When in Manila...

When in Manila...

If you and your friends will be visiting Manila any time soon (as I will next week!), I believe that the following product could be your alternative tour guide in enjoying the beauty and wonders of Manila.

It's the "Enjoy Travel Manila Guidebook", a 3-in-1 guide consisting of

1. an independently written, edited, and curated travel guide for visiting tourists, returning residents, and newly settled expatriates.

2. a free downloadable mobile application and street maps for easy navigation.

3. an Enjoy Card with over PHP 100,000 worth of savings at top restaurants, shops, attractions and hotels.

The guidebook is indeed the perfect travel guide for you and me. It could be also a welcome gift to foreign friends and/or expatriates who are planning to visit Manila. The guidebook is sold for only PHP 599.

Check out more on

http://www.enjoythebest.com.ph

Shallow Gimmick and Samal Island

By friendly permission of Mindanao Daily Mirror, where I am also writing my regular column "In My Opinion", I like to share with you the Editorial from February 18, 2011:

Shallow gimmick

The local government of the island Garden City of Samal has come up with a gimmick ostensibly to entice more tourists, specially foreigners, to visit the island city and enjoy the amenities offered by beach resorts therein. The booklet, shaped and designed like a passport, will be available at the Davao International Airport, overland transport terminals, and malls in Davao City.

At first blush, the "passports" look great as tourism, particularly, beach resort operation, and is the island's main industry. Scheduled for release next month , the booklet contains discount coupons of beach resorts, a list of activities and other tourism information guides. so says Nelson Aquino, officer-in-charge of the IGACOS tourism office. Some 30 beach resorts are operating in the island most of which are located along the coastline facing Davao City.

On closer look, the "passport" is nothing bunch a shallow gimmick and an empty gesture to welcome visitors. The local government's effort to attract more tourists to the island will be more meaningful and significant if it revises, better yet repeal altogether, the controversial revenue ordinance that imposes heavy fees on users of the island's recreational facilities as well as plain visitors.

Anyone who goes to Samal Island even for a short visit is charged with an entrance fee of 5 Pesos. In all likelihood, it is the only place in the world that imposes an entrance fee for visitors. That's only for starters. The so-called environmental user's fees also include: Island hopping or plain sightseeing: 20 Pesos per person per day; strolling at mangrove board walk: 20 Pesos person; mountaineering: 20 Pesos per person; spelunking: 25 Pesos per person; extreme adventure sports: 30 Pesos per person; snorkeling or scuba-diving: 50 Pesos per person; photo documentation: 500 Pesos per day; research: 500 Pesos per group; and video documentation: 1,000 Pesos per day.

Noting the unfriendliness and oppressiveness of the ordinance to beach resort users, resort owners and operators have filed a suit before the Regional Trial Court in Panabo City seeking to declare the new revenue code as unconstitutional. The local government's imposition of exorbitant fees to users of beach resort facilities is one sure way of driving away tourists.

The Bolero

File:Ravel au piano.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Maurice Ravel and his bolero - a classical music master piece.

Check out more about this great composer on

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

What Foreigners Sometimes Ask About the Philippines... .

I am living in the Philippines for good since January 1999. Being involved in several businesses - as you can read in profile - I do get a lot of emails every day. Mostly from concerned foreigners, who plan to put up a business here in the Philippines, to get married to a Philippine national -or plan to settle down here. Not only inquiries because of this and that - no, but also a lot of questions. Sometimes it's indeed very difficult to formulate the correct (or best) replay and answer. 

Of course, foreigners, who are still planning to stay here for good, should plan very well and ask a lot of questions, because law and requirements change always. All updates regarding all concerns can't even be published here.

But here are also some (additional) questions, I get on a regular basis:

- A doctor from a Western country asked, if Filipinos are also wearing shoes, because he only (?) sam them wearing slippers.

- A business man asked, why most Filipinos try to avoid  to speak  the Spanish language. (I suggested the man to research in Philippine history...).

-  A German woman asked, if the Philippines (in general) are really poor, and if  we would experience hunger here. What would you answer her?

- Another doctor from an European country, who planned to open a clinic in "the capital of the Philippines - and really only there!", asked me, if I really would enjoy living and working - in "Jakarta" (!?).

Some questions are really more then unbelievable. Asking me, if Filipinos can survive without electricity, or, if we also have chickens and tomatoes - oh boy, I am sure, everybody understands that I left such questions unanswered.

As Philippine Star columnist Jessica Zafra voiced out last year: "The Philippines is an entire country also outside its national borders. All those Filipinos have have friends, foreign classmates, colleagues and family members living and working all over the globe!"

Those Filipinos are also helping to promote the right imagine of this wonderful country. Who else could help?

Now is the Time for PEACE!

(PNA) - Saying the Filipino is weary of all the fighting, discord, and senseless armed combat characteristic of the growing gap between the government and members of the rebel groups, President Benigo Aquino called on all the stakeholders and concerned citizens to rally behind his administration and support  the resumption of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The President made the call during the "Ilaw ng Kapayapaan" (Light of Peace) candle lighting ceremonies held at Quezon Memorial Circle last Tuesday night. 

Peace: - calm, repose, freedom from disturbance, war or hostilities as well as tumult and commotion. 

A German sayings goes like this: "Ein Friede ist besser als 10 Siege!" One peace is better then ten victories.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God!" (Matthew 5:9).

Also as an expat living in the Philippines and knowing the Philippines, especially Mindanao since the early 1980s, I wish us peace. In Mindanao, in the Philippines, and of course, in the whole world!

Bela Bartok - Another Incredible Classical Music Composer

Even while living in the Philippines I do still love also Bela Bartok's music.

Check out more:

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

"CAN-CAN" and more. Jacques Offenbach...

Check out more about this unique classical music composer from France:

http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

Expats and Healthcare in The Philippines

I am lucky. Yes, I am! When I moved to the Philippines for good in 1999, i was still able to get some very good health insurance plans: critical illness, accident, death because of accident etcetera etcetera....

And, I also joined PHILHEALTH.

I informed several other expats and (Filipino) friends of mine about it. One of them became very lucky. He has been hospitalized and needed a blood transfusion several months ago. I informed him about the latest statement of Dr. Rey B. Aquino, President and CEO of PhilHealth: "In keeping with its trust objective of providing its members with responsive benefits, blood transfusions done even as an outpatient is now being paid  for by the state run Philippine Health Insurance cooperation (PhilHealth). This took effect already on al claims for outpatient blood transfusions starting one year ago.

Of course, it should be clarified that while purchase of blood is not included in the benefits , all medically-necessary drugs and medicines used during the transfusion shall be compensated in addition to the usual blood donor screening test.

What ever, however, being a PhilHealth member is a must - also and/or especially for expatriates living here in the Philippines.

Das Goethe Institut Manila

Das Goethe-Institut engagiert sich im Auftrag der Bundesrepublik Deutschland auf der ganzen Welt - also nicht nur in Manila auf den Philippinen. 

Die Kernaufgabe liegt dabei, neben der Pflege der internationalen kulturellen Zusammenarbeit, vor allem in der Foerderung der deutschen Sprache. Das Goethe-Institut, wo auch immer auf der Welt, bietet vielfaeltige Leistungen im Rahmen der Sprachfoerderung.

The Goethe Institut works on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany all over the world and not only in Manila in the Philippines. Goethe Institut's core role is not only maintain international cultural dialogue, but most importantly to promote the German language.

A real demonstrating that the Goethe Institut offers a wide range of services in the context of language improvement.

Mehr dazu:

Check out more:

http://www.germaninthephilippines.tropicalpenpals.com

Philippine Classical Music

Mike Velarde, Jr.



 or

 Lucio San Pedro

Philippine Classical Music is unique and helps me to relax and unwind.

Check out more on my website: 
http://www.klausdoringclassicalmusic.webs.com

 (Constancio de Guzman)

GARY GRANADA

ALAY MO BUHAY KO was one of the songs recorded in the album DAMDMAIN NG BAGONG KABATAAN, released November 1986. Philippine classics... .

Sung by the WEA's Children's Choir, the song was a charity project of WEA Records and Safegiuard. The proceeds were used for the benefit of the UNICEF project to protect the children of Negros. 

Composer Gary Granada is probably better known in the gospel music industry. He has won many competitions for his compositions, the most recent (!early 1988!) of which are: EARTH KEEPER for the Environment Song Contest, and BAHAY for the KBP Music Fest. His song ALAY MO BUHAY KO (I brought on air many times in my radio shows in Davao City!) also won an award in last year's advertising congress.