section G
the big picture
filipino globe
shoot, show & tell
April 2008
40
SWISS BLISS
The Swiss Alps sweep majestically across a frozen landscape. A big part of Switzerland is in its shadow, which makes this mountain range the most iconic of Swiss landmarks. More than 10,000
Filipinos live and work in Switzerland. Most of the early arrivals came as spouses of Swiss nationals, followed by professionals hired by United Nations agencies and multinational corporations.
How to put the artist back in ‘con artist’
PHOTOESSAY
Show us your flash for
photography by giving us
T
his month, I received my very officials are giving this reassurance, murders of activists and journalists
the big picture of the Filipino
first scam text message when,
LIGHTERSIDE
in the background you can see other in 2007. That means last year, there
expat’s life.
out of the blue, an unknown view from home officials frantically importing huge were “only” seven “unexplained”
Photos must be
sender informed me I’d just won amounts of rice. murders. You can just imagine our
accompanied by a caption
the “Phil. Charity foundation’s 23rd And in the meantime, prices are officials last year excitedly rushing
of not more than 100 words,
raffle draw worth of 560,000” and
Alan C Robles
rising ominously. Of course, if they around counting mangled, bullet-
describing the event or
that I should “call dis # to exec. in Manila say it’s OK, we should believe them, riddled corpses and then shouting
circumstances behind them.
Dante A. Tan.” alan.robles@filglobe.com right? “only seven! Fantastic! We’re so
Or tell us an interesting
A few minutes later, my mobile Anyway, Filipinos who can’t afford good!” Perhaps they even made a
anecdote or observation in
phone buzzed with a second message rice can always raise money selling nice PowerPoint presentation with not more than 500 words and
telling me to reply at once and while
I mean, it was so crude and
their kidneys to foreigners. skulls in the graphs. share them with the world.
I was at it, to send a load of 150
humorless. Don’t con artists have
Doesn’t that sound macabre and So there you have it: fewer
pesos to the texter.
any style?
ghoulish? Filipinos are being murdered, we’re
I responded immediately: I texted
They should know I only listen
That’s why government is taking importing rice and exporting kidneys
the sender to go jump in the lake.
to scams from quality sources, like
action – it has announced it will – what else can that mean? Well,
Actually, to be more precise, I
Malacañang Palace. Take rice. Wait,
regulate the trade. Probably to make if you listen to the government,
invited him (or her) to seriously
I didn’t mean take MY rice – get
sure that the foreigners will get only it means we will be a First World
Each published photo or
contemplate the nature of his (or her) country in a generation.
essay entitles its owner to a
mother’s current profession.
To learn more details of this exciting
Phone scamsters, this is what
HK$200 prize and becomes
I never got any replies, and it’s I’m saying: work a little more
the property of Filipino Globe.
only now I realize I might have
program, get in touch with me. But
pizazz into your acts. Let’s put the
Photos should have a
been too rude and inconsiderate.
minimum file size of three
Who knows, the scammer needed
first, send me a load of 350 pesos
“artist” back into “con artist.” Read
the newspapers and see how the
megapixels. Color photos
the money desperately – to pay for government does it. Soon, you’ll
should have a miniumum
resolution of 300 dpi.
remedial English lessons perhaps, or
away from that cavan. What I wanted
the finest quality internal organs. have enough mastery of scamming
We reserve the right to make
to help his (or her) mother’s career.
to say was, look at what’s happening
If you find that depressing, get to graduate from con school and you
changes in line with house
But in my defense, the main
to rice.
ready for some good news. can even get a diploma. To learn
style.
reason for my impolite reply is that
First the government tells us there’s
In Geneva, a large Philippine more details of this exciting program,
Entries should be sent to
I was appalled. I was appalled at the
a shortage, and then afterwards
government delegation proudly get in touch with me. But first, send
info@filglobe.com
scammer’s technique.
claims there’s no shortage. But while
proclaimed an 83 per cent drop in the me a load of 350 pesos
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