I WANT to share personal firsthand experiences as well as that of some of my friends’ about travel experiences and situations abroad. I end each and every narrative with the phrase “Dito sa Pilipinas (Here in the Philippines), __________” for you dear readers to fill up.
In the 1990s, during one of my performances in Tokyo in support of the president’s initiative to promote the country through culture and the arts, I was so excited to get home to Manila I inadvertently left my violin (of all things to forget!) at the overhead luggage bin of the Japan Airlines (JAL) plane. I had already passed immigration when I realized this oversight so I rushed back to the JAL counter to ask if I could go back to the aircraft to retrieve my instrument. The Japanese lady behind the counter bowed politely, and reached down behind the counter, and handed me my precious violin.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________.
My dentist accidentally left his wallet at the Japanese airline counter during one of his trips abroad, realizing this only when he had checked his family into the hotel and they were planning their activities for the next day. He was only able to return to the airline counter at the airport after their activity so a full day had passed. The lady at the counter asked him to describe his wallet and its contents. He said never mind the cash (he thought it was about 3,000 yen) but the credit cards and driver’s license were quite important. The lady made a phone call to the airline’s lost and found section and showed him the wallet. Upon receiving it, he looked inside and found out that the cash he had was over 10,000 yen.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________.
On our trip to Vietnam, my wife left her bag containing our travelers’ checks, her passport and credit cards on the wooden bench near the airport exit. She only realized this when we reached our hotel and we were sorting out our clothes from our luggage. Quite anxious, both of us immediately left for the airport and retraced our steps. Lo and behold, her bag was still on the bench where she left it, untouched and with everything intact!
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________
When I was helping promote the tourism sales mission in Shanghai, our entourage decided to visit the popular cultural/entertainment district called “The Bund” and Xing Tian Di. Because there were five of us, we decided to take a cab, and I placed my violin in the trunk, hoping to jam with the Filipino musicians who were performing there. When we got off, we were left agape by the lights and activities going on around us. We said our thanks and goodbyes to the cab driver. As he left, I remembered I had left my violin in his trunk (strike 2)! So, this spoiled our evening as my companions tried to help me recover it. Since I spoke no Chinese, and the policeman knew no English, we had to make do with sign language. When he finally understood, he beckoned me to come with him. We went inside a metal door in a small shack-like structure which had a flight of stairs leading down to a huge area full of television monitors covering the entire district. We tried to trace the taxi to no avail. I frantically called up the Philippine ambassador who was an old college friend at UP and explained the situation. All he said was, “John, go back to your hotel and ask the concierge,” which we did. The concierge promptly pulled out my violin from an open shelf and said that the taxi driver figured it out and dropped it off at the hotel.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________
My friend from way back, now based in Singapore, told me nobody chews gum upon pain of arrest and fines. They are quite strict about this mainly because disposing of bubble gum is quite a nuisance, unhygienic (elevator buttons, train sensors, lock cylinders, etc.) and impacts on national pride.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________
Even in the 1960s up to today, Korean movies feature values and their native costumes alongside their top dollar earner K-pop.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________
In Toronto, Canada, people greet you and they more often than not are polite and courteous, marks of good upbringing and effective education.
Dito sa Pilipinas, __________
There is one saving grace dito sa Pilipinas — Ronald Gadayan, a janitor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, who has been constantly and repeatedly cited through the years for his honesty, returning a total of almost P6 million in cash and valuables to airport passengers last year, while he could have easily kept quiet. I have had the honor of talking to and messaging with him. In essence, he is not only cleaning toilets and mopping floors, he is helping clean up our country’s image which many pay lip service to but manage only to destroy — from rotten employees to corrupt leaders. His values are like cemented in his consciousness.
I agree with the president — wala na talagang hiya ang ibang Pilipino. Kaunti lang ba sila o marami, magaling lang magtago? Their parents must be cringing in shame at what they have done to our country.
