Tuesday, August 02, 2005

is it our culture?

What is wrong with the Philippines? Why have we lagged so far behind from our ASEAN neighbors? What hinders our growth? Is it because of too much politics? Is it because of poverty? or is it perhaps due to our culture and how we view things?

Let us dig deeper into our culture and how we percieve certain things:

Juan Tamad: this character is often portrayed as the "hero" in Philippine tales and folklore. He seems to epitomize the basic Filipino character flaw. Someone who wishes riches but will do nothing to attain it.... walking or driving down a typical Philippine street, one can see Juan tamad in different shapes, sizes and forms.

At your corner store, you see pinoys starting the day with a drink or two or playing billards...Housewives who have seemingly nothing else better to do but talk about their neighbors and the latest showbiz news... Pinoys who bitch about the economy and their lives but do nothing about it... People who are just too "lazy" to climb the stairs / use the pedestrian overpass and cross the street just about anywhere... People who want to alight right at their doorstep/ destination instead of walking a few meters from the bus / jeepney stop... these and so many other small things that when taken as a whole, contribute to a chaotic place to live in.

Being too forgiving / loyal to a fault: Loyalty to family and friends are great Pinoy traits, Our close family ties ensure that our family members are treated well and in case of problems -- family members make it a point to help one another. Strong family ties and great interaction with family members keeps one "sane" and helps one fight stress and depression.

I guess we sometimes take some good traits a little too far and make it into a negative. Erring government officials (such as the case of Marcos, Erap and Gloria) are easily forgiven. They never really learn their "lessons" or are not punished (ie. put in jail) as their "sins" are easily forgiven and forgotten. There is no accountability for past actions as long as you say "I am sorry".

Pinoys value family and "Utang na loob" to a fault. Loyalty to family, friends and "padrinos" come first before loyalty to country. This trait sometimes hinder us from upholding justice and the rule of law. This is why I think American justice system (ie jury system) can never work in the country...a place where anyone seems to have ties with everyone.

Bringing other people down instead of being happy for the success of others. It seems that instead of looking at the positive, we always tend to look at the negative / find fault on why certain people are successful than others. We tend to make-up stories to justify our percieved notion of people.

Gustong "maka-isa" sa iba: These are people who make it their life's purpose to do one over other people. We sometimes break simple traffic rules/laws para lang makaisa sa ibang driver.

"Keeping up with the Jones" or Pabonggahan. Fiesta / Celebrations means a grand gathering regardless of expenses. Most Filipinos would rather loan money from loan sharks to put out a feast or to buy things that their neighbors have regardless of the long term effect it might have.

I am not a sociologist nor do I pretend to be. This is how I view certain things...There are positive as well as negative cultural traits ... but it is up to us to really make the most of the positives and learn from the negatives.

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