Is It Ok That Filipinos To Charge Foreigners More? Entitlement?

[MikeB]

Here in the States local colleges will have higher fees and more stringent requirements for out of State students and higher still if a foreign student applies because it is subsidized with tax money.

That I haven't heard of, I thought foreign students were paying the same tuition as out of state students because state schools are subsidized with state taxes.

[i am bob]

Here in the States local colleges will have higher fees and more stringent requirements for out of State students and higher still if a foreign student applies because it is subsidized with tax money.

That I haven't heard of, I thought foreign students were paying the same tuition as out of state students because state schools are subsidized with state taxes.

This happens all across North American... In some Canadian and American schools, they are charged more for student residence as well... Not all but a few... And, yeah, they pay more for the schools quite often as well. I know of one young lad from Italy attending High School in Buffalo - he has to pay for everything out of pocket.

[Dave Hounddriver]

I can't help that... I really liked the post (Dave H I think) the other day about getting the car fixed and how he couldn't pay just the little amount that was asked for... More positive!

Thanks for that, but let me just fill in the rest of the story. After the car was fixed, I drove home. At home I had another bit of bad luck in that the air conditioner in my bedroom quit running. No aircon that night. Next day I went to a friend to ask for a recommendation for an air con repairman. That one got me for the 'Kano price. Oh well, you win some and you lose some, but my car and air con both work now.

[billten]

Let them have their short sighted gains and lose out on the long term.

This is one of the things about the mentality of the average Filipino that irks me the most. After nearly a decade living here it still drives me crazy when someone i have been doing business with for ages, tries to screw me over to make a few extra peso that day. That is after having spent years paying, buying from or employing the fool and with the clear expectation that this arrangement will continue. But no, they think that they can screw me with impunity and then i will be stupid enough to go on doing business with them. In fact, i have had many situations where I AM THE BAD GUY because i didn't just smile and take it in the a$$.It is one of the few things that i will never adjust to and will always be a minor annoyance...

[billten]

I have not, in 12 years plus of visiting and living in the Philippines, ever been treated to a meal by someone from the Philippines....

I also have NEVER been taken out for a meal in all he years i have been here, BUT... more and more i am invited to peoples homes up on the mountain where i live. These are quite poor people and they always give my family the best they have and the place of honor. Its actually quite embarrasing as they sit us at the table, with about 50 people looking on, and serve my family first. We get the best food and get the best seats with the fan and all. They always make sure i have the drink i enjoy and are amazingly good hosts.We only got the first invitation after living here for about 4 years and when we turned up everyone was shocked that we would come, and also that we would actually enjoy ourselves; they all said that they were either too 'embarrassed' to invite us, or that they felt we were too 'supplada' to come. Since then we often get invites and always get treated wonderfully.I think this kind of entertainment is much more likely to occur than a 'dinner out' as we would do in the West.BTW, the other thing we noticed is that the people who invite us are most likely to be poor and simple people. The richer people around here tend to be a lot more intimidated by our percieved 'porieghner' status...

[Genius]

Wow! Isn't that a little harsh? How often have you found yourself facing these situations?Not everybody sees us "foreigners" as the enemy... I am not even in-country yet and I have a few Filipino friends who are already offering to take me out for dinner at their expense... One has even offered me a discount at the local public market over and above what the local population in pays until I can get set up and established if I move to their fair town... Maybe it's because they know I am coming to stay...Yes, I know I will face some amount of discrimination and Kano pricing through the years but not everybody will overcharge on every sale...!

Was it my post about it being endemic you were referring to? If so, I would say I might have a chip on my shoulder about it and not particularly harsh, just realistic. I quite love many things in the phils but the continual nickel and diming of foreigners is not one of them. It really did and does change the way I perceive and treat the place. Ŵhilst it is quite true that you can use strategies to minimise the effects of the all encompassing attitude, having to do that is more of an annoyance for me than letting them rip me off. The sums to date have never justified me getting that annoyed or caused me to ruin my day, though it has prevented me from getting any more financially involved than just spending money there. Now, I do not believe things would be any different, if the economic divide in the UK was similar, people really are desperately poor in the phils and it shows day in and out. There are plenty of great people, but I could not rely on people here as I could in richer countries to be generally honest. Frustrating, for sure. Perhaps not believable if you ve not lived here. But try it and see. It really is the flip side of the social freedoms and great lifestyle a westerner of middling means can have, I think. Having experienced Monaco and Venice as a tourist, demonstrates the other side, I.e. not having enough money to buy a round of drinks at random, without having the slitest concern as to what the bill will be at the end of an evening; so short of inheriting £50 million pounds, I appreciate the benefits of relative financial power in the phils and try and not grumble too much. If you ve got this far, you ll see I have mixed views on the whole topic.

[Old55]

I respect what you are saying we all each have our own experiences while in Philippines some good some bad.

[daisy]

It is unusual for Filipinos to go out and pay individually, but these days I'll just pay my own and I can be with many friends as I can because I know that they too are influenced by their husbands and would not expect me to pay for them even if I initiated the call....I love this way better....even if somebody invites us to their home, it is expected that the host will be the one taking care of everything we eat in their house, dessert, drinks and whatever... as in "eat all you can" however, when invitation is coming from an Expat's family, I need to know if it is all FREE! Do we need to bring what????Except of course on special occasions when specified that it is FREE!If in rare occasion that I happen to drop by in an Expat's wife, even if how close we are, the expectation that t will be served with something ceased also. All of these, I took positively.Sorry if it's OT!

Edited February 28, 2012 by daisy

[Bundy]

All i'm gonna say here is that if i know i'm being overcharged for something i just simply REFUSE to pay and i will tell them straight out and walk away.We all have choices and i can live with mine very nicely thankyou.

[Old55]

I feel the same way Bundy. I’ll politely say I don’t have budget for that price or something like that.The problem comes when you have a service done without an actual written price and you get the “business”.Never ever ever make a payment before a service is rendered.