Do you think the sea front (of blvrd) can be restored back to its prime state?

well, the "committees" are doing the same (sitting on their hands) under a name. The list of useless committees in Dumaguete exceeds the entries of globes phonebook.

1st meeting: we need a name
2nd meeting: we need another name where we can find a useless acronym nobody can remember and make a facebook page
3rd meeting: can anybody remember our name?
4th meeting (if there is one): what was the committee about? ... Nah skip that, let's eat....

I see on the way to Cebu a lot of houses directly on the water, throwing the garbage directly into the ocean. That gets washed away immediately, either in the Bohol Strait or Tanon Strait as there are steady stronger currents than in Dumaguete.

I don't wanna stop any enthusiastic feelings, but 10 years in the Philippines, visiting plenty of Islands will destroy that. Any kind of environmental protection I have ever seen in tourist areas was forced and financed by foreignbusinessmen investing into this country (Moalboal, Puerto Galera, Bohol etc.) but at the end getting their @ss kicked or their wallets sucked endlessly.

The local attitude is (and you can read that in this and other thread): The government/Students/offocials have to clean, have to make other laws, have to teach. have to do this and that... and there is where the problem of the population here is... talking and discussing what others have to do instead of doing something to avoid that problem.

You can't teach logic and common sense in a "go if you don't like" country...

 

I would like to know how you expats could help and not just talk, blame and criticized others. Maybe you are our only hope.

 

Expats help in many different directions, in many different ways, invariably using their own money to do it, so it's a bit out of order to suggest that we just talk. Any time we highlight a fault that could be improved on, it's usually seen as a criticism.

You should remember that we don't have a vote, and we are often reminded of that.

 

So how in particular in this case were you able to extend help to us?

 

in this particular case, by NOT pissing and shi#%@ in the middle of the boulevard, like hundreds of your countrymen do daily.

and it just happened a few days ago when I was sitting at a restaurant at the center of the boulevard with broadside. A trike stopped, a mother jumped from the backseat behind the driver, grasping her kid, pulling down the kids pants and let have the kid a dump right in front of us in the middle of the street.

I am sure 99.99% of the foreigners here won't do that, so they help to keep that area clean and help being an example what to do and what not to do when "under pressure".

in other cases, well you can see what broadside (and other foreigners with some local friends) did, for example here:

http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/board/...p-sendong-victims-9896-10.html#post1851872593

or here

http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/board/...dagan-elementary-school-8527-4.html#post71661

 

Yes Rhoody, I know of your Sendong Christmas project. I thank you all for that wonderful kindness and positive approach to our Locals. However, since the time I became a member of this Forum years back, It seems "TO ME" that other New members spoke and wrote about the negative aspects of our cities. Don't get me wrong, I know they don't want other visitors to see our city this way, maybe because they are concerned, but also and more importantly, they have business to protect. However, when they criticized and blame us, the locals, they failed to understand who we are, specially the Poor and why they did this things. Its all about lack of education and poverty. Some expats never tried and imagine on putting their feet on our shoes, the poor's shoes. this I can say without a doubt. What about our public officials? You might ask? Well Our country as a whole is poor. and some Public officials are corrupt. This are some reason why we failed. However you, who are Rich and are not Corrupt can't do nothing either, right? So instead of pointing fingers at us, its better to stop talking about the negative and instead look at the good side. Wonder why I seldom visit this site now compared to those early years where You, Mike and Jellyfish and the ladies are still doing your best to Organize the DI members, that is because, I feel, as a local, became more and more isolated and looked down, as if other "New" expats owned this City and that we the Locals do not belong here. Sorry guys but i feel tired reading all this negativity. Being your host, I think we deserve some respect, poor or not. Peace.

 

Gotz,

I like your response and agree with many of your points as it shows a good opinion, intelligence and a basis to discuss, not like the (in my opinion) stupid "go if you don't like" kids.
However, many complaints which can be read here are about the behavior of the so called "poor".

I have not seen Mr. Lee or similar pissing on the street. I had a meeting yesterday and from Cervantes to my house (a 5 -8 minute ride) I counted 8 of those events, yes, this is disgusting.

If you read most of the negative comments here, they are often against certain behaviors which you probably also would consider unacceptable, but of course when being said by a foreigner, it is not true and "local culture". But those are behaviors which can and should be changed by the locals, poor or not.

I totally disagree with that.
Respect has to be earned. Speaking for myself, I do neither respect nor disrespect anything when I see, meet or experience it the first time. Respect or disrespect grows with my experience.

So what do foreign guests experience when arriving in the host country. It starts with a ridiculous falling in line procedure, a rip of by porters, followed by a rip off by taxi, trike or whatever the choice of transportation is. ( the same procedure, even more annoying, time and money consuming when leaving the country).

Their stay here is mainly in foreign run resorts (for reasons which would fill a whole travel guide), those resorts pay tons of tax and permit fees, etc., supporting thousands of local poor families just in our area here. Those resorts also keep their grounds and beach-strip clean, and it is really amazing how much rubbish is deposit there (NOT washed in) during a week.

If the foreign guest stays longer, he/she gets confronted with all those long-nose prices, which gets in Dumaguete even that far, that Pinoys from other Islands get overcharged, 'cause they are not from here. Guests who stay longer get confronted with the trash and pissing pictures all the time.

Again respect has to be earned. A lot can be changed by the "poor" and that would certainly earn my respect. Many locals I met here have my full respect and I enjoy hanging out with them, but I truly believe that the host should respect the guests first and treat them appropriate like guests are treated in other countries. I also don't think your country is poor, I believe it is a rich country but very poor treated by it's population.

Another example about rich and poor:

Each single centavo I spend here in my guest country, is earned here. I came here 9.5 years ago and learned ALL skills I use for creating enough income for my daily rice here in the host country, without spending one Euro of my private savings.

The rich and poor argument does not count for me at all. I came with nothing, now I support my little family, send kids to school, have some peso to travel and can have a cold one in the evening. It is simply the commitment to achieve something, the own will, the hard personal work one puts into it to achieve ones goal and/or changes.

I worked with hundreds of locals together. Very few showed any commitments into their work. Those who did made mostly a quite good career in their field. I am happy to introduce some of them to you.

Getting back to my first line of this post. I see your points and I think they are worth to discuss, so here is an offer to you.

Get 5 of your local friends, we make an appointment in a week or two, and sit together for a nice chat. I am happy to listen and maybe we can find a way how you and your friends can support more positive thinking. I am sure that one or two of the "rich long-nose complainer" might be interested to join. I will take care of the pika and the juice.

I am open to everything and would highly appreciate if that meeting will happen.

Gonna stop now, my boss has birthday and calls for my yearly duty.

Amen

Rhoody

 

Rhoody,

Reading your comment above, particularly when you said you agreed to many of my points, well point for point, you disagreed with me. Especially that thing called R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I don't think you came and live here primarily because you see those disgusting things happening around. I know that there is more in Dumaguete than all this disgusting things. But I also know that no matter how small this problem is, you and your friends are looking at its long term effects, specially if you have your business interest to protect. The only problem is how to address and deal with them.
When you said that respect is to be earned, that's where one of the problem lies. This debate started because of lack of one thing, RESPECT. The way you discussed these problems and blame it to us, as if, ALL of US Locals committed this and that, did not help at all. Moreso it created more problem, that is about respecting and understanding each other. Sorry Rhoody, I can't accomodate your request because of health reasons. I go to Holy Child Hospital 3 times a week for my dialysis. I have difficulty breathing specially under the heat. If you want you can go there next week either tuesday, thursday or saturday at 3 pm. Just ask for me at the Dialysis room so I can accept you as my visitor. Lets have our discussion there if its alright with you.

 

Mate,
sorry to hear about your problem, I am happy to be your visitor, I also can drop by your house with my boss one day, or you visit us if possible, no problem at all.

Please read again, I did not blame all, having said that, shouldn't those who do not treat this nice country like sh#$, do something against those who do?
BTW, I don't have business in Dumaguete and have no friends.... well at least not in McD and other famous foreigner hang-outs.
I came here because of a job offer 6+ years back, that is the only reason and was scuba diving related. Now we brought Rechels kids and I want that Daisy finshes her elementary here. Without the kids I would be probably gone since 2 years... why? well, thats what I will tell you when I see you again, after all this years Realy looking forward to it.

 

Most first time visitors of this beautifull country came with a lot of respect, but lost it before they set a first step in their hotel room.
And many countryman who lived abroad for a while lost that respect for their country as well.
Remains the question who has to be blamed.