Filipino Hospitality Cannot Be Found

Embarrassing.

A word I often described on what I felt many times. From embarrassing school and SEA Games web sites to embarrassing personalities in the Philippine government, I have all the space to rant about how bad I felt, not to mention the outright maddening feeling of almost cursing some people.

* Government employees playing computer games or chatting during office hours in a government office in Metro Manila (and probably on other provincial government offices)

* Web sites that promote professionalism and usability, yet is the biggest violator of such advocacies.

* Basketball's mess in the Philippines

Reading through Google News feeds about SEA Games, I read on Thailand and Malaysia news websites the sad tale of their athletes, placed on filthy, small accommodations in Manila. There are no one to assist them when they ask for help.

When the news brought out that volunteers were threatening to boycott the Games because of failure to address their basic needs (as volunteers they don't need to be paid but still need to eat) by the organizers, I had a bad impression of the leadership of the SEAG Organizing Committee.

While Vietnam's goodwill gesture to lend the wushu scoreboard is a humble admission of the Philippines that it faces logistical problems, it is a nice gesture that we Filipinos don't pretent to flaunt when there is nothing to show.

What disheartens me is the fact that we were known to be hospitable types of people. Yet now, the characteristic may seem to have lost.