Tarnishing our international image

The inefficiency of our government is on display when two or more units work at cross purposes with each other. The result is wasted taxpayer money that could have been used more productively.
My colleague, Cito Beltran, wrote about the plight of South Koreans who are holders of special retirement visas who were forcibly evicted from their own homes by BCDA in Camp John Hay in Baguio. The Koreans are, strictly speaking, our guests because we invited them to come here to retire. BCDA tarnished our international image badly.
The Philippine Retirement Authority (PRA) is a tourism-oriented agency of our government mandated to develop and promote the Philippines as a retirement haven. The idea is to encourage people from all over the world to come here and spend their golden years in our beautiful country and enjoy our hospitality. In the process, we earn foreign exchange, create jobs in the countryside and create a buzz about how great our country is for visitors to spend time and money in.
PRA provides incentives and an attractive retirement package to get the retirees to come. PRA gives them a Special Resident Retiree’s Visa (SRRV), which is a non-immigrant, multiple-entry and indefinite-stay visa. The retirees normally choose to reside in our tourist areas, places like Baguio City, for instance.
A government entity called the Bases Conversion Development Authority or BCDA was assigned to develop former US military camps like Camp John Hay.
BCDA conducted a public bidding for John Hay and the initial winner was Manuela Land, a company of Manny Villar. But it withdrew a month later. Then Fil-Estate Management, a company associated with the Sobrepeña family that submitted the second highest bid, stepped up and accepted the mandate to develop John Hay.
Eventually, there was a long-drawn-out legal battle between BCDA and the Sobrepeña firm which ended up in the Supreme Court. A decision was eventually rendered by the High Court favoring BCDA. Suffice it to say that BCDA implemented its victory rather harshly to the prejudice of third parties who are not involved in the conflict.
The Korean retirees have invested and bought condotels in the Manor Hotel and Forest Lodge, where some of them have resided since 2014. Some of them are in their 70s and 80s.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the Korean nationals told the Baguio media they just wanted a place where they could stay in peace until 2046 or while they were alive.
Jangean Lee, 82, said in the Korean language: “We have been enjoying our second homes until after the takeover.” He said, “It is very hard for us to accept why we would be evicted without due process…”
Sungil Lee, 70, said, “I am very saddened that I will stop giving scholarships because I will have to go home after my eviction from my home.” He said that he came to Baguio as a pastor, thinking he could stay while he was alive, doing charity work…
According to my sources at the PRA, 12 of their SRRV holders were affected by the harsh BCDA takeover. Apparently, BCDA took the position that the retirees should sue the Sobrepeña group, sorry na lang but they have to vacate the properties because that’s BCDA’s now.
A PRA official said they are not questioning the Supreme Court decision but just want BCDA to handle the retirees better because after all, our country invited them to avail themselves of our retirement program and they have invested their retirement funds here, in those properties.
PRA appealed to BCDA for some compassion but to no avail. BCDA claimed that they would get into trouble with COA if they were as compassionate as PRA was asking them to be.
Yet, it was clear that those retirees paid for their leases in good faith, not aware of the ongoing problems between BCDA and the Sobrepeña Group. Eventually, of the 12 affected retirees (10 Koreans, one New Zealander, one Italian) two Koreans went back to Korea, the Italian and one Korean signed a new lease with BCDA, while seven other Koreans are staying with friends and supported by the Korean Embassy. The New Zealander is still out of the country.
PRA insiders are very frustrated by all these. They are afraid this black eye will reverberate in the markets they are looking at. And to think, one of them said, the PRA just had a successful Expo in Seoul before this happened. They are expecting a very negative press in Korea as those who have gone home tell their horrifying stories.
How horrifying? Cito quotes one of the Korean victims: “Our child was locked in the room, and they sealed the room and I’m not able to enter my own house where my child is. Who wants to live in a country like that? Who wants to live in a country where 20 policemen can one day show up and evict you? No society can be healthy that way.”
The Korean victim continued: “The government will steal your money, and they will not respect your rights. The sheriffs, even though they are supposed to come after 30 days, they will not respect it. They will turn off water and electricity every single day.”
PRA officials say this will definitely damage our hold on the South Korean market. Sayang because Koreans are now number two in PRA’s list of foreign retirees.
It is a case of the right hand of government not knowing and supporting what the left hand is doing. It takes very little to show compassion and civility on the part of BCDA, which is also a government agency.
The story of how badly we treated our guests will spread and eventually affect our overall tourism industry. Tourists may understand there are criminals everywhere victimizing visitors. But if it is a government agency that victimizes, that’s totally unacceptable.
Boo Chanco’s email address is bchanco@gmail.com. Follow him on X @boochanco.
- Latest
- Trending