Tipping

I have heard that many times, and it may be true for students and low income filipinas. On the other hand I don't know any middle class filipinos who don't tip. Most filipinos with a reasonable income tip much better than I do. I watch them and I see it. They are not secretive about it. Keep eyes open and you will see it yourself.

 

Are they tipping because they feel the need, or are they emulating "rich" foreigners who are not secretive about it as a demonstration of higher value and self worth (look at me tip, I have more money than you and therefore am superior)? It is the ones who make it hard to see and are not obvious about it that I believe have an honorable reason.

 

I almost always tipped 40php in restaurants, unless service was horrendous. Usually gave pizza guy 40php, trike drivers would get 300-500 php to take me (and only me) from downtown to home (Candau-Ay). I paid car park attendants 5 php. Occasionally would give the more helpful guards money on the sly (the ones that would go out of their way to assist me with putting wheelchair in the car and assisting my husband in and out of the car, etc...) I always gave our subdivision gate attendant 300php a week. I think I may have over-tipped in most instances, but I was always very happy to do it. It was a good feeling to share what I had with others.

 

It *sounds* nice but the sad truth many of us have seen is no appreciation or positive return on our tipping. Instead its treated as its expected because we are foreigners and of course as a foreigner can afford it. After all everyone knows we wipe our arses with 1,000 peso bills. If we don't tip big in some cases where they expect it due to other foreigners or a tourist establishment we are a cheap arse even when service its horrible. After all it can't be their fault.

 

I did not experience the lack of appreciation or positive return you mention. I can honestly say I never found waitstaff who "expected" a tip, as most aren't used to receiving tips, even from some foreigners (being influenced by their Filipinas, I suspect), and like I said, if the service was horrible, I didn't tip. I was almost always treated very well if I returned to the establishment (understandably); and the delivery drivers were always very gracious when I tipped them, again, because they weren't used to it. The car park guys, I figured they were trying to do something to earn some money for their families. Seeing the smiles on their faces was worth it every time. There are some restaurants in Dumaguete who will add "service charge" to their bill, so look out for that.

 

So here is one person with a negative outlook and one with a positive outlook. Is it just bad luck on one side and good luck on the other? The odds don't support that, so I have to ask what then?? When two people do the same things but see different outcomes, what is the reason? I did see a lot more agrees with the negative side than the positive side, so could the negative side become positive or will the positive side become negative?

 

I think if foreigners tip like how Filipinos do, then there would be not much talk about the "no appreciation" issue. It's kind of agreed that parking boys get 5 pesos and no tips when there's 10% service charge on the restaurant bill. I give a hundred to the person who helps me with my luggage (not a porter so not expecting it). I pay 50 pesos to the trike every 3 kilometers good for 5 seats, then think of paying for 8 seats for longer distances.

 

Its the difference of being a realist or idealist is what I'd say. One see's reality as what it is and the other see's it through rose colored glass hoping for things that they never see to be happening.

 

I would offer that you reap what you sow and yes, it's a two sided street. You seen those people at the airport who blowup at an employee that is doing their best to help them and has no control over the weather. There are good and bad servers everywhere, not all servers are good and not all servers are bad. The moment that you decide that all servers are bad and approach with that attitude, I think you get a bit of the self-fulfilling prophecy. I think it would be interesting to take a survey from the servers side and see if they think most customers are a pain to deal with in Dumaguete. It might just be that the few good customers are vastly outweighed by the bad ones.

 

Hmmmmmmm You know we did have a Blog thing happen some time ago, looking at us from their point of View, it was not received well and did just that, made many of us look like Total pains.