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!
Bini wore designer Ehrran Montoya's metallic collection for their concert finale. --EHRRAN MONTOYA
Dressed in an assortment of cropped tops, shrunken cardis, asymmetrical pleated skirts, and patchwork trousers, the P-pop group Bini look like young girls playing dress-up with whatever they can get their hands on. That DIY vibe when it comes to their looks has persisted since their launch as teens back in 2021.
Now in their early 20s, Aiah, Colet, Maloi, Gwen, Stacey, Mikha, Jhoanna, and Sheena have a string of catchy songs under their belt including “Salamin, Salamin,” “Pantropiko” and “Karera,” with the accompanying music videos that have been listened and danced to countless times.
Stylist Ica Villanueva, the group’s visual director, is responsible for whatever the girls wear in public, whether the event is big or small. In an interview with Lifestyle, she talked about how she landed the styling gig, her bid for sustainability, and what she has planned for Bini as the girls grow up and mature.
When AS Watson became a signatory early this year of the Women’s Empowerment Principles, a global movement under the United Nations Women Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, the global health and beauty retailer strengthened its commitment to promoting inclusivity and opportunities for women.
Watsons Philippines, in particular, has 80 percent of its workforce made up of women, according to its senior assistant vice president for marketing, public relations, and sustainability, Sharon Decapia. This is 10 percent higher than the global level, she pointed out during the “Move with PowHer” forum held last Monday at KMC One Ayala in Makati City.
“Majority of our customers are also female,” Decapia told Lifestyle at the event. “At least 60 percent, based on our club membership.” Thus, the mounting of “Move with PowHer” for the first time, she pointed out.
My German teacher told me they no longer use it, and have 'ss' instead, so I wanted to confirm the validity of that statement.
You’ve already received lots of correct and good explanatory answers, so I just want to vent my anger. Not at you but your teacher!
I cannot believe that after over 20 years some non native German teachers still think that the ß has disappeared. Where have they been all this time? I have lost count about the amount of times I had to explain it to people that the rules have changed but the letter is still there. I can understand the confusion in 1995 when it might not have been too clear what exactly changed. But not 23 years later.
Any German teacher who still says that the ß has gone clearly has not had a proper look inside a textbook lately or any German books, magazines, newspapers or websites. Shame on them!
THE simple reason is that Christ has done everything to assure us of our earthly victory so we can enter heaven where we are meant to be. We need to strengthen this truth of our faith so that whatever happens—and there will always be some kind of heavy drama involved in our life regardless of our best intentions and efforts—we can remain confident and hopeful, and focused on what is truly important to achieve in our life.
Let us make as our own these words of St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (8,31-32)
As to our ability to do what we are supposed to do despite the varying and even unfavorable circumstances, let us take these words of St. Paul to heart: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4,13)
We should just strengthen our hope that is based on what God shares with us. This is a crucial virtue to have. Given our condition as a pilgrim here on earth, we should make sure that we are always on the move toward our ultimate, spiritual and supernatural goal.
We should not get distracted or entangled by our earthly affairs, whether good or bad, for as the Letter to Hebrews would put it: “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.” (13,14) Thus, we have to always strengthen our hope.
Hope is first of all not just a virtue that we produce, cultivate or keep ourselves. It is first of all a gift of God, given to us in abundance. It is the gift of Christ himself who, by the Holy Spirit, is made present in us through his words, his sacraments, his Church. All we have to do is to correspond to this wonderful reality as vigorously as possible.
That is why we need to be most mindful of the truths of our faith, giving time to meditate on them and to make them sink in our very consciousness. We have to be wary of our tendency to be carried away by our earthly concerns, no matter how legitimate they are. For again, as the gospel would say, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mk 8,36)
It’s important that just like in that management style called MBO (Management by objective), we have to have a clear vision of our ultimate goal and make it the strongest desire of our life, so that we don’t get entangled with the ups and downs and the drama of life.
This, of course, will require some significant effort, because nowadays people are getting too hooked in their earthly, temporal affairs. Some of them who are considered more in the successful side, get so immersed in them that they forget their spiritual and supernatural goal. Others, who are more on the losing side, eventually fall into discouragement and despair. They end up finding no meaning in life.
With this gift and virtue of hope, we are always given a sense of direction. Our goal is made clear. All the means are made available. Every event, whether humanly good or bad, always has a meaning and can be made use of to attain our eternal goal.
Thai singer Lisa (R) performs during Victoria's Secret Fashion Show at Duggal Greenhouse at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in Brooklyn, New York on October 15, 2024. AFP / Angela Weiss
Kathleen A. Llemit - Philstar.com
October 16, 2024 | 2:07pm
MANILA, Philippines — Pop stars Lisa of Blackpink and Cher opened and closed the comebacking Victoria's Secret Fashion show in a dramatic fashion.
The almost two-hour fashion and music extravaganza made its return after 2018's last show.
The K-pop star opened the show via her grand entrance leaning on a bike wearing a two-piece ensemble. She quickly hit the first few notes of her "Rockstar" song released last June.
She did her a bit of dancing and catwalk to her song, and the first to come out among the returning Angels is supermodel Gigi Hadid in light pink ensemble and her own wings.
"I'm super excited right now. I've been a big fan, so you know it's like a dream come true. I'm just so happy to be part of this iconic comeback," Lisa said during the pre-show interview.
The show was divided into five segments, with each models wearing light to dark colors as the show progressed.
Supermodels spotted on the Victoria's Secret runway included Adriana Lima, Bella Hadid, Kate Moss and Tyra Banks.
Tyla, meanwhile, went the opposite way in terms of her ensemble — a blinged out lingerie complemented by feathered wings.
She sang two of her songs, "Push 2 Start" and the popular song "Water."
Lisa came to dish out her other freshly released song earlier this month, "Moonlit," which interpolates lyrics and melody from Sixpence None The Richer's hit song "Kiss Me."
The K-pop star, this time, wore her own wings as she sang to her latest single while the models strutted the stage.
Victoria's Secret aptly ended its all-women show with a mini Cher number, where the icon was given her own choral entrance and back-up dancers.
An all-women choir lined up the stage vocalizing on Cher's song and then it quickly cut to the icon making her grand entrance with backup dancers as she sang "Strong Enough."
Dressed in a front corset and tight black pants, Cher was given a three-step golden platform where she continued to perform her other iconic song "Believe."
Supermodels went back on stage, all doing the customary finale catwalk, coming out one after another.
Supermodel Tyra Banks closed the come backing show, confidently owning the Victoria's Secret 2024 stage.
After a short stroll past the hectic mix of slot machines, baccarat tables and display cars, I found myself in front of Solaire Resort Entertainment City's Grand Ballroom. It was the first night of Oktoberfest 2024. And if the event banners flanking the entrance doors didn’t make it obvious enough, the welcoming party—a group of ladies in dirndls and a guy in lederhosen—drove the point home.
Fast ein Fünftel der Menschen über 70 Jahren arbeitet neben der Rente. Häufig ist das keine freie Entscheidung, sondern der finanziellen Not geschuldet.
Berlin – Immer mehr Rentner arbeiten auch im Ruhestand. Das gilt jedoch nicht nur für Menschen, die gerade so das Rentenalter erreicht haben – sondern weit darüber hinaus. Auch die Zahl der Erwerbstätigen über 70 Jahren ist in den letzten Jahren deutlich angestiegen. 2023 waren es 599.000 Menschen, 2020 waren es noch 469.000. Insgesamt arbeiten etwa 1,4 Millionen Rentner in Deutschland.
Zahl der arbeitenden Rentner über 70 Jahre steigt deutlich: „Rentenniveau zwingt Hunterttausende zur Arbeit“
Die Zahl der über 70-Jährigen, die neben der Rente arbeiten, steigt dabei überproportional an. 2020 lag ihr Anteil innerhalb der Altersgruppe noch bei 3,7 Prozent. 2023 waren es 17 Prozent. Das berichtete die Bild-Zeitung mit Verweis auf eine Sonderauswertung des Statistischen Bundesamts im Auftrag des Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).
Es sei „erschreckend, weil es in vielen Fällen eben keine freie Entscheidung ist, im Rentenalter weiterzuarbeiten“, sagte Wagenknecht. „Die Wahrheit ist: Das dürftige Rentenniveau zwingt Hunderttausende zur Arbeit.“ Es sei zu begrüßen, wenn Unternehmen Erfahrung und Kompetenz der älteren Generation nutzen, aber die gesetzliche Rente „sichert nicht mehr den Lebensstandard und zwingt deshalb viele Menschen zur Maloche bis zum Lebensende“, erklärte die BSW-Vorsitzende.
Finanzielle Not zwingt viele Menschen zum Arbeiten neben der Rente
Das Problem der Altersarmut in Deutschland wächst. 2023 waren 18,4 Prozent der rund 19 Millionen Rentner armutsgefährdet. Auch bei der Berücksichtigung der Menschen, die weiterhin arbeiten, lag die Quote der Armutsgefährdung mit 18,3 Prozent auf einem ähnlichen Niveau. Immer mehr Rentner sind auch auf Sozialhilfe angewiesen.
Die finanzielle Not ist deshalb der Hauptgrund, weshalb Menschen neben der Rente arbeiten. Laut einer Zusatzerhebung des Statistischen Bundesamts vom September 2024 gibt ein Drittel der Rentner die finanzielle Notwendigkeit an. Immerhin erklären jedoch auch 29 Prozent, aus Freude an der Arbeit weiterhin erwerbstätig zu sein. Bei den Daten sind Menschen zwischen 65 und 74 Jahren berücksichtigt, also mehr als nur über 70-Jährige.
16 Prozent der Menschen arbeiten dabei mindestens 40 Stunden. Die Mehrheit arbeitet weniger als zehn Stunden in der Woche. Überwiegend sind die Rentner dabei in geringfügigen Beschäftigungsverhältnisse, also etwa Minijobs, angestellt.
Senator Loren Legarda (left) and DND Secretary Gilbert Teodoro (right)| JEL SANTOS/ MB PHOTO
The Philippines, which is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Pacific Typhoon Belt, needs to update its 15-year-old disaster risk reduction law, two top officials of the country said during a plenary discussion of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) in Pasay City on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
“The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, which, upon consultation with DND Secretary Teodoro and his team, we hope to amend and revise to make it more up-to-date since it's a 15-year-old law,” Senator Loren Legarda said in her speech.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said it was also timely to review the disaster risk reduction law which had been enacted 15 years ago.
“Because of changing circumstances, because of experiences in the field, we have been able to identify some gaps that need to be filled, some streamlining that needs to be done,” he said.
“And this is a constant exercise that should happen in most areas of government, but it is critical that it happens in disaster risk reduction in order to optimize and to focus government efforts in all aspects of the topic,” he added.
Teodoro thanked Legarda for being their “partner and champion” in the Senate and for her advocacy.
Teodoro emphasized the importance of collaboration between policymakers, legislators, and the executive branch in implementing laws effectively.
He highlighted the lawmaker’s point about the critical role of ongoing feedback between lawmakers and agencies, such as the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in ensuring effective coordination and action.
“Hence, in this interaction between the legislators and us, it prevents the siloing because they are a source of important feedback and vice versa,” he said.
‘Leaving no one behind’
Leaving no one behind, according to Legarda, must drive the renovation of risk governance.
“We must take a look at hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities. Women, girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples' communities, marginalized groups must be at the heart of shaping the post-2030 disaster risk governance framework, post-Sendai, ensuring their leadership in building truly resilient and inclusive systems,” the senator said.
From risk assessment to recovery, she said persons with disabilities (PWDs) must be included in all stages of disaster risk management.
“At the same time, disability-inclusive governance is equally critical,” she added.
Legarda said early warning systems, evacuation procedures, recovery plans must be accessible to everyone, especially in an archipelago of 110 million Filipinos in the most far-flung islands and the highest mountains, with inland rivers and lakes.
The lawmaker stressed that resilience cannot be achieved by working in silos, noting that governments sometimes are “very exclusive to each other and not inclusive.”
“Kanya-kanya, in the Tagalog word, to each his own, and that would spell disaster. Governance, the private sector, civil society, local communities, the education sector, all must collaborate to create inclusive and innovative solutions,” she said.
“Most importantly, local communities who are on the frontlines, whether you are in the provincial level, city, municipality, even barangay, purok, and sitio, at the frontlines of preparedness and disaster response in the whole scheme of things.”
Per the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Philippines is situated both the Pacific Ring of Fire and the Typhoon Belt due to its unique geography.
Environment Secretary Loyzaga said this has “perennially bore the brunt of ever-increasing natural disasters due to rapid and slow onset climate and weather-related hazards.”
“Our large growing population and our steady economic growth are factors resulting in the singular distinction of being among the world’s countries at highest risk for several years running,” she said earlier.
She said this distinction underscores the reality that climate hazards are a fact of life for all Filipinos.
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