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!

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Showing posts with label Bohol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bohol. Show all posts

Monday, October 3, 2022

Filipina wins prestigious global award

By Conrad M. Cariño

October 3, 2022




DALAREICH Polot became the first Filipina to receive the Goldman Sachs/Fortune Most Powerful Women Global Award.

The 34-year-old from Bohol, known as "Bohol's Chocolate Princess," told The Manila Times she learned over the weekend that she has been chosen for the award along with an Egyptian woman.

"I didn't... expect that they would choose me because I'm competing with other graduates from different countries," she said.

Polot was referring to the Goldman Sachs 10,000 women program that aims to empower women entrepreneurs globally. She is one of the 200 Filipinas who have benefited from the program, having been part of its 2011 alumni.

She said the program was handled in the Philippines by the University of Asia and the Pacific (UAP), and she was one of the last five who attended the program.

"I am extremely honored to be the first Filipina to be conferred this prestigious award at 'Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit' in California in the next few days," she said in a post in her Facebook page.

"They (UAP) sent me an application in the last week of August where you can write your 'Pay it Forward' project for your chosen community. In the Philippines, only me was given an application form," she added.

Polot will fly to California this week to receive the award, which includes a dollar-based grant for her project.

"I'm also eager to listen and network with women leaders and CEOs that I will meet during the summit. I'm so looking forward to engaging with women leaders who will be at the event which includes Melinda Gates, US government women representatives from different states, women CEOs from Fortune 500 companies network and many other amazing women who I usually just read in books or watched on TV," she said.

Polot helped communities in Bohol that were ravaged by Typhoon "Odette" late last year. Bohol was one of the areas that bore the storm's brunt.

"My parents even cried [after learning of the award] because they know I'm always outside the house since the typhoon doing many things in faraway towns and even didn't put [those efforts] on social media," she said.

She admitted getting tired at times, "but I can't just watch the people without homes and having lost their livelihood."

Polot co-founded Dalareich Food Products and started Ginto Chocolates, which produces artisanal chocolate products and helps cacao farmers in Bohol produce quality raw materials.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Summer 2017: Tarsier sanctuary-turned-resort shows a different side of Bohol

By: Jeeves de Veyra

Abs Cbn
A view of Tarsier Botanika from offshore. Photo by author
When one thinks of Bohol, images of beaches and Chocolate Hills immediately come to mind. An image of a forest paradise is probably not on that list. And yet, that is exactly what Tarsier Botanica is: a resort situated in the middle of a forest.
Tarsier Botanika is an exclusive resort nestled in the forests of southern Panglao. It used to be a tarsier sanctuary until the local government moved the endangered creatures to their facility in Bohol. With only 14 villas in the entire complex, this resort guarantees privacy and a place to really get away from it all.
This resort was dreamed up by its architect owners. There is a museum that houses collectibles and objets d’art that they have brought home from their travels. The curated collection in the museum reflects the European and Asian aesthetics that has made its way into the resort.
Birds diving in and out of the water can sometimes be seen at the swimming pool. Photo by author
Everything in the resort was made according to the owners’ designs: the resort layout, the villas, the restaurant, and special furniture in the buildings.
As a guest in Tarsier Botanika, you don’t walk through claustrophobic hallways to get to their rooms. Rather, you wander through lush forest paths to get to your villa with the soundtrack of the wind rustling through the leaves and birds chirping in the trees.
Every step inside the resort is a picture waiting to be taken. Photo by author
A Balinese reclining Buddha in the forest pathways. Photo by author
A Santorini-inspired deck. Photo by author
With every step on the paths is an Instagram moment waiting to be captured. There’s a sleeping Buddha from Bali, there’s the Santorini-esque cliffside walkway that leads down to a private beach, the swimming pool which occasionally has birds diving in and out of the water,
And then, there are the villas themselves.
The grand interiors of a Tarsier Botanika villa. Photo by author
The villas, which resemble large nipa huts, dwarf a standard hotel room. It can easily house an entire family. The bathroom is massive with storage space for luggage. A comfortable king size bed adorns the main room with a classy desk and a breakfast nook in a corner, which comes with a CBTL Caffitaly espresso machine with a complete selection of espresso pods.
The coffee nook has its own espresso machine. Photo by author
Tarsier Botanika is not shy about the construction of the villa as the massive structures that support the roof are there to see when you lie down on the bed. The supports are an imposing sight and yet, it just shows how well made these houses are. Little touches like a foot wash outside the villa and various drying racks show how much thought was given to the design of these levelled up huts. The villa just invites guests to cocoon themselves inside for the duration of their stay.
And yet, there is a lot more to do and see in Tarsier Botanika. There is a mini-zoo that houses all sorts of birds and animals from the island. There is a stable with horses and ponies that guests can ride though their Tarsier Equestria package. Professional equestrian athletes from Cebu regularly come here for dressage and Show Jumping practice.
Tarsier Botanika has a stable and equestrian grounds. Photo by author
There is also a Tarsier Aquatica package that includes boat trips to nearby islands for scuba diving guests.
Though Tarsier Botanika has its own beach, guests can catch a boat and sun themselves at the beaches of nearby Pamilacan Island. The resort occasionally hosts beachside barbecue brunch for guests which also features snorkeling at the nearby marine sanctuary to check out Bohol’s marine biodiversity.
Barbecue brunch at Pamilacan Island. Photo by author
For those looking for a party atmosphere, the resort provides a shuttle to Panglao Beach. The resort’s shuttle station is located at its similarly named sister restaurant. The beachside branch’s menu is more down-to-earth than the gourmet menu of the resort.
A sample of desserts from the Tarsier Botanika branch at Panglao Beach. Photo by author
Tarsier Botanika is an emerald in the sea of Bohol’s beach resorts. It offers is not just a resort offering a place to stay, it is a complete experience for the world-weary who’re looking for a couple of days of disconnection from the world and a place to enjoy peace and quiet.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Bohol - one year later!

By MST Lifestyle 
 
Virgelio and Maria Crieta's family is closer than any family can get. While most of their children are married and have families of their own, Virgelio and Maria make it a point to spend time together at least once a week like most Filipino families.
The houses are built using a unique bamboo
design that gives the structure more flexibility.
On October 15, 2013, a national holiday, Virgelio and Maria found another opportunity to gather the whole family at one of their children’s homes in Poblacion, in the town of Loon, Bohol. However, the family revelry was interrupted by a violent shaking – a 7.2-magnitude quake had struck the island of Bohol with a force so great, it left thousands of families homeless and fearful for their lives.

As the tremors stopped, the Crietas were terrified. They thought it was the end of the world. Virgelio and Maria had to stay at their child’s house for a week before they finally had the courage to go back to their home in the village of Catagbacan Norte, which was also terribly damaged.It was painful to discover that their home, which was built through years of hard labour, fell apart in just minutes.

Moving on from such a tragedy was not easy for the Crietas. But what kept them going was their family: that unshakeable bond that no earthquake could ever shatter. That, for them,was more than enough reason to move on.

Virgelio and Maria stayed in a temporary shelter made out of salvaged plywood, metal sheets and a tarpaulin before they were gifted with a brand new home from Habitat for Humanity and its partner, UnionBank, who was among the first to come to Bohol’s aid.

The Crieta family is just one of some 6,000 families who will benefit from the new homes with a unique bamboo design provided by Habitat for Humanity. The design makes use of a special technology involving chemically treated bamboo strips woven between concrete-reinforced steel frames, giving the structure more flexiblity.  This design was a result of Habitat for Humanity’s scouring its global database; and which UnionBank readily supported.

Volunteers helped build the structure that could withstand earthquakes – the interwoven bamboo slats plastered with concrete, a representation of that same tight, resilient bond their family held on to during the tragedy.

After months of enduring the stuffiness of their improvised shelter, the Crieta family finally moved into their new brighter home,where they can start making new memories and strengthen even more the ties that bind their family together.

Monday, April 21, 2014

Rising Number of Trafficked Fishermen in Tawi-Tawi


BONGAO, Tawi-Tawi—Tawi-Tawi authorities are alarmed at the growing number of fishermen from the Visayas who end up here after being recruited by human trafficking syndicates to engage in dangerous compressor diving.

The latest case involves 13 fishermen rescued from a fishing village here on March 15 by a team composed of the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office (PPO), Philippine Marines and the Bongao Inter-agency Task Force Against Trafficking in Persons (BIATFAT).

The case is the eighth recorded by BIATFAT since December 2012, and brings the total number of rescued fishermen to 80, all of them from Cebu and Bohol.


 
 
 
Not just a backdoor transit point, Tawi-Tawi is also a destination for human trafficking victims.

“They have taken a huge risk in accepting compressor diving work here,” said Inspector Elmira Relox, chief of the Tawi-Tawi PPO Women and Children Protection Desk, who led the rescue.

Compressor diving, a dangerous deep-sea fishing method, requires the fishermen to dive into the water without any gear, except for a plastic hose attached to an air pump on the surface. The diver inhales air through the hose when deep underwater.
Police said compressor diving killed one fisherman and incapacitated another. The casualties, both of who had been recruited along with the 13 rescued fishermen, were not identified.

The rescued fishermen told police they started working for a certain Nelson Mohammad in September 2013, with the contract supposed to expire last February.
Mohammad, however, reportedly detained them in his residence after they complained of unfair pay and refused to extend their contract. He also claimed the fishermen still owed him money he had advanced to them in Cebu and their transportation expenses going to Tawi-Tawi.

Police said one of the fishermen escaped by swimming in the shallow waters off the edge of Bongao island and alerted the local authorities to the group’s situation.
Prosecutor Ivy Damayo of the Sea-based Anti-trafficking Task Force said hundreds more fishermen are trapped in dire working conditions on the islands.

The 13 rescued fishermen are from Lapu-Lapu City. The youngest is 19, the oldest 48.
“They were exploited and harassed by their employers,” Relox said.

According to police, fishermen from Cebu and Bohol are lured by recruiters who are known or related to them.

These recruiters advance the fishermen a portion of the promised salary ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 to get them to agree to work in Tawi-Tawi usually on a six-month contract. The fishermen are also promised a share of the profit from the catch.

But the agreements are made only orally. Once in Tawi-Tawi, the deep-sea divers are left to the mercy of their employers, and the promises forgotten.

BIATFAT focal person Rosabella Sulani said the fishermen usually work from 3 p.m. until 7 the next morning.

When their contracts are about to expire, the fishermen are told they still owe their employers money and they would have to stay to be able to pay their debts. The victims, therefore, get caught in a vicious cycle of debt bondage, Sulani said.

 
 
Fishing is a leading source of livelihood in Tawi-Tawi.
 
Fishermen are also regularly threatened with violence, according to police. Their employers usually carry firearms and claim to have a network of contacts among the local authorities in Tawi-Tawi.

Mohammad managed to evade capture when local authorities raided his residence to rescue the 13 fishermen and, according to Sulani, has become the newest addition to the growing list of suspects behind the trafficking of fishermen from Cebu and Bohol to Tawi-Tawi.
He is the first to be identified operating in Languyan town near Bongao, capital of Tawi-Tawi, said Sulani.

The victims told police that Mohammad lives in Sama-Kasulutan in Simandagit, Bongao, reputedly a den for lawless elements, including members of the Abu Sayyaf. He is known to carry firearms, and once fired a gun in the air when he got mad at his employees.

One of the rescued fishermen told police that Mohammad also claims to be well connected to law enforcement officials in Tawi-Tawi.

Three other suspects identified by Sulani allegedly employing compressor divers in the island municipalities of Sibutu and Sitangkai are Anthony Jumat and the brothers “Ugly” and Jimmy Haibit.

BIATFAT records of Bongao cases referred to Zamboanga City show that Jimmy Haibit was charged with human trafficking on July 16, 2013. The case is awaiting resolution.

Also charged was Policarpio “Paul” Mantos, who reportedly recruits fishermen from Cebu and Bohol.

BIATFAT, meanwhile, referred on Jan. 29 a trafficking case against Jumat to the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office. Task force officials said Jumat is also known as a notorious drug pusher in Tawi-Tawi and that he allegedly works with recruiter Jefferson Daño.

Last Sept. 5, BIATFAT rescued a fisherman from Bohol who said as payment for the amount given to him in advance in Bohol, Jumat made him peddle the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride, also known as shabu.

Sulani said some fishermen are forced to use “shabu” to combat tough sea conditions, particularly the extreme cold at night.

No cases have been filed against Mohammad, his recruiter, identified as Eduardo Tumulak, and “Ugly” Haibit. They are at large.

The Tawi-Tawi PPO and the BIATFAT turned over the 13 rescued fishermen to authorities in Zamboanga, who in turn facilitated their return to Cebu.

Relox said catching the employers and recruiters remains a problem for the police. “They are just too good,” she said, referring to human traffickers’ skills at evading authorities.

While many victims have been rescued, only a few are interested in pursuing cases, Damayo said. Among the 80 rescued, she said, “only about three are interested” in legal action against their former employers and recruiters.

(This story is part of VERA Files' project “Human Trafficking Casewatch” supported by the U.S. Embassy's Small Grants Facility and the Embassy of Canada. VERA Files is put out by senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for true.)

Friday, October 25, 2013

Philippine Earthquake Creates Miles-long Rocky Wall

Philippine earthquake creates miles-long rocky wall
This undated handout photo released on October 24, 2013 by Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology shows a house standing next to a ground rupture creating a rock wall in the village in Bohol province brought about by the quake which hit the province October 15. (Via AFP)
 
The deadly earthquake that struck the Philippines last week created a spectacular rocky wall that stretches for kilometres through farmlands, astounded geologists said on Thursday.

Dramatic pictures of the Earth-altering power of the 7.1-magnitide quake have emerged as the government worked to mend the broken central island of Bohol, ground zero of the destruction.

A "ground rupture" pushed up a stretch of ground by up to three metres creating a wall of rock above the epicentre, Maria Isabel Abigania, a geologist at the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, told AFP.

"Our people have walked five kilometres so far and not found the end of this wall," she said, as experts from the institute surveyed the damage.

"So far we have not gotten any reports of people getting swallowed up in these cracks. The fault runs along a less-populated area."

A photograph on the institute's website showed part of the rock wall grotesquely rising on farmland behind an unscathed bamboo hut.

Another house was shown lodged in a crack of the Earth, while a big hole on the ground opened up at a banana farm.

Renato Solidum, head of the institute, said the ground fissures from the quake, which killed 198 people on Bohol and two nearby islands, were among the largest recorded since the government agency began keeping quake records in 1987.

"Most of our other quake records show a lateral (sideways) tearing of the earth, though we've also had coral reefs rising from the sea," he said, citing a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that hit the central island of Negros last year.

The Philippines lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire made up of chains of islands created by volcanic eruption that are also frequently hit by earthquakes.

President Benigno Aquino told reporters today the institute had assured him the worst was over, though Bohol would continue to be hit by aftershocks over the next few weeks.

"There is no immediate danger" either from the aftershocks or from the ground fissures, said Aquino, who slept in an army tent there overnight on Wednesday in solidarity with the survivors.