Why does the Philippines dislike India? (updated)PoliticsA new BBC World poll says that people in the Philippines, South Korea, France, Finland and Brazil think India is a negative influence on the world (via Style Station). Pakistan was not polled. On the other hand, Iran, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the UK and Russia rate India highly. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the African countries polled are most neutral about India, while Sri Lanka and India are most neutral about the U.S.

Though India’s global profile has grown significantly over the last year, it fails to elicit strong feelings… The exceptions are two Muslim countries with positive views: Iran (71% positive) and Afghanistan (59% positive). The only country with widespread negative views is the Philippines (57% negative). Notably, India’s small neighbor Sri Lanka has a mere 4 percent reporting negative views and a robust 49 percent expressing a positive one.

Europeans are divided about India. At the positive end of the spectrum is Great Britain (49% positive, 30% negative) and Russia (47% positive, 10% negative), while at the other end are France and Finland—both being 27 percent positive and 44 percent negative. The US leans slightly positively (39% positive, 35% negative). [Link]

India has the strange distinction of being most loved by the most hated, Iran. Forty-three percent of the Indians polled seemed only lukewarm about their own country:

Interestingly, Indians themselves are the most tepid or modest in their self-estimates. While in most countries a large majority give their country a positive rating, among Indians only 47 percent give India a positive rating, but only 10 percent give it a negative rating. [Link]

The Philippines and Brazil are economic competitors of India. The others are more puzzling: South Korea is an economic partner, France has long-standing cultural ties to India, and the Finns might enjoy the weather


Globally, the most disliked countries are Iran, the U.S. and Russia. The African countries polled and some where the U.S. assisted against political repression (Poland, Afghanistan) are the most appreciative of the U.S.

Style Station points out that the sample sizes (and, for that matter, the methodologies) vary widely across countries, so take the poll with a grain of salt.

Update: The Unlawyer and Alok provide a possible answer: Indian money lenders who overstay their visas in the Philippines, provide loans at high interest rates and are then extorted by corrupt immigration police.

Rep. Imee Marcos of Ilocos Norte, vice chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, criticized the Bureau of Immigration on Thursday for going after Indians behind the so-called 5-6 usury system…

Marcos said that even if the 5-6 system imposes an interest rate on borrowers beyond the limit set by law, poor Filipinos have been able to set up small businesses because of the illegal loans…

“Instead of helping these Indians whom we commonly refer to as ‘Bombays,’ having been in our communities a long time now, these scoundrels [immigration officials] are scaring them stiff,” Marcos said… the SIRV has instead become an instrument through which unscrupulous immigration-police syndicate members victimize Indians… “These Indians are often apprehended but never jailed … they are constantly milked of their earnings,” Marcos said. [Link]

Related post: The Global Popularity Contest

Why?
It said it right in the article. On a personnal level many owe Indians money. In a way that factor was one of the main reasons for Jew hatred in Europe and he pattern with Indians follows suit.

On a national level both India and the Philippines have large English speaking populations in the global labor market. And at home each maintains large call center outsourcing businesses. For the past year in the money magazines if the Philippines was mentioned it would not be long before India also was.

In my experience Indians and most from that part of the world also most strongly try to hold onto their heritage thus fight assimalation when they emmigrate out. Again like the Jews in Europe this leads to hatred.

I believe the Indians are still trying to maintain their old culture within their lifestyle at this point of time.

They never forget to look back from where they came from and from what roots they are from.

Indians who overstayed in the Philippines are a lot more help specially to the poor with the kind of money lending they do.

Only people who are in the position that take advantage of their earnings.

I don't condemn them for what they do but personally I like the way they invest. It's a profitable business and others gain

from it as well specifically the poor.

Just my personal views.

The article seems to be talking about the country of India here and not of the people of India.

If we are talking about the Indian people, then the article seems to be a bit flawed as I know several people from Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea & Sudan) who dislikes Indian who are in their countries.

I don't think the Filipinos as a whole cared about India the country so I can consider we are neutral about it, but Indians in the Philippines especially those who are doing lending business in the Philippines, I think it does more harm than good for the Philippines as these kind of business they ahve are not registered or licensed by the gov't so it means they're not paying taxes and even if they will it is still illegal (anti-usury law).

It's just like buying a rope from them for the buyer to use as a noose on his/her neck and I don't like their business practices or ethics if you call it where you can not be considered a good businessman if you haven't at least bounced a cheque or done a bit of estafa.

You can ask your Indian friend over there if it is true as this based on my own personal experience.

Their culture I have nothing against it and I neither like or dislikes it.

Are there lots of Indian ppl in the Philippines? I dont remember seeing even one when I was there.

religion!

go my little lemmings, go.

That can be the result of colonial United Kingdom. Where British subjects went they became the upper/officer class. The Indians who came with them like the Spanish Mexican's became the middleclass/non commisioned officers. While the indiginous were the lowest class. In Africa not even educated because of the educated Indians were available.

I don't think its religion, but then it might be. Unlike the Tsinoy who for the most part converted to the Catholic Church. Or the American/Aussie expat who atleast has a Protestant background and is willing to pretend or atleast show respect to the biggest church, I am guessing most Indians in the Philippines are not from their relatively small Chrisitian or larger Islamic communties and hold on strongly to Hinduism. But I doubt if anyone is so militant about it that anyone would notice. That they are hated anymore then anyone else who doesn't attend Mass regularly I wouldn't think is a real factor.

Indians tend to be rich in Philippines, somehow like the Chinese - entrepreneurs.



There's some Indians in Philippines. However Chinese and Americans have the biggest foreign population in Philippines. Philippines having the biggest American population in Asia and the Chinese having contact here since pre-Hispanic.

Of the opinion that Filipinos in general don't have an antipathy toward Indians at all. Considering all the racist flak they get from Northeast Asians, for Filipinos to be bigoted toward Indians in turn would be pretty bad.

And on the contrary, many Filipinos admire India. As opposed to the Philippines, India had an ancient and advanced civilization, which--bluntly put--the Philippines didn't, myths about a Lusong Empire and other hogwash aside (the Philippines did have one of the largest economies in Asia prior to World War 2--behind Japan--though). In fact, a lot of Filipinos, at least on the Internet, seem to peddle the idea that the Philippines was in direct contact with India--instead of the more probable India influencing Java and Sumatra, and these influencing the Philippines.

Also, in terms of more recent history, the Philippines and India have a lot in common. Both were de facto colonies--in part or total--of Western powers. India was the 'crown jewel' of the British Empire. The Philippines was 'America's boy.' Both received a lot from their colonial masters, such as infrastructure, but also received a blow to their national psyche. Both have issues with trying to be 'whiter' due both to being ruled by 'whites' along with either a history of a caste-based system where--at least in northern India--the higher castes tend to be lighter, or neighboring countries where the average citizen is lighter than the average Filipino and where darker skinned people are looked down on. (Note: BOTH are the case, not just the lighter-is-higher-on-the-social-strata-traditionally. Traditionally in Asian countries (and in Europe), lighter skin was associated with wealth. That doesn't explain why Asians now bleach their hair and have surgery on their eyes and noses and cheekbones, which 'somehow' just *happen* to make them look more caucasoid).

Both India and the Philippines are mentioned as having a lot of potential--India due to its population; the Philippines due to its location--but as having not realized that potential. Both have been racked by both Communist and Muslim based insurgencies since their independences (one year apart from each other, and each on cordial terms with the former colonial master). And the Muslim insurgencies are not so much religious and both religious and political and steeped in history.

Both have a big domestic movie industry. India's is huge internationally due to the much larger population. The celebrities tend to look far more 'white' than the average citizen of either country.

Both are quite poor. India has a considerably larger rate of economic growth than the Philippines. However, they both deal with bad roads and power shortages.

In terms of religion, you have one there. India is majority Hindu while the Philippines is majority nominal Christian.

Considering the low opinion their neighbors have of them, Filipinos should try to establish closer trade and cultural connections with neighbors such as India and Australia, which would tend to look down on them less.

Where I live I see many Indian Decendants they make pa utang or 5/6 so the Filipino girls go crazy whenever they see and Indian Looking man riding a motorcycle because they will borrow money from him.

first of all polls are not always correct or even accurate.

second, "The others are more puzzling: South Korea is an economic partner, France has long-standing cultural ties to India, and the Finns might enjoy the weather." what kind of $hit journalism is that?

I agree. I'm an Indian and the poll shouldn't be taken seriously. It has major methodological flaws.

I'm highly skeptical of the article. It could just be b.s. or at worst just propaganda by someone with an agenda.

Personally I dont think most Filipino hate Indians and vis verse.

???

I Like India

India and Sri Lanka
yay

the only asian country I like