How Do Filipinos View Balikbayans?

[Gent_m33]

Most balikbayans are heroes....i think a lot of us have immediate family members who worked abroad and remit money to the Philippines...and the country should be grateful for that coz the remittances have kept the Philippine economy afloat....however, some balikbayans are arrogant fools...know it all...the truly learned and educated ones are more understanding....i have lived overseas for several years and have encountered both types......anyway, am based home (for good) now and nothing beats being in one's motherland..

[speed1909]

Balikbayans are probably viewed as people who has better skills than the average worker. Certainly they are used as a political tool by the government officials to further their own ends.

[muffy69]

As a balikbayan, one thing that turns me off is when my friends ask for "pasalubong." If I can afford to give them all "pasalubongs," I will ask them in advance what they want . But if I feel that they are obliging me to bring them some goodies, then I resent them and make it a point not to see them when I'm in the Philippines. I won't even call them.

 

Balikbayans are not made of money. We toil hard. We work hard for the money.

[hks7mgte]

As a balikbayan, one thing that turns me off is when my friends ask for "pasalubong." If I can afford to give them all "pasalubongs," I will ask them in advance what they want . But if I feel that they are obliging me to bring them some goodies, then I resent them and make it a point not to see them when I'm in the Philippines. I won't even call them.

 

Balikbayans are not made of money. We toil hard. We work hard for the money.

 

 

I definitely agree. It's a misconception that people back home think that just because were simply bailkbayan automatically means were loaded.

[boomouse]

I definitely agree. It's a misconception that people back home think that just because were simply bailkbayan automatically means were loaded.

 

 

I pity balikbayans. I have seen how they live. I almost turned into one. It does not really matter if the balikbayan is a well paid doctor or nurse with overtime credits overflowing or a simple TNT custodian who has to work odd jobs at odd hours of the day.

 

They lead the same hard life. They have to put up with their white or egoy bosses; they have to do their own household chores because even if they can afford it, the hardship they went through to earn the money they would have to spend has turned them into penny pinching misers. What a stressful life.

 

So when they finally come to the Philippines for a visit (probably after accumulating enough 'miles' flying around the US for their work so that they get a free ticket) I try to make sure they have an easy time. I put them up in a small hotel where they have privacy, assign a car and driver to them so they can go wherever they please. When they bitch about the traffic, I tell them to just layback and sleep it off since they are not doing the driving anyway.

 

Despite the traffic, they wonder why feeding a car at the rate of 11 mpg (about 4 km/l) seems to be not a problem (gas is still much cheaper in Manila); and why a 6,000 square foot home (about 600 sqm) seems to be a standard among middle class families. And they marvel at the squad of 'kasambahays'; and how our teenage kids are polite and do not back talk despite being pampered by their yayas--even if they can't call 911 to complain about corporal punishment.

 

Next week I have another batch of relatives coming in. Doctors. They have to do their annual medical mission to the country ostensibly to dispense free medical advice and meds. But I know better. Its a tax shelter. They get to claim back their expenses by several magnitudes enough so that the cost of their entire trip is 'washed' by the reduction in tax they pay their IRS. I'm not letting on that I know. Let them feel like the returning benevolent lost relatives back from the crusades.

 

And when they finally return to their daily stateside grind, I will sit back, enjoy the sunset from my porch sipping a freshly brewed cup of UCC's Blue Mountain No. 1.

 

Masarap pa rin sa 'pinas.

[boomouse]

Most balikbayans are heroes....i think a lot of us have immediate family members who worked abroad and remit money to the Philippines...and the country should be grateful for that coz the remittances have kept the Philippine economy afloat....however, some balikbayans are arrogant fools...know it all...the truly learned and educated ones are more understanding....i have lived overseas for several years and have encountered both types......anyway, am based home (for good) now and nothing beats being in one's motherland..

 

 

Correction. It's not the remittanceof balikbayans that provide the Philippines with a healthy foreign exchange reserve balance. Its the remittance of overseas Filipino workers. There is a difference.

 

OFWs precisely work abroad because the world labour market was willing to pay them more for their services as compared to local wages. There is nothing wrong with that. At the end of their contracts (granted after several renewals) they still return to the Philippines to hopefully nejoy the fruit of their toil.

 

Immigrants--the ilk we tend to equate to balikbayans, have jumped ship. These are the ones who have given up on the country by moving their entire families to places they consider offering better opportunities. Yes, the reasons they have are also economic in nature but their intentions are different.

 

Compared to what OFWs send, balikbayans but send a pittance. If you look at forex inflows from North America compared to the total from the rest of the world you will know what I mean.

 

Yes OFWs are heroes. about two decades back, their remittances indeed kept the Philippine economy afloat. Filippino immigrants in the US--the balikbayans--well, their net contribution is over hyped.

 

Kudos to you for returning to the Philippines. Your timing is perfect. This country is on the verge of an economic revolution despite what they say about the corruption, crab mentality, the bad traffic, and lousy governance.

[Gestanon]

^ very enlightening, and informative.

 

napansin ko rin yan, Pinoys abroad led a stressful lifestyle. I also hate to say this, well it's reality, karamihan ng mga balikbayans ang yayabang, kala mo na sila na ang may ari ng Pilipinas, yes not all of them but it's the majority of them...mapa relatives or mapa acquaintance. anak ng tokwa karamihan marunong naman managalog pero pa english english pa na may kaartehang slang pa, maryosep...if i know double kayod sila sa U.S. wala ng pahinga...puro utang naman ang mga bahay at sasakyan nila. Masmasarap talaga sa Pilipinas...dito sa Pilipinas makakabili ka ng bahay spot cash! wala ng utang utang, full payment agad kahit standard 600sqm pa sya. sabi nila mahirap kumita at maliit ang sueldo dito ? nasa diskarte lang yan with the right discipline and proper entrepreneurship.

[lomex32]

Wait till you set foot on NAIA and take public transport

 

... Everyone seems to ask for pasalubong and even money

 

 

 

As a balikbayan, one thing that turns me off is when my friends ask for "pasalubong." If I can afford to give them all "pasalubongs," I will ask them in advance what they want . But if I feel that they are obliging me to bring them some goodies, then I resent them and make it a point not to see them when I'm in the Philippines. I won't even call them.

 

Balikbayans are not made of money. We toil hard. We work hard for the money.

[Gestanon]

Wait till you set foot on NAIA and take public transport

 

... Everyone seems to ask for pasalubong and even money

 

hehehe I could relate to that, I am not a balikbayan but I toured the US in Xmas 2003...when I returned back home, outside NAIA, nilakad ko lang from NAIA to my home in Sto. Nino, Paranaque..may bitbit akong maleta eh , mga kolokoy naglapitan sa akin at nahingi ng pera, anak ng tokwa sabi ko hindi ako balikbayan namasyal lang ako...ayaw paring tumigil parang walang narinig sa sinabi ko... :thumbsdownsmiley:

[lomex32]

Or something WORSE

 

Get Robbed - 1001 ways

 

 

hehehe I could relate to that, I am not a balikbayan but I toured the US in Xmas 2003...when I returned back home, outside NAIA, nilakad ko lang from NAIA to my home in Sto. Nino, Paranaque..may bitbit akong maleta eh , mga kolokoy naglapitan sa akin at nahingi ng pera, anak ng tokwa sabi ko hindi ako balikbayan namasyal lang ako...ayaw paring tumigil parang walang narinig sa sinabi ko... :thumbsdownsmiley:

[Oregon Waffle]

OFW bayani. Immigrant/Fil-foreigner buti pa sila. Nakakahiya yung ibang staff ng NAIA. Pag nakitang Pinoy yung dumating

nanghihingi ng pasalubong o pera. They should wait for the tip and not ask for it.

[happy rider]

How do i view the balikbayan!!!!

 

Welcome ( with open arms ) :cool:

 

 

peace to all mankind!!!!!!!!!

[tamisuplada]

I pity balikbayans. I have seen how they live. I almost turned into one. It does not really matter if the balikbayan is a well paid doctor or nurse with overtime credits overflowing or a simple TNT custodian who has to work odd jobs at odd hours of the day.

 

They lead the same hard life. They have to put up with their white or egoy bosses; they have to do their own household chores because even if they can afford it, the hardship they went through to earn the money they would have to spend has turned them into penny pinching misers. What a stressful life.

 

So when they finally come to the Philippines for a visit (probably after accumulating enough 'miles' flying around the US for their work so that they get a free ticket) I try to make sure they have an easy time. I put them up in a small hotel where they have privacy, assign a car and driver to them so they can go wherever they please. When they bitch about the traffic, I tell them to just layback and sleep it off since they are not doing the driving anyway.

 

Despite the traffic, they wonder why feeding a car at the rate of 11 mpg (about 4 km/l) seems to be not a problem (gas is still much cheaper in Manila); and why a 6,000 square foot home (about 600 sqm) seems to be a standard among middle class families. And they marvel at the squad of 'kasambahays'; and how our teenage kids are polite and do not back talk despite being pampered by their yayas--even if they can't call 911 to complain about corporal punishment.

 

Next week I have another batch of relatives coming in. Doctors. They have to do their annual medical mission to the country ostensibly to dispense free medical advice and meds. But I know better. Its a tax shelter. They get to claim back their expenses by several magnitudes enough so that the cost of their entire trip is 'washed' by the reduction in tax they pay their IRS. I'm not letting on that I know. Let them feel like the returning benevolent lost relatives back from the crusades.

 

And when they finally return to their daily stateside grind, I will sit back, enjoy the sunset from my porch sipping a freshly brewed cup of UCC's Blue Mountain No. 1.

 

Masarap pa rin sa 'pinas.

 

i was so disgusted with this comment i had to say something. i wonder if your relatives know what a pompous, pretentious ass you are. tax shelter or not, they chose to do their medical mission here. i'm sure there are hundreds of other ways to shelter their income where they live. i'm just appalled at how you flaunt your decadent lifestyle while at least 40% of the country is below the poverty level... "masarap pa rin sa 'pinas." make you feel like a big boy doesn't it. as for doing their own chores, a great majority of us here do it ourselves anyway. i do. no shame in that. and far as penny pinching, did i mention 40%... nevermind, at least they have pennies to pinch. i've had my share of balikbayans who complain to no end, it's like nails on chalkboard, until one of them told me that the reason why think that way is because they've seen what other countries have done and they know it just doesn't HAVE to be the way it is here. don't get me wrong, i'm not pro balikbayan, i'm just anti complacent. so what's worse? ever complaining balikbayans? locals who treat balikbayans like banks? i'll take either one with open arms. just keep the self-possessed, smug, unconcerned, complacent affluent locked up in their gated communities sipping their freshly brewed cup of UCC's Blue Mountain No. 1

[muffy69]

Wait till you set foot on NAIA and take public transport

 

... Everyone seems to ask for pasalubong and even money

 

Hi, boss lomex32! *waves*

 

When I arrived at NAIA last Dec. 24, I greeted the guy at the immigration booth a "Merry Christmas." He smiled and said "Sorry po at di ako makakabati. Bawal po kasi at baka ma-misinterpret." Then I said, "Gawa po kasi ng ibang mga kasama n'yo kaya nadadamay ang lahat. Pero Merry Christmas pa rin po." I patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

 

When I left last Jan. 9, there were three security guards (two males and one female) who were very friendly. Then the girl flashed me her winning smile and whispered, "Wow, si Ma'am uwi lang ng uwi para magbakasyon. Baka naman meron po kayong pang-balato diyan." Sheez, I started smiling, held back and gave her a dirty look instead. Ang kapal niya. :thumbsdownsmiley:

[tombone]

I think mostly look at balikbayan as the lucky one who have a better life .