It's 2026, why are we Filipinos still poor?

 

Dayang Marikit

 ·

Philippine History Professor

Not everyone here is poor… look around you, a lot of people are progressing, I have friends who bought condominium units and they've turned them into rental properties, each unit earns around 60,000 pesos a month. You need to surround yourself with positive and business minded people. The pandemic should've burst the condominium bubble, but prices bounced back within a year, this is due to strong domestic demand. Clearly a significant portion of the population have some money to spend. People have gotten way too comfortable stereotyping Filipinos as “poor”… I'm not saying that poverty doesn't exist here, but when people talk about Filipinos they make sweeping generalizations and they act as if the middle-class, upper-middle-class, and upper-class doesn't exist. The way people speak, you’d think that everyone here just live in slums.

---

Zwei Länder im Aufwind

Zwei Länder im Aufwind – Das sind die beliebtesten Auswandererziele der Deutschen

Stand: 11.05.2026Lesedauer: 3 Minuten

Deutsche (hier im Kanton Tessin) machen in der Schweiz die zweitgrößte Gruppe ausländischer Staatsangehöriger aus

Quelle: Getty Images/Milo Zanecchia/Ascent Xmedia

Fast 330.000 Deutsche leben in der Schweiz, fast 240.000 in Österreich – und Spanien holt auf. Eine neue Auswertung des Statistischen Bundesamts zeigt, wohin es Deutsche zieht und warum manche Länder besonders beliebt sind.

Anzeige

Die Schweiz bleibt der beliebteste Wohnort von Deutschen im europäischen Ausland, während Österreich und Spanien immer populärer werden. Anfang 2025 hatten rund 329.900 deutsche Staatsbürger ihren Wohnsitz in der Schweiz, wie das Statistische Bundesamt am Montag mitteilte.

Die Deutschen stellen damit nach den Italienern die zweitgrößte Gruppe ausländischer Staatsangehöriger in der Schweiz. „Ihre Zahl steigt seit Langem“, betonten die Statistiker. Im Vergleich zum Jahr zuvor betrug der Zuwachs 1,9 Prozent oder rund 6300 Personen. Innerhalb von zehn Jahren nahm die Zahl der Deutschen in der Schweiz um 10,7 Prozent oder rund 32.000 Personen zu.

Die beliebtesten Länder im Überblick:

1. Schweiz: 329.900 Deutsche – zweitgrößte Gruppe ausländischer Staatsangehöriger nach den Italienern (+1,9 Prozent gegenüber Vorjahr, +10,7 Prozent in zehn Jahren)
2. Österreich: 239.500 Deutsche – größte Gruppe ausländischer Staatsangehöriger in der Alpenrepublik (+2,9 Prozent gegenüber Vorjahr, +40,5 Prozent in zehn Jahren)
3. Spanien: 131.800 Deutsche (+3,0 Prozent gegenüber Vorjahr, -2,4 Prozent in zehn Jahren)
4. Frankreich: 94.000 Deutsche
5. Niederlande: 85.000 Deutsche
6. Belgien: 41.000 Deutsche
7. Italien: 36.000 Deutsche
8. Schweden: 34.000 Deutsche
9. Dänemark: 28.000 Deutsche (Daten von 2022)
10. Norwegen: 26.000 Deutsche

Auf Platz zwei im Länderranking folgt Österreich. Dort lebten Anfang 2025 gut 239.500 deutsche Staatsbürger – und bildeten damit die größte Gruppe ausländischer Staatsangehöriger in der Alpenrepublik. Ihre Zahl wächst sogar schneller als in der Schweiz: Der Zuwachs betrug 2,9 Prozent oder rund 6.700 Personen. Binnen zehn Jahren erhöhte sich die Zahl der Deutschen in Österreich um 40,5 Prozent oder 69.000 Personen.

„Die Schweiz und Österreich grenzen beide an Deutschland. Zudem ist Deutsch dort Amtssprache, somit entfällt die Sprachbarriere.“

Dangerous heat index

 

levels up in 28 areas

TWENTY-eight areas in the country will experience sweltering temperatures due to a danger-level heat index, the weather bureau said Saturday.

Heat index is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity combines with air.

A peak heat index of 44°C is forecast in Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Camiling, Tarlac; Sangley Point, Cavite City, Cavite; Cuyo, Palawan; Roxas City, Capiz; and Dumangas, Iloilo, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

The following areas will also see danger-level heat indices:

NAIA, Pasay City - 42°C�Science Garden, Quezon City - 42°C�Sinait, Ilocos, Sur - 42°C�Dagupan City, Pangasinan - 43°C�MMSU, Batac, Ilocos Norte - 43°C�Bacnotan, La Union - 43°C�Aparri, Cagayan - 43°C�Tuguegarao City, Cagayan - 43°C�ISU, Echague, Isabela - 43°C�Clark Airport (DMIA), Pampanga - 42°C

CLSU Muñoz, Nueva Ecija - 43°C�Cubi Point, Subic Bay, Olongapo - 43°C�Infanta, Quezon - 42°C�Alabat, Quezon - 43°C�Mulanay, Quezon - 42°C�San Jose, Occidental Mindoro - 43°C�Iloilo City, Iloilo - 43°C�Guiuan, Eastern Samar - 42°C�Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte - 42°C�Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur - 42°C

Laguindingan Airporrt, Misamis Oriental - 42°C�Butuan City, Agusan del Norte - 43°C

Heat cramps and heat exhaustion are likely under a danger-level heat index of 42°C to 51°C.

Meanwhile, the heat index may reach 41°C in Casiguran, Aurora; Iba, Zambales; San Ildefonso, Bulacan; Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac City; Tayabas City, Quezon; Ambulong, Tanauan, Batangas; Daet, Camarines Norte; Legazpi City, Albay; Virac, Catanduanes; Masbate City, Masbate; CBSUA-Pili, Camarines Sur; La Granja, La Carlota, Negros Occidental; Catarman, Northern Samar; Catbalogan, Western Samar; Borongan, Eastern Samar; Davao City, Davao del Sur; Cotabato City; Maguindanao del Norte; and Surigao City, Surigao del Norte.

A heat index of 40°C is forecast over Baler, Aurora; NAS-UPLB, Los Baños, Laguna; Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; Coron, Palawan; Romblon, Romblon; Aborlan, Palawan; Juban, Sorsogon; BIA-Daraga, Albay; Mambusao, Capiz; Siquijor, Siquijor; Maasin, Southern Leyte; General Santos City, South Cotabato; and Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

Meanwhile, the whole country will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms due to the easterlies.

Extreme Northern Luzon and the eastern section of the country will experience moderate to strong winds and moderate to rough seas.

The rest of the archipelago will experience light to moderate winds and slight to moderate seas.

PAGASA said the tropical cyclone outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility was last spotted 1,165 km. east of northeastern Mindanao, packing sustained winds of 75 kph, gustiness of up to 90 kph, and moving westward at 20 kph. (PNA) 

𝐃𝐂𝐖𝐃: 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐨 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐥 𝐍𝐢ñ𝐨

The Davao City Water District (DCWD) on Wednesday stated that Davao City has a surplus of drinking water supply amid the looming El Niño phenomenon.

"Dako gihapon ang surplus sa atong water supply kumpara sa atong demand (Our water supply still has a large surplus compared to our demand)," Jovana Cresta Duhaylungsod, DCWD spokesperson, said during the AFP-PNP Press Conference at the Apo View Hotel on Wednesday.

She noted that on a daily basis, the production capacity of DCWD is 728 million liters, while the daily demand is only 52 percent of that capacity.

"We still have 48 percent that we consider as surplus water to absorb service connections, considering that we are still in the stage of ramping up our expansion, especially in District 2 areas. At the same time, these surplus, gamiton pud as part of our contingency supply in case naa gyud epekto ang huwaw sa supply sa tubig sa atong siyudad (we will also use this as part of our contingency supply in case the drought really affects the city's water supply)," she said.

Earlier, the City Agriculturist Office (CAgrO) said it was also ensuring adequate water supply for farmers with its existing solar-powered irrigation pumps. The office also intends to purchase additional portable solar powered irrigation pumps.

The CAgrO also mapping for additional sources even as it plans to request fire trucks to deliver water to areas that might need supply.

As hydration is necessary during a dry spell, Duhaylungsod said they are conducting strategic initiatives to optimize distribution. She added that they are also continuously developing new sources.

Currently, surface water provides the bulk of the supply, producing 300 million liters daily; this volume is complemented by water from deep wells.

"Gina-optimize nato ang atong surface water. Gina-optimize nato nga atong surface water ang atong gina-distribute meaning kadtong ground water source, production wells, it is only around 20 percent ang atong ginapaandar. Meaning nay 80 percent are on standby lang (We are optimizing our surface water. We are making sure that the water we distribute comes primarily from surface water sources. This means that our groundwater sources, or production wells, are operating at only about 20 percent. In other words, 80 percent of them are just on standby)," she said.

Duhaylungsod explained that they will only make the remaining 80 percent of the wells operational if the need arises—specifically if there is a shortage in the surface water supply or if the number of service connections increases significantly.

Additionally, she mentioned that DCWD continues to provide technical assistance to barangays not served by the district to ensure the effective management and maintenance of their local water systems.

"In preparing for the possible impact sa El Niño, two-way process gyud ni siya: DCWD will make sure that there will be sufficient supply for our customers but in the same way, we are also encouraging our customers, padayon gihapon sa pagpondo og tubig to have contingency supply all the time because there will be water interruptions—that's a reality considering naa gyud mga leaking. Naa ta'y mga expansion activities and we need to tap pipelines, that will result in water interruptions on the part of customers. It will be a big help kanunay mo naay tubig, padayon ang pondo sa supply in clean and covered containers (In preparing for the possible impact of El Niño, this is really a two-way process. DCWD will ensure that there is a sufficient water supply for our customers, but at the same time, we are also encouraging customers to continue storing water and to always have a contingency supply, since water interruptions are a reality—especially due to leaks. We also have ongoing expansion activities that require tapping pipelines, which will result in water interruptions for customers. It will be a big help if households always have stored water, kept in clean and covered containers)," Duhaylungsod said. CIO

Written by: K. Canedo

Edited by: A. Nawal

All reactions:

44