Das Auswärtige Amt in Berlin gibt bekannt: Philippinen Reisehinweise per 17.5.2022

www.auswaertiges-amt.de

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Philippinen: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise (Teilreisewarnung)

17.05.2022

Letzte Änderung:

Aktuelles – Wegfall des Abschnitts Wahlen,



Lagen können sich schnell verändern und entwickeln. Insbesondere die COVID-19-Bestimmungen unterliegen laufenden Änderungen.Wir empfehlen Ihnen:
- Verfolgen Sie Nachrichten und Wetterberichte.- Achten Sie auf einen ausreichenden Reisekrankenversicherungsschutz. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/-/350944
- Abonnieren Sie unseren Newsletter https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/newsroom/newsletter/bestellen-node oder nutzen Sie unsere App „Sicher Reisen". https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/app-sicher-reisen/350382
- Folgen Sie uns auf Twitter: AA_SicherReisen https://twitter.com/AA_SicherReisen
- Registrieren Sie sich in unserer Krisenvorsorgeliste. https://krisenvorsorgeliste.diplo.de
- Erkundigen Sie sich vorab bei den Behörden/Botschaften Ihres Reiselandes https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/vertretungen-anderer-staaten zu den aktuell geltenden, verbindlichen Einreisebestimmungen sowie bei Flug- und Bahngesellschaften nach den geltenden Beförderungsbestimmungen.
- Beachten Sie unseren Haftungsausschluss https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/haftungsausschluss/2500954 und den Hinweis zu Inhalten anderweitiger Anbieter. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/inhalte-anderweitiger-anbieter/2500956

Aktuelles

COVID-19

Angesichts der weltweiten COVID-19-Pandemie bestehen weiterhin Risiken bei internationalen Reisen, insbesondere für Personen ohne vollständigen Impfschutz. Hierzu mehr unter COVID-19. https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/ReiseUndSicherheit/reise-gesundheit/gesundheit-fachinformationen/reisemedizinische-hinweise/Coronavirus/-/2309820

Einreise

Bestimmungen zur Einreise ändern sich mit der Pandemielage häufig. Bitte informieren Sie sich zusätzlich auf der Webseite der Regierung der Philippinen https://www.doh.gov.ph/.

Die Einreise für vollständig geimpfte Ausländer ist für touristische Aufenthalte und Geschäftsreisen bis zu 30 Tagen möglich, wenn sie unter Executive Order No. 408 (s. 1960) https://dfa.gov.ph/list-of-countries-for-21-day-visa fallen und hierdurch von der Visumspflicht befreit. Reisende müssen einen negativen PCR-Test nicht älter als 48 Stunden oder negativen Antigentest mit englischsprachigem Zertifikat (kein Selbsttest) nicht älter als 24 Stunden vor Abflug vorlegen.

Reisende müssen außerdem bei Einreise im Besitz eines noch sechs Monate gültigen Reisepasses sein und einen Flugschein über einen Rück- oder Weiterflug und eine in den Philippinen anerkannte Reisekrankenversicherung mit Mindestdeckungsschutz in Höhe von 35.000 USD für den vorgesehenen Aufenthaltszeitraum vorlegen können. Hiervon ausgenommen sind ausländische Ehepartner und Kinder philippinischer Staatsangehöriger sowie ehemalige philippinische Staatsangehörige mit „Balikbayan Privileg“ und deren mitreisende ausländische Ehepartner und Kinder. Die Staatenliste kann auf der Webseite der philippinischen Botschaft in Berlin http://philippine-embassy.de/visas/ abgerufen werden. Deutschland gehört derzeit zu diesen Ländern. Ausländische Kinder unter 12 Jahren müssen nicht voll geimpft sein und auch keinen Nachweis über ihren Impfstatus vorlegen, wenn sie ihre vollständig geimpften Eltern begleiten.

Die Einreise für vollständig geimpfte Inhaber von Langzeitvisa ist unter den genannten Bedingungen ebenfalls möglich, ein „Entry Exemption Document (EED)“ ist nicht mehr erforderlich.
Nicht vollständig geimpften ausländischen Reisenden oder Reisenden mit fehlendem anerkannten Impfnachweis wird die Einreise verweigert.
Als vollständig geimpft gilt, wer einen Impfnachweis über eine in den Philippinen erfolgte vollständige Impfung oder einen von den Philippinen anerkannten ausländischen Impfnachweis vorlegt. Deutsche Impfnachweise in Form des gelben WHO-Impfbuches oder das Digitale COVID-Zertifikat der EU werden anerkannt. Kreuzimpfungen werden akzeptiert, eine einfache Impfung nach einem durchgemachten Infekt ist hingegen nicht ausreichend.
Nach Einreise ist keine Quarantäne aber Selbstbeobachtung auf Symptome für sieben Tage erforderlich. Bei Auftreten von Symptomen ist die Kontaktaufnahme mit den lokalen Gesundheitsbehörden verpflichtend.

Nähere Informationen können bei der philippinischen Botschaft http://philippine-embassy.de/ erfragt werden.

Reisende müssen sich vor Einreise über das Portal „One Health Pass" https://www.onehealthpass.com.ph/e-HDC/ registrieren. Der Nachweis in Form eines QR-Codes ist den Fluggesellschaften am Check-in vorzulegen.

Informationen zu eventuellen Erfordernissen für Flugreisen erteilen die einzelnen Fluggesellschaften.

Ausreise und Transit

Die Ausreise ist Ausländern, die sich im Land aufhalten, jederzeit erlaubt. Manche Fluggesellschaften verlangen für den Reiseantritt in den Philippinen einen negativen PCR- oder Antigentest oder einen Impfnachweis. 

Beschränkungen im Land
Die Quarantänemaßnahmen sind regional unterschiedlich. Derzeit gilt im Großraum Manila eine niedrige Quarantänestufe mit teilweise Einschränkungen in der Bewegungsfreiheit. Stadtbezirke können diese Einschränkungen eigenständig verschärfen.
Die zwischenzeitlich unterbrochenen regulären Verkehrsverbindungen zwischen den Inseln des Landes wurden wiederaufgenommen, können jedoch jederzeit kurzfristig wiedereingestellt werden. Reisen zwischen den Provinzen sind eingeschränkt möglich, allerdings variieren die Regularien stark. Es müssen teilweise Gesundheitszeugnisse, ein negativer PCR- oder Antigentest bzw. Impfnachweise vorgelegt werden. Die Nutzung öffentlicher Verkehrsmittel (auch Inlandsflüge und Fähren) ist zunehmend nur noch geimpften Personen erlaubt.
Die touristische Infrastruktur ist eingeschränkt, einige Hotels und Resorts sind geschlossen.
Im öffentlichen Raum (in Gebäuden wie auch im Freien) gilt Maskenpflicht, Abstand ist zu wahren. Menschenansammlungen sind nur eingeschränkt zulässig.

BIR poised to shut down Megaworld

 

By Mayvelin U. Caraballo, Manila Times

​​​​​​​The Bureau of Internal Revenue on Tuesday gave notice that it will serve a closure order against Megaworld Corporation but it did not disclose the reason.

The BIR requested media coverage on the "issuance of closure order against Megaworld Corporation" on May 18, Wednesday, in an advisory released on Tuesday.

It said that BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa, Regional Director Eduardo Pagulayan Jr. and several other offi

Guballa refused to provide additional information about the closure order.

Meanwhile, Megaworld said that it was verifying the issue with the BIR.

"We got hold of the media advisory regarding the closure order. We are currently verifying and clarifying this with the Bureau of Internal Revenue," Francisco Canuto, compliance and corporate information officer at Megaworld, said in a statement.

Megaworld has been involved in real estate development, leasing, and marketing since its inception in 1989, according to its business profile on the Philippine Stock Exchange. When it started developing the Eastwood City township in 1996, the company turned its focus to supplying office buildings to support business process outsourcing (BPO) businesses.

Its real estate portfolio comprises condominium apartments, subdivision lots and townhouses, as well as office and retail buildings. Megaworld's three main business sectors are residential real estate sales, leasing of office and retail space, particularly to BPO companies, and hotel operations management.

The company and its affiliates have built roughly 725 residential structures, 72 office towers, 24 lifestyle malls, and 12 hotel brands, including condotels, since its incorporation.

Is eating rice equivalent to eating sugar?

By: Christian Heicks

Quite a lot of answers here, but nobody really answers the question directly: Eating rice is NOT equivalent to eating sugar. Rice will become glucose in the body, while sugar is a 50/50 mixture of glucose and fructose.
Also, everybody's talking about blood sugar levels, but that's not the whole story. Fructose, for example doesn't even raise the blood sugar(glucose) level, but it's still bad - it's significantly worse than glucose, for several reasons:

1. Fructose can't be used by most cells of the body, so most is metabolized in the liver, with effects similar to alcohol (after all, alcohol is made from fructose). Excessive fructose consumption might contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

2. Fructose oxidizes proteins about 7 times faster than glucose. Oxidation of proteins occurs naturally in the body, rendering the proteins unusable. (Search for "advanced glycation end products"). This is also why a high blood sugar level isn’t good.

3. Fructose is converted to fat more "efficiently" than glucose. I don't know the exact number right now, but I think it was about 30 %, while only 10 % of glucose is converted to fat. (Yes, those numbers only apply for the specific amount used in that study, but other amounts shouldn't change that ratio too much.)

There are several other reasons, you can look them up on wikipedia or just google a bit. Or watch this talk:

So, what's with rice? Sure, rice has a higher glycemic index than sugar (that's because half of sugar - the fructose - doesn't contribute to the blood sugar level), but the glycemic index itself doesn't say much.
Rice isn't usually eaten separately. If eaten in a meal with other food, the glycemic index of rice (and with other foods as well) decreases dramatically.
Generally, fat, acid (e. g. vinegar) and fiber are responsible for that. So be careful with "low-fat"-meals.... (I don't think much of the whole "low-fat-movement", anyway).

So: If you eat rice in a meal, the glycemic index is often only half the value found in the tables - for normal amounts of rice, the resulting blood sugar level is no problem. And the body needs glucose, after all.

BEAT THE BLUES!

What does "beat the blues" mean? Without context, I would suppose it to mean "to overcome a blue mood or tendency toward feeling depressed."

The more rainy days like at the moment - the more people feel low. Not really depressed but a bit lackluster. Especially during Sundays or the first days of a longer vacation. Living in the Philippines is also much more different than in my home country Germany. As an expatriate, I learned to change my lifestyle here. I don't want to give suggestions or advice "about what to eat and to drink", or, better "what NOT"! Other experts and fellow columnists might do that much better.

However, I experienced myself that some simple things are really working well:

Distract yourself: the last thing you should do is lying in the bed wallowing in self-pity. It's better to distract yourself with a dose of normality. Watching a movie (possibly not a drama or tragedy!) or even cleaning the kitchen on a Sunday can help. Important is, that you move away from where you feel bad. I mostly love to re-arrange my office at home or do a simple walk around into nature. It really does miracles.

Forgive someone: when you forgive someone or even yourself, you release anger and resentment that's bogging you down. If you remain angry, you're carrying all the negatives of the day and maybe from the whole world. Check the news: there is already enough negativism. Natural disasters, war, corruption, incompetent politicians, bullying neighbours etc. etc.

Switch to realistic thinking: the happy medium between rose-tinted positive thinking and beat-yourself-up-negativity is when you can say, "Okay, I am having a bad day, but it doesn't make me feel a failure", instead of, "I feel awful and/or my life is awful". The last will only make you feel worse.

Develop a positive attitude: I met several expatriates, who love to complain about everything and everyone. I try my best to stay away from them. Nowhere on earth is paradise! Examine your thoughts and perceptions, and replace unhelpful thoughts patterns with a more positive approach. The difference between a happy person and someone who is really depressed isn't that one has all the world's luck. But, they perceive what's happening to them differently.

Do a life audit: some people become stuck in a rut because they don't take time to work out where they are heading. Try to make decisions to change your life and ask yourself what is getting in your way and what can you do about it. It is the same principle as going through your cupboards and tossing out the clothes that don't fit you any more. If there are no uses, they are just cluttering your life. And remember, you might even laugh about it later. Stop crying to "cope" (making sure everything goes smoothly!) and deal with life more simply.

Whether it's the weather, trouble at work or a broken heart, if you are dragging yourself through the day like a little slug of sadness I've got these ways to improve your mood that are free, easy and involve chocolate and hugs.

The distinctive mark of a true Christian

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

CHRIST said it very clearly. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another,” he said. (Jn 13,35) And in another instance, he described how this love for one another should be. “This is my commandment, that you love one another, even as I have loved you.” (Jn 15,12)

Let’s make no mistake about how this love should be. It definitely has a universal scope, such that even our enemies would be objects of our love. It’s a love that is inclusive despite our unavoidable differences and conflicts. It’s a love that, as St. Paul would describe it, “is patient and kind, does not envy or boast, not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Cor 13,2-8)

And the secret is to learn to see Christ in everyone, including those with whom we may have serious differences or are in conflict, no matter how deformed the image of Christ they bear. We have to go beyond seeing others in a purely human way without, of course, neglecting the human and natural in us.

In short, we have to see others in a spiritual way, within the framework of faith, hope and charity. Otherwise we cannot avoid getting entangled in our limited and conflict-prone earthly condition. And no amount of human justice and humanitarianism can fully resolve this predicament.

Thus, we need to develop and hone our skills of looking at others beyond the merely physical, social, economic, cultural or political way. While these aspects are always to be considered, we should not be trapped by them.

There are many reasons for this. First would be that we are all brothers and sisters, created by God in his image and likeness, and made children of his through his grace.

In spite of our differences—race, culture, beliefs, etc.—we are meant to care and love one another. Thus, our Lord told us to “love your neighbour as I have loved you.” (Jn 13,34) 

And how did Christ love us? By becoming man and assuming all our sinfulness, dying to it to give us a new life in him. His love was for everyone, and especially for those who were weak and handicapped not so much in the physical sense as in the moral sense.

It’s a love that is inclusive in spite of our unavoidable differences and conflicts in the areas of lifestyles, cultures, ideologies, opinions, preferences and even in beliefs, spiritualities and morals.

This is the inclusivity of charity that goes together with the exclusivity of truth. Working this combination out will always be, of course, a work in progress, with prudence and fortitude playing an important role in the process. Let’s just take it easy and be cool and calm as we also seriously undertake the lifelong task of combining this inclusivity of charity with the exclusivity of truth.

We need to remember that we always have to contend with our natural human limitations, not to mention the more subtle effects and consequences of sin, ours and those of others. We should not be too surprised and worried about this given condition in our life. We just have to do something about it.

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

Extreme Wetterlagen häufen sich: Bedeutender Klimawert fast überschritten

Von: Lisa Klein, Merkur 

Extreme Wetterlagen gibt es aufgrund der Erderwärmung immer häufiger – auch in Deutschland. Der Klimawandel scheint schneller voranzuschreiten als angenommen.

Der Klimawandel ist weltweit, aber auch in Deutschland immer deutlicher spürbar. Das Wetter verändert sich, die extremen Wetterlagen nehmen zu: Hitzewellen, Dürre, Starkregen, Überschwemmungen, schwere Stürme und enorme Schneemassen sind alles Folgen des Klimawandels. Experten warnen in Deutschland aktuell vor extremer Trockenheit, wie echo24.de bereits berichtete. Während vor einigen Jahren Extremwetter oftmals nicht in direkten Zusammenhang mit dem Klimawandel gebracht wurde, sieht es heute ganz anders aus. 

Wissenschaftler sind inzwischen überzeugt: Extreme Wetterlagen und der Klimawandel hängen zusammen. Die menschengemachte Erderwärmung verändert das Klima unserer Erde – und sie scheint schneller voranzuschreiten als angenommen. Die globale Durchschnittstemperatur eines Jahres könnte laut Weltwetterorganisation (WMO) bis 2026 erstmals mehr als 1,5 Grad über dem vorindustriellen Niveau liegen.

Extrem-Wetter in Deutschland nehmen zu: Erderwärmung schreitet voran

„Wenn die Durchschnittstemperatur steigt, nehmen auch die Extremwetter-Ereignisse zu, und es gibt mehr Hitzewellen. Wir wissen auch: Eine wärmere Atmosphäre enthält mehr Wasserdampf, weshalb stärkere Regenfälle zu erwarten sind“, erklärte Wissenschaftskommunikatorin Susan Joy Hassol bereits 2017 in einem Interview mit klimafakten.de. Beobachtungen von extremen Wetterlagen häufen sich. Die Wetter-Bilanz für 2021 ist schockierend.

Philippine economy grows 8.3% in Q1, beating expectations

People cross a street to shop in the Divisoria district of Manila on November 30, 2021. AFP / Ted Aljibe

By Ramon Royandoyan - Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine economy managed to post a stellar growth in the first quarter, smashing expectations despite the Omicron onslaught at the start of the year.

Gross domestic product, the sum of all products and services created in an economy, grew 8.3% year-on-year in the first three months of the year, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Thursday.

The latest reading exceeded analysts’ expectations. A BusinessWorld poll of 17 economists yielded a GDP growth median estimate of 6.7% for the period.

Quarter-on-quarter, GDP grew 1.9%. National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said real GDP in the first quarter exceeded the comparable period in 2019, or before the pandemic hit.

If anything, the faster-than-expected growth last quarter might prompt the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to start hiking rates soon. Governor Benjamin Diokno last month said the BSP might consider lifting rates in June if the economy, which has grown dependent on cheap money amid the pandemic, is strong enough to sustain its recovery.

But Alex Holmes, Asia economist at London-based Capital Economics, said there's a chance that "the strength of the recovery will begin to wane soon" amid an elevated inflation that could cripple consumer spending anew. The BSP's looming tightening to fight price spikes would also weigh on growth.

"The recovery will have gained momentum in recent months after the Omicron wave faded and restrictions were almost all removed. But while day-to-day disruption from COVID-19 is largely in the rear-view mirror, new headwinds are building," Holmes said in an e-mailed commentary.

"A jump in prices is eating into consumers’ real purchasing power, with inflation hitting 4.9% y/y last month. Meanwhile the central bank is set to begin tightening policy," he added.

This is a developing story.

LPA, ITCZ to bring rains over most of Mindanao – PAGASA

by Charie Mae F. Abarca, Manila Bulletin

Residents of Caraga, Davao Region, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and SOCCSKSARGEN may experience cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms in the next 24 hours due to the low pressure area (LPA) and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), said the state weather bureau on Thursday, May 12.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said that the LPA was last spotted 490 kilometers (km) east of Davao City. It is embedded along the ITCZ affecting Mindanao.

“Ayon sa ating latest analysis ay mababa ‘yung tiyansa nito na maging bagyo ngunit continuous monitoring pa rin tayo. Ngayong araw ay nakikita po natin na magdudulot ang LPA at ITCZ na ito ng mga pag-ulan sa malaking bahagi ng Mindanao (Based on our latest analysis, this weather disturbance remains less likely to develop into a tropical cyclone, however we will be monitoring it continuously. Today, this LPA and ITCZ may bring rains in most parts of Mindanao),” said PAGASA weather specialist Grace Castañeda in a public weather forecast.

Meanwhile, generally fair weather with a slight chance of isolated rains may prevail in most of Luzon, including Metro Manila.

Due to the expected prevalence of hot and humid weather, residents were advised to avoid direct exposure to sunlight in order to prevent heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.

No gale warning is issued over the country’s seaboards. Fisherfolk and seafarers are free to sail, added Castañeda.

What are misconceptions about lechon?

Lechon is a dish that originates from the Philippines. The word "lechon" actually refers to the roasted suckling pig itself and not the plate as a whole. Lechon is typically served with a dipping sauce made from vinegar, garlic, and chili peppers. Lechon is often done at special occasions such as weddings and parties.

There are a few misconceptions about lechon. First, some people believe that lechon must be roasted over an open flame to be authentic. However, lechon[1] can also be baked in an oven or even steamed. Second, some people believe that lechon is always served with rice. While rice is a common accompaniment, it is not required. Lechon[2] can be enjoyed on its own or with a side of vegetables. Finally, some people believe that only certain pig parts can be used for lechon. In reality, any pig part can be used, although the belly and loin are most commonly used. Lechon is a delicious and versatile dish that everyone can enjoy.

Footnotes

[1] The World's Best Lechon Baboy

[2] 11 Filipino Dishes: Pinoy Handaan Menu

Why it’s difficult to believe in Christ

By Fr. Roy Cimagala *

“HOW long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” (Jn 10,24)

Perhaps we too can ask the same question. In spite of what we already know about Christ, we may still be harboring doubts as to whether Christ is really the one he presents himself to be.

I believe the simple answer is that to believe in Christ requires the grace of God. If we just rely on our human faculties, like our intelligence and common sense, we would actually not go very far. At a certain point, we would start to entertain doubts about who Christ really is.

And that is also simply because Christ, while truly a man, is first of all divine. He is a supernatural being. In fact, he is the Supreme Being who has no beginning and no end. While we can know him through his words and deeds as recorded in the gospel, he will always remain a mystery still to us. He overwhelms our capacity to know him.

With him, what we have to do is to believe first before we can start to understand him more deeply. With him, we need to have faith first before the operations of our intelligence and our other faculties do their thing. 

Thus, both St. Augustine and St. Anselm enunciated the proper way to understand and believe in Christ. “Credo ut intellegam” (I believe that I might understand) was what they were saying. They made an appeal to follow first our faith before we start to use our intelligence. Or better said, we have to make our reasoning be inspired by our faith first.

We therefore have to see to it that we develop an operative faith. Our faith should not remain only in the theoretical, intellectual level. It has to be a functioning one, giving shape and direction in our thoughts and intentions, our words and deeds. In fact, it should shape our whole life. 

The ideal is that we feel it immediately. Indeed, it should be like an instinct such that whatever we think, say or do, or whenever we have to react to something, it is our faith that should guide us.

We have to understand that it is our faith that gives us the global picture of things, since it is God’s gift to us, a gratuitous sharing of what God knows about himself and about the whole of creation. It is meant for our own good, for us to live out our true dignity as children of God.

It is a kind of knowledge that will lead us to our eternal life. It will make us relate everything in our earthly life, both the good and the bad, to this ultimate goal in life which is to be in heaven with God, a state that is supernatural. But it is a divine gift that we need to take care of. It is like a seed that has to grow until it becomes a big tree and bears fruit.

For this, we really need to have a living contact with Christ who is the fullness of God’s revelation to us. He is the substance, the content and the spirit of our faith. So, the first thing that we have to do is to look for him always whatever we may be thinking, saying or doing. Never mind if we do not understand him fully. We should just follow him!

* Chaplain Center for Industrial Technology and Enterprise (CITE), Talamban, Cebu City

Email: roycimagala@gmail.com