Phillipines

Marykate Lally & Elizabeth Wilson October 7, 2009 EEX 4601 Dr. Maria Reyes Behavioral Multicultural Resource Guide Philippines

The Philippines, otherwise known as the Republic of the Philippines are a large group of islands located between the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea, stretching about 1,150 miles from north to south, and 684 miles from east to west. The land is made up of 7,107 islands and islets, only two thousand of which are inhabited. If you were to compare the size of the Philippine islands to a U.S. state it would be about the size of the state of Nevada. The only reason 2,000 islands are currently lived on and the reason more islands are not lived is because the other islands are very small and the number 7,000 is really just an estimate depending on tide and sea level. The Philippines cover a wide area of the western Pacific Ocean, being strategically located between Taiwan in the north and Borneo in the south. The islands are grouped into four regions: Luzon to the north, where the capital, Manila, is located; Palawan to the west; the Visayas in the center; and Mindanao to the south. Scientists believe that the Philippine Islands were separated from the Asian continent about sixty million years ago. Volcanic activity and tectonic changes continue to occur, and today the country is still having earthquakes and eruptions from its two hundred active volcanoes. The climate is typically like Florida in that it is a tropical place and is generally very hot; however, from May to November the islands are filled with nonstop rain! The rain many times is so heavy that it floods many streets (Colin-Jones, 2004). As long as thirty thousand years ago, people from the Aeta ethnic group lived in the Philippines. The word Aeta refers to the dark skinned with kinky hair and big round eyes who live in this large group of islands from Luzon to Mindanao. They are believed to be the descendents of the original inhabitants of the Philippines. The Aeta have maintained their cultural identity keeping much of their traditional customs, practices, values, and social organization which was not far from the Philippines’ beginnings. Through the Aeta’s ability to maintain their cultural identify is why they have become the largest ethnic group in number through the centuries compared to other ethnic group like the Bontac or Ifugao who live in the mountains of northern Luzon. Many scientists theorize that the Aetas arrived through land bridges that linked the Philippines with the Asian mainland some 30,000 years ago. The Aeta people have resisted modernizing their lifestyles borrowing very little from outside their cultural area, and when they did borrow something they usually modified it to fit their needs; for example, some of the Sambal’s techniques and rituals in agriculture, concepts of spirits, curing and burial rituals. In general, the Aeta people were able to grow rice in the mountains and be content with their chosen lifestyle resisting the Spaniards’ attempt to Christianize the Filipinos. On March 16, 1521, Ferdinand Magellan landed in what is now the Eastern Visayas, on the uninhabited island of Homonhom, and then sailed on to Limasawa, where, on Easter Sunday, March 31, he celebrated Mass on the shore. Magellan then moved onward to Cebu where Rajah Humabon, one of the chieftains of Cebu welcomed him and allowed the Spanish to trade with his people. Trade was nothing new to Humabon from the ninth century onward, traders from China, India, Arabia, and Japan began to visit the islands. Chinese porcelain, silk, colored beads, gold, and ivory were traded for forest and marine products such as teak, rattan, pearls, and precious shells. The Arabian traders came in the tenth century bringing alternative trading routes, having been expelled from southern Chinese ports spreading the Islamic religion in the thirteenth century. But, on April 14, 1521, Humabon and his family converted to Christianity and changed the Filipino lifestyle forever! When Humabon and his family converted to Christianity and were baptized other chieftains in Cebu quickly followed him. But one named Lapu-Lapu, the ruler of Mactan Island (now the location of Cebu’s airport and connected to Cebu by two bridges) did not. As a direct result of Lapu-Lapu’s decision, Magellan and Humabon decided to work together to slay Lapu-Lapu; however, Magellan was killed in action because he did not take into consideration the high tides and had wore armor when fighting in the water. Humabon then turned on the Spanish forces and contributed to their defeat. The Aeta people were able to resist being under Spanish control until as late as the end of the 19th century when the Spaniards implemented a settlement plan which though not entirely successful, managed to minimize the growing antagonism between the Aeta and the lowlanders. The conflict; however, between the Spanards and the Aeta would continue straight through the American period. The never ending battle involving both rivalry and regionalism between the Philippines and the Spanish would later hamper economic and political progress at both local and national levels. During the American period in Hong Kong, Emilio Aguinaldo met with U.S. naval and foreign office officials and won their support for the struggle against Spain. The United States was already backing Cuban revolt against Spanish rule, and it made sense to support the Filipinos too. In May 1898 Aguinaldo returned to the Philippines and on June 12 declared independence. June 12th is now known as a national holiday. In September Aguinaldo convened a congress at Malolos, a town nearly 19 miles north of Manila, and the Malolos Constitution was published on January 21, 1899, establishing the First Republic of the Philippines. However, this document was false advertising because the Americans on December 10, 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, making the former rulers of the Philippines, and also Guam and Puerto Rico. The Americans also gave a gift of $20 million to the Spanish, which brought on the Philippines-American war in February 1899. Aguinaldo was captured in March 1901 and the cause was lost. In 1903 the Americans came up with some new concepts different from the Spanish known as democracy and freedom speech, which brought about reforms in the areas of government, education, and health. By this time, the Philippines were willing to listen wanting peace restored. In the early 1930s, as a result of the Great Depression, many U.S. politicians sought to protect U.S. interests, including agriculture. One measure was to sever colonial relationships, and in 1934 Manuel Quezon went to Washington D.C. to negotiate the Tydings-McDuffie Act. Under this Act, a new Constitution was drawn up, and a Commonwealth government was established with Manuel Quezon as President, with the intention that the Philippines would be self governing after ten years.
 * __Geography__**
 * __History__**

The political system of the Philippines occurs within an organized framework of a presidential, representative, and democratic republic with the president as both the head of state and head of government within a multi-party system. The three branches of government, the law making body or the legislative branch, the law enforcing body or the executive branch and the law interpreting body or the judicial branch forms the political system of the Philippines. Filipinos also have their own Constitution called The Constitution of the Philippines or the ‘Saligang Batas ng Pilipinas in Filipino’ and it is the highest law of the land. The Constitution currently in effect was proclaimed on February 7, 1987. On February 25, 1986, Ferdinand Marcos became president in 1965 after defeating Macapagal. But his popularity decreased fast in the 1970s when an estimated 50,000 people were killed in the struggle against the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP), which was founded in 1968. In an effort to keep Marcos’ popularity from further decline in 1972, he claimed that law and order had deteriorated and that the Communists posed a serious threat, and on this basis he declared martial law. Freedom of speech was curtailed and opponents were imprisoned or exiled, one of those being Senator Benigno Aquino. During this time, the Marcos cronies made their millions; corruption became a way of life. On February 25, 1986, the Filipino people had had enough and Ferdinand Marcos went into exile in the U.S.A., and Corazon Aquino became President. In an attempt to prevent the possibility of a return to a dictatorial regime, the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines was written. It stated that “[t]he Philippines is a democratic and republican state. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.” It also permits only a single term of six years in office as President of the Republic. The Philippines economy is based largely on a mixture of agriculture, light industry, and supporting services, deteriorated by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Recovery has been slow, and global economic difficulties, compounded by the war on terrorism, have also affected it; yet the projected GDP growth for 2004 is around 5 percent. However as of August 7th of this year The Philippine Star reports that the economy will grow by as much as only four percent in 2009 and a further six percent in 2010. Dr. Bernardo M. Villegas, senior vice president at the University of Asia and Pacific said to be able to ensure growth this year and carry that over to 2010, the country must look to increasing growth activities for domestic tourism, medical tourism and retirement villages. The Philippine peso is expected to weaken at 49.50 to the dollar this year and slip some more next year to 51.50. Although the unemployment rate is currently down to 7.30% in 2008 from 11.40% in 2004 when the publication of //A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette Culture Smart’s Philippines// that is only a difference of 4.10%, which is not much. The reason the economy has trouble growing most of the time is because “[m]uch of the budget shortfall relates to the poor record on tax collection. The wealthy are reluctant to pay taxes, claiming that because of corruption the money is not utilized effectively. Thus, they evade tax and salve their consciences by giving to social projects for the poor. However, these are often connected to their own extended family, and the help given to those in real need is limited. An estimated 40 percent of Filipinos live on less than two U.S. dollars a day. With 36 percent aged under fifteen, and a population growth rate of 2 percent per year, the situation does not look encouraging unless further jobs are created. In 2004, the Protestant President Ramos wanted to control the birth rate, but the Catholic Church opposed it” (Colin-Jones, 2004). Although it is unclear at this time where the current president, “Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who was just sworn into the position this January, stands on the birth rate issue she is the daughter of the late President Diosdedo Macapagal and has held many governmental positions in the past; for example, she was elected Senator on her first try in 1992 and re-elected in 1995 with nearly 16 million votes in Philippine history” ([]). The shortage of jobs and the low salaries have resulted in the phenomenon of seven million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), or overseas contract workers (OCWs). These people range from engineers to nurses to domestic helpers, and remit over six billion U.S. dollars a year – the largest single source of foreign exchange for the country. Despite the money coming in from overseas it is not enough to raise the current gross domestic product; so, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo hopes she can bring the much needed change to the Philippines to bring both political and economic growth back into the country. Cultural traditions, values and beliefs, affect how people deal with difficult situations. The way people view autism varies from culture to culture, having a child with a disability is viewed in a positive way, which is illustrated in the Filipinos values and beliefs. “I am who I am because of my family; their success is my success, and my shame is their shame.” This mindset has its roots in the former agricultural economy, where many hands were needed on the farm – a situation that still pertains in the rural areas today. The family (//pamilya//) is the most important social unit in the Philippines, a core value, and the ultimate safety net. A Filipino would find it almost impossible to refuse family requests or ignore family obligations. Some older generation Middle Easterners, even if they now live in the United States, believe that a disability is a form of punishment for sins or perhaps the result of a curse. They often feel ashamed and embarrassed to have a child with a disability in the family. (Colin-Jones, 2004). Specific behaviors have been presented that deal strictly with the Philippine culture and how other cultures may misunderstand them. It is important to know and realize ways to deal with these conflicts when dealing with various cultures. The first example of a specific strategy would be that we must show respect by learning more about each other’s values and customs, including proper social and business protocol. (Naughton, 2003) As a teacher, we must be informed of all of our children’s backgrounds that allows for a more comfortable classroom setting for the children It is important to use the customs and values in the classroom to help the other students better understand their fellow classmate’s background. We interviewed a woman who had the opportunity to live in the Philippines for a period of time and she explained that within this culture no one ever says nol. No matter the situation their response will always be yes. It is important to watch them as they answer and see their body language to be able to tell if they are sincere or not. (Gaul, 2009) A third example is to be cautious on communicating when correcting the students. In their culture, if they are corrected it is considered a humiliation. Therefore, it is essential to choose your words wisely and state them clear manner because they will not ask the teacher for help or to have it explained a second time. A strategy to use to work with the students is to get to know their culture. Ask the students to explain their lifestyle, culture and what they like to do on their free time and they will slowly start to feel comfortable and start to ask you questions if they don’t understand. (Gaul, 2009) The fifth and final example is sometimes the students do not turn in their homework and it could be hard for the teachers to approach the student and ask why they didn’t do it. It needs to be explained to the student that they are not being confronted, cornered and in trouble, but that the teachers want to understand why it wasn’t completed and see what and see how they help. **__References__** Country Explorers’ PHILIPPINES. Schraff, Anne E. Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 2009. This is a series book in the Country Explorers collection, which is a children’s guide to the Philippines and tells about the landscape, culture, and people in a simplified language. There are also read all about Argentia, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, and more in the series.
 * __Current Political Situation__**
 * __Current Economic Situation__**
 * __Culturally Specific Behaviors__**
 * 1) **//__Giggle or Grin When Embarrassed__//** - In the Philippines, Filipinos will giggle or grin in an embarrassed way, with downcast eyes, when communicating with someone in a higher position, especially when he or she is unsure or afraid of the other’s reaction. Filipinos will never ask for extra information, query an unclear instruction, or simply admit they have made a mistake. Remember that the primary goal of communication is harmony, not the giving and receiving of information, and the answer to most questions is “Yes.” “Maybe” and “I will try” are both indicative of “No.” A Filipino rarely says “No.” However, information and feelings must still be communicated, and this is often done by way of hints, humor, and jokes. The “loss of face” concept states that the Filipino culture does not want to make their failures or shortcomings public; [they] are aware of them. The values of hiya and amor propio help to explain. //Hiya// is a sense of shame, which is the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies awareness of being in a socially unacceptable position, or performing a socially unacceptable action. It is the hiya that makes the Filipino think twice about wrongdoing; but it also constrains him or her in many ways. For instance there is a hesitancy about asking a supervisor to clarify instructions, whatever the consequences. For example, when I worked as an assistant at Eau Gallie High School from 2005 - 2008 there was a boy, whose mother was from the Philippines and his father was in the army. He has Autism and during instructional reading time if he pronounced a word wrong and the teacher corrected him like most teachers would usually do he would always say, “oops, sorry” and shrug his shoulders with a sort of nervous giggle that followed. My boss would always say, “that’s okay, Bryan you are doing a great job keeping going!” It was not until I read the chapter on values and attitudes out of Graham Colin-Jones & Yvonne Quahe Colin-Jones’ //A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette Culture Smart: Philippines// did I understand his behavior. When I asked my boss why he always did that she just told me it was a cultural thing.
 * 2) **//__Utang na loob__//__, or debt of gratitude__** - runs deep in Philippine society, and implies loyalty and recognition of a favor. This could involve covering up for a colleague at work, and saving him from losing his job; putting a good word in for a subordinate that results in a promotion; helping someone to get a job in a good company; or providing money for medicine when your helper’s child is seriously ill. How do you measure this debt? The general rule of thumb is, “What did I save you from?” A debt of gratitude between families can be carried on for generations. At its heart is reciprocity. This leads to stronger bonding in relationships, and people are expected to take care of each other. On the other hand, it leads to a relationship of patronage. Such ties can take precedence over right and reason.
 * 3) **//__Challenging Authority__//** – The Philippines is a hierarchical society, and //paggalang// which means respect for and deference to authority and one’s elders is part and parcel of it. The Filipino expects those in authority to be parent figures, and automatically accord them respect. A father’s authority in the family is unchallenged, at least in public. Also, anyone who is older than you should be called //Manang// or //Ate// (female) or //Manong// or //Kuya// (male), followed by their name, such as “//Manang Sally//.” This is also a respectful form of address used between strangers. People do not wish to intrude, and will bend their knees if they have to cross your path.
 * 4) **//__Table Manners__//** – The Filipinos are likely to bow their heads in thanks or to cross themselves before eating. This action is in regard to //Bahala Na//, which literally means “Leave it to God.” Filipino society has a deep belief in God. The Philippines is primarily a Roman Catholic country and God is very present in their worldview. In rural areas, and among the poor urban workers, rice is eaten with the hands. Some city restaurants that cater to tourists offer the option of the //kamayan// style of eating, with the hands, off a banana leaf instead of a plate.
 * 5) **//__Punctuality__//** //- Manana// means tomorrow in Spanish, and reflects the attitude to time in the Philippines, where punctuality is not a priority. The Philippines is still an agricultural society at heart, in which time is seen as cyclical. Westerners view time as linear, and broken into precise units. Some managers compromise by allowing up to ten minutes after the stipulated start time; others ‘fine’ staff by having a charity box for latecomers. If you are invited to a Filipino home don’t be punctual. The host or hostess would be aghast if their guests arrived on time. The Filipinos attribute this to their Spanish colonial past, when etiquette demanded that the most important guest arrive last. President Estrada was known for being up to two hours late for official functions!
 * __Strategies on Behavior __**

A Quick Guide to Customs & Etiquette Culture Smart’s Philippines Culture Smart, Kuperard, 2004. The Culture Smart series provides essential information on attitudes, beliefs, and behavior in different countries, ensuring that you arrive at your destination aware of basic manners, common courtesies, and sensitive issues. These concise guides tell you what to expect, how to behave, and how to establish a rapport with your hosts. This inside knowledge will enable you to steer clear of embarrassing gaffes and mistakes, feel confident in unfamiliar situations, and develop trust, friendships, and successful business relationships.

[] : Asia Readies for next Storm as Death Toll Rises

[] : Global Voices Online tells the story in both words and video with the Typhoon Ketsana on Saturday, September 26, 2009

[] : Pinatubo Aeta by Khristin Fabian Gives a brief history of the Pinatubo Aeta people in the Philippines.

[] : Current Unemployment rating scale

[] : President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo’s biography.

Tammy Mildenstein and Samuel Cord Stier (2005) //The Philippines// This book is a summary of the multiple islands of the Philippines, natural environment, people and culture, their government, economy, and today’s living. It outlines each of these sections and gives a better understanding of the Philippines.

Wilson, E (2009, October 1) Specific culture conflicts in the Philippines. [(Interview with S. Gaul]). Orlando, Fl In this interview I spoke with Suzanne Gaul about her time with the Peace Corps in the Philippines. She lived in Leyte and taught High School English for two years. She gave me some examples of strategies used in the classroom with her students.

William A. Naughton, Ph.D (2003) // Cultural Conflict in Inter-American Relations // This article is about how to assist teachers on teaching children from other countries and ethnicities.