A Scottish travel vlogger recently found himself in hot water after criticizing Filipinos who “overstay” and use coffee shops as their “personal office”.
A clip of Dale Philip’s vlog taken during his stay in Baguio was uploaded by one X user @maroontito, along with his reaction to the travel vlogger’s comments about people inside a famous coffee shop, sparked discussion and criticism on the platform.
“Look at all these guys with their laptops, just sitting there using it as their office. I would hate that,” Dale said as he pointed his camera at the customers inside the cafe.
“I would hate to have a business where people just come and use it as their personal office, use your Wi-Fi, use your electricity, buy one coffee. So I don’t understand why they let people do that and I don’t understand why people do that either,” he expressed his confusion.
“Just sit in your house, sit in your condo, sit in your hotel room and do your work. Why do you need to be sitting in somebody’s coffee shop to do your work with people disturbing you?,” he added.
The post has garnered over six million views and 30,000 likes.
The uploader’s caption read, “The audacity of white people to make a living off of Filipinos while simultaneously criticizing our own culture and social norms. Didn’t even bother blurring their faces. Nakakainit ng dugo.”
He added, “Literally could’ve asked nicely or should’ve minded his own business and looked for another cafe”
The audacity of white people to make a living off of Filipinos while simultaenously criticizing our own culture and social norms. Didn’t even bother blurring their faces. Nakakainit ng dugo. pic.twitter.com/DhXT6yvbVl
— Ralph ? (@maroontito) November 12, 2023
The replies section poured with other users’ frustration over Philip’s commentary on the local customers, calling him out for being “ignorant” and “privileged”, with some even telling him to “go back to his own country”.
“People always go to coffee shops to do work like everywhere? What’s the problem???,” a netizen commented.
“Imagine being so privileged & ignorant that you can say this, how dare you,” a user reacted to the vlogger’s attitude.
“I thought everywhere people just went to cafes and worked, even in USA, like why does he think that’s a weird thing? Isn’t that normal for people to do homework and stuff at cafes?,” wrote another.
“Plain and simple: PAG DI NAMAN AGAINST STARBUCKS’ RULES, IT MEANS OKAY LANG. I’ve been doing my work in Starbucks for so many years sa iba’t ibang branches pero walang ni isa ang nagbawal saken na mag work doon,” a customer stressed.
Content creator AC Soriano also joined the tirade and quipped about the vlogger’s “overreaction”, saying, “Ganto nak, punta kang hardware tapos bili kang bidet, oa mo.”
Meanwhile, some pointed out the lack of public and student-friendly spaces in the Philippines, which they said explains the flock of workers and students using the coffee shops as workspaces.
“Really, the “problem” about students occupying places like cafes is not really a reflection on the nation’s studentry but of the state’s failed responsibility to increase people-owned spaces like public libraries, student-friendly settings,” a netizen explained.
“IF WE ONLY HAVE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OR SPACES THAT ARE ACTUALLY BOTH ACCESSIBLE AND CONDUCIVE FOR LEARNING THEN WE WOULDN’T SETTLE FOR OVERPRICED COFFEE SHOPS. ?,” voiced out another.
Philip has yet to react nor comment on the reactions to his vlog.
