I have often sit and wondered on this subject many times while living here. Is they discrimination in The Philippines, and who does it affect ?? It's really a double edge sword for me as a foreigner here. Some times I feel like I am so discriminated against, and other times I feel, I have special privileges here. One thing I do know for sure, is that since living here, I have come to have a better outlook and understand more the feelings of Blacks, Hispanic, and others in the USA. Before I did not have a enlighten outlook, you could say. Again, the old saying, If you have never experienced it, how can you really know what it is like...
I often find myself so upset and really treated unfairly and unjust. Then on other times, I feel like I am privileged where others are not.. So its really hard for me to completely go one way or the other. I do feel as a foreigner here I contribute a lot to the community I live in, I give more than even the local government gives to certain persons. This is not a vacation for me, but this is my home. I live here, eat here, spend my money here, I do not have ties or funds coming from the US. I do not travel back and forth, i have staked my life here. But sometimes, I can not feel like its home.. I sometimes feel like I am still just a visitor, and also treated that way a lot of the time. If someone steals from me, only a half hearten effort is put into helping, I feel those around me treat me as though I am White, it does not matter if I have a loss. Even after 8 years, still find myself singled out and left behind in conversations, jokes, and just in general chat. Find myself standing by myself and the Filipino's all in their group just having great time. If I try to join in, in moments the group will disband and gather up in another area little later. If I shall sit with a individual, seems like soon they will get up and leave. Like I might have a disease or something.
Now I do give credit, that I stay most of my time around my business, and most of my interaction is with my employees. So I do give the credit that in the Filipino Culture they consider me high, and they do not speak or hang out with " The Boss ". Also I give credit to the fact that they are not highly educated people who might feel inferior trying to speak and interact with me. But, never the less, its still makes me feel like the other person. I am different, I am not allowed to be in the group because of my skin color, or because of my different heritage. It really gives me the feeling of how the Black's must feel when they are treated likewise.
Also when going out with a group of Filipino's mixed with Whites, the Filipinos will most always form their own groups, and the white's form their own groups to socialize. I often hear, you are only a visitor here, respect that. I hear, you can own land, a gun, vote, run for office, own a business, no matter how long you live here. ( Unless I assume you get citizenship, in which case you could do some of those things.) But still, makes me think how the Black's in America must have felt during the days of Martin Luther King and before..
On the other hand, certain situations give me presidence over even Locals. First to be waited on, always given a chair to sit in, talked to treated with more respect then others, someone always wanting to carry something for me, never insulted or abused, ( at least to my face, that I can understand.) So am I discriminated against ?? Am i treated fairly ?? Sometimes it is really a mixed emotions struggle. This is my home, and I do live here, I am a resident here, ( not a Citizen ). So what should be the treatment one should get ?? Although some of the comments I have spoken here, might come from just economic reasons, or cultural reasons, in which no ill will or purpose is intended. But does that make me feel better ?? Or do I still feel alienated, and in a place where I feel sometimes I do not fit in, or am not welcome to live out my life...
Like I said earlier, a double edge sword for me.. Not really sure the answer. I do know I never felt this while living in the USA.. Also could be the fact, that the area I live in does not hold a lot of upper class, educated people. Most all around here are the lower to medium class people. Maybe I could never fit in with them. Maybe like USA, where poor and rich do not mix in the same circles. I have never ever tried to act, boast, or even have things to try to show off my " Richness " ( which is absolutely not so ). But still, even my thinking I am not, maybe I am still,, to them...
So am I discriminated against ?? Are Whites discriminated against in Philippines ?? Sometimes I feel I am, sometimes I feel I am not.. So maybe I just think to much, or living the land of Milk and Honey, all my life, except for the last 8 years I took for granted too much. We in the USA, are taught to respect everyone no matter what skin color, ethnic background. Treat everyone the same. But still China Town is China Town, Black Living Community's exist, They are Black Churches, White Chruches, maybe its just a fact of life and I have to learn to accept it, and live with it.. But still makes me lonely and sad sometimes.... Ohhh, and before you might think, why does he not hang out with expats and other whites there ??? I would rather be lonely and sad...... ( But, I do have a few great ex pats friends who are good guys. Very Few.)
I think the Philippines is one of the most racist countries I have ever been to, I have never known a country where over charging because of the colour of a persons skin happens so much. A country where they claim I have no rights because I am not one of them and people seem to think this is the correct way. Yet when they are in my country they expect equal rights and scream like hell if they do not get equal rights. The people also think they have some god given right to my money, they also seem to think that whites have a unlimited supply of money.
ReplyDeleteMany also seem to treat whites like we are all stupid, when I have confronted a couple of them about this and pointed out if we are stupid and you are clever how comes my country is rich and yours is poor. The reply was your country is only rich because of the Filipinos working there, and they really do think that.
I have not even started on the constant name calling and shouting things like hey F**k you man in a stupid put on accent that is more American than any American sounds.
Apart from all the above I love the country but get sick of the constant racism.
Yah Allan, I have had worse experiences....These are the worst breed of people in general that I have dealt with so far. Get out of there before you go nuts, get incarcerated or murdered. Don't hang around The Gates of Hell. Just get out like I did after 8 yrs of pain. The "fun" in the slogan is not for the tourists, it's for the locals having fun getting and doing whatever they want from the tourists....tats why it's more Fun in the Philippines, island of Baboys, surrounded by the ring of Fire.
DeleteI'm working as an accountant in a British owned mining company here in Makati and since I've been dealing with expats (British, Malaysian, Australian, South African) for the past 5 years I think I can perhaps explain this discrimination issue.
ReplyDeleteCrystal - is a friend of mine and she's from South Africa. She's a lawyer and working in Makati under a secondment contract. Crystal told me once that she finds it hard to establish a friendship with the locals. She said this once "people are nice but they don't want to make friends. They would say "hi" chat a little and it stops there."
And she said I'm her only close Filipina friend here in Makati.
Based from my observation, although Filipinos are good in English, they find it quite intimidating to start a flowing conversation with a foreigner. Filipinos are 'grammar conscious" basically the mindset is, if you're not sure with your grammar, you better keep your mouth shut. Otherwise people will think that you're a "trying hard" person.
As an example:
We attended an office blessing here in Makati, it's a multinational company. The secretary was tipsy and she said "Don't left me".....people (the locals)were laughing when they heard that. And they were teasing the secretary for days.
Inferiority might also be another problem.
Overcharging, tips, etc.....
Whenever I would go out with Crystal I always do the booking, etc. Because it's not safe for her to talk to the agents or vendors, they will charge her more.
One time we were in front of Slimmers Pasay Road, waiting for a taxi. It was raining and when the driver saw the 2 expats he said "P200." That was funny because from Slimmers to our place it would only cost around P50 to P60.
Filipinos always think that foreigners are rich because all they can think of is the exchange rate:
$1 X 44Php
I have friends abroad and of course they have some online chatmate/girlfriend. Most of the girls are from Cebu and Mindanao.
I always tell them "Don't send any Western Union remittances. Those girls know how to beg and they all majored in acting. Once they started asking for money, run away"
It's so sad to hear that girls are willing to expose themselves in front of a videocam. They are willing to masturbate and all in exchange for P1,500 to P2,000. They all want a visa and a better life abroad.
Working in a multinational company for years made me aware that not all foreigners are rich. They also need to work hard like the rest of us.
I wish people will realize that...
We need to grow...
I think discrimination exist all around the world. Be it a developed or developing country. It is only in well developed countries that discrination is discouraged by enacting laws that penalizes it. In the Philippines, where most of the population are hardly earning enough, money is the main cause of discrimation. As a foreigner specially of the caucasian race, you are viewed as wealthy even if it's the opposite thus the special treatment both positive and negative. Positive because you get serve or attended instantly but also negative because they try to put one over you.
ReplyDeleteAs for being friends with Filipinos I agree with Anonymous that sometimes it is insecurity that deters them. Insecurity when it comes to the command of the English language. But most in the more educated sector of soceity have no problem being friends with foreigners specially when they work together.
i also agree that english conversation keeps filipinos away in talking to foreigner. i myself is guilty with it. My auntie's husband is a British. Although we don't want him to feel as if he don't exist or singled out, it still happens. We could talk to him in few lines and then wishing to run away. we find it hard to talk longer in english because we are really conscious of the grammars and what to say next. we are not use of speaking english. i felt bad as well when i see him just sitting their in front of us just as if doing something to his celphone and we a group of filipinos have a great time with jokes and laughing.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I have a friend who has an American hubby. He always said that he loves Filipinos and the Philippines. Why he keeps saying that? Because he trully felt at home and fond talking to Filipinos. ANd sure we like talking and having great time with him. He tried to learn to speak tagalog and he really tried to talk to us in tagalog. now he enjoyed talking to our nephews and nieces, to his neighboors, in-laws, to all the people he meet in the community. He can laugh with the jokes and can join in a group of Filipinos.
We Filipinos are not really racist. It just that we are not used to speak continuous english conversation. we rather to keep quiet than talking a wrong grammar or will think the next sentence to say. if you could notice, filipinos talk loud and always laughing and then when a foreigner sit in, they suddenly in silence. the funny thing is, sometimes they are pushing each other who should talk next with the foreigner so that he won't feel he's not in.
i hope foreigners should understand that... you see when American visits the Philippines, Filipinos tried to be hospitable and tried the best to speak in fluent english. but what about if Filipino visits USA, does American cares to speak to him in tagalog?