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  1. #301
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bsnub View Post
    Why didn't you stock up?
    How long can one actually stock up for?

    There's a limit - especially without a basement.

  2. #302
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    @topper - sorry to hear that you're in lockdown again. If it's any consolation, in my area we had lockdown (ECQ) last Aug 4 to 18, as I'm in the surrounds of Metro Manila and whenever MM locks down, my province does too.

    Re: internet - I hope your phone works as a hotspot and that your signal is strong enough.

    Re: health workers - PI lacks health workers, esp nurses. There are many nursing schools & graduates, but once they get 2-3 years of work experience, they go abroad. Can't blame them - better pay, work conditions, quality of life etc. I've heard that here it's common to have 1:20 nurse/ patient ratio, while in the US, it's around 1:7 ratio.

    Re: liquor ban - I agree with bsnub. Why didn't you stock up? You've been here for several months already, and know that the lockdown rules can change anytime. If you can't store beers, then buy Tanduay, Emperador or Ginebra - they're cheap & drank by the common person. I've also suggested that you brew your own wine - Cujo, happynz, moi - we all do it now. I have pineapple, 4 seasons, cranberry, apple, passion fruit & grape juices currently fermenting. I'll report back when they've matured. Cheers!

  3. #303
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    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    How long can one actually stock up for?
    When it comes to booze I can find the space.

    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    There's a limit - especially without a basement.
    No space there that is where all my used TV dinner containers go. Or that's what Taxi tells me anyway.

    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    PI lacks health workers, esp nurses.
    That's because they are all here working in America. Tons of Filipina in the health care field in the US.
    Last edited by bsnub; 28-08-2020 at 10:34 AM.

  4. #304
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    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    There are many nursing schools & graduates, but once they get 2-3 years of work experience, they go abroad
    I give blood regularly and every single one of the nurses there is Filipino/a. Great for NZ, less great for the PIs. Same in Singapore . . . not so much in Malaysia

  5. #305
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    Maybe you should move to Dumaguete/ Zamboanguita Topper. Seems much better set up for the expat, and life in general.

  6. #306
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    Topper have you ever thought about moving to Bangkok?

    Sorry, couldn't help myself

  7. #307
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    @bsnub & panama hat: Filipino nurses are all around the world - US, UK, Middle East, Australia, Scandinavian countries, SE Asia, etc.

    @sabang - from what I've read/ heard, lots of foreigners now in Dumaguete & Cebu. They're now sexpat territory. Rents have also become higher due to foreigners.

    Re: Bacolod, IIRC the family of Topper's wife is from the area - that's why they relocated there. Re: transferring to other cities - easier said than done. Only essential travel is allowed at the moment - you need lots of papers to go to another city or province. Dumaguete is in another province (Negros Oriental). Not easy to go apartment hunting or relocate during a pandemic.

  8. #308
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    Quote Originally Posted by katie23 View Post
    @bsnub & panama hat: Filipino nurses are all around the world - US, UK, Middle East, Australia, Scandinavian countries, SE Asia, etc.
    It is a very interesting history. I looked it up online. Around the turn of the last century the US set up nursing schools in the PI, and they used the American nursing model. Many of these schools taught the lessons in English forcing the students to learn. An interesting read...

    Why are there so many Filipino nurses in the U.S.? | Berkeley News

  9. #309
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    The English language capabilities are one of the main draw-cards for Filipino/a nurses. You just have to feel sorry for the country that made them and now needs them. Of course there is the financial imperative

  10. #310
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    You just have to feel sorry for the country that made them and now needs them. Of course there is the financial imperative
    Yes nurses here in the US make good money, so the Filipinas here live well.

  11. #311
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    ^I have school mates who are nurses abroad - one in Scotland, one in Sweden, another in Australia. AFAIK they're all doing well. The one in Oz is now head of the department (she's a few years ahead of me in school).

    Edit: the rare times that I've been to hospital here, the nurses were either very young (early 20s, fresh graduates) or middle aged (40s & above). Those in their late 20s to early 30s were few - because that's the age when they find jobs abroad.
    Last edited by katie23; 28-08-2020 at 05:01 PM.

  12. #312
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...I wonder if there's similar demand for flip doctors/med techs, etc abroad...

  13. #313
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    ^There certainly is for Physical Therapists. They only stick around here long enough to pass the US proficiency and language exams. And, considering the salary difference, small wonder.

  14. #314
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...seems like an odd way to run a country: train your youth to work elsewhere and send money home...perhaps flip leaders suffer from colonized minds...and the rest of the herd follows...

  15. #315
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    @tomcat - some doctors go abroad too, but it's tougher. In the US, they have to pass the medical board exams (several stages) - the last stage has to be taken in the US. It costs thousands of $$$ too. Then I think after that, they have to pass the state board exams. The sister of a school mate did that some years ago, I've forgotten the details. She had already done a residency/ specialization here, but when she passed the US boards, only her medical degree was credited (her specialization wasn't). She had to apply for a new residency course. AFAIK, she's now living in NY state.

    There are Filipino doctors abroad, but it's more costly & time-consuming to get their credentials certified in the new country. There are some doctors who afterwards take a nursing degree here, just to be able to work abroad.

    As for nurses, the qualifications & exams needed differ from country to country. In the US, they have to take exams like CGFNS & NCLEX (?). In UK/Oz, they have to take/pass an English exam (IELTS) aside from nursing exams. The exams also cost $$$. Sometimes the ppl borrow from family members or loan sharks to pay the placement fee for the agency & exams.

  16. #316
    Thailand Expat tomcat's Avatar
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    ...^why doesn't the flip government raise the salaries of med personnel to keep them at home?...or is it more profitable to send them to foreign shores?...

  17. #317
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    why doesn't the flip government raise the salaries of med personnel to keep them at home?
    Wow...

    Would you like three guesses?

  18. #318
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    Quote Originally Posted by cyrille View Post
    Would you like three guesses?
    He should know better. Clearly it is happy hour for him.

    An RN in my state makes 76k USD not including overtime.

    Let's be honest these days they all work OT. Not a stretch that a good RN can pull 100K US.
    Last edited by bsnub; 28-08-2020 at 06:40 PM.

  19. #319
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    The Philippines government cannot afford to pay trained nurses the salary offered by western countries. Even if they could, staff would still leave for better quality of life and conditions of service.
    Its a tragic fact that the Government would collapse were it mot for remittances from overseas workers.
    The quality of life and conditions of service leave much to be desired in many other industries employing Philippines overseas workers.

  20. #320
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by panama hat View Post
    Same in Singapore . . . not so much in Malaysia
    I guess it relates to the salary paid to filipino there. I've heard that there's plenty of filipino teachers in Malaysia.

    so, interesting...

  21. #321
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    Well, the continuation of my latest trials and tribulations....

    About booze, the sari-sari shop next store is fully stocked, but the prices are a bit high, obviously. They're also able to renew their stock. The weekend is my busiest time so I won't consume much anyways. I'm saving up for next weekend when the company I work for closes for three days for Song Kran.

    After much gnashing of teeth about my workspace closing, one of the staff there went way out of her way to find me one of these so I can try and teach at home. As it was apparently the "last one left" I also got to pay a premium price.

    Topper in Bacolod-20200828_232129-jpg

    It's a thingy that takes in 4G telephone signals and turns them into a wired or wireless internet connection, like using your phone as a hotspot, only with very, very slightly better speed. I did 9 classes today with only 2 classes having connection problems that I could pass off as the students having problems . Tomorrow I have 16 scheduled and Sunday 12. I hope my luck holds.

    I will say this, I really, really like working from home like this, between classes I can actually hang out with the wife, take a nap, help around the house. I only need a generator and reliable internet to make it happen!

    I'm praying there's no power outages or the 'hood notices the sudden increase of street dogs mysteriously coming down with a case of dead.

    I mispoke if I said only 2500 would be tested, the total tested in the province will be 10K, with 5K from Bacolod. From the pictures posted online, I'm betting less than 1000 showed up to be voluntarily tested.
    "I was a good student. I comprehend very well, OK, better than I think almost anybody," - President Trump comparing his legal knowledge to a Federal judge.

  22. #322
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    Quote Originally Posted by tomcat View Post
    ...seems like an odd way to run a country: train your youth to work elsewhere and send money home...perhaps flip leaders suffer from colonized minds...and the rest of the herd follows...
    Theres nothing wrong with the education system in the P.I tomcat but a lack of jobs upon graduation forces there hand.

    They are actually the backbone of the philippine economy all those ofw,s beavering away in distant lands faithfully remitting the hard earned back to the mothership. They say every 1 ofw .is supportting 10 flips in the province. National heroes me thinks. And deseve to be treated as such. Especially the nurses.

  23. #323
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    ^ What he said....it's about 11% of the economy. I'm guessing the unemployment rate around here is around 30%.


    Today's class toll......

    19 scheduled
    -1 due to a power outage of ten minutes
    -1 due to internet being shit

    I've used up 3.5 GB of the 10 that came free with the wifi thingy, so I should be good until Tuesday. 28 total classes completed so far with another 27 to go until Tuesday.

    I hadn't realized how much I've missed having dinner with the wife. It's right nice working from home.

  24. #324
    Thailand Expat Saint Willy's Avatar
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    I’ll bet, a gen set you can buy. Internet slightly more tricky

  25. #325
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    ^ You're right. I can also purchase an inverter setup that uses car batteries in case of emergency for less.

    Well, the no movement order was cancelled this evening which left me boiling fucking mad and starting Sept 3 we'll be under the home quarantine pass rules again, which means I'll only be able to go out 3 days a week with a total lockdown on Sundays and scheduled to end the 15th.

    So, starting the third....
    No alcohol
    8pm curfew
    No movement without quarantine pass on the days you're let off the leash.

    The percentages are starting to seriously piss me off.....

    Since March, 17 people in the city have died from Covid in a population of well over 500,000. There are 435 active cases, with most quarantined either at home or in a facility, yet the hospitals are overflowing wth patients.

    Personally, I think the hospitals are so severely understaffed that with any more than the usual amount to stuff happening, they would be overwhelmed. I'm guessing if a bus overturned on the highway and more than 10-15 people were hurt, the city would need to call out for help.

    I'm guessing more citizens have died from heart attacks from eating too much lechon since March, yet I can go out and buy it by the kilo tomorrow.

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