The Contradicting Filipino Personality

Today I had to give a report on the Filipino personality (the ones in the Philippines). After I had given it people were kind of quiet. Maybe what I had to say wasn't what they were expecting. Maybe I should have realized that Filipinos are not that comfortable being directly confronted. Then again I'm not exactly a Filipino. I'm and American-Filipino an I call it like I see it. So if you're wondering what I had to say in this report it kind of went a little something like this.

The Contradicting Filipino Personality

Love for the Family but none for the country

The way I see it the family is a very important social unit for Filipinos. It provides a source of emotional and economical support. Elders are regarded with much respect and the younger generation is expected to be obedient with almost no objection. Family is expected to come before self and so at times there maybe a lot of self-sacrifice especially on the part of the younger generation. However, this makes them a very tight and close nit group. The family circle is also just not limited by blood but extends to in-laws and close friends making them one bigger unit.

Another aspect of the Filipino family I have come to notice is their warm hospitality. Step in to any Filipino home as a guest and you'll notice how they will go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. They may not even have much themselves but they'll give you the best they have in order to make you feel comfortable.

On the opposite side the focus on one's family may hinder the love for country. Taxes may go unpaid and regulations may be broken for personal need. If laws are put in place that appears as a hindrance to the people they may not be so easily followed. Sacrifices can often be seen for the family but not for the country.

Some people I have talked to have a feeling that things are not going to get any better here that they might be better off else where. The number of people exiting this country opposed to the number of people migrating to this country is kind of evidence to that predominant feeling. The current out pour of nurses from this country maybe viewed as a source pride to some but this country cannot keep it up. There is a serious "brain drain" occurring in this country that is taking away would be doctors and other professions that are needed here to keep this country running more sufficiently.

"But what can one person do about these things?" I hear this often as well. I find it strange however when that same one person will try so hard to make their guest feel so important in their home." Thecountry is an extension of your home; it doesn't just stop at your door. People seemed to have for gotten that here.

Church going and commandment breaking

The church is another important factor to the people. Religion can be seen almost in all aspects of daily life here. As the largest Christian nation in Asia it may be obvious as why their practice is taken in to the workplace, school, and even politics. Almost no event is held without a prayer and so many people can easily take quotes from the Bible.

As the second (I was corrected on that) most corrupt nation in Asia, the 11th in the world. It is kind of obvious that not all the laws of the Bible are exactly being followed. This maybe more of a representation of the economic situation here than of their religious beliefs, none the less it is quite striking.

Things that have really surprised me here is number of adulterous husbands. I have often heard people talk about their affairs freely, of course not in front of their wives however. Well not most of the time. Seems like some of these church goers may have fell asleep when the sermon of the 10 commandments came up.

The church here is also very advent against premarital sex and the use of contraceptives. The alarming growth in population is kind of indicative that at least one of these rules is being followed but maybe not the other. I had a hard time trying to figure this one out. To me they were already going against the church when they decided to commit premarital sex so why didn't they just go ahead and commit the other little sin in getting a condom? It maybe be explained by the fact that having sex can go on indiscreet with only the participants knowing of it however buying a condom at the local drug store involves a third party. In doing so they risk the chance of being caught by a third party and a possibility of having their and their partner(s) reputation being damage. How they are viewed by their peers is very important to Filipinos.

I can take a joke but not from you

Following that it can be seen that their pride is very important to them. When one may not have much they can afford economically it is the one thing that's there. So people may become a little sensitive when it may seem like another may be openly offending it. (Maybe I should have paid a little more attention to this point before I gave my report. Lol. Oh well)

Knowing that I find it interesting how friends can so easily joke with one another on topics which to me as a foreigner maybe a little sensitive. For example one of my classmates is openly teased about her weight and her skin tone. In the US comments regarding physical appearance would not fly, especial when they're aspects that they can not change like skin tone. However, she takes their comments so light heartedly (at least on the outside) and that's a common trait to see here. Seeing it from the outside what you have to understand is that the people here don't have malice behind their words so it is not taken personally as an attack on them.

The one constant

The one thing I have come to see that holds so true here is the Golden Rule. "The one with the gold makes the rule." As long as you have the money you can get away with almost anything. Money is often more important than pride. You will see doctors take a step down in status in the hopes to work elsewhere as nurses with higher pay. Students prostituting themselves to pay for tuition. No more does the saying "everyone has their price" seem more true than here. If you look at their economic situation however I don't see how you can blame them.

One biological goal that most people cannot avoid is the drive to survive. If there is one thing that Filipinos do so well, it is finding a way to survive. If they don't have something they will make do with what they have. They will do whatever is necessary to make it, in the hopes of finding a way out. To ensure a better life for themselves.

I mentioned a few other things but this thing is getting long. Anyway, this was basically the gist of it. Now some of my peers might have viewed this report as being a little harsh or over critical. However, that really wasn't my intention. To me it was the truth of what I saw. Though it may have seemed that I have focused on the good versus the bad, that really wasn't the issue. As a foreigner trying to understand the actions of the Filipinos here, may bring about some conflicting ideas. As I stated I think that once you get an understanding of how these actions are in fact not so contradicting you will then have a better sense of who the "Filipino" is.

In kind of going along the lines of this topic...
I think that people everywhere are basically the same in a sense. As they struggle to survive they all search for a sense of happiness and feeling of security in their lives. The only real difference from one culture to the other is what defines these values and the current state (economical, psychological, etc.) in which people find themselves to be under. However, I think you will also find that given the exact same circumstance people from anywhere will ultimately take the same paths in order to achieve these goals.