Filipino Inferiority Complex
Much of the problem with The Philippines is one of history and geographics (I mean the lay of the land). As an archipelago of 7000 islands, the country was never unified prior to the Spanish arriving some 500 years ago. Before then, there was constant wars between island chiefdoms. Thus, there is no unified natural heritage for these people. They have always been a conquered people because of there internal divergence.
They speak how many languages here? The national language, Tagolog, is an artificial creole, that was essentially made up from several languages.
Filipinos have an inferiority complex that they take pride in. It sickens me. Some of my British clients see emails where I am constantly referred to as ‘Sir Michael’, and they roll around on the floor making jokes about me being knighted. You have to practically slap these bastards to get them to drop the “Sir” crap. I get saluted several time every day. Coming out of the crapper I get saluted and I just want to wash my hands because at few places (Mike Mike’s Spooks KTV Club excluded) there is NO toilet paper and I just washed my ass with toilet water, and all I want to do is wash my hands, I’m not about to put my hand to my forehead and salute back.
Running a business here you see the inferiority complex all the time. When rough times come, money gets tight, my crew wants to downsize and fire people. It is just instinctive to Filipinos. “Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead” is the war cry I was raised on, but they’ve never heard it here. When I tell them to hire two more full time people in the marketing department because cash flow is suffering, they think I’ve taken a crazy pill.
Genetically, Filipinos are closest to Malay and Taiwanese. But culturally, they are a world apart.
The problem is well explained in two books I would recommend to all who are considering coming to The Philippines and making some money, as opposed to subsisting on retirement income.
1) The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else, by Hernando De Soto
2) Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jarrod Diamond.
The county is so ostrich-with-head-in-the-sand obtuse that foriegners cannot own land here or fully own businesses here.
As an example aside, when I buy a pack of cigarettes here and open it, I put the trash in my pocket, the little cellophane and foiled paper bits. People look at me like I am stupid. I tell them Idon’t litter, I love this country (even though I complain about it al lthe time, I still love it) and I am not going to litter. They just do not comprehend. They do not get it.
Take care of what you love. Take care of your country. It means virtually nothing here. The archipelago of 7000 islands has left it’s toll on these people. Like the fundamentalist muslim problem, the only solution is generations. 50 to 100 years.
May 18th, 2007 at 23:04
I can totally relate with you my friend. I used to be like that – calling every man “Sir” and every woman “Ma’am” but for the past years, I’ve finally learned to drop them and just call people by their names… I guess it’s my Spanish blood kicking in me giving me some pride to get rid of the inferiority complex.
Reminds me of a friend who wouldn’t seat on a car’s frontseat because he thinks that seat is for the boss only. Imagine that…
May 27th, 2007 at 09:13
I don’t necessarily agree with you on this…I am a Filipino and I never had what you would call an inferiority complex to Americans or any other foreigners. For your info, the majority of our population was brought up to call people ‘sir’ or ‘maam’ as part of our culture in showing respect. In Tagalog we add the word po or opo to exhibit respect for our elders or people in authority which I believe translates to the ‘sir’ or maam’ when spoken in English. You come to the Philippines- a country with a different set of cultures-, ignorantly judge its people based on your own American culture and then proceed to offend its citizens by stating that “Filipinos take pride in their inferiority complex.†Your erroneous presumption indeed sickens me and I wonder what the Filipinos who are working in your business would think if they’ve read your post and find out just how uncomplimentary you think of them.
What makes you think you’re such an expert on the Filipino mindset anyway?
May 27th, 2007 at 14:13
First of all, I have a wonderful set of people that work for me, and I do not think poorly of any of them. Indeed, I think Filipinos are the equal of any other race or nationality, and this inferiority complex that so many seem to have should be shed. I am an American, damn proud of it, and I do agree my perceptions are culturally skewed by that; so of course I see things a bit differently than you, because you are a Filipino. Last, I’m not much of an expert on anything. I just write about some of the things I know about, see, or don’t like. In this case, it was the latter.
May 29th, 2007 at 00:05
I don’t think inferiority is the issue for us Filipinos…but all i know is that we are very respectfull by nature….seeing us is not only knowing us…but being with us and sharing with our “lifestyle & values” is the true essence of the Filipino culture….we may maybe archepelago’s apart but the sign of respect was never omitted in our values…My Martialart Instructor once told me “Respect Every Indiviual”, If you want to be respected,you have to learn to respect yourself first….
June 9th, 2007 at 22:30
Dear Mr. Turner:
I feel so sad for you that you’re sicken with the manner the Filipinos/Cagay-anons respect you. Addressing a person Sir/Maam is being inferior,it’s simply an expression of respect. a matter of fact, that’s how we address our teachers. Hubby and I are also addressed as Sir/Maam here in the US, at times. I wondered if these people– judge, school superintendent, store clerks feel inferior! Or are they just mocking us when do so ?
Indeed, lots of adjustments have to be made when living in another country. I experience the same thing here in the US but I tried my best to understand the culture and not to make immediate judgments. In this way I find the beauty of my surroundings even if its own people say, “it sucks”.
June 9th, 2007 at 22:37
PS. I guess I missed the word “not” between being and inferior.
My computer kept disconnecting me. Not a computer savvy that I am, I am rattled when it does so. Thanks for being patient.
June 13th, 2007 at 13:43
Because of the negative comments I’m getting here, I’d like to clarify something here. I’m not putting down Filipinos. I love The Philippines and Filipinos. The problem I have is that I run a business where I put Filipinos in direct contact with my clients. My clients are primarily American, with a mix of British, Canadian, Australian, and a couple of other European countries thrown in. My clients are accustomed to being treated as equals, not as superiors. Filipinos that work for me are some of the best people I have ever known in my life. I am not denigrating Filipinos here. I think they should be more proud of themselves, and think of themselves as equals to anyone else on the planet. I am not happy about Filipinos having an inferiority complex, but see examples of it all the time. I’m not putting Filipinos down, on the contrary, I implore them all to stand up, be proud. Furthermore, while I understand that respect is an ingrained part of the culture, as far as business with people in other countries is concerned, the culture of showing respect is not easily accepted by other people of other countries. I have had more than one client complain that the respectful attitude shown to them by my employees is unsettling. My clients are not superior to my employees. I hope my point is made.
August 19th, 2007 at 02:45
Michael, youre right on the money. Ive been living here in America for the past 9 years and Im awed by the way americans conduct their daily business. In the Philippines, they call their superiors “Sir/Madam”, here, they call them by their first name or lastname. Thats the reason why Philippines is so damn behind because those “superiors” looks like they never make mistake and no one questions them whatever they do.
December 27th, 2007 at 19:46
I was amazed at how people reacted to this very straightforward piece on how an expat sees us Filipinos. I guess it’s a culture thing. While it is nice, indeed imperative, for us Filipinos to be proud and to preserve our heritage, it equally important for us to learn to adapt to the global community at large.
A good example is Michael’s point on using “Sir” to address him. For lack of an English equivalent of the honorific “po” that we use to show respect, most Filipinos learned to adopt the titles “Sir” and “Ma’am” as substitutes. While this seem perfectly acceptable to us, it may not be so for most western cultures, the same way as we find funny or even annoying the constant bowing of heads of the Japanese.
As more people are exposed to multi-national companies, people learn to be more culturally sensitive and understanding. I used to have a hard time dropping the sir in dealing with my expat bosses, but eventually got used to it. But it does not mean I respect them less, nor does the previous use of “Sir” mean that I think of myself less than them. In extreme cases, some people do expect to be addressed with a “Sir” or a “Mr” before their names, and would take offense at people addressing them by their first name. Different folks, different strokes!
Sadly, there are many “white monkeys” who abuse the innate hospitality of Filipinos, as there are Filipinos who take advantage of the naiveté of our foreign guests. As Forest Gump would say, “Life is like a box of chocolates – you’ll never know what you’re gonna get!”
Michael, I am glad you are enjoying your life in our country. And thank you for looking beyond your host’s frailties. May your tribe increase.
November 7th, 2008 at 14:18
Hi Michael,
Well, I am another expat and I totally agree with you. Obviously Filipinos know you’re right but they’ll never accept it. Have you ever wondered why if you (a foreigner) and lets say you are riding a bus and there is a vacant seat almost nobody will seat beside you unless there’s no other seats available? etc… I think that we foreigners living here somehow appreciate the Philippines more than Filipinos themselves. They will always justify themselves with any excuse and you will always sound offensive if you tell the truth. Have you ever wondered why even though the Philippines is an extremely exotic and beautiful country it is the one with the lowest (extremely low) number of tourist if compared to other Asian destinations?
Have ever noticed that they will look at what kind of cellphone you’re using to assess how much money you have? Haw you ever look at the face and attitude of a mall sales girl or guy if you decide to buy a non branded pair of shoes, etc? Well, the list of remarks and the evidence is infinite. Isn’t that inferiority complex? What is it then? Respect for all that is not Filipino? You may spend you’re whole life in this country but they will never, ever see you as equal…
April 6th, 2009 at 23:14
Wow, this was posted a long time ago! Anyway, I also agree with this. I’m filipino. I was born there, but I moved here when I was 12. When I was really young, I vividly remember that just because I had “lighter” skin than the rest of my peers, and because I spoke English fluently, I was automatically prettier and smarter than everyone else. Filipinos are obsessed with anything “state-side” or any product from the West. They’re obsessed with brand names and superficial things like that. They’ll deny it, but they totally feel inferior to white people. It kind of makes me sad that they lack that patriotism.
April 17th, 2009 at 12:26
Hi! Just saw this blog, and I can’t help but share my thoughts on this, too.
Am based in Dubai for the past 4 years, and working in a multinational company. I worked for the same company in the Philippines prior to coming here. We are on first name basis with our bosses, even with the “biggest” global boss, and was never made to feel inferior. It just goes to show that when you are in a company that encourages diversity, race is not an issue, and inferiority is “barely” felt.
I say “barely” because I have been commenting on this for some time now. If you’re familiar with Dubai, this is the melting pot of Mid East. There are more expats here than Emiratis. The biggest population of expats come from India. And boy, do they think they are superior!!!!! They think they speak with a British accent (haha!), and they really act and speak like they know everything. No wonder if you go around the UAE, you will see Indians in big positions as compared to Filipinos, some of whom are probably more knowledgeable than them.
I keep analyzing why this is so, and I came to the conclusion that the reason is because Filipinos are generally “shy” by nature. We never volunteer to do things even if we know it like the back of our hands, we are never aggressive in “marketing” ourselves as compared to our Indian counterparts who always say they know it even if they don’t. I always say “shy” is a word alien to them.
In a global world, our inferioty complex is not getting us anywhere, and this has become a negative thing. I don’t mean this to sound like I am not proud to be a Pinay – I AM!!!! – it’s just that if you want to get ahead, you just have to be confident and bold enough to tell the world that you are as capable – or even better – than the rest of them. Indians and Americans included.
By the way, I’m glad you like Mindanao.
Have you tried Siargao? It rocks.
October 19th, 2010 at 02:21
Yes, even if ur right, a filipino will never admit it, apologize, or take ownership for any mistake they’ve made! You show them something, they say they understand it, & they have no clue! They’ll do anything, even if its wrong, including lying, to attept to look better than u. They r malicious, sneaky, & r only out to make themselves look good & not for the greater good..they are arrogant, proud (when they have nothing to be proud over, actually in need of acknowledging their mistakes!), bossy, & just downright difficult in fact a nightmare to work with!they think they know it all, when they have no clue at all!ok, so not all, but the one I unfortunately have to work with! They came & took a good department & ruined it! Time to get a different job because I’m sick of doing double time to correct their mistakes & incompetance in their attempt to look good! God! What a looser!
November 29th, 2010 at 01:10
Kimmy, your response is way out of line. Derogatory, demeaning, uncalled for in this thread, and I think you totally misinterpreted my post in order to malign others.
The fact that I believe Filipinos suffer from an inferiority complex in no way implies that Filipinos are inferior.
Quite simply, Filipinos underate themsevles. They are so much more capable than given credit for, they simply lack self-confidence.
In NO way do I believe Filipinos to be inferior to any other people.
August 4th, 2011 at 11:30
I am a Filipino, and I’m proud of being one. I have no issue regarding this Inferiority Complex thing. I take care of my family because I love them, and it showed with my actions. But some people here are quite the contrary, they say they love their employees? trust them? come on! drop the crap. Unmask yourself and show to the world the real you. Your employees as you say you love were being subject like criminals. Hiring slaves to follow your every command. Stop these lies, and think of your son if not for your wife. Stop using people as if they are toys within your palm. Your old enough to know the right or wrong. It’s your call!
September 23rd, 2011 at 20:32
This article is straight forward and entice any race to level with each other, to be lean, and directly simple, most importantly in business dealings. I’m a Singapore based Filipino Engineering consultant. I deal with counterparts and individuals from the US, to Australia, to China and the EU ranging from directors to technicians and I address everyone by first names. I keep things straight, direct, and move on from projects to projects fast.
September 25th, 2011 at 08:54
Just came back from Jakarta to Manila. These were the main differences in the cultural attitudes:
1) An Indonesian does not try to be a Dutchman. He does not wear a T -shirt with “Holland” , “Amsterdam”, etc. However, in RP, you always have people wearing T-shirts- “USA, NY, California” with big US flags. Why?
2) They play Indonesian songs on the radio.
3) They talk to foreigners in Indonesian and foreigners are expected to adjust and learn the language. It is a country of Indonesia after all.
4) They do not think that speaking the national language well is corny.
5) They are very much in touch with their Sri Vijayan past and promote that heritage aggressively, while at the same time treating foreigners as equal.
Both countries have many islands and languages, have been colonized and exploited. Why such a big difference?
November 15th, 2011 at 00:15
I am also the one doing business in Philippines. I accept calling me SIR STAN, though I hate it, as I understand it is part of their culture, just replacement for “po”.
I accept even “pinokio tax” that I pay more than locals for services and goods.
However it is difficult to accept other matters, which are harmful to lifestyle of people of this beautiful country.
FOR BUSINESS
a) Foreigner cannot fully own property (only 40%) – it affects capital inflow. (In my Australia any foreigner can buy one property). And capital together with maangement practitioners is needed.
b) To get business visa, you need to invest $ 150,000. I am sorry, but I will not put such capital immediately if I have better opportunities in Indonesia and business friendly governments. My visa will expire after 20 days and then I need to waste time to deliver pocket money payed for visa to some fereign department officials. It naturally restrict my stay in Philippines and at the same time my involvement in investments. This greed of officials combined with substandard infrastructure affect comfort.
c) Philippines are ranked as one of 10 most business unfriendly countries …
Philippines didn’t join convention on trade in Honolulu on November 2011.
Regarding lifestyle – in Philippines I miss my Saturday gardening and work around the house. I like locals enjoying life in the evening. However I feel uneasy seeing them just sitting and producing time, when they can improve their little houses with small effort and no money.
They have heritage of “cult cargo” – if you are pinokio – you have obligations to bring gifts.
The truth is they can work hard, but they have no feeling of directions. When I am talking to kids, I always say: be like Dr Rizal achieve like Dr Rizal. You can make money home, no need to work as domestic help overseas.
Yes, they have feeling of inferiority, many times I was telling my friend with beautiful olive skin – stop talking whitening, you are so beutiful, just don’t want to hear that. Suntan is a dream of girls in my country.
I travel by bus quiet often, they have perfect communication by minibuses. Yes, true, my friend one day translated whispers: he is poor, as he takes public transport. Apparently there exist certain image of foreigner spending money.
I like their grey economy – people do not count on government assistance, they open their minishps, minipiggeries to make few peso and be selfsufficient. Regrettebly this potential is not supported by governments.
Warm regards to all Pinoy people.