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!
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) advised the public to limit exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., especially during the Holy Week, when hot and humid conditions are expected across the country.
From Wednesday to Sunday, April 16 to 20, PAGASA said the whole archipelago will be affected by the easterlies, which may cause high temperatures in several areas.
PAGASA warned that midday heat, combined with humidity, increases the risk of heat-related illnesses, especially during the hottest hours of the day—from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Although brief rain showers or thunderstorms may occur in the afternoon or evening, they are not expected to provide substantial relief from the daytime heat.
To stay safe, PAGASA advised the public to stay hydrated, wear light-colored and breathable clothing, and take regular breaks in shaded or cool areas.
The body is a wonderful, complex machine. It is made up of trillions of cells with specialized functions. Much like any machine, it is important that it has enough fuel to run and gets maintenance regularly.
CLINICAL MATTERS
Whenever I see a sick patient in my clinic or in the hospital, I always make it a point to tell him or her to slow down, get some rest, and let their body heal. As an infectious diseases doctor, I give a lot of antibiotics for bacterial infections, some of which can be quite severe. In my experience, people get better faster if they allow their body some downtime rather than getting back to work the moment that they feel better. In fact, I see a lot of relapses among those who force themselves back to the daily grind before they are completely well. Does this have any kind of scientific basis, and how much rest should one get to prevent illness?
The body is a wonderful, complex machine. It is made up of trillions of cells with specialized functions. Much like any machine, it is important that it has enough fuel to run and gets maintenance regularly. When it breaks down, it needs to be repaired before it can resume its usual activities. In the realm of infectious diseases, an infection represents a breakdown of the body’s defenses against pathogens. The fact that the breakdown occurred may be due to a combination of factors, including the overall health of the host, as well as the kind of pathogen.
Host factors include age, co-existing illnesses, immune system status, and nutrition. Pathogen factors include the virulence of the organism, resistance to antibiotics, ability to evade the immune system, and the capacity to make toxins that destroy tissues. The interaction of these factors determines how sick a patient can become, their risk of dying, and how fast they can recover.
One lesson I always teach my infectious diseases trainees is that antibiotics alone will not cure an infection. In fact, most mild infections will get better without antibiotics as long as the immune system is intact. Some infections may get better faster with antibiotics, while more serious infections will need antibiotics to significantly reduce the risk of dying. If we liken fighting infections to a war, antibiotics are like the cavalry and the artillery. They pack a lot of firepower and destroy a lot of bacteria, but they aren’t very precise. They may destroy up to 99 percent of the target germs in the body, but you need an intact immune system to eliminate the remaining one percent. I think of that last one percent of bacteria like guerrilla fighters that hide out in houses and in the jungle, and your immune system, particularly your white blood cells, are the ones that hunt them down and eliminate them. Without an intact immune system to get rid of the last remaining bacteria, the infection will just rebound when the antibiotics are stopped. Patients with damaged immune systems, such as cancer patients who recently underwent chemotherapy or those with advanced HIV, can take a long time to recover, and we sometimes give longer than normal courses of antibiotics for these patients until their immune system can cope and recover.
When I was a fellow (trainee) in infectious diseases in the US, I had a long discussion about the effect of stress on the immune system with one of my mentors, a world-renowned immunologist and HIV expert. He understood the attraction behind thinking that lack of sleep and stress could make someone less able to defend against infection. He, however, wanted me to find hard evidence since he wasn’t content with just conjecture. The human immune system is notoriously complex, and he wanted to know the actual physiology in which immune cells are impacted by overwork and lack of rest.
First, we explored what was known about how the body responds to stress. One observation is that in times of anxiety and stress, the body makes a lot of stress hormones, specifically corticosteroids such as cortisol. Cortisol reduces the amount of inflammation and pain during a stressful event, which can be beneficial in the short term. However, it also affects key components of the immune system, such as T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes, which protect us from bacteria, fungi, and viruses. My mentor acknowledged that this indeed was plausible but he wanted actual examples of people under stress having less than ideal immune responses.
So I did a literature search on the effect of stress on the immune system. Doctors and medical students usually use an internet resource known as PubMed when looking up specific studies among millions of indexed, high-quality peer-reviewed journal articles. On inquiry, I noted several studies looking at vaccine seroconversion, which involves an adequate protective response to vaccination, in chronically stressed individuals such as medical students and caregivers of Alzheimer’s disease patients. The overall findings among these studies were that lower levels of stress resulted in higher antibody and T-cell responses to vaccination compared to individuals with higher stress levels. A recent study looking at people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) linked higher rates of inflammation and immune dysfunction compared to control subjects. There were other studies as well, but the findings weren’t as clear-cut. Overall, the consensus is that the physiological benefits of rest in order to reduce stress go beyond mental health benefits and actually affect physical wel lbeing.
With this in mind, this Holy Week, it may be a good idea to get some rest, especially if you have chronic health problems or are recovering from a recent illness. The usual out-of-town vacations can cause additional stress, and many people feel even more tired after the hectic activities that they engage in due to the long break. It is not unusual to hear some people say that they need a vacation from their vacation! Spiritual meditation, whether you participate in the religious activities or not, can also be a great stress reliever and can rejuvenate not just your mind but also your immune system. Rest can indeed heal the body and the mind, and that’s not just wishful thinking.
Easter is the oldest and most important festival of the Western Christian year, celebrating Jesus Christ's resurrection (rising from the grave) following his crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter Sunday is the culmination of Holy Week (but not part of it), and the first day of Eastertide. Easter marks the end of the 40 days of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday. Easter Sunday (or simply Easter Day) is the first day of the Easter Week which ends on Easter Saturday.
Christ's resurrection forms the basis of Christian faith as it demonstrates Jesus to be the Son of God, and symbolizes his conquest of death.
According to the Gospels it was at sunrise on the first Easter Day - the 3rd day following Jesus' death - that the women who followed Jesus found the great stone blocking his tomb had been rolled away, and the tomb empty. The Gospel of John (20.14-16) relates how Mary Magdalene meets Jesus by the tomb, but does not at first recognise him, taking him to be a gardener. Finally realising that he has indeed risen from the dead, as he had promised he would, she runs to tell the disciples the good news.
These events fulfil the prophecy that 'The Son of Man must be handed over to sinful men, be crucified, and three days later rise to life.' (Luke 24.7).
Easter is related to the Jewish festival of Pesach (Passover).
Easter lets us be reborn. May everyday bring you new hope and courage!
The Passion of the Christ will stream on Lionsgate Play PH via PLDT Home and Smart starting Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025.
Holy Week is a time of deep spiritual reflection for many Filipinos. It’s an opportunity to pause and step back from the demands of our busy lives and contemplate the profound meaning of this sacred time. Beyond the traditions and rituals, Holy Week calls us to a personal introspection on the enduring themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the power of faith.
During this period, The Passion of the Christ emerges as a compelling reminder of the immense suffering and ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Directed by Mel Gibson and based on Anne Catherine Emmerich’s book, The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus
Christ, this film is an intense portrayal of the final twelve hours of Jesus Christ’s life, from his agony in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion and resurrection. It’s a testament to the betrayal, pain, and ultimate offering Jesus bore for the very people he came to redeem.
Gibson recounted how his inspiration for creating the film arose from intense personal struggle, a “spiritual bankruptcy” that prompted him to turn to the Bible for guidance. Although already familiar with the foundations of Christian belief, meditating on the Gospel in his time of need renewed his faith.
Gibson’s experience might resonate deeply with the Filipino experience, as a society deeply rooted in religious belief and familiar with the story of Christ’s passion. We grew up surrounded by films, drawings, sculptures, and various art forms dedicated to narrating and understanding the man from Nazareth. However, reading historical accounts is often insufficient to understand the gravity of Christ’s sacrifice.
From Caleb Deschanel’s artistic cinematography and John Debney’s moving score to Jim Caviezel’s profoundly moving performance as Christ in The Passion of the Christ makes it difficult for viewers to take their eyes off the screen at any moment. No matter what you’re looking for this Holy Week, Gibson’s film delivers a visceral, theological, and artistic experience that resonates even today, 21 years after it premiered.
Speaking to Sight Magazine, director Mel Gibson shared what impact he hoped the film would have on its viewers: “I hope it spurs them on to investigate the life of Christ for themselves. And I don’t think you can’t be impacted by it. Some images are strong, and I’ve decided not to hold back. Jim Caviezel (the actor who plays Jesus) said it well.
He said there will be some people who will freak out…(b)ut there will be other people who can’t stop watching it, and even though they are horrified and terrified, they will sit through the whole thing…By speaking very loudly, image and sound-wise, it’s going to make people think very deeply.”
Gibson is also planning to film a sequel entitled Resurrection, hoping to release it shortly. This follow-up explores the events after Christ's crucifixion, delving further into the heart of Christian belief.
The Passion of the Christ will stream on Lionsgate Play PH via PLDT Home and Smart starting Maundy Thursday, April 17, 2025.
With summer temperatures soaring and power consumption peaking, the Department of Energy’s (DOE) recent assurance of no brownouts this season comes as a welcome relief. However, behind this assurance lies a complex energy landscape that demands closer scrutiny. While the DOE acknowledges the possibility of ‘yellow alerts’—indicating a thinning power supply margin—it maintains that these will not lead to rotational blackouts. But how sustainable is this situation, and what does it reveal about the country’s overall energy security?
At the heart of the issue is the sufficiency of the country’s power generation capacity. The Philippine power grid remains vulnerable, with demand often outpacing the expansion of supply. Luzon, which accounts for the largest share of national electricity consumption, has historically borne the brunt of power shortages. While recent years have seen investments in new generating capacity, the growth remains slow, with regulatory bottlenecks and permitting delays hampering the construction of additional power plants.
Compounding the challenge is the reliability of existing power facilities. The country still relies heavily on aging coal-fired power plants, which are prone to unscheduled shutdowns. When several plants go offline simultaneously, the thin reserve margin quickly evaporates, leading to supply shortfalls and the dreaded brownouts. This underscores the urgency of diversifying energy sources and ensuring that maintenance protocols for existing facilities are strictly followed.
A key question is how much progress has been made in expanding the share of renewable energy (RE) in the country’s power mix. The Philippine Energy Plan envisions RE comprising 35 percent of the energy mix by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040. While solar, wind, and hydro projects are being developed at a faster pace, their contribution remains below expectations. The government has implemented the Green Energy Auction Program (GEAP) to accelerate RE adoption, yet challenges such as high upfront costs, transmission constraints, and intermittency issues persist. Unless the country strengthens its energy storage capacity and modernizes its grid infrastructure, RE integration will remain suboptimal.
Beyond supply sufficiency and energy mix diversification, the lingering issue of high power costs continues to weigh heavily on consumers and businesses alike. The Philippines has some of the highest electricity rates in Southeast Asia, a deterrent to foreign investors considering long-term business operations in the country. While the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has taken steps to promote retail competition and open access, as well as rationalize pricing structures, significant hurdles remain. Market inefficiencies, dependence on imported fuel, and inadequate transmission capacity contribute to price volatility, making electricity a costly necessity rather than an accessible utility.
The path forward requires a holistic approach. The DOE must work closely with the private sector to expedite investments in new power plants, particularly RE projects with robust storage solutions. Strengthening interconnection between the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids will enhance supply stability, while streamlined permitting processes and regulatory incentives can encourage greater participation from investors. Additionally, the country must maximize indigenous energy resources, such as geothermal and hydroelectric power, to reduce reliance on expensive imported fuels.
The assurance of no brownouts this summer is a short-term victory, but the long-term battle for energy security, affordability, and sustainability is far from over. Without decisive action, the cycle of energy shortages and high costs will persist, hampering economic growth and investment competitiveness. Now is the time for the government, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to collaborate on a power sector roadmap that ensures not just stability but true energy independence.
