'Respect' in many ways has disappeared in UK | Filipino Culture | Forum

One of the things that attracted me to leaving my homeland and living in the Philippines, as far back as 1992, was the fact that I was dismayed at the loss of respect from many areas of my own culture but I was pleasantly surprised to find that in most cases here, are still alive.

For instance everyone removes their shoes before entering as 'respect for the house', which is why I changed from wearing tie-up shoes to slip-ons. Children are taught from the earliest time to use po and opo when addressing their parents, elders & authority figures, kuya, ate, manong & manang for older siblings and even non family members. At the dining table, people give 'respect for the table'. Everyone I meet WANTS to go to school, WANTS to complete their education, DREAMS of going to college & university, what a breath of fresh air! I find it so quaint that when I'm talking with a friend and someone needs to pass between us, they adopt a 'walk like an Egyptian' pose and skuttle through with head bent low. This seems to us, a very respectful though excessive action and always reminds me that my own actions may look disrespectful and arrogant to them.

I do complain when things are not as I'd like but the above thoughts serve to humble me when I observe them and remind me why I'm still here.

Andy i think alot of places are getting like the UK? I am from Texas in the states and i hate it and what it has become here too the kids do not have any respect for their parents, don't want to go to school. For the most part american's have gotten lazy all they want are hand outs, our prez. is a loser glad i didn't vote for him! But look the hispanics are coming here well anybody from any country come here and get social securty,goverment hand out to start a business for free! what pisses me off is i have been working sence i was 14 (now 47) and have no social security to look forward too! because when i retire it will not be there for me. this country is so messed up in dept i can't wait to retire and move to the philippines. I have been there twice already and on my way back there in Nov. this year. i married a beautiful pinoy girl but couldn't take the city life out of her. So like i said i'm on my way back again to marry the one i should have the first time she from the farm and we have alot more in common than the other one. But back to the point From what i have read here and done reserch on the philippines i'm definely coming back to stay for good in the near future.

MindanaoBob said:

So true.  And it mirrors my experiences coming here from the States.

In the States, kids hate going to school.  Here, they can't wait.

Big difference!

Is it the children who are different, or the schools?  I knew a few high school students who came to the U.S. from Europe, and they didn't think much of the American public schools.  I really don't know anything about the school system in the Philippines.

Post edited 3:51 pm – June 17, 2012 by tezza55

I can only speak from my own experience but when I left the US in March 2012 one of my last obligations was to dine with my ex wife and her grand kids. It was a gesture of peace on my part. So we are sitting there with these two boys, age 15 and 16, tattoos, body piercings and the ever present smart phone. I asked them nicely to put the phones away, please stop the texting, when dinner arrived and was told simply…F*** You! So much for respect!

So true.  In the US with nation-wide free education through high school, for all, no questions (or fees) ever asked, we show little respect for the system … even I have certainly been guilty of that at times.  

In the US kids bitch about the food in the school cafeteria and their parents bitch about the school bus being 5 minutes late and throwing off their day's schedule.

Americans mostly don't realize that even public school in the Philippines costs money, and there are no where NEAR enough schools to serve all the children. And school lunch?  And after school programs?  And parent-directed local school boards?  And tax-supported bussing?  And …. (fill in your own blanks here).  Walang.  "Don't Git That Here"

Hadn't thought of that before but contrasting the school situation is a very good way to illustrate the real differences between US and Filipino culture. One US career I don't think you will ever find in the Philippines is a truant officer.  If a kid doesn't want to go to school, who cares, there are 6 who want to go to take his place:

Svetlana Kirilenko: That’s the trouble with you Americans. You expect nothing bad ever to happen. When the rest of the world expect only bad to happen. And they are not disappointed.