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!
An infectious disease expert reminded the public to remain vigilant against fake medicines as this may cause an adverse effect on one’s health.
“Ang magiging epekto niyan sa katawan talagang hindi maganda. So, kailangan talaga natin na suriin (The effect of that on the body is not good. So, we really need to check),” said infectious disease expert Dr. Rontgene Solante during a public briefing on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
“Unang-una hindi natin alam kung mas mataas ang mga adverse reaction or reaction ng mga gamot na ‘to dahil hindi natin alam kung ano ang quality (First of all, we don’t know the possible adverse reactions that can happen [if you take these] drugs because we don’t know its quality),” he added.
Solante advised the public to only purchase medicines from “authorized and reputable drug stores.”
He urged the public to be extra cautious when buying medicines online.
“More importantly siguro we discourage online unless the online site na iyan ay authorized government or private na mga healthcare delivery drugs or drug stores (we discourage the online purchase [of medicines] unless the online site is authorized by the government or these are private healthcare delivery drugs or drug stores),” he said.
Von: CHRISTINA DRECHSLER, TATJANA KAA, FRANK KLAUSS, DANIELA KOVACEVIC, MANDY KYNAST, STEPANIÈ MERCIER, TORSTEN PAULY. CLAUDIA LORD UND CHRISTOPH WITTE
Berlin – In der Nase ein süßer Bratapfelduft, in der Hand ein heißer Glühwein: Heute öffnen die ersten Weihnachtsmärkte in Deutschland.
Nach zwei Jahren Corona-Pandemie erwarten die Städte hohe Besucherzahlen. Aber die Vorfreude auf die schöne Tradition ist gedämpft.
Grund: Die Bevölkerung hat wegen der hohen Inflation und der explodierenden Energiepreise immer weniger Geld in der Tasche, das Konsumverhalten ist gedämpft. Hinzu kommt, dass der Mindestlohn auf 12 Euro pro Stunde gestiegen ist und auch die Budenbesitzer und Schausteller mit erhöhten Stromkosten zu kämpfen haben – da werden Lichterkette, Karussell und der Herd für den Glühweintopf zur Geldverbrennungs-Anlage.
Folge: steigende Verkaufspreise für die Kunden!
In der Zeit vor Corona lag der Durchschnittspreis in Deutschland für einen Glühwein bei 3,50 Euro, in Metropolen zahlten die Besucher auch bis zu 4 Euro.
Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom: Wegen der Energiekrise wird um 22 Uhr die Weihnachtsbeleuchtung ausgeschaltet
Foto: picture alliance / Panama Pictures
► In Berlin liegt dies Jahr der Preis für Glühwein auf den in der Stadt verteilten Weihnachtsmärkten im Schnitt bei 4,50 Euro pro Tasse. Damit 50 Cent mehr als bisher. In der brandenburgischen Provinz rund um die Hauptstadt spart man im Schnitt rund 50 Cent, zahlt nur 4 Euro.
► Auf dem Kölner Weihnachtsmarkt am Dom kostet dieses Jahr eine 0,2-Liter-Tasse mit 75-Grad heißem Glühwein 4,50 Euro, eine Preissteigerung um 50 Cent. Auch in Düsseldorf bewegen sich die Glühwein-Preise bei 4 Euro oder 4,50 Euro.
Glühwein kostet dieses Jahr vielerorts 50 Cent mehr als in den Jahren zuvor
Foto: picture alliance/dpa
► In Duisburg erwarten die Standbetreiber 3,50 bis 4 Euro für einen Glühwein, in Bochum und Herne 3.50 Euro.
► Dortmund erweist sich mit 3 Euro als Schnäppchen und hat noch einen weiteren Rabatt-Trick im Angebot: Wer mit den öffentlichen Verkehrsmitteln anreist, bekommt 10 Prozent Rabatt auf Speisen und Getränke.
►In München kostet der Glühwein durchschnittlich 4 Euro. Wer sein Heißgetränk mit Schuss haben möchte, zahlt im Schnitt 6 Euro. Vorglühen sollte, wen es auf den Christkindlmarkt am Marienplatz zieht: Dort kostet ein normaler Glühwein etwa 5 Euro, an einer besonders exklusiven Bude sogar 6 Euro – Teuer-Rekord! Wer eine Bratwurst in der Semmel möchte, muss 5 Euro zahlen, Reiberdatschi (Kartoffelpuffer), 3 Stück mit Apfelmus, kosten 6 Euro, 100 Gramm gebrannte Mandeln 5 Euro, Crêpe mit Zimt und Zucker 5 Euro und mit Nutella 6 Euro.
► Etwas nördlich auf dem berühmten Nürnberger Christkindlmarkt ist die Tasse Glühwein um glatt einen Euro teurer geworden. Aber mit 4 Euro pro Glas bleibt das Preisniveau noch im Schnitt. Die alkoholfreie Version kostet durchschnittlich 3,50 Euro. ► Auch in Leipzig kostet eine Tasse Glühwein im Schnitt 4 Euro. Zum Vergleich: 2019 waren es noch rund 3,50 Euro. Während der Preis hier ein wenig gestiegen ist, blieben die Preise für kunsthandwerkliche Produkte noch nahezu stabil: „Aber im nächsten Jahr werden sie wegen der gestiegenen Kosten bis zu 20 Prozent teurer“, kündigt Lizenzpartner Harald Wohlfahrt (66) von Käthe Wohlfahrt an.
► Beim Striezelmarkt in Dresden wird die Tasse Glühwein etwa 50 Cent teurer als vor zwei Jahren. Einfaches Gebräu gibt es ab 4 Euro. Im Schnitt verlangen die Händler für gute Winzerglühwein 4,50 Euro. Für edle Tropfen verlangen Händler bis zu 5 Euro. Das Tassenpfand steigt von 3 auf 4 Euro (wegen gestiegener Herstellungskosten). Wer einen Glühwein trinken möchte, muss also im Schnitt 8,50 Euro auf den Tisch legen – happig!
Nach der Corona-Zwangspause soll der Striezelmarkt endlich wieder erstrahlen
Foto: Matthias Rietschel/dpa
► Bereit für die besinnliche Jahreszeit sind auch die Stände in Saarbrücken: Dort gibt es schon für 3,50 Euro einen 0,2 Liter-Becher Glühwein, mit z. B. einem Jägermeister- oder Mirabellen-Schuss zahlt man 5 Euro. Einen Kinderpunsch gibt es schon für 2,50 Euro. Wer es exotischer mag, kann hier auch einen Heidelbeerglühwein für 4 Euro bekommen.
Wer dann noch einen kleinen Hunger bekommt, muss noch mal in die Tasche greifen: Eine Bratwurst mit Brötchen gibt es für 3 Euro, Maronen (9 Stück) für 3,50 Euro, 15 Stück für 5 Euro. Einen Nutella-Crêpe gibt’s ab 4 Euro.
Der Weihnachtsmarkt in Bonn sorgte am Eröffnungstag für eine volle Innenstadt
Foto: IMAGO/Marc John
► Auch in Hamburg klettert der Glühwein-Preis um etwa 50 Cent in die Höhe. Auf den Weihnachtsmärkten „Weißerzauber“ auf dem Jungfernstieg und „Santa Pauli“ kostet ein Becher Glühwein 4,50 Euro. Also noch unter Münchner Preisniveau. Auf dem historischen Roncalli-Weihnachtsmarkt vor dem Rathaus zahlen Besucher „nur“ 4 Euro für einen Glühwein, vor der Erhöhung 3,50 Euro. Grund sei, dass nur noch Bioqualität ausgeschenkt werde. Außerhalb der Innenstadt-Lage kostet der Glühwein bei den meisten Betreibern 3,50 Euro. Damit sich auch Familien einen Weihnachtsmarktbesuch leisten können, haben sich die meisten Budenbesitzer darauf geeinigt, dass nichtalkoholische Getränke nicht erhöht werden.
► In Bremen bewegen sich die Preise für einen Glühwein zwischen 3,50 und 4 Euro. Schmalzkuchen gibt es schon ab 3,50 Euro und eine Bratwurst für 4,50 Euro.
Fazit: Die Standbetreiber haben ihre Preise in diesem Jahr moderat erhöht, häufig lediglich um 50 Cent. Die meisten seien froh, dass sie dieses Jahr überhaupt ohne große Beschränkungen öffnen können und freuen sich über jeden Gast, der kommt.
DAVAO City Police Office (DCPO) spokeswoman Maj. Catherine de la Rey said the four-day Bar examinations which concluded on Sunday were conducted successfully and smoothly, with no reported security mishaps.
A total of 705 aspiring lawyers took the exams on November 9, 13, 16 and 20 at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) Senior High School Campus in Bangkal this city.
AdDU was one of the three testing sites in Mindanao for the bar exam.
This was the second time that multiple sites across the country were used for the Bar examinations.
De la Rey, in an interview aired over the Davao City Disaster Radio, said full coordination among the sectors involved yielded favorable results.
"There really was coordination among the security and safety cluster, school administration, and members of the Supreme Court who came to Davao from Manila to conduct the examinations," de la Rey said.
"We are happy to report that from November 9 up to the fourth round of examinations yesterday, November 20, the Mindanao-wide Bar examinations had been conducted peacefully here in Davao City," she added.
The security measures implemented for the exams were proven to be successful, said de la Rey, as the DCPO recorded no arrests or violations of security protocols enforced all over the city.
De la Rey thanked the security cluster for the cooperation of the general public, the examinees, and the members of the Supreme Court for the successful commencement of this year's Bar exams.
The Barong Tagalog, the national dress of the Philippines, is primarily made out of pina fiber, giving it a transparent appearance. This along with its untucked nature has spawned many myths about its origins and its history, the main one being it was worn a certain way because the Spanish forced the native Indios to wear the shirt untucked and transparent so as to not hide a weapon.
The truth has a lot more to do with the climate and local culture than a Spanish colonial law that has never existed.
Tipos de pais paintings by Jose Honorato in the 1840s depict everyday Filipino fashions. The two people in these examples belong to a wealthier class.
Pina fiber is a very difficult material to work with. With the introduction of pineapples from the Americas as a result of trade, pina fiber began production in the Philippines. This fiber would be used to make the highly elaborate Barong Tagalog that was worn by the wealthy and upper classes in society.
The transparent and lightweight nature was a perfect fit for the tropical climate of the Philippines, so it quickly caught on with the locals. Wealthier members of society would wear very elaborate Barong Tagalog. In the 1820s, the mahabang barong was the style, where very long baro would be worn to show off the intricate designs of the dress.
In traditional settings across Asia, traditional clothing has always been untucked. This is in contrast to the Western style of dress that tucking in shirts was commonplace. The way the Barong Tagalog is worn is no different from how the kurta in India, or the baju melayu in Malaysia would be worn, often untucked.
Page 173 of this academic article explains the untucked nature and similarity to the Indian kurta in further detail, dispelling the myth that Spanish colonizers forced the Barong Tagalogs way of dress on the natives.
Further study of colonial laws, written in Spanish may shed light into whether there were really sumptuary decrees. Clothing prescriptions, not impositions, found its way in the moral novels written by Spanish priests, the likes of Fr. Modesto de Castro (1864) and Fr. Miguel Lucio y Bustamante (1885); however, it is unlikely that there were any legal consequences for wearing tucked shirts and clothes that crossed racial boundaries.452 Besides, an indio and mestizo population, which was increasingly becoming affluent --and influential- - traversed these boundaries, contributing to shifts in hierarchies previously based on race to hierarchies based on a combination of factors, including class, education, race, talents, social networks, etc.
Transparent clothing is not limited to the Barong Tagalog. In fact, it’s common throughout Southeast Asia.
McKinley Hill’s picturesque masterpiece turns into a winter wonderland this holiday season
The country’s first and only 40 ft. floating Christmas tree in Venice Grand Canal has been spruced up to exclude a winter wonderland vibe.
In their recent Christmas launch, the premiere lifestyle destination in Taguig City lit up the country’s first and only 40-foot floating Christmas tree along with the unveiling of the Winter Aquatic Adventure, a water-based scenery at the grand canal.
Leading Venice Grand Canal’s ceremonial tree lighting were: Graham Coates, head of Megaworld lifestyle malls, Coun. Marisse Balina-Eron and Mayor Lanie Cayetano of Taguig city, Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Marco Clemente, and Noli Hernandez, EVP for sales and marketing, Megaworld.
The Winter Aquatic Adventure is open to guests all Christmas season. While riding a gondola at the man-made canal, mall patrons can feel the holiday spirit and marvel at the iceberg installations with cute aquatic animals like polar bears, penguins, and sea lions.
Colorful lights illuminate the Italian-inspired malls including Venice Piazza’s famous fountain.
“At the heart of every Christmas celebration at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, is the goal of having families, couples, friends, especially the kids to experience festive holidays. We are ready to welcome the community and make McKinley Hill a top holiday destination here in the city,” says Graham Coates, head of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls.
Holiday Wonders The days leading to Christmas will be extra happy at McKinley Hill. Patrons can enjoy weekly events filled with sparks, entertainment, and, of course, the food.
Families and kids can watch Venice Grand Canal’s journey to Artica: Christmas aquatic adventure every Sunday this December.
The highlight of this year’s celebrations is the Journey to Artica water parade, which will feature aquatic mascots and characters, accompanied with lights and music. The show will be held on the weekends of December. Visit with family on Dec. 3, 10, and 17 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Venice Grand Canal Mall, Aquatic Area.
A grand fireworks display will light up the skies of Mckinley Hill every Sunday of December.
A lovely fireworks display for the amusement of everyone will light up the sky all Saturdays of December at exactly 7 p.m.. Christmas at the StrEAT, an open-air food fair with lots of fresh and appetizing selections, will be open to everyone who wants a feast from Nov. 18 to 20. Treat the kids to a Santa and Mascots Meet & Greet, and brighten your celebrations with live music performances in Music Under the Stars.
Holiday feasts Feast on fresh and flavorful Italian dishes at Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen. Mama Lou’s started as a humble family restaurant and has now become one of the most sought-after Italian restaurants in Metro Manila. After a long day of strolling and seeing McKinley Hill’s Italian-inspired architecture, it makes sense to dine in at Mama Lou’s and experience their modern but homey food selections.
Mama Lou’s Italian kitchen offers delightful selection of Italian cuisines for family feasts or gatherings.
Toni & Sergio is one of the best when it comes to celebrations. Something you should order for the whole family or barkada? Their Paella di Pollo. The dish is a Spanish staple that is made with chicken, seafood, and other tasteful ingredients. Pair it with your wine of choice and it’s going to be a party to remember.
Toni & Sergio has a spacious and scenic alfresco dining area, which is among the best spots to watch Christmas aquatic adventure show.
You’ll never run out of Italian choices at McKinley Hill. Don’t miss dining at Ponte Rialto Ristorante Italiano. Try their best-selling dish Spaghetti Aglio Olio Peperoncino Con Vongole, which is meticulously prepared using only the freshest ingredients. Book a table at their alfresco area to get the best view of the Grand Canal.
Enjoy a scenic lunch or dinner at Italianni’s. With a warm and inviting atmosphere and an alfresco area, the experience at Italianni’s will be a homey treat for the whole family. Order their house specialties Italian Truffle Fries, Sicilian Salad, Chicken Picatta, and Margherita.
Holiday evenings are made more romantic at Ponte Rialto Ristorante Italiano with its impeccable views and gastronomic offerings.
Crustasiaserves the best of Southeast Asia through a medley of Thai, Malay, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Singaporean cuisines on their menu. One of the main attractions? Their flavorful and rich Mixed Seafood Laksa. An explosion of flavors await everyone who will sip into the Mixed Seafood Laksa, which is made from perfectly cooked noodles; the freshest prawns, squid, mussels, clams; and ofcourse the yellow chili laksa broth.
Holiday shopping If looking for holiday presents for a special someone, visit Hearts & Arrows at the ground floor and shop from their world-class array of jewelry and watches. Stay chic and comfortable when working out and shop for the latest sneakers and sports and athleisure wear atAdidas.
A shop haven for cyclists, Hugo Bikes offers a lineup of bikes, from budget-friendly ones to high-end options. The bike shop also has a wide range of bike accessories like bicycle helmets that all pass safety standards.
Show up to work or stay home? Full in class session or distance online class? These twin dilemmas are rekindled just as soon as the COVID 19 global pandemic is tail-ending or now reportedly a treatable disease not to be dreaded.
First off, when he acquired Twitter recently, Elon Musk laid off half of its workforce and ordered the other half to show up in office, reversing the company’s existing work-from-anywhere policy with some exceptions. For employees who prefer work from home (WFH), it was a jarring unwelcome news, proffering albeit anecdotally that they are more productive away from the office.
Characteristically ordering a “take it or leave it” brashness, Musk is bent on managing Twitter the way he does with his other companies. By example, he spends more than 40 hours per week in the office and wants employees to do the same, at least a minimum of 40 hours in the office and more hours at home at their discretion. The more senior one is in the organization hierarchy, the more visible he should be in office. He proved the effectiveness of his style by maintaining the profitability of SpaceX and Tesla while other companies are losing.
With advanced technology and the generational proclivities of employees preponderantly from generations XYZ, such a dictate is hostile and clashes against their personal and cultural idiosyncrasies that might affect their productivity and performance. In various studies, these employees multi-task, have limited attention span, are optimistic, independent, demanding and jealous of their own unique identities. They are digital natives of the Internet world.
Many US executives agree with Musk seeing more negatives than positives about WFH. WFH does not enhance and foster corporate sustainability. Being together and seeing each other in the office create immense energy and synergy. More significantly, WFH stifles innovation and idea generation. It also weakens building healthy work culture because of “disconnectedness” in a world of interconnectedness. One should not “confuse digital connections with real relationships” because a real conversation with someone one cares about is irreplaceable. Being together in the workplace enables innovativeness of employees to achieve corporate profitability.
University of Texas professor of psychology and marketing Art Markman explains that observing work by others can lead to a phenomenon called “goal contagion.” By observing other people’s actions, one can adopt and align with the same goal reinforcing the achievement of a common purpose in the workplace. Other benefits of working in the office are facilitating and building institutional knowledge, strengthening a sense of shared mission and vision and belongingness in which working away would not foster.
This apparent clash of generational and cultural differences between corporate leadership and management and their employees is a highly critical and strategic issue that requires fundamental reimagining and innovative solutions. One-size-fits all strategy would not work because of differences of business models and people’s cultural norms. Thus, a hybrid strategy, where some days work are on WFH and on other days at the office may be the key to a win-win solution of the dilemma.
For schools, full face-in or distance classes uncannily face the same dilemma as in WFH. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued a memorandum (CMO 16) for the conduct of face-to-face or hybrid sessions in the degree programs offered by higher education institutions (HEI) in the coming second semester of school year 2022-23. This follows the similar directive of the Department of Education for full classroom sessions in the primary and secondary classes that began this month.
As a long-time professor in graduate schools, I have since been an active participant in the learning process, both in-face and online. The traditional modality of in-face session is by far the most fascinating and engaging mentally, emotionally, and physically. I see my students in flesh and blood directly engaging them to discover, to invent and to grow. In online, there is a whale of a difference I see only tiny images of faces on the screen, sometimes off camera because of weak Internet connection. What I achieve in physical interaction from in-face classes is less or artificial in an online.
Like corporations, it is also a serious dilemma for schools to require enormous strategic adjustments in capacity and capability building, changed mindsets and mindfulness to become effective for the benefit of the generational teachers and learners. It cannot be one-size fit-all strategy if one were to soundly resolve the generational divide between teachers and learners.
The sound and dynamic solution is not found between two mutually exclusive options. It is found in the identification of learning goals achieved through an evaluation of a range of complementary options that make for a win-win classroom engagement. Thus, a hybrid modality where some sessions are face-to-face and some sessions are online using synchronous and asynchronous modalities is the middle ground to address different and unique characteristics of the multi-generational learners.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to go for another policy rate hike of 50 basis points (bps) on Dec. 15, lifting the overnight borrowing rate to 5.50 percent.
BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said they will keep a tightening mode and maintain a decent interest rate differential between the BSP and US Federal Reserve funds rate to stabilize exchange rate pressures.
The BSP chief, however, has not yet signalled by how much the Monetary Board will increase the policy rates next month, but the possibility of again matching the US Fed action is high.
BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla
Medalla is also ruling out a pause in the immediate future. “The forex (foreign exchange) market is expected to remain very sensitive to the interest rate differential. A 50 (bps) by the US Fed in December can’t be met by a pause by the BSP,” he told Manila Bulletin.
He has said before that interest rate differential should be at least a 100 bps. As of Nov. 2, the US Fed rate stood at 3.75 percent to four percent versus the BSP’s five percent as of Nov. 17.
On Friday, Nov. 18, the peso vis-à-vis the US dollar closed stronger at P57.26 compared to P57.36 on Nov. 17, the day the BSP announced its expected BSP rate hike.
In a press briefing after the Monetary Board meeting, Medalla said they cannot let the interest rate differential to fall back at this time.
“We don’t really have a model that says if the interest rate is this, the exchange rate will be this, because there are so many things that cause the exchange rate to move. However, what we do know is if the interest rate differential is too small especially during times when the US economy is the only game in town, then the peso” will tend to behave abnormally, he said.
“This is the reason why right now, the US policy rate is a bigger influencer of our policy rate than normal,” Medalla added.
Weeks before the Nov. 17 Monetary Board policy meeting, Medalla has communicated early on that they will raise the reverse repurchase rate or the RRP by 75 bps.
Medalla on Thursday said this will probably be the last time that the BSP will do a big rate increase. The recent 75 bps rate adjustment is the second one, the first was an off-cyle move last July.
The BSP has jacked up the rates by a cumulative 300 bps to battle high inflation and exchange rate pressures. As of end-October, the inflation rate averaged at 5.4 percent. For the rest of the year, the BSP forecasts inflation to exit at 5.8 percent. Medalla said inflation will peak in November or December but it will not likely breach eight percent. In October, inflation climbed to a 14-year high of 7.7 percent from 6.9 percent in September
The last time the RRP rate was at five percent was on Jan. 29, 2009, before the interest rate corridor system was implemented in 2016, which adjusted the monetary policy transmission to bring market rates closer to the BSP rate.
Medalla said the US Fed is now signalling that they could increase funds rate in smaller doses after four 75 bps in a row. This could temper the US dollar’s strength in favor of regional currencies, especially the peso which has lost P8.1 or 15.7 percent last Sept. 29 when it depreciated to its record lowest of P59 versus the end-2021 closing rate of P50.99.
The last two rate increases on Sept. 22 and Nov. 17 were essentially responses to what the US Fed did.
The BSP initially increased the rates gradually from a two percent flat rate since November 2020. It started with two 25 bps adjustment on May 19 and June 23, followed by a surprised 75 bps off-cycle move on July 14. The fourth and fifth rate hikes were 50 bps each on Aug. 18 and Sept. 22, followed by a 75 bps increase on Nov. 17. The next and last Monetary Board policy meeting for the year is on Dec. 15.
Since price stability is a key BSP mandate, the six in a row policy rate increases are intended to bring back the inflation path to within the two percent to four percent target range by 2024.
The BSP expects inflation will stay above-the-target in the near term amid broadening price pressures and second-round effects but will be closer to three percent than four percent by the second half of 2023.
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