Be careful what you say on social media

Puerto Galera Philippines council ordains Dutch man ‘persona non grata’
By Paghahatid • On May 30, 2015 • In In Puerto Galera, In the Philippines, On Mindoro Island In Puerto Galera, In the Philippines, On Mindoro Island council, Dutch, Expat, expatriate, facebook, Holland, Keese Koornstra, Mayor Hubbert Christopher Atienza Dolor, ordains, persona non grata, PGBTEA, puerto galera, tourism, tourist 0


By Robert A. Evora | May. 30, 2015 at 12:01am

PUERTO GALERA, Oriental Mindoro—A Dutch expatriate, who posted on his Facebook (FB) page pictures of uncollected plastic bags of garbage along a major shoreline here, was declared a “persona non grata” by the Sangguniang Bayan of this resort town Wednesday.

Puerto Galera Philippines council ordains Dutch man persona non grata

Looks like no more freedom of speech in any way in the ph for foreigners anymore! This is the second time I have heard this over the last couple of months, there was another guy who critisised the local tourism office a few months back who wrote a blog about his visits around the ph, he had the same crap dished out to him also.

 

At least this guy has some locals with a bit of common sense backing him up.

The guy who talked smack about the immigration wasn't using his head. Of all the government offices to talk crap about that is probably the worst one to do it to.

 

I would agree if the hosts were being completely honest. However, most pictures taken of beaches to attract these "guests" look like this:


But reality, many times just out of view of that picture to attract tourists, is this:


You better believe you are going to have some pissed off tourists. When your "hosts" are lying to attract tourists and make money people SHOULD post the reality online to warn others. The reason this guy wasn't hit with a libel case was because his intentions were to warn others, not tarnish the image of the municipality.

Also, I wouldn't consider everyone here as "guests". If you are married to a Filipina and here on a marriage visa you are no longer a guest in my book. Once someone gets any type of residence visa they are no longer there as a tourist (guest).

I do agree that the guy was a bit naive to think he could post and say such things in a country with such thin egos, but that doesn't make what he did wrong.

 

I think the terms "guests" and "hosts" do not apply to countries as a whole. Nobody invited me to the Philippines.....they posted pictures online and said "look what we have", these were mostly lies (or more of an omission of the truth). Tourism is an industry, not a private abode. If an industry is making money off of lies then people should be warned about it before spending their money on in said industry.

However, the Philippines lives, politically, in an alternate universe and the guy went about it the wrong way. He should have went to the Department of Health and asked what could have been done or presented a solution to the problem, not just thrown it up on social media in a seemingly self serving manner, attention getting manner. It seems to me the guy didn't want anything to do with helping clean up the place, he was calling on other to take action for his benefit. He doesn't seem to have any interest in being part of the community. I find these attitudes downright selfish and annoying. This whole persona non grata sh*t has to stop though. It is childish and makes the Philippines look bad. Persona non grata is supposed to be an action taken against unwelcome diplomats, not a catch all law to restrict freedom of speech and other basic human rights.

 

Any excuse to save face.