I hope you can spare a couple of minutes to read my interview with Vince, an Employment Pass holder from Philippines who was disturbed by one of your remarks on one of the The Temasek Review’s post. Let’s hope you can give it a serious thought & a positive reply. I can see that you are a student with Nanyang Technological University so you can see that ‘The Temasek Review’ is certainly a hate site and it is not a site you can subscribe to it. Below is the story which the T-league clones do not want you to read.
I got to know Vince online recently when he messaged me
on my Facebook page to share with me his views where he felt disturbed by the
negativity online vitriol against foreigners. He also cited an example of a
young boy, raising concern how the youths are involved. (You may see the image
far at the bottom)
We all know that there are some websites that specialize in berating certain foreigners, so I am sure you know which are the sites I am talking about.
Below is what I spoke with Vince and he shared with me more about himself.
Vince is 36 years old. He first came to Singapore 4 years ago from Philippines to work here. He is currently under Employment Pass. He knows two languages, both English and Tagalog.
We all know that there are some websites that specialize in berating certain foreigners, so I am sure you know which are the sites I am talking about.
Below is what I spoke with Vince and he shared with me more about himself.
Vince is 36 years old. He first came to Singapore 4 years ago from Philippines to work here. He is currently under Employment Pass. He knows two languages, both English and Tagalog.
(Editor Note: I should say his English language is
very fluent from the way I communicate with him, definitely much better than
mine, agreed?)
He works as an IT Data Security Team Leader with a chemical company branch in Singapore. It is global company, based in the UK. He is the only Filipino employed by the company in Singapore. Besides the local Singaporeans, there are other foreigners including, Indian nationals, Malaysians, Indonesians, Americans and Britons etc.
He leads a global team that provides Network Security for the company. He works on weekdays but he is on call 24/7. Should the company require his services, he would have to dash down right way even if it is in the middle of night when he is sleeping.
He has been with the company for more than 2 years by now and he enjoys his work, he also hopes that his company will extend his services for as long as possible because his company provides a very good working environment & friendly employee camaraderie workplace, where he could not ask for more.
This is what he is very proud of. All his colleagues are very pleasant and kind. Bullying or xenophobia does not exist in his place of work. He has made many friends not just to the people in his department but also other units.
Before he came to Singapore in October 2008, he worked at the Gambling Controlling body of the Philippines for 9 Years as an IT Supervisor. His skills, knowledge along with 9 years of experience became a sought after for employers not only in Singapore but overseas as well.
He spoke to me in all honesty that the Salary difference is his main reason for leaving his country to venture his services overseas. He choose to come to Singapore because it is just a few hours away from Philippines and he can quickly go back in event that he needs to go home urgently.
He works as an IT Data Security Team Leader with a chemical company branch in Singapore. It is global company, based in the UK. He is the only Filipino employed by the company in Singapore. Besides the local Singaporeans, there are other foreigners including, Indian nationals, Malaysians, Indonesians, Americans and Britons etc.
He leads a global team that provides Network Security for the company. He works on weekdays but he is on call 24/7. Should the company require his services, he would have to dash down right way even if it is in the middle of night when he is sleeping.
He has been with the company for more than 2 years by now and he enjoys his work, he also hopes that his company will extend his services for as long as possible because his company provides a very good working environment & friendly employee camaraderie workplace, where he could not ask for more.
This is what he is very proud of. All his colleagues are very pleasant and kind. Bullying or xenophobia does not exist in his place of work. He has made many friends not just to the people in his department but also other units.
Before he came to Singapore in October 2008, he worked at the Gambling Controlling body of the Philippines for 9 Years as an IT Supervisor. His skills, knowledge along with 9 years of experience became a sought after for employers not only in Singapore but overseas as well.
He spoke to me in all honesty that the Salary difference is his main reason for leaving his country to venture his services overseas. He choose to come to Singapore because it is just a few hours away from Philippines and he can quickly go back in event that he needs to go home urgently.
(Editor note: He has
family commitment & responsibility but I feel it isn’t appropriate for him
to share more, too private & I respect that).
Apart from the Salary difference, the culture here is not very far from what the Filipinos have, closer family ties, love and taking care of the family specially our aging parents, it is quite similar. According to him, safety is also another factor; it is common knowledge that his country is not the safest place.
He is already married & they have 2 children, 1 boy and 1 girl. They currently live in Jurong East area. They choose this area because it is very peaceful and quiet, most conveniently very near to their place of work.
The cost of living in Singapore is high which is expected from a developed country. He also mentioned that the housing cost is very expensive & they do not own their transport vehicle, instead they take public trains and buses to get around in Singapore. He thinks the public transport rates in Singapore are quite okay, it is not very expensive compared to other developed countries.
The same goes for hawker centers & restaurants. For food cuisines in Singapore, it is not much different because they also have international cuisines in the Philippines. He particularly likes the Nasi Lemak & the Cereal Prawns here.
Apart from the Salary difference, the culture here is not very far from what the Filipinos have, closer family ties, love and taking care of the family specially our aging parents, it is quite similar. According to him, safety is also another factor; it is common knowledge that his country is not the safest place.
He is already married & they have 2 children, 1 boy and 1 girl. They currently live in Jurong East area. They choose this area because it is very peaceful and quiet, most conveniently very near to their place of work.
The cost of living in Singapore is high which is expected from a developed country. He also mentioned that the housing cost is very expensive & they do not own their transport vehicle, instead they take public trains and buses to get around in Singapore. He thinks the public transport rates in Singapore are quite okay, it is not very expensive compared to other developed countries.
The same goes for hawker centers & restaurants. For food cuisines in Singapore, it is not much different because they also have international cuisines in the Philippines. He particularly likes the Nasi Lemak & the Cereal Prawns here.
(Editor note: I don’t like eating cereal prawns =P)
Recently, he got used to eating Indian food because of his wife who loves to eat Briyani and Roti-Prata with curry.
Recently, he got used to eating Indian food because of his wife who loves to eat Briyani and Roti-Prata with curry.
(Editor’s note: hey Vince, glad you are
now used to the Indian food, Briyani and Roti-Prata are popular with the local
Singaporeans here)
There's an assortment of food here and he thinks it is also one of the reasons why he never had a problem adjusting in Singapore.
When asked about Singapore citizens and how he finds us besides his own friends or those whom he met on streets, whether we are nice folks or rude people, he replied that when he first came here, he had the impression that Singaporeans specially the older folks are rude or snobbish because of the way they talk.
“When they don't understand you it's like they are raising their voice to ask, ‘Huh!?" but later he come to realized that it's really a normal reaction here so he got used to it. Up to now, he has not met anyone in person who is rude to him at all.
He has worked with Citibank, Bank of America and honestly, he finds it more enjoyable working with his Singaporean colleagues, most of them are still in touch with him either through Facebook/ E-mail/ SMS etc.
With the multi-races here in Singapore, he couldn't really tell who's a native Singaporean or who's not. Some strangers are nice and warm while some are not. But to him, it's basically the same everywhere outside of Singapore too.
(Editor’s note: Hey Vince again, it is actually easy to tell who’s a Singaporean if you hear any of us using Singlish language
You can ask your
Singaporean friend to teach you some, it is pretty fun)
When I asked Vince about the people he come across online in Singapore cyberspace & how he finds them, he replied that it was until recently that he started reading some forums online that he got disturbed and he asked himself, what is happening? Why are there so much hate messages?
There's an assortment of food here and he thinks it is also one of the reasons why he never had a problem adjusting in Singapore.
When asked about Singapore citizens and how he finds us besides his own friends or those whom he met on streets, whether we are nice folks or rude people, he replied that when he first came here, he had the impression that Singaporeans specially the older folks are rude or snobbish because of the way they talk.
“When they don't understand you it's like they are raising their voice to ask, ‘Huh!?" but later he come to realized that it's really a normal reaction here so he got used to it. Up to now, he has not met anyone in person who is rude to him at all.
He has worked with Citibank, Bank of America and honestly, he finds it more enjoyable working with his Singaporean colleagues, most of them are still in touch with him either through Facebook/ E-mail/ SMS etc.
With the multi-races here in Singapore, he couldn't really tell who's a native Singaporean or who's not. Some strangers are nice and warm while some are not. But to him, it's basically the same everywhere outside of Singapore too.
(Editor’s note: Hey Vince again, it is actually easy to tell who’s a Singaporean if you hear any of us using Singlish language
You can ask your
Singaporean friend to teach you some, it is pretty fun)When I asked Vince about the people he come across online in Singapore cyberspace & how he finds them, he replied that it was until recently that he started reading some forums online that he got disturbed and he asked himself, what is happening? Why are there so much hate messages?
There are anonymous people saying bad things to other races. It is very sad.
What drove these people to hate others so much? He feels that it is very worrying especially when he came across some youths, one example of a young boy who used vulgarity & xenophobic sentiments. (Readers, please refer to the image far at bottom)
“I have not been verbally abused or attacked on the streets, thank God!”
He & his wife seldom go out of their house other than going to work or shopping for their necessarities. Singapore city is still very safe, he added.
I asked Vince about the recent National Day Rally 2012 speech by our Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. He replied that he has not seen it on TV but he did read some excerpt on the newspaper and On-line. His opinion on the Prime Minister is that he’s a very compassionate person. The PM genuinely wants the best for Singapore and the Singaporeans.
The PM continues the path and visions of what his father and his predecessors have started. Vince admire how he (PM Lee) reach out to his people, he (PM Lee) is just like his father (Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, former PM of Singapore). He (PM Lee) may not have the amount of charisma his father (Mr. Lee Kuan Yew) possesses but I think because he (PM Lee) is still young.
(Editor’s note: I also asked Vince for his views on integration between Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans below)
“With the current situation and in my personal view, I do not think that integration would help at this time. The Singaporeans are unhappy because of the influx of foreigners; it will make them unhappy if you try to mix the 2.
First step is to instill to both sides that they need each other and that they could co-exist, how that can be done is beyond me but it could be the first step.
As for integration, perhaps activities that would interest the 2 would be a good idea. Me for example, I have a few Singaporean friends who I came to know because of my love for Photography. Some things that we can share in common.
The perceptions of Singaporeans now towards foreigners are that they are here to steal their jobs, drive the prices of everything up. In some cases, their claims are true.
On that aspect I have no idea. The only idea that I have is to appeal to their hearts. But how? They also should learn to be aware of the sacrifices these foreigners have to make.
Singaporeans value family, these foreigners leave their family in search for ways to give them a better life. My wife and I have 2 kids in the Philippines; we only get to be with them 3 weeks in each year. Each time we say goodbye everyone is crying. After we come back from being with them for weeks we are adjusting and it is painful.
We have a family that we need to support, brothers and sisters that we need to send to school. We have aging parents to take care of, pay their medical bills. All these are the factors that are being considered that’s why we choose to go away.
For our families. Are they able to leave their loved ones to give them a better life? I think not.
Probably when they are made aware of this hardships foreigners are going thru, then they will understand. Humans are by nature good. Appeal to their hearts then they will surely understand.” – Vince
(Editor’s note: We have Singaporeans who also goes overseas to work & will naturally experience the similar situation and same feeling especially when it comes to our families.)
His vision & dream for his family here in Singapore for the future:-
“I am really hoping that the situation gets better. I dream of bringing my kids here so that we could all be together as a family. At the moment I am not yet a PR, despite being here for 4 Years, I haven't applied because I don't want to stain my record that I have been rejected. I don't want to risk applying until the situation gets better. But I am hoping for the best.” – Vince
(Editor’s note: I spoke with Vince and I can tell that Vince loves Singapore and this is his dream. We all have dreams, don’t we?)
The last part below is the additional information which Vince shares about his country of birth:-
“I am not much into Politics but I've read my history, the history of my country and that of some other countries. Singaporean Government despite what some people are saying is probably the most effective form of Government. I only wish we have this same form of Government in the Philippines, maybe I don't need to work abroad and away from my family.
Our country was once led by a dictator, during those times our rights were suppressed. It was also during those times that we were one of the richest countries in Asia. Then came democracy, too much of it.. And we are paying the price.
Singapore is being led by compassionate and responsible leaders
who so far have led the country to the top; Singaporeans enjoy democracy but
not like the democracy that the Filipinos enjoy now.
To Little Fish,
To Little Fish,
Thank you for taking my views into consideration.
You are doing a noble job of putting up this wonderful page.
Cheers,
Vince
You are doing a noble job of putting up this wonderful page.
Cheers,
Vince
Below is the image which I mentioned twice above.
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