“Immigration Service with a Smile”
Talk about total farce!
I wonder why the immigration booths at the NAIA still have this slogan stuck to their windows. It’s totally useless.. oh wait, it’s not. It actually makes you notice (like you need help.. duh?!) that local immigration officers DO NOT smile at all.
Upon departure, they look at you as if you do not deserve some time off this.. uhmm, country. When you arrive, they would coldly look at you, smirk at your passport, and make you feel most unwelcome, as if you don’t have the right to come back.
Who gets the smiles? The blondes, I would assume. Filipinos are just so crazy about foreigners. Is the so-called Filipino hospitality exclusively for them? Pfffft!
I dunno about the others, but I find immigration in Singapore and Indonesia rather nice. Upon seeing my passport, the Indo officer even said, "Philippines! Hello, mare!" Of course, "mare" might mean "bitch" or "fart-face" in Bahasa, but the greeting sounded warm and friendly nonetheless.
Anyway, I just hope our immigration officials would be nicer to Filipino travelers. Maybe if they smiled a little on a regular basis, some karmic force would send in positive vibes and work wonders which could lead to the government’s magical decision to finally open Terminal 3, and our airport wouldn’t look so pitiful compared to our Asian neighbors.
Wishful thinking to the Nth degree.. hahah!!
May 2nd, 2007 at 8:19 am
Hehehehe…agree agree! A friend here married to an ‘austriana’ said the same thing even if his daughter is of mixed race ha. Sabi nya: ‘Ganun talaga pinoy mabait sa foreigner!’ Buti na lang di naintindihan nung wife nya (she’s learning tagalog e).
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Siguro inggit lang sila kze ikaw paalis at pabalik ng pinas, sila sa airport lang lagi! joke joke! And maybe they also think pag ngumiti sila sa blonde magiging kamukha nila! ahihihihi. =P
May 8th, 2007 at 8:32 am
geez… deyr just probably dead jealous hekhek:) toinks!