Mabini Hall - Access to Justice

There are so many Koreans in the Philippines one has to visit Korea to find out why.

Arriving early morning in Busan, the second largest city and the fifth largest port in the world, the first impression is the courtesy of the people and the spanking-clean surrounding. The Koreans in our country can be unruly especially when they get drunk and in the streets. I wonder how they tolerate the dirt and grime in our cities.

Very low level of English is the next observation. The fastest and most effective way to not make friends is to ask: “Do you speak English?” To think they progressed from a war-ravaged, divided nation to a developed country in less than four decades. Speaking English is not the barometer of success in any language.

Koreans are similar to the Japanese in eating habits. Forgive the comparison given the historical animosity between them given repeated conquests but raw seafood is a mutual national passion. Soju the Korean national alcoholic drink is equivalent to the Japanese sake. Kumbei to Kampei for cheers! They also sit on tatami mats and use metal chopsticks.

With my friends Lear and Pao, we roam the streets near the 1.5 kilometer Hyundae Beach, their most famous one which, pardon me and my hosts, is nothing compared to Boracay. It is similar to Waikiki in infrastructure and feel. A few minutes away are green and sharp hills. It is a rugged land with long tunnels, winding roads and massive bridges.

We are here on a training mission to hopefully design courses for use in both private and government sectors. For the latter, a financial literacy program that will provide the knowledge, skills and attitude to manage money, a land registration project that will solve the lingering problems of schools squatting on property because the titles are not transferred and a National Criminal Information System (NCIS) that will track all the criminals in the country without hopping from island to island in search of missing records.

The age of majority for Koreans is 20. Anything below is juvenile crime so our police escort tells us. There is still a red light district downtown. Theft is the most common crime even if prostitution is outlawed.

Fashion sense is acceptable. It is spring after all and everyone dresses casually and light. White cotton with prints prevails. Girls prefer either high, high heels or rubber shoes. More color here than in Hong Kong or Singapore. Filipinos are the better dresser, thumbs down. Thumbs up.

Fewer people compared to Manila. In sites, shops and subways, there are practically no queues and no crowds. This is true worldwide I guess. Manila is just super-congested.

Koreans are not a happy people. Their faces are long and light up only when you give a friendly wave or say hello. Otherwise, they bury their eyeglasses in newspapers and cover their ears with music. It is a reading culture.

There are no poor people. I only saw an old woman near the park. No beggars of any kind. It is an impressive achievement. Even major cities in the United States and Europe suffer the poor and the needy.

An explosion of Christian evangelicals is taking place. It is the fastest-growing religion this side of East Asia. Buddhism is losing flock as fast. Catholics remain a silent minority. Islam is practically non-existent although there is a small mosque somewhere.

Am lost in Korea with its old temples and forts, strange characters both written and moving and wondering why Koreans choose to leave? My Korean friend points to the sky and says it is the weather that gets them to move. Winter in Seoul is supposedly a killer. In the islands we call home, the sun always shines even through typhoons; the people perpetually cheerful despite the high power costs and expiring load credits. They learn English cheap and live cheap. Filipinos are an accommodating lot.

Koreans eventually return, I guess, as do Filipinos long gone for work, family and personal fulfilment.