This morning, as I sipped my turmeric-blended coffee, a Facebook post barged into my feed like an urgent knock on a peaceful door. It wasn’t just another travel blog or a dreamy Siargao sunset. It was a cry for help, a roar of resistance.

It came from a frustrated local, someone who had seen enough of what she called “terrorizing behavior” from a group of tourists—specifically, ‘Israeli’ nationals—treating Siargao not like a guesthouse of peace but a battlefield of entitlement. Her words weren’t random. They echoed what many have silently endured for months, even years.

This is not Palestine, she reminded them. This is not Lebanon. Not Syria. This is the Philippines. This is Siargao.

Social Constructivism: Behind the Selfie

International Relations students know this lens well. Social Constructivism tells us that power isn’t just about missiles or money—it’s about meaning. Narratives. The social realities we collectively construct and internalize.

You see, people don’t act based on raw facts alone. They act based on how they interpret those facts. And here lies the heart of the issue: the myth of “chosenness,” repeated in pulpits, echoed in parliaments, and now flaunted on foreign beaches.

Constructivists argue that identities are not fixed—they’re shaped by social interactions and reinforced by repeated behaviors. A settler state, for instance, doesn’t just drop from the sky. It is born from ideology—like Zionism, a political movement that defines land ownership based not on legality or humanity but on mythic entitlement.

Myth vs. Mandate: Not a Religious War

Let’s make one thing clear for readers who may be unfamiliar: The Palestinian struggle is not a religious war. It’s not Islam vs. Judaism, like some medieval crusade.

In fact, many Palestinians are Christians. Some are secular. Many Jews—especially from Jewish Voice for Peace, Neturei Karta, and similar groups—are strong critics of the Zionist Entity.

The divide is not spiritual. It’s political. And Zionism—not Judaism—is the culprit.

Judaism is an ancient Abrahamic faith, grounded in prophetic traditions and moral teachings. Zionism, on the other hand, is a 19th-century political ideology founded by Theodor Herzl, a secular Austrian Jew who didn’t even believe in God.

Strange, isn’t it?

To claim a land “given by God” while denying the Giver’s very existence. That’s not faith. That’s fraud.

“Chosen People” or Constructed Superiority?

One cannot talk about Zionism without stumbling upon this phrase: “God’s chosen people.” It’s been weaponized across continents, and the Philippines is no exception. Genesis 12:3 is often quoted: “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.”

Local Christian Zionists like Congressman Pastor Benny Abante, Jr. take this verse at face value, extending divine blanket protection to any regime flying the Star of David—regardless of its policies or actions.

But context matters.

In Qur’an 2:124, God tells Prophet Ibrahim:

“My covenant does not extend to the unjust and oppressors.”

The divine covenant, according to Islam, is conditional. It is not a VIP pass to eternal impunity. That’s why the same Jesus—whom many Christian Zionists worship—once described his own people as “a wicked and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39) and “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7).

Why do we conveniently skip these verses?

Why do we ignore the history of prophetic defiance against injustice, and instead reward political arrogance with spiritual validation?

When Tourists Mirror Settlers

Now, back to Siargao.

The reported acts of vandalism and aggression—from stone-throwing to verbal abuse, from disrespecting local customs to leaving fake reviews—aren’t isolated incidents. As some commenters noted, they mirror the same pattern of behavior in other parts of the world.

What happens when a people grow up believing they are entitled to land, to reverence, to exemption from consequence?

They carry this belief in their passports. They bring it to airports, hostels, yoga classes, and surf resorts.

In Constructivist terms, this is called internalized identity—when one sees the self not just as a person, but as a privileged symbol of divine or historical destiny. And when others—Filipinos, Arabs, or Africans—don’t affirm that identity, the result is offense, escalation, or even violence.

The Philippines and Its Moral Test

The behavior of guests often reveals the strength—or weakness—of the host.

The Philippine government is now on trial. Will it uphold its own laws on defamation, economic sabotage, and public safety? Or will it allow a small group of foreigners to desecrate its sovereignty under the guise of tourism?

We should not forget that Constructivism also speaks to state identity. What kind of nation are we becoming when we allow double standards in law enforcement? When we ignore abuse simply because of race, religion, or economic power?

Are we still a nation of hospitality with dignity, or are we merely a beach resort for bullies?

From Siargao to Gaza: The Mirror of Meaning

There’s an eerie symmetry here.

Just as settlers build walls in the West Bank, privileged tourists build bubbles in Siargao. Just as homes are bulldozed in Jerusalem, local businesses are destroyed with digital vandalism. Just as silence enables occupation abroad, inaction enables abuse at home.

But people are waking up. That Facebook post wasn’t just a rant—it was a reclamation of voice. A declaration of dignity. A refusal to normalize the abnormal.

Hospitality Is Not Servitude

To our foreign visitors, this isn’t hate. It’s accountability.

The Philippines welcomes you—not because you’re special, but because we believe in shared humanity. We welcome everyone, but not at the cost of our dignity. Not at the cost of our businesses, safety, and cultural peace.

To the Philippine leaders, civil society, and justice system: What kind of identity are we constructing today?

Because how we act now will define the meaning of “Filipino hospitality” for generations.

#Siargao#Zionism#Palestine#SocialConstructivism#TourismAccountability