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Opinion

A year in the PHL: Honest observations from a Westerner on his way home


Editor's Note: The following are selected excerpts from Mr. Allen's blog piece. You can read the full entry in the original post.
 
Author's Note: These are my perceptions based on my time here. I am very critical of my own (American) culture and politics as well. If you have anything to add or correct, please do post and let me know! I spent three months in India before coming to the Philippines for a vacation, and I plan to take on South America or Africa next year. 

Nathan Allen
 
Is the Philippines really that beautiful?  
  
You may be thinking that what I capture in my photos here is nothing like the real Philippines –  what (from a Western perspective) you see on the news and read about in the papers...the poverty, the despair, the suffering. Well to an extent, this is true. 
 
I am guilty of seeing the world through "rose colored glasses" – I can't deny that. I also choose to share the world I see with you, and lately I've had some requests for something a bit more raw.  

Well, after one year living and traveling all over the Philippines, here are my thoughts:
 
Poverty 
 
Yes, there is a lot of poverty. So much poverty. I have really been smacked in the face with it now that I'm finally leaving. I tend to make the most of wherever I am; to overlook the bad and only see the good in every situation – or at least try to. If you're a Westerner traveling through India and the Philippines for 14 months like I have, this is kind of a necessity.  
  
However, now I think I am seeing things a bit more clearly, because my "coping mechanism" is allowing me to (basically because I am leaving). This is a tiny country with over 97 MILLION people in it. The lack of education and the Catholic Church's stance on birth control has not helped the situation here.  
 
Wealth and happiness – Big cities vs. the provinces
  
What's worth mentioning is that I have noticed a HUGE distinction between the heartbreaking poverty in big cities like Cebu and Manila, and what I experienced in the provinces, which is just villagers who simply don't have money. You see, many people out in the villages, they are happy.  They have very little, and they don't seem to want for more – I believe "poverty" is in the wanting, the longing for things one doesn't have. The villagers are not impoverished – in many cases they live rich, full lives.
 
The family I stayed with in El Nido is a good example of this. They have their faith, their families and friends, and (hopefully) plenty of food that they can grow themselves or farm from the sea. They live so simply, but again, they are happy. From my perspective, there is a lot to be learned from this simplicity. It illustrated to me how in many cases poverty is just a state of mind.  
  
Another very interesting thing I noticed is that the less money people have, the more honest and religiously devout they tend to be.  
 
"Yes, there is a lot of poverty. So much poverty. . .This is a tiny country with over 97 MILLION people in it. The lack of education and the Catholic Church's stance on birth control has not helped the situation here."
 
Economic growth and the repercussions 
 
The other side of the coin  
  
There IS money in this country...it's just that it's almost all in the hands of only a few families (dynasties). It's very similar to the U.S. in this respect, though the disparity here is much greater. Manila and Cebu are rapidly becoming high-tech modern metropolises. My brother was shocked to see a photo I took of the skyline in Makati, Manila. He never imagined the Philippines looked like that. If you have the means, you can easily spend hundreds of dollars (USD) on a fancy dinner in an upscale restaurant.  
 
Consumerism 
  
This is one of two (see below) negative aspects of U.S. "culture" that I fear have been exported to the Philippines – especially in Manila and Cebu. However, I suppose they are responsible for economic growth here. Manila is a massive urban sprawl, and while it has a few nice (in my opinion) tourist attractions such as Intramuros and Rizal Park, it seems mostly to be just one giant shopping mall. 
 
It's one of the main things people DO in Manila. They just go to the mall. For the sake of "fitting in" and looking fabulous, they spend a very disproportionate amount of their income on a Frappuccino at Starbucks or a new pair of designer jeans. Then they take a jeepney back home to the slums in some cases – with barely a roof over their head.  
 
Again, this is that "culture of poverty", and I think it's a byproduct of U.S. style consumerism.  
  
Fast food culture  
  
American fast food chains like McDonald's, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, and Dunkin' Donuts are EVERYWHERE – and when you look at the average income here, you realize that these places are not exactly cheap. 
 
They are very unhealthy of course, and are ironically considered somewhat of a "luxury" by many. I worry about the amount of soda many Filipinos drink as well.  It is such a common thing to drink it with each meal, and in a country where people don't always have access to dentists or health care (for sugar-related conditions like diabetes), it concerns me.  

 
 

It's more fun...outside of Manila  
  
Just so you know, if you've only been to Manila, you haven't really been to the Philippines. Pretty much all Western tourists agree that, once they got out of Manila, they began to really love the country. To be fair, it COULD be that Manila is not "exotic" enough for tourists who are looking for a real change of pace from their normal lives. 
 
Speaking of pace, the pace in the Philippines is slowwwww. This is island life. I found, as a Westerner, that in Manila, specifically, the pace is just infuriating (you could be in that cashier's line for a LONG time, trust me...and that's once you've spent a few hours just getting through traffic to GET to the store in the first place). I guess I just had this idea of what a major city is "supposed" to be like, and that notion must be thrown out the window when it comes to Manila. However, once you get out to the islands (aka paradise), you'll find that the slow pace is just right.  

Another interesting thing is that to me, Manila is essentially a giant version of a Filipino barangay, or neighborhood -- and in this sense it's quite impressive. I don't know of any other major city in the world that has preserved a sense of community on such a massive scale. It's a testament to the ultra-communal Filipino culture, which I'll touch on later.   
 
 
"My brother was shocked to see this photo I took of the skyline in Makati, Manila. He never imagined the Philippines looked like this."
Contradictions 
 
A "God-fearing" country  
  
When I first arrived in the Philippines, the religiosity was overwhelming. I say this coming from a place like San Francisco in California, and Europeans certainly agree with me on this one. There are even churches in shopping malls here. I remember being very shocked to read a prominent sign in an elementary school that read: "We are a God-fearing school." Such a bold, religious statement displayed in a public school – this was so fascinating to me! 
 
Europeans think the U.S. is overly religious, but it's nothing compared to here. However, as time has gone by, I have come to appreciate and embrace the "church culture" here. I see the good that it does people, and I now frequently use quiet chapels here to reflect and go over all the things I am very grateful for – as often as possible.

I have actually found quite a few similarities between the way I was raised (Mormon, though just in my youth) and Filipino culture. Both cultures have strong family values, and both are also generally considered to be quite warm and friendly.  In a way, I think being in the Philippines has reconnected me with my own culture.  
 
Sinning 
  
What's fascinating to me are all the contradictions, given that it is one of the most religious countries in the world. Gambling, drinking, and men with mistresses are very common. I remember reading in a book on Filipino culture that a man with a mistress is not only accepted, it's almost even encouraged. It's a sign of machismo. As much as some of my Filipino friends may want to deny this, in my experience it does seem to be true. I do agree that times seem to be changing, though. 
 
Ingat, Joe! 
 
Filipinos always tell me to be careful when going anywhere, and many of them seem to be a bit afraid of all kinds of things (weather, criminals, evil spirits/superstitions). I wonder where all this fear comes from? Did the Spanish bring it when they colonized the Philippines hundreds of years ago, or was it already here? 
 
The church definitely used fear as a tool, and this brand of "old school" Catholisicm does seem to be alive and well here in the Philippines. Just like in the U.S., the news programs on TV here can be very negative, dramatic, and in my opinion, even unethical at times.   
  
However, I think geography may play a part as well. The country is comprised of over 7,000 islands, so diferent groups were usually quite cut off from each other. It is human nature to have a fear of the unknown, and tradionally Filipinos would stick to their tight-knit families and didn't have a need to travel. I met countless people in the provinces who had the means but had never made the 30-minute journey to the next village – and they were 50 year-old men and women! 
 
The evolution of distinctly different languages (with over 120 dialects) here is another testament to the "isolated island" theory.  Of course, one more explanation is the constant threat of typhoons, earthquakes, and weather-related catastrophes in general. 
  
With a growing economy and the very successful new "It's More Fun In The Philippines" tourism campaign, more Filipinos are now starting to branch out and explore their country (and the rest world). I think this is great!
 
Filipino pride?
 
When I made my way down south to Cebu and the Visayas, I was shocked that people were not impressed with my meager knowledge of Tagalog. I say this because, in Manila (and up north in general), people are often completely flattered that you can speak ANY Tagalog. Down south, not only were they not impressed with my Tagalog, but they demanded to know why I couldn't already speak Bisaya – their dialect! Haha. 
 
At first I found them kind of rude, honestly, but soon began to really appreciate their sense of pride. I really came to love the people and culture down there. Bisaya people don't like Tagalog because they believe that the majority of people in the Philippines speak Bisaya, and that it should have been chosen as the national language instead of Tagalog. Unfortunately they are also looked down on by many people in Manila. 
  
If somebody from Manila visits the Visayas and speaks to the locals in Tagalog, the locals will answer back in English, even though they can speak Tagalog well (they must learn it in school).  Again, the point is I love this sense of pride that Bisaya people have in their language, culture, and food...and I wish that people up north weren't quite so "Western-worshipping". 
 
There were times when I almost seemed to embarrass people in Manila by speaking their own language (Tagalog), as if they were ashamed of it. Filipinos have so much wonderful culture and heritage – I would like to see all Filipinos celebrate and take pride in it.
The author in Naga with students.
   
Community, modesty, and “saving face” 
 
This is an uber social and communal culture, and food is the centerpiece of all get-togethers. In the Philippines, "Have you eaten yet?" is actually a form of greeting. From the minute a Filipino is born, he or she has an extensive network of relatives who are constantly involved in his or life. It is no wonder that Filipinos rarely travel alone, or do anything alone for that matter.
  
 
 

"Ultra” modesty and its possible negative side effects  
  
From a Western perspective, modesty seems to be practiced to extremes here – nobody wants to appear to be overacting or "OA". I think Filipinos, growing up, are discouraged from being too proud of their abilities and accomplishments. Sometimes I wonder if the fear of being perceived as a "show off" might keep some Filipinos from "aiming higher" and really pursuing success. 
 
One area where Westerners get frustrated here is customer service. I think perhaps because many Filipino customers don't want to complain and cause an employee to "lose face," the overall service at a restaurant or hotel suffers in the long run. Standards just seem to be lower. I've heard it's a very "American" thing to complain about services and products, though Europeans definitely do it, too. It may seem like a bad thing, but I believe it can really "raise the bar" for all establishments over time, and the customers are the ones who win in the end. 
 
For the sake of being globally competitive, I would like to see the service standards in the Philippines raised, while somehow preserving that traditional Filipino politeness and etiquette at the same time. 
 
Filipinos, demand more! You work hard for your money, I say get the most out of it.
 
One thing worth mentioning is that it's not really a "tipping culture" here, so servers don't have the same incentive to provide exceptional service. Sadly, not only do they not receive tips, but people in these sectors really don't get paid much at all, either. So foreigners, please go easy on them. Another thing to mention is that locals in Manila are much better at speaking up and complaining than anywhere else.


"I don't know how it's possible, but I have been both hardened AND softened by my experience here."
 
What do I love about The Philippines?
 
Wonderful People: Over 7,000 islands full of the the world's most soulful, genuine, hospitable and HAPPY individuals.  
 
Karaoke / Videoke: At this point I'm pretty sure every Filipino is born with a mic in their hand, most likely singing a Lionel Richie song.  
 
Family-Oriented Culture: Filipinos seem to have this figured out. Family is EVERYTHING.  We are so disconnected in the West. 
 
Most Stunning Beaches / Mountains / Landscapes: Have you seen my photos from my time here? Check my El Nido post. More soon.     
 
Fascinating Culture / Delicious Food: For me, the region of Bicol takes the cake. Spicy! Pinangat and pili nuts are my favorites! Adventurous foods I have tried: Balut (many times), BBQ pig's blood, isaw, dinuguan, papaitan, bulalo...etc. 
 
Food/Drinks/Housing is all Very Affordable: Beer is barely more expensive than water (and San Miguel Pale Pilsen is GOOD). The cheapest room I ever stayed in was on the stunning island of Camiguin, and I believe it was US$3.75 USD a night. Usually it's more like US$15-$20, though. 
 
Colorful Jeepney Rides as Daily Transportation: Getting around is ever more fun here. Sit on top for the best (and most thrilling) view! 
 
Relaxed Attitudes: "Bahala na" is the Filipino term meaning "It's in God's hands...we have no control over this, let's just smile and move on!" 
 
Time to say goodbye – A disclaimer 
 
I have spent an entire year exploring and living in this beautiful country. I have done my best to try and learn three distinct dialects (three of over a HUNDRED). On multiple occasions I have actually even ENJOYED balut (fertilized duck egg). I found "my voice" while exploring countless videoke bars in the provinces...I have been known to sing "Pusong Bato" and "My Way" (Filipino karaoke classics) when I get the chance. I slept in a candle-lit nipa hut in the lush green mountains of Luzon. I swam with giant sea turtles off of Apo Island. 
 
In Manila I crossed EDSA on foot and learned the complex jeepney routes. I went fishing in Bacuit Bay, rode "top load" (on top of the jeepney) on one of the world's most dangerous roads in Ifugao, and went to a "witch doctor's" festival on the island of Siquijor. 
  
I don't know how it's possible, but I have been both hardened AND softened by my experience here. This is a good thing. I have tried my best to curb my judgment and accept this culture just as it is. I love the Philippines. — KDM, GMA News 
 

Nathan Allen is an American traveler who spent an entire year exploring and documenting the culture of the Philippines. You can follow his journey by liking the "I Dreamed Of This" Facebook page.
 

 
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