Think of it as a massive exchange program: thousands of Filipinos leave the Philippines each month to work abroad, and thousands of Koreans arrive in the Philippines to study, honeymoon, and settle down for the long term. At present, there are an estimated 120,000 documented Koreans living in various parts of the archipelago, from Baguio to Iloilo.
Apparently the Philippines is such a popular destination for Koreans that this year, the Department of Tourism (DOT) is well on its way to hitting its target of 650,000 Korean arrivals.
Koreans are serious travelers. Out of Korea’s total population of 48.8 million, there were 11.6 million outbound travelers in 2006 accounting for US$13.7 billion spent overseas. The Philippines is looking to get a sizeable chunk of that spending. Korea’s share of visitor arrivals in the Philippines has increased significantly from 8.78 percent in 2000, 11.57 percent in 2001, 16.52 percent in 2004 and 18.7 percent in 2005.
Last year Koreans overtook the Americans and the Japanese as the top foreign visitors to the Philippines. Of the 2.84 million foreign arrivals last year, 572,133 or 20.1 percent of the total were Koreans.
Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano attributes growing Korean interest in the Philippines to the DOT’s marketing campaign aimed at four segments of the Korean market: honeymooners, holiday seekers, special interest or incentive groups, and students.
“Korean students are clamoring to learn English; there’s a real ESL (English as a Second Language) craze in the country right now,” notes Tourism attaché Maricon Basco-Ebron. This translates to more “education tourism” for the local market.
From October 6 to 8, nine Philippine language schools participated in the Korea Student Fair 2007 at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, and at the Lotte Hotel in Busan. This is the 25th year of the exposition, which is South Korea’s biggest event dedicated to studies abroad. The Philippines first joined the fair in 2005 with just two booths and five Filipino exhibitors. Its participation has grown steadily since then — last year there were 24 booths in the Philippine Pavilion, and past exhibitors include Sacred Heart, Emilio Aguinaldo and Miriam Colleges. This student fair is expected to draw 35,000 visitors — students, teachers, professionals and parents shopping for schools for their children.
This year the Philippine Pavilion hosted nine paying exhibitors, most of them ESL learning centers based in Cebu. “There’s been a mushrooming of ESL centers formed by partnerships between Korean and Filipino entrepreneurs,” Ebron points out. “Enrollment of Korean students in regular secondary and college curriculums in Philippine institutions is also increasing.” For instance, Koreans reportedly comprise 30 percent of the student body at Brent International School in Baguio.
According to Ebron, students account for about 17 percent of the Korean presence in the Philippines today. The number is probably higher. In addition to the students enrolled at ESL centers and universities, there are Korean visitors who come for specific language clinics: short, intensive courses in which they learn the language of golf or diving. Then there are the children of Koreans who have retired in the Philippines, and are listed as local residents.
Of course, English language training is the primary reason Koreans send their children to the Philippines. For starters, it is less expensive than matriculating in the United States, Canada or Australia, and it’s much closer to Korea. “We have the advantage of having quality but affordable education, an English-speaking population, lower cost of living, warm and breezy climate, and proximity to Korea. It’s only four hours away so their parents can visit them and enjoy the holidays at the same time,” Secretary Durano says.
One distinct advantage for Koreans studying English in the Philippines is that the learning process is not confined to the schools. Given our famed hospitality and our very welcoming attitudes towards foreigners, their stay in the country becomes a kind of cultural immersion program.
Koreans simply feel more at home in the Philippines.
True, there are a few cultural differences that need to be addressed.
Koreans are often viewed as abrasive by the locals because they seem to be in a rush and tend to get in one’s face. This contrast is most visible on the golf course, where Filipinos like to take their time and talk business while Koreans, being in a hurry, insist on playing through. (Which usually means the Pinoys will take even longer, just to make a point.)
The differences aside, though, it looks like the Philippines will continue to be a popular destination for Koreans in the years to come. Apart from students, honeymooners, retirees and the general leisure market have been coming here in greater numbers. Honeymooners are particularly enamored of Boracay, Cebu and Palawan, which offer luxury accommodations; Ebron notes that there is a serious lack of hotel rooms and deluxe accommodations in Manila. Travel agencies now offer weekend shopping packages in Manila — Korean visitors fly in on Friday night, hit the shops at Mall of Asia, Glorietta, Greenhills and Tiendesitas during the weekend, then fly out laden with shopping bags on Monday at 12:30 in the morning. After all, shopping is also a form of cultural exchange.