THE ASIA-PACIFIC CENTRE FOR RESEARCH, INC.

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Reversing our Image
by Nick B. Fontanilla, Ph.D. (Word Document)

          I had the misfortune of traveling from Los Angeles to Chicago the morning after the bomb scare in London. I was at the L.A. airport 6:00 a.m. for a 7:30 a.m. flight but was able to leave only two hours after. The flight back after five days was as chaotic. Being an Asian traveling in the United States, I was most likely tagged as a security risk and asked to take a special line where inspection was more elaborate. The flight back to the Philippines was worst. It took 2.5 hours to check in at the PAL counter. My sister, an Australian and with a married name that does not betray her being a Filipino, left for Australia on the same day, but took the New Zealand flag carrier. She had a breeze checking in.

          Throughout that mess, I wondered how the Filipino is looked upon in the global world. I have heard of many stories. But it takes one’s own experience to formulate a picture of the Filipino in this globalized world. Let me mention five based on my own personal experiences.

          First, the Filipino as a traveler and security risk. You find a Filipino wherever you go. This is a 20th century spectacle. Travel trends indicate that this will continue to be so in the 21st century. Filipino travelers are generally labeled as a security risk. There are many anecdotes on this tag. I have personally experienced this special treatment everywhere: in America, in Asia and in Australia. Unfortunately, that tag seems to be at work in the Philippines as well. Putting on a blazer and a fancy hat does not change this tagging a bit.

          Second, the Filipino as a good singer and nothing else. I am proud of one part of this label. It is distinctive. We share this distinction with very few ethnics in the world. Sadly, it is the only thing that stands out in the minds of business colleagues and friends from other countries. After business meetings, when we break for dinner or cocktails, the microphone is passed on to me, with everybody, from the Koreans to the Europeans, expecting me to deliver a grand performance.

          Third, the Filipino as a good worker but low-wage earner. This is puzzling to me. The world demand for talent exists. There are few ethnics that can match the resiliency and patience of the Filipino worker. I could never imagine a two- or three-job rotation. But many Filipinos, in countries where the demand for workers is high, willingly take two to three jobs a day. They work hard throughout that rotation every day and every hour of the day. Despite all that, the Filipino is, generally and arguably, known to receive lower wages. While the average family income of Filipinos in the U.S. is above average, a job-for-job comparison suggests that the salary can improve.

          Fourth, the Filipino as an entrepreneur but low-tech. I am sure this is image-driven. But image has a reality of its own. This is how we are normally positioned in the minds of business people from other countries. We populate the web with business inquiries. We compete with many countries in clogging the web space. In my industry, we are ahead of most countries in requests for evaluation copies and samples. But we stand dead last in implementation.

          Fifth, the Filipinos as hospitable people but undeserving of a visit. I have represented an American company in the Philippines for the last 15 years. Each year, we have Asian and World meetings. Each year, a poll is conducted to determine site preferences. The Philippines is never ever mentioned. The Filipino as an international host no longer exists in the minds of business people: An airport that needs improvement. Convention centers that do not meet world standards. Traffic and pollution. Poor time management. These are some top-of-mind remarks.

          The Filipino, in a global economy, has to be purposely repackaged. There must be a conscious effort to determine how we are viewed by stakeholders around the world and to re-engineer the Filipino image. The first step is to validate what it is that sticks in the mind of people around the world and put these into some kind of an actionable framework. Image is a powerful differentiator.

          We can still reverse that image: fun traveler from a security risk; versatile from just being a singer, highly paid worker from hardworking; achiever from cautious user of technology; and an excellent host deserving of a visit.