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!

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Monday, November 18, 2024

Reform der Rente ist gescheitert: Das sind die Folgen für Beitragszahler

Würzburg - Nun ist es amtlich: Das Rentenpaket II findet mit dem Scheitern der Ampel-Koalition keine Mehrheit mehr im Bundestag. Damit wird das Gesetz, das die Sicherung des Rentenniveaus auf 48 Prozent des durchschnittlichen Lohns vorsah, zu den Akten gelegt. Arbeits- und Sozialminister Hubertus Heil (SPD) will zwar weiter für die Stabilisierung der Renten einsetzen; ob dieser Plan aber je wieder umgesetzt wird, ist unklar.

Fehlende Reformen der Rente: Deutsche Rentenversicherung warnt vor Zahlungsunfähigkeit

Das hat Folgen für die Rentenversicherung und für den Geldbeutel der Versicherten. Denn die Reform der Rente sollte auch die Finanzen der Rentenkasse neu aufstellen, unter anderem mit dem Generationenkapital und indem es die Rentenversicherung zur Bildung einer Rücklage in Höhe von 0,3 Monatsausgaben verpflichtet hätte. Durch das Scheitern der Reform droht der Rentenkasse ein Liquiditätsproblem. 

„Die unterjährige Liquidität der Rentenversicherung ist zwar derzeit hinreichend gesichert. Aber schon 2027 könnte die Rentenversicherung im Herbst vorübergehend nicht in der Lage sein, aus eigenen Mitteln die Renten zu zahlen. Dazu darf es nicht kommen“, warnt Alexander Gunkel, Alternierender Vorsitzender des Bundesvorstands der Deutschen Rentenversicherung (DRV), am Mittwoch (13. November) bei einem Pressegespräch in Würzburg. Eine neue Regierung müsse sich daher schleunigst um eine neue Reform kümmern, damit die DRV weiter auf sicheren Beinen stehen kann.

Renten-Reform der Ampel ist gescheitert: Arbeitnehmer zahlen niedrigere Beiträge

Für die Beitragszahler ist das Scheitern des Rentenpakets II allerdings eine positive Nachricht. Dadurch steigen die Beiträge, die Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitgeber monatlich einzahlen müssen, nicht mehr so stark an. Durch das Rentenpaket II und den Kürzungen an der Rentenkasse, die die Ampel-Regierung bis 2027 geplant hatte, hätten die Rentenbeiträge schon 2027 auf 18,9 Prozent des Bruttolohns ansteigen müssen (heute: 18,6 Prozent). Dies wird laut Anja Piel, Vorsitzende des Bundesvorstands der DRV, jetzt nicht mehr nötig sein. Die DRV erwartet nun folgende Beitragsentwicklung: 

  • Bis 2027: Beitrag stabil bei 18,6 Prozent
  • 2028 bis 2030: 19,9 Prozent
  • 2031 bis 2040: schrittweise Anhebung auf 21,4 Prozent

Mit dem Rentenpaket II wären die Beiträge schon 2027 auf 18,9 Prozent gestiegen, 2028 erneut auf 19,9 Prozent und dann schon 2030 auf 20,4 Prozent. Bis 2040 wären die Beiträge schrittweise auf 22,4 Prozent gestiegen, so die Prognosen.

Hubertus Heil beißt im Bundestag die Zähne zusammen.
Das Rentenpaket II war Hubertus Heils zentrales Projekt während der Ampel-Koalition. Nun muss er im Bundestag das Scheitern einräumen. (Archivfoto) © Kay Nietfeld/dpa

Das war auch der Grund, warum die FDP sich gegen die Reform gesträubt hat. Die höheren Beiträge hätten sich negativ auf die Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der deutschen Wirtschaft ausgewirkt und die Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitnehmerinnen ärmer gemacht. Dies sei ein Bruch der Generationengerechtigkeit, so das Argument.

Rentenniveau sinkt unter 48 Prozent: Keine Kürzung der Rente

Mit dem Scheitern des Rentenpaket II wird auch das Rentenniveau auf unter 48 Prozent sinken. Dies wird nach DRV-Angaben vermutlich erst 2028 oder 2029 der Fall sein. Bis 2040 erwarten die Rentenversicherer, dass sich das Rentenniveau auf 45 Prozent des Durchschnittslohns absenkt, wenn keine anderen Reformen kämen. 

Dies bedeutet keine Rentenkürzung - das ist gesetzlich nicht möglich, dafür gibt es eine Rentengarantie. Es bedeutet lediglich, dass die Renten etwas langsamer ansteigen, als bisher. Ein Beispiel zur Veranschaulichung: 2025 soll die Rentenerhöhung 3,6 Prozent voraussichtlich betragen; wenn das Rentenniveau nicht beachtet werden müsste, wäre eine Erhöhung von 3,5 Prozent wahrscheinlicher. 

Sunday, November 17, 2024

What is Bluesky, the fast-growing social platform welcoming fleeing X users?

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Disgruntled X users are again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small compared to established online spaces such as X, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.

AP24318688875146.jpg
FILE - The app for Bluesky is shown on a mobile phone, left, and on a laptop screen on June 2, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

What is Bluesky?

Championed by former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Bluesky was an invitation-only space until it opened to the public in February. That invite-only period gave the site time to build out moderation tools and other features. The platform resembles Musk's X, with a "discover" feed and a chronological feed for accounts that users follow. Users can send direct messages and pin posts, as well as find "starter packs" that provide a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow. 

Why is Bluesky growing?

Bluesky said in mid-November that its total users surged to 15 million, up from roughly 13 million at the end of October, as some X users look for an alternative platform to post their thoughts and talk to others online. The post-election uptick in users isn't the first time Bluesky has benefited from people leaving X. The platform gained 2.6 million users in the week after X was banned in Brazil in August — 85% of them from Brazil, the company said. About 500,000 new users signed up in one day in October, when X signaled that blocked accounts would be able to see a user's public posts.

Across the platform, new users — among them journalists, left-leaning politicians and celebrities — have posted memes and shared that they were looking forward to using a space free from advertisements and hate speech. Some said it reminded them of the early days of Twitter more than a decade ago.

Despite Bluesky's growth, X posted after the election that it had "dominated the global conversation on the U.S. election" and had set new records. 

Beyond social networking

Bluesky, though, has bigger ambitions than to supplant X. Beyond the platform itself, it is building a technical foundation — what it calls "a protocol for public conversation" — that could make social networks work across different platforms — also known as interoperability — like email, blogs or phone numbers.

Currently, you can't cross between social platforms to leave a comment on someone's account. Twitter users must stay on Twitter and TikTok users must stay on TikTok if they want to interact with accounts on those services. Big Tech companies have largely built moats around their online properties, which helps serve their advertising-focused business models.

Bluesky is trying to reimagine all of this and working toward interoperability.

World Day of Remembrance: Tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties

BY MANILA BULLETIN

E CARTOON NOV 17, 2024 (1).jpg

 

Road safety continues to be a major concern of countries around the world.  Initiatives to cut the number of road deaths and injuries are led by the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety which aims to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 50 percent by 2030. 


The UN global status report on road safety shows the alarming figures – approximately 1.19 million people die each year as a result of road traffic crashes. Road traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and young adults aged five to 29 years.  More than half of all road traffic deaths are among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.


A traffic accident changes the lives of many people, not only the victim.  If the victim who is a breadwinner dies, the family deals with grief and the loss of a source of income.  If the victim is injured, family members give up time from work to take care of an injured parent or sibling.


For victims who are at the peak of their careers, there is not only loss of income during the time of healing, but also the loss of a productive member of the team at the workplace.  According to the UN report, road traffic crashes cost most countries three percent of their gross domestic product.


Every Nov. 17, the UN marks World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, a time to remember the stories of “that day” – when a traffic collision stopped or changed the course of victims’ lives forever. 


“The day has become an important tool in global efforts to reduce road casualties. It offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the scale of emotional and economic devastation caused by road crashes and for giving recognition to the suffering of road crash victims and the work of support and rescue services,” the UN statement said.


“That Day aims to remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads; acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services; draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries; and advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families.”


One of the objectives that has become a major burden for those involved is the legal process of getting action for a victim – for medical treatment, damage to property, compensation for loss of income or sanction to the erring parties.  This is where government can make a difference. Studying the processes of getting legal action faster to compensate the victims and their families will contribute to getting people back to being productive citizens.


Stricter implementation of traffic ordinances and laws is a major factor in keeping our roads safe.  An example is the implementation of the Anti-Distracted Driving Law which prohibits the use of mobile gadgets while driving.  Today, not only are gadgets used as navigation tools but also for communication.  When a vehicle is moving unusually slow, or is swerving, the driver is most likely on the phone. Studies have shown that distracted driving causes accidents. Drivers using mobile phones are approximately four times more likely to be involved in a crash.  It slows braking reaction time and reaction to traffic signals, a UN report said.


Each road user – the motorist and pedestrian – has a role to play to prevent road injuries or death. The stories of That Day will tell of how a road accident could have been prevented, if only one of the parties was more aware of the situation.

Veni, Vidi, Vici: Pinoy sci-fi shines at 2024 Frankfurt Book Festival

BY MANILA BULLETIN ENTERTAINMENT

AT A GLANCE
  • After nearly two decades in the commercial wilderness, Pinoy sci-fi took center stage, proving its viability as a significant literary genre in the Philippines.


Talk tomorrow.jpgIn a monumental moment for Filipino science fiction, author Renato Tranquilino and 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing showcased the genre's global appeal at the Frankfurt Book Festival in Germany on Oct. 16-20.

After nearly two decades in the commercial wilderness, Pinoy science-fiction took center stage, proving its viability as a significant literary genre in the Philippines. Tranquilino successfully closed three translation deals, bringing his works, "Fate of a Distant Future" and the latest sci-fi novel "The Culling in Proxim,", to readers in Arabic, Turkish, and German. Additionally, Tranquilino secured a German translation deal for the Filipino fantasy novel "The Merovingian" and its comic adaptation "The Rise of the Filipino Merovingian."

The festival saw Rex Publishing, the Department of Foreign Affairs (Philippine Embassy in Berlin and Philippine Consulate General in Frankfurt), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the National Book Development Board (NBDB) deliver an impressive lineup of events, highlighted by panels and presentations on the Rex Publishing-sponsored Asia Stage. Esteemed Filipino authors, including Ambeth Ocampo, Sarge Lacuesta, and Eliza Victoria, moderated discussions that drew large audiences. 

distant future saga scope.jpg
Distant future saga scope

Among these, the "Science and Fantasy in Asian Content" panel, featuring Tranquilino as a guest speaker, stood out, ranking as one of the most viewed sessions in the lineup.

The Philippine delegation, consisting of grant awardees, the DFA, the NCCA, and NBDB leadership, presented a strong front. With key figures such as NBDB Chairman Dante Ang II, Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade, Director Anthony John Balisi, Frankfurt's Philippine Consul General  Marie Yvette L. Banzon-Abalos, and  Berlin Embassy's Minister and Consul Mary Luck S. Hicarte in attendance, they demonstrated the country's commitment to advancing its literary presence on the world stage. This effort aligns with Senator Loren Legarda's vision of making the Philippines the guest of honor at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Festival—a significant milestone for Philippine literature, especially science fiction.

With the enthusiastic reception at Frankfurt, the future is bright for Filipino science fiction, hinting at an exciting new era for both the genre and its writers in the global market. For further information, please get in touch with RB Borinaga @paperplayprodnyc@gmail.com

Miss Universe 2024: Chelsea Manalo enters Top 30

BY ROBERT REQUINTINA

AT A GLANCE

  • A total of 125 candidates are vying for the title of Miss Universe 2024.


pic2.jpg
Miss Universe Philippines 2024 Chelsea Manalo (Miss Universe Philippines)

Miss Philippines Chelsea Manalo has entered the Top 30 semifinalists of the 73rd Miss Universe Competition in Mexico City on Nov. 16 (Nov. 17 Manila time).

A total of 125 candidates are vying for the title of Miss Universe 2024.

Other candidates in the Top 30 are (updating): 

France

India

Serbia

Vietnam 

Puerto Rico

Nigeria

Canada

Cuba

China

Japan 

Egypt

Mexico

Argentina

Thailand

Peru

Macao

Ecuador

Bolivia

Malaysia

The Top 30 candidates will compete in the swimsuit round the pageant.

WE LOVE TO COMPLAIN!


 

Many times, we don't have reasons at all to do so - but, we love to complain. We bring many assertions to bear: first, in the past we have been thriftier and economical, more religious and devout, more patriotic, industrious, more hard-working, keen and obedient. And, second, above everything and all: in the past we had more idealists. Third, nowadays we have (mostly?) material things in mind - what a disgrace. 


I just quoted Vox Populi... .


A "materialist" has indeed become a swear word. I don't mean with "material" the accumulated data out of which a writer creates a work of literary, historical, or scientific value. A materialist is being easily described as someone with an attitude, who ignores spiritual values, compared with an idealist, who has the tendency to seek the highest spiritual perfection.


Idealism means the doctrine that appearance is purely the perception, the idea of subjects, and that the world is to be regarded as consisting of mind. The coquetry of higher philosophy makes it difficult to bear the ups and downs in our daily life.


Sure, we all know that "our last earthly dress has no pockets  any more". Striving for earthly and terrestrial possession, property and estate might be the hit-man of idealism. That's how we have been taught. "Wine, women and song", having the unpleasant feeling of fullness, egoism and bragging as well as showing-off - are these the materialist's real attitudes?


Is the idealist, many times not being able to stand on earth with both feet, the only one who occupies himself with religion and virtuousness - so to speak, with celestial and heavenly things? Is that really so? Can we make such a distinction? 


Sure, it's easy to do so: it's manageable and comfortable. But well, why is the enjoyment of having a tasty meal BAD, and listening to a recital composed by Johann Sebastian Bach BETTER? Why should art be better than roasted pork and a bottle of wine? Value judgments and moral concepts... .


Owning a house and lot and care are - of course - earthly properties, as well as bank saving accounts, profitable insurances, and invest advantageously in stocks. Is a terrible underpaid nurse or a book author an idealist, because he or she doesn't work for the filthy lure but for higher values? Has Jesus been an idealist, because He re-nunciated and died without terrestrial possession? Has Jesus been a materialist, because He fed thousands of people on the breadline? Are we idealists, if we bequeath nothing to our families and might die without a single centavo, because earthly things are bad?

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Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook, LinkedIn or X - Twitter or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com