Typical Filipino (XXXIII) - Typisch Philippinisch (XXXIII): The Benefits of Domestic Workers

The Benefits of Domestic Workers

Die Vorteile von Hausangestellten

Once you are familiar with the downsides, you will also discover the advantages of house helps and understand why the middle and upper classes in the Philippines do not accept them willy-nilly, but no longer want to get along without them. House helps provide an unexpected amount of free time. After a while, you may not even find yourself grabbing a glass of water from the fridge or searching for the newspaper. Everything in the household runs like clockwork without you even lifting a little finger.

In your second phase of cultural adjustment, you will feel like you are no longer needed. Since few foreign wives in the Philippines pursue a career, they must seek other fulfillment outside the home. Women are particularly active in social and cultural areas here. There are public projects and a wide variety of women's organizations, as well as art groups, theater troupes, garden clubs, evening parties and other countless activity options.

In my household, all the helpers are part of our family.

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Wenn Ihnen die Schattenseiten einmal bekannt sind, werden Sie auch die Vorteile der Haushilfen entdecken und verstehen, weshalb Mittel- und Oberschicht auf den Philippinen sie nicht wohl oder übel hinnehmen, sondern ohne sie gar nicht mehr auskommen wollen. Haushilfen verschaffen ungeahnt viel Freizeit. Nach einiger Zeit werden Sie sich womöglich nicht einmal mehr ein Glas Wasser selbst aus dem Kühlschrank holen oder nach der Zeitung suchen. Im Haushalt läuft alles wie am Schnürchen, ohne daß Sie auch nur den kleinen Finger krümmen.

In Ihrer zweiten Phase der kulturellen Anpassung wird Sie das Gefühl beschleichen, nicht mehr gebraucht zu werden. Da nur wenige ausländische Ehefrauen auf den Philippinen einem Beruf nachgehen, müssen sie auf andere Erfüllung außerhalb des Hauses suchen. Frauen sind hier im gesellschaftlichen und kulturellen Bereich besonders aktiv. Es gibt öffentliche Projekte und die verschiedensten Frauenorganisationen , außerdem Kunstgruppen, Theatertruppen, Gartenclubs, Abendgesellschaften und weitere zahllose Aktivitätsmöglichkeiten.

In meinem Haushalt gehören alle Helfer und Helferinnen zu unserer Familie.

Philippine-German Relations (III) Philippinisch-Deutsche Beziehungen (III)

 

During his second administration  the former President Marcos said, "No redemption is possible without the solid foundation of virtue." In EL FILIBUSTERISMO Jose Rizal said, 'Redemption presupposes virtue; virtue means sacrifice, sacrifice means love ... it means existing reason and the dignity of the individual, loving whatever is just, good and noble."

Dr. Jose Rizal is indeed the initiator of Philippine-German Cultural Relations. He was one of the first Filipinos who admired the Germans in the Philippines and abroad. More than anybody else, it was he, "initiated the cultural relations between Germany and the Philippines and German speaking scholars. Dr. Cecilio Lopez, Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and Oriental Studies at the University of the Philippines, wrote in his article "Rizal and the Beginning of German-Philippine Cultural relations," that: "With his inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge, particularly in what concerned his country, Dr. Rizal sought out these scholars, exchanged ideas with them, and nurtured friendship to the end." (Quotation from "The Joint Enterprise", Manila: Rizal Publishing House Co, page 33).

In "One Hundred Letters of Rizal", page 24, one can read what he wrote to his parents:

"With respect to my studies about diseases of the eye, they are progressing well. I know how to perform the operations. I shall have to train in studying the ocular fundus which needs much practice. In Germany, I am told that they teach this well. I am going to Germany with nearly $100 which will be reduced to $75 after deducting the transportation fare. If I find that the cost of living is cheap I shall matriculate and it may not be necessary to help me in two or three months. In six months, I hope to speak german, study and follow my specialty... ."

I also learned from my mentor Professor Dr. Monsignor Hermogenes 'Gene' E. Bacareza, that Rizal even translated Friedrich Schiller's "Wilhelm Tell" (William Tell), which his compatriots in Spain asked him to do. In his letter to Blumentritt dated October 2, 1886 Rizal wrote:

"Meine Landsleute haben mir tagalische Übersetzungen von Schiller's Werken verlangt. Wie schwer muss diese Arbeit für mich sein, dass können Sie sich leicht einbilden, welche einer sehr verschiedene Ausdrucksart als die deutsche hat. Ich muss erst eine Phrase lange besinnen und betrachten, und dann suche ich den entsprechenden Ausdruck in Tagalisch, die Umschreibungen und die germanismus sorgfältig vermeidend. Ich tröste mich mit dem Gedanken, dass ich die Ehre haben werde, der grossen Schiller die Philippinen in Tagalisch vorzustellen.

My countrymen asked me for a Tagalog translation of Schiller's work. You can easily imagine how difficult I shall find this task, as the modes of expression are very different in German. First, I have to study and examine a phrase for a long time, then I try to find a corresponding expression in Tagalog, carefully avoiding paraphrases and Germanism. I console myself with the thought that I have the honor of presenting the great Friedrich Schiller to the Philippines in Tagalog". 

Sometimes we want to see in every Filipino "another Rizal". I agree with Father Gene, that, surely not every Filipino can equal Rizal in intellectual endowments and in heroic grandeur. But in the facts of his or her personality, every Filipino has within him- or herself the capacity to be "another Rizal". With a citizenry such as that being developed in the new  Society and in accordance with the mandate of the new Constitution of the Republic, the Filipino people could move on without trepidation and face with courage and confidence the hazards and challenges of the future.

Is it true that Germans greet each other using only their first names...

 

Volker Eichener

Professor at Hochschule Düsseldorf

Studied Political Science & Sociology at Ruhr University BochumGraduated 1999

... and do not use honorifics like Mr. or Mrs.?

Volker Eichener

Professor at Hochschule Düsseldorf

Absolutely untrue.

Strangers usually adress each other as “Herr [last name]” (male) or “Frau [last name]” (female). Also, you mention academic titles like “Herr Professor XY” or “Frau Doktor XZ”. If you omit the honorific you are considered very rude. You also use a special grammatical form to adress each other, the “Sie” (instead of the familiar “Du”).

If you are becoming friends, you agree to change to the first name and “Du”, often in form of a brief ceremony that involves interlocking arms and having a drink together.

Exceptions apply for special communities:

• In the Social Democratic Party and in Trade Unions members use “Genosse [last name]” (= comrade) + Du or “Kollege [last name]” + Du.
• In sports, people use first names + Du.
• Students use first names + du (used to be different some 100 years ago).
• In colloquial situations (like in an informal bar, in a rock concert) people use Du.
• At workplaces, colleagues who are on the same hierarchical level often use first name + Du. For adressing higher ranking officers, formalities are even more important, however. In business environments, this is a highly sensible matter. Better start with “Herr” and “Frau” and see, how things evolve.

Aside from English, is German the most important and useful language to learn...

 

Tomaž Vargazon

 ... in Europe? Does it boost your opportunities with jobs if you can speak it fluently, or is it French?

On a completely utilitarian basis, if you already know English, I’d literarily recommend any other major European languauge than German.

Germany ranks very high in English proficiency

There are very few countries in Europe that speak English better and more widespread than Germans do. If you know English, you can make do with that in Germany and most texts you might be interested in German are often available in English too. If you aren’t planning to move there to work you’ll hardly need it.

French is the better option, although the French generally do have passable knowledge of English - they just aren’t keen on using it. Italian and Spanish are even better choices, because for some reason their knowledge of English is lacking, if we’re polite. Portugese is a surprisingly good option too, because Brazil is popolous - although I’d recommend Spanish well before Portugese.

In the east, Polish is an obvious option, but so is Russian. East of Germany, you will often be able to make do with Russian with people who don’t know English. This is fading though, especially after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine Russian will likely be on the way out, so it’s low on my list of recommended languagues (but still above Czech or Slovak or Slovene for their limited utility). Nonetheless, for use in Europe, Russian may well have more utility than German, in no small part because Slavic languagues are surprisingly close to one another and knowing one gives you a limited ability to communicate all across the east. This also works with Latin languagues (Italian, Spanish, French, Portugese) in the west.

If you’re moving to Germany (or Austria, or Switzerland), you should study German langague, there is no question about that. However if you just want a European languague for purpose of travel or tourism or just are looking for a useful languague as a part of general education, opt for something else instead.

The Baptism of the Lord

By Fr. Roy Cimagala

Chaplain

Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE)

Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

IT’S one of the intriguing episodes in the gospel. Why did Christ ask to be baptized by John the Baptist? In fact, John was hesitant to do so. “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” he said. (Mt 3,13) But Christ insisted. “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness,” Christ told John. And so, Christ was baptized.

This “to fulfill all righteousness” must mean that Christ wanted to establish the sacrament of baptism through which all of us can become members of his mystical body, the Church, and sharers of the merits Christ earned for us through his redemptive mission. With this sacrament we are given the chance to earn the “all righteousness” that is meant for us.

This episode of Christ’s baptism also highlights the interesting fact that Christ was clearly confirmed as the Son of the Father. That’s when suddenly a voice was heard while Christ was still immersed in water, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

We should therefore have no doubt as to the importance and indispensability of the sacrament of baptism and as to the identity of Christ in whom we should give total belief and love. 

Our belief in Jesus as the Christ, as the First Letter of St. John says, proves that one is born of God. This is how one becomes a child of God. More than that—by believing in Jesus as the Christ, one shows his love for God by keeping God’s commandments. (cfr. 5,1-3)

Again, the question may be asked: why do we still need to be baptized if in the first place, man has already been created in God’s image and likeness? The answer, of course, is that the original image and likeness man had at the beginning was deformed because of the sin of our first parents that led all of us to be born with original sin. We need to recover our dignity as children of God.

This was done when God became man in Christ who offers us “the way, the truth and the life” that is proper to us. We need to be conformed to this God-made-man. And this conformity of ours to Christ starts to take place in our baptism.

This time, our continuing creation and testing would need us to conform to the sacrament of baptism which was instituted by Christ himself through his own baptism in the River Jordan.

With baptism, we have Christ as the pattern of our salvation, embedded, so to speak, in our life. That is why we need to be baptized. It is to recover our original dignity as true children of God, his image and likeness, meant to participate in the very life and nature of God. 

With Christ, we can receive the supernatural grace that would enable us to attain our ideal state. It would not be enough for us to know God with our intelligence and to love him with our will, without God’s grace through Christ.

We need to clarify and emphasize the importance and necessity of baptism since there is now a trend to downplay this sacrament in our life. But even before that problem came to be, the usual issue is that many people do not realize the implications of the sacrament—that we need to duly correspond to the abiding redemptive action of Christ all throughout our life.

We have to be aware that once baptized we commit ourselves to vitally identify ourselves with Christ, which is going to be a lifelong process!