Have's and Have-not's in Philippines

[Kuya John]

Is there a class distinction in Philippines?

While chatting with a lady at a party a few days ago she inquired about life in UK, knowing she was in banking, I explained the difference between the London financial sector and its salaries compared to the cost of living in London.

When I informed her that she may not be able to employ two house-maids on a Bank Managers salary in UK her reply....."Well I don't do dishes, does that make me lazy"?

There is without doubt in Filipino Culture an air of superiority with more educated/skilled Filipinos, towards their shop assistants and house helpers etc. I have noticed they never seem to thank them, just walk away with their purchases and don't give a second look.

House-maids treated with the same contempt, it's what you are paid to do, get on with it attitude. There have been a number of times I have made a point of thanking someone for their help, when I felt my wife's own response didn't quite come over.

As a person who was brought up to show manners and respect to others, no matter what their standing, it is something I will never get use to or accept.

Jake made a comment about the poverty side of Manila in a previous post, in response, I see that most money is made on the backs of the poor, they have always been exploited the world over and will be continued to be so, it's the way this material world works.

Finally I would guess that helpers are more respected and cared for by Ex-pats in their employment, maybe that's why they think we are all rich.

Reply's on the back of a $100 bill accepted.....JB

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by Kuya John

[JJReyes]

8 hours ago, Kuya John said:

Jake made a comment about the poverty side of Manila in a previous post, in response, I see that most money is made on the backs of the poor, they have always been exploited the world over and will be continued to be so, it's the way this material world works.

You cannot compare current social attitudes in the Philippines with modern day England.  Even this is changing as the reliance on a service class to serve the more affluent and the rich slowly disappears.  One reason is the increasing cost for labor and the desire by Filipinos to go overseas for greater pay and potentially a better life for their families at home.

The comparison for the Philippines today would be during the Victorian period and the exploitation of the British colonies. The attitude then was "Manifest Destiny" which gave the whites god given rights over the less fortunate.  Never mind the colonies where the populations were treated like slaves.  Back in England the class distinction between those with money and the less fortunate was very wide.  The service class were subject to the exploitation by the upper class. 

[hk blues]

1 hour ago, JJReyes said:

You cannot compare current social attitudes in the Philippines with modern day England.  Even this is changing as the reliance on a service class to serve the more affluent and the rich slowly disappears.  One reason is the increasing cost for labor and the desire by Filipinos to go overseas for greater pay and potentially a better life for their families at home.

The comparison for the Philippines today would be during the Victorian period and the exploitation of the British colonies. The attitude then was "Manifest Destiny" which gave the whites god given rights over the less fortunate.  Never mind the colonies where the populations were treated like slaves.  Back in England the class distinction between those with money and the less fortunate was very wide.  The service class were subject to the exploitation by the upper class. 

Yes...in Victorian times.  The world has moved on since then but it seems attitudes in some places haven't.  

[Jake]

10 hours ago, Kuya John said:

Is there a class distinction in Philippines?

Reply's on the back of a $100 bill accepted.....JB

Hmm.....class distinction in the Philippines?  No not really, as compared to India's caste system.  But attitude in the Philippines says it all.  We have all witness it -- the Filipino aristocrats walking around like their shit don't stink, by saying: "don't you know who I am?"

Another trait that is quite apparent is the discrimination against the folks from the province (she's "provencia" meaning lower level on the food chain).  Don't forget the attitude against the indigenous people like the Igorots, the Mangyan, etc.  

And finally, the game of "name dropping".  Someone else can explain that.  I already mentioned our personal involvement in a post a long time ago, where a possession of a certain business card can get you out of a jam.  

Anyway, my comments are on the back of this bill.  I want some change back, OK?  

 

Edited December 22, 2018 by Jake

[JDDavao II]

And the attitude that because they have the rubber stamp you need to have banged on your form, they deserve a bribe?

There's a lot of classism that goes unspoken here. People sense it; know it internally.

Like the guys who came last week to clean our AC. We feed and water everyone who spends time here. The guys who deliver our BB boxes get a cold Coke. The old lady and her son who cut our coconuts get lunch. And the AC guys get fed. 

They respectfully declined a seat at the dining table to eat and instead insisted they eat outside on the front patio.

I spent far too long in the trenches as a janitor and a maintenance worker to believe that anyone is above or below anyone by virtue of anything other than their character and the idea that people might think they're not good enough to sit at my table bothers me. But what can you do?

[hk blues]

I suppose many of us, and i include myself amongst this, baulk at rich people treating poor people badly in a poor country more than we would rich people treating poor people badly in a rich country?  

Wherever we go in the world there are haves and have nots but the problem is when the two groups interact together regularly and much more closely than they would in other places.  And, when the haves don't need to have that much to be one of the haves such as here.  We have a saying in the UK - You can take the man out of (insert any UK city) but you cannot take (city name) out of the man!

[Tukaram (Tim)]

I see it here all the time here.  I always kind of attributed it to the Spanish colonial period - the peons,  and the dismissive attitude towards them.  I know it is more popular here to blame the US but most of what I see, I think, is more of the Spanish colonial influence.  

When I security guard opens the door for me I always say 'thank you sir'... and always get funny looks ha ha

[Arizona Kid]

1 hour ago, Tukaram (Tim) said:

I see it here all the time here.  I always kind of attributed it to the Spanish colonial period - the peons,  and the dismissive attitude towards them.  I know it is more popular here to blame the US but most of what I see, I think, is more of the Spanish colonial influence.  

When I security guard opens the door for me I always say 'thank you sir'... and always get funny looks ha ha

Whenever traffic is backed up for miles..kilometers..it's usually one of 4 reasons.

 

1. Traffic accident.

2. Funeral procession.

3. Fiesta time.

4. Parades for some kind of school or something..balloons tied off to the cars included. 

These kinds of things might have been considered normal traditional behavior back when oxes were pulling carts, but nowadays people need to get to work on time.

[Gary D]

5. Police directing traffic.

[Jake]

9 hours ago, Arizona Kid said:

Whenever traffic is backed up for miles..kilometers..it's usually one of 4 reasons.......

These kinds of things might have been considered normal traditional behavior back when oxes were pulling carts, but nowadays people need to get to work on time.

Thank you Arizona for pointing out historically, some of the cultures imbedded into the Philippines as the result of foreign invaders.  One of the ancient Spanish culture is the ritual called penitencia.  And it definitely affects traffic during the Holy Week.  

Edited December 22, 2018 by Jake