Speaking Out as a Tourist in the Philippines
Speaking out about the Philippines government or policy is not really recommended for the tourist or the expat in the Philippines. Doing so could get you blacklisted and deported from the Philippines. If you’re advocating change in government it could be viewed as a foreigner meddling in internal government affairs. The government holds that such meddling may not be acceptable.
Recently, there has been some increased tension in the southern part of the country with fighting breaking out between Muslim militants and the Philippine military. The Philippine army has been widely successful in these clashes. Many have been left homeless as a result of the clashes. And there have been protest related to these activities.
One TV station ran stories on protest regarding these actions and some foreign nationals were interviewed. That is what sparked these reminders from Bureau of Immigration (BI). I don’t know if those people that participated in the interviews have been deported but I suspect the next one to show up on TV will be deported. I don’t think the BI is going to put up with much of this.
I don’t think there is any appeal regarding this kind of action by BI and those being deported will be put on the Philippine black list so that they may never return to the Philippines.
In a story that appeared on ABS-CBN news, the BI chief stated:
“Foreigners should have no business joining these mass actions because it is tantamount to meddling in our country’s internal affairs,” Libanan said
I’d say that makes the BI position very clear, some American’s may cry Freedom of Speech. If you like it here, I’d say you probably would be far better off keeping those thoughts to yourself. You are not in America. I doubt the US would tolerate the Taliban in the US protesting against the American government. Personally, in the US, they should be allowed to protest but that’s the US.
It is up to us to change to confirm to the new land we live in, when the American Expat left the US and decided to live in the Philippines, we gave up the good of America while escaping the worst of it. So pull in your rebel horns and speak very softly when living in a foreign land.
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Good advice! We are not in Kansas anymore! I talked to a fat American in Jollibees in Gen-San once and all he did was complain. He said he could’nt wait to get home to Chicago to get some real food. I told him that he could probably survive a few more months without any problem. I think it is shameful to criticize when you are a guest. I could’nt imagine wishing to return to dirty crime ridden Chicago of all places!
From what I’ve seen, Jolibee’s has better food than McDonald’s. in the US we regulate and sue people that feed us food with fat in it. As a result, the food at McDonald’s or at the their once fabulous fries now have no taste.
That’s all I get at either place and I don’t go much. I usually only go when they cut the power in our city which is usually once per month.
I’ve found that most American’s complain about the Philippines, not just American’s but all expats yet they keep coming back. If you get them talking about the US they will complain about that too. Sometimes people are afraid to say what they are like for fear that someone may disagree with them.
If you are just eating the burgers and fries at Jollibees you are missing out. The fried chicken is comparable to Popeyes minus the red beans and rice of course. Even though I am not a big McDonalds fan I have to admit that I miss American style food when in PI. I was happy to find hienz ketchup in a store last time I was there so I have all my needs filled now.
When in Manila one time McDonalds had a McRice burger that was really cool because the bun was compressed brown rice. I liked it but Marie hated it. I teased her that now McRice will fail because Asians don’t like it. Hopefully this is my last winter in Arkansas. I will miss my children but not my former home.
LOL McRice is funny
I rarely go to Jollibee’s. Most of the time I go to the BBQ by Bogo Bay when we go out. Jollibee’s is expensive!
I go there when they brown out the city because I get crazy when I can’t type on a computer or at least, as a last resort watch TV. Awww Just love all the re-runs on discovery, national geographic and animal planet. Even CNN and BBC and Fox run re-runs on the weekend.
I miss good cheese. I rarely went out in the US, I couldn’t afford it so not much for me to miss. I usually through some ham on george foreman grill and put some cheese on it and that was mostly what I ate. I’m not really into cooking, no I hate cooking. LOL
I need to buy a George Foreman grill and have it shipped to me. There’s not a lot of food that I like, I wish that wasn’t true. I managed to endure the chocolate covered pizza we have here in bogo city. But I don’t go there any more they made a pizza I couldn’t eat, they fouled it up and still made me pay for it. So I’ve only been back when it rained on my way to the BBQ and i didn’t get pizza.
Now the bread here is awesome and that’s been a real problem for me. I’ll eat the entire loaf!
About to write a story about Kidnapping in Mindanao. Just saw some really scary numbers.
I usually do not post alot on Blogs but I have to say, you guys have it ALL wrong!!! “Spaceburger” is the best in burgers, even better than most US places i have eaten in! McDonalds here is OK for a Big Mac, but that “McDo” is nasty as all hel#. I also have to say that it gets a bit old after a while when you have to very pointedly remind the kids not to put ice in a shake!
As for Jollibee, YIKES. We had one open up in the village where I live and it has been packed since (about a year now). I like China King better but I live for trips to Davao to get that Spaceburger cheeseburger.
I will admit though, that when Jollibee first came here I was eating the salisbury steak (I believe it is made form soybean) and gravy thing just about every day, hard to stomach Lechon Manok, and I cannot go for Baboi since my wife wishes us to keep Kosher.
Missing cheese? I can definitely relate! Try Swiss Market in most malls. it is over prices but you know SE Asians lack the enzyme for dairy although statistically Pinoy are a bit better than most. We could after all be in China, right?
I miss alot of food. I am Israeli so Shwarma, Hummus, you name it I miss it! I will neve understand how a country so influenced by Chinese can have such a bland diet! That is the big thing for me, going to the cities and stocking up on Western style foods.
I do agree that complaining when in another country is shameful, but hey, we are all human. The key I think is not to complain openly, but to one’s self, close family, etc. By the end of my first year I was eating just as much fish as my family, and they eat nothing but salt water fish, and occasional shell fish which I cannot eat. Fish, ampalaya, kalamansi, and soy sauce…and the obiquitous boiled white rice. What I would not give for a steamer!
you know just because u complain about some aspects off a country ,does not mean u dont enjoy much it has to offer ,if visitors just kept saying wow how wonderful ,nothing would ever improve ,i love the philippines ,but like most normal visitors see many things i like to see improved ,same as in my own country ,nothing pleases everyone . regarding eating in Cebu we after a few months decided the best place to eat was FRENCH BAKER in SM really enjoyed their bread and coffee.jolly bee the kids loved ,but i was not to impressed.but all in all the Phillipines is a great place ,so full life and colour,
Graeme,
when I criticize expats for complaining about the PI it is because so many of them only complain, everything they say is a complaint but they talk the same way about their homeland.
I talk about things I’m not fond of but it is not my purpose to bring about change.
I’m an outsider here, its not my place to change the land and trying to change it could very well get you thrown out.
I see things that bother me a great deal, some things I certainly would like to see change, usually that is about the environment, but people that live in a country resent foreigners coming in and acting as if they have all the answers and try to push that change. So I applaud the governments efforts on environment yet at same time, I recall when the US was at the same stage.
I got turned off by a lot of expats that just sit around and complain so I’m probably over sensitive to it. Now natives, they have every right to complain and seek change. Foreigners should be very careful about that.
I mean I hate cold showers. But at least I have a good strong steady supply of water, not everyone here does.
Not everything here is perfect, but insulting a Filipino can get you deported and blacklisted and what is an insult is in the eyes of the beholder.
I’ve been to the French Bakery, probably where I should eat but I don’t like things that are good for me. LOL I laugh but I’m afraid it is true.
I don’t make it a point to hang out at expat hangouts, I do my best to hang out and Filipino hangouts.
Oddly though, I’ve had more coffee from starbucks since I got here than I ever did in the states.
First place I ate when I got here was McDonalds. I guess I was slow to explore. LOL
I just want to say things about the Philippines. Its a beautiful country, lovely friendly people. I was a project manager In saudi Arabia and mployed nearly 400 Pinoys, from Professionals to the lowely labourer. They were all wonderful and after a 2year contract I got to know them well. Thats why I am living here now. I love the Philippines!!
Philippinos have so much to offer, hard working, entertaining,hospitable, highly skilled, innovative and probably the Philippines has the potential to be the top Asian country if it were not for “politics”, corruption which is now endemic. Please, let the Philippines find a leader that has the people in their hearts, a leader that cares and is prepared to do the best for their country and the people. I hope this is not a dream, too many powerful family dynasties rule and control local provinces. This is what happened in many European countries centuries ago, but eventually the people won their fight for a true decromacy. I love the Philippines, I love the people, I just want the Philippines to become the country of Asia. Hope I dont get arrested for expressing freedom of thought. I have only the people at heart.
Hi Mike glad your here and hope you visit often.
You are free to think whatever you like. When you share that thought with others you set yourself up for problems. If you make someone mad, they may point to your message to get you tossed right out. I don’t know how effective it would be since you didn’t mention a particular government official. That can cause severe sanctions on you. the law is there, in part, because of the issues between Muslim and Christians in the Southern Philippines.
I think the law is there to help prevent others from coming into the country and fanning the fires. I’m all for that myself. The Filipino has freedom of speech, we expats do not.
I think it best to let the Philippine people sort this out themselves, they don’t want our opinion and they know there are problems, they know far better than you or I.
Some of the things I see as a problem though, most Filipino don’t.. I wont say what though.
I wonder how we’d feel about “outsiders” coming into the US and telling us things about our country. (Not sure where your from but you can substitue home country for US). Heck the Canadians do it and they don’t even come to the country to do it.
I fully agree that people from other countries should not come into the Philippines and participate in demonstrations and protests against the government of the Philippines. Or any other country for that matter.
I do feel that people should be able to discuss ongoing events and topics. As long as they are not trying to instigate trouble. Unfortunatley Rusty you are incorrect Filipinos to not really have freedom of speach either. Ask the families of reporters and local activists who have been salvaged or have just disappeared. Who did it? I don’t know but a number of these have been in the paper and even the international community has noticed as evidenced by the low ratings given to the Philippines in several recent international ratings lists.
The Philippines has a creative and industrious population. With good guidance they could be the leading country in Asia. Indeed they once were. Hopefully they will someday have the vision to make it true again.
No Tom, I am not incorrect. There is no law that restricts the right of Filipino to speak that I know of. Yes there are murders of many people that speak and make someone angry. That in no way changes that Filipino have a right to free speech. I do not support vigilanty justice for this very reason. I prefer due process and I was of course speaking of the law. You can get killed in Memphis Tn. for something you say. If you don’t believe that, take a stole down Lamar Avenue spewing out hate message from the Klan or even blow your horn at the wrong person.
You as an visitor cannot put down or disagree with any policy of the Philippine government. It has nothing to do with what you feel. You can feel it all you like but it just isn’t true and if you do so, you can be thrown out of the country for it. That’s the law. Its clear and there is no doubt about it. I doubt the government has the time or interest in dealing with these type of things on a daily basis but if you hack off the wrong person with what you say, then you’ll find yourself blacklisted.
I saw a wonderful article the other day by a Filipino about the recent controversy over the banning of bikini contest in Cebu. He as a Filipino has free speach and can say what he said. I however cannot say it. He has free speech. I do not nor dod you.
Well by law you may be correct. Did you ever read the old Soviet Constitution they had that right too. So it being on paper doesn’t mean much if you have fear of retribution by exercising it. I am not trying to compare the Philippines to the old Soviet Union it is not even close for sure. I am just making the point that just because it is written doesn’t mean you really get it as advertised.
The point being there are most likely a number of Filipinos who do not speak their mind on major issues precisely for this reason. So if you can only say what you feel when it agrees with what prominent people say or you risk an untimely demise it’s not really freedom at all is it.
I am not just pulling this out of thin air the deaths of news reporters and activitists are a fact.They have even been reported in Philippine newspapers. I am not trying to tell them how to run their country that is their business to do but the happenings in this regard have not gone unnoticed.
I know your not pulling it out of the thin air. There is a activist group regarding the safety of journalist out of New York City. It holds the PI as one of the most dangerous places for journalist. If you take on the wrong people here, they will have you killed.
However, the State, if they can prove it or be forced to prosecute because of strong evidence that becomes public they will prosecute. Filipino do have freedom of speech. Laws are broken to abridge those freedoms certainly.
No, I never read the Soviet Unioin”s constitution and I can say I don’t regret that. LOL I find it hard to believe. I gotta wonder about the source of the translation. The government of the USSR had groups to make you shut up. You’re right, that’s totally different. That was open state controlled speech.
Your free speech in the USA is often limited for the same reasons, just usually not by those with political power. When it happens in the PI or in the USA, it is outside the law.
The government will not put a Filipino in prison for saying the “wrong thing.” Most Philippine officials would not have a Filipino killed for saying the wrong thing. Well, unless they just wouldn’t shut up.
My article was refering to limited speech imposed by the government on expats and tourist. When I said Filipino had free speech, I was clearly speaking about law.
Not a bad point to bring this out, that is the murdered journalist. That does happen. Unless people talk, its really hard to bring two men on a motorcycle wearing helmets to justice. That’s the way these things are often handled. Not just with journalist.
Foreigners living in the Philippines have little or no civil or legal rights yet they are expected to pay their taxes in full to the Government. Filipinos living abroad are granted full rights of free speach. An imbalance somewhere?
Luz, that’s not accurate. It depends on where the Filipino is as to the rights they get.
Rusty, I was referring to freedom of speech for Filipinos living abroad in democratic societies, mostly in the USA and in the European Union where freedom of speech is garranteed. The Philippines is said to be a democratic country but clearly some Government members seem to have a problem with foreignrers exercising that right. Unfortunalely some have a problem with even Filipinos speaking their minds. But I do take your point about where they live abroad. Mostly in dubious places like the Middle East.