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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Sunday, April 16, 2023

Bianca Lapus tries her hand at publishing

 


Bianca with actor-turned-politician, Oriental Mindoro Vice Gov. Ejay Falcon, and Lyn Macanas, CEO and president of Chrizmarie Builders and Construction Supply, who is featured on the cover of the latest issue of Top Shelf Magazine.

Photo from magazine's official Facebook page

Leah C. Salterio - The Philippine Star 


MANILA, Philippines — “Strong women should really lift up each other.”


That statement was what Bianca Lapuz emphasized in the recent launch of the second issue of Top Shelf Magazine, with businesswoman Lyn Macanas on the cover.


“I also went through a lot as a woman,” Bianca admitted. “I went through a lot of ups and downs and I also became a single mother. That’s why I can relate to the story of Lyn Macanas. I am very inspired with her story.”


Bianca is one of the owners and the marketing director of Velvet Media, which publishes Top Shelf Magazine. Engineer JJ Maghirang is the president and Jhovs Medico is the editor-in-chief. The magazine was launched in October last year, with singer Gigi de Lana on the cover of the maiden issue.


“Velvet Media ventured into publishing because we started in photos and video coverage, weddings, events,” Bianca said. “We evolved and last year, we went into publishing.”


Doing corporate work is something new for Bianca, who originally came from showbiz. She previously acted on TV and the movies.


Then, she got married to Vhong Navarro and they have a son, Isaiah, now 23.


Bianca and Vhong were together for only three years. “But we’re friends until now,” she said. “Even with what Vhong went through lately, I was with him. Wala kaming iwanan.”


She has no plans to resume her showbiz career as she is now enjoying her corporate life. She is a hands-on mom and a breastfeeding advocate.


Last month, though, she welcomed a guesting stint on GMA 7’s weekly sitcom, Pepito Manaloto. Her last acting stint was in Maalaala Mo Kaya on ABS-CBN.


Bianca represents Team Velvet. “Our team is an experienced production and now a publishing company dedicated to creating content that connects brands with their audiences,” she informed.


“Velvet Media provides creative solutions and we pride ourselves in having long-term trusted clients. That’s truly our trademark. We have a lot of plans and inspiring stories that we will feature in the coming months.”


Bianca Lapus has no plans to resume her showbiz career as she is now enjoying the corporate life. She is also a hands-on mom and breastfeeding advocate.

Instagram photo

Top Shelf Magazine is a business and lifestyle reading material that recently released its second issue unveiling Lyn Macanas, CEO and president of Chrizmarie Builders and Construction Supply, on its cover.

The story of businesswoman and single mother is nothing short of a testament of the determination to succeed. In the construction company dominated primarily by male leaders, Lyn has taken up space as her firm paves the way to be one of the leading construction companies in the country.


Other profile features in the second edition are Supermodel Worldwide 2022 Alexandra Rosales, Department of Tourism Legal Affairs and Special Concern Undersecretary lawyer Elaine Bathan, Miss Supermodel Worldwide Philippines grand winner Shyrla Santos Nuñez.


Event pages include the first Supermodel Philippines franchised by Velvet Media and led by national director of the Philippines, Mae Evelyn Maghirang.


“Our purpose is to inspire many people,” Bianca said. “There are so many inspiring stories in our second issue, like our cover, Madam Lyn. I hope a lot of people can read her article.”


The digital copy can be accessed worldwide through www.magzter.com.


Bianca also writes a column in the quarterly Top Shelf Magazine. “Our next cover is director, writer, actress and entrepreneur Bela Padilla. I am also convincing Vhong to be on the cover.”


Velvet Media also acquired the franchise of Supermodel Philippines. “We are starting to produce shows, pageants, concerts,” Bianca shared. “We are still thinking of coming out with another magazine.”

Siargao fishers rediscover economic boon in seaweeds


 LIFELINE Women growers check a seaweed line in the waters off San Benito town in Surigao del Norte province. —PHOTO BY ERWIN M. MASCARIÑAS


By: Erwin M. Mascariñas - @inquirerdotnet


SAN BENITO, Surigao del Norte, Philippines — Holding a bunch of brown seaweeds, Coreta Espanso proudly relates that her cultivation of the marine algae helped fund her second child’s completion of a college degree last year.


Like Espanso, most women of Sitio Campinganon, an islet in Barangay Maribojoc on Siargao Island, tend seaweed farms to help augment their husbands’ income from fishing hence, it was more of a secondary livelihood activity.


The situation changed after Supertyphoon Odette (international name: Rai) struck Siargao in December 2021 when their husbands’ fishing gear was destroyed, and there were no off-fishing jobs available in the local tourism circuit.


Odette’s lashing winds wiped out the flourishing seaweed farms in Campinganon, dealing them a double whammy after the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Just when the villagers were about to give up hope, they saw some stroke of luck.


“In what most of us considered as a miracle of sorts, my family was able to keep some of the seedlings safely and it was these that we distributed to the community for everyone to slowly start planting,” recalled Espanso, a member of the Campinganon Women’s Association.


Thriving through sharing

Lo and behold, it kept the islet residents economically afloat during the crucial months after emergency food support from the government had already stopped.


“It was hard to imagine how we could have survived and gotten back on our feet after Odette destroyed everything. It was through our cultivation of seaweeds that we were able to rise and now thrive,” said Espanso.


While waiting for financial aid to rebuild damaged and lost fishing gear, the women’s husbands devoted their time to tending to the seaweeds, doubling the cultivation effort.


Each seaweed grower of Campinganon harvests around 50 kilos a month, which sells from P2,000 to P3,000 in the local market. It is a main offering in restaurants catering to tourists in Siargao.


Demand has increased with the steady influx of leisure travelers into the island famed for its waves perfect for surfing and other pristine natural attractions.


Seaweed cultivation in San Benito, which faces the Pacific Ocean, started in 2007, with only a handful of households devoting their time to it due to low prices offered by traders, noted municipal agriculturist Gina Mendavia.


Fresh seaweeds are prepared for deliveryto restaurants on Siargao Island where these are in high demand, in turn providing families growing these a steady economic lifeline.


Empowering women

In 2015, nongovernment group Sentro para sa Ikauunlad ng Katutubong Agham at Teknolohiya Inc. (Sikat) helped organize the Hugpong nan Mananagat sa Sitio Campinganon for the enforcement of fishery laws so that the marine environment would be protected and preserved.


It included supporting women in having a livelihood of their own, through seaweed farming.


“By providing support for women, we empower them to be able to help their families. As their husbands are out fishing, these women are tending to their seaweeds, giving them an opportunity to be more productive,” Sikat said in a statement.


Espanso said she considered seaweed farming as a form of “women empowerment” as it allows them to earn money and contribute to the family’s income, even if their husbands were on fishing trips.


“Our husbands go out to sea to fish while us, women, stay at home to take care of the household and children. However, with the introduction of seaweed farming, we now have the opportunity to generate income and take on a more active role in our community’s economy,” she said.


New market

The growth of tourism in Siargao provided a new market landscape for seaweeds, driving an increase in the number of cultivators, according to Mendavia.


The success story of Campinganon women seaweed growers had also encouraged others to follow in their footsteps.


The municipal agriculture office noted that from only 3 hectares operated by a few households, seaweed farms now expand to some 8 ha with 34 households overseeing these.


In Dapa town, at the other side of Siargao Island, some 10 households began their cultivation ventures. 


But Mendavia admitted that these ventures faced a number of challenges. For one, Espanso said that severe weather conditions cause significant damage to seaweed farms, resulting in a decrease in productivity and profits for the planters.


“Even when there is no typhoon, excessive rainfall can also damage the seaweed farms. Too much rainfall can cause the water to become murky, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate the water and reach the seaweed. This can stunt the growth of the seaweed and reduce yield,” she added.


To hedge against these, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Department of Trade and Industry, along with several nongovernment organizations, stepped in to provide training on value-adding for the seaweed products.


“When fresh seaweeds are not sold, they are at risk of spoiling, resulting in lost income for the farmers. By processing the seaweeds into value-added products such as pickles and crackers, the farmers can extend the shelf life of their products and increase their profitability,” said Mendavia.


Farmers, she pointed out, also sell their freshly harvested seaweeds to hotel owners and restaurants in nearby towns in Siargao like General Luna.


“Although hotels and restaurants in Siargao make up only a small percentage of the total buyers of seaweed, their support for the local seaweed industry is still significant. By buying fresh seaweed from local suppliers and using it in their dishes, they are helping create a stable market for seaweed planters, promoting sustainable farming practices, and supporting the livelihoods of local farmers,” Mendavia added.


This augurs well for the sustainability of financial returns for growers as well as of the environment in Siargao if seaweed cultivation further expands.


Seaweed has been shown to be a highly effective carbon sink, absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to the study, “Blue Growth Potential to Mitigate Climate Change through Seaweed Offsetting,” published in the journal Current Biology in August 2019.


(Editor’s Note: This story was produced through a grant from Oxfam Pilipinas.)


Why is English not a native language for Filipinos?

 By Carlo Nazareno

 am now an adult, struggling in college. I respond with respect (except for obvious homework questions), as long as the question or the response is with respect.

It took only 200 years for English to almost completely replace Irish Gaelic, but that is because British policies on language were much more restrictive compared to the Americans.

Before the Commonwealth period, Americans did not ban the use of regional and native languages, and when the Commonwealth Republic started in 1935, it was actually at the advice of the Americans to designate Filipino (Manila-based dialect of Tagalog) as one of the official languages of the country.

English is not a native because it was only officially learned in schools by only at the last century. For English to completely replace the language of millions of speakers of 100+ different languages will take a very long time. Personally, I do not like that, but if it had to then so be it.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Palace declares April 21 a regular holiday for Eid'l Fitr



AT A GLANCE

  • Eid'l Fitr is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide as it marks the end of Ramadhan.

  • In the country, Eid'l Fitr has been recognized by the Philippine government as a regular holiday under Republic Act No. 9177.

  • This is the second of the three long weekends Filipinos get to experience this month. The first was a five-day holiday during the Holy Week.


Malacañang has declared April 21, 2023, a regular holiday across the country for the observation of Eid'l Fitr or the Feast of Ramadhan.

Malacañang declares May 3 a national holiday for Eid'l Fitr
File photo


The Official Gazette announced this on its Facebook page on Friday evening, April 14, a week before the observation.

Based on Proclamation No. 201, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, it was necessary to declare the holiday to allow every Filipino to be one with the Muslim community in the celebration of Eid'l Fitr.

"In order to bring the religious significance of the Eid'l Fitr to the fore of national consciousness and to allow the entire Filipino nation to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in peace and harmony in the observance and celebration of Eid'l Fitr, it is necessary to declare Friday, 21 April 2023, a regular holiday throughout the country," the Proclamation read.

Proclamation No. 201 (Eid'l Fitr)
Proclamation No. 201, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin (Eid'l Fitr)

######

This is the second of the three long weekends Filipinos get to experience this month. The first was a five-day holiday during the Holy Week.

The Muslim world celebrates Eid'l Fitr for three days after the end of the month of fasting. It is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide as it marks the end of Ramadhan, or the Islamic holy month of fasting.

In the country, Eid'l Fitr has been recognized by the Philippine government as a regular holiday under Republic Act No. 9177, also according to Presidential Proclamation No. 1083, signed into law on November 13, 2002.

Some Filipino Muslims celebrate and observe Eid'l Fitr at the Manila Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila, while Muslim communities in Mindanao stage large public celebrations.

Eid'l Fitr, also the first day of the Islamic month of Shawwal, signifies the Muslims' successful journey towards spiritual purification through month-long fasting.

BI rolls out electronic registration of passengers starting April 15

BY JUN RAMIREZ



AT A GLANCE

  • The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will start on Saturday, April 15), the electronic registration of arriving and departing passengers to simplify immigration procedures and clearances.

  • BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the bureau has discarded the paper-based registration and adopted e-travel platform to establish an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.


The Bureau of Immigration (BI) will start on Saturday, April 15), the electronic registration of arriving and departing passengers to simplify immigration procedures and clearances.

BI asks for patience as they manage online transaction issues(Bureau of Immigration / file photo)

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said the bureau has discarded the paper-based registration and adopted e-travel platform to establish an integrated border control, health surveillance, and economic data analysis.

"The system consolidates operations of all border management agencies to save government resources," the BI chief said.

The system is a joint project of various government offices under the Inter-Agency Task Force which included the  Department of Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Tourism, the Bureau of Quarantine, the Bureau of Customs, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Justice, the National Privacy Commission and the BI.

All passengers and crew members arriving into the Philippines are required to register through etravel.gov.ph not earlier than 72 hours from their scheduled arrival.

Those who fail to register will be assisted by airline staff upon their arrival.

Tansingco said outbound Filipino passengers are required to register in the e-travel system 72 hours, but not less than three hours before flying out of the country.

Already registered passengers may update their e-travel status under the Edit Registration tab while crew members may update under the Registered Crew tab.

"The paper-based arrival and departure cards can only be used by passengers who are incapable of e-travel registration, or when the electronic system is inaccessible," Tansingco said.

Tansingco said registration in the e-travel portal is free of charge. 

BLACKPINK’s YouTube channel sets Guinness World Records title

BY JONATHAN HICAP


K-pop girl group BLACKPINK’s official YouTube channel has set a new Guinness World Records title. 

According to Guinness World Records, BLACKPINK’s YouTube channel has set the record for the most viewed channel on YouTube for a group. 

BP_MANILA_02.jpg
BLACKPINK in the Philippines (YG Entertainment)

As of April 12, the YouTube channel had garnered 30.15 billion views to achieve the world record. It has 86.6 million subscribers as of April 14. 

“As of the last update back in 2018, Maroon 5 were the previous holders with just over 9 billion views,” Guinness stated. 

Of the videos on BLACKPINK’s YouTube channel, their music video for "뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)" has over two billion views.

“As a band, BLACKPINK still hold multiple records including the most subscribers for a band on YouTube as well as becoming the first K-pop group to reach No.1 on the UK albums chart (female) and the first K-pop group to reach No.1 on the US albums chart (female),” Guinness added. 

BLACKPINK set a record last month for “the most streamed female group on Spotify with over 8.8 billion individual streams.”

“Also, the quartet have previously held Guinness World Records titles for the most viewed music video in 24 hours and most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours, however these records are now held by fellow K-pop band BTS for their single ‘Dynamite,’” according to Guinness.

What’s your Philippine Travel Level?

 Filipinos flex their past local travels with this web app.

Singapore-based Filipino software engineer Denz del Villar created a web app that can help you visualize the places you’ve been to in the country.


As an archipelago, the Philippines is teeming with tourist destinations waiting for travelers to explore. Some document their adventures by taking photos and videos to share online, while others immortalize their experiences by writing them in a journal. If you’re among the lucky ones who are able to travel the many parts of the country, then you’ll love this web app. 

Singapore-based Filipino software engineer Denz del Villar created a web app that can help you visualize the places you’ve been to in the country. Dubbed the My Philippines Travel Level, the software features the Philippine map divided into 83 provinces where users can “choose the appropriate level of travel.” They can select if they have lived in the area, stayed there, visited, alighted, and passed or tag it as never been there. After going through all the regions of the Philippines, the app will present your total score or your Philippines Travel Level. According to its website, the app is a project inspired by JapanEx.

“This is my first time dabbling with ReactJS, and I used ChatGPT heavily to help me with the project,” Denz wrote.

Currently, Filipino netizens are using the app to see their Philippines Travel Level. Among the many who flexed their result is former vice president Leni Robredo, who got a 315 score. 


You can find out your Philippines Travel Level here. And if you’re surprised by the result, take it as your sign to discover and see more local destinations this year.

Bong Go warns vs possible water crisis


SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go Photo by Bibo Nueva España /Senate PRIB


By Javier Joe Ismael, Manila Times

April 15, 2023 


SEN. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go is urging the government to strengthen its reforestation and greening programs as the reported possibility of a water crisis looms.


In a chance interview after aiding fire victims in Parañaque City on Wednesday, April 12, Go, a member of Senate Committees on Agriculture and on Environment, noted the importance of enhancing the country's greening efforts, involving local communities, local government units and the private sector to address growing concerns over the country's water supply.


"If there are more trees in our forests, more rainwater will be accumulated in the soil," the senator said.


Go acknowledged the move of the previous administration of then-president Rodrigo Duterte to make irrigation free for farmers.


He, however, said the incoming El Niño phenomenon may make it difficult to release sufficient volume of water from dams, affecting the farmers' ability to plant their crops.


The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has issued a warning that the country may experience El Niño starting in the latter part of this year and persisting until 2024.


The weather phenomenon can cause a prolonged drought and significantly impact the country's agricultural crops, a vital source of livelihood for many Filipinos.


The senator expressed concern for the plight of farmers and called on government agencies to take action.


He called on the government to enhance and build more water-related infrastructure, such as irrigation canals and water pumping stations, to help support the agriculture industry.


"The effect of climate change has intensified. We cannot 100 percent rely on rain to irrigate our farmlands, especially during the summer dry season," Go said.


He also called on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to provide alternative sources of income or assistance to farmers who could be affected by the possible water crisis.


As part of its 2023 El Niño Mitigation and Adaptation Plan, the DA has announced that it will promote several measures to help farmers cope with the anticipated drought.


These measures include encouraging the use of organic fertilizers, promoting the use of drought-tolerant and early-maturing crops and adjusting planting calendars to optimize crop yields.


A consistent advocate for stronger agricultural support systems and infrastructure in the country, Go co-authored Republic Act 11901, which expanded the financing system for agriculture, fisheries and rural development.


He also supported programs to enhance irrigation, expand the National Rice Program and combat agricultural smuggling.


Additionally, the senator backed proposals to convert idle government lands into agricultural areas to boost food production.


He cited the vital role of farmers in ensuring food security and he aims to provide them with the necessary support to succeed.


Go co-sponsored Senate Bill 1850 or the proposed "New Agrarian Emancipation Act," which seeks to condone almost P58 billion worth of loans that agrarian reform beneficiaries incurred in owning lands under the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or from other agrarian reform programs.


The measure is now awaiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s signature to become a law.

Manila shows sharp increase of COVID-19 cases

By: John Eric Mendoza - Reporter / @JEMendozaINQ

INQUIRER.net 


MANILA, Philippines — The number of COVID-19 cases in Manila City has shown a sharp increase, its mayor Honey Lacuna said on Friday.

Lacuna said that as of April 14, there are 19 new confirmed active cases, bringing the total count to 71.

“Ano pong ibig sabihin niyan? Ibig sabihin po tumataas na naman po ang kaso ng COVID-19. Although, ‘di ba kung tutuusin hindi naman po ganoon kalaki ang pagtaas, pero tumaas pa din po, yun ang nakakatakot,” Lacuna said in a social media address.

(What does that mean? It means the COVID-19 cases have increased, but if we look at it, the increase is not that high, but it is still increasing, which is still alarming.)

“For the past few weeks, bumababa ang kaso; ngayon, sunod-sunod na araw tumataas po ang mga cases,” she added.

(For the past few weeks, the cases had been decreasing, but now, for the past few days, the cases have been increasing.)

Despite this, Lacuna said that the reimposition of the mandatory face mask policy is not yet needed at present.

However, Lacuna said the city will continue to observe closely in the next coming days the trend of new COVID-19 cases to determine if mandating the use of face masks indoors and outdoors will be necessary.

Meanwhile, Manila also recorded 122,939 recoveries and 2,065 deaths.


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Friday, April 14, 2023

Foreigners German Filipino Island Party