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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:19 am Post subject: A Korean boom has hit the Philippines |
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MANILA ― They came without warning, trickling in almost unnoticed until there were too many to ignore. It seemed, all of a sudden, that South Koreans were practically everywhere in the Philippines ― in malls, universities, the country�s top resorts and even on local television shows.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2878129 |
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Yesterday
Joined: 15 Aug 2003
Location: Land of the Morning DongChim (Kancho)
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:24 am Post subject: |
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Damn... I have Philippines friends in the Philippines - and I was planning on retiring there soon..........
I wish the Koreans would stay away.... (they look down upon all other asians and most other foreigners...) |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:16 am Post subject: Re: A Korean boom has hit the Philippines |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2878129 |
very informed, detailed article. Thanks for posting it!
| Quote: |
A Korean boom has hit the Philippines
July 17, 2007
MANILA - They came without warning, trickling in almost unnoticed until there were too many to ignore. It seemed, all of a sudden, that South Koreans were practically everywhere in the Philippines ― in malls, universities, the country�s top resorts and even on local television shows.
By now, Koreans are in almost all of the Philippines� major urban areas. From up north in the cool city of Baguio to Davao City down south in Mindanao, Korean restaurants and grocery stores bearing Korean-language signs can be seen. They have established everything from churches, hotels and resorts to gigantic factories. There are even Korean-only suburbs outside Manila.
Koreans have invaded the Philippines, and Filipinos for the most part are welcoming them with open arms.
It isn�t hard to see why. Less than four hours away by plane from Seoul, the Philippines has an English-speaking population known for hospitality, a significantly lower cost of living, and some of the most perfect beaches in the world. At the same time, Koreans are bringing in buckets of dollars through consumer spending and direct investments.
The numbers prove it. In 2006, Koreans took the No. 1 spot both in tourist arrivals and foreign investment in the Philippines.
Over 570,000 Koreans visited the country last year, overtaking arrivals from the U.S., which includes returning overseas Filipino residents and workers. On the resort island of Boracay alone, arguably the most famous tourist spot in the country, 65 percent of the visitors who enjoyed the white sand last year were Koreans.
South Korea, accounting for $1.2 billion of the $3.5 billion in investments that entered the Philippines in 2006, is also the nation�s biggest source of foreign direct investment, followed by the U.S. and Japan. A large bulk of this figure is courtesy of Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Co., which is building a $1 billion shipyard ― the fourth largest in the world ― inside the Subic Bay Freeport about 100 kilometers north of Manila.
�The Philippines� location and manpower makes it one of the best destinations for Korean businesses,� said Jae J. Jang, the president of the Korean Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines. Around 250 large factories in special economic zones in the Philippines are Korean-owned. Koreans are also among the top investors in the tourism industry.
There are now over 100,000 Koreans living here also, each of whom are estimated to spend an average of $800 to $1000 per month, which adds almost $1 billion in consumer spending each year. Koreans in the Philippines significantly outnumber those in neighboring Indonesia, estimated at 23,000, and Singapore, with only about 8,000.
But instead of embracing all that is Filipino, Koreans, it seems, prefer to bring Korea with them to the Philippines. Wherever they settle, Korean establishments soon rise. Mini-Korean communities are now scattered all over the country. Aside from the usual restaurants and groceries, there are Korean Internet cafes, salons, spas and churches. All have prominent Korean-language signs and few offer any English explanation. It is not unusual to find Korean grocers here who even import Korean-made Coke and Lay�s potato chips from back home, even though identical products are available locally.
�They keep to themselves,� says Pamela Samaniego, the head of Team Korea for the Philippine Tourism Department, echoing a familiar sentiment.
It is not surprising, therefore, to hear of rifts. Local newspaper reports say that tour operators in Cebu complain that only Korean travel agencies are benefiting from Korean tourists because local operators are shut out by Korean companies. In Baguio, where the cool climate is an attraction, there are complaints about illegal business transactions and practices. Some resorts in Boracay are said to have banned Korean tourists because they leave the rooms in shambles after their stays. In Talisay, home to Taal, the world�s smallest volcano, a huge controversy now surrounds a Korean company�s plans to construct a spa resort on the island volcano despite local environmental restrictions. The issue threatens to become an us-versus-them storm.
In Davao City the city council launched an investigation in late June into Korean business practices, claiming that Korean businessmen were setting up illegal businesses and dodging visa regulations. Also in June, the Bureau of Immigration pointedly warned against foreigners operating retail stores and using Filipinos to front for them. Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said foreigners, most of them Korean, had been violating immigration laws. �A foreigner who engages in the retail trade is liable for deportation as the act is a violation of the conditions of his admission and stay in the country,� Libanan said.
The complaints, however noisy, are so far minor and it seems unlikely that the perpetually cash-strapped Philippines is going to turn away Korean money any time soon. Indeed it is just the opposite, with the government aggressively promoting tourism and education for Koreans.
This Korean wave, says English language instructor Edmer Bernardo, began in the late 1990s, when Koreans began coming to the Philippines looking for English tutors from local schools and universities. The C21 Language Tutorial Center, for which he serves as director, was established by a Korean businessman in 1999 in recognition of this trend.
Today, hundreds of English-language centers, many of them catering exclusively to Koreans, can be found throughout the Philippines. In Cebu, the second-largest city in the country, about 60 of these centers serve Korean students.
Banking on the country�s reputation as the only English-speaking nation in the region, the training schools are providing stiff competition to similar private academies in Australia and Canada. Thousands of Korean students flock to the Philippines during the peak months of January to February and July to August ― school vacation time in Korea ― to take crash courses in conversational or business English. Attracted by the affordable tuition and even cheaper cost of living, many opt to stay for six-month to one-year courses.
Riding this trend, the Tourism Department in 2003 launched its English as a Second Language Tour Program, which combines language activities with vacation trips. While also targeting Chinese and Japanese students, Koreans make up the bulk of its customers.
Not long after, the Philippines embarked on a targeted marketing campaign backed by a $3.2 million annual budget to attract Korean tourists. Part of this campaign is a Korean-language tourism Web site and a series of advertising materials, including a 30-second television commercial, showing Korean actress Eugene Kim enjoying the beauty of the Philippines.
Honeymooners and businessmen on holiday, says Samaniego of the Tourism Department, comprise the bulk of the tourists, and the country�s beaches and golf courses are the main attractions. Visiting the Philippines is made easier by the country�s lenient visa rules and the increasing availability of direct flights between the two countries.
Jeremy Baik, General Manager of KJL Tour Leader, says that the Philippines is easy to sell to Korean tourists because it has good beaches and resorts. �They look for vacation spots on the Internet and compare pictures of Boracay, Phuket and Bali. Boracay, with its white beach and emerald waters, easily wins,� he says.
Even though some of the Philippines�s resorts are pricier than their counterparts in Indonesia and Thailand, the cheaper airfare evens out the costs. Thailand, though, still gets twice as many Korean tourists as the Philippines, totaling over 1.1 million in 2006. Baik says this is because Phuket has significantly more hotels and resorts, but local tourism authorities are confident this will not be the case for long.
It is largely for the same reason ― low cost of living and English-speaking Filipinos ― that many Korean visitors decide to stay. Baik explains that a $3000 monthly income ― a large sum in the Philippines ― is hardly enough to sustain a family of four in Korea. But if the fathers leave their families in the Philippines while still working in Korea, they can afford large houses, maids and other luxuries reserved only for the moneyed.
Bernardo says many Korean parents also opt to have their children attend high school and college in Philippine schools and universities, instead of just short courses, to make sure that they learn English well. The cost of enrolling here is significantly cheaper than sending children to school in Canada or the U.S.
On the other hand, Filipinos also seem to embrace Korean culture. Kimchi and other Korean foods are popular. Sandara Park, a Korean immigrant, is now a popular local actress/singer whose career began after being voted the winner of a local talent search by Filipinos. Dubbed Korean television dramas ― called �Koreanovelas� locally ― are a passion on prime time TV.
In other words, Koreans are in the Philippines to stay. From the perspective of chilly, expensive Seoul, the Philippines seems to hold the same appeal as Florida does in the United States for residents of New York, and as a result, the Philippine Retirement Authority is now actively marketing the country as a retirement haven for Koreans.
It seems that generations of Koreans are likely to be a big part of local life for years to come from students just starting out, to grandparents resting by the seaside.
This article first appeared on asiasentinel.com
By Jet Damazo Contributing Writer
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Trumpcard
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:49 am Post subject: |
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interesting article. a Filipino friend of mine, living in Korea for about a year on scholarship, has told me previously that the Koreans are everywhere, BUT they are not well liked. The ajoshis talk down to the locals like you wouldn't believe and the main reason that English schools have popped up like mushrooms is that the government pays subsidies/provides huge tax breaks to 'religious' schools. So these 'English academies' are setup in the guise of being 'Christian'.
It's all about the money! |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 6:50 pm Post subject: |
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I have to agree. I was talking to a few Americans who had traveled biz class on flights, and had no problem. Their Koreans friends, however, complained of "poor service" when nobody else did.
I make it a point to speak only English on Korean-heavy flights and avoid Koreans altogether when traveling abroad. |
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FistFace
Joined: 24 Mar 2007
Location: Peekaboo! I can see you! And I know what you do!
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| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:25 pm Post subject: |
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| My ex-boss went to the Philippines a few years ago for a family vacation. When he returned, I asked him how it went. He replied, "The Philippines... it... not good!" |
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| I'm in Cebu now, and gosh, Koreans galore in this city. I was going around and saw scores of signs in Korean, and I'm thinking this is just the beginning. Many places here now have signs and instructions in Korean. |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 3:32 am Post subject: |
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| The Pinoy will eventaully have to confront their bigotry and embrace tolerance. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| Yaya wrote: |
| I'm in Cebu now, and gosh, Koreans galore in this city. I was going around and saw scores of signs in Korean, and I'm thinking this is just the beginning. Many places here now have signs and instructions in Korean. |
Must be changing quick!
I was last in Cebu about one year ago, and just recall the very occassional Korean sign here and there. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:04 am Post subject: |
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| filipinos will put up with the Koreans and their behaviour because of the cash they're bringing in... |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:15 am Post subject: |
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| When I flew from Caticlan to Cebu, they made the safety announcement in English and Korean. |
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I-am-me
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 6:26 am Post subject: |
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| Koreans have gotten to where they are because they band together. I am sure that someone complained that korean was not used on a flight so it went throught the korean consulate to the philippine consulate to the airline executives. The same as with the alleged harassment of of koreans by philippine immigration. Korean consulate stopped processing all visas for overseas workers until immigration bowed to korean demands. Banding together works pretty good for koreans. |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:30 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| Koreans have gotten to where they are because they band together. I am sure that someone complained that korean was not used on a flight so it went throught the korean consulate to the philippine consulate to the airline executives. The same as with the alleged harassment of of koreans by philippine immigration. Korean consulate stopped processing all visas for overseas workers until immigration bowed to korean demands. Banding together works pretty good for koreans. |
I think the plane announcement has something to do with the nationality of the airline. KAL would announce in Korean, JAL in Japanese. I'm also waiting for a story about visa allowances, where one leverages the other. It'd be better if someone took a suggestion instead of going through the complaint process just for diplomacy. If the Koreans are getting the good life, Pinoy will demand some manner of reciprocation beyond getting rolled on insular korean business practices. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:33 am Post subject: |
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| Tony_Balony wrote: |
| I-am-me wrote: |
| Koreans have gotten to where they are because they band together. I am sure that someone complained that korean was not used on a flight so it went throught the korean consulate to the philippine consulate to the airline executives. The same as with the alleged harassment of of koreans by philippine immigration. Korean consulate stopped processing all visas for overseas workers until immigration bowed to korean demands. Banding together works pretty good for koreans. |
I think the plane announcement has something to do with the nationality of the airline. KAL would announce in Korean, JAL in Japanese. I'm also waiting for a story about visa allowances, where one leverages the other. It'd be better if someone took a suggestion instead of going through the complaint process just for diplomacy. If the Koreans are getting the good life, Pinoy will demand some manner of reciprocation beyond getting rolled on insular korean business practices. |
The flight was from Caticlan to Cebu. That's a domestic flight within the Philippines. |
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Junior
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: the eye
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| Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:36 am Post subject: |
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| I-am-me wrote: |
| Banding together works pretty good for koreans. |
Indeed their nationalism is definitely a motivating factor behind their economic boom and competitiveness.
However an "impregnable fortress" is also unable to recieve new ideas and information..hence the culturally sterile backwater that is korea..U only have to visit more multicultural neighbours like Taiwan or Japan to see the dramatic difference |
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