Comments on: Racism in the Philippines http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/ Cebu,Philippines a British expat and his wifes experiences of life, the city and all. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:46:55 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: mattwilkie http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-322 mattwilkie Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:59:02 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-322 Its a strange scenario and one that doesnt do the Philippines any good as a tourist destination. I know there is a lot of factors and some of it is the fact OFWs and Foreigners make such a big change to families in the Philippines. Something i dont encourage. Ok i help where i can but nothing is for free. Im happy for family members to do business with me on a shared ownership. BUT there is no free lunch. No one is here working alongside me to pay for everything. But if i can help a family member develop a business then thats the way forward. But too many people are abusing OFWs money that is sent home and many of the foreigners suffer with the same problem its the "You can afford to lose it" rather than seeing in truth its nothing short of theft by overcharging. Whats the long term effect? Maybe that less people will visit. It also damages trust. OFWs work so hard abroad for theyre families but at home do you think you could leave chickens roaming on your lot and goto work and expect them to be there when you go home?? It saddens me but like you said its not all down to the people its got to stem from the top. With so much corruption its dropped into the cycle similar to what many African nations suffer with. Time will tell if any of this will end. Its a strange scenario and one that doesnt do the Philippines any good as a tourist destination. I know there is a lot of factors and some of it is the fact OFWs and Foreigners make such a big change to families in the Philippines. Something i dont encourage. Ok i help where i can but nothing is for free. Im happy for family members to do business with me on a shared ownership. BUT there is no free lunch. No one is here working alongside me to pay for everything. But if i can help a family member develop a business then thats the way forward. But too many people are abusing OFWs money that is sent home and many of the foreigners suffer with the same problem its the “You can afford to lose it” rather than seeing in truth its nothing short of theft by overcharging. Whats the long term effect? Maybe that less people will visit. It also damages trust. OFWs work so hard abroad for theyre families but at home do you think you could leave chickens roaming on your lot and goto work and expect them to be there when you go home?? It saddens me but like you said its not all down to the people its got to stem from the top. With so much corruption its dropped into the cycle similar to what many African nations suffer with. Time will tell if any of this will end.

]]> By: Tokyo-Love http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-321 Tokyo-Love Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:20:19 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-321 not all filipinos are like that but most of them are. this is because of poverty. most people dont really care about building a long term relationship but rather would just think of what he can get from you at that very minute thinking you wouldn't be around that long anyway. I'm filipino who got back from tokyo and I tell you... every filipino i came accross with thought i was a walking pot of gold. and the funny thing is, even if I don't tell them i'm a 'balik-bayan', for some reason they can sense it. the sad thing is, because of poverty, most filipinos lost their dignity and pride. in my opinion, the philippines has started to rot from it's core. it's like it has accute cancer. this once beautiful country with all it's beautiful people and natural resources is in it's verge to self-destruction because of the greedy, corrupt government. not all filipinos are like that but most of them are. this is because of poverty. most people dont really care about building a long term relationship but rather would just think of what he can get from you at that very minute thinking you wouldn’t be around that long anyway. I’m filipino who got back from tokyo and I tell you… every filipino i came accross with thought i was a walking pot of gold. and the funny thing is, even if I don’t tell them i’m a ‘balik-bayan’, for some reason they can sense it. the sad thing is, because of poverty, most filipinos lost their dignity and pride. in my opinion, the philippines has started to rot from it’s core. it’s like it has accute cancer. this once beautiful country with all it’s beautiful people and natural resources is in it’s verge to self-destruction because of the greedy, corrupt government.

]]> By: mattwilkie http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-314 mattwilkie Fri, 28 Nov 2008 09:51:02 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-314 Everybody likes you if you have a full wallet and easy to extract money from.. My question would be this if you were in the US and it was found out that a store would only overcharge people from Asia how long do you think it would be until the authorities got called? Im not too bothered about it myself as like you said a lot of it is small thefts. But its the fact you just cant go buying things because your white.. I have a friend who went to buy a car his brother inlaw agreed the price over the phone they arrived to pay and collect as soon as the people realised it was a white guy buying they tried to charge more money. Everybody likes you if you have a full wallet and easy to extract money from.. My question would be this if you were in the US and it was found out that a store would only overcharge people from Asia how long do you think it would be until the authorities got called?

Im not too bothered about it myself as like you said a lot of it is small thefts. But its the fact you just cant go buying things because your white.. I have a friend who went to buy a car his brother inlaw agreed the price over the phone they arrived to pay and collect as soon as the people realised it was a white guy buying they tried to charge more money.

]]> By: DCG http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-313 DCG Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:42:10 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-313 Heya. I actually talked to my dad about this. He hasn't experienced racism, he says it's the contrary, rather. He says people like him more because he's American and because they know they can get more money out of him. They like him because of the extra money they can get out of him. I don't know if it's racism, but I guess it's just horrible practices. Myself personally, I haven't been ripped off to a huge extent. Maybe a few pesos here and there, but nothing wild and outrageous. Oh well, hopefully everything goes great for you in the future. Good luck Heya.

I actually talked to my dad about this. He hasn’t experienced racism, he says it’s the contrary, rather. He says people like him more because he’s American and because they know they can get more money out of him. They like him because of the extra money they can get out of him. I don’t know if it’s racism, but I guess it’s just horrible practices.

Myself personally, I haven’t been ripped off to a huge extent. Maybe a few pesos here and there, but nothing wild and outrageous. Oh well, hopefully everything goes great for you in the future. Good luck

]]> By: mattwilkie http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-309 mattwilkie Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:11:27 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-309 I think its a part of life.. If i catch people doing it i never use them again. Also make it obvious why i wont use them. Im lucky my inlaws are pretty good they will often do the buying of things for me so that no one sees me. But it shouldnt be like that. How is the Philippines to encourage tourism with so much racism? I love the country and the people.. i find Cebu as my home. Thanks for adding your comment btw I think its a part of life.. If i catch people doing it i never use them again. Also make it obvious why i wont use them. Im lucky my inlaws are pretty good they will often do the buying of things for me so that no one sees me. But it shouldnt be like that. How is the Philippines to encourage tourism with so much racism?

I love the country and the people.. i find Cebu as my home. Thanks for adding your comment btw

]]> By: DCG http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-307 DCG Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:27:30 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-307 Hey there. I'm quite sorry to hear about your experiences here. My family and I moved here from the States about 2 years ago. We live in Bohol, about two hours or so by boat from Cebu. I was born in Cebu but was raised in California. Now, I am Filipino, but my step-dad is white. I know what you mean by getting overcharged for things and all sorts of other stuff that wouldn't happen if only your skin color wasn't white or you don't look like an outsider. I know Visaya fluently, but I would much rather speak in English...because I have a very "American" accent as many people say and I sound stupid when speaking Visaya. But anyways, whenever my dad goes out to places, I always try to go with him, just because I know there's a lot of people just looking to rip him off due to him being white. I know when I first got here, I told people that I didn't speak Visaya just to see their reaction. You start to realize that once they know that you are Filipino but you don't speak the language, they immediately cast you as an outsider. Many times I've heard street vendors say things in Visaya like "oh, whatever, he doesn't understand us. Try to charge him more" I let them go on with their little charade but after a while it got old. Seriously, though, I feel your pain to some extent and hopefully your life here in the Philippines is great. The past two years have been fairly good for me, so I hope that times do change and start looking up for you. Hey there.

I’m quite sorry to hear about your experiences here.
My family and I moved here from the States about 2 years ago. We live in Bohol, about two hours or so by boat from Cebu.
I was born in Cebu but was raised in California.

Now, I am Filipino, but my step-dad is white. I know what you mean by getting overcharged for things and all sorts of other stuff that wouldn’t happen if only your skin color wasn’t white or you don’t look like an outsider.

I know Visaya fluently, but I would much rather speak in English…because I have a very “American” accent as many people say and I sound stupid when speaking Visaya.
But anyways, whenever my dad goes out to places, I always try to go with him, just because I know there’s a lot of people just looking to rip him off due to him being white.

I know when I first got here, I told people that I didn’t speak Visaya just to see their reaction. You start to realize that once they know that you are Filipino but you don’t speak the language, they immediately cast you as an outsider. Many times I’ve heard street vendors say things in Visaya like “oh, whatever, he doesn’t understand us. Try to charge him more”
I let them go on with their little charade but after a while it got old.

Seriously, though, I feel your pain to some extent and hopefully your life here in the Philippines is great. The past two years have been fairly good for me, so I hope that times do change and start looking up for you.

]]> By: mattwilkie http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-305 mattwilkie Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:25:17 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-305 Thanks for your reply lengkyx. Im mainly posting to get people to understand things from both sides in a hope that people start to learn and understand that people are all different regardless of race and colour. Thanks for your reply lengkyx. Im mainly posting to get people to understand things from both sides in a hope that people start to learn and understand that people are all different regardless of race and colour.

]]> By: lengkyx http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/racism-in-the-philippines/#comment-304 lengkyx Fri, 21 Nov 2008 04:34:15 +0000 http://tropicalpenpals.wordpress.com/?p=125#comment-304 so sorry to hear about that. i never really pondered on that issue long enough to be guilty thinking a certain way of filipinas marrying foreigners. i hope all goes well for you. keep believing in us and soon they'll realize you only have good intentions. i guess i should include myself. i don't live in cebu, though. thanks for posting. so sorry to hear about that. i never really pondered on that issue long enough to be guilty thinking a certain way of filipinas marrying foreigners.

i hope all goes well for you. keep believing in us and soon they’ll realize you only have good intentions. i guess i should include myself. i don’t live in cebu, though.

thanks for posting.

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