The Philippines: a world traveler’s musings and ramblings – WTF (Where’s The Fun?)

[raynaputi]

This is quite a long read...

---

During my time/career, I have visited, lived, and worked in more than 80 countries on both business and pleasure, and I have just spent the past 3 years touring Asia, which had many highlights interspersed with a few low ones, but the Philippines, where I was based for 18 months, ranks in a league of its own, and merits a few comments and observations, whilst fresh in my mind, and as I reflect upon my recently concluded Asian sojourn.

Sometimes travelling is about seeing beyond the obvious, to try and understand the psyche of a country, even in a comparatively short time, to slowly peel away the layers, to relate to its people and its problems, and to paint a realistic picture, rather than just collect picture postcards, and to give honest opinions, unwelcome as they may sometimes be. This is one such time, and in the spirit that the Philippines professes to want more tourists, wants to improve, and welcomes expert opinion, then a few observations seem warranted, although usually any detractors or critics are regarded as persona non grata – how much of an island mentality does that suggest, and in the Philippines’ case you need to multiply that attitude by 7,107!It would take a book to describe the sheer political hypocricy, social dysfunction, and business inefficiency in the Philippines, which must rank as one of the world’s worst-managed and most corrupt countries – excluding failed African states – and also to do justice to the resilience and spirit of the 100 million people, the vast majority of whom (75+%) struggle to survive on a daily basis, (27% unemployment, and 35% living below the poverty line), who live in cockroach-infested homemade shacks where malaria and dengue are rife, but who cannot afford hospital care and medication, who experience regular natural calamities without the benefit of government readiness or meaningful assistance (e.g typhoon Yolanda), and who ultimately must fend for themselves, or rely on the many overseas charities/NGO’s ( non government organisations) – which admirably do what the government miserably fail at.

Read more: http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/05/the-philippines-a-world-travelers-musings-and-ramblings-wtf-wheres-the-fun/

[irishman12]

Haha -u beat me to it - just got the link in my e-mail a while ago

[Michael Parnham]

Good read!

[Doc Alan]

Thank you Rayna for posting this .


The “ world traveller “ who wrote the “ musings and ramblings “ ( or rant ? ) claims he was based in the country for 18 months.


What was his motive – was it out of genuine concern ? Did he have to live in the country for this length of time ? It’s insulting to Filipinos and one really doubts things are as bad as he says .


I’m not qualified to comment on many points which he raises. I sincerely hope Rayna, other Filipinas / Filipinos , and members from the UK who have lived or are living in the Philippines, will respond.


Aspects of his blog which made me question the overall accuracy :-


• “ …. the vast majority of whom ( 75 + % ) struggle to survive on a daily basis …who live in cockroach-infested homemade shacks where malaria and dengue are rife … but who cannot afford hospital care and medication “ .


• “ … the Philippines is the centre of drug trafficking in Asia “


• “ 26 million have no toilet and commune with nature ( i.e. defaecate outside )


• The lowest IQ in Asia – 86 – and one of the lowest in the world


• “ NAIA repeatedly captures the prize as the world’s worst airport “


• “ Best advice, wear a filter mask, and don’t risk driving


• “ Best advice – avoid bus tours “


• “ Baguio … after a 5 hour journey ... hair-raising at times … marked by regular accidents “



• “ The nicer places – such as Boracay and Cebu – are rapidly falling victim to the Filipino characteristic of over-developing “


• “ Language – Filipinos do speak pidgin American English “



• “ Cuisine – Filipino cuisine merits a special place in the kitchen – the waste bin “


• “ brain dead boxer Manny Pacquiao is a congressman – with the highest absentee rating … and the least effective “



• “ Hospitals – they seem OK … but the good nurses and doctors have already left to work abroad … Best advice – gold insurance and a ticket home “


• “ 40 % of all brand drugs are actually counterfeit from China / India “


These claims seem – IMHO – exaggerated, or wrong, but I look forward to reading any responses !

[jake]

You will always find people who are bitter about their stay or relationships with Filipinos.

Perhaps he is jealous that some foreigners love living in the Philippines? If he doesn't like the Philippines or the people why stay or be associated with its people!

[fred]

I personally doubt that this was written by a foreigner that spent only 18 months here..

The website its posted on is "G@t real Philippines".. The writing style is similar throughout the site..always has been..It was probably composed by a guy that calls himself benign0..
He,and his cohorts (kiss asses) come up with this stuff occasionally in order to promote their www site and an agenda that I never really understood..

There is very little positive to be found on that site but negative drivel..

If they spent as much time trying to find solutions the problems they perceive then I for one may have more time for them. Unfortunately, this is not the case..Never was.

(I changed the E for an @ in Get as I don't want to help them with Google ratings)

[les_taxi]

I think anyone could write about any country in this manner if they so wished.

He makes Afghanistan/Pakistan sound like paradise compared to philippines

[CleverCaptures]

The link does not work so I cannot comment on anything there. But, make no mistake, the Philippines has a huge number of deficiencies that need fixing.

I am one Englishman who not only observes this, records it and highlights it but I also take the time to do what I can to improve things in the area where I live. I enjoy my life here but probably the biggest criticism I have is that the overall lack of intelligence, business acumen, professionalism and common sense (like it or not these are hand in hand with the development of a nation as these have to develop also) holds the nation back.

People accept bribes to vote and then wonder why the people they voted for are corrupt!? People vote for TV stars or a boxer (celebrities) to represent them in congress where those celebrities have demonstrated no specific ability to make good judgments or draft policies to promote the growth and success of a nation!? The nation sees the copying of copyrighted music, movies and fashion accessories as a prolifically good idea yet it fails to see the significant benefit in copying non-copyrighted business plans, models and proven work ethics that have successfully developed many other nations!? I am continually leading the horse to the water but this particular horse seems to prefer drinking it's own urine in an ever decreasing circle of failure.

If any of the above offends you and, worse still, you do not see the merit of changing the nations ways to improve, then you are part of the problem. None of the above is a criticism. It is an observation supported by facts. Ipso facto, I have not fabricated this, just observed it and highlighted it. But, as time progresses, so will the smart ones living here and then so will the nation. It will just take time. I initially thought it would be easy for a modern day 3rd world nation to up its game by simply copying the good bits of the developed nations but I have learned and realized that this needs both a government and a nation of people who are smart enough to realize this. Simply giggling and laughing about problems and failings (that's what Filipinos do) seems a lighthearted way to overcome things as nobody gets heated, angry or frustrated but also, nothing improves.

Outside of business and politics the Filipino is probably the nicest person I have ever met. I tend not to mix with non-Filipinos here as I prefer the company of the Filipino. If I did not, I would have stayed in the UK. But that is a sinking ship that I could not wait to step off. My life is significantly improved here, it is significantly easier and is significantly more enjoyable. The west has forgotten a great deal of what the Filipino community specializes in - human interaction and community spirit! Oh! I do NOT include in that the ignorant and rude "new" Filipino culture of sitting at dining tables on Facebook or texting and ignoring those in their immediate company! That and the disease of taking and posting "selfies" indicates a very low level of intellect and an erosion of the wonderful community spirit that the Filipino displays. (sigh) Maybe the advent of technology IS the erosion of real society......nevertheless, I will continue helping as many as I can to be the best they can be - that is actually very rewarding :-)

[Michael Parnham]

The link does not work so I cannot comment on anything there. But, make no mistake, the Philippines has a huge number of deficiencies that need fixing.

I am one Englishman who not only observes this, records it and highlights it but I also take the time to do what I can to improve things in the area where I live. I enjoy my life here but probably the biggest criticism I have is that the overall lack of intelligence, business acumen, professionalism and common sense (like it or not these are hand in hand with the development of a nation as these have to develop also) holds the nation back.

People accept bribes to vote and then wonder why the people they voted for are corrupt!? People vote for TV stars or a boxer (celebrities) to represent them in congress where those celebrities have demonstrated no specific ability to make good judgments or draft policies to promote the growth and success of a nation!? The nation sees the copying of copyrighted music, movies and fashion accessories as a prolifically good idea yet it fails to see the significant benefit in copying non-copyrighted business plans, models and proven work ethics that have successfully developed many other nations!? I am continually leading the horse to the water but this particular horse seems to prefer drinking it's own urine in an ever decreasing circle of failure.

If any of the above offends you and, worse still, you do not see the merit of changing the nations ways to improve, then you are part of the problem. None of the above is a criticism. It is an observation supported by facts. Ipso facto, I have not fabricated this, just observed it and highlighted it. But, as time progresses, so will the smart ones living here and then so will the nation. It will just take time. I initially thought it would be easy for a modern day 3rd world nation to up its game by simply copying the good bits of the developed nations but I have learned and realized that this needs both a government and a nation of people who are smart enough to realize this. Simply giggling and laughing about problems and failings (that's what Filipinos do) seems a lighthearted way to overcome things as nobody gets heated, angry or frustrated but also, nothing improves.

Outside of business and politics the Filipino is probably the nicest person I have ever met. I tend not to mix with non-Filipinos here as I prefer the company of the Filipino. If I did not, I would have stayed in the UK. But that is a sinking ship that I could not wait to step off. My life is significantly improved here, it is significantly easier and is significantly more enjoyable. The west has forgotten a great deal of what the Filipino community specializes in - human interaction and community spirit! Oh! I do NOT include in that the ignorant and rude "new" Filipino culture of sitting at dining tables on Facebook or texting and ignoring those in their immediate company! That and the disease of taking and posting "selfies" indicates a very low level of intellect and an erosion of the wonderful community spirit that the Filipino displays. (sigh) Maybe the advent of technology IS the erosion of real society......nevertheless, I will continue helping as many as I can to be the best they can be - that is actually very rewarding :-)

Brilliant post and very true!

[grahamw48]

Agreed.

Good post CleverCaptures.

I see the Phils as a nation of children in the bodies of adults, led by a bunch of crooks, backed up by the brain-washing parasites in the Catholic Church (and other Churches).

Love it to bits though.

[CleverCaptures]

M & G. Many thanks for your comments. I am pleasantly surprised as I felt I might stir up one or two who will read my comments as an attack - which I assure everyone it is not :-) I really hope that others, who subsequently read the above, are similarly minded to comment and understand that my "observations" and "findings" are flagged up here (and in other places) so that it makes people think about making constructive changes, no matter how small.

That 2 line summary G is a lot more brief than this "tabian" Brit can reduce it to! lol

Here is an example of one of my many attempts to bring about change. Last week I employed a small workshop to weld some components for me. When I went to collect them the welder was just finishing up the task. I immediately noticed he was welding (using electric welding with electrodes) whilst only wearing a pair of fake RayBan sunglasses to protect his eyes! I had to order some building materials from a store down the road so I said I would return in a short time when the job was done. As I was leaving, one of the guys asked my wife to bring some bread rolls back (we brought some for them on a previous visit as they had earlier shared some fruit with us (in typical Filipino style of course!). Whilst I was at the builders merchant I added a flip up welders helmet to my material list. We returned to the workshop and I said "I did not bring you any bread. I brought you this instead (and handed him the mask). When you are my age you will probably have grandchildren and if you do not wear the correct eye protection in your younger years, you will never get to see them!"

I had to go to the builders merchant again this afternoon and I had a bottle of Coke opposite the workshop. He was there with his fake RayBans on. Welding. At one point, striking an arc to heat the rod only to light his cigarette! Thereby damaging both eyes and lungs! No idea where the mask was. They were probably using it as a fruit bowl. But, as always, this will not stop me doing similar things with others I meet who I consider need some guidance. I live in the hope that one or two of the "horses" will stop drinking their own urine and be pleasantly surprised to discover how good the water tastes.

[Neu75]

The link does not work so I cannot comment on anything there. But, make no mistake, the Philippines has a huge number of deficiencies that need fixing.

I am one Englishman who not only observes this, records it and highlights it but I also take the time to do what I can to improve things in the area where I live. I enjoy my life here but probably the biggest criticism I have is that the overall lack of intelligence, business acumen, professionalism and common sense (like it or not these are hand in hand with the development of a nation as these have to develop also) holds the nation back.

People accept bribes to vote and then wonder why the people they voted for are corrupt!? People vote for TV stars or a boxer (celebrities) to represent them in congress where those celebrities have demonstrated no specific ability to make good judgments or draft policies to promote the growth and success of a nation!? The nation sees the copying of copyrighted music, movies and fashion accessories as a prolifically good idea yet it fails to see the significant benefit in copying non-copyrighted business plans, models and proven work ethics that have successfully developed many other nations!? I am continually leading the horse to the water but this particular horse seems to prefer drinking it's own urine in an ever decreasing circle of failure.

If any of the above offends you and, worse still, you do not see the merit of changing the nations ways to improve, then you are part of the problem. None of the above is a criticism. It is an observation supported by facts. Ipso facto, I have not fabricated this, just observed it and highlighted it. But, as time progresses, so will the smart ones living here and then so will the nation. It will just take time. I initially thought it would be easy for a modern day 3rd world nation to up its game by simply copying the good bits of the developed nations but I have learned and realized that this needs both a government and a nation of people who are smart enough to realize this. Simply giggling and laughing about problems and failings (that's what Filipinos do) seems a lighthearted way to overcome things as nobody gets heated, angry or frustrated but also, nothing improves.

Outside of business and politics the Filipino is probably the nicest person I have ever met. I tend not to mix with non-Filipinos here as I prefer the company of the Filipino. If I did not, I would have stayed in the UK. But that is a sinking ship that I could not wait to step off. My life is significantly improved here, it is significantly easier and is significantly more enjoyable. The west has forgotten a great deal of what the Filipino community specializes in - human interaction and community spirit! Oh! I do NOT include in that the ignorant and rude "new" Filipino culture of sitting at dining tables on Facebook or texting and ignoring those in their immediate company! That and the disease of taking and posting "selfies" indicates a very low level of intellect and an erosion of the wonderful community spirit that the Filipino displays. (sigh) Maybe the advent of technology IS the erosion of real society......nevertheless, I will continue helping as many as I can to be the best they can be - that is actually very rewarding :-)

Well done

[fred]

M & G. Many thanks for your comments. I am pleasantly surprised as I felt I might stir up one or two who will read my comments as an attack - which I assure everyone it is not :-) I really hope that others, who subsequently read the above, are similarly minded to comment and understand that my "observations" and "findings" are flagged up here (and in other places) so that it makes people think about making constructive changes, no matter how small.

That 2 line summary G is a lot more brief than this "tabian" Brit can reduce it to! lol

Here is an example of one of my many attempts to bring about change. Last week I employed a small workshop to weld some components for me. When I went to collect them the welder was just finishing up the task. I immediately noticed he was welding (using electric welding with electrodes) whilst only wearing a pair of fake RayBan sunglasses to protect his eyes! I had to order some building materials from a store down the road so I said I would return in a short time when the job was done. As I was leaving, one of the guys asked my wife to bring some bread rolls back (we brought some for them on a previous visit as they had earlier shared some fruit with us (in typical Filipino style of course!). Whilst I was at the builders merchant I added a flip up welders helmet to my material list. We returned to the workshop and I said "I did not bring you any bread. I brought you this instead (and handed him the mask). When you are my age you will probably have grandchildren and if you do not wear the correct eye protection in your younger years, you will never get to see them!"

I had to go to the builders merchant again this afternoon and I had a bottle of Coke opposite the workshop. He was there with his fake RayBans on. Welding. At one point, striking an arc to heat the rod only to light his cigarette! Thereby damaging both eyes and lungs! No idea where the mask was. They were probably using it as a fruit bowl. But, as always, this will not stop me doing similar things with others I meet who I consider need some guidance. I live in the hope that one or two of the "horses" will stop drinking their own urine and be pleasantly surprised to discover how good the water tastes.

He was probably upset that you didn't deliver his merienda and he thought he`d piss you off back by disregarding his new welding mask! Either that or he was preserving it for a buyer he had in mind.

I had an American neighbour that dropped dead of a heart attack a couple of months ago..2 weeks later his wife had a yard sale.. I bought a lot of his U.S imported cement equipment/tools.
When I went back up there to pay for a brand new Concrete vibrator they were selling,one of his local employees was there to test it for me.. He was about 25 years old and his American English was impeccable which to be honest,took me aback a little as most locals cant speak English very well at all..Bad Pidgin at best.
I asked him if he had worked and lived in the U.S. He explained with tears in his eyes that that his dead boss had taught him English over an 8 years period... and much more.
He was obviously distraught. I,assured him that the tools were going to a good home and would be looked after.
Outside the house was a huge garden with swings ,slides and a really posh basket ball court.. There must have been 20 odd local kids playing there.. When I inquired,he told me that his boss had built it all for the local kids to share.
It seems that many of the local barangay people attended his funeral purely out of respect and admiration and not just for the food that was served afterwards.
I never met that Yank,but I think he definitely made a lasting difference...At least in our community.
Very rare that.

[Michael Parnham]

M & G. Many thanks for your comments. I am pleasantly surprised as I felt I might stir up one or two who will read my comments as an attack - which I assure everyone it is not :-) I really hope that others, who subsequently read the above, are similarly minded to comment and understand that my "observations" and "findings" are flagged up here (and in other places) so that it makes people think about making constructive changes, no matter how small.

That 2 line summary G is a lot more brief than this "tabian" Brit can reduce it to! lol

Here is an example of one of my many attempts to bring about change. Last week I employed a small workshop to weld some components for me. When I went to collect them the welder was just finishing up the task. I immediately noticed he was welding (using electric welding with electrodes) whilst only wearing a pair of fake RayBan sunglasses to protect his eyes! I had to order some building materials from a store down the road so I said I would return in a short time when the job was done. As I was leaving, one of the guys asked my wife to bring some bread rolls back (we brought some for them on a previous visit as they had earlier shared some fruit with us (in typical Filipino style of course!). Whilst I was at the builders merchant I added a flip up welders helmet to my material list. We returned to the workshop and I said "I did not bring you any bread. I brought you this instead (and handed him the mask). When you are my age you will probably have grandchildren and if you do not wear the correct eye protection in your younger years, you will never get to see them!"

I had to go to the builders merchant again this afternoon and I had a bottle of Coke opposite the workshop. He was there with his fake RayBans on. Welding. At one point, striking an arc to heat the rod only to light his cigarette! Thereby damaging both eyes and lungs! No idea where the mask was. They were probably using it as a fruit bowl. But, as always, this will not stop me doing similar things with others I meet who I consider need some guidance. I live in the hope that one or two of the "horses" will stop drinking their own urine and be pleasantly surprised to discover how good the water tastes.

The reason the helmet was rejected, could it be due to lack of education?

[CleverCaptures]

That was a good read Fred :-) Evidently, like me, there are foreigners here who do their best to fix problems rather than just complain about them. That guy obviously had a great (and positive) affect upon that employee who will obviously behave differently, raise his own family differently and have a different work ethic to that which he would have done had he not met his employer. That has the prospect of proliferating through that mans family into the future. It is not going to change a nation, but if more people did this, it would eventually. The is proven by the obvious impact that the American presence here over the decades has had on the people of the Philippines. Obviously, as a Brit, I am not so happy that they brought American English here as my own beautiful language and accent is difficult for most to understand! I am not pointing the finger at any live Americans here but your forefathers did a lot of dumb things that served only to destroy standardization rather than promote it. When "our" forefathers savagely, brutally and greedily stole America (I am one of the Brits who deeply regrets the many actions that produced the British Empire) from the American Indians, they took with them the language, Imperial scales of weights and measures, proven construction methods and skills and much more. In just 200 years the American pointless stupidity has resulted the introduction of its own weights and measures, a severely limited vocabulary of misspelled words that are then mispronounced (my name is PeTer...not PeDer thank you!) and a plethora of homes constructed by people who clearly have never heard of the storey about the Three Little Pigs! My goodness, they even removed a zero from a billion!! Exactly how DUMB is THAT! Maybe that was done so billionaires can have boasting rights sooner than the British :-) Then, once they have done allllllllllll that damage, they then bring it here to the Philippines and teach it to people here. The icing on the cake that aggitates a true Brit is that they taught the language as "English!" Whaaaaat! A school girl in Iligan politely asked me "Sir! Where are you from?" I asked her "What language am I speaking?" to which she said in an obvious tone "English!". I said that was correct and then asked "So where do I come from?" To which she replied equally as obviously "America!". Arghhhhh!

Having said all the that, the good thing about the Americans arriving here before the British is that if it had been the other way around, all the men would have been killed, all the women raped then killed and all the land stolen and claimed as part of the British Empire! So it was definitely a better thing for the Filipinos!

I have been to a few of the States in America and I had a great time with great people. But as a nation that has actors in government and even had one as its President, even that great nation still needs to make smarter decisions. Get rid of your silly small gallon, your silly smaller AWG, stick another zero on your billion and hey! here;s a good plan...GO METRIC! It is a really new and modern system that bases weights and measures on a natural basis. Developed nations have kilograms (water based) and metres (light based) (and yes it IS spelled that way!).

Not only do the Filipinos use the insane American weights and measures but as they have no National Standards, when ever you ask for a specific size of something they ask "Actual or undersize" This would be hysterically funny if it was not for the inconvenience it causes when every two items you buy never fit together! And time......I defy anyone to find two clocks here that say the same time! They deliberately put clocks in "advance". some 5 mins, 10 mins, 15, 30 and hour.........when you make an appointment here for 2pm you must immediately ask "What time do you have now?"!!!! Then you have to adjust YOUR time for the other persons WRONG time as they would NEVER be able to understand how to arrive at your, CORRECT time! Bwahahahahaha!

Ever had a phone call from a Filipino? It goes like this....your phone rings so I answer "Hello, Peter Parker" and they say "Hello". Then silence. They NEVER say why they called! They wait for you to say "Hello?" AGAIN! To which they simply say "Hello" AGAIN back to you! Then they ask who I am after telling them at the start! I have learned to only say hello once and suffer the loooooong silence before their second hello. I then say "You called me ok. What do you want?" And THEN they tell me. It does not matter if its the bank, the supermarket, a worker, a friend....all the same. Nobody has taught anyone here anything, not even basic telephone skills so nobody knows the procedure. But this is only one element of the very poor communication skills here so it is going to take a long time to improve - but it surely will :-)

But here's the twist. The Filipino is typically a happy go lucky, quick to smile and quick to share individual who seems to have a smile in a heartbeat no matter what difficult circumstances surround them. They do not care about the time or no warranty on products they buy and nothing seems to be a problem to fix or overcome. The foreigner, on the other hand, is often frustrated, sometimes angry, displeased with the level of service or information and smiles far less. He is impatient and less understanding and generally a lot unhappier. The Foreigner complains back home and complains here in the Philippines yet the Filipino hardly ever complains..... So who has got it right? No matter what we foreigners say, it seems to be our wonderful Filipino hosts who have life worked out better than we do!

[CleverCaptures]

Michael, I took the opportunity to educate the welder as I mentioned above. I told him about the harm the light will do. It is not a lack of education. More a lack of understanding or ability to understand (intelligence) what to do with the education received.

[Michael Parnham]

Michael, I took the opportunity to educate the welder as I mentioned above. I told him about the harm the light will do. It is not a lack of education. More a lack of understanding or ability to understand (intelligence) what to do with the education received.

I was speaking generally, like finding out from someone who already uses or supplies the equipment. By the way, keep your post's coming they are brilliant!

[Jentobeharrison]

I guess the only people who can justify how corrupt our government is, are the filipino citizens. We all know and it is easy to say that yes, our government is corrupt but I would not believe it coming from the man who is not a filipino citizen and just stayed here for 18 months.

[Michael Parnham]

I guess the only people who can justify how corrupt our government is, are the filipino citizens. We all know and it is easy to say that yes, our government is corrupt but I would not believe it coming from the man who is not a filipino citizen and just stayed here for 18 months.

It's very obvious Jen, even to the short stay visitor!

[Jentobeharrison]

I am not defending the government, I know that they are corrupt, but for a short stay visitor, how?

[Tish]

CleverCaptures;500437]The link does not work so I cannot comment on anything there. But, make no mistake, the Philippines has a huge number of deficiencies that need fixing.

I am one Englishman who not only observes this, records it and highlights it but I also take the time to do what I can to improve things in the area where I live. I enjoy my life here but probably the biggest criticism I have is that the overall lack of intelligence, business acumen, professionalism and common sense (like it or not these are hand in hand with the development of a nation as these have to develop also) holds the nation back.



People accept bribes to vote and then wonder why the people they voted for are corrupt!? People vote for TV stars or a boxer (celebrities) to represent them in congress where those celebrities have demonstrated no specific ability to make good judgments or draft policies to promote the growth and success of a nation!? The nation sees the copying of copyrighted music, movies and fashion accessories as a prolifically good idea yet it fails to see the significant benefit in copying non-copyrighted business plans, models and proven work ethics that have successfully developed many other nations!? I am continually leading the horse to the water but this particular horse seems to prefer drinking it's own urine in an ever decreasing circle of failure.

Again

If any of the above offends you and, worse still, you do not see the merit of changing the nations ways to improve, then you are part of the problem. None of the above is a criticism. It is an observation supported by facts. Ipso facto, I have not fabricated this, just observed it and highlighted it. But, as time progresses, so will the smart ones living here and then so will the nation. It will just take time. I initially thought it would be easy for a modern day 3rd world nation to up its game by simply copying the good bits of the developed nations but I have learned and realized that this needs both a government and a nation of people who are smart enough to realize this. Simply giggling and laughing about problems and failings (that's what Filipinos do) seems a lighthearted way to overcome things as nobody gets heated, angry or frustrated but also, nothing improves.

I am in no way offended at all and from my very own observations especially my own family there in Philippines, they really haven't got any notion of their surroundings. They are quite happy to 'turn the blind eye' when it comes to it and just laughs things off as if none of the above applies to them

Outside of business and politics the Filipino is probably the nicest person I have ever met. I tend not to mix with non-Filipinos here as I prefer the company of the Filipino. If I did not, I would have stayed in the UK. But that is a sinking ship that I could not wait to step off. My life is significantly improved here, it is significantly easier and is significantly more enjoyable. The west has forgotten a great deal of what the Filipino community specializes in - human interaction and community spirit! Oh! I do NOT include in that the ignorant and rude "new" Filipino culture of sitting at dining tables on Facebook or texting and ignoring those in their immediate company! That and the disease of taking and posting "selfies" indicates a very low level of intellect and an erosion of the wonderful community spirit that the Filipino displays. (sigh) Maybe the advent of technology IS the erosion of real society......nevertheless, I will continue helping as many as I can to be the best they can be - that is actually very rewarding :-)

Good for you and I'm sure you are making a difference already

Tish