Jobs for Doctorate Degree Holders in Industries

Eventhough I haven't started any step yet, I am already weighing down things. I have thought, if I am going back to the university here, well I might as well finish until the doctorate degree. However, I am not quite sure what kind of job would I get when we plan to go back to the Philippines. I mean, when my husband retires, he wanted to retire in the Philippines. That time, I am way too young to retire yet, so I am thinking that I would still work. But I have not yet heard of anyone in the industry with the doctor title on his name, who, instead of standing in front of scientists-to-be, is roaming around the production floor or is wearing a laboratory gown and safety gloves and goggles. I mean, working here in Germany with this title is not a problem, in fact, there are lots of opportunities for you, but when we get back to the Philippines, would I still be able to work in the industry or laboratory if I opt to earn the "ultimate" title of a professional?

I have nothing against academic jobs, because without my respected professors, I would not be who I am now. It is just that I think, and I feel, that teaching Chemistry entails a lot of responsibilities. I don't mind teaching languages, because there are always existing reference books to check on grammars and spellings, but for Chemistry, how can I teach bunch of students perfectly when I, myself, cannot solve certain problems all by myself. They sit there, looking up on you, admiring you for the degree that you have attached on your name, then you fail to answer one problem and poof! The title you worked hard for for years is lambasted in a matter of minutes. I am afraid of that time. Unlike in laboratory set up or manufacturing world, there are always room for efforts, that is why they are called the R&D team, research and development. Some researches may work, some may fail, but it is okay. Technologies change overtime, and every new technology suffers from the pain of giving birth to a first-born, but the scientists are not criticized harshly, instead, they are understood, and sometimes are even praised for such failures, because sometimes, new product ideas come from those failures.

That is what I love about working in the industry and not as an academician, the fun of performing tests and proving hypothesis in order to promote them into theories, and maybe, in the near future, into law.

So, as a conclusion, I just wanted to ask, are there non-academic jobs awaiting for Ph.D. in Chemistry title holders in the Philippines?


 

Mixed Thoughts

When I read the title of an article (please click here) a day ago, I cringed instead of being proud. I mean, seriously, Philippines lent $1B to the euro zone fund? I thought, "is this really my homeland or there is another Philippines in this world?" However, after reading through it, I know I am not dreaming. It is indeed about our BSP's (Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas or CBP for Central Bank of the Philippines) recent activity.

As far as I know, we are still a third-world country (any economist/ financial analyst can correct me here). There are a lot of other things that the BSP should work on in the Philippines alone. What they claimed in the article that our economy is not that bad anymore unlike in the past is for most Filipinos an illusion. While the malls and high-rise condominium buildings, the facade of the economic status, increases in number, the infrastructures that the majority of the Filipinos need decreases. It would have been a good news if there are no high-priority issues to be addressed in the country. 

What made me think and say that there are still unanswered issues in the Philippines:

1. There are still a lot of unemployed citizens in the country.
2. Not all children are able to go to school due to:
   • their parents are unemployed and cannot afford school
   • not enough schools available on their area
   • does not receive proper nourishment
3. The health of the people are not at its best. The health benefits they receive are not enough.
4. Not all people can afford to have their own house. I think, instead of building expensive condominiums in the cities, why not put these money to build homes at a more affordable price for everybody?
5. The environmental aspect of the country is crying.
6. The morality of the people decreases.
7. There are still millions of OFW (Overseas Filipino Workers) around the world (and the number is increasing!). Why don't they put these money to build more opportunities for jobs in the Philippines instead?
8. Our military group receives not enough compensation, both for retired and still on duty.
9. The farmers do not receive enough support.
10. While all the prices are increasing, from gasoline to all commodities, the regular employees' salary barely increase, or not at all for the past 10 years. This situation results to number 7.

These observations are just but a few of those that I have seen personally while I was still living in the Philippines. It is not bad to help others, but it won't hurt if they thought first of helping their citizens.

On the lighter side though, the second up to the last topics on that said article made me smile in a way. The top businesses in the country are still on the positive side, I just hope that they would do something to help the fellow Filipinos to stay on the positive side too. As for DMCI projects, it is good, but I do hope that the price of their projects would be at the price that regular employees can be able to pay. And lastly, the initiative to renovate and modernize local airports is totally awesome! It is so far the best project I have ever read. I do hope that the tourism would increase after that, so that the country can move further up.

Again, these are just my opinions. I do not ask you to agree on me.

Lola's 79th Birthday

I am so grateful I was still there. Eventhough we do not always agree with each other, I still love her. She's so beautiful even on her old age.

Urlaub 2010

Uwe's first time in the Philippines! That was also the time when he told my family he wants to marry me ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!!! :D

I Survived...

...the wet and wild streets of Lipa City. I forgot that it is "buling buling" day, thanks for the reminder from my best friend. But eventhough I know that it is not safe for me to go out, I still went out because I needed to withdraw for my transportation allowance tomorrow! What I did was, I wore my regular fashion to the mall, yes, the fashion I normally wear only inside the house. I readied myself for the worst, knowing that the youth (well, even the adults) of Province of Batangas are all addicted to this event. Thank God these guys felt pity on me and did not threw water on me while walking my way to the jeepney stop (but these guys are on stand by along the terraces of the houses I passed by and also at the barangay hall, pails of water seated beside them). So there, I survived the Buling Buling 2011!

What or where did this originated from? I honestly do not know. All I know is, this happens every Sunday before Ash Wednesday. I would like to think that this is in relation to some Catholic beliefs. I always think that this is how we reenact the baptism of Christ. If Germany has this so-called "Fasching" or "Karneval", where people parades on various costumes on a Monday before the Ash Wednesday, we do have this buling buling that we do on a Sunday before the Ash Wednesday. I remember in my former high school, our Fair Event always occur a week before Ash Wednesday, hence, the last day had always been our buling buling celebration, regardless on what day it fell. Funny how our school administration prepares for this last day event, stalls start to sell water guns and water balloons, and then the drums of water suddenly becomes available in the middle of the basketball court and volleyball court. Water hoses are all set on each faucets on all lavatory all over the campus. Then, at exactly 1pm, water fight is everywhere. I always go home wet. No one in our school went home dry. It was fun! What was even funnier was, we also throw water on our service vans and service drivers and even on guest students from other schools. We wanted to share with them the fun and to literally make all people who step onto our school grounds wet.

I may have survived this event today, but honestly, I miss getting wet by the street. I miss those times at Canossa Academy Lipa City wherein I went home soaking wet, literally. I missed being a victim of all these water fight. And with this temperature of around 34 degrees Celsius, I really wanted to get that big splash of water under the scorching sun.

*credit to the owner of the photo, Mr. John Javellana. The photo is actually from Balayan Fiesta, I cannot find a photo for buling-buling event, but they are just the same, water fight along the streets, minus the lechon parade which only happens during Balayan Fiesta.

What's Happening in the Metro?!?!

Early Monday morning there was a bus that caught fire along Skyway. My classmate from Goethe saw it and the van she was in was just few blocks away from it. It was a Ceres Transport, one bus company that caters for passengers going to and from Batangas. Thank God no one was hurt on this event.

Tuesday afternoon, few minutes before 2pm, a bus exploded at the corner of EDSA and Buendia Ave. here in Makati. As of Wednesday, the number of dead people rose to 5 and 14 (or was it 10) was seriously injured, one man must have his leg amputated. There is still no concrete update as to who or what group was responsible for the explosion.

This afternoon (or was it at noon), construction workers at a condominium here in Makati met an accident. As of 2pm, there were already 9 casualties. I am still yet to read the news to find out the reason for the accident. What I only heard from the news as a reason was that the service elevator failed.

Three consecutive days of accidents and frightening events. I haven't mentioned yet the consecutive carjacks wherein there were already 3 casualties. What's happening to the Metro? That I cannot answer myself. I, myself, asks it. What happened to the Filipinos? What's in store for the future of the Philippines? These consecutive events made me decide to leave the Metro as soon as my contract expires. I am going home to Batangas and wait for my visa to come. I am leaving. Now I think I understand why Ody chose to go back to Vienna despite the fact that her parents and brother are already settled here.