5 times the Philippines became a refugee camp for other nations

4. Vietnamese Village in Puerto Princesa

Vietnamese migrants first began arriving in the Philippines after the fall of Saigon, South Vietnam in 1975. There were 2,000 boat people who arrived in the country who were given aid and shelter, unlike in other Asian countries where they were shunned, persecuted, and abused.

The 13-hectare village was built in 1997 on the initiative of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines with more than 200 cottages, a restaurant, a chapel, a pagoda, and a vast playground for children that included a basketball court.

5. The Philippines as a transit point for North Korean defectors

In 2011, as many as 500 refugees from North Korea  travelled through the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) before they heading off to South Korea to flee the Kim Jong-il regime. Then-South Korean Political Counselor Kwon Sae-young said his government appreciated the  Philippines’ low-key and helpful approach despite the policy of disallowing the use of NAIA as a transit point.

The Philippines has proven no matter how times may change, bayanihan will always be a part of each and every one of its citizens. Filipinos show compassion for their fellow countrymen, and to other nations as well. Soon, the Philippines will become a haven for the Rohingyans who have been stranded for months at sea. Read more about it here.

Banner photo courtesy of brigada.ph.