Before coming to Cambodia, my only impression of Filipinos
came from American TV which often portrays them as cleaners, maids or nannies.
Living in Cambodia, I realized how highly regarded Filipinos are in Asia for
their education levels, mastery of English and their active civil society. There
are many Filipinos holding senior positions in international organizations
working in South East Asia.
I was slightly surprised at how large a role the Philippines
plays in the region. In my head, I would not group the Philippines with other South East
Asian countries such as Viet Nam, Malaysia or Thailand. Whilst I would be
wrong geographically, I think I am right socially. The Philippines is not
like anywhere else I have been in Asia.
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| He's feeling lonely |
Philippines is predominantly Catholic and visibly so. Huge
crosses are on top of buildings and there are bill boards advertising the
messages of God or Jesus. At the start of the conference I was attending, all
participants were asked to stand and sing a Christian devotion, which I imagine
attendees from Cambodia, Viet Nam, Thailand and Nepal may have found a little
strange.
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| Even the Jeepneys have Christian messages (see the one on our right) |
Filipinos are also very expressive people, and one of the
most joyous examples of this is the Jeepney. These are like public busses
except they are individually painted, usually in bright and bold colours. Every
time I saw one of these, it made me smile. And luckily, they are everywhere.
Their jovial skin represents a cheerful, social nature
inside. Jeepneys literally bring people together as they are squashed together or hanging from the sides. When it comes to paying, passengers pass their money forward to the driver and
the change comes back passing through everyones hands again.
The willingness to express emotions and opinions are not
things that I have witnessed or are associated with many Asian countries. The
difference in the Philippines may arise from the youthfulness of the country.
Countries like Cambodia have a high proportion of the population aged below 30,
but it is still a society where age bestows power and authority.
I was in the Philippines at the time of an election and I
was struck by how youthful the candidates were and the deputy mayor of the huge
urban area of Manilla that I was staying in was about 32. Youthful vigour
appears to be a quality respected in the Philippines, which
in other Asian countries would be taken for impetuosity.
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| As well as the cool Jeepneys, they also have these wonderful things that zip around. It's amazing how many people can be crammed in. |
The vigour is also apparent in Filipino civil society, where
the benefits of having a public argument are valued. Other Asian countries value
consenus and view public argument, even if only in a meeting with more than two
people, as something impolite that could cause a loss of face which will be remembered for years to come. This value of discourse and presence of
Christianity comes from American and Spanish influence which courses through
the culture, including the language.
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| Ok, this is just a shop sign, but trust me, you would never see anything like this in Cambodia. |
Walking the streets, I felt that I was in Latin
America rather than Asia and it was not just the different architecture. The clothes that people wear are different and the
food that people eat, despite the ubiquity of rice, is different too. It is more Spanish with cured meats, stews and paella type things. And startlingly, when I was walking the
streets, I was not alone; Filipinos were walking too. In Cambodia, I was once told by a Cambodian
that Cambodians would drive their moto to the toilet to take a poo.
All is not too different in the Philippines though, they still do some early morning aerobic dancing.
Thanks
Gordon
