Last week, I wrote about tourism for a good reason. I was traveling at the time.

T’was my first international trip since the pandemic and I was jittery. It has been a long time, and adding extra panic is that I was with my siblings who were armed with brand-new passports and it was their first time ever to fly out of the country. Would they be offloaded? Would there be a scene at the airport?

Good thing no offloading happened. In an instant, as my siblings walked past the immigration counters, I was happy and a little bit sad. It was then that I realized that we have gone beyond the profile immigration officers look for. We were apparently too old for that, based on our passports. If we were still in our 20s or 30s, I guess the situation would have been different.

Steps away near the immigration counters, at the immigration holding areas, there were desks where immigration officers were interviewing what appeared to be profiled travelers. I hope they were all allowed to depart and go on with the travels they have planned for months. As for the victims of trafficking, I hope they are saved and the traffickers and illegal recruiters found, arrested and charged.

Upon arrival, the siblings saw for themselves the stark difference between our destination's airport and ours. One is huge, while ours is small.

The train stations are huge too, and looked impossible to be always cramped. Sure, there were more people during rush hours, but the lines to the ticket counters and turnstiles moved fast.

I was too preoccupied during the trip that I did not ask them if they noticed anything when we entered stations and buildings. They actually did. No bag inspections, and they asked me why.

The easiest and most obvious answer is that they don’t need bag inspections. But the longer answer is also sadder: In most other countries, they run after the criminals and not treat all other people as potential criminals. Their police do a lot of intelligence and investigative work in order to track down and apprehend criminals, and in instances that they commit crime in stations or buildings, they are quickly apprehended and charged. The criminals face swift justice.

Same is true with payments. We tapped our cards, no questions asked. No taking of photos of transaction records. No asking of IDs. Ever. Not once. The security of transactions is apparently for the banks and authorities to answer and ensure — not for merchants or customers.

We walked a lot, wrapped in sweaters and jackets. I think my legs and feet haven’t fully recovered yet even days after we returned. But I guess the streets and parks, stations and malls, made a lasting impression on my siblings on what’s possible and what can be done in our country.

We saw a snapshot of a country that’s quite near to ours but nearly totally different. Smaller but seemingly bigger. I think we could be better, and we could do a lot of wonderful things. We actually have lots more to offer, but only if we have radical political change that would recalibrate priorities, champion national and regional identity, and give the honor of presenting who we truly are.

Last night, I watched anew my favorite South Korean vlogger who works in Manila. It is really fascinating to look at our country and people with fresh eyes. She has gone to many places, including those I myself have not been able to see. I want to go there. I want to see those places, and to have those same experiences.

Responding to growing anger of the public, a tourism official said she has spoken to airline owners to find ways to lower fares. Sure, high fares are the problem. But that’s not the only problem and it is a problem that the government itself has to make an accounting for. To go to many areas, one does not need to take an airplane ride. It's the infrastructure, the roads, the terminals, the public transportation, and the facilities. They are either too old, too small, or too unprepared for tourism. Domestic tourism can attract tens of millions in a country of more than a hundred million. The problem begins or gets worse if we forget just how big we are, and content ourselves with small time change.

We were happy going back to the Philippines, to the familiar, and to our own homes. There are a lot of stories to tell.