‘Little Korea’ in the Philippines

The people of South Korea were most happy to have Pope Francis visit their country. It was the first official trip in Asia by the Pontiff.  South Korea has about 5.1 million Roman Catholics. This is just about 29 percent of their country’s total population, but South Korean faithful trooped to wherever Pope Francis went around to give him their most warm welcome.

Pope Francis was quoted as telling foreign journalists on board the plane flying back to Vatican that he also wants to visit China. The Pope is scheduled next to visit the Philippines on Jan. 15 to 19. The Philippines is the biggest Roman Catholic country in this part of the world. There are 76.18 million Roman Catholic Filipinos out of the country’s 100 million population.

Other than Church-related activities, security preparations are underway to ensure the safety of the papal visit that will also take him to the Yolanda-stricken province of Leyte. The papal visit next year becomes a precursor of sorts for intense security preparations being laid down this early.

This is because the country is also stiff in organizing the biggest international event in 2015 when the country hosts the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ summit. Twenty-one leaders of APEC economies are attending the yearly summit set in November next year. They will also bring along their respective ministers and other ranking government officials.

Given the ongoing preparations by the police, military and other law enforcement agencies, one would have the feeling of being very secure and safe, especially from falling victim or prey to criminals. But what’s actually happening lately seems to be contrary to official statements from the police authorities reporting on declining crime incidence.

An ambassador to the Philippines expressed such alarm after nine of their nationals, who are residents or are here as tourists, fell victim to heinous crimes. South Korean Ambassador Hyuk Lee sought audience with no less than Philippine National Police (PNP) director-general Alan Purisima about these incidents that victimized Koreans from January to July this year.

The ambassador first sent a formal letter to the PNP chief to bring attention to the cases that have been reported to the Korean embassy.  In his letter, the ambassador cited the case of Korean businessman Bae Min-ju who was reportedly killed by armed men who forced their way to board his car on July 27. Bae’s wife was kidnapped but later released unharmed. Their family driver has since been arrested for possible involvement in the crime.

“This is the ninth documented crime-related death of a Korean national in the Philippines since January of this year,” the ambassador noted. The ambassador was also aghast in the specific case of 21-year-old student Lee Ji Won who was abducted and killed in March. “It was a brutal and senseless crime that rattled the Korean community in the Philippines,” he deplored.

At a dinner hosted at his official residence in Makati City on August 12, the ambassador told us he had a meeting with the PNP chief the previous day at the latter’s office in Camp Crame, Quezon City. With his diplomatic tack, the ambassador said he raised to Purisima certain suggestions to that could help Philippine law enforcement agencies in its anti-crime drive.

The ambassador suggested added security measures such as strict screening for drivers before they can get their professional licenses for motor vehicles and taxicabs in particular. He noted that most of the Korean nationals were victimized while they were on board their vehicles driven for them, or on taxicabs.

Fortunately, we were able to raise this idea the next day to a government official who has jurisdiction over public utilities like taxicabs. During his visit to The STAR editorial office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board chairman Winston Ginez disclosed their agency, in fact, is implementing this year a requirement starting with taxicab operators to hire drivers who have police and NBI clearances as a prerequisite for franchise application. In this way, Ginez said, the LTFRB will have a database of licensed public utility drivers. 

“Such preemptive actions would allay the anxiety of Koreans, who have been coming to the Philippines in greater numbers either as tourists or as investors,” Lee said. “With the favorable economic climate under the administration of President Aquino, more and more Koreans have been manifesting their interest to invest in the Philippines. It is feared that if crimes against innocent Koreans persist, businessmen will avoid the Philippines and seek safer places for doing business.”

The ambassador conceded though a few of their Korean nationals “are involved in very risky business” here in the Philippines, legal or not, that expose them to such criminals.

During a recent public hearing at the House of Representatives on the proposed 2015 budget, Department of Tourism (DOT) assistant secretary Benito Bengzon Jr. was quoted as telling the lawmakers of their agency’s plans to intensify their promotion program to attract more Chinese and Japanese tourists. He noted that Japanese and Chinese tourists are the biggest spenders among foreign tourists.

But in 2013, the DOT official said Korea was the biggest market source of foreign visitors. Koreans accounted for 24.9 percent of the total visitors, followed by the United States, Japan, China and Australia. The DOT is targeting to increase tourist arrivals this year to 6.8 million to justify their agency’s proposed budget of P2.2 billion for 2015. 

According to the ambassador, as many as 400,000 Korean tourists come to the Philippines each year on the average. This is excluding the estimated 90,000 Korean nationals who have made the Philippines as their new home, he added.

From personal experience, indeed we have quite a large Korean community even in our own neighborhood in Paranaque City as well as in other parts of the country. In fact, they operate restaurants to neighborhood groceries to taekwondo schools and even put up their own Korean church. They are known as “Little Korea” in the Philippines.