Aussies stranded overseas by pandemic

There are still more than 25,000 Australians stranded overseas as of 15 September 2020. For some reason we, a wealthy first-world country, can’t seem to get them home, even if they pay for the trip themselves and pay for quarantine when they arrive. (https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/15/why-are-more-than-25000-australians-still-stranded-overseas-six-months-into-the-pandemic) The Philippines has repatriated about 140,000 … Continue reading

Natural disaster risks in the Philippines

The Philippines is listed as the third most at-risk country for natural disasters in the WorldRiskIndex  2012 report prepared by the University Institute for Environment and Human Security, Bonn (UNU-EHS) . The top two are Vanuatu and Tonga. The WorldRiskIndex  report addresses the following questions: How probable is an extreme … Continue reading

Holiday to Davao

We arrive in Davao (click for map) about 6am after a long trip via Hong Kong and Cebu. Jo and Baby are there waiting. They drop us off at Ken’s hotel for breakfast. On our last trip Ken was just completing his new project, the Viajeros Economy Inn, and it’s … Continue reading