What Have You Learned About The Philippines

[Mr Lee]

I have repaired quotes in this thread the best that I could. If anyone finds anything else wrong, please bring it to my attention. Thank you.

[lobo]

I believe that stating that something is a national past time, would insinuate that you have met almost every person in the Philippines and found that this is behavior to be common amongst almost all. While I do not doubt that some or even many like to do as you both post, it has not been my experience and since I understand the gist of many conversations, I have usually not found anyone back biting me either in the provinces or in the city. Now what they say behind my back when I am not there, I would have no idea of, yet I have never had anyone come back to me and tell me anything that has ever been said bad about me, and many of the nieces, nephews and people we have met along life's path seem to take a shine to me (or maybe just tolerate me) and some have had long conversations with me and have even warned me of possible upcoming problems but not backbiting. I guess a lot of things might be perception and I most often choose to see the bright side of things and avoid seeing the negativity that can also at times go along with living in a country other than our own. After all, we are considered to be very rich most times, so therefore some will be jealous of us and our wives at times and may act childish or foolish because of that. Now I surely am not saying you guys have to be wrong, I am just saying that IMO a broad generalization should never be included and things should be said as in my experience and IMO or even, of the people that I have met etc. I believe that humans are programed to remember the bad and to forget the good, or at the very least have to dig harder to remember the good and while I know there is bad in all races, I feel the good surely outweighs the bad or our wives and possibly our children would also have to be included in the thought that lying is a national pastime and I have never caught my wife or kids lying or back biting me. BTW, the way people have been described would also fit many I have had the displeasure of having to deal with in the US, so maybe it is not just a Filipino trait as you state, and maybe it is a world wide pandemic of sorts, and maybe it is I who has my head buried in the sand or maybe I interact with people differently than some others do, but if so then I only hope that I can continue to do so and never have to see the ugly side of life in the Philippines that you describe.

 

Absolutely UK Tom, it is a learning process and we are all on forums to learn and have fun, myself included and that is why I get upset with generalizations because one size never fits all and what if a member was reading this forum with the idea of coming to the Philippines to meet a lady with the hopes of marrying her and then read a generalization that lying is nationwide past time. Who would they know to trust, might they change their minds or start analyzing every spoken or written word. I would like fair and balanced posts and I surely do not know it all when it comes to the Philippines, forums or even life, I just wish readers to get a balanced view and not have some Filipina end up getting dumped because someone takes what they read from any of us as gospel. We all see things differently and that is why I feel it is best that we state it as such. JMHO

soooo ok , to be fair and within mr lees acceptable boundaries of propriety i will state the following:TO ALL MEN & WOMEN THINKING ABOUT OR PLANNING TO COME TO THE PI I WILL WARN YOU THAT LOBO AND SPECIFICALLY APLAYA IS THE LAND OF EMBELLISHERS AND GREAT STORY TELLERS ON A MAGNITUDE OF WHICH YOU MAY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED... THE OTHER LOCATIONS OF WHICH I HAVE FOUND THIS ALSO TO BE TRUE ARE NUMEROUS AND YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME HERE FOR SAID LOCATIONS AND EXPERIENCES... NO ONE WISHES TO IMPLY THAT EVERY MAN WOMAN AND CHILD SUFFERS FROM THIS SAME AFFLICTION AND THEREFORE TO SAY IT IS A NATIONAL PAST TIME IS NOT ACCURATE... NOW...MR LEE" OUR WIVES MAY ACT CHILDISH AND FOOLISH AT TIMES" is a very broad and general statement and i might take offense to it if i didnt know that you didnt specifically mean all of our wives including my wife... if you have never been lied to by a family member or your wife then, i can now count the number of people i know who have never had such an experience on one finger.. YOURE INVITED TO LOBO.. come and have a real life experience ,, so it wont be such a shock to your system if ever it happens to you in the future.. i think the HEAD IN THE SAND QUOTE is fairly on spot... i congratulate you on LIFE IN NIRVANA... respectfully johnNIT PICKING AND BREVITY OF EXPLANATIONS IS CROWDING THESE POSTS.. Edited May 20, 2010 by Mr. Lee
placed my quote in post

[Mr Lee]

soooo ok , to be fair and within mr lees acceptable boundaries of propriety i will state the following:TO ALL MEN & WOMEN THINKING ABOUT OR PLANNING TO COME TO THE PI I WILL WARN YOU THAT LOBO AND SPECIFICALLY APLAYA IS THE LAND OF EMBELLISHERS AND GREAT STORY TELLERS ON A MAGNITUDE OF WHICH YOU MAY HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED... THE OTHER LOCATIONS OF WHICH I HAVE FOUND THIS ALSO TO BE TRUE ARE NUMEROUS AND YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME HERE FOR SAID LOCATIONS AND EXPERIENCES... NO ONE WISHES TO IMPLY THAT EVERY MAN WOMAN AND CHILD SUFFERS FROM THIS SAME AFFLICTION AND THEREFORE TO SAY IT IS A NATIONAL PAST TIME IS NOT ACCURATE... NOW...MR LEE" OUR WIVES MAY ACT CHILDISH AND FOOLISH AT TIMES" is a very broad and general statement and i might take offense to it if i didnt know that you didnt specifically mean all of our wives including my wife... if you have never been lied to by a family member or your wife then, i can now count the number of people i know who have never had such an experience on one finger.. YOURE INVITED TO LOBO.. come and have a real life experience ,, so it wont be such a shock to your system if ever it happens to you in the future.. i think the HEAD IN THE SAND QUOTE is fairly on spot... i congratulate you on LIFE IN NIRVANA... respectfully johnNIT PICKING AND BREVITY OF EXPLANATIONS IS CROWDING THESE POSTS..

John, I think you may wish to reread what I posted, I said  "After all, we are considered to be very rich most times, so therefore some will be jealous of us and our wives at times and may act childish or foolish because of that." I did not say our wives would act childish or foolish as you seem to have misquoted. I also did not say that I have never been lied to by anyone in the family, I think you need to reread what I posted and rebuke on those things and not make up some of your own.

[UZI]

Bringing this thread back on topic - What Have You Learned About The PhilippinesA couple of points to start off, for those who may read this who are looking to come here & think, from what they read, that the Philippines is a bad place or a good place. IT IS.......both, depending on where you live & your perspective & experience. Most of what LOBO quotes is not where I live or my experience. He lives with squatters, I do not. He says

next i gave a halloween party which no one had had ever seen or done

In this area all the kids dress up & go round door to door for sweets, just like in the US & all the shops SM, Rustans etc have all the stuff needed on sale. One Philippines, 2 experiences. The difference seems to me that I know of the 'other' Philippines, the one with squatter areas & the poor & uneducated but others don't seem to want to accept that there are many areas where there is a healthy middle class living in new houses with prices from P1 - 6 million. Who work in the Ford or Toyota or Panasonic factories. Or in the Call Centers. Or gain their income off the people who work there & growing the communities.Some Expats who live here, seem to have a one sided view on The Philippines & the Filipino and write on Forums stating things & calling them facts or 'the truth' as if it applies to all 7,107 islands & all 90 million inhabitants. Statements like this from LOBO (and I am NOT being Pro or anti American)

my pinay wife (53) has been reading these anti american jabs and slights and the blaming of the AMERICANS for how the filipinos are and the AMERICANS MADE THEM THIS WAY BULLsh&t...her parents raised her telling her how good the AMERICANS were to them whenever they had contact with them and that they were always generous and respectful and kind to them and their needs.. i dont think my wife is a liar... she suggests that you read the real history of the filipins going back to when the spanish invaded and turned them all into slaves along with the catholic church who to this day dictate to the population

Well I think you SHOULD know about Philippine history. After the Spaniards came Americans. This quote from Wikipedia

The war and occupation by the United States would change the cultural landscape of the islands, as the people dealt with an estimated 34,000 - 1,000,000 casualties, disestablishment of the Catholic Church as the state religion, and the introduction of the English language as the primary language of government and some businesses. In 1916, the United States granted the Philippines autonomy and promised eventual self-government, which came in 1934

Two completely different views on history's effects on today's Philippines. Also we all know the generousity of the Americans & the Aid they send to so many countries BUT to imply that it is just Dollars is an insult to all the other countires generousity. ( Most generous countries in the World per capita puts European countries in the top 11 with UK at 5th & US at 18th - Source ).I am British & so view things from that perspective and like Americans, Australians etc, am proud of our contributions to this country too:

The Philippines and the UK are natural partners, the UK has had a long economic presence in the Philippines, dating back to the 17th century.Some key but not so well known milestone facts about the UK in the Philippines: * It established the sugar industry in the country * It introduced the railway system * It built the first waterworks * It installed the first telecommunications lines * It pioneered some of the first ferryboats * It established the earliest trading companies * It is one of the first in banking, insurance, pawnshops, betting, etc.Some key factors about the Philippines in the UK are: * There are approximately 250,000 Filipinos in the UK; 60% are professionals; 5% to 10% are second generation Filipinos; 10% are in domestic services: * The Philippines, among all foreign countries, sends the biggest number of nurses to the UK to ease its health crisis. Filipino nurses in the UK are estimated to number 30,000. * The Filipinos in the UK could very well constitute one of the most important markets for telecom companies selling phones cards for overseas calls. * The Philippines is the 3rd largest English-speaking country in the world, after the US and the UK. * The biggest imports from the Philippines are electronic components which are used for UK export products.Opportunity International, an NGO specializing in micro-finance, established the first micro-finance bank in the Philippines. Its biggest operations are in the Philippines, accounting for 40% of its portfolio, aspiring to reach about 1,000,000 families by 2005. Coral Cay Conservation, specializing in environmental protection (coral reefs and rainforest conservation), runs on volunteer work. Its biggest operations are in Palawan and Negros.http://philembassy-u...tions_RPUK.html

So, what have I learned in my 4 years of living here? Well I have to live here for a lot lot longer to even start to experience & understand the varied personalities, culture, traditions that make up The Philippines & the Filipino but I am enjoying the journey. My advise to anyone thinking of coming here is read lots, understand that some will call the Philippines PARADISE & others will call it a sh*t hole. Some will say the Filipino is the most loyal, friendly person you will ever know others will call them liar's & cheats. Both are to some degree true as Mr Lee pointed out, that can apply to any country. Visit & travel around to see that there are more stunning beaches than just Boracay. That Mindanao is not all about Muslim rebels. That there is more to the Philippines than just Manila & Cebu City.Now, where's my coffee............:photo-109:Uzi. Edited May 20, 2010 by UZI

[lobo]

Bringing this thread back on topic - What Have You Learned About The PhilippinesA couple of points to start off, for those who may read this who are looking to come here & think, from what they read, that the Philippines is a bad place or a good place. IT IS.......both, depending on where you live & your perspective & experience. Most of what LOBO quotes is not where I live or my experience. He lives with squatters, I do not. He says

next i gave a halloween party which no one had had ever seen or done

In this area all the kids dress up & go round door to door for sweets, just like in the US & all the shops SM, Rustans etc have all the stuff needed on sale. One Philippines, 2 experiences. The difference seems to me that I know of the 'other' Philippines, the one with squatter areas & the poor & uneducated but others don't seem to want to accept that there are many areas where there is a healthy middle class living in new houses with prices from P1 - 6 million. Who work in the Ford or Toyota or Panasonic factories. Or in the Call Centers. Or gain their income off the people who work there & growing the communities.Some Expats who live here, seem to have a one sided view on The Philippines & the Filipino and write on Forums stating things & calling them facts or 'the truth' as if it applies to all 7,107 islands & all 90 million inhabitants. Statements like this from LOBO (and I am NOT being Pro or anti American)

my pinay wife (53) has been reading these anti american jabs and slights and the blaming of the AMERICANS for how the filipinos are and the AMERICANS MADE THEM THIS WAY BULLsh&t...her parents raised her telling her how good the AMERICANS were to them whenever they had contact with them and that they were always generous and respectful and kind to them and their needs.. i dont think my wife is a liar... she suggests that you read the real history of the filipins going back to when the spanish invaded and turned them all into slaves along with the catholic church who to this day dictate to the population

Well I think you SHOULD know about Philippine history. After the Spaniards came Americans. This quote from Wikipedia

The war and occupation by the United States would change the cultural landscape of the islands, as the people dealt with an estimated 34,000 - 1,000,000 casualties, disestablishment of the Catholic Church as the state religion, and the introduction of the English language as the primary language of government and some businesses. In 1916, the United States granted the Philippines autonomy and promised eventual self-government, which came in 1934

Two completely different views on history's effects on today's Philippines. Also we all know the generousity of the Americans & the Aid they send to so many countries BUT to imply that it is just Dollars is an insult to all the other countires generousity. ( Most generous countries in the World per capita puts European countries in the top 11 with UK at 5th & US at 18th - Source ).I am British & so view things from that perspective and like Americans, Australians etc, am proud of our contributions to this country too:

The Philippines and the UK are natural partners, the UK has had a long economic presence in the Philippines, dating back to the 17th century.Some key but not so well known milestone facts about the UK in the Philippines: * It established the sugar industry in the country * It introduced the railway system * It built the first waterworks * It installed the first telecommunications lines * It pioneered some of the first ferryboats * It established the earliest trading companies * It is one of the first in banking, insurance, pawnshops, betting, etc.Some key factors about the Philippines in the UK are: * There are approximately 250,000 Filipinos in the UK; 60% are professionals; 5% to 10% are second generation Filipinos; 10% are in domestic services: * The Philippines, among all foreign countries, sends the biggest number of nurses to the UK to ease its health crisis. Filipino nurses in the UK are estimated to number 30,000. * The Filipinos in the UK could very well constitute one of the most important markets for telecom companies selling phones cards for overseas calls. * The Philippines is the 3rd largest English-speaking country in the world, after the US and the UK. * The biggest imports from the Philippines are electronic components which are used for UK export products.Opportunity International, an NGO specializing in micro-finance, established the first micro-finance bank in the Philippines. Its biggest operations are in the Philippines, accounting for 40% of its portfolio, aspiring to reach about 1,000,000 families by 2005. Coral Cay Conservation, specializing in environmental protection (coral reefs and rainforest conservation), runs on volunteer work. Its biggest operations are in Palawan and Negros.http://philembassy-u...tions_RPUK.html

So, what have I learned in my 4 years of living here? Well I have to live here for a lot lot longer to even start to experience & understand the varied personalities, culture, traditions that make up The Philippines & the Filipino but I am enjoying the journey. My advise to anyone thinking of coming here is read lots, understand that some will call the Philippines PARADISE & others will call it a sh*t hole. Some will say the Filipino is the most loyal, friendly person you will ever know others will call them liar's & cheats. Both are to some degree true as Mr Lee pointed out, that can apply to any country. Visit & travel around to see that there are more stunning beaches than just Boracay. That Mindanao is not all about Muslim rebels. That there is more to the Philippines than just Manila & Cebu City.Now, where's my coffee............:photo-109:Uzi.

good job uzi.. i am always open to being educated... and chastised when needed..

[f3dragonjedi]

Nice thread. Although at times has strayed a bit OT, thanks to the mods / admins for not shutting it down. Allowing a little latitude in interaction between members (even when people have opinions that differ with our own or are even controversial) is very good for creating a vibrant forum environment. My earlier post in this thread mentioned one of the many positives I've experienced, the incredible beauty of the scuba diving environments. Now to offer something from a bit of the other perspective (although hopefully this one won't be seen as too negative).I think the idea that the Philippines is "an English speaking country" is really over sold. My personal experience is that for a great percentage of the population, English is taught in school and outside the school environment, used rarely. Many in the province don't speak English on a regular basis at all. Of course English is often the third language for Filipinos after Tagalog (or Filipino) and their local dialect. On my first couple of visits I was very surprised by how uncomfortable "regular people" like drivers, shop workers, hotel workers, people I'd come across at the beach or in a club would be with speaking English and in some cases how poor their English skills actually were. Of course many do speak English fluently. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected after hearing how the Philippines was "an English speaking country".

[UZI]

Nice thread. Although at times has strayed a bit OT, thanks to the mods / admins for not shutting it down. Allowing a little latitude in interaction between members (even when people have opinions that differ with our own or are even controversial) is very good for creating a vibrant forum environment. My earlier post in this thread mentioned one of the many positives I've experienced, the incredible beauty of the scuba diving environments. Now to offer something from a bit of the other perspective (although hopefully this one won't be seen as too negative).I think the idea that the Philippines is "an English speaking country" is really over sold. My personal experience is that for a great percentage of the population, English is taught in school and outside the school environment, used rarely. Many in the province don't speak English on a regular basis at all. Of course English is often the third language for Filipinos after Tagalog (or Filipino) and their local dialect. On my first couple of visits I was very surprised by how uncomfortable "regular people" like drivers, shop workers, hotel workers, people I'd come across at the beach or in a club would be with speaking English and in some cases how poor their English skills actually were. Of course many do speak English fluently. Not a bad thing, just not what I expected after hearing how the Philippines was "an English speaking country".

Not negative at all. Very factual. Language is something that, if not used, quickly gets pushed to the 'back of the brain'. My wife at times in her life, has had a good working command of Arabic & Cantonese but hasn't used either for years now & struggles to remember them. If back in either location, they would return quickly. The same applies here. When suddenly confronted with English, most Filipino's will shy away thinking they are rusty through lack of use or that their English is not good. I am the same with Tagalog. I understand quite a lot but struggle to say more than a few words in conversation. From my earlier post on RP History:

and the introduction of the English language as the primary language of government and some businesses

This is still true. Go to the BI, bank, SM or Mall and English is used but not in the Barangay so much day by day. Why should it. The great thing is, you can get by most of the time by only speaking English but if you live here learn the local dialect too.Good post Uzi

[UZI]

Bringing this thread back on topic - What Have You Learned About The PhilippinesA couple of points to start off, for those who may read this who are looking to come here & think, from what they read, that the Philippines is a bad place or a good place. IT IS.......both, depending on where you live & your perspective & experience. Most of what LOBO quotes is not where I live or my experience. He lives with squatters, I do not. He says

next i gave a halloween party which no one had had ever seen or done

In this area all the kids dress up & go round door to door for sweets, just like in the US & all the shops SM, Rustans etc have all the stuff needed on sale. One Philippines, 2 experiences. The difference seems to me that I know of the 'other' Philippines, the one with squatter areas & the poor & uneducated but others don't seem to want to accept that there are many areas where there is a healthy middle class living in new houses with prices from P1 - 6 million. Who work in the Ford or Toyota or Panasonic factories. Or in the Call Centers. Or gain their income off the people who work there & growing the communities.Some Expats who live here, seem to have a one sided view on The Philippines & the Filipino and write on Forums stating things & calling them facts or 'the truth' as if it applies to all 7,107 islands & all 90 million inhabitants. Statements like this from LOBO (and I am NOT being Pro or anti American)

my pinay wife (53) has been reading these anti american jabs and slights and the blaming of the AMERICANS for how the filipinos are and the AMERICANS MADE THEM THIS WAY BULLsh&t...her parents raised her telling her how good the AMERICANS were to them whenever they had contact with them and that they were always generous and respectful and kind to them and their needs.. i dont think my wife is a liar... she suggests that you read the real history of the filipins going back to when the spanish invaded and turned them all into slaves along with the catholic church who to this day dictate to the population

Well I think you SHOULD know about Philippine history. After the Spaniards came Americans. This quote from Wikipedia

The war and occupation by the United States would change the cultural landscape of the islands, as the people dealt with an estimated 34,000 - 1,000,000 casualties, disestablishment of the Catholic Church as the state religion, and the introduction of the English language as the primary language of government and some businesses. In 1916, the United States granted the Philippines autonomy and promised eventual self-government, which came in 1934

Two completely different views on history's effects on today's Philippines. Also we all know the generousity of the Americans & the Aid they send to so many countries BUT to imply that it is just Dollars is an insult to all the other countires generousity. ( Most generous countries in the World per capita puts European countries in the top 11 with UK at 5th & US at 18th - Source ).I am British & so view things from that perspective and like Americans, Australians etc, am proud of our contributions to this country too:

The Philippines and the UK are natural partners, the UK has had a long economic presence in the Philippines, dating back to the 17th century.Some key but not so well known milestone facts about the UK in the Philippines: * It established the sugar industry in the country * It introduced the railway system * It built the first waterworks * It installed the first telecommunications lines * It pioneered some of the first ferryboats * It established the earliest trading companies * It is one of the first in banking, insurance, pawnshops, betting, etc.Some key factors about the Philippines in the UK are: * There are approximately 250,000 Filipinos in the UK; 60% are professionals; 5% to 10% are second generation Filipinos; 10% are in domestic services: * The Philippines, among all foreign countries, sends the biggest number of nurses to the UK to ease its health crisis. Filipino nurses in the UK are estimated to number 30,000. * The Filipinos in the UK could very well constitute one of the most important markets for telecom companies selling phones cards for overseas calls. * The Philippines is the 3rd largest English-speaking country in the world, after the US and the UK. * The biggest imports from the Philippines are electronic components which are used for UK export products.Opportunity International, an NGO specializing in micro-finance, established the first micro-finance bank in the Philippines. Its biggest operations are in the Philippines, accounting for 40% of its portfolio, aspiring to reach about 1,000,000 families by 2005. Coral Cay Conservation, specializing in environmental protection (coral reefs and rainforest conservation), runs on volunteer work. Its biggest operations are in Palawan and Negros.http://philembassy-u...tions_RPUK.html

So, what have I learned in my 4 years of living here? Well I have to live here for a lot lot longer to even start to experience & understand the varied personalities, culture, traditions that make up The Philippines & the Filipino but I am enjoying the journey. My advise to anyone thinking of coming here is read lots, understand that some will call the Philippines PARADISE & others will call it a sh*t hole. Some will say the Filipino is the most loyal, friendly person you will ever know others will call them liar's & cheats. Both are to some degree true as Mr Lee pointed out, that can apply to any country. Visit & travel around to see that there are more stunning beaches than just Boracay. That Mindanao is not all about Muslim rebels. That there is more to the Philippines than just Manila & Cebu City.Now, where's my coffee............:photo-109:Uzi.

good job uzi.. i am always open to being educated... and chastised when needed..

That makes 2 of us at least then :no:

[Singers]

Lee I read not long ago on this forum of "someone" returning to Cebu from US AND he DID NOT inform any PI in-Laws except a trusted cousin!!! Because of ????Being a simple soul I expect people to know that a person EXPECTS his pronouncement's to taken as his opinion or based on his experience -- nobody has "met everyone" as you wrote...UK Tom

UK Tom, I am lost at how you place some of your posts at times and I am finding it harder and harder to try to fix some of them such as the one above, :no: so could you please try to post below the last quote in the post and not try to put them in the words quote, because that screws up the whole format of the forum. Now why am I posting this here instead of in a private message, because possibly then members might be able to better understand your post above where your reply to me which I put in red, looks as if I am saying it to myself. Now to answer your question above, it is that my wife and I like to enjoy a vacation away from it all and it is not necessary for the whole family to know where we are in the world all the time. I, like many of you have had to deal with money issues within the family before I finally had to lay down the law as to how it would be handled, and for now it seems to no longer be a problem. I also have to admit that I made my own problem by not understanding back at the beginning how little they made a day and how my throwing large amounts of money at some who made so little, might only end up with some of them wasting it. I had to learn on my own and the hard way and did not have forums or friends to help me back then.

There ya go... Mr. LeeNot all of us know everything either!!!UK Tom

Absolutely UK Tom, it is a learning process and we are all on forums to learn and have fun, myself included and that is why I get upset with generalizations because one size never fits all and what if a member was reading this forum with the idea of coming to the Philippines to meet a lady with the hopes of marrying her and then read a generalization that lying is nationwide past time. Who would they know to trust, might they change their minds or start analyzing every spoken or written word. I would like fair and balanced posts and I surely do not know it all when it comes to the Philippines, forums or even life, I just wish readers to get a balanced view and not have some Filipina end up getting dumped because someone takes what they read from any of us as gospel. We all see things differently and that is why I feel it is best that we state it as such. JMHO

Lee,I think the people reading are not being given enough credit as to their ability to decide for themselves."Cutting" the content by "NitPicking" is not the way to disseminate the life experiences of men who may not express their opinion in other than heartfelt prose.IMOUK Tom

[Singers]

Bringing this thread back on topic - What Have You Learned About The PhilippinesA couple of points to start off, for those who may read this who are looking to come here & think, from what they read, that the Philippines is a bad place or a good place. IT IS.......both, depending on where you live & your perspective & experience. Most of what LOBO quotes is not where I live or my experience. He lives with squatters, I do not. He says

next i gave a halloween party which no one had had ever seen or done

In this area all the kids dress up & go round door to door for sweets, just like in the US & all the shops SM, Rustans etc have all the stuff needed on sale. One Philippines, 2 experiences. The difference seems to me that I know of the 'other' Philippines, the one with squatter areas & the poor & uneducated but others don't seem to want to accept that there are many areas where there is a healthy middle class living in new houses with prices from P1 - 6 million. Who work in the Ford or Toyota or Panasonic factories. Or in the Call Centers. Or gain their income off the people who work there & growing the communities.Some Expats who live here, seem to have a one sided view on The Philippines & the Filipino and write on Forums stating things & calling them facts or 'the truth' as if it applies to all 7,107 islands & all 90 million inhabitants. Statements like this from LOBO (and I am NOT being Pro or anti American)

my pinay wife (53) has been reading these anti american jabs and slights and the blaming of the AMERICANS for how the filipinos are and the AMERICANS MADE THEM THIS WAY BULLsh&t...her parents raised her telling her how good the AMERICANS were to them whenever they had contact with them and that they were always generous and respectful and kind to them and their needs.. i dont think my wife is a liar... she suggests that you read the real history of the filipins going back to when the spanish invaded and turned them all into slaves along with the catholic church who to this day dictate to the population

Well I think you SHOULD know about Philippine history. After the Spaniards came Americans. This quote from Wikipedia

The war and occupation by the United States would change the cultural landscape of the islands, as the people dealt with an estimated 34,000 - 1,000,000 casualties, disestablishment of the Catholic Church as the state religion, and the introduction of the English language as the primary language of government and some businesses. In 1916, the United States granted the Philippines autonomy and promised eventual self-government, which came in 1934

Two completely different views on history's effects on today's Philippines. Also we all know the generousity of the Americans & the Aid they send to so many countries BUT to imply that it is just Dollars is an insult to all the other countires generousity. ( Most generous countries in the World per capita puts European countries in the top 11 with UK at 5th & US at 18th - Source ).I am British & so view things from that perspective and like Americans, Australians etc, am proud of our contributions to this country too:

The Philippines and the UK are natural partners, the UK has had a long economic presence in the Philippines, dating back to the 17th century.Some key but not so well known milestone facts about the UK in the Philippines: * It established the sugar industry in the country * It introduced the railway system * It built the first waterworks * It installed the first telecommunications lines * It pioneered some of the first ferryboats * It established the earliest trading companies * It is one of the first in banking, insurance, pawnshops, betting, etc.Some key factors about the Philippines in the UK are: * There are approximately 250,000 Filipinos in the UK; 60% are professionals; 5% to 10% are second generation Filipinos; 10% are in domestic services: * The Philippines, among all foreign countries, sends the biggest number of nurses to the UK to ease its health crisis. Filipino nurses in the UK are estimated to number 30,000. * The Filipinos in the UK could very well constitute one of the most important markets for telecom companies selling phones cards for overseas calls. * The Philippines is the 3rd largest English-speaking country in the world, after the US and the UK. * The biggest imports from the Philippines are electronic components which are used for UK export products.Opportunity International, an NGO specializing in micro-finance, established the first micro-finance bank in the Philippines. Its biggest operations are in the Philippines, accounting for 40% of its portfolio, aspiring to reach about 1,000,000 families by 2005. Coral Cay Conservation, specializing in environmental protection (coral reefs and rainforest conservation), runs on volunteer work. Its biggest operations are in Palawan and Negros.http://philembassy-u...tions_RPUK.html

So, what have I learned in my 4 years of living here? Well I have to live here for a lot lot longer to even start to experience & understand the varied personalities, culture, traditions that make up The Philippines & the Filipino but I am enjoying the journey. My advise to anyone thinking of coming here is read lots, understand that some will call the Philippines PARADISE & others will call it a sh*t hole. Some will say the Filipino is the most loyal, friendly person you will ever know others will call them liar's & cheats. Both are to some degree true as Mr Lee pointed out, that can apply to any country. Visit & travel around to see that there are more stunning beaches than just Boracay. That Mindanao is not all about Muslim rebels. That there is more to the Philippines than just Manila & Cebu City.Now, where's my coffee............:photo-109:Uzi.

I hope you put a "Mothers little helper" in yer Coffee ? UziBrits me Arse is one of my Fav. expressions BUT then I am a Western Brit. so nobody pays any attention if I say that in UK.I do however NOT say such when abroad.I was in Burma when the Student's rioted in Rangoon... the Military shot them and dumped them in trucks those not already dead or suffocated in transit were executed near the Convent where my X lived...I have learned in PI that such has not happened there. IMO a most unlikely event in PI. YES I do keep abreast of the "other" realities in PI.One can see in my post that I am very happy with my/our decision to retire to PI but that does not blinker me to the "truth" as I see him.:no: but I was again in Burma when ALL internal flights wer "commandeered" by military to ship Students out of the Capital. Any road up I took the Rangoon train to Mandalay enRoute to Maymyo. Train ETD 18.00 hr.At 1745 a bell clanged once and continued every 3 second, at 1755 it rang every 2 seconds and at 1759 it peeled continously and departed 18.00hr. -- ETA Mandalay, 15 hours later AND it arrived on time. I commented to the train Guard on this and he replied "British built the railway and we keep British timekeeping. :woohoo:Cheers mate,UK Tom Edited May 20, 2010 by Singers