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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Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Women on the margins of history

Ambeth R. Ocampo

Maria Luisa T. Camagay, professor emerita of the University of the Philippines department of history, is the scholar who led the charge for the study of women and women’s issues in Philippine history. Beginning with her 1995 book “Working Women of Manila during the 19th Century,” she recast history into “HER-story,” promoting women’s studies until it became accepted as a legitimate branch of Philippine historical inquiry. In 2010, she edited “More Pinay Than We Admit,” a compilation of essays in the field and a second volume this year, a gap of 15 years. The subtitle of the book is “The Filipina Emerges from the Margins,” and while it is a collective of 14 different authors (13 women and one male), it reads coherently and flows well, tracing Filipinas in history from the 16th century to the present.

I read the book in one sitting, lured into the rabbit hole by Gloria Esguerra Melencio’s essay on “Historical Markers on Filipino Women’s Sexuality during Spanish Colonial Times.” Despite its dull academic title, the essay’s content was an exposition of how female sexuality in the Philippines was framed by men, mostly Spanish religious chroniclers, who were understandably shocked to find different customs in their newfound colony: the use of penis implements, slavery of women, notions of virginity, concubinage, marriage, divorce, and polygamy at odds with their imported, Western, male, and Christian norms.

The two pages on the penis implements cite the first reference in Antonio Pigafetta’s 1521 account of the Magellan expedition. Pigafetta described this as a penile piercing with: “a gold or tin bolt as large as a goose quill, and in both ends of the same bolt, some have what resembles a spur, with points upon the ends, and others [have] what resembles the head of a cart nail … In the middle of the bolt is a hole, through which they urinate.” Pigafetta also noted that women would not “communicate” with the men without it!

Unfortunately, Pigafetta did not actually see this and merely relied on his informants. Sometimes, I wonder if the Pinoy informants he encountered agreed among themselves, “gag*hin natin ito.” But that does not explain why accounts of penis implements used by precolonial Pinoys are found in other sources: Miguel de Loarca (1582), Antonio de Morga (1609), and Francisco Ignacio Alzina (1667). The anonymous “Boxer Codex” (circa 1590) has a drawing on the margin of one of the manuscript pages. Twenty-first-century Pinoys, especially Visayan seafarers, boast of penile implants that can probably trace their roots to the ones Pigafetta saw in 1521.

Many of the essays in Camagay’s new book merely show the tip of the proverbial iceberg, pointing readers to the uncharted waters of primary sources in the National Archives of the Philippines. In the essay by Ma. Rita Lourdes Alfaro, she looks at bundles of documents that also caught my eye 40 years ago when I first ran my fingers through the catalog: aborto (abortion), infanticido (infanticide), homicidio (homicide), adulterio (adultery), and prostitucion (prostitution) that also include cases of vagrancy, undocumented women, and so-called “mujeres publicas (public women).” Alfaro shows how these seemingly banal archival classifications frame Filipinas, their passion, and their crimes within the male gaze of the colonial authorities. It is not just the content of the documents, but also the way they were written and understood at the time, that deserves closer investigation and reinterpretation.

SEE ALSO

Camagay’s essay “Disarming the Catalonans of Zambales during the 17th Century” deals with the confiscation of ritual vessels of the Catalonans/Babaylans by a priest, attempting to stamp out the precolonial religion by using children of the community to rat on their elders. An inventory of the different types of earthenware vessels used by the babaylan is supplied. This long-lost episode in Philippine history frames the difficulties the Church had in converting Filipinos from their old faith into Christianity. It is to be noted here that not all Catalonans or Babaylans were women, there were some labeled as “bayoguin,” who were male babaylan who cross-dressed or were described as men who “had the nature of women.” This is a footnote that gains relevance in contemporary LGBTQ issues.

Mary Dorothy Jose revisits the way women are represented in accounts of the Philippine revolution, where some led men in battle as “generala” or “babaeng lalake.” Ma. Serena Diokno looks back on silences in history, focusing on Melchora Aquino, or “Tandang Sora,” who was only recognized in the 20th century. She has since appeared on banknotes, coins, stamps, textbooks, and monuments, her nickname is remembered. A far cry from the list of people arrested following the outbreak of the revolution in August 1896, when she was merely described as “a woman, a certain Sora.” From the margins and peripheries of Philippine history, the Filipina emerges to underscore what we now call HER-story.

Filipino works of universal value

APRIL 30, 2025

Yesterday, there was a modest but meaningful ceremony held at the temporary headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs. It was formally speaking, the launch of the Memory of the World Program, Unesco Philippines. This is the Philippine arm, so to speak, of Unesco’s Memory of the World Program, which aims to guard against “collective amnesia” through the recognition of the world’s intellectual treasures, whether they be films, manuscripts, books, photographs, audiovisual recordings, scientific discoveries, exploratory voyages, and digital documents that are considered milestones in history. The program provides a platform for international cooperation to preserve and share the world’s documentary heritage while fostering a greater understanding of humanity’s shared history and cultural diversity.

For the Philippines, the list of our contributions to the Memory of the World Register can be subdivided into three levels: international: Philippine paleographs (Hanunoo, Buid, Tagbanua and Pala’wan) added in 1999, radio broadcast of the Philippine People Power Revolution added in 2003, the José Maceda Collection added in 2007, and the presidential papers of Manuel L. Quezon added in 2011; regional, comprising the Culion Leprosy archives, the Doctrina Christiana of 1593, the Hinilawod Epic chant recordings, and the Quezon papers added in 2010; and national, which consists of Eddie Romero’s ”Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon?” and the Fernando Poe Jr. Film Archives.

The question that naturally arises, Ivan Henares (who is Unesco National Committee secretary general) told me, is why was there a launch yesterday when the Philippines has been applying for the inclusion of various things in the Memory of the World’s different registers. In a nutshell, the time had come for the launch because of two things. The first was to institutionalize past enthusiasm–the kind that had enabled the gathering of the extremely strict documentary and other requirements needed for the nomination—to ensure that inclusion wouldn’t just be an empty exercise in bragging rights. Nomination and acceptance also entail rigor and consistency: our laws confer privileges and benefits to those proclaimed part of the Memory of the World by Unesco in Paris, as well as an obligation to actually ensure not just the preservation but active use.

The second reason is that the works and items already recognized are a tiny percentage of what ought to be not just nominated, but also accepted and designated. Here, the future-forward purpose of the launch was eloquently laid out by professor Nick Deocampo, who is the chair of the National Memory of the World Committee. As the authority bar none on Philippine film history, he recounted his tireless efforts to identify and at times, miraculously locate, the artifacts of our film history. It is always a race against time. We are a nation of hoarders but in the hoarding, there is both the potential for a bonanza, but also, more often than not, the more real possibility of an accumulation of dead or dying artifacts: documents crumbling into dust, celluloid that has melted or is about to burst into flames, piles of ghostly because no longer viable in terms of preservation, reminders of what has been irretrievably lost.

Listening to Deocampo, and looking at the archivists, historians, academicians, and other unheralded, ill-remunerated, seldom-consulted people gathered in that hall from throughout the country, I was reminded of something I’ve long believed: if we had lost so much, we would have lost so much more, if it weren’t for people like the ones receiving their modest certificates from Unesco. They represent the fraternity that truly matters because their labor is seldom heralded, though the fruits of their labor are so tangible. Deocampo said the next step is to go up and down the country, activating regional nodes of like-minded people and institutions, spreading the word that the Memory of the World Registry exists and that there is a means and method for us as a people to have the tangible artifacts of our genius recognized as part of the patrimony of the world.

SEE ALSO

Go to www.unesco.gov.ph to learn more. A good first step is to read more about the Memory of the World and find out when Unesco Philippines might be doing a presentation: one is scheduled to be held in Naga, then in Dumaguete, and then in Davao. There, you can find out more about the procedures, especially the documentation required. Deocampo says there is a great need to identify items and collections in the Visayas and Mindanao, in particular, which deserve recognition so that there will be support for their preservation and renewed relevance.

He said a very simple definition of what a document is—an item made with intellectual intent—can help unlock in our minds the great variety of things that deserve discussion, evaluation, and elevation. The country has a wealth of passionate individuals who have set out to collect, compile, and save the real material wealth of our country. The task for like-minded people who care is to bring these people and what they have made, acquired, saved, and set aside to the attention of our authorities and the global community. Having finally put the Unesco Philippines house in order in terms of documentation, Henares expects a new push to submit items from Rizal’s two novels to the journal La Solidaridad, to indigenous and other works for scrutiny according to the protocols of the Memory of the World. But they are hoping this is merely going to be a prelude to a wider effort, bringing in a wider range of concerned citizens.

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

"Beyond comprehension": Vancouver residents grieve after car attack that...


This new animated short follows Judas' betrayal of Jesus

An animator’s visually stunning take on the New Testament

BY POCH EULALIA

AT A GLANCE

  • The story aims to share stories from the New Testament that can satisfy both religious and non-religious viewers.


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A TALE OF BETRAYAL "Judas Iscariot" has the Apostle navigating through his feelings of guilt for the betrayal of Jesus (Screenshots lifted from 'Judas Iscariot' Kickstarter)

Judas Iscariot is a name that is synonymous with betrayal. In this upcoming animated short, by Stigmata Studios, we get to see a closer look at how Jesus’ final hours affected the traitor. As Judas tries to live with his guilt, he receives angelic visions from the past, following his journey with Jesus. "Judas Iscariot" aims to share stories from the New Testament that can satisfy both religious and non-religious viewers. It lifts heavily from the New Testament and takes inspiration from the “Apocrypha,” a collection of writings related to the Bible but not considered canon. “Judas Iscariot” is expected to be released in 2027.  

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A TRAITOR AMONG US Jesus, depicted as a bull, addresses the 12 Apostles during the Last Supper

From the trailer, we see anthropomorphic animals used to symbolize characters from the New Testament. Jesus is portrayed as a large bull, whereas Judas is a rabbit. Included as well in the trailer are Mary Magdalene and the rest of the Apostles as various animals. Meanwhile, Roman guards are depicted as wolves, likely as a reference to the story of Romulus and Remus, a myth regarding the founding of Rome.

To help fund the project, Kugler has put up a Kickstarter page and presents a series of rewards to be sent out depending on how much you donate. Higher donations can get you a copy of the film and even a cameo in the background. As of writing, it has already surpassed its initial funding goal of $30,000 (₱1,687,345) having made $81,261 (₱4,570,511). All excess donations are slated to go toward added benefits like the production of a comic book version and a documentary about the making of the film.  

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A LIFE OF GUILT  Judas is portrayed as a rabbit going through visions of his past with Jesus

Already, the film has garnered praise online for its unique take on Jesus. Some non-religious folks have even shown genuine excitement toward the project, taking an interest in its stylistic approach. Others are happy to see a religious animated film that has a higher quality of production, as online circles have often joked about the bad quality of Christian animated films. There are those hoping this short will be on par with the Dreamworks classic, “The Prince of Egypt,” which follows the story of Moses.   

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Wolves are used to represent the Romans, a possible reference to the story of Romulus and Remus

Kugler first made waves in the indie animation scene back in 2022 with “Clickers,” a nine-minute animated short made by a team of over 50 artists. It follows the story of two anthropomorphic devices, a CRT television and a boombox radio, trying to navigate through their rocky relationship. It won bronze at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Student Awards and has over 2.9 million views on YouTube. He has also done work for popular animated series such as Cartoon Network’s “Craig of the Creek” and Adult Swim’s “Smiling Friends.”

Wake-up call for PH global competitiveness

 

Wake-up call for PH global competitiveness


E CARTOON APR 29, 2025.jpg

 

The inception of the 2025 IMD World Competitiveness Rankings survey, as announced recently by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), is a timely and sobering wake-up call for the Philippines. While we have long celebrated our economic resilience, it is clear that resilience alone is no longer enough. In a world transformed by technology, innovation, and rapidly shifting global markets, we find ourselves lagging behind countries that have been quicker, bolder, and more deliberate in pursuing national competitiveness.
The 2024 rankings reveal familiar shortcomings. Despite our demographic advantages — a young, English-speaking workforce and strong entrepreneurial spirit — we continue to underperform in critical areas: infrastructure development, education quality, regulatory efficiency, and digital readiness. These are not new problems, yet year after year, progress has been slow, uneven, and often derailed by political distractions. 


Our public institutions remain burdened by bureaucracy and regulatory bottlenecks that discourage investment and innovation. Infrastructure projects, while abundant in announcements, are often delayed or plagued by inefficiencies. In education, outdated curricula, skills mismatches, and underinvestment prevent us from fully preparing our people for the demands of a digital economy. Meanwhile, in technology and innovation, we lag behind regional peers who have embraced digital transformation as a national priority. 


Encouragingly, initiatives such as the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) have made meaningful strides in improving the ease of doing business. Streamlining permits, automating services, and simplifying procedures have started to show positive impact. However, the success of these reforms hinges critically on local government units (LGUs), which serve as the frontline for investors and citizens alike. LGUs must embrace innovation, efficiency, and transparency to ensure that national reforms translate into real, everyday improvements across the country.


The way forward is clear — and it requires decisive, sustained action:


First, we must deepen our regulatory reforms. Beyond national directives, real change must happen at the local level, where businesses seek permits, licenses, and clearances. LGUs must be empowered and held accountable for adopting best practices in governance and service delivery. 


Second, we must radically improve our infrastructure — both physical and digital. Completing major transport projects on time, expanding broadband access nationwide, and embracing smart city initiatives are crucial to enhancing productivity and connectivity.


Third, we must invest boldly in education and skills development. Modernizing curricula, strengthening linkages between academe and industry, and prioritizing STEM fields, digital literacy, and vocational training are urgent imperatives. Our young population is an asset only if adequately equipped for the future.


Fourth, we must foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. This includes supporting startups, protecting intellectual property, expanding access to venture capital, and creating an environment that encourages responsible risk-taking.


Fifth, we must reinforce governance, transparency, and the rule of law. Investors and citizens alike need confidence that institutions are fair, policies are consistent, and leadership is accountable.


The IMD rankings should not be seen as an embarrassment, but as an urgent call to confront hard truths and correct our course. Competitiveness is not won through rhetoric; it is built daily through action, investment, and reform.


The global race for competitiveness is unforgiving. Those who delay or deny will be left behind. The Philippines must meet this challenge head-on — with courage, coherence, and a clear-eyed commitment to building a future that all Filipinos deserve. 


The time for complacency has long passed. The time for action is now.