Nov 30 2007
Hopes And Dreams
Our dream…
Two years ago, I wrote about our purchased housing lot in Villa de Mercedes, in Catigan,Toril, Davao City. The place is supposed to be our Refugium or the place where we want to retire later. We consider ourselves lucky to have acquired the lot as Euro exchange rate was still high. To date, the price per square meter has doubled and may double again.
Hopes…dying!
The economy here in Germany is getting worst. Everything is getting expensive and everything is increasing its price, and jobs are paid lower and lower every year. And taxes getting higher and insurance premiums going up. Summa summarum (altogether) what’s left is only enough to pay the bills and for food and further than that…no more. At the end of the month, there’s absolutely nothing left to save for rainy days or for retirement. This is the reason why I said “hopes dying” because I see no financial improvement in the future. It’s a nightmare! Fact is, gobyerno nalang ang nakikinabang sa kinikita ng mga ordinary citizens like me. Ang nakakatakot pa diyan, everytime na kinukulang ang Haushaltsetat (municipal budget) ng government, bagong tax gimik kaagad ang kanilang naiisip. Like last year, they decided to increase VAT from 16 to 19% and it started this year. Para pantakip daw ito sa gaping hole ng Staatskasse (treasury). They were successful indeed…they got more than 3 billions surplus just within 10 months. Ang masaklap, sa halip na pag-uusapan ng mga honghang na politicians kong ano ang dapat paglalaanan ng pera…nag-aaway sila. Pagkatapos ng napakahabang debate…sa bandang huli ay nagkaisa din sila. Nagkaisa silang taasan ang kanilang sahod.
Oh before I forget, the government advised the younger citizens to get an additional private pension fund aside from the public retirement insurance. They said that the staatliche Rente (public or state pension) (we are paying for this monthly) will be insufficient in the future. Great huh? From hand to mouth na nga lang ang net income mo dahil sa dinadami nang social security contributions deductions. Tapos at the end wala ka rin palang makukuha doon sa binabayaran mo pagdating ng panahon. How inspiring and reassuring. Tongue-in-cheek!
To make the long story short 
ang kasalukuyang sitwasyon dito sa Germany ay halos para na ring sa Pilipinas. So, kong iisipin, bakit ko kailangang magpakagagang magtiis sa lamig at hopeless na sitwasyon dito kong maari din naman akong magtiis sa kaunting halagang aking kikitain sa mainit na lugar? Gets niyo ba sinabi ko? Mahirap i-explain pero I hope you get the message (hehehe).
Goodbye Deutschland!
More than 100,000 Germans emigrate annually, and it’s only the beginning…
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