How Do Filipinos View Balikbayans?

[murusame]

Meron nga 6 months lang hindi na raw marunong mag Tagalog.

[Guest Leviticus]

kurutin mo para mag-aray!

[hitomi]

yung iba po mayabang...the dollar rate does some strange things to people sometimes. i wonder what will happen if 1 peso=50 dollars

 

being nice shouldn't change when one changes nationalities

 

but if you're not that kind of balikbayan, then consider yourself special hehe :thumbsupsmiley:

[islanegra]

masyado sila minsan pa obvious na galing sila sa tate, japan, uae, etc... like i care? ...i've met some customers na kala mo e kung sino. ..kakatawa lang talaga sila. napapa taas na lang kilay ko. kausapin ba naman ng english ang kargador namin..hello?? e sympre pa smile smile lang tong kargador namin at magtatagalog minsan...tapos marunong naman pala mag tagalog, ay sus! buti pa minsan ibang foreigners e nagtatagalog.

 

my cousins lived in canada for like 10 years na pero pag nagkikita kami or usap sa phone e tagalog din, wala syang accent. even my siblings mag 2 yrs palang...walang arte sa pagsalita. altho' d mo ma blame yung iba kc don na pinaganak at lumaki e, so talagang slang na.

[irishgirl]

Meron nga 6 months lang hindi na raw marunong mag Tagalog.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

true yon, OA nga eh pagnakakarinig ako ng ganon, ito pa classic, ung mga pinay na nakaasawa ng foreigner hahhahahha, im sorry, pero hell, u know what i mean.. super hangin, dinaig pa ang asawa sa pagkaslang, and kala mo kung sino ang yabaaaaaaaaaang, tapos u'll find out na katulong pla sya before nung nameet nya ung asawa nya, haaay. hindi naman sa nangmamata ako pero i think they deserve to be treated with contempt hahhahahah...

[jt2003]

Yung iba, bumabalik dito para lang magyabang. Madali naman makita kasi wala naman talaga silang kailangan gawin dito. O kaya laging nagrereklamo sa traffic, sa usok, atbp. They did everything and everything to immigrate (I'm not talking about OFWs). They clawed, lied, groveled, borrowed and/or whored just to live in North America or Europe. Then they come back after two or three years, just to let everyone know how great their life abroad has been (totoo kaya?). Ewan. Ginawa na nga ang lahat para umalis, e bumalik pa.

 

Then there are those who really miss our lovely PI, but can't come back so easily because of personal, financial, or professional considerations. But when they somehow manage to return for a visit, they act and speak just like us. Just like old times, as they say. These are the ones you appreciate.

[astig_tsubibo]

may mga balikbayan na bumabalik lang para ipamukha sa iba na mataas na ang antas ng pamumuhay nila sa ibang bansa...ang tingin naman ng iba sa atin..totoo nga iyon. kay apag may balik bayan iniispi agad ng iba "bigtime" at mapera yung taong yun..tapos pa slang slang pa at accent accent e gago pala sila e parang hindi sila dito nanggaling diba..i just cant believe na after just spending a couple of years sa ibang bansa makakalimutan mu na ang magtagalog...that's crap. :thumbsdownsmiley:

 

pero meron din naman akong mga kaibigan na balikbayan na sobrang ok..uuwi dito, tatambay, amats dito amats dun..buhay pinoy talaga..pati salita hindi nagbago tapos mga 10yrs or more na sila sa ibang bansa at may sarili na silang properties dun..tapos ang communication namin sa kanila e parang local lang, email, chat, txt tsaka tawag..talagang tropa talaga...updated kaming lahat. pag may happenings dito sa pinas like isa sa tropa namin may binyag o kaya ikakasal..uuwi yun..not to brag or sumthing but because gusto niya pag may mga major events ng barkada e nandun siya..

well probably ganun lang ka solid ang barkadahan namin :thumbsupsmiley:

 

just my 2 cents

[boomouse]

When you live in a foreign country you tend to compare the lifestyle you had back in the Philippines and were you are currently living. Different strokes for different folks. I in the other hand like it here in the U.S. You get to be more independent, you get to be more agressive(since you are the "different person"), and more hard working. No doubt i love the Philippines, but with the way things are goin' on right now you gotta wake up. Corruption? Poverty? s**t the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.. Whats gonna happen to the Philippines in 10 years? How are your kids gonna survive? I took the chance here in the U.S. and thank god I'm doin' ok. You see here it doesnt matter what you do for a living, as long as its a decent job and it feeds you. so what if you work as a waiter or janitor or whatever kinda job you diss back in P.I. its still gives you a home to live at and food on the table. You work minimum in the Philippines how could you survive? 3 kids? milk, rent, food, kulang pa sweldo mo.. Sayang ang Pilipinas sa mga KURAKOT nating gobyerno. You get what im saying? well to each is own.. this is just my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So, what are you saying? The corruption, poverty, inequitable distribution of wealth are major porblems that you could not hack? So you bail out and accept any kind of work in another country? You think that the only people who get rich in the Philippines are ones who steal from government? Or ones who exploit the poor? You bewail the problems ofthe system but bail out and refuse to make an effort to change the situation.

 

It may take time to change the way things work here. But it does not take much. Just do what you do to the best of your abilities, refuse to compromise on irregular procedures, and never back down on issues of integrity.

 

You know, people who steal be it from government or someone else do so because they are too impatient to wait to improve their lot. In my opinion, guys who bail out of their country are not much better in the sense that they also could not wait to see a better life. They want it NOW, NOW NOW.

 

Well, you didn't get it NOW, NOW, NOW in the land of Homeland Security did you? Sure, you drive that car that you know you would never get to own in the Philippines, but that is because you have to drive zillions of miles to get to work that job you think we in the Philippines like to diss.

 

That is fine, but now that you have chosen, bear in mind that you no longer have any right to grouse about how bad you think it may be in the Philippines. Just watch us do what you thought could not be done if you stayed.

 

Your US of A? In a few years, that's going to be eaten alive by the combined asian economies of China, Japan, Taiwan, and the other countries including this country whose system you have such a low opinion of. You may say 'sayang.' I say good riddance.

[AlexZ_73]

take it easy, boomouse. i can see the veins popping out the sides of your forehead. no need to get so angry. kinda makes me wonder if you are indeed as happy there in the RP as you say you are (o, hindi ko sinabing PI, ha).

you know what, we also have pinoy tourists who come here to the u.s. and some of them can get quite irritating as well. they also dole out their share of "naku hindi namin ginagawa iyan sa pilipinas". they make fun of me for helping my wife with the housework and care of our children, they say i have no life because i cannot make weekly trips to massage parlors or ktv's, they feel sorry for me because i am faithful to my wife, why daw do i have to be friendly with the 'hired help' like waiters, grocery cashiers, bakit daw namin kailangan 'kaladkarin' ang mga anak namin sa lahat ng lakad, etc.

but hey, they will only be here for a while so puede namang pagpasensyahan. and hindi naman lahat, eh, some lang. siguro ganyan din kaming mga balikbayan sa pilipinas, some good, some bad. maybe you can also make pasensya. don't worry, uuwi din naman kami. our dollars are bound to run out in 4 to 5 weeks and then we will head back to our 'kawawa' lives in california, new york, canada or kung saan man.

we may all be filipinos but like it or not, we lead different lives in different societies and cultures, being from different parts of the world. we have to accept this reality and respect each others differences. konting pasensya sana.

[milhouse83]

i agree with what boomouse said. leaving the country is kinda like taking the easy way out. but so what? i dont see why we're all obligated to stay in the country when there is better living to be earned elsewhere.

 

there are some people who simply cant afford to stay in the country.

 

you may also be right about the USA eventually going down in the dumps. but then again, so what? ill just move to another country. i dont have any loyalty for the USA whatsoever. ill just move out of the country, just like how i moved out of the philippines. . im like those evil aliens from Independence Day, i stay in one planet and hop on to another planet when its resources are depleted. i am not loyal to any country, no muss.. no fuss!

 

because bottom line is, your loyalty should be towards your wife and kids who depend on you for a good living. im not saying nationalism is dead, not at all. all im saying is; put your family first, and everything else, second.

[zeromike22]

this is how i view balikbayans..

 

1. feeling nila importante sila.. kasi sila yung may pera..

 

2. they tend to compare everything here... "walang ganyan sa states"

 

3. suddenly they forgot how to ride a jeepney... For all i know before jeep lang palagi sinasakyan kasi can't afford sa taxi

 

4. large photoalbums in the sala.. para makita sa lahat na mga ignoramus na relatives... that they have been to disneyland,las vegas, los angeles ,newyork, slide slide sa snow... ganun....

 

5. big 24k necklaces... to show again to us ignoramus that they are already mighty monetarily... For all i know before na andito pa sila sa pinas, fancy jewelry lang ang kaya..

 

6. ayaw na mag ride nang tricycle...

7. slang slang

8. and many others too many to mention

 

* Remember balikbayans that you are born here..... No matter how much money, or success you have, you are still pinoys and still a stranger in that foreign land..

[mach10]

to the great & witty boomouse: you sir are biased towards balikbayans because 1, you hate the americans, and 2, i think a lot of it is just plain jealousy towards those who made the trek out and have better lives than you do. 3, you feel threatened because the PI (yeah that's right...PI) is going backwards while the rest of your neighbors from the east are running away trying to "eat the US alive". i'd rather hear u say your country is out to get the yanks rather than using china, japan, taiwan as punchlines and as a shield for your insecurity. so, instead of blaming your brothers (who did what they had to do for their family) for the shortcomings of your country, i suggest you pick up a sign and stand guard by the immigration counter @ NAIA and tell us why we shouldn't leave the country. or, you can shut your pie-hole and watch the mass exodus in an embassy near you. either way, i don't give a f*ck about what you think of the US and the balikbayans because we're out here doing what's good for our family. and when you say we're not welcome back there and that we're not filipinos, that's cool dude cuz i'm not going there to kiss your sorry ass, i'm there to see my lolo & lola where they treat me like a king. and i know for sure most filipinos do not share your point of view. so, if you gonna come out swinging against us...bring it on BIATCH! yeah, it's like that!

[elbaron1914]

i view them as heroes of the country..

they left the country and now having their share of sacrifices (like home sickness, leaving their friends or loved ones) for the sake of gaining greener pastures. their achievement or blessings are usually shared with their families and loved ones. another is, their remittances helps the country's economy.

[boomouse]

i view them as heroes of the country..

they left the country and now having their share of sacrifices (like home sickness, leaving their friends or loved ones) for the sake of gaining greener pastures. their achievement or blessings are usually shared with their families and loved ones. another is, their remittances helps the country's economy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you referring to balikbayans or OFWs? You'd be 100% correct and I would agreed completely if you were talking about OFWs. Balikbayans? Those guys who left because they could not hack survival in their own country nor take the sacrifice of being an OFW? What's so heroic about that? Unnationalistic more like.

[boomouse]

to the great & witty boomouse:    you sir are biased towards balikbayans because 1, you hate the americans, and 2, i think a lot of it is just plain jealousy towards those who made the trek out and have better lives than you do.  3, you feel threatened because the PI (yeah that's right...PI) is going backwards while the rest of your neighbors from the east are running away trying to "eat the US alive".  i'd rather hear u say your country is out to get the yanks rather than using china, japan, taiwan as punchlines and as a shield for your insecurity.  so, instead of blaming your brothers (who did what they had to do for their family) for the shortcomings of your country, i suggest you pick up a sign and stand guard by the immigration counter @ NAIA and tell us why we shouldn't leave the country.  or, you can shut your pie-hole and watch the mass exodus in an embassy near you.  either way, i don't give a f*ck about what you think of the US and the balikbayans because we're out here doing what's good for our family.  and when you say we're not welcome back there and that we're not filipinos, that's cool dude cuz i'm not going there to kiss your sorry ass, i'm there to see my lolo & lola where they treat me like a king.  and i know for sure most filipinos do not share your point of view.  so, if you gonna come out swinging against us...bring it on BIATCH!  yeah, it's like that!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just because my vocal loathing for you balikbayans stings you jump to conclusions that:

 

1. I hate Americans. I do not. But neither do I have any fondness for them or their culture or their way of life.

2. I am jealous of your lot. I have been there. I worked at Apple Computer in Sta Clara in the mid-80s. I asked to be moved back to Asia. I was responsible for introducing and installing Macintosh computers then considered rich men's toys as poor publisher's typesetting and page layout systems. I dare say I was a success in your country of exile ahead of you. You think you live a better life than I do in the Philippines? I retired at 42. I'm 48. You still working? My son just left for graduate school in Sophia University in Tokyo. Where does your son go? I hope not some second rate community college in the seedy part of leatherneck suburbia. My daughter attends Assumption College which is a small school that has produced two presidents from opposing political fences. Do you kids go to any schools that have produced a president? No? How many dog catchers then?

3. The Philippines, going backwards? That's what you like to think to justify your self-imposed exile. And living with a glass ceiling over your career path, infifnitely more pollution and cancer causing stuff around you not to mention the discrimination that is not supposed to be there is proof positive that the only reason you could not take more steps backward is that wall you have pressing against your arse. You've got nowhere to go now bub.

4. You don't like to hear any talk about the US getting snowed by another country? Start reading the papers. Invest a little in your education and buy the Financial Times of London. Its that wide newspaper with the pink pages. They talk about the European Community almost everyday and how the Euro is slaughtering the US dollar in the world market. So why can't that happen in Asia?

5. The Philippines may not be big enough to take on the US but we're getting at you guys and we're getting you where it hurts. Ever heard of outsourcing? That's an industry that been growin at the rate 60% for the past five years in the Philippines. You know where the growth is coming from? You guessed it! Your good old US of A! Your American companies are pink-slipping your workers and giving their jobs to Filipinos who can do it better for cheaper and yet earn enough to match a bank manager's salary and standard of living. Oh, don't worry, we're only getting your service and customer-oriented jobs. The technical jobs like computer programming and design, that's all running away from the US and going to India. That's in Asia too you know. And then there are the American hospitals constantly begging your INS to allow increased hiring quotas for nurses and hospital staff. Don't worry, in a few months you'll hear of more US healthcare accredited and certified hospitals in Manila so American patients can just go to the Philippines for medical treatment? If you think that's far fetched then you deserve being where you are because it is already happening.

6. Sure the Philippines has shortcomings especially when you measure it by the yardsticks of American life and culture. America would have shortcomings too if measured by Philippine standards. Why you guys are still in the dark ages when it comes to measurement standards! I guess you have to buy petrol by the gallon because US made cars are so badly made and inefficient. Why, brand new Expeditions and Explorers in Manila are sold at bargain basement prices compared to smaller models from Japan.

7. I am not asking you to give a f*ck about what I think. This is a discussion board. and when you do react to what I write in whatever way, I've got news for you--you gave a f*ck.

8. Neither am I asking you to kiss my sorry ass because if you do it would be really sorry and seriously insulted. And that's not even mentioning the affront made on the stuff that likes to pass through it on a regular basis. I am glad you brought up the subject of not willing to kiss it. Thank you. I owe you.

9. If ever I do pick up a placard (a sign would say something like "no parking") and picket airport immigration counters, it would not stop you from leaving, it would say "good riddance" or "thank you for removing your carcass from my country."

10. You can come back here anytime as Americans or ex-Filipinos after all we even sometimes make the mistake of letting terrorists in but not with such dire results as the Americans when they goof on this point. And if it makes your lola happy, why, I'd be happy for her. That means she is hale, and healthy and continues to be blessed with intestinal fortitude.

11. As for being treated like a king, that's the first reason you left remember?

12. I'm am sorry this took so long. I was trying to pull my punches. But go right ahead and show me how long your arms are. I bet they reach all the way to your knees huh? It does, doesn't it? C'mon, you can tell us all, that way, you can make any mistake and even make a fool of yourself and we'll just ascribe it to an aberration of Darwinin theory.