Expat in the Philippines
small corruption in the Philippines
August 1, 2010By Jan
Corruption in the Philippines is a large problem and integrated in the society for years. Everybody seems to accept it. The ‘bigger’ corruption can be found in the government offices and the house of representatives, and even in the senate of the Philippines. Many ‘officials’ are corrupt and get money that is not actually theirs, but belongs to the people of the Philippines. There are many jokes about the so called “pork barrel” issues in the house of representatives. They all are able to get some for specific projects they initiate but put a lot of the money in their own pockets or the pockets of assistants, contractors and the like. Of course there are also ‘honest’ politicians in the Philippines, but because of the political system in this country, many are NOT. I will not discuss this here, I only like to report about corruption on a small scale.
A few days ago I was visiting the Immigration Office in Manila at Intramuros. When arriving, parking our car was no problem. There was enough space around 10.30 AM. A friendly man was even assisting in parking between two other cars (but on almost every parking lot in the Philippines you will find this kind of friendly people).Around noon we were finished and wanted to go elsewhere in Manila. The same helpfull man was assisting again in going out.
I took a 10 peso coin from my purse and gave it to him saying thank you.At that moment the man was saying that he wanted to have 30 pesos. I know that this is the correct amount to pay, but only if the (official) parking attendant is handing a ticket for parking. So I requested a ticket and was willing to pay 30 pesos for it. But the man said he could not issue a ticket to me. So I said that he only could get 10 pesos, or 30 with a ticket. The man tried to get 20 pesos in stead without ticket, but I refused it. I handed him the 10 pesos, said goodbye and drove off, probably leaving the man cursing: “those F***** kano’s ….. “. For those who do not know the term kano: it is short for Americano. All not Filipino people are seen as Americans and called kano.
This wasn’t the first time I experienced this at this place. The first time, a few months ago, I was issued a ticket by the official parking guard after another man also wanted to have 30, and not the 10 I was intending to give. Fact is that people try to get money from visitors at the immigration office without the issue of parking tickets. I call this corruption.They steal from the government by doing so and I realize that this kind of corruption doesn’t have much priority in the government, it IS corruption.
Philippino people like changes in their country. They have a new president now, who is not corrupt and even fighting the corruption. People only do not realize that changing the country starts with themselves. They have to start being straight themselves and look for proper jobs. It is only that this way of ‘earning’ money is easier, and if they are lucky maybe they ‘earn’ more each day.
Corruption can be found in all layers of the community. This is just a small example of it. I will report of more cases soon.
18 comments:
Uhmm, I was thinking of the movie wherein children were taken by "Aliens" to save them from the total destruction of a "decaying" mankind & its habitat. These children were placed in a seemingly fresh, beautiful place to start a new life. And you know, youth = new beginning.
Any takers, albeit only from the Philippines?
This expatriate in the Philippines has a real feel of the culture of corruption in the Phil.
To Passing By: That's fantasy but also a metaphor for Revolution. A call for the wholesale destruction of all those in power and replaced them with the young, the new.
since I did not fully realize it can be interesting
In all honesty, I did not think of any revolution, just what the Aliens did in the movie. I forgot the title but will be back with it sometime.
But, now that you have mentioned revolution, it can be metaphorically interpreted as such.
There are so many foreign expatriates in the Philippines and surely are aghast at the corruption in all levels of the government.
Sad and embarassing for the majority of Filipinos.
President Aquino seem bent on breaking with a cudgel the backs of corruption.
Aquino needs help and cooperation from honest Filipinos. He needs to succeed. Revolution is a bloody alternative to reform.
"Knowing" is the movie?
Ya, it is Knowing. See the thing is when I first mentioned this movie what I had in mind was the fact that when things are so deep in their rot and quite late to cure it is best to focus on what is still to come up in the future and on what things this future will be based on more importantly its players. Shape these-them so that when their time is up to be used they are already in the proper form. So in the movie the children were taken away to save them from the “corrupted” as in tarnished environment and to allow fresh new better life to happen. With the exclusion of the bad environment there won’t be bad examples available for these children to look up to thus not continuing the cycle of mistakes and disgusting way of life. That said what better way now to pay attention to our growing children. Discipline them educate them properly because when their time is up to be useful the place has a better chance of propagating a good environment. Only then can we stop the bad things from going around.
What do we do with the stubborn rotting ones? I am just passing by and can’t really work on it but let your imagination work otherwise you have been contaminated and perhaps a part of you is also progressively rotting. Be inventive I mean in the proper way artistic too ay there is art in every act. Business is open for suggestions……
Reality Check: It is so extremely difficult to change a culture. It will take generations to do it. But it can be done, starting from the top. Aquino is a start, with the help of many honest, ordinary Filipinos and the activist youngs.
Everybody thought then that it was impossible to defeat a monolithic Soviet Union. Now it is in the dustbinm of history. So will those crooks in the Philippines. One day.
There is hope and a promise of better tomorrows.
Vancouver would you prohibit Jenny from posting some remarks? i wonder what jenny thinks. but i think she is scared of you.
YOU ARE SOMETHING. KIND OF GUTSILY RUDE AND SELFISH BUT HEY, TO EACH HIS OWN. IT'S A FREE WORLD. BUT WANT TO MAKE IT UNFREE VANCOUVER?
just having fun. so i ask the question.
You constant bloggers.
Manila boy, what the heck are you talking about?
There is nothing to argue here. Lets cooperate and help our very own bacon come to life again..free of the traditional leader that have lorded us over the past 2 decades. Its about time our national government spend time to alleviate the poverty of our people. our present head of local government continuously proves to be a bad leader, lets do our part and help put new faces capable of delivering us the change we wanted.
Right on Taga Basud.
Quite late in the evening here /perhaps early morning to others but had a chance to visit your blogsite. Sorsoganon aco/Manila resident just interested in the personalities of different bloggers in my loving province. I can see many aliases in one or two persons. But this is for VANCOUVER.
vancouver you seem too eager to welcome others with the exception of Jenny. Check your message to Reader on September 9, 2010 @ 12:06 pm on A BRIEF HISTORY OF BACON PART 111. you said to Reader regarding jenny’s long explanation:
DON’T YOU DARE GET HER STARTED AGAIN.
Why?
Of course Reader with a very weak personality easily obeyed your command.
Unless Reader and Vancouver are the same person.
To Manila Boy,
You really did not get my humor.
I am sure Reader got it. Jenny at first got it but later seem serious.
Calm down. Though topics here have some seriousness with the main intention of uplifting Bacon, plus some extras that go beyond, the exchange of ideas need not be void of fun, perhaps with a touch of tolerable, more appropriate alacrity for something that we might find otherwise offensive.
This should not snowball into something else other than contained decorum. Manila Boy, if you are having fun, I hope it ends here.
Thanks Jenny.
Don't you think guys its about time we get more involved and not limit ourselves in this forum? The leaders are not doing any good. Their decisions are lined with their personal interests. There are numerous anomalies with the current administration, contracts full of grafts and corruptions. I wonder why we can't put up something like a bayanihan to topple our present leaders - starting with mayor, besides, it is he who sold the identity of municipality of bacon by conniving in merging it with the bigger municipality of sorsogon to form the current city and serve as a stage for his interest of becoming a city mayor since his 3 term limit was then consumed. A very good example of a capricious mayor serving not his constituents but his interests. tsk tsk..we can not move forward with this kind of leader.
Vancouver well isn't that something. leaving to check other bloggers here.
To All Alumni of Sorsogon Provincial High School:
WHAT: SPHS/SNHS Alumni
Association Anniversary
Celebration
(Metro MAnila base)
WHEN: October 16, 2010 at 6:00
o'clock PM
WHERE: Veterans Hall, Camp
Aguinaldo, Quezon City
Entrance Fee: PhP 150.00
There will be a Ballroom Dancing to be assisted by a live band. Other Sorsoganons, although not an alumnus of SPHS, are likewise invited to attend.
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