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?
Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern kรถnnten. Ich mรถchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusรคtzlichen Dinge berichten und erzรคhlen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!
Saturday, April 27, 2024
๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ'๐ฌ ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
Filipino nurses in Germany struggle with the language
Nikka Valenzuela
April 25, 2024
Filipino nurses are in high demand in Germany, but struggles learning German make it harder for them to feel at home.
Filipino nurse Elaine Custodio has been working at the Urology department of University Hospital Bonn for 6 years nowImage: Nikka Valenzuela/DW
Elaine Custodio arrived in the midsized city of Bonn in Germany's west in March 2018. She had six years of nursing experience and a B1 intermediate German language certificate in her backpack.
Before leaving her native Philippines to take up a nursing job at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB), Custodio studied German full time to obtain the language proficiency required to work at the hospital.
Despite her certificate, she still struggled to speak and understand German, which proved to be a hurdle in the workplace.
German is one of the 10 most difficult languages to learn in the world, according to UNESCO.
German is 'really hard'
The system for measuring language skill level starts at A1 for beginners, progressing to A2 for advanced beginners. B1 is intermediate, B2 is advanced intermediate. Learners at the C1 level are advanced and the C2 level is when someone speaks almost perfect German.
"When I moved here, I felt safe on the streets, but I was scared of answering the phone at work," said Custodio, who hails from Quezon City in the Philippines. "The language was hard, really hard. During every shift, I would write down words I did not know and learn the meaning at home."
Custodio was among the third batch of nurses who arrived in Bonn when the UKB began recruiting qualified medical workers from the Philippines to offset Germany's labor shortage.
The hospital now employs some 740 foreign nurses, 300 of whom are from the Philippines. Like Custodio, many of these Filipino nurses at UKB struggle with speaking and understanding German.
Joel Licay, who also works as a nurse at UKB, said that he felt depressed two months into working in Germany because of the language barrier.
"Some patients told me that I'm stupid because I didn't know the language. Every day I was crying," he said, adding that he felt frustrated not being able to communicate with colleagues as well as patients and their loved ones.
Licay said when he first started working on one of the UKB wards five years ago, he needed to be accompanied by an advanced German speaker in order to effectively communicate with patients.
Even today he says he usually spends time honing his German skills when he comes home from work. His efforts have paid off and he is now on track for the C1 level.
Culture shock in Germany
The challenge of communicating in German is a "worldwide barrier," according to Maria Hesterberg, who heads recruitment for UKB, because it is not the easiest language to learn.
She and her colleagues noticed that their foreign nurses tended to struggle with the language.
And the language requirement to work as a nurse in Germany has been raised from B1 to B2, adding to the difficulties faced by them.
Many nurses in the Philippines who had been eyeing a career in Germany ended up dropping out of their beginners' courses, said Steffen Zoller, founder of CWC (Care With Care) Recruitment.
Cultural differences can add to the language barrier. Many foreigners perceive Germans as being forthright in their communication, whereas people from other countries may not say things as directly.
"Germans communicate directly. We are very open, and it is not something that Filipinos are used to. We learned that in the beginning, it is very unusual in the Philippines to answer a question with 'no'," Hesterberg said.
She added that they had to discuss this in information events, explaining that saying 'no' is nothing personal. They have also encouraged nurses to ask questions proactively, no matter who they are communicating with.
Smoothing the path to Germany
Zoller added that CWC Recruitment — which has deployed around 700 Filipino nurses around Germany — also has an integration team to help prepare incoming health care workers for their big move to the country.
The Philippines is an important source of skilled workers for Germany, and remittances from Filipinos living abroad are a crucial source of income for their families back home.
Zoller said that an increasing number of Filipino nurses have expressed an interest in migrating to Germany since it opened more routes for skilled workers to migrate.
Since 2017, UKB has recruited more foreign nurses. They don't just come from the Philippines but also from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico and Argentina. The company has around 1,000 more nursing positions to fill by 2027.
Zoller said that, despite the language issues, Germany is often seen as a permanent destination for Filipino nurses who want to migrate, unlike in other countries.
"I see myself getting old here," said nurse Licay. As for his nursing colleague Custodio, she still isn't sure.
Friday, April 26, 2024
Extreme heat in Southeast Asia leads to school closures and health warning
Philippine Fairy Tales (XXXVI) - Philippinische Mรคrchen (XXXVI): The Presidente who had Horns - Der Prรคsident, der Hรถrner hatte
The Presidente who had Horns
Once there was a presidente who was very unjust to his people, and one day he became so angry that he wished he had horns so that he might frighten them. No sooner had he made this rash wish, than horns began to grow on his head.
He sent for a barber who came to his house to cut his hair, and as he worked the presidente asked:
“What do you see on my head?”
“I see nothing,” answered the barber; for although he could see the horns plainly, he was afraid to say so.
Soon, however, the presidente put up his hands and felt the horns, and then when he inquired again the barber told him that he had two horns.
“If you tell anyone what you have seen, you shall be hanged,” said the presidente as the barber started away, and he was greatly frightened.
When he reached home, the barber did not intend to tell anyone, for he was afraid; but as he thought of his secret more and more, the desire to tell someone became so strong that he knew he could not keep it. Finally he went to the field and dug a hole under some bamboo, and when the hole was large enough he crawled in and whispered that the presidente had horns. He then climbed out, filled up the hole, and went home.
By and by some people came along the road on their way to market, and as they passed the bamboo they stopped in amazement, for surely a voice came from the trees, and it said that the presidente had horns. These people hastened to market and told what they had heard, and the people there went to the bamboo to listen to the strange voice. They informed others, and soon the news had spread all over the town. The councilmen were told, and they, too, went to the bamboo. When they had heard the voice, they ran to the house of the presidente. But his wife said that he was ill and they could not see him.
By this time the horns had grown until they were one foot in length, and the presidente was so ashamed that he bade his wife tell the people that he could not talk. She told this to the councilmen when they came on the following day, but they replied that they must see him, for they had heard that he had horns, and if this were true he had no right to govern the people.
She refused to let them in, so they broke down the door. They saw the horns on the head of the presidente and killed him. For, they said, he was no better than an animal.
+++
Der Prรคsident, der Hรถrner hatte
Es war einmal ein Prรคsident, der sehr ungerecht zu seinem Volk war, und eines Tages wurde er so wรผtend, dass er wรผnschte, er hรคtte Hรถrner, um sie zu erschrecken. Kaum hatte er diesen voreiligen Wunsch geรคuรert, begannen auf seinem Kopf Hรถrner zu wachsen.
Er lieร einen Friseur kommen, der zu ihm nach Hause kam, um ihm die Haare zu schneiden, und wรคhrend er arbeitete, fragte der Prรคsident:
„Was siehst du auf meinem Kopf?“
„Ich sehe nichts“, antwortete der Friseur; denn obwohl er die Hรถrner deutlich sehen konnte, hatte er Angst, es zu sagen.
Bald jedoch hob der Prรคsident seine Hรคnde und befรผhlte die Hรถrner, und als er sich erneut erkundigte, sagte ihm der Friseur, dass er zwei Hรถrner habe.
„Wenn du irgendjemandem erzรคhlst, was du gesehen hast, wirst du gehรคngt“, sagte der Prรคsident, als der Friseur wegging, und er hatte groรe Angst.
Als er nach Hause kam, hatte der Friseur nicht vor, es irgendjemandem zu erzรคhlen, denn er hatte Angst; Doch als er immer mehr รผber sein Geheimnis nachdachte, wurde der Wunsch, es jemandem zu erzรคhlen, so stark, dass er wusste, dass er es nicht fรผr sich behalten konnte. Schlieรlich ging er zum Feld und grub ein Loch unter etwas Bambus, und als das Loch groร genug war, kroch er hinein und flรผsterte, dass der Prรคsident Hรถrner hรคtte. Dann stieg er aus, fรผllte das Loch und ging nach Hause.
Nach und nach kamen einige Leute auf dem Weg zum Markt die Straรe entlang, und als sie am Bambus vorbeikamen, blieben sie verwundert stehen, denn sicherlich ertรถnte eine Stimme aus den Bรคumen und es hieร, der Prรคsident hรคtte Hรถrner. Diese Leute eilten zum Markt und erzรคhlten, was sie gehรถrt hatten, und die Leute dort gingen zum Bambus, um der seltsamen Stimme zu lauschen. Sie informierten andere und bald hatte sich die Nachricht in der ganzen Stadt verbreitet. Den Stadtrรคten wurde Bescheid gesagt, und auch sie gingen zum Bambus. Als sie die Stimme gehรถrt hatten, rannten sie zum Haus des Prรคsidenten. Aber seine Frau sagte, er sei krank und sie kรถnnten ihn nicht sehen.
Zu diesem Zeitpunkt waren die Hรถrner schon 30 cm lang, und der Prรคsident schรคmte sich so sehr, dass er seiner Frau befahl, den Leuten zu sagen, dass er nicht sprechen kรถnne. Sie erzรคhlte dies den Stadtrรคten, als sie am nรคchsten Tag kamen, aber sie antworteten, dass sie ihn sehen mรผssten, denn sie hรคtten gehรถrt, dass er Hรถrner habe, und wenn das wahr sei, hรคtte er kein Recht, das Volk zu regieren.
Sie weigerte sich, sie hereinzulassen, also brachen sie die Tรผr auf. Sie sahen die Hรถrner auf dem Kopf des Prรคsidenten und tรถteten ihn. Denn sie sagten, er sei nicht besser als ein Tier.
Kathryn Bernardo joins Alden Richards as new Century Tuna 'Superbod'
Jan Milo Severo - Philstar.com
April 25, 2024 | 1:16pm
MANILA, Philippines — Kapamilya star Kathryn Bernardo joined Kapuso star Alden Richards as the ambassador of Century Tuna Superbods 2024.
Flaunting her well-toned physique, Kathryn is ecstatic to be part of the Century Tuna Superbods campaign, which is a dream that has become a reality since her teenage years, according to the star.
“I’ve always found the Century Tuna Superbods to be inspiring and being a part of this campaign feels like a dream come true," Kathryn said.
"It’s an honor to become part of the Century Tuna Superbods and through this campaign, I hope that I’ll also become an inspiration for every Filipino to let them enjoy full, happy, and healthy lives,” she added.
Leading the "Best You Ever" campaign, Kathryn started her fitness journey with her trainer, Mauro Lumba, who is also the Century Tuna Superbods 2014 Grand Champion.
As the Century Tuna Ambassador steps into a new phase of her life, she aims to inspire Filipinos to embody Century Tuna’s belief that everybody can be a superbod through the "Best You Ever" campaign.
“Anyone can achieve the best version of themselves with the right discipline and determination, proper exercise and nutrition, and a good support system. So I encourage everyone to take that first step towards your ‘Best You Ever’ and join me in Century Tuna Superbods 2024! Let’s redefine fitness by embracing self-love, challenging growth, and inspiring others,” she said.
Launched in 2006, Century Tuna’s Superbods campaign has been a trailblazer in promoting health, fitness, and an active lifestyle. This year, their “Best You Ever” movement takes it a step further by advocating for self-love and holistic self-improvement.
End of the road? Jeepneys face uncertain future
In this photo taken on April 3, 2024, an older model of a passenger jeepney produced since the 1950s by Sarao Motors, is displayed at the workshop in Las Pinas City, suburban Manila. About 70 years after the first jeepneys rolled on to the streets of the Philippines, the noisy, smoke-belching vehicles face an existential threat from a plan to replace them with modern mini-buses.
Allison Jackson, Faith Brown - Agence France-Presse
April 26, 2024 | 11:19am
MANILA, Philippines — The first jeepneys rolled onto the streets of the Philippines just after World War II -- noisy, smoke-belching vehicles initially made from leftover US Jeeps that became a national symbol.
Seven decades later, the colourfully decorated vehicles face an existential threat from a plan to replace them with modern mini-buses.
Easy to fix and cheap to ride, the vehicles grew in size and length to become the backbone of the country's transport system, carrying passengers, goods and even visiting popes.
But the government's plan to phase out jeepneys in an effort to modernize the country's chaotic public transport network has put the future of the iconic vehicles in doubt.
"It was a heavy blow," Leonard Sarao, operations supervisor of jeepney maker Sarao Motors, told AFP.
Sarao Motors was one of the first companies to produce jeepneys after founder Leonardo Sarao Sr gave up driving horse-drawn buggies to make motorised public transport in the early 1950s.
Production at the family-owned company's sprawling facility in the capital Manila peaked in the 1970s and 1980s, with workers making 50 to 60 jeepneys per month.
Demand began to fall over the following decades as other transport options became available. By 2014, Sarao Motors was producing as few as 10 jeepneys per month.
But it was the government's launch of the jeepney phase-out program in 2017 that slammed the brakes on production.
The now drastically downsized workforce produces one jeepney every four to six months, said Sarao, the grandson of Sarao Sr.
"We've had customers that have been around since the '50s, so they've been purchasing jeepneys, making their fleet bigger," said Sarao, 31.
"With this new program there have been a lot of doubts or fears that if they purchase a brand new jeepney will they still be able to use it a couple of years down the road?"
'We can't afford the price'
While Sarao Motors can produce modern jeepneys that meet the government's environmental and safety specifications, they are "three to four times the price of a traditional jeepney", Sarao said.
In the seven years since the phase-out program was launched there have been multiple delays in its implementation due to protests and Covid-19.
Operators now have until April 30 to join a cooperative and then gradually replace their fleet with modern vehicles that are safer, more comfortable and less polluting.
Cooperatives will be able to access bank financing and receive a government subsidy for each vehicle to ease the financial burden of the transition.
But drivers opposed to the plan argue that buying a new vehicle will bury them in debt and they will not be able to earn enough money to repay their loans and make a living.
"It's difficult for us to get a modern jeepney... we can't afford the price," said Julio Dimaunahan, 57, who operates a jeepney in Manila and has joined a cooperative.
"Even now our pockets are hurting because of the little profits we get as operators," he said pointing to increased competition from motorbike-hailing services.
Jeepney operator Flocerfida Majadas, 62, said she was worried about the future of her drivers if she were to go broke.
"Our concern is that we may not be able to pay our liabilities," Majadas said, referring to bank loans.
"If we're not able to pay, the bank will repossess the modern jeepneys. If the bank repossesses them what will happen to our staff?"
Cheap and easy to fix
While jeepneys now vie with buses, vans and motorbikes for passengers, they are still a common sight and sound in the archipelago nation.
Often brightly painted and with an exhaust that sounds like a trumpet, jeepneys cost passengers as little as 13 pesos (23 cents) to ride and their second-hand diesel truck engines are easy to fix.
"Once a customer buys a jeepney from us any mechanic in the provinces or the far flung regions can fix it," Sarao said.
But the modern mini-buses the government would like to replace them with are more high-tech, with European emission standard engines or electric motors, WiFi, CCTV and air-conditioning.
"If it breaks down where will we get the money to fix it?" asked Dimaunahan.
Sarao said his family's company could not compete with the capacity of overseas manufacturers to mass produce vehicles.
But he said jeepneys made by Sarao Motors were cheaper than the imported mini-buses and higher quality.
"The way we do things here is everything is hand-made so at least we do quality control of these units to make sure the panels don't fall off, the welds are completed," he said.
"When you speed things up that's where things can go wrong."
'Spirit of the jeepney'
Teodoro Caparino, who has been driving a jeepney for 35 years, hopes the government will decide to fix existing jeepneys rather than replace them with "Chinese-made vehicles".
"Our families will starve if we do not get to drive our jeepneys... all we know is driving," Caparino, 60, said.
While the jeepney in its current form might be nearing the end of the road, Sarao said he hoped the "essence" of the vehicle would survive.
"It may look bigger, it may look wider and longer, but as long as the essence of how it's supposed to look like or the spirit of the jeepney is still there, I still think it's going to be the jeepney."
Bing Velasco, mother of actors Patrick and Cheska Garcia, passes away at 70
AT A GLANCE
The news of their mother's demise was confirmed by their eldest sibling Pichon Garcia through social media.
The mother of Patrick Garcia and Chesca Garcia Kramer, Maria Celeste Dahlia "Bing" Velasco, passed away on April 20.
The news of their mother's demise was confirmed by their eldest sibling Pichon Garcia through social media.
"To those who knew, loved, and cherished every moment of our mom’s vibrant and beautiful personality. Final wishes, messages, and service will be on April 26, Friday 7 p.m.” wrote Pichon.
Bing's remains will be interred at Arlington Memorial Chapels on Araneta Avenue, Quezon City on April 23. The memorial service will be held on Friday, April 26.
Cheska also took the time to post on her social media account a long tribute to her mom. She posed a series of photos of her mom with her siblings, and kids.
"I will miss you so much, Mommy. I love you dearly! I am grateful for all the precious days I spent with you. You were there for all the important events in my life, and you were also there just to hang out, relax, and talk about anything and everything under the sun. I will miss those moments, Mommy!," Cheska wrote in her post. "I will miss holding your hand or walking arm in arm-with you. I will miss your lovely scent; you always smelled so good. I will miss your smiling face! I love you, Mommy," she said.heska's husband, Doug Kramer, also paid a tribute to his mother-in-law by recalling the moment they went to Europe and she got lost. But it was a core memory for him saying, saying how happy they were to grant Bing's dream trip. He then appealed to the public to give their family the time to grieve.
"The best mom in law anyone could have!The OG, the coolest grandma, the funniest, and one who never runs out of chika because she knows all the issues on fb (Facebook)," Doug ended his post
The Stands: An INQUIRER Sports Newsletter
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Thursday, April 25, 2024
Pia Wurtzbach to be recognized as Global Fashion Influencer of the year
BY NEIL RAMOS
Pia Wurtzbach is to be honored as Global Fashion Influencer of the Year at the fourth EMIGALA Fashion & Beauty Awards in Dubai, to be held April 27–28.
Organizers of the event, which honors various members and contributors to the fashion and beauty industries globally, shared the news on Instagram.
It is a huge milestone for the former beauty queen, who made a splash as first-time attendee at the Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks last year, going on to secure the sixth spot in the list of “most visible influencers” by Lefty.io, an influencer marketing platform, earning 2.95 million dollars in media value (EMV) due to her social media presence during the fashion weeks.
The success led to comparisons with Heart Evangelista, also a regular at fashion weeks.
Some have even suggested the two are competing.
Heart denied this.
Pia also downplayed the allegations, insisting “there is so much room in this world for everyone to shine.”
So hot you can't breathe': Extreme heat hits the Philippines
Cecil Morella - Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines — Extreme heat scorched the Philippines on Wednesday, forcing schools in some areas to suspend in-person classes and prompting warnings for people to limit the amount of time spent outdoors.
The months of March, April and May are typically the hottest and driest in the archipelago nation, but conditions this year have been exacerbated by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
"It's so hot you can't breathe," said Erlin Tumaron, 60, who works at a seaside resort in Cavite province, south of Manila, where the heat index reached 47 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.
"It's surprising our pools are still empty. You would expect people to come and take a swim, but it seems they're reluctant to leave their homes because of the heat."
The heat index was expected to reach the "danger" level of 42C or higher in at least 30 cities and municipalities on Wednesday, the state weather forecaster said.
The heat index measures what a temperature feels like, taking into account humidity.
There was a 50 percent chance of the heat intensifying in the coming days, said Ana Solis, chief climatologist at the state weather forecaster.
"We need to limit the time we spend outdoors, drink plenty of water, bring umbrellas and hats when going outdoors," Solis told AFP.
Solis said El Nino was the reason for the "extreme heat" affecting swathes of the country.
Around half the country's provinces are officially in drought.
The northern municipality of Aparri endured a heat index of 48C on Tuesday, the highest in the country, and was expected to hit 45C on Wednesday.
The actual maximum air temperature was 36.4C on Tuesday, with 35C forecast for Wednesday.
"It's really hot here," Eric Vista of the municipal disaster agency told AFP.
Vista said a shower of rain on Tuesday night offered some temporary relief, but it was "back to being super hot" on Wednesday.
Sweltering temperatures in the capital Manila forced many schools to switch to remote learning. The heat index reached 45C on Tuesday and was expected to hit 44C on Wednesday.
In Dagupan city, north of Manila, university employee Edz Alteros said she and her colleagues no longer went out for lunch because of the heat.
The heat index there reached 47C on Tuesday.
"We get somebody to buy food and we eat inside the office," Alteros, 27, said.
"The air conditioning is set at 14-18C during the hottest part of the day, but we ease up at other times to prevent the aircon breaking down."
Global temperatures hit record highs last year, and the United Nation's weather and climate agency said Tuesday that Asia was warming at a particularly rapid pace.
The Philippines ranks among the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.