Philippines culture/people,I have questions about it??

Question

Kamusta,ive spent over 5 months in the philippines in manila and samar,and ive been in many countries i find people in philippines to somtimes have no concept of peoples feelings and will say rude things without thinking&also find the culture to be very shalow where physical atractivness is concerned like its the be all and end all of a person,dont take this wrong i like other things about the people and the country,any pilipino views would be welcome(remember im not saying all of u im saying it seems more like that than some places ive been,Salamat Ha Answer now na!!!im british incase ur wondering;)

Additional Details

im not a troll nor a pinoy and 5 months isent 5 minutes its enough to get a taste of a place for sure

Well i have a long nose by any standard but and ive had nasty coments my whole life even in my home country But i found in phil people would be amazed even when talking in a kind matter they would ask me about it and id get sick of talking about my nose much like a very overweight person constantly being told there fat,i am aware of how i look i just dont thin my nose is a relivent part of a conversation especialy when u have just met do u guys????

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Great q, I have often wondered that myself.

Anyway, other culture/places have the same or similar concerns, most or all of them though might only be speaking in their own native tongue so foreigners couldn't understand what they are saying to one another.

And besides most Filipinos think in their native language & translate that usually in a split-second inside their heads into English or whatever foreign language they would be speaking in for the benefit of their foreign speaking hearer, so at least give them a little bit of leeway, as there could be stuff that can get lost in the translation or they just couldn't find the right/correct word or that are just not so "politically-correct conscious" or aware as most westerners are.

I give these Filipinos no excuse though, they are out there alright & some of them know it & some have no idea how rude they appear as perceived by others.

And the reasons are as varied as there are islands in the Philippines, among them could be:
1. One foreigner in this forum commented that there are Filipinos who are very jealous or envious or are self-haters, which are all true.
2. Some people still live in the days of the pre-war or even post-ww2 era, where political correctness is still unknown.
3. Talking about other people's age, looks, color of the skin, weight or over weight, & other similar western taboos are quite common & are perceived as everyday common conversation pieces.

Answer 2

Brian, 5 months in the Philippines is not enough time to learn the culture. Shallow as shallow can be, but first correct grammar and spelling are important if you want your prose to be understood. I also suspect you are a disgruntled Filipino/British or a troll.

Answer 3

first impressions are usually correct. you're right. most filipinos in the philippines are tactless and politically incorrect. most are lowly educated and poor, that's why they are the way they are. i can say that such traits are universal, but i don't what to be accused of being racist. i can criticize my own though.

Answer 4

filipinos are known to be friendly and hospitable. hard to believe that you find them rude. don't get me wrong. i'm not saying you're lying. i'm merely saying you probably met the wrong filipinos.

Answer 5

5 months isn't alot of time to know our culture. Sometimes in our family like we say rude things it is just our humor. DON'T BE QUICK TO JUDGE PEOPLE LIKE THAT.

Answer 6

Quite the opposite. I find that there are good and bad in the Philippines just as in other places. If you show yourself to be friendly and not arrogant, you will find them to be friendly in return. Most are even tolerant of arrogant pretentious foreigners. Then there are those who will not let you look down on them just because you are a foreigner. Its called "pride".
I wonder if you have just been meeting the wrong people in the wrong places and not a real example of the majority.

Answer 7

I was in Cebu City this past April and found the people to be rather friendly since I was from America.I met alot of people and I have a Filipino fiancee.If I had the money to live there the rest of my life,I certainly could do it and live among their society.

As far as your issue is concerned,I'm not sure you are going about it right.I had no problems what so ever the entire time I was there.What you need to do is study their culture and learn their ways.If I can do it,so can you.

Source(s):

My visit to the Philippines April 09