Filipino shocked at ‘racism’ displayed by Singaporeans

I am appalled by the sheer amount of racism and sweeping generalizations in this article. The Philippines (and Filipinos) have its own share of flaws (e.g. poverty, corruption, lack of law enforcement, etc.) and I am sure Singapore isn’t spotless either (e.g. ageing population, income disparity, etc).

I can hardly consider the Angus Ross Literature prize as the “world standard” in measuring someone’s English ability. That’s what the TOEFL and IELTS are for: a standardized English test that all the world’s universities and companies (read: not just outside but inside the UK, mind you) recognize.

It’s unfortunate that you have witnessed the negative side of living in the Philippines. No country is perfect and I’m sure Singapore has its own social problems. I will not justify your observations about my country as I have seen the other side of living in the island of Singapore that would most definitely not make its way in your state-controlled mainstream media and tourist guides.

I do not judge a whole nation by a small number of its citizens either. Every person is different and I tend to look at the bigger picture in every person I meet.

To wrap things up, you don’t improve the state of your country by stepping upon other nations. I’m sure we all aspire of having the good life someday; we all just differ in the way we achieve it. When you start throwing mud at another person, the people seeing the fight will have a bad taste in his mouth, just like what this article did. Don’t expect the next slew of comments to be quite civil as I admit a number of my fellowmen can get emotional when national pride is at stake. Too bad for the author, we’re actually celebrating our Independence Day today.

At the end of the day, you’ve said your piece but have you actually done something to improve the situation? You don’t like seeing Filipino maids in your HDB flats but your government keeps on encouraging foreign talents to come to Singapore. Admit it or not, you need us as much as we need you. There’s not much work where these maid come from so they have to seek work elsewhere. Just imagine if all the FTs leave Singapore; whose going to man all your shops and do civil service?

I’m inspired by the way Singapore has elevated itself after having separated from Malaysia decades ago, how LKW has pursued the type of economy you all Singaporeans enjoy. But behind all those gleaming high rise building walls and trendy shopping districts, you can never hide the fact that the foreigners you so love to criticize are the ones running your economy.

Sincerely,

Eizan
Filipino

*The above was first posted as a comment on The Temasek Times