I am living in the Philippines for good since January 1999. Being involved in several businesses - as you can read in profile - I do get a lot of emails every day. Mostly from concerned foreigners, who plan to put up a business here in the Philippines, to get married to a Philippine national -or plan to settle down here. Not only inquiries because of this and that - no, but also a lot of questions. Sometimes it's indeed very difficult to formulate the correct (or best) replay and answer.
Of course, foreigners, who are still planning to stay here for good, should plan very well and ask a lot of questions, because law and requirements change always. All updates regarding all concerns can't even be published here.
But here are also some (additional) questions, I get on a regular basis:
- A doctor from a Western country asked, if Filipinos are also wearing shoes, because he only (?) sam them wearing slippers.
- A business man asked, why most Filipinos try to avoid to speak the Spanish language. (I suggested the man to research in Philippine history...).
- A German woman asked, if the Philippines (in general) are really poor, and if we would experience hunger here. What would you answer her?
- Another doctor from an European country, who planned to open a clinic in "the capital of the Philippines - and really only there!", asked me, if I really would enjoy living and working - in "Jakarta" (!?).
Some questions are really more then unbelievable. Asking me, if Filipinos can survive without electricity, or, if we also have chickens and tomatoes - oh boy, I am sure, everybody understands that I left such questions unanswered.
As Philippine Star columnist Jessica Zafra voiced out last year: "The Philippines is an entire country also outside its national borders. All those Filipinos have have friends, foreign classmates, colleagues and family members living and working all over the globe!"
Those Filipinos are also helping to promote the right imagine of this wonderful country. Who else could help?
When in Manila...
