CALIFORNIA DREAMING

Disgusting experience of a Fil-Am in her country
Benito ‘Jong’ Molintas Jr.

LOS ANGELES, US -- She is a petite, smart, an unequivocal lady who is pure Igorota by blood. She was raised in United States, but proud of her roots, that her dad is from Bontoc and her mom, who is from Pingad, Sabangan.

As a matter of fact she can speak a little kankanaey and tagalog. Her smiling eyes speak of her innate upbringing, as a lovable daughter of Annie Leyaley and Alfred Sumbad.

I was in Gardena City at my uncle’s house to visit her mom. Her mother’s house is just three houses away from us. I was at their house when this compassionate lady approached Annie while she greeted me.

Our conversation went to the point that we were discussing her lessons in class about American-Asian issues particularly in the Philippines. She related her bad experience when she visited Philippines last year.

“Part of our values is we can’t remove hospitality,” I said. When she raised her brows, I sensed something happened to her in our supposedly country of hospitable people. Emphatically, she related here story:

“If I go back home I don’t wanna stay in Manila, maybe not because of the weather, but because of the demeanor of the people around. Actually, most people there were snobbish.

“Before I went to the airport I doled-out my Philippine currency, I didn’t know that I needed to pay taxes inside and I was in a hurry. It was just few minutes to catch-up with my flight. I asked the people around if they could help me with it, so I called my cousins.

“They tried to help me but they were stuck in traffic. They told me to borrow any from the people around so they will pay it when they will be at the airport. But, none of them tried to help me so I tried to look for an ATM machine at the other building. A lady was there so I asked permission since I was in a hurry to use it but she snubbed me.

“Indeed, my pleading statements were answered arrogantly with her facial exaggerations. During the process, as I proceeded to the waiting area, the security guards inside the airport and workers were asking for a tip every time I asked a question. It was so terrible. Of many countries I traveled to like Japan, Korea, among others, the people were not as terrible as those in my own country.

That, maybe one reason why others are ashamed to tell to other nationalities that they are Filipinos, more so, when they have an inkling that the person they are talking to went to Philippines.”
***
I shared my experience in the Philippines at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, when this security guard who was standing close to the entrance of the gate was asking, if I had some Philippine currency left in my pocket.

Her mom, Annie also shared her experience during her last visit to the country. At the airport, she asked where the carts were, when all of a sudden, the airport employee was asking for a tip. “For what,? she said. “Was there any reason to give them? Maybe they think that we in other countries who are working hard have a lot of money. In United States, the salary is equal to your personal bills like phone, insurance, parking tickets, and others. When we want to come home, our pasalubong is not for those who were not budgeted, but for our families.

Dealing with our co-Filipinos in our country could be stressful, what with all the corruption and wheeling and dealing around. Let us cross our fingers that our fellow Filipinos who are staying in foreign countries like the US would not experience the abuse of our kababayan. Let us encourage our fellow Filipinos instead to succeed in their fields of endeavor.