More on the Philippines - The People

Again, from the Welcome Book and the Rough Guide – I"ll have books to read for my Non-Profit Management classes next, so Culture Shock are in the queue, and the hot-off-the-press edition of Lonely Planet Philippines is still on the way. And of course as I have my own experience I’ll share my observations!

Filipinos are optimistic, gracious, warm, passionate, gregarious and chatty. I should be prepared for all manner of conversation, including quite personal questions. Hospitality is big. Social events are an important part of Philippine life, and get-togethers happen on a moment’s notice. Every community has an annual fiesta. Music is a big part of the culture, as are movies, both from Hollywood and locally-made. Basketball is big, as is cockfighting. For tourists, trekking and scuba-diving are popular.

Despite a considerable level of Western influence, Philippine culture is quite conservative and there is a strong sense of propriety; modest dress is advised. Punctuality is not common – for Filipinos, there is always time. Filipino kinship customs also means that they help themselves to their family members’ personal possessions – sharing is common and not doing so is considered stingy (I don’t know how this translates to the office building where I’ll be living, but if I don’t have a lock for my room, at least I do for my luggage).

There is a culture of volunteerism (so far everything has been similar to Morocco – questions, time, sharing - but not this); many Filipinos do volunteer work in their communities and many have had connection with development projects. Also, unlike in Morocco, there is social pressure to drink alcohol.

The country is about 80 percent Roman Catholic, 10 percent other Christian, and eight percent Muslim; it and East Timor are the only countries in Asia with a predominantly Christian population. Tagalog has a simple word structure, though the word order is different from English – an example translates to “ate a mango the child.” There’s also no verb “to be.” Tagalog sounds staccato to the foreign ear, with clipped vowels and consonants. There are no tones, unlike some other Southeast Asian languages, and most words are spoken as they are written, though stress can be tricky. I’ll be working in English but I think I’d like to try to learn some of the language. That’s part of the experience, after all.

I wonder what crafts and artisan products the Philippines are known for? Of course, I may have a home’s worth of Moroccan décor, with some Southeast Asian touches already. I certainly don’t need any more rugs….