 12 midnight for Christmas Day. This tradition is called Noche Buena.
The Filipino Christmas is one of the most exciting and memorable events, hence why people from all over the world travel to the country to witness and participate in it.
Traveling only by taxicabs - While taxis are convenient, they aren’t the best transportation option if you’re on a budget, given the country's notoriously bad traffic.
Not interacting with the locals - Some foreigners don’t communicate with the locals because of the language barrier. But, Filipinos generally know how to speak basic English. They are used to foreigners coming in and out, so there’s really no problem communicating with them.
Not knowing Filipinos’ customs and culture - You don’t have to know everything about their culture, but it pays to do at least a quick research about it.
You’ll avoid offending them and will even have a more meaningful trip
given you have a deeper understanding of the country you’re visiting.
Filipino motorists can tick off fuel budget as one less worry for them this week, primarily diesel for public transport, as the price of this commodity will be on a hefty rollback of P3.40 per liter by Tuesday, Dec. 13.
Additionally, the industry players have reduced the price of gasoline products by P1.70 per liter, while kerosene prices will go down by P4.40 per liter.
As of this writing, five oil firms that already sent notices on their price cuts. These include Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Seaoil, Cleanfuel, PetroGazz and Chevron, while their competitor firms are all expected to follow.
Players in the domestic deregulated downstream oil industry have been adjusting their prices weekly based on the costs swing of the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS), a pricing index anchored on the outcome of petroleum commodities trading in the regional market.
Softer fuel prices in the thick of the traffic-stricken Christmas season will be highly beneficial to the consumers, especially so since most are now trooping to the malls or parties as part of the long holiday celebrations.
As of Monday, Dec. 12 trading, international benchmark Brent crude was roughly steady at $76 per barrel – and there are not much significant geopolitical events being anticipated yet to be exerting pressure on prices in the days ahead.
Last week, even signals of easing of Covid restrictions in China failed to lift market sentiments, hence, the overall pricing trend for spot-traded fuel commodities tracked downward trajectories.
There were also concerns of delayed oil shipments via Turkish Strait; as well as an oil spill dilemma that halted the operation of a US oil pipeline delivering oil from Canada; but those incidents were not able to ignite rally in prices.
At this stage, there are projections that prices may stay longer in the $75 to $76 per barrel range, unless, major global events would erupt and disturb market fundamentals anew – similar to what happened in the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in February this year.
For a heavily import-dependent economy like the Philippines, crashing prices come off as a gainful advantage, particularly at this time when Filipino consumers are reeling hard from the whip of soaring prices of basic commodities.
The implementing rules and regulations of the Republic Act No. 11934, otherwise known as the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Registration Act was released by the National Telecommunications Commission on Monday, Dec. 12.
RA 11934 aims to make end users accountable for their usage of mobile communications by mandating SIM registration. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed the controversial measure into law on Oct. 10, 2022.
Now that the IRR was released by the NTC, the measure will take full effect 15 days after its publication or on Dec. 27, 2022.
SIM Cards (Pixabay)
Guidelines
Under the published IRR, all end users will be required to register their SIMs with their respective public telecommunication entities.
“All existing SIM subscribers shall register within 180 days from the effectivity of the Act. The registration may be extended for a period not exceeding 120 days,” the IRR read.
Failure to comply with the said registration will result in the deactivation of a user’s SIM. A SIM may only be reactivated after registration, provided that it will be made not later than five days of “such automatic deactivation.”
Registration
The registration process, as previously mentioned by the NTC and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be accomplished virtually through platforms that will be provided by respective SIM providers.
Individual registrants will be required to submit their full name, date or birth, sex, present or official address, type of identification card, and identification card number presented.
Government-issued identification cards that will be accepted include passport, Philippine Identification Card, Social Security Service ID, Government Service Insurance System e-Card, Driver’s License, National Bureau of Investigation Clearance, Police Clearance, Firearms’ License to Own and Possess ID, Professional Regulation Commission ID, Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration ID, Bureau of Internal Revenue ID, Voter’s ID, Senior Citizens card, Unified Multi-purpose Identification Card, Persons with Disabilities Card, and other valid government-issued IDs with photo.
Minor SIM users must provide any of the IDs previously mentioned along with consent of the minor’s parent or guardian to register the SIM.
Juridical entity end-users, on the other hand, will be asked to submit their business name, business address, as well as full name and authorized signatory.
Unlike individual users, juridical entity subscribers must submit a certificate of registration. In the case of corporations, they must submit a duly adopted resolution designating the authorized representative, while in the case of juridical entities, a special power of attorney.
Meanwhile, foreign national end-users will be tasked to submit the following data: full name, nationality, date of birth, passport, address in the Philippines, ID number.
Penalties
Along with the guidelines, penalties were likewise highlighted under the published IRR.
Provision of false information or usage of fake identity to register a SIM may result in imprisonment ranging from six months to two years or a fine not less than P300,000 or both.
RA 11934’s IRR also prohibits the sale of a registered SIM. It has a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months to six years, or a fine of P100,000 to P300,000 or both.
“Any public telecommunication entity, its agents, resellers, or entity that shall engage in the sale of stolen SIMs shall be criminally liable under the Act,” the IRR read. This will result in a penalty of imprisonment ranging from six months to two years, or a fine not less than P100,000 but not more than P300,000.
A fine of not less than P500,000 but not more than P4,000,000 will likewise be imposed upon public telecommunication entities, its agents, or employees if a breach of confidentiality occurs.
The nominations for the 2023 Golden Globe Awards are here!
And for the first time, a Filipino actor was nominated in the acting category.
Filipino actress Dolly de Leon continued to shine in the entertainment scene abroad as she was nominated for best supporting actress in the movie “Triangle of Sadness” at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards in the US.
The Golden Globe Awards are presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. The nominations were announced by actresses Mayan Lopez and Selenis Leyva during NBC’s “Today” show.
De Leon will compete against Angela Basset (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), Kerry Condon (The Banshees of Inisherin), Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All At Once), and Carrey Mulligan (She Said) in the best supporting actress – motion picture category.
Earlier, De Leon already won the best supporting actress award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. She has been nominated for Satellite Awards in the same category also in the US.
The winners of the 80th Golden Globe Awards will be announced at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California on Jan. 10, 2023.
Die kalte Luft aus dem Norden und Osten Europas hat sich über Deutschland ausgebreitet. Vielerorts bleibt es dauerfrostig. Ende der Woche droht extreme Glätte durch gefrierenden Regen, wie Wettermoderatorin Maira Rothe erklärt.
Zu Wochenbeginn ist es in Deutschland frostig kalt. In Sachsen blockieren nach anhaltendem Schneefall mehrere Lkw die Straßen. Besonders in Bayern kam es zu Glätteunfällen mit teils Schwerverletzten, im Allgäu sank die Temperatur auf minus 19 Grad.
Schnee und Eis haben am Montagmorgen in Sachsen den Straßenverkehr ins Stocken gebracht. Der Verkehrswarndienst der Polizei warnte vor winterlichen Verhältnissen im gesamten Freistaat. Probleme gab es laut Polizei vor allem in Ostsachsen. Auf der Autobahn 4 etwa wurden mehrere Unfälle mit Lastwagen gemeldet. Stau und stockender Verkehr waren die Folge. „Es geht nicht weiter“, sagte eine Sprecherin des Verkehrswarndienstes am Morgen.
Zwischen dem Dreieck Nossen und Siebenleben standen drei Lkw quer. Bei Salzenforst rutschte ein Lastwagen in den Straßengraben, die Fahrbahn Richtung Dresden wurde wegen der Bergungsarbeiten gesperrt. Auch weiter westlich bei Hohenstein-Ernstthal wurden mehrere Unfälle auf der A4 gemeldet. Probleme gab es auch auf Landstraßen. Auf der B98 stellte sich zwischen Steinigtwolmsdorf und Wehrsdorf (Landkreis Bautzen) ein Lastwagen quer, auf der B101 blieben im Landkreis Meißen mehrere Lastwagen zwischen Görna und Löthain liegen.
Die Winterdienste waren wegen des Schneefalls bis ins Flachland im Dauereinsatz. Die Landeshauptstadt Dresden teilte mit, dass alle verfügbaren Kräfte und Fahrzeuge aktiviert worden seien. Allein in der Nacht seien in Dresden zwölf Zentimeter Schnee gefallen, seitdem schneite es weiterhin. Die Einsatzkräfte würden sich zunächst auf die Hauptstrecken konzentrieren. In Leipzig fuhr der Winterdienst nach Angaben der Stadt seit Sonntagabend.
Laut Deutschem Wetterdienst (DWD) bleibt es in den nächsten Tagen in ganz Deutschland frostig. In einigen Lagen können bis Donnerstag sogar zweistellige Minusgrade erreicht werden – zum Beispiel in Sachsen in Höhenlagen, aber auch in Baden-Württemberg. Hier warnt der DWD im südlichen Schwarzwald, auf der Alb und in Teilen Oberschwabens vor Temperaturen bis minus 17 Grad Celsius.
Örtlich sei am Montag schon mit Glätte durch Reif, überfrierende Nässe oder Schnee und Nebel zu rechnen. Im Verlauf der Woche sollen die Temperaturen tagsüber nur am Mittwoch über null Grad steigen, sagte ein Sprecher des DWD.
Bereits in der Nacht zum Montag war es im Südwesten eiskalt: In Leutkirch im Allgäu (Landkreis Ravensburg) wurden den Angaben des Sprechers zufolge minus 19 Grad gemessen. In Meßstetten (Zollernalbkreis) waren es minus 17 Grad, in Geisingen (Landkreis Tuttlingen), Pfullendorf (Landkreis Sigmaringen) und Villingen-Schwenningen fielen die Temperaturen auf minus 16 Grad.
In Nordrhein-Westfalen meldete der DWD Frost mit minus eins bis minus fünf, im Bergland bis minus acht Grad. Örtlich sei es durch gefrierende Nässe oder leichten Schneefall glatt. Der WDR meldete im Berufsverkehr bis 7.59 Uhr landesweit 119 Kilometer Stau. Besonders lange mussten Autofahrer auf der A2 bei Dortmund in Richtung Oberhausen in einem Zehn-Kilometer-Stau warten.
Winterglatte Straßen führten auch in Bayern zu teils schweren Unfällen mit Verletzten. Wie Polizeisprecher sagten, ereigneten sich vor allem in Schwaben, Oberbayern sowie Oberfranken fünf Glätteunfälle mit teils Schwerverletzten.
Wetterdienst warnt vor Eisregen
„Kalt ist es geworden. Und kalt wird es auch noch einige Zeit bleiben“, hatte DWD-Meteorologe Felix Dietzsch am Sonntag mitgeteilt. „Mit einer nördlichen bis nordöstlichen Strömung ist polare Kaltluft nach Deutschland geflossen und bleibt uns in der kommenden Woche erhalten.“ Ein „Hauch von Milderung“ zeichne sich frühestens Mitte der Woche ab.
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Mit Spannung blicken die Meteorologen auf den Mittwoch. Eisregen könnte dann manche Regionen treffen. Mit einem durchziehenden Randtief komme es in der südlichen Hälfte Deutschlands verbreitet zu Niederschlägen, erklärte Dietzsch. Demnach fallen die Niederschläge auf der nördlichen Seite einer sich ausbildenden Luftmassengrenze meist als Schnee, nach Stand vom Sonntag wohl vor allem zwischen Donau und Thüringen beziehungsweise Sachsen. „Südlich davon gehen die Niederschläge in Regen über. Das könnte bei der frostigen Vorgeschichte für größere Probleme in Form von Eisregen sorgen.“
Selbst unwetterartige Zustände durch Glatteis vor allem vom Allgäu bis ins südliche Oberbayern seien nicht auszuschließen, berichtete Dietzsch. Für genauere Angaben sei es aber noch zu früh.
