How Do Filipinos View Balikbayans?

[luol_deng]

i was born in the Philippines but we moved to australia in 1989 when i was about 5, my parents did move to escape the troubles in the philippines , actually we were doing alright there our family was well off but it was to provide a better future for me. When we got here thanks to my auntie we struggled for a few years establishing a life here with school, work and basically getting use to the social environment of australia. It took us 12 years to finally pay our house off due to my parents working hard and never once when i was kid spolit even though only child. They paid for me to go to a good school without worrying about themselves what car they drove than some others in here, they made sure we got the necessities in establishing a life here before luxury. And now im thankful, im working in a good job getting roughly and not being big headed but 80K a year but i owe it all to my parents.

 

But never did we forget about the Philippines and never did we start acting like we are better coz we made it across water, my parents always kept on speaking visaya to me at home and always told me never forget about where we came from. When i was a kid and during my teen period my parents alwayst tried to make a holiday every year to visit family etc and to me that was the best time seeing all my cousins coz here i dont have much. But never once when i was there i thought i was better than the other kids on the block because i had a game boy i would always share my things and not worry.

 

However there are some filos who really give me the sh!t here. First are the ones who come from Philippines fresh off the boat, yea i understand there situation and wanting to come here work for the better of life etc but i hate it like after 4 weeks they start pretending they dont know how to speak tagalog/visaya and start acting as if there millionaires, u know colouring their hair with blonde tips and get an expensive car & house but their pay cant even get their kids into decent schools but act all upper class and all.

 

There are alot of Filipino families that we know stuggle because of this and even to the point of bankruptcy, some are deported back home because of that. There some Filipino families who just work at factories, like my parents, but they put luxury over other important things and now i see them struggling and even their kids work in factories or early job to help parents pay their house off or the 3rd new car they bought to look good in the community.

 

Here in Australia and i dunno for the youths in other countries, but the Filipino youths are the worst. Here in Aus they act all snobbish, give u the look if your not in their "class" (even though there darker than the pinoys in the homeland) and theres always this tension that 'hey i gotta be better than you'...well fCuk that!....

Again some even pretend that they cant speak our language and they just give you a laugh if you do, coz they think your trying hard. The funny ones are the ones when eating time at parties there like 'yuck i dont eat this and that' but when out with 'white' people they blab about how much pinoy they are and even say to them 'aah you gotta try this food of ours' but they their the ones complaining they cant eat it. Being pinoy for them is just a cool image but behind that they dont give two cents apart from them thinking when going on holiday i get a bigger exchange rate & they think there white coz they from here (as in skin, errr trust me ur darker than black).

 

and yes to the above people they are right some Balikbayans do go home and wear all their expensive stuff just to look upper class and be better than the neighbourhood block but in truth their just average people in australia...

 

I can go on all day about how bad some Filipinos are in australia, im not saying all our like this but 60% mostly are. And how do i know coz i grew up with these youths...this is my opinion and what i see of Filipinos in australia...sorry for the ranting im just at work and its going slow today...peace

Edited September 19, 2005 by luol_deng

[masi]

I think that we should treat balikbayans NO different from the way we would relate to our own families and friends. Balikbayans are our mirror to the world. We listen to how they live their lives abroad and they listen to how we live our lives here. They reflect the character of every Filipino wherever they are and we show them what the genuine Filipino is about.

 

You have to credit a balikbayan for his successes overseas. I think we ought to give them time and space for that. I am sure, we get affected when a balikbayan friend/relative talk about how unruly Filipinos are here, how dirty the country is, how cheap life can be. We should not fault them for that. Aren't all these things happening around us of our own making. Overseas Filipinos follow the laws, why cant we do that here.

[Guest airmax]

i view them as equals. kahit nung nasa us ako ang tingin ko sa fil-ams e pareho lang. minsan nga nakipagaway pa ako sa isang kababayan natin na don na nagmigrate. pauwi na ako noon from a vacation this was January 1996. Kasama ko sa LAX iyong sis ko noon. Nong nilipat kami ng isang PAL employee ng linya. Akala nong nasa likuran naming balikbayan na sumisingit daw kami. Tapos nagpaparinig pa na makapal daaw ang mukha namin. Hinarap ko sya sabi ko kahit taga Pinas ako hindi ako ugaling skwating. Tinawag ko ung taga PAL na nagpalipat sa amin sa linya siya ang pinakausap ko doon sa makapal ang mukhang balikbayan. ayon napahiya tinitingnan ko di natingin sa akin. tinatawanan ko tapos hiniritan ko na magtanong muna bago maghusga ayon. pahiya si loko.

[genuis8]

I was born in the PI, grew up there and even had a small consulting trade going before I left for the USA in 1984. I was already and adult male who has enjoyed the club scene and the good food here. Currently I support my mom in the provinces.

 

I have seen balikbayans who are obviously so by their clothes (short pants, leather sandals, US designer wear, etc). I have also observed balikbayans that really pisses me off with their attitude, ESPECIALLY their hoittty-toitty manners, noses up in the air, and speaking english which is thickly filipino accented. I speak fluent english that is midwest (no accent) and if you were to listen to just my voice, you would not say it was a non-white speaking it. But, when I am back home, I speak tagalog with the locals and chinese w/ my relatives. I enjoy speaking our dialects because it gives me practice and it is just so easy to communicate in 3 languages.

 

I love a lot of things about the Philippines and there are a lot of things that irritate me too. Things I can not change, I just to accept it as part of the fabric of life there, and move on. And enjoy the other parts of life there. Believe me, life in the PI is much more fun than life in the USA, which is very bland and boring. I also dress very casually to avoid drawing attention to myself. My Ex-GF once said that she did not believe me at first when my cousins told her I was a US resident on only there for a vacation because I did not dress or act so, only when I was ready to leave did she really believe it was true.

 

This is a true scenario: I was hanging out w/ my cousin and going w/ him to see his suppliers (bosses) for several years, so they know who/what I am. One of them asked me - How do I like the USA (is it fun, easy to make money, etc)? I replied - No, its a hard and boring life, more like existing to earn money, no quality of living like we're used to. He laughed ...... and said - You're "totoong tao"., and stated further that most of the rich or successful people in the US he talked to have the same comment as me ........ whereas the lowly ones on the totem pole come home bragging about how great they are in the USA.

[Guest airmax]

you said it

[luol_deng]

I was born in the PI, grew up there and even had a small consulting trade going before I left for the USA in 1984. I was already and adult male who has enjoyed the club scene and the good food here. Currently I support my mom in the provinces.

 

I have seen balikbayans who are obviously so by their clothes (short pants, leather sandals, US designer wear, etc). I have also observed balikbayans that really pisses me off with their attitude, ESPECIALLY their hoittty-toitty manners, noses up in the air, and speaking english which is thickly filipino accented. I speak fluent english that is midwest (no accent) and if you were to listen to just my voice, you would not say it was a non-white speaking it. But, when I am back home, I speak tagalog with the locals and chinese w/ my relatives. I enjoy speaking our dialects because it gives me practice and it is just so easy to communicate in 3 languages.

 

I love a lot of things about the Philippines and there are a lot of things that irritate me too. Things I can not change, I just to accept it as part of the fabric of life there, and move on. And enjoy the other parts of life there. Believe me, life in the PI is much more fun than life in the USA, which is very bland and boring. I also dress very casually to avoid drawing attention to myself. My Ex-GF once said that she did not believe me at first when my cousins told her I was a US resident on only there for a vacation because I did not dress or act so, only when I was ready to leave did she really believe it was true.

 

This is a true scenario: I was hanging out w/ my cousin and going w/ him to see his suppliers (bosses) for several years, so they know who/what I am. One of them asked me - How do I like the USA (is it fun, easy to make money, etc)? I replied - No, its a hard and boring life, more like existing to earn money, no quality of living like we're used to. He laughed ...... and said - You're "totoong tao"., and stated further that most of the rich or successful people in the US he talked to have the same comment as me ........ whereas the lowly ones on the totem pole come home bragging about how great they are in the USA.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

i agree, when i go home i try not to wear too dressy clothes and i also hate it when other balikbayans put on that fake english tone but their filipino accent is stronger. The social life here in australia is boring at times but thats because its such a multicultural environment you have to mix with different nationality & groups. And sometimes you miss hanging out with filipinos but when you do u get stuck up, back stabbing & plastic people.

 

newayz peace

[murusame]

I strongly agree with that. Life here in Canada is pretty much all work and no play. I really miss life in the Philippines, hopefully I can come back soon for GOOD.

[nedster]

Some very eloqeunt and poignant replies here. Agree fully with genuis and luol. Well said, sirs'

[dodo]

I too left the Phils when I was young. We moved to the US half way through my 4th year of high school. At that time, I remember being so angry at my mom for taking me away from my friends. I wasn't one of those who was dreaming to go to the US. To this day, I still consider Filipinas my true home.

 

Not all balikbayans are bad. I personally try no to be critical of anything that is supposed to be "bad" in the Philippines. In my opinion, since I don't live there what I say don't count. Now, I am just a visitor. Since I am just a visitor, it is dsirecpectful for me to say anything bad about the place. When you are visiting and staying at someone's hosue, are you going to complain when the house is dirty and not up to your standards? I hope not. I do see a lot of balikbayans constantly comparing the Philippine against The US. When I see this, I just say to myself that these people are idiots. To me, this is like comparing the house of a rich man to the house of poor man. Of course, the rich man's house would be better.

 

When I visit, which is what I am doing next month, I try to focus more on the good side of the Philippines rather than the bad side. The Philippines has many good things to offer. It has lots of beautiful women (btw, MA is my favorite), beaches and friendly people. The nightlife is considered one of the best in the world. I cant wait to experience these again although I am not sure what to concentrate on first. Let's see?? I think I'll concentarte on the beautiful women first.

 

When I get there, I will not to dress down or dress up. I will just dress the way I normally dress. If that makes me look like a balikbayan so be it. Anyway, it's not the appearance that counts. So, when you see someone next month dressed like a balikbayan, go easy on him. He might not be bad guy. He might even buy you a drink and become your new friend.

 

Dodo

 

"and in the end, the love yo take is equal to the love you make"

[Guest airmax]

I strongly agree with that. Life here in Canada is pretty much all work and no play. I really miss life in the Philippines, hopefully I can come back soon for GOOD.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Well why not kung malaki na naman ang naipon mo I suggest you come back here for good. Yon lang ang maganda sa mga immigrant/citizen na katulad nyo. Kung ayaw nyo na ulit sa Pinas balik abroad ulit kayo. Take the case of those fil-am/fil-can basketball players, actors and actresses. If things dont work out for them here they can go back to their country of origin. An ex. would be Vanessa Del Bianco. Kaso si Vanessa pinadeport ata. Pero nakabalik pa rin dito. Tapos nasa Canada na ulit.

[jt2003]

For those who have become naturalized citizens of other countries, especially those who left our lovely PI when they were still very young, please remember that you can regain your Philippine citizenship under the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (RA no. 9225), without having to give up your citizenship in your present country of residence.

[Guest airmax]

For those who have become naturalized citizens of other countries, especially those who left our lovely PI when they were still very young, please remember that you can regain your Philippine citizenship under the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003 (RA no. 9225), without having to give up your citizenship in your present country of residence.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

is this the dual citizenship

[jt2003]

Yes. The law is commonly known as the Dual Citizenship Law. All you have to do is to take an oath. There is a downside, though. Once you regain the rights and privileges of being Filipino again (e.g. the right to vote), you also have to accept the obligations of citizenship. For instance, in times of war (God forbid), you can be called up for service.

Edited September 23, 2005 by jt2003

[murusame]

So having a dual citizenship would give me permission to acquire real estate (house) compared to (condos) if I'm not a Filipino Citizen?

[luol_deng]

So having a dual citizenship would give me permission to acquire real estate (house) compared to (condos) if I'm not a Filipino Citizen?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

not really coz my auntie has two house and lot in Bohol & Cebu and shes fully australian citizen...