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 peso strengthened vis-à-vis the softer US dollar on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at P56.94, appreciating by P0.43 from its close of P57.37 the day before.
This is the first time the peso was back at the P56-level since the first week of July this year.
Based on Bankers Association of the Philippines data, the peso closed at its strongest on Wednesday, after hitting a low of P57.33, but still better than the previous close.
PH peso/Manila Bulletin article photo
The spot market’s weighted average rate was P57.203 versus P57.394 last Tuesday. Total volume stood at $687.85 million from $684.40 million.
The US dollar has been weakening in the last month following the US Federal Reserve’s pronouncements of lesser rate increases in the next quarters. The tamer US inflation which was still decades high, is also contributing to the softening of the greenback.
When the US dollar was its strongest, the peso depreciated to P59 on Sept. 29, the lowest exchange rate on record. The previous record was P56.45 in 2004.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in its latest Monetary Policy Report said the exchange rate could remain above the P55-level until next year and possibly in 2024.
The inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Council (DBCC) has an exchange rate assumptions of P51 to 53 versus the greenback for 2022, and P51 to P55 for 2023 and 2024. The DBCC approved the exchange rate assumptions last July 8, when the peso was at P56.
The BSP said the projected exchange rate reflects “the continued depreciation of the peso as well as higher outlook for US interest rates” and that it was “consistent with cumulative policy rate hikes by the Federal Reserve of 425 bps (basis points) in 2022 and 50 bps in 2023.”
Since June this year, the strong US dollar has caused the peso to sharply depreciate. It fell to P53 on June 10, P54 on June 17, P55 on June 29, P56 on July 7, P57 on Sept. 6, P58 on Sept. 21 and P59 on Sept. 29.
The country’s exchange rate policy supports a freely floating exchange rate system where the BSP leaves it to market forces to dictate the exchange rate level. The BSP will only enter the spot market to ensure “order and temper destabilizing swings” in the peso-US dollar rate.
The Philippines has humid weather, so you should wear something comfortable and breathable such as linen or cotton polo.
Also, wear light colors like white or nude to appear neat and decent. If you don’t have a polo, a plain shirt will suffice.
More importantly, avoid wearing shorts or jogging pants if you don’t want to look sloppy or unpresentable. Wear well-fitted denim jeans instead. In terms of shoes, I recommend wearing loafers or sneakers.
Remember, less is more. With a minimalist look, you will look elegant without much effort.
More Filipinos, even the rich, are keeping their proximity stores, mostly sari-sari stores and small convenient stores and groceries as important source of supply, a trend that is expected to continue during the inflationary period, a new consumer survey revealed.
The latest survey by Kantar, the world’s leading marketing data and analytics company, showed that while the economy has fully reopened and consumers are also going out to the malls and the formal shopping channels, they also continued to source from the small proximity channels as they adopt to inflationary times.
In the past 12 months, Laurice Obana, Shopper Insight Director at the Worldpanel Division of Kantar in the Philippines, said the lower class have increased their spending in sari-sari stores.
Since the economy is experiencing inflationary times, Kantar said the lower D and E or the socio-economic classes prefer to go to proximity store and buy only what they need depending on the size of their pockets.
Data showed that the D and E classes have been going to the small stores 18 times in a month from 15 times during the pandemic while the middle class are maintaining a 50:50 ratio between proximity stores and supermarkets and hypermarkets.
The upper class are going back to the big grocery stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets but they are not leaving the small stores, Obana added.
“We are seeing a continuing trend (buying from proximity small store channel), it’s not faltering or decreasing. The small channel is very relevant during the inflationary period,” said Obana.
Kantar further said that to adapt to inflationary times, Filipinos have become more discerning in their choices when it comes to Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). They are opting for brands and retailers that offer the most value, convenience and product assortment to get their money’s worth.
Kantar tracks the FMCG purchases of 5,000 local households, the largest shopper panel in the Philippines.
“Filipinos put a premium on value. While value can be as straightforward as cheaper goods or paying less for the same quantity, other factors such as the increase in gas prices, traffic and uncomfortable modes of transportation have redefined value in more encompassing terms when it comes to shopping. What we have seen is that, in general for packaged goods, shoppers are coping with rising prices by being more open to value brands. To some extent, however, they also take into consideration where to shop. Nowadays, with multiple retailers and channel options within reach, shoppers can easily adapt to what would best fit their budgets and lifestyle that will address their needs at the moment,” explained Obana.
According to Kantar, there is a bit of pressure on Hypermarkets and Supermarkets as most Filipinos who are feeling the economic strain are buying their basic FMCG needs in smaller proximity stores. In fact, 41 percent of FMCG purchases in 2022 are made in neighborhood sari-sari stores. This is a six percent increase compared to purchases made in 2020. Meanwhile, a six percent value share decline in hypermarkets and supermarkets was noted from 34 percent in 2020 to 28 percent in 2022.
Obana added that Filipino shoppers are discerning on the choices they make when it comes to their channel and retailer of choice. Value delivery in forms of rewards, lower prices or promotions is a given. Convenience or the ease of access and availability of options are also important factors that shoppers now consider.
PARIS, France – Bacterial infections are the second leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for one in eight of all deaths in 2019, the first global estimate of their lethality revealed on Tuesday.
The massive new study, published in the Lancet journal, looked at deaths from 33 common bacterial pathogens and 11 types of infection across 204 countries and territories.
The pathogens were associated with 7.7 million deaths – 13.6 percent of the global total – in 2019, the year before the Covid-19 pandemic took off.
That made them the second-leading cause of death after ischaemic heart disease, which includes heart attacks, the study said.
Just five of the 33 bacteria were responsible for half of those deaths: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
S. aureus is a bacterium common in human skin and nostrils but behind a range of illnesses, while E. coli commonly causes food poisoning.
The study was conducted under the framework of the Global Burden of Disease, a vast research program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation involving thousands of researchers across the world.
“These new data for the first time reveal the full extent of the global public health challenge posed by bacterial infections,” said study co-author Christopher Murray, the director of US-based Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
“It is of utmost importance to put these results on the radar of global health initiatives so that a deeper dive into these deadly pathogens can be conducted and proper investments are made to slash the number of deaths and infections.”
The research points to stark differences between poor and wealthy regions.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, there were 230 deaths per 100,000 population from the bacterial infections.
That number fell to 52 per 100,000 in what the study called the “high-income super-region” which included countries in Western Europe, North America and Australasia.
The authors called for increased funding, including for new vaccines, to lessen the number of deaths, also warning against “unwarranted antibiotic use.”
In partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) University Library ALIVErary BOOKS program, the Department of Education (DepED) will launch the 6th National Climate Change Conference (NCCC) in November 2022.
The three-day virtual conference will be launched beginning Wednesday, Nov. 23 until Friday, Nov. 25.
6th National Climate Change Conference (DepED / Facebook)
“Naglalayon ang tatlong araw na komperensiya na paigtingin ang kaalaman at pataasin ang partisipasyon ng mga mag-aaral, academic community, at mga kawani ng DepED ukol sa climate change adaptation and mitigation interventions (The three-day conference aims to intensify the knowledge and increase the participation of students, academic community, and DepED staff on climate change adaptation and mitigation intervention),” said DepED on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
According to DepED, the 6th NCCC’s theme will focus on “Responding to Climate Change: Role of Education towards Climate Change Action.”
Among the topics that will be discussed include the following: Science and impacts of climate action; librarians’ perspective on climate change; climate change disaster risks and response; as well the impacts of climate change on justice and responsibility.
Meanwhile, to further extend its support to Republic Act 9729 or the Climate Change Act of 2009, UPLB, together with DepED Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) will build “future-proof libraries” as part of its mission to disseminate climate change-related knowledge to Filipinos.
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.
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