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Jessica Price is a 19-year-old lass from South Africa, a world-class
and champion debater in her home country and participated in the
World Schools Debating Championships in South Korea and Wales as
part of her national team. Price is the daughter of the incoming
vice chancellor of the University of Capetown.
She visited the country as part of her
educational tour before pursuing her college education in medicine.
Before coming over, she knew of the Philippines but never had any
particular impression of the country and its people except that
perhaps this political territory is mostly rural in orientation.
After more than a week of stay, Price finds
Filipinos as very family-oriented, hospitable and kind. In the
process, she met new friends, hopefully to keep.
She was surprised with the enormous developments
particularly in Metro Manila that at one point she gave up touring
the malls and some entertainment centers feeling that she had enough
of them. She thinks that the average Filipino indulges more on
consumer spending rather than on savings.
She finds Filipino dishes very much different
from her home country, which were more European and American
tasting. But the hamburger from this country’s very own Jollibee
certainly suited her taste buds. In fact, even her senses rated the
smell of the metropolis in general to be like its food, sweet, tasty
and spicy; although she did observe the heavy smog in the skyline
during early mornings.
Like any other tourists who visited this
country, Price had a taste of the rural areas and the beach front
facing the South China Sea. For someone like her who loves to swim
and scuba dive but lives in the landlocked city of Johannesburg, the
sea puts a smile on her face.
Much as she wanted to visit the more than 7,000
islands of this beautiful country, she, too, got the caution from
where she came from that Mindanao and some areas in the Visayas are
not suitable for foreigners like her travelling alone because of the
perennial terrorism tag brought about by kidnappings for ransom of
long ago.
She had been to historical places and museums
particularly in Manila and saw first hand the richness of the
country’s cultural heritage and traditions under colonial rule.
After driving around some nooks and corners of the Old City, she
feels that it is still highly influenced by Spain.
Price shares her country’s problem on poverty
and the quality of, and access to, public education which are almost
akin here. She and her people are particularly proud of Nelson
Mandela, a South African statesman who was released from prison to
become his nation’s president during the first multi-racial
elections in 1994. Old as he is, Mandela seems to be the moving icon
of his country. Many of his countrymen like Price feel that his
presence is something that continues to hold that nation together
despite all the hardships a typical developing country have to
brace. This country could only hope that it has a living icon like
Mandela whom Filipinos would listen to like a father speaking to his
children, especially in times of political uncertainties.
Except perhaps for our very humid weather, there
was no doubt that Price finds the country and its people likeable.
The Philippines is Price’s first taste of Asia and for sure she
was not disappointed.
Jessica Price is a young tourist and her
observations are as valid as any other foreigners who visited this
country for the first time, many of whom in fact fell in love with
it.
This nation may not be great in many respects.
But certainly it is beautiful in many other aspects. And that is
something Filipinos could be proud when they celebrate Independence
Day this week.
www.soriano-ph.com
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