What is good about philippines???

China
November 6, 2008 11:54pm CST
Ok, i will be very frank but dun get me wrong and think that i am showing disrespect for filipino and start flaming me or f#$# me. haha. I am a singaporean and now i am residing in China. From the start, i do not have a lot of info about philippines, maybe there wasn't much news coverage in my local paper. the only info or impression i have of philippines are that the country is corrupted, pp are violent as crimes rates is very high and kidnapping is frequent there. I think it is one of the highest in the world. A lot of politics battle in the country and i only knew about marcos (if i get it right) who was corrupted during his reign and a female president whom i could not recall her name. My negative perception of philippines increased further when one of my good friends married a filippino in a flash marriage after about 2-3 months of courtship as the woman was working in a pub while on visit pass. thereafter, the relationship turn sour and the woman demanded a lot of $ from my friend for the divorce which we speculated that the woman had it all planned up in the 1st place. So as u can see, my impression of philippines was formed up in this manner and i did not have any other info on it. So maybe you can share with me some of your views and it would be good to present real and factual info rather than makeup info to try to portray a good impression of it. I am one who accept critisim, true facts and would apologised if i had offended anyone in this topic
3 people like this
12 responses
@lrglara (1334)
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
crime rates are high whereever you reside. it may not be as publicized as the philippines. since philippines is so open and extremist when it comes to freedom of speech, they tend to exaggerate the news. you may think im biased but im currently residing in another country, particularly in the mideast where i can say is totally news blackout but rumours and first hand news spread like wildfire here. news about the philippine politics being corrupt, i would neither agree nor disagree. but i tell you this, there really is political unrest. it is sad to find that people from other country perceived philippines nothing else as that. But philippines has so many things to offer. it has so many islands that you can go whereever you want for relaxation. people are geniunely friendly especially to tourist because it is not very often that we have them. we are very accommodating and friendly. not all of the people are out to "con" you. you still have to choose whom you're going to trust, just like everyone else. i would really suggest that you try and explore the philippines by going there. i can't defend every news every foreigner hears, as i myself is not there and haven't been updated with recent events. regardless of what other nationalities say, Filipinos are still upbeat despite all the turmoils. we are still cheerful, gullible, and positive. we manage to see the bright side into everything. we manage to smile and still be friendly to others. try introducing yourself to a Filipino, you might be surprised. Like i said, not all of us are out to "con" you. :)
2 people like this
• China
7 Nov 08
yes. i agree crime are everywhere but there should be a kind of indicator. for eg, now i am residing in china and the crime rate is definitely much higher than singapore and corruption is much higher too. i can push some $ to the cop to get away for traffic offences but i am not able to do so in singapore. in every country, there are good and bad so it is a matter and personal experience and also perception. there are good pp and there are also bad pp which is why there are offences and crime, corruption etc. I post you a scenario, if u are to compare crime rate in singapore, japan, china, uk and philippines etc, there should be some differences and there would be some stats to back up the sense of security rather than answering that crimes are everywhere. i hope u get what i mean
@lrglara (1334)
• Philippines
8 Nov 08
i would still say "yes". despite the insecurities and whatever dangers lurking around at night in alleys, street corners, etc. i can still walk alone at night. that's just me and that's our neighborhood. :)
• China
8 Nov 08
incidents of these are everywhere, serial killer, senseless killing, every country have their own crimes and ugly cases. there are in singapore or china too. so we cannot based on specific cases to determine crime rates. generally, it is the cases reported and collated and not a determination of which country got the most inhumane or horrific cases. maybe, the question can be better phrased in this manner, Do you feel secure or safe walking alone at night in your neighbourhood or given a chance, would you exchange the current security climate in your neighbourhood for another etc.
@gicolet (1702)
• United States
7 Nov 08
What is good about Philippines? Super friendly people, giant malls and coconut pies. What can i tell you? Corruption, bad people, they're EVERYWHERE! What you see in the news is what you get so I don't blame you. Here's my impression on some countries: USA - land of opportunity, burgers, terrorist target KOREA - beautiful flight attendants, fake products SOUTH AFRICA - great wild life, rape capital of the world JAPAN - shitake mushroom, World War II ITALY - shoes, pasta, and the Mafia GERMANY - Karl Benz, Schindler's List NIGERIA - Flora Nwapa, Prince of Ek Ek Kingdom has $330,000,000 + need your bank account # IRAQ - oil rich land, beheading videos AUSTRALIA - cute koalas, did I hear chook for chicken? SINGAPORE - so clean no need for Purell, small country Thanks to the media. It's like this, chiaeugene, you can't judge a guy by his mustache. He could either be someone like Tom Selleck or someone like Saddam Hussein but hey as i've said earlier they're everywhere. Been away from Philippines for 18 yrs but every time I go visit there people are the same - very warm and hospitable. Great rule of thumb is "Do not generalize". Hope that helps. Have a good day!
1 person likes this
• China
8 Nov 08
yes. i had some laugh over your post and do not worry, i wont generalized as i was taught not to do so in my school days. media plays an important part in shaping our perceptions and impression of a thing or place. that is the power and beauty. while it is good to have them for faster news coverage and info, at times, it also works the other way in shaping out impression it wanted pp to have. media is also a political tools used to control and calm pp. as long as one is objective and unbiased, i do not think that they will accept what they seen or heard in media as the gospel truth
• United States
8 Nov 08
this made me smile really. I liked the ay you gave your impressions on the countries mentioned especially south africa with all those scams etc.. And that 's right. A person from other country should not generalize. even if we are talking about the US, or Japan, or Italy or any other country. there might be negative issues but there will still be more positive ones.
@ronreyes (4724)
• Philippines
13 Nov 08
Although I'm a Filipino, I would accept some of your views regarding my country. I do agree that Philippines is facing a lot of problems right now especially when it comes to politics and the issue of poverty. The female president you're referring to is Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Personally, I don't like the way she handles her responsibility as a president. A lot of Filipinos are complaining about her corrupt way of leading the country. She got into a lot of issues, from manipulating the election result up to the issue of money and undesired connections and plans with various corporations. Anyway, your perception about Filipino women is something I'm a bit disturbed at. When one Filipina will do such a thing, it doesn't mean that all Filipina will do the same. Perhaps there's a certain reason why the relationship turns sour as what you are saying. The question is how and why? You should ask your friend what's the cause of the break-up that leads to the incident where this lady demands a huge amount of money. Where in fact, most divorce are settled this way. Correct me if I'm wrong but on the other hand, I don't think my country is a bad country all the way. There are so many pleasant things that exist here which I'm sure you'll be pleased if you'll ever have the opportunity of experiencing any of them.
@ronreyes (4724)
• Philippines
13 Nov 08
I'm sure you do. Philippine foods are delicious and there's a lot of beautiful places here which I'm sure you'll enjoy. One of them is the famous Boracay or perhaps the country's summer capital, Baguio.
• China
13 Nov 08
whay do u mean by summer capital? i am curious. i know manila does not sound like a good place to visit even filipinos told me not to but visit other areas. maybe u can tell me more. is there any exotic places that i should visit? as i understand christianity is one of the main religion in philippines, there must be many churches which have long history and cultures. is there any one in particular? i visited malacca in malaysia and there is a church with a very good history and its site is well preserved and i am interested in visiting places like this. just like i visited temples in china. i am a free thinker but i have always been fascinated by religious building. i did the same when i was in nepal.
1 person likes this
• China
13 Nov 08
yes i will. no worry that i will treat one for all. i do not have this mindset and never will. every country have their own good and evil and it really need one to have his own experience by visiting the country. i will do so if i have the opportunity to find out myself and i believe that i will be able to find out good experiences and things about philippines
1 person likes this
@ayenacsi (910)
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
You said it yourself, you don't know much about the Philippines. You just remember all the controversial news about it. And you are even vague about it. It is sad with what happened to your friend but we can't all be that bad... You might wanna try and visit the islands if you really want a first hand impression of the Philippines. I am sure that there are many Filipinos in Singapore and very friendly. You might have friends that are Filipino who can take you to Manila or other places like Cebu or in Boracay, or Palawan. I am sure that you will have a good time. It is sad that you have this impression of the Filipino people...
1 person likes this
• China
7 Nov 08
yes, which is why i want to know more from the people instead of reading it elsewhere as chances are the facts would be distorted. Most of the pp i met are in pub and i know that filipino performers are really good as there are some very good bands in singapore compared to other band groups from thailand or indonesia. but apart from that, i do not have any interaction with them even my friend's wife previously. Is it true that crime rates is high over at your side?
1 person likes this
@gracie04 (4549)
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
i think you are just seeing the negative side of things.. you know, each country has its own flaws. i admit that i live in a corrupt country but it isn't all about corruption, crime, politics and all. we also have things that we can be truly proud of..like the white sand beaches(boracay, palawan and pagudpud to name a few), batanes, siargao, camsur, davao and ilocos are must see too.. you must try scuba diving and other water sports.. we have world-class performers like Charice Pempengco, Manny Pacquiao, Lea Salonga, Monique Lhuillier and Fil AM hollywood celebrities like Apple the Ap of Black Eyed Peas, Rob Schneider, Vanessa Hudgens, Lou Diamond Phillips, etc.. we are very hospitable, we gladly accept visitors and entertain them, we have rich natural resources, we are known for being determined and hardworking, we try to solve national issues and inspite of problems we remain to be happy, filipino overseas workers are known for being active and productive, you see the nurses, caregivers, engineers, teachers, welders, seafarers are mostly filipinos, etc.. there's more to discover about the Philippines. if you wanted to know more about the 7,107 islands here then you must visit and explore our beautiful country.. =)
@24Champ (465)
7 Nov 08
Thanks gracie04 for highlighting some of the Pinoy talents. I forgot to mention that many Filipinos are also artistically talented and renowned worldwide for this. Likewise, Filipinos are creative and ingenious (many scientific discoveries and useful inventions can be traced to the Philippines, some of the more famous ones include the moon rover/buggie by Ed San Juan, water-powered car engine by Daniel Dingel, and of course the first "karaoke" machine by Roberto del Rosario - now, Japanese should not forget to acknowledge that). Well anyway, enough said. I think the OP is already convinced that the Philippines is not as repulsive as portrayed by the media.
@24Champ (465)
7 Nov 08
that's moon "buggy" not "buggie"...sorry for the mispelled word
• China
8 Nov 08
thanks for sharing. palawan is a famous and nice resort in the region. i also knew there is a very good long distance runner by the name of hector begia(something like that) who dominated SEA games and did well in asian games. There are still many more and i definitely do not know that there are so many islands in Philippines. I tot indonesia has the most.
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
What's good about the Philippines? Tourist spots, the people, the places and the food. Other things like controversies, the political nitpicking, etc. are the same things other poor countries have been facing only... we're pretty popular with the world. Well, everybody has their opinion on the matter and it's a healthy discussion so no problem on that. By the way, I'm a filipino.
• China
8 Nov 08
great and thank you for your invitation to your country. i had made myself clear, i have nothing against philippines but rather would like to hear more about your opinions of your country. becasue what i heard are generally negative but that does not mean that i will take it as it is at face value. there is always more than that
@Masmasika (1921)
• Philippines
8 Nov 08
Hey, let's look at the coin in both sides. Of course, every country has its bad and the good side. why don't you try coming to the Philippines? There are lots of good things to see and experience in the Philippines. The people are very accommodating and gracious hosts to visitors. Spare us who aren't in your bad list. I'm so sad that you only have the bad sides exposed to you but many of us Filipinos are good and kind. I think the problem in the Philippines is too much freedom of everything which make people want to do whatever they want. But then as i said, there are more Filipinos who are good that who are bad. I think what happened to your friend is justified being that your friend married someone who is working in a pub. You can come to the Philippines and I assure you that you will finally find out what makes millions of foreigners visit our country every year. And most of them keep coming back to see more and experience more exciting and pleasant experiences. I would suggest you read more because as educate people we have to learn how to judge things fairly and in the proper perspective. Cheers and hope you will change your views about Filipinos.
@Masmasika (1921)
• Philippines
8 Nov 08
Thanks. I appreciate you for voicing your opinion about what you heard about Filipinos. I can't blame you totally for reacting that way given that you heard the negative side. I'm sorry about your friend, things like that do happen but not all people are the same. Of course, wherever you go there are always the bad and the good things that come your way.
@roque20 (518)
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
I think you are just looking at the negative side.You know there are some countries which are worst that philippines if you only know and for your information.Well,you must visit the country first before believing to that.Any person could do that even in other country women/people that they just use their husband or just use their wife.
• China
7 Nov 08
well, i guess it is normal and this is how pp build up or form perception of things or impression of a place or person. This is human behaviour and i think you would too. It depends on how u digest the information recieved and how you are going to use it. If i go around now and broadcasting or openly tell everyone that philippines is all about crimes, murder, kidnap or corruptions then i must admit i am using the wrong information or perception wrongly and see it as a truth which i would classify myself as stupid. Just like if i says marcos is a good president and i am sure at least half of its citizen would disagree with me. so this thread is an avenue for us to know what is good about philippines. There may be many other things that we do not know, some cultures which are beautiful but not shared to the world, some places which are not known. I hope you guys get what i mean.
@jstmarfz (1498)
• United States
8 Nov 08
I felt bad about what happened to your friend. But hey! why blame the lady? It is not her fault being too smart compare to your friend. Anyways, as a Filipino I can't deny how bad politics runs in the Philippines. Have you ever thought that after all the bad impressions of foreign people about Philippines they are still eager to visit Philippines. And why is it foreigners are seeking for filipina to be their life partner? To think, crimes are not just happening in the Philippines. Where ever nation you are, crimes will always be there. And, there are goo qualities filipino have that to be proud of. Sobefore reacting negatively, look at both sides what Philippines have for you to understand.
@Margarit (3676)
• Philippines
8 Nov 08
Hi chiaeugene, Honestly i dont like the way you start the discussion for it is not good to judge filipino like that. I know that is true but it is only a part from the whole. If you want to know more about our country you should first go and visit here to find the truth. Philippines is the best place to live specially in davao city, If you visit here you will see the difference, it is not like your country but the people who live here are so warm and hospitable. I know why your friend fall inlove with a filipino woman because he see something good about her. If things go wrong, i guess there is a reason behind for both of them. do not judge the book by its cover.
• China
9 Nov 08
yes. let make this clear. i had not throw any judgement yet. if i had, i would had started the discussion in a negative manner and i think i would invite an even more hostile discussion than now. my friend tot he found true love but i guess the woman in question found real $. haha. i think she had it all planned but let not discussed about that as it may happened even if the woman in question may not be filipino. i would visit the country but i do not think i would like to visit manila but rather other cities in pilippines. i somwhow hold some fear in manila. haha
@mods196621 (3652)
• Philippines
7 Nov 08
Do not rely only to what you hear or gossip about the Philippines. The best you can do is visit our country for you to see of your very own eyes the beauty and being hospitable of people living here. In many places there are corrupts and bad people. As you can read the bible there are bad guys or you can see a movie anywhere in the world. What happened to your friend is not the best source for you to judge one place or person. Maybe that was incidentally happened. If we could put our impressions into judgment we will lose our confident to others and our freedom to enjoy life. It will change into fear and lost of chance to have friends in other places. What I can tell you now is you are welcome here in my country try to visit our beautiful islands. Mabuhay!
• China
8 Nov 08
yes. i would do so if i have the chance. someone ever told me that not to go to manila if i want to know about the culture and the pp but to go away from manila and i can see a beautiful philippines. I think from the start of my thread i had i already state that i had not and did not judge philippines from what i heard but rather the news or info available to me was those more unpleasant news rather than good news. it may also be that the news and media in my country is biased and would tend to publish those unpleasant incidents so as to make locals feel secure in their own environment. i hope u get what i mean
@nimnim74 (250)
• Philippines
8 Nov 08
What is good about the Philippines? that is the question. some of the things that I've read in this discussions make me hurt because I am a Filipino. yes it's true we are a poor country, but most of the discussions focused on the bad side of the Philippines in which if you are living here and you were being brought in an educated way and in places like living in peaceful place in the Philippines. I would not trade my life living in other country. I am supposed to be an immigrant in one of the richest country in the world but I went home to my humble Philippines. i am focused now with helping my poor people, but though they are poor the good in the Philippines are the people are happy, bonding friendships are also our treasure. If you are earning dollars this is the best retirement place for you because your money will be of higher value and most of all God never forget Philippines we have the most beautiful tropical view a world class scenery just at your reach. Just an advice to those who want to come and visit here, don't mingle with people in pub places of course what can you get about them as any country do they also have the same experience not only in the Philippines. We are one of the most populated country but have friends with educated Filipino we have lot of them here so you will not have bad impression on the Philippines and then you can see what good in the Philippines.
• China
8 Nov 08
yes. and i think i am glad u got my point. this purpose of this thread is to allow us to understand more about philippines and not only from what is portray in news or media. u have voiced your opinions as you had seen your own country and also life elsewhere and decided that going back to your home country is a good choice. There are other things that attracted you back to your country which i think would be a familiar enviroment, friends, families, beautiful scenery etc and there may be many more which i do not know about.
• United States
7 Nov 08
I can't blame you to say negative about Philippines. Philippines is just not lucky especially in finding the right leader and it all started on Marcos Administration. Crapy currupt leader and Pilipino suffers till now. After that Philippines keep drowning and every president there's always an issue of corruption. Of course population keep on growing, how would you think people will survived especially the poor. People tried to work abroad just to support their family how about those who can't afford and can't even get a job in the Philippines. Of course people get depressed, stressed out and lost hope and there's nowhere to go and turn into the wrong way just to survive. I guess not just the Philippines are like this it's just that Philippines got to much problem. Still, there are still nice people, decent people, warm hearted, hospitable, friendly ang God fearing people in the Philippines.
• China
8 Nov 08
yes. the news always broadcast or publish in my local paper only have unpleasant news. i guess that the media is trying to paint a biased reports on the situation so that we, local would feel secure in our environment when compared to yours. I have nothing against and do not form my impression. the reason i started this thread is very clear, i believed there are many other wonderful things that we can learn and know about in philippines but some pp just took it negatively that i am trying to be sarcastic or mocks at their country and that i am immature to have build my impression or judgement based on those infos that i had heard or experienced. I already expressed that this is not the case but somehow along the way, pp got misunderstood my posts