Contradictions in Filipino Values

If you will observe Filipinos, you will get puzzled over the presence of so many contradictions. For example, Filipinos are very proud to say they are very clean in their bodies and houses. This is true. You cannot complain on the unparalled physical hygiene of the average Filipino. But why is it that the public road and side streets are strewn with litters and garbages? Public sanitation is appalling despite ubiquitous Metro Aides perpetually sweeping. Here’s a good explanation which Filipinos may not really be aware of.

Filipinos makes a distinction between their private space and the public space. They do not think of Public Space as being a shared community asset which must be cared for and respected by all. These concerns are believed to be the task of the government. Filipinos have not really come to terms with their relationship with the government (taxes, jaywalking, littering etc.), their responsibilities and the effects of their deeds in the long run. Like if there are no traffic police around, traffic lights and signs are simply ignored. A person in authority is respected, but an abstract depersonalized sign will very likely be deliberately overlooked. People throw their rubbish in the streets because there are garbage trucks are designated by the government to collect rubbish. The fact that garbage collectors often pick up rubbish on assigned corners is interpreted as a signal to create huge, unsightly and unhygienic mountains of trash. **you can find the poorest of the population digging in dumpsites like this** Most foreigners would suggest to have nice, clean rubbish bins in the streets for easy collection. The trouble is that, in the Philippines, these bins will disappear as theft is rampant. Even heavy iron manhole covers are stolen, not to mention hundreds of meters of live wiring from electric poles and even the really dangerous stealing of railroad tracks! While stealing is considered immoral and a crime, ‘borrowing’ and pillaging are rampant. This is one reason why postal deliveries in the Philippines are not very reliable. Traditional Filipino kinship patterns develop a lax attitude about helping oneself to a family member’s goodies. Reluctance to share is considered extremely stingy or “kuripot”. If there is something you don’t want other people to touch in your house, you need to put it away and lock it in a private drawer. Otherwise, do not be surprised if other members of the family help themselves to it. This is why one is advised to be vigilant at all time about pilferage from house-helpers. Sharing is the custom. It is advisable among Filipino workers to buy cigarettes by the stick as a convenient practice because one is not required to pull out a whole pack which must be offered and shared with everyone around. **a typical traffic situation in Manila, observe the opposite lane** The distinction regarding public space is also part of the reason for the horrible traffic snarls. Driving in the streets of Manila requires a lot of concentration and coordination as vehicles of all sorts will come from the most unexpected directions. The feint-and-jab style of driving is the accepted means of getting through clogged lanes. Philippine driving is aggressive and competitive and a foreigner who has been learning about Filipino smooth interpersonal relations will wonder where all that SIR went. With regards to public space, of public property and also corporate property, ethical standards and a confusion of how to cope with these situations has led to pillaging, anarchy and chaos. Filipinos simply try to muddle through these situations as they do with traffic, and a foreigner will just have to take everything in a stride.