The Korean Exodus?
September 22, 2008 by lisa
Filed under business & economy
Here’s an alarming news account that I read on the web yesterday: that I have reproduced in toto:
Thousands of Koreans leaving Baguio City
Thousands of Koreans have left and business establishments owned by the foreigners in Baguio City have closed due to bankruptcy.
The Bureau of Immigration said from 10,000 last year, only 4,000 Koreans are living or studying in Baguio City.
The Baguio City government said many Korean establishments have been closed because of bankruptcy.
Koreans interviewed by ABS-CBN News said the establishments went bankrupt because of the worsening economy of the Philippines.
The city treasurer’s office, meanwhile, said Baguio doesn’t look at the situation as a big loss when it comes to business tax. It said Korean establishments have a minimum share to the city’s revenue.
The treasurer’s office, however, admitted Koreans’ purchasing power would be missed by the city.
Baguio City is one of the Koreans’ favorite destinations in the country because of its climate and availability of English tutorial centers.
In Cebu City, Koreans said they are pleased with how the Cebuanos handle their visitors. The foreigners said aside from the various English tutorial centers in Cebu City, they appreciate the warm culture of the Filipino people by staying in the Visayan province.
Asked about the dangers of staying in the Philippines, the Koreans could not give a modicum of an unfavorable answer. They said the Philippines, especially Cebu, “is as peaceful as it can be.”
From 2003 to 2006, the Korean population in the Philippines grew by at least 50 percent. Government data says that from 378,602 in 2003, the number of Koreans staying in the country ballooned to 572,133.
The influx of Koreans in the country, dubbed “the Korean invasion,” became more obvious with the sprouting of hundreds of Korean business establishments in the Philippines.
It took me a whole day to process this information, wondering if everything therein is true and accurate and what its effects would be on the fragile Baguio economy. And, as usual, even more questions are raised in my head.
1. While it seems the numbers are accurate — for after all the report cites the Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration as its source, we should re-read the first line closer.
a. Thousands of Koreans have left
A lot are of the Koreans in the Philippines are students, overstaying students and overstaying tourists (I know about the overstaying because I have been asked many a time if I would know fixers at the Immigration Bureau for “emergency assistance” with exit visas).
b. and business establishments owned by the foreigners in Baguio City have closed due to bankruptcy.
The business that the Koreans enter into that I know of cater to a Korean market in the Philippines such as English Academies, Korean restaurants, bars and clubs, the development of resorts and retirement villages for Koreans, retail outlets selling Korean groceries, cosmetics and other products that they import from their native land, and not to the local Filipino market so I do not understand this part of the report:
Koreans interviewed by ABS-CBN News said the establishments went bankrupt because of the worsening economy of the Philippines.
Isn’t it true that the reason they are here is because the Korean won goes a long, long way in this country?
Could they be going bankrupt because not all the transactions are above-board so that they eventually fall victim to a lot of scammers and fixers to get their affairs straight?
Could it be that many of them set up businesses that are not necessarily viable, with exorbitant rental rates, staffing and other fixed costs, because the main plan would be to RESELL THE BUSINESS TO A FELLOW KOREAN WHO HAS JUST ARRIVED IN THE PHILIPPINES LOOKING FOR A BUSINESS? So if they are not able to pass off these businesses to another countryman, they find that maintaining it would drain their resources.
Could it be that many of the Koreans who try to do business here are not businessmen in the first place, mostly employees in Korean factories like Samsung and Hyundai, so that they would not even know the first thing about doing business, which is why the ones they set up are short-lived?
We just...
So summarize it up is that good news or bad news… what do you think?
That is what they call the “band wagon effect”,the Phil.tourism authority and the cebu local government are tirelessly promoting Cebu as a prime destination in Philippines for retirees,businessmen,honeymooners and of course students who wants to learn English.Almost every magazines here features Cebu as a tourists and students mecca.Baguio is rarely mentioned here I wonder what our local government officals are doing, If its true that the Koreans contributes millions of pesos to the local economy then they have to act now. You mention that the korean students spent at least $1,500 a month for their English programs,Well many Koreans academies in Philippines are now charging $2,500 for three weeks of Intensive English program.”astonishing indeed”.
Hi Bok,
Thanks for asking. I think it’s bad news. If true, then it’s really sad. If untrue, then really bad.
I have a good number of friends among them, all doing business legitimately, and pretty well-mannered. So I know that their market is pretty much limited to their countrymen and not the Filipinos, so I do not understand what the impact Philippine economy should have on them…
Hiya Ed,
Given that our mayor really does not like tourism (that “unilateral paradigm shift towards his version of education” we wrote about last year), I can imagine they’re doing nothing.
In fact, based on the city treasurer’s pronouncements, it seems only a few koreans have registered businesses in the city. hmmm….
I suspect the exodus is that of those who attended the 3-weeks intensive, and not the regular medium-term residents.
Well that’s good news. Walang improvement na naidudulot ang presence nila dito, so what if umalis sila?
Well…Is it really good or bad?…Baguio City made a name for itself as the country’s top tourist destination, the Summer Capital of the Philippines…it only has a capacity of 25,000 residents…It is the home of the country’s premier military school, it has a very rich culture. Everybody loves to visit baguio.
Maybe the exodus of Koreans will affect the economy of the city…maybe those who benefits from korean business establishments will lose their jobs….maybe it will take a toll when it comes to business tax….
…but who cares anyway?…as i’ve mentioned, Baguio originally only has a capacity of 25,000 residents. Maybe if thousands of Koreans will leave the city,there will be less pollution, less garbage problems, less traffic…i am not saying that Koreans are responsible for these, but Baguio now is overly populated, so maybe it’s time to loosen up a bit, give the city a sigh of relief from it’s overcrowded population. And if the city government claims that it doesn’t affect much the tax revenue…well, maybe it’s not a bad news after all. Baguio is Baguio no matter what. It will remain as such…the country’s top tourist destination.
Hi Lyra,
Sa totoo lang, maraming mabuting naidudulot ang kanilang pagpunta, pag-aral at pagtira dito sa ating lungsod, dahil sila’y malakas gumastos kung ikukumpara lamang sa mga 128,000 estudianteng nag-aaral at nananatili dito pang habang buhay at dumadagdag sa pagpapasikip ng Baguio buong taon.
And hindi lang kaya ng mga taga-Baguio ay ang siguraduhing and ginagastos ng mga dayuhan ay mananatili sa ating bansa at hindi babalik sa Korea. And hindi natin kaya ay ang huminging mas mataas na payad para sa mga nagtuturo sa kanilang magsalita ng Ingles, atbp, atbp…
Hiya Lalaine,
Filipino businessmen stand to lose a huge chunk of the 700 million that they spend (computations based on 10,000 Koreans spending $1,500 per month). A huge chunk of that goes to salaries of the tutors and staff, plus the purchases of vegetables and meats to feed the students their native food, not to mention rental payments.
In fact, a Korean businessman friend once asked me to find him a money-changing facility for three schools (his, his pastor’s, his uncle’s) that would total about $1,000,000.00 per month! That’s just for three schools!
What do Koreans spend for? Some Korean students spend for booze. I have noted however that the current population of Koreans in the City are of better quality than the previous (say 2 or 3 yrs ago) ones who were so unruly. My kids and I love their food. It is very noticeable that the current influx we have now are more disciplined and I see a lot who have their families also. And Liza, what I hate most and I often go into arguments with these Korean parents are their road manners when bringing in their kids to that Berkley school. Several times, these Korean and Filipino parents turns on their hazard light, go down, bring their kid inside the chamber of that school then go back to the van. by that time, the queue of vehicles are already on both curbs of that road. What more, I spend extra pesos for my cab. I have been riding taxi to bring my kids to the nearby boys high before proceeding to my work. I suppose, it were the Filipino parents who has adapted to the Koreans???? hay…sarap itchahan ng babol gum…muna.
Hi Ann,
The Koreans spend a lot on lodging, food and ‘education’ — much more than the college students from the lowlands.
As far as manners are concerned, I have met many refined ones in the past years, God-fearing and old-fashioned, respectful. Then there are those rowdy ones, the younger generation allowed to run wild by the parents, and those trouble makers sent here for ‘rehabilitation’ to Korean missionary English schools.
I guess some folks see Filipinos abroad the same way — there are the educated ones, and there are the uneducated ones (those who join street gangs and acts as thugs).
Informative writings. I would like to know if you can help me with my research on koreans? What offices with reliable data can I approach? Thanks
Happy to help, Jenny,
1. Bureau of Immigration but please try to distinguish the difference in status of the visitors as to visa type, length of stay, purpose of visit.
2. Licensing and Permits section of City Hall (I believe it’s directly connected with the mayor’s office). You can check how many registered businesses are operating in Baguio, and they might even tell you the city’s actual revenue based on the taxes they collect.
3. TESDA (Trinidad Valley) for all the accredited Koran schools in Baguio.
4. The Korean Association’s president is also the owner of Wood Nymph Korean restaurant on Military Cut-off, you can ask for an interview.
5. One of the biggest Korean English Academes is Husky on Lamtang Road.
6. For missionary-run English Academies, you can go to the ones on CM Recto near Berkeley: CNS and DFC.
Please know that there are many unregistered businesses by Korean nationals in Baguio, perhaps because they are testing both the “waters” or their own ability to run a profitable business.
Hope this helps.
We have to put in mind that Koreans are no different from people in many different parts of the Philippines who came to Baguio to study,retire,work or settled there and the law should apply to any of them without any prejudice (if they are not paying taxes,not registering their businesses,violating traffic rules or even committing petty crime, so be it let the axe fall).Unruly or thugs Koreans are what we call here in Korea the “ugly Koreans”, 5 or 6 years ago there was a massive campaign here to address this problem. If so happened that there are still these kind of a Koreans even in Baguio,then too bad the campaign didnt work ..he he he
Hiya Ed,
Like we used to tell those rowdy, burly American soldiers manhandling their Filipina “girlfriends” in Olongapo bars in the 1980’s, “When you’re in MY country, you BEHAVE!”
Oh come on, we should ALL behave, wherever we are!
People must have forgotten that most Koreans do NOT plan to stay here for long term. I guess that explains it all. Students largely outnumber retirees
I might as well ad that it sounds like the article was to tell something OTHER than the ‘Korean exodus’. The article is just as exaggerated as before. The apt years, they OVERLY exaggerated their estimates on the Korean population in Baguio, now they seem to be…undermining their presence in the city.
Can’t they do reports as accurate and as honestly as it should be. This is why I hate the local media.
Welcome, Sade
And may I say I share your sentiments. A lot of these news articles contain a slant. For example, in Love Baguio, Leave Baguio the reporter’s slant was against the Koreans and the topic was the non-collection of garbage.
I guess, I will edit the post title to include a question mark.
Well, siguro kaya nalulugi ang mga business ng mga ‘valuable’ nating mga Koryano ay dahil centered lang ang mga business nila sa mga kababayan nila. At dahil sa kumokonti na ang population ng mga consumer nila dito, well it followed suit na malulugi rin ang mga for koreans business dito. Not to mention, unti-unti ng nawawala ang difference in food and cultural preferences ng isa’t-isa; meaning koreans are slowly adapting to Filipino dishes and vice versa.
And perhaps, the other reason would be is the increasing crime in Baguio that usually targets Koreans, usually robbery or hold-up.
Basta, good news ‘to.
But seriously, I love the article’s title: The Korean Exodus. Hehe.
Hi Lyra,
I was just editing the report to add a question mark in the title as you were writing your comment! It seems the report does not necessarily reflect the truth.
I think ABS CBN may have taken random sampling, lost a lot of the message in translation, and that the report carries a weird slant, for purposes known only to its creators.
But that your comment reflects the sentiments of many local residents, I understand. And if they are becoming targets of crime, then that’s terrible.
I do know that the targets of the robberies or hold-ups are not necessarily always they, because many residents have been held up and robbed, especially the students for their mobile phones. It’s just easier for the press to sensationalize again and say, “Another Korean robbed!” than “20 More Ordinary Houses Were Robbed Last Night”
The city should really look into keeping the folks safe and getting rid of the criminals, a lot of whom prey on the city precisely because they know that they melt into the hordes of people here and be invisible. Are they taga-Baguio? Well, everyone living here is now claiming they are taga-Baguio, so I suppose they are.
Thanks for commenting today
Thanks Lisa for this Article/News.
Exodus.. I like that word.. i guess it is fitting. The Philippines now is experiencing the effects of globalization. Their success in business is not blooming because those who chose to stay and service their fellow Koreans are far much less than those who really plan to stay and take roots.
Koreans originally wanted to go to Baguio because of (1) the climate, (2) cheaper college education. In Baguio, they are not looked upon as tourist, but rather students. I’ve even met some who are so rude to the teachers and their classmates when they can’t understand the lessons taught in english.
In Cebu, they are welcomed as tourist. The warmth that they show is of course different. In Baguio seeing foreigners walking our streets is just but a norm. If we see people walking down Session Rd wearing shorts, we immediately classify them as tourist and ignore them as such. Kaya nga diba gusto ng mga aritsta na mag bakasyon sa Baguio dahil di sila pinagkakaguluhan?
It is truly an exodus, is it something that we should be worried about? Maybe. A good example would be here in America. I never knew that a different culture or color of skin made a difference till I came here. To elaborate, If a purely white neighborhood gets invaded by just one black family, the value of the houses in that neighbohood will significantly lower and the whites will try to stop the invasion or they would move out and go to another neighbohood. My husband said that in the 70’s you had to drive a good 30 miles just to find chinese food or filipino food. But now, they are just a block away. Till this day it is happening. I saw a KFC close and it became a chinese food joint. And much to my delight, our neighborhood which has predominantly American brands and stores, now has a Jollibee and Red Ribbon and a big Asian (Chinese with decent Filipino goodies) grocery store. The old local business is not here anymore because of the big Asian influx. They (Chinese, Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos, Japanese) learned to coexist and in so doing were able to build a community that address their needs. These Asians in the first place came here with the intention of migrating (legal or not). I went to a party of a friend’s friend and he is Filipino with a multi-cult wife. He said, ” I don’t want to live in that neighborhood anymore because I can no longer read the signs posted. Everything is in Chinese, Korean or Japanese.” What does this tell you? Those who can tolerate the increasing “invasion” or diversification will probably be more willing to entertain the idea and be more open about the change. Did it benefit America?? Yes of course in terms of good revenues. It is only the Asians who will pull out good dollar bills to pay for groceries. While their own American culture is hooked into credit cards.
So. if Exodus is about the search for the “Land of Milk and Honey”. Is Philippines the real end of the journey for the Koreans? Or is it only a part of the trail towards the Land they are seeking for. If indeed we are the provider of the “milk and honey”, are we ready to give it to them willingly and share the bounties with open arms? So maybe the other question is when and where will they take root? I guess, if the numbers they are saying is right. Baguio is just but one of the stop-over towards the promise land.
P.S.
I’d love to comment about Cebu being overly marketed as a tourist place, while I hardly see Baguio doing the same. It makes me mad to realize that Baguio is no longer the “Vacation Place” to be.. but… hey it is another topic that is better discussed elsewhere.
ang laki ng naitutulong nla lalo na at sila ang nangu2nang gumagastos….. mababit dn sila
as usual lisa you are right It’s all in the SLANT. Funny how chinese are derogatively called slant-eyed altho its an accurate description of their eyes. I personally relish diversity but if its ALL or MOSTLY slant that’s not diversity is it?
Its probably exaggeration to call it ALL or even MOSTLY SLANT but there is a relative saturation point for everything, isn’t there? My kid got 2 guinea pigs for Christmas, we need to keep it dry but even lead-free newspapers wont do. They like wood shavings. Lucky a fortune tree got uprooted in the garden after the last strong wind. I discovered like shaving wood in the morning sun.
Hi Ida (the my_life_in_a_tea_cup woman who links other sites that contain the word teacup so I keep thinking she may have finally bought herself a domain and started a personal blog),
Yup newspapers are fish wrappers, not even good enough for the guinea pigs, huh?
FOR ME KOREANS IS THE DUST IN THE PHILLS. THEY ARE FRIENDLY IN OUR COUNTRY BUT IF WE ARE IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY TRAIT FILIPINO LIKE ANIMALS… HUH THEY MUST GO BACK THEIR COUNTRY ,KOREANS USED ONLY PHILLS. FOR THEIR OWNED GOOD.. AT THE FIRST I MEET A KOREAN I WAS HAPPY BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD BUT I DIDNT KNOW THAT THEY ONLY USING THE PERSON WHILE THEY STAY IN THE COUNTRY…. I HATESSSSSSSSSSS KOREANS THEY ARE NOT GOOD IN THE PHILLS. MAYBE SOMEDAY THEY OWN OUR BIG COUNTRY
GUMAGASTOS LANG ANG MGA KOREANS SA MGA BABAENG BINIBILI NILA WALA SILANG NAITULONG SA BANSA KUNDI PURO KAMALASAN….
Hi Girl,
Judging from your comments you’ve had some bad experiences with Koreans. I have had both good and bad experiences with them in Seoul, Baguio and Manila and cannot say that they are all good or all bad, just like we hope folks will not judge all Filipinos by meeting just a few of us.
With friendships, you should always choose well. With ownership of Philippine soil, land must stay in the hands of Filipinos. I refuse to be a slave in my own country.
korean agencies here in iloilo are evading to pay the social benefits of their workers……
She teaches English punctuation with a Gothic touch!
June 29, 2009
Dear Lisa,
You must have thought that it was the British sports columnist Lynne Truss who started the big English punctuation rush with her best-selling Eats, Shoots & Leaves. I thought so, too, until I stumbled on The New Well-Tempered Sentence: A Punctuation Handbook for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon, an American who used to teach English and a consummate grammarian with a Gothic touch. It turns out that Karen Gordon had come up with her delightfully instructive punctuation handbook 21 years before Lynne Truss did, and had actually released an expanded and illustrated edition of it in 2003—at least a year before Eats, Shoots & Leaves hit the London bookstores!
This is just one of the exciting and provocative features lined up this week by Jose Carillo’s English Forum for your enjoyment before, after, or in-between your English shoptalks inside the Forum. Look at the full story lineup to see what I mean:
THIS WEEK IN THE FORUM (June 27-July 3, 2009):
• Advice and Dissent: Who Really Started the Great English Punctuation Rush? (It’s an American former English teacher with a Gothic touch!)
• My Media English Watch: Grammatically, Semantically Troublesome Threesome (Front-page leads trip over commas, a wrong conjunction, and a misplaced modifier!)
• Essays by Jose Carillo: When Even the Passive Voice Isn’t Enough (Dare to cleave single-clause sentences for semantic emphasis!)
• Going Deeper into English: A Huge Treasure Trove of Great Short Stories (The very best from Miguel Cervantes to John Updike!)
• News and Commentary: Philippines Warned to Boost English Skills or Risk Ending Its Current BPO boom (But do we really need an Australian to tell us that?)
• Getting to Know English: Lesson #9 – Getting to Know the Prepositional Phrases (Some verbs and adjectives are so picky with their partner prepositions!)
• Time Out from English Grammar: Twixt Mathematics, Technology, and Ancient Religious Belief (Is mathematics a human invention or a cosmic—and possibly divine—order?)
I know that you couldn’t wait to read these stories, so come on over now without delay. See you at the Forum!
With my best wishes,
Joe Carillo
why do you hate them koreans so much? you are a racist.
Read again Jan, because you either did not read before placing your comment or you did not understand what’s been written.
Your comment is just so off (and am being kind by using that word).