Those were the days ...

THOSE WERE THE DAYS...

Time flew by. I think sitting in a jet plane. December again. Wow!

Do you always count the days up to the next legal holidays without being on duty? Or do you start as early as September longing for Christmas? And do you wish the weeks or months hopefully pass by like an assault up to the next possible salary increase?

Many times, we are really too much in a hurry while feeling uncomfortable if we noticed how time flies. We have no time for someone or something or even for ourselves.

When I was still a teenager, I was longing for the time being an adult already. Later, I enjoyed listening to my grandmother's stories such as "Once upon a time" or "When I was young" from her "yesterday's life"... .

After a couple of years, especially while observing that time really flies like a racket to the moon, I also got the same question in mind: Are the present hours and days less valuable?

Of course, each day has its own set of happiness and trials. But it also holds very high possibilities of we take the initiative to do or to move something, if... !

The luring term IF let us look into the future with an over "glistening" eye: IF I will finish my studies, IF my children have become adults, IF I might become rich because I win in the lottery, yes IF? And then?

The next turn of the year is almost around the corner. Sorry, almost. For most of us, it's the time to come to our senses. 

The future prospects smile at us already. I was looking already for the 2018-calendar. Setting appointments for January and February. Amazing.  Is life in future easier, nicer, more charming and being more fulfilled compared to the present? The thoughts fill me with horror, because tragicomic future visions can easily blur away our present day.

Many of us retreat into the past and forget their present existence. A possible topsy-turvy world of a golden youth tries to et us forget that also the past have had its share of disappointments, pains, tears, darkness, tricky as well as desperate days... yes, lost days, irretrievable time... .

Without having achieved anything to do, we dream our impossible dreams from last to future and vice versus. We forget that between yesterday and tomorrow is our valuable present. Well, now well then - if we know just how to fulfill this period.

Of Consuls and Consulats

By Antonio v. Figueroa

The importance of Davao region just seven-two years after its conquest by a Spanish-led expedition in 1848 was highlighted with the opening of a Japanese consular office in March 1920. Though it was originally an annex of the Manila Consulate, the growing economic influence of Japanese investment and labor in the region promoted it to an embassy on February 6, 1932.

At the time the consulate was opened, Davao was already home to a huge Japanese population, roughly a sixth of region’s inhabitants. Most Okinawans, the migrant workers and the expanding Japanese control of the hemp economy contributed greatly to the progress of the area.

The confluence of growth and demographic expansion eventually inspired the national government to promote Davao into a city, the second the Mindanao after Zamboanga, which was the administrative center of the Americans in the south.

Years after the Japanese consular annex opened in Davao, the Republic of China (Taiwan) under Dr. Sun Yat-sen and by now had established a consulate in Manila. To attend to the sizable Chinese population in Davao, Te Chiu Im, a local Chinese resident who was into beer distribution and involved in the founding of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Davao, was appointed as its first honorary consul of Davao (1923-28). 

Sun’s death in 1925 led to the rise of Chiang Kai-shek, a former commandant of the Koumintang’s Whampoa Military Academy, and the coup of Canton in 1928. Taiwan’s post-war consul in Davao was S.T. Mih when the office reopened in November 1947. He was assisted in the post by M.C. Chen, as deputy consul, and Johnny Huang, as secretary.

With the rise of the People’s Republic of China as member of the United Nations on November 25, 1971, Taiwan, an original UN member, was forced to close its consulate in the city. During the UN’s founding, the Philippines was still a commonwealth of the United States.

Extant historical records, on the other hand, show that even Britain, during the prewar period, had also appointed a foreign affairs liaison in honorary capacity. War accounts identify the honorary British consul in Davao City as Alex Brown, who was among those rounded up by the Imperial Army in December 1941.

In August 1945, eight years after getting independence from the Dutch, Republic of Indonesia opened its consular mission in Davao City on December 17, 1953. Given its impact in trade and economy decades later, the office became a consulate general on September 23, 1974 by virtue of an edict signed by Indonesian envoy to the Philippines Marsekal Sri bima Ariotedjo.

On December 11, 1995, Malaysia became the second member of Association of Southeast Asian Nations to open a chancery in Davao City. The opening was part of the growing role Malaysia would play in two key historical events involving Muslims of Southern Philippines: (a) the signing on September 2, 1996 of a peace accord between the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front and (b) a similar event on October 15, 2012, between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. 

Although the US established its embassy in Manila on July 4, 1946 after Washington “granted” the Philippines its independence, it was not until July 2007 when the Americans opened a virtual consulate, known as the “American Presence Post” (APP), in the city. Initially, it catered to the issuance of visas through the internet, which was manned by a Digital Outreach Team.

Over the next seven decades (1945-2015) other friendly countries opened their own diplomatic missions in the city, managed by honorary consuls, all prominent socio-civic Davao icons. 

The first honorary consul of the Czech Republic was Gilbert C. Go, a well-known trader. Republic of Palau appointed Miguel Iñigo, a businessman, as its honorary consul for life in Davao. Antonio Brias, spouse of Maricris Floirendo, daughter of late banana king Don Antonio, became the first honorary consul of Spain in Davao; he was succeeded by Genaro Lon y Ozami.

Ma. Lourdes G. Monteverde was appointed honorary consul of Mexico while Rowena Vida-Lisbona, the Davao-based assistant general manager of Maersk Filipinas, a shipping firm, was anointed as honorary consul of Denmark. 

Dennis Uy, founder of the Davao-based oil firm Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc. (PPPI) and 2013 Datu Bago awardee, was installed honorary consul of Kazakhstan to the Philippines. His Udenna Holdings recently bought Enderun Colleges and FamilyMart.

Meanwhile, Joaquin C. Rodriguez, a Davao resident who was past president of Benguet Mines and wife of Sonja Habana (daughter of former city councilor Antonio Habana) is Republic of Serbia consul ad honorem to the country. Two new consulates under an honorary officer were also opened later in Davao City. 

On June 17, 2017, Davao resident Austrian Dr. Peter Faistauer was officially designated honorary consul of Austria. Five months thereafter, business man Edgar N. Ang, a Davao native, was invested the honorary consul position by the Republic of Korea on November 24, 2016.

On June 20, 2017, German Klaus Doring, a long-time Davao resident, journalist, and educator, was installed as honorary consul of Germany of Mindanao. He is best known for introducing German language as elective at the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.

Latest from Comval Province

(Lupon)

Brgy. Cabinuangan, New Bataan is the “2017 Most Outstanding Lupong Tapamaya” in Comval Province where they received P50,000.00 Cash Prize from the provincial government under Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy. DILG Provincial Dir. Noel Duarte, Prov'l Administrator Virgilia Allones lead the awarding held at the capitol on November 27. They will represent the province for the regional entry. (R. Renoblas/ID comval)

(DOH)

Comval Gov. Tyron Uy along with his department heads on health meet with Department of Health (DOH) Asst. Sec. Abdullah Dumama Jr. at the regional office in Davao City to discuss on the health and nutrition programs in the province. (maryel lasaca/id comval)

(redcross)

Mas dakong pundo ang ihatag ni Comval Gov. Jayvee Tyron Uy sa Philippine Red Cross (PRC) Comval Chapter para sa tuig 2018, kini usa sa nahisgutan atul sa bag-o nahumang 5^th Chapter Assembly nga gihimo sa Social Hall sa kapitolyo niadtong Nobyembre 28, 2017. ((maryel lasaca/id comval)

(MCAPC)

Apil ang Public Secondary School Teachers Multi-Purpose Cooperative sa Maragusan sa hapit 90 na ka mga Kooperatiba sa Comval nga nakabenepisyo sa walay Interest nga pahulam sa Comval diin niadtong Nobyembre 27, 2017 ilang nadawat ang P200,000.00 Reloan. Gipatas-an na karon ang mahatag nga benepisyo nga pahulam sa mga kooperatiba ilalom sa “Micro Credit Assistance Program for Cooperatives (MCAPC). R. Renoblas/ID comval)

War on Malaria

I remember the time travelling around the world starting at the end 1970's and always having in mind: Malaria! The war on malaria has been a victory for human health, driving deaths down and life expectancy up. But meanwhile, experts fear that the positive trajectory is starting to shift.

 

The global fight against malaria is grinding to a halt, the World Health Organization warned on Wednesday (yesterday, I am writing this piece November 30, 2017!), amid flat-lining funding and political complacency.

Malaria infected an estimated 216 million people last year — about 5 million more than in 2015 — potentially reversing a six-year trend of decreasing infection cases. The majority of the 440,000 lives claimed by the mosquito-borne disease were young children in sub-Saharan Africa.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "progress appears to have stalled" in the fight against the tropical disease. "Although there are some bright spots in the data, the overall decline in the global malaria burden has unquestionably leveled off," Ghebreyesus said. "And, in some countries and regions, we are beginning to see reversals in the gains achieved."

.

Fewer people are dying from malaria, but the rate of progress has slowed — especially in Africa.

Experts fear financial shortfalls and government complacency have thrown progress off track. "At the current level of funding and coverage of current tools, we have reached the limits of what can be achieved in the fight against the disease," said Abdisalan Noor, lead author of the WHO's annual malaria report.

Investment into malaria prevention — a third of which came from the US last year — has leveled off since 2010. Analysis by the WHO found that funding in countries with a high risk of malaria had dropped to an average of less than two dollars per person per year.

The WHO says a minimum annual investment of $6.5 billion (€5.5 billion) is required to meet its ambitious 2030 targets.

Funding in 2016 stood at just $2.7 billion.

The majority of malaria casualties are children under the age of five in sub-Saharan Africa. Insecticide-coated mosquito nets are an effective method of prevention.

Change in fortunes? Maybe. Hopefully! The long-term global decline in malaria-related deaths has helped cut child mortality, driving a sharp increase in global life expectancy. The WHO has repeatedly made announcement on "the massive roll-out of effective disease-cutting tools" and "impressive reductions in cases and deaths."

Mosquito nets soaked in insecticide — mostly delivered through mass distribution campaigns — are the primary method of protection. But in sub-Saharan Africa fewer than half of households have sufficient access to them. "If we continue with a business-as-usual approach — employing the same level of resources and the same interventions — we will face near-certain increases in malaria cases and deaths," Ghebreyesus said. How about the situation in the Philippines? I miss updated reports.

Malaria – Can it be vanquished?

Some 80 percent of malaria deaths take place in just 15 countries — 14 sub-Saharan African nations and India.

Emergency work is underway in Nigeria, South Sudan, Venezuela and Yemen, where ongoing humanitarian crises pose further public health risks.

Several countries in the Middle East and central Asia have been certified as malaria-free in the last decade, including Morocco, Armenia and Turkmenistan. Last year, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka joined their ranks, having gone three years without recording an indigenous case of malaria.

"We are up against a tough adversary," Ghebreyesus said. "But I am also convinced that this is a winnable battle."

+++

Email: doringklaus@gmail.com or follow me in Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or visit www.germanexpatinthephilippines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassicalmusic.blogspot.com .

Germany to invest 1 billion Euro in lowering air pollution

 (Associated Press) | Updated November 29, 2017 - 6:31am

 0  4 googleplus0  0 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, attend the 2nd summit on air pollution in German cities of the government and the mayors of various German cities in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

BERLIN — German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the federal government will provide 1 billion euros (1.2 billion dollars) to cities and towns across the country in 2018 in an effort to make traffic more environmentally friendly.

The money is to be invested in finding traffic solutions to lower air pollution.

X

Many cities in Germany face driving bans because the air pollution is frequently above the allowed maximum levels due to the many cars' exhaust fumes.

The funds are to be invested among other things into electric buses, electric charging stations and a more environmentally friendly traffic infrastructure.

German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks lauded the initiative as a first important step but called on the automobile industry to also support the government's action plan.

An Investment Boom in Philippines leaves Neighbors in the Dust

By 

Karl Lester M Yap

 and 

Myungshin Cho, Bloomberg TV

• Economy’s physical assets surge more than 10% on year earlier
• President Duterte plans to boost spending to a record in 2018

Capital investment in the Philippines is surging past the rest of Southeast Asia as the government and firms ramp up spending.

In the first nine months of this year, net physical assets in the Philippines grew 10.4 percent from a year earlier. That compared with a 6.9 percent increase in Malaysia and 5.8 percent gain in Indonesia, according to data from statistics offices.

There’s reason to remain bullish on the outlook. Philippine government spending jumped 28 percent in October, the largest rise in almost a year, with another record budget planned for 2018. Companies are also joining in: Metro Pacific Investments Corp. plans to invest as much as $16 billion through 2022 on road, water, and power projects, while Ayala Land Inc. is boosting capital spending to a record $2 billion next year.

President Rodrigo Duterte is building a network of railroads and highways across the archipelago in an ambitious $180 billion infrastructure program. Investment firing up adds another engine to the economy, headed for a sixth year of growth exceeding 6 percent and among the world’s best performers.

“The government is very committed to keep spending strong and that has maintained the robust momentum of the investment cycle,” said Eugenia Victorino, an economist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. “With growth firing on all cylinders, the Philippines is really standing out in a region where the outlook has turned more positive.”

Catching Up

After lagging its neighbors for decades, the Philippines is catching up. Growth in net physical assets -- or gross fixed capital formation -- averaged 14.4 percent in the five years through 2016, the fastest in Southeast Asia and almost twice as fast as Malaysia, according to the World Bank.

Duterte wants to transform the Philippines into an upper-middle income country by the end of his term in 2022, and the cornerstone of his vision is a plan referred to as “Build, Build, Build”. It includes the capital’s first subway and a 653-kilometer railway to the south.

“Capital formation goes hand in hand with the focus on infrastructure,” said Jonathan Ravelas, chief market strategist at BDO Unibank Inc. “The private sector has always been investing, but now public spending is catching up.”