My move to the Philippines

[duanes]

There are similar pseudo gringo charges here, not so much in stores, but if I by fresh fish, or fruit from fishermen, or road side stands,

I expect to pay a little more.
I pay about $6 per lb for large shrimp, the locals pay maybe $5.

I can get a fish such red snapper, or mahi mahi for about $2.50 per lb from fishermen, , the price for locals might be, $2. but.......more often
the locals often wiill buy fish like needle fish, for $1.50, and not bitter with more expensive species gringo gravitate toward.


Most of the time, I don;t need to leave the yard, the fishermen know what I like, and offer it at my door, before offering to the local public (and I'm willing to accept that conveinience) They are will fillet it for an extra buck or $2

 

[esoxlucius]

I find this whole "white tax" rather insulting. Treating people differently because they have a certain skin colour is.....well, I think i'd better leave it there.

 

[krichardson]

I find this whole "white tax" rather insulting. Treating people differently because they have a certain skin colour is.....well, I think i'd better leave it there.

It's not so much a "skin color" thing as it is getting more money out of the foreigners,who have plenty of it to spend compared to the locals.....that's how I see it,anyhow.

 

[Kayden]

I find this whole "white tax" rather insulting. Treating people differently because they have a certain skin colour is.....well, I think i'd better leave it there.

Not just white people, foreigners. Bet they would charge any non-native that.
they know you most likely have more money, and aren’t as well versed in the culture.

In developed western countries we take for granted set prices on things. The majority of places I visit the price changes for every single person. And alsmot every day.

you have to keep in mind this is people valuing their life and labor, not just a commodity you can get off the shelves at Walmart

 

[Backfromthedead]

I wrote something that i thought was funny but probably wouldve got me banned here, so i deleted it.

Good show of restraint there, esoxlucius

 

[koltsixx]

That's the thing, having a Filipina wife, she will eat any of the local fish. Looked up native fish, found a neat one, Maya Maya. Asked her if I had it in our tank would she eat it and it was a most definite YES!
So I think I will stick to something non native, for the fishes sake.

If my "better half" and her family is any indication, they'll eat any fish that is big enough to make a good meal. I'm not sure how accurate this list is but if true they're some interesting local freshwater fish as well as some that were introduced and some non-native invasive there that might make for interesting keeping. Such as some native Gobies like Oxyeleotris marmorata, Giurus margaritaceus and some invasive and introduced fish like Osphronemus goramy, Mylossoma duriventri, Mayaheros urophthalmus, Parachromis managuensis, Clarias batrachus, Chitala ornata, Chitala chitala, Channa maculata, Channa striata and supposedly Asian Aro's to name a few.
List of Freshwater Fishes reported from Philippines (fishbase.se)

I find this whole "white tax" rather insulting. Treating people differently because they have a certain skin colour is.....well, I think i'd better leave it there.

I'm not a fan of it either but I understand it. As K krichardson said they assume the foreigners have more money(which for the most part they do) than the locals so they charge them more.

 

[Jexnell]

If my "better half" and her family is any indication, they'll eat any fish that is big enough to make a good meal.

Showed her a bunch of pictures last night. Of local fish and she has had them all for dinner. So started to expand. Only ones I found that were save for keeping are African cichlids, snakehead ( small ones, she said the big ones are yummy) and I showed her 12 Volt Man Sajicas and she said she would eat them.

 

[Jexnell]

Showed her a bunch of pictures last night. Of local fish and she has had them all for dinner. So started to expand. Only ones I found that were save for keeping are African cichlids, snakehead ( small ones, she said the big ones are yummy) and I showed her 12 Volt Man Sajicas and she said she would eat them.

Correction, she would not eat them. So expanded to cichlids I have keep. She didn't find them appealing at all. So probably stick to some kind of solo big cichlid, maybe a Festae, or a tank full of Sajicas.

 

[duanes]

Not just white people, foreigners. Bet they would charge any non-native that.
they know you most likely have more money, and aren’t as well versed in the culture.

In developed western countries we take for granted set prices on things. The majority of places I visit the price changes for every single person. And alsmot every day.

you have to keep in mind this is people valuing their life and labor, not just a commodity you can get off the shelves at Walmart

I agree that its not racial, but its more about economics, and economic opportunity.
The average yearly income for Panamanians, is 25K. (average) many Panamanians live on much much less, especially subsistence farmers or fishermen.
And we retired people from the United States or well developed countries in Europe are offered many perks that make up for some of the slight gringo pricing excesses.

 

[Jexnell]

I agree that its not racial, but its more about economics, and economic opportunity.
The average yearly income for Panamanians, is 25K. (average) many Panamanians live on much much less, especially subsistence farmers or fishermen.
And we retired people from the United States or well developed countries in Europe are offered many perks that make up for some of the slight gringo pricing excesses.

It's just called "White tax" by use foreigners, due to most of us being white... I don't blame them at all. Most of the locals here live on just $434 US, or 25,000 pesos a month or less. So any opportunity to make a bit more is fine with me. But I have beat the game. Cristine does about 95% of the shopping so no white tax since she is local. I only buy stuff from the convenience store, and they don't do it there. It really only applies to street vendors, open meat markets and the like.