For wedding packages, you can send inquiries at thefloriade@gmail.com.

We are also inviting everyone to join us for our 12th year here in Baguio. An eat-all you can special valentine’s treat for you and your loved ones at Chocolate de Batirol for only P399 per person on Feb 13 (dinner), Feb. 14 breakfast and lunch. Lots of freebies, gift certificates and Chocolate de batirol goodies awaits those who will buy tickets. For tickets and reservations, contact jasmine at 09229047197.

2. “Professionalize the teaching of English. Those who teach do not always declare their earnings, do not organize themselves and are thus left at the mercy of those hiring them. What prevails now is the whole attitude of “underselling” each other. Just a few years ago, local English tutors would receive Php200/hour and now they are paid as little as Php50/hour.”

You would have to be one hell of a teacher to get at least Php200 an hour as a PRIVATE English tutor for Koreans. The truth is most of these korean students have the notion that private tutors are of a lower caliber as far as teaching is concerned compared to those who teach at successful academies. And they’re not completely wrong–it is quite easy to spot a freshman college student trying to make a few quick bucks by posing as an “English Teacher” to koreans who would take their services (Sh*t, ang gwapo naman ng korean na yun, apply tayong teacher nya, dali!) on the other hand, the screening for new teachers at competent academies is quite demanding. In fact, it is also not difficult to encounter teachers who are CERTIFIED/LICENCED/EXPERIENCED or skilled enough at teaching and communicating in english that they can really make a difference in the lives of these koreans. The point is, most of these korean students PREFER to enroll in the top English Academies rather than live outside and hire private tutors. Those who follow the latter route are usually the ones who say things like “I wanna go outside. I can have a girlfriend and a teacher at the same time. Actually I can have two at the same time. Even if they’re not really good at English, I can pay less.”
And the other point is, if you want to get a decent pay teaching english to koreans, you’d better work at your craft–learn, accumulate experience, get some training. Teaching is not different from any other profession in that you have to strive in order to reach the top. Simply trying to look and act and talk like an american will not do the trick. I’ve met several American teachers in my career as an English teacher and guess what, most of them were fired after a few months of teaching. Why? Simply because they can’t teach.

2. “Can you imagine if they all united and insisted on the rates they want — or they don’t teach?”
Yes, I can imagine what will happen if private tutors do that. The korean students will simply also insist that these tutors raise their qualifications and skills in teaching before they receive bigger pays, or else they will simply look elsewhere. By the way, the Malaysian and Indian governments are trying to work out a deal with the Korean government wherein they can send their top English teachers to compete with all those Westerners. Why don’t we give them a run for their money instead of endlessly yakking about what poor mistreated but supremely indignant souls we are?

3. Having said these things, let me hastily say that, yes, I do completely agree that even the highest paid people in this job (yes, some get a mere 50 pesos an hour, while others CHOOSE to teach in korean english academies rather than in local public or private schools because they command higher rates)don’t get enough compensation for their effort, skills, and devotion to the art of teaching.

4. You probably need to give us some real proof before you can claim that the number of crimes committed by Koreans against their fellow Koreans is greater than or equal to the number of crimes committed by Filipinos against Koreans. Maybe you are right and I’m wrong but I’m just thinking about a REAL, personal experience here–at the beginning of each month, there is always some news that one of my students (or two, or three) got mugged, almost got mugged, conned, verbally abused, escaped from attempted rape, or what have you, on their way to the airport. Whereas, I have yet to hear about a korean beating up a Filipino for a freaking cellphone or necklace. Or how about the situation where I go out with a group of my students to buy some stuff and the prices suddenly skyrocket the moment I step out of the line and the salesperson notices that the next customer is a foreigner?

5. A lot of them appreciate it that whole chunks of their culture (their pop music, fashion, food) are accepted by many Filipinos. But is is laughable (even to them) to claim that they are trying to “conquer” us. When the hit song “Nobody” dominated the Philippine airwaves, I got quickly tired trying to answer their endless query, “Ugh, teacher that is a korean song, I wonder why filipinos play it? Do you like it?” The fact that we are saturated with foreign stuff is not a sign that foreigners are out to wrestle our identity away from us. It is more like a testament to our penchant for anything that is foreign! Remember Marimar? F4? Menudo? hahaha.

Sorry guys, I just want to put an end to these issue..

minnie: can i have contact details of your coordinators? thanks.. belated congratulations on your wedding. cheers!

thank you!

MM

I was born in Baguio and spent my perfect childhood there.

I miss Baguio everytime and I want to be able to retire there someday. Baguio feels new everytime I go. The cool wind beckons me everytime that I am “home”.

The last time I was there was last year and I noticed that there were many Korean establishments around. My 2 cents on this matter is that, the local government there in Baguio should regulate how businesses and buildings there are put up. It is not just the Koreans. Actually nga, I am NOT thankful that an SM-Baguio sprouted in that area. Nawawala ang greenery because the local government allows these kinds of things put up without regard to the environment. As with Koreans, I have nothing against them. Of course I wish that in a place as small as Baguio, I don’t want to see that there are more foreigners than pinoys having better lives. Yun lang yun.

I hope that there will be stricter REGULATIONS to keep Baguio’s environment preserved. I believe that things should not be all about money, may investors ka nga, sira naman ang environment mo. What do you call that? Hindi ba that we are “pimping” ourselves to these investors (Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, etc.) just for them to put in money for businesses in Baguio, then we see our environment destroyed? There should be stricter REGULATIONS on where to build and how to build the business. Hindi dapat kahit saan. There should be “sacred” places in Baguio.

Kaya nga I was afraid that Burnham will be lost forever, buti nalang hindi. Thanks to you Lisa and the residents of Baguio for opposing that move to privatize that “sacred” ground.

May mga lands pa naman farther than the city center that they can develop so Baguio will really grow and progress di ba?