Mehr Rechtssicherheit fuer Auslaender auf den Philippinen/More Legal Protection for Foreigners in The Philippines

Eigentlich traeumt jeder Mensch vom Paradies auf Erden. Viele Rentner und Aussteiger haben auf den Philippinen ihr Glueck gesucht - und einige auch gefunden. Ich zaehle mich dazu. Die Beweggruende sind natuerlich bei jedem unterschiedlich. Fuer den einen ist es das Wetter, fuer den anderen die immer freundlichen Menschen, und andere wiederum suchen fuer den letzten Lebensabschnitt eine schoene Frau zum Heiraten. Warum nicht...?

Aber, wie in einer Ehe gibt es nicht nur Sonnenschein, sondern auch Regen. Dutzende Auslaender haben auch negative Erfahrungen machen muessen, da sie vergassen, den europaeischen Kopf bzw. die fruehere Denkweise abzuschalten. Aber, es gibt auch gute Nachrichten fuer Diejenigen, die aus welchen Gruenden auch immer, in gravierende Schwierigkeiten geraten sind, oder noch geraten koennten. Neid, Missgunst, Intriquen, "boese Nachbarn" - um nur einige Beispiele aufzuzaehlen!

Seit zwei Jahren existiert das Foreign Assistance Center Philippines, kurz FAC genannt, das allen hier lebenden Auslaendern in Immigrations- oder Visafragen mit Rat und Tat zur Verfuegung steht.

Das FAC Philippines  setzt sich vehement  fuer mehr Rechtssicherheit lebender Auslaender auf den Philippinen ein.Die neue Reportage auf DW_TV (Deutsche Welle) "Unser Mann in Manila" zeigt eindrucksvoll, wie der Gruender des FAC, Herr Alfred Lehnert, seit ueber fuenf Jahren erfolgreich Auslaender verschiedener Nationalitaeten vor der Deportation oder einem laengeren Gefaengnisaufenthalt bewahrt.

Beim Studium der FAC-Internetseite stellt man fest: "Sag' niemals nie!" Es kann jeden treffen. Man kann nur jedem hier lebenden Auslaender mit auf den Weg geben - eine FAC-Mitgliedschaft ist zwar keine 100%ige Garantie fuer ALLES, aber es ist gut zu wissen, dass es jemanden gibt, der immer fuer mich da ist!

(Alfred Lehnert auf dem Weg ins Bureau of Immigration in Manila - waehrend der Dreharbeiten zur Reportage "Unser Mann in Manila" (Deutsche Welle TV).

(Alfred Lehnert on the way to the Bureau of Immigration in Manila - during the report shooting "Our Man in Manila" (Deutsche Welle TV).

GMA Network Goes Green

I said it already many, many times: I admire people, who go green taking care of our environment. Sure, also if those people are from the media. I have a lot of friends there - of course, also in GMA-Television-Network, which turns 60 this year. 

GMA is really going beyond business as it counts among its priorities the corporate social responsibility of promoting environmental awareness and conservation. In a press release, one could learn that today GMA perpetuates eco-friendly practices and projects to counter the effects of environment degradation. 

"GMA Network, as a media company, plays an important role helping save the environment, "said Carmencita G. Arce, consultant of the company's Corporate Affairs Division and one of the proponents of GMA's Network environmental advocacy program dubbed "Kapuso ng Kalikasan". GMA has implemented a number of "green initiatives, i.e. enegery and water conservations.

GMA Network is also conscious of proper waste disposal and has been implementing a waste management scheme that encourages employees to reduce, recycle,a and reuse office materials and supplies. Vry important - look at our surroundings, especially our rivers: they are full of trash. The drainage systems are also clogged by wastes of different kind.

Among any other things, of course, GMA-Network also produced special environmental documentaries like "Signos: Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima, which provided a comprehensive view of climate change. During the Earth Day Celebration, GMA Network produced a special "One Earth-One Journey", which showcased the essence of the Earth Day Celebration through music merged with visual art display that highlighted the importance of preserving our beloved Mother Earth.

Kudos to GMA-Network! Hopefully many other media institutions will follow!

Daily Apple Opens First Metro Manila Outlet

Daily Apple, the ever first Filipino nutraceutical and health food store, recently opened its first outlet in Metro Manila at the Westlane Basement area of Robinsons Galleria. Now with a total of eight stores in the Philippines, Daily Apple offers health and wellness enthusiasts with healthier solutions from nature. I am a big fan of it too!

Present during the ribbon-cutting were Herbanext, Inc. President Philip Cruz, Dr. Rafael Guerrero (also known as father of Vermiculture in the Philippines), Business Development Manager for National Products of the Department of Trade and Industry Bureau of Export Promotion Teresita Oyson and Daily Apple President Ruby Cruz.

More outlets are found in Bacolod, Cebu, Iloilo, and Davao. For more details email inquiry@dailyapple.com.ph.

Visa Program Generates Jobs

The Bureau of Immigration reported some days ago that 530 foreign investors and their dependents have availed themselves of the agency's special visa for the employment generation (SVEG), which in turn gave at least 35,000 new full-time and regular jobs to Filipino workers.

A report submitted to Commissioner Marcelino Libanan showed that 141 Korean investors topped the list of the visa applicants since the scheme was implemented in April last year. 

Bureau of Immigration Spokesman Floro Balato Jr. said that aside from Koreans, the list of applicants includes 43 Chinese, 27 Americans, 19 Taiwanese, 16 Britons, 15 Indians, 11 Japanese, 11 Australians, 8 Malaysians, 6 Singaporeans, and 4 (!) Germans.

Other nationalities who availed themselves of the job visa are Austrian, Bangladeshi, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian, Finnish, Greek, Hong-Kong, Indonesian and many more.

Balato said that as of May 2010 344 principal applicants and 186 of their dependents have availed themselves of the job visa and paid the Philippine government more than 6,7 million Pesos in immigration fees.

7107 Islands - in The Typhoon Belt and the Pacific Ring of Fire

My 100th column 

on this site is more or less a reprint from Manila Bulletin in October 2009. I find the article very interesting and would like to share it with you here:

The Philippines has experienced some of the world's most fatal natural disasters, but it has also witnessed a population united, relentless, and selfless in extending help those in need.

August 31 - September 4, 1984: Typhoon Nitang - One of the deadliest typhoons in Philippine history, its heavy and rainfall and wind killed 1,492 people. Between 200,000 and 480,000 people were left homeless in the wake of the storm. In Surigao del Norte, at least 27 towns were completely destroyed by the typhoon, leaving at least 304 dead. Nearly 100,000 people were left homeless in Cebu. About 70 percent of Surigao City was destroyed. Immediately following Nitang, the Philippine government dispatched a C-130 aircraft carrying relief supplies to the affected areas. The large loss of life resulted in morgues running out of coffins, leading to bodies being as asoon as possible buried to prevent the spread of diseases.

July 16, 1990: Luzon Earthquake - The densely populated island of Luzon was struck by an earthquake with a 7.8 surface-wave-magnitude, resulting to a 125-kilometer-long ground rupture that stretched from Dingalan, Aurora to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. An estimated 1,621 people were killed in the earthquake; most of the fatalities were located in Central Luzon and the Cordillera region. Baguio City was hardest hit by this earthquake, causing the collapse of 28 buildings, including hotels, factories, government and university buildings, as well as many private homes and establishments.

November 10 - 14, 1990: Super Typhoon Ruping - The typhoon's heavy rainfall produced mudslides that, combined with the heavy wind, resulted in damages worth over 14 million US$.over 748 people were reported killed, making it the strongest and deadliest typhoon of the 1990 Pacific typhoon season. Ruping's damage to the infrastructure of the city and province of Cebu forced its local leaders to rethink governmental priorities. A conscious effort to rebuild after the damage was promoted, resulting into the boom of Cebu's economy, dubbed CEBOOM.

June 15, 1991: Mt. Pinatubo Eruption - Over 800 people were killed by the eruption, mostly by roofs collapsing under the weight of accumulated wet ash, a hazard that was greatly exacerbated by the simultaneous arrival of Typhoon Yunya. The evacuation in the days preceding the eruption certainly saved tens of thousands of lives, and has been hailed as a great success for volcanology and eruption prediction. In total, 364 communities and 2.1 million people were affected by the eruption, with livelihoods and houses being damaged or destroyed. More than 8,000 houses were completely destroyed, and a further 73,000 were damaged. The estimated cost of repairing the damage to infrastructure was 3.8 billion Pesos.

Tropical Storm Uring followed (November 2-7, 1991) as well as the Super Typhoon Rosing from October 30 - November 4, 1995. Later the Philippines experienced Typhoon Milenyo (September 27-October 1, 2006) and Typhoon Reming (November 26-December 1, 2006).


September 25-28, 2009 - Typhoon Ondoy - The resulting landslides and severe flooding left at least 246 people dead and 38 others missing. Public and private roads were clogged by vehicles stuck in floodwater. Thousands of motorists and more than 500 passengers were stranded at the North Luzon Expressway. Distress calls and e-mails from thousands in Metro Manila and their worried relatives flooded TV and radio stations overnight as most of the power, communication, and water lines were lost. On the Internet, citizens turned to various social networks like Twitter, facebook, and Multiply to share news updates and forward cries for help from people trapped in the floods. Google Maps was used to pinpoint locations of stranded people while various blogs and websites shared information on how to donate money and in-kind goods.

Induction of Officers of Rotary Club East Davao

Miss Inday Sara Duterte, first woman elected mayor of Davao City and the youngest so far, has accepted the invitation to be the guest of honour and speaker during the 46th induction of officers of the Rotary Club of East Davao at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao on June 12, 2010, 6.30 pm.

The new mayor is expected to spell out her program of government and policies in her speech.

Maj. General Carlos "Charlie" B. Holganza, commander of the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division and ranking member will play host as master of ceremonies  of the installation rites. 

Newsman Antonio "Tony" M. Ajero  will be inducted as new president 2010-2011. The club is a mixture  of captains  of industry, company  owners, lawyers, physicians, bankers, insurers and other professionals. It has a membership of more than 70, a dozen of whom are Japanese, American., Australian, Malaysian, and British expatriates, as well as "yours truly" being a German national.  It's a great honour for me to be installed also as one of several directors on June 12, 2010. I am indeed looking forward to a new challenges and opportunity as Chairman for International Projects and Relations.

 

Are We Prepared for the Next Floods?

Traffic one again crawled in several parts of Davao City, my new home since 1999, some days and nights ago, as heavy rain pured, inducted by a low-pressure area. The down pour brought relief to all of us who have sweltered through what our weather experts said was the country's hottest summer in a decade. Wow. Yes, it has been indeed!

But the rains also triggered the first flash floods reminding us  less than a year ago, claiming lives, destroyed properties and caused a lot of health problems especially in most parts of Luzon.

Have we forgotten Ondoy and Pepeng? Yes, and some Philippine columnists are very well in saying, that election fever soon overshadowed the trauma flooding spawned by above mentioned storms. 

I wish and hope and pray, that government executives (especially new-elected!) have presumably learned their lessons and are better prepared to deal with the new typhoon season. There is no reason to remain unprepared for a repeat of natural disasters. Davao City and its surroundings might remain lucky staying out of the typhoon belt. Heavy rain and landslides can also happened  here.

Philippines - my Philippines! Meine geliebten Philippinen!

One thousand variations... eintausend Variationen...

I love the ocean. One main reason more for me really enjoy living in the Philippines. Ich liebe das Meer. Ein Grund mehr, warum mir das Leben auf den Philippinen so viel Freude bereitet... .

Once Philippines - always Philippines.

Einmal Philippinen - immer Philippinen.

I like to thank Mr. Klaus and Mrs. Helen Uy-Schweinheim for sharing their pictures (taken in Iloilo and Bohol) with us.

Farbenfrohe Segel unter tropischem Himmel

Die Vintas der Seezigeuner von Zamboanga sind die Karawanen des Meeres. Die Ausleger geben den Booten Stabilitaet in den Fluten des Pazifiks. Die bunten Segel sind immer weithin sichtbar, und so verlieren die Boote nie den Kontakt miteinander, wenn ein Sturm aufkommen sollte.

Sicher und gewandt steuern die Seezigeuner ihre malerischen Boote durch die tuerkisblauen Fluten des unendlichen Meeres.

Ein unvergessliches Erlebnis wird eine Fahrt mit einer "Vinta" zu der nahegelegenen Insel Santa Cruz. Rosafarbener Sandstrand und kristallklares Wasser erwarten uns in einer voellig ungestoerten Umgebung.

Eine Atmosphaere, wie man sie wirklich nur noch ganz selten auf der Welt sieht.

DAS SIND DIE PHILIPPINEN!

On the road again!

Ja, es gibt viel zu entdecken auf den Philippinen!

MABUHAY!

Congratulations to Mayor elect from Davao City: Inday Sara Duterte

I met Davao City mayor elect Inday Sara Duterte already several times before. I was really amazed talking with her again last week - after the elections. Yes, Miss Sara, who assumes within less than a month from now as Davao City's first woman mayor, and the youngest so far, told me a lot of her (four) priorities  and how she, together with her team, would govern till 2013.

Yes, all eyes will be on her.  A lot of work is waiting for her.  Some dramatically changes can be expected. One of her (four - or even more) priorities is to ensure that Davao City has a favourable business environment that encourages foreign investment and job development. Good. Mayor Sara - go, go, go! Peace and order? No question about it!

And how does the EDGE DAVAO Editorial from this week ends? "Sara speaks: we can expect the unexpected from another Duterte, SARA!"

From the bottom of my heart (and not only from mine), Mayor Sara: "Good luck and all the best for you and your team and the new generation politicians, such as good friend Al Ryan Alejandre, as well as Karlo Bello, Joanne and Louie John Bonguyan, just to mention a few". Yes, you can make the difference! 

Talking about young generations: Councilor Pilar Braga, also a good friend of mine and my family since many years "survived" again this election. No wonder, because she is indeed not an ordinary politician in Davao. She ran as independent. I always tried to avoid political statements on this web blog: but Braga is indeed strong on name recall. Congratulations and God bless! 

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Check out also my column in www.edgedavao.net. Just go the Competitive Section and look for my Expat-Column. This week: "All that is now past!".