Smiling faces.... Are Filipinos truly friendly? Do you have Filipino friends?

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Freebie
Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Jake said:

Superficial or genuine?  I guess it's based on individual experience whether that respect and kindness is mutual.  These days, that human attribute of love your fellow man is quickly eroding the fabric of human decency.  Just about everyday, the headlines are full of hate.  What is this world coming to?  Respectfully Jake 

Never a truer word said Jake.

This discussion shows how we all see people differently and perhaps ultimately how we look at and think about ourselves also .

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Gandang Smile
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2 minutes ago, Jake said:

At a different time and a different world, the Filipinos were very friendly and grateful after they were liberated from Japanese occupation.  The greeting "Hey Joe" was a term of endearment for the weary US soldiers passing through their village.  I must admit that I don't know the current culture or the general street atmosphere, since I haven't been back to PI since 1997.  

However, there will always be that 10% of bad apples among any group of nationalities.  Personally, I am very grateful that I was able to immigrate to US at age 6.  There, I learn about respect and work ethics and no Filipino time.  At age 12 and still speaking with a heavy accent, I was so proud of myself wearing the uniform of Boy Scouts USA.  And of course, that eventually led me into the US military (21 years) and I'm very grateful that I survived all that military chicken shit...he, he.  Talk about bad apples, right Dan?  

Superficial or genuine?  I guess it's based on individual experience whether that respect and kindness is mutual.  These days, that human attribute of love your fellow man is quickly eroding the fabric of human decency.  Just about everyday, the headlines are full of hate.  What is this world coming to?  Respectfully Jake 

Very well worded. You sound exactly like the kind of Filipino who knows both worlds and indeed remembers when the Philippines were a much more proud, self-reliant and progressive society. Something has gone terribly wrong some time during Marcos' dictatorship, I hear.

I live in the Philippines of today but just two nights ago my wife's auntie, who invited us over for the Eve's dinner, showed us a huge album with photos from the 50s and early 60s, when she and her late sister (C's mom) used to live in Davao as part of one of the city's most prominent families. The part that struck me was how clean the streets of Davao were, how orderly everyday life seemed and how classy and dignified the social activities that would go on there looked like.

I can totally agree with you that the country seem to have gone down a path of trashiness, laziness and indifference towards "thy neighbour". Truth be told, this trend seems to have embraced most world nations, not just "your" Philippines, @Jake.

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Jack Peterson
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8 minutes ago, Gandang Smile said:

Because my wife is finishing her contract with the Asian Development Bank. She is going to apply for a few Masters programmes abroad, so there is a good chance we might move to Italy, Spain or Japan next year.

 Then I hope that she settles in wherever you go and hope that she does not get the treatment we are giving the Filipinos Today and that can happen  :smile: Life can be difficult anywhere if you go anywhere other than Italy she will be a foreigner alone, Go to Spain or Japan and you will both be Foreigners Good luck with that :tiphat:

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Gandang Smile
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4 minutes ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Then I hope that she settles in wherever you go and hope that she does not get the treatment we are giving the Filipinos Today and that can happen  :smile: Life can be difficult anywhere if you go anywhere other than Italy she will be a foreigner alone, Go to Spain or Japan and you will both be Foreigners Good luck with that :tiphat:

Hmm...what about the treatment that Filipinos are giving us? Of course some foreigners in this country are rotten apples with criminal records in their home countries, or no intention to do anything good over here. Yet, I like to think most of us are peaceful, well-meaning men and women who would be happy to embrace the local society and culture, if we are given a chance.

Some of us might indeed be given a chance. I felt that chance back in Davao. If the price to pay, though, is to be seen as a walking ATM and "favour machine" as if it was a daily toll to pay for the privilege of living here and having some of their attention, respect of friendship...then I am not as keen as I used to be a few years ago. That eagerness has gone.

I don't think we will settle in the place C will have been accepted for her Masters. There's even a chance we might be back to Manila if C can continue her tenure with ADB. Point is, if the "treat them the way you wish to be treated" statement is true, we definitely have something to claim back from the Filipinos, even if we are only guests here.

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Snowy79
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Posted
6 minutes ago, Jake said:

Superficial or genuine?  I guess it's based on individual experience whether that respect and kindness is mutual.  These days, that human attribute of love your fellow man is quickly eroding the fabric of human decency.  Just about everyday, the headlines are full of hate.  What is this world coming to?  Respectfully Jake 

Hearing you loud and clear Jake. Society is certainly changing and many nations are becoming experts at virtue signalling but when it comes down to actually doing something kind if it's too much like hard work or means they will be slightly put out they don't follow the words up.

I've wisened up enough to take the smiles and friendliness here but have learned not to fall into a trap.  Too be fair the vast majority of ex pats I pass in the street or on the beach either blank my " hi " or pretend they never saw me.  Expats have certainly been more unfriendly than the locals. 

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Jack Peterson
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14 minutes ago, Snowy79 said:

Expats have certainly been more unfriendly than the locals. 

 Exactly, well said that man :thumbsup:

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Terry P
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38 minutes ago, Gandang Smile said:

Hmm...what about the treatment that Filipinos are giving us? Of course some foreigners in this country are rotten apples with criminal records in their home countries, or no intention to do anything good over here. Yet, I like to think most of us are peaceful, well-meaning men and women who would be happy to embrace the local society and culture, if we are given a chance.

Some of us might indeed be given a chance. I felt that chance back in Davao. If the price to pay, though, is to be seen as a walking ATM and "favour machine" as if it was a daily toll to pay for the privilege of living here and having some of their attention, respect of friendship...then I am not as keen as I used to be a few years ago. That eagerness has gone.

I don't think we will settle in the place C will have been accepted for her Masters. There's even a chance we might be back to Manila if C can continue her tenure with ADB. Point is, if the "treat them the way you wish to be treated" statement is true, we definitely have something to claim back from the Filipinos, even if we are only guests here.

I can understand why you are so keen to get back to Italy now

I hope you can find your way back there very soon and your wife can be much happier there than you are in the Philippines

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Shady
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4 hours ago, Dave Hounddriver said:

 All in all it is much like I would find in any country.

If PH was like other countries you wouldn't see foreigners flock here, when the reality is quite the opposite, because the PH Is unlike most nations.

There is an inherent competitiveness in many North Asian countries that is entirely lacking in the PH. Similarly, the fact that PH is demographically homogeneous makes it entirely different than the culture of Western nations.

It's basically an oligarchy, an elite class and a lower class. It's that lower class that most foreigners deal with, and consider friendly. As I said because of their upbringing, not seeing their neighbor as  competition, but as one of their own. That's embedded in the culture, and it's actually shocking to anyone from the West who's been here for any length of time.

Just one example, if your taxi driver needs to ask directions from someone that they clearly never met before, watch the interaction, smiling, patient, helpful.  Now compare that to a random Western interaction.

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