Filipinos and work ethic

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Dave Hounddriver
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Posted (edited)

Yes, there was a recent topic about how hard it is for filipinos to find jobs and it was going way off topic.  This thread is not about finding work, its about the attitude filipinos (and other nationalities) need to learn.  I read this on another site and thought it was an inspirational story that aspiring young filipinos (male or female) could learn from.

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What is the life people should not live?

When I was 15, I wanted a job at McDonald's. My dad said to me, “if you want a job so bad , I will pay you $6 an hour,” which was a lot of money 25 years ago.

He wanted to pay me to stand and stare directly at the wall. He said, “I will pay you $6 an hour every hour you stand looking at the wall.” I was so excited my dreams of buying a Motorcycle came to edges of my mouth and I asked him “for real?” Then being, young I asked “is there a limit to how many hours I can stand?” “No” he said, “every day, all day.”

My younger brother was jealous and said, “what about me?” My dad said, “you too!” So we both faced the wall in the dining room and he only had 2 rules we must pay attention to the wall and not lean on it.

My younger 12 year old brother lasted less than a half hour and I lasted 2 and half hours, standing was okay, but focusing on the wall was near torture.

Having no goals, being homeless, not trying to exceed your own abilities in any way is simply choosing a way of life that leads to the wall, which then leads to drugs and alcohol to cope.

I can always spot someone who ended up choosing the wall. They have this dead look in their eyes, smeared with a wet glaze as if a hundred tears have built up inside them and yet not a single tear can fall. Be careful of the wall that my father taught us about, for it can lead to some very very bad places.

I wanted to add the second lesson that my father taught me as so many people have asked questions.

When I was 17 and getting ready to think about college he asked me to send out a resume as if I had already gone to college and gotten my degree. So I made one up with the plan that I was going to follow.

He then asked me to change the name and submit the resume for fun until I got an interview and so I started sending out the resumes and waited with no stress I might add.

Soon I realized that no one had gotten back to me and I sent out more of them and after a month I started to stress some as no one had gotten back to me so I changed the resume.

I upgraded the college to a better one, I updated my grade point and I added some charity work , and school participation and sent it out again.

This time I got an interview and my dad thought it would be good for me to go but my mother did not allow and so I did not go to the interview.

What I did learn was that I did not enjoy the fact that I had to completely change my life , who I was , where I was going to school and grade point average to just get an interview.

I thought about the two months just waiting for the chance to be seen and it really bothered me and so at a very early age I decided I would never depend on the world , but rather they would depend on me and I became self employed and never looked back.

 

 

Edited by Dave Hounddriver
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mogo51
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I was watching over the past 3 weeks at the progress of a new spiral staircase at the pool water slide in the resort where we live.

It has taken that time to finish about 2/3rds of a 2 level staircase. Always 2 or  3 there and at least one standing 'supervising'.  Was pre fabricated and only needed installing.  Still to go, concrete footings, top fixation of the staircase, some more 'spot welding' etc.

Would think at least another one and a half weeks work there.

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Dave Hounddriver
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1 hour ago, mogo51 said:

Would think at least another one and a half weeks work there.

You can always tell the workers who are paid by the day rather than by the job.  You seem to have found some excellent illustrations.

 

Edited by Dave Hounddriver
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virginprune
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If you find good workers here keep them. The crew, nucleus of 4, who built our house will be used when we add on. If they are busy at the time we are happy to wait until they can slot us in.

 

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sonjack2847
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There is a lady who comes to clean our house once a week.A few months ago her husband had kidney stone.He stopped drinking red horse and drank lots of water they went.He now has no pain in his stomach.His wife was here last Friday and I could tell something was bothering her as she was talking to my wife.It turns out that now he is feeling better  he drinks all day long and will not go back to work.He is off my list of possible workers. I do know a few really good workers in Dalaguete but have not been here long enough to recommend anybody.

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jpbago
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The city has been on a drainage project across the street in front of my place since last April. So far, about a block and 1/4 is done (about 125 m) out of a 3 block job. They jaggedly dug the ditch out with a high hoe on wheels with a wobbly bucket but the job is so slow that the undone part has grown in with weeds and filled back in so they have to dig it out now by hand to install the cement pipes. When they dig, they put the dirt inside the previously finished cement pipes instead of up on the street. The ditch and the finished pipe section are 2/3 full of water and dirt and it is not flowing out. There are 5 or 6 guys in slippers sitting around in the shade, chain smoking while one barefoot guy is digging with a broken spade. A truck will bring 10 sections of pipe at a time. They will offload 3 or 4 truck loads by hand in bare feet. Then a few days later, the same truck will come and take away 10 sections of the cement pipe. Then they will bring more in a few days. Then they will take away 5 sections. Some days they will install 1 or 2 sections, other days they will just do some digging. There is no engineer inspecting the level of the grade run. It is not going to work but the mayor will be able to say that drainage was installed so he doesn't know why there is still flooding.

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Reboot
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I think that in places like the Philippines, many, perhaps most, of the ambitious, hard working types are the ones who leave and seek their fortunes elsewhere.

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Jake
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5 hours ago, Reboot said:

I think that in places like the Philippines, many, perhaps most, of the ambitious, hard working types are the ones who leave and seek their fortunes elsewhere.

I agree.....my observation is when they are exposed to western type work ethics and soon realize the peer pressure of actually practicing those good habits, many Filipinos become very productive.  "Filipino Time" and being too EMO (emotional) in trying to persuade the boss to take some time off is no longer in their daily thinking.  

Unfortunately in my opinion, the govt bureaucracy needs a major overhaul in sensitivity training in their lack of prompt and professional attitude towards the common tao.  

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mogo51
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21 hours ago, jpbago said:

The city has been on a drainage project across the street in front of my place since last April. So far, about a block and 1/4 is done (about 125 m) out of a 3 block job. They jaggedly dug the ditch out with a high hoe on wheels with a wobbly bucket but the job is so slow that the undone part has grown in with weeds and filled back in so they have to dig it out now by hand to install the cement pipes. When they dig, they put the dirt inside the previously finished cement pipes instead of up on the street. The ditch and the finished pipe section are 2/3 full of water and dirt and it is not flowing out. There are 5 or 6 guys in slippers sitting around in the shade, chain smoking while one barefoot guy is digging with a broken spade. A truck will bring 10 sections of pipe at a time. They will offload 3 or 4 truck loads by hand in bare feet. Then a few days later, the same truck will come and take away 10 sections of the cement pipe. Then they will bring more in a few days. Then they will take away 5 sections. Some days they will install 1 or 2 sections, other days they will just do some digging. There is no engineer inspecting the level of the grade run. It is not going to work but the mayor will be able to say that drainage was installed so he doesn't know why there is still flooding.

Sounds like they are all over this job!!!! haha

They are doing roadworks here in Bauang on the National Highway in 3 areas between here and San Fernando.  They bring river boulders that have to be crushed to make 'roadbase' of a sort, they use small concrete and hand mixers  and occasionally a truck with turn up with ready mix.  I have to say they work hard, even in the pouring rain and yes, they are laying concrete in the rain!!!  But such antiquated and labor intensive process. Still TIP.

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