PHILIPPINE VOYAGER

Originally posted on Tuesday, 22 July 2008

The other day I was talking to some of my ‘kababayan’ countrymen about plans of going back home to the Philippines. One of them immediately snapped back “But how are you going to pay for your health care back home, aren’t you going to lose out on the company sponsored health plan?”This statement kind of took me aback, as I haven’t really thought about it. In fact, I haven’t sought treatment from a doctor or dentist for the past seven years. I did have one required checkup last June, but that was only to fulfill some immigration requirement. Now, I’ve always considered myself a fairly healthy guy who takes time to get regular exercise on my own time. I take the bus and public transpo to work, which forces me to walk long distances and breathe in the natural air outside.
I always felt in my heart that the Philippines offers the best natural health care available. Let me explain.

The US medical and health care industry is geared towards curing diseases and sicknesses once they are already present. There seems to be a pill or drug for almost everything, be it colds, flu, headaches, insomnia, depression, restless leg syndrome, obesity, erectile dysfunction and a lot of other assorted ailments. The idea is that you get sick, then you drink something that will make you feel better and get well.

Contrast this with the philosophy of Philippine and Asian medicine, which is focused on prevention of sickness and increasing our natural resistance to diseases. When I was growing up, my grandmother instilled in me the values of having good health through exercise and eating nutritious food. As kids, when we got sick, we rarely got any prescription medicine. Instead we were given home remedies such as vinegar, lugaw (rice porridge) with lots of ginger, salt gargle for mouth sores, and having hot calamansi juice to help our antibodies fight the virus.

I remember one meeting at work while in the US. There was a lull in the discussion, and my co-workers were chit-chatting about what type of sleeping pills they took when they couldn’t sleep at night. Apparently, it was normal to take sleeping pills if you couldn’t sleep, to make sure you get the proper rest. One senior guy mentioned that there were various side effects with some type of pills – they would give you a headache the following day, and there is a risk of developing a dependency on them.

I felt out of place because apparently I was the only who had not taken any sleeping pills, or even NyQuil for colds. I told my teammates that if I couldn’t sleep, I would just relax and read a book, and if I got just an hour or two of sleep before morning, that would be ok with me, no big deal. I found it interesting to listen to stories of people describing their level of anxiety when they had trouble sleeping, and needed some drug to get the needed sleep and rest.

Another thing I found fascinating was this preoccupation with antidepressants. I was both skeptical and amazed that there was actually a pill that can make a sad person happy. And what was more surprising was how many people I knew who had admitted to taking antidepressants, including a number of Filipinos who had been in the US for several years. I asked them if it actually worked – “When you drank it, did you feel different?” and they would reply that yes, after several weeks of taking the drugs, it helped them to feel better about themselves.

I will never forget the time when a friend and co-worker confided in me that there were occasions when she just wanted to drive to an isolated stretch of the interstate at midnight, park the car to the side and just curl up to die. I think it might have been depression due to hopelessness or bad weather, so I tried to cheer her up with some positive stories from my home country and the simple pleasures that Filipinos enjoyed.

It got me thinking – why had I not heard of these ailments and wonder drugs while I was in the Philippines? There were no sleeping pills, and not much mention of antidepressants or sleep anxiety. What was different?

Then it hit me that the reason is because we have the best natural health care system in our country. That natural health care comes in the form of a relationship-based society. In the Philippines, there is a universal and honest closeness among friends, family, and co-workers. You see the support system everywhere you go. Go to any shopping mall, jollibee, or starbucks, and you will see this magic in effect.

For instance, many years back when I was still working in Makati, there was a time when I was having some personal problems both at work and at home. My friends and co-workers could instantly see what was happening to me and just wouldn’t allow me to get depressed. They sacrificed much of their personal time to stay with me when things weren’t going well, and we would talk about our problems, as well as finding needed diversions to get our minds off of it. So you see, I am very much indebted to those people, and would do the same for them during their low times.

The relationship among family members also plays a big part. I instinctively always try to cheer up my mother and father when I sense that they are bored or hopeless, or sad. And I remember all their support and concern for me when I had low confidence and self-esteem. A relationship-based society is the best antidepressant. It is like walking around with a giant support system around you, having a huge of community of people who care and help each other in times of need. This is our biggest strength as a people, and we should never sacrifice this at the expense of material progress.

Of course, there are lots of other health benefits to life in the Philippines. To enumerate some of them – fresh food, vegetables and fruits, a nice hot sunny humid climate is good for the skin and mental outlook, and a more laid back, less stressful lifestyle does wonders for warding off ailments. Yes, I know everybody complains about the heat, but honestly it beats cold weather in terms of health benefits. I can probably do without the smoke and pollution – that is a solvable problem that we can work on.

The health benefits of being happy is easy to underestimate. It is very hard to get sick when you are living in the moment, enjoying life and the people around you. It sure beats swallowing a pill. [Written by Rob dela Cruz]

The recent incidents impacting on the financial health of the United States reveals the warped thinking of economic planners who are not planners at all but apologist for the failed economic policy of the Government – “THE TRICKLE DOWN VOODOO ECONOMICS”. It is an economic theory which states that investing money in companies or giving more Government benefits to the rich and giving them tax breaks is the best way to stimulate the economy. Proponents of this theory believe that when government helps companies, they will produce more and thereby hire more people and raise salaries. The people, in turn, will have more money to spend in the economy. 

But in reality the “Trickle-down economics” and “trickle-down theory,” is the economic-political argument that the increases in the wealth of the rich are good for the poor because some of such additional wealth will eventually trickle down to the middle class and to the poor. 

So this economic theory is dependent on the benevolence and magnanimity of the RICH!  And the pejorative connotation of “trickle down” says it all, there is no wealth sharing, this is shame-faced CRONY CAPITALISM or SOCIALISM FOR THE RICH ONLY. They “socialize” your tax money and expect to be bailed out every time they overreach the limits of their greed. 

Funny thing is they turned the common people as an unwilling hostage to push the Government to bail them out. This is one of the most “Unchristian” doctrine I have ever come across and not only that in practice they do the most uncharitable things. Let me enumerate:

WHEN THE “TRICKLE DOWN RICH” HAS MORE MONEY, DO THEY…….

….invest in the UNITED STATES? NO, they go elsewhere to invest like China, India, etc but not in America.  They are the ones who shipped out jobs to low-salaried countries depriving Americans of incomes RIGHTFULLY THEIRS (which I will explain later) to pay their house mortgages, health expenses, saving for retirement and investment.  They are currently waging a war against the working-class American by taking away their right to a decent way of life.

Do you really think the present sub prime mortgage happened overnight?  When jobs are exported abroad and are locally non-existent, too few options are available to own the house, pay for college and still have enough for retirement.  It is the same when we import most of our needs, we become mere consumers.  We did not lose jobs, it was taken away from us when the means to work were and are still being exported.

….use their own MONEY? NO, they borrow from banks holding our hard earned deposits and “secure” it with their debt-papers which may become worthless should they declare bankruptcy. The current situation is a frightening example of the old banker’ trick using “Other peoples’ money” to do business. 

Now this is the real “hostage situation”.  In the name of the people who will suffer if they weren’t bailed out, the financial institutions allege that they need to borrow money from Government…..correction, no from the people’s tax money now and to be collect in the future.

The real score as to why financials desperately  issued  a  $700 billion ransom note to Government is that no right thinking foreign Government will permit their banks to buy  American Rich”s thrash.  The tell tale signs are the dollar is down and oil prices are high because these are the only items that reflects US economy. 

….really create JOBS?  NO, they eliminate jobs in the name of efficiency, opportunity, mergers, takeovers, and breaking up of companies to “get a better return on asset”.  And we let them do it thinking it is good for us poor fools.  And if ever they create jobs, these are not secure because when another country lowers their salary average thru legislation it seems not only good financially but also looks good morally. Never mind if that average salary is like $ 1 a day or $ 10/ day as in the Philippines.

….really promote CAPITALISM? NO, they promote monopoly of the RICH called crony capitalism so much so that small scale and medium scale businesses here in the USA cannot compete with them much less the “Mom & Pop Stores” of decades ago. And the willing partner is the local Government with their “zoning”, and the use of eminent domain arising from the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Kelo vs. City of New London (545 U.S. 469 (2005) thus transferring private land to another private buyer after payment of due compensation.  The reason for it all? More taxes, but who gets to spend the taxes and for what and for whom when we pay for almost everything including health care?

….really pay more TAXES?  NO, the Breakdown of Federal Revenues (Source: Council of Economic Advisors, Economic Indicators (Washington D.C., U.S. Government Printing Offices, 1967, 1977, & 2004) shows that percentage wise individuals pay more taxes than the “poor” Corporations.

1965           1975        1988         2008

Individual income tax:             

43%            45%           44%            43%

Social insurance taxes etc:      

20%             32%           37%           39%

Corporation income tax:         

23%               15%           10%           10%

Local Tax:

14%                8%               9%            8%

Total (Percent %): 

100               100               100       100

The Middle Class is being taken again for another ride.

 The present financial debacle is borne by the lack of regulations and with that lack there were no checks and balances available and so poor Johnny Boy’s nest eggs (savings, IRA, mutual fund, Social Security) is undermined by the greed of those in position to transfer money from one bank to another in any country.  The favorite method is to sell the dubious instruments such as ”collateralized debt obligations”. Let me explain, if we use food extenders, these CDO acts the same way, the mortgages are bunched together, unregulated by the Government with the only rule applying, “caveat emptor” or buyers beware.  The Wikipedia definition suffices our need for the meantime, to wit:

 “Collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) are an unregulated type of asset-backed structured credit product. CDOs are constructed from a portfolio of fixed-income assets. These assets are divided by the ratings-firms that assess their value into different tranches: senior tranches (rated AAA), mezzanine tranches (AA to BB), and equity tranches (unrated). Losses are applied in reverse order of seniority and so junior tranches offer higher coupons (interest rates) to compensate for the added default-risk. Since 1987, CDOs have become an important funding vehicle for fixed-income assets”.

 To make a comparison, it is like buying tainted milk and feeding it to you children and stupidly hoping that they don’t get sick. Hah! [Written by Deo Quiogue]

Originally posted on Thursday, 10 January 2008

 I have a couple of interesting observations on how Christmas in the US is different from that of the Philippines. But before I mention them, I would like to say first of all that I have much respect for American culture and I believe we can learn a lot from them, particularly on how to grow an economy and how the respect for the beliefs of others plays an integral part of their culture. It’s one reason why the United States is the greatest nation in the world. That said, I find some of their holiday practices a bit unusual from my point of view.

For one, the words ‘Merry Christmas’ seems to have disappeared from the lexicon, replaced by the more religion-neutral and politically correct phrase ‘Happy Holidays’. While I understand that the reason behind this is so as not to offend other religious faiths, frankly I find this just weird. After all, the holiday is Christmas, so why not call it by its name, regardless of whether you believe in it or not?

It’s gotten to the point where in our office, we have a Christmas Tree in the lobby decorated with lights and ornaments. Except we are told that it’s really not a Christmas Tree, instead it’s called a ‘Giving Tree’ (so as not to offend anyone). It’s as if the word Christmas has suddenly become taboo. They even removed the star on top of the tree. So lame.

We also don’t have an office Christmas party, in its place we would have a ‘Yearend Party’. And my co-workers greet each other a ‘Happy Holidays’ instead of ‘Merry Christmas’. Every year as an experiment, I always greet my co-workers with “Merry Christmas” (avoiding the more safe Happy Holidays or Seasons Greetings), and see if they will react violently or take offense. I’m happy to say that everyone seems to smile when they hear the words and some even get the courage to greet me a ‘Merry Christmas’ in return. I also noticed that my Indian co-workers (who are not Christian) are frequently the first to reply back ‘Merry Christmas’. See, no big deal.

The office Christmas party in the US is always a dull event. It would sometimes be held at 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Some chips and cookies will be served with beer or wine. The big boss would usually start by thanking everyone for their contributions the past year, there would be a few chit-chat and polite smiles, and that’s it. Everyone then heads home at 5pm to avoid rush-hour traffic. The company does this deliberately to avoid liability, as if the party gets too wild, and if too much drink gets served and consumed, the chance is greater that the employees will drive home under the influence and cause an accident. It is safe but boring.

Contrast this to your typical Filipino Company Christmas Party. When I was still working in the Philippines, I always looked forward to them. It is typically held after office hours and can last up to midnight. Typically, there is a group competition as to who has the best dance number or comedy presentation, and who can make the biggest fool of himself. You might see the division manager dance in a skirt, or watch your officemate serenade a female co-worker with a love song. In the spirit of the Christmas Party, bosses and employees are equal, and it is always a good opportunity to have fun and let loose. After the party is over, everyone is usually in such a good mood that we would go to a Karaoke (KTV) or bar for the ’second party’ which oftentimes ends up more fun than the company-sanctioned one.

December is also the time to reconnect with old friends you haven’t seen for most of the year. My old barkada (group) usually meets once or twice during the season and we reflect on how much we have grown since high school or college and resolve to see each other more often, maybe try to organize a billiards or basketball outing.

This is really what Christmas is about for me. It’s about celebrating good times with friends, having the noche buena (Christmas Eve Meal) with the family, making fun of my cousins, getting back at your boss in the company party, and just basking in the glow of your relationships with the people that matter the most. Wouldn’t you agree, nothing beats Christmas in the Philippines? [Written by Rob dela Cruz]

Originally posted on Saturday, 05 January 2008

I just finished watching Rocky III again last night. I probably have watched it more than twenty times since I was a kid, as we had an old betamax tape of it back in the 80’s. It’s one of my all-time favorite movies. The story revolves around Rocky Balboa losing his title to a young, hungry fighter played by Mr. T. Rocky had gotten soft and complacent, having gotten used to the easy life as a popular heavyweight champion. He had achieved fame and riches, yet lost the edge that made him a dangerous fighter in the first place.

Rocky’s old rival, Apollo Creed then contacts him and offers to train him so that he can regain his heavyweight championship. Initially, the training was very slow and difficult. Rocky had lost most of his motivation and will to fight. Apollo has to bring Rocky back to an old, dirty boxing gym where Apollo got his start as a young fighter. He then proceeds to show Rocky exactly what is lacking in his mental outlook. He tells Rocky that the young, poor fighters in the gym have that hunger and motivation to succeed, and this is what is missing from his game.

Eventually, Rocky gets back the motivation and killer instinct he needs to fight. He goes back to his roots, trains hard, and regains the confidence to win back the heavyweight championship. He had rediscovered the ‘eye of the tiger’, the old hunger and drive to succeed.

I can relate to this movie on many points, and I always get inspired by it, although I know most people find it terribly corny by today’s standards. I’ve always felt that while living in the US the past five years, I had gotten soft and complacent, so used to material comforts and luxuries. I had gotten accustomed to the safe and secure life – the type where everything is taken care for you as long as you conform to society and avoid rocking the boat for everyone else. As long as I held a regular job, did what I am told, and not say or do anything that other people might find offensive, I knew I would be assured of a secure (or at least the illusion of security), yet boring and empty life ahead of me.

I had lost the ‘eye of the tiger’. I had lost that instinct and drive I had when I was still a young and hungry college graduate looking for work. I had become complacent, afraid of trying new things, afraid of taking risks. I was all about preserving the status quo rather than taking advantage of new opportunities.

 During my visit to the Philippines early last year, I rediscovered my connection with family and friends. I talked to a lot of interesting people back home. Those who had big dreams and outrageous goals and ideas which they weren’t afraid to share with me.

I also talked to a lot of young workers and I felt the raw energy and positive outlook they had towards life. To them, life did not consist of merely earning a paycheck and waiting for retirement. Instead, they were filled with passion for their work, their families, and their friendships.

It was then that I realized I had a lot of hard work in store for me. I had to regain my old form, go back to doing the things I love doing, and take advantage of more opportunities. I needed to regain the ‘eye of the tiger’. And this is one of the main reasons I’m returning to the Philippines. [Written by Rob dela Cruz]

Originally posted on Tuesday, 01 January 2008   

 
I had a rude awakening when I experienced my first Christmas in the US back in 2003. Previously, I had heard stories from other Filipinos about how difficult it was to be away from on Christmas. Being quite proud and arrogant at the time, I thought I wouldn’t have much trouble adjusting to life away from home, even during the holidays. But it was actually much tougher than I thought it. Serves me right.While growing up in the Philippines, I would be treated to videos and images of Christmas in America.

These were happy, feel-good pictures of Santa Claus, snow covered porches with Frosty the Snowman, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and little kids gathering around the Christmas Tree wearing proud smiles as they held their presents. I was captivated with those images and it built into me a mentality that the United States is a Christmas Paradise.The reality of the situation is actually quite different, and reflecting back on it made me more aware of the discrepancies between what we are force-fed in the media as compared to the way things actually are.

The toughest thing hands-down about Christmas and New Year in America is the weather. I’m aware that the climate might be more hospitable in the warmer states, but in Washington State where I stay, it gets very cold and dark. There are weeks where we go without sunshine due to the seemingly never-ending clouds and rain this time of year. I get claustrophobic from feeling trapped indoors with artificial heating. My skin dries up and I often feel suffocated from the lack of outdoor air. Where’s Frosty the Snowman when you need him?

Another thing is the lack of Christmas decor, music, and overall holiday spirit. I think it’s because I got so used to the amped up Christmas spirit in the Philippines. Back home, you are reminded that Christmas is coming as early as September, and you’ll see the decorations, hear the Christmas songs, and other references everywhere you go. I know a lot of Americans find our way of celebrating the holidays to be a bit too much, and I can understand how they got that point of view, especially when you compare the way it is celebrated in the Philippines and US.

I remember going around downtown Seattle one mid-December, seeing all the Christmas lights, outdoor Christmas Tree, and being reminded a little bit of what Christmas is like in Metro Manila. It’s just that you have to go to the busiest part of the city to see it.

I also recalled how I quickly got sick and tired of all the commercials on TV, as well as all the junk mail trying to convince me to buy more and more stuff during the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas had become synonymous with shopping, you will encounter many hardcore shoppers lining up outside of malls at the crack of dawn, competing with other equally hardcore shoppers to get the best deal in the latest cool gift or high-tech gadget.

I easily got depressed by all the rampant materialism and consumerism on display. It felt like something wasn’t right. Now don’t get me wrong, the Philippines is also stuck on that same consumerist treadmill, especially during the holidays. It’s just that Filipinos generally have less disposable income to spend, so we end up focusing on other things.

Part of my Filipino Christmas experience includes the company Christmas party, multiple reunions with friends, and family get-together’s. I’ll go over these memorable activities in part 2 of this post. [Written by Rob dela Cruz]

Originally posted on Friday, 28 December 2007

For months, I’ve been harping on the joys of life back home in the Philippines. But there’s really one simple reason why I know I’ll be back: The Food. I just can’t live without it.

Metro Manila is a food paradise. Everywhere you go, you will be surrounded by a wide assortment of culinary choices. When I went home early this year – my first time back in three years, I could hardly contain my excitement. It was like I was an escaped prisoner having his first real meal after years of confinement.

My first week was mostly spent staying in the hospital where my father was confined while recovering from a serious health concern. It was a very difficult time for the whole family and was the main reason I rushed home. No matter how old we are, we will always feel a certain responsibility towards our parents. My mother and I had lunch in the hospital cafeteria daily. They had simple, inexpensive meals – always Filipino food consisting of rice, vegetables with some meat dish. For me, it was like eating in a first class restaurant as it was my first taste of real Filipino food in years. I had my fill of chicken caldereta, ginisang ampalaya (bitter melon), chicken curry with gata (coconut milk), and lots and lots of rice. I would have several cups of rice to go with the ulam. Eating there brought back familiar memories.

The hospital food was the icebreaker. The following week, I went to Enterprise building in Makati to meet my friend, Crab (yes, that’s his nickname) who was working there. It was kind of a surprise actually as he didn’t know exactly what date I would be back. We had coffee at the starbucks in his building. I was amazed at how many new eateries they had in Makati. There was a starbucks everywhere you looked. And I noticed a Dencio’s and Jollibee at the base of the buildings along Paseo de Roxas where most of the Call Center offices were located. On the side streets, the old ‘Jolly Jeep’s could still be found, where you can buy take out lunch – ulam and rice in small plastic bags.

While with Crab at starbucks, I heard a loud “HOY!!” followed by a slap on my shoulder. To my surprise, it was our old college friend, Sony. He just happened to be walking outside and saw us. He said it was entirely unexpected to see me as he didn’t even know I was back in the Philippines. Crab, Sony and I spent some time reminiscing the good old days. We texted everyone in the old barkada, and met up in Glorietta mall that same night. I was touched that all my old friends rearranged their schedules on that day, called their wives to tell them they will be late coming home, just to go out and have dinner with the old group. It’s so different from life in the US where everyone is too busy and preoccupied to meet friends on short notice.

We had a late dinner at Gilligan’s which was right outside the mall near established franchises such as Max’s Chicken and Gerry’s Grill. I think we only spent P700 ($65) for food that was good for six people. If I remember correctly, we had Tuna Belly, Sinigang na Baboy, and Sisig. It brought back memories of when I worked in Makati as a young, wide eyed employee. You could feel the energy and activity in the area when we walked outside.

It seems that everywhere I went, I was surrounded by good food that was hard to resist. I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. I would work remotely from our local office in Makati and ate at either the Glorietta or Landmark food courts. My favorite was the Sinigang na Baboy at Kamay Kainan – sometimes having three cups of rice to go with the patis and siling labuyo on the side. My mother said that my daily ‘Sinigang habit’ probably caused the increase in my cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

I went to Yoshinoya several times with my friend Jan, who updated me on all the new eating places I missed. Yoshinoya still serves the best beef rice bowl. Maybe a bit pricey at P120 for the large bowl, but that’s ok. I have a habit of adding a lot of red ginger and hot spices to the dish. Along with a side order of miso soup and green iced tea.

Even the westernized restaurants in the Philippines were good, as it frequently catered to local tastes. The Dads/Saisaki/Kamayan buffet was excellent and they had not significantly raised prices which is a good sign. I also have to admit that I enjoyed Shakey’s pizza and even the local McDonald’s! The Jollibee Chicken Joy was also a perennial favorite of mine. I can’t tell you how much I missed being able to eat rice in those fast foods, which they obviously don’t serve in their US branches.

Speaking of rice, I find I can never get enough rice while away from home. Sure, I can cook rice while in the apartment. The trouble is when I eat in the company cafeteria. They usually serve rice as a side dish and I have to request the server to “add more rice please!”, which still won’t be enough. As rice is a side dish, it sometimes comes mixed with some flavoring, with some nuts and corn added. Somehow, eating nuts and corn with rice doesn’t work for me. Just give me plain white rice and I’ll be happy.
Which brings me to my favorite eating place in Metro Manila. It’s a small outdoor grill named ‘Yoo Hoo’ located in Metrowalk, Ortigas. If you’re visiting the Philippines, you have to check out this place. The food is very inexpensive – you’ll pay less than P50 for a full meal. They serve various cafeteria-style ulam that changes every day, and you typically point to the ones you want. I was introduced to the place by Jan, and he was right on with his pick. The inihaw na liempo (roast pork) is the best of its kind in the world. Its regular patrons seem to like the pork barbecue, but I think the Liempo is a much better value. You also have to try the various side entrée ulam they have available. After a hot day of walking all around the area, I was so hungry that I had four cups of rice with Liempo and Lechon Manok. I’m just glad I don’t work near the place or I might get an early heart attack from eating the inihaw na liempo everyday.

I can go on and on about all the great food available in Metro Manila. I haven’t even described the wonderful home cooking, or the day we had free sago at gulaman in the Makati office. And all the desserts and fresh fruits that were available. I missed my mother’s pineapple upside down cake so much, that she baked two of them within a span of two weeks.

After having my fill of home cooking, I finally returned to the US and reluctantly went back to the company cafeteria food. It was a little sad to go back to my old routine. But I still had a huge smile on my face remembering all the great food I enjoyed back home. [Written by Rob dela Cruz]

Originally posted on 25 November 2007

You have heard the term before – ‘Filipino Time’, referring to our tendency to be late to meetings, social gatherings and events. When a group of friends or relatives agree on a me eting time of – let’s say 6:30 PM, you know implicitly that the time is really more of a suggestion, and expect the people to actually arrive 15 to 30 minutes later, usually with the excuse that they got stuck in traffic, or that the bus was too slow, or something else. The common joke is that if you schedule an event to take place at 6:30 in the evening, it usually means that the true start time is closer to 7 PM, to account for ‘Filipino Time’. If a friend has a reputation of coming in much later than everyone else, you would give him an earlier start time than the rest, as a way of giving him an additional head start to compensate for his habit of coming in later than usual. We’ll usually have a good laugh about all of this, and oftentimes pressure the guy who comes in very late to pay for the drinks.

So it was quite a shock to me during my first few months in the US. I remember the first time I was invited to an after office team dinner celebration. Our group had just completed a major product milestone before the deadline, and the managers wanted to treat the whole team to a nearby restaurant. The first thing I noticed was that there was a detailed schedule given for the dinner. The invite said it would take place from 6:00 – 7:30 PM. I found the dinner end time of 7:30 PM a bit odd as it seemed too early. At the time, I thought it was just an arbitrary end time set which wasn’t really followed. After all, I’ve been to office dinner celebrations in the Philippines before, and 7:30 PM would just be the time when we would be getting started. Plus we would usually stay out much longer in the night. As we were all friends in the Philippines office, those who didn’t want to go home right away would all go out for beer or coffee after dinner.

Back to my first team dinner in the US: I arrived in the restaurant around 15 minutes later than the 6 PM start time, taking some extra time to sort out some odds and ends in the office before going to the restaurant. To my surprise, everyone was already seated and had ordered by the time I arrived. I found it both surprising and interesting how everyone was so prompt with regards to the dinner start time. I guess it was because I had gotten so accustomed to Filipino Time back home. But what surprised me even more was how the dinner ended promptly at 7:30 PM as scheduled, with the big boss giving a speech at the table thanking everyone for their hard work. Followed by everyone leaving the restaurant and driving off, like clockwork. That was the end of the short, very business-like dinner. The sun was still shining when everyone left, and I was thinking to myself “That was it? bakit natapos kaagad?” (why did it end so fast?)

Though I had eventually gotten used to “US Time”, where everything starts and ends according to schedule and everyone rushes to make it in time so as not to inconvenience or offend anyone, the feeling of everything running like clockwork still always felt unusual to me. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I knew it was more efficient, more respectable towards other people’s time, and probably better for productivity and economy. Yet it had always made me feel more anxious, like I was always running after time, rushing to the next event, and getting more stressed out.

 Contrast this with my experiences when visiting the Philippines early this year. Everything was more relaxed. No rushing for anything and schedules weren’t set in stone. In general we had more time to sit back and talk about important life matters without constantly looking at our watches. After several years of ‘US Time’ which I think added many years to my biological age, ‘Filipino Time’ was such a refreshing experience. Now I’ll get to my main point, as I’m guessing many of you reading this are thinking that Filipino Time is one of our vices that we must cure, and that we must adopt the practice of western punctuality if we want to progress.

The theory is that if we want our economy to grow, ‘kung gusto natin umasenso’ (if we want to grow), then we have to start being more aware of time and doing everything to gain the most efficient use of it. In a way, I agree with this, but only to a limited extent and I’ll tell you why. First of all, while I agree that US Time is good for business and the economy, the price you pay for it is added anxiety and stress, which exacts a toll on physical health in the long-term. When everything you do is according to schedule, when everything is dictated by pop-up reminders on your calendar telling you what you should do next and how long it should take, those things eventually pile up on the psyche. I’ve seen my teammates at work who are always too busy and preoccupied with what is next on their schedule. Whether it’s to make an important deadline, or rushing to fetch their kids from day care, getting home in time to cook dinner, or the frantic planning to schedule their next vacation out of town. Everything becomes a constant battle for time.

 With Filipino Time, perhaps we are a bit more inefficient. Perhaps our economy doesn’t grow as much as a result from it. And we end up wasting time waiting for friends and family who are late in arriving. But what we lose, we gain in our health and mental outlook. There is less struggle, things occur much more naturally. We observe our surroundings more, maybe spend more time talking to our friends and family about more important matters. And it also increases the serendipity factor – where we discover and learn new things by accident, as a result of being more aware of the world around us. We can make the distinction of being punctual on matters where time is critical – life and death situations, or work matters that are super important. But with everything else, we can afford to relax and not pressure ourselves too much. Then maybe we can get the best of both worlds. Many people criticize Filipino Time, but to be honest, I’m actually quite thankful for it. [Written by Rob dela Cruz]