From the outside looking in
In the movie "Proof of Life" starring Meg Ryan and Russell
Crowe, a scene where a list of countries with rampant kidnappings
was depicted. Not surprisingly, the Philippines was number one in
that list.
This would probably elicit a mere chuckle from the average Filipino
working in Luzon or Visayas, since he knows that these kidnappings
happen only in the far-flung reaches of Mindanao. He has not been
to these places, and life for him is the same despite these headline-hugging
news.
But for a Filipino living abroad, the situation is different. Looking
at his country as a detached observer, he sees the Philippines in
the same way as other nationals see his homeland. He has to answer
questions from non-Filipino friends like, "Is it safe to visit
your country?" or "What's happening to the Philippines?"
A nonchalant reply could be, "It's just the media blowing up
the issue. My country is safe; it just depends on where you're going."
But what, indeed, is happening to the Philippines?
Despite our renowned Filipino hospitality, we hardly attract 2
million tourists a year, whereas our Asian neighbors welcome more
than 6 million visitors annually. As the Abu Sayyaf tarnishes our
image abroad, capital flight continues, with as much as $38 billion
leaving our shores in the past two years, according to the Central
Bank's balance-of-payments data. Investor sentiment is down, while
the Makati Business Club, in a recent survey, believes that growth
targets this year are unattainable. This is just less than seven
months after the euphoric administration change.
In the meantime, the Commission on Population announced recently
that a staggering 40 percent of the population or more than 30 million
Filipinos are living in poverty. The Philippines' sagging economy
still hopes to get a boost from overseas Filipino workers (OFW)
who are expected to remit some $600 million by December, raising
the total OFW remittance to about $8 billion this year.
This optimism was based on an increase in the number of highly
skilled Filipinos leaving for employment abroad. The painful reality
is that the Philippines is actually subsidizing wealthy nations
with skilled doctors, nurses, scientists, engineers and computer
programmers, at the expense of the Filipino taxpayer who may have
paid for their education.
It is these Filipinos abroad who are privileged to look at the
Philippines from the outside, but who have to answer queries from
colleagues and friends about what is good or rotten about their
country. It is a difficult task, a task that carries responsibility.
For other nationals, their perception of the Philippines or the
Filipino is often based on how they see their Filipino acquaintances,
and not so much on what appears on TV or in newspapers.
While the overseas Filipino could hardly make a dent in his nation's
domestic affairs, he can greatly determine his country's image abroad
within his circle of influence. While his vantage point allows him
to observe his country from the outside, he should rather look inside
himself as a Filipino from the eyes of those around him. *
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