Rising anti-Chinese sentiment
THE red flag is up. The report that a substantial number of Chinese tourists has been converting their tourist visas into working visas has been confirmed. This was revealed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during a hearing of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources on Monday. And how big is that number? According to DOLE, it issued some 52,000 alien employment permits (AEPs) for Chinese workers. However, some senators estimate the number to be even higher.
At the same Senate hearing, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) admitted that it had issued about 119,000 special employment visas (in 2018 alone) for foreign workers, without the need for AEPs. The BI confirmed that there were more than three million Chinese arrivals from January 2016 to the first quarter of 2018.
I believe this development, the knowledge that there are now millions of Chinese staying in the Philippines on a more or less permanent status, will contribute further to the surging anti-Chinese sentiment in the country.
Even prior to the Senate hearing, there were news reports and social media postings which that decried the somewhat “obnoxious” and “unruly behavior” of these “illegal” Chinese workers. I am not talking about our own Chinese-Filipinos, but foreign Chinese, who are here simply to work at the call centers and online gambling casinos.
Mind you, our economy rides hugely on the accomplishments of Chinese-Filipino businessmen. There are no qualms and no doubts about the Chinese-Filipino community being part not only of our economic prosperity but also of our heritage and culture.
But to go back to this horde of allegedly “illegally” working Chinese.
Sinophobia anyone?
Anti-Chinese sentiment is technically termed as Sinophobia. Although, following its Greek origin, “phobia” means “fear.” Fear of Chinese? This is entirely different. Remember the statement “basically like throwing paper in a brick wall?” Maybe, that is fear of Chinese.
Sinophobia pertains to the sentiment against Chinese, particularly those outside of mainland China, and specifically those within one’s native country. The Pew Research Center conducted a poll in 2017 involving 38 countries and evaluated them based on their views of China.
It is no surprise that Vietnam is on top of that list. About 88 percent of Vietnamese hate, while only 10 percent favor, China. This high unfavorable figure is due to the continuing conflict between China and Vietnam, particularly the territorial disputes in the Paracel and Spratly Islands. The number surged in 2007 when the Chinese Coast Guard detained some Vietnamese fishers seeking refuge in the disputed reefs.
Japan is second with 83 percent of its nationals having unfavorable feelings about the Chinese and only 13 percent favoring them, for a net score of 70 percent unfavorable.
The Philippines is 23rd on the list with 40 percent unfavorable and 55 percent favorable. The unfavorable percentage is sure to increase if Pew Research Center were to conduct a poll at this time. A recent Social Weather Station survey released on November 19, however, showed that 84 percent of Filipinos distrust China.
Anti-Chinese posts
Netizens, particularly those on Facebook and Twitter, have expressed their own share of anti-Chinese sentiment. Here are some of the recent tweets and posts that went viral.
Papa Cologne (@apoterry) uploaded a picture of a shirtless Chinese and posted this on November 4: “Kanina lang. I queued to the cashier when Chinese mainland guy cut thru the line, took off his shirt and paid for it. I felt so invaded even at Uniqlo.”
PinoyTraderDiary (@pinoy_diary), replying to @apoterry, said, “They’re doing this everywhere even in Thailand. Not just the Philippines, don’t blame the government. It’s just that Chinese lower class has now more money and can afford to travel na. Upper class Chinese are well educated with class naman based on my exp..”
Merry Bee (@Marybeezzz) tweeted, “In S&R last week a friend said that a bunch of mainlanders wanted to enter S&R without an ID, but the guard said they could not w/o a member ID. They insisted they could enter saying, ‘we are Chinese!’ The nerve of these people! They actually act as if they ‘own’ the country.”
Mj Miller posted on Facebook, “This photo was taken by my friend in BGC last week. A Chinese mother was making her child poop there! My friend secretly snapped this pic, then told the security guard. My goodness. Walang urbanidad. Mga salaula!!!!”
Another one from @Gabrielle: “A number of us were CAUGHT BY SURPRISE by their gross manners. This is to let everyone know, THEY are here and THEY are disrespectful. STAND YOUR GROUND. Let them know Philippines is for FILIPINOS.” Well said.
@misthereo summed it up in this manner: “These posts about mainland Chinese people thinking highly of themselves in our country are disturbing.”
Indeed it is disturbing. I myself had an encounter with a Chinese national “exalting” himself with a “sense of entitlement.” Here goes my own story:
I went to a newly opened shopping complex in Alabang, Muntinlupa. The complex houses two towers occupied by call centers. When I entered the parking lot, I notice the reserved slots for People With Disabilities (PWD) parking. There were two PWD parking slots, which were vacant at the time. Since I am not a PWD, I looked for an empty slot and found one in a farther row. As I was walking out of the parking lot, an SUV hastily parked in the PWD slot. The driver went out — not a PWD — but a medium-built Chinese. I asked the security guard why he allowed a non-PWD person to park in a slot reserved for PWDs. I was baffled by the security guard’s answer: “Chinese po yon, sa call center.”
Maybe that Chinese from the call center was indeed a PWD — a person with a disability in his mindset, thinking that he is better than the Filipinos and is “entitled” to such things.
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