After divorce with a German the author Merlin – keenly aware of his own manners and appearance - decides to marry a Filipina „ in the hope to find a partner for life, appreciating worth of marriage and partnership ... and not being fixed on mania of unrestricted emancipation". The marriage was taken in Hong Kong because of restrictive administrative regulations in Germany and on the Philippines. Afterwards, the couple stays on the island of Panay in the province Aklan. Reasons to live there are interest for tropic regions, the family ties of the Filipinos and the argument to live there with small expenses.

The expectations didn’t come up. After five years Merlin decides to return with his wife to Germany. Now with his self-published brochure Merlin wants to correct illusions and is working off his anger about his own wrong decision. He offers a very critical view of the situation in the Philippines – the brochure is not a friendly advertising for the country. The list of reproaches and aggravations is a long one. We see only two positive statements at all: (a) the Filipinos are fundamental friendly and sociable, (b) concedes the author, he has found „a clinging and loyal woman". Now with the return to Germany switch is shifted for the „happiest and most harmonized family life". By the way, his Philippine wife doesn't appear in the descriptions of the author as actor – its only the author who is acting and this fact is may reveal the author’s authoritarian, dusty understanding of emancipation.

The reasons for return are diverse. For some parts they are not closely associated with the Philippines. Although Merlin is giving the strong advice to look for a property with foreign neighbors because of the noisy radio-music of Filipinos – his European persons of reference are cheating him in economic issues, and they are denouncing him with the result that he has to go for ten days into prison. Merlin is also a follower of the slogan "Beware of foreigners – also German foreigner - in foreign countries". Mostly, they are in need of money and have a tendency for cheating. Our author is believing foreigners in the Philippines have to live there, "no one would live there voluntarily".

The author certainly suffered from the high air-temperature and moisture with its mould-effect and induced troubles with electronic appliances as well as the raised costs of constantly air-conditioned areas. However the intense family ties of the Filipinos disturbed him much more. These family ties wouldn’t allow any privacy and private-property. The raised position of the parents – he speaks from status of saints – could have as consequence, that in case of conflict the married Filipina gives her parental family a higher priority than to her husband. Further, everyday life is burdened by mosquitoes and ants, the missing of milk-products, a non-acceptable white bread, power failures, high-pricing with regard to foreigners on markets, an unregulated traffic, isolated telephone- networks, long mail-delivery-times and non-recognition of dates and agreements.

Our author flies into a rage about the „mostly extremely bad "quality of native products and handicrafts works. He is strongly criticizing the easy working morale. Here some sentences:

  „If you ask somebody, whether he might be able to carry out this or that work, you’ll always get a positive response. However, often you’ll get back the object to be repaired in a worse condition.. "

  „Often you’ll see three persons at work. Even so, this work could also be performed easily by a single one. "

  „There is no feeling of responsibility for the quality of work. Jobs are done with a minimum of material and effort, even against unambiguous, other agreements. "

  And as quintessence our author recommends: „It’s necessary to control constantly the running works. "

In particular with trading Merlin is missing for example, a stock keeping based on purposeful saving and capital-formation and he requests a better handicraft training, legal guarantee-regulations as well as stronger legal sanctions in case of defaults of payment. He registers proprietary-offences, unequivocal administration of the laws, red-tapism and incriminating formalism especially with regard to visa-allowances. Corruption is at the agenda, "even high government persons are engaged ". Foreigners are definitely disadvantaged and handicapped with property-acquisition and business-openings.

His result is a dark one:

"If the Philippines proceed such a way of dealing foreigners and itself, they must not be amazed at need, poverty and escalating criminality. No prophet is necessary to say that in near future the Philippines won't be able to get out from emergency, with the daily fight for one handful of rice, in order to survive."

As result Merlin gives the strong advice not to resettle to the Philippines. Surely, his  sometimes radical verdicts and conclusions are based only on case-examples from own experience. But who knows the full truth ?

© Wolfgang Bethge, 2002