(Yesterday’s column)
You may know Jay David as the author of the two irreverent Kwentong Tambay books that chronicle his life as an overseas Filipino worker in Singapore and, currently, in California. His books are the printed version of his Web log. In one recent Web log entry, he recounts an incident at the Los Angeles airport involving a Philippine Airlines employee. I asked him for more details and he sent me this e-mail:
Jet’s [Jay's wife] dad passed away recently and she had to go home to be with her family to bury her dad. She and her aunt booked the earliest possible flight to Manila and it turned out to be Philippine Airlines. I decided not to come home so we can give the money that was supposed to be my plane fare to help with the expenses.
I was helping Jet check-in her bags at the PAL check-in counter at Los Angeles international airport when this PAL employee rudely stopped me and asked for my tickets. I told him that I was just helping my wife check-in. He then pointed his finger at a small sign that says ‘For Passengers Only’ in a way that was really insulting and shouted, ‘This line is for passengers only.’ I felt embarrassed and shocked that all I was able to do was to quietly move away. I just decided to wait for Jet to get to the counter itself and rushed the bags to her when it was her turn. To add a big insult to the injury, the same rude PAL employee suddenly became super friendly with the two white guys behind us.
I’ve seen this incident happen to many OFWs in my travels. We get treated very rudely by our own countrymen because they have this notion that somehow they are superior. There are Filipinos who mistreat their own countrymen because they can. In their minds, the white man is superior and so they have to be extra friendly with them. The only ones they feel they can dominate are people like themselves–their own countrymen. It’s a screwed-up version of reverse racism where you are mistreated by your own kind.
I’ve complained to PAL and all I got the past three weeks are canned letters of apology, saying they are doing something about the incident. Three weeks to reply to a complaint? Either there are too many complaints that it’s too hard to handle the case load or they don’t have any idea what customer support is all about. Which is what I tend to believe since they assigned a rude racist guy to be the first person people meet when they check-in at the PAL counter of the Los Angeles airport.
Below is PAL’s reply to Jay’s complaint.
Dear Mr. David,
Thank you for the message we received apprising us of your recent experience with us. At the outset, please accept our regrets for the disappointment you may have felt as a result.
A request for feedback from the offices concerned had been initiated to provide us with the full circumstances of the reported incident. The handling Customer Management Officer will further communicate with you for the resolution of your concerns, as soon as we complete our reports. Meanwhile, you are assured of our most preferential attention.
Sincerely yours,
RAUL O. FONTANARES
Manager-Customer Relations
Philippine Airlines
As of this writing, the handling Customer Management Officer has not communicated with Jay.
I understand when Jay says he has encountered similar incidents many times. When I was in Taiwan last year, I have seen many of these incidents too–front desk officers in [local] hotels and resorts hardly paying attention to Filipino guests but able to give their undivided attention, with the warmest smiles, to foreign guests especially those with white skin. And this attitude is not something peculiar to employees of private firms.
We were on our way out of the Taoyuan International Airport when we passed by a group of people confusedly forming a queue. A man at the front end of the line was shouting at them and when he spoke in Filipino, I stopped walking. The man wasn’t just shouting–he was shouting rudely as though castigating everyone in the group for their inability to form a line quickly. His tone, as best as I can describe, was a mixture of annoyance, sarcasm and condescension. I turned around to another member of our group, an undersecretary from the Department of Tourism, and asked him if he knew what that was all about. He said the people in the group were overseas Filipino workers and the man shouting was from the Philippine office in Taipei. Did he have to shout at them like that? I asked. “Minsan kasi, makukulit din yang mga OFW na ‘yan,” was the answer I got.
Minsan kasi, makukulit din yang mga OFW na ‘yan. True, I suppose, if “makulit” is the right word to describe the external manifestation of that mixture of enthusiasm, excitement, anxiety and dread that anyone embarking on a new job, especially in a foreign country, experiences. I don’t know what it’s like to be a government official trying to organize a group of adults who may be in a foreign country for the first time. I know how unruly Filipinos can get–you only have to go out on the streets to understand. But if it’s your job to help these new arrivals, if you get paid to put them at ease and to make them feel that whatever happens, you are someone they can turn to, it seems out of place to treat them like, well, like second-class human beings.
I suppose it’s a reflection of how many see their own Filipinoness as something small, insignificant and unimportant. You feel small, insignificant and unimportant so you target someone whom you feel is even less than you so that you can feel bigger and more important than he is. Sad, sad state of affairs.
Connie, this not only happens to Filipinos outside the country. This kind of prejudice also happened to me twice while I was transacting business at BDO. They were not very courteous to me just because they thought I was a housewife as I was dressed in a blouse and jeans.
It happened to us in Boracay.
I will share this with my daughter, a second year student of B.S International Hospitality Management. Perhaps she can bring this topic up in one of their Travel and Tour class discussions.
In its advertisements, PAL projects Filipinos as the embodiment of character traits like respect, hospitality, warmth. Isn’t that ironic?
Thank you, Connie for this eye opening entry.
so sad.. remember the OWWA employee slapping a PAL stewardess for being rude (or was it the other way around?).
i myself had a lot of reverse racism experience. when i took NW airline to china in 2006, the attending NW airline lady asked me rudely why i had to take a connecting flight in narita to shanghai. if i was as rich then as i am now, i would have told her had NWA gave more options for mileage tickets, i would have to waste my six hours waiting for the connecting flight in narita airport.
then this steward from NWA who refused to refill my orange juice saying “wala na po sir” and found out later at the back of my seat eating his meal and an un-opened carton of the same orange juice. hahaha
simple things, but it’s difficult to forget especially when you saw how they were almost on a panic when the requests had to come from other nationals.
pero ganun na nga ata ang eksena globally, chinese attendants act the same with chinese passengers but not with the japanese or other non-asian nationals. masakit man tanggapin, pero mas pipiliin nalang natin na ganun kesa makipagdiskusyunan buong araw na pare-pareho naman nating alam na wala ring mangyayari dahil halata ka paring pinoy kahit isang toneladang likas papaya ang gamitin mo.
“We were on our way out of the Taoyuan International Airport when we passed by a group of people confusedly forming a queue. A man at the front end of the line was shouting at them and when he spoke in Filipino, I stopped walking. The man wasn’t just shouting—he was shouting rudely as though castigating everyone in the group for their inability to form a line quickly.
OMG! i remember that! grabe yun. gusto kong sampalin yung mamang yun!
yes, it’s racism, pero i’m not sure whether it has more to do with perceived wealth rather than skin color or nationality per se. for example, sa pagsanjan, favorite ng mga boatmen ang mga hapon at koreano, much more than caucasians. mas malakas daw kasing mag-tip. syempre, kulelat ang kapwa pinoy.
it doesn’t make it right, pero ganun yata talaga. money speaks louder.
it also happened to me last year, but it wasn’t a filipino who treated me unfairly but a malaysian ground staff of malaysian airlines. their flight was delayed by 3 hours in manila going to KL, and i missed my connecting flight going to bintulu that same day. i was worried because my dogs were with me on that flight and i was just asking for assurance that the dogs be at least be given water to drink. the ground staff simply ignored me and even managed to smirk as if the dogs did not deserve humane treatment. good thing though, a european guy was with the same dilemma as mine and same connecting flight. he also had two dogs in tow. when he spoke to the same ground staff, they immediately attended to him, and syempre, damay na rin ako and my dogs sa “pleasant treatment” nila. i don’t know actually where the problem lies, does skin color really matter to a lot of people? or is our nationality?
its so sad that instead of giving fellow filipinos that value added service, a lot of us think that by putting someone down actually elevates them into becoming a better person.
many times i’ve bought my kids some clothes at this store Big & Small during my lunch break, but i always get this surreptitious glance from the sales ladies who never manage to smile or say hello. but when another customer comes in who obviously looks much “can afford”, they greet her in the most pleasant and almost sing-song way and tend to her like crazy. i am not one to seethe about these things, but somehow your article pushed me to share the same experience.
This is the kind of treatment that is prevalent in our society. And it really peeves me to the bone. No wonder we have no unity in the land. Sad.
– At the food court in Duty Free Philippines, a crew member tried to serve first an American guy who was actually behind me in the line. It was the American customer who told this Pinoy server that he should serve me first. This was in 1999.
– A supervisor and a cashier at Duty Free Philippines (DFP na naman) were just chatting away and laughing out loud when I was in front of them, waiting to be served (note: I was wearing something akin to house clothes and my hairstyle looked like I had been cleaning toilets the whole day). I’m usually a patient person, but I thought that was the height of rudeness. So after several minutes, I snapped at them and asked in straight English, “So, would anyone of you know where I can have this transaction done? I want to buy this Samsonite bag, and I’m really in a hurry.” Kailangan pang magalit at mag-Ingles bago ako asikasuhin. This was last December.
– At Starbucks (Alabang Town Center), the barista let me wait for a long time before he attended to my needs. But I noticed he was courteous and super nice to the “sosyal” Filipino customer, who came before me. This was last year.
– At the Dtuch Embassy, the Filipino visa officer would shout at a tourist visa applicant who didn’t look “sosyal” enough. At some point, I couldn’t stand it anymore and so I told the visa officer, “Mister, bakit naman ganyan kayo makipag-usap sa kapwa ninyong Pilipino? Puede naman sa maayos na tono kayo magsalita?” This was in 1999.
- At a multi-media training center in Makati, the instructor was more attentive to the foreign students (a British girl and a Canadian lady) than to the Pinoy students (that included me), who paid the same tution fee. This was in 2006.
And the sad stories go on.
It all boils down to value system. People tend to respect more those whom they think are powerful and influential based on outward appearance (so the elite Pinoy gets good treatment as well). And Pinoys, being colonial-minded in general, are more ingratiating to foreigners (especially the ‘white version’) whom they perceive as moneyed and, thus, powerful.
luthien, ah, you remember. Blood-curdling, wasn’t it?
Lala, it might be as Ruth says. Money.
Ruth & Kotsengkuba, this is going to sound really crazy. But, truth is, I don’t remember getting discriminated against by fellow Filipinos (except that I get discriminated against as a woman and it has happened many times). I’ve seen it happen but not to me — at least, not that I recall any incident. I mean, not in the context of this discussion anyway. I read your comment, Ruth, and I realized it might be because I look more Japanese (or maybe Chinese) than FIlipino. Even here in Antipolo, I get treated like a tourist. And we’ve been living here for more than 7 years!
Kree, Shaz and Jayred, the solution, screwed as it may sound, so you don’t get victimized is to speak fluent English with one eyebrow raised and to sound as snooty as possible. It puts assholes three steps back. It never fails. EVen on the phone. Of course, it doesn’t address the substance of the issue but there is a certain amount of satisfaction one gets when a person who perceives himself superior (based on his own screwed standards) suddenly finds himself shrinking with his own inferiority complex.
as for me,I want to praise the security guards of NAIAA 2,My pick up at the airport was late and It was midnight,noticing that we are helpless waiting for my”sundo” one guard offered me his cell phone when we cannot contact our my “sundo”,another guard went back inside the airport and when he came back he lend me a phone card,while another one went to the paging counter,They acted so professionally and Im dumbfounded,to all the security guard of NAIAA keep up the good work.
i looked too native daw kase. my wife looks korean so mejo angat sya sa service ng eroplano or was it because madalas kasama nya si tifa, our 1-yo daughter.
“Kree, Shaz and Jayred, the solution, screwed as it may sound, so you don’t get victimized is to speak fluent English with one eyebrow raised and to sound as snooty as possible.”
That was my Ate’s advice. It worked for her there in RP and even here in Switzerland.
I never had problems when it came to phone calls. Speaking English in a business-like tone does help a lot indeed.
The problem arises when people see me in person. Kasi mukha akong gusgusin siguro (LOL). This means I should pay more attention to my ‘packaging.’ When I went kasi to Duty Free last year, I wore my faded Hang Ten shirt.
Di pa ako nakakapag-shop at that time for new shirts kasi.
Pinoys are all over the world now and chances are you will run into some of them who are in a position of authority, no matter how menial, who treat their fellow countrymen in a demeaning and disgusting manner.
Over my years on the road, I learned to steer away from them (if I have an alternate choice)to avoid verbal and physical confrontations. I do not want my opinion of my fellow countrymen to be negatively affected by the behavior of a few losers. Luckily, there are less of them and more of our kababayans who behave decently, act and treat everybody (no matter the race, gender or age) equally, as they should.
I agree with you “screwed standard” is the culprit. The way we were brought up has something to do with the way we see other people. I remember a line in a book I read, although fiction has some truth to it. The scenario was the son was telling his mom that they have a classmate whose accent is different than most of them and he’s difficult to understand. The mom’s reply was “You should not think of your classmate as someone who is inferior to you. He’s accent means he knew at least two languages.” Most filipinos think that if you can speak straight english you are superior than those persons who can’t. Kaya effective way yun na pangkuha ng attention from a kababayan. My husband has a niece who doesn’t want her kids to speak tagalog despite the fact that they live in Manila just because se thinks it’s baduy. Sad indeed. I recognize the importance of learning the English language but to forced anybody to turn their backs against their native tongue is something I can’t fathom. Well…sabi nga nila, to each his own.
I was shopping for jackets in NJ with a friend and we started comparing the sizes of the jackets (Small vs Medium) to check how much bigger one was compared to the other. I was holding a small black jacket and my friend was holding a medium tan one, same style. We held the jackets back to back and was checking the difference when an asian-looking sales lady walked over to us and said sharply, “They’re the same size, okay?”. She then turned around and muttered “Filipinos….”
We were so mad and offended. My friend said “gago to ah, where’s the manager ?”
I guess the saleslady heard us and walked back to us quickly and said “I’m sorry for that, I’m Filipino myself so I didn’t mean to insult you.”
We showed her the jackets and said “so tell me, are these the same size ?”.
She blushed and apologized some more and walked away. While she was walking away, it was my turn to mutter “Filipinos….”.
Very sad indeed. When we went home early this year, we took PAL dahil kababayan. On our return flight to LA, what I saw was the reverse of what happened to Jay. An OFW (could be a US citizen na)passenger complained loudly about a matured flight attendant to the supervisor. I witness what happened before that and I feel sorry for the older stewardess. So when the stewardess ask me to write a note to her supervisor of what actually happened, I said no problem. I told her that they can call me or e-mail me anytime.
@Carol B:
Languages are just tools of communication as a way to convey and express ideas among the people but for some reason Filipinos considered it as a status symbol to speak English, Spanish or other foreign languages while demeaning the regional languages spoken in provinces.
nag follow up ako sa PAL nung isang araw dahil wala pa rin akong naririnig tungkol sa reklamo ko at eto yung sagot. napaka cynical ko na yata kasi pakiramdam ko ay canned pa rin yung reply nila.
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: wecare@pal.com.ph
Date: Mon, Sep 1, 2008 at 9:32 PM
Subject: Fw: LAX PAL Employee Complaint
Cc: Webmgr@pal.com.ph
Dear Mr. David,
May we merit your further understanding that our investigation is taking longer than expected. You are assured, however, of our full attention in our desire to reach an immediate conclusion of your concerns.
For easy access of your file, we have assigned you REF: MNL/CPN/020908/25406. Please quote this reference code, in your future correspondence with us.
Thank you for your patience in awaiting our subsequent reply.
Sincerely,
Customer Relations
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
gl/
If our school make it mandatory for all kids to go through a boy or girl scouts training maybe we will have more Filipinos of good character instead of nakakahiya. This personal development should continue through high school and college. Nowadays, talent just doesn’t get you the job anymore. In addition to education, experience and references, a lot of companies are doing thorough investigation of your background.
Jayred, the “gusgusin” look has its advantages. In the market specially, you get to haggle better. People who “look” rich or speak “educated” are quoted higher prices. LOL Screwed, screwed world.
Batjay, I think it’s a “nice” way of saying nothing’s happening.
oo nga, parang gusto ko tuloy sagutin.
Dear PAL,
The understanding that you want merited is getting thin at this point based on the fact that it has been 21 days. The assurance that you are attentive seems not as assured because the conclusion of my concerns are still not concluded.
Very truly yours,
Suggestion pa:
“Dear PAL,
Flowery words work like diplomacy with sometimes but, right now, I need substance.”
Hehehehehe
Reword it this way:
“Dear PAL,
With all due respect, I am becoming weary of pursuing your pile of excrement for quite a long time.
Sincerely Yours,
lolz
I have lived in the US for almost 30 years and was discriminated several times not by the americans but by our own kababayans. So I can relate to Jay’s experience.
Nakakalungkot naman isipin na tayo-tayo lang mga Pinoy nagkakaganyan sa kapwa Pinoy. I’m proud to be Pinoy, mas mataas tingin ko sa kapwa ko kaysa mga banyagang puti, dilaw o itim.
I guess it is natural para sa banyaga kapwa banyaga, pero hindi ‘to okey para sa atin.
Jean is right at what she did. Obligasyon din natin pangaralan ang ating kapwa kapag sila’y nagkamali, especially sa mga ganitong pangyayari.
Unfortunately, some people still judge a book by it’s cover.
I have a good feeling that starting next year people will be more compassionate and kind to each other. Practice The Secret. Use the power of positive thinking.
Rude attitude like this is the normal scenario at the Philippine consulate here in Milan… I’m not used in using “po” “opo” to other people who are not my parents, kaya hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit ang mga tao na kahit may edad na, na lumalapit sa consulate ay kailangang gumamit ng panggalang sa mga taong pasigaw kung mag paliwanag o mag bigay ng impormasyon na para bang mangmang ang kausap.
ciao
Based on the incident described, Jay would have felt better if at that moment, he was able to muster the courage to apologize to the PAL employee. The man was just doing his job. We have to realize that since 9/11 we are living in a different world. The hurt feelings we experience in situations like the one mentioned I believe are the intuitive reactions we have in our giving up of our liberties for the sake of security. It is a balancing act between freedom and possibility of living in a police state.
Very interesting. I have always thought that the service was for the most part top notch here — I didn’t realize it was not universal. That’s one of the things I really like here. In the U.S. it seems at times as if you are bothering or interrupting the clerks or salespeople by asking them to do their job! However, no matter how I dress I still get the foreigner price hahahaha.
It’s sad that the OFWs are hailed as the nation’s heroes — but hardly get a hero’s welcome
my dad used to tell us of the time he met a filipino in dallas. my dad, in a friendly voice, asked, ‘brod, pinoy ba kayo?’
he replied, startled, ‘hindi ah!’
geez louise.
sad to say, i also get friendlier and better services when we visit asia whenever i have my german husband with me. kapag ako na lang mag-isa ang bumalik dun sa same store? there’s really a difference. pero there’s also an advantage, i shop alone as i could bargain better when my hubby’s not with me
Sad to say, I have been witness to the rudeness of PAL’s international flight attendants several times, especially if you fly coach. Worse of all, their attitude makes a complete 360 degree turn when they deal with the passengers in either business or first class. Ang kapal talaga! That’s why as an adult, i NEVER fly PAL anymore. Their ka plastican makes me sick. Even if my first instinct is to be patriotic and to support anything Filipino, these past years have disillusioned me so much. I don’t know what’s going on, rudeness seems to be prevalent everywhere. Filipino hospitality? That’s a big fat myth!
there’s this filipina who works for the spanish embassy in manila na grabe manlait at manigaw sa kapwa nya filipino. mas magalang pa yung mga tagalog-speaking españolas sa embassy. nakakainis!
i felt deeply sad when i read unkyel batjay’s post about that incident in PAL, sassy. i share belle’s disillusion about the “filipino hospitality” concept. it seems that it only applies to visitors, doesn’t it? i remember that i fell off a bus in an accident along ayala avenue (almost getting my skull squashed in the process), and nobody would lend me their cellphone so i can call my family to come pick me up at the hospital.
there was an incident with my mom at Sbarro, getting served less pasta on her plate than the american behind her who ordered the exact same thing.
etcetera, etcetera. sad.
Don’t be afraid to ask for the Manager or Owner if you feel you are not treated properly. It works for us all the time. You will see a change in attitude from that person almost instantly.
“It’s sad that the OFWs are hailed as the nation’s heroes — but hardly get a hero’s welcome”
Nor a hero’s farewell.
I am an OFW. Most of the time when I embark to go back abroad after a vacation in the Phils., there will always be an incident of PAL staff (I always board PAL) being rude, unhelpful and/or downright condescending. Most will not go out of their way to assist you if it means stepping a yard from their post. Pero pag foreigner, kulang na lang mawarak ang mga mukha sa ngiti at di magkanda ugaga sa pagasikaso.
Nakakalungkot, kasi sila ang mga huling alala namin bago namin lisanin ang Pilipinas para sa ilang buwan o taon ng pakikibuno. Tapos ganun pa.
I can’t complain because I am one of those foreigners enjoying the big smiles and ingratiating behavior….but I will be first to admit it should not be that way.
ummmm, this goes both ways too though.
I see Filipinos overseas that talk down to personnel of Filipino establishments as well, while they afford the greatest tolerance for non-Filipino establishements.
The last and only time I fly PAL was in 1988. I was born in Canada, raised in both the U.S. and the Philippines. Nevertheless, Filipino at heart. I always will support the Philippines and do my part in helping the economy (tankilikin and sariling atin) BUT….I will (and do) expect to be treated with respect as well. PAL employees, from my experience since then, and from what I’ve heard have always been rude.
this situation reminded me of what I’ve felt a couple of Saturdays ago when I was watching Adobo nation on channel 26, it replaced Maalala mo kaya , wala akong TFC so hanggang Channel 26 lang ako to watch Filipino shows, hindi ko alam kung tama ang aking description ng aking naramdaman while one of the hosts was interviewing the designer for Rafe handbags, “I was appalled” when he was shocked to learn that the designer had to work as a sales person for awhile. , at sumagot agad bigla ang designer na defensively na isang buwan lang daw siyang nag work sa FCUK bakit napakababa namang trabajo ang maging isang sales clerk dito sa America?, I was a stock clerk for 5 years, 2 years sa Woolworth and 3 years sa Saks Fifth avenue, ito ang bumuhay sa aking pamilya, although hindi ako kasing katalented ng designer na ito or ng host ng Adobo nation, i’ve earned my living honestly, it’s either these hosts have not really learned the history of Filipino migrants here in the US and elsewhere and they are only aware of the sosyalan style for those who can afford those designer clothes and purses. If I have misinterpreted the flow of conversation, I apologize, but if there were others who was able to watch the show and had the same interpretation as mine, I hope this comment will reach the show’s producers
Connie, thank you for posting this subject to educate our kababayans