Bisdak Babbles

Aside from the news about swine flu, TV Patrol is filled with reports about rallies, corrupt government officials and charter change. I think corruption in the Philippines is really getting worse. Yes, those corrupt government officials have a major role in the worsening state of the country, but before throwing stones at them, we Filipinos need to look at ourselves first.

Majority of the foreigners who have visited the Philippines say that Filipinos are really hospitable, and that’s very nice to hear. But when it comes to treating our fellow countrymen, we get a failing mark. Last Saturday, I went to Lucky Plaza, a hub for the Filipinos in Singapore. Something urgent came up and I need to send money to my family in the Philippines. I usually send it through Metrobank but it was really urgent so I approached an ML Kwarta Padala agent to inquire about the fees, etc. The Filipina behind the counter grudgingly answered all my questions. I thought it was just her nature of speaking but her tone was completely different when she chatted happily to her colleagues! Hey, I’m a customer for crying out loud! Really disapponting, eh? Even those employees at the Philippine embassies act as if we have to bow before them so that they would offer their services.

Why can’t we just treat our fellow Filipinos with respect as much as we treat the foreigners?  Still, no one could beat the Japanese people in how they treat their customers.   I hope we can just learn from them just a little bit.