Our Weaknesses as Filipinos

Let me stress some points why we Pinoys are low in achievement and seems stagnant in our will to aspire. In early 90’s I was invited to speak before a gathering of a Vietnamese organization in Ottawa. Their community was quite envious as to how far we Filipinos has fully  integrated into the Canadian society. Most of the attendees at that conference were boat people, some of them has struggles in adapting to the English language and integrating into the western culture. Most of them started their stay in Canada in basement of  Christian churches and depended on the kindness of church members for food and clothing.

Fast forward 2012, now we are eating in Vietnamese Restaurants, buying medicine from their  Drug Stores, they opened up a number of businesses and they became employers while most Pinoys still work for an employer. In Canada  most Filipinos are very good employees. Most of the stores and businesses  started by Filipinos has a short life span. I think my Coffee Shop  in Ottawa is one of  those that has weathered through in a decade. WHY  IS THIS ?

Few years back I read a book on Pinoy Management by Ernest Franco and he outlined some weaknesses of Filipinos:

1. Walang Bilib sa Sarili

2. Dikdik sa Colonial Mentality

3. Masyadong Relax

4. Ningas Cogon

5. Holiday Mentality

6. Lack of Managerial and Organizational Effectiveness

7. Lack of willpower.

(Tripac Barista Coffee Lounge @ Tony Graham Lexus, Ottawa Canada)

Ceremony in Settling Conflicts among the Tribal Groups

In the west  “To Cut ” is commonly used when settling monetary obligations such as ” Cut a Cheque”. This means once a cheque has been cut and given to the other party, obligations has been settled.

In the Bukidnon and Higaonon Tribes in northern Mindanao when two groups are at odd to each other, i.e.,they are at war with each other, a  truce ceremony is being conducted which we call ” Tampuda” or “Cut”

They dug a hole and they put a live pig in the hole. The Chieftains of the warring Tribal groups will have a spear and they take their turn in hitting the pig until it dies. This is to symbolize that their anger toward each other is transferred to the pig.

Once the pig is dead they cover the hole. Each Chieftain will exchange a porcelain cup attributing that

their is peace among  their tribal groups. As long as the cup is safely kept there will always be peace among them.

The Heart of the Problem

“The heart of our  problem  is the problem of our heart”

PROBLEM :

All of us are concern of our physical heart. Almost all of the drugstores  in Canada has gadgets to check your BP’s etc. Our parks and sidestreets are filled with runners, making them physically fit. Everyone is concern of their physical heart.