Let's unite and rise above the oil crisis

 

By Manila Bulletin

Published Mar 12, 2026 12:01 am | Updated Mar 11, 2026 04:18 pm

The warning could not have been clearer. As Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan told lawmakers this week, escalating tensions among the United States, Israel, and Iran are tightening global oil supplies. And the ripple effects are already knocking at the country’s door. If crude oil prices surge to $100 per barrel, inflation could climb to 5.1 percent—well beyond the government’s two to four percent target. If the worst-case scenario of $140 per barrel materializes, inflation could soar to 7.5 percent, squeezing Filipino households and slowing economic growth.

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin captured this uncertainty bluntly: the worst may not yet have arrived.

But beyond the numbers and forecasts lies a deeper challenge. This oil shock is not just a problem for economists and energy officials. It is a test of the Filipino capacity for unity.

And this is precisely the moment when unity matters most.

For too long, national discourse has been consumed by political bickering—between parties, factions, and personalities. Social media amplifies every disagreement, turning governance into a constant battlefield of narratives. Yet an energy crisis does not care about political colors, campaign slogans, or partisan loyalties. When fuel prices surge, every Filipino pays the price—from jeepney drivers and factory workers to small entrepreneurs and farmers.

In times like this, the country cannot afford the luxury of division.

The government must lead with clarity, coordination, and courage.

The executive branch must move decisively to cushion the most vulnerable sectors. Targeted fuel subsidies for transport workers, strengthened energy conservation campaigns, and accelerated investment in renewable energy sources should be urgent priorities. Energy security requires both immediate relief and long-term transformation.

Congress, for its part, must rise above political theatrics. Lawmakers should focus on swift legislative measures that stabilize fuel supply, incentivize energy diversification, and strengthen consumer protection. This includes expediting the measure that gives the President power to cut fuel taxes in times of crisis.

The judiciary also plays a critical role. Legal clarity and swift resolution of energy-related disputes—whether involving infrastructure projects, regulatory decisions, or investment contracts—can help ensure that vital energy initiatives are not stalled by prolonged litigation. Efficiency within the justice system becomes an economic safeguard.

The private sector, meanwhile, must recognize that resilience is also its responsibility. Businesses, especially those in energy, transportation, and manufacturing, must invest in efficiency, innovation, and alternative energy solutions. Companies that reduce energy waste, shift to cleaner technologies, and stabilize supply chains are not only protecting their bottom lines—they are helping stabilize the nation.

Corporate leadership, in times like these, must be measured not only by profit margins but by public responsibility.

And then there is the role of every Filipino.

Energy crises are not solved solely in Cabinet meetings or boardrooms. They are also shaped by daily decisions—how we use fuel, how we conserve electricity, how communities adapt. Simple actions such as reducing unnecessary travel, conserving power, supporting public transport, and embracing energy-saving habits collectively make a difference.

A crisis can expose a nation’s fractures, but it can also reveal its strength.

The country has weathered many storms: financial crises, natural disasters, and global disruptions. Each time, what carried the nation forward was not perfect leadership or flawless policies, but the enduring spirit of bayanihan—the instinct to stand together when the road grows difficult.

Today’s looming oil shock calls for that same spirit.

This is not the hour for political grandstanding or ideological skirmishes. It is the hour for shared responsibility. The government must govern with urgency. Businesses must innovate with conscience. Citizens must act with discipline and solidarity.

When global turbulence threatens to shake our economy, the most powerful stabilizing force we possess is unity—the country’s most valuable national resource in times of crisis.

 

P5,000-fuel subsidy for jeepney, tricycle drivers to roll out next week

Motorists line up at a gasoline station along Intramuros in Manila on Monday, March 9, 2026, a day before the implementation of staggered fuel price adjustments. (Photo by John Louie Abrina)

President Marcos Jr. has ordered the immediate distribution of a P5,000 fuel subsidy for public utility drivers affected by rising oil prices amid ongoing tensions and conflict in the Middle East. The financial assistance will be distributed starting next week to help ease the burden on jeepney and tricycle drivers. Read more

Wer sich jetzt um seine Sinne kümmert, hat später mehr vom Leben

 

Stand:11.03.2026, 10:59 Uhr

Von: Constanze Julita   

Frühzeitig behandelter Hörverlust und Sehprobleme ermöglichen eine aktive Teilhabe am Leben. © IMAGO/Westend61

Hörverlust und Sehprobleme führen oft in die Einsamkeit und können das Demenzrisiko erhöhen. Ärzte erklären, warum rechtzeitige Vorsorge entscheidend ist.

Gespräche in lauter Umgebung werden anstrengend, die Speisekarte im Restaurant verschwimmt – oft beginnt es schleichend. Was nach normalen Alterserscheinungen klingt, entpuppt sich als unterschätzte Gesundheitsgefahr. Denn unbehandelter Seh- und Hörverlust sind nicht nur Sinneseinbußen, sondern können das Demenzrisiko drastisch erhöhen.

Im Gespräch mit HNO-Arzt Prof. Dr. Jan Löhler und Augenarzt Prof. Dr. Robert Finger, erfahren Sie, wie Sie Warnsignale rechtzeitig erkennen und warum frühzeitiges Handeln so entscheidend ist. Dazu finden Sie in unserem kostenlosen Ratgeber-PDF „Sinnes-Check“ Untersuchungspläne und Checklisten für Arzttermine.

Unsere Serie „Fit in Rente“

In sechs Teilen zeigen wir, wie Sie den Ruhestand körperlich, sozial und mental gesund gestalten. Experten wie Prof. Dr. Hans-Werner Wahl und Dr. Jan Löhler geben Tipps, die Sie in jeder Folge weiterbringen.

►Teil 1: Identität nach dem Beruf – Erkennen, wer Sie jenseits Ihrer Rolle sind

►Teil 2: Partnerschaft im Ruhestand – Nähe neu verhandeln – ohne Konflikte

►Teil 3: Solo im Ruhestand – Einsamkeit erkennen und gegensteuern

► Teil 4: Muskeln sind Ihre wichtigste Altersvorsorge

► Teil 5: Sehen & Hören – Teilhabe am Leben so lange wie möglich sichern

► Teil 6: Ernährung Ü60 – Essen neu denken – mit konkreten Tipps (erscheint am 18. März)    

Warnsignale für Hörverlust und Sehprobleme

Die ersten Anzeichen sind oft subtil. „Meistens gehen die hohen Töne zuerst verloren“, erklärt Löhler die typischen Hörverlust-Symptome. Besonders in geräuschvoller Umgebung – im Restaurant, bei Familienfeiern oder in großen Räumen – wird das Problem deutlich. Betroffene haben Schwierigkeiten, Kinder richtig zu verstehen, insbesondere, wenn sie klein sind und noch nicht so klar sprechen.

Beim Sehen sind es andere Warnsignale: „Was grundsätzlich alarmieren sollte, ist, wenn etwas rasch schlechter wird“, betont Finger. Während langsame Veränderungen nicht rasch abgeklärt werden müssen, erfordern plötzliche Sehverschlechterungen sofortige ärztliche Abklärung. Auch wer mehr Licht zum Lesen braucht oder Kontraste schlechter erkennt, sollte nicht zögern.

Sinnes-Check – kostenloses PDF

Hör- und Sehgesundheit gezielt schützen: Hier können Sie sich den Sinnes-Check als PDF gratis herunterladen, abspeichern und ausdrucken. Inklusive altersgestaffelter Untersuchungspläne, Warnsignale und Checklisten für Arzt- und Akustikertermine.

Den Sinnes-Check können Sie sich in der PDF-Bibliothek kostenlos herunterladen. © IMAGO/Westend61

Der unterschätzte Demenz-Risikofaktor

Hörverlust gilt als größter beeinflussbarer Demenz-Risikofaktor. Laut der Lancet-Kommission (2024) könnten durch die Behandlung von Hörverlust sieben Prozent aller Demenzfälle verhindert werden. „Das Hören nimmt viele Bereiche im Gehirn in Anspruch“, erläutert Löhler den komplexen Zusammenhang. Verschiedene Hirnregionen müssen aktiviert und vernetzt werden, bevor Gesprochenes ins Bewusstsein vordringt.

Ähnlich verhält es sich beim Sehen: „Sehverlust ist ein Risikofaktor für Demenz“, bestätigt der Augenarzt. Das Gehirn arbeitet permanent mit schlechterem Input, muss fehlende Bildteile ergänzen und wird dadurch überlastet. „Das ist sehr ermüdend und anstrengend“, beschreibt er die kognitive Belastung.

Why is the German language so complex?

 

Dennis Wege

 · 

Why is the German language so complex?

The reason is that languages aren’t made, especially they’re not made to be simple or logic. They’re organic and have grown and each language has it’s difficulties and flaws.

German keeps it’s genders because they seem to be natural to the speakers. We learn a language from our parents, develop a right/wrong feeling and understand the rules without having learned them. And so the language continues, there’s no program to it.

English is the exception with no gender to nouns, probably because it’s such a mixed language. Old English still features those, similar to today’s Icelandic. So the English “they” comes actually from three words, in Icelandic those are: þeir, þær, þau.

English might seem simple and natural to you, but believe me, it isn’t. The spelling is a complete mess, Ghoti being theoretically a legitimate spelling for fish Ghoti - Wikipedia. And don’t even get me started with time clauses: going - I went. Uhm, okay… And then: I went. I have gone. I did go. I have been going. I had been going. And that were just the past tenses. You know how many past tenses Swiss German has? One. Also one present tense. And you can use future, but you don’t have to. So two tenses are all that you need. So English can be needlessly complex too, with learners having to remember graphs like this:

The moment you start choosing yourself

 

make the decision today to stop putting yourself last.

Protect your peace, honor your values, and stop settling for what drains your energy.
The moment you start respecting your own worth, the world begins to respond differently.
Invest in your growth.
Guard your time.
Walk away from what does not respect you. When you truly choose yourself, you stop living for approval and start living with purpose, and that is where real change begins. The moment you start choosing yourself,
your life begins to change.
Your standards rise. Your boundaries become stronger. Your energy becomes different.
You stop chasing people and start attracting the right ones. You stop seeking approval and start trusting your own worth. Life often reflects what you believe you deserve. Choose yourself first, and watch everything else align.

#peace #yourself #growth

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28 YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES AS GERMAN EXPATRIATE

 

By Klaus Döring

While writing this part, my time in the Philippines almost reached 26 years.

I started loving the Philippines. I started loving my life here. I tried to accept Philippine Time and many other things, but the culture shock has been recognized by other expatriates. Yes, sorry, maybe I am a lucky guy. As one says: One in a million. Or ten in a million. 

Well, I remember many messages about other expatriates. Yes, I know, I am the lucky guy here. 

Many decades ago, I told everybody contacting me: "Don't compare your life with mine. Everybody is different and everybody has another partner."

Well, I have reached my 27th year as an expatriate in the Philippines. I am happy and blessed with my life here. Sorry, if some readers are not the same here. I know, it's not easy. But how and where on this planet is it easy?  I wish everyone a good life. An awesome life , maybe. 

God bless you all. God bless the Philippines.

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Email me at doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn or visit my www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .