What was supposed to be a dream trip to Switzerland turned unpleasant for a Filipina who said she was bullied by fellow Filipinos while waiting for their turn to take photos at the popular Iseltwald Pier.
Facebook user Reamae Bagotsay on Tuesday, September 1 shared that she and her female companions encountered “one of the most humiliating, heartbreaking, and disgusting experiences” in their lives on August 29.
On that day, they headed to the pier, which was famously featured in the 2019 hit South Korean drama, “Crash Landing On You,” for photo opportunities.
Several Filipinos were also in line, wanting their chance to take photos.
Reamae said they supported other tourists ahead of them, offering to take photos or cheering them on.
But when it was their turn, a group of older Filipinos began to heckle them, saying comments like, “Tama na ‘yan! One second lang dapat every picture!”
“Pinamamadali nila kami, pinapahiya, at pinariringgan nang sobra-sobra. Kahit bago pa kami dun, at mag-start pa lang sana sa turn namin,” Reamae said.
She added that the older Pinoys continued to heckle and make fun of them, with one commenting, “Sayang, ‘di nalaglag!”
Reamae accompanied her post with a video showing how the older Pinoys treated them.
She said that one woman from the group eventually apologized to them.
“Nung narinig ko ‘yun, napaiyak na talaga ako nang tuluyan. I sobbed not just because of anger, but because my heart was breaking for me and my friends whose dream moment was ruined— and most of all, umiyak ako para sa LAHI natin,” Reamae said.
“Only your own KABABAYAN [OR] KAPWA-FILIPINO (NOT ALL) will tear you down. I always hoped I would never have to experience the truth behind those words dito sa abroad,” she said.
“But on August 29, 2026, at the Iseltwald Pier in Switzerland, I felt the crushing weight of those words firsthand,” Reamae added.
She said that if the older Pinoys had treated them better, she and her companions would have let them go first, despite the queue.
“If only you had chosen to talk to us nicely, like ‘Mga iha, pwede ba kaming mauna?’ mas pipiliin pa naming ipauuna kayo at kami pa sana ang mag-offer na kukuha ng picture sa inyong lahat.
KINDNESS costs nothing,” Reamae said.
“Later on, I even cried more from a distance when those ones who were not from the same [nationality] even showed comfort to me. Kasi kahit alam namin na hindi nila naintindihan ano ang mga pinagsasabi ng mga tao dun, pero nakakaintindi sila sa mismong pangyayari,” she added.
Reamae said she hoped their experience would teach other Filipinos to be kinder and more respectful toward one another, especially when in foreign countries.
“To everyone reading this, please remember that age does not automatically deserve respect if you cannot show basic empathy.
Bitbit natin ang pangalan ng bansa natin saan man tayo magpunta,” she said.
“RESPECT begets respect. Sana matuto tayong maging ligtas na lugar para sa isa’t isa — hindi ang mismong dahilan ng trauma ng kapwa natin Pilipino,” Reamae added.
She also shared screengrabs of a conversation with a woman claiming to be from that group, who asked for an apology, saying they only did it “for fun.”
The woman also claimed that they could no longer handle the “bashing” they have been receiving from social media users following Reamae’s post.
Reamae responded, saying they hope the experience would be an eye-opener for the older Filipinos in that group.
“Para sa akin at sa iba naming kasama, pinatawad na namin kayo. Hindi ko na po talaga control ang lahat ng mga tao sa mga opinyon nila. Maraming salamat pa rin at na-realize ninyo ito. This, too, shall pass,” she said.
Meanwhile, Iseltwald Pier is located in a small Swiss village of Iseltwald on Lake Brienz.
The wooden T-shaped dock played a brief but pivotal role “Crash Landing On You” which features the Shakespearean love story of a wealthy South Korean executive and an enigmatic North Korean soldier.
Its main stars, Son Ye-jin and Hyun Bin, are now real-life partners who married in 2022 and welcomed a son that same year.
