What do you dislike the most in Filipinos and Philippines?

Pao Fuentebella

 · 

Follow

Lives in Manila 6y

What do you dislike the most in Filipinos and Philippines?

Disclaimer: I consider this list as points for improvement. I believe we have so much potential, but we focus too much on all the wrong things, fight for irrelevant causes and stay in our comfort zones.

*cracks knuckles*

Philippines:

1. Lack of connecting transportation. Our country is beautiful, only it’s expensive to get from one island to another because we don’t have trains that connect Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao. Even for locals like me, backpack travelling is a huge challenge to the budget and legs.
2. No standardization. We Filipinos seem to be allergic to having a standard. What’s the standards for cooking Filipino dishes? Do we have concrete standards for the language Tagalog? What about prices on travel boats, souvenirs, Cornetto ice cream? I have never bought a P20 Cornetto drumstick despite their catchy ad.
3. Too much democracy. Yes, I said it. Normally, when people don’t follow rules, the governing bodies would be stricter. Not in our country. The government are lenient to the voice of the people. And that’s not for the love of country, they do what people want because they want to stay in power. Politicians who put their fists down are painted evil.
4. “Will exploit country for personal gains”. So, you’re a foreigner who wants to buy that virgin white sand island? Give me my price and it’s yours, even though our law says foreigners can’t own land in this country. I’m super close friends with the city governor.
5. Archaic constitution and government. You want to know our history? Just watch a senate hearing. Them old pot-bellied pigs have been sitting on those chairs for decades. Our very young country is being run by old men. I like to joke that while Europe have monuments of historic people, ours are in the senate, alive and corrupting since the Filipino government was established.

Filipinos:

1. “Will exploit myself and others for money!” So, I’m not exactly a whore, and old white men aren’t my type. But you have dollars/pounds in your bank account, you can have me as your wife or mistress. (Note: I’m pertaining to opportunists. I do recognize that there are professional sex workers and there are those who are genuinely in love with their foreign partners.)
2. Emphasis on money. Extreme focus on money and greatness, but lack of focus on content and meaning. Some have mentioned that smart-shaming is a thing here, well, so is hard work. Filipinos will only acknowledge your hard work if you become rich.
3. Ignorant and proud. Being stupid is a valid excuse here.
4. Victim mindset. Our pattern is the same with our afternoon dramas. There’s a villain, a victim, a hero and an audience. When things don’t go well, we are quick play the victim and point fingers to the villain. When things are going great, we demand an audience and look for the hero who made great things possible for us.
5. Undisciplined and sensitive. In this country, whoever broke the rules is also the most sensitive party. Expect him/her to play victim to get out of trouble.