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!
Philippine stocks were down on Tuesday as rising inflation and expectations of another interest rate hike fueled concerns over the country’s economic growth outlook.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) dropped 0.73 percent, or 41.64 points, to close at 5,701.54.
Philstocks Financial Inc. attributed the decline to worries about economic growth as investors increasingly expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to raise rates again at its Oct. 22 meeting.
Elevated bond yields added pressure on the stock market, the brokerage said.
Trading remained subdued, with net value turnover reaching P3.98 billion.
Philstocks said downside risks continued to keep many investors on the sidelines.
Luis Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said the local index ended lower as investors opted to take profits following two consecutive sessions of gains.
“The profit-taking reflects continued caution among market participants amid lingering uncertainties,” Limlingan said.
“Investors remain watchful of external developments and domestic economic conditions, which could influence near-term market direction,” he added.
Foreign investors also weighed on the market, ending the session as net sellers with outflows of P468.75 million.
The Philippines is expected to post narrower dollar deficits this year and in 2027 than previously forecast, as stronger exports fueled by the global artificial intelligence boom bolster foreign exchange inflows, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.
The central bank projected a balance of payments (BoP) deficit of $9.2 billion by year-end, equivalent to 1.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). That was down from its previous forecast of $10.7 billion, or 2.1 percent of GDP.
FILE PHOTO: Arriving passengers queue at the immigration counters of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminal 1 on Sunday, August 8, 2018. —GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Travelers flying within and out of the Philippines may see a slight reduction in ticket costs in the second half of October after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) approved lower, although still elevated, fuel surcharges for the period.
In an advisory on Monday, the regulator said airlines would be allowed to impose a Level 16 fuel surcharge from Oct. 16 to Oct. 31, down one notch from Level 17 in the first half of the month, which marked a five-month high.
The Family Code states, “No marriage shall be valid, unless these essential requisites are present: (1) Legal capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female; and (2) Consent freely given in the presence of the solemnizing officer.” In addition, there are formal requisites also: (1) Authority of the solemnizing officer; (2) A valid marriage license, unless exempt; and (3) A marriage ceremony.
THE “ABSENCE” OF ANY ESSENTIAL AND/OR FORMAL REQUISITE would render the marriage void. But a “defect” in any ESSENTIAL requisite renders the marriage voidable, not void. On the other hand, any “irregularity” in any FORMAL requisite would not adversely affect the marriage’s validity, but would subject the persons responsible for the irregularities to civil, criminal, and/or administrative liabilities.
Applying these laws in the recently announced “Republic v Aguirre” (Feb. 24, 2026, per J Henri Jean Paul B. Inting, Third Division), the Supreme Court voided a couple’s marriage due to the falsity of their claimed five years of cohabitation that was used to be exempted from obtaining a marriage license. Since the marriage license was nonexistent—and thus “absent”—the marriage was deemed void.
In recent years, creatine has become my favorite and preferred fitness supplement. Protein powder and shakes are a nice-to-have, but it’s nothing one can’t fix with a better, more protein-focused diet. I also realized that my best gains were had through creatine—plus, it’s less of a pain to take.
For those who aren’t familiar: Creatine is a common fitness supplement, an organic compound that the body makes. Put simply, when taken, it increases strength, power, and performance in heavy lifts, and it makes physiques look bigger by pulling water directly into muscle cells. It’s usually taken in conjunction with protein supplementation, allowing you to make the most of your gains through your macros.
If you go hang around fitness spaces, both online and offline, you may have heard of a particular bit of “bro science” that claims that taking creatine can cause your hair to fall out.
That claim is not without a foundation. But it’s a bit of a reach in logic: There was a study conducted back in 2009 involving rugby players in South Africa, in which they were made to take 25g of creatine in one week (that’s five tiny scoops in your jar), then two weeks of a more regular 5g dose. The study found that their levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) rose by more than half because of this consumption, and remained steady at around 40 percent.
The science behind it? DHT has been closely linked to hair loss, as the hormone results in the production of finer and shorter hairs. Compounded with the creatine study, that’s where the assumption comes from.
Photo by Natalia Blauth/Unsplash
But does creatine really cause hair loss?
The link and the science seem rock-solid, but does the data actually back it up? Should gym bros stop taking creatine for fear of going bald (if they aren’t already)?
According to professor of dermatology and hair restoration surgeon Ken Anderson—best known as the doctor who helped restore John Cena’s infamously thinning hair—the only pertinent finding from the South African study is that DHT went up from taking creatine, or so he says in an interview with GQ.
Anything else is a wild guess. He says that hair loss only happens if your genetics are sensitive to DHT’s effects.
Scientists also finally took a good look at the claim and ran their own study in 2025. Splitting participants between 5g of creatine daily and a placebo, they found that there were no significant differences between DHT levels and the health of their hair.
While the study found that there may not be a strong link, they also recommend a longer look at the relationship between creatine and hair loss and health. So basically, we still don’t know if taking creatine over a long time does affect your hair—but if you’re new to it, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
Creatine is one of the common fitness supplements | Photo by Andrey Khoviakov/Unsplash
How should one take creatine?
If you’re interested in taking the supplement to enjoy its strength and muscle benefits but don’t know where to start, it’s easy: just start taking the powder. Take it with your protein shake, or take it with any other drink if it’s easier, including water (especially if you have the unflavored stuff).
Some people will tell you to do a “loading” phase—where you should take 20 grams (usually four scoops) a day for a week before tapering down to one scoop a day. But starting with one scoop a day will get you to the same place—albeit a little longer, though without any adverse side effects, such as upset stomachs and faster bowel movements.
Just take it every day, even on your rest days from the gym. Eventually, you’ll see its benefits: mostly stronger lifts on heavier weights, fuller-looking muscles (as it draws water to them), and potentially even improved brain health and function.
Aside from the claims of hair loss, there’s also no real strong data to suggest that creatine is unsafe, aside from claims of kidney damage. (But if you have an existing condition, it’s still always best to ask your doctor about taking creatine.)
What’s actually happening to men’s hair?
Instead, what may be the culprit is simply most men’s genetics. Dermatologist James Kilgour simply says that most guys are taking creatine at the same time male-pattern baldness, or alopecia, reveals itself—in their 20s to 40s.
I can confirm that this is actually the case for me—long before I even found out there was a bro science urban legend about creatine causing hair loss. Personally, it didn’t even matter that I was losing hair, as my build was improving. It was a much better trade-off and a lot easier to make bald work for me.
So yes, there’s no need to stop taking creatine if you’re noticing some shedding and thinning. It’s just the circle of life. But if you’re bothered enough by it and you can afford it, you can go see a hair specialist to find out how you can stop the fallout.
