Why Singapore?

Calm down children, don’t crucify me if you read something on the title that does not seem to be me. Yeah yeah, I usually write ’after the fact’ stories. And I usually write about my sojourns around this country – ONLY! Hey, you noticed that? Me too hehe!

But times are a changing… we get to meet people who like to read this or that, and people who need to know this and that. Meaning – I have come to a point where I too, need to share my thoughts about what other readers of this blog want or need to know, even if those may not be the usual things I tell. That’s what friends are for, I think! The more online and live friends we have, the wider the scope of things to say!

Don’t worry, am still for our dear inang bayan. Besides, that little island even smaller than Marinduque is already part of our lives, right? What with so many of us Pinoy visitors to Singapore steadily increasing by the thousands each year! So let’s give thought this time to our dear neighbor – a second home and gracious host to many of our kababayans working there!

Here we go…

The bandwagon effect!
In 2010, there were 544,000 Pinoys who visited Singapore – that made us the 8th country in the number of international arrivals to Singapore. In 2011, it became 678,000 and that nudged us to the 6th country with the most number of folks visiting Singapore. Hmm about one-fourth increase! Aba, if we imagine those passengers all riding Cebu Pacific’s Airbus A320, that would have been an increase of about 745 more full planeloads last year. Imagine!

Here’s how it looked for 2011… Indonesia 2,592,000; China 1,577,000; Malaysia 1,141,000; Australia 956,000; India 869,000; Philippines 678,000. As a percentage of each country’s population, well uh, the folks from down under are really trooping to Singapore in full force hehe. But if you compare those numbers to each country’s GDP(PPP) Per Capita, hmm, we are just second to India sa mga pulubing makakati ang paa maka-apak sa Singaflor! Now what is that “GDP(PPP) Per Capita” thing? Nose bleed?! A basta, that is a measure of how rich or poor the country’s folks are. So, ano ang “that means” of all these? Meaning, kahit poor, sugod pa rin ng sugod sa Singapoor! Aw Singapore pala! Were you one of us?!

It shows more and more Pinoys are hitting it off to/with the little city-island-state!

Note that these numbers only counted visitors a.k.a. tourists (including mixed business and leisure trips). But a colorful pesky parrot from the Jurong Bird Park flew to my window just to announce that these numbers do not include Pinoys who went SG for employment. Klaro?

What would those numbers tell us then? The one important thing to recognize is… bandwagon effect! If the number of our compatriots going there to visit keeps increasing, then there must be at least something good they are experiencing. At least! It must probably be worth it, that others are following, right?! So Ken, aren’t you curious?! Holler, if you want me to ’expound ’ hehe!

Here’s more… some folks (okay, include me) keep returning. Hmm, there must be something new to see or discover that comes up in Singapore every now and then, right? For them (and me) to keep returning? Ah, I will have something more on that, but lets do it later. For now, lets dwell a bit more on the numbers. Like?

Well, ah like… Filipinos ranked 3rd in the fastest-growing number of Singapore’s foreign visitors. Yes, 2011! First was China and 2nd was Taiwan. Abaaa, sosyal the Pinoys ha?! Tinalo ang K and J groups – and counting!

But what does that ’really ’ mean?
Hmm, that only means, collectively as a people, we are gaining more spare pesosesoses to inch up Maslow’s Heirarchy of Needs! Meron nang pang-travel! Sociel! Meaning, we probably are slowly making economic progress as a country, di ba?! That’s a good sign.

But actually too, and more importantly, those numbers tell our Singlish-speaking friends that we are helping boost their tourism income – kahit papano! That means further that, they’ll continue taking care of us or even create more fun things and activities catered to the Pinoy taste! Para lalong enjoy si Juan at si Maria!

Hmm, I think this page is one hint they are seriously looking at how we Pinoys can maximize enjoyment when vacationing in Singapore! Go ahead, visit the link, pero balik ka dito ha?! Di pa tayo tapos mag-usap!

Oist, eto ang tsimis…! I got curious and compared their numbers to what we have locally available. Singaporeans fared 7th in the number of foreign visitor arrivals to this country at 121,083. Up from 8th place at 98,305 in 2010. That’s about 23% increase. The numbers tell us there are almost double of them coming to our country than the number of us going to theirs, though the percentage increases are almost the same. Its looking to be directly proportional. So, lets keep going there and they’ll keep coming here! Masaya di ba?

Maybe, just maybe, sa kakapunta natin dun, na-i-chi-chika natin gaano kaganda ang dear inang bayan. So we get to attract them to come and see what we have. Good enough, right? Meaning, by vacationing in Singapore, we are actually indirectly helping advertise and market our very own tourism efforts. Pwede! But that is of course just in addition to blogs like this hehe. Aruuuu, shy ako eh!

“Where you come from? Philippines. Is good place? Yes, we have so many wonderful white sandy beaches! Wow, I visit that la!” Something like that ba na conversation hehe!

Anyway, to attempt to answer the title of this story, what have we got so far, by far, Jafaar? Hmm, after everything said, looks like all we got above says ’everybody is going Singapore, so why don’t you’! Plus, a little hinala, that we as tourists to Singapore might actually be indirectly advertising what we have for them as tourists to our country. Medyo mababaw ba?! Kind’a lame, ’no?!

Wait waaaait lang! We have yet to talk about places to see and things to do in Singapore vis-à-vis the cost, convenience and ’aliw factor’ compared to us going domestic again! Ready?! Hah, this could change your barkada’s summer getaway plan!

But let’s do that in the next story! Abangan...

*images are thanks to yoursingapore