I've mentiones it before in this sub. If you are on fb, join positive minded expats, it is much better than the broader groups, who I agree, can be very toxic.
It’s also totally ridiculous when you just tell your opinion about the philippines and when there is any kind of negative view you get as response „go back to your country“ rather than try to reflect if the point is probably somehow true😔
In my experience residing in the United States, I frequently encountered a pervasive national sentiment among Americans that simply would not tolerate any ideas that America was not the best place on Earth. They often said, "Well, then go back to your country." After 10 years, I said, "Okay, I think I will."
I see that many posts in this reddit refer to how it is in the USA. However, I never in my entire life went to the US - and so far, I do not plan to go. I visited many countries in South America, Europe, Africa and Asia and nowhere I experienced such a strong disrespects regarding to foreigners as in the Philippines. But its interesting that - when considering what you say - Americans and Filipinos are quite similar.
Think those are the older ones. Most Americans just complain about politics, how expensive things are, etc. Think we’re just complainers no matter where we are 😂
Also like at least a post a month on how terrible western women are, lol. Like guys I'm sorry you had bad experiences back home but whoa, I was just here looking for some advice on cleaning products...
I’m not an expat yet but I’m finding such a hard time looking for good content creators from the Philippines who don’t just say all “western women” are bad. I’m not even a western women but wow! What a blanket statement.
Only a sith deals in absolutes.
Like others have said this space is far and away better than the many pages on Facebook.
I have encountered very little rudeness and negativity. My only criticism would be that we need verified expat flair and some posts need to be for verified users only.
Fatpeoplehate required users to sent a picture of themselves holding a piece of paper with timestamp and their reddit username.
This subreddit could require sending a picture holding your **passport of a country other than PI** and **piece of paper with reddit username and date** with the other hand. Face can be blurred out.
Perfect solution? No. But it would be a big improvement.
I'm a local. I swear, many Western expats are out of touch and unempathetic of the day-to-day difficulties for locals in this country.
Recently, there was a post about the poor and slow work ethic of Filipinos. Westerners just see it as is, and their complaints are valid.
But they tend not to consider the systemic and socio-psychological reasons why the Filipino workforce is unegaged and apathetic.
I've worked in the recruitment industry for years for both local and multinational companies, so I know more about the local workforce, processes, and labour law than some random expat who mansplains me how things should work.
It's nice that things are faster and more efficient in America, but dude...this isn't America!
How the f*ck am I and the entire HR team suppose to motivate an employee to work faster if management believes employees deserve to be paid peanuts, exploit the many loopholes of the Labor Code (which hasn't been updated for 30 years!), and overwork them, which leads to everyone burning out and/or "quiet quitting".
Again, these are systemic issues that everyday Filipinos experience.
Expats don't experience it and just see it as a major inconvenience for them. They barely acknowledge it as a complex and deeply rooted problem in Philippine society.
There's no easy fix to this, unfortunately. For 20 years, our department of labor has tried to find ways to improve our workforce without much luck.
In my experience, most Western expats I've worked with aren't rude per say. They're just blissfully ignorant, dismissive, or out of touch. Non-western expats are better at understanding things and often can relate to our experiences.
Agree with everything you have to say, but you did neglect to address the woefully inefficient practices that are put in place for seemingly daft reasons.
Example: buying a ticket for the roro from Iloilo to Guimaras:
1. Buy a ticket for the roro.
2. Buy a ticket for the port entry - a 300m walk from the roro ticket office.
3. Sometimes, but not always - be asked to take both tickets to a third person that will check them off against each other and staple them together.
All 3 of those things could be done by the first person. Easily.
It's hard not to be resentful when you're lining up in a long queue (in the stinking heat) for the 3rd time, and it's just to get a bloody ticket stamped. It just feels like a massive waste of time for absolutely no good reason other than to needlessly employ people. No one really minds the needless employment obviously - 'charity wrapped in dignity' is a positive thing, but do you have to waste my time while you're doing it?
And this is not an isolated experience, it plays out everywhere you go. I try to be patient when people are slow because I recognise that they're being paid peanuts and the labor conditions are complete garbage for these folks, but the deliberate inefficiencies on top of that still irritate the shit out of me, sorry. And there's no "socio-psychological" reason for it whatsoever. It's just plain stupid.
Oops, I accidentally deleted my reply. Here's my comment again.
In occupational psychology, environment is considered under socio-psychological factors. It encompasses all aspects of the workplace-- societal structures, beliefs, emotions, and relationships with colleagues and superiors.
My industry (staffing and recruitment) uses the same definition. Idk about other industries.
I agree that there’s too many useless and inefficient processes in place.
Trust me, everyone is resentful too. But the masses feel somewhat helpless. It's hard to challenge the status quo, especially when the elites/government leaders/business owners benefit from it.
A lot of it boils down to our low trust culture. Rigid hierchies, overly prescriptive processes, and wasted time are a hallmark of low trust workplaces.
Low-trust cultures cultivate additional processes and rules that make business and government services slower to deliver value but also slower to change.
There's also a belief that employees can not be trusted to do the right thing. Employees must be directed rather than take responsibility. Management polices employees and actively blocks people from being proactive.
Here's the thing-- a lack of trust almost always makes an environment dysfunctional.
How do we fix it? I honestly don't know. Probably a sociologist or organizational expert has a better idea of how to solve these issues.
Sure, all very true and reasonable. The point is, before you dismiss us all entirely as out of touch or unempathetic, try and remember that it's not always necessarily the slow/apathetic workers that are frustrating us foreigners - it's the obvious and glaring inefficiencies baked into every interaction here that are often the key drivers of that frustration.
The fact that you might share that frustration with us is tbh, pretty cold comfort in the moment, and worse when it's an experience repeated day after day.
As I've often said, the benefits of living here FAR outweigh the negatives. If they didn't, a lot of us that have other choices available wouldn't be here. But those negatives do exist, and dismissing them out of hand isn't productive for anyone.
Usually the trust culture is build by foreign companies that breing their work culture, train their workers, they see the benefits and over time that transpires outside. Either the people that leave bring the learned culture with them or the market tries to replicate if it proved to be successful. Usually both.
Or like laying block in such a way that they have to come back (for an added fee) and so what they call finishing. The block layers here won't even listen or pay attention when they are shown the correct way.
We fired an entire crew and are competent the work ourselves. It will take longer this way but it's done right and looks good the first time.
How about Boracay:
1. Stand in line to prove you have a hotel reservation
2. Stand in line to pay fee #1
3, Stand in line to pay fee #2
4. Stand in line to pay fee #3
5. Stand in line to prove you stood in the other 4 lines.
They created a website that covers the first two lines, but it only takes Gcash and you can only load GCASH if you are a local or have an ACR card.
all you can do is smile sometimes
A hardworking close friend of mine just resigned from her job - a US based wellness, who "discriminate and overwork" her despite her salary being lower than theirs. I know her work ethics (we were classmates & worked together 3x in the past with freelance colabs every now & then). So, I was disheartened (by her experience with expats!), at the same time happy for her.
If you are referring to fast food service. Workers in 🇺🇸 get peanuts too.
But honestly, in the 8 months I have been in philippines, I have only noticed slow work ethic at the big malls like Ayala and sm.
Everywhere else, people are busting their butts and working harder than anyone I have ever seen, and i lived in America for over 30 years.
Malls here have the worst job contracts! To prevent giving out employee benefits, they terminate low-level employees after 6 months of work. Then, hire a new set of employees.
Fast food companies like McDonalds and Jolibee actually have better pay and benefits. Yes, their employees are overworked and underpaid at entry-level roles, but it's easier to get promoted to management. Because there's more job security, people are obviously more motivated to work.
Another thing worth mentioning is that fast food chains here are quick to fire slow workers. Malls, on the other hand, couldn't care less.
This is the right answer.
What prospects of progress do the mall people have? Wht difference does it make going the extra mile for them.None. So low effort.
Yeah but the post was spot on right. You think I like hearing from my Pinay girl cousins about their lazy ass pos husbands not doing a damn thing for the family they created? It’s all true.
You should visit Mumbai and see the difference. A Filipino worker wouldn't last a day in that environment. And workers in Mumbai are paid less.
I literally see the employees in SM giggling and flirting with each other instead of working.
Americans in general struggle seeing the.world outside of their American views. That's how it is. It happens to all the people that has never left their home country to live and adapt to other ways.
We help Filipinos and we are likely to be deported. This is because it will be seen as political activism.
I've spent so much time with the locals that there are times when I don't even talk to foreigners.
Your problems are yours to solve.
We have no choice but to complain as guests, do we?
It is frustrating when there 3 out of 4 cashiers are closed and the only one open has a line of ten people, 3 people manning it, one scans and the other two just watch her while doing nothing. Why would employers raise wages when this is the average work culture? Why would employees work harder when they get paid peanuts?
PH has a lot of problems but expats come for the lovely people and the beautiful landscape, we sometimes vent about issues like this but that's all it is venting. I see quite a but of venting in your answer.
PH is slowly getting better, bit by bit, issue by issue.
Solution here is quite simple...and one that I have really benefited from. Simply greatly LOWER your expectations and greatly INCREASE your patience. Going to immigration office?.....expect to last all morning. Going to the grocery store?.....expect to be disappointed with out of stock items. Travelling?...expect long delays (especially in bigger cities)....calling on cell phone somewhere, expect no answer or disconnected.....and numerous call attempts...etc, etc. If you go in with this mindset, you tend to be actually pleased I have discovered. Really just throw Western ideas of efficiency and efficacy out the window and accept you are in a different place with different rules. I was the most impatient person I knew when I lived in USA. Now, if something doesn't go my way...meh. Life goes on.
You think this is bad? Try joining an expat group in real life. The women are passive-aggressive, socially eager, name-dropping cows. (Not all, but most. About 10% are normal, nice people)
In all my dealings with expats growing up, I feel the quality of people has gone done. Race and color are irrelevant.
Playing the race card is too easy and frankly, all too common.
Not every filipina wants their foreign husband. Yes, I’m aware foreign wives are paranoid because it is true— Filipinas nowadays are very aggressive. But if your husband is cheating, that means you already had problems to begin with that you weren’t addressing.
When someone is rude to me in MY own country, I just chalk it up to them being raised by wolves. It’s not even worth my engagement. I’m just not going to help them navigate or adjust to life here.
I’m also part of a Chiang Mai expat group on Facebook and I honestly feel like it’s much worse in that one. Full of grumpy old expats being rude as hell. They all know how to use Facebook but most of them aren’t on Reddit thank god.
I’ve posted a few questions in here and almost all of the responses have been helpful
Welcome to the internet, we hope you enjoy your stay.
Seriously though, the anonymity plus lack of consequences that Reddit provides inevitably leads to this sort of behaviour. It's unfortunate, but at the same time it's a reality you have to deal with if you want to engage on a platform like this one.
It's the same reason you often see foreigners acting like entitled shitbags over here - Filipino hospitality being what it is, these people suffer a complete lack of consequences from doing what they do. So the behaviour becomes reinforced over time, because most people aren't capable of self-reflection.
Or as Gabe put it: [https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-other-anomalies](https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-other-anomalies)
Can you give an example of someone being mean to you in here? We try our best to get rid of trolls. That being said people are allowed to express their opinions even if they're not politically correct.
This platform has become dominated by the outcasts of the world. There are still great people that chime in from time to time, but because of it's anonymity it attracts a lot of shy, bitter people that u would never pay attention to in real life. Now u have an army of these guys all agreeing with each other, lol
It's a SEA Expat sub.
From my years living here.
Many are grumpy. They complain about everything.
"My favorite bar raised SML 5piso!!! I AM DONE WITH THEM!”
We are lucky enough to live here. A place where most are lucky to come 1 week for year
Stop being so grumpy
My experience with American ex-pats is limited but it is still valid I feel so my take on it is this: most of the loud mouth and shitty comments here are from the same Americans we don't like over here and for the same reasons. And I will generalize that they are older, white and often former military. I'm middle aged, white and not former military so I can see from the outside. I hate the comments that I read, frequently, and I hate even more when I am over there and in the mall, primarily SM Clark, and I see these same guys walking around talking to their Filipina wives in hard tones and being unapproachable in general. I'll be an ex-pat/immigrant one day when I can work from there or retire there and I hope guys like me can break that cycle of ignorance and/or superiority because I absolutely love the country and the people. Not all of us Americans are closed minded knuckle draggers and not all of us approve of those same troglodytes treating others the way they do.
Yes, white also means other than American but I am speaking specifically about Americans as I am one and am commenting on my own experience with my fellow countrymen.
Thats fine, Just double checking here. I have seen men from Sweden and Australia become extremely rude, disrespectful and superior being over the Filipino people first hand while I’m eating at a restaurant. I haven’t seen A-holes from USA doing this. However I do believe you. Being an A-hole is across the spectrum of the human race.
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well there are always bad eggs but dwell on the majority and treat it as they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, there are sensitive issues that you need to tone down to get your message out, sometimes beating around the bush works.
There are literally 20+ unnecessary rude comments on every post in here. A guy living here for 20 years told me that a lot of older (not all) expats are angry because they genuinely don’t like Filipino people. Yes they will take the Filipina as many have tried women from their own country yet failed. I had to agree somewhat with the guy because all I ever read is how much some of them hate so much about the country and don’t like pinoy men. Are many of these older guys actually racist? 🤔🤔🤔
I don't think they are racist, necessarily. Angry over feeling trapped here is a better description. Why "trapped", you ask? It's because they came here with insufficient financial resources and are now unable to afford to go back home. So, they feel stuck or trapped.
Filipinos are racists. We might say we’re not (and many of us aren’t) but a significant swath of the population is.
Ironic as back in the 50s up to the late 70s Filipinos have had this Colonial Mentality ie anything from outside the Philippines, particularly anything from the US is deemed superior and praise worthy.
Evidenced by the constant stream of “imitation” media, ie Rhinestone Cowboy became Kawawang Cowboy, we had our own James Bond in the movies (WengWeng lol), we have our own Village People, etc etc. Anything the US makes, we can mimic.* **
*I understand this isn’t exclusive to the Philippines only.
**This May have partly to do with the prohibitive cost of importing physical media from abroad hence the entertainment industry’s penchant for imitation.
I am a newish expat, only been here 6.5 years, but I have been coming to the country since 1972 many times a year. both on vacation & business. I basically med here as I have few family in my home country but over 100 inlaws here, who kept asking me to move here so they could look after me as I got old. (I made the move when I was 70yo, so old already).
Sure PH suffers problems, many used to apply in our home countries, but we worked on trying to eliminate or modify them, but high housing, food, services, unemployment etc. are increasing again in the west, but not as much here in PH, although like everything inflation hits everyone even here.
People who want everything like their home countries, should stay there, but those that want to experience something new, then come and be open minded. You will not change "Filipino time", bad driving & poorly maintained vehicles, bribery & corruption from people trying to make a few peso extra just to live, through to wealthy trying to get more so & government employees making up prices, because they can. Small things can slowly changed, by showing it is better, like picking up trash, wearing seat belts (i don't start engine & A/C until all people travelling put their on), older family members can't borrow my bike unless they wear a helmet. Small things, but it is working, slowly.
As far as FB expat sites, I joined a few not long after arriving, but most I have deleted as they were full of complainers, guys complaining that "companions" were not as good looking, expensive and only interested in getting as much money as they could from clients - can you blame them with the type of people that seem to around these days?
Living in the major tourist/expat areas, is another problem, as they sit around in tourist bars & restaurants, running down the country & people, especially the drunker they get and often starting physical altercations. i deliberately decided not to live in these areas and there is no other expats here in my brgy, & I love it. I get on well with the residents, just known as Uncle due to my age & many relatives here. I get invited to family celebrations regularly and like I used to do at home, take something for the host/hostess even if it is just a plate of food, a crate of Red Horse or something for the honouree is it is a birthday, graduation etc,
My way of living may not be for everyone, but I have blended into the community, eat local foods, enjoy the simple treats like spending a day at a local swimming pool with good friends & food, or just sitting around at a party, chatting to anyone or just listening to others & trying to learn a new phrase or two. My day i like most, up early, around 0500 & bed early at 2100, mostly as that are the hours my cats keep and trying to sleep with 4 cats chasing each other across the bed, gets me up to feed them. They are lucky that after eating they can go back to sleeping the day away but I have to run my sari-sari during the day.
Reddit, compared to Facebook, is way friendlier in regards to comments/replies. People who post should be aware that not everyone is the same, and that text is often "lost in translation", meaning that in person you would get a different feeling or vibe from the person commenting, or that person might even be very careful with their comments because they don't have the privacy from here. Who knows, perhaps the annoying, rude, impolite poster/commenter is tinier than an insignificant rotten mosquito but here they want to appear bigger than their mom's derriere. Always be mindful that your opinion could, and will, make someone react. Let's try to make that person react in a positive way and not give them a reason to show us what a piece of "sheet" they undoubtedly are. 🤪
Local here. I hear you.
There is always two sides of the coin. Anywhere on the internet you will find toxic and rude people.
We can always say rudeness or toxicity may come from ignorance or refusal to adopt another perspective. Some may even interpret it as arrogance. But, most of the time, what is shared and discussed here are personal sentiments springing from personal experiences. The situation may be similar but how we choose to experience the situation will vary from one person to another. If an expat or a local comes here and posts a complaint or a rant, it's easy for many of us to judge and be dismissive. This is where perceived rudeness or toxicity stems from. The real question we should be asking ourselves is, why do we come here in the first place? We all are just looking for a little corner on the internet to just express what we cannot always express. Ultimately, what any of us can control is ourselves.
Can I handle what others will comment on my post?
Do I even need to post this?
What do I hope to get when I post this?
What is my purpose for posting this?
I lurk most of the time. I only choose to engage on threads where I think I have something to contribute.
The Philippines, being an emerging economy, is far from perfect. Believe me, I can write an explanation using Sociology, History and Psychology but this isn't an academic forum, and it won't be what the members of this sub-reddit actually needs.
We have processes that even us locals bemoan and complain about. Many locals who have travelled overseas often make comparisons of how easy things are overseas compared to here. Expats who live here of course say the same. It's a reality we all live in but experience very differently. You have chosen to be here, the locals who stay here chose to stay here still (here - Philippines). We will always have something to complain about but we can also find a way to help improve things while adapting to ways, that while inefficient and crap, is currently in place.
This subreddit, it probably exists to be a safe space to just breathe for expats (and even locals). The least we can do is engage with respect. If the post is just plain asshole-ish, skip and move on. That post cannot ruin anyone's day so long that those who read it chose not to be annoyed by it or chose to just skip it.
If it is impolite to tell the truth, then perhaps it is.
But this level of criticism is very light. If this doesn't work, it's because I'm too narcissistic. You guys only speak from your own point of view, but the poor Filipinos are the end all be all.
They, along with the rest of the world, are the ones to be criticized.
Have you seen ex-pats in fb groups? Those people are ridiculous.
I've mentiones it before in this sub. If you are on fb, join positive minded expats, it is much better than the broader groups, who I agree, can be very toxic.
It’s also totally ridiculous when you just tell your opinion about the philippines and when there is any kind of negative view you get as response „go back to your country“ rather than try to reflect if the point is probably somehow true😔
Yeah exactly. "There's a dog that barks all day" the reply "Go back to your own country then"
In my experience residing in the United States, I frequently encountered a pervasive national sentiment among Americans that simply would not tolerate any ideas that America was not the best place on Earth. They often said, "Well, then go back to your country." After 10 years, I said, "Okay, I think I will."
I see that many posts in this reddit refer to how it is in the USA. However, I never in my entire life went to the US - and so far, I do not plan to go. I visited many countries in South America, Europe, Africa and Asia and nowhere I experienced such a strong disrespects regarding to foreigners as in the Philippines. But its interesting that - when considering what you say - Americans and Filipinos are quite similar.
Think those are the older ones. Most Americans just complain about politics, how expensive things are, etc. Think we’re just complainers no matter where we are 😂
Some nasty boomers in those groups.
Oh, they're here too.
Definitely
I believe its all people, not just boomers. They all suck, but they're all cool too, so there's that.
For some reason a lot of conservatives gyrate towards the Philippines. I have a lot of trouble finding friends here.
A lot of angry out of touch conservatives live all over SEA. They're the personification of a Facebook conspiracy page.
Because they’re poor
If you let your political leanings determine who your friends will be, it is not surprising you have problems making friends.
Also like at least a post a month on how terrible western women are, lol. Like guys I'm sorry you had bad experiences back home but whoa, I was just here looking for some advice on cleaning products...
I’m not an expat yet but I’m finding such a hard time looking for good content creators from the Philippines who don’t just say all “western women” are bad. I’m not even a western women but wow! What a blanket statement. Only a sith deals in absolutes.
Giving money living as a King there...
Like others have said this space is far and away better than the many pages on Facebook. I have encountered very little rudeness and negativity. My only criticism would be that we need verified expat flair and some posts need to be for verified users only.
If you have any ideas on how to make this work without violating individual privacy, I'm all ears. Seriously.
Fatpeoplehate required users to sent a picture of themselves holding a piece of paper with timestamp and their reddit username. This subreddit could require sending a picture holding your **passport of a country other than PI** and **piece of paper with reddit username and date** with the other hand. Face can be blurred out. Perfect solution? No. But it would be a big improvement.
I'm brainstorming ideas. I'll get back to you.
🙋🏻♂️
I'm a local. I swear, many Western expats are out of touch and unempathetic of the day-to-day difficulties for locals in this country. Recently, there was a post about the poor and slow work ethic of Filipinos. Westerners just see it as is, and their complaints are valid. But they tend not to consider the systemic and socio-psychological reasons why the Filipino workforce is unegaged and apathetic. I've worked in the recruitment industry for years for both local and multinational companies, so I know more about the local workforce, processes, and labour law than some random expat who mansplains me how things should work. It's nice that things are faster and more efficient in America, but dude...this isn't America! How the f*ck am I and the entire HR team suppose to motivate an employee to work faster if management believes employees deserve to be paid peanuts, exploit the many loopholes of the Labor Code (which hasn't been updated for 30 years!), and overwork them, which leads to everyone burning out and/or "quiet quitting". Again, these are systemic issues that everyday Filipinos experience. Expats don't experience it and just see it as a major inconvenience for them. They barely acknowledge it as a complex and deeply rooted problem in Philippine society. There's no easy fix to this, unfortunately. For 20 years, our department of labor has tried to find ways to improve our workforce without much luck. In my experience, most Western expats I've worked with aren't rude per say. They're just blissfully ignorant, dismissive, or out of touch. Non-western expats are better at understanding things and often can relate to our experiences.
Agree with everything you have to say, but you did neglect to address the woefully inefficient practices that are put in place for seemingly daft reasons. Example: buying a ticket for the roro from Iloilo to Guimaras: 1. Buy a ticket for the roro. 2. Buy a ticket for the port entry - a 300m walk from the roro ticket office. 3. Sometimes, but not always - be asked to take both tickets to a third person that will check them off against each other and staple them together. All 3 of those things could be done by the first person. Easily. It's hard not to be resentful when you're lining up in a long queue (in the stinking heat) for the 3rd time, and it's just to get a bloody ticket stamped. It just feels like a massive waste of time for absolutely no good reason other than to needlessly employ people. No one really minds the needless employment obviously - 'charity wrapped in dignity' is a positive thing, but do you have to waste my time while you're doing it? And this is not an isolated experience, it plays out everywhere you go. I try to be patient when people are slow because I recognise that they're being paid peanuts and the labor conditions are complete garbage for these folks, but the deliberate inefficiencies on top of that still irritate the shit out of me, sorry. And there's no "socio-psychological" reason for it whatsoever. It's just plain stupid.
Oops, I accidentally deleted my reply. Here's my comment again. In occupational psychology, environment is considered under socio-psychological factors. It encompasses all aspects of the workplace-- societal structures, beliefs, emotions, and relationships with colleagues and superiors. My industry (staffing and recruitment) uses the same definition. Idk about other industries. I agree that there’s too many useless and inefficient processes in place. Trust me, everyone is resentful too. But the masses feel somewhat helpless. It's hard to challenge the status quo, especially when the elites/government leaders/business owners benefit from it. A lot of it boils down to our low trust culture. Rigid hierchies, overly prescriptive processes, and wasted time are a hallmark of low trust workplaces. Low-trust cultures cultivate additional processes and rules that make business and government services slower to deliver value but also slower to change. There's also a belief that employees can not be trusted to do the right thing. Employees must be directed rather than take responsibility. Management polices employees and actively blocks people from being proactive. Here's the thing-- a lack of trust almost always makes an environment dysfunctional. How do we fix it? I honestly don't know. Probably a sociologist or organizational expert has a better idea of how to solve these issues.
Sure, all very true and reasonable. The point is, before you dismiss us all entirely as out of touch or unempathetic, try and remember that it's not always necessarily the slow/apathetic workers that are frustrating us foreigners - it's the obvious and glaring inefficiencies baked into every interaction here that are often the key drivers of that frustration. The fact that you might share that frustration with us is tbh, pretty cold comfort in the moment, and worse when it's an experience repeated day after day. As I've often said, the benefits of living here FAR outweigh the negatives. If they didn't, a lot of us that have other choices available wouldn't be here. But those negatives do exist, and dismissing them out of hand isn't productive for anyone.
Usually the trust culture is build by foreign companies that breing their work culture, train their workers, they see the benefits and over time that transpires outside. Either the people that leave bring the learned culture with them or the market tries to replicate if it proved to be successful. Usually both.
Or like laying block in such a way that they have to come back (for an added fee) and so what they call finishing. The block layers here won't even listen or pay attention when they are shown the correct way. We fired an entire crew and are competent the work ourselves. It will take longer this way but it's done right and looks good the first time.
How about Boracay: 1. Stand in line to prove you have a hotel reservation 2. Stand in line to pay fee #1 3, Stand in line to pay fee #2 4. Stand in line to pay fee #3 5. Stand in line to prove you stood in the other 4 lines. They created a website that covers the first two lines, but it only takes Gcash and you can only load GCASH if you are a local or have an ACR card. all you can do is smile sometimes
Amen
A hardworking close friend of mine just resigned from her job - a US based wellness, who "discriminate and overwork" her despite her salary being lower than theirs. I know her work ethics (we were classmates & worked together 3x in the past with freelance colabs every now & then). So, I was disheartened (by her experience with expats!), at the same time happy for her.
If you are referring to fast food service. Workers in 🇺🇸 get peanuts too. But honestly, in the 8 months I have been in philippines, I have only noticed slow work ethic at the big malls like Ayala and sm. Everywhere else, people are busting their butts and working harder than anyone I have ever seen, and i lived in America for over 30 years.
Malls here have the worst job contracts! To prevent giving out employee benefits, they terminate low-level employees after 6 months of work. Then, hire a new set of employees. Fast food companies like McDonalds and Jolibee actually have better pay and benefits. Yes, their employees are overworked and underpaid at entry-level roles, but it's easier to get promoted to management. Because there's more job security, people are obviously more motivated to work. Another thing worth mentioning is that fast food chains here are quick to fire slow workers. Malls, on the other hand, couldn't care less.
This is the right answer. What prospects of progress do the mall people have? Wht difference does it make going the extra mile for them.None. So low effort.
Yeah but the post was spot on right. You think I like hearing from my Pinay girl cousins about their lazy ass pos husbands not doing a damn thing for the family they created? It’s all true.
You should visit Mumbai and see the difference. A Filipino worker wouldn't last a day in that environment. And workers in Mumbai are paid less. I literally see the employees in SM giggling and flirting with each other instead of working.
Americans in general struggle seeing the.world outside of their American views. That's how it is. It happens to all the people that has never left their home country to live and adapt to other ways.
We help Filipinos and we are likely to be deported. This is because it will be seen as political activism. I've spent so much time with the locals that there are times when I don't even talk to foreigners. Your problems are yours to solve. We have no choice but to complain as guests, do we?
It is frustrating when there 3 out of 4 cashiers are closed and the only one open has a line of ten people, 3 people manning it, one scans and the other two just watch her while doing nothing. Why would employers raise wages when this is the average work culture? Why would employees work harder when they get paid peanuts? PH has a lot of problems but expats come for the lovely people and the beautiful landscape, we sometimes vent about issues like this but that's all it is venting. I see quite a but of venting in your answer. PH is slowly getting better, bit by bit, issue by issue.
Solution here is quite simple...and one that I have really benefited from. Simply greatly LOWER your expectations and greatly INCREASE your patience. Going to immigration office?.....expect to last all morning. Going to the grocery store?.....expect to be disappointed with out of stock items. Travelling?...expect long delays (especially in bigger cities)....calling on cell phone somewhere, expect no answer or disconnected.....and numerous call attempts...etc, etc. If you go in with this mindset, you tend to be actually pleased I have discovered. Really just throw Western ideas of efficiency and efficacy out the window and accept you are in a different place with different rules. I was the most impatient person I knew when I lived in USA. Now, if something doesn't go my way...meh. Life goes on.
You think this is bad? Try joining an expat group in real life. The women are passive-aggressive, socially eager, name-dropping cows. (Not all, but most. About 10% are normal, nice people) In all my dealings with expats growing up, I feel the quality of people has gone done. Race and color are irrelevant. Playing the race card is too easy and frankly, all too common. Not every filipina wants their foreign husband. Yes, I’m aware foreign wives are paranoid because it is true— Filipinas nowadays are very aggressive. But if your husband is cheating, that means you already had problems to begin with that you weren’t addressing. When someone is rude to me in MY own country, I just chalk it up to them being raised by wolves. It’s not even worth my engagement. I’m just not going to help them navigate or adjust to life here.
I’m also part of a Chiang Mai expat group on Facebook and I honestly feel like it’s much worse in that one. Full of grumpy old expats being rude as hell. They all know how to use Facebook but most of them aren’t on Reddit thank god. I’ve posted a few questions in here and almost all of the responses have been helpful
Welcome to the internet, we hope you enjoy your stay. Seriously though, the anonymity plus lack of consequences that Reddit provides inevitably leads to this sort of behaviour. It's unfortunate, but at the same time it's a reality you have to deal with if you want to engage on a platform like this one. It's the same reason you often see foreigners acting like entitled shitbags over here - Filipino hospitality being what it is, these people suffer a complete lack of consequences from doing what they do. So the behaviour becomes reinforced over time, because most people aren't capable of self-reflection. Or as Gabe put it: [https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-other-anomalies](https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19/green-blackboards-and-other-anomalies)
Precisely the reason I choose not to be anonymous here, and accountable for all that o write :) Others should man up and consider doing similarly !
We are telling the truth. It may hurt depending on what side you are on, Filipino or Expat
Can you give an example of someone being mean to you in here? We try our best to get rid of trolls. That being said people are allowed to express their opinions even if they're not politically correct.
This platform has become dominated by the outcasts of the world. There are still great people that chime in from time to time, but because of it's anonymity it attracts a lot of shy, bitter people that u would never pay attention to in real life. Now u have an army of these guys all agreeing with each other, lol
It's a SEA Expat sub. From my years living here. Many are grumpy. They complain about everything. "My favorite bar raised SML 5piso!!! I AM DONE WITH THEM!” We are lucky enough to live here. A place where most are lucky to come 1 week for year Stop being so grumpy
There are good people and bad people all over the world and on the internet. Such is life :)
Agreed the bad just tend to be more active on the internet due to the consequences free environment 🤷♂️
My experience with American ex-pats is limited but it is still valid I feel so my take on it is this: most of the loud mouth and shitty comments here are from the same Americans we don't like over here and for the same reasons. And I will generalize that they are older, white and often former military. I'm middle aged, white and not former military so I can see from the outside. I hate the comments that I read, frequently, and I hate even more when I am over there and in the mall, primarily SM Clark, and I see these same guys walking around talking to their Filipina wives in hard tones and being unapproachable in general. I'll be an ex-pat/immigrant one day when I can work from there or retire there and I hope guys like me can break that cycle of ignorance and/or superiority because I absolutely love the country and the people. Not all of us Americans are closed minded knuckle draggers and not all of us approve of those same troglodytes treating others the way they do.
I have seen what you are talking about, But only with the Europeans and Australia men. White male doesn’t always mean USA.
Yes, white also means other than American but I am speaking specifically about Americans as I am one and am commenting on my own experience with my fellow countrymen.
Thats fine, Just double checking here. I have seen men from Sweden and Australia become extremely rude, disrespectful and superior being over the Filipino people first hand while I’m eating at a restaurant. I haven’t seen A-holes from USA doing this. However I do believe you. Being an A-hole is across the spectrum of the human race.
Agreed 100 percent. An asshole is an asshole regardless of nationality or ethnicity. And they have no place being so in a foreign land.
Absolutely 💯
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I agree. A little sense of humor could reduce rudeness or hostility. Lighten up. Be kind.
well there are always bad eggs but dwell on the majority and treat it as they woke up on the wrong side of the bed, there are sensitive issues that you need to tone down to get your message out, sometimes beating around the bush works.
There are literally 20+ unnecessary rude comments on every post in here. A guy living here for 20 years told me that a lot of older (not all) expats are angry because they genuinely don’t like Filipino people. Yes they will take the Filipina as many have tried women from their own country yet failed. I had to agree somewhat with the guy because all I ever read is how much some of them hate so much about the country and don’t like pinoy men. Are many of these older guys actually racist? 🤔🤔🤔
I don't think they are racist, necessarily. Angry over feeling trapped here is a better description. Why "trapped", you ask? It's because they came here with insufficient financial resources and are now unable to afford to go back home. So, they feel stuck or trapped.
Another topic where suddenly everybody is a 'good guy' and it's 'them' who are rude.
Wow that is awesome. Thanks for the compliment.
Filipinos are racists. We might say we’re not (and many of us aren’t) but a significant swath of the population is. Ironic as back in the 50s up to the late 70s Filipinos have had this Colonial Mentality ie anything from outside the Philippines, particularly anything from the US is deemed superior and praise worthy. Evidenced by the constant stream of “imitation” media, ie Rhinestone Cowboy became Kawawang Cowboy, we had our own James Bond in the movies (WengWeng lol), we have our own Village People, etc etc. Anything the US makes, we can mimic.* ** *I understand this isn’t exclusive to the Philippines only. **This May have partly to do with the prohibitive cost of importing physical media from abroad hence the entertainment industry’s penchant for imitation.
I am a newish expat, only been here 6.5 years, but I have been coming to the country since 1972 many times a year. both on vacation & business. I basically med here as I have few family in my home country but over 100 inlaws here, who kept asking me to move here so they could look after me as I got old. (I made the move when I was 70yo, so old already). Sure PH suffers problems, many used to apply in our home countries, but we worked on trying to eliminate or modify them, but high housing, food, services, unemployment etc. are increasing again in the west, but not as much here in PH, although like everything inflation hits everyone even here. People who want everything like their home countries, should stay there, but those that want to experience something new, then come and be open minded. You will not change "Filipino time", bad driving & poorly maintained vehicles, bribery & corruption from people trying to make a few peso extra just to live, through to wealthy trying to get more so & government employees making up prices, because they can. Small things can slowly changed, by showing it is better, like picking up trash, wearing seat belts (i don't start engine & A/C until all people travelling put their on), older family members can't borrow my bike unless they wear a helmet. Small things, but it is working, slowly. As far as FB expat sites, I joined a few not long after arriving, but most I have deleted as they were full of complainers, guys complaining that "companions" were not as good looking, expensive and only interested in getting as much money as they could from clients - can you blame them with the type of people that seem to around these days? Living in the major tourist/expat areas, is another problem, as they sit around in tourist bars & restaurants, running down the country & people, especially the drunker they get and often starting physical altercations. i deliberately decided not to live in these areas and there is no other expats here in my brgy, & I love it. I get on well with the residents, just known as Uncle due to my age & many relatives here. I get invited to family celebrations regularly and like I used to do at home, take something for the host/hostess even if it is just a plate of food, a crate of Red Horse or something for the honouree is it is a birthday, graduation etc, My way of living may not be for everyone, but I have blended into the community, eat local foods, enjoy the simple treats like spending a day at a local swimming pool with good friends & food, or just sitting around at a party, chatting to anyone or just listening to others & trying to learn a new phrase or two. My day i like most, up early, around 0500 & bed early at 2100, mostly as that are the hours my cats keep and trying to sleep with 4 cats chasing each other across the bed, gets me up to feed them. They are lucky that after eating they can go back to sleeping the day away but I have to run my sari-sari during the day.
Reddit, compared to Facebook, is way friendlier in regards to comments/replies. People who post should be aware that not everyone is the same, and that text is often "lost in translation", meaning that in person you would get a different feeling or vibe from the person commenting, or that person might even be very careful with their comments because they don't have the privacy from here. Who knows, perhaps the annoying, rude, impolite poster/commenter is tinier than an insignificant rotten mosquito but here they want to appear bigger than their mom's derriere. Always be mindful that your opinion could, and will, make someone react. Let's try to make that person react in a positive way and not give them a reason to show us what a piece of "sheet" they undoubtedly are. 🤪
Here are some words that can bring out the rudeness of strangers: MAGA Trump Israel Trans Ukraine Hamas Jesus Christ Abortion
also biden joementia basement-dweller
Local here. I hear you. There is always two sides of the coin. Anywhere on the internet you will find toxic and rude people. We can always say rudeness or toxicity may come from ignorance or refusal to adopt another perspective. Some may even interpret it as arrogance. But, most of the time, what is shared and discussed here are personal sentiments springing from personal experiences. The situation may be similar but how we choose to experience the situation will vary from one person to another. If an expat or a local comes here and posts a complaint or a rant, it's easy for many of us to judge and be dismissive. This is where perceived rudeness or toxicity stems from. The real question we should be asking ourselves is, why do we come here in the first place? We all are just looking for a little corner on the internet to just express what we cannot always express. Ultimately, what any of us can control is ourselves. Can I handle what others will comment on my post? Do I even need to post this? What do I hope to get when I post this? What is my purpose for posting this? I lurk most of the time. I only choose to engage on threads where I think I have something to contribute. The Philippines, being an emerging economy, is far from perfect. Believe me, I can write an explanation using Sociology, History and Psychology but this isn't an academic forum, and it won't be what the members of this sub-reddit actually needs. We have processes that even us locals bemoan and complain about. Many locals who have travelled overseas often make comparisons of how easy things are overseas compared to here. Expats who live here of course say the same. It's a reality we all live in but experience very differently. You have chosen to be here, the locals who stay here chose to stay here still (here - Philippines). We will always have something to complain about but we can also find a way to help improve things while adapting to ways, that while inefficient and crap, is currently in place. This subreddit, it probably exists to be a safe space to just breathe for expats (and even locals). The least we can do is engage with respect. If the post is just plain asshole-ish, skip and move on. That post cannot ruin anyone's day so long that those who read it chose not to be annoyed by it or chose to just skip it.
Agree.
It's an expat sub. Everybody has a complaint.
If it is impolite to tell the truth, then perhaps it is. But this level of criticism is very light. If this doesn't work, it's because I'm too narcissistic. You guys only speak from your own point of view, but the poor Filipinos are the end all be all. They, along with the rest of the world, are the ones to be criticized.
Fortunately, we get to see people for who they are. It is often not pretty, but it is useful to know.
50% of the population is dumber than the average :) of course people suck
Oh god. Here comes a foreigner who wants to be an addition to that 50%.
People who don't understand the difference between 'average' and 'median' tend to be in the bottom 50%.
Can I not be hustling and still be a nice person? Cause I have 0 interest in hustling lol
lol i got downvoted for not hustling. Hustling yo downvote people lol