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I have been living in the Philippines for a bit over a year now. I would like a write about my experiences and thoughts about this country.
Please note that some things I will write could be seen as inflammatory. Just realize that im not trying to offend people for the hell of it. I just wanted to rant a bit and get some feedback from filipinos and people whove been here.
Ok.. where to start? I'll start with the general population and the culture here. Filipinos might very well be one of the most content and nonchalant group of people ive ever seen. It seems like they have almost no worries in life. They are laid back to the extreme. This might seem like a good thing right? Well, it is until it gets taken to far. They dont want or expect change. It might be fine if the country was actually very prosperous but thats far from the truth. There is extreme poverty and a large wealth gap. The lower class really lives like shit in the slums. There was a fire once in the poorer part of town and its still not rebuilt. People just live in burnt down houses with makeshift roofs made of plastic sheets. Sewage system is a mess. Its just an open sewage system on the side of the streets.
These things could in part be attributed be to the corrupt government thats very prevalent in the history of this country. But lets face it, no one from the poorest workers in local marts to the Mall employees to government officials feel like they are accountable for anything. You would be waiting in front of the counter to buy something. They see you standing there but no, they cant help you yet. They are talking on the phone or having a chat with the other employee. The lunch breaks here are 2 hours long. And no, they dont have staggered shifts so people can take over when they go on lunch break. Every single employee takes off. In some small marts I could understand this. But the immigration office? Really? Going to the immigration office is an exercise of futility. Nothing is networked here. Almost every single institution still uses paper reciepts and documents for everything. They have no database. But they have like 50 workers to do menial tasks such as collecting your money, giving you the reciept, handing you a stamped document, recieving your photocopied files, and another dude outside the building to photocopy shit for you. One employee can only do ONE task. There is no multitasking in this country. Just imagine running around all over the place, sometimes even outside the complex for something that should be done in like 30 minutes. Yet it literally takes the whole day to get this shit done. If its just once I could deal with it, but we have to repeat this process every 6 months. Yea student visa lasts for 6 months. It takes 2 months to get that shit approved so unless you did it way ahead of time, you wont be going on holiday trips.
Lets get back to accountability. The jobs are all divided into small parts. When there is a fuck up in the system, no one feels like its their fault. They say, "oh just go to that other guy he will help you." You go there and this his like. "no its not my fault, I cant help you... go talk to her," and points you to the same fucking person that sent you to him in the first place. Recently, the law was changed to force students to go through the school's agent in charge of student visa processing. When I first came here and didnt know anything, I gave this bitch my documents and passport and she lost my fucking passport. Her excuse was that it was stolen in the immigration office, which is most likely a lie in retrospect. Being the naive guy I was back then, I replaced my passport and gave her the bill. To this day she is giving me excuses and not paying me back or getting it sorted out at immigration. I am forced to go through this incompetent, greedy whore for visa processing now.
Recently, I read about the Sanitation code for the philippines. It outlines a bunch of rules that businesses must follow. The code itself is quite reasonable and good. It can be compared to any other country's standards. Too bad there is close to zero implementation. There is no toilet paper, tissue, dryer, or toilet seats in the restroom which is a specific annoyance of mine. In fact, its not just the sanitation code that lacks enforcement. Traffic laws are literally a joke here. There might as well be no laws regarding traffic. People purposefully drive in between lanes to chose the faster lane. There are almost no stoplights. You are expected to just drive in and hope people stop. There is no pedestrians first lol. As a pedestrian, its your job to dodge incoming cars.
This reminds me. Just the other day, I was waiting at the taxi pickup area of the mall. They had set up some blocks to direct traffic into the taxi lane. But apparently the taxi's couldnt figure out that they should be going into that lane (it was set up pretty bad). It started pouring like hell and the guard just leaves. After like 20 minutes the rain stops and this guy comes back to finally do his job and direct the taxis to the right place.
Lets talk about education for a bit. I think the main approach in this country is memorization. There is absolutely no development of critical thinking. This approach might work in Korea for example, where there is insane competition among the students, but in a country as laid back as this its a different story. The people are generally pretty ignorant of any kind of foreign event. They cannot go from A to C. They might know that A causes B, but cannot follow through. You try to have a discussion about a topic and most of them will say, "Just memorize it." This type of education doesnt lend itself to creating people with initiative and new ideas.
I know im jumping all over the place with this post but I just wanted to share some of my experiences here. I have a pretty bleak outlook on the future of this country. I dont see how things could change unless people take an active approach in the matter. Every single person is just so passive here.
At least the guilty pleasure in life are all very cheap haha.
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I dunno if you should expect to get flamed or something from the die-hard Filipinos (a bit like America FUCK YEAH!), but your observations are spot-on. It annoys me too when an establishment fails to even have toilet paper in the freakin' bathroom.
Yeah, most government offices are pretty shit. Don't get me started on the Land Transportation Office when I got my license renewed. Keyword renewed.
Traffic laws, well, when you have a decent amount of people trying to make a living off of driving jeepneys, buses and taxis, the streets tend to be a free-for-all. Traffic enforcers don't give a shit as long as you pay them. So yeah. That's why I don't drive in some parts of Manila. haha..
Still, wouldn't want to live anywhere else. :D
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I was born and raised, but I moved to Canada. I've been to the Philippines 2 times, and I'm about to go for my third. The first thing that startled me when I visited when I was older is that I was completely shocked at the lack of "structure" as in I felt there wasn't a lot of enforcement going on. Going through traffic with my families driver was absolutely hectic, and I can remember so much honking and people cutting each other off. If you drive in the western world, and decide to drive in Philippines BE WARNED, you will either get into a car crash or you will literally pull your hair out of the rage.
Thank goodness I don't have to deal with government employees, cause I know how bad it can probably get. Somehow I always want to come back. Not just it's where I was born, but also because I've kinda missed that lifestyle because I'm so use to going to school, and just working all the time. Philippines is an awesome place to travel (if you're careful haha).
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It's a reality here and a reality that some Filipinos tend to reject and/or ignore.
Dealing with the government is just a big HEADACHE. No one can really assist you as no one wants to be accountable or become the go to guy. Responsibility and accountability is something they really tend to avoid.
Driving in the roads, well, let's just say if you can manage to drive here safely, I'd say you have a shot at driving around anywhere in the world. =) You just need to brush up on the rules and regulations in road safety/traffic signs because you will really need to adhere to things you didn't have to adhere to in the Philippines.
Rules are just a piece of paper here. Enforcement is a different matter altogether. What is enforced could either be what's popular at the moment or what is being scrutinized at the present timeline. Once it blows over and the hype dies down, it's back to the old ways. But if you bump into someone with pull here, my god, those rules do come in handy for them. Any and all technicalities that can be pinned against you (as long as it is relevant) will be put in front of you.
Regular and consistent enforcement of rules are what is primarily lacking here. Regulation being a consequence of the enforcement as well. Quick example is how IP LAWS and enforcing agencies are existing already yet piracy still prevails publicly. It is really known to almost everyone in the Philippines where to be able able to buy it, and they are not even being discreet. The enforcement of it comes down to when there is either a foreign institution or group needs to be "impressed" or if there is a local Film Festival to show that the government is doing their part to curb video piracy (cited as an example on how it is based on popularity and what will give better hype for the moment).
But still, I'd still choose to live and stay here rather than move elsewhere.
Will there be any significant change in the years to come? I highly doubt it, given that the mindset is to have services and almost everything as a private enterprise/venture/partnership with the government. So good luck to this place and hope the masses just wake up.
It really doesn't matter how you speak your mind here. What's important is you get the masses and the media on your side, and to do that, you need to have very deep pockets and a lot of friends in high places that control most of everything.
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On the positive side it does sound like a very chill country  too bad when it's taken to the extreme that society is barely working, but a real nightmare scenario is when everyone is working their ass of and someone else take all the money imo^^
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Actually, I think all Filipinos (except those with their heads stuck in the sand) have shared your thoughts at one point some time or another in their lives. Our government offices are indeed very inefficient and our traffic = lol. Most drivers and even pedestrians have no discipline whatsoever, making driving such a joy. Not one day goes by where I narrowly avoid being sideswiped by a bus or a jeepney. A lack of education/awareness results in the election of not one, but two former action stars to the Senate.
Still, I have been seeing some bright spots lately, many people who are unwilling to swallow hook line and sinker what institutions like the Church and media tell them, and are willing to think critically and decide for themselves. Even though they are currently drowned out by the loads of people who are their opposite, I don't think my country is entirely hopeless. Change is coming/will come, but I predict that it will do so at a very glacial pace. All other SE Asian countries are starting to overtake (or have already overtaken) us economically as well as in other aspects, and I think that drastic change in efficiency and maybe discipline will only happen when we look at others and find out that we are at the bottom. I really hope it won't come to that though.
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there're 3 philipino girlss where i just started work, so this was interesting to read a bit
would it be a good country to travel to as a (beginner) english teacher? im supposed to be saving up money to get CELTA or TESOL so i can leave this butt-hole country (uk)
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it was funny coz i accidently told one of them they all look the same and then called her by the wrong name
+ Show Spoiler +5 minutes later... ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ip9zy.jpg)
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I remember driving through downtown Manila a few years ago, I was visiting some family in the Philippines, and seeing a pool table and television set inside a house built of dirty tires and rusty, corrugated steel. The structure looked like it could fall over at any time. The doorway was really just a gap between two piles of tires that provided a base for the steel sheets to lean against. Its' roof was made of yet more steel sheets stacked on top of the mess and probably did nothing to protect the shack's inhabitants from the elements.
And yet the people living within it deemed it worthy enough to put recreational furniture inside it.
I realize that shanties like that aren't particularly rare, but seeing these kinds of amenities inside a barely livable hovel was such a jarring image that it remains one of the most vivid memories I have of the trip. I think the thing that bothered me the most about it was that these people were clearly satisfied enough with their lifestyle that they chose to improve upon it rather than actively strive to move out of that area or completely change their environment.
Anyway, nice write up. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone that hasn't been to the Philippines can really understand just how pervasive the culture of passivity is within the country. Coming from an outsider's point of view - it really is disappointing to see people willing to live like that.
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Should have stayed in the States, at least you didn't have 300 ping to everywhere (hate lag laser) :D
gl with your studies though
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What city were you in? I'd consider traveling to a province . Much better everything, I think.
On December 21 2011 22:02 Skipper240 wrote:
I remember driving through downtown Manila a few years ago, I was visiting some family in the Philippines, and seeing a pool table and television set inside a house built of dirty tires and rusty, corrugated steel. The structure looked like it could fall over at any time. The doorway was really just a gap between two piles of tires that provided a base for the steel sheets to lean against. Its' roof was made of yet more steel sheets stacked on top of the mess and probably did nothing to protect the shack's inhabitants from the elements.
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Poverty 
On December 21 2011 21:33 FFGenerations wrote:
there're 3 philipino girlss where i just started work, so this was interesting to read a bit
would it be a good country to travel to as a (beginner) english teacher? im supposed to be saving up money to get CELTA or TESOL so i can leave this butt-hole country (uk)
Most schools teach english (except for the really bad ones) from what I've experienced
When I left I was completely fluent.
Also born and raised there, but i cant edit on govt stuff cause i honestly don't remember
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Speaking of traffic laws, one of the most inconvenient laws that every one has to implement involves number coding where you are forbidden to drive within Manila or Makati if the third digit of your license plate is coded to a particular day (i.e. 0-1 for Monday, 2-3 for Tuesday and so forth).
And it can be a hassle to get home just because some jeepney is stopping in a spot where he should not have just to get passengers. What's worse is that the traffic enforcers really do not do much due to probable bribes or something.
As for ignorance of foreign events, the only people who usually are informed are the ones who have cable even though a portion of the news covers some events internationally.
Being an English teacher, I really am not fond of making kids memorize topics myself as it can get way too monotonous. That is usually because most teachers do not know how to properly motivate the students to learn on their own. A friend of mine was able to pull it off against kids who from first glance look like a stereotypical delinquent.
And don't get me started on the infamous flaw that every Filipino seems to have: Crab Fucking Mentality
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wow thats interesting that that behaviour is identified like that and given a name :D never heard it before obv (talking about crab mentality, had this page open for a while)
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On December 22 2011 00:59 FFGenerations wrote:
wow thats interesting that that behaviour is identified like that and given a name :D never heard it before obv (talking about crab mentality, had this page open for a while)
Crab Mentality goes something like this: say someone would rise from the top, other people will just pull them down out of envy and such. Like crabs on a bucket trying to escape
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On December 21 2011 21:12 ellerina wrote:
Actually, I think all Filipinos (except those with their heads stuck in the sand) have shared your thoughts at one point some time or another in their lives. Our government offices are indeed very inefficient and our traffic = lol. Most drivers and even pedestrians have no discipline whatsoever, making driving such a joy. Not one day goes by where I narrowly avoid being sideswiped by a bus or a jeepney. A lack of education/awareness results in the election of not one, but two former action stars to the Senate.
Still, I have been seeing some bright spots lately, many people who are unwilling to swallow hook line and sinker what institutions like the Church and media tell them, and are willing to think critically and decide for themselves. Even though they are currently drowned out by the loads of people who are their opposite, I don't think my country is entirely hopeless. Change is coming/will come, but I predict that it will do so at a very glacial pace. All other SE Asian countries are starting to overtake (or have already overtaken) us economically as well as in other aspects, and I think that drastic change in efficiency and maybe discipline will only happen when we look at others and find out that we are at the bottom. I really hope it won't come to that though.
My post was full of whining and ranting and flaming, but not one person tried to eat me alive haha. If I said similar stuff about US or god forbid korea, I would be knee deep in shit right now. I do have alot of filipino friends who ive talked to about what I thought about many things in this country and they were all cool about it. Filipinos can be one of the most friendly and amicable people to be around. Tagai and all that haha. Ive had good times here no doubt.
You know.. i've thought about this issue. Where can change come from? From strong enforcement or from the collective desire for change and reform. I feel that the Philippines is stuck in a vicious cycle. Enforcement of the sanitation code or traffic laws and what not is impossible when the vast majority of people cannot follow said rules. They must first invest in the infrastructure. But there is no driving force for such investment. People tend to just accept everything thats given to them, even if its dog shit on a platter.
At some point people have to really take a stand for change but I can see that a collective front on this matter is far off still.
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On December 22 2011 06:42 gameguard wrote:
[My post was full of whining and ranting and flaming, but not one person tried to eat me alive haha. If I said similar stuff about US or god forbid korea, I would be knee deep in shit right now.
Well I think if you had posted this anywhere else, like in a blog or something, you would truly be over your head in shit right now. Filipino netizens can be pretty protective and reactionary (vicious too). Things with a topic like this (what's wrong with the Philippines from a foreigner's perspective), and the language/tone you used would probably generate pages of people cursing at you and telling you to go home or something if it ever went viral. 
I (and most people) have mostly given up on the government being the instigator of change through enforced discipline and regulations, since most officials are either in it for the cash/power or focus on short term planning instead of long term planning, and are content to finger-point when issues come up. Aside from the crab mentality, IMO lots of Filipinos have the 'pwede na' (it's ok) mentality. Whether in work, or the standards we have, or the enforcement, the strive to excel is missing. If the minimum or slightly above the minimum is reached, then its ok to stop. For collective change to happen, I think we have to realize that 'pwede na' is just not cutting it anymore. When my boss went to Singapore for two weeks for a conference/training, he was impressed at the efficiency, skills, and the work ethic of the workers. While he was there, a Singaporean pulled him aside and asked him, 'Why are Filipinos so good in other countries but so mediocre in their own?' Ouch right, but my boss knew it was true. Although individual Filipinos can match the work ethic and standards of other people if they go abroad or something, somehow the Philippines itself is stuck in pwede na. We have to get over this if we really want to change.
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poss coz the ones who made it outa there are generally the ones with more resolve
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On December 22 2011 06:42 gameguard wrote:Show nested quote +On December 21 2011 21:12 ellerina wrote:
Actually, I think all Filipinos (except those with their heads stuck in the sand) have shared your thoughts at one point some time or another in their lives. Our government offices are indeed very inefficient and our traffic = lol. Most drivers and even pedestrians have no discipline whatsoever, making driving such a joy. Not one day goes by where I narrowly avoid being sideswiped by a bus or a jeepney. A lack of education/awareness results in the election of not one, but two former action stars to the Senate.
Still, I have been seeing some bright spots lately, many people who are unwilling to swallow hook line and sinker what institutions like the Church and media tell them, and are willing to think critically and decide for themselves. Even though they are currently drowned out by the loads of people who are their opposite, I don't think my country is entirely hopeless. Change is coming/will come, but I predict that it will do so at a very glacial pace. All other SE Asian countries are starting to overtake (or have already overtaken) us economically as well as in other aspects, and I think that drastic change in efficiency and maybe discipline will only happen when we look at others and find out that we are at the bottom. I really hope it won't come to that though. My post was full of whining and ranting and flaming, but not one person tried to eat me alive haha. If I said similar stuff about US or god forbid korea, I would be knee deep in shit right now. I do have alot of filipino friends who ive talked to about what I thought about many things in this country and they were all cool about it. Filipinos can be one of the most friendly and amicable people to be around. Tagai and all that haha. Ive had good times here no doubt. You know.. i've thought about this issue. Where can change come from? From strong enforcement or from the collective desire for change and reform. I feel that the Philippines is stuck in a vicious cycle. Enforcement of the sanitation code or traffic laws and what not is impossible when the vast majority of people cannot follow said rules. They must first invest in the infrastructure. But there is no driving force for such investment. People tend to just accept everything thats given to them, even if its dog shit on a platter. At some point people have to really take a stand for change but I can see that a collective front on this matter is far off still.
Change has to come from the bottom. I find that people are just idly waiting for the government to make things happen. If shit goes wrong, blame it on the government!
I really find it disgusting sometimes how undisciplined people around here can be. Everyday when I walk to work, I see people impatiently jaywalking because they couldn't wait for the lights to turn green. Or people crossing the road when there's a readily accessible overhead footbridge if they bothered their asses to walk a few meters from where they started crossing.
Heck, even the simple unwritten "keep right" rule isn't even ingrained in people's heads. It's such a hassle to walk to work when people are occupying all sides of the sidewalk, even if they are going in the opposite direction as me. I also really dislike running into a group of people walking ahead of me so slowly and at the same time occupying the whole freakin' sidewalk. They don't even seem to care that there might be some people who need to rush ahead and overtake them.
I think until discipline with the little things can be ingrained in the masses, there won't be room for change in this society.
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I don't see why Filipinos would jump at your throat for these comments. As a Filipino myself, almost all the things you said are spot on, which is why I recommend any and all Filipinos who can, get out of the country asap. I've pretty much given up hope for the country.
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Haha. Whats funny is that I agree with everything you have posted. But in my opinion, the things you said on your post only happens in Manila though. In the provinces it is so much better. Try living in dumaguete or bohol. I am from Bohol myself and I can confidently say that the only place I'd rather be instead of here is in Korea watching BW 24/7.
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I'm currently visiting the Philippines for xmas break, and after being here for only a few days after living in Canada for nearly 3 years, I have to say that I cannot believe I survived in this country for half of my life.
Don't get me wrong, I love the country for the 3 Fs (Friends, Food, and Family), but aside from that I definitely do not miss the inefficiency, the traffic, the slow internet, and the pollution to name a few. I might just be frustrated because I had to wait 2 hours for my luggage even though I checked into Business class, but I really cannot see myself living in the Philippines again, and I'll be sure to take advantage of everything being cheap and the three Fs previously mentioned to make this trip worth it.
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Believe us when we say that Filipino netizens are vicious. If this was posted on a Filipino site, you would already have a Facebook hate page.
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On December 21 2011 21:33 FFGenerations wrote:
there're 3 philipino girlss where i just started work, so this was interesting to read a bit
would it be a good country to travel to as a (beginner) english teacher? im supposed to be saving up money to get CELTA or TESOL so i can leave this butt-hole country (uk)
you wouldnt be teaching english to filipinos. Almost everyone is fluent in english. There is, however, a market for teaching koreans english here. Korean kids come to philippines to "study english" since its cheaper than US/UK. I use the quote because korean kids are notorious for screwing around at clubs/strip clubs.
Lol and the post about walking slow. My god, thats really annoying. They walk side by side, blocking the whole sidewalk, going like .2 mph
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ah really
ya british women block sidewalks/doorways like its their fucking job. i think shop entrances were created for the sole purpose of collecting their immobile bodies
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EPT
