German national stranded

A friend of mine who works for a counselor in Davao city, told me a German foreign national showed up looking for help, he had no money, no food or place to stay, he was sleeping on a bench by the barangy hall,I have no idea if there is a German embassy in the Philippines, if so he might get help there, I know if your American the embassy will provide you a ticket home, and you repay later, any German nationals here know where he can get help
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@Okieboy

A rather sad sorry. unfortunately, I have heard of many of the same over the past few years. Especially of expats becoming homeless and with no money and left on the streets of Angeles.... I know it is not my business, but i am often curious as to how this happens.




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Mental illness? Addiction? Or just poor planning?

I don't understand either. If funds are running low most folks would go back to theiŕ home country, where they can earn a living. But if they have no home to return to, or no way to earn a living , the reality would be brutal.

In my experience,  more than a few expats have come here with a nest egg that did not last as long as they had planned  for one reason or another, and we all know the big one.

Always a sad situation.  And by the way, I'm not sure about the embassy flying folks back. I think they have to have a place to go.
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@clydeusa


oh great. turn this into something about Americans and their economic problems. of course.
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It can be easy to fall into the trap of spending all of your savings and rainy day money on one or multiple ladies and excessive alcohol, House and Land in The Province, Payments for all difficult situations for GF's family, jewelry, nice clothes and shoes, hair treatments, etc. I always maintain a bank balance in separate USA and Philippines bank accounts  for medical issues and "Just In Case". I did not come here until my Social Security was sufficient to pay for all of my monthly expenses. I hear of my Partner's cousins luring young (less than 40 years old) foreign guys to come live here. The young guys (Often with no advanced education or work skills or any money in their pocket) expect that they will be able to get a JOB here and support their new Honey. Good Luck - Not even Native Style. A book that I read on Amazon Before I came here had a key piece of advice: Don't retire here unless you have a regular monthly SS or Pension to support you and whatever lifestyle you choose. Good Advice. I realize that there are some on this Site who are Entrepreneurs who came here for Business - Investments or other - but, I think that is rare.
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@clydeusa


oh great. turn this into something about Americans and their economic problems. of course.
- @kristopherryanwatson
Or anything else political, please.
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A friend of mine who works for a counselor in Davao city, told me a German foreign national showed up looking for help, he had no money, no food or place to stay, he was sleeping on a bench by the barangy hall,I have no idea if there is a German embassy in the Philippines, if so he might get help there, I know if your American the embassy will provide you a ticket home, and you repay later, any German nationals here know where he can get help
- @Okieboy

I think it would be best if your friend try first contacting the German guy's family or friends in Germany.

Around five years ago, there was a homeless African guy who passed by along my work. He looked like he had given up on life. People would hand him some food or drink.

According to those with whom he had spoken, he is from Nigeria. He started a business here with his Filipino wife. But his wife and brother-in-law pilfered money from his business. After the money was gone, the wife left him. When asked if why can't he just go back to Nigeria, perhaps ask the Nigerian embassy for help like for a plane ticket back home, he said that the embassy can do that if he has someone back home who could take him in. Unfortunately, he is estranged from his family. So, he's stuck here.

Even though that story was about a Nigerian, and your guy is German, it might be that the German embassy would tell him the same: you need to have family from your home country who would take you in before we can fly you there.

So, try contacting his family and friends first. And try to cheer him up and give him some hope, because if he falls into a slippery slope of hopelessness, he might not have the desire to pull himself together. He could develop a mental illness, and give up on life, like the homeless man from Nigeria.

Just my two cents.
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Mental illness? Addiction? Or just poor planning?

I don't understand either. If funds are running low most folks would go back to theiŕ home country, where they can earn a living. But if they have no home to return to, or no way to earn a living , the reality would be brutal.

In my experience,  more than a few expats have come here with a nest egg that did not last as long as they had planned  for one reason or another, and we all know the big one.

Always a sad situation.  And by the way, I'm not sure about the embassy flying folks back. I think they have to have a place to go.
- @pnwcyclist


Yes that was certainly the case with John ,an American guy, the subject of  one of  Paul's 'Old dog new tricks' blogs from Dumaguete. His 'delightful' wife tried to get the guy deported after his ATM went dry. The US consulate refused to bankroll a ticket because he had no family or friends left Stateside. A genuinely lovely but incredibly naive gent who ended up on skid row.

As I understand it the British embassy will get you home if the worst happens but will confiscate your passport on return until the flight cost is repaid which I guess is fair enough.
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This German guy is up a creek unless some Expat is willing to take up his cause or be his mentor. He has to accept some of the blame for poor planning, me saying that is like kicking a dead horse, unfortunately he is the dead horse.

One way of returning to Germany is deportation. If you Google Philippines SBM-2015-010 the deportation process is horrendous, even the guideline of self deportation and waiving all your legal rights.

Deportation is a physical eviction. If the Philippines is physically putting you out they should bear the cost of doing so, but they will rely on the boondoggle of SBM-2015-010 to put this German fellow in limbo.

Many countries if you overstay your visa or have an expired passport it's Hasta La Vista Baby.

Now the following is not meant to be a political statement. Administrations has had the opposite answer to deportations. One administration if you break the laws and there are grounds for deportation, they then will put you on a charter plane and send you back with a full plane load.

Now another administration if you broke their law, will bend over backwards to welcome you instead of deporting you.

Either way it's the tax payer flipping the bill.
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Mental illness? Addiction? Or just poor planning?
- @pnwcyclist

As we have absolutely no idea, I don't think we can knock the guy.
It's very possible he could be suffering from a mental health condition, or perhaps he just isn't that bright and messed up through no actual fault of his own other than his inabily to plan due to a limited IQ.

Saying that, he might just as well be a drunk or druggie - We simply don't know

The embassy is a good start - They may or may not help

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I sent a message to the embassy. I'll contact the OP privaely if it comes to anything
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@Okieboy

There is a German embassy in the Philippines  and it located at 25F RCBC Plaza, Makati City. He needs to travel by air to go Manila.  Currently, the fare is around 7000 pesos.
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@Okieboy

There is a German embassy in the Philippines  and it located at 25F RCBC Plaza, Makati City. He needs to travel by air to go Manila.  Currently, the fare is around 7000 pesos.
- @MARY JANE DOMETITA90

Where will he get the 7k ?
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@Okieboy

There is a German embassy in the Philippines  and it located at 25F RCBC Plaza, Makati City. He needs to travel by air to go Manila.  Currently, the fare is around 7000 pesos.
- @MARY JANE DOMETITA90

Where will he get the 7k ?
- @onefogarty

Exactly my thoughts. I think he needs access to a computer and phone in Davao. That way he can contact the Embassy from there, explain his situations and see what they can do for him.
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@Okieboy   When I was in Mexico I met a German guy in Cancun who $8 in his pocket and told me he was traveling across Mexico.  I asked him how he could do this on $8 when that wouldn't even cover his food and he told me that food wasn't a problem because there is lots of good food in the dumpsters.

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There is an Honorary German Consulate in Cebu:

Name: Dr. Franz Seidenschwarz

Address: Ford's Inn, AS Fortuna Street, Corner Banilad Road, 6000 Cebu City, Philippines

Telephone: +63 929 667 6386
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@Fred

Yes, this too.


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The embassy responded - PM sent to OP
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I received the message from the Embassy representative and I have notified the Counselor to contact them
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Cheers.
If possible, please keep us up to speed. Expat.com is a mutual help platform and this is serious help for an expat.
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Please keep us posted Okieboy. Thank you for your time and support!
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@kristopherryanwatson People want to respond and their basis of understanding would be familiarity. If America is their home base that is how they respond. Attacking America because that is not a place you favor helps no one.

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@travellight

Believe me, i was not attacking it. if i was, you would for sure know it.

don't have a Patriotic snowflake mentality over something so mild.
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People want to respond and their basis of understanding would be familiarity. If America is their home base that is how they respond.


People tend to think in given ways for a number of reasons.

The first is their upbringing, much of that being local culture - country culture to a lesser extent. I would take a guess people in Texas would be more likely to think in one way, but those from California another. I know those of us from Yorkshire are generally very different from Londoners. Our family's situation (including finances) as we grew up may also influence the way we look at others. Those of us who grew up in relative poverty tend to keep a frugal mindset that understands financial difficulties, even when seen as rich in their later lives.
Experience (or at least observation) of a given situation often gives people a more insightful way of looking at the way others live, and what problems they face. Seeing mental illness, addiction, and people unable to control their lives close up allows us to understand much more than those who have never seen those things.
An individual's critical thinking skills. In this case each person's ability to consider what may be happening to the gentleman in question, and the reasons behind it.
Then comes empathy - We have it, or we do not.
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@Okieboy   When I was in Mexico I met a German guy in Cancun who $8 in his pocket and told me he was traveling across Mexico.  I asked him how he could do this on $8 when that wouldn't even cover his food and he told me that food wasn't a problem because there is lots of good food in the dumpsters.

- @NIPA HUT LAMB

This is happening in the UK and US (and probably a lot of other places). There are Facebook groups and a lot of YouTube channels (If you have the patience to get past their idiotic adverts).
People get everything from dumpster diving - I've seen people who specialise in electronics, but others who go for more basic needs such as food and clothing.
It's been going on for years in the UK but I'm told it's getting more common as their economy gets worse. Housing, fuel, and food prices are going up quickly, but wages are pretty much static so the number of people with financial problems grows.
As for backpackers, I suppose it's one way to travel on the cheap, but I would be less than inclined to eat from dumpsters.
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Omo...
If I were to see an expat/foreigner ramaging through a dumpster or lying by the roadside that would indeed arouse my attention/curiosity...as who else would give a helping hand?....who knows what happened to the poor bloke?....Robbed/Dumped by gf/Scammed or with mental issues?
The local government has enough problems on its plate & the locals would always be given priority..whom I'm sure would also try to help provided they spoke the same language.
Calling/alerting his rep.embassy would be one of the things I would do too...on top of any urgent medical attention/food provisions he would need.
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If I can validate things on this guy. I will pay the 7K to get him a plane ticket to Embassy.
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People get everything from dumpster diving - I've seen people who specialise in electronics, but others who go for more basic needs such as food and clothing.
It's been going on for years in the UK but I'm told it's getting more common as their economy gets worse. Housing, fuel, and food prices are going up quickly, but wages are pretty much static so the number of people with financial problems grows.
As for backpackers, I suppose it's one way to travel on the cheap, but I would be less than inclined to eat from dumpsters.
- @Fred
Not eating from dumpsters, but some types of food are ok long after expire date.

One of my nephews has furnished almost all in his house, not of economical need, because more than being economical, he is very stingy   :)

The richest person I know close is extreemly stingy. He live of mainly canned beans in tomatoe sause. And when he had invited a woman at first date to one of the cheap restaurants in Thailand, she had brought a friend. For each thing they ordered from the menu, I suppouse he got whiter and whiter in face inspite of the total cost for all three of them got less than he earn in an hour. He was shocked up still anyway when he told it to me afterwards   1f923.svg
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@Okieboy   When I was in Mexico I met a German guy in Cancun who $8 in his pocket and told me he was traveling across Mexico.  I asked him how he could do this on $8 when that wouldn't even cover his food and he told me that food wasn't a problem because there is lots of good food in the dumpsters.

- @NIPA HUT LAMB

This is happening in the UK and US (and probably a lot of other places). There are Facebook groups and a lot of YouTube channels (If you have the patience to get past their idiotic adverts).
People get everything from dumpster diving - I've seen people who specialise in electronics, but others who go for more basic needs such as food and clothing.
It's been going on for years in the UK but I'm told it's getting more common as their economy gets worse. Housing, fuel, and food prices are going up quickly, but wages are pretty much static so the number of people with financial problems grows.
As for backpackers, I suppose it's one way to travel on the cheap, but I would be less than inclined to eat from dumpsters.
- @Fred


In the Philippines for some Filipinos eating from dumpsters (where in the UK much of it is apparently still in its original cellophane wrap) would be considered 'Haute Cuisine'.
Many (not all) readers on this Forum will be unfamiliar with the term 'Pag Pag' . Essentially it is meat foraged from landfill tips (Tondo in Manila for example) washed and recooked. I have attached a link to a BBC report at the bottom.
My Yorkshire grandmother used to say 'Ya don't know ya born lad'' That saying never really sunk in until I went to Tondo on one of my earlier visits to this country of contradictions and contrasts.

youtube.com/watch?v=c7gDBVmgIRA
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youtube.com/watch?v=c7gDBVmgIRA
- @Lotus Eater


That is really unhyginic - The guy preparing the meat was allowed to smoke.
Where are the health department when you need them?
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@Okieboy

Whoever who seen this guy might help him , i know location will be in manila ,maybe they can contact thru online if they got one and ask assistance since this guy needs help . I hope LGU could help him too since it pretty obvious he needs help .
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youtube.com/watch?v=c7gDBVmgIRA
- @Lotus Eater


That is really unhyginic - The guy preparing the meat was allowed to smoke.
Where are the health department when you need them?
- @Fred

Hehehe Really???
Pagpag preparation & 2nd hand smoke mix extremely well together....it leaves you with that great after taste!




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@Okieboy All the Embassies are in Manila.

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@Okieboy All the Embassies are in Manila.

- @ibusan1046

There are/have been some CONSULATS in Cebu city though.
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someone told me that there is a satellite US embassy office in Clark, but that doesn't make much sense at all.  This was a Pinoy who told me this, so maybe they were misinformed.

I've never heard of any embassy having a 'satellite' or extension office anywhere.
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@kristopherryanwatson There was an American Consulate office in Cebu at one time, not sure if it is still in operation

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I have not heard anything about the German, his story was so full of different things, he told the counselor he wants to stay in the Philippines, he had a woman and a place but she left him, he is looking for work, but I am sure he has overstayed and if picked up will go to jail and be deported, he might have mental problems, he is in contact with his embassy is all I have heard
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@Okieboy

I see. Thank you for clarifying.


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@Okieboy If he is in contact with the German embassy I believe he will be ok.

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@danfinn

haha i'm not sure how that happened,  but here we are !


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