Things You Hate & Love About The Philippines

[The Humanists 10]

LIKES:

>I like the breathtaking beauty of many places here, the majority of which are not in Manila.

>I love the beaches! Oh, I'm going to miss the beaches of Cebu, Boracay, Camiguin, Calaguas, Coron, and Puerto Galera!

>I appreciate the fact that I can always rely on my family as a support system. This is true for most Filipino families. Sure, a lot of people in my family are nosy! But they're always there to take care of us.

NUMBER ONE DISLIKE:

>How the State, the Church, the culture, and almost all Filipinos shove Christianity down people's throats. I'm atheist (yes, a rarity in the Philippines), and part of the reason I became one was that I figured that a belief that had to be constantly shoved down my throat had to be a bogus one. Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against people having a religion or believing in a deity. What I take issue with is a whole society that's always all up in my face about it.

[TeddyHoney 42]

In this forum, I feel the love and the respect. However, the way many Filipino immigrants act here turns me off. They are rude, selfish, conniving, and overly sensitive. I was active in the Filipino community when my wife first arrived, and the meetings always turned out to be drag-out verbal brawls. I can't stand this, "Either you are my ally, or you are my enemy thing," especially among the women. The men are just drunks. Now, I stay away, and just drop the wife off to the get-together's.

Wow! I got/get the exact opposite from the members of the Filipino communities where I live. Since I brought my first filipina wife here many years ago until now. Her and I are divorced now but I am still friends with all the Filipinos we've met and had gatherings and gone to church and events with over the years. Those same Filipino friends are eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Filipina fiancee now to help make her immigration and transition more comfortable, just like they did my ex soon after she came. Of course not all Filipinos I know here are immigrants. Many are but many also were born here,

Sorry that your experience is so different.

[rlogan 2,036]

>How the State, the Church, the culture, and almost all Filipinos shove Christianity down people's throats.

Traveling through rural Philippines, you see awful squalor and poverty. The people live in shacks put together with scraps that blow over in a strong wind. But there is one elegant building in every village towering over everything else, made of the finest materials and one that will last a thousand years. That would be the church. It's a great con-game, and it has worked for thousands of years: give me your wealth while you are alive, and I'll pay you back when you are dead, in a place that does not exist.

It isn't just the church. The school teachers too: a lot of them are the worst enemies these kids have. All these idiotic school projects that cost money; the parades, the ribbons, uniforms, mindless rituals and teacher appreciation weeks. There is a war going on in Mindanao and the teachers don't even explain that the reason is because the government moved massive numbers of people from Luzon and other places (A lot of them communist guerilas) and shoved the Muslims off their land by force.

I hate to see the people kept in poverty and ignorance by the church and schools. It is also very frustrating dealing with people who have been trained not to think for themselves.

[Kang 22]

I now understand why "rich people" don't like "poor ones". Not all poor people is a freeloader but the rest are kinda stereotyped.

In Filipino "pop culture", the image of the "rich" are spoiled, cocky, and wasteful while the "poor" are very resourceful and thrifty.

But, it is common for many Filipinos to prioritize the unnecessary things over the primary needs. In the Philippines you can see people living in shanties wearing those expensive colored contact lens.

In high school, I had classmates who would borrow money just so that they can spend something for their "luxuries" and when it's time to pay what they owe you, they run away!

One main problem that I find in the Filipino mentality is the "show off" attitude where ones worth is based on material things they have. And if you refuse this attitude, you will be seen as "selfish" and "kuripot" (a negative term for someone thrifty)

[Kang 22]

That serious huh! The bad decision part I get, but scandalous is taking it a pretty serious.

It can really be "scandalous" as if it's some port video leaked. Like relatives and friends who question you on what is "wrong" with you if you married someone from the lower strata. The Philippines, I believe is a very "class conscious" society.

But then again, given how many want to "marry up" and expect that the better of in laws will provide them everything. Can't blame people.

It's much worse for those of Chinese descent. I have heard stories of parents disowning their kids because of marrying "outside".

[Kang 22]

I once had an older Pinay for a roommate many years ago (in fact she introduced me to my ex wife-I could kill her for that) and boy, she stayed in my business.

If Facebook existed back then, she would have stalked you. LOL

[Kang 22]

Well those old people loves to bond through gossips and they're retired so they need fun If you want to be out of their topic then just either do good things or stay away from them. If you're really good, you know that they're proud of you and can't stop talking about you either. Just all good stuff as if you are their pride and joy. I want to move in the are where there's a lot of Filipinos sounds like I want to stay in Cleveland.

Some are competitive some are jealous but some are just plain bi*ch

I avoid them like a plague. Being good doesn't help. In fact, it makes them more nosy and wanting to be up to date on what's going on in your life more so than your own relatives.

There's a Filipino community in our place but my family and relatives and I don't join those stuff -- mostly composed of nosy elderly Filipinos.

[penguin mahal 0]

Love- too many things to mention.

Hate- the slums of Manila, dangerous conditions at night for a female Fil-am like myself