⌛ Respect !

One of the first impressions back in 2001 I had of the Philippines was how respectful the people were. Young children taught to respect their elders, siblings showing respect to their older relations etc.
When entering the shopping Malls of Manila overwhelmed by the politeness of shop staff.
Only once have I come across bad manners and that was in Doha by a OSW returning to Manila.
Have any of our members experienced recent changes in attitude in PI and if so why do they feel this is happening.
It would be a great pity to see western influences overshadowing a Beautiful Land of smiling faces.

 

You would be surprised how Dumaguete and the Philippines on a whole have changed. No longer are the days of politeness of youth and friendliness. You will be in for a shock when you arrive. Although it is not as bad as it is in the states but it is on it's way,with a more anti-foreigner sentiment rearing it's ugly head.Mostly due to lack of patience as the hard economic times are even trickling down so even the schoolkids feel it. There are still polite people around but the infrequency is becoming more often

 

Apparently you haven't tried driving here! These have to be the absolute ruddest people in the world.

 

I know things can change fast but I doubt very much if the so called "Filipino Courtesy" can change that drastically in 15 months. It is hard to challenge the experience and opinion of an expat based on his experience but that may just be, his experience.

So with due respect I post the study below. Personally, my experience mirrors these findings, but then again, that may just be my experience.

As for driving as a measure of Filipino courtesy, not a good measure. Even the most educated and well mannered Filipino becomes a bully once behind the wheels. Heck, I even know of a priest who drives like a maniac. It is hard to explain the psychology of "LAMANGAN" which is the root of this behavior. The poor, uneducated Filipinos, resigned to be "subservient" to the rich, educated Filipinos would wants nothing else but to be treated as an equal once behind the wheels. The street is for everyone, not for the rich, not for the poor or the expats.

If I get in the corner first, it is my turn and believe me, nobody can beat me to that corner.

That is the pervasive mentality of Filipino drivers and has nothing to do with manners. When race car driver Jenson Button visited Manila sometime ago, he commented that there are a lot of potential Formula 1 drivers in Manila. So I guess If you use this as a measure of Filipipno courtesy then I agree that the Filipinos are the ruddest in the world, but if you do then you missed the very essence of the Filipino Psyche.

Below is the article: read on..

Manila most courteous Asian City

March 23rd, 2008

Filipinos are the most polite people in Asia.

The City of Manila ranked 21st out of 35 in a global courtesy test by Reader’s Digest.

Surprisingly, New Yorkers scored 80 percent and topped the 35-country test, while Mumbai in India ranked 32 and dead last-just a point ahead of 34th placer Bucharest in Romania.

Reader’s Digest sent undercover reporters from its editions in each country to assess politeness in their most populous city.

In every location, they staged scenarios to see if people would hold open a door, say “thank you” after making a sale in a shop, and help someone pick up papers dropped in a busy location. Points were awarded for polite responses, and the results for each city were tallied and compared.

“This was the world’s biggest real-life test of common courtesy,” said Conrad Kiechel, editorial director of the magazine’s international editions. “Our researchers conducted more than 2,000 separate tests of actual behavior, producing results that were both revealing and thought-provoking.”

In the test, Manila scored 65 percent with a global ranking at 23rd.

If you drop papers on a street in Manila, chances are someone will help you to pick them up. Filipinos scored well at 55 percent, giving them an impressive global ranking of 5th place.

Albert Magbagay, 18, a student who passed the dropping papers test, says: “It’s innate for me to be helpful and courteous-there was even a time when I helped an elderly cross the street. It really matters when your parents raised you up with the proper values.”

But in Asia, eight out of nine cities finished in the bottom 11. Every city except Hong Kong finished in the bottom 10 in the rankings for holding doors open, and no door-holding test had a success rate higher than 40 percent.

“The three tests each looked at a different aspect of how people relate to each other, with the door-holding test designed to see if individuals are aware of the people around them,” said Jim Plouffe, editor-in-chief of Reader’s Digest English Asian magazine.

“Throughout Asia, we found that people were oblivious to the fact their actions affected those around them.”

Courtesy in shops was particularly lacking in Mumbai. When a female reporter bought a pair of plastic hair clips at a convenience store, the sales assistant turned his back on her as soon as she paid. Asked why, he said, “Madam, I am not an educated guy. I hand goods over to the customers, and that’s it.”

Moscow and Bucharest ranked as the least polite European cities. When a woman failed to hold a door in Moscow, she replied, “I’m not a doorman. It’s not my job to hold doors. If someone gets hurt, they should be quicker on their feet.”

Zagreb residents were the world leaders in helping with dropped papers. One man insisted on helping despite having arthritis and a bad back. “I always help someone in trouble,” he said.

Shop assistants were especially polite in Zurich and Stockholm. In both cities, they thanked the Reader’s Digest “customers” in every store where they visited and made a purchase.

In Sao Paulo, even petty criminals were polite. As Reader’s Digest bought a pair of cheap sunglasses from a trader, shouts rang out that the police were coming. The market turned out to be illegal. The merchant gathered up his goods to flee, but not before saying “thank you.”

 

PP, I'm always sceptical when I read results from inquiries.
Having done many of them myself during working life, I know how tricky they can be if not done on a well prepared way and if conclusions are not based on statistical significance.
Otherwise, a ranking number does not necessarily say a lot.
It can e.g. depend on the (behaviour of the) guy/girl who act as "customer", unless it was the same person who did the test for Reader's Digest in all 35 countries.
But MAYBE their test has some validity.
Personally I don't experience the same as John Boy that there is a more negative tendency in e.g. politeness here during the years I've been here for the first time (in 2001). I have experienced in most (not all !!) countries a less polite behaviour over the years. Also certainly in my own country of origin.
I rank the Philippines at a positive scale, although in my opinion certain 'characteristics' are less (e.g. driving habits, reliably answering ) and others better (like e.g. hospitality !) than in many other countries.
So John Boy, I don't sense a downward trend in that same period as you did refer to.

 

Maybe it's because I grew up and learned to drive in New York and had a courier service there for a while that I don't think the drivers here are that discourteous. Traffic flows moderately well, pedestrians cross the busiest streets with little problem and all without a single traffic light or stop sign. I think the best measure is that I haven't seen one incident of road rage by a local driver. Where I learned to drive you learned to keep only your right hand on the wheel so that the left was available to wave out the window in a one finger salute.
Kenny

 

Jellyfish you're absolutely right. Just merely wants to point out that I agree with these findings. Whether the study is accurate or not is debatable.

Kenny, not only do you get the one finger salute you can also read their lips saying F@#% you. Just to make sure you don't make a mistake of thinking that the gesture is friendly.

In the Philippines there are no drivers training or exam that you need to pass to get your license. Traffic enforcers are very inconsistent on how they enforce the rule and to whom they enforce it to. Driving behaviour changes when traffic enforcers are absent and traffic signals becomes a mere suggestion at this point. The fact that there are not as many fatal accidents or even fender benders as one would expect with such chaos is mind boggling. Filipinos have been driving like this since cars was introduced in the country.

I am not justifying how Filipinos drive, I agree it is appalling but to equate this behaviour to mean a deterioration in the Filipino character is simply wrong.

 

Panday, I think you miss my point. I think Dumaguete drivers are pretty good. I am old and don't move too fast, but I can step off the curb at Perdices and St. Jose, probably the busiest intersection in the city, and traffic stops for me lane by lane. If I tried that in an American city I'd be road kill. Some cities have become so car oriented and anti pedestrian that the lights change before you can get across, and don't think the drivers wait till you reach the curb.
The only reason I don't ride into the city more often on my motorcycle isn't because of the drivers but because of the condition of the roads.
Kenny

 

That comment about the "F@#% You" is for New York drivers too.

 

For N.Y. drivers. Yes