Some Aspects of Filipino Culture

These are some of the things I found most interesting from Culture Shock: Philippines. If it’s similar in Morocco, I’ll note it, sometimes with an M.
- Teasing is a way of indirect criticism – it is how children learn proper behavior.
- All Saints Day is big here – people go to the cemeteries for vigils, often with refreshments.
- Three concepts are hard to define but seem of ultimate importance in understanding the psyche and behavior. Hiya is shame, a loss of self-esteem. Approval by the community. Amor-propio is another traditional value – self-respect. Utang na loob is personal favors, reciprocal obligations.
- Because of hiya and amor-prioio, go-betweens are often used rather than direct confrontation.
- Bahala na – leaving things to God, is the equivalent of inshallah. Hamdullah that there’s an equivalent! I still find myself thinking or saying it. In fact, now that I am trying to learn Tagalog, Moroccan Arabic words are coming back to me. Must be firing the same neurons.
- Homosexuals are tolerated. I can’t say the same is true for Morocco, but like Morocco, men can walk together arm in arm or hold hands, and ditto women, but men and women should not hold hands (etc.) in public.
- Mangkukulam appear to be the equivalents of djinns. And psychic people can cause illness with a stare. The good old evil eye! There are other superstitions and myths – my favorite is that the number of stairs in a house should not be divisible by three. People count stairs oro, plata, mata – gold, silver, death. Don’t end on mata.
- There’s a distinction between private space (which is kept clean) and public space (which can be full of rubbish). M!
- Filipinos borrow freely from family members – and if you are living with a family, they may help themselves to your things too. M
- Filipinos ask what Americans perceive as personal questions in an attempt to get to know you. M – note, I already had most of my answers prepared, but got tripped up by one over the weekend and gave an unintended direct answer! We’ll see if it has consequences; otherwise I’ll let it go.
- Filipinos won’t open a gift in front of you. M
- It’s polite to be late (and impolite to be on time) to a social occasion.
- (One of my favorites) – Filipinos often greet each other with their eyebrows – eye contact established, the eyebrows are raised up and down. Not from the book but from our hour of language, Filipinos often pout and point their lips to indicate direction.
That’s a good place to stop for today. More to come.

And speaking of Morocco, I received an email yesterday that made my day – from the Country Director there. For COS Conference (wow, almost a year has gone by since I had mine!) they requested videos from those of us who COSed last year, talking about adjusting and giving advice to those about to COS. I hope I am not spoiling a surprise here! I love being asked to do things like this! I reacquainted myself with imovie (which I used once, to film an introduction for Jeff) and learned something new – how to upload a video to youtube. Now to think about what I want to say and record it! Some of the current second-years have already been in touch with me with questions about Peace Corps Response; I miss some of my friends who are there and it will be nice to think I am talking to them as I do it.